Mom's Of All Trades

Yard Sale to DISNEY!

2011-07-16T05:44:00.000-06:00

Saturdays when the Husband works Miss A & I like to hit the yard sales. Sometimes we strike out and end up shopping but sometime we strike gold! Saturday we hit a yard sale and this mirror immediately caught my eye! I was a little bummed when they said it came with a decorative table (I have NO room!) But after I started to walk away they gave me the option to but it for $5 bucks…SCORE! I knew exactly where this mirror belong, in Miss A’s room! My little vainy smurff loves to see herself. Actually when we got home and I put it on the floor she ran and grabbed her shoes and was showing them to the cute girl in the mirror. She also ate lunch with the cute girl in the mirror.

Despite possibly creating a monster or never seeing my little girl once this is in her room I continued with my idea. I spray painted it PINK! I thought some fabric flowers would add a little flair to it but once I had them made I couldn't decide on how to arrange them. Then I came upon this arrangement! I ran and grabbed some Mickey brads I had and turned it completely around!Tada! I also came to the conclusions Mirror have to be the hardest thing to photograph!

What do you think? What's your best Yard sale find this year?

Easy Custom Strap

2011-07-13T06:23:00.000-06:00

I have had my DSLR for about 4 months and every boutique I go to I check out the camera straps. We went to a Baseball game and everyone there had a DSLR and I got to thinking I want mine more personal. So what better way then to add some material.

I grabbed an old strap I had lying around because I didn't want to mess up my new one! I bought a cute simple pattern, you wont need much. I bought 1/4 of a yard. I laid my camera strap over the material I made it thicker so I could wrap the material around a couple of times for some extra comfort. Then I simply pinned in place This may surprise you but I chose turquoise thread! Told you it was my favorite right now!

I have received so many compliments on it so far and it cost me a WHOPPING $1.44 for the material and about 10 minutes of work! Should I add a ruffle or flower?

Ruffle Flag shirts

2011-07-10T13:07:00.001-06:00

Well I broke down and made Miss A a cute little shirt for the 4th! My friend asked if I could help her make some for her girls and I figured as long as I was pulling everything out I better make my little one a shirt! I bought a cheap little tank top at Wal-Mart ($2.50). I bought it big because secretly I am hoping she can wear it next year but really who am I kidding I will make her another one! It worked out good it shrunk quiet a bit! I LOVE LOVE LOVE The 4th and the colors. But for some reason Turquoise has been speaking to me A LOT! Rather then use the traditional blue I had an old scrap of turquoise. I went back and forth on doing flowers, flag or stars but I happened to lay a scrap on the shirt and i knew…I pinned my ruffles into place, and sewed them on. Literally it took 5 minutes to make this shirt! I added a little heart on the bottom Just to break up the white! I also left my first blue strip long and my bottom red so that I could tie it in the back I also added a fun hair do. Here is the front view of the shirt What do you think?

Do you want to see the other 2 I made to help out another friend. Her daughters were singing at the local Barbeque so they defiantly needed some American Pride! I used an old t-shirt cut up, a old tank top and scraps! Gotta love refurbishing!

The girls loved them!

Enjoy

Where are we?

2011-07-07T16:26:00.000-06:00

Thats right we are beach bashing it up with the Country Chic Cottage

Come check out a super fun swim makeover!

2 Ingredient Truffles

2011-07-07T08:54:00.000-06:00

How was everyones 4th? Did you all have fun, food, & Family? We sure did and not to mention we had some awesome fireworks! I did break down and make Miss A a shirt, I will add a little tutorial for you soon, here in Utah we still have the 24th to celebrate too! I thought I would share an easy recipe that reaps LOT & Lots of Praise! Besides it is super easy and cheap!

Do you have a love for the truffles but they all seem like a lot of work? Well these are defiantly the ones for you. They take little time and you only need 2 ingredients! I found these when looking for fun treats for a cookie exchange I went to a while back. They are so easy and yummy. I think just the name Truffles People assume you went to lots of work ;)
Items Needed:

1 8oz pack of Cream cheese
Chocolate (1 pkg of almond bark or 2 1/2 boxes of melting chocolate)

Start with whipping your cream cheese, while that is whipping melt half of your chocolate. Set the other half aside that is what you will coat your truffles with. I melted my Chocolate in the microwave 2 minutes and stirred and did 30 second intervals until it was all melted. Add the melted chocolate to your cream cheese and mix wellAT this point you can go onto the next step and keep it 2 Ingredients or I like to try my luck and test different combos. I have added some mint extract to make them mint truffles, I have also whipped in a 1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter (my husband and his work favorite!). If you want 2 types simply split the mix here and add different flavors (I am going to try orange next!). Next once you decide what flavor you would like and it is mixed in scoop out your mix onto wax paper. I use a mini scoop so they stay similar in size. you can also use a spoon and drop them onto wax paper. Refrigerate the balls for about 1 hr until firm enough to hold their shape in melted chocolate. I usually shape them into better ball shapes before I dip them. Melt your other half of chocolate, I added a little shortening because a very wise woman (Tara’s Mom!) told me a little shortening in your melted chocolate gives it a shinny coat!Dip then decorate! You can add sprinkles to pretty them up, I added some melted peanut butter to the peanut butter ones. You can also roll them in powdered sugar and coco powder if you don't want to dip them! Stand back and enjoy the praise!

