Monthly Archives: July 2011

Guest Post: Custom Gift Box from Gwenny Penny

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Hey, everybody! I’m so excited to be posting here on Jen’s blog today. I’m Gwen, and I blog over at Gwenny Penny. I’m a full-time mom of two little girls, and I love sewing, crafting, and just about everything creative. I blog in order to make sure that I carve out some creative time just for me each week. These are some of my favorite projects…
Today I’m going to show you how to make a simple custom gift box. Shouldn’t you wrap a handmade gift in a handmade box? Yes! I was searching high and low for a little gift box in my basement a few weeks ago, but all I could find were enormous gift bags. I finally decided to take matters into my own hands and make a cute little gift box of my own…

Adorable, no? These are so easy… I used to make this style box when I was a kid. And you can customize the gift box for the recipient by choosing the right rubber stamps, colors, and embellishments. Now you really want to make one, right? Here’s the how-to…
Materials:
  • 2 pieces of 8.5″ x 11″ cardstock
  • rubber stamp(s)
  • ink
  • ruler
  • pencil
  • butter knife
  • scissors
  • glue
  • embellishments

Instructions:

Step 1: Chose a piece of cardstock to use for the top of your gift box. We are going to stamp the paper first. You can stamp however you like, but I like to use the following method so that I don’t end up with any gaps. Lay your ruler out from one corner of your paper to the opposite corner. Start stamping along the ruler every couple of inches (depending on the size of your stamp).

When you get to the edge of your paper, place a piece of scrap paper along the edge and continue to stamp so that you get the partial pieces of your pattern on your cardstock.

Step 2: Once you complete the first row, move the ruler down a few inches, keeping the same angle along the paper. Start stamping the next row, staggering your stamps between the stamped images in the row above.

Continue until you’ve filled the paper above and below that first row that your created in Step 1. Let the ink dry before moving on to Step 3.

Step 3: Now it’s time to assemble your box top. Flip your paper over so that the stamped images are facing down. My finished box is 7″ x 4.5″ x 2″, so these measurements will result in a box of that size, but you can make any size you want. You need to start by creating four lines on your paper. Each line will be 2″ long and will be located 2″ from the adjacent edge of the paper. The lines drawn from the short edges of the paper will be horizontal. The lines drawn from the long edges of the paper will be vertical.

Please see the picture below for more detailed information…

Using scissors, cut along each of these four lines.

Step 4: You will need to score your paper to make it easier to fold. With your stamped images still facing down and using the blunt edge of a butter knife (upside down), score the entire length and width of your cardstock, 2″ from each edge. See the picture below for more detailed information…

Step 5: Time to start folding. With your stamped images still facing down, fold along the score lines on all four sides, folding the edges toward the center of your paper.

Take the four small squares formed by your cuts and score lines and fold them into the middle of the box top.

Glue these squares to the inside of the box at all four corners.

When you are done, it should look like this on the inside…

Step 6: Take your second piece of cardstock and trim 1/8″ from one short side and one long side. This will make it easier to fit the top piece over the bottom piece when you are done. Repeat Steps 3, 4 and 5 to create the bottom for your box. When you are done, you will have a cute little gift box!

But what is a handmade gift box without embellishments? Time to decorate!

I took a piece of fabric bias tape and looped it around one end of my box, securing it with glue. I made a little bow with the bias tape and glued that on top, followed by a small white button.

This is a quick and cute project that really adds a nice touch to a gift. There are so many options here. You could stamp the recipient’s name somewhere on the box, stamp the cardstock used for the bottom piece of the box, wrap it up with some ric rac or baker’s twine… the possibilities are endless. Use your imagination and creativity :)

I hope you’ll come visit soon over at Gwenny Penny. I would love to have you stop by. Thanks so much for having me here today, Jen!

Winner and an Announcement!

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WOW! Thank you all so much for entering the vinyl coaster labels giveaway! I really enjoyed reading all the wonderful things you had to say and I really loved seeing what your favorite projects were! You all rock! 
But, I could only pick one winner. Is it you?
True Random Number Generator  87Powered by RANDOM.ORG
Were you comment #87? 
Did you say this?

joycedolley said…
I am a follower!! Love your stuff. my favorite would be the ballard topiaries!! And silhouettes, and the dresser, Love them all.
Yay Joyce! Send me an email to let me know what you want your labels to say. I’ll cut and send them as soon as I get back from vacay!
Congratulations! 
And now for an announcement! Several weeks ago I mentioned to you that I was helping plan an event that would bring Southern crafters and/or bloggers together. I was blown away by the number of people that responded saying they were interested! Today, finally, I’m excited to announce that a date has been set, a blog has been created and plans are being made for Southern B.L.O.G.S. {Southern Belles Linking Our Great Sites}! Stop by the site for more information.

Featuring You Fridays

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It’s Friday {again already} and that means I’m featuring YOU!
First I wanted to share a silly little picture with you. We went to buy some local peaches from Springs Farm and to eat their fresh, homemade peach ice cream. I happened to have my camera and took a picture of the boys at the table. They are both at that age now where you tell them to say cheese and they give you this
face. . .

Oh my word, they crack me up!

First up, yummy-liciousness! Yep, I just made up a word!

I think it describes these lemon raspberry cupcakes from Moments of Twenty perfectly!

