Playing Catch-Up

Hi there!; yes, it's been months, time flies, and I feel like I am playing blogger catch-up every time I get around to posting; I have it in the back of my mind, burning of guilt, like a little voice in my head that says...yes, another week without getting around to post anything in your blog, not a single word, not a simple photo...zilch.

Let me tell you, I have no kids, only a husband and a very babied spoiled Yorkie that I love as my human child...I keep a 9-5 job, keep an etsy shop, a side business, multiple spring craft shows, stay social in 4 platforms all while playing therapist to my family, and trying to desperately squeeze some "me" time which I feel I haven't properly had since last September.

It is so very hard to juggle many things at once, and while I love to be super busy, it does take a toll, and many things do give and fall through the cracks here and there...and my blogging seems to be one that falls through the cracks ever so effortlessly...but seriously, I still feel guilty.

So let me recap...

January: I spent inside, I put away all of my Christmas decorations....The start of the new year always gets me into home-decor, I want to clean and organize and re-arrange everything...of course this meant organizing my studio,to make it more efficient and neat which of course helps when you're expecting an avalanche of work incoming. January also tested me, as I had to "impatiently" wait to hear from the shows I had applied to, in the hopes of being accepted...waiting is not my forte.

February: I got some shows approval, the main one being Carolina Fiber fest....I began to create a large amount of pieces, as I felt very confident this would be my biggest show and challenge yet. Of course, I always begin my list with very large quantity numbers, always to edit that in a realistic way..maybe if I had a better studio (not inside my closet and a side office table), maybe if I was a full time potter...but maybe I should try to keep my sanity by learning to predict quantities better, so I don't have to create so much in such a short period. My goal was over 500 individual miscellaneous pieces.

March: The stress was on!, I had barely made 100 pieces, with a month away from my first craft show, I was working until 3-4 am every day...my house was a mess, I was solely focusing on my business, letting my home kinda fall apart ..no time to cook or work out..no time for anything else really.....thankfully my husband is amazingly supportive and doesn't complain if the dishes pile up like the Eiffel tower...he may not wash them, but he doesn't blame me or complain..and that helps *_^

April: STRESS + PANIC ; with a week away from my first 3 day show, I was about 50 yarn bowls short...I needed to bisque, glaze and high fire so many pieces...my awesome kiln powered through and performed amazingly!, I ran him every single day for about 9 days straight...I had never fired so much...but I was under a personal deadline, and I needed to make it happen. Of course, with pottery, anything can happen..and I mean anything BAD...now add the finicky porcelain diva that she is, and you have a recipe for heartbreak and potential disaster....overall I lost 10 pieces to bad glazing outcomes...cracking , etc. each piece that doesn't turn out well breaks my heart...but it is something I must learn to accept.....not easy though.

March and April were also filled with booth display designs...I had a new tent and new table and was focused on creating -or rather requesting my husband to build certain pieces that would store away flat, taking the least amount of space in my SUV for the shows...I created banners, burlap tablecloths, business cards, and played around with table setups to maximize my show space, while adding personality and interest to my booth.

So it's mid May...and tomorrow I'll be doing my last show until fall...I feel relieved and look forward to reclaiming my weekends, and spending more time with my family and dedicating time to sprucing up my home..tending to my neglected garden...play with my baby puppy...spend time outdoors...

Sometimes life gets so busy we forget to LIVE...but life will always be busy, and You must make time to enjoy, share and recharge....

I hope to be blogging at least once a week...it may be short and sweet, but at least the little voice in my head will stop yapping *_^

Have a splendid RELAXING weekend

Xo,

Meli

Craigslist finds.. How to spruce them up DIY

Happy monday!; I hope you had a lovely weekend. I spent mine feeling a bit like Picasso, well not quite so artistic, but my love for brushes and paint is very strong. This time around I took to finally painting my many thrift-treasures.. I have over 8 pieces of furniture placed about the house (for the past year), looking very brown and very sad, So at last, I decided to put aside all excuses and get to work.
In reality, you can spruce up any piece of furniture you own, after all , it is cheap, simple and don't worry, it is just paint after all ^_^

The materials/ tolls you need are:
• Regular wall paint - I like to hunt the clearance bin for returned gallons, but the sample pots are a fantastic and cheap!
• Sandpaper
• Brushes
• Drop cloth/ canvas
• Sealer
• Stain - optional

Honestly, all it requires you to do is:
1. Clean piece, so it is dust/ dirt free
2. Sand it if you wish- I skipped this myself
3. Start painting. I used 2 or 3 colors per piece to give it an aged look. That is where the sample paint pots come in great! ( I painted 5 pieces with just 1!)
4. Sand the edges and commonly touched/ worn spots. I find that sanding without the paint being totally dry, makes for a great shortcut with fabulous results!!
5. Allow to dry, the seal (you can seal with a matter brush- on sealer or a speay kind). I personally skipped sealing my pieces , but by sealing them, you ensure they can be cleaned. And that they will last.

