grey luster girl

St. Patrick's Day Shelf

2012-02-23T21:47:00.001-07:00

I am interrupting the ballerina birthday party posts with some fun pictures of my St. Patrick's Day Shelf / Mantel. I filled different sized glass jars with mini origami paper stars in the colors of the rainbow.

At first I thought that it was going to take forever to make all those stars but was really surprised with how fast it went. I cut up 12x12 sheets of colored cardstock into strips about 3/4 in x 12 in.

All of the tutorials online say to use light weight paper but I actually found that regular cardstock was easier to shape into the star. The light weight paper was easier to fold but sometimes it would collapse in on itself when it came time to turn the pentagon into a star.

A little luck is what you will find at the end of the rainbow.

My youngest likes to dump all the stars out and make star "soup".

Linking to:

http://tatertotsandjello.com/

Ballerina Birthday Party Part 3: Take Home Bags

2012-02-18T21:34:00.000-07:00

This is the table that had the take-home bags. I really love the picture frame with the black and white photos of the birthday girl.

I tried to keep it simple with the take home bags this time around. The bags were folded over and tied with a little ballerina tag. I used grey yarn to tie it all up.

Each bag had a ballerina paper doll kit and a CD of kids instrumental ballet music.

The paper dolls from Christmas were such a hit especially with my youngest daughter (the birthday girl). I had to tweek them a bit so that I could make them into ballerinas.

I picked the things from the Christmas paper doll kit that were most used and liked. My girls didn't really use the feathers or the popsicle sticks so I just did sequins, ballerina tutu's, hair in a bun, gluesticks and ballerina bodies.

The CD has instrumental kids music. Mostly piano renditions of kids songs like itsy bitsy spider and so forth.

The last thing they took home was the pinwheel boxes that were on the dessert table. Each were filled with pink candies.

Ballerina Birthday Party Part 2: Dessert Table

2012-02-14T21:44:00.002-07:00

If I could send a message to myself the day before the party it would be "don't cry over lost tips". If I could send a message to myself a week before the party it would be "check to make sure you have your cake decorating tips". So this is how it went down. Travel back with me to the Strawberry Shortcake Party. I was convinced that I could decorate a better cupcake if only I had the right decorating tip. So for Christmas I got the tips I wanted. Now jump ahead to Friday night. It is late Friday night. The party is on Saturday morning. I open up my kitchen drawer and my new decorating tips are gone. My old decorating tips are gone. My pastry bags are gone. I remembered bringing them to my mom's to decorate gingerbread. I called my mom and she looked around. I looked every place I could think of. Nothing. This is where my message would have come in handy. I worked too hard on this party to have it be ruined by lost tips. So naturally what does a 36 week pregnant lady do? She cries. And cry I did. Then at 11:00 pm I get a knock on my door. My dear sweet mother and father had gone and purchased me some tips. They weren't the exact tips I needed because all the specialty stores were already closed but they were better than nothing. One actually turned out to be superior than what I had before. They saved the day.

Now onto the dessert table...

The drink of choice for my daughter is Sprite. We rarely have pop at our house so whenever we go out to eat, Sprite is the thing she is most excited for. So Sprite went into those pink cups with the darling grey stripped straws. We also had pink colored white chocolate popcorn. I cut out the popcorn boxes with my silhouette and added a touch of pink tulle.

You can't go wrong with cupcakes for a party. I went with two different cupcakes- a super moist devils food cake and a super moist white cake. I used this recipe for both adding devils food pudding and devils food cake mix for the one and white cake and vanilla pudding for the other. For the white cake I used the cream cheese / sour cream frosting from the recipe but I used this recipe for the chocolate frosting.

Both turned out yummy yummy yummy.

I saw the cutest pinwheel boxes a while ago and knew that I wanted to do some for my dessert table. Mine were filled with assorted pink candies including Hershey kisses, Starbursts, Frutties, etc.

When I saw this gorgeous rose cake tutorial from i am baker and I couldn't get it out of my head. She made it look so easy. Did I really want to attempt it? There was no way that mine would turn out looking like roses. Well it was easy and it looked super cute.

So there you have it. My dessert table wasn't the lost cause that I felt it was on Friday night. It came together after all. I am still wondering though what little elf has my decorating tips!

Linking to:

http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/
http://tatertotsandjello.com/

Ballerina Birthday Part 1: Invitations and Outfits

2012-02-09T22:09:00.002-07:00

I tried to convince my older daughter last year to do a ballerina birthday party. I had this idea in my mind of a pink and grey color scheme and I had already pinned a bunch of way cute ideas. She opted for a Strawberry Shortcake party instead so I was left with a whole head of ideas that were restlessly bouncing around. Well here we are and my youngest daughter is turning 3. When I asked her what she wanted for her birthday party she said "Dora". Boo. Why Dora? She doesn't even like Dora! I told her she could and I started thinking of Dora ideas. A few nights later she came over while I was on the computer and I showed her some of the things that I had pinned for a ballerina birthday. Dora was all forgotten and every person she meets gets told about her upcoming ballerina birthday party.

Invitations

I stayed with the pink and grey theme and played it pretty low key seeing as how I am 4 weeks away from having a baby.

For the invites I just used my silhouette and did a simple invitation. I cut out pink envelopes with the silhouette and tied them with a pink piece of tulle.

Outfits

Each guest will get dressed up in a tutu wrap.

To make them I just rounded out the corners of a piece soft organza. Then I serged all the way around it with a rolled hem. I folded it over and sewed on a ribbon to the top.

They will also get a pink sparkly headband.

So it is kind of hard to see the sparkle in the headbands but I used a pink glitter and attached them with mod podge to the headbands.

After they dried I sprayed them with a Fix-It Spray . Not really sure if that was the best way but It seemed to work.

Lastly a ballerina charm necklace with a sweet little pearl beside it.

Put it all together and you get some very cute little ballerinas.

Circus Party Featured at From Gardners 2 Bergers

2012-02-06T07:47:00.000-07:00

Becca over at From Gardners 2 Bergers is featuring my circus party today! If you have never been to her blog than you are missing out on some serious home ideas. Go take a look!

Updated Newborn Baby Boy Gowns

2012-02-04T20:43:00.000-07:00

I must take my hat off to the amazingly talented Carrie over at This Mama Makes Stuff. I found her rockin' baby gown tutorial when I first started blogging and fell in love with it. There is something so precious about taking a shirt from dad (or mom) and turning it into something for baby. When we found out we were having a boy, this tutorial was first on my list. I made two other ones here and here for my sister last year.

Imagine my delight when I went to make one for my one little guy and found that Carrie had improved her baby gown tutorial! She added added those little hand flaps which makes it everything I have ever wanted in a baby gown tutorial!

I made three gowns for my little one.

A grey buffalo gown,

a brown dragon gown,

and a yellow gown with an old world map graphic . I tried just serging the neckline on the yellow one and I don't like it as much as the other ones that were zig zag stitched.

I also had enough shirt fabric left over to make coordinating hats out of the grey and brown shirts.

I used this pattern and added a fabric piece around the bottom to bring in the beanie a bit.

We are so excited for this little one to come!

Chocolate Filled Raspberries

2012-01-29T21:21:00.003-07:00

While browsing Pinterest a few days ago, I saw an ingenious little idea by Saucy's Sprinkles of putting a chocolate chip into the center of a raspberry. I had some raspberries on hand so I tried it out. It was of course yummy but I felt like the chocolate chip was too hard in comparison with the gentle raspberry. Well today I was making up a batch of cake pops using milk chocolate instead of bark and I had some leftover chocolate. I started dipping some berries in the chocolate. I did a few of those but then the chocolate was getting too shallow to continue dipping.

I scooped out the rest of the chocolate and put it into a plastic bag and snipped off the edge. Then I just filled the centers with the chocolate.

It was so easy and so fast. The result is slightly different from dipped berries because you get a chunk of chocolate in the center instead of a thin coating on the outside of the berry but it is smoother and softer than a regular chocolate chip. Definitely easy and delicious!

Linking to:

http://todayscreativeblog.net/
tatertotsandjello.com
http://www.toysinthedryer.com/

My Memories Digital Software Giveaway Winner

2012-01-26T20:52:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Funkyjar! Random.org chose you as the winner of the My Memories Digital Software Giveaway! I will be contacting you so that you can redeem your prize!!

Kids Drape Front Cardigan Refashion

2012-01-23T21:56:00.007-07:00

I purchased an XL woman's shirt from a thrift store to make into a maternity shirt refashion. Well when I tried it on at home it was not long enough to cover my 34 week belly. I decided instead to refashion it into a drape front cardigan for my daughter. After my last drape front cardigan post, I got a lot of response asking for a tutorial. This is for a kids cardigan but it can easily be modified for an adult drape front if a big enough shirt is used. So here it goes.

Drape Front Cardigan Refashion Tutorial

Find a shirt that is big enough and long enough to drape in the front.

Cut a straight line up the center of the shirt. Cut only the front, not the back. Don't be fooled by this picture- I have a smaller blue cutting board that I placed inside the shirt so that the back wouldn't be cut.

