Bunches and Bits

Project Life {2013}: January

2013-03-11T11:18:00.000-07:00

I am taking on Project Life again this year.

Last year - I managed to keep up for over half of the year (even though I only posted the first few pages).

My approach this time is MORE about completing the task of documenting our every day lives (as I believe Becky Higgins intended when she created this idea of scrapbooking) - and LESS about making beautiful detailed pages. I hope to still be able to do some of that (because I do love the details), but it will be time permitting.

We have last years Album sitting out on the Bookcase - and I am surprised at how often my family picks it up to look through the pages - and the smiles that come from seeing the memories.

That is enough inspiration to keep me going.

WEEK ONE

I didn't purchase a core kit this year. My intention is to use papers that I already have - PLUS the Studio Calico monthly Project Life kit (although I'm still on the wait list).

I loved how last years album coordinated from pate to page since I used the Turquoise Core Kit, but I felt somewhat limited when it came to special events that called for a different color scheme.

Since I will be using a different collection of papers for each week - I want to keep some elements the same through out the album so it doesn't completely look like a hodge podge.

My intent is to keep some of the Flag Banner and Font used on Title Card the same each week.

Left Side Page

Right Side Page

I made a 3 X 4 filler card with various "organizing" words to highlight what went on as we took down the holiday decorations.

WEEK 2

Somehow I have lost the pictures I took of Week 2. I'll have to retake them and update this post later.

WEEK 3

Left Side

Right Side

This side was filled with Instagram pics - so the 4 X 4 slots were a perfect way to use those square format pictures without having to add a backer of filler.

It was a busy week - and I didn't have a lot of pictures to choose from, so I raided Little K's instagram feed and printed some of her pics (with photo credit of course)

WEEK 4

Left Side. I wasn't thrilled with only have a 4 X 4 slot for the Title Card, but I managed to keep the same elements as previous weeks.

I've seen several other Project Life users journaling in this "Week in Review" style. I'm not much of a daily journaler, so this recap is working out perfect for me.

I love including little "artifacts" into my Project Life, but I found out last year that the albums can get Very Fat - Very Quickly....so I'm trying to incorporate things with less texture, like the Saftey Information Card from a flight I took this week.

I was going to just take the card, but then I started feeling guilty about leaving the next passenger without this important information...so I asked the flight attendant first if it was OK (phew - apparently I could never be a thief - I had guilt written all over my face)

The Pink Elephant's Birthday Blog Hop

2013-02-15T07:00:00.000-08:00

We are Celebrating a Birthday Today!

Thanks for stopping by.

If you are Hopping Along you should have just come from Melissa's Blog.

If this is your first stop - you can head back to The Pink Elephant and see the Fabulous Prizes that are up for grabs today and get the official Blog Hop Order.

So Here is My Project

Ella The Pink Elephant - in 3D Plush Form

LORi included so many sweet details when she created her sketch of Ella - I wanted to try and make them come to life.

She had to have a Pretty Plaid Bow and Polka Dotted Ears.

I couldn't forget the other Bow that Ella wears....yep - that's an Elephant Bum.

My favorite part might be her puffy pot belly...

...or maybe it's her Eyes - or curly Trunk.

Today, she's just hanging around - enjoying her Big Birthday...

...and being loved on.

If you would like to make your Very Own Plush Ella - you can get a free download (available for a limited time only) of the Ella Pattern Pieces here and Sewing Instructions here.

Up Next in the Blog Hop Order is LORi Boyd.

Head on over and she what fun stuff she is up to today.

Don't forget to leave comments along the way in order to be eligible to win one of the Prizes.

Blog Hop

2013-02-14T10:08:00.003-08:00

Tomorrow is a Big Day

We are celebrating The Pink Elephant's 4th Birthday with a fantastic Blog Hop filled with great prizes.

Be sure and stop back tomorrow and join the fun.

Ten on Ten: February 2013

2013-02-10T22:56:00.001-08:00

Taking time to look for the beauty in every day moments, and document our day.

You can read more about Ten on Ten here.

