DIY Salt and Pepper Shakers

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We just can’t get enough of that crazy little thing called LOVE this Valentine’s Day.

This DIY tutorial brings us back to our teenage, high school days when we wore split heart necklaces. You know, when you wore one half of the necklace that said Best, and your bestie wore the other half that said Friend. Well, we have matured {ever so slightly}, so we revised the split heart trend. This time, we are not wearing it around our necks, we are shaking it in our kitchens.

Shaking it with mini, personalized salt and pepper shakers.

Separately the shakers look like two half hearts with initials…

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…but together, they make a complete pair.

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This DIY took about 10 minutes, and we’re adding it to our list of favorite hostess gifts, engagement gifts, anniversary gifts, going away and bridal shower gifts.

And, for this Valentine’s Day, let your loved one, or good friend know that you go together like salt & pepper.

DIY Split Heart Salt & Pepper Shakers

You’ll Need:

  • Mini salt and pepper shakers. We found ours at a kitchen store for about $2 each.
  • Silhouette Vinyl {BTW, all heat transfer is 35% off right now with code SORELLE}
  • Silhouette Transfer Paper or lint roller {good alternative}
  • Silhouette electronic cutting machine. If you don’t have one, an alternative is enamel paint to paint on the hearts.
  • Salt
  • Pepper

How To:

  • Design your heart art using the Silhouette Software. I used a free design that had a heart in it, and edited it. Make sure you cut the heart in half {via the software} before you click cut.
  • Place your Vinyl on the cutting mat {black side facing up}, click print and watch the tool work its magic.
  • Peel away the vinyl you’re not using. Place the transfer paper over half the heart and use a straight edge {credit card, etc} across it to make sure the vinyl sticks to the transfer paper.
  • Pull the paper up and half your heart should be stuck to the paper.
  • Place the image on one of the shakers. You will need a credit card or a straight edge to smooth our all bubbles.
  • Peel away the transfer paper slowly and your vinyl should stick to the item.
  • Repeat the steps above to add the other half of the heart to the remaining shaker.
  • Fill the shakers with salt and pepper.

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{image via j. sorelle}

coffee date

My routine has been to pour a cup of coffee every morning, cream and sugar of course, and with the morning mayhem and three kiddos running around, I maybe finish half of it, microwave it a couple times…and when my hubby comes home at 6 pm it’s still in the microwave, half-full. But I’ve switched from coffee to espresso…and I’m addicted. So addicted that I actually finish my cup of joe! I absolutely love it. It reminds me of Italy and it’s just so good. So, this morning, join me for a coffee date…and add these must-haves to your list for your next coffee date.

Custom Wooden Drink Stirrer, Tulle & Twig

The perfect, better-for-you-than-sugar, sweetener, Agave Nectar

Custom Coffee Spoons, Milk and Honey Luxuries

Make The Best Blueberry Coffee Cake You’ll Ever Have by A Cup of Joe to accompany your coffee.

State Heart Mugs, Grey Skies Blue
{such a cute going-away gift, wedding gift and moving away gift}

Create a little ambiance with coffee filter flowers like A Pumpkin and A Princess did. So cute!

{images via Tulle & Twig, Milk and Honey Luxuries, A Pumpkin and A Princess, MadHava, A Cup of Joe, Grey Skies Blue}

coffee for 2

I wanted to spruce up a wedding gift for an upcoming shower with a cute prop to go along with the gift. I bought the bride a complete set of “Coffee” Mugs from Crate and Barrel, but instead of just giving her a wrapped package, I made a DIY Chalkboard tray for the couple so they could have coffee for two together…hopefully forever! Here’s how you can do it too…for a gift, or for yourself!

First I made coffee filter flowers.

You’ll Need
30-35 coffee filters
A stapler
Scotch tape or painters tape

How To
Stack 5-6 coffee filters on top of one another.
Fold the coffee filters in quarters, and then open again {you will just have ‘seams’ from the fold}.
Use your fingers to pinch the bottom of all the coffee filters so you have four seams, and then staple it on the bottom.


Then pull each filter up one at a time, and bunch it together.


