Everyday Celebrating

Graduation Gift: The t-shirt quilt

Graduations are coming up quickly!
Both high school and college students seem to amass several t-shirts over their careers and several are dear to their hearts.

Take those symbols of good times and make them into a t-shirt quilt or blanket!
There are several sellers on etsy like Katherine who made the one above. (I'm partial to it as it features my sorority, Sigma Kappa! Any SigKaps out there?)

These make a great gift that they'll keep and maybe pass down.  Imagine a parent passing down their greek shirt quilt to a child when they join.  And they don't have to be made from sorority/fraternity shirts.  They can be general college shirts or one from all the organizations they were in like band or drama, etc.

Some etsy sellers make less expensive versions that are blankets, seen below. Both are cute and equally sentimental. And they're great for both males and females.

These would even make a great whimsical tablecloth for a graduation party that they could keep afterwards!  Or can be hung on a wall for decoration.

And they aren't just for graduates.  What about making one of your favorite sports team and maybe displaying it at your tailgate site? 

Need shirts?  Goodwill or Ebay are great for local or pro sports teams.

Wish I would've kept all my shirts!!  I would love to have one of these now!

Bag the Bag! Squeezable decorating kit!

While I'm WAY behind the 8 ball in finding out how fun cake/cookie decorating can be, I think I'm right there with all the peeps that find the traditional icing bag annoying.  Are you with me?

LOVE the concept of these squeezable icing bottles!
These small bottles give you more control than a bag and it seems it would be easier to work on smaller, fine designs.

Kit includes two tall decorating bottles, three short decorating bottles, five steel decorating tips (round, ribbon, leaf, star and basketweave) and a frosting spatula.

And get this... it's only $20! 
Thank you, Sur La Table!

Perfect gift.  Mother's Day is coming up! 
And what about getting a couple sets and having all these bottles and tips on hand for a cookie or cake decorating party!

I'm adding this to my Wishpot list right.this.very.second.

DIY/Tutorial/Free Download - Popcorn cones

Remember these?  I posted them last week with my Pea Pod triplet shower?

 

I've had a few people write in about the cones.  Where to get them... how to roll them.

These cones are available in my etsy shop here!  So easy to make!

Using fruit in your floral arrangements

One easy way to add texture, dimension and additional colors and scent to an arrangement is to add fresh fruit!

This is a pretty timely arrangement as it's one I made a couple years ago for one of my administrative assistants for the ever popular Administrative Professional's Day (which this year is on April 22.)  Make sure it's on your calendar!  Go ahead - doublecheck now... I'll wait. :)  It's important.

This arrangement featured a colorful fresh bouquet arranged in a tall galvinized planter which has endless possibilities for re-use. 

I spray painted craft dowel rods green to match the stems, snapped them into various lengths and stuck the lemons on the jagged dowel ends.  Instant unique filler!

Another fruit that would have added a different shape and interest - the star fruit!

Tie a pretty bow around the front and it rivals any floral shop delivery!
And flowers are always a great gift for many occasions!

Everyday Events: Pajama Birthday BREAKFAST!

My friend, Sarah, threw this adorable birthday party for her daughter Leah with an interesting twist on the time... BREAKFAST!

In Sarah's words on why she chose breakfast:
"I came up with the idea because it's my favorite meal to cook and eat. Also, we held the party from 9am to 11am on a Saturday which is a great time for the toddler set."

And look at the fun invitations!  You have to click on the picture to see them up close!  Cute!



Sarah describes making them:
"The invites for the party were eggs that I cut out of white & yellow card stock and strips of bacon also out of cardstock. I stuck them together with some foam tape & a glue gun so they had some dimension to them. The bacon strips, menu card & smilie face (two eggs & bacon) favor tags were designed by my sister."

For food?
"For food, we did mini fruit kabobs, sticky buns, blueberry muffins, cherry sausages & maple bacon from Swiss Meats, an omelet roll in plain and spinach, buttermilk pancakes and crepes with various toppings. The rolled up crepes were the biggest hit with the kids since they could eat them with their hands. We also provided a bloody mary and mimosa bar for the parents because really, every one needs a cocktail at a birthday party with 7 three year olds!  Almost everything I made or mixed the night before. I was lucky enough to have my dad on hand as the "pancake guy" and he flipped fresh pancakes."

