Rock Around The Blinged Out Clock-A Before and After

Hellllooo Friends!  Today I am going to share with you a project that I started a while back.  Do you ever do that? Start something and then finish it a couple of months later? No?  Just me? Story of my life! ☺

 

This project started out when I saw this clock on clearance.  It was half off, but then I waited another week or so and got it for $3.  I would have never paid $10 for this clock or used it as is. (My apologies to you if you did either one of those things, it just wasn't my cup of tea, plus I'm cheap.)
 

 

I started by taping all the "bling" off with my handy dandy
Frog Tape.

 

 I love this stuff!

 

 

Next I broke out one of my favorite things and gave the clock two coats of shiny black spray paint.

 

I peeled off the Frog Tape and that is when I realized the clock still needed a little more "oomph."
 

I turned to my giant container of bling and then meticulously glued each stone on, one at a time.

I'm happy with how it turned out.  I know I've said this before, but for real, it always makes me so happy when something turns out just like (or better) than I planned in my head.

 

 
Before &After

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope everyone has had a wonderful Labor Day weekend!  I will be back later this week with a summer wrap-up. 

Linking my Blinged Out Clock Before and After with these fabulous parties!

One Artsy Mama's-Shine On Fridays!

The Creative Connection
 

Monday, Monday

Hellloooo Friends! Well hasn't July just flown on by?  I  sure have missed you people! I had a computer problem and I thought it was gone forever, but I played with it until it I got it working again and now it is back in commission! Whoop-whoop! I do have an IPhone, but evidently all I know how to do is check Facebook, Pinterest, Vine and play Family Feud.  I really should get with the program.

So, now my dilemma is what to talk about first! My nieces, cupcakes, thrifting, the great youth retreat I went on last weekend, the Royal baby?  Ha, ha, I don't really need to discuss the royal baby, it just seems like all the bloggers did, I just didn't want to be left out! ☺

 

My nieces have been here a couple of times this summer and most recently they came for a week of bible school.  They are cute, they are sweet, they are awesome...I'm not partial or anything ☺

Cupcakes, cupcakes, cupcakes!

 I love cupcakes.  I made some that looked like popcorn for bible school (It was a roller coaster/amusement park theme.) 
 

Later that week I made birthday cupcakes for Miss T and Miss A's combined July family birthday celebration.  They each got to pick what kind of cupcakes they wanted. Three year old Miss T chose orange cupcakes with purple monsters on top.
 

Eight year old Miss A ordered chocolate cupcakes with pink and blue icing.
 

Thrifting-I've done a bit here and there when I had time.  July has been crazy busy, but I found a little time to thrift. 

Last but not least, I spent last weekend at this beautiful Christian retreat with a wonderful group of kids from our youth group.  (I will post more about that later.)

 

I hope everyone had a magnificent Monday! I will be back later this week to share...something! Lol

 

Later friends! ☺

Thrift Store Saturday

Helllloooo Friends!  I hope everyone had a great weekend!

 

My mom had things to do Saturday. I had things to do Saturday.  No worries, we did our stuff, went out later, had lunch and did a little end of the day thrifting.  Still fun.

 

The very first thing that caught my eye was this.  I'm not sure where I will use it (I'm thinking at work or the craft room) but I was sold when I saw the price tag...

$ .50!!! Fifty cents! Whoo-hoo, my fifty cent streak continues!

 

Also for $ .50 I scored this paperback and some sparkly mint green yarn.  ($ .50 for both!)

 

I picked up another skirt, this khaki colored one with great detail.  I paid a dollar for this one!

 

That's right, a big file organizer, a book, sparkly yarn and a pretty skirt all for two dollars!

 

That closes out my thrifting treasures for the week.   Till next time my friends! ☺

Linking this post up with Sara at
It's Good To Be Queen

Patriotic Outdoor Decor

Hellloooo Friends! I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July!

 

 Barbecue ✓ Fireworks ✓ Family & Friends ✓ Great Day! ✓

 

I also got to sleep in and do a little housekeeping and laundry before I spent the afternoon/evening celebrating.

 

There are a few things working on the day after 4th of July taught me.

 

1.  Most people don't work the day after 4th of July (when it falls on a Friday)  This is evident by the lack of cars in the parking lots (we have five or six lots, not even two were totally full)

 

2. Evidently everyone in my office also have neighbors who shot off fireworks until well after midnight (and by midnight I mean 2 am.)  Everyone must live near one of "those" people. If you don't live near one of them, you might be one of them.  Ha Ha! ☺

 

3.  I can not function on 4 hours of sleep. (Thank you my patriotic, celebrating neighbors!)

 

Anyhoo, I am hear today to show you how I changed my outdoor decor from this: 

 

  To this:

 

 Not quite as colorful as before, but properly patriotic.☺ I have also added mulch so that I don't have to weed as much, but obviously that cuts down on color.

 

I made my Uncle Sam outdoor decor from four thrifted items.  Wouldn't you know that I realized after I arranged and glued everything on that I didn't take any picture of the pieces by their self!?!  Ugh, oh well!

