special day button pins

While preparing for Amy's baby shower, I came across a new craft project I will dub "special day button pins." I wanted Amy to have a pretty pin to wear as the person of honor for the shower. However, I did not want the pin to scream baby. The baby will scream enough for itself beginning in November. I thought it should be sweet, boutique, and unique. I used a variety of fabrics, an antique button, a piece of felt for backing, and a pin. After making one, I wanted to see what other fabric combos would look shabby chic and what other occasions would need special day pins. Bridal showers, graduation parties, teas, college game days.. Shoot, why not any day you want to feel special?! They can be pinned onto shirts, dresses, coats, necklaces, pashminas, headbands, handbags.. a versatile accessory! 

They will soon be added to my etsy store. 

If you haven't checked it out, go to:

www.sweetdorabelle.etsy.com

pink elephants

... hello? ... blog readers? ... are you still there? I know, I know, it's been a while. I'm sorry.. I've been distracted! But I'm BACK with a great post about the first baby shower I've ever helped to throw.. [and for a pretty special friend!] My soul sista, Amy, is preggo with her first baby - Piper Lynn - and we couldn't be more excited! Amy lives in Oklahoma and only had four days to visit home, so we had one big shower shindig! Between five hostesses, we were planning for around 50 people.. and that is exactly what we had. I was in charge of invitations, decor, and cookies. We themed the shower around pink baby elephants with a couple of giraffes thrown in there. I didn't want the shower to scream baby, but I wanted it to be sweet, charming, and classy. Through the colors of white, green, tan, and different shades of pink, I think it achieved just that. 

Project list:

postcard invitations

painted paper mache animals

painted picture frames with letters spelling PIPER

elephant shaped cookies with pink icing 

animal cracker in clear cylinders

floral arrangements

burlap table runner

mother-to-be pin

Everything turned out beautifully, even though the pressure to decorate and set up was intense [45 minutes- eek!]. The other hostesses brought delicious brunch foods such as mini muffins, fruit tarts, pigs in a blanket, and the best donut holes I have ever devoured. I will not tell you how many of those I had. I brought various sized vases and had arranged the flowers the night before.. the wee hours before! All of the decoration went well with the exposed interior brick and white shutters as a backdrop. I was very happy about the room where we had the shower. It came together, and Amy had a great time with family and friends.. so that's what mattered most. I can't wait to meet little Pippy!

architect barbie

Who says architects only wear black? 

I just had to share this with everyone. My friend, Courtney, saw "Architect Barbie" in a magazine a couple of days ago and immediately sent me a picture. This is hilarious.... comes complete with hardhat for the jobsite, blueprint drawings, and the house Barbs designed. What a smartie! Stylish, too. 

While researching more on Archy Barbs, I found the Barbie Shanghai Store by Slade Architecture. Umm, whoever got to design this is a luckbox, and I am super jealous. It's like my childhood dream. Everything Barbie you could ever imagine! Unreal. However, it suddenly closed in March of this year for some reason. Bummer. Check it out anyway...

Fab.u.lous.

an artful invitation

A couple of weeks ago, my sister-in-law, Leigh, approached me with a project. For her wedding some years ago, a friend had painted a mini piece of art onto the wedding invitation and gave it back to Leigh as a wedding gift: a keepsake invitation that was framed and displayed. Leigh wanted to use this idea for a coworker friend who is getting married later this month, so she came to me with the idea since her craft isn't painting. I was up for the challenge. 

Questions:

"What to paint?" - something summery. flowers. what kind of flowers? one flower? a cluster of flowers?

"What colors does the bride love?" - purple. and pink.

"What size?" - something small. something delicate. 

"What medium?" - oil? too heavy. acrylic? possibly. watercolor? depends on the paper. prismacolor pencils? hmmm.. sounds lovely. watercolor pencils? YES.

Decision: 

a pinkish purple hydrangea cluster that would float off of the invitation.

I went outside to take a look at Mom's beloved hydrangeas that the deer keep eating, picked a tiny bloom, and got to work. I love purple. It's such a great color. I used three different shades of it: lavender, rich purple, and a pinkish purple. For the leaf I used a medium shade of green with a dark hunter green. Also, a tiny bit of black was mixed in to darken up some areas. After the drawing was finished, I took a small paintbrush and lightly went over the drawing, blending the colors to look more like a painting. It should be framed with a rich darker purple matting, and I would choose a gold or bronze frame [or maybe high gloss off white]. 

I think that makes for a unique gift! 

ottoman empire

No, no, no .... not talking about the Turkish empire that was the center of interactions between the Eastern and Western worlds for six centuries, you history buffs. I'm talking about the ground that is getting covered by these classic pieces of furni. Unique styles of ottomans are trending, so don't be afraid to add some flair to a room with these props. From high gloss white, to traditional, to shoe storage, to rattan, to fabric patterned... I can't help but love 'em all. I have to say I am most intrigued by the Lilly Pulitzer Home shoe storage ottoman. I mean, what girl with a ridiculous shoe collection wouldn't want that? So efficient. See for yourself!

love. love. love. You otta get one.

P.S. Sorry I haven't been on top of my blog posting game, followers! Distractions, vacations, volunteering, and job searching stresses have gotten the better of me. I promise more posts very soon!

my first estate sale

An all time fave- Soulshine by The Allman Brothers


Our adventure began this morning with a trip to "the neighborhood" in Newnan to look through antiques, trinkets, old furniture, and other junk at my first estate sale excursion! Mom [the veteran] and I [the newby] entered into an older brick house that smelled of moth balls and old. It wasn't pleasant, but we scanned the house for any potential deals or objects we just had to have. Mom was disappointed about the lack of old tools while I found a charming ceramic elephant and an old chair. The elephant is one of those old objects that can become contemporary in the right setting. It has a signature and an old piece of paper with "Delphi, Greece" written on its underside. We assumed that it had been a souvenir from the couple's travels. I've always had a slight fascination with elephants. I won a Jack Hanna drawing contest when I was little by submitting a drawing of elephants. I was pretty proud of that. The next item up for bid was an old chair with the most heinous cushions I have ever encountered. The wood frame, however, was in strong shape and just needs some TLC. I can see it with a new coat of paint + high gloss finish and new, less stinky, more beautiful cushions! It sits slightly back in the perfect comfy, cozy lounge position. I'm excited about this DIY project. Stay tuned for the results!

I have a feeling I'll want to go to another estate sale soon... And I'll probably need to have my own show.. something like "American Pickers" meets "Devine Design."

lovely little jewels

To go along with the jewelry theme, here's Ryan Adam's Pearls on a String. Check out the new "listen here" Grooveshark widget to the left!

I made more examples of the rings I posted about in "shoulda put a ring on it" and even got as adventurous as moving on to bracelets and earrings! I'm keeping it simple with this continuous jewelry project: only wrapping, no tricky clasps or backings. On these bracelets, I used tiny glass beads in gold and seafoam. I've started collecting different kinds of bead chips also like amethyst, coral, and pearls. Round beads don't work as well on the rings, so I go for the natural and randomly cut stone pieces. I hope y'all enjoy looking at these lovely little jewels, and I will post more pictures as the project continues! 

How cute are those little paws?