2012 Christmas card

Our Christmas cards aren't all out yet... Once again, I'm behind! That's ok, you all understand, right? (Don't tell me if you don't!)

Our Christmas is a little depressing this year... Although it's only our second Christmas married, we've spent eight of the last nine Christmases together. We used to have Christmas Eve dinner with my family, then go spend the evening with his dad, exchange our gifts to each other and then meet my family at midnight mass. It never was intentionally a tradition, but it developed into one.

Last year, we spent the evening with his family and then Christmas day with my dad's side of the family. Remembering last year is extra special this year, for two reasons. I lost my Grandpa Reed in June and I am so very thankful that we were all together with him for last Christmas. And Reason #2 is that it's our first Christmas apart in a long time! Remembering how much fun we had last year helps a lot.

This year, I'm lucky enough to spend the day with my mom's whole side of the family. Every single one of us... except the husband of course. The goal is to be thankful for what I have. And I have a lot of family who loves me very much. I'm so blessed to be able to share the holidays with them.

Hope you all have a very merry Christmas. And a Happy happy New Year. Be safe!

Love,
Autumn

Day #7

My last scrap project!

I bought these candlesticks quite a while ago but they kept getting lost in my decor. My newest solution isn't perfect, but I think once I replace my TV stand, it will be great.

I had a few 1x4s that I had thrown aside because I didn't pay enough attention when I bought them and they were warped. *sigh*

I could've cut off pieces and used the straight parts of the boards, but that depressed me too. So this is what I came up with.

Using my Kreg Jig, I simply planked them all together on the backside, and then stained the whole thing.

I took a few of these decorative wooden appliqués (from Lowes), spray painted them white, and glued them on. In about 15 minutes (plus drying time, which I used to clean up the rest of the garage) I had a little something to spruce up that empty wall. (Ignore the random cable cord...)

Day #6: Thankful

Just in time for turkey day!

I took leftover scraps of 4x4 and cut 6 of them at 3 1/2 inches long.

Then I stained them dark walnut (because that's what I have on hand and on my paintbrush, which still hasn't been cleaned...)

I cut the words Give Thanks on my Silhouette Cameo, and used them as stencils to paint Thanks on the blocks, and give on burlap triangles I had cut out.

I made a few fabric/burlap rosettes and then tapped in a few of those decorative brads. I had mini clothespins in my stash, and I soaked them in the stain so everything matched.

A quick, simple and easy holiday decoration :)

Happy turkey day all!

Day #5: Welcome signs

Remember these?

I hate to admit, they've been sitting empty since the 4th of July.

So I thought it was about time to make something that could stay all the time (just in case I don't get seasonal ones up.)

I took a piece of scrap 1x6, and made a few cute little signs.

Day #4: Magazine tray

I had a dream about Hobby Lobby last night. I dreamt that they were opening one here in Hawaii, and I was so very excited. And then I woke up. And I was so sad. I love Hobby Lobby. I love Michaels. Every time I go back to the mainland I leave clothes behind and bring craft supplies back. In June I shipped myself two large flat rate boxes of stuff. I know I can shop online, and every once in a while I try it, but it's not the same. I need to feel fabric in my hands, see the actual color and size of each and every piece of each and every project. And when I can't do that, I rely on other crafters/bloggers to show me what they chose so I know my project will turn out and I won't be throwing my money and time away.

Today's project was from this tutorial from the Shanty 2 Chic girls. I combined that plan with this one, also from the Shanty girls, to get the right size and look for me.  (I'll show you next week why I wanted this specific tray. It matches something hiding in my garage, waiting patiently to be finished perfectly!)

Cut list:
5 - 1x3 @ 18"
2- 1x4 @ 12 1/4
2- 1x4 @ 19 1/2

I just attached my 1x3s together (with glue), then added my 12 1/4 pieces to the ends (with glue and nails), and then attached my 19 1/2 pieces to the other side. Sand, Stain, Seal. Add some handles from Hobby Lobby (Hence the rant at the beginning of this post.) I stained my tray dark walnut, to match my new end tables, which I haven't shared with you either. I have so much to share. It's all coming soon! I didn't take very many pictures, because I was following such an exact tutorial.

So glad to get this project knocked out. And get rid of some more scraps, which is the whole point of this week!

