Valance

I made a valance for my laundry room.  I have absolutely no practice in making valances, but I saw a cute one on pinterest that I never could find again, and I realized that is what my laundry room was missing.

I hated the window and especially the honeycomb blinds, but that is when I realized a valance, I didn't want full on curtains since a laundry room is so dusty and linty.  I think its perfect, although I do know it would look better if I knew how to make a professional looking valance.  I love the material, I love toile, I love green and since had the material waiting for a project, it was perfect. The project was only the cost of a cheap curtain rod, and it matches my wreath, sort of, the greens do match.

Lucky

I painted these lucky letters years ago for St. Patrick's Day, but what I had done with them fell apart.  I finally re-purposed them into this sign. I love it, the frame has a little bit of glitter in the paint but not as much as the letters.  The rainbow picture was taken in our backyard.  Not the best ever rainbow picture, but definitely not bad.  I was surprise how well it went with the frame-- at least in my opinion.

This is pretty much my new favorite thing in my house, until March 20th.
Once again I'm a fan of the variegated paint job.

Princess Dress

In my attempt to find flannel at JoAnns Fabric store, we ended up on the character material aisle, (its the same one). Nan desperately wanted princess material, so I gave in so I could put back some other ugly material she had asked for.  The material was half off, and has that elastic smocking, so it was about the easiest dress in the world to make.  All I had to do was hem up the side since the bottom comes hemmed, then add straps.  For character prints its actually kind of cute material. She loves it. It ended up costing less than $8, not bad for a dress especially on with Disney Princesses on it.

Homemade Valentine's Day

For some reason I make my kids homemade valentine presents. I was going to quit this year, but then I saw Rainy Day Hopscotch in a Family Fun Magazine in a doctor's office and knew that my son would love it.  He is obsessed with hopscotch from recess. 

 The longest part of the project was cutting out the stencils.  I would link to family fun magazine but I never could find a link.

 My daughter got a frilly tool belt.  Probably doesn't look like a tool belt to you, but we have a kid tool belt that she loves and wears all the time because she loves the pockets.  Not all of her pants have pockets and she needs pockets for her cell phone.

Valentine Breakfast

My kids woke up early on valentine day's so I made them, heart pancakes with valentine sprinkles inside and on top of the cream.

I feel guilty I didn't take a picture of my son in his red shirt.

Do you know what this is?

Do you know what this is?

 A pinata!  A refrigerator pinata from Wall-E its where he finds the plant.

Did you hear the whole saga of the pinata, long story short there was nothing in the $10 pinata range that my son and I agreed on other than a present that was a square.  My husband said all along we should just make on and when I looked at that square of a present pinata I threw the idea out to my son.  He loved it.  My husband wanted to do a balloon pinata of Eve, but my son wanted a refrigerator! What 6 year old picks a refrigerator for a pinata? Mine.
If we were making a pinata I wanted it to be ruffly with paper like a real pinata, so I read all of Oh Happy Day's Tutorials, and dyed my white streamers with tea after seeing this watercolor streamer tutorial. The pictures don't show that our white was actually tea brown, to imitate the rust and dirt or Wall-E's world. I never got to putting a handle on it.  The pinata has a false back and the candy is behind the plant.
Brent thankfully helped me do the whole thing, I had never made a pinata before.  When we were finish I was unhappy with results, but after staring at it a long time, I realized it was the composition not the execution. Then my friend said, I love how creative he is-- in reference to him wanting a refrigerator pinata.
My son loved it, and that is what matters.

Oh course we only sang Jim Croce's Roller Derby Queen once or twice.

She is a five foot six and two fifteen A bleached-blonde mama with a streak of meanShe knew how to knuckleAnd she knew how to scuffle and fightAnd the roller derby program saidThat she were built like a 'fridgerator with a head

Strawberry Birthday

For the big 3-0 I thought my husband needed an actual cake, so I made him a tiered strawberry shortcake cake (pound cake).  It was very yummy I was pleased with how it turned out.

Snow Day

Today is a snow day, and I WISH I had had time to go pick up a yard of some light pink floral calicoes.  Last week I decided my daughter might love a comfy pillowcase dress, but I don't have material for that. Sad day, snow days are great for snowing.  My kids play, and have pretend sleep overs, and campouts on my bed, while I sew a few feet from them.  I'll have to find some craft to sew today.
By the way I make my own pillowcase, its easier for me, since I don't shop anywhere with pretty pillowcases and don't have any.  Plus my daughter is still too small for a pillowcase dress actually made out of a pillowcase.

