Tatertots and Jello

A little Christmas, two winners and a linky party!

2009-12-10T19:36:00.002-07:00

I had a big church party over at my house the other night. It was good because it made me clean the house {which needed it, believe me}, and get most of my Christmas out. And I was so excited to put this new cake stand out on my kitchen table. I found her a couple of months ago at TJ Maxx -- I think she was $16. I just love how funny and whimsical she looks. She reminds me of making Christmas cookies with my mom when I was a child. We would spend hours making the most delicious cookies. Chicky Momma is having a really fun Christmas Memories Party and is giving away a Letters to Santa pillow. Go over and join in the festivities!

And, these cute candy cane plates I found at Target this year. Perfect for Christmas pie or rice pudding that I make as part of our Christmas Eve traditions!

I am planning on linking up to The Nester's Christmas Home Tour on Monday, December 14th, but I am also hosting a fun linky party with Simply Sweet Home on that day. And there will be giveaways!

I will be sharing some ideas for homemade gifts. Will you come over for the party? And share something that you've made, or share something that someone made for you! I think it will be very fun and give us all some ideas for meaningful homemade gifts! So be thinking of something that you can share and come back for the party - I promise it will be fun! December 14th.

And now for the winner of the custom card designs!!!

HG from Growing Pains and Spaghetti-o Stains -- isn't that the cutest blog name?? And Andrea from Look Both Ways! Congratulations ladies -- you won a custom card design from Dimple Prints!!!

Have a wonderful day!

XOXO

I'm giving away some burlap creations at Simply Modern Mom!

2009-12-09T10:02:00.000-07:00

Simply Modern Mom is having a fabulous event called Winter Days Giveaways. It's going on right now and will run through Christmas. If you have never been over to Simply Modern Mom, you really should. It is a fabulous site that has all sorts of great information like tutorials, tips and other ways to make our lives a little easier and better!

And I am giving away two bracelets and a burlap magnet board. So go over and check out all of the fabulous giveaways and enter to win!

And speaking of giveaways, the Dimple Prints custom card giveaway is ending tonight. Thanks everyone for entering, and if you haven't and would like to, click HERE to go to the giveaway!

I had a fun church party at my house last night with 60 + ladies. It was great fun! But now I am thinking it's time to get my Christmas shopping started. What about you? What are you doing today?

Have a great day!

XOXO

Ella's "Pink and Chinese" Room -- Reveal

2009-12-07T22:37:00.006-07:00

Ella has been asking for a room redo for her birthday since April. Her only stipulation was that it be "Pink and Chinese", which presented me with a interesting design challenge.

Here is a before:

And after:

The first thing I did was find some Asian looking fabric with women in Kimonos. I loved the colors and decided to play up the coral color {kind of pink...} in the fabric. Then I found a quilt that color and I had the paint mixed to match the quilt.

I knew the wall color was bright, so I didn't want to overwhelm the room with too much color, so I balanced the bright coral color with a soft neutral tan.

I love wainscoting and thought it would be a fun spin on the traditional look of wainscoting to add sheet metal panels. So we cut panels of sheet metal and nailed it up. Then we put strips of wood between the panels to cover up the nail heads. I still need to caulk....

I have never loved the plain white ceiling fan that was in the room, so I found an inexpensive girly one at Ikea and changed that out. And last summer while visiting my sister in San Francisco, I went to China Town and found these paper umbrellas which we secured from the ceiling with wire.

Then I made some curtains and added a little visual interest with panels of material that match the pillows I made.

We had this playset in our basement, but it isn't used much, so I decided to bring it up for her room. I think she will have a great time playing in it up here. I put a little white table and a chair for her to use as a desk inside, along with a little chalkboard.

I am still looking for a little rug that will bring out the colors in the room. And, I ordered some vinyl that is cherry blossoms with her name in an Asian font. So when I get that installed, I will show it to you. I think it's going to be very cute!

Ella was so excited when she saw her room. She spent about an hour in there today just going around and looking at everything. She loves the magnetic panels and has already hung many pictures on it.

Thanks for stopping by!

I am linking up to Kimba's DIY Day!

And, if you haven't entered for Dimple Prints custom card design giveaway -- click HERE! It ends Wednesday night!

Have a Wonderful Day!

XOXO

Another Christmas Giveaway!

2009-12-07T11:56:00.003-07:00

A few nights ago I was on etsy looking for a cute digital Christmas card design to go with our new family pictures that Wenderful took. {she did a great job!} I came across a great shop -- Dimple Prints.

Carli is the nicest girl who has been making fantastically creative cards for years. She has offered to give away a FREE custom digital card design to TWO of my readers! I'm so excited!

Carli is so talented, here are some of the cards she has designed.

She has beautiful Christmas designs:

Birthday and party invitations:

Change of address cards:

Baby announcements:

And you can even order a digital party package:

You get to tell her what you want, she designs it and then sends you the file and you can print the cards out anywhere -- Walgreens, Target, Walmart, Costco. And, she also can order the photos for you and have them sent to your home.

