brown paper packages

{charmed, i'm sure}

2012-01-27T05:00:00.007-05:00

I love homemade valentines, especially when they're simple to put together and cute too!

These are Charm's Blow Pops, with a tag that reads, "charmed, i'm sure".

How charming. :)

These are easy peasy--just tie your tag on to a single sucker, or a bunch! They would also look cute in a jar, with the tag tied around the rim, or even in a treat bag with the tag attached.

You can download the text image HERE (one heart), and HERE (two hearts). There are two different files because I decided I wasn't sure about the two hearts, and created another file with just one. Now you can choose which one you like best!

To use: Download the image, and save to your hard drive. Open a Word document (or similar program), and choose Insert > Picture, then browse for the file (where you saved it), and click Open. You can adjust size at that point--larger or smaller, or even copy and paste so you can have more than one on a page. I printed it on cardstock, punched it with a 2 inch circle punch, distressed the edges, matted it on the scallop circle, and punched a hole at the top. Tie it on with ribbon, and voila!

Here are a couple of ideas from years past...

Thumbprint Valentines

Clothespin Valentines

Making homemade Valentines doesn't have to be hard or time consuming, but it can be a really fun thing to do, especially with your kids. Whether it's for grandparents, friends, teachers, or someone else in your life, everyone loves receiving them!

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{photography with lei} valentine ideas + free printables

2012-01-25T08:00:00.001-05:00

Love is in the air, and there are many fun ways to capture that in your photos. I've found a few great ideas I've spotlighted here, as well as one of my own. AND I've got a link to some fun *free* downloads from I Heart Faces, too.

If you've been on Pinterest lately then surely you've seen this great idea:

Well I happen to know the originator of such creative genius, and her name is Alissa. Alissa blogs at 24-7-365, and is a great photographer, so go check her out!

My other photographer friend Sunny sells these fabulous photos, custom designed with your choice of initials:

If interested, you can contact her at edustin@gmail.com.

A couple Valentine's Days ago I created this fun storyboard of my daughter:

I Heart Faces has some darling templates free for the taking this week, HERE. This one is my favorite:

Super cute, right? Love that they come in BLUE for boys and RED for girls!!!

There are a lot of other fun Valentine's ideas at I Heart Faces in THIS post, too. Course, Pinterest is a great source for inspiration as well.

Thanks for stopping by and for reading! If you have any ideas for future posts, feel free to email them to me at photosbylei@yahoo.com. And, as always - I would love to hear from you on my BLOG or FACEBOOK.

.....

I always love when Lei is here, and this week is no exception. All these Valentine photo ideas are fabulous!

{sweets for the sweet} layered candy mason jars

2012-01-23T05:00:00.004-05:00

Do you have someone sweet in your life you'd like to give a little something sweet to?

ITEMS YOU NEED:

mason jars
spray paint
Valentine peanut M&Ms (or other red, pink and; white candy)
carsdstock
letter stamps (see below for options)
Distress Ink
baker's twine/jute/ribbon

DIRECTIONS:

1. Fill the jar with M&Ms/candy, layering the colors as you go. Two bags of M&Ms filled these three jars, with a few leftover.

2. Spray paint the lids and let dry completely. If you're doing more than one jar, it's fun to spray the lids different colors, then mix and match.

3. Cut out a scalloped heart, distress the edges, and stamp "sweet" on it. If you don't have stamps, you can always print out the text on your computer (do this first--then cut out the heart), or use stickers or vinyl. Punch a hole in your tag, then tie it on with baker's twine/ribbon/jute.

I love love the layered candy look--so fun! These are perfect for teachers, friends, neighbors, ladies you visit each month, and more! They are simple to put together, but so adorable. A fun homemade gift is always appropriate, and always appreciated. ♥

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{tutorial} board & batten

2012-01-20T15:30:00.002-05:00

Our home was new when we moved into it almost 4 years ago, and as wonderful as a new house is (totally not complaining), I have found myself having feelings of jealousy when I would see really great makeover projects.

Well, the time finally came when I was ready to change my red music room into an office and library. I wanted to lighten things up a little! Board & batten was one of those things I had been wanting to do forever, but I just hadn't been able to justify it on a new house--until now. I absolutely love it, and I can't believe HOW MUCH bigger it looks!

There are a million bloggy tutorials out there (maybe not a million, but close), but I've found that there are always variations and methods, plus different tips and tricks from different bloggers. It's all the rage for very good reason--it adds brightness, dimension, and an architectural interest to any room or space. This is a project that can be done fairly quickly, and is relatively inexpensive, considering how much it can transform a space or room.

So...now you get mine! My dear husband did A LOT of the work and put up with my perfection tendencies. I really love how it turned out, and it brightens our home immensely. It is totally empty, but I've got big plans, lol! We're building a desk and bookshelves, and I'm on the hunt for a big comfy chair, the perfect curtains (something light and white...maybe linen?), and a lamp. I'm also planning a photo gallery wall on the longest wall, which will be a project in and of itself. I'm really excited though, and I'll post our progress as we go.

BEFORE PICTURES:

These were taken the day after we moved in...