Dang, the Tooth Fairy give dollars now? And more than one? I got jipped! 

The Crunchy Mamacita created this darling monster tooth pillow after being inspired by another blogger, Her Hobby. Darling! 

Colleen from So Much to Say used my summer wreath as inspiration to create her own version. I love her color choices.

We have all seen the old cheese plates with domes being transformed into cloches. Even I made one!

Look what I found at Cap Creations! It’s a dome turned upside down to make a pedestal bowl! Brilliant! 
I saw this piece at a link party and couldn’t help but take a closer look.

The awesome lines in the drawers reminded me of the dresser I just refinished. This one comes from Life We Live 4. I love it!

And finally, this amazing nursery.

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Stop by Five Days in Five Ways to see it in it’s entirety. It’s gorgeous!
If you were featured, share the love and grab a button!

Scissors & Spatulas

I’m headed to the beach tomorrow! I’m looking forward to sand, sun and relaxation! I’ve got a great line-up of guest posts for you while I’m gone! I hope you have a fantastic weekend!

I Have a Craft Table!

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Slowly, but surely, my new craft room is coming along. One item I didn’t have to purchase was a table/desk. We got a new kitchen table a few years ago but I held onto the old one because it was the perfect size for a desk. I noticed in my link up that a couple others used tables for their work space. 
Dorie, of Tuesdays with Dorie, did it.
So did Hannah from Young and Crafty.
So this table has been sitting at hubby’s office, until now. I forgot a before photo, but it looked similar to the one above except it had been painted black.

I’ve used traditional paint stripper many times and I know it works. When I saw this, Citristrip Stripping Gel, I was a little skeptical. I liked that it was odorless and could be used indoors, but would it really work? It did have a little bit of a strange citrus smell, but it was much better than the stinky stuff.
I brushed on a thick coat and after about thirty minutes, it bubbled up pretty nicely in some areas. I added an extra coat on the areas that had not bubbled.
I came back after thirty more minutes and was shocked at how easily it came off with a putty knife! Right down to the wood. The light wood which wasn’t gonna cut it for my room.

So, I got out my favorite power tool, my Skil Octo Sander to remove the finish. 

I didn’t have the right color stain, so I created my own by mixing a few that I had. I used Minwax Red Mahogany, Ebony and Dark Walnut wood stain.
I love how it turned out! It’s much darker in some areas than others which really gives it a rustic look. Kind of like an old farm table. 

Then I finished it off with a light coat of Minwax Polyurethane.
Finally, I primed and painted the legs in the Valspar Juniper Breeze paint. I had planned on stripping them first, but got impatient and decided just to go ahead and paint them. 
Tada! 
Please excuse the mess. I now have a craft table, but still in need of craft room storage! I’m still thinking about distressing the legs. I’m going to wait until I get the other furniture in the room. Until then. . . .


My Favorite Tilapia Recipe

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Hi friends! I hope you didn’t mind that I didn’t post for almost two days. Sorry! I’ve been quite busy with a few other projects and haven’t had a minute to sit down to write! “What? You mean you don’t have your posts planned for weeks?” you ask. No, I don’t. I often write my posts the night before. It may be a project or recipe that I photographed last week, but I don’t post them until I feel like posting them. I post based on my mood! Yes, it may cause me to stay up late at night, but it also gives you the real me. The way I’m feeling, what’s going on in my “real” life and what I think you might be interested in. 
Gosh, talk about going off on a tangent! Anyway, I’ve been busy with other projects, one of which I cannot wait to share with you very soon! Nope, it’s not a room in my house. It’s not a piece of furniture. It’s a new site! I’m so excited to tell you all about it. But you’ll have to wait. Just a little longer. 
Okay, let’s get to the post. This is my favorite recipe for tilapia. If you’ve never had it, tilapia is a very mild, light and flakey fish. I combined and modified two different recipes from Allrecipes.com to come up with my favorite way to serve this fish.
Doesn’t that look delish? 
Here are the ingredients.

For the sauce: 1/4 cup mayo, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, 2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill (1 Tbsp dried dill) and a dash of salt.

Combine ingredients in a bowl.
Mix well to combine and refrigerate for at least one hour.
In the meantime, let’s start the fish!
Yes, this is a lot of spices. But most are pretty basic. 
2 Tbsp paprika, 1 Tbsp onion powder, 1 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp celery seed and ground cayenne pepper to taste. About one pound tilapia (4-6 filets), 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil.

Combine spices and mix well.

Place fish fillets in shallow baking dish.

Sprinkle with spices and place in refrigerator for about thirty minutes.

Heat oil in a skillet over med-low heat for 2-3 minutes. Place fish in the pan.
Cook for 4 minutes on each side or until fish is done. 
Serve with the dill sauce. 
YUMMY!

Monday Giveaway from Me!

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Happy Monday everyone! I’ve told you how much I dislike Mondays. They bring me back to the real world after fun weekends spent with family and friends. Blah! So I thought that this Monday needed a little something to get us all jump-started for the week. Something exciting. What could be more exciting than a giveaway?!

I’ve had several inquiries about my labeled canisters asking if I’d make them and sell them. Unfortunately, all but one of those readers, failed to leave me their email to reply. That makes me sad because I love responding to my readers and I would have loved to make them the labels! So, I have decided to set up a shop and sell these puppies {along with other items}. It might take me a week or so to get it all together and online, but I thought a great start would be to give one of my readers a set of three canister labels customized to your needs. 
Hip-hip-hooray!

