Hello! I’m Rachel from Architecture of a Mom and I'm back again with another quick, easy and frugal way to decorate your house!
Simple is sometimes the best when it comes to art projects.
I have a project for you today that every single person reading this can
accomplish. Promise. And since graphic, geometric art is trending right now,
you can have a piece of art you love with very little artistic angst involved!
All you need is one color of paint, a brush, an artist’s
canvas, a circle punch (mine is 1 1/2” in diameter), matte Mod Podge, and some paint swatches.
For an 8x10 canvas, I only used 6 paint swatches that were gradated through 6
shades of each color (2 swatches that were next to each other in my fan deck
per each row). I focused on various shades of orange, which is the
complementary color to the paint I used (blue).
If you decide to do this project, use some paint swatches
that you have on hand from a painting project. I actually used an old paint
deck that I am cannibalizing from my office.
If you regularly use paint swatches
in your projects, just remember that they aren’t really free. We’re paying for
them in other ways, like through the price of paint.
So, are you ready for this simple tutorial? Here it goes:
Paint the canvas one color. Allow to dry. Punch out the circles. I centered the line between the
colors on each circle.
Arrange the circles in a way that pleases you. I made an
ombre pattern that alternated between the center line being vertical and
horizontal. I think it looks like the circles are in motion.
Apply Mod Podge to the back of each circle and apply them to
the canvas. Allow to dry for about 10 minutes. Then apply a thin coat of Mod Podge to the entire
canvas. This will keep your circle edges from popping up again. And then you're done...a simple, graphic piece of art. I can totally see this art in a little boy's room. Not that we have any of those around here...so I put mine in my kitchen. It's bright and fun and sunshiny...love it!
And thanks, Carrie, for letting me join your blog today!
I've worked in a junior high setting for 12 years....and I know that May was one of the months I looked forward to! I couldn't wait for Teacher Appreciation week to come around, because I loved the creativity and appreciation that flowed from my parents and students. Spending 6+ hours a day with other people's children.....is truly amazing. And, I want the teachers that my boys have to feel appreciated. I've put together a collection of 10 Easy Ways to Say Thank You as we approach Teacher Appreciation Week and the end of the school year.
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Everyone looks forward to that first time they walk down Main Street USA with their child; the Magic, the excitement, the look in their eyes, I know I did. I couldn’t wait! I took my child when he was onefor the first time. In my mind, it was going to be a magical experience! He was going to hug Mickey and
kiss his little nose, he was going to ride “it’s a small world” and dance on the Happiest Cruise that ever
sailed.
Well that was all good in my mind, but looking back, that’s not how it was at all. He was terrified of Mickey; he cried on every ride for the first few days, he didn’t nap. Yeah, it was crazy! But, looking back and doing more research on this, I could have avoided this. I didn’t do my prep work. You must
do prep work on your toddler before you go to Disney World for the first time. There is so much for
them to take in. There is so much for them to see, hear, touch, that it puts them in a spiral of sensory
overload. As a first time Mom, I want to help others see that it CAN be that magical, you just have to
put in your prep work.
First thing, stroller train your child. I was blessed with a stroller child. He’s three now and still loves his stroller. But, as in the case of my nephew, he was not. To train your child to like a stroller before you go is a must. Take him outside, put him/her in the stroller and stroll. Look at the trees, look at the houses, and look at the birds, whatever you need to do to keep them in that stroller. That way they will get used to it, and guess what, you are also training your feet for Disney! You will walk and walk, so this is training your child for the stroller, and training your feet for your walking!
Second, take your child to the County Fair, a petting zoo, or anywhere you can see new things, but if it has a ride, that’s a plus. Get them used to riding a ride. This will make Disney much easier on them. I took my son to the County Fair two weeks before our first Disney Trip. They had a dressed up Character, and he screamed at the top of his lungs, and they had a carousel, and he screamed to the point that they stopped the ride to get us off. Yeah, that was how I knew I was in trouble!
Third, use You Tube to your advantage! Show your toddler the rides. There are many of “Point of View” You Tube videos from the rides. This will get them ready for what’s to come. I feel Disney rides are easy for your child to get used to because, they know the characters. When you ride Peter Pans Flight, they know who Peter Pan is, so it eases the fear. Just as a little side note, I always keep my phone as charged as possible, and handing it to them and letting them play with it if they get scared will help the experience. Also, it gives a little light when it is dark. Also, I carry a little flashlight in my backpack to help with this in case of total meltdown.
