Attempting Aloha

American Girls Farmhouse Doll Bed (Cheater Cheater Version)

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:38:00 +0000

Aloha!

Well, with all the doll beds I've done, I finally decided to try a farmhouse bed like this one of Ana White's that got me started on doll beds to begin with.

I love Ana's version. But I've done lots of slats and railings lately, and I know what a pain they can be, so I decided to make my life a little easier by just doing a solid piece for the headboard and footboard. I also made mine the same width and depth as my canopy doll bed to cut down on bulk. I also made the headboard legs slightly shorter.

CUT LIST:

2x2 - 2 @ 4.5" each (legs of footboard)
2 @ 9" each (legs of headboard)
1x6 - 1 @ 9.5" (headboard center panel)
1x3 - 2 @ 18" each (side rails)
1 @ 9.5" (footboard center panel)
2 @ 15.5" each (top pieces of headboard and footboard)
1x2 - 2 @ 9.5" each (piece that goes under center panel on footboard and headboard)
4 @ 10" each (slats at bottom of the bed)
2 @ 12.5" each (top pieces that connect headboard and footboard panels to legs)

Now follow Ana's plans for connecting all the pieces. I'm lazy and didn't want to bother with screws, so I just used my nail gun and Gorilla Glue. The glue is really what holds it together. The 2" brad nails just barely connect the 2x2's to the other pieces (the actual measurement is about 1.5"x1.5") and hold it together until the glue dries. You'll also notice when building the base that I used 4 slats instead of 2. I did that to avoid having to find a small piece of plywood or something to go over them. With the 4 slats, I can just put the mattress directly on top of them.

I was in a big rush to get this ready for my daughter's friend's birthday, and I knew it would be dark by the time I finished it, so these pics are just of the primer finished. Don't look too close. ;) It really looked much better with the creamy white finish and the top coat of polycrylic!

I made a mattress, comforter, two pillows, and two removable pillow shams. I wish I had time to make a couple more decorative pillows, but we were on a time crunch.

I probably should have put the decorative piece a little higher. Or left it off since the pillows do a good job of covering it anyway. Oh, well.

My daughter chose the fabrics from our stash. I was pretty impressed with her choices (she's 5)! The birthday girl might have appreciated more pink, but I think they turned out lovely.

Considering we used scrap wood, scrap fabric, and scrap paint, I'd say it turned out to be an excellent birthday gift! Other than my hours of time creating it, it was free. ;)

Aloha,

Charlie

My Valentine's Mantel - I Know I'm a Little Late to the Party, but Humor Me ;)

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:44:00 +0000

Aloha!!

If you follow me on Facebook, you know that my computer got a virus, and I've been without a reliable means of blogging for the last little while. What a pain! But I'm back, and I have some catching up to do, so humor me if my Valentine's mantel is a little late. Better late than never, right? ;)

Yes, we're a girly household. So Valentine's is just an excuse for us to put pink in our living room (where my poor husband has officially banned pink for all other times of the year).

I saved the cabinet doors from our Hawaii kitchen renovation, and these three were the same 15" size, so I thought they'd be a nice little back-drop. I used them for our Christmas mantel with the words "For Unto Us", and then had a banner underneath that said "A Child Is Born". Saved myself some time by keeping the red.

The center heart thingie was a $1 yard sale score that I've never actually used but have had for years. The pink feather boa was from my girls' stash. They have about 8 of them. You may recall seeing a couple of them in the Flamingo Costume and the Most Glamorous Hobby Horse Ever. :)

This glass vase was also part of my Christmas display with the random little dollar store ornament things. I just tied some Valentine's ribbon around it and kept it!

I made the "stockings" last year after scoring some traditional Christmas stockings at an after-Christmas sale. You can read that tutorial HERE.

This one is my husband's. I spared him the sequin and flower humiliation. ;)

And here's a close-up of one of my girls' sequined ones. All of the girls have different flowers on each, so we can tell whose is whose without having a name embroidered on them.

The sequined frame was a thrift store find just a few weeks before VDay. I couldn't believe when I found it! I'm sure someone thought it was super hideous, but it goes just swimmingly with my sequined stockings! And for $.50, who can say no?

Since the only crafting I really had to do this year was the chalk letters on my boards, I decided to make some kissing balls to add to our Valentine's collection. I like the rosette kissing balls I've seen, but really, I didn't want to spend hours on this project. I had some tissue paper from the Dollar Tree on hand and just used two different shades of pink to make four 8" pom poms and then hung them from a plant hanger that was already there and waiting for us to use! It's right above a chair in the corner we don't use very often, so whenever someone sits there, they get a kiss!

Pretty simple decorations, but they make me smile every time I walk by! I'm taking them down today and have to admit I'm going to miss the pink in the living room. lol

Aloha!

Charlie

Think outside the {toy} Box - Over 50 Organizational Tips for Kids' Spaces

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:33:00 +0000

Okay, let's just get right to it. These are kids' spaces. Kids need and want to use their space for playing, right? They don't want their precious floor space crowded with boxes of their own toys! But heaven forbid they actually have to give up any of those toys!!! So what's a mom to do?

First, I have to say that I'm a big fan of the "rotate" idea. If you remember when I built our toy boxes, I built three of the huge beasts. But only two of them reside in the playroom. One of them stays in attic space, and the kids get to rotate toys in and out of it every 3 or 4 months or so.

I find this helps my kids realize just how LITTLE they play with certain toys and helps them let go of them later on. If they can see that a toy hasn't been "in play" for the last two or three rotations, it's probably time for it to go to another home, so another child can enjoy it.

That being said, the next thing moms are going to look for are space-saving and utilizing ideas. That's what we'll be looking for today!

Let's start with this great idea from Ana White. I'm the founder of the I {heart} Ana White fan club. She's amazing! While building may sound daunting to many, I can assure you, it's not as bad or hard as it seems. And you can always simplify an idea to suit your own skill level. Like, for instance, using pre-built shelves but attaching them to the back of a closet door instead of building this entire thing!

Source: ana-white.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And if you're really afraid of building (or are renting and don't want to put holes in closet doors), what about using a good ol' shoe organizer to store those barbies or action figures?

Source: images.containerstore.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Also a great idea for keeping track of art and school supplies. This comes from Jamie at Something to Do.

Source: blog.hellolittleone.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Another area that gets neglected or goes unused is under the bed. Or perhaps it's used...just not like you want it to be! Well, one of my blog bff's has come up with a great storage solution that's easy for kids to roll out, but won't require you to build drawers (I've helped build some drawers, and I'll admit I don't love it.)
These are an excellent and simple alternative! Go visit Jaime (That's My Letter) and tell her hello. :)

Source: thatsmyletter.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

If you're not ready to build, can I convince you to spray paint? Yeah, I thought you might like that. We're going industrial this year, and these lockers are perfect! I've seen some listed here on Craigslist, but they were just a little bit too tall for my SUV. I'm holding out for the perfect set! Love the open top shelves of this one and the different color inside!

Source: flickr.com via Attempting on Pinterest

If your kids are a bit older, and you love a good knock-off project, Ana White has some great plans for a similar teen storage tower. I haven't seen these in person, but I'm not sure I'd recommend them for smaller kids due to stability (and my children's affinity for climbing). But perfect for a teen girl's room! Here's a link for Ana's plans.

Source: pbteen.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And you can't do an organizational post without showing some pegboard love:

Source: houseonashwelllane.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

All kids love costumes, right? Simply gut an old dresser and build a cute little wardrobe!

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Can we talk about stuffed animals for a minute?

Does your child have a serious stuffed animal problem? Just go ahead and throw them in the trash. No, really! Did you get the memo that industrial is in?! What's more industrial than a metal garbage can? This one was actually used as a trash in her home, but I think her "scrunchy" looks like a cute liner, and I can envision my 7-year-old having a good time putting all her buddies in the trash at night. I'm not sure what sizes are available, but this size seems more suited for older kids. It would just make the little ones really mad. ;)

Source: rebekahmerkle.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And this one has become a Pinterest phenomenon. Everyone's pinning it, right? But they're so cute! I have yet to find a similar wall basket, though. Has anyone seen one to give an idea of pricing?

Source: bhg.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Here's a good tutorial for the classic "stuffed animal net" that I remember friends having when I was a child (I wasn't much into stuffed animals. My kids love them, though!)

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This one doesn't have a tutorial, but they seem simple enough to make!

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This is another cute knock-off project with a good tutorial. I think my kids would love this one!

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Love this one! So simple! You could even just hang a rope from a plant hanger on the ceiling, and then clip the stuffed animals right to the rope with clothespins! Great way to utilize the higher spaces in the room. But be prepared to be called in to help the little guys get the treasures they can't reach! :)

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Yes, yes, I KNOW this is a shower caddy. But can't you picture some cute little stuffed animals chilling on those shelves, tucked away in a corner??

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And this one is kind of a combination of the trash can and the animal zoo! Very cute!

Source: blogs.babble.com via Susie on Pinterest

We can't neglect those small toys, though, right?

These clear toy storage bags from Make It and Love It are excellent! Kids can open them on their own, and they can see exactly what's in the bag, thus lessening the "throw it all out to see if my favorite toy is at the bottom".

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Want more small-item storage ideas? What about some simple fabric boxes? These ones from Make It and Love It are so cute!

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Love the color organization by I Heart Organizing in her playroom!

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This site has free printables for these canister labels. She's used them on Folgers canisters, but I've been saving up my large cashew canisters, and I think something like this would be perfect! Great that the kids can easily see what's in the can!

Source: heartofwisdom.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Here's a tutorial for a fun little car caddy!

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Source: womansday.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Are you cheap like me? What about taking some of those heavy-duty diaper or wipes boxes and covering them with cheap burlap? This has held up extremely well over the last year of use and even during our move across the ocean! Not bad for a $1 box. :)

Source: attemptingaloha.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Let's not forget all those board games! Beckie at Infarrantly Creative is a craft genius! Why not turn your usable board games into fun, colorful wall art? All the pieces are stored in the framed boxes! Excellent!!

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And here's one last art supplies idea. Also from Ana White.

Source: ana-white.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And on to books!

The Ardent Sparrow blog has a good little round-up of some book storage ideas if you want some more ideas.

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Remember when we talked about utilizing your space wisely? This is such a good idea! Be cautious if you have little climbers, though! ;)

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This is adorable, so I had to include it. My kids would probably drag that thing all over the place. Great if they have room to do it...our playroom borders on stairs. No bueno. But CUTE!

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These shelves are called "spine" shelves, and you can find them on Amazon for pretty cheap. Or it looks like a simple DIY. Looks like a 1x10 cut in 10" pieces and screwed to a 1x3, and the whole thing is screwed to a stud in the wall. Not sure how much weight it would hold on each shelf without a bracket, but you could add a bracket below each shelf as well...

Source: flickr.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And if you prefer sewing vs. building:

Source: spearmintbaby.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Turn an Ikea bookshelf on its side, put some legs (or wheels) and a cushion on it, and call it a day!

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And here's another one that I think is just beautiful, but I'm not sure of the practicality for a kid's space. Perhaps if you need something mobile?

Source: leberpr.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Or bring the shelves up off the floor!

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Now on to paperwork and school!

Do you have some little artists in your house? Do you have a hard time getting rid of thsie masterpieces? Maybe you'd feel more warm and fuzzy if you did something like this and scanned the artwork and shrunk them to fit in cute artwork?! This display is just gorgeous!

Source: jengrantmorris.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Need some tips on going through school paperwork? Click on over to get some ideas from I Heart Organizing.

Source: iheartorganizing.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Or visit these cute "command center" boards from Delightful Order.

Source: delightfulorder.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And these chore charts were purchased from an Etsy shop, but I LOVE the idea of using magnets for chores! We've done sticker charts, and I get pretty sick of getting the stickers down for every little thing. I like that they could do this all on their own!

Source: theclayfamilyblog.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And if you're really looking to maximize kids' space, I recommend looking UP! Kids are so small. Do they really need 8" ceilings? Nah. Consider building in play areas or bunk beds if you live in a home and area that will almost always attract families (for resell consideration).

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And with three girls, I have to touch on hair stuff, right?

Here's how we organize our stuff:

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And here's a little more of our hair stuff..

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Source: google.ca via Attempting on Pinterest

And here are just a couple little tips from me that work well in our house that I thought might also help you!

Do your kids make a huge mess of their dresser drawers trying to find matching pj tops and bottoms? Or do they just end up wearing mismatched pj's instead? My kids used to just wear mismatched pj's, but maybe I'm a little OCD because it kind of bugged me. Nevermind the fact that I wear sweats and "paint shirts" to drop them off to school every day... But I just like it better when they match!

