Monday, August 8, 2011

Mod Podge does rock!

So my goal is to attempt to do at least 1 craft project a week.  Last week, I did 2!  My recipe book and library bag.  I also started my pen holder.

I have 2 dry eraser boards in my kitchen.  One is my calendar and the other is half dry erase half cork board.  I have a ton of different colored dry erase markers now that are all scattered in my tiny junk drawer that also has a sfety lock on it to keep the kiddies out.  Well, I use that board at least once a day and it's annoying getting those markers.  I asked Paul if I could make a holder for them out of a plastic container and would he be able to scre it into the wall.  He said no problem and I went to work.

I been busy researching fabric and using mod podge.  My main sources is Mod Podge Rocks!  Amy is the guru of Mod Podge and has a great ton of info on her site.

My project was very easy (just like my last 2) but took a while because I allowed the mod podge to dry at least 24 hours if not more between coats.  Only 2 coats.  I used an old shirt, one of my favorite old shirts, but it either shrunk or I grew taller, cause now it's a belly shirt.  And, well, with 2 kids and not exercising in 3 years I'm not seen in such attire.

Here is what I used.  Not pictured: Mod Podge and paint brush.



Here is the finished result:


I was going to add ribbon, but I didn't like it.  Then I thought of a fabric flower.  I went to: my Sparkle.  She makes such cute stuff.  My flowers aren't as perfect as hers, but maybe with some practice!

Anyone else say Modge Podge?  I do.  I can't help it.  When writing this post, I really had to be slow with typing Mod Podge.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Trying to get my crafty act together!

So, this week I completed 2 projects I wanted to do.  Yes, TWO!  A library tote for when I take the kids to the library and a recipe binder.  Ok, one is kinda cheesey and I plan on adding more to it in time and when I get materials, but for now, I got what I wanted to get done.

I wanted a library tote.  I was looking at embroidery totes on My 31 or is it just 31?  Either way, that company and Lands End and a few others.  I just didn't want to spend that kinda of money.

Since I am trying to up-cycle my own stuff, I thought about what I had already.  As a baby gift, i receive this cute yellow bag.  All I wanted on it was "Library Bag", so I took out my Silhouette, the heat transfer material I got back in March and still haven't done anything with and cut my letters away.

In time, I would like to add a caterpillar reading a book.  I love that cute little image.  For now, we have this:




AND my recipe book.  I'm ok with how it came out.  I'm still learning my silhouette machine and modge podging.  It's getting me in the direction of organizing my home.  I'm proud of the fact that I designed the tabs myself.  I didn't buy any templates for any of the projects.  Yeah!







A bowl Full of Lemons Recipe Binder Challenge

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Fabolous Fourth Weekend!


Gotta love the 4th of July!  I certainly do.  What is there not love?  Activities are constant.  For us; it was a birthday party (my grandfather turned 87!) catching lightening bugs or fireflies, a baseball game, carnival & fireworks, sleeping at the lake and making s'mores, being in the 4th parade at the lake, BBQ'ing, swimming and enjoying our friends and family all weekend long.

Catching lightening bugs.

The top picture is Audrey: designed by mom.  I made it all, from top to bottom; hair bow to flipflops.  This girl was decked out!  OMG, did she look cute if I say so myself.  I love, love, love that top photo.  Too bad the water is in her mouth!  I originally got the tutu outfit idea when I saw this picture from Posh Little Tutu's.  CUTE!  I HAD TO HAVE ONE, but I wasn't going to pay that kinda money for it.  So, I made my own and I LOVED HOW IT CAME OUT!!!!!

The next few pictures are from Saturday:  The baseball game and fireworks.  My BFF's son is an amazing baseball player.  I've enjoyed watching him play football and baseball and can't wait for my boy to start sports!





Getting ready to watch the fireworks.



