Out of The Crayon Box

For the Love of a Mobile

2012-01-31T11:43:00.000-08:00

Marilee is at the stage where she will look at a mobile for a good 10 to 15 minutes. In my world that is a lifetime! Naturally we want to have mobiles all over the house. We were gifted a crib mobile with a music box, so we moved this mobile to over her changing area.

I saw this idea first on Pinterest and wrote about making one here. It's terrific because the breeze from our heater makes it move and twirl quite a bit.

Recently we set up a pack and play in the office and I wanted to add a mobile in there as well.

The Michaels dollar aisle yeilded some cardboard birds and some assorted wooden shapes. Then this Sunday we were given a present with such beautiful wrapping paper I was completely inspired.

A little Modge Podge, paint and wrapping paper and we were in business. I do plan on adding some ribbon to the embroidery hoop as in the mobile above, but otherwise I am quite pleased. Most of this was done while nursing so that alone is an accomplishment!

I go back to work tomorrow and I am feeling pretty good about it. Cliff is going to be the modern stay at home dad and I think he is looking forward to that new job too. Mostly, I feel incredibly blessed to have a good job in this economy and a sweet family to come home to.

2012-01-28T05:12:00.000-08:00

Here is the last of my Picnik projects. Remember they are closing down the site on April 19.
This is a repost from February 2010.

Family Fun Magazine has the best ideas! This month two ideas for Valentines grabbed my attention. The Google Eye Valentines and the scratch off Valentines.

Since both ideas were stellar, I decided to combine them and do both.

I took a close up picture and edited it in Picnik. In Picnik I added a Valentines boarder and "sticker" with text. The text on the heart has pun filled messages such as "Eye think your great!" Puns are so great for my English language learners. Then I had the photos printed at Walgreens. Next, I covered the heart "sticker" with clear contact paper and silver metalic craft paint mixed with a dab of soap. The easiest part was adding the google eyes. I got these great stick on google eyes at Michaels. They came in assorted sizes which just makes everything even sillier.

"Eye" think they will be a hit with my pupils.

Update: Yes, they were a hit. In fact some of the students kept them in their pencil boxes. I think as teachers we sometimes forget to be silly with our students. They really do love it.

Favorite Picnik Projects Before They Close

2012-01-27T05:31:00.000-08:00

This week I am going to repost some of my favorite projects using Picnik. I believe their last day is April 19. There is time to make any number of projects if you don't delay.

Anyway, this post actually comes from my old school blog, My Many Colored Crayons. This was one of my favorite projects ever. Enjoy!

Portrait of a Drug Free Future!
It's Red Ribbon Week at OFS and this year we are celebrating with a door decorating contest. I have a slight problem with bragging about the Crayons and today is no exception. Check out this door!! See our Red Ribbon bracelets? The little "red ribbons" contain student writing on why they pledge to be drug free. I think it has a good chance at winning!

And, I really want to win which is silly since the prize hasn't even been announced.

I was inspired by a portrait project in this month's Family Fun magazine which unfortunately is not linked yet. However, their project had multiple steps and involved acrylic paint. It just seemed a bit complicated when multiplied by 25 students. Last week was the Hispanic Heritage Month Dance. This week is the book fair and OCR testing, so teaching them how to draw a self portrait was out of the question.

My version of Cheater Self Portraits used few supplies and worked out well for fourth graders with little experience with water colors.

Here's our tutorial for Watercolor (Cheater) Self Portraits:

Supplies:
drawing paper cut to 8.5" X 11"
water colors
a digital picture
a computer with internet access

1. Take a picture with your digital camera. I think a close up or a relatively simple scene would work best. (This picture is not of a student but, from an ad.)

2. Go to Picnik and upload the photo(s) for free! Choose their "create" menu and then scroll down the special effects until you find the one that is called "Pencil Sketch." Apply that effect to your picture.

3. Print the picture out on the drawing paper. At work I have access to a laser printer. At home I used an inkjet and I found worked well even with water colors.

4. Paint the picture with water colors. Less is more. It's nice to let a little of the print come through. It makes the details like a nose, much easier.
I gave my students two copies so that they could practice controlling the paint and mixing colors. I am pleased with the outcome. It took two hour long sessions to complete.

Update: That was the post from way back in 2009. Naturally, we did win the door contest and the prize was a new Connect Four game. Sweet! Later I went on to make another watercolor of my colleague's daughter. I thought it came out super cute.

I had always planned on making several others as Christmas gifts for various people. And, of course, now I want one of my own kiddo. I wonder how many I can get done between now and April 19?

Custom Kleenex Boxes

2012-01-26T05:00:00.000-08:00

I may have the most photographed baby in the world. At least up until 2 1/2 months that is. Once I return to work next week, I doubt I will be playing photo studio quite so much.

Anyway, last year I signed up for some special promotion whereby Kleenex would sending free tissues to a friend. I like mail and I thought that would be a sweet surprise for a friend so I joined in. Since then, I get Kleenex promotional emails. Most I delete without a glance. However, I happened to open an email telling about making custom tissue boxes. Goodness what a sucker I am!

$5.99 for the custom tissue box and another $5 for shipping. Friends, I just spent $20 on Kleenex! These special tissue boxes will be delivered to the Grandparents. Hopefully in time for Valentines Day. Come to think of it, I didn't even look at how long they took to make and ship! Watch, it's six weeks or something! Oh well. Both our parents waited a long time to become grandparents. I guess their noses deserve some special treatment.

Since my husband and I both love a good pun, the pink heart reads, "I 'tissue' were here!"

Speaking of Kleenex, (and who knew there was so much to say?) have you tried the new cooling Kleenex?
I saw a supermarket display of these with a free sample. My friends they are actually cold. The tissue has menthol or something in it which makes them cold. They feel really good on a sore nose. Expensive compared to the store brand I normally buy, but quite the treat.

By the way, Kleenex did not pay me or reward me for this post, although the should because I just spent $20 and well over 100 words on tissues! Oy vey!

Last Chance for Picnik- Pictures into Embroidery Transfer

2012-01-25T09:49:00.000-08:00

Did you hear? Picnik, the free photo editing site associated with Flickr, is shutting down on April 19, 2012.Boo hoo! I love that site and use it a lot. Of course, I never did pay the $28 for the premium membership. So, I guess I am part of the problem. Sigh. Anyway, until April 19 all their premium features are now available for free! This week I decided to feature some of my old projects using Picnik.

Here is a post from May 2010.

I really love the Sublime Stitching patterns by Jenny Hart. Her motto is "Not your grandmother's embroidery!" There are so many fun patterns. The flickr group is loaded with eye candy. This Etsy store, Sew Lovely Embroidery, also has wonderful modern designs.

However the other night I had the itch to stitch right then and there. You know how it is when an idea strikes! So, I came up with my own way to convert a picture into an embroidery pattern that was simple enough for me to do.

This pin up cowgirl was my starting photo. I found the picture on Google and uploaded it into Picnik. Then under the "Create" tab I clicked on "effects." Next I chose "pencil sketch." And the result was the photo below.

From there, I clicked on the "Edit" tab and chose "Exposure." I moved both the "Exposure" and "Contrast" settings as far as I could so that it would look like an even simpler drawing.

The result was this. Notice how most of the background is gone now and the details are sharper? This was good, but I knew I wanted it even simpler. So, still in Picnik, I chose the "Create" tab and went to stickers. I used the rectangle under "Geometric" (and slid the color to white) to cover up the fire and the photographer's name. Then I went to text and added the "Dinner!" Finally, I downloaded it to my computer and printed it out. I was very careful to print it in "mirror image" so that I could use Citra-Solv to transfer my pattern to the fabric.

To do the Citra-Solv transfer I photocopied my print out and taped the photocopy print side down to my fabric. I used regular old scotch tape. Be sure not to cover any of the design with tape. Then I took a paper towel with a bit of Citra-Solv on it and rubbed it all over the design. Lastly, I burnished the paper by rubbing the entire design really hard with the edge of a spoon.

Voila!

I had a lot of fun changing up the colors for this design. Here is the finished project:

Update: Since this process worked so well, I went on to create this Texas tote.

You can see that full post here.

Packing Away the Pink Christmas

2012-01-02T12:57:00.000-08:00

Farewell pink and white Christmas tree. You were splendid. Normally I am a bit melancholy while packing away Christmas decorations. This year, the new year holds so much promise and excitement. Hello 2012!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T03:40:00.000-08:00

This is the message of Christmas: We are never alone."
~ Taylor Caldwell (1900-1985), English novelist.
Our Christmas card photo.

My parent's Christmas card photo.

And, a month later, one chubby elf.

Wishing you a joyful Christmas!

Tummy Time Fun

2011-12-21T20:57:00.000-08:00

Our beautiful girl is one month old. Here she is having a wonderful time at her check up. She is now officially 9lbs 7oz which is just over two pounds more than she weighed at birth. We are so proud! And, since I am breastfeeding I am pretty dang proud of myself too. For real.

Anyway, while I was pregnant I started a "pin board" on Baby Activities. Today we came up with an activity that I actually consider blog/pin worthy. While at the doctors we discovered that Marilee loves the crinkly paper on the exam table. So, we decided to recreate that fun at home with some parchment paper. It worked great. The waxy side was actually a little bit "grippy" on the bench and the paper side was slippery enough for some good play time. Now she had two parents inches from her on this padded bench. Otherwise, I would definitely do this on the carpet.

If I waited to post this until I had a chance to edit that rough ending out, it would never get posted. Warning this video contains delicious baby toes.

My Awesome C- Section

2011-12-07T23:34:00.000-08:00

11-19 12- 2

My mom just left on Tuesday, so for the first time in two weeks I have had lots of alone time to think about my birth story. For a while there I was too busy with the happiness, the nursing and the laundry to be reflective. I want my story to be out there because it is really hard to find C-section birth stories online.

Here is my birth story. It's an awesome, happy, mostly painless c-section story.

My official due date was Dec.2, but because of all my other surgeries I was scheduled for a c-section on 11-22-11. We were so excited about the date because it is a palindrome and we are nerds. On Sunday 11-20 we made plans to go to Ojai (small quaint town 1 hour away) for a sweet "last day as a couple" date. We were both a little nervous about going so far away, but Ojai is a really special place to us. It's where we have gone following every miscarriage for some peace. It's sacred Indian land and I swear it is the most peaceful place I have ever been. Anyway, Sunday night I went to bed and Baby Z was doing flips upside down and sideways. She was so active! Cliff asked, "Is there anyway she can bust out?"
"No!" I reassured him.

Well, at about 1:00 am I sat up in the middle of a dream and said, " I have to pee." That's when I felt and heard a pop and was flooded. I told Cliff, " I have either REALLY peed myself or we are having a baby!
So much fluid! Gross! Anyway, I called my doctor who was fast asleep and didn't know who I was. He told me to go to the hospital and wait until my contractions were so many minutes apart when he would come in to catch the baby. I didn't bother correcting him because when I got to the hospital I figured the nurses would set him straight, which they did.

At the hospital they hooked me up to monitors and we tried to sleep. Well, that's a joke because hospitals and sleep are incompatible. Eventually I started having contractions and although I was only 2 cm dialated they were less than a minute apart. They weren't too painful, but I did have to breath through them. Cliff had not yet been to sleep, so he was desperately trying to catch a nap. I decided to have an epidural so that I would be able to sleep. I thought Cliff might sleep better if he knew I was pain free. After all, I was having surgery anyway, there would be drugs so why be a hero?

Well, the epidural didn't work at. all. But try to convince people of that! Not too easy. Finally the anesthesiologist was poking me with a toothpick and asking what it felt like. "Um, it feels like being poked with a toothpick."

At about 6 am my primary OBGYN showed up. He ordered a spinal and friends it was MAGIC!!! Loved it! A warm blanket of mercy!

Soon my other doctor showed up. I was so filled with joy. Here were my two docotors, who've held my hand in some very dark times, there to deliver my baby. It meant so much to me that they both could be there for something good too. It was very celebratory. We joked and laughed and before long they announced that her head was delivered.

I asked if she would cry and they said, "soon." Just then came the shriek of all shrieks. Glass shattering! Whew! She was loud! God love her! This baby has always kicked just when I was panicked that she had been still too long and here she was shouting, "here I am" so I would have no doubts about her lung health.

So there she was, born 7:10 on 11-21-11, just about 24 hours before her scheduled arrival. She gets that from me. I am often the first one at a party. Even when I try to be late, I am often early. And, clearly she doesn't care about pallendromes.

Cliff followed the baby around getting cleaned up and getting some pictures. I was fixed up and taken to recovery. I nursed her there for the first time and we spent the day just gazing at Marilee. That first night Cliff had to go home to get some sleep. I was quite relieved that my night nurse, Theresa, was a lactation specialist. She was with me throughout the night and I owe any breastfeeding success to her. She taught me about nursing while lying down, how to do "kangaroo care." I was able to nurse and doze throughout the night. In the morning, I actually felt pretty accomplished.

My parents arrived from FL the next day and we went home that Wed. There have been a few sleepless nights, an engorgement problem, a latch problem and some issues with gas pains. Step by step, one learning at a time, we are finding our way. Overall, Marilee is very easily consoled and very alert.

She's a super duper pooper! Thank goodness for cloth diapers! I don't feel so bad when she poops through three diapers in one changing! So far we are washing diapers every day. It's not so bad since our washer/dryer is right in our apartment. Cliff is especially supportive of cloth diapers which is nice. Even my mom, who thought I was crazy, was pleasantly surprised by the ease of modern cloth diapers.

My recovery has been awesome. I feel great and even fit into my clothes again. Apparently, Marilee was a tapeworm in a former life. I've been on walks most everyday. We have been out to lunch and dinner and Cliff and I have even gone on a movie date. Had to take advantage of Granma's babysitting while she was here!

I saw this pin today. It says, "The wold may be broken, but hope is not crazy." Amen.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T12:21:00.000-08:00

Help me decided:
Which should I nibble on first?

Drumsticks?

Or burrito?

Never mind. Today is a day for feasting, I'll have both!

We are home. We are well. More details to follow.

First Thanksgiving Outfit- Inspired By Pinterest & Project Runway

2011-11-20T20:33:00.001-08:00

First Thanksgiving Outfit
Originally uploaded by Jane Little
So, here I am just two days away from "D-Day!" With nothing but tons of time on my hands, I have been trolling Pinterest and watching Project Runway online. It's really kind of crazy. Also, I cleaned out my craft closet last night which inspires me to craft like nothing else.

Looks like we may be home in time for Thanksgiving. There were two adorable Thanksgiving shirts I pinned. However, the images are gone now. I guess people are cracking down on pinning. I guess I can see why, on the one hand. It can be annoying to be copied. On the other hand, the people who are going to copy are not the same people who are going to buy anyway. Like me for example, I am not going to buy a Thanksgiving outfit because I am going to have a baby in two days and it wouldn't get here in time anyway! LOL.

Also, because I can make it myself in less than three minutes, in the size I need and with scraps I have on hand.

So imagine these cute t-shirts with simple turkeys with ribbon feathers.

I just happened to have this little brown cap that says "Got Candy?" on the back. It is for a photo op with my mom who 1. loves candy and 2. bought stock in Hershey's. I got the hat and matching onesie at the dollar store and all I want out of the outfit is this one picture with grandma.

But, I figure this cap can be reversible since we won't be going anywhere anyway.

The cap is too tiny for ribbon loop feathers and frankly too tiny for embroidered details. So I used snips of ribbon and painted the face on with a toothpick. Then remembering Tim Gunn's rant about glue guns on Project Runway, I decided to glue gun the whole thing together.

I tried to color match to this swaddle blanket I picked up at Goodwill just because it had Thanksgiving colors.

So there you have it a first Thanksgiving outfit.

I can hardly wait!

Due Date- One Week Away! Pink Christmas

2011-11-14T20:33:00.000-08:00

With just one week to go, I decided it was now or never for Christmas decorating. I had my heart set on a pink Christmas and fell in love with this pink tree from K-Mart. However, Cliff wasn't too sure about a pink tree. (I think since all the baby stuff started appearing he has been a bit on pink overload.) The $65 price tag was more than I wanted to spend. I am sure it will go on deep discount later and I might be tempted to pick one up at that time, but I didn't want to wait.