Next I put the shirt on my daughter and pinned the back up to the length I wanted it to be. Cut off the excess of the back from seam to seam.

Cut the front at an angle from the newly cut back to the front. I left about 2 inches in the front before I angled it.

Since this shirt was so big to begin with, I had to take in the back of it to fit my daughter. I put it on her inside out and marked where I wanted to take it in. Then I just sewed straight up.

While my daughter had the cardigan on inside out I also pinned the sleeves so that I could take them in.

At this point you need to get a coordinating strip of knit. Mine was 3 inches wide and it needs to be long enough to go along both sides of the front and the neckline. Fold it in half and pin it to the cardigan, raw edges together. Sew. If you want to hem the bottom cardigan you can. I did but it does loose some of its flowy-ness.

I added a knit pom pom flower pin to the cardigan.

My daughter loves her drape front cardigan and always wants wear it when I wear mine.

Linking to:
http://todayscreativeblog.net/
http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/
http://raegunwear.blogspot.com/
http://www.shabbynest.blogspot.com/
http://tatertotsandjello.com/
http://www.sewcountrychick.com/

Pantry Taco Soup

2012-01-21T22:19:00.000-07:00

I love to have this recipe on hand because you can throw it together with things from your pantry or food storage. Plus it is really yummy.

Taco Soup

½-1 lb Cooked Hamburger Meat

1 Package taco seasoning

1 Large Can Tomato Sauce (or 2 small cans)

1 Can Kidney Beans (drained)

1 Can Pinto Beans (drained)

1 Can Corn (drained)

1 Can Stewed Tomatoes

1 Can Water

Combine all ingredients together in a large saucepan and simmer until heated thoroughly.

Did you see that I am compiling my digital cookbook? Check it out plus you can enter the giveaway for software of your own!

My Memories Digital Software Giveaway and Ideas-CLOSED

2012-01-19T20:19:00.003-07:00

When I was contacted by My Memories to do a review and host a giveaway of their My Memories Digital Scrapbooking Software Suite, the first word that came to my mind was... REDEMPTION! See I had an experience a few years ago. The women's organization of my church group was doing a scrapbooking night. They passed around a sign up sheet during church for people who would be interested in bringing a scrapbook. I had just finished my daughters baby book so I was excited to bring it. I noticed something when I set it on the display table when the scrapbooking night came. My scrapbook was noticibly different from the rest. Come to find out that I had overlooked one big part on the scrapbooking night sign up sheet. It was a DIGITAL scrapbooking night. Wow I felt foolish. Well now is my chance at redemption! I knew you could use the My Memories Digital Scrapbooking Software to make digital scrapbooks but I was intrigued by the other possibilities that the software also provides. I first used the software to solve a little problem of mine.

This is my current ~~stack of papers~~ cookbook. Wow it is bad. The majority of the recipes are written down on papers and tucked in between the cookbook and where the cover used to be attached. It is a pain to find the recipe that I want. So I decided to use the My Memories Software to remedy this. One thing that I love about commercial cookbooks are the pictures.

I am way more likely to make a new recipe if I can see a picture of it. This will be my ongoing project to take a picture of the food when I make it but I am really excited about this project and am looking forward to turning it into a family gift when I am all done.

I am planning on printing them out and putting them in a 3 ring binder in plastic sleeves. Easy, functional, stylish.

Of course the digital software has a bunch of embellishments for you to use but I am a simple girl so I went with a simple layout (except when it comes to birthday parties-then anything goes).

The next thing I did with my software was to compile one of my instaFriday posts into a memory page. I think this will be such a fun idea. You take your instaFriday pictures or whatever pictures you have taken from a certain week and compile them all together. I was happy at how easy it was to use one of the photo layout templates to put together my own page. Plus I can add journaling and everything is really easy and fast to do.

GIVEAWAY

So now is the fun part! My Memories is giving away a Digital Scrapbooking Suite to one Grey Luster Girl Reader. Here is how your win:

Visit www.MyMemories.com and choose your favorite digital scrapbooking kit or layout. Leave a comment telling me which one is your favorite.

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES

Share this giveaway on your Facebook, Twitter, blog, Pinterest, whatever. Leave a comment telling me how you shared it. Leave a separate comment for each way you shared.

If your email address is not connected to your profile, please leave your email so that I can contact you if you win.

Also, as a special offer to Grey Luster Girl readers, My Memories is offering a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store - a $20 value! Just enter the code STMMMS34835 at checkout.

Just think of the possibilities that await you! Good luck!

Linked to:
http://tatertotsandjello.com/

Valentines Day Mantel Decor

2012-01-18T20:10:00.008-07:00

I went with a pink and turquoise color scheme for this Valentines Day shelf. I fully intended to make topiary's out of the two turquoise cups and greenery balls but when I put them up they were just too cute as they were.

I used my Mr. Darcy plate from last year. I just have to sigh when I see it.

I cut out hearts onto fabric paper and sewed them onto a turquoise placemat.

Want to know how to tie a phenomenal bow? I read this tutorial and was surprised that it worked! It feels weird to make the bow with your wrong hand but I was very happy with how it turned out. I was going to use conversation hearts but to be honest they are just not very good so I decided to go for the Valentines Candy Corn.

Linking to:

http://somedaycrafts.blogspot.com/
http://brandyscrafts.blogspot.com/
http://www.shabbynest.blogspot.com/
http://tatertotsandjello.com/
http://serendipityandspice.blogspot.com/

Strawberry Shortcake Party Take Home Bags

2012-01-16T20:57:00.000-07:00

I hate to have to say it but I have another post from my daughter's Strawberry Shortcake Party. For your viewing pleasure we have the party take home bags and one more little activity that we did. I made the strawberry tags using the print and cut feature on my silhouette machine.

I cut out two strawberries, one with the strawberry image on it and one with a thank you message on it. I glued them together, tied them on the bag and added a ribbon bow. The bags also had each girl's names on them.

The bags came with a pack of crayons in them and then we played a little game to get the coloring books. I had the girls sit in a circle at the party.

I handed them one wrapped present (coloring book) and started some music. They passed the present around until the music stopped and whoever had the present got to keep it- but not open it. If they got a present then they stepped out of the circle. We kept going until each girl had a present.

Then they opened them all at the same time. I found the coloring books and the dollar store. They had about 5 different versions of Strawberry Shortcake coloring books so I grabbed about two of each. I liked that they weren't all the same and it was fun to have different wrapping on the gifts also.

Strawberry Shortcake Cardboard Cutouts

2012-01-08T21:52:00.005-07:00

My party planning brain comes equipped without any form of sanity switch off mechanism. Meaning that sometimes I get an idea and I must follow through and execute said idea knowing full well that it will take a long time and will probably not be used again. This project just happens to be one of those very things. I first got the idea from the blog Red, Blonde and Burlap and thought it would be awesome to make a cardboard cut out of Strawberry Shortcake.

As I mulled the idea around in my head I just couldn't stop thinking about Strawberry's other friends. This is where any normal person would turn turn their sanity switch on and stop what they were doing. Not me. I must proceed and spend my time painting giant cartoon characters onto cardboard.

My daughter did love helping make them and she would ask every morning if we could work on painting one together. She did a pretty good job staying in the lines which I drew on with pencil using a projector.

Since I have gotten a few emails from people asking where I got the images I used, the websites http://www.hasbro.com/strawberryshortcake/en_US/ and http://www.agkidzone.com/strawberry-shortcake both have good quality images you can download for free.

I stabilized the cutouts by using three pieces of cardboard running perpendicular to the character. I cut three slits in the bottom of the character and inserted the cardboard pieces. To the parts that stuck out in the back I added two pieces of cardboard running parallel to the character so that it had a little base.

They were great for the party but now what do I do with them?

Linking to:

http://www.thegirlcreative.com/
http://www.skiptomylou.org/
http://todayscreativeblog.net/
http://tatertotsandjello.com/

Strawberry Shortcake Party Activities Part 3

2012-01-02T21:34:00.000-07:00

This is seeming like the party that will never end. The holidays crept in and I never finished my Strawberry Shortcake party posts. So picking up where we left off with the remaining party activities...

Strawberry Shortcake herself sent her letter accompanied by a strawberry pinata.

I made the pinata with a simple balloon shape as the base and then added the tissue paper.

The last character is Orange Blossom and she runs a store in Berry Bitty City.

After receiving her letter we decorated cookies.

I made a ton of frosting in assorted colors and had a bunch of different candies that the girls could decorate with.

Believe it or not I still have some more party posts. We have got to wrap this thing up because I have a baby on the way and another birthday party coming up. So let's do this.

Christmas Decorations

2011-12-24T09:33:00.000-07:00

One last Christmas post. Here are a few of our decorations this year. I got to reuse my 3-D cardboard star from the Fourth of July. In case anyone missed it, you can see my tutorial here on how to make a cardboard star out of a cereal box.

I made some festive holiday pillowcases. They remind me of candy canes.

Of course I also have to throw in our major project these past few weeks which has been working on our fireplace makeover.

Hope everyone is enjoying time with their families and thinking about the Savior! Merry Christmas!

