Fancy Frugal Life

Crepes & Bacon Bread Sticks (Ladies Brunch)

2012-03-02T11:57:00.014-08:00

I believe as a mom it's essential to have a great mommy support system. People that understand you and all the fun and unfun details that come along with parenthood. I've been fortunate to have this twice. Once in Las Vegas where we lived for awhile, I was in the best Mommy & Me group, and now here in AZ I have my fellow Kinder garden moms. They are a blast!
Last week we got together to have our sweet friend Agnes host a crepe breakfast. She happens to be from Poland and alot more international than me :) She taught us how to make crepes and I've already made them for my fam!

She of course does not use a recipe and just goes by about 1.5 cups flour, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup milk, and a tablespoon of carbonated water. Add more milk if need be so the consistency is more soupy and alot thinner than pancakes. Cooking on high is the key here. You really have to stand there and use a tiny bit of oil to grease the pan. They cook fast. And they are FANTASTIC...Light and wonderful. She spread Nutella, cream cheese and banana on mine and folded twice. They were beyond yum.

One of my friends, who by the way has a new blog called Sissy's Kitchen, made these awesome bacon wrapped bread sticks. I've never seen anything like them! Besides looking fancy and cool, they also tasted great! This would be perfect for Easter brunch or special occasion..

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BACON BREAD STICKS recipe by Sissy's Kitchen

Bread Sticks. As you remember they are long, thin and crunchy. I break these in half so they are not too long.
I will do recipe per one pkg of thin cut bacon.
Cut all the bacon strips in half and let them get to room temperature. They are more ply able this way.
Mix all these in a bowl
1 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 tsp. Chili Powder
1 1/2 tsp. Cumin
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
Take a piece of Bacon and dredge in the brown sugar mixture really good on both sides. Now wrap tightly one end of the bread stick and stretch and wrap the bread stick. You will have about 1/4 to 1/2 of the bread stick wrapped in bacon. This is what you want because if too much bacon is on the bread stick it can weight it down, then you can't grab it properly.
Pre Heat Oven 350
Line a cookie sheet with foil and place a cookie cooling rack on top. Place bacon bread stick on the rack. The bacon grease will cook off and onto foil below.
Cook till brown and crispy. About take 20 min or more. All ovens are different.. Check them periodically. The bacon grease may smoke a little, if you want cover the bread sticks in the beginning of cooking oven like 10 min it helps the smoke. Sometimes they don't.. I think less fat on the bacon cuts down on this.
Let them cool on rack before removing.
I serve these cold.
Anytime she brings these to a function they are the first to go and I understand why!

Thanks ladies for the best brunch ever!! xo

P.S. Don't forget to enter to win free Scrapbooking software from My Memories here! Really? I only have one entry? What's up with that? It's a great tool...:-)

Linking here:

My Memories Digital Scrapbooking Giveaway

2012-03-01T14:37:00.006-08:00

One question I get asked often is "Do you scrapbook?". And the answer to that is sadly no. I think the number one reason is I don't enjoy the paper mess and clutter. Plus I feel like it's a ton of work to create a card or page that no one else may see. That's why I LOVE digital scrap booking software from My Memories. They were kind enough to send me their software and I've been using and enjoying it.

I thought it was really easy and fun to do their "traditional" photo collage pages. The tools are user friendly... It's very easy to export to a jpg. format to share online. Here's one I made of my kiddos for Christmas.

A friend asked me for help with a Save The Date and I came up with this using her wedding colors..

I was pleasantly surprised at how I could use some of their elements to make a new blog header. I love the burlap background! The vintage style paper is my fav.

I also made some cute side blog ribbon banners and this signature for my posts!

Here's the best news. My Memories has provided one lucky Fancy Frugal Life reader with a copy of this exciting software!!!! Whoo Hoo!
Here's how to enter:
*****Visit My Memories and comment back on your favorite layout or paper. (one entry)
***For extra credit follow Fancy Frugal Life in some form and comment back how you follow. (one entry)

That's It! I'll pick a winner next Thursday. Good luck!!!
xo
Lina

DIY Dr. Seuss Shirts & Hair Clips

2012-02-21T16:21:00.013-08:00

My son is learning to read in kindergarten this year, and can now read books like Green Eggs and Ham from Dr. Seuss by himself. There's something so meaningful and great as a parent when you hear your child able read for the first time. I love it!

This past summer I put out a post about how I filled out the same "All about Me" Dr. Seuss book with my son that I did in 1985.

At the end I added these treats made with Oreos and gummy lifesavers. Guess what? This is by far the most pinned image and popular post I've had! I think that is so random and funny...and just today it received 7,000 page views. I think it's because Dr. Seuss Day is March 2! Are you celebrating?

We are for sure! :) Here are some goodies I made yesterday for the kids...

These are buttons stacked and hot glued together on top of a hair clip.

