modern DIY pumpkins

Not gonna lie; I kind of hate Halloween. Sure, the half priced candy aspect is attractive but the drunkenness and pressure to pick a perfect costume that somehow exposes 98% of one’s skin is too much for me. And the scariness/creepiness factor? No thank you. 

I was however really looking forward to DIY’ing a few pumpkins this year (pro tip: buy deeply discounted plastic ones in early November from a craft store; stow away at the back of your closet till early October the following year). All my 2014 deeply discounted plastic pumpkins are safely packed in a large rubbermaid tote in a storage facility for now. 

But what would I do? 

1. text pun-kins! // 2. house numbers (use same technique as #1) // 3. confetti pumpkins // 4. painted mini pumpkins // 5. drill carved pumpkins. 

 

Major house goals: pumpkin centerpiece!

gold pumpkin vase // white pumpkin vase

The technique is fairly simple: cut out the top of a fake pumpkin or maybe even use a kids plastic trick-or-treat pumpkin tub or carve out a real pumpkin, insert a tin can or vase. Fill with flowers! 

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re-purposing christmas decor for valentine’s day

Don’t you think Valentine’s Day should be, like, on the second Wednesday of February? I mean I get it, history; something about a day where a naked baby gifted lots of sad single women with chocolate while they avoid Facebook like the plague? I’m sure I saw that on Wikipedia somewhere. Because this year, not only do I not have any plans, I also can’t leave the house because Valentine’s Day is not the second Wednesday of the month, it’s February 14th, which falls on a Saturday this year, subsequently making every institution you can spend money in bursting at the seams.

So, ice cream while I watch my tv boyfriend Jay on Chicago PD? Or maybe my other tv boyfriend Wade on Heart of Dixie? Mike from Suits? Don’t even think of telling me to put down the tv boyfriends and get a life.

(obviously a match.com commercial was just on to taunt me and make me cry and roll my eyes at the same time)

Don’t tell anyone, because it’ll totally ruin my sarcastic sad girl street cred (that’s a thing, right?), but, I kind of adore the commercialism of Valentine’s Day and embrace the opportunity to have my house full of pink and hearts. PINK AND HEARTS. Pretty much my 2 favourite things. And ice cream.

Last week I was challenged by the team at Patience Brewster to re-purpose my Christmas decorations for other holidays.  The email came a week after I placed shiny bulbs, a mitten garland, and Christmas prints into storage beside my four foot tree and said goodbye for 11 months; luckily I knew exactly what I wanted to dig out an re-purpose for Valentine’s Day.

Glitter bulbs, of course!

One of my biggest decorating mottos is actually re-purposing and moving things around as much as possible to keep all rooms in my apartment feeling new. I collected the LOVE newspaper print and candles from my living room, my favourite cookbook, my Kate Spade “Things we Love” coffee table book (did you know if you take the jacket off, the book is neon pink?!), my fave J. Crew necklace, and chalk love + hearts on a woodpile print from my bedroom, and novels with pink spines and my agenda from my office and incorporated them with my glitter bulbs in their new heart bowl from Target and mini blush tulips into a glorious Valentine’s Day display that is now perched atop a vintage Silvertone Hi-Fi that has been part of my dad’s family since the 50s/60s.

(Insert ugly tears over Target Canada closing. Whhhhyyy? What’s a girl to do?)

I know what you’re thinking, you went grocery shopping, hemmed curtains, watched an obscene amount of Suits, made fajitas and cookies last Sunday, how exactly are you single? Let me tell you: I’m fairly awkward in person, work from home mainly in sweatpants and greasy top knots, think hockey is boring (essentially a sin in Canada – but lacrosse and baseball are awesome), pick cheese and doughnuts over trips to the gym most days (except Thursday morning hot yoga), and think chips and guacamole and salsa is a food group. And dating apps/websites? Skin suit! (name that movie)

#lifeishard

Then again, I have tv boyfriends, flowers, vanilla fudge crackle ice cream, and kitchen dance parties and everything kind of seems ok.

Oh, and cat photos, obvs. Meow.

 

So… do you have any decorations that can be re-used for other holidays? More importantly; please tells me who you can’t stop swooning over. Is it a tv boyfriend? The barista at Starbucks? The friend you’re totally not supposed to have a crush on and totally do? 

 

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Thank you for thinking of me Patience Brewster! If you’re unfamiliar, Patience Brewster is an artist of handcrafted unique ornaments. Some of their ideas to re-purpose holiday decor? They like to cut up the branches of a Christmas tree to make a wind guard in front of their rose bushes until spring melts the snow cover. In January they arrange Christmas lights in the numbers of the new year and February they arrange the lights into a heart!

DIY glitter bulbs

“I think I’m all glittered out. I have frames and a monogram and mason jars and mini clips. But but but I still have more glitter.” (seriously though, $2.49 glitter is like the damn loaves and fishes….2oz lasts forever.) These are the thoughts I have sometimes when I can’t sleep. (also serious)

While I definitely don’t think I need any more day-to-day things trashed up the holidays are a whole different story. Holidays deserve glitter. GLITTER! Everything is always so shiny and sparkly and pretty at the holidays.

