Sea Shell Frame

Blancho bedding via Pinterest

I finally got my mom started on Pinterest.  At first, she was intimidated by all the clicking.

This is also the woman who did not want an ATM card, a cell phone or a laptop. "Don't want it. Don't need it. Wouldn't use it if I had it."  Sure. 

Now she is pinning things for me on her laptop and calling me from the ATM with her cell phone to see if I have seen her pin yet.


"Now that y'all live at the beach maybe you can do something like this.'

The one she pinned retails for $147.99 and was on sale for $103.99. 

Sounds like a challenge to me. 

I already had this frame I found on clearance at WalMart.  It was only $5.  I love the large surface area -- perfect for a saying (or attaching seashells).

Maybe all stores do not carry these, but we have a tiny Pensacola souvenir area where they sell these beautiful shells. The shells are actually from Mexico, but who cares, this pack was only $2.97.  You could grab similar bags of shells from any craft store or use ones you've picked up on vacation.  I even saw one bag at the Goodwill store the other day. Happy hunting!

When I bought the frame, I knew I would be spraying it (ugly color, weird design).  Once I started spraying, my addiction kicked in and I decided to spray some of the shells as well.  With all the shells in white, or almost white, the focus is on the picture. 

thefunkilittlefrog via Pinterest

Months ago, I pinned this sign. It was going to hang in my imaginary beach house. Now seemed as good a time as any to use the phrase while I'm waiting for my imaginary lottery win.  You can buy this sign or others from this girl's etsy store, The Funki Little Frog.  They are all kind of beachy and weathered and super cute.

Now, a tip on painting words for the three of us left in the world with no Silouette cutting machine.  You print out the words you want to use on your plain old printer. Place the paper over the wood you want to paint on. Trace around the words using a ball point pen and press pretty hard.  The pen indents into the wood.  Not only is it an outline, it is a little ditch that keeps the wet paint right where you want it. 

If only Hunky Husband would get the hint and give me a Siloutte for "Love your crafty wife Tuesday."

No project would be complete without a little hot glue. 

I've put a picture of our smiling Girlies in this one for their loving MeMe.  It was mom's idea, now it is mom's frame.   She would love anything with their faces on it, but I think she will really like this.  The running count on seashells in her house is in the hundreds. So, these will fit right in.

If you are selling your home, this is one of those Add Personality When You Depersonalize moments.  You do not have to put away every pretty thing in your house.  Just pare down to a special few and make sure there are generally appealing images.

I promise that top shell doesn't look like a rose in real life

A pretty picture of the beach or a sunset would go great in this frame.  It is always good to highlight the area where you live.  People are looking in your location for a reason.  If you are at the beach, help them smell the salt air.  If you live in fly over country, show off your amber waves of grain.  If you live in an urban area, get some black & white architectural shots in your neighborhood.  Location, Location, Location in your art will make your place a little more visit ready.

just bec

linking up all over this week:

before 7 after party thrifty decor chick  100 ideas under $100 @ beyond the picket fence  hooking up with hoh @ house of hepworths  thrifty thursday @ tales from bloggeritaville  strut your stuff thursday @ somewhat simple  frugal friday @  the shabby nest  from scratch friday @ marriage from scratch  wayward weekend @ wayward girls crafts  mad skills party @ mad in crafts  nifty thrifty tuesday@ coastal charm  manic monday @ serendipity and spice  show me what you got @s our delightful home  tip me tuesday @ tip junkie  tuesday to do @ the blackberry vine  tutorials & tips @ home stories a2z  take a look tuesday @ sugar bee crafts  one project at a time @ a bowl full of lemons  tuesday's treasures @ my uncommon slice of suburbia  show and tell @ blue cricket design  sugar & spice @ 733 a creative blog  power of paint @ domestically speaking  wild wednesday @ chatty chics  catch a glimpse @ a glimpse inside  thursday temptation @ two yellow birds decor  get your brag on @ gluesticks  sticker time & party time @ the 36th avenue  fabulous freebie friday & pinable projects @  just us four show and tell friday @ my romantic home

Stinkin Cute Teacher Gifts

The evil genius who put the pharmacy inside Wal-Mart got my $40 today while I was waiting for the two prescriptions that totaled $2.98. Of course, it saved me from the $100 I would have spent going to the pharmacy inside Target.

