Category Archives: DIY

Cricut Gold Explore Machine – Pillows

March 10, 2016

I am excited to announce a fun partnership I have been working on with Cricut and JoAnn Fabric Stores. You already know I’m a huge fan of my Cricut Explore Air™machine, I use it all the time for lot’s of different projects. And now, Cricut is offering an exclusive Cricut Gold Explore Machine at JoAnn Fabric Stores only ( check it out here, under Die Cut Machines, Supplies and More at Joann.com). With this pretty gold machine comes some fun exclusive designs and projects. You guys, some Oleander + Palm designs are preloaded on this machine! I’ve designed a bunch of patterns and designs to bring a little, or a lot of gold into your home.

And here’s your first look at some of my designs. Pillows are the easiest way to add pattern, color and style to a space, so I’ve created 5 fun pillow designs.

The Make-It-Now feature in the Cricut Design Space™ app, makes creating so easy. All the materials and instructions for that project are all listed, there’s no guess work. HERE’s the how-to.

If you have the new Cricut Gold machine you can make all of these pillow with the press of a button.

For these pillows I used 12″ pillows is solid white, grey and black. Using Cricut’s Iron-On vinyl in black, white, gold and gold glitter (available at Cricut.com), I created custom, graphic pillows for my home.

Stay tuned, I’ve got lots of more fun ways to use Oleander + Palm designs with the new Cricut Gold Explore Air. If you’ve been considering getting a Cricut Machine, now is the time to do it! This exclusive gold machine for JoAnn Fabric Stores has so much to offer.

*This post contains affiliate links. If you do purchase something through those links, I get a percentage. Thank you for supporting the companies that help make this blog possible.

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DIY

DIY Jewelry and Trinket Dishes

February 26, 2016

I’ve felt like I’ve been just too busy to make and create lately. And that has left me feeling kind of drained and uninspired. So, I decided I needed to take a couple minutes to use my hands and make something. If you are looking for a quick and easy weekend project, this is a good one. Perfect for gifts or just to sit on your bedside table or bathroom counter, they serve as a fun, decorative way to organize and store your valuables.

I played with all my favorite patterns – grid, triangles and simple brush strokes. But, the possibilities are endless. You can paint any color and any pattern, as simple or as complicated as you want.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Martha Steward Glass Paint (Black Gloss)
Small paint brushes
Small ceramic or porcelain appetizer plates

Play with patterns and shapes to create a design that goes with your decor. I love black and white, but you could use any color combination. Allow the paint to completely dry (follow the instructions on the bottle), but I let these dry for a couple days.

Have a great weekend and be sure to make a little time to create or make.

DIY

DIY Reversible Valentine’s Day Clutch

February 12, 2016

Valentine’s Day is just about here. And I have one last DIY for you. Whether you have a date or not, this clutch is going to be perfect for a night out on Valentine’s Day. I customized a couple simple clutches (that I found at Forever 21) with #single on one side and #taken on the other. So, even if you don’t have a valentine yet, get out their and carry your #single bag with pride. Who knows, maybe some single guy is looking for you.

I used my Cricut Explore Air™ machine to cut out iron on letters in gold glitter for the denim clutch and white for the linen clutch. But, you can also buy iron-on letters at the craft store, like these.

And please meet my adorable model and intern, Val. Yay for me! I have a obviously cute, but also super smart and stylish assistant now.

Now that you have the bag, let’s fill it with some date night essentials:

Vaseline Lip Therapy Tins, for soft kiss-ready lips

sunglass (because I live in sunny California)

hair Clips for any hair disasters

gum or mints for fresh kissable breath

wallet and keys

phone (because we can’t live without them)

travel sized perfume

nail file

pen or pencil

mirror

New Vaseline Lip Therapy Tins are a popular U.K. must-have and now they are available stateside in these iconic tins. These tins contain 100% pure and safe Vaseline Jelly and are clinically proven to help heal dry lips and provide long-lasting moisture. And they are available at Target.

Your guys, I’ve got these lip tins everywhere – in my car, by my bed, in my purse and at the studio. My lips are happy! No more dry cracked lips for this girl.

This post is sponsored by Vaseline. All my opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the companies that help make this blog possible.

DIY

DIY Date Night Dice

February 3, 2016

Don’t just take your sweetheart out for Valentine’s Day, but plan a whole year of fun dates. These DIY Date Night Dice are sure to make some memorable date combinations. We’ve been making an effort to spend more intentional time together as a couple, but often coming up with a plan is the hardest part. Roll the dice and let lady luck decide for you. One die selects a fun meal destination and the other chooses an activity for the evening. These dice will be sure to get you out of rut and having some fun date adventures together.

Here’s what you’ll need:

2″ wooden blocks

sponge brush

Mod Podge (in matte finish)

1 copy of each of the dice printables printed on Zazzle Postcards.

scissors

black craft paint or spray paint

Download the dinner and activity files. Print them on Zazzle Postcards.

Cut apart the sides of the dice.

Paint the wooden blacks black. Allow them to dry completely.

Paint on a generous amount of Mod Podge to one side of the die.

Adhere one of the squares to the die. Lay a book or something heavy on top of the block and allow this side of the die to dry for about 5 minutes. Repeat on all sides of the die. When wooden block is completely dry, paint on one last layer of Mod Podge over all the sides of the dice. Allow to dry completely.

This post is sponsored by Zazzle. All my opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the companies that help make this blog possible.

DIY

New Years Photo Booth Backdrop

December 29, 2015

Are you planning a New Years party? If you are, I’ve got a fun easy photo back drop you can put together in about 5 minutes. It’s a fun way to add big decor to your get together without a big cost.

Head over to The Land of Nod‘s blog, Honest to Nod today to check out the how to. And there is lots of cute pics of Denali and Olivia.