7:00 AM Showered and getting ready for the day

8:00 AM Getting Organized with a new Homework Station

9:00 AM Another Morning Cuppa

10:00 AM Working on a little project for this fun event

11:00 AM Still in my slippers

12:00 PM Taking Tabby for a walk

1:00 PM Washi has hit the mainstream - found these at Office Depot the other day

2:00 PM Currently on the counter - someone is into pink and purple these days

3:00 PM Finally made it outside

4:00 PM Getting Organized - again

See what everyone else has been up to today over on Rebekah's blog.

Box of Sunshine

2013-01-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

We Live in Sunny California

My Nephew is away at school in Chilly Pennsylvania

I remember when I was in college how exciting it was to get something in the mail - especially a package. I also remember never having anything fun to eat, how hard it was to get to the local store, and not having much money to spend on anything that wasn't a necessity.

So I decided it was a perfect opportunity to send my Nephew a

Once you start looking - it's amazing how many YELLOW snack food items you can find.

My Box contained the following:

Lays Classic Potato Chips

Velveeta Mac and Cheese Cups

Kraft Cheese in a Can

Wheat Thins Crackers

Slim Jims

Primgles Potato Chips

Mr. Goodbar Chocolate

Bumble Bee Tuna Snack

M n M Candies

Dried Pineapple Bits

Everything sweet, salty and completely bad for you that a College Student could ever want.

There were so many great food choices.

I was like a crazy woman wandering around the grocery store grabbing anything I could find that was yellow. Once I realized I would have to SHIP the package....it helped me edit my selections.
Nothing too heavy, or breakable, or easily smashed.

But if I were delivering this to a local friend....Ohhh the possibilities.

I filled the shipping box with yellow paper shred and tied yellow bows around several of the boxes.

We wrote a personal message on the back of a Large Sun cut from cardstock and patterned paper.

A few more suns were made from circle and scallop paper punches.

There was even room for a little light up stress ball animal.

And then it was all shipped off for my nephew (and his room mates) to enjoy.

This would be a great pick me up for someone who is feeling under the weather and could easily be tailored to the Lucky recipients tastes.

Who do you know that could use a little Box of Sunshine to brighten their day?

Chocolate Nutcracker Mice

2012-12-13T09:43:00.000-08:00

Each year we try to make something to share with Little K's fellow Nutcracker dancers.

She has danced the role of a Mouse in the Fight Scene several times. Once as a Baby mouse when we lived in Arizona. You can see more on what we made that year in this post.

Now that she is a little older - and dancing with a different Ballet Production since we moved to California - she had the opportunity to dance as a Mouse once again.

This time it was a bigger - more scary mouse. But we managed to find a sweet treat to share with her fellow rodents in the show.

They were easy to make. Just a few purchased pieces of candy assembled with melted chocolate. You can read more details on how they were made here.

We created an entire Army of mice. Ready to go into battle.

With the Mouse King in charge.

Each delicate little creature was packaged into an individual box, lined with paper shred to keep him safe during transit.

Then we made Holly Tags from various sizes of circle and scallop punches and tied up the box with bakers twine. The holly leaves were free hand cut and sparkled up with some iridescent glitter glue.

The Mouse King - because he is special, received a special package as well.

The same tag - but boxed into a frosted vellum Chinese take-out container with a tuft of tulle.

I hope you get the chance to see a local Nutcracker Performance this year. It just wouldn't be Christmas for us if we didn't see at least one show (or two, or a dozen).

Ten on Ten: December 2012

2012-12-10T22:40:00.002-08:00

A quick peek into my day.

Participating in Ten on Ten.

(a photo every hour, for 10 consecutive hours, on the 10th of the month)

See what everyone else is sharing about there day over here.

Woodland Party Invitation

2012-11-20T13:30:00.000-08:00

Every year we host a Holiday Party for my husbands staff. Since he works in retail, we try to plan the party before the crazy fall holiday rush.

Even though it is a Holiday Party - it's a bit strange to follow a traditional Christmas theme when the gathering is in early November.

Last year we had a Harvest Party. You can see more about the party here and here, and more about how we decorated for Fall here and here.

This year I decided on a Fall Woodland Theme for the Party.

I fell in love with the sweet critters on the Cricut Create A Critter cartridge and knew I just had to incorporate them into the invitations (I ended up using them elsewhere too).

