Tag Archives: Halloween

Craft FAIL

Posted by Leanne on November 3, 2011 5 comments

Wow, we have been busy around here!

Last week my fantastic parents called us up to see if we would like Dad to come paint our Master Bedroom. My dad paints for his work, but had some free time… I’ve been waiting since August to find time to get this done… and my hubby put out his back a couple of weeks ago and me with my headaches…well, you get the picture! We said “Yes! And tomorrow would be great!” So our bedroom is now a gorgeous Wythe Blue from Benjamin Moore (thank you Becky for pinning that color on Pinterest!). I’ll be posting more about that as I get more details in the room together.

Saturday night we hosted a “Guess who’s Coming to Dinner” for our church. We knew there were 3 couples coming at 6:00 pm, but that’s all we knew. We are quite used to hosting groups this size for dinner, but it’s a little different when you don’t know who’s coming… I of course wanted the house impeccable for this occasion, so Friday and Saturday were dedicated to that evening! Especially since our bedroom had just been redone, there was tons of extra clutter that needed new homes.

Monday came up quick, so my Sunday was all about getting my daughter’s costume together. I had promised myself I would make most of her costume this year, so Sunday (a little last-minute) I got it done! I was also in charge of a fruit platter for her preschool Halloween Party, and I managed to pull this off:

ghostly fruit platter

Pretty cheesy, but the kids loved it, and the teachers said the fruit was the first thing that was gobbled up!

And I was hoping to post about all about Halloween already on Tuesday, but wouldn’t you know it… camera/computer relationship is down in the dumps again!

I know, I know, I have a computer geek for a hubby, but you know what they say, it’s in the electricians house that the wires don’t work, in the plumbers house that the pipes don’t work… well here it’s the computers! But hubby is working on it! So for now I will show you something else, my epic Craft Fail (I took these pics with my cell phone!)

My friends who read my blog often say “Leanne, I didn’t know you were so crafty!” Well, the thing is, I’m not really crafty… I love decorating and coming up with unusual ways to deal with decorating problems (mostly because I don’t sew, or touch power tools) and my current obsession is refinishing furniture, but since it’s inconvenient to always have a huge dresser or table in the middle of the living room, I have to release my creative desires on smaller projects.

With our Master Bedroom re-do, I wanted updated pictures of my kids on the walls, and I really wanted them on canvas. But that can get pretty pricey!! So when I saw this idea, I knew I had to give it a try. Please check out this link for the Shabby Creek Cottage so you’ll understand what my goal was.

So I got my supplies together, plus a black and white print of my gorgeous son Jordan, and followed the instructions to a T.

canvas and home-made modge-podge

black and white print

modge-podging the canvas

blowing it dry

Wetting the picture

The tedious but fun task of rubbing off the paper

Not so sure I was getting the right finish...

...but when I held it up to the sun, I could see the picture...

the end

Unfortunately after 4 coats of final spray, this is the look I ended up with.

Not exactly what I was going for!!

I was about to give in, and try something different, but since I already bought all the supplies for this, I decided I must keep trying. 2 things that may have been against me, 1) I used home-made modge-podge, and perhaps my water/glue ration wasn’t correct. I happened to find some brand new modge-podge at a Thrift Store yesterday for $1 (!), so I scooped that up! 2) We only have a laser printer, and perhaps it needs to be printed on an ink-jet, so the ink transfers better.

If you have any insight on this, let me know!!

I’ll keep you posted!!

Thanks for reading!!

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A Pumpkin Pedicure

Posted by Leanne on October 24, 2011 4 comments

So, again, I mentioned way back in September, that maybe I should do a pedicure tutorial… so why haven’t I followed through with that? Because embarrassingly enough, I haven’t given myself a pedicure since, ahem, July. *blush*. Now for most of you, this may not be a big deal, but to me, having been as esthetician for 8 and something years, this is as important to me as making sure I wash off my makeup every night and moisturize day and night… so here it is. I am putting my ugly toes on the internet! Ready?!

Since I did this pedicure, I have “re-touched” it about 4 times, those cute little decals started at the bottom of the toenail, now almost grown off, and you can see many nails are good and chipped now. So…

Step 1. Remove nail polish and clip nails

Step 2. Apply cream or cuticle oil to your cuticles. This will soften them for later. As you can see, I slathered mine with cream.

