Small Fry & Co.

The LAShop and 1 Great and Affordable Photo Backdrop

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:00:00 +0000

I think it is safe to say that everyone needs a place where they can buy something "unique" for that someone in your life who has everything. Or maybe you just want to give a gift that is different, quirky or one of a kind. Well The LAShop has got your covered. This is the online place to find all sorts of random items, things that are quirky, one of a kind and sometimes even a little wild. The LAShop contacted me a while ago to see if I would be interested in testing out one of their many photography items: a photo backdrop stand. My answer of course was YES!!!!. I have wanted one of these, I can think of many uses for one of these and now I am thrilled to be the owner of one of these. Before I go on, I just have to say that if you are into photography either professionally or as a hobby The LAShop has all kinds of great photography equipment and great prices and deals all the time.

Ok, now to talk about this photography backdrop.

First it shipped super fast. It came in this convenient carrying case.

When you open it there are spaces for the 4 main poles as well as two pockets for the actual stand pieces. One downside is that is didn't have any instructions, but after looking over each piece I figured out exactly how to put it together. One thing that I really love is how many ways you can change the size. You can make it taller, and you can make it wide or narrow depending on what kind of backdrop you need. It can be high and wide enough to fit over a couch (which you could then hide with a draped sheet or piece of fabric) or it could be wide enough to hold a sheet and project a movie onto. You could make it smaller to take individual portraits, or enlarge the whole backdrop and take a group shot. Lots of possibilities.

Here is a little look at it set up to take some pictures in my kitchen.

I don't have many things to use as backdrops right now, but now that I have the stand I will be investing. For now I tried a fleece blanket, and sheets. There are no clamps to hold the material to the stand either. I have been using clothes pins but asked my fabulous hubby for some C-clamps for my birthday coming up.

Ok so the disclaimer is that even though you may own some professional equipment, your kids will not behave any differently because of it and you still may not get great pictures. I did however luck out and get these great shots:

This one I did over my couch, so that my kids could sit on the couch while I took the picture. That was super convenient.

If you are looking for something to help with your photography hobby, or you want something that you can use occassionally that you don't have to break the bank to buy then The LAShop has got you covered. I also loved their photo tents and they have lots of background fabric options as well-seriously-everything you need. Check it out for yourself.

Coffee Filter Sunflower Wreath

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 10:00:00 +0000

It is crazy and wonderful to me, where I get inspiration from sometimes. The inspiration from this project came from a kids craft at out local community center that I saw at a glance after I took a dance fitness class. I saw these cute little sunflowers the kids had made out of coffee filters that they colored with crayons and I saw this wreath in my mind. And I have to say it is even more beautiful than I pictured it. I love how it turned out-so perfectly cheery and welcoming for the summer.

For this you will need:
coffee filters-1 package will do
yellow food coloring plus a drop of orange (I actually used a combo of yellow food coloring and a bit of orange Kool-aid because I didn't have orange food coloring)
Brown terry towel material (an old towel would work for this)
Hot glue
Wreath Base
Something to wrap said wreath base in (I used some fabric scraps but burlap would look awesome too-I didn't have enough)

Step 1: Dye your coffee filters. Let me share a link to my post on how to do this the super quick and easy way using Kool-aid and your dryer. Once these are dry lay 3 or 4 or 5 filters on top of each other. I used a combination of sunflowers made from 3, and from 4 and from 5 on my wreath. Ones made with 5 filters are fluffier.

Step 2: Fold the stack in half.

Step 3: Cut to look flower like. I trimmed some of mine down before cutting the petals so that I would have a variety of shapes of sunflowers. They don't have to be perfect because you can't tell in the final product.

Step 4: Open up the stack and alternate the layers so that all the petals are not laying directly on top of each other.

Step 5: Put a dab of hot glue between each layer.

Step 6: Cut the flower centers from the terry towel and glue in place. I just roughly cut circles.

Step 7: Repeat....A LOT.

Step 8: Wrap your wreath if you haven't already and then begin gluing on the flowers. Alternate them so they aren't all just directly on top of the wreath, have a few to the sides.

And you are done. And it looks AMAZING. I just love how happy it looks. I love sunflowers except for the fact that they loose their petals so quickly and their heads droop. But not this wreath-these babies will last all summer long (unless you put this directly in the sun or where it gets hit with rain...then I can't guarantee how long it will last).

Happy summer everyone.

Also shared here:

Bed Sheet Pajama Pants

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 10:00:00 +0000

When I was in college I had to take a parenting class in which we had to write a paper outlining our goals for our future family. Let me tell you that reading that paper now that I have kids is pretty hillarious. I was so clueless about what a real mom did. Most of the goals I set were completely unrealistic. One that I did write down, which I have actually had for a long time was under my "finacial" category. Under that category I said that I would live frugally, and could even make pajama pants out of bed sheets if necessary. I think I have been pretty good at living frugally and I finally crossed off the "making pj's out of bed sheets" goal. Think about it-what is more comfortable than a worn in sheet that keeps you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Not all sheets are created equal but when you find a good one that feels soft and smooth and cool and comfortable you are doomed to want to just hang out in bed all day. Well why not just take the sheet with you? I didn't make these pants because we are too poor to afford regular pajama pants but because I was shopping at our thrift store and happened to find one of those "perfect" sheets that was soft, and smooth and cool feeling and I loved the pattern. I knew exactly what I had to do with it: pj's for my girls.

These are pretty much as easy as you can get. You will need 1 bed sheet (size doesn't matter if you are making kid pants but it might if you are making adult pants) and a pair of pants to use as a pattern (ones that currently fit the same way you want the bed sheet pj's to fit). You will also need 3/4" elastic and small piece of ribbon.

Start by placing one pant leg inside the other on the pair of pj's you are using as a pattern.

Fold over your fabric so that it will be slightly wider than the pj pants and then double it over (so 4 layers total) so that you can cut both pieces out at one time.

Put your pajama pants on the sheet (you should have 2-3 inches at least around the pants).

Pin your pj pants down.

Now cut around the pants. You will want to leave extra room at the top and the bottom to allow for hems (remember that you can always make pants shorter but it is pretty tricky to make them longer). The pants I used as the pattern were getting short on Small Fry so I left extra at the bottom. They were also a bit tight so I cut my pieces about 1 inch bigger all the way around. If the pants you are using for a pattern fit well then you only need to leave about a 1/2 inch around the "pattern" to allow for the seams.

Now open up your fabric and pin the pieces together (right sides together). If you cut them the way I showed in the above picture then the first 2 pieces will form one leg and the second set of pieces will form the other leg.

Stitch the shorter of the two sides seams together-the one on the side with the curved part.

Open each leg piece and place on top of the other-right sides together, matching all the seams and pin along the curve.

Stitch the section that you just pinned. It works best if you kind of lengthen out the seam by holding it as straight as you can like this:

Here is what you should have so far (and you are probably going to look at these and go "Oh geez, I totally just messed up" but you didn't...I promise).

Okay next you need to open these and lay them with one large piece on top of the other (and they should look like pants). The seam that you just sewed (the curved part) is the crotch seam (don't worry, it's acceptable to say crotch when you are talking about sewing stuff). I opened one section flat:

Then I opened the other piece and flipped it to be on top (right sides together) of the other piece. I will be honest and say it is kinda tricky (even looking back at these pictures I am not sure I really captured how to do it).

In the end it should look like this (so just mess around with them until they do):

Before you sew the side seams it is easier to hem the bottoms at this step while they are open and flat.

I serged first but that is not necessary. You can turn the hem twice and get the same effect. I turned mine up a 1/4" and then up 3/4".

Stitch along the top of the hem. Then sew the side seams top to bottom.

Lastly you will make the waste band. I used the pair of pants I used as my pattern to determine how big to make the hem for the waste (you could of course try it on your little model-mine was not home).

