Thanks.

Thanksgiving is nearly here! I love this time of year. I am thankful for a fantastic family, a pretty snazzy boyfriend, an enjoyable job, and a class that I like. I'm also thankful for days off! I started today off with a run outside gazing at the autumn leaves (before you think: wow, she's dedicated. Know that this may have been a one time thing), just took some pumpkin bread out of the oven from this new recipe, and am trying not to be too jealous of my roommates who get to go be with family for the weekend while I work through the weekend. 

As the weather gets cooler, I seem to get craftier. Remember these cute magnets I made with cork? I seem to have an abundance of cork afterwards. So I whipped up an inspiration corkboard! Here's how I did it.

Started off with a cork tile - dollar store. or Kristen's house. I have so many, it's sad -, some paint of choice - I chose metallic silver - and a paintbrush and tape. 

Tape off your design and paint your design! I chose chevron. Cause it's SO in right now. 

I glued mine to a second cork tile for thickness, attached it to my wall with 3-m poster strips, and added a little inspiration. Paint samples for fall wardrobe inspiration, and memories from summer that I want to keep in mind. Easy as pie! Or pumpkin bread.

Where does this thanksgiving weekend bring you?

Enjoy!

Practical and Pretty.

A blustery January day over here! I've been taking advantage of this indoors day to update a few things in the small space I call home. 

1. A practical and pretty way to store hair bands:

Embroidery hoop

Safety pin 

Fabric

2. A practical and pretty way to store sewing supplies:

Mason Jar

Fabric

Stuffing

Minimal sewing supplies

3. A practical and pretty way to store sunglasses:

A wooden pants hanger

Ribbon or String

Your assortment of sunnies.

How do you store things in a practical and pretty way?

Enjoy!

Have a calendar.

It's January, and it's module class week here at school. And I'm enjoying my class, but it's a lot of sitting. Full days of the study of the book of Mark, so I drew up a little January calendar. It's a little crooked, but it helped me focus nicely!

You're welcome to have it! Let me know if the quality is bad, and I can re load it in a different size.

Enjoy!

Oh! I have been busy with class, but I have been documenting my outfits this week. Stay tuned for an outfit post this weekend giving you a few outfit ideas to stay cozy and classy while sitting in class all day. 

Have a seat.

Hello there! It's your friend, Kristen, the college student/blogger. Which means I'm so busy all the time. I started classes today, which are fantastic. I love school. And now, I finally have a chance to post one of my favourite re-do's! I found this chair for $5 at a garage sale, and with a little leftover fabric from garden aprons my mom was making, and some leftover blue-grey paint, It turned out very cute!

The out-dated chair before:

And, after!

I love it. It fits in nicely with my dorm decor, which I will share soon! What are your crafting projects as of late?

Enjoy!

Season Switch

Ah, yes. sun bathing and sun-dress wearing. This may seem out of the ordinary during normal february months, where i'm used to -20 C (at least), but I'm on vacation! I'm also enjoying countless hours of HGTV. Haven't watched it lately? Well, you may want to do so. Today, is a 'Cash and Cari' marathon. A new-found show for me where Cari runs estate sales, and proclaims that there is always a treasure in every house. She also has an antique store. She often repurposes the things she finds, and while I'm not always a fan of her designs, she does find quite a few treasures! Here are a few from her page on hgtv.com.

a cute little copper kettle!

and I had to show you something in my favourite colour! a muted teal vase? I want it!

Caution: I have found HGTV to give me severe impulses to decorate and refurbish, similar symptoms may occur for you.

Check out Cash and Cari!

Enjoy!

Lull.

I really did want to craft. I did. But, the start of a new semester holds my creative inspiration back. There will most likely be a lull in posts. My mother, on the other hand, was showing me all sorts of neat creative things the other day! Here are some blogs she showed me, and a few I found.

A very fresh Mudroom idea! - Creative ideas from a mom named Beth. And she likes decorating on a dime! My kind of crafting.

Pretty bird decor! - another creative blog from a mom who lives in the suburbs, but prefers cozy cottages. This isn't even facebook, but I'll like this blog without clicking a button.

