Day Off DIY: Artwork Display.

Hi friends. Hope you had a great weekend!
When the store opens, my days of rest will be Sunday and Monday. Sunday I won't be posting because I'll be spending time with family, but Monday evenings I'm going to showcase something creative that I do that day. Whether it be planting in the garden, organizing something in my house, or working on a sewing project. This week I decided to put up a nifty little display for my son's artwork.

John comes home from school with tons of beautiful paintings, and we do a lot of artwork at home too. I don't want to throw these pieces of art away, and it seems sad to stuff them in an album and forget about them. I got some inspiration from a blog I follow, The Pretty Bee, and with the help of a friend we set to work. I think the finished product turned out really nice!

I used regular twine and my friend Julie nailed in the ends for me. I bought a box of antique clothes pins from Annie Laurie's Antiques and grabbed this week's artwork. As John draws new artwork I'll put those pieces up, and store his older work in an album.

If you don't want to put something like this in your kitchen, I think this display would look really cute in a bedroom or playroom too!

Happy Monday everyone!

DIY: Forever Easter Eggs.

My favorite holiday is coming up in just a few days---Easter! I love decorating in pastels, dying eggs, and most importantly; celebrating the Resurrection of Christ.

John and I dyed our eggs last night, and they turned out adorable! This was my first time making "hand blown" eggs. Here's how I did it!

I found some brown eggs that we have had in the fridge for a couple of weeks and have been meaning to throw out anyway. If the thought of wasting all those good egg yolks drives you bonkers, grab a bowl to hold under your egg to catch the yolk once you start blowing. Better make some scrambled eggs for dinner!

My eggs. See the tiny little holes on the end?

Using a pin, poke tiny holes in each end of the egg. Take your pin and kind of swirl it around inside the egg to break up the yolk. Put your lips over one end of the egg and blow! All that yolk should squirt out the other end of the egg. It might be hard to get it all out at once, so you might want to use the pin a couple more times to break up the yolk inside.

That's it! Rinse your eggs and you're done! These eggs are fragile, but will last forever if handled with care. We decided to dye our eggs, although I think they look pretty in their natural state too!

This was the first year that John was really interested in dying the eggs. He was so proud of how they turned out!

Happy Easter everyone! I'm leaving for Franklin, TN tomorrow so I'm sure you won't hear from me until Monday. Have a blessed Easter weekend with family!

Painting Party!

Last night some sweet ladies and I participated in a Painting Party at Bloom Studio and Gifts. We had a great time drinking wine and eating yummy snacks---oh and learning to paint of course ;)

Some of the ladies hard at work painting!



I'm cheesing so big. Just excited to be with these awesome ladies!



Robyn was ever so patient and gentle with her painting. It turned out perfect!




Brooke and Amy are almost done!




Me and my finished product. While Robin took her time to make her painting beautiful, I probably rushed through mine a little too much. I think I would have been happier with it if I had slowed down a bit.

Final review: A super fun experience! The painting instructor was so sweet and her voice was very soothing. She walked us through every step of the painting, but encouraged us to create our own unique piece. For $25, I think two hours of fellowship with awesome ladies was well worth it--and getting to bring home a fun painting that you created was a bonus! Thank you Bloom Studio and Gifts for hosting such a fun event!

My hubby is out of town fishing so getting out for an evening with the girls was a nice little treat for me. As for the rest of the weekend, John and I plan to do lots of cuddling, baking yummy cupcakes and playing outdoors, weather permitting.

I miss Daniel when he is away, but sometimes it is nice to spend time alone with little man. John woke up with a smile this morning and is ready to take on the day!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Spring Trend: Mint Green

I'm a tad obsessed with mint green---it's just the most lovely Spring color, don't you think? I searched all my favorite website shops for a mint green top or dress, but almost every item I loved was already out of stock! Then last weekend I made a quick trip into Kohls for some Spring outfits for John and spotted this flowy sweater for 50% off! Score!



Sweater Poncho: Kohls. Tank: Old Navy. Jeans: Target. Wedges: JCPenney.

