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Recycled trash window installation – The Purple Tree!

At the start of this year I stated on Instagram that I wanted to do some public wall murals and installations (like window or art installations) because I just wanted to stretch my creative muscles. (Kinda like I did with my costume challange in 2019) I had some fun plans in place to make this happen, but then COVID šŸ™

BUT BUT BUT, one of my favorite stores in downtown Hudson, the Purple Tree, reached out and still wanted me to do their window display for the spring months…..YAY! I decided that it would be super cool (and important) to try and incorporate some of our current situation with being isolated and feeling fearful or generally overwhelmed at what was going on in our world. SO! I decided to make something beautiful out of our COVID trash from local Hudson homes for the display.

I put a call out to anyone in the Hudson area to save cardboard, paper, boxes, toilet paper tubes, paper towel tubes and MORE. And YUP, everyone delivered. I drove around on a Saturday morning picking things up from porches and driveways. (THANK YOU to everyone who saved these “treasures” for us).

Like I said, the goal was to create something beautiful out of trash. I wanted to symbolize that even in these hard and scary and uncertain times that beautiful things can still happen. Maybe this season was not the perfect ending to a school year or the most ideal to work from home, or maybe you felt sad that sports and proms and graduations and recitals and milestones weren’t met for you or your kiddos as expected. Or maybe work shifted and you were left with different roles that you don’t love or tasks that you don’t feel equipped for. All of these things can carry loads of stress…..my hope was that these flowers can give us some hope. Some hope to know that we were all in this together and that this won’t last forever. Hope to know that we can search out and seek moments of joy and celebration and fun and love and happiness even when things don’t go as planned or as expected.

Does this take away from the fact that people have died or gotten sick from Covid or that dreams have been altered and businesses changed, or that some have lost jobs or homes or income or security because of all of this? ABSOLUTELY NOT! But I do, 100% strongly believe, that if we try to look at life with a grateful heart and open hands, we can see beautiful things that happening despite all the bad that is being highlighted.

SO…. TRASH FLOWERS!

I broke down some boxes and picked out my fave colors of spray paint. I knew that the flowers had to be colorful and happy (OBVI!)

I also knew that I wanted the flowers to be dimensional and hang together to take OVER the window. So I started cutting shapes to see how layering and rolling edges and glueing together would look. And this is the idea I came up with! I also needed to keep the flower simple so that it was easily duplicated AND easy to hang. The Purple Tree window isn’t super deep so I also wanted to keep in mind that I didn’t want a monstrosity of a display that would overtake their SUPER AMAZING products inside!

So I started to assemble flowers and then add an inside “coil” for the toilet paper/paper towel tube stems to sit on. And, as with any project I do, I just started to make and see where it took me. I arrived at the Purple Tree to install with an armful of supplies and a semi-decent plan to how I could make this all come together. Of course, my plan changed about 12 times in the first hour….but once I got into a rhythm, I went to town and made those trash flowers GROW! šŸ™‚

I used wire to hang on 3M hooks across the window. Then run the tubes of chickenwire/paper tubes through the wire to hang the flowers off of! Like anything, I had to make adjustments as I went and I am pleased with how the finished product turned out!!!
And more than anything I am thankful that I could reflect some hope in this uncertain time with simple things like cardboard, glue, wire and paint!

Check out more of the process from this little video that I put together:

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oh hi there, i’m Emily!

I am a believer, dreamer, photographer and maker! I use almond extract in all of my baking, have a problem hitting the snooze button and I truly believe that smiling can change the world!

Learn more about me HERE!

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Adding color and lots of little personalities and Adding color and lots of little personalities and faces to our weekend. Because love wins and death is conquered….so yes, this is for sure how we celebratešŸŽ‰ 
Also, every time I cracked an egg this weekend, I squealed in the sound or noise that I thought the personality of the egg would sound šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚ obvi.
I would PICKle you as my Valentine over and over i I would PICKle you as my Valentine over and over if I could! šŸ˜‚
Also, yes, this is clearly a @claussenpicklesofficial because duh, they are the best! ā¤ļø

The alternate caption could also be ā€œyup…..it’s a Valentine pickle. Because my kids are obsessed with vinegar soaked veggies. Just swipe for the Halloween pickle proof šŸ„’ ā€œ
For the record, I got approximately zero adulting For the record, I got approximately zero adulting things done while constructing this cardboard @encantomovie Casita of my daughters dreams. Except of course inserting many phrases in place of the ā€œwe don’t talk about Brunoā€ song…..ya know, ā€œwe don’t talk about dishes no no nooooo. We don’t talk about laundryyyyyy.ā€ šŸ  šŸŽØ šŸ’› 
Also, the minute the hot glue was dry, Esther picked up the Casita, hugged it and ran it to the living room where she played most of the afternoon. A moment of Mom win to warm my heart šŸ˜­ā¤ļø
ā€œMay you find the light that guides you homeā€ ā€œMay you find the light that guides you homeā€ 
One of my fave song + fave yearly progression that makes me allll happy and sappy. Merry Christmas šŸŽ„ I hope you’re finding light this holiday season!
If I’ve said it once and I’ll say it 3 squllio If I’ve said it once and I’ll say it 3 squllion more times: I LOVE PAINNNTTTTT! Here’s the thing……paint is always, 100% paint-overable. If you paint something, step back, live with it for while but just doesn’t feel right…..simply paint over it. Like really that simple. 
I’ve done this a handful of times in our own home….bathrooms, bedrooms, hallways (like so many times in the hallways šŸ˜‚)! 
Painting to me is a slight reflection of life: nothing is perfect, and even when mistakes or missteps feel overwhelming they are always worth fixing and usually fixable annnnnd it’s amazing how much a  small moment can bring big joy…..or in this case a big moment on a biiigggg wall šŸŽ‰šŸŽØ
I am doing my last restock of these little nutcrac I am doing my last restock of these little nutcracker buddies tonight at 7pm (central time)! So if you’ve had your eyes on them, especially after seeing them in @hgtvmagazine (gahhhhhhh, still can’t get over this), then be sure to find yourself in my shop tonight at 7pm central!
Even thought I had alllll the intentions of postin Even thought I had alllll the intentions of posting this sooner, I make no apologies because I don’t like living in the land of the ā€œshoulddasā€. Especially during this season of intentional slowing down and anticipating the arrival of Christmas. 
Download this coloring advent village and take a few min away to color each house and talk about the season and the way you can shine light! 
PS, download the file on my blog amongst the other holiday themed doodles coloring sheets…..AND we printed our village in gargantuan size from Staples….(their engineer print) and I am not one but mad about the fact that it will take up nearly half a wall! šŸ˜‚ ā¤ļøšŸŽ„
Tis the season for my crafting fingers to be full Tis the season for my crafting fingers to be full of hot glue burns and can honestly say it makes me happy. Like so thankful and happy! 
Okkayyy well maybe not the burns themselves but the fact that I’m over here, in my little studio space in Wisconsin crafting my heart out and you’re sending the love right back to me with all the support! Support for the doodles and painting and costumes and sewing and other colorful things that I’m eager to share! 
SO thankful. Like I’d really love to give you all a humongous big hug right now. 