You know you want to try to update your furniture ( well update/ antique it) and hobestly, I urge you to. The great thing of painting them in this manner is that they are better when they look worn and tattered, so mistakes and lack of perctionism are in fact great attributes for achieving a beautiful piece that looks interesting, expensive and fredhens up your home decor.

Give it a go and tell me how it goes ^_^

DIY topiary!

Happy friday!, I am so happy that the weekend is upon us, I have much to do, and the weather looks promising, so I will be tempted to go out and get to work! ^_^

Talking about weather, Remember how I previously posted about how I wanted it to snow?, well it snowed yesterday (YAY!!); this morning I went out to photograph this lovely white blanket, covering all; I seriously love snow, it makes everything pure and clean and shabby chic! hehe.



Although the weather where you live may send chills to your bones, and you long for sunshine and flowers appearing from every corner, it is good to have an indoor project that reminds you of the outside until spring arrives. Behold, the easy, lovely and frugal topiary tutorial!

This cost me $0; I had all the materials needed around my house, and chances are, you do too!

My finished topiary! SO CUTE!

Materials:

1. Garden Gloves
2. Sturdy wire & wire cutters (or topiary form)
3. Planting pot filled with soil
4. Ivy plant (or any other trailing/vine-plant)
5. Moss & pebbles (to cover soil - not necessary)

I got my easy instructions from a fab video on YouTube from Martha Stewart; this tutorial shows all the steps on how you can create a gorgeous topiary within minutes!. I made 2 in under 15 minutes, so it is absolutely easy and fast!.

This tutorial is a lot easier seen than read, so here is the video link for you to hop on by and watch all the steps and tips to create an army of beautiful topiary for inside, or outside of your home....don't forget to get some chicken wire to create taller cone topiary for an amazing and impacting one!..I think I will be making a pair of huge cone topiary for my front porch!...ok, on to the video : 
Topiary Tutorial

A topiary in the making... my topiary forms were from a previously purchased topiary that didn't survive...
I had the good sense of keeping the forms, and they came in handy! ^_^

I think I will be making many of these easy beauties!; I really love to have plants indoors, and ivy is abundant in my backyard, so I can get it at any time....plus Ivy is a very sturdy plant...still, I have managed to kill many..but I am always up for another try at truly becoming a "gardener" even if just in containers!

I hope you try making one this weekend!, it is a great little project that will bring joy and beauty to your home or office!.

Enjoy your weekend!


XOX, Meli

Wishing for spring blooms..

Happy Tuesday everyone!.

These gorgeous daffodils are not mine, they're my neighbors,
this is what I hope mine will look like once they bloom!

I don't know how the weather is where you live, but here in NC, the winter has been a little crazy; while I wish for snow, it goes far from it, like reaching a high of 75, and then high of 48 2 days after... yes, a weather roller coaster, which has in turn, forced spring-blooming trees and shrubs to flower, this is the case for the amazing cherry blossom, and my beautiful camellias!. Don't get me wrong, I long for spring, and the amazing beauty it exudes, but I would love for each season to show its real splendor, and for winter, I want nothing but coldness and a few snow days...

Having been sooo busy during fall and the start of winter, it forced ME to put off planting the tulip and daffodil bulbs ; I finally got around to planting them this past weekend!. Yes, I know I am late for my zone, but they have been winter-forced in my garage fridge, so I am hoping that they will bloom anyways, when real spring comes around. Last year I planted around 40 white tulip bulbs, out of which only 5 bloomed!; they were huuuuge blooms, but obviously not the ratio I was expecting (5/40). Back then, I noticed that there were holes in the area I planted them, and I was advised by my garden-savvy neighbors that the squirrels (and I have many) looove Munching on tulip bulbs, so this year, after I researched a solution, I planted my bulbs differently. This time, I planted them purely in organic soil with a mix of bone meal and fertilizer, and to top it off, I guarded them with chicken wire, creating a tunnel over the planted bulbs, which was covered with more soil and mulch. I am hoping this trick prevents my hairy critter friends from feasting on the 190 bulbs I planted this time. I can't wait to see if my efforts will pay off, but I am realistic on the expectations, and even if I see a bloom, I will be absolutely over the moon!. I loooove flowers!...but what am I saying, you all already know that!.

Have you planted anything for spring?, come on, don't be shy, leave a comment and share with me what you've done!. I love hearing from you all ^_^

My bulb loot! ^_^

The front of my house looks messy while I clean up the leaves and plant tulip bulbs around the edge of the walkway.. 45 red tulips on each side to be exact!

Chloe enjoying the warmer temps looking out the screen door while I garden ^_^

Until Friday!, Have a lovely rest of the week!

 XOX, Meli