InspireMe Crafts

Cookie Monster Birthday: The Birthday Outfit

My little man has his 2^nd birthday coming up and you can probably guess the theme! The shirt is made by a friend who owns/designs/creates/operates/photographs/does everything for Sweet Tea for Kids on Etsy. You must check out all her adorable stuff here!

My favorite part of this shirt is the backside ….

Chocolate chip cookie + 90 degree heat + 2 year old = messy shirt in less than 2 minutes (but still sooooo cute!)

I love this picture below …..you can even play "I Spy" and spy my Big Little Man.

Thank you to Sweet Tea for Kids for the high quality and adorable shirt along with taking some great photos of my little man. You can see his "modeling pics" here.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Martin Luther King, Jr. T-Shirt (Freezer Paper Stencil)

"I have a dream that this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal. " – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

***This is a re-post from last year because it was very popular and all his teachers wanted to know where I bought this shirt.  Now I need to get to it and make one for my little man :)******

I'm smitten and, no, I'm not referring to my husband or kids today (although I am always smitten for them). Freezer paper has done it. I was a virgin to the use of freezer paper until now ….and now I just can't control myself. I'm so giddy with all these ideas for projects in every room of the house filling up this little brain of mine. I can't wait to test them out. Let's hope the boys decide to cooperate the next couple of weeks so I can share! I started this project at 7:30 pm last night after the kiddos went to bed. It took me about an hour (not including drying time). So there is time for you to do this before Martin Luther King, Jr Day on Monday.

Since I was a newbie to using Freezer paper I turned to the internet and some other crafty people for help. I got the general idea from MADE and she also has great directions. Be sure to check her out for references and support. She even shows you how to take any photo and "posterize" it so you can use it as a stencil. Or you can do as I did and go to spraypaintstencils.com and print a free stencil already prepared.

MATERIALS:

Freezer paper (with foil and plastic wrap at store)
Xacto Knife
T-shirt
Fabric Paint & brush/sponge
Iron
Cutting board, cardboard or other hard surface you don't care about
Stencil
Tape

HERE WE GO….

1. Print out stencil or create your own. Refer to MADE's instructions to make your own stencil. I cut my freezer paper to 8 ½ X 11 and taped it to a piece of regular printer paper. Then I ran it through the printer so it would print on the dull side of the freezer paper. .

   

   (oh yeah…did I forget to mention that a glass of wine is always good while doing the project J)

   The bowl is there in case you have little pieces that you will need later. In this stencil I didn't need any later to complete the photo.

2. Place your stencil on a hard cutting surface. I don't have a craft cutting board so I used some cardboard. Tape the stencil down so it doesn't move. Start with the small pieces and start cutting the stencil out. It takes a while so I suggest cut, take a sip of wine, cut, take another sip, cut, get some chocolate etc. Before you know it, your stencil will look like the one below.

 

1. Take your stencil and place it on your t-shirt with the shiny surface face down and dull side up. Iron over the stencil onto the t-shirt. Make sure you iron it really well so there is no bleeding with the paint.

   

   

 

1. Place a piece of cardboard or something else in between the front and back of the shirt to prevent any paint bleeding through to the back. Take your fabric paint and apply to stencil. Let it dry. This is always the hardest part…not to peek too early. Doing it at night helped because it was time for bed anyway.

    

   

 

1. So first thing in the morning…..

   Remove the stencil. Tada! I had the biggest grin on my face and LOVE the shirt. Luckily, Lil Man does too. Now the hubby wants one. (note…check your paint directions to see if it needs to be heat set.)

   

   

   

It's never too early to start sharing the story with your children. Although my four year old is not ready for a detailed history lesson, he does get the gist of it. His explanation to us this morning was, "When Martin Luther King, Jr was a kid, the kids with yellow hair, brown hair, and red hair were not allowed to play together. So when he got older he wanted to change that. So now all the kids can play together."

