4 Feeling Festive!

I was feeling festive and decided to spice up the blog a few days early! 

Would love to see everyone's halloween decorations... feel free to share a link in the comments section!  I'm working on a banner for my front door and will post when it is complete.

October is a very busy month for us - my parents 32nd Wedding Anniversary, 6 birthdays (including my daughters 9th) and of course, Halloween.... oh and I can't forget my fabulous girls long-weekend christmas shopping extravaganza - only 3 days until we leave! Yippee!

Happy soon-to-be October!

2 I heart these!

I grew up in a very musical family.  My mom is constantly singing around the house, my grandfather, uncle and aunt all sang at my wedding... my grandmother has played the piano and organ for over 65 years...  My siblings and I all play instruments (some of us more than one) and almost all of my 50+ cousins play one as well.

Needless to say, I learned some quirky songs over the years... and I have never encountered someone outside our family who knew them.  So I thought I'd play a "Do you know this song?" game!

Here are a few of my favs (these are just a few, I have more - maybe I'll share at a later date):

LITTLE HUNK OF TIN

I'm a little hunk of tin

Nobody knows what shape I'm in

Got 4 wheels and a driving board

I'm a ford, yes I'm a ford.

Honk, honk, rattle, rattle, crash, beep, beep

Honk, honk, rattle, rattle, crash, beep, beep

Honk, honk, rattle, rattle, crash, beep, beep

Honk, honk, honk, honk, honk, honk, honk, honk

TEN LITTLE ANGELS

Ten little angels all dressed in white

Tried to get to heaven on the end of a kite

The kite string broke and down they fell

Instead of going to heaven they went to...

9 little angels all dressed in white...

8 little angels all dressed in white...

7 little angels all dressed in white...

6 little angels...

5 little angels...

4 little angels...

3 little angels...

2 little angels...

1 little angel all dressed in white

Tried to get to heaven on the end of a kite

The kite string broke and down they fell

Instead of going to heaven they went to -

Now don't you cry,

Don't loose your head,

Instead of going to heaven they went to BED!

STAY ON THE SUNNY SIDE

CHORUS:

Stay on the sunny side

Always on the sunny side

Stay on the sunny side of life, Yee-Haw

You will suffer no pain as we drive you insane

So stay on the sunndy side of life.

Knock-knock

Who's there?

Ether

Ether who?

The Ether bunny

Ahhhhh

CHORUS

Knock-knock

Who's there?

Anutter

Anutter who?

Anutter Ether Bunny

Ahhhhh

CHORUS

Knock-knock

Who's there?

Stella

Stella Who?

Stella anutter ether bunny!

Ahhhhh

CHORUS

Knock-knock

Who's there?

Cargo

Cargo who?

Cargo beep beep and run over all the ether bunnies.

Ahhhhh

CHORUS

Alright girls, let's hear yours!

And to end this post with my moms most overused joke:

What do you do if you get stuck in an elephant?

Run around until you get pooped out!

Happy Singing!

1 Seeing Spots

A few months before my newest was born, my husband and I started remodeling the bedrooms to accommodate our little princess. We had to turn the upstairs playroom into our oldest daughters bedroom and the baby got her old room (which we redid as well).

I had worked hard on a mural in the playroom (while pregnant with my son) and was really happy with the way it had turned out, so it was a little sad to paint over, so in memory of that mural, here are some pictures:

On the two walls separating the two murals I added butterfly wallies that flew between the two scenes. It was very cute.

But now the room is full of spots! Take a look:

I made the spots by tracing two different size tupperware bowls. I painted them in with regular acrylic craft paint, a small paint brush to outline the circles, and a bigger one to fill them in. Each pink circle took about 4 coats (it is a red based paint and that always takes many coats), the orange each took two coats. This was time consuming, but turned out really well. We had looked at Wallies and other stick ons, but nothing was quite the size or color we were looking for. My Pepere made the hutch above for her little knicknacks and I spiced up her bulletin board with a matching yellow/orange ribbon around the edge.

