InspireMe Crafts

Decorated File Folder

"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going." Jim Ryan

After I made my calendar on My Memories Suite I wanted to have it in a visible place for quick reference and so the hubby and I can both be on the same page with what is going on in Little Big Man's first year of school. Of course, if it is going to be in a visible place I wanted more than just a "normal" file folder. It is pretty easy math (math I can handle)… plain file folder + modern scrapbook paper + calendar = stylish organization.

Trace the file folder, cutout, and then glue it on! Really as simple as 1,2,3 J

Add a personalized calendar to the front, and stuff all those important papers inside for quick access.

I could put it in one of my many file organizers, but I really wanted it out and about. I had a couple clip magnets on the refrigerator that did just the job. After I witnessed the pile of stuff that came home in his backpack mail on the first day, I am not sure how long the magnets will hold it up. I may need to adjust my system a little and keep only immediate papers in this file.

Then there is my little man always cleaning in his diapers J….

You can get organized (and stylish organization) without spending major $$$$ just by looking around your house! If you have My Memories Suite it can help create some custom and stylish ways to get you organized…be sure to go check out my giveaway post here and leave a comment or subscribe to InspireMe Crafts for a chance to win!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Back to School Survival Kit

"As long as there are tests, there will be prayer in schools." – Author Unknown

Tomorrow is Back-To-School week for us so I'm trying to do something special every day for Little Big Man before his first day of Kindergarten on Friday. Every kid needs a Back to School Survival kit, right? I saw the below free printable on Tip Junkie and it seemed like the perfect place to start for a school survival kit. This back to school idea jumped out at me because each surprise seemed like a great way to bring up some tough conversations with your kids. I'm a little naïve about my kiddo going to Kindergarten and thought it was too young to talk about bullies, etc. Several veteran kindergarten mommies told me a different story. So here we are a week before school discussing what to do in certain scenarios at school in case another kid is being picked on, how to treat others, what to do if my baby is being picked on, filling people's buckets and how to continue to be a good friend.

Add the cute printable with some $1 Section Target finds (including the baskets!) and you have a fun way to kick off the school year.

I'm not sure the first day of school for your kiddos, but it's a quick project. I think I finished it while I watched one of my guilty pleasures on tv (Real Housewives of….). Just print, cut and attach and you are ready to go! Thanks TipJunkie for the free school printable.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

GIVEAWAY!!!!! My Memories Suite Scrapbooking Software

In all my free-time lately (you know…those 5 minutes you might get in one day) I have been experimenting with my new scrapbook software, My Memories Suite. I had new digital scrapbooking software and I needed to get myself "Back-to-School" organized so a school calendar for little big man seemed like the perfect fit for experimenting with My Memories Suite. I know, I know…I mentioned "scrapbooking" software and my Back-to-School calendar isn't quite the typical scrapbook page. Oh well. It turns out My Memories Suite has so much more to offer than just scrapbook layouts. I can't wait to experiment with making a Movie/Dvd. You can even insert videos and then share it with family and friends. Having all our family on the other side of the country, I have an inkling this new scrapbook software will get some use. I was quite impressed with the number of backgrounds and embellishments that came with the software. They have more that you can purchase in the MyMemories.com store, but everything I used to make my calendar was free and/or already included in the scrapbook software.

Here is my calendar made with My Memories Suite and then added to the front of a file folder to keep me organized…

Stay tuned for future posts with more details about my Back-To-School Calendar and using My Memories Suite. Who knows…if I am lucky enough to get 10 minutes of "down time" tomorrow I might experiment with my next project on My Memories Suite.

So onto the really fun stuff for my readers….they include the words FREE and SAVINGS from MyMemories.com. I have your attention now, don't I?!

 

Special SAVINGS for inspiremecrafts.com readers:

*Go to MyMemories.com and enter the below coupon code at checkout (I would copy & paste to make sure you get your discount)…

STMMMS97184

When you use the above coupon code you will receive $10 discount off the $39.97 price. PLUS you will receive a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store to purchase digital kits and backgrounds to use.

 

 

MyMemories Suite GIVEAWAY – FREE, FREE, FREE, FREE J

To enter do one or all of the following to increase chances of winning the MyMemories Suite Software for FREE….

