Being the last day of the month, I thought it would be fun to clean out some of the bookmarks I've saved recently, and share some of the best ones with you.
So grab a cup of coffee, and join me as I visit some great blogs and pin some project ideas to my pinterest boards.
Blogs I want to visit more often:
Things I'd love to make:
Products that are calling my name:
And some other fun stuff:
Now get off of the computer and go hug someone sweet!
Here's a sweet gift for Grandma that can be whipped up in just a couple hours.
You'll need:
paper and pencil
dark colored marker
rick rack (approx. 1 yd per towel)
plain dishtowel - I like the flour-sack kind.
fabric paint
*****
Start by sewing down the rick rack along the entire bottom edge of the towel.
Next, use some scrap paper to trace your kids' hands with a pencil. You may be tempted to make actual hand-prints, but trust me--this turns out better. You only need one tracing for each child. You can just flip it over if you want two on the towel.
On a 8 1/2 x 11 inch sheet of paper, arrange the hands so that they look balanced. Write the child's name and age next to his hand. Choose a place for the year, too. If you don't like your writing, print out the info in a nice simple font, and trace it onto this sheet in the right place. When you are happy with the composition, trace over everything with your marker, using a thick, smooth line. This is your template for painting.
Fold the towel into thirds long-wise, so that the rick rack is along the bottom and the middle third is showing. Now fold the towel in half, short-wise. The exposed surface should be a little bigger than your template paper. Slip it under the top layer of towel.
Choose the color you want for the writing and carefully trace over that first. Start at the top and work down so you don't drag your arm through it!
If possible, wait for this color to dry before you do the next one. If not, be super careful with your next color. It's so easy to forget and rest your arm in the wet paint!
Trace over the hand prints using your next color. Slip out the template while the paint is still wet.
Let dry for a couple hours before wrapping.
We have been making these dish towels every year since Emma was tiny. We make them for Christmas, but they would also work for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and Grandparent's Day. Don't forget to make one for yourself, too!
A late breakfast.
Some progress on our puzzle.
The last chapters of our audio book.
Some presents that showed up in the mail from cherished friends.
A new game.
Which Esther thinks is hilarious.
And this word.
I wrote it on my hand so I wouldn't forget.
According to Wikipedia, the Greek word means the "time in between" or "a moment of indeterminate time in which something special happens." I learned about this word when I read this article, and I look forward to noting more of these kairos moments in our daily lives.
Two hundred bags, cut and ready for sewing.
A stack of tags, for tucking into the seam.
Spud & Chloe's "sweater" yarn for the drawstrings.
Sewn.
Want one of your own? Jimmy Beans Wool just put them up on their website.
She begged to rake these today.
I told her of course she could.
As long as her room was clean, her bed made, and she was sweet to Ethan all day.
Being a mom is so fun.
Hello, friends!
Thanks so much for the sweet words about Ethan's video tutorial! He loves to hear how much everyone likes it. I think there will be lots more videos coming your way in the near future.
Remember last month when I introduced you to Spud and Chloe? I mentioned that we were working on a little project together, but I couldn't tell the details until the spring catalog went public. Well, it's out, and now I get to share the story! Here's what happened:
Sometime early in the fall, the nice folks over at Blue Sky Alpacas (that's S&C's parent company) happened upon my humble little shop on etsy. They noticed the green bags I had in the shop and liked the funky, nostalgic quality of the vintage fabrics I'd used in them.
So, they contacted me to ask if I'd be interested in doing a line of project bags for Spud and Chloe. Interested? YES! The timing was a little tricky, since the deadline would be right in the middle of holiday festivities, but I could not pass up such an exciting opportunity. It's all just such a perfect fit. Everything the company does matches my own sensibilities perfectly--a match made in Heaven, I think.
Well, onto the bags! The project bags are made from my vintage fabric, and the drawstring is yarn from Spud and Chloe. They are 10x12 inches, the perfect size for toting around a small knitting project. And as if that were not more than enough fun, we had special tags printed that say that each of the bags was handmade by Spud and Chloe's "Aunt" Anna. That's me!
The Spring catalog came out a couple weeks ago, and the back cover looks something like this:
(click to see it bigger)
I just can't believe how it all came together. I feel honored and blessed...and a little weird, to be quite honest! I feel like the opportunity is a gift from Above, even though I don't feel like I did anything to deserve such a gift. But then, a true gift isn't something you deserve at all...is it.
We had so much going on last month that I didn't even get close to sharing all the handmade fun that happened during the school break.
