Blog Buttons

Look!  Look what I found on Pinterest!

I have been looking for something like this for a month!  I wanted cute social media buttons on my sidebar, but I didn't know how to make them, because I wanted the real shape of the logos for each thing.

So I was thrilled to find these free-to-download buttons created by Isa Maria of the marketing blog, The Academy.  I love that they use the Pantone colours of the year, and I surprised myself by picking the mimosa yellow rather than the turquoise.  I just thought it worked better with my current header, and I've been a bit infatuated with yellow lately.  What is your favourite colour out of the four?

I didn't need the Flickr button, and I created my own email button.  Then I figured out how to edit the html to get the spacing I wanted!  Maybe I'll now be able to fix the spacing in my "Sponsors" section.

So feel free to send me an email, like To a Pretty Life on Facebook, find me in Pinterest, subscribe via RSS, and follow me on Twitter!

    

Remember that every comment on any post is counted as an entry in the Vintage-Inspired Giveaway! Of course, feel free to comment even if you don't want to enter the giveaway! Make sure I have a way to contact you if you're the winner!

And come back on Friday to link your favourite post of the week!

Blue Baby Gift

I love using part of a gift, like these cute striped boots (from Joe Fresh) as the gift's decoration.  Easy and cute!  I painted the clothespin while making the gift.

As for the gift itself, I had a little 9-or-so-inch bit of wood left from the white shelf I cut up to make my new wall shelves.  It had two screw holes in the end, and was mostly white (primer, not paint).  At about 3:30 pm Monday (I had to leave the house at 5:45), I decided to turn it into a wall hanging for Baby T.  

I added a quick coat of white craft paint, followed by free-hand stripes in a custom-mixed blue.  Once the paint was dry (actually, it wasn't quite dry!), I sanded it with a medium-grit sanding sponge, then used white glue to add the words and frog (both printed in black ink on regular white paper.  The font is called "Cry Kitty"), and the brown tissue-paper scallops.  

I intended to cover it with a coat of glue, mod-podge style, but I didn't have time.  I didn't even have time to eat supper before Juli and I ran out the door!  And I had to take pictures of it at the baby shower after the gift had been opened.  That should teach me not to do things last-minute!  But I do love how it turned out.

Remember that every comment on any post is counted as an entry in the Vintage-Inspired Giveaway! Of course, feel free to comment even if you don't want to enter the giveaway! Make sure I have a way to contact you if you're the winner!


And come back on Friday to link your favourite post of the week!

Olive Green and Baby Blue: Frog Baby Shower Decorations

Last nights baby shower was great!  Baby T is adorable at one month old, and his mama is gorgeous!  No one would believe she just had a baby.  Her requested theme was "frogs" and the colours were olive green and baby blue.  I was surprised to find that those colours were both hard to find!  Maybe it's just the time of year, or maybe Edmonton's party and paper scene hasn't caught up to design trends yet.

So we made do with the greens and blues we could find, and mixed in some neutrals.  My centrepieces were suspended from the ceiling, so it was pretty hard to get decent pictures of them.  The five tables at the back had faux piñatas in blues (water), greens (grass), and brown (mud).  The front four tables had cloud mobiles.  I made the clouds from felt, and suspended them from pieces of driftwood.  Special thanks to the baby's Aunty Shauna for helping with those!

The tables were sprinkled with some multi-coloured tissue confetti and origami frogs made by my wonderful friend Sherisse (my spring tea party co-host).

Baby T's growing collection of frog stuffies adorned some of the tables and looked right at home under the felt clouds.  I loved his mama's idea to include frog candies on the tables too!

You can kind of see in the left of this picture below the reeds and cattails in a vase.  There were four of those.  Three on the food table (which was set up out in the hallway and I forgot to get a picture of it), and one on the drink table.  They served green punch which totally amazed my four-year-old and her friend.

The gift table and food table had runners of olive green organza (bought from Jysk, and there was just enough!).  I then sprinkled the confetti and frogs along it.

The piñata were made from dollar store beach balls, packing tape, and tissue paper.  I also made signs (to direct guests to the room, and to label the coffee) and food labels, but I forgot to get pictures of those.  I used some vintage graphics courtesy of the Graphics Fairy: Frog, Dragonfly, and Arrow.

I was really worried that all my random ideas pulled from Pinterest wouldn't look cohesive when I put them all together, but it worked out!  My decor was even complimented by a woman who runs a wedding/event decorating company!

And to totally change the subject, here is where we spent the weekend:

Remember that every comment on any post is counted as an entry in the Vintage-Inspired Giveaway! Of course, feel free to comment even if you don't want to enter the giveaway! Make sure I have a way to contact you if you're the winner!


And come back on Friday to link your Favourite Post of the Week!

Pretty Spice Labels

I made some labels for my newly-organised spice jars.  I am so happy with how they turned out!  They don't quite cover the permanent marker I had used on the lids, but it's good enough for me!  I made the lables using this "vintage round lables" printable as a starting point.

I had to borrow a 2-inch circle punch from a friend, as I only have a 1 3/8 circle and a 1 3/4 scalloped circle punch.  But the 2-inch punch was the perfect size!  (Edited: I forgot to say that I used hot glue to attach my lables to the jar lids.  They're printed on dollar store card stock.)

This is my super-attractive solution to elevate the back row.  Two beat-up 2x4s.

But as you can see, it works perfectly!  The rack is from Zellers.

If you like my lables, you can print some for yourself!  

Edited to add: The jars are from Ikea!  Sorry for leaving that out!  I put it in my previous posts about this spice cupboard, but totally forgot to include it here.  Here in Canada, the jars are a set of 4 for $3.99.