Invite

As you know we are in the thick of things with Birthdays.  When I couldn't find a decent priced invite, I decided to make my own wall-e invite.  Printing your own invites is hardly hard, but I have never done it before so I feel so accomplished.
Ignore that black line of the left I don't know where it came from.

Then these are the thank you notes, yes I make my child write thank you notes.

Valentine Skirt

I made my daughter a valentine skirt.

 I've wanted to make this style of skirt for years, but could never bear to cut perfectly good jeans.  Well these were too big for her waist ever since she potty trained, but had holes in the knees! Perfect.

 I love it! Except she stopped wear skirts, maybe she'll pull it out in the summer, when she doesn't need a pants underneath. It should still fit in the waist.

Princess Crown

My daughter's friend had a princess party and my friend (the mom) told me I did not need to buy a present.  So I made this instead.

I had an unwilling model so here is my lamp modeling it.

 I based it off this pin I saw of tulle crowns, and J's crown. As I made it I thought either this is ridiculous or ingenious.  Its a fine line. I couldn't tell if if it would look like a 70s headband.
 Best part of this craft/present is I already had the material.  The other two moms at the party loved it, so I guess it wasn't ridiculous.

Snow White

Back in October I bought my daughter two dress up dresses at Goodwill.  All her friends had princess dress and she did not.  Individually they were a little less than $5 each.  But both need a little bit of care. I was willing to do it to save $30.  (These were $20 dresses new.)  The first one was Princess Fiona from Shrek, and once I removed a few things that had frayed it turned out to be a beautiful dress.  Her favorite is the Snow White Dress.  It turned out to need more care, I asked my mom to help me over thanksgiving, and still by Christmas it needed more work.  The bodice and skirt of the dress were fine, but the sleeves just kept shredding.  Imagine my excitement when I search snow white sleeves on Pinterest and found this tutorial for the sleeves. I spent less than $2 on material to make the sleeves, still I was on top if it worked.

That is not her doll, its her friend's and boy was she excited when she found it!

By the time it took me six hours I don't know if was a top of a good deal, but considering it was christmas break and I'm a stay at home mom, it probably wasn't too bad of a deal.  Not to mention I learned a lot while sewing these sleeves.  I'm pretty sure these sleeves should have not taken 6 hours, but I'm not a seamstress I'm a crafter. Plus if you haven't figure it out yet on this blog I'M TERRIBLE at following directions!!! Not to mention you have to start by making your own sleeve pattern which totally paralyzed me.
Part of the reason it took a long time, is did french seams, because I didn't want the dress to fray and I wanted it to be comfortable.  But part of it is I don't have a lot of practice with satin, it handles a lot different than cotton calico, so it was just hard for me.  But like I said, I learned a lot.
Unfortunately now, I think the sleeves out shines the dress, well the bodice.  I considered about replacing it, but decided it wasn't worth it, plus it made my daughter really nervous for me to be reworking her dress.  She was quite upset until it was done.  She loves the dress, and if I replaced the bodice she probably wouldn't love it at much, she LOVES the button.  Snow White stories are now her favorite in her Princess Collection Book.
(She also likes stories about "the doggie"-- Beauty and the Beast)

Even though it is opposite I think she plays a good snow white even with her fair blond hair.  Then again Marge Champion was the model for snow white and she definitely did not have hair as dark as a raven.

Mailboxes

Remember these?

Yeah, I threw them away when we moved, there was no way I was moving empty kleenex boxes even if they were pretty.  I don't regret not moving them, but I wish I had them, if that makes sense?
I want to make these to replace them.

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But I'm planning on getting a new car this year, and every dollar I don't spend on something means a dollar I don't have to pay interest on so, I got to like seriously budget, save and be frugal, and $10 on mailboxes, just is not in the budget this February. But oh how I love those mailboxes, more than like any other valentine thing on pinterest this year.
Instead I think I'll make these:

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But in different colors for everyone's favorite colors.  I don't feel the need to make everything red. Plus it will add some valentines flare to make kitchen which often doesn't get decorated.  I can't handle decorations and crumbs.  Ahh, it makes me want to cry thinking about it!
While we are talking about valentine's I seriously love this pillow

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And I really would like to make a valentine tree, its great because its free. Will someone help me find and arrange my branches?  Maybe one of my brown eyed boys will help me.

