tray bella

new tray line

2009-11-09T15:09:00.005-06:00

i think i have mentioned before that i crave change. i need it constantly. so when i was pondering in my tiny creative brain what kind of papers to look for to create my next line of trays something different popped into my head. what if i did not use paper at all this time? ooooohhh....i love the end result! the one says 'bless this house' in french and the handles i had in my stash. so glad i finally got to use them on a few of the trays.

lately i have been de-cluttering, and minimizing and these trays resemble exactly what i have been trying to do with my life and that is to keep. things. simple. i love how they turned out, they are so me. look how cool these two are.....

thanks to my ever so creative mom for helping me hammer out some of the details so that i can offer these unbelievably beautiful trays at the up coming Cure of Ars Gift Gallery. they will be available saturday in the Burlap JunKtion booth! yikes!! only 4 days until set up....i better get back to my studio. hope you can make it to the sale saturday!

special treats

2009-11-04T19:15:00.005-06:00

if you trick or treat at our house you will get one of these special treats. i make these every year and the kids just love them. i am including a tutorial here on how to make them...it is so easy! a little late for this years goblins, but these also are beautiful for the holidays, party favors, teacher gifts etc.

you will need an assortment of pretty papers. you can pick these up at your local scrapbook store.

you will also need toilet paper tubes (or paper towel tubes cut down. i save these all year just for this project), tissue paper, scissors, tape, twine or ribbon, and the candy treats that you want to go inside.

start by cutting your pretty paper into strips. they should be a smidge smaller than the width of your toilet paper tube. for the length, wrap it around your tube and leave a little bit of overlap. cut each one to length.

you will want to cut your tissue paper a bit wider, on both sides, than your tube.

fill your tube with your chosen treats,

and then roll up the tube in the tissue paper.

carefully, not to tear your tissue paper, tie each end with the twine or ribbon.

next, wrap the pretty paper around the tube and seal with a piece of clear tape.

that is it....so easy! i think the most difficult part of this project is selecting the pretty paper. there are so many fun choices. good luck!

introducing: Burlap JunKtion

2009-10-30T09:40:00.006-05:00

i have participated in the cure of ars catholic church gift gallery for three years. my dear friend joan has also participated in this same sale with her beautiful beaded serving pieces. we have decided to combine our space this year and bring something new to the gift gallery.
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we both enjoy making our homes beautiful by using what we have, and purchasing new items for our homes through junking. we also love to paint, and re purpose furniture pieces, another frugal option for decorating your home.

i am still enjoying tray bella and will have a new line of trays debuting at the gift gallery. joan will also have turtle soup pieces. but we will also have lots of other new, fun, and fabulous home decor items to mix in with what you might already have at home. sometimes just adding one new piece to your mix is all you need. we will be there to help you with your choices, whether for yourself or for a friend.
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we will also have a drawing for one lucky winner..... 2 hours of home staging services!
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Look for us under Burlap JunKtion! coming up with a new name was a challenge and we think we've come up with a name that fits us. the dictionary definition of junction is the act of joining; combining....which is what we are doing; joining tray bella and turtle soup. the spelling of junction was changed to JunKtion to reflect our love of junking and the capital J is for joan and the capital K is for kathi. we felt we needed something to go with JunKtion and burlap popped into joans head. we love the simple look of burlap and it's natural texture, it is fitting to how we both decorate.
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i am so excited to start this new adventure with such a dear friend. equally excited to bring you something new, fun and fabulous! stop by our booth at the gift gallery and enter our drawing!

terrific toffee popcorn

2009-10-29T16:45:00.003-05:00

movie night? happy hour? family gathering? bake sale? super yummy snack?
if you are in need of something addictingly (is that a word?) good this recipe is for you.
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it calls for cheerios, but i think the next time i make it i will just use five cups of crispix cereal. you can also use corn or rice chex cereal.
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and when you gain 5 lbs from not being able to stop eating this....i do not want to hear about it. ;)

TOFFEE POPCORN MIX

3 cups crispix
2 cups cheerios
1 bag of popped microwave popcorn (any style/flavor)
1 1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts (sometimes i use almonds instead)
1 1/4 cup pecans (or if you don't like pecans, double up on the peanuts or almonds)