Then one night I was in Target and I browsed through the Matthew Mead Holiday magazine.

Gorgeous! It was just the inspiration I needed. He featured a white feather tree with pale pink tissue paper flowers tucked in the branches. It was then that I knew, I would be very happy with this white tree from Walmart for $25 . I happen to be flush with pink tissue paper from my showers. They were easy to make and fill in the gaps where you can see the pole very well.

I am very happy with it.
During the 80's and 90's I amassed quite a collection of Cherished Teddy ornaments which are perfect for a pink tree. Cliff's parents picked up this Fisher Price ornament at their factory store. The classic stacking rings were Cliff's first present to me when he was just 4 and I was only a week old. Yes, we go back that far. Actually, I had quite a few pink ornaments. It was so nice to leave the majority of my Christmas decorations behind and do something new.

Then, I hit the jackpot at Goodwill today and found this adorable deer. You know I am out of the blogging habit because I totally forgot to take a before picture. But, you have all seen a realistic looking ceramic animal before. Props to all of you who can spray paint these figurines to perfection. I am far too impatient. My coats were a bit thick and drippy. Hard to tell though because I used semi-gloss paint which is a bit more forgiving. Anyway, I love this pink deer.

Tonight I am working on the mantle. More pictures to come!

Finally Getting My Creative Mojo Back

2011-11-11T22:00:00.000-08:00

I must be nesting, because at long last my creative spark has returned. Oh sewing machine, how I have missed you!

Back in August I thought I would get a jump start on Christmas. I wanted to have all my Christmas done before the baby came. You know, just in case it's really true what everyone says: "Your life is going to change!"

I also wanted to use what I had on hand to save time, money and energy. So I decided on I Spy books for my 8 month old nieces. Well, without much creative energy it was a real drag. I got a good start, but it wasn't too much fun and seemed endless.

Then my mojo came back last week and well, here you go! Soft color books!

Each color has a big picture with some interesting textures and an I Spy page.

I tried to use as many interesting textures as I could. Mass producing things isn't really my thing. I get easily bored and prefer to mix it up. So, I tried to pick a few personal things for each I spy page. For example, my niece Ava loves to see her brothers off on the school bus. So her yellow page has a school bus. Meanwhile my niece Elle's book has a John Deer tractor in honor of our Grandpaw.

Cliff was really patient with the mess I made making these. He also requested one for our own daughter. Yes, I did make one for her too! I figured it was now or never!

These literally took months to make, but I think the end result is worth it.

Halloween Update #2: Extravagent Generosity

2011-11-10T21:58:00.000-08:00

This picture makes me so happy. Just the thought of sharing our coat rack with a wee one is thrilling, but this little pink "jacket." has a special story.

It was an eventful Halloween morning when a young Crayon we call Red arrived.

This was our conversation:

Red- "Hey Mrs. Little, I got you a baby present for your baby!"

Me: "Thank you Red, that was so nice of you."

Red: "Yeah, my parents told me I could have money for a baby present or a Halloween costume and I chose to get you a baby present."

Me- (Stunned.) "Wow! Thank you that means a lot to me. That was really generous of you, but what about Halloween? Do you want to go in the costume box and get a costume?"

Red: "No. I made a costume. With the left over money from the baby present, I bought a really cheap sheet and made a ghost costume. Wanna see it?"

Me: " I sure do."

He proceeds to pull on a traditional ghost costume much like the Peanuts Gang wore, except it has some simple sleeves.

Me: "Wow, Red, that is really cool. How did you make the sleeves? Did you use staples?"

Red: " Nope. My god-mother came over and helped me sew the sheet like this to make sleeves. And, I drew the face with marker because I didn't want to look like those mean guys who wear sheets. Do you know about those guys?"

Me: "Yes, yes I do. I assure you, that is a terrific ghost costume. I am so impressed! This gift is super special to me!"

This month my pastor has been preaching on extravagant generosity, but once again my Crayons were the real teachers. I am so impressed with both Red and his parents. In this day and age, they certainly didn't have to bankroll both a teacher gift and a Halloween costume. By giving him a choice, they fostered his financial skills and his creativity. I am truly humbled.

Halloween Update #1 - This One Is Good!

2011-11-08T18:08:00.000-08:00

So my young friend from the dollar store turned out to be a 4th grader from another class. She showed up promptly at 7:30 am to go through my costume box. She became intrigued by a large piece of dalmatian patterned fleece. So we worked to build her a Cruelella costume. She wore a large red blazer left over from a Santa costume. She wrapped the fleece around her shoulders like a scarf. Donned a long blond wig and carried a dalmatian Beanie Baby. It was a bit hap-hazzard, but she was very happy with the whole get up.

I didn't get any pictures because while I brought my camera, I forgot the memory card. Boo.

But! The really cool thing is she won a prize for "Most Creative" in the fourth grade at the parade!

It was pretty awesome!

Happy Halloween -Sort of Pinterest Style

2011-10-30T21:25:00.000-07:00

Crazy busy weekend getting ready for what might be my last day of work before the baby comes! Whoo hoo! Well, I thought Halloween was going to be my last day, but my sub got sick and I still have tons of things I wanted to complete and prepare for her. So, I may just work another couple of days to get stuff done and spare myself from writing sub plans. Writing sub plans is more work than actually teaching sometimes. I am going to play it by ear tomorrow.

Any leftover energy I might have had for crafting is used up making a baby. Thank goodness Pinterest has been there to inspire me. I would never of thought of this cute pose all on my own. Here is the original pin. Love the lighting and the pose is better too. But you get what you get and you don't get upset when you pull over to the nearest city parking lot p' patch and ask a complete stranger to imitate a professional photographer! Can I hear an "Amen?"

In other news, I continue to have the highest of hopes when it comes to making my beloved Crayons festive treats. I actually thought I had found something easy enough to make as directed. But, no. I was too busy to go to the grocery store this weekend and ended up having to use what was in my pantry.
The Pinterest Inspiration Cupcake:

Source: somethingswanky.com via J on Pinterest

My Cheesy Imitation

I truly thought I had the ingredients to make the "slime" frosting, but alas I was out of corn syrup.

I will say this. God sent me a little angel to remind me that cheesy cupcakes, overwhelming to-do lists, sick subs, blah, blah, blah- I have no *real* problems. As I walked into the dollar store on the way home from church to pick up bug toppers for these cupcakes. A voice yells out, "MISS LITTLE!!! MISS LITTLE!!!" And low and behold there is some child that I don't recognize screaming my name across the store. She runs up to give me a hug and exclaims with such excitement, "I didn't know you lived in this neighborhood too!"

Well, I don't and if she goes to my school, as I assume she must, she shouldn't live around here either. We are bursting at the seams overcrowded and I know that technically I should report any out of district students. Anyway, I am going to look the other way on that one because tomorrow is supposed to be the first day of my maternity leave and what's one more student in a school of 700?

So she follows me around the store dashing between my aisle and her mother's aisle filling her in on who I am so loudly the whole store must know I am one of the FOURTH GRADE TEACHERS!!!!

While helping me search for bugs, she tells me that she won't get to trick or treat this year because by the time they get home on the bus it will be too dark. So I say, "Well that's OK, we are having a big parade at school tomorrow with lots of candy." Then she tells me that she can't participate in the parade because she doesn't have a costume. They can't afford one this year. Mind you folks, we are in the dollar store.

Doesn't that make your heart break?

Never fear. I may have the dumbest looking non- Halloween cupcakes in the world, but I do have a BIG box of costumes in my classroom and an appointment with one little girl whose name I don't even know first thing Monday morning.

Who says Halloween isn't a Christian holiday? Not me. I think I just got schooled by the big guy Himself.

Luck Be A Cloth Diaper Tonight...

2011-10-14T19:37:00.000-07:00

I have had some great luck with contests lately. More details shortly. One big thing is an extra special gift. Anyway, I thought I should keep playing and see how long this streak will last.

Here is a contest to win 3 FuzziBunz diapers. Yes, I am going to try cloth diapering. Looking forward to it too. If it doesn't work for us, there are always disposables just around the corner. Really want it to work though!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

CSI Challenge: Nursery Nook Closet Makeover

2011-09-21T23:20:00.000-07:00

I haven't been too crafty this pregnancy. Maybe making a person takes all the creative energy I have? Mostly I "pin" all the things I'd like to make.

Recently, this donation of newborn clothing from one of my former colleagues forced me to take baby storage seriously. Holy onesies Bat Girl! Just in time, the CSI girls announced their closet makeover challenge and that motivated me to put some fun in functional.

Before....

After!
We have decided to have our wee one sleep in our room for the first 6 months or more. We have a lot of out of town family coming to help us. So, maintaining the guest room for their visits seemed wise. Fortunately for us, we have a large master bedroom/bath with a big nook in the front of the room. It even has it's own little closet!

After I removed the ill fitting mirrored doors, I cleaned out the whole closet. My wedding dress preserved in that big box will go under the bed my dad made. My good dresses have been stashed in Cliff's closet for now. Most of those shoes and purses will get donated. Sadly, my feet are growing and the boots barely fit. Sigh. At the end of the day, it wasn't too hard to give up this closet for a while.

Here you can see the closet empty. There are a few issues. First off, it's directly behind our bedroom door and not three feet to the other side is a wall. It's an awkward spot. To get into the closet you have to close the bedroom door completely. Also, it's a very dark spot as you can see in these pictures.

I briefly considered a curtain door, but decided to leave the whole closet open for ease of use. Also, I want to look at all those beautiful baby things. They are so sweet and so many were gifts from friends who share in our joy. Actually, there is nothing about this time that I want to hide behind a curtain. I want to savor it all. Since it would be visible, I wanted to make it cheery. To make temporary "wallpaper" I hung a favorite sheet that I had been saving for just the right project.

The metal shelf was a hard worker in our pantry at the old apartment. After we moved it became semi-retired in Cliff's closet holding a baseball cap, a gym bag, and a pair of shoes. I knew I could do better, so I recommissioned the shelf here. Lucky for me, the 99 Cents Only store had these nice collapsible fabric bins. I had seen similar bins at Target and K-Mart for nearly $8! Score!

The thing about dollar store purchases is limited selection. In the size I wanted, navy blue was the take-or-leave-it color. While navy probably wouldn't have been my first choice, I do like navy and pink together. I simply looped fabric scraps to make these girly pulls.

I really like the effect.

The labels are scrapbook paper with a bit of clear contact paper. Easy enough to change as Baby Girl's wardrobe progresses from mostly onesies to more variety.

Also from 99 Cents Only were these two pink baskets. I hung them with cup hooks and clips so that they would be angled down slightly. I really do love binder clips!

Another simple project was to make closet dividers out of old CD's. This worked well for me because the closet rod was so tight to the shelf. As soon as we get more clothes, I will be able to add them in an organized way right from the start.

Looking at the picture above became a total "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" situation. My other improvements made the scuffed up clothes bar look dingy and worn. So I had to paint it. I had to paint it pink.

Much sweeter!

Since this is a temporary living arrangement, I really wanted to "shop" our apartment as much as possible. I had this little lamp from the old apartment and it's perfect in this area. I painted the cord to match our walls. I really like that it is a low watt light. This area is bright enough without being too harsh.

I also dug up this Eames knock off coat rack that I made several years ago. I love those cheery little knobs!

I wanted to have room to grow in this little closet, so I bought a great little closet bar doubler. For under $10 I think it is a great product. In this set up, the bar rests nicely on the metal shelf unit, but in another closet I can hang both sides to double the hanging space. It's perfect because baby clothes are so little.

By shopping my home and getting lucky with a few dollar store baskets I was able to create a sweet little closet for our wee one for about $15! That's pretty frugal by nursery standards!

Thank you CSI ladies for inspiring me to finish this task! I am also linking up with another favorite "Frugal Friday" at the Shabby Nest.

And, last but not least...

Simple Project- CD Clothes Dividers

2011-09-20T22:38:00.000-07:00

While searching Pinterest for nursery nook closet inspiration, I saw a lot of cute clothes dividers. The kind that allows you to separate your 0-3's from your 6-9's. My closet bar is super close to a shelf above it, so I decided to make my own dividers out of used CD's.You know those leftovers that used to upload software to a computer you recycled three years ago?

Step 1- Cut out a wedge in the CD using kitchen shears.

Step 2- Cut out the inner circle to a depth that works for your closet rod. Eyeball it. My closet rod was very close to a shelf so I also had to trim the top off.

Step 3- Decorate. If I was more productive I would have spray painted these and used rub on letters. Instead, I covered them with scrap paper and some clear contact paper.

Using what I have...easy peasy lemon squeezy!

The Kids Christmas Gift for 2011

2011-08-30T23:21:00.000-07:00

lI am a big believer in gift multiples. A few years ago nearly everyone on my list got stockings. Before that I made many rice heat packs and cool eye masks. With multiples I feel as though I am being fair and enjoy the ease that familiarity brings to a project. With each gift it just gets easier. I also like seeing how I can personalize each project.

This year I have six kids on my list between the ages of 5 and 10. They all live long distance and that requires advanced postage planning. I am not sure, but I have been told that having a baby rocks your world. So, I anticipate that getting to the post office in time might just be a challenge this year.

So I was looking for an idea that would be easy to mail ahead of time and suitable for school age kids.

When I first saw this amazing project on Pinterest...

Source: mylittlemochi.typepad.com via J on Pinterest

I just about died with cute overload! A gum advent calendar How sweet!!

Then it hit me! This is an affordable, light weight and easy to mail gift for kids ages 5-10!! And, it's designed to be sent early!

Then I wondered if I would ever need to come up with my own ideas again. Pinterest is just so awesome. I have found pretty much everything I have needed since joining this summer in a matter of minutes.

I questioned whether it was even worth blogging all my Pinterest knock offs. Then it hit me in the middle of this project, My need to be cheap always throws a monkey wrench in everything I copy. Maybe other people would like to see how I solve those glitches?

Like for example- the gum used in the inspiration project above has 12 pieces per pack. The gum I bought at the dollar store only has 8. Believe me I was shaking my head when I discovered that. It never occurred to me that gum that comes in similar packaging could be both a different shape and have fewer pieces. I was so blinded by two packs for $1 that I never counted the pieces! Whoops.

Thankfully 8 is a multiple of 24 so I could still make the calendar! Whew! What would I have done if there were 10 pieces? My books just need to fold in thirds. It took a little playing to get the first one, but soon it was easy! Thank goodness for multiples.

Another change I made was to use acrylic paint for the nose. Wouldn't you know it, my orange Sharpie was dead. I applied the paint with a toothpick and it worked perfectly. Maybe even better than a Sharpie.

These two are headed on the slow boat to China. My cousin moved her family of six to China last year. I was so sad, but thankfully facebook has actually made it very easy to stay in touch and see pictures of the kids. Hard to send gifts though. This project is really a blessing.

But first I need to make another gum run to the dollar store!

Breakdown:
Gum 2/$1 - 75cents per book.
Paper, paint, Sharpies and hot glue from stash.
Postage to China???

Pinterest Rocks My Teaching World

2011-08-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

This year my district is going from a largely whole group direct instruction reading program to a largely centers/small group instruction model. There are centers for English Language Development, reading and math. It's a good change, but it's going to take a lot of work and organization to make all those transitions and activities run efficiently.

Instinctively I am not such a great organizer. Boo!

Thank goodness there are hundreds upon hundreds of brilliantly organized teachers sharing all their ideas on Pinterest. I could read teaching blogs all day and not get all the ideas a quick ten minute browsing of Pinterest provides.

This idea., though, knocked my socks off.

Source: newmanagement.com via Nicole on Pinterest

The little white thing highlighted here is a plastic stand that makes any binder into a flip chart!
They only cost $2 and look like they would be a good investment. I immediately began to search for them on Amazon. No luck. It seems that they are only available here.

Here en-lies the rub. I am super cheap to begin with and have already spent a ton of money and time on my classroom this summer. We have potentially five furlough days again this year so it's really important to stay within our budget. And, the site above charges $7 dollars to ship 5 of those little plastic things.

So I made my own.

First gather up two large binder clips and a short piece of ribbon-about 5" long.

Clip the clips to the binder covers and tie the two closest metal thingies together. Done.

