Oh the things I can make!

It's been a while...I know!

2010-10-08T09:34:00.000-07:00

So I have been super busy the last several months...creating! Creating maybe in ways you might not expect!

My latest BIG creation is 8 weeks old and a joyful addition to my family!

But I have also been crafting in "normal" crafting ways...I have seen these paper wreaths everywhere and finally took the plunge to destroy a book for the sake of a craft!

Now, for those of you who don't know, I am a book LOVER, so for me to destroy a book, even an old journalism book, it was a struggle inside. But in the end, I'm glad that I did!

For the center, I used another tutorial from a blog! Took their idea and made it unique to me! I am planning on changing this out for all of the different seasons!

Now, I just need to figure out where to hang it! Oh how I wish I had an old window to put on my wall to hang my wreath!

Re-vamped Picture Frame

2010-03-27T12:42:00.000-07:00

I am IN LOVE with Bridal Veil Falls in Utah. It was just a quick five minute drive from my house when I lived there. My hubs and I used to go walking there almost every weekend with our friends, we rode bikes there, we had picnics there. But now, it's clear across the country and the only way to remember it's beauty is in pictures, until now.

My hubby is a very sweet man and has a very talented Aunt. One of her many talents is painting and get this, she only discovered this talent later on in life.

Anyway, I took a photo of Bridal Veil Falls and one year the hubs decided to ask his Aunt to paint it for me. She finished the painting SEVERAL months ago (maybe even years ago) and I am just now getting around to putting it on my wall.

She gave it to me with a gold frame. I know gold is totally some people's taste, just not mine. So I re-vamped it!

I had to put primer on it because it's kind of glossy.

But here's my finished black frame with the beautiful painting....and I LOVE IT!

St. Paddy's Day Craft

2010-03-14T18:07:00.001-07:00

warning: this craft may be to hard for small kids, my kids didn't last very long with it.

We made some St. Patrick's Day decor at our house today. I thought my kids would have fun doing something different for a change.

We cut out some 4-leaf clovers and strung them with noodles. I don't know if they just didn't want to try or if the string was to small, but my 2 year old lasted 5 minutes and the 4 year old lasted maybe 15.

Here's what we did: in pictures.

The end result is really pretty, but I ended up doing most of it. I really thought this would be up their ally, but I was REALLY wrong!

Seat Belt Covers

2010-03-14T18:03:00.000-07:00

My daughter, who is 2, was complaining about how her seat belt hurts her neck. So I decided I would make her some strap covers...

I can't make something for one of my kids and not the other, so I had to make my little boy some...

He looks like he really likes them, but when she decided she didn't like her's, he all of a sudden didn't like his either.
It upset me so much (being pregnant and hormonal and all) that I didn't even bother taking a picture of hers.
Let's just say they're very cute and may be give to a friend, who knows?

Another yummy recipe

2010-02-16T12:33:00.001-08:00

I got this recipe from another blog...you can find the recipe here and take a look around her blog...she has some good stuff!

Here's how mine turned out!

The hubby, who I made it for, couldn't even take a breath he enjoyed the chicken so much!

I promise I will get back to more crafting soon...I have a good excuse...and I have a couple of ideas roaming around in my head...so stay tuned!

The BEST sugar cookie recipe...EVER!

2009-12-21T08:56:00.000-08:00

My mom used to make goody plates to hand out to our neighbors every year for Christmas, on those plates included some yummy sugar cookies...here is the recipe!

Make these and chill (I usually chill mine over night)

3/4 cup shortening or part margarine (best if 1/2 and 1/2)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla or 1/2 t. lemon extract
mix together
add:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt

bake 400* for about 4-6 minutes. You don't want your cookies to be brown on the bottom because then the cookie will be too hard.

frosting:
1/2 cube (stick) margarine (SOFT)
2-2 1/2 c powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
milk as needed

While rolling out the cookies, make sure you have a 4 year old and a 2 year old helping! It makes the process so much EASIER!!

Don't forget to make sure they clean up after themselves!

And of course, what would frosted cookies be WITHOUT the help of aforementioned kids?