Fireplace Makeover

2011-12-21T21:46:00.004-07:00

When we first moved into our house, the fireplace was...big and green to put it nicely. The front room wasn't incredibly large and the hearth took up a lot of it. There was also a decorative oak mantel with a small box on top of it. Something had to be done. Then I saw this fireplace makeover from The Lettered Cottage. I was smitten. I wanted mine to be just like it. Luckily Layla gave a tutorial which I copied and I couldn't be happier with it.

We started by removing the tile on the hearth and then cutting off the hearth altogether. The decorative oak mantel was not permanantely attached and so we slipped it off to reveal a small metal box that probably houses the duct work. Our plans are to basically wall it over to either side of the mantel and up to the ceiling. For now though we have this...

Much better. I love the thick chunky wood mantel in contrast with the white wood and our grey walls.

We have it decked out for the holidays. Well not really decked out, more simply decorated. I saw a pin on Pinterest with a stocking holder made from a tree branch and I had an idea. There is a tree right next to our house that had a big branch that was rubbing against the side of our house. This would be a perfect way to kill two birds with one stone. Sometimes we just need the right motivation to get a job done.

So we cut the branch down and spray painted it with a light coating of white paint. We used fishing wire to attach the stockings to the branch.

Ahhh, much better!

Linking to:
http://brandyscrafts.blogspot.com/
http://todayscreativeblog.net/
http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/
http://tatertotsandjello.com/

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas... 12 Minutes to a Light Show

2011-12-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

Our last day of the 12 days of Christmas isn't homemade. We decided to do a family activity instead. A 12 minute drive to a light show. If you don't have a light show 12 minutes away, you could do 12 treats for the ride. It has been really fun doing the 12 days of Christmas for the girls. I loved their excitement when they woke up and couldn't wait to open their present.

To recap, the most used present so far has been the rice warmer bags. My youngest daughter's favorite present was probably the paper doll kit. My oldest wears the bow headband practically daily. I am still waiting for some snow so that we can use our snowman kit and secretly wishing that I had a full size freezer full of Oreo truffles so that I could eat at least 3 after every meal. And there you have it. The 12 days of Christmas.

On the Eleventh Day of Chrsitmas...11 Delectable Treats

2011-12-11T05:00:00.001-07:00

I must have been thinking Oreos when I was putting together this 12 days of Christmas because here is yet another Oreo temptation. These eleven homemade Oreos won't be around our house for long! I added some pink food coloring to the filling. Thought the girls would like that. Here is the recipe that I used:

Homemade Oreo Cookies

1 devils food cake mix

2 eggs

3/4 C. shortening

Filling:

4 oz. cream cheese

2 Tbsp. butter

2 tsp. vanilla

2 C. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, blend cake mix, eggs and shortening (should be thick). Roll into balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Let cool 3 minutes on cookie sheet. Cool the rest of the way on a cooling rack. Fill by putting filling between two cookies.

On the Tenth Day of Christmas...10 Christmas Songs

2011-12-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

The 12 days of Christmas are winding down. For the tenth day we did a CD with 10 Christmas songs on it that the girls love and request. Here is a list of the ones we chose.

1. Santa Claus is Coming to Town- Mindy Gledhill

2. Frosty the Snowman

3. Where are you Christmas-Faith Hill

4. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

5. Little Drummer Boy- Josh Grobin

6. Little Saint Nick- Mindy Gledhill

7. Silver Bells

8. Picture a Christmas- LDS Children's Songbook

9. Away in a Manger- LDS Children's Songbook

10. He Sent His Son - LDS Children's Songbook

On the Ninth Day of Christmas...9 Puzzle Block Patterns

2011-12-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

Have you seen those wooden puzzle blocks in various geometric shapes? They have always looked fun to me. I was about to embark upon making some cool designs and patterns for my girls when I came across these on the PreKinders website.

I printed off 9 different designs and laminated them. Unlaminated things like this last about 5 seconds in our house before being ripped or eaten. Now, since we don't have any of the wooden block shape sets, I decided that I would make some.

I had a stack of foam sheets that I used to cut the shapes out. I did this by hand but it went pretty fast.

These will still probably have some teeth marks in them by days end but I can always hope that they survive.

I can't believe it is day 10 tomorrow! This month is flying by already.

On the Eigth Day of Christmas...8 Paper Dolls

2011-12-08T05:00:00.003-07:00

I have been so excited for this eight day. My girls have been loving doing crafts lately so I think this gift will hit the spot. I put together a paper doll kit with 8 dolls for each girl.

The kit also includes packs of red, brown and blonde hair, a bunch of dresses cut out on patterned paper, popsicle sticks and glue sticks for attaching to the dolls if desired.

The dolls needed a little something to gussy them up so I added packs of feathers and sequins. The box is a open faced cracker box that I wrapped in scrapbook paper.

I can't wait to see what creations they come up with!

Linking to:

http://tatertotsandjello.com/

On the Seventh Day of Christmas...Oreo Truffles

2011-12-07T05:00:00.001-07:00

The seventh day of Christmas is more than just DELICIOUS Oreo truffles, it is an opportunity to share them with seven other families. For this day I made a batch of Kraft Oreo truffles.

The recipe can be found here. I change it up by using milk chocolate instead of semi-sweet and I freeze the Oreo balls before I dip them. I find that they retain their shape more.

I cut out seven boxes and snowflakes with my silhouette. It is not like these little truffles need anything to pretty them up but I wanted the whole package to be a fun little gift.

I even glittered the snowflakes for an extra pop!

I set the truffles in some white mini cupcake liners.

Now who wanted want to open the door to that goodness?!!

On the Sixth Day of Christmas...6 Colored Beanbags

2011-12-06T05:00:00.001-07:00

I got the inspiration for the sixth day of Christmas from the blog lifeingrace. It was a guest post by MJ from 517 creations.

I liked how MJ put the names of the colors on the beanbags. My oldest is learning to read and this will be a good way for her to become familiar with the names of the colors. I went to the store to pick up some of that printable fabric but man was it expensive. Even with the coupon it was more than I wanted to spend.

I decided to go the cheap way out and write the names on fabric with a sharpie. I had one for every color except yellow but black ended up working fine.

I can't believe that we are already half way through the 12 days of Christmas! Stay tuned for a yummy Day number 7 tomorrow.

On the Fifth Day of Christmas...5 Lacing Cards

2011-12-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

Day five of our twelve days of Christmas is five lacing cards. I cut out some simple shapes and lamanated them. Then I punched holes in them and purchased some lacing strings from Michaels.

I have always enjoyed doing lacing cards for some reason. Still do. We will see how much the girls like them.

Day 6 tomorrow...

On the Fourth Day of Christmas...4 Hair Accessories

2011-12-04T05:00:00.001-07:00

I think I have mentioned before that my oldest daughter wears a headband every single day. She sleeps with it under her pillow. Putting a headband on is the first thing she does in the morning. I knew that I couldn't go wrong with a couple new hair accessories. So day number 4 is four new hair accessories.

Since my youngest daughter doesn't wear headbands, I had to make some other things for her too. I made two clusters of three rolled fabric flowers. I added a headband to one and a pony tail holder to the other.

The other headband and hair clip had a felt bow on them. I just cut out a rectangle and pinched it in the center. Easy peasy.

Day number 5 coming up...

On the Third Day of Christmas...3 Barbie Dresses

2011-12-03T05:00:00.001-07:00

Keep in mind that this 12 days of Christmas is for two little girls. In that spirit, day number three is 3 Barbie dresses. Barbie dresses are pretty easy to make and don't require a lot of finishing work. You are basically working with rectangles. I just winged it on the green and cream dresses but the red dress I looked to this tutorial. The green dress is made from a skinny rectangle for the bodice and a large rectangle for the skirt. The cream one is actually made from a little circle skirt attached to a rectangle bodice that I put some darts in. All the dresses are fastened in the back with velcro.

I realized after I took the pictures that I probably should have used a barbie with less hair. Oh well, you get the drift.

Day number 4 coming up tomorrow...

On the Second Day of Christmas...2 Rice Bag Warmers

2011-12-02T05:00:00.001-07:00

On the second day of Christmas, Mom and Dad give to you... 2 rice bag warmers. A fast gift that is easily customizable. I remember growing up using rice bag warmers made out of blue and black flannel print. These are a little more festive. If you would like a tutorial you can check out this one.

Stay tuned for day 3 coming tomorrow!

On The First Day Of Christmas...1 Snowman Kit

2011-12-01T05:00:00.001-07:00

I love doing the 12 days of Christmas. In the past I have done it for my husband but this year we decided to do it for our two little girls. I did not want it to be expensive which it can easily become, so I decided that it would be almost totally handmade and low key. We are kicking of the 12 days with day number 1...

