"Lines Across My Face"

The Cure for the Common Monday #32

2012-03-19T12:06:00.000-04:00

Welcome!

1. Embroidery Hoop Namesake Art from The Brilliant Crafty Type

2. Spring Flower Candy Cups from Live Laugh Rowe

3. Bow Tie Wristlet from Sunny Vanilla

4. Spring Burlap and Fabric Flowers from Craftionary

5. Stenciled Magazine Holders from The Stonybrook House

6. Little Ladybugs from MeiJo's JOY

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Everyone is welcome to join this link party. Share something crafty or creative. Share a recipe or a household tip. There are three simple rules.

1. Follow Lines Across My Face (I also will be sharing some of my favorites throughout the week through Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest).
2. Post the Cure for the Common Monday button somewhere on your blog (or link back to Lines Across My Face).
3. Visit and comment on at least one link for every post you share.

Sift Sand to Find Sand Rocks

2012-03-17T13:54:00.000-04:00

Pin It

This is a really fun activity that Benjamin, Lyla, and I have been doing lately when we are playing outside.

All you need is play sand and a sifter. Sift the sand (it needs to be dry sand) and you are left with all of these little sand rocks. It is a great exercise to help build fine motor skills. This is also a great way to show kids that often there is more to something than meets the eye. You just have to look a little closer.

Lyla loves to help and loves the sound that the little sand rocks make when you dump them into the bucket.

Benjamin wants to work hard to sift and collect lots of sand rocks in his bucket. He has a lot of patience for a 2 and a half year old. Of course Lyla tries to grab and dump his collection.

Simple Stamped Gift Tags

2012-03-15T17:58:00.000-04:00

Stamps are such a fun and easy way to decorate and embellish projects, like these simple stamped gift tags.

Pin It

What you need:

Brown craft tags (Or cut your own from card stock)
Flower stamp
ABC stamps
Ink (I love these Clearsnap Colorbox Pigment Paintbox)
Ribbon or twine

Each color of ink in the box separates. You can then use the pad to dab ink onto the stamp.

I used red ink for the flower and then used the alphabet stamps to spell out THANKS in black ink. I love the way the letters look stamped and crooked.

The Cure for the Common Monday #31

2012-03-11T21:56:00.000-04:00

Welcome!

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This past week I've been getting organized... FINALLY. I also got a new camera (Canon EOS Rebel T2i 18 MP ) and I absolutely LOVE it. The pictures are amazing and I am so excited to learn how to do even more with it.

This is the first picture I took with it... on full automatic settings... of my notebook and pencil sitting on my lap... at night... no flash. I also haven't edited this picture at all.

1. DIY Rustic Wall Storage Bins from Remodelaholic

2. Knit Rose Headband Tutorial from The Little Giggler

3. Photoshop Tips and Tricks from How to Nest for Less

4. Strawberry Birthday Party from Desperate Craftwives

5. Map Page Bows from Twigg Studios

6. State (Where My Heart Belongs) String Art from Balancing the Dream

Floating Tea Tin Organizers (It feels so good to get organized)

2012-03-09T18:17:00.000-05:00

I am so excited to finally have my own work space! I attached empty tea tins to the side of my shelf to use as organizers. My pens and pencils, scissors, and markers are easily within reach but they aren't sitting on my desk taking up valuable space. Plus they look really cute.

I used a level and a ruler to mark where I wanted the tins. I then attached them using Heavy Duty Mounting Tape. They seem to be very sturdy, but should be relatively easy to take off in the future.

For the past year, my family has been living with my Grandmother (who has somewhat advanced dementia and can no longer take care of herself) in her home. Most of our furniture and things have been sitting in our townhouse about 30 minutes away. We were originally only supposed to be staying here with her for a month or two, but now it has been over a year and we are still living here.

My Great Grandparents built this house and my Grandmother has been living here for over 20 years. I even have pictures of my dad sitting out in front of the house when he was only 2. It is really fun living in this home full of so many wonderful memories. It is also a lot of fun spending so much time with my Grandmother.