Happy 4th of July

2011-07-03T09:01:00.000-06:00

Just want to wish all of you a Fabulous and Safe holiday weekend! We will be parting up in our little town. They go all out from parade to Ping pong airplane drops to minute to win it challenges and don't forget they even bring out a 27ft waterslide! This little town goes ALL OUT! Oh and not to mention they light the fire works from a 2 blocks away! Can you see the smiley face in last years fireworks! Enjoy we will see you after the long weekend!

Patriotic Week: FOOD!

2011-07-01T06:03:00.000-06:00

Well what better way to ring in the holiday then what us Americans do best… EAT! Ha Ha good foods can make or break any get together! So here are a few that I would LOVE to make

Two Shades of Pink made these ADORABLE Sparkler cupcakes, Um how cute are these! I have seen these before but seriously, that's a cake! Glorious Treats made these amazing flag cake and it looks perfect and tasty. Homespun With Love shows you how to make edible sparklers! They are so stinking cute! Creative2xmom brings us some Patriotic fruit kabobs! Love them! These are also so adorable and how easy! No Biggie makes these and I know they would go great on any table top. Also No Biggie made these cute watermelon slices great way to use your inner watermelons from the jack o lanterns Simply Designing made these simply delectable pops. You will not believe how easy these are. But The Masked Mommy takes the cake, or the pop! How cute is he? Love this!

So what are your favorite holiday treats? Traditions?

Patriotic Week:Family Fun

2011-06-30T07:52:00.000-06:00

What better way to spend the holidays then with family. What better way to entertain family then with some fun, quick, crafty games!

You could make a bean bag toss game from Chic & Jo. Simple games like this always provide hours of fun for us!

Alpha Mom shows you how to make some patriotic chalk! Miss A would be all over these! You could have a fun game of Frisbee Golf! My Computer is my canvas has even made printable to complete it. I know you’ll agree this is a much better use for laundry baskets ;) There is also Patriotic Ping Pong! Green Acres Hobby Farm made this fun game for $3 Bucks! This is the coolest Secrets of a Super Mommy made Watermelon Jack o Lanterns! How fun would these be and I know the inside would be better then pumpkin guts!

Patriotic Week: Printable

2011-06-29T07:16:00.000-06:00

Nothing says I love America like Free Printable! Ok maybe they are just super fun and will add a little Flair to your July Festivities! Plus you cant complain about the price and the hard part is clicking PRINT! ';)

This is my absolute favorite saying. Measured By the Heart made it way to easy for me to have it this year!

Crafting Chicks made this tribute to all great things! I love this tribute to Rock N’ Roll from Ladybird LN. It is great to be an American also ;) The Letter 4 made this perfect size decoration! LOVE IT! Flip flops and fireworks! That is exactly how I will be spending my 4th, Thanks Living Locurto. Simply Creative Insanity has posted a way to share the fun with your neighbors. Mini pies with some fun printable to attach. Catch My Party has everything you need to print out for a fabulous party. I love that Skip To My Lou made these fun pop markers! And this printable from A Brooklyn Limestone just makes me laugh. I would love to have a party and use these!

Cant wait to share with you tomorrows part of Patriotic week!

Patriotic Week: Clothes & Accessories

2011-06-28T07:31:00.000-06:00

Ok this is probably my favorite part of holidays, clothing and accessories! Seriously I could spend all my time making fun clothes for Miss A! I swear kids can pull off anything! So here are some fun things to check out before the big holiday.
4 Crazy Kings made this super clever 4th of July clip to add to this shirt. How cool is that then the shirt is still just plain and you can make more clips for other holidays! LOVE IT I have had these shirts from Make it & Love it in my bucket list for years and still have yet to finish one! I love that the girl one is so ruffley and her little boys is matching! Generally Creative made these adorable sets. See I told you I could go on for days with fun outfits! Homemade Mamas and after you get the outfit made you need to properly accessorize with what better then fluffy flip flops, A summer must if you ask me! A Story of a Princess and her hair I really wish Miss A’s hair was this long and I could pull this off! LOVE IT!
I REALLY plan on making these. The Nurturing The Tender Years made these adorable lei’s. How fun to hand these out to all our little friends at the parades. I will also be attempting this made by The Mothers Huddle. So cute! And seriously what would a holiday be with out MINNIE, Or “MIMI” as she in known in my house. Tinkeranniebelle made these adorable earrings and matching ring! What are some fun outfits/ accessories you guys have made for the 4th?

