The Elephant of Surprise

Mark Your Calendar!

noreply@blogger.com (The Elephant of Surprise) — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

I have a few things lined up this summer that I'm really excited about. The first one is coming up in just a couple weeks, and you're going to love it!

My talented friend, Sara over at Confetti Sunshine has planned an AMAZING party hop, and she was kind enough to invite me to be a part of it. What's a party hop, you ask? Here's the nitty gritty: 14 bloggers individually created a project--a party favor, decoration, or treat--all centered around the theme, Star Gazing (awesome, right?). We sent our finished projects to Sara who is (probably at this very moment) staging a beautiful party for you all to see!

The party goes live June 3 and lasts all week. You can catch every bit of the party here (as well as on the other 13 blogs), but in order to get the tutorials for each project you see, you'll have to check out the blog of the person who made it. I hope this all makes sense! It's going to be a blast! I'd love to tell you about my project, but I want you to be surprised. In the meantime, check out the EXTREMELY talented other bloggers who are participating, and get even more excited!

Confetti Sunshine

Love The Day

Creative Juice

Shiny Happy Sprinkles

See Vanessa Craft

Kate Landers Events

Assemble Shop & Studio

Rainy Day Fishing

noreply@blogger.com (The Elephant of Surprise) — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

We've been experiencing some spring rain around these parts. I don't mind it a single bit, except that my little ones are kind of already in outdoor mode. Our neighborhood walks and backyard play times are officially back into the daily routine. When it rains, we need something to fill those slots in the lineup.

I made this fishing set for my oldest little babe on a whim one day, and it is the perfect little activity to break up the play time norm. I keep it stored out of sight, so he kind of forgets about it, and thus gets excited when I bring it out on rare occasion.

I don't have tutorial pics, but it was the easiest project on the planet. You know those foam sheets they sell at the craft store in a myriad of colors for, like, 40 cents a piece? Pick up a bunch of those, a couple wooden dowels, some paper clips, round magnets, string, and hot glue, and you're half way there.

Cut fish shapes out of the foam sheets and stick a paper clip through each (or safety pin, or whatever metal doodad you have that would work). Say you want to go above and beyond, and want to make this educational. Use a sharpie to write numbers on each fish. Now you can ask your child the color and number of each fish caught. You can have them line up their fish numerically. To each numbered fish, you can assign prizes, or tasks to complete, or songs to sing. What an over-achiever you are!

For the fishing pole, cut a piece of string to the desired length. Hot glue one end of the string to the end of your dowel, and hot glue the other end to your magnet. If you try and get fancy with thumb tacks or something you will regret it. Stick with the hot glue. We have a sunken family room, and so my son likes to fish from above, on the other side of the railing. You know, it gives that legit dock feeling.

My personal favorite part of the whole fishing set (and the least important, that my son could care less about) is the little draw string bag I store all the fishies in. This will take a little longer to explain, so maybe one of these days I'll whip up a tutorial for them. In the mean time, there are dozens of how-tos on Pinterest. Just search, "fabric drawstring bags." They are super easy.

Do you have a go-to rainy day activity? I'd love to hear about it!

All Photos by Leslie Leavitt Photography

13.1

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

On May 4th I completed my second ever half marathon! I made a goal after my first son was born to run a half marathon before each of my babies' 1st birthday. So far, I am 2 for 2! To commemorate another 13.1 miles down, I thought I would compile a little list-- 13 THINGS EVERY HALF MARATHONER SHOULD DO from my race and training. To go along with the list are some epic/cringeworthy photos from race day--courtesy of my supportive and talented friend, Suzy Holman.

At my expense, enjoy.

1. Bust out your very best running form as you cross the finish line. This is where the most pictures are taken, so you definitely don't want to look stupid.

2. Have a victory song playing on your ipod.

3. Group hug.

4. Strut your stuff. You just ran 13.1 freaking miles.

5. High-five your babies. Nothing better THE ENTIRE day than seeing those sweet faces on the side lines cheering you on.

6. Have no shame in taking each and every treat they hand out at the finish line. You just burned about a bajillion calories, right?

7. Wear neon team uniforms.

8. Capture the details.

9. Share the joy (and treats) with your fans. I LOVE these people and couldn't have run a single step without them.

10. Find the world's greatest group of bffs in dental school to motivate you to sign up, train in the pouring rain, wake up at 4:30 on race day, and make it to the finish line.