1 Snowman Kit

This kit consists of a top hat that was made from an old dress-up hat that we had. It used to have plastic Mickey Mouse ears on it. I dressed it up with some felt strips and a felt flower. The eyes and buttons are made of big black buttons. I cut off the backs of the buttons and hot glued some cut pieces of a wooden dowel to them. I painted the wood black and put some Mod Podge on it to hopefully seal it. The carrot nose is made from Sculpey clay and also has a wooden dowel in it. The mouth pieces are made of small wooden dowel caps that I glued on to the dowels with wood glue then painted them black and sealed them. I also made a quick scarf out of a piece of fleece and simply cut the ends.

I have tried doing most of the 12 days in secret but some of the time the girls would catch me doing something. They saw me making the carrot and are sure that we are giving them a carrot garden...hehe. I think they will be surprised to see what the carrot is used for.

If you are interested in making a snowman kit, you could also check out this kit and this kit from which I drew some inspiration from.

Stay tuned tomorrow for day number 2...

A Cowl of My Own

2011-11-29T20:23:00.000-07:00

When I came back to the blog world after my ~~all day~~ morning sickness was under control, I found that I had missed a lot of things that I would have enjoyed. The main one was the crochet along over at Maybe Matilda. I am still working on my self taught crochet skills and so this would have been a great way for me to practice with a little help. Even though I missed the crochet along, I still wanted to make a cowl of my own. I followed Rachel's instructions and was happy with how good of a teacher she was. The pattern instructions could have been in hieroglyphics for how much I understood them but Rachel made it so easy!

I chose a bulky Lion Brand Homespun yarn in the color 394 Golden.

I had to add a little prego shot. Six months down.

Come on baby boy!!

Strawberry Shortcake Party Activities Part 2

2011-11-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

Moving on to some more party activities. Next up we have Blueberry Muffin. She owns a bookstore in Berry Bitty City so her letter was accompanied by a book that I read to all the girls at the party. It was a perfect book because it talked about all the characters from Strawberry Shortcake and what they did in Berry Bitty City. That way the girls that were unaccustomed to the characters could know what was going on.

When the girls first arrived at the party they each picked one of these marshmallow poppers to decorate and color while we waited for everyone to get there. The poppers were used in an activity that came with the letter from Lemon Meringue.

I had seen marshmallow poppers made with paper cups but when we tried them out, they just weren't strong enough and broke pretty easily. Instead I took a sturdy wrapping paper roll and cut it in pieces. I glued some cardstock onto the tubes so they could be decorated and hot glued the cut balloons onto the bottom. They were definitely sturdy and are still going strong. They work really well too. The girls tried to shoot the marshmallows into some Strawberry Shortcake decorations that had big openings in them.

The next activity was the hit of the party. The letter came from Plum Pudding who loves to dance. We did a hula hoop game that was basically the opposite of musical chairs. I had 6 hula hoops (which I made out of leftover funny pipe for sprinklers) that were scattered around the room. The music would start and everyone would dance. When the music stopped, everyone had to get inside a hula hoop. After each time I would take a hula hoop away. Pretty soon the kids were all squeezing in to one hula hoop. It was so fun to watch the kids dance like crazy!!

Next up, 3 more activities to go...

Strawberry Shortcake Party Activities Part 1

2011-11-18T19:39:00.002-07:00

I posted about this little mailbox a while back. The activities for the party revolved around this mailbox. Each of the characters from the most current version of Strawberry Shortcake sent a letter to the girls at the party with an activity for them to do. We started out with Raspberry Torte. For those unfamiliar with the Strawberry Shortcake show, Raspberry Torte runs a fashion boutique.

Raspberry sent a letter along with a special package to our party goers so that they could party in style.

Each girl got an apron to wear and take home after the party.

They also got a pink gumball necklace. I saw the idea for the necklace here. I wanted to have the girls make them at the party but after doing a test necklace, it was way too difficult to thread the ribbon through for little hands to do unassisted.

I was surprised that only my youngest daughter ate the gumballs during the party. She just couldn't resist but everyone else wore them the whole time like a necklace.

Linked to:

http://tatertotsandjello.com/

Strawberry Shortcake Party Dessert Table

2011-11-16T19:05:00.000-07:00

You know how people say that their eyes are bigger than their stomach? Well my brain is bigger than my hands. I always have a ton of ideas that I want to do but inevitably some have to get the boot. So I decided to preempt the dissapointment that brings by taking it easy on the dessert table. How I wished I could have made delicious cupcakes from scratch that were fancy smancy but I knew it wouldn't happen. Instead I used 3 different cake mixes and divided them between mini and regular cupcake tins. I did vanilla, chocolate and strawberry (which I didn't really like but the kids were ok with it). The frosting was a homemade buttercream which I colored with each of the colors from the Strawberry Shortcake characters. The funnest part were the treats on top of each one.

Mini Cupcakes for Blueberry Muffin. Blue frosting with blue poprocks on them. These were super cool looking at first and then the poprocks started popping. You could actually hear them on the cupcakes. After that they kind of melted to look like the picture above. They were still really tasty though.

Chocolate Cupcakes with pink frosting and pink watermelon rings for Raspberry Torte.

Vanilla Cupcakes with purple frosting and grape chewy treats for Plum Pudding. You can stop snickering at my piping skills...I almost fully blaming my too small tip size and only partially blaming my lack of skills. Behind the purple cupcakes are the mini strawberry cupcakes with reddish pink frosting and pink sprinkles for Strawberry Shortcake.

Strawberry Cupcakes with yellow frosting and yellow sixlets for Lemon Meringue.

Chocolate Cupcakes with orange frosting and candy orange slices for Orange Blossom.

The special cupcake for the birthday girl.

Easy Pinched Flower Tutorial

2011-11-13T19:37:00.001-07:00

Remember way back when, all the way back to this post about the Strawberry Shortcake Birthday Party? Well I still need to show how the party turned out. So let us commence our party posts with the tutorial for the flower hair clip that was included on the invitations.

To start, cut three large circles out of the fabric of your choice. Choose one with a lot of polyester in it so that the edges will burn. Burn the edges. I use a tea light candle. Pinch each circle in the center and sew it together with a needle and thread. Do this to all three circles and then lay them on top of each other. I sewed them all together but you could easily glue them as well. Add a fun center piece and you are finished. You can add them to a headband or a clip or hair thing of your choice.

Thanksgiving Shelf

2011-11-04T16:23:00.001-06:00

I think this may be a record for me. It is still the first week in November and I already have my Thanksgiving shelf up. It helps that this mantel/shelf is super simple but hey, that is how I like it. Plus I have Christmas on the mind so if I didn't get it done soon then it would probably go by the wayside. I may also admit that I have been listening to Christmas music since September.

I wanted the frame to have a simple message inside it. I cut out the Thankful with my silhouette and just glued it on. The leaf if real and was decoupaged on. We will see how long it lasts. So far it is holding up strong after 1 week.

The jars are simply filled with nuts. I think they have walnuts inside them.

Linking to:

http://tatertotsandjello.com/

Halloween Spooky Sticks Centerpiece

2011-10-27T19:04:00.002-06:00

Here is a festive centerpiece that is easy and whimsical. I made a bunch for a church function but they would also be great for all the entertaining and parties that go on during Halloween time.

We headed up the canyon and gathered a bunch of sticks. The girls loved helping. The crazier looking, the better. Took them home and spray painted them black. I had a little left over silver glitter spray so I lightly sprayed them with glitter as well.

I divided them up into canning jars and finished them off with some black netting and ribbon. I did a mixture of lime green and grey ribbon.

Since I had everything on hand and the sticks were free, these centerpieces ended up costing nothing and were a hit at the party.

Plus they are spooky, but in a classy way.

Linking to:

http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/
http://tatertotsandjello.com/

Halloween Shelf

2011-10-19T13:09:00.001-06:00

We are interrupting this regular scheduled party broadcast to interject some holiday fun. I have realized that my holiday decorations are seriously lacking. That does make for fun though as I try to find cheap ways to decorate. This is our Halloween shelf or mantel or fantel whatever you want to call it. We are still in the middle of our fireplace remodel so this is going to have to be our mantel a little longer.

To make the picture, I took 4 pages from an old book and glued them onto a piece of cardstock. I cut out a black paper crow and dark grey branch with my silhouette and then I decoupaged them onto the book page backdrop. It was the last thing I did before I called the shelf "done" and when my oldest daughter saw it she said that the shelf looked "too scary now". I think it is just right.

The pumpkins were the only things that I had from my previous Halloween decor. I had a whole box of them but somehow only 3 survived the move. I wonder where the other ones are...

I am not really big on creepy things and I hate scary movies so this skull was a big step for me. It does add a spooky touch though.

So there we have it. The Halloween shelf is finally done. At least I made it before Halloween actually arrived. I do have some more Halloween posts to do and then I will get back to the Strawberry Shortcake Party!

Linked to:

http://www.theidearoom.net/

Kids Cardboard Mailbox Tutorial

2011-10-13T22:16:00.001-06:00

I made this mini mailbox for the Strawberry Shortcake party. The activities for the party were centered around this little guy. Each of Strawberry Shortcake's friends sent the party goers a letter containing instructions for an activity to do.

So here is what I did:

DIY Kids Cardboard Box Mailbox

I started off with with a baby wipes box.