So here's what the good doctor came up with as a solution (he's brilliant, people!):

Folding pj tops and bottoms together! Duh!! This makes it so easy for the kids to just grab a pair and go!

And my next tip is another simple one. AND it also involves clothes.

With three girls (3, 5, 7), we have lots of clothing rotations and hand-me-downs going on around here. I used to have some stored in boxes, some in plastic tubs, and lots that didn't really fit, but I just kept them in their drawers was such a tedious process. I hated "wasting space" if one of those plastic bins wasn't completely full with one size, so there was lots of combining and mixing of sizes, and it was just a disaster.

When we made this last move (and after I emptied every single box and put our house together in 6 days), I decided it was TIME to do something about the clothing chaos.

I emptied every single bin and box we had into a huge pile in the middle of the toy room. YIKES!!

I had purchased some of these comforter storage bags from the Dollar Tree, and I decided to see if they might work for clothes. When I put the first few items in, I thought, "There's NO WAY all these clothes are going to fit in here!" But I stuck it out and kept squishing and cramming, and I was amazed at how much actually fit in them. Unlike the big plastic bins, since these are smaller, and the zipper only opens half way, it compresses a lot of the air out, so you have a nice, tight fit. Like those vacuum bags...but no vacuum.

Every single bag, I thought the same thing, "There's no way these are going to fit." But they did!

So I ended up using 10 of the storage bags. Grand total of $10. ONE of those plastic bins is around $6, and it would have taken at least 5 or 6.

Here are a few things I love about them:

* Since a lot of the air is squished out, it saves lots of space vs the bins

* Since they're smaller sizes, I can give each clothing size its own bag and not feel guilty about "wasting" space in a plastic bin.

* I can SEE the clothes! I considered putting labels on each bag for the different sizes, but since I can see the clothes, I know exactly what size is in it (after three kids wearing the exact same things and washing them a gazillion times, I'm VERY famliar with every single item of clothing in there)

* Again, since they're smaller, they're easier for me to move around, and I only have to take out one bag at a time!

Here's how mine are separated (in case you care):
1) 0-3 months
2) 3-6 months
3) 6-12 months
4) 12-18 months
5) 18-24 months
6) 4T (our 2T, 3T, and 5T+ are all in use)
7) Shoes
8) Soft shoes and socks
9) Winter coats and bibs
10) Receiving blankets

These two stacks take up an area 40" wide x 28" tall x 18" deep. Not bad for 2,000,000 items! ;)

If all else fails, just hide their messes with a cute curtain. ;)

Source: attemptingaloha.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Because sometimes it looks more like this:

And there you have it! Over 50 ideas to help get your littles organized!

If you're looking for other organizational tips, check out these great posts:

Monday - Master Bedroom with Mrs. Greene
Tuesday - Bathroom with HomeMadeville
Wednesday - Kitchen with The Country Chic Cottage
Thursday - YOU ARE HERE ;)
Friday - Garage with CondoBlues
Saturday - Maximizing Storage Space with Mural Maker

Do you have any organizational tips you'd like to share? Link them up! It can be anything to do with organizing...doesn't have to be kids' spaces. :)

And stay tuned! I have two REALLY BIG projects in the works that tie in nicely with organizing those kids' spaces!! Check back or follow along! I'll be posting links to them on FB, Twitter, and Pinterest, so you're welcome to follow along on one of those if that's easier for you. Links are at the top of this page on the right sidebar.

Thanks for visiting and aloha!

Charlie

It's been a rough week -- Doctor's Wife Poem {The Resident's Wife}

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 20:56:00 +0000

It's been a rough week. I know not all of you know my husband is in residency, but I know some of you have taken the time to read my "About Me" page and noticed that that's where we are in life. And I've been surprised at how many have emailed me saying their husband is in medical school or residency, and they connect with what I have to say.

So, if you're just here for the tutorials, please feel free to skip this one. But if you happen to know a doctor's wife, resident's wife, or med student's wife (or someone who likes to complain about their doctors), they might be grateful if you pass this along.

And if you're one of the ones who have emailed me and are in our same boat, perhaps you can appreciate it on weeks like I've had this week.

The Resident’s Wife

I miss you.
My companion. Love. Friend.
You’re never here.
But then you are, but not you.
Hollow. Lights dimmed.
Stress.
Fatigue.
Exhaustion.
Physically, mentally, and emotionally drained.
Then pieces of you shine through,
And I have renewed hope.
Then you’re gone again.
The sign above our bed taunts me daily,
“P.S. I love your laughter,
And I love the way you make me laugh.”
We did laugh once, right?
I miss you.

My life seems busy. But not.
I fill it with things to help me feel busy.
It pails in comparison to your daily dread.
Fighting, disobedient kids.
Dinner to cook.
Laundry. Groceries. Bills.
A house to clean.
Schedules to keep.

Monotonous? Yes.
Dull? Possibly.
Frustrating? Sometimes.

But there’s no one looking over my shoulder,
Watching my moves and critiquing my care.
No one waiting for me to make a mistake
And ready to sue.
Or criticize at my first falter.
No one competing with me to impress.
Well, maybe a few.
But only rarely do I have the fear that
I might mess up and truly ruin a life.
For a doctor, that fear is omnipresent.
Babies to deliver. Watching new life. And first breaths.
But also seeing death.
Suffering and grief.
Pain. And sorrow. And Fear.

Isolation.

Wounds to treat. Patients to heal.
Paperwork.
Paperwork.
Paperwork.
Notes.
Notes.
Notes.

You’re tired, so I’m tired.
If you’re miserable, I must be miserable, too.
Why should I be happy when my other half appears ruined?
“Just a few more weeks. Then a new rotation.”
“Just a few more years, then residency will be over.”
Will it be better?
Worth it?
At what cost?
The kids have stopped asking if you’ll be home for dinner.
I miss you.

You’re jealous of me. I get to have a hobby. And exercise.
Does it make you love me less?
Are you angry when the house isn’t clean?
When you wake at 3:50 am,
Do you stand over me lovingly?
Or do you resent that my alarm will be silent for another 3 hours?
I resent it for you.

Four days off per month is criminal.
80 hours? Ha.
Paperwork not included.

Holidays have no meaning.
Just another time to be reminded that other families are together.
Like weekends.
I only look for 4 chairs at church.
Remember church?
But you and I, we are still faithful at saying our prayers.
Do they count if you fall asleep during them?
And when you’re away, our prayers here always include,
“Please let daddy have a good day at work.
Please help him be a good doctor and to be happy.”
And I silently beg and plead that you will not fall asleep while driving.
The kids include, “Please let him come home early.”
And, “We miss him.”
They know.
I miss you.

No days off this week.
But we will savor those minutes from 7:15 to 8:15 pm
That the children have to jump on you and love you.
And I will try again to make you laugh.
And then watch you sleep.
And pray again that somehow He will make 6 hours
Of rest be sufficient for your tired body.

It will get better.
It will be worth it. It has to be.
I’m so proud of you.
Do I tell you enough? Do you believe me?
I know other people need you.
They need your naturally skilled hands.
They need the knowledge you’ve worked years to acquire.
They need your comfortable, easy attitude and manner.
They love you, too.
I will share.
But I miss you.

* * * * * *

Now, don't get me wrong and think that our house is just a big, black pit of despair. That's not the point I'm trying to get across. If you're a regular blog reader, you know humor is a big part of me and my house. But there are dark moments that outsiders may have a hard time seeing. My husband is on a demanding rotation and was on call (30+ hours at the hospital with no sleep) numerous times during the holidays, and has two more no-bueno rotations coming up back-to-back. So it's been a rough week, and the outlook for the next couple months seems dismal for spending quality time together.

I'm also not trying to say that doctors' (or residents' or medical students') families are the only ones to experience this. It may touch some whose husbands are deployed or maybe who have other high-stress jobs with excruciating working hours. But I can only tell my story.

Thanks for reading. And thanks for sharing.

Aloha,
Charlie

Plans are up on Ana White's site for the Canopy Doll Bed

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 06:09:00 +0000

Just a quick note to let you know I gave myself a quick crash course in Google Sketch Up today and hammered out the plans for the Canopy Doll Bed to post on Ana White's site!!

The headboard/footboard was a little rough, so let's all laugh at them together (but nice laugh, k?). I also somehow saved the files much too small, so you have to click to enlarge them, but it's 1:00 in the morning here, so I'm giving up for the day. :)

You can find the plans HERE.

And if you used my tutorial and made a canopy bed, I'd love to see pics! If you have an account on Ana's site, you can post a brag post there and link to my plans as well.

Thanks everyone for being so wonderful!

Aloha,
Charlie

A Teaching Moment - And a New Series "Building and Sewing with Kids"

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:32:00 +0000

Aloha!

So over Christmas, we had a fun little experience that I thought I'd share with you since it was a really good learning experience for our family. I've never done a "personal" post on here before, so go easy on me. ;)

We are a crafting/DIY/fix it up kind of family. My husband has had construction experience in almost every field. He grew up helping on his grandparents' farm and raising animals, so he has lots of agricultural experience as well. And his dad taught him lots about fixing and rebuilding cars, so he has it covered in that area as well. When household things or auto things break down, chances are Scott can fix it (or he'll die trying). And I bought my first sewing machine about 8 years ago and slowly started teaching myself from there. I'm also the family electronics guru. My dad had a little side job of fixing home electronics when I was little, so tinkering is a natural thing for me. I've replaced the LCD on my iPhone (When "the middle child" threw it on the floor of Costco one day...those floors are deadly! If you're an iPhone.) I'm the one who hooks up all our gadgets and electronics, and I've repaired our laptops countless times. I'm currently working from a hybrid of two of our laptops that both had different components go out, so I Frankensteined them into one. No biggie, right?

I've always loved crafts but hadn't really thought much about it until we bought our first pet fish about 4 years ago.

"Fish? What do they have to do with crafts?" I can hear you asking through the monitor...

Gotta admire the kid's consistently crazy hair

Well, our first family pets were two betta fish. One was red, and one was blue. We asked our 3-year-old what she wanted to name them, and told her she could pick any names she wanted. She instinctively shouted, "Sparkles and Glue!" We chuckled, but we kept the names.

When I told a friend, she said, "You must've been doing crafts that day, huh?" And then it was my turn to be confused, "Wait...doesn't everyone do crafts every day?"

Apparently not.

Needless to say, my girls aren't strangers to glue, scissors, glitter, paper, fabric, sewing needles, and saw dust. We go to the lumber section at home improvement stores, and they sniff deep and say, "Mmmmm...it smells like our garage!" They could also recognize the logos for Home Depot, Lowes, Joann, and Hobby Lobby before McDonald's (don't get me wrong...we also visit the golden arches, but not with the frequency of the other places). Even my 2-year-old is good with scissors and knows the colors "teal, peach, maroon, brick red, and Benjamin Moore Metro Grey". Just kidding about that last one. Kind of.

This Christmas, I had the pleasure of taking all the girls to Wal-mart by myself on a weekend (I deserve a medal. Maybe for stupidity?) As we walked past the electronics section, my 7-year-old was looking longingly at the Wii's or DS's or something...I have no idea what they were. We're obviously not a "gaming" family. Glitter would probably jam them anyway. ;) But she said, "Mom, can we get a Wii for Christmas?" I told her they were too expensive, and she automatically responded, "Can't you just make one?" Cough. Laugh. Snort. Choke. Ha ha ha ha! "Well, honey, they have lots of little parts that are hard to get a hold of. They'd be very very very very very very hard for mommy to make and would probably take me a few years." (Notice the word impossible isn't used here. That word's not used in our house unless we really mean it.)

A couple days pass by, and we get a phone call from Santa!

My maternal grandpa has a deep, gruff voice, and he does a great "Ho Ho Ho", so he calls the grandkids and great-grandkids every year just before Christmas and pretends to be Santa. They have 10 kids (my mom's the oldest, and the youngest is just younger than me), 30 grandkids (I'm the oldest, and the youngest is still in utero), and 4 great-grandkids (my three kids are the oldest, and my brother has one).

He talks to each of my girls and asks if they've been good and told them they had to be good if they didn't want him to take away presents.

(Funny side story: My middle child is a bit of a stinker, and at that moment, she realized how naughty she is, and she had a melt down! "I'M NOT GETTING ANYTHING FOR CHRISTMAS!! I'VE BEEN BAD!!" Took me 30 minutes to console her, and we had to have Santa call back. lol)

So Santa also asked each of them to tell him what they wanted for Christmas. The middle child gives a long list. The toddler stares at the phone in disbelief and slight terror. And the oldest -- out of nowhere-- says, "I have a toy Rudolph that used to play music and walk, and he broke. I would like a new one. And that's all."