1. Subscribe to inspiremecrafts.com by entering your e-mail address below (I don't give the email out to anyone.  You just get an email when I have posted something new)

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

2. Go to MyMemories.com and let me know your favorite digital paper pack or layout and leave your preference in the comments of this post.
3. Have your own blog? Share the news of the discount and giveaway with your readers by linking to this post and receive another 2 entries. Leave a link to your blog in the comments to let me know.
   ****to leave a comment, go to the bottom of this post, look for the 'Comment' link and click on it***** 

I'm so happy that MyMemories Suite has been so generous to offer this to my readers. Go take a look at their site, MyMemories.com and see the endless possibilities you can do with the software.

Oh yeah…I bet you want to know when the winner will be announced?! The winner will be announced on …September 1^st. I'll be back soon to share more projects and how-to's with MyMemories Suite.

Use Code: STMMMS97184 to get $10 discount AND $10 coupon for MyMemories.com store.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Twine Wreath (92 Crafty Days of Summer)

"The time to relax is when you don't have time for it" – Jim Goodwin/Sydney Harris

Life gets a bit hectic this time of year so I thought it was time to capitalize on that relaxing beach feeling I long for. The bummer news is that we never made it to the beach this summer. So we are bringing the beach to us…Oh yeah! The front door seemed to be the best place to remind the hubby (and me) to relax and enjoy the special family time that we have. Chuck all that stressful mumbo-jumbo at the door and kick up the feet, relax, and laugh. The dishes won't scream at me if they don't get done tonight and the finished laundry may get a little wrinkly – but it is still clean. However, those stinky diapers can't wait …those must be taken out to the garbage. We can relax after that!

My only worry was that it may be a little too blunt to just say "Relax" on the wreath and as a result, would actually cause more stress. I mean, imagine when you are crying and someone tells you to "stop crying". Or when you are irate and fuming and someone says "just calm down", as if that is going to actually solve my problem right away. Usually when someone ignores my emotions, it just makes my blood pressure shoot through the roof (it it wasn't already there). Luckily, I asked the hubby flat out if it had that effect on him and he said, "Not at all honey. It really does help me remember to relax." I'm pretty sure it was sincere and not him just being a good hubby!

So this is how it all started….

I had two rolls of twine from the DollarTree laying around in my "crap closet". I purchased the Styrofoam wreath and started wrapping. Every so often I would add a glob of hot glue to keep the twine in place. Just keep going….it takes a little time, but it looks so cool when it is all done. I'm making progress….

Now it's all done and ready to embellish. After all that work ( a day's worth of wrapping while dinosaurs were played and meals shoveled in the kiddos' mouths) I was not about to make anything permanent on this wreath. I wanted to be able to use the twine wrapped wreath again without having to re-do it all. So I decided to use safety pins and simple knots to keep everything in place. When I am done with my "relax" reminder and memories of the beach, I can easily remove the embellishments and start all over.

I had left over fabric from the Denim & Diamonds party and I always have ribbon. I cut out some triangles, used my Sharpie to test my spelling skills, and glued the fabric triangles to the ribbon. Since I wanted a "temporary" wreath embellishment, I just tied it into place.

With some more leftover fabric, I just started wrapping away and secured with a safety pin. Then I borrowed a starfish from our shell collection, I tied some accent ribbon on and hung it on the front door. So far it has survived some nasty thunder storms and the quick hands of my 14 month old. I guess it is meant to stay there for a little while.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hopefully this may have inspired you for your own wreath, but importantly, I am hoping it is reminding you to just relax!

Be inspired, get creative and have fun!

Get Organized with an Over the Door Shoe Organizer (92 Crafty Days of Summer)

"High heels were invented by a woman who had been kissed on the forehead" – Christopher Morley

Using over the door shoe organizers just for shoes was so yesterday. I mean, come on….that back of the door space is wasted if not used. Challenge yourself to see how many different ways you can use the over the door shoe organizer in your house! In our house, we are up to 4 over the door shoe organizers…organizing everything but shoes. Plus I still have some empty back of the door space that I am sure will be used soon.

Here is #1…

When you come in our front door we have a coat closet in the entry way. Perfect place for gloves, hats, umbrellas, rain slickers, etc. Our problem was that throwing them all in a basket was more problematic. I'll blame it on the 5 year old for not having matching gloves put together when they are thrown in the basket, but I have to be honest and say that I'm probably just as guilty. In comes the handy dandy over the door organizer. Gloves that match in one pocket, beanie in another, umbrella in the next and so on…. Close the door and you don't see it J.