For shirts I used sheets of Quick Fuse fabric that you can print and iron on. I buy mine from Joanne's in the fabric section. I found these images on Google and resized them on Word to print..

Here they are ironed on.

To embellish further I hand stitched some ruffles with satin red ribbon for the hat.

I stitched a bow to the other shirt with the same ribbon.

Yay! Super cute....They're all ready!

P.S. I wanted to point out that I added a way to follow me through Linky tools on the upper right hand side. I guess Google Friend Connect is going away soon so here is a way to follow blogs you love. Thanks!

Joining these parties:

Momspiration Monday @ Moms By Heart

DIY Cornhole Game

2012-02-20T18:30:00.010-08:00

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FINALLY...There's a manly post on this girly blog of mine!!

First let me gush for a sec about my hubby. (Here he is on our wedding day.)

He is the smartest, most hardworking. thoughtful, and best dad/husband a girl could ever hope for. I lucked out for sure. And these beautiful big blue eyes my kids have..they're from him.

Wanna know something cool? We met on eharmony.com almost 7 years ago. ( He hates when I tell people this... ha ha) This was his exact profile picture. I'm the one who initiated the contact. lol I remember that clearly. Oh and he's the first and only person I ever met from there. So I always say yep I paid $50 to meet my hubby! :)

My guy happens to work in the construction industry, has power tools, is very handy and a great DIY-er. He recently made us a cornhole game for the backyard. I had never heard of that game until I met him. I think it's a midwest thing. He's from Indiana and a proud Purdue Alum....hence the black and gold.

Cornhole is very much like horseshoes. It's usually played tournament style with beanbags, and anyone can play it so it really does make a great family game. He followed these instructions from ehow.com. It was about $50 in wood. There's also a ton of info about rules on the American Cornhole Association (ACA) website.

I think these would make great wedding gift (for the right couple) with a cool monogram..Do you play cornhole or something similar?

Linking to these fab blogs:

La La La La...Elmo Nails (DIY)

2012-02-15T18:22:00.002-08:00

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My daughter has been a BIG HUGE fan of Elmo since she was tiny. Here's a picture of when she turned two. (Notice she had no hair but that didn't stop me from decorating her head!) ha

That year she had a Girly Elmo Party! It was such a fun theme. And these pics were BB & BP..before blogging & before pinterest...:)

When I recently "Pinned" some Elmo inspired nails on Pinterest via Pretty Polishes, she immediately saw it and squealed happily. Then for about 5 days straight asked if we could do Elmo Nails. So here it is..What we used for these sweet nails: red, black,orange, and white polish. Plus a black nail striper polish, and a large & small nail dotting tool.

I recently found a great inexpensive way to buy nail supplies! I simply asked my local nail salon where they buy and they told me. So I found two local nail supply stores called Sunlight Nail Supply, and Hollywood Beauty Supply in Chandler, AZ and love what I found at both shops.

I picked up a pack of nail dotters for $5.00 and a large dotter for $3.50. Plus they sell nail stripers for $2.00, OPI polish for $5, China Glaze $3.00, and nail art stickers fro 1$. I also found nail sticker polish for 1$. The Sally Hansen ones I love are $8.00 at drug stores!

After your nails are painted red here are the easy dotting steps...

Everyone at my little girl's school went nuts over these yesterday. She was proudly telling everyone "My mommy made Elmo Nails!"....serious cuteness!

How cute would these be at an Elmo party?!..

And now for your Friday funny....You've gotta dance along with Elmo on a Sesame Street spoof of that LMFAO song that seems to be everywhere these days...It's cute..my kids LOVE,,

I'm Elmo and I know it!!!! I make art! Tickle Tickle Tickle Tickle..Ya.

Thanks for visiting and have a beautiful weekend! xo

Joining here:

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My Heart Nails & My Kids Valentine's for School

2012-02-13T13:45:00.001-08:00

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Are we all ready for tomorrow? I finished our valentine's just now. More on that in a sec. I wanted to show you a quick idea on how to DIY some hearts on your nails or your little angels. You can use a bobby pin, pen tip, and toothpicks to "dot" on some hearts like I did here. This is what I came up with but any combo of festive colors would be cute! It really is very easy. Here's how to dot on a heart. :)

It's easy..just practice on some scratch paper. Have fun!

Earlier this month I made these photo cards for my kids

I wanted to add a cute candy treat to go along with their "themes", so this is what I found.
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I combined the fabulous & free superhero lollipop printables from both the Zacca Life and little bit funky.

Blonde Designs has these cute mustache printables.

All these mustaches made me want some on my nails today! My 3 yr old wants to know why I have bats on them and hubby thinks it's kinda "creepy". Ha!

Thanks for stopping by!! This cold/flu season has been the worst EVER for us. I am sick AGAIN..ugh..and so is my son. He will be so sad if he misses all the Valentine's Day fun tomorrow. Can't we just all be healthy at the same time?!

