Tile Coasters

If you are addicted to blogs like I am, you will have seen the directions out there for making ceramic tile coasters.  For me, a significant part of Christmas is making some sort of signature craft to share with family and friends.  One year it was wreaths, another was home made snow globes and another year was scarves.

This year my craft was tile coasters. I finally found an extra hour in my day to make some for this year's craft.

While you can find lots of tutorials around, making them are really simple.  All you need is some tiles, white glue, paper, felt and time.

This is the decorative papers I bought at Michaels.

I bought some tiles at Lowes on sale and some decorative paper at Michaels.  I picked out some coordinating papers to mix and match the finished tiles.

This is the glue you need, some super tacky glue to afix the paper to the tile and then the top coat with the other glue.  All available at Michaels.

These are the tiles I got at Lowes.  Pretty Standard.

After you cut the paper to size, apply a bit of glue to the tile and affix the paper to the tile.  Rub them to make sure  you get out the air bubbles.  Let them dry for a few hours. When they are dry, top coat the coasters with more glue.  Do a number of coats  and allow them to dry in between.  The top coat will seal them against wet drinks in the future. 









Now they are done, I just added a  bottle of wine for my friends and family. 





Live High,

Heather

Key of AWESOME

I'm 44.  I am not ashamed to admit that.  By virture of my age, it means that I was growing up in the 70s.  Full on polyester pants, patterns and plaids, and pepsi platform shoes.  NASTY.



I remember my mom attending many a house party, Avon, Tupperware and Copper Craft.  Copper craft was this plastic stuff made to look like copper and it was expensive and frankly ugly.  I mean ugly.  I could not help my mother get rid of that crap as soon as the 80s hit.  For simplicty sake, can we not discuss the decorating pitfalls of the 80s.

Back to the copper craft.  Did I mention it was ugly?

Come on, that is some ugly stuff right??
 

Fast forward to the shabby chic movement, frugality and using one's creativity to have a cool house.  I came apon this decorative key; all scrolly and low and behold - it had a fleur de lis on it!  I had to have it.  I giggled and thought how much my mom would love knowing that I had purchased some of the much hated copper craft stuff I had jettison from her home years before. 

Awesome right?!!

I am not going to leave it in its brutal 70s faux copper.  Um no, I am going to paint it flat black and stick in my Paris bathroom.  That is of course unless my eldest daughter does not get it first. 

I know, you can't quite see it with my crap o rama camera but I assure you, you can still see all the scrolls and stuff now that it is black.

I guess what they say about what's old is new again and what goes around comes around.   Uh oh, there is Rebekah wearing my parachute pants and my leg warmers.


Live High,

Heather

My Most Favourite Christmas Gift Ever

What is your favourite Christmas gift ever?  What is the one thing you look back on that fills your heart and maybe brings a tear to your eye?

I am a huge fan of Dr. Seuss.  I love every book Dr. Seuss put other there.

As a student at school and in a new relationship with a young guy, I shared with him my love of Dr. Seuss when I told him I could not go out to the bar until I had watched "How the Grinch Stole Christmas.''  It was non-negotiable.  He did not laugh, but came right over to watch it with me.  I knew then that I had a keeper.

It was in the fall of that year that cancer took Dr. Seuss from us.  But what a legacy he left us.

When Christmas day arrived a few weeks later and there was  a lovely package under the tree for me from Ian.  I don't think I will ever forget opening that package.  Inside, was a battered, old copy of How the Grinch Stole Christmas.  It turns out that this old book was Ian's when he was a kid.  Inside, the book bears his name and his address.  His address is spelled wrong.  A sweet gesture of more innocent times.

Every Christmas, the real sign of the start of the season is the showing of the original cartoon with Boris Karlof and at home, when pulling out the decorations, sharing my special book and showing the inscription to our children.

Best wishes for a warm, safe, holiday season.  Make many happy memories.

Live High,

Heather

I am linking here

Second Hand Help for Sandy

Last  week, all attention was on the weather.  Hurricanes always capture the attention of the media.  This storm was a serious one and had everyone on edge.