11. Wear matching headbands.

12. Have another AMAZING friend who is also an amazing photographer surprise you all at the finish line.

13. Celebrate together. One of my favorite things about race day is running alongside so many different people. The ones you knew before, and the strangers alike all feel like friends. There's such a great energy around when so many people are working to achieve a goal. As you're running, think about all the obstacles people may have had to overcome to be there that day. Think about how hard you've worked. Think about what a wonderful gift your body is.

All Photos by Simply Suzy Photography

Button, Button, Who's Got the Button?

noreply@blogger.com (The Elephant of Surprise) — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

I have a button now! Neat. See it over there in the sidebar and take one if you'd like.

I'm definitely not the techiest lady on the planet, so I have to do a little subtle fist-pumping when something like this goes my way. If you need a good tutorial on creating a little button for your blog, I HIGHLY recommend this one. This Code it Pretty lady has smarts and style to boot.

Grant's Room

noreply@blogger.com (The Elephant of Surprise) — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

There are a few funny things I've realized about myself and getting my rooms photographed. One, I never can quite claim the room is "complete." And two, even after all the work and projects I have completed, I step back and it still feels so EMPTY. So what I'm saying is, if you feel like you are seeing the same three things over and over again in these pictures, fear not that you are going crazy. That's all there is to see here!

I love me a good collage wall. For this one I give credit to my sister and the sea. I think the mix of frames, and the mix of photos and objects strikes a nice balance.

Since we have a play room where most of the toys are kept, all that's really left to the bedrooms besides beds, are books. Seriously. I even took the dresser out because I found it being used as a prop during nap-time adventures. I'm lucky I got it out before my crazy kid got squashed flat as a pancake. Now all his clothes are hung or in a small, lightweight cubby unit inside the closet. Anyway, it's just books now, and we store them in these rain gutter book shelves.

Gotta love a handmade mobile. Click here for instructions on how this one was made.

Back to the other corner of the room.

Although there isn't much substance to this room (less to make a mess with, right?), I wanted their to be plenty for my son to look at. In the corner above his bed there is a little hanging seagull (a once colorful, cardboard one I just painted white), and some vinyl cutouts I made on my Cricut. I honestly don't think the silhouette bird shape would be hard to mimic by hand, though.

Maybe my favorite thing in the whole room (we'll call it the crown jewel), is the headboard. It was so simple to make that it makes me love it that much more. When we moved into this house, there was a dilapidated little wood shed in the backyard we tore down immediately. But rest assured its spirit lives on in the form of many, many projects in my home. I LOVE reclaimed wood.

To make it, I painted the boards with watered down paint. A little sanding here and a little sanding there. My husband then sawed the boards to my annoyingly specified lengths (it takes work to achieve that truly random look, as you know.) He then drilled them onto two 2x4s that run perpendicular--just like a fence. AND . . . it was finished. We stuck that little beachy fence behind my son's IKEA toddler bed, and wedged between it and the wall it doesn't budge a bit.

The orange and brown striped pillow I made (for his nursery long ago) by using iron on adhesive on the back of satin ribbon and ironing it on the pillow case. The pretty blue one I bought at IKEA. The quilt was his baby quilt made by my mother-in-law.

And there you have the sparse, but beachy toddler room. Surf's up!

All Photos by Leslie Leavitt Photography

Mother's Day Silhouette Gift Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

I am slightly obsessed with silhouettes lately. And I'm even slightly more obsessed with my wee babes. Within the past few months their sweet little profiles have appeared all over my house, my neck, and in gifts to their grandparents (who are the only others who may rival my obsession with these cute boys).

I thought I'd share these projects with you as a little Mother's Day gift inspiration. I realize this is a little late coming, but keep in mind these projects are super simple, and really fast. Or you can just tuck these ideas away for another day.

Before I talk about the individual projects, let me talk about actually creating the silhouette image. There are great professional resources for creating these images, but I like FREE, so I made mine myself. Here's how:

1. I sat my sons sideways in front of a white curtain where lots of light was shining through and took their picture on my camera with NO flash.

2. The image was already pretty defined and dark, but with a "contrast" setting on my camera phone, I increased the contrast between my son's face and the white curtain. Since every phone is different you will have to play around with this part.