Dear Ms. Plastic Binder Holder Maker,
I love your holder. Really I do. I would buy 5 for my classroom. I would. But you see, I have free Amazon Prime and I have become spoiled. Paying 70% of the product cost for shipping is just too steep. If your product shows up on Amazon, I will be the first to buy it. Promise. In the meantime, Yankee ingenuity all the way.
Love, Mrs. L

That Was Easy! Nursing Cover

2011-08-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

Last week Cliff's parents came to visit. We heard lots of little tales of our 6 month old niece. One such tale involved her nursing cover. My mother-in-law could not recommend getting a nursing cover more highly. It seems that when Cliff's sister is fixing to nurse the mere sight of the brightly colored cover gets my niece all excited.

So I set out to make a nursing cover. I can't say I was too excited. I seem to have an aversion to making straps. It's the turning that drives me bonkers. I hate turning tight tubes of fabric. But off to my stash I went in search of nursing cover fabric.

That's when I found this wrap around skirt. It was my mother-in-law's and she gave it to me with a bunch of other fabric. I love this vintage print and have been saving it for a special project. If it wasn't a size two I would probably wear it.

Anyway, it kind of looks like a nursing cover already. A quick trim and a few adjustments to the already sewn straps and I could be done. All the hemming is done. I could make a slit in the top hem and slide the boning right in. This could be the easiest nursing cover ever!

As I studied it I tried to imagine myself wearing it out in public. Nursing underneath it. The fabric is a twill. That could be hot and heavy. Also, this print screams,"Look at this cool print! Notice me!" And that is pretty much the *last* thing I want when nursing in public.

So I went back to the stash and found this beige and lavender print. I followed the tutorial from Diary of A Quilter. It was so easy. From start to finish including clean up it was an hour. Not too bad. Turning the strap was indeed annoying because I get annoyed by that, but over all it made up so quickly I really didn't mind so much.

This pattern says, "Please respect my privacy." Actually, it's called "Cherished Memories" by Robert Kaufaman. I hope nursing in private or public does become a cherished memory.

More Nursery Nook Inspiration

2011-08-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

Imogen's nursery corner was the post that probably got me thinking "nook" instead of full nursery.

Source: thehappyhomeblog.com via J on Pinterest

For right now, a corner of our room is so much more practical than a full blown nursery. I am comfortable with that decision. However, I am not above drooling over the beautiful nurseries all over blogland. So I found the above picture from The Happy Home very inspirational. It showed me that you can do a lot with a small space and make it charming.

Source: thehappyhomeblog.com via J on Pinterest

How sweet is this branch turned clothes rack?

Our space is actually much bigger. We are blessed with a huge master bedroom in our new apartment. Our bedroom entry actually creates quite a large nook at the front of the room. We have a full size crib, a big dresser and a small scale rocking chair all in that space. In addition, our bathroom boasts a long counter that is perfect for a changing station.

When all the furniture was in place, I saw just the right space for my own darling branch rack. But, where in LA would I find just the right branch lying around?

I thought about this for a few days. Wondered who had trees I could trim. Thought about going to a florist. Then just as I was getting ready to walk around the neighborhood in search of a branch, what did I spy?

The perfect dead branch just sticking out of a plant...just feet from my door! Eureka!

It took an hour to scrape off all the bark. A trim and some spray paint and we were in business!

I painted a bit of scrap wood to match my walls. Then I screwed that wood into studs on the wall and screwed the branch into the scrap. This made it secure and gave an extra inch or so for the hangers to fit properly.

My mother in law sent me the hangers. They were Cliff's when he was a baby! Love them! My mother knit the sweater back when I was in college. I guess she was dreaming of grandchildren then. She only had to wait about 20 years more! Sorry mom! I received the blue bird in The Sweet Goodness Swaps French swap and I have always adored it.

The whole thing fits rather neatly between the door and the crib.
Scrap wood, and branch - free! Spray paint $2. Squeal!

Nursery Nook- Mobile

2011-08-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

It's so hot today that I decided to stay in and catch up on my blogging. Errands can wait until the sun goes down.

When I finally jumped on the Pinterest bandwagon, I swiftly transferred over all my starred items from Google Reader. How nice to have all those great ideas organized and in one place!

Source: lemontreecreations.blogspot.com via J on Pinterest

Back in May I had seen the mobile shown above over at Lemon Tree Creations. It was love at first sight and I starred in on my Google Reader.

Here is my version and it was the first thing I made specifically for this baby.

Back in May when I first saw the Lemon Tree Creations mobile, I had just found out I was pregnant and was still very nervous about the whole thing. I hardly dared to dream, but when I did allow myself to picture life with a baby, all I could see was a boy. Our family had three new girls born in March and April. After years of wishing for a daughter, I guess I kinda wanted a boy. Then in July, my doctor thought she saw some boy parts, but she wasn't sure. This got me thinking boy even more.

I won't lie, I was just a wee bit disappointed when the high resolution ultra sound showed that Baby Z was a girl. Then I remembered this mobile and my excitement grew.

It appeals to me on so many levels. For one thing, it I have so many tiny yummy scraps that I can not bear to throw away. This is a good use for those.

Also, it can't get much more lightweight and earthquake friendly.

It's very thrifty! I think I spent $3 minus a coupon on the doilies. I also used a thrifted embroidery hoop that had become cracked and useless. Talk about upcycling.

The teacher in me loves the pops of colors and the fact that it's very basic for a young baby.

In the tutorial, Erin used fabric stiffener on her fabric. I used fusible web to iron the fabric circles right to the doilies. Other than that I followed the tutorial exactly.

My classroom aide warned me the other day to get everything ready before the third trimester. Her first grandchild just arrived last week. And, since Mrs. B is so versed in all things pregnancy now she is watching me like a hawk at work. I am so lucky to be spoiled by her!

Anyway, I am taking her advice. So this will be a baby craft blog for a while.

Nursery Nook Banner

2011-08-26T00:59:00.000-07:00

Here is my version of the Pinterest found inspiration banner.

It's a little too high up. I guess I was thinking that since it's just paper, I didn't want the kiddo to rip it, but now I realize that, well, babies don't stand for quite a while. By the time she can stand she might have her own room. We'll see how much of a nesting instinct kicks in. Right now, it's too high, but liveable. Who knows if I will get OCD and move it down later on.

The paper letters are actually a sweet embossed lacy scrapbook paper and are secured with foam poster mounting tabs. I used Word to find the right font and size the letters. I printed them in "outline" style to save ink and used them as a pattern on my scrapbook paper.

The east coast earthquake and aftershocks really have me thinking. Earthquakes in CA are much easier to take because we are experienced, (no running in the street!!) better prepared and for the most part our buildings are on rollers. Still, it's going to be a whole new ball game with a wee one. I was so happy to find an idea that was safe and sweet, temporary and cheap!

Nursery Nook Sneak Peek

2011-08-25T09:56:00.000-07:00

Hello again!

I am busy enjoying a full summer that included a visit from Cliff's best friend, a trip to Vegas and a visit from our in-laws. Good times.

I have also been really busy in my classroom. We are getting a new reading program and I couldn't be more excited. I had been teaching the same reading program and stories for eight years and was feeling a little stale. This new program is jam packed and the schedule will be tighter than ever. Not the best time in my life to be so challenged, but it still feels like a shot in the arm to have new stories and fresh new books.

And, like most of the bloggers I read, Pinterest has been taking up quite a bit of my crafting time.

Source: littlelovely.typepad.com via J on Pinterest

This image had me at hello.

I have always liked "sleep" as a nursery theme. Since our baby's last name starts with "Z" I had originally planned a collage of "z's" for over the crib.

When I saw picture this I fell in love. It captures the sleep theme. It's very feminine and completely earthquake safe. It's also temporary.

For the time being, the baby will be sleeping in our room. We have a guest room that will be pretty busy with family coming in from out of town to visit and frankly, I am not prepared to have a baby sleep so far away. I thought, why bother with a crib in one room and a bassinet in another? So we put the crib in our master bedroom and left the guest room as is. I am not sure how long this arrangement will last, but I think it will meet our needs for the first few months.

Back to the banner, my first thought was to copy it verbatim. Then shortly after I saw that picture, I happened to just glance over my shoulder while walking out of the Goodwill and saw this mess out of the corner of my eye.

It was an assortment of lightweight plastic birds. The sweet kind that remind me of the birds who hold ribbons in Cinderella.

They aren't as earthquake friendly as the paper ones in the inspiration photo, but they are hallow and do have a sturdy hook to hang them with.

I have a whole flock to work with!

Clips- Instead of Pins

2011-08-10T19:11:00.000-07:00

Clips saved me with this project! So much easier, quicker and painless.

Extream Makeover: Car Seat Edition- The Reveal

2011-08-09T16:56:00.000-07:00

I did it! I was nervous and also challenged the whole time, but I love it and I am thrilled with the results. Once I built up the nerve to try and remake the hood, I realized that I wasn't bound to the orange, gray, tan color scheme. I found a large piece of green twill in my stash and bought the polka dot fabric from Joannes. I recycled all the trim and bias tape from the old seat and just added a bit of homemade bias tape on the hood for detail.

I took lots of pictures of the original seat as the tutorial suggested, but not necessarily the one I needed. Isn't that the way! So from time to time it was a real challenge to figure the best way to sew a certain seam, or bias tape, etc... Still, I found the challenge to be enjoyable. It's not often that I do something completely new.

I used the exact padding on the seat cover so that only the top fabric was changed. I used the black edging from the original car seat that has all the loops, elastic and holes to secure it to the seat. However, I greatly simplified the design on the hood which had a patchwork of clear vinyl, mesh, and several colors. Using the lining as a pattern I made the hood out of four solid pieces.

The vinyl window was a real challenge with my machine until I remembered reading a post long ago about sewing vinyl with tissue paper. It worked like a charm. It was so cool to see how much my sewing skills have grown over my years blogging! However, this took hours and hours to do! I think it was a one time deal for me!

As for the safety issues of a replacement cover. Yes, I am aware that it may void my warranty and that the safety techs who will install it probably will comment on how it is less safe. I can only hope the CHP officer who installs it is as good looking as Ponch or John while he lectures me.

In all seriousness though, I did weigh all my options before choosing to do this. With all parenting decisions we all have to weigh which risks we will worry about and which we can just accept. We live in the heart of LA and unlike many Angelenos, we do very little driving. Very little. And the local driving we do experience is often at *very* low speeds. My husband works from home and his 18 year old car has less than 65,000 miles on it. The reality is that parking where we live is expensive so we often walk to restaurants and museums. Most of the miles this car seat experiences will be via stroller.

Also, we have a brand new "My Ride 65" that will be our primary car seat once the baby is about 13 pounds or so. The reviews on that car seat (and my SIL's personal experience) state that it's a bit hard to adjust with a tiny baby and great with bigger babies.

So there you have it! My very first sewing project for Baby Girl!

Extream Makeover: Car Seat Edition

2011-08-08T06:01:00.000-07:00

I have finally embarked on a sewing project for my own wee one!

We have been so blessed to receive tons of hand-me-downs for this lucky baby. We already have a crib, high chair, car seat and stroller! The excitement and generosity of our friends is amazing and I am so grateful.

Source: google.com via J on Pinterest

This is a stock photo of our car seat. Our friends Will and Kristen gave it to us along with a really cool stroller. We know it has never been in an accident, we have been in touch with Maxi Cosi checking for recalls etc... Everything checks out and we are set to go. Early on, when I thought I might have a boy, I was totally content. But, after learning we were having a girl, I began itching for something a little more feminine. I started noticing little stains and scuff marks.

Source: makeit-loveit.com via J on Pinterest

Then I saw this car seat makeover and tutorial on Make It And Love It and I was suddenly obsessed with the idea of pimping my ride.

At first, I was intimidated and felt limited by very intermediate sewing skills.

Then I learned that a replacement cover from Maxi Cosi was just $36. Not such a big risk after all.

I decided to just recover the seat part. The hood seemed way out of my range. I created a "pinboard" to save fabric ideas that might work with the hood colors. To my surprise, there were a lot of girly orange fabrics out there. I even had some plain orange denim in my stash that would work well enough.

I read the tutorial about a thousand times and studied every inch of the car seat's construction. That's when I realized I would never be happy with just recovering the seat. It was a "If you give a mouse a cookie" situation. If I was going to go through all that work to recover the seat, I wanted the hood to look fresh and new too.

So I did it! I used my seam ripper and spent hours carefully deconstructing, photographing, and labeling each and every piece of that car seat cover and hood!

It was intense! I learned so much from the whole process. The first thing I learned:

Source: etsy.com via J on Pinterest

The women on Etsy who make and sell custom car seat covers (such as this one above) earn every single penny they charge!

Tune in tomorrow for the results of my latest obsession.

Thanks! & The Story

2011-07-29T14:59:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all your kind words, prayers and thoughts.

This pregnancy has certainly has been a lesson in patience, determination and ultimately surrender.

The short story is that I had some weird bleeding at the beginning of my Easter break. I had planned each day with an inch of it's life. I had plans to paint the bed my dad and I made. I planned to paint our bedroom. I had lots of errands and social gatherings. I was busy with a capital B.

But, the bleeding was strange and gross and I thought "Welcome to your 40's" and called the doctor. Of course my beloved Dr. Dwight (real name awesome OBGYN in LA-seriously) was booked solid so I met with a new partner. Dr. Yamaguchi. She was/is terrific too. She told me I was pregnant, but that my uterus was full of blood clots and I would more than likely loose this baby. There was no way for her to measure how far along I was. She couldn't really see anything. My mind went totally blank and I couldn't think of dates either. I asked her if I should cancel my plans and go on bed rest. She assured me that there was nothing I could do to cause or prevent a miscarriage.

I told Cliff that good and bad news. The good news was, that after seven years of trying and six rounds of IVF and three miscarriages-we actually got pregnant on our own! And the bad news, this one wasn't going to make it either.

We cried for about 10 minutes and then I just went on with my life. I buried this pregnancy deep in denial and went on with all my plans. The bleeding continued for weeks on and off. At this point I was working after school and on Saturdays getting my students ready for state testing. Things at school were very stressful.

Sure I was tired, but hey that's the story of my life. Other than that I had no symptoms of pregnancy and on the few times when I allowed myself to even think about it, the lack of symptoms seemed to convince me further that this was not going to work out.

In early May, my family suffered a loss and I took two weeks off to mourn. I felt so guilty about being away from school, but I knew that I needed this time to rest. It was then that I remembered that I never did miscarry. So, I asked Cliff to take me back to the doctor to schedule the D&C. I figured the day already was sad and awful, let's just get all the bad stuff out of the way.

I couldn't even look at the screen. I did not want a memory of what wouldn't be. Even when Dr. Yamaguchi said, "Look at the four chambers of the heart." I was scared to turn my head. When I did, I saw an 11 week old fetus! It was too much, I just couldn't comprehend it all.

Dr. Yamaguchi advised us to wait until 16 weeks to announce just to be safe. I had 3 previous miscarriages to warrant a high risk scan at 12 weeks. Everything looked perfect there too. But, Cliff and I were still too nervous to get excited. At 16 weeks I was terrified because I wasn't feeling anything, but the doctors appointment went well. Still I was mum.

I went to a therapist to try and sort out what I can only describe as post traumatic stress syndrome.

Finally, at the 20 week high risk scan I could exhale. I was showing, but only a few people caught on. Most of my friends thought I was stress eating. Nobody said anything and I am grateful. The "telling" was so scary because "un-telling" is so sad and miserable.

Needless to say, the excitement our family, friends and you have shown is wonderfully overwhelming. I have cried so many times hearing that this person or that has been praying for me/us. So thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

The flowers and pink baby clothes were waiting for me in the guest room at my parents house. I spent ten days relaxing, swimming, and catching up with them. It was a wonderful way to start my second trimester.

Not Exactly "Crafting"

2011-07-23T18:35:00.000-07:00

Source: weheartit.com via J on Pinterest

Happy 4th of July -

2011-07-02T11:10:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July!

This is not a typical 4th of July post in that there is no red, white, or blue craft in it. Instead, I want to celebrate a little of what makes America great for me. It's the small things.It's the kindness of strangers, the willingness to help, and Yankee ingenuity just to name a few.

