The Modern Hive

Ode to a Pseudo Irish Meal

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:30:00 +0000

There once was a family of eight.
Whose St. Patty's day dinner was great.
They ate spuds and a leaf,
soda bread and some beef-
Till there wasn't much left on the plate.

Hope you had a great St. Patrick's Day!

P.S. The potatoes were YUMMY- they have potatoes, carrots, cabbage, & sauteed onions and garlic all mashed up together. Green, White, and Orange for the Ireland flag :)

P.S.S. I don't do Corned Beef- yuck. But my youngest liked it so much he had four helpings. And he hardly eats anything most of the time.

Vintage Clipboard Project Wall

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:25:00 +0000

One of the things I look for at vintage/thrift shops are old clipboards. We use them for a lot of different things around the house and we have one for each of our kids to use as a lap desk on long car trips (add a little pencil or crayon pouch and tie it to the hole in the clip).

I also used some to make this project wall. It's right next to my sewing table and I intended to clip fabric swatches and other items together. However, it's become a sort of revolving inspiration board where I put scraps of things that spark an idea for a craft or other project I want to complete. They are just on small picture hooks so I can take them down and easily add new clippings.

If you are not a thrifter- you can make this with new clipboards too. Just make sure you get the kind with a top hole to allow you to hang them up.

Quote of the Week

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 02:15:00 +0000

New Use: Lampshade to pendant light

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:41:00 +0000

I guess this is not as much a new use as it is a DIY hack. I wanted a drum pendant light above my kitchen table so I made one with a thrifted lampshade, a cheap Ikea pendant kit & bulb, and my old existing fixture.

I love looking for old lamp parts at thrift stores because they can be combined into new lamps really easily and it's a cheap way for cool lighting. Check out this tutorial from eHow if you are interested in how to re-wire.

Quote of the Week

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:43:00 +0000

My little corner, although it would LOVE an Eames chair or two, or three, mostly consists of thrifted furniture, smudged walls, loads of laundry, and sticky kisses from little lips. It's a happy thought that what I do here is my way to change the world. One little person at a time.

The Family Franchise: Family Money

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:32:00 +0000

This is the last post in my family franchise series. If I ever think of more things to post about under this topic, I'll use the tag. But- they probably won't be as regular. Thanks for all the fun comments about these projects.

The last family franchise tip is to create a family currency and a family store for your family. We've tried a lot of motivational things over the years for our kids. But as our kids are getting older, it all comes down to money. I had some family money printed up, similar to the one above. When the kids complete their assignments the can earn our family money.

I still use the morning, afternoon, and evening jobs from our Spinner Wheel. But instead of pegs and spins, the kids just collect the family money from me when their jobs are passed off.

We have bins of prizes, treats, iTunes downloads, etc... everything is priced differently. Every week or so we will open our store. The kids can either spend their family money on items in our store or they can turn them in for cash. We do 10 cents for every card.

I customized our family money with our family logo and motto. But I made a generic [family money printable pdf] if any of you wanted to try it out. Right click (pc) or option click (mac) on the link to download for personal use.

Chalkboard Paint Piano Makeover

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:45:00 +0000

Piano purists may want to shut their eyes. The following may give you the shivers: I painted my piano in chalkboard paint-AND I love it. One more reason to love chalkboard paint I say. I didn't take a "before" photo of the piano but it looked horrible. Tons of dents and dings and scratches. I even like stuff kind of rough around the edges but this was beyond that. So, why not be a little funky with it? The paint covers excellent and the flat finish hides a lot- did I mention I can write on my piano? Seriously. I'm in love.

Next up: I am missing the covers on a bunch of the keys. I have a plan for that too- involving Mod Podge. Yes, you read that right. Stay tuned :) and I'll show you how it turns out.

Mini Print: Good Luck

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:02:00 +0000

Happy March everyone! Option click (mac) or right click (pc) the link to download this [Good Luck Mini Print]. Please feel free to enjoy and share for personal use. What opportunities would you like to find knocking at your door this month?

Oilcloth Giveaway Winners

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:42:00 +0000

Addie and Kira, your comment numbers were chosen using random.org as the winning numbers in the giveaway! Yeah! Go to the [RBTbags Etsy store] and pick out your favorite binder cover pattern. Email me your shipping address with the pattern you'd like and it'll be on it's way. Thanks for entering everyone!

Naked Tree Toys

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 02:41:00 +0000

Hooray! My husband and I have another little side project. It's called [Naked Tree Toys]- edgy right? Not really. It's a little shop to sell some cool wood blocks we've developed with a local craftsman. We hope to add other things as we can. Check it out and let us know what you think?

