Have you ever thought to matte art with burlap? It actually looks pretty good. I had a large area of white wall in the guest bathroom that needed some color. I wanted to use a vintage ski (we live in the mountains) tin art sign I bought from Amazon but it was too small for this large amount of white space. I decided to use a large pine frame I purchased from Ikea with burlap as the matte for the art. It created a great impact on this white wall. It was simple and came out looking pretty good for a very small cost. There are all kinds of ways you can use burlap with art. Try using burlap as the matte for a bunch of vintage postcards or as the background for a shadow box. Get a large frame, piece of burlap, and some kind of art you want framed. Measure the burlap, cut the burlap to the size of the board, iron it out if it's wrinkled, glue on board, measure and mark where you would like your art, and tape on the burlap. Looks pretty good for very little effort. … [Read more...]
St. Patrick’s Day Inspiration
I was browsing around on Pinterest today and came across some cute St. Patrick's Day craft ideas. I've never decorated for St. Patrick's day. Do people really decorate for this holiday? I'm Irish but I've never felt the urge to hang a shamrock wreath on my door! Maybe now that I have a baby, I feel different about it. Like it wouldn't be such a bad thing to get into it a little bit. I would like to bake something and make green frosting. I've never done that. Anyhow, Pinterest gave me some inspiration that I thought I would share on here for anyone else that might feel like getting into it a little bit. flower arrangement A simple display of green florals may be all you need to put you in the spirit (from Pottery Barn). display of green bud vases From Pottery Barn send a notecard to a friend Tape a clover to your card to give it a St. Patty's Day touch. (from Pottery Barn) subway art I thought this was really cute. It's a 5x7 print. You can frame it or use it as a card. You can download the printable here. lucky sign I like this sign and it doesn't seem to difficult to make. Check out the tutorial here. green velvet cake pops I'd like to make … [Read more...]
Life is Good at the Beach
It has been a while since I've put anything on the blog. I've got projects to share that I'll be posting soon. Like everyone else, we've been busy and time flies by like clouds passing in the sky. We've had many beautiful days playing at the beach. We've chased birds, built sand castles, and played in the ocean. We've visited with family, gone on many walks, and splashed around in the swimming pool. Recently we went to the pumpkin patch, ran around in the hay and fed the goats. It has been a great past two months. Here are a few pics to capture some of these memorable moments. Love the beach!So much fun playing in the sandRunning aroundFeeding babyMore funLife is goodAt my friend from first grade- Rachelle's wedding in SBHangin with a horse and a few goatsPumpkin patch fun … [Read more...]
Our Trip to the Eastern Caribbean
We recently got back from being on a cruise and it was 1o days of bliss! I had never been on a cruise and didn't have too many expectations. Our experience far exceeded what I thought it would be. The weather was beautiful, the beaches we went to were paradise, and the activities and everything about the ship was fabulous. I would absolutely do it again! I did miss my little Sophia but I must admit it was nice to have a break. Next time, I think I'll bring her along. I know she would love it! Here are just a few pics from our vacation. This was our first night on the ship after dinner. Happy to be on vacation! It was a little breezy this night (had to hold my dress down!). Hanging out at the pool after dinner one night. The morning we arrived to St. Thomas. Laying out on the ship, reading books and listening to music. Cruising around the ship. We rented a seadoo in Antigua. This was fun! This was at the beach in St. Thomas. The water was perfectly clear and warm. What a great day at the most beautiful beach in Antigua. A beautiful beach in Tortola. Departing one of the ports before dinner. Feeling blessed. Sunset before departing a port. Driving to one … [Read more...]
More Captured Moments
The biggest reason I started My Sophia Ryan was to document Sophia's memorable moments. I've been distracted with sharing my DIY projects. So here are just a few photos from this last month. Okay, more than a few. Time flies when you're having fun and I'm really glad I have all these photos to look back on in the future. I love capturing and preserving these precious moments, they fill my heart, they help me remember. How adorable are they? This is Sophia's best friend Timmy. He's four months younger than her and the cutest little boy you've ever seen. It's been so much fun watching the two of them grow and change month to month.Out for an afternoon walk, enjoying beautiful Mammoth.We spend a lot of time at the park. Sophia loves the swings, the slides, the other kids, and everything else that comes with going to the park. When we drive up to the park, she starts kicking her legs and waving her arms with enthusiasm. It's so cute!To the side of the park is this beautiful creek. She loves the creek-she really loves anywhere where there is water.Another park day.Watching her favorite movie, A Turtles Tale.These pictures didn't come out very good but I'm so glad I got them. She was … [Read more...]
