Friday on the Flightline

This past weekend was the annual Wings Over Houston airshow.   We didn't go to the actual airshow, but we did spent Friday at the airfield, where my husband works, watching the airshow practice.  So awesome.  I really think I enjoyed it more than my four year old.  I wish my older son could have been on the flightline with us, but he was in school.  I don't have any photos of the plane stunts, due to a crappy zoom (a new camera is REALLY on my wishlist), but I thought I'd share some of the ones I got of my son on the ground.  :)

Rylan and an Apache

For those who aren't familiar, an Apache is an attack helicopter... this one is of course empty, but missiles are usually held under that wing.

Wider shot:

Here my husband is showing little man the big gun under the helicopter.

After the first jet went over at about 100 ft off the ground, we realized we should probably have some ear plugs in.  :)

We've also been working hard the past few days, wrapping up our Halloween costumes.  I can't wait to show you guys!

-Courtney



Seashell Shadow-box

So are you sick of seeing this fabric yet?  haha. 

I was looking for some way to create inexpensive art, while also bringing blue into this area.

I had this shadow box that was literally, collecting tons and tons of dirt on the garage.

I purchased it... oh, at least 5 years ago, with good intentions, yet I pulled it out of the garage looking like so:

Notice even the price tag is still on it?  I guess it is a good thing I bought it back then, because the me now, that has been newly dubbed Cheapo-Courtney, probably wouldn't invest $20 in a frame.

Anyway, I cleaned it up - No small feat!- and ripped off the mat.   It didn't really go with the look I was aiming for. 

I then lined the felt on the back with my ol' standby blue stripes.  I do realize I need to go back in and adjust that fabric.  It doesn't look as bad in person, but the above photo really makes me see the gap in the two scraps.

I placed white scrapbooking paper over a sheet of black, and went to work with these:

These shells were found along the Texas coast, on Galveston Island while my sons did a little of this:

Ah, good stuff.

I laid out the shells and played with the arrangement until I found one I liked.

I then taped down each shell with extra sticky packing tape.  For the heavier shells, I braced them with sewing needles (pins), that in my mind can also be used as 'specimen pins'.   :)

I then sealed it up, and hung it.

Wa-la.

Total cost (if you consider money spent in the last 4 years- haha) $0.  :)

-Courtney

Less than 3 weeks.

A personal update- In less than three weeks, we'll have a baby!

Now who wants to come and rotate night shifts with me so I can get some sleep after he comes?

LOL.

jk.   Sort of.   :)



New Euro Pillows!

Remember this extra fabric, used in the Fabric as Art post?

Well, I also had some extra white duck from the baby bedding project.

I also had two euro pillow forms that weren't being used.

My bare-minimums husband hates that I store extra 'stuff', but it really comes in handy for making extra projects for FREE.  :)

After measuring, I discovered that my striped fabric pieces weren't wide enough to cover the Euro pillows.  Rats.  I knew I'd have to use the white duck as the back, but I soon realized I'd also have to create some sort of border with the white to make the striped fabric fully cover the front.

It's a bit hard to see on the white comforter, but the following photo shows white strips sewn to two sides.

I then sewed the same size border pieces to the top and bottom leaving the corners loose.

I then pinned the corners like so, and sewed.

After completing all four corners, I just finished up in the normal pillow method- face the fabrics together, pin, sew, flip, stuff, and sew shut.

Bed before:

Bed after!

The ultimate frugal DIY... using things you already have, and not spending a dime, to create a look you want.

:)

-Courtney

Linking up to:

Genius, I tell you.

No, not me.   LOL.

Whoever came up with this idea.

You recognize it right?  By the way, I found this photo at the ThisOldHouse website.

This vanity is based around one of those cheap (normally very ugly), under $100, vanities from a big box store, that includes the sink/countertop already attached.

What a genius way to make something so plain and blah look customized.

Speaking of bathrooms, I'm painting one of ours today.  Send me happy husband vibes will ya?  He's in for a surprise when he gets home from work.   heh.  :)

-Courtney

Camping out with the boys

Yesterday afternoon the boys set up the tent with their dad. 

Ahhh... the great outdoors.

Okay, well... maybe we should say the great backyard.  :)

"The family is one of nature's masterpieces."

Lesson learned- when you tell a crazy four year old to stop making such a crazy face, he'll usually do this..

One of their favorite things to do is play Hoola-hoop toss.  Simple rules really.  Dad tosses the hoop, they're the target.

They love it.

They ended the night with a little hotdog roast over the fire.

Mommy would have preferred some oooy-gooy smores, but owell.  :)

Hope you're making some fabulous memories with your own family this weekend.  <3

-Courtney

 

Fabric as Art!

Fabric as Art.

Have extra fabric?

Have empty frames that need to be filled?

Using glass as template, just cut and frame!

Wa-La!

Fabric as Art.

Have a fantastic Weekend!

-Courtney

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