Eggshell Votives

Leave it to Martha (or, more likely, her crew) to come up with these fab eggshell votives!

I love them. They are so easy and so cute! What a fun little Easter centerpiece/decor idea.

We're aiming at getting the most of our Easter eggs this year, and this project is perfect. So smart, right? Just had to share my find!

Crafting Eastery things,

Show a little {Spring} love!

Are you missing that little jazzy "umph" of spring in your house...

You know, the little decor that the Easter Bunny would approve of?

Do you have colored paper or fabric and ribbon laying around...

Can you cut a straight line, and use a hole punch?

Just add some creativity to it and there you are!

Home decor you can use each year after. :)

So don't forget to let others know how much you absolutely love the flowers blooming, birds chirping, and especially the flirty dress wearing weather that is here,

or hopefully just around the corner in your town!

Cheers,

In the Meantime...here's a how-to list.

Well, I have been trying to brainstorm and finish some projects for this letter I wrote to Sassy.

It is taking longer than I thought it would. Partly because my first item to check of the fix-that-too-short-skirt list was to try on some too short skirts!

Looking through my closet, I found 2 dresses that were a bit too short and have therefore never been worn. I also spent two hours trying on clothes in department stores for this purpose (and I had a gift card I needed to use). This was a huge sacrifice of time and conscience, because I HATE trying on clothes. Anything going over my head or squeezing where it shouldn't just puts me in a bad mood.

I came up with a great list of how-to-find clothes that fit in my searching!

Any body type is hard to clothe. You are either short, tall, thin, cushy, round bottom and flat chest (or other way around). No matter what - you will have to search for clothes that look amazing on you. Here is my first tip:

1. Try the clothes on

If you have time, go to the store. I know catalog and online shopping is really fun, and who doesn't love getting something in the mail? Just make sure you are okay with returning it if it doesn't fit, and please follow their sizing chart. Then you are less likely to be annoyed if it doesn't work out.

2. DO NOT shop ONLY in the Juniors section

I will admit, 1/2 of my wardrobe is from Forever 21 because I am on a budget.

I do own a lot more Juniors clothing that I should. It is fun to be trendy!

The problem is that the sizing is for junior sized girls. So be prepared to go up 1-2 sizes to find the right fit. Also, the rises on jeans and pants will be lower, and the skirts and dresses higher.

I am not saying don't shop there, just keep your mind open to other places!

3. Don't stick to a "size"

I am usually a WOMEN's size 2. That can change easily to a size 7 or 9 in Juniors depending on the fabric! I have certain sizes that I stick to at certain stores. For instance if I buy a size 2 something from Banana it will probably fit. But if I buy a size 1-2 from Charlotte Russe, I might not be able to get it past my hips. This goes back to rule #1. Try it on, and if it doesn't fit, try one size up (or down). You might just find that perfect pair of jeans!

4. Take a friend

This is usually my biggest mistake. I see something on someone, and impulse buy. Then realize it doesn't look good on me, but I keep it anyway hoping the next time I try it on it will look different. After a couple of years, the poor never worn item ends up in the goodwill box. So sad.

Go shopping with a friend! Just make sure you have similar taste, and you know each other well enough to say "you kind of look fat". You will both come away with something you love!

Okay, on to part two of my search and fix!

Wish me luck!

Cheers,

O is for Orchid!

I love orchids. A lot. So does Martha. I mean, who doesn't?

Phalaenopsis orchids really aren't hard to grow, especially if they have the humidity they love! And did you know they come in mini sizes now? How cute is that?

To really bring some life into your house this spring, create a fab terrarium for your mini orchid using a great glass container, like a large vase or a 2 gallon cookie jar. They make beautiful decorations--and just wait til they bloom!

Materials Needed:
Jar/Vase with or without a lid (preferably lidded for humidity)
Mini phal. orchid
Horticultural or activated charcoal pieces (from a local nursery)
Sheet Moss (from Home Depot)
Decorative rocks, etc.

Instructions:
Grab your clean glass container and add a thin layer of charcoal on the bottom. Next, layer some sheet moss over the charcoal. Spread your orchid's roots out a bit and place the orchid on the moss, adding more moss over the roots and around the base until the orchid is firmly planted.

