BFF Open House

 

Happy Friday Eve all! Hope you've all had a good week and those of you who either as teachers or parents went back to school this week, I hope it was peaceful. We had a fun getaway for our 31st Honeymoon last week. We drove up to Las Vegas for the week and loved checking everything out. It seems like every Food Network or other celebrity chef has a restaurant or several! Gordon Ramsay, Bobby Flay, Guy Fieri, Buddy Valastro (Cake Boss) Lisa Vanderpump, and Martha Stewart's "The Bedford". We stayed at Resorts World which has three hotels in one and enjoyed their "Street Eats" choices as well as a fun place called "Sun's Out Buns Out" with great breakfast sandwiches and the Carver Steakhouse where we celebrated our Anniversary dinner which they made special. It also housed a 24 hr Starbucks which was great for me with morning and late afternoon iced mochas. We didn't do any shows this time mostly because we're such early birds and are in for the night well before they  start. It was good for me to get away since I suffer from some crippling anxiety and depression at times and the timing was perfect. Sometimes that helps me create. Other times it just paralyzes me so being distracted helped. 

Fall is here (I don't care what the calendar or thermometer says). I guess I should say "Fall Craft Time" is here. I'm going to start on a Halloween tree skirt for the black "Christmas" tree I got for 50% off from Wayfair. Found some great fabric 50% off at JoAnn's!

Let's see some of the ideas from last week's party. 

This is brilliant and perfect for any space. A DIY in this case Journaling Station but could be used for SO many thing including just as extra storage! From Thriving With Less.

I love what Penny's Vintage Home did with this Antique Wooden Dough Bowl! We have one from my husband's family's old farmhouse and last year I filled it with greens and baubles for the holidays but I love it with these Fall blooms!

Being a lover of neutrals, this Neutral Baby Shower from Saved From Salvage caught my eye. It is so elegant and fun and you really have to see all that she did! 

Lastly, I hadn't thought about using my InstaPot to make Bread Pudding but this Gooey Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding from Scratch Made Food may change that! 

Thanks to everyone who linked up and can't wait to see what everyone's been up to this week!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

BFF Open House

Happy September! Can't believe it's already here. No features this week. Straight to the party since we're on a getaway celebrating  our 31st Honeymoon. 😘Not sure where that time went either!

Hope you've all had a good week and back next week with features!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

BFF Open House

 

Halloween may be the next big crafting holiday but let me really scare you. Christmas is just FOUR MONTHS from today! EEEEEEK! 

I didn't get up to much this past week. We had my mom down to visit for a few days and then catching up on some errands. BUT, I did hit Dollar Tree for some decorations for my Halloween tree and I want to put it up NOW. They have some great things. Michaels and JoAnn also have some cool stuff and a lot of it already discounted. Shop early and often is my motto! 

I love hosting this party, especially when I haven't had time to work on anything. I love seeing all the things you work on and share and while I may not be able to comment on every link, I appreciate each and every one. Let's take a look at a few from last week's party! 

Check out this Not Yet Fall Pumpkin from The Apple Street Cottage. Isn't it GORGEOUS?! This can stay up all the way through Thanksgiving. And of course I did pick up a couple of extra pumpkins from Dollar Tree to play with! 

Likewise, check out this great DIY Witch Hat tutorial from Me and My Inklings! Fun on its own but also what a great topper for a pumpkin or a tree!

Even though I'm not a camper, I can't resist a good pun and if you're getting in one last campout of the season, Artsy Fartsy Mama has you covered to go in style with this Camping Is In Tents tee (free file at link)! 

Finally, I must confess I have an aversion to Pineapple Upside Down Cake...leftover childhood trauma from my least favorite aunt. It was the only dessert she made and if I didn't eat it, I heard about it. So when I became an adult "Not no way, not no how". But this Chocolate Raspberry Upside Down Cake from K'Mich Wedding Soiree Blog I would DEFINITELY try! 

Thanks to everyone who linked up and let's see what you've been up to this week! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

BFF Open House

 

Another week in the books. Another Friday Eve. I hope everyone's had a good week. Hopefully we're approaching the tail end of monsoon season. We've been OK where we are but parts of the Valley have been hard hit with flooding. One thing you learn early if you live in the desert is you heed the flash flood warnings. If you're ever here and even if you come from places where it rains heavily (I moved from Seattle) these waters do not play with you! Dust storms either. 

Finished up our entryway and happy that I was able to do it without justifying buying new things!  Amazing what a little paint and a slipcover can do. You can see it here:  From Antique Brass to Hammered Pewter. I also finished painting some other pieces and am excited to be able to now start on some Halloween things! 