Yes - I agree - the invitations are a bit "cutsie" for a work staff party - but I just couldn't resist.

Plus, I think I ended up making other elements of the party "sophisticated" enough that it didn't end up looking like a childs birthday party.

The card was pretty simple without a lot of details (other than the layers of the cricut cut squirrel). I ended up making 18 of them, so after number 10 or so....I was pretty happy the elements were basic.

I really enjoyed working with the primarily Green and Brown color palette (for the card, and other details of the party). Even though it looks somewhat Christmasy with the pops of mushroom red - it definitely reads Woodland. It also helps that my favorite color is Green - so I had lots of stuff already on hand to work with.

I'll be back to share more details of the Party soon.

Ten on Ten: October 2012

2012-10-10T16:47:00.001-07:00

It's been awhile since I remembered to participate in Ten on Ten. Somehow the beginning of the month always seems to sneak up on me.

Not this month. Today I was ready - with camera in hand (or in purse)...everywhere I went.

My Kitchen Pharmacy - trying to get our kitty to eat.

Who knew choosing just the right outfit could take such effort. Her room was clean yesterday.

The Drop Off.

In My Cup - finally!

Doing a little Party Planning.

Oh how I wish they were just a little bit closer. Then again - that could be dangerous.

One Stop Shopping. Thank Goodness Target has food or we might never eat dinner.

Sale - Score!

Some Day these will become the project I have in my mind.

The Garden.

Can't wait to see what everyone else has been doing today. I'm linking up here.

Have a great weekend.

Project Thursday

2012-09-27T08:43:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to share the news that I have been asked by my sweet friend LORi to join the accomplished team at The Pink Elephant.

I'll be doing a monthly (maybe more) Post called ~ TPE Project Thursday.

The Designers, Readers and Challenge Participants at The Pink Elephant are so talented - I am honored to be able to share my Crafty Creations with them.

My first post at TPE (find it here) has the details on these fun Jumbo Printed Mustache Burlap Pouches that I made as a fundraiser for my daughters school.

I Mustache You a Question...but I'll Shave it for later.

I would love to stay and Chat - but I really Mustache!

Sorry - I just couldn't resist the cheeky Mustache sayings.

Hope you are all having a great week.

School is a Hoot - Back to School Breakfast

2012-09-11T10:55:00.001-07:00

We were happy to host another Neighborhood Back to School Breakfast this year.

Although we cheated a little bit....

....and had it a week later - instead of on the First Day of School.

Everyone was a bit more relaxed and over their first day jitters.

The morning started with a group of cute little Owls set up to greet the guests.

Yep - made from Toilet Paper (and Paper Towel) rolls.

Painted bright colors. Embellished with dotted cardstock Wings, Bows and of course Google eyes.

The Owl Theme started when I came across these great free printables from Delightful Designs.

The "Going Back to School is a Hoot" framed art is the front cover of a mini book (part of the free download). I just enlarged the cover page and used it in a Frame.

The polka dotted matte was made at the same time we were painting the TP Owls using foam daubers to create dots on a plain white matte.

I found these lightweight plastic frames at Michaels and added another copy of the same (enlarged) Art Print and hung them on the front door with a green ribbon.

Little K and I had so much fun making these owls. There was an entire army of them lining the table and counter tops.

We just couldn't stop.

The bookmarks were also part of the Delightful Designs free download (find it here). I mounted them on colored swiss dot cardstock and added a glittery ribbon and some iridescent glitter glue embellishments.

I thought about adding more google eyes - but decided that would make the bookmarks too thick.

Each of the kids place settings had their Name and another personality filled Owl. I used the Cricut Hoot n Holler cartridge.

On the inside of each of the Name Cards was a silly school Joke. I used the pages from the mini book download from Delightful Designs and cut them apart so each child had a different joke to tell.

Nothing funnier than a bunch of budding comedians and the breakfast table.

These Owl Snack Bags were made using the Cricut Lacy Labels cartridge. The head is one of the scalloped frames folded over a cellophane snack bag. Yellow and white punched circles for the eyes, google eyes in the middle of the circles and a bright beak.

Inside they were filled with a tropical granola mix. The brightly colored fruit bits worked perfectly with the colorful owl theme.