SUPPLIES:

white primer
paint
Liquid Nail
1 1/4 inch nails (and nail gun)
4 x 3/4 inch MDF molding, pre-primed (for battens)
2 x 3/4 inch MDF molding, pre-primed (for ledge)
compound miter saw
jigsaw
spackle
caulk
sander

THE PROCESS:

P.S. I apologize in advance for the pictures. They were taken with my 5 year old point & shoot (I am anxiously counting down the next month until my new DSLR arrives!), and they aren't the best quality, but hopefully they'll give you an idea of what we did.

1. The first thing we did was tape off, then prime and paint. I was worried about one part of the room--the arched entrance coming from the kitchen. We have rounded corners on our walls, and the paint that went over the rounded corner and on to the next wall was perfect--and professionally painted before we moved in. One of my friends shared a tip, and it worked!!! After we carefully taped along the paint line, we used a foam brush to add Mod Podge along the tape and onto the paint on the other side, creating a clear barrier. When we removed the tape, it was a perfect line--yahoo!

The room was a dark red, and definitely required a coat of primer. Actual board & batten uses a smooth white panel on the wall, but since our walls were already nice and smooth, we decided to skip that step--but that meant we had to prime and paint the entire wall. Once the walls were primed, we painted the top half blue (Upward Blue by Sherwin Williams), and let it dry completely.

2. Once the walls were painted, we were ready to start the battens. I wanted thick boards, so I went with 4 inch MDF molding. I also wanted it to be higher on the wall, so we cut them 65 inches tall. The next part was definitely the hardest part for me, and was figuring out how far apart the battens would be. I really wanted them to be EXACTLY the same width apart, all around the room, and that proved to be a challenge. Most tutorials I read said that they chose a width (like 12 or 18 inches), and then just estimated in some places to make them fit. I couldn't do that. :) It took awhile to mathematically figure out how apart to place them so it would work out around the whole room, and it ended up being 22.37 inches. The very last board is a tiny bit off, but I don't think you would notice unless I told you. :) We then marked with pencil on the wall where the boards would go. The key is to measure, measure, and then measure again!

Problem #1: The baseboards

I read a lot about baseboards before we started, and everyone had a different approach. Most baseboards aren't as wide as the MDF molding, meaning they will hang over the edge of the baseboards. Some people just left them, others replaced their baseboards with molding that was the same as their new battens would be, and others angled their battens at the bottom to lessen the impact. We went for door #3. I didn't want to replace the baseboards, since they were new and in really good shape. I also didn't want to leave it as it was, because it would really bug me if they hung over the edge. We made a 45 degree angle at the very bottom of each batten, so it looked like this:

You can't tell at all now that the room is done--we made the right decision!

Problem #2: Outlets

Unfortunately, my exact measurements also called for battens to be placed directly over two outlets. We measured the outlet, then the board that would go over it, and cut out a place for the outlet to go. Worked like a charm! You would do the same thing for light switches too.

We lined up the boards around the room, and were ready to start getting them on the wall. Use a level--make sure they're straight, because once they're on, they're on. We used Liquid Nail first, to apply the board to the wall, then used the nail gun to keep them in place.

3. The piece around the top is also 4 inch MDF molding. I wanted it to be thicker, but not decorative, and this was perfect. We followed the same method of cutting, gluing, and nailing to get these in place.

4. The next step was adding the ledge to the top molding piece. I tried a couple of different sizes before finally deciding on a 2 inch piece of MDF molding. I wanted to be able to stand a thicker picture frame on it, and that didn't work with anything smaller. We glued it in place with Liquid Nails, then nailed it on.

5. Next came the fun part...filling all the holes with spackle, and caulking all up and down the sides of the battens. Once that was done, we sanded it down to get ready for the final coats of paint. I used a white semi-gloss, and it took two coats over all of it (walls and boards).

Finished!

I'm happy to answer any question you have...

{stained glass heart cookies}

2012-01-18T05:00:00.001-05:00

Sugar cookies are my absolute favorite--especially when they are topped with lots of yummy frosting. These cookies are so cute, and so much fun to make, that I'm glad I deviated from the frosting--at least this once. :)

My kids LOVED helping to make these--everything from the rolling to the cutting, to the smashing of the candy for the middle. We had such a fun time--it was a perfect snowy afternoon activity. These would be darling to give as a gift, or for a class party.

For ease and to cut down on time, I used a packaged sugar cookie mix by Betty Crocker---super easy to make, and really yummy too. You can definitely use your own sugar cookie recipe--as long as it will work for rolling out cookies, you'll be good! By the way--I'm still searching for the perfect sugar cookie recipe, so if you have a favorite, PLEASE share. I'd love to try it! I also made a gluten-free batch, using Cherrybrook Farms sugar cookie mix, and they turned out beautifully.

ITEMS YOU NEED:

sugar cookie dough--ready to roll out
2 heart cookie cutters--one large, one smaller
red lifesavers, or other hard candy

DIRECTIONS:

1. Roll out your dough, and cut out the large hearts first. I found out that it's easiest to transport the large heart to your cookie sheet first, then cut out a smaller heart from the center once it has been moved. The heart will keep it's shape much better this way. The small hearts that you cut out of the middle go on a different sheet for baking, and these can be frosted. :)

2. Smash your hard candy in a sandwich or quart bag, using a rolling pin (this is my method!). My sugar cookie mix didn't call for the cookie sheet to be greased, but I was worried about the candy sticking, so I used my finger to add a little butter to the center of the heart, where the candy would go. I would definitely recommend it. Once the centers of your hearts are greased, fill that area with the crushed candies--but not overflowing. Make sure that no little pieces are on the actual cookie before you bake!

