All Good Things Must Come to an End.

I realize this post may come across nerdy. You may finally realize I am not some cool, Navy-Blue and white wearing girl. Instead, I am proud to say, I am a nerd.

When I say I am a nerd, what I really am trying to get to is the fact that I love to read. I've loved to read from the day Christine C. showed us all she could read the menu, and I, jealous, went home with the determined mind set that I could read the menu too. I was four.

And then someone very special entered my life. Over a decade ago. His name is Harry Potter. Harry introduced me to his friends Hermione and Ron, to dragons and thestrals, to charms and transfiguration, and to a world I would have done (and still would do) anything to join.

I was disappointed that I did not get a letter from Hogwarts on my eleventh birthday. I was saddened that my wand was just made from wood, with no core. But I was able to get past these low points by reading more and more of this magical world Jo Rowling had decided to share with us.

I have learned so much about goodness, kindness, friendship, love, and devotion from these books. You may laugh, you may scoff, but it is true that JK Rowling and Harry have taught me so much more than anyone could have.

When I read the epilogue of the seventh chapter to the Harry Potter series three years ago, I cried. I cried for the loss of some of the best friends I've ever had. I cried for the comrades who were lost in the book, and I cried for the happy, normal life HP and his wife were leading. I cried in gratitude for a book that got me through hard times, a story that entertained me, keeping me away from more questionable childhood activities, and a friendship that had lasted throughout moves and fights with others.

I always knew that last book would be hard for a crybaby like me to read. But it didn't dawn on me until just last week how hard the final movie would be. We were lucky, we had eight movies. Eight wonderful, frustrating (at times), and magical movies that would bring this book to life. But obviously that had to come to an end as well.

I won't go into detail about the movie, for those of you who haven't seen it. But let me just say this: I was not disappointed. It was excellent. Tear-inducing, heart rate raising, and it definitely caused a few butterflies. Go see it.

And, in true nerd fashion, I made J and I shirts for the finale. Using this tutorial.

So there you have it. I am a nerd. Whose with me?

Homemade.

 

I made that bracelet out of the string that comes in a sweatshirt hood.

xo, Happy Thursday!

Amazing.

I blame websites like Design*Sponge, Knock Off Wood, Etsy, and Young House Love for my ridiculous Justin Bieber (Never Say Never) attitude. I look at these sites and see all the amazing things people can do with the piece of trash chair they found in the dumpster behind Goodwill, or the 2x4's and 4x4s they find at Home Deopt, or the piece of art they made with barn wood, and I think, I can do that.

I'm here to tell all of you who think "Woah, that (fill in the blank) is so talented, I wish I could be as creative as (her/him/it)." You can do it.

Start small. Recover a pillow. Or skip that nonsense and rip apart your dress, only to put it back together a different way. However you do it, just don't limit yourself. You can do all these things. Sometimes it takes a little practice. Sometimes it comes naturally. Sometimes you're creative enough to think of these things all by yourself. Other times you'll copy take inspiration from a blog, a Pottery Barn catalog, a movie.

And sometimes, you will do something amazing. Like this.

Before (Design*Sponge)

After (Design*Sponge)

With as much blog stalking lovin as I do, I often come across a Before & After so inspiring that I just have to oogle for a few minutes. Today was one those days. A Before & After day on Design*Sponge. It took me a minute to convince myself that this really was the same piece. Alexandra Becket Before & After-ed her whole Craftsman house. The transformation was gorgeous. But I still can't get over these two images.

I hope when you see pictures like this you don't get down on yourself. Don't think "I will never be able to do something like that." Instead, pull up your big girl High Self Esteem (HSE) pants and say, "I can do better." Because even if you can't, wouldn't you settle for doing as well as Alexandra did? It's like that saying about shooting the moon, and stars, and aiming. 

I hope I don't sound to high horsey (man I am on a roll with my verbiage today!) with this post. I'm not trying to show off my HSE. I'm just trying to let you see a little how I view things. I have so many people tell me "I wish I was as crafty as you are!" but what they don't know is the secret I just let you in on. I don't know what I'm doing, I just do it.

Anyone of your blog readers already know that secret?? Or care to share any more crafty/HSE secrets?

Six Lions and a Peacoat

White. Mountains of white. Blowing around. Reflecting the sun. Making it hard for Duke to find somewhere in the backyard to do his thing, if you catch my drift. And there are lots of drifts. HUGE drifts. Looking out the window to the front of the house right now, I see a car buried, a patio table heaped halfway to the tip of the umbrella, and a tree that must have strong limbs. I cannot, however, see my shoveling husband, due to the large pile he has created on the side of the driveway.

Yep, snow. We got more snow. Oklahoma is very confused. They don't know what to do. This time, however, I agree with the snow day J is enjoying. There is no way we could have gotten out of our garage, let alone our driveway this morning. And if we got that far, there is no way the streets would have permitted us to get anywhere.

