WHOA....it's WHAT month already?

Peoples.....can ya believe it's March already? Where is all the time going to? I feel as though I'm in a time warp of some kind because I know it surely can't really be March already. ^_^

Well, actually I do know that today is March 1st because I'm working on the ornaments and goodies that will be going up at the grill tomorrow. If you haven't been visiting in a while or this is your first visit under the old Southern ooak tree then you probably don't know what the grill is, do you? It's a Funky, junky Redneck dive that I'm working at. BAHAHAHA!!! It's where all the locals go to eat and I can tell ya from experience that the food is AWESOME. The name of the grill I'm working at is called Fish River Grill #2 located here in Foley. There is also a Fish River Grill #1 which is located in Fairhope ( that's called the Funky, junky Dive) and one located in Gulf Shores that is Fish River Grill #3 (the Funky, junky Hifalutin joint). If you're ever in the area come and visit and enjoy some true Southern hospitality and cooking!! Now, back on track to what I'm making and why. HEY...ya'll know I get very easily distracted. We have a Holiday tree at #2 and I get to decorate it....YEA me!!! January we left it as the Christmas tree (it should always be Christmas, at least in peoples actions and thoughts) and last month is was of course turned into a Mardi Gras tree. This month it's going to be a St. Patrick's day tree.

The first item I'm making is a cute paper banner that I plan on hanging on the front side of the register counter. I love playing with paper. It's something that most of us have on hand and you can do so much with it. I thought perhaps YOU might like to make one of the banners too....so come and follow along.

Supplies Needed:

Pencil

Ruler

Scissors

Cardstock (White and tan)

Pretty paper or stamps and ink

Vintage image map of Ireland

Vintage image of sheet music

Twine

Brads-small

Glue (I used Elmer's school glue stick)

Hole punch

Thick doll needle or dentist scraping tool

Green glitter (I use glitter fast dry fingernail polish)

First thing is to decide how you want your banner to look. I love scoping out "How To" post from other bloggers and found this one that gave me the inspiration to make my own banner. The blog is called Lil Luna (all things good) and if you would like to see her post, where I found my inspiration, just click HERE. 

I like the pointed flag look so that's what I'm using. I measured out on cardstock for each size that I need for a pattern. The larger piece I will use the tan cardstock to print off  the vintage sheet music "Irish Eyes are Smiling" (which I found on Pinterest) and the smaller one I will use the white cardstock for the vintage map of Ireland. (also found on Pinterest) Print out three of each and once printed, simply flip over and trace the appropriate pattern on the back and cut out. 

I looked around for some cute ideas for shamrocks. No worries if you can't draw a shamrock because we are going to make them the simple way...out of hearts!!  We are...I kid ya not.  I didn't have to look far for my inspiration in those either because I thought that the ones Luna made were perfect. Now if you have stamps and love to use them then this would be the time. I don't have any stamps (as the mister would kill me if I added any more craft items to my already overflowing inventory...hehe) If you are stamping then do both sides (you will understand why in a minute or two) Since I'm using the pretty ones Luna had I need something for the back side, so I'm  using a pretty printed piece of scrapbook paper that I have on hand. I printed off Luna's hearts (we need 15 of them) and then glued the papers together. (printed sides facing outwards) So much easier to do it this way so that when you cut the hearts out the backing will line up perfect. Here's what you should have at this point.

Take one of the music sheets and glue one of the maps pieces to the top of it. I think I will place mine almost in the center as I want the name of the music and the first line of bar notes to show. Now it's time to put together a shamrock. You will need 3 of your hearts to make one shamrock. With the prettiest side facing up you are going to gently crease it in the middle. (this is why both sides need to look nice)  

See the white poking out? This is what happens when you don't glue your two pieces of paper together BEFORE cutting out. HEHE (I did clip and make neat before putting together)

My shamrocks are going to be placed in different areas on top of the maps. Left side, center and right side....just to give it an off kilter balanced look. I'm going to place one where I want to attached it and push my dental tool (or large doll needle) through the banner where I will be using one of the brads. Don't put the brad in just yet because we need to glue our shamrock to the map. The first leaf you will place glue on the right side of the heart and place with the tip just touching the hole we made for the brad and press down. Take the second leaf and place glue on the left side and do the same as leaf one. Take the third leaf and glue the right side and follow as you did the first and second one. All three tips should be facing the brad hole. Now, insert the brad and close on the back side of banner. If you want to add some glitter this is the time to do it. I use fast drying fingernail glitter polish for my paper projects and it works great. Just sayin....just a thought of another way to do something using glitter. We all LOVE glitter, yes?