Okay, ready to get started?
How do you enter? 
*YOU MUST be a PUBLIC FOLLOWER of SCISSORS & SPATULAS to enter*
{Please and thank you}
*Remember to leave a separate comment for each!*
1. Leave me a comment telling me that you are a follower and tell me your favorite project on my blog. 
2. Like Scissors and Spatulas on Facebook.
3. Tell all your friends on Facebook about this giveaway 

4. Tell your friends on Twitter about this giveaway. Feel free to use one of these:
Don’t miss the custom vinyl giveaway @scissorspatulas http://bit.ly/pzdUw1
or
Head over to @scissorspatulas to enter the custom vinyl giveaway http://bit.ly/pzdUw1
5. If you have done all of the above, go ahead and take a free entry. Say anything you want! Tell me what your labels would say, what the weather is, what you are wearing. Anything!
I’ll pick a winner this Friday and announce it along with my Friday features. What are you waiting for? Enter! Good luck!

Hot Weather and Some Hot Finds

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Oh – my – goodness! This weekend was HOT! The heat index here was over 100*! That’s over 100* with humidity {remember, I’m in the South}. This weather means you stay in the air conditioning or you stay in the water! Well, I wasn’t about to spend my weekend indoors, so we headed out to the lake. Just the four of us, and it was so much fun! We found a quiet spot to beach the boat and we played. And we played and we played! When it got to hot, we hopped back in the boat and went for the longest ride {of coursed both boys passed out on the ride!}. It was a great day! 

These are the boys’ “wake boards.” We all know that they are boogie boards, but the boys love pretending to wake board! They can do this for hours!

But that’s not the only reason it was a great day! This day started out fabulous bright and early when I found these.

A matching set of hutch-like dressers for my craft room! They were the answer to my dilemma of what I would put on either side of my work table. I showed you the {wrong} IKEA cube storage that I bought last week. Well, I’m kinda glad it was the wrong one because once I put my work table in the room, I didn’t like the cubes with it at all. And since it was the wrong one, and I had to take it back anyway, I didn’t feel badly about buying these. Not one bit because both pieces cost $30 total!!! Yes, they need a little work, but I’m so excited!
I also want to show you a few other thrifty finds I scored this week.

I know you are looking at that deer picture and thinking, “What the {bleep}?!” I only bought it for the frame. Sorry Buck! I bought a pair of matching brass lamps because I love the shape and the shade and I also found an antique wooden bucket that I’ll use in my craft room. 

I found a milk glass bowl, some bronzed baby shoes with bells {Who the heck gives away bronzed baby shoes? They are precious!} and a metal fan. I have plans for the fan. Stay tuned. . .
One last thing I wanted to share. A couple weeks ago my SIL and I went back to my new favorite place, The Sleepy Poet Antique Mall. It had only been a couple of weeks since our first trip there, but it was so great, we had to go back! 

Here are the goods. An old suitcase that smells really badly when opened, but looks fantastic on the outside! An old cheese plate with dome {to become a cloche, of course}, an old rolling pin and a hand mixer.
 A few old  wooden spools, a framed crocheted doily and an interesting mail sorter. It’s been a couple weeks, I’m ready to go back! I’m addicted to that place! 

I sure hope your weekend was as fabulous as mine! See you tomorrow! I have a little surprise for you!

Featuring You Fridays

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It’s Friday again already. 
Here are a few of my favorites from this week.

All I had to do was look at this photo to know I wanted some of these! 
YU-HUM-MY! These are Coconut Macaroon Brownie Bites from Inside Brucrew Life. Stop by to get the recipe.
After my craft room is finished I’m going to give Little man #1′s bedroom a makeover. I sure wish I could use these colors.

JUST KIDDING! That would be wrong! But isn’t the color combo fabulous?! Stop by Oak Ridge Revivals for the befores and afters of this little girl’s room makover.
Oh, my, word. I just added a new board on Pinterest the other night called “Things I Want.” The first item I pinned for this board. . .
a vintage card catalog. I want one sooooo badly for my new craft room. Then, last night, I found this one at Maple & Magnolia. I told her I was 100% envious and not ashamed at all. Love it!

Just the other day, on my contributor post at Somewhat Simple, I told y’all about gathering lots of paint chips and taking them home to check them in the light of your room. But once you’ve narrowed it down and finally picked a color, what do you do with those paint chips? 

The Crafty Scientist created this cool monogram art! 
I’ve got Little Man #2′s birthday coming up so I’ve been on the lookout for party ideas. 
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Check out some ideas for a cowboy party from It’s Always a Party at the Sparklers. Fun!

Well, those are a few of my faves of this week. If you were featured, I’d love for you to grab a button!

Scissors & Spatulas

If you were just browsing, I hope you were inspired!
I hope you all have a great weekend!

A New(ish) Piece For My Craft Room

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First, let me tell you the story behind this little bugger! He wasn’t easy to get! Seriously, I had to fight for this piece, literally! 