She loves her grown up room! Although the mural was great, this is pretty spectacular as well!

Happy decorating!

9 Sneak Peek: Cooking Party Invites

My daughters 9th birthday is coming up in October and we are throwing a cooking party.  Here is a sneak peek of the invites I created:

Happy party planning!

0 What are little boys made of? Weekly Round-Up #7

 
MARSHMALLOW SHOOTER

I've been waiting to make one of these for a while now and I think that I am finally going to do... for my youngest brother as a Christmas gift (in case you are trying to keep count - I have 5 siblings, an older brother, two younger brothers, and two younger sisters - we range in age from 11 to 29 (!), I also have two sister-in-laws, two nephews and two nieces).  Alright, back to the shooters!  Amy at The Idea Room make it look so extremely easy that I knew it would be quick and would create hours of enjoyment (I mean just go look at her photos - those boys LOVE these).  I am thinking that I will paint mint to spice it up a big and I think I will fashion some sort of carrying bag (lots of thinking going on!).  Thanks for the inspiration Amy!  She also links to the Instructables goggles tutorial (pictured above).  While you in The Idea room you really need to check out her other boys posts.  She has some really fun ideas - make your own GLOW IN THE DARK slime, or learn how to fashion a "light sabre" from a pool noodle.  LOVE THE CREATIVITY.  (I will post a picture of my shooter once it is complete... it has been added to my growing Christmas gift creation list).

ORIGAMI BOAT

Crafty Crafted has so many fun projects it was hard to pick just one!  I chose this because what little boy doesn't love boats?  She has great photos along with her tut, so you have a surefire way to make your boat!  Well there you have GOT to check out her foam insects/animals bookmark - these are so darling and the kids would really enjoy making them.  I find foam to be a bit hit around my house! 

MAKE YOUR OWN FIRETRUCK

Sara over at One Mom, Five Boys definitely knows what it is like to craft with boys.  And I love the little firetruck her and her boys made out of egg cartons.  Hope on over to her blog to take a peek at her easy to follow tut.

3 Make your own Pom Poms!

I was thinking about the cheerleader costume we made for my daughter a few years back and realized that we probably could have made the pom-poms for no cost with items from around the house... This is the first time I attempted this and I think it turned out pretty well!  They even sound like real pom poms!

Just a side note, 1) I used paper scraps since this wasn't actually going to be put to use and 2) I think if you were to do this, Target plastic bags or pretty colored bags would obviously be the best choice.  All I had in the house were bags from Hannaford and Price Chopper so that is what I used.

Pom Pom Tutorial

Items you will need:

5-6 plastic shopping bags
Scissors
Stapler
Mod Podge
Tacky Glue
Paper Towel Tube
Paper, Wrapping Paper or Fabric to cover tube

1. Cover your paper towel tube with the paper (I used mod podge to adhere the paper to the tube).

2. Lay your plastic bags flat, one on top of the each other.  Staple the bags along the bottom (about 1 inch up from the bottom).

3. Cut off the handles, cut off the bottom (about 1/4 inch below the staples), and cut off the sides.  This gets rid of all the folded pieces of bag that won't sit nicely in the pom pom.

4. Now you are going to cut 1/2 strips.  Cut to about a 1/2 inch above the staples.

5. Roll up the plastic bags along the bottom (stapled end).   Stick your stapler into the middle of the circle and staple one side.  This will ensure that when you glue the bags into the tube the middle doesn't unroll out of the tube.

6. Add Tacky Glue to the inside of one end of the paper towel tube.  Insert the rolled up bags into the tube (all the way to the cuts on the bag).

7. You are done!  Have fun cheering!

Happy Cheering!

1 Rah Rah Sis Boom Bah!

Cheers all!

As promised, below is the quick and easy cheerleader costume we came up with when my daughter was 5. This costume is perfect for you last minute moms!

