Two hearts beat as One {Valentine plaque}

I know I  know Valentines day is in 2 days so I am a little behind in posting this super cute plaque. But...I still wanted to share it because A. it is too cute not to share B. It is never too late to make a cute project for your own home or for a neighbor I mean come on we keep V-day decor up the whole month of February anyway...right? or is that just me? and C. because I think this is a decor piece that does not just have to be for valentines day it is cute enough and simple enough to keep up all year I think this would be so cute in a master bedroom in fact that is where this one is going as soon as February is over. It would also be cute on a gallery wall surrounded by wedding and family photos. Ok so now that I have convinced you to make this while Valentines day being two days away let me show you how fast and easy it really is.

Supplies Needed

-Wood plaque
-2 small wooden hearts
-1 wooden arrow
-Ivory, Metallic gold and Coral craft paint
-Sand paper or block
-paint brush
-wood glue
-painters tape

***All of these items can be found and were purchased at the WOOD CONNECTION
This is not a sponsored post I just freaking love that place and I know you will too

How I Made it 

First I just painted the plaque the ivory white. I did two coats, letting it dry completely between each coat and that was plenty of coverage

While the plaque was drying I painted the hearts Coral and the arrow metallic gold. I also did two coats on all the small pieces.

Then I decided the white was too plain for me and it needed a little something more so I used painters tape to tape off a stripe and painted it a charcoal grey..painting two coats and then removing the tape.

Once everything was dry I sanded down all the edges and the surfaces to make it look a little worn and antique. When it comes to painting projects I love to distress them up a little bit.

Lastly I used the wood glue to attach the hearts and arrows on the plaque just in the middle of the grey stripe. And you are done. Seriously it is so easy and fast.

I love how it turned out and I know you would love it in your home too. Looking for a fun gift to give someone you can easily whip up two or three at the same time.

I just want to take a second to thank all of my amazing followers and readers. Thank you for sticky by me and for your support it means the world right now as I am trying to get back in the swing of things in this blogging world that I have missed so dearly. Thank you for being patient and for keeping me going. I hope that I am able to inspire or help just one of you. Have a beautiful Valentines day!

You can also find some of my other past Valentine project links below

 Cheveron Backdrop 

Love letters 

 Paper Straw Wreath

Chalkboard banner 

 Washi tape bunting 

Feather Wreath

Hubby Gift Idea 

I would love to have you follow me on Instagram

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Split Pea Spring Wreath {DIY craft Tutorial}

It has been far too long since I have shared a DIY/craft tutorial over here in cyber blog land and I have missed it. I have missed this part of me that I have struggled finding time to do. Between the kids, the house work, errands, and crossfit it has all kicked my butt and all I want to do is be lazy and relax when I finally do have time to sit and breath. But I have missed creating, so the other day I said enough of that I am going to make something, and then I whipped up this fun split pea Spring wreath. Spring is in the air and not only am I craving that warm weather but I am craving all the Spring happy colors in my home decor as well. Although I might have jinxed the weather, because the day I hung this out on my front door, it decided it was going to snow, so that was not so fun.

 I love how the wreath turned out so of course I am going to share with ya'll how I made it and just like most things I create it was easy peasy, just a little time consuming, so do it while watching a movie, or in my case a little Desperate Housewives on Netflix. 

{Supplies I Used}

***Note. Some of the items pictured above I later changed to make it more simple, and stay all together better. 

-Green Foam Wreath

-3 bags of Split Peas

-Mod Podge instead of glue gun pictured above 

***I tried to do the hot glue first but it was drying too quickly for the peas to stick on 

-Sponge brush

-ribbon

-wood flowers {The Wood connection}

-Small wood circles {The Wood connection}

-White and yellow paint

-fishing line 

-Scissors 

-Hot glue gun 

{What I did}

First off make sure to get a green wreath form, because then if it is not perfectly covered you won't be able to see a white wreath through the peas. It just looks more complete and high quality. I got a cookie sheet and poured a bag of the split peas onto it. Paint on the mod podge right onto the wreath and then roll it into the split peas. 

You will also need to use your hands to pour them onto the mod podged wreath form and push them into the glue. This part gets a little messy and it is time consuming, like I said, but it is easy and if you are watching a movie it goes much faster. 

After I got around the whole wreath I let it dry over night. You are not going to be able to get it completely covered your first round so make sure you let it completely dry. Then the next morning I took my mod podge, sponge brush and split peas and filled in all the little wholes from the first layer. Then once it is completely covered and how you want it to look you are going to let it completely dry.  Once it is dry I covered the whole thing with mod podge over the top of all the peas. This is going to keep them on, protect them, make it more durable, and it will seal in the bright green color of the split peas so they don't fade over time. Let that dry over night.

Next up, I got some ribbon and simply tied it at the top to hang it on my door and add a pop of a Spring happy color, Yellow for me of course but you could do any color your little heart desires. 

And there you have your Spring and Summer Split Pea Wreath. Perfect for your front door, a door in your home, or your Spring mantel. 

I put mine outside and I loved it and I think the simple look it perfect. This is how I am going to keep it for the summer months, but.....for Spring I wanted something a little more. So I thought I would add some flowers to it, but I wanted to be able to take them off for the summer months, and this is what I came up with...

I got three small wooden flowers from the wood connection, painted them, painted a center and glued it on, and sanded them. Not to attach them to the wreath temporarily was the part that I was having a hard time with, but it ended up being so simple. All you need is your flowers, hot glue and some fishing line. Hot glue the fishing line to the back of the flowers. 

