Taylor, Author at TaylorMade

Another Project Life Update

September 17, 2012 By Taylor 12 Comments

If you know me, you know I love this Project! I have no affiliation with PL, I just love it :) Read my other Project Life Posts HERE and HERE. I am working on my 2011 and 2012 at the exact same time which is crazy and not recommended ha! I keep forgetting what year and writing the wrong dates! Especially with the boys being only 18 mos apart I’m like what kid is that… and what year?? Here is a little update from the craft room. I am up to date on both years through May… woo hoo! For 2011 I have the Amber Core Kit and for 2012 I have the Cobalt Core Kit.I am trying to use different materials like sequins and buttons. I have a love for sequins.

Another new thing I love, I just staple embelishments right onto the photo which is kind of liberating for some reason. I used quite a few staples on this page… also please don’t judge these one month old Clyde pics, yes he is almost 2. Better late than never?

As I work more on my book I get more creative with other textures. It looks so much more interesting to break up the solid picture pages.

I am in love with this Monthly Calendar stamp. HERE is a similar one. I use it all the time!

I have been using these 6×12 page protectors for cards.

A lot of people use Project Life as a “week in the life project” or a “photo a day” but that’s not really my style. Sometimes, like with Clyde’s Bday above I have 50 pictures from one day. Then some months we don’t have a lot going on so a whole month will fit on 1 page. Here, I made a whole page just about ampersand. These pics range from about 3 months but I thought they would look better together.

And here is a whole month on a page.

I love using these pages Design G and Design H for the Monthly Updates. I want them to be on their own page but I don’t need 4 or 5 of the same picture so these smaller pages work great for me.

And two of my favorite title pages….

I used a real band-aid for a page all about first Clyde’s ER Trip. I thought I was being so original but then I saw some band-aid stickers last week that looked just like it.

So does anyone out there do project life? If you have pictures PRETTY PLEASE link them up in the comments, I would love to see some new ideas.

Embroidery Hoop Art

September 4, 2012 By Taylor 12 Comments

Remember when I jumped on the Embroidery Hoop Bandwagon, well I am still on it folks. And after the latest project, I’m not getting off any time soon. I wanted to add a quote about bikes to my Gallery Wall (random I know). And I needed something round. So, I broke out my trusty silhouette.

I used the clean cut interfacing, ironed my fabric to it, fed it into my machine and let it cut away.

Then I arranged my designed and ironed it down to my main fabric. I found the cute bike file in the Silhouette Store.

I hand embroidered around the words “life is a” to add a little something extra.

I wanted the “vintage” look of a wrapped hoop so I tore strips of fabric and glued them down to the embroidery hoop.

Then I just put my hoop back together, made sure my design was centered and cut the excess fabric off.

And of course in true TaylorMade style I had to rearrange part of my Gallery Wall. I also added something else that I got at Anthro… who can spot it?

Cheap Things to do in Houston

August 27, 2012 By Taylor 20 Comments

In case you missed it, I was a part of C.R.A.F.T.’s series on Creating Free Trips. I was so honored to be a part of such a cool series! Most of you know I’m proud to be born and raised in Houston, TX… This post isn’t a craft or a recipe but might come in handy for someone, so here is a little glimpse into our city:

Welcome to Houston. I actually live in a suburb outside of Houston, but for us Houstonians, a 30 minute commute into town is nothing! Here are some of the thing I love to do with my family and friends without breaking the bank :)

1. Discovery Green Park
This park is awesome, it is 12 acres of green space located right smack dab in the middle of downtown. It has a splash pad and an awesome playground for kids, it has a few restaurants and an upscale bar. I love the super cool color blocked wall that is becoming a popular photo shoot background. There is also a stage that hosts free live bands.

2. Astros Game at Minute Maid Park
Home of the Houston Astros. Now, this isn’t totally free but you can get tickets in the”nose-bleed” section to a game for only $5.00 a ticket. Another plus is that kids 14 and under are free all summer long and on Sundays, your kids can run the bases after the game.

3. Miller Outdoor Theatre:
This is an outdoor theatre located in the Museum District of Houston. There is a small section of covered seats that you can purchase but the best part is the huge hill that is totally free. You can pack a picnic and some blankets and come enjoy the show on the lawn. They even allow alcohol (no glass :) They have plays, and concerts and the Houston Symphony plays here too.

