Hello, Crafty Peeps!

Once again I feel like the only time I get a second to pop into my poor neglected blog is it to put up a Snapshot or post a CT. Last week was no exception. We are hitting the end-of-school-year crunch, T-12 days and counting around here before it is SUMMER time! We have seemed to skip the chilly May days, and there doesn’t appear to be any June gloom on the horizon either. It has been hot, and summer-y already, so we have been spending lots o’ time out-the-doors! I’m desperate to get our outside looking live-able, especially since I’m still stuck in a holding pattern on a lot of INside decisions.

Addie and I have been weeding, planting and gardening away – we even harvested a few tomatoes that the critters didn’t get to yet for our Sunday dinner. I’ve sort of become obsessed with vintage-looking outdoor stuff. I got this pot last summer to keep our hose in – I love the green rustic patina finish on it.

Many, many years ago – I found this old wire potting holder at a flea market. It really hasn’t been given the proper love or attention all this time, so we brought it back out and are putting her to good use, too.

(Looks like our herbs could use a little drink, Addikins!)

When Birdie #2 and I were shopping a few weeks ago I found this planter that I LOVE, and it fit in with the sort of vintage-y vibe – in that lovely green color – so I snapped it up. (Thank you, HomeGoods!)

And when I was shopping for something totally unrelated at Orchard Supply last week, I spotted this old box-turned-planter.

Now there is NO love lost between me and petunias – especially pink petunias – but the box…oh, I loved this box. So I used my birthday money to make a bit of a snap purchase. I figure sooner or later those pink petunias will be history and I can plant something I really love in that awesome box. (It also fits in our outdoor fireplace perfectly!)

One thing I have been seeing everywhere and dying to create are these mason jar lanterns. You can see the PotteryBarn ones run almost $8 a pop…I’ve found them elsewhere for a little cheaper, but I want a whole bunch of them…and I don’t want to spend a whole bunch of money! AND…I just happen to have a lot of old jars (I knew I was keeping them for something!) lying around. So to make them look like the old vintage jars, I used this tutorial and got to work.

I love the blue she used for her jars, and I’m truly a sucker for those old blue jars, but I wanted a little more green feel to mine. So I used her recipe, 1 tsp. glue, 1 1/2 tsp. water and two drops of blue coloring and added one drop of green. Brush it on and let dry…

Perfect color. I did get a few streaks, but I figure once the sand and candles get in there, we are going to be just fine. I did try to fashion some wire “hangers” out of…wait for it….old wire hangers. But they are not flexible enough and I can’t get a close enough fit. So I’m on the hunt for some different wire.

To be continued…