Fireflies and Jellybeans

Guest Post from Serendipity and Spice

2013-05-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

So, who's got a bad case of Spring fever? I sure do! I'm ready for warm weather, sunny days, flip flops, and beach vacations! Unfortunately we don't live near the beach- BUT that doesn't mean you can't bring the beach to you...or the essence anyway.
Today I'm going to share with you a quick craft tutorial that turns an ordinary glass Coke bottle into extraordinary beachy theme vases!

They turned out ADORABLE didn't they?

I used Mexican Coke that you can read more about here...it's good! Now, I must say, it took several tries to figure out what to do with these Coke bottles...you can check out my craft fail here so you know what NOT to do.

Well, these are the bottles:

I used an 8oz and a 12oz bottle for this project. Then I bought some Sisal Rope from Hobby Lobby for about $3. Using the glue gun I secured the end and started wrapping the rope around the bottle as tight as possible.

Now, I know you've seen other jute and twine wrapped projects but I changed this one up a bit. Instead of using hot glue all around the bottle and burning my fingertips off I just secured the end with hot glue and used good old fashioned Elmer's White Glue to secure the twine to the body of the bottle.

I just painted the glue on as I wrapped the twine- once dry it will keep the sisal from slipping out of place. I used the hot glue just a few times during major curves to give added security.

Now, you'll notice that you can still see through to the bottle. I just worked my way back down the bottle filling in the gaps.

Finally, I added some beads from an old broken necklace and this cute little glass star charm that's been sitting in my jewelry box FOREVER! I LOVE using old jewelry on home décor items- it gives the jewelry a new sense of life- check out what I did with my grandmother's antique broach here.

Every time I look at these now I want to go to the beach!

Thanks so much Fawnda for having me today! I loved getting the chance to hang out with you guys today!

I hope you’ll grab a cup of coffee, stop by, and visit me sometime! -Melissa

Guest Post from Oh, Mrs. Tucker

2013-05-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

While I am getting used to having a newborn around some wonderful bloggers has stepped in to help out with some fabulous guest posts! Don't worry I will be popping in here and there to give updates and of course do the Show Off Your Stuff Party! We have a great line up for you all!

Up Next is Patti from Oh, Mrs Tucker!

Hello, Firefly and Jellybeans Readers! I'm Patti from Oh, Mrs. Tucker! I am a longtime writer/blogger and new grandmama. As soon as I found out I was going to become a grandmother for the first time, I envisioned building a site where grandparents and parents could come for information and fun. When Fawnda sent out a call for help via posts, I quickly volunteered (so I could meet you!) and she graciously agreed to let me fill in for a day. I hope I don't disappoint.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some days nothing but a frosted brownie will do. Hello, lover...
(photo credit: Oh, Mrs. Tucker!)

Yep, some days require a little one-on-one time with some quality chocolate and a generous dose of cream cheese frosting. Hello, darling...
(photo credit: Oh, Mrs. Tucker!)

The dirty little secret here, is that sometimes I bake from a box and add a splash of my own homemade signature ala Sandra Lee. Sure, there might even be a little imbibing while I'm baking. Listen, if I'm gonna Sandra Lee something, I'm going all in. Ready for the recipe?

BROWNIES:
Open 1 packet Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate brownie mix.
Mix.
Pour.
Lick spatula.
Bake.
Cool.

FROSTING:
Powdered sugar (you decide how much)
Softened cream cheese (you decide how much)
1-2 tbsp softened butter (why so precise? because everything is better with 1-2 tbsp of butter)
Mix.
Place frosting into piping bag.

Go crazy.

Take a photo for Pinterest.

Eat your mistakes.

Take more pics.

Enjoy!

So. Good.

Guest Post from Todd&Lindsey

2013-05-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'm an art teacher that spends ALL my free time crafting, cooking, baking, making miniatures and in general, just detoxing myself from kids and school. I love the creative process of making. Anything. I especially love when that process results in food. Or really beautiful things. Or cute things.

I guess I should share who Todd is, since he is the other part of our blog name. :) Todd is my very outgoing, comic-loving husband of a little over one year. Todd and I have three children... I mean pets. Lily and Jose are cats and Banner is our beagle! They all turned five at the beginning of the year. (No, that's not a coincidence; I just made all their birthdays at the same time for the sake of my sanity... Can I do that for our future kids?)

Feel free to visit us at toddlindsey.com for easy and yummy recipes, DIY home decor, room reveals, dollhouse miniatures and more!

Now on to the sweet stuff.

I am SUPER excited to share this recipe with you all. Oh. My. Goodness. These cookies are amazing! And really easy to assemble. I got this awesome recipe from my friend Becca. Once you try these, you will never want to go back to boring Peanut Butter Blossoms. :) Okay, so that may not be true. But trust me, these are so good!!!

Ok. So you start off real complicated with some store bought refrigerated dough. I bought this kind:

You will also need a bag of Reese's cups. (Funny story: So I always pretty much know what's in my pantry. I like to keep a bag of peanut butter cups on hand so I knew I had a full bag in my pantry when I started this baking project. Howeverrrrr, when I went to go make these, I realized someone *hint hint* had eaten almost the whole bag! Thatsomeone left a measly two cups left. I had to run to the store, which is literally across the street, to restock!)

