CocktailMom

Another Knit Eternity Scarf

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:15:00 +0000

My niece wasn't the only one on my gift list who received a knit eternity scarf this year, my sister-in-law was a lucky recipient as well. For this knitted eternity scarf I used a cotton and a cotton/bamboo mix yarn. I love the color combination. I decided not to use a continual pattern and just mixed it up between double knit, knit and purl etc. Nothing too fancy, but the lack of pattern I find really pleasing on the eye and makes it unique.

Why don't you give it a try? Cast on and knit-purl for a while and then double knit, double purl...see what happens. What is the worst that could happen?
You may real like how it turns out!

Ninja Dolls

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:23:00 +0000

My youngest son who is six years old loves stuffed animals, which he calls "cuddly friends". It's hard to find stuffed animals that are "boyish". Most stuffed animals are marketed towards girls and the ones that could be gender neutral typically are in pink packaging or will have pictures of little girls holding the elephant/monkey/dog on the box. Once my son sees this type of packaging it instantly means to him that it's suppose to be "for girls" and sadly he is not interested in playing with it.

I decided this year for Christmas every boy on our list was getting a doll, a stuffed ninja doll! We couldn't possibly be the only family having this issue with stuffed animals being marketed to girls and yet our boys want them.

I drew the pattern out on paper and used different types of fabric, cottons and flannels, the masks were all felt with embroidered eyes. I also made swords, you can't be a ninja without a sword! At least my boys think that. I added a thick interfacing inside the sword to make it slightly stiff. To attached the sword I hand sewed it to the ninja's back.

All the boys who received a ninja doll loved it and my heart felt so good seeing them being enjoyed. It's okay for boys to have "cuddly friends", why can't the toy industry understand that?

Routine

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:59:00 +0000

Listen to your body and when you feel tired - SLEEP.

Your body knows what you need, tune in and listen.

Personalized Soap Bottles with Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:39:00 +0000

My sister recently bought a house with her partner and I wanted to give them something as a housewarming gift. What do you buy two adults who have lived on their own for many years, they don't need a blender they already have two! I decided on a basket of items that were useful; toilet paper, energy saving light bulbs, a valentine's hand towel etc. But I can never give a gift without having some crafty element to it!
So I made a personalized soap bottle for my niece's bathroom. I removed the label using peanut butter, yes peanut butter! Since I was only going to make one bottle I didn't want to purchase goo gone. If I were doing more than one bottle I would recommend using goo gone but for only one- using a natural product that you already have in your pantry makes more sense to me. Why spend money when you don't have to?

I printed out a picture of my niece on photo paper and then laminated it using my Xyron machine (which I just realized they don't make anymore AHHHH!!!!! What will I do for refills???). I cut around the picture and curled it into a tube and gently pushed it into the soap bottle. That's it. Such a simple and easy gift! Your kids could even help make them.

I saw a similar idea on DesignMom for a teacher gift, she printed her message on a transparency sheet, I am sure you could get a picture easily printed on transparency as well. Or instead of a picture you could print the family's initial to make a monogramed gift. Regardless of whether you laminate the picture or print on transparenecy this gift costs under $5 and will be used over and over again. Great for stocking stuffers, teacher gifts, housewarming, mother's day or for your eighty year old grandmother who has everything she could ever want!

College Park Patch: Forget Resolutions! Make Time for Reflection

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:11:00 +0000

This article was originally published on the College Park Patch.

Many people make lists of things they will change or let go of in the New Year, resolutions as they are aptly called. I like to take a moment of reflection in the beginning of the New Year with my family — a time to reflect on the year as a whole, think of the exciting places we've been, the experiences we've had, the great movies we've seen.

This year I stumbled across this wonderful blog,Run Lucas Run, in which the author created exactly what I was looking for: a list of questions that captures who my children are right now. My plan is to do this each year, seal them in an envelope and open them a year later.

