Pottery Barn Inspired Tiered Jewelry Holder {TUTORIAL}

Ever since I saw {this} post by Little Miss Momma, I fell in LOVE with her vintage iron jewelry holder from pottery barn! I wanted one for myself. So I did a search, and had a hard time tracking it down. When I finally did, it said it was out of stock. But even if it WAS in stock, I saw the  price tag, and could never allow myself to spend $60 on a jewelry holder! So I was determined to find a way to make one for myself. My cost was a whopping $2!!! This is the result:

Here is the original... my inspiration:

(image)

And again mine:

They are not exactly the same, and I know I could have done other things to make it look more like the inspiration. But I decided to keep it a little bit different, and I LOVE how mine turned out! Though I still may add another base to bring the bottom tier up!

 

This is what I used:

~Two Round Silver Tray's (from dollar tree)

~Two glass candle stick holders (I had them on hand, from dollar tree)

~E6000 (I had it on hand)

~White Spray Paint (also had it on hand)

~ Drill & a very tiny drill bit 

(I dont remember the bit size, I had the hubs help!)

I asked for The Hubs help. I gave him one of the silver trays and had

him drill small holes all the way around the scalloped edge of the tray.

This is what it looked like afterwards.

I turned that same tray upside down and used the E6000 glue to glue

one candle stick holder to the bottom of it.

After letting it try for about 10 min, I added the second candle stick

holder to the first one, like so:

Finally I glued the second tray to the second candle stick holder,

then turned it all the right side up and added a few things for weight.

Its best to let this glue dry over night! Once the glue is dry, then you

can spray paint it, give a few coats, and wait, wait some more.

Once the glue and paint is all dry you can start adding all your jewelry!

This is my 90 in strand of pearls! Yes 90 INCHES! :)

They can wrap around 3 times! And have so many looks!

I love them, I bought them from Premier Designs Jewelry.

The other necklace is 60 in Gold necklace also from Premier,

which I just got for Mothers Day, from the Hubs!

Its so perfect, it holds so much jewelry, earrings and even my fav

headbands and hair clips that Ive made!
I just had to have a fun little photo shoot with all my jewelry.

Up close of all my favie headbands/clips.

I got both of these gorgeous cameo silhouettes from my older

sister Mona, for two separate birthdays. I adore cameo silhouettes!

Here we have on the left:

A premier designs bracelet & Necklace,

Little Miss Momma Moutache Necklace,

Rue 21 lockets

My lovely earrings! 

Those leather feather earrings with the pearl are my take on the ones

Little Miss Momma made in her tutorial {here}

The purse like earrings from Permanent Baggage

The rhinestone hoops and the purple shell earrings from Torrid

Those blue dangling earrings were bought for me by the hubs at

a local hand made shop from Oregon, while we were there for the 

4th or July. The small silver hoops were a Mothers Day present,

They were on the ears of a pink Build-a-Bear...along with a bracelet.

That bow necklace is the very first piece of jewelry I ever made!

See the tutorial post {here}

Photographer necklace, will be coming to my boutique soon!

Again.. my lockets! I LOVE my family! And up there, top right...

that lovely heart pendant necklace has a secret...

Its really a Thumb Drive! It also reveals the secret NERD in me! :)

This XOXO bracelet says I LOVE YOU, it was a gift from the hubs and the kids on Mothers Day 2006! It came on the wrist of the same pink Build-a-bear as the earrings pictured above.

The bow earrings are from Torrid the Black hills gold "M" necklace was a graduation gift from my momma! The Pink Diamond pendant necklace was a gift from The Hubs on our first anniversary!

The yellow ribbon pendant has my husbands patch on it. B-Co 5/20 Inf! I wore it every day he was deployed! That gold cross necklace was a gift he sent me from Iraq for my birthday that year, and the green cross was a birthday present from my sister Mona, that same year.

 Each of these specific pieces of jewelry mean so much to me!

Before, all my special jewelry was just hidden in  a box, I hardly saw it, I almost forgot I had most of it! Im so happy to have it displayed so lovely now!

Can you believe how easy it was to create this stunning

jewelry holder?! :)
Pin It

Much Love & Hugs,

Sponsor an "In Post" Ad!

For more info Click {here}

Did you Know Monday #7

Have you heard about this giveaway yet??

This Giveaway is going on over at Bella Before & After blog!