This giveaway is going to be short so if the winners want to use the designs for their Christmas cards -- it will end Wednesday night at midnight (MST). Here's what you do to win:

For one entry -- leave me a comment on this post.
My amazing friends {a.k.a. followers} will get an additional entry.
For a third entry -- go over to Carli's etsy shop and tell me which card design you like the most.
For a fourth entry -- post about this giveaway on your blog.

Also, Carli is giving you a special offer while this giveaway is going, if you order any design from her store between now and Wednesday night, she will make you a free coordinating digital return address design if you mention tatertotsandjello at checkout. Just think how coordinated your holiday cards will look!

Have a Festive Day!

XOXO

A litte project, a big winner, a room redo and a birthday girl!

2009-12-06T20:39:00.000-07:00

Here's a project that is floating around the blogosphere right now.

I made this one up for our "Super Saturday" class last month. The kids love changing the date on the blocks every day. You can order a kit a few places, one I found is here. Or, if you are super skilled, you can make your own blocks. Also, countdown blocks would be great for most holidays and other events like birthdays or vacations. I may have to make another set that I can keep out all year long. I love this one:

I'm linking this up to Xazmin's Mod Podge Mania and

Heidi's Monthly Craft Challenge! Go over and see the fun projects!

And, the winner of The Pleated Poppy Giveaway is: The Popes! Congratulations! And thanks to everyone for entering! Thanks to Lindsey for the great giveaway!!! And speaking of giveaways -- I will be hosting a really exciting Christmas one tomorrow!

And I was able to take a break from the room re-do to meet one of my favorite bloggers yesterday! Connie from The Young and the Relentless. She is just adorable!!!

It's Ella's birthday and we got the "Pink & Chinese" room pretty much finished -- woo hoo! {Let me tell you I wasn't so sure it was going to be done last night at 1 AM.} She was so excited! I will post pictures tomorrow night! Happy birthday to my sweet sweet little girl.

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Friday Favorites!

2009-12-04T01:00:00.003-07:00

How is it Friday already?

Where did the week go??

My Christmas is still strewn all over my house.

There are so many great ideas floating around the blogosphere right now! Here are some that caught my eye this week:

Are you still trying to come up with an advent calendar idea? Wenderful made a cute and quirky paper bag one that makes me smile.

And Amber's Pottery Barn knock-off calendar is stunning. And I loved her post -- Pretty with a Purpose.

Jen at Lipstick and Laundry has a fabulous typewriter key tutorial. This is on my to-do list for sure.

And I found something that would go perfectly with my burlap trees!

These will look so cute with mine. I bought some styrofoam cones today in fact so I can add them to my little forest. Find out how to make them at Red Writing!

And this is my new necklace. I love it -- can you see what it says?

Keep Calm and Have a Cupcake!

With a little cupcake on it too!

And this is just amazing. Check out Project 320. On December 14th bloggers from all over the world are going to join together to raise money to build a well. Go check it out -- Wonderful!

And this is going to be my favorite thing -- if I can get it finished.

Ella's room re-do.

That is what I've been working on tonight and will be through Saturday.

I can't wait to show it to her -- and to you!

Have a Happy Friday!

XOXO

Sweater Redo #2 and update on "pink and Chinese" bedroom

2009-12-03T00:58:00.001-07:00

Here's a fast and simple redo to update a top or sweater. I really liked this sweater, but it was a little boxy and I really prefer cardigans. So it sat in my closet, only worn a couple of times.

This is a 30 minute project. Here's what you do:

Take your sweater, find the center. Cut a straight line down the center.
My top was a little wide, so I cut out a 2 inch section of fabric from the center.
Take your seam tape (available in many colors from your fabric store), cut two sections of tape a little longer than the length of each sweater side.
Lay the tape over one of the side, folding it in half with the sweater seam in between and the sides of the seam tape matching up. Pin it in place.
Fold the ends of the seam tape under on the top and bottom of the sweater seam.
Sew it together. and do the same thing with the other side of the sweater.

Hand sew the clasps on the inside of the sweater opening.

I took the leftover material, cut it into small lengths and joined it with ribbon to make a little flower embellishment.

Now go enjoy your new sweater!

And -- it's T-minus 3 days until Ella's birthday and deadline for the "Pink and Chinese" bedroom. Have I painted the room yet -- no, made the pillows or curtains -- no. Do you think I need to get a move on??? I think I'm starting to panic!!!

Have a great day!

And, if you haven't checked out the Pleated Poppy Giveaway I'm hosting - click HERE -- it ends on Friday!

XOXO

Whimsical Christmas Wreath

2009-12-01T00:35:00.000-07:00

So I had all of these big, eleaborate plans to make a burlap/paper wreath. It was going to take hours and hours of fine craftsmanship to make. Well, life got in the way, and instead the kids and I made a whimsical, funny wreath instead. And with a blog called tatertots & jello -- I think it fits in perfectly!

I am knee dep in advent calendars right now, but hopefully these babies will be in the mail later today! And, if you haven't had the chance to enter to win the Pleated Poppy zippered pouch or posey pins -- click HERE!

I am linking up to Kimba's fabulous DIY Day -- go over to see all of the creative energy!

Have a wonderful day!