The questions are quite simple:

My name is:

My favorite food:

I love to play:

My favorite singing + dancing song:

A place I’d like to visit:

My favorite story-time book:

My favorite treat:

My best friend is:

I love the color:

One Friday night, we sat around the dining room table after dinner and completed the questions. Both boys were living in the moment, as children tend to be. The answers to the questions typically were the things they like to do right now, books they are currently reading, etc.

To continue reading click here.

Corner of my Home

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:35:00 +0000

I previously have talked about Rebecca's flickr stream in a Corner of my Home post.
I want to continue capturing my house as it is right now. I love how Rebecca captures simple corners of her home. I want to do more of that so my kids and I can look back and see how things change over the years. And I tend to change things pretty often.

This is a corner of my home right now.

I adore the look of crates. Here I stacked a wine crate and a crate I picked up at a yard sale and I filled them with books. Some I've read, some are favorites and some are to-be-read.
The pictures of the boys were taken by a friend, Ryan Benyi. This spot is right outside the bathroom and on the weeks when the boys are with their dad I love walking by numerous times a day and seeing their faces.
The wooden baby block letters I picked up at an antique store and wrote about them here. The word "be" was my word of the year to mediate on in 2009. I still enjoy seeing it as a reminder every day.
The wooden carving was given to me by a dear friend on a trip in Costa Rica.
And the "nothing is a mistake" hoop sits casually on top reminding everyone who walks by to stop being so competitive and just follow your bliss.

Capture a corner of your home and create a scrapbook layout around it. What do you love about the items in the picture? Where did it come from? What is special to you right now?

Fabric Mailbox

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:27:00 +0000

I saw this great tutorial for a fabric mailbox by Giver'sLog all over Pinterest. I had a 3 year old girl on my Christmas list who I knew would love something like this. I changed a few things while making the fabric mailbox because I didn't want to actually go out and purchase anything, I wanted to only use what I had in my fabric collection and craft supplies. (I tend to do that a lot.)
So instead of plastic canvas I used interfacing and quilt batting. I only used fabric where she used felt. I didn't have magnets so instead I used velcro. I omitted the fabric wire, I found the opening looked good without it. And to complete the flag I made a hole using my scrapbooking grommet maker and attached it with a brass paper fastener.

I cut scrapbook paper to 4x6 inches and added a sticker to the upper right corner so that it appears to be a postcard.

Keep in mind when you see tutorials online that you don't have to do it exactly as they have instructed. Sometimes you might find a short cut or by omitting something the end result is better. Allow your own creativity to flow. Be inspired by others and allow that to flow through your work.
Happy crafting!

Routine

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:06:00 +0000

Keep Your Heart Up!

Messages where you don't expect them.

Routine

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:59:00 +0000

Even the ordinary can be beautiful.

Embroidered Chandelier - Sublime Stitching

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:30:00 +0000

I made this embroidered chandelier piece for my sixteen year old niece. Recently she moved into her own room and I wanted to make her something to show her how mature I think she is. An "adult" type of gift.

I bought the Sublime Stitching Craft Pad two years ago and I can't believe I am still using it! I've made so many projects using her lively iron-on embroidery designs.
I ironed on the design on a quilter cotton, gray fabric and placed it in a wooden hoop. Once the project was complete I cut a piece of felt the same size as the hoop and hot glued it to the back.

I love how simple it is. And it didn't take a lot of time, it would be easy to whip up a few more to have on hand and give as gifts whether it's a birthday or housewarming. Here are a few more examples of embroidered pieces in hoops and simply hung on the wall, I love the way this looks.

And clearly the Sublime Craft Pad is worth the $15 bucks.