Here it is in its original state, as I found him at the garage sale. I spotted this piece as soon as I stepped out of the car and {briskly} walked straight towards it to check out the sticker. Problem was, that there was no sticker. Gah! So, temporarily claiming it as my own, I stood by it with my elbow on the top, waiting patiently for the seller to finish talking to another customer. Just as I was about to ask, enter the thief. “How much is that dresser?” she asks. I hear the seller say $25 and I speak up, “Oh, I’m getting this. I’ve been standing here waiting.” Long story short {and this is a shortened version}, the lady said a few words and finally {as much as I didn’t want to} I walked away and said, “Take it.” At the time I really didn’t have any specific use for it, I just knew I loved it and could find something to do with it. But it wasn’t worth a fight. As I was walking back to my car, I looked back and told my mom that I bet she wouldn’t even buy it. Well, I was right! I hear the seller yell, “Are you kidding me?!” and her husband came running after me. Turns out she began inspecting the piece {because she hadn’t even looked at it yet like I had} and the seller asked her if she was even planning on buying it. She flat out said no and walked away! Crazy! 
Anyway, I got him for $25 and some drama. Not to mention that the poor seller was freaked out because I think she thought a fight was going to occur in her driveway. I was still very happy to take him home. I sanded off the finish,

primed,

and painted with two coats of Valspar Juniper Breeze.

If you are a regular here, you know what I did next. I pulled out my sandpaper and went to town.
The body of the dresser was finished, not it was time to work on the drawers.

I wasn’t quite sure what to do with them. I didn’t want the entire piece to be painted the same color, but I wasn’t sure which part to leave the original wood. I decided on the inner parts of the design on the drawers {each drawer has a different shape}. I used my Frog Tape to create a border since I tend to get sloppy. ;)

I did the same thing, one coat primer and two coats of paint. 

Even though I used the Frog Tape I still got a little sloppy. Very simple fix. I folded my sandpaper and gently ran it along the grooves.

The natural wood was in rough shape so I lightly sanded it and added a coat of Minwax stain.
Here is the before, during, after. 

The drawers were put back in the dresser, then YANKED out again. They were sticking. Nothing a little WD40 couldn’t fix! 

He was finished! He looks more like a she, huh? Either way. . . .

It’s fabulous! I love it! 
And the best part – all three drawers are filled with my craft stuff! That means a little more space in one of my closets! 
I’m still looking for inspiration for other parts of the room! I have also had a lot of readers telling me that they are also looking for craft room inspiration! If you have a craft room/creative space/office/organization idea that you want to share, please link up!
http://www.scissorsandspatulas.com/p/link-parties.html


Tomato Pie

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One of my favorite things about summer is juicy, ripe tomatoes fresh from the garden. I can’t get enough of them. And that’s a good thing, because we seem to have an abundance every summer!
What do I do with all of these tomatoes? I could eat a tomato sandwich, smothered in mayo {the ONLY sandwich I will eat mayo on} and sprinkled with salt and pepper, every day! Simply fresh and delish! Another of my favorites? Tomato pie. If you’ve never had tomato pie, it’s a combination of tomatoes, basil and cheese baked in a pie crust. So yummy!

I have tried a couple different recipes for tomato pie and created my own from my two favorites {one from Real Simple Magazine and one from a friend of my mom}. Both are very delicious, but I’ve taken my favorite parts from each and combined them to make my own “Tomato Pie.” Here is my recipe.

Slice enough fresh tomatoes to make about four cups {approximately 5-8 tomatoes}. I use whatever tomatoes I have, usually a combination of Romas and Big Boy. Important: place tomatoes in a colander for several minutes to remove some of the liquid.

I’ve told you before, I do not make my crust nor my cakes from scratch! I love good food, but I love simplicity even more! Sandra Lee totally stole my philosophy when she created Semi-Homemade! Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts work great for me! Remove them from the package, unroll {carefully} and place in a pie dish. Easy!

Lay the tomatoes evenly around the bottom of the crust. You should have enough to start a second layer as well. Sprinkle 1 chopped green onion, 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, 1 tsp chopped fresh oregano,  and salt and pepper to taste {careful on the salt, the cheese and mayo will add quite a bit of saltiness}.

Mix 1-1/2 cups shredded SHARP cheddar cheese and 1/3 cup mayonnaise in a bowl.

Dollop the mayonnaise mixture  on top of the tomatoes mixture.

Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese over the top and place in a 350* oven for 45-55 minutes or until edges are browned. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

 Slice and serve! I paired mine with a BLT. I told you, I can never get enough tomatoes! Happy summertime!

Tomato Pie
1 refrigerated pastry crust
5-8 ripe tomatoes, sliced {any variety}
1 scallion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped {or 1/2 tsp dried}
salt and pepper 
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 cups sharp shredded cheddar cheese, separated
  • Preheat oven to 350*. Place tomatoes in a colander and allow to drain for several minutes. 
  • In the meantime, line a pie pan with the refrigerated pie crust. Lay tomatoes in the bottom of the crust. Sprinkle with green onions, basil, oregano and salt and pepper to taste.
  • In a bowl, combine mayonnaise and 1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese. Dollop mayonnaise mixture evenly on top of tomato mixture. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese on top. 
  • Bake for 45-55 minutes or until edges are browned. Allow to cool for five minutes. 
  • Slice and serve!
Guess what? Today I’m also guest posting over at The V Spot! Be sure to drop by to take a look at my baby shower wreath tutorial!
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Winner!