Here is #2…

We have always had a junk drawer. But not in this house! We have a junk door. I threw the over the door shoe organizer on the inside of the pantry to hold batteries, screw drivers, mop supplies, Off! Refills, random kid stuff, old wallet, rug tape, coupons, canvas bags…just about any junk that I didn't know where to put, yet it didn't belong in the garbage. My husband calls this the "crap closet"…but at least our crap is kind of organized. Maybe on one crafty day I'll label each pocket and have a "real" home for all my different junk.

Here is #3….

Little big man is lucky enough to have 2 over the door shoe organizers in his room. This one is over the back of the door to his bedroom. It has his dress-up stuff. We have Dr. Jackets, Jailbirds, Policeman, Pirates, UVA Cavman (mascot), and then some random stuff. We don't have to dig through a bin, just look and grab.

Here is #4…

This one is over little man's closet door. Lucky me… it's a double door closet, but so far I have only taken over one. One down and one to go! This over the door shoe organizer is used to organize underwear, socks, belts, swim trunks, etc. It is usually full, but I think I took this picture on laundry day. Hehe.

Just imagine what I could do with a few more organizers…I definitely have some more doors to go! We all are trying to get, or stay, organized so definitely consider some over the door shoe organizers…especially if you have kids!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

92 Crafty Days of Summer is Back!

Were you wondering what happened to 92 Crafty Days of Summer? I sure was, and I'm the one that is supposed to be crafting away! We took our little family on an across the country flight from Virginia to Seattle to visit home and the grandparents. But that only accounted for a week. The other week I was a little burnt out. Turns out one project a day plus 2 kiddos home every day proved to be just a little more challenging than I anticipated. So is the 92 Crafty Days of Summer over? Not quite. I'm pulling one of my 5 year old's famous tricks…just change the rules. It's my challenge so I think that's okay, right?!

I found myself just doing little projects in order to get one done every day and post about them. As a result, my real projects (the big ones) were never getting tackled. So instead of 92 Crafts, we're just going to stay crafty every day this summer. That way I can tackle the project even if it is more than a one day-er. Expect to see more projects and crafts and frequent updates as the summer winds down and school creeps towards us.

As for that other week of vacation….We played tourists this year so the kiddos could experience everything we love about Seattle. My favorite thing was pretty simple….no humidity and being able to wear jeans! Of course, we hit Pike Place Market, but we also made it back to our roots. Our life together began at Safeco Field and the Mariners. We were both working there and started our hush-hush inter-office relationship, can you believe it! We're good secret keepers. We took in a beautiful afternoon game and the kiddos got some special treatment as we reminisced about the good ole days.

                                   

 

The pig at the market was a hit….

                                                                               

 

Big spray dome at the Seattle Center was even a bigger hit….

 

A trip to the Seahawks team store and the hubby is one proud daddy with his two Seahawks fan….

 

It didn't take long to "tackle the daddy" as my 5 year old use to say…

 

Glad to say I'm back and attacking those crafty projects. It's amazing how changing the rules (I mean readjusting my goals) and going on a vacation can get you re-energized! Stay tuned for my next crafty project!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Bird Nests in Glass Jars (Day 27 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer)

"God gives every bird its food, but He does not throw it into its nest." – J.G. Holland

Lately, our nature walk has been opening the front door and going around the block. I know it is not very adventurous, but sometimes with a 1 & 5 year old it just seems good enough. Especially when you can relax just a little when you don't have to worry about ticks, poison ivy, bugs (my little big man swells up pretty bad from bug bites), cliffs, streams, etc. Don't get me wrong, I grew up camping and enjoying all nature has to offer and I have fond memories. But sometimes…going around the block is just good enough. And look at everything we've found! Bird nests …one right in our front yard in the grass and one down the street on the sidewalk. Plus we have found some broken egg shells here and there. For awhile the nests just sat on our console table in the entry way and every time little big man came in he would pick it up, put it down, turn it around, and repeat. I wanted to enjoy them for more than a week so I needed something to keep those curious fingers off of them – at least most of the time. Some glass jars did the trick! In the glass hurricane I added a bag of rocks from the DollarTree and now my little big man has a place to put his rock collection as well.

