Mary's Corner

2012 Primary Theme

2011-09-24T18:11:00.004-06:00

The Primary theme for 2012 is Choose the Right.

Here's a little block I made~

I've already given this one away. But I really like it! I may make another one for my daughter's room.
This post has been link to the following~

I {heart}naptime

2012 Mutual Theme

2011-09-05T09:15:00.005-06:00

Here is where they announced the 2012 Mutual Theme.

And here is what I did with that~

All I did was paint a board chocolate brown, then an ivory over that. I sanded it down so the brown shows thru in some areas. I added some vinyl lettering and finished it all with a clear coat finish.
Then I tied some tulle around the bottom.
I LOVE this scripture and I think it's a great theme for the Mutual, as well as anyone!
This post has been linked to the following~

Tatertots and Jello weekend wrap up party
I {heart} Nap Time

What to do with an old window frame

2011-08-08T08:46:00.008-06:00

My neighbor gave me this old window frame a few years ago. I wasn't sure what to do with it. Most the glass was missing and the glass that was there was cracked. So I punched out all the glass, and sanded the the whole thing down. Then I painted it black and distressed it by doing some more sanding.

I wanted to hang it up in the house somewhere, but couldn't make up my mind as to where.

I finally just thought I would see how it would look outside, somewhere.

I put it in my front flower bed.

I'm not sure if I want to maybe plant something that would crawl up it, or just leave it the way it is.
But I do like it in the flower bed!

This post has been linked to the following~

Be Different, Act Normal
I {heart} Naptime
Tatertots and Jello

S'more Cups

2011-07-04T15:08:00.000-06:00

I was on the Pampered Chef website the other day,

and came across a recipe for these little guys~

S'more cups!
Isn't it a cute little thing?

And soooooo gooooood!
I took some to a family bar-b-que and everyone loved them! Kids, adults, everyone!

Here's the recipe from from their website.

I only did 2 things different.

Instead of using large marshmallows, I used the little star shaped ones you can buy during the summer time.

I also just spooned the melted chocolate on top instead of dipping the cups in the chocolate.

S'more Cups ~http://www.pamperedchef.com/

The campfire is optional--these little treats can be enjoyed anywhere.

Ingredients:


7	whole graham crackers (1 cup/250 mL finely crushed)
1/4	cup (50 mL) powdered sugar
6	tbsp (90 mL) butter, melted
4	bars (1.55 oz or 43 g each) milk chocolate candy, divided
12	large marshmallows

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Place graham crackers into a large resealable plastic bag. Finely crush into crumbs using Baker's Roller®;. Combine graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar and butter in Small Batter Bowl. Using Small Scoop, place scant scoop of crumb mixture in each cup of Deluxe Mini-Muffin Pan. Press crumbs to form shallow cups with Mini-Tart Shaper. Bake 4-5 minutes or until edges are bubbling. Meanwhile, break two of the candy bars into rectangles. Remove pan from oven; place one rectangle into each cup.
Cut marshmallows in half crosswise using Professional Shears dipped in cold water. Place one marshmallow half, cut-side down, into each cup. Return to oven 1-2 minutes or until marshmallows are just slightly softened. Remove from oven to Stackable Cooling Rack; cool 15 minutes. Carefully remove cups from pan. Cool completely.
Break remaining candy bars and place in (1-cup/250 mL) Prep Bowl. Microwave on HIGH 1 minute-1 1/2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring every 20 seconds. Dip the top of each marshmallow in melted chocolate. Turn top-side up and let stand 40 minutes-1 hour or until set.

Yield: 24 cups
Nutrients per serving: (1 cup) Calories 100, Total Fat 6 g, Saturated Fat 3.5 g, Cholesterol 10 mg, Carbohydrate 11 g, Protein 1 g, Sodium 60 mg, Fiber 0 g
Cook's Tips: Dipping the Professional Shears in cold water before cutting the marshmallows helps minimize sticking.

The time it takes the chocolate to set varies depending on weather conditions and room temperature. You can refrigerate the cups briefly until the chocolate is set; store them at room temperature.

Store the cups in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Freezing is not recommended.

For a richer chocolate flavor, substitute dark chocolate candy bars for the milk chocolate.

4th of July Painted Window

2011-07-02T14:33:00.001-06:00

I saw this tutorial a couple of years ago and have wanted to give it a try.

But I was too chicken.

Don't ask me why, but some crafts just really intimidate me!

Anyway, the other night I was up watching Masterpiece Mystery { which is one of my fav shows to watch!}

and I decided to pull an old window I had out of my garage and finally get this window painting done!

Here's the end result~

What do you think? I'm pretty proud of myself for doing this. And if I can do this, anyone can! So go here to see how to do this yourself!
Happy Independence weekend everyone!

Classroom Rules sign/Teacher Gift

2011-05-21T06:34:00.000-06:00

My daughter graduated from Pre-School this month.

*sniff* Where has the time gone?

She has had such a fantastic teacher whom she loves!

So I wanted to give her teacher a nice gift at the end of the school year.

I know subway art is all the rage right now. And I have seen quite

a few of these done up with 'Family Rules'.

Here's my version ~

'ClassRoom Rules'

It measures approximately 13x18 inches.

Welcome to our front door!

2011-04-23T21:52:00.000-06:00

After wanting to do this for 2 years, I finally did it!

I added some vinyl lettering to our front door.

We don't have the fanciest door and screen, but the lettering still looks great on it!

Peanut Butter Blossoms

2011-02-28T14:33:00.000-07:00

mmmm....Chocolate and Peanut Butter....sooo good!

1 pkg, Hershey's Kisses

sift together:
3 1/2 cups flour                1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda

cream together:
1 cup butter                     1 cup peanut butter
gradually add:
1 cup sugar                      1 cup brown sugar
Cream well.
add:
2 eggs                             2 tsp. vanilla

Beat well. Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Shape dough into ball using a rounded teaspoon for each. These are smaller than I normally make my other cookies. But you don't want these too big! Roll balls in a bowl of white sugar and place on baking sheet. Bake at 375* for 10 minutes. remove from oven. Press a chocolate candy kiss in the center of each cookie.
Return to oven for about 2 minutes{ Don't allow candy to melt to much!}.

Turkey Cookies

2010-11-17T09:15:00.002-07:00

Today it was my daughters turn to bring a snack and show-n-tell to pre-school. You will remember I made turkey cookies last year for her to take. They were okay, but not as cute as I thought they would be. So we tried a different type of turkey cookie this year...

Cute little booger, ain't he?

Thanksgiving Decor

2010-11-08T11:28:00.003-07:00

This isn't a typical Thanksgiving quote, but I love it! I found the charger at Wal-Mart last month for $3. They might be cheaper now that they are starting to clearance the fall stuff to make room for Christmas stuff. But $3 is still a great deal! The white vinyl doesn't quite go, I think a cream or off-white would have been better. But I don't have those colors, so I just used what I did have!

VInyl~ Not JUST for decorating Part 2

2010-10-11T13:24:00.003-06:00

Okay, not the best picture, it's kinda fuzzy. And I don't have the prettiest feet either. You remember I showed you here how I used vinyl to cut out decals for bikes?
Now I want to show you how you can look like you spend money on making your toes pretty, when in reality, it's sooooo cheap!
I cut shapes out of vinyl and then put them on my toes! SO cute, huh?

After I put the vinyl on, I add a layer of clear nail polish, to seal it. It looks like I go to the salon weekly to have my toes made up, but I don't! I just do it at home!
Yesterday I cut some bats out of black vinyl. I think I'll go buy some orange nail polish and make my toes a little more Halloweenish!

Outdoor Fall Decorating.

2010-10-11T13:01:00.010-06:00

Okay, I am not the best nor the most creative decorator. But I tried my hand at turning the outside of my home into looking a little more fall/Halloween looking.
My flowers pots I have on either side of my garage have died. I thought about planting some fall mums in them, then decided to just fill them with pumpkins and squash. I stuffed some fallen leaves in between the pumpkins and such as well.{that bush in the background will turn a fiery red soon. I LOVE it!}

I have a bench next to my porch that I put a couple of pumpkins and squash on. I think we might stuff some of hubbie's old clothes and make a scarecrow to sit on the bench as well.