The Family Franchise: Calling Cards

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:11:00 +0000

You can use your family logo to create calling cards for your family. Handy to give out to new neighbors, schedule play dates, provide teachers or school office with a quick note, etc... I designed the above card for our family and will use the logo I created along with our names and information. I hope to have a few designs like this one in my shop soon. As always, I'm available for custom work if you are interested in something similar for your family.

The DIY Dish

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:42:00 +0000

Kim and Kris, the twin sister sewing/crafting powerhouses from You Can Make This have started a new venture called [The DIY Dish]- video podcasts of crafty goodness! Check out their site for a sample tutorial on how to make the cute pillows and fabric flowers pictured above.

Quote of the Week

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 22:38:00 +0000

Katherine Center penned a wonderful [tribute to motherhood] in the form of a letter to her daughter. Visit her blog to read the whole thing and watch a great video she put together for the Mom 2.0 Summit. Beautiful!

Oilcloth Binder Cover Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:00:00 +0000

Have you started getting your [manual] together? Rachel, who makes the awesome binder covers I posted about, is generously giving away 2 covers to readers of The Modern Hive. If you'd like to win, just leave a comment before Thursday, February 25th at midnight MST. I'll announce the two winners on Friday. The winners will be able to pick their fabric pattern from the [RBT Etsy shop].

Thanks Rachel!

The Family Franchise: The Flag

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:00:00 +0000

I love the idea behind Tibetan Prayer Flags. Prayers for luck, happiness, longevity, and prosperity are printed on cotton flags and hung for the wind to carry the prayers to whomever needs them.

Growing up, we had a big family flag that my parents designed. We all made it together as a family and brought it out on special occasions. I like the idea of using the Tibetan Prayer Flags as a model would be a wonderful way to make this idea a bit more modern.

DIY directions to make buntings are all over the web. It's really easy. Use scraps of fabric in any shape- no hemming or turning inside out required. I like the rectangular shape and frayed edges of the Tibetan Prayer Flags for this project. Just cut or rip out your desired amount of squares then use stamps, screen print, iron-on transfers, or even a fabric pen to add your family logo & other designs or text that symbolize your hopes and wishes for your family. You could add journaling, old photos, poetry... the options are endless.

Sew them all together onto a ribbon or string with your sewing machine or even glue them onto a ribbon with permanent fabric glue to make a bunting. Hang it in your home or outside in good weather for the good wishes of your family to be carried on the wind.

photo via

New Use: Leather Belts to Rug

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 23:10:00 +0000

I think this is a pretty cool idea from [Dude Craft]. It's a floor cloth made from old leather belts. Doesn't it have a cool look? Almost like worn strips of wood. I like it. You could use this idea on a smaller scale for place mats or coasters. There aren't really instructions on the Dude Craft site, but read the comments for some ideas of how to fasten the belts to a backing.

Quote of the Week

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:59:00 +0000

The Family Franchise: The Logo

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 23:03:00 +0000

A logo is used by businesses to help their customers remember their brand. It is also used to unify the company and it's employees, giving them a symbol of what they are working for. A reminder of the company motto & vision.

Thinking of world history- families used to have a crest, a brand, or a symbol to show owner ship of land, livestock, or property. The modern family might not use it the same way, but a family logo could do a lot of the same things: help give identity and unity to family members & reinforce the family motto and values.

Typically, logo design takes a lot of research and considers the company image and it's target market. A family logo doesn't have the same restraints. It's for you and your family. It could be anything you want!

You don't need to be a graphic designer to have a family logo. Just go back to your plan and vision board and motto and decide on images or thoughts you want to incorporate into your family logo. There are a lot of free clip art sites, fonts and drawing programs that you could use to put it together.

For our family logo, we decided we would use our initial- C, the number of people in our household- 8, and try to incorporate of family motto of "choose happy. do happy. be happy." I tend to create logos that are typographic and simple. I always try to make the main logo and then a smaller symbol that can be used for smaller applications. This is what I came up with for us:

The top image is the symbol and the bottom the whole version of the logo. The symbol incorporates the C, 8, and turn it on its side and it's a smiley face. I made a couple more generic ones to show you want you can put together with just fonts & clip art:

If you need an editing program, try these online options:

Vector files- Aviary.com
Image files- Picnik.com, Pixlr.com

With the popularity of digital scrapbooking, there are a ton of free resources on the web. Here are a few places to check for fun free images and fonts:

Just Something I Made (the vintage bird graphics above are from here. Cathe has a lot of great free downloads- and all around great ideas)
The Graphics Fairy
Cool Vectors
DaFont
Font Squirrel

Mini Print: Love at Home

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 02:37:00 +0000

Getting ready for Valentines Day! Download a copy of this 5x7 [Love at Home Mini Print] by right clicking (pc) or option clicking (mac) on the link above. I hope this week of LOVE is beautiful at your house.