Now, we are going to make two shamrocks that we will place on either side of the center flag on our banner. You should already have the shamrock cut out but you will also need to cut out, using cardstock, a circle so that we can attach the leaves together as well as have a base to pull our twine through. 

This is showing you the back and front of circles. Using the dental tool (or large doll needle) poke a hole in the center of the circle. This is where we will be placing the brad to hold it all together.  On either side of that hole you will need to cut a slit. Don't cut to close to edges, you just need enough of a slit to guide the twine through. Punch holes in each leaf at the tip too and not to close to the edge. Hold the brad and slide each leaf onto it and then slide the circle on. Close brad.

This is what your shamrock will look like once you have all leaves attached to circle. You can use that glitter now. I know ya want to!!!! HEHE

Now all we have to do is using hole punch,  punch holes on each side of the flags so that we can run our twine through. I use myself as a twine measurer. HEY...it works peoples!! I take twine in hand and run out until I have enough out to reach chin holding arm straight out level to shoulder. I'm using three arm lengths. 

You should have a banner like this now. YEA!!! Where are you going to put your banner? It's going to look awesome no matter where you hang it. I'm so glad that you followed along and made one for yourself. 

It's on to making some chenille mischief makers for the tree now. WHAT??? Ya don't know what a mischief maker is? It's one of the wee peoples....leprechauns!!

Until next time...............get up and do something,

Regi

Welcome the month of ThanksGiving!!!

Happy Wednesday peoples!! I can not believe that yet another month has come and gone and the beginning of November is here. It's the month we have ThanksGiving and yes before you think I totally forgot how to write......I wrote Thanksgiving as I see it. A time of Thanks and a time for Giving of oneself. Of course, I try and practice both all year long not just this month. I hope that YOU do too.

Sadly with October ending that meant all the Halloween decorations had to come down. I LOVE my decorations....especially my Halloween ones but at least November is one where I can decorate too. Yea!!

My simple WELCOME banner and yes....YOU are always welcome here.

Not many decorations in the B&B but this lil pumpkin and fall flowers to make a SMILE.

Like my "Give Thanks" banner? I tweaked it a bit from the original. I found the templates for the letters at this cute blog called "At Second Street" (click on the name if YOU would like to make one) I printed the letters on white cardstock and then using my X-acto knife cut out the inside of the letters. Had to be VERY careful cutting around those curly cues peoples....very very careful. Once cut out I used some vintage papers from an old poem book I have. I placed them on another piece of white cardstock and then placed the cutout on top of it. I used a school glue stick to stick them together. To run a ribbon through just cut slits in the top portion of the card. Presto....you have a banner!!

This is one of my ooaks from 2009. Her name is Gypsy and she LOVES blackberries. Her wings are real butterfly wings. Oh noooo I did NOT kill a butterfly so stop that gasping ^_^   Mother Nature blessed me with finding them after the lil creatures soul had risen. I love using them in my pieces when I am blessed with them. 

 

Another one of my ooaks, Apple Annie. Fall is the perfect time for apples, yes?

I collect bears...love my bears!! It's fun dressing them up for different holidays too. Here's pilgrim bear. Simple outfit made from felt (hat, vest) a linen napkin (shirt collar) black ribbon (tie). Did you notice the beary cute turkey in one of the earlier images? Like I said.....I love to decorate the bears.

This big little bear really gets to enjoy several holidays. Remember the pirate from last month, aye? His under clothes stay as well as his felt boots year round. I made them for the Chazman's first Halloween costume out of felt...they just slip over shoes and in this case.....bear feet!! His vest is made from a piece of suede and I would normally have beads hanging down from the strings on the sides but Piwacket was WAY to fascinated with them.....perhaps next year.  That's a real bear tooth hanging from his neck too. He's a chief....can ya guess his name? Nooo? It's Chief Standing Bear of course.

Have to add a bit to the phone table.

So that's my simple Thanksgiving decorations. Thank you for taking a peek. I love when you come to visit and I hope that you will leave me a comment to let me know you stopped by. Love my comments!!!

Until next time...........PEACE,

Regi

Christmas Decorations are UP.....Thank goodness!!!!

