diy christmas ornaments with the family!

i love family time. and everyone knows i love doing crafty things too. so why not combine the two!? i invited my sister and all the cousins over to have a christmas craft day. we stuck with silver and white which is the color theme on our christmas tree. i have yet to post photos of it (i will soon). my sister made a purple ornament that was too pretty to not include even if it didn't match the color theme. there was a lot of glitter involved. here is what they came up with...

so talented, right?! we also tried to make a gingerbread house. this is how it ended up

and this is what really happened

yep, his mouth is full and yep, that's icing on his face :) we had so much fun. here is the gang getting their craft on.

the wine is for the big kids (my sister and i), makes us create better ;)

diy vintage painted wall sign and butterflies

i finished this project a while ago and here it is! i wanted to make a sign to put in the foyer with a meaningful quote that everyone could see when they walked in and out of the house. and i had already planned to have the butterflies next to the sign.

here are the original butterflies that inspired me. the ones i did aren't exactly the same but i'm happy with the way they turned out.

since i explained how i made the butterflies in the previous post i figure i would explain how i did the sign. first, i used a piece of wood i purchased at home depot. you would think with new stuff being remodeled in the house i would just have a piece of scrap wood but i kept forgetting and instead threw it away. but it wasn't much to purchase. i used white trim paint that we already had to cover it. i put little paint on the brush and did layers of dry brushing so that some of the original wood showed through. it looks better when it's not perfect. i even peeled some of the edges of the wood to give it more of an aged look.

  

then i used acrylic paint i bought from michael's called sage. i also dry brushed this and did a thin layer so the white showed though.

I picked the font i wanted to use on the computer, printed it out on two sheets of 8.5x11 and taped it together. then took tracing paper and traced the letters. once they were on tracing paper i taped the tracing paper to the board and transferred the traced letters to the board. painted the letters and a border.

lastly I had my guy put hanging hooks on the back of it. in case you are wondering this is what the piece of wood originally looked like.

here it is in the foyer with abby in the picture of course.

diy clay butterfly wall decor

i love etsy and get so much inspiration from there. it's also easy to get distracted with all their unique items, next thing i knew, 2 hour later and i wasn't even looking for what i originally went on there for. i don't mind though because i always find something interesting. i was looking up wall decor and came across these butterflies. side note; take a look at this persons shop they have a ton of beautiful ceramic items.

this is not what i had in mind at all for the wall but i really liked it. i couldn't bring myself to pay $28 for one butterfly and of course i wanted more than one. so i thought about the clay i used to make the minature figurines of taz and abby and wondered if i could use that. it worked! i'm sure it's not of the quality of the ones on etsy but it conveyed the same idea. i used bake shop, sculpey clay ($1.29, 2oz package). each package makes 2.5 butterflies. butterfly cookie cutter form world market ($1). and i used white hemp cord ($1.29) wrapped around the middle a couple of times to hang it.

 

the clay is really easy to work with. i cut out the shape using the cookie cutter. made four holes using a needle wiggling it around to make the hole bigger. i tried to put detail into them using lace so they looked like the ones on etsy but decided i like them better plain. then i placed each of them on a glass baking sheet. to get the variation in wings being opened i laid them down like a tent each at a different height. be aware that at whatever height you set it, it will fall a little due to the heat in the oven. placed in the oven for 15 minutes. they cool really fast.

on some of them i had to make the holes a bit bigger and took my exacto knife tip and twirled it around gently to scrape the hole a bit bigger. and because i'm a stickler for details i took a small piece of sand paper and smoothed the edges out. these are so easy to make and can be painted as well. for where these are going and because i like the natural feel it has as it is, i'm going to keep it in it's natural state.

for the final part I wrapped the hemp around the front in an x shape like the ones on etsy and wrapped it around to the back into a knot. i painted thumbtacks white so if you are able to see them they blend in with the butterfly. i pushed the needle through the knot and stuck them on the wall. i already have in mind how they will be on the wall so the final photo will be posted shortly.

here is my little helper, making sure work gets done.

and of course there is taz, umm gaurding the door, kind of :)

... and here is how they turned out.

alexis and brett's wedding invitations

this is the follow up wedding invitations from these save the dates. alexis and brett wanted to keep their invites simple and elegant. she is having a destination wedding and the theme colors of her wedding are white and creams. even her bridesmaids are wearing white. i love this idea. white looks so clean. love, love everything about white when it comes to design. i wish more people would let design breath with white space. anyhow the paper on the invites is absolutely gorgeous. it is a metallic pearl that gives it a beautiful sheen. she also didn't want to have any sort of design and instead wanted to use typography for the design element. i loved doing these because they were so different then any of the other invites i have done. i was able to step out of tradition for bit. the client allowed me to truly keep it simple. i have always believed less is more.