Your first trip with your child to Disney is always Magical, even if they are scared and tired. They won’t remember the trip, but you will. You will remember holding them and seeing Wishes for the first time, walking down Main Street USA with your child on your shoulders, or even that complete meltdown when Mickey came to shake his hand. It’s all magical!
Angela is a Disney Vacation Specialist and Orlando Travel Expert with Destinations in Florida. She specializes in traveling with young children, and children with food allergies. She would love to plan your next vacation! You can contact her on facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/AngelaDestinationsInFlorida or email atangelas@destinationsinflorida.com
Last week, I introduced you to Angela Spurgeon-our newest friend here on My Favorite Finds! Every week, she's going to be sharing a Disney post with all of us-and if they are anything like the Disney Anticipation post from last week, or the Traveling with Toddlers post coming your way later today, we're all in for a treat!
Well, even better, Angela and her friends at Destinations in Florida are going to give one lucky My Favorite Finds reader TWO TICKETS to a DISNEY WATER PARK! How awesome!!!! I'm giddy about it. I have to say, our family hasn't had the pleasure of experiencing a Disney water park yet....but I sure hope one of you will be excited to get these in your mailbox and put them to good use!
Details: Winner will receive TWO TICKETS to a Disney Water Park. Tickets do not expire. You will receive your tickets in the mail from Destinations in Florida. Fill out the Rafflecopter below. Make sure you include an email address that you check regularly. Emails will be coming from "foundmyfavorite@gmail.com" Good luck!!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Giveaway is open to US residents ages 18 and over and ends at 11:59pm EST on April 28, 2013. Approximate retail value$105. Number of entries received determines the odds of winning. One winner will be selected. means the bloggers pooled their money together to . Winner will drawn by random.org from all verified entries, contacted by the email provided when entering, and announced on this page at the end of the contest. Winner has 48 hours to respond or prize will be redrawn.
Hey there, friends! Spring is here, and it's time to break out the nail polish and give our fingers and toes a warm-weather makeover! There are some super-fun nail trends that are becoming really popular this season, so I thought I would share a few of them with you today.
Trend #1: Bright Colors
Fun hues of pink, coral, turquoise, purple, green, and even yellow are all the rage this Spring! If you typically stick to more neutral tones, now's a great time to branch out and try something bright to lift your spirits!
Trend #2: Not-Your-Mama's French Manicure
The timeless classic, the French Manicure, is still as popular as ever, but with a fun twist. Instead of the standard white tip and nude polish look, try one of these variations:
* Instead of painting the tips white, paint them a bright color {or even a different color on each nail}! Go over them with nude polish like you normally would.
* Do a reverse French Manicure by painting the accent strip on the bottom curve of the nail instead of the top {see "French Navy" photo}.
* Paint normal white tips, but put them over a funky bright color instead of a light neutral! {See my photo in Trend #3}.
* In lieu of white tips, try patterned or glittered polish strips.
Trend #3: Polka Dots
Polka Dots are everywhere this spring...dresses, tops, pants, purses, accessories...so why not nails too?
Use a Nail Art Pen or a toothpick to create large or small polkadots over a fun color. You can go bold or subtle, but the look is always a fun one.
Trend #4: Patterns
Intricate and detailed patterns are all the rage this Spring. One way to get professional looking patterns is to use nail polish strips, like these Salon Effects from Sally Hansen. You can find flowers, houndstooth, argyle, polka dots, words, animal print, and more in all kinds of fun colors.
You can also create your own patterns using Nail Art Pens, which can be really fun!
Some of the patterns can be a bit overwhelming if you apply them to all of your nails, so you can use them as an accent instead...{even for tiny fashionistas}!
Trend #5: Ring Finger Fun
One of the biggest trends right now is to have one nail on each hand that looks different from the rest. It can be any nail you want, but most commonly it's the ring finger. It might be a different color, have a pattern or accent, or both!
Hugs & Glitter,
Amy Latta is the author of One Artsy Mama, where she shares a variety of project types including home decor, kids' crafts, sewing, jewelry, and more. She is happiest when creating something and enjoys making all kinds of projects with her 4 year old "Little Crafter." In her spare time, Amy is a professional ballroom, latin, and swing dancer. When not on the dance floor or crafting, you can probably find her at Starbucks.
In case you missed it, there's a Silhouette promotion going on right now. And, you can get 25% off Premium Vinyl with the code FINDS. Click HERE for more details.
