Custom Cookies

These cookies are pretty stinking cool.  You can get cookies that look like YOU!

And they put them in cute bags for you:


How fun.  Kind of expensive, but I have NO IDEA how I could make these on my own, so I am going to have to find an excuse to order them from Parkers Crazy Cookies.

What About the Chalk and Eraser

I have posted a LOT of chalkboard ideas. But I have never once found any ideas for holding the chalk and eraser.

And then I found Richella's blog, Imparting Grace.

This is her chalkboard that she made:

But she didn't have a place to keep the chalk and eraser next to the chalkboard.  So she found a plate ledge at Goodwill and painted it black:


And Voila!  Problem solved:



She is also having a giveaway on her blog today too, so head on over to enter here.

Ruffle Butt Onesies

Kari from UCreate had a guest blogger on Friday.   Char posted a photo tutorial on how to make this cute ruffle butt onsie:

and this one:

and this one too:

I need to make some...I just need to find a baby to make them for! 

You need to go and check out the photo tutorial.  So cute!!

Braided Scrap Necklace

See these cute necklaces that Ruby Ellen from Cakies made:

She made them by braiding frayed strips of fabric together.  How simple.  And it looks so cute against a white t-shirt.

A great summer craft for any girl who knows how to braid.

Here are the instructions from her site:

1. Take your scrap fabric, I cut a .5''-1'' snip and tear the rest of the fabric down for a nice frayed edge. Used 3 different fabrics for each strand.
2. Take 3 of the torn pieces and tie the ends together with a rubber band.
3. Braid the 3 pieces together and tie ends together with rubber band when done.
4. Repeat steps 2 & 3 for more strands. Remember you can make the strands any length you want, if run out of fabric, just weave more into the braid.
5. Once all the strands you want are braided, gather one end of each strand together and straight stitch together with sewing machine. Repeat for the other ends of the strands. Snip off any excess.
6. Gather ends of the necklace and sew together (snip excess) or a ribbon can be sewn at the ends to be able to tie the necklace closed, but I just sewed both ends together.
7. Voila! A nice way to make use of all your lovely scraps.

Chick-fil-A Toy Exchange

Did you know that if you go here:



And order one of these:

And you don't want one of these:

You can exchange it for one of these:

I just found that out yesterday and I LOVE it!  Chick-fil-A is one of my favorite places to take the kids when we are eating out(their lemonade is so yummy!)  And I love that the toys in their kids meals are usually books.  But with three kids meals, we usually get three of the same book.  They are really great about changing out the toys (their customer service is stellar) but even then there are times that you would just rather have an ice cream.

If you finish your meal and want a treat, you can bring your unopened toy to the register and they will exchange it for a small Ice Dream Cone.

We may never bring a toy home from Chick-fil-A again.

UP

My new favorite movie:

I cried through about half the movie.  Go see it.  You will like it.  Unless you don't like cute little old men that love their wives.

Tiny Tool Box

Father's Day is just around the corner..actually I have no idea when it is at the moment. I just know it is in June.

But when I do get around to knowing when it is and figuring out what to give the Dad's in my life, I might be using this idea from Alpha Mom:

What a cute card...or gift card holder. She spray painted an Altoids tin and then added some hardware. Pretty darn cute.

Changing Trash Bags

This is one of those why didn't I think of that ideas.

Actually, I can't use this tip because my kids LOVE to miss the trash bag when throwing stuff away, so all the bags would get dirty.  Yuck.  But if you are past that stage in your house this idea is pretty brilliant.

To make your trash bag changes go quicker, try this:

The idea came from Mrs. Jones.  That Mrs. Jones is pretty clever.

Popcones

What happens when a popcorn ball and an ice cream cone fall in love:

You can use Martha's recipe for Marshmallow Almond Popcorn or use your favorite popcorn ball recipe to make this fun treat.

What you need:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more, softened, for bowl

8 cups popped popcorn
3/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
40 large marshmallows
6 sugar cones

(makes 6)

What you do:

Butter a large bowl.  Add popcorn and nuts.   Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add marshmallows and cook, stirring, until melted.   Pour over popcorn mixture; stir to coat evenly.  Using buttered hands, fill cones with mixture, shaping top into a ball. Stand cones in a cardboard box with holes cut out of top; let cool.

Pendant Light

Speaking of lamps...we know there are lots of ways to make a lampshade pretty.  But what about pendant lights.  

Like this one from Design Sponge:

Bet you will never guess what it used to be.

Did you guess.

Bet you didn't guess that it used to be this:

Think of all the options!

Paint Your Kitchen Counters

There are a lot of blog posts to be found about painting your kitchen cabinets.  But what about your counters.