Live and support the dream and keep the conversation going…these shirts are great to remind our kids and EVERYONE the importance of treating all people equal , with respect and love, and to stand up for the injustices that we see in the world. Give your child the gift to dream and the foundation to stand up for themselves and others….share Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s story.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

 

Decorating a Mug {Gotta Make It…With the Kids}

"Grandchildren: the only people who can get more out of you than the IRS" – Gene Perret

Quick! Grandparent's Day is Sunday, September 11, 2011. I know, I know…when you hear September 11 you automatically think of something else, but that special day for those special Grandparents happens to land on that date this year. So if you are like me and cutting it close, go grab those kiddos, put a special Paint Sharpie in their hand and tell them to let their creative juices flow and draw one pretty (or "cool" as my little big man prefers) picture on a coffee mug. Every morning the grandparents will surely enjoy sipping some coffee, tea, or orange juice from their personalized coffee cup.

The great thing about the Sharpie paint markers is that it dries almost instantly and it is ready to go. It is even dishwasher safe…a must in this household!

I think I want one!

Now, let's just hope the Grandparents don't take a peek at my blog and see their surprise before it arrives in their mailbox J

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Peace and Quiet

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

It is quiet right now.

Shhh…you can hear the birds chirping and the leaves in the afternoon breeze. Well, that is just a complete lie. If only I could hear the birds. Instead I can hear the construction work, but I am so immune to the grrrrrr -grrrrr, beep, beep, beep, clunk-clunk-clunk, grrr-grrr-grrrrr that it doesn't count. So let's just say it is a voice-free zone right now in my little world - which is close enough to peace and quiet. If you have ever been in my house, or know my family, it is hard to believe, right? If you don't personally know us, trust me when I say someone is always talking here and someone (little big man) is usually trying to talk over you at the same time. Our attempts at teaching social etiquette in regards to not interrupting and waiting your turn to speak keep failing us. I try to remind myself that most adults have not mastered the social etiquette, so "be patient, be persistent" is what I keep telling myself. Peace and quiet in our household is a treasure…if you can find it J.

Back to my current "voice-free" quiet time…

There is no "MooOOOOM!" or "Mom, did you know…" or "Mom, UVA has a lacrosse game against Duke today at 3:00" or "Mom, what are my options for a snack?" or "MoooOOM, come wipe me please" from my pre-schooler Kindergartner. And yes, he can wipe himself, but he still tries to find every reason to get out of it. Trust me, as soon as that little arm could reach back there he was wiping his own behind. And there I go side-tracking again.

Back to my "voice-free" quiet time…

There is no "Gorush bjail ciric da-da bajou" from the 14^th month old who is finally napping in his crib instead of on me. I miss my extra long snuggle time along with some shut-eye for myself, but I love having two arms back!

Life is good. Or is it?

I longed for this quiet time – time to get stuff done, time to rejuvenate, time to think, time to have uninterrupted tea, time to work on my business, time to go to the bathroom…by myself….TIME.

So here I am sitting in my brown leather cigar chair, laptop on the lap, and my pink polka dot tea cup on the side table, thoroughly enjoying my time to think and write. Yet, I am so excited for that big yellow bus to pull into the neighborhood at 3:00. I miss his voice, his company, his questions, his infectious laugh….I miss my 5 year old buddy who thinks he is 19. It is an adjustment for me to go from 2 children to 1 for most of the day and I'm sure as this becomes more routine and isn't such a novel concept anymore, I won't even think twice about it. Until then, I will try my best to be patient with my little big man when he comes home grumpy from a long day knowing that he, too, is adjusting.

But…oh, how I love the quiet time. No tv, no music, no voices, just grrrr-grrrr-grrrrr, beep, beep, beep, clunk-clunk-clunk. J

UPDATE:

The above rambling was written at 2:18pm when I had the peace and quiet. Little big man came home, excited about school and ready to go play outside. We grabbed the football gear and headed out to the "green". 20 minutes later we are in the middle of an epic meltdown. Remember just a few sentences earlier when I said I would be patient with my grumpy man…well, that patience ran out during the meltdown. Tomorrow, I will really, really, really, really thoroughly enjoy my peace and quiet time and not think twice about it! I deserve it. And maybe, just maybe my patience will last a little bit longer. Let's keep our fingers crossed that it won't be needed.