Not too long ago my neighbors discovered a teeny tiny hummingbird egg smashed on the deck outside their apartment. Turns out, the bottom of the nest was weak and the eggs were dropping as fast as mama bird could lay them. (If ever I could relate to a hummingbird it was this one.) Well, my neighbors used a bit of creativity to solve that problem with a cotton ball and some surgical tape.

Mama bird laid more eggs and now there are two baby hummingbirds thriving. You can just see their heads and beaks here.

Ingenuity, plus courage, plus work, equals miracles.”
Bob Richards quote

A special thanks to our military men, women, and families. YOU are our cotton ball and surgical tape!

Storage Bed Done!

2011-04-20T10:14:00.000-07:00

It's a gloomy day in LA! Still, I couldn't wait to post. I finished!!

I am really pleased with the storage bed. However, if I were to do it again, I would definitely sand, prime and paint BEFORE assembly! Those cubbies are deep!

It's Not An Otter- Easter Bunnys for My Girlies

2011-04-16T22:39:00.000-07:00

Did I mention that I love being an aunt? Well I do. I have yet to meet either of my east coast nieces, but I think about them all the time and get updates as often as possible. My little Sweet Pea is out of the NICU, home and thriving! Ava Baby is also doing great. I follow her adventures on Facebook.

Naturally, I wanted to send the babies something for Easter. I have been eyeing rabbit patterns for weeks. Then one Saturday night I was feeling anxious and in need of some sewing therapy. I chose what I thought would be the easiest pattern. This Chenille Easter Bunny, but it was getting late so I decided to wing it and estimate the pattern. I used some minky that I had on hand for one and a piece of pink minky-like fur for the other. Neither was very planned out.

At the last minute, I decided to add some taggies to the pink one. But, since I wasn't really thinking, we have what looks like a one armed rabbit. When Cliff saw them he said that he liked the pink one best. Then he said, "It kind of looks like an otter." That Cliff.

Sweet Pea and Ava Baby- somebunny in California loves you very much!

Shara's Egg Swap

2011-04-14T23:00:00.000-07:00

I participated in Shara's Easter Egg Swap again this year.

I have always loved those sugar eggs with the window. I had wanted to make these last year, but I ran out of time. This year I was determined to make eggs with a window. Yet again, time got the best of me so I had to scale back my quilling plans. I created paper machae eggs using plastic eggs as molds. Then the question was, what to put inside?

Lacking in ideas, I fell back on my moss nest/birds egg filler of past projects. Once I had a bird theme, it was easy to make it up as I went along.

The little tub of Model Magic I picked up several years ago at the $ store is still going strong. It has this weird gold glitter in it which is probably why it was at the $ store. Anyway, I thought about painting each egg and bird, but decided against it out of sheer "tone on tone is good" laziness.

While it wasn't at all what I had envisioned at the beginning of the swap, I was quite pleased with the outcome.

Dying Fabric

2011-04-02T22:38:00.000-07:00

Hello again!

Not too long ago I needed a pink t-shirt for work. It was going to be customized with one of those ink-jet printer iron on transfers. I knew I would only wear it a few times. I decided that I really only wanted to spend $4 on this shirt. Walmart had several possibilities, but most were too nice to ruin with an iron-on. Others were in the $8 price range, which is still cheap, I know. Still, I had it in my head that I could spend $4. Have you ever gotten stubborn cheap? Well, I was. So I decided to buy a white man's t-shirt for $4 and dye it. Since I was buying for my colleagues too I ended up dying three of them.

Here is the t-shirt. The back shows all twelve teachers at our school who got pink-slipped this year.

I can't comment on darker colors, but I was impressed with how easy it was to get even consistent color with this Rit "Petal Pink". Out of respect for the other tenants who use our laundry room, I did the boil on the stove top method. It was super easy. I wet the shirts in my tub and soaked them in hot water for a while.Next, I boiled them with the dye for about five minutes each. Then I rinsed them out in the tub and put them in the dryer to set the color.

As long as I had this big pot o'dye on the stove, I decided to try an idea from my Martha Encyclopedia of Crafts. I dyed some printed fabric. In this case I used some bits of vintage sheets.

I like this one the best.

All in all, dying with Rit on the stove top was affordable, easy and fun. I already have plans to dye a shirt that I recently stained. I'll update after using the darker colors.

Copy Cat Spring Wreath

2011-03-16T23:13:00.000-07:00

Inspired by this moss wreath at Frou Frou Gal I created my own. I first saw her wreath on Saturday and set this evening aside to make it. That's a remarkably fast turnaround for me!

To make this wreath I started with a cheap plastic picture frame, a bag of moss and a moss sheet from the Dollar Tree. I also used some Model Magic clay for the eggs. I picked that up a few years ago from the 99 Cent Only store and have used it here and there for a long time. The mini grapevine wreath is from my stash. I

Here it is with the moss sheet glued on. Ignore the big eggs, they are for another project.

From here I glued on bunches of moss to add volume. I also added some sticks and the nest. I made the eggs out of that air dry clay. I painted them and glued them right on. I added some newspaper scraps to give it the collected look of a real bird's nest. I hope to add some feathers if I remember to get some. This is the kind of project I'll be tweeking here and there for a while.

My cost for this wreath was $4.
Moss Sheet $1
Bagged moss $1
Frame $1
Ribbon $1

Clay, paint, sticks, hotglue are all from my stash.

I am linking up to the spring challenge at the CSI Project!

Craigs Easy

2011-03-14T05:04:00.000-07:00

Living in Los Angeles has it's drawbacks. We have tons of traffic, pollution, high rent, 9.75% sales tax.

However, we have some perks too. And for a born junker such as myself, the LA Craigslist is pure gold! Not every area has millions of people who move a lot and are always needing to get rid of stuff -cheap.

This Saturday I decided to use Craigs Easy to troll the free section of Craiglist. Here are some gems I found.

First up, I wish I had room for this wonderfully chippy free hutch!

Craigslist is always good for some bizarre things. Even though I wouldn't allow this in my house if my life depended on it, I am glad we live in a world were people do make tin can waterbeds. This guy welded over 4,000 soda cans to make this waterbed. Go ingenuity! Let's hope he's ditching this because he met a nice lady who said, "Um, no way, no how!"

Love this rocker. Again, I don't have space for it now. I did think about taking it and fixing it up for resale. Right now I have a lot on my plate with school and do not need the distraction of extra projects.

Did I just say that I didn't need extra projects? I did respond to this ad for free wood. I hope I get it too. Ana White's site gives me the serious "buildies" as she would say.

I also responded to an ad for a vintage office chair. I could make room for this and donate Cliff's current run of the mill office chair. Fresh paint and a new cusion and that chair would be amazing!

Using CraigsEasy it really is easy to zip through hundreds of ads in just a few seconds. It shows you just the pictures. I saw tons of great stuff for the right person. There were gliders and Little Tikes toys, unopened boxes of diapers, plants, desks and all sorts of building supplies.

Do you Craigs Easy? Have you scored any great free stuff lately?

Shower Gifts for Sweet Pea

2011-03-11T20:26:00.000-08:00

I'm an Auntie! Cliff's sister had her baby last Thursday and my brother's baby arrived (healthy, but teeny tiny) eight weeks early on Friday! I am nearly 40 and I became an aunt for the very first time twice in one week. So exciting!

Through it all, I wondered how I would feel based on our own long term struggles to have a child. Now that they are here, I can honestly say that I am filled with joy. Nobody could be more surprised than me. I love looking at the baby pictures. I am so proud of both of my sister's in-law who had to have emergency c-sections. I look forward to the day when I can chat with both of them about their birth stories. And, of course, one day meet my nieces. Each day I wake up and take my emotional temperature. I wonder "Is this the day that I become insanely jealous or sad?" So far the answer is no. Whew! So nice when what I want to feel, the right thing to feel, actually matches my feelings!

Anyway, Sweet Pea actually beat us to the punch arriving two weeks before her mama's baby shower. My gifts to her aren't nearly as cute as the ridiculously cute cherry themed shower gift that I made for Ava Jolin.

Still, I think they suit my sister-inlaw well. She just recently told me that she is germ phobic. The first gift was a carseat tent made from this tutorial. Now not only will her preemie eyes be shaded, no creepy grocery shoppers can touch her.

The bib above is a nod to the knick name I gave her. I love her real name now that I know it. It is especially beautiful in cursive! So many loopy above the mid-line below the line letters! I am sure it will be revealed in future monogrammed projects.

I also added a pair of Robbeez and a board book. As an added tie on, I looped this Binkie bag right onto the gift bag. It would all be so much more fun to photo graph on an actual carseat and believe me, I thought about sneaking off to Toys R Us just to snap an action shot. LOL! However, as usual, I was sewing into the night right before my postal deadline!

Slip Covered Craigslist Bench

2011-03-09T21:20:00.000-08:00

This week's CSI theme is "slipcovers" so I thought I would throw my hat in the ring with our slip covered bench. This bench was purchased so we would have some extra seating, now it's a favorite piece of furniture.

Just before Christmas we bought this bench on craigslist. I love the legs, but I was less than thrilled with the fancy scroll work or the fancy print. It's just too delicate for our room.

So I designed a slipcover to cover it up. The result is that the cusion looks much thicker and the whole bench looks more substantial.

I made this simple slipcover with curtain fabric I already had in my stash.

To make the slip cover, I lined a big rectangle of fabric with some scrap from an old shower curtain. I topstitched all the way around the rectangle. Next I lay the rectangle over the bench wrong side up. Then I pinned the corners into triangles to create tight corners. I sewed the triangle flaps and turned the whole thing right side out. Done!

From pretty, but too delicate to bright and bold in a few easy steps!

More slip covered projects here!

Green Upcycled Scarf

2011-03-02T23:35:00.000-08:00

It's been so damp and chilly this winter that I have worn a scarf nearly every day. I have long wanted to make a t-shirt scarf and St. Patty's Day seemed like the perfect excuse! Now that it's done, I can tell it's going to be a favorite. Worn t-shirts are so snug and soft.

I thought for sure I'd easily find an Old Navy St. Patty's Day shirt, but alas there were none in any of the thrift stores I went to. Even so, I managed to find several t-shirts for just a few bucks.

This was a really easy project and I made it while watching a few TV shows.
First I cut an 8.5" X 11" sheet of freezer paper. Then I ironed it onto my t-shirts to make cutting the patches super easy. I reused the same piece of freezer paper for each patch. I lined up all my patches on the floor next to a scarf I already had to get the right length.

I decided to embellish some of the plain patches with cut outs. I used scraps of t-shirt with Wonder Under fusible web to iron them on. I made a lucky number 7, a shamrock and a horseshoe. I sewed two rows of patches and then sewed each side together. I sewed the front and back right to each other. No turning. The edges rolled a little and I like the casual effect.

This eagle patch isn't green, but since the eagle is our school mascot, I had to include it. I like that the scarf is decidedly "pinch proof" without being too St. Patrick's Day. I think I could get away wearing this past March 17th.

It's Green week at the CSI project!

Baby Gift for Ava

2011-02-19T17:59:00.000-08:00

My mother in law and sister in-law spend a week every summer at Viking Village in the Adirondacks. They decorate their cabin from top to bottom in watermelons. For many years I had my cherry kitchen. I am forever getting them watermelon things and they keep me supplied in all things cherry.

When this darling (perfect condition) Gymboree cherry dress jumped off the racks at me at Goodwill, I knew it was time to spread my cherry love to the next generation. Baby Ava may be surrounded by watermelons, but she can represent with the cherries.

First things first, I asked my sister in-law how she felt about used clothing. I seriously doubt this dress was ever worn. It is in mint condition, but you never know. People can be nervous about used clothing. She was fine with it.

I made some denim bloomers from this MADE tutorial. Easy peasy.

And some cherry-esq shoes from this tutorial. Squeel! I love these! By the way, I was in such a rush to get these off to the post office, I didn't have time to do any kind of photo shoot. I quickly posed in front of Cliff's Macbook camera.

Hey Ava, watermelon is fun, but cherries are so cheery! Is there anything cuter than a onesie? Yes, a onesie with a cute applique.

This is the face I'd like to make for my niece. Do you think babies can focus in on Skype? Doll inspired by this tutorial.

So there you have it. One thrifted dress inspired an entire shower gift!

Check out other frugal projects at Frugal Friday!
Also, I am going to try for this:

Heart to Heart Valentines Swap

2011-02-07T22:59:00.000-08:00

Once again this year I participated in the Heart to Heart Valentines Swap. I was pretty much stuck for ideas until I saw this post and learned how to make picture holders out of little metal tart tins. I just so happened to have 14 of the tart tins!

Here they are lined up like little soldiers. The photo is of my Aunt Janet and she is holding a quilled heart. The quote by ee cumings says, "I carry your heart, I carry it in my heart." I figure the recipients can use the photo holder for their own picture after Valentines is over. The hardest part was thinking of how to package them. I ended up using Gorilla tape to secure the wire underneath. It's less permanent than hot glue, but I figured if it all popped apart in transit it would be very simple to fix. Simply press everything back in place.

Today I received my package! Oh my word! The amazing stuff inside! I will let Sarah share it on her blog, but I do want to say thanks to all the creative talent that participated!

CSI Typography Contest II- Special Dates Glasses

2011-02-02T20:49:00.000-08:00

I made these glasses for Cliff for Christmas. The glasses are from Ikea.

I created stencils by using the Ellison press at school to punch out the numbers on labels. Then I filled the stencil with etching creme. I had to let the creme sit much longer than the directions said. I wonder if my bottle was expired? Anyway, they are pretty subtle but I love them. I love being reminded of these important dates.

The first one has our wedding date and the second one says, "11-15-85." I thought the year would be a dead giveaway, but Cliff couldn't remember the significance. And, that is how Christmas turned into a pop quiz for my dearest. (Truth be told, I had to consult my high school diary for that date, so maybe it wasn't so obvious after all.)

November 15, 1985 was our first first-date. I was 14 and Cliff was a senior. I was so sure my parents would never let me go on a date with a Senior. I had a huge crush on him and I thought it would be fun to see their reaction. So, I told them, "I have a date with a Senior." and waited for the chips to fall. The joke was on me. My mother said, "Oh, we know his parents. They are way more strict than us. You can go."

We went on a few dates and that was it until 1-1-01 which apparently is in the dishwasher.

This is another entry for the CSI Typography Contest.

Hope you are having a great day!

CSI Typography Contest

2011-02-02T19:57:00.000-08:00

I spent last weekend at the Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) convention. I was helping out at the Quilled Creations booth most of the time, but I did get around to many of the other vendors. From across the room I saw this red head and I thought, "Hey! I know her!" Sure enough, it was Beckie from Infarrantly Creative. (And, I actually don't "know" her, but I do read her blog everyday so I feel like I know her.) Anyway, we started chatting and bonded a bit over our love for transforming junk.

Beckie told me she was super busy getting sponsors for her various blog projects and she wasn't kidding! Look at this prize package for this week's CSI Project!

I am fixing to do another special typography project soon, but I don't think it will be done by Friday noon. So I am tossing my hat in the ring with this favorite project. It was a special love note for Cliff.

When I saw this great quote art on Ohdeedoh I started looking for the right canvas to make our own quote art.

I found this frame for just $4 at a local thrift store. It looked like it was a framed canvas. However, when I took it apart it was just a thick frame and a thin fabric wrapped cardboard.

It was perfect for this project! I recently saw someone who used a cut up book to make a text mosaic and loved the idea for the background. Perfect since my husband is a writer.

I used the Elison press at school to cut two old books into squares for the text mosaic. I used an old book of quotes and a book called Love and Glory. If you look close you can see lots of fun quotes, my name as one of the characters in Love and Glory and of course the word "love" many times. I chose the books mostly for their shades of age.

I used Modge Podge to glue the squares in an alternating pattern. I tried to select a variety of shades of yellowing.

Next I printed out a snippet of ee coming's poem i carry your heart printed in a large American Typewriter font. I scribbled with a dark pencil on the back to make carbon paper.

I secured it to the canvas with painters tape. This worked really well and did not damage the collage at all. I used a pen and pressed hard to trace the words.

I call this method the poor woman's Silhouette.

