tshirt wall art {a tutorial}

it was a sad day not too long ago, when i told my littlest guy that it was time to give up his favorite tshirt. he was sooo disappointed that he was too big to wear it. {heartbreaking!}

it was then that i remembered that salvaged open back frame. the one freshly painted a crisp white, complete with glass and picture wire. the one that was just waiting to display something...PERFECT!

here's what i did. you can do it, too. it's so easy!

step 1: i kept the glass in my frame and tossed the matte. if you end up not using glass, it will still look great. {open back frames don't usually come with glass, but you can get glass cut for yours. my frame just happened to come with everything i needed. as long as your frame is deep enough, it will work for this project}.

step 2:  my frame also came with a piece of foamboard. {a sheet of foamboard is very cheap at any office supply or craft store}. i slipped the foamboard into my tshirt, adjusting the tshirt as i went to get it straight{this was the trickiest part}. i folded the shirt as flat as i could get it and then taped it down. {you could also cut off the sleeves and back of your shirt so it fits inside the frame easier}.

step 3: after i put the foam and shirt in the frame, i cut a piece of cardboard to fit on top. i then secured it using the 'little metal bendy things' in the frame. you could also use small nails.

step 4: next, i attached the picture wire to the frame. you could also attach a sawtooth hanger if you choose not to use the entire shirt in your frame. i found the picture wire to work best for mine because i used the whole tshirt. either way, no one will see the back of your frame once it's up on the wall.

step 5: this is the best step of all...display it in your kid's room and make their day!

hello monday - hello new additions

                                                                 

hello four.

this little project was super fun and easy.

i took a canvas, my projector and found a four that i liked,

penciled it out and painted it.

voila!

hello new zippered pouch from the pleated poppy.

this is the 2nd zippered pouch i've bought from lindsey and i just adore it!

the quality is top notch and the style...speaks for itself.

hello summer project.

this beast i've lovingly named goliath.

he was given to us by some friends who were moving

and will be great storage for us.

i can't wait to get started on his makeover!

i'm saying hello monday with lisa leonard.

what are you saying hello to this week?

instafriday

Today, I'm linking up with Jeannett at Life Rearranged for instafriday.



I spent Sunday afternoon dressed as Elmo for Family and Friends day at church. So fun!



I brought out all my fall decor this week. Our boys and I made these pumpkins last year using this project recipe.



Anytime is a good time to dress up as your favorite Star Wars character! Discounted halloween costumes make great Christmas gifts! Last year, my boys got about 6 or 7 costumes and I got them for 75% off after halloween.



I made garland for our mantle using supplies I already had. Pine cones, twine and circles cut from cardstock. Super cute and TOTALLY FREE!



We snuck away to our favorite park one day to enjoy the beautiful breeze.



Went on a dessert date with my little guy. He chose Krispy Kreme. (I was good and didn't get anything. YAY for willpower!)



We took a field trip to see the Butterfly Lady at a nearby park. She's a NC expert on caterpillars and butterflies. The boys had a blast holding and seeing these real creatures up close!

What did you do this week?

Lovely Little Lamp

I have two lamps that I bought from Target about 6 or 7 years ago. They were both white with white lampshades. Ho hum...So I painted both of them turquoise and sanded them here and there.


I really liked the color of the lamps, but still wanted to do something with those shades.

So, I decided to cover one of the shades with my "blossoms" and see how it looked. I used a white bedsheet that had recently ripped and hot glued the "blossoms" on.

After attaching the first few, I was in love!







It took many hours, but one is done.
My lovely little lamp.
Now to muster up the energy to do the other....




Linking to
The Shabby Nest ~ Frugal Friday

Just In Time For Feasting

You may remember awhile back, we scored this huge dining table FOR FREE on Craigslist. Well, I had all intentions of working on this project right away, but my mom's health quickly declined and she passed away in August. Kinda lost my motivation, ya know?

However, this weekend, I decided that I was tired of seeing it covered with hubby's hunting stuff in the garage. It needed to be rescued. again. So, I got to work. I guess you could say, the Dove got her groove back.