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My New Hair & a Deal for Phoenix Area Readers

2012-02-07T17:39:00.000-08:00

Hi! Let's talk about my hair for a sec. My dear hubby likes (well is obsessed) with long hair. I had been growing it out for about 7 years since we met. Then, on a whim a couple months ago I chopped it off. I found an instant Groupon and randomly did it without telling anyone. It felt awesome. I have always loved my hair short so it was like the old sassier me! ha..well not really. Oh after he got over the shock, he says he likes it too. :)

Today I went back to the same neighborhood salon and had her reshape it.

This is Marissa. She is super fab, cute, nice, and TALENTED! Now that I don't work outside the home, expensive salons are not an option for me. Honestly though, I always hated spending lots of money on my hair. Plus, I prefer low key type places instead of the pretentious expensive type salons. Marissa did an A-line longer graduated bob cut on me :)

We forgot to get a before picture, but this is what it pretty much looked like. The before pic is from last Easter with my pumpkin girl.

So are you ready for the BEST part? Do you live in the Phoenix/Chandler/Ahwatukee area? Marissa has agreed to offer my readers a hair cut and style for just $18! Yep! Just mention it when you call to make an appointment.

Here's the salon info:

The Salon Spot In Ahwatukee Arizona

(480) 776-6863

4909 East Chandler Blvd Suite 507

Phoenix, Arizona 85048

Keepin it Fancy & Frugal,

DIY Converse Nails

2012-02-05T17:44:00.001-08:00

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Hi friends! Here's what I just did while watching the Superbowl with my little fam. Speaking of Superbowl..Madonna still rocks. We were all vogue-ing right along :) That was a great show, right?!

Anyways, I took this opportunity to actually paint MY nails. My inspiration was this great channel on YouTube by Cutepolish.

Here's what I used. Black and white nails stripers (long thin brush), black, pink, white polish, and a pen & toothpick for "dotting".

1. I painted all my nails 2 coats of pink.

2. With the striper do a white outline on the nail tip. (Like a french tip)

3. Fill it in with the white polish.

4. Make 3 silver dots down each side of nail with a pen or bobby pin.
5. Make laces with the white striper.

6. With a toothpick dot some black on top of the silver. (They should be smaller dots.)

7. Make a black stripe across the top with the striper.

8. I just did my 3 middle fingers. Make sure it's dry before you clear coat.

Isn't that super fun! I love a cute pink converse...Wouldn't turquoise be cool too? Try it!

Thanks for stopping by!!! xo

Linking to these fab parties:

Momspiration Mondays @ Moms by Heart

Heart Elephant Applique Top & My Valentine's Day Entry

2012-02-03T12:08:00.000-08:00

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My little one LOVES elephants so here's what I made for her to wear this Valentine's Day! It's an elephant heart applique top. She is completely thrilled with it!

Here's a shot of the shapes I used. They have Wonder Under (fusible web) ironed onto the back of the fabric.

After ironing onto the shirt, I added buttons for eyes and to the trunk, and then hand stitched around the edges. This solid white Gymboree top was a Goodwill $1 day score! Yay! Speaking of Goodwill...I tend to post some of my thrift store finds via Facebook so make sure to follow along there too!

My entry table is all set for Valentine's Day with my Idea Room wreath from last year :)

I added a couple cute festive and free printables found here and here in my thrift store pedestal frames.

I just wanted to thank you all so very much for voting for me to win a ticket to the SNAP creative bloggers conference. Although I did not win, I bought a ticket and am for sure attending!!! Hooray I can't wait :) DO I have any readers going? And can I sit with you? lol

xo

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DIY Ladybug Nails Manicure

2012-01-29T14:21:00.001-08:00

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Somehow I recently stumbled upon the coolest You Tube channel for DIY nail art called CuteNails.
Ever since then I've been a little obsessed with trying out some "dotting" techniques using nail polish, toothpicks, and bobby pins. I was able to accomplish these cute ladybug nails on my little bug, and today I'm sharing how!

Most of the time salon nails are not in our one income budget. I'm so psyched to have learned these fun tips!
The hardest part for me was having my tot stay still long enough to take a few pics afterwards. She does love to get her nails done (like her mom). :)

Here's what I used...Black, white, and red polish as well as the black and white stripers purchased from Sally's Beauty Supply. These have an ultra thin long brush.
Bobby pins and toothpicks are what I used for dotting.

1. Start with 2 thin coats of red polish. 2. Use the black nail striper to line the tips. 3. Fill in the line with black polish (like a french manicure.) 4. Use the striper again down the middle. 5. Put a small puddle of white nail polish on a piece of scrap paper. 6. Dot the end of a bobby pin with the polish and then dot it two times on the black tip part of the nail. 7. Put some black polish on the scrap paper. 8. Make three dots on each side with a toothpick. 9. Wait until completely dry and then apply a clear top coat.

