Cupcake Ornament

You know that I will be making these A.S.A.P. Just gotta find the fake snow!

Here is the link!

Snow Globe Tutorial

Hey,
Long time no blog! Here is a fantastic tutorial by a crafty friend of mine Amy from Peptogirl Industries over at Handmade and Homebaked. This girl is the super crafter of all crafters! Please check out her amazing goodies and blog. Click on the word "tutorial" above to learn how to make her cute holiday snow globes!

I Need a Crop-A-Dile!

I have decided that I really need a Crop-A-Dile. Watch all of the cools things this super product can do!!!!

Door Couture

If you haven't got a chance to check out this fabulous website Door Couture, you need to. This website is dedicated to the decoration of your front door. A client of mine turned me on to this website where they have downloadable PDF's on how to make the different collections. She wants to me to make a crown swag for her shop. These ladies have such fantastic ideas for front doors, and it really starts a flurry of possibilities of how you can dress up that boring little door. Hope you enjoy!

Who Else Is Excited About This?

<a href="http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2009/" target="_blank">Exclusive 'New Moon' Trailer Premiere</a>

Exclusive 'New Moon' Trailer Premiere

I Think That I Need This

I was just doing some blog reading on one of my many favorite blogs called Handmade and Homebaked by Peptogirl. She just participated in the Renegade Craft Faire and got to meet Twinkie Chan. I am so envious!

Twinkie Chan is awesome and creates these fun things that you just have to check out in order to get the full effect. I became a fan of her work a while back when I accidentally came across her site while looking for cupcake related items, but this one above is by far my favorite.

Her site is so much fun to visit you just have to check it out for yourself. I think everyone needs a cupcake scarf. I know I do. One of these days when I save up enough cash and can justify it, I just might buy one.

My Favorite Things

I don't get very much time anymore to do any blog reading. I used to have just five or six craft blogs and a few mommy blogs that I would read, but my problem is, that I have so many great blogs in my favorites area, that I get overwhelmed and really don't get to many of them. So I pick out a few of my favorites once a week and try to catch up. These ladies are everyday bloggers unlike myself, and really keep them running like a fine tuned machine. So here are a few that I found inspiring today. I always love the full color pictures. I am visual you see, so these make me happy....................................

First off is Bitter Betty's Blog. She has a great rick rack tutorial for her cafe curtains. I am done with blinds. It's all about the cute cafe curtains. So easy to make, you can change them up as often as you like. Look at her beautiful kitchen. Nice. And then, there is this beautiful jacket that she made. Love it. Wished I owned it. IKEA fabric. Next, we have Posie Gets Cozy. This picture here is off an old post, but I love the color and design of the scrapbooking paper that has been framed.

Thirdly, I love reading Naughty Secretary Club. Jennifer Perkin's mom made this fabulous little piece of kitsch for her yard. This definitely made me want to learn to mosaic. One craft I really really want to try. So that was my inspiration for today. I have been busy filling a few

orders for people before I head out on vacation. Hope to be in full blogging order when I get back.

Wall Art with Fabric

Grab your staple gun and let's get started. This is an awesome project to do and you can also switch them out by the season if you so desire. Thought this tutorial by Whiz Bang Fabrics in S.F. was awesome. I thought I could take pictures of mine, but their tutorial was way more effective. I have a canvas that has a hole in it and this is what I did to cover it up. When life gives you lemons..................

Naughty Secretary's Club Contest

I opened my Facebook account this morning and saw that Jennifer Perkins from the Naughty Secretary's Club was having a contest for a new sewing book called, "Chic and Simple Sewing." This book looks like it has some really great patterns and beautiful pictures in it. I really love books that have skill levels and this book has that. Nice. So if I don't win this book (please, please, please, let me win this book) I am definitely going to out and purchase it. If you want to enter the contest, follow the link above to Jennifer's blog and leave her a comment about sewing books. It's that easy!

