Golden Mirror Glam Redo

I found this great mirror at a yard sale at the end of the summer for a couple of bucks. I thought, "I can do something with that...." So, I bought it!!! With some lace (spray painted with metallic gold paint), some plain white lace, some plastic "pearl" strands, and some hot glue I added this:

to give the mirror some glitzy glam style. 

Here's my process:

*spray paint some lace ribbon with metallic gold spray paint

*Once dry, trim edges into petal shapes.

*Trim petals on the white lace as well, then form it into a flowery shape by overlapping each petal at the base with the petal next to it and glue it with hot glue.

*Glue the gold in the same way, just make it a tiny bit smaller than the white lace.

*Glue the pearl strand in the middle (I was a spiral on my biggest flower for fun). 

*Glue them onto the mirror. 

That's it!!!!!!!

I shared this post at some of these wonderful linky parties.

Reach Your Goals This Fall: Running For Beginners

Reach Your Goals This Fall: Running for Beginners

Though bathing suit weather has passed and the shorts are going into storage, fall is the perfect time to begin reaching those fitness goals. For busy moms, the kids go back to school, and the weather cools down to make those morning or evening runs more pleasant. We all would love to have more energy, be healthier, and look and feel more attractive. 

Starting a running regimen can be daunting, but sometimes the fear is mental – and there are helpful plans, supplies, and supplements that can ease the process. It can be as easy as putting one foot in front of the other. Try glucosamine tablets to help with early runners’ joint pain as your body gets used to the increased movement. Several plans also exist on the internet to help just about anyone become a runner, no matter what their experience and fitness level.

Many plans offer a tiered program combining walking and running. They recommend alternating the two for specified periods of time. For example, walk for three minutes and run for one during your first workout, and increase the running increments on a daily basis throughout a several-weeks workout until you can run for thirty minutes without stopping. Even these types of plans can seem daunting those who haven’t had a lot of physical activity in a long time. The great thing about them is that you can just work at a pace that works for you. The downfall is that you may not push yourself like you need to in order to make progress and see results.

Consider finding a friend who is at a similar fitness level as you, so you can push each other and hold one another accountable. If you are just starting a running plan, the idea of inviting another person into the process might seem a little vulnerable. Find a trusted friend, or join a beginners’ running group. Changes are that others might feel as vulnerable as you, and you can build a fantastic support group with like-minded individuals. Just give it a chance.

Good shoes, good music, good nutrition, and supplements can help you ease into running. Good shoes and proper stretching prevent shin splints and other ailments, while glucosamine can help joint function. Eating well provides the energy needed to run and helps you feel great too!

This fall, take that step you’ve wanted to take and start running!

Paige One enjoys writing about fitness and knows that running is challenging, but definitely is worth it! 

Ocean Themed Birthday Snacks and A Marvelous Mess Party!!!!

To go with the Ocean Cake I showed you last week, I also made this:

Gummy Fish Jello Bowl from Martha Stewart

and some of these:

Oyster Cookies from Rook #17

My cookies didn't turn out quite like the ones above (I wished I had gotten a picture....but I always do these projects Soooooo last minute, especially for birthdays). I used Nilla wafers instead of Madelines (I couldn't find those darn cookies), white frosting tinted pink between the cookies, and some edible pearl glitter on the frosting.  

The cookies matched the Invitations I made....which I'll show you next week!!

Thanks so much for joining up to my party last week. I am totally loving the fall themes in the air. September is my favorite month. 

The post I'm going to feature on my sidebar for a week is:

Fall Pom Pom Wreath by Todd & Lindsey

Thanks so much for linking up!! If I featured you, be sure to grab this button:

<br /><center> <a href="http://marvelouslymessy.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="A Marvelous Mess" src="http://i941.photobucket.com/albums/ad256/MarvelouslyMs/buttonbackground1-2.jpg" /></a></center> Now, on to the party:

A Mother's Creature Comforts: Soothing Bedroom Features

source

After the kids have gone to bed and the dishes are put away, most moms cherish the precious evening hours to spend with a partner or alone.  Raising kids, maintaining a home, and even working an outside job on top of it all can be a tremendous feat to manage, and every mother deserves a quiet, restful bedroom where she can relax, unwind, reflect, or be inspired.

No matter what the size of your bedroom, many simple and elegant features exist to bring tranquility to your bedroom. Decorative pillows, beautiful drapes, soothing colors, indoor wall fountains, and scented candles set the mood for well-deserved peace and quiet.

Decorative elements in any room can be an easy, inexpensive way to create peace. Since you want to set up a room that is both beautiful and orderly, choose just a few key pieces of decorative elements. If your partner wants to keep his collection of bowling trophies from the 1980s prominently placed on the dresser, or if you have a collection of porcelain dolls from your childhood, consider moving these items to a different location. You won’t diminish the sentimental value of these objects – you just want to refresh your space and keep it calm and orderly.

Purchase or make a few pretty pillows that match your bedding and your favorite colors, and place them on your bed. Matching drapes in a solid, dark color such as plum or navy add an inexpensive elegant touch and also keep out harsh morning light. One easy and inexpensive way to refresh any room is to choose a new paint color to add life to your pillows and drapes. Repainting a room will wow you for months every time you walk in.

