Destination: Craft

Felt Board Idea: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

2013-05-17T12:10:00.000-07:00

My son came home from preschool the other day with a new love for the book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. And when I say new love, I mean he was able to recite to me the entire book! I was amazed! And a little proud.

So when I was thinking about what story ideas to use on my Travel Felt Board s, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom was a no brainer.

My son loves to recreate the whole story on the felt board:

"A told B and B told C, I'll beat to you to top of the coconut tree!"

My son's favorite part is when, as he puts it, all the letters "fall down!"

Chicka Chicka BOOM BOOM!!

To create all the letters and the coconut tree, I just sat down and used the book as a template. I free handed everything and cut them out. I used embroidery thread to create the detailing on the tree. It took me a couple hours (not all in one sitting) but I think it was well worth the effort! I also tried to stay close to the same coloring as the book, as far as the letters are concerned.

I snapped a shot to show you how the Travel Felt Board stands using the Velcro straps.

Next up, The Hungry, Hungry Caterpillar!

Sharing here: See Vanessa Craft, I Heart Naptime, Flamingo Toes, Lil Luna, Ginger Snap Crafts, Rae Gun Ramblings,

Travel Felt Boards

2013-05-03T09:04:00.002-07:00

My 2 kids and I are going to embark on a plane trip next month from North Carolina to Washington state.

It's going to be a loooong trip. I started looking on Pinterest for some ideas on how to possibly entertain two toddlers for that long. One idea I found and LOVED was a travel felt board. I found the idea and the tutorial at Miss Lovie.

I have mixed feelings about this tutorial. But I think a lot of my troubles came from me cutting the tutorial in half because I wanted a smaller version. My suggestion is to play with the proportions and do what works for you. I had to add and snip and cut stuff off but in the end I'm happy with it and my 4-year-old boy is IN LOVE with it!

You may have noticed there are some funky Velcro tails on them. (Another problem I had with this tutorial). They're to make it so that it can stay standing like an easel, making it 2 sided. Which is nice. Just kinda funky looking.

Here was my first attempt at a felt kit. A little pizza kit. My daughter loved it, but I also make a Chicka Chicka Boom Boom kit and that's the one my 4 year old went gaa gaa over. I'll post that one a little later.

I like that they're the right size for my littles now. They'll fit in they're backpacks & they'll be ready for the airplane ride!

Feel free to follow my Felt Fun Pinterest board for more ideas!!

Mickey and Minnie Birthday Party

2013-04-14T19:44:00.007-07:00

Wow, it has been a looong time!

So sorry for the absence! My mom was here for 3 wonderful weeks and right after that we moved... and it has been crazy! But I wanted to share the details from my kids' Mickey and Minnie birthday party. They had a blast!

My little cutie pies! My mom made the Mickey shirt on her embroidery machine and I made the Minnie dress.

The set-up:

It was SUPER windy that day. I would've complained more but the weeks leading up to the party and the weeks after the party were all crazy cold. The day of the party it was in the 70s. I'll take windy and warm over chilly any day!

1. I had one table as a "craft table." There were little baskets with foam Mickey/Minnie heads and face foam stickers to decorate. The littlest littles weren't that interested but there were a couple kids who loved the activity.

2. I made these adorable little gumball machines after seeing something similar on Pinterest. Not very practical and I have NO idea what I'll do with them now, but I thought they were so cute!

3. The kids' table! I found the Mickey fabric at Hobby Lobby and knew it would make the perfect table runner.

I decorated some cardboard letters from Hobby Lobby to look like Mickey & Minnie. It was so windy they wouldn't stay standing up, so my mom piled rocks around the bottoms to keep them upright.

1. Mickey & Minnie cupcakes. I used regular and mini-sized Oreos to create the Mickey heads and for the Minnie effect, I just piped on a red bow.

2. Sugar cookies! Yum.

3. Pigs in a blanket. If you've ever seen Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on the Disney channel, they sing a Hot Dog song. I had to incorporate hot dogs somehow!

