Dry Erase Menu Board

I finally did a craft!! Yahoo, it's been awhile! Even better, I crafted with a friend which ALWAYS makes projects so much more fun. We saw this idea for a Dry Erase Menu Board via Pinterest/Make and Takes and knew we had to make one for ourselves!

This project was super fun and EASY! I have been dying to get myself organized when it comes to menu planning and I think this board is a step in the right direction. 

All you need is a frame {got mine at the $ store}

scrapbook paper

paint, ribbon, vinyl {optional}

If you don't want your days of the week vinyl, you can always hand write them.

For mine, I decided to glue some magnets on the back so it can go on my fridge! I love love love it!!!

Full tutorial here

Thanksgiving Banner

 My mantle was looking pretty plain this year after putting all my Halloween decor down. Even though it is a short time until we will put up our Christmas decorations, I decided to make something to spruce it up.

I pulled a couple ideas I have seen recently together and came up with this

This was pretty simple, just took a bit of time to put together.

I cut each of my squares 6X8 (however now measure 5X7 after front and back pieces sewn together) 

As you can see, this is not hanging up on my little mantle- it was way too big but I like it this way- so you can  obviously adjust your square size to fit where you want it to go

My letters are felt and embroidered on using a back stitch

I originally planned

 on attaching rings onto each little panel through an eyelet

and then threading some sort of rope through but

in the end decided on using ribbon to attach everything together

-I still may change it later on, but for now, I am happy!

Fall Rose Wreath

Ok a break from all the soup for a sec

I had to post this great project!

My friend showed me a wreath she had made last week 

and the minute I saw it I knew I had to make it too.

It's such a fun quick craft and perfect for the fall season

(actually, like always, I want to make one for every season!)

You can find the tutorial here

and another persons take on it here!!

{F.Y.I - For our wreaths, we used 1/4 yard yellow fleece, 1/4 yard green fleece and 1/4 yard brown felt. It was the perfect amount!!}

(just dont even mind the ridiculous amount of shine in some of these pics k!)

Happy Fall

Fabric Pumpkins

Have you made yourself some fabric pumpkins yet this year??

I have been wanting to for along time now and finally, thanks to my awesome crafty friend, I made some!!

I used the tutorial over at the Idea Room and they were a lot of fun to make!!

Such a fun project to get you into the fall season!!

I love this time of year!!

S.L.A.C.K.E.R.

Yep, I have been a craft slacker....

#1 reason- August was not the nicest to us. After my two year old son broke his precious little arm, we all endured colds and later on the stomach flu.

#2 reason- My current "project" -

{baby #2 coming Feb 2011}

One I know will turn out just perfect

#3- Lazy and tired..... {see reason #2)

Luckily, I am getting my energy back and have even pulled my sewing machine out for a craft or two. Also, for some crazy reason, I decided to make a felt playhouse for my boy for Christmas. I am in the not so fun cutting stage but it is turning out pretty dang cute and excited to see how it turns out!!! (All I have to say is he better like it!) Pictures to come soon!

For now, here is a Table Runner Tutorial I found over at Diary of a Quilter

This is a project I have started on and have hopes to get done before fall is over. I have a feeling I will want to make one for each holiday!!

U create just posted many examples of those who followed this pattern!! So so cute!

Enjoy

Collections...

While I was at a friends house recently, I came across her huge collection of souvenir spoons. I was blown away. She had them all beautifully organized to display on the wall. I just loved them and enjoyed hearing about how she acquired many of them and all the fun places they were from. This inspired me and made me look at my own personal collections.

Throughout my life I have collected many things.

I once had a journal where after my entry, would put something from the day into it.  I was young and while many of the keepsakes were movie stubs, bandaids, leaves, or receipts (yeah kinda weird, but hey, I was little!)- I LOVED doing it at the time! It is quite hilarious going back through it now!

My next big collection during my elementary/and sadly Jr high days were pigs.(no not real pigs, but pretty much anything else). My very cool aunt collected them so I of course had to copy. Pretty soon, my shelves were filled with pig figurines, my feet were in pig slippers and I was writing notes to friends in school on "pig" stationary. Later on I added sunflowers to the mix. I remember the day when I got a lamp that had both a pig and sunflowers on it/ that was a good day.