It's That Time of Year Again

It's that time of year again! Time for the "My Favorite Things Swap" over at the According To Kelly blog. I am so excited. I participated last year and had an awesome swap partner, Heather from Chit Chat and Jibber Jabber who sent me the most awesome of SWAP gifts. I am really looking forward to see what this year has in store and have been thinking about what I am going to be sending out to my SWAP partner. HMMMMMMMM?

Who Needs a Tutu - Do You?

So who wants to make a tutu? I do, I do! I always see tutus at every crafty event that I attend. I check them out and always want to purchase one for my little girls to spin around and play dress-up with. They are really the ultimate of girly items. The problem is, is that they are so pricey that I always pass them up. I have always wanted to make my own tutus but did not have the slightest idea about how to sew with tulle or where to start until............you guessed it, YOUTUBE!!!!! Oh, how I love this site of how-to videos! It really is such a great place to search for directions on every crafty thing that you want to try. So here is an excellent video on how to construct a no-sew tutu. I made one a few weeks back for Scout out of pink and purple tulle. The whole project cost me less than $5.00 and came out so cute. I would recommend getting the heavier tulle. The lighter weight tulle is cute and flouncy, but really gets tangled up easily. It looks more messy that the heavier weight. Hope you enjoy the video!

This Is My 100th Post - Wahoo!!!!

Wow! I just hit 100. It took me a while, but I finally made it. So I am having a little giveaway for one lucky girl who posts me a comment. I am not going to reveal what the prize is, but it's cute and simple and I think you will like it! Giveaway will end on Wednesday, April 29th. Winner will be announced on April 30th.

Doesn't this pic above make you want to run to Starbucks right now? I have needed one of these all week long! It's been a rough one. Hope everyone has a wonderful Friday!

Inspiring Video

This is so awesome. Just watch!

I Think That I Need This

How cute is this guy. I was hunting on etsy tonight for some cute softies and came across this darling robot. A retro "Wall-e-esq" robot with a scarf. I love it. I think that I need it. This seller had so many cute softies to choose from. Here is the link so that you can check it out too. They also have a pretty awesome blog.

Shhh. Mommy Is On A Very Important Phone Call

Every morning I faithfully check my Yahoo account for any new emails and then I go to Yahoo Shine and read all the headlines. It's a little break I get before I have to start my work day. They have great articles on parenting, love and relationships, food, managing your life, etc. Here was a post that I found today that I thought was great.

10 ways to keep your little kids occupied while you work from home

I have worked out of my home for the past five years and am always looking for new ways to entertain my little ones when I jump on the phone with a client. I thought the article had some great ideas. Most of them I was already doing, but I did find a few that i might try. Thought some of you mommy's or daddy's out there, might enjoy this.....

by Lylah M. Alphonse, on Tue Mar 17, 2009 1:45pm PDT

It's a fact of life for most working moms: At some point or another, whether you work from home or out of the house, you're going to be trying to get your work done with a little one at your side. Maybe your caregiver has the day off. Maybe it's a school vacation day but you can't afford to take one of yours to cover it. Maybe your child is sick. Maybe you're snowed in. Whatever the reason, here are 10 things you can do to help keep your little angel occupied while you make deadline:
1.) Set up a workstation near yours. Stock it with workbooks, coloring books, pens, paints, stickers, play-dough, gak -- whatever you like, just make sure they're all projects or activities your child can do with little or no supervision, and try to include items that they only get to use while you're working. An old computer keyboard makes it especially appealing for little kids. My preschooler keeps her collection of toy cell phones on hers, as well as a wonderful play laptop from her grandmother and assorted pens, stamps, rulers, and scraps of paper.

2.) Don't be afraid to use the television. There are times when my kids watch more TV than I'd like, and yes, I do feel guilty about it -- but not when I have to work. If I don't get my work done, the mortgage doesn't get paid, and that outweighs by far the Is-Two-Hours-of-Dora-Too-Much? issue.

3.) Don't expect to be able to work in blissful silence. There's an unwritten rule out there somewhere that the more urgently you need your children to nap, the less they'll sleep. (My kids swear by this rule.) If you can stand the cacophony, break out the noisy toys -- you know, the ones that you never let them use because they're just too loud and annoying. The novelty of being able to play with them will keep them occupied, and all of the excitement just might lead to a nap after all.