Day #3: Distance

I had another small space in my kitchen that was driving me nuts. So while I was making my wine words sign, I decided to make another small sign. One with a saying that hits pretty close to home right now. Distance means so little when someone means so much.

It's so true. It not only applies to my husband, but my parents, my sister and new nephew, my brother, my grandparents, my friends, everyone. I'm so close to my family, and being far away is one of the hardest things I've ever done. It definitely makes me realize how much I appreciate them, and helps me make the most of my time when I get the chance to be back on the mainland.

So I had a few of those tongue and groove planks left from a project. So I glued them together to have a planked look and then trimmed them up. I painted it and while it was drying, cut my saying with my Silhouette Cameo, stuck the negative to a piece of scrap burlap I had, and painted it with black craft paint I had laying around.

When everything was dry, I used a few of these decorative brads I found at Lowes...

and put it all together. Ta da! Simple, pretty and meaningful.

And here's a little happiness for you today. I love this crazy puppy.

Day #2: Wine words

Seven days of scraps project #2: Wine words

I've had this empty space in my kitchen that's been bothering me for quite a while. Not bothering me enough to go out and buy something to fill it, but I decided it was time to fill it.
Here's a before shot-

I found a 1x12 chunk of scrap wood in my pile and decided to make a sign similar to subway art. My kitchen is decorated in wine/corks and red, so I decided to stick with my theme and make a sign with wine types on it.

I cut my 1x12 to 24 inches long and painted it Rustoleum Ivory Bisque. Well not officially Ivory Bisque, I love the spray paint, and it matches my trim/walls almost perfectly, so I went to lovely Hawaii Hardware and had them match it and make me a quart so I didn't always have to resort to spraying. I painted it with this mix.

While it was drying, I cut different wine words out of vinyl with my (new!) Silhouette Cameo, and stuck them on my sign.

Then I painted over the whole thing with a deep red/burgundy, waited for it to dry and then peeled off the vinyl. Voila! Doesn't that look so much better?

Day #1: A toy box for Kona

Project #1: A toy box for Kona

My first project was something I've been wanting to do for quite a while, build a toy box for my dog. I know, I treat my dog like a child, I admit it. But seriously, she has so many toys, and they are everywhere. I completely forgot to take pictures of the process, I promise to be better about that! I kind of based my project off this project from... you guessed it, Ana White. My version is significantly smaller though!

Here's my cut list:
3/4 inch MDF (3/4 is kinda overkill for this little box, but it's what I had, you could easily get away with 1/2 inch)
2 @ 17 1/4 x 12 (sides of box)
2@ 15x12 (front and back of box)
1@ 15 3/4 x 15 (bottom of box)

2- 1x3 @ 18, ends cut at 45 degrees, not parallel to each other (bottom trim)
2- 1x3 @ 18 3/4, ends cut at 45 degrees, not parallel to each other (bottom trim)
2- 1x2 @ 18, ends cut at 45 degrees, not parallel to each other (top trim)
2- 1x2 @ 18 3/4, ends cut at 45 degrees, not parallel to each other (top trim)

1/2" cove molding
2 @ 18 , ends cut at 45 degrees, not parallel to each other
2 @ 18 3/4, ends cut at 45 degrees, not parallel to each other

Step 1
Build your box. I used my Kreg Jig to drill holes on the side pieces and then added them to the front and back pieces, building, literally, a square box with no top or bottom.

Step 2
Add your bottom to the box. I placed mine inside and then just screwed it to the sides from the outside of the box. (You'll cover up the holes later when you put on the bottom trim.)

Step 3
I painted my main pieces now. I just used some black paint I had on hand for the outside and some
off-white on the inside.

Step 4
Cut your bottom trim to fit around the outside of your box. I stood mine up on their ends and mitered them to have prettier corners, but you don't have to. Then I glued and screwed them onto my box from the outside. I use self-driving screws, so I don't have to counter-sink and pre-drill every hole. Call me lazy, but it saves me so much time. And I never split my wood. Ever.

Step 5
Cut your 1x2s to fit around the top. I laid it down on it's side and again, mitered the corners. Glue and screw again.

Step 6
Now you have a very large ledge on the top edge, and it's pretty unsteady. Here's where your molding comes in. Once more time, I mitered the corners and cut it to fit perfectly around my box and glued it on.

That's it! All, everything! I filled my holes, sanded a little, and taped off the black part of my box. Then I spray painted the off-white that I'd used on the inside on the trim pieces. I had a extra wood applique from Lowes on hand so I spray painted that too, and then gorilla glued it on the front. Done.

