DIY Projects

Decor

A Bathroom Tile Makeover…With Paint

how to make your bathroom tiles white with paint

Remember my little run-in with a full jar of gold leaf a few weeks ago? (Not one of my finest moments.)

But honestly? I wasn't all that upset about the fact that I'd just completely destroyed my floor with a permanent paint-splatter. Because I'd already decided that I was going to (finally) do something about the terrible, dark-grouted, 1970s-style tile in our master bathroom. And the solution that I'd come up with would mean that I'd be able to fix up the floor (which was tinted a lovely shade evoking a 1981 urinal) as well...at no additional cost.

Stay with me.

Crafts for the Uncrafty

Paint The Rainbow…With Q-tips Cotton Swabs

simple craft using q tips and paint for toddlers and kids

Here is my attitude towards crafting: I am thrilled to do it, but only if it’s easy. Massively involved, multi-step crafts involving expensive and/or specialized supplies are just not my jam. My kids have just started to get really into art (although my 1 1/2 –year-old is mostly interested in applying things like paint and glitter to herself), so I’ve been trying to come up with fun (and easy) little projects for us to do in the afternoons, during that terrible, horrible interlude between 4PM and dinnertime when things can go real bad, real quick.

The key to navigating the Witching Hour (which is actually two hours): keep those tiny hands busy, and away from things like full boxes of cereal, dog food, permanent markers in shades that look really pretty when applied to white walls, and your favorite jacket.

DIY Projects

The Attractive Decongestant

hanging eucalyptus in a shower for medicinal benefits

Here is my friend Brie busy being awesome and having great hair

P.S. Ten points if you can spot the random hanging octopus doubling as bathroom decor.

P.P.S. I love the title of this post, but I want to be clear right from the start that it does not refer to Brie herself. She is indeed attractive, but (as far as I know) does not herself possess anti-congestive properties.

DIY Projects

Odd (But Strangely Useful) Little Idea: DIY Wine Charms

skull glass with rope and berry wine charm

You know those little charms that you can hook onto your wineglass so that everyone at a party can tell which glass is theirs? I've always thought they sounded like a nice idea, but there are two problems with this: 1) Most of the charms I've seen around are a little on the cheesy side (although these are kind of cute); and 2) I usually use tumblers for wine instead of traditional glasses, and wine charms are made to hook around the stem of a glass.

Those aren't the biggest problem, though; the biggest problem is that owning something like wine charms requires forethought, and forethought is not something that I typically possess. The only times that it has ever occurred to me that I might like to own some wine charms has been when I am mid-party and suddenly discover that I have no idea which glass is mine. Over Thanksgiving weekend, this is exactly what happened, and so do you know what I did?

Broke out my crafting box, of course. A little twine, some jewelry clasps that I have hanging around from a bracelet project I did with Michael's, and a few fake berry branches leftover from a photo shoot, and BOOM. For real, if you have some string (twine, Christmas ribbon, cooking string, etc) laying around, you can do this...and you can use anything as an identifier - a couple of beads, a dried flower, a leaf, whatever. It's totally something you can do in five seconds. And it's fun. And free.

DIY Projects

For Your Girls

wise woman once said fuck this shit and lived happily ever after embroidery

{ Wise Woman Embroidery Kit }

Everyone needs a hobby. And specifically, everyone needs a hobby that they can do while half-listening to E! or Bravo! or other channels with virtually no educational, redemptive, or illustrative elements whatsoever, in order to make themselves feel less guilty for spending entire hours (or, okay, perhaps months) deep in the throes of the wonder of the world that is Bachelor in Paradise. 

If you craft while Bachelor-ing, you can find ways to feel good about your morally bankrupt, reality TV-watching self. I speak from experience.


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