But it's still January, so I guess we can still make snowflakes, right?
I've always loved the idea of making snowflakes as decoration, but it can be hard to cut through so many layers of paper. The solution? Coffee filters!
Coffee filters are already round, they are lightweight, and they are designed to be sturdy. What could be better?
So grab a pack of filters and a pair of scissors and get to work! (The blue snowflakes were made with the dyed filters left over from Emma's party craft.)
The more we made, the more carried away we got with the designs.
Even Ethan got caught up in the folding and cutting. We made a video tutorial for youtube. Come back tomorrow to check it out.
Whatever stress accompanied us as we approached this day, there is nothing I would rather do than watch the wonder of Christmas on the faces of my children. The glitter, lights, and decorations seem to dim as we read the story of our Savior's birth. We imagine the surprise of the shepherds, the determination of the wise men, and the hope of the Christ-child's young parents on this miraculous day.
However you celebrate Christmas, I hope you get to do so with those you love. Merry Christmas.
Wherever you are, whatever you are doing to get ready for your Christmas fun, I hope you are safe, happy, healthy, and warm.
With Thanksgiving, Emma's birthday, Ethan's birthday, a HUGE deadline, and Christmas all hitting within the span of 4 weeks time, this place has been a bit of a madhouse.
Since the kids' birthdays are so close together, we usually alternate each year and only give one a friend party. The other gets a small, quiet (yeah, right!) family party at home.
I don't know if I've mentioned that Ethan is a but obsessed with the Angry Birds. He is. And this year he asked specifically for a big cake--not cupcakes. I'm not a baker, but how could I deny such a sweet request?
Thus was born the Angry Bird cake.
Although I didn't take progress shots of the cake, I'll share the steps so that you can make one of your own if you want. This is such an easy process, even I couldn't screw it up!
1. Use two cake mixes and bake 4 8-inch round cakes. Cool and wrap in plastic wrap. Freeze for between 2 hours to overnight.
2. Unwrap the frozen cakes. If they have big bulges on top, shave them off so that they will stack better. This is so easy when the cake is frozen!
3. Stack up the four layers, frosting in between each one. I used a couple cans of the cheep white frosting, colored with some yellow food coloring. Then, carefully shape the stacked cake into a rounded pyramid.
4. If the cake is still mostly frozen, coat the shaped cake with a very thin layer of frosting. This will lock in the loose crumbs. Place in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.
5. Next comes the fun part. Cover the cake with the rest of the yellow frosting. I will glide over the frozen layer and look wonderful. For the white feathers, I used large marshmallows cut into slices and layered onto the front of the bird.
The eyes are also marshmallows, with chocolate chips for pupils. The angry eyebrows are chocolate chips, too. The only tricky part was the nose. We used a piece of trimmed cake, frosted with orange, and stuck on with a toothpick. I think a baby carrot might have worked, too.
The crest and the tail are also marshmallows. I snipped them into a fan shape, and then dipped them into a little bowl of melted chocolate chips.
Ethan was pleased with his Angry Bird cake.
The rest of the birthday "party" was spent opening presents and playing with family.
He even got a hand-drawn card from his big sister.
I cannot believe my little baby boy is five years old today. He was just an infant when I started this blogging adventure. Can it have been so long already? It just seems to have flown by.
My Ethan is funny, energetic, focused, spirited, gentle, compassionate, protective. He has a way of impressing on the hearts of those who don't even like being around children. At all. I am a better person for having him in my life, and I can't wait to see what lies ahead.
Happy Birthday, Ethan!
I just have to cut in here and share this company that I just found.
Spud and Chloe makes gorgeous luxury yarns in fun, fresh colors that are perfect for that next special knitting project. They also have a line of adorable knitting patterns. I'm making the Flap Happy Hat for a special someone for Christmas.
So, why am I so excited about discovering this darling company? Well, I've just joined up with them to work on a collaborative project for their spring line. The opportunity came as quite a surprise, and I am so excited to get the chance to work with them. Every phone call, email, and note I've had from their team has been pleasant and friendly.
So, what are we working on? Well, you'll just have to wait and find out. But it will be in their spring catalog that prints at the beginning of 2012. Stay tuned!
I'm Anna. I'm a follower of Jesus, mother of three, thrifter, crafter, wife, sister, daughter, and friend. My goal is to live out each of these roles with creativity, and this is where I write about some of that. Thanks for stopping by! I hope you'll take a minute to leave a comment so I know you were here.