Add your little decorations, spritz the whole mix lightly with a spray bottle and voila! Your very own living centerpiece!

So cute, right? Makes a fabulous Mother's Day gift...

Peace out,

Embellished Lanterns...Martha Style

In the meantime, while I am trying to make my skirts longer, I found this adorable tutorial in Martha Stewart Living magazine. Dogwood Paper Flowers.

You can attach them to anything! Even some sticks from your yard and stick 'em in a vase!

Just the perfect way to add a touch of spring.

Have fun cutting it up!

And let me know what you add your blooms to!

Cheers,

I need some SASSY advice

Sassy!

I am so upset. This super cute mom at little Gal's school is always winning in the fashion game. I know that I shouldn't get upset, but I always head out the door in a matching velour suit. At least I changed from my pj's right?

When I show up at school she is always the belle of the ball, (or school). Hair done, make-up flawless, and to top it all off she always has a head-to-toe outfit that is adorable. I know that I look homeless when I stand next to her. And her little girl looks like she just stepped out of Crewcuts, and you know how much I LOVE Crewcuts! (BTW - did you know Forever21 has a children's line?)

Okay, well sometimes she pushes the limits and I am embarrassed for her. Her skirts are a little, well a LOT too short and I am always hoping that she doesn't have to bend over to pick something up when I am walking behind her. And her bra straps are always hanging out, you know the clear ones that some women think are really invisible? Well, they aren't. Or the sheer leggings, UGH the sheer leggings. Just because she has nylons on doesn't mean she can wear a teeny tiny mini skirt right?

I know because I choose to dress more modest it is harder, or maybe I am just jealous that she seems to have everything. But shopping around to try and compete with the cute mom's is so hard! I can't find a thing that is cute AND long enough. And I am short like you!

So I have an idea. Can you help me brainstorm? We need an intervention. I want to add length with some fabulous embellishments to my just-a-bit-too-short skirts and dresses. It has to be fun and sassy, and maybe ruffly and shiny too. You know I love girly things.

I will show you what I come up with next week. This might be an easy sewing project!

YAY! Weekend Project! I love projects. :)

Cheers,

Postcards to Lucky

That little stinker, Lucky the Leprechaun, has been causing trouble around our place as well! I keep finding Goldfish crackers smashed all over the floor, dirt from my potted plants scattered here and there, tiny little Leprechaun footprints on the kitchen counter. Plus, someone took a bunch of tiny bites out of my Girl Scout cookies!

Anyway, my daughter and I decided it was time to send him a little postcard since our Leprechaun trap hasn't snagged him yet. And what better postcard to send than one with his own name on it?!

I took an empty box of Lucky Charms and cut a postcard from the graphics. Then I flipped it over, wrote my note, addressed, stamped and mailed it!

(By "mailed" I mean I let my daughter carry it to the mailbox and stick it in and when she turned around I grabbed it back out...)

In case you're wondering, the postcard is addressed to:

Lucky the Leprechaun

End of the Rainbow

Pot-O-Gold, Ireland

I'm sure all your postcards will make it to the right place. Or they'll at least give the postal workers a good chuckle if for some reason you can't retrieve the deposited cards because you have one of those annoying neighborhood outboxes...

Stickin' it to the Leprechaun,

Hey, Sprouts!

After just one week, my little herb garden is sprouting up like crazy! I thought maybe I could inspire you with this quick photo. Check out that spinach, eh?

Seriously. Plant some herbs. I have plenty of extra seeds if you want them. :)

You know you're going to be jealous when I post again in a month and my cute kitchen herb garden is flourishing! Just think of all those delish summer recipes I'm going to make with my home grown herbs...

Sproutin' up,

{how to} Catch yourself a Leprechaun!

Last year in Kindergarten, Little Gal re-introduced me to the trouble making Leprechaun's that come each year around St. Patty's day. I had forgotten about the trouble they caused when I was little. Okay actually, I didn't remember it at all!

Who doesn't like another reason for kids to get excited!

Leprechaun's seem to cause trouble in silly ways in our house:

They leave the kitchen chairs upside down on the table...

They put shoes in your sock drawers...

They even leave chocolates on your toothbrush!