Indoor wall fountains not only add elegance and surprise to a room, but they also fill it with the soothing sound of cascading water.  Especially with fall and winter coming, bringing refreshing outdoor elements inside can ease the length of the colder months and create a stunning focal point. Indoor wall fountains are sleek and modern and bring a sense of zen to any space. They can be purchased in a variety of sizes, depending on the size of your room, so they don’t have to overpower other décor or take over the room.

You don’t have to invest a lot of money or hire a decorator to refresh your space and make it more restful for you. Try these or a few of your own ideas to add solace and peace to your space.

Paige One looks forward to writing about ideas on how a mother can create a relaxing space of her own. Decorate interiors with beautiful elements and add elegance with stunning decor pieces.

Ocean Theme Birthday Cake and a Marvelous Mess Party

For my Munchkins birthday party, we had an Ocean theme. Ove the next week or so I'll be sharing the different parts of the party that I crafted and organized to make this theme work....and it really did, it was so much fun!! The cake was really fun to make. I'm no fancy cake decorator, but I can admit I've stepped up my game since the days of the flat sheet cake. Now with this cake we're talking layers and we're talking homemade chocolate candies, we're talking edible glitter gel, and even a little spoon flick to make the top of the frosting resemble waves. 

To make the candies, I just bought a shell mold at AC Moore, melted some white chocolate, poured it in the containers and popped it out when it was ready. Really easy, and I thought it gave it a nice look. 

For the waves on the top frosting: Frost the top and then, with a small spoon, press the flat part near the tip into the frosting and pull up on the end of the handle in a vertical direction.

Here is the recipe:

Here is the recipe:

1 box devil’s food cake mix

1 small pkg Jello instant chocolate pudding mix

1 cup sour cream

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups mini chocolate chips

Read More http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dessert/the-best-chocolate-cake.html#ixzz1isFAy4Oz

~Set the stove for 350 and mix all ingredients except for chocolate chips in a *large* bowl. Once it is thoroughly mixed, add the chocolate chips and place it in two greased 9 inch cake pans. 

It should bake for around 45 minutes, but check it at 30 and every 5 minutes or so after, remembering that the melted chips can trick you.

You're going to love this cake!!!

Last week we had some fun projects linked up (as usual). Here's my favorite!!! I'll be featuring this project on my sidebar for a week:

Fine-Feathered Friend from Turtles and Tails. Love the feathers in this.....it's totally a fall look.

If you were featured, here is your button:

<br /><center> <a href="http://marvelouslymessy.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="A Marvelous Mess" src="http://i941.photobucket.com/albums/ad256/MarvelouslyMs/buttonbackground1-2.jpg" /></a></center> Now, on to the party!!!

Watercolor Tape Resist Craft

I spent the whole summer hosting kids crafts 3 times a week at the library that I work at, and I haven't posted anything about it. I've been totally out of the craft blogger zone!! I'm going to try to jump back into it again, with at least a craft a week....and I figured I'd announce it on here so I'd have something to hold myself to publicly. :-)

Here is a really simple exercise to try with kids. 

Tape Resist!!

I bought a whole bunch of simple blank notecards and let the kids use masking tape to make designs on them. Then we painted around them with watercolor paints, let them dry, and removed the tape!!

The same effect can be made with rubber cement. 

I shared this post at the following parties:

Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice

Fall time is officially two weeks away – is anyone as excited as I am?! With fall time comes amazing things, like my birthday, decorating for the holidays, and hot cocoa and hot apple cider. Not to mention it’s time to fill your home with festive decorations and get crafty! Let’s go through some of the many things to look forward to, so that you’ll become just as excited as I am if you aren’t already excited about everything fantastic that the fall time brings. ;)

Fall time Decorating – Decorating your home with fall time elements is fun, especially when it involved pumpkins, acorns, fall foliage, and other fall inspired décor pieces. If you currently have wall fountains in your home and other modern pieces, don’t be afraid to incorporate fall time decorations. If anything this type of décor will add to your stylish home, not take away from it!

Photoshoot in a Leaf Pile – Every autumn I love to bring my smart phone or camera outside with me after the leaves have fallen from their branches. It’s so much fun taking shots of the piles of leaves and then having someone take a photoshoot of me and my family! There are also many creative ways to capture your memories during the fall time, and taking pictures when the leaves have fallen is a must-do activity.

Baked Pies and Other Yummy Foods – Mmm isn’t making food during the fall time a lot of fun? There are so many delicious snacks and desserts to make, from pumpkin pie to pumpkin chocolate chip cookies! Let’s not forget that Thanksgiving and Christmas fall after autumn time as well, and with these holidays comes even more delicious food such as mashed potatoes, turkey, green beans, and more food that’s far too good to pass up.

Fall Time Activities – Depending on where you live, its fun going to bonfires by the ocean, finding a corn maze to explore, and visiting a pumpkin patch before Halloween hits, that isn’t far from your home. All of these activities are family friendly and most are fairly inexpensive as well! Even though I’m in my late twenties I love participating in fall time activities. They are a great way to soak up the autumn time before it ends and winter sinks in! Oh wow, now I’m really getting ahead of myself. Its best you enjoy the fall time, pumpkin spice, and everything nice that comes with it.

Sierra is a freelance writer and owner of Paige One. Her birthday falls one day after the official start date of autumn (September 22nd), and the fall time is her favorite season.