WHEW! That was a long break!

Wow what a long blogging break!  I can't believe that it's been since December.  My last post was just before I found out I was pregnant with baby #5!  Before the exhaustion hit, before my precious 15 month old decided to become very active and started getting into everything making it almost impossible for me to get anything done.  Now the baby is out of me, my 2 year old is still active but my energy is returning and I'm feeling creative again.  Hopefully I can start posting again and sewing again and being productive.  Wish me luck!!

Wordle-ing my brains out

If you haven't tried Wordle yet...YOU MUST!  I've been using it for all sorts of things and Christmas projects.  I won't share them all because some of them are for people who may on occasion click on this blog.  But I will share one with you that I took to a gift exchange at church and it was a big hit.  I really need to make one of these for myself because I wanted to steel my own gift back!

I used this website Wordle and typed in the words I wanted.  To make the bigger words you type them in more often.  So for "Believe, Christ, and We" I typed them in 3 times each.  Then you can manipulate how you want them, what font they are to be in, size, shape, color EVERYTHING!  It's fabulous, then just print...FOR FREE!

I printed mine on vellum and Mod Podged it over scrapbook paper on this cool wooden thingy.  I call it a wooden thingy because I have no idea what it was used for in the first place.  Since it's just you and you won't tell anyone else, I got it off the curb, it was dark brown and solid wood, so I painted it and WA-LA!  I may have found 8 of it's brother's and sister's on the curb too and can't wait to get to making these for my family next year for Christmas.  I'm going to ask each family for 20 or so words that describe them and then make one for each family group.

SOOOOO long story short this gift cost me $0 out of pocket that day I had everything in my stash!  YAY for the stash!

An Army of Gingerbread People!

I found this cute tutorial online to make these super cute gingerbread men.

click here for tutorial

Immediately I started making them and made them until I ran out of felt!  I didn't have any tiny rick rack so I improvised and just used embroidery floss to make the squiggles on the leg and arms.  I also improvised and used fleece for the eyes instead of felt.  I decided to make them gender specific (my girls needed gingerbread girls) and added a half eaten bow to one with some "bling".  They are adorable!!

I got 3 out of one piece of felt and on the last 2 I didn't stuff them and I really like the flat ones better.  SOOOO long story short these cost me $0 today, I had all the stuff in my stash, and even if you didn't you are talking a whole dollar (maybe) to make several of them!

Now...to take over the world!!!  MUAWHHAAHAAA

Christmas Plan 2010

I realized today that I needed to sit down and write out my plan for Christmas.  Lots of people have been asking me what I am making my family for Christmas this year and I have lots of ideas floating around in my head but it's time to get the plan formulated so that I'm not running in 50 directions Christmas Eve!  So here is my outline of things I am doing for the kids for Christmas:

K= Oldest Daughter 11 years old:

• She has requested a stuffed Octopus (weird I know and it goes against all my "no stuffed animal" rules, but it will be homemade and hopefully something she will love, and it will be FREE!!)
• Wooden bracelets found at Hancock's for 25 cents each will decorate and make beautiful with fabric, paint, and ModPodge.
• PJ's bought last year on clearance at Walmart for $1.50 a pair
• Knitting loom bought on clearance for $2 (will get some yarn too)
• scripture tote
• maybe a shelf for over her bed so she can have her books handy

O= Youngest Daughter 8 years old

• Same wooden bracelets as oldest
• also Pj's bought on clearance
• knitting loom
• Quilt
• Handmade hair bows

C= Oldest Son 6 years old

• Cowboy dress up outfit.  I am making a vest out of faux leather.  Sheriff's badge, and maybe some chaps.  
• PJ's free from a friend
• Star Wars wooden people found here
• He has also requested a stuffed Panda bear.  
• Dinosaur DVD's received set for free from hubby's "select a gift" at work

L= Youngest son 16 months old

• Homemade PJ's
• Need more ideas!

Hubbs= Best Husband EVER (age will not be disclosed)

• PJ's pants
• need more ideas

So that's it so far.  Haven't even begun to think about extended family yet.  My SIL has requested blankets for her family, and my mom wants coasters.  FIL is getting Cowboy Poetry book, MIL is getting a cute picture thing that Hubbs found for her.  Grandma is getting...don't know.  I'll post more when I figure it all out.

Excuses, Excuses

It's been so long since I've posted I bet you thought I was busy making something A-M-A-Z-I-N-G...well I wasn't!  I was busy with life, 4 kids, daycare, hubby, and just running a household.  I know how can I be sooooo boring?  My daughter asks me that ALL the time!