Knit Eternity Scarf

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:30:00 +0000

(the pictures were taken by my 6 year old son, Zane)

I have two teen-aged nieces who aren't major fashionistas but they typically do know what is "in" and often have the racks at Hollister memorized. I will admit that I consulted the Hollister website before making this eternity scarf for my niece. I wouldn't dare step into the actual store because the smell of the place gives me a headache along with the low lighting and cramped aisles...clearly I've exposed my thirty-something age in this post.
I was happy to discover that I liked the color range that Hollister uses. The navy, gray, white..it's very all-American and classic. So I chose gray yarn for the scarf and stuck with a simple pattern of knit and purl stitches and an occasional double knit row to add dimension.
I'm happy with how it turned out, in fact I'm considering making myself one.

Granny Square Crochet Blanket

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Now that the holidays have passed and all the handmade presents have landed in each person's hands I am able to share with you all what I made.
This Granny Square Blanket was made for my sister and her boyfriend, Bill. It seems odd to call him her boyfriend when they are in their late thirties and own a home together...I'll call him her partner. Because simply that is what he is, the term boyfriend seems high school-ish. And the term partner shouldn't just be used for same-sex relationships. Don't you agree?
This blanket was a labor of love. I'm not a stranger to large projects, and I often am making blankets for other people. I love zen knitting, casting on and knitting until I think it's finished. This blanket was nothing of the sort. I saw this post on Canadian Living (no I'm not Canadian but I like to pretend I am) and fell in love with it.
I prefer to crochet over knitting. I'm better at it and I feel more creative with a crochet hook in my hand. So I was excited to get started, choosing the colors wisely. Not to feminine yet not extremely masculine. I wanted to use nuetral colors, nothing exceptionally bold because at the time when I began this project I wasn't exactly sure what their new decor was going to be like. Little did I know I'd be swimming in granny squares, making more than I actually needed. Once I had a lot of squares made I laid them out and didn't like what I saw. It looked too busy and I was doubtful that they would like it. So instead of going with the original plan on copying this blanket I started adding stitches around each square in brown yarn and after completing four squares I knew this was how the blanket should look...bigger granny squares. I sewed each square together using a single crochet stitch, which means on the reverse side of the blanket there is a raised edge. Some people don't like it esthetically but I don't mind it. A simple border around the entire blanket that gives it a feminine touch completes the entire look.
My sister and her partner, Bill, loved it when they opened it at our holiday lunch. And I loved finishing it.
I still have a bag of already made granny squares, it pains my heart to rip them out...any ideas on what to do with them besides making another blanket?

Routine

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:30:00 +0000

When you see a window of opportunity...Take It!

Toilet Paper Tube Bird Feeder- Crafts for Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Our backyard backs right up to woods, recently we purchased a bird feeder and as a family we have been enjoying watching the birds feed on our back deck. One rainy afternoon I pulled out some toilet paper tubes from the recycling bin and decided to create a craft with the boys. Any age child can do it with assistance and you probably have everything you need in your pantry.

With plastic knives spread peanut butter on the outside of the toilet paper tube and then roll the tube on a plate filled with bird seed. It's that simple!

My oldest son, who has sensory issues didn't enjoy the craft as much as I had hoped. He didn't like getting his fingers sticky and had a furrowed brow throughout much of the process.

My youngest son on the other hand had to be reminded numerous times to not each the craft!

Mere moments after putting the toilet paper tubes on branches in our yard, birds were all a flutter enjoying them. And finally a squirrel came along and decided to make one his own and pulled it right off the tree! The boys actually loved watching this squirrel and the amusement he provided. Try making your own toilet paper tube bird feeders this winter for the birds in your neighborhood.

College Park Patch: Celebrating Christmas, Even When the Kids Aren't There

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

This article was originally published on the College Park Patch.

The day is approaching that almost every child has been looking forward to for months — Christmas morning. My children are no different; they have been making their wish lists since their birthdays passed.

I, on the other hand, am having a hard time getting in the celebratory mood.

My children’s father and I are divorced, and we share custody on a weekly basis. It actually works out great — We update each other through emails about the boys. We coordinate a Google calendar to remind each other of special days or extra curricular activities. And each year we take turns for the holidays. I had them for Thanksgiving this year, so they will be with their father for Christmas.