Sarah also did mini donuts on a stick. These were donut holes pressed onto lollipop sticks and stuck into floral foam to stand.  I love how she pulled in some color with the ribbon on each stick.





Birthday cake?  Nope.  A hot stack of pancakes!


Other details:
"I purchased inexpensive red & white check plastic table clothes that were bigger than normal size and worked to cover my entire kitchen island, the dining table and the two mini tables for the kids. I got real plastic divided plates for the kids and heavy plastic for the adults because who wants to cut a pancake on a paper plate! I did make some balloon flowers in red & yellow to decorate."

Sarah also made these adorable and theme fitting eggshell tea lights.  Very easy to make!
Just break the shells gently.. just enough for the tea light to fit.  Then make stands out of strips of cardstock taped together on the underside so the tape is hidden.


Favors:
"I wanted to stick with the breakfast theme for the favors so we did plastic cereal bowls filled with a slime egg toy (got these at the dollor store) mini boxes of cereal and easter eggs filled with egg shaped candy!"



Thanks again, Sarah, for sharing this great 3rd birthday party for sweet Leah!

If you have a party, you'd like to share, I'd love to see it!  Email me!

DIY/Tutorial: Easy Etched Glass

photo credit:  marthastewart.com

Have you noticed that organization is "in" now?
Having your home not only organized, but beautifully presented is in... somewhat thanks to Martha Stewart.

And here she goes again with an easy tutorial on how to etch glass like the jars above.

All you need is etching cream, vinyl letters, painter's tape and a paintbrush.

Here's how you do it:

1. Clean and dry the glass. Using painter's tape, mark off the area you want to etch. Attach vinyl stick-on letters and decorative tape; press hard to ensure they are attached firmly. 

2. Cover work surfaces (be sure to work in a well-ventilated area). Put on protective gloves and an old shirt with long sleeves. Paint an even layer of etching cream onto glass. Let stand for amount of time indicated by manufacturer's instructions. 

3. Rinse with warm water in a stainless steel sink. (Avoid porcelain sinks; the cream damages glazed surfaces.) Remove letters and tape.

A set of jars would be a great housewarming or wedding gift!  The same instructions can be used to make a pretty monogram on a glass platter or wine glasses, etc. for a personalized gift!

DIY/Tutorial: How to tie dye with sharpies

First, to appreciate the tie dye of this fabric, click on the pic to see it up close.
It's really interesting.

So I'm always on the hunt for neat stuff to do with my son either now or in the future.  He's only 2 so some things are too advanced for him right now to enjoy, but I know he'll love them in the future.  This is one of those things.

And also, when I saw this I immediately thought of a fun summer child's party.  Use this big sheet as a tablecloth and use some fun multi-colored plastic plates and utensils and maybe have something simple like a sprinkler or slip and slide party.

Or this would be adorable for an easter egg hunt!  Use colors that match the eggs!

Anyway, I found this neat idea from this website, Do Life Right, and I used one of their photos which included one of their children (that's why their face is darkened.)

This idea is super easy and here's how it works:

Supplies:

• Sharpies (the more colors the better, but the metallic ones won’t work properly for this)
• Glass (and/or disposable) cups (at least 4 per person)
• Rubberbands (1 per cup)
• Rubbing alcohol in cups with straws — drip bottles work best (1 per person)
• Fabric to dye (we’ve done t-shirts and sheets of fabric)

Instructions:

1. Lay out the material you are wanting to dye.
2. Put the cups under the fabric — open end up — and secure with rubber bands on top of the fabric.
3. Put dots and squiggles in the center of your circle.
4. Slowly drip the rubbing alcohol (one drop at a time) in the center of the circle. You won’t need much, so go slowly. Watching the ink spread and mix is the fun part, don’t rush it.
5. Allow it to air dry for a few minutes. By the time you are done with four or so, your first circle will most likely be dry enough to take out the cup.
6. Repeat until you are satisfied.