Bella has purchased $100 worth of Agape Love items, JUST to giveaway to FOUR lucky winners! So that means 2 lovely ladies will one one of my rosette bib necklaces... they are both pictured above. And 2 lovely ladies will win a mini blog make over from ME!

What a wonderful giveaway right?!

The giveaway ends on the 1st! So head on over there right now to be entered to win!

ENTER BELLA'S GIVEAWAY HERE

And if you want to get a little more familiar with my design style just check out Bella's blog.. I completely made over it all! The header, background, buttons, labels, favicon.. everything! Same with MY blog.. I designed my blog as well. :) And here are a few other links to check out to see my work!

Luxe Boulevard (I created the header and new buttons)

Mommy Made (Created background, button, header, fav icon)

The 4 Way Stop (Created Header and Photo signatures)

Fallen Into Mommyhood (Created Header)

If you like my work, and need a little bloggy face lift.. dont hesitate, go enter before it ends!

OK so here is something pretty important that I am participating in, that I would LOVE for you alll to check out! The Knotty Boutique Co. is hosting an auction to benefit Relay for Life!
GO TO THE AUCTION HERE
Ive donated this special set below its a $42 value... but there are lots of other great things to bid on, please go check out the album and see what you can do to help find a cure for cancer!!

I also wanted to let you know about something else:

Today is the LAST day to get 20% off your purchase from the Agape Love Boutique!
Click the above photo to go to shop! Ive got lots of new stuff added, that I know you will love! If you have had your eye on anything.. now is the time to get it at 20% off! :)

Also...
Im looking for bloggers who would like to guest post or blog swap! :)
If you have a fun tutorial you would like to share or just like to introduce yourself to my following audience.. then just send me an email and we can work out the deets! 
agapelovedesigns@yahoo.com

AND lastly if you have a new blog or shop you would like to advertise for, or promote with a giveaway... please check out my Sponsor page for more info! Its all free for now... but that will be changing soon! So dont wait.. get scheduled in now before the sponsor section changes! :)

Much Love & Hugs!

Its Kind Of a Tough Subject {Saturday Show Offs #10}

This weeks Saturday Show Offs is something Ive been working on that I am completely proud of.

Yet Its kind of a tough subject....

 (Terrible Picture of me.. I was very tired when I took this!)

So let me just start from the begging, You may remember a few weeks back I did a giveaway for

a custom designed birds nest necklace from me. After I announced the winner I got this email:
(These emails posted are completely unedited and posted with permission from Cherise)

Hello Maria! I still can't believe I won a custom made necklace from you! I'm SO STOKED! I blog-stalk you daily, and LOVE all the cute little things you make! I wish I had the energy and talent to do such awesome things! You are an inspiration to me, and I can't wait to wear my bird's nest necklace! I will wear it with pride! :)  I have 2 kiddos. My daughter, Amanda Grace just turned 6 back in March. She's just about as girlie as you can get, which so ISN'T me, lol! My son, Cash Daughtry, celebrated his 2nd birthday in early February. He's your typical rough-n-tumble boy, with the prettiest blue eyes imaginable (of course, I might be just a little biased!). Ok, ok, I'll stop there. I know you don't need to know all that, I just had to gush for a second. :) I know you're a busy lady, so I'll let you get back to it. Just let me know if you need anything else from me. <3

-Cherise Porter

Her email totally made my day! I was so happy for her.. obviously she loves her kids and I felt she totally deserved winning! So I asked her to chose the custom colors for her necklace and get back to me. Well it took quiet a while for her to get back to me. Then finally I got her second email explaining why....

So sorry it's taken me a couple of days to get back to ya! I've been super busy this week, WHEW! Anyway, I have thought it over at least a hundred times, and I have decided that I want a pink pearl for my daughter and a green pearl for my son. :) I also really struggled with whether or not I wanted to somehow symbolize/remember my  "angel baby " (I had a miscarriage at about 5 weeks in between my other two kiddos), but don't necessarily want to constantly have to explain another pearl. I know it's probably way too much to ask, but can you think of anyway that I could pay tribute to my sweet lost one without including a 3rd pearl? If not, it's totally ok... I just figured it wouldn't hurt to ask. :)

Anyway, my address is (taken out for privacy)

No rush (though I am super giddy about getting it!)

-Cherise

So after reading that I was determined to figure out a way to honor and remember her angel baby. This meant a lot for me to do this, because I too have been through a miscarriage (twice actually).