Whether it’s Thanksgiving, Easter, their birthdays … any holiday that involves a celebration … it's hard not having my children with me. I know that everyone is supposed to be joyful this time of year, but many are just going through the motions and pretending. I'm going to say it: I’m struggling with being jolly.

I was hesitant to even write about this, because this little corner of my world is typically a pretty happy version of who I am. I’ve learned, though, that by opening myself up, and being vulnerable can benefit others. I’ve talked to other divorced parents, and they haven’t given me much hope in believing that it will get easier as the years go by.

I refer to my first Christmas without the boys as “Christmas coma.” I laid in bed and cried for eight hours. Maybe someday I’ll go on an adult-only type of vacation, instead … zip lining in Costa Rica, maybe a cruise.

But a friend from college reminded me, “The date isn't as important as the feeling of the day and the memories you make.” And she is absolutely right! This weekend, my partner and I surprised the boys with Santa hats and a tree brimming with gifts underneath. We made the most of our early Christmas celebration, and the boys believed me when I told them that I emailed Santa asking him to come early.
To continue reading, click here.

Routine

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

I know that someday I will miss this, I will miss reminding little people to put the cap on their toothpaste, to "please do not leave toothpaste in the sink".
I know someday I will miss this. And I'm trying to remind myself of that when this is the view in our bathroom.

Story Cubes

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

One of the recent toys in our house that I LOVE is Rory's Story Cubes. It's often hard to find a toy or game that can be enjoyed by a range of ages, and this is it! Wee ones love it, older kids who are tired of playing "baby games" enjoy it and it forces the adults to tap into their inner child.
The rules are simple, there is no winner or loser- there is only creative thinking.

From the website:

Roll the cubes.

Begin with ‘Once upon a time’, and tell a story that links together all 9 face-up images. Start with the first symbol that grabs your attention.
Rory’s Story Cubes® can be enjoyed solitaire or by taking turns with multiple players.

Remember there is no wrong answer, the goal is to let the cubes spark your imagination.
It really is that simple!

I think every classroom should be equipped with this game. We have had hours of fun in our house creating stories and using the cubes to spark imagination for the kids and adults. This would make a great gift for anyone!

Christmas Tree Skirt

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

We put our Christmas tree up the day after Thanksgiving and within the hour I remembered...our tree needed a skirt. This fabric has been living in my stash for a year, purchased on sale after the holidays last year and has been anxiously awaiting it's destiny. It only took two days of looking at the bare tree for me to gather the motivation to put the skirt together. I am so glad I did, you can't leave the tree naked!

I was inspired by the pictures of Six One Seven 's tree skirt that she made for her house and I loved that she didn't care that hers had flaws, she actually highlights them in her blog post. Reading her post gave me the confidence I needed to let down my perfectionist personality and just wing it...what's the worst thing that could happen? It's a tree skirt for goodness sakes!

So I made a pattern and soon after sewing pieces together I figured out that the opening was going to be too big. So I improvised and added a casing for a small strip of elastic so that the fabric hugs the base loosely. I love the colors, I love the flaws and I love that we have something that I made which will be pulled out and used each and every year.

Hopefully now it won't take me a another year to make our family matching stockings.

Homemade First Aid Kit using Nesquik Container

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:45:00 +0000

I love to reuse containers from products we use in our house, I enjoy the challenge of finding ways to reuse items. I've reused peanut butter jars for storage in different ways. Also those giant pretzel tubs from Costco. And most recently a Nestle Nesquik container is now home to our first aid kit. Inside I can store all the essentials I need to take care of a playground fall; bactine, ointment, bandaids and cotton gauze pads. I wrapped the container with scrapbook paper that I had in my stash, created a label and it's done. Easy and fast, cross it off your to-do list for 2012 and have a first aid kit ready in your car for those "just in case" moments.

2012 will take you ANY WAY!