I made a bean bag toss with a presentation board you can buy at Target or Wal-Mart. I used an X-acto knife to cut out the Mickey head shapes and made bean bags out of felt and dry beans. They had fun chucking those bean bags!

My wonderful, awesome husband made a backdrop for a little photo booth. He created the Disney castle with scrapbook paper. It looks like all one piece but the castle is made of little pieces of paper. He's so creative!

We had so much fun celebrating my little ones' birthdays! They sure have some wonderful friends!

Sharing here: Craftomaniac, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Be Colorful, Lil Luna, Ginger Snap Crafts,

Lola Bea Diaper Bag

2013-03-02T18:16:00.003-08:00

My sister-in-law is pregnant with her first baby and since I've gotten pretty good at sewing, I decided to ask her what she would like for me to make her. She narrowed it down to a few choices and I made the ultimate decision to make her a diaper bag. I found this AWESOME pattern HERE on Etsy. The shop is called Sew Much Ado and I loved the pattern. It was easy to follow. And the end product...well, let me show you.

Isn't it pretty?! I'm so proud of myself for making this and all by myself! Normally I have to ask my mom what she thinks the directions mean (over the phone, she lives far, far away :( ) but with this pattern I found it a lot easier.

There's so many things I loved about the bag. I love love love the ruffle on the front. And the magnetic snap. That was a first for me but it wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be!

Then there's the pocket situation. Anyone who needs a diaper bag knows that pockets are ESSENTIAL. Look at all these pockets!!

And that's just on the inside! There are two more on the outside of the bag! Plus the one in the middle is a zipper pocket, which is awesome. And the pockets are big enough to stick some diapers and wipes in them. The elastic tops make the contents stay in the pocket, instead of flying around and getting all jumbled.

I love how it turned out! I was a little sad to send it off, but hopefully my sister-in-law finds a lot of use out of it!

Sharing here: Craft-O-Maniac, Making the World Cuter, Be Colorful, Skip to My Lou,

DIY Mickey & Minnie Invites

2013-02-26T12:33:00.003-08:00

This year I decided to throw a combined birthday party for my son & daughter. Their birthdays are only 2 weeks apart. And since they're so little, they don't care yet.

I decided on a Mickey and Minnie-themed party, since we recently went to Disney World. Just as a warning, there will be lots of Mickey & Minnie projects on here in the very near future.

Anyhooo.... what's the first thing you have to get done for a party?? The INVITES!

I love how they turned out. I used a cookie cutter (I found at Disny World) to trace and cut out the Mickey/Minnie heads. Then I sewed on a half circle.

With a little paint and hot glue, they morphed into Mickey and Minnies!

To make the circle inserts, I used InDesign to design them. You could also use Photoshop. If you want the font, I used dafont.com to download. The font is called Waltograph. Also, I bought a circle punch from Joann's to make the little circles look all nice and circle-y.

$5 Baptism Gift

2013-02-16T17:26:00.001-08:00

I work with the Primary at church and the other day we had a double baptism. Two sweet girls got baptized! It was such a sweet experience to share with these young girls. As a presidency, we wanted to give them something that would help them remember their special day. I came up with these:

Not only did they turn out cute, but they didn't break the bank! I got these frames from Wal-Mart for about $2.50 each:

I spray painted them and used this printable (I personalized them on Photoshop). I glued on a bow and they turned out cute!

And all for $5 each. Not too shabby.

Sharing here: Ginger Snap Crafts, Lil Luna, Rae Gun Ramblings, Southern Lovely,

Mickey and Minnie Sweatshirts

2013-02-05T12:09:00.000-08:00

My family recently went on a trip to Disneyworld and we were planning on a January trip, so I knew I wanted to make them sweatshirts. I found a cute Mickey sweatshirt on Target.com and when I saw it I thought, I could make that!

Mine doesn't look exactly like the one in Target, but I thought the sweatshirts came out cute! And it kept my babies warm, which was the most important part.