But back on track now.

Separate the dough according the the pre-portioned pieces.

Place some mini muffin liners in a mini muffin tin. Place one lil' mound of dough into each liner. They are so cute right now! :)

Bake for 9-11 minutes at 350*. While they are baking, unwrap all the peanut butter cups. Try not to eat any!

When the cookies are done, gently press a Reese's cup in the center of each cookie. Work quickly!

Remove to a wire rack to cool. They are yummy warm, room temperature or cold!

Don't eat them all in one sitting! I mean, it will totally be worth it "in the moment".

Is your mouth watering yet? I know mine is!

I look forward to having you visit toddlindsey.com soon!

Guest Post from Chill Thoughts

2013-05-13T04:00:00.000-05:00

I love a good salad! Especially dressed up with lots of veggies, bacon bits and croutons. Lately I’ve been making my own croutons and I’m loving how cost-effective and super-tasty they are. And they’re so easy to make! Here’s what I do…

I use bread I have on hand to make my croutons. I’ve used cheap store brand wheat bread as well as sourdough bread. DH says he prefers the sourdough, so that’s what I used for my latest batch. I use 4 slices of bread for a batch of croutons (in these photos I was making a double batch because we love these so much).

I use four slices of bread per batch; cut the slices into 1” cubes (you don’t have to be precise – make the cubes whatever size you prefer).

Place the cubed bread into a bowl with a tight-fitting lid.

This recipe only requires three ingredients other than the bread; I told you it is super-easy! Melt a 1/4 cup of butter (half a stick) in a microwave-safe bowl. Mix 1 teaspoon of parsley flakes and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt into the melted butter. (I prefer super-garlicky croutons, so I usually use about twice as much garlic salt. Feel free to adjust to your preference.) Now pour the butter and spice mixture over the cubed bread, place the lid on your bowl and shake vigorously to coat all the cubes in the mixture.

Spread the coated cubes on a baking sheet of your preference; I just love my Pampered Chef stoneware for making croutons (and just about anything else). Pop that into a pre-heated 300 F oven and set a timer for 20 minutes. After twenty minutes, turn the croutons and return them to the oven; set a timer for another twenty minutes. Bake the croutons until they begin to brown nicely (I prefer mine more crisp so I let them get very brown; feel free to adjust the cooking time to achieve the perfect crouton).
Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

That’s it! Super tasty, easy to make and much cheaper than most retail croutons!

I hope you will stop by my blog to check out what’s going on; I plan to share more of my favorite recipes as well as sewing projects, craft projects and just daily life!

Baby Boy 1 month

2013-05-11T08:25:00.002-05:00

This week our baby boy turn 1 month old.

It seems fast and slow at the same time.

In some ways it seems like just yesterday I was pregnant waiting for our baby to arrive and in other ways it seems like he has been part of our family forever.

Going from 2 to 3 kids has been a big adjustment for us. It is has been much harder than when we went from 1 to 2 kids. I am still trying to find my groove as a mom to 3. But I know we will find our way! And these little feet make it all worth it!

Life has been busy trying to keep up with the older kids schedules now with a newborn in tow. Now that the weather is finally nice it has been easier. Not having to bundle everyone up to get out the door makes my morning so much easier!

But there is always drama! : )

followed by some sweetness!

Guest post from My Repurposed Life

2013-05-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

I am so happy to be sharing here today! I have been reading Fireflies and Jellybeans for years.

So, who is My Repurposed Life? A middle aged woman named gail who is in the process of repurposing her life by showing others how to repurpose unwanted thrift store or curb finds. I do it all on my own, no Mr. MRL to help me cut, saw and build. I like to redesign items and make them new and useable again. Many of my projects are too difficult for a beginner, so today I’ll show you an easy project anyone can conquer.

This magazine rack has been a very popular post for me. I call it a shutter, but it’s actually half a a bi-folding door, with every other slat removed. You can get shutters for about $5-10 at your local habitat for humanity Re-Store.

What you will need:

Shutter or bi-folding door
Hammer
Paint (I recommend spray paint for any slatted project)
Sawtooth hanger
optional: wood putty or spackling if you would like to fill the holes left after removing the slats

Use the claw of your hammer to snap out every other slat. Place the claw on the slat you want to remove and give a quick twist. It will break the slat allowing you to remove it.

After you have your slats removed, you can use the wood putty or spackling to fill in the holes where the slats were. (you may notice that this is the back side of my magazine rack-hanging it like this would make it difficult to hang magazines)

Paint your new magazine rack a fun color. As I noted above, there is a right and wrong way to hang your magazine rack—before you add your saw tooth hanger you will want to grab a couple of magazines to test the orientation of your magazine rack.

I like to have the wider portion on the top, with the magazines flowing behind each other. After you give it a test run, you are ready to attach your saw tooth hanger. Embellish any way you’d like. You can do this to a tall shutter or bi-fold door and lean it against a wall instead of hanging it. You could also display vintage towels or small blankets instead of magazines.

You can check out the complete details of this shutter magazine rack on my site. I make mine a little different now, but it takes more tools. I wanted to show you that anyone can make this project.