That being said, it is also really hard sometimes. Because we didn't know we would be here this long, we didn't bring much stuff of our own over, and we have been hesitant to make changes. It is sad to take down a picture that my Granddad (who passed away 10 years ago) hung on the wall. However, now especially that I have a 1 year old and a 2 year old, I really want a place for my family to feel at home; a place with our pictures on the walls, colors that I picked out, and furniture of our own.

We still aren't sure how much longer we will be living here. For the first 6 months, Benjamin's room was an office with a queen size bed and his crib pushed in the corner. I regret not fixing it up sooner. For the first year that we lived here, I only ever used my laptop on my lap in bed. My work space has been the dining room table, and my craft organization etc has been a few cardboard boxes in the garage.

About 6 months ago, I decided that I didn't care if we moved out a week later, I was going to make Benjamin's room into a real room. I took out the desk and the bed, and I got him a little table at Ikea.

About 2 months ago, I decided to paint over the dark red walls we all knew and loved as my Granddad's study. It was a little sad, but I am so glad that I did. It looks and feels amazing and I am finally feeling like I am living in my own home. Benjamin deserves his own room and space, and he really loves it.

About a week ago, I decided I needed a desk and work space. I have gotten so sick of being spread out and it is a little sad not having a space of my own. I bought a $30 desk at Ikea, drove up to the condo and got my old set of Ikea cubes, and spent about 12 hours reorganizing and sorting my things. I'll post more pictures of the whole area later. I am so thrilled to have this place of my own.

Delicious Homemade Pink Lemonade

2012-03-07T18:05:00.000-05:00

I used to think that homemade lemonade took forever to make. Since it has been spring here in Florida basically all winter, we decided to make some lemonade the other day. It only took about 15 minutes and it is so delicious!

What you need:

About 5 lemons (1 cup of lemon juice)
7 and 1/3 cups of water
1 and 1/4 cups of sugar
2 tablespoons of grenadine (optional to make it pink)

What you do:

1. Dissolve the sugar in one cup of warm/hot water. This makes sure that the sugar dissolves completely and there aren't any grains left. Put this syrup in the refrigerator and let it cool.

2. Squeeze 1 cup of lemon juice. Leave in the pulp, but remove the seeds. Roll the lemons against the counter before you cut them and they will juice more easily. You do not need a special juicer machine or anything.

3. In a large container, mix 6 and 1/3 cups of (cold) water, the syrup mixture, 1 cup of lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of grenadine.

Presentation:

I like to serve lemonade in old frappucino glass bottles. I wrapped some yarn around the glass and added a lemon wedge. After I poured the lemonade into the glass, I added a drop of grenadine and did NOT stir it to make it a darker shade of pink at the bottom.

And apparently, Lyla loves lemons.

The Cure for the Common Monday #30

2012-03-04T22:59:00.003-05:00

Welcome!

1. Vintage Scrap Fabric Banner from Live Laugh Rowe

2. Spring Mantle from Life on Walnut Street

3. Toddler Tool Belt Tutorial from Vixen Made

4. Personalized Photo Clock from How to Nest for Less

5. Love Bird Tote from Pink Stitches

6. Make Your Own Mustache Mug (aka Mugstache) from Crafted Niche

7. DIY Amber Glass from C.W.Frosting

8. Toy Box Makeover from The Life and Times

The Working Grandmother

2012-02-29T23:16:00.001-05:00

People are always talking about the working mother, but who talks much about the working grandmother?

My mother, aka Geemee (more like Dr. Geemee since she has a PhD in Statistics) is one of the busiest people I know. She is constantly juggling her busy job as a college professor and administrator, being a wife and mother, and of course now being a grandmother to these two adorable ones.

How often do you see a grandmother running around a soccer field with her grandchildren... in between classes... in her skirt suit?

Side note: while we were at the park we saw some beautiful blue birds. There were two of them going after each other. We weren't sure if it was a love thing or a hate thing at the time, but now we know they are two males and they seemed to be trying to kill each other. I even sort of tried to break it up, but they were in their own little world.

A few of their friends even sat around and watched.

The Cure for the Common Monday #29

2012-02-26T14:12:00.000-05:00

Welcome!

Stop by and enter this great Shabby Apple dress giveaway.

