Works in Progress...

I am joining another Make~over party this month on the 25th. Hooray! Just enough "fire" under my butt to actually get motivated to accomplish something around my home! Anywho..... this month I am going to be making over my front patio area. I've been working on a table cloth and pillows for the table and chairs I have under my gazebo....here is a sneak peek of the "before"Here is the after of the table & chairs. I used a potterybarn duvet cover for the fabric :-)Here are some things that I recently picked up for my front porch make-over. All of this is from yard sales... the cement bird bath $15 bucks, the two rose bushes in pots $3 bucks each. The large mosiac bird house $2 bucks (I know what a steal!) The angel sitting on the edge of the pot was $5 bucks.
...stay tuned for more of the "after" pictures coming up on March the 25th. It is very pretty once its all set out. The funny thing is, I never sit out there and enjoy it because I've always got something I'm working on. I've also been making over an Easter Tree. I'll give a tutorial on how I did this...hopefully before Easter. I am hoping to make it more "toddler friendly" as those darn spiral branches and the long strings on the ornaments were to much for my 23 month old grandson to hang the ornaments from. The carnival soiree is fastly approaching.... I've got some things put together as little vinettes. I guess thats what I'm suppossed to do? Who knows.... and I don't think anyone cares!Lastly, of course....a crocheted project is ALWAYS sitting around somewhere as a work in progress. I wish I could stress to everyone just how easy it is to crochet and to start to learn today. There are excellent instructional videos on Youtube.com... just type in "how to crochet" in the search box. Sometimes when I come across a stitch I've never heard of before I google it...and up pops thousands of sites that show how to do that stitch. Now...go grab some yarn and a hook and please give it a try, you'll thank me I promise

Carnival Soiree~

<-----Here is what I'm going to be wearing to the Carnival Soiree that is being held this Saturday. It is a very pretty muted gold with a sheer gold fabric over the bottom of the skirt. But, it is kinda matronly isn't it? I can't have that now can I~

I took it in some, pulled up the sheer skirt to reveal the gold skirt underneath. (I was going to pull up the gold skirt as well, but hey, I AM a grandmother! lol) I also pulled up the lace that laid across the bust like a jacket... I just gathered it around the neck. NOW.... this is more like it! I think it now needs a little bit of bling, a few more touch ups and it will be perfect!

Of course I also made a sash with my blog name on it "Artsy~Fartsy" using some of the millions of ruffles I was making and some glittered letters. I think it turned out kinda cute.

2nd Time around Tuesday~

This week I am sharing a bowl and matching candle stick set I picked up this past weekend for a mere $5 bucks for the three piece set. It is kinda hard to see the "before" photo of the set as I've got it up against a bunch of "clutter"--- but hey, my house is full of clutter, so anywhere I put it you'd get the same look! I took the hanging crystals off, took the bowl off of the center stand.... placed tape over the white marble base and simply spray painted the set white. I cleaned and rehung the crystals, reattached the bowlie...and taaaa daaaaaa instant caute!If you'd like to see more 2nd time around treasures please visit Diane and her blog "A picture is worth a 1,000 Words" If you have linked here from Diane's blog and wish to view my blog you can click here I just posted a fabulous recipe for Apple Muffins-- YUM!

Mmm mmmMonday~

Here is a recipe for Apple Muffins. These are pretty darn good, if I do say so myself. Super easy to make and they taste like an apple pie but in muffin form :-) This girl likes loves her muffins!

Apple Muffins

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 cups packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups diced apples (any kind)

optional: 3/4 cup of raisins

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the flour, baking powder and cinnamon and set aside. Mix together the sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add the flour mixture until it is incorporated. Stir in the diced apples and the raisins (if you want raisins) then fill up your muffin cups, this recipe doesn't rise all that much, so you can fill the muffin cups pretty full. If you prefer to make apple bars.... coat a 13x9x2 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and spread mixture into pan. Either way, muffins or bars, bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting into bars if your using a baking pan~

These apple muffins are really good hot/warm....just like a hot pie. Actually, I think I prefer these more when they are warm. I guess you'll just have to try them both ways too.... hot and cooled to see what I'm talking about. Seriously, this recipe is a must try recipe.

Re-recovered dress form~

Well.... I re-recovered my sewing dress form that I puchased for $10 bucks this past summer. The dark fabric just seemed to be toooo dark, I still like it, but I was wanting a change. I made a cover that can be removed at a later date if I want to change it back! I started by covering the whole form with a thin layer of batting. I simply pinned it on and cut away the excess batting and stitched as I went. The whole thing can be pulled off to reveal the original dark fabric :-) I used foam core cut to size to fill in the arm holes. I poked yarn though the center of the foam so I could pull the foam core into place once the glue was placed on the form~This dress form is solid cardboard and it was always hard to pin things to, so I figured a little batting would help! Here is the dress form covered in batting~I then just draped some muslin fabric over the form and pinned & pinned & pinned. Then I just stitched along the pin lines..... and cut away the extra fabric and kept doing this until I finished the front & back. I added some foam core to the top of the dress form to hide the screw that makes the dress form bigger & smaller...I just taped it in place and filled in the gap with some batting. Then I just had to pin, cut and stitch the top.

I made a seam down the back that I didn't stitch closed. I simply pinned the back closed so I can remove it later if I want to. Taaaaaaa daaaaaaaaaaa new dress form~

Eeeeeek~

I have no idea what I'm to make or do for this "circus soiree" that I've signed up to attend over at Faerie Enchantment..... It would be nice if there were other people I knew that were going to be there.... if anyone would like to come along the event is being held on March the 14th. I think your suppossed to dress up in something circussy. And no, don't dress up like a clown and cuss~
Sooooooooooo while thinking "what-the-heck-am-I-to-do" I made ruffles. A lot of ruffles. There is something so calming about doing something over and over...well at least for me anyway. I better get back to my ruffles, I'm feeling overwhelmed again lol

Easter Basket...

Here is the basket that I'm going to use to hold all the "stuff" I'm going to be sending to my swap partner for the Vintage Easter swap. I need to get some lovely ribbon to wrap around the handle... I love the shape of this basket. I've got a vintage basket (that I'm keeping for myself I'm no dummy!) that is shaped just like this one. Here is the before photo of the basket~ I also picked up some chicks & rabbits from the dollar store. I especially love the chicks... the little chicks hop :-) I added some embellishments and taaaaaa daaaaa instant cauuuute!! Some are going to my swapping partner and some are going on my hutch! I may have to go buy some more of those chicks...they are so darn cute!! Don't they look happier now? There is still time if anyone is interested in signing up for this vintage Easter swap, you've got until March 8th.... go on over to Foxgloves, Fabric and Folly and sign up! Hurry!