3. I uploaded the photo to Microsoft Word and used the image contrast feature there to make it totally solid black and white. I cropped it so only the head and bust remained, and copied and pasted it multiple times on the document in various sizes. Now I have a bunch of templates in various sizes to use for a myriad of projects.

After creating my silhouette images, I basically copied this tutorial for the pendants. I love how mine turned out and wear this necklace ALL the time.

These framed images were my first project. I cut out a printed silhouette from Microsoft Word in the exact size I wanted. I traced it onto black paper, and cut again. Then I made the mats from scrapbook paper, glued the silhouettes on, and framed them.

A few months later I took my oldest son's framed silhouette down, removed it, traced it onto fabric, and then filled it in with black paint. Then I sewed that little painted piece of fabric right onto a little pillow for his little chair. He was so excited about "sitting on his face."

If you have kids, think how much your mother or mother-in-law would love a little silhouette of her grandbabies. They look so cute all framed together. Or if you're thinking you'd like your own necklace this Mother's Day, send a link to this post over to your husband. I'm sure there's nothing in the world he'd love better than to make this!

Thanks for reading.

photos by Leslie Leavitt Photography

Mother's Day Cards

noreply@blogger.com (The Elephant of Surprise) — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Happy Monday! I had such a wonderful weekend--the highlight being my half marathon, which I will cover later in the week. I hope you enjoyed your weekend, too. We are in the final days before Mother's Day, and I am scrambling (as usual) to get my Mother's Day project completed. If you are in the same procrastinators boat as me, you may find today's post useful. I asked my sweet sister-in-law to help me out with this one.

Lauren LOVES to make cards. She always makes a special one for each family member on their birthday or special day. Today she is going to show us how to whip up a couple cute Mother's Day cards. Take it away, Lauren!

Home Is Where Your Mom Is

I found this saying on pinterest and thought it perfect for my own mother who has recently moved into a home. Although it's beautiful, I have often complained that it wasn't "home" because I didn't grow up there or what not. Anyway, home is so much more than that and I wanted to use the saying as a basis for a card.

I started with color choices - I'm on a gray/turquoise kick right now and wanted a little splash of bright color. I chose yellow because it looked good and my parent's new house has a yellow door.

I chose a base layer paper and paper colors for the "house".

I sewed on a yellow ribbon with a sewing machine, but you can do it by hand too.

Place the house paper where you want it and glue. Then lay out the letters. You could do anything with the fonts - stickers, print, cut outs or manually. I used stickers for "home" and "mom" and did free-hand cursive.

#1 Mom Card

I always start with an envelope. I pick the size and color first. Then I make my card from card stock and a simple measurement so it fits the envelope.

For this card, it's all about layers.

I have one base layer, a strip of brown cut to look like a banner, and a strip of grey below. I wanted to keep the background colors simple so that the blue ribbon would stand out.

To make the ribbon, take a small piece of paper in a rectangular shape and scored it. Then you'll fold it into an accordion style piece of paper, pinch in the center and make the sides meet each other. When gluing the sides together, you'll have to hold it for a minute while it dries.

I glued the ribbon strips down first (after all the paper was attached to the card) and then placed the accordion "ribbon" on top. Then I topped it with a small circle that reads "#1 Mom"

So, so, simple and could be used for any occasion really (father's day, graduation, birthday etc)

Thanks, Lauren!! These are so fun and cute. If you want to see more of Lauren's cute cards, she posts pictures on her blog. Please go take a peak!

Sneak Peak: Grant's Room

noreply@blogger.com (The Elephant of Surprise) — Fri, 03 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

This is a picture of a bunch of pictures. And my sister took them all. (okay, minus the one with the van--I will have to search for that source.) This fun gallery is in my little guy's beachy room, and I LOVE it. My sister took these photos while her husband was doing summer sales in Hawaii and they were living there (sounds rough, doesn't it?). Do you have fun or meaningful photos you could use as art in your home? It's one of my favorite things to do.

Tune in next week for photos of the rest of the room, and a recap of my HALF MARATHON which I run with my girls tomorrow!! Whoop, whoop.