If you love to make old new again, you can check out these great projects:

This kid’s bench was made from a footboard and a headboard. I made the table to match from scratch. This project is currently the most popular post on My Repurposed Life.

Here’s another great kid’s piece. It’s a toy box bench made from a salvaged crib.

This is my all-time favorite project. Many of my projects find new homes, however I couldn’t let this one go. I use it in my bedroom for extra storage. I fondly refer to this tall lingerie chest as the “tower of terror”. It was definitely a fun challenge.

I hope you visit My Repurposed Life soon, I’m sure you’ll find something to inspire you to repurpose and reuse some unwanted items. You can start by checking out my galleries on my sidebar.

Thanks so much Fawnda for letting me fill in for you today! I wish you all the best with your new bundle of joy! Such a blessing!

gail

Guest Post from Life with Leahy

2013-05-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

While I am getting used to having a newborn around some wonderful bloggers has stepped in to help out with some fabulous guest posts! Don't worry I will be popping in here and there to give updates and of course do the Show Off Your Stuff Party! We have a great line up for you all!

Up Next is Sarah from Life with Leahy

Hi there!
Welcome!
I am Sarah from Life with Leahy!

I have been blogging for about three and half years. I started blogging to document my daughters life... and my blog has slowly become a way to feature fun crafts we do together, projects I do around the house and yummy recipes we try! I hope you will come back for many visits in the future!

Today I am so excited to get the opportunity to share my Floating Paper Mobile with you!

I created this project last spring for my daughter's nursery. I was looking for something to fill the corner of her room and had stumbled upon similar pieces on Etsy. Not wanting to spend over $40, I set out to find tutorials on how to make one myself. I didn't like a lot of the tutorials out there, so I just started winging it from the different ones I read!

And here is what I came up with....

Her nursery is a mix of lavender, grey and white, so the mobile encompasses on three of those colors. I am going to run through a tutorial of what I did to create this piece.

This tutorial is pretty long, but please bear with me! I wanted to be pretty detailed, so there's no confusion!

MATERIALS

12x12 card stock in colors of your choice

(You will need at least 5 pieces of card stock, more if you choose to do multiple colors. I chose card stock that was a bit textured on one side to give off different light as it moves)

2 inch circle punch

White wood circle

(I found one that had eight small circles in the top which was PERFECT when it came time to hang. I found it in the floral department. I was originally going to use an embroidery hoop. You could really use anything similar.)

Needle and Thread

Paint & Brush

Fishing Line

Hot Glue Gun

Small Clear 3M picture hanging hook (see picture at the end)

As you can see a lot of this project involves materials you probably already have... and the rest of them are easy to find and cheap! This project is really about time. I created this over a couple of weeks. Don't be in a rush!

TUTORIAL

The shorter pieces of my mobile are all purple. I used 72 purple circles (8 strands of 9)

The longer strands are grey and white. I have 2 strands of white and 2 strands of grey.

I used 24 white circles (2 strands of 12) and 24 grey circles (2 strands of 12).

I have a total of 120 circles in this mobile. You will need to decide which color combinations you would like for yours and adjust accordingly. You really can decide to do any combination!

STEP 1: Decide on your color combinations and punch out your circles!!!

I found it helpful to store my punched out circles in plastic containers!

STEP 2: We are going to create the strands of paper circles. I started with purple.

Thread your needle. You are going to start by threading through the bottom of your circle

Your knot will be at the back of the circle once you pull your thread.

Next you will "sew" through the top of the next circle.

Next you have to loop the thread around and back through the SAME hole. This secures the circle in place, so it does not slide down the thread.

After you have looped around, you will sew through the bottom of this circle.

To clarify, Circle #1 should only have thread coming out the bottom. Circle #2 should have thread at the top and bottom.

Now we repeat... over and over again!

You are securing each circle in place so that it will not slide up and down on the

thread once it is hanging.

Now you will add the next circle. After adding Circle #3, you will want to loop around again through the SAME hole to secure in place.

Keep adding circles, repeating the looping process.

I suggest getting comfy on the couch at this point, with your choice of beverage!

It's easy, but time consuming!

Once you add Circle #9 to your strand (of purple) or Circle #12 to your strand of white/grey, you will want to stop at the top hole. You will knot off your thread and add a little dab of hot glue to the end to secure it in place. This also ensures that your circles won't slide off the end! Go back and add hot glue to the top knot of your strand of circles, as well.

STEP #3 - Repeat this process of creating these "circle strands". You will need to have 8 strands of with 9 circles on them (purple ones for me). You will need 4 longer strands of 12 circles (grey and white ones for me).

After you have created all 12 of your circle strands we will be assembling the mobile!

That was the hard part!!

STEP #4 - Paint the wooden circle your choice of color. I chose white!

Once paint is dry, we will start assembling. You will need your hot glue gun ready for this part!

STEP #5 - ASSEMBLY -We will be hot gluing each strand to the painted, wooden circle. I chose to group my strands in 4 sets of 3. Two short strands with a long strand in the middle. I hot glued the two shorter (purple) strands on the outside and then glued the longer strand on the inside of the circle. This creates some dimension to the mobile and makes it appear fuller.

