Simply Complicated

Letter to Santa

2010-11-29T17:39:00.000-08:00

I saw a really cute idea for a letter to Santa, but didn't want to spend a ton on a letter...so I made my own version using a kit called Christmas Whimsy. Just click & print. The boys both loved writing their lists & it is great for a little one who is still learning their letters {my 4 year old}. I just printed mine out on my color printer. Enjoy.

My latest project...

2010-11-19T20:33:00.000-08:00

I am almost finished with my first real quilting project. I have two to do for the boys for Christmas. I am really excited. I will post more when the first quilt finished & post where I got the pattern.

New Ugly Friends

2010-11-15T20:59:00.000-08:00

My boys always get a new "friend" for Christmas. They really don't need any new friends. They have a ton already! Now that I have taken up sewing, I wanted to try to make them a new fun friend. Have you seen Ugly Dolls? I don't know why, but I love them! They are pretty basic...so I decided to try to attempt making them. I think that they are made with a wool or felt, but I wanted something softer. I went with flannel. I actually took the boys to the store & let them pick out their flannel color. For everything else I just used felt that I had left over from other projects. I just sketched out what I wanted & got busy. I love how they turned out & can't wait until the boys open these on Christmas. {I only spent $5.00 for the felt & then everything else I already had. I even stuffed them with the fluff from an old pillow.}

My favorite thing is the heart that I added on the back. That was my own sweet touch for my boys.

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T07:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!!!

from the creepy Scream guy, Batgirl, Spiderman, & Wolverine.

I barely finished my costume in time for the festivities. I love trying to coordinate with the boys. They loved my costume.

Mummy Shirt

2010-10-28T07:50:00.000-07:00

Kaden's class wasn't allowed to wear their costumes to school this year. Kaden was really bummed about it. I remembered seeing a really cute Mummy Shirt tutorial over at Super Mom Moments. I made it in no time last night using scraps from our donate pile. When Kaden woke up & saw his new shirt...he was so excited. I am so glad that I could make him smile & be excited to wear something to school...even if it isn't his costume.

Forgive Me...

2010-10-22T12:08:00.000-07:00

It has been one of those months. Now that Fall has hit...my little guy has been sick {as usual.} Whenever the poor little guy gets a cold...he starts coughing & it never ends! We have been up for nights doing breathing treatments, but ended up at the Dr. after a bit. He is now on an antibiotic for a sinus infection & steriods & breathing treatments for his cough. I can honestly say that I have been so exhausted that my fabric stash has sat untouched for about a month now. My house isn't decorated for Halloween & it may not get decorated. So, thank you for your patience & I will be back as soon as my little one is better.

It's a bird...It's a plane...

2010-09-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

Nope! It is Super Tooth!!!

I have had this idea bookmarked FOR.EV.ER!!! I knew that Kaden had to be losing a tooth soon. He has been waiting to have a loose tooth since Kindergarten last year.

This weekend, we were eating corn on the cob & Kaden started complaining that his teeth hurt. He seemed a bit alarmed by the whole thing at first. I felt his little tooth wiggle & I SCREAMED!!! Yes, I was so excited that I actually screamed & grabbed his little face to give it a kiss. Okay, enough of my story.

Super Tooth is Kaden's new little tooth pillow. The idea & tutorial are over at mmmcrafts. The tooth's mouth is a little pocket to keep the new lost tooth in. Then, the Tooth Fairy will leave the reward inside of the pocket. I love this idea & it makes it easier for the Tooth Fairy. There are different variations. I saw a Tooth Marshall, a Tooth Officer, a cute Tooth Ballerina, & a Tooth Fairy. I came up with the Super Tooth idea. My boys are really into Super Heroes. Another fun tooth pillow idea is a Tooth Pirate. I let Kaden pick & he jumped right on the Super Tooth idea.

Laptop case

2010-09-28T12:51:00.000-07:00

Back in July, I saw a great tutorail to make a zippered laptop case from Crap I've Made. {LOVE her blog by the way...the name enough is great!!!} I have been planning on making it, but never really got around to it...until today!!! I used minky inside to give my laptop a nice, cozy place to hang out. I love the feel of that stuff {it reminds me of little man because his keke or blanket is made out of that}. If I can do it...so can you!!! The zipper was the only part that threw me off for a while {that is why picture tutorials are so great!!!}, but in the end it turned out great & now my laptop has a fun place to hang out in. Now, I just need somewhere to take it!!!

Wahoo!!!!

2010-09-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

Did you happen to see that my "If the shoe fits..." tutorial was FEATURED on Someday Crafts. I feel so honored!!! I love her blog & to be featured is such an honor!

If the shoe fits tutorial

2010-09-23T10:11:00.000-07:00

Here is the tutorial that I put together for my cute "If the shoe fits" witch legs!

Ok...I want to start out by saying that I really don't know what I am doing when it comes to sewing. This is how I made it, but there are probably better ways out there.

You need:

4 pieces of black fabric {I used cotton} cut into a boot
2 pieces of colored fabric {mine is green} cut into 6 1/2 inches by 14 inches
12 1 inch x 6 1/2 strips of black knit to make the stripes

{not pictured...ribbon for hanging & stuffing to fill your legs & a little fun ribbon for the laces on the boots}

I pinned my 1 inch strips 1 inch apart on the green pieces. Then I sewed the strips on using a zig zag stitch.

After the strips were sewn onto the green pieces...I cut each rectangle in half length wise.

I made sure to hem the raw edge of the top of the witch's boot. Then I sewed one piece of the boot to one piece of the leg. Now you will have 4 legs pieces.

{Now...I didn't take pictures....sorry!!!}

Pin your ribbon for hanging on the right side of one piece of the leg leaving it tucked down against the leg. I cut my ribbon in half & just tied a bow to attach the two legs together. Sew right sides together...leaving an opening to turn your leg right side out. Do this to both legs.

Stuff each leg as full as you would like. I just used the filling of an old pillow. Sew up the opening. I also used little strips of ribbon to make the laces on the boots. I just hand sewed these on & then tied a little bow & hand sewed that on too. Now you can hang up your cute witch legs.

On the wood sign...I just used an old sign that I had bought at the dollar store. I painted it purple & then added the green dots with a round paint brush. I wrote the words with a black sharpie!

I've linked up to

If the shoe fits...

2010-09-23T09:23:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to have this finished. It one idea that I have made my own & I love it. I have seen wooden signs like this, but I knew it would be fun to make it out of fabric. Here is the finished product. I will post a tutorial soon!

Don't be Jealous...

2010-09-15T20:35:00.000-07:00

There is something about the kids starting school & fall that gets me in the thrifting mood. Today, I had a little downtime...so I stopped at Saver's {a thrift store right by my house}. I found this GORGEOUS cake plate for $7.00. It was upside down & a little hard to notice, but I did! The base was separated from the top, but I knew with a little glue...she would be good as new. I was SO excited {because my other cake plate had an untimely fall off the counter}! Because this beauty was "broken", I was able to get it for $5.00.
A little E6000 & she is ready to hold all of my treats! I can't wait to use it!!! It isn't the best picture, but I resorted to taking the picture at night because I just had to share.

I am sure that there will be more "thrifting" posts in the near future!

Menu Planning

2010-09-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

I have really been struggling with dinner lately. I have every intention of cooking for the family, but I'll be honest...sometimes we eat cereal for dinner. If you live in Utah...you may have heard of The Food Nanny. My Mom & I met her at a fun craft fair called Swiss Days. Her cookbook is amazing & she is really cute. My Mom bought it & I have sampled some of her recipes. YUM!!! One thing that caught my eye was her Menu Plan. I love the idea of having a "theme" for each day of the week. She recommends that you plan two weeks worth of meals at a time. I have done this for years & it makes a HUGE difference. Those little jaunts to the store REALLY add up & I find myself wanting to just "go & grab something"!

I decided to make my own Menu Plan with my own "theme" nights. I will post my theme category list in the next little bit. My plan is to have a list of meals that my family enjoys for each "theme" night. That way, I just have to consult my list to plan for each 2 week period.

Here is the Menu Plan that I made up with my theme nights listed.

and here is one without the theme nights listed so that you can write your own in.

Good Part/Bad Part

2010-09-08T21:47:00.000-07:00

We are slowly getting into our routine now. There is one tradition that we started as a family about a year ago. It is a great way to get conversation started around the dinner table. {I have to give credit to my hubby for starting this in our family.}

Each night, as we eat dinner we tell about a good part & a bad part of our day. There are only a few of rules.

#1..No interrupting.
#2..You can have as many good parts as you want. However, when it comes to bad parts...you can't have more bad than good. So..for example...if you share 3 bad parts, then you MUST have at least 3 good parts.
#3..This goes along with #2. You don't have to have a bad part, but you do have to have a good part.

The boys look forward this every night & sometimes they even start it before we can. I love that it gets them thinking about their day. It also helps them not be negative!

Chore Chart

2010-08-31T08:27:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to get a chore chart up & running for months now. I have had two issues with my plans...{1} They get too complicated for my 4 & 6 year old and {2} I have no where to hang 2 chore charts on my walls. However, I do have a HUGE magnet board on my wall. I use the magnet board for school stuff & our smileys reward system. I decided that this would be a great place to stick their chore chart. You could also stick it on your fridge.

Here is what I came up with....

I printed out the "to do/done" chore chart {just click below}. I let the boys pick out some scrapbook paper & then I used double sided tape to stick the "to do/done" chore chart to the scrapbook paper.