 It was so so bright when I took these pictures. This is seriously a perfect Saturday outfit. Skinny pants and a loose top are my go to uniform for sure.
Here are some other ways I've incorporated Spring Mint into my life:





   This sweet mint planter and succulents are perfect for a sunny spot inside, and will thrive later on the back porch when the temps rise. And it's from Wal-Mart!!

I've had this scarf for ages, it was a gift from my Nana. I love how the soft mint green that fades into yellow.

My new favorite nail shade! Mermaid Tears by OPI.

And here's the necklace I made using Sculpey clay! I think it turned out pretty cute, although my husband says it looks like someone threw up on my neck. Nice, huh? I happen to think it's a surprisingly versatile necklace, thankyouverymuch. Do you like it?

Are you loving mint green this Spring? What is your favorite color right now?

Weekend To Do's...

Happy Friday! I have big weekend plans that involve my couch, craft supplies, my sewing machine, and episodes of The Wonder Years on Netflix. Here's a little sneak peak into what I'll be doing....

I've looked high and low for the perfect necklace to wear with a simple black dress. Unfortunately, I have had no luck! Miraculously Jen loves Kev posted this amazing necklace tutorial and looks easy enough. I hope I can pull it off!

I've also had my eye on kimono jackets. They're basically little floral, open cardigans. After I saw this pin I knew I could so totally make this jacket myself---this will probably be the toughest craft of the weekend so wish me luck!

Ok one more DIY plan....check out this Anthropologie lamp shade----for $88 buckeroos! Yikes! Don't you think I can do this myself??? I'm gonna try.

What are your weekend plans? I'll be crafting all afternoon Saturday and probably Sunday after church too so join me if you'd like!

Monday Happiness.

I think talking about happy things on Monday's just makes the day feel not so horrible. Here's what I'm happy about today!

Yep. I made that cupcake. My inspiration came from pinterest, with the original recipe found here. We are pretty low key when it comes to Valentines day, but I wanted to make these cupcakes to show a little love to my family tomorrow.

The boys have peculiar sleeping habits, but it always makes me smile :)

Blogger makes me crazy when it uploads my photos sideways. Grrr! Anyway made this little shirt for John to wear to the Monster Truck show Friday night. We had a blast!

I'm a big fan of outfits like this lately. An oversized tunic, skinny jeans and boots are perfect for running errands and doing housework. Someone even told me I looked like Taylor Swift in this....Score!

Finishing off my Monday Happiness with a little puppy picture. Have a great day everyone!

Endless Possibilities.

I've had my sewing machine for almost a year now and I'm just starting to get the hang of using it. While I haven't made anything from scratch with a pattern yet (hopefully soon!) I have used it frequently to hem, mend and re-size clothing. I found this camel turtleneck on deep deep clearance at Macy's ($6!) and instantly loved the color, but they didn't have my size. I purchased it anyway with hopes that with a little work I could make it fit.

The body of the sweater fit a little loose, but that's how I like my sweaters to fit anyway so I left it as is. It was the arms that were terribly too large, so I started by cutting along the seam of the arms and then pinning them about where I wanted them to fit, making sure the sweater was inside out.

Then I got to work sewing a new seam.




Sorry for the dark picture, the boys were trying to watch a movie while I was sewing!

 The end result is a new, more flattering fitting sweater! I'm in love with the classic, Jackie O appeal it has with the red cigarette pants.




Sweater: Macy's, re-sized by me. Jeans: NY&Co. Black Pumps: Macy's, last year.

 Today I'm regretting not purchasing all those larger sized dresses I saw at Target on clearance recently. With a snip of the scissors and a few stitches, they would've fit perfectly! Lesson learned: I have a sewing machine, and I need to use it. Next time I see something adorable in the wrong size, I'm going to take a second look and see if I can modify it to fit.

Introducing: Sarah Busch from Modern Core.

We're down to the last couple of days before Christmas! I hope you all have enjoyed the giveaways as much as I have. Thanks for showing jreevesart some love yesterday! The winner of the original painting is TIFFANY WRIGHT!!! CONGRATS! Please email me and we'll get the details squared away.

Today I want to share with you another great designer and small business owner, Sarah Busch from Modern Core! Sarah started Modern Core to help others learn how to effectively organize and design their spaces. She also has an Etsy Shop!

