You'll have to pry this glitter out of my cold, dead hands

Much like my fun with turquoise spray paint this fall, I have excessively used this fantastic mint green glitter from Martha Stewart. It is subtle and a super fine grain, and don't we all love sparkly deep down? I have glued and glittered and my porch has a green metallic sheen that will probably last until spring. I recycled my fall pine cones and used card stock and white paper strips to make the trees inspired by my trip to the NYC Anthropologie flagship store on Park Ave.

Oh, Charlton Heston. Maybe I should start a National Glitter Association.

Is that vinyl real wood grain?

Who knew there were so many uses for wood grain contact paper? I have been eye-ing this refrigerator makeover project, but this paper was surprisingly hard to find. I have to be honest, it took way longer than I am comfortable to admit to cover that fridge in contact paper. But now I have my very own fake wood appliance. It's kitschy, I love it. I have miniature, out of date kitchen space with old appliances, what's a girl to do? It's a design dilemma. But, I think you just have to embrace the quirks of a space and roll with it.

I already showed you my wood grain wrapping paper idea with the contact paper, and here is my next project, the faux mantle. Perhaps I have gone a little overboard with the stuff...I still have another way I have used it - in wrapping gifts. Do I need an intervention?

A home made, earth friendly advent calendar

I made my own advent calendar this year, and decided to use materials I already had in the house. I used plain white envelopes to make square paper pockets, and cut out interesting photos from magazines and some old books from the thrift store. I buy a lot of books just for the pictures to use in collages and card making. I added a little ribbon loop from scraps and hung each on a wide gold ribbon with an ornament hook. The ribbon was salvaged from some old holiday decorations my mom was sending to the thrift store this year. It was perfect for this project because it is a wide weave, so the ornament hooks worked out great. I wrote numbers with a Sharpie, and in each envelope a put a page from the Advent meditation book that is a collection of writings (new each year) by people in my church. You could put little candies or treats in the envelopes for kids, but I don't need any more chocolate in my life than there already is.

Saving the trees with my e-card

I was looking for a really free and easy way to make a holiday e-card using my own photos. I found this site called Smilebox where you can upload your photos and customize your card. You can even add music. It takes a little bit of time to get acquainted with the program, and you do have to download a little bit of software. But it's fun to send a non-generic Christmas card via email. It definitely saves on postage, although I will still be sending paper cards. This year I'm reducing my paper card list and I always make my own cards. I can send this e-card and still maintain my own aesthetic and make it personal.

Make a Smilebox greeting

Faux finish wrapping paper

I love to use unexpected things to wrap a gift. Here's a little project using one of those free standard rate mailing boxes from the postal service and some wood grain contact paper. Trace the box on the contact paper, cut out, and apply. Getting the paper on straight takes a little bit of time, but you get a very unique faux finish gift box. Wrap some ribbon, lace, twine, or even garland around it, and apply one of your eco chic recycled gift tags.

Easy eco chic gift tags

These gift tags are a great way to recycle your old Christmas cards, which I never throw out. Cut the old cards into interesting gift tag shapes. You can usually get 4-8 tags from each card. Punch a hole and thread with a ribbon and you've got yourself a unique and eco chic gift tag.

These are a few of my favorite things

Well, these are not brown paper packages tied up with strings, but they are pillows tied up as packages. This is a super easy and inexpensive holiday decoration. I happen to have a giant box of ribbon hanging around my house, so I chose some in holiday colors and just tied up some of my pillows like presents. I was worried they wouldn't stay put, but they are working out beautifully.

Ornament of the day - handmade bird

As promised, here is the first in my ornament of the day series. I love an eclectic tree, I think each ornament tells a story. In my family, we each get a new ornament or two to add to the tree every year. And of course, there are the ones we made as kids, some hand me downs from grandparents, and those we got as gifts along the way. I love unpacking all of the ornaments and decorating the tree, recalling the story behind each little trinket and bauble.

Today's ornament is a handmade bird that I created last year from some scraps of fabric, card stock, sequin trimming, and ribbon. I made a ton of these from different fabrics. I gave some as gifts and kept a few of my favorites for my tree.

The tree, by the way, this year is white! I spotted it in the Family Dollar store, which is next to the estate and antique shop I frequent. I have wanted a vintage tinsel tree for ages (or a vintage-y reproduction, at least). They do have some nice ones on sale at Target for around $70, but that doesn't agree with my penny pinching ways. So when I saw this guy for $20, I went for it. It's no silver tree, but it has a shabby chic, vintage vibe but is modern, too. My brother said it looked like the tree from Goodfellas, which was the kind of thing I was going for. I must confess I honestly had just passed up a pink tree at Big Lots. Controversial, I know. The tree is really nice and even though it's just 6 feet, it is the right size for my tiny, annoyingly narrow living room.

Trimming the home for the holidays

It's finally time to get ready for the holidays! I don't have to restrain myself any more.

My regular posts this month will feature an ornament of the day and a song from my holiday mix, in addition to ideas for DIY, cheap and chic holiday home decor, crafts, gift ideas, and tips for holiday entertaining on a budget.