4.) Take breaks for play. Your kids are more likely to let you work in semi-peace if you take the time to devote your full attention to them in between bursts of work activity. Be completely present for play for 15 minutes, and then ask them to cooperate while you complete that assignment or participate in a conference call. When you're done, reward them (and yourself) with another scheduled play time.

5.) Set them up for story time. Books on CD or tape are excellent storytime tools for working moms. Choose familiar stories for younger kids, and be sure to have the accompanying book on hand; ask them to pick out a certain word throughout the story -- have them point out the word "monkey" during a reading of Curious George, for instance. Older kids can read along with the CD, or explore new (parent-approved) books while you're working.

6.) Give them an assignment of their own. Freelance writing moms can have their children write (or dictate into a tape recorder) their own articles at their workstations. Give younger kids a set of three pictures, and ask them to build a story around them. Write (or print out) a story for an older child, and ask her to illustrate it. Have him act out a play with finger puppets.

7.) Organize a marathon. Got a Playstation or a Wii or an XBox? Older kids can boost their hand-eye coordination with a game marathon. Whoever gets the best two out of three (or, if you're really busy, best seven out of eight) gets a special prize.

8.) Create your own board game. There are a hundred different types of "Monopoly" out there -- have your kid come up with a version based at home. Rename properties after ones in your neighborhood and, when the work day is done, play the game.

9.) Let them get wet. If you have a laptop and are willing to take the risk, you can declare early bath time and supervise them from the doorway while you work.

10.) Set aside a box of special toys. I don't mean uber-expensive or complicated playthings; I mean toys that they don't get to play with except when you're working from home. Fill a small box with interesting things -- Post-it notes, simple puzzles, picture books, small stuffed animals, etc. -- and change the contents often to keep things exciting.

Lylah M. Alphonse is a full-time editor, a freelance writer, and mom and step mom to five kids. She writes about juggling career and parenthood at The 36-Hour Day and Work It, Mom!, and blogs at Write. Edit. Repeat.

What She Had/What We Had

As many of you know the Scout is highly allergic to milk and eggs so I am always trying to find new recipes for her that will replicate what we are having for dinner. So here is what I fixed last night. My husband and the Peanut tried it out and said it tasted just like the Kraft Mac and Cheese.

So here is the recipe. I got a lot of ideas off of the Internet and then changed it up a bit to suit the Scout's likes:

Scout's Vegan Mac and Cheese

2 cups plain soy milk ( I use Silk)
1 tablespoon of dairy free margarine ( I use Nucoa)
10 oz. of vegan-soy cheddar cheese ( I use Follow Your Heart - available at Whole Foods)
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound of macaroni

Cook the pasta according to package directions and drain.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Combine soymilk, margarine, and salt over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
When sauce comes to a boil, keep stirring for about a minute or two. Turn heat to low and stir in the cheese. You can grate the cheese, but I just sliced it up really thin. It will slowly start to turn from yellow to orange. It will also thicken up quite a bit.

Put noodles into a 1.5 quart casserole dish and pour cheese sauce over the top. Stir to coat all noodles. Bake uncovered for 10 - 12 minutes.

Scout is about as picky as they come (I wonder where she gets that from) and she took two bites and said it was too sour. That's the breaks. So she ended up eating chicken nuggets instead. She is a challenge when it comes to eating, but I still have to keep trying to expand her food horizons. The husband the Peanut loved it, so at least I know it will get eaten. Since I am allergic to soy I also made another more grown-up version of mac and cheese which was also well taken by 3/4 of the Crew:

Cheddar Mac Beef Casserole
courtesy of Kraft Food Magazine

1 pkg. Kraft Mac and Cheese (The original - gotta love this stuff)
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) Italian style stewed tomatoes, undrained
1/2 tsp. dried oregano or dried basil (I used oregano)
1 cup Kraft Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare mac and cheese as directed on package, omitting butter.

Brown meat in large skillet on medium-high heat; drain.