Sunday came.  It was a dreary day, but we made the most of it!  The fun part of it I didn't have my camera, but the kids were so cute int he lake with their clothes on.  Yeah, they went in with their cute Sunday outfits on and I had no camera!  :(  Later that evening we went on the boat and, once again, no camera for when grandpa caught a fish and Pauly got to throw it back in the lake.  He thought it was so cool!

Important calls can't wait.
 

Then it was s'mores time!  Since everything was wet, I had to "roast" the marshmallows on the stove.  The kids loved them anyway!


 MONDAY!  4th of July!  We had so much fun!  The kids were in the parade (all the kids at the lake are basically in the parade!).  We decorated the bikes and the kids.  It was so much fun!


Close-up of A's tattoo's.  I <3 the butterfly.






Then, the rest of the day at the beach! 




What a great weekend!

Monday, June 27, 2011

Manic Monday

Hello?  Hello?!
Because who doesn't love to talk on a Watermelon phone?
Happy Monday!

Happy Monday?

I'm actually ok with Mondays.  Except the going back to work deal.  But, I like to just take a breather and think about the past weekend and what we will be doing for the next weekend.  Thus . . . Manic Monday posts were born.

I thought it would be fun to start off my Monday's telling you about my weekend, what we did and what we have planned for the week & weekend ahead.  I also thought this could help me with the upkeep of my photographs.

Friday we continue our weekly Friday night grilled pizza night.  We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE grilled pizza.  I make the dough the in the bread maker and when the husband comes home from work, he fires up the grill and in 10 minutes we have dinner.  Yum!

Saturday, the husband had to go to a bacholor party.  I decided since #1 son was well-behaved at school for the last 2 weeks (he wonly goes 2 times a week) that I'd take him to see Cars 2.  It was his first time at the movies and he was so excited.  He thought it was "So cool!"  He was ok.  But I'm not sure I'd take him again anytime soon.  We'll just do our movie night weekend with the popcorn I make.

What I thought about Cars 2?  I liked it.  One of Pauly's first movies that I got out of the library for him to watch was Cars.  We found it boring.  So, despite what I heard of bad reviews, I really like it. Maybe I need to watch Cars again?

Sunday was our day at my in-law's lake house.  These kids LOVE Green Pond.  So much that Pauly kept saying "I want to go back to the green pond!"

When we got home, I decided that it was Watermelon for dinner.  The kids loved it.  I have pictures:




 
Watermelon Coma












Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Summer is here!

It's official as of 1:16pm est on June 21, 2011.  We have now had 1 full day of summer.  Let me tell you how excited I am!  Then, I get sad thinking now our days will be getting shorter again.  :(  Why does summer always have to fly by?

I have made a 50 days of summer list.  I wish I can remember who I orginally saw it from, but if you google 50 Days of Summer, you will get a zillion results.


So far, I can check off about 3.  I do need to change "Strawberry" picking to something else since strawberries are just about done.  :(  Last year we went strawberry picking and it was a blast!

We grilled pizzas last Friday.  OMG, I will never make pizza in the oven again (well, in less I have to!).  Grilling pizza is AWE-SOME!  This will be our Friday night summer tradition.






Yum, mommy!

Even my pickiest at all of his!

Monday, June 20, 2011

Happy Father's Day!

We was just a great day yesterday in the Heerema family.  We woke up and I had the kitchen somewhat decorated thanks to It's Always A Party at the Parkers.  This lady is ultra-talented!  I downloaded her FREE printables.  You really need to go see her stuff. My pictures are crappy as was my display compared to hers!


The night before, I was lucky enough to kick Paul out of the house with a friend to go to the bar (thankfully, he actually mentioned this night out!) and Pauly and I made maple bacon muffins.  Those cute cupcake toppers are part of the printable from It's Always A Party at the Parkers.  Aren't they just so adorable? 









I wish I took better pictures of everything.  Next, the PRESENTS!  The present that I made was from How Does She Do That?  It's a pistacho container and the inside (which you will have to go to her site to see) is divided into 2 sections: "To Eat" and "To Toss".  Dad's didn't come out nearly as good as Grandpa's did.  I wish I took a picture of Grandpas.