I have had many other collections over the years

Magnets

Ornaments (my dream is to have a little Christmas tree just with

ornaments from places around the world)

Advent Calendars

Nativities

and I guess a recent collection of fabric, felt, and thread, Thomas the Train engines, and books could be added to the list!

My dad likes to collect stamps, my mom and aunt- nutcrackers, my grandpa- stones

So my question is, what do you like to collect??

Is there something you are always on the look out for?

Or a certain souvenir you can never pass up on a vacation?

I would love to know, and who knows, I may just have to copy you!!

You can never collect too many things!

Festive Banner

Currently I am obsessed with making banners. My talented friend made me a banner similar to this for St Patrick's day and I have been dying to make one ever since

Since tomorrow is Memorial Day, I thought is was appropriate to get it out the one I made for the Fourth, hang it up and make a post of it!

This was SO simple

trust me, you can make it

To make it the way I did 

All you need is

Coordinating Fabric

 Thread

and Bias Tape

Cut your fabric into triangles

Place triangles in your Bias Tape

Pin in place

Sew Across

*I used 8 triangles but you can use as many as you like. Big or small/ Long or Short

Have fun!!

(and expect some more of these from me in the near future!)

Happy Memorial Day!!

Getting Organized

Yesterday was not my favorite day. 

Things just kept going wrong ALL day. 

It definitely didn't get better when we ventured to the DMV at 5pm

 (Hate that place)

My poor husband has to go BACK- passport still in Utah! ugh

I realize that most of my stress yesterday was a result of being unorganized.

I consider myself an organized person in general..... but seriously there are some areas 

where I need to shape up!

I realized the best way to decrease my daily/weekly stressors...(meal planning/ cleaning/bills)

was to GET ORGANIZED

I have been following the blog Prepared Not Scared for awhile now and have loved it!

Many tips on getting organized with food storage and daily living along with recipes, activities etc. Awesome blog. Check it out.

Anyway today I was looking at their blog and found the solution to my organization woes

The Day Keeper

I am just blown away by how detailed and perfect this is. This woman has been working on the Day Keeper for years now.  It's perfect. More than perfect. Just what I need!!!

"The Day Keeper can be adapted to work 

for whatever season you're in, including Grandparenting!

Most of my planning is done on a weekly basis.

Even though each day of my week has a
different purpose and focus the daily format is consistent"

I am not even going to try and explain it, because she does a great job.

I will just direct you where to go- so you can check it out and 

GET ORGANIZED!! 

(oh and its all free too)

Part One

Part Two

plus sections for

Birthday and Anniversary Cards

Birthday's and Anniversaries

Monthly Expenses Sheets

Bills to be Paid

Babysitter Information

"Here's What We Did This Month" Journal Pages

Running Project List

Important Names and Numbers

Our Family Goals

Visiting Teaching Information

Home Teaching Information

Wants, Needs, and Sizes

2010 Holidays

Weekly Shopping List

Breakfast Repeat

Monthly Emergency Preparedness Planning and Purchases

Authorization for Treatment of a Minor

Daily Quick Clean Schedule

Routines: Table of Contents

Pictures for Family History

My Routines

Kids Routines

Holiday Traditions and Ideas

Tabs

Routines Divider Page

Tomorrow she will talk about how to compile your binders!! I am excited!

Birthday Wreath

Anyone have any birthdays coming up?? 

Well if you are like my family- EVERYONE's birthdays are in April and May.

I am a big fan of wreaths and just fell in LOVE with a new one found over at How Does She.

They have a great tutorial for making a beautiful colorful Birthday Wreath

This project is definitely going to be added to my "crafty" To Make List.