Remember…time for yourself is just as important as doing everything for your kids. I've heard it a million times before, but until I experienced my peace and quiet today (even if it was only 35 minutes), I didn't truly realize how much I was missing out on. And when you do have that peace and quiet don't feel guilty about it! Easier said than done, right?! Tomorrow's quiet time = uninterrupted crafting time J.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

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!

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!

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!

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 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 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 5 of 92 Crafty Days of Summer: Poster + Foam Board = New Wall Art

"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" – Neil Armstrong

After my little big man watched the Shuttle Endeavor launch in May, he has been infatuated with everything to do with space. He had a blast (no pun intended) at the Kennedy Space Center and his Nana sent us a 20 x 30 poster size of the photo taken of him in a space suit. It came rolled up in the mail so we needed to frame it or something. Well, a $2.50 foam board + some spray adhesive did the job. I took the foam board outside, sprayed it with the spray adhesive, placed the poster on it and then used a ruler to smooth out any bubbles. Now it is time to hang it up and check off project number 5 of my 92 Crafty Days of Summer.

Getting a picture blown up to a poster size is extremely affordable now (usually less than $10) so it would be easy to change up some art work in the house and not feel guilty. Or if you needed some picture decorations for a party you could use the poster glued to foam board without breaking the bank.                     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: The Little Finger Saver

"We worry about what a child may become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today." – Stacia Tauscher

I'm well aware of what my child is today and what he will still be tomorrow – a toddler terror! My one year old is the sweetest boy you'll meet (so I'm biased just a little), but he is into EVERYTHING. Let me set the scene for you. I'm loading the dishwasher and tidying up the kitchen (yeah, yeah it's a miracle). I open the fridge to start putting the milk and eggs back into the fridge and before you know it my kitchen floor has turned into the condiment aisle at the grocery store. Did I mention he is a multi-tasker? While he re-stocks the condiments he is eating the tomato I needed for dinner like it is an apple. Ok, ok,ok – I can handle this. I place it all back, hand him some Cheerios and think I'm in the clear. In the meantime (like 4 seconds) I turn around to find him standing on the dishwasher door that was still open. Uh-oh (what I really said in my head was sh*t), I'm getting the bad mommy award today! I take the toddler terror down and hand him his favorite toy – the wooden spoon. Phew…at last he is happy and not destroying anything. BAP, BAP, BAP. "OWWWWWW! Mommy!!!" Well, that was short lived. Go to check on big brother and toddler terror is hitting him with the wooden spoon over the head. Brotherly love…ain't is sweet?!

The other place my toddler terror scares the bajeezus out of me is the master bath. Our master bedroom really isn't "ours" at all. The boys bring in their clothes, take off their pajamas, get dressed, and then play in our room while we get ready. And who knew a bathroom door could be so much fun to a 1 year old. Open and close, open and close, open and close. Luckily, he's pretty smart when it comes to playing with doors and does not have his fingers in the way. But it is only a matter of time before I hear that blood curdling scream. No, thank you. I'm going to prevent that before it happens. I was inspired by this wonderful door bumper seen here and as a DIY-er, I started scrounging around the house to see what I had to get started on it ASAP. 10 minutes later it was done. That easy! The inspiration was very well made and sewn, but I'm lazy and didn't want to get the sewing machine out of the closet so my handy dandy glue-gun would get the job done!

MATERIALS:

Fabric
Pillow stuffing
elastic
glue gun

HOW-TO

1. Measure your elastic on the door you will be using from one doorknob to the other. Tie in a knot.
2. Cut the fabric to size and wide enough to fold like a burrito with room to stuff it later.

1. Time for the glue gun. Fold over the edges to create your "seams". Glue into place. Or if you are up to it pull out the sewing machine.
2. Roll the long sides over to form a burrito shape and glue into place. Then slide the elastic into the burrito. Glue one end shut leaving the end of the elastic poking out.

1. Get stuffing. Fill it up nice and firm and make sure you don't lose the other end of the elastic. Once you have it stuffed and have the other end of the elastic, glue it shut.

