Home Depot Workshop: Martha Stewart Living Holiday Projects

Did you know that Home Depot offers FREE Do-It-Yourself workshops?  Or that they offer FREE Do-It-Herself workshops geared towards women?  Neither did I!  I recently learned about this incredible resource from my local MOM's Club and I am stoked.  I can't wait to attend EVERY SINGLE ONE of these.  I'm going to be there so often they're going to get tired of me.

The November Do-It-Herself was Martha Stewart-ified.   We learned about her new collection of paint, faux finishes and glazes, plus ways to use them to create easy holiday projects.

First Up?  Tile Coasters.  I first attempted to use the Gold Glitter glaze, but the glaze kept seeping under the stencil and looked far too messy for this semi-perfectionist.  So, I went with the Oatmeal Crackle finish and it seemed to work a little bit better.  Still a bit of seepage.  Hot tip:  You HAVE to apply a coat of MS primer/finish prior to using the crackle finish which reacts with the finish to create the crackle effect.

Art @ the POP

For those of us that live in the Pacific Northwest, we know rain.  And we outsmart rain.  In Astoria, there's a great indoor play place, called the Port of Play, where the kids can burn some energy and the parents can socialize.

Our visit today had me appreciating the rain cover, as well as the art.

So what about you?  Where do you take your kids when the weather is less than stellar?

Architectural Digest: December 2011

Do you read Architecural Digest?  If you love home decor and drooling over multi-million dollar homes then this is the magazine for you!  While I typically scour online design mags like Lonny, somehow I received a print subscription and I am so happy I did.  Especially this month.

The December 2011 issue, "Winter Magic," landed in my mailbox last week and I have finally taken time to look it through.  My heart stopped at its "Most Wanted" shopping guide.  I want EVERYTHING!

Fouta towels ~ Scents and Feel

My Beautiful glass teapot ~ Mariage Frères

DIY // Handmade Yarn Wreaths

I made a trip over the river and through the woods (literally) to my hometown this past weekend for some much needed quality time with the family.  We ate, drank and were merry. And then we decided to get all crafty and bust out some yarn wreaths.

We tried to do it on the cheap by using The Penny Parlor's tip to use foam tubing from the hardware store ($.97) for the round bases, but the only stuff I found had a slit in it and I just couldn't manage to make a nice round shape.  We also tried to score some free yarn on freecycle.  No one was giving it up.  So, to Joann Fabrics we went, without a single coupon in hand.  Fail, Fail, Fail.

The Supplies:

Craigslist, Goodwill, Freecycle...Oh my!

Haggling aside, I absolutely heart thrifting.  I am addicted to craigslist, goodwill and yard sales, but my most beloved of all is freecycle.  Why?  The stuff is straight up free.  I love finding unique treasures and bringing them home to my exasperated husband just to hear him ask, "now, where the heck are you going to put that?"  Luckily, he's the most frugal guy in the world so when I tell him it was free his protests typically end.

Here are some photos of my most recent scores. The can on the left is a vintage 50 lb. Armour Star lard container. 50 LBS!  Yikes, that's a lot of lard.

Lard container & large basket from flea market