The Apple Street Cottage

This post may contain affiliate links. It's Summertime and that means more outdoor time.  I've been busy using my bottle cutter to make some 'pretties' for our balcony.  I'm an avid Upcycler/Recycler/DIYer and this is an easy one.  Come along and let me show you what I did! Blue is my color.  I wear it, I decorate with it, and I'm always drawn to it.  How lucky am I to find a wine that comes in a beautiful blue bottle? This is the larger (1.5L) bottle.  Definitely one to be shared with friends! After drinking the wine and removing the label, it's time to get out the bottle cutter .  This is the one I use: I've had it for a few years and now that I've figured out the trick to clean breaks I can honestly say it's the best!   The first step to bottle cutting is etching a line where you want the bottle to break or separate.  After adjusting the cutter (it's very easy) for where you want the cut, it's a simple as rotating the bottle on the c...

  This post may contain affiliate links. If you use essential oils in your home, you may have some of these shipping tubes: They're very sturdy and it seemed a shame to throw them away, so I decided to turn some into firecrackers. Welcome to the  Creative Craft Hop  hosted by Sara from  Birdz of a Feather .   If you just came from Gail @ Purple Hues & Me ,   welcome to the Cottage!  At the bottom of this post I'll direct you to the next stop on this hop, but be sure to visit all of the other stops too for some amazing inspiration. They will all be listed. Now, let me tell you how I made my firecrackers... First, I got out my trusty hacksaw and cut 3 of them to the sizes I wanted. I knew they would need tops so I cut a few circles from chipboard on my Cricut Maker. Because we all know I can't measure (wink-wink) I 'eye-balled' the centers and made a mark with pencil.  This way I could punch holes with my Big Bite . This star fabric was cut...

This post may contain affiliate links. I created this post last year and I've brought it back again with updates.  Happy Reading!  Yes, it's that time of year again.  Yard Sale, Estate Sale, and Flea Market season is upon us and, if you're like me, you can't wait to start searching for treasures!  In my area many towns have a 'Community Wide' yard sale where you can spend the better part of the day shopping.  That is why I've collated this list of items that every Yard-Saler (that's a word, right?) should have at their fingertips.     Here's my list: Money.   That's right, cold, hard cash.  No checks (does anyone use those anymore?).  Unless you're shopping for something big, keep the bills small - singles, 5's, 10's and don't forget the quarters either.  You can still pick up smalls for a quarter or 50¢!   T he people running the sales have change, but they don't want to give it all up first thing in the morning, so ...