DIY: Silver Washer Vases

I've got a really neat little craft project for you today. I still have about 40 vases left over from my wedding centerpieces, and in looking for some way to decorate them, I came up with an idea - metal washers.  I have seen vases decorated with pennies before, but since I will mostly be using silver metals in my decor, I wanted to use something that wasn't copper.  In brainstorming different ideas on what I could use, I thought of both nickels and dimes, keeping in the money theme, but figured that would cost too much, literally.  So, the last idea that I came up with was metal washers from the hardware aisle.

Now, before you head out to the hardware store, do some research on the size of washers that are offered.  You will want to make sure that your washers fit perfectly on all sides of your vase.  Since my vase is square, I measured the width and height of the sides and then was able to determine that my 3"x3" vase could use six #10 washers for both the width and height, since each washer is about a half inch, bringing me to the dimensions of my vase.  If your vase is cylindrical, measure the circumference and the height and then you can do some simple calculations to figure out how many #10 washers (or any other size that you choose) you will need.  If your vase has some shape to it that isn't consistent, I suggest that you go smaller with the size of the washers, rather than larger, as it will be easier to fit more on in tricky spaces and they will lay flat on your vase.  

For adhesive, you have your choice of products.  You could use a really durable glue to secure them onto your vase, but just be aware that some glues do not work well with glass.  For this project, I used silicone adhesive, which is waterproof - important for a flower vase, and dries very quickly.  

So, to start, gather up your supplies. You'll want your adhesive, your clean and dry vase, your washers, and then not pictured below are a chopstick and a small paint brush that you will likely throw away when this project is finished. Chances are, your adhesive will not wash out of the bristles very easily, so use one that you don't really care about, or buy a little cheap one from the dollar store. 

Once you have prepped your workspace, get to work by adding the adhesive of your choice to the back side of the washer.  To make this easier and keep my fingers clean, I threaded the washer onto a chopstick, and it slid about 1/3 down the stick.  From that point, I used my little paint brush and painted the back of the washer (the flattest side) with the silicone adhesive. 

Once the washer was painted with the silicone, I flipped the chopstick over, and placed it where I wanted the washer to be. Just tapping on the front side of the washer with the handle of the paint brush made it slide off of the chopstick and onto the glass vase. From that point, all I had to do was gently push it to where I wanted it to be and then press down with one end of the chopstick to secure it in place.  The washer below is a little gummy with some extra adhesive, but it will come right off with a paper towel if you catch it when it's still wet.

And then you just repeat that. A million times. But in all reality, I used 36 washers per side of my vase, which means that I used 144 washers.  Close to a million, right?

Anyway, when you're done placing all the washers on the vase, let your adhesive dry and then you're good to go!  A plain vase just became something really, really cute!

I figured it was acceptable to use some of the leftover bamboo favors from our wedding to put in this revamped vase that was also from our wedding.  I am really looking forward to making more of these, since I have so many vases leftover. I think they are so cute, and are the perfect punch of modern decor for my home.

And, if you have some extra vases lying around in your home, you could very easily and inexpensively do this as a gift! The holidays are coming up quickly, and what's better than a homemade gift, right?!

What else could you use for vamping up an ordinary vase?

First Wedding Anniversary

Today is our first wedding anniversary!

D and I have been in Bar Harbor, Maine this weekend, celebrating, which is why there wasn't a Flash Sale Friday post this week, but I promise that I'll be back with that next week.

Last year at this time, I was standing behind our venue getting ready to walk down the aisle, nervous and anxious about just getting the ceremony started and over with. I just wanted to be married already!

Now, here we are a year later, and time has gone by so quickly.  While I'm still not used to calling D my husband, I have a new name that, strangely enough, feels right and that I am used to using.

We already have a lot planned for this year, and I can't wait to share it all with you!

Here's to a happy and adventurous next year of marriage!



If you're interested in reading more about our wedding, check out the Wedding tab at the top that has a bunch of our favorite posts, about both planning and our recaps!

Photos courtesy of Matt Ferrara Photography.

A Rhody Minimoon: Navigating the Ocean Drive

On our last day in Newport, D and I only had two things planned. The first thing was to pick up our ornaments from Thames Glass, but we decided to do that on our way out of town.  The other thing was to drive the Ocean Drive.  But, we weren't going to do it in a car or on a bicycle.

We wanted to do it on Segways.  

So, that's what we did!  I went to the Segway of Newport website and read about the different tours that they offered, and decided that we should do the Ocean Drive tour, which also includes riding down Bellevue Avenue, by all the mansions.  

When we got to the Segway of Newport location on Thames Street, we had to sign a release waiver, and then they set us up with a Segway.  They taught us how to drive, simply by putting pressure on your toes to go forward, and on your heels to slow, stop, and reverse.  Turning was done by leaning slightly to the side that you want to turn to, pulling the handlebars with you gently.  

The Segways can only go a maximum of 12 MPH, and they strongly advised us to try to not go that fast, although the vehicles will automatically slow you down, and push into your body with the handlebars for more support if you do end up going that fast.  