I had purchased The Chore Chart Kit from The Ettes and Company. It is on sale right now for $3.00. You could also use clip art {that is what the shoe picture is}. I used the different chore items that I needed & just printed them out in color.

I bought some clear decorative stones that you can get at any craft store.

I was in a hurry & didn't do a tutorial, but it is pretty easy to do. I place the stone over the design & traced the stone around the design so I knew what size & shaped I needed. I did one stone to a design at a time because each stone is a little different. After I the traced circle shape out I put the Mod Podge on the FLAT side of the stone. When I put the Mod Podge on the design...it bled a little bit. Put the circle...design side up..onto the Mod Podged {is that a word?} stone. Let it dry. Use your hot glue gun & glue on a good sized magnet on the back & then you have your chores to be done.

Their chores are:

{bed} make your bed
{homework} do your homework
{toothbrush/toothpaste} brush your teeth
{books} 20 minute nightly reading
{dog} feed the dogs
{clothes} put your dirty clothes in the dirty clothes basket
{shoes} put your shoes away
{toys} put your toes away

Each morning the chores start out on the "to do" side. As they do their chores...they get to move that magnet to the done side. I will give them a smiley for every chore that they did that day & they can redeem the smileys that they earned at the end of the week {as well as the smileys that they earned for good behavior}.

Moustache Bash

2010-08-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

We had a fun & simple get together for my hubby's 30th birthday. I was nice & didn't make too big of deal out of the fact that he is 30 {only because I want the same done for me in a few years}. My favorite part of the party was our moustache photo booth. I used brown & black felt to make the moustaches. Then I glued them onto sticks. I just googled moustache silhouette in the images section to get different moustache templates.

I set up my camera & everyone had a blast. It was so much fun!

{I don't want to take the time to get everyone's permission to post this on the blog...so I will only post a few of the pictures, but you get the idea.}

Back on Schedule

2010-08-30T09:03:00.000-07:00

Now that summer break is over, I feel like this is the perfect time to get back on a schedule. We had a crazy summer & I will admit that I totally slacked off on my domestic responsibilities. I am shocked at how little I cooked dinner..it was just easier to grab something or throw something simple together. So, I decided to set up a few goals of what I would like to accomplish in our new schedule.

*I will cook a real meal 3-4 times a week. {It is pathetic that this is a goal.}
*The boys will be in bed by 8:00 PM. {Our routine will begin at 7:30 PM.}
*The boys will be responsible to do chores. {SIMPLE chore chart coming soon...}
*We will resume the smiley system. {If you don't know what I am talking about...you can look here. I just need to refill our reward box.}
*Preston & I will work on different learning activities on the days when he doesn't have preschool.

I hope that by posting this...I will be held to keep my goals. Plus, I will be posting more recipes here & more kid activities over on Mommy-Guru. I hope to have my VERY simple chore chart posted on Wednesday. I just have a couple of supplies to pick up.

Biohazard

2010-08-27T08:48:00.000-07:00

Hello, my name is Tiffany & I am addicted to freezer paper stencilling.

I am a bit obsessed with making the boys cute freezer paper stencilled shirts. I think one reason is because there are so many cute things to do for girls, but not as much for boys. I saw a REALLY cute boys shirt over at Crap I've Made. She used a Silhouette to cut out the design, but I don't have one...so I cut it out by hand. You can check out my tutorial if you want to know how to do it.

Over the summer I bought Preston a really cute outfit, but after one washing the shirt shrunk so much that I gave it to may nephew who is a year old. I have been looking for a shirt to match the cute plaid shorts that have been sitting in his drawer. When I saw the shirt from Crap I've Made...I knew that this would be the shirt to match Preston's shorts. So...here is the finished product....

I used the image below...

More Shirts...

2010-08-25T17:14:00.003-07:00

I am having so much fun with the freezer paper stencilling. We went to Moab & I made the boys shirts to wear. The shirt says "I make dirt look good." Kaden's isn't pictured because he got sick on the way to the trail.

Then, I saw these cute "tombot" dingbat fonts & let the boys each pick their design. I downloaded them for freeeeeee from Fonts.com. I just searched tombots & tombats. There are some really fun things to choose from. I got the little "+" design off of picnik, but I resorted back to photoshop. It is just easier for me! If you want to know more about freezer paper stencilling check out my tutorial.

The boys were nice enough to pose for me! Today was a lucky picture day!!!

Here are the templates that I made for their shirts...just in case you want to use them.

The Last Days of Summer...

2010-08-23T22:30:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks of summer have been absolutely amazing!! We have spent some time at Bear Lake...

& then a few days later...we were off to Moab! I love Utah!!

Things will resume shortly! I have been going crazy with freezer paper stencils & I am in the process of making quilts for the boys' beds.

I'll be back...

2010-08-11T20:16:00.000-07:00

School is going to be starting in a few weeks, so I have plans to make the best of the last of our summer vacation. I will be back at the beginning of September.

A Super Party!!!

2010-08-08T07:27:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned before...I am trying to simplify birthday parties. Our superhero party wasn't SUPER simple, but when I went the extra mile...it was for the kids. We made capes & masks out of felt for all of the kids. That was a hit! I had the capes, masks, letters, & the emblem ready to go. Each kid got to pick their color of cape & letter...then we glued them on with fabric glue.

Then, we had an obstacle course for our "Super Hero Training". They loved the obstacle course. We had a slide, hula hoops, a balance beam, & some tunnels for the kids to climb through. They LOVED it!!!

So, part of my "simplify" plan was to order cupcakes from Sam's Club. I have done this before & they are tasty & pretty cheap. I ordered red, royal blue, & bright yellow. My sweet Dad picked them up for me while I finished some things at home. When they arrived...I had a box of pastel pink, yellow, & blue cupcakes. Uh...not what every 6 year old boy wants at his birthday party. I think it bothered me a bit more than Kaden...however Preston refused to eat a pink frosted cupcake. Oh well, Sam's Club is going to make it right...so I can't complain too much. It just didn't do much for my presentation! I forgot to get a picture of all of the cupcakes before we ate them...so here they are after the fact!

I made a fun banner out of felt that I can reuse. I am going to make one for each family member.

Here is another picture of the banner & the party stuff. I love the colors!!!

I made some cute "POW!!!" & "BAM" designs to put on the goodie bags.

The biggest design went on the front & the little design went on the back to seal up the fold. You could print them out using stickers or print them on regular cardstock & use tape.

Embrace the Retro

2010-07-29T13:13:00.000-07:00

I live in a house built back in 1948. We remodeled parts of the house, but the kitchen stayed the same. I have hated the look of my kitchen from day one. I have FINALLY come to accept that my kitchen is what it is. I have decided to embrace the 1950s kitchen. I have lived here for almost 2 years & have no curtains on my windows. SHAME!!! So, I decided to make a valance for my windows & embrace the retro.

I have NO idea what I was doing. I just kind of went with it. I knew I wanted the curtains to have a ruffle, but not sure if I wanted it on the top or the bottom. At first, I thought that I wanted ties to hang the curtains, but decided against it. So, here they are.

I LOVE the ruffle on the bottom. It makes me happy! I think that I captured the retro, but they are also a little modern.

Reflection...

2010-07-28T12:30:00.000-07:00

I came across "she left proof" and "she left proof". They talk about Mom's not being in pictures because we are always BEHIND the camera. I know that I am guilty of the same thing. I am hardly ever in any pictures & when I am I criticize how I look...{my hair is a mess, i look fat, i REALLY should have worn makeup that day}. After reading these blog posts...I began to think. Do I ever look back at pictures of my mom & criticize her...NO! I look at the pictures & think how beautiful she is. I am taken back to memories that we shared together. My children deserve the same thing.

Unexpected things happen. You never know what life will bring. I tend to think of moms who unexpectedly pass away, leaving small children behind. Were they in enough pictures?

Am I in enough pictures? I can honestly answer no to that. So, I am going to start a new goal..thank to one of the blog posts above. I will make it a point to take at least one picture of myself with the boys a month. I want to leave my mark on our memories. I want to leave proof that I was there.

Are you in enough pictures with your family or are you the one behind the camera?

Captain America

2010-07-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

For Kaden's superhero birthday party...he wanted a Captain America costume to wear for the party. #1..I don't have any clue how to make a Captain America costume & #2...It is going to be about 100 degrees at his party. So, I had to think of another idea. I am loving the blog I Am Momma Hear Me Roar. She has two boys & does all sorts of cute things for them. It is SO hard to find things for boys out there. She did a guest post over at Love Stitched & it was JUST what I needed. An adorable Captain America shirt.

Check it out for the tutorial. She even gives you the stencil that you need to use!

{I buy my shirts at Walmart..they are only $3.50.}

Here is the invite that I made using this picture above & photoshop.

Pinwheel Cupcake Toppers

2010-07-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

I am in the process of planning a Superhero Party for my 6 year old. I have a tendency of wanting to go over the top, but can't justify spending the $$...so then I end up over doing it with the things that I make. I have been thinking about this. Who am I decorating for? Am I decorating for the birthday boy or to impress everyone else? Does he care if I have awesome coordinating centerpieces? I don't think he cares about that. So, I am going to try to simplify this party. I am going to try to use things that I already have around the house or other ways to simplify the party & make it all about Kaden. Here is my first simplified project.

