Valentine's Day Crafting: More Decorations

I'm back again with more Valentine's Day decorations. I'm having a ton of fun putting these together.

First, the kids and I started painting wooden pieces we got at Michael's. My little man did a great job on his love birdhouse. 

I painted two signs. One I painted white and then went over loosely with gold paint. 

The second one was in the shape of a heart and I went over it in several shades of pinks and then again in red to give it a streaky-stripe look. 

Using the Silhouette Cameo, I cut out a quote from Beauty and the Beast for the first sign to go along with a painting I have on my mantle right now. 

 

I used more of that fun gold glitter vinyl for the word "Love" on the heart. It is so sparkly! I'm going to put a hanger on the back so I can hang this heart up on the wall. 

Next I cut out our names on vinyl and adhered them to these great little mailboxes I found in Target in the dollar bins. I'm going to put little love notes in there for the boys to read on Valentine's Day. 

Here is part of my mantle with the painting I mentioned previously! (Painting With a Twist). 

That's all for now! We are decorated! 

Valentine's Day Crafting - Decorations

All the Christmas decorations are officially away. My house looks empty without them. Valentine's Day is  less than a month away I am itching to keep it looking nice and decorated with lots of hearts and pink and red things! 

The first project I worked on was a Tulle Wreath: 

I started with a wire wreath from Michael's, scissors, lots of tulle in different colors, and a Be Mine hanging decoration I bought at the dollar store years ago. I normally just have that on the front door but this year I want a full wreath! 

Using my measuring cutting mat that is on my desk, I cut 6 inch pieces of tulle and just tied them in knots going around the wreath on the outside circle. I didn't do a pattern or follow any order, I just grabbed whatever color and went with it. 

Then I began tying them to the inside circle. It was time consuming but if you cut all your tulle beforehand and put on your current Netflix binge-watch you are good to go! 

Here is mine all done and on my crazy bright door. It is so full and fluffy and pink! 

What I love about the tulle wreaths is that you can do some for any season in any colors. I got the idea from the Santa wreaths we made at a Pinterest Party recently. They were amazing. 

DIY Eclectic Alphabet Wall Art: Part 5

So let's say you have all of your letters complete-- now what? It took me weeks to get up the nerve to put a hole in the wall and start hanging! Let's hope that the same doesn't happen to you!

Now that we are putting it all together, flip over your letters and give them a good inspection. How many hangers do you already have on the letters and how many do you need to buy? I went to Home Depot and bought a picture hanging kit. The kit had some heavy duty hooks and some light weight options. I used both, depending on what I was hanging. I used the heavy duty hooks on the button-covered "O" and the fabric-heavy "G". The light weight were great for the letters I created from cardboard, the letters with chipboard bases, things like that. I super glued the hooks on the backs of the letter so that I could have a flush attachment (and I didn't have to worry about splitting wood, etc.).

Start by measuring the wall where you would like to hang your letters. In my case, I had a whole wall in my daughter's room to play with. Next, I measured that same amount of space on my floor. Take the letters and lay them out. Consider a few different elements-- spacing (letter to letter and line to line), color story (are there too many of one theme/color together), and if you want the alphabet to read in a logical way (does your eye travel along the line or does it look everywhere at once).

Once you have your letters laid out, you should start translating that to the wall. I started in the upper left corner with the letter A. Put a dab of toothpaste on the hanger hook and press the letter up against the wall. This will easily mark where you need to place your nails. Every so often, you will want to stand back and make sure the spacing you had laid out is what is coming up on the wall as well.

More to come on making your own eclectic alpha wall!
Check out:
Link to Part 1 (Introduction and Letters A to F)
Link to Part 2 (Letters G to M)
Link to Part 3 (Letters N to S)
Link to Part 4 (Letters T to Z)

Captain America Week: Captain Inspired Barrettes

Want to make some cute hair accessories for your little ones (or your not-so-little ones)?
All you need is a few scraps of felt, a hair clip, and glue or a needle and thread.