3. Bake according to your sugar cookie directions. I made two different batches, using two different recipes, both having different temperatures, and they all turned out really well.

Even the backs of the cookies are cute!

Enjoy!

{simple valentine's day front door decor}

2012-01-16T05:00:00.002-05:00

I love a cute front door. It welcomes everyone to your home, even the people that are just driving by!

One of my favorite things to do for each holiday or season that comes along, is to change the vinyl greeting. It's such a simple thing, but really adds such a fun touch.

The wreath I used is one I made from a canvas dropcloth, and I love it. (Click HERE for tutorial.) It's a fantastic neutral color, which means it's also very versatile, and can be used time and time again. I added a thick piece of red & white gingham (I'm addicted to gingham!!) fabric to tie it in place, and it's the perfect way to add in a pop of color.

Inexpensive? Check. Super easy? Check. Absolutely darling? Check.

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{friday freebie} valentine's day bingo

2012-01-13T12:00:00.000-05:00

The ever talented Heather from Simply Fresh Designs created the most darling Valentine's Day bingo game...and it's free!

It's perfect for home or for school...great for classroom parties. Love it!

5×7 Valentine’s BINGO

(includes 6 .jpg playing boards, 1 .jpg game piece sheet,
plus all 5×7 images formatted in a 8.5×11 pdf document for easy home-printing)

kierste

{photography with lei} working in photoshop: brightening eyes

2012-01-12T07:45:00.001-05:00

Hello friends... hope everyone had fabulous holidays, and took lots of great photos. If you've emailed me and I haven't had a chance to respond yet, please forgive me! I took a few weeks off and am still playing catch-up!

Today we're going to delve a bit into photoshop. For those of you who don't have photoshop, you might try GIMP. I haven't ever used it but I hear it is pretty dang good, similar to photoshop and FREE. Check it out HERE.

We're going to be brightening the eyes today, so find yourself a nice headshot to work with. Here's mine:

Next you want to open an adjustment layer, like so:

*Click on Layer > Adjustment layer> Curves

and click Ok.

Next you'll find over on the right side your two layers (labelled Background and Curves) as well as a window opened up with a grid and a diagonal line through it. Yu can manipulate this line, and I want you to put your cursor right at the middle point and drag it up toward the upper left hand corner, as far as it will go. That will make your picture look like this:

Don't freak out, it's all good. Next you are going to find the tool box on the left side of the screen and down at the very bottom of this tools make sure the black square is on TOP of the white square. This takes you back to your background layer. Then above the back/white squares, find the paint bucket icon. Click on it, then on your picture:

See? Nothin' to worry about. We are back to normal. Only now you can reveal the funky curves layer underneath, the one we made crazy bright, ONLY where the eyes are. Using your brush tool. It's above the paint bucket you just clicked on. But first you need to go back to the back/white overlapping squares and bring the white back to the top:

Now. When you click on your brush tool (go ahead and do that now) your tool bar is going to reveal a few different option. First one, all the way over to the left, is used to select the type of brush you want, which is going to be Airbrush soft round. Next to that, you can select the size and hardness of your brush. Size it to fit inside the iris of your subjects eye. TIP: there are shortcuts to change the size of your brush, on a MAC it is the "[" and "]" keys, which respectively increase and decrease brush size. After you've got the right brush size, make sure the brush hardness is set to "0%". Since we are working on such a small area, we want ) hardness - it is very forgiving should we go slightly outside the lines or something. That's all the settings you need to worry about changing. Mode: should be set to Normal. Opacity: 100%. And Flow: 50%.

Now the fun part.

Move your cursor over to the left eye and paint it using the brush tool:

Yes. He looks psycho now. Do the right eye as well. Do it, trust me - we will fix Mr. Alien Eyes in just a sec.

Now, going back over to the right side in your layers box, you're going to reduce the opacity of what you've done to where you see fit. As you can see mine is at 14%.

Once you're sure of how bright you want the eyes, by raising and/or lowering that opacity, click on Layer> Flatten Image.

Alright. So the eyes are a bit brighter now. But we want to make them shine, too. So go back to Layer and scroll down and click Duplicate Layer.

Click Ok. Then click on Filter> Other> High Pass.

Set the radius at 6.9 and click Ok. Then over in the Layers box on the right again, where you see your background and duplicate background layer, you are going to change "Normal" to "Overlay".

Then find this little icon at the very bottom of your Layers toolbox there and click on it:

Find your back/white overlapping boxes again over on the left side and bring black to the top again. Click on the paint bucket, then on your image and we've done just what we did with the curves layer a bit ago when we were brightening the eyes. We've overlapped our High Pass Filter Overlay layer with our Background Picture and can now reveal from underneath the shine, just as we did before with the brightening. So we need that white box back on top again!

Stay with me here. We are almost done!

Fun part, part 2: select your brush tool again (settings stay the same) and paint over the irises one more time. Revealing that shine. Reduce your opacity to where you want it just like you did before:

You can see that mine is at 10%. When you are sure of where you want yours to be, go back and flatten your image again:

Phew! We made it. Save your image with a different extension (add an "a" or something so you can see a side by side comparison in whatever folder you save it in!) so you don't override the original.

