DIY craft project

DIY projects are not my forte, but I took a chance at it and stepped out of my comfort zone and thought I would give it a whirl.  I found this wood holder at my local goodwill and decided that I would try to paint it up and make it presentable.  Initially I thought I would use chalkboard paint on it, but was unsure of how the final project would come out.  I decided to use my basic acrylic paints and dazzle this up a bit.  Because this is my first project, I am sure I could have done this a ton of different ways, but I used what I had.  If I had to do it again, I think I would use spray paint next time.  Anyway, here it is, both before and after.  What do you think?

As you can see, it was initially a little dusty, and it was a horrible brown wood from the 80's, but I think it came out pretty good.  I placed it on my Expedit cube from IKEA and now it looks like it has been there all along.  $3.99 and now I have a perfect storage stand for my Stampin Up ink pads.  I think this will help me to use what I have since they are easily available and accessible. 

Summer skin

Since summer is quickly approaching, I think it's time to visit the makeup counter. I will admit I am not a natural girl- I wear makeup every single day, but it's time for me to update my look. There are 2 items I never leave home without: mascara and eyeliner on my face. Currently I am using blackish brown mascara and eyeliner, but I think I need some lighter eyeshadow colors, maybe even some summer cheek color. The dark eyes are so heavy, especially as the weather changes. I don't want to have such dramatic dark makeup midday. I don't know, all I do know is that today it is too dang hot and humid for a full face. Today I am going to switch it up and use only my powder mineral makeup, minimal mascara and just hope for the best. Agh! I feel lost without my armor! I guess next time I will revamp my scent and try and adjust for the hotter weather thats quickly approaching. If you have any tips- please feel free to share. Until next time my friends! Have a safe holiday weekend! 

Random Michelle Facts!!

Good afternoon friends!  Since I have absolutely nothing going on, I thought I would quickly entertain you with some random Michelle Facts.  Grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and enjoy. 

Quick Favorites:

1. Color: Orange

2. Food: Jalapeño and cheese bagel with cream cheese

3. Movie: Sleeping With the Enemy

4. Show: Dexter

5. Song: September (Earth, Wind, and Fire)

6. Place to be: Disneyland at Halloween time

7. Something I never miss: chance to take a long weekend away

8. Holiday: Halloween

9. Time of year: Fall

10. Weather: Rainy Days

11. Article of clothing: yoga capri’s (I love those dumb things)

12. Accessory: earrings

13. Chore: Vacuuming (I hate dirty floors)

14. Thing to do on a Saturday: go to the movies

15. Latest obsession: Bath and Body Works 3 wick candles

Quick Hates:

1. I hate clutter, disorganization, and messes of any kind
2. I hate my arms
3. I hate sloppy writing on important documents
4. I hate passive aggressive people
5. I hate all reptiles
6. I hate outdoor activities and places like camping and the zoo. Even worse, camping at the zoo. UGH!
7. I hate people that complain in line and want everyone to join in.
8. I hate listening to drunk people
9. I hate that everyone has a reality show
10. I hate long lines
11. I hate dealing with the public (I am a government worker and take crap all day)
12. I hate that my brownies never come out right
13. I hate working out
14. I hate that I never have any free time
15. I hate tofu (texture issues)

That is all for today.  As always, please feel free to share what you love, hate, or can't wait to go away.  See you later my friends. 

I'm a Fashionista

I have to make a small confession...I am addicted to TJ Max, Marshalls, and Home Goods.  I absolutely love finding name brand items for less (I sound like a spokesperson). On Saturday my husband and I leisurely took a drive to Palm Springs to enjoy a little 106 degree weather and I just had to stop in my favorite spot.  Normally when I am alone I will spend a few hours in here picking up everything from body wash, jewelery, ear buds, clothes, basically everything they sell.  Well since I had a shopping buddy, I had to play it cool and resist the Michael Kors purse that kept staring at me.  That was, until I hit the crafty aisle.  Holy Molly did I hit the mother load!  Thickers, Crate Paper, Martha Stewart, Oh my!  Here is a few pictures of my haul.  You know its bad when you start walking around the store holding hands, then end up carrying everything in two arms and sending your husband to find the nearest cart. 

Overall, I did really good.  Now I just need to find the time to sit in my craft room and make something pretty.  Until next time my friends- Have a great week!

Trip Down Memory Lane

I was just deleting pictures out o f my phone and I came across some oldie's, but still goodies; so I thought I would share:

 I know, I know- I look ridiculous, but here we are: Me, Doreen, and Christina in our makeshift Mardi Gras gear.  Even though the other teams had better gear, we blew our 99 cent store horns and scared the crap out of the host so we ended up winning!

 My happy place!  I am not in the picture because I was the photographer, but this is my favorite way to spend a Friday night. It's not so much the projects that get done, as it is the food, friends, and laughter.  Having girlfriends is good for the soul.

Here is the only picture I have with my crafting idol, The Crafty Chica.  I am such a fan of hers, so when my friend invited me to her workshop here in LA, I was beyond thrilled. My hair was so short, holy cow.  Anyway, we worked on a day of the dead project and I actually made something really cool.  This was definitely a wow moment for me. 

Another workshop, but this time with the oh so shabby chic Melissa Frances.  This was in Anaheim, and was an amazing opportunity that fell into place at the last minute.  Melissa is a stage 4 breast cancer survivor and is a true inspiration. 

I hope you liked my blog post today.  Not a lot going on, so I thought I would bring you down my memory lane. Did you notice that I am always the tallest person in the pictures too?  Being 5'7 makes me tower over everyone- all the time too.  Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and thanks for stopping by. 

New Project Idea!

I just picked up Authentique's "Strong" collection and I have a new project brewing in my mind. As soon as I saw this collection, instantly I knew I wanted to make an 8x8 album of my father-in-law for my husband.  My father-in-law was a great man, and is truly missed everyday.  He was always loving and welcoming and treated me like one of his own, and I am honored to be a member of his family. He and my husband were so close, and losing him was the toughest thing he has ever went through.  What a way to honor those I love- by scrap-booking them.  I am going to use this collection along with the embellishments, hemp twine, some burlap,

and black & white photos.  It is going to be a masculine album, so I have to look for ideas on achieving a final project free of flowers. This will be a challenge for me, but I am excited to make this for my husband.  I will post my finished results, but I am not starting until June.  This is one of the projects that I am reserving for when I am stuck at home post-op and recovering for those 6-8 weeks. 

Until next time my friends- Have a great week!

We are headed to the Scrappin' Shack!!!

I was recently invited up to the Scrappin' Shack for a weekend of crafty goodness.  We will be there in June and I get to spend a whole weekend with Doreen, Leticia, and Rina in the mountains.  Of course, this is as close to camping as I want to get but I am super excited to buy some of the new release camping collections that have come out recently.  One of the nights we are there we have to prepare a dinner or a lunch for everyone...would it be tacky if I ordered Round Table?  I am going for fun so I definitely won't be cooking, cleaning, or laundry.  Anyway, I am working on making the girls some fun little goody bags for the trip and I am having so much fun deciding on what to put in them.  Oh well, I know June is a long time from now, but I am sure it will be here before we know it.  I can't wait to go up there, relax, go shopping, and just hang out with the girls.  

Until next time my friends- Have a good week!