Say hello to glitter bulbs:

Is it wrong that my first 2 words to describe these were “so cute!”? Can sparkly glass be cute? Don’t answer that.

And, sure, it seems this is on pinterest, but to my credit, I thought of it on my own THEN realized I wasn’t the first genius to need to add some sparkle to December.

Let’s pretend it waaaaaas my idea though, k?

What you’ll need:

clear replacement bulbs (I got these from Target, a 4-pack was $1.29)
glue
paintbrush
glitter (I use createology from Michaels)
spray adhesive (I used modpodge)
**remember there are 40-50% off any one item coupons in the Michaels flyer every week**

How to:

1. apply a thin, even coat of glue
2. immediately coat with glitter (I found it was easiest to roll bulb in a pile of glitter I poured onto some newspaper). If using a white or iridescent glitter, you may need 2 coats; I did. Once the first coast was dry I sprayed the bulbs with spray adhesive and immediately rolled in the glitter again.
3. allow to dry then spray with spray adhesive (best) or hairspray (if you don’t have spray adhesive)

As soon as they were done and drying on the kraft paper (read: I totally painstakingly attempted to make them look casual on crinkly re-used wrapping paper) I took a photo, gluey-glittery fingers and all, and sent it to sis.

She responded “soooo cute! do they burn?”

Yah, I don’t know. I have no intention of actually using these on a string of lights. (but how FABULOUS would that be?! But they may burn or explode or something bad…) This was my vision:

 

easy holiday DIY (and a recipe)

Maybe my (not-so anymore) secret wish is to design greeting cards and moreso, address envelopes. I love writing names in gorgeous script, and addresses in block letters on envelopes; add some dots a sticker and some washi tape and I’m in heaven. Oh, the simple things.

Imagine my joy when a friend asked me to help with a pinterest craft of creating personalized place setting chargers for a dinner party.

Aren’t they amazing? Don’t you want to make them for your Thanksgiving or Christmas celebration? Maybe a special birthday?

YOU DO!

What you’ll need:
White porcelain/ceramic plates (these were bought from the dollar store)
Spray paint
Porcelain marker

How to:
Clean plates
Spray half of plate and allow to dry 24 hours
Shake, shake, shake porcelain marker and draw name (do not go over the letters a second time, it doesn’t look as great)
Allow marker to dry (and then stare at how lovely they are)

**these are not sealed/baked, DO NOT eat off these plates, just use as charger under dinner plate**

As if a simple, elegant holiday DIY isn’t enough, Jennifer also shared her recipe for Pear & Parsnip soup (YUM) which makes a perfect holiday season appetizer. It can also be made ahead of time and re-heated on party day. Or cold Sunday afternoon. Whatevs.

What you’ll need:
(from Traditional Irish Cookery)
Serves 4, easily multiplied

1 tablespoon butter/margarine
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound parsnips, thinly chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 pound pear (or apple), peeled, cored, sliced
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
5 cups vegetable or chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste
2/3 cup light cream
garnish: sour cream, chives, toasted walnuts are my favourites, with chewy multigrain bread for dipping

How to:
1. Melt butter/margarine in a large saucepan and saute the onion over medium heat until it begins to soften. Add parsnips, garlic, fruit and until all are softened but not browned.

2. Stir in the spices and cook for 2 minutes, stirring periodically. Add stock and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Season with salt and pepper then reduce heat, cover and simmer gently for about 30 minutes until the parsnips are tender.

3. Puree in food processor/blender, return to pot and stir in the cream. Thin down with more stock or water if desired.

4. Keep warm on stove-top over low heat, do not allow soup to come to a boil again. Serve and garnish.

 

Are you hosting friends or family for the holidays? What are you making? And can I come? 

DIY glitter mini clothes pins

Do you know how hard it is to be in Canada with the existance of the hashtag targetdoesitagain? (um, also, #firstworldproblems). Sandals and tops and dresses and belts, all of which I can’t find at my local store. And the dollar bins. Don’t even get me started. Damn you instagram and your cute mason jars and cards and pens and file folders and tabs and sticky notes. None of which I need.

It seems alltheaccessories have been walking across the border because lo and behold, a bunch have made it to my Target in the last 2 weeks.

There should have also been gold stars because I picked up a bunch of things for the bestie’s birthday gift but managed to restrain myself to only a pack of ($1!!) mini clothes pins. For all my iddy biddy clothes.

Or to trash up and use on my cork board. Either or.

What you’ll need:

• clothes pins; regular or mini (these mini ones are currently in dollar bins at most Target stores)
• glue
• glitter (I use creatology from Michaels)

How to:

Spread a thin layer of glue onto the clothes pin with your finger (or dab in glue and wipe off excess)

Immediately dip into glitter

Allow to dry, spray with spray adhesive or hair spray. Repeat on other side if you want (I’m using them on a cork board, so, just left the other side as it)

If you don’t have iddy biddy clothes, they look great on a real life pinterest board!