Patriotic Week: Home Decor

2011-06-27T13:08:00.000-06:00

Are you all ready to decorate your home. Well if you haven't already here are some AMAZING ideas.

A big ♥ goes to this Topiary from A Diamond In the Stuff. Seriously there isn't 1 thing about this I would change, love the colors with the ribbon! Wonderwoman Creations has created a button masterpiece. Look at how amazing this is. Flamingo Toes made these adorable patriotic summer dish towels. I need to get on the ball and make some. Maybe if I do Christmas colors I will have them done by November! Good old Martha Stewart, Look at these adorable napkin rings! Crafts & Sutch made this adorable hanger. I totally have some of these stars, never would have thought they could look like this.I am totally in like with these glitter USA from Eighteen 25. It takes me right back to school days. LOVE GLITTER! And of course one more from Martha Look at these pinwheels. You could add them to anything! Wreath, bowls table cloths baskets. What fun! So are you ready to decorate the house? :) I am!

Patriotic Week: Wreaths

2011-06-26T12:24:00.002-06:00

Since I have been a super slacker on my crafting, ok truthfully I feel a little overwhelmed and extra busy! Seriously I am having a hard time balancing life with a blog! do any of you feel that way some times? I LOVE summer and the 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays so I want/plan on partaking in every parade, party, craft possible. But with all of you amazing crafters out there my craft bucket list is turning into a novel! Ha Ha and rather then swamp myself with all the crafts I need to make and post I thought I would share this week a collection of all the wonderful crafts that have been completed and If I had all the time in the world, along with the time I have been spending on wedding alone(seriously I can grow weeds like a pro!).
To kick off our patriotic week I give you WREATHS! YEAH!
Tatertots & Jello made this ADORABLE Wreath out of RED HOTS, the husband would be in drooling over this one! I love the firework also. Landee See Landee Do made this fabulous wreath out of ribbon. Serious I am lovin’ the fireworks on it! To stick with my ruffle obsession Michele at The Scrap Shoppe made this one. I love how she added the buttons! Never would have thought of this!Just Sew Sassy made this Pinwheel wreath and I might be developing a crush on pinwheels! I love the colors in this Flower power wreath from Reasons to skip the housework.
And for those who want a different shape this would be my choice, Young & Crafty, Besides the fact that it is in my budget ;) A big Thank you to all you ladies for your inspiration for wreaths! I hope this helps you guys get motivated on making a patriotic wreath. If you have some fun 4th of July crafts you would like me to share email me at momsofalltrades@yahoo.com

MMMM Doughnut Holes

2011-06-21T13:19:00.001-06:00

Does anybody else get the craving for fresh homemade doughnuts. Then once you have searched for your recipe and found the perfect one the prep time is an hour! Who wants to wait that long?! I want doughnuts and I want them NOW! SO here is the world EASIEST recipe (actually I don't think you can even call it that!) Here is the quickest homemade doughnuts with out a hard recipe to follow. In fact you can make these for the family and neighbors and take credit for slaving over these!

Simply grab refrigerator rolls. I had some Pillsbury Grand's in my fridge so this is what I used. You can use any brand any style they all work great! Next you will need a doughnut hole cutter. Don't have one, Ill show you mine! Yep it is the top of a water bottle! It works to get the perfect size doughnut hole!

If you want at this point you can punch a hole in the center of the biscuit and it will fry up a doughnut but I like the doughnut holes, you get more ;) Simply punch out all the dough and then fry up. I fried them at *350 in my deep fryer for about 5 minutesThey will come out nice and golden! next pick your topping. I usually do a batch of cinnamon & sugar and then one of Powdered sugar! Then sit back and sample! Enjoy your homemade doughnut holes in less then 10 minutes! The best part is when friends ask for your recipe!

Enjoy

Rhodes Winner

2011-06-20T08:52:00.002-06:00

Winner, winner Rhodes dinner? Well here they are

How funny is that! Well who was #5 & #9?

Julia said... 5 Heck yes I'm a follower! :) I love Rhodes because all the work of making the dough for recipes is already done for you... Leaving the rest so simple. It takes the intimidation out of it, and it makes you want to cook with it! I love the pull apart rolls! Yum!

and

Zodiac said... 9 I already know how to use the bread to make pizza dough and that is about the extent of my cooking abilities.

CONGRATULATIONS! Email me at momsofalltrades@yahoo.com and I will get your fabulous new cookbooks in the mail.
Thank you to all who entered I really appreciate your support!