I hope you have been lucky to find some bird nests and enjoy the beauty of them with your kiddos!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Kid’s Artwork on T-Shirt (Day 26 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer)

"I don't care how poor a man is; if he has family, he's rich." Dan Wilcox and That Mumford, M*A*S*H

Can you tell what is most important to my hubby? His shirt will spell it out for you…F-A-M-I-L-Y. And I love him because he wears it out and about as a proud daddy should. Little big man and I wanted to make a t-shirt for him, but we were trying to figure out the best way to get the art work onto the shirt. Would he draw it on paper, then I scan to computer and print onto an iron-on? Or would I use the freezer paper technique that I love so much? That all seemed like way too much work….there is only so much time in a day! Luckily, I decided to try out these fabric markers for the first time. And as you can see…little big man drew his daddy a Family Man shirt. He has each one of us in the photo holding hands and then he decided to get fancy and write "Family" with each letter in different colors.

Now I want one! I mean look at that smile (I'm not biased or anything) I would wear or eat anything he made me!

And look at his determination (that ball is half his size)….

Gotta love them! Go give your family some extra hugs and kisses tonight!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Girl’s Bow and Headband Holder (Day 25 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer)

"Heaven ran out of halos so I got this fabulous tiara instead"

Here I go again on all that girly stuff! I made this bow and headband holder for a client. I found the oval wood hanger at Wal-Mart for $4 (pretty good deal, huh?). I think it was meant for a key holder, but the hangers are great to hang all those pretty headbands on. I glued ribbon on the back and let it hang down a couple feet to clip on all those bows. I Mod-Podge'd the paper onto the wood, added "Olivia" in chipboard glitter letters, tied some bows, and glued some pearl brads onto the hanger part. Voila! A bow holder fit for any princessJ.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Reward Jar (Day 24 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer)

"There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it." – Edith Wharton

We have found a reward system that works for little big man and it sits right on our console table underneath our work-in-progress family photo wall. I was tired of looking at just jars on the table so I decided to spruce it up a bit. I found a pink wood tray at Target in the $1 section. Where is it you ask? Add some spray paint from a left over project and ribbon and you have a whole new piece of décor. Truth be told…I did that awhile ago. But what I did at that time was scotch tape it into place. Yep…I used scotch tape to secure the ribbon on the tray. I can't remember why. Whether the glue gun was broken, lost, or I was just plain lazy – I honestly can't remember. The only important thing is that I finally properly secured it with my handy dandy glue gun. While I had the glue gun out I also glued the black chalkboard star to the Mason jar because the sticker was not doing its job….shame on that sticker!

Our reward system may seem complicated, but I swear it's not! Here is what we do…

• He starts out with 5 stars a day. He gets stars taken away for back-talk, if we warn him about something and he still does it, etc.
• At the end of the day he puts a marble for each star he has remaining into a jar. Ex: He has 3 stars at the end of the day he gets to put 3 marbles in jar. Once that jar is full he gets to pick out a toy. This jar is a decent size so it does take some time before he fills it up. We believe this does help with teaching him about working toward something and delayed gratification.
• If he has a 4 or 5 star day he gets to pick out something from the "Star Jar". Things in here include little $1 toys, candy treats, or special notes saying he can rent a movie, get an ice cream treat with mom/dad, stickers, etc. This gives him some instant gratification and reward for a superb day. We keep track of the stars he has on the chalkboard star or we take a note card with us if we are out and about. There is something about him being able to see the number of stars he has that really makes a difference.
• If he does something extraordinarily kind or helpful we do award extra stars when we see appropriate.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Framed Dictionary Page (Day 23 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer)

"The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary." – Donald Kendall

I'm working on my photo gallery wall the opposite way everyone suggests. Instead of laying it all out on the ground and then transferring that plan to the wall, I've just started filling in places like a puzzle. I've started at the bottom and am working my way up the wall…and so far its working for me. I had a old black frame I wanted to use and I also wanted a few things besides family photos. So my $1 target Dictionary came in handy. No need to feel guilty for ripping pages when its $1. The problem was which word to use – Family…or Joy… or Love… or Crazy… or Tired…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I added a heart around the word "JOY" and a frame…

And you get some new wall art for your special photo gallery wall. I haven't hung my "Joy" dictionary page on the wall yet. Until I get to it, it will be showcased on our console table.

Here's a sneak peek at my photo gallery wall…..