Let's take a look at some of the great ideas shared at last week's party and can't wait to see what everyone shares this week. 

Check out this amazing project from My Thrift Store Addiction using a Dollar Store Pillow! So pretty and perfect to stay up the entire Fall season. 

If you've ever wanted to try jewelry making, this project, complete with an excellent tutorial, from My French Twist has got you covered.

This DIY Hunny Pot from Drugstore Divas is just the perfect project for Winnie the Pooh lovers. 

Finally, love Churros but maybe you don't eat eggs? Check out these Eggless Churros (with a nice side of chocolate dipping sauce) from Treat and Trick! 

Thanks to everyone who linked up and can't wait to see what everyone's been up to this week! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Home Decor: From Brass to Hammered Pewter

I previously shared the Lamp and Mirror Makeover I did for our entryway but hadn't yet done the table. I finished it and am so happy with how it turned out! With just a little paint, it changed the whole feel of the table and entry. 

Supplies:

• Rustoleum Hammered Pewter Spray Paint

We bought this table years ago. It's heavier than it looks, has stayed in great condition and there was no reason to get rid of it, except the color didn't go with our new home. I was also not looking to spend any more money when I knew I could re-purpose it! Rustoleum All Surface Paint to the rescue! 

The paint comes in several different colors and is paint and primer all in one. It sprays evenly and coats well. You definitely still want to use it outside or someplace with good ventilation so Mr. Chocolate brought it out to the backyard and I went to work spraying! Not a lot of before and after to show so at the top of the post is the before, here's the after: 

I had to take advantage of a break in the monsoon weather so my picture-taking was utility vs perfection based. 

Our entryway is now complete with a beautiful hammered pewter table. Honestly, I spent more on the orchid stems and branches (Michaels) and quartz vase fillers (also Michaels)!

To finish the entryway, I recovered an ottoman with a crushed velvet cover I bought on Amazon and the mirror we bought a Pottery Barn years ago which is also still going strong. 

Since we're a shoes-off house, it will make it easier for guests to have a place to sit to remove / put on their shoes. 

What's hilarious is, Mr. Chocolate has always been reluctant when I say I want to paint something. Guess who brought our coffee table outside for a makeover? I used the same Rustoleum paint but this time in brushed nickel. 

 

BFF Open House

 

Have you seen my week? Because I'm not sure where it went. I know it's not coming back, however! Hope yours has been good. I've been busy painting more furniture but did have a chance to do my first love...my gateway drug to all other crafting and made a birthday card for a dear friend which you can see here Papercrafting: Magical Birthday Card.

Inspiring ideas as always at last week's party so let's take a look at few! 

Aren't these bracelets beautiful? Even better...the beads are made from recycled paper and can be done in any color combination to match any outfit which is exactly what Within a World of My Own did!

Speaking of repurposing, check out this gorgeous Room Makeover from Thrifting Wonderland proving you don't have to break the bank to have a stunning look! 

For gift giving season or just because, check out this fabulous idea from Artsy Fartsy Mama. What a special way to share a treasured recipe that's both special and functional. 

Finally, these Lido Cupcakes from Cindy's Online Recipe Box look delicious inside (Cream Cheese and Chocolate Chips!) and out (Chocolate Ganache Frosting). YUM! 

Thanks to everyone who linked up and can't wait to see what you've all been up to this week!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Papercrafting: Birthday Magic

 

I've been busy with updating and making home decor. I was thankful that a friend had a birthday so I had a reason to make a card, my first love!

Supplies: 

• Recollections Paper Stack, Spring Inks (Michaels)
• Recollections White Cardstock 110 lb (Michaels)
• Black and White Polka Dot Paper
• Capitol Chic Designs Die Cuts (Michaels)
• Crafter's Square Embellishments (Dollar Tree)
• Foam Tape
• Tape Gun

I pulled out some supplies from my stash. The Capitol Chic Designs die cuts,a while I picked up at Michaels awhile ago when they first came out. It's great having more diversity in crafting supplies and I love their work! I chose a couple of images to use as the focal for the card. I also love that Dollar Tree has increased and expanded their craft supplies and find a lot of embellishments there. 

I chose a foiled-marble paper from the stack that coordinated with the die cuts, and them made a card from white cardstock (5x7) and cut a panel (4.75x6.75) from the polka dot paper. 

I've had this Martha Stewart scoreboard forever and use it for all of my cards. I scored the 10x7 cardstock panel down the middle to create the 5x7 card, then applied the marbled panel and die cuts using foam tape to mount.

I skipped the cupcake stickers and just went with the rhinestones in coordinated colors to embellish. 

Et Voila!