I happened to have the mis fortune of moving my office on Monday morning as the weather changed almost moment by moment.  It was pretty brutal.  There were leaves from one end of my office to another.  And my hair got messy.   That night we snuggled safe in out beds and drifted off to the sounds of winds whipping through the trees.  The next morning, we surveyed the damage and found a few downed twigs and my barbecue had been moved around the deck.  That's it.

Fast forward to Friday night.  We watched the news and the recovery in the United States.  Mid way through the news I got a call from a friend looking for some help for a friend of a friend.  It turns out that a mom and her two kids came to Toronto to stay with some friends to ride out the storm. This family was in need of some clothes for their five year old daughter.  I happen to have a five year old daughter.  (Until last Thursday, when she celebrated her sixth)  We happily agreed to go through Bronwyn's clothes.  We found a bunch of extra pants, tops and a decent winter coat to last for a few weeks.

Bronwyn found a school bag that she had only used for the first week of school.  She suggested that this little girl would need a school bag and a barbie.  But not one of her barbies.  And for a brief second, I was disappointed in my daughter.  She wouldn't share a barbie.  The kid has about a million.  No, Bronwyn said this little girl needed her own brand new barbie.  We headed out to Walmart to get this little girl a few presents to put in her school bag. 

Saturday morning, Ian will deliver a box of Bronwyn's clothes for a little girl who needs a few things and will surprise her with a school bag complete with a new barbie, some barbie clothes, and some colouring books.

We will not meet this family, but it was nice to take an hour of our night to put together a small care package and hopefully make this family's next few weeks a little brighter.

Here is a little Jason Mraz to send out some support to those in need.  Here is You are Loved.

Live high,

Heather

Masterpiece

I am not nearly old enough to have a niece that is old enough to start her own family.  You know it is getting bad when you expect your family to lie about their ages when you are lying about yours...

In the spring, Rose called us to share her good news.  While I was thrilled for her, I promptly went out and purchased more hair dye.  I am so not old enough to be a great aunt!

Readers of this blog will know that I enjoy a few hobbies and one of them is crochet.  When I found out about Rose, I knew a hand made crochet blanket would be just the thing for her.  What better thing that to cozy up with your little bundle of joy and read a good book and a nice blanket.  A few of my favourite books from when my kids where little ones would be just the thing.  Crochet has a tendency to kill my shoulders, completing this blanket came down to the wire.  Her shower was held recently and now that she is the owner of the blanket, I can share it with you.


I did not know it at the time but the colours just happen to be the colours of the baby's room

I made a classic ripple blanket, lap size, with a band of colours on the top and bottom.  If you want to copy the pattern, I suggest you seek it out on Ravelry.  When you visit, you will find lots of projects to inspire you.

I decided to age a bit of wood to make a sign for the room,  Here it is all painted and sanded

I ordered a sticker from Etsy to burnish onto the wood

Because as the great Doctor said, "A person is a person no matter how small." 

Here is my little person showing off the completed sign

I bought some Dr. Seuss books to complete the gift.

Here is Rose opening her gift - bad lighting and a camera phone!

Blessings to you Rose and your little family.

I am linking here and here and here, at Primp.

Live High,

Heather

Glass Pumpkin

Soon, it will look like Halloween has barfed throughout my house.  I am so not kidding. Everyone has a favourite holiday.  It seems like most people define themselves by being Christmas people or Halloween people. 

In my house, Ian is a halloween person.  I am a Christmas person.  To keep things sane, we have agreed to allow one month each to our respective holidays.  Come October first, things get pretty crazy.

One Saturday, I was grabbing some items from the local bulk barn.  I stopped in my tracks when I spotted this awesome clear glass pumpkin.  I guess the bulk barn expects that you will fill it with halloween candy.  Right, that would last about ten seconds in my house. 

It is so pretty right?

Honestly, I did not expect that this glass pumpkin would be affordable.  I gently turned it over to see the price.  GASP.  Six bucks.  Seriously.  No Joke.  It was mine.  I almost bought ten.  A steal I tell you.