Sara from Whimsies & Whatnots had counters that looked like this:

So she painted them and made them look this:


Aren't they pretty:

So my friend Michelle (who knows Sara in real life) decieded to use the same technique and turned her counters from this:

to this:

Pretty amazing what a little paint can do.  Even for counters.

You have to clean them really well.  Paint them (and do a little splattering to get the granite effect) and then you seal them with Enviro-tex.  It is a great way to give your counters a new look when they are good counters, but just not cute!!

Doorway Puppet Theater

We have no room in our house for a puppet theater.  But it would be so fun to have one.  So this one is PERFECT:

 

Country Living has a tutorial on their site for making this great doorway puppet theater.

You need a curtain (or a material) that is at least half an inch wider than the door frame.  You then cut out the opening for the stage.  Country Living made theirs 18x16, but you can make it any size you like. 

You then make "curtains" for the stage with a contrasting fabric.  Cut out a square that is larger than the opening you cut before and then snip it in half.  Pin the top of each piece to the back of the opening 

If you want to make the fillip, cut triangles from a third fabric and pin them to the front of the opening at the top. 

Pin two 12-inch ribbon "tiebacks" to each side of the opening's front. 

Sew the curtains, triangles, and tiebacks in place by stitching ribbon around the opening. 

Sew a loop of ribbon onto the curtain's top corners, then hang from nails on the door frame. 

The best part is when they are done, you can fold it up and slide it in a drawer.  Or a box.  Or under the bed.  Just about anywhere! 

Hat Chandelier

Poppytalk posted this picture of this cute 'mad hatter' hat chandelier:

But it is $670 at Lampa. Eek!

You can get this sconce for only $210 though:

But I am thinking you can make one with any hat...for a lot less than $700!

Summer Refreshment

I love this idea from The Farm Chicks (actually I just love The Farm Chicks!  L-O-V-E love I tell ya!):

First I am a sucker for drinking out of jars.  There is a restaurant here, Lucille's, and they have the coolest GIANT mason jars that they serve drinks in.  If I thought for a minute my kids could get their hands around them and not break all of them I might use them at home.  Someday!

But that isn't the great idea!  When they have guests over, they serve drinks like lemonade, but they also have garnishes that they can stir in to customize their drinks.  Sprigs of mint.  Lemons and limes.  Crushed berries.  It is like a self serve beverage bar! 

Fabric Lampshade

I ran over a lampshade today.  Actually I ran over the entire lamp.  I was driving on the freeway and there was a lamp in my lane.  I could have slammed on my brakes, but I am pretty sure the car behind me was a little too close for that.  And I thought my car would clear it...but I was wrong.  Made a hideous sound.  And it really has nothing to do with this post, except that the lampshade wasn't as cute as this one from Moda Bake Shop:

And now it never will be.  Because my car killed it.

But if you have a lampshade that needs to be prettied up, they have a tutorial on how to make this cute shade using strips of fabric.

Mini Turtle Cheesecakes

Another one from Salt and Chocolate, (one of my new favorites!)  I made these for my sister-in-laws baby shower last year.  They are really yummy.  They need more than the teaspoon size scoop that the recipe recommends though.

I have been looking for treats to make for my sister-in-law's shower and I think we may have a winner!!

Mini Turtle Cheesecakes

8 oz of cream cheese softened to room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
2 teaspoon AP Flour
4 oz dark chocolate, melted
1/4 cup sour cream
1 egg
Caramel dessert sauce and Pecans

Preheat oven to 325. Line mini muffin pan with paper cups. In a bowl combine the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until light and creamy. Add in the flour and blend until smooth. Pour in the chocolate and sour cream and mix to combine. Add in the egg and mix. Use a teaspoon size scoop (I used a Tablespoon size scoop and they were still a little small) to add the cheesecake batter to the muffin cups. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the center is almost set. Let cool to room temperature for at least 10 minutes then refrigerate for 8 hours to overnight. Before serving drizzle on some caramel sauce and top with a pecan.

Patti-Kake

Found the CUTEST site to order a cupcake bouquet! I don't think they ship though! But of you are in Jacksonville FL...

Check out Patti-Kake Here!!

And I am pretty sure with a bucket, some floral foam and skewers you could recreate it!

Ribbons and Tulle

I am going to be gone at a funeral all day today.  My Dad's twin sister passed away last week.  So I thought today would be a great day to pull out some of the posts from my archives.  If you have been reading my blog for a year, you may have seen these posts already, but they are great reminders!  And if not, then they are new to you, so pretend like I didn't tell you they were reposts.

This would be so cute in the girls' room:

ribbon valance

night stand with a tutu skirt!

Epsom Salt

Do you have this in your house:

Epsom Salt has about a million useful applications.   You can soak in it to help soothes aches and reduce swelling of sprains and bruises.

