Simple Swaps: A Creative Oasis {How to create a space in less than 15 minutes at no cost}

*Congratulations to Stephanie who was randomly selected to win the Scentsy giveaway.* Saturdays around Undercover Mother are getting a little makeover for the fall!

The first Saturday of each month, I'll introduce one Simple Swaps as a way encouraging my friends here to find the time and resources to make simple changes aimed at gaining a healthier, more inspired, intentional lifestyle.



Each swap will:
1. Take 15 minutes or less to accomplish
2. Be free to implement or boast overall, long-haul savings
3. Focus on improving health/eco-friendliness, being good stewards of our resources or fostering a creative and intentional life.

Some weeks, all three will be accomplished in only 15 minutes!

The beautiful and creative Robin from Diet Coke on the Rocks will make the Simple Swap first each month so as to show ease and perhaps sometimes another way to implement a Simple Swap. Check out her September Simple Swap for more ideas!

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Simple Swap for Saturday, September 3, 2011: A Creative Oasis

It had been quite the week around our house -- chaotic with the craze of two weddings in three weekends, a pending bachlorette party {last Saturday night!} planned by yours truly and the insanity that emerges around both boys' birthdays when developmental peaks happen.

Plus, you know, life -- a business and laundry and cooking and cleaning per normal, none of which rests.

Last Friday night after the boys were fast asleep and the house was bathed in quiet, I found myself totally unmotivated and uninspired to take on all of the Martha Stewarting necessary for executing last Saturday's bachlorette party.

Because, really, there is nothing that zaps my desire to create like a house that looks like this:



My brain just cannot get beyond the mess {which is normally cleaned up before the boys go to bed, but holy crabbiness, batman!} and let the creativity flow when I'm knee high in toys and general clutter that's been scattered around the house by the boys.

As time was not a luxury with the party being so close, I decided I needed to make a creative watering well of sorts amid my cluttered, tumbleweeded desert of a home.

I picked one small space last night, gave myself 15 minutes and transformed the dining room into a tidy and inspiring Creative Oasis by focusing on making just a few improvements to the senses for no cost and with little planning in little time: Sights, sounds and smells

1. Sights

-Clear Clutter

After clearing the clutter from my chosen space, I focused on bringing beauty to the space.

- Beautify

I switched out the dirty table cloth, clothed my temporary desk with striped colors and retrieved the bouquet I'd been drying from last weekend's wedding, placing it in a vase as a visually appealing centerpiece.

-Stage Lighting

The dining room light isn't too harsh, but I dimmed the chandelier and instead turned up the tiny lights laced into decoration above the hutch so as to soften the ambiance.

2. Sounds

Though I often crave the quiet only night brings, I know I'm inspired by song and lyric, so I turned to Pandora {free Internet radio in your chosen genre} for the deep lyrical melodies of Mumford and Sons, Death Cab for Cutie and Sufjan Stevens. I opened the window next to the table, too, so as to soak in sounds of the crickets chirping in the late August air.

3. Smells

A fresh lemongrass Thai candle not only enhanced the smell in the air, but it also provided a bit more of soft lighting.

To top it off, I brewed a sweet smelling coconut tea at the table and let the smells waft into the air as I cleared the rest of the clutter from the table and hutch.

After my allotted 15 minutes passed, I looked around {took a few pictures} and breathed in the clarity and beauty of a freshly designed Creative Oasis.

And I'm overjoyed in the works that came from being in that space for a few hours last night



My creations turned out so awesomely, too! Much funkier and loads more playful than the vintage button bracelet I crafted last month.

{My BIG fall project is to create a permanent creativity oasis because I think we should all have some sort of small space, even if it's just a corner, where we can think and feel and let inspiration have room to expand and take shape.}

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OK! It's your turn to Simple Swap and create a Creative Oasis. If you make the Simple Swap, link up a post of your before and after picture below.

One person who links up her Creative Oasis, will be randomly selected to win the Scentsy Nantucket midsized burner and her choice of a scent bar gifted generously by Scentsy rep Natalie.



If after checking out Scentsy and loving the awesomeness of a flameless candle scenting your home, you can use 10 percent discount code for any Scentsy orders placed through September 30 when mentioning September Simple Swaps in your email order: nataliejcline{at}yahoo{dot}com.

The Creativity Oasis linky will be open through next Saturday, September 10.

Create!: Photo Booth Props Tutorial and Pictures

I'm not sure there's anything as alluring as a pretty lady sporting a curly-q mustache.
{Especially when its very obviously made of foam and you can see her sense of humor exuding from behind the black handlebars of such a 'stache.}

I mentioned yesterday that these photo-booth props were the perfect accent to the {mostly} sophisticated spa-weekend bachlorette party some friends and I executed for my bride-to-be sister.


Not only were they SUPER fun
but they also were SUPER easy to craft.

At first I wasn't even going to try to make my own with all the time restrictions I was facing, but Melissa talked me into it {and not one but two Etsy shop owners canceling five and four days before the party also sent me in that direction, too}.


My biggest challenge in the crafting of the props was deciding between using foam, felt or heavy card stock. I chose foam for longevity reasons. It's also water resistant, sturdy and won't flop over after a few uses.

So, without further ado, here's an easy tutorial for making your own party-starting, laughter-inducing photo booth props in just a few hours flat for about $10.

Supplies:


-Several sheets of 2mm thick foam in various colors {I bought sticky-backed sheets}

-heavy duty tape
-grilling skewers or long popsicle sticks
-scissors
-exacto knife or sharp cutting blade
-computer/printer to print templates or simple drawing skills
-pencil

Free Templates:

Lisa Welge mustache templates
The Pretty Blog templates for bowties, lips and necklaces
Tiffany Kelley mustaches

Directions:

1. Draw templates of a few mustaches, glasses, lips and bowties or print a few designs you like

2. Cut the templates out.

3. Place the templates on the back of the foam and trace {I traced on the paper side because mine was sticky-sided on the back.}

4. Use scissors to cut out the shapes; use an exacto knife to edge out the smaller details on the foam.

5. Decorate

6. Cut the sharp edge of the grilling skewer off

7. Tape the skewer to the far left of right side of the design and securely tape the stick to the back of the prop

8. If you're using the sticky-backed foam only cut the backing off of the place where the skewer was attached. Leave the paper on the rest so the prop doesn't stick to all surfaces when not being used

9. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: It should be noted that grown women aren't the only ones who enjoy photo-booth props.