Add tomatoes and oregano, mix well and bring to a boil.

Add meat mixture to mac and cheese and transfer into 2 qt. casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is heated through.

It was pretty yummy. I also served it with a nice bottle of "Red Truck" wine. My new favorite table wine that you can find at Costco. Good stuff.

It's Been A While

I'm back. It's been a few weeks. We are still fighting illness. Scout is much better, I came through my bug, but now the Peanut has a virus with croup. Tis the season for illness. So, I have been busy with sick kids, and distributing Girl Scout Cookies. I have already polished off a box of Thin Mints. They are my favorite.

I did make some time for crafts last week. I made about eight little tissue holders for Valentines Day. The first one I made was Betty Boop on a Harley for my good friend Michele. She and her husband Johnny love their motorcycle and are totally into their customized bikes. Check out their blog to see Johnny's creations. The tissue holder came out really cute!

I bought a yard of Valentines Day fabric to use for various projects and thought that these tissue holders were the thing to make. The girls loved them! I don't give the girls candy on Valentines Day. I know, what a boring Mom. This year, they got tissue holders and Valentines Day books. They thought they were cool! If you would like this super simple pattern for these tissue holders, check out one of my favorite blogs : Skip To My Lou

I also busted out several batches of Valentines brownies for different friends! I used Martha Stewarts idea about cutting them out with heart cookie cutters and also used another tip that she had on her show to get the brownies out of the pan without greasing it. I used parchment paper to line my pan, and lifted them right out. Go Martha! You are the best!!! It worked great. Most of you probably already know that trick, but I am just a little behind the times.

The Peanut wanted to make goody bags for her class party. I usually try to be really crafty and creative, but this year, it was all about the dollar store. I spent way less money and I think they turned out really cute.

So that was the week that I didn't blog about. Next project.......salt dough ornaments!

My Only Creativity for the Day

O.k., I got lucky and didn't get the flu bug, but the Scout now has a head cold and has lovingly,(through many wet kisses) passed it onto her mommy. I am a little sluggish today and just feeling like my head is ready to explode. So, needless to say, there will be no crafty post today. I did do some blog reading though and picked this up off of Sweet Jessie one of my favorite blogs to read. This was the only creativity that I could muster today, so please bear with me. I realized that I still have a lot to do in my life after looking at this list, especially travel!!!!

Here are the rules: Bold the things you’ve done and post on your blog!

1. Started your own blog - Duh?!
2. Slept under the stars - My favorite to go along with #5.
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii - hopefully in a few years
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain - Mt. Lassen
9. Held a praying mantis - this is not happening, so just forget about it. They are my worst of worst phobia. See prior posts on the subject.
10. Sang a solo - in the shower?
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning - I think?
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables - when I was a kid we grew our own strawberries and grapes
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort - No, but I built a snowman, does that count?
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping - Sorry Mom!
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke - Just Beat It
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance - Nope, but I rode with my daughter twice. It was interesting.
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud - Yesterday
54. Gone to a drive-in theater - I love the drive-ins
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen - I worked at a homeless shelter for my internship
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies- Currently engrossed in over 200 boxes
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason - I am still wondering about those random daisys left on my windshield years back?!
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp 67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt - not yet, but soon!
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone - Does a crack count?
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person - hopefully next summer
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve - I don't think any strangers
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating - Does fish count?
88. Had chickenpox-When I was seventeen and right before prom, ugh!
89. Saved someone’s life- Go Epipen!!
90. Sat on a jury - but never got selected
91. Met someone famous - o.k. I didn't meet him, but Robin Williams stood right next to me at the Exploritorium in S. F. so cool
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo
94. Had a baby - x2
95. Seen the Alamo in person- so serene and humbling
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit-my old gym said that I was and gave me a free pass for a week
98. Owned a cell phone - who doesn't?
99. Been stung by a bee

So now it's your turn to copy/paste and bold the ones that you have done. Let me know.

I Wish The Flu Bug Would Fly It's Way Outta Here!

