Anthropologie Anniversary Transformation

We all know that 
the 25th anniversary is the silver anniversary.

The 50th is the golden.

What are the others?

Umm . . .Oh yes, the first is paper, right?

Well, Anthropologie has permanently solved this dilemma for me.


I have discovered that this year, 
year 8, 
was the bronze anniversary.
Ooops . . . I called it the Brass 
the other day in my To Market post.
Sorry.


Maybe, Brass is the poor man's bronze?

Anyway, as some of you may know from reading this post, 

my anniversary was this past Tuesday, April 26,

but life got in the way 
so I got this Anthropologie anniversary project 
done a few days late.

C'est la vie!

This project is actually ridiculously simple.

I picked up this WONDERFUL dish towel on sale at 
Anthropologie about three weeks ago.

I immediately knew that it was going 
to be my anniversary gift to the Cuban Cowboy.

I know you are thinking, 

"ummm . . . that's not very manly."

I know this.

However, each year what I do for our anniversary 
is purchase something for our bedroom,

typically new sheets or a comforter set.

However, we weren't really in need of either at this time.

So, instead I am taking this super cute dish towel 
and I am making something for my bedroom.


Here are the tools:
Dishtowel
heat and Bond 
Twine/Jute
Dowel
Iron

Please ignore the H2O stains on my ironing board.

First, I washed the dishtowel and ironed it nice and flat.

Then I folded the top over about 1 1/2 inches and used Heat and Bond to seal it down.

Next I inserted a thin wooden dowel that I had cut to size

(really, Monster broke it in the car on the way home from Michael's. No saw necessary).

Finally, I attached some twine to each end of the dowel and hung it from a nail in the wall.

VOILA!!! 
New bedroom decor with an anniversary theme.

If you are wondering why the dowel is bowed a bit,
 it is because Monster actually broke it in 3 and I taped it.
I wanted to get the project done within my anniversary week.
I will pick up a new dowel next time I am at Michael's.

Simplicity at its best.

{Frugal Friday} A Two Fer

For today's Frugal Friday I have a Two fer for you.

First I would like to share with you my NEW obsession.

VERY JANE.

(PLEASE SPONSOR ME> I HEART YOU)

Seriously, this is the best place EVER.

Discount?

Pshhh . . . FREE!!!

At least some things are.

For example, I purchased button earrings earlier this week.

FREE. Only $2.95 shipping.
Sorry, I didn't plan on doing this post so no photo.
I will share when they arrive.

And all of these printables.



This one is still available!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



FREE.
In every size and color.
Just send them to your printer.

And here's today's deal.

FREE. Just $3.95 for shipping.

That's a price I am willing to pay.

I mean it's what I would spend at Forever 21.

Okay so go visit Very Jane.

Go like their Facebook page too.

Oh yeah, $50 Target gift card still up for grabs from them too.


***I am not getting anything special for this write up either. I am just in love.***

The second thing that I would like to share is quick,

mostly because I do not have  a tutorial or anything,

and it is a little bit of sewing that I had to sew up under pressure.

So, as you are well aware, Sunday was Easter.

Saturday night
I realized that neither of my boys had Easter outfits.

I had grandious plans of sewing them,
but I had never started the task.

The Cuban Cowboy said it was too late to go out.

He thinks we live in the hood.

Maybe we do.

Anyway, I was by no means happy about this.

I told him that the boys were going to church NAKED!!!

Dramatic much?

Then I whipped out my stash of sweaters.

First I made Monster a sweater vest.

All I did was take a Libertine cashmere sweater vest
of mine and size it down.

It matched the pants I wanted him to wear.

One down.

Then I took a cute nautical striped,
 light blue and white sweater of mine
and created some sweateralls for Roly Poly.

I was lucky that the straps were already part of the top.

I also took some of the scraps and made him a bow tie.

Two down, and it was only midnight!!!

Okay so those are my last minute, frugal, Easter outfits.


Sometimes a gal has to be frugal in a flash.