A whole lot less messy...and a whole lot less stressful (for their daddy)

Enjoy! and if you make some cookies...leave me a comment...I'd love to hear how they turn out!!

Mickey Mouse Birthday Cake...

2009-12-06T19:14:00.000-08:00

I made a Birthday cake for my little man, Isaac, this week.

He requested Mickey and Pluto, but I was too chicken to try to do something with that much detail...so we settled on just Mickey!

And the cake turned out GREAT, EXCELLENT, STUPENDOUS!!

I am so proud of myself...I just have to brag a little...

I made a chocolate cake with butter cream icing...

I piped Mickey like I would color in a coloring book...

Then, I used my small star tip to do the colors around Mickey...

Then piped with the larger star tip for the rest of the cake...

It was so much fun to do...and so much fun to see his cute little face...

Christmas Decor

2009-11-30T09:34:00.000-08:00

Christmas hit our house EARLY this year. Our tree was up BEFORE Thanksgiving...and the rest of the decor was up on the day after Thanksgiving...
Here's a sneak peek at my house!

My hubby and kiddos are busy decorating the tree. It's my job to put the lights on, but I was not really in the mood to decorate, so they did...

And I think they did a fine job...(my tree has silver, green and red balls, snowflakes of all sizes, candy canes, and silver beads)

Here is my latest craft. I saw something like this in Hobby Lobby...and thought I could make one just like it. Here's my version.

My MIL gave me a whole bunch of fleece, so total spent on this project was $1.30!

My hubby's grandma let me borrow this greenery and bows...originally to go around my porch banisters, but I didn't have enough, so I improvised.

And I love having the extra accents in my house!

A few years ago, my in-laws bought me these beautiful dishes for Christmas...and I call them my winter dishes...that way I can use them longer...pretty much until February!

What does your house look like? I'd love to see! Leave a comment and link to your Holiday Decor!

Bathroom decorations...

2009-11-20T10:15:00.001-08:00

I have wanted to do a beach theme in my bathroom for years now, but I just never knew what I wanted. We went with blue and brown in the kids bathroom and I finally have decided what I wanted to put on the walls.
I should have taken a "before" picture, but you can imagine what a plain, blank wall looks like, right?

I took two old picture frames I had...and painted them white.

I sanded the edges to go with the rustic look...also with the "rustic" look, things don't have to be perfect!

For the letters, I printed "WASH"on my computer and copied it onto cream paper...I'm sure vinyl would work here, but I don't have vinyl, so I improvised!

The dark brown is just scrapbooking paper as well. I hot glues the shell to the glass of one of my frames.

And there you have it...easy as can be and this project didn't cost me any money at all! I love when I can take things from around my house and make them into something even better than they were before!

winter crocheting...

2009-11-13T10:22:00.000-08:00

Last October, my Grandmother gave me her knitting looms and I went on a hat making kick! I made 16 hats between October and Christmas...plus I made 3 baby afghans, 3 pairs of slippers/booties and a scarf. To be honest, I haven't crocheted anything since...I guess I really got burned out!

But here they are...so fun and so easy!

I found this patter on-line, not sure where, but I love it! Just Google crochet winter hats...I'm sure it will appear

This is the baby afghan I made...I used the Granny Square to make it and added fringe to the ends to hopefully help it even out...and of course I had to make the little buy a matching hat!

These are more hats I made...for a friend of mine and her little boys!

Quick fun purse

2009-11-13T10:17:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite blogs is Make it and Love it! Ashley is one talented lady and she comes up with the most creative stuff...unlike me...I get my inspiration elsewhere...she comes up with it on her own!
Here is a purse I made using her tutorial! It was so easy and tons of fun...I've actually made a couple more!

I think using upholstery fabric is the easiest way to do it...but use whatever you have on hand. She used tea towels, but since I couldn't find any, I went with upholstery fabric!

First ever Rag Quilt

2009-11-12T12:07:00.000-08:00

For my birthday I spoiled myself and bought some fabric...fabric to make a Christmas quilt...it's finally done and I. LOVE. IT!
Here it is...mixed with my cute kids...they make the best models!

I got my idea here. Give it a try...if you're not an instant gratification girl (like me) you might really enjoy this quilt!