CRAP! It's 10 days to Christmas, and she throws THIS at me? Ugh. The Rudolph toy she's referring to was a toy my dad had purchased at a thrift store decades ago and then gave to her. Who knows how old it is or where it came from. I searched Ebay with no luck. I found some other Rudolphs that played music, but none identical. And even the other ones were over $40. I was looking to spend closer to $5... Blah.

Think. Think. Think.

Somewhere, somehow, my prayers were answered, and I thought of a possible solution. I found a cute little kid's tool kit at Lowes for $8. It had real tools (not those plasticy fake things), but they're smaller, to fit kids' hands. Very cute set! My only gripe is that they only come in yellow. Purple or pink would be much more fitting for our family, but oh well.

Then Santa wrote her a letter. I'll just go ahead an put it here for you to read:

She opened the gift first and then read the letter. I could tell she was disappointed. :( She really wanted that Rudolph and probably was skeptical about whether or not she could help fix her old one.

She set the tools aside, and we kept opening presents. But immediately when we were done, she picked up the tool kit, brought it to me, and said, "Ok. Let's fix Rudolph!" Now, if you're remembering, I'm usually the electronics one, but as soon as I was done helping her get the gear on, I got detained by one of the other children, and my husband was happy to help take over. He was going to start by sanding off the battery terminals since Hawaii is really humid, and they had rusted some.

I wasn't paying much attention until I suddenly heard Rudolph's music! He was back from the dead!! I looked over just in time to see my daughter's face. I WISH so desperately that I had known the momentous occasion it was going to be and had thought to have my video camera rolling. ((sigh)) The look on her face was priceless. THEY HAD DONE IT!! They actually fixed RUDOLPH!!! She was ecstatic! There aren't enough exclamation marks in the world to describe her face. Sheer joy.

So then she wanted to fix and build everything. She wanted to sleep in her tool belt and is even excited to go to Lowes to buy parts to "reupholster" one of their toy chairs (after all our whirlwind home renovations last year, my kids DREADED going to any home improvement stores, but we spent the most time in Lowes).

So there you have it. We've created a builder and fixer. Instilled confidence and hopefully changed how she views the world a little bit (buying new things isn't always the best answer).

Santa also brought the girls their own small sewing machine! So in honor of this increased love of creating and now building, I'm going to be starting a new blog series called "Building and Sewing with Kids". I'll take you through some of the fun projects I do with my kids that help them create things they can use in REAL LIFE. Not just things they can send to grandma or stick on the fridge for a couple weeks (although there will still be plenty of those in our house). :)

What do you think? Do you build and create real projects with your kids? I'd love to see!!

Aloha,
Charlie

Over 50 Great Crafty Valentine's Projects

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 05:12:00 +0000

Aloha!

You know you're a crazy crafter if...you start planning for Valentine's Day just 2 days after Christmas. ;)

But here we are, and I'm ready for it! Valentine's Day is probably our family's second-favorite holiday after Christmas. Maybe a close tie with Easter.

I've seen some great V-Day projects and thought it would be fun to do a round-up of some awesome crafts to get you feeling inspired.

WARNING: I may use the words "cute", "adorable", and "love" an extreme amount of times in this post.

Here's a cute classmate idea from Family Fun Magazine. I think my 7-year-old would love these:

Source: familyfun.go.com via Attempting on Pinterest

I also found this cute idea from Family Fun. See-through/Peekaboo Valentines:

Source: familyfun.go.com via Attempting on Pinterest

These super hero sucker templates from Zakka Life were originally for a birthday party, but they'd be really cute with a little note under the cape, right? "Justice is sweet!" or "You're super!" or "Sucks to be the bad guys". Ok...maybe not that one. It's late. Leave me alone.

Source: zakkalife.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

These felt fortune cookies from Martha Stewart are so stinking cute! What a fun classroom gift!

Source: marthastewart.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Wouldn't they be adorable in these mini Chinese take-out boxes I did last year? (There's a free printable included.)

My kids love stamps. And we have a million erasers sitting around, wasting space. So this would be a perfect craft for them! DIY eraser stamps from The Sweetest Occasion.

Source: thesweetestoccasion.com via Attempting on Pinterest

My girls would probably be mortified if I made them take these to classmates with "KISS" on it. But they might let it slide with a cute "Hug" tag and Hugs. Maybe? They're just too cute to pass up. These are from Cheri at I Am Momma Hear Me Roar.

Source: iammommahearmeroar.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And a Martha Stewart idea that I know my girls would think is just amazing. (They really love stickers and envelopes and hearts. Check. Check. Check. Maybe add some glitter and call it a day.)

Source: marthastewart.com via Attempting on Pinterest

"You make my heart glow" Valentine's from The Teacher Wife. Another adorable idea!

Source: theteacherwife.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And here's another classmate gift idea. Friendship bracelets with a great tutorial from Dandee Designs. Super cute that the kids can really get involved in this one by braiding their own bracelets.

Source: dandee-designs.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And how cute are these mustache and kissy lips suckers? Another great idea from Family Fun.

Source: familyfun.go.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Now follow me on this next one. I KNOW the bottom stickers are for a baby shower. But wouldn't it be fun to do hugs and kisses and do some fun cute words on the bottom for classmate gifts? Or even just some fun scrapbook paper or red and pink prints?

Source: google.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Here's a cute printable from Salt & Paper. Kids are more comfortable with the "like" cards than those mushy "love" ones, right? And they also have some green and blue ones if your little guy isn't down with pink and red. (note: even though it asks you to add it to your cart, they're still free. The price is $0.) :)

Source: saltandpaper.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Let's not forget the family V-Day fun, right? We always give each other gifts and cards and letters for the holiday. And we've done the small mailboxes before, and we sneak in and leave letters in each others' boxes. But they've never been as darling as these ones from The Anderson Family Crew. So cute!

Source: andersonfamilycrew.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Our mailboxes bit the dust somewhere along the lines, so last year I improvised with some Christmas stockings I found on clearance and made Valentine's heart "stockings". :)

This wreath is from an Etsy shop, but it looks simple enough if you're willing to put the time into it!

Source: etsy.com via Attempting on Pinterest

While we're talking about wreaths, what about this cute one made from cupcake liners by Diary of a Wannabe Domestic Diva. Here's a link to her original tutorial on Catch My Party.

Source: wannabedomesticdiva.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

You know we can't get enough of pink feather boas in our house, right? This wreath will be made this year. That's a ~~threat~~ promise (my husband might think it's a threat). This cute one is from Simply B Creative.

Source: simplybcreative.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

This is a cute variation on a front-door wreath. The tutorial comes from Lasting Memories:

Source: lastingmemories.typepad.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And another cute one. This one by Then She Made:

Source: thenshemade.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

This printable from Peppermint Plum is sweet. And I love the little ribbon detail on the frame!

Source: peppermintplum.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Are you feeling super pinched for $$ after Christmas and not looking to spend any more on Valentine's decor? Do you have any of those old wire hangers just wasting closet space? Turn them into art! Love this LOVE sign by Family Chic.

Source: cfabbridesigns.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Amy from The Idea Room did this cute little Valentine art last year. I loved it so much that I made a similar version (but cheater printed version...cuz sometimes I'm lazy like that).

Wouldn't you smile every time you passed by these pillows if you had them? There's a free printable from Creature Comforts for the iron-on transfers.

Source: creaturecomfortsblog.com via Attempting on Pinterest

I can't promise that my house won't be covered in pom poms this holiday either. Love these pink ones from Etsy. I found them via Pinterest, and sadly, it links to Etsy home page, and I couldn't find the owner for the life of me to link to her shop. :( Let me know if you find it!

Source: etsy.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And if you're looking for a good tulle pom pom tutorial, Chintzy Couture has a good one using a cardboard circle!

Here's a simple way to gussy up your dining room from BHG. Their instructions say to use rivets, but I imagine doing them with a simple button hole stitch on my sewing machine would look equally elegant. :)

Source: bhg.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And this adorable card says it all for me and my sweetheart. He might not believe it if I gave it to him...

It's also from an Etsy shop, but $3 is super reasonable for this cute card. And you peeps are crafters. You know how to make it your own if you want to.

Source: theglamlamb.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

I'm going to call it a night, but this post is far from being complete. If you have a project with a tutorial you'd like me to include, please send me an email. I'd love to see!

Aloha,
Charlie

Ten of My 2011 Favorites

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 15:22:00 +0000

Aloha!

2012 is just days away, so it's round-up time in blogland. Everyone's sharing their favorite projects of the year, so I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon and share my favorite posts of 2011. With our ginormous home renovations in Hawaii, then finding tenants, packing our stuff up to move across an ocean, staying with family for a month, then heading here to the east coast and finding a new home and settling in; I'm actually quite surprised I did ANY projects!! :)

But here they are:

I made this "Love Your Laughter" sign for my husband for Valentine's Day out of some free lumber I found in a scrap pile at Re-Use Hawaii. I made the stencils myself because I wanted the letters to fit perfectly across the board and line up just right. It now hangs above our bed, and it still makes me smile. Every. Single Day. :)

In February, I showed you how we organize some of our girly hair stuff with these fab wire baskets I designed along with the pleated basket liners. There are links for tutorials on both the baskets and liners in this post also. The wire basket tutorial was one of my most popular posts with readers this year as well. :)

Another popular post that makes me laugh is this one where I showed you how to gussy up your potty with $7 by replacing the toilet handle in about 7 minutes. :)

If you're on Pinterest, chances are good you've seen this pic at one point or another sometime this year. This is the one where I taught you how to make your own chalkboard paint in small quantities in ANY COLOR, using basic acrylic craft paints and some non-sanded grout.

For the first time in my 7-years of sewing, I FINALLY ventured into clothing and did this revamp that I still love today. Ugly skirt and shirt get made over to paper bag skirt and cute shirt. This link is for the skirt, but there's a link in the tutorial for the shirt as well.

I dabbled in art a little, and let me tell you, I'M NO ARTIST! But if I can do it, you can do it! Here's my shabby chic coral wall art also made from reclaimed wood from Re-Use Hawaii's free bin.

My playroom Scrabble wall art is also a favorite in our house! It makes such a statement and was so cheap (but quite time-intensive...be warned).

Also a playroom project, the kid's reading nook is another family favorite. My girls read in there every day. It's their own little sanctuary. ((cuz they have it so tough and need a place to escape to, right?)) ;)

I'm not sure if this one is a favorite because I love the project or because my wee one looks so stinking adorable in this pic?! But it was among the most popular posts this year, so here's the fabulous Halloween flamingo costume.

It wouldn't be a blog year-in-review if I didn't show off a building project. My doll canopy bed plans was such a fun project! And with Christmas just finished, it's been SO MUCH FUN for me to see the beds you've made using my plans for your little ones! Nothing makes me happier! Except maybe the look on my daughter's face when she saw her own canopy bed... :)

Check out the Attempting Aloha Facebook page to see some of the beautiful fan beds that were done these last two weeks.

And there you have it! Ten of my favorite posts of 2011!

I wanted to take a second to say thanks for following along. Even with the giant break from May to October. :) I'll confess that I'm HORRIBLE at finishing projects, and having a blog really helps me get things done. It also pushes me to try new things that might otherwise seem too intimidating. Not all of my projects turn out, and maybe in January I'll share some flops with you. I haven't shown them mostly for the sake of time. They're funny and all, but it takes lots of time to take pics and make posts...it's hard to find that extra time when you know you're not really teaching much other than, "uhhhh...keep trying!" :D

Here's to a fabulous 2012! If you noticed, I just started ads on my blog this week. I've been blogging for just over a year and am hoping to make it a teeny tiny drop in the med school debt, so thanks again for your support!

Aloha,

Charlie

I'll be linking to Sarah's Before and After party:

Angry Birds Small Bean Bags - Free Printables

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:44:00 +0000

Aloha!

Just in case you're still looking for that fun gift for the guy in your life, I thought I'd share what my girls and I made for my husband today. Angry Birds rice-filled "bean bags" for launching with a sling shot into our pig towers!