Welcome Wenesday: Sitting At Our Kitchen Table

2011-06-15T07:07:00.004-06:00

We are so excited to introduce you to Amy today. She has a fabulous blog with lots of fun stuff. After you read this post you should check out her Summer Bucket list and Apothecary Jars! Love them both!

Hi, Mom's Of All Trades readers!!!

I'm Amy and I'm super excited to be doing a guest post today! Thanks, Ladies!!!

You can normally find me in my own little spot of Bloggity Heaven over at Sitting At Our Kitchen Table.

I wanted to share this cute little idea I whipped up for my daughter's 2nd birthday, but first...a little background.

My hubby and I had two boys. That was perfect. Happy Family of Four. Boys worked for me, because I am by no means a girlie girl. I brush my hair in the morning and that's it. I put on make up about twice a year. Very jeans and tee. But God had a different plan.

He surprised us with Diva-Queen-Pretty-Pink-Princess. AKA Kat. I'm still me...but I find myself fixing HER hair twenty times a day! This newly two-year-old Feminine Tornado wakes up, says "Mornin' Mama!" then immediately runs her fingers through her hair and demands, "BOW! Pretty Hair!"

So we now have a bazillion clippies and doo-dads and clear minuscule rubber bands. I wanted to corral them all into something clever and cute...and here's how I did it!

I started with one of these multi-use containers.

I picked out some scrapbook paper that would work well in Kat's room and cut out a piece to fit the top of the box. Then I pulled out my Silhouette and cut out a tag. The paper I used had a design on one side and the other side was a solid coordinating color. I was able to squeeze out both pieces from the same piece of 12 x 12 paper.

Then I smeared some Modge Podge across the lid of my box.

I put the patterned paper down and smoothed out any bubbles. Then I ran a piece of ribbon through the holes on the tag and Modge Podged that in the center of the lid.

I opened the lid and hot glued the ribbon to the underside. It makes it a little harder to open and shut (but with a toddler that's obsessed with her hair...that's a good thing!). And then I trimmed the excess ribbon.

I fired up my Silhouette again and typed the words "Hair Candy" and then cut them out in black. My final step was to Modge Podge them down and then give the entire top a glossy coat.

Whoops! I fibbed...the FINAL STEP was to fill it up!

It is truly a box filled with sweet things for my Sweetie's hair!

Pillow FIght

2011-06-14T07:23:00.001-06:00

Have you all noticed our button on the side? Well it is a great cause and I am so excited to have my neighbor & friend Carlee and her amazing blog Ladybird Ln. Carlee was one of the reason I started craft blogging. She has and AMAZING Contest starting tomorrow that you will ALL want to enter. The Prizes are AWESOME! The guest judges also AMAZING! Ha Ha Maybe I am just saying that because yours truly are judges!! But back to Carlee I am so excited she is here today and I am a little shocked she shared an embarrassing picture of me PREGNANT! Ha ha that's the husband and & I on the left with Carlee and her cute family! So read this and go check out her fun blog!I also Promise to share the Brownie Cup recipe!

I am so happy to be here at Mom's of All Trades! Kori and Tara are amazing, I can say that because I know them in real life! Kori is honestly one of the most creative people I know, if I ever need an idea, I know just who to call! She is also very generous and fun! This is an OLD picture of us, isn't Kori the cutest pregnant lady?

However, she is HOLDING BACK on you faithful readers, yup that is right she is keeping secrets from you! Whenever we have a get together, Kori never has to ask what to bring it is expected that she brings BROWNIE CUPS! They are seriously a little bit of heaven.... and she has not shared.... yet!

Anyway, my name is Carlee, and I have a little blog with my sister Alyssa called Ladybird Ln. Today, Pillow Fight I am having on my blog that starts TOMORROW!!! And guess who one of the judges are?... Yup you guessed it Kori and Tara!

Every month on our blog, we feature a charity, service organization, etc... and a project we crafters/bloggers can unite in to help with that cause!

This month we are featuring a project very near and dear to our hearts. I have a great friend, Malynn, who is 14 years old, and has undergone some tough TOUGH medical stuff recently. She has been in and out of the hospital for the past 6 months. One might expect after all the medical problems she has endured she would be bitter and resolved. But not Malynn, she is amazing in so many ways. Instead of focusing on her issues she wants to help others. Malynn is an incredible seamstress, at the age of 14 she far surpasses my sewing ability! Just look at one of her latest purses..

Yup, she is amazing! She has made it a goal to donate 100 bright cheerful pillow cases to Primary Childrens Medical Center, to brighten up the patients rooms! When she was in the hospital it was so comforting to have her own pillow.