We picked an outfit from her current wardrobe: it was actually a Cheer shirt from Osh-Kosh with matching skirt - but really any skirt/shirt combo would do. Paired that with black tights and white, frilly socks. We purchased some pom-poms from our local dollar store - although you can make them yourself (check back tomorrow for an easy to follow tut!). I put her hair into pigtails and added small pom pom hairties and yarn pom poms (tut below) to her shoes (these could also be used in place of the store bought hairties). We added a *touch* of make-up and the costume was complete (and she LOVED it).

I learned to make these back in Brownies. I remember it was such an easy craft and I absolutely loved making them!
You will need:

• Empty ribbon spool or cardboard
• Yarn
• Scissors

1.  You need to create two donut shaped pieces to create pom-poms. I have found it easiest to use an empty spool of ribbon because it is already the size and shape you want. Carefully remove the center piece (ignore the cut marks in this picture - I had already taken it apart and started cutting before I decided I wanted this image!). NOTE: If you don't have an empty spool of ribbon, you can always use a cereal box and cut out the two donut shapes.

2. Cut a hole in the center of both pieces.

3.  Place the two rings together. The idea is to wind the yarn around the rings. Hold one end of the yarn on the outside of the ring and feed the other end through the hole, round the back and through the front again. (It is easiest to cut a length of string and ball it up as you wind (see pic 2) when you run out of string, tie another piece to it (pic 3)). Continue until the whole thing is covered - for a fuller pom pom you can repeat.

4.  Once your rings are covered, you need the cut the yarn along the edges. The trick is to not loose any of your yarn during this process.

5.  Now pass a length of yarn between the two pieces of cardboard surrounding all of the pieces of yarn and tie it together tightly. You can now remove the cardboard. (here is where my camera malfunctioned and I didn't get a picture but I think it is pretty clear what needs to be done).

6.  Tidy up the pom poms by trimming any long yarn pieces.

7.  To affix to your child: With the tail of the yarn you used to tie your pom pom together, tie around your daughters pig tails and shoelaces.

TIPS: Use multi-colored yarn for a multi-colored pom pom. Or make each of your pom poms a different color.

Happy Costume Making!

0 Ghost, Goblins and... Hannah Montana?

It is approaching Halloween again and as mothers (and fathers) we have the duty of getting the best Halloween costume possible. I have gone about costumes in two ways - either make it or buy it! If I find a good deal (like the dragon costume I bought my son last year from Old Navy for $12) I will buy it... But if my daughter wants to be Hannah Montana and the cheapest costume I can find is $40 (For ONE NIGHT!), I will make it!

Yes, last year my daughter went as Hannah Montana. This was a relatively easy costume to come up with. I bought the Hannah Montana wig at Walmart for $8 and a pair of leg warmers for $8 (I decided that these would be worn with every day clothing so was OK with the expense). The rest of the costume was put together using materials we had around the house. Hannah Montana is big into layering, so we paired a long tank with a rocker t-shirt and a velvet jacket that my daughter had in her wardrobe. I recycled a pair of her old jeans (ones with holes in the knees) and turned them into a skirt which is very simple to do (I didn't take pictures of the process but below is a brief tutorial):

You will need:

• Old Jeans
• Colorful Fabric scraps (optional)
• Sewing Machine
• Scissors

1. Have your child put on the jeans and mark where you want to cut them (if you want a finished edge, make sure you add an inch for the seam allowance).
2. Cut the legs off at the mark.
3. Next you are going to cut out the inside seam. There is too much fabric here anyway so I would take the time and effort ripping the seam.
4. This now leaves you with a gaping, upside down v in the front and back of your skirt.
5. Use some fabric (or the leftover leg panels) to fill in the V at the center of the skirt, front and back. Pin in place.
6. Stitch the panels into place and trim away extra material. (TIP: for a little extra flair, use contrasting or vibrant thread so the stitches show).
7. Voila, you know have a rocking mini!
8. Add with embellishments if so desired.

