A Little Something Extra!

I picked up this fabric at a thrift store, well it was actually a valance. I loved the charm of it and decided I'd turn it into napkins. No problem...a little seam ripping, a few cuts and new hems, they were ready to go. Then I thought about making one of them into a bread cover and adding something a little extra to the corners.

Simple little beads to add a little extra.

While looking at all the bead choices, I decided to make a few more bread covers.

These will be fun to add to tablescapes.

I'm linking to Show and Share Friday over at Just a Girl. Drop by for loads of inspiration!

Kiss the Cook!

My sister and I dropped by one of our favorite antique shops and found this recipe holder.



It's simple but oh~so~cute! I'm always on the lookout for silver/silver-plate utensils and this caught my eye.

At the next stop, I found this poor little tray.



The size was perfect...all it needed was a little love...a back...and well, glass. We found it in the most unbelievable place. I would have taken a picture but it was cold and raining. It was an old gas station that was converted into a junk antique shop. There were things outside, getting wet, in the bays, and inside where things could be kept dry. Not much rhyme or reason, just stuff. Across the street was another place, a little neater. The neater side belonged to a woman, the abandoned gas station belonged to a man, her husband. We were told to make of pile of what we wanted and make a bid...no offer would be refused. Well, howdy doody, we were on a hunt! My sister found a load, I came away with more flatware ~ go figure.



It's the pattern that gets me every time!

With the recipe holder as our inspiration, we thought of a great idea for an empty spot in my kitchen...use the little tray with my newly acquired flatware and make a sign. " Kiss the Cook" is always a winner. Hm...the wheels were turning!

Wanting a simple monochromatic look, I chose two brown papers to cover a sturdy piece of cardboard. This would serve as the "back", then glued down a bit of jute to separate the two pieces of scrapbook paper.



Deciding on a font, printing in brown ink, and adding newly cut glass, I was set.



Back to the inspiration piece, I replicated the placement of the flatware and attached them to the top of the try.



She was finished, happy, and displaying a great little message.



Cooking does have its perks!

I'm linking to Susan's Metamorphosis Monday over at Between Naps on the Porch, Stephanie Lynn's Sunday Showcase party over at Under the Table and Dreaming, Carrie at Dittle Dattle for her Amaze Me Monday, and Krista's Ready for Romance over at While He was Napping. Drop by for a visit, won't you?

I saved three!

While traveling, my sister and I made a stop at a community thrift store. It was so neat and orderly that we just had to go in and take a look. They had a "library" section that even had a sofa to sit while enjoying a good read!

They had a wide variety of books and these were arranged by genre. I found three that were surely destined for the trash. The covers were torn and tattered, just the kind I was looking for! SOLD... they were now mine to save.



I revived them by letting the pages breathe a bit...taking off the hard covers gave them room to stretch.



Aren't the pages beautiful? If only they could tell us who has enjoyed reading them.



I bundled them together with a bit of jute and added a family photo. I think these girls would have liked to sit and read a while with me.



But for now, I'll keep them in a mini library, tucked away, safe and sound.

I'm linking with Tam over at The Gypsy's Corner for her Three or More Tuesday and Leigh over at Bloggeritaville for her Thrifty Thursdays. Be sure to drop by for a visit!.

Where have you been all my life?

Oh my goodness! I received the BEST tool for hot gluing! My sister found it online and not only bought one for me, but also for herself! She hasn't used hers yet, but I sure have! And I. LOVE. IT! I think you will too! You can order your own set here.

I took a few pictures so you'll know you're on the right link...





It says, "No Burns", "Easy Clean Up", "Heat Resistant" and it's all true! The mat can be rolled up for easy storage and there are other tools as well! The best part? The glue doesn't stick to any of it! It can simply be wiped off! {I was currently using an old bread board ~ it was such a mess, so much so that I would be too embarrassed to post a picture of it!} This kit is a bright flamingo pink, pliable, and super easy to use.

Just wanted to share!

Ok, I tried it too!

Coffee filter wreaths...I've seen them so much lately in blogland and in the cutest antique shops that I decided to make one too. I like that they look so fluffy. The two basic colors I've seen are white and natural. After taking down all my Christmas decorations, I was ready for a bit of neutrality so I decided to make mine with the natural coffee filters. First I used my Google Reader to find a tutorial and found one here and here. They were great and easy to follow...love the tips too.

Here's how I made mine:



I began with a wreath that I just took apart and left the plastic wrap on {well as much as I could.}



Some of the ladies have used different sized filters and different amounts. Some used as few as 75 filters to complete their wreaths.  These were the only ones available at my grocery store and came in packages of 100. I'm notorious for not having enough of something and then having to go back out and get more...I bought two packages. In the end, I'm glad I did. I used approximately 150 filters to make my wreath.



To speed up the process, I pulled 20 or so apart at a time and then started folding and gluing.



You can gently fold them anyway you wish; I tried in half, fourths, and thirds. Varying the folds will make your wreath look truly fluffy!



Here's a shot right in the middle of the process. If a spot looks thin, just put in another filter. No worries!



I think the texture is neat.

The closer you put the filters together, the more compact it will be...the farther apart, the less compact. I experimented with both.



One of the ladies commented on how she scalded her fingers over and over. I didn't because I had this nifty tool {more about it later.}



And the finished wreath!





I tend to decorate monochromatically..and needed something else with this natural filter color.



So I added garbanzo beans to the candle pillars. I think I like it.