Duke is loving it (well he was loving it, until he had to come inside because there was another dog outside that he just needed to play with. So now, he is under my desk crying. Thus the blog writing, instead of working. Don't really think I need to make a phone call to a photographer with a crying puppy in the background).

J is loving it. And shoveling it. :)

I am loving it. From inside for now, but later we'll head over to the park for the whining, crying puppy.

And it just so happens that I was ready for this. Oh yes, blog readers, I am prepared. Let me tell you what my husband told me when all the stores were having great sales on winter coats last year at the end of the season...

       "Don't buy a new winter coat, you won't need it where we're going. Everywhere we could possibly go does not get snow."

Ha. Good thing I'm a coat hoarder. And I still have my coats from high school. Who cares if they are a little big and old? Well actually, I do, so I fixed one. Check out this before.

Yes, I left the dog/cat hair on that coat to make a more dramatic before & after.

It's not horrible. It's not. I wear it, and its fine. It's just a little boring like that. Don't you think? So imagine my excitement when I received a package full of these in the mail last week:

 

Gorgeous! I'm in love with buttons! That lion even looks a little bit like the lion in the Recor family crest. If only it had two tails. So with a pair of scissors,  a needle and some thread, I preformed a little coat makeover. Are you ready for this??

Okay, its not super dramatic, I know. And the coat is still too big for me, which really just means I can wear a shirt, sweater, and a sweatshirt under it to stay warm. But its a bit updated. A bit more Mallory circa 2011, rather than American Eagle circa 2004. Who doesn't love a little bit of gold and navy? Almost as good as navy and white...

So whose running to the fabric store on the way home from work to pick up some buttons? Really, it was an awesome (read:cheap) way to update my coat. To take a coat I had and turn it into a coat I wanted. And it was very, very simple. Maybe not precise, but I'm the only one who will be wearing it, so who cares. Thoughts?

Bookends. Not What You Think.

You saw it. You're clever little eyes caught sight of something you've been waiting for. Am I right??

Let's recap. Remember this post? Of course you do. Remember what we started with?

Did you see this picture the other day?

Yep. I've been holding out on you. We "finished" this little guy over a month ago. The reason I have not shared yet, is because it is too cold to polyurethane. And I really wanted him to be finished before I showed him off. But, that may be a while. And I teased you earlier this week. So I decided to share.

I have pictures of the process somewhere, but I'm having difficulties locating them right now. Sorry!

Also sorry that he does not have his polyurethane coat{S} on! He would be a much richer, dark brown color if he did. One day he will completely match my dining room table.

On top of him not having his coat on, he also is not styled. Stacy and Clinton would have a field day on the poor guy. The mirror he's sporting is actually borrowed from our bedroom until I find time to DIY a Pottery Barn inspired mirror to go with my Pottery Barn inspired console. He's got a measly Woodwick and key plate. That's it. I feel like I should be apologizing for his lack of styling. I feel like he's naked. I'm sorry for exposing him so crudely. But you had to see. You had to know I finish projects I start. {Well I almost finish them. And then I use them. And one day I will finish them. All.}

So.... dare I ask? What do you think?

A big, huge thanks to Ana White for providing the amazing plans for this little dude. Seriously. Check her website out. You'll want to make every piece of furniture in your house.

I cannot take responsibility of time wasted on the aforementioned website. This is your warning. 

Clutching to Christmas

You remember my clutch.

You remember you frustrating it was that I had too many pockets. Too big of a purse. Well, apparently, it is just as frustrating to others. I had a few orders for clutches as Christmas presents. I was a clutch machine the week leading up to the big day. And I'll let you in on a little secret. I loved making them. They're so easy. And it's so much fun playing around with different sizes and designs.

And now that I have been guaranteed that all those receiving their clutches have done so, I am ready to share. Are you ready to see?

And that's that. Anyone else do any crafting/DIY for Christmas? Those are my favorite kinds of presents to receive, the ones that are handmade and heartfelt.

Lay Down Your Sweet Head.

Moving right along with our minimal Christmas decor. As you probably know by now, I love to have a feeling of the season in my decor, but I don't want to change everything in my house to make sure there is a Santa head on it. Who knows, maybe one day my decorating sense will change and I will want a Santa head on everything. But for now I don't.

Which is why, when I decided to cover up the nautical pillows on the couch, I did not decide to go with fleece snowmen and real, glittery Rudolf noses. No, instead I went subtle. Subtle Christmas colors, in two non-traditionally Christmas patterns: floral and striped (of course). And thus, my couch went from looking like it belongs in Seaside, FL...

To warming us with its Christmas Cheer!