These are SUPER cheap, too! The cutting is a bit tedious, but I had my little elves helping me out, and they were more than happy to help cut while I did the sewing and hot gluing. ;)

SUPPLIES for all 6 birds:

Patterns (at bottom of this tutorial)
Rice (or other filler)
Hot glue gun and sticks
Sewing machine / needle and thread
GOOD SCISSORS!! Lots of cutting
1 sheet red felt
1 sheet yellow felt
1 sheet orange felt
1 sheet white felt
1 sheet black felt
1 sheet blue felt

optional -
1 sheet gray felt -- I didn't have any on hand, so I used the light blue for the Bomb Bird's accents. I think it looks fine, but gray would be more accurate.
Thread in coordinating colors - I had white, red, blue, black, and yellow on hand, but just white would be fine if that's all you've got. They're just toys, right? :)

I picked my sheets up at Hobby Lobby for $.25 each. A whopping $1.50 for this project!!

STEP 1: Print your pattern and cut out your pieces. Cut just inside the lines for the best fit. I'd do it one bird at a time to keep all the tiny pieces straight. It's annoying to lose a little piece!

STEP 2: Cut out your fabric. Be sure to cut two of the main pieces (circles for Bomb, Blue, and Red -- triangle for Yellow).

STEP 3: Sew your two main pieces together with 1/4" seam allowance. Keep an opening to turn it right-side-out.

STEP 4: Turn it right-side out and round your edges. Don't iron!

STEP 5: Lay out your face how you want it.

STEP 6: With the pieces all in place, take off one piece at a time to glue down. Trust me. It will make your life much easier. And BE CAREFUL with those tiny pieces and hot glue gun. I highly recommend using a small, craft low-temp gun. You can buy them at Walmart for $2.

STEP ...uhh...I forget what I'm on: Fill with rice. Felt isn't super stretchy, so it should keep a fairly flat shape.

My craft room was completely overtaken by birds and kids, so we dubbed it the "Build-A-Bird" workshop for the day. lol Then (of course), my kids wanted to put little hearts in them. Since they're ANGRY Birds, they got black hearts. Ha ha

Then fold the top down and sew closed with the "hair" piece or bomb in place. Easy peasy!

As I mentioned, these are supposed to be for my husband for Christmas. We'll be heading to the Dollar Tree to find a sling shot like Meg at Brassy Apple used for her game.

And we'll be making these cans tomorrow for our towers.

Source: cutefoodforkids.com via Attempting on Pinterest

I also love these plushies from Obsessively Stitching! But they seemed like much more work thank I was looking for and wanted the kids to really be involved. Plus they were a little larger than what I had in mind for the game. They are DARLING, though!

Source: obsessivelystitching.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

My kids wanted to make their own to keep and play with, so we ended up making 8 birds today!

Here is the pattern. Angry Birds is copyrighted by Rovio Entertainment. These patterns are my own. They are not to be used for commercial purposes. Personal use only. Live aloha. Play nice.

And if you do use my pattern, I'd REALLY love it if you'd leave me a comment letting me know. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. I'd love it even more if you sent me a pic! ;)

All 4 patterns are included in this one download.

Other fun things to do with these:

* HAND WARMERS (Be sure not to microwave longer than 45 seconds. And if this is your intended use, I recommend using fleece and hand stitching the faces on rather than using hot glue.)
* JUGGLING BAGS
* And just plain cute little TOYS

Aloha and Mele Kalikimaka!

Charlie

Last-minute Gift Idea - Simple Flower Earrings Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:54:00 +0000

Aloha,

Here's another easy peasy gift idea that won't break the bank!

I bought some earring posts on Ebay just after my daughters had their ears pierced in September with the intention of making some cute Halloween earrings. We ended up buying the hook-style earrings at Walmart, so we could make dangling ghosties. They were cute, but then I had 24 posts just chilling, waiting for me to come up with something.

Then today I was wrapping gifts to mail to my sisters-in-law and wanted another small something to include. "Hmmm...I DO have those earring posts just sitting here. Maybe I could do something with them?" thought I. Nothing cheesy. Something they could wear anytime.

I love this necklace from Little Miss Momma and have had the image from Pinterest floating around in my head for months, so it was naturally one of the first things I wanted to try with my earrings.

Source: littlemissmomma.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Her tutorial is great and just uses circles to make the poms. Feel free to try her version but using these smaller sizes to make the earrings. I chose to give the petals a bit more definition, but I love both ways, and the end result is very similar.

SUPPLIES:

Small piece of felt
Fabric scrap (about 2" x 5" for one pair of earrings)
Sewing needle and thread (I don't recommend hot glue for this small of a project...unless you have fingers of steel)
Earring posts
Scissors

You can purchase the posts at craft stores and Walmart in their jewelry section. Just make sure they have the flat, rounded ends and not the little loop to hang things on.

STEP 1: Cut your felt into 1/2" circles. You will need two pieces PER EARRING, so 4 pieces for a pair.

STEP 2: Cut your fabric into 10 squares 1"x1" (5 squares per earring).

STEP 3: Cut out the clover-type shape by folding one square in half, then folding it again, and cutting out a heart shape out of the folded piece.

STEP 4: Once you have your pieces all cut out, thread your needle and make put your needle through the center of one of your felt circles.

STEP 5: Refold one of your flower pieces OFF CENTER from how you originally folded. This will give it more of a natural look.

STEP 6: Stitch your petals onto the felt right at the center. I turned the petals on their sides (so an edge faces the felt rather than the bottom or top facing the felt). Then do the rest the same way, working around in a circle. I alternated the folded side up, then the folded side down (that will make more sense when you start making them).

STEP 6: Secure your thread and cut off the excess.

STEP 7: Poke your post straight through the second piece of felt.

STEP 8: Put hot glue over the post and felt.

And sandwich the round post end between the two pieces of felt.

That's it! You've made your very own ADORABLE earrings! I think I will be making these as gifts for my girlfriends as well since they were so simple ((and inexpensive)).

I also used a piece of cardboard and poked holes in it with a pen to make my own custom earrings holder to gift them on. ;)

Aloha and mele Kalikimaka,

Charlie

FREE Kids' Sleep Mask Pattern and Build-A-Bear / Doll Sleep Mask Pattern

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 04:40:00 +0000

Aloha!

This week is CRAZY for me (as I'm sure it is for all you Christmas crafters who play Santa's elves this week). So this tutorial isn't going to be as detailed as most of my others, but I wanted to get it up in case someone was looking for a last-minute girly gift and already has some sewing skills. :)

I'll just post a couple pics of the item and the pattern and a few simple steps today. If you'd like a full tutorial for it, let me know, and I'll get one up after the holidays if you'd like.

My 5-year-old specifically asked for a sleeping mask for Christmas (yes...she's my "fussy" child). And if you've been following me at all, you know I'm not one to leave a simple project simple, right? I had to take it a step further by making a matching one for her favorite Build-A-Bear doll. Awwww.

I used a basic quilter's cotton for the fronts and minky for the backs of mine. On this one below, I made a casing to go over the elastic band of the kid one for my daughter, but when I tried it on, I felt like the plain elastic was actually more comfortable to sleep on, so I recommend just leaving the elastic as it is. Plus that took this project from a 20-minute project to a 5-minute project! The hardest part for me was choosing which of my fabric scraps to use!!

You might need to adjust for your child's head, but I used 12" for the kid size. I made a Skippyjon Jones mask for my 7-year old, and that's the length I used for that one, and it fits both her and my 5-year-old just fine.

I did a 1/4" seam allowance for the kid and 1/2" for the doll. You could also just cut on the dotted line for the doll pattern and use 1/4" allowance, but I was too lazy to print another pattern and wanted to keep this one in tact.

The doll elastic will also need to be measured. My girls love Build-A-Bears more than any of their dolls. This one needed a 7" elastic, but my other daughter has a Hello Kitty, and her head is GINORMOUS! So sneak a tape measure into the toy room when your kids aren't watching. ;)

I wish I had a pic of it on my daughter, so you could really get a feel for how small and cute these are, but alas, it will have to wait a week. When you're done sewing you'll be like, "OHHH...it's so CUTE and WIDDLE". ;)

TIP: Even if it just shows "processing" on your screen (and you might not see the downward-pointing arrow to download), you should still be able to right click on the square and select "download".

This is a free download, but it takes me time to make these and upload everything and write my posts. I'd love it if you'd share the aloha by leaving me a comment or becoming a follower of my blog! Mahalo! :)

Aloha,

Charlie

Doll Bedding Tutorial 2 - Jelly Roll Pillow {and Tootsie Roll pillow}

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:19:00 +0000

As promised, here is the doll bed jelly roll pillow! I have a confession. I had already put the first doll bed and bedding in the "stash" when I went to make this. My 2-year-old was hovering around, so I didn't want to blow my cover, so I thought I could just guess the size of the jelly roll to make another one. As you can see in the pic, I underestimated the length. lol So I'm calling the big one the jelly roll pillow and the little one the Tootsie Roll pillow. I'll give you dimensions of each, but the process is the same. :)

For the smaller pillow, cut out one piece of fabric at 4" x 6". The longer one would be 4" x 10". Fold and iron each of the two sides (the 4" long sides) and hem them at 1/4". As you can see from my second pic here, it was a little difficult to back stitch such thin fabric so close to the edge. To alleviate this prob, you can either adjust your fabric width and make a wider hem, or just don't back stitch. :)

Then you'll fold it in half the long way with right sides touching. Sew that edge all the way.

It should look like this when you're done:

Then fold it right-side-out. It should look like a little sleeve or tube with two sides open.

I have two here since I was making these for bunk beds. Don't let that confuse you if you're just doing one. Sorry!

Then take one end and pinch it closed. My Tootsie Roll ones are about 1/2" in, and the longer one is about 1" in.

Then stitch it closed where you had it pinched.

I find it easier to do multiple front/back stitches by holding my fabric like this. But be CAREFUL!!! Please do not stitch your hand!! :)

It might seem a little flattened out when you're done, but we're going to be putting a ribbon on it anyway, so it's no big deal.

Now use that one open end, and stuff it with fluff. As mentioned in the other small button pillow tutorial, if you're just doing a couple of small projects and don't want to fork out the $$ for fiberfill, you might want to try just using cotton balls from the Dollar Tree!

I packed mine pretty tight since these are decorative pieces, and you want them to keep their shape. Leave a bit out at the end, so you can get ready to pinch that side and sew it closed. Then sew it just like you did the other side. You can push your filling down a bit and then refluff after you're done sewing it up.

Then you'll want to cover it up with some thing pretty. I really like using sheer fabrics for these pieces. My white one shown above is from the tulle that was part of my wedding dress. And this pink is an organza. Since the color really varies depending on how many layers you put on it, I'm going to leave the length up to you to decide. My white one only needed to be rolled twice, so the original length was probably 10" x 8" or something close to that. But this pink needed to be rolled quite a few times to get it to look the right shade of pink for me. I also realized it was looking pretty stubby, so I chose to widen it by giving a couple inches on the sides. So this piece was about 6.5" x 17"!

When you're starting to roll, be sure you match your new seam with the seam on the pillow. Then roll it up!

And tie some pretty ribbons on the ends. :)

I hand-stitched the ribbons right onto the pillow.

And I may have broken a needle going through all those layers of fabric and ribbon! lol

Then trim your ribbon, and you're done! I also opted to seal the edges of my ribbon with a candle lighter to keep it from fraying, but be careful with your sheer fabric when doing this! Most of them are very flammable!

And there you have the jelly roll pillow AND the Tootsie Roll pillow. ;)

Aloha,

Charlie

Here is the link for the doll bedding small button pillow. And I'll put up links when tutorials for the other bedding items are finished. :)

Doll Bedding Tutorial 1 - Small Button Pillow {Great for Beginners!}

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:18:00 +0000

Aloha!

I was FINALLY able to finish the bedding for the doll bunk bed this weekend. Since I was just making things up with the first bedding, I didn't really take great pics for a tutorial, so this time I did. :)

I'll be posting them separately, but I'll try to get as many up as I can today for those of you planning on making these for Christmas presents!

First up is the small button pillow. Remember this one from the canopy bed?

For all the basic white bedding on the doll beds, I've been using an old sheet. You can find them new at Walmart for $5, and it will give you way more yardage than trying to buy similar fabric at the fabric store. Plus it will seem more realistic since it's the exact weight and feel that you want, right?

I'm going to make these steps pretty basic and assume you're new to sewing. If you're an expert, by all means, feel free to use the dimensions and ad lib. ;)

Step 1: Cut out two pieces of fabric 3" x 2.5".
Step 2: Put the right sides together (doesn't matter so much if using the plain white sheet) and sew around the edges with 1/4" seam allowance. Using fabric this light-weight and so small, it was hard to do a reverse stitch without having it bunch up and catch the fabric, so I chose not to back stitch on this little guy. Be sure to leave an opening. To make my life easier, I start my stitching about 2/3 of the way down one of the long sides. Then sew all along the edges. When approaching a corner, slow down, and stop at about 1/4" from the end, with your needle DOWN IN THE FABRIC. Then lift up the presser foot, and rotate your fabric, so the next side is in place. Leaving the needle down will help keep you in the exact place you need to be. Then just sew down that next edge and repeat until you're back to the side you started on.

