Ballard Designs SURF artwork Knockoff

I love this wall art but not the price.

At $316 per set for the small size and $676 for the larger set...

Wait, what? I can do this!

If you own a silhouette cameo or other cutting machine, you might just be able to make one of these!

This project only cost me less than $25 which is the price of the 4 frames I purchased at Michaels.
I already had the red and cream colored papers in a 12x12 size and followed the aging processed instructions described here (Baking the paper in the oven will cause it to curl a bit so all you need to do to get its original shape back is to iron it flat without steam).

Simple instructions:

I left the red sheets of paper as is. They have small sparkles spread all over (not visible on the photos) which I found pretty so I did not want to give them the same aged look as the ones on Ballard Designs.

I cut the letters out of the cream colored papers using my silhouette cameo machine before doing the antiquing process. Download SURF.studio files here (if you own a silhouette cameo machine).

I used an adhesive spray to attach the cutout letters to the red background papers making sure they were centered and finished this art project by framing them.

I absolutely love it! Of course it does not look exactly like the ones pictured above but you can achieve that same look if you want to spend more time in the aging process of the papers!

Hung them in a line above Aidan's bed for now but they will eventually be displayed in the playroom.

Your thoughts are always welcome!

Bean soup

Kidney beans and pasta combined to produce a filling soup suitable for all the family

This super easy delicious recipe is a real hit in our household especially in the Fall when the cooler weather settles in.

Ingredients:

15oz can kidney beans drained and rinsed
2 to 3 slices of bacon, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 to 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 cup plum tomatoes, chopped and seeds removed OR 1 15oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley or 2 tsp dried
1 tsp fresh basil or 1/2 tsp dried
4 cups water
1 chicken bouillon cube
Salt and pepper
1 cup small pasta


Directions:

Place bacon, celery and onions in a large saucepan and sautée over medium high heat for 3 minutes or until onion has softened and bacon is cooked. Add garlic and sautée for another minute or so. Place kidney beans, tomatoes, parsley, basil and water in the saucepan with the onion and bacon mixture and bring to a boil. Add bouillon cube, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook on a low heat for about 1 and 1/2 hours.

Raise heat and add pasta stirring well and frequently until pasta is cooked but still firm. About 10 minutes.

Serve immediately. You can add Parmesan shavings.

Enjoy!

Natural Body Lotion

Whipped Coconut oil and Vitamin E body butter

If you haven't already done your research about the many benefits of coconut oil, please get on it and read more about it here!

This oil is without doubt one of the most versatile and healthiest oils on earth.

There are several kinds of coconut oils:

Pure coconut oil

Expeller-Pressed coconut oil (which is deodorized)

Virgin coconut oil

Organic coconut oil

Organic Virgin coconut oil

I would highly recommend the organic virgin coconut oil which is the most expensive of all but if the scent bothers you, the organic (non chemical) expeller-pressed kind is a great alternative and a little less expensive.

This oil has no trans fats nor hydrogenation so it makes a great cooking oil as well. Just saying....

If refrigerated, this oil gets as hard as a rock but will melt at 76 degrees F. My home tends to be on the warmer side and keeping my eye cream at the right consistency is a bit challenging. The best way to solve this problem is to simply whip the coconut oil! 

Note: Liquified oil will not whip so make sure that your coconut oil is in somewhat solid form before trying the following recipe.

Adding Vitamin E to an already great oil just makes it even better!
The benefits of Vitamin E are too numerous to mention here but it is an antioxidant, a regulator of vitamin A, sun protector, anti-aging, treatment of scars etc... to name a few. To learn more about the benefits of vitamin E, visit the healthy skin care page.

Ingredients

1 Cup coconut oil (solid)

1 Tablespoon Vitamin E ( pock holes through the gel capsules to empty)

Instructions

Mix together with an electric mixer at medium to high speed for 6 to 10 minutes until the coconut oil reaches a fluffy and airy consistency. Store mixture in an air tight glass jar. Note: If your home is kept warm, the whipped mixture may liquify just a bit but this is perfectly normal. 

Hope you give this body lotion a try and see the difference.

Natural Acne Scar Treatment Oil Recipe

For those of you suffering from break out scars and redness

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon Jojoba oil or your preferred oil

3 Drops Frankincense pure essential oil

3 Drops Lavender pure essential oil

3 Drops Lemon pure essential oil

Instructions:

Pour oils in a 1 ounce amber glass bottle with the help of a small funnel. Close lid and shake well to mix oils. Massage 2 to 3 drops onto clean face every night until redness disapears.

Jojoba oil is a moisturizing oil that tends to be well tolerated even by those with acne-prone and sensitive skin. It's a wonderful oil for facial care recipes, but you can use Apricot, Almond or other preferred oils too.

Frankincense is an intensely healing and restorative oil known for its ability to prevent and heal scars and stretch marks. It is perfect for fighting the marks left behind by acne.

Lavender is calming and soothing to the skin. It fights redness and aids in the healing of scars.

Lemon is a brightening oil that can help fade dark spots and red marks.

Add the following oils and one extra ounce of the carrier oil mentioned above if you have severe red scars and mature acne

3 Drops Helichrysum pure essential oil
3 Drops Neroli pure essential oil
3 Drops Clary Sage pure essential oil
3 Drops Roman Chamomile pure essential oil
3 Drops Sandalwood pure essential oil
3 Drops Mandarin pure essential oil
3 Drops Tea Tree pure essential oil
3 Drops Carrot Seed pure essential oil

All the oils mentioned above are very effective in the treatment of both scars and mature acne skin. Some oils such as Neroli or Helichrysum can be quite expensive so I would recommend you try the simple recipe first and see how it works for you before investing in other oils.

Tell me what you think!

Custom Graduation Gift

Here is the perfect graduation gift for your child, family member or friend!

Custom hand painted pillows with custom college design

different sizes available

Thick 100% pre washed and pre shrunk cotton fabric

Overlap envelope enclosure at the back

email me!

Office Update

My office is very small and its odd shape makes it difficult for me to get inspired and finish this never ending project! I still need to find a very large wall cabinet to go over the other desk but here is a sneak peak at what has already been done.

From this to this

 

I resized 3 stair treads and used corbels to hold them together

I used cork tiles for a small back splash

The camera is a manual pencil sharpener found on amazon

Vintage thread spools found at antique markets help dress the shelf

More spools

This mini dress form helps keep my tags in handy

a vintage hotel room key chain just because....

Here is the finished side of my office! 

Behind the door is the laundry room

More to come soon.....

Homemade Bath Salts

Who doesn't love a warm relaxing bath all year round?

I sure do!

How to make your own and inexpensive bath salt

Ingredients

2 cups Epson Salt

2 teaspoons of vegetable or fruit oil such as jojoba, olive, grapeseed, apricot or almond

5 to 10 drops of your favorite essential oil (this is optional). My favorites are lavender, geranium, eucalyptus)

1/4 cup sea salt (this is optional)

1 to 2 drops food coloring (this is optional but safe to use. It may give your bath water a bit of a tint)

A glass jar with an air tight lid

Instructions

Mix all the ingredients together with a fork making sure to break up all the lumps. Store in a glass jar.

Makes a great gift.