Really anything silly at all had to be done by a Leprechaun. They are mischievous wee folk. And although they are only about 8 inches tall...they are fast, sneaky and magic. (Little Gal told me that the magic is how a tiny 8 inch little red haired man could flip all of our chairs upside down and put them on our kitchen table!)

This year my two girls want to catch Lucky the Leprechaun!

It is said if you catch one you can either have his pot of gold or three wishes.

We made a smaller version of one of the Leprechaun traps on Family Fun from last year out of an infants formula can and fun craft paper.

Important: Make sure you leave a sign telling the Leprechaun what NOT TO DO.

They love breaking rules.

Good luck getting those three wishes.

Catching a Leprechaun is harder than it looks!

Cheers,

Artist-ish???

ART 101

You really don't have to be an artist to create art. This is very hard for people to attempt, because there is a level of fear to be dealt with. Mostly I think everyone is afraid of failing and then feeling bad about themselves. To overcome that, all you need to do is simplify!

Know this: there are no rules to creativity!

These were a gift for a dear friend of mine. She is QUEEN of the sewing world.

I knew it would be fitting to make her something about sewing, but I just couldn't attempt to actually sew something because it wouldn't be comparable to the amazing creations she can whip up. So I fell back on the classic silhouette.

If you want to attempt this yourself, but you can't draw, then simplify it!

You can print off any picture you want to silhouette. Re size to how large or small you want it before you print, and cut it out. Trace it onto your piece and paint it one color.

Want even more simple? TRACE IT ON BLACK PAPER, or patterned paper, whatever your heart desires. Remember, no rules!

You can Mod Podge it right onto the canvas or cardboard or wood!

Mod Podge will win your approval from Sassy.

Go to, and consider yourself Artist-ish, if not artistic!

Cheers,

Kitchen Herb Garden

Last year I attempted a vegetable garden for the first time. I built two garden boxes and planted all sorts of fabulous things! Everything was going great until I totally ignored it and there was a heat wave and suddenly my snap peas were crispified and my bell peppers shriveled up.



The only things that didn't die, in fact, were my herbs! Who knew they were so hardy?

Anyway, I've decided to pass on planting a garden this year. But I really loved having all those fresh herbs last year, so when I was at Joann's recently I found this awesome big planter bowl on clearance for $10 and snatched it up!

So yesterday, I filled my big bowl with soil from last year's failed garden attempt and planted my seeds. Can't wait for my herbs to start growing!

Anyone can have an herb garden. I know you have that secret ambition. All you need is a planter of some sort, some nice soil, seeds (or plants from the nursery if you're nervous about starting from seed) and a sunny location inside or outside!

I figured, why not start them inside now and move them outside in a couple of months? Hit me up if you need some soil. I've got plenty...

Happily sowing (but not "sewing;" that's Pepper's job),

TUTORIAL: Melted Edge Flowers

I hope I am not making you all sick of flowers, after all spring is just around the corner!

This mini-tutorial is for Melissa from AZ!

I know you have seen these silk and synthetic flowers ALL OVER,

they are here, there and everywhere.

Necklaces, brooches, headbands, bracelets, clippies, rings...

See what I mean? They are everywhere.

All you need are two things: Fabric and Fire

1. A silk or synthetic fabric that will melt when put toward heat (and not light on fire!)

My favorite to use is polyester shantung silk, or sheer Organza.

If you aren't sure if your fabric will melt, test it! The worst that can happen is it lights on fire and smells, so just have a bowl of water ready to dunk it if you are really nervous.

Cut your fabric into circles of all sizes for layering.

2. Use a gas stove top! Or really anything with a flame, lighters and mini torches can work too.

WARNING: If you are afraid of fire, please don't try this. If you are a child don't do it either unless your mama helps you. I would hate for a reader to loose the hair on her arms, or burn crafty fingers, they are too valuable!

First, light your flame.

It might take you until the end of time to make even one of these if you don't have a flame.

Take your circle of fabric and inch it closer to the flame. You will make swift circular movements downward through the flame to just melt the edge.

Make sure to move swiftly or your fabric could melt too much and just look gross,

and it could even light on fire.

Can you see below what happened? The edge will melt and slightly pucker to resemble a petal!

Before and after shot.

Because the flower puckers, it will make a slight bowl shape.

