Giveaway Winner Announced

Thanks for participating in the UPrinting Giveaway!

AND THE WINNER IS....

Lisa at Lisa From Scratch

Congratulations Lisa! Email me at: mylittlesunshineshop@gmail.com to claim your prize!

Chicago Trip :: Day 2 & 3

**DON'T FORGET TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY FOR FREE LABELS IN THE PREVIOUS POST**

Day 2 in Chicago, was spent mostly at Renegade Handmade, which I blogged about here.

On my third full day, Anna had to put on her big girl pants & go to work--so I went sight seeing & shopping!

I braved the city & the trains all by myself, and only got lost slightly disoriented a couple of times.

 pretty church with the morning sun behind it :)

biggest Forever 21. EVER.

I made my debut trip to Bloomingdales & Michigan Ave.

Oh & that night we had a delicious dinner, made from scratch by Anna & even had a surprise visit from our long lost friend in the Azores. We missed you, Jacki :)

Perfect ending to a perfect trip!

Chicago Trip :: Day 1

Visiting Chicago to see my friend Anna was one of the best uses of a four day weekend I've ever had!

Loved the city, loved spending time with Anna & loved getting to see things that she loved about the city.

Like a pro, I took the train from the airport to meet her at her office. I may have memorized the route before getting off the plane so I wouldn't look TOO out of place ;)

Subway train...a completely new experience for me. Fun, confusing & forget personal space.

Enjoyed snapping a few shots of some murals that I would pass by on my tour of the city.

Anna knows there is at least one thing that can always easily please me: Good coffee.

Metropolis Roasters & Coffee house...so good! I bought a pound so I am still enjoying their coffee at home :)

Lake Michigan

This seagull just kept posing for me...

Another fantastic coffee shop. Yes, we went to two in one day. It was great.

You know it must be good coffee when the barista apologizes for his asymmetrical rosette. Yeesh.

The Bean.

Me & the Bean. I spy an Anna in the background.

And finally, we ended the day with Lyric Opera in the park. Opera makes me fall asleep, but the park was great & the concert was free. And they are super talented, but I just can't help it...It makes me want to curl up and sleep.

Fall Wreath Tutorial :: DIY

Yay! Computer is back up & running, thus images can be uploaded & edited & posts can be made as to how to make this lovely fall wreath :)

With that said, let's do this thing!

//Supplies//

(all of which can be found super cheap at Walmart)

Scissors

Wreath Form (14")

Felt in 2 colors, 1/2 yard of primary color & 1/4 yard of secondary

1.5 yards Jute ribbon

Hot glue gun

For welcome pendant:

Jute string

Colorful cotton fabric

Printer

Small Clothesline Clips

//Step One//

Cut felt into long strips & wrap it around wreath form, covering completely. Glue felt down at the end of each strip.

//Step Two//

Wrap Jute around wreath to create the piece you will hang it with. I hot glued the jute to itself once wrapped around the wreath. Also, I used the full 1.5 yards because I hung wreath from the jute ribbon all the way over the door...in other words, the about 8" of the jute is seen on the inside of my door, it then wraps over the door frame, and the rest of the jute and the wreath hangs on the outside of my door. Make sense? I hope so!

//Here's another angle to look at//

//Step Three//

Cut a TON of little felt petals...I think I cut at least 200. This does not have to be an exact science, in my opinion, having slightly differing shapes of petals, with somewhat of a circular form, makes for a more structurally appealing wreath :)

//Step Four//

Pinch each petal in a fashion that you desire. I chose to fold each of mine...kind of like a taco. Pinch them however you choose, just try to be consistent! While pinching your felt, dab some hot glue onto the wreath form & arrange the petal on it. The first one may not hold its form, but as you press petal against petal, you will start to see a nice little pattern!

//Step Five//

Change it up! I used an accent color for about 1/5th of the wreath to bring a little something interesting to the wreath. Again, follow the same pattern of folding & gluing, just change up the color! Go the extra mile & fill in the inner & outer surface areas of the wreath with petals too! It really makes for a much fuller looking wreath. You can see the picture above that I still need to go back & do petals for the interior.

//Step Six//

Glue Jute string to the back of the wreath, from one end to the other. This will hold your "welcome" pendant.

//Step Seven//

Cut out an 8.5"x11" piece of fabric in the color of your choice.

Create a document with the word "welcome" in it...or whatever word you choose!

I used the font "Courier New" and put a space in between each letter of the word w e l c o m e.

Print document onto fabric on a normal grey scale setting---easy!

//Step Eight//

Cut out your little fabric pendant & clip to jute with mini clothesline pins.

Finally, take a step back & enjoy your handiwork!!

welcome::fall wreath

So, I was planning on this being a DIY Wednesday post, but my computer decided to crash this week, so I am left with instagram and the blogger app as my only means of posting. For now, here's a sneak peek at the wreath tutorial that is to come. If my computer decides to revive itself anytime soon I also have Chicago pics to share!

p.s. Did you know that the first day of fall is September 23rd? 'tis true! Can't wait for the leaves to start changing colors!

New from Old:: Lacey Clutches

My newest products are not only some of my favorites (of.all.time.)  But pieces of them are also thrifted & upcycled finds!   Take a look....

 

 Upcycled scalloped lace shower curtain 

turned Scalloped Clutch in Smoked Paprika

 Thrifted: Chantilly Lace

turned Chantilly Lace Clutch in Sugar Plum

I love being able to reclaim materials & turn them into something beautiful!  These colors are some of my favorite combos for fall & the laces...yeesh...they are fantastic.  I love these little clutches because they can be super classy, for a night out or easily dressed down for everyday wear! 

 Versatility, my friends, versatility.

So True...