the invitations consisted of an enclosure that contained the main invitation and three separate pieces in the pocket of the enclosure. the pocket held the rsvp, rsvp envelope, in the know and an itinerary. all these were cut at different heights so when stacked each header could be seen. the enclosure was held together with brown hemp to still have the 'feel' of the beach theme wedding. additionally a tag was tied along with the hemp that had the couples names and date of the wedding.

diy birthday banner

I made this a while ago but kept forgetting to post it... august 19th we had our first gathering slash birthday celebration at the house. we had a birthday celebration for my cousin, abuelita and my boyrfriend's mom. i was a little nervous hosting it because we weren't done with the house. but i felt like if we waited until then, we would never have people over. it feels like there is always something that needs to be done with the house. 

everyone came! i felt like it was christmas. at one point there were more than 35 people in our second level. which lead me to thinking we have to get the basement together to make more room. one of the things i was looking forward to when getting a house was having gatherings. i love when all the family is together. and every time i always think, i'm so lucky and grateful. everyone brought delicious food and we had four desserts! see i told you i'm lucky :)

i wanted the birthday people to be recognized so i made a banner with photos. the banner i made from scrap paper i had from a previous project. michael's sells these wonderful design paper packs that have a variations of designs on them. because i had so much paper left i made each square double sided that way i could mix up the design for future uses as well. i wanted removable letters so i can change the message each time i use it. i cut circles out of bristol board and glued printed letters on them. the circles were attached to the squares with removable qlue dots from michael's. punched holes at the top of the square and threaded ribbon through for hanging. i also added left over ribbon i had on each side to add more color. lastly i printed photos of the birthday people in a circle shape, thought it tied in well with the circle letters. we have a huge wall that divides the dinning room and kitchen that eventually will be knocked down to open the second level even more. but for now it was perfect to be able to hang the entire banner in one row. i think i'll make it my theme wall when we have gatherings until we knock it down.

 

final piece to mantel decor

a couple of weeks ago i went to lucketts, if you haven't been and live in va you should go. warning: you will want to live there or buy everything! i love looking at their displays because it gives me ideas. i came across this display and liked the weathered look of the stone candlestick. this was my splurge, $20 each. i bought 2 of them. i didn't think it was too bad for how heavy they are. it's the real deal, if anything i can use it as a weapon. kill two birds with one stone haha. ok that was cheesy but i had to. this is the mantel at lucketts in the design house:

the mantel at lucketts also inspired me to have something bird-like on the mantel. the ones at lucketts were cast iron and nice but for some reason i didn't get them that day and it's a hike to get out to lucketts so i was regretting it. i searched on-line, not impressed. then one day i walked into michael's. i say this like it's random but i go to michael's at least once a week. i stopped by the home decor section and i saw teal ceramic birds for $2.99 plus 40% off. this could not have been more perfect. fantastic price and just the right color for the color scheme of the living room. voila! the mantel :)

diy faux mercury glass votives

for the first time we have a fire place which means we have a mantel. i'm so excited to decorate it. i want to keep it the same for the most part but when halloween and christmas come around i definitely want to switch it up. i always like using what we already having and sprucing it up. i started out with small candle votives i have had for years. i believe i got them at target, they were really cheap. as i was searching the internet for inspiration of course i stopped by miss musterseed's website and found this tutorial on making faux mercury votives. i like the look of this and decided to go with it. i bought gold and silver leaf which wasn't cheap but i had a coupon so that helped plus i have so much left over to turn more things silver :) so the mantel started with the votives.

diy terrarium

i had been wanting to make a terrarium for a long time and was waiting for the right time and place to put it. i thought, why not have it be the center piece of the fire mantel. we have windows all over the house the living and dinning room get a lot of natural light. i followed martha stewart's succulents terrarium. i figured succulents are a bit more hearty and might stand a chance at my not so green thumb. i had about half the stuff already to make the terrarium. i bought a long square vase from home goods for $9.99. in our backyard we have a pebble pathway that was perfect for the bottom layer. i have tons of sparkly jewelry bits so i took a couple of those and added it to the mix. i used soil from our backyard plants. i bought sand from target in their decor section for $4.99. I didn't even use a quarter of it but already have in mind what i can do with it for another project. i found out michael's also has sand for cheaper and more options for terrarium decor. i used left over light green flat river rocks i bought a long time ago. I used one of the river rocks as the base for the miniature figurines of taz and abby. which lead me to actually adding taz and abby to the terrarium :) they sit there along with the small succulent i got at home depot. I tried to put two but there was only room for one. and just because, i grabbed a twig from a tree branch and added that in the background. i think taz and abby will be happy in their terrarium.

