Jenna

The Cut

Published on April 23, 2014April 20, 2014 by Jenna5 Comments

As I mentioned a while back I’ve been pondering chopping my hair off again. Don’t get me wrong, I love long hair because it means I can create beautiful curls like this. But 90% of the time I style it straight or clip it up due to my busy, busy schedule. And here recently, it’s almost always down and straight because it’s just too long to pull up quickly.

I set an appointment with my stylist for a color (which I was in desperate need of) and a trim, planning to take an inch off to make it a little lighter and clean up the ends. But I hadn’t realized just how much it had grown out since my last trim until I started thinking about what I’d ask for at the appointment. I don’t think it has been this long since high school! This is it after blow-drying but before styling.

Then I saw this. I love this gal’s hair and her blog! I’ve always been a fan of a mid-length style and often come back to this length, so I was sold on this cut.

I pinned the post and took it to my appointment where I showed the fabulous Miss Bri what I wanted. Here’s what she created!

I LOVE IT! It’s so much easier to wash, blow dry and style in the mornings and I still have length to do some variations of up dos and curls. I usually make it a bit more sleek on workdays, but a quick blowdry with a round brush works just fine for a casual family outing on a breezy day. 🙂

The hubs says he loves my look no matter what length my hair is (ahhh, love that lug), but I know he truly likes it short, so this is a good compromise of what he prefers and what I wish I had time for. What’s your opinion? Is longer or shorter better?

Peter Cottontail Gets a Facelift

Published on April 20, 2014 by JennaLeave a comment

Happy Easter! I thought I’d share a little Easter craftiness today. I’ve had this cute little bunny yard stake for several years and as you can see, the Alaskan spring weather has done a number on it. So I decided it was time Peter Cottontail get a facelift!

I had the hubs give him a good coat of white spray paint. I had planned to touch up his facial features with craft paint but then I remembered I had a bunch of colored sharpies so I picked out a cute pink and went for it. Once he had a pink nose and grin he did look a little girly so I decided to give him a little bow tie to help balance out the pink. I pulled a purple ribbon left over from our wedding invitations out of my supply stash and fluffed until I was happy with the shape.

Now he looks good as new. In fact you could say he was resurrected, which is a perfect reminder of the real reason behind this wonderful holiday!

Unfortunately, we haven’t gotten any landscaping in yet thanks to the slow spring thaw and the need to wait for the builder to come clean the lot of all the debris they left in the snow. So I propped him up next to the garage with some rocks. Maybe next year our landscaping will include a bunny trail that brings some other cotton-tailed friends to the yard.

Welcome Home Baby Bacardi

Published on April 18, 2014December 4, 2014 by Jenna2 Comments

Last night was our new fur baby’s first night at home. She’s fitting right in, playing with her siblings and checking out her surroundings.

She’s already bonding with the hubs and I as well. We seem to have another snuggler on our hands, which should prove interesting when she’s full grown!

Everyone is getting along pretty well and both Tequila and Stoli are already protective of her, although they’re not so sure about sharing things all the time.

She’s also met the cat, which although it was a brief encounter, went better than we anticipated. Perhaps Luna wasn’t sure what to think of someone smaller than her!

Of course there are plenty of teachable moments like nipping and a couple of accidental tinkles on the floor, but that’s to be expected. We’ve directed her chewing toward the bevy of toys available, and she’s pretty keen on tennis balls. So much that she threw a fit when hers went under the couch and she couldn’t reach it!

She does love to be outside, but she’s not too keen on the doggie door just yet. Instead she likes for Tequila or Stoli to open it for her so she can sneak back and forth underneath them! Smart cookie. And when they aren’t willing to do the work for her, she attempts alternative methods.

But all that adventure makes for a tired puppy. She tries so hard to fight it, probably thinking she might miss something fun.

But eventually she gives in and finds a comfy spot to rest, even if that means claiming the biggest dog bed in the house all to herself. 🙂

A Tin Crown

Published on April 16, 2014April 17, 2014 by JennaLeave a comment

I picked up this beautiful tin tile at an antique show soon after we moved into the new house. Crafted by the same vendor who I got the entry way dresser from, it was a bargain at just $7! And I knew I wanted to use it in our Master bedroom where it would tie in with the other Moroccan patterns I’d gathered.

Unfortunately I couldn’t seem to find the perfect spot for it. I considered putting it over by the tub, but it felt crowded there. I was tempted to replace one of the items hanging on either side of our vanity, but the scale was off. I also considered using it in the bedroom, but that didn’t seem right either. At one point I even tucked it away in the cabinet planning to use it on the shelves I want the hubs to install above the toilet. Then I had a ‘light bulb moment’ and realized it would fit perfectly over the top of the shower tile.