XOXO

A Wonderful Giveaway!

2009-11-30T00:40:00.001-07:00

I'm hard at work making a gazillion cookie sheet advent calendars right now {they will be in the mail soon!}, but I wanted to tell you about the giveaway I am hosting this week.

A couple months ago, I was visiting some blogs and came across the cutest project, one I immediately went out and did the next day -- the Family Rules canvas.

Well, as you probably know, this project originated on The Pleated Poppy, Lindsey's blog.

I just adore Lindsey's style!

Isn't this room just divine???

I Love these bookshelves!!!

Well, I didn't realize that she has a fabulous SHOP too! She makes the most creative things while her kids are napping. And when she offered to give away a few things from her shop to one of YOU -- I was thrilled!

Lindsey is going to give away a Zippered Pouch and a set of Posey Hair Clips to one of YOU -- you can choose which ones out of her shop. They would make a great Christmas gift! Here's what you need to do:

For one entry: leave me a comment on this post.
My followers will automatically get entered-- because you are awesome!!!
For a third entry: go over to Lindsey's SHOP and come back and tell me what your favorite thing is over there.
For a fourth entry -- blog about the giveaway and then come back and let me know that you did.

This contest will end this Friday: December 4th at midnight (MST).

Good luck!

And thanks for coming by -- I appreciate you guys!!!

XOXO

PS -- I AM going to post about my new Christmas wreath project -- just as soon as I can wash all of this Mod Podge off of my hands :)

Cookie Sheet Advent Calendar Announcement

2009-11-28T09:54:00.001-07:00

I have a few people who really want me to make more cookie sheet advent calendars. I figured that since I will be making a few, I might as well make up a big batch.

So if you would like one, this is the last chance this year to get one. I will be making them up on Monday and sending them out on Tuesday the 1st. I will send them out Priority Mail which means they will get to you within 2-3 days -- plenty of time to enjoy them this season. Priority mail costs between $10 and $13.50 to send -- depending on where you live.

I am charging $30.00 {which my sister says is crazy since they take so much time to make}, and the price will go up next year for sure. So if you would like one, leave a comment or send me an email as soon as possible. I will be going to get the supplies tonight.

And, each one will be different, so they are not going to look exactly like this one. I promise they will be just as cute in their own way. And each will have the tin with the Christmas star which you can have your kids hang on the tree on Christmas Eve that represents the star of Bethlehem.

Hope you are having a great weekend!

XOXO

♥Friday Favorites♥ and winner of the cookie sheet advent calendar

2009-11-27T12:21:00.000-07:00

Craftaholics Anaonymous made a really cute Christmas wreath -- of course I love it since it's made of burlap!

And, Your Cool Friend Cheryl made an adorable gumdrop wreath. So fun!

Kari from UCreate has Stepanie from Somewhat simple guest posting today, and she has a wonderful tutorial on how to make glittery silhouette ornaments. So festive!

and, Stephanie also made this cute muffin tin advent calendar.

Jennie, from Larsen Loves has made a fun, magnetic advent calendar out of a pizza sheet - so creative!

Another great advent idea from A Little Bit Funky made from baby socks - adorable!

Shanty 2 Chic has a great Bingo advent calendar!

And this advent calendar from Blue Cricket Design - I love it!

And speaking of advent calendars -- thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway for my cookie sheet advent calendar! I appreciate each of you stopping by! I used the random number generator, and it gave me:

Stephanie at Out of Chaos -- congratulations Stephanie! Send me your address and I will get it in the mail to you!

And speaking of wreaths, I spent the night before Thanksgiving working on a fun one. I will share it with you on Monday. AND, ♥♥♥another giveaway♥♥♥ will be starting too!

Thanks for stopping by and good luck at the sales :) Did you get any great deals?

XOXO

Happy Thanksgiving and the winner is......

2009-11-25T12:44:00.000-07:00

Thank you everyone who entered the giveaway for the two La Dolce Vita necklaces. You guys are amazing and I wish I could pick each one of you!

The first number picked by the Random Number generator was Misty! She won the Team Edward necklace!

The second number picked was Amanda. -- she won the Team Jacob necklace! If you email me your addresses, I will make sure they get sent out to you!

And, I have an added bonus, I found these keychains at Nordstrom which they gave me for free when I told them about my New Moon giveaway. So I am passing them along to TEN of you: (numbers through the Random Number generator)

MCH Photography

Tickeled Pink and Fabulous

JennyKate's Spot

Keeping up with the Schulz Family

Krafty Kween

Imperfectly Beautiful

Jen Glam Girl

That's Random

Loving Blakely

LuLu

Also, if you would like to win one of my handmade Cookie Sheet Advent Calendars, the giveaway ends on Thanksgiving at midnight. And I will be having a giveaway every week until Christmas, so stay tuned!

This month has gone by in a flash! I have so much to be grateful for, and I loved the idea of posting one thing each day, but since time got away from me, I am going to post them all today.

My sweet kiddos

My patient, even-tempered hubby

Great friends

This blogging world - I have met so many wonderful friends through my blog. Thank you for being so awesome!

A mom who loves to shop and have "girl time"

In-laws who are always around when I need them.

