The Shabby Tulip

Hello faithful readers! This will be my last post on My Grass is Always Greener!!!

Don't be sad, though. You can now find my writing, projects, and art on The Shabby Tulip. I decided recently that, in order for my blog to grow in the DIY/design/decor realm of blogland, my blog needed a facelift. I wanted the name to really portray that direction, so I went ahead and made the move.

Please come visit me at the new location, and don't forget to hit the 'follow button'! :)

DIY Camera Purse

First of all, I just have to say YAY!!! I just got a new camera! After awhile of lusting after other blogger's crisp detailed beautimous pictures I decided that it was time to invest. My point and shoot was just not cutting it. So I ended up picking up this beauty on ebay...

It's a Canon Rebel XT. Not the best body, but I asked my photographer friend, Sharon, for advice on the matter and for the price, this couldn't be beat.

Anywho, back to the matter at hand. After making the purchase, I decided that I needed something beautiful to carry my most prized possession around in so I started the search. I found a lot of really beautiful bags that looked like purses on Epiphanie and Jo Totes, but they were all upwards of $150!! Um, I shop at thrift stores...hello. So I did what any good DIYer would do. I google searched 'DIY camera bag purse' and there sat my salvation. Vanilla & Lace had posted a way to make your own!! And it's REALLY simple. If you have ever used a sewing machine, you can do this. 

trust me. My husband is better at sewing than I am. I actually had to enlist his help, but the project did get completed.

First, grab your supplies:

**1 yard of the material of your choice. Make it pretty people. (I ended up not even using the whole yard)

**A purse that you love. Target has some bags that are pretty ideal as far as shape, zipper closure, tapered top (so it's easy to carry). I already had this bag, so score! 

**A couple sheets of foam. I have read that some ladies have used 3/4 or 1", but I thought that would be too bulky and kind of unnecessary, so I just went with 1/2". Also, I found a bunch at the B (thrift store) for a quarter, so I made the best of it. Another score! 

**Sewable velcro $1.60

**Unique Stitch $4.50 (or you can just sew the velcro on, but I'm lazy)

These are the measurements i used for my foam, yours will probably be different but overall it should be around the same size.
Bottom pad: 13 1/2" x 4 3/8" using 3/4" foam
Short sides: 4 1/2" x 4 3/8" (make 2)I ended up deciding that I didn't need these, but if you want extra protection they would be great.
Lens dividers: 7 1/2" x 3" (make at least 2)
Straight divider: 4 1/2" x 3 1/2" (make 2)
Long side pads: 10" x 4 1/2" (make 2)

Now, use all these foam pieces as a pattern for the fabric, adding about an inch to all sides for seam allowance. Cut two pieces of fabric for each foam insert (obviously!)..
Note: For the lens divider, add 2 inches to the short ends so you have little flaps to sew velcro onto.

To start, I sewed one piece for the long sides and bottom. I started by sewing 3 sides and then I added a piece of foam and then seamed it, added another piece and then seamed it, and then the 3rd piece and then closed it. 

Then I added velcro to both sides (this is what you will be attatching the inserts to)

I decided that Unique Stitch is my new best friend. The velcro is not coming off.

I have seen people use a double row of velcro, but I didn't seem to think it necessary. Oh, and be sure to put to 'soft' side of the velcro here. You don't want fluffies sticking to it constantly.

I then sewed all of my inserts. I made sure to leave a flap on either end to attatch velcro.

I measured to make sure that the velcro strip would match up with the piece on each insert.

This doesn't look too good, but it does match up, I assure you ;)

And that's it!! Pretty simple. It took me about 2 hours, but I bet if I tried it again I could do it quicker. I won't lie to you and say I didn't break out my seam ripper...

A few more pictures of the finished product!!

And a point and shoot picture of it fully loaded!

Hope you all enjoy! Feel free to leave a comment if you decide to try this with a link back to your blog!

Mustard Mishap

Have you ever had troubles picking paint colors? If not, I think you are part of, mmm, 1% of the population...either that or you're male (my husband could care less). Wehehell, let me tell you a little story about picking the color yellow.