After sanding the whole thing down, I applied two coats of primer. After that dried, I applied one coat of Sherwin Williams Pro something or other. Then, I got my handy dandy sander out again and distressed it here and there. I imagine, with a house full of men and another move in our future, it'll keep getting "naturally" distressed over time.

I love how huge this table is. Perfect for our big family get togethers.

What projects do you need to get working on?

Randomness and A Winner

It was crazy 'round here this weekend. We spent most of our time indoors. The severe weather alert that flashed across the screen warned us of the heat index. They told us to stay inside because it felt like 108 degrees outdoors. You don't have to tell me twice. I'm very fragile and wilt easily. We did manage to get out to a pool party, but the water was like bath water - not very refreshing. I grew up at a beach in Florida and never do I remember being warned to stay indoors because of the heat. This is NC, what's the deal?

Anyway, enough about that. I really enjoyed all the sweet birthday wishes and comments that everyone left over the weekend. I love you all dearly. Unfortunately, there can only be one winner of the birthday loot. And the winner is...

April

*Congratulations*

Oh, and here's a random little decorating tip for you...see the chubby dove in the photo above? He was totally different and looked so real when I received him for Christmas last year. He actually gave me the creeps. I felt like he was staring at me no matter where in the house I put him. But he was special because someone I love gave him to me. And I liked his plumpness (of course). I decided to paint him with a few coats of acrylic paint and I love how he turned out. So, my tip is when you're shopping for accessories, don't pass over something because you don't like the color. The color can be changed very easily.

Is there something in your house that you'd love more if it were painted a different color? (piles of dirty laundry don't count)

Free Desk = Fun Desk

I know it's summer
and the last thing anyone wants to think about right now
is school, but I plan to home school next year.

I've been trying to figure out where in our house that
I'm going to do this said
home schooling...

Enter one
*FREE*
antique desk
found on craigslist by my sweet hubs.

I think lots of schoolwork was done on this baby.

So, I broke out my paint and got to work.

Notice, I didn't say sander.
That's 'cause I was so excited that I skipped that part.

I got my white paint out and applied two layers.
Then, one of my favorite colors
(which may or may not inspire daydreams of the beach).
Two coats of that.
THEN,
I broke out the palm sander and sanded away.

*funny side note*
I did the sanding in our driveway
while our son was riding his bike.
I went into the garage to unplug my sander and
all of a sudden I heard a crash.
He accidentally rode into the desk and knocked over.

I always say,
"It's a good thing I like distressed furniture
because I have two boys"

I love the end result.
Now, if only teaching was this easy.

Linked up with The Shabby Chic Cottage- Transformation Thursday

Layers of Yum!

We're having dinner with friends tonight.

This is what's for dessert.

I'm sure you've made this before, but this is how I make my

~ Chocolate Trifle~

1 devil's food cake mix
2 - 3oz boxes of instant chocolate pudding
1- 16oz Cool Whip
6 Heath Bars (broken into small pieces)

Bake cake as directed.
Make pudding as directed.
Layer in trifle bowl 3 times in order of cake, pudding, Cool Whip and candy.
Make ahead of time and chill well.

Enjoy!

Pass The Chips, Please...

Who says you have to throw that chipped plate away?
This is what I did with one of our dinner plates that had TWO chips in it.

See?


I don't have photos of the steps, but they're super easy.

1) I got a piece of my favorite scrapbook paper.
(I'm sure you can use wallpaper or wrapping paper, too)

2) I grabbed my trusty Mod Podge

3) I measured the inside of my plate and cut the paper to fit.
(I happen to have another plate that is the size of the circle that I needed.
I used that as a template)

4) I painted a chipboard letter R for our last name.

5) I attached the paper and the letter to the plate using the Mod Podge.

Because of where I wanted to display the plate,
I knew the chips would be easily hidden by my other accessories.

There ya have it!