Photo by Leslie Leavitt Photography

Our Little Nursery

noreply@blogger.com (The Elephant of Surprise) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 13:00:00 +0000

I hope to share more photos of our home in the coming weeks and months, but today I thought I'd start with our little nursery. I loved prepping this space for my baby, little by little as we awaited his arrival. I love the bold colors in here, and I love that so much of it is handmade.

The changing table was a black roll-top desk in its past life--a garage sale find we bought for five bucks! My husband and I did this little makeover on it. We cut the rails that the top once rolled on as well as some cottage-y looking molding, and added a couple shelves in the open space where your desk chair would go. We painted it bright green and I LOVE it! I made the changing pad cover and basket liner from a body pillow case from Target. The curtains--now two panels--were made from a shower curtain, also from Target. You can get so much material for your money when you repurpose this way.

My little shadowboxes were a pinterest-inspired project. I love that these keepsakes from my boys' newborn days are preserved where I can see them everyday. Even though my older son is in a different room, I think these displays are a fun way to give this room a true nursery vibe.

That minky quilt is soooo cozy. It's the first quilt I've ever made! Don't ask me to do it again though, because I sewed every stitch under the complete supervision and instruction of a sweet friend. I probably couldn't do it again without her!

The beautiful quilt in the crib was made by my talented mother-in-law.

The octopus wall art is a little funky, but I had this old Van Gogh "Starry Night" print from the thrift store hanging around the house, and it needed to be put to good use. I cut the octopus body and legs out of vinyl (free handed--not using the cricut or anything) and stuck it right on the canvas. Then I rolled over it with white paint and removed the vinyl promptly. SO Easy!

I am a huge fan of mobiles. I think everyone should have a mobile hanging over their bed. I don't, but the more I think on the subject, the more I'm convinced that it would be so therapeutic. That all being said--I am pretty picky about their appearance. I didn't want anything mass-produced or store bought, but buying a fancy handmade one online somewhere can cost a fortune. Some fabric strips tied to a cross-stitch hoop did the trick for pennies.

I know babies don't really care what their room looks like, as long as they are safe and loved, but for me this is one tangible expression of my love besides nursing and diaper changes. I love having a cozy space to rock, sing, and read together. The details symbolize to me how special and anticipated the arrival of a new baby is. Thanks for reading and peeking in on this little room!

all photos by Leslie Leavitt Photography

Gift Wrap Baby Shower Decor

noreply@blogger.com (The Elephant of Surprise) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:00:00 +0000

I love Target. The other day I got this cute roll of wrapping paper there for only a couple bucks on sale. I had no plans for it, but it was cute and cheap. When I brought it home and went to put it away, I realized that I had the tissue paper from the same line. I had forgotten I had used it for my kids' Easter baskets. I sat there and stared at these cute colors and prints and wondered what I might do with them (besides the obvious, wrap and give a gift). Then I started pulling other matching craft supplies from my stash so I could make a cute little pile of inspiration. Then lo and behold, I found the MATCHING GIFT BAG! NO LIE! Someone had given it to me last summer when my baby was born. So, there I had myself a little complete set of baby wrapping supplies. And I got to thinking, "Don't you ever wish you could transfer all the cuteness of your wrapping paper/tissue/bags into something that won't just get scrunched up and thrown away?"

And of course, you know you can! So, I threw together a few baby shower ideas with these here little wrapping items.

I used the wrapping paper to line the back of a book shelf. If you don't have a piece of furniture this would work on, go ahead and place the paper right on your table or serving area.

I used the tissue paper to make this tassel garland. I won't go into the details because there are loads of tutorials online for these. Like this. And that gift bag? I just stuck it right in a picture frame. It fit perfectly. Then I searched my stash for another one that matched and did the same.

The giraffe art I had leftover from my first baby's nursery. I made an elephant one to match. I used scrapbook paper for these, but wrapping paper would have worked just as well. For the silhouette, you can just google 'free animal silhouette', print, trace onto the colored paper of your choice, and cut.

Easy. What do you think?

Sneak Peak: Gift Wrap Baby Shower Decor

noreply@blogger.com (The Elephant of Surprise) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Tomorrow, these cute gift wrap supplies will get up-cycled to baby shower decorations. Don't miss it!