4. Farmers Markets:
Houston has a TON of farmers Markets. I have even done a Farmers Market Bike Tour which is a 15 mile ride stopping at 3 farmers markets. I love them because even if you don’t buy anything (which isn’t possible) most of them have live bands, and artists and samples!

5. Museum District:
Houston has a huge Museum Scene. There are the “big” museums like Museum of Natural Science, History and the Fine Arts Museum who offer free admission on Tuesdays or Thursdays after 2pm and there is also a free museum day once a year. But of our 18 museums, 11 are free everyday of the year.

6. Shopping at 19th Street in the Heights:
The Heights is an area of Houston with a rich culture. It is up and coming for the hip young crowd of Houston. It’s “inside the loop” (Houston terms for city living) but it is affordable. It has a cool vibe with unique restaurants and fun little shops. My little sister actually lives a few blocks from here.

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7. Kemah Boardwalk
The Kemah Boardwalk is about 25 minutes from the city of Houston (in Texas we explain distance in minutes :) It is located very close to NASA wish is also where I am located! I grew up going to the Boardwalk often but it is actually a huge tourist attraction. There is a nice hotel, a ton of restaurants and bars, games, rides, and a splash pad for the kids.

8. The Beach – Galveston
Galveston is not technically located in Houston, infact someone could probably do a whole C.R.A.F.T. post just about free things to do here. But like I said before, Houston is huge and since its less than an hour drive, Houstonians would easily make a day trip of the beach. I am lucky enough to live in a great suburb that is located right in the middle of both. Between the seawall, the strand (eating and shopping) and the beach you could spend all day here! Parking at a spot on the seawall and packing a lunch make it totally free!

9. The Water Wall
This is Houston’s #1 most photographed location. At any given time, you can see a woman in her wedding dress and family portraits going on. It’s basically just a huge water fountain, but there is a lawn in from so you could bring a picnic too.

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10. Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
This last one isn’t free. But I think it is a must see because there is nothing quite like it. It is the World’s largest rodeo and runs for about a month at the end of February every year. It is like a culture here Y’ALL. We kick it off with the Chili Cookoff, everyone in all of Houston talks about it, all of the local elemantary schools even have go Texan day the week before. Houstonians don’t just go once, we go as many times as we can until the next year. The cool thing- all of the workers are volunteers, so its also the worlds largest group of volunteers in one place. There are concerts every night, but if you just want to experience it, tickets are pretty cheap just for the carnival and livestock show at around $7.00. Put it on your bucket list.

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Thanks yall! I had such a blast exploring my city to find good cheap fun! I hope you visit Houston soon :)
-Taylor

Color Washing and A Paper Mache Hippo Head

August 22, 2012 By Taylor 10 Comments

Yes you can believe it, I made a Paper Mache Hippo Head. I guess I am officially crazy now :) You know I love the whimsy. I was a little on the fence with the whole animal bust craze but when I saw the Hippo Bust at West Elm and knew I needed to get on board. Then I saw the paper mache unicorn tutorial at Lil Blue Boo and got to work. Ashley has an amazing tutorial so you can check hers out. And to be honest my hands were way too messy to attempt to take pictures during this project. Paper Mache is messy y’all!

We have lovingly named him ThomNis, which is how Finn pronounces Hippopotamus. I love how he turned out. It’s kind of hard to get a good picture- I guess ThomNis is not very photogenic.

I mounted him on a wooden plaque that I found from Joanns and wanted to keep the wood grain so it would look rustic so I used one of my favorite painting techniques: A Color Wash.

How to Color Wash:
Start with your paint, a paintbrush and a cup of water.

Put a little paint in your cup then add a little water, I mixed 3 different colors of paint. The more water you add the more see through the wash will be; showing more wood grain. Mix and add until you get a good consistency you like.

Then just paint. Mine went on really watery but as it dried the color became more vibrant.

Have you color washed anything? Also do you think I’m crazy for making a Hippo Head and hanging it in my living room? At least Ashley put her unicorn in her playroom :)