hearts & crafts: cute shit you can make for spring.

as of yesterday, my valentine's day wreath was still hangin' out on our front door. i should be embarrassed, but it's so cute, that i'm not. however it killed me a little to let st.patty's go by without changing it, and i couldn't let that happen for easter, so i made something that will work for the holiday, and that i can keep up until i find something to make for the summer. i am really happy with how it turned out, and it took less than an hour to make.

how we do: happy spring wreath

i was able to purchase everything i needed at michael's and with my 40% off coupon, got everything for less than 20 bones. you can make any variation of this you like by changing up the colour scheme, using mesh instead of burlap, felt flowers instead of silk and the list goes on.

start by laying your burlap across your wreath the way you like: straight across, on an angle, or two rows, the choice is yours. leave enough that you have the same amount on each side, and glue it down to your wreath. at this point, you can gauge what size letters you will need to print out.

 choose a font you like and print out your phrase. "happy spring", "welcome" or "beat it", whatever tickles your pickle. i used 'century' font at 200pt , and it miraculously turned out perfectly. cut each of the letters out of paper before cutting them out with felt, to make sure it will fit across your burlap banner nicely. once you're good to, get your letters cut out with felt. you will need super sharp scissors, a large glass of wine and some serious patience. welcome to the shittiest part of the project.
tip: i'm an asshole and chose a 'serif' style font (the kind with the little detail at the ends of each stroke). to make your life easier, you could choose a 'sans serif' font, and this step would take 1/3 the time. ps-'sans' is french for without.

once your letters are cut out, place them where you want them on your burlap, and then glue them on with a bit of hot glue. you want to get your spacing right, and i don't want you throwing this thing out the window if you start gluing them on and end up only being able to fit "happy s" on your burlap.

with your letters in place, you can trim the ends of your burlap however you like. i kept it clean and simple, and just did a 'banner style' cut into each end. the burlap isn't perfectly stiff, so the ends do flop a bit, but i don't mind a little flopping action now and then. 
shit can't always be stiff.

the hardest part is over, and the rest of this project is easy peasy, so grab another glass of wine, you could finish this baby hammered. separate the branches of your silk flowers, and cut off a few to start. i only ended up using two full branches, and a few extra blooms to get the fullness i was looking for. if you want more, use the whole stem. i didn't want to ruin my good scissors cutting through the plastic and metal of the flowers, so i used the clippers i use when cutting fresh greens and flowers. 
worked like a charm.

decide where you want the flowers and start inserting them into the wreath. i didn't bother gluing them in, as the wire in the branches allowed me to bend them into place beautifully. i also weaved the flowers into the grapevine, so it looked natural and like they were growing out of the wreath. if i ever want to change up the wreath, all i need to do is pull out the flowers, pop in some new ones, and voila.

i cut the burlap lengthwise down the center to make a strap to hang the wreath with, but you could use anything from raffia, to twine or satin ribbon. it looks really pretty from the street, and once i get some petunia's planted in my urns, i will be good to go. 
happy spring bitches!

pretty girlie things: yummy spring nails.

when it comes to nail polish, i am an 'essie' girl through and through. don't get me wrong, i still love a lil' 'opi' in my life, but the brush size and consistency of essie's polish is what keeps me coming back for more. last month, essie launched the prettiest palette of some of the yummiest colours that are undeniably "spring". a lovely combo of soft pastels for every day, and bold pops of colour for special occasions, i like the idea of using them on their own or together to create patterns.

the green, peach and lilac for easter? yes please.

'navigate her'. 'a crewed interest'. 'to buy or not to buy'. 'tour de finance'. 'ole caliente'. 'orange, it's obvious'.

image 1.2.3.4.5.6.

what i want to be when i grow up.

image found here.

these last few days i have spent even more time than i normally do, thinking about what the hell i want to be when i grow up. i feel like i'm the epitome of the saying "jackass of all trades, master of none", or however it goes. i don't want to be confined to just one thing for all of time, i want my filthy little hands in every single pot i can, which i have decided, is an absolute curse. paul has pretty well stopped entertaining my ideas entirely. there is only so much that kid can take. only so many times i can say "i want to do this" or "i think i figured it out". he's a simple man, who likes stability, continuity, security and a wife with a steady job. do i blame him? yes. no. does this stop me from constantly daydreaming about being a wedding coordinator? or writing a column for a magazine? or a window display designer for anthropologie? or becoming an apprentice to martha stewart? no. it's not possible. i'm a pisces for christ sakes.