I wanted to add a few bows, but ran out of time.

In keeping with our annual tradition - we took pictures of all the kids (and the moms too).

I planned on using large paper mache numbers (painted in the tropical theme colors) for each of the kids Grade Numbers, but I couldn't find ones that were big enough. So I modified and used a wooden heart, painted and embellished with a Cirucut cut Number.

Would you believe we already had this glass owl flower vase? The perfect finishing touch to our Back to School is a Hoot theme.

I hope the first Days/Weeks of school are going great for you and the kids. We are off to a great start - looking forward to a wonderful year ahead.

Back to {Middle} School

2012-08-24T09:46:00.000-07:00

We are in the second week of school here in California.

So Far....So Good
(although I don't want to jinx it)

The transition to Middle School has been a good one - for Both of Us!

~ In Years Past ~

~ Like So Many Families Across America ~

The First Day of School was filled with Mom rushing to get the Perfect Picture (followed by child grumbling and groaning)

Last year I finally got Smart - and started doing a Dry Run Sunday.

Little K get's to try out her First Day of School Outfit - and I get to take all the pictures I want.

No Rush

No Hassle

Everybody is Happy

This year - Little K actually asked ME first - if we were going to do a photo shoot before school started.

Aaah - after years of training - I've finally got her requesting that pictures be taken.

There is One downside to my plan. I ended up with over 200 shots. Many of them were really good.

How will I ever choose my favorites

What a difference it makes when my child is relaxed and happy (and mama too).

She was willing to pose anywhere I suggested - and I was willing to try HER suggestions too.

This shot was on a wall about 12 feet off the ground. She had to climb on my shoulders just to get into position.

Oh what the neighbors must think of us.

Time to be a little Goofy

And a little more Serious

And maybe a little Cheeky

So how was the First Day of School in your house?

I have a feeling this is going to be a Great Year.

Bleach Art T-Shirts

2012-07-11T16:56:00.002-07:00

We've been doing some Summer Crafting with the Kids.

Keeping it Simple - but filled with lots of options for personal expression.

We started with a Solid Black Cotton Tee.

Your work surface should be covered completely. I also placed a barrier on the inside of the t-shirts to prevent bleeding from the front side to the back - although that could be a successful look as well.

Not any Rules here.

The girls Raided my Craft Studio and pulled out all kinds of decorations:

stencils

chip board shapes

keys

paper clips

flowers

rice

silly bands

Almost anything goes

Just make sure your decorations are fairly water resistant (heavy cardboard worked just fine). And that you don't care if they get bleached (metal objects can discolor and paper will lose it's color). This is not the place to use family heirlooms or expensive mementos.

After (what seemed like) Hours of Arranging - and Re-Arranging. They each decided on the perfect design.

Truth is - they wanted to keep working on their designs but I was itching to see how the effect would turn out so I rushed them to finish.

Next step is to mix up a solution of bleach and water into a spray bottle.

I forgot to take a picture of this part (see above where I couldn't wait any longer). I'm not sure of the proportions. I actually used the bottle I already has mixed for in the bathroom to keep the shower mildew at bay. I would guess about 1/3 bleach to 2/3 water.

Then you just spritz over the design.

We adjusted the spray nozzle to include both a stream spray and a mist spray for different effects.

Don't they look cool.

Just as a precaution - I gave them a quick wash and dry to remove any of the extra bleach solution.

Next on the agenda is to try the Bleach Pen method - although I think that would require considerably more artistic effort than I want in a Summer Craft.

Last Bento {of the year}

2012-06-12T11:05:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling a little nostalgic as I make Little K's Last Bento Lunch for this year.

(meatballs, flower shaped cucumber slices, apples and cherry tomatoes)

Mostly - because it may be the Last Bento Lunch I may EVER make for her.

She's moving up to the Middle School next year:

Where kids try to pretend they are Cool

to mask how Insecure they really feel

and make fun of anything and everything Different

to try and Feel better about themselves

Nope - I don't think we'll be packing any Bento Lunches next year - at least not for the first few months.

Until she finds her way around and settles in with a bunch of kids that she doesn't yet know - and kids she has known for some time (but that have changed as they try to find their place)

I have faith - she has the confidence to stand up for what she wants.