Here's my side-by-side of a SOOC image (SOOC=straight out of camera) and the final product:

Obviously I did a few other things to this image, like take out the bar code on the ball, and generally pop the colors a bit. I also sharpened the whole image up and added some contrast. But look how much better the image on the right is. It's very subtle, but it's there! I'm all about subtle - and you should be too. My advice: don't overdo it on the eyes or any other form of post processing! It's so easy to go overboard, especially when you really get the hang of it and see how cool of a trick this is.

I sure hope this was a helpful tutorial. It's a bit of a step in a more advanced direction, for sure, so if you have any questions feel free to email them to me at photosbylei@yahoo.com. And I'll do my best to help you sort things out. :)

P.S. If you want to see more photos from this "Imagination Session", visit HERE!

{heart bunting countdown}

2012-01-10T17:30:00.004-05:00

I just love Valentine's Day, and I have really been wanting a few more decorations for my house. When Lifestyle Crafts send me a couple of items from their newly released Sweetheart line, it gave me the perfect opportunity to create a darling heart bunting for my mantel, and a fun Valentine countdown to enjoy with my kids at the same time.

This is such an easy project, but SO cute. It won't take long to create your own heart bunting!

ITEMS YOU NEED:

scrapbook paper and coordinating cardstock
some way to cut hearts... ( I used my Lifestyle Epic)
distress ink
jute
mini clothespins

DIRECTIONS:

I started with the nesting eyelet hearts die, and the nesting scallop hearts die, and cut 28 hearts in two different sizes (14 large, 14 smaller) out of scrapbook paper and cardstock. I adhered a smaller heart to a larger one, switching up the patterns. You don't have to use the epic to do this project--you could use your Silhouette, other die cutting tool, buy die cuts from a scrapbook store, or even cut your own using scissors. Your kids could design and cut their own!

I printed out a sheet of paper with 14 different Valentine activities, cut them into strips, and adhered them to the back of the hearts. I clipped the hearts onto jute/twine, using mini clothespins I painted spray painted red, and then hung it on my mantel! If you don't have a mantel, no worries---hang it across a doorway, in a window, or even across a sliding glass door.

How it works:

Each day--February 1st through February 14th--my kids will get to choose a heart, and we'll do the activity listed on the back. You could number the hearts on the front if you like, and have them go in numerical order, but I decided to let them choose whichever one they wanted. This will require more prep on my part--making sure I have everything ready to go--but I think they'll love it! Here are a few of the activities I included:

♥ Valentine Bingo
♥ "Heart Attack" friends and leave yummy treats
♥ Make & decorate Valentine cookies
♥ Make heart snowflakes
♥ Read a Valentine story
♥ Watch a fun Valentine show
♥ Make pink hot chocolate
♥ Make a Valentine chain

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kierste

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post, however, I was sent product to try out. All opinions are 100% mine and mine alone. Please see my full disclosure here.

{alphabet love block}

2012-01-09T05:00:00.003-05:00

I love 2x4's. They are seriously one of my favorite things. :) This past week I made a simple alphabet love block--SO fast, easy, and darling!

ITEMS YOU NEED:

white textured cardstock (I use Bazzill)
2x4, 12 inches long
spray paint
ribbon
mod podge& foam brush

DIRECTIONS:

1. Once you've cut your wood to 12 inches (Home Depot will do this for you if you need it--just ask!), spray paint it and let dry completely. Sand edges to distress.

2. Print the {love} alphabet on the cardstock (landscape), then trim to fit your block. Distress the edges using Distress Ink (I used Vintage Photo--my favorite). Apply a thin layer of Mod Podge to the front of the block, and carefully place your cardstock on top of it. Apply another thin layer of Mod Podge on top, and let dry completely. *You can opt to adhere the cardstock with double stick tape or similar adhesive, and leave out the Mod Podge altogether, if you like.

3. Tie a ribbon around your block, and you're set!

I opted to print it on to paper, but here are a few other ideas to use instead:

1. Use vinyl instead of paper--place directly on wood block

2. Apply vinyl or paper on a canvas or old window instead of wood (a square would be darling---change the alphabet to 5 rows of 6)

3. Use scrapbook paper under the cardstock

4. Frame it instead!

Of course I have the {love} alphabet for you too...

Download HERE.

{chunky abc blocks}

2012-01-06T09:30:00.002-05:00

Happy Day! It's Friday! Hopefully today not every single DVD and video we own will be emptied from the drawers, and from their cases, and dumped on the floor by two darling boys---like yesterday. Yes, it's good it's the weekend...

I'm so excited about this project--these chunky abc blocks are so much fun! My girls are 5 years old, and in the early stages of reading, writing, and spelling. I really wanted to make them something to help put words together, and highlight uppercase and lowercase letters. My boys are 2 years old, and with their little hands, these chunky letters are perfect--they can easily grasp them in their hands. They are heavy duty--and will hold up to a lot of use. Magnet strips can be placed on the back, and since they're flat, they can be played with on the floor, or on a magnet board. A cookie sheet is a really fun way to use them, and contain them--great for trips in the car.