I decided I wanted to help her out with this great cause.... and what better way than a

PILLOW FIGHT! It is called Pillow Fight--For a Cause! Essentially this is a pillow contest where you can enter your homemade ruffly throw pillows, your sweet decorative pillows, your fleecy flower pillows, your bedazzled pillowcases... pretty much anything pillow related, that you have made. THE CLINCHER IS, in order to enter this contest you must donate a pillowcase, one pillowcase per entry! A bright, cheery, fun pillow case! You can either send it to me, and I will let Malynn donate it, or you can donate it to a local hospital, womens shelter, etc. You just have to let me know that you donated one!

We have some FABULOUS prizes for this contest. HUNDREDS of dollars worth of prizes! We will have guest judges narrow down the pillow field to ten, and then open it up to voting. The top three pillows will receive some amazing prizes. You even have a chance to win a pattern from AMY! Sponsors for this event include... Kati Cupcake, Cap Creations, Sew Obsessed, Vinylize It, Funky Polkadot Giraffe, Naptime Crafters... And Malynn and I are even going to throw in some prizes. We will also have one random prize for anyone who links up--sound terrific, I think so! For more information click HERE!

So are you in? What is that you say, you don't know how to make a pillowcase? Well, let me show you! Creating a pillow case is simple, fast, and fun. It is a great beginner project, for any age. This would be a great project to teach your child how to sew! It took me less than an hour to complete this pillow case, and that was taking pictures as well!

Basic Pillow Case

Cutting List:
Main Body Fabric: 3/4 yard fabric {or 27 inches by Width of Fabric (WOF)}
Band Fabric: 1/4 yard fabric {or 9 inches by WOF}
Trim Fabric: (Optional): 1 strip, 2 inches by WOF

Instructions:

All seams are 1/4 inch, unless otherwise noted.

With wrong sides together, fold the band fabric in half lengthwise and press. Do the same with your trim fabric.

Baste together the folded trim piece to the folded band fabric. 1/8 inches from the raw edges along the length of the strips.

Basting, simply means create a long running stitch, so that the two pieces stay together. Don't worry if they do not line up perfectly at the ends, we will fix it later on!

Pin the band/trim to the right side of the pillowcase panel along the long edge, raw edges together, with trim sandwiched in the middle.

Sew together. Zig zag, serge, or overlock raw edges together (To help prevent fraying).

Trim up the uneven layers of your pillow. I used a rotary cuttery, ruler, and mat. But you could just use scissors!

Your pillow case should look like this now!

Fold the pillowcase right sides together. Pin together, making sure to match the band seam line. Sew a strait seam along raw edges. Zig zag, serge, or overlock raw edges.

Turn right side out; Press! You are finished Easy Peasy right! Below is some pillow case inspiration, all of these pillow cases are ones that I made, or that were given to me. Pillowcases make great gifts!

I tried to make this tutorial as strait forward as possible, but you can email me with any questions!

Please come join the Pillow Fight, on our blog! You can link up your pillow creations
June 15-22!

I am trying to spread the word about this contest, I would love to donate 100 pillow cases! I can not imagine what it would be like to have a child in the hospital for extended periods of time. I hope these pillowcases can be a comfort, and reminder of home!

Thank you Mom's for letting me crash your blog today!

Too Long to Ruffle-tacular!

2011-06-09T20:58:00.001-06:00

Well Happy weekend to all of you! Ok so it is close enough for me! Have you all entered the Rhodes Cookbook giveaway? Come on it doesn't get easier and they are fabulous recipes! Also are you guys wanting to guest blog on here? We are scheduling the month of July and would LOVE to have all of you! Just email us at momsofalltrades@yahoo.com.

Well are you wondering what I have for you today. Here in Utah we FINALLY have summer! And water, lots and lots of water this year. I have a feeling we will all be swimming soon! With all the warm weather I find it hard to put on my long winter skirts, oh and the fact that it went out of style 10+ years ago! ;) So I have been looking at my skirt and knew it needed definite help. Agreed?!

I know and I actually wore it like this to church last week! So I put it on and took some self pictures. Not the best but you get the point. I used a scientific method of marking how much I wanted to cut off. I pulled the skirt up to the level I wanted and then marked it with a pen! That how I roll!I chopped off the bottom half of the skirt and look at that slit, may be a little to reviling! Ha Ha But I knew exactly what to addI grabbed my stack of old tank tops. I knew they still had a purpose! I grabbed one and added it under the slit and once again used the same method but used a washable marker and traced the triangle. I cut the triangle out (the white part) from the old tank top and I now had my modesty back!I could have left it like this and finished up the top. But I wanted more! Plus I had all those tank tops that needed a purpose! I cut 2 of the tank tops into 1 inch strips and began pining and sewing each row at a time.I also found some lace and added that to the mix. I continued my ruffles all the way to the top. Then pinned it into the slit.Then just sewed it in. I added the original waistband back in and TADA! Once again some Self portraits. Hopefully the ruffles take attention off my butt! ;)

I can proudly walk into church Sunday and know I am within the style! What do you think? What fun changes have you made to update your clothing?