I started out with cheap, plain, black sweatshirts from Target.

Then I hand-sewed fabric onto the pockets. For the Mickey sweatshirt, I cut ovals out of white felt and sewed those on top of the red fabric. Then I made some binding for the hood. It's that easy!

For the Minnie sweatshirt, I found this adorable pink polka dot fabric at Hobby Lobby. I made a simple ruffle for the bottom. Again, I added binding to the hood.

I loved them! It was some hand sewing, which can be annoying, but it was necessary to keep the pockets. And they looked so cute at Disneyworld!

Sharing here: Lil Luna, Ginger Snap Crafts, Mercy Ink, DIY Dreamer, Daisy Cottage Designs,

Changing Pad Clutch

2013-01-30T07:55:00.002-08:00

A couple of months ago I told my friend (who was pregnant at the time) that I would make her any baby accessory she wanted. After searching Pinterest, she came to me with THIS idea. I've never made anything like it, but it looked cute and I was excited to start on it.

Her tutorial is pretty clear and I remember it being easy to follow. This is one of my favorite projects. I think maybe because I love the whale print.

So let me show you inside:

You just lay your baby on the vinyl side of the mat (easy to wipe up in case of "accidents") and you have your diapers and wipes right there in little pockets! How nice is that?

A closer look at the pockets:

And then when you're done fold the pockets in, like so:

Roll it up, attach the loop to the button, and it's ready to go back in your bag! Pretty snazzy, huh? I was a little surprised with how big it ended up being, but it needs to be pretty big to be able to have a baby lay on it PLUS be stocked with diapers and wipes.

Sharing here: 52 Mantels, Seven Alive, 36th Ave,What About, The Thriftiness Miss, DIY Dreamer, Lil Luna, Gingersnap Crafts, Mercy Ink, DIY Dreamer, Daisy Cottage Designs,

Romantic Heart Wreath

2013-01-28T05:56:00.004-08:00

I made this wreath for my mom when I went out and visited her a couple months ago. But when I thought of Valentine's Day, I remembered this wreath and that I had never shared it!

I found the heart wreath from a local thrift shop. That's actually a really good place to find wreath forms! Who knew.

The flowers I got at Wal-Mart. I just cut down the stems of the fake flowers and stuck them unto the wreath form. Make sure you cover it all up with the flowers.

This would look so pretty with red or pink flowers for Valentine's Day!

Sharing here: Craft-O-Maniac,

Tomato Artichoke Soup (Twigs & Smores)

2013-01-24T12:36:00.001-08:00

A long time ago my sister-in-law Chelsea and my Mom came to visit my house in Utah. My sister-in-law had traveled with my brother, but he was out of the house one night and so it was girls night in for us!

Chelsea made this soup and croutons and I was forever in love with it. I've made it many times since and every time I do I realize all over again why I fell in love with it in the first place.

It has layers of tomato, artichoke, onion, garlic and is served with crispy, parmesan croutons. What is funny to me is that it looks very fancy and impressive but is super easy to make!

I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. It is definitely a recipe I will have and make forever.

Tomato Artichoke Soup:

4 T. olive oil

1 large white onion, finely chopped

1 T. minced garlic (I used 1 heaping tsp. of the jarred, pre-done stuff)

1/2 tsp. dried thyme (you can add a little more if you like)

15 oz can artichoke hearts, finely chopped

28 oz can diced tomatoes, with juices

4 c. chicken broth (one large box)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1 c. sour cream (light is fine)

Cheese Herbed Croutons:

1/2 loaf french bread, cut into cubes

1/4 c. olive oil

1 T. dried Italian seasoning

1 c. shredded Parmesan cheese (this should be freshly grated from a parmesan wedge)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. For soup, heat oil in a large pot over medium to medium high heat. Add onion and saute 5 minutes until softened.

Add garlic and thyme and saute another minute until nice and fragrant.

Add artichokes, tomatoes, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer over medium heat for at least 30 minutes (the longer you simmer this the more the flavors meld).