Step 1. Gather your materials. I like to upcycle and use my scraps so often my project is determined by what I have on hand. These barrettes take barely a few inches of material. I used felt but you could use any fabric (though I prefer those that don't unravel easily).

Step 2: Cut out your object. For the wings, I sketched a design on paper and used that as a template. On the shield, I traced a small circular children's toy for the largest circle and did a free hand version for the smaller circles and the star.

Step 3: Once you have the pieces ready, use your glue or thread to tack them all together and attach the hair barrette. Try out the clip and see what you think. Enjoy!

DIY Eclectic Alphabet Wall Art: Part 4

Welcome back to our Alphabet Wall Art tips and tutorials. Today, we will run thru letter T to letter Z. I made a few of these letters from stratch so I will walk you thru that process as well!

T: I paid $2.29 on Amazon for this blue letter T. I painted the top green. Next, I painted the edge purple and glow-in-the-dark purple over that. With the lights out, the outline glows on this letter making it pretty cool!

U: The letter U was made by my sister-in-law, Sarah. Sarah started with a wooden letter and painted it royal purple. Taking a Martha Stewart punch, she cut out flowers of white paper that she had sponge painted with our green. She glued down the flowers in clusters and added Dewdrops. Next, a small letter U bought in the Micheal's clearance bins was glued to the front to finish it off.

V: I made the letter V from a Cheez-It box. I consulted the tutorial on Green Zebra Crafts for hints but mainly made up my method as I went. First, I printed the letter V I was trying to mimic from my computer. The letter is 11 inches wide so it took put most of my paper. First I removed the sides of the box and put them to the side so I only have the front and back of the box. We will be using those pieces later. Next, I traced and cut the front and back of the letter. Using the sides of the box and masking tape, I ran the cardboard along about a half inch inside of the edge of the letter. You can get an idea of the inset from the image below. I will admit-- I used alot of masking tape on this project. I opted not to decoupage or use a wet glue since I was working with cardboard.  After the letter was created, I painted it dark purple and used Elmer's glue to adhere the glitter. I sealed the letter so there wouldn't be glitter all over my house in the coming years.

W: My sister Caitlin made the letter W-- White Wedding. Caitlin had just been married the year before and I believe she was still feeling inspired. The letter was purchased already painted white. Caitlin used hot glue to attach the lace "veil" and "garter". To the garter, she also added a white ribbon and flower. Next, she took a cluster of purple ribbon roses withe a spray of pearls. Using Glossy Accents, Caitlin attached a pearl necklace using scrapbooking half pearls.

X: I bought the fabric covered X on Amazon as well (again for $2.29). The edges of the letter are green with white polka-dots but the front was blue and white gingham. I used acrylic paints to make the front of the X all green and added white dots by hand.

Y: Using a chipboard letter that is 11x11, I chose to yarn wrap the letter Y. I chose a lovely variegated purple yarn by Patton's. To keep the ends from falling off of the rounded edges of the letter, I added a bead of Elmer's glue to each end on the back side.

Z: I made the letter Z using cardboard and masking tape. Again, I used a cereal box, removed the sides of the box and cut out the front and back of the letter from the front and back of the box. "More masking tape!", I cried as I used the cereal box sides to give my letter a uniform thickness all around. For this letter, I made the sides and front edges meet in a smooth transition. I painted the edges purple and the front white. Next, I took my scrapbook supplies and pulled out all of the green, purple, brown, and white letter Z's that I had. It probably does not surprise you but the letter Z is not one that I use often so I had many options to choose from. I glued and layered the Z's on in three different occasions so that I could let the glue dry and add the dimension I wanted.

More to come on making your own eclectic alpha wall!

Check out:
Link to Part 1 (Introduction and Letters A to F)
Link to Part 2 (Letters G to M)
Link to Part 3 (Letters N to S)
Link to Part 5 (Arranging and Hanging)

Homemade Peppermint Patties

YUM!

I found this recipe for Homemade Peppermint Patties and I have to say-- they are amazing! They melt in your mouth, which is delightful. I made them with milk chocolate, not the traditional dark chocolate... mainly because I didn't have any dark in the house and was too lazy to go out and get the right stuff.

