Shabby Chic Door Mirror

This project was Pinterest inspired just like about everything these days. In this particular tutorial they had used a large piece of plywood and molding to create this look. 

 I had a cheap door mirror that you can buy practically anywhere (Wal-Mart or Target) for about $14.  

But instead of plywood and molding that can get pricy I decided to start hunting for an old door to put it on to make it more Shabby Chic...which is my favorite! I found a door for $15 which is a great deal at Ann's Tiques and Collectibles in Tuscaloosa. It had been outside and needed some TLC. 

A lot of the paint was chipping off, so I started the hard work of sanding and  scraping with a screwdriver. Once I got all the loose paint off and had sanded it down to a smoother finish I used part Clorox and water and scrubbed it down. 

TIP: When using older wood and furniture it is a good idea to use Clorox when cleaning to kill any mold. 

It's looking much better all cleaned up! 

I had found a wooden flower piece at Homewood Antiques that I wanted to add at the top ($7) and had gotten two wooden flower squares at Lowe's ($5). I used gorilla glue to glue the mirror and wooden pieces onto the door and placed heavy objects on top to seal the glue. 

I then used white Valspar paint that I had gotten in a freebie sample to paint the front side of the door. 

The final step was to use a glaze over the top to get the antiqued finish. I used Valspar Tintable Glaze in Deep Walnut (2004-9A) and with a rag wiped it on the door until I got the color I wanted. 

For the back of the door since it will not be seen I just glazed over it to keep any paint from chipping off in the future.

 Here is the final result....

 

                     BEFORE          AFTER 

New Year's Nutrition Resolutions

So it seems whenever the New Year (woohoo 2012 is here!)  comes around the main resolution you hear is that people are going to start exercising, go on a strict diet (that will last maybe a month because it is impossible), and lose weight. This mindset and new routine usually last about a month to 3-4 months at maximum. People think that they can automatically get set into a routine but the truth is it takes time for you as a person and your body to adjust to change. If you have been eating carbs the last 20 years and drinking 3 Mountain Dew per day you are going to be a starving and caffeine deprived person, not to mention in a bad mood by going on the no-carb/water only diet! These type of diets typically result in you gaining all your previous weight back in a few months after stopping the diet. 

Having the mindset of  a better and healthier "LIFESTYLE" in 2012 is a much better goal and something you can work on all year that will be easy to continue for a lifetime. This will give the results of a healthier, thinner, and better you!  

1. EXERCISE as you all know is a great way to lose weight and no you don't have to run marathons! As little as 30 minutes per day of some type of exercise such as walking has been proven to not only reduce weight but also to improve overall health. Click below to watch this video I thought was very good in presenting the statistics and benefits of a minimal amount of exercise on health.

2. REDUCE CALORIES...this is a FACT: 

OR just eat 500 calories less than you normally do in a day...such as not drinking one soft drink! 

3. Change from white to WHEAT bread...Whole grain fiber not only helps to keep you feeling fuller longer but also helps lower cholesterol levels! 

4. Drink more WATER. Everyone knows this but hardly anyone actually drinks the 6-8, 8 ounce glass that your body needs per day. Cut out those sugary sodas for water and see a change in your weight quickly. Also try drinking a glass before meals to help reduce how much you consume. 

5. Put down the SALT SHAKER! If you have any heart problems such as Congestive Heart Failure, edema, or high blood pressure (hypertension) you should limit your salt intake. But even if you currently do not have heart problems reducing salt in the diet can greatly impact your health for the better. Try to eat and buy fresh or frozen  vegetables and reduced/no added salt canned items. Look at the label at the milligrams (mg) of salt per serving...

This 5.5 ounce can of tomato juice has 520 mg of sodium which is a little over a 1/3 of your daily amount! 

FOR A HEALTHY ADULT YOUR MAXIMUM INTAKE OF SALT(SODIUM) PER DAY SHOULD BE 1,500 MG(this is according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines)!!!! For the complete USDA guide on the 2010 guidelines click here. 

I hope these 5 tips will be helpful in some way for you to better yourself in 2012! 

Cutest Girls Ever

So if you do not know me you might not know that I want to adopt a Chinese baby girl and have since I was about 12 when I decided I also wanted to name her Lillie (not taken from Sex and the City). So I have a bit of an obsession with Chinese girls because they are so adorably cute! Someone showed me these pictures the other day of a dad who is a photographer who photographs his adorable two girls and I had to share them. Here is where you can see more on Flickr .

