diy rubber bottomed tote bag

July 21, 2015

Don’t you love those rubber bottomed tote bags? I do! I have been meaning to make myself one for quite some time. I decided to give it a shot when I saw the Ikea straw totes on sale for $2.99! How could I go wrong?

My original plan for a rubber bottomed tote was to create one on a canvas bag and include a monogram. Once I got the bottom on my new straw tote, I changed my mind about the monogram. I preferred the look without it. I will wait until I find a good deal on a canvas tote, then I will make one with a rubber bottom and include a monogram.

This is a super easy project. The only supplies you need are; the tote you plan to use, some tape and paper for masking, and a can of Plasti Dip. You have seen me use Plasti Dip quite a bit if you follow this blog. I really love the product. (I will include some links to other DIY projects using Plasti Dip at the end of this post.) This product was once confined to the garage – but not once I got a hold of it! I adore repurposing products that are carried at a building supply store – Plasti Dip is one of these products!

Rather than the liquid form you have seen me use in the past, I am using the spray version of Plasti Dip for this project. Any spray paint has an overspray, so it is necessary to thoroughly mask any areas that will not be painted. To prepare, I used painter’s tape and newspaper to mask off these areas and I hung the bag upside down on the clothesline. This made it easy to paint. I chose a black paint and sprayed it in two light coats. The natural material of the tote is very porous, so it definitely requires 2 coats. (The texture of the tote will prevent a perfectly sharp line like you would get on fabric.)

That’s it! Just be sure to position the tote as you would use it – you don’t want it folded when you spray it since the rubber material dries hard.

Isn’t it great? I love it! I hope I have inspired you to try this fun and easy project!

Links to 5 other DIY projects using Plasti Dip: Color dipped wooden spoons, On pumpkins, Napkin Rings, Nautical necklace, Seafood swag

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

Sharing with The Shabby Nest, French Country Cottage, Sand & Sisal, Coastal Charm.

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a window view

July 17, 2015

The last time I went into the city, I had a fascination with windows. Sounds crazy, right? I started looking out some old windows with chippy molding and was mesmerized! It seemed the older and dirtier the windows, the more beautiful they became in my eyes. And, if something interesting was near the window – all the better!

You know I am all about a good theme and, apparently, my visit on that particular day was going to be windows!

For Friday field trip today, I am sharing a few of my favorite photos from my ‘window day’ in New York City. I will post a few additional window photos on my Facebook page.

In the words of Anne Spollen in The Shape of Water: “I discovered windows one afternoon and after that, nothing was ever the same.”

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing at House of Hipsters, Craftberry Bush, The Shabby Nest, and French Country Cottage.

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it’s a beach day shopping trip

July 14, 2015

This is the time of year when it is really great to shop all the stores and identify the fun summer items you like, because soon they will all go on sale! Online shopping at the end of any season is fun, but I especially love it at the end of the summer, because I use the clearance coastal items I buy in the summer to decorate all year long! I am sharing a few of the items with a beach vibe that I am loving right now!

West Elm has some really great ‘beachy’ items this summer. I love the whimsical trays (in the photo above) – so practical! And, isn’t the crab pillow (opening photo) adorable?

Arm candy in the summertime is a must! The photo above shows some of the great creations from bba Bracelets (click here for info). All the bracelets are handmade and can be made to order! So fun to design an armful! They are also great for wedding parties and other special events because you can design your own bracelets with coordinating colored beads, tassels, or charms. My other love for arm candy is Kiel James Patrick! What better way to show off a tanned arm than a white rope bracelet with an anchor closure? Love it!

You may remember from my holiday shopping post that Grace in Niantic, CT is a favorite store of mine. The epitome of coastal cool! These are some of my favorite beachy pillows in the current collection of yummy summer items at the shop.

We all know that sometimes disposable paper goods are a must in the summer! These cuties from West Elm make disposable more than acceptable at any casual gathering!

At $4.99 even the regular price of this Ikea straw bag makes it a crafters delight! I have decorated it in so many different ways and it makes a great alternative to a gift bag for summer giving!

For my furniture projects, Anthropologie is always a go-to for cool hardware…this summer, I am loving the sea life on these knobs!

