sea glass diy gift tags

December 11, 2015

For Friday field trip today, we are visiting ‘gift wrap central’ where I designed some gift tags to go along with my sea glass holiday theme.

I decided the perfect detail for my gift tags was grommets. Not only are they currently a big fashion trend, but they add a nice ‘beachy’ vibe to my tags!

Since I was designing these gift tags myself, I wanted to make them unique. That was part of the reason I decided to make them a little different shape than a typical gift tag. I decided on long rectangles – cutting card stock into 1“ x 4 1/4“ strips.

After I cut the tags, I added the grommet detail. If you decide to make these – don’t be intimidated by the grommets! They come in 2 pieces and are easily applied using a simple 2-piece metal tool and a hammer. The grommets and tool are inexpensive and are available at any craft store. Believe me; once you apply your first grommet, you will come up with tons of applications!

I used twine on my tags to stay consistent with my theme. Lastly, I used a big dab of strong glue, careful not to let the glue show, to attach a small piece of sea glass to each tag. Pretty easy, right?

I love the way these tags came out! It makes me eager to get wrapping!

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

1 comment

message in a bottle ornament diy

December 4, 2015

My imagination is in overdrive this year for my ornament designs since I chose sea glass as my holiday theme and I love anything with a coastal theme! I have so many ornament ideas, but I am limiting myself to a few designs because there is so much to accomplish in preparation for the holidays and not enough time to do it all!

One ornament I knew I wanted to create was one that was inspired by a message in a bottle. Today, for Friday field trip, I am providing the instructions to make this easy to create ornament. I chose to use an iridescent, clear glass, hollow globe ornament instead of the obvious choice of a small bottle.

Rather than write the ‘message’ myself, I opted to use a scrap of paper that already had writing on it, ripping the edges before rolling it up and tying it with a small scrap of twine.

I removed the top that came with the ornament and I poured some sand into the globe. Since it is the holidays, a little optional glitter is a nice addition to the sand! Next, I added the prepared message.

I replaced the top of the ornament with a cork. It is really simple to repurpose a cork since it is easy to trim with a knife to the size needed. After trimming the cork to the size I needed to fit snuggly in the top of the ornament, I screwed in a small screw eye and added a piece of twine for hanging. Any scrap of thin ribbon or rope will do in place of the twine.

That’s my ‘message in a bottle’ ornament! Easy, right? This is a wonderful ornament to make as a gift for a newly married couple. Use sand from their honeymoon for inside the ornament and write their wedding date or a love note on the ‘message!’

I hope I have inspired you to create your own message in a bottle ornament!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

no comments

i am thankful

November 27, 2015

It has been a very hectic week, but I had Thanksgiving off and so did my children, and I was able to share the day with family.

I took pleasure in so many of the wonderfully simple things that make a holiday so very special. I thought I would share a few of the things I was thankful for this Thanksgiving Day:

I spent the day with my children!

Even though she needed to get up in the wee hours of the morning to start preparation of the 29 1/2 lb. turkey, my sis not only made a perfect bird and tons of food, but she took extra time to master a cherry pie garnish that put a smile on everyone’s face!

My mom couldn’t be at Thanksgiving, but she told me she loved me when I called to check in on her. :) She is someone I am thankful for every day!

Knowing how much I love lemon meringue pie, a friend spent the extra time to make me a whole pie of my own to take home!

And, the blessing I have that you are here to share pleasure in simple things with me…thank you!

I wish you all a fabulous holiday weekend! xo Jackie

no comments

photo drink labels for the holiday

November 24, 2015

I love a good theme. Part of what makes a great entertaining theme successful is consistency in the details. It also makes it fun for guests – because they are finding cool ways the theme has been brought into every detail. When it is the holidays, I like to take the details to the highest level!

I want to share one of these details with you today – and, that is bottle labels! I don’t know about you, but in my house there is a certain contingency that drink from bottles – beer to be exact! Because my guys are so particular about their beers – microbreweries and such, I am not able to choose a beer that sticks with my theme. The wine drinkers can be a little more flexible – and for this year’s sea glass theme, I may just be able to sneak in a Sea Glass wine to stay on theme!

Instead of trying to fight the selections, I will just modify the look of the drinks that are chosen with my own personally designed labels! This can be accomplished easily with a home printer, some labels, and some favorite photos!