She isn't easily influenced by others.

Although it's not always easy, and tears are shed.

She is braver than she knows

She is stronger than others imagine

She will be just Fine

(I think we are talking about more than just Bento)

Maybe I should organize my Bento Stash after all. I've been wanting to do that for several years. It has a way of getting out of hand.

I have a feeling I'm not completely done packing Bentos - not just yet.

Graduation Time

2012-06-02T11:13:00.001-07:00

It's that time of year - kids are graduating and moving on.

We had the honor of attending one of the most beautiful Commencement Ceremonies I have ever been to - for an equally beautiful young lady.

In addition to a sweet card, made by Little K, using our favorite new craft material - Washi Tape...

We also made a little Cap and Gown Money Holder.

Made from a simple square jewelery box. We were lucky to find one in the Grads color of Hunter Green.

Inside we tucked some rolled up bills.

Added a punched circle to the inside of the lid with our Congratulations sentiments. Not only for a little decoration - but it hides the brad that holds on the tassel (made from embroidery floss).

Since she is a graduate of the Class of 2012

we managed to roll the bills so they show

~ 2012 ~

So proud of all our friend who have worked so hard this year.

Congratulations Graduates

and

Bring On Summer!

Teachers Appreciation 2012 - Day Five

2012-05-14T17:08:00.002-07:00

We saved the biggest gift of all for the Last day of Teachers Appreciation.

A Huge Tower of School Supplies to get the classroom stocked up for the next year.

I wasn't sure how well this idea would work - since it's usually done using colorful boxes of crayons, and glue sticks, and scissors and glue bottles and construction paper.

In 5th Grade - the most needed supplies are not very exciting. Things like Note Book Paper, Pencils and Composition Books. We managed to make it look pretty festive with the addition of ribbons and tissue.

The tower rests on a base of composition books.

Tier #1 is made of packaged Notebook Paper and Graph Paper wrapped around a large popcorn tin. A large rubber band holds it all together.

Three layers of ribbon (in his favorite colors of blue and purple) are tied to cover the rubber band.

It looked a little plain with the all white paper - so I sewed a paper garland made from various colors and sizes of punched circles - and draped it along the bottom tier.

Tier #2 is made from boxes of colored pencils and white board markers (he specifically requested the purple ones). They are held around a metal cookie tin with another rubber band and more ribbon covering the band.

A bit of tissue paper fills in any gaps.

Tier #3 nests inside the colored pencil tier. Boxes of Pencils and more white board markers are wrapped around a paper towel roll and secured with rubber bands and ribbon.

The Topper is a tomato paste can covered in scrapbook paper - and wrapped with ribbon. It holds more pencils (we had one extra box that wouldn't fit around the paper towel roll), and makes the perfect "accidental" crown for the top of the "cake".

We transported it in layers and simply stacked it once we got to the classroom. Nothing is glued, so it can be easily disassembled.

I think it turned out pretty cute, considering there were only 6 different school supplies used:

composition books

note book paper

graph paper

colored pencils

white board pens

pencils

It's hard to believe another school year is coming to a close.

a Big THANK YOU to all the teachers that take special care of our kids.

A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops. ~Henry Brooks Adams

Ten on Ten - May 2012

2012-05-11T08:50:00.007-07:00

I'm so excited I remembered it was Ten on Ten yesterday.

I haven't participated is quite a while. Can't wait to catch up with what everyone has been doing.

It seems that lately I have been taking more pics with my iPad - so this is my instagram edition of Ten on Ten

Making the hummingbirds happy

Teachers Appreciation Gift

Project Life stuff taking over the kitchen table

School Meeting

Iced Coffee Break

My favorite new find

Ready for a dip

Happy Mail

On the Road

Waiting at the studio

See what everyone else did for their Ten on Ten over here.

Have a Happy Weekend

and a

Wonderful Mothers Day!

Teachers Appreciation 2012 - Day 4

2012-05-10T15:43:00.000-07:00

A week of Teachers Appreciation is coming to a close - but we are not done yet.

Today, the PTA will be providing a lunch buffet for all the staff, so we thought we would supplement that with some snacks for the rest of the day (and weeks to come).