We are leaving a day earlier than we had planned to drive up and visit my parents. Benjamin is especially excited because he loves riding in the car more than I ever thought a 2 year old could. I'm going to combine features for this week and next week and post the party a little early.

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Everyone is welcome to join this link party. Share something crafty or creative. Share a recipe or a household tip. There are three simple rules.

1. Follow Lines Across My Face (I also will be sharing some of my favorites throughout the week through Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest).
2. Post the Cure for the Common Monday button somewhere on your blog (or link back to Lines Across My Face).
3. Visit and comment on at least one link for every post you share.

Mini Photo Canvas

2012-02-24T16:14:00.000-05:00

This is such a fun and easy way to display a family photo.

What you need:

A mini easel and canvas (both easily available at any craft store)
A brush and glue or mod podge
A photo cut slightly smaller than the little canvas

What you do:

Brush a thin layer of mod podge or glue onto the canvas and onto the back of the photo. Place the photo onto the little canvas and press down to make sure that there aren't any large clumps of glue underneath. Remove the excess glue from the edges with a slightly damp cloth or paper towel. Let it dry and then display it on the mini easel.

Decorating Benjamin's Room

2012-02-22T13:58:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share a few more pictures with you of Benjamin's room. A few people had asked what he thought of his new room. He was so thrilled with the blue walls and talked about it for days. Now he calls it his blue room. I was actually surprised by how much he cared and it made me feel a little bad I hadn't painted it sooner. He also loves the polka-dots and likes to point and say "green circle" "orange circle" "white circle", etc...

I am so glad that I FINALLY painted it and I especially love how great the stencils turned out. The best part is, I have leftover paint in the colors of the polka-dots to use for future projects.

I painted three Ikea spice racks with the lime green paint to use as bookshelves.

I used simple sticky tack and flash cards I got at Target to write out Benjamin over his closet. I like how cute this looks and how ridiculously easy it was.

We already had this little red Ikea table. I love the look of different colored chairs. These also happen to coordinate with the polka-dots. These adorable Haba Fantasy Blocks were a gift from Grant's parents.

I made these two paintings for Benjamin when he was just a little baby. I have big plans to make a third painting and post a tutorial.

I can't decide between these books:

1. One Fish Two Fish

2. Fox in Socks

3. Green Eggs and Ham

4. Hop on Pop

5. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

What do you all think?

Turquoise is such a beautiful color. Two of my favorite color combinations are Turquoise & Red and Turquoise & Blue. I combined (and safely mounted) two Ikea cube shelves that had been in Benjamin's old nursery. The lime green bug wall light from Ikea (did not turn out well in the picture) looks very cute against the new turquoise/blue wall. The dark blue cloth bins are from Target and fit perfectly in the cubes.

Shabby Apple Dress Giveaway

2012-02-20T23:45:00.000-05:00

I am so excited to share this Shabby Apple Dress giveaway with you all!

If you haven't heard of Shabby Apple before, then you're missing out. They have a wonderful online collection of unique jewelry, vintage inspired dresses, and even adorable clothes for kids.

Shabby Apple is offering one Lines Across reader a chance to win this gorgeous "Bali Ha'i" dress ($78 value), a gorgeous purple spring dress.

This dress is a part of the Shabby Apple South Pacific dress series.

"With flirtatious details, bright, Oceana-inspired hues, and summery cuts, these dresses would be the prefect tagalong for a trip to the beach, a month at sea, or a trek through exotic markets. Pack one on your next warm-weather adventure and see if you don't feel just a bit more free." -Shabby Apple Website

Check out some of these other gorgeous dresses. Just looking at these is getting me excited about the Spring.

The New Caledonia: Bright vermilion dress with a scoop neck bodice with a double bow and half length sleeves.

The Cockeyed Optimist: Bright papaya dress with a beautiful portrait neckline.

The Pineapple Princess: Sunny yellow dress with a waist line ruffle.

But I think my favorite dress at Shabby Apple is this adorable polka-dot "gumball" dress for little girls. My daughter Lyla would rock that dress!

How to enter:

This giveaway is open to US mailing addresses only. The giveaway ends Wednesday, February 29 at midnight. I will choose a winner with random.org and contact you on Thursday.