 

rito loco truck wrap, it's real!!

this is so exciting in so many ways! this is the first time something was created to this scale. it's so crazy to create something on the computer or on print but to see it live especially at such a large scale is amazing. even better, the client loves it! also designed, menus and hole punch business cards. following these guys on their journey has been fun and there is still more ahead. stay tuned for updates on their website and other marketing materials. keep a look out for them in the dc and northern va area and get your rito's!!

pillow makeover

decorating the new house is the fun part! i had a vision of what colors to use in the living room. so i was looking for very specific items. one of the first things was new pillows for the couch. the ones we had were old and i really didn't care for the pattern at all. i'm not a big fan of reds. i like neutral colors. the couch we have is already a light beige so it was only a matter of building from there. i'm loving light teals and tans together. inspiration swatches:

should be easy to find right? hmm not really. since i was looking for pillows in specific colors i didn't find much. there was always something off like maybe there were only 2 pillows available or the right colors but i didn't like the pattern. or i liked the pattern but not the right colors which almost made me rethink my color scheme. the money part is what really threw me off. at the very least the pillows were $30 each. the cheapest i found was 2 pillows for $25 but not the right pattern. i could not bring myself to pay even $50 for four pillows that i didn't even like that much. then i thought to myself, i can make my own pillows! "i can make that," this thought comes to me often. sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. i think this comes from my dad. if he thinks he can make it he does and he does it well.

ok back to pillows. so i went to joann fabrics and bought a pretty light teal and tan fabric in the upholstery section (sale 2 yards for $18) and 4 stuffed pillows (sale 2 for $8). i used the backing from the old pillows for two reasons; 1. because they matched the new fabric perfectly. 2. the micro suede material, we actually use are pillows so we want comfortable pillows. they are not just to sit and look pretty. but why not have the best of both worlds? plus this saved me even more money! it worked out so great. and the bf likes them which makes it even a bigger plus.

using vintage buttons for jewelry storage board

of course moving into a new home makes me want to organize things better. for years i have been trying to find a way to hang up my necklaces. usually they are in a box and for me, out of sight is out of mind. i was thinking of using a cork board and pins but i wanted something a little more exciting so i kept putting it off.

two weeks ago I went to an estate sale. this is one of many estate sales i have been to. my dad turned me on to them. when i went to my first one i felt a bit sad. this person had ‘made’ their home and collected all of these things they loved and for whatever reason it was all being sold. but i guess it’s better to sell it to people who will carry it on and maybe they will love it too rather than being thrown away.

anyhow i started collecting old cameras. curious to see if any of them work but regardless i like the way they look. on one of my trips i bought a bag full of buttons for $5. i know to some this is odd but they were unique looking buttons. i also make belly dance costumes so i thought at some point i will put them to use. i do this with a lot of things like fabric, trinkets and such. two weeks ago at an estate sale i found a pinning board made of fabric for $9. i knew right away what i wanted to do with it. i purchased wooded pushpins from the container store $2.99. at first i was just going to use the pins because the board alone is pretty enough but then i thought of those buttons and the glue gun. my mom introduced me to the glue gun and i haven't put it down since. it saves so much time and there are so many things you can do with it. i glued the buttons to the push pins and this made my new necklace holder. all for $17 and i still have a lot of buttons left over for many other projects. i also love that the entire thing minus the pushpins is made from items that another person cherished.

new home!

other big news, we purchased a townhouse in june! so exciting! but i think i was more excited that the search was over. when people find out you’re looking for a home and say, oh how exciting! this excitement in the beginning is short lived. it is only exciting when you get the key in your hand. the actual process is frustrating. homes were flying off the market as soon as they were going up, offers were rejected, one home inspection wanted to make me cry. bleh BUT let me tell you it was all worth it. and for the people out there that said when they got their home it ended up being the home that was best, this ended up being so true! the home we settled in is the best home out of all the homes we looked at and put in offers. there isn’t anything i don’t love about it. sure of course there are things to fix up but those things are changeable. the location, neighborhood and house layout is everything we wanted. the house suits us well.

there are a lot of updates and renovations throughout the house in the works right now. i will be posting photos soon.

