{DIY} Recycled Wood Fox Art

The wall above our bed has been empty since we moved in. Mostly because we needed some larger scale art, and also because I was too scared to put holes in the walls. Even though they are 'our' walls it still feels like a big deal.

When we moved in there was a bunch of skinny wooden battens shoved in the wood pile that Dave saw potential in. One nice sunny day later and we had a bunch of battens de-nailed, cut to size, arranged, re-nailed onto a frame and sanded back. This time I actually did everything except the sanding! I won't mention how frustrated I got at the hand-saw after having the luxury of power tools.

Dave and I decided on a fox image. Why do we like foxes so much? I think because I see them as a cross between a dog and a cat and they are pretty sneaky. Sounds like a pretty awesome animal to me!
We found an image we liked, made it poster sized and cut out the stencil. Well, Dave cut out the stencil.

We wanted clean lines on the edge of the fox so we decided not to use spray paint like we usually would. I traced around the stencil with pencil (rhyme) to get an outline so I could paint around it.

Once the fox was painted we gave it a rough sand, put a clear coat over top and we were done. A piece of art we created together to pretty up our bedroom.

Dip-Dyed Ombré Onesies

During the last week of my holiday I had an inspiration lightning bolt hit me. If I found some plain white onesies*, I could dye them myself and iron on some custom silhouettes!

*Also known as: All-in-ones, Stretch n' grows or vests.

One shopping trip and three days of effort later and we have some very cute newborn onesies for Baby C to wear a couple of times each! (here's hoping!)

Day 1 involved the Shopping Trip. With Dave at work with the car I decided on a casual walk to the local mall. Turns out buying a pack of plain onesies isn't as easy as I thought. I found this 3 pack at The Warehouse hiding behind all of the sale items. These weren't on sale. BUT I was set on my idea so they were bought.

My next stop was Lincraft, the local fabric etc store. I hunted down the fabric dye and tried to decide on a colour. I needed a unisex color and the TEAL packet leapt out at me. A quick stop at the supermarket to buy some rubber gloves was the last item on the agenda.

Once I got home I tried to decipher the fabric dying instructions. I didn't want to waste the whole dye packet on 3 tiny items of clothing so I guessed at halving the 'recipe'. I wanted to do an ombre type dye (fading gradually from light to dark) but the result wasn't quite what I had planned. After the first total immersion I held the top of the onesie and 'bobbed' it up and down in the dye to darken the lower half. The instructions told me that the desired colour would take up to half an hour of soaking to be dark enough - but who has time for that when you have to keep dunking it in and out of the mixture? Not me apparently. Five minutes later and I was done with onesie number one.

The second and third attempts were a more 'dip-dyed' approach, leaving half the onesie white. I still tried to fade the colour but again, who has the patience to stand and wait?

I rinsed the dye out with cold water and put them through the wash to set the colour. The result was one very nice teal colour that I am happy with!

 

Day 2 was Design Day. I trawled the interwebs looking for some cute silhouette images and settled on three. A fox (of course), some swallows and a fantail in a frame. I printed them out and traced them onto some black fabric that I had previously bonded with an iron-on glue type thing. After some very fiddly cutting out I ironed on the images.

 

Day 3 was Stitching Day. The transfer paper I used needs extra help to stay bonded so I started the mammoth task of stitching around each image. I used a simple running stitch around the edge to secure it onto the onesie. This one small task took most of the day to complete.

I'm really stoked with how these came out. It was definitely a labour of love but that is part of what nesting is all about right?

xx

New Year, New Kitchen Cupboard

This year for our holiday break we decided on a staycation. Literally. I think we stayed at home 96% of the time. But when the weather finally does co-operate and you have a million outside landscaping tasks then a staycation is perfect.

I am a regular browser of the website Freecycle. Highly recommended for those who believe that one (wo)mans junk is another (wo)mans treasure. But you gotta be in there quick and be willing to pick up whatever awesome item you spotted as quick as you can. Basically you can either post Offers or Wanted ads for whatever item. The catch is it must be free. No swaps or money exchanged. It's a great way of getting rid of junk without paying tip fees (as long as it is still useful junk) or if you can't be bothered listing on Trademe. It is also a great way of picking up goods. I see a lot of excess fruit popping up for those with overladen trees, as well as household goods and excess building materials.