I asked the hubs if he thought it would be ok in such as ‘moist’ environment and he gave a green light. So armed with a hammer, nail and step stool I proceeded to hang my green treasure in the shower. I’m pleased to say that I’m very happy with how it looks. The green coordinates with the green in our decorative tile making it seem like it was painted just for that spot! Maybe I’d go so far as to say it’s the crowning jewel of the shower.. you know, if crown jewels were made of tin! 🙂

I’ve never hung anything in a shower before (other than a shower curtain), so now I’m curious – has anyone else decorated a shower with art? If so, leave a comment and tell me about it!

A Little Lace Makes A Big Impact

Published on April 10, 2014April 13, 2014 by Jenna1 Comment

I thought I’d share the story behind the little lace votives that we’re seen in my recent Easter decor post. I made these as inventory for my recent craft show booth, but they didn’t sell so I decided they were the perfect addition to my holiday decor. They were super simple to make. I started with plain glass votives that I purchased for another project and no longer needed.

I had a bag of lace I’d been hoarding since someone gave it to me so I picked out a couple of sizes that fit the votives well in spring colors. I measured out how much I needed to go around and added a little extra for room to glue it down. A little hit glue and about 10 minutes later I had pretty vintage looking votives!

This has to be one of the easiest crafts I’ve done in a very long time! And because I already had everything on hand it didn’t cost me a dime. 🙂

Bright Colors, Bunnies and Chicks

Published on April 9, 2014April 8, 2014 by JennaLeave a comment

I finally took down the St. Patty’s decor and put up some Easter decorations. I’ve actually acquired a pretty good inventory, so I spread things out around the main area of the house.

I hung an egg garland across the mantel, where my little lambs found safe haven from becoming chew toys. I also added the pretty Pottery Barn-esque twig basket I found on sale last year at Target.

Either side of the TV got a few items as well, including the larger lamb I found at a local boutique recently. Thus far the fur babies haven’t shown any interest in these items so hopefully my fluffy new friend is safe there.

The kitchen got a few Easter towels I picked up in the dollar zone at Target and the bunny towel I got a yard sale a couple years back.

The entry way’s holiday tree was festooned with eggs and bunny ornaments, which was also the theme on the entry table.

Across from the dresser I hung one of my favorite thrifted items, filled with pretty spring flowers.

The front door also joined in on the bunny & egg-palooza with my clearance egg wreath from Pier 1’s end of season sale a few years back.

Back inside the dining room got the last of the Easter items, my Princess House rabbit dish and some rustic speckled eggs.

I updated the St. Patty’s Day centerpiece with a few fuzzy chicks and some more speckled eggs, much to the delight of Luna who believes they were put there just for her entertainment.

That would be Luna waiting for me to turn away so she can return to playing with her new toys…

And last but not least, I added some fresh flowers from the grocery store to the side table in the green vase I found on my thrifting spree earlier this year.

I still feel like my Easter decor is a little juvenile, so I plan to add in a few more biblical pieces – beyond the lambs, which are my current favorite – next year to represent the true meaning behind the holiday. But for now, I enjoy the pretty colors which remind me of God’s promise to make all things new again. Did you do any religious decor for Easter? If so, I’d love to hear about it!

Our Family Gets Minionized!

Published on April 6, 2014April 13, 2014 by JennaLeave a comment

Sorry for being MIA most of last week, I got sidelined with a nasty sinus congestion and a super busy schedule. Luckily, I’m feeling much better this week and thought I’d share another purchase from a local artisan.

Peg characters have been around for some time and I’ve always thought they were cute. Recently, I saw a local artist making custom pegs for families including “Despicable Me” versions and knew I just had to order a set for us!

There’s Gru for Matt and Lucy for me, then a minion for each of our fur babies! And each represents that kiddos personality. Tequila’s minion has a heart because she’s a big love bug. Stoli’s minion represents his goof ball nature with a clown face.

As the lone kitty and ‘tailed’ baby, Luna got a purple minion with an expression similar to the one she gives the dogs every time they try to play with her. Bacardi’s minion sports a little flower because she’s the new ‘bloom’ in our lives.

For now our little family lives on the dresser in our bedroom, but they will eventually find a place of honor to be displayed in the studio once my new desk and shelves are installed.

If you’d like to order a custom peg set for your family check out Fireweed Lane, the artist who created ours! She has lots of designs, including Disney princesses and super heroes!

Crafty Storage and Workspace, All in One!

Published on March 31, 2014April 13, 2014 by JennaLeave a comment

You know I love a good bargain, and you know I love to craft, but those two things together make me positively giddy. I’ve been eyeing this craft cabinet for some weeks now, waiting for it to go on sale. Lucky for me my patience paid off because not only did it go on sale for 15% off, but I had an additional coupon for 10% off and got FREE shipping – saving around $100. I almost swooned!