While the soup is simmering prepare the croutons. In a large bowl combine bread cubes, olive oil, Italian seasoning, parmesan cheese and toss to combine. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Lay out the bread mixture and evenly distribute it in a single layer. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until bread and cheese gets light golden brown. You don't want it burnt but you do want it to be toasted enough so that it has a nice crunch to it. Check on it every few minutes. Set aside while you finish up the soup.

To finish soup add sour cream, stir well and simmer for 5 minutes. At this point taste the soup and see if you need more salt or pepper.

Ladle into bowls and serve with croutons. Don't add the croutons to your bowl because they get soggy really quick. I like to serve my croutons on the side and then plop them in one by one as I take bites.

Enjoy!

Sharing here: 36th Ave, See Vanessa Craft, Whipperberry,

I Heart Sundays with No nonsense tights and leggings

2013-01-15T19:00:00.001-08:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of No nonsense for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Don't you love Sundays? I looove Sundays. You know why? I get to go to church and get all dolled up and pretty. As a stay-at-home mom, I'm normally in a T-shirt and yoga pants. But Sundays I dress up and apply make-up and feel like a grown up. And as long as I can remember, I've loved wearing tights to church.

Since I've gotten a little older I've liked to pair my Sunday outfits with fun tights. I especially love the idea of crazy colors. Over at No nonsense tights and leggings, they have some awesome-colored tights that I would LOVE to pair with one of my Sunday outfits! I made a little outfit to illustrate my point:

How cute is that outfit?! Tights and leggings are especially nice when the weather outside is chilly and you want to throw on a pair of boots and face the cold. I almost always wear tights with my boots. But whether you're dressing up for a special event, throwing on a pair of your favorite boots and heading to the store, or just lounging around the house, No nonsense tights and leggings can make any outfit look more pulled together. Their products can be purchased at food and drug retail shops as well as some of the bigger stores that you shop at, making them super affordable.

No nonsense tights and leggings has recently partnered up with Jill Martin, a style guru, as their new brand ambassador and she's making short videos on how to pair No nonsense tights with some of your favorite outfits.

If you want to keep up with all these awesome fashion tips and videos, follow No nonsense on Facebook or on Twitter @benononsense.

And if you want to add that pop of color to your wardrobe for a great price, look for No nonsense tights and leggings!

No nonsense tights and leggings No nonsense on Facebook

How I Lost 10 Pounds in 10 Weeks

2013-01-08T07:28:00.002-08:00

Happy New Year!

We got back from Florida a few days ago and everyone is sick! Boo. Not the greatest way to start out the New Year. But we did go to Disneyworld and it was AH-Mazing!!

Along with the New Year comes new resolutions on improving ourselves. I wanted to share with you some things that helped me last year when I decided to try to lose some weight.

After I had my second baby, I lost quite a bit of weight. And then I gained it back. That is so incredibly frustrating! So in November I decided I wanted to really work hard and lose some weight. I was about to sign up for Weight Watchers with my mom when she showed me some websites that were free and were basically the same idea as WW. We decided to go the free route first and if that didn't work, we'd sign up for Weight Watchers.

Let me tell you, I am SO glad we didn't sign up and pay for WW!! I was able to lose 10 pounds all on my own and it felt GREAT!

So here are some of the tips:

- Use the free websites. Here are some awesome ones:

- Calculate how many points you should be allowed

- List of foods with their point values

- Points Calculator

- Restaurant Points Guide

- Keep a journal. This is KEY! I know it's annoying but you'll really be able to track your progress and keep on track with a journal.

- Buy a nice scale. I had an old $5 scale and it was off about 2 pounds and I had no idea. You can buy nice ones at Wal-Mart or Target for about $20.

- Learn to love fruit/veggies. I LOVED my cereal in the morning. I've basically been addicted to cereal since college. But now I eat a piece of fruit EVERY.MORNING. It pays off.

- Exercise. I started out by doing Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred and riding on the stationary bike and then I included going to Zumba and running on the treadmill. Having lots of different exercise options helps get you out of an exercise rut.

