I found this kinda ugly but otherwise nondescript frame at Salvation Army for $1.75. I’ve found the Salvation Army to be the BEST place to buy picture frames; in addition to this one, I bought seven 5 x 7 frames for $.99 each. Killer. I’m saving them for a Christmas project.
Here’s the big one. I love little round nubbie things around the inside of the frame. Is there a name for them?
And here it is after a coat of spray paint…and a nice printed-out oil painting. I sprayed the mat too!
Ahhhh… Pretty. Such a quick, easy, and cheap fix.
OK, so I can pretty much only sew square pillows. But, hey, that’s something! I had high hopes when I bought my sewing machine years ago. Seriously, I’ve had the machine for about 5 years, and all I sew is a square pillow. This is sad.
My blueprints
I do have plans to sew a futon cover. I already bought the fabric too. We’ll see how that goes.
Back to my very geometric, wonderfully sewn square pillows. I’m on a tight budget. Who isn’t? If you aren’t, well, you’re probably not sitting around reading my blog abot fake gardening and homemade square pillows. You probably buy yours at Pottery Barn. Must be nice. Due to budget constraints, I looked through the bins in our attic. The ones for the “One day we’ll have a Yard Sale” bins. I found a nice stack of lovely mens’ shirts. Big D’s shirts, to be exact. It’s a good thing he has some fashion sense.
I picked out one of the shirts. Apparently my mom was temporarily insane when she picked out this shirt for D. It went straight to the “Yard Sale” bin. Lucky for me, and for the shirt that I rescued (who knows what kind of sweaty body it would end up on), I thought it was nice fabric. A pillow I began.
Take the pillowcase off the pillow you want to cover. This is one of my very favorite things I ever bought at Target. Love the blue, love the feather insert. Time to change the blue. Lay said pillowcase on top of said shirt (shirt should be inside out). Now cut around leaving about a .5 inch seam allowance. Remember, you are cutting through both layers of the shirt!
Now sew all the way around. One big square. If I can do it, so can you. :) Now turn right side out. Unbutton, insert pillow, button back up. You’re done.
Oh yes, there’s more. If you’re feeling extra crafty, cut leftover fabric in whatever shape you like. Now sew it onto the pillow. This is called an “applique.” You probably already knew that. Now I feel like a smart ass. And if you want to be a show off, hand embroider the applique. That’s what I did. I can’t whistle, but I can embroider the heck out of an applique.
All finished.
Miss Belle couldn't miss out on her chance of stardom.
Did you really just take a sewing lesson form me? I told you, I can only sew a square pillow!!
Since I sit in my office a lot, and stare at the wall a bit, I like to have something pretty to look at. Doesn’t everybody? Of course, nobody wants to look at ugliness, duh. Well, I pretty much switch out the art on the wall above my desk every few months. The latest installation included Amy Butler fabric print outs. It was nice, but I’ve since changed my aesthetic.
Ta da! Here is my new wall:
I did a Google search for “floral oil paintings” and just printed out my faves. I also printed a nice one for my Powder Room, but since I’m not finished with that room, I’m not showing you ;)
And yes, that is Grey’s Anatomy on my computer screen. I missed it last night, so I watched it today, thank you very much.
I’ve seen this sweet little phrase a lot lately and I can’t help but feel warm and fuzzy every time. So, I decided to paint myself a version to display in my office. My office is currently being redecorated, so the painting is gracefully resting on an easel in a corner.
"Life is Beauty Full" acrylic on canvas
This was a very tasty and moist Apple Cake, appropriate for breakfast, coffee, or tea. It also would be fabulous with a quick glaze (mix powdered sugar and water till the sugar dissolves).
I will definitely make it again.
Cinnamon-Apple Cake
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
- 3/4 cup (6 ounces) block-style fat-free cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup butter or stick margarine, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3 cups chopped peeled Rome apple (about 2 large)
- Cooking spray
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
Beat 1 1/2 cups sugar, cream cheese, butter, and vanilla at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 4 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition; set aside.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture, and beat at low speed until blended. Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Combine 2 tablespoons of the cinnamon mixture and apple in a bowl; stir apple mixture into batter. Pour batter into an 8-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray, and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon mixture.
Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until cake pulls away from the sides of pan. Cool cake completely on a wire rack, and cut using a serrated knife.
Note: You can also make this cake in a 9-inch square cake pan or a 9-inch springform pan; just reduce the baking time by 5 minutes.
Nutritional Information
- Calories: 281 (28% from fat)
Recipe: Cooking Light
Today has been an absolutely gorgeous Spring day. After not blooming last year, my azaleas are in full bloom. They are covered from head to toe in brilliant white and pink flowers. I basically melt every time I look out my front window. So pretty :)