FIRST, glue the longer strands into the middle of the circle. You want them to be across from one another. NEXT glue the shorter strands on the outside of the circle, on either side of the longer strand.

In the picture below you can see what I mean by gluing across from one another... there is a grey one behind the word HERE... directly across from the grey one featured.

STEP #6 - HANGING - Not going to lie... Hanging this project up proved to be the most challenging part. You may come up with an easier idea to do this... but this is what worked for me.

My circle had these eight little holes in it... I used fishing line tied through these holes in order to hang it.

I created a loop of fishing line through each hole and tied the ends together. So, basically each hole had a giant circle of line tied through it.

I gathered each circle together and tied another piece of line through them all to create the long string at the top.

You will need a bit of assistance here just to make sure it gets level. Have someone hold it for you, while you adjust the lengths of the circles and re-tie, if necessary to get a balanced mobile.

Okay... I hope you survived that part! Just takes some patience....

Last step!

Stick your little 3M hook to the ceiling.... give it an hour or so... and then loop your fishing line through!

Tada!!! It's DONE!

Now sit back and stare at the beautiful project you have created!!! That wasn't that bad, was it?!

Thanks for visiting and reading through this tutorial!

Please stop by for a visit! We have lots of other fun (and EASY) projects featured!!!

Arby's Roast Beef-atopia!

2013-05-01T18:00:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Arby's for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I had very few cravings during my pregnancy. But the one I did have was for Arby's roast beef sandwiches. I think I ate one of those 3-5 times a week! They have them on their $1 menu so it was easy for me to drive thru after I dropped my son off at preschool in the afternoons. And I had to have Arby's sauce... Arby's sauce makes everything taste better! Those roast beef sandwiches are probably the reason I had a 9 1/2 pound baby!

Now Arby's is partnering with KING HAWAIIAN brand and came up with 2 new sandwiches: The Arby’s KING’S HAWAIIAN roast beef sandwich and The KINGS HAWAIIAN roast beef and Swiss sandwich!

The KING'S HAWAIIAN roast beef sandwich has an exra helping of freshly sliced roast beef piled onto a sweet KING'S HAWAIIAN bun

The KING'S HAWAIIAN roast beef and Swiss sandwich also has the extra helping of freshly sliced roast beef topped with a slice of Swiss cheese, crunchy pickles and a creamy Dijon spread all on a KING'S HAWAIIAN bun.

Don't those sound so yummy?!?! You know your mouth is watering right now. These sandwiches are only around for a limited time so hurry over to an Arby's and get one! While you are there save one for me too! I'll take mine with extra Arby's sauce. It is probably a good thing this deal is after the birth of my son or he would have been 12 pounds!

To celebrate this partnership they are hosting the Arby’s Hawaiian Getaway Sweepstakes! Where you could win round trip tickets for two to Honolulu Hawaii with a 4 night stay and surf lessons at the Hawaiian Fire Surf School!

Doesn't that sounds Awesome??? You are going to want to enter... I mean who doesn't want a vacation to Hawaii???!! Here is how you enter: Visit the Arby’s Hawaiian Getaway Sweepstakes site and enter. It's that easy! This contest is open from April 29th - May 26th. Don't miss out on this awesome prize! Enter now!

Guest Post from Days of Chalk and Chocolate

2013-04-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

While I am getting used to having a newborn around some wonderful bloggers has stepped in to help out with some fabulous guest posts! Don't worry I will be popping in here and there to give updates and of course do the Show Off Your Stuff Party! We have a great line up for you all!

Up Next is Jenny from Days of Chalk and Chocolate!

Hi everyone! My name is Jenny and I blog over at Days of Chalk and Chocolate, where I share my DIY projects (and mishaps!), crafts, recipes, and whatever else seems to be happening around here. I hope you'll stop by and visit me! I'm tickled to be guest blogging today at Fireflies and Jellybeans. I am so excited for Fawnda and I wish her all the best with her new little one! And I am very happy to be able to share one of my favorite tutorials with you today: How to Prep & Stuff an Artichoke.

Spring is one of my favorite times to eat veggies since some of my faves are at their best. Artichokes (my absolute favorite) are just about perfect in early spring, especially if they are stuffed with bread and cheese and garlic and, ok I'm getting ahead of myself! Artichokes can be a bit of a mystery but once you learn the process to prep one, the possibilities are endless. They are so delicious and nutritious! Be not afraid of the artichoke. I'm going to make it very easy for you!

I like the color in the bottom better but I like the font in the top one so I posted them both. I know, I'm a nutjob.

The stems taste as yummy as the heart. Make sure you salt it before eating it though!

Cooking directions: Fill the bottom of the pot with water. Cover and steam for an hour or so, depending on the freshness and size of your chokes. Make sure to check the water now and then so you don't run out and burn the bottom of your pot. Test a leaf before taking them out. They should release from the choke easily when pulled and the flesh should be soft and easy to scrape with your teeth. Keep cooking them until you can do that. It can take a very long time so this is something to do when you are home for a while.