I lifted up the flaps and used a plate to trace a half circle on two opposite flaps that will make up the sides of the mailbox. I cut off the excess leaving just the circle.

Next I took the other two flaps that would eventually turn into the front and the back and bent them in. I glued them to the circle sides and was left with an empty space in the middle.

I grabbed another piece of cardboard and bent it to finish off the rounded top.

I glued it in place.

Next I cut out a door in the back and a mail slot in the front.

I wanted it to look like it was old and weathered. I remembered these faux rust cans and followed her links to the site to download the image. I busted out the handy Mod Podge and had a little kids mailbox in no time at all. Plus my girls still like playing with it, even though the party is over so I think I am getting my money's (free by the way) worth.

Linking to:

http://tatertotsandjello.com/

Strawberry Shortcake Party Invitation

2011-10-10T20:41:00.002-06:00

I have really been putting my silhouette's print and cut feature to work lately. I utilized it again when I made the invitations for my daughter's Strawberry Shortcake party. The invites were wrapped with a strip of fabric paper and had a fabric hair clip on them.

The invitation prompted that it would be "berry" sweet if they would wear the hair clip to the party. There is something so fun about having all the kids at the party wearing some kind of coordinated look. I will have a tutorial coming up on how to make these easy flowers.

Linking to:

http://www.shabbynest.blogspot.com/
http://tatertotsandjello.com/

Strawberry Shortcake Party Favor Block Puzzle

2011-09-16T12:58:00.003-06:00

Well it has certainly been a while. You know that you are really sick when you have no crafting desire whatsoever. Now that I am out of my first trimester however, I feel the crafting urge starting to kindle. I have not been completely unproductive though. My daughter's 5th birthday is approaching and there is nothing like a good party to get my crazy ideas flowing. We are going with a Strawberry Shortcake theme this year. Here is one project that I have been working on. It is a little present that she will give each of her friends during the party. I made the prototype a while ago and both of my girls have loved it.

I started with some plain 1 inch wooden blocks from Hobby Lobby. I printed and cut out pictures of Strawberry Shortcake and her friends. I Mod Podged them onto the blocks to make a super cute and fun party favor.

Each of the block puzzles will go in a little drawstring bag.

More party planning madness to come!!

Linking to:

http://www.shabbynest.blogspot.com/
http://tatertotsandjello.com/

Guest Posting at This Crazy, Blessed Life

2011-08-04T08:37:00.000-06:00

Today I am guest posting over at This Crazy, Blessed Life as part of their Sew Chic Upcycling Week. Come see what I did with a regular craft store T-shirt!

Lightsaber Candy Gift

2011-07-29T16:09:00.000-06:00

My nephew's birthday was last month. They did gifts for him a few days before his birthday but we wanted to give him a little something on his actual birthday. We stopped by with this Candy Lightsaber.

It was easy to make. We gathered a few things from around the house and some of our nephew's favorite treats.

I used 2 paper towel rolls and a toilet paper roll.

Taped them all together.

Then I added the candy. I surrounded the towel rolls with blue paper and glued them on. I finished the top just by folding it over and gluing it. Nothing fancy.

For the handle(where the toilet paper roll was) I wrapped it in duct tape.

I added a red button with some hot glue. It was a hit and he was even more excited when he found out there were treats inside! This would be great for a party favor too!

Guest Posting at She Wears Flowers

2011-07-20T07:53:00.000-06:00

I am guest posting over at She Wears Flowers today. Come see what I have been up to!

Silhouette Sketch Pen Tip

2011-07-18T20:29:00.002-06:00

I love my silhouette. I have been impressed with almost every feature. So when I purchased the sketch pens I expected excellence once more.

To my total dismay, every image that I used with the sketch pens was terrible. Sometimes half of the image would sketch on, sometimes none of the image would sketch on. It was never consistent and always disappointing. Then one day on the silhouette blog, they posted something that used the sketch pens. I commented about my problem and was intrigued to find others who had encountered a similar problem. This tip was given that has made all the difference.

Make sure there is no oil from your hands on the paper. Try not to touch it and wherever you do, wipe it off with a clean rag.

I have put this tip to the test time and time again and it has worked for me! I used the sketch pens to make the tags for the flower pin supplies that I did on the retreat.

Linking to:

http://carolynshomework.blogspot.com/
http://todayscreativeblog.net/

InstaFriday-Impromptu Tea Party

2011-07-15T15:51:00.000-06:00

As an incentive to get my girls to help clean up the toy room, I suggested that we do a tea party for lunch. The tea party would be under the canopy from Audrey's 4th Birthday Party and would be in the toy room, hence the need to clean it. Wow. Did it work! Audrey helped the entire time and Tessa occasionally helped. Not having been food shopping this week yet we served up what we had and here is the menu:

Hot dog horderves (on a tooth pick of course).

Skewers of cheddar and string cheese.

Refreshing watermelon cubes.

Blueberry and Clementine skewers.

The main course consisted of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches cut with a square cookie cutter.

Cream Puffs for dessert.

I served each "course" to them on a tray and then we chatted about our prince's and our horses and our animal friends.

These are the felt flowers that adorn the top of the canopy.

Linking to:

Want to know some random things about me?

2011-07-12T21:21:00.000-06:00

I finally updated my about page. If you want to know some random things about me, hop over and take a look. If there is anything that you are dying to know about me, ie. how I like my eggs cooked... feel free to contact me and I will put it on the about page :).

Two T-Shirt Mash-Up Refashion Tutorial

2011-07-10T22:39:00.011-06:00

Is anyone else confused by this title? Ha, me too. This refashion, made by putting two t-shirts together may puzzle some. Why put two t-shirts together you ask? I will give you the same answer that I gave my husband when he asked where I got the inspiration for this shirt. My stomach. Well some shirts (pre-baby) are a little snug around the tummy if you know what I mean. So I wanted a shirt that was fitted at the top but looser around the waist. I grabbed two shirts, one that was snug as a bug in a rug and another that was looser.

I liked the looser one except for the collar which was too low and wide for me. And the cutting began.

First off I cut the top portion off of the shirt that would become my new lower part. Then I put on the tight shirt to see where I wanted to cut it and put a pin to mark my spot.

Cut the tight shirt at the indicated pin. At this point you can either sew the two shirts together or do what I did. I elected to put in some pleats to the bottom part of my shirt. I did six pleats total. Three on one side of the center facing inward and three on the other side of the center also facing inward. Sew them down.

At this point you are ready to attach the two shirts. Right sides together trying to match up the side seams as best as you can. Sew. I used a zig-zag stitch.

I took some leftover pieces of of the top grey shirt and cut 2 inch strips which I sewed together into one big long strip. I pinned pleats in the strip.

Pin the pleated strip onto the shirt where the two different shirts meet. I put on the shirt and pinned a few so that I see exactly where I wanted it to be.

Sew the pleats on, in the direction of the pleating so that you don't run into the pleats. I sewed a total of three lines on the pleats so that it wouldn't be floppy.

Then you are done. boo-ya. New shirt for FREE!

My loose shirt had a pattern on the front and was solid on the back. If I were to do this again, I would find a shirt that was solid in the front too because I really like how the solid cream color looks with the grey in the back.

I am keeping this in mind as a good option for a maternity shirt because of the optional pleats in the front portion and the ability to make the bottom portion pretty long.

Linking to:
http://niftythriftythings.blogspot.com/
http://www.thegirlcreative.com/
http://carolynshomework.blogspot.com/
http://todayscreativeblog.net/
http://www.passionatelyartistic.com/
http://brandyscrafts.blogspot.com/
http://www.soyouthinkyourecrafty.com/
http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com/
http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/

This Card is the Bee's Knees

2011-07-09T06:00:00.001-06:00

I am completely enchanted by the look of cards typed on a typewriter. This card is a great because it could be used for so many different occasions.

Plus the saying makes me chuckle. hehe.

InstaFriday

2011-07-08T05:00:00.002-06:00

A few moments from my week...

Snow cones and face painting. That is a bow on her face... her request.

Yard sale finds. Vintage camera, scrabble game, 2 chalkboards. Total price : $1.00.

Snaps in Audrey's hand.

We spent the majority of this week in Park City for a little family vacation. Tessa picked this dandelion for me and wanted me to put it in my hair.

She chose two plants to adorn both of her ears.

Audrey's shoes during our hike in the mountains. We hiked about 1.5 miles and both her and Tessa were troopers. Their favorite part was resting in the shade and picking flowers.

Me and the husband in Park City. One of my favorite things we did was go to the farmers market. There is one thing I ALWAYS get whenever I go, Knights Family Honey Butter. I crave it year round.

Linking to:
http://liferearranged.com/

How a Child Throws a Party

2011-07-05T23:37:00.004-06:00

I think I am rubbing off. Let me paint you the picture. Youngest daughter resting her sweet little eyes during an afternoon nap. Mom sewing away on her short sleeve drape front cardigan. Oldest daughter drawing by Mom in the "workshop" (this is the name that my craft room was given by my oldest daughter). Out of no where my daughter says that she wants to throw a party. Yes, yes that will be great, keep drawing. A little conversation began while I was trying to keep her busy drawing.