SUPPLIES:

2x4 piece of wood, split and cut into 88 pieces (see explanation below)
spray paint
vinyl abc letters--26 uppercase, 52 lowercase, 10 numbers
adhesive magnet strips (comes in a roll)

DIRECTIONS:

1. I had leftover 2x4's in the workshop, so I decided to use them to make the wood blocks. Using them will mean you have to split the wood in half both ways--right through the middle in both directions. You basically make an "x" on the end of a 2x4, and cut. Then you can cut them into the size of pieces you want. My pieces area little more than 1 inch thick, and not quite 1 1/2 inches square. I cut 26 for uppercase, 52 lowercase (two of each, to make it easier for spelling words), and 10 for numbers.

If you don't already have a 2x4, and you want to make it easier on yourself, you could just use a 1x4--then you would only be cutting it in half one way. They won't be quite as thick, but not by much.

My cute hubby decided to round ALL the edges--I was not patient enough to do it, but I'm sure glad he was. :)

2. Once your pieces are cut, spray paint them the color you've chosen. I wanted the uppercase and lowercase to be different colors, so I used red and black. (Rustoleum's Colonial Red in satin, and Black in a flat finish) Let dry completely, then sand the edges and tops just a little to distress. Use a damp rag to wipe off any excess dust and let dry.

3. Add your vinyl letters! I used the century gothic font--my absolute favorite plain font.

4. If desired, add a strip of magnet to the back.

Ta-da! Darling chunky abc blocks! My boys love stacking them, and my girls love spelling words--perfect! There are so many games and activities that these blocks can be used for--I love it. These would be really fun in a classroom setting as well...

I have lots of fun Valentine's Day ideas coming up next week...stay tuned!

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{christmas memories binder}

2012-01-04T05:00:00.003-05:00

We finally took down our Christmas decorations yesterday. I think I was in denial that Christmas was really over--I just wasn't ready. I wish I could leave my tree up all year long--I love it. Some of my other favorite things to look at during the holiday season are all the Christmas cards we receive from family and friends.

I started a Christmas memories binder about 10 years ago, and it has been so fun to look back through the years and see how people have changed and families have grown, including our own. This year we outgrew the original binder, and it was finally time to start another one.

If you're looking for a way to keep your Christmas cards organized, and have a place to record favorite Christmas memories, you are going to love this project! It doesn't take long to do, and your efforts will last a lifetime and more.

Each year after Christmas (my goal is to have this done by New Year's), I gather all of my Christmas cards and adhere them to white cardstock--both front and back, then slide them into sheet protectors and place into my binder. Nothing fancy here--I want the emphasis to be on the pictures and cards themselves.

I also write about our Christmas memories for the year, and what we did on Christmas Day. I include a picture of our own Christmas card, as well as the traditional "kids on the stairs on Christmas morning" picture. Even though I've had a family blog for several years, and write a lot about Christmas there, I still include it in this book. Actually, I cut and paste from my blog. :) ("Christmas" font = Before the Rain)

I also type up a "Year in Review", that includes our family's top 10--trips, milestones, and goals accomplished. I also write a paragraph about each person in our family--their individual accomplishments, what grade they're in, who their teacher is, activities they were involved in, favorite foods, and any other tidbits I want to include. ("Year" font = Peas NJH Whimsy)

The new binder also needed some tabs for the years, and I created my own by printing out the next 5 years on to cream cardstock. I cut them to size, folded them over, and distressed the edges. I used double stick tape to adhere them to the sheet protectors. Easy!

The old binder was in desperate need of a new cover, so I made another one to match the new binder.

I LOVE our Christmas memories binder, and so does my family. My kids will sit and look through it, ask questions about our friends and family we haven't seen in awhile, and read and reminsice about Christmases past.

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{winner} Silhouette Cameo

2012-01-03T16:24:00.000-05:00

I can't tell you how much I wish I could give away 1,000 of these! There is one lucky winner today though, so a HUGE congrats goes to...

#1680, Kelley @ TheGrantLife.com!

The winner has been notified via e-mail. Please let me hear from you within 48 hours, or another winner will be selected!

{calendar blocks}

2012-01-03T09:30:00.001-05:00

I made these calendar blocks last year, and thought they were so fun I wanted to share them again! They fit perfectly on a desk, shelf, counter, ledge, table, or anywhere else you would like them to go, and it's darling way to count the days of the month.

What a great gift too--for a teacher, for a wedding, housewarming, or more!

Click HERE for the tutorial!

P.S. There are only a a few hours to enter to win the Silhouette Cameo! Don't forget that the promo will still go through the 5th--you can get a Cameo + Fabric Ink started kit for $299, using the code BPP at checkout. If you already have a Silhouette, you can get 20% off the kit using the same code!

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{$6 welcome mat}

2012-01-02T05:00:00.006-05:00

I have been in need of a new welcome mat for quite awhile. The one that has been on my front porch was a sad little thing--a remnant of carpet from when we first moved into our house almost four years ago. When I received a Silhouette fabric ink starter kit to try out, I considered it providence, and knew just what I ~~needed~~ wanted to do.

I found a plain welcome mat at Home Depot for $6--love the price!

I wanted to use the word welcome, along with the definition below, and I used my Silhouette to cut out the stencil vinyl provided in my starter kit. I've said it before, and I'll say it again--you don't have to have a Silhouette to do this project. You can use other stencils, or even make your own, and I've done that many times before.