A cute tote is always in order in the summer, and a great way to help the kids get organized is to have them carrying their own stuff! This adorable tote from Pottery Barn Kids fits the bill perfectly! And, by the way, don’t think the items in PB Kids are just for kids! I bought a great insulated lunch bag with old school stainless storage containers for myself from the catalog!

For myself, in place of a tote bag, I prefer this Sailor stripe backpack by Baggu…cool, right?

I hope I inspired you to do a little summer perusing of your own! There are plenty of great items out there – like these awesome ice cube trays available at Nordstrom. Cheers!

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

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dusk in the garden

July 10, 2015

At the beach or in the garden, the light at dusk is my favorite light of the day.

I am enjoying the opportunity to explore a yard I haven’t seen before at this glorious time of day.

And, today for Friday field trip, I am sharing my visit with you.

Many would have found the challenge of creating a pleasing landscape in a sloping yard with plenty of trees and ledge as too much to handle.

That is not the case with the owners of this yard! If the abundance of shade presented a challenge, it is not evident to anyone who visits this beautiful and imaginative space.

The details are lovely and there are plenty of unique features.

I think one of my favorite aspects of the garden spaces is that where many may have used white, (on a pair of Adirondack chairs, planters, garden shelves, fence) this couple chose to use black as a ‘go-to’ color. The use of the darker color brings a sense of richness to the design.

I hope you have enjoyed a few glimpses of this lovely space today on Friday field trip. Thanks for stopping by.

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

Sharing with Nancherrow, The Shabby Nest, French Country Cottage, and Craftberry Bush.

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american waters: a marine exhibition

July 3, 2015

For today’s Friday field trip, I am very excited to take you to American Waters: A Marine Art Exhibition in Old Lyme, Connecticut. This summer exhibition of work by the country’s premier maritime artists is on view in the Lyme Art Association’s beautiful sky-lit galleries. American Waters represents a showing of the very best of fine contemporary American marine paintings. A jury exhibition of marine art by the Association’s member artists are on view alongside art by invited artists from the American Society of Marine Artists.

One of my very favorite pieces from the collection is View from the Top by James Magner.

Here is a detail photo from the piece. I wish I had the budget to purchase the entire collection of over 120 works (which I don’t), but if I had the budget to purchase just one for myself, this may very well be my choice!

Remember that these paintings are far more magnificent in person than a photo could ever convey. Also, in the gallery the pieces are all displayed in frames. Here, I chose to show them to you without the frames since I thought the frames were distracting in a photograph. With that being said, here are some of my other favorite works.

Discovery by Shauna Shane

Beached by Joan Poarch

Meandering by Kim Muller-Thym

Dog Days by Catherine Puccio

Solitude by Faripour Forouhar

Morning Light by Kent Winchell

Slack Time by Deborah Kotchen

I hope you enjoyed sharing some of the wonderful works on display at The Lyme Art Association. If you live in Connecticut or are passing through, be sure to stop by the exhibit – it is easily accessible off I95 and well worth a visit.

I am very much looking forward to the Art Association’s upcoming exhibition Summer Days, Starry Nights & Connecticut Pastel Society opening on August 14th. If you want more details about upcoming exhibits, check the website by clicking here for more information.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing with Thoughts From Alice, Finding Silver Pennies, and House of Hipsters.

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patriotic driftwood bubble wands

June 26, 2015

The Fourth of July at the beach is great! And, just like in the rest of the nation, some serious red, white, and blue action is going down! It starts early in the day with the kick-off red, white, and blue parade. The kiddies dress themselves, their bikes, their dogs – and just about anything else you can think of – in the colors of the day! Once the evening arrives, a magnificent display of fireworks is the crowning glory of these patriotic hues.

The relaxed vibe at the beach makes it easy to create – most times using items found on the beach. A classic example is the crab catcher. This handy item is crafted from an old wooden clothespin and some string. When baited with whatever scrap of meat or meat related product can be salvaged, it works its magic!

Another handy item for the beach is a bubble maker aka bubble wand. For the holiday, this can be a fun patriotic craft! Using some dish detergent (1 tablespoon dish liquid per 1 cup water) and some homemade bubble wands, it is super simple to create some fun in the sand. Running along the beach after bubbles can keep the young (or young at heart) occupied for hours!