Mom: Maybe you can draw some things for your party.
Audrey: I am going to do a treasure hunt.
Mom: Great idea, draw some things for your treasure hunt.
Audrey: Let's do the party at 3:00. Can you call my friends (cousins)?

Wait. This is a real party? And that is how it all started. I handed her a pile of Family Fun magazines and she looked through them and picked out activities/things she wanted to do for the party. We basically put it together in one day. It was a blast! Here is how it all went down...

Guests arrived and we went on the treasure hunt. Audrey drew all of the clues herself and they were darling. They led us to the sandbox where the treasure was. I helped out with the treasure by making some fleece Otter Pop holders. Audrey wrapped them all herself and added some flower people that she had drawn to the loot bag. After the hunt we had paper airplane races followed by an Otter Pop snack. Next up was a water pinata.

We finished off with some water play time on the bounce house. The slide of the bounce house led to a slip n slide. Throw in a bucket full of water balloons and we had one fun party!

The food we had for the party was Otter Pops, popcorn and lemonade. The flower straws were a hit, plus I could write names on them which was a super bonus. The kids snacked on popcorn and lemonade while they played on the bounce house and slip n' slide.

I was proud of my little Audrey for how well she did with her party. I obviously helped with things but she was right beside me for everything from folding those paper airplanes to taping together the paper cones for the popcorn. What a way to bring in the Summer!

Linking to:

http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com/
http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/

Clay Rose Necklace

2011-07-03T22:27:00.007-06:00

I found this chain thing at a yard sale awhile ago. I don't know what it was but when I saw it I thought it would make a perfect necklace.

I used this tutorial to make the rose. It was my first time using the the sculpting clay but it was quite easy to work with. I used Premo sculpey. I liked the color of the translucent hue but after it baked it was, well, translucent. I painted it and sprayed it with a clear protective coating. I can't wait to try some different colors.

Linking to:
http://niftythriftythings.blogspot.com/
http://todayscreativeblog.net/
http://www.passionatelyartistic.com/
http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com/
http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/
http://www.creativejewishmom.com/

Patriotic Cupcakes + Recipe

2011-06-30T21:51:00.007-06:00

I got this recipe from my very good friend. I have used it quite a bit and it never disappoints. You can do it as a cake or as cupcakes.

Super-Moist White Cake

3 Egg Whites

1⁄4 cup Flour

1 cup Milk

1 cup Buttermilk

1 package dry, unprepared Instant Pudding Mix (Cheesecake or Vanilla)

1 boxed White Cake Mix

Beat egg whites and flour. Add milk, buttermilk, pudding mix, and cake mix. Mix. Pour batter into greased pans and bake according to package instructions. Top with Cream cheese/ Sour Cream frosting.

Cream Cheese / Sour Cream Frosting

1 (8 ounce) Package of Cream Cheese (softened)

1⁄2 cup Sugar

1⁄2 cup Sour Cream

1 (8 ounce) Cool Whip (thawed)

Mix softened cream cheese, sugar and sour cream. Fold in thawed cool whip. Spread over cooled cake. Refrigerate.

Linking to:

http://shabbynest.blogspot.com/
http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com/
http://screamingsardine.net
http://sweetcsdesigns.com/
http://todayscreativeblog.net/
http://www.passionatelyartistic.com/

4th of July Outfits

2011-06-28T20:50:00.010-06:00

I came across a red checkered pillowcase with a ruffled bottom when I was thrift shopping awhile ago. $1.00 price tag. It looked like it was for an XL pillow. I started conceiving Fourth of July outfits out of it. Then I came across a blue checkered pillowcase with a ruffled bottom. Price tag - $1.00.

It was meant to be. I decided on a skirt and shirt outfit instead of a dress. Warning...picture overload approaching!

I did the skirts with a simple covered elastic waistband. The shirts were fun because I got to try a new technique on them -shirring. I checked out this tutorial to aid in my learning and it was really easy.

All in all the girls love them and we are ready to celebrate Independence day!

Linking to:
http://www.alittletipsy.com/
http://brandyscrafts.blogspot.com/
http://shabbynest.blogspot.com/
http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com/
http://todayscreativeblog.net/
http://www.passionatelyartistic.com/

3-D Cardboard Star

2011-06-24T19:36:00.010-06:00

I have one thing from my Fourth of July mantel done, wahoo! I better get cracken cause the 4th is just around the corner! If you are in a Independence Day mode too, why not make one of these fun 3-D cardboard stars!

Here is what I did: Grab an empty box of cereal. Trace and cut out two stars. Score both stars from their tips to the indented parts (5 times each star). Push the stars out on the score lines by the tips and push in by the indented parts.

If that doesn't make sense to you, head over and follow this tutorial.

Glue the stars together. I used hot glue.

Once dry, spray paint them your color of choice. Distress with ink if desired.

Linking to:

http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com/
http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/
http://lollyjaneboutique.blogspot.com/
http://sweetcsdesigns.com/
http://niftythriftythings.blogspot.com/
http://todayscreativeblog.net/
http://brandyscrafts.blogspot.com/

InstaFriday

2011-06-24T04:00:00.004-06:00

A few moments from my week...

I made chocolate covered strawberries for my nephews baby blessing. You can't beat that combination.

We went on a run and Tessa stopped every second to pick flowers. One of her favorite things. I am constantly handed bouquets of mint leaves and ivy.

This little guy scared me silly. It was hiding behind the blinds and when I went to open the window, Bam! This particular snake was decorated by Audrey.

A few weeks ago Audrey told Jason to wake her up before he goes running on Saturday morning. Well he did and Audrey has been loving it. She is getting really good at running the whole time. On this Saturday morning she was exploring and found a good collection of rocks, a penny, a shell, and a toy ring.

Audrey drew this flower for the party that she put together. More on that later!

Short Sleeve Drape Front Cardigan

2011-06-21T22:24:00.016-06:00

With Summer here and the temperatures rising, I have been missing some of my long sleeve shirts. Particularly my drape front cardigan. Here is my short sleeve version in fun summer colors.

I used my long sleeve cardigan to trace a pattern onto freezer paper. There were only 4 pieces. The back, two sides, and the strip that goes along the front and neckline.

Add a floppy hat and I am ready for summer!

Linking to:

http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/
http://www.somewhatsimple.com/
http://brandyscrafts.blogspot.com/
http://www.fingerprintsonthefridge.com/
http://www.shabbynest.blogspot.com/
http://naptimecrafters.blogspot.com/
http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com/
http://ironvioletdesigns.blogspot.com/
http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/
http://lollyjaneboutique.blogspot.com/
http://todayscreativeblog.net/

Serving the World Map

2011-06-20T22:19:00.000-06:00

I made this for my Dad for Father's Day. It is a map of the world and each of the hearts represents a place where someone in my immediate family has served a mission for our church. I cut out the map and the scripture in black vinyl and the hearts out of paper. I got the frame from Hobby Lobby and it is so cool because it allowed me to keep the hearts somewhat 3-D.

I have visions of it on an end table with a vintage Book Of Mormon and Bible stacked next to it. This would also be a fun idea for places that you have visited.

InstaFriday

2011-06-17T21:35:00.000-06:00

A few moments from my week...

Tessa posing

Grilled nectarine with vanilla ice cream

Fishtail braid in Audrey's hair

Project I am working on

Little hands in the fountain

Linking to http://liferearranged.com/

DIY Skinny Ties

2011-06-16T12:37:00.004-06:00

Need a last minute Father's Day gift that is really cheap (free)? Skinny Ties to the rescue. I recently came into possession of a bag of old ties. The patterns weren't terrific but I thought I could use them as testers to make my own skinny ties. You could also pick some up from the thrift store or raid your husbands stash - at your own risk :). I followed this tutorial from Design Mom. I was kind of impatient and didn't iron them as good as I should have. The iron is constantly on my most disliked household responsibility list. It is ahead of cleaning the toilet.

The blue stripped tie ended up being about 1 3/4 inches at the widest part of the bottom and the olive greenish one and the red polka dot one ended up being about 2 1/2 inches at their widest parts. My favorite one is the red one but that could just be because I like the print the best. One thing that helped me when following the instructions is after step 5, before I tucked the form back into the lining, I folded the sides over the exposed form and ironed it to better see where the fold line should be.

This is also a great way to used ties that have stains on them (if the stains are on the sides and not the middle center). The blue stripped one was one such tie.

Plus I learned how to tie a tie! I can't believe I never have before. It was so easy that I kind of felt silly after I learned. Why did I think it was so tricky?

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Father's Day Cards

2011-06-13T21:40:00.010-06:00

About a month ago I found a typewriter at a thrift shop. I took it home and tried it out. There were a ton of keys that were stuck but the ribbon was still good. I read online about cleaning them out and headed to my moms to borrow their air compressor. It didn't really work. To my surprise though, my mom pointed out a box in their garage and said that I could have it. It was a typewriter! The ribbon didn't work but I already had a working ribbon so no matter. I decided that it would look neat to type up some cards. Since Father's Day is on Sunday I needed to get to work. I wanted to find some words that expressed my deep gratitude for my husband and what he has given up so that I could stay home with our girls. I found this beautiful poem by Edgar Albert Guest called Only a Dad.