Step 3. File nails. When filing your nails, it is healthiest to work from corner to middle, on each side of your nail, not an aggressive back and forth movement. Sometimes with toe nails there might not be the choice but to be somewhat aggressive, however, if you are following this to give yourself a manicure, please be nice to your fingernails!

Step 4. Push back your cuticles. Now that you have had them soaking for a while, your cuticles should be nice and soft for a GENTLE pushing. Again, be nice to yourself! Being aggressive will only cause you pain, and even scar tissue. For this step you could use q-tips, a towel, a cotton pad… if your cuticles are too built up to move them out-of-the-way, then leave them, and work on them a bit more next time.

Step 5. If you are planning on giving your calluses a little exfoliation, now would be a nice time to do it. Use a foot paddle, or an exfoliating product. If you have the time, treat yourself to a little foot massage!

Step 6. Prepare your nails for polish. Towel off all the cream off your nails and surrounding areas…

… then use nail polish remover to remove any leftover oils from your nails and surrounding areas. This is important to help your polish last as long as possible.

Step 7. Base Coat. Base Coat is important to protect your nails from the polish color staining your nails yellow, plus creates a surface for your polish to adhere to. (kind of like priming before painting!)

Step 8. Polish Application. In the mood for Halloween, I chose a dark OPI color – ‘Lincoln Park after Dark’, a favorite of mine. Polish always needs 2 thin coats for best coverage and lasting results… doing your best to “color in the lines”…

but even I’m not perfect! I try to clean up as I work, but a little extra cleanup after was needed here…

I like to use lint-free wipes, wet them with polish remover, wrap around my thumb, and clean up the edges. This technique won’t work if you have polished fingernails, but personally, as long as my fingernails are short and clean, I don’t pay much attention to them!

Step 9. Accessorize. This is when you might put on some “bling”! First, apply a thin layer of topcoat to the nail you will apply your “bling” to. Then, using something with a sharp point, example: toothpick or tweezers, apply a dab of topcoat to the point. Using this now sticky tip, “pick” up your jewels and place in your design. (this would also work with a decal, just no need to put topcoat on your tool point).

Ta-Da! My Pumpkin Pedicure!

Step 10. Top Coat. I suggest not trying to rush your drying process. Use a good topcoat and wait. After an hour or so you may put on socks etc, but be patient. Many products that claim to speed up the process just cause the polish to bubble and then chip sooner. Apply your top coat to all your nails, using a light touch with your jeweled nails, so you don’t drag the jewels out-of-place, and Enjoy!

Thanks for reading!!

If you are just visiting my blog, thanks for visiting! I would love for you to become a follower, so you can receive my postings by email. Just find the spot at the top right hand corner where it invites you to add your email.

I am partying here! (Shabby Creek Cottage – Motivate me Monday, Not Just A Housewife – Show me What Ya Got #46, Mommy By day…Crafter By Night – Ta-da Tuesday #10, Tip Junkie – Tip-Me Tuesday)

Getting Ready for Fall

Posted by Leanne on October 12, 2011 None comments

I read in all these blogs I love to read (my reading list has gotten pretty big! :/ ) all these fabulous women are decorating their homes for Fall. Except for a few pumpkins closer to Halloween, I really don’t decorate for Fall at all… I like to save my energy for Christmas! I have accomplished 2 Fall decorating “crafts”, which I’ll post about soon! What about you, do you go crazy for Fall?

Here are some of my favorites:

This Berry Wreath posting at Centsational Girl is a must read, check it out here.

This was done by Nifty Thrifty Things. Find out how, here.

Again, at Centsational Girl (yes, I LOVE her) see all the pics of her decorated table here.

Miss Mustard Seed made this Halloween Banner for her mantle, here.

These 2 things have nothing to do with Fall, but I’m adding them anyways, because I love them, and would like to try to make them!

I found this at: At Home with K

And this chalkboard frame, I LOVE this frame

again, found at Miss Mustard Seed.

Have you ever made anything like this sign and this frame? Any tips?!

Thanks for reading!

If you are just visiting my blog, thanks for visiting! I would love for you to become a follower, and that way, you can receive my postings by email. Just find the spot at the top right hand corner where it invites you to add your email. I’d also love for you to click on “Like” (below) if you liked today’s post, and of course give me your comments, anytime! Just click below where it says “Leave a Comment”. Thanks!!