Old friends, who keep my young!

Twilight, and now New Moon!

My cute puppy.

Talented, beautiful, sisters!

Sister-in-law who blogs and keeps me laughing.

Diet Coke

Mexican food

Faith

Health

Mashed potatoes

Kindness from friends, family and strangers

Well, I'm off to make pies!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving full of good times, family, wonderful food and laughter!

XOXO

Christmas Advent Cones on a glittery branch, burlap trees and a free printable!

2009-11-23T22:26:00.005-07:00

I love my cookie sheet advent calendar, but I wanted another advent that I could use for little treats, special notes and other small holiday goodies.

So I cut down two very large branches from a tree in my backyard, spray painted them silver and added some glitter.

Then I used some vintage music paper and made little cones. I embellished them with trim, ribbon, flowers and vintage buttons. I used chipboard numbers and stickers for the days.

I tried to figure out what to use for the base of the branches. I decided to cover my footed glass vase with burlap.

Then I made some burlap trees by cutting long strips of burlap and wrapping them around Styrofoam cones.

I made a template in Microsoft Publisher. If you would like to use it, click HERE. Tip: in making these cones, punch holes in the back side of the cone so it will hang straight.

I am linking to the Kimba's fabulous DIY Day -- go over for some ingenious ideas to make your home more beautiful!

And, there is a wonderful party going on over at Today's Creative Blog. Go over and see all of the awesomeness!

And, if you would like to WIN one of my handmade advent calendars, click HERE. Also, the New Moon necklace giveaway ends TONIGHT -- so if you haven't entered, you can by clicking HERE.

Are you ready for Thanksgiving? I am not! I think a trip to Costco is in order for today...

Have a Terrific Tuesday!

XOXO

What I was doing this weekend and my first Christmas Giveaway!

2009-11-23T11:36:00.000-07:00

I had a few big projects that I was working on this weekend (a big one I will unveil tomorrow). Another was a custom order for one of my cookie sheet advent calendars. And I thought since I was making one, I might as well make a few. And to start spreading the Christmas cheer, I made one to give away to you!

{the 24th has a silver star ornament that you can have your kids hang on the tree to symbolize the star of Bethlehem}

You know the giveaway rules:

Leave me a comment on this post.
My followers will get an automatic entry -- you guys are awesome!!!
And if you want a third entry, blog about it and then leave me another comment.

This contest ends on Thanksgiving night at midnight. I will get the advent calendar in the mail on Friday and make sure it gets to you by the first! And, if you would like an advent calendar in the mail to you tomorrow, check out my etsy shop or contact me -- I have two that are for sale:

Also, if you haven't entered to win one of the New Moon necklaces by La Dolce Vita, scroll down to the New Moon post - sorry Blogger is being crazy and won't let me link to that post :) The contest ends TOMORROW night! Thanks for being such great blogging friends!

Have a wonderful Monday!

XOXO

Utah friends: What are you doing for your holiday pictures this year?

2009-11-21T16:34:00.002-07:00

If you are like me, you are scrambling around trying to figure out what to do about Christmas cards. What to wear, where to do the photos and are they all booked up?

I'm lucky because my talented sister Wenderful has been studying photography for years and is a Photoshop guru. AND she's coming to my house for Thanksgiving! And since she is going to be in town for a couple days, I've convinced her to let my Utah friends share in her talents. She normally charges the big bucks because she is so talented and in demand, but she is going to do mini-sessions for ONE day: THIS FRIDAY, November 27th and has arranged a beautiful outside venue at Trolley Square. There will be old bricks if you want an urban, rustic background, a huge beautiful tree if you want Christmas card photos and all sorts of other options.

So here's the deal, she only has a few slots open that day. If you would like to be signed up for a time, either leave me a comment or shoot me an email (my address is on the sidebar). You know your pictures will turn out great because she is uber talented PLUS she has the Photoshop skillz. And let me tell you, it is a good deal. We had ours taken by a local photo studio last year and the whole thing ended up costing me over $300. You get images that are edited -- so everyone will look better, the backgrounds will be more vivid, and she can touch up any trouble spots. You will have the rights to one of the pictures and then you can order any of the 5-10 other images for half price. So you can send them in to a cute site like Shutterfly or Tinyprints and do something really different for your Christmas cards this year!

Check out her website or her personal blog and see her wonderful pictures. Here are a few of my favorites! I can't wait for our session!!!

I hope you are having a great weekend!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

PS - I finally got to see New Moon last night. So good :)

Friday Favorites

2009-11-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

Amy, at the Red Chair Blog did an astounding makeover on her stairs. Taking them from dull to adorable!

Lisa at Moore Minutes put together an amazing Thanksgiving table (with burlap) and a really fun kids table with homemade Mayflower boats. So cute.

Here is a project that is on my to-do list, Roots and Wings made these fantastic silhouette Christmas ornaments and has a tutorial to help us do it too!

Char at Crap I've Made, has come up with an ingenius tutorial on how to copy Pottery Barn's glittery peace sign ornament. I love that you could make any shape you want for your tree. So great!

