Hurricane Irene - The Aftermath

It's been a few days since the hurricane hit us here in New England and sadly, our little town is still without power. Luckily, my hubby decided that my comfort was most important and we've been living the hotel life since the weekend. The neighbors, who are roughing it out, are keeping an eye on things for us and while maid service and eating out every night are fun, we'll be happy to be home soon!

There are snapped and hanging power lines currently lining our street but we were lucky enough that we had no damage to the house, although the trees that line our property took a beating. 

Here is a picture of one of the biggest trees that came down, taking some smaller ones with it. I know it might not look like much but we've got about 5 trees total sitting in the mass on our lawn.

Here's another picture but again - it could have been much worse!

Needless to say, there have been no craft projects being worked on, baby or otherwise but I'm hopeful that we can move back home by the end of the weekend and maybe I'll have some motivation by the holiday on Monday.

Battling Down the Hatches

Here in New England, we are all getting ready for some severe weather courtesy of Hurricane Irene. Hopefully you'll understand that posting will be light over the next couple of days. If you are in this part of the country, I hope you have your water, batteries, charged cell phones and plenty of snacks on hand. I'm guessing your local store shelves probably look a little barren right about now...

On a positive note, if the electricity has the decency to stay on, I might just get some crafting done since clearly, we won't be going anywhere. 

I think this sign says it all - stay safe everyone!

Nursery Lamp Makeover

As I've mentioned over the past week, I threw myself into a project for the nursery - it's the first time I've had the energy or the inspiration to come up with a new crafty project in quite some time.

Looking at cribs, play yards and nursery decor can be overwhelming so I decided to create some custom pieces for the new nursery that will be appropriate whether the baby is a boy or a girl. (Only one more week until we hopefully find out!)

Starting with a plain lamp that used to be in our living room but we recently replaced - here is the 'before' picture: 

There are 6 panels in the shade so I decided to use an alternating design, starting with some cute monkey fabric that I had stashed away. First, I measured each panel and marked them with small tabs since each one had a slightly different measurement.

 

Then I created a form out of scrap cardboard so I could trace it on the fabric for accuracy. I had to make three different forms (and mark each cut piece) so that the panels lined up correctly.

Once I had the panels cut out, I set them aside and got to work on the panels that would not have the fabric on them. 

Using a full bottle of bright yellow, soft, fabric plaint and a regular paintbrush, I painted the alternating panels as well as the top and bottom trim of the lampshade. 

After letting the paint dry completely, luckily I only needed one coat, I began working on the fabric panel parts. I spread a thin coat of Modge Podge on the back of the fabric panel and then placed it on the corresponding panel. 

The Modge Podge made the panels a little longer and wider so since the panels were measured very specifically, they had to be trimmed while wet which was a little messy. Since I knew I was adding a trim to the panels afterward, it would have been smart to cut the fabric slightly smaller than my original measurements.

Once the panels were lined up, I took small amounts of Modge Podge on my fingertip and spread another thin layer on the front to secure it to the shade. Repeat this step for all three panels. 

While the panels were still sticky, I used Tacky Glue to attach faux pearl trim to the edges of each fabric panel. This helped hide any rough edges and blend the panels in with the painted sides. 

Lastly, I used the Tacky Glue again to attach bright yellow pom-pom trim to the underside of the lamp shade so that only the pom-poms hung down from underneath. It helps to use a clothespin to hold the start of the trim while you attach the remainder, approximately 6 inches at a time until you reach the beginning. 

Here is the final product, with the matching wall art that I created last weekend - 

Creating your own nursery decor is easy - scope out your own items, tag sales or thrift stores for your starting piece and add your own flair from there. Hey, if Jessica Alba can do it, so can you!

Crafty Links - Babycakes Approved

It's Monday and while I'm full of energy, I'm going to make sure I use it on my lamp project. I used yellow fabric paint last night on the alternating panels. The goal is to try and make it unisex, while I try to be patient for the next week before we find out if this little bean is a boy or a girl. 

In the meantime, let's check out some crafty links!

• Here is a list of fun projects to try for all those extra fabric scraps you most likely have laying around (I know I do!) from Babble

• The results of these Fried Won-ton Roses look amazing but I don't know if I would have the patience to try it myself. But if someone made them for me, I would love that person forever - thanks for Hungry Happenings for sharing the detailed tutorial

• Another food craft project that sadly for me, involves liquor. But I will keep it on the list for a fun party dessert in the future - Vodka Soaked Gummy Bears from That's So Michelle. Looks like this would work with gummy Life Savers too. Yum!!

• I'm beginning to really love anything with pinwheels and these Pinwheel Placemats are no exception! Spruce up some plain mats that you already have or find some at the thrift store for this fun project from Positively Splendid

Inexpensive Nursery Wall Decor

I hope you will forgive me for taking the weekend off from blogging. We celebrated my birthday on Friday with a trip to the Connecticut Tigers baseball game and everything since then has been a blur of crib shopping and car browsing. We finally picked out a crib, along with a number of other outfits and toys for our new addition and I think we found a car we liked as well although we haven't taken the plunge to buy it just yet.