I brought them into work for our St. Patty's day celebration last year and got rave reviews. Since I didn't have the recipe with me for my co-workers, I wrote up a variation to the steps. I have posted them here below... and who knows, if you make them, my explanations may be helpful. For the complete recipe, please see In Between Laundry. I did not want to re-print her work without permission!

Directions: Makes @ 100 patties, dependent on size

In a bowl, combine the potatoes, butter, peppermint, and powdered sugar and mix well (I used an electric beater). Add more sugar if your mixture is loose--it should feel like a tacky cookie dough. (I ended up using almost exactly 3 pounds.)

Lay wax paper down over a few cookie sheets (for easy cleanup later). Scoop teaspoonfuls of the dough and shape into patties. (The easiest way to do this is to scoop with an ice cream scoop or two spoons since it will be a little sticky. Once you have the whole cookie sheet covered, go back and pat them flat with your hands. The balls will lose their tackiness as you are scooping out the rest of the tray, making them easier to shape.) Refrigerate for a few hours so you can handle them to add the chocolate.

Melt the chocolates with the oil and dip the chilled patties, covering completely. This step takes some practice since the dough balls can melt with the hot chocolate. The best method I found was chocolate-ing the bottoms of each patty with a knife and going back once the sheet is done to cover the tops with chocolate. There are probably better methods out there, but I am a novice at baking. Chill until set.

Yum! Give it a try-- they are tooooo tasty!

Caitlin Potatoes

When I moved into my home with my son and was all alone to cook for the both of us, I must admit, the options were slim.  He wasn't a picky eater.  It was really important to me to make some healthy choices for Dylan and myself.  I had some potatoes in and didn't know what to do with them.  I am someone who loves seasoning and bold flavors.  I have a palette and I like to excite it as often as possible.  What was there to do with potatoes?  I wanted something new.  Here is what I came up with and I actually never strayed from it since!  Everyone who has tried these potatoes agrees that they are truly delicious.  ENJOY!

Ingredients:

• Yukon gold potatoes (cut into quarters or chunks)
• vegetable oil ( I know other oils are so much more healthy but I really feel like the vegetable oil in this case tastes the best)
• Paprika
• garlic and pepper seasoning

Directions:

I turn the oven all the way up to about 450 degrees.  I drizzle the vegetable oil all over the potatoes and shake the garlic and pepper seasoning and paprika all over them.  I mix them with my hands to make sure they are evenly coated.  Then I just let the potatoes roast until they are golden brown.  It only takes about 20 minutes.  These potatoes do not need salt in my opinion.  That was my reasoning.  I didn't want my toddler eating a lot of salt but I didn't want to sacrifice flavor.

Let me know what you think!

Homemade Lemon Salt Scrub- Valentine's Day Gift Idea

The weather outside is frightful...so is my skin.  I get dry skin on a good day.  It is so important to exfoliate and moisturize.  I have a wonderful smelling homemade sea salt scrub for you to try.  Let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

5 Tablespoons of olive oil

1 Tablespoon on lemon zest

1/2 cup of sea salt

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and keep in an air tight sealed container.  Scrub all over body and leave on skin for at least three minutes.  Rinse.  Enjoy your soft beautiful skin!

WOW!  This stuff really works!  My skin was so soft after the first use.  I didn't need to follow up with lotion after my shower and my skin was so moisturized and smooth!

The Gift of Adventure

Today, I will be sharing with you a gift idea. Every year, my family has a Pollyanna exchange at Christmas time. This year to keep things interesting, we chose Pollyanna’s as couples. This gift was a wonderful Christmas present but could be given year-round at a Bridal Shower or to your partner this Valentine’s day!

The concept of the gift Is simple—I sat down and brainstormed 8 mini adventures my sister could go on with her fiancé and 8 more adventures that she could do with her fiancé and son. We had a spending limit of $100.00 a couple so there isn’t anything in here that is bank-breaking. In some cases, the gift pays for a small portion of the date, all of the date, or the date is something that is largely free. I made sure there was a variety of activities—funny adventures, physical challenges, food-related, artistic… something for everyone to enjoy.

