Stick Art

For the longest time (ok 3 years or so) I've wanted art to put over our bed. We have a king size bed and any art that would look decent behind it was WAY over my budget. I have spotted pieces at art shows and furniture stores and yes, even Ikea...and I always hmmm'd and hawwww'd and then would walk away knowing my budget couldn't take that kind of hit for something only T & I (well, really only I) would care about.

Then one random day while browsing Pinterest. I came across what I call 'Stick Art'. I loved it, well with the exception of the tacky frame. I loved that it brought part of nature inside and could be made relatively cheap.

See Pin HERE.

Off I went to Ikea to find a frame for over my bed, you know thinking Ikea would be cheap. Wrong, well right kinda - I spent $50 on the frame.

Next I thought I'd venture out into the woods and find some sticks. Easy enough, there is a ravine behind my house - but there are snakes in that ravine. Plus, what am I going to do with G while I find sticks? The ravine is not stroller friendly. I could wear him but the constant bending would be a nightmare and well my baby monitor does not go that far if I wanted to venture while he was napping. So abort plan venture into the woods.

Then while sitting eating dinner I spot my tin bin of gathered sticks, ironically also from Ikea bought a long time ago. I wasn't going to miss a few of those from the gathering so I yanked a few out and chopped them up.

Putting together this art was a nightmare - because I'm indecisive and clearly not a forward thinker when it comes to working with sticks. First to mat or not to mat? Then to place backing or leave wall color? Then a million little bits of stick stick to the plastic etc. A trip to the dollar store provided me with cheap backing (bristol board) and I thought I was finally done.

Wrong. I had tossed the hanging equipment that had come with the frame, and with the sticks not being flat the backing and hanging was getting akward. There is always a time for duct tape my friends!! I duct taped the back on, then drilled screws into the frame and hung with some sort of plastic wiring.

And TAAAAA-DAAAAAA done.

Here is the stick art in our living room. It looks much better in our bedroom, but T is sleeping in our bedroom right now and would not take well to being woken for a picture of my art.

So all in all, this could have been done cheaper IF I had found a frame at a yard sale, but ain't nobody got time for that.

Sorry EVERY time I use that phrase lately I think of this and die laughing.



Food bank

Next day of charitable giving... right here!

I had seen a barrel in the LCBO with a sign asking for donations.

LCBO = wonderful glorious place (ah.hem over priced) that provides me with an amazing selection of wines from all over the world, baileys for my morning coffee, Crown Royal for family events, and even the cheapo girly wine that T loves. Basically the only place you can buy liquor and specialty beers in Ontario as we Canadians can't buy booze in grocery stores or corner stores. Just in case any of my American readers were confused.

I had heard a news story on the radio one day that my town had a huge shortage for non-perishable items going into the holidays. They gave the numbers of people who required help last winter and stated that the number had increased this year. 

I couldn't imagine going to bed hungry, going to work hungry, going anywhere hungry. If I'm hungry there isn't much on my mind other than where and when I can find food. This often backfires as I'll get caught up doing something and not realize I've missed a meal and then get so hungry I want to gnaw off my arm so I end up grabbing fast food because it satisfies the need immediately without me cooking or making a mess in the kitchen. I can't tell you how many times over the summer I ate two Mediterranean chicken snack wraps and drank a large diet coke (Yay! Dollar drink days!) from McDonald's  I also ate those in the car as it was easier to eat and drive back home than it was to try and eat once I got home with G all over the place. I'm a multi-tasking pheen. 

Ok, back to my donation - here it is:

I know there is not much variety - but there are different kinds of pasta, lots of different kinds of side dishes, and organic Heinz ketchup - only the best stuff on earth. I thought it was funny that I donated American groceries to the Canadian Food bank. Not really supporting the local economy - but I could get more for the  money in the states, and the amount of food is what mattered. 

I looked pretty funny carrying this box in and placing it beside a few random items in a barrel, but oh well. I did my part. I am perfectly happy looking funny carrying this in as I'm hoping the others walking in empty handed felt a bit guilty and decide to donate another time. 

*IF there are ANY McDonald's people reading this - bring back the mediterranean chicken snack wraps and keep dollar drink days on all year and no one gets hurt, umkay :) *