I can’t wait for this sucker to arrive and get assembled so I can finally have a dedicated crafting space! Now I can spend more time crafting instead of hauling my supplies to whatever area I’m working in.

Although I originally planned to repurpose a large armoir cabinet into a crafting station, I came to realize that I tend to craft at the dining room table or kitchen island so I can watch TV or chat with the hubs at the same time. Because of that, having a piece that could accommodate a moveable work surface and storage became the priority. That ruled out a huge armoir and made a hutch or dresser the likely choice. I’d considered refinishing several thrift store pieces, but they all had minimal storage due to large drawers that wouldn’t suit my supplies well. When I saw this I knew it was perfect, although I will admit I’m NOT a Martha Stewart fan. Unfortunately, I hadn’t found anything that could compare for the price.

I plan to add large casters to the legs so it can be moved out into the living room where I can see the TV or into the center of the studio for more room when working on something large. And you know I’ve got big plans to organize all my supplies by categories into those fantastic shallow drawers, where they will be away from little customer’ fingers and puppy paws. Granted, I won’t be able to fit all of my supplies and my entire fabric stash in here, but I tend to only pull out the fabric I’m working with at the time anyway. I plan for my fabric to live on shelves in the guest closet, where they are easily accessible and out of the way.

I’ll likely add some sort of shelf or cabinet above this piece so I have a spot to store all the display pieces I use at craft shows, but that will come a bit later. And I’m thinking of doing a bulletin board between the shelves and the work surface so I can pin up inspirations and rig some system of storing the little pieces of whatever project I’m currently working on.

Hopefully I’ll get a tracking number soon so I can obsess about when it will arrive a little more concretely. Watch for a post in the coming weeks once it’s here and set up! ☺

Gettin’ Crafty

Published on March 28, 2014March 28, 2014 by Jenna2 Comments

I’m happiest when I’m creating something. Although I have two creative jobs – a full-time gig as an event planner and a side photography business – I still see crafting as my ‘hobby’. I call this hobby Thrift D’ Creations and share it with a Facebook page and an Etsy shop, where I sell my wares.

I have also showcased my work at local craft bazaars for the past several years, but the cost and time involved became overwhelming. So I decided to limit myself to two shows a year – one in the fall for Christmas and one in the spring for Easter and Patriotic holidays. Luckily, now that we’ve moved to a new city, I’ve found two such shows just 15 minutes from home. Both have reasonable booth fees and draw a sizeable audience, which is not always the case, so I’m thrilled to be involved.

Tomorrow is my spring show, the Gifts Galore Bazaar, which benefits the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Held at a local high school, there is room for over 70 vendors, including everything from hand-made items to Tupperware.

Besides creating all the inventory for my booth, the biggest investment has been determining how I’d set up my booth. I decided to split a booth between my photography and crafting so it’s a business expense. I had originally planned to use free bi-fold shutter doors I’d gotten on Craigslist as a backdrop for my booth, but then I spotted a gal at a recent show with this display.

I asked her about it and she demonstrated it quickly. The simple design folds up for portability, but includes several shelves can hold LOTS of stuff! GENIOUS! And because the materials were basic the cost would be minimal as well. So I did what I always do. I showed the hubs. And that wonderful man made it happen, just in time for the show!He also rigged up some pipe stands that I can hang canvas drop cloths as backdrops from for the other two sides of my booth. I’ve been so busy making inventory for the show I haven’t had time to get a picture of either just yet. I plant to post a picture on my Facebook page after I get all set up tomorrow, so be sure to like my page so you see it! I’m excited to see how it all comes together on-site, but I’m sure it will look great and all the other vendors will be envious. And don’t worry, those shutters I mentioned earlier will find a new purpose come my Christmas show thanks to some Pinterest inspiration! 😉

Hanging at the Scarf Bar

Published on March 26, 2014April 13, 2014 by Jenna1 Comment

Although I’m still working scarves into my regular wardrobe, I’ve somehow amassed quite a collection. I used to have a scarf organizer similar to this that hung from the closet rod, but I found that it was too full and I couldn’t easily find scarves that were buried under those on spots higher up.

My next option was draping them in a row over the closet rod itself since I had extra space to use. This worked pretty well, but I worried that the wooden rod would snag the scarves as I pulled them off if I was in a hurry.

So when we removed the builder’s towel bar to use hooks in the Master bathroom I had a light bulb moment. I asked the hubs to hang the bar in the closet below my crown molding shoe racks instead. He looked at me like I was mad until I explained what I planned to use it for.

A stud finder and a couple screws later, I now have a pretty and functional scarf bar in my closet. I love the location because it’s right next to my mirrored jewelry cabinet which I stand in front of to decide on accessories for each outfit. And because it’s right under my shoes I can see how everything will coordinate as I pick out options.