A Quick Note of Thanks

Sara made us this wonderful quilt that looks like a piece of notebook paper.

I think it's safe to say that both Marilee and I love it!
What makes it extra special is that we had picked out her name years ago after we were first married. That first year here in LA I had to take a bunch of classes to get my CA credential. During the dull moments I would write all our initials, and write out her name dozens of time. Cursive, print, you know, just like in high school. Only I was 32. I have to dig up those notebooks. I bet I could find the pages.

So, in other news, this Tuesday feels like it should be a Friday already. Nothing serious or bad, just seems like I've already put in a full week. How about you?

Custom Kleenex Boxes

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!

Finally Getting My Creative Mojo Back

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.

The Kids Christmas Gift for 2011

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???

Shower Gifts for Sweet Pea

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!

Baby Gift for Ava

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:

Another Monkey

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"?

For Baby Petal

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!

Stash Bust Before A Move

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.

BBQ Hostess Gift

Here's an assortment of random stuff.
A diet Coke can,
a 2" scalloped circle punch,
a hole punch,
one leather shoestring
and some kitchen scissors.


Add a bandanna...

and a bottle of wine...

or barbecue sauce...

and you have a perfectly dressed BBQ hostess gift.


Bolo Tie Wrap How To:

1. Wear gloves and cut open the soda can with your super tough kitchen scissors.

2. Flatten out a section and punch out a scallop. Amazingly, the edges are not too sharp. I wouldn't caress them or anything, but they weren't too sharp to touch or anything.

3. You can add some fancy details by pressing firmly with a pen on the print side of the can. Use a magazine or something  soft underneath it. The indents will show nicely on the plain silver side.

4. Hole punch two holes top and bottom.




5. Wrap your gift in a bandanna.

6. Wrap the shoelace around the neck of the bottle once and then thread it through the top hole, behind the scallop and into the bottom hole-bolo tie style.

There you have it- a western style wrapping on a shoestring budget!

This won't be the last you'll see of punched soda cans around these parts!

I am linking to Frugal Friday on the Shabby Nest.

Easy Arranger Giveaway-Winner

 

Generator Min: Max:   Result: 6 Pow

 The radom generator picked #6

she wears flowers said... Love it! I NEED to do the cupcake arrangement!!
Thanks for sharing!

How appropriate- she wears flowers wins the Easy Arranger!
Congrats to Tammy!

 

A Couple of Deals I Wanted To Share You

Hello friends!

Today I want to share a couple of deals with you. Both are from family run businesses. If the internet has done one positive thing, I think it is the rise of small businesses. Especially women owned businesses!

The first is the Quilling For Dummies Kit. It's on sale now at Quilled Creations. Actually, you can get 15% off anything you order if you use the code "EM4K." I know I have mentioned it before, but my 4th grade girls and boys are way into quilling. Also, after a sports injury my colleague's daughter took up quilling while she recovered. It was the perfect distraction. Quilling kits are the perfect "tween" gift!


The second deal is from Ann Clark Cookie Cutters From Vermont. Readers of this blog can get 10% off  until December 31st 2010. The discount code is BLGA23.  They also offer free shipping when you order three or more cookie cutters. Since it's been my tradition to make cookies to coordinate with charity donations I plan on enjoying this discount. 
 
Theme cookies make great gifts for guys. I made these for a Dallas fan one year. They would have been so much cooler if I had the helmet cookie cutter. I have a few shark fans in my life. Shark cookies would be a good and unexpected gift.

Just for fun, look at these cool promotional cookie cutters they have done. Here is one for Stuart Weitzman. Here is the Michelin Man!

PS.
Did you see that my lemonade stand is a finalist in the DIY Club contest this month? You can vote for me #38 here.

Ms. Carter's Retirement Party

1. I was crazy busy last week working on Mrs. Carter's retirement party. I loved the creative work, but the last minute date change and venue change stressed me out a bit.

I baked cookies late into the night.


But... this is the only picture of the finished product.

The Crayons helped me make the doily garland. We added doily flowers to them as well. That really added a festive touch. Do you think I got a picture? Nope.

My students quilled a huge card that the entire school signed. Gotta shot of that? Not so much!

Somebody please remind me the next time I throw a party to assign someone to take pictures! Jeesh!

What I couldn't photograph if I tried was the warmth of this party. We had a lovely meal. Both adults and children spoke of Ms. Carter's influence on their lives. Our secretary sang. There was a power point slideshow of "vintage" photos...to the Tom Jones song, "She's A Lady."

Thirty-Two years working as a Special Education Aide and her enthusiasm never waned. I mean it too. This lady had a smile for everyone. Every. Single. Day. Her impact on the future is truly immeasurable. We should all be so lucky to leave such a legacy.