Thrifted Photo Board

noreply@blogger.com (The Elephant of Surprise) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Since my husband is a dental student and I'm a stay-at-home-mom, our decor budget is pretty much zilch (adj. zero; amounting to nothing; nil). But no worries-- we're having the time of our lives, and turning nothing into something has actually become one of my favorite hobbies.

So, enter one of my latest thrift-store finds:

Now maybe somebody out there knows something I don't about this car (it was in the "collectibles" section of the store). But for 5 bucks, I beg your pardon little vintage vehicle, I have no problem karate kicking you right out of that sturdy, huge, red frame for my decorating purposes. As my almost 3-year-old stated, "Mommy, that's a crazy jeep. It has 3 wheels." Well, I guess that made it unanimous.

Out went the old car, and in went some chicken wire. I have been wanting a big photo board for this particular wall, and now I have one! The frame is about 1x2 feet--perfect size for the wall, and it will fit lots of pictures of my little sweet cheeks.

Also, it already matched my kitchen (though I am still debating painting it white . . .), and it was just banged up enough to look at home in my house.

And here are a couple of my other thrift-store finds from that trip:

You can't tell from this picture, but those mason jars are LARGE. I colored them blue the very next day. And that pitcher! That was my favorite $2 of the trip. My favorite. Back story on the daffodil plate: So, right beneath that shelf is where my baby's high chair lives. He can't reach it when he is in the chair, but a few days back when I was putting him in, he grabbed my hair at just the right moment so I couldn't see or move and he swiped the old plate right to the ground. He executed that like he had been planning it for days. Well as it turns out, this little fifty cent, daffodil plate is actually even more perfect for this spot than the original. One of the photos displayed on that wall is of daffodils! Take that, baby.

Thanks for looking at my little post about my little treasures. Check back in a few days for full coverage on my babe's nursery.

Backyard Dreams

noreply@blogger.com (The Elephant of Surprise) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 13:00:00 +0000

This weekend my husband pulled out the lawnmower for the first time this season. Daffodils and tulips are popping up around the neighborhood. And even though it was preeeettty chilly, we went for a walk tonight around the block. I LOVE seeing the first leaves and blossoms on the trees. I look forward to seeing these signs of life for weeks. And once I see them I start dreaming of outdoor living.

I dream of backyard parties that basically look exactly like this . . .

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and sitting by a bonfire after the kids are asleep . . .

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Pushing my baby in a swing . . .

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Building this for my boys!

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I. Can't. Wait.

The Birth of a Baby, and the Rebirth of a Blog

noreply@blogger.com (The Elephant of Surprise) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:30:00 +0000

So as it turns out, I am not much of a multi-tasker. Oh, I dream of being showered and dressed with breakfast on the table before the rest of the house is up. I dream of my kids playing quietly and independently--doing some well-thought out and meaningful activity while I fold laundry. And I dream of a two hour block of time during the afternoon during which both children are snuggled in their beds quietly napping while I blog or craft away. Alas, my dreams elude me. I sincerely hope that it doesn't take me another 9 months to pull together a blog post because I truly have so much to share! I have had lots of quiet, late hours to mull over the direction of this little blog. And even though that independent, quiet, meaningful play time is rare, I have managed to complete a few creative projects here and there. Please stick around as my blog comes back to life. Here's a tiny peak at what I've been doing the last few months.

My husband and I re purposed this desk to be used as a changing table when I was still expecting. My sister @leslieleavittphotography.com took this and many other awesome photos of my house. Stay tuned for more of the nursery and a few other rooms in the coming weeks.

And let us not forget the ongoing project of raising up a wee babe into a precious now-9 month-old. Sheesh the time flies.

{Gift Idea} Berry Baskets+Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (The Elephant of Surprise) — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

I have been in love with these berry baskets from the moment I saw them. I got these from Bake it Pretty with no purpose beforehand--they are just adorable, aren't they? Of course you could fill them with your basic berry, but I thought I'd search for a little creative pairing that still went with the whole berry theme.

I found this DELICIOUS recipe for Strawberry Shortcake Cookies from Martha Stewart, and if you head over to the site now you will see it officially proclaimed "Strawberry Season." Yesss. Don't you just think these little cookies make the baskets even cuter??

Pick up some berry baskets, add your cookies and a little ribbon, and go wish your neighbors a happy strawberry season.