Apparently (and I should know this because I paint) yellow is easy to mess up. In my head, I had the perfect earthy-mustard colored wall behind the couch in my living room...it was beyond cute...like sink-into-the-couch-and-read-forever/coziness kind of cute. Ya. Right.

I ended up with this:

You may be thinking, "Oh, that's not so bad...". I can assure you. It's so bad. It looks way worse in person. My terrible point and shoot camera cannot capture the hideousness. It has this awful puke green undertone that actually gives me a headache. You would think it's 'that bad' if I told you that I was going for "cottage chic".  epic fail.

But, I'll just have to brush this one off and try again, right? I just thought I'd let you know that you're not alone. I make terrible choices also. Stay tuned to see what I come up with next! :) 

Flag Cheesecake

Hola patriotic peeps! (After I typed that I laughed out loud. Is that like sacrilegious? Sacrilanguage? Sacripatriotism?)

Anyway, I hope you all had a happy 4th! I got to spend some time with the hubs out on the town. That's right, in Buena Vista...it's a town:)  We attended the town parade which turned out to be quite the spectacle...it lasted 1 1/2 hours! Holy parade overload batman! That evening we went to our dear friends, the Flowers, for hamburgers and fireworks and then a much needed poker game. So fun!!

Sunday the 3rd, Cornerstone had their annual "Church in the Park" service with eats after, and I brought this beauty!

Mmm. That's right. It's a Flag Cheesecake. I got the recipe HERE.  It was a total hit! The best part? You don't have to decorate it like a flag! Use your imagination people. Birthdays, Christmas, and to stick with the theme, maybe a Mexican flag for their independence.  I'm not judging, you can celebrate it. I'll look for any excuse to make this again! 

One little disclaimer for this recipe...actually two. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ENOUGH TIME!! I had never made a cheesecake before, so I didn't realize there is a lot of waiting around for cooling time. Thus, I ended up staying up til 1 am finishing this thing. #2 HAVE A PLATTER BIG ENOUGH!! I don't. Imagine my feelings of grief when I realize that I have nothing to serve this mammoth on...it's 13x18. I ended up borrowing a tray from my dear friend and savior (of the day...no more sacrilegious-ness here) Leslie. Thanks Les! 

Anyway, I highly recommend this cake! Lot's of compliments may have led to the inflation of my head, but hey, it was grand. Enjoy!

Hi Again! and House Remodel

Well, Hello!! No, I am not dead, did not stop blogging, did not run away and join a convent, and, No, I did not fall in...

I have just needed a break, I think.

Updates! We "finished" our upstairs remodel!! You may be thinking, "Why is 'finished' in quotations?". If any of you have attempted a project of this magnitude, you realize that "finished" will forever be in quotations. It's never "finished".  :) That said, I have a few pictures for you! Keep in mind, the decorating has only just begun!

Our living room. Yes, that is a headboard behind the couch:)

I feel like this is 'Where's Waldo'. Only the much more obvious version. Bella sneaks into a lot of my shots...

My credenza being put to good use. The chair in the corner will be getting a makeover...just haven't decided what fabric to use yet. Ideas?  Oh, and if any of you have a good color to replace the gawd-awful tan devouring the potential of my living room, please do share!

My Craft Corner. What? That's right. My own little corner.

Don't you love the desk? I am in lust with it. I like to stare.

My Sweet dining set. Thank you to my dear friends Kirk and Brenda for the gift. We will think of you every time we eat/spill on it. 

See the AWESOME vintage camel-back trunk my mother-in-law gave us? Thanks Lisa!!

And this is the Love Nest. Ha. Nowhere near decorated, but it's a nice start...

My new beautimous bedding from Target! I LOVE having white bedding. No those curtains aren't the shams...ppshh. Who would do that? (um, someone who likes to take the easy route--ie. NO SEW:)

A close up of one of my gorg milkglass thrift store lamps. And I found the sweet shades at the Family Dollar. Who knew?

And the view from our bedroom window...not too shabby if you subtract the pole.

So, the moral of the story is--we still have a long way to go! But man does it feel ultra-fantastic to have come this far!!! If you would like to see some before photos, refer to THIS POST.

Don't forget to hit the 'follow' button if you love me. Because I love you. :)