The same principle applies here as the leg hems-turn twice and sew once only this time leave an opening to insert the elastic (so don't sew all the same around...I leave a 1 inch opening). The best place to leave it is in the back of the pants. To determine which side is the back lay the pants flat and straighten out the crotch seam-one of the waste pieces should be longer than the other-they should not match up perfectly. The higher of the two is the back (cause it has to cover a little bum that sticks out).

Here is my 1 inch opening.

Measure a piece of elastic that fits around the waste comfortably without being stretched. Place a pin in one end and thread through the hem opening and around the pants waste band.

Pin the ends of the elastic together and stitch (make sure the elastic is not twisted any where in the waste band). Now before you stitch the opening closed, make a little tag out of a folded piece of ribbon. Tuck that in the opening and then stitch it closed.

And there you have it-super comfy and soft, comfortable pj bottoms; as comfortable as your favorite sheet.

Strawberry Shortcake No Bake Cheesecake

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 13:40:00 +0000

This is what I like to call "A delicious accident." I had company the other night and wanted to make these cake batter no bake cheesecakes that I found on Pinterest but as I got started I found that I didn't have all the right ingredients and then in the process of trying to substitute ingredients plus my common tendency to not read the recipe directions fully, I soon realized that I was not making the recipe anything like it was originally written and so in the process I created my own delicious version of a no bake cheesecake. Think of a moist slice of french vanilla cake with whip cream and strawberries; those are all the tastes that are packed into one little jar.

Here is the recipe: (this makes enough for 6- 1/2 pint jars)

Crust

1 1/2 cups of crushed graham crackers (this gives you enough to make a thick bottom crust-you can reduce this amount if you just want a thin crust)

1/4 cup butter-melted

2 tbsp sugar

Filling

3/4 of a package of whipped cream cheese (8oz size)

1/2 pint of whipping cream (whipped to stiff peaks with the addition of about a 1/4 cup of sugar)

3/4 cup dry cake batter (I used a french vanilla flavor)

Additional sugar if you want it a bit sweeter

Topping

1 lb of strawberries hulled and sliced

1/4 cup sugar

Start by slicing the strawberries and combining them with the sugar. Set these aside and the sugar will help to create a nice syrup with the strawberries. To make the crust, melt the butter and pour over the graham crackers and sugar. Mix until combined. Spoon into the bottom of the jars. I used another little narrow jar to pack down the filling. Don't bake-just set them aside. Whip the whipping cream until it begins to thicken. Add in the sugar (1/4 cup) and continue whipping until it forms stiff peaks. Now to the same bowl with the whipped cream add the cream cheese and the cake batter powder and additional sugar. Stir until combined and smooth. Scoop into the jars. I used a small cookie dough scoop and then smoothed them out with a spatula. Then wipe the jar rims for a nice neat presentation. This makes enough filling to fill the jars 3/4 of the way full. If you are going to serve these right away, add the strawberries. But if you are going to serve these later refrigerate them first and add the strawberries right before serving. A dollop of whipped cream on the top would also be a nice addition. These don't make a huge serving-had I had enough ingredients I could have trippled the batch and eaten WAY more than a decent sized portion of these. This is just the perfect amount. These are not sickening sweet (unless you decide to add additional sugar to each step). They are creamy, they have that yummy cake taste and the strawberries with the simple syrup are the perfect finishing touch. A yummy and refreshing summer dessert. Add blueberries and you could make something really patriotic. Enjoy.

Oversized Window Screen Beach Bag Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 10:00:00 +0000

A while ago I shared with you this tutorial to make a beach bag out of window screen.

Well I am back now with another window screen beach bag but this is the over sized version. The first ones I made were perfect for one person but I often times found myself having to take 2 or 3 bags to actually fit all of our STUFF when we went swimming or to play in the sand. My friend and I were discussing that exact problem on a day we had taken our kids to play in the sand and both said that we needed a bigger bag. So out of necessity I created the over sized beach bag.

For this project you will need:
Window screen ( I bought a whole roll at Walmart for around $6.00) Unroll the screen and then fold it over so that you can cut a piece that is 24" (wide) by 23" long on the fold. (This is just the size that I made it but you really can make it what ever size you want and then adjust all the other pieces-there isn't a right or wrong size).
Fabric for the gathered ruffle (mine was 6"x 60" long-I wouldn't go shorter than that but you could make it longer and have a more gathered ruffle. You will need 2 pieces this long.) I got this beautiful fabric from Wholeport (and I just have to say as I was browsing again through their fabric selection I fell in love with about 25 new prints in only a couple of minutes)
Fabric for the handle loops: 1 1/2"x 12"
Fabric for the handles: 24"x4 1/2"
4 shower curtain hooks

To begin you will want to cut or tear your fabric for the ruffle and sew a gathering stitch up each long side.

Pull on your threads to gather the ruffle piece. Pin it to each side of the bag piece (not folded over) and adjust the gathers.

Now sew along each long side over top of the basting stitch. Don't worry about sewing the ends to the sides of the bag because they will get sewn in when you sew the sides of the bag. Repeat with the other ruffle on the other side of the bag. Use the first one you did as a guide for matching them up or you could measure too.

With both ruffles sewn in place pin the sides of the bag together and stitch a 1/4" seam.

Notice how the ends of the ruffle were caught in the stitching. Now you can trim that part off.

And it should look like this:

Next you are going to make squared off corners. To do this you will want to make sure the bag is wrong side out and then pull the sides and bottom of the bag out to form a point like this. Line up one side seam directly over top of the other side seam when doing this.

Sew a straight line across the point to form a triangle. I sewed mine so that at the point of the triangle it is 2" to the stitching line. I find a spot on my machine that I can use as a guide when sewing these.

Trim off excess fabric and repeat with the other side.

Turn the bag right side out and it should look like this and you are almost done.

Now hem the top by turning under the screen twice. I did mine a 1/2 inch each time. Pin in place. DON'T IRON IT!!! Now stitch along the bottom of the hem.

Now you will make the handle loops. To do this take your 1 1/2"x 12 inch piece and press it in half (wrong sides together).

Now open it up and press each side in to meet the middle fold and then fold it again.

Now stitch up one side at an 1/8 of an inch.

Cut that piece into 4- 3" pieces.

Now for the trickiest part of the whole bag-placing the loops. The only thing to remember with this step is that what you do to one loop you need to do to all 4. So if you measure in 6 inches and pin the loop and then pin the other side of the loop in 7" (which is what I did) then just remember to do that on the other 3 pieces.

Stitch over the loop ends. I stitch back and forth at the top of my hem and the bottom of my hem to really reinforce the handle loops.

On to making the handles. To make these I took the handle piece of fabric and folded it (right sides together) and stitched a 1/4" seam.

Then I turned it right side out and pressed it so that the seam was in the middle.

Stitch up each side of the handle piece with a 1/8" stitch.

Fold the handle piece in half (first in half width wise and then lengthwise) and measure down from the middle 1 1/2" and mark it with a pin.

Stitch from pin to pin creating a narrower section on each handle in the middle. I find it rests on my shoulders a bit better when I do this. Repeat with the other handle.

Lastly fold up 1/2" and then 3/4" on each end and pin.

Sew along the top only of this fold. Repeat on each end of each handle

Now loop the shower curtain hooks through the bag loops and the loops on the handles and then snap closed.

And you are done. Now you have a cute and very functional beach bag that doesn't trap all the sand from the beach and also helps your wet stuff air dry a bit while it is in the bag. It isn't washable in a washing machine but you could easily spray it off.

And it holds A LOT of stuff.

This project is quick and easy and pretty inexpensive. And you should have enough window screen left over to make one for someone else too. A great gift idea for the summer as well or for someone lucky enough to use it in a tropical location.

The Mommy Comparison Trap-A Real Mommy Moment

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 10:00:00 +0000

I wonder if pioneer women ever experienced mom envy or the mommy comparison trap? What about the pilgrims or viking women? Do women in 3rd world countries ever compare themselves to each other? I wonder if it is a "woman" thing or just something that plagues our society? What ever it is and what ever the reason for it, I find myself doing it way too often and in the process I always feel like I fall at the bottom of the "good mommy" ladder. Now I am not writing this to solicit comments telling me that I am a good mom. I am writing this because it happens to me and I wonder if it happens to you and what do you do about it.