Happy Mother's Day!

noreply@blogger.com (The Elephant of Surprise) — Sun, 13 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

I'm so thankful for my wonderful mother, all the other mothers in my life, and my GREATEST blessing-- to be a mother.

{Sneak Peak} Grant's Room

noreply@blogger.com (The Elephant of Surprise) — Fri, 11 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

The beachy, big-boy room is starting to come together.

Stay tuned next week for the final reveal (I hope!).

{Gift Idea} MTC Survival Kit

noreply@blogger.com (The Elephant of Surprise) — Wed, 09 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Two of my siblings are on missions for our church right now. Even though I was a missionary also, and know what an AMAZING experience they are having and how important the work they're doing is, I can't help but miss them like crazy.

If you have any soon-to-be missionaries in your life, may I suggest a gift option?? An MTC Survival Kit--filled with study items like flash cards, pencils, highlighters, and treats, obviously. Of course, you could think of a million reasons for a survival kit and customize yours for the occasion--New Mom Survival Kit, Wedding or Honeymoon Survival Kit for a bride, Teacher Survival Kit, College Survival Kit for a freshman leaving home for the first time. Do you need more ideas? I can keep going.

The one pictured here is the one I gave my sister--just in case you didn't know that "hermana" means sister, or that pink and ribbons are usually for girls. I cut out the big letters with my Cricut, as well as the scallop shapes, and used stickers for the little letters. I mod podged it all on to a tin lunch box I purchased at the local craft store, and tied ribbons and a tag to the handle.

So proud of my Kayla and Maxi! Thanks for reading!

Teacher

noreply@blogger.com (The Elephant of Surprise) — Sun, 06 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week. And if you didn't know that before, you'll probably have a bajillion blogs to remind you with their cute ideas and projects to honor teachers. I have to admit, I haven't done any of those projects yet, but I sure have been doing a lot of teacher appreciating lately. I've especially been appreciating the teachers who helped me become a teacher. (Because did you know that I was one once? Yeah, for a whole entire, single year before my son was born.)

This was my classroom--half torn down after the school year ended. Notice my baby's car seat?

During my teaching program in college, I would sometimes (lots of times) walk from class to class on campus and wonder what the heck I was doing. It took a lot of praying and pondering to finally arrive at that choice of profession, but I definitely wasn't the most talented, I didn't know the subject matter as much as many of the other students, and I didn't feel as enthusiastic about it as other students seemed to. But somehow, in the classes of my FAVORITE professors, that feeling was so different, and like magic I felt like the best student in the whole class (I'm sure everyone felt that way). Somehow, in their classes, I felt like I was MADE to be a teacher. I felt smarter, more talented, more confident, more excited. In my mind, my best teachers were the ones who made me feel like the best student. I'm so grateful for these few, specific, GREAT teachers--these were the teachers I tried to copy and be like when I had my own students.

I LOVED being a teacher. It was so hard every single day I did it, but I saw the faces of those squirmy little 8th graders every night in my mind when I was planning for the next day. I would think about them the whole drive to school in the morning, and about how I could make 8th grade English change their lives. I loved those students even though they made me crazy, and made me think true evil at times. They made me laugh, and taught me patience, and creativity, and patience. And, I wasn't always the most patient teacher, so they tried to teach me patience. It was such a great adventure, and I knew I was going to miss it when my Granty was born and I would leave it for a time. But you know, sometimes I miss it more than I thought. I think I have my GREAT teachers to thank in part for that.

I'm so grateful that I still have the opportunity to be a teacher every day. I knew that I wanted to be his main teacher--even if that meant dramatically decreasing my class size. It's so hard every single day that I do it, but I know it's a privilege to watch him learn and grow. At SNAP, one of my favorite presenters, Brittany aka Pretty Handy Girl said something that I absolutely loved. The class was about power tools, but of all the things to stick out in my mind, I most remember what she said about teaching her sons. She simply said she wanted to teach her kids everything she knew how to do. How to use power tools, how to cook, how to clean, everything.

Don't you think to be taught and to get to teach is one of life's greatest exchanges? I'm so thankful for my GREAT teachers, and for all of my little teaching moments.

Somebody had to teach Grant how to eat a donut from a string, and I'm so glad it was me.