Whew....finally.....got all my decorations up and they (if I must say so myself) look rather marvelous darlin, simply marvelous..hehe!!

I'm not one to go out and buy new things each year to use in my decorations. Nope....not me. I love all the memories that go with all my well loved and worn items. A good friend even gave us some of her very loved old items to add to ours this year and it made us HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY!! (Looking around) I really shouldn't have started watching Duck Dynasty...hehe...can't keep that phrase outa me head now.

I was so afraid that we weren't going to have our big tree this year...I kinda had a meltdown due to the fact that the top was bent so badly that I couldn't straighten it out AND I couldn't find the gosh darn tree stand that went with it. I mean, ya can't put up a 8ft tree without a stand. Well, I guess I could have if I could have talked the Chazman into standing there and holding it up. For some reason he wouldn't even consider it.  The Mister got in from work the day I pulled everything out and fixed the top (it still leans just a bit but that's alright) and he had been using the stand to hold our backyard umbrella up. Go figure!!

Since you're here visiting why not let me show you our 2013 Christmas decorations......well...come on!!!!!

This is what you see when you walk in our front door. Welcome to Regi's B&B. It's not really a B&B but some family and friends refer to it as that because I have it fixed up into a cute lil room for company. I don't always serve breakfast so keep that in mind if planning on visiting. ^_^

Since the B&B was originally a porch, there is another front door to go through and that takes you into our family & dining room. (old house so the two are one big room)

If you want to print a Believe banner just go and visit 

At Second Street. You will LOVE her blog..so many

awesome ideas, recipes and she has the cutest family.

I LOVE using my ooaks (one of a kind sculpts) in my decorating. You can see Red, the painting elf sitting on the left side of the mantel and Daddy's Santa on the right. He is one VERY special ooaks and if this is your first time visiting me here then please click on Daddy's Santa and go read all about why he is so special.

This is the dining room part of the family/dining room. The phone table is all decorated too and it's looking Beary nice, don't ya think? I got to use another of my Santa ooaks and this one I'm probably not going to sale. The Chazman really likes it and wants to keep it. See the pretty small cloth on the table with the Christmas bulbs on it....well...that's a sample piece of upholstery. You can use anything when decorating and SEE....the tree doesn't lean to much either. Ohh just turn your head a bit to the side and ya can't even tell at all. We love our little Christmas village and it's grown about as big as it can unless Momma gets a bigger table. (hint hint)  The Santa is one of the old loved pieces my friend gave us. She knew the Chazman would love him AND he does. Santa sings and dances and you can even hook him up to a cd player and he will sing with it. I will get a video soon so you can see. That is if I don't karate chop his head off. I keep forgetting he's there and when I come from the kitchen back into the room then there he is. He looks like a real person....ok ok...a small person but HEY, I know some short people. (not mentioning any names..hehe)

Most already know that I love to use my vintage images in a frame I have over the sofa during the holidays. That's ANY holiday....from New Years all the way throughout the year to Christmas. The Chazman loves this one...can ya see why? Look closely (click on the photo) now do you see? His name is in "The Book". Well, the good boy book of course!! He thinks I found this image with his name already there. I'm not going to tell him that I photo shopped. (shhhhhh, some things are better just left alone, ri iight?)

 The little bear is holding mistletoe and we all know

what your suppose to do when walking under it.

Aren't I sneaky? I mean everyone goes in the kitchen.

Of course the kitchen gets decorated too....every counter..hehe  I love my collection of Christmas mugs on the shelves. There again...I need more room!!  The wreath is one I made with vintage Santa mugs along with mugs for each of my boys that represent their first Christmases. Sitting on the tall table is another of my Santa ooaks. See..they are good for decorating with. (another hint hint..hehe) I also made some new signs to hang. I used the backs of my vintage tin signs that I have hanging every day. The walls just looked way to nekkid without them being  up. I used more vintage images and even some old Christmas cards and sheet music I had. Like I said...you can use just about anything to decorate with.

 Vintage sheet music image, Santa image, some garland and I added

the words "I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus"

Top sign has scrapbook paper as background

with one of our old Christmas cards and I

printed out the words

HoHoHo.

Second one has green construction paper, vintage

sheet music and old Christmas card.