- Find healthy recipes. I have a Healthy Recipes board on Pinterest and I'm going to start sharing a WW-friendly recipe once a week! Aren't you excited?! I for sure am!

- Don't be too hard on yourself. During the first couple of days of starting this, I actually gained a pound or two. And then I would lose a couple. Don't get down on yourself if you happen to gain or is you cheat sometimes. It's not the end of the world.

I'm not done losing weight, but I'm glad to know I found a way to do it that works for me! And I know it won't work for everyone, but I wanted to share an option that would maybe work and be nice to your wallet :) Please please please let me know if you do this and are able to lose any weight! I'd love to feature you!!

Sharing here: Winthrop Chronicles, Funky Polkadot Giraffe, Not Just a Housewife, Lil Luna, Ginger Snap Crafts, 36th Ave,

The Brynne Dress

2012-12-27T11:36:00.000-08:00

I bought this pattern FOREVER ago. I made it as a present for last Christmas for my daughter but she's so dang petite that it didn't fit her for, oh, 10 months. She's a pixie.

I am in no way being endorsed by her, but Brynnberlee Designs has some great patterns for little girls. Super easy and cute result. I used the Brynne Dress pattern.

Front and back shot:

I love the little sash that ties in the back and the puffed sleeves (any Anne of Green Gables fans out there?). Plus, the little girl in the dress is pretty dang cute, too.

Sharing here: Tatertots & Jello, One Artsy Mama,

Last Minute Cookie Gift

2012-12-20T12:34:00.000-08:00

I'd like to introduce my newest contributor, Kellee!!

She's actually one of my best friends...ever. And we live far, far apart, which may be a good thing because if we lived closer we'd spend a lot of money on crafts. She has her own blog, called Twigs & S'mores. Go check it out!

She's an awesome baker and she's going to help me out and be my new food contributor! Sweeeet!!

I'll let Kellee take it away!

*******************

"Last Minute Gift Idea - Cookie Mix"

Happy Holidays ya'll! I hope that you have completely immersed yourself into the Holiday season and have really enjoyed all of the magic that this time of year brings.

I made sure that this year I started decorating for Christmas even before Thanksgiving so that I could REALLY enjoy this time of year. The reason why I did this is because it seems like Christmas comes and goes ridiculously fast! So for those of you who didn't start decorating before Thanksgiving and who need a last minute present idea, this simple and cheap project is for you.

First off, this project is all about deception. People are going to think that you slaved away putting together a "homemade" cookie mix for them when in actuality, you are just giving them a pre-done mix from good 'ol Betty Crocker.

Now some of you at this point may be turning up your nose at this project because it's not "homemade". But hear me out! I have cooked with some of these mixes and they are awesome! I love to cook and bake and I find that these mixes are very close to "homemade" tasting.

For my cute little cookie mixes I used her Gingerbread mix (oh my heavens does it smell and taste delightful!) but I only have a picture of the Pumpkin Spice because I accidentally deleted my Gingerbread picture.

Any who, for this simple project I just plopped the cookie mix into an adorable red damask plastic bag from Michaels (I believe it was 24 for $1.99), wrote out a tag with the instructions and then tied a cookie cutter onto the bag with some tulle and raffia. And viola! I have an easy and great present to give!

Thanks, Kellee!! Awesome last-minute gift!!

Sharing here: NY Melrose Family,

Pleated Christmas Tree Skirt

2012-12-11T10:04:00.001-08:00

Are you so excited for Christmas?! I know I am! And...around this time I always feel a little overwhelmed. But mostly I just love this magical time of year.

My friend and I decided that this was the year we were going to make tree skirts. And we both love things girly & frilly, so we made a great team!

I bought this tree skirt from Target for, like, $5 one year and it's been a trooper but I needed something a little prettier this year. I looked on Pinterest and decided I loved the look of the ruffled tree skirt but I decided to take my own spin on it and I created the Pleated Tree Skirt.