If you soak stinky feet in water and Epsom salt in helps eliminate the stink.  It can also soften up the rough skin on your feet.

Have a splinter?  Soaking it will help draw the splinter out.

Add a half teaspoon to your regular facial cleanser and exfoliate.

You can even use it to wash your hair and it removes excess oil and adds volume.

It helps green your grass, fertilize your plants.

It can even regenerate a car battery.

I swear!!

But the best use comes from Mrs. Jones:

a cheap substitute for white sand in an apothecary jar:

Pearl Strand Lamp

Chez Fifi took this wire basket:

and worked some magic with wire and beads beads and a light to make this gorgeous romantical (yes, I said romantical) chandelier:

I want to get married and have a reception with about a dozen of those suspended from the ceiling.

Oh wait...I am already married. Now I know why people renew their wedding vows.

Happy Memorial Day

Another DIY Bench

Remember this bench from BHG:


Same idea, using old chairs, but this time without the cushions...and I like this one better:

This one came from Country Living.  And here are the step by step instructions:

Step 1: 

Unscrew the seats from the chairbacks and armatures and set aside. Save the screws.

Step 2: 

Line up the chairs side by side, with a few inches between each. Measure the distance from one end of the row to the other, and add four inches to that number. Then measure the depth (from front to back) of one of the seats you just removed. Cut a wood plank with those dimensions (we used a 1 1/4-inch-thick, 15- by 58-inch plank here), and sand or miter its edges — or ask someone at your local lumberyard to do it for you. Paint or stain the plank as desired.

Step 3: 

Once the plank has dried, place it atop the chairs, center it, and use a pencil to mark where it meets the screw holes in the armatures and the backs of the chairs. (Keep in mind that chairs can age unevenly, so this may require some fiddling.) Remove the plank and drill small pilot holes at each marked point. Put the plank back on top of the chairs, align the pilot holes, and mark where each front chair leg meets the underside of the plank, tracing all the way around the tip of the leg (known as the dowel). Remove the plank. Then, using a drill bit that corresponds to the size of the dowel, bore a 1/2-inch-deep indentation within your pencil marking, being careful not to drill all the way through the plank.

Step 4: 

Apply wood glue to the dowels, position the plank atop the chairs again, and press the bored holes down on the dowels. Screw the back of the plank to the chair backs — and reattach the armatures — with the screws you removed earlier. Place a weight on the plank and let dry overnight; then sit back and relax.

Tray Chic

Martha fancied up a tray by adding feet:


But not just any feet.  She used drawer pulls.  You might have to get longer screws if your tray is thick, but other than that it is pretty simple.

A Jar of Lemonade

I want one of these beverage dispenser/jars:



Not that particular one. That one is $52 at Dillard's. There is a nice one at Costco for around $30.

But these 2 gallon jars are $12 at Wal-mart:

And they look pretty cute as a punch bowl:

image from Bower Power

Patriotic Punch

I love this party drink idea from Family Fun

and it would be a great Memorial Day treat.  Make ice cubes with red and blue Gatorade/Powerade/Kool-Aid and then serve it with something clear.  Seltzer Water or Sprite work well.  If you use Seltzer, as the ice melts there will be swirls of colored bubbles.  Pretty fun.

Sparkle Strawberries

A perfect treat for a Memorial Day BBQ or an early 4th of July Idea.

image from Family Fun

You take clean strawberries, dip them in a cream cheese mixture and then cover them in sugar sprinkles.  I would do red, blue and clear (white) and skip the yellow!

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
	1 pint fresh strawberries
	1/4 cup colored sugar
	4 ounces softened cream cheese
	2 teaspoons confectioners sugar
	4 teaspoons milk
	1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Wash the whole berries and pat them dry with a paper towel. Fill a shallow bowl with colored sugar (you can buy this at the grocery store or mix your own by stirring two drops of food coloring into 1/4 cup of sugar). 

In a mixing bowl, blend the cream cheese, confectioners sugar, milk, and vanilla extract with a fork until smooth and creamy. Add more milk if needed to achieve the desired consistency. 

Holding the berries by their stems, your kids can dip them into the cream cheese mixture, roll them in the sugar, and enjoy. 

Dollar Flip Flops

If you are anywhere near and Old Navy today, go in and get yourself a pair of $1 Flip Flops!  I will be getting one in every color!!!  I *heart* Flip Flops!

Buttercup Purse

See this really cute purse:


Rae made it.  And you can get the pattern for free on her blog.  I think I am going to try to make it this summer!  Wish me luck!!

Little Birdie Secrets made one and added a cute flower:

She used this tutorial from Wise Craft to make the flower.  I might have to make one of those too!