Giveaway- Crocheted Head Band

Today I decided to giveaway a bunch of my crocheted head bands. I love these and I've made some in all the colors that I have so I'm giving away 4 of them- black, gray, rainbow, and a variegated pink one.



Like yesterday you can enter 3 ways. 1-Be a Follower of my blog 2-"Like" my blog post on Facebook 3-Comment on this post if you can crochet and if you want to know how. Before I learned I really didn't have a desire to learn. My mom and grandma knew how to do it and I thought it was an old lady (Sorry mom) craft but then I started see all these cute 'hip' crafts and HAD to learn. (No Entries after Midnight)

Greeting Card Winner!

Today's Winner of the assortment of Greeting Cards is....

Deb Allred!!!

Congrats Deb! I'll probably bring them by on Saturday!

Giveaway- Greeting Cards

I love to make cards and I usually make them and never give them to anyone so I'm giving away an assortment of cards. 2 baby cards, 2 birthday cards, a get well soon, a thinking of you card, and 2 surprise cards. 8 cards that you can give to whom ever you'd like. (Sorry I'm not feeling well today so no pictures)

I've decided that you can have up to 3 entries today. 1-Be a follower of my blog 2-Post a comment on this blog post about giving cards (random I know, but I love to give cards for no reason) 3- "Like" my Blog Status on Facebook. No entries after midnight.

Magnet Winner

Today's Winner of the Flat Bottom Magnets is...

Jan Tranchell!!

I'm super excited for this giveaway! I think these are the cutest! Jan I'll bring the magnets by later (probably later today or on Sunday).

Giveaway-Marble Magnets

Today's Giveaway is 6 of my super cute Marble Magnets. To enter you need to be a follower of my blog and for an extra entry comment on this post about some cute home decor items that you want to make for your home. No entries after midnight. Winner will be announce tomorrow.

Date Jar Winner

I used a random number generator to pick our winner and it picked....

AMY MEREDITH!!!

Congrats Amy!! I'll get the jar to you soon!

Giveaway- Date Night Jar

Ok! I know I said that I was going to start my giveaway week on Sunday but I was having so much fun with my family that I didn't even turn on the computer. So I'm starting my giveaway now.


Today's giveaway is on of my Date Night Jars. There are over 70 different dates in the jar. To enter the giveaway, you have to be a follower of my blog and to get another entry comment on this post and tell me one of your favorite dates. No entries after midnight. I'll post the winner tomorrow!

Sunny Sunday- Birthday

"The secret to staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age."
--Lucille Ball

Wordless Wednesday- I'm Lovin' It

Growth Chart

I've been planning to make G a growth chart for months now. I've even had the supplies but with the weather being COLD and me being a SLACKER, I haven't done it. But the weather was in the 60's the last couple of day so I thought that I would get outside and start crafting.

Supplies:
Wooden Fence Post
White Paint
Colored Acrylic Paint
Wooded Shapes (Optional)

Difficulty: Easy
Time: an Hour
Cost: $10 if you have to buy white paint

1. Start off by sanding your board.

2. Paint it with the white paint. 2-3 cost best for even coverage.


3. Use a measuring tape and measure out feet and mark it on the board and paint it with the acrylic paints.

4. If you don't want to decorate your board then you are done (and truth be told, If I hadn't already painted my circles I would have called it good) but if you want you can buy a bag of wood shapes at JoAnn's for $2. Paint them with the same acrylic paints that you painted your numbers and let them dry.


5. Then using wood glue, the circles to the board and to each other. And Puff! A pretty awesome growth chart!


So...On a side note, I have an amazing helper. G loves to help, no matter what I'm doing. While he was playing outside I thought I could run inside and grab the same paints off the table (I forgot them). When I came back out (literally not more than 10 seconds) this is what I found. I asked him if he stepped on mommy's board and he looked me straight in the eyes and lied to me...What do you expect from a 2 year old? Honesty? I think not!


More of my awesome "helper". You can still see the gouge marks where he "painted" but it will be a great story to tell when he's older and asks...why are there all these marks? Because of you my boy...Because of you!

Flat Marble Magnets

I've seen these really cute magnets at friends' houses and cute decor shops like Rod Works and I knew that I could make those AND do it cheaper than the sold them for in the stores.

Supplies:
Flat Bottom Marbles (I found these at the Dollar Store)
Mode Podge
Scrapbook Paper or Pictures
Magnets
Hot Glue Gun/Glue

Difficulty: Super Easy
Time: 30 minutes + Drying Time
Cost: Under $15

1. Take a Flat Bottom Marble and trace the bottom on any scrapbook paper. You can also use pictures if you like. Those are really cute too.