I have done a few projects I found a really cute chair on the curb and have reupholstered it to look fabulous, do you think I've taken a picture of it...NO!  I guess I could now, I'm looking at the chair and my camera is within reach, I may not even have to move...hold on...be right back...

OK, there!  Before it was a velvet pink and it would not have been so bad if it hadn't been so dirty and worn. Now it is sporting a new clean fabric and is all cute and creaky!  I found the fabric at Hancock's for $8 a yard (luckily I hadn't bought it yet) but my friend and I went up to Chicago to Vogue Fabrics and found the exact same fabric for $1.99 a yard!  What a bargain.  Now for only $4 I have a new-to-me chair.  

If you live in or around the Chicago area you have to hit Vogue Fabrics, it was fabulous.  Word of advice, don't take your 12 month old, it's a big downer!  I could have looked around for hours but I rushed through a bit because he was getting antsy.  

Let's see what else...Oh, I took apart one of my old dresses and made a fabulous skirt for my daughter.  

She's 11 and growing like a weed so things get short really fast.  She likes it and all of you re-designers out there really inspired me!

Oh, and I've got on a kick making head bands for my girls.  

 (no this is not one of my girls, but he was the only one home with me, don't judge me!)

Now that Christmas is coming up really fast I'm sure that I'll have lots of projects to post about.  I'm so glad that this whole blog thing didn't take off like I hoped it would have because really several months in between posts is NOT acceptable for a craft blog! 

I'll try and be better, I'll try and craft more, promise.

Finally Done

This project has been months, maybe even years in the making.  For a few years I have dedicated a wall, the only wall, in my kitchen to the children's art.  Before this project I had a wire strung between two antique door knobs that the kids hung their art on with decorated clothes pins.  This system worked well and the kids know if they put it on the board it is temporary and only stays up about a week or two then is taken down/thrown out to make room for new art.

Well I wanted something different there so I came up with this:

You can see my kids already got to the Welcome!  I just taped off a rectangle the size of the inside of the frame and painted it with about 8 coats of magnetic paint, and 2 coats of chalkboard paint.  Then I just hung the frame around it.

Here's what I learned:

1. Magnetic paint says you only need 2-3 coats, well it LIES!  I did 2-3 and you couldn't even hang a small magnet on it.  Even with 8 coats it's not strong like your fridge, but it will hold things well enough for my purpose.

2. Don't paint your actual wall!  Next time I will paint a board that size and nail it into my frame, way easier and removable.  Now if I want to get rid of it I will have to repaint my whole kitchen!

3. Be prepared to Swiffer Sweeper your floor every day, chalk is very dusty.

4. Chalkboard paint washes very well with water, unlike an actual chalkboard.

5. The kids will be completely entertained for 15.2 minutes after you are done with this project.  Just long enough for you to take pictures and blog about it!

Chalkboard paint is cheap, magnetic paint is not cheap, the frame was on clearance at Hob Lob for $8.  I got the paint for a gift so in my mind that is FREE, so the whole thing only cost me $8!!!

My 30 Second Fix

No, that's not the amount of time it takes me to down a Pepsi...maybe 60 seconds...HAHA.  No, seriously, It's the amount of time it took me to dress up these puppies.

I put my plastic grocery sacks in my old pickle jars.  I have 2 of them full.  I could have one of those hangy thingamabob's but I don't have a lot of wall space in my kitchen, actually none to be more specific.  So I opt to shove my bags in these jars.  They are not cute by any means and have looked like this for years days.  My motivation to make them cuter comes from the fact that my friend is coming from out of town and she hasn't been to my house in years, and her house is always WAY cute and put together and I was feeling a little competitive.  I know get over it already, but hey I'm a girl and that's just how we roll.  Sooo here is the before:  I know yuck-o-rama, right?

and the after

I just cut a piece of scrapbook paper big enough to cover the pickle label and scotch taped it on.  When they are up against the wall you can't even tell they are half-a$$'d

Teddy Bears

I've been wanting to try my hand at making Teddy Bear's for a while now.  I have tried a few different stuffed animals and they have not come out well.  So when I came across this pattern on the Internet I was thrilled.  It promised that it would be a quick, easy project, and by-golly it WAS!