Ahhh, so much prettier, don't you agree??

So here's how I made it.

I ended up using a little over 5 yards of fabric. Yes, I just said 5 YARDS. I cut my fabric into 3 inch strips. Then I started hot gluing them to my old tree skirt. I would lay the strip down and then fold it back onto itself to create the pleated look.

After you've done ~~a million~~ several rows and are all finished, you're ready to add some pretty ribbon.

My tree skirt already had Velcro closures so I just glued pre-made bows on top of where the Velcro pieces are.

Then I added ribbon around the top of the tree skirt, where it'll meet up with the tree. I gave it a nice, finished look.

I just love how it looks! The pleated layers are just oh-so-gorgeous.

However, if you're feeling more in a ruffle mood than a pleated mood, check out how my friend's skirt turned out. I LOVE her ruffles!!

Aren't those ruffles to DIE FOR?! She did hers with a glue gun, too! And trust me, you'll need a back rub afterwards.

Sharing here: Lil Luna, Ginger Snap Crafts, Homemade Ginger, Dixie and Dottie, DIY Dreamer, Mercy Ink, Top This Top That, 36th Ave,

Christmas Cookies

2012-12-06T11:26:00.004-08:00

I have become a little obsessed with making sugar cookies and learning how to decorate with royal icing. I don't know why I've never tried this before but it's probably a good thing. I'm pretty sure I'll gain 10 pounds if I keep making and decorating cookies!

I got THE BEST recipe for sugar cookies from Glorious Treats. I also got the frosting recipe from her website as well. Have you seen her cookies? They're gorgeous!

I still have a lot to learn but I'm having fun practicing!

Cute, right? And the cookies and frosting are so delicious!

Nothing says Happy Holidays more than a pretty plate of cookies!

Sharing here: Love and Laundry, One Artsy Mama, See Vanessa Craft, Craftomaniac,

Zig Zag Quilt

2012-12-04T08:11:00.000-08:00

Need a great Christmas present? Or how about a baby shower present?

My husband's boss is pregnant with her first baby and my husband casually mentioned he'd love it if I made her a quilt. He just underestimated how much effort I put into it. When I was finished and I showed him, my husband said, "Wow, that's nice! I didn't expect you to make one that nice!" Haha!

My mom played a HUGE role in making this quilt. I don't know what I'd do without her. Oh wait, she lives across the country... sad. But I was visiting her while I was making this and she helped me out a ton.

So here's the step by step on how to make this quilt.

1. First, cut your fabrics into strips. Obviously, I only used two different fabrics to create the zig zag effect. I believe my strips were 3 inches wide.
2. After you cut them into strips, cut them into a rectangular shape. I believe these were cut into 4 inch lengths. It may have been 5. Just play around with how big you want yours.
3. Once you have both fabrics cut, sew them together like in the picture. Iron them flat afterwards.

4. Next, arrange them to create the zig zag pattern. Make sure you don't get to ambitious and sew too many... we did that and took too many of the rectangles away and it took us forever to figure out how to put it back together!
5. We did a lazier version of quilting. I cut a piece of batting to the size of the top and some fabric that same size. I then layered them. The sequence of the layering is VERY important! You need to layer it with the batting on bottom, then the top (right side up), then the back of the quilt (right side down). Sew around most of the square, leaving about a 12 inch gap so you can turn it right side out.
6. After you've turned it right side out, then hand stitch the quilt closed. Then all that's left is to top stitch and make it pretty and puffy!

I wrapped it up for its new home!

Sharing here: Winthrop Chronicles, Homemade Ginger, Ginger Snap Craft, Lil Luna, DIY Dreamer, Love and Laundry, One Artsy Mama, See Vanessa Craft, Craftomaniac,

Buttoned Up Letter

2012-11-29T05:34:00.000-08:00

While I was in Washington I decided that I wanted to make something I had seen on Pinterest... A button letter. I've seen lots of different variations of the letter art so I made my own version.