I took branches left over from when we trimmed our apples trees in the spring and sprayed painted them black. Then my pre-schooler and I put some spider webs on them and a couple of spiders.{we need to buy more of those spiders, I don't know where they all go!} We then stuffed the branches into our flower pots and added more pumpkins and squash!

I tied some Halloween ribbon I got from Wal-Mart last year when it went on clearance around my lights.

I moved my wood pumpkins I showed you here, onto my porch.{I still think I want to make a third one}.

And here's a picture of my porch. Not the best looking, but I feel like every year I get a little better! And I don't think I'm quite done with the porch yet, maybe add some corn stalks, and such.

VInyl~ Not JUST for crafts!

2010-10-06T10:23:00.009-06:00

Before I show you how else you can use vinyl, let me tell you about a great place to buy your vinyl for WAAAAY cheap. SignWareHouse.com . I can get a roll of vinyl, which measure 24" x 10 yds for about $30*{that's including shipping!}. Now, my cricut is only 12" wide. So I use my father-in-laws chopsaw to cut the roll in half. It does it so neatly! Now I have TWO rolls of vinyl that are 12" x 10 yds. FANTASTIC! It is seriously sooo cheap! I have a friend who also has a Cricut and we buy a roll together, cut it in half so it fits our machines and we each get half a roll and pay only $15 each! Great!
*{The price can vary. But it is still so affordable! And no, SignWareHouse did not ask me to write a review on their products. I just wanted to share with you the place of where I get my vinyl from!}
Alright, do you still not have a Cricut, vinyl cutter, silhouette, etc? Can't seem to convince your hubbie to buy you one? Show him this post and he might change his mind!
Hubbies brother was in town a few months ago. I was making some crafts for my family reunion fundraiser. I was making a tile with vinyl on it. Brother-in-law became interested in the stuff. "What else can you put that stuff on?", he asked.
"Absolutely anything!!",was my answer.
That got him thinking.
So, a couple of weeks ago he's back in town. With his dirt bike.
"Can you cut me something to go on my bike?",he asks.
"Of course!", is my answer.
So I sat down at the computer with him and we browsed this site. A totally awesome site where you can download THOUSANDS or FAH~REE fonts, dingbats, anything!
We found a logo on there and decided to give it a try~

We added that Suzuki 'S' to the front fender.
Brother-in-law and hubbie were now excited and wanted to do more!
So we downloaded the Suzuki font and added it to....I think they called this the 'swing arm'? {I don't know much about bikes}.
Here's the before picture~

And the after picture~

And here's the bike after we finished with it~

So, yeah ladies, tell your hubbies that getting a vinyl cutter will not only benefit you or your home decor, but HE can benefit from it's uses as well!
Christmas is just around the corner. I'm just sayin'. A vinyl cutter would make a nice Christmas gift if he needs ideas...

*****UPDATE*****
I DO NOT make any money from this blog. Even though I was able to download the Suzuki font for free, I am assumning that they would prefer it be used for only personal purposes. And not used to make money of any kind from it!

2x6 wood pumpkins

2010-10-04T10:01:00.003-06:00

I made these with some scrap 2x6's we had laying around. I had two different heights of wood. I sanded them down, then painted them a bright orange. I then sponged a darker orange over the top of that. The 'stems' were spare blocks of wood cut from a 2x2. I painted them a green then sponged a darker green over the top.
I just nailed the stems to the top of the pumpkins. But wood glue would work just as well!
I used some scrape pieces of fabric to tie around the stems.
I then painted some wooden hearts I had and glued them onto the pumpkins and added a little raffia to the hearts.
I think I might go buy another 2x6 to make a third pumpkin....

Cake Mix Cookies

2010-10-04T09:44:00.004-06:00

These are some of the yummiest and easiest cookies to make!

I have a friend who calls them the BEST Chocolate Chip Coookies ever! Make them and decide for yourself!
What's great about this recipe is there are countless different cookies you can make. Play around with different combinations until you find your favorite! My hubbies favorite is Yellow cake mix with semi-sweet chips, or Chocolate Fudge cake mix with white baking chips.My favorite combo is a Chocolate cake mix with either Caramel baking pieces or Peanut Butter baking pieces! This also makes a very easy 'Cookies in a Jar' mix. Just layer the dry ingredients in a glass jar and attach the directions to complete them and, there you go!

~Cake Mix Cookies~

1 cake mix {any kind}Just the cake mix!
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup coconut{I leave this out because I'm not a coconut fan!}
1/2 cup melted butter
2 eggs
1 cup chocolate chips

Stir together {if you've added coconut this can be a dry mixture, mix with a fork}.
Bake at 350* for about 9-11 minutes, depends on how fast your oven bakes them.Be careful not to over bake. You want them to firm up a little when pressed in the center, but they will still look and feel a little underdone. I'm not sure how to explain it to you. I just know when they are done by the look and feel of them. Just trial and error I guess!
Play around with different cake mixes and baking chips and make the recipe your own!!

Zuchinni Soup

2010-09-11T19:50:00.003-06:00

I'm sharing this absolutely delicious recipe with you that I got from my sister-in-law. We still have zuke coming out of our garden, and the weather has been cooler. So I've been in the mood to make soup!
This recipe is great if you have picky eaters because it is all puree'd up. No chunks of anything in it! Your kids{and hubbie} won't even know there is Zucchini in it! You've got to try it out!

Zucchini Soup

1 1/2 pounds zucchini, unpeeled and sliced thin{or shredded} chopped
1 medium onion chopped
1/4 cup Butter
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
1/8 tsp. Pepper*
1/2 tsp. Salt*
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 can Chicken Broth
1/2 cup Light Cream or Evaporated Milk

Saute onion and zucchini in butter until limp. Add chicken broth and simmer covered, for 15 minutes. Puree in blender and add cream of chicken soup, nutmeg,salt, pepper and cream. Blend. Heat and serve!
*I add more because I like more seasoning. Just add what tastes good to you!

Countdown to School blocks!

2010-08-04T16:45:00.004-06:00

My pre-schooler is so excited for school to start! So I made her a countdown block set to count down the days till school starts! She doesn't start until the second week in September, but we can start the countdown now!

I used three different colored scrapbook paper. I cut them to the size I needed then I mod podged them onto painted blocks,{ the base is a 2x4 that I cut to about 7 1/2 -8 inches} then I used Vinyl for the numbers and lettering . But stickers or die cuts would work as well. Just glue those on.
These are the numbers you'll need~0,0,1,1,2,2,3,4,5,6,7,&8{ make sure the 6 can double as a 9 if it's turned upside down}.
On the first block you use ~0,1,2,3,4,5. On the second block~6{doubles as 9},7,8,0,1,2.
I also have made these for Christmas here and Halloween here.
This has also been linked to a few show-n-tell sites here, here, and here.

More Family reunion fundraiser items!

2010-06-24T21:30:00.011-06:00

Alright, here are some more photos of some items I've made and am donating to our family reunion fundraiser~
Lead me, Guide me stackers~

A set of photo blocks with pictures of my grandma and grandpa. Some when they were young, some when they were older~

Holiday countdown blocks~

I added some vinyl lettering to the bucket so it says ' Bucket of Spuds'. We are coming from Idaho, so I thought it would be fun. These Spud candy bars are the best, if you haven't had one, you need to find one!~

Some 12 in. tiles~
{ I got the idea for the one with names on it from here. She sells the kits for these, only I think they are for a different size block of wood, not a 12 in. tile. I just changed it up to fit what I had.}

One of my Grandma's favorite quotes form her favorite author~
{only looking at it now, I realize I added a 't' on nearest that shouldn't be there. Looks like I need to fix that before we leave!}

Be blocks~ I got the idea for these from here. She sells the kits for these,{at least I think she still does}~

This next block has my Grandpa's motto on it. It reads " Anything worth doing, is worth Overdoing."

