Fabulous Five: DIY Humbingbird Feeders

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You know what I love? Hummingbirds. Really though, who doesn't? Satan maybe. Ooh, and the bugs they eat. Still, I think we (those of us with opposable thumbs and the ability to read) can agree that hummingbirds make us smile. While I was standing on my deck this morning I realized I had nary a feeder and while I was at Wal-Mart I realized that I did not enjoy the plastic sort.

So for our (mostly mine) own benefit I rounded up a few very pretty DIY options. And because most o them require hummingbird feeder tubes I sourced both packs of twelve and single tubes.

Isn't this just the prettiest? Made from a plastic bottle and several plastic spoons. Visit The Shabby Beach Nest for the tutorial.

 

A glass bottle, copper tubing and a feeder tube come together to make this gorgeous number from Birds and Blooms. 

Pretty glass beads on recycled clear glass bottles come together or this feeder from Think Crafts.

This clever option from Cultivating Life is what I will be making while I wait or my hummingbird feeder tubes to come in the mail.

And because this is Fabulous Five, not Fabulous Four, I give you one more truly fabulous hummingbird feeder.

The Grand Chandelier Hummingbird Feeder

Have fun and stay cool while you're in your gardens!

Wednesday on Wednesday

 

Wednesday helping her daddy in the garden like only a garden fairy can.

Wednesday on Wednesday

Good morning! I know I am a couple weeks behind with this but things got pretty hectic around here what with nursery school, T-ball and well...summer! That's right, Captain Awesome and I are parents to a little leaguer. We found a great program that does T-ball for six weeks and then soccer for six weeks and we couldn't be having more fun. Well, most of the time, I mean it is like herding cats right? But cute! Oh my goodness the cute. I took a ridiculous amount of photos at her first game and so it took me forever to sort through them. I'll of course keep this post to a minimum but prepare for the cute!

Checkin' it all out.

The cute! It hurts!

In toddler preschool t-ball there are no strikes, no outs and every hit is a home run. I heart it.

In Wednesday's world there is always time for a little song and dance.

A little action.

The fruit of their labours. The kids only make it through the four innings because they know at the end there will be iced treats at the end.

We have since been to a couple games and it is so much fun, for us and her. We have some close friends with kids in the same league as well as a close mom friend of mine and a playmate of Wednesday right on her team so that is always nice. As well, Ron is amazing he helps the kids and keeps Wednesday on track I think he should be a coach next year.

Do you have children in organized sports? Have any tips for us newbie parents?

Fabulous Five! Craft Room Storage Edition

Sometimes it pays to browse your own bookmarks. I am currently in the process of bringing all of my our craft stuff from storage and have been running out of storage options for a lot of it. Mostly, my craft stuff and the bathroom. Seeing as how my bathroom has no vanity, walls (none finished) and no door my storage options are quite limited. But it also means my bathroom is a blank canvas and I can figure out now what works for us. Then there is the craft area...what is that internet term "For the lulz"? Seriously, it is almost a joke the amount of serious crap lovely supplies I have accumulated over the past couple years.
So today, after three days of unpacking and making a bigger mess organizing I thought I would surf my three years of accumulated bookmarks (Thanks Google Bookmarks!) for links not showing up on Google's radar when I search terms like "DIY Scrapbooking Storage Ideas" or "Creative Storage Ideas" and lo and behold the very first link in my bookmark list is "22 Bathroom Storage Ideas" from BHG.com. And even better, the very shelf I want for our towels is the first picture!

Now, could someone please tell me what the actual term is for this shelf? It is exactly what I need for between my tub and bathroom door(way).  (This one is a bonus because I need your help.)

And now for the fabulous five crafty storage ideas (Because bathroom and crafty just wonèt work together!) to help us all corral our crap carefully selected supplies in 2011!

 These hanging buckets made by Destri are gorgeous yes? They are also wonderfully functional. For the full tutorial on these pretty little ditties visit The Mother Huddle.I can't wait to make up a bunch from my vintage sheet/denim collection. It just so happens I already have the hanging bar from IKEA needing a home.

Although I just bought (I know! I know! But I was near desperation) a ribbon organizer, I wish I had thought to search my bookmarks sooner. Does it get any easier than some chain and curtain rods? This one made by Diane of In My Own Style shows you how to make it here. I love how absolutely customizable it is!

Have fabric that needs some efficient yet visible storage? Missy @ The Little Green Bean shows you how she got her fabric addiction in check with this gorgeous shelf and mini cardboard fabric bolts. If I didn't have more sheets than yards this is how I would be going, but I am totally keeping it bookmarked because eventually my fat quarters and yardage will need more than the tote(s) they are in.