Sorry for the delay in posting. We had an excellent adventure deep in the wilderness this last weekend with the Napa B.E.T.S snow run. This is where everyone including us, takes our jeeps out and 4-wheels through the snow. It was fun but cold and I was an idiot and forgot my jacket of all things. My Dad who is always teased about overpacking came through for me with two sweatshirts. Dad, you are the coolest! The Scout and the Peanut did not get much sleep the night before and were a little worn out. I was pretty sure that the Scout may have been coming down with something and I was right. Never underestimate mother's intuition. She has the flu! She could not get a flu shot due to her horrendous egg allergy and the poor thing has it full blown. I took her to the doctor's yesterday and they said that if she is not better by tomorrow that she will have to come back. Tonight she has perked up quite a bit so that is great, but I am starting to feel a little on the sluggish side. Uh - oh? I am going to hope and pray that I am not getting it, but after being up for the last three days and cleaning up constant puke, it may be inevitable. (Sorry for the visual folks!) So hopefully, I shall return next week with some new crafty posts. If you don't hear from me, you know what happened.

Why We Rock!

I thought this article on Shine today was pretty interesting. Thought you ladies might enjoy it!

Staying Alive: Four Reasons Why Women Are Better Survivors Than Men - Love + Sex on Shine

Organized Craft Room Ideas : Organizing : Home & Garden Television

If only my craft room could look this awesome!
Organized Craft Room Ideas : Organizing : Home & Garden Television

Photocraft Emboridery

I have been embroidering since I was about seven years old. My Grandma Margie (the seamstress extraordinaire) taught me when I went to stay at her house for a week in the summer. It was love at first stitch! My first piece was a dishtowel that I made for my Mom with two little bees on it. If I find it, I will post a picture. I was so excited to give it to her, that I couldn't wait for her birthday and handed it to her as soon as she stepped out of the car to pick me up. I was so proud. I love the gratification that you get when you finish an embroidery piece. I haven't embroidered in a while and recently got back into this fantastic craft. I found this video on YouTube and thought that this was such a cool idea for some gifts for friends and family.

Daisy's Dahlias

It's been a while since I have showcased any of Petunia's Peeps, so I wanted to share this little one that I painted for my kitchen. It is entitled, "Daisy's Dahlias." I just love the pattern on her dress and the orange and blue. I hung her by a black and white polka dotted ribbon. She is very cute! I have been working on three other large pieces for both of my daughters' rooms that I will show next week. Hopefully I can't get them done by then. Maybe I will actually have enough time to paint one and stick it in my etsy shop for sale. Ha Ha. We shall see!

All The Single Ladies!

I love Beyonce's video "Single Ladies" and when I went to get it off of YouTube to put it on my myspace page, I found this one too. I am still have tears from laughing so hard! Have a fun filled day!

Grace For President

So Santa brought this little gem to my girls for Christmas this year. If you have girls (even if you have boys) and you haven't read this book yet, drop what you are doing and go and purchase it right now! It is fantastic! This book is about a little girl named Grace who wonders "Where are all the girls?" while looking at a poster of the U.S. Presidents. Grace decides that she will run for school President. It's about her adventures on the campaign trail. Truly an awesome book that even goes into explaining how the electoral college works - something that I have been confused about for a long time. So check it out. I have seen it at Wal-Mart and Barnes and Noble. I ordered mine off of Amazon which seems to be the cheapest route.

Styrofoam Wall Art

Here are a couple of pieces of artwork that I made for my office space. I thought they were kinda cool and pretty easy to make. Here is what you need:

1 sheet of Styrofoam 24 inches in length and 12 inches in width and 1 inch in depth. If you can't find one that size you can cut it down to fit.

2 sheets of 12 x 12 inch scrapbook paper (the sky is the limit when it comes to your motif, so go wild)

96 inches of 1 inch wide black (or whatever color coordinates with your papers) grosgrain ribbon

Styrofoam glue (can be found at Michaels) or any other super tacky glue.

