Saturday, December 31, 2011

Valentine's day subway art display

What you'll need

3 hurricanes of different sizes - dollar tree
3 glass candlesticks - dollar tree
large frame - Thrift store $1.50 (just needed some paint)
Scrapbook paper
Subway art print (I found this online, and I can't remember where I found it at . . . sorry to whoever created it)
Valentine candies

Glue the glass candlesticks to the hurricanes using E-6000 glue.  Paint an old frame your desired color, and use scrapboook paper to mat your print.  Fill the hurricanes with your candy, and display!

Valentines Day Advent Calendar

What you'll need:

Cookie Sheet - Dollar Tree
14 Plastic Containers - Dollar Tree
Scrapbook paper and stickers
Magnets
Some candy to fill those cute containers


Cut scrapbook paper to fit the lids of your plastic containers.  I measured and cut squares and then used my corner rounder punch for the rounded edges.  Then just start embellishing.  Mine aren't too extravagant, just some paper and some stickers.  Nice and simple.  Then use your glue gun to glue magnets onto the back of the containers, stick on your cookie sheet, and you are finished!

Gingerbread Cookies

This year for our Christmas Eve party, my food assignment was cookies.  So, I decided to make gingerbread cookies.  I bought all ingredients, and somehow lost my recipe along the way.  Not to worry, all was well, as I found a recipe on line that was DELICIOUS.  So, I thought I'd share.

1 c margarine
1 c sugar
1 c molasses
2 egg
4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking pwd
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp cloves
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp nutmeg

Cream together butter and sugar.  Stir in molasses and egg.  Mix all other dry ingredients but flour.  Sift flour in, and mix.  Chill for 1 hour.  Roll out and cut.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.

Icing:
1 c pwd sugar
2 tsp milk
2 tsp light corn syrup
1 tsp almond extract
food coloring if desired

Stir together sugar and milk until smooth.  Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is glossy.  If icing is too thick, add a little water to get the right consistency.  Put in an icing bag to decorate cookies.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

So Sad

There was once a time that I thought I wanted to be a photographer.  So, I purchased a fancy camera, and started taking pictures.  I should have taken some classes or something, but I didn't, it was just kind of a fun hobby.  Well, my Aunt asked me to do their family pics this weekend, and I was reminded of why I wanted to be a photographer.  But, I got out the fancy camera and realized it's not so fancy anymore.  It takes a CF card.  Good grief.  They are pretty much obsolete.  So, my super expensive camera is on its way out, but it still does a pretty good job in capturing pictures.























Monday, November 21, 2011

Best Candied Yams EVER!!!

I'm not sure where this recipe originates.  It's just the recipe that I've grown up with.  I can't remember a Thanksgiving with out these yams.  They are almost too good to be a side dish . . . they are yummy enough to be a dessert.

3 c. cooked yams
1/2 c butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 beaten eggs
1 c sugar (splenda)

Whip all ingredients together and put in a 8 x 11 dripper pan

Mix
1 c. chopped pecans
1 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. melted butter
1/2 c. flour

Sprinkle on top of the yam mixture

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, and I promise you'll have the best tasting yams ever!

Friday, November 18, 2011

Christmas Presents for Day Care Teachers

My kids are in a real day care center this year, and that means Christmas gifts for teachers.  Looking for an idea?
Who doesn't love coke?  So, I decided to buy a bottle of diet coke for each teacher.  I bought some cork coasters at Hobby Lobby and mod podged the following images onto them, and then gave them a coat of glitter spray paint.  These will go in a clear cellophane bag tied to the coke, as well as the little tag below.

Deck the Halls - yes, I know it's early, but I LOVE christmas.

With just a few dollars worth of supplies, you can make a fun christmas bulb wreath.  I bought the wicker wreath frame, and all the bulbs at the dollar store.  I had some black felt that I wrapped around the wreath so I could glue on the bulbs more easily, and then used my glue gun and went crazy adding bulbs.  

Here's how it turned out!  Not too bad, but after having done it once, I would have changed a few things, like making the bulbs look more uniform instead of crazy all over the place.

 I also wanted to make my small christmas tree in my family room look a little more fancy this year and update the ornaments.  So, I grabbed some black card stock, modge podge and black glitter at the store and created these fun fluer di lis and eiffel tower ornaments.  I also bought fun silver bulbs and a silver garland to add to it.  With the new black and silver theme, I needed to change some of my other decor for that room.
 I made these fun little christmas trees out of scrapbook paper.  It cost me all of $2.50 to make.  I bought some cheap candle stick holders at the local thrift store to sit them on so they wouldn't all be the same height.  They were only $0.50 each.
 Then I decided I wanted some fun artwork.  I bought a 16 x 20 frame at the local thrift store for $2.00 and painted it black, and created a fun picture.  I then backed it with scrapbook paper that matched the little trees that I made.  Added a garland and some bulbs, and here is the finished product.

As for the big Christmas tree  . . . here it is.  I've changed it up just a little this year.  I'm not quite finished with the front room decor in this room.  More pictures to come.  I'm working on building a little sofa table to put my christmas village on, and those fun little spiral trees you see on the left hand corner of the picture.

Happy Christmas Crafting

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Super Hero Day

Tomorrow is Super Hero day at our day care center. I thought this day would be an easy day for us considering that Ethan has worn his spiderman costume almost EVERY SINGLE DAY since Halloween last year. So, I thought it would be a no brainer . . . Ethan would go to school as spiderman, and be in good company with all the other kids in costumes.

Well, tonight I decided that Addy needed a costume too, so I whipped her up this wonder woman shirt.

Ethan asked what I was making for Addy, and I let him know that tomorrow was super hero day. He told me he needed to decide what to wear, because Spiderman is not a super hero. Are you kidding me??????? So, we argued about this for a while, and I decided this was pointless. Luckily we have a few other costumes laying around the house like Superman, Batman, and Buzz light year. I think he's decided to go as Buzz Light Year of all costumes. Oh well. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Sandals are finished!

I finished my first pair of French Chic Sandals (Pattern from Lena's) tonight.  I am no pro-sewer, so it took a good 3 hours, the patience of job, and several stints of unpicking, but . . . here they are, and I think they turned out just fine.  Hopefully pair two will take less time, as I also bought red polka dot fabric to make a second pair!

Friday, June 3, 2011

Sweet Sandals

Can't wait to get started making these little beauties that I found on Etsy at Lena's place.  The pattern was only $4.50, and doesn't look too difficult.  I am sure that mine will be in shades of pink though.  I'll post pictures of the finished product when I get this little project completed.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Recipe Book

Recipe book includes 4 different recipe layouts, 25 of each.  Cover page, divider pages, binder, and sheet protectors.  You can also request lined recipe pages. $50.00

A few more onesies


Saturday, April 30, 2011

Bead Frenzy

Send an email to lesallen916@gmail.com if you're interested in purchasing.

 Black and turquoise necklace and watchband set $40.00
 white baby bracelet - $5.00
pearl and crystal necklace and watchband set $40.00
Purple & black necklace - $30.00
baby fourth of july bracelet and hair clip -  $10.00
Green & black necklace and watch band - $40.00
pink baby bracelet - $5.00
Red & Silver watch band and necklace - $40.00