How to make a burlap wreath?

I got hired to make someone a wreath. My first project that I have ever been hired for, so its pretty EXCITING!!!

My requirements for the project:
Burlap
Lace (optional)
Letter "D"

This is the picture that I got inspired from:

I have only made one other type of wreath that I posted farther down on my blog. So I was very nervous to make this wreath, since I had no experience. Not to mention someone was paying me to make it and they were giving it to someone as a wedding gift. They will be putting it on the presents table for everyone to see.... SCARY!!!

So I went out and bought all the materials:

Wreath

Burlap

Cream Fabric

A letter "D"

Twine 

My first step was putting the twine all around the letter. It can be tricking making sure that the entire letter is covered, so I just pulled some string over to empty spots to make sure that the letter was covered. I used crafting glue to glue the letter down. 

I then decided to make the little swirls out of burlap. Which was pretty easy: I cut a piece of burlap ( I did not measure, I never really do, I just eyeball the material), folded it in half and then started rolling it.

The burlap flowers were a little tricky, I have to say. I watched a youtube video. They used burlap ribbon, and I just used burlap. Since it was frayed on the ends it made it a little harder than I thought it would be. But in the end I like that my flowers were frayed, it gives it more of a rustic feel.

These are my burlap flowers and rolled burlap!

Next I knew that I needed to make white swirl flowers to go in between the burlap flowers. So I did the same thing to the white swirls, as I did to the burlap swirls. I cut material, folded it in half and hot glued it together. Then I just started rolling it. But I didn't roll the white material too tight. I wanted to look loose and kind of messy. 

This is what the rolled white flowers look like when finished.

Once I had all the pieces I started arranging them onto the wreath. When I looked at the photo I thought there was a bunch of rolled white flowers all around it, but I realized they strategically placed fabric in between the white flowers and burlap flowers to give it a messy, shabby feel. 

I decided to put a white rose on the "D". I followed the same directions for the burlap roses as I did for the white flower on the "D".

All of the flowers are glued on with hot glue. I also put the "D" on with hot glue and fishing line, it gives a little more support to the "D" but you cant see that it is on it!

My pictures that I took kinda suck, but here is the FINISHED PRODUCT!!

ChaLEAN Extreme Burn Phase

There are 3 phases in ChaLEAN Extreme. Here's what they look like 

Yesterday I began my last week of the Burn Phase! I didnt realize how much I liked to lift until doing this program! And I got new SelectTech weights that I absolutely LOVE! They are a great investment!

So I'm on day 23 today and love what this program is doing to my body! So many people are worried about what their physical appearance looks like and people want instant results. 

Well who doesn't?! 

I haven't seen any physical changes. I honestly thought I would have seen some sort of change by now, especially in my arms from all the lifting you do in this program! 

BUT I HAVE SEEN CHANGES THAT NOONE ELSE KNOWS ABOUT. 

I started out lifting 5-7.5 pounds-----> I now can lift 5-12.5 pounds. 

I started out being able to only do push-ups on my knees-----> I now can do 3 not on my knees and the CORRECT way! 

 

Keep pushing play everyday even of you aren't seeing any physical changes yet! They will come with time! 

What Do I Make Someone For Their 21st Birthday?

Of course when it is someones 21st birthday they expect alcohol. But I think its boring to go out and buy someone a bottle of alcohol. It's impersonal its just not my style!

I put together this bucket for one of my friends!

What you'll need: 

• bucket (people call it the puke bucket)
• florist styrofoam block (the green things that you stick flowers into) (I got a half moon shaped one so that I wouldn't have to cut any of the block.
• long wooden dowels 
• crafting glue
• glitter
• sparkly sticker foam stars
• hot glue gun 
• shots of alcohol
• tissue paper

How to make: 

1. Take crafting glue and apply it onto the wooden dowels (make sure that the glue is applied to the dowel evenly (I used my fingers to rub the glue onto the sticks))
2. Sprinkle the glitter all over the stick. (I used a paper plate to let all the extra glitter fall onto. All the access glitter that didn't go onto the stick I put back into the glitter container) Let the sticks dry overnight.
3. To put the 21 on the bucket-- I picked out the size and font on the computer that I wanted them to be. Then I printed the numbers, cut them out and traced them on the bucket with a sharpie and colored it in. 
4. The next day after the glue and sparkles dried on the dowels you can hot glue the alcohol shots onto the dowels. I also hot glued the sparkly stars onto the dowels. They will dry very quick, 5-10 minutes.
5. I put the florist styrofoam block into the bucket, put tissue paper in the bucket to make it look fancier, and started putting the wooden dowels with alcohol and stars around in the bucket.The dowel that are in the back of the bucket you should make them stand taller and the sticks in the front, you should push them down farther into the foam. (if you have too much tissue paper in one area it can be harder to poke the dowel in, but I just moved the paper, pushed the dowel in, and moved the tissue paper back)

Is College Really For Me?

Hey guys,

I'm Kate!