1 super sharp box cutter and cutting mat or electric knife

First you want to cut down the Styrofoam so you have two 12 x 12 square pieces. I used a sharp box cutter for this, but you want to make sure that you really get a straight edge when you cut it. Mine is pretty lumpy bumpy. An electric knife is great for cutting this, just be careful.

Next you want to put a good amount of glue on the back side of the scrapbooking paper.

Make sure it is lined up neatly with all four corners of the Styrofoam, and adhere it. I would highly recommend using a heavy book to set on top of the piece while it dries. It helps it adhere well and keeps the bubbles out. I purchased the Styrofoam glue at Michaels and was not very impressed at first. Styrofoam is so porous that it is really difficult to get the glue to work properly. I did let mine sit for 24 hours and it did adhere after all.

Finally, you are ready to attach your ribbon. Each piece is going to use 48 inches. Embarrassingly enough, I had a tough time figuring out how much ribbon I was going to need. And then I realized, "Duh, the piece is 12 inches square. Do the math, dummy." It was not one of my better moments. So you want to attach the ribbon to each side using the glue. Again, this can get pretty tedious because that darn Styrofoam just doesn't want to attach, but, have some patience and let the glue set awhile. I promise, it will work.

So there you have it. Two pieces of simple art for your wall. I placed a small finish nail in the wall to hang them and slid the Styrofoam right onto it. Very inexpensive art and so cool that you have infinite paper possibilities. The papers today are so nice and artsy looking, they really make a great statement!

Repurposing A Hunk of Junk!

I am a recycling queen. I love to recycle! I try to be good about recycling all of our glass, cans and bottles. It drives my husband nuts because I go diving into the trashcan when he throws away something that could actually be recycled. I am also a bit of a scavenger. I love it when the street has free dump days and everyone puts out their respective "trash" on the street. I have made some pretty good finds over the past several years: An antique Sacramento milk crate, a wicker footstool and my last great find was a fire engine red rocking chair with some vintage nursery rhyme motifs that had been decoupaged. Sorry, no pic.... I gave it to Kim for all of her children's photography props.

So last year the family and I headed up to my in laws house for the day. They live on a sprawling eight acres. They had a huge area in the back that kind of served as a "dump" pile of stuff they needed to get rid of. I quickly scanned the area and spotted the "piece de resistance" - and old metal grate. What? A grate you say? Yes, an old grate. My husband and his buddies had found this old huge hunk of metal one day when they were down at the river doing what boys do and thought it would be cool to store their fishing gear in while they swam across the river. It looks almost like an old bread tray that the grocery stores have for display. I nabbed that up and asked my in laws if I could take it home. I think they thought that I was a little nuts, (which I am) but I had the perfect use for it, and they were thrilled to have me take it off of their hands. It makes a fantastic paper holder for all of my scrapbooking paper. When I get to marry my recycling and my great scavenger abilities it makes me so happy!

The grate measures about 2 ft x 2ft and is about 2 inches deep and fits perfectly on the top of my printer shelf. I can just slide it in and out when I need to use it. I think my husband was a little worried when I decided to take it home, but I think it is great repurposed as my paper holder. Very urban chic don't you think? Ha Ha! I love it when I can repurpose a big hunk of junk and save it from being dumped into a landfill.

Can't Wait For My Anthopologie Order

So a few months back, my bff Kim and I decided to make a trek out to the new shopping center called "The Fountains." It is the high-end shopping center with all of the stores that I couldn't afford to buy a piece of gum in, let alone a skirt. We had the kids with us and just started checking out all of the different stores in the center. We came across the store Anthropologie. Can you say HEAVEN?!!!! I have seen so many cool things from Anthropologie over the years and I had been dying to see the store. Let's just say, it's better than I anticipated it would be. The displays are awesome, the clothes are the best, but the prices suck! A pair of socks was about the only thing that I could afford in the store. I mean their sweaters are great, but I am certainly not paying $158.00 for one! So we meandered the store trying to look like we belonged in their, all the while trying to pacify the Scout who had already reached her shopping limit for the day and really did not want to go into one more store.