After you have contained your fabric addiction you will need somewhere to put all of the coordinating thread and I think this DIY spool rack by Mandy of Sugar Bee Craft Edition is exactly where to go. I almost bought a spool rack last night but it did not hold enough spools and I did not feel like shelling out for two. Now I can make my own and it can hold my Serger cones as well!

I couldn't very well do a post about DIY storage and not reference BHG.com again could I? I love this mailbox idea. They come in a billion different sizes and the flyer holders are the perfect sized hooks for well...nearly anything!

While this is not my photo (Another BHG.com) this is very similar to what I have been doing for the last two days. I can't wait to:

1. Be done.
2. Take photos.
3. Actually craft in the space.

For now let us revel in the fabulousness of other's crafty spaces.  Until next time (Which may just be about bathroom storage?) Have a fabulous Friday Folks!

Fabulous Five! Coraline Edition

Around these parts we love Coraline. We probably watch it (And by we I mean Wednesday and I) once a week. It is the most perfect rainy day movie ever. Have you seen it? Have you read it? If you have done neither, I wholeheartedly recommend both! For anyone who loves the idea of a magical other dimension-quest-sort of movie with a hint of darkness (Much like Labyrinth, Alices Adventures in Wonderland and Mirrormask) this movie is just what you ordered! The book reads really well, and quickly since it is a novella rather than a full length novel.

I thought Coraline was fairly Halloween-y (Especially since I wanted to be her for Halloween!) and would fit right in for the bi-weekly Fabulous Five. The following is five simply awesome ideas/crafts/art I found that relates to Coraline.

First up...what is a post about Coraline without a handmade Coraline doll? This one is made by Sew Lolita of Etsy and I think it is just gorgeous. The book does not have a doll in it which was only weird at first (Because I watched the movie first) it added lots to the movie but the book definitely did not suffer for lack of it.

 For those of you that have seen the movie did you not absolutely love Coraline's sweater made by The Other Mother? I did! And when I found this version on Etsy knitted by Catwalk 7 I fell in love. For those of you who can knit yourselves (You lucky lucky people) you can download the pattern for the actual sweater (knitted for the Coraline puppet) here.

This Other Mother Box made by donovanbeeson @ Instructibles is awesome. Apparently when Coraline was about to hit theatres, fifty bloggers were sent this version. Not one to be left out, Donavan Beeson created their own and an instructible to go along with it. If you decide to make one will you show me?

They're good for lost things, or bad things. (Depending on whom you ask.) This Candy Stone made by belleazure of Etsy looks just like the one Coraline uses in both the book and the movie to find the eyes/souls of the ghost children. I need want would like one in my Christmas stocking!

And although this is not a prop related I would just love love this cake made by see-through-silence of Deviant Art. Just in case you are wondering, my birthday is in July!

I think my favourite character in the movie is Mr. Bobinsky. I loved him and his accent. I couldn't find an embeddable clip of the scene I wanted but I walk around saying it all the time in his accent too of course.: "I am the Amazing Bobinsky! But you can call me Mr. B because amazing I already know that I am."

And you? What is your favourite scene from the movie or book? Do have a preference? Do you have any fan art you love or make? I don't but I hope to make a doll soon. ♥

Fabulous Five! Plastic Bottle Edition

Friday is here again folks! Another week another dollar and now we get to have some fun! And to help you through until that quitting time whistle blows here is this week's Fabulous Five!

So, a couple weeks ago I came across this gorgeous bit of melted plastic at Aunt Peaches (One of my new favourite blogs) she calls it "Swiss Candy Jewlery" and I think it is quite aptly named. It is made out of plastic juice glasses. Visit her blog for the full tutorial. Go for the crafts, stay for the back stories. You'll understand when you visit if you haven't already.

Which got me to wondering, how many other fabulous recycled plastic projects are out there? Let me tell you, it was not hard to find at least five but it sure was hard to narrow it down to five!

When I typed in "recycled plastic bottle crafts" to Google and clicked on images, one of the first images to grab my attention was a photo of recycled plastic bottle beads. It took some searching for a tutorial because the original photo was for a dead link. I did manage to find a couple great tutorials though. This one from Dis.Ar.Ray @ Cut Out & Keep seems easy to follow. And for anyone who is deterred by the need for a heat embossing gun I read in a few comment sections that lighters/candles and stove burners work well too. This is my new motivation to buy the rainbow pack of Sharpies I have been eying for a year. Bonus points for those of you that know what PLUR means! :)

Okay, jewlery is nice but how about this absolutely stunning chandelier made from what looks like a metal hoop, some seventy billion clear bottle bottoms and a heck of a lot of patience. Made by Michelle Brand it just screams pretty doesn't it? The bottle bottoms remind me of flowers and the transparency lends to a more expensive acrylic don't you think?