Teacup Keurig Coffee Holder

So I saw this idea on Pinterest and fell in love one because I love teacups, two because I love shabby chic, and third I love a recycling craft project. A Keurig coffee maker has been the latest addition to my kitchen and even though I do not drink coffee I thought this would be a cuter option than the wire coffee rack. 


               Here was my inspiration via Pinterest

I went on a hunt for a candle holder like this and lucked out at a garage sale one morning I got 2 for $20! 

I decided start by only making one & chose to paint it a light blue to match my teacups and the shabby chic color scheme 

I then glued my teacups on with Gorilla Glue and let sit overnight

The top center is a milk/creamer cup, I decided to put sugar & creamer packets for the coffee there and put it beside the Keurig! 

If you are not a member of Pinterest yet and want to be invited email me (kendylelaine1024@gmail.com) and I will send you an invite but don't blame me for being addicted! 

Cupcake Stand

There is a new website that I have become addicted to called Pinterest that has so many ideas for decorating, DIY crafts, quotes, fashion, baking, and much more. I saw this idea on there of how to make a cupcake or cake stand out of Dollar Tree items. I made two so the total project cost me about $4. 


I purchased:
*2 martini glasses 
*2 round cake pans


For the project you will also need:
* spray paint


*heavy duty glue (I used Gorilla Glue, can be bought at Walmart or Lowes)


*Sharpie or something to mark with


*2 heavy books 




Step 1: Spray paint the 2 round cake pans, I just did the top and sides that would be seen


Step 2: Place one of the martini glasses in the center of the underside of the cake pan and mark four dots around it when you get it center...this will help when you are gluing to get it centered. 

Step 3: Glue around the edge of the martini glass and place in the center of the cake pan, hold it steady and flip right side up. Place a heavy book on top to keep an air-tight seal and let it sit overnight

Step 4: Enjoy your DIY cupcake/cake stands! 

Samples, Samples, Samples

So I have already posted once about getting free samples but have since learned a few more tricks and sites that can deliver FREE samples to YOUR mailbox. Most samples take 4-6 weeks to arrive so once you become addicted you should receive something weekly. 


On Facebook "LIKE" these pages :
*Hip2Save
*All You Magazine
*Suave 
*Garnier USA
*Tide
*Bounce
*Dove
*Crest
*CoastalContacts.com (free glasses giveaways where you only have to pay shipping!)


Look-up and add any other product pages that you commonly use or like, more than likely they will promote samples or coupons. 

This was a free $15 card that I got just for requesting a sample of Dove Shampoo!

I also was looking at anthropologie's website the other night and saw on the left hand side of the page is a tab that says "for the designer" I clicked on it hoping to get some design tips and......
You can request FREE samples of their wallpaper and fabric!! I got my samples in two days and it also included two FREE measuring tapes. 

 I'm going to use these for different crafts and I'm sure to find ideas on Pinterest!

And lastly a website called Sample Showcase has free samples linked to different websites and they randomly giveaway huge sample boxes full of goodies, so go join today!

Hope this has been helpful and GOOD LUCK....Sample away! 

U.S. Fabric Map

So I saw on Pinterest a map of the United States that was made from different fabric scraps, I pinned it and I could not wait to make it. So today that was ALL I did. This project required patience and a lot of cutting (remember from elementary school there are 50 states...and some of them are tiny!). So here is my venture of the U.S. Fabric Map...in the end I am in love with it! 

Step 1: 
I started with an old picture that we no longer use for the frame

Step 2: 

I then printed off a U.S. map from Google, use the poster print option (2x2 sheets)

Step 3:

I then picked out 50 different fabric scraps from my collection and cut out each state, very carefully and matched them with a fabric. Then cut out the state in the chosen fabrics. 

Step 4:

I then placed all the states on a white piece of fabric for the background to make sure all of them fit properly before gluing... Kentucky got lost but I finally got it back on the map! I used craft tacky glue. 

Step 5:

Once every state was glued in place I spray painted my frame  turquoise and TA-DA it was done...FINALLY! 

You get a good geography lesson doing this I had forgotten where half of the states were! Now this is in my study where I can enjoy all the hard work of putting the United States together!