Here it sits, quietly for at least a week when it will be surrounded by the rest of the Halloween items from the crawl space.

It has been filled with rockets, a personal fav, they will not last long..

Live High,

Heather

It all started innocent enough...

The Oshawa Public Library hosts an annual book sale.  Innocent right? 

Certainly...NOT.  If you go with one of your friends who has  a serious book addiction.  I went to the book sale for few old books to put on my shelf.  

This is me -

Just a few cool books...

This is Jennine -

Trust me this was just the start of it.

We were supposed to go get a few books.  A quick trip.  No big thing.  Have you ever been around an addict??  Jennine, eyes darting around, scurrying through the stacks, making eyes at young men holding books she wanted for herself.  It was funny to see.  Actually, it is probably just like me when I hit a Fabricland.  Whew! We have issues!

Here are some books I purchased.  For wicked prices! 



These books have beautiful old covers from the thirties.

I got some great books with awesome interesting covers.  They look great on the book page book case right?


If you need some awesome books, have book collecting issues, keep an eye out for a book sale at your local library.

ps.  The intervention is tonight, you know where.



Live High,

Heather

Papered Bookcase

Delayed Renovation-

A while back I begged my mom to go pick up a kijji find - your standard, brown bookcase for the centre of my living room.  Someone has got to get a bigger vehicle...I moved it in, and there it sat, holding crap for a number of months.  I stopped seeing it after a while.  Here is a 'sort of'before picture of at least one shelf.  It has my faux mercury glass vases.  BTW, I have never found any real looking glass spray paint in Canada.  If you see it, let me know.




See?  Same accesories but waaay nicer bookcase

Mid Way Progress

I forgot to take a boring beige picture - this is it mid way through

I LOVE books.  I mean it, despite the tearing apart of the books to use them for crafts, I really love books.  I love reading them and recycling them.


I hope to be forgiven for not remembering who first shared this in blog land.  I saw a book papered wall and thought that Ian would never allow that.  I did not even bother to ask.  A bookcase, however, could be managed without too many rolling of eyes.


A bit of procrastination in the project department, meant that I could not move on to another sewing project until I painted this sucker.  I also wanted to paper the back of it with one of my favourite books - Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.  I hope she is not mad.  It was an ode to a fantastic book and series that I had read a number of times.



Here is one shelf. 



I love this shelf!  See the glass container?  LOVE it.
 You can't quite see the eggs but yes, mod podged with sheet music.  Sick!

It was pretty easy; I thinned out some white glue, the elmers kind, and painted the book pages on to the back.  It took a bit of doing in the summer heat.  I hate having asthma.



And here it is completed!

A quick coat of wipe on poly and it was ready to go back in the living room.  I think it looks lovely.  Don't you?  I am linking here. and here and here. Of course I am showing off at Miss Mustard Seed.

Live High,
Heather

Paris Table Complete!

My family is rather bored of the Paris themed items I have created lately.  Poor Ian is feeling some pressure.  What?  Three kids, educations to save for, bills to pay, a quick trip to Paris just the two of us for a few weeks seems like a  good idea....Some one will feed the kids right? Right??




Bonjour!, Cafe latte sil vous plait.

I have enjoyed making a few things over.  It has been a trip.  I am not sure I would do it for much more than fun.  It is a lot of work.  Head on over to Red Hen Blog if you want to see some awesome furniture redos.



I found this awesome table on kijji, like me it has great legs!!  It required a good sand down, some primer and some various paint colours so it looks like it has been old.  I added a bit of blue and yellow on top of the primer.

See it has been sanded down on the edges to make it look old



See the wood stain

There was this great graphic from the Graphics Fairy that is awesome french graphics, perfect for this table.  I transferred it with a pencil.  Easy Peasy.  You just cover the back of the graphic with pencil and then trace it to the table.  I filled it in with a sharpie.  EPIC FAIL.  It required a lot of sanding not to look like it was just done.  Next time, I will use a super fine paint brush and some black paint.