follow up to sister’s baby shower

hello, 4 months later. see it’s getting better :) there is a lot to catch up on so i’m going to jump right in.

i left off with my sister’s baby shower invites. since then she had a baby girl! june 3rd, makiya was born! this is my favorite most recent photo of her. 

look at those cheeks!! they are perfectly made to be grabbed and kissed!

we wanted a healthy baby of course but i was secretly hoping for a girl. girl outfits are so adorable. of course the day she was born i immediately went out and bought her dresses and a bib that says, my auntie rocks! i also wanted to make her something she can keep for a long time. for a while i have been meaning to make something with fabric and canvas and thought this was the perfect opportunity.

first i bought fabric to cover the entire canvas. then i bought fabrics in similar color scheme just different patterns and cut them out into elephants. i tucked in all the edges and sewed a stitch all around. i wanted the stitch to be seen to give it more texture. this also prevents fraying. lastly i used buttons for eyes. hope she keeps it for a while.

not the best picture as it was taken with my phone but you get the idea. oh yeah and for my sister's baby shower we made tissue poms using martha stewart's tutorial. came out pretty good. afterwards my sister kept them and hung them in the nursery. made with love by her mommy and auntie.

see you in another 7 months!

ha, just kidding! like i said i will do my best to update on a regular basis. until then i want to thank all the people that have let me do work for them. i am grateful everyday that i get to do what i love and there are people out there that believe in my abilities and appreciate my creativity. there really is a special place in my heart for every one of you and i wish you the best.

danitza and jamal’s baby shower invites

the latest invites are for my very own sister! danitza and jamal have their own little bun in the oven. they don’t want to know the baby’s gender until he/she is born so we made the invite as colorful as possible but still keeping it classy. to top it off we did a photoshoot to show the loving couple and their baby bump. can’t wait to make the decorations and sweet deserts for the shower. so exciting, stay tuned for more pictures.

natalie, the inventor

this client was so inspiring. for year she has been perfecting her invention and her determination has paid off. soon you will be able to purchase the patent-pending covermade^TM comforter. it is the first and only bedding product designed to make the everyday chore of bed making easier. imagine that! you have to check out her website that i designed and the youtube video explaining how covermade works. i’m rooting for natalie and can’t wait to see where the future takes her invention.

valentine, puppies and amor

minature clay figurines of abby and taz for my valentine. the figurines were made with molding clay, baked and glazed. don’t forget extra amor and patience. in case you don’t know abby is, made con amor’s mascot. taz is the newest addition to the family. she's an english bulldog, 7 months old and already 30 pounds. she has rolls and rolls of love that is very squeezable. both of them couldn’t be any more opposite from each other.

alexis and brett’s airplane message save the dates

more wedding stuff! so far these airplane save the dates are my favorite. brett and alexis are going to have a destination wedding this december and asked for announcements that were luggage tag shaped. as always I gave them what they wanted but then offered my own ideas. they absolutely loved the airplane with a message, which made me happy because i loved it too. i remember going to their home to show them the final product and they were both so excited which in return makes me a happy little designer.

stephanie and thomas' january wedding in florida

stephanie and thomas got married in the florida, keys in january. she didn’t want the cliché seashell or any typical beach theme on her invitations. she wanted to keep it elegant and liked the idea of using the hibiscus flower. her invites were simple using the colors, purple and teal with hibiscus flowers. it is not shown here but the final version of the hibiscus flowers were embossed.

simon sez

annia and i are working together to help make her dream company come to fruition. this project has been put on hold due to her and her hubby preparing in welcoming a sweet bundle of joy soon. such an exciting time for them! for now you can see what we have started with. annia is starting her own dog training company. her lucky dog, simon gets to experience her first hand. i have met simon and can assure you he is a very well behaved weimaraner. since simon sets the example for all the other dogs in training annia wanted the logo to be of simon himself. check out the logo.



and yes simon really does look like he is startled at all times. big beautiful eyes, who can resist them, not me.

monica and andy’s september wedding in dc

in september andy and monica were married in the gorgeous andrew w. mellon auditorium in washington dc i had the pleasure of making their save the dates, invitations, seating cards and monogram to be displayed in the reception room. all the pieces made followed the wedding style, elegant and classy.

playing catch up

so i haven’t been good about this whole blog thing but i will do my best to be better about it. oh how I wish there were more hours in a day, either that or i could function off of 2 hours of sleep. not being a big coffee fan doesn’t help either. this also might explain why i’m a night person. since i haven’t written since august i have so much to share! lets begin…