Jill at Barnes Yard transformed a mirror into a fabulous burlap board. Really adorable!

And Ruffles and Stuff is a blog I just discovered full of great tutorials on how to ruffle up all sorts of things. Look at this adorable shirt she ruffled up with little leaves on it. How cute would this be to have your little girl wear for Thanksgiving dinner?

And speaking of adorable, my sweet friend Kasey has made the cutest clothes for her little girl. So fun!

And for all sorts of other great favorite ideas, head over to Melissa's at 320 Sycamore, she is having a wonderful Favorite Things party! There are all sorts of great ideas that people love. You should check it out!

And at this time of Thanksgiving and with Christmas right around the corner, I love the idea of helping other people in need. Kendra, at My Insanity has started a wonderful project called Big Hearted Holidays to help two families dear to her hear who have lost parents this year. Please go over and help these families out if you can. Or blog about this project! There is so much love and resources here in our bloggy world, let's make the world a little better this holiday season.

Please go over and give these ladies some bloggy love!

And if you haven't signed up for the Twilight Necklace Giveaway, go to my post here!

Thank you for stopping by - it means a lot to me!

Have a great weekend!

XOXO

More Burlap Projects: make a Holiday Card Holder using a tomato cage?

2009-11-19T10:44:00.003-07:00

I know the title of this project sounds weird. My sister Wenderful actually gave me this idea. She had heard that you can turn your garden tomato cages into card holders. So I looked around and I found this picture from Lowe's.

Well of course I wanted to see if I could incorporate some burlap into the project - lol. Last night I stayed up way too late experimenting and this is what I came up with. It's an inexpensive way to display your cards. And if you made it neutral I think it would be fun to keep out all year to display cards or even your child's artwork. I used tomato cage out of my garden and the other supplies I had around my craft room so this project ended up costing me nothing to make. I think I am going to display it on my kitchen island. I'm still trying to decide what to do with the top - any thoughts?? Also -- entire project made with a hot glue gun - no sewing required....

{sorry I had to use "fake" Holiday cards since I don't have any yet...}

And just in case you are getting tired of my burlap projects (as one commenter obviously did yesterday -- have you ever heard the expression, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all??? I thought the bracelets were cute...), I have my J Crew Fashionista Project #2 coming tomorrow...

Tonight's the night! Can you believe I don't have tickets. Arrrgh - it's sold out here. Are you going?

Have a creative Day!

XOXO

Congratulations to my winner and check out these other New Moon giveaways!

2009-11-19T01:20:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who entered my LA/New Moon Giveaway! {I am going to get over to visit all of you} I wish I could give this prize to every single one of you! I used the Random Number generator and it gave me:

Jess from The Brannon Family. Jess is a really cute mom who is an wonderful photographer. So congratulations Jess!

Now, the giveaway I'm hosting for the two beautiful New Moon necklaces is still going. It will end next Tuesday. So if you haven't commented, here is the link!

Also, there are a bunch of other really great New Moon giveaways going on right now.

My good friend Jenny Kate is getting ready to throw a fabulous New Moon party and she is giving away all sorts of really great things on her blog, including one of the goody bags that she put together for her party! Her giveaway ends on Friday. Her whole blog is Twilight themed --it is really fantastic!

And, Pink and Polka Dot, another great blog, has made the cutest little bags with Edward and Jacob on them. Her giveaway also ends on Friday!

I ♥♥♥♥♥ You Guys!

XOXO

More Burlap Projects: Burlap Bracelets!

2009-11-17T22:49:00.003-07:00

This is what I did last night when I was supposed to be getting stuff ready for the boutique :)

I bought these bracelets yesterday at the Target's Dollar section, and I was so excited to see what I could make with them.

If you would like to make some, here's the tutorial!

Measure the width of your bracelet and the length.
Cut your burlap to twice the width of the bracelet and to a little bit longer than the length.
Arrange your burlap in front of you. Stand the bracelet up in the center of the burlap strip.
Do this step quickly: run a line of hot glue along one side of the inside of the bracelet. Put the bracelet back in the same position as before and quickly take the burlap edges of that side of the bracelet and bring them toward the center of the bracelet. Roll the bracelet down the length of burlap as you go so that the bracelet stays in the center of the strip. This will help your burlap stay centered and keep the material from bunching up. Continue until you come to the starting point.
Do the same thing on the other side of the bracelet. Pull taught as you go.
Trim the edges where the bulap meets. Then glue down this area. Don't worry too much if it doesn't look perfect. You will be gluing the embellishment over this area.
One the bracelet is completely covered in burlap, cut a length of ribbon that is longer than the circumference of the bracelet. So it's not itchy!!
Run a squiggly line of hot glue down the center of the inside of the bracelet. Quickly take your ribbon and press it against the burlap. Do this all the way around the inside of the bracelet. Trim the edges where the two ends meet and glue that center down.
Now you can make the embellishment. There are many different embellishments you can make using fabric, beads and brooches. I found some brooches on clearance at Michael's Crafts in the beading section a while ago. But you can also just use fabric and buttons.
Glue your embellishments down and you are done!
Note: this is a tricky project. It might take a few tries to get it right. And try not to burn your fingers with the hot glue. I used a popsicle stick to press the glue down onto the ribbon.