1 cup butter (not margarine!)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

grease a roasting pan.
combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup on stove top. bring to boil for 5 minutes.
remove from heat, add vanilla and baking soda. stir for a minute. it should get foamy/bubbly.
pour over cereal mix and toss together.
bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour. toss every 15-20 minutes during baking.
let cool.

last of the garden

2009-10-28T15:52:00.002-05:00

i cleaned out the garden this past weekend. what a job that is. my rosemary and thyme plants were still looking really good so i just clipped the heck out of them. i then placed them in small bundles, wrapped them with twine and gave a few away to friends. i have some hanging in my kitchen window, drying and the smell reminds me of summer.
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we had good luck with our garden this year. i am excited for spring to get planting again. i will spend the winter digging through books at the library on ways to make my garden better. i am anxiously awaiting those summer garden days....sigh....oh how i dread the cold winter.

carrot pineapple cake recipe

2009-10-26T14:00:00.003-05:00

a super yummy cake recipe for any fall gathering you might be attending or just because.
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CARROT PINEAPPLE CAKE
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cup oil
3 eggs
beat well in a mixer and then add:
2 cups shredded carrots
14 oz. crushed pineapple (juice and all)
2 teaspoons vanilla
then add:
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
bake in a large bundt pan at 325 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

ICING:
4 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup margarine
2 cups icing sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla
beat in a mixer until fluffy.

ice cake once cool and enjoy!

chair redo

2009-10-26T09:46:00.005-05:00

these are some old dining room chairs that we have had. they now sit in their new home around our game table in our newly finished basement. we have a few ends to wrap up today in the basement, i will get some photos out this week. until then, an easy project to update these chairs.
for those of you that might have chairs like this at home, and have no idea how to recover them, you will not believe how simple this project is.
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you will need your outdated chair,

your new fabric. i found this last week at a fabric sale. $5 for a piece big enough to redo all four of my chairs...what a deal!

you will also need for this project a screwdriver, scissors and a staple gun. if you do not have a staple gun RUN to your nearest home improvement store. you will be able to do many projects if you have a staple gun available.
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first you will need to flip your chair over and unscrew the four screws that hold the seat on. you can rip off the old cover and use it for your pattern, or simply cut out a new piece by laying your seat on top of your new fabric and cutting, leaving enough of an allowance to wrap around.

then all you have to do is pull it tight and staple in place. screw your seat back on and you are done. so easy! now that i have these done i am wondering if i might like the chair painted white? hmmm...another project on the project list. i will save that for a rainy day.

piece of cake project! and speaking of cake.....

we went to the neighbors on friday night for dinner and i made this cake for dessert. it is a carrot pineapple cake with cream cheese frosting. so easy to make and soooo yummy! i will post the recipe later this afternoon. for now my 3 year old needs some attention.

and the winner is.....

2009-10-23T09:54:00.003-05:00

PAULA!! send me your address so that i can get this in the mail to you today please.
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thanks to all of you that left comments and read my blog.
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have a good weekend!

a little thank you giveaway

2009-10-19T14:06:00.003-05:00

in september i hit my two year blog anniversary. i am amazed every day that there are people out there that actually enjoy reading what i have to write. this started out as a creative outlet for me and a way to stay in touch with long distant friends. i had no idea i would meet so many lovely people. and how strange it is that even though i have not met you all personally, i feel like i have known you forever.
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it is a joy to see my 'regulars' leave comments, and to hear from new and old viewers that i have in some way inspired them. hello to all you stalkers out there too! ;)
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so it is time for a giveaway! with halloween coming up i have chosen to give away this cute halloween tray. the tray is black with orange polka dot paper. it also includes two black kitchen towels and a cute halloween decoration.

leave a comment here to enter your name for the drawing. post this giveaway on your blog and i will add your name twice! i will take comments until thursday night at 10:00pm cst. the winner will be announced friday morning. my hope is to get this in the mail on friday so that the winner can have it in time for halloween.
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i thank each and every one of you for your comments, support and friendship!
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Good luck!