Anyway, one day these holidays I spotted some gorgeous kitchen cabinets on offer and I emailed the guy quick as a whip and said I could pick them up that evening. He got back to me and off we went to load up the car. We ended up walking away with nearly a complete kitchen with wooden cabinet fronts (which we can't use right now, but it has gone into Dave's stash pile of course).

So we had ourselves set up for some kitchen renovations we hadn't really planned for but were totally do-able. (By Dave - I just got in the way mostly)

Above our kitchen bench was a wooden shelf which housed our toaster and bazillion jars and bottles of sauces and spices. It was functional but messy. We decided on cutting out half of the shelf and putting one of the cabinets up in its place. It looks so much more classy!

We couldn't quite fit the two matching cabinets we had in the kitchen so the laundry got one too!

Not bad for a days work I must admit. We didn't even have the hassle of a non-functioning kitchen for weeks on end. I even got to unpack that box of wine glasses that has been taunting me since we moved. Not that I can utilize them at the moment. Sigh.

Back to work next week, must adjust my sleeping patterns accordingly!
xx

22 Weeks Pregnant

• This baby is GROWING! My tummy gets a little bit bigger and a little bit firmer each day that goes by and the movements I feel are getting stronger! Baby is still sitting super duper low though.
  
• With the growing comes the inevitable uncomfortableness. I am learning how to sleep and sit and get up without pulling muscles. I do finally feel like I LOOK pregnant now, and can wear clothes that show off my bump a bit more. Although comfort usually wins that battle too.
  
• Baby C can detect the difference between dark and light.
  
• I feel Baby C kicking the most in the car and just as I start relaxing for the night.
  
• Heartburn is making itself known already, and it seems that morning sickness won't leave me alone, I still chuck around once a week!
  
• I feel like I should start shopping for the essentials but I can't quite bring myself to buy the unisex stuff available! We are gathering quite the pile of toys though. I also couldn't resist getting some teeny tiny tiger slippers.
  
• Baby C has eyebrows and eyelashes.
  
• My bellybutton is still an innie!
  
• Still no food cravings, just enjoying being able to eat most things again. On the No-Go list are things that are sweet but savoury like parsnip or sweet marinades on meat.
  
• I am enjoying having some time off work and being able to sleep in most mornings, I know that will go out the window in the coming months/years!

xx

2013 Review

I'm so glad to have this blog to capture the major goings on in the life of my little family. I tend to only blog about the good things or creations I have made so at the end of the year I like to look back and remember and be thankful for what has been achieved.
We had some pretty awesome things happen this year...

January

• The year started with Dave's amazing Vintage Bike Restoration and I rode my bike for a good part of the year to and from work.

• I introduced my cat - Killer and showcased some of the best blog photobombs she made it into!

• During the summer holidays I restored an Old Cane Armchair

• I also gave a tour of our old rental and how I styled it in my Temporary Home series

February

• The second anniversary of the devastating Christchurch Earthquake on Feb 22nd came and went and I made some positive reflections on my perspective of the progress of the rebuild.
  
• I got my sew on and made myself a Tshirt from a sheet

• Other makings this month included a Footstool Re-upholstered with Cow Print, a Crochet Owl Bag and an Art Supply Holder.

March

• In March I became impatient about learning how to cut glass to make A Pretty Mirror.
  
• I made over not ONE but TWO Standard Lamps

 

• March also began one of the years greatest journeys - playing Roller derby. I wrote a series called Diary of a Derby Girl

April

• April held my first Product Review for Stuck on You which involved personalised towels and kitchen labels.
  
• One of the years highlights was attending the Bloggers Connecting Conference in Christchurch. I met so many lovely ladies whose blogs I stalk read all the time.
  
  
  
  
  
  May 
  • May revealed some great news - We bought a house! I wrote some tips to help simplify the First Home Buying Process
  
  
  
  
  
• I started making a Rainbow Chevron Quilt (which is currently still in process)
  
• I repaired my laptop and took a trip down Memory Lane looking through my old photos!