Layer your different sizes to make your own design! You can use many colors for drama, or many layers to make it fancy. It is up to you how you make it and where you put it!

I hope you have some creative crafty ideas stirring in that brain of yous. What will you make? Seriously, let us know what you make!

Cheers,

CompartMENTALize

Let me ask you a question or two...

Do you have laundry to do every day?

Do you have to put it away in more than one room?

Okay one more...

Do you have stairs?

If you answered yes to even one question above keep reading! I know this seems too simple of an object to make a big difference in one's life. For some reason, you have to try it to really know what it can do for you. When I first looked at this laundry sorter I was thinking "well duh, you can sort it into different loads to be done". Darks, whites, towels...whatever. What I didn't think of was the time it would save me in putting away my laundry.

I truly don't mind starting laundry, or even folding it! It can be a good multi-task when I want to slow down and dream of being on What Not To Wear. And sorting laundry isn't a huge task...it just makes a bit of a mess for a while. BTW - I will totally wear ugly clothes and grow my roots out for a $5,000 wardrobe revamp if someone wants to nominate me.

Putting all of the laundry away can take up too much of my time, which is money...I get that now. This little hamper has made a mental difference on my time constraints for each day. Our bedroom is downstairs, but our children's rooms are up. MOST of the laundry just seems to be from the kids. Now, I can fold everything downstairs and put those items away, and then I stack the fresh clean clothes of my 3 kids into the 3 compartments and make one trip up the stairs. No more dropping socks on stair 3, or a pair of Ariel panties on stair 7, or my bra on stair 10...wait, how did that get in there?

Time and money well spent for the $8 something I dished out at Walmart if I do say so myself.

Downside, my bum doesn't get much of a work out anymore. I better go run up and down them a few times right now!

Cheers,

TUTORIAL: Mod Podge Canvas

We've had people asking how to do this Mod Podge wall project:

So while my baby was napping yesterday afternoon, I created this little tutorial for you all! Though, instead of using scrapbook paper like I did in my previous project, I decided to recycle a cute image from an old calendar. The calendar was 12x12, as was my canvas, so it was a perfect fit!

Materials Needed: bottle of Mod Podge, small amount of paint (any paint, really--I just used some leftover paint from my Fab for $15 post), cheap sponge brushes and a calendar page.

*You can also use scrapbook paper or fabric in place of the calendar page.

Step 1: Paint your canvas with a cheap little sponge brush. You don't have to paint the whole thing, seeing as it's going to be covered up, but I like to paint the sides and all around the top edge. Let it dry for 10 minutes while you eat some Girl Scout cookies.

*Note: While this is drying--and after I've eaten my cookies--I like to trim the edges off my paper so it's just a tiny bit smaller than the canvas; maybe about 1/8 inch on each side.

Step 2: Using another sponge brush, apply a thin coat of Mod Podge to the back of your calendar page. You have to be quick about this because Mod Podge dries fast!

Step 3: Apply the calendar page to your canvas. Smooth it onto the canvas with your hand. (This is much easier to do when you aren't trying to take a picture of yourself doing it. And when you're not trying to avoid letting people see the state of your fingernails, so you can actually use the palm of your hand to smooth the paper...)

Step 4: Avoid bubbling/warping by continuing to smooth the paper for a minute or two. I suggest you wait for this to set before applying Mod Podge to the surface of the paper/canvas. This will help to get a very smooth end product.

However, I was trying to do this during nap time so I was in a hurry! Hence these bubbles:

Step 5: Apply a thin layer of Mod Podge to the entire surface of your paper/canvas.

Step 6: Let this dry for about a minute, then place it face down over a sheet of wax paper on a flat surface. This step is to ensure a bubble-free surface. Look around your place for a book that will fit inside the back of your canvas. See how my ice cream book fits perfectly? Then place another book (or two or three) on top to apply even pressure to the whole canvas. Cook books work great.

Step 7: Go eat more Girl Scout cookies and come back in 20 minutes. Peel it off the wax paper (it will probably stick just a bit) and check out your handy work! If there are still bubbles, set it on the counter and leave it overnight. The bubbles will magically disappear and you'll end up with this (sorry about the different lighting):

Step 8: Hang it on your wall and show your mad skillz!

Good luck, chicas!

Mod Podging my life away,