Dry Erase Marker Board

The hardest part about this project was deciding which print to use for the background. I used scrap booking paper, but you can use fabric like www.makeit-loveit.com or even wrapping paper. Whatever print you like, use it! (but make sure the background isn't too dark so you can see what you write :)

I bought a 20" x 16" wooden picture frame for $4 from a thrift store (it displayed an ugly picture, but I liked the size of the frame). Took it home, spray painted it with espresso colored spray paint. Once it dried, I used an old sponge to dab on some black paint around the edges giving it more of a dimensional look instead of just flat paint.

I used a 12x12 scrapbook page for the center, then cut down a couple other coordinating pages to fit around it, giving it a border. Once I got it all lined up, I glued it straight to the original ugly picture it came with. Then I cut out one of the figures from another page (butterfly), took some scizzors and snagged around the edges giving it a rugged look. I took my sponge with a little bit of black residue and ran it around the edges, ever so slightly. I glued it on along with a little saying from a book of vellum quotes I had laying around.

Using small circles of self-sticking velcrow, (ya know, the kind that are pre-cut with adhesive on the back?) I put the soft side on a dry erase marker and the rough side on the frame. Since I'll be using this often to leave my husband his 'Honey-Do' list, I thought it'd only be appropriate to make a coordinating eraser. I folded up a cloth napkin, strapped on a rubberband, and tied some ribbon around it. I put the soft side of another velcrow circle to the back side of the ribbon, and the rough side to the top of the frame. [These velcrow thingys might need reinforcing with hot glue] This way, I can take off the ribbon and rubberband to wash the cloth napkin.
Works like a charm and SO easy to make!
Try one!

Super Easy Memo Board

I would have taken pictures of this in the making, but my camera was dead at the time, so I only have pics of the outcome. I'll most likely be making more of these in the future so I'll post a better tutorial later.

MATERIALS:
*A wooden board. I used plywood about 1/4" thick and 12" X 15", but you can always improvise.
*1/2 yard of Batting (it's that flat stuffing used in the middle of blankets. Gives it some cushion for the pushin')
*1/2 yard of fabric
*Ribbon
*Buttons
*Sass (I used a flower)
*Frame or Ruffle of some sort (I sewed a ruffle with some extra fabric scraps I had laying around.)
*Staple gun & staples

Lay your fabric face-down and place the batting over it. Lay down your wood piece on top, then using a staple gun, staple the fabric around the edges of the back side. Don't forget to tuck in the edge of fabric so it doesn't fray later on AND pull the fabric very snug. Then place where you want your pieces of ribbon to lay and cut accordingly. Staple them around the backside. PULL TIGHT. You can put a frame around it if you have a perfect sized one, but I prefer a ruffle. (I made my own with some extra material. Scrunch and sew, scrunch and sew method :) Then attach your ruffle around the backside with the staple gun. I LOVE me a STAPLE GUN! Then hot glue on your buttons and sass it up with a flower, glitter, or whatever little trinkets you've been wanting to use for something special. (Here's your big chance!) Hammer on one of those snaggle-tooth things to the back and hang up on the wall. TaDa! Super easy memo/picture board!



CUTE IDEA! ...make a Christmas themed one and use it to display all the holiday greeting cards you get in the mail.

Button Pillow Tutorial

Inspired by "Make it & Love it" (Blog link under My Faves), I made this button pillow. It was easy and sewing on all the buttons didn't take too long since they're all connected on the back. It gives some texture to the fabric and was fun to create a not-your-average pillow :)

The fabric I bought to use for a throw pillow is kinda busy and it did not show off the buttons very well. "Make it & Love it" used all the same buttons, but since I like to mix things up, I used different sized and colored buttons. I cut out a square from an over-sized blouse (which I bought only because I liked the fabric and knew I wanted to use it for something someday. That was 2 years ago.) and hand sewed the buttons one by one with thick crafting string.
This is what the backside should look like...
I then cut out 2 squares (front & back side of the pillow) from the (busy) fabric I originally planned on using. I folded the square diagonally and cut across the fold, then folded it again diagonally, and cut across that fold. This creates 4 triangles.