Once you're on that same first side, stop again about 1/3 of the way down, so you have the first 1/3 sewn and the last 1/3 sewn with a hole in the middle 1/3.

STEP 3: Turn it right-side out, and iron. The iron is one of your sewing machine's best friends. Its true bff is the seam ripper in my house...lol. Be sure you iron the two sides of the little section you left open, so it looks like a continuous piece. This will make your stitching much easier after you stuff it.

STEP 4: Stuff it. I used the guts from an old decorative pillow since fiberfill can get pretty pricey. If you don't have any on hand and only have this one small project to do, I might also suggest using cotton balls! Just de-fluff them a bit and spread them out! I'm pretty sure you can buy them at Dollar Tree for...$1. ;)

STEP 5: Sew up your open edge. You can either hand stitch it or use your machine. I stink at hand stitching, so I use to use the machine. I shove as much of the fluff into the corners as I can (since those are harder to fill in after it's all closed up) and push it away from where the seam will be. Then just sew it right up. Once it's sewn, you can refluff it back to prettiness.

STEP 6: I didn't have any cute pink buttons laying around, but we have a gagillion broken necklaces!! So I used a couple of beads from a cheap-o kids' necklace. Unless you have a magic sewing machine, this will need to be done by hand.

TIP: To hide your knot, start on the side where your button will be. Just stick it straight through to the back side, then back to the front, and your "button" will go right on top of it.

Just keep stitching. Down through the pillow, up through the pillow, across through the bead. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. I think I did that about 6 times and then ended it behind the bead (again to hide the end of the string).

Here's how it will look from the back and from the front:

And there's your tiniest pillow!

Up next is the jelly roll pillow!

Aloha,

Charlie

READ Bag - Simply Screen custom screen-printing kit review

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:42:00 +0000

Aloha!

So remember when I did the reading nook, and I made the custom "READ" letters to mimic the look of the famous Robert Indiana LOVE sign? Well, I really love my sign. I've done lots of crafting projects around my house, and the ones I have out, I'm okay pleased with, but there are a few that just make me smile every time I see them. And the READ sign is one of them.

My girls and I love the library, and they've each just received their own cards, so they like to check their OWN books out and carry them themselves. I decided they each need their own library bags, and the READ sign was the perfect option.

Originally I had intended to use freezer paper for the project. Print my READ sign on it, cut it out with an exacto knife, iron it to the bags, paint in the letters, and remove the freezer paper. No big deal.

But then Plaid offered to send me one of their new custom screen printing kits, and I thought it would be a great way to make my bags!

I'll give you details about my trials and errors at the end of the post, but I wanted to start with my (hopefully) clear tutorial, so you're not left totally in the dark.

The kit comes with everything you should need to create your own silk screen. Keep reading, and I'll describe it better (for you left-brained crafters out there -- I know there are a few of us).

If you're not familiar with silk screening in general, I think Plaid's video does a decent job of showing just how that part of it works. It's not like a regular stencil where it's just cut out/hollow where your design is. It's actually a SCREEN (I see the wheels turning...you now get why it's called silk screening. Clever, right?)

Aside from plain one-colored options, you can also use multiple colors at once, or use their glitter or foil that are purchased separately. You can CLICK HERE to see some of those techniques in use. Pretty cool!

Now, keep in mind that the $9.99 price she mentions is for buying a pre-made "stencil" screen. What we're talking about today is their kit that allows you to print your own designs from your computer and then burn them into your own screen. It looks like this:

You can buy it at Hobby Lobby for $39.99.

It comes in that weird trapezoid box that will actually be used as the light kit later on, so don't throw it away!

Here's my kit. It comes with the light cord, a bulb, a wash basin, sponge, 3 tubes of paint, a paint brush, the squeegee applicator, and the light-sensitive screens (housed in a black-out envelope). The screen sizes are: 1 (7.5" x 10.2"), 1 (6.7 x 9.2), 1 (6.7 x 8.4), and 1 test screen (4 x 3).

I wish the screens would have come in standard paper sizes. It was fine for me since I can cheat and change my paper sizes with InDesign, but I know the average crafter isn't going to have InDesign. You don't actually print ON the screens, but it would have still been convenient while designing.

So you take all those things out, and it will look like this:

Now flip it upside down and pop open the top. Put the light bulb housing socket in the top:

Screw in your light bulb:

And close it up. You now have a magic light box:

Now you're ready to print your own design. Unfortunately, I have no idea what weight my paper is. This is one time when being organized didn't pay off. LOL I remove my paper from the packaging right when I get it home and throw the packaging away and put the paper in it's home. Ugh! They recommend 10 lb. printer paper but say most copy/printer paper should work.

IMPORTANT: THEY GIVE YOU THE TEST SCREEN FOR A REASON!! USE IT!

I had two failed attempts at this project because I didn't do a test strip to see how long to leave my screen in (since my paper was obviously different). Very sad face at losing out on two screens. :(

Once you have your design printed, remove one of your blue screens from the black-out envelope and peel off the white backing:

Now stick your artwork to that somewhat sticky side with the artwork face down:

Rub it on there a little until it's nice and smooth.

This next step isn't in the instructions that came with the kit, but Plaid mentioned it to us after a few were having a hard time getting good results (me included) by just taping it down. In order to keep the artwork right up against the screen, they suggested putting a piece of glass over it to hold it down. Brilliant!

I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume that if you're reading my crafty blog then somewhere in your house you have a framed picture, right? Just borrow the glass from a pic that's close to the size of your screen (doesn't have to be exact). And if you're anything like me, you might want to wash it first (cough cough). Oops!

Then close it up.

((SIDE NOTE: I took these pics on the carpet, but I actually moved it up onto a flat surface to keep the screen more even.))

Then turn on the homing device, and the mother ship will come down and turn your screen into your artwork using laser beams:

I jest. But really, here's how the process works for those left-brained people like me who really want to know a bit about the process behind it. The screens are covered in a light-sensitive film. If you just placed it in the light box with no artwork on top and turned on that light, the entire screen would start to harden. When you print your design and place it on top of the screen, all of the blackened areas don't let much light pass through, so the white areas harden, and the blackened areas stay filmy. When the white parts are done "baking", you simply wash off the filmy areas!

When I finally understood that process, I was much more excited about the project. My poor brain doesn't work well on projects that seem vague and mysterious.

When your time is up, remove the paper, and your screen will have a yellowish tint where it was blacked out. This pic doesn't do it justice, but it's really yellow. You can see the letters, but it's definitely still opaque.

Then you place it in the wash basin filled with warm water. The wash basin has little bumps in the bottom and was really flimsy. I wasn't super impressed with that and decided to use one of my Pyrex pans instead. I'm sure this product wasn't meant to be cleaned in food dishes, and the FDA is going to be after me now, but I was really thorough about cleaning it afterward!! ;)

I first placed it in upside down (letters still backwards). You can see the outline of the letters:

Start rubbing the letters with your sponge:

Once you get that side going, you'll be amazed at how it comes off and might think you're done:

But then if you flip it over and scrub the other side, then you'll be like, "OH!! It's CLEAR!" :) And you'll do a happy dance that it worked!

See the difference between the E and R? E has been scrubbed on both sides.

Let's go back to the part where I told you to do a test screen. My first try, I let it sit for 40 minutes because I didn't understand how it worked and thought, "the longer the better, right?" WRONG! It hardened the areas even below my lettering, so I scrubbed for 40 minutes, and it was still a disaster.

Then I got the tip on how the process works, and I kept it in exactly 25 minutes. This time it came off MUCH better. But still had some uneven edges around the letters that were a little hard to scrub off:

THIS ONE WAS A FAIL!!

20 minutes was ultimately what I ended up needing for my particular kind of paper. It came off like butter after that! I was sad I hadn't taken the time to use the test screen and had wasted two of my big screens. :(

Now on to the painting! I taped my screen down onto the bag I made out of the extra length on some Ikea curtains I purchased this summer. It's a nice, sturdy canvas, and I wanted red stitching to go along with my red print.

Their instructions don't mention taping it down, but I'm a little sloppy, so I know the project would have been a disaster without taping it. I even taped the bag to the counter (and I'm glad I did).

Confession: I watched that video above AFTER doing my bag, so I didn't use enough paint the first time I did it. See how skinny my little paint line is there? Oops.

Since I hadn't made a thick enough line, when I removed the screen the first time, it was a little faded in some areas:

No worries, I hadn't washed the screen, so I just put it right back on and did a thicker coat. Much better!

So, going back to my freezer paper comparison. Assuming I was only going to do one or two bags, and if my design was simple like this READ bag, I would say to stick with freezer paper and save yourself some $$. It will take time to cut out your letters, but $40 is a lot for a couple of bags, right?

BUT...the magic of having a silk screen is that you can wash it off and use it again and again and again. Not gonna happen with the freezer paper you've painstakenly cut out.

ALSO, you'll be limited in your design to things that are connected. Think back to the video and how you can't really have a circle within a circle unless you're prepared to also cut out the centers and iron them on in the exact location as well. Not a big deal if you're just doing one letter O, but if you want a design with any kind of detail, the screen kits are the way to go!

So I do recommend this product if you're willing to use the test screen and not waste your precious screens like I did! I'm VERY excited to do some more projects with more details now!

For washing and care instructions and other helpful tips with regards to screen printing, visit the Simply Screen FAQ page.

Aloha and ho ho ho,

Charlie

Possibly the Most Glamorous Hobby Horse Ever

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 04:49:00 +0000

Yeah, you read that right. Glamorous hobby horse. You may laugh, but take a look at this awesomeness:

Awwwww yeah! She's so pwetty. I wish I had some awesome pics taken outside with a little tyke enjoying her new friend, but alas, this is a Christmas gift, so these pics of the poor horse propped up with my feet while I click away quickly (hiding upstairs while my daughter watches Dora downstairs) will have to suffice. :)

If you follow my blog, you might remember the hobby horse I linked to in my 25+ Gifts for Boys Round-up. That hobby horse by Dandee Designs really lit the fire for me. I was hoping to find a cute girly hobby horse or unicorn or something and kept browsing Pinterest and Google, and I found another good hobby horse tutorial! This one is from Family Fun:

The two tutorials are pretty much identical, and while I like the concept, the lazy mom in me kept saying, "I REALLY don't want to cut and thread a million pieces of yarn!!" So I kept brainstorming for something else to use as hair. What better way to get my creative juices flowing than to clean!! Yippee!! (where's that sarcasm font when I need it?)

But this time it really worked! I picked up one of the 1500 feather boas we have in our playroom and was like, "LIIIIIIGHT. BULB." (in my best Gru voice) HAIR!!!

So please feel free to use either Dandee's tutorial or the Family Fun one, and I'll fill you in on the differences I did.

Supplies for my Girly Hobby Horse:

1 fluffy sock (bought my Aloe-infused ultra moisturizing socks for women at Walmart near pharmacy for $3 -- ummm...that would be for two)
Filling of some kind (I used an old pillow's guts)
Googley eyes (or those button eyes, but I kinda think they're a little creepy)
Eyelashes (found at Dollar Tree in make-up section)
Glitter foam or felt for ears (found my glitter foam at Dollar Tree in craft section)
Hot glue
Yarn (for nostrils, bridle, and to attach reigns)
Yarn needle (found mine at Walmart near yarn -- go figure)
Regular needle and thread (to attach feather boa)
Feather boa (mine was about 60")
Wooden dowel (I used what I had on hand, and I think it's a bit small. I would recommend about 3/4" wide and cut it to 2.5' long)
Beaded necklace (Dollar Tree sells a pack of 10 for $1)

Like any obsessive crafter, I had all these supplies on hand except the fluffy sock. Here's my fluffy sock. It looks sparkly. I've seen other fluffy socks at the Dollar Tree, but this one is like snow. I love it.

Follow their directions and fill the end of the sock first.

Then thread your yarn needle and make a couple of nostrils.

I used the googley eyes and eyelashes from one of our two FLAMINGO COSTUMES since I knew they probably wouldn't be needing two of the costumes at once again. One glamorous flamingo is sufficient. I also used the glittery beak as the ears. I set my eyes back 5" from the front. My first instinct was to have them set back farther, and no one really explained where to put them. I decided to check with the "mane" on, and I definitely needed more space for the coiffure.

