Checking in with my Lovelies

Hi guys. I just wanted to stop by and say hello to my blog world. I have been super M.I.A because I just started a new job but I am hoping that I can start posting on weekends. For now I just wanted to share some photos from my brand new phone (which I’m obsessed with). I am so impressed with how these photos turn out with this camera phone.

Apples in my favorite vintage Pyrex.

I got a necklace for my Birthday with Don Draper on it….it’s amazing.

Frozen leaves.

A collage of my little apartment kitchen.

A close up of my favorite kitchen goodies. Peach tea, pink Himalayan salt, paper straws and dried roses.

Me and my boo.

Some vintage sewing supplies that I have found.

I hope you enjoy my photos. I’ve also been thinking of having more written posts about topics that I really enjoy. They would be mostly historical. I really miss having a platform to talk about that kind of stuff (e.g. school). Thoughts? Okay, I’m outie. Thanks for reading as always.

-Nicole xox

P.S.  Follow me on Instagram and I will love to check yours out too! I have a link at the top of my page.

Crochet Frame Pattern –Steps and Pictures

My last post about the crochet frames was a hit and someone even asked for the pattern, so here it is! This is my first time writing one so bear with me. And of course, feel free to ask me for clarification.

Materials: 

• Any yarn or color you want. This project is perfect for scrap yarn. I used a peach color from Red Heart’s Super Saver yarn.
• I used an H/8-5.00MM hook

Tips: 

• The chain will twist so try to keep it flat while you’re working. 
• You can increase the amount of chains you do at step two if you want a bigger loop.
• Glue/Tape your picture to a piece of cardboard and hot glue the frame around it and there you have your finished product.
• This would also make a very cute crown! 

Again, I’d love to hear your comments or questions. Thank you for reading.

-Nicole

xox

Day after Christmas

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas. Today, to ward off post Christmas depression, I cleaned, rearranged, organized and crafted! All while watching Mad Men, of course. I was so lucky to get some really nice gifts yesterday, there are a few that I have to share. First, check out these amazing baking containers:

 And these gorgeous glasses:

And this totally awesome Jon Hamm coloring book:

How amazing is that?

After all the cleaning I decided to reward myself with some crafts. So here is a craft that I’ve wanted to do for a long time. Crochet picture frames. These are so much fun! Everyone should make some. I think they make a home look more…homey. I simply adore them. What do you think?

Love this picture <3

Anyway, I think they are cute. Tomorrow is back to real life! I hope everyone is having a great holiday.

Thanks for reading as always,

Nicole.

Update: Frame Pattern

A Simple Gift Using Moleskine Journals

I absolutely adore Moleskine journals. They are so smooth to write in, can fit into any bag and come in so many lovely colors. Today, I am sharing my idea for a pretty fun little gift using Moleskine journals.

Supplies:

A closer look: colored baker’s twine, Moleskine notebooks of your choosing, decorative tape (ex. washi tape) and decorative sewing needles.

The tape I chose is this great kind of kitschy tape with scalloped edges that has different French words! I have it in three different colors/words. You can find them in a lot of different Etsy shops.

It’s called “Coffret du Couturier.”

Here is my finished gift:

It is so simple but so cute and unique. Also, you won’t forget which journal is which. There are so many different possibilities for decorating these cute little journals. Different twine, tape, colors etc. you can take it in any style direction.

I think this is such a great stocking stuffer. It’s also perfect for someone who you weren’t expecting a gift from and now you have to come up with something quick to give them.

Quick. Easy. Cute!

Thanks for reading

Sugar Plum Fairy

The Nutcracker has been a tradition in my family since I was little. My mom was the massive enthusiast.  She has so many nutcrackers and I remember trying not to break their jaws when I was little. She always took us to the Nutcracker and it was my favorite part of the whole season. When times got tough and we didn’t have much money we still watched it every year. In honor of the Nutcracker I added some sweet little sugar plum fairy gift tags to my shop.

And, here is a picture of Lyrah with a hair piece I made also inspired by the sugar plum fairy. So cute! Just a little tulle, tinsel and a feather.

 

Etsy Update

My shop has taken a bit of a hiatus but I am starting to get back in the groove slowly but surely. I’m hoping to make more inventory with different variations and styles. Today I just added a simple set of cupcake toppers that I think are pretty cute. Check them out:

They would look so much better on real cupcakes instead of my crocheted pie. Even though the crocheted pie is pretty cute.  Click the picture to check the shop .

Thanks!

 

Happy December First with a DIY!

It’s finally December, the most wonderful time of the year.  I’ve got my tree up, twinkly lights a glow and I even have some presents under the tree. I’ve got some really cute gifts crafted and I can’t wait to start baking. In celebration of the first, I am sharing my new favorite decorations that I crafted for the house. I have been so inspired by beautiful putz and glitter houses that I had to make my own. They were so fun to make and it only took a few supplies which means anyone can try! The template I used was of course, Martha Stewart’s. All you do is take the template to a copier and blow it up to however big you want your houses to be (she gives detailed instructions). Other than the photo copying instructions, I didn’t follow anything else, I tend to toot my own horn when it gets to the crafty details. It usually works….

 I made a Church, two houses and a school. I think each year I will add a new building as a tradition and write the year inside the house. Today, I am sharing the Church and one of my favorite houses.

I used fun papers instead of painting the houses and I think that adds a really cool effect. For the Church, my love had a really good idea to use lace and layer it to mimic the look of shingles! I love the way it looks like shingles and snow at the same time. I really wanted to make icicles and after some thinking I figured out a simple way. Using parchment paper, I simply made little “squiggles” (that’s a highly technical term) with the hot glue gun, quickly covered it with icy blue glitter and let it dry. After they dried, I peeled them off then attached them to the house with hot glue. Hot glued, hot glue pieces, funny, huh? For an extra touch, I used pink tinsel to line the roofs, the steeple and made a little wreath.

For the blue house, I glittered the roof and sprayed it with adhesive to keep the glitter from falling off. I added some buttons and a pretty glitter ribbon to the bottom. Then of course, fake snow and bottle brush trees for ambiance.

I love these and I can’t wait to add to the village over the years. Hopefully I’ll get some lights in there too.

If any of you have made some, I would love to see! Inspiration is endless. Thanks for reading friends.

-Nicole <3