Glitter Flower Pots

My boyfriend was smart this Valentine's Day, and bought be something I hopefully won't kill.  I have terrible luck with plants, and I feel so bad every time he gets me an orchid or something else, because it never lasts more than a month.  So, here we go again :)

I love this little cactus. It was perfect because he color coordinated my gift (uhh, super impressed by that?), and this was our first Valentine's Day in Texas.  He did forget one thing though... a pot lol.  He wrapped a paper towel around it, so that the dirt wouldn't get all over everything else.  That's ok though, because it gave me the perfect opportunity to get my glitter out again!  This was a very easy project, but I'll fill you in on how I made these pretty little pots anyway.  If you're wondering why the little pot is empty, you'll find out why next week ;). UPDATE:: Never mind, all I ended up growing for the little pot, was mold.  Womp, womp!

You will need:
Flower pot (got mine for 99 cents at the thrift store) The tiny pot came in a set of 3 from the Dollar Tree.
White paint
1 inch Sponge brush
Mod Podge or Glue
Glitter
Paper Plate or large sheet of paper

1. Start by making sure there isn't any sticky stuff left over from a price tag on the surface of the pot you are going to paint.  I learned this the hard way, so just trust me and take the extra minute to wash it off COMPLETELY.

2. To paint my pot, I held it from the inside, and rotated my brush around the sides.  You're going to need at least 3 coats.  The good thing is, the terracotta absorbs it quickly and you won't have to wait long to paint the next coat.  Make sure you paint the inside too; just down to the rim.  Clean and dry your brush.

3.  Once your everything is dry, apply the Mod Podge evenly to just the outside rim of the pot.  Make sure you don't miss any spots!

4.  Over a paper plate, immediately pick it up from the bottom and tap out your glitter directly onto the rim, while rotating your pot.  You could also roll the pot into the glitter, but I found this method works the best. Tip: Run your finger around the bottom edge of the rim while it's still wet. This will remove any stray/uneven glitter.  When you're done, you can make a funnel with your plate, and pour it back into the container.

5. Once dry, sponge another coat of mod podge over top of the glitter.  This will seal the glitter, and prevent any from flaking off and making a mess on your desk or window sill.

That's it!  If you make this little project, I'd love to see it!  Tweet me your pics at @thepaperpinata

Have a good weekend!

<3 Ashley

Cheap and Easy Valentine's Gift Idea

This candle smells as good as it looks, and it's only $1!

For todays post, I threw together a quick, easy, and inexpensive gift idea.  All items shown (with the exception of the essie nail polish) are from the Dollar Tree!  This is perfect for a girlfriend*, daughter, roommate, or co-worker.  The essie nail polishes (usually about $8 a piece) hike up the price quite a bit, but they're totally replaceable with a different brand.  If you want to give something other than manicure items, there are plenty of other options to fill this adorable little box with.  Honestly, I made up this gift idea just as an excuse to buy the box.  I liked it that much.  I sure hope someone benefits from my impulse buy....

Other combinations could include:
Chocolates (of course!)
Lip balms
Scratch off tickets
Perfume rollers or samples
Starbucks gift card
Homemade treats
Hand lotion
Body Spray
Earring studs
Pez Dispenser
Gum
etc..

*You could make this into a funny gift for your mutually single girlfriends.  Fill the box with lollipops, and put a sign on it that says "Valentine's Day Sucks"
There were many February 14ths where my friends and I would've gotten a big kick out of that!
Oh, and if you haven't noticed, I love confetti, and add it to almost all of my little photo shoots.
  I think it adds a little something to the presentation.
Just a suggestion ;).

Today I'm linking up to:
 

What Walgreens Has For Valentine's Day!

I'm kind of obsessed with Walgreens all of a sudden.
I don't know how that happened?

But it did, and I'm ok with that.

And, now for some reason my boyfriend likes to stop in and browse through their seasonal section too.  So, that's what we did tonight.
We really know how to have a good time on a Saturday night ;).
  I took a few pictures to share my favorite finds with you guys. 
Maybe I'll bring you over to the other side too :).

Ok, so here are my favorite finds for Valentine's Day!

Target // One Stop Gift Shopping!

(This Post is from November 2013, but I've been to Target recently, and know that a lot of these items are still available!)

Target is so reliable.  If I need a last minute gift for a girlfriend, they're always there for me.  The only problem is I love their stuff so much, that sometimes I buy doubles.
It's a tick, I swear.

1/2/3/4

In case you were wondering, this gift idea will run you about $70 if you include both nail polishes.  Without them, you'd be spending about $55.  That's a small price to pay for style and convenience.


Here are some other quick combo's I found at Target...

Gold is super in right now.  A few years ago, most of us would've never touched it with a gazillion foot poll.  Now we just can't get enough :)


The picture doesn't do this teal and gold combo justice!  It's a must see, in person.
Remember, you can always add more or less (nail polish, sunglasses, jewelry, lip gloss etc) depending on your budget.

Look for an end cap like the one below. Target does a lot of the work for you by setting up these displays.  I'm loving the coral scarf down there.  By the way, if you haven't discovered these cell phone/wallet cases yet, you're missing out!  I bought one, and I'm in love with it.  

(Oh, and these purses aren't bad for people who want to achieve the designer look without paying designer prices.)

And while you're at Target, look for these cards in the front of the store (I call it the bargain section, but I'm sure it has another name).  I picked all of these up for only $1 each, and they look like those more expensive fancy papyrus cards!  

That concludes my trip to Target on Sunday.  I could have spent hours there, but football was on.  We wouldn't want to miss that..... ;)