I thought this would be great for our family~

Family reunion fundraiser items

2010-06-22T09:59:00.006-06:00

I've been busy making a few items to donate to our Family reunion fundraiser. This is the first year we are doing a fundraiser, we'll see how it turns out! I think we will be raffling off items, with a few larger items being in a silent auction. All the proceeds will go to help fund future reunions!
So here's a few pictures of just a few items I've made and will donate for the fundraiser!
I'm putting together two packages that contain crochet headbands and hats for little girls/babies, that I bought at The Ribbon Retreat ,{SOOO afordable!} And I made the flower hair clips myself!~

Some Holiday Stackers. { I still need to make a summer one}~

A couple of small Pampered Chef gift sets I put together. { Did you know that Pampered Chef has an outlet store online? LOVE IT!!}~

Primary children's blocks~

I'll post some more pictures of more items later....

Little Pink Chicken {Sweet and Sour Chicken}

2010-06-22T09:50:00.004-06:00

I've never been a fan of sweet and sour chicken. Until I found a yummy recipe for it! I found the recipe here. She found the recipe in the "The WorldWide Ward" cookbook. {She also gives the story behind why it's called Little pink chicken} You really should give it a try! This is now a family favorite at our house!

Little Pink Chicken {Sweet and Sour Chicken}

2 large chicken breasts
1/2 tsp garlic salt
cornstarch
1 egg beaten w/ 1 T water
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tsp salt
2 T soy sauce

Cut chicken in pieces and sprinkle with garlic salt. Let sit 1 hr. Dip in cornstarch, then in beaten egg. Fry in hot oil until brown. Place in casserole dish. Combine sugar, vinegar, ketchup, chicken broth, salt and soy sauce. Microwave for 5 minutes, stirring mixture halfway thru. Pour over chicken and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes, until the sauce is thickened. Makes 6-8 servings.
I also made some fried rice to serve with this. Tasty!

St. Patty's Day popcorn balls

2010-03-10T15:47:00.004-07:00

So today was my little pre-schoolers turn to bring snakc and show-n-tell to school. Since next week is St. Patty's day she and I sat down at the computer to browse around and find a green snack! We found a recipe for colored popcorn here . We made them into popcorn balls. When I picked V. up from pre-school, she said her class loved them!

Give them a try!

Krispy Treat Valentines!

2010-02-13T14:44:00.006-07:00

Here is a cute Valentine's Day treat~
Make a batch up Kripsy Treats. Press the mixture into a cookie sheet/ bar pan. Butter your hands so the mixture doesn't stick to your hands. Then sprinkle some pink or red sprinkles on the top.

After they have cooled, take a heart shaped cookie cutter and press into the krispies in the pan.

Now you have some little Kripsy Treat hearts!

I wrapped them individually in cling wrap for each child.

Here's my goofy Valentine getting ready to take these to her friends and cousins!

Valentines Day stackers

2010-01-20T21:04:00.003-07:00

If you've been following this blog for awhile, you'll know I love to make stackers! I take a 2x2 piece of wood and cut it to different lengths of wood to stack on each other. Here's my Valentines Day stacker~

Hugs 'n' Kisses Block set

2010-01-20T21:01:00.003-07:00

Isn't this a cute, little set? This is a set of four blocks that are painted in pink, white and red, with the same colors in vinyl lettering. They measure just under 10 inches wide and just under 7 inches tall.

Buttermilk Sheet Cake

2010-01-14T21:07:00.005-07:00

Alright, here's the other recipe I tried today. It turned out really good! My pre-schooler even ate the cake part, and she usually just eats the frosting! I got this out of a ward cookbook from my home ward. This recipe was submitted by my parents neighbor, Lynette.

Buttermilk Sheet Cake

2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/2 shortening
1/2 cup butter or margarine

3 tablespoons cocoa
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda

Set together in large bowl the sugar, flour, and salt. Mix water, shortening, butter, and cocoa in saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour over dry ingredients and mix. Add eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, and baking soda. Mix well. Pour into greased 11x15 inch cookie sheet. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Frosting~
1/2 cup butter or margarine
4 tablespoons cocoa
6 tablespoons milk

1 lb powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped nut { optional}

Bring butter, cocoa, and milk to a boil. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Add nuts, if desired. Spread over cake while warm.
*I thought something tasted just a little off with the frosting. It was still very good, but I think I'll look for a different recipe for the frosting to try next time.

Whole- Wheat Quick Bread

2010-01-14T16:12:00.003-07:00

This is another new recipe I tried today. It was....okay. I liked it, but I don't think it'll be a favorite. But that's just me and my family! Give this a try and see how your family likes it! One thing I did like was how easy this was to make. I make homemade wheat bread all the time that takes ALL afternoon to make. So I did like the quickness of this! And like I said, it wasn't bad. Just not really something I would make alot. I will make it once in awhile though. I got this recipe out of "The Essential Mormon Celebrations" cookbook.

Whole-Wheat Quick Bread

1 egg, beaten
2 cups Buttermilk
3 tablespoons molasses or honey {I used the honey}
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

In a bowl, combine egg, buttermilk, molasses or honey, and butter. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and baking power. Stir well; add to first mixture and mix well. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 400 degrees for about 45-50 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool slightly, then turn out of pan onto a wire rack. Slice while warm. Makes 1 loaf.
*I think the baking time was too long, I baked mine for about 42 minutes and it came out almost too dark on top. So next time I'll definitely shorten the baking time. Also, I had a slice of this while warm with Honey Butter. Soooooo good! You should try that! Here's a recipe for the butter out of the same cookbook~

Beehive Honey Butter

1 cup Honey
1 cup Butter, softened
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Combine honey, softened butter and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed for about 3 minutes until thickened. Put into jars and refrigerate. Keeps up to 4 weeks in refrigerator.
*I loved this Honey Butter! I want to make corn bread now, and scones, and fry bread and just smear it all with this butter. Very good!

Stuffed Peppers

2010-01-14T15:55:00.003-07:00

Okay, I realized that I hadn't shared any recipes for awhile. And one of my New Year's resolutions was to try out more new recipes. So, I've got a couple to share with you! This recipe I made last week. My sister-in-law made these last fall during one of her visits to good ole' Idaho. When I asked for the recipe, she couldn't find it. But she found one similar. So I used that as a basis and changed a few things. So, I don't have a very exact recipe for you to follow. I just kinda did things, but it turned out so good I wanted to share with you anyway! So just use this as a guideline and be creative when you make your own!

Stuffed Peppers

4 Red Bell Peppers,{ you can use green, but the red ones are a little sweeter}
1/2 lb. cooked ground beef
1 cup chopped onions
3 cups cooked rice
1/2 teaspoon salt
mushrooms
an 8 oz. bag of Montery Jack cheese

Cook peppers in boiling water for 3 minutes.
Oh, before you do this, wash and slice the top of your peppers. Scoop out the seeds. You can either leave as a whole pepper, or slice in half length wise, which is what I did. You can get more filling piled on them this way!
When peppers are done cooking, drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

If using fresh mushrooms, cook in a pan in a leetle amount of oil. I have no idea how many mushrooms I used. I just used what I had left in my fridge.
Combine ground beef, rice, mushrooms, onions, salt and about 4-5 oz.of the cheese. Just however much you want!
Spoon into peppers and place peppers in a greased baking dish. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for about 30 min. Top with some more cheese and put back in oven until cheese melts. Enjoy! If you have picky eaters who don't want to try the peppers, the rice mixture is very good by itself!

"Come what may" quote block

2010-01-05T18:57:00.005-07:00

Joseph B. Wirthlin was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Once he told a story of how his mother would always say to him," Joseph, Come what may. And love it."
What an inspiring thought!
So I made a block with that quote on it.

I mod podged some scrapbook paper onto the block. Then printed the quote off my computer and mod podged that on as well.

Grandkids Ornaments

2009-12-31T10:57:00.004-07:00

This is what I made for my in-laws for Christmas this year.{ I didn't do this for my parents because they have about a hundred grand kids altogether. That would have been too much work!}
I cut a 2x2 into little blocks. Then I painted them and mod podged scrapbook paper on all sides but one. On that side I mod podged a photo of one of of the grand kids. Then I had some little hook thingeys that I stuck on the top and tied a ribbon loop through that so they can be hung on the Christmas tree.