My little love bug was so proud of her nails and showed everyone she could. So cute!

Stay tuned for my Valentine's Day heart nails I painted on myself...

Thanks for stopping by and do have a beautiful day! I appreciate every comment and feature my blog receives. It makes my heart happy :)

Joining:

Pinspirational Thursday @ The Artsy Girl Connection

Momspiration Monday@Moms by Heart

Pottery Barn Kids Inspired Chair Backs & Our Valentine's Kid Table

2012-01-21T20:22:00.000-08:00

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Have you seen the Valentine's Day cuteness happening in the latest Pottery Barn Kids catalog? The chair backers are so darn adorable! I love that the kids can put their Valentine's in them.

Aren't the vintage inspired place mats too cute also? L-O-V-E everything about it.....except the price tag!
So here's how I made my version of the chair backers. I used two cardboard hearts (front and back pieces)red felt, ruffle, felt embellishment heart, and letters for the names. The glue gun was in full effect for this project.

For two 12 inch heart chairbacks I used 3/4 yard felt, 2.25 yards ruffle, and lots of mini glue sticks!

1.) Cut out your 2 cardboard hearts. 2.) Hot glue felt to one side of each heart. Make sure to pull it pretty tight so it looks smooth. 3.) Glue down the ruffle ( or you could use ric rac) to the back of one of your hearts. 4.) I cut a 2.5 inch wide piece shaped like this for the pocket. 5.) Glue down both hearts to your connector piece. It did get a bit messy...but it's just the inside. 6.) Do the same size connector piece to the other side. Now you can embellish the front with hearts and names.

I glued some ribbon on the back to tie to the chair,

and printed out some vintage valentine's....

I wanted to make some place mats for our kid table (which happens to be a Pottery Barn) and decided to make some of these woven foam ones. The idea of the weaving came from my old mommy group in Vegas. (Hi girls! miss ya!)

We made some in black and orange for Halloween once and my kids still love them. it's a great group craft. But these are different because after I glued the strips down, I cut it in a shape of a heart....I love how it turned out!

They did take some time though because I cut one inch strips and measured...something I hate! Lol

Here's how to make them. Start with a large red and pink piece of foam from the craft store. Make one color with 1 inch horizontal cuts. Remember not to cut all the way down...leave an inch. Then do the other in vertical cuts. After cutting then start weaving and gluing. I used hot glue. This takes awhile. You can stop here and it's still cute. Lastly, I made a heart shaped template and cut it out.

If I had to do it over...I'd do two inch spaces. That's what we did for a kids craft. And they used regular glue. It still looks adorbs. :)

Gotta add some dollar store goodies...

So do you love our sweet little fancy and frugal Pottery Barn inspired Valentine table? I do! (and the kids do too.)
Thanks for stopping by!

Xo

Lina

Ps. I'm still trying to score a ticket to SNAP the creative blogging conference. Consider voting for me? Simply click HERE and I am #19. It is open until Jan 27. Thanks bunches :)

linking to:
DebbieDoo's Magazine Copy Cat Challenge

Valentine Party @ Cheap Crafty Mama

Momspiration Mondays @ Moms By Heart

Valentine Bonanza@Kindra At Home

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Oh SNAP! I want to go!

2012-01-20T19:02:00.001-08:00

Happy friday girls! (and guys? Not sure if I have any?) ...Tonight I'm declaring my want/need to attend SNAP. It's a craft and DIY social media conference where some of the coolest creative bloggers around will be sharing their talents. I must go! It's in Salt Lake City, UT. April 19th-21st.

Here are THE TOP 5 REASONS WHY LINA MUST GO TO SNAP:
5.) The Queen Bee Market! I was able to go during Blogher 2011 and it was AMAZING!
4.) I need to wear something other than sweats/flip flops for an entire weekend! My SAHM uniform is sad.
3.)You (my readers) will benefit from all the knowledge and inspiration I will gain:)
2.) I need to speak and interact with some adults! Although I adore my kiddie conversations dearly...Sometimes marathon episodes of Phineas & Ferb and Laurie Berkner Band can get to me by Friday..like right now.
1.) I just need a break...from the full time cleaning, cooking, homework, lunches, sick with the flu kids,laundry, and all that glamorous stuff!!

VOTE here!!!!! It's open until Jan 27. I'd sure appreciate your vote to earn a ticket.

Thanks a million! Hugs.

Lina

DIY Hand Stamped Jewelry

2012-01-18T07:46:00.000-08:00

Hi friends! Today I wanted to share a few stamped metal jewelry gifts I have made recently. These really do make unique personalized gifts that are so fun to make and give. Plus. they can be inexpensive if you pick up the blanks and charms at craft stores (use those coupons!). None of these are over $10 chain included.