We made a huge jar of "custom blended" Trail Mix.

Added a colorful label to the front

Some bright ribbons (same colors used throughout the week)

and several layered hang tags in different shapes:

"Thanks for leading us down the TRAIL of success"

"we're NUTS about you"

"and a little BANANAS too"

One more day to go.

The BEST is yet to come.
Wait till you see what we have planned for tomorrow.

Teachers Appreciation 2012 - Day Three

2012-05-09T17:39:00.001-07:00

We were looking for a creative way to give Little K's teacher and assortment of Gift Cards, and came across this clever idea for giving a gift of cash.

(Photo from Lovezilla)

We decided to modify this great idea to fit our needs.

An empty tissue box was decorated with scrapbook paper

(again in his favorite colors of blue and purple).

Each side of the tissue box was covered with a "nose" related saying.

Instead of using cash inside the tissue box - we had something different in mind.

A pull tab indicates where and what to do.

Just in case he thought it was a plain old box of snot rags.

Inside were notes from the students saying what they liked best about being in his class this year.

I printed them up on the computer using a variety of fun fonts, taped them together and accordion folded them to fit inside the tissue box.

In between the kids notes were Gift Cards from many of his favorite restaurants.

(Thanks to the generous contributions of our families)

and more sweet notes from the kids.

Something about 5th grade humor made the "snot" reference seem perfect.

Teachers Appreciation 2012 - Day Two

2012-05-08T09:01:00.001-07:00

The Roses and Iris's are in full bloom around here, so many of the Room Parents are asking each of the kids to bring in a single flower from their garden to make a bouquet that the Teachers can enjoy all week during Teachers Appreciation.

Since our teacher is a Man - we decided to do something a little different.

Instead of flowers - we asked each of the kids to bring in a piece of fruit.

Little K contributed a crisp red apple - protected from bruising by a sweet crochet Apple Cozy (made by my Mum).

We have a big basket waiting in the classroom to gather all the fruity bounty. I made a sign using Wordle with all the cheesy fruit sayings I could think of:

ORANGE you grand

You are a PEACH of a person

You're one in a MELON

You are the top BANANA

You're the BERRY best

You're a GRAPE teacher

Were PLUM crazy about you

and added the teachers name and all the students names.

The basket was spruced up with some ribbons.

His favorite colors are Blue and Purple - so you will be seeing that color theme repeated all week.

Teachers Appreciation 2012 - Day One

2012-05-07T11:28:00.002-07:00

It's National Teachers Appreciation Week.

I am so thankful to have had the Most Wonderful Teachers for Little K over the past 8 years (including pre-school and Kindergarden). Each one of them has helped her become the lovely young girl she is today.

This might be our last year for a Creative Teachers Appreciation, as she is moving on to Middle School next year, and I don't think things are quite as cutise in the upper grades.

Each Day this week we will be paying tribute to Little K's teacher in a different way.

Today - Monday - he was welcomed with a Decorated Door.

There are 5 Room Mom's in Little K's class - so I can't take credit for putting this all together myself.

We had an idea of what we wanted the "letter" to say - but finding some of the candy bars proved more difficult than we imagined.

Thank goodness for my Partner in Crafting Crime Jadelyn for running around to dozens of stores finding just the right candy.

Here is how we used them all:

"We think you are worth 100 GRAND on PAYDAY for going the EXTRA mile to turn us WHATCHAMACALLIT kids into SMARTIES.

We used to act like AIR HEADS and NERDS, but because the learning is GOOD n PLENTY in your class, we have really found our STRIDE.

You taught us how to CRUNCH numbers and SKOR high on our tests. You are a LIFESAVER and have made learning a JOY. We would have fallen to PIECES without you.

Thanks for putting up with our SNICKERS. We appreciate the MOUNDS of knowledge you have given us. Even if we went into ORBIT and searched the MILKY WAY, we would never find a teacher as GOOD as you!

Your Class of GOOBERS"

My favorite is the salutaion.

"from your Goobers"

hee hee

I also put together a few additional Door Decorations for other Staff Members that sometimes get overlooked during this week.

our Librarian

our Speach Specialist

our Psychologist

We have lots of Fun Stuff planned.