Leave a separate comment (WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS) for each entry.

1. (MANDATORY) Follow Lines Across. Visit Shabby Apple and leave a comment below letting me know which dress is your favorite.

2. Like Shabby Apple on Facebook (new or existing)

3. Like Lines Across on Facebook (new or existing)

I heart foxes... a collection of fox inspiration and crafts

2012-02-20T01:09:00.000-05:00

If you haven't noticed by now, I LOVE animals. My latest obsession is the fox. In my opinion, the fox is the new owl. Haha.

Who knew baby foxes were so adorable? Thank you Pinterest!

Baby Fennec Fox

Source: i.imgur.com via Noel on Pinterest

Baby Fox

Source: flickr.com via Nettie on Pinterest

A Baby Fox and a Baby Badger

Source: google.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

Fox Pocketbook Favor Box (with free printable template) from Paper Source

Hand Screen Printed Fox Pillow from the Etsy shop Robin and Mould

Melissa & Doug Princess Soft Toys Frisky Fox

Sleepy Fox Plush from the Etsy shop Sleepy King

Fox and Baby Print on Maple Veneer from Petit Collage

Printed Fox Pillow from the Etsy shop Kate Durkin

Fox Ukulele (with great tutorial) from Indie Pretty Projects

Toddler Fox Dress from Wild Things Dresses

Fox Painted on Wood from MirDinara

The Cure for the Common Monday #28

2012-02-19T21:08:00.000-05:00

Welcome!

Congratulations Ashley from Domestic Imperfection. You won the Cutting Edge Stencils Giveaway! Check your email for the details.

Features:

1. Button Heart from Southern Lovely

2. 22 ways to entertain your kids from Lifestyles of the Stay at Home Mom

3. Sewing desk makeover from How to Nest for Less (I LOVE the whole room)

4. Chalkboard napkin rings from Desperate Craftwives

5. Paper flowers from Everything Under the Moon (I love this picture!)

6. Personalized subway frame art from Crazy Daze Designs

If you were featured, grab a featured button!

The Cure for the Common Monday #27

2012-02-12T14:24:00.000-05:00

Welcome!

If you haven't already, stop by and enter the Cutting Edge Stencils giveaway.

Last week the link party collected was a little weird. I'm not sure why, but it seemed that everyone got a lot less clicks and views than usual. Everything this week should be back to normal. Also make sure you don't just link and run, but stay and check out some of the other links. If you are one of the first to share, then come back later in the week and see all of the great projects.

Features:

1. Ruffled heart top (with a very helpful tutorial) from Polka Dots on Parade

2. Pink chevron frame from Pitter and Glink (I love string art and the little heart is such a cute touch)

3. Valentine's hoop art from Life on the Miracle-Round

4. DIY ABC Board Book from One Dog Woof

5. February mantle from One Orange Giraffe (I love the look of red, white, and pink)

6. Hand-stitched Valentine's Letters from The Sewing Loft

If you were featured, grab a featured button!

Owl Crafts and Inspiration

2012-02-10T17:19:00.000-05:00

These mama bird owl cards are so cute and would make a wonderful card or decoration at any time of the year. See the full tutorial, along with a free printable template at Mmm Crafts.

Make cute owls from toilet paper rolls with this tutorial from El Hada De Papel.

What an adorable owl bib! This would make a great gift for a new baby, especially at an owl themed baby shower. Skip Hop Zoo Bib, Owl

I love these adorable Sleepyhead Eco Felt Owl Phone Cozies from the Etsy shop Happy Felties.

Make your own owl wings for a child with this wonderful tutorial from Lleve El Invierno.

Check out these beautiful fabric owl softies along with the helpful tutorial at Efemera Ink.

What an creative Valentine's Card - An owl made of hearts - from Live Learn Love

This adorable owl ornament would look cute any time of the year. I would especially love it in a nursery. You Go Girl made this using THIS excellent tutorial and free printable template.

I love how these black and white owl silhouettes look. See this beautiful wall art at Till Death Do Us Part.

I LOVE these owl rocks that were painted by Lori-Lee Thomas.