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But I got off topic, go stare at the mailboxes, I want to make, and pretend they are in my house.

Birthdays

Whew, the middle of February is a busy time for our family, and I like things over the top. I'm trying to plan it so I know what to do eat day.
We have Valentines and my husband's birthday, then two days later is my son's birthday.
So part of me wants some sort of homemade valentine's treat for my kids, and then I need a dessert for my husband's birthday.  I think we'll make cookies the weekend before.

Then for my husband's birthday we would preferably a strawberry dessert.

I will probably attempt his mom's strawberry pie, he always tells me I didn't make it right, but over the years I've realized I'm ok with that, his mom deserves to be glorified by him. (And in his defense, I do change it from time to time.)
For the first couple of years I always told him I wanted to make it for his birthday, and he always told me it wasn't strawberry season.  Well this year I've decided who cares, globalization has made valentine's strawberry season, so who cares.
The following day I need to make something for my son to take to school, the next morning and he does not really like cake. Luckily I can make the treat this year.  I was thinking I wanted to make chocolate chip sandwich cookies, but maybe they'll just get plain cookies

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The for his birthday, I was still thinking the chocolate chip cake, but will he get chocolate chip overloaded?  I don't know, he never has before.

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But may its too hard to do all this in a week, so I'm thinking this would be a good idea for his birthday.  My husband says it sounds gross, but I know my son will love it.

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All it is ice cream sandwiches and whipped cream frozen, I know my son will love it.

What do you think, chocolate chip cookie ice box cake, or Easy Ice Cream sandwich cake?

Then the following day we'll have his friend party, what to make what to make, for a child who doesn't really like cake?

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How about this chocolate chip cookie bowls with ice cream on top?  I'm thinking ten 5-6 year olds will think it is fun, and my son will love eating it.
But instead maybe I'll make a giant chocolate chip cookie, and serve ice cream after we cut it up for the kids.  The giant chocolate chip cookie is probably more exciting to kids than cookie bowls. The last time I made my son a giant chocolate chip cookie he didn't really like it, but that's because the recipe didn't put enough chocolate chips in it. If I got m&m baking chips he would really like that, although I wouldn't.

He wants chocolate dipped oreos, which is my own fault, but I don't really know how and I don't really have the energy to learn in the next four weeks.
What do you think?  Chocolate chip cookie bowls, or giant birthday cookie?
I'm thinking I'll go easier, then hard on each one.  If I only had event I would go over the top.
But I think the ice cream sandwhich icebox cake, and the giant cookie. My plan for his school birthday, is to make the cookies ahead of time and freeze them.
Oh on top of this I'm assistant room mom, and I think I'm in charge of the valentine's party in kindergarten.  Plus my son's birthday is the 100th day of school, so we also have to do something to bring in for 100th day.  Whew, are you tired just reading this post?
Good think I'm obsessive planner or none of this would get done.
And at one point I thought wanted to throw my husband a birthday party because its his 30th!
Although that still sounds appealing, maybe an open house the weekend before!?
It would be super fun if we rented a ping pong table, but I'm sure that is not in the budget.
Please readership I know most of you don't post, tell me your opinions and advice.

You don't want to know

I have a sickness, its called obsessive Halloween planning.
My son has been talking about wanting to be grass for months.  I know Halloween is not for another 10 monutes, but my son is obsessed with holidays. I haven't the slightest idea where he would pick up an obsession.  He is planning other holidays while enjoying current holidays, which is all fine and dandy, as long as there are no tears involved.
So he wants to be grass for Halloween 2012, he thinks it would be so funny. He has an odd sense of humor for a 5 year old.
Well you know my brain, now I have a whole family theme.  Will it last, will he still want to be grass in 10 months, only October will tell.  Wouldn't be great though if my theme worked?  Sorry no more details at this point.
By the way I just googled grass Halloween costume, the good mormon girl in me, makes me slightly naive sometimes. I should clarify, he wants to look like walking astro turf.  He has no need to propagate a legal drug in the state of Colorado with a prescription.