Isn't it adorable? It would make such a cute Christmas present, too! And trust me, it's super easy to make. I bought the letter and all those buttons from Joann's.

Here it is before she got a makeover:

Then I painted it pink..

And then we used Aileen's Tacky Glue and painted small sections at a time and then put buttons down on top of the glue. That glue is strong! It held those buttons on really good. And the end result?

Love. The button letter isn't bad, either :)

Sharing here: See Vanessa Craft, Nap Time Crafters, Love & Laundry, Tatertots & Jello,

Family Rules Sign + A Giveaway!

2012-11-27T06:56:00.001-08:00

Christmas is right around the corner! I'm excited to show you a couple of gift ideas in the upcoming weeks.

First though, I wanted to show you something I made for ME! I was thrilled when Andrea from Signs by Andrea contacted me and asked if I wanted a Family Sign printable. I was like, YES! Are you kidding me? They're adorable!

Her website is so super easy to navigate and you get to personalize your own set of family rules. She has different fonts and styles and colors. It was a really fun experience creating my own customized set of rules for my family.

She sent me the JPEG/PDF file and I just went to Office Max and had it printed for $0.70. Then I painted a board I found at Wal-Mart for $5 and Mod Podged the sign onto the board.

Want your own set of family rules? Or to make one for someone for Christmas? How awesome would that be??

GIVEAWAY: Free Custom Family Rules Download ($9 value)

TO ENTER: Go to the Custom Family Rules Artwork builder and build your own custom family rules. Comment here telling which design is your favorite. Bonus entries for pinning or sharing your own custom Family Rules design once you build it! Leave a separate comment telling me if you pinned it!

Good luck and happy crafting!

Sharing here: Winthrop Chronicles, Homemade Ginger, Lil Luna, Ginger Snap Crafts, DIY Dreamer, See Vanessa Craft, Nap Time Crafters, Love & Laundry, Tatertots & Jello,

Pumpkin Birthday Party

2012-11-16T05:58:00.001-08:00

Ok, so I know I did a Christmas post already but I'd like to refocus back on Fall.

My good friend's baby girl just turned 1 and in true crafty style, she make the party so cute! The theme was Pumpkin and her Lil Pumpkin was so adorable throughout the party.

My friend is also a professional photographer, so I had to steal her pictures of the party. Here's the present table, super cute banner, and the number 1 done in photos:

And then the food...oh, the delicious food...

My favorite were some pumpkin cheesecake bites. Oh my yummy. Ashley included links to some of the treats she made and I'll include them also:

- Peanut Butter Pumpkins

- Oreo Truffles

- Pumpkin Muffins

- Pumpkin Cheese Ball

- Pumpkin Dip

And, of course, there's the birthday girl opening presents and eating her pumpkin birthday cake!

Happy Birthday to this sweet lil Pumpkin!

Sharing here: See Vanessa Craft, Tatertots & Jello,

Christmas Scallop Wreath

2012-11-13T11:39:00.005-08:00

Does it seem like I've fallen off the planet to you? I kind of have! Sorry!!

A while ago I participated in Package Pals over at C.R.A.F.T. I just so happened to paired up with Marissa at Rae Gun Ramblings... someone I just happened to be blog stalking for a while! She also helped me with the Grow Your Blog series.

Anyway, she told me she needed more holiday decor so I decided to help her out with that:

I love how the scallops turned out! They add a lot of texture. Here's all I did:

Grabbed my supplies:

- Felt

- Wreath

- Scissors

- Glue gun

I totally made up my own stencil for the scallops. No one will notice :)

Cut out a million scallops. I would cut out an 11-inch long scallop piece and then cut it in half. It was a perfect length.

Then I wrapped the scallops around the wreath and hot glued them in the back. You just have to keep layering them around. To add a little pop I added a bow!