These Owl Treat Bags (great for Valentine's Day) are actually made with a sewing machine. Check out the full tutorial at Needle and Nest Designs.

This Owl Fabric from Bella Blvd is very cute. ("It's a Hoot #318)

What a beautiful owl switch plate from Anthropologie. I would love this in my room, if it only fit my light switches.

Here's one I made... a yarn-wrapped owl ornament. This was insanely easy and free to make.

Can't get enough owls? Go to My Owl Barn... a wonderful blog with a huge collection of owl crafts, products, and inspiration.

Cutting Edge Stencils Giveaway

2012-02-08T12:11:00.002-05:00

This giveaway is now CLOSED.

I had such a great experience using Cutting Edge Stencils to makeover my son's room. That's why I am so excited to share this Cutting Edge Stencils giveaway with you.

One Lines Across reader will win a free stencil (up to $50) with free shipping from Cutting Edge Stencils.

Here are a few of my favorite stencils.

Nagoya Allover Stencil

Dandelion Stencil

Zinnia Grande Flower Stencil

Japanese Maple Branch Stencil

You can even stencil a painting, a piece of furniture, pillows, curtains, or lamp shades.

If you are a beginner (like me), you might want to start with a simpler stencil. Most of the stencils have a recommended difficulty level. The intricate interlocking all-over stencils are probably the hardest.

Be sure to check out the helpful videos and tutorials that Cutting Edge Stencils provides.

The Giveaway:

Cutting Edge Stencils is giving away one stencil of your choice (up to a $50 value). The giveaway ends at midnight on Saturday, February 18. The winner will be chosen with random.org and notified by email.

To Enter:

Leave a comment below. Leave a separate comment for each entry, and include your email address in each comment. I will notify the winner via email on Sunday, February 19.

1. Click over to Cutting Edge Stencils and let me know what your favorite stencil is.

2. Follow Lines Across on GFC (new or existing)

3. Like Lines Across on Facebook (new or existing)

4. Like Cutting Edge Stencils on Facebook (new or existing)

Toddler Boy Room Makeover - Cutting Edge Stencils Review

2012-02-07T12:59:00.000-05:00

(Stop by and enter the Cutting Edge Stencils Giveaway, open through February 18, 2012.)

I have been desperately wanting to make over my son's room for about a year. However, since we are not sure how much longer we are going to continue living where we are now, I have been putting it off. Basically the room was an office/man cave that hadn't been painted in about 30 years.

BEFORE

AFTER

I was asked by Cutting Edge Stencils to do a review of one of their stencils as a part of a room makeover and I immediately thought of my son's room. His room also doubles as the play room, so we all spend a lot of time here, and I have been dying to make it cuter.

I started out by painting the walls with Behr Liquid Blue. The color turned out perfectly. Already the room was so much brighter and it felt so much cleaner and happier.

DURING

Cutting Edge Stencils has such a wonderful collection of cute stencils from all-over patterns, to trees, to dandelions. However, since most of the stencils are a little more on the girly side, I was drawn to the large polka-dot stencil. Benjamin loves dots and circles so I knew he would enjoy this stencil.

This is where I had a lot of trouble making decisions. A part of me wanted to just paint one wall with one color dots, like this picture.

Another part of me wanted to make only a strip of dots and to make them multi-colored. This would be more complicated, but I knew it would be more fun and Benjamin would enjoy it more.

Since I had decided to go with the more complicated multi-colored dots, I wanted to plan out what it would look like first. I got a few paint samples in the colors I wanted, I punched out a lot of holes with a single hole punch, and I glued them onto a blue/turquoise piece of paper, close to the color of the wall. Here are my favorite two choices.

Cutting Edge Stencils sent me a mini roller, the LARGE polka-dot stencil (which came with an extra single circle stencil), and a clip-on level.

They recommended using acrylic paints, but I tested them on the wall and I was not happy with the way it looked. So I used more Behr paints (I got sample sizes of different colors). Using different colors definitely made the process take longer, but it really wasn't that bad at all.

I simply taped the stencil (the level was extremely convenient and helpful) with blue painter's tape, painted the different colors with two or three coats of paint, and waited for it to dry. I had a large fan blowing towards the wall which helped speed the process up.