I love going out with my kids and visiting with other moms and letting my kids play but so often when I do I come home and think of all the things that I do or don't do that must make me not as good as the other moms. I love reading blogs and checking Facebook but so often when I do I find myself comparing my kids to someone else's kids or my lack of social activities to someones obviously more exciting social life and I compare the way that I do things with how others do them and short change myself too much. I mean being a parent is a tough job and since there is no correct manual and just a ton of "ideas" on how to do it, my best and someone else's best can be worlds apart and while neither may be correct it is hard not to compare. Am I a bad mom because I want to send my kid to public school and I let them watch tv and they often times choose something with sugar in it for a snack-multiple times a day? Am I bad mom because we eat processed food or something that comes from a can? Am I a bad mom because my kids cry and don't always share and often times forget their manners? I am not an organic buff, or an exercise buff or a gluten free buff....heck, I am not even buff. Does that put me in the bad mom or good mom category? My kids hate hair bows and flowers, they wear the craziest outfits sometimes and they don't match. Am I bad for letting them pick out their own clothes or am I a bad mom for making them wear something "nice" for the day? I mean the list goes on and on. Who is doing it right and who is doing it wrong? Does it matter how we each do it? With some things yes but with most things there is no right or wrong. The internet makes it seem so black and white, "How to end the meltdowns" or "How to stop whining" or "How to get your kids to listen to what you say" like as if all you had to do were these 25 easy steps and your life would be perfect. I read those lists and I try and do some of the things and then I get on Pinterest or something and find out there is a whole new list of steps to try and I think, "Good grief, now what am I not doing?" I have to say that before I had really good friends and it was just me and my two little girls and we did things mainly on our own life was good and now life is still really good but man it is much harder now that we have so many others to compare to. I know I am just doing the best that I can. And I know that every other mom is too. I continually tell myself, "No ones life is all roses, everyone has their thorns, you may not visibly see them but every mom has her set of battles," and the truth be told, if I had to choose between someone else's and my own battles I would probably always decide to just stick with my own. So really there is no reason to compare at all. I guess it is just human weakness-one that seems to affect me all too often. Does it ever happen to you and what do you do to keep from falling in the comparison trap?

A Few "Other" Uses For A George Foreman Grill

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Fri, 24 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Do you have a George Foreman grill? I know-seems like they are very "1990's" or something. I think thrift store shelves are lined with them-not necessarily because they are bad but probably because people just didn't feel like it was something they used enough to warrent shelf space. I have never been a fan myself basically for only one reason-my college roommate. When I was in college I had a roommate that had one of these and she always left the little grease catching dish on the counter for days after she used it, filled with grease. Drove me absolutely crazy and smelled bad too. I swore I would never have one. And then I got married....and I inherited not only my husbands but we also got one as a gift. So I had to figure out a few ways to use it and guess what? I actually LOVE my George Foreman grill and I found out that there are a few different ways to use it. I know, random post, but I thought that in case anyone else has one of these and is not sure what to do with it now you will have a few more options.

1. Grilled chicken: I use my George Foreman grill to grill chicken for salads, pizza or tacos when firing up the BBQ would be silly to cook only 1 or 2 pieces of chicken. It is much more convenient to just grill it on my counter. I cut the chicken breast in half lengthwise to help it cook faster and more evenly and I always drizzle a tiny bit of oil on the chicken while cooking it because it helps to keep it from burning. The taste is excellent and it is so easy (especially if you don't feel like you are barbecue inclined.)

2. The next best thing to a fire roasted hot dog: A hot dog cooked over some form of flame is one of my favorite things. I like them slightly burned on the outside. Again, like with the chicken, when I am on my own with the kids I don't always feel like turning on the BBQ to cook 3 hot dogs and I certainly am not going to be lighting up a fire. But did you know that a George Foreman grill can cook a hot dog to a very nice slightly blackened state that is delicious? I put the hot dogs in the grill (3 at a time) and just rotate them every few minutes until they are cooked just the way I like them on the outside. You can even do this with frozen hot dogs. They cook so well. This is one of my favorite way to use my grill. No smoke, no smelly clothes and quick and easy clean up.

3. Pizza Panini's: I don't have a panini pan and I have seen plenty recipes that call for one but I honestly don't have room for another appliance. This week when I pinned a recipe for grilled pizza sandwiches I decided to try and grill it on my George Foreman grill and the result was EXCELLENT. The grill worked perfectly. The sandwich was toasted perfectly, crusty but not burned, the inside was melted and gooey with cheese and pizza sauce and I think I just found another new favorite and easy way to make pizza. I followed this recipe from Our Best Bites except that I brushed the outside of mine with olive oil.

4. Grilled Cheese: Since the panini's worked so well on the grill I figured that a plain old grilled cheese sandwich would work good too. The only thing you want to be sure of is that you use thick bread. Brush the outside with olive oil or melted butter. Olive oil results in a perfect crunch and has a very yummy taste.

My next idea: french toast. I haven't tried it yet but I will let you know how it turns out.

So in case you thought this little "lean, mean, grilling machine" was only for burgers now you know that there is so much more you can do with it. And if you don't have one and have the room in your house for another appliance pick one up at a thrift store just to have for these quick and easy ideas. You won't be disappointed. And I am not even getting paid to say that.

Baby Boy Ideas Galore at Blue Cricket Design

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Thu, 23 May 2013 18:11:00 +0000

Need boy ideas? Blue Cricket Design has got you covered. Since she just had her own sweet little man she is sharing all kinds of ideas for boys from clothes, to books, to things to make including my tutorial for a "lil stinker" onesie.

Head on over to Blue Cricket Design and browse for a bit. There are lots of cute ideas.

Patriotic Pop Can Wreath

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

What could be more American than Soda Pop? Last fall I saw a fall wreath made of leaves cut from pop cans. Since then I have wanted to make a wreath using pop cans but I couldn't come up with the right color combination. Then one morning on a walk I got an inspiration to make a patriotic wreath using red, white and blue-very popular pop can colors. This is one of those projects that makes you grateful that you recycle because the cost is minimal and the supplies are usually plentiful.

To begin you need to gather and cut your pop cans. To do this I used a plain old steak knife. I am not going to guarantee that this won't ruin said steak knife. I happen to have a surplus of these so I didn't mind destroying one for this cause and as it turned out it didn't destroy it. I just want to add that disclaimer so that no one gets upset if they ruin their good steak knives doing this.

Make your first cut around the top rim of the can-I do this just above where the can begins to angle up. Just stick the point of the knife in and cut (WARNING: if you don't like the sound of nails on a chalkboard you may not like this either).

Then repeat and cut off the other end. Be careful because the can edges do become sharp.

Lastly cut the remaining can piece with a pair of scissors. You can flatten this piece by putting it under something heavy like a brick out on the cement, or stepping on it.

Next you will want to cut your stars. I did this using die cuts at my husbands school. I was able to cut 2 stars from each pop can piece though the star die was bigger than the pop can piece was wide so some of the tips got cut off. An amazing thing happens when you cut the can with a die cut - the edges are not sharp. Now I know what some of you might be thinking, "I don't have any die cuts but I bet I could just cut those out with scissors." That is what I would have thought if I didn't have access to die cuts but let me tell you it will take longer, be harder, be sharper and probably won't turn out as good so I highly recommend finding some die cuts to do this. Many scrapbook places have access to them, and schools. Your neighbor may even have their own die cut machine-I know mine does.

I don't know exactly how many pop cans I used but it was quite a few-probably at least 2 grocery sacks full (of pop cans before they were cut down).

I also thought that some little yellow stars shooting off of wire curls might look cut so I cut out some mini stars from some lemonade cans.

Then using good old hot glue, stick the stars onto your wreath base. I used a grapevine wreath. I kind of liked a bit of a rustic look so I crinkled and bent each star before sticking it on. WARNING: hot glue on an aluminum can piece is HOT!!! Just overlap as you fill in the whole wreath base.