I'll be posting more about them each day this week.

Decorated for Easter

2012-04-06T18:13:00.000-07:00

I don't think we put out any Easter Decor last year. Not quite sure why - because I love all the sweet pastel colors that come with Easter and Spring.

I really enjoy putting together a different seasonal display for the shelves in the Kitchen Nook.

Remember when we made the Paper Banner for Halloween?

The same ideas works great for Easter as well.

Chick - Carrot - Bunny and Easter Eggs - all made from cut and punched paper shapes.

I think the bunny needs fatter ears - it's looking a bit like a Pig - but not bad for the first attempt.

The polka dot bowls are from the dollar bin at Target and I made the word art using Wordle.

I found the ceramic bunnies at Dollar Tree several years ago.

I've wanted to display pretty cupcake liners in a jar on my Kitchen counter (like my bloggie friend Cindy did here) but the colors don't work with my everyday decor. But they look great as part of an Easter and Spring decor.

It's not Easter without marshmallow Peeps (or in this case bunnies)

I fell in love with these paper chicks and lamb. They look like they are covered in tiny paper flowers. So Sweet.

The full view of the shelves in our Kitchen Nook.

Hope you all enjoy a wonderful Easter Weekend.

Facebook Timeline

2012-03-30T15:40:00.000-07:00

I don't consider myself tech savvy At All. Until just a few years ago, we had a 15 year old Big TV, No Caller ID and my cell phone pretty much only makes calls (no text or pictures).

But that's not to say that I don't LIKE technology. I simply choose to spend my money on other Gadgets. We all have our vices.

I only joined Facebook 3 years ago - AGES after most of my friends were active.

I've been hearing and seeing a lot of conversation lately about the new Facebook Timeline. And how everyone is concerned with the changes, how they don't like the new format, and how there is resentment about being forced to change.

I've even read that Today is the Day that everyone automatically Rolls to the new Timeline format (I wouldn't know, as I voluntarily switched some time ago....because I had to find out what all the talk was).

I am LOVING the new Timeline.

I think the big giant Cover Photo is so much fun. It just screams to me to be creative and play around with the photos.

I wanted to share some of the Cover Pages I created.

I don't have any special graphics or editing software. This was created using Picasa (which is free).

I made this one for my Mom....who was not interested in the new timeline at first, but now she has a beautiful cover photo from one of her trips.

This was an idea I had for my Bunches and Bits Facebook page....I need to incorporate a caption saying something like "what should I create today".

There are some people doing some really creative things with their covers. Just search "funny facebook cover photos" and you will see.

There are lots of online sites that now have templates to create great cover photos.

I also love the whole idea of Facebook being a Timeline. A single place to record your personal details.

I'm not one of those people who remember dates, so this is perfect for me.

I have started recording details (and photos) of major life events. Like each time we have moved, along with a photo of our home.

It's amazing how quickly you forget the details.

I love this photo of my Dad and I. I couldn't tell you where the original digital file is, but I was able to download it (from a previous blog post) and it now sits safely on my Facebook Timeline - along with the date that he passed away.

Wow, it's been 4 years already. I would never have guessed that (see I'm not good at remembering dates).

It will take a while to get things in order on my new Facebook Timeline, but I like that it may help me get more organized.

So go ahead - I encourage you to embrace the new look of Facebook...and all it has to offer.

Change is Good

(sometimes)

Rainbow Spa Birthday

2012-03-26T11:29:00.000-07:00

Pre-Teen - Tween - Teeny Bopper

Whatever you call it - I've got one.

Little K turned 11 recently, so I guess there is no denying it. We are full blown into the Tween Years.

Her actual birthday was at the beginning of March, but trying to coordinate schedules meant that she wasn't able to have a Party with her school friends until last weekend.

This Years Theme:

Rainbow Spa Sleepover

Here is the invitation that I showed off earlier:

Made from Paint Chips (with very little help from me).

The SPA table was set up in the Kitchen Nook, so I used the buffet to layout snacks and sweets.

Rainbow Fruit Kabobs

There had to be some healthy options as well...after all it is a Spa Party. Rainbow Veggie Tray.