1. Go put it on the door so it is ready to go.

1. Now find your loving oldest son and have him go try it out. Isn't he brave J?!

I chose the quick and easy no-sew version, but obviously you could put some more effort into it and attack the project with your sewing machine. Or you could also go here to buy it!

Keep those little fingers safe…

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

First Birthday Party: One Year in a Flash

"My oh my how the time does fly!"

It was time to celebrate my little man's first birthday and even though I said I wasn't going to do much…I just kept getting ideas that I couldn't resist trying out. I am the definition of "Mamarazzi" and for those of you who haven't heard this term yet the Urban Dictionary defines me as this:

Mamarazzi: Mothers who constantly follow their children around with several cameras and video taking equipment, snapping photos at each turn and documenting each milestone or event with at least two dozen photos and a video. 

I definitely have about 2 dozen photos from every outing or milestone and figured it was time to share them instead of just filing them away until I make the end of the year photo book. Being a Mamarazzi is a good thing (someday my kids will agree) and it was time to show off what my little man had been up to all year long. So the theme started to develop based on photos and my scouring the internet for ideas began. I went to Etsy first and found this invitation. I loved the wording in it so I started playing with my own invitation. I love chevron designs right now (along with everyone else) so I started there for the background and started playing around until I came up with the above invite.

My first "big" idea was to make a collage out of the photos spelling "one" similar to the "one" in the invitation. With some white posterboard and lots of black and white photos I got to work. Are you ready to see lots of photos? Because you do know you are reading a blog from a certified Mamarazzi ;).

I had lots of photos that were not used in the collage, but I still wanted to showcase them. So I made my own version of photos drying in the dark room by hanging them on some twine with clothespins. I loved it so much I think we are going to leave them up and change the photos regularly.

I also hung pictures with twine and clothespins above the sliding glass door, but every time I tried to get pictures they looked like dark blobs.

I wanted to sum up all the major milestones and if you aren't a regular reader you might just be learning that I LOVE chalkboard paint for just about everything. I spray painted some $1 foam board and put it behind an empty frame. And, yes, doesn't that diapers number astonish you? The ear infection number isn't a good one either, but really, 2190 diapers?!?

Remember how I love chevron designs? Well , I had to incorporate it into the party since it was on the invite so I found the black and white chevron fabric at a discount store. I purchased 1 ½ yards and put it straight onto the table…no sewing J. With my large black and white "one" photo collage I knew I needed some color. I found the green lanterns at the DollarTree and hung them from the ceiling. I then took a pack of tissue paper from the DollarTree and turned them into some brightly colored rosettes. There are lots of detailed how-to's on the web to make these paper rosettes, but I just folded the tissue paper in accordion style, tied the middle with dental floss (its nice and strong), and started to spread them out and tape pieces into place. I then ruffled up ½ a piece of tissue paper and put it on the middle to hide all the "ugly" stuff. Like I said…lots of detailed directions on the web based on the type of paper and size that you want. It's definitely something to bookmark if you need an inexpensive way to add some color or decorations to a boring white wall like I needed to.

As if there were not enough pictures yet….I had to do a "1sts" wall. I used black and white photos to stay consistent and then glued them onto some white paper. I cut out the paper and placed the photos on to it to resemble Polaroid photos. After the party I am taking them down and putting them straight into a book of his 1sts.

Michaels had some frame decals on clearance for 50 cents – perfect to extend the photo theme out to our deck.

You think this kid is having a good time?

He is in awe of the big candle…

Enjoying his cupcake one star at a time!

If you made it this far into this post, I hope you enjoyed a glimpse into my Mamarazzi files because we all know these were only a sampling of what my camera actually took! Enjoy and hopefully it sparked some ideas for your own party. Imagine doing the "One" collage for an anniversary – the numbers 50 really large with photos from 50 years of a marriage. It would be stunning and such a tribute to the couple.