Have a wonderful weekend!!!



To Market. To Market.

To market, to market to buy a fat pig;
Home again, home again, jiggety-jig.

To market, to market, to buy a fat hog;

Home again, home again, jiggety-jog.

To market, to market, to buy a plum cake;

Home again, home again, market is late.

To market, to market, to buy a plum bun;

Home again, home again, market is done.

To market, to market, a gallop a trot,

To buy some meat to put in the pot;

Three pence a quarter, a groat a side,

If it hadn't been killed it must have died

I bet that you have a decent notion 

right about now

regarding what we did today.

In case you are still scratching your head,

we went to our local farmers market.

It is held every Thursday on the 

VVC (Victor Valley Community College) Campus.

***Side note: Dear VVC, Please hire me.***

Anyway, we don't normally get to go due to 

my Thursday morning women's study.

We had this week off though, 

and next week is our last week before Summer.

This means more Farmer's Market visits.

Yippee!!!

Here's a peak at what we enjoyed.

The first, and probably MOST important thing that 

I picked up today were 

STRAWBERRIES

I just love strawberries.

These are some of the best that I have ever had,

and there are from my old hood Ontario.

Monster really liked them too.

Then we meandered about and looked at the colors.

We really didn't need anything because

our schedules are all messed up for another 

few days, which means no REAL meals.

I really should have picked up some of these flowers.

 Next time.

Then Monster wanted to sit for a minute.

He immediately found a stick 

and started doing the boy thing.

Finally, we went and got a little treat.

It may be MY favorite part of the Framer's Market.

We went here.

The Brass Cupcake

MMMMMMMM . . . gourmet cupcakes.

You know my 8th anniversary was this week.

I have discovered that this is the Brass anniversary

(more to come on this Saturday).

I think that these cupcakes count as our brass.

Wouldn't you agree?

My new ring courtesy of Nichelle from Vintage Wannabee

We got two Snickerdoodle,

one coconut filled chocolate,

and one chocolate banana.

We haven't had them yet, 

but from past experience with a praline one,

I know they will be YUMMY!!!!

Hope your day was as nice.

I am now off to work from home for 4 hours.

Where I am hanging today.

Today I am over at Time Well Spent

sharing a bit about myself and the fun things that go on over here.


She is one of my new sponsors, and I'd love for her to know how much we love her.

I would love if you visited Suze and let her know 

how awesome her blog is.

She also has an ETSY shop called Crown of Bows
 full of fun tutus and other items.

Thanks!!!

{What I SHOULD HAVE Worn Wednesday} I Spy My Shoe Collection

I may have an illness.

You may call it hoarding.

I do not hoard in the open.

You would not walk into my home and know it,

but I hoard clothes, shoes, and jewelry.

Yes.

This is the sad and honest truth.

This is not to say that I do not get rid of items, because I actually purge my closet several times a year.
It's just that there are some things that I will most likely never get rid of.
Also, I enjoy having variety.

When I taught, I was somewhat of a fashionista.
I rarely wore the same outfit.
I wore the same items often, but the same outfit . . . not so much.

We were DINKS (dual income, no kids) so I could afford it, and now we are Pobres.

So here is a glimpse of some of the things that I should have, or could have, worn today
as opposed to the Victoria's Secret sweats and Tee that I currently am donning.

I SPY . . .
Some phenomenal green necklaces. The glass one was made by my bestie.

I Spy . . . 

oh so many necklaces. Where to begin?

I Spy . . .

My Tiffany bow necklace that the Cuban Cowboy bought me last year when I received my MA.

I Spy . . .

A Coach dog collar? Ummm . . . that's not mine. It's Blizzard's.

I forgot to put it back on after his last bath.

I Spy . . . 

a bucket full of flats and sandals.

Yes, there are really that many.

No, I do not have enough.

No, that is not all of them.

I Spy . . .

some ALDO style.

I Spy . . . 

some designer boxes.

I Spy . . . 

the contents of those boxes.