I usually make the boys a super cute coordinating birthday cake, but end up being stressed & on edge finishing the cake before the party. So, to fix that I am going to order cupcakes from Sam's Club {simplify...simplify}, but I wanted to make some cute cupcake toppers for the party. At first I was going to make fondant or gum paste stars, but didn't have anything for them. I have seen some cute pinwheel cupcake toppers & I already had the paper for them...SCORE!!! I couldn't find a tutorial on how to make them. So, with a little trial & error...I thought that I would share it with you!

You will need:

3x3 inch squares of paper {double sided would be great, but mine is one sided}
brads
picks or sucker sticks {my picks are from the party store, but you can find sucker sticks at most craft stores}
double sided tape or glue

Here are my 3x3 squares.

I liked to poke a hole in the center of my square...that way it was easier to gage where to cut. Cut a slit from each corner, but do not cut all the way through the center. Then poke a hole through every other corner like pictured below.

I found it easiest to line up each hole with the center hole before starting to put the brad in. You don't want to crease the fold.

Starting at one corner...place the brad in. Work your way around & then put it through the middle hole.

Here is the finished pinwheel's back.

At first, I used double stick tape to keep the pick attached, but ended up putting glue on top of that to make sure it stuck. You might have to decided what works best for you.

The finished product. I will post pictures of the picks in the cupcakes after the party in a few weeks.

Stay tuned for a few more things I will be doing for the party. It will be fun & cute, but simply...just like the kids like it!

Little Guy Ties

2010-07-26T08:30:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to show this to you. I just can't tell you how much I enjoy sewing! I love my little boys in cute little ties. But, they are difficult to come by & can be a little pricey. I came across THIS tutorial/pattern for a "little guy tie".

My brother & sister in law got married about a month ago. I used this tutorial to make some ties my boys & two of my nephews for their wedding. It is really fun and addicting to make these ties. The pattern & tutorial are VERY easy to follow with a TON of pictures that will help even the most beginner of sewer!

Jammies!!!

2010-07-19T15:32:00.000-07:00

I have been on a major jammie making kick. It all started with making the boys new jammies for when they get their tonsils out. They ended up being pretty easy to make & it was fun, so I kept making them jammies. Then, I decided that I could use some new jammie shorts. It was fun being able to use all of the cute girlie fabric for once too!

So, here are my jammies that I made. Yes, I am headless. I chose to sew instead of get ready today & I don't regret my decision.

Here is another pair that I made...TOTALLY girlie! This picture shows off the drawstring waist a little more.

I used an awesome tutorial over at MADE. I followed the tutorial to the letter. I didn't make the boys shorts have a drawstring, but 3 out of 4 of mine do. The drawstring just adds a little character I think.

If you want a tip...I made a little tag for the back of the jammies. It helps when sewing & if you don't put in a drawstring...it can get kind of confusing! I just used a little piece of muslin that I had left over. I usually sew it with white to finish off the edges, but on this pair...I got too lazy to change the thread...so you get black. Don't look to close at the stitching. I am not a pro AT ALL!!!

Here is a recap on some other jammies that I have made...

Freezer Paper Stencils

2010-07-15T21:05:00.001-07:00

I have been wanting to try out Freezer Paper Stencils for a while. I have made quiet a few shirts now & feel like I can tell you how to make them...

Here is the latest freezer paper stencil that I did. The circle is done with this technique. The "K" & lightening bolt are an applique.

You will need...

Freezer Paper {about $5 at Walmart-in the plastic wrap/foil section}
XACTO Knife
Fabric Paint
Iron
Paint Brush
I also like to use a self healing pad
a template for your design {I use photoshop or google the silhouette you are looking for.}
a shirt or something to stencil. {Joanns has really nice shirts that I like to use for pajamas on sale for $3. Walmart has nice solid shirts for about $3.50...just unpick the pocket.}

Here are a few of the items pictured....

I use Tulip Fabric Paint. I have used the "matte" & "pearle" version & like them both. The "pearle" has a little shimmer to it. You can buy it a craft stores & I have seen it at Walmart too.

Place your stencil under your freezer paper. There is a shiny side & a dull side on freezer paper. You want the shiny side to be down. Cut out your design as carefully as you can. Any thing that you cut will show on your shirt or whatever you are stencilling.

Once you have your design cut out. Place the freezer paper shiny side down onto your shirt. Place it how you want it & then iron it down. Be careful not to catch the stencil with the iron...it can tear {speaking from experience}. Make sure that all of your edges are ironed onto the shirt & there are not gaps.

BEFORE YOU START PAINTING...TAKE ANOTHER SHEET OF FREEZER PAPER & PLACE IT INSIDE OF THE SHIRT. This will keep your paint from bleeding to the back of the shirt.

Paint from the outside in. If you go inside to outside...your paint could catch the stencil & bleed out. Try not to do too many coats, but do enough to cover the area.

Once you have painted the whole thing...let it dry. I am not a patient person & I struggle with this.

Once your paint has dried, pull off the freezer paper.

Using a cloth {I use an old pillow case}, cover the painted design & iron over the design to set it.

Then...share the joy with your little ones!

If you need more info on doing an applique...leave a comment. I will also link to the tutorial that I used to make the pajama shorts soon.

Jammies

2010-07-14T09:29:00.000-07:00

My babies are both getting their tonsils out next week. I decided to get them some new jammies. Who knew that it would be so impossible to find short jammies in July. So, I decided to try making some on my own. I will tell you a little more how I did it, but I wanted to post the finished product!

Wedding Cake

2010-07-09T09:06:00.000-07:00

It has been mighty crazy around here for the last bit. My brother got married yesterday & I made ties for all of the little boys & their wedding cake. I will post pictures of the ties tomorrow, but today I wanted to show off the cake I made.

It was a lot of work, but the bride & groom loved it. I am in NO WAY a professional & I will only make one of these every few years. I had fun making it, but I am so glad that it is over!

Kettle Corn

2010-06-24T18:11:00.000-07:00

I decided to try my hand at making my own kettle corn. We love Kettle Corn! It is really easy & pretty tasty. You may want to change the salt to sugar ratio depending on your taste. Give it a try!

You will need:

1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup salt

In a large pot with a lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the popcorn. When the oils sizzles, sprinkle the sugar over the kernels. Cover and shake the pan until the popping slows down, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and toss with the salt.

Simplify

2010-06-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

There will be no more pirate party posts. We had a change in plans & ended up in Arizona over little man's birthday. We had a swimming party instead. I still have a few things up my sleeve for a pirate party...maybe next year!

Kiddie Neck Pillows

2010-06-21T12:07:00.000-07:00

If you googled Procrastination..I think you will see my picture! I have had the stuff to make the kids' neck pillows for 3 months. Of course I put it off until the night before our 12 hour road trip. Luckily..they were VERY easy to whip up, even for me!

I started to do a tutorial, but realized that I didn't have time. It is probably the easiest thing to sew. I let the boys each pick out a fleece material. I had them cut to 1/2 yard each, but had a bit left over! I drew a "U" shape on a piece of paper. I like to use paper from the kiddos easel.

I pinned the pattern piece to my fabric & cut it out. Make sure you leave some extra for your seam.

Once you have your two pieces...place right sides together. Sew around leaving a big enough opening to fill your pillow. Once sewn...turn right sides out. I filled the pillows with stuffing from an old pillow. I worked perfect & was FREEEE!!!

In no time..I had little neck pillows ready for the road trip ahead. Whip stitch your pillow opening closed & there you have it!

They LOVED their neck pillows & used them the whole ride!

It's raining...

2010-05-27T20:28:00.000-07:00

I finished the pirate banner, but it is too rainy to take a picture outside...maybe tomorrow!!!

Last Minute Teacher Gift

2010-05-26T21:10:00.000-07:00

This school year is coming to an end. I can't believe it! My boys have both had really great teachers...so I wanted to get them something to say thank you! I had every intention of buying flowers, but I was out voted...two against one. Plus, I had to give in because it is their gift to their teacher.

We bought the fun little pails on sale for $1.00 at Hobby Lobby. They had a ton of different colors to choose from. The boys LOVED choosing their own pail.

We bought potting soil & Blue Enchantment. We HAD to get Blue Enchantment per Kaden's request. The boys couldn't wait to plant their seeds. It was a fun activity.

I came across a tag with an adorable saying to tie everything together. Skip to my Lou posted a FUN free printable tag to add to your flowers. You can open up the file & edit the name. We changed the name to "me" because it is from the boys. She used a scalloped circle punch, but I didn't have one. I decided to use some pinking shears to cut out my tags...but you could also just cut out the circle. I made two for each flower pot.

I used double sided tape to attach the tags to craft sticks. Poke the stick into the dirt & there you have your gift.

Aargh!!!

2010-05-25T14:26:00.001-07:00

I took a break from sewing & crafting to get some scrapbooking done. If you want to see the pages that I have done, go to our family blog.

Preston is having a pirate party next month. I like to prepare a little ahead of time. Plus, we are heading out of town for a little over a week in June, so I want to be ready. Today, I made his party invitation. I wanted something cheap & easy. So, here is what I came up with.

I made up the wording in Photoshop Elements 7. You could use Word also. I made mine to a 4x6 size. I used the font Missed Your Exit. It is a free font from Kevin & Amanda! They have the most amazing fonts. If you haven't checked them out...DO!

