Feeling Blue

Good morning! Things have been awfully crazy at the Jackson household these past few weeks! To quote Mary Poppins, "The Winds of Change are blowin" There is ABOUT to be a lot of change and it is anxiety producing kinda change! In the mist of all of this my brother got married and I am trying to start up some kind of something! I have gone through EVERY emotion over the past few days!! As a way to avoid-I mean- stay busy I have started to tackle some chair projects! AND LOVing the blue hues I am choosing! I still need to roughen em up a bit and add some stain and poly but so far so good...i think??

Make over Monday continues!!

I am so excited about my new addition to my blog!! I LOVE the weekend and Mondays are always so unwanted and hectic so I am thrilled to share some fun!! This crafty piece was inspired mainly by another amazing women, blogger, DIYr extrordanar Miss Momma! Click here for her amazing tutorial on her pom-pom necklace!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE how this turned out and WILL be making these for all my sister's birthday!! (shh....;})

First I cut out 5 small circles ~1.5-2 inches (I used a fabric glue bottle and drew around it 5 x) I then made a larger circle since I wanted to add something else besides pom-poms to this but still wasn't sure!! Using the felt circles as templates I cut out the same size circles out of fabric, I found the colors I needed in the remnant pile at the fabric store, ANY fabric will work I also used left over satin from the flowers for extra color. I used ~8-10 fabric circles per felt circle

Taking a fabric circle fold it up and hot glue the tip

Then place it on the felt circle, I don't think it matters where you start, I started in the middle the edge where ever.. I think I got the best results when I started in the middle but doesn't REALLY make a difference!!

It will flare out just keep adding until you can't see the felt anymore. I also trimmed some of the fabric circles once I was finished just to make it more even..as you can see my circles are NOT perfect! (either are my nails! wow need a manicure!!) continue with all 5 pieces of felt. You can use the same color and fabric for all 5 or switch it up! That is what is fun about this!!

Then lay your finished pop-poms on another piece of felt, it must be big enough of a piece for the full finished necklace

I wasn't sure how I wanted the finished piece to look so I played with it for awhile

I finally decided on fabric flower (an extra piece I had and just wrapped it around itself ) and a satin flower I had made for the girls hair. I also found 2 old strands of pearls I NEVER wear so I added those to the necklace and FELL IN LOVE! =)

To secure the necklace hot glue each end to the back of a pom pom first, then glue it onto the larger felt, make sure that you have placement of the pom-poms or any additional pieces first since the necklace will obviously need to glued to each end pieces...ok so confusing sounding BUT SO easy! For example..since the satin flower was the end of one side I glued one end of the pearls to that felt back and then the opposite end of the pearls to the grey pom pom on the opposite side...got it?

The pop pom with the glue with be attached to the pearls and then glued to the felt on top of the other pom poms

**important make sure if you are using multiple types of flowers to put close enough together so no felt shows through unless you like the felt showing. Then once all felt backings of flowers and pom-poms are glued to large felt piece cut around the flowers

viola! so fun! I also liked this possibility!

But wanted a splash of color! Well everyone loved the necklace and I do believe it came together nicely!

Manic Monday Makeovers!!

So I thought I would try something new this week! My brother was married this weekend to an amazing gal who I am so super excited to call my sister!! ANYhoo I have been trying to find some accessories for this event for awhile and wasn't able SOO I figured hey why don't I just DIY it?!!

SOoo that inspired my "Manic Monday Makeovers!" And it's Monday and not Thursday or Friday since this last week was just super crazy busy with the wedding and Mondays need a little more fun! I posted the links for these lovely crafts of Facebook but I will post them again here and add the pictures of what I did how they turned out! LOVE em!! I found this tutorial at Jones Designs Company, she is an amazing person and her blog is fabulous!! I am sure I will make these in EVERY color for EVERY birthday gift! Thanks for the GREAT tutorial! Here is her link

I started with some polyester satin in silver, some buttons, beads, a candle, scissors, needle and thread..

I cut out 3 squares I used a 3 inch, 2-2.5 inch and 1.5 inch square, then round the edges.. I also used a 4 inch square for several to add more petals..

Then hold the edges up to the candle and the fabric will melt inwards looking like a flower petal..beautiful

Place all the petals together I used three here...

Sew the petals together

Then sew on beads or buttons I used both and I loved them all! I then cut out two round pieces of felt and hot glued 1 piece of felt to the back of flower then measured the small elastic to Miss M's head and hot glued the elastic to the bottom of the felt and then hot glued the 2nd piece of felt over the elastic..

wahlaa...smooch! My baby niece modeling the finished product! I also hot glued them to a small alligator clips for the older girls! And Little Man E got a boutineer! ENJOY!! I also made myself a headband I just measured my own head and did it the same way as little Baby B's!!

Waiting for Patience

As I am sitting on the computer I have a full view of the mountains of furniture waiting for me to glue, sand, stain, paint, stain... FINISH!! Feeling slightly overwhelmed - and excited - about this new adventure for me. I had a tad of a setback this weekend and became easily frustrated about the decision I LEAPED into head first!!

I have ALWAYS been impulsive! I leap before I look, I fall in love with a new idea and HAVE TO DO IT NOW, regardless of anything. Hey, at 18 years old, I said I wanna go to Europe.... ok.. lets go... I have become smarter... more thoughtful, to some degree. =) I am truly excited and have wonderful advocators in my life pushing and encouraging me!!!

Today I am sitting down and making small obtainable goals to help me reach my END goal! I feel good about my impulsive leap of faith in myself and I will not let myself down!!

...no any advice on patience with children!!! whole new post!!!

Sunshine makes it all better!

We woke up today to a beaUtiful day here in Portsmouth!! The birds singing and the SUN shining! And BEST of all it is WARM. I have always been amazed at the ability of sunshine. I am a sun LOVER and find winter drab and depressing!! Last night I went to bed feeling blah...and dare I say - depressed- or uninspired ...refused to push myself to get out of bed a o'dark 30 just because I didn't want too....So today I am going to go outside and the sunshine work it's magic!! Perhaps a little outdoor painting is just what I need to finish up my newest project!!

COLOR...

Piece of furniture

INSPIRATION...

WONDERFUL giveaway from Holly Mathis Interiors...whom I just love she is amazing! On her site she is giving away an amazing necklace from Starfish jewelry.....awesome, engraved, little wonders..... check it out...

Flat Stanley Adventures

Us here in the Jackson household LOVE getting mail!! Don't you?!! and lately we have been getting ALOT of super fun VALENTINEs mail!! we ESPEcially love it if mail comes from our family- even more so if it came all the way from California!!! our cousin K read the Flat Stanley book in school, and as a school project she made flat K and sent her out for adventures!! My little man E was TRILLED to take her out! .....................pausing for a moment to enjoy the quiet blissfulness of 6am without kids..................... ok Im back!

So we took her to the Norfolk zoo for story time yesterday, we especially loved the red pandas out playing! then our favorite bagel and coffee store....and TARGET!! Thanks K for sending her to US!! we will take her on plenty of adventures in the Olde Towne-Portsmouth-VA-East Coast- place we live!!

We miss our California family!! - and our WV family too!!

I think she will be going to some thrift and paint stores with us today!:)

Any thoughts on adventures we should take her on??

Well I here little Miss M calling for...Ami?? hmmm not sure I like that!! Well off to start the day!! have a wonderful day!

I may open a twitter account today in the name of my new business so follow along!!