I gave this one to my new sis in law for Christmas. Wouldn't this make such a great wedding shower gift too? The bride, groom, and ring charms are from Hobby Lobby...The dog tag shape blank is from Joanne's. I think she really liked it! :)

If you missed my stamped washer tutorial, here it is. In this post I explained where to get a $10 stamping kit and how to use it.

My daughter is super fond of elephants so I made her one with a tiny elephant charm. She loves it and shows anyone who will listen :)

This Tinkerbell necklace was for a 4 year old birthday party we were invited to. Isn't this so much better than a plastic toy?!
These two blanks & charms are from Hobby Lobby.

Have a beautiful day!

xoxo

Lina

Linking to these fab parties:

DIY FREE Valentine's Day Photo Cards (Red Stamp ap for IPhone)

2012-01-13T16:22:00.000-08:00

Raise your hand if you're addicted to your IPhone like me? And I don't even have the cool new one...But have I got a treat for you if you happen to have one! I just discovered the new free ap called Red Stamp. It simply ROCKS! It goes one step further than Instagram and let's you create photo cards and invitations for every occasion. There's even cute baby announcements...The possibilities are endless. I think I also love it because the designs are chic and modern..they have cheveron ladies!!Whoohoo!
I see this beyond photo cards and also a blogging tool for photos :)

Here's a screenshot of Red Stamp photocard choices on the Iphone.

You just pick your card and touch the camera to choose a pic from your saved photos in the phone.

Once you choose your photo you can use their add text feature and just email, text, or even mail it (for a fee.)

Here's what I created in a few minutes using Instagram, Red Stamp, and then adding my text through Picnik. Picnik also has those free mustache symbols. Oh and here is the actual paper mustache printable I used on her.

Now I am not a tech expert but here's the basic steps.

1.) Take pic of cute kid w mustache on iphone 2.) Instagram it. (don't have to though) 3.) Create free photo card in cool new ap called "RED STAMP". Email it to self in the largest size available, save. 4.) Add text from Picnik (free photo editing software) from the laptop. Also the mustache symbol is from Picnik.5.) Share cute FREE Valentines Day card w friends.

For this one I used my son's Halloween photo. He makes a cute super hero :-)

All you would have to do is print these out at home. It's funny I'm not willing to commit to these as their Valentine's just in case I think of or see a cuter idea! Ha.

If you found this helpful and end up using the ap come back and let me know! That'd make my day....Happy Friday friends :)

xoxo

Lina

JOINING THESE PARTIES:

The Golf Par-tee

2012-01-09T07:34:00.001-08:00

This weekend we hosted my son's class to a picnic in the park birthday "Par-Tee". It turned out super cute and we all had a great time. My son was especially proud of the entire party...(heart is happy!).The weather was sunny and perfect, (thank goodness)!

All of the coordinating golf party printables are from the wonderful Gwynn Wasson Designs. She does beautiful work. All of her parties are A-mazing...

She sends you personalized ready to print banners, party favor tags, "Club Sandwich" wrappers,

cupcake toppers, and food labels!!

I made these golf silhouettes with foam poster board and thick paint pen. My brother had the golf guy and golf sign (from Hobby Lobby) that are actually wall decor. I just traced them on the poster and colored in with the paint pen...SO easy and festive! Also, I found green linens that were the perfect color at Goodwill for under $5 a tablecloth.... Score!

Here I enlarged one of the invitations designed by Gwynn and made a pedestal frame. I make those from a thrift store frame & candlestick spray painted white and glued together. Golf balls (mine are from Goodwill) make a great centerpiece in a glass vase and faux grass.

And here's the golf wreath made out of left over Christmas tinsel. tees, and balls.

I was kinda proud of this dessert tray....

I ordered the cupcakes at Fry's grocery and had them pipe frosting to look like grass. Then I added a donut hole and flag. I found this idea via pinterest from this gorgeous party.

The green jello cups were actually my idea though! Ha. I added a flag and rolled mini marshmallows to look like a tiny ball. Here's my best attempt at sugar cookie golf bags and balls. The golf bag cookie cutter was $0.60 at Sur La Table.

Here's a bucket of balls (donut holes) and a couple other buckets (from $1 store) I used to hold snacks.

I made "On Par"PB&J's for the kids with my new sandwich press from Pampered Chef! (A cool present from my MIL). It makes them look like Uncrustables! We also had "Caddyshack" coleslaw, and "Country Club pasta salad"...I love the corny names..So did the parents :) Speaking of parents...the dads were especially impressed and now want a golf party...Ha!

I found some random materials at Goodwill to make a little putting green for the kids. We also decorated foam visors. They were a big hit!

And yes my kids wore argyle sweaters....

