{More Sugar??}

I know...Halloween is not usually the Holiday that you spend hours in the kitchen baking for, but I figured I would be out of commission in December with a newborn, but I still wanted to make treats. So Lauren and I made sugar cookies and cupcakes. The cookies were quite time consuming, but oh how I love them! I was smart and only doubled the recipe so I would not have a million cookies, therefore after making our deliveries, we were left with only a few here at home. I also decorated these buckets to put the treats in.



Lauren was on sprinkle duty, so the cookies looked quite creative. I tried to show her how to do "2 big shakes" to get equal sprinkle coverage, but she wanted to do it her way...so I let her...and guess what...they still taste the same (maybe I am not as much of a control freak as I thought!) Hmm...I think I need a cookie!



Don't worry, she didn't lick every cookie!

{Is it Christmas Yet???}

I love Christmas! I especially love that when you go to Michael's in October, they already have all their Christmas stuff out! This past weekend was full of "creativity." While Dean was gone, my creative juices were flowing and I completed several projects. I had to make these crafts for an upcoming HFPE that I was asked to help with. For some reason I was stressing about these things...I don't know why...I even lost sleep over it (and I never lose sleep over anything) but everything turned out fine. They wanted cheap and easy crafts that could be made as gifts. I spent less than $8 to make all three things..that's pretty cheap!

{Framed}

I made this today to send to a friend that just had a baby girl. Simple, but cute. I hope she likes it!

{Boo}

I made this "BOO" last year, but completely forgot I had it. So when Lauren and I pulled out our fall decor, I was excited to find it. I think I am going to make one for "FALL" or "JOY" for Christmas. I love when I have a project to do...other than cleaning the bathrooms!



UPDATE: Hmm...should I be giving away my secrets?? These are really easy to make. You can get the letters from craft stores like Michael's or Joann or even Walmart (I don't like the Walmart ones...they are harder to work with for some reason). They come in different sizes and are painted white. Pick your letters and the paper you want to use. For these I used 12x12 paper. Trace the letter backwards onto the back side of the paper (this is important, also if you are using a specific pattern or something with writing on it, make sure your letter is lined up straight when you trace it), leaving a little room around the edges. Cut out. Paint the letters if you don't want them to be white. Cover the wood evenly (not too much it will make paper bubble) with mod-podge. Apply paper to top. It is handy if you can smooth out the paper with a squeegee or the scraper from pampered chef. Then use sand paper and sand off the excess paper around the edges (kinda messy). Then do a final coat of mod-podge on top and sides and you are finished! It is also cute if you glue on buttons or ribbon or other embellishments. The letters come with nail holes in the back so you can hang on the wall. Some letters will stand up on their own on a table or you can hot glue them together (like the picture looks) so they will all stand. This process works on anything wood. This is the same way I make the frames or boxes or notebooks too. I have to warn you the it can become addicting! Well...now my secret is out...have fun and show me what you made!

{Something New}

I made this frame and gift bag for a present for a wedding we went to this weekend. I basically dismantled their wedding announcement (which was gorgeous) and put the pieces back together in a new way.

{Rollin' in the Dough}

Lauren LOVES play dough. She will get out all her dishes (and mine) and play forever. However, we have not had any for a long time because the real stuff dries out so fast and I always forget to buy it when I am at the store. So this morning I decided we would make play dough for our activity of the day. I got the recipe from Grandma Farar who always has a fresh batch for the kids to play with. The best part is that I know exactly what is in it and it is non-toxic, because of course, my child has to eat it like everything else (ie: crayons, paper, foam shapes, etc). It's really easy to make and as you can see from the picture it makes quite a bit. Next time I might split the recipe and make 2 colors...anyway...give it a try!

Play Dough

4 tsp Creme of Tarter
2 c Flour
1 c Salt
2 c Water
2 tbs Oil
Food Coloring

Combine all ingredients in a 2Qt Sauce pan. Mix together (won't blend perfectly) turn on stove to Med/Med-High Heat. Continue stirring (make sure flour is blended well) until the dough forms a ball and liquid is absorbed. (By this point a film will form on the bottom/sides of the pan--that's ok--it's not burning). Once it is consistency of play dough, remove from pan and knead several times. It is pretty hot, so let cool and then play away. Store in airtight container.

{Altered Notebooks}

I have seen these altered notebooks before, but never made one. The composition books were on sale at Big Lots for 50 cents, so I thought I would give it a try. I think they turned out pretty cute. I made them for my sister and 2 friends. They are fun gifts and make cute journals. I would like to try mini ones. They would make cute little notebooks to put in your purse or church bag!

Look What I Made....

(with a little help of course!) I am quite proud of myself for this beautiful bag that I made, especially since it is my first real sewing project. I got together with Ericka, Edna, Griscel, Gabby and Sister Panduro to make the bag. I was told it would only take a couple hours, I should have known better. We started at 9:15pm Friday and I got in my car to drive home Saturday at 4:05 am and the others weren't even done yet! I was exhausted, but it was totally worth it! I had a lot of fun and learned a lot about sewing. For example:

1. Every purse needs a "hot pocket."
2. Don't buy a "White trash" machine, go straight for the Viking.
3. When your project seems like it isn't working out, turn it into a place mat.
4. If the instructor can't keep her pieces straight, you're in trouble!
5. Always follow the instructions...but don't let Ericka be the interpreter!
6. Every craft project must include chocolate!
(Sorry if those don't make sense, maybe you had to be there!)

Anyway...my loving husband let me sleep in until 11am and take a 2 hour nap with Lauren. So I am sure I will be recovered by Sunday. I feel a lot more comfortable with sewing now and am glad I did it. Thanks for the help girls!

I Got Crafty Again...

Lauren kindly decided to take a 3 hour nap today (Hoorah!) so I got crafty! I bought these huge clothspins at a store in Idaho called Craft Warehouse. It is one of the greatest stores ever!!! I didn't know what I was going to do with them, but thought they were too cute to pass up. They are about 5 inches tall, so they are decent sized. I decided to make this one for my mom's new office at work. I guess she can just clip a picture or note to it and stick it on her desk. I thought they were cute. Then...at the same store, I found more doohickeys for the binky holders, so I made another girl one and my first boy one. Pretty cute huh! Now someone have a kid so I can give it to you!

By the way...Lauren's long nap may have been coma induced. Today we were in my office and I look down and she is eating crayons again then spitting in the crayon box. So I "raised my voice" at her and told her to go get a kleenex to clean it up. Well she proceeded to give me a dirty look while backing out of the room. Then she flipped around and ran full force into the corner of the wall. She hit so hard SHE DENTED THE WALL!!! Luckily in didn't break skin, but while putting her to sleep I noticed a lovely goose egg above her left eye. Poor thing...she got my clumsy genes!

Feeling Crafty

I was feeling kinda artsy this week and decided to make a few things for my friend Katie who is having a baby girl "Lucy." The nursery is "Disney and Friends" theme, hence the bright "magical" colors instead of the usual pink and purple! (Sorry for the flashy pics, the lighting in my office isn't that great!)














Then I made this photo frame...which I think I might make another for myself!














Then these are binky (pacifier) holders. They might be hard to see. The snap creates a loop that hooks through the binky and then behind the round metal thinger is a clip to hook on to the baby's outfit.














Anyway...I just thought I would share!