I printed out the invitations on brown masking paper that we had left over from painting our house. You could also use brown craft paper from the roll. I like the masking paper because it is thinner & gives it a good feel, but it was really difficult with the printer. The paper was so fine that it jammed up a few times.
Masking paper & kraft paper are both super cheap. Look at Walmart or the Dollar Store in the shipping section for the Kraft Paper. The masking paper will be in the painting section of any store that sells painting supplies.

After the invite was printed, I took a candle & burnt the edges. I recommend doing this outside on the cement or something. I started in the house & it was stinky & I was worried about the smoke alarm going off. Burn small areas at a time. If you do too big of a spot...it could get out of control.

We crinkled up one of the invitations to see which we liked better & it was unanimous that we all like the invites that were not crinkled.

Walla! Awesome pirate invitation that cost me NOTHING!!!

**Stay tuned. I will post pirate party projects as I get them done. Tomorrow...I should be able to post the banner that I made!

Memaw...Don't Read This

2010-05-04T17:27:00.000-07:00

Ok...a while back I made some camera strap slip covers for my camera. My Mom loves the straps, but only has a point & shoot. She keeps joking that she needs one for her little wristlet camera strap.

Then, I came across an adorable camera case wristlet pattern. I knew that it would PERFECT for her for Mother's Day. I got the fabric at Hobby Lobby. I LOVE it! My Mom LOVES Vera Bradley & I thought this looked a little like her stuff.

I have never made 'darts' in any of my sewing projects. It was a new experience, but I love how it turned out. I think that my Mom is going to LOVE this.

Quiet Book

2010-04-13T21:18:00.000-07:00

I have been working so hard on getting this project finished. As soon as I started researching sewing machines...I knew that I wanted to make a quiet book. It was so much work, but it was also a great learning experience. I was able to learn how to do button holes & zippers without caring if I messed up a little bit because the boys could really care less how perfect they look. So, here are the first pages. I plan on making more. I already have a Noah's Ark page made, but I need another page for the back.

The cover for our quiet book. Pretty simple!

A counting lady bug page

Piggy Bank with coins inside AND a flower pot with button flowers

Grandpa's Jeep with a "bumpy" road & an assortment of wheels AND the front of the tic tac toe board

The back of the tic tac toe board..the yellow "bucket" is to keep the "X" & "O" in AND a cute little apple tree with a bucket to hold the apples

A felt tool box with some fun tools AND a fun tent. Inside of the tent is a cute little teddy bear.

A fun stop light & a teddy bear to play dress up

The black "envelope" holds all of Teddy's clothes AND a roadway

Shapes

Zhu Zhu Pets Sleeping Bag

2010-04-05T17:49:00.000-07:00

Today, I finally caved & bought the boys each a Zhu Zhu Pet. While selecting their new friend...they noticed all of the fun accessories & immediately started asking for them. I remembered seeing a tutorial on how to make a sleeping bag for a Zhu Zhu pet. I knew it would be perfect! Here is the tutorial by Little Birdie Secrets.

I used some left over fleece & then some scraps of cotton material. The boys each picked what they wanted. It was really easy & the boys LOVE their little hamster sleeping bags.

Neck Pillow

2010-03-31T13:15:00.000-07:00

I am really enjoying my new sewing machine. It is so fun to find the fabric & create something. If you have been following this blog at all...you would know that my hubby is off playing soldier. He has been on numerous flights during the month & plenty more in the near future. On one of his visits to the airport...he sent me a picture asking me to make him a neck pillow. It had to be light weight due to weight restrictions. I didn't take any pictures, but here is what I did.

I purchased some anti pill fleece {1/2 yard...with a little left over}. I cut a u-shape pattern out of a large piece of easel paper {you could also use a paper bag}. Using your pattern....cut out two u-shaped pieces out of the fleece.

Pin right sides together & sew around the edges of your pillow...leaving a small opening to flip pillow right side out. Once you have turned the pillow right side out...stuff it. We opened up an old pillow & stuffed the neck pillow with the stuffing from it. It was a great way to use what we already had! We stuffed it very full!!

Once you have stuffed your pillow..whip stitch the pillow closed. This is a great tutorial on an invisible whip stitch. It was perfect!!!

Here is the finished product. Hubby loves it. He is excited to use it {as excited as he could be to fly AGAIN!!!}

See...it is so comfy that he fell right to sleep. {He is a good faker!!!}

I am going to make the boys each a neck pillow next. Their booster seats just don't give them support when they are asleep. I will take step by step pictures when I make theirs!

Here is a tutorial, but I think it is pretty simple without one.

Car Caddy

2010-03-22T10:14:00.001-07:00

I made Kaden his "man bag", but needed something fun for Preston. When I saw THIS super cute car caddy, I just knew Preston would love it. It would also be nice to take with us to Dr. appointments & church. I usually have cars floating around in my purse, but this will keep them together.

Preston helped me make it. He helped me pin & measure {& he is playing with it right now!!} I didn't end up using the denim for the backing because I couldn't find a big enough piece. The regular fabric seems to work just fine.

This is very similar to making a crayon roll, just a little bigger. Don't look very closely at the stitching for the velcro on the strap. I didn't have the right color of thread & was too lazy to fix it...so it looks pretty bad. Preston doesn't seem to care!

"Men Bag"

2010-03-20T22:22:00.001-07:00

I discovered an amazing blog the other day. I found some awesome new projects. This is the first one that I decided to tackle. Kaden loves "men". We have a TON of men & Kaden loves to take them with him everywhere. I thought this would be the perfect little "men bag" for Kaden to keep his men together at church. I don't have a tutorial. This is my very first time sewing a zipper. It was a fun practice & I am really happy with how it turned out. I may add a nose later, but for now...here is the finished product:

Birthday Postcards

2010-03-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

I am so excited. I just got my Happy Birthday postcards in the mail. One of my New Year's Resolutions was to be better about birthdays. I found this post about getting FREE postcards. I chose from their designs...typed up my message...& paid $6.00 {& some change} for shipping. It came with 100 postcards. They came today & I can't wait to start addressing them. If you get one...act surprised! All I have to do is put a stamp on them & write the address...& I am GOOD TO GO!!!

I am going to make them up for the month before & then they will be ready to be mailed. Wahoo!! I feel like I am getting things together! :)

Confession...{& how to make a valance}

2010-03-14T11:17:00.000-07:00

I have lived in my house for over a year & a half. Only ONE window has curtains/valance. {GASP!!!} They are just never that high on my list, but they should be.

When we moved here...I bought new bedding for the kiddos room. It came in a set with a bed skirt. Well, we don't need a bed skirt with the boys having bunk beds. For the last year & a half I have had every intention of turning their bed skirts into a valance, but I never found the time or the means.

Yesterday we cleaned & organized their room & I rediscovered their bed skirts. I decided to tackle that project. I am going to attempt to show {& tell} you how I made them, but keep in mind this is my 3rd sewing project. I am a novice, but this worked for me!

I measured my windows. They were both 44 inches wide. I then wanted to give myself some room to let it bunch so I multiplied 44 by 1.5. That came to 66 inches. I added a few extra inches just to be safe, I didn't want my valance too bunchy. I have read other places where you double or triple your window width according to what you want.

For the height...measure your window height. Mine was 42 inches. I divided that by 3. So...my height for the curtain ended up being 14 inches.

Because I was using a bed skirt...I had to sew 2 parts of the bed skirt together that were 14 inches. If I had just one piece of fabric...it will need 28 inches x 66 inches.

I pinned the right sides of the two pieces together where I unpicked the stitches from the bed skirt. {The only unfinished sides.} This is an extra step if you have one whole piece of fabric.

Here is my "whole" piece of fabric.

Pin right sides together & sew leaving a 1/2 inch seam allowance. {You want your fabric to form a tube.} Turn right sides out. {This is the top!}

Iron the seam to form a crease. Then sew 3 inches down from the crease. This is for your header.

Sew another 3 inches down from the header seam. This is where your rod goes in. If you have a thick or thin rod...you many need to change the measurement.

Slide your rod into the rod hole & there you have it!!!!

The most time consuming part was picking the seams. I think I spent a few hours unpicking the seams.

With hubby gone, I decided to be self-reliant & use the drill. Wahoo! There is something about power tools & a finished project to make you feel good!

Now I am on the lookout for fabric to make some fun curtains for my kitchen. I also wanted to show you these really cute signs that I also rediscovered when we were organizing. My brother in law sent Kaden his sign while he was on a mission to Germany. Then, my mother in law made one for Preston {his nickname is P bo}. I love these signs. The boys asked to put them right over their beds...so we did. I love the 3M hanging strips. They work so well!!!

No Sew Fleece Blankets

2010-03-07T22:58:00.000-08:00

My boys love their fleece blankets. The blankets are almost 6 years old & they are starting to look really worn out. I decided that the boys needed some new fun blankets. We went to Joann's & I let them pick out whatever fleece they wanted. Preston picked a John Deer/Camo print fleece {not my fav} & Kaden picked a really cute blue Diego fleece. We did a two layer..so we picked out a coordinating fleece for the bottom.

I have made the no sew fleece blankets before, but it has been a while. I used THIS TUTORIAL as a little refresher. We wanted our blankets a little bigger...so I bought 2 yards of each fabric.

It took me a few days to find the time to actually make the blankets, but once I started...the boys had brand new blankets. I didn't get them finished until after they went to bed, but they will wake up with their new blankets on their beds. I think that I will have two VERY happy boys in the morning!