The Chazman has his room decorated too. Another gift from our friend is his little tree. It's fiber optic and spins and he LOVES it. It has fallen over a few times (poor thing is missing a leg) but we finally found a way to keep it propped up and NOT topple over anymore. Ohhhh the Southern redneck way of doing things..hehe...we used some of his old game cases. HEY...they work!!!

Our decorations may not be elaborate or fancy but they make my child Happy Happy (I will not add the last Happy..hehe) and that's what counts. I kinda like them myself and now I can sit back and enjoy them!!

Tomorrow I'm working on some of my chenille bump ornies for our trees. I only have one left of the original ones but that's alright. I LOVE making them and I will have to stop once I get enough for our trees because I have other projects that need to be started and finished before Christmas day. Like a new wreath made with (drum roll please) a swimming noodle and coffee filters. Yeppers, ya read that right. If any one would be interested in a "How To" just let me know and I will post one for you. After that I have some bracelet holders to make using (another drum roll ppplease) toilet tissue holders, old CD, scrapbook paper and/or fabric pieces. HEHE, ya read that one right too. Again, if anyone would be interested in a "How To" just let me know. 

Until next time.........HUGS,

Regi

Say bye bye to October and HELLOOOO to November!!

WOW...talk about time swooshing on by. Where in the blue blazes did the month of October go? I didn't really want it to swoosh on by so fast.....because...well...I love Halloween and that's in the month of October and now it's gone. Bye Bye Bye!! HEHE  Before I completely let it go though...I wanted to show ya'll the Halloween makeup on the Chazman ummm I mean Jeff.....Jeff the Killer!!! He was so excited that some folks guessed who he was. Now.....Bye Bye October 2013!!

All the Halloween decorations are down and the Fall decorations are up in their place. I need to get some more Fall/Thanksgiving decorations, I really do!! Let's take a walk through and see what I DO have...shall we?

Welcome, welcome and Happy Fall ya'll. I've had this cute little wooden sign for what seems like forever. I bought it at (drum roll please) yard sale. That's one of the reasons I love to go junk treasure hunting because ya just never know what you'll find. This little sign was in great shape. It was just missing the hanger and that was an easy peasy fix. I just added some fall garland and "Well-La" pretty door sign!!

Our fireplace is the focal point in our family room and I love to decorate what little space the mister lets me. I mean...I can't block his big screen for heaven's sake. (well...actually, I could but I don't want to hear all the grumbling that it will cause..hehe) At least I have two corners and the front I can decorate, ri iight?? On the left corner are our little harvest bears and on the right is my little blackberry thief umm I mean faerie that I made several years ago. I love decorating with my ooaks. It's hard to let some of them go live with others because of it too but I do give a few up. Don't you just love the "Give Thanks" banner?  I found it at a blog called "At Second Street" and she even posted the letters for free and a tutorial on making one yourself. (just click on the blog name and go for a visit) I really liked hers better because she printed hers off on brown cardstock. I didn't have brown cardstock, I only had white cardstock so I used white. (next year I will print it off on brown..oh yes I will) Once I had my letters printed off I colored them in with orange and added a tiny bit of green. I made an extra card to attached my bow so it would flow right along with all the other letters.

Our dining area and like I said, I don't have a lot of Fall/Thanksgiving decorations but I put a few here and there to make up for it and I couldn't forget this side of the room. (Our family area and dining area are one BIG area together) I'm thinking of printing off some vintage Thanksgiving images and making some vintage signs with them to replace some of my tin signs. I did make a small wreath and hung it on the wall. ^_^

The Chazman has decided that he wants me to start decorating big bear for every holiday. So here is Chief Big Bear..HA!! That's a real bear tooth hanging down on the hemp rope. Hmmmmm....a bear wearing a bear tooth. Is that even right? Oh well...it is for now!! I had a beautiful ceramic pumpkin that I was going to sit next to him but remembered that it "somehow" got broken a few months ago. The ghost broke it I guess because no one would own up to it. I mean there's only three of us in the house and I know that I didn't do it. Perhaps some treasure hunting will turn another one up. ^_^

My last decoration to show you...I promise. This frame hangs over the sofa and I love switching out the images in it for every holiday that comes along. It's rainy here so the photo came out fairly dark and when I lightened it up it got to grainy. Here's a better image so you can see....HEY...you could even print it off and use it yourself.

So that's the tour...thank you for following along. I hope that you will come back often to visit. You are always welcome!! Now...time to work on a Santa and a few other projects before November flies on by too.

Until next time..........Hugs,
Regi