I typed it, and typed it, and typed it again. Man it is hard not to mess up on a typewriter! Finally after my 5th time I decided it was good enough.

My oldest also typed her card and drew a little heart to put on it.

I am enamored with the look and the simplicity that a typewriter gives.

Here is the poem in case you are interested in reading it in its entirety. Copied from here.

Only a Dad

By Edgar Albert Guest

Only a dad, with a tired face,

Coming home from the daily race,

Bringing little of gold or fame,

To show how well he has played the game,

But glad in his heart that his own rejoice

To see him come, and to hear his voice.

Only a dad, with a brood of four,

One of ten million men or more.

Plodding along in the daily strife,

Bearing the whips and the scorns of life,

With never a whimper of pain or hate,

For the sake of those who at home await.

Only a dad, neither rich nor proud,

Merely one of the surging crowd

Toiling, striving from day to day,

Facing whatever may come his way,

Silent, whenever the harsh condemn,

And bearing it all for the love of them.

Only a dad, but he gives his all

To smooth the way for his children small,

Doing, with courage stern and grim,

The deeds that his father did for him.

This is the line that for him I pen,

Only a dad, but the best of men.

Here's to the best man I know. I love you babe.

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No-Sew Fabric Flower Brooch and Hair Clip Tutorial

2011-06-11T23:40:00.013-06:00

The women in my church ward are planning a little retreat. At the retreat, they wanted to learn how to make the fabric flowers that could be interchanged as a brooch or hair clip. I was given the assignment to come up with some options. This is what I chose.

A golden yellow rolled/folded linen fabric flower with a large grey gem in the center and

An off-white pleated ribbon wrapped flower with a silver button in the center.

The flowers are both no-sew flowers. There will be a power source at the retreat so I lucked out with being able to use my hot glue gun (phew). I know fabric flower tutorials are pretty much everywhere already so I just put together a picture tutorial on how I made the white no-sew pleated flower. I wore the white flower today and already had someone ask me how I made it so I know someone out there will find it useful :).

Wear it in your hair...

Or as a brooch...

In case you are wondering about the price to make a bulk amount, I priced it out and with some coupons and sales the total price to make each of these was about:

White Flower $3.00

Yellow Flower $1.50

Totally affordable project for the retreat! Plus it is a skill they can use to make more for themselves or their daughters or whomever.

Linking to:

http://niftythriftythings.blogspot.com/
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http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/
http://www.somewhatsimple.com/
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http://www.fingerprintsonthefridge.com/
http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com/
http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/
http://cherishedtreasures-terry.blogspot.com/

Cinnamon Bear Popcorn

2011-06-08T22:32:00.010-06:00

This recipe has been a family favorite for years. I got it from a church cookbook that my mom has. I have changed it a little to meet my tastes.

Cinnamon Bear Popcorn

3 Bags Popped Popcorn

4 Cups Mini Marshmallows

1 Bag of Cinnamon Bears (cut in pieces)

2 Cubes Butter

1 1/3 Cup Sugar

½ Cup Karo Syrup

1 tsp. Vanilla

3 Drops red food coloring

Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Pop the popcorn and divide it over the cookie sheets. Add about 1 1/3 cup of mini marshmallows onto each sheet. Cut up the cinnamon bears and divide them among the popcorn. In a saucepan combine butter, Karo syrup, and sugar. Heat to a boil on medium heat, stirring continuously. Turn heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add vanilla and food coloring. Pour the HOT sugar mixture over the popcorn. Carefully stir. The heat will melt the marshmallows and make everything gooey and delicious.

Enjoy!

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Kitchen Utensils Wall Art

2011-06-05T22:40:00.007-06:00

I found these interesting kitchen serving utensils when I was at the thrift store the other day. They are tarnished, especially at the tips and when I showed them to my husband he said, "I think you can clean those with ketchup"... how dare he suggest such a thing! I love the character that they have. I framed them and can't wait to hang them in the kitchen or dining room.

I thought this was a neat picture. You can see the reflection of the tree in the spoon.

Linking to:

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Men's Polo To Woman's Bow Shirt Refashion

2011-06-01T22:12:00.016-06:00

I had a goal this week to make myself a new shirt. Sweet Success. I tried something a little different this time. I forced myself to be patient and take my time. I unpicked instead of just cut and actually thought through things this time. Here is what I came up with.

Woman's Bow Shirt Refashion Tutorial

I started with an XL polo shirt. I got it for free from my dad. He never wore it. Tags still attached. Cool.

I started off by unpicking the collar. I wanted to use the collar later for the bow so I was careful to keep it intact.

Then I carefully cut off the sleeves. I put the shirt on inside out and pinned it to take it in.

Using an existing shirt, I made a template for my new sleeve. I cut my new sleeves out of the old sleeves using the original hem.

I pinned the new sleeves in and sewed them in leaving a small space at where the seam of the shirt bodice meets the sleeve.

Then I sewed the sleeves shut starting from the hem of the sleeve and sewing all the way down to the part that I took in of the bodice. Hope that makes sense.

Now for the bow. I was originally going to use just the collar but I didn't want the bow to be too thin. I salvaged some fabric that was left over from the sleeves. I cut them to make them straight instead of curved and sewed them together.

I unpicked the sides of the collar and pinned each side to a side of the sleeve remnant. One end of the strips I angled and the other I tapered on both sides so that it would fit inside the new collar. I sewed them, right sides together and then flipped them right side out. I didn't sew the tapered end shut.

I pinned the collar back together.

Inserted the tapered ends of the strips into the ends of the collar.

Using a zipper foot, I sewed the bow strips in and sewed around the collar.

My patience was rewarded!

Linking to:

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Framed Thread Holder Tutorial

2011-05-30T21:21:00.016-06:00

Remember the Macro Lens that my husband gave me for Mother's Day? Well that was one part of my Mother's Day gift. The next part was this thread holder. He knew that I would want to tailor it to my liking so he waited until we could collaborate on it together. I picked out the trim and colors and he assembled it! He even took pictures for me in case I wanted to blog about it. Of course! So here is what He we did.

Framed Thread Holder Tutorial

Start with a piece of wood. Ours was a piece of scrap wood that measured 10 1/4 inch x 18 3/8 inch x 3/4 inch . Using a carpenters square, measure out squares 1 1/2 inch x 1 1/2 inch and mark the center of each square. Using a drill bit slightly smaller than the nails you will be using, drill almost completely through the board in the center of each of the squares. We were able to get 6 squares per row on our board. After every row we left a 1/4 inch space. Make sure you leave a space around the outside of your board as well to attach your frame to. We left a 5/8 inch space around to glue the frame onto. It should look like this.

I picked out a trim that was polyurethane because it had the look I wanted for a cheaper price. Because of this, I used Power Grab instead of wood glue. If you have wood trim you can use wood glue instead. For the nails we used 3 inch galvanized nails ( I liked the look of the galvanized better).

Cut your trim at 45 degree angles to fit your board.

If you need help with cutting the trim you can check out this tutorial.

Next, start gluing them on according to the instructions on your glue of choice.

Once the trim is all on and dried, you can prime and paint. We used Krylon Sun Yellow and glazed with Ralph Lauren Tea Stained Glaze.

Allow to dry and then add the nails. We found that 2 hits with the hammer were all they really needed.

Now comes the fun part! Arranging your way too messy sewing box filled with tangled threads onto your new thread board holder!

Now you have a fun, beautiful and effective way to showcase or store your thread.

I love making things myself but sometimes it is fun to have someone else make you just what you want!

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Orange Blossom Outfit

2011-05-25T06:00:00.011-06:00

Everyday lately my oldest daughter picks out her outfit so that she will dress like one of the characters from Strawberry Shortcake. This outfit is our version of Orange Blossom.

Source

Looking at it, it really looks nothing like Orange Blossom but it does have some orange flowers in the skirt so I guess it qualifies. I used a woman's stretch knit shirt and cut out the pattern for the top. I used the same pattern as the Leah Tunic and just made it a full length shirt. I didn't put any bias tape on it because I liked the look of the exposed gathered sleeve.

We will see how it washes. The skirt is made from a vintage looking sheet that cost $2.00. I used the Made Circle Skirt tutorial.

It is a total favorite. It is so easy to make and has a nice twirl factor. In fact I just made one for a birthday present and it was a hit.

The total project cost $2 which isn't bad for a new skirt and new shirt.

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Circus Birthday Party

2011-05-21T23:16:00.015-06:00

Most of my parties take months to plan and prepare for. I put this little Circus Birthday Party together for my niece in 2 weeks. I am happy with how it all turned out.

The invitations

The pinwheels really spin. I had a hard time finding a tutorial to make them actually spin. I wanted to use sticks instead of pencils so I needed to find a different alternative than pinning the pinwheel into the eraser. Finally I found a good idea here to put beads on the pin after the paper pinwheel. I glued a button on the tip of the pin and then I bent the end of the pin.

I used this template for the cone birthday party hats.