Crayon Roll

2010-03-04T21:49:00.000-08:00

My hubby officially flew out yesterday. I am trying to stay busy & my new sewing machine is helping me with that! I have been working on a few things, but today I made crayon rolls for my boys. I wanted to make something "boyish"...monster trucks, robots, cars, something along those lines. Kaden {my oldest} asked for it to look like a flag. I try to fulfill reasonable requests & this one was doable. I finally found the perfect fabric this morning.

I used THIS tutorial from Skip To My Lou. This was the best tutorial that I looked at. Very simple to follow. I didn't have any ric rac...so I skipped that part.

Here is the finished product:

Another Slipcover...

2010-03-01T08:38:00.001-08:00

I made one more slipcover on Saturday night, but didn't get it posted. Here it is...I LOVE this material too.

I have one more to make, but I am not sure when I will work on it. I will post it when I finish! I am also working on making a quiet book for the boys. I have one page almost finished, but I lost the Velcro that I bought...so I am off to the store.

If you don't have any idea what this is for...just look at the previous post. ;)

Camera Strap Slipcover

2010-02-27T17:14:00.000-08:00

I got MY very own sewing machine this week! I have been borrowing my mom's antique singer {METAL}, but the tension was REALLY off & it only had a straight stitch. I was so frustrated that I haven't used it for a year.

I have a few projects that I want to do, but when I found THIS tutorial for a camera strap cover...I knew that this would be project #1. I will not be posting ANY tutorials on sewing & don't look TOO close at the seams, but I am so happy with how it turned out! I also love that her tutorial uses a light padding on the cover. Ahhh!

So, here are the pictures. I had NO intention of being in the pictures, but I was so excited to put my camera back together that I forgot to take the picture.

This is a good picture of the top of my camera strap.

And this one shows the bottom. LOVE!!!

Well, I am off to sew two more so that I can change my slipcover to my mood. How fun is that! Go visit Tidy Mom...even if you don't want to make a slipcover. Her blog is amazing!

I will post the other 2 tomorrow!

My Valenitine's Card for Hubby

2010-02-14T08:18:00.000-08:00

I just had to show you this fun card that I made for KC. I saw it a while back {here}, but procrastinated until last night to make it. It went together really fast & we both got a good laugh this morning.

This is the front:

and here it the back:

I just made a heart template & used only the top of the heart for one side & then flipped it & traced the top again for the back. Then, I took my pattern paper & made the bra & the thong. A little ribbon for embellishment & a heart "tattoo" & it was done. I love this card. It is hilarious!

Better Late Than Never!

2010-02-03T20:18:00.000-08:00

I made a cute CHEAP Valentine's Countdown for the boys. It is a few days late, but I am living by the "better late than never" theory. To make the cute little containers all that you need is paper & double stick tape. I used some other embellishments, but it was really simple. You can find the directions HERE.

A great cause...

2010-02-03T08:14:00.000-08:00

Recessionista is partnering with Soles4Souls to donate shoes to people in Haiti. What a great cause. Check out their post HERE. For every pair of shoes that you purchase..they will donate.

The Dress-Up Drawer

2010-01-25T15:42:00.000-08:00

There is a HUGE giveaway going on over at The Dress-Up Drawer. It is going for the whole week...so head on over & enter. Click on the button below!

More pages...

2010-01-15T08:22:00.000-08:00

It has been a NASTY foggy morning. So, little man & I have been snuggling while watching UP & Jurassic Park. {Yes, my 3 year old LOVES Jurassic Park}. I have been able to get some pages done! He is such a good little snuggler {blogger doesn't like the word "snuggler" but I think it works}! I love days like today! The creative juices are flowing!

I have to admit that I totally copied someone else's layout for this last one. It was PERFECT for the pictures.

My Therapy

2010-01-14T11:33:00.000-08:00

During my "me" time I have been doing a bit of scrapbooking. Here is what I have been working on:

More Monkey Bread

2010-01-12T08:39:00.000-08:00

I wrote around Christmas about "Christmas Morning Pull Aparts" on my Mommy Guru blog. I have to say...I was a little disappointed. I realized that I DON'T like butterscotch & there started the disappointment. My husband REALLY liked them, but I wanted something more like Cinnamon Rolls. So, along came Angry Chicken & her "bread of the monkey" post. She uses Martha Stewart's Monkey Bread recipe. It sounded more like what I wanted. So, I made it yesterday & YUM!! The only thing that I would change is the icing. For me cinnamon rolls need cream cheese frosting. This is the recipe I would use:

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt.

I bet you could still use the frozen rhodes rolls. Take what you have & make it your own!

I'll be back...

2010-01-10T08:18:00.000-08:00

Life is hectic. You would think that after the holidays...that things would settle. Yea, not so much here. We are still working on getting things prepared for when hubby deploys. Time is going so fast & the "to do" list just keeps growing. There is never enough time. A part of me just wants to get it started so that I can start to look forward to the end of his deployment.

We finally broke the news about Daddy's deployment & now it is all about our time together. Right now, we are focusing all of our spare time on the family. We have game night almost every night. We read story after story. And my favorite...SNUGGLES! I don't think that they understand the time frame, but they get that Daddy will be gone.

So, there won't be much crafting going on {possibly until March}. I will still bake & post recipes.

I am still posting over at Mommy-Guru & of course on our family blog.

Crescent Rolls

2010-01-08T19:15:00.000-08:00

I don't know what is up, but I have been going crazy in the kitchen today. My sil told me about this yummy crescent roll/sweet roll recipe from http://www.allrecipes.com/. I have used it for rolls, cinnamon rolls, & now I have made crescent rolls. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/2 cup warm milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp yeast
1/4 cup butter, softened

Directions

1. Pour warm water & warm milk into mixing bowl. Add sugar to water/milk mixture & dissolve. Add yeast & allow to "proof" for about 10 minutes or until it begins to foam. Add butter & salt. Mix. Add egg. Then, add the flour one cup at a time.

2. Cover bowl with a clean dish towel & allow to rise in a warm area {until doubled in size}.

3. Once dough has doubled in size...turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 12 inch circle, spread 1/4 cup softened butter over entire round. Cut each circle into 8 wedges. Roll wedges starting at wide end; roll gently but tightly. Place point side down on ungreased cookie sheet. Cover with your dish towel and put in a warm place, let rise 1 hour.

4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden.

My New Year's Resolutions

2009-12-29T09:51:00.000-08:00

I {usually} love the anticipation of a new year starting. There are so many unknowns of what that year will hold. However, I already know that at the beginning of 2010 my hubby will be going on his own adventure with the Army...so it is hard to get excited about a year without the love of your life. I know that there will still be adventures out there for me & the boys.

Each year I try to make at least one resolution. I am not one to set out with weight or eating healthy goals. I love baking & goodies too much {check out the baking posts}!! This year I wanted to improve something that I have been trying to be better at, but always fall short.

The first is to be better with family birthdays. Whether I send out a card, make a phone call, or a blog post...I would like to acknowledge birthdays. I love birthdays & feel like they should be a HUGE deal. I usually do really well at the beginning, but a few months in I fall short. This year I am broadening my way of reaching out for birthdays {blogging}.

My second is to keep a daily journal. I plan on getting a daily planner & jotting down a few thoughts or activities from the day. If the boys do or say something funny...write it down. I want to be able to look back at all of the memories. I scrapbook, but am WAY behind. I hope that this will be a yearly thing. Every day is a gift & I want to remember how we used that gift.

What are you resolving to do for 2010?

Merry Christmas

2009-12-23T21:49:00.000-08:00

We finally got hubby home after being trapped in Philadelphia for a few extra days. It finally is starting to feel like Christmas & I guess that it should because we are only an hour away from CHRISTMAS EVE...Ahhhhhhh! I have spent most of the month keeping busy & now I am wondering where it went. This week has been spent enjoying family!

I hope that everyone has an amazing Christmas! Please remember the meaning. It is fun to open presents & eat the goodies, but remember that this is CHRISTmas! I am so grateful for our Savior & his birth. I pray that we can remember him always!

Teacher Gift

2009-12-15T12:24:00.000-08:00

I almost forgot that I have to get teacher gifts done. Preston only has Preschool this week...so I had to get busy. I really am trying to simplify Christmas this year. Last night, I made some yummy homemade oreos & then the light bulb came on. I had seen some cute tins at Walmart a while back. The tins run about $2.50, but they had some plastic containers too. I also bought some ribbon to decorate it with & some tissue paper ($1.00). Here is what I used:

{The recipe for the homemade oreos is the post below.}

Put some tissue paper in the bottom of your tin & then fill it with cookies.

Then, I covered the cookies with another piece of tissue paper. I had some cute mini candy canes that I put on the top.

I centered the lid & then started tying the ribbon onto the handle. I added a cute homemade tag & there it is.

Homemade Oreos

2009-12-14T17:56:00.000-08:00

It seems like everyone is making Homemade Oreos right now. I have been in the mood for them for awhile, but haven't had a chance to make them! I finally got a minute after the kids were in bed. They are super easy. There are a lot of recipes out there for Homemade Oreos {mostly the frosting changes}, but this is my favorite. I can't remember where I found it, but I have used it for years.

Oreos

2 boxes devils food cake mix
4 eggs
3/4 cup oil

Mix all together until there are no lumps. Drop by spoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 6-8 minutes. They should start to crack on the top. Put a spoonful of your favorite icing on one and top with another cookie.