And now after Christmas, Disney, and this party I am spent, tired..exhausted....I need long nap :) Thank you so very much for stopping by. Do have a wonderful day!

xoxo

Lina

Joining in these parties:

What's Up Wed @ Sew Woodsy

Golf Wreath for the "Golf" Birthday Party

2012-01-05T12:48:00.000-08:00

Today I've been working hard to throw together my son's "golf" themed birthday party. He has a birthday right after Christmas so we decided to wait until this week to host a fun play date at the park for his class. He loves golf and takes inexpensive lessons through the First Tee Of Phoenix program. I even found him a great set of new looking clubs and bag at Goodwill for just $26. He was super excited!

This wreath is left over blue Christmas tinsel garland wrapped around a medium sized $1.99 wood wreath form (Michael's). I just hot glued golf tees and balls. This wreath from Pinterest was my inspiration.

I made a little bunting flag with party printables from the very talented Gwynn Wasson. She has the cutest line of golf themed printables! I love how the invitation turned out too. I can't wait to show you the rest of the details after the party this Saturday..."Club sandwiches" and donut hole "bucket of balls" on the menu!! Here's a peek of a couple other projects I'm working on today!

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo
Lina
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Disney Inspired Handmade Fashion & Our Magical Trip

2012-01-03T19:44:00.000-08:00

Hi friends!...It's been awhile. Happy New Year! I'm finally starting to recover from Christmas and all that comes along with it! This year was extra special for our family. We took the kids to Disneyland for their first time. It was everything I imagined and more.....we really had the best time EVER. We surprised the kids Christmas morning with these Mickey & Minnie gift baskets I put together. They contained character PJ's, socks, shirts, glow sticks, ect.

These wonderful hats were made by the talented Shawn of The Head Said Etsy shop. She has all sorts of fab designs... They are super cute and so warm. Perfect for those chilly Disney early mornings! I had so many people stop ask where they could buy one...

I made this cute Minnie Mouse pillowcase dress the same time I made her Christmas one. Read about that here. I love the applique ears and embellished matching ribbon. It was so perfect for Disneyland!

If you read here often you might be starting to catch on that I love styling my kids...It's sorta my thing...or obsession..whatever..Ha! But it doesn't matter if it's handmade, Goodwill, or Target clearance... Applique tops are something I enjoy making, and here are 3 I made for the trip. Read more on how I applique here. It really is easy. (Note: I usually hand stitch or machine stitch the edges and I didn't here. They started to come up so I will do that next time for sure.)

This is a $5 turtle neck from Target. I used Wonder Under fusible web to apply the ears, and stitched this sparkly applique bow from Hobby Lobby.

(To make mickey ear templates just search Google for "mickey ears image". Then copy, paste, and re size onto MS Word. I then print out on cardstock.)

Here's the tie template I used.
These two were pretty stylin & popular walking around in their matching outfits :) My son was very proud to say, "Oh my mom made this!" Hmm..I Wonder how much longer that'll last?

I didn't dress up really, but I did sport some snazzy hounds tooth nails thanks to Sally Hansen nail stickers...love those! So fun.

The kids did great patiently waiting in long lines...And my 3 year old rode Space Mountain and loved it! This was seriously such a fun part of being a parent. We went after Christmas and it was waaaaay crowded, in fact they had to stop selling tickets in the afternoon one day! Yikes...

Here's a few random tips if you haven't been in a while.

1. Download a couple Aps to your phone called Mouse Wait & DL Waits...They have useful info on wait times and if a ride is closed, and height requirements, showtimes, ect. We found that rides close alot throughout the day.

2. Figure out the Fast Pass rides. On the map they have an (FP in front of them.) You are allowed to get one about every few hours by putting your park hopper ticket in an ATM looking machine. It lets you bypass some of the lines...otherwise Space Mountain or Star Tours could be 90+ min.

3. Know how tall your child is and see if they meet height reqirements before you wait in the line of a ride...ha lesson learned from me :)

4. Inside the park has the yummiest hot chocolate..trust.

5. Our fav character dinning was Ariel's Grotto in CA Adventure. It was by far the higest quality food...and so cute with all the princesses :)

6. My top 2 fav rides were in CA Adventure!! (The new Ariel ride, and Toy Story 4D ride.) Plus they have cleaner family style bathrooms, and a Phineas & Ferb street show!

7. Night time was less crowded so we took breaks in the late afternoon, ate, and then came back at night! It's so pretty at night.....

My fav memory was when we ordered my son Mickey waffles with candles in bed on the day of his birthday. I had decorated the room a little after he had fallen asleep so he woke up to balloons & breakfast. He was super surprised and felt special...CUTE! By the way, that bananas foster waffle was the best thing ever...

Disney was a complete success. I'm glad we waited until we were out of strollers and diapers to go...Here's to sweet Disney dreams and a Happy New Year!

Thanks for checking in.

xoxo

Lina

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Paradise Bakery Sugar Cookies (Copy Cat recipe)

2011-12-20T12:12:00.001-08:00

My favorite cookies in the history of EVER are the sugar cookies from the chain Paradise Bakery. Years ago I found the copy cat recipe online and have made them every Christmas. I only make them once a year because they are completely unhealthy...but oh so great tasty! Isn't that how it always is?!