Sharing here: Lil Luna, Ginger Snap Crafts, Rae Gun Ramblings, DIY Dreamer, 36th Ave, Seven Alive, 52 Mantels, One Artsy Mama, Whipperberry, See Vanessa Craft, Tatertots & Jello,

Destination: Cutesy Monday (#38)

2012-11-04T17:20:00.001-08:00

Hello friends!!

Okay, all the Christmas projects I've been seeing are FREAKING me out! Is it really that close to Christmas?! I better get my rear in gear.

I need to plan out all the gifts I'm planning on making. Oye.

Luckily every week I get to see some awesome inspirations from YOU!!

But before we get to that, I have the winners from the hillmade Button Earring giveaway!

The 3 winners are

- Julie

- Stephanie Maertens

- Sarah

CONGRATS!!!

(I'll be sending you an email!)

Now, onto the link party and features!

1. Autumn Gift Wrapping by Meeha Meeha

2. Creepy Crawly Brownie Pizzas by Inside BruCrew Life

3. Fall Banners and Garland by Creatively Living

4. Debt Proof Your Holidays by Erin Branscom

5. Polkadot & Chevron Halloween Party by VixenMade

6. Paper Doll Downloads by Maddalee Oh So Pretty

Let's see what you've been up to!

Car Seat Canopy (Baby Boy edition)

2012-11-02T12:56:00.003-07:00

Oh my goodness, well, that holiday is behind us! I love dressing my kids up for Halloween but I HATE the pounds and pounds of candy they get (and subsequently the pounds and pounds I pack on because of it).

Anyone have ideas I could do with ALL this candy?!

Anyway, now I can start posting about things other than Halloween. In a week or two it'll be all about Thanksgiving.

*****

But for today, I wanted to show you one of the baby shower presents I made recently.

I had been looking for a good car seat canopy tutorial and after a lot of searching, I found THIS awesome tutorial. The instructions are super clear and it took no time at all.

I put Minky on the underside of the canopy. Who wouldn't want to be surrounded by such soft fabric! I got all my materials and buttons from Joann's.

I had also seem lots of different ideas for the fastener part of the canopy but since my friend is having a boy, I thought some cute buttons would be the best idea. And they turned out so adorable! I hope she loves it!

Sharing here: Tatertots & Jello,

Costumes of Halloween Past

2012-10-31T06:42:00.003-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

I was going to post a crafty item on here today but then realized I should just go with the holiday spirit. So instead I'm going to show you a glimpse into our Halloween past.

(I couldn't find any pictures of my hubby & I pre-pregnancy.)

Check it out:

2008: 50's couple. I was 4 months pregnant with my 1st baby.

2009: Our son's first Halloween! Since our last name is Pepper, we thought this costume was appropriate. I'm supposed to be a Mexican senorita and my hubby is a cowboy:

2010: I was pregnant with our 2nd baby here. Our little Superman!

2011: Our daughter's first Halloween! She's a ballerina & my son is Larry Boy:

2012...Woody & Jessie!:

Be safe tonight if you're going Trick-or-Treating and if not enjoy your time with your loved ones!!

Sharing here: Southern Lovely, Rae Gun Ramblings, DIY Dreamer,

Destination: Cutesy Monday (#37) & A Giveaway!!

2012-10-28T18:13:00.000-07:00

Hello!!

Are ready for Halloween night?!

I'm so ready to take my little kiddos out. It's just too fun. In honor of Halloween week I have 2 surprises:

1. A GIVEAWAY!!! Renae from hillmade is giving 3 Destination: Craft readers a pair of earrings from her Etsy shop!

Here's a small sample of the earrings she has:

Aren't they super cute?!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

2. I'm doing a Halloween edition of the features! If you can't do any of these ideas for this year, pin them for the future!

1. A Witch in the Fireplace by Crafty in Crosby

2. Halloween Paper Cartons & Bottles by Alderberry Hill

3. DIY Cat Ear Headband by Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom

4. Minnie Mouse Miracle by Sew Fantastic

5. DIY Dino Hoodie by See Vanessa Craft

6. Little Red Riding Hood by Bless My Nest

Let's see what you've been up to!