Butter Cream Frosting

1/3 C butter, softened
4 C powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
1/4 C milk
a dash of salt

Mix all ingredients to spreading consistency. Add sugar or milk to desired consistency. Add food coloring if you want to. Decorate as you wish.

Store the cookies covered. I find that the cookie softens a bit after the frosting. This time I made red, green, & white frosting.

On Vacation...

2009-12-10T19:52:00.001-08:00

Well, I thought that I should let you know...I AM ON VACATION! I will be back to posting again on Monday, but we have been playing in Vegas for about a week. We are having a great time showing the boys the lights & excitement out here. Have a great week & I will be back in just a bit!

Block Ornaments

2009-12-02T21:09:00.000-08:00

I'm back...life has been a bit crazy. I doubt that it will settle down much. But that is part of the charm of Christmas. I love the hustle & bustle.

The other day I saw a very cute idea to make an ornament with block. Here is the link from HOW DOES SHE. Here are the supplies that you need:

♥ small blocks {I found mine at the a thrift store a while back, but you could just cut wood down} any where from 1.5-2 inches.
♥ mod podge
♥ pictures {I just printed out some wallets}
♥ scrapbook paper
♥ paint {& paint brush}
♥ ribbon or string
♥ metal eyes {from the hardware section}
♥ sandpaper {optional}

My blocks were already painted, but if yours are not...paint them. I just peeled the vinyl off of my blocks.

I trimmed my pictures & paper to the size of the blocks. I cut mine a little over so that I could trim it down with sandpaper. Then, mod podge the pictures to the block. Do the same with the paper.

Then I sanded the edges. Place a thin layer of mod podge over the block to seal & protect the pictures & the paper.

After the mod podge is dry...twist in the "eye".

Thread with a ribbon {or string} & TADA..you have a cute personalized ornament. I also put the year on the bottom of the ornament.

I am keeping one for our family & then giving the rest away {shh...don't tell}. I think that I will make a new one each year.

Felt Ornament

2009-11-13T10:42:00.000-08:00

I was starting to think about Christmas. I hate feeling like I am "skipping" Thanksgiving, but really...decorating for Christmas isn't too far off. I had some leftover felt from our Halloween costumes & decided to make some ornaments. This is my first one, but I plan on making plenty more in different styles. I am really excited to get my tree up & put these cute little guys on there!

The only problem...for now..is I only have red & white felt. So I guess I need to go & buy some more!

I am linking up with Creative Cat Friday over at Poppies at Play...go check it out!

Happy Veteran's Day!

2009-11-11T08:33:00.001-08:00

I can't help but want to thank all of the men & women who protect our freedoms. We have been touched by so many wonderful people through the Army & have so many new friends since our adventure started.

I feel very blessed to have a husband who chose to volunteer & protect our country. I think of all of the men & women who are overseas & their families who are home worrying about them.

Please take the time to tell our Veterans how much you appreciate their sacrifices. I want to thank Grandpa Foster, Grandpa Morgan, my sweet & courageous husband, Chris (KC's uncle), Ken (Becca's husband), Mitch, Jason, Morgan, Dejan, Farah, Jamie, Mary, & other other service men & women that I may have forgotten. Being on the other side as the veteran's spouse...I also want to thank all of the wives & husbands who hold down the fort while their spouse is gone. These are amazing people & they deserve our support. THANK YOU OUR VETERANS!!!

This is one of my favorite pictures. Kaden & his little friend Noah were sitting outside of Walter Reed Army Medical Center watching their Daddy's doing flag duty. It was such an amazing thing to watch. This is the kind of impression I want to leave with the boys about our service men & women.

{reposted for our family blog November 2008}

Not feelin' it!!!

2009-11-09T11:00:00.000-08:00

I'm just not feeling very crafty right now. My creativity is on hold for now. My hubby was just told that he will be deploying with the Army & we are trying to prepare for that. I hope to feel crafty soon...it would probably help free my mind, but we will see. I will probably still post recipes{I am an emotional eater & am feeling emotional right now}. I am sure once I am able to fully process what needs to be done & make a plan...my mind will be clearer. What could be more inspiring than Christmas...right? Stay tuned & we will see what happens! Thanks for being understanding!!!

Ranch Chicken

2009-11-05T20:31:00.001-08:00

I have had this recipe for a while to try. Today, we finally made it. It is DELICIOUS & really pretty simple! Next time I even have to make more because we ran out. I found the recipe JADI'S FAVORITE RECIPES. This chicken is a new family favorite!

3/4 cup crushed cornflakes (I used original Special K because that is what we had.)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 envelope Ranch Salad Dressing mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

In a shallow bowl, combine cornflakes, Parmesan cheese, and salad dressing mix. Dip chicken in butter, then roll in cornflake mixture to coat.
Place in greased 13X9 inch baking dish. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, or until chicken is done.

Wanna Win?

2009-11-05T15:54:00.000-08:00

Over at KEVIN & AMANDA they are having a digital scrapbooking kit GIVEAWAY. They are giving away two different kits: October & November. All that you have to do is leave a comment to be entered! SIMPLE ENOUGH!! If you haven't ever been over to Kevin & Amanda...go NOW!!! They have FREE...yup...FREE fonts that are super cute & she will even make your handwriting into a font. I haven't done it yet, but really want to (STUPID SCANNER)!

If you do go over & enter for the giveaway...if you would please leave my blog address in the comment...I would appreciate it!

Two Down...One to Go!

2009-11-04T22:20:00.001-08:00

Well, I have two of my blogs finished. I FINALLY found some creativity in there somewhere. This is the only one left...so keep watching. Maybe tomorrow. We will see!

Thankful Jar

2009-11-04T09:20:00.000-08:00

I just posted a great thankful jar idea over at MOMMY GURU. I have seen the idea a few different places & love it!

FYI

2009-11-03T09:54:00.001-08:00

If you are in need of some new fall/Thanksgiving decor, or just want to get a headstart on Halloween for next year...head to Joann's. All of their fall...including Thanksgiving is 70% off. Mine still had a ton of stuff, but I wouldn't wait!

Our Halloween Costumes

2009-11-01T21:11:00.000-08:00

Ok...so I managed to get our costumes done just in time for Halloween. We were lawn gnomes.

First off...I want to tell you how hard it was to keep a straight face for this picture. We had to take the picture a few times & ended up kicking my brother out of the room. This was the best face we could get. Hubby however...could do the straight face all day long.

Ok...now back to the costumes....I covered adult party hats with red felt with E6000. That strong of glue was maybe a bit overdone, but I wanted to be sure that it was secure. For the beard, I just bought some fur type stuff & free handed a beard shape. I glued the beard to the inside of the hat. I used the scraps of fur for the eyebrows...once again secured by E6000.

I found hubby's pants & my shirt and skirt at a thrift store. it was difficult to find a skirt that was LONG enough! The suspenders are belts from the dollar store that I sewed into suspenders. My apron is just a giant piece of felt that I cut into the shape of a long apron. I think I spent about $15.00 total for both costumes.

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

2009-11-01T19:56:00.000-08:00

Last week, I was on a quest to find Kaden a Hawaiian shirt for red ribbon week. I'm not sure who came up with the BRILLIANT idea of Hawaiian Day in October especially considering that it has been snowing for the last few days. Now, the only place I could think of to get little big man a Hawaiian shirt in OCTOBER was a thrift store. I found myself driving out to our new DI {twist my arm}. I haven't been out there to check it out since they moved. We managed to find a decent Hawaiian shirt.

Since we were already there I just HAD to wander around. I came across this super cute antique kids desk that we (Kaden & I) both fell in love with. Problem #1: No price tag & Problem #2: I honestly have NO WHERE to keep this adorable little desk. I asked a worker who was right there about the price, but he didn't know. I almost walked away. I SHOULD HAVE WALKED AWAY. I had no intention of pressing the matter any more. Plus, it was destined to be out of my price range...which is next to nothing. Then, the nice worker went to get someone who could price this desk. I was in SHOCK when he priced it at $5.00. How could I walk away from that? So, the boys now know one of their Christmas presents & we have a LARGE task of making room for this desk in their bedroom.

Do I regret it...NO! Hubby even took it surprisingly well. I was prepared for a battle. I really wouldn't have blamed him. The boys share a room & it is beyond full with toys & other kiddo stuff. What better motivation to get rid of stuff? Now, I just need to decide how I am going to refinish it. Any suggestions? What type of sealant would you recommend?

Let them EAT cake....

2009-10-28T08:25:00.000-07:00

While I am attempting to finish our costumes...I thought I would post some of the cakes that I have made over the last few years. I have wonderful memories of the cakes that my mom made for me growing up & I want my boys to have those too. I really love to bake & create. I am amazed at what you can turn a cake into.

A few years back...I made my first birthday cake. Kaden had a pirate birthday party & we made a pirate ship. I was stressed & excited, but when it was all said & done...I was so proud. From that moment on....I WAS HOOKED.

The next year...I moved onto a homemade frosting, but I still stick with a boxed cake. Here is Preston's train cake. It was fun & pretty easy, but a bit time consuming! He really loved it! Here is the whole cake:

And now some close ups:

Next came little bigger man's horse cake. It was the EASIEST cake. A little cutting & some frosting...TADA!!!!

I made another pirate cake for "talk like a pirate day".

This is my first (& only..so far) attempt at fondant. I even made marshmallow fondant.

This year Preston had a dinosaur party.

And Kaden went with Monkeys. I actually had a SUPER cute monkey cake picked out, but Kaden really wanted these cupcakes. I think that he made a great choice!

