Celebrating Silverware

One of the most popular collected items amongst women is silverware and even if you are not a collector, most women have an antique silver heirloom tucked away in a dark cupboard somewhere. We always say we are going to use it for a special occasion but then no occasion ever seems "special enough". I love silverware and have decided to use it whenever and wherever I can. After all, life is too short to wait for the perfect moment.

So if you want to display your silverware, but you don't quite know how then this post is for you. Below is a little project I did for my mom. She has tons of silverware- tea pots, sugar bowls, gravy boats- you name it- she has it. Sadly though, the items were collecting dust and not being showed off as they should. So we decided to create a "silverware mobile" that would hang directly above her coffee and tea station. We just screwed some hooks into the roof, hung the silverware with some ribbon and it really was as easy as that! I also decided to use the sugar bowls and milk jugs as mini-vases by putting some water and some pretty roses in them. The best part is that if my mom ever needs to use the items- she can just slip them off the ribbon! Check out the pics below to see the finished product.

I've also shared some more inspiration and ideas from Pinterest of how you can Flaunt the Silver that Yo Momma Gave You! Enjoy...

The Silverware Project...

Love & Blessings
Abz

Valentines Day Paper ideas

First of all, I bet you're all wondering why you didn't get Just Darling delivered to your inbox last week? I'm sorry I was such a bad blogger. I was, wasn't I? Last week was hectic for many reasons, one of them being that we added a new member to our little family! And no, I'm not preggers...not yet, I'm referring to our new 6 week old retriever pup, Mila. She's been a hand full, keeping us up all night with her whining, barking, and chewing. So in between her toilet breaks at 2am in the morning and various other commitments I had last  week- there was no time to write (sad face). Nevertheless, here she is. Isn't she gorgeous? I'm sure you will see more of her in the posts to come and come to love her as much as we already do.

Paper Lamps

Speaking about LOVE- Valentines Day is a couple of days away, so if you are planning a romantic evening with your beloved this Thursday, then check out the lamps I made below. They really are beautiful once they are lit up and they are super easy and cheap to make. So instead of using boring tea lights on your dinner table this year- try this cute paper craft for Valentine's Day or your next dinner event.

What You Need:

• Scissors
• Sticky Tape
• One Sheet of Scrap Booking Paper - as thin and transparent as possible (You can also use light wrapping paper)
• Washi- Tape, Lace or Ribbon
• A champagne glass
• Tea Lights

Instructions:

• Cut the paper into a circle. The bigger the circle, the bigger the lamp shade will be (I traced out the shape of a dinner plate).
• Cut a small hole (about the size of a squash ball) in the middle of the larger circle.
• Cut a chunk out of the paper to form a "C" shape. You may need to cut out more if necessary
• Overlap the gap of the circle to form the lampshade and secure with sticky tape on the inner-side. The method is similar to that of the paper cones posted on Just Darling a while ago- see the template here.
• Decorate the end of the lamp shade with washi tape, lace or ribbon. (I used a lace washi-tape).
• Place a tea light into the champagne glass and pop the lamp shade on-top of the glass. Eazy Peazy!

Paper Treasure Hunt

Another really cute paper idea is to set a trail for your Valentine. Send him/her on a treasure hunt by devising a path leading to yourself or the gift. I bought my treasure hunt pack from In Good Company and it included 3 hanging signs, floor scatters and a heart shaped gift box. The entire thing is made out of paper and so it would be really simple to make it by hand if you felt like being creative.

In Good Company Address:

52nd Sixth Street,

Parkhurst, 2193

Gauteng

South Africa

So for those in pursuit of love this Valentine's Day...I hope you find it, not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.

- Sam Keen, from To Love and Be Loved

NicciNoo Creations

Most people will say they buy local, handmade products because they want to help establish a new economic model, or perhaps they will blabber off about some sort of ecological advantage of buying handcrafted goods. For me the reasons are quite simple, firstly artisan products will always be made with love. They haven't been massed produced in some huge factory, instead each stitch has been well thought out and the product always comes with a personal touch. Secondly, you are buying something from someone who LOVES what they do and the passion behind the product really shows. And thirdly, handmade products come with an invisible guarantee that says "This product is completely unique and one of a kind". No two handmade products will ever be exactly the same. Don't you hate it when you wear a beautiful new dress only to find that a million other people are wearing the same one? It's like anti-climax epitomized! Well, with hand made products you can be 100% certain that will never be the case. That's exactly why I'm crazy about buying artisan crafts whether be from the local market or from a budding designer.

Recently I spotted the work of NicciNoo Creations online and fell in love with her scatter cushions. Nicci is a full time wife and mom to grown children as well as a soon to be grandparent. She has loved all things “crafty” for as long as she can remember (reminds me of my own mom) and has fairly recently decided to turn that love into a little business, making everything from cushions, clothes, teddies to pretty much anything crochet.

Take a look at Nicci's work and place your order today. 

Email: nicciwillis@gmail.com 

http://www.facebook.com/niccinoocreations?ref=ts&fref=ts

Please note all prices exclude delivery/postage. Colours can be customized.