I think the party planning is done for a while since both boys had their big days for 2011. Now the time has come to organize, organize, organize! I wonder what project I can accomplish tomorrow in between referring my boys game of Tom & Jerry around the house.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

I've linked this party over at Under the Table and Dreaming

Killer Whale Birthday Party: The Decorations

"Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party'" - Robin Williams

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are lucky that Lil Big Man has a spring birthday so we can celebrate outside. Otherwise, I'm not sure what I would do with all his energy plus the energy of 15 of his closest bouncing buddies. Luckily, the weather pretty much held out except a few minutes of rain that didn't even phase the kiddos. Since we celebrate at the park I don't go overboard on the decorations – just a few simple and inexpensive special touches to go with the theme.

Anything I bought went with the blue, black, and white color scheme. Blue tablecloths for the water, black and white napkins and plates, a black and white wrapped box to hold some drinks, etc.

The first things the kiddos noticed were the inflatable killer whales hanging from the rafters of the park picnic shelter. With some Dollartree twine and my underhand toss over the rafters to the hubby we created our own swimming whales in the ocean. They were about $2.00 each and added just the right amount of decorations. I thought of other decorating ideas to make it more under-the-sea theme, but we really wanted to stick to just killer whales as much as possible. So we stopped here…I can't believe I had that kind of self control.                                                                                             

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My ocean in a jar idea was originally going to be a project for the kiddos with some empty baby food jars I had. However, after testing it out on some big jars I decided it was going to be too messy and the little sea creatures I purchased didn't float. You put half water with some food coloring, and then fill the rest with mineral oil or clear vegetable oil ( I couldn't find this). Instead of keeping the non-floating sea creatures in the jar, I printed out some killer whales from the computer and glued them on the outside of the jars. When you move it you make waves. There was a breeze so I used them as paper weights for the plates and napkins. Plus the kids still had fun checking them out and making 'waves'.

Then we had the cake and cupcakes. I used out of the box cake mix, homemade frosting, killer whale cookie cutouts, and some candy fishes and jelly bellies. We made the killer whale cookies for his pre-school class celebration and luckily had leftovers. Thank goodness I refrained from eating them because they saved the day. We used the leftovers to put on the cake instead of having to use a plastic toy or figuring out fondant (one thing I still haven't tackled). Lil big man loves jelly bellies (along with his mommy) so it was a special touch to use those for the waves. It certainly isn't going to win any awards, but it was relatively painless and to a bunch of kiddos it was cute. If only it hadn't taken lil big man 14 tries to blow out 5 candles…

Add a few random beach balls everywhere and we were ready to party!

It is possible to complete a theme just enough without breaking the bank if you pay attention to what the kiddos will appreciate more than what us adults would appreciate. For adults a great layout for the food is often something we focus on or the table setting…..but to a 5 year old? Not so much! The flying killer whales are way more interesting. Think like the age group you are planning for and you'll throw a great party. Next, I'll share the games and activities we played. Stay tuned J

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Killer Whale Birthday Party: The Birthday Boy Whale Shirt

"The first sign of maturity is the discovery that the volume knob also turns to the left".  ~Jerry M. Wright

The above quote cracks me up. ..it describes my son to the 'T'. The birthday celebration is for the big '5' and I have a feeling we are years from discovering that the volume knob turns to the left. His volume controls are loud and louder and nothing less. And recently is volume was cranked up to loudest when he insisted that the killer whale on his shirt needed to have white on it. Yet, after a good night's sleep he decided he liked it with the blue. Good thing I didn't act too quickly on fulfilling his wishes. J

I made this killer whale shirt using my new favorite technique – freezer paper silhouettes. I followed the same directions as shown here and as originally found on MADE's website for her silhouette President T-shirts.

To re-cap see below, but for detailed directions go here.

1. Print your photo onto the non-waxy side of the freezer paper.
2. Using an X-Acto knife, cut out your photo.

1. Place wax side down on t-shirt and iron.

1. Paint with fabric paint and let dry.

4 more days until the party and oh so much to do! I had all these grandeur plans to make some inexpensive games for the party like throw the ring on the dorsal fin, toss some fake fish into the mouth of the killer whale, a fishing hole, etc. Then reality hit and I realized there was not enough time and I've seen this kiddos play – they will be happy just running around at the park. I'm glad I had my reality check. Although, the games would have been fun !