MIA

2009-10-15T20:44:00.002-05:00

i have been missing in action lately when it comes to blogging. but i am still here. we are still working on the basement remodel and i had to unplug the computer things to get my paint job done. i have hopes of the basement being completed and plugged back in by the end of the weekend. i will then post photos from the friends of a feather sale (huge success, despite the rainy cold weather), some photos of the finished basement, trick or treats that i have been working on, and tell you about a giveaway that i even won from Paula at Oliver's!
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be back soon!

rain or shine

2009-10-08T23:31:00.003-05:00

it rained so much here today in kansas city. setting up for the friends of a feather sale was a bit of a challenge but we will be ready to go by 9am. rain or shine! hope to see you there!

loss

2009-10-05T10:13:00.005-05:00

Grief that is expressed and experienced has a potential for healing that eventually can strengthen and enrich life.

saying goodbye is never easy. but when a situation contaminates your life, sometimes it is the only thing to do.

weekend work

2009-10-05T09:21:00.002-05:00

i worked hard this weekend on a batch of trays that i will have at this weekends friends of a feather sale. these photos only show a small amount of them. now to get them tagged, priced and packed up. in addition to my trays, i still have high hopes of getting a few pillows made out of some coffee bean bags that i found. looks like i will be up late tonight. back to the studio.....

big fun sale

2009-10-02T12:36:00.004-05:00

if you are in the kansas city area, mark your calendars for this fun event! and if you are a blog reader of mine be sure and find me to say hello. back to the studio, i have lots of fun finds to finish up before next week!

outdoor movie night

2009-10-01T14:14:00.004-05:00

this past weekend it was our turn to host dinner club. with the weather being so beautiful lately we decided on an outdoor movie night.

we kept the menu super simple by buying and baking a couple of pizzas. i threw together a really yummy salad and dessert was served during the movie....popcorn and your choice of candy.

we tested 'our system' friday night with a kids movie night. they had a blast watching Bolt. all you will need is a white sheet (we clipped ours to the gutter), a projector and then ran the movie through the laptop. my husband brought out 4 speakers to add the surround sound theatre feel.

both nights were really fun and we will for sure repeat this kind of entertaining.

small signs of fall

2009-09-24T16:58:00.003-05:00

the weather is feeling cooler and i am seeing small signs of fall every where. while at the market today i picked up a couple of small pumpkins. with the basement remodel underway and all my decorations packed away, this might count as my halloween decor. but i really doubt i can for-go the witches, bats, skeletons and other fun decorations i have collected over the years. not mention the boys love when i make the house look all spooky.

i also picked up some pears today. they look simple in a white bowl and in a few days will be so yummy as a healthy snack.

i am having my family over for dinner tonight so i baked up this homemade apple pie. i also have a big pot of chili simmering on the stove. wow, does my house smell yummy!

i love the sights and smells of fall....bring it on!

under construction

2009-09-23T09:55:00.002-05:00

finally getting around to finishing our basement. stay tuned.....

harvest moon hoedown

2009-09-22T14:25:00.007-05:00

we recently co-hosted a harvest moon hoedown party. there were four couples hosting this party and it was so much fun. i worked with some fun and creative girls and it did not seem like work at all. the party was held at the farm of a friend of mine. we had this huge chalkboard at the entrance to welcome all the guests.

this party was for our school. each grade has one and ours was for the parents of the second grade. donations are collected and they go toward our counselor and spanish programs at the school. a picnic basket to hold the donations and name tags were at this table that was also at the entrance.

cowboy punch, wine, and beer were provided for thirsty cowboys and cowgirls.

all the hosts' contributed to the food. we had so much yummy homemade food, by the end of the night it was gone.

another food table with the beautiful barn in the background.

yummy homemade desserts and some grab-n-go snacks.

tables were set up outside and each had a freshly picked from the garden bouquet displayed in a what else? a boot!

fall decorations and a huge cowboy star added to the atmosphere.

the BB gun activity was a huge hit.

every hoedown needs a bonfire....

and makings for smores!

we also had a hayride pulled by a tractor. music and a little bit of dancing at the end of the night. cowboy boot cookies with 'happy trails' tags were party favors.

i think everyone had a really good time. the weather was beautiful and a great group of parents!

big fun sale

2009-09-15T21:34:00.006-05:00

for those of you that attended my Big June sale this is the post you have been waiting for! friends of a feather, gathering again for another big sale. mark your calendars for OCTOBER 9 & 10th.

again we will have items from several local artists, fabulous re purposed finds (for all you junkers out there, you know what this means!), vintage clothing, homemade sweets and breads, and just a whole lot of fun.

this is one of the reasons for my lack of posts lately. i have been a wee bit busy gathering great junk and also working on a couple new lines of trays. i have also been working on a basement remodel...i will post some during photos of that later.

hope to see you at the sale!

oh my....

