Archives for March 2011

Owl Library Tote

March 31, 2011 11 Comments

This is another project I have been hoarding for months actually. I guess my project archives needed a little spring cleaning, too!

Ever since we began Mommy School, I have become a library book hog. I reserve every book I can find that goes along with our selected theme. I often leave the library with 20+ books. Trying to carry Little Man plus the books was quite the juggling act. I definitely needed a bag to tote around all of those books! And nothing says reading like a wise old owl.

And now Little Man has learned to tote around HIS favorite toys in this bag, too!

I used a freezer paper stencil to paint the words on one side of the bag. I thought I was so clever to dream up this little owl pun! (Can you tell we have been using our bag for a few months now?! It's already dirty!)

On the flip side, I sewed on this owl applique. I raided my fabric scraps to design this little owl. Isn't he a sweet?!

Here's the "little hoot" himself! He makes me laugh. Just the other day, we were leaving for a meeting, and he grabbed his owl tote and started throwing in some of his favorite toys. He figured out how to carry the bag on his shoulder, and he thinks he is pretty hot stuff!

Friday is almost here. Hooray for that!

Filed Under: applique, sewing

Wednesday’s Wowzers: All Kinds of Spring Goodness

March 30, 2011 10 Comments

Is anyone else absolutely positively THRILLED about spring's arrival?! Never mind the dusting of snow that surprised me on Monday morning. I know it was a fluke--spring is here, I just know it! I couldn't help but select some of my favorite spring projects to spotlight this week on Wednesday's Wowzers.

Yesterday on Tuesday really out-did herself with these fanciful Easter eggs. These are so whimsical, bright, and fun!

I can't get enough of these alphabet canvases in The Fickle Pickle's playroom. I know Little Man would love to play in this space!

Lyndsey's Craft Spot was a guest on Lolly Jane Boutique, where she showed off this Countdown to Easter. I love a good countdown, and the plastic eggs are perfect for hiding little surprises for each day!

Are you drooling over this ruffled onesie like I am?! The Cottage Home created this gift set for twin girl and boy babies. This makes me baby hungry!

Amy from The Idea Room has done it again! She shared this adorable stuffed animal Easter basket. What child wouldn't love to pal around with their favorite stuffed animal for an Easter egg hunt?!

When I saw this card at Something From Cassie, I was thrilled! I quickly whipped up my own version for my Dad's birthday the next day. Thanks for the inspiration, my dear!

When I saw this spring mantle, I was completely inspired. I want to brighten up my mantle just like Burlap and Lace. That "spring" sign is stunning! And I love the birdie art!

I am so charmed by these Pottery Barn knock off Easter eggs. Kindness Matters used a little vinyl to make these vintage-looking eggs. Love, love, love!

I hope you feel inspired... I know I do.

Now go and enjoy spring!

Filed Under: wowzers

Tuxedo T-Shirt Tutorial

March 28, 2011 20 Comments

When casual meets formal...

There is no doubt that convincing a toddler to wear a tuxedo (PLUS keep it clean!) could be a real chore! As this summer approaches, we are anticipating TWO weddings within a short 6 weeks. My husband's 2 younger brothers both became engaged this winter and both will marry this summer. Although we plan to have Little Man dressed in style for the weddings, I think that we have the perfect outfit in mind for other wedding events!

This project has been a long time in coming. The idea for a tuxedo shirt has been brewing for a while. Kind of a spin-off of the adorable tie oneises all over blogging land a year or two ago. My only problem was that Google Images failed to provide me with a suitable tuxedo silhouette that I could use as my template! With this challenge in mind, I decided to embark on a Photoshop journey to create my very own tuxedo design!

I started out with a plain old white t-shirt from my favorite store, Hobby Lobby! I washed it first before getting started.

The hardest part about the entire project was creating my tuxedo shirt silhouette! I created this design from scratch. I am still a Photoshop novice, so this was a small triumph for me.

