Marvelous Mustache!

There are two things about me that you should know right away:

1. I love to make/decorate stuff.
2. I am cheap... or "thrifty" might be a nicer word :)

This year for Christmas, I decided to go the homemade route.  It is so special to see someone really enjoy a gift that you worked hard (or didn't work too hard) to make yourself!  I got the idea from one of my favorite bloggers, Kandee Johnson - actually where I get a lot of my ideas!

MUSTACHE MUGS!!!

     How cute is that?!  Mustaches are a really fun and quirky trend right now, and how much fun is it that when you sip from the mug, you are graced with a glorious handlebar mustache?!  Painting ceramics is always a creative and unique way to give a gift.  And, who doesn't love to save a buck or two? Especially around the holiday season, when expenses can sometimes be a little overwhelming!  I found these mugs at the dollar store, so I paid a whopping $8.00 for the mugs, and I now have gifts for 8 people checked off my list!
     All you need to start making these bad boys:

• Ceramic mugs (got mine for $1.00 each at Dollar Tree)
• A pair of scissors
• Some tape (I would recommend using regular Scotch tape, but I think masking tape would work too-just don't use something heavy duty like packaging or duct tape)
• Ceramic paint (I used FolkArt Enamels Acrylic Paint for Glass & Ceramics in color 4032 Licorice) MAKE SURE that you are using paint specifically for ceramics and that the paint can be set in order to make it dishwasher safe.  I got the bottle at Michael's Craft Store, for about $4 or $5.
• Mustache stencil - Kandee's blog has a free downloadable image that can be used as a stencil, but I didn't have ink in my printer, so I drew mine by hand, using her's a reference.  Mine measures 4" across.
• Paint brushes (If you are able to get a ceramic paint pen, then you don't need the brushes obviously, but my store didn't have any paint pens, so I had to go with the brushes.)  I used a sponge dotter on the stencil, and then used a fine brush to make touch-ups.     

HOW TO MAKE THEM:

Make sure your mugs are clean and dry BEFORE you start. - If you start with dirty mugs, the paint will have a hard time adhering to the ceramic.

Cut out your stencil and trim down the sides so that it will fit nicely onto the rim of the mug.

Line up the stencil on the mug (with the handle on the left for a right hander, on the right for a lefty.) and tape down to prevent it from moving.

Apply the paint to the stencil - I dotted the paint with the sponge and it gave the image a bit of a textured look that is neat.

Let dry just a minute, so the paint isn't disturbed when you remove the stencil, and then remove the tape and lift stencil off gently.

Go over any rough edges or lighter spots with a fine paintbrush.  As per the instructions on the paint, I let mine air dry 1 hour before baking them to set the paint.

To go with the mustache mugs, I also made hot chocolate mix to give with it.

     Happy holidays <3

Kitchen Dreams

     I recieved my first kitchen set today/yesterday.  I am so ecstatic to have a kitchen table and chairs!  A friend of my family was getting rid of this great dinette set and I snatched it up!  As you can see in the picture, It's an awesome color of green, with super retro green vinyl chairs to match!  Everyone has teased me because of how much I love the look of them.  They're vintage!

     Matt and I sat at our new kitchen table for the first time tonight and ate dinner.  This was the first time we have EVER done this.  It felt great to sit down to a meal that I cooked at my very own kitchen table.  I feel silly for how excited I am about it, but I just can't help myself! Yahoooo!  I made some really yummy fettucine alfredo and sauteed shrimp.  The shrimp themselves weren't that great quality, but I still enjoyed every bite because I was eating in my new kitchen!  We had the window open and the breeze rolling in from the 70° evening made this a meal to remember.  Not that the meal itself was spectacular (although, I must say, I'm an awesome cook) but the situation surrounding the meal made it a perfect Sunday.

     Granted, we did have a kitchen table before this green one.  When we first moved into this apartment, we had almost zero furniture besides our bed and a couple dressers and a bookcase (because everyone knows I must have somewhere to store all my books!).  Matt's parents happened to find a kitchen table at a curb somewhere, and knowing that we didn't have one, grabbed it for us.  Turned out that it was really rickety and kind of scary to lean on, but hey, any table is better than no table.  Our kitchen has virtually no counter space, so I really needed a table.  I am so happy to have this matching set now, instead of the rickety old wooden table we had for the past 9 months.  It's really starting to feel more like a home than any other apartment we have lived in since I've moved out of my parents' house.  I must be growing up.