happy new year

I certainly didn't intend to take the entire month of December off, but there were too many projects going on.  I will post before the end of the week with pics of everything.  Hoping to get more rest and find balance this year!  Beautiful graphic below from the graphics fairy

Christmas Wreath Start to Finish

The after pics have already been posted, but I thought I would post a few more of how I started.  To tell the truth, I was very nervous to start this.  I thought some of the vintage bulbs would shatter with all the hot glue, but all was well.  Again, I got some simple instructions from Georgia Peachez on this website, but it was just text, no pictures. Here's how mine started:

I started by wrapping tinsel garland around an extruded styrofoam wreath.  The extruded ones are the ones that are completely round, not flat on the back.  Wrapping the garland provides a good background as well as making the back of the wreath look nice.  In hindsight, I should have used more garland, but all turned out fine.  I started by hot gluing the ornaments around the outside like the tutorial suggests.  These wreaths take quite a bit of glue (which will probably result in burning hot glue on your fingers) and quite a bit of time.  This isn't a quick project, but they are so beautiful, they're worth it.

Sorry for the blurry iphone photo.  Keep filling in with more ornaments.  You'll need more than you think.  Definitely get some extra small ornaments too to fill in the gaps.  Here it is again, the finished project:

Don't be afraid; try it!

Happy Thanksgiving

Have a wonderful holiday; will post pics of all the projects I've been working on next week.

image found here

Happy Veterans Day

Take time to honor those who serve and sacrifice...

Election Day

Make sure you get out and vote today; it's one of the most important rights we have.

Image found here...

Vintage Ornament Wreaths

Busy weekend making vintage ornament wreaths; I followed the basic tutorial I found from Georgia Peachez and here is my slightly different version:

I really love this pink one and the pictures just don't do it justice:

I am terrified that these are going to fall or get dropped which of course would mean total destruction.  I can't wait to get these to BAYarts so they're off my hands and hopefully into the hands of a buyer!

Linking to:

Jennifer Rizzo

Under The Table and Dreaming Sunday Showcase

Bad Blogger

I get annoyed when my favorite bloggers don't update on a regular basis and...then I take a month off blogging.  So hypocritical.  I haven't been sitting around, though.  Life is busy. Even though it's fall, which means the end of summer, which means I should have finished/sold most of my big pieces, here is my garage:

I really don't think I'm a hoarder.  I just like furniture.  I like refinishing it and making it beautiful again. Mr. Vintage Novella disagrees.  Not with the fact that I make it beautiful.  He disagrees with the hoarding label. ;-)  Some of this though will be for sale for the holiday season at one of my favorite organizations.

So, to get ready for the holiday season, I need to start making my scrabble ornaments.  Luckily my favorite aunt is helping me sort all of these tiles:

Yes, these are all iphone photos since I've been too busy to get the big girl camera out.  In addition to starting to make items for BAYarts, I've had to fluff my space at the antique store.  Christmas always starts early:

This pretty pink tree sold to a good friend's daughter two days after I put it up! A good problem to have.

Speaking of trees, I've been bleaching bottle brush trees (ignore the cluttered countertop in the background):

Today I started working on this gorgeous dresser which is going to BAYarts next month.  It's in rough shape, but it's so gorgeous I am determined to save it:

I mean, check out these legs:

She's going to get a coat of Annie Sloan chalk paint in Antoinette, a pretty pink color.

In addition to all of these projects, I've had tons of papers to grade (but it's more bearable with my favorite pens):

And if that weren't enough, my furry child demands that I sit with him every night:

It's exhausting just thinking about all this. Time for bed.