This is a quick and easy DIY craft that will shimmer up your home for the holidays.
What you will need:
Candles
Epsom salt
Mod podge
Sponge paint brush
Candles ready to go!
Step 1- Brush mod podge on candles with a sponge paint brush.
Step 2- Sprinkle epsom salt all over the candle. Then let dry.
Step 3- Wait, you’re done! Tada!
Super easy DIY, but also super cute!!! Have fun!
-Donnally
It’s f-f-f-rrrreeeeezing now, and it was f-f-f-rrrreeeeezing this weekend. Saturday we capped off the night with a trip to Silver Dollar City. I wore two coats, two scarves, and two pairs of gloves… and I was still cold! (Cold and unfashionable!) Frost bite aside, we had a great time! One of my favorite things to do during this time of year is look at Christmas lights, so of course- I loved it! And to make the night even more special it started snowing as we were watching the Christmas show.
-Donnally
It is the Christmas season and the season to get your decorations up! I’ve been working on this little project for a week (it really doesn’t take that long….I guess unless you have a newborn and a business?)
Please ignore the fact that my hot glue gun is from the 1990′s…..
These are the supplies you’ll need:
Muli sized peal beads
Scissors
Wreath
White felt
Hot glue gun/glue
Step 1: Cut Felt into small squares. (I used various sizes of squares to get large and small flowers)
Step 2: Cut corners. (Probably the only time in your life you get to hear that!)
Step 3: Cut squares into spirals.
Just another view so you get the idea…
Step 4: Pinch the inside of the spiral together (I glued mine for extra stability) and start wrapping the felt around the center.
Step 5: You will have a flower as seen below.
Step 6: Glue the end to the flower for stability
Step 7: You’ll have a flower…..
Step 8: Keep going until you have SEVERAL flowers!
Step 9: You guessed it glue the backs of your flowers to the wreath, alternating between larger and smaller flowers
Step 10: This step could really be optional but I added pearl beads inside each flower on my wreath.
Step 11: Just keep adding until your finished!!! (If anyone tries this DIY I would like to see how long it took you consecutively to finish it up and see pictures of your final product!)
(FYI….I didn’t have quite enough felt so I’m going to go back in and add flowers in those bare spots, I just wanted to get this posted today!)
Enjoy!
-erika
As an Arkansas Photographer I never imagined receiving gifts from clients…..but this year has been extraordinary! I’ve been (well really in the scheme of things Titan) given two gifts this year! Can you believe it?!?!?! Titan first got a cute little yellow giraffe that had music and just the other day he got this really awesome magnetic board from So Inviting for his Razorback room (which we’ve yet to reveal due to me thinking I needed to redo my office space as well)….soon though I promise!
THANKS CHELSEA & STEW!!!!
Enjoy!
-erika
We’re still chuggin along over here at Erika Dotson Photography! It’s been such a great year with many wonderful new clients! We are so blessed to have such amazing people choose us to be their special photographer! It’s been a pleasure getting to know you and work along side you! THANKS! :)
Here’s some of the things we’ve been working on!
Yep you should recognize that gal in the red scarf…Donnally…..and her gorgeous family! Had the pleasure to visit my hometown for a few hours as I drove down to Mena for their family portrait session! They have such a beautiful home with lovely surroundings, what a treat it was to shoot there!
This is Craig, we went out for part two of his senior portraits to Lake Fayetteville. I love that spot! He’s a Springdale Senior, in case you missed it the first time around! Congratulations….again! :)
Here’s Mr. Jack with his mommy and daddy. I traded out some babysitting time with this family! What a great plan and we’re both happy with what we got! :) Dusty and Stephanie have been my hubby’s friends for years so I adopted them too…..I’ll admit they are good company! :) Thanks guys!
Then the Crees siblings! This is Sam. We know each other from high school. Sam and his sisters wanted to give their parents a meaningful gift this year so they booked us for a sibling session! I love that their parents have no idea! What a GREAT gift idea!!!
Well that’s what we’ve been working on! :)
Enjoy!
-erika
-Donnally
Here’s a fun outfit to wear out on a Friday or Saturday night. Just bundle up first!!
-Donnally
Hey everyone we decided to start swapping out a few blog posts to change things up a bit! So I’ll be doing this week’s Out and About post!
I’d like to show you a mysterious side of my life! :) ha ha just kidding, but I am going to share with you something most of you probably have no idea I could do….horseback riding! The day after Thanksgiving when everyone else was up early scouring the stores to find the best deals we were out here kickin back and enjoying the beautiful (FREEZing) day! My hubby and I have done the whole “Black Friday” thing and since we aren’t doing Christmas this year (we’re buying our selves a ski trip instead—ok I don’t ski but a snowboarding trip for me) we decided to skip out on the whole event. (Just to clarify….we are celebrating Christmas just not doing presents!) And to be quite honest even though we planned out where we would go and what we needed the last time…..we both love a bargain and ended up coming home with so much junk we didn’t need and only later to find out they weren’t really that great of deals anyways. So steering clear of disappointment we enjoyed a day with friends and family!
(Please excuse the crappy pictures – I’m not about to take my good camera on a horseback riding trip- I’m not sure insurance would cover that!)
I tried to make mine look as cool as Donnally’s…….hmmm.
Enjoy!
-erika
An inspiring idea
Don’t focus on faces! :) I know I know it sounds a bit crazy but think about it sometimes those fussy little two year olds don’t want their picture taken, or maybe that doggie won’t stay still long enough to get a good shot. It’s crazier to just give up than miss that story telling picture. Shoot low. Crop off heads. Focus on hands. It’s ok I promise. Not every shot has to be of people’s faces, now as I’m telling you this make sure you get some or you’ll probably loose lots of business quick! Sometimes we don’t need a face to tell a story and that’s the kind of shots you are looking for!
Check out our next post for a few examples of storytelling shots!
Enjoy!
-erika
KNWA and Fox 24 in Fayetteville. That’s right, I was privy to all the craziness viewers don’t get to see when the cameras are off. Living in the River Valley I don’t get either news stations, so it was treat to FINALLY get to see my guy on the news. Usually JR is out in the field reporting stories, but Thursday and Friday he was behind the desk filling in for the main anchors. It was a lot of fun to see each newscast come together, and the people there- very cool. And so here’s my plug for NWA readers- for all your news, sports, and weather tune into channel 8 at 9:00, and 9 at 10:00.
Forever 21