28 Is Purty Great!

I've always felt that 28 would be a great age for me. I have no clue why. Maybe it's because it seems like a great age to be. You are more established, know who you are, feel more comfortable in your skin. At 28, you are hopefully more mature and grounded, but still have that spark that says, yes, anything is still possible.

Anyway...in the spirit of my 28th year and in the hope that it will be my best year yet, I decided to do something outside the ordinary for me and throw my own birthday party. It wasn't lavish or over the top, just BBQ with family and friends, but it was absolutely wonderful.


We had delicious BBQ from Jeff's in the 'boro. Instead of birthday cake, which I'm not a fan of, we had doughnut cake! I even had candles on top. I think the doughnut cake was a hit with my party peoples. ;)

Even though it rained off and on all day beforehand, we weren't going to let that stop us. We moved everything from our yard to underneath the carport. We made s'mores in the firepit, and just chilled and enjoyed everyone's company. 

I was so pleased with how many people were able to come. It was great! At one point I think we had 25 people outside and inside our tiny little house! 

I made this Polaroid photo prop out of poster board to use through the evening. I wish I had taken more photos but I got so caught up in talking to everyone that I forgot! Here are just a few: 

I couldn't believe how many friends of mine brought me gifts. How generous! My friend, Autumn, brought me these adorable buttons she made. She actually is very close to launching her Etsy shop, B is for Buttons, where she will be selling these little beauties. Cute!

I can't thank everyone enough for their generosity and for coming out to celebrate what will hopefully be my best year yet!!

Whimsical Woodland Creatures

I received February's Umba Box in the mail today and loved all the handmade items featured in this month's collection. The necklace and note cards pictured to the left have inspired me to write a post on woodland animals in design. If you haven't noticed, woodland animals are EVERYWHERE and on EVERYTHING lately. 

Here's a group of handmade items featuring sweet little woodland creatures. 

1. Ceramic Magnets by CariadClay
2. Handprinted Jersey Owl Scarf by ZenThreads
3. 12x18 Letterpress Print by HelloLuckyPress
4. Set of 10 Small Gift Tags by 3CreativeSisters
5. Rabbit Wax Seal Stamp by BackToZero
6. Forest Friends V-Neck T by GnomEnterprises
7. Plush Squirrel Pillow by LauraFrisk

                   

I SPY DIY: Washi Crafting!

Today I got a little time to do some crafting with my new washi tape! I was inspired by some posts on Pinterest of clothespins used as sorters for all that mail and random paper that can take over your countertop. I love how they turned out and how the keep my paper pile organized!

If you want to make your own you'll need:
- washi tape in a few colors and patterns
- stamp pad
- letter stamps
- clothespins
- craft knife

Use your craft knife to cut the washi tape into one inch strips. This should be exactly the right amount you'll need. Apply tape to the short end of clothespins. If you have any overhang, you can always remove the washi tape, trim it, and reapply. Stamp whatever categories you need on the long ends of the clothespins. 

VOILA! So easy!!

                      

Gold Dots 'n Spots

Good afternoon everyone! Today I'm in the mood to write about another fun design trend I've been "spotting." Sorry. I couldn't help myself. ;) If you haven't noticed polka dots everywhere lately then you've been living under a rock, but I want to talk about the fairest of all the dots: the metallic gold ones!! Let's face it. Polka dots are just better when they're metallic and gold! Am I right? 

Here you are. Delicious dots in gold for home, crafting, partying, and for your wardrobe! 

1.  Gold Polka Dot Vinyl Wall Decals from UrbanWalls

2. Vintage Serving Bowl from HomeGirlGoods

3. Pair Of Polka Dot Ceramic Cups from VillarrealCeramics

4. Burlap Gold Polka Dot Pillow from HouseofPillows

5. Gold and White Polka Dot Washi Tape from ModernTape

6. Gold Metallic Dot Wrapping Paper from SupplyHouse27

7. 80's Vintage Polka Dot Blouse from KooKooKachooVintage

8. Metallic Stripes and Dots Wooden Utensils by SucreShop

9. Tissue Paper Pom Pom by PomLove

10. Linen Screen Print Polka Dot Clutch by MilkhausDesign

And last, another baby find to go with the theme! ;) Check out this adorable spotted bib for the babes. How cute. 

Gold Polka Dot Bib from IttyPrettyBird

                 

Luci's Lovely Little Nest

Well...I think it's complete. Luci's nursery is finally finished. All that's left is for her to get here in roughly two and half weeks. Oh my goodness!

I wanted to thank some folks for their contribution to the nursery project:

- My sister and brother-in-law for the crib. It's so sweet that Luci will slumber in the same crib that both of my nieces slept in.

- My awesomely handy husband for helping me put together the rocker and ottoman and being willing to help me move stuff around multiple times. :)

- My mom for helping me figure out some better ways to get organized and helping me wash all her linens and clothes.

- Linda Niles for the handmade diaper bag and adorable "I Love Luci" burp cloth seen hanging in her room. This is just a couple of the many wonderful things Linda made for me.

- Tina Dulaney for the monogrammed pillow in Luci's crib.

I'm so happy that all the art hanging in her room was created by and purchased from small home-based businesses and crafters. Support small businesses people! Not that I'm biased or anything. ;) The only exception are the initial canvases behind the chair and ottoman. I covered both in adorable Parisian inspired fabric from Hobby Lobby. Then my husband painted the wooden initials (also from Hobby Lobby) in the same green as the walls and we glued them to the canvases. Voila!

The chair and ottoman were purchased from Walmart online. Considering how much overstuffed rockers usually go for- I got quite a bargain. I'm really happy with how it looks in the room and it's surprisingly comfortable. The blush flower pillow is from TJ Maxx.