I wanted to make paper cones to hold the caramel corn, but couldn't find any paper that was cute enough, so instead I folded Rainbow Polka Dot tissue paper into a clear cup.

Gum Balls (that I thought would be just for decoration....but they ate nearly half the jar), and Rainbow Twizzlers in fun fruit flavors.

Cake Pops decorated with Rainbow Colored sugar and drizzle.

Jars of flowers lined the center of the Spa Table. Paper Zig Zag Streamers and a Rainbow Balloon Swag that was planned to hang over the front door, but it was wet and windy and I was afraid they would PoP so we moved it inside.

There were 7 girls that attended and each one of them was assigned one of the 7 Colors

(notice how the Tween Girl Rainbow includes Pink)

At the Spa Table there was a basket of beauty supplies, and a Robe for each of the girls in their Color. The Rainbow Rugs (from the seasonal bins at Target) were too cute to pass up.

They applied home made beauty treatments including:

Warm Lemon and Mint infused Towels (to open up the pores)

Oatmeal Scrub (to cleanse)

Strawberry Astringent (to tighten the pores)

And Lastly - an Avocado Mask with Cucumber Slices (to hydrate and moisturize).

Don't they look so Relaxed and Happy?

Everything was going great - until we discovered one of the young ladies was allergic to Avocado!

Yikes!

It was a bit scary - but after we removed the avocado and let her rest with a clean cool towel over her face - the hives cleared up and the itching stopped.

Thankfully her mom came right over with some Benadryl and she was able to get back to the Party Fun.

They made some Jewelery. Painted their Nails. Played Truth or Dare. Talked - Whispered - Giggled. Watched a Movie and got a few hours sleep.

I premade some Body Scrubs using essential oils and Sea Salt for each of the guests to take home.

Her Cake was layers of vanilla frosted with plain white buttercream.

Adorned with a sweet Rainbow Flag Topper.

I'm kind of obsessed with these little flags. I though they were so cute - it was the only decoration the cake needed.

Except for the "11" candles.

Did I forget to mention I added a little color to the inside of the cake.

Rainbow - of course!

Happy Birthday to my Sweet Little K.

Project Life: Week 4 & 5

2012-03-12T11:59:00.003-07:00

I've been having so much fun putting together our weekly Project Life pages.

I usually spend a few hours on Sunday making most of the layout decisions and then throughout the week I finish my journal cards and embelish (if I have time).

I'm happy to say - I am pretty current (in real life). I've just been delinquent on the Blog posting pics.

So let's try and catch up.

WEEK #4

Depending on how much time I have to spend on the layout - some weeks have more embellishments than others.

Bakers Twine and buttons tend to show up a lot. They are quick and easy and add just enough texture without being too bulky.

I'm finding out what my "go to" things are with this process. Even though I have lots of stuff pulled together in my Project Life Center - I seem to gravitate to my favorites.

At first that concerned me - but now I realize it will make the book look cohesive, and I guess I'm discovering my own Project Life Style.

I currently only have a few rolls of Washi Tape - but I love how easy and versatile they are....so I'm hoping to get more. Not only to coordinate with the PL colors...but just for fun. Little K has discovered how great they are - so time to expand our assortment.

WEEK #5

This week I broke out the stamps. I've been seeing all the great journaling cards people are making, and I've got a pile of stamps that I think would work great, but I can't seem to find the time to "get ahead" and pre-stamp any. So for now - I'm Stamping as I Go.

I particularly love this little bird cage.

And it works great with all the outdoor photos from this week.

Another flower stamp (keeping with the outdoor nature theme) added to a journaling card that I printed on my computer.

I'm coming to terms with including my handwriting on the journaling cards. If I had my choice - I would print them all using my favorite fonts, but each week, I'm pushing to include close to half of the journaling in my own (or a family members) personal handwriting.

I know I'll be glad, later on, that I did.

I love the idea of including mementos in this project, but I'm a bit afraid of how bulky the album could get.

I couldn't resist tucking in some beads from a Mardi Gras Dinner that we attended. I will probably need to sew the pocket shut to keep them contained (it's taped for now).

If you are on "instagram" I tend to be more current posting pics there. If you want to follow along, you can find me as "Karina Minteer"