Then I sewed the top and bottom pieces to the middle button piece, and repeated with the side pieces. Then I connected all 4 pieces by sewing down the diagonal line on all 4 corners. Does that make sense?

This is what the backside looks like once the 4 triangles are all connected to the middle button piece.

Once you've finished the front piece, sew onto the back square piece by placing the two pieces facing each other and sewing around the edges, but leave a hole big enough to turn it rightside out. Double stitch just to be safe.

Turn rightside out, push out the corners, and it's ready for stuffing. Hand stitch up the opening and VWALLA!...a perfect button pillow.
Love adding a splash of color to my boring brown living room.

Hand Scrub Table

TaDa! Sassy, Classy, and Pink! I put on this display at my sister-in-law's baby shower. It was a total hit! Really didn't take too much time or money to put on.

I got the recipes online (I chose 2 to keep it simple), but to my surprise, I had to mod them quite a bit. Whatever recipes you choose, make sure you try them ahead of time! I used baby oil instead of olive oil because, well, it just smells better. (and if you're doing this for a baby shower, what could be more appropriate?) I tried my recipes with olive oil and not only was it expensive, it STUNK! Even after I added my essential oil, it still had that lingering, bitter smell. So stick with baby oil, and I promise you'll be pleased. Once I got the recipes just right, I printed them out, cut the edges with fancy scissors, and glued to some scrapbook & construction paper. Don't forget to add sass! I also added a piece of cardboard to the back to keep em' sturdy since I displayed them on plate stands.


*I used whatever glass dishes I had laying around and borrowed the rest.
*Tied coordinating ribbons wherever I possibly could (Can you tell I love ribbon?? What crafty person doesn't?)
*Made labels for each ingredient. (I taped them on last)
*provided about 60+, 4 oz plastic GLAD containers with lids. You can buy a pack of 8 at Walmart for $3 and some change. Don't forget spoons for mixing!

*Included white sticky labels and black permanent markers so everyone could mark their own.
*Each glass had it's own proper measuring spoon according to the recipe. I.e., Tablespoon in Oatmeal, 1/2 teaspoon in cinnamon.
*Note the solid light pink, plastic tablecloth in top picture under the polka dotted, fabric one. SO easy for cleanup! Wadd and dump.
*Not in the picture: I hung a sign on the wall that said, "One per person please" just to make there are enough for all who wants one. In past experience, let's just say, people can get hand-scrub-happy.

Enjoy!

P.S. Here are the recipes I came up with...
(These are small-portion recipes for parties. Neither should be used on your face)
VANILLA CINNAMON SUGAR SCRUB:
2 Tbs Sea Salt
2 Tbs Brown Sugar
1-2 Tbs Baby Oil
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract

TANGERINE BODY BREAKFAST:
2 Tbs Brown Sugar
2 Tbs Oatmeal (ground up in food processor)
1-2 Tbs Baby Oil
3 drops Tangerine essential oil

SASSY, yet SAVVY wedding decor ideas

These pics are from my sister, Chandelle's wedding last month. My other sister, Chalice, gathered ideas and got all the stuff to make it happen...with the help of 2 more sisters, Chelsea and Lacey, they all made it look fabulous!(I just helped decorate and put it together - the best part :) Great ideas girls!

Her colors were black, red, and white- so anything and everything over the course of a few months, she picked up and collected. This is a simple $20 Ramada we spruced up with some sheer fabric from SAS. The inside is lined with white outdoor lights (you can't tell) and the little red tables she got at IKEA for $6 (i think). She made all the throw pillows, and other furniture items she brought from her house. Pictures of the bride & groom with other odds and ends helped to make it feel like a cozy nook. The pictures really don't do justice.


A table she brought from home, red table runner cloth, small water fountain, digital picture frame, long rectangle candle with multiple wicks, and of course, a black & red tissue box (she thinks of everything). The wedding was at night, so these things really stood out beautifully.

She bought this chair at a yard sale and refinished it with black satin fabric. She made a sexy lookin' pillow with rhinestones to sass it off. Looks fab!