All of the ornaments with the grand kids that I made for them. { Only one of these little cuties is mine, but there are 7 grandkids all together}

Here's a close up {fuzzy, I know} But you can see a little better the hook and ribbon and stuff I used.

Exploding boxes

2009-12-17T09:40:00.007-07:00

These are Christmas gifts I've made for a couple of people in our families. They are called Exploding boxes. I don't have a tute on them. I learned how to make them at my sister's 'Super Saturday'.{That's a day where, once a year, in our church the ladies get together and craft all day! My ward didn't do one this year, so my sister invited me to hers!}
But what you do is get a 12x12 scrapbook paper. Cut about a 4 inch square out of each corner. Then with what's left is what you make your box out of. Does that make sense? You can add as many layers as you want. Just make sure each one is smaller then the one before. So that means, with my next piece of paper, I cut 4 1/4 inch squares out of the corners. Then you just glue your layers together.....Am I making sense? You follow? The lids are made with a 4 1/2 inch squared piece of paper that you fold and glue to fit on top if the box.....Again, it's hard to explain. I've seen tutes on these on others blogs. I'm sure you can find one somewhere...
At first look, they look innocent, don't they?

Here's what happens when you take the lid off. The sides fall open and I've added pictures all around! There are a few layers of pictures.

Here's a closer view of the layers. Again,you can add as many as you want. Just make each one smaller than the one before.

Let it Snow blocks

2009-12-17T09:33:00.003-07:00

These are some blocks I made last year. I cut a 4x4 into three blocks, painted them blue, then mod podged some scrapbook paper on the sides. This was before I had my Cricut, so I just used a fat, black, permanent marker and free handed it! The blocks say~ Let it snow! on each one.

Here's another view. I found some scrapbook paper with a snowman on it. So I used that on the top block. You can see the snow man on the side. So cute!

Mother Teresa quote block

2009-12-17T09:27:00.002-07:00

Here's what I made for my daughter's pre-school teacher. I painted a piece of wood,{it measures 6 ins tall and 6 ins wide}.I painted it black and distressed the edges a little. Then I just printed out my quote off my word perfect and mod podged it on. So easy!
The quote says~
We can do no great thing, only small things with great love. Mother Teresa.

JOY Blocks

2009-12-08T18:02:00.006-07:00

I made some cute blocks that say JOY. Very festive! I mod podged some paper onto painted blocks and used vinyl lettering. Very easy and fun! This first set measures 6 inches tall and 5 1/2 inches wide.

These are a smaller version. They measure 3 1/2 inches tall and wide.

2010 Primary birthday gifts

2009-12-02T12:23:00.003-07:00

I was in charge of finding something to give the Primary kids on their birthdays next year. We wanted something that had the years theme on it. This is what I came up with....

I just painted some blocks and cut the lettering out with my cricut. The ones with the ribbon is of course for the girls. And the black ones will be for the boys. I think I figured the cost for everything will be around $20 total. We have only maybe 45 kids in our Primary. So very affordable, and something they can keep with the years theme on it.

Last name blocks

2009-11-30T11:16:00.003-07:00

Okay, I saw these here, hers look much better than mine. And since it was her idea please go to her blog to see directions on how to make them. We've had three weddings the last two weeks, so I made some up.

They are so easy, I think I'll make some for Christmas gifts as well!

Thanksgiving Turkeys for Pre-Schoolers

2009-11-22T19:19:00.004-07:00

This last week, my daughter had a turn to bring a snack to pre-school. At first, I thought about making Navajo Fry Bread, because they had been learning about the Indians and pilgrims. And my husband is half Navajo, so I have his mom's recipe for fry bread. But then I saw these cute turkeys on a blog somewhere, and I thought I had to make them! Aren't they cute! Okay, some look a little deranged, but it was my first time making something like this!

I made them using oreo cookies, candy corn, Reese's Peanut butter cups, Whoppers and of course, frosting to hold them all together!

I asked my husband if they looked okay. If he thought the kids would like them. He said," They're pre-schoolers, all they're gonna see is sugar." He's right! They aren't going to care what they look like. It's all yummy goodies!

Snow Dusted Pumpkins

2009-11-22T19:08:00.003-07:00

Okay, these look ALOT better in person! They look like I missed spots in the pictures, but they really are beautiful! They look like snow has fallen on them and are all glittery!

I hosted a 'Cents of Style' party the other day. This was my refreshments table. The Pumpkins looked so good on the table!

All I did was 'paint' some craft glue on my mini pumpkins and then dusted on some white glitter. Honestly, they sparkle and look so pretty in real life! You'll have to try it to see!

Countdown to Christmas Blocks

2009-11-13T16:14:00.005-07:00

Alright, I already showed you how to make a 'Spooky Countdown' block set for Halloween here. Here is my Christmas Countdown set.
This first one is for me...

I made this one for my friend Stephanie at http://mycreativebug.blogspot.com/

I almost want to keep it for myself, it's so cute! Hope you like it Stephanie!

Thankful Block

2009-11-11T08:56:00.007-07:00

Here's a Thankful block I made...

I just painted a block of wood brown, mod podged some paper on it, then added some vinyl lettering. Fast and easy!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Frosting

2009-11-09T17:51:00.006-07:00

I found this recipe on here, She found the recipe on Good Things Utah. I knew I had to try these!
I was going to take a picture to tempt you to make some of your own, but.... My hubbie had the camera, once again, and he was off hunting.
Honestly, I think it's time we each got our own cameras!
But trust me, these rolls are sooooo yummy! You have to try them!
The only thing I did different was make 1 1/2 times the frosting recipe. Because I LOVE frosting on my cinnamon rolls!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Frosting!

Ingredients:

2 T. yeast

1/2c. warm milk

1/2 c. canned pumpkin

2/3 c. sugar

½ t. salt

1 egg, beaten

¼ c. melted, butter

1/4 t. ground cloves

1 t. cinnamon

4-5 c. bread flour

1/2 c. brown sugar, packed (On top of rolled out dough)

2 T. cinnamon (On top of rolled out dough)

2 T. melted butter(On top of rolled out dough)

Method: Dissolve yeast in warm milk. Wait 5 minutes. Add pumpkin, egg, sugar, butter, salt, cinnamon and cloves and mix well. Slowly add flour one cup at a time. Scrape down sides of bowl after each addition of flour. Turn into lightly greased bowl, cover and set in warm place until double in bulk. Punch down dough and let rest for 5 more minutes. Roll dough out into a rectangle.Brush dough with melted butter. Sprinkle the dough with sugar and cinnamon mixture. Starting with long side of dough, roll up jellyroll style. Pinch seams to seal. With sharp serrated knife cut roll into 12 1 in. pieces.{ I actually use some floss or thread to cut thru the dough. Much easier!} Place rolls, cut side up in greased 9x13 pan. Cover and let rise until double, 30 to 45 minutes.Bake rolls at 350 degrees about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Drizzle with caramel frosting as soon as they come out of the oven. Let cool until warm, add the rest of the frosting. Enjoy!

Caramel Frosting

¼ c. butter

½ c. brown sugar, packed

2 T. milk

¼ t. vanilla

Pinch of salt

½ c. to ¾ c. sifted powder sugar

In a small saucepan, heat butter until melted. Stir in brown sugar and milk. Cook over med. Low heat 1 minute. Transfer to small bowl and cool mixture. Stir in vanilla, salt, and powder sugar. Beat with Electric mixer until well blended. If necessary, add more sugar for desired consistency.

Super Hero Cape

2009-11-04T21:03:00.007-07:00

For my daughter's fourth birthday I wanted to get her a super hero cape, since she is always running around with a blanket or something tied around her neck. I was going to make it myself, but...sewing really brings out the worst in me. I, in no way, find it relaxing or enjoyable. Yes, I can sew. But I try to do as little as possible!
A friend of mine, Jill, loves to sew! She has her own business, http://jillscraftycovers.blogspot.com/ and she just started selling super hero capes. So I asked her if she would make a double-sided one for my daughter. I changed my mind about a dozen times with how I wanted it to look. But I finally made a decision and she had it made and in the mail before the week was over! And it turned out perfect!
On one side I asked her to do the CTR symbol.{CTR= Choose The Right}

Here's the other side, My daughters first initial~ Jill also makes hooded towels, nursing covers, and toy mats. Perfect gifts for Christmas, Birthdays, Baby showers, etc. And I think her prices are great! So go check her out at http://jillscraftycovers.blogspot.com/ and tell her Mary sent you!