Then I added the mini stars by gluing them first to wire curls I made by wrapping a piece of wire around a pencil. Glue those randomly all over the wreath.

Perfect and patriotic. Soda is American, pop cans are American, and recycling should be part of every Americans life, so I love all the things this represents.

What a fun way to brighten up your front door this summer. I bet if you look around your garage long enough you will find pretty much all the supplies you will need. And it is a good reason to enjoy a cold soda on a hot day this summer.

God bless America.

Also shared here:

Make Ahead Monday: Strawberry & Cream Cheese Filled French Toast Rolls

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Mon, 20 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

It's a long name but what it really stands for is: DELICIOUS. These are almost too yummy to categorize as a breakfast item but I am okay with making that stretch. I got the recipe/idea from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice. She makes her's with peanut butter and jelly. We are not PB&J fans at my house so I came up with an alternative filling and it is EXCELLENT-strawberry cream cheese.

I am going to let you go to the original source for the recipe and instructions but I just wanted to share how I made the filling.

I used whipped cream cheese spread. Have you tried this? This was my first time and I am hooked. I always seem to have a rough time getting my cream cheese smooth and creamy but this is already as smooth and creamy as one could want.

I mixed half a container of whipped cream cheese with 1 tbsp of sugar.

Then I added about a 1/4 cup of homemade strawberry freezer jam (you could use any kind of jam). The amount of jam is totally up to you. I may have added an addition tbsp or 2 as I mixed-I can't be sure.

Now follow the recipe as it is written only spread the cream cheese mixture on the bread before rolling. This were easy to make but they take a few minutes to cook so plan ahead. Also I had a hard time keeping them rolled up before I put them in the egg/milk mixture so I used a toothpick to hold them closed and set something heavy on top of them (I used my rolling pin). Now for the make ahead part. I followed the recipe as stated and was able to make 12 rolls. Place these on a cookie sheet lined with parchment and place in your freezer until firm. Transfer to a freezer bag and now you have quick and easy breakfast rolls ready to go. Just pop them in the microwave until soft (but be careful because the center will heat up fast and could burn). If you take a bit of time one afternoon you could make a bunch of these and have easy breakfasts ready for a while (well unless your family can't resist them and scarfs them quickly). These are sweet but also have a bit of tang from the cream cheese. Drizzle them in some warm syrup and you will be in heaven.

T-shirt Ruffle Skirt-The Rainbow Version

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Back in February I showed you my tutorial to make a ruffle skirt from recycled t-shirts. At that time I said that I would be sharing a rainbow version in the future. Well after what feels like a million other things going on in my life, I finally to it done and am super excited to share the idea with all of you.

Presenting Miss Sunshine with her rainbow ruffle skirt.

I made this following the same basic tutorial that I used for the black one only this time I made it bigger and longer. It was a bit trickier sewing the ruffles to a larger skirt because it was already gathered from sewing on the waste band first. The thing though that I love about these is that they are full of flaws but you can't tell.

I am not sharing a full tutorial here for this because it is made pretty much like the black ruffle skirt. I will just share a few details:

Each rainbow ruffle is made from a t-shirt. I used 3 inch wide strips and cut through both layers of the t-shirt like this: (I start by cut at one end and then fold it over and use it as a guide for the rest of the cut)

I cut 2 layers from each shirt this way and then cut one seam in each making them into long strips. I sewed the 2 long strips together to form one REALLY long strip and then gathered one edge of that. I pinned the ruffle to the skirt and sewed along my basting stitches.

Every layer after that was sewn the same way and pinned and sewn underneath the above layer.

I made 2 of these and the first one I sewed the waste band on first and the second I sewed the waste band on second. I am not sure which method I liked more as they each presented a few of their own challenges (sewing if first made the skirt gathered and a bit tricky to pin onto and sewing it last made it hard for me to line up the waste band perfectly with the top ruffle. This skirt I am showing is the one I sewed the waste band onto last) but in the end the skirt turned out so cute and bright and cheerful and my girls LOVE them.

Works For Us Wednesday: The 52 Week Money Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Wed, 15 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

I have previously shared with you the envelope budget that I have been using and LOVE and the $5.00 savings plan with I also LOVE-both of which are so simple and so easy to use and they both are saving me money. Today I want to share another simple money saving idea that we are starting in our house: the 52 week money challenge. I just read about this and knew that this was something that we could totally do in our house. Here is the breakdown:

So for 1 year you put away money once a week in increasing increments or decreasing (I read of some people that are starting with the large amount and working down-which is what I am doing) and at the end of the year you will have nearly $1,400.00 saved up. The thing I love about it is that the most you will have to come up with is $52.00 in one lump sum. My husband and I discussed it and both decided to start it now (yep in May) because school is just about out and if we start it now by the same time next year (when school is just about out and we are planning for the summer) we will have a nice little vacation budget saved up that we can use or save for one more year and double. I love savings ideas like this; anyone can do this. So I decided to share it now because many of you are also nearing the end of a school year and getting ready for summer and who doesn't need a little vacation fund, or renovation fund or adult only getaway fund. I printed out the breakdown and taped it right next to our computer where we do our budgeting. We are doing it online by transferring money from our checking account to our savings account each time rather than putting cash in a jar because we don't always have cash on hand. This couldn't get any easier. I mean you aren't going to be able to retire on it-though if you did it year after year you could have a nice savings fund tucked away. Man I love when I find stuff like this-just had to share.

Your Photo Studio - Giving You the Chance to Take Professional Looking Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Tue, 14 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

I love taking pictures of my kids. With more than 13,000 digital files on my computer one might say I am a bit addicted. But when you have cute kids what are you to do? Well I have read many articles about making your pictures look more "professional" from camera settings, to lighting options, to making your own back drops. There are so many things to try-sometimes it is a bit overwhelming. I have more than once thought, "Man if only I could go to ____________ and take my pictures there, I know I could take really cute pictures," or "If only I had the right lighting these would turn out so much better," or "Man I wish I had a cute backdrop to use-something that looks nicer than a sheet." Well it just so happened that someone must have read my mind because not too long ago I got a message in my inbox about what I feel is the answer to all my photo shooting dilemmas it's called "Your Photo Studio". What it is is a mini professional photo studio set up with backdrops, lighting and props all available for you to use. The only thing you need to bring along is someone cute to take pictures of and your camera. You can book in both 1/2 hour and 1 hour sessions. You only pay to use the space. Everything there is free for you to use. You can use as many backdrops as you want and as many of their props. You can bring your own props from home as well-pretty much anything (except food and pets). The photo studio is located in Midvale, Ut at the Quilted Bear. You can find out all about it on their website: Your Photo Studio. The website shows you all of the options you will find in the studio, gives you photo ideas, gives a great tutorial on how to use the photo studio and lets you book a session online. It is so super easy.

I took my kiddos up this past weekend to test it out. Now I have to say that even though this is a professional photo studio setting this does not mean that your kids will be magically transformed into perfect angels to have their pictures taken. You will still want to plan the normal things one might plan for any photo shoot: make sure your kids are not tired, well fed, have plenty to drink and take plenty of bribes along. I know this because I didn't do any of the above. We don't live nearby so we traveled and spent the night with relatives and then traveled some more and by the time we got there everyone was hot, tired and hungry. My little man has just learned to crawl so he did not want to cooperate, my little pumpkin had fallen the morning before and bruised her eye and had frazzled hair and my little Miss Small Fry thought her shirt was too itchy. So the fact that I ended up with cute pictures at all was a miracle. I loved all the backdrop options. I wish I had the time to try every one of them. And the props are really cool-great looking chairs, suitcases and tables. Everything was really easy to use. We had a 1 hour session and I managed to get pictures of all of my kids individually and a few group shots but like I said my little man was not having it. I would love to add that I remained totally calm, cooled and collected through it all but that would be a big, fat, lie. If I did it again (which I would love to) I think I would do individual 1/2 hour sessions for each kid and then use the end time for group shots (like book 3 sessions in a row). I did feel a bit stressed with the time limit and that was a bit nerve racking. After we left I was sure I didn't get a single good shot but when we got home and I got to look at all the pictures and do touch ups and things I was really, really happy with the way they turned out (even with frazzled hair). Here are a few of my favorites:

This is 1 of 4 shots that I got of my little man before he wanted to take off. I brought the wagon and props inside it from home.