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Happy Monday everyone! Thanks you so much to all who entered the Johnny in a Dress giveaway!
Natalie has some amazing handmade items in her shop and she adds new items often.

I’ve chosen the winner and I’m excited to announce that comment # 47 was chosen via Random.org. Who was #47? Was it you?

Whitney @ Diary of A Preppy Mom said…
I love her, her blog & her shop! I would love one of the Bloomin’ Bands headbands!
Congratulations!
Please email me before Wednesday to claim your prize! Usually I show the random generator but either the site or my computer is being difficult and I can’t get the image.

Don’t forget to link up your creative/work space here! I need your inspiration for my new craft room!
Hope you have a great Monday! Tomorrow I’ll be over at Somewhat Simple! Stop by and see me!

Goodies from IKEA & Craft Room Inspiration

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Last week I held my first link party to get inspiration for my new work-in-progress craft room. I didn’t have tons of people link up, but it was a success because I got some great inspiration! I told you last week that we said good-bye to the “baby poop yellow” walls {if you  missed that story, click here}. The room was brightened up with  a lovely neutral color {Valspar Waverly Home Classic Series – Dunes}.
So how ’bout some new news?! Today I went to IKEA! I’m lucky enough that IKEA {Charlotte} is less than 30 minutes from my house so it’s VERY accessible. Hubby may disagree! Unlucky for him! Haha!
So what did I get? Let me show you the goods!
More hanging buckets {yes, I did a tute for how to make your own, but these were just too perfect to pass up}, some storage baskets, a pretty plant and pot, and these great burlap storage boxes in navy and ivory. LOVE them! Just about all of these are “new” at IKEA. If you haven’t been in a while, you gotta go! Some GREAT new stuff! Oh, and the shelf brackets for these
Two unfinished, pine wood shelves for just seven bucks each! Of course I’m not leaving them this way. Like I always tell you, stay tuned!
A closer look. . .

Wait ’til you see these burlap boxes assembled. LOVE!
Oh, and there is one more thing. Except, it’s the wrong thing! Ugh!

We came home with this tall, single-shelf piece. IKEA has these awesome new storage system cubes. I’m sure you’ve seen them. Anyway, what I thought I was getting was this. . .
Oops, I wasn’t paying attention when hubby grabbed the box and I was upstairs when he was putting it together {not blaming you hun}. Oops, wrong one!
Guess we {well, he – love you hun} will take it apart and exchange it. Thank goodness IKEA is so close! 
Okay, ready for the inspiration? Here are a few that inspired my shelf/storage purchases today.
If you linked up and I didn’t feature you, DON”T WORRY! I’m not finished. This is just the start, more to come!
Shelves & Storage Ideas:
My pine shelves aren’t quite as long but thank you for the idea for shelves above my craft table!

And that IKEA cube shelf {mishap}. . .
[craft+lounge4.jpg]

this Stampin’ Up Rep {aka Paper Cuties} has another version in her craft room.

Do you have a creative space/craft room? Do you have a room with super storage solutions? I want to see! Please link up here! I plan on featuring any ideas I use in my craft room.

Stay tuned for more updates!


Featuring You Fridays

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Helloooooo Friday! I’m so glad the weekend is here! This Friday, like every Friday, I’m featuring YOU!
Here are my picks of the week. . .

You all know how much I love wreaths! 

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This paper cone wreath is no exception! Stop by Corner House for a tutorial.

I don’t know about where you live, but here in SC it is H-O-T!

Cool off with nectarine slushies by Sparkle. Yummy!
One word for this one – fun!

Check out this coffee filter lamp made by Kitty from A Law Student’s Journey. Love it!
I love it when readers/fans come by to tell me about a project that they have created, inspired by me.
That’s why I do this! I love to inspire!

Ricochet and Away saw my Mod Podge clutch tutorial and created her own!

I love ‘em all, but I have to admit, this is my favorite!
{You might not “get” this if you’re not from the South}
You might be a redneck if. . . 

Your wine glasses are made from mason jars! Get the tutorial for redneck wine glasses from White Water Crafting. 
And finally, I had to share these adorable books.

You have to stop by Oopsey Daisy to look inside these adorable quiet books. Trust me, you’ll want one for road trips, restaurants, church, or just five minutes peace and quiet!
If you were featured, share the love and grab a button!

Scissors & Spatulas

I hope you enjoyed my picks of the week and I hope you have a fantastic weekend! We are heading out of town for some family fun! Don’t forget to enter the Johnny in a Dress giveaway! Winner gets to choose any item from her shop! Oh, and if you already stopped by, go back because Natalie just added some fabulous new items to her shop!

Like the Bloomin’ Bobbies:

Image of Bloomin' Bobbies - Yellow
Image of Bloomin' Bobbies - Green

Or the travel chalkcloth placemat:

Image of Travel Chalkcloth Placemat

There is much more adorableness over at JIAD the shop! Click here to enter to win the item of your choice!

On To the Next Room & My First Link Party!

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The dining room is done and so I finally can start on the room I’ve been dying to create! My new office/craft room! 
At the moment my craft stuff is somewhat organized stored in different spots all over the house. It takes forever to get stuff out and ready, and even more time cleaning it all up and putting it back when I’m finished. I need an area for me! A “mom-cave” is what I’m going to call it! A room for me and my things that will be {and will stay} organized. 
Where am I putting this space, you ask? We have a very pretty room right inside the front door of our home called the formal living room. We didn’t have one in our first house and when we were in search of this house one of my requirements was a formal living room. Why? Yes, it’s a pretty room to see when you walk in the house, but it is SO impractical! It is NEVER used, unless you count that the dogs use it as their quiet napping space. 