Yes, I have a large range of black shoes. 

They function for a variety of occasions.

A gal can never have too many.

PROMISE.

I Spy . . .
my can't live without them, red heels.
SWOON!

See how beat down the insides are?

I Spy . . .

their beat down button.

I Spy . . .

some awesome polka dots and bows.

I Spy . . .

a splash of Spring color.

Okay, so that's just a taste. I didn't want you to get too bored.

For a splash of additional fun, here's a reminder about my hair accessories.

Remember a few weeks back when I shared with you my ever growing hair accessory collection?

Well, that's part of my "hoarding."

There are pieces in there from junior high.

I have new pieces too like this . . .

I Spy . . .
my awesome, brand new, Anastasia headband from Vintage Wannabee.

Is it sad that the first time that I get to rock this awesome headband I am wearing sweats?

No bother. I wore it all day anyway.

Finally,
I Spy . . .
The HUGE pile of laundry that I folded yesterday.

It took me from 9 AM until 4 PM.
SERIOUSLY!!!!!!!!!!!
That is a weeks worth of laundry, and that photo isn't even all of it.
The sheets and comforter were washing still.

See why I have no more time for style.


This post has been inspired by Ashley of Little Miss Momma
and it will be linked up to this weeks I SPY linky.



Underneath It All

Today, April 26th, is my wedding anniversary.

8 years ago I married the Cuban Cowboy.

I had ideas of grandeur for this post, 

but life has been hectic to say the least.

We didn't celebrate in any way, shape, or form,

unless if you count the fact that I bought him some Reese's Pieces 

and he bought me some Sour Punch Straws.

This being said,

I will leave you with "our" song.

This is what we danced to as our first dance.

It's a bit unique for a first dance, but the lyrics are perfect in my opinion.

Butterfly in the Sky

Well, Easter has past, but Spring is still here for another month or so,

which to me means that Spring decor is staying for a little while longer.

I didn't do all of that hard work for NOTHING, after all.

This is a little craft project that Monster and I whipped up just a few days before Easter.

It was inspired by this first LARGE coffee filter butterfly

that he made during story time at the Apple Valley Library.

It's awesome, right?

Where did they get such large coffee filters?

Anyway, he enjoyed the little project so much

that I decided we could replicate it at home using supplies that we had on hand.

Supplies: 

Coffee filters

Markers

Scissors

Spray bottle with water

Wire or pipe cleaners

1. Gather the above supplies. 

2. Fold your filter in half and cut 2 triangles from the top and bottom of the fold.

3. Begin coloring

4. Notice that the color should leak through,

 but you still should color on both sides for emphasis and style.

NOW IS THE FUN PART!!!!

5. Get out the spray bottle and soak down the "butterflies" with water.
This will cause the ink to bleed and create a tie dyed effect.

6. Hang to dry.
I am lucky enough to have a cool clothes line in my laundry room.
It is Michael Grave's for Target if you want to pick one up.
I love that it is retractable, so I only have it out when I need it.

7. Sorry, I didn't photograph this step, but it is easy like the rest.
Take your wire or pipe cleaner,
scrunch up the center of the butterfly,
 and twist to make the body and antennae.

Now they should look something like this.

I love all the bright colors that this added to the kitchen.
I just folded Scotch tape up and stuck it to the butterfly and then the wall.

Speaking of butterflies . . .
I actually have another Eisy Morgan recreate.
I am actually going to call this one a FAIL.
I did improve upon it after these photos,
and now it is presentable.
You are about to see what I mean.

It is a recreate of her beaded dragonfly headband tutorial.
I knew my beads would make a good butterfly,
but I wasn't careful enough and my glue got a bit messy and clumpy.

Ashley's is WAY better.
Check out her tutorial and try it out.
It is a quick project, and hopefully you have better luck than I did.

Let me know if you try it
or if you make the coffee filter butterflies.
I'd love to hear about your experiences.

I hope that your Easter Weekend was as wonderful as ours was.