And special thanks to Traci of Beneath My Heart for featuring this post in her best DIY projects for the month of February!

My All-Time Favourite Photo

I love this picture of my girl.  It's from April 2010.  I must print and frame it, althought it's too bad about the neighbour's extension cord in the background.  I'm not very good at noticing that kind of thing while I'm taking the picture.  What is your favourite photo?  Did you take it, or did someone else?

Remember that every comment on any post is counted as an entry in the Vintage-Inspired Giveaway! Of course, feel free to comment even if you don't want to enter the giveaway! Make sure I have a way to contact you if you're the winner!

Garden Quotes

I've been pining for my garden lately.  I've spied some green growing among last year's dried up leaves of perennial Bachelor's Buttons.  I wouldn't be surprised if my tulips are super early this year.  Although it's supposed to be -30 next week.

I'm excited for my new sort-of-shady area to plant things like hostas and bleeding hearts!  I miss my shady garde from the last house (although I don't miss the mosquitoes that the neighbours bred in their kiddie pool).

For my birthday last year, a friend gave me this tiny letterpress book of garden quotes.  Here are some of my favourites.

"One of the healthiest ways to gamble is with a spade and a package of seeds."

-Dan Bennett

"The garden is the place I go to for refuge and shelter, not the house...out there blessings crowd round me at ever step--it is there that I am sorry for the unkindness in me, for those selfish thoughts that are so much worse than they feel; it is there that all my sins and silliness are forgiven, there that I feel protected and at home, and every flower and weed is a friend and every tree a lover"

-Elizabeth (Countess Russell)

"Do you think Amethysts can be the souls of good violets?"

-L. M. Montgomery 

"Weather means more when you have a garden.  There's nothing like listening to a shower and thinking how it is soaking in and around your lettuce and green beans"

-Marcelene Cox

"Tea in the garden, to be taken at four,

if the sun does shine and the rain doesn't pour

Cucumber sandwiches sliced like a dream,

brown boild eggs then cowslip cream.

Strawberry ice and fresh lemonade,

pale china tea all out in the shade.

And if there's room, do not forsake

at least one slice of homemade cake."

-Sara Midda

"Go make thy garden fair as thou canst,

thou workest never alone;

Perchance he whose plot is next to thine 

will see it, and mend his own."

-Elizabeth Rundle Charles

"Gardening is not a rational act."

-Margaret Atwood

Remember that every comment on any post is counted as an entry in the Vintage-Inspired Giveaway! Of course, feel free to comment even if you don't want to enter the giveaway! Make sure I have a way to contact you if you're the winner!

Favourite Posts of the Week {#2}

Welcome back to Favourite Posts of the Week at To a Pretty Life!  I've had a busier week, so I haven't been able to browse blogs as much as I did last week.  But I did come across a couple of great posts.  Link up your favourite posts of the week too!

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Miss Mustard Seed recently linked back to a September 2010 post: Ironstone 101.  I'm sure I read this post when she originally posted it, but apparently I forgot and have been wondering about ironstone again.  I love the look of all white/off-white old dishes.  I love the printed ones too.  I have a few blue floral plates, and two green saucers.

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Karianne from Thistlewood Farm shared a heartfelt post about Imperfect Perfection.

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Remember that every comment on any post is counted as an entry in the Vintage-Inspired Giveaway! Of course, feel free to comment even if you don't want to enter the giveaway! Make sure I have a way to contact you if you're the winner!

The Writer and the Rebel

Look what I found in the mail box yesterday!  That's my name!  In a magazine!  It's pretty amazing to see that, especially when there's a cheque tucked between the pages too!  My first "writing income"!  Of course, now I've used up all my expertise in one go, and have nothing else to write articles about.

Yesterday also found us making a quick trip to Costco.  I've had several water bottles that I've liked, but always had issues with them. (I need to keep up with my three litres of water even when I'm on the go!)  I bought the popular set of three Contigo water bottles from Costco.  But every one else has the same ones!  So I decided to switch them up.  There's no rule that says you have to keep the matching lids, right?  And voila!  I have two water bottles in my favourite colour combination!  Turquoise and Olive!  Now I have an extra pink one that I'm not going to use...

Remember that every comment on any post is counted as an entry in the Vintage-Inspired Giveaway!  Of course, feel free to comment even if you don't want to enter the giveaway! Make sure I have a way to contact you if you're the winner!

What I Wore...on Sunday

Ok, this week I don't have much to share with you as far as what I actually wore.  I only took pictures on Sunday.  Although what I wore on Monday was cute too.  Kevin was my reluctant photographer.  

Dress and leggings and sweater: H&M
Cami: Smart Set
Boots: Shoe Company

I've been a bit too focussed on the baby shower decorations this week.  The shower is on Monday, which you would think would be a lot of time.  But I won't be able to work on anything shower-related after Thursday.  But I got a lot accomplished last night, and I think it's all going to turn out.  My favourite part so far is the cloud mobile.

I do, however, have a fashion-related question. We're going to Mexico in a few months for our 10th anniversary.  I have very few summer clothes, so I'll need to do a little shopping before we go.  But I don't know what to buy!  So what are your favourite summer clothes?  ...Favourite beach clothes?  ...Favourite place to shop?  (Ok, so that's three questions)


Remember that every comment on any post is counted as an entry in the Vintage-Inspired Giveaway! Of course, feel free to comment even if you don't want to enter the giveaway! Make sure I have a way to contact you if you're the winner!


And come back on Friday to link up your favourite posts of the week!