Project Patio

Happy Monday, everyone!  I hope you all enjoyed your weekend and the start of 2013!

I don't do new year's resolutions myself, but one of the things I want to do this year (ok, that kinda sounds like a resolution of sorts, no?) is to make our front patio of our apartment more homey.  I've posted a couple pics here and there of our patio over the year, but it's nothing to write home about.  It's actually quite spacious for an LA apartment and I have been meaning to decorate it more ever since we moved in...almost a year and a half ago! Oops. So here are some of the projects I'd like to tackle for our patio:

I think making your own coffee table out of wooden crates is an awesome idea. Becca, from DIY Vintage Chic, posted this great tutorial for how to make your own.  I was hoping I can score some free wine crates from somewhere. Or, just buy wooden crates and use Becca's idea of stenciling on a winery logo directly on the crate.  I could stencil wineries Ryan and I have been to.

I think this would be a great outdoor table.  Low-cost, cute, and practical.  I love that the crates double as a table and shelving.

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Recyclart posts tons of great up-cycled projects. The table below actually turns out to be this product made by reSurface. But if I could come by some free wooden pallets this would be a cool table too.  Maybe a little more work than the crates though...I think I will stick with the crates unless it doesn't work out as planned.

Then as for the garden side of our patio, I'd really like it to be better organized.  And cuter.  Way cuter. Don't get me wrong, I think my little aloe plant is just precious.  But I think it'd be even more precious in one of these neat vertical garden planters.

Apartment Therapy, chock full of incredible-but-usually-really-daunting projects, posted about this nifty vertical garden idea:

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And here's another version:

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And even another:

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Those are the two biggest projects I'd like to get done this year.  I'd also like to put up some lights out there. Perhaps these cute little guys:

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Thank goodness for Pinterest! I don't know how I would have come up with these patio projects without it.

Any other patio suggestions? I'd like to put a little chicken coop out there too, but alas, I don't think our landlord would go for it. Someday.

Well, that's all for now.  Enjoy your week!

This and that

I'm still adjusting to the "real world" after such a long and wonderful break.  I haven't done any crafts yet in 2013, but I definitely have quite the list going. Caryn (my sis) and I are planning on holding monthly Christmas craft days so we can actually accomplish everything we want to by next Christmas.  I will be sure to post what we create next Saturday.

I received a lot of Scandinavian inspiration over the break.  This wall hanging being one of the inspiring things:

My sweet little sister, Maren, picked me up this wall hanging at a local craft fair she was at (for $7, what a steal!).  

And Caryn bought me this little beauty:

Yes, that's right. I'm going to be a Swedish hardtack making fool. Or a knäckebröd fool as the Swedes say.

I also received a couple incredible Scandinavian Christmas books from my dear Mom/Dad and Aunt (thank you!).

I will be sure to post projects as I attempt them.  I also got a pretty awesome Swedish cookbook that I will have to share a recipe or two as I try new things.

All that to say that I am excited about all the new craft possibilities 2013 is going to bring. It's going to be epic.  And fun. And very Scandinavian. Stay tuned.

Happy New Year!

Happy 2013 everyone! It's going to be a great year.

I hope you all had a great Christmastime wherever it was you celebrated! Ryan and I had a grand ol' time visiting the fam in both Michigan and Texas.

There was plenty of herring and glogg:

At one point, I even had two mugs of coffee at the same time.  It doesn't get much better than that.

Ryan and I celebrated three times. Once at our apartment, just us.  Then once in Michigan and once in Texas. Whew! 

 We are so thankful for all the blessings 2012 gave us and are looking forward to what 2013 is going to bring.  Happy New Year!

And again, a huge thanks to everyone who participated in the Scandinavian Christmas series this year.  I couldn't do it without you guys!  If you missed a day, follow the links back to check out the posts.

Day 1: Kathryn

Day 2: Mette

Day 3: Astrid

Day 4: Pam

Day 5: Rachel

Day 6: Carin

Day 7: Erica

Day 8: KJ

Day 9: Kathryn

Day 10: Astrid

Day 11: Mark, my pops!

Day 12: Ryan, the hubs!