*I don't why the font size varies so much in this post.
Don't mind that and just look at my cute plate*


I'm linking up to The Shabby Nest's Frugal Friday

Yummy Reasons To Smile

photo credit

This weekend,
I made these incredible
chocolate chip cookie brownies

that I discovered on Tidy Mom's blog.
Click here for the delicious recipe
and check out her other yummy treats.

Ok, I also want to show you these smileys we recently found.

I swear, we do not make these happen;

it's just funny when we discover one.

I like to think that we look for a bit of happiness in everything.

Yeah, that sounds nice.

Now, get your dirty feet off my white couch!

ahem.

Now, where was I?
Oh, yeah...

I discovered this guy after I pulled bread out one night to make lunches for school.
Whole wheat bread puts a smile on my face.

And this little fella appeared on my son's dinner plate after his burrito was eaten.
A clean dinner plate always makes Mommy smile.

What makes you smile?

Everyday Wreath

Yesterday, I made this "everyday" wreath.

I wanted something very simple without lots of fluff this time.

Something that I could hang on the front door
other than my chocolate wreath and Christmas wreath.
Something that didn't shout holiday or theme.
(well, there is a theme around here and it's bird related.
I am The Chubby Dove for goodness sake).

Enter:

This pitiful wreath that's been lurking in the garage.
It had seen its fair share of sunrises on our front door in FL .
The leaves had turned an awful neon green.
Yeah, no one needs neon plastic leaves on their front door.
No one.
I always planned to put it out of its misery and yesterday was its lucky day!
I pulled all those nasty, little neon leaves off.

I didn't remove the yellow wrap that was around the foam.
(a combo of being too lazy and too excited, I guess)

In the midst of all the gluing of the new leaves,
I forgot to take pictures.
But, you'll see, it was pretty simple.

The "new leaves" were leftovers from my chocolate wreath project.
I only used the rosebuds to make that wreath, so I had varying sizes of leaves left.
(I never throw anything away that could later be used to make something else.)

Ok, so I glued the leaves down in the same direction.
The big ones on the bottom,
followed by the medium sized ones and finally the small
ones 'round back to cover up the foam.

Then, I added this....
(we're a family of four)

The nest already had a metal clip in the middle of it that I poked through the foam

and then hot glued down for extra support.
I reused the same cream colored chiffon ribbon.
It was still in great shape.
No neon.

And there you have it.

The boys are looking forward to checking the eggs
when they look through the peephole, too.
every.day.

Monday Makeover

I got this "shutter shelf" for Christmas.
Ever since then, it's been sitting in our laundry room.
Very lonely, no purpose.
I just wasn't sure what to do with it.
I wasn't crazy about the color and certainly not the wooden pieces that were stuck to the top.
See them there?

Well, this weekend, I had a "Eureka!" moment and decided to give it a makeover.

First, I grabbed a screwdriver and hammer and gave those pieces a few good whacks.
(it was pretty fun)
Then I sanded down the spots where the pieces had been attached.
There were some grooves left, but they just added to the distress of the shelf.

Next, I mixed up some paint and slapped it on.
I wiped off the excess with a paper towel and let some of the green show through.
Followed it up with a little bit of white here and there
and sanded the whole thing down, distressing it all over.

The cherry on top is the little starfish!

I decided that this little guy is now going to have a special purpose in my studio.

I'm always looking for my phone and camera when I'm working in there.

(and if you've ever seen my studio, you know it sometimes look like a bomb's gone off )
This will also keep them safely out of the way of paint, water, paper dust, etc.

So, there ya have it.
Is there something you have around your house that could use a makeover?

10 Easy Steps to Caramel Apples

After a failed attempt at making caramel apples you'd actually want to eat, I finally figured it out.

Yeah, I could have bought the tub of caramel at the grocery store, but where's the fun in that?

This project, my 5 year old did himself (all I did was operate the oven and took pictures).

Super easy and he was so proud of himself. There was no mess to clean up. Well, except for his face when he was finished eating.

I present to you 10 easy steps to caramel apples~ the old fashioned kind on the stick...