I had eyed this fantastic belt that was in the window display when we walked in and quickly went hunting for it. I assumed it was going to be like 1 bazillion dollars or something, but it turned out to be $48.00. They only had one though, and it wasn't in my size and the price was still a little too rich for my blood.

That belt has been on my brain everyday since I saw it calling to me in the store window. So you know what my beautiful friend Kim did? She bought me a gift card to Anthropologie for Christmas! Whoopee! So today I cashed in my card and bought myself the belt online. It will arrive in 5 - 7 days. He He. I really wanted to post a pic of my belt, but security conscious Anthropologie won't allow my computer to copy the pic, and didn't like it when I tried to make it into a link either. So here is the long link version.
http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&_dynSessConf=1952244073394693919&id=840225&parentid=ACC_BELTS_WAISTS&pushId=ACC_BELTS_WAISTS&popId=ACC_BELTS&sortProperties=&navCount=2&navAction=jump&fromCategoryPage=true&selectedProductSize=&selectedProductSize1=&color=bro&colorName=BROWN

The Mom Song

My Mom sent me this email today. She only forwards them when they are really good. If you are a Mom, I know you will appreciate this one!

When Life Hands You Lemons - You Make a Cool Collage

So I have been trying to find some good uses for all of my scrapbooking supplies that I am obviously at this point, not going to scrapbook with. I thought that this was a pretty cool idea and wanted to share it with all of my friends out there in Blogland.

I had purchased two 16x20 inch canvases from ye ol' Michaels to make some paintings for the Peanut's room and attempted to open them up when I got them home. I used the old "poke a pencil through the tauntly wrapped plastic trick," and needless to say, it poked a hole right through both of the new canvases. Ahhhhhhhhhhh! I couldn't return them, so I thought why not figure out a way I could use them. Hey, I am a crafty sort of Magyver girl, I could do this! I generally use quite a few papers in my paintings anyway, but I really didn't feel like I could cover it up well enough to mask the rather large holes, so I decided to make a collage of sorts instead. Something that could cover up the whole thing.

Here's what I did:

I just used a few scrap pieces of paper that coordinated, an 8x10 pic of the girls (I think black and white is so timeless), some buttons and sparkly chipboard letters.

I just used my Modge Podge to glue the papers down to the canvas after I cut them and collaged them to my liking; then I added the pic with some photo corners for some easy photo changing if I opted to eventually change it; then I attached the chipboard letters with Elmers glue to read: Sisterly Love; after that I decided to add a few buttons with the hot glue to spruce up the corners that were looking a bit sparse; and lastly, I used some black acrylic paint and painted (not very neatly) around the edges. I got some paint on the canvas, but I thought it looked cool, because it almost appears to be inked.

This is a great project if you can get the canvas on sale and have a lot of the scrapbooking supplies on hand. The project only took me about a 1/2 hour and would make a great gift for someone. This one is hanging in the office in the kids nook where their desk and play kitchen reside. I love how mistakes can turn out to be fabulous things sometimes!

Crayon Roll - Tutorial Link

Here is the link for the tutorial on how to make the kids crayon roll. It's a great tutorial and a super cute blog called Skip To My Lou! My bff Kim used rick rack on hers and had a difficult time with it. I think they look cute either way.

Some Old School Scrapbooking and My Leaky Cup

So New Years is here and everyone and their brother is making their resolutions to lose weight, get in shape etc. Although I know that I have packed on a few pounds since the holidays, my resolutions this year include getting my office organized and functional and cutting back on my Starbucks consumption. Ha Ha.

As you have seen from my prior posts, I pretty much live out of my office space. The rest of my house will be neat as a pin but I can guarantee you a mess behind the office door. Most of my problem resides with incoming paper and constant craft projects. You see, I like to have several going on all at once. It's in my nature. I do this with books too. Have five going at one time. It drives my husband crazy.

So far, I have been doing a great job of getting everything organized. I purchased a stack of inboxes over at Costco for each member of the family. That way we don't have paper stacked on the front counter. I have been downsizing my crafting supplies since last year and only keeping the things that I know that I will finish.