Bubble Garlands

noreply@blogger.com (The Elephant of Surprise) — Fri, 04 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

We just celebrated my nephew's 1st birthday last weekend, and my sister did a FABULOUS job on her little guy's party. It was an Under the Sea theme and there were just so many adorable details you you need to head over to her photography site to check some of them out. Of course, the birthday boy was the cutest thing about the party by a long shot, but I tried to help my sister out where I could. She asked me to whip up a few garlands for the party, so I thought I'd share a little how-to. These look like bubbles because of the colors we used, but they would work for any party if you changed the colors.

1. Use different sized circle punches, your Cricut, Silhouette, or just trace different sized circle objects and cut them out. Use as many colors as you like, and as many sizes. I think the variety really makes it.

2. Once you have a stack of circles, lay them out to the desired length on the floor. I just order them randomly--but of course adjust if I don't like what I'm seeing. Once I get them all laid out, I stack them up in order and take them to my sewing machine.

3. This is not a very good picture, but you are smart people and can figure this out. You just feed the circles one by one as you sew a straight line down the middle. I leave a little thread at each end so you can hang them easily. You can use clear thread, but sometimes I find that a little hard to work with, so I've just been using regular white.

I used the same garland in different colors for my baby's first birthday, but draped them horizontally. They can be hung horizontal or vertical, you can make them any length, and make as many as you want. So versatile and easy. Gotta love that.

Growing Up

noreply@blogger.com (The Elephant of Surprise) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:00:00 +0000

I can't believe my baby is going to be a big brother.

We honestly haven't made many preparations for baby Error #2, but now that I've gotten some energy back I am feeling the nesting bug bite. However, all nursery work is postponed until a little construction project is completed in the designated room. So, what is an expectant mother with creative needs to do?! Why not get working on big brother's room? I have been itching to "de-nurserify" Grant's room for a while, but as I've been making plans in my head my heart hurts to let go of his babyhood. Here's what his room looked like when we brought him home from the hospital (two apartments ago).

And here's my little sweetheart the day we moved from that apartment, and he from his first little nursery.

To be practical and save myself a little heartache, I'm going to recycle a lot of the original elements--just "grow them up" a little. Stay tuned for updates on Granty's big boy beachy room. Already underway! Sheesh they grow up so fast.

SNAP! Recap

noreply@blogger.com (The Elephant of Surprise) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Oh, where to begin! SNAP exceeded all expectations. I was honestly a little nervous about it beforehand because I feel so new and inexperienced, PLUS I had just come home from a dental conference and felt so sad to spend more time away from my lil guy, BUT it was SO worth the sacrifice. I never felt like I didn't belong there, I learned so much from the classes, and I was inspired beyond belief by the creative vibes everyone brought!! Sheesh, seriously. I've never been around so many creative people in my entire life! I came home every night with PRIDE to be a crafter. Yes, you read that right.

On Thursday I checked in to the conference at Thanksgiving Point, and got a SA-WEET sponsor goody bag. I tried to be cool about it and not act like I've never gotten anything for free before, but I kinda freaked when I saw this LOOT. Justifiable, right?

I will try and post about the contents as I use each product. SO much fun stuff. And of course, all the awesome business cards I collected over the weekend are pictured in front of the pile. It was so great to connect in real life with bloggers I've known about, and discover the talents of so many new ones.

I attended lots of great classes and could go on and on about what I learned and how many cool, crafty ladies out there blog, but I would be here forever.

"Blogging Basics" taught by Amy from Mod Podge Rocks, Cheri from I am Momma Hear me Roar, Cindy from Skip to My Lou, and Kari from U Create.

"Discovering and Defining your Style" taught by Ana White, Emily from Decor Chick, Kate from Centsational Girl, and Shelley from The House of Smiths.

Besides these and the other awesome classes, SNAP abounded in good food, good friends, and beautiful sights.

The top picture is from the main venue we all got together at for dinner and a program each night. Bottom left- super impressive SNAP themed cake by Ashlee at I'm Topsy Turvy, and the bottom right was the business card--I repeat-- business card of Ashleigh and Kathryn at Bee in Our Bonnet, made especially for the conference. Impressive stuff.

Got to hang out lots with my buddy Brittany and help her prep Bake it Pretty for the AMAZING Queen Bee Market. It was hard not to go crazy with all the adorable handmade items being sold.