To eat them, just pull each leaf off and scrape the meaty part of the leaf off with your teeth. Discard the rest of the leaf. Keep pulling, scraping, pulling scraping. Your fingers will be a mess. It's worth it. You'll get down the inside of the artichoke where the leaves start becoming thin and pointy on the top. Time to stop. Take a fork and scrape those leaves away. Along with them will be a little bed of prickly things. Chuck those too. What you are left with is the heart. It is the best part! Salt and eat! Steal your friend's when she is answering her cell phone.

Enjoy!

Cheers!

Jenny

Thank you cards with 12 months of Martha (#12MonthsofMartha)

2013-04-28T22:54:00.001-05:00

***This post is written as part of the 12 months of Martha program. I get craft supplies from Martha Stewart Crafts for free to create fun crafts with. All my projects and opinions are 100% mine.***

We have been busy around here with our new family member! For a little guy he sure can demand a lot! We are very tired but very happy too!

Thank goodness for baby carriers!

And Pacifiers!

This month I got another awesome box full of goodies from Martha!

These are all available at Michael's, Joann's and amazon.com

I used the paper and new punches to create some thank-you cards.

These punches are so cool! They have a slide that lets you choose how you want to punch the shape.

Here are the cards I created!

For this one I used the star punch and glued down the whole shape and then sewed down the middle of the frame of the shape to create a 3-d effect!

Check out more fun projects on the 12 Month of Martha Pinterest board!

Michael's has a 40% off Martha Stewart craft items for this week only! Get the US Coupon Here and the Canada coupon here

***Disclosure: I was supplied with the Martha Stewart craft supplies but my opinions are always honest!***

Guest Post with Chase the Star

2013-04-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

While I am getting used to having a newborn around some wonderful bloggers has stepped in to help out with some fabulous guest posts! Don't worry I will be popping in here and there to give updates and of course do the Show Off Your Stuff Party! We have a great line up for you all!

Up next is Barbara from Chase The Star

{Updating a Nightstand with a Map and Mod Podge}

Hey lovelies! I am back in the swing of things and so excited to have spent the last two days knee deep in projects. Aaah, I missed the smell of fresh saw dust, and the mod podge under my nails. :)

I had this nightstand, it had been repurposed into an entry way table, and now will serve as an end table. Who knows what it will be in its next life!

I am really into lightening up my house lately so I went for a pale blue color, Prelude by Behr, also used here, to give it a drastic transformation.

Updating a Nightstand

First things first, I sanded the entire piece down with my orbital sander (if you want a tutorial on that click here). Secondly, I added 2 coats 0f paint with a foam brush (my go-to brush). Everything dried completely in a few hours so I went ahead and distressed with with some fine grit sandpaper (check out a tutorial for distressing furniture here). Lastly, I added a coat of polyurethane to seal it. I liked it as is, but I thought it needed a little interest. I had a map that I'd used on an ornament I made during the holidays, so I thought why not add it to the top of the nightstand?!

Adding a Map to Furniture with Mod Podge

Surprisingly, this was the easiest part of the entire project! All I did was cut the map to size, added a coat of Mod Podge with a large brush (both had been generously provided to me by the folks at Plaid so I could make this project). Pressed it into place, and added an ample coat of the Mod Podge over all of it again using the wide brush. So easy!

For the final touch, I updated the knobs with these nickel cup pulls from Home Depot.

Naturally, now I wanted to Mod Podge a map onto everything I can get my hands on!

Have you ever used Mod Podge to update a piece of furniture?

Guest Post from Adventures of D and V

2013-04-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

Up Next is Veronica from Adventures of D and V

I am so excited to be guest posting today while Fawnda is snuggling with her new little bundle of joy! I'm Veronica, the "V" in Adventures of D and V. My husband Daniel is the "D". From big adventures like learning to cook gluten free, to digging out and finishing our basement, to little adventures like new favorite things and lessons God is teaching us, we love living each adventure together. The Adventures of D and V is a lifestyle blog that is about...well, our life!

Spring is the season for showers. Baby showers, bridal showers, rain showers. Well, 2 out of the 3 are fun! I wanted to share a fun activity for a baby shower that I have done several times. It is an activity and a gift for the Mommy all at the same time. I call it a Baby Shower Prayer Wreath. It all starts with an empty wreath and some fake flowers (I got all my supplies at The Dollar Store.)

and, of course...

my glue gun!

Start by using the flowers to decorate the wreath before the shower...

There is really no wrong way to do this part. Just whatever you think looks good.

I wanted to keep mine kind of sparse and simple, yet pretty.

Next I added a little banner on a ribbon across the middle with the words "Dear God, Thank you for little girls." (Of course you would need to change it if the baby was a boy!)

The next part of the wreath decorating happens at the shower.

One meaningful thing to do at a baby shower is to spend some time praying for the baby, Mommy, and Daddy. Using small strips of paper (I used pink card stock) and fine tipped pens, have each guest write a short prayer on their strip of paper. After sharing the prayers, weave the prayer strips into the wreath. You can kind of see the pink paper strips on the top right side of the wreath in the picture above. You wont be able to read all of the writing once the strips are woven into the wreath, but that's ok. Just having the wreath hanging up in the baby's room will be a reminder to the new mommy that people are praying for her!

If you would like to see more ideas for a Pink Flower baby girl shower, you can click {HERE}.

