Guest Blog-Personalised Tote Fun...

Today is a special guest blog, this is because it is a crafty blog post! I am not one for being too crafty but I have been inspired by so many other blogs that I may give it a go sometime. Until then, Kassi is sharing her personalised gift bags which she gave to the flower girls at her wedding. I love this idea and I think it's definitely a well timed post as I know quite a few of my readers are in the process of organising their wedding. 

Be inspired!

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Hello lovelies!!! 

I am SO excited today to share a post with you while Miss Missy is off on her vacay/trip/adventures... :) 

My name is Kassi and I blog at a little place called Truly Lovely!

That's me!

That's my blog!

And today I'd like to share a crafty little project I did recently for the flower girls in my wedding...

Cute Little Personalized Totes!

The items needed for this kid friendly craft are:

Little totes (I got mine at Hobby Lobby $2.99 for a packet of four)

Fabric Paint
Small paint brush

Name stencil

Iron on decals

Iron

Old newspaper
Large paper plate

First, be sure to lay newspaper down on your table or other work surface!

Lay out your totes on the newspaper.

I used my hand dandy Silhouette SD to cut out the girls' names in vinyl.

The Kristen font is a great one for a girlie but fun touch!
If your making a toy bag for a boy, Bradley is a more "manly" font for your little man!


Crafting FYI: Vinyl, makes a PERFECT stencil!

It's already sticky on the back, so peel away the backing, smooth your stencil over your little tote and your ready to paint.
Make sure if you have any a's, o's, or other letters with holes in the middle, that you peel the little circle cutouts and stick those in the center of your letters as well. More on this in a minute.

Next, choose your paint color, then squirt some fabric paint onto the large paper plate.

Now, use the small paint brush to fill in the stencil on your tote.

Since I used white paint on dark colored totes, I painted on several coats, allowing for some drying time in between.

Once you've painted all of the names, allow to dry for a few hours so the paint will set well.

Then carefully peel the stencil off the tote.





Remember I mentioned earlier making sure you stuck the centers of your a's, o's and other letters with holes onto your tote? Well, here's why...
If you stick those on, you can paint right over the top of those, like here on Taylor's tote:





Then when you peel them off, your letters have holes in the middle instead of a completely painted in blob for those letters.
And that makes them look nicer! :)

Once you've finished your painting and removed your stencils, it's time to fancy up your totes!

A SUPER easy and inexpensive way is with iron on decals.

The flower ones I used came from Wal-Mart for a few dollars a packet.

Follow the directions for ironing your decals on.
Mine included placing a cotton towel over the top, then iron to tack.
Turn the fabric inside out and iron to adhere.

Here you can see, I used a tiny little craft iron.
It was perfect for this craft because it was small enough to stick inside the tote without the need for turning it inside out!

Tada!!
A cute little personalized tote for your little lady to carry around this summer!!!

Thanks to Missy for having me over today while she was away- It was a pleasure!!!

We would be thrilled if you would pop over to Truly Lovely sometime and say hello!!

Happy crafting friends!

Thank you Kassi!

When people leave...

"You leave something or something leaves you...which is easier?"

Or do they get pushed away?

It happens on a daily basis, small things seem to just go in a flash, you ponder the reason and can't figure it out. Sometimes, 'things' go over a period of time and one day you stop and think, "What happened there?" No matter when, how or why things go it's either you that leaves or it leaves you.

When I think of this in relation to friendships and people, I can map out a couple of friends which I have left. This was for a number of reasons, mostly due to not getting along or running out of things which we had in common. To put it bluntly, the friendship was hard (for both involved) and that's not how friendships should be. That to me was easy, there was no animosity...just a shared understanding and sadness that something had run its course. No one was sad, just happy of the time we'd shared. However, other friendships seem to have ended without me wanting it to. The other person just left after being quite mean. Was this harder? Not really because I knew this person wasn't being kind or nice or supportive and I realised I deserved better than them and that I should invest my time in friends who were actually that- friends. Now I'm older I sometimes look back and wonder if things could've been different and realise that at that time, that was the best for all.