After being taught how to use them, we put on our rain ponchos, yep, it rained again, and got out on the road, following our tour leader and a few other people in our tour group.  We ended up going a little more than 13 miles in an hour and a half, stopping every once in a while to give our feet a break - standing that long is tough when your feet are stuck in one position.  And we did get the opportunity to take in the sights around us, like the Newport Yacht Club, the Newport Country Club, the extravagant houses on the Ocean Drive, and the mansions on Bellevue Ave.  

And we may have broken the rules a bit by hanging back and trying our hardest to go that 12 MPH....

Oh, and we were definitely texting and taking pictures while driving.  Shhhhhhh!

D and I had an absolute blast on this tour. We actually keep talking about it over and over, and how much fun it would be to do it again.  

Unfortunately, after visiting the Segway of Newport website to link it to this post, it seems as if they have closed.  Not sure why, nor had I heard of them closing, but apparently it just wasn't working out for them.  Too bad, too, because we were really looking forward to taking another tour.

I guess this just means that we'll have to visit another one of the cities that offers Segway tours, like San Francisco, or Paris, or Berlin!

Have you ever ridden a Segway? What did you think? Did it make you want to buy one? I really want one now!

A Rhody Minimoon: Dinner at the Tavern

After a long and active day flying over Newport and walking through the mansions, we were ready to get some food.  We decided to go over to a little restaurant that we heard had good food, but was also known for a specific drink - the Dark and Stormy.  We walked over to the restaurant from our bed and breakfast, and even though we didn't have a reservation, we were seated immediately at The White Horse Tavern.

I'm not sure if I have mentioned it before, but I'm not much of a drinker.  I'll have the occasional mixed drink, or a rare glass of wine, but most of the time, D does the drinking for me.  And because we were at the Tavern, and they are known for the Dark and Stormy, a rum-based drink, he ordered one.  

I tried it, and it was good, but it was too much rum for my liking, so I left that to him, and stuck with water.  

We each ordered entrees, but forgot to take pictures of them because we were so excited to eat them. And they were delicious, but I was so full from mine that I gave the rest to D to finish. 

And then we got the dessert menu. Wow! 

Here's a transcription:

White Horse Crème Brulée A crème brulée topped with a crunchy, caramelized sugar lid and fresh berries

Our Famous Bread Pudding Baked with currants, bourbon, and fresh vanilla bean, served warm with vanilla ice cream and bourbon butter sauce

White Horse Triple Silk A slice of chocolate heaven with smooth layers of creamy white, milk and dark chocolates, served with sauce Melba. A White Horse tradition for over 20 years

Local Apple-Berry Crisp Cinnamon and sugar tossed tart apples and Sweet Berry Farm Berries sprinkled with an oat crumble, baked crispy with vanilla gelato 

House Made Smores White and Dark Chocolate, House made toasted Marshmallows, honey graham crackers, and warm milk chocolate sauce 

Artisan Sorbets or Gelatos Chef’s selection of three of our seasonal artisan sorbets or gelatos crafted for us by Cold Fusion Gelato

Berries and Dark Chocolate Native macerated berries layered with chocolate sauce and chocolate whipped marscarpone, with dark chocolate shavings

Sounds absolutely delicious, right?

D went with the White Horse Crème Brulée.

And I went with the House Made Smores.

We tried each other's desserts, and they were both just as delicious as the other. 

White Horse Tavern is definitely a place we will visit again.  The food was delicious, and the service was excellent!

A Rhody Minimoon: Mansions in the Rain

After we woke up from our little nap, we decided to walk up to Bellevue Avenue, which is where the Newport Mansions were.  We had each been to a few of the mansions before, but I hadn't been since I was in elementary school, and D hadn't been since middle school.  

We decided to check out two of the mansions, The Elms and The Breakers.  

The Elms is an absolutely beautiful house with gorgeous grounds, including a carriage house, and lush gardens.  Photographs of the interior of the houses are not allowed, but I did take some of the grounds.  

Front of The Elms / Personal Picture

Elm Tree / Personal Picture

D with the Elm Tree / Personal Picture

Delivery Entrance covered in vines and flowers to hide it from the house guests / Personal Picture

D sitting on a solid marble bench along the side of The Elms / Personal Picture

 

Me sitting on the bench along the side of The Elms / Personal Picture

View of the grounds from the back of The Elms / Personal Picture

The back of The Elms / Personal Picture

Tea House at the end of the grounds / Personal Picture

A marble and iron fountain on the property / Personal Picture

And a closeup, because we are so mature ;) / Personal Picture

After our tour of The Elms, we walked down Bellevue Avenue to The Breakers.  Like The Elms, photographs are not allowed of the interior, but we did take some pictures of the property.  The grounds weren't as extensive as those at The Elms, but the view was spectacular, despite it being another rainy and cloudy day.  The temperature outside here was colder though, being on the water, so we didn't spend as much time at this mansion as we did at the other.  