Party favors made with the DIY bakers twine.

I made two 30 foot fabric circus banners to hang above the festivities.

We also had a photo booth. Well it was more like a photo spot.

Linking up to:
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http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/
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DIY Bakers Twine

2011-05-20T06:00:00.001-06:00

Have you yearned for the beautiful addition that bakers twine can add to a project? I sure have but my problem is sometimes I don't plan ahead enough to purchase it for a project that I am working on. No more my friends, no more.

Check out the tutorial over at the Frugal Crafter and the next time you are looking for that finishing touch and want to add some bakers twine, you can have bakers twine.

taken with my Macro Lens

I used my bakers twine to add a little something extra to the Circus Birthday Party favors I made for my nieces party.

Just what they needed.

DIY Macro Lens

2011-05-18T07:00:00.011-06:00

I think I heard my husband's heart skip a beat when I asked him a couple of weeks ago how much a lens for the camera costs. "Why? Did the camera lens break?" I explained that the lens was fine and I was thinking more along the lines of a macro lens. Those cost about $150-$300 for our camera. Not really in the budget so I dropped it. Then, Mothers Day rolls around and my husband gives me this.

It is a DIY iPhone Macro Lens and it cost $6.00. Ahh freakin yeah! That is a serious Mothers Day gift success. Lots of thought put into it-check. Handmade-check. Excellent price-check. Surprising me with something that I wanted but thought I couldn't have- check. All around great gift. So this little puppy slips onto my iPhone and allows me to get close up pictures.

Husband made it using a paperclip, a disposable camera and this tutorial. I have an invisible shield on my iPhone which you will need so that your phone doesn't get scratched while you put on the Macro Lens.

Here are some pictures that I took with and without the macro lens. Pretty neat huh!

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Quick Picture Frame Re-Do

2011-05-15T23:06:00.000-06:00

Back in April the Prophet of the church we belong to, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, gave an encouragement which we took to heart. He said,

"To you parents of young children, may I share with you some sage advice from President Spencer W. Kimball. Said he: “It would be a fine thing if … parents would have in every bedroom in their house a picture of the temple so [their children] from the time [they are] infant[s] could look at the picture every day [until] it becomes a part of [their lives]. When [they reach] the age that [they need] to make [the] very important decision [concerning going to the temple], it will have already been made."

-President Thomas S. Monson

I had picked up some frames at a yard sale for about $.25 each. I asked Audrey what color she wanted the frames to be and she picked pink of course. I first sprayed the frames with white spray paint and then with a pink Krylon spray paint (which I got from Honks for $1).

I took some sandpaper to the corners to shabby them up a tad. The color was a little bolder than I originally intended but for $1 I wasn't complaining ~~too much~~. We choose the Oquirrh Mountain Temple because the girls had actually gone through it during the open house.

We hung up the temple picture on the wall and put the picture of Jesus Christ on their dresser.

If you are unfamiliar with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, please feel free to ask any questions and I will try my best to answer them. You can also click on the button below.

Cajun Spiced Asparagus

2011-05-13T11:12:00.009-06:00

I wasn't a huge fan of asparagus until I tried this recipe. It is fighting its way up to be my number one favorite vegetable recipe. I found the recipe on allrecipes.com it is called Superfast Asparagus. It calls for a Cajun spice recipe which I found here.

So here is how I do it:

Cajun Spiced Asparagus

Asparagus

Cajun spice seasonings

Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and snap the asparagus at the tender part of the stalk. Lay asparagus on a baking sheet. Coat lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with the Cajun seasoning to liking. Bake in the preheated oven until tender, about 10 minutes.

Cajun Spice

1/3 cup salt

1/4 cup chili powder

1/4 cup paprika

1 Tbsp. onion powder

1 Tbsp. coarsely ground black pepper

1 Tbsp. dried basil

1 Tbsp. dried oregano

1 Tbsp. ground coriander

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 tsp.s dried thyme

1/4 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. white pepper

Combine all ingredients and mix.

Try to serve it as warm as possible. I have found that it cools off really fast and it is super yummy when it is still warm.

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Polka Dot Big Girl Shoes

2011-05-11T05:00:00.011-06:00

Last year I tried making shoes for my oldest daughter. I tried taking apart an old pair of shoes and using that for a pattern. The shoe turned out less than desirable. My little venture into sewing baby shoes (found in this post and this post) gave me the drive I needed to try again. I purchased a pattern for the Kids Classic Mary Janes found at Sweet Pea Kids on Etsy. I also purchased some soling material from their other shop Shoeology. Other than the material for the soles, I used material that I already had for the rest since it was my first time (again).

I used a cream colored vinyl for the outside of the Mary Janes and a polka dot cotton for the lining. I also added a polka dot bow to pretty them up a little. They didn't turn out too bad, in fact they are super cute. There are a few parts that I will change/do better on when I do it again but I definitely will do it again. Want to know the most amazing part about it all?

My daughter LOVES them! Liking something that I make for her- now that is a rarity! I think I will make some for my 2 year old next.

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Circus Birthday Party Invitations

2011-05-09T23:07:00.009-06:00

I always feel so relieved after every big birthday party that I do. They are fun to plan and coordinate but I am always ready to work on other things when everything is over. A little time passes and then, I start to get the itch (Not that kind of itch! Sheesh what are you thinkin?!). The party itch that is. My niece's birthday is coming up and I convinced my sister to let me do some things for it. I am not doing a ton, just enough to satisfy the itch. She is going to do a circus theme of sorts and these are the invitations that I made.

There is just something fun about invitations all lined up and ready to go out!

http://diybydesign.blogspot.com/
http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/
http://shabbynest.blogspot.com/
http://naptimecrafters.blogspot.com/

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Letter of the Week-A

2011-05-08T22:50:00.001-06:00

Ever since I got my laminator, I have been doing some learning activities with my girls. I have loved the preschool packs from 1+1+1=1 and loved seeing all of the tot trays as well. I started doing a letter of the week with accompanying activities. I started with letter A.
We did the following activities:

I took a large bowl and filled it with beans. In the beans I hid a bunch of objects that started with the letter A- An angel, airplane, alligator, play apple, Ariel doll, and an Aurora doll. They took turns searching for the objects and pulling them out. Once they were all out, the girls had to guess the letter of the week.

I cut out some large letter A's and laminated them. The girls lined the A's with the "jewels". We practiced making the A sounds.

I cut out some capital letter A's and some lower case letter a's and the girls sorted them. Then they glued them onto a paper and decorated them with glitter.

We made fingerprint ants. The girls loved this. They wanted to decorate the ants. Audrey wanted her ants to be on a camp out roasting marshmallows (upper right hand corner).

Via 1+1+1=1

The girls colored an A is for Astronaut print out from the Astronaut Preschool Pack on 1+1+1=1. As well as the printout with the a's inside the stars. What a great resource this site is!

The last activity that we did was a fill in the blank and matching activity. I typed up a bunch of words that started with the letter A and left a blank space in the A position. Audrey had to write in a letter A and then read the word (with help). Each word had a corresponding paper cutout. They searched the cutouts and picked the one that matched the word. Then they taped it next to the word. They really liked this activity too.

http://www.tipjunkie.com/

Newspaper Seed Pots

2011-05-07T23:30:00.000-06:00

We have been busy little bees over here working outside on our garden. Our work started a few weeks ago though after I saw this tutorial about starting your seeds indoors using newspaper plant pots. The pots are easy to make, FREE, and they can be transferred directly into the ground while they are still in their pots. I love having a garden :).

The Most Interesting Man in Russia

2011-05-06T23:37:00.000-06:00

You are in for a treat today. I just happen to know the most interesting man in Russia. In fact, I grew up with him :). My brother and his friends did a spoof on the Dos Equis commercials. In honor of his new found celebrity-hood (and buzzed head), I made him this shirt.

It is purple, I know. He likes bright colors. That is how he rolls yo! Now, without further ado... The Most Interesting Man in Russia.

Yet Another Baby Girl Gift

2011-05-03T23:06:00.016-06:00

This is my last baby gift to show...that I know of...for now. This is for my dear friend Desirae. Des and I met our freshman year of high school. We were the only freshman on the Varsity basketball team- we were that good :). I was very blessed to know Des and am constantly in awe of her kind and caring nature. Thank you for all that you do for me Des! Ok. Enough of the gushy stuff. Let's see the goods...

I picked up this onesie at the DownEast sale and added some ruffles for an elegant feel. What newborn doesn't want to feel elegant, right?

The onesie is a size 12 months so I went with a rolled flower hair clip instead of a headband. Hopefully baby girl will have some long locks to showcase this little gem.

I asked my friend if she needed anything and she said that she didn't have a car-seat canopy. So one more canopy. I loved the orange and pink in the fabric and used the colors for the mom gift too.

I did a matching burp cloth with a crocheted edge. Remember this from my FAIL post? Well I followed the advice of Jo from Boogaloo and changed my lower looper thread to brown and I changed my needle thread color as well. Much better. Thanks Jo!

Like I said, I went with an orange and pink pallet for the Thank You cards and mom gift.