now don't get me wrong. i have a job that i don't despise going to everyday, and for me, that's a great thing. that's a fucking great thing. i make money that i can't possibly shake a stick at. i work with amazing people, including my brother, and people who have become very important to me. my boss is the best i've ever had. one of those bosses who expects you to do your job as best you can, every.single.day. and so i do. not only because i have to, but because i want to. she's the kind of boss i hope to be one day. 
that is, when i am doing whatever it is i am destined to do.

and what exactly is that thing?

beats the shit outta me.

i once told paul i want to visit a psychic. not just your run of the mill, telling 'stories' from the comfort of her living room for some extra bingo money psychic, but a real life, creepy as all hell, wart on her nose, scarf on her head in a tiny little tent at a fair, psychic. i want her to gaze into her crystal ball and tell me:

 "amanda. i see a bright future for you, full of happiness, wealth, a family and a husband with a full head of hair...and yes, i see you doing what you love, you love it very much, yes, you will become                         ".

shit woman! don't shoot blanks on me now! i just want to be told what to do! 

however amidst all the confusion and craziness that is my brain, there is something that i always come back to. something that i have thought of, but pushed to the back of my mind for as long as i can remember. something that would bring everything i love into the same room, give me the ability to share it with others, and, that could make money (an important part of all this. i guess). i want to open my own shop. i want a little place to call my own. i want to sell vintage jewelry and accessories out of pretty fabric lined show cases. i want to sell cheeky, funny cards and fabulous coffee table books. i want to sell unique home decor and special little pieces that will look perfect in that special little spot. i want to sell refinished antique furniture, local art and anything else that tickles my fancy. i want to have "fleur fridays" where i pick up fresh flowers from the market, make up hand tied bouquets and sell them first come first serve. how about "treat tuesdays" where i sell a 1/2 dozen cupcakes or gourmet decorated cookies, get em' while they're hot, or you're shit out of luck. teach classes seasonally--'working with fondant', 'make your own spring planter' or 'fresh christmas wreath'. i could do that. i know i could.

and i'm not the only one who believes that. paulie does too. he thinks it would be an amazing way to spend my life. in my own little place, surrounded by pretty things, being my own boss. so why the hesitation you ask? well, when i asked him to let me go to the bank and get a loan, he said "after the babies". 

fuck. 
the babies.
i forgot about those.

i think i can swing both. i'm a woman, this shit is in my blood. so i'm going to work on this, and paulie. it will happen for me. i know it. i don't want to be gazing into paulie's crystal balls until the end of time. praying for something to land in my lap that will finally make me say 
"this is it amanda. this is fucking it". 

to be continued.

mixed march bag.

with march coming to an end, i thought i would share a clusterfuck of instagram pics from over the last wee bit. it's fun to see how these little collages change as the seasons pass. january and february seem dull and bland compared to this month...by july, i'll be burning retinas.

hope you're having a happy weekend!

crocuses in bloom. red. tree lined. good egg. guess who? two lips. before/after. tuna melt. hot shit.

spring fever.

my animals are not the only ones going stir crazy with spring fever (india literally bolts out the door if you're not out it within 1.4 milliseconds, and lennon has made our open bedroom window his permanent home). i think everyone is feeling the effects of the sunshine and beautiful weather we have had over the last two weeks.

maxi's in march? sure. why the hell not.

i have even reached into the back of my closet for some summer dresses and skirts a few times this week, only to become even more excited for the permanent warm weather to come. here are just a few of the items i have a hairy eyeball on, that need to make their way into my closet. i am loving all the prints, bold colours and the tropical feel to everything coming out for spring.

{from left to right} h&m satin floral print dress. /modcloth hibiscus messenger bag. /essie spring 2012 collection. /

h&m yellow sleveless dress. /modcloth bow wedges. /forever 21 lacquered wing cuff. /forever 21 mixed coloured bangles.