Wordless Wednesday #1

A Little Note Holder

I have recently been working on making my crafting area the space that I really want {promise to show pics as soon as it's done}.  I began about a month ago organizing the mounds and mounds of craft supplies that I have.  After finding myself in a pile of ribbon, scrapbook paper, rolls of vinyl and about a million other things, I found two little wood plaques that forgot I purchased or even what I purchased them for...lol.

Deciding what to do with them was pretty easy.  I looked around at the supplies I had and quickly picked out some scrapbook paper, spray paint and headed straight to my Silhouette machine.

Look at the fab little note holders I whipped up!

Now, back to craft space renovation.  Stay tuned and in the meantime....

A Sign and Party Pics

May was a busy crafting month for me.  One of the projects I worked on were centerpieces for a Doc McStuffins birthday party for my best customer.  I'm so excited and honored to show you this party.  I loved the job she did for her sweet baby girl, I asked if she would allow me to share the party with my readers.

But before we get there I wanted to show you the sign that I made for her as well.  She found a Doc McStuffins chalkboard at the dollar store and asked if I could write the famous quote from the show "Time for your checkup".  Well of course!  Let me share just how simple that was.

The dollar store chalkboard -- great, right!?!

The process to write on the board is so easy you won't believe it.  Use your computer and type what you want in whatever font you want and print it out.  I chose a large rounded font which I think works better.

Time for your check up!

I cut out each word, turned them over and covered them completely with chalk.  Once they were covered, I placed them on the chalkboard where I wanted them {chalk side down}and used a pencil to fill in each letter.

Each word completely covered in chalk

All done!

After filling them in with pencil and removing the paper you'll want to go over each letter with chalk.  If you have any mistakes take a small paint brush and some water to remove the chalk {it's like magic eraser}.  My only advice - make sure you really cover each word with chalk.  If you don't it will be to light to go over afterward.

Now without further ado, it's party time.  Here is Miss Corrine's 5th Birthday Party!

The invitation

The birthday banner welcoming her friends

The birthday girl waiting for her guests to arrive

Face painted with Doc McStuffins -- awesome job!

The amazing birthday cake

Syringe jello shots {genius!}

The party table {don't you just LOVE the polka dots!?!}

Doc McStuffins centerpiece

Stuffy centerpiece

Bears -- each child was able to stuff their bears and dress it in a personalized t-shirt

Check up sign

Lambie and Hallie centerpiece at the gift table

The party planners and birthday girl

Thanks so much to the Glenn family for sharing their little girls' special day with my readers.  Until next time....

Before Meets After -- Linen Closet Organization

Do you find that you have several unfinished projects going on around your house?  I've had a "to do" list running in my head for several months now, always with the promise that I will take care of it...soon.  Now that school is out, "soon" as arrived and it's high time I get these items checked off.

My linen closet has been begging for my attention for at least a year {probably longer, but who's counting}.  It's such a small space so it only needed a little organizational TLC.

I went shopping for baskets in Hobby Lobby.  I found several that I loved but wasn't crazy about the prices.  I knew that I only needed three, preferably three different sizes - something like this.

Natural Rush Basket set with liners {picture from Hobby Lobby}

With a $54 price tag {or larger},  I needed to start thinking of other options.  Back to my favorite store to shop for bargains -- The Goodwill!  It took me several weeks to find what I was looking for but I got lucky and found these great containers.

Containers made of wood

They are heavy and very sturdy containers and I was over the moon when I saw them just sitting on a
table.  Seriously, I almost ran over a little old man trying to get to them before someone else did {hey, bargains bring out the worst in a person...lol}.  The best part of this find was the price.  All three together only cost me $11.  Major score!

Though I loved the containers themselves I wasn't so in love with the color, so time to get that small flaw taken care of.  I grabbed my sand paper and tack cloth and got right to work.

Sanding time

They only needed a little sanding work to get them ready for painting.  Then outside I went to get them spray painted.  I used Valspar spray paint and I'm in love with the coverage and finish of this brand.

Sanded and ready for painting

Great coverage -- only required one coat

The finished product - beautiful!

To finish them off, I used my Silhouette machine, scrapbook paper and some great chalkboard vinyl from Pick Your Plum to create the labels for each container

Labels on each container

Here is where my Before Meets After:

It feels great to have one thing crossed off my mental to do list.  I'll be working hard over the next few weeks to get several more checked off too!  What are some of your 'to do' list items and how do you plan to tackle them?

Our Garden....Harvest Time!

I've said this before but it certainly bears saying again...I never thought I would enjoy gardening.  When my son asked me to create a garden for him, I put him off for an entire year hoping {praying really} that the interest was a passing fancy and that he would move on from that idea.  Well, he didn't and after asking again and again I finally conceded and created his Spring Garden.

Now it's time to confess.  I have LOVED everything about this little garden of his!  I didn't think it was possible, especially because my non-love of nature still exists, but I truly do and this has not only been fun but a learning experience too.

We have talked to, fertilized, weeded and watered this little garden with care and our efforts have paid off.  We have harvested our first crop of the season and I don't think we could be anymore excited!

Some of the lessons that I've learned from this:

Green beans grow quickly.
Cucumbers are a vine plant and really need a much larger space to grow in {2x2 is WAY too small}.
Next year the little raised boxes will house only flowers; larger raised boxes for the vegetables are a must.
Carrots should be planted alone {those poor things have been crowded out by the beans and cucumbers; no growth at all}

Yippee -- tomatoes!

Our one red strawberry

Here's another -- YAY!

Growing cucumbers

Booming with green beans!

Picking his strawberry

Our harvest -- look at those green beans!

Growing food that we can eat and being proud of our accomplishment ranks #1 for us.  If you haven't tried a garden, give it go...you might be surprised at how much you enjoy it with your little one too!

Operation 50 States

School is out and the proverbial question on every parents mind is 'what is my child going to do this summer?'  For many moms and dads, the journey to summer fun begins months before school is actually out.  They begin looking at camps early on because the good ones will fill up within minutes of open registration.

Being a first time mom, and because no one clued me in, I learned that school-age camp is expensive.  What I paid for four to six weeks of preschool camp will only cover one week of school-age camp {What??? Who thought this up?}.  For those of you who follow me regularly you know that my life is ruled by a limited budget, so $220 for one week of Lego camp just won't work for me.  Time for plan B -- camp/summer fun at home for a fraction of the cost.

My son loves all things maps and travel.  He informed me just a few days ago that when he's an adult and rich {yes, he actually said that...LOL!} he plans to travel the world.  So I began thinking about ways to support his travel interest that would be fun and educational.  What better way to do that than to "travel" the country!

Of course, you can't travel without luggage.  Enter our homemade suitcase made from an old packing box.

Started with a regular packing box cut in half

Use a cup to create the rounded corners needed

Draw a semi-circle

Cut out using a box cutter or straight blade

Use glue to connect the sides to the bottom {same for the top}

The bottom is complete!

Top and bottom of the suitcase

To make the handle - cut slits in the box and stick a strip through

Handle shown from the inside of the suitcase

Tape the flaps down to the inside of the bottom

The hinge attached with glue to a small square of cardboard

Glue to the bottom then add screws to keep it attached

Working reinforced hinges

Added an American flag and wording

He was so excited he had to use it right away!

This journey is just beginning. Travel with us as we learn during our summer of fun with 'Operation 50 States'!  

Where we like to party!