2009-09-15T14:10:00.003-05:00

has it really been one month since my last update here? oh my goodness, what happened to the time? have i really been that busy?! i suppose so.
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i also noticed that it was 2 years ago, this month, that i started this blog. (hmm..mmm..i'm thinking a giveaway is in order!)
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stay tuned....i promise an update tonight, and a post soon about a "2 year blog birthday" giveaway!

a need for speed.....at three

2009-08-13T15:35:00.007-05:00

it is hard to believe that my baby turned three last week. but he will always be the baby...right? it has been fun to see him, the second born, grow up. he has grown up so much faster than the first born. he also has his very own, very opposite personality. he loves all things fast, and loud. especially motorcycles, which is why he had to have one on his birthday cupcakes.

he is a true free spirit. never sits still, always has those crazy curls blowing in the wind. my mom says "he's just like you were". i suppose i am still most like that....free spirit and can not sit still.

he really thinks he is one of the big boys now by riding his motorcycle bike, that he got for his birthday, around the cul-de-sac with the big kids.

so a big three year old birthday last week, and off to preschool come september. such a big boy, but will always be my baby.
happy birthday baby!

dear gretchen

2009-08-05T13:36:00.002-05:00

this post is going out to a dear blog reader of mine....gretchen.
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gretchen purchased this striped chair from me at the big june sale.
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recently i received an email from gretchen telling me how much she loves the chair and how it has changed her life. imagine that, a chair, changing someones life. but it did. and since she took this chair home with her, she has also redone her dining room chairs to go with it.
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she stated that because of me she has gotten back her passion for interior design. how cool, wonderful and unexpected is that?! i love to inspire people and it is rare that people tell me when i have in fact inspired them.
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unfortunately i can not get in touch with her because i do not have her email address. so this post is for her..... for gretchen whom bought the striped chair...
a big thank YOU for telling me that i inspired you. your comment touched me in so many ways and truely made my day.
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gretchen, if you reading this please leave a comment with your email address.

completed trays

2009-07-30T16:52:00.003-05:00

as promised from yesterdays post....the trays now have handles.
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these would be perfect for corralling things on a dresser, or to hold the remote controls or also fun in the kitchen holding spices.

even this little one got a quirky little handle. this one is more for displaying something instead of using as a tray.

i am excited about this new line of trays for tray bella. i hope you will be too!

some creative thinking

2009-07-28T15:40:00.003-05:00

my therapist has told me that maybe i have commitment issues. i think she might be right. i love tray bella, i love making and selling my trays. but i often get bored. it has not become a 'job' yet which is why i still really love it. but i can not {commit} to doing the same trays over and over ~ even though they are all unique with different papers.
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as i go junking i am always drawn to funky old handles. i dream of finding big bins of them to dig through.

i am also drawn to all shapes and sizes of old drawers and boxes.

old fruit crates work too.

every now and then i put two and two together. my accountant husband would say that equals four but i say that when i put funky old handles together with old boxes and drawers, that it makes for some pretty cool trays.

lining them with different papers makes them one of a kind. though they do not have handles attached yet, i will {commit} to getting them on and post another photo later.

using what i have collected to create something useful and beautiful....now that is thinking outside the box.

these will be for sale at two upcoming sales this fall!

date night :: kansas city

2009-07-26T14:25:00.004-05:00

last night i had a date.
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the weather in kansas city has been so amazing (i know i wrote about it last week...but it is still just so beautiful out). so we knew our date had to take place outside.
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we started it out by having appetizers on the front lawn. not just any front lawn, the largest front lawn in kansas city....

if you can not recognize the building....maybe the photos below will help....

yep, the front lawn of the Nelson Art Gallery. so hard to believe that there were so few people there. we practically had the place to ourselves.

then we headed out for dinner on the plaza.

we ate on the back deck at one of my all time favorite places:

then headed to the top deck at John's downtown. this place has a nice view of the city and had a band playing 80's music. the beer is cold and with it being downtown, if you inhale deep enough, you can get a buzz from the smell coming from the Folger's coffee plant. i love that smell and always reminds me of when i lived downtown and could smell that coffee smell daily.

thanks to my parents for keeping the boys so we could have some fun. xoxo mom & dad!