I used my Sure Cuts a Lot software to get the size of the tuxedo silhouette just right. Also, when using heat transfer vinyl, you actually create a mirror image of your original before cutting. I connected my computer to my Cricut and cut away...

I cut my image out of black flocked vinyl. (The same kind I used for my Mr. Lucky shirt.) I love that it has a velvety fuzziness to it.

Next, I followed the directions to iron on the heat transfer vinyl to the t-shirt. You need a regular old piece of paper to sandwich between the iron and vinyl to keep the plastic layer from melting.

After it cooled completely, I peeled off the clear plastic layer leaving behind the vinyl. This part is always so magical to me!

The only thing missing now, of course, was a little bow tie....

Second only to my love for vinyl is felt, of course! I used a bow template to cut a bow tie out of red felt and ironed it on using Wonder Under. Piece of cake! To feel completely secure, you could sew all the way around the bow tie just to be sure you can wash it over and over.

Now I just had to convince Little Man that suspenders were totally cool (which only took a few minutes!), and we have one.cute.outfit!

I do have a baby version in the works, and it is adorable!!

Enjoy your day, my friends!

Filed Under: craft, vinyl

Sunday Snippets: My Boys!

March 28, 2011 7 Comments

My boys.... oh, how I love my boys! These two just melt my heart.

There are days that I want to curse my husband's job for taking him away from us. The days are long and lonely as a single parent. But our weekends together are bliss. I truly only have short and sweet moments of looking at the bright side. The only glimmer of hope I see is that we appreciate our time together because of our time apart.

In fact, we treasure every moment together.

These two are the best of friends. They pal around all weekend long.

When his Daddy is gone, this Little Man quickly becomes "THE MAN" of the house!

But he has big shoes to fill...

And many lessons to learn...

But there is something so sweet about this Little Man who wants to grow up and be just like his Daddy.

Daddy's tie--check. Daddy's shoes--check. Adorable--check.

It's not always smooth sailing around here. There are time-outs, long talks, and plenty of teaching moments.

But the sounds of Daddy and son playing together has got to be one of my favorite sounds!

Just like Daddy...

And growing up way too fast!

Filed Under: snippets

{Printable!} General Conference Notes Packets

March 25, 2011 32 Comments

Twice a year, our church has the opportunity to hear from our church leaders called General Conference.

Honestly, I LOVE and look forward to Conference weekends. There is usually a lot of family and good food involved!

I was recently called to serve in our ward's Primary presidency (working with 130 children under age 12!), so my life has become a little even more chaotic! I created these General Conference Packets for each child in our Primary to help them get a little more out of Conference! Let's be honest: Sitting and listening for a couple hours just doesn't come naturally for kids!

They can color this picture of the Conference Center on the cover.

Each Apostle has their own page in the packet! When that particular Apostle is speaking, the kids can focus on that page.

For each apostle, there is...

* A profile picture.

*A picture of a tie that can be designed and colored according to what they are wearing.

*An interesting fact about their lives.

* Space to take notes or draw a picture about their talks.

If you would like to use these in your own family, you can download your own set of General Conference notes here.

By the way... because my Little Man is not quite ready for taking notes yet, we will still be using some of the "General Conference for Tots" ideas that I shared last fall.

Happy Friday!! Enjoy the weekend! (I know I will!)

Filed Under: download, General Conference

Blog Pendant Necklace

March 24, 2011 29 Comments

With the Creative Estates blogging conference just a few short weeks away, I am in the full swing of final preparations. My family has decided to make a week-long vacation out of it, and I couldn't be any more thrilled to get out of town! I have been making travel arrangements, ordering business cards, and even lining up several awesome guest bloggers to take care of things while I'm away!

This little blog pendant necklace will be traveling with me to Creative Estates. I will be wearing my Oopsey Daisy logo with pride!!

I am not one who can easily sit down and make a craft in a short period of time... I usually stumble around and do things the hard way. So you can believe me when I say that this craft was simple and didn't take much time at all!