We bought all this furniture {with the exception of the piano} specifically for this room when we bought the house. Very pretty and expensive furniture that has been sat on maybe five times. We are never in this room! It is such a waste of space! So, as much as I hate to do it, I’m biting the bullet and getting rid of this room! I tried to come up with another space in the house to use as my work space, but no other place made sense. So here I go, diving in, head-first, to another project!

Bye-bye gold! To be honest, I wasn’t upset to say good-bye to this color. I really liked it until I had children and realized that it was the same color as newborn poop. I’ve disliked it ever since! I picked out my color pallet and fabrics, but have NO idea how I want my space to be. I have found some ideas, but I just don’t know what I want to do yet to create the storage and the work space that I need. 
So here is where you come in! Do you have a craft room or work space? I’d love to see it! I need some inspiration! So, I’m hosting my first link party EVER! I want to see your creative work space and craft storage. Any room that I get inspiration from I will feature! I cannot wait to see whatcha got so I can start planning my space!
If you linked, don’t forget to grab a button and help spread the word!


Scissors & Spatulas
Ready, set, link!
{Work spaces/craft rooms and storage ideas only please. Other links will be deleted.}

Burlap Bolster Pillow Giveaway at Sassy Sites!

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Hola! Today I’m hosting a giveaway over at Sassy Sites as she celebrates 2000 followers with a week of giveaways!

What am I giving away? A customized burlap bolster pillow like the one I made for my headboard bench.

How do you win? Head over to Sassy Sites where you’ll find several opportunities to enter.
And don’t forget to enter Johnny in a Dress giveaway going on this week here at Scissors & Spatulas!

Recycling Old Frames

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I recently revealed to you my new dining room! What a difference a change of color can make! I still walk by the room and am surprised at how much brighter it is. 
If you are a follower of mine, you know that I love to renovate and re-decorate but I do not like to spend a lot of money! So my dining room renovation was no exception! The only major purchase I made in my dining room was the fabric for the curtains {which I made using my existing rods} which still cost WAY less than catalog or department store window treatments. I also bought the mirror, painting and floral arrangements from Kirklands, but  they were all on sale and I used a coupon for all of them! So they were a steal! As was most of the other decor in the room. Of course there was granny’s dresser that I refinished after  my SIL gave it to me for FREE! As badly as I wanted a new dining table, it wasn’t gonna happen, so I recovered my chairs and painted my table. And, of course, my “new” china handed down to me by my grandma. So what else did I create on a budget? Check out these prints.
I bought the pair from the Humane Society Thrift Store for $6! So was I about to pay big bucks to have them  matted and framed? 

HECK NO! I had my boys 6-month photos hung in these frames in the “old” dining room. Since I went from gold to silver, the frames were useless, right? NO!

I took the photos and matte out and took those babies outside . . .

and sprayed them with my favorite Krylon color, brushed nickel. 
But, they didn’t quite look right. Too “painted” looking. 
So I brought out my walnut distressing ink and went to town. 
It did a number on my fingers, but in the end. . . .

It looked perfectly antiqued! 

I still needed the matte in the frame {to make it look professional, of course}. so I removed the gold layer that was just stuck with glue. 

I took my prints,

 and put them in the frames with the ivory mattes. 

There you have it! Six dollar, matted, framed prints. That’s just $3 each! Am I doing a little happy dance? YES, I AM! 
You don’t have to spend a lot of money to renovate a room. Spend the money where it is necessary, then look around to see what can be recycled or re-invented into something else! 

Giveaway Time from Johnny in a Dress

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Happy Monday! I’ve got some exciting news for you. Today is a giveaway day! Yay!
A couple months ago, I “met” Natalie. When I say met, I mean through emails, her commenting on my blog, and me snooping around her blog, Johnny in a Dress. What’s cool is that she lives only an hour away from me, which is exciting because creative bloggers are hard to find in the Carolinas. So one day I know I will actually get to meet her {for real} in person! Let me introduce you to Natalie. . .

Hey!

I am Natalie, the girl behind Johnny In A Dress!
I am a Christian, Wife and Mother. My days are spent doing different therapies with my son, who has Cerebral Palsy, and picking up after my daughter, whose favorite activity at the moment is to to see how fast she can wreck our entire house. Over at Johnny In A Dress you will find crafty tutorials mixed in with glimpses of my day to day family life! I try to squeeze in a craft anytime I can, it’s my comfort in this chaotic world. Johnny In A Dress has become my journal and I would love for you to stop by!


You must stop by Johnny in a Dress! You will find fun, cute and super creative ideas! Check out what she’s done for her little ones’ playroom.


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Not only is Natalie constantly doing creative projects around her house, she also has a shop where she creates cute stuff for others! 


These are a few of my faves. . .

Aren’t they adorable?! Good news, one lucky reader will win the item of choice from Johnny in a Dress Shop! Anything you want!