Thanksgiving Stacker

2009-11-01T20:01:00.002-07:00

Well, here's my Thanksgiving stacker. I think I might make another one that's more about being grateful, or something. But this works for now!
You wanna know what's real thrifty about this? I did it on the back of my Autumn stacker. So now I have something on both sides, and I just turn it around for the two different seasons/holidays. Does that make sense?
A cinch to make! I cut and sanded a 2x2 into three different blocks. The bottom measures 10 1/2 inches across, the top is 7 1/2 inches across. I painted them, then sanded the edges. Then I just added some vinyl lettering! Easy!
I can't wait for Thanksgiving...A Holiday where you can stuff your face with good food and nobody judges you because they are doing the same thing!

Pumpkin Cookies

2009-10-30T10:03:00.007-06:00

This is another easy peasy recipe! Here are your ingredients....

Once again, use ONLY the Spice cake mix. NONE of the ingredients on the back of the box!
And for cookies you use a 29 oz. can of pumpkin.

Mix well. At this point you can either leave it as is, or add nuts or chocolate chips. I prefer to use chocolate chunks in my baking!

mmmm.....

Then drop by tablespoonful, {I have a handy dandy cookie scoop that I use},onto a greased cookie sheet.Bake in oven at 400 for about 15 minutes. Cool slightly on cookie sheet, then transfer to a cooling rake. This recipe makes about 3 1/2 doz. cookies.

Don't they look yummy!

They look even better when you put some on a Halloween plate to take to the neighbors!

Don't you wish you were my neighbor?

Easiest Pumpkin Spice Muffins ever!

2009-10-27T15:18:00.006-06:00

So I am going to share with you the easiest recipe EVER, {unless you buy them premade at the bakery} for making Pumpkin Spice Muffins.
You ready for a picture of the ingredients?
Here it is...
That's right! Two ingredients! One box of Spice cake mix. One 15 oz. can of pumpkin. That's it! Nothing else!

Dump it all into a mixing bowl and mix well.

Do not add any of the ingredients on the back of the cake box! Just the mix, and the pumpkin. Nothing else!

At this point, you can either leave it as is, or add chocolate chips or chopped nuts. I left it as is!

Fill your muffin cups, this doesn't rise, so you can fill them pretty full with out it spilling over during baking.

This recipe makes an even dozen!

Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in one muffin comes out clean. Cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Don't they look good?

um....yeah. I had to have a bite. So good! Try them!

Flower Loop Bows

2009-10-25T15:58:00.003-06:00

I made some more bows for my daughter's hair. They are called 'Flower Loop Bows' and were so fun and easy to make!
I LOVE this brown and blue one! I found directions for these at www.theribbonretreat.com. On their home page at the top it says 'free how to projects'. Click on that and it will take you to a page full of hair bow instructions. Have fun!

Halloween countdown blocks

2009-10-20T17:24:00.006-06:00

I have seen these on alot of blogs, but I actually saw these first LAST fall at a craft fair in my town. I made one for Christmas last year that I'll show you later. Each side of the blocks have a different number on them. You rotate them as you progress towards Halloween.
I used three different colored scrapbook paper. I cut them to the size I needed then I mod podged them onto painted blocks,{ the base is a 2x4 that I cut to about 7 1/2 -8 inches} then I used Vinyl for the numbers and lettering . But stickers or die cuts would work as well. Just glue those on.
These are the numbers you'll need~0,0,1,1,2,2,3,4,5,6,7,&8{ make sure the 6 can double as a 9 if it's turned upside down}.
On the first block you use ~0,1,2,3,4,5. On the second block~6{doubles as 9},7,8,0,1,2.
Have fun counting down to Halloween!

Dinosaur Birthday Cake

2009-10-18T17:55:00.003-06:00

We had my daughter's fourth birthday party yesterday. She said she wanted a green dinosaur cake. I found directions on how to make one at http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/rex-the-dinosaur--cake. It was much easier than I thought it would be. What do you think?

I cut the shape out of two 9" pans.{one cake mix}. The website shows you how to do that.
Then I made a homemade Buttercream frosting and tinted it green, then I frosted the cake. When ever you are frosting a cake, always do a thin layer of frosting first. This is called the crumb layer because it collects all the crumbs. Chill the cake for about 30 minutes, then frost it again. You won't have any crumbs showing because of the first layer you did.
Then I used white Buttercream frosting for the mouth and dots on the eyes.
For the eyes, toes, and small dots I used chocolate chips. I pushed them into the cake with the tips facing down. The bigger dots are Hershey Kisses that I did the same thing to. Pushed them in, tip side down. I also used Hershey Kisses as the spikes along the tail, back and up the head of the dinosaur.
My daughter loved it! And it was so fun to make!

Halloween canning jars

2009-10-16T09:04:00.004-06:00

Have no idea what these are for?

How about now? Aren't they cool!

I saw these on a blog somewhere but I can't find where! If you know where I might have seen these, let me know so I can give that blog the proper credit. I was planning on sending you to that blog for directions on how to make these. But since I don't know where to send you, I'll hurry and give you some directions. But I don't have step-by-step photos because I wasn't planning on doing this!

I took some old canning jars{the rims had chips in them, so they were no good for canning}. I brushed some Mod Podge on the jar, then put on strips of tissue paper. Then Mod Podge once again. When they were dry I cut the faces out of construction paper{vinyl would work as well} and glued them on. I also painted the lid rims to put on top. Then I put electric tea lights in them. {I might tie some raffia or something around the tops to complete the look}

Here they are all lined up. The monster ones don't work too well because the green tissue is too dark to let much light thru. But I still LOVE them all!

I'm thinking if it's not wet outside on Halloween night, I might put these out along the walk to light the way for trick-or-treaters. If I do, I'll try to remember to take some photos to show you! Have fun crafting!

Birthday Monkey cupcakes

2009-10-15T10:27:00.003-06:00

My daughters' birthday is this weekend. So she gets to bring cupcakes to pre-school today. This is what I made.
They are supposed to be monkey cupcakes. I made chocolate zuchinni cupcakes{ you can find the recipe for them in my 'recipe' section}, and then got the idea for the monkeys off of http://servingpinklemonade.blogspot.com/. But hers look much better. Go check them out!
My daughter loved helping me bake these, a.k.a. licking the cake batter bowl, and she was so excited to share them with her class. I guess when I go to pick her up we'll see how the kids liked them!

Pumpkin Bread

2009-10-13T08:26:00.005-06:00

I made this over the weekend and was going to take a picture to get your mouth watering. But I couldn't find the camera. My hubbie had taken it hunting! I think it might be time for me to get my own... Anyway, my three nieces and nephew were over, so by the time I DID have the camera, there was no bread left to take a picture of.
But let me tell you, this is really yummy bread. I loved it and the kids loved it! You need to try it out!
I got the recipe out of 'The Essential Mormon Cookbook'. Again. But honestly, everything I try in this book is yummy! And I have to share it! Plus, it will make your home smell yummy!
{This would also be a good treat to take around to your visiting Teaching sisters, or your husbands home teaching families}

Pumpkin Bread

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Cream butter, sugar, and eggs. Add pumpkin and mix; set aside. In another bowl sift dry ingredients. Gradually add dry ingredients to creamy mixture. Beat until blended. Add chocolate chips and pecans, if desired. Grease one loaf pan or four mini loaves. Pour batter into pans. For one loaf, bake at 350 F. for about 1 hour or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. For mini loaves, bake at 350 F. for about 35-40 minutes. Makes one loaf or four mini loaves.

Glitter Pumpkins

2009-10-04T16:57:00.007-06:00

I saw these pumpkins on Martha Stewart's show, like, 5-6 years ago. They are so easy to make and look great for the fall season.