Now Kona's favorite thing to do it take all her toys out of her new toy box. Except the ones she can't reach cause she's still a baby. Someday I'll teach her how to put them all away (haha), but for now, at least they have a place to go!

7 days of scraps

Happy Monday! Today kicks off 7 days of scraps for me... This is my garage right now.

I'm pretty embarrassed to be sharing this with you. I'm normally a clean and organized person. The kind of person who can't get any work done if the work space is dirty because I have to clean first. But I've been sooo busy lately, and my work space has become a disaster. I finally have a break in the chaos this week, and have plans to put this garage in control.

My brother and sister-in-law get here in ONE WEEK! Yay! I can't wait!

So in the next seven days, I'll be building something small every day that helps me get my scraps under control. My goal is to spend no money and make no trips across the island and through the tunnels (to grandmothers house we go... Just kidding, to Lowes). So even if you don't have the massive amount of scraps and supplies that I do, each of these projects will be small, simple and cheap enough for you all to do too!

Project #1 is drying right now, so I'll be back later today to share the tutorial.

Yellow!

And you all thought I was crazy with my yellow obsession...

Even Ana White says there should be a little yellow in every room.

"And I thought, that makes sense, because every beautiful day has a bright yellow sun in it.  And I'm a believer in nature being the most inspiring decorator and designer ever. Want to inspire your indoor spaces? Go outside and look to nature." -- Ana White


Here's a few of my yellow obsessions that I've shared recently...

A yellow silverware caddy.

Yellow chairs to go with my pallet patio table.

A little yellow table for the top of our stairs.

And some yellow sawhorses for my garage. (I spend so much time here, I really need some sunshine!)

Even writing this post makes me smile. Happy Friday everyone!

Fall is here

I just got a little update from a client... Remember these posts?

When one of my clients came to pay me, she saw them and wanted a set of her own. I love seeing what other people do with their projects, so I asked her to send me a picture when she got them decorated. Don't they look great? October is HERE!

Vacation!

I'm back from an amazing vacation! We spent last week on Maui, complete with a drive along the Road to Hana, a hike to the most amazing waterfall, Makahiku Falls, massages and zip lining! We had so much fun! We got back on Friday and the base was having an air show. We had been meaning to get tickets before we left but it never happened, and we didn't want to fight the crowds so we just hiked to a little spot we knew and watched the whole thing from there. We had the space all to ourselves and could hear the ocean in between the crazy planes. So amazing. Here are a few pictures from my past week.

Our wedding (part 2)

Here are the promised pictures of more things I did myself for my wedding. I got a lot of my inspiration from The Knot... If only there had been Pinterest then!

I made hangers for all my bridesmaids with their names on them and one for my wedding dress.

I made a giant cork board for our seating arrangements (not pictured) and one with our wedding date on it. It now hangs in our kitchen.

Place cards and glass charms for the wedding party.

O is for Ostlund!

I just think this picture is cute and wanted to share.

Our tables.

The cake!

Something blue. 

A giant picture wall.

A sixpence in my shoe!

April 9, 2011

I don't think I ever shared my wedding with you all. I hadn't started blogging then, but I think you'll enjoy it.

It was my dream day, complete with the perfect man. We had 6 months to plan, and a 10-day window to get married, honeymoon and move to Lawton, Oklahoma for the hubs' training school. It was the perfect amount of time! Here are a few of my projects I made for the wedding. I'll share the graphics today, and some DIY projects I did next time.

Here is my whole invitation system. The top is my save the date (front and back). The second row is my shower invite and my bachelorette party invitation. Then there is my actual wedding invitation with coordinating envelopes, and finally our thank you cards (front and back) with a few pics from the wedding.

[4.9.2011]

And here are some other graphics projects. I made pretty much everything, a 'love is sweet' sign for our candy buffet and ties for the individual candy bags that said, 'a sweet ending to a happy beginning.'

I also made menus for both the buffet and bar. We just had wine, beer and then we each had a signature drink. Mine was sangria and his was Crown and 7. I made place cards, reserved seating signs, programs, table numbers and table assignment cards. 

One of my favorite projects was my meet the wedding party cards. They were spread throughout the cocktail area, with a picture and little description on each of them.

[4.9.2011]

HAPPY FRIDAY!