Someone is enjoying her maple bacon muffin!











Thanks for visiting!

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Wow, I'm am SUCKING at being a blogger.

Yeah, title says it all.  My life feels so dicombobulated lately and so disorganized.  I have all these things I wanna do, but never have hte time to do, but yet, that "wanna list" keeps growing.  There is also a "gotta do list" that keep growing as well that puts aside the "wanna list".

I'm not sure how my blogging mommy friends do it all!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Rain, rain, go away!

I just wanted to update quickly . . .

Our basement flooded.  Again.  Oh joy!  Wasn't as bad as last month but from all the snow we got this season, plus the rain with now time in between to dry out, the water has no place to go.  Oh well.  It is what it is.

I hope to get to my computer tonight and get the pictures off of my camera of all my Easter fun; which includes Easter egg hunts and decorations.

I've been very much inspired by all those out there in blog land.  With some 2 gallons of coffee a day, I'm sure I can accomplish all I wanna do! Yeah, right.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Pauly's 3rd Birthday Party featuring Thomas the Tank Engine

Pauly's birthday was last month.  I had such a blast planning it!  I started about mid-January just looking through people's blogs on anything and everything Thomas themed.  I found some great blogs out there with awesome ideas that I just had to use!  Below each picture will be a link to a blog with the tutorials.

January 20 I emailed my husband these 3 links for inspiration:

I knew my husband was creative and handy, but I never dreamed something so fantastic!

Idea from Tip Junkie

The morning of his party, I blew up 79 balloons and ended up with 78. 4 huge Thomas mylar ballons and 78 red, yellow, and blue latex. I popped one while filling it.  Balloons were everywhere!  Front of the house, tied out back to the deck, in the house.  I <3 balloons.  These balloons were also biodegradable.  I bought the balloons at Balloons Everywhere.  Great prices and great shipping too.
 
Going up the walkway
Front of house, going up wthe walkway

The kids played "Pin the Whistle on James" that I made. I just grabbed an image of James off the internet and enlarged it. I then photoshopped out his whistle and made it a separte item and then put all the kids names on each of their whistles.

Happy Birthday train banner with
Pin the Whistle on James game
Idea from Tip Junkie
I love, love, LOVE how the balloon wreath came out!  I made "Welcome to my party.  Thank your for coming.  Come on in!" sign for the center.

Balloon Wreath using the tutorial from How Does She Do That?
That Thomas cake took about 5 hours to make, not including the time it took to back 4 days before hand or the face of Thomas (that took about 2 hours to create that face).  Friday night I spent 5 hours carving, chiseling and icing that cake but that look on Pauly's face when he saw it for the first time was priceless.  He was thrilled.  It was my first 3-d cake and I think I have it in me to do more!
Train Cake using tutorial from http://thomasthetankenginecake.blogspot.com/
Train Cake using tutorial from http://thomasthetankenginecake.blogspot.com/

Train Cake using tutorial from http://thomasthetankenginecake.blogspot.com/
The night before our basement flooded.  So, instead of me cleaning the playroom for the kids to play in, we were cleaning, only water out of it.  Ugh.  It was ok though.  We didn't lose anything valuable or irreplaceable.  The kids never got their train conductor hats though.  :(  I thought they got ruined, but I found them a few days later perfectly dry.
We had a flood the day before the party and my husband thought that the hats got ruined.  Nope, I found them the next day.  Bummed the kids didn't get to take them.
I also made train shaped crayons using old & donated crayons and train candy molds.
Train crayons

Goodie bag contents: train crayons, train lollipops, thomas stickers and tattoos. 
In the bag already is the coloring pages I put together; all Thomas and Friends


I can't wait to throw another kids party!  I just loved his little face light up and all his friends just loved it.

A few blogs that inspired me for this party:
Free Printable Crafts

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