Mock Shadow Box DIY + Hope & Love

Ever have one of those days where you feel particularly in need of some hope and love?  These two tiny, four letter words wield so much weight and power ~ don't they?  Recently, I had one of those kind of days and I remembered a gift my friend, Sharon, from Bless Your Neighbor, gave me.  The gift was two silver, flattened spoons with the words "hope" and "love" stamped on their surfaces.  The spoons were intended to be used as spreaders but after a day like I had, I decided I wanted them displayed somewhere prominently in my house as a symbol of encouragement.  *Sharon found the spoons here but if you don't live in the area, you can also find them here. 

Segue to the DIY project.  I decided to make a mock shadow box for the spoons.  This project is super simple ~ here's all you need to complete this easy DIYer:

Picture Frames with Glass ~ I had a couple of old black 5 x 7 frames on hand.  If you don't have any spare frames laying around, I'm sure you can grab a couple for next to nothing at your local thrift store. 



I opted to use the cardboard backing of the frame as the matting background for the project (mainly because I liked the color and texture).  You could always add scrapbooking paper, newsprint, wallpaper, etc. underneath the glass ~ to suit whatever you might be showcasing. 

Silver Spoons ~ Or the item of your choice to display in your mock shadow box. 

Hot Glue Gun and Glue Sticks ~ I decided to adhere the spoons to the glass with hot glue.  If you want something more permanent you could always use E6000 or some other epoxy.  I personally like the hot glue because (knowing me) I may want to change them out someday.

I cleaned the glass and then applied a dab of hot glue on the back of each spoon at the top and bottom. Then I eyeballed the positioning of the spoon and pressed it into place.

 ~ Hope ~

 ~ Love ~

That's it ~ pretty easy, huh?  Here are my mock shadow boxes hanging close to the sink in the kitchen.  It's always nice to know you have hope and love hangin' around.  Hope you're feelin' the love today!

Christmas ~ Kitchen Window & Wreath

 

This is my kitchen window ~ I spend a fair amount of time in this very spot during the holidays.  So why wouldn't I want to make it a place worth being in?  I always hang my favorite wreath right above the sink to enjoy.  I'm enamored with square wreaths ~ I found mine here.  They come with pine cones already wired on and they smell heavenly.  I vacillate every year whether or not to tie on a floppy ribbon ~ but I think the wreath is so beautiful in and of itself, I always talk myself out of it.

Underneath the wreath on the window sill I line up some vintage scale weights ~ I think they look artistic, stately and strong.

 

My decorations by choice for Christmas ~ pretty + simple = a calmer me.  :)

A white ironstone pitcher (thrift store find ~ for only a dollar!) holds "candy cane" spoons.

Old silver glass ornaments lay nestled in a milk glass compote bowl ~ it belonged to Nana.

A little helpful hint:  I spritz the wreath with water every couple of days and it holds up nicely until the new year rolls around and it's time to pack Christmas away. 

That's all for today ~ I'm off to tackle some Christmas shopping ~ I hope you've gotten more done than I have.  I don't have one present bought yet ~ yikes ~ nineteen days and counting! 

P.S.  Be sure to check out my last post about my Ladder Christmas Tree.  XO

Expressions From the Heart

You can't help but know that Valentine's Day is quickly approaching with the abundance of jewelry commercials on TV..."Every kiss begins with K." (I think it's a given that this commercial was voted the "Most Annoying Jingle" in our household). Regardless, it causes me to stop and reminisce about memorable gifts from the past and realize that some of my most treasured ones actually have very little monetary value. Although these tokens of love weren't costly, didn't come in little velvet boxes and by most standards are far from perfect, they make me feel loved every time I see them. To me, these heartfelt expressions of love says it all.

Nana's Charm Bracelet ~ A treasured keepsake, this belonged to Nana when she was a teenager.

"I Love You, Nat" ~ I received this from my hubby-to-be via snail mail when I was in college. It was dark and dated so I gave it a coat of cream spray paint.

Gavin's Flower ~ Lovingly created by Gavin in elementary school. I gave it a "shadowbox" effect by hotgluing it atop the glass of a vintage picture frame.

Corbin's Recipe Holder ~ I love this recipe holder that Corbin made in kindergarten (it has his little thumbprint on it). It's holding Nana's crepe recipe that she gave me years ago (so yummy!).

Teacup and Saucer/Pearlized Initial ~ A heartfelt gift Reagan picked up for me when he was in Switzerland. The letter "D" was a gift from my friend, Pamela.

Heart Shaped Rocks ~ A freebie ~ We gathered these heart shaped rocks on leisure walks, an idea I stole from my friend, Janet.

The Girl with a Broken Arm ~ A gift from a Brussels flea market ~ Nat nailed it, absolutely perfect!

Mimi's Cookie Cutters ~ My mom passed these vintage cookie cutters on to me. They have dished up many a sugar cookie (too bad the boy's favorites are chocolate chip!).

Vintage Silver Spoon ~ Sharon of the "Bless your Neighbor" blog gave me this imprinted cheese spreader yesterday....Just Because. The truffles, compliments of Kelly of the "Healthy Happy Eater" blog.

Scrabble Letters ~ Nat surprised me last year with a box full of Scrabble letters that he purchased on Ebay. Definitely one of my favorites! So many uses...I love spelling out names and using them as place cards for table settings.

Tokens of affection needn't be expensive to convey the sentiment behind them. Some of the most meaningful and treasured ones are simple expressions from the heart.