I'm kicking off the official season to be merry by making my second-annual holiday mix CD. Last year, I put one together, made some copies, and gave it as gifts to friends . I was inspired by a friend who also does the same thing, and I look forward to getting his mix each year. I like a mix of traditional, choral, old crooners, motown, acoustic, humorous, etc. I'm counting down December days til Christmas giving you a song (or maybe two) a day.

Today's Holiday Mix Song -

Please Come Home for Christmas, Harry Connick Jr. (Super jazzy and fun.)

I did a bit of holiday decorating, I got the tree and some lights up. Unwrapping those ornaments takes forever! I did some other fun little projects that I will be sharing with you in upcoming posts - an easy holiday pillow makeover, my faux wood mantel, and DIY advent calendar from recycled materials.

No budget thanksgiving decor

I've done a few autumnal, harvest-y decor projects around the house this season. I made some harvest garland, had it up for a few weeks, got tired of it, and decided to go for round two of the DIY fall decorations. The challenge? Do it on the cheap, really cheap, as in shop my own house and spend no money cheap. I had eyed fall wreaths in Target, but didn't want to plunk down the $20. I had some leaf garlands in my stash that I have had for at least 3 or 4 years, and little red berries that I put out every Christmas. I bought those berries the first year I moved to Atlanta, so I've had them for 8 years now? They are super versatile. I pulled out a wire hanger and wrapped everything around, and voila, a new fall wreath.

I also made a little bookshelf vignette from things I had around the house. I filled a clear vase with acorns I collected a while back. I learned from blogging friends that there are little worms that live inside them. So, I baked them at low heat for a few hours, which did the trick. I collected some bare branches from the yard and hot glued little fabric leaves I had leftover from the garland project. I always keep white pillar candles on hand, and stuck them in galvanized planters and tins, one borrowed from my desk, the other I grew basil in this summer. A little fall ambiance to tide me over until I can bring out the winter holiday decorations.

And on the theme of thrift, here is a really cool story from NPR on the recent rise in popularity of thrift stores.

Top 10 DIY Advent Calendars

Here are ten craftastic ideas for making your own, unique advent calendar. Check out these for inspiration or come up with your own idea. Take a look around your house, see what kind of things you have on hand, or wander around the thrift or craft store. I would love to know your ideas or links to other cute calendars!

1. Simple Spools
2. Construction Paper Treats
3. Matchbox Garland
4. Paper Chain
5. Family Activities Envelopes
6. Little Stockings
7. Recycling Bin Materials
8. Mini Pinatas
9. Vintage Frame & Advent Book
10. Pocket Gum Calendar

Jumping the gun

I caved. I am normally very anti-Christmas-before-Thanksgiving. However, I broke down at Ikea this weekend and bought some wrapping paper and ribbon. I justified this to myself by saying, well, I am not at Ikea very often (ummm, about once every six weeks?), it's kind of out of my way (ten minutes down the road), and it was on sale (99 cents for the paper, 25 cents for the ribbon). The only thing that really holds water is the sale. Oh well. But, what I am looking forward to is advent, which starts just after Thanksgiving. I always loved getting my advent calendar, which was always one of those cardboard ones with little chocolates inside. But there are some really creative advent calendars out there, and I'm thinking of making one myself this year. Here are some great handmade advent calendars from Etsy.

Bingo advent calendar by Shanty2Chic
Nativity puzzle advent calendar by woodencreations
Advent calendar pouches by nuvonova
Muffin tin advent calendar by everydaysamemory

Closet makeover

It seems like I have been figuring out how to most effectively use the closets in my apartment since I moved in last May. In the old place, I had one huge closet and one smaller closet in my bedroom, plus a linen closet in the bathroom and a storage closet in the hall. Now I've got a gigantic storage closet, a unremarkable medium sized closet in the bathroom, and a teeny linen closet in the bedroom. Sadly, this has given me some organizational challenges. The clothes closet was a yucky dingy white, and no matter how organized it was, it was never appealing to the eye. Hence, the closet makeover. I used leftover paint from the kitchen and the bedroom and some vintage fabric I haven't known what to do with to cover the shelves. Cost - $0.

New creations for my Etsy shop

The first necklace is made from recycled t-shirts and a vintage button. The little flower is detachable, so you could wear it on a sweater or a jacket. This is a fun and pretty easy project and a great fall/winter accessory. I made a grey one for myself, and I've gotten tons of compliments.

Vintage sewing pattern wall art

I have been looking for ways to freshen up my apartment without spending any money. I was in need of a switcheroo on some artwork in my living room. I had one of my paintings up, and honestly, I was just tired of looking at it. So, I dug through my trusty box of fabric and craft supplies, and scrounged up some vintage sewing patterns I bought forever ago. I also used some scraps of fabric from a chair semi-upholstering I did recently, white spray paint, black and white poster board, and old frames. I usually have a stash of unused frames for moments like this.
I spray painted the frames white so the would have a cohesive look and chose my favorite pattern envelopes from the sixties and seventies. For the larger frame, I cut out a piece of fabric, black poster board mat, and white poster board mat and layered them. I couldn't find my ruler, so I free handed the cutting and measurements, but it worked out well, and I'm not so into measurements anyways. Voila, new vintage sewing pattern wall art. Project time: About 20 minutes.