I know what it means to want to hold onto the memory of a sweet little one who was lost too soon.

Yet also not want to have to answer a million questions, see the concerned faces, hear the sympathy and all that, that can go along with that. And with the necklace obviously she doesnt want to have to answer tons of questions about a NEW bun in the oven.. or try to explain why there is one more "egg" than people see in real life or know about. So I took some time to really think it over and came up with an idea we BOTH loved!

Here is a peek at her nest pendant:

And here is the necklace! 

Notice something a little extra in the chain?

My response to Cherise:

" I could put one white pearl in the chain. This pearl would represent your angel baby. See it wont be in the nest, but its still part of the necklace, just above in the chain....just as your angel baby is not in your home.. but in heaven above...yet still a part of your heart/life/family. So people wont assume anything or ask about a third baby. Hopefully they would just assume its just extra decoration to the necklace.. but if you want to explain you can." :)

She loved the idea... 

And I did too, so much so that after creating her necklace, I HAD to make one for myself as well! Here is my nest, Pink for Kiah, Green for Bruce Jr and Blue for Zander:

And here is my necklace: With TWO white pearls for my babies in heaven!

Two babies that I never got to hold in my arms, but STILL hold in my heart.

What are your thoughts?

Im actually very excited about this idea... even though the subject is tough, I love that I have a special way to honor and remember not only the precious little ones God let me keep, but also the ones He decided to keep with Him. And I also love that I could offer that to another Momma who needed that too. 

SO I have decided to start offering these special necklaces in my Boutique.
You can see the listings {here} for 1-4 pearls
and {here} for 5-8 pearls

Here is just another look at our necklaces together. The pearls in the chain actually sit higher up on the necklace when worn. But to fit it on the shot here they're closer to the nest. Check out the first picture of me wearing my necklace to see how it looks when worn. :)

I totally LOVE these necklaces. They are so special!

Id also like to share this poem I found when I was dealing with my first miscarriage. Because it touched my heart and I know it will yours. I know that miscarriage's are very common.. and sometimes you may feel like you had to hold in the pain, or didnt have any one to talk to about it.. so please feel free to talk or discuss anything in the comment section. Know that there are others who understand and you dont have to feel alone. :)

Little Angels
When God calls little children
to dwell with him above,

We mortals sometime question
the wisdom of his love.

For no heartache compares
with the death of one small child.

Who does so much to make our world
seem wonderful and mild..

Perhaps God tires of calling
the aged to his fold,

So he picks a rosebud
before it can grow old.

God knows how much we need them,
and so he takes but few,

To make the land of heaven
more beautiful to view.

Believing this is difficult,
still somehow we must try.

The saddest word mankind knows
will always be "Good-bye".

So when a child departs,
we who are left behind must realize

God loves children...
Angels are hard to find.

Author Unknown

It has been 4 years since my miscarriages, and I am not as emotional about it as I was.. when I think about it and remember it still gets to me. It still makes me cry, not hysterically or anything.. I know my two babies are in heaven, so I have a feeling of acceptance now.

Im so thankful for the Lord God who comforted me and eased the pain. HE of course knows what its like to lose a child. And I thank HIM also for that sacrifice to send HIS son so that we can be saved.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."
John 3:16-17

Now if anyone is interested here is a video I posted in 2007 when I used to vlog a lot on youtube, concerning my first miscarriage. I dont expect anyone to watch really.. just in case any one was curious or had questions.. they may be answered in the video.

Anyways.. before I end this post, I'd like to share a little sneak peek at something else I have been working on specially for Momma's. :) As an alternative to the birds nest necklace.. I thought it would be fun to start making some pea pod necklaces! Here are some pictures of an example for a Momma with a single child. :) I know a few people mentioned thinking a birds nest would look kind of bare with only one "egg" so here is an alternative. But this would look cute with several little "peas" too. :) So keep a look out for these to come to the boutique soon as well. :)
And of course I'd love to know what you think!

I really adore how they came out!

Well that was a very long post, But I do hope it was something that touched your heart and gave you a little encouragement. Thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to read. :)
Cant wait to hear from you in the comment section!
Much Love & Hugs,

Thursday Things {I Love} #11 Pinterest! (And An Invite!)

So I have totally jumped aboard the Pinterest bandwagon!

And Im totally loving it! I admit, at first I resisted!