Today, for those of you who may have some ‘issues’ with setting up forms on your home computer, I am showing you some labels that can be easily created using a website that specializes in photo gifts. There are plenty of them out there. I happen to think Pinhole Press puts out an exceptional quality product and the labels here were ordered from their website.

Using photos from my time at the beach and my own wording, I created both a beer bottle sized label and a wine sized label that I will use for the holidays. Now, no matter what bottle comes into the house, it will be right on theme! Aah!

I created one design for beer bottles and one for wine bottles. If you are challenged in the computer design/printing department, you can check out how easily you can create labels using Pinhole Press by clicking here.

I hope I have inspired you to create your own special labels!

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

no comments

christmas feathers

November 17, 2015

Last week wasn’t a very good week for my ‘to do’ list! The rainy days threw off my whole painting schedule. I was so disappointed because I had planned to paint furniture outside and I was eager to finish a very special piece I am currently working on. (More on that in a future post!) In addition, my holiday preparations pretty much came to a screeching halt as I got distracted with some cooking, cleaning, and all around general errands!

But, as I was washing all the windows in my house the other day, I started thinking about how I would add some feathers to my holiday décor. I love feathers and I really want to incorporate some into my sea glass theme for the holiday – especially since they remind me of seagulls.

So, I did get a little distracted from my windows with some holiday thoughts and I had to paint some feathers that evening while I had a vision! I decided I would paint some in metallic gold and some in metallic sea glass colors. They came out great and I know I will use them later in my place settings and maybe, also, in some of my gift wrap. And, by adding a gold thread to the feather, it turns into a beautiful holiday ornament!

Painted feathers are so beautiful and can really be adapted to any décor and are super easy to make. Just paint feathers using acrylic paint by applying it gently using cotton swabs.

I think these feathers will look great with my sea glass holiday décor. . .I hope I have inspired you to use some feathers in your décor!

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

no comments

diy sea themed advent calendar

November 10, 2015

I haven’t gathered up all the supplies I will need for my sea glass themed Christmas décor just yet, but I have been working on a few things and today I am sharing this year’s advent calendar.

The design I came up with to coordinate with my sea glass themed holiday, although a simple one, produced really beautiful results!

I started with Halloween candy from the clearance rack of a discount store. You know, that 75% off stuff?!

I wrapped up pieces of candy (the little boxes work really well) – one for each day – in white paper. With some natural twine, I tied a little beach find to each package…a piece of sea glass, a rock, a piece of driftwood…

Then, I added a number to each. (I made the numbers by printing them onto clear labels using my home printer and adhering them to each package.)

Next, I arranged each wrapped ‘day’ onto a wooden tray. So simple, yet so beautiful! Tucking a string of battery operated mini lights into the arrangement will add a beautiful glow to the natural materials I collected on the sand.

The perfect advent calendar for my sea glass Christmas theme! What do you think?

If this coastal look doesn’t go with your holiday theme, there are certainly many ways to change up the wrapped candy to accommodate whatever your theme may be. Here is an example of a variation using birch bark stars on the boxes instead of beach items. See how easy the calendar can be changed up to go with an outdoors theme? Use paper and decorative items that best fit with your décor. Then, arrange the packages in a basket, a silver bowl, a clear jar, or lined up on your mantel – whatever works for your holiday theme!

I hope I have inspired you to create your own version of an advent calendar. Seas & greetings! ;)

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing with Sand & Sisal, Thoughts from Alice, and Finding Silver Pennies.

no comments

a sea glass christmas

November 6, 2015

I shared my 2015 holiday theme with you in the last post. My inspiration for this year’s Christmas decor is sea glass.

So, for Friday field trip today, I am giving you a quick little glimpse into how my inspiration is taking shape.

The first items I always incorporate into my holiday theme are my children’s baby cups. I love finding imaginative ways to bring them into my Christmas decor each year. With the sea glass theme, it is pretty easy! I am going to fill the cups with sea glass and sea glass colored bottle brush trees!

What do you think? Am I off to a good start? Next post I will share my sea glass advent calendar design. :)

Thanks for stopping in and sharing!

