Finding Inspiration

Finding inspiration can be hard at times.  You get busy with your family and it seems like everything else stops.  I recently decided that I wanted to go back to finding the things I love and doing them when time allows.

I used to love going to antique stores and flea markets.  Find that one really cool find and making it over into something amazing.  Last weekend I really wanted to decorate my front porch area to make it more inviting.  So I took off to Hobby Lobby {my favorite store} and found lots of fun and cute things.  I left Hobby Lobby empty handed because it wasn't what I was looking for.  I wanted something quaint and different.

  Something inspiring. 

I decided to stop in at a flea market in town and browse quickly through it to see if there were any goodies there.  I found something that set my mind spinning!  I found a baby doll cradle that was so cute.  Even if the color wasn't what I was wanting I still had high hopes!  I checked it out to make sure it was sturdy enough and it was.  Now, I wonder what it's price would be??  I was almost too scared to look!

$9.99.

Can you believe it!?!  I couldn't.  I snatched that bad boy up and left happy!! 

The idea I had for this cradle is simple.  I wanted to use it as a flower planter for my front porch.

So instead of having a screaming red baby cradle, I stopped by Menards and grabbed 2 cans of Chestnut paint.  Perfect!

Added to my list were 3 gallon sized yellow mums with a little hint of red in them.

After spray painting my cradle a beautiful chestnut color, it sat a day or two to dry.

Next....

Accessorize it.

I really didn't have a big plan in mind.

I picked up some leaf branches at JoAnns and attached them to the side posts with floral wire.

Added a little raffia.

It didn't seem complete so I added a little rake "Welcome" sign to the left side and attached it with floral wire in 3 different place.

While I would like to add more props around my cute little planter, I am stopping for now until I find the next great steal. 

It's easy to get stuck in a rut of creating new things.  My encouragement is this.  Find what you LOVE.  Look around at Flea markets and ask yourself how you could re-do something into something really amazing.  Pick up a few accessories that go well with it and pull it together with things you might all ready have.  You'll be amazed at the end product!

It is the planter I didn't know I was looking for!

Happy creating!

*Linked to

Chocolate Dipped Brownie Hearts

I am departing today from my normal crafts and blogging about something I really enjoy doing..... 

baking. 

Since it is Valentine's Day weekend, I thought I would have a little fun doing something that says "I Love You" to my family.  My husband was away for a few days for a work conference and I wanted to do something special for him when he got home. 

Thursday night I ended up baking brownies because we had family over to visit but we didn't end up eating them.  So I thought that it would be fun to use my little heart shaped cookie cutter to make brownie hearts.  But why stop there?  Why not make them even more chocolaty?  Dangerous I know.

So over my kids nap time, I cut out heart shaped brownies.

 

Melting Chocolate

I used left over Chocolate Almond Bark and some chocolate chips and 1/2 tablespoon of Crisco to melt my chocolate. 

Want a fool proof way to melt chocolate?  Take a pan of water several inches deep and warm it up.  Add a glass bowl to sit on top with your chocolate and stir away.  I turned down the heat once it was all melted.  This worked great for me as it didn't burn or scorch!

Looking Good!

Now just dip the brownie bits into the chocolate with a fork and tap your fork on the side of the bowl until excess chocolate drops off.  I used the tip of a sharp knife to slide it off my fork on waxed paper.

Now for a pretty presentation....

Arrange hearts on 1 paper doily on a colored plate.

Enjoy!