Homemade Garden Soap

This week the weather has changed and people are out in their yards cleaning the furniture, putting out the garden art and digging in the dirt .  Getting muddy! Pulling weeds...

Some wear gardening gloves but the dirt still manages to stain your hands. You know you hate it!

That is wear this projects comes to life!

It is a fast and easy project. You can even get the children involved. And what a great gift for them to give to their mom or dad for Mother's/Father's Day!

Just place it in a basket filled with gardening tools. Makes a great gift.

Or keep it for yourself and hang it on your shed!

This is what you will need:

3 strands of raffia
2/3 c shredded soap
2/3 c cornmeal
2T baby oil
2T warm water

Grate the bar of soap and add all ingredients. It will start to form like dough. Braid the raffia and tie into a loop. Form dough around raffia in a ball. Let dry overnight.

The cornmeal acts like a scrub and the dirty hands become nice and clean.

If you want fragrance you can add some essential oil to it.

What I like is how quick this project is! You can make several. I can make two out of one bar of soap.

So get the kiddos to help you with this one!

This is a great "tool" for the garden! It is natural and it isn't complicated to make.

Why not give it a try?

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Jennifer Rizzo

Duck Tape Flip Flops!

Hello friends! Are you ready for the beach?

I have to admit, I start getting a longing for the sand between my toes as soon as winter ends. Shoot I get it all the time , who am I kidding?

If you took a look at all the goodies I got from SNAP, you would have seen lots of tape! Duck Tape gave me this pretty floral tape among others when I was talking to them. I knew I would love to create something with the pretty pattern.

They had several flower items that I flipped over. I gave mine a little twist. Now I am flipping over my flip flops! (OK just had to do that!)

This can even be something for Mother's Day!

I literally picked up an old pair of flip flops from my closet to try this. The dog even got them once hence the teeth marks!

I figured if it didn't work it wouldn't ruin anything.

I have a thing for making flowers out of paper and now it looks like tape is my new thing!

The duck tape had just the right color to make these boring flip flops pop! We all want to have pretty feet at the beach or pool. Now these are the $1 flip flops I got from Old Navy. I would say a thrifty project!

I went for a stroll in my backyard.....stopped to smell the flowers.......kicked back and put my feet up and relaxed!

I like projects like this.....

Any project that lets me take a break is a good thing!

If I can make something old look refreshed, I accomplished what I set out to do. Now I will go buy some new ones and try something else.

Dreaming.....in.....color......
Dreaming.....of......summer.....

These are going with me to Vegas! I can at least wear them to the pool!

What do you think? Would you wear tape on your shoes?
Learn how to make the flowers here

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Flamingo Toes

Happy Birthday Audrey!

"For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone."

I have used her quotes before on projects. She is a favorite.

It is no wonder that this lady is still an icon. Back in the days of classy and eloquent women, she set an example. She still does today.

I had the pleasure of painting Audrey a few years ago and I wanted to share the post again with you to commemorate her birthday.

This is still one of my favorite pieces to date. I would love for you to check it out and leave a comment! Some of you already have and told me numerous times it is your favorite too. Thank you for that!

She was amazing....

I wish there were more like her for the girls of today to look up to.

One thing for sure is I am glad that I can be the one to introduce her memory to others. My daughter loves her the same.

So Happy Birthday Audrey! Thanks for giving us so much to try to emulate.

SNAP Swag and Prizes (Part 2)

After a great week at SNAP, I am battling mega sinus crap that is bringing me down. I haven't been able to do much.  I am dragging. I am leaving for Vegas soon and I need to feel better! Remember my New Year's resolution? Trying to stick to it!!

I have given you the SNAP recap and Giveaway from the Queen Bee Market, but now I will show you the SNAP swag and prizes I received.







At registration, I received a stuffed pink bag full of sponsor gifts. Seriously, it was overflowing. At the end of the line there were more things in piles on the floor. Your choice of an umbrella or neck pillow from Ikea. I loved the pretty pink umbrella but it looked like a weapon and I didn't think security would let me on the plane with it so I took the pillow. My travel buddy, Michele, had one so I knew we would enjoy it on the flight back home when we wanted to rest.

Thank God I had it! I was exhausted coming home!

....until the crying babies started on the plane.... Ugh! No sleep for this one!

Yes I love babies. My children are grown and I do remember....but I was tired and this was an enclosed space! So it echoed! Bless there hearts!

ok sorry for the rant...back to swag....you know I love swag....loved what I got from Haven and now SNAP!

I wanted to highlight some of the great things I received. First all the goodies on the business cards like washi tape, candy, rings, pins and bracelets to name a few

Tons of candy

Tons of Swag!

 Shurtek~Duck Tape, 3M/Scotch Brand

T-shirts

Homes.com/Homes for Rent, Family Share, MailChimp

Lowes, Fish Foam, Coldstone, Minwax, Expressions Vinyl, Moen, 

Look at all this scrapbooking fun! Pick Your Plum, Cricut, American Crafts

All this from Floracraft! Thanks Sharon!!

This is always one of my favorites in any size! Thanks Annie Sloan Home!

Lots of Reading material. Where Women Create, Bosch, Moen

I won these items from World Market and a Light reflector from a photography class I took.

This beautiful necklace was designed special for SNAP creating joy. The r House presented this to us at our dinner.

Last but not least RYOBI!! My favorite people! Remember what I won at Haven.

And then I got  this Airstriker nail gun and battery.....well I am waiting for RYOBI to mail it to me!!
I hope to get it this week.

Thanks to Ana White and RYOBI for this one.

I had to take an extra bag to on the plane with me. So many things!

Love all my swag and prizes! Thank you to all the sponsors. I tried to remember everyone.

others were 

Basic Grey, DecoArt, Pollinate Media, Todays Mama, Ikea, Utah Truffles, Rhonna Designs, Very Jane, RFE, Thanksgiving Point

Thank you for making this conference extra special!

AND

Speaking of a Giveaway this one has over $200 worth. Be sure to enter!

ENDS SUNDAY!

Sofa Table

It has been a busy week. Just getting back to the swing of things and now I am getting ready to leave again! This time Vegas baby!! My travel has started and I am excited!! Although traveling is fun, I still have to work in between.

We still have our $200 Giveaway going on so please enter!!

I love showing you this project because I want you to see how one little detail can change the whole look of this piece.

I painted a sofa table that is so pretty I would hate to hid it behind one. I think it would make a great laptop desk too.

This sofa table is a solid piece of wood with nice lines but a little plain for me.
I painted it in Annie Sloan Provence and Paris Grey. I used the dark wax to give the grey some grain effect. I used clear on the top.

The before shows the wood grain and color. I knew it had potential. After I painted it though, it was just too boring.

That is where these little babies came in handy, I was at Hobby Lobby and saw these in the clearance section. I thought it would make a great applique for my furniture. YES...they are for drapery. The wooden ones you buy can get pricey...so why not these?

Who says you can't use these for other things? Think outside the box. It is so much fun to use something that is meant for one thing, for another purpose.

That is what I did in this case. It was just what the piece needed.

One was all that was needed. It became a focal point.

I was going to paint over it but I think the silver gave it a little shine and complimented the colors.

I put my little blue chair with it to take the photo and I thought it looked great as a desk.

Remember it is always in the details! It is a far cry from the before picture.

What do you have lying around that can be used as a "detail" piece? I hope this made you think about it!

I can't believe we are in May already!! Time sure does fly! Thanks for being here!

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