I love this idea. She brought her over-sized brown leather ottoman from home, sewed a simple, but beautiful two piece fabric cover and threw it over the top. Then added some more throw pillows and there you have it! A romantic seating area. This was under another ramada decorated with the same sheer fabric and white lights. It looked stunning lit up in the dark. (I would have taken a picture, but my suck-at-life camera takes terrible pics at night.)

The bride lucked out: her sister-in-law to be is a pastry chef, so she made her cake (for free i think). Surrounding the cake, there are over-sized wine glasses and assorted glass dishes filled with various red, black, and white candy. She borrowed glass dishes and vases from family and friends, as well as bought some super cheap at Savers. Included are small, clear candy bags and little silver scoopers to make your own candy bag- just like the candy store at the mall! (only better :) What a fun and classy way to display a dessert table.

It's not impossible to plan a beautiful, inexpensive wedding.

First Official Photo Shoot

Okay, it's not really official, but I can pretend :) I love photography. Always have. Always will. Oh the things I would do if I just had a good camera! In the meantime, my little Kodak somethin' will have to suffice. I thought it'd be fun to snap some pics of the baby who is unfairly, growing too fast. Actually, my real motivation was to try and win the Kodak baby contest, but when I went to submit, they closed the contest early. RATS! Oh well, I'm sure I wouldn't have won, but it was fun and I got some cute pictures out of it anyway...

Diaper Cake!

I'm putting on a baby shower for my sister-in-law this Friday and made this wonderful creation. I live with 4 boys, so I'm always surrounded with blues and browns, and other neutral earthy colors. I rarely see anything pink. Let me just say I had a blast creating with different shades of pink and girly fabrics. My fave is hot pink! So I used it as much as possible :) without dismissing her nursery themed colors.

Inside the bottom and middle layers is a large bottle of baby lotion and inside the top layer is a 5 oz baby bottle. It took about 60 diapers with a rubberband around each one, lots of ribbon, various baby items (I chose a pacifier, pacifier clip, teething ring, baby rattle, and rubber duck) and fake flowers to add extra sass. I also made a matching baby blanket, but was too big to attach to the cake, so I'll just present it next to it. I forgot to snap a pic of that, so I'll post later. I covered a large plate with some fabric and violla! It's an adorable diaper cake!

I followed these easy directions if you want to make one:
http://www.plan-the-perfect-baby-shower.com/diaper-cake.html
(Sorry, the link insert wouldn't work)

New Project

I'm making my first quilt! ...and not your average grandmother's quilt either. I've been cutting quilt squares all week (whenever I get the chance). I'm actually planning on making 2 of them, for bunk beds. I bought new bedding for them about 6 months ago, but I'm sick of them and I can't find anything I really like. I've looked at stores and online, but I'm just not impressed. So, I decided to make my very own. Something custom that no one else has. I'll post some pics of my progress and of course, the finished product...which hopefully, won't be too much longer.

Jeremy's Surprise Party

For over a month now, I have been planning a surprise birthday party for Jeremy. It all came together on Saturday with the help of friends and family. I couldn't have done it without them, once again. Jeremy's dad and brother-in-law took him out to the shooting range for a couple hours, went to some stores and kept him occupied until 5:00pm. Well, it actually turned out to be 6:00 when he finally showed up, but I blame my mother-in-law for that. He walked in the door and all the lights were off. Everyone was bent down in the kitchen behind the counter. The lights went on and SURPRISE! I was so nervous he would find out and he would 'act' surprised, but nope, he was really surprised! - I could tell, I'm his wife. It was really great to see friends and family all come together for this occasion and I know he really enjoyed it. I wanted to make him feel special and thanks to everyone (except Kyle), he did.

Since Jeremy has a sugar intolerance, instead of making a cake, I made (well actually, my sister Chelsea made most of it) a large sugar-free oatmeal raisin cookie with 26 candles. Chelsea didn't see the applesauce sitting on the counter to add in for moisture, so it was pretty dry. It tasted like a dried out powerbar. "It's not bad, but it's not good either" is how my father-in-law described it. HA! Don't worry, Chalice make chocolate cupcakes for everyone else who has normal taste buds. Thanks to Alyne & Darren, they were all frosted with sprinkles and oreos.