The pillow covering project actually started as a sewing lesson for my good friend Jill (don't ask me why she thinks I am an expert at sewing. She also thinks I am an amazing yoga-ist. Yes, it's a word.). She had bought a sewing machine from our favorite thrift store and wanted to see if it worked, all whilst adding a little holiday cheer to her couches.

Long story short, her sewing machine did not work, so it was more a lesson of how to use Mallory's sewing machine, which turned into, how to watch Mallory, and trying when she makes me, make a pillow. I love that girl.

So two of the pillows have zippers so I can reuse the pillow cases next year. And because I had originally only planned on using the flower fabric for one pillow, and was going to have a seam in the back if I used it for a second (which I did, we all know I break all rules of crafting. Martha would hate me), I did not use a zipper for the final pillow, but instead, made it like an envelope. I really don't know what the method I used is technically called, but you know the kind... Where the back overlaps by a few inches, but there is a big whole in the middle? Like a pillow sham.

And that was it! Now our couch is festive as well. And subtly so, just the way I like it. Do you like it subtle? Or are you a loud and proud Christmas fiend? I find myself going back and forth, year after year. This year I'm minimalistic. Maybe it's because I'm a little birdy (cheap cheap). What do you think?

Clutching my Clutch.

Walking home from work the other day, I was very frustrated trying to find my keys. Too many pockets, too big of a purse. And it was heavy. My purse becomes J's storage container often times. I was very frustrated.

This frustration lead to an epiphany. Why not make a clutch? One pocket. Small. Compact and light. And so I forgot about anything else I had planned for the afternoon (and I had a lot planned. Fun stuff, like thrifting and stopping by Hobby Lobby.) and ran to my scrap fabric bag.

I cut, ironed and sewed, and talked to my sister on the phone. And after thirty minutes, I had succeed.

The flowers were a previous project, that I ended up hot gluing to the clutch to complete it. It was, quite possibly, one of the easiest projects I've ever done. In hindsight, there are always things that I would do differently. And maybe I'll make another one day. But It works. And it only has one pocket. And it's small enough, that it can't be too heavy. It can't be used as a storage compartment by husbands. It holds a wallet, a phone, gum, chapstick, and a Hobby Lobby coupon. I love it.

Are you in on this downsize? Or are you a large bag kinda person? I love it, and for now, this small clutch is all I need. What do you think about the flowers? Also, does anyone recognize this fabric?? Yes, My name is Mallory, and I am a navy and white stripe-aholic.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

It's that time of the year again. It is a time to celebrate with friends and family. To remember how blessed we are. To remember how magical it can be.

Harry Potter Day.

For those of you who are closest to me, you know this past weekend was one of the most exciting weekends of my year. I couldn't sleep with anticipation. My wand was placed by my bedside with care. And visions of Crumple Horned Snorkack's were dancing in my head.

In our house, we celebrate many Harry Potter Days. July 31st, Harry's Birthday. November 19 (or July 15th, or whatever day he graces us with his big screen presence). Tuesday, since we read HP as we fall asleep. Last weekend held one of the big Harry Potter Days of 2010... The release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One.

And he did not disappoint. The movie was awesome. Followed the book amazingly. Full of amazing detail and adorable outfits (thank you, Hermione). Full of magic and love. Full of fright and tears. Amazing.

Now, it wouldn't be a Harry Potter Day without celebrating in our clothing, would it? So yes, the Hogwarts track jacket was brought out. And the Gryffindor scarf. And of course, a little DIY.

You'll remember last Sunday, I had a productive day. Making cork sticks and Christmas card displays (I'll send you our address, all you have to do is send your card this way!). Well, I hinted at one more DIY project.

Bonus points if you know what this is. Double bonus points if you knew what it was before you saw the movie.

So we traveled two hours to Tulsa, OK in order to see our beloved Weasley Family, Hermione, Harry, Hagrid, Dobby, Neville (even if it was short) and all the rest of our loves on the big, giant IMAX screen. Yes, you heard me right. Two hours. And it was totally worth it. Even if I did have to drive the whole way there.

So if you haven't seen it yet, grab your wand, pull on your Quiddich sweater and get to the nearest theater. If you need someone to see it with, fly me to wherever you are, and I will go. No questions asked.

And for those of you who have seen it, WHAT DID YOU THINK?!?!

Faux Frame

I'll admit. I've circled everything in the Pottery Barn catalog. Yep everything. I should actually just forward the entire thing to Santa. I want it all. I want it all. And I want it now Christmas.

But, we all know that is not going to happen. Santa, don't think I'm greedy. I just am sending you the catalog for ideas. But don't worry about this. I've already got this under control.

Source: Pottery Barn

You may be wondering, did she really spend $199.00 on that Gilt Frame Card Holder? Frugal Mallory? Cheap Cheap Birdy? Well, I did not. Instead, I saw this and took inspiration.

