I am going to be in trouble...

...when my husband comes home tonight.

I bought a piece of furniture without consulting him.  It wasn't expensive--but it was a furniture purchase nonetheless.  We typically consult one another before such purchases--regardless of the price.  It's only fair since we live in the same space.

But, I needed it.  You see, yesterday Sharon and our friend Laura and I were shopping in lovely Historic Downtown Melbourne.  I saw a lovely sofa table at a thrift shop, but I wasn't ready to commit.  But after a day of not being able to get said table out of my head, I went back and picked it up for $25. 

Isn't she a beauty?  I like the feel of it and I also like the small scale--it's hard to find a good sofa table that's made on a small scale.  You can't blame me, right?

I got the table home in my somewhat trusty Volvo wagon and got busy making it "work" in the space.  I have two other places that the table would fit, but I'm going to try it in my cozy nook for a while and see how it goes.  If you don't recall my recent Cozy Nook Transformation, you may want to take a peek.  Here's a shot of the transformation as of a few weeks ago...

I think the new sofa table made a HUGE difference in making the cozy nook even better!

Here's to hoping my husband doesn't shake his head in disapproval (yet again). He's usually a pretty good sport when I nest--as long as I don't leave a path of destruction--which I have been known to do.

And on that note, I'm off to clean up my path of destruction.

Tumble-Proofing a Stool

Remember the stool I made for Junebug?  It's cute, but I noticed that if she shifts her weight to the front or back it can tip over very easily.  What's a crafty mama to do?

Rug grip to the rescue!  Just cut it out to fit the feet of the stool and hot glue it on.  Easy peasy!

I mean, obviously Junebug is not concerned about falling--look what she used to get closer to Elmo--a Wheely Bug rider. Umm, anything on wheels does not make a good stool, grasshopper. I have some teaching to do... 

We have some chairs on our porch that have cushions that slide off--highly annoying.  So, a few months ago a lightbulb went off and I put some rug grip stuff under the cushions.  They haven't slid off since! 

In your face, slippery cushions and tippy stool!

Fancy-Schmancy Heart-Shaped Stool

I know that some of you will read the title and think I'm talking about a heart-shaped bowel movement.  I'm not.  I'm definitely not.  That's not crafty.  That's gross.

Anyhow, I recently noticed a need for a stool in Junebug's bathroom.  She's washing her own hands now but I have to assist with helping her up and down to the sink.  Being a terribly independent little gal, she's not always so keen on having mommy help.  So, I thought a stool would make my little big girl happy.

I found this beauty at my favorite local thrift shop.  It's just one of those generic bare wood pieces that you can find at most craft shops--I noticed from the tag on the bottom that it originally retailed for $9, but my thrift shop listed it for $3.  SOLD!

I spray painted the stool bright yellow (left over from my mirror) and once it dried, I mod podged a lovely piece of scrapbook paper over the top.  (Since Mod Podge is both a sealer and an adhesive I coated the top of the stool with a thin coat before and after the paper was applied.)

You won't see the strokes once the Mod Podge dries.

Once the Mod Podge is dry, spray with a clear sealer since feet and who knows what else will be stepping on the stool.

Badda bing, badda boom.  A darling one-of-a-kind stool.

Here's where it gets really real.

I thought I'd take a pic of the stool in action.   You know, I thought you'd like to see it.

Terrible idea.

You see, Junebug, just like her momma, is short.  Like majorly short.

I told her she could use the stool to wash her hands but... it still doesn't get her to the faucet.  Which is terribly frustrating if you're two years old.  Apparently lots of things are frustrating when you're two.

See?  I keep it real.  Really real.  I'll share with you my ugly 1985 builder-grade grey bathroom with blue tile (seriously, who picks blue tile?!) AND my fit-throwing toddler--all in the same post!  You're welcome.

I think I may need to get one of these awesome inventions to complete the bathroom:

Found via Pinterest. 

And here's the stool again, in all its finished glory--sans screaming toddler:

Cute, huh?

D.I.Y. Play-Doh

When I got married seven years ago, one of the most precious gifts I received was a collection of recipes from both sides of our families.  In the back of this treasured recipe collection my mom wrote out her trusty recipe for Play-Doh (and you know it's the real deal because she's a preschool teacher!).  She left this note along with the recipe...

"I'm sorry but I have to think of the grandkids" - Mom

Well, Ma, thanks for the recipe.  Today I'm sharing it with the world.

DIY Play-Doh

1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 t cream of tartar
2 packages of Kool Aid (don't use purple, it turns grey)
1 T oil
1 cup water

Cook all ingredients over medium heat until it forms a ball (5-10 minutes).  That's it!

You can  enhance the colors by using food coloring if you like.  My mom does (I always seem to forget) and her Play-Doh is fantastically bright.  I love that the Kool-Aid makes the Play-Doh smell amazing!

Junebug and I have had hours of fun over the past few weeks playing with Play-Doh.  I think of it as stress relief for the two of us.  Afternoons tend to be the time where Junebug and I butt heads the most--but if we sit down with some Play-Doh, the tension eases.  My gal pal Suzanne dropped by after work a few weeks ago and ended up sitting down with a handful of Play-Doh--so it's totally stress relief for big people, too!

We like to press shells into the dough and make "fossils" and cookie cutters are an excellent way to learn shapes.  I bought the cuh-yoot alligator rolling pin at Target for $3.99.  They don't have it online (unfortunately) but it is still available in the baking supply section of the stores.

I think a pretty jar of homemade Play-Doh and a lovely tot-sized rolling pin would be an excellent gift idea for a little one.  Agree?

If you want more fun ideas for kiddos, check out my "Fun For the Kiddo" Pinboard. 

Art cluster from my cozy nook

"What is art? Are we art? Is art art?"

The above quote always comes to mind when I think about art.  I know who said it, but can anyone else tell me?  I'll think you're awesome if you know!!

Seriously... you'll make my day if you know where that quote came from. 

Moving on...

Here's a breakdown of the art that's a part of my cozy nook transformation. 

 

1. Egg and Feather prints from Blue Egg Watercolors.  (I have several other of these prints that reside in one of our bathrooms.)

2. "Scrapple Art" by me.  

3. Blue-footed Booby watercolor by Etsy seller Contours (who no longer has a shop, unfortunately.)

4. Bream fish pressing - made by a friend of my grandmother.  I inherited it.

5. "Bless This Hizzy Fo Shizzle" cross-stitch, stitched by yours truly.  I cannot claim the genius behind it though--I copied it from something I pinned on Pinterest (which is why I have not blogged about it).  Check out "Steotch" for the original idea and more subversive stitching.

6. Oranges still life acrylic painting - $2.50 at a local thrift shop!

7. Westie beach print from Etsy seller K9 Art Gallery.  (I am a proud Westie momma because Westies are the besties!)
 

Here it is in its setting...

 

Also, the mirror was inherited from my grandmother.  It was in her living room for who know how long.  The end table was a $3 thrift store find (SCORE!) and the basket beneath it was also a thrift store find ($7, and Sharon and our friend Laura helped me carry it all around downtown Melbourne like the good pals they are).  The lamp was a $10 clearance item from Lowe's and I made the lampshade.  The pillow came from JoAnn fabric (Sharon and I both have this pillow so I'm sure you've seen it numerous times on our site.) The chair is from Hudson's furniture--and I know it's not a trendy or a "cool" chair but I LOVE it. 

So, that's that.  In case you were wondering.  Happy Monday!

A winner and some various bloggy updates

Thanks so much to all of you who participated in the 1,000 follower giveaway!

The winner was entry #52, who said:

"Congrats Ladies on surpassing your 200 mark. Keep up the good work."

Well, my friend, we will be keeping up the good work!  And please check your email as we've sent you info on getting your super-fabulous Patterned Paper Wreath Kit!

In other news, Sharon helped me finish my dining room chair project last week so be on the lookout for the big reveal sometime soon!  Oh, I'm so excited to share it with you!  (So excited that I'm totally overusing exclamation points tonight!!)

I also have some other little piddly crafts I've been working on.  If they're good, I'll share them.   If not... well... I'll dramatically throw them into my garbage can.

What with so many of you liking us and following us, we're getting pretty popular--and with that comes perks.  We have some in store for you, so come back soon.

Did you know we have a Facebook page? Check it!

I also think it's cool that Sharon's Scrapbook paper tree is now the "Most Favorited Craft of All Time" on Craftgawker.  I'm so proud!