Next I used a Sharpie marker to fill in the letters. They are not perfect, but I am pleased with the overall effect.

I'd say it took two episodes of Glee (on Hulu) and two episodes of Dancing with the Stars to make this project. I can think of many other cool backgrounds. Perhaps a smaller photo or scrapbook paper.

I hope you didn't mind the repeat!

Ken Baily Inspired Painting

2011-01-27T21:37:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, while on vacation in Santa Fe, I discovered this little housewares store called Mindy & Clyde Cupboard Company.

Their signage had me at hello. How darling is that logo? The inside of this store is just as charming. Vintage dishes, tablecloths, and housewares galore. The owner was super friendly and we chatted about dogs and dishes. Anyway, I bought a planter just to get the bag! Then I proceeded to save the bag for the next 3 years. I always knew that I was going to "make something" out of it.

And, I finally did.

With the high ceilings and vast white in this apartment I knew I wanted something big and graphic for our one blank wall. I thought of a Ken Baily painting. They combine my love of advertising and dogs. That's when I remembered my Mindy & Clyde bag and I decided to make my own painting. First off, it's custom for our colors and the size of our space. Secondly this painting reminds me of our trip to Santa Fe. It was our best vacation to date.

So that is the sweet story behind our new "art" and now here are the behind the scenes details.

This jumbo sized painting started it's life as the backing of an IKEA Billy bookcase. After the move, I relegated that bookcase to our pantry closet. The backing was falling off, so I removed it and bolted the bookcase straight to the wall.

Not one to waste, I saved the 30" X 38"board specifically for an art piece for the dining area wall.

To give it the thickness of a real artist canvas I cut and nailed thin pine furring strips to the back.

Then I covered the whole thing with Modge Podge and manila paper from school. This gave it a bit of texture and covered the furring strips.

I painted a layer of red spray paint, a layer of brown left over kitchen paint, a layer of white spray primer
and finally a layer of Rust-oleum "Moss" spray paint. I sanded the whole thing down to give it a worn look.

You can see the texture and worn finish here.
To size the image I scanned the bag and turned the picture into a "pencil drawing" on Picnik.

Under the "properties" tab in the print menu there is a "page layout" tab. In that tab there is a multipage printing section which includes "poster printing." I used that function to print the picture to size. Then I taped all the pictures together.

I cut out the frame and colored heavily with a pencil on the back of the design. I traced over the entire design to transfer it to the "canvas." Next, I painted the design with acrylic paint. This had to be done in daylight as the lines were very faint and hard to see. During this stage, I was really wishing I had a Silhouette machine! (Although, now that it's done, I don't mind the uneven hand painted quality.)

When the painting was done, I sanded it down to distress it further.

These are all night time photos. I will update with some daylight pictures soon.

At just about $6 for the furring strips and spray paint, this project definitely qualifies for "Frugal Friday" at the Shabby Nest! I am off to check it out now! Have a great day!

Here is another party I am going to join. With this one I hope to win some really adorable baby shoes for one of my nieces to be. Also, amazing ideas! I've spent an hour browsing and added half a dozen projects to my to do list!

Love the CSI Project! Lots of great ideas there!

Tall Cloche for Valentines

2011-01-25T20:50:00.000-08:00

This weeks CSI theme is Valentines Day. I can not yet share my Heart to Heart Valentines Swap goodies and up until tonight I hadn't decorated for Valentines.

(Man! It's hard to light pictures at night.) Always one to join in on a creative challenge, I decided to combine some household elements to make a tall cloche.

This pile includes my juice glass mini cloche, a coaster, a candle stick, moss, ribbon, and my grandparent's house key. That luscious two toned ribbon was my favorite part of a bath soap gift. Beautiful ribbon, you are a gift that keeps on giving. The juice glass cloche is just an upside down juice glass with a wooden knob glued on top. I set it on a coaster or a saucer. Voila! A cloche.

The heart is an eraser. It was probably was confiscated some Valentines gone by. If classroom tools become toys, I take them. Then they become decor. LOL!

Everything is just layered together. Some Quake Hold keeps the coaster and the candlestick secured temporarily. I don't want to make permanent decorations for Valentines. I simply do not want to have to store more single use stuff.

The Complete Works of Shakespeare is symbolic of love. It gives height and a dash of red to this grouping. Along side it are a wedding picture, a bowl of heart shaped rocks and a small apothecary jar with Mardi Gras beads.

I love this elevated cloche so much I am scheming about other vases and candlesticks that might be temporarily commissioned.

So what are you up to this week?

More Bits And Bobs Crafting

2011-01-23T21:45:00.000-08:00

I made another photo holder. This time it's for me! I have been having a great time crafting for my own home the last few months. It has been a long time since I needed anything. So gift and swap crafting was my mainstay.

Anyway, there is nothing too remarkable about this project. It's a scrap of wood, a metal plate from HD, a wooden base, knob and two wooden spools. I used some antiquing medium mixed with leftover kitchen paint to get just the right brown for the glaze.

The magnet is kinda cute. It was a tiny knob from some dresser drawer many play kitchens ago. I jammed it into a mini bobbin sized spool and glued a magnet onto the back.

Happy Monday!

Ana White Full Sized Storage Bed with Out of the (Crayon) Box Modifications

2011-01-17T22:41:00.000-08:00

This weekend my dad and I built the full sized storage bed from Ana White's Blog. I really love the deep cubbyholes of the twin sized storage daybed and was disappointed with the smaller (12"X12") cubbyholes on the full sized storage bed. So with the help of my dad we came up with a plan to modify Ana's plan to suit my desire for bigger cubbyholes. We also figured out a way to save a few dollars and a whole lot of time!

We Used Thicker Wood
OK, this is the Ana's original drawing. It calls for 1X12 boards which are then trimmed out with 1X2's. We found that the 1X2X8 boards were quite a bit cheaper and the thicker boards actually didn't require trim. At my Orange store the 1"X12"X8' boards were $14.95. However, the 2"X12"x 8' boards were only $8.43. That was our first change and it would have been a $39 savings! I say, "would have been" because 2" X 12" boards are very heavy and while loading them on to our cart, we neglected to notice we chose 2"X12"X10' boards which were actually $10.54. So our savings on the boards was actually about $26. We ended up with quite a bit of extra wood. No worries there, I will use it!

As soon as we started building the boxes, we realized that with the thicker wood, there really is no need to add the 1"X2" trim. It is not needed for stability and it's really not needed for looks either. That right there had me jumping for joy! I was dreading all the miter saw cutting that the trim would have required. This also saved me about $7 in trim.

Another savings move was the decision to use OSB instead of plywood for the backs of the cubbyholes. Once everything is painted, nobody will be the wiser. The cheapest grade of plywood was $13. OSB cost about $8. Only $5 difference, but hey, every penny counts.

We Made The Side Cubbyholes Deeper

This is my clumsy illustration of our changes. Basically those black stripes are 2"X6" boards. We actually made 2"X6" boxes and attached them to the bigger 2"X12" boxes to create finished cubbyholes with a depth of 17".

We used some OSB scraps to attach them on the bottom.

We used some 1"X 1" square dowel to attach the two "boxes" on top.

This shows the side cabinet stacked on top of the end cabinet. You can see the "2X6" and 2"X12" parts joined together. It is super strong and frankly, this whole addition is hidden inside the bed and under the mattress.

*Quick tip- My wood was damp. It was so slight that I didn't really notice it, but then when I laid my mattress down, it got damp. So we had a fan in there to dry it for a bit.

That's deep!

Divider Modifications
Another modification is pictured above. We placed the center divider half way in so that both the 2"X6" and the 2"X12" could be screwed into the support. I could have used a 2"X6" piece behind the 2"X 12" divider to make it flush to the front, but I didn't mind that it was set back or that there was a little space open behind the divider. Frankly it was getting late and I wanted the job done. We actually left the divider out of the end cubbyhole altogether. With the thicker boards we felt it was plenty strong enough to go without the divider.

Helpful Trick

The bottom of the boxes is elevated 3/4" off the ground. So my dad and I built the top and two sides first. With it sitting bottoms up on the bench, we used the cubby dividers tp perfectly support and position that bottom board as we screwed it in.

That is just the kind of trick someone with experience can teach you! Thanks Dad!

Finishing Plans

I plan to sand and paint this bad boy over spring break, or maybe even summer vacation. It's going to be a lot of work and right now I need to concentrate on school. In the mean time, my father suggested using Gorilla tape over the rough spots to protect the mattress bottom from tears. I also covered a lot of the screws that are on top. Better safe than sorry.

Another detail that I want to take care of is the side of the bottom cubby. You can see where the OSB is. I am thinking about getting some thin trim about the depth of a paint stirrer and framing out that one side.

Too bad this picture is staged. My dad is actually on a red eye back to Florida right now. The bed was finished just before they left.

Final Analysis:
Pros
- Easy to follow -easy to modify pattern from Ana White
-Using the 2" thick boards made for a very sturdy bed & saved some time and money on trim
-Modifying the side cubbyholes to make them deeper really adds even more functionality to the bed
-Very fun bonding time with my dad.
-Lots of DIY satisfaction

Cons
2" boards are super heavy. This is a two person job. Even shopping was a two person job.
Because of our changes and price comparing etc...shopping at Orange for our supplies took a long time.
We should have deducted 2" off the width of the bed. Not a big deal really, but in an apartment every inch counts.
2" boards and OSB will require more sanding and prep work before painting.

After I make some returns of finishing nails, extra boards, and a miter saw I never used, the cost (before paint) is $121.64.

Oh! And CA residents, I used a coupon for OSH and they honored it! So I saved about $30 after three trips through the checkout.

I definitely caught the building bug! Sadly, I have a ton of furniture and don't need anything else right now.

Do you have any building plans right now? Do share!

Building With My Dad

2011-01-15T16:21:00.000-08:00

My parents are in town! Cliff took my mom to an Indian lunch and the Indian art exhibit at LACMA. I am building Ana White's Full Size Storage Bed with my dad!

Pretty much a perfect day.

Shower Gifts & My Chinooky Bathroom

2011-01-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

It has been fun to find new places for my things in the new place.

This is my shower curtain. It was a shower gift and I still really love it. In fact, I still really love most of the things I registered for seven years ago and very little is changing in our new place. My mom used gifts from her shower/ wedding for years and years. I remember registering and thinking, "I need to like these things for a long time." Just a little pressure. So anyway, I am really grateful that I do still like my choices.

And now, for the first time, I get to paint!

Here are my towels and a few paint samples from the Dutch Boy line at OSH. Although I love the green, I tend to favor warm colors. My towels are an almost perfect match with the "Velvety" color on the right. However, I decided to be less matchy and go with the dark salmon colored "Chinooky" in the middle. It is a bit more orange than the color in the shower curtain, but it is close. I have so much red all through the apartment, I wanted to do something related, but just a touch different.

This is a really moody color. It changes a lot with the light. Here it looks more orange/brown. Also, I ran out of paint before I did a second coat. It really needs a second coat, but that will have to wait until summer at this point. It is good enough for now.

The curtain was hacked by hot gluing/Gorilla taping three napkins to a scrap board. A while back, I got the wood at HD in their scrap section for $1. It just so happened to be about 2" longer than the window. Also, the board adds just enough length to the napkins. This was truly made up as I went along. (My favorite way of doing things.)

These napkins were never really used because they require *so much* ironing. I figure they will be steamed daily in here.

Before and After

As I am the curious type, I looked up the name "Chinooky." Since it is part of the "California Colors" my guess was that it was going to be a type of wine. I was wrong. It is a kind of salmon or a type of wind. Both named after the Chinook native people from the Pacific Northwest.

Apparently, the Chinook winds create some pretty amazing sunsets.

A little decorating and a little learning- not bad for a days work.

Hope you are enjoying your day!

PS: I am linking up to Frugal Friday with The Shabby Nest because this makeover cost me a whopping $12 for the paint and $1 for the board!

Fan Mail

2011-01-10T19:55:00.000-08:00

After 14 days all comments go to comment moderation. This came to me for approval today and it made me laugh out loud. At first I pressed "publish" and then I decided that a gem like this deserves it's own post.

Dave said...: Dear god you managed to paint a very small kitchen appliance with black paint and everyone thinks you are a cross between Rodin and L da Vinci. And just look at the intellectual brilliance of the comments of your followers. Quote - Okay, you TOTALLY sprayed that crock pot! It looks awesome! endquote. I think you need to get out more and perhaps learn to appreciate slightly more challenging projects. By the way projects cannot be "on hiatus" - first of all hiatus is a noun and secondly.... oh I just can't be bothered to suggest how you might learn to write grammatically correct and logical English. Toodle pip - perhaps next time you could write up "How I tied pretty ribbons around my saucepan handles"
What a funny crack about my crock. Toodle pip! The original crock pot painting post is here.

Rainy Day Crafting-Fabric Twist Ties

2011-01-08T05:11:00.000-08:00

There has been a lot of cold rain here in LA lately-perfect for indoor crafting.

First up, the Fabric Twist Ties from my Crafty Goals list.

True to my form, I didn't follow the lovely tutorial and used what I had. The tutorial calls for fabric glue, but I used heavy duty fusible web. The thin wire came from the dollar store.

Basically, you just sandwich the wire between two layers of fabric each with fusible webbing ironed on.

I bent the end of the wire so that it wouldn't be sharp. I didn't measure and made an assortment of sizes.

The official tutorial has a template to get pretty leaf shaped endings. I used pinking shears and winged it. I had fun coming up with coordinating scraps. In a matter of minutes I had made a half dozen of these to stock my gift wrap drawer.

Wishing you a happy day!

Another Monkey

2011-01-07T06:02:00.000-08:00

From the first "we're pregnant" I was chomping at the bit to make this gift for my brother's daughter Sweet Pea. If you have read this blog for any length of time, you have read about my beloved Lady Monkey. According to the standards outlined in The Velvetine Rabbit, Lady Monkey ~~was~~ is "real."

Obviously, there is no other first gift to be had!

When I spotted this outfit at Target, it was all decided. A matched set was in order.

I used my favorite Molly Monkey pattern with several modifications. First off, I reduced the size to 75%. I also freezer paper stenciled the face to better match the bib.

I hate the way my hand stitching looks so I made some sleeves to cover that up on the arms. I used my new ruffle foot to make the ruffle. It was a challenge, but I am satisfied with how it turned out.

Maybe I went a little too big on the ears? (The better to hear you with my dear!) I only wish I had put some plastic bag inside to make them crinkle. Oh well. The flower is to match the bib and to cover up how lopsided I sewed her head. I used some pink polyester fabric-the kind that might line a skirt. I cut it into four circles for the petals and then seared the edges with a flame. Instead of a button for the center, I used a bit of white fleece. The original Lady Monkey still has real button eyes that have been safely in place for.... a long time, but I didn't want to take any chances. (We were living dangerously in the 70's, huh? LOL)

I also made the tail long and skinny like my Lady Monkey. (The better to swing you with my dear.) The last intentional modification is the sewn on shoes. How about that wide legged stance? Not sure what I was thinking while sewing. It does help her sit nicely though.

Let's just say she's a dancer. Of course, there is no way to predict which toy will become the most favorite of all, but I think this one might just have a fighting chance.

Did you have a toy that was "real"?

Beachy Yellow Bathroom Reveal

2011-01-05T18:01:00.000-08:00

Well, it's bold and cheery.

Featured is one of my California orange crate labels and several family beach/lake photos. This one is my favorite.

That is my Grandma Mary and her sister in Florida. You can just see the rainbow behind them. Right next to it, I have a nearly identical picture of my mom and her sister at the same beach.

Here is the before. (This is actually the other bathroom, but they were exactly the same.) White, sterile, cold.

Hanging my cabana striped shower curtain to conceal the shower door helps a lot.

I used Dutch Boy Refresh in Banana Split.

A Curious Thing About Purdy Paintbrushes

2011-01-05T06:35:00.000-08:00

It turns out, I am a bit like Curious George...

Like a monkey I balanced with one foot on the tub edge and the other wedged in the soap dish. I used my right hand to grip the shower door behind me. And painted with my left hand! Cutting in with no tape even! I was nearly done when I realized my ambidextrous ways. I was so pleased with myself that I called the Man With The Yellow Bathroom to take a picture.