How do you enter? 
*YOU MUST be a PUBLIC FOLLOWER of SCISSORS & SPATULAS to enter*

Required: Head over to Natalie’s shop. Come back and tell me what you would choose if you win {1 entry}
{additional entry opportunities}
Become a follower of Johnny in a Dress.
Like Scissors and Spatulas on Facebook.
Like Johnny in a Dress on Facebook.
Tell all your friends on Twitter and/or Facebook about this giveaway (1 entry for each)
Twitter e.g. 
Don’t miss the @JohnnyInADress giveaway @scissorspatulas  
or
Head over to @scissorspatulas to enter the @JohnnyInADress giveaway

I’ll pick a winner Sunday, July 17 and announce it Monday morning. What are you waiting for? Enter!

Lemonade Sweet Tea

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Whew, today was a hot one! A great day for a nice refreshing glass of Lemonade Sweet Tea!
At this point of the summer down here in the South, we are either indoors enjoying the air conditioning, or outside in some kind of water. Today we headed out to the lake. The boys played hard! So hard that this is what happened on the way back to the dock. . .
Ha ha! They were wiped out! It was a fun day! 
Okay, back to the recipe. 
I ripped this recipe out of a Southern Living Magazine awhile back and make it very often during the hot summer months. It’s super easy, very yummy and so refreshing. 
Ingredients:


3 cups water
2 family-size tea bags
1 package fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup sugar
4 cups cold water
1 can frozen lemonade concentrate


Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan. Remove from heat, add tea bags, and stir in fresh mint. Cover and steep 10 minutes.


  • Discard tea bags and mint. Stir in sugar until dissolved. Pour tea into a 3-qt. container, and stir in 4 cups cold water and lemonade concentrate. Serve over ice. Garnish with lemons and mint, if desired.


Serve over ice. Now sit back, relax and enjoy summertime!


  • Hope you had a fantastic weekend!

Featuring You Friday Sponsored by Imperia 13

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This week’s FYF is sponsored by Imperia 13: The Card Game.

Imperia 13 Card Game

What is it? It’s a game that encourages creativity and the use of imagination. The purpose of the game? To have fun! Games like this are hard to come by now-a-days.

Imperia 13: The Card Game

The Epic Battle made by kids, just for kids Imperia 13 is a two-person card game, designed by kids, tested by kids, and made specifically for kids! The eye-catching artwork and action packed cards will keep kids entertained- they won’t even notice that it’s full of educational benefits! With so many different cards in each player’s deck, no battle is the same! A player can build an Army and conduct a strategy as unique as they are. Best of all, the battle is not won through single, over-powering cards, but through the strategy each player uses. 

About the game:
Each player starts with an arsenal of 100 items but can only bring 70 of these to battle. Decide if you want more offense or defense and choose items to match your strategy. Will you go for a quick revolution to seize power or try wearing down your opponent slowly instead? Command your soldiers and direct your attacks skillfully… the fate of the Empire rests on you!With multiple ways to win, every game is unique. Encourage creativity and imagination today with Imperia 13: The Card Game! visit www.imperia13.com

Now on to the features of the week!

Look at this cute little bum. . .

Head over to Daydream Believers to see the tutorial for these ruffled bloomer (cute booty not included).

Speaking of cute. . . 

Isn’t this handmade play kitchen darling?! Stop by Shanty 2 Chic to see how she did it.

That’s a lot of cuteness, but I have one more that I couldn’t resist sharing.

The only thing I love better than baby feet are baby shoes! Stop by Becoming Martha for the {seems simple} tutorial on how to make these darling ruby red slippers.

Okay, so lanterns are HUGE right now. I’ve been scooping them up at garage sales and thrift stores to re-finish.

Never in 100 million years would have thought to make one. You have to stop by The Country Chic Cottage to see how it was done. Genius!

And because I heart furniture makeovers. . .

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Here is another set of chairs transformed into a bench. Stop by Frou-Frou Gals to see ow it was done.

Warning: your mouth is about to water.

Holy German Chocolate Cream Pie! Be sure to grab this recipe from The Gaines Gang.

I’m a huge fan of adorable homemade cupcakes! So of course, I love these!

Check out how these cute piggie cupcakes are made at Craptastic {why couldn’t I have thought of that blog name?}.

If you were featured today and would like to grab a button, you can copy the code below.





I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

My New Dining Room!

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I’m so excited to share with you my new dining room! It’s not completely finished. I still have a few things to do, but it’s so close, I couldn’t wait.
Are you ready for a sneak peak? Ok, just a peak. . .

Do you love it as much as I do? I guess I didn’t give you much to look at, huh? 
Before I show you more, let me remind you what it used to look like.

Not sayin’ that I didn’t like the red, because I did. But I was ready for something different and now that I’ve replaced the red with Seaside Villa {Valspar Seaside Retreat Series} I am in LOVE!
Are you ready to see more?  Here are some before and afters.
Before: 
After:

{chest: granny’s old dresser that I refinished, cherry blossom painting and peony arrangement: Kirklands, lamp and shade: had in another room, mercury glass candle sticks: pulled out from the Christmas decor, silver bowl: thrift store}

Before:
After:
{Chandelier: on clearance with an extra 10% off (because I asked) at Lowe’s. FIY, you can bargain with them. }

Before:

After:

{Curtain rods: extended and painted existing rods, rings: Wal-Mart, drapes: made by me using fabric from Hobby Lobby}

Before:
After:
{Mirror: Kirklands, centerpiece: Kirklands}
I haven’t found the right rug yet. It’s looking a little bare under there, isn’t it? On the sides of the china cabinet I currently have an oval mirror and two framed prints. Eventually I plan to have large framed paintings of the boys copied from their 2-year photos. Until then, I’m thinking about adding more mirrors surrounding the oval one in different sizes and shapes. I am also planning on re-finishing and recovering the chair sitting under the mirror. It will be covered in the same fabric as the drapes and painted the same color as the table legs. Oh yeah,  did you notice I painted and distressed the table legs to match granny’s dresser {see below}. My sister-in-law bought me a wooden highchair from a garage sale that I’m planning on finishing in the same paint and putting to the right of the cabinet.