Thanks for stopping by! And thanks for entering my LA/New Moon Giveaway {ends Wednesday 11/18} and New Moon 2 Giveaway {ends 11/24}!

Have a Wonderful Wednesday!

XOXO

What's better than a New Moon Giveaway? How about TWO New Moon Giveaways?

2009-11-17T08:41:00.001-07:00

What's better than ONE New Moon Giveaway? How about TWO???? My good friend Kristen from La Dole Vita has made the most AWESOME New Moon-inspired necklaces! And guess what? I have one of each to give away to you! Aren't they beautiful?

Two lucky winners will win one of these necklaces. Okay, here's the deal:

This contest will run for 1 week: ending Tuesday, November 24th at midnight (MST).
Let me know if you are TEAM EDWARD or TEAM JACOB
If you want to be entered -- leave me a comment on this post.
Each of my followers will get another entry -- just because I ♥♥♥♥♥ you!
If you want a third entry -- post or twitter about the giveaway and then leave me another comment letting me know.

Good luck! And, if you just can't stand it and need a necklace to wear to the movie this weekend, go over to Kristen's etsy store. If you mention TATERTOTS during the giveaway, she will give you FREE shipping! Then if you win -- you can give the necklace to your best friend/daughter/sister for Christmas!

I can't wait to see the movie!!!

{Sorry I haven't gotten around to visiting you this week yet, today is the boutique and then things should settle down again!}

{Thanks everyone for all of your comments, twitters and blog posts about my LA/New Moon Giveaway (it ends on tomorrow night)!}

Have a Sparkly Day!

XOXO

My LA/New Moon Giveaway!

2009-11-16T00:29:00.003-07:00

I had a wonderful trip in the sun. It was in the 70's there! So I was in for a big shock when I got off the plane tonight and the temperature reading was 30-degrees. Brrrrr.... Well, I looked around for some fun Southern California things to giveaway, but got a little sidetracked.

It seemed like everywhere I looked there were New Moon posters in L.A. And then, yesterday we went to The Grove in Beverly Hills and there was this huge mob of people and tons of papparazzi milling around.

I decided to hang out and see what would happen. About 1/2 hour later Janet Jackson's Rythym Nation started and 600 dancers came out doing her dance. And then the next thing I knew, she came out right above where I was standing! Now, I'm not a huge Janet fan, but it was pretty fun to be there right in the middle of it all!

Then, we went into the Nordstrom there and they were having a big New Moon photo shoot for Seventeen Magazine. With Sprinkles!!! I took that as a sign that maybe I need to have a New Moon giveaway -- since the L.A. premiere is tomorrow night!

So I picked up a really cute New Moon shirt, a New Moon cup, a New Moon magazine and (9) New Moon tattoos. And then we went to a great flea market where I found some earrings made by a local L.A. artist that I think goes really well with the t-shirt! And of course I had to stop by Trader Joe's for one of my favorite things -- Pumpernickle Pretzels. And since they are my latest addiction, I think they should be yours too! So I am throwing in a bag with the giveaway.

Ok, I want to get this shirt out to the winner so they can wear it to see New Moon, so this is going to be a quick giveaway! It will end -- Wednesday night at midnight and then I will get it in the mail on Thursday! If you would like to be entered:

leave me a comment
all of my followers will get an additional entry -- just because I love you!
and if you want three entries, blog or twitter about the giveaway and leave me an additional comment
good luck!!!

Also, anyone that is in the Salt Lake area, there is a great boutique on Tuesday. I will be there with my burlap magnet boards, decoupaged stars, jumbo clothespins and pillows. Plus tons of other great holiday gifts -- here are the details!

And, oh my goodness! I just found out that I am featured today on Today's Creative Blog! How sweet! Thanks so much Kim!!!

Have a Wonderful Day!

XOXO

More Burlap Projects: Ruffled BurlapTablecloth

2009-11-13T00:03:00.000-07:00

I'm running around like crazy trying to get things done so I can go out of town for the weekend. My husband has a conference in L.A. all next week and he thought it might be fun if we got away alone for a couple of days, isn't that sweet?

But I wanted to share a little project that I made the other day. I was thinking about my Thanksgiving table, and wanted to do something with burlap but with a more polished twist. So I experimented and came up with this fitted tablecloth.

Now I am trying to come up with a sophisticated but simple centerpiece.

If you want to make one for yourself, this is what you do:

You can make this for any shape table. Measure your tabletop, then add 1 inch to each side of your table. So, my table was 52 inches round, I cute my burlap to be 54 inches wide.
My table was wider than the fabric width, so I had to add two panels two of the sides. I added the fabric to each side and sewed it to the main panel.
Now you cut out the ruffle. I decided that I wanted about a 6 inch ruffle. So I cut 8 inch sections of the burlap and sewed them together into a continuous length. I joined the ends together to form a circle. I measured the total length around the table and doubled that amount for the length of the ruffle.