A very neat idea with chalkboard paint! - I love the idea of chalkboard paint, but I am scared that if I actually painted something with it, it would lose its novelty. But props to Just Live Simply for trying it out!

Be Inspired! Be crafty! Be creative so I don't feel such withdrawl!

Enjoy!

Kristen

Dorm Decorating-Phases finished!

The dorm is in the process of being decorated! It will probably be re-decorated as the year goes on, and these aren't really great pictures, but it's coming along! I feel quite at home in it!

The shelf: (notice mugs, frames, books, quite home-like)

My bed! My poster, chandelier and lamp complete it I would have to say!

College is fantastic!

Enjoy!

Dorm Decorating-Phase 4

Tomorrow! Tomorrow is the day I've been waiting for! I finally get to decorate my dorm room! Before and After pictures will be posted! Today, on my day of packing and attempting getting ready, I re-upholstered a stool. I'm not sure if it's considered re-upholstering if the stool was originally plastic, and i used hot glue, but I gave it a new look anyway!

Before:

After!

I also gave my Toms a cute little patch because it was wearing through at the toe.

Before:

After!

And earlier this week, I had mentioned my strawberry tin. Here it is! My sister made a matching one. I think it's extremely cute. These are wild strawberries found on my front lawn. Throw on some vintage French labels, and Ta-da! A cute strawberry tin (whose life may be shorter than I hope. I have no idea how to tame a wild strawberry to the confined space of a small tin)

My dorm will be finely furnished with beautiful red and muted teal decor if my plans go as well as I hope! I'm excited beyond reason!

Enjoy!

Ambition Gained! (Dorm Decorating-Phase 3)

So! Do i have things to share! I have just one week until I move into my dorm room, and am I ever prepared!

I went to MCC the other day and was quite inspired! My sister found this little number:

I snatched it up the second she decided not to get it. I love it! My favourite colour too!

I was inspired after my trip to MCC, and so armed with my favourite crafty tool, (I decided every crafter should have this in their home! It's fantastic for sprucing up some very sad 70's items. I did two projects with half a can in just one day!)

I love this little can!

Remember these old, gold outlet and lightswitch covers found on my garage sale adventure?

Well, my trusty little friend helped me out with them and now they look fabulous!

And now, for my favourite project of the week! At MCC, i found this lovely little lamp. Now, it may not seem lovely. In fact, with the old shade, it was downright disgusting. The old shade, that I tore off the second I brought it home was cream, but filled with stains, and had a not-so-pretty ribbon lining the top and bottom that was orange and gold. Oh, if you would have seen it, you would understand my obligation to spruce up this lamp. And, what better time, because I needed a lamp for my dorm!

So here it is! Before: (a brass and orange mess)

Jordon helped me learn the art of spray paint:

And Ta-Da! Isn't it fantastic?! The shade is some really neat teal fabric I found in the clearance bin at Wal-Mart. (They're discontinuing their fabric section. It is a sad day for me.)

I absolutely love this new lamp! It is sitting beside me at this moment, lit up in all it's beautiful, crafty glory. It really is my favourite project to this day!

Enjoy!

Dorm Decorating-Phase 2

Everyone has chosen a favourite colour of choice at one point in their life.

Frank Sinatra's favourite colour was orange.

Jennifer Garner's favourite colour is purple (or violet, rather, or so the name of her daughter proclaims).

My favourite colour has been: blue, orange, red, yellow, purple..

but never green.

I'm not sure why, but I've always had an aversion to green. I'm not sure if it's because it's not easy being green (props to Kermit the Frog for being brave enough to address this problem we've all encountered at one point in life or another). Maybe it's because I enjoy it simply in the form of plants and since I live in a place where green isn't the most prominent colour outside for most of the year, it simply makes me long for those two months of summer per year.

Whatever the reason, I have never liked green. But! Lately, I have found myself to enjoy a shade of green, a colour I like to call - Muted Teal! As explained in my last post, I have been planning out my dorm room decor for the coming year and have a few more pieces that will contribute to my beautiful room! And of course, they're in my favourite shade!

And look! I will be eating my cereal out of a German made bowl!

Can you find me in this picture?

Enjoy!