My beautiful girls. This aged wood backdrop is one of my favorites.

This is the one of the only group shots that worked because my baby was so wiggly and cranky. It is actually very true to how life is at our house-crazy.

This is the "my cheeks are hurting from smiling so much" look

I brought the purse and shoes from home too. They have this beautiful big white back drop. I love how these turned out.

Look how blue her eyes are.

This is one of the suitcases they have in studio. Wouldn't it look cute with a baby laying inside on a big fluffy blanket (and they do have lots of fluffy blankets there).

This is another one of their fun back drops. I love blue and it sure helps to bring out my kids beautiful eyes.

Doesn't this make you wish that you had a photo studio just like this near by. I just absolutely love this idea. It gives anyone the chance to have great looking pictures without the cost of hiring a professional photographer. I mean, you still have to know what you are doing (which I don't really know much about) but if you have a good camera and some fun ideas you can really end up with some super cute pictures. Oh and did I mention that you can have anyone take the pictures so even if you don't feel confident as the photographer and you know someone who is-then take them along. So many possibilities. If you live anywhere nearby you have got to check this out. It is probably a good thing I don't live so nearby because I might be tempted to take A LOT of pictures there.

Check out Your Photo Studio and start planning your session.

"You are Berry Sweet"- A Super Easy Teacher Appreciation Idea

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Wed, 08 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

'Tis the season for teacher appreciation ideas and so I thought I would share my quick and easy idea. This is one that would be perfect for those, "Oh garbage....I forgot to get a gift for the teacher" moments or it is also perfect as a gift for someone that doesn't eat lots of sugar or may have other diet restrictions. I made this for Small Fry's ballet teacher who is my good friend. I know she is trying to be "healthy" and I am pretty much a diet sabatoger but I decided that instead of giving her something that would be hard for her to resist I would try and support her healthy eating habits and get strawberries. Add a bit of gingham and some lace and this free printable tag and you are set-perfect for someone that you feel is "berry sweet".

And as a bonus idea (this is just the idea-someone out there could definitely make this much cuter) "Do you Donut?....We think you are the best _________." I made this for Small Fry for after her dance recital. It was a last minute thing but I wanted a surprise for her to come home to. Like I said, you could totally make this so much cuter. This could be used for so many things-notes for kids, for grandparent or for fathers day or for a teacher.

There you go-2 super quick and easy appreciation ideas-especially if you need something at the last minute.

Make Monday: French Bread Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Mon, 06 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

I was feeling a little nostalgic the other day thinking back to my picky childhood days. I was thinking about it because I now have a fairly picky child and I remember being a picky kid and hating it-mostly people always bugging me about what I did and didn't eat. I hated having someone give me a lecture every time I went to their house or ate out and I hate having to now defend my child's choices. She is picky in what she eats people...she is not a bad person. END OF STORY!!! I don't think I ever tried to make a big deal of it as a kid and when I went someplace and they served something I didn't like to eat, I just didn't eat it and I ate stuff I liked and went on with life. And one of the things that I did not eat as a kid was pizza, in fact, I ate my first piece of pizza when I was 21, but my best friends growing up LOVED pizza. Every time I went to their house for a birthday party they had pizza-pizza buns to be exact. They took regular bread rolls, put pizza sauce on them and then pizza toppings and baked them in the oven. I do remember they smelled good but I was never brave enough to try one-if only I had known what I was missing. Well I am not scarred for not having ate pizza as a kid and I feel like I am pretty normal and now I go through spurts where I feel like I could eat pizza everyday. Well this day was no exception-I was craving pizza-chicken, bacon, ranch pizza to be exact. I wanted to be able to have everything I love about this pizza without the time of making a crust from scratch so I channeled my best friends mom and her house as a kid and remembered the pizza buns and created my own spin on that and came up with: french bread chicken, bacon, ranch pizza.

This is the perfect way to get everything you love about pizza but in half the time. Here is what you will need:

French bread (I used half a loaf which was enough for 3 people though we all could have eaten more)

1/4 cup ranch dressing (may need less for half a loaf)

cooked chicken ( I grill mine and add a little seasoning) I use 2 chicken breasts

3/4 cup mozzarella

3/4 cup cheddar cheese

2-3 slices bacon (chopped, friend and drained)

1 tomato (chopped)

2-3 green onion (chopped)

olive oil

Begin by slicing the bread in half and brushing each side with olive oil.

Place the bread on a cookie sheet and put it in the oven under the broiler until slightly toasted. This step helps to keep the bread from getting super soggy with the addition of all the other ingredients.

Now spread each piece of bread with the ranch dressing. Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese. Add the chicken, bacon, tomatoes, and onions. Sprinkle the top with the cheddar cheese. Place in an oven preheated to 450 degrees and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the top is toasted to your liking. What you end up with is a crispy, light crust with all the pizza taste you could ask for. The flavor was incredible and it was so quick and easy. In fact I have been tempted to make this for dinner 4 or 7 days this week but resisted because it isn't that low calorie for sure. Next time you are in the mood for pizza without all the pizza work give this a try: French Bread pizza. I think you are going to love it.

Easy and Adorable Personalized Dino Hoodies

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Thu, 02 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

If you have the cutest twin nephews in the world like I do then it isn't hard to want to make them really cute stuff. These two are totally boys loving everything that has to do with farms, trucks, animals, sounds, jumping on things and wrestling. Dinosaur hoodies were of course a perfect fit for them. These are really easy to make with I guess the exception of sewing on the letters. That part is a bit more tedious but not difficult. Of course if you don't want to tackle a project like this I would be happy to make one for you. I'll leave the details at the end of the post.

For this you will need:

1 zip up hoodie

1 old t-shirt (for the letters)

felt (for the dino spikes)-I used the rectangular crafting felt pieces

Thread that coordinates with the dino spikes (which I also used on the letters for extra effect)

Begin by making the spikes. There are a few tutorials out there on how to make these. This method is the really easy method but I have seen and tried others that I like too. Cut a strip of felt 3 1/2 to 4 inches wide and then entire length of the piece of felt (I am using one of those rectangular pieces of craft felt). What ever you want the finished size of the spike to be is how wide you will want the felt piece cut. If you are making a coat for a littler boy you will want smaller squares and bigger squares for a bigger boy. To save even more time cut a second strip of felt the same size and place one on top of the other.

To make squares fold the end of the strip up to meet the side to form a triangle (like so) and cut across the top.

When you unfold the felt you will have neat little squares. Now to get the triangle spikes cut these in half-corner to corner making 2 triangles.

Now before sewing anything I line all of my spilkes up approximately where I want them on the hoodie to see how much I will need to space them and if I have enough to cover the whole hoodie (keep them in layers of 2-you need two triangles stacked on top of each other for each spike). Depending on the size you choose for spikes you may need more or less to cover the entire back and hood. You also may need to cut them down in size slightly if you just can't make them fit. My hoodies were size 4T and I needed 6 spikes.

Once you have figured out how many you will need sew the triangles together leaving the long side open.

Now pin all the spikes back onto the hoodie. It is pretty tricky getting the spikes on the hood to lay how you want them-so give them an extra pin or two.

Now sew up the back of the jacket along the bottom of each spike-I just sew in a continuous line from the bottom to the top. The spikes will lay down (but they will anyway when a kid wears the jacket and sits any place in it). You can iron them to make them stand up for show but keep in mind that you will never be able to get them to stand up all the time (and man would that be uncomfortable anyway).