I first heard about pinterest, from Bella, when she sent

me an invite....And I totally declined it. I checked it out first...

but wasnt sure what it was all about. I kind of understood, but

wasnt sure I wanted to get involved on ANOTHER site!

Because all these social networking sites take time and such and 

sometimes I tend to obsess over new things... I didnt want anything taking 

time away from my blogs, FB or Etsy shop (which is having a sale btw)!

But then suddenly it seem to be all anyone was talking about! 

Several other bloggers... then bigger bloggers like Nina of 

Momma Go Round, and Ashley of Little Miss Momma, and 

more recently I saw How Does She started and is actually having

a giveaway for invites to the site!

See if you dont know already, Pinterest is "exclusive" and by invite

ONLY!  Or you can try to sign up and wait to be accepted.

Yeah.. I thought that was weird too.

But I guess that how POPULAR things go right? :)

ANYWAYS... Around the time blogger went crazy I was a little

bored and started getting curious about Pinterest. SO I asked

for someone to send me an invite, on my FB status. Of course my

Sweet friend Bella sent me another, and I joined! And now I 

LOVE it! See I try to be a very organized person. I liked to be able

to find things easy by categorizing everything! 

Just check out my bookmarks!:

Yeah its a LOOOONG list! But check out what it looks like

when I click on one of the tabs:

Another LOOONG list!

So much stuff! Tons of links to sites I love, crafts I want to

try, all kinds of inspirational things... I have them all bookmarked.

I have them all categorized, and in order... but I got to thinking

sometimes it is still hard for me to find a link Im looking for!

Even with all that organization! Now here is why I am 

loving Pinterest.. because for me.. it is JUST like my bookmarks!

Only BETTER! I get to keep things organized and categorized

PLUS I get to pin a PICTURE! So I can easily see and find what

I am looking for.. AND show off, to others who follow me, what I

think is cool, what I like, what Im checking out and all that stuff. :)

So Ive been slowly going through my bookmarks and pinning them

on my Pinterest account, so I can remove them from my bookmarks.

Ive also been pinning a lot of Hello Kitty because Im throwing my

sister's baby shower, and if she has a girl she wants a hello kitty 

theme! If she has a boy it will be a snoopy theme! Im hopeing

for a girl! :) Hello Kitty would be so fun! lol

ANYWAYS... so basically yeah... Im probably one of the LAST

people to join in on the Pinterest fun... But Im just glad I did!

SO I HAD to share! ALSO just in case I am NOT the only one

out there who hasnt joined, lol, I'd like to invite YOU to pinterest!

So....

If you would like to be invited

just comment with your email address!

 And I will send you an invite!

If youre already on Pinterest, let me know what your thoughts on the site are? 

Did you resist to join at first like me or couldnt wait to join?

Oh and send me a link to your board I'd love to follow you! :)

Red Bluff Children Photographer {Isabella Sneak Peek Part 2}

 A few weeks back I posted a sneak of Isabella's 1 year birthday
Portraits (See them {here}) And I mentioned having another
session in a few days, for her cake eating...
Well Ive been slackin' when it comes to posting my photo shoots
on the blog! :( So FINALLY here is the sneak peek at Isabella's
Cake Eating 1 year Birthday Portraits!

Check out this adorable and COLORFUL cake that her Momma
(AKA my amazingly talented cake making sister, Mona) made her!
(Yes the focus is supposed to be on the cake, and not Bella!)

I just love how all the frosting colors came together, all over her

once she started devouring that cake!

Beautiful Blue eyes!

Some major destruction taking place here!

Whats funny is that Bella was very dainty and timid with the cake at 

first... only sticking on little finger in the frosting, and glancing at

Momma... making sure it was ok. :)

But once she had a taste.. oh man.. it was over! :) She was grubbin'!

There is just something so precious and cute about a little one

tearing apart and enjoying a messy cake!

The cake before destruction!

Bella before eating cake, in the birthday cake outfit her 

Momma made for her! She even made the adorable crown headband!

Yeah.. you can say talent runs in this family! :)

And here are a few shots of Bella in her birthday dress!

We are so excited, she is 1!!

The big ONE! :)

Sweet Little Princess!

Isabella with Momma and Daddy!

Arent your just smiling from ear to ear!?
I know I am.. these pictures just do that to me!
Im looking forward to doing more birthday sessions like this!
If you're in the Red Bluff area and need portraits done,
feel free to contact me! :)