And while I worked, Penny slept, as usual.

House Tour - Bedroom

I'm starting to put together a little house tour of my humble abode, beginning with the bedroom. My apartment is one bedroom, one bath and is the top floor of a large older home renovated into apartments. It's right by Emory University village, so I've got a Starbucks, a CVS and a fantastic brunch place within easy walking distance (so the basics are covered!). There are some things I love (like the big kitchen and lots of natural light) and some things I dislike about the place (my living room is impossibly narrow, and I have to work around carpet and not hardwood floors). I've lived here for almost a year now, and have painted, scrubbed, and arranged it into my little treetop nest.

I think my aesthetic is eclectic, colorful, vintage-y, sometimes kitschy (I try to keep a sense of humor). I love corals, reds, and turquoise, aqua, and white. I am a sucker for an obnoxious floral print. I thrift, garage sale, estate sale, recycle, paint everything, and do it myself most of the time.

And so we begin with the bedroom, which I painted from a horrible lavender color which was so hideous I had to paint it the day I moved in. The prints above the bed are vintage magazine ads (for stockings and wigs) that I got for a steal at an art festival. They are in cheap Ikea frames painted white with mats I cut out of black and white poster board.
I saw this color in an Anthropologie ad. A peacock navy blue with lots of white to balance the dark color.
My little bench that has become a window seat. An Ikea find and awesome extra storage for linens. The stained glass is on loan from my dad. It's been in my care for at least 8 years, but I am on notice that it can be "repossessed" by him when he decides on a place to put it.
The dresser was liberated from my parent's house. It used to be my brother's, and the peeling wood was in dire need of help. I painted the whole thing white, and decoupaged vintage sewing patterns all over it.
Clearly, I have an issue with collecting bangles. I made the fabric flowers, and the portrait I just did at a print making class.
The vanity tray was a great find by my mom at a neighborhood wide yard sale. The little bird is also a mom find from an antique store in East Tennessee.

The bedspread was also a great garage sale find for $5, including bedskirt and shams. I know, ew, linens from a garage sale, but they were in the original packaging and they got a good washing. Including all the furniture, linens, drapes, and accessories, I spent around $350 over the years on everything in this room.

Bakin' and craftin'

There were two family birthdays this month, so we celebrated them together with the traditional German chocolate cake. This is an all time favorite in our family, but this was the first time I made one by myself. The recipe is not a family secret, it's just off the box of baker's chocolate. Try it at your own risk - I'm a fairly experienced baker, and this was no small feat.

There was whisking of egg whites involved, and there was a slight mishap, near disaster with one of the three layers, which got tossed. Lucky for me there were two more.

Penny Lane was tormented by the aroma of baking and begged for a taste. No chocolate for doggies, though. I finally got the cake cobbled together and frosted, and although it wasn't nearly as perfect as my mom's it was delicious.I did a little craft project, as well. I had some amazing vintage fabric I found at a yard sale a while back that I couldn't figure out what to do with. So, I covered an old bulletin board that was an eyesore and put it in my kitchen/home office. Not too shabby.

What the kids are wearing

Mondays are half price day at the gigantic Last Chance Thrift Store. My brother and I made our way there to look for Halloween costume stuff. He found a fantastic gray suit and a red bow tie (can you guess the costume yet?). While he was trying on the suit, I noticed a couple of fabulous teenage girls trying on all of these very Blanche Devereaux-esque 80's floral print dresses. The kind you wouldn't be caught dead in. At first glance I thought they were also Halloween shopping, but they were discussing alterations - hemming the dresses short, wearing with leggings, add a button here or there. Such creative little DIY fashion mavens! Here are a few dresses from Forever 21 with the look they were going for.

Smart girls - buying dresses everyone else would pass by on half price day, do a few nips and tucks here and there, and voila. You've got the look for less. Granted, I am not exactly on the pulse of what the kids are wearing these days. Since I hit 30 this year it's harder and harder for me to keep up. This was absolutely adorable though. Perhaps something I could pull off with a cute cardigan, leggings, and boots. I'm not going to lie, I snuck over to the dresses to see if I could find some that they hadn't snatched up!

Halloween poll

Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday ever. As a craft-a-holic, I love to make my costumes. I have been Tina Turner, Carmen Miranda, Brenda Walsh, and Atlanta's own local celebrity Baton Bob (most people did not get that one until I told them who I was, and only an Atlantan would get it.)

This year, I've got a few ideas I'm tossing around, and I'm letting you help me decide. Vote in the poll on the side bar and let me know which costume idea you like best!
In the running are - Bjork in the infamous swan dress, Jem, Carmen Sandiego, Ikea (weird, I know, but cute), Jane Jetson, and Hitchcock blonde.

P.S. There are so many great costume ideas here at Coolest Homemade Costume!

And here is a little sampling of my costumes of yore (Tina Turner, Carmen Miranda, and Baton Bob)