Mirror, Mirror ~ DIY Dressing Up a Vanity Mirror

Last week I ambitiously took on a small painting project and decided to paint my antique vanity with milk paint.  Lucky for me, I took all of the fixtures off of the vanity and decided to replace them with new fixtures.  That left me with a pretty little mirror all alone.

Taking a cue from one of my pins, I decided to add a little something-something and see what happened.

I'm pretty happy with the results.

Want to make a similar mirror?  Here's what you'll need:
Paper or Fabric Flowers (Another crafting opportunity?)
Buttons
Gem Stones
Various 'Extras'
Hot Glue
Mirror

First, you'll want to map out exactly where you want each design element to be placed.  After you've positioned all of your design elements, use the hot glue to affix them to the mirror. If you're afraid of how permanent the hot glue is just use tacky tape.  Make sure to let the glue cool.  Clean the mirror and display.

See? Simple. Just trust your creative eye and you'll find yourself looking in a beautiful mirror in no time at all!

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Pinterest Style + a Giveaway

I remember the first time I heard of Pinterest.  Walking through the halls of my church I overheard to workers in the children's area talking about how much time they spend on this new online cataloging system.  One a college student, one a stay at home mom, these ladies told me how they wasted hours on the web based program.  "I'll send you an invite and you'll see.  You know exactly what we are talking about."

And I did.  I've found out what Pinterest is all about.  And believe me, I too can attest to the awesomeness of this program.  I know many of us who find ourselves caught up in hours of looking and pinning of recipes, crafts, ideas, and just general information that will make our lives better.

Sometime ago I found this picture on Pinterest and decided to make it myself using the Sharpie brand black markers.

original pin source

Here is an example of what I came up with.  There are so many different things you can do.  Just make sure to bake off the Sharpie at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Let the dishes cool in the oven and then remove them.  When washing, it's best to wash by hand.  Some of the design can wash off in the dishwasher especially at high heat.

I want to give you an opportunity to participate in a giveaway.  We are celebrating with Dawn's Disaster.

YAY!  Dawn's Disaster has gotten over 600 Pinterest followers.  In celebration, we're giving away $100 in PayPal CASH {and a few other prizes}.  Please welcome our hosts:

Dawn's Disaster // A Peek Into My Paradise // Juggling Act Mama // Reagan's Toy Chest

Mom's Test Kitchen // Nugget on a Budget // Bits of Days

Serenity You // Mama's High Strung // A Fresh Start on a Budget // All My Love for All My Days

Family Food and Travel // Confessions of a Mommyaholic // All She Cooks

Epic Mommy Adventures // Top Notch Mom // Chase All Your Dreams // Beanie Blogger Opportunities

Not pictured: My Life of Travels and Adventures

Available Prizes:

$100.00 PayPal CASH

200x200 the Big One ad on Dawn's Disaster

2 ~ 200x200 Sponsor Spot on Beanie Blogger Opportunities

2 ~ Free Shipping Coupons for #theDisastrousShop on Instagram

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

**This giveaway was organized by the Beanie Blogger Opportunities.  Giveaway is open November 29 - December 21, 2013.  Winner(s) will be randomly chosen from the Rafflecopter widget.  Prizes will be distributed by the Beanie Blogger Opportunities.  PayPal Cash will be awarded in US dollars and paid from Dawn's Disaster.  Winner of PayPal Cash must have a valid PayPal account.  {Insert your blog name here} is not responsible for the distribution of any prizes.

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Interesting...

+  Did you see this Before & After feature on Traditional Home's site?  It's so pretty.  I want to live in a house like this someday.

+  These linen napkins from SMITH Handmade are fresh and contemporary.  I'll take two.

+  I stumbled upon this vimeo video from Jordan Bruner.  Love the design and the song is great too. Good job, Jordan.

+  If you're in the blogosphere then it is unlikely that you missed all of the tweets and talk about the ALT Summit that happened last week in Salt Lake City.  I learned so much just from tweets and blog posts I've decided that I've got to find a way to attend.

In preparation for the Summit, A Pair of Pears made these promotional cards.  The take your normal business card to the next level.

I'm a big fan of A Pair of Pears.  Check out their blog and design work on Etsy.  I think you're going to like them too.

+  A what?  A pianobell.  Yes, I was just as confused.

+  These paper cutouts are magical.  Absolutely magical.

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{Vegetarian is the Way} and Pinned it Made It Challenge

Yesterday (Monday) marked a full two weeks of my new journey as a vegetarian.  I would have to say that it has been surprisingly easy.  Besides from a little dizziness after a long walk I haven't felt any negative side effects.  Further, I've lost five eight pounds (I weighed again this morning) simply by changing my diet.  That's fairly remarkable if you ask me.

Every once and a while I want something sweet.  I came across this recipe on A Beautiful Mess.  I pinned it to my Give Vegetarian a Try board and baked it up this weekend.  I did make a few alterations namely the addition of a tablespoon of Mexican vanilla.

Pretty delicious if I say so myself...

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Nails, Nails, Nails...a Round-Up

I have this sick fascination with decorated nails and I always go to the nail salon with crazy ideas.  I always need help deciding which nail design to choose.  Hope this helps you decide on your next manicure.

1, 2, 3

4, 5, 6, 7

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Oh Yes I Did

This weekend was a weekend full of pin making challenges for me.  I was so inspired by working on my pins, I worked on some creations in my own mind too.  I hope you enjoy these crafts and possibly even make some of your own.

Here's a link to the original pin.

And here is my inversion.

The magnet additions were very easy to make.
1.  Fan fold the piece of book written paper.  (I used a dictionary that I purchased at a garage sale for $1.)
2.  Glue or affix the edges of the fan together with tape.
3.  Push the middle together and hot glue a protective circle punch
4.  Hot glue a 1 inch magnet to the protective circle punch.
5.  After I completed the book backdrop I added some sticker details.

These can be used in so many ways.  I love the fact that I can attach them to the cake stands or use them as magnets in the kitchen or office.

Have you tried anything that you've pinned recently?

One more thing.  Our very first giveaway ever will be announced this week.  Make sure you check back so you can be entered.  

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I could get used to this...

Here's my most recent Pinterest project.  Ok, it's only my second, but I'm making progress.

Here's a link to the original pin.

I'm really enjoying adapting these pins to make my needs.  Plus, by adapting them I can really cut the costs.  For example this project only cost about $3.  It could have cost even less than that if I had used scrapbooking paper that I already had on hand.

I'm using this project on the door to my bedroom.  It looks really great if I do say so myself.

Sweet dreams.

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