I started to apply the stencil to the rug, but I had to make a couple adjustments. It had nothing to do with the Silhouette product, it was because the rug I chose was SO rough. It was hard and stiff (probably not the "fabric" they're talking about, lol), so the stencil didn't stick to it very well, but I was determined. The combination of all the small letters and the texture of the rug was not a good one, so I had to nix the definition part and just go with the word welcome. I ended up using duct tape to secure the stencil in place, and that worked really well. You might consider either choosing a different textured rug, OR use larger designs/text--nothing small.

I really love the end result, and it's most definitely a huge improvement!

What a darling gift this would make! How about for a wedding, teacher, or housewarming gift? It's an inexpensive and simple way to give something personalized. You could use a monogram, Mr. & Mrs. (WAY cute for a wedding gift), a teacher's name, and more.

The Silhouette is running through January 5th--you can get a Silhouette Cameo and a Fabric Ink Starter Kit for $299--just use the code BPP at checkout!
Tip: You must add the Cameo and the Starter Kit to your cart, then use the code.

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{top 11 in 2011}

2011-12-31T05:00:00.021-05:00

{Love Buckets}

{Conversation Blocks}

{Library Bookshelves}

{General Conference Treat Buckets}

{Older than dirt}

{4x4 Block Pencil Holders}

{Beadboard Flag}

{Summer Reading Program}

{Family Blocks}

{Raceway Building Blocks}

Chicken Wire Framed Christmas Card Holder

{Paper Sack Gift Bags}

.....

2011 was a wonderful year, and I'm so looking forward to 2012! A huge thanks to all of you, my wonderful and AWESOME readers, for your incredible support. I am filled with gratitude for each of you. I absolutely love reading your comments and e-mails, and I so appreciate all of the kind words and encouragement.

HaPpY nEw YeAr!

{giveaway + promo} SILHOUETTE CAMEO!!!

2011-12-29T09:00:00.005-05:00

***GIVEAWAY CLOSED***

Yes, it's true! I have dying to announce this giveaway for weeks, and it's finally here! I love doing giveaways for you, because you are AWESOME, and this is just about as big as you can get.

My Silhouette Cameo and I are inseparable--I use it ALL the time. It's an amazing tool--hands down my favorite--and I know that even I have only scratched the surface of what it can do. I love that I can use any font or design on my computer for free (no additional cartridges needed) and the Silhouette software provides the means to create anything I want to! Additional designs (thousands and thousands) are available in the Silhouette online store for only 99 cents!

For those of you who might be new to the Silhouette world, it's an amazing machine that cuts vinyl, heat transfer, and fabric, and has applications for rhinestones, fabric ink, etched glass, and more! You can read more about it here.

{Silhouette Cameo Giveaway}

HERE'S HOW YOU ENTER:

(Please leave a separate comment per entry, ON THIS POST--no e-mails will be valid)

**PLEASE leave your e-mail address on one of your entries! It's how I will contact you to inform you if you've won!

1. Like Silhouette on Facebook, then come back here and tell me you do! Make sure to say hello on their page from {brown paper packages}!

2. Follow Silhouette on Pinterest, then come back here and let me know!

3. Like {brown paper packages} on Facebook, then leave a comment saying you did!

***There are 3 possible chances to win***

You MUST be a {brown paper packages} follower to win!

Giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and over only and closes Tuesday, January 3rd at noon MST. Winner will be chosen at random via random.org and notified by email. Winner has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

.....

There is also a fabulous promotion going on this week, running from December 29th through January 5th!

You can get a Silhouette Cameo + Fabric Starter Kit for $299!
Just use the code BPP at checkout to take advantage of this awesome offer!

I will be posting a tutorial in the next day or two using the Fabric Starter Kit, so stay tuned!

Want more chances to win a Silhouette Cameo? Check out some of these fabulous blogs to enter!

Infarrantly Creative

Tatertots & Jello

Today’s Creative Blog

Crap I’ve Made

Skip to My Lou

The Idea Room

Craftaholics Anonymous

Brown Paper Packages (you are here!)

Disclosure: I received a Silhouette Cameo to review, but I was not compensated for this post. All opinions are 100% mine and mine alone. Please read my full disclosure here.

{new year's ideas}

2011-12-28T05:00:00.004-05:00

I love a reason for a good party, and New Year's Eve is one of the best! It's the best night to stay up late with friends and family, eat yummy food, and ring in the new year!

Here are a few celebration ideas that I found and love...

Time Capsule in a Jar

{kellicrowe.typepad.com}

Homemade Fortune Cookies

{alisaburke.blogspot.com}

New Year's Bingo

{hiphiphoorayblog.com}

Pucker Up Buttercup Cookies

{bakeat350.blogspot.com}

Shimmering New Year's Streamers

{marthastewart.com}

My roots are Southern, and I grew up knowing that eating black-eyed peas on New Year's is supposed to give you a year of good luck and prosperity, so I couldn't resist adding a couple of recipes with black eyed peas in them. Yum!

Black-eyed Pea Dip

{pioneerwoman.com}

Cowboy Caviar

{the-girl-who-ate-everything.com}

.....

I have been enjoying a week with my family, and my husband who is on vacation for another week, hooray! So not much crafting going on right now, but more projects and tutorials coming very soon. Plus...I have a HUGE giveaway tomorrow, you really do not want to miss this one!!! Stay tuned!