One of my largest ongoing projects has been my pictures. I love everything about pictures. Although, I am not the best photographer, I love taking pictures. The problem is, that they get stuck on my hard drive and never printed out. Last year, I decided that I was finally going to go "old school" on my photos. I was just so "done" with all of the scrapbooking craze. I mean, don't get me wrong, I am in love with scrapbooking stores and all of the paper and the embellishments and everything. Embarrassingly enough, I probably have enough to open my own scrapbook store. The problem is, is it takes me so long to get one page done and every page seems to be so expensive when you are buying ribbon and grommets and chipboard words. I needed to simplify my life a little. I needed to get these pictures in books so that we could really enjoy looking at them.

My Grandma Margie is the most organized scrapbooker I know. Her albums are just pictures and captions. She takes pictures and has them developed and puts them in the same day. She sometimes includes announcements, thank you notes, letters, obituaries and the like. I love going to her house and pulling out one of the dozen or so albums and flipping through them. So, I decided to simplify my own pictures and do the same. I bought albums a couple of months ago and just started putting pics in chronological order. When I have time, I go back and add the captions in my own writing with a black pen. All of you scrapbookers are fainting in horror right now, sorry for that. Nothing fancy, no embellishments, no stickers, no glitter, just simplicity - and you know what . . . I almost have a whole year completed. I have been feeling very accomplished with my "old school" style of scrapbooking.

So as for my organizational resolution, I am still struggling with the organization thing, but I am slowly accomplishing small bits and pieces. I have downsized quite a bit and am feeling pretty good about my progress.

My other resolution this year was to cut my Starbucks intake in half. Ha Ha. It's the hardest thing that I have ever had to do. I started a few months ago when I bought some Oregon Chai Tea from the grocery store. Though I love the chai tea and how easy it is to fix at home. I just really miss going to Bucki's and saying "hi" to all of my Starbucks friends and getting my hot steamy latte from the friendly barista. Today I resigned myself to go because I had a little bit of a gift card still left and I was really jonesing for a hot drink. I knew that I should have abstained, my conscious told me so, but I still needed my Starbcuks fix. So through the drive-through I went and got my delicious cup of joe and began to pull away. I noticed a drip on my hand and so I grabbed a napkin and brushed it away, then another drip on my jeans as I was driving. Maybe the lids not on tight enough? I readjusted the thing and made it home and then...... drip, drip, drip... what the heck? And lo and behold I have a giant fissure running down the side of my cup. Ahhhhhhh! I was already home, so I grabbed a cup and put it underneath the leaky mess. Yuck! All in all, I should have stayed at home and had my cheap chai teal latte instead of spending $3.80 on my latte and leaky cup. Will I ever learn?

2009! - No Way Jose!

Happy New Year! I can't believe that we are in 2009! My husband made it home last night a little early (11:00 p.m) so we were able to watch the ball drop together in Times Square and get a midnight kiss. When my brother called me today, he asked me what I did for New Years. You see, he is still in his 20's, single, with no kids. I kinda laughed and said, "What did you think I did? I sat home and watched an On Demand movie on the couch after the kids went to bed and watched all the partiers in Times Square freeze their butts off. I was secretly living vicariously through all those partiers. But alas, I had my day in the sun to stay out all night on New Years Eve and party like a rock star. Now, I would much prefer to stay in my jammies on the couch with a movie and have my girls snuggly snoozing away in their beds. That's how I know that I am officially matured. Ha Ha. So all in all, it was a good New Years.

I of course have not posted in forever and a day, but I wanted to post my cute little crayon carrier that I made for my little cousin Abigail for Christmas. My bff Kim and I decided that we wanted to tackle a Christmas craft project this year and thought these crayon holders would be just the ticket. Kim has much better math skills then I do, so my measurements somehow got a little mixed up, but, it still turned out pretty cute. They are actually pretty easy to make although a little tedious to get everything prepped. I made mine to fit sixteen crayons, but you can make them to fit eight if you prefer. My next project is to turn one of these into an apron. I think they would be so cute.