The two ingredients that separate these cookies from most are cake flour and shortening!

Paradise Bakery Sugar Cookies Recipe by Recipe Goldmine

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup confectioners' sugar 2 cups shortening

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg, beaten

4 1/3 cups cake flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Sugar/Sprinkles for decorating

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.In a medium bowl, mix together the sugars and shortening using an electric mixer. Mix on slow speed for 30 seconds, then scrape down the bowl with a spatula. Increase speed to medium and mix for 3 minutes. Slowly add vanilla extract and egg while mixing.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl, mixing on slow speed until just blended. Do not overmix.Dough may be rolled out on lightly floured board and cut with cookie cutters or scooped with an ice cream scoop and placed directly on cookie sheet. If scooped, flatten with palm of hand.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 9 to 10 minutes. Cookies are done when small cracks appear. Ideally, the edges do not brown.

Sprinkle liberally with sugar after baking.Makes 3 dozen cookies.

These are PERFECT for SANTA...if they last that long :)

Merry Christmas!!

xoxo

Lina

Linking to:
Tatertots & Jello Cookie Exchange Party

Candy Cane Centerpiece (Teacher's gift)

2011-12-20T08:38:00.000-08:00

Here's a fun, easy, and inexpensive gift idea I put together for my son's Kindergarten teacher. A few other parents and I presented her a gift card and this cute centerpiece at the "Winter Party" last week.

I was inspired by this image off Pinterest via Ecopolitan Bride.

I started with a plain round glass container. This actually held a scented candle. It was close to being gone so I cleaned out the wax and made sure it was dry.

First I hot glued three packs of candy canes to the glass (found at Walmart for $1 each). Then I finished with some red ribbon. My local Fry's grocery store had small poinsettias on sale for $3.99.

It turned out to be a super cute way to present an inexpensive flower!

Ms. D loved it... (see it on her desk?), and my son was also super proud to give her the stamped clay ornaments we made! :)

I just loved attending both my kids' holiday parties. That's one of the the most fun part of parenthood! Here are a few of my fav goodies they have made this year.

Thanks for stopping in and do have a fantastic day!

xoxo
Lina

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Blackberry Mini Tarts

2011-12-13T21:24:00.000-08:00

Wow we are full swing into holiday events and I'm loving it! I made these mini blackberry tarts two days in a row...Once for a fun holiday "mommy coffee" and my daughter's preschool Christmas program last night! They are super easy, fast and a HUGE great big hit! Plus they look fancy smancy. My sweet grandma Bonnie taught me how to make these and today I am passing them on to you...

Ingredients:
I package Pillsbury Pie Crust
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1 bar of room temp cream cheese
2 Tbsp room temp butter
1 10 oz can of blackberry preserves
You will also need:
star shaped cookie cutter
mini muffin pan (greased)

Directions:

1. Get out your pie crust and roll it out. 2. Cut out your star shapes and place in the greased mini muffin pan. 3. Fill the entire muffin pan. 4. Bake for 9 min on 350 degrees. Let cool. 5. Mix your cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar. 6. Spoon on each with a little bit of preserves and top each with a little of the cream cheese mixture. I was fancy here and used a pastry tip..(You don't have to, but people think your a french pastry chef if you do).

These go prefect on my fav thrift store plate stand. It's my prized possession cause I used it so often :)

I'm taking in every second of this busy holiday and enjoying my family! I wish you the same :) Enjoy the tarts!
xoxo
Lina

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Simply Christmas @ Shabby Art Boutique

Stamped Clay Ornaments

2011-12-12T16:53:00.000-08:00

Every year I try to find a craft booth to buy a great personalized clay ornament. I think they are such a neat way to remember the holiday.

This year my kids and I made some simple ones for gifts.

I was inspired by this fantastic clay ornament off Pinterest from Pine Feather.

I know there is a ton of clay options out there, but I just used this bucket of Air Dry Clay by Crayola. Making these was super fun..just like playing with Play-Dough!

I rolled some dough out on wax paper and used cookie cutters for the shapes. Then I used a straw for the hole at the top, and regular rubber stamps for personalizing. (I found a set of letters for around $5 with coupon at Joanne's.) Also Michael's had a whole bin of $1 holiday stamps. Notice how I used that snowflake ornament as an imprint!
After they air dried, I spray painted both sides of mine. The last thing I did was add ribbon and a bell to some of them, and raffia to others.

This cute group are for my brother and his new bride. They got married a few months ago so I thought these would be great for their first married Christmas!...Notice their wedding date on one?....Cute!

We made some for the kids' teachers too!

My fav is the angel for Ms. D...cause she is one! :) 18 full day kindergartners by herself!