{merry christmas}

2011-12-25T14:00:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas...may you and your families be blessed with health and happiness!

{a place for everything} christmas edition

2011-12-24T10:45:00.002-05:00

Christmas morning can produce quite the mess. Wrapping paper, boxes, and gifts litter the room, and it can seem quite overwhelming to get everything cleaned up, organized, and put away.

Today I'm going to share with you my tips for keeping the mess under control, giving you a little extra time (and sanity) on Christmas Day. They are simple ideas that can be done ahead of time, with minimal prep, but will make a huge difference!

.....

Pre-purchased Storage Bins

If you have purchased gifts that you know will need to go in a storage bin, or be organized...i.e. legos, lincoln logs, polly pockets, etc., purchase the storage bins ahead of time, and have them ready to go for Christmas morning.

I like the clear Rubbermaid bins the best--they come in several different sizes, and can be found at several different retailers (I got mine at Target). I label them, but for little ones who can't read yet, the clear bins let them see what's inside too.

.....

A place for each person's gifts...

Set out a box, bin, or bag for each person and label it with their name. When they open a gift, they can put that item in their own box, so it stays organized, and keeps all of their things together. It will eliminate lost parts, items, and will help immensely with the clean-up process. Kids will also have an easier time putting away their gifts if they're all together!

.....

Wrapping Paper Control

Set out garbage bags the night before, as part of your final preparations. As soon as a gift is unwrapped, the paper goes right into a garbage sack. It takes 10 seconds, but will save SO much time in the long run.

.....

Candy Bags

Santa usually stuffs our stockings with a lot of candy and small items, but he also brings Ziploc bags for them to go in! When my kids dump their stocking out, I hand them a bag with their name written on it in Sharpie, and they can put all their candy and small treasures inside. It helps them keep track of it all, it doesn't get scattered around the room, and the clean-up is definitely cut down.

.....

If you have any tips or ideas for keeping Christmas more organized, I'd love to hear them!

Merry Christmas!

{paper sack gift bags}

2011-12-22T05:00:00.002-05:00

Looking for a fun way to package treats or small gifts? I've got the perfect thing! I took paper lunch sacks and sent them through my printer, making an all-in-one bag and tag. SO fun!

I just love paper sacks. Not only are they super cute, but they're inexpensive, which means making just a few or in bulk is very reasonable. I'm going to give you directions based on my printer, but you will probably have to make a few changes depending on the kind of printer you have. Just take a few minutes to experiment with which way the paper goes in, which side it prints on, and how it comes out. Once you know that, you'll know how to insert your paper and/or lunch sack.

Here's how I did it...

ITEMS YOU NEED:

paper lunch sacks
printer
ribbon or fabric strips
hole punch

DIRECTIONS:

1. I created my text and image in Photoshop, then inserted it into a Word document. Don't worry--if you don't have Photoshop, you can just use your fonts and create the text right in Word. A lunch sack is about as tall as an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper, so you can place your text on the document where you would want them on the sack, and it works out just about right. (Fonts = Typewriter and MS Try a Bon)

2. My printer won't let me put a paper sack through by itself--it has to be exactly the same dimensions as an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper. I really miss my old printer, because I could put through even the smallest scrap all by itself, and it would print on it. You might have a printer like that (LUCKY), and you could just go ahead and print right on the paper sack. If yours is like mine, then keep reading...

In order to trick my printer into printing on the sack, I had to send it through attached to a regular-sized piece of paper. I printed out the text on an 8.5 x 11 piece of white paper, then I was able to use it as guide, placing the lunch sack directly over the text. This way, I would know where the printer was going to to print, and it would be right where I wanted it. I taped it lightly in place on the sides, and at the top--just so it would stay in place while it went through the printer. I printed the sacks one-by-one, then carefully removed the tape. It worked like a charm!

3. I tore strips of fabric into pieces about 1.5 inches wide and 15 inches long. I folded the bag over twice, punched two holes in the top, then used the fabric to tie it closed. SO cute!!!

Here is the Merry Christmas image, in case you'd like to use it. Just right click on the image, select "save as", and save to your computer. Open up a new Word document, select "Insert", then " Picture". You'll be able to browse for your picture, then click to insert it into your document.

.....

{family lacing cards}

2011-12-20T05:00:00.003-05:00

One of the things I made my kids for Christmas was a set of lacing cards, featuring our family...grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Since we live far away from them, it will be a fun way for my kids to see and be reminded of their extended family.

This is a very easy project, and can be put together in an afternoon! What a fun gift--for your children, or for other family members that don't live close. I'm excited to tuck them into our church bag, into my diaper bag for visits to the doctor and other times we have to wait, and into the car.

ITEMS YOU NEED:

white cardstock
printer
paper trimmer & scissors
coordinating cardstock or scrapbook paper
hole punch
family pictures

DIRECTIONS:

1. Develop 5x7 pictures of your family. On white cardstock, print the names or other text a little below the middle of the page, giving room for the picture to go above it. Once it's printed, adhere the picture right above the text using double stick tape. (Font = century gothic)

2. Trim the white cardstock, leaving about a 3/4 inch border around the edges. Mat it onto a coordinating piece of cardstock--I decided on red. Trim all edges to be even.