Now for the name. I took a few of the letters in their first name and added them to "saurous". I just used my Word program and picked a font that would be big and chunky, and typed the name. The full name is going to be pretty long so don't make the letters too huge but you also want them big enough so they will be easy to sew. Print the name out and trace is backwards (I use my window to help me with this) onto Wonder Under (by Pellon).

Now iron the letters onto a piece of material cut from an old t-shirt. T-shirt material is my favorite to use for applique projects. First it is super cheap when you can use your old shirts or buy them at a thrift store and second they don't fray at all. After you have ironed then cut out each letter.

Before you iron anything onto the jacket play around with the spacing because with a long name you may have to offset the letters to make them fit. You will have to sew over the pockets to make it work also. When you like the layout iron the letters in place.

Now stitch over them with the same color that you used on the spikes. I like the contrast it gives.

Here is a tip for appliqueing little pieces like letters-do not trim your threads in between each letter. I sew one, then when my needle is up, I raise the presser foot, reposition my fabric and then put the presser foot back down and start sewing again. I trim all the threads at the end. This saves you time and it saves thread.

See it really was pretty darn easy don't you think. I love how the yellow looks on the blue.

And the name turned out PERFECT!!!!!

And my models look pretty darn cool in their dinosaur coats.

You can see that the spikes don't stay up perfect forever but they still look really cute so don't let that stress you out. What little boy wouldn't love to be their own dinosaur And actually a little girl would look darling in a pink and green dinosaur coat.

Now if you LOVE the dino hoodies but don't want to make one yourself then let me do the sewing for you. The cost is $15.00 for a personalized dino coat (size 6 and under) plus shipping. You can give me some color specifications and I will do my best to meet those. If you are interested send me a message at smallfryandco@gmail.com

How to help when someone grieves

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:00:00 +0000

I know this isn't a craft or recipe related post but it is related to my life and since this is a blog about my life I thought I would share in hopes of helping at least one other person know how to help someone during the grieving process.

First I just want to say that these ideas are not universal and that this is not the Bible on the subject. I am writing this list because before I actually went through the death of my father I really had no idea how to really help someone else. I thought I did, but after having gone through this myself I realized that there are so many different ways to help someone that can really make a big difference beyond casseroles (which there is nothing wrong with casseroles). I wanted to share some things that we experienced that were really helpful and also some things that I wished would have happened that would have really helped and hopefully the ideas will one day really help someone else.

1. The grieving process may begin long before someone passes away, and may not end for a long time after a funeral has taken place. In our case, my family really has been grieving for 2 years now. My dad's cancer was always considered terminal but he was blessed to have it go into remission multiple times in the last 2 years. It was wonderful news every time but our family sure was on a roller coaster of sad news, happy news, sad news, happy news and in the end it was just sad news on almost a daily basis. I am starting with this because any of the ideas that I share in this post can be done at any time. They do not have to be limited to when a death actually occurs. I had a dear friend bring my family meals a few different times over the last months-even after I got home from being at my parents house and having a funeral. It is always nice to know that someone is thinking of you. If you think, "But I don't really have a reason to go or take or stop by or drop off" do it anyway. Chances are, most of the time you may not know why you feel a need to do something but the person or family you are doing it for most certainly does-it is because they need it.

2. Use your words. Do you ever hear parents tell their children that? Words are powerful. Use them-share your feelings, share your thoughts or memories about the person who has passed away, use them to encourage and show love. But be careful that the words you speak are genuine and meaningful. Don't say that you "know how someone feels" if you don't really know. Don't minimize what someone might be feeling. If you don't know what to say then say that, "I don't really know what is best for me to say so I just want to tell you how very sorry I am." It is better to say something than nothing at all. One thing that I really loved was people who called our house to ask how we were, to say how much they loved my dad and to see if we needed help. I also loved everyone who gave us a card with a personal message in it about our family or my dad or a memory they had. Those kind of things just warmed our hearts. One of my best friends called a few days after the funeral and it just made me cry because her voice was just like a hug-and I knew she would be giving me one if she was there right then. Also one other note about words: some people may not feel like talking and that is okay too. It might just be an overwhelming time and a phone conversation is not feasible at the time. Leave a message or send a text or type an e-mail. Friends told me that they didn't want to bother me, but I wanted to be bothered. I wanted to read their messages and hear their voices. I just wasn't able to get back to them each time but I needed to know I wasn't alone. Express your sympathy and concern and don't expect anything back. Your words will still be meaningful.

3. Go if you can. You might think, "Oh they are too busy and it won't matter if I am there or not," or, "I don't want to be in the way or be a bother," or, "I don't know what I would say or do," but let me assure you that in most cases none of those are true. Yes for a family member involved in a funeral service, it is a super busy day but never too busy to receive a hug from a dear friend. We were so blessed at my dad's funeral to see friends that we hadn't seen in years and it was like a ray of sunshine on what might feel like a really cloudy day. I have to say that I am a bit jealous of my brother and sister in law who had friends drive about 8 hours to be with my brother and his wife at my dad's funeral. They didn't even know my dad but they knew my brother and his wife and came just to be there as support, to cry and to hug and to visit. That is what you need at a time like this so if you can go and be there to give a hug and shed tears with a friend do it. It will mean so much.
4. Take something. When a death occurs many people think of sending food. This can be a great help. Who wants to think about what to make for dinner when you are in the midst of funeral plans and family coming and going and trying to make decisions when your head feels like it is spinning. Here are a few tips I want to share about taking food:
-If you can, use disposable containers so that the family doesn't have to worry about getting anything back to you.
-While it is very popular to take a dinner meal you might want to consider other meals like breakfast or lunch. I think breakfast is a great idea because it is hard enough to wake up in the morning and face another day knowing a family member has passed away, let alone think of making breakfast. Muffins, doughnuts, a breakfast casserole, breakfast sandwiches, fruit and yogurt or breakfast burritos are all great ideas.
-If you think a family might have more food then they can handle then maybe consider a gift card to a restaurant to get something at a later date. Remember that the grieving may go on for a while and there may be an especially difficult day down the road when this could be really helpful.
-Remember that there may be others taking food to a family and while any food is usually welcome, too much food may be overwhelming. I know that we think, "oh well, they will have leftovers if I make a huge amount," but if they are getting a new meal everyday there may just be too many leftovers to take care of. So take food, but take a reasonable amount.
Now if you don't want to take food, or don't know what food to take here is another GREAT idea of what to take: PAPER PLATES, BOWLS, CUPS, PLASTIC CUTLERY. My mom and I decided this will be our "go to" idea for funerals (and I would include having a baby too, or during an illness). Dishes are just overwhelming and who cares about them when there are so many more important things to worry about. A huge bag of paper plates is a lifesaver during stressful times.
5. Offer service. While it is really easy to say, "let me know if you need something," the truth is that those words really are of no help at all. Why not say, "can I come do your laundry?" or "can I come rake your leaves?", "can I vacuum for you?" They might say no, or they might say yes but it is better to come with an idea rather than waiting for the family to give you a suggestion. Think about all the things that you do in a home on a daily basis. Now add a death on top of all of that. We were so busy the week following my dad's death that when my brothers friend arrived to be with out family I took one look around our house and said, "Oh crap...it looks like we are a sloppy bunch of hoarders around here." Stuff was piled up everywhere, dishes were piled up, the table hadn't been cleared off and the floor hadn't been swept in days. We just hadn't had time. Our sewer backed up two days after my father died and my mom came down with a stomach flu. There were plenty of things that could be done. Another great service: taking the kids for a bit. Oh how dearly we love our children but it is very difficult to mourn when you have children to tend to as well. They aren't as aware of what is going on and life just continues as normal for them. They don't understand the stress of a household and it is such a relief to have someone watch them for a bit. We had friends offer to take our kids during the viewing and also during the funeral service and I am forever grateful. The kids in our family were too young to go to either thing and it was nice to just have those few hours to be in the moment and really "feel". It wasn't until the day of the funeral that everything finally hit me because I had a moment to breath and soak everything in. Child care is such a necessary service that can be offered.
6. Consider a donation. Many families have specifics about where or how they want you to donate money so do a bit of investigating first. If you are not near by or don't have a clue how else to help then maybe you will want to consider making a donation. We received many donations from family and friends and while it is hard to sometimes accept money from other people, it was actually very much appreciated. There are so many extra expenses that come with a funeral and having family coming and going and when all the dust settles it might be just what the family needs: a little bit of extra cash on hand. This might not be welcomed by all so be careful but it is a very generous gesture. We used some of the extra money we received to help each of my siblings and I with travel expenses we each had with getting to our home in Canada.
7. Shed tears. If you have the gift of weeping then don't hold back. Some people are not comfortable with crying but some can't hold the tears back. I share this because I just want to say that it is such a great comfort to be able to cry with someone you love. The day my mom took my brother to the airport I found myself home alone with my kids. Everyone else was gone. I called one of my best friends and said, "my husband is gone, my brothers are gone and my dad is gone and I don't know what to do." I cried and she did too and said, "I am just so sorry." I didn't need anything more than that at that moment.
8. Check back in. You may do some or all of the above things and then move on into your normal routine but just remember while it might be easy for your to move on, the wound of death may take a very long time to heal for a family member. It is very comforting to have support and communication during the actual event but when all of that tapers off or even ends shortly after a funeral it may be very lonely for the family. So if you can, check back in. Call a few weeks later and a few months later. The family may have to be back to normal life too but I guarantee that there won't be a day that goes by that they don't think about the recent event. You may even want to wait and spread out your service over time. The paper plates may run out after two weeks but the desire to do dishes may also not have returned yet so maybe wait and take paper plates 2 or 3 weeks later. Or just drop off a meal out of the blue with a message, "I was thinking of you and wondered if you might not want to cook tonight." Offer service down the road. In our case with the death of the father/husband of the family we also lost our mechanic, our plumber, our electrician, our garbage man, and our gas service attendant. When my brothers left and my husband had left and it was just my mom and me and my kids I was so nervous that something might go wrong and I wouldn't know how to fix it. Keep that in mind, "What roles did the person who passed away play in that family and what might they now need help with." A phone call, a visit, a hug and a cry might be needed weeks later when everyone else seems to have moved on.
I hope this list has been helpful to someone. If you haven't gone through this then it is really hard to know what to do. I hope I have been able to share what I learned from going through this myself and what I will do when someone that I know and love has to go through the hardship known as death. Do you have any suggestions that you would like to add?

