Showing posts with label crafts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crafts. Show all posts

September 3, 2012

...and the obsession continues.



When I find something I love...I tend to get a little obsessed.  Like, I want to share it with anyone who will listen.  That is how I felt when I found, and started doing Project Life a few years ago.
Too bad they don't pay commissions, because I think I talked a million ears off and even got a few people to get started.  :)

Anyway...
My ongoing obsession is Instagram.  I'm sure you've heard me talk about it before.

Why do I love it you ask?  Well, not only can you take and make cute little "retro" looking photos, the creative possibilities are endless.  The apps, and fonts I use have turned my phone into a "mobile scrapbooking station" if you will.

Also, you can subscribe to follow lots of people.  Some you might know, others you may not.  Personally, I enjoy it MUCH more than facebook.  (i.e. no old high school aquaintences you have not seen or talked to in 10+ years.)  Instead, I follow several people who are specifically interested in the same things as me.  Lots of talented ladies on design teams for well know scrapbook companies, and other super crafty, funny, inspirational people.

One of these above mentioned people would be Rhonna Farrer.  Haven't heard of her?  Click here.
As soon as I discovered her Instagram Feed...it was ALL OVER.  I am so completely inspired by the way her creative mind works.  She is crazy talented.

Earlier this summer, she took her love of instagram, and created digital elements that could be used right on your phone!  GASP!
                    Insta Lovin' Bundle

See this tutorial for more info. and instructions how to download and use.

Here is an example of some of the fun I've been having with her Insta Lovin' Kits.











Are you kidding me?  Like I said, the possibilities are endless.  I have used so many of these Instagram Shots right in My Project Life Album.  (Lots of Digital catching up going on here and here)   (I wrote up a post in february linking up all my favorite iphone apps for photos.  I've added more since then, but click here to view post.)

 So Dan...if you are reading this...now you know "what I'm always doing on my phone"!!!!

May 14, 2012

Why I don't "blog" anymore

It's been a while...

I can't seem to find the time to shower most days, let alone sit down at the computer and actually upload photos and write about them.  Any free time I have (which isn't really free...because I'm most likely neglecting something or someone else), I'm usually trying to catch up on my Project Life album, or a project I've promised someone.  (I've recently finished two sets of wedding invitations/reception cards/rsvp/programs for friends)  Add a needy 2.5 year old to the mix, in addition to a very rambunctious 4 year old who no longer naps, and every second of the day is spoken for.  Not a pitty party for Sara...just a little rant.  Anyone else seem to have this problem?   So...Anywho... things have been busy.

Oh...and I joined a gym.  More on that later.

Not to mention the darn chore chart that I decided to tackle. ????????????  This may have been a little aggresive.
I'm constantly overwhelmed with the idea of housework (mostly with the amount of it), so when I saw this on Pinterest, I thought I would give it a shot.  I spent nearly every day cleaning last week.  I managed to whip this place into shape, but I think this will be short lived. :)

After my most recent emotional meltdown, Dan and I decided to go ahead and join a local gym. (And when I say "we" I mean the kids and I...and when I say "Dan and I decided", I mean I freaked him out enough that he strongly encouraged I do SOMETHING to get away from my kids)
  The big selling point for me, besides the outdoor pool, was the amazing children's programs they offer.  The kids are enrolled in a 6 week gymnastics program and love it!  It hasn't even been three weeks and I already feel so much better.  The break from them is so refreshing.  An added bonus is the exercise. I've tried Zumba, Yoga, Pilates, a step class, and a crazy intense barbell weight class so far.   So fun!  I'm not gonna lie though...one day last week I did just plug my headphones in to watch Live with Kelly while I pretended to ride the bike.  It was pure bliss.  AND I GET TO TAKE A SHOWER...ALONE!  Worth every penny I tell ya.

So cleaning, exercising, what else...? Oh!   I managed to sneak a little craft real quick.
Put together this cute little potted flower plant for one of the grandma's mother's day gifts.  Oh how I love Pinterest!

I think Dan is just about finished with his Dock Season (seasonal business he runs to install and remove boat hoists, shore stations, and dock).  This spring weather has been very cooperative and they are actually finished before Memorial day.  Woo-Hoo!  We get him back on the weekends again.

We had a Mother's Day Tea Party at Pre-school on Thursday,

 Bryce turned four last Friday, we drove over to Detroit to celebrate Andrea's 50th on Saturday,

 then we had Dan's family over for B's birthday and celebrated Mother's day on Sunday.

We're exhausted!

Thank goodness I leave a week from Wednesday for the Bahamas to visit my boyfriend Kenny!