Continue to do that, until you have gathered each coffee filter around the center, and you have a flower. From the gathering process, you will have a ‘stem’ on the bottom, so wrap a piece of tape around the ‘stem.’

Then, I made the tray.

You’ll Need:
A cookie sheet
Chalkboard Paint
Rope
A Drill
Chalk

First I primed the cookie sheet with a Primer, spray painted it with Chalkboard paint, glued handles on the sides and Voila, right? Nope, not the case for me.  An hour and a half before the party, the gold handles fell off {and I used Gorilla Glue}, along with some paint. So, when I saw rope on the garage floor, I got to work on Plan B {my dad came through like a super hero…despite his dislike for DIY projects}, and then I had to re-paint it. Honestly, it’s cuter than Plan A – it just stressed me out more than I intended…and made me late for the shower.

How To
Use an electric drill to drill 2 holes on each side of the cookie sheet. Thanks Dad!
If you have pieces of metal sticking out or the edges are rough, use a sand block or a hammer to smooth it out.
Cut pieces of rope for the handles.
Prime the cookie sheet with paint primer.
Spray paint the cookie sheet 2 times {allowing appropriate time in between each layer for it to dry}.

Wrap a piece of duct tape around one end of the rope so you can easily fit it into a hole. On the other end, tie a knot.
Insert the rope, duct tape end, from the bottom-up of one hole, insert it down in the other hole, tie a knot, and then remove the duct tape and cut the leftover rope.


Write “Coffee for 2” on the cookie sheet, or even a game of tic tac toe.

Fill each mug with coffee filter flowers {I used Scotch tape to keep the flowers in place in the mugs}.

Add the mugs, a package of coffee, an ‘I love you more than coffee’ tag {from Fleur de Lis} and you have yourself an adorable prop for your gift.

{images via Tutto Bella}

Ampersand Home Decor and Gifts

With Valentine’s Day coming up, there’s a lot of YOU & ME and ME & YOU talk. And, I can’t help but notice and LOVE the & in between it all. I’ve always loved the & symbol. I love the way it looks ~ against a wall, on an invite and on a piece of jewelry. So, today we’re all about the ampersand, &.

1. rustic gold leaf wood ampersand, Edie’s Lab via Etsy {$7}
2. ampersand wedding art print, between everything {$24}
3. ampersand bowl, pure home {$28}
4. ampersand brass letterpress necklace, Gwen Delicious Jewelry via Etsy {$37}
5. small ampersand cutting board, house industries {$90}
6. french style ampersand cushion, the wooden crate {$30}
7. ampersand coin purse, alphabet bags {$22.25}
8. galvanized ampersand single hook, the country porch {$7.95}
9. vintage ampersand marquee sign, saddle shoe signs {$35 to rent and $150 to purchase}
10. ceramic ampersand dish, iron accents {$7.95}
11. DIY mossy ampersand tutorial, two twenty one

{images via House Industries, Gwen Delicious Jewelry, alphabet bags, edie’s lab, the country porch, iron accents, the wooden crate, pure home, between everything, saddle shoe signs, and two twenty one}

at home with jayson home

When I first discovered Jayson Home while surfing the internet for home accessories a couple weeks back, I knew I was, well…home. I want to go to their landmark store in Chicago just to shop…but for now, online will have to do.

For nearly twenty years, Jayson Home has been selling modern and vintage furnishings, tableware, lighting and home accessories such as candles, pillows and books found from all over the world.

Although I love so many things; in fact, I could buy everything in the store, below are just a few of my favorite accessories from Jayson Home.

1. Burlap Vases, starting at $8
2. Ceramic 12-bud Vase, $22
3. Rustic Table Runner, $54
4. Farmers Market Baskets, starting at $20
5. Rope Handle Tray, $40
6. Moroccan Dessert Plate, $18
7. Checker Mother of Pearl Tray, starting at $250
8. Black Anchor, $8.50
9. Numbered Boxes, $12

P.S. You want to come back tomorrow because we have a fantastic gift idea and fabulous giveaway from Jayson Home. You don’t want to miss it.

{images via Jayson Home}