After the transfer was on, I washed the table with some wood stain, let it sit a minute, wiped it off and then sealed the deal with some polycrylic.  Nice.  It does not yet have a good home in the house, it kinds of sits in the living room. 






Paris Table, tres bien nést pas?

Next up - the round coffee table - and yes, I do have a nice french graphic for it.  AWESOME.

Live High,

Heather

Living High

I admit it.  I am a huge Jason Mraz fan.  You can imagine the hassle I put my friends and family through while counting down the days until the concert. 

It was a real thrill to see him.  We arrived early just to take in the vibe of the crowd and to enjoy the view. This is me just outside Molson Amphitheatre in Toronto.


 

Ian and I have seen Jason in concert a few times, while we were waiting for the concert to start, we were trying to remember exactly how many.  I think this might have been the sixth time we have seen him in concert.  One year I saw him twice!!



We discovered Jason when he opened up for the awesome, wonderful Chantal Kreviazuk.  Ian made me go to the opening act - he said it would be rude not to go - I guess I owe him a lot for pushing me to put down the fork on that cheese cake and huff it over to Convocation Hall.  Thanks Ian. 

Christina Perry opened for Jason this year.  I the past, we have seen Ka'nan and G.Love.  Yep, I own a few more cds thanks to Jason.

Here is the set change from Christina to Jason-




I had ninth row this time.  Wicked.  I did not take any worthy pictures.  Here's the link to youtube and the reason why I sign off my blog - live high.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA6sh1FM82w
Still buzzing from the concert!

Live High,

Heather

Back to School

It really is the most wonderful time of the year...

Only a few more weeks until the kids are back in school full time. 



Cant wait can you?

That means for me that I am back in school part time.  I have been taking courses at Ryerson University for a few years now.   I am in the Public Administration and Governance program.

This is what my life is like...

 Just a course here and there when I find the time.

Last year, I received a Leaders in Learning Scholarship for academic excellence and I was recently interviewed by Canadian Living.  Click here for the link to the article. 

You can head back to class.  I did.  I have no time but I love it. 

Live High,

Heather

Simplicty is Difficult

Whew!!  The dress inspired by Goodbye Valentino is done!  I sew for the fun of it.  It is cheaper than therapy.  It allows me to use other parts of my brain to problem solve, feed my soul, ignore my children.  (just checking to see if you are skimming..)

Remember the post about the discontinued pattern I ordered from Australia?  I promised Jennine I would make her a dress.  I basically had to invent the pattern because she is so tiny.  I am going to bake her some cookies. 

That took a bit of heavy thinking - remaking a pattern and make it look nice.  Challenge.  Add in full on summer hit - too hot for us asthmatics, and kids sports every blankety blank night.  That means a scramble after work for childcare pick ups, dinner and nights at a soccer field, park or baseball diamond. 

After that, I finally made it AND there is still some summer left for Jennine to wear it.  I hope that she humours me and wears at least once. Update: She has worn it twice!   I hope she likes it.

Doesn't she look great!  You can't really see the awesome yoke but it is there!

Here it is finished.  And here is Jennine in the dress.

Thank you Goodbye Valentino for your blog, and for this inspirations. If you want to view the blog post that inspired this dress, click here.  If you visit, leave her a comment and tell her I sent you.


Live High,

Heather

PS, only a few weeks until the Toronto Jason Mraz concert!

Painting Projects Piling Up

Ian is about to divorce me.  Not nice.  It is not about time.  His patience is wearing thin I think.  Last week I made him take a massive amount of crap to the dump.  What is it about garages, does stuff multiple in the dark?  Suddenly there was no room in there to move. 

I need space to complete a few (a lot) of painting projects.  A bookshelf for the living room, an end table (ten bucks - score!) and a coffee table (same!!) The empty garage is now full of promised projects. 

On tap this week - the gathering - of the supplies.  I am going to get the sander out and a mask (damn allergies) and sand all this stuff down.

I promise.  My marriage may be riding on it.






Live High,



Heather