Since I was working with a textured wall (not recommended), the stencils were not as precise as they would usually be. I had to go back occasionally with the liquid blue paint to fix any spots. I doubt this would be necessary on a flat smooth surface.

I did not need to clean the stencil between each use, as long as it had time to dry. I was even able to do different colors in the same hole with no problems at all.

Here is the final result. I LOVE how it looks, and the stencil was such a fun and surprisingly easy way to brighten up this room.

I used some of the extra green paint to paint the Ikea spice racks to match. I have a few other similar projects planned around the room.

AFTER

Sponsor Shout-Out

2012-02-07T11:54:00.000-05:00

If you don't already follow my two sponsors, then you are missing out!

Cheryl from That's What Che Said... is so creative and is constantly coming up with great projects.

I especially love all of her holiday projects, like these adorable Valentine's mailboxes.

You can also follow along with Che on Facebook.

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Brooke from Get Outta My Head Please is hilarious and creative.

I love how she used her wedding bouquet as a Valentine's Day centerpiece.

She also hosts a fun weekly link party on Mondays called Show it off Mondays.

You can also follow along with Brooke on Facebook.

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You may have noticed I have made a few small changes to my advertising options. Email me at linesacross(at)gmail(dot)com if you are interested in advertising here.

The Cure for the Common Monday #26

2012-02-06T09:12:00.001-05:00

Welcome!

Features:

1. Big Bow Pillow Case from Rae Gun Ramblings

2. Man Cave Pillows from Loopy Loop Creations

3. Valentine's Pie Hearts from Nifty Thrifty Things

4. Dino Hoodies from Vixen Made

5. Nursery Library Cart Bookshelf from Nokoikonomia

6. Forest Friends Baby Shower from Fowl Single File

Scribble Card

2012-02-04T13:13:00.000-05:00

I saw this idea on Pinterest and thought that you could use this idea to make a cute Valentine's Day card.

Source: artprojectsforkids.org via Rachel on Pinterest

My son just turned 2 and a half and he loves to color. However, basically all he does is scribble and scribble until the page is covered.

What you need:

Paper
Crayons or Markers
Scotch Blue Painter's tape, or masking tape
(Wider 2 inch tape is better for bigger shapes like a heart)

What you do:

Cut or fold your paper/card to the size you want. Tape down the border evenly with blue tape. Test the tape you use first to make sure that it easily peels off of your paper.

Cut out other shapes and letters from the tape and place them onto the card where you want them.

For the letters, I cut out lots of strips and layered them. It would be very difficult to cut out each letter as one piece. The heart is also two halves.

If you want to, you can choose just a few colors for your toddler to use. I started that way, but Benjamin kept asking for a new color. He naturally wanted to cover the whole page (he especially wanted to draw on the blue tape), but sometimes I had to ask him to color one spot or another.

Carefully peel away the tape and you are done.

Hole Punch Art

2012-02-02T16:09:00.002-05:00

I made two different versions of this hole punch art. I've seen this idea so many places before that I don't know who to credit.

The first one I made for Lyla's room for Valentines day.

What you need:

A heart hole punch
Card Stock, Scrapbook Paper, or one paint chip (with different shades)
Glue

What you do:

This is such a simple and basically free project. This heart idea would made a very cute homemade Valentine's card.

Punch out your hearts. Decide where you want to place them on the paper and lightly mark with a pencil. Glue them. Frame it.

I made the car punch for Benjamin's room (which I am in the middle of redecorating). I actually used the paint chips that I used to stencil his walls so it will patch perfectly. Plus I already had them lying around the house.

My favorite part is how much Benjamin loves it. Like most 2 year old boys, he LOVES cars right now. When I showed it to him, he ran to Grant and said, "Look what Mommy painted." Not quite right, but he does know I love to paint.

The Cure for the Common Monday #25

2012-01-30T10:43:00.000-05:00

Welcome!

I still haven't quite gotten back into the swing of things this new year. I have been working on a lot of great projects, mostly centered around a huge room makeover for my 2 year old son's room. I just haven't taken pictures and posted them yet.