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

 

Killer Whale Birthday Party: The Invitation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are about 10 days away from Lil Big Man's 5 year old party and I haven't done much except brainstorm. Oh – and hand out the invitations. My soon to be 5 year old has been obsessed with killer whales for a few years now so it is time we celebrate this love the right way. Unfortunately, there have not been too many killer whale birthday parties ahead of us. We found plenty of Under the Sea themes, but none (that I could find on the web) that focused primarily on orcas. So we are going from scratch. I started with the invite. It is nothing fancy – just some basic photo editing skills and the photo printer at Sam's Club. I figure we will be going with a blue (for the ocean water) and black & white (for the whale) color scheme for the party. You would think a 5 year old would not care about the color scheme, but this 5 year old has definitely made his voice heard about having blue for the water.

I thought I would post the projects as I go for this party and we'll see how it all turns out. We still have some decorations to do, the goodie bags, maybe some games, the cake and who knows what else. Hmmmm….where to start!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: St Patty’s Mugs using Sharpie Paint Markers

"Our mistakes don't make or break us – if we're lucky, they simply reveal who we really are, what we're really made of" - Donn Moomaw

I need to re-name this blog to "lastminutecrafts.com" because I feel all my projects lately are being done last minute. Take these St Patrick's Day painted mugs for example. I found these glass mugs at the Dollar Tree two weeks ago along with the green Sharpie Paint marker from Michaels. The project was started last night and then I finished the adult mugs this morning. This morning is St. Patty's Day J. And now before I rush off to pick up little big man from pre-school I am quickly blogging about the project. Oh well. The little big man had fun painting his mug and I'm sure he will enjoy it even more when its full of green mint chocolate chip ice cream. The Sharpie Paint markers are great for the little ones to use to decorate their own cups/mugs. It is so much easier than a paintbrush for them….and me J. Plus it dries super fast.

We are lucky in love (cheesy, I know) so for the adult mugs one side says "Lucky Me" so its facing me when I'm drinking it. On the other side it says "Lucky You" so my hubby sees it when he's sitting across from me. His mug says the same thing. Don't you just love to be cheesy!

Here is little big man this morning with all the green we could fine. Looking at his fashion choices doesn't even faze me anymore since he has been dressing himself for awhile. The lacrosse helmet is a new addition to the wardrobe though. It was his show-and-tell and I'm not sure how much luck his teacher will have of getting it off of him.

Here is Little big man's mug. Name on one side and shamrock on other…

Little man is obviously not old enough to paint his own or to use a glass mug so we painted a shamrock on his for future use. But he sure does know how to look cute sportin' a green cap….

I love these boys! Lucky me for sure!!!! Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss: Bake a Cake

Little man's pre-school class is celebrating Dr Seuss's birthday all week and the teacher wanted a birthday cake today to add to the birthday celebration. So today we sent in a Cat in the Hat cake for them to enjoy. You could still do it this afternoon with your little ones or for them. With sick kids right now, I needed something quick and easy. Is the cake bakery perfect? Far from it! But it gets the point across, was fast, and put a smile on little man's face. Did I mention how much I love box cake mix? In the terms of little man, "it's easy-peasy".

1. Bake your cake.
2. Draw a simple outline just on the top of the cake (not all the way through in case you have to fix it). Once you have the outline you like, then cut all the way through to the bottom. Remove outer edges. In hindsight, don't cut the outline still in the pan like I did. I then had to transfer it to the baking sheet and worry about not breaking it. Take the whole cake out first, place on your plate or baking sheet and then cut out your outline.

1. Add some frosting. Or if you are really fancy and want a more professional looking cake you could used rolled fondant. I've never used it before so no tips from me L. I guess I'll have to give rolled fondant a try one of these days.
2. I was looking for easy-peasy so I just did red sprinkles for my stripes. However, you could use food coloring to die some of the frosting red.

It's not too late to celebrate Dr. Seuss and the happiness and laughter he has brought into our homes for decades. Continue to the celebration all week and enjoy a fun cake one day J.

Be inspired, get creative and have fun!