I was  stealing comparison shopping their huge paint chips (for a crafty project) when I saw these little cuties.  They are supposed to hold soap or tiny potions & lotions in the shower, but on the becca channel, I saw them holding post-it notes and little markers on the side of a file cabinet.  No need to contact your cable provider, I'm the only one who gets the becca channel.

the picture in my head of how the teacher can actully use this
via becca channel

Maybe you don't give presents to your teachers for every holiday.  School is expensive enough with trips, books, lunch, fees, activities, pictures etc. Our school also has $1 fundraisers, what seems like every Friday. It adds up.

However, I come from an education family.  Its kinda the family business.  Both my parents taught for over 30 years.  My Sistah is a 5th grade teacher.  I even had a long-term sub phase in my life (FDHS class of 2000 -- hollah!)  It is not an easy job. Teachers spend a lot of their own money for their classrooms and activities.  So, I like to do something special for the ones who put up with enlighten & encourage my short people all day.

I went through the stationary, valentines and candy aisles to find dollar or less treasures to fill the baskets up.

This was intented to be a bouquet of pretty lollipops for $1. I split them into two bouquets to add color and height. 

Middle girlie's teacher has their 1st grade class themed all in monkeys.  So, I couldn't resist these pencils. 

My mom is a breast cancer survivor (6 years wooo wooo). Hunky husband says I would buy a bag of dirt if they put a pink ribbon on it.  They didn't have a bag of dirt, but I did snap up these precious little tissues.  They are called "swanky hankies" and some portion of my $.97 purchase supports breast cancer reasearch.  Every penny helps.

Each of the girlies got to take a cute picture of themselves to put into the magnetic frame.  I am under no illusion that these pictures will stay in the frame for long.  They are cute, though. 

My one splurge, the Hershey chocolates.  Truth be told, I ate most of them while assembling these lovely gifts.  Teacher gifts are only the latest, thinly veiled, excuse for me to buy chocolates.

The open weave design of these baskets just screamed out to be tied up with ribbon. 

This all started because I "got lured" to the back of the store by these HUGE paint sample chips.  When we moved, I threw out or donated all of my scrap paper collection (a national treasure).  Raiding the paint chips keeps me from buying whole packs of scrapbooking or construction paper.  I'll have to break down and buy some eventually, but these work perfectly for small projects.

Big girlie thinks everything in the world should be pink.  Middle girlie would paint everything orange, so her shades are more vibrant. 

Each of the girlies got to draw hearts on the paint chips and cut them out. We glued them onto the leftover photo paper to make the card.

My first job was at a gift shop that made gift baskets and I've just never recovered.  Somehow, putting the crinkly clear wrap around anything makes it look more snazzy.  Plus, it gives me a chance to use up more of the ribbon stash that ate New York.

These worked out to almost exactly $10 each:

• basket                       $2.47
• lollipop                         .50
• pink erasers                  .60
• pencils                          .97
• post-it notes                1.44
• chocolates                   1.34
• magnetic frame             .95
• tissues                           .97
• paint chips                   free
• clear wrap                    free
• ribbons                     + free

                                          $ 9.24

You don't have to spend this much or any money for that matter. But please, send you teachers' some special appreciation every time you can.  Please give respect (and a hug) to any parents you know who are taking on the task of teaching their own children.

via pinterest

just bec

finally getting the hang of these linky party things.  check them out for inspiration!

• hookin up with hoh @ house of hepworths
• before & after party @ thrifty decor chick
• thrifty thursday @ bloggeritaville
• tuesday's tresures @ my uncommon slice of suburbia
• mad skills @ mad in craft
• one project at a time @ a bowl full of lemons
• nifty thrifty tuesday @ coastal charm
• link party thursday @ somewhat simple
• sugar & spice @ seven thirty three
• just something i whipped up @ the girl creative
• show & tell wednesday @ blue cricket designs
• tutorials & tips @ home stories a to z
• flaunt it fridays @ chic on a shoestring
• frugal friday @ the shabby nest