Bubble wands are easy to make using pipe cleaners and driftwood. They can be decorated with shells, scraps of ribbon, or any other number of items washed up on shore. Some crafters take time for elaborate decorations. while others work fast; anxious to get to the bubble part! (Yes, the star shapes do work to make bubbles, but are much more complicated for young fingers to create.)

For today’s Friday field trip, I wanted to show you some of the wands I made at the beach. You can use wire or stiff ribbon – anything that will hold its shape. I used items I already had. The smaller ones here are made with a sparkly wired ribbon and the others are made with metallic pipe cleaners.

I like to make the bubbles by dipping the wands into a shallow container of the bubble liquid; especially for the larger bubble wands. This makes it easy to dip the wand and the shallow container helps avoid knocking over the solution. Remember, the larger the wand, the larger the bubble!

And, for some extra night time fun, break open a glow stick to add to your bubble solution for some glow-in-the-dark bubbles!

I hope I have inspired you to create some bubble wands of your own!

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

Sharing with House of Hipsters, Thoughts From Alice, Craftberry Bush, Nancherrow, and The Shabby Nest.

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baby robins are born

June 23, 2015

How was your Father’s Day weekend? As I suspect it is for most gals that have lost their dads, Father’s Day is kind of sad for me. When my children were small, I was wonderfully distracted by helping them with festivities to celebrate their dad. As they get older; not so much.

This year, I had a wonderful distraction. Over the past weekend, I was able to watch a new dad take care of his two babies! The dad I am referring to is a father robin and he has been caring for his two little newborn birds in a nearby primrose bush!

The little newborns are so cute – in an ugly sort of way, of course. I will have another 10 days or so before they leave the nest and I am enjoying the show! Both parents are frantically back and forth to the nest, feeding the little tikes.

When the parents are away from the nest, the babies stay very still and look like they are hiding. Instinctively, I think they must stay still for protection. As soon as the parents come close, the little ones have their mouths wide open and are ready to accept the next morsel!

You may have seen the Instagram video (click here and click follow to see Instagram postings) I posted a couple of days ago with the actual birth – it took the little babies a good part of the day to peck through the shells. When they were done, the father cleared the broken shell pieces out of the nest. (Dad on clean up? Doesn’t really translate to most human families lol!)

Because of the position of the nest, I have had a really easy time viewing the process…the best of any other year. I sneak peeks occasionally, when the parents are off on their food quests. The next milestone for me will be to see the babies open their eyes – this should happen in a day or two!

I hope you enjoyed seeing this year’s Father’s Day tribute. ;)

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

Sharing with Sand & Sisal, Coastal Charm, and Elizabeth & Co.

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ikea dresser redo with annie sloan

June 19, 2015

This Ikea dresser has really made the rounds! In its first life, it was a dresser in a young boy’s room. It performed that job marvelously, then made its way to a college apartment. Here too, it was a sturdy piece that provided plenty of storage.

But, when it crossed over into ‘adult’ life, it was time for a makeover! Join me in my painting studio (aka: my backyard) for Friday field trip today to check out how some Annie Sloan paint and a few new knobs have updated this Ikea piece.

The first thing it needed was a little cleaning and some wood fill in a few spots. And, because it was crafted of a knotty wood, I knew it needed to be sealed to prevent any knots from showing through the paint. So, I applied a coat of Zinsser primer sealer.

After that, I used two coats of Annie Sloan French Linen – one of my favorite colors for a beachy look!

From here, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to add an anchor…or, maybe some stripes? I decided finding knobs would be my first order of business since purchasing twelve knobs at a decent price was not going to be easy. The dresser came with wooden knobs and I was hoping not to reuse them. Unfortunately, every knob I liked was $6 or $7 and purchasing twelve at this price was beyond my budget!

I started contemplating making some knobs out of rope; thinking I may try to make some monkey’s fist knots and started researching how to tie them.

Then, I got a call from a friend who said she found some great rope knobs at Home Goods and they came in packages of 6. When I discovered the knobs were actually monkey’s fist knots and each package was $12.99, I knew these were my knobs!