A Roarin’ Dinosaur Birthday Party

"Have a roarin' good time"

The Lil Man turned 4 last April and every time I look at his birthday party photos they make me smile - so I just had to share! He had so much fun that he has requested another dinosaur party for his 5^th birthday party, but I'm currently trying to talk him into something different. Wish me luck because whenever I suggest something he still sounds like a toddler who says 'no' to everything. This is going to require some creative parenting in order to get my 4 year old to think that an "Under the Sea" party was HIS OWN idea….am I dealing with a grown man?!? He has been obsessed with killer whales since he was 2 so I don't think it should be too difficult to sway his wants……we'll see.

I am a HUGE fan of Etsy and tell everyone about it when I have a chance. In order to make his party unique I tried to find as much as I could on Etsy. So I started off with his invites from Dimple Prints as well as the cupcake toppers.

Here he is enjoying his 4^th cupcake. Ooops….I mean 4^th frosting top. He only eats the frosting J.

A birthday boy needs his special outfit and, once again, Etsy delivered. Happy Family was a joy to work with and our family went all out with the theme....hence the cheesy matching! Although, I must say, as long as we don't wear them all at the same time we still wear the shirts (except me because it was a maternity shirt). I might have to order a new one!

Then we had table decorations. We placed buckets and shovels with the children's names on all the tables along with some dinosaur fossil replicas we found at Michaels.

Lil Man and his friends then went on a dinosaur dig. They took their buckets with them and went looking for their own designated area to dig for dinosaur fossils. Each one had a dinosaur egg and dinosaur fossil hidden in their area. I found the dinosaur eggs at Michaels and when you place them in water a dinosaur is "born". The dinosaur fossils were found at Oriental Trading. And my dinosaur diggers needed some official looking badges to enter the dig area J.

And the biggest hit of the party was the volcano. I wish I would have taken photos of it while I made it, but I was running short on time and just needed to get it done. Here's a quick summary of how I did it…..Find a disposable aluminum pan with sides on it to control the mess when the volcano erupts. To form the shape of the volcano I used some plastic bowls and cups and secured it with duct tape. Make sure the top has a shallow bowl so that it will 'erupt' and run down the sides. I used a small plastic cup that I cut in half so it wasn't so deep. I then added some paper mache to the outside to help form the shape. After it was dry I painted it with some brown paint and added sand and rocks. Each kid had a few chances to make it explode. I had a mini shot glass size cup I would fill with vinegar and a few drops of red food coloring and then the kids would pour that into the volcano that had about 1-2 tbsp of baking soda in it. Get lots of vinegar and baking soda because it will be a hit! I thought I had more than enough, but we ran out.

After some running around and opening presents the kids were off with their parents and their handy dandy gift bags.

If you are planning a dinosaur party I hope our party sparked some ideas to make it a hit!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

I've linked this party over at Under the Table and Dreaming

Gotta Make It: Moss Covered Wood Letter

"A smile is the universal welcome" - Max Eastman

Our front door has been naked way too long and was waiting to be dressed up with the right accessories. I was searching for a wreath, but remembered that I'd fallen in love with some moss covered monograms I had seen on Etsy and said to myself, "I can do that". You can find the materials all at your craft store. Here's what you need:

MATERIALS:

Wood letter
Moss
Ribbon
scissors
Glue gun

This project is messy so please beware and plan accordingly. It won't ruin anything, but the moss does get everywhere. I bought the moss at the craft store in the wreath area. I guess I didn't realize it was real moss because when I opened the package I was alarmed at the smell! I wasn't ready for it and it took me a little time to get accustomed to. I started by tearing off large pieces of moss and placing it on the letter. I then used the glue gun to secure it in place. Once I had the top part done, I worked on the sides. I cut strips of the moss and glued to the sides and then wrapped them around if needed and used the glue to tie down any loose ends. After the letter is covered in moss, hang your ribbon from the back and you are done. Pretty easy – just a little smelly and messy.

Check out these other ideas with Moss:

Good Housekeeping

Onewed

I hope your mind is racing with some ideas to use moss. Get to it and send us a pic!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!