Here's what you need to make them...

Mini pumpkins, mod podge{or any craft glue, I've even used Elmers glue before and it works fine}, a paint brush, and glitter. Now some people will say you need to use the really nice, fine glitter. But I just use my daughters craft glitter.

Paint some glue on your pumpkin...

Then sprinkle on some glitter and shake off the excess...

There you go! I put mine in a long wooden plate I got at Wal-mart last year for cheap. I think they still have something similar in the dishes aisle. Then I added some leaves and I wish I didn't run out of berries, I might go buy some more to add....

I ran out of the gold glitter, so the middle pumpkin doesn't have as much on it as the red ones. But I think it still looks good. You get the idea!

Christmas brown paper bag Memory Book

2009-09-29T09:01:00.010-06:00

All right. Here's the Christmas book. Again, 12 pages, but I can always add more later if I want to! These are small lunch bags, folded in half. The tops and bottoms of the bags are now on the side. With the fold being the 'spine'. I figured I can use one, maybe two pages for each year. Just a couple of pictures to remind us of that year's Christmas!
I'm not the fanciest scrapbooker. I don't like the front of this and will probably change it.

Where the top/opening of the bags are I added pull out tabs.

Cute pages of my little Christmas angel!

There are two ways to fold the bottom of the bags. This is one way. You fold the ends together, if that makes sense. Then, in the fold I added scrapbook paper and little one liners, from Christmas movies, songs, books, etc.
Example- Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow, I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year-Charles Dickens,etc.

This is the other way to fold the bottom of the bag. You just leave it how it comes and it makes a little flap you lift up to see a {future} picture underneath.

Another 'flap'.

Empty pages for future pictures...

I realized after I took the picture that I put a set of pages in upside down. I corrected it, but didn't take new pictures! :)

There you go! I have also seen these books done with recipes instead of pictures. I think that would make a cute Mother's Day gift, or something. Maybe I'll try it one of these days....
This has been linked to the following~

Believe Block

2009-09-24T09:26:00.002-06:00

I know, I know! We haven't hit Halloween yet! But when an idea hits me, I've gotta do it or I'll forget, no matter if it's still fall, and not even close to Christmas yet. Forgive me!

I painted a sanded block of wood a 'Barn red'. Then I just added the vinyl lettering. So easy, and quick!

{I might, just might have a couple more Christmas things to show you later...}

Clipboard Picture Holder

2009-09-19T21:18:00.004-06:00

My sis-in-law made these for my step-mom for Mother's Day one year. I think they are darling! I found these little unfinished clipboards {with a little peg in the back to help it stand up} at Porter's for $1 each!
I painted them an off white, inked the edges, and added some ribbon and buttons for embellishments.

Add a 3 1/2 x 5 inch photo and there you go!

Aren't they cute? {never mind the 'display for sale' sticker. That is for something else}. So easy and cheap to make! They look great on the computer desk or to give away to the grandparents!

Ribbon Butterfly Clips

2009-09-16T13:51:00.003-06:00

Aren't these little hair clips darling? I made them last night while watching reruns of Gilmore Girls{yet again}. They were much easier to make then I thought they would be. My husband was impressed when I showed him the finished product!

Now, I'm not going to do a tutorial on these, because I followed one over at www.theribbonretreat.com. Go there and at the top of the page is a tab titled~ Free How To Projects. Click on it. She has a few different how to's on different bows. Just click on the Little Bug Bows. And have fun!

Faith, Family, Friends blocks

2009-09-13T19:47:00.004-06:00

Sorry once again for the fuzzy photo. I need to work on my photography skills so I can get some decent pictures on here!
These were something I just quickly made one night while watching t.v.{I was watching reruns of Gilmore Girls!}

These were so easy! I had my husband cut a 2x4 into square blocks and he also sanded them down for me. I painted them a Barn Red, and distressed the edges a little by sanding them. Then I just added the vinyl lettering.
I thought I would think outside the box and have the lettering arranged kinda crazy, as you can see in the photo. What do you think? Do you like the lettering like that? I'm not quite sure what I think about it... But I do like that it's a little different from what you usually see .

Baby stacker

2009-09-03T21:40:00.002-06:00

A good friend of mine had her first baby over the weekend. She had a little boy! I wanted to make something a little special for her. This is what I came up with!

The top block has the baby's first and middle name{I'm uncomfortable giving out kids names online, so I turned the block around}. The middle has his weight, and you could add the height as well. And the bottom has the day he was born. I tried to match the colors she said she had painted his room. Blue, cream and brown.
All I did was cut a 2x2 piece of wood into three different lengths. The bottom measures 10 1/2 inches and the top is 7 1/2 inches. I sanded the blocks down and painted them. Then just added the vinyl letters.

Fall blocks

2009-08-31T12:52:00.002-06:00

Another Fall craft! And again, an easy one! { Please don't mind the stack of sheet music in the back ground!}

I had my hubby cut a 2x6 piece of wood into 8 inch blocks. AND he sanded the wood for me without me having to ask him! {I'm so lucky to have a husband like him!}
I sponge painted the wood a 'Bittersweet Chocolate' color that I got from Glidden Paint for free! I sanded the edges a little { the more you get to know me, you'll notice I almost always distress things }. Then I cut out some scrapbook paper to the size I wanted and mod podged it on. Then I added my vinyl letters and some ribbon.

Here's a little bit closer up shot of the blocks. I think it turned out pretty nice!

Autumn Stacker

2009-08-27T15:35:00.003-06:00

Isn't this a cute fall stacker? It was soooo easy to make!
I had my hubby cut a 2x2{which is really about 1 1/2 x 1 1/2}. I sanded the blocks down.
Oh! the bottom block measures 10 1/2 inches.
Anyway, then I painted the bottom and top blocks a 'Terra cotta', and the middle block a 'Barn Red'. I sanded the edges jeeeest a little bit. Then I added my vinyl words. Easy, peasy! Less then half an hour, the only thing that takes time is waiting for the paint to dry.

'Harvest' Block

2009-08-25T16:59:00.008-06:00

Okay, first off. I have to ask," Does anyone know why wood measures differently then what it is supposed to measure?" Example, I buy a 4x4, but it REALLY measures 3 1/2 x 3 1/2.

I couldn't remember what this block of wood was SUPPOSED to be. But right now it measures 1 1/2 x 2 1/2. And I cut it to a length of 8 in.

I didn't take step-by-step photos, because whenever I do they just seem to be all fuzzy...

Anyway, I sanded this block down and painted it an 'Autumn Brown'. Then I Mod Podged on some scrapbook paper. I cut the big H out of black vinyl, and the word HARVEST out of brown vinyl. I applied the big H first. Then HARVEST over that. I cut the leaves out of a piece of scrapbook paper that had leaves on it. And I Mod Podged those on as well. Then I just covered the whole front of the block with a thin layer of Mod Podge.

Turned out pretty cute, huh? I also made one for Thanksgiving I'll show you when we get closer to that time...

Zuchinni Chocolate Cake/Bread

2009-08-19T14:38:00.005-06:00

I made cupcakes with this recipe the other day and They. Were. Delicious! All three of us couldn't stop eating them! You can't even taste the zucchini! I got the recipe out of 'The Essential Mormon Cookbook', which I originally bought from http://www.deseretbook.com/, But I couldn't find it there anymore...

Anyway, my friend Jamie asked for the recipe and when I gave it to her she said she uses the exact same recipe to make bread. The only thing different was the chocolate that you use. So I tried the bread, and it was just as yummy!

Here's the original recipe~

Zucchini Chocolate Cake

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup milk

*3 {1-ounce} squares unsweetened baking chocolate

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 cups grated Zucchini

In a large bowl combine oil, sugar, and eggs. In a separate bowl sift dry ingredients; add to first mixture. Add milk and mix well. Melt baking chocolate in the microwave for 20-second intervals, until just melted. Blend chocolate and vanilla into batter. Stir in Zucchini. Bake in a greased 9x13 baking dish at 350 for about 25 minutes. Cool and frost with either a homemade or store bought chocolate frosting.