2.When I first stared, I tried to trace them on a large piece of paper and it just didn't work. So I started cutting small squares of paper and THEN tracing them. That work lots better. Each marble is a different shape and size so keep the marble with the paper or else it would be a pain to put them back together. (I started this project and Lil G was "helping" too much so I had to stop until he went to bed, so I taped the paper to the marble. Anything to help keep things straight)


3. Take Mode Podge and, using a foam brush, pain a thin, even layer over the paper.


4. Then take your matching marble and press the paper firmly for about 20 seconds. Set aside. (I used some glittery paper and found that they didn't stick as well as the plain paper)


5. Paint another thin, even layer on the back of the paper. Set aside and let dry (I let mine dry over night).


6. Affix the magnets to the back of the dried magnets. The magnets I used had sticky stuff on the back but I didn't trust them so I use a thin layer of hot glue.


I love these. They are super easy and way cute and they are done in no time. Great to dress up your Fridge! Try it out!

Sunny Sunday-Spring

Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!"
~Robin Williams

Knotted Headband

I found this headband on You Seriously Made That!? and loved it! I knew I had to try it. It's a super easy project for the beginner crocheter because you just make a chain and nothing more. I don't think I could explain it half as well as Cami can so if you want the tutorial HERE it is.

Supplies:
Yarn
Size H Crochet Needle
8 inches of ribbon
2-6 inches of elastic

Difficulty: Easy (if you crochet)
Time: 30 minutes
Cost: under $2-$5 (depending if you have yarn)

I loved the original but I had to make some changes. Instead of using ribbon to tie the headband on, I used elastic. Come on?! Who can actually tie on a headband and get it tight enough with out getting your own hair caught in it. I know I can't. Other than that, mine is the same. The hardest part for me was tightening the knot. Just take your time, follow the instructions, and you'll do fine.

Green Dinner Pictures

Yesterday, we had our green dinner to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. We had Green Salad with Green Goddess Dressing, Angel Hair pasta with Green Alfredo sauce, Homemade Green Bread, Green Koolade and chicken. (I know! The Chicken isn't green but I didn't want to even attempt to dye it). It was really good. As always, G hardly ate any of his dinner but he loved the salad (go figure) and the Koolade. I loved the pasta and Nate like the homemade bread. All in all it was a great dinner! (P.S. I was going to make a cheesecake and dye it green but after my run I was way too tire. Sorry!)

Leprechaun traditon

Did you know that Leprechauns love treasure? Did you know that they are tricky, sly, quick creatures? Well they are! All around the internet I've seen "Leprechaun Traps" (see here) but I'm here to tell you, You CAN'T catch a Leprechaun! No matter how smart or tricky you think your trap is, they'll always find a way out. The only way to get what you want from a Leprechaun is to trade. That's why I taught my son the truth:
First:
You need to make a place that Leprechauns would feel safe. They love green, grass, leaves, anything that reminds them of their home in Ireland. We used our green blanket. Then you need to leave something that the Leprechauns would like to trade for. They like shiny coins, gold, money. You get the idea. We put some pennies in a bowl.


Second:
You need to not be around. If Leprechauns sense you around, they wont come out. You could put it out over night or you can go for a walk or go to the grocery store like we did. And when we came home this was left for the Little G.


There was green glow sticks, army men, green bouncy balls, and chocolate gold coins. Sometimes they even bring gold dollar coins (if they can find them).


G was so excited when he saw what was left for him. We had some much fun eating chocolate gold coins and playing with his bouncy balls. Thanks Leprechauns! See you next year!

I love my followers!

Thanks everyone for Following my blog! I can't believe I have 20 followers! Because I love all of you so much, instead of just one giveaway, I'm going to have a week of giveaways! I'm hoping it will be next week but if I can't craft fast enough, then it will be the week of my birthday...You know what I like that better! Starting on my birthday (the 27th), instead of asking for gifts, I'm going to give gifts! Check in every day that week and I'll have a new item to give away! Hooray!!! I'm super excited!!

St. Patrick's Green Dinner

Due to my fore mentioned St. Patrick's addiction, I've planned an all green dinner for tomorrow. There are some great sites with fabulous idea and I've taken some of then and tweaked them to my family's liking. For dinner we are having Green Mac N' Cheese (idea here) with green bread (idea here) and a green salad (just lettuce, cucumbers, green onions, peas, and Ranch Dressing (dyed green with food coloring). We'll have green drinks (probably green Koolade) and for dessert Green Jello.

My hubby thinks I'm a bit crazy but I have the time might as well make the day a little special. Since this is my dinner idea, I'll post pictures on Friday. What are you doing special for Patty's Day?