Ahhhh . . . It was such a beautiful weekend at Thanksgiving Point, too. On Saturday evening my husband and son went with me to the Tulip Festival before I left for the final dinner and program.

Can you even believe this picture? Taken with my phone, no less. Incredible.

If you haven't noticed, I had such a blast at SNAP! Thank you to the entire team who put it together and to all who participated. I also have to give a huge shout out to my husband who was so supportive of me being gone two weekends in a row. He took so much time out of his busy dental school schedule to take care of our little Grant and never let on if he was stressed. I enjoyed my little retreat so much, and it wouldn't have been possible without him. He even pretended to be interested in all my bloggy/crafty ramblings each night. What a guy.

Yay for SNAP! Can't wait till next year!

Party Time!

noreply@blogger.com (The Elephant of Surprise) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 20:38:00 +0000

I am SO EXCITED for SNAP this weekend! I know I have been the worst blogger ever and probably have no business going to this amazing conference where some of the best and my favorite creative bloggers will be cavorting, but I'm going anyway, so there you go. I'm hoping to come back with some renewed blogging energy and fresh inspiration. In addition to some new creative friends, of course.

So . . . if you're going to SNAP, please let me know--I want to meet you! And if you're not registered to attend but are in the SLC area, please come and check out The Queen Bee Market. I am trying to recruit as many friends to accompany me to this as shopping buddies (or restraint so I don't go too crazy??).

Speaking of friends--my dental-wife buddy, Jordan and I have been planning a craft day forever now with these little party items as our project. I made these a couple weeks ago, and Jordan's going to make her own set now. I LOVE how they turned out. If you want to make your own present set check out The Wood Connection for the pre-cut wood blocks.

I LOVE the idea of having a go to birthday decor set you can just pull out when you want to celebrate, but maybe aren't going to have a real theme party. I want to make a birthday banner to match, and then I have this little set I can pull out for birthday dinners at home or an impromptu party for a friend. Can't wait to see how Jordan's turn out!!

More "Special Delivery" Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (The Elephant of Surprise) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:34:00 +0000

When I think about a "Special Delivery" baby shower with a postal theme, I think of craft paper (paper bag) accents everywhere. Craft paper envelopes, little brown packages--and if for a girl (which ALL my friends are expecting), accented with different hues of pink, as well as black and white. If for a boy, the pinks could easily be swapped out for blues, turquoise, etc. Here are some little color swatches to help you see my vision.

I also see lots of cute accordion flowers appearing in bouquets, in banners, etc. Love this one from Lil' Luna.

And THIS! This combo of pennant banners, and accordion flowers, and craft paper, and book pages, and pink--well this is like straight from my dreams. Better than I could have dreamed actually. Can't you just see this stuff mixed in with cute envelopes everywhere and mailboxes?? Major props to The Crafting Chicks for this adorable decor.

Of course, what would a "Special Delivery" theme be without brown paper packages tied up with string? Wouldn't these make the cutest favors? This adorable picture is from here.

And lastly-- mailboxes! I'd love some cool rustic ones. Guests can write letters with advice for mom, or even letters for baby to read as he or she grows up. I love these ones on candlesticks from Life with the Goodlins.

And there you have it-- my brain as best as I can blog it for you in the early stages of this super fun theme. If it materializes in real life some time, I will definitely show you how it turns out.

And lastly for today, check out The Stationery Place for the final post on this years FUN Valentine Swap. Play along next year!!

Special Delivery Baby Shower Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (The Elephant of Surprise) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 22:36:00 +0000

Grrr. I am so behind (again). I still have to post about the Stationery Place's Valentine Swap--check back tomorrow for that. It was awesome!

In the mean time, I have a bunch of cute girlfriends who are expecting right now, so I've totally had baby showers on the brain. I saw this cute "Special Delivery" baby shower on the internet a few months ago and TOTALLY fell in love. I have been searching for it in vain for days now, but I FINALLY tracked it down on Sweet Designs by Amy Atlas.

All the little postal details are so stinkin' clever. Check out the cute mail box, and the adorable envelope packaging for the cookies!!

I'm obsessed with it, and hope I get to plan a "Special Delivery" shower myself. Check out the rest of the details for this shower here, and check back for a few more posts with "Special Delivery" inspiration.