After purchasing two packages of the knobs, I knew I wanted to do a grain sack style stripe to coordinate with them, so I masked off and painted the stripes using Annie Sloan Old White paint. It is easy to mask stripes with blue painter’s tape, but it does take a little patience! After the stripes were dry, I mixed a wash of Old White paint and water (approximately 70% water). I painted this over the piece, working a section at a time and wiping it off with a cloth after painting it on with a brush. I love the way the wash gives some depth to the piece and helps with the beachy vibe.

Next, I added a coat of Annie Sloan clear wax. After that, I did some distressing, concentrating on roughing up the white stripes. After the distressing, I added a second coat of clear wax.

Doesn’t it look great? I am finishing it off by using some old nautical maps for drawer liners. :)

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

Sharing with Finding Silver Pennies, Nancherrow, Craftberry Bush, The Shabby Nest, and French Country Cottage.

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jaws 40th anniversary party with printable

June 12, 2015

Duh-duh, Duh-Duh, Duh-DUH! (Click here for more!) That’s right…40 years since the movie Jaws hit the theaters for the very first time! No doubt, the movie needs to be watched (for the five hundred and thirty ninth time?) on June 20th to mark this very special day!

My family is one of shark fanatics…we anxiously await Shark Week on Discovery Channel each year…we have had the pleasure of eating a dinner of freshly caught shark (by my fisherman dad), AND, we know most of the significant (as well as the not so significant) lines in the movie Jaws by heart! So, in honor of the Jaws anniversary, Friday field trip will go back 40 years this week to pay tribute to this cinema classic.

Granted, many of us in New England have had issues with going in the water since watching this movie – particularly after the very first viewing.

A 40th anniversary viewing party is in order and there will be plenty of themed snacks and fun trivia contests! Some of my family members are impossible to stump, but I keep trying! Why not send your party invite on a beach ball? Blow up a small beach ball and add the party details with a permanent marker. Then, deflate the ball before mailing…fun!

And, who could resist these fun ice cube trays!

So, amidst all the decorating you may do for your viewing party, a little candy treat favor is fun to add to to the mix. For my candy bags, I have packaged up blue gummy sharks and candy beach balls. There are so many candy options you can use if you prefer to substitute what I chose to use. You can even do Swedish fish or goldfish crackers –really, any beachy item will work!

I piled mine up in a beach bucket and added it to my Jaws themed décor. The printable I have included here is sized for 8 1/2″ x 11″ paper – I prefer the weighty paper of a card stock, but you can use regular weight paper if you prefer. Four treat bag headers print out on each page. After cutting the paper in four, you can fold each piece to use as a header for a Jaws themed treat bag! Purchase cellophane bags that are the same width as the headers and trim to the length needed based on your contents. I use a couple of staples to attach the headers – first using a blue permanent marker on the staples so they coordinate a little better with the blue on my header design.

Click here for a free printable of the treat bag toppers.

“You’re gonna need a bigger boat!” Happy Viewing!

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

P.S. If you’d like me to send you a copy of my Jaws trivia contest, just shoot me an email and I will email it to you!

Sharing with House of Hipsters, Thoughts from Alice, The Shabby Nest, Craftberry Bush, and Crafts a la Mode.

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country living magazine fair 2015

June 9, 2015

I am so lucky. I get the chance to attend the best fair ever! The Country Living Magazine Fair is held in four spots across the U.S. each year and one of the locations is the Northeast!

The Dutchess County Fairgrounds are located in Rhinebeck, New York and each year, for three days in the beginning of June, it is host to the Country Living Magazine Fair.

The Rhinebeck countryside pleasure in simple things blog

Driving through the Rhinebeck, NY countryside.

This venue is amazing. Think lush, green grass and beautiful landscaping – with views of rolling hills. Think real, (not portable) nicely maintained restrooms. Think great food. (maybe a delicious chicken lemongrass salad for lunch?) Think free parking. Yes, it is amazing.

The Fair provides tons of great inspiration and shopping, seminars and demonstrations, and a chance to meet the magazine’s editors as well as some fun celebrities.

So, as I attempt to settle down from my busy weekend exploring the Country Living Fair and the community of Rhinebeck with friends, I am sharing some of my weekend inspiration with you.

I hope you enjoy these few photos from my weekend. You can also find some additional photos on Facebook by clicking here or on Instagram by clicking here.