Bust out your 5th grade skills and trace out some ears. Then cut them out and pray it doesn't look like a demented rabbit.

Pinch each ear together in the center and hot glue it. Don't glue too far down the sides. You don't want it closed completely...just a nice center crease.

Since the foam is stiffer than felt, I propped mine straight up and just stitched straight through the foam and then went back down through the sock. The fluffiness of the sock meant that I could be a little sloppy. He he

Plus I knew the mane would be covering it...

I tried braiding a few pieces of yarn for the bridle but decided I liked the simple elegance of four pieces of yarn next to each other. I believe I started with 15" pieces and then trimmed down. I hot glued them right to the sock (underneath the chin to keep it more hidden).

Make sure your lines are nice and straight and not crossed over each other and then glue the second end on top of the first and cut your ends, so they're nice and straight.

Our beaded necklace was 30" long once I cut it. And I just whip stitched it right to the face. Don't be scared if she whinnies a little. Just assure her that lots of women go under the knife for vanity's sake. ((cough cough))

I opted for the yarn to attach mine since I knew my kids would probably be using the reigns to drag it around everywhere. I stitched between beads 1&2, 2&3, and 3&4.

For the mane, I took one 60" feather boa and cut it in half. I laid the two pieces next to each other and folded the one on the right down to the right until the top side was almost lined up with the bottom.

Then I took the piece on the left and also folded it down to the right like a rainbow on top of the first piece. I made them cascade down, so the top piece was the shortest, and it got longer from there.

Then I pinched it at the top where the two pieces met and then whip stitched that one spot right behind the ears. That way she can change her hairstyle as she pleases. She's going for the "bangs in the eyes" look today. ;)

And OF COURSE she needed a flower in her mane and a ribbon around her neck!

I made this for my 2-year-old, but I'm debating whether or not to make them for my older daughters as well...I think they might have just as much fun as the little one! Plus now that I've got it down, they'll only take me about 20 minutes ANNND I've got that one lonely sock laying around now...

I think the fact that her mane is a feather boa might also qualify her as part pegasus. So magical powers are sure to be part of this horsey's future...

Aloha,

Charlie

I'm linking to Sarah's Before and After Party at Thrifty Decor Chick:

Psssst

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:09:00 +0000

Pssst...we're playing "Guess What I'm Making" over on the Attempting Aloha Facebook page right now. Anyone have any guesses? You get two guesses, and we've got 1.5 hours left!

Aloha,

Charlie

Ballard Hack: Burlap-covered tree stands tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:27:00 +0000

Aloha!

Today's going to be an easy tutorial on how to gussy up your plain-Jane small Christmas trees. And it may involve kitty litter...

Like most crafters with a love of home decor, I'm a faithful subscriber to Ballard Designs. And I LOVE their Christmas stuff. Their prices make me roll my eyes, though.

Exhibit A:

Ballard Designs

Cute little 3' tree in a nursery sack with some twinkle lights. I'm thinking, "It's Ballard, so this is probably like $45." WRONG. Try more like $99. Seriously? Who buys this stuff???!!! And will they adopt me??

Just kidding.

Kind of.

Someone who actually purchases from Ballard would probably scoff at all my attempts to knock them off. lol

But it's not going to stop me from trying! So here's what I came up with.

First, I found this awesome store here called Christmas Tree Shops. When I first saw it in July, I thought, "Strange that people would buy Christmas trees in July and even stranger that that store is ginormous." But then I got one of their mailers, and their store has EVERYTHING. It's like a Dollar Tree but with more home decor and only slightly more expensive. It's awesome!

Anyway, when November rolled around, their mailers included...wait for it... CHRISTMAS TREES! Go figure, right?

They had a 20% off entire purchase coupon, and these 4' flocked trees were marked $10 each. I snagged the last two (on November 2) and brought them home (along with my pre-lit 6.5' tree for $39). Total cost for two small trees and the pre-lit tree = $48. Awesome!

I originally intended for these little guys to go on my front porch and was going to just leave them as is (cuz sometimes I get the lazy bug). But when I put the poor things out there, they toppled right over with the tiniest of breezes. Lame.

So I knew I needed to beef up their bases, and I knew the Ballard way had to be hacked.

I had some burlap that I had purchased from Hobby Lobby. I believe it was $4.99/yard. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. And don't forget to print your 40% off coupon. You can always find them on their website. :)

I knew I needed something heavy in mine to weight it down. We have some rocks in the yard, but it was cold, and I wasn't in the mood to play scavenger hunt. So I searched our garage. WOW! There's a whole stash of failed bunny supplies in here!! Sweet! We have a rabbit, and our girls want to keep his cage in their bedroom, but he really stinks. So my husband keeps purchasing all this stuff to try to see if it will help the cage smell better. None has yet satisfied him. So I was VERY happy to find some scented kitty litter AND a ginormous bag of cedar chips. Awe. Some. The cedar chips alone would work if you're not trying to weight down your trees (ie, if you're keeping them indoors), and that HUGE bag cost $7 at Walmart in the pet section.

If you cross your eyes at this pic, it looks less blurry. ((cough cough))

I knew the kitty litter would go right through the burlap holes, so I first took two plastic grocery bags and layered one inside the other and then place the tree stand inside the two like this:

STEP 2: Pour in some kitty litter (or whatever other thing you've chosen to weight down your tree if you're using them outdoors). You can skip this step if you're keeping them indoors.

STEP 3: Add cedar chips to bulk it up sufficiently.

STEP 4: Take the two sides of the bag handles, and tie them in a knot as tight around the base as you can.

STEP 5: Pick up the tree (holding on to the bag also, so the tree doesn't come out of its stand) and place it in the middle of a piece of burlap. I didn't cut my piece until after I had it wrapped up, so I don't know how large they were, but I would guess 1/2 yard to 3/4 yard. It will depend on how bulky you make your base and how much excess you want sticking out around the top.

STEP 6: Take a piece of jute and wrap it around a bunch of times (real tight). Be sure to keep your first end a little longer, so when you're done wrapping, you have something to tie the two sides together with. I left mine in a simple bow. You could, of course, embellish with a flower or something.

STEP 7: Cut the excess burlap down until it looks even and just how you want it. :)

I liked their twinkle lights, but I decided to keep them off and added these pinecones that I scored for $1 also at Christmas Tree Shops.

I simply hot glued them on. All 85 of those bad boys.

Once I had mine indoors, I decided I really liked them by the fireplace, so they're staying there this year!

Who knew kitty litter would come in so handy in home decor, right?

Ballard definitely has one on me as far as staging and photography goes, but at a savings of $170+ ($85 PER TREE)?? I'm pretty proud of mine.

Aloha,

Charlie

Canopy Doll Bed Headboard Printable

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:26:00 +0000

I FINALLY got the canopy doll bed headboard/footboard printable ready. It only took me 1.5 weeks. ;)

Click the downward-pointing arrow to download (or right click on the pic if you can't see an arrow...some browsers are different).

You may use my printable to build doll beds by hand and sell them, but this may not be used for large commercial projects. The actual printable may not be used on any other websites or printed for any purposes other than to build personal or small business projects.

A lot of time and effort goes into my projects and printables. I'd love it if you would take a minute to follow my blog. And if you build one, I'd REALLY love to see pics either by email (attemptingaloha at gmail dot com) or on my Facebook page. Thanks for living aloha!

Here's the original canopy doll bed tutorial in case you missed it.

Aloha,
Charlie

Day 9 - Handmade Christmas Gifts for Boys

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 05:10:00 +0000

UPDATE: Now over 30 ideas! Please email me if you have something you'd like me to consider adding! Thanks for visiting!!

As you can imagine, with three daughters, we don't have a ton of boy stuff in our house, but I do have a few little nephews! So it's been fun gaining inspiration for them, and I hope these are helpful for you. :)

Matchbox Car Track - By Brittany from Pretty Handy Girl as posted on Infarrantly Creative.

Source: infarrantlycreative.net via Diana on Pinterest

What little boy doesn't love a good fort?

Source: ohdeedoh.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Or a fort kit if you're not up to drilling anything:

Source: megandandymade.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Here's another fort idea if you have one of those card tables sitting around. This one is from Sew Much Ado:

Maybe a mini-lounger is just what your little guy needs:

Source: smallfriendly.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Awesome toyboxes to contain their new treasures:

Source: ana-white.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Are you buying for a baby boy this year? This is just the right gift for the football family!

This is from an awesome onesie inspiration post over at A Girl and a Glue Gun. Visit Kimbo to find other awesomesauce baby swag ideas.

Doing a kitchen reno? Or have some random cupboards from a thrift store laying around? Why not turn them into a cute little writing desk to put under the tree for your little one?

This great tutorial is from iCandy Handmade.

Does your little guy like to build with you? I think my girls might like something like this from Hidden Sisters:

Source: hiddensisters.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Here's another cute little tool bench:

Source: thefrugalgranny.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Boys like helping in the kitchen, too!

Source: iammommahearmeroar.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

If you just have toddlers around, they'll love something simple like this, and I'll bet they love playing with it even more than the expensive stuff. :)

Source: engagingtoddleractivities.wordpress.com via Attempting on Pinterest

What about these cute Lego tie tacks from Delia Creates?

Source: deliacreates.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

She also did these awesome Lego belts:

Source: deliacreates.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

This skateboard sling from The Boy Trifecta is sweet! I'm so outta the boy stuff, but it seems cool! ;)

Source: theboytrifecta.com via Attempting on Pinterest

If we had a large tree in our backyard, this would DEFINITELY be going up. Looks easy to build, and I'm sure any little guy (or gal) would love it.

Source: cedarworks.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Here's a cute idea for keeping the little guy entertained when on the road or at church or restaurants:

Source: livingtheswelllife.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Or maybe just a crayon roll:

Source: skiptomylou.org via Attempting on Pinterest

I think chalk is pretty messy, so ours stays with the chalkboard in the playroom or outside. But I know lots of people love these take-along chalk mats!

Source: roseleej.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

If you're not that great at sewing but still want to personalize your gifts, what about adding some detail to a scripture bag like Kimbo did at A Girl and a Glue Gun:

Source: kimboscrafts.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Want something with zero sewing? What about some good old play dough!

Source: howdoesshe.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Here's a super cute car caddy:

Source: homemadebyjill.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

We have an aspiring juggler in our family. Some small bean bags are on my to-make list. Here's a tutorial from Chrystal's Corner:

Source: chrystal-lewis.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And these felt Star Wars action finger figures make me laugh (from Amy at The Idea Room):

Source: theidearoom.net via Attempting on Pinterest

Costumes?

Source: 4men1lady.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And if you really want to go all out, why not just build a sandbox with built-in seating and cover!

Source: ana-white.com via Hannah on Pinterest

And why don't we throw in a super hero stocking stuffer while we're at it:

Source: lilblueboo.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Lego and Car Table from Meet the Dubiens:

Source: meetthedubiens.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

I LOVE these little DIY hobby horses from Dandee Designs! Wouldn't that be a fun gift to make?

Source: dandee-designs.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And I might be attempting some of these awesome Angry Birds from Obsessively Stitching:

Source: obsessivelystitching.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Or I may cheat and do something like this from Homemade Beauties by Heidi :

Source: homemadebeautiesbyheidi.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Cheri from I Am Momma Hear Me Roar has a great tutorial for brimmed beanies made from old sweaters and cardboard:

Source: iammommahearmeroar.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And I LOVE this little fold-up, take-along barn!! I'll definitely be making the doll house version for my littlest gal. :)

Source: servingpinklemonade.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

There you have it, ladies. Over 25 handmade Christmas gifts for boys!

Will you be trying any? Have any for me to add?

Aloha,

Charlie

And don't miss these other gift post ideas:

Linking to Sarah's before and after party at Thrifty Decor Chick:

Day 8 - Handmade Christmas Gifts for Girls

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 04:51:00 +0000

Aloha!

I'm the mom of 3 girls. You KNOW this is going to be my favorite post this week. And I really wish my girls' gifts were ready for me to show you. I'll link them here once they are.

First, I have to say that lots of these ideas would be great for either gender, so if you see them two days in a row, don't be annoyed. I just want to make sure people don't miss out on the fun if they're looking specifically for boy gifts, and I've only listed something in girl. Make sense? Thanks!

I'll be making many of the things on this list, but my top priority this year is making doll beds. I'm making a different bed for each of my three girls. I'm doing a crib for my 2-year-old based on this Ana White plan:

And my 5-year-old will be getting one of these bunk beds:

I had planned to make Ana's farmhouse bed, but I decided instead to take some tips from PB Kids and designed my own doll canopy bed:

Now the trick will be keeping my 2-year-old quiet about that one until Christmas!