Hopefully, I'll be sharing some more photos of the progress because I would like to completely check this off my list ;)!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

“I Can Not Do it All” Printable (Day 22 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer)

"I Can Not Do it All {And that's ok}"

Today was just one of those days! You know the ones…where you just feel like there are a million things that need to get done and you can't seem to check any one of them off your list. The days that you feel you are just treading water, barely staying afloat. The days where you really wish you could just sit down (by yourself) and read a book….oh, and maybe a glass of wine to go with it…oh, and how about watching a pretty sunset. Am I getting too demanding? So here I am on Day 22 of my 92 Crafty Days of Summer, and I was feeling just a little defeated. It was 3:00 pm with nothing really done. I didn't feel well, the little man didn't feel well, and the little big man had way too much energy for the under-the-weather family members. I didn't want to lose my crafty challenge just because of "one of those" days. I mean isn't that the point of this - to keep me motivated and accomplishing things on my "To-Do" list? And then I had….

I'll make an inspirational printable to put up in our house. It may not have been on my original "To-Do" List, but to be honest I didn't have 92 projects on my to-do list to begin with J. This "I Can Not Do It All" is not an original idea. Someone else inspired me, but I did want to add my own little twist to it. You can see hers here. I urge you to read her post! I was going to delve into some of the stuff she covered, but she said it so well that there was no point in me even trying! Just go read it. ;)

Above you can see what I decided to do. A simple design in all caps (yelling) at me saying "I Can Not Do It All – And that's Okay}. Ironically, when I searched Etsy to see what they offered with this saying everything showed up saying I could do it all. Hmmmm….not feelin' that. I rather admit that I can't do it all and there ain't nothing wrong with that!

Day 22 did not defeat me and I have a lovely reminder to hang up and keep me sane.

Be inspired, get creativ e, and have fun!

Wall Letter to Match Pottery Barn Penelope Bedding (Day 21 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer)

"I would be the most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists of mostly building enough bookshelves." – Anna Quindlen

More girly stuff J I made this pink and green nursery letter to match the Pottery Barn Penelope bedding….

Aren't the birds the cutest things?

I've said it before and I'll say it again…. I love my boys more than anything, but I always imagined having a little girl. Now I understand why I have two boys…I'd be completely broke if I had a girl! There are so many adorable girl things out there that I'd just want it all! I can't even go through Target without my eyes wondering over to sneak a peek at the cute summer dresses they have…and I don't have a girl to shop for! Luckily, my little letter business lets me get my girly fix by making adorable nursery décor like this! You can purchase letters here and also take a look at just a sampling of the letters I've done before in the Wall Letter Photo Album.

I hope the challenge has been inspiring you to get some projects and crafts off your to-do list! I can't wait to see pics and hear all about them. I have some crafty friends and I can't wait to show you what they have been up to for the challenge. Do you want to share yours? Email me at inspiremecrafts (at) yahoo (dot) com and you may be featured!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Ballet Bag (Day 20 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer)

"Ballet is a dance executed by the human soul." – Alexander Pushkin

Being the only girl in the family I will always jump on the opportunity to go all out and make something "girly" since my boys aren't too receptive to frilly and pink. We had a birthday party for our friend (who also happens to be my ballet student) so it was the perfect chance to make something pink and pretty. I made this canvas ballet bag with the pink silhouette of a ballerina using the freezer paper technique I described in this Martin Luther King, Jr post. I added a cute clip on flower, ribbon, and some iron-on purple glitter letters.

I used the personalized ballerina bag as the gift bag. I added a ballet book, glitter wand, and a star sucker…oh and some pink tissue paper (as if I didn't have enough pink stuff already).

Stay tuned to MY ETSY SHOP…you may see some of these cute ballet bags for sale J. Have a birthday party soon? Think about turning your gift bag into part of the present.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Day 19 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer: Rocket Snack Cups

"They say genes skip generations. Maybe that's why grandparents find their grandchildren so likeable" – Joan McIntosh

We had a trailmix snack bar for our little space shindig. Each kid received a rocket cup to fill up with all the snacks they wanted from the "bar". We had pretzels, M&M's, goldfish, Funyons, Raisins, Marshmallows, etc. I saw the rocket ship idea here, but could not figure out the tops at 10:00pm they night before and decided they were not necessary (my sanity was).

