I turned a tiny teapot into a lamp in minutes without cutting, gluing or electrical wiring. Here's my quick and easy tutorial that won't damage your teapot in any way at all. Well hello friends and Happy July! My oh my, is it hot outside! I've been spending tons of time poolside, enjoying my favorite season. However, I've also been crafting in the AC when the heat gets to be too much. And today, I have such a fun DIY to share.

This week I used a homemade cardboard box projector to help me create a painted fireplace screen with a design I found online. It was a quick and easy way to create a hand painted piece of furniture and simple enough for beginners to accomplish with success. When I was in high school, I took an art class and I've been hooked on painting ever since. Back then I did a lot of freehand work. I learned about shading and brush strokes. I created outlines, brought my designs to life with color and it quickly became one of my favorite pastimes. Until.

For as long as I can remember, shopping for second hand items has always given me a thrill. Long before it became a trend to share w hat I thrifted vs how I styled it, I was thrifting. And styling. Like many of you, I'm sure.

A few weeks ago, my daughter and I made an impromptu stop at the thrift store. Where I found this lovely botanical print on the wall. It was $7, a bit more than I wanted to pay for this second hand piece of art, but I just couldn't leave it behind. Something about those red flowers made me smile the minute I saw them. The frame was a mess , painted in a haphazard fashion, but I was ok with that. It'd be a simple fix .

In my neck of the woods about a week before Memorial Day, American flags start popping up all over the place. They line the streets and they're hung from homes in all shapes and sizes. Then, once Memorial Day passes, the flags come down and they don't go back up again until early July in honor of the fourth. However. This year seems to be a whole different ball game.

I've never really been a big cook. I'm not bad at it, the process of preparing food has never exactly been high on my list. Oh sure, I like to eat. I just prefer it when the food magically appears at dinnertime, like it did when I was young. I'd come home from work or school and my mom would have a lovely meal prepared . There was nothing to buy, plan or prep. The fridge was always packed and a hot meal was served every night. Of course, now I'm the mom...and most of the meal prep falls on me.

Last weekend, it rained. A lot. So rather than celebrating the unofficial start of summer at the beach, I was in my kitchen. Crafting. And you know what? It was glorious.