Double Trouble: A Dinosaur Sneak Peek

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:56:00 +0000

Hello everyone!! I guess I am officially back. It has been a bit harder for me to get back to normal life-part of me feels like if I just go right back to all my normal stuff, normal daily activities then I am trying to forget the fact that I just lost my dad...and I don't want to forget. I am totally fine most days and then all of a sudden it will just hit me, "my father passed away" and I catch my breath in my throat and just freeze for a minute. But part of me also thinks that I need to get back to normal life because there is nothing to be accomplished by sitting around and feeling sorry for myself or my family. So what I am trying to do is just ease back into the norm, welcome the moments that make me think of my dad and even the ones that bring tears and I am trying to move ahead nut at a bit of a slower pace-one which will hopefully help me enjoy each day a bit more. So as I am trying to get back into things I just wanted to share a sneak peek of an upcoming project: Dino Hoodies (modeled by the two cutest 3 year old boys I know). Stay tuned for a tutorial or info for ordering your own from Small Fry & Co.

A blogging Pause-Yet Again

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 13:35:00 +0000

Almost 2 years ago today everything in my blogging world was going great: I was gaining new followers, I was getting great comments, I was being asked to guest post and do feature projects, I had tons of ideas and had posts written up to 2 or more weeks in advance. Then the news came that my dad had cancer-serious cancer and the prospects weren't good. So I dropped everything and went home to be with him in Canada for a month or more. Time went on, he went into remission and life slowly started to get kinda normal. I however could not get caught up on blog stuff-though I tried hard to. Fast forward a year and the exact same thing happened-the cancer was back with a vengeance The outlook was not good and I dropped everything and went home again for over a month to be with him. And once again he went into remission and life seemed to get normal except this time I was pregnant with my son and I had a hard time bouncing back in the blogging world. Try as I may, I just couldn't keep up though I could not (even though I tried) give up blogging. Since then I feel like I have been on the outside of a big building watching through the windows as bloggers that were where I was a few years ago are big now, with what seems like tons of opportunities and followers, comments, sponsors, even books. I feel like I just can't break the blogging barrier and get on the inside. It has been discouraging to say the least as I try to come up with fresh, creative, inspiring content and yet my page views seem low and comments are at an all time low. And yet it is something I love to do and want to succeed at, and it fills my creative bucket and gives me a reason to create and so I don't want to quit even though I feel like I can't bounce back. Well once again I have been hit with the hard news that my dad's cancer is back. Only this time there is nothing more that can be done. It is aggressive, and it is taking it's toll. He is worse now than ever and time is not on our side it seems. So once again I am dropping everything and heading home to stay indefinitely to be with him and let my kids be with him for whatever kind of days we have left. So once again this blog will be on hold. My parents just don't have technology in their home that is updated enough to manage blogging. I was going to load a bunch of pictures so I could just write when I got home but my plan to leave in 2 weeks has been altered to leaving today as my dad took a turn for what seems to be the worst. So I don't even have time for that right now. Plus I am going home for family-not to blog. So I am asking you to bear with me-yet again. Maybe I will post something and maybe not. I have lots of cute ideas to share but the timing is just not right. Thanks to everyone who reads, those few who comment and everyone who "pins" stuff (pinning is my biggest traffic source). I so greatly appreciate the support. I will be in touch. I will probably add updates on my Facebook page. I'll be back to blogging.....in a little while.

Simple Burp Cloths from Baby Bath Towels

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Every mom knows that not all burp cloths are created equal. Some are cute but not big enough, or soft but not absorbent, or absorbent but not very cute. I personally love burp cloths made from cloth diapers-they are super absorbent and big enough to cover a mom's clothes well but the only down fall to them is that they are pretty bulky. When I was pregnant with my little man I wanted to find a way to make a cute burp cloth that was absorbent but not too thick and bulky. I was browsing through our local thrift store when I spotted a stack of baby towels. Then the thought came to me, "if you are wanting something absorbent-what could be more absorbent than a towel-these would make great burp cloths." And so these were born. I used my trusted burp cloth pattern (which I altered to make wider at the top and bottom but narrower in the middle to sit on your shoulder properly) and created these super cute burp cloths that fold up small and don't take up so much space in a diaper bag but still work wonderfully.

Here's what you will need:
1 baby bath towel (1 towel is enough to make 2 burp cloths-plus have some left over to make some wash cloths)
Fabric of your choice for the outside
Ric Rac (if desired)-I included it in the picture but didn't actually use it on my burp cloths

1. Begin by trimming the edge of the towel-this allows it to lay flat so that you can cut it easier.

2. Pin and cut your pattern on the towel (I fold mine over and cut 2 at once)

3. Pin and cut the pattern on your fabric as well. I got this fabric from Wholeport and it is one of my favorite prints for babies by far. They have it for an amazing deal-along with a wide variety of fabric (all at great prices).

4. Pin the two pieces (towel and fabric) right sides together and sew (leaving one opening-I do this on an end-for turning). I used my serger but you could use a regular machine. Be aware that the towel fabric stretches as you go. Lots of pins will help keep things in place but I just trim off any excess that stretches out of place and in the end they turn out fine. Just don't be alarmed if that is happening. Proceed carefully and it will be fine in the end.

5. Turn the burp cloth right side out through the opening and press flat with an iron. Tuck in the seam at the opening, pin in place and stitch around the entire burp cloth. Then to hold the two pieces together I stitch from one side to the other near each end (about 6 inches from the end).

Can you see my stitching line? Do that on both ends.