The pennant banner was made by me as well from simple scrapbook paper. The paper lanterns were purchased from Hobby Lobby for roughly two dollars a piece. Cha-ching! Decor on a budget!

The dresser is from the 1920s and was purchased from an awesome shop on the square called Simply Southern Marketplace. It's fantastic! I could spend so much time and money in there.

I love how peaceful the room feels. I've sat down in the chair a couple times now and almost fallen asleep. Hopefully Luci will feel the sleepy, peaceful vibes too. :) It's minimal and clean, but beautiful. The green is light and airy, but there's just enough pink to know this is a little girl's room.

                              

Savvy's Bachelorette Party

My friend Savannah is getting married this coming week and we just threw her bachelorette shindig at my house. It was a low-key shindig, but totally fun!! I think the entire bridal party just needed a night to relax and catch up with each other. Between working, wedding planning, and gestating (well...just me), we all needed a little down time. ;)

Savvy's wedding colors are red, gray, and black; very classic and romantic colors. I used her color scheme and created a little ice cream bar for our after dinner treat. (We went to a hibachi grill in town beforehand.)

Savvy decided she wanted our nails in gray for the wedding, so I supplied everyone with their own polish and nail file. We drank sparkling cider, painted our nails, and inhaled ice cream. Good times. 

I also created "Wedding Day Survival Kits" as party favors complete with essentials for the big day. The kits included a travel size hairspray, a lint roller, breath mints, trail mix, and a mini gatorade to stay hydrated! And just for fun, I threw in a ring pop. 

 We had a great time just being together! Congrats Savvy!!

DIY Promotional Pens

I am addicted to Pinterest!! I have been wondering what took me so long to get on the Pinterest bandwagon and then I remembered that I was working 12 hour days managing a cafe when all my friends were talking about it and never had the time to really get into it. Anyway...now that I am running a small handmade business and have a more flexible schedule...I have found time to pin!! ;)

One of the coolest ideas I found on Pinterest recently is this post from Chocolate on My Cranium. The idea is to take pens with clear casings and insert pretty paper into them. Their finished pens:

So...I love that idea on its own, but when I saw this post I immediately thought what a great promotional tool it could be for small businesses. I've tried to order promotional pens before for my business and the smallest quantity I could find was 100 units. Most companies won't let you order less than 250!! I don't need that many pens lying around....at least not yet, so I decided to take my DipDaDip stamp and kraft paper and make my own.

And here they are:

I love how they turned out!! At only $2.34 for a 5-pack of pens, these are way more affordable to make on an as-needed basis. When you've got a limited budget, sometimes you have to get creative!!

For step-by-step instructions on how to make your own, check out the post over at Chocolate on My Cranium.

DIY Necklace Display

So I'm sure you've seen a dozen of these projects on Pinterest going around...but I wasn't completely sold on the versions I had seen out there on the web. I went to a store recently and found something similar that I liked but it was $50 just for some wood and some hangers!!! No thank you!! So I got inspired and made my own.

Here's what I did....

• I found a gray shadow box at my local craft store and removed the glass from the front of it.
• Then I took the back out and covered it in a linen fabric I had lying around the house. After I replaced the back, I trimmed around the edges to remove the excess fabric. 
• Then I bought screw hooks for $2 and screwed them into the wood. This takes a little patience. I recommend starting a pilot hole with a drill and not doing it by hand like I did!! DUMB!!!
• Last I added my necklaces...and I must say, I love how it turned out!!!

Necklaces as art!!

Long time, no post.

Sorry guys! It's been a long time without a new post. My bad!! I've been pretty busy with other commitments and haven't had much time to write. But that ends today! Yay!!

Today I wanted to share some fun photos with you from DipDaDip's recent craft fair. Included are some photos of new products we've been working on as well. :) Yay!! New paper products!

So here we are...enjoy!

Our lovely booth!

Some new products!

Magnet Flip Pad - Put me on your fridge or in your purse!

Matchbook Notepads  - So cute with fun phrases!

New designs in our Covered Mini Notepad and 8x10 Journals!

For more see our Etsy shop at etsy.com/shop/dipdadipdesign!

Mason Jar Mania!

I love mason jars! There's something so simple and homey about them and yet they are so versatile!!! I have used them to collect the change from my husband's pockets when he gets home and as a vase for flowers, but these ideas I found on the web are fantastic!!

Stackable Desk Storage from Homemade Simple

Sand Votive Holders with Handle from Pottery Barn

Recycled Jar Terrariums from Our Big Earth

Vacation Keepsake Jar from Martha Stewart

Jar Photo Frames from Photojojo

DIY Adorable Handmade Jotter

Here's a fun DIY project for a rainy day. (Or sunshiny day, for that matter.) 

Follow this step by step guide and you'll have an adorable custom made notepad in no time. 

Here's what you'll need:   

Straightedge 

Kraft paper - heavier weight like card stock works best

Twine or string

Hole punch

Exacto knife

Blank paper or notebook paper

1. First start out by deciding how large you want your notepad to be. I made mine roughly 4"x5", but you'll want to add about an inch extra for the fold. Make your measurements and cut the kraft paper with a straightedge and exacto knife. 

2. Second, cut your paper to size. I just used old notebook paper I had lying around, but you could use any kind of paper you like. 

3. Line up your card stock and your paper to make sure they are even.

4. Then with a hole punch, punch two equally spaced holes in the center of your card stock.

5. Using the holes from the card stock as a guide, mark dots on the notebook paper with a pen or pencil to make sure everything lines up. Then go back and punch holes over the dots.

6. Next, get out your twine and loop it from the back to the front of your notepad through both holes. 

8. Tie a cute bow and viola! An adorable jotter for you or a friend!!

And if you're not the crafty type, your can alway pick one up at my Etsy shop DipDaDip Design.