The back of The Breakers / Personal Picture

View of the Atlantic Ocean from the back patio / Personal Picture

An absolutely stunning view. Can you imagine living in one of these mansions? Life must have been so over-the-top back then.  

A Rhody Minimoon: Flying over the Island

The next day, we woke up and decided to be adventurous and spontaneous. The weather wasn't that great, it was raining on and off and was really cloudy, but that didn't stop us from getting outside.

We talked at breakfast about what we wanted to do for the day, and after seeing a pamphlet by the office at The Clarkeston, I called and made us a reservation for a helicopter tour of Aquidneck Island, which is the island that Newport is on. We drove over the the airport, which is actually is Middletown, the next town over, and met with the staff of Bird's Eye View Helicopters.  We took a crash course, no pun intended, and we were taught what to do and what not to do, including some emergency situation protocols.

We met our pilot, Jeff, and he brought us out to the helicopter. We were the first clients of the day, so the three of us hopped in, and he started it up, letting it run for about five minutes before take-off so it had time to warm up.

Now, let me tell you something. This helicopter was so small. I'm talking two seats in the back, and two in the front, one of which was the pilot's seat.

Front seat of the helicopter / Personal Picture

Also? This was one of the freakiest things I have ever done. You have to understand something. I don't do roller coasters. They make me really queasy, and I get motion sick really easily. D, on the other hand, loves them. But even this made him kind of uneasy. The helicopter was so small that every slight movement was felt, even the lightest breeze.

But, the view was spectacular! And in between squeezing D's hand and clutching onto his arm while we were taking turns and changing altitudes, I was able to capture some great shots!

View of the Newport Bridge and the Jetty / Personal Picture

Newport Bridge - Newport on the Left, Jamestown on the Right / Personal Picture

Newport Bridge - Newport on the Left, Jamestown on the Right / Personal Picture

Newport's Ocean Drive / Personal Picture

Newport Country Club Golf Course / Personal Picture

I will say, I don't think I will ever ride in a helicopter again, at least not one that small. But, I don't regret taking that ride at all. In fact, I am so happy that we did, because it gave us the opportunity to see the island and the sis from a completely different point of view.

After we landed, we went back to the car, and as soon as I sat down, I felt the need to get back out. Everything felt like it was moving still, so we decided to walk around a little bit before heading out, that way we both got the chance to get our land legs and bearings back. Being in that helicopter really threw us for a loop.

I was still not feeling that great after the ride back to the inn, so instead of heading to our next destination immediately, we took a little nap, thinking that would help get rid of the motion sickness that we both ended up with.

A Rhody Minimoon: Our Little Inn

When we decided that we were only going to spend a few days in Newport for our Minimoon, I wanted to find a cute bed and breakfast for us to stay in. I knew that Downtown Newport was going to be expensive, but knowing that, I decided that our vacation wouldn't start until Columbus Day so that the rates were lower since that was the very beginning of the off-season. I also scoured the internet for deals and promos that were happening with the different bed and breakfasts in the area.

I was able to find a group of five properties that were historical buildings which were restored into hotels. When I looked at the amenities online, there were some recently remodeled rooms that had built in jacuzzi tubs, instead of shared baths like some of the older rooms. I called up the hotel to ask some questions, and ended up booking with them. We would be staying at the Clarkeston Inn.

When we got there to check in. They had some last minute bookings, and moved our room to the third floor of the house, so we had some privacy from the other guests. The room was very quaint. It had a working wood fireplace, a queen size bed, a small tv, and a bathroom. This bathroom didn't have a jacuzzi tub, like advertised, but it did have a double shower.

For the two mornings that we were at the inn, we took advantage of the breakfast aspect, and went across the street to another one of the houses for a specially made meal. That was the best part of the inn, in my opinion. You could request anything for breakfast and they would make it for you on the spot.

It was a very cute room, and while it wasn't a five star hotel, it was good enough considering how little time we spent there. Next time we take a trip, however, I think I'd rather stay in an actual hotel rather than a bed and breakfast; less chance of the bed squeaking whenever D rolled over in the middle of the night.

A Rhody Minimoon: Sitting at the Beach

After we left the winery, we decided to take the scenic route back to Downtown Newport before we checked into our little inn.  We drove down by the water, and although it was cloudy and chilly outside,  it was still perfect.

The thing I missed about living in Indiana was the ocean, and the ability to just take the 20 minute drive to the water, and enjoy the sun, the sand, and the smell of the sea.

We decided to be brave though, and take our shoes off to walk in the sand. And although it was cold, it was great, because there was no one else on the beach, and we could just walk along without any bother.

When the rain started to come down, we decided to head back and check into our inn for the next few days, and when we got settled in, we popped open the complimentary bottle of wine from Newport Vineyards, and had a glass before bed.  

Next, I'll take you on the short little tour of our Bed and Breakfast in Downtown Newport, and then bring you along our only full day in Newport on our minimoon.