* If making bread, use 1/2 cup cocoa instead. Add chocolate chips if you like! This makes two loafs. It took a little longer to bake all the way thru, just bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

'Life is Good' block

2009-08-13T21:52:00.002-06:00

Sorry this photo is a little fuzzy!
I was getting my hair done the other day and I noticed on the shelf above the sinks where the girls wash your hair there was this cute little block with a pleasant thought on it. I thought," I could make that!" So I did!

I took a scrap piece of wood and sanded it down. I painted it a black, then sanded the edges for that distressed look. I used my cricut to cut the words out of vinyl. I have this on top of my fridge. I just love the simplicity of it!

Vinyl wall hanging

2009-08-11T20:20:00.002-06:00

This project was cheap and so easy! I had an old 10x13 in. picture frame laying around. So I took the back off, and spray painted the frame black. Then I hot glued the glass back in. I cut the saying out of vinyl {I saw this saying in a magazine}. The stars in the bottom corners are not permanent. They fell off my berry vine thing I have on the table that I hang this over.

I couldn't get a picture of where I have it hanging because there was too much glare from the flash and the lights in the room. The frame was free, since I already had it. I already had the spray paint as well. And I have my own Cricut and vinyl. So this project was free! I had it done in 30 mins{ I had to wait for the paint to dry, or it would have been faster}.

Brown Paper Bag Halloween Memory Book

2009-08-02T15:55:00.012-06:00

This is a memory book made out of brown paper lunch bags. I folded them in half so the tops and bottoms of the bags are now the sides of the book. With the fold being the 'spine' of the book. Then I just covered the 'pages' with scrapbook paper and pictures! Right now there are only 12 pages. I thought I could put a picture of V. from each year on a page. It'll last 'til she's 12. {Unless I add more pages!}

This is the front. {I'm not the fanciest scrapbooker}.

You open it up and you see the cutest little girl ever! {Please excuse my thumb in the picture. I'm covering V.'s name to protect her online identity}

Where the top{opening} of the bag is, you now have a little 'pocket'. I added some pull outs with pictures on them.

The side of the book here is the bottom of the bag. I can fold them two different ways. The way it's folded here I have a flap I can lift up to see a {future} picture underneath.

Empty pages for future Halloweens!

There you go! I also have a Christmas one I'll post pics of soon. Hope I don't bore you people with all the pics of my projects! Thanks for looking!

Albertsons Doublers

2009-07-26T13:39:00.001-06:00

There are three doublers on page A6 of the Post Register today. Check it out! I didn't see any in The Idaho State Journal, did I overlook them?

Chicken Stuffing Casserole

2009-07-21T06:55:00.004-06:00

I don't have a picture of this, sorry! But I thought I would share this with you anyway! It's a fast and easy dinner. And a great way to get your kids{or husband} to eat their veggies!

4 boneless, cooked, diced chicken or 2 cans Swanson chicken

1 box Chicken Stove Top Stuffing

1 can Cream of Chicken

1/3 cup sour cream

1 can corn,drained

1 can green beans,drained

Stir stuffing crumbs, contents of seasoning packet, 1 1/2 cup HOT water, and 1/4 cup butter. Stir until just moistened, set aside.
Place chicken in 12x8 inch pan. Dump veggies on top. Mix soup and sour cream, pour over the veggies. Top with stuffing.
Bake @ 375 until heated through.
Instead of veggies, you could add apples or nuts for extra flavor!

Hair bows

2009-07-16T09:05:00.015-06:00

Aren't these bows cute? I saw something similar on a blog, forever-a-go. I don't remember where. I got a grab bag full of ribbon at The Ribbon Retreat{http://www.theribbonretreat.com/} in Shelly the other week, and started playing around with some of them and thought I would make these. I've never done these bows before. What do you think?

They are a lot cuter in person. After I put them in my daughters hair, I realized I should have made them a little smaller. I need to trim the edges in, I think. And never mind the yellow pony tail holders in her hair. She wanted to wear some Disney Princess ones.

Start off by putting a dot of hot glue on the end or your ribbon. Fold it over. Then glue the folded end underneath the barrette.

Run some glue across the top of the barrette.

Press your ribbon on.

Then you snip off the ribbon, not too close to the barrette. Add a dot of glue to the end and fold it over so it's glued that way.

Then glue the folded end under the barrette.

In this picture I'm trying to show how the ribbon is folded and glued underneath the barrette.

I made two of them. This is what they should look like after you have covered them with ribbon.

Then I just picked out the ribbon I wanted and tied a knot in the middle and hot glued them on. After you cut your ribbon, burn the edges just a little to prevent raveling. Darling,huh?

Boo block

2009-07-13T09:20:00.011-06:00

Isn't this a cute little block? I know the picture is a little fuzzy, but you get the idea! Even though Halloween is still a couple of months away I had to make this! I found this paper at the local scrapbook store last week. I loved the owls eyes and knew I had to do somthing with it that was Halloweenish!

First, I cut about a 6 inch block off of a 2x4. Sanded it down and painted it a terra cotta orange.

Then I sanded the edges and brushed some stain over the edges to give it a little bit of a distressed look. The picture dosen't really show the edges that well, does it?

Then I tore a piece of the owl paper to fit the block and ran a sepia colored ink pad over the edges.

Brush some mod podge onto the block. This is your glue.

Then press the paper on. Brush some more mod podge over the paper, smoothing the paper out as you go to prevent it from bubbling up.

I cut the letters out of black vinyl with my Cricut. But you could use any type of alphabet stickers. Or even write the letters on with a thick, black, magic marker.

Simple, but cute!

Breakfast Rolls

2009-07-08T19:15:00.012-06:00

These are oh-so-yummy! I only make them about twice a year. Always on Christmas morning, and this year on the Fouth of July morning! They are the most delicious thing you will ever eat for breakfast!

Now, the recipe is not my own. I got it out of 'The Essential Mormon Cookbook', which you can get at Deseret Bookstore{ www.deseretbook.com}. All of the recipes I have tried in this book have been fantastic! I would definetly recommend getting this cookbook! Scroll down for the recipe.

Tear off a couple of gooey rolls.....

Dig in and enjoy!

Butterscotch Bundt Rolls

18 frozen dinner rolls

1 (3-ounce) package of Butterscotch pudding(not instant)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans(optional)

1/2 cup melted buter

Arrange frozen rolls in a greased Bundt pan. Sprinkle pudding, brown sugar, and pecans over rolls. Drizzle butter all over. Cover Bundt pan with a dishtowel, plastic wrap, or waxed paper and let rise at room temperature overnight, or about 12 hours. Bake at 350 F. for about 25 minutes. Cool 5-10 minutes before inverting to a serving plate. Serve warm. Makes 18 rolls.

These also taste yummy with 3/4 cup sugar, white or brown. And 1 Tablespoon cinnamon. Use these instead of the brown sugar and pudding. Drizzle with butter and follow the rest of the directions as above.

Different ways to wear a flower clip

2009-07-08T18:59:00.006-06:00

There are so many ways you can wear a flower clip. I have some pictures of just a few ways...

Wear hair in a low, side bun. Clip on a flower!

Pull back the front of your hair. Flower clip it!

This is my daughters ballet costume that all us moms got together to make{that's another post}. One of the moms came up with the idea to add a flower clip to the front. There are also two in her hair around her bun.

And of course in a crochet head band or beanie.

There are so many things you can do when you use a clip when making these instead of an actual barret. You can clip them onto anything! You could even add a clip to the top of a wrapped gift. Be creative!

Flower clips tutorial

2009-07-07T23:31:00.014-06:00

This is my first tutorial with pictures. Please bear with me as I try to get better at this!
These flower clips are everywhere! And so easy to make! I use any flower I find that I think will be cute in my daughters hair. I buy alligator clips because they grip the hair and don't fall out as easy. I also use french barrets. I buy them from http://www.theribbonretreat.com/. They are so cheap! A pack of 10 alligator clips are $2.00. And the french barrets were 20 for $1.50!

This one I made from a scrapbook flower.

One of my favs! Just a silk flower from Roberts.

