Getting a Head Start on Christmas!

Can you believe its almost October?!

And I haven't done any fall decorating.

Not a single pumpkin in sight!

For some reason, I just haven't been motivated.

Christmas is another story, however.

(No I haven't started decorating!)

I love planning and making gifts for friends and family,

so it has been easy to jump ahead to Christmas gift crafting!

I have been working on a few things that I can't

blog about because they are for my sisters

(who will read this post!),

but thought I would share what I

have in the works for all of my nieces.

I made 42 of these last night:

(42? I only have 5 nieces!)

Would you guess that each of those is a "mattress?"

Perfect for a very sensitive princess...

Have you guessed my present yet?

Princess and the Pea gift sets!

Each niece will receive a set of mattresses,

along with a princess doll and a pea.

I plan to paint peg dolls as the Princess,

along with little green beads as the "pea."

I can't wait to start working on the dolls!

They are some of my favorite gifts to give.

(Click here here here and here to see past projects)

I'll be sure to post about my progress!

What are some Christmas gifts you plan on making this year?

I'd love to hear your ideas - I've got a big family!

Goldfish Birthday Party

My not-so-little girl's goldfish-themed

birthday party was this weekend,

and I'm happy to report that it was a hit!

I knew that swimming would be the highlight of the day,

so I tried to keep everything else relatively simple.

Snacking on a few treats, blowing out the candles,

and opening presents were done quickly

so we could get outside to the pool.

The kids loved the marshmallow lollipops.

(Click here to see how I've made them before.)

I also made cones from scrapbooking

paper and placed them in a beach pail.

Each cone held goldfish crackers;

a great snack to refuel during swimming!

Of course, the centerpiece to each table was a couple

of real goldfish that my girls named Amy and Susie.

The kids loved watching them swim around!

The birthday cake was simple -

just cupcakes from a box mix with canned icing!

To make the birthday girl's cake a little more special,

I topped it with a Littlest Pet Shop goldfish toy.

Bubbles were an inexpensive party

favor that coordinated with the theme.

Each bottle was tied up in a cellophane bag and

adorned with a simple tag, thanking the guest for coming.

Once the indoor festivities were over

the highlight of the party was actually

jumping in the pool and swimming like fish!

More Uses for TJ Maxx Bags!

After posting about the lunch tote

that I made from a reusable shopping bag,

I got several great ideas from commenters

for more crafts using this material.

One absolutely fantastic idea:

baby bibs!

(Why didn't I think of that?!)

"Mommy e" blogged about how she used a bag,

instead of using oilcloth,

to create an easy-to-clean bib for her toddler.

Doesn't this look great?!

Amy from My Ducks in a Row suggested a swimming bag, and blogger, "The Queen," thought that using fabric from the totes would be perfect for an apron! I also thought makeup bags would be a great. Oh, and wouldn't it be adorable as a crayon roll?

Basically anything you would typically use oilcloth for would be a good candidate. And at 99 cents a piece - its worth a try!

Lunch Tote

When I was in 2nd grade,

I begged my mom for this lunch box:

In my mind Barbie and the Rockers were the epitome of cool.

I was so excited to carry it to school that first day!

A girl at my table made fun of it, though.

"You have a baby lunch box!" she laughed.

Devastated, I never brought it to school again;

opting instead for a generic brown paper bag.

I think back now and laugh at elementary school drama,

wishing I had the confidence to carry the box I loved so much.

(I am mindful of my own little girl at school today.

Her first day of 2nd grade.

No one better make fun of her Hello Kitty lunch bag!)

I am happy to say that today,

I couldn't care less what people think of how I carry my food!

Fashioned from a huge reusable shopping bag from

TJ Maxx, I was able to construct an all-new lunch tote!

I know that lots of stores sell this type of bag,

but I've found that TJ Maxx has the cutest selection

- and they are only 99 cents each!

The fabric is perfect for carrying food

because it is similar to oilcloth,

making it super easy to clean.

I completely cut up the bag to create a new tote.

(You can see what it looked like originally in the picture above.)

It took nearly every inch of the original

tote to make the new lunch bag.

(I lined the inside as well).

I was even able to salvage the snaps and straps,

and incorporate them into the design.

I encourage you to grab one of these totes the next time you spot one. They are such a fun fabric to use (and easy to sew with). I've made my daughters purses from them and now a lunch bag, but would love to come up with something else...

Can you think of any creative ways to repurpose these totes?

Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches

With temperatures soaring into the 100's,

I wanted a cool treat to serve as dessert for dinner guests.

Homemade ice cream sandwiches are perfect for a casual evening!

The chewy chocolatey cookies combined

with mint chocolate chip ice cream

(my personal favorite)

are absolutely irresistible.

I wrapped each sandwich in wax paper tied with ribbon.

"Presentation, presentation!" my mom always said.

