My first job & wreaths!

As a junior in high school, I had a class called career exploration. We got to pick two different jobs and go there for the last two hours of the school day & try it out. For the first half of the trimester, I went to a kindergarten class at Longfellow and helped the teacher. Those kids were adorable and they were so loving and sweet to me. The little girls loved it when I wore my cheer leading uniform for game days.

For the second half, I wanted to actually get a job after I was done with the temp position. My friend, Jeremy was a delivery boy at Staker Floral and one of the girls I cheered with (that was a year older) had gotten a job when she was finished with career exploration. I started a week before Valentines Day and I got thrown into the busiest season they have. They hired me to start working there within a week. So I would go there and work for free during school hours and then start getting paid once school was over.

I loved it- immediately! The people I worked with were great. We had so much fun. Jeremy was a riot and the ladies I worked with were so sweet. The girls my age became some of my best friends and I loved the girls that came home and worked there during the summer when they got back from collage. It was a dream job!

So not only did I work with the best people ever but I learned how to design. I watched for a good year before I became brave enough to do anything big. But by the time I was finished there, (4 years later) I could do casket pieces and wedding flowers.

I've done family members wedding flowers over the years, arrangements for my mom and of course stuff for my own home. I probably do wreaths the most- since they need to be switched out several times during the year.

So I thought I would show my most recent projects.

This first one isn't really anything I made from scratch but I love it! I found this moon with wire around it with a crow glued on at a garage sale for a buck. I didn't love the crow but I did like the moon. Later, I found this cute little homemade sewn owl for another buck. I love owls so I had to have that too. At first I didn't think of paring the two together but then it hit me. (that's usually how my mind works- I like two things and then they come together to make something cool that I love)

The next wreath I made this last weekend. I went to DI with Kali on Sat. after her futsal game (indoor soccer- with a smaller, heavier ball and different rules). Since garage sale season is over, I hit there more frequently. I found a big wreath for $5. It was ugly. It had garland wrapped tight around it, white non-working Christmas lights and then wired Christmas ribbon again wrapped around really tight. (the ribbon, about 5 yards, was actually really cute and I will use that for another project- the rest went in to the trash) It had no shape and luckily whoever made it, didn't glue anything on to it.

First, I lightly spray painted the wreath a sparkly gold color since my door is dark I wanted the wreath it pop. Then I went and found some flowers from my wreath that I am going to need to redo for Christmas this year. (it has been weather beaten but the flowers still looked great) They are some flowers that were 75% off at Bath and Body works after the holidays a few years ago. They had displayed them in big vases all over the store. I am not a huge fan of some fake flowers but these were velvety and classy looking. I also lightly sprayed them with the gold spray paint to give it a glittery look but keeping the burnt orange color.

Next I went to the basement and found some dark orange berry vines that have been just sitting around for years. I'm sure I got them for a great price too but I can't remember the details. I poked those in first, then the flowers, wrapped some gold ribbon around it, and then used some gold spray painted curly willow to finish it off.

I had left over of the orange berry vine so I put it on the backs of the chairs on our front porch.

I bought some fall colored pillows at DI to set out there ($1 to $3 each) and also 3 wooden pumpkins that were a set to put on the little table ($5 for the set).

For my next project, I got my inspiration from Pintrest. My new favorite thing is that website. I'm not just going to get ideas from there though, I am going to actually do many of them. Here was the post about how to do the scrabble wreath http://www.livinglocurto.com/2010/11/diy-burlap-scrabble-wreath/ I just did my own thing though and then used the scrabble tile idea.

I had gotten a scarf at DI for a buck, I was going to keep it to wear but then I got the idea to make a wreath out of it. I already had a Styrofoam wreath form to do it with. I cut out brown and white pinstripe fabric (one of Jimmy's too big shirts) and hot glued that on the back and up the side 1/2 inch. Then I laid the middle seam of the scarf in the middle of the wreath and glued that down. Then I glued it around the side of the wreath. I made some flowers out of fabric and lace and placed them on one side (I like the stripped scarf so I didn't want to cover it all up with the flowers) For the finishing touch, I put on the scrabble tiles. (I still have 1/2 the scarf left so I might do another for a gift or something)