While I continue to work on my lamp project (which is going to take me a tad longer than expected) - here is another inexpensive decor item I have created for the nursery. 

Using just a small piece of monkey fabric from a half-yard remnant I found at Joann Fabrics and a plain brown frame that I had stashed in my craft room, I made this wall hanging - 

BEFORE

AFTER

Sorry about the flash on the finished product picture, a new camera is on the list of things I need before the baby comes too...

Bunch seemed to think this is a little plain so maybe I'll put next weeks sonogram picture in the middle to make it more fun and more of an 'official' picture.

Back to the lamp, hope you all had a great weekend!

Getting Inspired by Crafty Celebrities

Last weekend, Jessica Alba gave birth to her second child, daughter Haven Garner. She's never been shy about her love for crafts, even Tweeting this statement just over a month ago: 

Jessica Alba  

Headed 2 do some flea market furniture shopping for nursery. Do any of u like antique furniture shopping? Got before n after pics?

Updated 38 days ago via Twitter for BlackBerry® Share

Inspired by her love for breathing new life into previously-loved items, I decided to create a decor piece for the nursery that we are putting together in our own home. Here is the before picture - be on the look out for my tutorial and results, coming soon!

Addicted to Baby Clothes!

I'm just past my 18 week marker which means we've got a little over two weeks until we find out the gender of this little peanut but I've found myself already buying cute little outfits. My friend Allison said it's a slippery slope and boy was she right!

Last week, I found this snuggley sleeper...

And just today, I felt the need to pick up this little newborn outfit, since it'll be pretty cold when he or she finally makes an arrival. 

Next weekend, we're going to start looking at nursery furniture. It's a bit early still but we'd like to have the nursery ready before my third trimester because I've heard my energy level might not be so high at that point. I'll be sure to post before and after pictures as my husband's office becomes the baby nursery. It's already painted blue so keep your fingers crossed that we don't have to repaint. Ha!

East Hampton Boat Parade

Today's post highlights craftiness of a different kind. Every summer, our town hosts the Dennis Griswold Showboat Parade at the lake, where boat owners and businesses can decorate boats for a prize. Tons of residents and visitors turn out for the event and here are some pictures, highlighting some of the best entries from 2011. 

The last picture (above) of the Dukes of Hazzard boat was by far the best - the car on top "jumped" with the help of an internal mechanism, the theme song was blaring from the speakers and Daisy Duke was a very large man in cutoff shorts and a bikini top. This crew went for all the stops to create a memorable boat!

Here are some pictures from past years events - 

Holiday Crafts on the Brain

It's only August and I'm already thinking about holiday crafts and gifts. Kind of scary since by then, I'll be very close to delivery! But I figure it's better that I be prepared ahead of time so I'm not going to beat myself for looking forward to the end of the year. Plus, I really don't mind looking ahead right now because it means this horrible heat will be gone soon.

Here are a few of the craft projects I would like to try this year...

• Pottery Barn Knock-Off Atlas Candle (Tutorial by The Inspired Housewife)

• Lace Overlay Pendants (Tutorial by Stay-at-Home-Artist)

• Penguin and Snowman Ball Ornaments (Tutorial from Theresa Cifali)

It's never too early to be in a celebratory mood!

Mini Birthday Cake Cupcakes

Happy Birthday to my father-in-law and father who celebrate birthdays this week!

Here are some adorable and easy to make birthday treats, made with regular sized cupcakes and mini-cupcakes to make little mini birthday cakes. Just bake them, frost, stack and secure with an extra long candle. 

And an above view of these tasty little treats...

These are perfect for a classroom birthday celebration as well. Yum!

Crafty Links - Babycakes Approved

• This is a fab idea on how to Modge Podge on canvas to make amazing decorations for just about any room. Tutorial provided by The Sassy Pepper.

• These stretchy, stackable seed rings from Stay-at-Home Artist are easy to make and look extra fancy when paired with a large ring, like the black one in her pic.

• Looking to accent your homemade cards or gifts? Make your own glitter tape! Thanks to Glitter Guide for this fun idea.

•  And finally, for a sweet treat - here is a quick recipe for Semi-Homemade Apple Pie Crescent Rolls (3 Kids and Us)

Crafty Celebrities - Old School Edition

While celebrity crafters like Julia Roberts and Pink have recently made knitting cool again - here's a video showing Carey Grant learning how to knit, from the film Mister Lucky.Could he be one of the first crafty celebs on record?




(Source: Craftivism Blog)

Happy National Breastfeeding Week

Being pregnant means I have become aware of all kinds of things I would have never otherwise known.  For example, August 1st - 7th is National Breastfeeding Week. Started by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA); "a global network of individuals and organizations concerned with the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding worldwide."

Another thing I've learned from being pregnant is that each mother and mother-to-be should be entitled to make her own decisions. Whether she decides to breastfeed or not, organizations like this encourage the promotion of choices when it comes to parenting. 

In the spirit of this week, here is a free pattern for how to sew your own nursing cover, from Bliss Tree.