Stash Buster Birthday Gift

"Never sacrifice what you want most for what you want right now."

This is a quote from this blog post by Frugal Babe.  I so wish I had this tattooed on my hand about 20 years ago. Anyway, her post is great and it's been resonating with me often lately. This quote is one of the reasons I jumped at the chance to take part in Dollar Store Craft's April Stash Busting Challenge. This quote and the challenge kept me on track when I wanted to go buy "just one more thing" so I could make my mother in law a Juice Glass Cloche. Not that the $1 juice glass would break my bank, but it's more the principal that I have enough. 

So, I stretched my imagination and scoured a bunch of crafty decor blogs and came up with a plan B.

Just for fun, tell your husbands that you are going to give their mother a moss covered monogram.

Cliff  just couldn't "get it." I showed him pictures of other moss covered monograms and he thought it was hilarious that we ladies thought moss was for decor. "What does moss have to do with letters?"

I told him that I was going to put it on my blog and that you all would back me up.

"Oh your critical readers! You get sooo many harsh comments there. When has anybody ever said they didn't like something on your blog?"  Good point. Thank you readers!

I went ahead and made it anyway...

Framed Moss Covered Monogram

Supplies I Used:

cardboard

small picture frame 

pretty paper

hot glue

moss

left over knob thing

paint for your frame

stain

green paint for the initial

scissors

decorative knob and hardware for it

ribbon scrap

Step 1- I painted the frame. I used heirloom white and then before it was dry enough I tried sanding it and giving it a once over with some stain I had on hand. The stain ate through the paint and cause it all to smear together. It was a mess and I was panicked. Fortunately, the end result was OK. Not the easy peasy distressing that those Shanty 2 Chic girls always do, but OK.

Step 2. Meanwhile I drew the Z  on some scrap cardboard. I also traced a small butterfly onto some pretty gold paper.

Step  3. I painted it with green craft paint to make sure the cardboard didn't show through.

Step 4. Next I glued gobs of moss onto the initial covering it well.

Step 5. I actually found the pretty paper in an old book I bought to cut up. I glued mine right on top of the glass.

Step 6. I trimmed the moss with kitchen scissors and added a bit more to cover some thin spots.

Step 7. Then I cut the cardboard scraps into small squares and glued them on the back of the initial.This made it pop off the background a bit.

Step 8- I used a knob thing I had so I needed to drill and screw it into the frame.

Step 9. Assemble paper and glass into frame and hot glue initial onto the frame. Add butterfly and a bow and hang!

Oh, and now Cliff likes the finished project, or at least he says he does.

I am going to link this to Transformation Thursday at Shabby Chic Cottage.

Toy Roll Up Re-Visited

I like to have small yet thoughtful gifts on hand for when we visit friends with kids. I know I don't need to bring a gift every time but, I like making stuff and this is as good an excuse as any! Another benefit is that sometimes a gift can distract the kiddies long enough that I might enjoy some adult conversation with their parents.

Here is a variation on Sharla's Car Cozy.

It's an ocean animal roll! (Got a better name?)

I bought the animals at a really charming independent toy store in the Pacific Palisades. It cost about $4 and has very detailed little sea creatures. I later saw a similar version at the Dollar Tree.

If this doesn't amuse the kiddies long enough for adult conversation, at least it's something I'd like to play with. As long as I get to be the shark, that is.

I'm not one for fussy little pockets. Who wants to mess with getting little animals in individual spaces when the food finally arrives? So, I made this with lots of folds and layers for the animals to "swim" in, but one big pocket for clean up.

The sandcastle was drawn on with a disappearing pen and then sewn over with my sewing machine. It came out just as I imagined-whew!

The "waves" are folded strips of fabric with the raw edges showing. I layered them and then sewed them together in the middle. This made them one big sheet.

These are they folded layers. Just some fabrics I had in my stash. The whole thing is just under 8"X11".


I sandwiched the ocean layers in between the sand and the back -rights facing rights and sewed them together leaving a bit for turning. Then I hand sewed it shut and added the sandcastle embellishment. Finally, I added a hair tie for the elastic closure. I used to use ribbon, but again, I noticed that my friends really don't have time to fuss with ribbons and ties when they are wrangling the wee ones. Another advantage to using hair elastics is that they come in so many colors! My sewing machine sews right over these hair elastics with no problem.

This toy set came with a dozen sea creatures. I will most likely, make two and split the set up. Six is plenty for the space of the play mat. I am on the look out for farm animals and especially horses. There are a lot of possibilities for this kind of travel friendly toy!

Today I am linking up with "Get Your Craft On!"


Hope you are having a great week!