Tucano's Fake Out

Let's be honest! I love Meat. Seriously, I love meat so much sometimes I crave it. I think I have a Protein Deficiency. One of my favorite places when I'm in one of my full blown Meat Cravings is Tucano's. Oh! The things that I could say about Tucano's...but I wont. My favorite thing there is the Garlic Tenderloin and I think I have come up with a pretty good fake out.

Ingredient:
Beef
Garlic, Grated
Sea Salt
Olive Oil



1. Cut the beef into about 1-2 inch chunks (slightly freezing it helps), set aside.
2. In a bowl, whisk together half a head of garlic, 2-3 tablespoons of sea salt, and 1/4-1/2 cups of olive oil until it makes a thick paste. I didn't have enough garlic but I used what I had.
3. Add beef to the bowl and let marinade over night or at least 4-6 hours. I didn't have enough time but still, it works. Side note: the meat turns a brown the longer it sits. Don't worry. It's still good.


4. When your ready to eat, take out the meat and sit it on a couple paper towels. Then one by one take the pieces and wipe off the marinade. You might be able to just rinse them but it takes away the flavor to me.

5. Skewer the meat and BBQ until to your liking. We like ours medium rare.


These are awesome! You'll love them!

Tucano's Fake Out Pineapple

The best thing to go with Tucano's Garlic Tenderloin is their Grilled Pineapple. I cute off a piece of steak and a piece of pineapple and put them both on the same fork. Sweet and Salty Heaven. All you have to do is grill pineapple (fresh is best but you can use canned like we did). Once it's nice and charred, take it off the grill and dip it in a mixture of brown sugar and water. Yum Yum!

Date with Nate- Ice Cream Tasting

Nate and I decided that Saturday would be our date night. We had picked Baking together from our Date Jar but the hubby came home with 6 mini ice cream containers and said that we should have an Ice Cream Tasting instead. I'm nothing, if not flexible, so why not do something the honey is interested in doing.
The only down fall was that there is nothing on regular T.V. on Saturday nights so I decided since we watch Indiana Jones last week we'd watch Twilight. It was great! Eating ice cream and watching a stupid romance. Now don't get me wrong, I think the 3rd Twilight is the best one. Romance, Battles, Vampires, and Bella's hilarious dad. Who could ask for more?
ANY WHO! after a couple tastings, I decided my order. #1-Ben and Jerry's Strawberry Cheesecake #2-(B&J) Chocolate Fudge Brownie #3- (B&J) Cherry Garcia #4- Haagen dazs Delce De Leche #5-(B&J) Cookie Dough #6- (HD) Vanilla. Nathan said that I must have REALLY liked the Chocolate Fudge Brownie because I got every drop but what he didn't say was that he ate it all and I had to SCRAP the bottom of the container.
All in all it was a great date with the hubby. Thanks Babe!

Sunny Sunday

"Choose you this day whom ye will serve... but for me and my house, we will serve the Lord"

--Joshua 24:15

Etched Glass Wedding Present Tutorial

Yesterday my cousin got married and invited us to the Reception. Being the Crafty Kid that I am I wanted to do something special. Before we continue I need to tell you a little about myself. I dream big! I want to go all out and be fabulous. One example, for my sister's Bridal Shower I planned to make cake balls hand dipped in chocolate and decorated by hand. When I realized that wasn't going to happen, I wanted to make a sheet cake and on each piece have a handmade blue white chocolate heart. Walmart didn't have blue candy bits, so I ended up just using blue sparkle frosting to make the hearts on the cake.
With that said, I had grand plans for what I was going to make. I knew I wanted to etch a glass casserole dish (I'd seen it here and loved it!) and if I had the money I wanted to make the insulated carrying case for it (from the same site). When I went to Walmart, I found a great deal on a glass pan kit. It had a 9X13 pan, 8X8 pan, a pie plate, a bowl and measure cup. With all that I didn't think the hubby would OK a carrying case too but I could still etch it. It turned out great! I thought I would show how I did it and some of the things I learned while I was doing it.

Supplies:
Glass Pan, Dish, Cup, etc.
Armor Etch
Stencil
Paint Brush

Difficulty: Medium
Time: under an hour
Cost: $10 for etch (at Robert's Craft)
+ the cost of a pan

1. Clean your glass really well before you start. Then attach your stencil to the pan with tape or stencil glue. (Instead of Etching the letters, I was difficult and etched everything except the letters)

2. Using a paint brush glob on the etch in a thick layer (I didn't do mine thick enough so I had to do it twice). What about 5-10 minutes.


3.This is what it looks like after you wait. You can see that it wasn't thick enough. Really glob it on so all you see is white and not the glass underneath.


4. Once you wash it off, dry it and Ta-dah! A Personalized Wedding gift. I really wanted to write more but this pan has a beveled edge on the bottom so that limited my space.


