Can Can Dancer

I not only sell my zipper flowers online at Etsy, I also sell them at the Prichard Art Gallery here in my college town. Previously, they were displayed in a wooden jewelry box, but I think this new display will encourage more sales since they are all visible instead of flipping through them like a book.

I took an old window, broke the glass out, and then used a putty knife to remove the cracked/leftover glass and sealant.  I then scrubbed the chipped paint off where-ever it was loose (so it didn’t shed all over the shelf).  I put 8 hooks in the window frame and strung wire between each set to hang my items on.

Look at my new professional tags! Fancy!

And of course I had to include some of my Moo Minicards. I actually have to bring some more to the Prichard, my business cards are almost all gone!

Hello World,

My parents recently installed custom cabinets in our dining room.  The original estimate from Home Depot for the cabinets and trim was around $7,000 (not including the countertop and hardware).

They wanted the cabinets in the dining room to match the kitchen, but our kitchen Thomasville cabinets were discontinued. So, my parents DIY-ed and made their own cabinets/counter for $2,000, saving themselves $5,000!

Check out below for pictures (thanks to my Mom):

My parents ordered and picked up standard, unfinished, oak cabinets from Home Depot.

Here is a closer look at the plain cabinets.

Previously, there was a china cabinet in the dining room. (But they needed more storage- that thing was packed previous to this picture.)

Here are the plain cabinets installed thanks to my Italian father.

My dad bought a long butcher-block countertop, which he sanded and stained. (My dad mixed black acrylic paint and stain together to get this color because the stain alone wan’t dark enough.)

My mom carved everyone’s names in the countertop.

My mom used a primer on the outside surfaces of all the cabinets.

My mom sanded, primed, and painted all the doors of the cabinets.  She painted the doors and trim a light cream color to match our current kitchen cabinets.

Then my dad installed the finished countertop. My dad also installed the glass panels.  He bought glass for $8 a door (compared to $120 per cabinet door through Home Depot), cut out the wooden faces of the doors with a router saw and popped the glass in place.

My mom then painted all the edges of the cabinets with a mushroom brown paint. She rubbed the paint in random areas with a sponge to make them look more vintage.

She painted in all the crevices with a tiny paint brush.

My mom also aged the cabinets to make them match the kitchen. She used forks and screws, and lightly hammered them into the wood surface.  Next, she rubbed brown paint into the dents and wiped off the excess with a damp cloth.

She also found the knobs at Lowe’s for $3.00 each.

They added braided trim and crown molding to the top of the cabinets to match the kitchen,

Plenty of visible storage!

And here is a picture of or kitchen island with the old cabinets.  Pretty decent match huh?

Hello World!

I was chosen again to receive a VoxBox from Influenster.  This VoxBox focused on Beauty Bloggers, and one of my favorite products was the free mini candle I received.

I received a mini Cider Lane candle, and boy was it yummy!  I actually went to Bath and Body Works and bought a few more of them on clearance.  Cider Lane might be out in stores now that we are heading towards Black Friday, but new winter scents are available at: Bath & Body Works, as well as in stores.

The candle had a great scent throw when burning, and filled my apartment with delicious sweet cider and fall smells.  The candles are $3.50 individually, but they are almost always included in some type of sale. Plus, if you join their mailing/email list they will send you great coupons periodically.

They also have an app for iPhone that is slightly addicting. You play games for points and can scan your receipts for extra points.  With enough points, you receive free Bath and Body Works goodies!

I even bought a little candle holder at Bath & Body Works to dress my candles up.  Look how festive and slightly adorable the little candles are!

(All reviews are my own, and I received this product complimentary of Influenster‘s VoxBox program to test.)

PS Be on the lookout for a tutorial on  how to recycle the empty candle votives!

Update! Here is a tutorial for recycling your mini candle jars into a mini succulent garden: Link.