We added some leggings with her leg warmers and she carried around a Guitar Hero guitar on her back. Here is the end result:

The pink haired girl is my youngest sister who went as Lola, Hannah's best friend.

Next post: Easy-peasy cheerleader costume with small pom-poms for your shoes!

I have already purchased my sons costume for this Halloween - he is going to be an adorable little monkey.  He makes the most high-pitched monkey squeal possible!  He absolutely loves it and I am excited to share photos, so check back at Halloween to see my monkey man!  I purchased the costume at Old Navy for $17!  It is fleece and warm which is a must for our Vermont Halloween's... most times we see flurries!  I purchased my youngest daughters costume this past weekend as well.  She is also going as a monkey (we are always saying that they will monkeying around together when Livie is older, so thought that this would be fitting).  I got her costume from TJ Maxx for $9.  I was teasing Cass that she should go as a monkey with a barrel around her and they can go as a barrel full of monkeys! :)

Happy Costume Making!

1 Hats + Mittens + Scarfs = Mess

Winter is fast approaching and that means all those hats, mittens and scarfs along with boots and ski pants are going to be taking over our house. Last year I had enough of these being strewn across my house - we had outgrown our bag system:

So I sat down with some extra fabric and put this baby together... I designed it to be tied to the bar in our coat closet and then for extra support tacked it to the wall. Each tier is dedicated to one child. I didn't spice this up since it is hidden in the closet, but it would be really cute with the childs name appliqued on their pocket, etc....

I threw this together in literally 20 minutes, nothing special, but is functional and contains our mess!

Sorry for the bad pics, but these are both in use in closets!

Happy Sewing!

1 Meet Elle the Elephant

My first attempt at applique with a fabric other than felt. I had a t-shirt that had shrunk and doesn't fit properly, so I decided to applique an elephant onto one of Olivia's onesies with ears that can "flap". It was a bit harder working with two stretchy fabrics, but all in all it turned out pretty well.

Happy sewing!

2 What are little boys made of? Weekly Round-Up #6

GO, BABY, GO SCRAPBOOK FREEBIE

I found an adorable baby boy digital scrapbook kit over at Craftastical! and couldn't help but share it!!! Kara has provided some really great freebies and tutorials and everyone should head over to her blog and check them out. Her tagline says it all: "A blog about my life: The Good, The Bad, The Kids and The Crafts." LOVE IT.

CARD TABLE PLAYHOUSE

I absolutely LOVE this idea! Especially for those who don't have a lot of space for a full-on plastic/wooden playhouse. All you need is a cardtable (inexpensive at the big box stores) and some fabric and you're ready to go (and a few sewing skills). I love how easily it would be to store this (just fold everything up and it's gone!) and can imagine it getting lots of playtime. I am seriously considering trying my hand at this (if I don't get too intimidated). Visit Sew Much Ado for her "tutorialette" on this fantastic playhouse.

HOMEMADE TRAIN TRACK ACCESSORIES

What a creative idea! Turn household recylables into your little man's train track accessories.  Currently Crafting took pringles containers, orange juice bottles and more and turned them into tunnels, mountains and train depots to go along with her sons train table.  This is right up my alley as my two year has begun to request that ho-ho bring him a train set for Christmas.  Thanks Tonya!

 

8 Panda Bear - Yummy Cake

This is my most recent cake attempt!  It was for my little sisters 12th birthday.  She is a bear lover and requested that I make her a panda bear cake (your welcome mom!).  I wanted to make it pink and white, but she stated that when it comes to bears she "likes them to be realistic." 

The cake template and instructions can be found here.

I made her a travel pillow (or Trillow as my brother dubbed it).  I added some super fun games (Monopoly Deal and Pictureka), a Hannah montana folder and some personalized note cards (like THESE but with a bear in a plant pot).  I designed a panda bear holding a heart on the computer, printed it out and then printed a birthday message on the back and cut it out for her card.

Happy Birthday Chrissy Bear!