XOXO Garland

I  know it's not even February yet but once it is February, I have a birthday to be thinking about and won't be thinking a lot about Valentine's day. SO I decided I would spruce up my mantel now because if I don't do it now it wouldn't get done.

I made this garland and it was SO.EASY. Srsly. I cut out most of the XOs while watching TV (Fixer Upper anyone?) and the hearts were super quick. Then I just zipped them through the sewing machine and I was done! Easy, right?

(And really? Look at how disgusting my fireplace looks. I should really do something about that.)

I would like my mantel to be way cute but this is probably about the extent of it. HOWEVER....I got looking for some other cute Valentine mantels and HOLY cow! There are some adorable ones! If you need some inspiration...here ya go:

Positively Splendid

The Kim Six Fix

Before Meets After

Whimsical Treasures

The Shabby Creek Cottage

The Frugal Homemaker

Linked here: Seven Alive, Serenity Now, Kitchen Fun with my 3 Sons  

How to Maximize a Small Entryway

I decided to tackle an area in my rental in hopes to make the space cuter and more functional. It's hard living in a 1400-square space with 3 kids because it means space is limited. One area in the house that was driving me nuts because of the lack of storage was the entryway. The kids would come in, take their shoes and jackets off, leave them on the floor, and be on their merry way. UGH! I bought a wooden box for the shoes but then I was stuck for a while. Here's what it has looked like for quite some time:

Boring. And look at all those shoes! I went through the shoes and got rid of any out-of-season shoes and shoes that were too small. Then I found some numbered hooks at Kohl's for 70% off (score!) and I got some frames at Hobby Lobby. Their picture frames are always 50% off, which is awesome.

I love how it is now! Cuter and more functional! Now when the kids come in they can put their shoes in the right spot and hang their jackets up. And as a bonus I get to see a picture of their beautiful faces. 

I love the pictures of the kids in the little frames! My talented friend Ashley took those pictures and they are adorable. I was wanting to display them somewhere and this happened to be the perfect spot!

So to recap:

How to Maximize a Small Entryway:

1. Have a shoe box. Then clean that shoe box out at the start of every season.

2. Hang up coat hangers for jackets, bags, etc.

3. Keep your space clean! No one wants to walk into their house and the first thing they see is clutter.

4. Personalize it. It'll make it feel more like home when you have personalized touches.

Batman Tooth Fairy Pillow

My oldest son just lost his first tooth and I'll admit I had mixed emotions. I was excited for him but sad that he's growing up so quickly. When I told my mom that his tooth was wiggly, she offered to make a pillow to put his tooth in for the tooth fairy. My mom makes amazing things, so of course I said YES! And look how adorable it turned out!

How cute is this little guy?! He shaped like a tooth and has all of Batman's ensemble, so fun! And my son loves it. He uses it as a toy as well as his tooth pillow. My mom bought the pattern from an Etsy store called Lindy J Design. She has some of the sweetest felt patterns ever.

This pattern comes with 2 patterns: one for Batman and one for Superman. And I love the little pocket for the tooth/money. 

If you are interested in the pattern, HERE is the link. And no, this Etsy seller didn't ask me to give her a review, I just thought this turned out so adorable I had to share!

Home Sweet Home Cross Stitch

Holy Moly! It's almost been a whole year since I last posted on my blog. What a slacker. BUT to be fair, I was teaching preschool and had a baby last year, so I was a tad bit busy. 

Anyway, one of my goals for the new year is to jump back into Destination: Craft. I love crafting and I would like to record what I make, so here's to hoping I continue writing on this blog all year!

Last year I picked up a cross stitch I hadn't worked on for a while. Yes, I'm a grandma and I cross stitch. My mom taught me when I was younger and I decided to start back up with it. So I picked up this Home Sweet Home cross stitch project and finally finished it. I love it! It's so cute!!

I bought the pattern from a shop on Etsy called andwabisabi. You can browse their shop HERE. They have some adorable cross stitching patterns!

So after I finished that project up, I decided to try my hand at another one. I searched around and found Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery. The slogan on their website is "Seriously cute cross stitch patterns" and they ain't lying! Each and every pattern is so stinkin' cute!! I started their Christmas Celebration Sampler early December and didn't get it finished in time for Christmas but I'll have it ready for Christmas 2015!

Do I have any fellow cross stitchers out there??

Linked here: Titus 2 Tuesdays, Tip Me Tuesday, The Cottage Market