And if you think the chandelier was a labour of love, how about this recycled bottle greenhouse?! The plans are located here (in PDF form)and are made available from REAP, an organization in Scotland that works for sustainable development. via New World Geek. (The blog is on a haitus but the archived posts seem to be worth checking out)I think this would be a brilliant project for a family, or local community garden or school etc. Maybe even me next spring!

Speaking of gardens, how about this uber-downscaled version! Hanging bottles for an upside down garden on your balcony or fire-escape. These ones are made by Mike Lieberman AKA The Urban Organic Gardener. His website is full of super posts about gardening on your city balcony in particular was this tutorial on how to create a hanging garden from 2 litre plastic bottles. YOu can dress them up with paint or coloured tape or leave them with their labels to accentuate your green living!

I know that technically that is five but we are counting Aunt Peaches Swiss candy as the inspiration for the post and so we get to showcase one more groovy project.

Super simple, super sweet and for the kiddos is this project for Discovery Bottles from Disney's Family Fun site. I love the look of these as well as the simplicity. The only thing I would recommend is to use a silicone based sealant instead of hot glue (Between the bottle and cap) and maybe a drop or three of tea tree oil to keep the water fresher longer? Seriously though water and sparkles, does it get any better? You could totally turn this into an I Spy game with a card attached to the bottle with pictures (for pre-readers) or words (for school agers) with a list of things to find.

Phew! All done, but I think the new feature is true to it's title yes? Those were some pretty fabulous ways to re-use plastic bottles yes? I think so too. I also think that Fabulous five will be a bi-weekly series. This gives me lots of time to sit down for one of these marathon linking posts!

And with that, I bid you adieu. ♥

New Feature...Fabulous Five!

So the other day I says to my parents I says:

"You know what you guys need if you insist on keeping your table there? A drop leaf table."
"Yeah, we know." Says they.
"Oh." Says I. (See I thought I was being clever, but apparently I was the last one on the Feng Shui Boat.)
"The problem is we need one that seats eight to ten people."They informed me.
"Oh, wouldn't it be great if they made drop leaf tables with removable centre leaves?" Says I, thinking again how clever I was.
"They do." They says.
"But they cost around three grand." They continue.
"Oh."Says I again. Again, my cleverness dims.
"Well, what if you got a nice little one and just kept a foldable party table for the few big dinners you host?" This has to be it.
"Yeah, we thought of that to. We just haven't actually committed time or budget to the shopping for said table." Says they, again one step ahead of me.

True story folks. But it got me to thinking, what are their options. Maybe I can do some window shopping for them, or me! I love a drop leaf table. They work everywhere, hallways, as sofa tables, breakfast nooks and offices. But I couldn't figure out how to bring it up here as I've never really 'gone shopping' with you guys. Then, I was looking through my think  pad and I found my scribbles for a new feature day. Fabulous Five on Friday. This is where I take whatever I have been obsessing about this week and share with you my top five favourite links and pictures from my searches.

That being said, here are five absolutely fabulous drop leaf tables, ranging from IKEA minimialast to fabulous opulance.

I think this is the Muddus table from IKEA perfect example of industrial chic. Small enough for the foyer in your loft, but big enough to be a workspace or dining space. I think my parents would think it belongs in my dad's workshop though.

Image found via an Ebay listing

This is most likely what my parents would love. A Leopold Stickley original. I usually don't much dig their taste but you have to respect anyone who enjoys Stickley furniture.

Photo found via Studio Annetta

This absolutely gorgeous piece of art deco designed by Tommi Parzinger is exactly what would have me drooling. I would probably drive The Mister batty until I had it in my possession. And if I caught a single person not using a coaster "Heads would rolllllll!". Seriously though, how sexy are those legs?! I love how they are more than straight and less than oranate. Love them.

Arde Dropleaf Table from Remodelista.com

Tell me that this pretty little girl would not fit perfectly in a modern home but as equally fine in a farmhouse breakfast nook? I don't know what I like mroe the bleached wood finish or the to-the-floor-lengthed leaves.

Stanley Serafina La Scala Leg Table from Diningroomsdirect.com

And of course, how could we wrap up without finding the fanciest eight person drop leaf table ever! Although it will definitely not fit in my parents dining area, it sure is pretty yes?!

This was fun! Next week we'll go surfing for something super fun and quirky! (It is actually what inspired Fabulous Five Friday!)

Cheers! Oh yes, don't forget to enter the Pretty in Pink drawing and be sure to come back tomorrow to see if you won! Happy Friday everyone!