Funny story, after we snapped these pictures on our front porch (I live in the south, porch swings are a requirement) we got locked out of our house!!

Fleece Scarf

2009-11-12T12:05:00.001-08:00

I made this scarf from this blog...totally easy and totally fun!

My 2 year old loves it and so will you!

Give it a try...it will only take 1/3 yard fleece and matching thread and scissors!

easy...peasy!!

Instant Gratification

2009-11-06T10:45:00.000-08:00

I am an instant gratification kind of gal.
I want to sit down to do something and see the fruits of my labor. I have recently discovered that I am this kind of person...Little did I know, but in college I chose a career path where I would have instant gratification. I would write and write all day at work and see what I had created instantly. Every night. On TV. Without fail (unless breaking news).
I still enjoy instant gratification.
I like to scrapbook...instant gratification.
I like to read...instant gratification (I'm swept off to some other time and place...instantly)
I like to sew...instant gratification
I like to blog...instant gratification
I am a cook...not a baker. Because with cooking you place ingredients inside a pan, stir it, let it simmer, and when all of your ingredients have blended together, you have your instant gratification!
Baking on the other hand is not instant. You spend all that time getting all of the ingredients put together and the next thing you know...you're waiting...and waiting...and waiting...for 30 minutes or 45 minutes...or longer for something that only took 20 minutes to assemble!
So what is this instant gratification girl doing making a quilt? There is nothing instantly gratifying about making a quilt...it's a long slow tedious process...maybe when I'm done, I'll be instantly gratified...but right now the only thing that's instant is the fact that I'm still not done!

Mickey and Minnie Costumes

2009-10-25T10:28:00.000-07:00

I think I bit off more than I could chew this year for Halloween, but my kids loved their costumes and I did have quite a bit of fun making them!

All of the fabric was FREE from my husband's aunt. The thing that took me the longest was the actual sewing and cutting...and no money out of pocket!

What did you make your kids for Halloween?

Fall Decorations!

2009-10-13T15:08:00.000-07:00

This year my budget was beyond tight. So that means no spending money to make my house look super cute for the fall. Here is my attempt at fall decorating...and what's best I already owned EVERYTHING or had EVERYTHING on hand to make it!

My table scape is done with things from my house.

The candles are from my wedding. The mirror circles are from my husband's grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary. The little pumpkins are from the Dollar Store, last year! The fall wreath was from my MIL several years ago (I just revamped it to look more full). The vase is from when I used to sell Princess House.

I wanted something to sit on the end table near my front door, and had seen pumpkins on several other blogs. I tried my hand at it...and boy it was super fun!!

Trick-or-treat Bags

2009-10-13T14:58:00.000-07:00

For Halloween last year, I made my kids some trick-or-treat bags! They were so easy and so much fun...and they totally inspired me to use my machine more often!!

I took a Halloween cloth napkin and cut it in half and sewed the edges and added their initial and the handle with ribbon. Super easy!

Baby Afghan

2009-10-13T14:52:00.001-07:00

One of my good friends had a baby a year ago, and I was on my crocheting kick and so I made her this little pretty. She was having her first girl and second kid...so she was super excited to have all things pink!!

My favorite part of this whole afghan is the ribbon tied around the edges!

This for sure took more than 36 hours to complete, but it was worth it. And the thing I love the most about crocheting is: You can watch TV and crochet at the same time!!

Baby sweater

2009-10-09T10:10:00.000-07:00

My SIL had a baby boy a year ago, and since this blog is just starting up, I feel like I can post that here. This is the first thing I have ever crocheted that someone was going to wear! It took me about 36 hours to complete. I admit, I had to take some of the stitches out, but in the end it's cuter than I ever expected!

This is not my nephew, but my sweet little girl!

Finally taking the plunge!

2009-10-04T12:41:00.001-07:00

I have been crafting my heart out for years, and I was posting all of my crafts on my family's blog. I got the feeling that most people didn't want to see the things I was making on my personal blog, so here I am. Starting a crafting blog. To go along with the 500 other craft blogs out there. This way I can document everything I make without filling my computer's memory to capacity!