DIY Enameled Vases

I was perusing other sites for ideas on what to do with my clear vases I purchased and found this article about enameling vases (http://www.womansday.com/Content/Crafts/Craft-Project-Make-Enameled-Bottlesomansday.com/Content/Crafts/Craft-Project-Make-Enameled-Bottles). Even though they showed very small containers I figured that it would also work for mine.

Here are they supplies you will need:

Glass containers

Glass surface conditioner

Foam Brush

Enamel Acrylic Paint

Water

Newspaper (or something to line work area)
Paper plate (or something to drain paint onto)

1. Pour a small amount of surface conditioner into the container and use the foam brush to cover the entire surface. I found Delta brand conditioner at Jo Ann's, but I've also heard that rubbing alcohol will work. As the surface conditioner dries it will leave a haze on the glass which means it is ready to be painted. You have about 4 hours from the time you apply the surface conditioner to paint the container. After that time you would need to reapply the surface conditioner before painting. You should also cover your work space with newpaper or cloth in case of spills or drips.

2. Pour out some of the paint from the bottle and add a small amount of water. The paint should be thin enough to spread easily across the glass just by turning the glass. This may take a little experimenting at first. (My first one was so thick I had to toss it.)

3. Continue swirling the paint around the vase until all areas are covered. You should be able to turn the paint just around the edge, but if some goes over it can be easily wiped off the edge. Not a great picture, but that's the edge of a vase)

4. After the entire container is covered quickly turn it upside down and allow the excess paint to drip out. I used a paper plate to catch the excess.

5. After most of the paint has dripped out turn the container right side up and check for any areas where paint may have run onto the exterior. At this point it can be wiped away with a papertowel. Allow to dry at least overnight, however, the paint says they should air dry for 21 days to be fully sealed. (FYI, these are NOT food safe containers and are for decor use only.)

Here is one of the finished vases. I also did some in yellow to mix up the tables.

Has anyone else tried any vase changing DIY projects???

The Big Move

So after Matt and I were engaged (December 19, 2008) we decided to set a date of January 10, 2010. This would give me the winter wedding of my dreams! As soon as Christmas was over I went into every Target in town buying up all the silver glittery snowflakes they had. Was I going to use them on the backs of chairs or hanging in windows? Who cares, I HAD to have them. I also already knew that I was going to DIY invites, so I went ahead and purchased a set of invites from Target as well. I went to IKEA and purchased vases. I secured the PERFECT dream location, the Bleak House, and even got an amazing discount. Everything was falling into place, for a while it all seemed so perfect and easy. (Cue foreshadowing)

Then around February Matt was laid off from his job and we moved from Alpharetta, GA back to my hometown of Knoxville, TN. No biggie right? Maybe a little more stress on the budget, but we still had plenty of time. The big blow came in May. We found out that my grandmother has cancer, and it’s very serious (as if cancer ever isn’t). We had no way of knowing if she would be able to come to a wedding in January. This left me with only one option in my mind, move up the date so she would most likely be able to be there. Having her there is more important than the snowflakes and the perfect location. She’s not just a grandmother. She’s a role model, a hero, and someone whose blessing means so much. So all of a sudden we have a new wedding date, August 29, 2009. I went from having 8 months to plan and pay for a wedding to having 3 months. Oh, and did I mention that my fiancé is still job searching?

Have you ever had anything happen that led you to move up (or back) your wedding date??

In The Beginning

Where to begin.... I think the most reasonable place to start would be the tale that brought me to be here blogging, the engagement! It is important for you to know that I love winter. No, I LOVE LOVE LOVE winter. Living in Knoxville does complicate my love for winter, since we don’t always have much of the white stuff, but I have survived so far. I live in anticipation of seeing the world quiet and blanketed in white. Blizzard of ’93 anyone?? So last December my fiancé and I were heading to Ft. Wayne, Indiana to spend some time with his family and attend a friend’s wedding. I was pretty sure there was already a ring, but I had no idea what it looked like or when it was coming. It kills me to not know things, so as we were packing I started throwing out loaded questions like, “Are you sure you packed everything?” I had packed everything for us, so I was convinced he didn’t take the ring. I was even more convinced when I didn’t see a ring box in his carry-on as it went through the machine at the airport. (Have I mentioned I seek to ruin all surprises for myself?)

When we arrived in Fort Wayne we were greeted by a city covered in glittery, twinkly ice. It was gorgeous! Although I was bummed that I didn’t see an engagement coming, I sucked it up and went to our friend’s rehearsal dinner to celebrate their upcoming wedding. After the rehearsal dinner Matt asked if I would like to take a drive downtown on our way back to his parent’s house and look at the Christmas lights. Of course I relished any chance to see more of the beautiful winter wonderland. We came to an area downtown that had a huge display of Santa and his reindeer across and entire building when Matt suggested we get out of the car to take some better pictures. As soon as we got out of the car he began acting a little strangely and gave me an awkward hug and a quick kiss. Before I knew it he was down on one knee in the ice with a ring box in his hand! Suddenly the fact that it was only 10 degrees outside and my legs were bare no longer registered. He was proposing, and it was more amazing than I could have imagined!

Here is a picture of us immediately after the proposal and of course a picture of the ring! Sorry for the poor ring picture quality. I'm going to have to learn how to use the macro mode on my camera correctly!