And there you have it. Super easy. Super cute. Soft, absorbent, frugal. Perfect for a baby shower gift (cause you can never have enough burp cloths). If you have a bunch of baby towels that you no longer need-don't get rid of them. Repurpose them and give them as gifts (I mean if they aren't stained and stuff).

I am pretty sure Martha Stewart would say, "Baby towel burp cloths-they're a good thing."

Create For Less March Madness Deals

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 09:30:00 +0000

Have you heard of Create For Less? Let me tell you it is a combination of my two favorite things: crafting supplies and great prices. What more could a girl want (well except more money to shop on said site)? Well this month is March Madness (you know the basketball kind of March Madness) but at Create For Less they are having a March Madness craft sale (which is much more up my alley) and they have some great stuff for great prices. Let me show you a few of my favorites:

Plaid Mod Podge Dimensional Carded 2oz

Price: $4.09 / bottle

Plaid Mod Podge Starter Set 5 pc

Price: $9.89 / package

Plaid Mod Podge Fabric 8 oz

Price: $5.49 / bottle

Do you sense a theme here? Let's continue...

Martha Stewart Glitter .37oz Multi Pack 24pc

Price: $25.99 / package

ProMag Magnet Sheet with Adhesive 12"x 24"

Price: $5.69 / package

Canvas Corp Embellishment Clothespins Mini White 25pc

Canvas Corp Embellishment Clothespins Decorative Black 12pc

Well I am sure you will find something that you love too, at Create For Less. There are 13 pages of deals but they are only on sale until March 18th. Don't miss out. Click on over and see what kind of deals you can find and can't live without.

Easter Bunny Bunting

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 10:00:00 +0000

After Christmas is over I love to take down all my decorations and leave my house decorationless for a little while. It makes everything feel big, and roomy and fresh. But when the snow melts outside, and the sun starts to shine more and buds for on the trees then I am ready to decorate for spring and this year I wanted to add a spring bunny banner to my decor. There are a lot of really cute ideas out there. I took inspiration for all the ones I found and came up with this one.

For this project I used a piece of heavy weight Pellon which I ironed onto one half of my piece of fabric. This way I could fold it in half and cut two pieces of the pattern.

Fold fabric in half, pin pattern and cut out 2 pieces.

Sew the pieces together

Then trim with pinking shears.

For the bunny backs I glued a cotton ball on for a tail.

For the bunny fronts I drew two small eyes with permanent marker, chalked the cheeks and added a bow

Then I created my pennant shapes and added paper eggs decorated with these great masking stickers from Wholeport.

All that was left was to assemble. I glued everything to a thin ribbon alternating bunny tails and bunny faces.

The end result is simple and perfectly springy. The whole thing was so quick and easy to make.

What could be cuter than a fluffy cotton tail for Easter?

Just another one of those projects that makes me wish I had a mantle. This is very mantle worthy don't you think?

You can find the pattern for the bunny, egg and pennant here (they are free too).

Monogrammed, Personalized Cutting Boards from Pick Your Plum

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 14:01:00 +0000

Need wedding gifts? How about Mothers Day gifts? Birthdays or anniversary? Wouldn't these make absolutely perfect gifts for anyone who loves the kitchen. And let me assure you-you can never have enough cutting boards. Check out today's offer from Pick Your Plum. At $17.95 that is the perfect price for a customized gift for any occasion.

Make Monday: Cactus Nachos

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:00:00 +0000

I guess I am too late posting an amazing Superbowl must have recipe so I am going to say that these are perfect for watching endless hours of March Madness basketball (isn't it ironic that March is national crafting month and also the month of endless college basketball? Nothing like, "you do your thing honey and I will do mine." I digress). Cactus Nachos-cheesy, bacony (a new word for bacon lovers), spicey, did I mention cheesy? A super yummy alternative to regular old nachos. These are inspired by Boston Pizza Cactus Nachos. I don't know if you can find them in the USA but you can find them in Canada and they are delicious. Here is my version.

For this recipe you will need:

2 large potatoes (I use Russet)-or enough to cover 1 full sized sheet pan with slices

Cheese

3 or 4 slices of bacon (chopped)

Green or white onions (chopped)

Green peppers (chopped)

Salsa

1. Start by slicing your potatoes thin-but not too thin. You don't want potato chip thickness-you want them to be thicker than that. I use my Pampered Chef Simple Slicer on setting 3 (if you don't have one of these then you need to get one at the next Pampered Chef party you are invited to-so fantastic for slicing potatoes). Okay so scrub your potatoes, slice them and then lay them on a parchment lined cooking sheet drizzled with oil. Then drizzle oil all over the potatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper, or something spicier if you have it and want it. Bake in the oven preheated to 425 until they begin to turn golden brown (20-30 mins). You want them as crispy as you can get them without burning them. While these are baking fry up your bacon bits with the onions and peppers until the bacon is crispy.

2. Remove from the oven and transfer to a oven safe plate (the larger the better). You don't want them overlapping that much. The more they overlap the soggier they will be in the end. Mine were a bit crowded but this was the biggest plate I had.

3. Now top with cheese

and bacon/onions/peppers

and salsa (and more cheese if desired)

3. Now put the whole plate back in the oven under the broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

4. Now for the BEST part-eat. There are usually some that are a bit soggy from the juice from the salsa but so far it hasn't ever seemed to deter my husband or I from eating

and eating

and eating some more.

Cactus nachos-they are an excellent appetizer but they also make a great meal. They would be perfect for the big game, or sleepovers, or a movie night. Customize them how you choose. Who knew potatoes could be the new nacho?

DIY Paper Bag Picnic Basket

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 11:00:00 +0000

I wanted to make my kids paper Easter baskets to go with my table decor for our up come family Bunny Brunch but I needed them to be easy. I did a few online searches and found some really cute woven paper baskets but they all seemed a bit too time consuming for my needs and I found lots of paper baskets made from templates...but you had to buy the templates. So I did what I love to do -created my own version.

For this you will need:

1 lunch size paper bag (you know the "normal" size)

1 paper grocery bag

tape

spray glue

brown chalk (optional)

Step 1: cut the paper bag down to 4 inches from the bottom end

Step 2: cut 2 pieces of cardstock the same size as the width of the bag and 2 pieces of cardstock the same size as the sides of the bag.

Step 3: spray one side of each piece of cardstock and glue them inside the paper bag

Step 4: from the large paper grocery bag cut 7 strips of paper about 1 1/4" wide. The length doesn't matter because you will cut them to size but if you make them long then there will be enough to make both sides of the basket. Mine were about 12 to 13 inches long.

Step 5: chalk the sides of each strip-the whole length because you will use it for both sides of the basket.

Step 6: begin weaving the strips. Use 4 strips vertically and you will use 3 strips horizontally.

Keep the strips as close together as possible. This is hard because there is nothing holding them together but just keep in mind that you want everything tight.

Step 7: after you have woven the 7 strips together like so (measure it to make sure it will cover the side of the lunch bag) and then cut the strips down so that about a 1/2 inch is overhanging.

Step 8: Flip the woven pieces over

and fold back the strips so that all of them are flush with each other.

Step 9: tape the back pieces down to hold everything in place. Then spray the back with the spray glue and attach to the front and back of the paper bag.

Step 10: now create the handle but cutting a piece 3"x12".

Step 11: fold this piece in half.

Step 12: open the piece back up and fold each side in towards the middle.

Step 13: then fold it in half again and stitch with your sewing machine all the way around.

Step 14: finally attach the handle to each side of the paper bag with an eyelet.

And there it is.

These don't only have to be used for Easter baskets. They would be cute filled with an individual lunch for a special picnic, or filled with dad's favorite treats.

But they do look adorable filled with Easter eggs (or chocolate or cookies would work just fine).

I am going to have one for each of my kids sitting by their plate stuffed with candy/treat filled eggs.

Perfectly easy and perfect for Easter. Paper bag picnic baskets-so cute!!

Also shared here:
http://whipperberry.com/2013/03/friday-flair-link-party-bunny-pouch-edition.html

http://www.lizmarieblog.com/2013/03/inspire-me-please-linky-party-1/