Fairy Garden In A Houseplant

I wish I had taken photos during the process of this craft.  It turned out TOTES ADORBS, you guys!

My first craft of 2017:  Fairy Garden Houseplant

Supplies:
1 large established dragon grass plant, in a large pot
Butterfly "stepping stones" (got these at Michaels)
Bag of river stones (also at Michaels)
Small bird house (thanks again, Michaels)
Paint
Modge Podge
Pretty bead
Sticks from the yard
Cute wooden mushroom
Butterflies on wire (found in floral department of, again, Michaels)

I free hand painted the door on the birdhouse back.  After it dried, I slathered about 1/4 - 1/2 inch of modge podge all over one side of the bird house, then started placing river stones in the modge podge.  After the side dried, I repeated the same on all other sides.  Then I did the same on the roof, but instead of using rocks, I cut segments of sticks and modge podged them on the top.  Make sure you select super straight sticks so they fit together well.

Then I glued a bead on the door as a handle.

Once everything on the house cured for 3 days, I placed the house in the potted plant, arranged the mushroom, the butterfly stepping stones, and the wired butterflies.  Then I covered the soil with river stones.

I presented this to my step-daughter, and she had a tiny out of body experience.  I kid you not.


Love,
JJ

#CraftWithIntention

Craft With Intention

As a desk wench/wage earner during the day, I'm no stranger to moving projects towards the goal post.  I have been doing corporate project management for over a decade, and that informs my philosophy on managing my home and feathering my nest.  My teams frequently ask me questions about work projects, like the following:

What's the most important part of a project?
ANSWER:  Celebrating when you complete it.  I know, I know.... most people will say it's actually "having a solid plan".  Yes, that is incredibly important for success.  I quote Einstein on that below.  But celebrating completion gives you satisfaction.  It puts a W on the board.  It drives you to carry the inertia of completion into your next project.

As for planning, it's absolutely crucial to the success of the problem.  Einstein famously said if he had 60 minutes to save the world from destruction, he'd spend 55 minutes defining what the actual problem WAS.  In the same way, the better you plan your project the more successful it will be.

Take this for instance.  This is not my craft.  It's gorgeous isn't it?  A beautiful gazebo.

I bring this with me when I train new hires.  I ask them "What is this made of?" and "WHERE was it made?" I get a lot of different answers.  Most people see it's made of wood (popsicle sticks), and think maybe it was made in a summer camp.

This gazebo was crafted by 2 sex offenders and a recovering heroin addict who stole catalytic converters off cars.  That's right, it was made at a state correctional facility.  By inmates.  Each piece was cut with safety scissors.  It's held together by glue.  It took about a month to construct.  Not a single builder of this work had so much as a high school education.

So I tell my colleagues AND my fellow crafters:  You do not need the best materials.  You do not need the best training or education.  What you DO need is a really solid plan, and a commitment to quality.

Craft with intention, my friends!

Much love,
JJ

#LoveYourSpace
#CraftWithIntention

HAPPY 2017

Hello, 2017!  Happy New Year to all you folks out there in the Land of the Interwebs.  I haven't posted at all in over 2 months, and that is because we were coordinating our move, unpacking, furiously decorating for Xmas and trying to celebrate our normal traditions with our shorties.

I'll grouse more than I should about all the ugly wallpaper in this house, but I do have to admit... The red flocked wallpaper in the dining room is hella festive at Christmastime.

Did I mention I got the best gift?  I got a Jul Bok!  A straw yule goat!  He's festive (a Scandinavian tradition), and I'm trying to come up with a name for him.  Goaty McGoatface isn't going to cut it.

Hope your holiday season was festive and full of wonder!

JJ

#LoveYourSpace

Remodel Goal

I'm no stranger to remodeling.  I come from a long line of resourceful women and skilled carpenters, and I've remodeled homes before.  I tend to think the key ingredients for a successful remodel are:

1.  Have a vision of your home.
2.  Have a vision of your project.
3.  Know what you can do yourself, and what you should contract.

Just like a project at our job, we're starting this foundation to roof remodel with a clear, central goal:

Update the home to a stately colonial decor while focusing attention on maintaining and upgrading the structure where it counts.

This means some of our projects will probably be decidedly unsexy.  Like tearing apart the waterlogged porch and reinforcing the roof sag over the garage.

But there'll be plenty of wainscoting, painting and fun pinteresty projects in store as well.

Cheers,
JJ

#LoveYourHome

Welcome, Friends!

Welcome to the Ugly Manor.  My name is JJ, and I'll be your host for this adventure.  I'm a corporate desk wench with a 9-5 day job.  I also recently bought a very large, very ugly house.  

About us:  We're a family living in the American Midwest.  My husband and our 2 children will be calling this place home for the next 10-50 years.  We're embarking on a lengthy remodel of this joint, and we'd love for you to ride along with us.

About the house: it's 3200 sq ft of tacky wallpaper and ugly carpet.  It's a 4 bedroom 3 bath colonial on a 3+ acre lot with a pond.  Loads of potential.  We lovingly refer to it as "The Amityville Shitshow".

Stick around!  We'll be posting frequently about our DIY efforts at updating the place and feathering the nest.