Pinworthy Projects...yep! You're in the right place! I LOVE this party each week-love seeing the new faces, the faithful people who share their work each week, and all the inspiration! Let's get this started with the most viewed links from last week:
Carrot Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Cake @ Please Give Peas a Chance
Mini Laundry Room Makeover @ The Real Thing with the Coake Family
It must be spring time...last week's Pinworthy Projects Party was FULL of furniture makeovers, springy desserts, and lots of fun spring crafts. Be sure to check out Atkinson Drive and Just Us Four to see what these lovey ladies chose to feature from the party last week. If you were featured, grab a button! I love sharing my {FAVORITE} Pinworthy Projects each week! So here we go:
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Its Nat from NorthShore Days again and its time to teach you another super easy jewelry tutorial and hopefully inspire you to try it yourself.
Today I am going to show you how to use nail polish to create a cute glass domed pendant.
What you will need:
A bezel pendant and a domed glass cabachon.
(I buy mine online as I can't get them in our local craft store)
Clear nail polish and a light coloured nail polish.
An image to use in the pendant.
I like to use rub-on decals that you get for card making.
What to do:
1. I chose the word LOVE and
cut it to fit the pendant. I rubbed the word onto plain printer paper
and cut it to size. Cut the image right down as you want the polish to
show.
2. Paint a layer of clear polish onto the glass cab, and very carefully place the image face down onto the glass, try really hard not to get air bubbles. Nightmare trust me! Allow this layer to dry.
3. Paint a layer of coloured polish and dry. And repeat if your polish is light like mine.
4. Once the glass is dry, paint a layer of polish inside the bezel and pop the glass in, once dry this seals the pendant and gives an extra layer of colour (saves on glue too). Remember to clean any residue polish off the pendant with remover.
When the pendant is dry, pop it onto a chain and tadaaaa you have a really cute new necklace!
I made this one for a lovely friend's birthday. I added a silver charm and a little white flower bead for fun.
Quick, easy and cute right?
Take Care
xxx
In case you haven't heard, I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE my Silhouette Cameo! Yes, I LOVE it! I have been cranking out some projects with it a lot lately, and with Mother's Day and summer vacations coming up, I've got plans to use it even more! I know they can be costly, so I wanted to share a promotion with you today, in hopes that you can grab one for yourself.
I own the Silhouette Cameo, and it is so much fun to use and so easy to create things. Lately I've loved cutting vinyl and scrapbook paper to create things for our home and for the kids. I'm currently working on some 3D flowers for my daugther's room. If the Cameo isn't in your budget, I've heard the Portrait is GREAT too! My husband was able to snag the Cameo bundle to give me for Christmas. The bundles are nice because you get a few extra things like vinyl & transfer tape. Also, the software is super easy to use. Trust me, once you start using it, you won't want to stop!
Need some vinyl? Want to experiment with a different type or color? Use code FINDS to get 25% off your PREMIUM VINYL order.
I recently whipped up our Disney Vacation Countdown using their Strawberry Red color-so cute! I also used my SIlhouette to cut the Mickey heads and the numbers.
Go HERE to use code FINDS to get 25% off your Premium Vinyl!
Several weeks ago, I shared our Minnie Mouse Party on Sweet Benanna & Sam. I wanted to share it with all of you this week, as our {FAVORITE} Disney Tip.
So, I wanted to share with you a round up of our Minnie Mouse themed party! Many of these were inspired by ideas I had pinned on my Ns Minnie Party Pinterest board. I hope these will give you some ideas when you get ready to plan a Minnie Mouse inspired party!
Of course, my little princess needed a Minnie Mouse tutu! And I had ordered a super cute t-shirt from A Stitch Upon a Star on Etsy. Loved it!
I created these Minnie Mouse centerpieces from some supplies I picked up at the Target Dollar Spot. These were my {FAVORITE} part of the party.
Do you have a Silhouette or Cricut? If so, you can make a Minnie Mouse birthday banner. I used pink and black paper from Michaels. I think I could probably use it again for her future birthdays, because pink and black are classic colors.
Finally, to add a fun touch, I bought some frames from the Dollar Tree. I applied a thin coat of Mod Podge to the edges and glittered them. Inside, I put photos of my daughter with Minnie Mouse from past Disney trips. I love how it added a personal touch to her party decor.
Finally, I made some of these easy Oreo cookies for the party favors. You could even make these into Mickey Mouse as well-just swap the pink melting chocolate for red!
It was a magical party for my daughter-and the decorations were so fun to make! Do you have Disney themed parties? Do you make the decorations yourself, or use store bought ones? I'd love to hear about it!
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