The final cake is this one. Simple & delicious!!! **Notice the cake plate...yup I made that. A charger plate, a candle stick, & some E6000.

Halloween!!!

2009-10-26T16:15:00.000-07:00

I really don't sew. I have an antique sewing machine that my mom was sweet enough to "loan" me, but the tension is all off & it doesn't have the instruction manual. Hubby & I are going to attempt to fix the tension & "create" our own Halloween costumes. Now, there isn't a TON of sewing to do on these & what there is is basic. I am excited to tackle this, but considering I have less than a week...I am down to the wire. Wish me luck & I will post when they are finished!

Win a trip to Disney

2009-10-25T13:41:00.001-07:00

I just entered to win a trip to Disneyland. You can enter at on two different websites. Good Luck!

www.sweetlifeinthevalley.com
www.outandaboutwiththefamily.com

Frankenstein Brownies

2009-10-22T20:24:00.000-07:00

I saw some super cute, festive Frankenstein brownies over at CONTROLLING MY CHAOS. I was so excited to make them that I ran right out to get what I needed!

I just made a box brownie mix & let them cool. I cut the brownies into rectangles & put them on a plate.

I decided to make the frosting minty..so I found a recipe to start with & went from there. I couldn't find creme de menthe liqueur so I used mint extract. I will give you the single recipe..I doubled it, but I'm still not sure that I needed to!

Here is the recipe:
1/2 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp mint extract
2 Tbsp milk
green food coloring

Mix all of the ingredients together & continue mixing until fluffy. Frost each brownie rectangle & chill until set.

For the decorating you could use chocolate frosting, but instead I used a chocolate ganache. You will need:

6 Tbsp butter
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

You can melt your chocolate & butter in the microwave, but I had better luck with a "double boiler". I used a glass bowl over a saucepan with simmering water. Stir occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat & allow to cool a little.

While your chocolate is cooling...cut some mini marshmallows in half. These will be the whites of your eyes. You will need 1 mini marshmallow per Frankie.

Now that your chocolate has cooled...put it in a piping bag (or ziploc baggie with the corner cut off). I used a small round piping tip that I slid into the corner of a ziploc baggie. Use the chocolate to decorate the hair, mouth, & eye.

Chicken Pot Pie

2009-10-19T19:17:00.000-07:00

Chicken Pot Pie is one of the ULTIMATE comfort foods! I also love to give it to the kiddos because they are getting so many veggies & they either don't know or don't care! Now, it is a little involved & I recommend that you follow the recipes timing, but it is definitely worth it!!! I changed the original recipe to fit my taste..so that is what I am giving you!

5-6 chicken tenders (3 breasts)
32 oz chicken broth
3-4 potatoes
1 yellow onion (I cheat & buy chopped onion in the freezer section!)
3 celery stalks
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 package peas & carrots mixture
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
1 frozen deep dish pie crust bottom**
1 pie crust top (in the dairy case)**

**This makes enough to make 2 pies...so you could use 2 of each pie crusts

1. Place chicken in a pot of cold water just to cover chicken. Add salt, pepper, & garlic powder. Bring to a boil, turn off heat, & cover. Let cool in the pot.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Peel & cut potatoes into bite size pieces & boil until almost fork tender. Drain & set aside.
4. Wash & cut celery into bite size pieces. Cut onions into bite size pieces (or just use the frozen stuff(: ).
5. In a large heavy skillet, saute onion, celery, & olive oil over medium heat for about 5-8 minutes. Add peas & carrots & cook for about 5 minutes. Add flour to veggie mixture & cook for about 30 seconds.
6. Add chicken broth & bring to a boil. After it has become thick, add the potatoes.
7. Remove chicken from the pot & cut into bite size pieces. Add chicken to veggie mixture. Add salt & pepper to taste.
8. Pour mixture into the pie crust bottom. Cover with the pie crust top. Trim the shell down & crimp the edges so that the juices don't spill into your oven. I also put it on a cookie sheet...just in case.
9. Bake at 350 degrees fro 45 minutes or until pie crust is cooked & golden brown.

Stovetop Peach Cobbler

2009-10-19T18:25:00.000-07:00

Mmmmmm...this is so tasty & incredibly easy! It is gooey & crispy all at the same time. This is another one of my favorites from allrecipes.com.

Here is the recipe:

1 29 oz can of sliced peaches
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup white sugar
1 packaged yellow cake mix
4 tsp margarine/butter

1. Pour out half of the juice from the can of peaches. Pour the peaches & remaining juice into a large saucepan. Sprinkle cinnamon & sugar over the top of the peaches. Empty the cake MIX evenly over the top of the peaches. DO NOT MAKE THE CAKE MIX...YOU ARE POURING THE POWDERED MIX ON TOP OF THE PEACHES! Cut up your butter into pats & place in the CENTER.

2. Cover the sauce pan with the lid & bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Once steam starts to come from your saucepan, reduce heat to medium low & cook for 10 minutes. DO NOT LIFT THE LID!!! Remove from heat & let sit for 15 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Playdough Cookies

2009-10-18T18:51:00.000-07:00

I originally posted this recipe on my other blog, MOMMY GURU. I really love this recipe & thought that I would share it here. I think that I am going to make them this week & use orange & black as the colors. These cookies are really fun & easy to make. My boys love to help make them. You could even put sucker sticks on them & make them a lollipop cookie...hmmm...so many possibilities!

The recipe:

3/4 cup butter (softened)
3 oz cream cheese (room temp)
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla (I added 2 tsp)
2 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

1. In large bowl, cream together butter, cream cheese, & sugar until fluffy. Add egg & vanilla & mix until smooth.

2. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, & salt. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir until soft dough forms.

3. Divide dough into fourths. Tint each with a different color of food coloring. Wrap each color of dough separately & chill for 2 hours.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take a small amount of each color & then roll into a snake. Coil the snake starting at one end. Place on cookie sheet & bake for about 8 minutes.

Cupcakes

2009-10-16T08:05:00.000-07:00

I haven't made any super fun Halloween treats yet, but I thought I would share some cupcakes that I made last year.

Ghosts

2009-10-12T17:32:00.000-07:00

I love Halloween, but don't want to spend a lot on decorations. Here is a cute, CHEAP Halloween decoration that is so easy to make. I got all of the stuff that I needed for a total of $2.00. I made four & could make so many more. I love having the ghost hang from our trees in the front yard. The boys love them too!

I bought garbage bags (without the string in them) & balloons at the dollar store. I already had fishing line & a black sharpie at home. You could use newspaper instead of the balloon, but I like having the tied part of the balloon to hang the ghost from.

Blow up your balloon (not with helium). Take the bottom of your garbage bag..the sealed side & make a small slit in the center. This is where the knot of the balloon will come out. Feed the knot through the hole in the garbage bag. Using your sharpie, draw eyes onto the garbage bag where the balloon is. Tie fishing line to balloon knot. Last year I left it at that, but this year I added extra fishing line to the corners to make arms.

Mummy Heads

2009-10-10T14:36:00.001-07:00

My house is SERIOUSLY lacking in Halloween decor. I came across this idea on the internet {somewhere}. I went to look for some balls, but they were too expensive...until I stumble upon the kids craft section at Walmart. They had styrofoam balls 6/$3.50. Now that I could do!!! I painted the balls black. Be prepared...styrofoam takes a long time to dry! I used my handy dandy hot glue gun & glued on some google eyes. Then, wrap gauze around the balls. I used more hot glue just to tack the gauze in place.

I linked up to Creative Cat over at Poppies at Play. Go & check out the amazing ideas over there.

Recipe Box

2009-10-07T11:02:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe box on clearance a while back. It was ok, but could be cuter!

I used a line from My Mind's Eye called Penny Lane. I love their paper!!! A little (or a lot) of Modge Podge & it is so much cuter. The top could use a little help, but I'll get to that eventually!

I am working on covering the recipe card dividers, but had to put that on hold for house work...BOOOOOO!!!

Nachos Dulces

2009-10-04T13:40:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite treats! There is a restaurant near my house that serves Nachos Dulces & we love it! I figured out how to recreate it. There are two ways to make it. I will tell you about both...because I am just nice like that! :) It is really easy & pretty basic.

Here is what you need:

flour tortillas
sugar/cinnamon mixture
canola oil spray
vanilla ice cream
honey butter

This is my favorite way of making this:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. I like to line my cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper. That was it is easier to clean up! I used 2 tortillas for my treat. Spray both sides of your tortillas with the canola oil spray. Sprinkle only one side of each tortilla with your cinnamon & sugar mixture. Cut into 8 slices. I usually use a pizza cutter, but you could just use a knife.

Bake for about 10 minutes. Your tortillas need to be crispy like chips, but watch that your sugar doesn't burn. Once they are finished cooking...lay the tortilla "chips" out onto your plate. Drizzle honey butter on the top of your chips. Then scoop your vanilla ice cream on top. I like to sprinkle a little more cinnamon & sugar on the top of the ice cream.

The other variation...that my hubby prefers is instead of baking your tortillas in the oven...heat some canola oil in a frying pan. While your oil is heating, cut your tortillas into 8 pieces. Fry the tortillas until golden brown & then put on a plate covered with a paper towel to drain off the greased. Place the tortilla "chips" onto another plate & sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar. Then continue to layer as above with honey butter & ice cream.