And for all the online shoppers this weekend, use code YAYcreatives for 20% off everything in my shop through Monday night. Including these happy Colorful felt trees! (I meannnnn, look at their personality šŸ˜‚šŸ˜)
Follow Emily on Insta

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Adding color and lots of little personalities and Adding color and lots of little personalities and faces to our weekend. Because love wins and death is conquered….so yes, this is for sure how we celebratešŸŽ‰ 
Also, every time I cracked an egg this weekend, I squealed in the sound or noise that I thought the personality of the egg would sound šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚ obvi.
I would PICKle you as my Valentine over and over i I would PICKle you as my Valentine over and over if I could! šŸ˜‚
Also, yes, this is clearly a @claussenpicklesofficial because duh, they are the best! ā¤ļø

The alternate caption could also be ā€œyup…..it’s a Valentine pickle. Because my kids are obsessed with vinegar soaked veggies. Just swipe for the Halloween pickle proof šŸ„’ ā€œ
For the record, I got approximately zero adulting For the record, I got approximately zero adulting things done while constructing this cardboard @encantomovie Casita of my daughters dreams. Except of course inserting many phrases in place of the ā€œwe don’t talk about Brunoā€ song…..ya know, ā€œwe don’t talk about dishes no no nooooo. We don’t talk about laundryyyyyy.ā€ šŸ  šŸŽØ šŸ’› 
Also, the minute the hot glue was dry, Esther picked up the Casita, hugged it and ran it to the living room where she played most of the afternoon. A moment of Mom win to warm my heart šŸ˜­ā¤ļø
ā€œMay you find the light that guides you homeā€ ā€œMay you find the light that guides you homeā€ 
One of my fave song + fave yearly progression that makes me allll happy and sappy. Merry Christmas šŸŽ„ I hope you’re finding light this holiday season!
If I’ve said it once and I’ll say it 3 squllio If I’ve said it once and I’ll say it 3 squllion more times: I LOVE PAINNNTTTTT! Here’s the thing……paint is always, 100% paint-overable. If you paint something, step back, live with it for while but just doesn’t feel right…..simply paint over it. Like really that simple. 
I’ve done this a handful of times in our own home….bathrooms, bedrooms, hallways (like so many times in the hallways šŸ˜‚)! 
Painting to me is a slight reflection of life: nothing is perfect, and even when mistakes or missteps feel overwhelming they are always worth fixing and usually fixable annnnnd it’s amazing how much a  small moment can bring big joy…..or in this case a big moment on a biiigggg wall šŸŽ‰šŸŽØ
I am doing my last restock of these little nutcrac I am doing my last restock of these little nutcracker buddies tonight at 7pm (central time)! So if you’ve had your eyes on them, especially after seeing them in @hgtvmagazine (gahhhhhhh, still can’t get over this), then be sure to find yourself in my shop tonight at 7pm central!
Even thought I had alllll the intentions of postin Even thought I had alllll the intentions of posting this sooner, I make no apologies because I don’t like living in the land of the ā€œshoulddasā€. Especially during this season of intentional slowing down and anticipating the arrival of Christmas. 
Download this coloring advent village and take a few min away to color each house and talk about the season and the way you can shine light! 
PS, download the file on my blog amongst the other holiday themed doodles coloring sheets…..AND we printed our village in gargantuan size from Staples….(their engineer print) and I am not one but mad about the fact that it will take up nearly half a wall! šŸ˜‚ ā¤ļøšŸŽ„
Tis the season for my crafting fingers to be full Tis the season for my crafting fingers to be full of hot glue burns and can honestly say it makes me happy. Like so thankful and happy! 
Okkayyy well maybe not the burns themselves but the fact that I’m over here, in my little studio space in Wisconsin crafting my heart out and you’re sending the love right back to me with all the support! Support for the doodles and painting and costumes and sewing and other colorful things that I’m eager to share! 
SO thankful. Like I’d really love to give you all a humongous big hug right now. 

And for all the online shoppers this weekend, use code YAYcreatives for 20% off everything in my shop through Monday night. Including these happy Colorful felt trees! (I meannnnn, look at their personality šŸ˜‚šŸ˜)
Follow Emily on Insta

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