The rocket snack cups are something quick and fun if you are having some kiddos over for a playdate.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Day 18 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer: Cardboard Box Space Shuttle

"Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity" – George Smith Patton

Y'all know that I have myself a space junkie… so you'll understand why I made this space shuttle out of a cardboard box for the kiddos. I've been promising it since May and our space party finally gave me a deadline to get it done. 1 wardrobe box, 5 rolls of white duct tape, black electrical tape, xacto knife and a couple hours and you have yourself a play space shuttle in your living room. I used these wonderful directions found here. They are a must have for this space shuttle/rocket ship project!

I'm not going to go through the directions on this post because she did a great job outlining them along with illustrations for you to follow. However, I will show you some pictures of my space shuttle attempt.

Tearing the seam of the U-Haul wardrobe box to lay it flat…

Taking the top flaps off….

Cutting slits and diagonals….

Fold it all together. I ran out of duct tape, then packing tape and finally found some electrical tape to hold it until I got more duct tape (ooops).

Boys already think it is the greatest thing ever…

But mom had to add some white duct tape to finish it up!

Notice my little big man's "astronaut" uniform. He has been asking for one for awhile, but he has to wait until his marble jar (our reward system) is full to get one. What I love about this age is their imagination! He went to the dress up box and found a sailor Halloween costume. He added his snow boots, black batting gloves, and the astronaut mask he made at pre-school (from a milk jug) and was happy as can be. Oh yeah…we added a "patch" with the Atlantis' final launch logo on it. This kid thought he was going for lift-off in 10, 9, 8, 7……

I love my kids and I love creating these experiences for them (it is worth staying up past my bedtime to get it done). My mommy superpowers didn't work to get him to the Kennedy Space Center for the viewing of the final space shuttle launch, but my mommy superpowers sure did put a smile on his face!

Liftoff…

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Day 17 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer: Mini Marshmallow Popper

"Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!" – Dr Suess

I know I didn't post yesterday, but I definitely kept up with the 92 Crafty Days of Summer challenge as I prepared for little big man's final shuttle launch party. To make up for the lack of project yesterday I'll add a couple today to make sure we stay on track!

Have Kids? Then YOU MUST MAKE THE MINI MARSHMALLOW POPPER. Did my point come across with the all caps? It is less than $2 for 12 and it is guaranteed fun. In fact, I might have had just as much fun as them. What is a marshmallow popper you ask? Well, it shoots mini-marshmallows and it can shoot them far. And the best thing is you don't have to worry about the kiddos getting hurt from something soft like marshmallows. I didn't want the kids shooting at each other so I made an "Alien" for them to shoot at. But after I made it I realized it looked more like a silly monster. No one questioned my alien and the best thing was that it was made out of some tissue paper I had laying around.

The Mini Marshmallow poppers kept the kiddos busy and full of laughs while we waited for all the guests to arrive. I found the easy directions for the mini marshmallow popper here.

Be inspired, get creative and have fun!

Day 16 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer: Organize Sidewalk Chalk

"You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance" – Franklin P. Jones

I'm sticking to my project a day challenge, but I needed a quick one for today. At first I felt ashamed that I was doing something so simple, but then I remembered that if it wasn't for this challenge this project still wouldn't be getting done. It's a good reminder that all the little things add up and even though it was a simple organization method it did just that …got me organized one step at a time. So project number 16 is done in my challenge and all my sidewalk chalk is "organized".

Below is what I found all over my house – and when I say all over I mean it! The far top left sidewalk chalk was in our entry way, the Crayola box was in the garage, the broken plastic tub with chalk was on our front porch, and the pack of 4 was in our bedroom. What good the chalk would do in our bedroom or how it ended up there…I just don't know.

I searched the house for something to use to place all the sidewalk chalk in one spot. I had a bucket that would have been really cute, but then in the winter I couldn't stack it in the garage. So I went with the always dependable plastic tub.

But I couldn't just leave it in the plastic tub and call it a "project". If I add a chalkboard sticker on the front (an extra minute) then that should suffice the project criteria ;).

And now the boys have all the sidewalk chalk at their disposal to surprise their dad with some special messages.

I hope you have some inspiration to go tackle one of those quick and small projects because it is just as important as those big ones to create an organized household and life! One project a day. If I can do it you can do it too!

Be inspired, get creative and have fun!

Day 15 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer: Space Invitation

"5… 4…. 3…. 2… 1… BLAST OFF!"