I started the gift with the carrying case. This helped to set the restrictions and realities for what we could accomplish. I purchased an Extra Large IRIS Photo and Craft Keeper, 16 individual 4x6 cases within at Michael’s (with a coupon!!). I knew I needed to make each adventure fit in to a 4x6 photo case and I needed to have 16 in total. Maureen has a ton of printed pictures so I was confident that she would use the case even if she dismantled the adventures. I did choose options that you can keep doing over and over again (aside from the couple needing to purchase more items), so she could use the case for years to come as well.

Coming up with gifts that would fit into the case—that was the fun challenge for me! Take a look at the printable (link below) that I have included in this post for more information. I have the date descriptions, what I included in each case, and the case labels for each all ready for you to peruse -- you can make your own!

The Gift of Adventure - Printable!

On a side note, my sister is an avid scrapbook enthusiast. I included Project Life cards, embellishments, and photo challenges in most if not all of her cases. If the person you are gifting this to is not a fan, it is best to leave that out and use the expense somewhere else. I recommend hounding your local Groupon and Living Social pages for deals. There were quite a few we looked at but passed up for other adventures. Do you know someone that wants to ride a Segway on an obstacle course or get family photos taken at Picture People?

Lego Week: Fun with Lego Molds

We had a lot of fun making things with molds. The possibilities are endless.

We have a ton of these molds and found quite a few Lego varieties, too!

First, we made some yummy white chocolate.

We then used some of the brick molds to make gummy candy. The kids loved these!

A very popular use for these molds is to make crayons. We gathered all of our broken crayons and used them to make some lovely shapes.

 Lastly, we made some fantastic scented soap. I think these came out the best.

Lucky for you, we want to share! Order any physical item (excludes crochet patterns) from our Etsy Shop by February 13, 2014 and we will ship you some Lego Man soap along with your order! Thanks for stopping by! 

Snow Day Activity- Homemade playdough!

I woke up this morning to school closings due to the impending snowfall expected where we live today.  Well not only do my plans change with work, but now I need to entertain the kiddies indoors last minute.  What to do?  My one son is 7 years old and the other is almost 2.  There isn't much they like to do together due to the age difference.  I decided to make playdough.  The seven year old can mold the dough into whatever he likes and the other gets to practice his sensory development!  Win-win situation. 

Here is a really simple recipe that took less than 5 minutes to throw together:

Ingredients-
1 cup of salt
1 cup of water
1/2 cup of flour
saucepan
(food coloring optional)

Combine ingredients in the saucepan and heat over medium heat until the dough is formed.  It took like a minute for me!  I was surprised it was that fast.  As the dough cools, knead in some additional flour to make the dough workable and not sticky.

Check out our snowman we made during the snowstorm INDOORS and cozy! 

Have a fun day!!

The Boss Applesauce!

Linvilla Orchards is a beloved orchard in our county.  I absolutely love it there.  They have fresh fruits and veggies that you can even pick your own.  They also have hayrides, the cutest little park, face painting, caramel apples, animals, and a little train on a track you can ride.  I have always enjoyed the time I have spent there and now that I am a mother, I enjoy it even more.

They are celebrating their 100th Anniversary this month.  Last weekend, they posted on Facebook that they were selling their apples for 5 cents a lb while supplies last!  I had to jump on that deal immediately!!  I got around 45 apples for one dollar!!!  You better believe it!  After getting home, I had to decide what to do with it all.  I decided to make homemade applesauce for the first time.

Recipe:

      4 Large Red Delicious Apples (skinned, cored and cut into chunks)

      3/4 cup of water

      1/4 cup of granulated sugar

      1/2 tablespoon of cinnamon

You just need to mix your ingredients all up in a pot and cover with a lid.  Put the oven top on medium heat for 20 minutes.  The apples should be soft when done.  Let it cool and then mash it all up with a fork...you could even blend depending on what texture you prefer. 

My son now calls this my "famous" applesauce.   ENJOY!  Yummy!!!