Let the glue dry completely, then tie the flowers to the wreath nice and tight and TADA you have temporary flowers for the Spring/Easter months, and they can be removed for the summer months if you wish. 

Perfect little add on, now if only mother nature would get the hint that we are ready for the snow to go away and the flowers to come out that would be nice. 

The texture, the colors I just.... LOVE!!! 

Go get your spring craftiness on and give this little Split pea pretty ditty a little try. I know you will love it and it is just what your door, wall, or mantel needs, I promise. 

Happy Monday my friends

Smile

Laugh

start your week off right

Love a little more

Exercise

give 

and spread the happiness 

Oh, oh and I almost forgot, make sure to come back tomorrow for a fun little series I will be starting that will go through every day of APRIL!!! Its exciting, fun and I think ya'll will enjoy it and of course the end will include a little something fun for you! But I am not leaking what it is just yet....you gotta come and see tomorrow. Love you all MWAH

I would love to have you follow me on Instagram

@WHITNEYULRICH

to see all my fun pics, my real life, fitness, fashion ideas

and sneak peaks of what I've been working on

Thank you for your support, for reading and for following
It really means the world to me 

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DIY {BRIGHT} Marquee Letters- TUTORIAL

Nothing says Christmas quit like glitter, lights and Gold am I right?! This is probably one of my favorite projects I have made. It just gives off such a statement, it makes me happy to look at, it is festive, it is glamorous, it is magical and The word bright can be so inspirational. Enough of the sap...oh Christmas just brings it out in me. Lets get on to how I made this fun sign and how you can too.

{Supplies Needed}

-Paper Mache letters- Spelling out whatever word you want I got some of mine at JoAnns and since they were out of some I got the others at Hobby Lobby they were the same price of $2.49 each but if you use your coupons and make a couple trips you can get them cheaper.
-Exacto Knife
-Spray paint
-Sponge brush
-Mod Podge
-Glitter
-Pencil or marker
-75-100 count white Christmas lights on white wire

{What I did}

First things first you are going to take your exacto knife and just cut along the edges of the front of the letter. It cuts really easy and comes off easy as well. Do this to the front of all of your letters.

Once it is all cut out it will look like this. You can throw away the front pieces and those funny squigglies in the inside.

Then I spray painted the sides, the insides, and the back of the letters with a gold metallic spray paint. 

Once they were dry it is time to glitterfy these babies. I mean you can't just have lights you have got to put some glam in there too, to make the lights have a magical sparkle. Using your sponge brush cover the entire inside of the letter with mod podge.

Then sprinkle your glitter inside and swish it around until the whole inside is covered in sparkles, tapping out the excess and using for the other letters. Repeat this will all your letters until they are all glittertastic.

Once everything is glittered and dry you are going to move onto installing all the lights. First take your marker and make your dots where you want the lights to go, on the back of the letter. I did mine about 2 inches apart all the way around the letter. It was the perfect distance and the lights fit perfectly to each dot.

Next you will take your exacto knife and cut an X through the dot. Make sure it is deep. You want it to be pretty small because you want the light to fit in snug.

Then you will pop in your lights. leaving one light between each letter until you get through the whole word. There is a lot of extra wire in the back so I took some twine and tied the extra wire together so that it wouldn't show through the front.

Then you have your beautiful sparkly lit marquee sign that you made yourself.

I had the perfect place for it on our island there is a raised area that I have been loving to decorate. It is long enough for decor and our bar stools on the sides. Because of all the lights they get a little back heavy so I put a garland in the back to hold it up a little better and I love the look it gives it with some pine piking through the letters. So festive right?!

I had mine on an area that they were just floating standing up, but you can also put them on a shelf or mantel and have them leaning against the wall, or you could even hang them on the wall. Also a really fun idea that I might try next year is in the window so you see the sign from outside. Fun right! So many possibilities and so many cute places to put them.

I love that where I put them I can see them pretty much anywhere on that main level. When I walk through the door it is the first thing I see, when guests come over it is the first thing they see and I just love the statement it gives. I keep it lite during the day as well, because it is so sparkly it is just as beautiful.

Aren't they pretty. They aren't just fun and festive, but the gold, sparkle, glitter and lights is just so stunning. I don't know about you but I love the lights, it is my very favorite part of all the Christmas decor out there. I deck my house in lights everywhere, outside, in every window, filling the tree and all around my home decor. It is pretty! Like when in it night time, you turn off all the lights, and your home is only light but the plugged in Christmas lights, you are by yourself, it is quiet and it is peaceful, it is magical and it make you think of what is truly important.

Now go and make your own you will love that you did. You can make these for many different seasons and holidays. I think one that says snow would be amazing among all the white decor, a love sign for Valentines is also on my list, because of the romantic feel it can give. I better go stalk up on some white Christmas lights and glitter. You should too!

Like my Bright Marquee letters? Make sure to also go and check out these other fun and festive Christmas projects: Fabric Scraps Garland, Faux Pine Joy, Ornament Wreath, Stocking hanger, and Advent Activity banner.

Don't forget to check out my first day of my favorite shops series and the Albion Fit $50 giveaway going on right now. And come back tomorrow for another one of my favorite shops and another giveaway for under your Christmas tree.

I would love to have you follow me on Instagram

@WHITNEYULRICH

to see all my fun pics, my real life, fitness, fashion ideas

and sneak peaks of what I've been working on

Thank you for your support, for reading and for following
It really means the world to me 

Make sure to check out my other social media sites and follow along

{Links below}