A DIY Cardboard Cottage

My twin nieces turned THREE this week! 

I decided to go with a "simple" gift this year. 

"I'll get them a huge cardboard box!" I said. "Oh, ya know... I'll just cut out a door and a window or 2 and call it good."

Well... I may or may not have gone wonderfully overboard. . . . .

I think I had way more fun making this than they're even going to have playing in it! Everything I used, I already had lying around the house, so making this was basically free.

First I cut out windows and doors (with a knife, yikes!) and reinforced all of the edges with duct tape.  

I covered the box inside & out with white banner paper and bordered the windows and doors with Trader Joe's grocery bags.

Tuffy helped, of course. 

I covered the door with baby blue poster board and added some flowers to the windows (from scrapbook paper I had) and a wreath to the door (cut out of old clothes).

The roof I made from two pieces of foam board. I layed them flat and duct taped them down the middle on the inside so they would easily bend. To hold the roof up I duct taped two small pieces of extra foam board to the center (it's amazing what duct tape can do.) The shingles are cut out rows of a cardboard box and connected with hot glue. (After this project, I've been finding hot glue strings everywhere!)

And, of course, I added a pink "F" and purple "V" for Felicity & Viviana!

This project took me about 4 full days, but it was worth every second. 

"Knock Knock! Anybody home?!"

Merry Halloween!

It is a PERFECT October day, friends! The trees in Nashville have finally changed - red, orange, yellow, brown. It's been drizzly and crisp, and the leaves are gently falling, caught up in a breeze, swirling & twirling in the atmosphere. (Sorry to get all sentimental... I just love this weather, and it is completely appropriate for a spooky Halloween!)

Merry Halloween, all! Meow!

Flea Market Adventures - DIY Booth Display

Last weekend, Noffy and I participated in our first ever Flea Market... and let me tell you, it was an adventure. 

Firstly, allow me to preface with this - we had a blast and we really, really enjoyed ourselves and we WILL be doing it again this weekend. We met a handful of awesome folks - both customers and fellow sellers. And we made a few bucks. But their were certainly some obstacles. 

I spent all of Thursday before the market setting up the above layout in our living room. It was nice to be able to visualize everything before we got there, and it gave me a handle on my inventory (which I had really lost control of.) I think the set-up looked pretty snazzy, but it was fairly difficult to transfer it all from our apartment to the flea market. The loading and unloading was simply exhausting - from hauling everything down the apartment stairwell, to puzzle-piecing everything into the Subaru, to unloading into the booth, and then all over again once the weekend was through. We woke up Monday feeling like we had been mauled by a grizzly bear. 

But every problem has a solution. After some brainstorming and some heavy Pinteresting, we began to create a more portable booth display. 

This is the first of the displays Noffy will make (I say "Noffy" because, let's be honest, I can't do that Bob the Builder magic.) Each part is connected by a bolt and nut, allowing us to take it apart and easily transfer it into the car. 

The purses are simply hung by nails, which I think adds a great rustic vibe (and also hardly cost a thing.) All together, making this display cost about $35 - thanks Home Depot for your cheap wood!

Noffy will be making a smaller version of this display to hang our belts. Can't wait!

We'll be at the Nashville Farmers Market again this weekend selling these lovely purses and belts, so come by and say hello!

It's Autumn, guys.

As of last Sunday (my 25th birthday), it is officially AUTUMN, and I could not be more pleased to sport jeans and sweaters yet again. It's not quite scarf-weather, but believe you me, as soon as it hits 55 degrees, I'm pulling those babies out of the back of the closet. 

Happy Fall, my friends :)

Gonna close my eyes.

Sometimes you just need a boost.

An inspirational shove.

A coaxing into getting your creative shit done.

Sometimes you just need to have coffee with a friend.

Sometimes you just need to write a poem.

Sometimes you just need to snuggle with some one.

Sometimes you just need to take a long fucking walk to nowhere.

Sometimes you just need to say "fuck."

Sometimes you just need to throw things. Or paint with your hands.

Sometimes you need to stop and take a deep breath.

Sometimes you need to stretch your arms up to the sky and let the sun give you a fat hug.

Sometimes you need to jump into the ocean in your underwear.

For the love of God, sometimes you need to pick up your guitar and write a damn song!

Sometimes you need to rest.

But mostly you need to keep yourself occupied.

Sometimes you need a cold beer in the cold air with your best friends on a dirt road at midnight.

Sometimes you just need to stop thinking so hard about it and just go for it.

Sometimes you need to just close your eyes and create.

Create something!

Sometimes you need to believe in yourself a little bit more than you do.

Sometimes you need to give yourself credit for.........

..........sometimes you just need to give God credit... for once.






Good night.

Quicky

Ick. Almost a year since I've blogged. Shame on me.
Let's see... all the wonderful things that have occurred this year... well...

I graduated college (yay!!!)

I got married! (YAYYY!!!)

And I moved to Nashville with my hubby!