Once I had a continuous circle of ruffle material, I hemmed the ruffle.
Then I laid the ruffle on top of the table shape. If you have a square or rectangular table, do this as well. You want to evenly distribute the ruffle along the length of the top of the table. So I took a place on the ruffle and pinned it to a place on the circle. Then I found the opposite side of the ruffle and pinned that to the opposite side of the circle. I did this on the four corners.

Then I started at one side of the circle and worked my way around the entire circle, pinning the ruffles evenly throughout. This takes a little while, but you want the ruffles to be uniform on all sides.
Once you have it all pinned, go back to your table and put it on top of the table. Make sure it fits.
When you are satisfied that it is the right size, sew the ruffle on to the top of your tablecloth. I sewed the seam twice for strength.
Then I ironed the ruffles to help them stay down instead of puffing out.
And you are done!

And meanwhile, just so you don't think my house is picture-perfect, this is what my craft room looks like right now. Frightening - I know. I did manage to clean some of the rest of my house today -- my in-laws are going to stay here while we are gone and I didn't want to scare them too much :)

It's been awhile since I've gone anywhere and I was thinking it might be fun to have an L.A. giveaway. Does that sound fun? I will look around tomorrow for some fun So. Cal. things to give to you. I'll update you on Saturday.

Have a Wonderful Weekend!

XOXO

Are you wondering what to give your best friend, sister or mom for Christmas???

2009-11-11T20:41:00.001-07:00

Are you wondering what to give your best friend, mom or sister for Christmas??? Here's a cute, inexpensive, stylish gift you can make that they will love! Interchangeable watches -- they are fun, fashionable and you can match the bands to your outfit!

First of all, order some stylish watch faces. I found a great website -- www.ewatchwholesale.com. The faces average about $5.50 each plus shipping, but compare that to $15 to the craft store - and all they have is white. You can make the entire watch with 2 bands for the price of only the watch face at the craft store. Here are some of my favorite faces:

Once you have your watch face, you make up the bands. The watch has a bar and your make your band with lobster clasps that hold onto the bar. This way you can change the bands out to coordinate with your outfits. The bands are easy to make, the hardest part is figuring out what beads you want to use. Once you lay your beads out, it only takes a few minutes to string the band together and you are done!

I put together a little tutorial, but Mrs. D. Lightful has an awesome one too!

First, lay all of your beads out on a paper towel. Arrange them the way you would like them to look when you string them together.
Then, cut a length of stretch magic cord (1 mm size) approximately 20 inches long.

Next thread one of your lobster clasps (6mm size) through the stretchy cord, followed by 3 small beads -- these should be about the length of the bar in your watch.
Now thread your second lobster clasp through the string. So what you should have is one clasp, three beads and another clasp. Make sure the clasps are both pointing the same direction.

Now move all of the beads you just strung to the middle of the cord. You should have two ends of cord about the same length on both sides.
Lay the cords out so they are facing you. Now add your beads up both sides. You can make the band the same or asymmetrical. Now the length of the cord depends on the size of your wrist and the size of your watch face. I used a really big watch face and I have pretty small wrists -- so I made my length of the band 6 inches. You may need to experiment to make it just the right size.
You will need either some double hole extender beads to hold the two sides of the bracelet together or I used beads that have holes or wire on both ends. If you have 3 long thin beads, you can just pass the cord through both ends of the bead in a criss-cross and the bead will be suspended between the two cords. Whatever you want to do.

Once all of your beads are strung, you need to add your third clasp to one of the cords, followed by the same three beads and 4th clasp. You want all of these on the same side. This way when you tie your knot in the cord, the knot will be less visible. Make sure the clasps are pointing the same direction as the other two clasps.

When you are sure the length is right and your clasps are pointing the right way, make a square knot in the cord -- pulling tight. This cord is very strong so don't be afraid that it will break. I made a square knot and then tied it twice more just to be safe, pulling tightly each time.
Then you put a dot of super glue on the knot and let it dry. After it is dry you can cut the excess cord as close to the knot as possible.

And you are done!

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a Wonderful Day!

XOXO

Channeling my inner Fashionista: J Crew Project #1

2009-11-10T19:45:00.002-07:00

I love to shop. I love clothes. Mostly I shop at Target because I love it, and it's inexpensive; but if I could have a shopping spree anywhere it would be a tie between Anthropologie and J Crew. Of course, with their prices, mostly what I do is dream and wait for big sales. I got my J Crew catalog the other day and wondered -- could I redo something to make it look like something out of J Crew? My mind started spinning.

I went over to Target, got a plain black cardi for $19.99 and found some strange leggings which have a cool pattern and texture on clearance for $5.00. And I went to work.

First, I cut out the middle of the cardi. {I am going to save the buttons for another project.} I cut it all the way up to the back of the neck.

Then I took the leggings and started at one leg. I cut a 3 inch in width length of the legging all the way up to the crotch. The material is folded over so actually it is a 6 inch strip. I did the same thing on the other leg.

I pinned the material onto the edge of one side of the cardi -- making ruffles as I went. {Now, you want the ruffles to lay toward your body, -- so keep that in mind as you pin the material.}The material is folded over so with one stitch I could attach both sides of the legging strip onto the one side of the cardigan. This took a bit of time, but it was worth it to do it right the first time and not have to do it over again. Once the one side was done, I did the same thing to the other side of the cardigan.

