End of Summer Party

Planning Ahead

I am planning a farewell to summer party for my neighbors.  We often have cocktail parties in the "thank God it's Friday" fashion, so I am knocking it up a notch.   Today I am testing the appetizer menus and I've made this ice idea ahead of time

with lemons and limes!  

I froze sliced lemons and limes in a silicone cupcake tray

funny thing about the silicone cupcake tray - very unstable! You have to use a cookie sheet underneath it or you will be mopping up the kitchen floor.  Easier with water than cupcake batter!

After popping the frozen disc's out of the rubber cupcake holder

they store easily in a freezer bag until party time

I think they will look pretty in a cup of water or the frozen margarita's I am going to serve

also I think the cubes will chill a glass of white wine nicely too!

It's an easy nice way to chill your drink and can be made way ahead of time!

Pam

Summer Is Not Over Yet!

I Needed One More Summer Project!

one more?

Well, first I needed to paint the front door from dingy white to 

Cherry Cobbler!  You should always pick out a bunch of different colors or if you set on a color, I like red doors, put a bunch of different shades of your color on the door or wall.  Walk away, look it over different times of the day and you'll find the color that speaks to you.

It took 3 coats.  I am leaving the 

painters tape on for a little while - it's so hot and humid right now I can't take it off with out taking some of the paint with it -aauggh!

Now on to the fun part - a project!

I had a wreath from a paper project of yesteryear 

and I took off the paper and what was left was a good wreath form

The cat is not impressed or eager to help

Kitty, most cats like paper!  Oh well, 

Next I purchased a bag of sea shells from the craft store, pulled out the strongest we had 

but I tested how it would look before gluing - is this my glue summer?!

Pretty simple!

I tried to nudge them closer than this so none of the wreath base showed

It didn't take long at all

I moved the project off the rug and onto newspaper when the gluing began!

Gorilla Glue dries white, not to bad for this project, Elmer's dries clear but it's not as strong.  This is going to hang on the front door, I need strength

so I tried to be careful with the white drips

I chose a wide navy blue ribbon to hang the wreath with.  Red door, white shells and a dark blue ribbon - spells summer to me!  I know school is starting in mere weeks, but I say summer's not over yet!

Too low?  I think so

I just took it down and retied the bow.  This is why I wanted the ribbon - easy adjustment with a pop of color!  The other good thing about the ribbon, if I want to pivot the shell wreath, just lift it off the ribbon and turn, don't even need to take the whole thing down.  

I am having a end of summer party in a couple of weeks, I think this door is a great start!

Pam

Sunday

A Writer's Table

My Son is a Writer

and fresh out of college and in badly needing a room at home make over.

so while the paint is drying - a beautiful shade of blue

 I got my craft on while my son is building his new bed with under the bed storage for a immediate dresser.  Brilliant.

I made a table fit for a writer!

 I had a wooden plant stand that is going to be used as the table base - no prep work required!  The I bought a base board that, pure luck, was a perfect fit

I found three different sizes of balsa wood letters at the craft store

and this is proving to be a very 

inexpensive project too!

I arranged the letters out so they fit snugly on the table top

For fun I put my son's initials in the mix!

in the end I put my initials in as well.  An artist always has to sign her work!

I then systematically picked up each letter, gave it a coat of glue, returned it to it's space.

not a bad project to do with a little summer TV

a little wine didn't hurt either!

But this is where I ran into a problem, only I didn't know until I started to stain my table top

Some of the letters are not balsa wood, but a bit thicker and denser.  That's OK, but the real problem that was starting to show up was the glue

Where the glue oozed out 

the stain was having a harder time covering over

After several coats, it doesn't really show - I know it's there though.  So we are going to rock the more vintage look and just go with it.

I like this picture because the camera from the AC house fogged up in the humid outdoors!  What would I do next time?  I think applying glue all over the table top and randomly, swiftly putting the letters down would fix the problem and background would be the same stain and I wouldn't have oozy smudges.  Spray adhesive?  I think that would dry too quickly and attract dust and what not.  Don't want that what not stuck to your table top!

This was before the next two coats, but you see the problem.  After all the coats have dried, a protective coat of polyurethane.  Which was smart because while is was out side drying, a bird pooped on it!

 Seriously?

Well, that's why I put a coat of polyurethane on it - just wasn't expecting this extreme!  Jack doesn't need to know about this!

Then I just glued the top down

Now my writer has a bedside table that reflects him - in my crafty way!

Pam