Happy Weekend

Welcome Wenesday: HOMEROAD

2011-06-08T06:19:00.018-06:00

Weare so excited to get to share Susan with you today! Seriously I love this idea, I have about 100 (ok at least 10 my house is small) that I need one of these. Dont forget to check out Homeroad after you see this awesome post!

Hi, I'm Susan...I write and create at

homeroad

I'm the mother of 4 girls and I've been married to my husband Jim for 20 years. I'm a full time teacher with one of the world's best jobs. Currently I work in the school library teaching classes to children in the primary grades. It's my job to read to young children every day and teach them about some amazing authors and illustrators. I write about some of my lessons on my other site

Library Lessons

I've always enjoyed crafting and decorating. I like to sew, make jewelry and do projects around the house. I'm always up for learning new things and I enjoy teaching what I know to others. I'm energized by working on my blog, I love creating. My favorite thing to do is thrifting and turning junky finds into something spectacular! Recently I've opened up my Etsy shop:

Homeroad the Store

Stop by and have a look!

Take a look through my site at homeroad.

I hope you like it and can take away some inspiration from me.

Here is a new post from my site...

Enjoy!

How to Make a Junk Inspired Memo Board

...from (you guessed it) the junk in my garage

and a stash of old barn wood, This piece I believe is cherry.

I divided up the board into 3 spaces.

I painted the center section with chalkboard paint....

The second section I added cork for a bulletin board...

And the third I left blank for hooks...

I stenciled on the words "notes" and "keys" and then

sanded them for a distressed look...

The chalkboard was ready...

I added rusty screws and a canvas floret to the cork...

and hooks for keys....

I hung the whole board from an old chain at the top.

And there my friends is

another funky memo board!

See the tutorial for my first junky memo board here.

Susan

Quick Travel first aid kit

2011-06-06T09:13:00.001-06:00

How was your weekend? I spent the weekend biking with the family and Birthday parties! Needless to say it is hard to complete a bunch of crafts with weekends jam packed! But today I thought I would share a quick fun First aid kit. I am the most accident prone person, I can cut myself by looking at something sharp!! So a first aid kit is something that should never be to far away from me!

I was shopping at Roberts and they had these fun little bead holders for $1.99 (plus a 40%off coupon). The inside is meant for different beads But it actually makes the perfect first aid kit!

Simply fill with first aid stuff (band aides, Neosporin, gauze, cotton balls, safety pin, Tums, Tylenol) And add to your purse, diaper bag, car, or perfect size for kids backpacks (just don't add the Tylenol I would hate for them to get in trouble!). I wrote on mine but Vinyl would also be cute. These would also make great little gifts for neighbors and friends.Also would be great for those graduate going off to college! You know when you left home a first aid kit was the last thing on your list!! Our be fun for a group activity.

Happy Monday!

ENDS SUNDAY :Rhodes Cookbook Giveaway

2011-06-02T09:26:00.000-06:00

Ended

Remember my Cinn-Rhodes bread? Well Stacie from Rhodes company sent me their new cook book,
Home Baked Family Favorites with Frozen Dough. It is complete with 200 photo packed pages with over 170 recipes! Let me be the first to tell you it is amazing! I have an older Rhodes cookbook and it is my favorite! They are simple recopies but excellent results! But my personal favorite is that every recipe has a picture!! For me that is a HUGE deal. I can cook but I really like to have an image to see what my food is suppose to look like once it is done! There are a lot with step by step guides too (YEAH!).
Wanna see what I cant wait to make? Keep in mind I took these pictures right out of the cookbook

French Toast Pockets

Chopped Jalapeno Cheese Bread

Crunchy Caramel Chocolate Sticks

Well Are you all drooling and wondering why on earth I would tease you like this? Well I guess if you read the title you would know that this is a giveaway! Yes one of you will be the lucky owner of Home Baked Family Favorites with Frozen Dough. So what do you have to do to enter? Here is where it gets complicated, ready
*Follow the Moms {Follow} not to hard! If your all ready a follower then the hard work is done ;)
Then just leave us a comment telling us your favorite thing about Rhodes. If you don't have a favorite thing well I suggest you head over to Rhodes Website or their blog Rhodes Blog!

What could be better then an amazing new cookbook? How about 2 cookbooks!! Yep we will have 2 wonderful followers winning these New Cookbooks! We will draw you 2 lucky winners on Fathers Day June 19th, 2011! If you cant wait until then here is the link to the Rhodes shop!!Also check ou<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; This page is using an iFrame and your browser does not support iFrams.&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; Please update your browser.&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

Good Luck Everyone and Thank you Stacie and Rhodes for this super fun giveaway!
~Kori & Tara

Welcome Wendseday : My World Made By Hand

2011-06-01T05:51:00.002-06:00

Have you wondered where we have been? Well we hope you all had an amazing Holiday weekend. We spent the weekend with our families and slacked on the blog! I promise we will have some awesomeness coming to you this week to make up for our MIA! There may even be a gift in it for you ;) and to kick off the AWESOMENESS we have Jessica here today with the coolest idea! Seriously I can think of 20 different sayings for some of these! I know you are will be so excited to try these!