March 14, 2012

Spring Crafts and Decoration

Now that the weather has been feeling much more spring-like, I have been inspired to reflect these feelings inside the house as well!  Since I spend 90% of my life in this house, I am obsessed with decorating for each season.  Mix that with my obsession with Pinterest and we are in big trouble!  I found a few pinterest ideas and had to try them out.  Here is what I came up with!
I swear I "pinned" this at some point, but I couldn't seem to find it, so I just recreated it from memory.  So easy!  I had the vase sitting around, grabbed a package of Peeps at the grocery store along with some colorful Jelly Beans (I think these were Skittle or Starburst Smoothie Flavor?) and picked out some (SUPER CHEAP-O) tulips from the dollar store.  Dump them all together, and Bam...instant Centerpiece.  Very cheap too.  Maybe a cute gift to bring to teachers, or your Easter Dinner Hostess?
Next up, I decided to spruce up my Stove/Oven/Range/Hood...whatever you call it.  Can you tell I'm so savy in the kitchen???  I call it my new Spring Decor Shelf, that's what I call it!
This may have been the cheapest of all my Easter/Spring decor.  
I had all the supplies in my scrapbook stash to make the banner and the bunny frame.
I used some Kraft then white Cardstock to make each flag, and fun spring-y cardstock to make each letter.  We had some twine in the garage and I just punched holes in each flag to tie to another large piece that attaches to the top of the cabinet. ( It is a very scientific process:  I tied the twine to some heavy serving spoons and tossed them on top of the cabinets hoping they wouldn't fall.  Yup, very scientific)
Hobby Lobby had all their Easter stuff 30 or 40% off so I picked up a few of these wooden eggs for some color.  I think they were $2.99, so around $2 a piece??  Not only am I scientific, but I'm really good at math in my head.
The bunny frame was a must because after all the rest of the decor was up there, I had a big empty space right in the middle that needed to be filled.  I just Googled "bunny silhouette", printed out a this little bunny, then traced him on black cardstock.  All you PL-ers...do you recognize the patterned paper from Clementine?  Used a frame I had sitting around and BAM...another free little accent.  
I "pinned" this adorable tree months ago and knew immediately that I wanted to make this.  (you know, because I love labor intensive, arthritis inducing crafts)
It didn't turn out AS cute as the original crafter's, but I still love it.

Like I said, this was very time consuming, lots of steps, lots of work, but I had fun doing it.  There is a great tutorial here, but I snapped a few pics of the steps to discourage you from trying encourage you to make one!
The longest part was making all the leaves.  I cut out some cardboard as a template to try to make the leaves as uniform as possible.  Then rummaged through my paper stash and found some Spring-y colors and patterns.  Trace, cut, trace, cut, trace cut, ignore your kids, trace, cut, trace, cut.
 Gather some good branches from your yard and try to arrange them to create the fullest efffect.
 Again, the tutorial shows how she glued the two sides of the leaves together with a wire running down the center to create the stability and give it something to attach the branch.  Then you just wrap the wire around the branch to create the look you are going for.  I broke several branches during this step and had to keep shortening my branches.  Find good sticks to start with.
I'm glad I made two different sizes of leaves so it gave the tree some variety.

I've been thinking of spray painting the vase, but that seems like a ton of work.  So it will stay this way...for now.
So things are looking a little Spring-y.  Here's a few more Easter Decorations.  
Felt banner was $3.99 at Target...Love!  Loving this weather!  Loving the time change and having daylight at 7:30pm.   Loving this time of year!  

February 8, 2012

Feelin' the Love | Valentine's Decor

I love decorating for the season or holiday.  If I'm going to be in this house all day every day, I at least want it to look festive.  Last year I used most of these ideas around the house...old post here.

I found this super adorable idea on Pinterest and decided to give it a try.





If you are looking for an inexpensive yet time consuming, labor intensive craft that it sure to give you carpel tunnel syndrome and hot glue burns and blisters, this is for you!  They turned out adorable, but two was all I could handle.  Maybe if I would have made them with smaller styrofoam balls???  Ah well, we live and we learn.
I paired these little death balls with a cute *FREE* printable from my pal Becky Higgins.  Click here to download for yourself.  You can thank me later.
Here's another one.  They can both be found in the free section I linked above.  This was one of my dollar store frames spray painted pink.  I've used these for several little projects in the past.
Next up, I gathered all the silver frames I had and swapped out the photos for my "XOXO" collection.  I made these last year, I think, inspired by the lovely ladies at Tatertots and Jello.  Scrapbook paper, clear glass pebbles, glue...Super easy, super cheap, super cute.
I also made a little heart with my stones and grouped it with any red/pink/white frame I had sitting around.
There are so many great ideas out there.  Are you ready for Valentines day?

Oh yeah...I just picked up my prints for B's Valentines for his class...how cute are these??

Are you kidding me?  Again, free printable.  I can fit 2 on a 4x6 photo and printed them at Costco for $.09 or $.13 or something.  Couple packs of Fun Dip and BAM...adorableness!

January 9, 2012

What to do with Christmas Cards?

This is one of my favorite things about Christmas time.  Yes, I'm a huge nerd.  Snail mail excites me.  Opening up the mailbox everyday and seeing a big stack of cards (or maybe just one or two) makes me happy.  Bryce seemed to embrace this little quirk of mine and would ask to help me open them up each day, and we hung them up right away.
The kids loved looking through them and seeing our family and friends.  After taking them down though, I feel bad just throwing them all away.  I saved 2010's cards and didn't do anything with them, so the kids found them, played with them, trashed them, and I still find them in random places throughout the house????

  When I saw this idea from the brilliant girls over at eighteen25 did with their Christmas cards, I totally had to do this.  Free Printable + book rings = adorable!!


What did I tell you?  Adorable!

November 23, 2011

Thankful

In addition to my birthday list of 31 things, I sure am thankful for my two little turkeys!  
{Found some "pinspiration"  here and here .  We used both ideas for our turkeys.}