 

The Uncle Sam part was originally a door hanger but since I already have a door decoration I had other plans for him. 

 

I scored Uncle Sam for $ .75.  The cute ladder was $1.50 and the rustic looking American flag and Liberty Bell were $ .25 each.  I arranged them all on the ladder, fired up my hot glue gun and

Ta-Da! 

 

A new addition to my patriotic decor for less than $3. I like that! ☺

 

I also would like to wish my sweet niece, Miss A, a very happy 8th birthday today!!

 

Miss A is beautiful inside and out and I am so blessed to be her Aunt!  

(Miss A being photobombed by Miss K-haha!)

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I will be back Sunday with my thrifted treasures from Saturday! Hope to see you then! ☺

 

Linking this up with the awesome ladies at  

The Creative Connection

and

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July!!!!!!

 

I hope everyone is having a safe & wonderful holiday!

 

I thought since I have so many new friends that I would revisit two patriotic posts from last year.

 

My Star Spangled Door Decor:

 

http://amandaslittlelight.blogspot.com/2012/07/star-spangled-door-decor.html

 

 

  And my "I'm Proud to be an American" post

 

http://amandaslittlelight.blogspot.com/2012/07/im-proud-to-be-american.html

 

 

I'll be back to show you what I added to my patriotic decor tomorrow!

 

Happy 4th of July Friends!

 

Thrift Monday Store Musings

Hellllloooo Friends!  I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend! Welcome to my "Thrift Store Saturday/Monday Musings"  mash-up! (On a Tuesday...confused yet? ☺)

 

So this is what I have been doing instead of blogging: 

hanging out with these two sweethearts!

 

 

My two middle nieces, Miss K & Miss T came to visit for a few days! Oh I love these girls! (and their sisters; Miss A, who didn't come because she was busy celebrating her upcoming birthday, and Miss G because she is still too little to leave Mommy for very long.)

 

 

Saturday morning my Mom got to sneak away for a bit (Thanks Dad!) and we met for our weekly coffee/thrifting date.

 

(Worth every point...yummmm!)

I got this awesome little rolling cart...I'm thinking about putting it in the pantry, but really it could go so many places...between the washing machine & dryer, in the bathroom, in the craft room...For $5 I couldn't pass it up.

 

A Swiffer for $1. 

 

This lantern that I have big plans for, $2.

 

 

And a dress that I was going to show you but the picture makes it look ugly. It's not. Maybe you will see me wearing it someday and I will tell you about my $2 dress ☺

I love thrifting.  I think I say that every week.  True Story.

 

On Sunday after church we met my sister at the zoo so she could pick up the girls. It was an awesome, fun afternoon. The weather was fantastic!!

 

We even got to see the new baby elephant!

We said good-bye to my sister and her girls and then topped off our lovely afternoon/weekend with a stop at Trader Joe's.  (When you live 2 hours from a Trader Joe's you always make time to stop when you are there!)  I wish they would bring one a little closer to me...fingers crossed ☺

I am linking my Thrift Monday Store Musings on a Tuesday (haha that's a mouthful) up with Sara (It's Good To Be Queen) again at her Thrifted Thursday Linky Party

 

Thanks Friends! Come Back Soon!☺

Monday Musings

Happy Monday Friends! I hope everyone had a great weekend!

 

I had a nice weekend.  It was really the first weekend in the last two weeks that I have felt pretty good.  I thrifted with my Mom on Saturday (you can check out Thrift Store Saturday HERE.)  

 

That afternoon we went to the cheap movie theatre in our town (Which used to be the good movie theatre when I was a kid) and saw the movie 42 about Jackie Robinson and how he broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball.  It was a great movie. I was moved, I cried, I was inspired. I love movies like that.

 

 

Since I was feeling so good Saturday I may have overdone it a bit and I missed church Sunday morning :(  I just spent the day relaxing.  We had a massive storm, so it was nice to just stay inside, relax and enjoy the rain.

 

(Sorry, I evidently do not know how to take rain pictures...note to self, work on that!)

 

Since I 've had quite a bit of time lately to "relax"  I decided to watch the first and second season of Once Upon A Time. I actually only meant to watch the first season, but after that I was hooked. Now I have to wait until the fall of 2013 for it to come back.  Boo. :(

 

(Source)

 

I didn't realize that I was sad I was about the demise of Twinkies until I was so excited to hear that they will be returning! Did you hear that too?  I will be keeping my eyes peeled for their comeback!  Bad news for my weight loss, but it it does make me happy!  (If really for no other reason but to make these!)

 

Minions from Piles of Projects Blog (Adorable!)

 

All and all it was a nice weekend.  I have worked on, completed and started several crafts.  (I don't know about you but I always have a few crafts in progress and a few ideas in my head.)  I will be back to share at least one of those crafts (which ever gets finished first; eeny, meeny, miny, moe) Lol on Thursday.

