Guest Posting at Craft Goodies Today!

 

Three Really Random Things

Whew!  I finally found my keyboard under that huge pile of snotty tissues!  I think those you who have been sick gave me your bug.  Alas, I’m sure I will survive. 

So here is my post full of randomness, blame it on the cough medicine and my brain being filled with snot. 

{First Random Thing}

I have been meaning to post about this, in fact many of you have noticed it already, my little blog got a nice little facelift a week or so ago.  I would love to take the credit, but it wasn’t me. 

The story.  Back before Christmas I won a give away from Leelou Blogs!  The best part was I didn’t just win one thing, I won three!

My very own {Belle Dangles Jewelry Organizer}

Seriously brilliant!  So simple, but so convenient!

 

A credit to this fabulous shop {The Lavish Loft}

 

And . . . .

Wait for it . . .

A blog redesign from the fabulous Julie over at Leelou Blogs.  She does awesome work, has tons of free stuff, and was so wonderful to work with.  She has tons of great designs some for free and others for a very reasonable price.  If you are looking to get some work done (on your blog, that is) I would highly recommend going with Julie.

 

If you read your blogs in a reader, or haven’t been to visit lately, here is a quick peak and the new design:

 

My favorite part, I told Julie how much I loved this room re-do from Bee in Our Bonnet:

I think she did a wonderful job turning a room into a blog design!

 

{Second Random Thing}

This was our Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss dinner.  We had Green Eggs and Ham Cups.  Crepes with this yummy Strawberry Sauce.  (All recipes found at Our Best Bites, are you so surprised?)  And these for dessert:

 

{Third – and last – Random Thing}

Thanks to these awesome/fun/creative bloggers for sending some traffic my way this week:

 

Thanks for staying with me.  Sorry for the randomness.  Hope you have a WONDERFUL weekend!

I {Heart} The Hokey Pokey Kitchen

So I have been sort of on a kid kick lately.  My last few posts have been centered on creating things for kids.  Hope you’ll bear with me for another one.  Lets be honest, it’s not just for my kid, I love it it too. 

Point of my blabbering:  I found this awesome new blog about creating fun themed food all around children’s books. 

I got this sweet comment from Aleena, from The Hokey Pokey Kitchen, yesterday:

“Thanks for posting all your wonderful ideas!! We made Dr Seuss Cat in the Hat fun treats yeterday @ www.thehokeypokeykitchen.com
Come visit us.. thanks for sharing your ideas.. i am also making cupcakes tomorrow... we are making the sneetches s mores cupcakes!! hope urs turn out well!!!!”

My next thought was “Sneetches S’mores Cupcakes, what in the world would those look like?!”  (I admit I even tried to Google it – nothing.)  Well today, she posted them, and they are beyond my wildest imagination.

Sneetches S’more Cupcakes

I cannot wait until she shares how to make the Sneetches.  I’m off now to make my totally lame copy cat been done a thousand time Thing 1 and Thing 2 cupcakes . . .

 

But first three more favorites from The Hokey Pokey Kitchen:

 

Where the Wild Things Are lunch

 

The Grouchy Ladybug “healthalicious snack”

 

Harold and the Purple Crayon crayons

I {Heart} The Quick Unpick

Just found this new blog and had to share it with you: 

“The Spangler” shares lots of fun sewing projects, many of them made from refashioning old clothing.  She has great tutorials with lots of pictures and great explanations.  I haven’t had a serious sewing project probably since Christmas {gasp!} but now I am so excited to try my hand at one of her projects.  Seriously did not see a project that I did not adore!

Here were a few of my favs:

Seriously wish these boots came in my size!

 

This skirt would go perfect with the boots!

 

This adorable dress was refashioned from a woman’s skirt.  I must find a skirt exactly like it, so I can make this exact same dress.  So cute!

Be My Valentine

Wow!  Can I tell you I have the best husband ever!  (For me at least, I know lots of you also have the best husbands ever.)  Last week told me he had my Valentine’s present and was so excited to give it to me.  I was a little shocked we are usually not super big on giving gifts on Valentine’s.  Next he asked if I wanted him to give it to me early.  Honestly this happens most every birthday, holiday, anniversary when my husband knows he has gotten me and awesome gift and CANNOT wait to give it to me!  Once, when he got me my Cricut for my Birthday, did he hold off giving it to me until the day of.  So I said sure, he could give it to me early, if he HAD to.  So he goes downstairs and brings up this huge box. . . I am thinking, what I in the world does he know that I want that could be that big??  I open the box and inside was . . . .

