A Venn Diagram I can actually understand.

by Crystal

I tend to have anywhere from 5-67 projects going on at once. While not all of them actually come to fruition (some are never even started...), these projects help me keep my creative mind active, which I believe helps keep me sane. Well, that and wine, but we've gone over that, haven't we?

I saw this pin on Pinterest and immediately knew I wanted it. The productive mood struck me on Saturday, so I decided to make it!

Supplies:

• Sharpie marker
• Floating picture frame (you know, one of those with the glass on both sides)
• Piece of paper (I used a patterned piece from JoAnn Fabrics)
• A bowl to trace circles
• Good music (I listened to Zach Brown Band's album "Uncaged." Love.

Before.

I used paper with a wood pattern on it.

The finished product hanging on the wall.

 

Finished product hanging on the wall with other photos in frames. What can I say? When the productive mood strikes, I do as much as I can. It doesn't strike very often.

The finished product hanging on the wall with other frames over our (half-made) bed!

My husband was pretty impressed. Not that I put this all together, but that I knew what a Venn Diagram was. Come on hubby, I know my calculus.

My New Front Yard

by Katie

The spring weather, coupled with a lot of business over the past two weeks, has made me a bad blogger. But I have something to show for it! Here's what I started with in my front yard a couple weeks ago. (Keep your eyes on the tree in the corner.)

 

Let me backtrack for a second.

It took me a LONG time to dig up all the sod that was growing up under the tree like an awkward poodle skirt. So I did that for a while.

Last weekend was Mother's Day. The Friday before, I had worked in a frenzy to start planting under the tree. Then on Saturday, my mom (the amazing gardener/designer) came into town, and we went to the Olbrich Gardens plant sale and bought a LOT of plants. We drove around town afterwards and dropped in on other plant sales, picking up a few more lovely specimens. Then my mom left, and I worked like a crazy person to get them all in the ground that day. Here's how it went.

 

 

   

  

So that's what I've been doing! I've added a couple things since taking these pictures, but this is basically where the project is right now. I can't wait to see how it will look when the plants fill in!!

Simple DIY coffee mugs.

by Crystal

I saw this originally on M loves M (which is an awesome blog, BTW). I loved the idea of taking some cute coffee mugs and making them your own.

What you'll need:
-Paint pen
-Clear spray concealer
-Coffee mugs
-A letter you like enough to put on your mugs

Let's emphasize the simple in this DIY post. I think the hardest part was going to JoAnn Fabrics and determining which paint pen and which spray I wanted to buy.

First, you'll take two coffee mugs. Preferably cute, inexpensive ones. I got mine at a consignment shop for $1.50.

Then, you'll write on the mugs with your cool new paint pen. I decided to go with "r" because my future last name will begin with that letter. But I could have done "c" for Crystal. Seriously. Choose whatever you want. Go crazy.

End product (drying on my balcony):

I only have one in the last picture because the first one I sprayed before the paint was dry, and it began running (down the mug, not away). I quickly wiped it off with a wet rag and was able to save it, but my impatience got the best of me and I needed to take a picture immediately after I finished. Baby steps, my friends. I can't expect these to go perfectly yet. I'm still a DIY newbie.