I hope you enjoy this Baby Shower Prayer Wreath and that you stop by the Adventures of D and V

Show Off Your Stuff Party # 172

2013-04-17T20:30:00.000-05:00

Welcome to our Show off Your Stuff Party! Every week we come together to show off our stuff!

It is time to party!

Here is the run down:

1. Pay attention! There are 4 categories to link up:

Crafts and Sewing

DIY and Home Decor

Recipes
Inspirational/Creative Writing

pick one and go with it!

{If you pick the wrong one... you can delete your own and add it to the right one! :) }

2. Add a link to your specific post, not the main page of your blog.

3. Please do not link up to something that you are just trying to sell.

4. Link to this party from your post so everyone can get in on the fun. You can just grab my button!

Guest Post from The Space Between

2013-04-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

My name is Karah and I blog at the space between.

Where I chronicle our current journey to buy and fix up a 1950s Conch home in Key West, FL.

I don't know about you, but I've never really been much of a magazine girl. I don't subscribe to any and they were just never my go to for inspiration. But I find myself engrossed in any kind of magazine these days just looking at the pictures and gleaning inspiration for our soon to be house renovation / remodel projects.

And it's no secret that I'm a fan of pallet projects. And I'm finding myself drawn to all things pallet wood, or reclaimed wood, or barn wood. The pictures just pop right out of the magazine and are just drooling with character and depth. Pallet projects seem like such a great way to create a unique focal point in any room.

I compiled 20 of my favorite pallet projects I've seen around lately. I'll show you 9 here and then you can hop over to the space between to see the other 11.

Furniture

DIY Wood Headboard from Thrifty and Chic

Pallet Farm Table Desk from Funky Junk Interiors

Pallet Headboard from Lovely Crafty Home

Our own Pallet Bed

Pallet Sofa by The Ironstone Nest

Stenciled Pallet Coffee Table from Inspire me Heather

Pallet Potting Bench from Better Homes & Gardens

Cart Style Coffee Table from Addicted 2 Decorating

DIY Table top with pallet slats by us. :)

Pretty neat, right?!?! Just click here to see my favorites in the Accent Walls and Art and Accessories categories!

Do you have any suggestions on what pallet projects should we tackle in the new house? And if you'd like to get caught up on our recent moving journey (we were living on the island of Curacao for the last 3 years) you can by checking out how we decided whether to rent or buy, a few first shots of ~~our~~ the total fixer upper and how I may have panicked about the whole thing.

And a big THANK YOU!! again to Fawnda!

Guest Post from Burnt Toast & Soggy Ceral

2013-04-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

She (Michelle) gives a great tutorial on how to make anything on a cake! Ohhhh, the possibilities are endless.... so many birthdays... so many awesome cakes to be made...
Rachel, my middle baby, just had a 2nd birthday and I decided to give this a try.

Whatcha Need:
Wax paper
Icing
Food coloring
Cake!
Scissors
Tape
Zippy bags/cake decorating bags & tips
Coloring book page

Whatcha do:
I printed off a Pocahontas coloring page. I kept a picture of Pocahontas pulled up on my laptop as I worked, I felt like I had memory loss when put to the test of.. well, remembering the colors!
Grab the coloring page, tape it to the wax paper. You want to see the lines under the wax paper.
Then, get your icing and start making the colors you need in separate little bowls.
Put your color creations in the zip bags/cake bags. If you are using zip bags, cut the tiniest point off a corner for the icing to come out.

START WITH THE OUTLINE, black.
Then, you can use your other colors.

I did the outline, filled in her hair, and parts of Mico with black.
Then moved on to her lips and arm band.
Next, was her dress, the rest of Mico and the necklace.
Last I did her skin.

Now, I did this after bed time the day before the eating of the cake and put it in the fridge over night. Proooooobably should have done it during "quiet time" and put it in the freezer for the shorter period of time. (Michelle actually addresses this same thing in her tutorial.)

After it's had plenty of time to chill, whether you put it in the fridge or freezer, take it out when the cake has it's "background". Flip it on the cake, don't move it once it is already on!! Also, do not press it on. I did, and it messed up the white icing I had on the rest of the cake.

Now CAREFULLY peel back!
You can even make excited/nervous noises at this point (I did...).

WHEW! Just to let you know, I had to touch it up a bit (so keep your icing in your bags!). You can tell on some places like the arms. The icing didn't come all the way off the wax paper. I really think it was because the refrigerator/freezer thing. It probably wasn't cold enough. I did notice, though, in the parts that I made thicker on the wax paper, came off a lot better.

She LOVED it.
You've done it again, Pinterest! Thank you!

Thanks again for having me;

He's Here!

2013-04-14T22:52:00.000-05:00

Our baby boy is here!

He arrived on 4-8-2013

Just one day past his due date... fashionably late!

Weight: 9 lbs 8oz - BIG BOY!

Length: 22 3/4 inches

We are all doing great!

The kids LOVE their little brother!

We are loving cuddling with our new little man!

Show Off Your Stuff Party # 171

2013-04-10T20:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to our Show off Your Stuff Party! Every week we come together to show off our stuff!

It is time to party!