Dang! Those Purdy paint brushes are good!

The color is Banana Split by Dutch Boy Refresh which just made me feel all the more monkey.

Hope you are having some fun today!

White Shanty Frames from the Junk Drawer

2011-01-04T05:03:00.000-08:00

This week the theme for the CSI Project is "White."

Here are my two contributions.

I am sure many of you read Shanty 2 Chic and have seen their wooden frames. This was my take on their idea. I gathered up a whole bunch of junk and got creating.

Rather than use clothespins or clips to hold the picture; I added metal plates to make them magnetic. The metal plates came from the roofing section of HD and were about $0.60 each. I used Gorilla Glue to secure everything and sprayed it all with spray paint from my stash.

First up, the most traditionally "Shanty 2 Chic" style. I used a little round "bun foot" thing I had for the base and it worked great. I love the flower magnet and the covered button magnet. Covered buttons are on my list of favorite sewing things. So much fun. This frame was for my sister-in-law, so I made it extra girly to hold a picture of my soon to be niece.

Next up, one for my mother-in-law. For this one I used an old drawer handle. It was rescued from one of the play kitchen drawers. A bit of sanding revealed the brass underneath in a lovely chippy way. The handle makes this really front heavy, so it will have to hang on the wall or stand in an easel. I used an old heart locket for the magnet.

As soon as it warms up enough to spray paint I plan on making one for myself. Can you believe that it is too cold in LA to spray paint?

What junk do you have in that junk drawer that could be put to better use?

Matrioshka Doll Tutorial

2011-01-04T05:00:00.000-08:00

Materials:
Pattern
Page 2
Bottom weight fabric for the body. I used twill, but corduroy or denim would also work well.
Assorted other fabrics for the face, hair, flower, and scarf. I tried to use a variety of textures that a baby would enjoy touching.
A pill bottle for the noise maker inside.
Assorted dodads to make noise. I used wooden beads and metal screws.
Gorilla tape to seal the bottle closed.
A plastic lid to make the bottom flat.
Thread & embroidery thread.
Needle, pins, etc...

1. Cut out all of the pieces.

2. Use a pencil or washable marker to lightly draw the face. Embroider the face with a simple back stitch.

3. Sew each layer on. It may be helpful to use a light fusible web. I didn't have any, so I just sewed each layer as smoothly as I could. Use a satin or zigzag stitch if you are worried about fraying edges.

4. If you would like ribbon "taggies" pin them in place now.

5. With right sides facing sew around the top and sides. Leave the bottom open.

6. Pin bottom piece in place and carefully sew around it leaving an opening for turning. *Be sure to start machine stitching on the side and stitch across the front so that your neat machine stitching is in the front and the hand stitching is in the back.

This is probably the most challenging step.

7. Turn the doll right side out and finger press the seams.

8. Stuff doll with polyfill. Fill an old pill bottle with noise making stuff and seal it well with Gorilla tape. Burrow a hole in the stuffing with your finger and insert the pill bottle. Add more stuffing.

9. Cut a circle from a cheap plastic container to make the bottom stand. I made my circle just a little smaller than the pattern circle. Using plastic lids etc... makes this doll machine washable. Insert this into the hole. Stitch the hole closed. Viola! You are done!

These ladies are made using the pattern at 100%. How cute would it be to print the pattern in three sizes and make a graduated row of these!

This is only my second time drafting a pattern, so I welcome questions or comments!

Today I am linking up to Tutorial Tuesday and I am going to throw my hat into the ring for the Crafting with the Stars competition.

For Baby Petal

2011-01-03T10:09:00.000-08:00

This is the set for Baby Petal's nursery:

I think I did a pretty good job matching the pattern with scraps from my stash.

I don't think Petal's mama reads my blog, but if you do... Cheers!
Matryoshka Rattle tutorial coming tomorrow!

Craigslist Bench- A Creative Process

2011-01-02T05:51:00.000-08:00

With great parking in this neighborhood we decided that we could go big for our annual post holiday party. Our only limitation is seating.

One solution was to buy this bench on craigslist. For $20 we have some extra seating for inside that we can store outside when not in use. It's in perfect condition and buying it couldn't have been easier.

For starters, I searched for it using "Craigs Easy." Using this program makes trolling craigslist one of my favorite pastimes! When we went to get the bench, both Cliff and I bent at our knees and prepared to share the load. The seller chuckled. The whole thing weighs maybe 20 pounds total. Bonus!

Now for the fun part- the fabric! My first thought was to switch up the fabric to something of the indoor/outdoor variety. The legs look black because of the lighting, but in real life they are a very blue pewter color.

With a quick online search I found a few I liked. I adored this Suzanne outdoor fabric from HancockFabrics. It has all the right colors for our living room and is bold and modern. However, we plan to store the bench next to our front door and this might be too busy for out there. Also, maybe it was too busy with the scroll work on the bench.

At Joannes I found a couple of prints that worked better with the bench, but was still hesitant. I took that as a sign I should hold out.

I am learning to listen and obey my hesitant feelings. That little whisper that says, "not yet."

I am so glad I did! Christmas day, after a debacle at the airport, we came home to wait for our re-booked flight. I had to tackle a project to beat the homesick blues. Digging through my fabric pile I found the red fabric from my kitchen curtain project.

Still thinking of this Suzanne fabric, I placed it on the bench to see how a bold print looks with the scroll work. (Terrible.) That's when I got the idea to create a slip cover to hide the scroll work.

I made a simple slipcover with that very curtain fabric I already had in my stash. Right now we like it enough that it may just stay inside permanently. If we change our minds though, I can get all weather fabric (or maybe a vinyl tablecloth) that matches our exterior better for the bench and just use the slipcover for inside.

From pretty, but too delicate to bright and bold in a few easy steps!

We are back from our holiday travels now. It's so good to go away, and even better to come home!
How was your holiday?

I've linked up!. Lots of inspiration over at the DIY Showoff!

Craft Goals for 2011

2010-12-30T07:40:00.000-08:00

My google reader page runneth over with "Stared" items. It's so easy to say, "Oooh I'd like to make that and just click, "star". How many do I actually get to?

I decided to kill some time before Christmas (when I should have been cleaning or packing) going through those projects. Many no longer inspire me and I was able to delete them. Many more made this overly ambitious list. Here are a few of the projects I hope to tackle in 2011.

Just for fun:
Hello Kitty Floral bouquet from Zakka Life.
Modern Garland by Sweet Sweet Life
This is the year I make a Dia De Los Muertos shrine.
Patchwork string and fabric twist ties
Jewelry Organizer
Cherry Blossom Branch
Now that I have a ruffler foot, maybe I'll make a petticoat.
Or maybe this skirt.
Love these twig pushpins!

Smaller Projects
One Word Canvas - By Joy's Hope

Sewing Machine Cover
Felt PB Knockoff Pillows - Someday Crafts
Copy Cat Scarf by Cluck Cluck Sew
I still love this Scrap Buster Fall Pillow. It was on my 2010 list too.

Christmas & Gift Ideas
Silent Night Pillows-The Shabby Nest
KitchenAid Mixer Cover-by Heart of Mary
Magnet Gift Tags- Tatertots & Jello
Giant Craft Stick Snowflakes

Bigger Projects

A headboard for us.

I loved this Roadkill Rescue at the time, but I am not feeling it in our new apartment. I am searching craigslist and also considering some DIY options like:
DIY Fabric Covered Headboard
Scrap Wood Headboard
Simple Tufted Headboard

Slipcover a chair ala Shelly

Getting a pup! And, if you give a girl a puppy she will need to make it a a dog bed! ( I have a curbside end table ready to got! A coat! And a leash!
We hope to adopt a shelter dog this year. I'd love to get a Chiweenie. We'll see!

I'd like to make this bed for the guest room when my dad is here in January.

Auntie Projects
Pleated Baby Mary Janes
Baby Kimono Wrap- Sew Mama Sew
Family Member Magnets or some variation of this theme.

Well, that is a pretty extensive list. Who knows what I will actually make. Do you have any particular craft ambitions for 2011?

Last Minute Matryoshka Rattle Doll

2010-12-22T07:43:00.000-08:00

It's a softie, rattle, taggie Matryoshka dolly! This dolly looks almost like I envisioned it. I have plans to revise the pattern a bit and do a full tutorial. In the meantime, I will share the creative process.

This is an idea I have been contemplating since I made these Matryoshka Valentines. (Hard to believe that was nearly two years ago now!) Those Valentines were inspired by the beautiful Matryoshka set that my inlaws bought us on their trip to Russia.

In other related news, I am going to be an aunt for the first time! Actually for the first time on both sides. Cliff's sister and my brother are both expecting their first daughters this spring. And, my cousin is also due at that same time. Three new baby girls within weeks of each other.

The first up, due in March is baby AJ. And, although my niece is not yet born, I felt a little something, something was in order this Christmas. Plus, I just got a new sewing machine! Try to hold me back!

The face was ~~heavily inspired~~ copied from this photo/blog that I discovered via flickr. For the first time ever, I drafted my own pattern. I did use the Noah pattern from the Woman's Day Book of Soft Toys & Dolls for some guidance.

Here is an early prototype. It was cute, but the blue satin started to pull out and fray after turning. Plus, it kind of looked like a Virgin Mary Matryoshka.

So, I redrafted the pattern to be considerably larger and less religious. I also skipped satin and instead added a ribbon taggie for that smooth feel. For other texture I used a bit of velvet ribbon and a minky heart.

My "ah ha" idea was to use an empty hotel sample bottle filled with assorted beads etc... for a rattle.

To make it safer and totally washer friendly-I sealed the bottle well with Gorilla tape. Then I bore a hole in the stuffing and jammed it in so that it was pretty evenly surrounded by stuffing.

I used the lid of a cheap Gladware type container to stabilize the bottom.

I like how simple and sweet this is. However, I also have plans to do fancier versions. More to come!

In the meantime, Merry Christmas! I hope the spirit of the season is with you. I hope that you are warm and dry and with the ones you love.

I am linking up at Free Pretty Things today. Stop by to check it all out!

Tween Gift

2010-12-20T00:10:00.000-08:00

I was so inspired this neighbor gift of Wordle decorated hot cocoa cans. I switched it up a bit to fit my 5th grade volunteers. Instead of cocoa I found these Dorito cans at the 99 Cents Only store.

I loved making this project. I especially loved the fact that I was able to give my tween volunteers a small fun gift and words of encouragement.

Stash Bust Before A Move

2010-12-18T09:45:00.000-08:00

So about a month before I moved my colleague from the kindergarten requested a play kitchen for her class. It just so happens that I had a curbside end table in waiting. How can I refuse the littlest kinders at Our Fair School?
Bonus motivation: Not having to move the curbside find!

From this:

To this- in the middle of packing!

Sometimes I make Cliff nuts.

I finished a week before the move. In fact, by the time I got to adding the curtain, I had packed up all my fabric. I ended up buying a $ store valance which was super easy and worked great.

While not my best work, this was the easiest kitchen to make by far. The bookshelf like design of this cabinet was perfect. I had everything on hand, so this was fast and cheap. I used two Ikea frames with plastic for the stove window. I ended up using shampoo caps for the knobs. Even the paint was the free Glidden paint from their last round of giveaways.

The Universe must have appreciated my efforts because today right by my parked car was another little end table! Easy go easy come.

2nd Annual Christmas Cookie Compromise

2010-12-16T21:35:00.000-08:00

I always have the most grand of intentions when it comes to baking for the Crayons. I wanted to make these amazing melting snowmen cookies from Crazy Domestic. The above pictures are the compromise. I am so dog tired; I am going to bed and leaving these snowmen with no scarves or arms.

This year though, I won't worry because Christmas is not about perfection and learned that last year with the blind brownie reindeer.

Parent Volunteer Gifts

2010-12-13T04:00:00.000-08:00

This year I am blessed with several parents who volunteer each week. Since this is pretty rare at my school, I want them to know just how appreciated they are. This Christmasy silhouette was my personal and budget friendly solution.

First, I edited a picture of my student in Picnik and changed the picture into a "pencil drawing." Then I printed the picture out and taped it to the green paper with double sided tape. Next, I cut out the silhouette and used mounting tape to tape it to layers of scrapbook paper. A dollar store frame and it's ready for giving. So easy!

Christmas Tour

2010-12-12T20:32:00.000-08:00

Since we just moved a month ago the Christmas Tour of Homes is a perfect opportunity to share my new apartment. Welcome!

Come on in! Smooch the one you love under the mistletoe!

Walk down the entry hall past my empty (boo hoo) laundry closet. I better get cracking with my Christmas cards so that everyone will have my new address.

Our freshly painted kitchen.

Be sure to have some wassail!

Low calorie apothecary jars.

A very simple mantel. I noticed that lots of us are feeling a simple vibe this year. The stockings are hung with care.

My dollar store star.

It wouldn't be a visit to my home without some sort of crafty mess in progress!

I hope you enjoyed the tour!

Welcome to 306

2010-12-11T17:13:00.000-08:00

I finally have a pretty front door! After a good scrub and some embellishment that is. Who paints a front door with flat paint? Landlords that's who! Anyway,it's not poopy brown so I am happy!

This is my "make do or do without" door decor. With all the things we need for the new place, I decided no new Christmas decorations. At first I planned to use my ice skates, but they just looked really blah against the white. When I saw Pink Postcard's bike basket door decor, I knew just what to do.

Everything except the greens came from my stash.The greens were scattered cast offs at the tree lot down the street. (There are Christmas tree lots about two blocks away in both directions. It's so Christmas in the city over here. Love the neighborhood.)

The box thing got a fresh papering. Note to self: learn to get bolder. All this stark white paint washes colors out.

My first aha moment was when I realized I could hot glue candy canes to chopsticks to give them some height. My second aha moment was when I realized that I could tie the bow to a stick and stick it in there too. I only wish I had thought to hot glue the candy canes to real pine bough sticks. They would have blended in better.

Simple, cheap and cheery!

I am linking up (a day late and a dollar saved!) to Shabby Nest's Frugal Friday.

Picture Ledges

2010-12-07T22:12:00.000-08:00

It's late and dark, but I had to join in with the Shanty Sister's "Made it Without My Hubby" party.

I made two more PB knock off photo ledges.

Whew it is dark! Maybe tomorrow I will have time to swap out these dimly lit pictures for something better.

Again the directions came from Ana White's amazing site of DIY woodworking plans. We have very little wall space for displaying art or photos in the new place. Too many closets and windows. What a happy problem! These simple ledges will make it easy and fun to enjoy all our little photos and tchotchkes. They fit this hallway space perfectly and just stick out a teeny bit past the doorway molding.

Right now they are decorated for Christmas. But, since we haven't figured out where we are going to store our pictures when not in rotation, I decided to play around and stage some other seasonal displays. Maybe a few good luck symbols the New Year. Still love my framed engagement day calendar page.

Perhaps I will do something like this for our anniversary in July. Some wedding pictures, our invitation, and our cake topper salt and pepper shakers.

I still have a couple more ledges to make since Cliff has ordered up a set for his office.

Off to Shanty 2 Chic to check out the other projects!

Have a great Wednesday!

Looks Great- Less Filling

2010-12-02T21:44:00.000-08:00

Last year I set up this little candy bar for my family. We loved it. I loved it. Probably too much. I should own stock in Trader Joes because of Candy Cane Joe Joes alone.

Anyway, this year I have been part of a walking club at work. I get to work by 6:30 to walk the "track" with my colleagues before school. I bet we are up to two miles a morning now. As early as it is, I do feel more energetic and prepared for the stresses of the day when we walk. Also, I got myself some fake Sketchers Shape Ups. (Mine are the LA Gear "Walk N Tones" and I got them for about $26 at Broadway Shoes.) They work! I definitely feel the "burn" after a good walk. At first I could only wear them for a few hours, but now I wear them all day and love them.

Needless to say, I don't want to sabotage all my walking efforts with an adorable, deliciously fun, hard to refuse candy bar in my very own home. So, this year I stocked my pretty jars with beads, ornaments and stale peppermints from last year. Eye candy, that's what you get at my home this year.

Christmas Craft Contest Sign

2010-12-02T21:07:00.000-08:00

Nothing gets my creative juices going like a craft contest. This week's contest at Poppies at Play is for signs or wreaths.