So there you have it...a successful surprise party and no pictures to show for it :(
(Unfortunately, I became so focused on making sure everything went according to plan that I forgot to bust out the camera. It wasn't until the candles on the large dry cookie were burning in front of Jeremy's face, that I realized, "hey, isn't this a kodak moment!?" Crap!) I can't believe an event this monumental occurred and I didn't get one picture. So if any of you have any...please send!

My favorite part: (besides the surprise part, of course) was when....well, let me back up...everyone got a necklace at the beginning of the party. If you were caught saying 'Jeremy' your beads were taken away and whoever had the most at the end received a prize. Lets just say there were some very clever and conniving ways to get someones necklace. ..the candles were lit and everyone began to sing loudly, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHday to j.... (no one said his name. Everyone just looked around the room at everyone else waiting on edge to catch someone uttering the words so they could win!) HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!
It was funny. You shoulda been there.

Glad you had a great birthday Jeremy!! I love you.

PS. That cookie was so dry, I'm surprised the birthday candles didn't catch it on fire.

Edit... Thank you Christi for sending a pic!

NYres Update

So, an update on my most important New Years Resolution: Improving Punctuality...
...the whole month of January, I was on time. On time to work, on time to appointments, and Oh, shocked my sister when we arrived in the valley before noon. Go me! February however, is not going so hot. It's almost the end of the month and I am failing miserably. I cannot seem to be any less than 15 minutes late to work. I plan to go to bed early, but then something or someone always keeps me up too late. A crying toddler fell out of his bed and needs to be comforted - A child woke himself up from yelling too loud in his sleep at his little brother - a fussy baby needs to eat again and cannot sleep on an empty tummy. My husband will tend to this if I ask him, (except the nursing part :) but they want 'mom'. Then I am so exhausted the next morning, I keep hitting snooze, then BAM! I jerk up out of bed, awakened in an instant, and my adrenaline starts running when I notice the sun looks oddly bright to be on time. 30 minutes later, I didn't get a shower, but I'm finally dressed and looking presentable by 7:45 am. Which is perfect timing if I had already eaten breakfast! Why do I ALWAYS forget about breakfast? I grab a banana and am ready to fly out the door. ..."MOM! I need juice! I neeeeeeeedd juice! :(" What kind of mother would I be if I ignored my sweet little son's call for juice? Okay, I'll hurry and just get some juice. I get him some juice and I'm on my way out the door. "MOM! I want juice too! and I'm hungry. I want a baggie of Cheerios!" ...and then, "I wan Cheos too and I wan watch a oovie" (movie). So after pouring 2 sippi cups of juice, filling 2 bags of cereal, and starting a moving, I finally walk out the door at 3 minutes to 8:00 am. It takes me 15 minutes to get there. This is NO bueno!

Starting tonight, I am getting into the habit of having juice, cereal, and a movie ready to go the night before, whether I have to work the next day or not.

I have gotta get ahead of my game!

NY Res

New Years resolutions are so overrated. You've got this whole big list of goals to become a superhuman and feel so determined that it could actually happen. Then you eat one too many slices of chocolate cake, skip the gym more than you intended, and broke your promise to stay calm during traffic...in front of your kids. Suddenly, it all becomes so overwhelming, you give up, and it's only the first week of February.
Who am I kidding? I'm still going to make a New Years Resolution. Only, just not so unrealistic. Here goes...

1. Read the B of M (this is a given)
2. Visit teach no later than the 2nd wk of the mo.
3. **Improve punctuality! (I'm a chronic later :( and I hate it)
4. The obvious, tone up the bod and lose 10 more pounds of baby phat
5. Teach Brayden to read
6. More Temple time
7. Be an 'even better' wife & mom :)
8. Stay away from chocolate until Nov 25th, then binge from Thanksgiving to New Years
9. When awoken from sleep, come into consciousness before throwing punches
10. Blog more