 

 

Seriously.  So.  Shocked.  So we have been busy playing and taking LOTS of pictures.  So fun!  Believe it or not I have even been taking pictures of crafts too.  So stayed tuned for those later. 

For now I will leave you with our Valentines that we printed yesterday, yes, we are procrastinators!

Template found {HERE} at Eighteen25. 

I {Heart} Custom Valentine Photo Cards

I have been meaning to put together a Valentine card to send to friends and family.  I made this one last year. 

It was super simple, but I super liked it!

I am so glad I haven’t made this year’s yet, some times procrastinating really does pay off!  Because the gals at Eighteen 25 have put together these adorable Valentine Photo Cards.  There are three to choose from, and all are, of course, adorable!  All you have to do is put your own picture in there, and take all the credit when everyone tells you how cute they were!

Did I mention that they are all completely free!?  It really doesn’t get any easier!

I {Heart} Valentine Subway Art

Today, it snowed.  Ruined all my productive errand running plans.  Pooh. 

But today, I am loving this cute subway art from Eighteen25.

I have absolutely nothing Valentinesey to decorate with for February.  So I am definitely printing this baby off ASAP!

Side note:  Our Sam’s membership expired, we went with Costco instead this year.  I usually printed my pictures at Sam’s.  I am not a huge Walmart Photo fan, and Costco is a little farther away than I would like to drive some days.  So my question is, Where to print my photos?!  Where do you get yours printed? 

Be My Valentine!

I love this too much not to share. 

All made from felt! 
You can buy the pattern HERE at the Bugga Bugs Etsy Shop.

 

They also sell non-Valentine related felt patterns.

Felt Picnic

 

Felt Breakfast Cereal

 

They also sell non-food patterns.  I love this camping one (the moose is what really gets me, The Little Miss has been obsessed with this little plastic moose lately), the dollhouse is pretty darn cute too!

 

Here’s a Top Secret Heads Up (not really because you probably already know) Life With the Lebedas has a giveaway going on right now where you can win a pattern of your choice from the Bugga Bugs shop.

I AM NOT getting an extra entry in the giveaway for making this post, I truly just thought they were too cute not to share!  I am trying to wait patiently to see if I win one, but if I don’t, which I probably won’t, I am for sure buying one.  My only problem, which one to choose?!

Also, I have been seriously itching to make some felt food.  Suggestions, tips, offers to just make it for me, would be much appreciated!

Next Year's Christmas Cards

I really liked this year’s cards that we ordered for FREE from Shutterfly.  The were super easy to put together and I got tons of comments from friends and family about how much the liked them (I may or may not have left out the part that I didn’t really design them and basically plopped the pictures in!)

But next year, I am using one or both of these ideas:

MERRY Everything! from Craft Goodies

We just have three of us right now in our whole entire family, we might have to borrow some children to make this really work!  (Friends and family, please hold your comments – WE KNOW, IT’S TIME TO HAVE ANOTHER!  Other blog readers I apologize if that was TMI!)

 

Wall of Frames from Sassy Sanctuary 

Love the mistletoe in the parent’s frame and the cutie in reindeer antlers!  She also shares great instructions for building your own “wall” of frames.  

 

Could someone please remind me that I love these cards?  Next year around November-ish?  They’re bookmarked, I just might need a little help remembering.  Thanks in advance!

I Got Distracted . . .

We are having a bLiZzARd outside!  Not like full blown snowed in, but the kind of blowy heavy snow that makes you just want to stay inside your safe warm house!  I thought I would catch up on some blogging today.  I realized that I haven’t blogged here for almost a week!  GASP!  Where did that week go?!  I think Christmas was in there somewhere . . . and I know I went out of town with my mom, sis, and daughter on a little Girls Getaway Shopping Extravaganza . . . Now you are telling me 2010 is almost over! 

So I sat down to do some blogging.  Then I got distracted . . . It all started . . . Well, I don’t really know.  But I’ve had a really good crafty blog hop session and I thought I’d share:

Bacon Wrapped Lil’ Smokies are one of my husbands favorites.  Over at Polish the Stars they serve them at breakfast.  Breakfast people.  If I served these at breakfast, I think my husband would think he’d died in his sleep and woke up in heaven.  (Or he might die from shock that I woke up before him and cooked him breakfast, he’s the early riser in our relationship for sure!)