We've had some emails from you fellow crafty pals who want to follow us on Pinterest.  Well, we'd love for you to!  As you know, Sharon and I are both devoted "pinners" and we're addicted (for lack of a better term).   Click here to follow Sharon, and click here to follow me (Tristin).

Wish Sharon luck--she's officially back to school next week starting her first semester of Pharmacy School at the University of Florida!  (Definitely worthy of exclamation points!)

And wish me luck, too... Potty training is around the corner for Elliott and I--and I need all the help I can get.  I've potty trained a dog, but never a human so advice is also welcomed!  (I'm pretty sure crate training is not effective for toddlers...HA!)




 

A big ol' THANK YOU and our first GIVEAWAY!

When Sharon and I hatched the idea for Two Girls Being Crafty at my dining room table last November, we had a few plans and a lot of enthusiasm.

In January of this year, two months into blogging together, we set the goal of gaining 200 followers for the year--and we thought we were aiming high.

But, you, loyal readers, have helped us surpass our goal and have sprung us into four digits... We now have over 1,000 crafty followers!  I was SO happy I took a screen shot!

We are SO stoked to know that there are people out there reading our babble about crocheting this and spray painting that, mod podge here and fabric there.  And commenting, too.  We LOVE comments (like all bloggers do)!

To officially say "thank you" we're having a small giveaway...  We'll send one lucky reader the supplies to make a patterned paper wreath of their own:  A wreath form, glue sticks, lovely paper and an embellishment.


Here's what you have to do to win:

1. Leave a comment on this post.
2. That's it.
3. Seriously, that's it.  Say anything!

If you're not a follower already, we'd love to have you join in the fun, though it's not a requirement.  We're not daily bloggers, but we strive to make sure our content is of the highest quality and that it inspires you!

P.S. PLEASE make sure we have a way to contact you.  If your blogger profile doesn't contain your email address, please leave your address in the comment form so we can contact you if you're the winner!

 

Check out the Patterned Paper Wreath Tutorial if you haven't before.  It's the project that started this whole blog!

This is the Patterned Paper Wreath Remix.  Same materials, same method, different results.  Whatever floats your boat or finds your lost remote (if you can tell me what song that comes from without googling it I will be majorly impressed!)











This giveaway closes midnight E.S.T. on Friday, August 12th.  Winner will be chosen by Random.org.  Due to shipping costs, this giveaway is open to U.S. residents only--sorry!

Cozy Nook Transformation (And the Introduction of my Funktastic Modern Eclectic Cottage Style)

I have some good news and some bad news.  The good?  I've finally created a term to classify my home decor style.  The bad?  It's a mouthful.  Are you ready?

Here goes: Funktastic Modern Eclectic Cottage.

Aaah.  It feels so good to get it out there!  And to show you what I'm talking about, I'm going to share a recent transformation from my home.  It's my favorite cozy little nook.

As you can see, there's nothing hideous about the nook but it lacks funk.  And funk is a necessity for a Funktastic Modern Eclectic Cottage.  Ya feel me?

It's just a bit one-dimensional.  I thought I'd fix the problem by updating the mirror to a bright yellow.

The yellow mirror certainly brought some funk into the nook, but it was still lacking.  (P.S. The ribbon above the mirror is there for the sole purpose of hiding a hook that the previous homeowners placed in the wall.  Pathetic, I know, when you consider the fact that we've owned the home for over 5 years.)

See what I mean?

So, I shopped through my home and found some fun artwork to cluster together.  I played with the pieces I chose on my dining room table until I found an arrangement that I liked.

Then I moved the arrangement to the wall.  A laser leveler and painter's tape helped me accomplish the nice square-ish cluster that I desired.  I wanted there to be at least some structure to the placement of the pictures on the wall so my husband (who is my opposite when it comes to decor) wouldn't hate it and deem me an unfit homemaker.

This cluster makes me SO happy.  You have no idea.  In a future post, I'll be sharing a bit more information about where the art pieces came from so if you have any questions, please ask away!!  I'll include an answer on my next post.

So, here's my Funktastic Modern Eclectic Cottage cozy nook, completed.  Love!  I think a nice round area rug would do some good, but I'm not worried about that right now.  I'm just happy that this transformation was FREE other than the half-can of yellow spray paint that I used on the mirror.  Score!

Here it is again, in all its glory.  Thoughts?  Suggestions?  I'm all ears!