A few years ago I started having friends over for a little post Christmas celebration. I made a big pot of wassail. It made our little apartment smell so good and inviting. Back in NJ wassail was a staple at the annual Christmas party, but none of my CA friends had ever heard of it. Everyone loved it. Our friend Chad declared the wassail to be "Christmas in a cup!" The name has stuck and now I get requests for "Christmas in a cup."

This sign kind of evolved as I went along. I had many larger designs, but when I unpacked a box of crafty bits and bobs and found this $ store plaque, I knew small and sweet was the way to go. I printed out the text and the cup image (from a Google search) and simply transferred it to the wooden oval by tracing hard on the paper with a ball point pen. Then I painted in the indented letters and design with a teeny tiny brush and my Americana Craft Paints.

I used some crackle finish and some Antiquing Medium.

I toyed with a variety of ribbon hangers or wooden stands, but ended up taping a magnet to the back and calling it "good." Love that Gorilla Tape!

It definitely looks homemade. (Alas, I didn't win a Silhouette Machine.)

Still, I love it. It reminds me of good times with good friends. I can hardly wait for my friends to come over and see it.

In the meantime, my new sign can hang out on the fridge.
Be sure to head over to Poppies at Play to see all the other wreaths and signs. Happy Friday!

Let's Talk Curtains

2010-12-01T16:55:00.000-08:00

This is the first of potentially three curtains I could make for the kitchen. I went to Michael Levine's downtown in search of just the right curtain fabric. After hours of wandering around with my paint chip, I found dozens that were good; but narrowed it down to three I really liked. (And a few I might get at another time.) This one was Cliff's favorite. It's called "Caitlin Blooms" by Alexander Henry

( This is totally off topic, but I see the floor mat in the picture and want to mention that it is a totally cushy knock off of those gel chef mats. I got it at Home Depot for a song and it feels so good! Now back to regularly scheduled programing.)

I made up the faux Roman shade as I went along. Basically, I made a big rectangle with a lining. Next I folded the fabric while lying on the floor to look like a Roman shade and pinned everything in place. Then I top stitched across the curtain to secure the folds. I am sure those directions are about as clear as mud.

Anyway, I am not totally in love. I like the scale and print. I like that it injects bright colors into the room. But I miss having red.

Just for fun I pinned up the other fabrics for you to see and weigh in on.

First up is the red print I brought home. It is called "Panache" by Sanae for Moda.

It is the right scale, has red, white, brown and blue, which I really like. Alas, I have to agree with Cliff, the red is just too dark next to the brown. I have been thinking of adding a very tailored white edge all the way around the edge to make it pop more from the wall. If I do that, I might stretch and actually make a real working Roman shade.

The last fabric I brought home is so pretty in person. It has all the right colors and a nice light background.

But as you can see, when it's on the wall, the print is just lost against the bold brown. I wish I could enlarge this very print. That would be *perfect*. No worries, I am sure I can come up with lots of great things to make from the extra fabric.

Just for fun, I thought I'd share this curtain rod hack. I had this tiny rod that matched the hinges on our cabinets perfectly, but it was too short. So I took some bamboo garden stakes I had and some Gorilla Tape and jerry rigged a longer rod.

Who wants to buy a new curtain rod at Christmas time? Make do, I say!

Pipe Dream Before & After

2010-11-30T16:54:00.000-08:00

Thanks for all the kitchen kindness! It's been really rewarding reading the comments. Since you know, the cupboards aren't exactly speaking up to say thanks. And they really should! It was a huge job! But the one who owes me big time is Mr. Lincoln- the bizarre stove pipe. He was a hot mess.

Before: The Challenges
1. Big metal stove pipe that makes me think of Ma Ingles or Abe Lincoln.

2. Does anyone know what the weird plastic cups hanging off my range hood were for? I have this fear that they are grease catchers or something and one day I am going to regret taking them off. Seriously.

3.Duct tape. I love duct tape. I even used Gorilla brand duct tape on my headboard. Still, duct tape is like a good bra, it needs to work behind the scenes. I don't know the root problem, but I am going to trust that the duct tape is doing it's job and leave it alone.

Middle: It's already looking better.

While painting up here I noticed that it looked like there may have been a cupboard up here to conceal the pipe. Perhaps it was cut out to fix the pipe or something. Or maybe the cupboard was destroyed to make room for the pipe. I find it kind of creepy.

Getting Better: Can you see what I did?

I went and got a $3 piece of molding from Home Depot. I had them cut it to the exact measurement. The cupboard wasn't cut evenly so it turned out to be such a tight fit I didn't even need to screw or glue it in place. I used some wood filler to fill in the gaps and cracks and painted it up.

Now for the fun stuff. That spot right above the stove is the only wall space to decorate in the whole kitchen. I had several choices for art, but couldn't choose just one. Ana White $10 Ledge to the rescue!

Now I can change out pictures, salt and pepper shakers and so on. The folks at Home Depot cut the wood for me, then all I did was screw it together, paint and screw it into the wall. Truly a very easy project. I have the wood in my trunk to make three more this weekend.

Ah, so much better!

Future plan: Spray paint the top "control panel" where the clock an and timer are. It will have to wait until summer, but the scratches (mostly concealed by my teapot) are bringing down my high rent makeover!

Just one more kitchen post tomorrow and then I'll let it rest. Promise.

I am linking this up to the January Before and After Party at Thrifty Decor Chick because it still is my favorite "before and after" in the new place!

Let's Talk About Dutch Boy Refresh Paint

2010-11-29T16:10:00.000-08:00

Way back when I painted this coffee table the people who represent Dutch Boy Paint contacted me and asked me if I would be interested in reviewing the Refresh line. Sure. The only problem is that at my other apartment I couldn't paint. I had a big plan to give the paint to my friend who just bought a condo. I'm so proud of her and all of her achievements. She is a remarkable person and I would love to help her paint. Of course, the you know what happens to the best laid plans. Life is just so daily! Whew!

Anyway, who knew I would soon be in a new place where I could paint?!

Paint I did. Like I said yesterday the brown and white scheme was inspired by my favorite striped shirt. I loved the "Beach House Brown" when I painted Michelle's coffee table and knew pretty much from the first moment I saw that kitchen I wanted to go with that color.

Here's the funny thing, it's not on the Dutch Boy web site at all. Orchard Supply Hardware (OSH) has it as part of their "California Collection." Maybe it's a special deal with OSH?

Enough about colors. All paint comes in colors!

Moving on to the really important thing: No VOC! The Refresh line has all sorts of features that make it "green." This is important to me because Cliff suffers from migraines and they had been especially bad right after the move. We suspect it may have been that the whole place was just freshly painted. I was a bit concerned to start painting, but the smell didn't bother him at all. Frankly, I couldn't smell anything. You can read more about the environmental advantages of Refresh here.

Now, I have to be honest. I am not all that brand loyal. Oh sure, I prefer Crest and Tide, but if Colgate or Era are on sale...well, I'll cross that aisle to save a nickle. There is a reason however, that I will be loyal to Dutch Boy and it's not the paint. It's the can!

I am pretty sure a woman designed this can because it is so smart. First off it's recyclable, light weight plastic. It has a built in handle similar to a gallon of milk. No more skinny wire handle cutting into your hand.

It has a pour spout! Thank you! It's so much neater than a regular can. And the last feature that I love about the can is that it has a screw on lid. Again, thank you! I ended up using leftover paint for the cupboards and by the end of the week that pry off/ hammer on lid was a gunky, inefficient and annoying mess. Painting is enough of a chore without adding the can mess to the whole ordeal. The Dutch Boy can? Jug? It is the best!

Now, on to coverage. I was painting dark chocolate brown over stark white. I thought for sure it would take primer and a couple of coats to get an even finish. My father in law once painted my sister-in-law's dining room 5 times to get a deep red finish. And that was with tinted primer first. With that in mind, I was a bit nervous. Also, I have that rough "knock down" finish on the walls.

I used that satin finish and the paint went on like a dream. It was smooth and very easy to get even coverage. The guy at OSH told me I could skip primer. I did two coats of Refresh and it is flawless.

I used a paint brush to cut in sometimes. I used this really cool edge tool with little wheels to scoot along the edge of the ceiling, and I also used a roller. With each tool I was able to get a nice even coverage even on the goofy Little House on the Prairie chimney.

My kitchen isn't huge and has a good amount of cupboards, so I used about 1/4 gallon. Most likely I could have bought the tester size, but like I said, I was sure I would need to do three or more coats. Clean up was easy. Really, I have nothing but good things to say about Refresh Paint. Way to go Dutch Boy!

Now when I finally get around to helping Michelle paint her condo with her Dutch Boy Refresh paint, I will be a real painting pro and Dutch Boy will get two reviews-everybody wins!

Can This Shirt Be A Room? The Painted Kitchen

2010-11-27T18:51:00.000-08:00

Remember that great feature from the old Domino magazine?

Well this favorite shirt was this inspiration for my kitchen makeover.

Here is a before shot: It's a little cold and disjointed looking.

Here is half way: Already the cupboards look better. I used Dutch Boy Refresh Paint in "Beach House Brown."

Painting the "Little House on the Prarie" pipe was Cliff's suggestion-best idea ever!

Here I am mixing paint with an old curtain rod. You can see here how damaged the cupboards really were. Fortunately, I had no idea how much work it is to paint cupboards or I wouldn't have done it. The paint for the cupboards was white semi gloss left over from the professional painting the kitchen had before we moved in.

(Drum roll please.) The Reveal:

More pictures and more details to come tomorrow!

My New Sewing Machine

2010-11-26T14:41:00.000-08:00

Last Black Friday I saw the sewing machine sales at Joanne's and really wanted to upgrade. I had just paid $80 for a cleaning and servicing of my old machine and didn't feel that I could turn around and get a new one pretty much the next day. So, I decided that if I was still wanting a new machine on Black Friday the next year, I would treat myself no matter what.

I don't like to be oversold. If what I need works, I stick with it. I was using this portable black and white TV (happily!) until TV went digital and so any color TV is awesome. (And, I must say, I Love Lucy looked just as good on the old retro set.) However, lately my sewing skills were surpassing my sewing machine's capabilities.

The ladies at Joanne's were very nice when I had to turn down the $279 Viking Machine in favor of a more reasonably sale priced Singer Curvy.

I have no doubt that the Vikings are better and a terrific value etc... but the Curvy has attachments like a ruffle foot and a walking foot (sold separately) and will be a major step up for me anyway.

The old TV set was recently dropped off at Goodwill for recycling and the sewing machine might go to school for craft club.

It's a new day for this stick in the mud!

DIY Hummingbird Feeder

2010-11-22T19:05:00.000-08:00

This isn't a typical almost Christmas project, but it does involve the Christmas variety of the Zip Lock storage containers.

One of the many things that delights me about our new apartment is the "birds eye view" of this tree which is brimming with hummingbirds. On Sunday I think I counted 5 or 6 zooming about around one single remaining red blossom. Not wanting the birds to disappear I looked up "DIY Humming Bird Feeders" and found this video which uses a red solo cup. I didn't have red solo cups but, I did have a leftover red Christmas Zip Lock storage container. I also used some wire from the dollar store.

The pictures are pretty much tutorial enough.

The formula is 1 part sugar dissolved in 3 parts warm water. That's it. No food coloring. Apparently the feeder will need freshening up about once a week or so. So far, I haven't had any visitors. It's been terribly windy and cold. I was over to my neighbor's apartment (I actually have a long time friend within walking distance! Yay!) and we saw several hummingbirds swarming in her bottle brush bush.

I'll be sure to add pictures once I catch one feeding!

Sunday Is Here

2010-11-20T23:38:00.000-08:00

Hello Old Friends,

I think I am finally back.

During lent my pastor gave a sermon during which she said, "Today is Friday, but Sunday is coming!" This summer was one long Friday. Personally, professionally, amongst my dearest friends, and in my family there was a lot of pain. Usually I roll with the punches pretty well, but this was different. So much so, it killed my creativity- and my favorite source of stress relief. Thus no blogging.

But...today is Sunday!

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. - Jeremiah 29:11

^{For the past few years I have been working *very* hard to be completely honest with myself about "wants" and "needs." I really, really, really wanted a house with a garage so that I could peruse my interest in woodworking more. The balcony workshop was great and all, but a bit limiting. I really, really wanted my own house so I could have a washing machine that didn't need half a dozen quarters!And, more than anything I wanted a change. I just felt stuck.}

On the very darkest of all days, the Lord set in motion a move for us. And move we did!

Friends of ours from church where also in need of a change and long story short, they moved to Texas and we moved into their *AWESOME* apartment!

No, it's not the house I wanted, perhaps it's better. God's plan was better than mine.

I am taking nearly a month of furlough days this year. That ends up being nearly a ten percent pay cut. I am super thankful not to have a mortgage that's a stretch right now.

We have only been in the apartment for 1 week, but here is my list of things I love already:

10. High ceilings!
9. Lots of windows! I had no idea I had spent the last seven years living in the dark.
8. Laundry hook up! (We don't have a washer yet- any front loader, stack-able recommendations?)
7. A tree full of humming birds right outside my window.
6. A courtyard full of plants.
5. Quiet, adult neighbors.
(No late night parties on the roof top pool deck also known as my former bedroom ceiling.)
4. I can paint the walls! More on that to come. I haven't wasted a second.
3. Storage! We have a garage storage unit- and side by side garage parking.
2. It's close to my school! A world away, but only 2.5 miles. My commute is only 7 minutes.

And the number 1 favorite thing:

A craft closet! We have seven closets! ( I know! Unbelievable! ) Seriously, Cliff and I walk around all day saying things like, "This is a miracle. I just can't believe WE actually get to live Here!!"

It feels so great to have a place for everything. It's truly a fresh start. The one I really did need.

Needless to say my creative juices are flowing! See you again real soon!

Happy Birthday Will McCotter!

2010-10-13T15:50:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday from Hollywood, California!

And, thank you for your service to our country!

Any friend of Tricia's is a friend of mine. You can read Will's story here and participate in his World Wide (web) Birthday Celebration here.

Owls

2010-09-24T20:25:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful day for painting. I wanted to add a dash of fall in preparation for back to school night. That Artisit Woman's oil pastel and water color owl project was just the ticket. (Especially since many of the kids are excited about the new Legends of the Guardians movie that opens this weekend.)

I got the idea to make these work boards from her too. They have made painting with thirty kids so much easier. The boards keep the desks clean, they hold the paper flat, they keep it from blowing away....

and they make for quite a nice hallway gallery too.

Hope you have a sunny weekend!

Two Films: Objectified & Between the Folds

2010-09-05T20:08:00.000-07:00

While I haven't been creative, I have been inspired by the creativity of others. Two films caught my attention on Netflixs. In fact, my new subscription to Netflix may have been the start of my creative hiatus.

The first film, called Objectified is about design and how designers impact our lives. It features my beloved Target and also the amazing Ikea. I loved seeing the design process in progress and hearing designers think aloud. Here is the trailer.

I watched this while doing some mundane school prep the other day and it was delightful.

The second film is called Between the Folds. This one is harder to watch while multitasking. The origami in this film is truly mind bending. In fact, it is so rich, I am watching this film a little at a time to absorb the images.
I bought two origami books and a "fold a day" calendar at our church book sale. I am hoping to do a little origami with the art club this year. I have also been thinking about making a thousand cranes. Anyway, here is the trailer for Between the Folds:

Both films are instant downloads on Netflix. Have a great day!

A Dress A Day Blog & My Own Jet Rag Projects

2010-08-17T19:37:00.000-07:00

I recently learned about this blog New Dress A Day where by Marissa is making a dress a day from thrifted dresses and other clothes she finds. She is also only budgeting about a $1 a day to do this. She gets most of her raw material dresses from among other places Jet Rag on LaBrea. Jet Rag is this vintage clothing store that piles up mountains of old clothes and sells them all for a dollar on Sundays. You can read about it in this wonderful "e-how" article entitled "How to shop at Jet Rag's Dollar Vintage Sale."

I wish I had more confidence in my sewing skills to sew clothes. Of course at this point, I wish my sewing mojo would come back at all. This summer my personal life has abducted my creative energy. Sigh.