The pattern was free, you know I love free!  I used fleece for this project and it worked well.  There were a few parts where it got a bit bulky, so next time I think I'll try flannel.  I also learned that I should embroider the face before I attach the head.  Oh, and if you decide to use the pattern the part when it tells you to slit the stomach so you can sew the top, don't do that!  Just leave one of the side seams open and hand sew it back together it will look better.  I think that's all I would change.  One of the legs looks like it's growing out of his bottom, so next time I'll position them more carefully, and the tail did not get caught all the way in the seam, thank goodness this is just for me, I think I'll call him Oops!

Syndy's Sweat Shop

I decided a few weeks ago, as my girls were screaming at each other, and then things became violent and there was an incident with one of them getting pushed backward into the bath tub (man O is freakishly strong), and they were yelling about how much they hate each other, that they needed a distraction.  A distraction that would get them thinking about other's and not just themselves, they needed a service project.  I contacted my MIL in Chile and asked if there were any needs that the kids and I could help with.  She came back with a great one.  There is an orphanage in her area that needs backpacks, and school supplies.  They don't need to be huge ones since they don't have very many possessions to speak of, so they can be homemade.  PERFECT, I can do homemade.  I came up with a pattern and yesterday we started making them to send. 

Sadly K is on a super fun trip and can't help but she can when she gets home.  So I taught O and the neighbor girl M to sew and they each made a back pack.  I still need to buy the draw string but other than that they are complete!  They both did a wonderful job for 1st timers and I'm going to put them to work again shortly.

We are sending the supplies and packs to Utah, where my MIL will be for a few weeks and she will take them to Chile in her luggage!  Win Win!!  Cheap shipping for us and new packs for the children in Chile.  Bonus, my girls aren't fighting anymore...sad that one of them has to be 3 states away for this to happen, but still a bonus

Earning the Mommy points

Today my 5 year old son comes in with his friend P and asks when I'm going to make him a cape.  Then he proceeds to tell me that I need to make P one too so they match.  So being the awesomest mom ever I start to dig through my stash and come out with two T shirts that I put with my fabric to "upcycle".  I pulled out my cape pattern, any respectable mother with boys should have one, cut the pieces and serged around the edges.  Now P and C have matching capes that are red on one side and green on the other so they can either be arch enemies, or each other's side kick. 

Here they are with their best Superhero moves:

Total project cost $0, 15 minutes of time invested and they are happy Superhero's.

Having a Kick Butt Summer

Actually the title of this post should be, "Summer is kicking my butt!".

Really, that's how it feels lately.  My parents came and had a great visit for 2 weeks, we went to a family reunion in Missouri, of all places, and it's been stinkin' hot and wet here in the Midwest.  We've tried to go to the pool, but the baby is not a fan!  Do they make baby sunglasses?  I think his problem is the brightness of the water because all he wants to do is bury his head in my shoulder and sleep, that's cool if I'm at home with the TV on or my laptop handy, not so cool if I'm in the middle of a swimming pool getting a MAJOR sunburn, and trying to keep track of all the other children who don't know how to swim!

Needless to say there has not been much crafting going on at my house.  I have been doing some "tailoring" for a friend of an acquaintance.  I say "tailoring" because I do not know what the HE-DOUBLE-HOCKEY-STICKS I am doing.  She came to me with the favor of mending her clothes, well my idea and her idea of mending were two different things.  10 hours later (with her sitting and watching me) we are still not done and I'm getting pretty good at taking a blouse from a size 2X to an XL!  (just buy clothes that fit you in the first place PLEASE!)

A few of the projects I've been working on are:

A wet bag to put my soiled cloth diapers in when I'm on the go.  They are made from cotton and PUL on the inside.   Each has a zipper closure and ribbon handle.  Check my ETSY shop if you are interested in purchasing one.

My hubby had a birthday and this is the only picture that I got of the tie that I made him.  Yes, I make his ties.  They are quick, easy, and you can customize them to the likes of the wearer.  If you haven't made a tie you should it's an easy 20 minute project that always gets lots of compliments, and hey you know we are all about the compliments.

So the wet bag was almost free, all I had to buy was the outside fabric, I already had the PUL, zipper and ribbon at home.  The tie was also free I had that fabric stashed away waiting for a great project.

What have you created this summer?

Sometimes free is not that great

So, this summer has been CA-RAY-ZEE!!  Is it me or does every one's children go insane and become extra naughty the minute school gets out?  Our school got our last week on a Tuesday (weird I know) and the kids, all three of the oldest, were grounded the rest of the week for being awful to each other.  The worst part is that when they are grounded I'm grounded too, it doesn't seem fair that I am punished for their naughtiness.