For this project, you will need:

* A glass pendant. (I purchased these 7/8-inch square glass shapes from

Sun and Moon Craft Kits etsy store.)

* Scrabble tile/glass glaze. (I also purchased mine from Sun and Moon Craft Kits, but there are many comparable products you can find at just about any craft store!)

* A jewelry chain. (I actually used an old chain I had at home.)

* A jewelry bail.

* A print-out of your desired logo or picture that will fit your glass pendant.

I wanted to be sure that I would get the size just right, so I printed out several Oopsey Daisy logos just to be sure I would have the right fit. You could also print this out at Kinko's or even Costco!

After trimming the logo to size, I completely covered the paper with the glaze. I just used my fingers to spread it, covering every edge. Once covered, I place the glass tile right over the top.

Then I turned my pendant over, and applied the glaze to the back of the paper, too. I completely covered the back of the pendant and let it dry.

Finally, I used E-6000 to glue a bail on the top of the pendant, and let it dry over night. I strung it on an old jewelry chain, and that's it!

See--was that simple or what?! I can't wait to wear my new blog pendant necklace!!

Now the only dilemma I have left is selecting my outfits for the conference!

I am so indecisive when it comes to clothes.. black shirt or white?! (I think I'll go with the white!)

I have some more ideas for pendant necklaces, which I'll share in a few days.

Have a great day!

Filed Under: accessories, craft

Wednesday’s Wowzers

March 23, 2011 9 Comments

Happy Wednesday!

I love to stop and take a break on Wednesdays. Less of me... more of you!

Yesterday, I asked for some recommendations on my Facebook page, and I was really impressed with the links shared. Thanks, ladies!

Enough talk... let's indulge in some craftiness!

Are you planning a baby shower in the near future? You must check out Tidy Mom's ducky baby shower punch. TOO CUTE!

I just discovered the creative blog called Just Another Hang Up. I am dying at how cute these "chick-siciles" are! They are rice-filled cooling pads for the everyday boo-boos. (I don' t know about you, but we would use these pretty frequently at our house!)

The Thriftess teaches us how to apply a fabric wallcovering. Isn't this gorgeous?! I love those colors!

You're never going to believe what Thrifty and Chic used to make this adorable mirror! Go check it out. I am in love with this whole display!

I love these colorful canisters! Johnny in a Dress transformed these thrift store canisters using her silhouette. Cute!

This vintage window wreath just makes me swoon! Actually, I adore the shutter, the subway art, everything! You can read more at Lil' Luna.

Finally, go check out this sweet ruffled burlap and jute wreath from the The Casabella Project! I love that Myra creates interchangeable embellishments for her wreath so she can use it for several different occasions! That is smart!

Go stop by some of these amazing blogs and share some love today!

Filed Under: wowzers

Chocolate Mint Brownies

March 22, 2011 20 Comments

I realize that the season for green might just be over, but

I can't get enough of these chocolate mint brownies!

I actually made these for our family's St. Patrick's Day dinner, and I am still enjoying each and every sweet morsel! Have I mentioned that my husband doesn't eat sweets? But I love baking and have one mean sweet tooth, which means I end up eating way more than my fair share of the yummy things I bake!

I have actually been on the hunt for the perfect mint brownie recipe for quite some time now. My friend recommended this recipe, and I must say I have finally found a winner!!

CHOCOLATE MINT BROWNIES

Brownie layer
1 c. butter
5 T. cocoa
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 T. peppermint flavoring

Melt the butter and cocoa together. Stir in eggs and sugar. Add flour, salt, and peppermint. Bake in a greased 9x13" pan at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely.

Mint Frosting
2 c. powdered sugar
2 T. evaporated milk
6 T. butter
1/2 tsp. peppermint
4 drops green food coloring

Mix all frosting ingredients until creamy and spread onto brownies. Refrigerate for one hour.

Glaze topping
6 T. butter
1 c. chocolate chips

Melt together and then pour gently over green frosting. Refrigerate again.

If you try out this recipe, I promise you: You'll be licking your fingers!