Every once in awhile, I come across a blogger who does projects so similar to what I've done or what I want to do that it's scary. It's fun to meet like-minded crafters who share an interest in the same things as me. Jaime from That's My Letter is one of these "kindred spirit" crafters (cut me some slack, I watched Anne of Green Gables last week). I've been pining over Ana White doll bed plans for awhile, and I knew Jaime had done some, so I went back to her blog to see what variations she had done on them. The girl has done 6 doll farmhouse beds! I asked her if I could put together a collage of them, and she was cool, so here they are in all their glory with links to each one and the bedding (if available).

Doll Bed #1
Quilt #1
Doll Bed #2 (shows instructions for making the Ana White bed more narrow)
Quilt #2
Doll Bed #3
Doll Bed #4
Doll Bed #5
Doll Bed #6

My girls LOVE puzzles. And they LOVE looking at pictures of themselves. So, what would make them happier than puzzles with pictures of themselves?! Perfect, right? Emilie at Not So Idle Hands made some super cute ones.

Not So Idle Hands

While we're on the topic of pictures of themselves and games...What about this fun "Go Fish" game with family pics made by Crafting Chicks (as posted on Infarrantly Creative).

Source: infarrantlycreative.net via Attempting on Pinterest

I'm not even going to go into the millions of hair accessory options, other than to give you this little summary of fabric options and differences.

Source: eileenhull.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

The same could be said for dresses. There are just SO many! I'll instead direct you to a collection of almost 30 dress tutorials!

Source: callmecraftymomma.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Anyone like free? Yeah, me, too! What about a DIY corner bench for the little ones? Kojo Designs made such a cute one!

KojoDesigns

Do you have a budding artist in your family? We have three! I'd love to build some of these into our playroom (if we weren't back to being renters again, the decision would be so much easier...). This is an Ana White project. Love that it takes up no floor space!

Source: ana-white.com via Attempting on Pinterest

While we're building...here's a SUPER simple project that would get hours of entertainment!

Source: mycakies.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Or for those who prefer more sewing, less drilling, try this version:

Source: ohdeedoh.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Does your little one have an over-abundance of dress-ups?

Source: aturtleslifeforme.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

This mini-lounger is to die for!!

Source: smallfriendly.com via Attempting on Pinterest

If that seems a little too time-intensive, try sewing a few pillows in pillowcases together for a simple, fun sleeping mat!

Source: gltc.co.uk via Attempting on Pinterest

Can we talk about shoes for a minute?

How adorable are these boots? And I guarantee your teeny one won't gripe if your sewing isn't perfect. ;)

Source: ithinksew.com via Attempting on Pinterest

More free baby shoe patterns:

Source: fleetingthing.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Source: colorfulcreativeideas.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Maybe you live somewhere warm?

Source: makeit-loveit.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And since we're all into dolls this year, I just might bust out a sling or two...if I can find a fabric my kids won't recognize and can part with the scraps! I love scraps. :)

Source: thelittlegiggler.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

I know my girls would LOVE a gumball necklace like this one from Jamielyn at I Heart Naptime:

Source: iheartnaptime.net via Attempting on Pinterest

Need a little stocking stuffer or gifts your kids can give to cousins or friends? Check out these adorable little wooden princess dolls from Lil Blue Boo:

Source: lilblueboo.com via Attempting on Pinterest

These cute little crayon rolls from Prudent Baby would also make a good stocking stuffer:

Source: prudentbaby.com via Attempting on Pinterest

I like the rolls, but I think I prefer these little wallets, so I can stick a notepad in with them:

Source: livingtheswelllife.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

These chalk mats would be an easy hack from Land of Nod:

Source: landofnod.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Or if you prefer a tutorial, here's a similar version:

Source: roseleej.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

I also just finished my Glamorous Girly Hobby Horse. Simple, inexpensive way to make a toddler girl happy!

If you're looking for a last-minute gift that will only take 5 minutes, I whipped up 2 of these kids' sleeping masks and 2 matching doll sleeping masks in about an hour WITH MAKING THE PATTERN AND WRITING A TUTORIAL! Super easy and great way to use up fabric scraps. Your little diva will love them! I've included a printable pattern here. :)

This cute little fabric doll house is now on my to-do list for my little one's 3rd bday coming up in the spring! Adorable!!

Source: uklassinus.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

I know I'm leaving so much stuff out. I'll continue to update this as I find other great things, but I wanted to give you some lovely things to start with and think about. Anything you think should be added?

Aloha,
Charlie

And don't miss these other gift post ideas:

DIY Canopy Doll Bed - It's Done!

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 14:14:00 +0000

UPDATE: The PDF is up! HERE is a link for the headboard/footboard printable!

Aloha!

Those of you who follow me on Facebook already know that I've been working on a doll canopy bed for my oldest daughter. I'm making each of them a doll bed and intended to use the plans for Ana White's farmhouse doll bed like this:

At first, I was just going to do three of the exact same bed (I have three girls), but my 2-year-old caught me looking at plans and saw this bed as well as Ana's doll crib, and she BEGGED for the crib. So then I was committed to doing a crib for her. THEN I fell in love with Ana's bunk bed plans and wanted to try that for the "middle child". But I knew if I did the bunk and the crib, then my oldest would feel like her bed was kinda plain. Don't get me wrong, the farmhouse bed is fab! But my girls are a little glam. They like frills and ruffles.

So I scoured the online pages of PB Kids, and I found this:

Perfect! I used Ana's farmhouse plans as kind of a guideline.

Here's my lumber all ready to go (that pile also included lumber for the bunk bed and the crib).

Ana's plans are for American Girl dolls, but my kids really love stuffed animals. My daughter got this Hello Kitty from Build-a-Bear for her birthday, so she was my model here. Turns out she's about the same size as the American Dolls (18").

If you remember, we left our circular saw in Hawaii (and I have yet to fork out the cash for a miter saw), so I was left using the stupid jigsaw we got at the pawn shop when we arrived here. It works fine, but a jigsaw is NOT the tool you want to be using for straight, nice cuts. Blah. It was perfect for the headboard and footboard, though! Lucky for you, you can just have the Lowe's guy cut it all for you there at the store...I still wasn't sure of the sizes, so I left mine long and had to cut them myself.

Purchase list:
1x6 (1 at 8' long) - $5.50
2x2 furring strip (1 at 8' long) - $1.38
1x2 furring strip (1 at 8' long) - $.98
1x3 furring strip (1 at 8' long) - $1.58
Finials (optional) - $2.00 for 4 at Hobby Lobby
Decorative piece on headboard - $2.00 for 2 at Hobby Lobby
Screws, brad nails, Gorilla Glue

Total - about $13.50

That's to do one. You will have lots of left-over lumber, so you could easily do 2 with this amount of wood. You'd just need to purchase another $.98 1x2 and more finials.

Cut list:

2x2 - cut 4 pieces @ 18" each
1x6 - cut 2 pieces @ 9.5" each
1x3 - cut 2 pieces @ 18" each
1x2 - cut 2 pieces @ 9.5" each, 2 pieces at 18" each, and 2 or 3 (depending on how many slats you want on the bottom of the bed--I recommend 3) at 10" each

For the headboard and footboard, I just penciled in on the 1x6 (that you should have had cut to 9.5" each) how I wanted the design to look. You can change it up, of course, but this is a classic look. And this is where the jigsaw actually proved useful!

To make the headboard appear bigger than the footboard (without purchasing a 1x8 or 1x10), I simply placed it higher up on the legs than the footboard. The headboard should be up 5" from the bottom, and the footboard is up 3" from bottom. So this piece shown is the headboard. I should have taken a side-by-side comparison of the two, but oh well. You get it, right?

This was done at about 1:00 in the morning, so pics were the last thing on my mind. I wish I had taken one of the base (center that you attach the headboard and footboard to), but Ana's plans are excellent. Look at step 10 for reference. The sides on this one are the 1x3's cut at 18", and the head and foot (and center) are the 1x2's cut at 10".

Once the headboard, footboard, and base are all finished, put them together. I placed mine up 3" from bottom of the legs, so it's flush with the bottom of the footboard. You now have a four-poster bed!

To get the canopy look, take your last four 1x2's and put them across the front, back, and sides right at the top (flush with the top of the legs). My furring strips split, so I ended up using Gorilla Glue to try to patch it back together. What a mess. Blah!

Every time I go to Lowes or HD, I always check the Oops! paint section to see if there's anything I like. I got lucky and found this awesome gray quart that was marked to $2.50! I wanted all white bedding and knew a gray bed would be the perfect match.

I'll share tutorials for the mattress and bedding later, but I had SO much fun making them. Anyone who's just starting to sew should really consider making doll bedding or doll clothes. They don't use much material (and you can use cheap stuff), and it gives you great practice!

Here's the headboard detail I Gorilla Glued on.

Here's a view of the headboard and footboard cut-outs. Can you tell the headboard is raised higher than the footboard? That's the kids' Christmas tree in the background. They get their own tree in their room. We're that nuts.

You might also notice the round finials aren't in this pic. I'm still not 100% sold on them. I'm trying to find the perfect crystal doorknobs at the perfect price. I'd like to try those before settling on anything. So the finials have been painted but not attached.

Here's a pic with my 2-year-old, so you can see the size of it:

She's an independent two, people. She dresses herself.

Doesn't the little jelly roll pillow just melt you?

I had way too much fun making the bedding. The shams on the pillows are removable, as is the tulle on the jelly roll pillow.

And the best part? The jelly roll pillow and curtains are made from my wedding dress. Awwww. Remember when I ripped it up for pillows? Yeah...tons left over still.

Ok, so I wasn't sure if people would actually be ready to build a bed like this, so I didn't bother making a PDF of the headboard and footboard. But let me know if you're interested! If enough people want it, I'll put it up. :)

What do you think?

Aloha,
Charlie

I'm linking to Sarah's before and after party at Thrifty Decor Chick:

Day 7 - Gifts for Men

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 23:20:00 +0000

Shopping for men can be very difficult. Much more difficult for me than shopping for the women in my life. DIY'ing or handmade men gifts is even more seemingly impossible. Men just aren't usually that sentimental, so the meaning of the gift gets lost on them sometimes.

One year, my husband and I decided we were only going to do handmade gifts for each other. I had JUST purchased my first sewing machine and had never sewn anything other than a curtain that failed miserably. But I wanted to try, so I got a pattern for some pajama pants and some fabric that were plaid, and I went to work. Little did I know that the XL pattern was GINORMOUS, and the fabric that I had chosen was for quilting and very unsuitable for pajama pants. Those kinds of things were so new to me, and I was clueless. Needless to say, the pants were AWFUL! I wish I had a pic of them to show you, and we could all laugh at them together. My husband was nice, and he tried to wear them, but they were so long and huge and itchy. They were pretty hilarious. I also knitted him a hat on one of those plastic hat looms. It was fine, but nothing fancy.

What did he give me? Well, the sucker went to the mall and bought a hand-knitted scarf from a Native American woman who had handmade gifts. He also bought a pair of earrings made from wood from her. The posts were also wooden, and they were HUGE (like sticking gauges in my ears). On Christmas morning, he tried to play it off like he'd made the gifts himself. What a punk. We have a good laugh about it now, but I was a little irked at the time that he wasted money on stuff I'd never use AND didn't put any thought into my gifts. But I've learned not to bank on the romance or sentimentality factor from him. He has thousands of other amazing qualities, so I'm willing to overlook that one. Plus my brother-in-law (Scott's brother) is just as bad, so it's always a good laugh to talk to his wife (my bff Jami) and compare Vallentine's / Christmas / birthday / and anniversary notes. Those two are so much alike it's hilarious.

But it won't stop me from trying to wear him down with my own handmade gifts for him. So I've searched high and low to find you some of the best homemade gifts for men out there.

Let's start out with something amazing, shall we? Most items seem too "homemade", but Amy from Positively Splendid rocked it with these Golf Club Covers. The fabrics and details she chose are perfect! When my husband is finally done with residency and actually has time to golf (I'll keep pretending that he'll have time one day), I'm totally making these for him!! My dad, however, is an avid golfer, so these might end up being his gift this year!

Source: positivelysplendid.com via Attempting on Pinterest

My husband might be a loner here, but he HATES his neck ties. Tying the dumb things is a "waste of time". But he looks SO good in them! He really wants some clip-ons, but have you seen the clip-on ties they make for men? Yikes! Apparently only unibomber-ish men wear them nowadays. ;) I purchased a used lot of hideous ones off of ebay just to use the clips ($.40 each vs $1.00 each when purchasing clips anywhere else). I already have plans to deconstruct them and make my own, but I thought you might like to see this other cute tutorial I found at With Love by Rach.