Anyhoo, I posted earlier in the month about the free bowling.  Well as expected the free bowling coupons came into my e-mail inbox, I was so excited to think that we had a weekly activity to do that didn't require me getting into a bathing suit!  I called the bowling alley to see how much shoe rental is... $3.75 per person per game!  W-H-A-T?????  That is not a good free deal.  It was going to cost me $22.50 for free bowling, I don't think so!

So I found another bowling alley in town that has free shoe rental and their games are only $3.50, better but not great, so we are going to do one game each and call it good.

Sometimes the "free" deal is not the steal that it is made out to be!

Free Bowling

I found this link on another blog and thought it sounded cool.  I signed our family up for it and am excited for it to start.  I don't know all the details but it sounds great and even found an alley that does it here in my small town.

kidsbowlfree.com

I am trying to find fun and inexpensive things for my kids to do this summer.  We of course are going to sign up for the reading program at the library, we also have a pass to our local Children's Museum, and where my hubby works they have a park with a free swimming pool, and mini golf.  Another great free thing I found was Border's is doing a reading program, read 10 books and get a book for free.  They had good books to choose from too! Go to their website for more information

So this summer will be full of fun, free, activities!

Freegifting at it's best

Just an FYI Walgreens is offering a free 8x10 photo collage today thru Saturday (May 8th).  I've made these before for gifts and they are a big hit.  I did this one for my hubby for his birthday.  Here's the link Walgreens
They come out really cute and you can pick your colors and add a title.  Stick them in an inexpensive frame and they are fabulous!

Happy Freegifting!

Mother's Day is just around the corner!!

Mother's Day will be here this weekend.  My husband always asks for a list of things that I want.  That's hard because I see so many things that I would love to have, problem is when it comes to sitting down and making the list I can't think of a single thing.  Sometimes I wish we could take our thoughts out of our heads like Dumbledore in Harry Potter, put them in the Pensive, and give them to whom ever needs them (did I use whom right?).

Anyhoo, I also always struggle with what to do for my own mother.  When we lived close it was easy we would go out to lunch with my grandma the Saturday before and have a great afternoon.  Now that I live 2000 miles away it's not so easy.  Just sending a card doesn't seem like enough, and frankly sending a gift is hard because I am THE most forgetful person on earth and don't think of it until late Mother's Day Eve!

This year I found this link to Snapfish for a free flip book.  I tried it out and made 2 books, one for my own mom and one for my mother-in-law and only paid for shipping and tax on each book.  It equaled out to about $2.15 for each one.  SWEET DEAL if you ask me.  Use coupon code ALLYOUMOM at check out and it's that easy!  You are able to do a 5x7 45 page book!

Don't know if it will be there by Mother's Day (my mom should be used to that by now), but what a great gift.  I also hope that my mom doesn't read this blog cuz I just blew the surprise!

Here are a few things on my Mother's Day List:

Chalkboard paint
Smock top fabric
Chalkboard fabric
Magnetic paint

What's on your list???

AAAAWWWWW that's much better!

Technical difficulties!

I don't know why my sidebar things are at the bottom of all my posts...I swear I didn't click on anything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I Toiled you so!

Made this cute purse for a friend. She is in charge of the teacher appreciation gifts at her son's school and asked me to donate. I love it, I wanted to keep it, she had to rip it from my hands! Just kiddin'.

All HALE!

Last night was GREAT!

We had a blast at the Shannon Hale book signing. It was so great to meet the person who writes the books I love. She was a very accessible person, sweet, friendly, funny. There was about 60ish people there, so it was a small group and we were able to talk with her and ask questions. Not me of course because I was so nervous I didn't have anything to say, but my friends had plenty to say. I brought Book of a Thousand Days for her to sign, my favorite title of hers. It's a wonderful book with a sweet and innocent main character that I just fell in love with.

Now my dilemma, do I read the signed book or invest in a different copy???

Mother's Day is taken care of!

I've posted before how I love to get kitchen gadgets and appliances, and other crazy "housewife" stuff for gifts, I do however like the stuff just for me too! I know it's a little early for Mother's Day, but my hubby has given me my gift early. I'm headed up to the Chicago area tonight to attend a book signing for Shannon Hale. If you haven't read her books you should they are wonderful. She writes Young Adult Fiction and Adult Fiction. I've only read her YA stuff and they are the kind of books I would read over and over again.

So tonight my friends and I are headed on a bit of a road trip. There's going to be good conversation, good books, and possibly good food (oh and NO kids!!!) what more can a Mom ask for?

I'll post tomorrow on how it went, I'm a book signing virgin!