Christmas Upcycled Gift Countdown Week # 3 - Tray Magnetboard/ToDo Board


This is what I ask myself when prioritizing my day.

(yup it's pretty much the secret to my success here at Olive Bites folks, works pretty well for me - I do spend quite a bit of time napping, eating snacks and solving mysteries though, so it might not work for everyone)

This is a heavy vintage, enamel metal tray (a similar type of thing can be done with a smaller, lighter weight tray, too - see LOVE pic below),

some large adhesive letters from Lowe's ($1.50) and some magnets that read NOW, LATER and NEVER

(I can hook you up with the tops of these just email me and add your own magnets)

Now, you are probably thinking this does not need a step by step - you're right. It's pretty much cut and stick. I did have to take a few pics though so I can call this a TUTORIAL, otherwise it would be cheating.




(the LOVE tray has a little adhesive back hanger that I could hook you up with, too)

You could stencil something like this, too, if you are feeling very crafty and if your recipient might think stickers a bit .. tacky (stickers ... tacky ... get it) - the vintage green one above is a bonus gift for a special someone on my list. I do not think she minds tacky - especially when it is an awesome mint green circle of blooms and rust covered with hugs and kisses - who could resist that?

Manifesting for Makers - Introduction - the act of creating is the act of allowing

CREATE print by and at wallfry.etsy.com
The definition of manifesting is "to make clear or evident to the eye or the understanding - to show plainly" -

this is probably not the definition that most people are thinking about when they are trying to manifest (ala the law of attraction) something.

This is the definition we are going to work with though (the making clear and evident one) because it is a higher vibration and life is supporting a higher vibration now.

(the vibration is important because it works sort of like a key to unlock the higher paradigm within us; the thing we are reaching toward - this must have been what it felt like for people alive on the planet as the Dark Ages moved into the Enlightenment .. scary and exciting and unchartered and we are making it up as we go along and that is totally ok and more than ok actually because if not us who? )

I think the last few years has shown us that hundreds of thousands of people setting intentions to manifest specific things for themselves, the things we thought we wanted (the gimme more, bigger, better, best way of thinking that is born from the fear that there is not enough) can really muck things up

(of course, as with all mucked up things - it is just a mirror reflecting our own mucked-up-ness back at us - we are never really victims but just people being shown our weakness)

the real "Secret" may be that we have this manifesting thing ass backwards -

of course, we have also been brought to this point by hundreds of thousands of people taking their power back and setting intentions to manifest something else, something new and authentic and real - the very energy of which is totally supported because everything either evolves or becomes increasingly unstable until it breaks down - the new that is totally unstoppable.

We aren't here to figure out what we want and then manifest that.

The idea that manifesting is about figuring out what we want and then going for it, is the reason so many of us are stuck, sitting in this place of  indecision "well, what the hell do I want?" -

because we are thinking this with our mind (our soul is awesomely ok with any and all circumstances) - the part of us that can only offer up answers based on our past conditioning and often based on what we don't want - based on fear.

The difference between coming at things from love (think : soul/heart here) or fear (think : mind/thoughts here) is the difference between wanting to manifest a partner because we're uncomfortable being alone and afraid we will always be alone or wanting to manifest a partner because we see an old couple lovingly holding hands and whispering in the park and our soul cries out YES, I WANT THAT!

I saw just such a couple yesterday and they made my heart so full that I found myself drawn very near to them and I asked them how long they had been married and the old man looked at me with a mischievous twinkle in his eye and said "we're not married, but we've been living together for 4 months and 6 days" - I thought my heart would explode with happiness.

Anyhoo, I only wanted this to be an intro - a little taste of where we are headed with this series if anyone wants to come along - this journey to manifesting; the allowing = creating kind of manifesting that is what we makers are really here to make.

Next Week: Manifesting for Makers - Part I - how compassion can unleash our passion (plus an exercise in how to figure out what we really want ... within seconds)

Dish Towel Holder Tutorial - Upcycled Gift Countdown Week 2 - and a quick history lesson for lazy hubbies - LESSON: no hubby has ever been shot while doing the dishes



Anyone who reads my blog

(and is paying attention I know that leaves many people out ... I won't hold it against you)

knows that I have a little bit of an obsession with upcycling books - as in I have the need to drill holes in them and otherwise destroy them.

(I blame my Nook)

This is a very simple gift that is as usual easy-peasy to make. I made this for a friend's black and white kitchen.

(I am trying to show her how vintage pieces can add character to a space - for times when my actual old as dirt self is not at her house providing the vintage character personally)

You will need:


a book -

that you can bear to part with, preferably something a little kitcheny - if it has Julia's face on it that is a total plus -

vintage kneader/masher, pipe holders, screws, marking pencil, drill, hanging hardware




1. mark your holes 2. drill your holes - as always when drilling into a book - go slowly - this is a lesson from Smokey the Bear, folks 3. attach your pipe hangers NOTE - you have to add your kneader/masher - what the hell is this thing anyway? -  at this point - I had 2 screws in when I realized there was no way to add the kneader/masher without taking them out - luckily you have me to guide you through this and you will not make this mistake  4. add a sawtooth hanger (drill, glue, hammer) to the back - you can measure the placements of everything - I just kind of eyeball things (since it's not going in my kitchen after all - ack)

VOILA! now you just need a super-amazing dish towel - I highly recommend one by the amazing Xenotees 


For another towel rack featuring a vintage rolling pin see my other tutorial HERE and for something else to do with the kneader/masher thingamajig see my other tutorial HERE