Stop back by later this week and next week for an exciting giveaway from Cutting Edge Stencils, before and after pictures of my son's room, plus a few other tutorials for things I made for his room.

With the Superbowl coming up, I have been reminded of this cute football onesie tutorial I posted in the fall. It looks so cute in the end, and it is actually very easy to make. I hand-stitched it and it took about an hour.

Buttons:

2. Decorating in black and white from A Mother and a Daughter

3. Simple Valentine's Bookmarks from Vixen Made

4. Anthropologie knock-off vase from The Turquoise Piano (That gorgeous flower is made of PLASTIC SPOONS?! - I have to try this!)

5. A smoothie that increases brainpower from Natural Mother's Network

6. How to make your own canvas wall art from Nokoikonomia

Everyone is welcome to join this link party. Share something crafty or creative. Share a recipe or a household tip. There are three simple rules.

1. Follow Lines Across My Face (I also will be sharing some of my favorites throughout the week through Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest).
2. Post the Cure for the Common Monday button somewhere on your blog (or link back to Lines Across My Face).
3. Visit and comment on at least one link for every post you share.

Shortbread Valentine's Day Cookies

2012-01-23T22:01:00.001-05:00

I love these shortbread sugar cookies. They are very rich and delicious and they taste like fancy cookies from a special bakery or a cookie bouquet. I make them every Christmas, and often for other special occasions, like Valentine's Day.

Shortbread Cookies

(One batch makes about 3 dozen cookies)

Preheat the oven to 400

Butter - 2 cups
Flour - 4.5 cups
Confectioners Sugar - 1 cup
Vanilla Extract - 1 teaspoon
Almond Extract - 1 teaspoon
Salt - 1/2 teaspoon

Mix butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and almond in a large bowl. Combine salt and flour in a separate bowl. Gradually add the flour/salt to the other ingredients.

The dough is very thick. If you melted the butter (which I would definitely recommend), you might want to refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes so that it will be easier to roll and cut. I made three large balls with the dough before I put it in the fridge.

Roll the dough and cut out your shapes. Because there aren't any eggs in the dough, the cookies will keep the exact shape after they are baked. These cookies are great for making interesting shapes.

Bake the cookies at 400 for 10-12 minutes. They barely change color and if they start to brown very much then you have cooked them too long.

Royal Icing

I always add royal icing to the tops of these cookies. This kind of icing hardens into a candy shell and adds a fun texture and look to the cookies. There is a way to make this icing with egg whites, but you can also use Meringue Powder (I get it at Michael's), which is so much easier.

Confectioners Sugar - 2 cups
Warm Water - 3 to 6 tablespoons
Meringue Powder - 1.5 tablespoons
Vanilla Extract OR Almond Extract - 1/4 teaspoon

*Because this icing dries quickly, make sure that you always keep it covered*

Mix 2 cups of powdered sugar in a bowl with the meringue powder. Add the extract, then one tablespoon at a time, add warm water. Mix well as you add the water. Keep adding water until the icing is the consistency of a thick liquid. Even though you are using 2 cups of powdered sugar, you will end up with less than a cup of icing. This amount covers about 3 dozen cookies. I add food coloring to the icing for fun and sugar sprinkles to the icing before it dries.

{If you want to add the white icing lines across the cookies, you can just use a plastic ziplock bag. Put some icing in the corner of the bag. Cut a VERY small hole in the corner of the bag. Squeeze the icing onto the cookies.}

The Cure for the Common Monday #24

2012-01-23T11:55:00.001-05:00

Welcome!

I am excited to see what you all have been up to this week. I have been painting and redoing my 2 year old son's room. It has been a lot of work, but I am loving the results!

Features:

1. Turn wine bottles into drinking glasses with this tutorial from Scissors and Steam. This is one of the most interesting tutorials I've seen in a long time. You have to check it out. It is a little crazy, but I would love to try it. Hmm... maybe I shouldn't.

2. Pinterest Inspired Bathroom Makeover from Spruce Your Nest

3. Splatter Paint Table from Life as a Thrifter

4. Cupcake Cake Balls from The Kurtz Corner

5. Crochet and Braid Scarf from One Dog Woof

6. Marble Run from So Here's My Life