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 16:01:00 +0000

Many people create New Year's resolutions, lists of ways in which they want to become better people in this new year. Remember that you have a choice! A choice to live your life ANY WAY you want.

Accept yourself, accept your flaws, accept the things that make YOU- you.

Remember there is no "right" or "wrong" path, there is only the choice that will make you happy and to live your authentic life.
Any way will be okay.

Jenga Wedding Guest Book

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:29:00 +0000

Instead of a traditional wedding guest book I wanted to have guests write messages to us on something we'd use more often than a book on a shelf, something we would see throughout our lives. I saw this idea on another wedding website and loved it!

Each guest wrote a message to us on a Jenga block using fine tip sharpie markers. I created this sign and displayed it in a frame so that guests understood what exactly it was they were expected to do.

I will warn you that if you do this idea to make sure someone is watching the kids at this table. We had a few kids who thought they could write on every single block! Also having it displayed where guests could leave the card they brought helped us in getting adults to participate.

(Pictures by Jessica Shepard)

Wedding Card Holder

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 15:00:00 +0000

(Pictures by Jessica Shepard)

I knew I wanted to do something unique to hold the cards we received from guests at our wedding. I also didn't want to really spend any money on something that was only going to be utilized once. So I used what I already had in our house, a vintage blue suitcase.

Thin, twelve inch dowel rods propped the suitcase open. The sign was created from textured card stock, the same card stock used for the butterfly topiaries, and hot glued to ribbon. I tied a simple tag with the words "messages of love" to the handle.
We received so many wonderful comments from our guests remarking that it was "unique" and "so us"!
This idea would be great for a birthday party, baby shower, as well as a retirement luncheon. The possibilities are endless!

Fabric Micro Suede Flowers for Wedding Centerpiece

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:47:00 +0000

As I previously mentioned I was recently influenced by Martha Stewart and a micro suede fabric flower tutorial.
I used the flowers at the base of the topiaries that I made for our wedding centerpieces. I bought the moss topiaries at a Michael's Craft Store in the flower arrangement section and using a Martha Stewart butterfly craft punch, I punched out different colored butterflies from textured card stock and pinned them to the topiaries. The base of the topiaries were mason jelly jars filled with sand and rock and a little bit of artificial straw grass. Simple and fun as they sat on tables surrounded by votive candles.

(Pictures by Jessica Shepard)

Martha Stewart's Craft Influence

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 14:19:00 +0000

I'm going to say it...I don't really follow Martha Stewart and her craft endeavors. I don't watch her show (is it still on air?), I don't read her magazines or books. I might sometimes buy her craft products at Michaels when they are on sale but in general she's just not really my style. Don't get me wrong I think she's a phenomenal business woman and I'd love to sit down with her and pick her brain. But I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't search her out.
Now there is Pinterest in my life, my latest addiction. So many folks pin Martha Stewart crafts and I found myself liking them! In fact I liked this flower tutorial so much that I decided to use it in the decor for my wedding and I made myself a cute little headband. It was so simple to make using microfiber suede, a little fabric goes a long way!
For the headband I purchased a black elastic one that comes in a pack at Target and simply sewed the flower to the elastic, along with a button centerpiece. It's the perfect crafty girl accessory!

Knitted Rainbow Shrug

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:00:00 +0000

(Pictures by Jessica Shepard)

September can be hit or miss weather wise in the Washington DC area. Since I was wearing a spaghetti strap dress for our wedding I wanted to make sure I had something fashionable to wear over my dress just in case the day turned out chilly. The twenty year old-me would have dealt with the goosebumps and impractical shoes but in my mid thirties I've learned a thing or two about comfort and fashion.

I headed to my local yarn store, A Tangled Skein, and found this stunning yarn on clearance. It's from japan and a mix of cotton and bamboo. And no, I didn't use a pattern..I never do. I call it Zen Knitting. I cast on and hoped and prayed I bought enough yarn to make the shrug...and I did! I love how it turned out.

Don't be afraid to create!