You will need a hot glue gun, ribbon, scissors, any flower,{it can be silk or a scrapbook flower}, and your hair clip.

First,pull the blossom off of the vine and snip the end off so your flower will lay flat.

Then lift up each layer and put dabs of hot glue in between the layers.{ This is to make sure the flower dosen't fall apart}

Flip the barret over so the underside is facing up. Put a little dab of glue on the end and press the folded end of your ribbon on to it. {You want to fold the end of your ribbon under so you don't have an unfinished end showing}

The bottom should look like this.

Then put some glue across the top and press the ribbon on, tucking under the end.

So your clip should now look like so.

Again, another fuzzy photo. Sorry! I couldn't get it to focus for some reason! Put hot glue across the top of the barret and then place your flower on over that and press down firmly.

Voila! You now have your flower clip! I made a pair so my daughter can wear them with two pigtails.

Sidewalk sale at Hallmark

2009-07-06T20:54:00.004-06:00

This last weekend we were walking around the mall and I saw that Hallmark was having a sidewalk sale. So I walked on over to see what they had.

I got all of this for $5.89! Crazy, huh? I got two rolls of wrapping paper, two pkgs. of tissue paper, two rolls of ribbon (each had three different colors) and about ten gift tags. (But I can also use those in my scrapbooking).

Everything was 75% off. Not bad, huh?

Albertsons' Doublers

2009-07-05T19:25:00.002-06:00

I found them! They were hiding today in the paper. But there are three Albertsons doublers on page A9 of todays Post Register. They are good 7/5-7/7.I looked thru the Idaho State Journal and didn't see them. Did I miss them?

Flower clips

2009-07-05T13:46:00.003-06:00

Aren't these darling? I recently made some flower clips for my daughters' hair. I love them!
These first two measure about 7-8 inches across.

I just bought some silk flowers at Roberts and pulled the bloom off the stem and then hot glued it onto a clip. Easy!

These two are smaller, They are about 2 inches across. I made them with those scrapbook flowers you can buy at the craft store. I used buttons in the middle. Cute, huh?

Next time I make some I'll take step-by-step pictures of the process to show you how I do it. I glue ribbon onto the clip so it looks more finished. I promise I'll take some pictures soon and do another post with the directions!

Scrapbook frame

2009-07-05T13:36:00.004-06:00

Here is a beautiful picture of my baby girl. Only, she's not a baby anymore*sniff*.
I bought a plain wood craft frame. Painted the sides, inside, and back a brown.
Cut out some scrapbook paper to fit the front of the frame and glued it on with mod podge. But I'm sure any type of craft paper glue would work
Then I applied another coat of mod podge as a finisher.
I hot glued on some ribbon and a button and there you go! A cute, personal frame for my baby!

Quote blocks

2009-07-05T13:08:00.007-06:00

These are so easy to make! And they make great, inexpensive gifts as well!
The first one I made for a friend who is also into crafting. I thought the saying matched her perfectly!

I bought a 2x4 and cut it down to the size of block I wanted. The first one was I think 6 inches and the second one was about 8 inches.

I sanded the block down and painted it the color I wanted.

Then sanded the edges again.

Then I typed the saying out on my computer and used the the font I wanted from there. And printed it out on cardstock. The thicker your paper the easier it is to apply to the block.

I brushed some mod podge on the front of the block and pressed the paper on top, smoothing it out from the center towards the outside. The thinner your paper, the more it can bubble up. That's why I went with card stock!

Then I brushed some more mod podge over the front.

Then I just tied a ribbon around the whole thing.Cute, aren't they? This second one I made for a friend that homeschools her children. Again, I thought the saying fitted her.
I've also made one of these that has a quote about family on it.That's what is so great about this craft. You can do any saying you want and personalize it for who ever or where ever it is going!

Patriotic Stackers

2009-07-03T19:43:00.003-06:00

These were so easy to make! I cut a 2x2 piece of wood into two pieces. One measures about 8 inches the other 6 1/2 inches.
I sanded them and then painted them and sanded the edges again. I cut the the words and stars out of vinyl with my Cricut.
Easy peasy!

'Jesus know me' block

2009-07-03T19:38:00.004-06:00

I made this for my toddlers playroom. I cut a 2x4 piece of wood to the size I wanted. Painted it pink and sanded the edges . I cut the words out of vinyl with my Cricut and tied a ribbon around the whole thing. Cute, huh? This would make a nice gift for a child, or anyone!

Wood picture blocks

2009-07-03T18:09:00.008-06:00

I made these with the girls in Young Womens last year for them to give their moms for Mother's Day.

I took a 4x4 and cut it into 3 1/2 inch blocks.They say it's a 4x4, but it actually measures 3 1/2 in. Don't ask me why. That just the way it is!

I sanded the blocks and painted them red and then sanded the edges again to get the distressed look. I cut some pictures and scrapbook paper to fit. You could put pictures on all sides if you wanted.

I brushed some mod podge on one side of the block and put the paper/picture on top. Smooth the paper out from the middle towards the outside. The thinner the paper, the more it may bubble up! Repeat on all sides.

Then I brushed some more mod podge over the paper/picture.Then if you wanted to add any stickers or anything to the blank sides you can.

Cover the whole block with mod podge as a finishing touch.

BE SURE TO LET THESE DRY FOR AT LEAST 48 HOURS! Trust me! It may feel and look dry, but it isn't!

You can do as many of these as you want and stack them, or line them up. These would make a great gift for a grandparent, or mothers/fathers day!

Home blocks

2009-07-02T10:42:00.006-06:00

Again, I'm sorry I don't have step-by-step photos of this.
What I did was paint some 2x4 blocks black. I sanded the edges a little to distress it. Then I applied scrapbook paper with mod podge. When that dried, I sanded the edges of the paper a little. I cut the letters out of vinyl and stuck them on. Then I applied another coat of mod podge as a finisher. I tied some ribbon around the blocks, but I think they would look cute with out ribbon as well.
I made this for the raffle we do at our family reunion every year.
You could spell out any word on these and it would look great!

Baked Potatoes in the Summer

2009-07-02T08:51:00.004-06:00

Of course being an Idaho girl I love potatoes! There are so many ways to eat them...french fries, hashbrowns, casseroles, potatoe cakes, mashed, and of course, baked!
However, I hate using my oven in the summer because it makes the kitchen so hot! ugh! How to have baked potatoes in the summer without heating up the place......use the crockpot! You heard me right, the crockpot.
Scrub your potatoes, wrap in tin foil, poke a couple of holes in the ends to allow the steam out. Place the potatoes in the crockpot, cover and cook on high for four hours. And you have a yummy meal of baked potatoes without ever turning on your oven!

Framed initials

2009-07-01T22:37:00.006-06:00

I don't have step-by-step pictures for this. Sorry! But it was easy!

I bought three, $2 frames at Wal-Mart, and took the backs out. Then I hot glued the glass into the frame. I cut my daughters initials out of vinyl with my cricut. And applied them to the front of the glass. Then I used a staple gun to attach some ribbon to the back of the frame. Then I just tied them onto some nails in the wall. Easy! And so cute!

I also think this would look great with a families last name or the word 'family'. I think it would make a good wedding gift.

Zuchinni Bread

2009-07-01T22:32:00.003-06:00

Well, Steve has been camping with his brothers and I'm bored so I thought I would share a recipe I have for zuchinni bread. It is REALLY good!
We got our garden in a little late this year but hopefully this next month we should have some zuchinni ready to eat!
I got this recipe from my mom, who got it from her friend Vicky. I'm not sure if it was her own or one she got from somewhere.

Zuchinni Bread
3 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
Beat the above ingredients together.
Add the following-
2 cups zuchinni* 2 tsp.vanilla
3 cups flour 1/4 tsp.baking powder
1 tsp.baking soda 2 tsp. cinnamon

Makes one loaf. Bake @ 350 for 1 hour.
I actually make two loaves out of this recipe, and I cut the baking time down to 45-50 mins.

* I chop mine up and put it in a blender or food processor until it is a puree. The bread holds together better this way then if you just grate/shred the zuchinni.