TIPS:

• Prewash and dry fabric.
• Don’t use plastic cups you want to keep, as the markers will permanently stain them.
• Heat set the material, after it has air-dried, for at least 30 minutes longer than you think you should. The Sharpies fade a lot quicker if you don’t heat set for long enough. We’ve found that a dryer works better than an iron. Setting with vinegar seems to make no difference in the longevity of the colors.
• Have fun and experiment with color combinations you normally wouldn’t try. Don’t freak out if it spreads “incorrectly” — there is no right or wrong!
• Try dripping the alcohol from the side, rather than the center. It won’t spread in the same way, but you might like those results better.
• Don’t be afraid of drawing actual pictures. These can look really cool!
• When in doubt about a color combination, add a little black — WOW!
• We tried to do this same experiment on card stock for ATCs (art trading cards). It didn’t work, but try it on other papers and fabrics. Experimenting is really important and fun! You never know when you’ll happen upon the next great idea that everyone will be talking about.
• If you don’t like an area of the fabric, put a cup under it and draw something new (or just drip alcohol on the spot and watch what happens). Some of our least favorite areas turned into our favorite spots this way.

DIY: Coffee table book - Blurb book

Have you created a Blurb book yet?   You should!  You may have happened upon a photographer's blog or a wedding blog which featured one of those super cool coffee table books that are available now.

You can do those yourself now!  With your own photos, layouts, etc.

Let me back up.
I'm a two blog kinda girl.  I have this blog and then I also have a blog that features photos of my son. Every day.  Well, almost every day.  Above is a shot of the coffee table book I made on Blurb for the first year of his life.  Basically over 300 pages of his daily life - in color.

Blurb lets you create your own book with downloadable software they provide for free.
It's super easy and if you have a blog, it will even "slurp" your photos and text and drop it into layouts automatically, if you'd like.

My son's book (above) is 8.5 X 11 horizontal. Hard bound.  It came with a beautiful color jacket that I designed.  There is also a soft cover option as well as many options on sizes.

When I was creating this book, several people asked me about the quality of the inside pages and I was nervous about that as well.  But I was thrilled with the outcome.  Here are a few photos of the inside:

 

As you can tell, the pages are photo quality.
They are exactly like any high end coffee table you'd find in a bookstore.

This book made a great combined Mother's/Father's day present for my parents (Keaton's grandparents).   They follow his blog religiously, especially since they are out of state and while they knew I was producing the book, it was a surprise to them to receive a finished copy as a gift. 

If you haven't checked out Blurb, I encourage you too.  Your book doesn't have to be 300 pages.  It can be 10 and just celebrate one special occasion, etc.  It can document a baby shower or a wedding or your child's first birthday.  I had a blog while pregnant that included thoughts on the journey as well as several ultrasound photos that I hope to turn into a Blurb book someday. (One of the many things on the looonnng to do list.)

Blurb has a bookstore where you can check out the first few pages of other people's books.  It's a great inspiration on what can be done with your book.

Make a book that can be passed down!  Can you imagine how special this book will be to Keaton?  To show HIS children? 

Easy dress up: Cake plate

photo credit: Better Homes and Gardens

A a boost of color to a plain cake plate!  Cut a 3 inch strip of of card stock and attach it to the rim of the plate with double sided tape or rubber cement.  (Rubber cement tends to be easier to work with because it comes right off when you need it to.) 

Finish it off with a coordinating ribbon belt.

Done!
Can be done for any occasion/holiday and so easy to do now that there's a plethora of fun scrapbook paper available.  The possibilities are endless!

DIY/Tutorial: Super easy Easter bunny cake!

This Easter bunny cake, presented by Kraft Foods, couldn't be easier!
Made from two 9 inch round cakes, flaked coconut, and cool whip.  Decorate with licorice and jellybeans!

And that's it!

Leave one cake whole and carve the ears out of the second! 

Video tutorial on the Kraft Foods site!

Thinking outside of the obvious again, would be perfect for a peeps theme baby shower, child's birthday, etc.