Such a great idea

Go check it out

Costco Essentials

I am a Costco shopper. I love Costco and love going there. Have I mentioned that about three sample people know my son's name (should I be way embarrassed??) Anyway, my mom came out to visit recently, and while she was here, we took a trip to Costco to get some essentials. While there she showed me a couple or her and my dad's favorite things to get- two being Organic Chocolate Milk (in little cartons with a funny little straw) and Brothers All Natural Fruit Crisps- and I had never seen either of them before.  We bought them and loved them- they were a hit with my son. Now they have been added to our Costco list!

So now  I wanna know what else I am missing out on! What are some of your favorite things to get at Costco?? Anything that I need to buy next time I am there?? :)  I would love to hear!

Some of our favorties include:  Uncooked Flour Tortillas (so so so good), Chicken Nuggets (can't remember the name but they have lost of good nutrients in them...) Rotisserie Chicken, Salmon Patties, Cinnamon Rolls and just discovered their Kirkland's Organic Tortilla Chips. 

Some random facts....

I came across some of these great ideas while living it up at work in the ER all weekend in my Real Simple magazine. The article is NEW USES for OLD THINGS.

Here are some of the ones that I liked

Ketchup bottle as a Pancake Batter Dispenser- Squeeze out perfect circles every time- clean and easy trick!! (I would probably remove the labels!)

Tea Strainer as Sugar Duster- Fill it up with some powdered sugar and tap onto your baked goods

Rubber Bands as Egg- Dyeing Aids- Arrage rubber bands in a pattern around hard- boiled eggs, then dip them into dye. Remove the bands when the eggs are dry... awesome

Lifesavers as Birthday- Candle Holders- Protect your perfectly frosted cake from dripped wax by inserting candles in the candy holes. (They say to look for the original rolls, the holes in the bagged versions are too large for most candles)

Tissue Box as Plastic- Bag Dispenser- Stash sacks in an empty tissue box for easy access when the bathroom trash can needs a liner

Check out some more ideas here. Do you have any new uses for old things???

$3 Wreath

I have been wanting to make a wreath for Easter for awhile and while browsing through the dollar store last week I came upon a material I have never used before...

MOSS

I have always been a fan of all the moss wreaths, topiaries etc from Pottery Barn and have wanted to try to create one myself

so I decided to give it a try

The best thing about this wreath, is it cost me $3

$1 styrofoam wreath

2 bags {$1 each} of moss

{I didn't even use all the moss}

Now dollar store moss isn't the greenest moss I have ever seen, but it works... at least I am pretending it does

So all you do is get your styrofoam wreath

and place it over a towel or table {just not the carpet}

{if your wreath is not green like my classy high valued one, it may be wise to spray pain green, so the white doesn't show}

Get your hot glue gun and moss & go to town!!

I tried to cover every inch, even on the back

Sometimes I had to do a layer of glue on top of the moss to cover up the spots

Then take some Spray Adhesive {heavy duty hair spray}

and spray the wreath down.

Now attach a bow, little eggs, flower, ribbion hanging from top etc... and your done!!

There are so many ways to decorate this wreath... so let me know how you do it if you make one!!

Solution to those Duvet/Comforter woes

cue cheesy infomercial voice...

Has your comforter ever ended up looking like this??

Have you ever pulled your comforter over you only to feel the thin layer of your duvet cover..

Have you been seeing large bumps, lumps and other clumps randomly placed located across your bedspread??

If so, have I got the solution for you......

K sorry, I just had to- but really I FEEL this way. Nothing irrates me more than having my comforter all bunched up and LOST in my duvet cover.

Thankfully my mother in law told me how to solve my problem.

Here are the steps, super easy and quick!!!

1: First get some ribbon- Grosgrain holds the best in my opinion

2- Next cut 8- 12inch strips

3-Now take your comforter and 4 of your ribbons and sew (hand or machine) each ribbon to each corner

4- Now turn  your Duvet inside out

5- Now do the same thing as you did with the comforter- sew the remaining 4 to each corner

6- Spread your comforter out on the ground

7-Lay the inside out duvet on top and tie the top two corners

8- Now go inside the duvet and grab a corner to pull the duvet right side out. Then tie the remaining two together

And that's it!!

AHH it will be sweet dreams tonight!!