Here is the run down:

1. Pay attention! There are 4 categories to link up:

Crafts and Sewing

DIY and Home Decor

Recipes
Inspirational/Creative Writing

pick one and go with it!

{If you pick the wrong one... you can delete your own and add it to the right one! :) }

2. Add a link to your specific post, not the main page of your blog.

3. Please do not link up to something that you are just trying to sell.

4. Link to this party from your post so everyone can get in on the fun. You can just grab my button!

Guest Post from C.R.A.F.T.

2013-04-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

Up next is Jamie from C.R.A.F.T.

Hi Friends! I'm Jamie from C.R.A.F.T. (It's an acronym for Creating Really Awesome Free Things), and I'm here because Fawnda is taking a short blog break to care for her sweet new baby! Congrats, girl. Enjoy!

I thought it would be fun to just do a round up of 10 DIY projects anyone can do!

1. Reupholster a chair:

2. Make an interactive travel map:

3. Give a thrift store side table a makeover:

4. Organize your kitchen on a door:

5. Spunk up some shot glasses:

6. Start thinking about Halloween with some DIY adult Halloween costumes:

7. Make some hand and foot print art with the kiddos:

8. Make a tasty, healthy smoothie:

And there you have it 8 fun, DIY projects and recipe that you can do today! If you want to see more C.R.A.F.T.'s, check out the C.R.A.F.T. tutorial page!

Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Google +| Instagram

Guest Post From Keeping It Simple

2013-04-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

One of my all time favorite things to make are pillows, especially for the different seasons and holidays. Now that spring is here, it's time to bust out the fun colors!

This is how I made them:

1) I got the butterflies from the dollar store, can you tell that I like them? I cut the fabric into 18"x18", 18"x10" and 18"x16" pieces

2) I pinned the butterfly onto the fabric and sewed it on.

3) For the words, I got on my Silhouette Studio and rearranged the words to make a loop. I did each letter individually.

4) I grouped all the letters together (CTRL+G) and made it smaller and mirrored the image.

5) I cut out the words out of white heat transfer vinyl from Expressions Vinyl

6) I ironed the words onto the fabric

7) I then sewed the three pieces of fabric to make the pillow cover

8) I stuffed a pillow in there.

Here is a close up of the saying.

I made the other one the same way. I'll probably have them on different couches, not together.

And here is the other saying.

Thanks for having me here today, good luck with your baby Fawnda!

I would love it if you followed along.

Show Off Your Stuff Party # 170

2013-04-04T08:30:00.002-05:00

Welcome to our Show off Your Stuff Party! Every week we come together to show off our stuff!

It is time to party!

Here is the run down:

1. Pay attention! There are 4 categories to link up:

Crafts and Sewing

DIY and Home Decor

Recipes
Inspirational/Creative Writing

pick one and go with it!

{If you pick the wrong one... you can delete your own and add it to the right one! :) }

2. Add a link to your specific post, not the main page of your blog.

3. Please do not link up to something that you are just trying to sell.

4. Link to this party from your post so everyone can get in on the fun. You can just grab my button!

Crock Pot Strawberry Fruit Spread - 3 Ingredients

2013-04-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

My kids love toast. And they love PB&J. But I hate buying jelly and jam at the store because it's either packed full of sugar or super expensive. Besides, I love the satisfaction of making things myself. So when I came across this recipe for Strawberry Honey Jam, I knew I had to try it. But because I can't just follow directions, I had to turn it into a crock pot recipe. Besides, it's impossible for me to monitor something cooking on the stove for an hour. Knowing me, all the moisture would cook out and it would get dried and burnt to the pan. Also, I cut the recipe down to use only 1 pound of strawberries because I wasn't sure how it would turn out, and I didn't have enough jars for 6 pounds. So, here we go:

This will make about 2 cups of jam which fits nicely into a pint-size jar.

Ingredients:
1 lb. frozen or fresh strawberries, hulled
2/3 c honey
1/3 apple (for natural pectin), grated with skin on (I sliced with an apple slicer and grated 3 slices in a food processor.)
1t lemon juice (This is for preserving, so if you're canning you'll need it, but otherwise it's not necessary. In this small of a batch you probably don't need it, but I wanted to include it in case you decide to make and can a large batch.)

Directions:
1. Place strawberries, grated apple, honey, (and lemon juice if using), in a small (1.5 qt) crock pot and stir.
2. Cook on low about 3 hours, until fruit is all mushy.
3. Vent lid with a spoon and continue cooking another 3-4 hours to let some of the moisture out. You may want to monitor it to make sure it doesn't dry out, but after 4 hours mine was still fairly liquidy.
4. Smoosh with potato masher, let cool, then spoon into jar and refrigerate or freeze.