Ding Ding Ding... announcing the winner!

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:37:00 +0000

Congratulations are in order for Allyson Elizabeth who said:

Email me your mailing address and the fondue set will be on it's way! Happy Dipping! For those of you who didn't win, you can still make fondue. Just use a sterno can surrounded by rocks or bricks above the sterno can. Stack a pot with a little boiling water on your ring of rocks/bricks and over that a ceramic bowl filled with your fondue. Use skewers for the dipping. Enjoy!

Chocolate Fondue:

6 1-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup light cream
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons flavoring

In saucepan melt chocolate over low heat. Add sugar, cream, butter, and salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly until thickened. Stir in flavoring. Pour into fondue pot and place pot over burner.

Suggested dippers: strawberries, cake, bananas, cherries, marshmallows, brownie bites... what wouldn't be good dipped in chocolate :)

Homemade bread in an hour

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:15:00 +0000

I just learned about a method of baking all kinds of breads using one recipe. So. Cool. It's from a website called [Pantry Secrets]. Have you heard of it? Easy to follow recipe and fast results- mixing for about 6 minutes then in the pan to raise for a 1/2 an hour then bake.

Super secret cool tip: spray your counter and hands with baking spray instead of flour when handling the dough instead of dusting with flour. Light bulb moment!

Thanks April and Kim!

The Family Franchise: The Motto

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 23:04:00 +0000

Here's a little game. I'll give you a phrase, you figure out to which company it belongs.

1. Just do it

2. The happiest place on earth

3. Snap, Crackle, Pop

4. It does a body good

5. They're grrrrreat!

6. I'm lovin' it!

7. Built for the road ahead

8. Oh, thank heaven for _____

9. Have it your way

10. The family company

How did you do? I'll give you the answers at the end of this post. Chances are you got most of them right. Most companies have a slogan, motto, or mantra that helps define their company. Often it is used internally to rally employees. Other times it is used as a branding positioner to help potential customers get a feel for the company.

Families can have a motto too. Something that you say to your kids or spouse and it reminds everyone of who you are as a family. Think of what you wrote in your plan, or put in your vision board. Can you boil it down to a short phrase?

We decided ours would be this: Choose Happy-Do Happy-Be Happy OR Choose-Do-Be for short. We say it to our kids all the time and they know what it means. It's a great little reminder. My family had one growing up- it was "One heart. One mind." We all knew what it meant and I still think about it. It brings back memories of all of us sitting around the table while my mom and dad taught us.

What can you do with your family motto? Stamp it into jewelry for each member, create a self inking stamp to put on notes and letter to your kids, create a vinyl wall decal, or just annoy your kids with it all the time like we do. He He Ha Ha!

Really though, we hope that it will be something they remember now and after they are out on their own. Even if they remember nothing else we tell them.

The answers: 1. Nike 2. Disneyland 3. Rice Krispies 4. Milk 5. Frosted Flakes 6. McDonalds 7. Ford 8. 7-11 9. Burger King 10. Johnson & Johnson

P.S. Did you notice the name of the post series has changed? I was talking to some lovely ladies at a [Startup Princess] event and one of them suggested this name. I loved it and think it better describes what these posts are about. Thanks [Tara]!

A Home after my own heart

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:06:00 +0000

You've got to check out this [home tour from Making Chicken Salad]. I love the mix of vintage, thrifted, modern, and handmade! I remember when I decided to just embrace my craziness and stop trying to make my house look like my parents. Not that there is anything wrong with my parents house. It's beautiful. But I used to try and match their style on my budget. Didn't work so well.

I finally decided that instead of being embarrassed by my non-show room worthy house, I would be grateful for every scratched up, mismatched, handmade or thrifted item. Slowly I felt my attitude and preferences shifting, and now I LOVE it! Even if I could afford that show room home, I wouldn't change it.

I love the time it takes to find unique things. I love making something we need out of something we already have. I love mixing up all the styles I love and putting it together in a way that works for our family. I love that it's a work in progress and I hope it's never "complete."

How about you? What makes your home your own?

Quote of the Week

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:49:00 +0000

From my stash: Vintage Fondue Set Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 23:29:00 +0000

Try your hand at a fun fondue dinner with this vintage fondue set. The set includes everything in the photo including the 1970's cookbook with lots of great fondue recipes. We have a family fondue dinner every Christmas eve and love it. Wouldn't it make a great alternative to going out on Valentines day? I think it would -so I'm giving away this set from my vintage stash.

To enter, leave a comment before Feb. 4th at midnight. The winner picked at random and will be announced the next day.