Les: Hey Sarah! I know you're a newlywed, tell me a little bit about you and your family.


Sarah: In May of this year I married my high school sweetheart, Trey Busch. We love being newlyweds and doing so many of the 1st's that come along with it! We are glad the planning of the wedding is over, but I will say that it was amazing being able to plan and organize such a big event in our lives. We live in Jackson in a little log home [decorated like we live in the 1960s] and our newest addition to our family is a motorcycle, which Trey traded his 4-wheeler for on Craigslist! He is a big fan of that Craigslist and loves finding new things for us. We are excited to see what the future holds!



Sarah and her husband, Trey.

 Les: I know you have a personal organizing business, can you tell me a little bit about that and what it entails?


Sarah: I started Modern Core because I love organizing and have always wanted my own business. My love for organizing makes me want to help everyone else be as organized as me. I offer organization services as well as interior design. I will help organize just about anything, anywhere. More details on pricing and everything else can be found on my website. Check it out!

Picture frame hanging "before."

Picture frames after Sarah worked her magic!

Les: You're crafty too! What's your favorite thing about DIY projects and where does your inspiration come from for what you create?


Sarah: I love crafting for sure! Most of my Christmas gifts this year were handmade by me. I love doing anything that is DIY because I know that I did it and that makes me feel good. It's just something about doing things yourself. I get my inspiration from things that are mass produced [things that I look at and say "I could do that"], Trey is a big help with ideas too...and lets not forget Pinterest. I am currently thinking of ideas for things to make for my Etsy Shop... suggestions are welcome!


Les: The purpose of the 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways is to share love with local artists and businesses. Tell me, where are some of your favorite local places to shop?

Sarah: Shopping local is definitely amazing in my opinion! I actually frequent a couple shops that you featured earlier in your 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway - Bloom and High Street Station. It just happens that my products are at both of these stores. I love little boutiques and these are 2 of the best in the area. I also love all the antique store downtown, I go into them often! I love to just browse for hours and get lost in all the amazing things they have. I could name all of the local shops that I love but that would take all day...so I will just stop now!

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Sarah and I went to high school together, but I definitely have gotten to know her better over the last few days and through her work at Modern Core. Sarah is kind enough to be offering one of her original pieces from her etsy shop to Life Told By Leslie Readers!

This Chartreuse Wooden Tree doubles as unique and modern Christmas decor and a necklace tree!

To win this handmade tree, head over and "LIKE" MODERN CORE ON FACEBOOK and tell Sarah that Life Told By Leslie sent you! I'll announce the winner tomorrow, good luck! Let's show Sarah's local business some love.

Baby, It's Cold Outside.

Happy Friday Everyone! I've got a fun weekend planned including Christmas shopping and the Ladies Dessert Banquet Saturday evening. Free Saturday night? Come with me! OR babysit my little man because I'm still looking for a sitter hehe.

This outfit is great for shopping and errands. My boots are nice and cozy and if I get too hot in the stores I can always shed my cardigan. My blue silk shirt (J.Crew) is a bit oversized so I cinched it in with a belt.

Some of you may have seen this pics on Facebook last night, but I can't stop looking at them, they're so darn cute! This year I'm wrapping all my gifts with the pages of old magazines, like my J.Crew catalogue. I always hate throwing out J.Crew because the catalogue is always so pretty....here's a way to give it a few extra miles!



A small gift for the Hubs.



And this one's for Aunt Beth! :) I absolutely love the plaid bow! It was leftover from an old gift.


Got any fun ways to re-purpose or recycle this holiday season?
As you know, I don't usually post over the weekend, but check back Sunday Morning.....I have a surprise announcement!! Have a good weekend! xoxo

A fancy little trick.

Hey friends! I'm so excited for the weekend! Tonight I'm going to a Dinner Theatre, so I wanted to dress up a bit, but still be warm because it gets chilly in the restaurant. I have heard of a little "trick" of making a dress into a skirt by folding the top of the dress into the bottom, then covering up the "bulk" with a belt. I tried that today on a party dress I have that never seems to get worn, and is way too revealing to wear by itself.