I've had a Space Junkie on my hands ever since May when he saw the Shuttle Endeavor launch off from Kennedy Space Center. When he heard the Shuttle Atlantis was launching on Firday, July 8^th he asked if we could go back to Florida and watch it. If only I could make that happen! He currently thinks I have special Mommy Superpowers ever since I changed the radio station from behind the steering wheel and I'm surprised he hasn't asked me to use the superpowers to get us down to Florida. He's asked for my superpowers to fix his lacrosse pads (which they did when he was sleeping), make his daddy come home early (secret phone call solved that) and sometimes I've just told him my superpowers work only on a full stomach or something crazy like that to buy me some time. To my luck, he has not requested the Mommy Superpower to beam us down to Florida. He must have been happy enough with my suggestion of having friends over to watch the launch on TV.

So here we are, just getting the space invitation out today. Oops. It is just a few friends, but I must admit I had some grand plans running around in my mind. But since we have 3 days until the launch they might have to use their imagination….A LOT! That's what kids are good at, right?!

I better get to work…

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Day 14 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer: Drinks In Mason Jars

"It is easily overlooked that what is now called vintage was once brand new" – Tony Visconti

We went to a friend's house for a 4^th of July BBQ and needed to bring drinks to share. Drinks in mason jars were the perfect answer to prepare and take. Plus they look cute J

I used some chalkboard stickers on top, tied some stars around with twine and secured a straw in place. At the party I placed them in a tub with ice to keep them cool. I had plain lemonade in the jars for the kiddos and then I made red and blue cocktails for the adults.

Red Cocktail:

1 bottle dry white wine
1 bottle champagne
¾ pineapple juice
¼ lemon juice
Hawaiian punch to taste/color
pineapple chunks, strawberries, kiwis

Blue Cocktail:

Vodka
Blue Curacao
Lemonade
Blueberries, Strawberries, Raspberries

Easy to transport in my cooler bag…

Certainly easy to enjoy one – or three (with the hubby as the designated driver, of course)….

The ideas are limitless for mason jars. But right now some yummy cocktails are just right for these hot days. These could be used for weddings, baby showers, holidays…just Google it and see what's out there! You'll be inspired!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Day 13 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer: No-Sew Curtains

"Sewing mends the soul"

For many, sewing may mend the soul, but every time I pull out the sewing machine I usually get myself all worked up and I would probably end up cussing if my little men weren't around. What should take a few minutes takes me hours. I've come to the simple conclusion that me and sewing…we're like oil and water, we just aren't meant to be (boo-hoo). I was desperate for kitchen curtains since that house peeking through the window went up in what seemed like a week. We needed a little privacy…not that we are walking around naked in the kitchen, but to hide me being nosy and constantly looking out the window to see what they are up to ;). Yet, I couldn't find what I wanted in the stores…you see my dilemma!

Luckily, I found some tan and black damask fabric I liked, some tension rods, and some curtain clips. Add them all together and you have some no-sew curtains as long as you cut carefully. I know many who sew (including my mom) are probably saying, "Are you kidding me?! You put up just fabric without hemming the sides or putting backing on?" But for the rest of us DIYers who aren't blessed with sewing skills….the no-sew curtains work out just great.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Day 12 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer: Red, White & Blue Sprinkled Ice Cream Sandwiches…on a stick

"This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave" – Elmer Davis

So this post is going to be quick and to the point! Take ice cream sandwiches + popsicle stick + red, white, & blue sprinkles and you get this reaction...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adults and kiddos will enjoy this fun 4^th of July treat…we sure did tonight! I can't remember where I saw this idea, but who knew a popsicle stick and sprinkles could turn an ordinary ice cream sandwich into some extraordinary?! (Cheesy, I know…but you know I like to be cheesy)

I'm sure you can figure out how to do this on your own, but here are a few tips. I removed them from the wrappers and let them soften up just a bit. Then I put the stick into the bottom of the ice cream sandwich. Sprinkle the sprinkles and place on a plate. I put some wax paper in between different layers so I could pile them on top of each other. Enjoy. Fast, simple, and festive. That's day 12 of the challenge and I barely made it today. I had the project done earlier, but then we were having too much fun with friends that I am just getting around to writing this. But you have a couple days until the 4^th of July so you can still do it!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Day 11 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer: Organize Children’s Art & School Projects