Enjoy each and every tasty chocolatey-minty bite!

By the way, thanks for being here and reading along! You rock!!

Filed Under: recipes

Z is for Zoo

March 21, 2011 75 Comments

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your positive feedback about my Mommy School packets! I love to hear that you are using these with your own kids or preschool classes. For some reason, feedback from Mommy School touches me more than any other project! That must be the teacher in me!

Wow, I have been working away on this packet all weekend long, and I am so excited about it! Really--could anything be more fun than learning with a zoo theme?! We have a zoo field trip already planned, and I just know Little Man is going to love it.

Here are some of the concepts covered in this 3-week unit:

* Letter of the week: Z

* Number of the week: 6

* Shape of the week: Circles

*Theme of the week: Zoo

* Song of the week: Sally the Camel

Here are a few little teasers:

Is your interest peaked yet??

You'll find everything from zoo songs to snacks! There are art, science, math, and story ideas. Plus all of the fun stuff like games and activities!

I do have to enforce a few guidelines to protect myself when sharing my ideas. So please read these Terms of Use before downloading.

* This packet is in PDF format. Please be sure that you have the most updated version of Adobe Reader in order to open the file.

* PLEASE do not take advantage of my willingness to share. I will not customize this packet using different fonts, colors or personalized formats.

*This packet is for personal use only! You may use this for your own preschool class or in your own home. You may never sell any part of this packet.

* There is a wealth of ideas on the web, and I compiled lots of fun ideas combined with my own. Check the credits section for more great blogs and sites!

* I do have a copyright on my blog. You may not redistribute my Mommy School packets or host them on your own site. Please link to my personal blog to refer a friend--not just to the 4shared File Sharing page link.

You can download your own Z is for Zoo packet here.

Or here on Scribd.

Credits

Clip art designs and/or fonts copyright Dianne J Hook. Used with permission from DJ Inkers. I could not share ANY of these cute fonts and clip art with you except for their support! Thanks guys! And be sure to check out DJ Inkers when you want the cutest clip art on the planet!

Have a "WILD" time learning with your kids!! I can't wait to hear about it.

Filed Under: Mommy School, Mommy School Packet Tagged With: download, Mommy School, printable, zoo

Spring Flower Wall Art

March 18, 2011 39 Comments

In case you missed my guest post at Positively Splendid, I shared this spring flower wall art. Come read along and see how to make your own!

I don't know about you, but I am longing for spring. Here in Colorado, we are finally seeing some sun, and I am craving more! When the temperature rises even a smidge, I find myself craving spring's elusive arrival. I created this burlap flower wall art to brighten up my winter days! Come along with me to see how to make your very own!

I LOVE a good sales on frames. I indulged a bit in a 40% off sale at Michael's, and found a long frame that would be perfect for this project. I cut a piece of cardboard that would serve as the backing, and then I cut a piece of burlap that was about 2 inches longer on every side. I wanted to have plenty of burlap to wrap around the cardboard.

I began by using green ricrac and ribbon scraps to create the flower stems. I alternated the stem lengths, and made each stem a little different.

Next, I made some easy-peesy flowers. I wanted the flowers to be a bit 3-dimensional, so I made flowers by cutting 4 circles out of my chosen fabric. I folded them in quarters and pressed them just slightly so they would stay folded.

I cut centers for the flowers using coordinating fabric and pinned everything onto the burlap. I think my favorite part was arranging the different colors and patterns!

First, I sewed the stems. Then I made sure to overlap the 4 quarters of the flowers just slightly and sewed everything to the burlap by sewing around the round centers of the flowers.

I sewed some mini ricrac on some of the flowers. This is one of my favorite flowers! So bright and happy!

I wrapped the burlap around the cardboard, pulling it tight, and hot gluing around the edges. (On a side note, if you use cardboard with print like I did, be sure that the printed side is the back side. You don't want the print to show through. I learned that the hard way!)

These flowers just make me smile! I do believe that this flower wall art will have a place in my new craft room.