So...this was me when I found out I'd be guest blogging here today..

Okay, okay, I'll admit it...he's a MUCH better dancer than me {{sigh}}

Wish I had a pair of moon boots like that!!! I'd totally rock them...

Oh wait...sorry...got carried away there for a second. Let me get back to the 'biz' of the day...

I'm Jessica from My World Made By Hand

Perhaps you've heard of it?

No?!? Well you should totally hop over, get some chocolate, pull up a chair and hang for a spell!

Well, after you read this totally awesome post that I'm about to share with you...mmmmkay?!?

Check it...Check it...

SHAZABOOEY!!!!

Want to make a SMOOCH SPRITZ Canvas of your own?

Oh, alright...I'll tell you how!

All you need is:

Some alphabet letters or shapes...you can use vinyl if you'd like.

A canvas {size and shape is up to you}

As you can see I chose the letters D I V and A...

And 'le piece de resistance'...

SMOOCH SPRITZ

Instructions:

{{ Ready for this? It's really hard...almost an impossible task! }}

1 ~ Protect your work service...there will be overspray.

2 ~ Lay out your letters

3 ~ Spray your spritz until you have the desired effect. I always spray the spritz once on my protective paper to get any air bubbles out.

4 ~ Let dry

and....wait for it...wait for it...

5 ~ Remove letters...

Wasn't that MAD CRAZY hard?!?

Phew...let me wipe the sweat from my brow...

You can leave as is or embellish. I had purchased this way cute pre-made flowers {wish I could claim that I made these too...but I can't...it would be SO wrong if I did} a while back and decided to use them here...

Hang and enjoy!!!

Now...what are you waiting for?!?

Enter My World and get lost for hours!!!

{{ or am I the only one that does that when she finds a new blog? }}

Thanks to Mrs Kori & Tara for having me...

Smooches!!!

Cookies with Bacon!

2011-05-26T10:06:00.001-06:00

Yes you read that right, I made Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookies with BACON! Most of you , like Tara are saying yuck, The rest of you are probably saying SERIOUSLY?! But I am here to tell you they were really good! I am not the biggest bacon fan but when I found this recipe I knew I HAD to try it. I knew if anything I could send them with the Husband to work! Well actually I did send them all only because I knew I would eat them ALL and it is getting swim suit season and I don't need to add Bacon cookies to my butt! ;)

Her is the recipe, it came from June issue of Food Network Magazine.

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip-Bacon Cookies

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of chipotle or ancho chile powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
5 strips bacon (1/3 pound)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup roughly chopped honey- roasted peanuts
1/3 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350* . Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, chile powder and salt in a large bowl.

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 4 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; reserve 2 tablespoons of the drippings and set aside to cool. Crumble the bacon, discarding any chewy bits.

Beat the butter and reserved bacon drippings in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in the peanut butter until combined, about 1 minute. Beat in the granulated and light brown sugar until creamy, about 4 minutes, then add the egg and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 more minutes.

Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour mixture in 2 additions, scraping down the bowl as needed, until just combined. Stir in the peanuts ( I didn't add peanuts because I am allergic! But ii am sure would just add that much more!) and all but 2 tablespoons each of the chocolate chips and bacon.

Form the dough into 12 balls and arrange 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Flatten with your fingers (the cookies will not spread in the oven); press the reserved bacon and chocolate chips on top. Bake until golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Let the cookies cool 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days, yeah right mine lasted less then an hour at Cam’s work! We also ate at least a dozen the 2 of us!! ;) Look at all that Bacon goodness!

These would be really fun Fathers day cookies! Or for the Bacon lover in your family, I know every family has at least 1! I was also thinking they would be fun to bring to a neighborhood brunch or Barbeque! Ok well they are good enough to take anywhere or hoard them for yourselves!

Welcome Wenesday: Purple Froggie Clay Stuff

2011-05-25T05:23:00.006-06:00

We are so excited to share another guest blogger with you today. Cindy from Purple Froggie Clay stuff is here to share herself and a super yummy recipe with all of you. I must say I totally cheated and had to try this right after she sent it to us! Yummy plus extras for lunch!

Recently I have been selected to be a guest host on Moms Of All Trades which is such a beautiful blog and such wonderful ladies that run it! Thank you very much Kori and Tara for this fantastic opportunity!

I've been asked to say a few things about myself, and that's the most difficult thing for me to do.. I can say loads of things about others, but when it comes to me, I draw a blank most of the time.