I am definitely a flip flopper.
I decided to go to college for Hospitality Management at Niagara University, I wanted to be a wedding planner! I just love all the detail and prep that goes along with weddings. But the more I thought about it I realized that when I did have a family, I wanted to be there for my kids soccer game or dance recitals. I knew that if I continued with wedding planning that I would be working 80+ hours a week and I wouldn't be around for important events.

But one thing I gained while going to NU was a BESTFRIEND, Brittney <3

Shes perfect! And is such an amazing person to grow and learn from!She has an amazing story behind her, and is one of the strongest people you will ever meet. She also is one of the most caring people and I am so blessed to know and learn so much from her!


So while taking that semester off I thought I wanted to do photography and then I wanted to go back to school for nutrition and then get a business degree... Lets just say none of those happened.

Fall of 2012 I decided to go to Finger Lakes Community College. I was really hard on myself for going to a community college. Everyone made such a big deal that I had went from a university to a community school... but I decided going to school for something was better than not going back at all. Knowledge is POWER! Well sure enough I went back to the whole business idea, I decided to get my degree in marketing.

I finally got my degree, something that I really didn't think I would ever accomplish!!!

Ohh, and I met this other amazing person while at school, Taylor. I really don't think we would have survived college without each other!

While going to school I realized that I NEVER want to work for a marketing firm, and I NEVER want to work for someone else. I want to work for MYSELF and make my own hours and do what makes ME happy. 

So this brings me to January 2014, I changed my life. I decided that I not only want to start being healthy but I need to be. I need to workout everyday to be happy and feel good about myself, I need to eat healthy to be healthy on the inside and out. 

T25 and shakeology were my saving grace. I learned a lot about myself and how strong I AM!

I now am a Beachbody Coach, paying it forward to other people who want to see internal and external changes and realize their full potential just like I realized mine. 

I have some pretty amazing people in my life that have helped me while I struggled, while I succeeded and everything else in between. They make me a better person everyday and I really don't know where I would be without them!

My Mom and sister!! And as you can see they are GORGEOUS too!!  

They only want to see me happy, whether or not the decision I make is right, they just want to see my smile! Ohh and both of them always put my needs or wants before their own! 

And my boyfriend, MARK!!!

 He always puts things into perspective for me and brings me back to reality. He is constantly challenging me so that I can grow to be a better person!

Shelby's birthday!

Not everyone in the world is blessed to have a sibling, but I am! Not to mention a sister that is 15 months apart from me.. 

We were practically twins growing up! 

But today is my sisters birthday and she's 23!! Holy crap is time flying by! 

 

My sister is so amazing.. And probably everyone says that but mine really is. And here's why! 

We used to fight like cats and dogs. We hated being around each other. And I used to think she hated me as a person, like she wished she had a different sister.

But 

Over the past couple of years we really have changed our ways! We don't fight like we used too and actually look forward to hanging out with each other. It wasn't until a couple months ago that I really truly realized that she loved me and would do anything in her power for me. 

That's when I had a huge life decision to make. I FINALLY knew what I wanted to do with my life but no one was supporting me and helping me (other than my mom and boyfriend). Ughh I was was so terrified to tell her because I thought she would tell me if was dumb, like everyone else. But, I knew in my heart I needed to talk to her about it. And that's when I decided to be a beachbody coach. I cried and cried because I was so scared she wouldn't approve. She knew that this was what I wanted to do with life and she looked at me and told me that if this was what I wanted to do she would support me no matter what! 

Right then and there everything about our relationship changed! 

We finally became SISTERS! ❤️ 

Shelby I really do love you and I hope you have the best birthday ever! You deserve it! I hope all your new Kate Spade presents get put to good use! Xoxo 

DIY Projects

What was your favorite class in school?!

Art class is mine! It's been my favorite since kindergarten! 

So it's probably no surprise to you that Pinterest is also MY FAVORITE! 

A couple years ago I had no idea what to get a family friend? And really what can you buy for someone, who already owns EVERYTHING? So I decided to get on Pinterest and throw together this wreath that I found...

And it was a success!! Yay! So I figured why not make it for a couple family members for Christmas... Again, a success! 

The best part about these wreaths is that you could get them done in about 2 days and that's with letting them sit and dry! 

It's super fun and easy. The best part about these wreaths is that they are really hard to screw up! 

So here's how you do it: 

-go to a Walmart or Michaels and pick up a wreath (they are about $5)

- pick out a letter style that you like best, and pick out the size letter you want. For this specific wreath you want them to be prepainted white ($2)

-yarn color of you choice. I picked out a thicker yarn but any kind or type will work ($4 for the yarn I picked)

-3 pieces of felt (any color, 97 cents for one piece) 

- lastly choose the color fabric you would like to make the flowers. I used 3 different colors on mine. Preplan what colors you want to be the "large" "medium" and "small" flowers. 

Each flower you make is going to be 1 and a half inches wide. But I normally just eyeball the 1.5 inches. I've found when they aren't perfectly cut, the flowers end up looking a lot fuller!