Other times I can think of when I have been 'left' I realise, the older I get, that I was selfish to have been so upset and sad. This is particularly when I think about the loss of my Gran. She was ill and struggling and now, with a more clearer head I realise that for her it was what was best. It still hurts me like hell but she was better for it. Maybe selfish isn't the right word, I don't know but it's certainly one of those times where the older you get you begin to understand the situation so much better.

After thinking about this question for some time I realised that the answer to this question is different depending on the situation surrounding the actual leave. I look back and think of situations which I still find hard to think about as I feel like I was left without being ready and that's a sad thought.  On the other hand I am pleased that I have left or been left as I know I am so much better for it. Also, time affects everything- feelings, thoughts and personality. 

What is my answer to the original question? I don't know. Can you ever have a straight answer to that question?

Maybe the question should be more looked at as time, in time whether you leave or get left all becomes clear and the reasons why are more easy to understand?

Does this make things easier? 

Music with meaning...

I couldn't sleep one morning and decided to listen to the radio and a song came on which made me smile. Why? Well it was a song which reminds me of my Dad and everytime I hear it with him he tells me the same fact each time- like clock work. "You know that sound Missy? The background noise? Well that's Buddy Holly clapping and patting his knees." He knows I know this yet still tells me. Therefore when I hear this song I smile.

 Buddy Holly- Everyday

Another song which makes me smile is one which my Mam absolutely adores (I really do too) and when it's on the radio I feel happy.

Everlasting Love - Love Affair

I could go on and on about songs which are special to me for silly reasons relating to my parents. After all, their music was much better than the rubbish these days...or so they say. 

Do you have a song which reminds you of a parent or relative and make you smile? Even if it is for a silly reason?

Quote a Day Monday...

I am loving all this time off to catch up on sleep, see friends, feel human and of course spend time on my blog. When I first started this blog in January I wasn't sure how long it would last. I'm not one for sticking things out be it in work, relationships and hobbies. However, this has turned into quite the mini project. I'm still finding the direction of my blog but I always think before I post, would people want to read this? I have now gained followers (thank you all) and even though I blog my true thoughts, I still like to make sure they're interesting or can be related to ( however sorry for all the work posts haha!!) 

I found this quote and thought it was something that for once ALL of us can relate to!

Guest Blog: Wedding fun...

Today is the first of some guest bloggers while I am away. I thought it would be nice to give you readers a chance to share your style and blog with others. After all, there are so many amazing blogs out there you never know when you'll find a new favourite?

My first guest post is from Joanna at Dance and Dream 4 Ever

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Hey Y'all!

My name is Joanna Noel and I'm guest posting over here on this amazingly cute blog today! My blog home is over at Dance and Dream 4 Ever! If you want please stop by, snag a cup of coffee, and stay for a while!

Let me tell you a bit about me! 

I live in the amazing state of Oklahoma and I'm an hour south of Oklahoma City! I live with my parents and my 2 younger siblings. I am adopted and have had the privilege of meeting my birth mother and my 3 half siblings!

On June 25th 2011, my sister ( birth mothers daughter) Kelsey got married and I was her maid of honor! I cant wait to show y'all pictures and tell you all about the special day.

 

This is me (on left) and my sister Kelsey! Don't you just love her wedding colors?

I got to PA (were she lives and where the wedding was) that Monday and the wedding was Saturday! We jumped right into craziness! Below is a picture of me and my sister putting the favor boxes together and making 300 chocolate covered pretzels to stuff them with!

On Wednesday we went and got our nails done! Here is the bride waiting to get her French Manicure!

That Wednesday evening I, as the MOH, hosted a Personal Shower for Kelsey! I don't want to share allot of pictures from that, but here is one that will tell you what it was all about!

FINALLY the big day was here! It was so super exciting!

Here is me (on the right) and the 2 Bridesmaids on the Left!

Isle time for me...

HERE COMES THE BRIDE!

Here they are!

My sister Kelsey and my Brother In Law Ryan!

Thank you all for letting me share these fun pictures- I have more up over at my blog as well as some rehearsal dinner photos too hopefully.

Joanna Noel

xoxo

Thank you for sharing such a special day Joanna!

You all looked fab!