You see, that is the secret of my projects. Most of the time, I get inspiration. Sometimes (as in this case) I see something and think "I can do that." Call it HSE. Call it crafty. Call it straight up copying. Call it whatever you want. But whatever you call it... this is what it gets you.

I found this very large frame at the local thrift store for $7.75. It was too expensive. But a week later, my friend Jill was back at said thrift store, and it was 75% off. So she bought it for me, so I could be "Mallory-crafty" (a new adjective coined by Jillian). So all in all, this project was free to me. (Unless you count the bag of mint and dark chocolate chips I bought Jill as a thank you.)

Lets just see what this thing looked like before I got my hands on it.

And although the cross stitched flower arrangement was beautiful, it was very dirty, did not fit in with the decor over here, and well... you know. Not exactly my taste. So I changed it. Simple project, one of my many on Sunday. Here are the instructions:

1. Find large frame.
2. Take picture/cross stitch/glass out of frame and dispose of.
3. Measure width of frame and add 2 inches.
4. Cut twine to this length.
5. Using a staple gun, measure evenly (you'll want to do a little math before you start... consider how many pieces of twine you want and how far apart you want them) down the frame and staple twine to inside back of frame. Make sure twine is taut.
6. Hang Christmas cards that your friends and family send you (hint, hint).

So, what do you think? I find myself longing for many things in the beloved Pottery Barn catalogs. In fact, I look through my Pottery Barn catalogs more often than some of the magazines I actually subscribe to. Shocking, I'm sure. Perhaps Pottery Barn can be thanked for being my inspiration to DIY. For as long as they keep their prices up, I will continue to create knock off pieces. Do you do this? Covet Pottery Barn? Or perhaps it is another store. (Anthropologie is my other one.) Does this drive you to DIY? Or do you just cave and spend the money?

Cork on a Stick.

Here is my thought process on a day like Sunday.

Wake up, ouch my head hurts. And my hair still smells like bonfire. Gross. Where is my husband? Do I smell bacon? Must find bacon. There is husband! He's making Eggs Jonathan. With bacon! Yum. So good. Now I need Tylenol. And a shower. Lets get water from the refrigerator. Ew, lets clean out the refrigerator. I'm feeling productive. What do I get if I mix wine corks, a yard stick, and wood glue? I like it! Now what? Oh, footballs on. Oh, I'm losing. Where is that $2 frame Jill got me? Here it is. What if I add a little twine... Perfect. Laundry, laundry, laundry. Soup. Laundry. Harry Potter is this weekend. We need shirts. Done. Laundry. Sarah's House. Laundry. Run. Couch. Bed.

Aren't you excited to see all the fruits of my labor from Sunday?? We'll start with my first project from Sunday. A cork stick. Corks on a stick. Yardstick cork. Well whatever you call it, it's meant to be a tall skinny cork board for a very narrow place. What do you think?

If your wondering how I made the cork stick, you're in luck! Because I'm going to tell you. It was a very simple project that took me all of 5 minutes (not counting the now 36 hours the cork stick has been under a 2x4 in the garage to make sure the glue sticks.

1. Drink lots of bottles of wine.
2. Save the corks.
3. Get a yard stick (if you go to a small, local hardware store and bat your eyes and wear something pretty, they might even give it to you for free...).
4. Using wood glue, attach corks to the yard stick.
5. Place under something heavy (I just so happened to have a 2x4 laying around) for 12 hours to let the glue set.
6. Hang on wall. Hang things on cork stick.

So? I made the cork stick as a way to use my collection of corks. I still have many left over. That is what happens when you collect something somewhat useless. You get to make awesome things. What do you think? Could you use a cork stick for a narrow area in your house? Stick a few notes on there for your cat? A picture or two? Tell us what easy projects you've been up to using everyday items from your house!

Oh, just a tip. Don't use hot glue. It won't work.

A Hint of More to Come.

There comes a time in every girls life when she realizes, some things are not within reach. I cannot bounce on the clouds, even if I jump out of a plane above them. I'll just fall through and get wet. I cannot be best friends with Justin Timberlake (unless I got Ellen on my cause... which also will not happen). I cannot have long, thick, Princess Jasmine hair. She is a cartoon.

And as much as I love Pottery Barn, I know cannot afford to furnish my house in Pottery Barn buys. Maybe one day, when I win the lottery, and buy my house on the Pacific with the big windows and black sashes. But for now, when we live on a 2dLt salary, and have student loans to pay back, it's not going to happen.

So what is a girl to do? Lets do a little math, shall we? What does:

My extreme love for

+

An empty, sad, boring entryway 

-

Bags of money

Photo Credit

Equal?? I guess you'll just have to wait to find out! But I will give you a hint: