Gifts for Baby Trey

I forgot I never posted this after we went to visit our beautiful new nephew!
I was trying to come up with different ideas for a gift for baby Trey. Of course all new babies need diapers, lotions, shampoo, and all the other baby paraphernalia. Not to mention the big stuff if this is the first baby. But, I wanted to do something a little more personal. So, I came up with the idea of making personalized onesies. I found some plain white long sleeved ones at TJ Maxx and snagged them. Looking back, I should have bought all they had!! Anyway, I bought some transfer paper at Hobby Lobby, then set about creating some personalized designs for the onesies. That was the easy part. The hard part was getting it to print correctly, LOL! I actually wasted 6 sheets before I got it right. Oh well, live and learn. Hopefully, I will remember the next time I try this project. I also found a 3-panel accordian style frame thingy at Tuesday Morning. I did buy several of those because they were such a great price. I altered it and personalized it and left some space for pictures. Ta-Da – Unique and personalized Baby Gifts!

Some cards

My friend Connie asked if I would be interested in creating some invitations for her and she would PAY me! whoo-hoo! yes, I could do that. The hard part was coming up with a price. Anyway, I created a few different designs for her to choose from, that is the first picture. The one she chose is not pictured, though. I forgot to take a picture before I finished them! Oh well, it was fabulous, trust me!!! The other picture is some cards I made with some of the leftover paper. It is nice to have handmade cards handy for those last minute gifts!!

Presto-Chango Chair

I already have a great chair in my Happy Place that I sit in when I scrap. I got it several months ago at a thrift store for $5. I painted it orange and re-covered the seat with some great fabric. Well, anytime that Lael sees me here working, she wants to come in and help. But we always have to drag in a chair from the kitchen. So, I have been on the lookout for another chair. As I was driving down the road the other day, I spy an old wooden chair on the sidewalk in front of a thrift store. I turn the car around, go in to ask them how much. Imagine my surprise when she says $1. Yes a single dollar! I was shocked, but started digging in my purse for some cash. I brought it home and the next day started working on it. I pulled off 4 layers of yucky fabric til I got to the original damask fabric that was probably very nice when it was put on decades ago! Todd was helping me at this point, and he was amazed at the craftsmanship and care of detail that went into the construction of this chair. He said it is probably worth some money. Of course that was before I painted it red, and applied a bit of flair to it!!! Anyway, Lael is now happy, she has a chair. But, it is actually more comfortable than my orange one, I think we should trade! Here is the before and after.

New Blog Look and promised pics

I was getting tired of the old look of my blog so I spent some time searching online yesterday for a new look.  I was originally thinking of going wintry, but the more I searched I thought, no I think an ‘almost spring’ look would be better – so here it is!  What do you think?

I did snap a few pictures, but the quality is not that great still.  I need to start a fund for a new camera!  Anyway, first up is the Altered Lunchbox I made for Catherine.  I still need to print the photos of all the guests and stick them to the other side of each of the cards – but you get the idea.  Next is the decorations.  I made the invitation, altered a candle, made a pennant, and candlelit paperbags to line our sidewalk.

I wanted to include the text of the invitation here since you cannot read it on the invites.  It is pretty clever if I do say so myself.  However, I cannot take complete credit for it – I found part of the text online on a Fourth of July invite.  Here it is:

We the people, of ______________ (The Anderson’s) in order to form a more perfect party, establish good will, insure memories, provide beer, hot dogs and other good things, promote a good time, and secure the blessings of friendship hereby invite you to a American Style Going Away Party for the Elfick family.

Gift Card Tree

As Room Mom for Caeden’s class, I am in charge of a gift for Mrs. Johnson. I thought a Gift Card Tree would be nice. So, I asked the parents to send in gift cards to stores or restaurants, and then I made this tree. You can’t see them very well, but there are beaded pins stuck here and there that will hold the gift cards. Mrs. Johnson loves frogs, so I personalized the tree a bit for her by adding some foam frogs. Lael helped with this project a lot too, and Todd as well. He was the official paper roller, and Lael was the official Glue dot giver. Nice to have help!!

Advent Tree

In years past I have seen Advent Calendars made using cookie sheets, wooden frames, old windows or just in calendar format.  I’ve wanted to make one each year.  Last year I got lucky and got a wooden tree with 24 little wooden boxes in it at Old Time Pottery for 75% off.  S-C-O-R-E!

Sunday Lael helped me alter it so that it goes better with my Christmas decor.  It was a wee bit ugly before, but now it’s fabulous!!  We cut little squares of scrapbook paper and glued them to each box with Mod Podge, then added rubon numbers to each box.  Lael was more excited than I would have imagined to open each box.  But, I had to find stuff to fill it.  So, I told her we had to wait til Monday after school.  Plus, the bonus was that we were already 8 days behind, so she and Caeden had a few extra boxes to open.

It was a chore to find stuff that would fit in the tiny boxes besides the obvious like Hershey’s kisses!  So, I remembered how much they like to do scavenger hunts.  For the objects that would not fit I typed up a note to send them off on a scavenger hunt.  I think that added a lot of fun to the project.

Christmas Cards

I always say I am going to start these in like October, but it never works that way.  It usually happens the first or second week of December, so I am actually ahead this year.  Of course I still need about 75 more, but at least I have started!  Lael also wanted to help, so I gave her some supplies and she went to town creating her own masterpieces.   See if you can decide which cards are hers!

Halloween Decorating

I have had so much fun decorating for Halloween this year.  I had forgotten about all the stuff I had in storage, so it was fun to pull everything out and find a place for it.  I even had a blast decorating the outside, front and back.

My most favorite thing is the Countdown to Halloween collage I made.  Here is a bigger picture of it.

Lia Sophia Jewelry Party

Aimee asked me to go to one of those jewelry parties a few weeks ago at another friends house.  I tagged along and we had a great time.  While we were there, of course the consultant asks if anyone would like to book a party.  Aimee asked if I wanted to co-host one with her.  SURE!  that sounds like a fun excuse for a party!  I told her if she provided most of the friends to invite (since she knows much more people than I do) and the chocoloate martinis, I would provide the food.  It’s a deal.  We had the party last night, and it was so much fun.  Aimee had to ask the last few guests to leave after 11:00, it was a school night after all!  I made Nena’s Pound cake, (which it turns out, I am becoming famous for, LOL!), spinach dip, Mom’s Mini Cheesecake recipe, Jezebel sauce, Chicken Salad Rolls and Peppered Pinwheels (Lynda made something like this once and everyone loved it!).  Aimee did end up adding a few things, since a couple of her friends are vegetarians.  I made invites for the party, which of course I had to get a picture of! 

Here is the Mini Cheesecake recipe.  It is so good, and not really difficult at all!

Mini-Cheesecakes

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
1 egg
1 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp. strawberry preserves

Combine graham crackers and butter.  Line 1 3/4″ muffin pans with paper cups.  Spoon 1 tsp. crumb mixture into each liner and gently press.  Beat cream cheese at high speed until light and fluffy.  Gradually add sugar and mix well.  Spoon mixture into liners and bake 350 for 10 minutes.  Spoon 1/4 tsp. strawberry over cheese cake and chill.  Makes 2 dozen.