June

•  June saw us move into our new home and I Gave a Tour of how we made it work for us.
  
• I also spent the month making a Crochet Ripple Blanket for my future Godson!
  
  
  

 July

• July was a derby month with my Freshmeat course moving onto contact and hitting.
  
• I pimped my roller skates and made some Crochet Toe Guards which are still going strong!

August

• August was my first foray into amigurumi where I made a pair of Crochet Giraffes
  
• I also revealed some photos from my Trash the Dress Photoshoot I did in 2011

September and October

• The blog went strangely quiet during September and October until I revealed our Big News
  Turns out the blog was quiet while I fought my way through morning sickness and the glorious First Trimester. 
  
  
  November
  
  
  • November was a better month, I showed you the progress we made Landscaping
  • My makings included a Bag bag, A Crochet Ripple Cushion and a Vintage Sheet Dress
    
   
  December
  
  
  • December was a baby month on the blog. I started doing Weekly Updates on Baby C's progress.
  • We also tried and failed to find out Baby C's gender so no gender reveal on the blog yet!
  • Christmas came and went and we are now relaxing on holiday, using the terrible Canterbury weather to catch up on sleep, re-arrange the lounge and watch some TV series.
  
  What a year! Two huge milestones for us - a house and a baby on the way! This year Dave and I were stoked to become homeowners and even more over the moon to find out that we will become parents. In amongst a lot of projects and yard work and roller derby!
  
  2014 will probably be the most challenging year for us - sleep-wise anyway. But BRING IT ON!
  xx

20 Weeks Pregnant

• The 'Official' halfway point of my pregnancy!

• If you haven't already read my Gender Reveal Post, Baby C was being a bit crafty during the ultrasound and decided that its gender is staying a secret for now.
  
•  This news is making us up our game on baby names. We have a boy one sorted but our girl name is still yet to be decided.
  
• The fluid that Baby C hangs out in is a few degrees warmer than my body temperature so on hot days I am getting overheated pretty quick! I am super glad that I'm not further along which I think would be so much more uncomfortable!
  
• I need to start focusing on my posture and the amount of weight I lift. I'm a pretty bad sloucher and it doesn't help that it squishes Baby C when I'm hunched over. I might have to bust out the Preggo Yoga to help out.
  
• Every so often I find myself drifting into a Pregnancy waddle 'Swagger'. I can control it for now but now that my bump is growing rapidly it won't be long until I can't!
  
• No cravings yet but still enjoying Iced Chocolates, Carbs and a new interest in Cocoa Pops. My sweet tooth is finally returning!
  
• One of the coolest things we saw at the ultrasound was Baby C swallowing. It was such a natural, normal movement and made it a bit more real.
  
• The kicks and movements are getting stronger! Dave felt a good couple of kicks the other night and I can feel baby move when I'm standing up, not just lying down.
  
• I am really looking forward to Christmas this year, I am well aware that it will be my last 'relaxing' Christmas and Baby C will be 7+ months old next Christmas and probably on the move!

I am on holiday now for a good 3 weeks so I am planning on enjoying the time off as much as I can. We are spending a lot of it at home getting some small jobs done around the house and yard.

Merry Christmas to you all! xx

We are having....

source

A SURPRISE!

Baby C was being most uncooperative at the scan on Tuesday and decided to keep its bits hidden. This means no awesome gender reveal and more creative thinking on my part. I am a bit disappointed because it was going to be our Christmas present to ourselves and I felt like I could really begin to bond with my baby once we could decide on a name and begin imagining it in our lives. 

But we do get another scan in 8 weeks so we CAN find out then. And now that I can feel Baby C having dance parties in my tummy I am feeling a lot more attached to the tiny little life inside me. Plus Baby C is happy and healthy in there so I really can't complain.

The only thing the sonographer could say was:
'I get the impression it is a girl but I can't tell for sure because boys can hide their bits'.

So we are not keen on banking on 'probably' a girl so bring on 8 weeks so we can know for sure!

I will do my 20 week update in another post in the next day or so :)

xx