DIY

DIY Triangle Tree

December 16, 2015

You know I’m a fan of a good triangle and this might be a pattern you’ve seen here before (remember this felt tree hanging and these watercolors.)

Well, I’ve made another version, this time on wood. It might be my most favorite one of all. Be sure to check out the full how-to over on Curbly today.

DIY / Food & Drink

Grapefruit Thyme Spritzer and DIY Color Block Coasters

December 10, 2015

I’m having so much fun creating mocktails for my family. This might be my favorite yet. I LOVE citrus and combined with the earthy, herby flavor of thyme, is a match made in heaven. You really feel like you’re having a treat with this pretty nonalcoholic drink. So, invite some friends over and celebrate this holiday season with a Grapefruit Thyme Spritzer and your favorite cheese and crackers.

Just as it is in cooking, good ingredients make the drink. My friend Sarah, of Sarah Hearts, introduced me to Natalie’s Orchid Juices and now I’m hooked. This is probably the freshest tasting juice I’ve ever had. We have an orange, lemon, lime, and grapefruit tree in our yard, so I consider myself a citrus snob. And yes, this Californian now loves Florida citrus as well. This is hand picked, freshly squeezed, made in American juice.

Grapefruit Thyme Spritzer

1/2 cup Natalies’s Orchid Grapefruit Juice
1 oz. Thyme Simple Syrup (see recipe below)
1/2 cup of club soda
a splash of aromatic bitters
a sprig or two of fresh thyme

Fill a glass with ice, pour in the juice and thyme simple syrup and mix. Top with club soda and a splash of bitters. Garnish with a couple sprigs of fresh thyme.

Thyme Simple Syrup

1 cup of sugar
1 cup of water
3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme

In a small pot bring the sugar, water and thyme to a boil. Boil for 3 mins. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. You can remove the thyme or leave it in the syrup.

And if you are going to serve a pretty drink, it needs an equally nice coaster to rest on. I made some simple felt color blocked coasters inspired by the colors of this drink. And they require absolutely no sewing at all!!!

Here’s what you will need:

4 colors of felt
scissors or rotary cutter
felt glue
a couple q-tips

Start by cutting 4 square of felt that are 4 x 4 inches and 4 square that are 3 /12 x 3 1/2 inches. Cut the smaller squares in half diagonally.

Play around with the felt pieces and decide on 4 combinations that work well together.

Apply a generous amount of felt glue to the backs of the triangles and spread the glue all the way to the edge with a q-tip.

Glue down the triangle and allow the coasters to dry over night.

This post is sponsored by Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Co. Thanks for supporting the companies that help make this blog possible.

DIY

Easy Felt Ball Wreath

December 9, 2015

Slowly be surely we are getting our house decorated for Christmas. The kids have little trees and lights in their bedrooms, but this year I added these cute little Felt Ball Wreaths to the ends of the girls’ beds.

I often say that a craft is easy and fast to make, but this one really is. I had these both made and hung in less then 10 mins. I used a couple holiday decorations from The Land of Nod and a metal hoop from the the craft store. Check out the full how to over on Honest to Nod, The Land of Nod’s blog today.

You can see more of the girls’ bedroom HERE.

DIY

Custom House Portrait

December 7, 2015

As the gifting season is upon us, I’m looking for unique gifts I can give to my friends and family. I love to hunt for that special gift that I know the gift receiver will love. This year, two of our really close friends both bought their first homes. And it’s so exciting, they live in our neighborhood. Yay for friends in the hood!!!! We’ve lived here for over 12 years and have been holding out for this to become the “cool” neighborhood. It’s getting there.

I’m always a fan of Minted‘s products. So, when I saw that they had letterpress custom house portraits now, I knew this would be a great gift to give new home owners as a house warming gift. It’s such a great keepsake. I wrapped their framed prints with a little jar of picture hanging supplies and the cutest little brass hammer and screwdriver in one tool.

Minted made it so easy to order these gorgeous letterpress prints. I simply drove by their houses, when I knew they weren’t home, and snapped a straight on picture from the curb. Then I uploaded the image to Minted, added their home address and “Our First Home” to the bottom of the print and picked out the ink colors and frames. Within a day or two, a designer sent me a proof to look over.

For the first home, I picked a barn wood frame and a fun lime green ink for the print. And for the second I opted for a more neutral, modern look with a clean white frame and grey ink. Both turned out beautiful and now I want one of our little home.

Wouldn’t this be a fun family treasure to be able to pass down to your kids?

This post was sponsored by Minted. Thank you for supporting the companies that help make this blog possible.

DIY

DIY Marble Tree Ornaments

December 2, 2015

I love making ornaments for our Christmas tree. They are inexpensive to make and it’s a great way to get a one-of-a-kind look. I was able to make 13 of these tree shaped marble ornaments for under $5. That’s the price of just one ornament in some stores. Marble is one of those trendy patterns that I can’t get enough of lately. These are going to be a fun addition to our holiday decor and wouldn’t these look great tied around gifts as well?

Black and white is my jam lately. Maybe I’ll tire of it someday, but I don’t think it will be soon. I love how it goes anywhere and with anything.

Here’s what you’ll need:

FIMO oven clay in black and white
a straw
cookie cutters
parchment paper and baking tray
string or twine

Begin by dotting a little black clay onto the white clay.

Twist the two colors together.

Roll out the clay to about a 1/4″ thickness.

Cut out your shapes.

Using the straw, make a hole at the top of the ornament.

As you add more clay and roll and cut out more tree shapes, the marbling with change and get better with each ornament. I love the variation in marbling that each of the ornaments has.

Bake in a 250 F oven for just 20 mins. Allow them to cool and then attach a string or piece of twine to hang them by.