vacay!

I'm taking a little blog break this week, but I'll be back by Friday! Have a good week!

DIY: crocheted rag rug part 4

Look! I've finished my rug! Ok so this one's a little small, but I ran out of me-time this week and had to quickly put in some rounds so I could show you guys the end. This one's going to be a teapot trivet which is totally acceptable, by the way. These little practice rounds make great trivets! I have my very first one on my dining room table for hot dinner pots and pans.

So let's finish it off.

Ending a rug is the one thing I've never been taught, but I've figured out a way on my own that seems to work just fine.

Quite honestly, I think my method for tying off a rug can vary but generally speaking, I'll always stitch the loop around to the back of the rug and try to tie a knot back there somewhere so it lies flat and is hard to notice.

It's kind of tricky but just find a place to pull your loop through from the backside of your round.

Pull it through just as though you were making a stitch like before.

Cut the fabric and tie a knot through that final loop.

Sometimes, it only takes one loop before I tie a knot and sometimes I'll do another stitch or two into the back just to flatten it out a little more and then I'll tie a knot. I know the pictures are kind of vague, but it's a little hard to show. You just have to use your best judgement as you're doing it. This is why I say that finishing a rug for me can vary.

From the rugs I have done, I can't tell where I stopped now that they're done and tied. I also haven't had anything come unraveled, but if there's anyone out there that has a better method, please feel free to comment!

I bet you'd all like to know how to do oval rugs, right? I'm working on them... to be announced!

In case you missed them: part 1, part 2, and part 3.

thrifting!

I found a new-to-me thrift shop yesterday and I'm so glad I did! They had great stuff and their prices were really good (a.k.a. WAY cheaper than Value Village)!

I found this craft basket that'll come in super handy for storing all of my random junk. It's pretty big inside for holding stuff plus it has these little dividers that sit on top!

They had some really great art, too. Water colour... birds. So surprising, right?

You're going to think I'm nuts, but I freaking love this picture. That frame is amazing! I've never seen anything like it before. Well, I should say I do have plastic frames that are simliar, but I've never seen anything in this size. I've also never been all that interested in people-art, but I instantly fell in love with this lady. (Psst, it was $8)

A teak serving bowl (with legs) and a set (rectangle, pictured; square, and circle) of heat proof dishes in this cool vintage pattern. Since I don't have a microwave, I really appreciate having these dishes around now.

Pottery that was too cheap to pass up. Despite the lids, I'm classifying all of these as vases.

I also found two huge feather pillows for our new couch. Again the price was just so good (especially since I've been looking to buy pillow forms lately -- gah so expensive!) The fabric on them is... well, actually it's not that bad. It's a needlepoint-style lane of houses. I do kind of like it, but I don't like the colours (browns, golds, off-whites). Then I found this super bright pink fabric so I'm going to recover them with it!

I also scored a round side table that's perfect for the living room. I'll show you that one later since I also picked up an amazing clover-shaped coffee table a few weeks ago that desperately needs paint. I'll show the before and afters once I get them done!

Have you found anything fun lately?

summer seeds

I've been dying to tell you all about this! Stephanie from N.E.E.T. Magazine contacted me a while ago and asked if I'd like to be a part of the June issue! I think I about died from hyperventilation and then after I had several people pinch me, I got to work on a little feature similar to my spring seeds post but for seeds that will grow perfectly well in the summer!

I'm so thankful for the opportunity! I don't think I've gushed enough about N.E.E.T. Mag, but I'll say it again -- if you're not reading it, you should be!

Head on over to N.E.E.T. Magazine to check out my feature (and other fantastic articles and inspirations)!

it's june!

And it always makes me think of George.

I love the tree in the front. It's a snowbird hawthorn and it's blooming right now.

I don't know what tree we were supposed to get, but I pretty much dropped everything to bake chocolate chip cookies that day so I could bribe the landscape guys into getting a flowering tree.

It was totally worth it.

1920 x 1080

1920 x 1200 & 1680 x 1050

iPad

iPhone/iPod

My free printable June calendars are also available now!

crafty

foodie

outdoors