"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep" – Scott Adams

If you have a school age child you know the dilemma with all that art work that comes home every day. You treasure every single one, but you don't treasure the pile they add up to. And although we love our children dearly, we also know that each piece of art is not quite the next Picasso. What to do, what to do?! My dear friend covers her garage with the art work and another makes bookmarks out of them. I love both of those ideas, but they didn't quite work for us. My first problem is when we first come into the house entry way. I have baby on one hip, purse and diaper bag on shoulder, groceries in a hand along with art work from school. We walk in the door and plop it all goes to the ground. Little big man is rushing up the stairs to eat lunch and watch Caillou and of course little brother wants to follow. I barely get the keys out of the door before they are trying to rush upstairs. The art work that went plop onto the floor now went plop onto the chair. Every day that pile on the chair would get a little bit bigger and bigger and bigger until poor mommy here just couldn't take it anymore. I needed an organization solution for my child's artwork when we walked in the door, temporarily, and then a forever solution. Let me explain…

1. We enter the house. I needed somewhere to hang it right then and there. Solution: 3 square cork boards covered in fabric and in a 12 x12 frame. Push pins in and ready to be put to use! I walk in the door, pin it up, and chase the kiddos up the stairs.

   

2. End of the week the children's artwork bulletin board is looking pretty full. I went and looked for art folders…decided that spending $30-$60 on one was just not going to work for me. But two 50 cent poster boards taped together would work. Tape the bottom and two sides together. Leave the top open to plop that art work in. I tucked it away in a corner and filled it up every week with the art. (picture below…keep in mind I took this picture after a year of holding art…its seen better days, but it got the job done)

   

3. It's the end of the year and my poster board art organizer is just about overflowing. I want to throw it away, but that marble painting is so cute and what about that ice cube painting?! The photo book is the perfect solution. At the end of the school year, I pull my child's art work out and take pictures. Then I go to Shutterfly and create a photo book of his art. Now I have a compact 5 x 7 book of his art that we both can enjoy and tuck away when finished.

   

   

   

4. Trash. Then when he is sleeping or not looking I throw them all in a trash bag and take it out to the trash can. I feel horrible for admitting to it…it seems so cruel when I write it down. However, he's never asked about them. And, of course, you can send some to grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. and let them anguish on what to do with all the art work.

Everyone's needs for organizing their children's art work are unique, so the same idea won't work for everyone. However, I hope this sparked some inspiration for you to start prepping for the upcoming year and figure out how you will manage the load of fine Picasso art coming through your front door. The pictures of the photo book are from last year, but I just completed this year's and ordered it. So yes, ladies and gentlemen (not sure any gentlemen read this blog) I can count that as project number 11 of my 92 Crafty Days of Summer. J

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Day 10 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer: Photo Editing in Picasa and Picnik

"The camera can photograph thought" – Dirk Bogarde

A camera really can photograph thoughts and here is what is going on in this rare family photo…

Me: This must be a dream. Are we really getting a family photo…with all 4 of us in it?

Hubby: IA happy wife makes for a happy life. What are the chances that this shirt is still white in 5 minutes?

Little Big Man: Uggghhh. Doesn't my mom take enough pictures already? Can't I just go play sports?

Little Man: My ear hurts. My mom has that same black thing he is holding.

For Day 10 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer Challenge I decided to finally do something with some of the photos we have. I truly am the Mamarazzi, but when it comes to doing something with the photos it usually involved saving them to a CD and then pull them out once a year to make a photo yearbook. That's it. I'm trying to come up with some new photo projects and ideas, but until then I wanted to get better at editing some photos. I decided to try Picasa because it was 1) free and 2) easy. The above photo I did with one click in Picasa's Picnik. Yes, 1 click! They have all sorts of pre-saved effects to use on photos. You can't go wrong and trust me, you do not have to be an editing pro to use it. I have no skills in that domain and I really like how the above picture turned out.

So if you have a few minutes download Picasa, pick a photograph and go play!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Day 9 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer: Custom Wall Letters

It has been fun knocking off some of these fun projects off my To-Do list, but it was time to get some "work" done. A couple more wall letters are in the mail to customers. The one below was ordered by a college student for her dorm door. She preferred the straight down design vs the individual squares.

My wall letters are always available in MY ETSY SHOP and are always a hit at baby showers or a new baby gift. J I wonder what project I'll do tomorrow! I started one tonight and it didn't work out as planned – bummer. I guess I'll figure it out tomorrow. Stay tuned to see what day 10 brings.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!