So, here goes... I just turned 40 on May 15th, I've been married to a wonderful man for 17 years. Our son will turn 16 this July. We've lived in our house for 15 years and I love it here!
I create jewelry and sell it in my online shop called Cobalt Moon Jewelry.

I am a Twilight fanatic! I've read all 4 of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight Saga books, at least 10 times each and the online book that was posted of Edward Cullen's version, at least 15 times! My parents and sister are my best friends and I rely on them quite a bit for moral support.

That's about all I can think of, I don't want to bore y'all any more.. lol

So, here's what I've decided to share with y'all :

I ran across this yummy recipe that I have made several times for my family. It can feed a small army!

It's called Mojito Chicken found on Food.com

Ingredients

2 tablespoons lime zest
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
1 tablespoon honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 chicken breasts, skinned and boneless
2 limes, cut in wedges
6 mint sprigs
4 cups cooked rice

Directions (Prep time 15 min. Total time 40 min.)

1.     Combine lime zest, lime juice, orange juice, honey, garlic, cumin, chopped mint, olive oil, and salt in a small bowl.

2.     Transfer one half of mixture into a covered container and refrigerate.

3.     Transfer the remaining the remainder of the mixture into a gallon size Zip Lock bag and add the chicken.

4.     Squeeze out the air from bag and seal.

5.     Let chicken marinade for at least 2 hours, or over night.

6.     Cook rice according to package directions, set a side

7.     Preheat skillet

8.     Remove the chicken from the bag and discard excess marinade.

9.     Place chicken in skillet and cook for 20-30 minutes, turning occasionally.

10. While chicken is cooking, pour reserved marinade into a small saucepan and bring to boil.

11. Transfer cooked chicken to a cutting board and cut into cubes transfer chicken to platter and spoon hot marinade on top.

12. Garnish with lime wedges and a sprig of mint and serve.

Thank you to Kori and Tara for inviting me to guest host with y'all!!

Old to New Cufflinks

2011-05-24T06:17:00.005-06:00

A while ago i was sitting in church and i saw a man wearing some cufflinks. They were these huge fake diamonds and even though I'm about 100% sure his wife bought them for him i could be wrong maybe he likes them. All i know is my husband wouldn't be caught dead in them so i thought why not make my mtn man some manly cufflinks.

Kori found an ugly pair and bought them for me and I've waited till closer to Fathers Day to do something with them.

I used a wire cutter and cut the top off.

I took 2 parts off of this bracelet.

I had to hold it up as it dried. After they dried i added a bit more to make it even more secure.

The one is not completely centered i hope i don't have to take it apart. We will see how it works.

Now what to put in here! Since my husband moves dirt for a living i thought about filling it with dirt and putting a clear coat on the outside. What do you guys think? What fun things are you guys doing for the men in your lives?

From Boy to Minnie!

2011-05-23T06:22:00.000-06:00

Miss A was invited to a Minnie Mouse Birthday party! I had already made he a Minnie Skirt and she needed a black top to go with it. Well having a huge selection of quick stores to run to aka Wal-Mart (yes I knew about the party for weeks and I totally put it off!) After the crappy week I had last week of course locating a black shirt was next to impossible! I am very lucky to have awesome friends and Heidi came to my rescue with this black shirt. It was a boys shirt with a pocket but I was NOT picky! I knew what I would do. Do you ever have an awesome image in your head and know there is no way you can mess it up?! Well this was one of those ideas and YES totally messed it up, but I also saved it. That should count right!!

I started by taking off the pocket and gutting the cute invitation. I used my glue stick and stuck the Mickey head to the shirt. Make sure your glue stick is washable!Next I broke out my Clorox bleach pen! I went around the entire Mickey working from the Mickey out. In my head this would have made cool white streaks that would look like the Mickey Head was busting out of the shirt! Because it was Black I didn't think it would go Orange (keep this in mind for Halloween!) I let the Bleach sit on the shirt for 30 minutes to get it as light as possible. I pulled off the Mickey head and rinsed out my shirt. I was a little bummed and thinking CRAP! What will I do know. I have to admit my AWESOME Mickey was looking more like a Bear/Lion and NOTHING like a Mickey. I must say I felt a little sad and alone. I knew it was a total fail so I really couldn't hurt it by trying some options. I ran to my craft room and grabbed my fabric markers to try to at least make a Pink Bear Lion shirt!! Well not loving it or knowing who to call and bounce ideas off of I decided to attempt an idea seen only attempted by children! I grabbed my Black sharpies and started coloring!! I know, I know, but this is what I ended up with! I even got complements on her shirt! WOOHOO!! I was a little proud of myself and I now know what NOT to do!!

What are some fun ideas you have used your bleach pen for besides that swear word , housework! ;)