Nonetheless, Marissa's blog has me reminiscing of Jet Rag Days gone by. Here are just a few of my Jet Rag transformations.

This ratty cashmere sweater became this...

sweet baby sweater.

These ugly old man pants became...

my favorite monkeys.

All formerly housecoats.

This ratty tablecloth...

Ahh! Much better.

Shopping at Jet Rag was not only an affordable way to build my sewing stash, it got the creative juices flowing.

My silence around these parts this summer has been a big surprise to me. I really thought I would attack crafting with great gusto in my time off. Instead I woke up without a single crafty urge. Other things have filled my time including the possibility of a move to a new apartment. Nothing is definite, but I am itching for some new digs. So, I have been thinking about downsizing some of my craft materials and may well have some giveaways in the coming days.

Hope you have a great week!

Look! I am a finalist!

2010-08-02T12:11:00.000-07:00

You can go here to see the other finalists and cast your vote. (Hint, hint...)

Iron Crafter Challenge: Mini Cloche with Knobs

2010-07-30T09:53:00.000-07:00

Iron Crafter's secret ingredient is knobs! Here is my project to toss in the ring! The mini cloche!

This is my second mini cloche. It is made from a glass votive holder whose stand is long since gone, a knob and a saucer. I used Gorilla Glue to secure the knob to the top (or bottom, actually) of the glass dome.

This knob came from an old dresser drawer. I used some painters tape to hold everything in place while the glue dried.

A word about the glue. Gorilla Glue is amazing, and will certainly support the occasional lifting of the cloche top. However, when I washed my first cloche the knob did come off. Water got under the seal. The knob is small and the glass is smooth so this isn't the ideal bonding situation. Just be careful

The scale of these cloches is somewhat limiting. They are indeed "mini." It's hard to decide what to put in them. These are my grandmother's pearls and my father's wings. I think they look quite elegant displayed like this.

Below is my first mini cloche made from a knob, a coaster and a juice glass.

I can't remember where I saw the first homemade cloche, but it went to the top of my "to do" list. I scoured thrift stores for a cheese plate I could use. Nothing. I looked at every bowl and vase for the right proportions. I wanted a rounded shape with a little bottom-to-be-top. Finally, about a year later, at the 99 Cents Only store, I spotted an adorable rounded juice glass with a tiny bottom. A mini cloche it would be.

Here is the juice glass as intended to give you an idea of shape.

To give you an idea of the scale, the base is an old coaster. The knob is a wooden knob spray painted to match the coaster.

This cloche contains a grape vine wreath napkin ring made into a nest with some moss, clay eggs, and paper scraps.

The tag uses this terrific image from the Graphics Fairy. I couldn't believe how nice this image printed out even at a fraction of the original size.

I think a collection of mini cloches displayed together would be very sweet. The knobs make them so different. I'd love to find a pretty glass knob to use one day.

Be sure to check out the other Iron Crafters. Happy Friday!

2010-07-27T08:39:00.000-07:00

The CSI Project is doing Roadkill Rescue this week and this is still my favorite garbage transformation. So I am throwing my hat into the contest. It's been about six months since I made the headboard and I still love it.

Naturally, it comes with a story that starts with a twinkle in my eye and a heap on the curb.

For a while I have wanted a headboard. I cruised craigslist in my search for a headboard, but I was also open to making my own. A few things percolated in my head during this time.

I liked the look of this PB bed. This wall of colored tiles on Ohdeedoh captivated my imagination. They look like mini cupboard doors to me. I also liked this shutter headboard on Shanty 2 Chic. With a king sized bed (a marriage must, in my opinion) getting enough shutters with my budget was a challenge.

I said a little prayer for the patience to live with wants and be very clear about my true needs.

One morning on my way to work I saw a large dresser thing on the curb. Of course I had to investigate. It was too big to become a play kitchen. Too big to fit in my car. I passed it by.

Pass by junk? Surely you don't believe that!

The next day before school I went back. I parked, got out my cordless drill/screwdriver and unscrewed all the doors and took the drawers. Picture me stealthily working at the crack of dawn just hoping none of my colleagues or students would see me! Here is the car chock full of these drawers. When I look at this now I can hardly believe I stopped. It really was a dilapidated thing. And, it was 6:30 AM- in the ghetto! I am crazy! My love for junk knows no bounds!

This is how I roll! Once in our parking garage I loaded up a cart and headed to my balcony workshop. Silly me! There is no room in the balcony workshop for this much junk. I had to work in the living room. One of these days I am going to video Cliff's face when I roll in with a cart full o'junk. He really is a patient man.

Turns out the drawers were plastic. Wood printed plastic and some particle board covered in wood print contact paper. No wonder this ended up on the curb. This thing really put the foe in faux bois!

But junk doesn't scare me. It just slows me down.

I took the drawer fronts off and tossed the rest. Finally all that was left was a parade of plastic frame like things with a heavy wood grain imprint. I toyed around with the idea of some sort of frame wall. But, with only three rooms, I am running out of walls. Then it hit me, a headboard! I piled everything up in the corner of my workshop and saved this project for after Christmas.

After a few months on the balcony, these babies were fifthly. Not to mention I found them on the curb to begin with. Citra Solv to the rescue. No hose. No yard. Rub a dub dub, good scrub in the tub. The frames cleaned up nicely and so did my tub. Nice and orange scented!

Since I wanted the look of cupboard doors- ala my inspiration wall, I needed to fill in the middle hole. I went to staples to buy foam board thinking that would be super light weight but stiffer than cardboard. Foam board is crazy expensive for what it is! More expensive than hardboard at Home Depot!
So I went with hardboard. They cut it for me at HD. It took about a dozen cuts, so they did charge me $3 for all the cuts.

Everything got a coat of black spray primer and black spray paint. Then I used Gorilla tape to tape the inserts into the frames.

Hanging them on the wall was the next dilemma to be solved. I ended up just getting some black 3" drywall screws and screwing them right into the wall. Not the best look, but they are mostly hidden by pillows. This isn't my forever headboard. But for now, it makes me very happy.

Looking at these pictures I see that I have to do something with the picture on the left. I had a large lamp on that side table and that's why it was hung so high. Too high now. Also, I finally hung the plastic plates above my bed. I took away the green ones. Too busy.

Would you have guessed this was made of plastic and held together with tape? That fact alone makes me happy! Kinda Martha meets Macgyver!

Check out the other Roadkill Rescuses this week at the CSI project!

2010-07-21T11:41:00.000-07:00

I am generally not a perfectionist. For the most part I make stuff for the fun of the process more than a perfect product. When I saw the "Craftastrophie" link up at Somewhat Simple I had to laugh because I have a cringe worthy project that I take out from time to time and then quickly shove back in the box. Maybe you have some advice...

This is an "I Spy" quilt top that I have been working on for a while.

It was actually one of my very first Citra-Solv projects. I started making it the day I received my first bottle of Citra-Solv in the mail.

I made these little patches that have carefully crafted I Spy rhyme and riddles to go with the patches on the quilt.

Here is the disaster part that is really quite embarrassing.

Look at the left edge! It doesn't line up at all. Each row has exactly the same number of patches. Told you I wasn't a perfectionist. How could I ignore this problem for row after row? I tried adding some patches on the edges but this method was just pure crazy. So it sits folded in a box awaiting a quilting miracle.

Hope you are having a great day!

Welcome!

2010-07-20T09:45:00.000-07:00

Today I am participating in the Strut Your Stuff Roll Call at Somewhat Simple.

Today I am going to feature some of my favorite projects from the past few years. A sample of what Out of the Crayon Box is about.

1. My biggest posts are probably the Play Kitchen Build Along. Nearly every week someone emails me to share their kitchen creation. Pretty exciting! I even have a flickr group for everyone to share their creations.

This play kitchen was probably the most "me." I have made six play kitchens so far. All were made out of cast off end tables. I have sold three to raise money for the homeless program at my church. Oh, and all of these were made on the tiny fifth floor balcony of my LA apartment.

2. The Juice Glass Mini Cloche was one of my all time favorite projects.

3. I was super proud of my finished I Spy Quilt.

4. I don't cook much, but I do love to decorate cookies and cupcakes!

4. I also love to make stuff out of absolute junk. I turned some really crappy drawers into this headboard for my bedroom.

Thanks for stopping by!

Hello

2010-07-12T11:06:00.000-07:00

Hello!

Summer is finally in full swing. Where have I been?

1. First I organized a book/bake sale for my awesome church. We used bookfinder.com to publicize our sale with great success. This is a nationwide service that advertises used book sales by region and non profits can advertise for free! With relatively little effort on the part of a handful of volunteers we raised $1,065! Not too shabby, right? Plus it was fun to hang out around books and visit with neighbors and friends. Not a bad way earn a buck.

2. Cliff and I celebrated our 7th anniversary!

We had a very simple celebration with our latest obsession Jersey Mikes Subs. One day not too long ago, Cliff came home all excited about this new sub shop over by Target. Well, I love subs! I have loved them since I was a little girl. Every summer on the way home from vacation I would share a huge sub with my father at Tom Walls in Avon, New York. However, since Cliff detests Subway, I always thought he didn't like subs. We never ate them together and he didn't even know I liked them. We looked at each other with google eyes at discovering something new to share. Even after seven years you can still discover new things! And, we have had Jersey Mikes every week since!

We don't really exchange gifts, but as a small token I made this eye chart using the lyrics from "I Will" by the Beatles. This song was performed at our wedding by one of my students. The website, Custom Eye Chart Maker is easy, but limited in the characters you can use. The last line of text is standard and so I had to upload my picture into Picnik and edit it. The font is not quite right yet, so this is still a work in progress. I hope to frame it soon though.

3. Not so much going on in the crafty life right now. I have wrestled with "stuff" lately. As in, what do I need? Oh sure there are a gazillion tempting ideas out there, but do I need more stuff? The big pay cut didn't help inspire me either. So together that has kind of put a damper on my crafting... for a bit.

4. To contradict all that, I am signing up for the latest Sweet Goodness Swap. That should get the juices flowing again!

5. In the meantime, my mama is coming to visit and I imagine we will spend our days, in part, just like this.

Hope you are enjoying your summer and that the living is easy.

Would You Please Vote For Laura?

2010-07-01T13:22:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite bloggers, Laura Ingalls Gunn from Decor to Adore is auditioning for the new Oprah show. Wouldn't it be great to see one of us win that contest?

I have been reading Laura's blog for about six months now and she is truly the kind of person you want as your neighbor. She is a real woman with a real family, budget and life. Laura just finished design school and now she's going out of the box with her dreams and persuing the idea of having her own TV show! So cool! Laura promises lots of great "trash to treasure" projects and real life design should she win.

So let's help her out!

Go here to see her audition tape and vote!

Then come back... and check out these great posts from Laura's blog.

Making trim- plus multiple ways to dress a bathroom mirror.

The Almost Famous 70's Soiree

Sweet Easter Presents

Zucchini Pie

2010-06-29T07:24:00.000-07:00

This post is for Chirsty and her large zucchini harvest. Many years ago I worked at a sweet little school in Wyckoff, NJ and this was a favorite at our school breakfast pot lucks. Since then this has been one of my "go to" brunch recipes. I must warn you though, some men become very disappointed by the name "pie" so you may just want to call this "Zucchini Bake" and spare yourself some grief.

Zucchini Pie/Bake

3 cups diced unpeeled zucchini
1 medium onion chopped
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup Bisquick mx
4 eggs slightly beaten
3 or 4 T miced parsely
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients and bake in either a greased 9X9 baking dish or a 9" pie plate. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Have a great day!

Minimalist Class Party

2010-06-23T13:44:00.000-07:00

"Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired." -- Mother Theresa

The words of Mother Theresa have been so comforting to me this year.

Without a PTA class parties at OFS fall on the teacher. I would say the school wide tradition is that the kids bring in a bunch of junk food. It makes me feel like a stewardess with 30 first class passengers. The kids like it.

This year I decided to change this game. Using the economic decline as my excuse. I told my students at Christmas time that we were going to limit our class party to one simple treat that I would provide. Oh sure, they fussed a bit, but I was able to convince them that the money their parents saved not buying treats for a class party would be spent on their own family celebrations. I made these disastrous reindeer brownie things that they actually loved.

It was a great party. Simple. No pig out. No mess to clean up.

So I used the economy again to push the idea of a very limited end of the year party. This time there was hardly any fuss. I told them that I would make a special treat and they trusted me.

Last year, I spent hours on the last day of school eve frosting tiny bear bikinis.

This year I was very tired. I decided on something really simple. Dog paw cupcakes. They are made from a mix, a can and one Junior Mint and 3 chocolate chips. Again the kids loved them.

The biggest hit was the superlative awards I gave them. I made a very simple photocopied award and gave each child a silly award. "Most Likely to Be In the Bathroom" went to Magenta. The "Michael Jackson Style Award" went to Lime. "Most Likely to Be A World Cup Goalie" and "Kickball King" went to two sporties. While the biggest talker got "The Young Oprah Award." My aide and I collaborated for about 10 minutes on these and they were a HUGE hit.

I guess my takeaway from the recession has been just what Mother Theresa says, special gestures do not have to be extraordinary to be genuine. This lesson has been kid tested and is teacher approved.

CSI Project: Dollar Store Wall Art

2010-06-22T19:04:00.000-07:00

Hello there!

I am finally on vacation! Let the crafting begin...

This is actually my CSI challenge for last week's Dollar Store Challenge that I missed. Luckily for me, it is "Wall Art" week!

This pretty star started as a cheap dollar store 4th of July star. I covered it with Christmas sheet music.

Yup, I am working on Christmas! Sometime last year I thrifted a book of Christmas music with a project very much like this in mind. Now that I don't really have a "white Christmas" I find myself craving white Christmas decorations. I could see this being a summer decoration with a few shell embellishments and some non Christmas music.

This project came together so easily I may have to go back to 99 Cents Only and get another star.

Here's how I made this Christmas Star wall art:

First off, the goods. Here is the before shot.

I primed the whole thing with gray spray primer. Then I fit the paper to the star by pressing the paper against a star point and creasing it along the edges with my finger.

You should be able to see the crease marks really well.

I cut around the crease mark leaving an edge at the bottom of the point. However, I cut exactly on the crease mark at the top of the point- the part that would be in the middle of the star.

I hope that makes sense. I put some notes about this over on the flickr photo.
Next, I held the paper in place along the point of the star an
d folded the extra under the edge of the star. I then cut little flaps to tuck and glue under the star.

I put Modge Podge on both the paper and the plastic. I fit one point at a time smoothing and adjusting as I went along. The top point has a hole for hanging. I wish I had paid closer attention to that point. As it is, the text is upside down. It's in a small enough scale that I don't think it detracts from the look. It's just I wish I had caught that. Oh well. I also added another coat of Modge Podge on top and dusted the whole thing with some clear glitter.

For the embellishment I took my 2" scallop punch and punched out 9 circles from the leftover music scraps. I folded eight of the scallops into quarters and then hot glued them onto the leftover scallop in a flower pattern. I used some leftover silver holly floral picks from last Christmas to finish it off.

Lastly, some ice blue velvet ribbon to hang.
There you go, not exactly Christmas in July, but close! Be sure to check out the other CSI Wall Art challenge projects.

Updated: I hope this solves the flickr problem. I reloaded them all.
Sorry about that.

Craft Club -Owls

2010-06-22T17:54:00.000-07:00

Love these. They are loosely based on a paper machae birds tutorial from Art for Little Hands.
Craft Club was a huge success. Sometimes I had 15 students and other times I had about 5. Either way it always just worked out. I really enjoyed the laid back discussions we could have. I really believe more than anything else children want to have time to talk with the adults in their lives. When the craft project had a "just right" level of difficulty the children were engaged and also could make conversation. Those were the best days. I learned so much about their lives and minds.

While I relish having the summer off, I really do look forward to going back -refreshed- and ready for another year of fourth grade. Fourth graders are the best.

Tatertots and Jello: It's Time!!! Huge Giveaway {worth over $300}

2010-06-21T19:15:00.000-07:00

Have you seen this? What a great giveaway. I never got into the Cricut because of the cartridge thing. This machine just hooks up to your computer. Super cool.

Tatertots and Jello: It's Time!!! Huge Giveaway {worth over $300}