A few finished projects and few in the works

I don't know about you, but I am not the type of person who has to have a million things going and finishing a thousand projects to feel successful.  Plain and simple I just like making stuff.  I've been having people ask me how I get all my crafty stuff done, so I thought I would try and answer that.  Everyone has things they spend their free time doing, watching TV, obsessively cleaning, vacationing, reading, shopping, etc.  I go through major spurts of creativity and it tends to be late at night or when Maggie is taking her daily nap.  Sam and I have been having a lot of fun painting and organizing and arranging.  He loves to help me "set up" the holiday stuff.  Plus, I recently read this blog post and it really helped me put into perspective what is most important on my never ending to do list.  I am not really a list making person...I kind of like to go with the flow and do projects when I feel like it, but I think this post may have made a believer out of me.  I've also kind of realized that a lack of planning was really a luxury I had when I only had two kids (and wasn't carrying twins).  Things are getting more chaotic and if I want to keep up with them and at least feel like I am somewhat staying on top of the daily grind I have to start scheduling in the things that are important to me like doing projects and a weekly organization project, painting my kitchen table, finishing our bathroom....just to name a few.  

Anwhoo, sorry for the long winded thoughts.  I had been feeling a little defensive about my crafting lately.  It kind of bothers me when people ask how I find the time to craft.  It always seems to me like they are saying "you should be doing other things."  So that is my explanation of why and when I do my projects. 

So, after all that, here are some of my finished projects. I know I already posted a picture of my Fall mantle, but since I put it up so early I had to take it down and do a Halloween mantle.  So this is my 2nd Fall mantle...lame I know!  The reason I am posting it at all is because I scored this cute mirror from my sister Laura.  It was black and I painted it this yellowish green color.

 This is my family wall as it is coming together.  I have painted all the frames white...which I did with 3 different spray paints.  A glossy white, a satin white, and a flat white.  I really like the way the different paints give the wall some texture and dimension.  I also got my dark brown mattes cut at Joann's.  I was experimenting with the teal mattes, and just don't like them, so those will be taken out and I have decided not to have any other mattes in the frames.  Now I just have to get the pictures printed and get the tacky stuff put on the backs so they stay straight! 

 I had scored some pillow forms at our yard sale and had been planning to make pillow for my front room forever.  Well I finally got around to it and this is the first one.  I pieced together all the strips and then just embellished them with some fabric flowers.  Super easy!

 I saw some monogrammed pillows for sale on Etsy and fell in love with them.  But I couldn't bring myself to spend the $60.00 they cost so I sewed my own.  I found a font I like and then just drew my letter on my fabric.  I chose a brown chord material because it matches the couch we have in our front room.  Them I went with orangey red button and poms to accent.  I have decided the colors in here are going to be teals, turquoises, browns and oranges and green.  Kind of a lot of color, and not normally what I would pick, but I am really liking them all together. 

 I painted our coffee table this Antique Green from Americana paint.  First Sam, Maggie and I banged up the table top with hammers and nails and screws.  We had a blast pounding it out.  Then I painted the green layers, then sanded the edges to give it an even more distressed look.  Then I gave it an antiquing coat.  I used a walnut colored antique.  Lastly I need to spray on a coat of sealer so it doesn't get stains and scratch as easily.

 This is a lamp I got from our yard sale as well.  Kendall always teases me that I come home with more stuff than I sell when I do yard sales with my sisters...but I always say that at least I'm not spending new money, I'm simply trading the old for new.  This was also black when I got it and I painted it a teal that I mixed with some craft paint.  I found the shade at Target.  It had kind of a burlap quality.

 And last but certainly not least...we finally said goodbye to Nemo.  This horrible toilet seat was only part of our strange bathroom.  The man who owned our house before us was a 40 something guy who had a complete fish bathroom.  This toilet seat has a matching border that is hideous, as well as blue walls and a blue sealing.  I can't wait to have this bathroom finished!