Slow Cooker Chili

2009-09-30T17:48:00.000-07:00

I am still all about the crock pot. The temperature in Utah has DROPPED & I am all about the warm comfort foods now. Tonight I decided to make some chili & corn bread. You can find my corn bread recipe HERE. It is super moist & yummy! Now for the chili. I found this recipe years ago on http://www.allrecipes.com/ long. It is really simple & the kids can easily help.

Here is what you need:

1-2 pounds ground beef (it depends on how beefy you want it)
2-16 oz cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2-14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained (I buy the kind with green pepper & onion)
1-8 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper

In a skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Put your meat in the slow cooker. Add the next seven ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4 hours.

We like to garnish our chili with a dollop of sour cream & some shredded cheddar cheese.

Coming up...

2009-09-30T12:58:00.000-07:00

I have a few everyday projects to finish (& post). After, I get those finished...I will be moving onto Halloween. I have a few fun ideas, but I feel the need to get the everyday stuff finished first. Hopefully by next week I will be posting some fun Halloween stuff!

Trees

2009-09-29T12:28:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, I found these frames (for $1.00 each) & knew that I wanted to use them in the bathroom, but I wasn't exactly sure how.

I have loved all of the cute trees made out of circles of paper, but couldn't find the paper that I needed. Last week, I came across the perfect paper. Here is my finished product:

I love how it turned out! I just hope that they will hold up in the bathroom!

I linked up on Creative Cat over at Poppies at Play.
Go check out all of the fun ideas over there!

Decorative Topiary

2009-09-27T08:44:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to make some decorative balls for a while. I came across a blog called That's so Cuegly that made a ton of different variations HERE. This weekend my mom gave me the cutest vase that would be perfect for one of these ideas!

Here is what you need:

a vase
glue
Spanish moss
green moss (not pictured)
small balls
sticks
floral foam
scissors

The sticks are just from my tree outside. I found the balls while cleaning out the toy box. The Spanish moss & floral foam are from the Dollar Tree.

First I filled the vase with floral foam.

Then, I put hot glue on top of the floral foam & added the Spanish moss.

Set the vase aside. Poke a hole in the bottom of the ball. I just used scissors, but you could use a drill.

I decided that I needed greener moss after I took the "what you will need picture". I bought this at Walmart.

In small sections...put glue on & then put moss over the glue. I used big clumps at first & then filled in the bare spots with the smaller pieces. Keep track of the hole at the bottom of your ball.

Trim your stick to the size that you want. Put them into the floral foam & then stick the balls onto the top. I tied some ribbon on my vase & the sticks.

I will be making some more decorative balls this week!

Finally finished!

2009-09-22T11:38:00.000-07:00

Back in April, I repainted this mirror that my parents were kind enough to give me from out of their attic junk. I used acrylic paint instead of spray paint. Sometimes painting with a paintbrush is therapeutic.

Before:

After:

I was pretty proud of myself because it was the first thing that I hung up myself. I have been on the look-out for a cute little wreath to hang from the mirror & yesterday....I FOUND ONE!! I was so excited to find it & the $4.00 price tag made it even sweeter! I hung the wreath from some really pretty green ribbon that I already had. Now I just need something for in between the mirror & the hooks...vinyl or something...any ideas?

Peanut Butter Blossoms

2009-09-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

I love peanut butter & chocolate. They compliment each other so nicely! I decided to make some Peanut Butter Blossoms for an after school snack yesterday. I change mine up a bit from the traditional cookies. I used a peanut butter cookie recipe from ALL RECIPES.

Here is my FAVORITE peanut butter cookie recipe:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup BUTTER flavored shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

for peanut butter blossoms-

1 package Hershey Kisses-unwrapped
1/4 cup white sugar

In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together butter, butter flavored shortening, & sugars. Add eggs one at a time. Add peanut butter & vanilla. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients.

I used a greased mini muffin tin to make my cookies. I used a small cookie scoop & then split that in half. Roll the dough into a ball (it doesn't have to be perfect). Place the ball into the 1/4 white sugar & roll until lightly coated. Place in mini muffin tin & continue until all cups are full.

Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. I like to under cook my cookies a bit so that they stay soft. Remove from oven & add Hershey Kisses. I tried putting mine in upside down this time & loved it. Let cool for 2 minutes before removing from tin.

Next time I am going to try these with mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

Cream of Chicken Chicken

2009-09-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

We have made this for years, but usually in the oven. This summer, I saw my Aunt make it in the crockpot. I love to use the crockpot because I never know what time my husband will be home & who knows what will be happening when it is time to make dinner. Plus, I love how moist the chicken is when you cook it in the crockpot.

Here is what you need:

3 cans of cream of chicken soup
4 chicken breasts
1 cup sour cream
sliced swiss cheese

Here is what you do:

Mix cream of chicken soup & sour cream together...set aside. In the bottom of the crock pot put your chicken. Layer the swiss cheese on top. Pour the cream of chicken mixture over the chicken. Cook on low for 5 hours.

Serve over rice. YUM!!!

Thriftin'

2009-09-17T14:28:00.000-07:00

Over Labor Day weekend we took some AMAZING pictures in Moab. KC (my hubby) decided that he wanted to use some of these pictures in his office. We chose about 10 pictures & had them developed. My job was to find frames. Even at $3.00 a frame that would be $30.00....YUCK!!! So, I decided to hit the thrift stores. Oh, how I ♥ thrift stores. I have 3 that are near my house. I seriously hit the JACKPOT!!! I got all of this stuff for UNDER $50.00.

I am so excited to get to work on all of these fun new things! As I use them...I will post updates. I have plans for all of the glass jars. It is a Halloween idea & I will post it at the beginning of October. I also picked up a few Christmas things. I went CRAZY in the frame section. The frames with the fruit in it are gorgeous & worth a pretty penny. They were $2.00 & the rest were $.75-$1.00. BARGAIN!!! I could really care less about the actual pictures! I have been wanting a tiramisu bowl for a while, but can't imagine spending $15.00 on it. I found this one for $3.99!!! Yea!!! The Rescue Heroes Command Center was only $4.00 (it has batteries already too) & we already have some of the guys at home.

I am linking up with Jacey over at Trash 2 My Treasure.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

2009-09-11T10:13:00.001-07:00

With fall & winter approaching...I am ready for the soup season. Last night we made Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup. I usually make it in a large pot, but I wanted to try the crock pot.

Here is the recipe for the crock pot:

2 tsp chicken soup base or bouillon
4 cups chicken soup stock
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups celery
3/4 cup onion
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup evaporated milk (I just use regular milk)
2 cups chicken
4 cups cooked noodles
salt & pepper to taste

In the crock pot add chicken soup stock, soup base, chicken, carrots, celery, & onion. Cook on high for 6 hours. Remove chicken & dice into bite sized pieces. Turn heat down to low, add cream of chicken soup & milk. Put chicken back into the crock pot. Add cooked noodles & let cook for another 30 minutes to an hour. Serve with garlic bread sticks. YUM!!!

Too early?

2009-09-08T12:19:00.001-07:00

I am so ready to get decorated for fall. Is it too early? It is taking everything that I have not to go all out on Halloween. I bought some little pumpkins & gourds today at the store. I am SO ready!

More Organizing...

2009-09-04T13:50:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to get things organized around the house. I'm not sure why...maybe backwards spring cleaning! This week hubby installed some rain gutter shelves. They are incredible by the way!

My next step was getting my boys' dress up stuff straightened up. A found a fun hanging thing at a thrift store a few months ago for $1.99. It was pretty girlie, but had potential.

Hubby took the flowers off. Then I took the whole thing apart & painted it to match the boys' room. It took everything I had to wait for the paint to dry. I lack patience.

Then, I used some chipboard shaped like gears to stick on the ends of each peg & covered it with coordinating paper with mod podge (ahhh modge podge). The boys' room is done in robots. I glued the gears on with E6000. Hopefully it can stand up to two little boys!

After I got it assembled...I put SOME of their dress-ups on it. Yea...one more project down!!!

I ♥ to bake!

2009-08-28T21:06:00.000-07:00

Today I got to make my brother's girlfriend's birthday cake. I ♥ baking! Happy Birthday Bri!

Flowers Hair Clips

2009-08-28T20:32:00.000-07:00

I have never really been a big accessory person, but lately that has changed. I see people wearing these cute flower barrettes & headbands & have wondered if I could pull it off. Back in June I bought the flowers to make some barrettes, but they just sat on my craft shelf. Today I decided to hurry & make some. I think just about everyone knows how to make these, but if you don't leave me a comment & I will show you how I made mine!

Frame Jewelry Holder

2009-08-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

I am so excited about this. About 6 months ago my parents gave me this old school frame with AMAZING details. I didn't know at the time what I was going to do with it...until I came across a fun jewelry holder.

Here is what you need:

A large frame
Mesh Wire (found in the fence dept at the hardware store)
S hooks (also at the hardware store)
ribbon
staple gun or E6000

First I primed & painted my frame. Then, you cut the mesh wire with wire cutters to fit inside the frame. My frame was thin plastic so I had to use glue (E6000) to attach it to the back of the frame. If your frame was thicker, you could use a staple gun for the wire mesh & the ribbon. Attach your ribbon to back side of the frame...I used glue again. Now you can hang it up on the wall. Take your s hooks & hang your jewelry from them with the mesh wire.

I linked to Creative Cats Tuesday! Click on the button to go to Poppies at Play. I ♥ this blog!