This was really fun! I really don't have patience so these crafts that happen right before your eyes are perfect for me! I hope they like it!

Homemade Devil's Food Cake

Last week my grandpa turn 82, which was perfect because I was in the middle of reading Devil's Food Cake by Josi S. Kilpack (click HERE for her web site) and this recipe sounded delicious. Sunday morning, I decided to whip it up before church (bad idea on Fast Sunday, by the way) and take it to him after dinner. It was AMAZING! Super rich, not as sugary as boxed cakes, and I had everything in the pantry. I liked it so much I thought I would share it with you guys. Just an FYI, Black writting is the actual recipe and the Orange is my additions.

Devil's Food Cake
Ingredient
-1 cup sour milk (1 cup milk + 2 teaspoons white vinegar or lemon juice or use 1 cup buttermilk) I used milk and vinegar
-2 cups flour
-2 cups sugar
-2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa I used Hershey's Natural Cocoa
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-2 eggs
-1 cup vegetable oil
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-1 cup boiling water
-1 teaspoon baking soda

For sour milk, mix milk and vinegar in a small bowl (I did it in one of my measuring cups). Set aside for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients except the water and baking soda. I think it would be best to mix the dry together and then the wet so that everything is mixed well (most recipes do it that way). Mix until batter is smooth. Add the soda to the boiling water (kids love this part because it bubbles.) Add soda/water mixture to the batter. Mix well- batter will be thin. It took so vigorous whisking.
Pour batter into a greased and floured 9X13-inch pan (I just sprayed mine really good) and bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes or until middle is set.
If using round cake pans, grease pans VERY well and cut a round of wax paper to fit inside the bottom of the pans to prevent cakes from sticking when removed. Let cake cool five minutes in pans before turning out onto a wire rack.
Serves 12.
You can also add a teaspoon of mint extract to the batter.

I think I'm going to make the 2 rounds and cut then in half so that there will be 4 layers. I'm hoping it will be like Magleby's.

My son had so much fun decorating this cake, I think I'll make him another one to just decorate.

Chocolicious Frosting

This is the Frosting recipe that goes with the Devil's Food Cake from the same book, Devil's Food Cake by Josi S. Kilpack. It is exactly what the name says, chocolicious!

Sandra's Chocolicious Frosting
-1/2 cup butter
-2 tablespoons shortening
-1 cup baking cocoa
-8 ounces cream cheese
-3 cups powdered sugar
-1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt butter and shortening. Whisk in cocoa and stir until smooth(my butter and cocoa clumped together so I added 2 more tablespoons of butter but it didn't help). Let cool until it is cool enough to touch. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Mine was thicker than I like so I added a tablespoon or 2 of milk.
Will cover two 9-inch layers or a 9X13 cake.

It turned out so amazing I would have eaten the whole bowl if I didn't have to frost the cake.

St. Patty's Day Shirts

I'm really getting into St. Patrick's Day this year and I don't know why. I'm not Irish but I get excited seeing the 17th getting closer. I've come up with cute Patty's day ideas like the special pillowcase, a Goodie Bag from the Leprechauns, and even an all green dinner (you'll see these later) but I don't know why (maybe it's because my 26th birthday is coming and I'm trying to distract myself).ANYWAYS! When I came up with this idea for a shirt I was super excited!

Supplies:
Colored T-Shirt
Shapes and Letters
Spray Bottle
Bleach

Difficulty: EASY
Time: 30 minutes
Cost: $5 or more (depending on the shirt)

1. Take a piece of cardboard, metal, cutting board, anything (I used my plastic cutting board) and put it insides your t-shirt (this helps to keep the bleach from bleeding through to the other side or even into your carpet).


2. Lay out your shapes and letters to make a cute design. I'm lucky and have a Cricut Cutting Machine and I made the design all on my own.

3. Carefully spray bleach over the shirt. REMEMBER: Wherever you spray will change colors. If you don't want a certain place to change, don't spray that spot.

4. Remove the shapes and wait. You can wait with the shapes on but I like to watch the change happen so I removed them. Wait about 5 minutes or until you get the color you want. Then Rinse your shirt with water. REMEMBER: Your shirt will keep changing until you rinse it.


5. Wash and dry your shirt as normal. I even washed it with other clothes and things turned out fine (I rinsed the shirt before, really, Really, REALLY well).

And there your go! I had the Little Monster try it on when he first woke up to get some pictures and he LOVED it! He didn't want to take it off. I also made one for myself that says, "I'm LUCKY in Love." I thought that was more appropriate that the "Get LUCKY" my hubby suggested. Not too bad.

I know the shirt is backwards...The hubby was at work and I didn't have anyone to take the picture for me. Hence the mirror shot with my IPhone.