And she was right:

a simple offering is immediately elevated

in status when thoughtfully packaged.

This recipe is as easy as can be (only 3 ingredients for the cookies!). No one will guess that such a yummy treat was so simple!

Fudgy Chocolate Ice cream Sandwiches

• 1 chocolate cake mix
• 1 8 oz. container of cool whip
• 1 egg
• Ice cream flavor of your choice (let thaw until easy to spread)

Mix the first 3 ingredients together. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake @ 350 for 8-10 minutes. Once the cookies are completely cooled, assemble the sandwiches. Return to freezer for ice cream to harden. Serve to your anxiously waiting company!

What cold treats do you like to make?

I would love some more ideas -

forecasts are in the 100's for the rest of the week!

Bathroom Design Inspiration

Inspiration comes in the strangest places, doesn't it?

Most recently, my decorative side has

been energized by House of Smiths pantry.

Who would ever have guessed

that food storage could be so stylish?

The color, the quatrefoil motif, the glass storage, the wire baskets!

LOVE. IT. ALL!

While I am very much inspired to spruce up my pantry,

I am even more motivated to get started on our master bath!

I have been indecisive about which direction to go for months,

and for some reason, as soon as I saw this pantry, something clicked!

Our bedroom is black and white with blue walls:

I think that grey walls in the bath will coordinate

nicely without being too "matchy-matchy".

My plan is to implement the quatrefoil design,

but only on the walls surrounding the tub.

I love the idea of creating useful but stylish

storage and this wall system from Pottery Barn is perfect.

However, the $129 price is not!

Luckily, I know that Ikea has something similar...

I've been wanting to bring in a

small, simple, pretty, modern, yet classic

(are those enough qualifiers for ya?!)

chandelier to hang above the tub.

This fixture from Lowe's is EXACTLY what I had in mind!

(It is hard to tell in the photo,

but the light has a milk-glass quality to it.)

These frosted glass pharmacy style containers from

Restoration Hardware would look fantastic next to our sinks.

And, of course, I'll be on the hunt for extra fluffy white bath linens.

Homegoods, here I come!

I'm excited that I know what direction I'm headed.

Now if I could just get the motivation to start painting...

My Craft Room

Just off our kitchen is a little room with double-doors.

Most people would surely use this as an office.

Luckily, I have a husband who fully supports my crafty pursuits

and I get an entire room dedicated to my hobby!

(Minus one lower cabinet for files and other office-y necessities.)

I wish I had a before photo of these cabinets!

They are metal units, around 40-50 years old,

and came from a hospital undergoing renovations.

I don't want to think about all the gunk they had

on them when we came into possession of them!

Originally a very bright yellow, my husband

spent many hours sanding and painting them.

I love the vintage feel of the sliding glass upper units.

It is amazing how easy it is to keep it

organized now that everything has a place.

I use this side of the workspace as my cutting area.

The countertops are actually MDF that my husband cut to fit,

and then covered with a high-gloss paint.

The area under our stairs was put to good

use as a spot for my sewing and fabric storage.

In a small space every square inch counts!

Now that the space is organized,

I would like to focus on bringing in art and decor.

(While clean and organized, it is a little boring!)

My style is typically pretty subdued,

but I feel like I can have a little more fun here.

I love the idea of creating an inspiration/

display board on the wall opposite the cabinets.

Etsy has quite a few things that would look great in a creative space.

Below are some of my favorites:

Print $16 - Freshline

Print $25 - Sbritt

Print $13 - Type Posters

I'll keep you posted on this work in progress.

Thanks for touring my crafty space with me!

Hello Again!

Earlier today I was telling my sister about

my youngest's upcoming birthday party.

We are planning a pool party, with the theme

"Swish, swish, let's swim like fish!"

I mentioned a few things I would like on an invitation,

and an hour later I received this proof in my inbox!

(Invitation, thank you note, stickers, lip balm and water bottle labels!)

She already has the package available in her

shop if you are interested in hosting your own swimming party!

Here are a few more of her most recent offerings:

Autumn's "Little Red" set is adorable!

I love that she designed the wolf as a dressed-up little boy.

(Have I mentioned that she designs each and every image -

there are no stock images in her shop!)

Another recently added design is this Rock Star set.

Each child can even have their own VIP party pass!

Personalized lip balm would be great for so many occasions.

(I especially love the one she designed for the swimming party:

a fish with the phrase, "Pucker Up.")

Water bottle labels!

She really has thought of everything.

How cute are these tiny labels for the bottom of a Hershey kiss?

Why not personalize miniature candy bars?!

Be sure to stop by Autumn's shop for nearly anything that you need personalized. She also does a lot of custom work; so if you have a specific design in mind, she can do that too!

p.s. Check back tomorrow, and I will have a new post up with a few pics of my craft room!