Great Gifts 2 Go

I love creating lasting floral displays. Yes. I use fake flowers, and yes, I know some people think they are tacky. But there is less mess and they last forever if you care for them properly. I have a closet full of centerpieces and floral displays that I rotate out when I am entertaining. Each one gets rave reviews and it is difficult to pick a favorite. This one I made to cheer up my office. It added a pop of color without being too overwhelming! It is small and compact, fit perfectly on a shelf.

I have a friend who recently discovered country music. I'm not talking country music as it is today...I'm talking the twang and bluegrass roots country of the 80s and 90s! He blared Travis Tritt and Lori Morgan from his car stereo, bopping down the road. When he was at the office or home, you could hear Garth Brooks or Alan Jackson crooning in the background. That said, this is the man who is impossible to shop for. He never shows emotion when he gets a gift. I found a box of old country cds at a garage sale and knew right away what I was going to do for his birthday present. I was able to puchse the box of cds for a song ($5.00). At another garage sale I found a stuffed bear that was dressed as a cowboy ($0.75). I headed over to Goodwill and found a nice basket ($1.00). Once I had all the components laid out on the table I went to work! Here is the end result... Beary Country Basket only cost $6.50 to make This could easily be done with other genres of music. I know ...

I had a friend who needed a baby shower gift, only had about $10 to spend and did not want to get something that everyone else would be getting. I went shopping with her through countless stores. Finally, inspiration struck when we were coming out of Babies R Us and there was a Dollar Tree right next door. I found everything there, including the washable, plastic basket that the goodies were bundled into. There were receiving blankets, spoons, feeding bowls, baby wipes, sip cups and rattles. This one-of-a-kind gift basket that I aptly named Baby O Baby cost $10 (plus a little bit in tax) and looks great! The mother-to-be loved the gift that my friend presented at the baby shower and still raves about it to this day. You can very easily re-create a gift basket like this one for your next baby shower gift.

I absolutely hate trying to figure out what to buy for baby showers and bridal showers! I was out at some of my favorite second hand stores and came across this planter that was just too adorable. It was in excellent condition and just needed cleaned. I then found a lady who sews burp cloths. I added some soft baby washcloths and a rattle...the final gift is absolutely adorable and also one-of-a-kind. No one else at the baby shower will have the same gift. Many of the ideas that I post are available for sale, so contact me if you see something that you would like to purchase. You can easily create your own unique gift by finding interesting planters or baskets and filling them with essentials!

You are probably going to be tired of me talking about my patio remodel and Freedom's art studio. Once the finished product is done, I will upload photos...I promise! Here is a simple idea for place mats without spending $5 per mat. I was at Wal-Mart today looking for spray paint in Caribbean blue. That is a completely different project that I will share later once it is done. I was in the craft department and came across these really colorful felt rectangles for $0.97 each. (I used 2 of them for the re-purposed picture frame .) I then found blue ribbon to match ($2.38 a roll) and used Stitch Witch (iron on adhesive) to adhere the ribbon along the edge of the felt. They turned out cute and will add a punch of color to the wicker and glass table that I already for the space. Total project cost for 4 place mats $6.50

I had found an old, beat up square picture frame that needed a lot of love for $1.00. I then discovered in my box of flea market finds a little sea shell art piece that I had picked up for a quarter. I'm in the process of remodeling my patio and am going with a beach theme. What a perfect match!! Since I have an accent wall that is Caribbean blue, I painted the frame the same color and then went to Wal-Mart of all places and discovered this really interesting geometric patterned felt for $0.97. The felt squares were not big enough for the frame so I used to pieces, glued them together where the seams matched then added the sea shell art piece in the center. The contrast in shapes draws the eye and makes you really focus on that framed art work. I would love feedback on what others think of this... Total cost of this project was $3.00 I actually flipped the frame and shell piece so that the seam is now near the bottom of the frame instead of the top. It looks better thi...

Freedom loves painting pottery...it is probably one of her most favorite things. Although, anything having to do with art is high on her list. She painted a darling angel bear that once fired will look amazing!! Angel Bear Pottery

Here are two of my favorite four-legged kids!! Zoe and Zara are sisters and are absolutely bonded! They normally have run of the full backyard when they are outside, however, on this day they were relegated to the exercise yard since I could not watch them. Hawks were in the area and they are still too small and easy targets! I think their expressions say it all!

Freedom loves to photograph sunsets. She doesn't get up early enough in the morning for sunrises, though! Here are a few photos of a recent sunset that was so vivid it just took your breath away!!

I love entertaining at my home. For each gathering, I like to create table centerpieces that are attractive and will inspire conversation. These centerpieces I created for Easter. They are unique and easy to assemble, each one costing well under $10 to make. The main table centerpiece Centerpiece used on one of the outdoor tables. Centerpiece on the other outdoor table.

I recently created an artist's apron for when Freedom has friends over to her art studio. She is an 8 year old aspiring artist who loves to create drawings, paintings, clay figurines, etc. Therefore to keep the mess out of the house, we built a special studio on the patio. I will post photos of the studio soon! This is a canvas half apron with 2 open pockets that I stenciled and then sewed an applique on to make any visiting artists to her studio feel welcome...the apron was only $0.50 as was the applique! I will be posting more arts & crafts on  themickiholley.blogspot.com . Be sure to check it out! Artist Apron