~This has a more liquidy consistency than "regular" jam because it has no pectin added, but after a few hours in the fridge it will become a bit more jellied. It's more of a "fruit spread" than a "jam," and would be fantastic as topping on pancakes, waffles, ice cream, granola etc.
~ This small batch disappeared in about 2 days at my house. So the next time I doubled it, using strawberries and peaches, and a whole apple. YUMMY! I believe this will be a new staple in my house. I'm gonna need a few more crock pots, I think!
{this post originally appeared here}

Stencil Tote Bags {#12monthsofMartha}

2013-03-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

***This post is written as part of the 12 months of Martha program. I get craft supplies from Martha Stewart Crafts for free to create fun crafts with. All my projects and opinions are 100% mine.***

It's that time again... the time of month where I show you some awesome craft supplies from Martha Stewart as part of the 12 months of Martha program I am in. Here is this month's loot:

Stencils and paint! How fun! And I knew just want I wanted to make with them. But first these are all available at Joann's, Michael's, and Amazon.com.

Here is what I used the stencils to create:

These are going to be gifts for my son's preschool teachers at the end of the year as a thank-you gift. I needed to make them now since I probably wont have much time once the baby comes.

Here is what you will need:

Martha's Stencils

Craft Paint

Dabbers

Tote bag

I made three bags... I am going to be lame and just leave pictures as the tutorial (Pictures are worth 100 words right?!) But some pointers before I move on:

Make sure you place some cardboard inside the bag so that the paint doesn't seep through.
I tape my stencils in place so that they don't move on me while I am applying the paint.
Use and up and down dabbing motion when applying the paint to the stencil.
The stencil pack that I am using has big shapes and some background shapes that i used together to create the patterns.
Be sure to Heat Set your paint by placing some fabric over the paint and ironing over it. Use the iron setting for the type of fabric that your bags are made of. This will make sure your paint doesn't come out in the wash.

Bag 1

How to:

Bag 2

How to:

Bag 3

How to:

Check out more Martha Stewart craft ideas here!

Michael's has a coupon for 30% your entire Martha Stewart Craft paint tools and accessories purchase! Find it HERE!

***Disclosure: I was supplied with the Martha Stewart craft supplies but my opinions are always honest!***

Show Off Your Stuff Party # 169

2013-03-27T22:05:00.001-05:00

Welcome to our Show off Your Stuff Party! Every week we come together to show off our stuff!

It is time to party!

Here is the run down:

1. Pay attention! There are 4 categories to link up:

Crafts and Sewing

DIY and Home Decor

Recipes
Inspirational/Creative Writing

pick one and go with it!

{If you pick the wrong one... you can delete your own and add it to the right one! :) }

2. Add a link to your specific post, not the main page of your blog.

3. Please do not link up to something that you are just trying to sell.

4. Link to this party from your post so everyone can get in on the fun. You can just grab my button!

Chocolate Candy Bites {recipe!}

2013-03-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

I {Jeannine} just got a 5-gallon bucket of coconut oil and after reading the book that came with it, I wanted to eat nothing but coconut oil for the rest of my life. I know that's a bit excessive, so I am trying to incorporate it into our life in as many ways as I reasonably can. I was trying to figure out a way to get it into my kids' diet on a regular basis, and this is perfect.

This recipe showed up in my news feed on Facebook recently without a link. So I tried it, and I like it so much I had to share. It's easy, and it really does taste just like chocolate! My kids like it too, so it's a win-win for all of us - I'm sneaking the good stuff into them, and they think they're eating candy which means mom ROCKS because it's not something I normally encourage!

Ingredients:
1/2 c. coconut oil
1/4 c. cocoa powder (or carob or cacao)
2-3 T raw honey (with less honey it will taste more like dark chocolate)
buy ingredients here

Directions:
1. Fill a medium sauce pan about half way with water, heat on medium-high until nice and warm.
2. Put ingredients into a glass measuring cup, mason jar, or something similar, and place into warm water.
3. Turn burner to low and simmer, stirring as the oil liquifies.
4. When everything is thoroughly mixed, remove from pan and pour into candy molds or mini-muffin pan.
5. Put into fridge or freezer to harden for a few hours.
6. Pop out of molds and store in fridge or freezer (coconut oil melts at about 76 degrees, so if your home is cooler than that, you could store them at room temperature).

~This can also be done with butter instead of coconut oil. I have tried it, it's amazing also, and definitely tastes buttery!
{This post originally appeared here}

Be our Guest (post)

2013-03-15T06:30:00.000-05:00

So- I am 36 weeks pregnant and it is just occurring to me now... The baby is come soon and I am going to need a little help with blogging for the month of April! I know- I totally have pregnancy brain!

WE NEED YOU!
I would love it so much if you could help me out and guest post on our blog. There are some teeny-tiny rules (or guidelines) we have in place to keep things fair.

1. You must have a blog. This is not a place for free sponsorships. I want to showcase and promote creative blogs (crafting, sewing, DIY-ing, cooking, Hair/make-up, etc) not a shop/store/book...etc.

2. I must approve of the post before it goes lives.

3. Links should just go to your blog(s) and not other sponsor pages. If you also run a shop along side of your blog that is fine but no affiliate or other sponsor links.

4. Your post must show how to do something- this is very open ended .... a craft, hairdos recipes, etc. It can be a post you have used perviously but please rewrite the intro.

5. First come first served! :)

*** I don't really have a set number of guest post in mind so as long at it is a good fit - you in! : )

Interested? Email me (Fawnda) at firefliesandjellybeans@gmail.com

Also- did you notice out new header? I totally jumped on the chalkboard bandwagon! It was time for a change! :)