I LOVE NAG CHAMPA!  I didn't even KNOW it came in soap!  Now I totally have to try my hand at making some   Would you mind sharing the link of the tutorial that you used?  I looked up ohhappyday.com and search tutorials but had no luck so I figured I'd ask.  And great job for your first attempt!  I've thought about trying to make my own soap but I always just chicken out and think it'll come out poorly. 

Thanks!!

The best way I can describe it is... think of really good sex intimate pleasures lol. Am I allowed to say that? I feel like I'm gonna get my hands slapped with a ruler or something.

And yeah-haha-that IS a good way to describe it!  I always think of it as the ultimate hippie scent but then again those two really do go hand and hand...Haha

this is so awesome! I have a really good friend who LOVES scrabble  and whom this would also make a perfect gift for.

personally I'd line the bottom of the coasters with corkboard or craft foam so they're not slidey, but other than that I absolutely love your idea, especially with the tray. I'd serve tea in mismatched teacups on it. 

I guess the photos don't show this detail and I didn't mention it but the coasters ARE lined with corkboard on the bottom.  Without it, I think you're right, they'd be too slippery.  The tea cups are a great idea, in fact you could paint ceramic cups with scrabble-like letters arranged in drink names too match or maybe even with names of household members so drinks do not get confused.  These are a couple of posts on here that showcase some pretty amazing art work done in this manner: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=284893.0 http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=286436.0 

I am sorry for your loss. I always find it comforting to know...even when our loved ones are gone, their still here, we all carry the same genes...So, somewhere down the line...You'll see him again.

I know my dad is still here, but my 16 year old son, has a lot of common characteristics of my dad, so I will always have dad and my son together.


Oh and NEVER paint your place again. The family joke is a comfort in and of itself!!!!

In fact, there should be a framed $5.00 bill in the room, a laugh just for you.

Hahaha--I LOVE the framed $5 bill idea!!!  Thank you so much, I'm gonna have to do it now   Also thanks so much for the kind words.  My father does live on in me (much to my mother's frustration some days!).  I'm his clone personality-wise and whenever someone remarks on it I can't help but feel overwhelmingly proud to be compared to such an amazing person.  I am finally at peace with his passing and know he lived a great life, even if it was shortlived (he was 55 and died of a sudden heart attack).  I try and remember that life is unexpected and to do what makes you happy because you just never know.  I've learned a lot of lessons from my father's death but that's the one that sticks with me the most.

Thank you everyone!  So glad I'm finding some individuals with taste like myself!  My entire family (with the exception of some younger cousins) was pretty appalled by the whole thing   I will be sad to leave but the thought of decorating an entire house of my own is exhilarating to say the least!  I'm envisioning vintage metal,  formica kitchen tables and shag carpet throw rugs...  Although my fiance did give me one rule to decorate by:  Only one allowed per room, girly colors (apparently this blue qualifies in his mind) OR flowers.  But never both.  He likes my room but says it's too girly for his house    I guess I can't complain since he's given me free reign besides that!

Your floor looks amazing. I am way to obsessed to try to do all those angles on the floor, I would be scared to death they would come out wrong. Great idea.

They SUCKED!  I'm sure their is a much better way to accomplish them but I had tried to use the chalk covered snap down tape to outline the design but that failed miserably.  So I cut a diamond template out of cardboard and starting from the very center of my room outlined it in pencil over and over AND OVER again.  But it worked really well and I couldn't think of a more efficient and effective method   Then I painted them all with a small craft brush by hand and believe me...I'm so glad I was oblivious to how much work this project required beforehand.  Beacause half way through I wanted to give up about a hundred times!  Haha.

Really awesome!  From the floor to the walls to the accessories, everything is just perfect.  

Thank you!!!  My taste is pretty out there and like I said most people either love it or hate it!  All I know is that bright colors, daisies, and vintage 70's pieces make me happy

I love it too! Now, as for dad...Do not take this the wrong way, but my dad and I are very candid and very honest.....but it is always said with love and humor. The second my dad would have said "5 dollar whore house"...heheehe.....I would have busted with the words...
Ya, and you know this HOW?? Come on dad, fess up?

ROFL

 

HAHAHA!!! That would have been AWESOME!  I am soooo sad that I didn't think of it.  My Dad and I had a phenomenal relationship so he would have laughed his ass off at that too.  Unfortunately he passed away a little over a year ago but until he did we were the best of friends so we were never shy to tease each other.  Like I'm a TERRIBLE driver (7 accidents in 8 years   Sorry girls--it's ME who's giving you a bad rep!) so he used to call me Crash.  Haha.  He was awesome

I LOVE IT! It always feels more like home when its your own hands that makes it that way.
Your room is the coolest $5 whore house I've ever seen. 

I agree!  I think I love it that much more considering that it took me a month in total (including 6 back breaking hours straight on my 24th birthday--my best friend had to drag me away) and there's an extra sense of pride knowing that you did it all by yourself and it looks exactly as you wanted

This was a project that I completed over 3 years ago but I'm really proud of the results so I thought I'd share.  When I got out of the Navy I moved back into my parents house in order to go to college.  The one thing I hated was my grimy gray rug and boring white walls.  So I begged my parents to allow me to do this...