All You Need Is Love Sign
I haven't gotten this project right yet but I'm going to share it with you guys anyway. I really like this frame. It suits the rustic decor that goes with living in the mountains. Originally, my mom made this sign for our wedding we had here in Mammoth. She stenciled the letters of our names on a piece burlap, painted the letters white and framed it. After the wedding, I decided I wanted to stencil "all you need is love" on drop cloth and use the frame. Rather than using stencils, I printed out my own letters using Georgia font (size 400). I was going to trace them on the drop cloth and paint the letters the same way I did the monogrammed pillows I made recently. My husband thought that sounded like too much work and suggested he spray paint the letters I had printed then glue them on the drop cloth. He talked me into and it ended up looking pretty good. This is before I glued the letters down. I wasn't crazy about the drop cloth. It was too light in contrast with the color of the frame. I don't know, I just didn't like it. So I pulled all the letters off the drop cloth, stapled a piece of burlap over the board and glued the letters back on. I know it sounds a little crazy … [Read more...]
Summertime Pics
As I scroll through the dozens of photos I've taken of Sophia in just the last month, I can't help but feel overwhelmed with love and happiness. Sometimes I think back to the 72 hours it took to bring her into this world and I can barely even remember all the pain I went through because that finite amount of suffering seems so utterly insignificant in comparison to the infinite amount of joy and value she has brought into our lives. So it's no wonder why I take so many pictures of her. I can't help but want to capture the so many great moments of her life. With mobile phone photography it's easy to capture every waking (and non waking) moment of her life. I'm not sure if this is such a good thing. I hadn't thought about how this may affect her until now. As she gets older, she may act differently when she knows the camera is there. This may make her self-aware which could be a bad thing because a lack of self awareness is what makes children so precious and innocent. This is something for me to think about. Do you take a lot of pictures of your children? What are your thoughts on this? Anyway, as I glance over at my little toe headed daughter, her ink blue eyes catch mine and I … [Read more...]
Helpful Parenting Article: Talking to Toddlers
I recently read an article by Janet Lansbury, titled Talking to Toddlers- 4 Secrets That Bring You Closer that was helpful and informative. The article discusses 4 ways to communicate with your toddler to alleviate frustration and build trust. The first secret she points out is to talk normal. Don't talk baby talk to your toddler. Speak slowly and in shorter sentences. The second secret she discusses is to turn 'no' into 'yes'. An example, "I want you to sit on my lap" rather than, "Don't bounce on me." She explains that this may not always work but it is better than responding with no and don't all the time. Children appreciate positive instruction. It makes them more likely to respond with compliance and makes them feel more respected. The third secret is to give the toddler real choices. Rather than asking your toddler what they want to wear, ask them if they would like to wear the pink dress or the white dress. Give them two choices and let them decide between the two. Asking them a broad question like what do you want to wear is too overwhelming. Her final secret is to first, acknowledge. She explains that acknowledging your toddler's point of view can be calming. … [Read more...]
July 4th 2013
Dinner at Friends With the girls and babies Sophia and Timmy Sophia loved this little girl Sarah she met at the party. Just a few pics of our little angel Watching the parade earlier in the day. She wasn't happy- too hot and it was nap time. We had a great fourth of July. Hope you all made some great memories and enjoyed your day as much as we did. … [Read more...]
Rustic Bench Made From Wood Pallets
My husband and I have been having fun working on projects together and creating things from wood pallets we got from a friend. A couple weeks ago we made shelves that came out pretty good. You can look at the project here. Then we made a sign with our family name on it that I really like. You can look at that project here. This last weekend we made a bench. He actually made it and I took pictures! We needed a bench with a place for shoes for our entryway. We have white carpet, so I try to enforce the "take your shoes off rule" and it's easier to have people do this when there is a place to sit to take their shoes off and a place to sit to put them back on. The bench serves this purpose and I really like the way it came out. I do want to make a cushion for it that I'll get around to making and posting soon. Here is how it looks right now. Here are the steps my husband took to make the bench. Because we have made the shelves and the sign using wood pallets, they are all broken up. He cut the section above to begin with the seating portion of the bench. He hammered the ends to another piece of wood to create a somewhat ladder. He filled in the wide open spaces with pieces of wood … [Read more...]