With Love by Rach

No hard-working man escapes this life without a day of back pain, right? I think one of these rick pack belts might be in my near future. This one is from To Sew with Love.

To Sew with Love

Are you a novice seamstress? Maybe that project seems a little complicated? Why not try a simpler Hot/Cold Neck Wrap for dad instead then?

The Family Scientista

Laptop sleeves are really big right now. I love this one from Sweet Verbena! And if you need more laptop sleeve ideas, TipNut has a post with links to 27 more tutorials!

Sweet Verbena

Maybe your guy needs some updated office pics? Why not include a cute message?! These are from Larissa at Just Another Day in Paradise. So cute!! You all know my obsession with Scrabble art, right?

Just Another Day in Paradise

Or perhaps something different for his desk? Too much stress in his day? Try this DIY zen garden from Curbly.

Looking for something fun the kids can make for dad? Watch them giggle when he uses his mustache mug. Tutorial from the Tortoise and the Hare.

Tortoise and the Hare

Speaking of drinks...maybe some personalized map coasters for the one you love with meaningful places? Queen Martha has some cute ones.

Source: marthastewart.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Even though this one says "make-up bag", I envision it in a manly fabric as a shave-kit. Perfect for the frequent traveler.

Source: skiptomylou.org via Attempting on Pinterest

Here's another one where a little fabric imagination will go a long way. Have a guy who gets angry when he can't find "his" remote? Yeah, drives mine nuts when he can't find ours. A remote caddy might be helpful! This cute one comes from Sew4Home.

Source: sew4home.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Threadbanger has a great tutorial for making a men's brimmed beanie out of an old sweater and some cardboard!

Source: threadbanger.com via Attempting on Pinterest

What grown man doesn't still need some toys in his life? And Angry Birds? Combine the two with Angry Bird toys!

I might be attempting some of these awesome Angry Birds from Obsessively Stitching:

Source: obsessivelystitching.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Or I may cheat and do something like this from Homemade Beauties by Heidi :

Source: homemadebeautiesbyheidi.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

I know crocheting and knitting are really big right now, so I thought I'd throw one of those out there for those of you into it. Personally, I stink at it! Cody Jo from Simply Homemade has instructions to make these men's slippers:

If all else fails, there's always plan Z - a gift card. BUT, maybe if you put it in a homemade envelope then you'll feel like you've at least done SOMETHING crafty, right?? These cute tiny envelopes are from PoppyTalk.

Source: poppytalk.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And if you're not ready for handmade but want some ideas for things to buy for me, Fly Lady has a good list that her readers have submitted. Check it out here. :)

Did I miss any? What do you usually get for the men in your life?

Aloha,

Charlie

And don't miss these other gift post ideas:

Day 6 - Gifts for Women

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 06:26:00 +0000

This week we're talking about gifts. I LOVE giving gifts. I love thinking about them, buying stuff for them, making them (sewing, painting, woodworking, you name it). I don't partiularly love wrapping them, but I love watching them unwrap! Sadly, we live far from family, so I miss out on most of the unwrapping except for my little immediate family (kids and hub). I try my hardest to use my record my kids opening all their gifts from specific family members and then email it to them, so they can "watch" my kids open their gifts.

Today's topic is gifts for women. Be it a sister, mother, sisters-in-law, girlfriends, grandmas, whatever. We're going to try to find a gift that might work for you. BUT, I try to be as practical as I can. I know I've seen a bunch of really cute kitchen kits out there with hot pads and whisks and measuring cups, but unless you know the woman really well, and you know she NEEDS those things (or she's a new bride), most women don't really want more measuring cups. It just adds more clutter to my already junky kitchen drawers. But I'll love you forever if you give me some awesome jewelry...or let's just be safe and go with chocolate, right? ;)

I have a few gifts I've finished or am working on, but I don't want to spoil the surprise (you know...on the super slight chance than anyone in my family actually READS my blog). So you'll have to settle for last year's project for now.

For my sister-in-law, I made this personalized Union Station Clock (a PB knock-off).

THE BEST GIFT I'VE EVER GIVEN...

I wish I had a pic of it, but for my mom, I had a custom music box tune made by a company in England that played "Slipping through My Fingers" from Mama Mia. She and I watched that show together and bawled our eyes out at that part (with my kids screaming and running around in the background) a couple summers ago, so it had even MORE meaning. I took the little music player, and my husband and I inserted it into a nice jewelry box that I purchased separate. It was tricky to get it to play when the lid opens, but it was pretty spectacular. And I will NEVER forget her face when she opened it and listened to the tune and realized what it was playing.

Nothing better than giving the perfect gift. :)
(It sounds like the music box playing at 3:13 in this video. Such a cute song.)

Let's just go ahead and start off with something fabulous. How about a perfect little clutch? Martha's crew is awesome.

Source: marthastewart.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Wait...what's that? You want more Martha? Okay.

Source: marthastewart.com via Attempting on Pinterest

((Now if anyone can find hand towels like that, please PLEASE tell me where. Apparently that post is a couple years old, so they're not available anymore.))

And don't worry, Martha even thought of Grandma:

Source: marthastewart.com via Attempting on Pinterest

My friend (who shall remain anonymous to protect her gift-giving secrets) is going to make some of these cute state embroidery gifts for her fam. Anyone in my fam do embroidery? Bueller?? We've only got 7 states for you to cover...

Source: littlemissmomma.com via Attempting on Pinterest

These are from Kojo Designs as posted on Little Miss Momma.

I saw these this week and fell in love! Santa may or may not be making some of these for myself...Yes, Santa talks in third-person/first-person just to confuse you.

Vintage Glamorous

Looking for something simple to do in bulk?

Source: google.com.sg via Attempting on Pinterest

For those of you who don't actually have to SHIP your gifts to your loved ones: ((sigh))

Source: thisoldhouse.com via Attempting on Pinterest

This is cute for a grandma. But mine would need about 4 of those...she has 10 kids, 30 grandkids (so far, my youngest uncle is younger than me), and 4 great-granddaughters!

Source: 1.bp.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

For the younger, hip sister:

Source: cozihome.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Or some easy peasy (no tools needed) jewelry:

Source: patternrunway.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Or for those who are feeling a little more ambitious, Bev at Flamingo Toes has MANY awesome necklace and jewelry tutorials. I LOVE her site!!

Source: flamingotoes.com via Attempting on Pinterest

For the traveller:

Source: craftster.org via Attempting on Pinterest

For the giver who's always giving:

Source: homemadebyjill.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

How much more would you love your sister if she gave you this?:

Source: scribbit.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

For the seamstress (this is adorable):

Source: folksy.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Another simple but fab necklace:

Source: tinysparklythings.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Looking for more "grandma" gifts (for your mom of your kids)? What about a little refrigerator love? These are ADORABLE:

Source: ambrosiagirl.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And who can't use a new sassy apron?

Source: yourheartout.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And another cute idea for a seamstress:

Source: etsy.com via Attempting on Pinterest

These awesome cooling pads are made from rocks, felt, and hot glue! Thank you, Martha!

Source: marthastewartweddings.com via Attempting on Pinterest

I know my music jewelry box is probably a bit more ambitious than many are looking for, but what about a simpler jewelry display box? This one from Artsy Tartsy Jewels is awesome!

Source: artsytartsyjewels.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

I'd be thrilled to get a handmade sweater cap (made from an old sweater) like this one from At Second Street:

Source: atsecondstreet.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Running out of time and money? Here's a super simple and inexpensive gift that will surely make the receiver smile! Simple Flower Earrings.

Here's an AMAZING one for you from Kate at Centsational Girl. DIY wood cutting boards!! My mom would love these! Now if only shipping didn't cost a fortune...

Source: centsationalgirl.com via Attempting on Pinterest

What's on YOUR list? (both FOR women and FROM Santa...since I have yet to receive a comment from a man, I'm going to go ahead and assume that the vast majority of you are women).

Aloha!

Charlie

And don't miss these other gift post ideas:

Day 5 - Holiday Foods

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:03:00 +0000

There's a lot of ground to cover today, so I'll make my notes brief, and there will be lots of pics!

Let's start out with:

SALADS and APPETIZERS

Let's just get right to my favorite food in the whole wide world...stuffed mushrooms! I'd take a plate of these bad boys over chocolate any day! I know they're not a tradition for most people, but my mom started it when I was in high school, and it's become my own tradition since. Mmmmmm... I've never tried this crab version, but it looks excellent!

Source: foodgawker.com via Attempting on Pinterest

I asked my Facebook peeps what their favorite holiday food is. Kerri said pomegranate salad! Yummy! It's new for me, but I think I'll be trying it for either Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Source: annemarie-tastebuds.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

For the other holiday, I'll probably go with my new favorite salad:

Source: canyoustayfordinner.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And no holiday party is complete without a cheeseball or some chips and dip!

Source: kraftrecipes.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Hot crab dip. Holy delicious, Batman!

Source: foodgawker.com via Attempting on Pinterest

My husband loves jello and jello salads. I'm not a huge fan, but maybe I'll try one of these for Thanksgiving and one for Christmas just for him.

Source: the-girl-who-ate-everything.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Source: tasteofhome.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And maybe something to drink? We'd go with the "unspiked" version of this, but I'll bet this makes your house smell amazing!

Source: chow.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Now on to the main meal!

My husband doesn't love turkey (he's non-cannibalistic). ;) So we're doing a ham, and he's requested cornish game hen as well. Ummm...what? Yeah, we've already purchased them, so I guess we'll see how this goes.

Source: barefootcontessa.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Source: howdoesshe.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Source: marthastewart.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And for you traditional folks:

Source: barefootcontessa.com via Attempting on Pinterest

n
The perhaps some rolls?

Source: blogs.babble.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And cranberries:

Source: google.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Also not a stuffing fan (don't hate me), but it wouldn't be a holiday meal round-up without it!

Source: laaloosh.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Mashed potatoes! These are garlic mashed. My mom is the queen of garlic mashed potatoes... Yum!

Source: fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And yams. With a little ((lot)) brown sugar and some marshmallows maybe?

Source: jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Source: fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And now on to the real reason we came to this party! The whipped cream!!! Wait...I mean...the pies!!

Classic pumpkin:

Source: joyofbaking.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Chocolate Cream (always a crowd pleaser):

Source: onceuponachef.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And my personal favorite:

Source: kokocooks.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

So. What did I leave out of your meal? And what's your favorite part?

Aloha,

Charlie

Day 4 - Tablescapes

noreply@blogger.com (Attempting Aloha) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:00:00 +0000

NOTICE: If you're not on Pinterest, and you like pretty pictures, join the land of the living and follow along. Many of my inspirations for this series were found on Pinterest. :) But I may be slightly obsessed...

Aloha!

Today's post is about something I know absolutely zero about! Ha! So this is going to be super inspiration for me...to maybe use ONE day. I'm still not 100% sold on the idea since I've seen how my children eat, and it ain't pretty... But I may incorporate one or two fun things into our Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts this year! We'll see how motivated I am.

Here's something I could actually do:

BHG

Gotta love some pine cone table garland! And this would be excellent for Christmas OR Thanksgiving. Very holiday-neutral. ;)

Wouldn't these be the perfect little companions to that garland?

Source: projectwedding.com via Attempting on Pinterest

I think that garland, these place holders, and a burlap runner would probably complete my "tablescape". I'm real fancy like that ((truthfully that WOULD be very fancy for my fam)). Ha!

I love the lighting in this next one. Must. Find. Lanterns...

Sharps Farm

With three kids under age 7, that's a disaster waiting to happen, though. I can still dream, can't I?

Here's one that has kind of a candy cane theme goin' on:

Source: Uploaded by user via Attempting on Pinterest

More red & white love:

Source: Uploaded by user via Attempting on Pinterest

Hey, look! This one has my exact dining set!

Source: bing.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Who doesn't love some simple white?

Source: google.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And for those who like schwubbuwy:

Source: centsationalgirl.com via Attempting on Pinterest

((This one actually links to Kate's/Centsational Girl's fabulous line-up of tablescapes. I highly recommend visiting that link for more table pretties.))

Want to see a few more place holders? I knew you would:

Source: latavolalinen.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

Source: amazon.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And last, and definitely my favorite (come on...I'm a mom of three girls):

Source: fleurfiona.blogspot.com via Attempting on Pinterest

And there you have it, folks. Any special tablescape plans in your near future? Which one is your favorite?

Aloha,

Charlie