 

Remember these cute crayon holders?

I remember seeing them a few places and fell in love with how simple and wonderful they were.  I never made mine.  But Mandy at Sugar Bee – Craft Edition posted about them today and reminded me of their adorableness. 

Which led me to head over to the maker of these cuties, Hedi at Mom’s Crafty Space, where she shared this gorgeous kids table!

 

Harry Potter Cupcakes found at Cupcakes Take the Cake:

But first I need to find some Harry Potter loving friends to have a party with.  Sadly none of my friends love HP quite as much as I do. 

 

If you haven’t noticed yet, I am currently in a Our Best Bites obsessive phase.  What can I say I love everything they post about!  And it is all super delicious and easy to make!  (I was in no way compensated for saying that or talking about their blog a million other times, it’s just the obsession talking.)

Our Best Bites has a lovely round-up of tasty New Year's Eve Appetizers:

Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies

Do you see a pattern here?  They are DELICIOIUS.  You must try them.  Now. 

 

Three Ingredient Sweet and Sour Meatballs

 

 

Garlic-Artichoke Dip

 

I won’t post their whole list here, but one last one (these are amazing, we have had them for dinner a billion times now).

Stuffed Pizza Rolls

Stayed tuned for some Ash created project posts.  I have one I’m excited about, but I still need to save up a few milk jugs . . .  Hope everyone had a happy and safe Christmas!  And continue to be happy and safe into the New Year!  (Hopefully you’ll hear from me before then, if not assume we’ve lost all contact with the outside world due to the bLiZzARd!)

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things!

Quick name that tune!  Question (non-craft related, totally off topic, of course), is My Favorite Things, from the Sound of Music really considered a Christmas song?

Back on topic.  Some of my favorite Christmas stuff from Blogland:

 

Ruffled Christmas Tree Shirt @ Stuff by Ash

Yes, I am including myself and my own project.  It really is on of my favorites!

 

Gift Card Snow Globes @ One Charming Party {via Gordon Gossip}

To answer the question I know you are asking, “*We tested these gift cards after a week and they still worked. However, we don’t recommend leaving the gift cards in the water longer than a week.”

 

Hands OFF Santa! @ Brandy's Crafts

Such a clever idea!  I finally ordered some vinyl to cut with my Cricut.  I’m so excited!

 

Holiday Photo Booth Props @ Paper and Cake

So simple and soo cute!  I wish my two year-old was more cooperative. 

 

Christmas Scripture Word Tree Printable @ The Fickle Pickle

Finally got mine printed.  Our Sam’s membership expired in Novemember, so I printed it at Walmart.  Holy cow!  Never again.  There was such a huge line.  Everyone was waiting to get their Christmas cards. 

 

Snowman Kit @ The Fickle Pickle

This is not a picture of the whole kit, but it was my favorite!  I love the bright colors and the details on the hats. 

Aren’t the tags adorable!  I will not repost every picture here, you must hop on over to The Fickle Pickle and see the adorable “carrot” noses and all the other cuties that come in the kit.  If she was selling these, I would totally buy one!

 

 

I’m am sharing this post at:

Head on over and link up your favorite things too! 

I {Heart} Monday

Things I am loving on this wonderful Monday morning are:

{Christmas Speciman Art from Gretchen at The Pike Family}

 

Remember that bat specimen art craze back in October.  Well, genius Gretchen has created some wonderfully adorable Christmas specimen art!  I just love the noses on the reindeer, such a cute touch!

 

{Twitter}

I told my husband I would never join Twitter, but on Friday I did.  Something another blogger said, convinced me, for the life of me now I can’t remember who or what.  It’s been a fun new adventure.  It’s kind of like a Google Reader, but smaller and more condensed.  Find me {HERE}

 

{This AMAZING frosting}

It is amazing in two ways.  One, it tastes good, light, fluffy, creamy, like heaven on a cupcake.  Second, it is so crazy the way you make it, and it all just comes together.  I don’t think I have ever made frosting without powdered sugar, but this recipe calls for regular granulated sugar.  Thank you Best Bites for changing my life.  More on this life changing experience to come!