Have a wonderful weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

no comments

holiday dreaming

November 3, 2015

The last couple of years, I have been behind schedule on holiday preparations. When I think that it is already November and I am just now putting down some thoughts about my 2015 holiday theme, I feel so off my holiday game!

I have chosen a theme. Sea glass is my overall theme for this year. Of course, there are sure to be some other coastal influences mixed in. Inspired by one of the sea glass photos I took, I painted a few swatches of colors I would like to use for my holiday.

Looking through some more of my photos, my thoughts run to other things I may bring into my holiday décor…

Seagulls are a staple at the beach in the winter. I like the idea of representing them with feathers. I always love adding feathers to the tree. I can also use them with twine in some of my gift wrap in plenty of sea glass colors. The color of snow and the colors of sea glass look so perfect together for the holidays!

I also like the idea of ‘message in a bottle.’ I think I will make some ornaments in this theme.

I’m sure I will make a sea creature ornament or two also! And, of course I will use plenty of driftwood from my collection. The Christmas tree and piles of gifts will go into big baskets. I have plenty to work with!

My first DIY for the holiday season will be to create an advent calendar. I bought bagged Halloween candy; now on clearance. The bags of small boxed treats are perfect to craft an advent calendar. Buy some now yourself (be sure to get 24 – and maybe a few extra for snitching) to use for your calendar. If you don’t like my sea themed idea, you can always make a variation of it. I will show you how in an upcoming post.

Do you use a theme for your holiday? What did you choose for this year?

Thanks for stopping by. Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

no comments

november book giveaway!

October 30, 2015

Yes, I have given away an adult coloring book in a previous giveaway. But, I can’t resist giving away Johanna Basford’s newest title, Lost Ocean for this month’s giveaway!

An ocean theme? Come on! I needed this to be the November giveaway selection! The Lost Ocean is sure to help ease some stress, as well as put a smile on your face, by providing some ocean themed coloring pages.

And, for this November giveaway, I am throwing in some colored pencils as well! Just leave a comment for a chance to win! Happy coloring! :)

Samantha is the winner of the September giveaway selection and winner of the book Desserts 4 Today by Abigail Johnson Dodge. Enjoy Samantha!

In this month leading up to Thanksgiving, the dessert focus is always on the pies. I’m not the biggest pie fan. So, for this month’s Instagram challenge, I say – let’s highlight desserts and show all the great alternatives to traditional pie! Use hashtag #pleasuregram for this month’s Instagram challenge to share photos of favorite desserts. Instayum!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

25 comments

before & after with napoleonic blue

October 27, 2015

You know I love my neutrals! So you will understand why my last furniture redo took me out of my comfort zone. I painted it in Annie Sloan Napoleonic Blue! Yes, a deep blue! Why? When I saw the piece, I just thought it needed blue!

I didn’t leave it straight blue though. I added a wash to tone it down a bit and add some texture.

I thought it was a lovely piece. I did some minor repairs to it and cleaned it up a bit. Then, I started by painting it in two coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Napoleonic Blue.

My next step was to add a wash of Country Grey. I chose Country Grey because I wanted a vintage look and I thought a white or beige would be too bright to give the look I was trying to achieve. I mixed water with the Country Grey in a disposable pan – probably a 60/40 mix; using 60% water. I brushed on the wash and quickly wiped it off with a piece of cheesecloth to get my desired texture.

After letting it sit a couple days, I added a coat of Annie Sloan clear wax. I let it cure for a few days and then did some light distressing before adding a second coat of clear wax.

I found some great knobs in Home Goods that coordinate perfectly with the piece and look the same as the knobs in a pricier store!

I think it is a wonderful transformation and a great result for my first time blue project!

Now I need to get rid of a couple pieces to make space for some new projects! I am excited to start my next project – a family heirloom for a friend that will serve as a lasting reminder of a special family member…can’t wait to start it!

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

P.S. If you would like to see instructions on how to make my velvet pumpkins like the ones pictured, click here for a tutorial!

1 comment

« Previous Entries Next Entries »

pleasure in simple things

search

categories

recent posts

archives

my friends & favs

sea glass diy gift tags

message in a bottle ornament diy

i am thankful

photo drink labels for the holiday

christmas feathers

diy sea themed advent calendar

a sea glass christmas

holiday dreaming

november book giveaway!

before & after with napoleonic blue