Once the ruffles were attached, I took a length of ribbon and sewed the ribbon to the seam where the ruffle meets the edge of the cardigan. This helps the ruffles lay flatter toward your body.

{inspiration}

{my version}

And I was done. I think it's a fun little sweater. And instead of being $99, I made it for $25. And, if you have an older sweater or one that has a stain on the front, you can make this project for practically nothing!

I am linking up to Kimba's DIY Day -- go over and see all of the fabulous projects!

Have a Happy Day!

XOXO

Cookie Sheet Advent Calendar

2009-11-09T19:30:00.005-07:00

My kids love playing with this calendar. My 4 year old loves to put the new magnet on each day. This is a fun project to make because you can use your imagination to make up the magnets. Some things I used were:

little mirrors
dominos
small ornaments like sleds, stars and drums that are meant to go on miniature trees
die cuts
poker chips
glass disks
vintage buttons
flower scrapbook embellishments
game pieces
printed scrapbook paper
pieces of metal
pictures

If you want to make this fun project, here's what I did:

Get a cookie sheet. {You can get a new one or go to Goodwill and pick up an old one. Also, the Dollar Store has cookie sheets - they are a small size, but work great for this project. If you get a new one that has non-stick surface, you will need to sand it down so your paint will stick.}
Drill two holes at the top of the cookie sheet for your ribbon to go through. I used regular drill. It is hard, but if you apply pressure it will work. Make sure to drill on a surface that can get dinged up. I did it on my garage workbench. You might have some sharp edges and you can file those down with a metal file.
Spray paint your cookie sheet. I did mine white, but black, red or green would be cute. Or maybe silver or gold?
Pick out 2 pieces of scrapbook paper that coordinate. One will be for the top of the calendar and the other will be at the bottom. You also need a plain piece of paper that will have the actual calendar grid on it.
Once your cookie sheet is dry, bring it to your work space and measure it width and lentgth. This is how you will figure out how big to cut your scrapbook paper. Each cookie sheet is different, so I can't give you exact dimensions. You will want a pretty square surface for the grid section of the calendar. So if your cookie sheet is 8 inches wide, then it will look good to make the grid paper 8 inches by 8 inches. This will also give you room at the top and bottom to put your coordinating paper for your lettering.
Once you have figured out the dimensions for your grid paper, cut it out and then figure out your dimensions for each day. You will divide the total amount of width and length by 5 to get these dimensions. Now take a pencil and ruler and measure the dimensions out and draw lines to get the grid. You may need to make corrections, that is why you should use a pencil. Once you have the correct dimensions, go over the lines with permanent marker.
Now cut out the other paper. I made the top a little longer than the bottom so it wouldn't be so matchy-matchy, but you can do whatever you like.
Lay it out on the cookie sheet. Once it looks right, use Mod Podge and glue it down. I went over the top with mod podge too to protect the paper so it will last. If you haven't ever used Mod Podge, be careful. You need to put a thin layer of Mod Podge on the back of each paper and another on the acutal cookie sheet. Then lay the paper down and smooth all of the bubbles out. It works best to go in small sections. Start at one end of the paper and go diagonally across to the other side. Keep smoothing the bubbles out. NOTE: If Mod Podge sounds too scary, you can use spray adhesive and then spray a coat of clear sealant over the top to protect it.
I put the Christmas die cut letters on right at the end of the Mod Podging - adding a thin layer over the top of the letters.
Now while your paper is drying, get out all of the embellishments to make the magnets. I lay it all out the way it is going to go on the board before I put any of the numbers on the magnets. This way you can see how it looks and make any changes that you want to without having to take the numbers off. You will want the shapes to be separate: no circles next to each other or anything that is the same color together.
Once you have all of the magnets laid out they way they will go on the calendar, start putting them together. Then put the numbers on last. For the numbers I used a few different methods to make them so they wouldn't all be the same. I printed a bunch of numbers off in different fonts and different colors. If you go to 1001fonts.com, you will find tons of fun fonts. They also have many many Christmas and holiday fonts which are fun for this project. I also used a labeler to print off some numbers, some stickers and I wrote some numbers with a sharpie.
When you have the numbers on you can add the magnets to the back of each number. I used a super glue.
Now put your ribbon through the hoels and tie it into a bow.
Another note: Depending on how you decide to you use your Advent Calendar, you can put all of the magnets on and then take one off a day until there are no more, or start with a blank surface. Since it is magnetic, you can keep the magnets you are not using on the back of the cookie sheet so they will not get lost.
Enjoy your new Advent Calendar!

I'm linking up to Kimba's DIY Day. I love all the awesome projects over there!

Plus, Go over to Just A Girl's I Can Make That! Party and see all of the wonderful ideas!

and it's also Get Your Craft On Tuesday over at
Today's Creative Blog!

And, the wonderful Kimm at Reinvented
is having a trash to Treasure party today!

And Cheri is having a Celebrating The Holidays Party!

Have a wonderful day!

XOXO