They are BEYOND excited to give these to their teachers.

This one is on my burlap and white tree :)

So to be very honest this was definitely a messy project (especially with the kids), but so worth it.....We had a blast!

Happy Holidays!

xoxo

Lina

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Christmas Pillow Case Dress & Leggings

2011-12-07T18:57:00.001-08:00

Since my Halloween polka dotted pillowcase dress was such a hit, I decided to make one for Christmas. And guess what? I sewed it all by myself! I know..crazy, right! Yay... Sewing is kinda difficult for me so I'm proud!

My fabric is from Hobby Lobby and I used a 1/2 yard of the polka dots & 1/4 yard of stripes.
I had this pattern and used it only for the initial large cut for the curved arm holes.

For the main larger cuts..fold your fabric "box" in half and then cut the arms so they are even. Do that part twice.
Bias tape is too advanced for me, so I did this the cheater way. Fold 1/4 inch and iron.

Then sew.

Fold the top part of the dress down about an inch, iron, and sew. This is where the ribbon will go.

The bottom trim is 1/4 yard folded in half lengthwise, iron, and then sewn to both of the top pieces.

Once you have two of these done, sew them together inside out.

Flip them over and you get this!

I sewed some ribbon around the bottom of mine.

I turned some $5 Target woman's knew socks to leggings. Read my post here on how I do that.

Thread your ribbon and there ya go!! ( I use a pencil).

My little one wore it today and I was able to take a few pics by our tree...She is very excited for Christmas and I think she'll be wearing it for her preschool Christmas program next week. She is the cutest little thing and sings 5 times louder than the rest of the bunch...It's so hard not to giggle :)

Reminds me of this...

Download it free here!

xoxo

Happy Holidays!

Lina

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Soccer Cupcakes

2011-12-05T14:17:00.000-08:00

My son just finished his second season of fall soccer this past weekend and we celebrated with a team party/trophy ceremony. I brought these for the team!

I "pinned" this image from pinterest via Craft Gossip.

All you need is white frosting, Nabisco 100 calorie cookies, and brown frosting for the piping!

Mine didn't turn out exactly like the professional photo, but the kids were super excited to get their trophy and soccer cupcake! :)

How cute would these be for a soccer birthday?!
xoxo
Lina

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Chistmas Card Organizing & My Mantle

2011-12-02T13:12:00.001-08:00

I L-O-V-E giving and receiving holiday cards this time of year! It truly is like opening little surprises every day...We actually look forward to getting the mail! I am always fighting an uphill battle with paper clutter though, so here is what I came up with this year to display cards.

It's just ribbon attached to the wall with tacks in the shape of a tree. I used double sided tape to attach the cards..Clothespins would work too.. I originally had a big ribbon topper but decided to use my "new to me" Santa door hanger at the top! I can't wait to fill er up! So family & friends..If you're reading.....I'm ready! Start sending! :) I guess I should address & stamp mine too.
How do you display cards?

The next little project is my mantle. Here is was..

...And here it is now all Christmas-fied!

I wrapped the front of the mirror and hung it back up...Then added my fav lil elf friends from last year. I found these at the grocery store (Safeway) on clearance last year for $9 each. When I went to get more for my mom they were all gone! Anyways, they have their names embroidered on their shoes..Piper & Elfbert..Cute!

Thanks for all the comment love and features on my pallet tree and mod podge ornaments :)

Happy Holidays

Xoxo

Lina

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DIY Christmas Whimsical Pallet Tree & Wreath

2011-11-28T07:56:00.000-08:00

Hooray... it's not even Dec 1 and my house is decorated and CLEAN! It's a big deal for me.. Shhh.. no one breathe or dirty a dish!.... It's so great to wake up to those Christmas tree lights and have some morning coffee, isn't it?!
Here are two "whimsical" projects we completed this past weekend that I am super excited about!
I say "we" because my talented husband cut up the last of that pallet wood I had. plus some scraps into a Christmas tree!

First, he made those cuts for me and I spray painted aqua and red colors. After those were dry he used screws to nail the wood pieces all together. I stencils two white love birds and that was it. Bright, simple and cheery....love it!

My wreath took all of 10 minutes!

I bought a wood wreath form from Micheal's which already had holes in it. Then I bought a feather boa for 50% off at Hobby Lobby (with the holiday decor) for $5.00. I just twisted the boa around the entire wreath and tied the two ends. I already had red ornaments and used those traditional wire hangers to hang them on the wreath since it had holes in it. They worked perfect! No glue needed! I finished with a cute "Noel" ornament from Michael's at $1.50. That was the only store I hit up for black Friday! Ha :)

My entry way is so festive now!!

I threw in one of my handmade pedestal frames and sprayed these two deer (from Michael's). They were silver from a few years back.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you all have started off the holiday season right! There's so much to do, but it's a blast (mostly).... :)
xoxo

Lina
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