Before:
After:
I packed up my red, ivory and gold china that we received as wedding gifts and unpacked my grandma’s white and platinum china. I know the silver needs to be polished, I told you I wasn’t quite finished. All the silver in the photos are from the thrift store or antique store.
Well, there you have it! My new {and definitely improved} dining room. I’ll keep you posted on the rug and furniture updates. Until then. . .

Orange & Avocado Salad

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Happy Tuesday to you ! I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend and a fun and safe Fourth of July. A thunderstorm forced our cookout to move indoors, but luckily, the rain let up just in time for fireworks in the cul-de-sac {a tradition on our street}. And yes, here in SC it is legal to shoot your own fireworks any day of the year!
Anyway, nothing is better than a yummy fresh salad on a hot summer day. Here is a recipe {courtesy of Kraftfoods} that I love. My version uses regular dressing instead of low-fat and I’ve cut the serving size in half.
Here is a peak:
Doesn’t that look yummy?!  Here is the recipe:
Orange-Avocado Salad

You’ll need mixed greens, 1 can of mandarin oranges, 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced, and 1 avocado, chopped.

Layer the greens, onions, oranges and avocados in a large bowl.

Pour 1/3 cup zesty Italian salad dressing (I prefer Kraft) over the top.

Toss salad well, adding more dressing if needed. 

And that’s it! My favorite kind of recipe: easy and delish! Serve it up!

And enjoy!

My Fourth of July Porch

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It’s a little late, but my to-do list is so long that I barely got my Fourth of July decor up this year! I don’t do much but decorate my doorstep for the Fourth, but this year I added a little bit of stars and stripes to my shelves as well. 

Here is my door. One thing I love about my navy blue door is that it matches my July 4th decor. I knew I wanted a frame for my 4th of July door this year so I went into the attic and dug for a few minutes and found it. I bought this frame from the Southern Living Catalog several years ago. I don’t think they even sell their products anymore. Anyway, the frame actually housed a mirror. I had no where to put it in this house so it’s been sitting in my attic. But it was perfect for the door!

I used Walnut Stain Distress Ink Pad to give the frame an aged look. I simply brushed the ink pad lightly across the wood making sure to apply more pressure around the edges.

I found this ribbon at Michael’s and wove it in and out of the holes and tied it into a bow at the corner. The roll was just the right length.
The star has been hanging on my door for the past couple years. I wasn’t ready to ditch it quite yet so I hung it in front of the frame.

I bought this chair from a garage sale back in early May for five bucks. {from my new buddy Mike who I keep running into around town!}. I planned on re-finishing it, but realized it would be perfect as-is for the 4th! So I put away my {pretty} yellow chair for now. I also got the basket at a garage sale {I think the same day} for $2. My plan was to put some red verbena with white Bacopa, but I didn’t get around to it. :(  So, I just stuck this pot in it. f
So there’s my Fourth of July porch decor.

For my shelves: I printed this adorable printout from Landee See, Landee Do and framed it in my ever-changing thrift store frame. Below the frame is a banner from Michael’s.
I found this adorable scrapbook paper at Michael’s and mounted the printable onto it. I trimmed the edges of the paper to fit the frame.

Featuring You Fridays

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The weekend is {almost} here! Welcome to another edition of FYF. It’s Friday and I’m featuring you!

There were tons of ideas out there this week for the Fourth of July. Since I featured several of them last week, I picked my favorite.
Check out this porch decor for the Fourth of July! 

II love that chair! This photo is just a small corner of the porch be sure to stop by Second Chances by Susan to see the rest.

This salad caught my eye immediately. I LOVE avocado. 

Is your mouth watering yet? Doesn’t this look so fresh and yummy? Head over to Mushki Loves to see how to make it.

 I don’t know why, but I’ve been scoping out a lot of food lately! No, not pregnant, just hungry, I guess!

Sonoran Hot Dogs

Check out this Sonoran Hotdog by Lady Behind the Curtain. Last summer I had my first Chicago dog and now I’m hooked! I’m trying this one next!
Again, more food. . .

Everything is being put on a stick these days. It just makes it cuter! This ice cream cookie pop is a sweet little treat shared by Pen ‘n’ Paper Flowers.

Furniture. Ahhh, how I love furniture. 

Isn’t this desk gorgeous?! Not just the desk, but the accessories that accompany it! Head over to Living Beautifully to see this junk to jewel desk transformation at .
Last, but not least. . .

Check out these adorable calendar blocks {with a great tutorial} by The Big Green Blog.

I hope you all have a SAFE and happy holiday weekend! I’m looking forward to food, friends and family and fireworks!!