 

 

See you soon friends! ☺

Thrift Store Saturday

Hello Friends! I am back today with something I am calling "Thrift Store Saturday."  I have been thrifting for ages, way before thrifting was cool.  Seriously, 20 years ago (ack, can I really be that old? Don't answer that! Lol) I thrifted almost all of the furniture for my first apartment.  I still have my $60 table and chairs.  I just can't seem to part with them.  That was a great investment for 18 year old me. ☺

 

Almost every Saturday my Mom and I have coffee and go thrift shopping.  It is a sweet tradition we started a few years back, and have continued.  It is so nice to have that time with my Mom each week, and I really look forward to it.  When my sister visits from Illinois we bring her along too!

 

I decided to start this weekly thrift store post after Sara at It's Good to be Queen started her "Thrifted Thursday" posts.  I sent sweet Sara an e-mail, told her about Mom & my thrift store Saturdays, and asked if she minded if I did this post.  She is such a sweetheart; she thanked me for asking her and told me to go for it! She also told me she was starting a "thrifty link party" Yay!! I love parties!☺

If you have never read Sara's blog you really should. She is one of those people that you just know you would love to be friends with in real life.  She has super cute kids, a heart for Jesus & great eye for vintage/thrift.  I was so super excited when she e-mailed me back, I adore her! ☺

 

So now I have babbled on and on ( um, I tend to do that in real life too...if you are my real life friend I know you are shaking your head right now, "yes, yes, she does that." Lol ☺)  it is time to show you my thrift finds for the week.

 

Let's start with these colorful baking dishes.  I loved the colors and the sizes.  You can see on the picture how much these set me back, $4.00.  Score!

Next I found this super cute, seventies looking basket for a quarter.  I plan on using it somewhere in my ever-evolving craft room. I love it.♥

 

Speaking of quarter finds, I found this cute wicker letter holder. It is really sturdy and a nice size.  I haven't decided what to do with it yet, but I will think of something soon!

 

 

I thrift most of my clothes anymore, especially since I have started losing weight.  I can't justify spending a lot on something I am only going to wear a month or so.  It pains me to buy retail anymore.  My favorite clothing find recently was this skirt.

 

 

I took it home, washed it and wore it to work already!  I love the detail on it.

 

I try to stay within a budget every week. Sometimes I am right on budget and sometimes I go over.  On rare occasion I am under, but that is very, very rare. Lol ☺My budget for this particular week was $5 and I spent a total of $6. Not too bad. ☺

 

I am very excited to be linking this post up with Sara (It's Good to be Queen) at her Thrifted Thursday Linky

 

I hope you've enjoyed my thrifted finds this week and will join me every Saturday for "Thrift Store Saturdays"  to see what treasure I have found that week! ☺

 

I will be back Monday with a new post, have a great rest of your weekend my friends! ☺

 

Everyday is a Gift...Sign Tutorial

Hello Friends! Today I am going to show you a cute little sign I made...  ☺

 

I was at my local Dollar Tree when I picked up this pretty vinyl. I love this saying: Everyday is a gift. I truly believe that, so I wanted to make a sign to put in my bedroom so that every morning  I will see it and have it serve as a reminder that each day is a gift from God.

 

Everyday is a gift has had a special meaning to me after the last week.  I have been so sick; like really, really sick. I missed three days of work, and the whole weekend.  I went to the doctor (which means I was really sick, I'm a little stubborn like that.) I am feeling better, but I underestimated  how much energy just everything takes; getting ready for work, walking in the building, working...I am exhausted.  I hope to be back to 100% soon, but regardless, every single day I am alive is a gift, and am grateful for it.

 

So back to my sign.  I thought I was just going to paint it on a piece of wood, but when I was at Hobby Lobby I found this sign, with hardware attached on back for half off and it was exactly the right size, so I went with it.  For less than $3 I took it home and got started.

 

Now here is where I made a mistake.  I should have primed it.  I don't know why I didn't.  I obviously wasn't thinking.  Instead I started painting with this hot pink paint (Modest Magenta-I love that name!)  This is the same kind of tester I used in my welcome sign (HERE)

 

 

It took five coats of paint to get it a good color.

Once I had the shade of pink I wanted I placed the $1 vinyl sticker on the sign, then I hung it above my closet door.

I like it. ☺ My whole sign cost around $5. I like when things turn out cheap and like I imagined in my head. ☺
 

 So, things got a bit mixed up because I've been sick, but I have decided to start a regular posting schedule as follows:

 

Monday-Monday Musings (about this and that)

Thursdays-A craft or project post

Saturday (or sometimes Sunday)-Thrift Store Saturdays (about my thrifting treasures for the week)

 

I may also do posts at other times, but I am going to make a concerted effort to post three times a week with this format. I hope that you will consider joining me by becoming a regular reader of This Little Light. You can follow me here on the blog, by e-mail or here on Facebook . I am just happy to have you here. 

 

I will be back Thursday with something! Lol (Can you tell I am flying by the seat of my pants this week?) See you soon friends! ☺


Linking this project up at these great parties:

Creative Headquarters Stay Calm & Link Up Party ( and in my rush to link up I spelled the word tutorial wrong (how embarrassing)-duh!