Decoupage a Flowerpot with Fabric and Mod Podge - Tutorial Tuesday

When we lived in our bigger house, we had big gardens. A vegetable garden, a wildflower garden, an herb garden, a perennial/annual flower garden, and a rose garden. A big rose garden. 75 rose bushes. Who does that?

Now that we're in our smaller place we have one small garden spot. With nothing in it. Go figure. Doesn't mean we don't use flowerpots, though.

Here is a way to perk up those ugly, old flowerpots. (Full disclosure  - I picked this one up at the thrift store for $1.00.)

Disclosure: Deb's Days is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to affiliated sites. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Your purchase helps support my work in bringing you sewing and crafting content.

Looking for more craft ideas? Check out these projects!

Check out the step-by-step how to video to make your own handmade fabric covered decoupaged flower pot:

Island Princess to Alaska - Last Day

Hubby and I are on the younger side (at least in the cruising world). Other passengers sometimes assume it’s our first cruise. Start bragging to us about them being Elite. 16 cruises they say. And they proceed to tell us all about Princess and the ship and blah, blah, blah. Sometimes their language is condescending and they treat us like we’re stupid and don’t know anything. I’ve now started becoming a bit bolder when they behave that way. I’ve been using the Oh, you’re just baby cruisers line on them. Which leads them to asking how many cruises we’ve been on. When I tell them how many (it’s a high number) it shuts them up. I don’t like having to pull that line but sometimes I can’t stand being treated like an idiot. Anyone who knows me knows I’m about as far from an idiot as you can get. So now we try and avoid conversations with passengers as much as possible and choose a table for two no matter the venue.

Today was the Most Traveled Guest Brunch, the gathering for the 40 passengers with the most days at sea on Princess Cruises. (Side note: most traveled guest had 1024 days.) I don’t know where we fell in the mix but on Alaskan cruises we are nearer to the top of the forty than the bottom. At these parties we get questioned a lot. I can see the wheels turning in the minds of some of the passengers at these gatherings, trying to figure out how we could be in the same room with them. Last year on this same ship I had a gentlemen practically insist I tell him how many days I’ve been with Princess. He couldn’t let it go. So even at these most traveled parties we try and get a table to ourselves.

And today we were lucky enough to snag one. We’ve been to the cocktail party, the luncheon, and the brunch before. We’ve learned to always go on an empty stomach.

They started by bringing around some breakfast items. Parfait, mini blueberry pancakes, some fruit, eggs benedict. (We skipped the eggs, so I added the fruit and seafood salad to the breakfast photos.)

We also had some tasty chicken in a nice sauce, bacon-wrapped scallops, a yummy spicy potato triangle thingy, and a mini lamb chop in another nice sauce. They came around with several other items that we skipped.

They also served desserts. Tasty, tasty, tasty.

This evening the ship will be doing scenic cruising in College Fjord. The weather doesn’t look the best so the fjord won’t be nearly as beautiful as on the sunny days. I have some interviews to finish up with crew so I may not make it outside during that time. I have plenty of pictures from years past so I’m okay not taking any others. (Update - I made it outside just long enough to snap one photo.)

And it was good old packing day. We usually stay two weeks on the ship in Alaska, but we are joining the Golden in a few days to meet up with another of our dear crew members so packing time it is. Since we don’t shop, and we came to the ship with a suitcase stuffed full of goodies for the two crew members on the Island, we now get to leave with a half empty suitcase. Sure like that!

Here is today’s Patter. This week has gone way too fast. If I can get some wi-fi tomorrow I will do a trip wrap-up.

Island Princess to Alaska - Glacier Bay

Glacier Bay is always a special day. Park rangers were on all morning giving commentary but fog and drizzle and rain and a very biting wind made it not the best day for seeing the beauty all around. We’ve been here before so we know how spectacular it can be on sunny days when you can see forever. While the voyage through Glacier Bay was a bit of a bust, Margerie Glacier’s frequent calving made up for it. Today I was able to capture the blue of the glacier and then a second photo of the glacier calving at the same moment a seagull was flying by. My best photos of the day, I think.

There is nothing like hearing the crack of the glacier and then seeing the chunks crashing into the water. I never get tired of listening to it and watching it fall.

Today is pub lunch (the line was huge so we skipped it), the Elite Wine Tasting (skipping it because it’s always the same) the Captains Circle Party (skipping it because we get tired of the how many cruises have you been on questions) and formal night (I don’t have a good excuse why we’re skipping that one). I guess it kind of sounds like we’re pretty boring cruisers.

There is probably some truth in that. I’m working on two new books right now so a lot of my time is being spent writing and doing interviews on the ship. It has been a fun way to spend the days but it also means I don’t do much else. There is a crafts class today I might partake in. My tagline is cruising and crafting so it might be a good idea to get to a craft class while on a cruise.

Tomorrow is College Fjord scenic cruising, packing day, and the Most Traveled Passenger Brunch (which we will attend).

Here is today’s Patter.

Island Princess to Alaska - Skagway and Dogsledding

Skagway is another port where we’ve done everything possible. The last few years we have just gone into town to eat. We either go to the place with the best patty melt in the world (by my standards) at Sweet Tooth Café or have the best Thai food in Alaska (again, by my standards) at Starfire. But today I had to knock something off my non-bucket list.

Dogsledding.

My first choice for dogsledding has been flying in a helicopter, landing on a glacier, and being pulled by sled dogs. But every year I look at the price of that excursion – in excess of $500 per person – and my first choice gets bumped out of the running. I can’t justify spending that kind of money on something that only lasts a partial day. I can either cruise for a week or go on a dogsledding adventure for the same price. It’s not a hard decision. So choice number two.

Dogsledding on dirt. Pulled by dogs while riding on a wheeled sled on a rainy day. Not the same – not even close – but it did the trick. And we got to hold puppies afterwards. Gotta count that as a good day! (Although I did have to shower as soon as I got back to the ship because I smelled like wet dog.)

After the shower was a quick stop at Crooners for a tasty martini 

then off to Bayou for dinner. We both went with steak (which was super delicious) but the sides still need some work. My dessert, a peach fried pie was just, well, peachy. Yummy, yummy.

Tomorrow is Glacier Bay. It’ll be an early morning.

Here is today’s Patter.