I really love the contrast between my bright yellow bathroom and the teal bedroom walls!  It was funny because when I explained what I planned on doing, my father made a face and said, "It sounds like a five dollar whore house."  Once it was all done I was so proud and thought I had turned him around with my execution so I asked him.  He replied, "Yup.  I was right--Looks like a five dollar whore house!"     Oh well, I love it and that's what matters!



All the lime green diamonds were hand painted and the daisies were created using a stencil that my sister made for me.  I think this might have been the only time in my life that I've been sad to have such a large bedroom (16x25ft) considering that the floor took two weeks alone and my knees suffered the painful consequences

Here's a close up of the floor (inspired by the store OOP!)...



I also repainted my entire bedroom set which my father bought me at a yard sale and is original vintage 70's and I absolutely LOVE!  I actually regret using ultra white paint, however, since it seems to get dirty really easily.  My kickass blue velvet couch and popart self portrait (that I created at photofiddle.com) fit right in my "five dollar whore house"   I was super psyched since it turned up exactly as I had imagined and even after 3 years I'm still infatuated with it.  I'm even sad that I'll have to part with it at the end of this year when I get married!



These photos were taken before all of the decorating was completed which explains why none of the pictures are hung on the walls yet.  The black lump on the bed is my 115 lb cow of a Labrador Sadie.  Notice my eyeglass stand in front of the window.  It's usually a crowd pleaser and my nieces have a blast with it almost every time they visit   I had purchased it when Gadzooks had gone out of business for $20 and an excuse to buy more sunglasses!  My mother was always telling not to buy any more since I "had no where to put them".  Problem solved



Here's a picture of my rarely organized closet.  I think you can tell that I have a clothing addiction.  This is only a small fraction of my wardrobe...



And a picture of before for good measure with my friend Brenna.  Booor-ring!



I'd love to know what people think!  I figure you'll either love it or hate it, which seems to be the case most of the time. 

I had made these candles for my mother along as part of her Christmas gift this past year.  I melted the wax in a double boiler, added a yellow crayon for color, and then poured the wax into soda cans with the tops cut off.  I placed the drying candles into the fridge for a few minutes, dipped two strips of twine into the wax and allowed them to dry straight.  Once a thin film had developed across the top of the candles, I poked a hole in the center of each and inserted the stiffened twine wicks.  The hardened top layer kept the wick from shifting during the remaining dry time.  I realize that this isn't the common method for wick insertion but I didn't have a wick holder and the few things I attempted to create one didn't seem to stay put so...*shrug* This worked pretty well though so I was pleased.  Finally, I finished them off by inserting these star rivets into the sides, which was really quick and easy (I'm lazy ).



 I had seen this candle globe idea a while back on another website (the name of which eludes me but I'll be sure to post it when I remember) and have wanted to try it ever since.  I basically just melted the wax in a double boiler, filled a balloon half full with water, dipped the balloon into the wax repeatedly (being mindful not to submerge it pass the water line!) allowing drying time between dips, popped the balloon once the wax reached a suitable thickness, and dripped colored wax across the overturned globe so it ran down the sides (towards the top).  Once that was complete I simply dripped a bit of wax in the center where I secured a sphere shaped candle to illuminate the globe and hot glued the gold rhinestone to the side for extra pop.  All and all it was super easy but messy and time consuming (all the dry time in between coats).





Let me know what you think!  And I'm new to candle making so constructive criticism more than welcome!

nice!!! i think i will be stealing this idea, too. i ordered a bunch of scrabble tiles off of ebay awhile ago and never got around to making the coasters- i love your serving tray idea.

scrabble is the best game ever!!!

Thanks!  Yeah, I love scrabble and there is so much you can do with the tiles   I've seen a lot of posts on here that incorporate them in jewelry, notebooks, coasters, etc.  I don't know if they're cheaper to buy separately online but I got the entire game for $3.99 at Savers, the cork backing at the Dollar Tree and only spent $0.60 for the handles at the Salvation Army!  All other materials (plywood, paint, glue, ric rac and varnish) I already had on hand.  Grand total: $5.59!!!  I was super cheap this Christmas but hopefully no one noticed

so pretty!  i bet she'll love it.  how did you get the glitter to stay in place?  i find that there's few things in this world more aggravating than glitter flaking off onto everything in sight.

I agree!  I love using glitter in scrapbooks and it is always such a hassle to keep it in place no matter how much glue you use   Instead of applying loose glitter I used glitter adhesive (I can't remember which brand), which came in a squirt bottle that I found at Michaels for $2.  We'll see how it wears but I handled it a lot and none flaked off so I'll take that as a good sign.  Oh and the very next time I saw her she had it on so it's safe to say she approves   Yay!

This was my first project working with polymer clay and I'm pretty satisfied with how it came out even though it's not perfect.  I made this pink diamond shaped necklace for my niece, who had seen it on dirtyaddiction.com (http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/3225/mg7965jg1.jpg).



I used pink glitter instead of crystals and I really like the way it shimmers.  Plus the price tag of less than $5 is much better than $45  

Thanks everybody   It was funny because even her mom wants one now!  And it was super cheap and easy to make.  I just had to overcome my fear of using a table saw to cut the tray and thankfully I didn't maim myself in the process.  Actually, I'm sure something could be done with the tile trays but I just couldn't conjure up a way to use them (attempted to make the handles with them but couldn't figure out how to secure them).