3. You're ready to laminate! I took mine to Office Max, and had them use a 7 mil laminate. I wanted it as thick as possible, and the 10 mil wouldn't work with all of the cardstock. Trim the laminate, leaving a small border around the edges. ***Make sure you round the corners afterward--the edges are very sharp!

4. Using a ruler and a Sharpie, decide where you how far apart you want the holes, and make a small mark. Punch the holes over the mark you made with your hole punch.

That's it, you're done! You've got darling family lacing cards!

{giveaway} shabby apple

2011-12-19T10:00:00.003-05:00

**GIVEAWAY CLOSED***

You guys! It's less than a week until Christmas, can you believe it? It hasn't really felt like Christmas around here because there is NO SNOW. Normally I wouldn't complain about this at all, in fact, our "warm" weather would usually result in me jumping for joy and singing Hallelujah. However, with a week until Christmas, and my kids out of school the week after that, we need snow! We need sledding, and tubing, and tobogganing, and snowmen in our front yard. Since we live through seven months of winter, I'm thinking a white Christmas should be the one perk we get. It can melt in January.

Okay, enough about that, and on to this week's giveaway. It's from a place I LOVE...

Shabby Apple has the most darling selection of women's dresses and skirts...I could take one of each!

Here are a few of my favorites...

From tinsel town to classic pieces, they have something for everyone!

Today Shabby Apple is giving one lucky reader this fabulous dress...

Here's how you enter: (please leave a separate comment per entry on this post...no e-mails please!)

Required:

*Like Shabby Apple on Facebook

Additional Entry:

*Like Brown Paper Packages on Facebook

You MUST be a follower of Brown Paper Packages to win!

The giveaway will run through December 24th, at 10pm EST. I will announce the winner sometime before the 26th. :)

Good luck!

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post. All opinions are 100% mine. Please see my full disclosure here.

{kierste's hot chocolate with peppermint cream}

2011-12-16T12:00:00.003-05:00

I ♥ hot chocolate.

My kids love it too, and since we live in the frozen winter tundra, we have it quite often. (It's also a definite Christmas Eve and Christmas morning tradition...) I almost always make it homemade, and after experimenting with different ingredients and combinations, I've found a version that we have labeled as our favorite! It's simple to make, and is ready in less than 10 minutes. Delicious!

I really like using chocolate chips, because it makes it so smooth and creamy. The peppermint cream is the perfect complement, and honestly, if you don't like mint & chocolate together, you are crazy. :) I prefer milk chocolate, so I use milk chocolate chips, but if you like a stronger chocolate flavor, you can always use semi-sweet chips instead, and less milk.

{Kierste's Hot Chocolate with Peppermint Cream}

1 1/2 c. milk chocolate chips
1 can evaporated milk
3-4 c. whole milk
1 tsp. vanilla

In a saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate chips with the can of evaporated milk. Once they're melted, stir in the four cups of milk and heat through. Remove from heat and add the vanilla. Serve with Peppermint Cream!

Peppermint Cream

1 pint heavy cream
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. peppermint extract
2 candy canes, crushed

In a mixing bowl, beat the heavy cream until it's just beginning to form soft peaks. Add the powdered sugar (you can do more or less to taste), and beat until incorporated. Add the peppermint extract and crushed candy canes, then beat again until the right consistency. I like to spoon the cream into a sandwich bag, push it down into one corner, snip the corner off of the bag, then pipe it onto the top of the hot chocolate. Sprinkle a few more bits of candy cane on top, and enjoy!

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{christmas glitter dishtowels}

2011-12-16T05:00:00.004-05:00

Every girl needs a little glitter, right? I had the opportunity to try Tulip Fashion Glitter Shimmer Transfer Sheets. by I Love to Create and used them to glam up a few flour sack dishtowels.

I really wanted to be able to use them with my Silhouette, instead of cutting everything out by hand--especially because I wanted to use lettering. The package said that it worked with most die cutters, and even though the Silhouette isn't technically a die cutter, I decided to give it a try. You can absolutely use them without one though--I've just become impatient. :)

It took several attempts to figure out what I needed to do to make it work, and I finally did--hooray! ***This is where you'll need to decide for yourself whether or not you want to use your Silhouette--and check your manual to see if it will cancel out your warranty.***

ITEMS YOU NEED:

Silhouette
Tulip Fashion Glitter Shimmer Transfer Sheets
flour sack dishtowel
iron

DIRECTIONS:

1. I created my design using the Silhouette software. Really intricate and detailed graphics will not work--you have to keep it simple, so I went with a darling Christmas tree from the online Silhouette store. Text actually worked, but I made it a little larger to make sure.

I set the blade to 3, thickness to 30, and speed to 5. Use your carrier sheet, and you MUST peel off the plastic sheeting first.

2. I arranged the cut-out designs on my towel, then following package directions I ironed them on.

Ta-da! Darling glitter dishtowels! What fun gifts these would make--for teachers, friends, neighbors, and hostesses.

I usually stay away from glitter because I hate the mess, but these transfer sheets are mess-free! The glitter stays put, and you have the look without finding glitter everywhere for the next 42 days. Love that!

Disclosure: I was provided product samples to try, and then compensated to write about my experiences using them. All opinions are 100% mine, and mine alone. and I will always give an honest review. You can find my full disclosure here.