It's a little hard to tell in the pic, but the bottom of the dress is all lace.


I took the white spaghetti strap top and folded it under and inside the skirt. I then tucked my top I wanted to wear into the skirt, added a belt and voila! Instant skirt!

I threw on tights so I wouldn't get chilly, and the shirt is this one I had talked about ordering from J.Crew--clearance baby heck yeah!

The belt hides the bit of bulk from the top being folded under. Looks pretty good to me!

Know any little fashion tricks that you'd like to share?
Oh, and Emily don't be surprised if I wear this top to breakfast tomorrow too. I love it that much hehe...

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Love,
Les

A DIY Halloween.

There's just something about dressing in a costume that makes me feel unique and more like myself all at the same time. Costumes may be a way for you to become a person you're not in real life, but I actually feel more relaxed and at ease when I'm in a costume...weird huh? It's like I'm able to become more like my true self.

Ok, enough with the crazy talk! Daniel and I attended a Halloween Bash last Thursday night, and dressed in 1940's/1970's wear (we were seriously a perfect blend!) since the theme was "Blast from the Past." We put our costumes together using some things we already had at home and also some vintage pieces from Annie Laurie's. Here's what we wore!

My favorite part about this dress is the color...very sophisticated yet bright and fun at the same time! The shoes are just some wedges I've had for awhile from Target, with my own vintage-looking Timex watch.

My headpiece was made out of some type of real animal fur--I loved it! It had little satin bows on the side that complimented Daniel's outfit..so we were kind of matching :)

Check this guy out! A 100% polyester leisure suit in burnt orange complete with matching tacky tie. His shoes are driving loafers he got for his birthday and he wore a dress shirt he already had in his closet. The buttons on the suit were the same color as my dress!



All ready!

 And don't think that I forgot about our little Angry Bird...

I snapped this on the run this morning before he left for Nana's. I'll definitely get better pics tonight and share later. His hat is handmade by my friend Laura from Leighanna Paige Boutique, and I sewed the cape myself!

A back shot of the cape. I just sewed two pieces of felt together and made a "feather" like effect on the bottom. I'm so proud of his costume this year because it's all handmade with love :)

Are you dressing up this year for Halloween? What are your kiddos wearing? Have a safe and Happy Halloween!

Handmade Spotlight: Leighana Paige Boutique

I've shared with you before my appreciation for Jesus-loving designers, so today I want to bring your attention to another local lady who makes high quality, handmade designs.

Leighana Paige Boutique features handmade garments for girls and boys, but I can't help buy be partial to her unique boy designs. Laura is one of the most genuine, lovable ladies I know so I love ordering pieces from her. Purchasing something from a designer that loves what they do, and works with a love for Christ in their hearts is a win/win way to shop! My little man looked adorable on July 4th in his patriotic tee.

I also don't know where I'd be without my unique (and handy!) wipes clutch.

You can check out Leighana Paige Boutique on Etsy or Facebook.

Do you know of any local, Christian designers? Please share!

Handmade Spotlight: LilyWhite Designs

Good Monday morning to you! I wanted to share with you my love for a handmade designer, LilyWhite.

I met sweet Abbie through a mutual friend one day over dinner and she gave me her business card. I knew I liked her instantly because of her

 a.) sweet, outgoing personality
b.) love of all things Jesus
c.) her amazingly beautiful hairstyle.

I don't know why it took me so long to call and order a dress from her, but I'm so happy that I finally picked up the phone, err email. Ordering was simple, I sent my measurements/sizes, an idea of what I wanted....and BAM she produced a one of a kind, Jesus garment just for me. It fits perfectly, and is way more beautiful than I could have imagined.



Front View.



Back View. Beautiful witnessing tool.



The dress is made using vintage fabrics so is delicate, but should wash well by hand. Abbie also included with the price of the dress a removable belt and handmade brooch.

Check out LilyWhite's website here for ordering info and prices.

Read Abbie's blog to learn more about her heart for Jesus and how she spends her days.

and see LilyWhite Designs on facebook to see samples of their work and customer reviews.

Have you ran across any Jesus loving designers lately? Please share! We need to be supporting our brothers and sisters in Christ!