Weekend Inspiration: Mother's Day

It's been an insane week preparing for a huge work event. The good news is that because of all the extra time spent at work now, later there will be much, much less. Things will calm down just in time for me to take a quick trip to Florida for Mother's Day. I can't wait to spend the say relaxing and spoiling Mom! Here's a few of my favorite ideas for Mother's Day gifts from around the internet:



1. Can you believe this basket is made from paper flowers? Gorgeous AND long lasting!

2. These sweet topiaries are perfect for a Mom with simple, classic taste.

3. If your family is spread out all over the place, your Mom would loves this bracelet to reflect each person's location.

4. How charming are these mini-birdhouse key holders?

5. A DIY coffee scrub for the Mom who's all about the beauty products... and caffeine.

6. A fold-over clutch can be personalized for any style.

7. This flower monogram would impress any Mom!

8. Sharpie mugs have been around for a little while but would be a simple, customizable treat.

Have you already made or gotten your Mom something? Do you give gifts to other important women in your life on Mother's day? I'd love to know!

Sheila

Weekend Inspiration: Put Some Bunny Ears On It

Happy Good Friday!

The offices are closed today so guess what lucky girl is sitting on her couch with a cup of coffee wrapped in a blanket at 10 am? THIS GIRL. It's pretty much the greatest.

One of the more exciting ideas that's come to mind in this free time is making Easter baskets for friends and family. Baskets for kids are easy: Candy? Check. Adults have more of a variety of passions but everyone can agree that adding bunny ears  anything makes it universally adorable. The basic idea behind these grown up Easter baskets is to take one "big" thing, put some bunny ears on it, then fill the rest of the package with coordinating items. Here's just a few ideas:

For the Craft Beer Connoisseur:



Some other ideas to add would be coasters, a bottle opener, and maybe some Advil (keeping it real). Bonus points if you use the 6-pack box as your "basket."

For the Beauty Addict:



Make sure to use a dry erase marker on the mirror and NOT a permanent marker. The dry erase wipes right off when the novelty wears off.Pack it up with some lip gloss, travel sized hairspray, and fancy scented make up remover wipes. All things that will be useful no matter how much they already have in their arsenal of beauty supplies. A cute make-up bag is an easy choice for a basket substitute.

For the Cook:



Fill out the package with some fancy flavored olive oil and a jar of herbs or spices to coordinate. Wrap it up in a decorative tea towel and you're good to go.

All the bunny ears were cut from plain white felt. Repositionable glue dots held everything solidly in place but also ensure it will come right off when your friends are ready to use their gifts. Obviously this Weekend Inspiration is a little different but when the mood strikes you can't let it pass you by :)

What other themes would you create for a grown-up Easter basket? What other items would you add? I'd love to know!

Sheila

Weekend Inspiration: Easter Eggs

Growing up, dyeing Easter Eggs was always a must with my family. Even now that my sister and I live elsewhere I've heard stories that Mom still colors a few and hides them around the house for Dad to find. Celebrating holidays to the fullest extent is basically in my blood. I couldn't let a Weekend Inspiration post go by ignoring it!

1. These Easter Egg cookies are gorgeous. A different kind to decorate!

2. A perfect shabby-chic way to give old plastic eggs a new life.

3. These paper napkin covered eggs are gorgeous and quick. No one would know it took no time at all...

4. Leave it to the Pioneer Woman to create Rice Krispie Treat easter eggs.

5. Remember those salt dough ornaments everyone loved at Christmas? Don't retire it yet!

6. Embroidery floss + balloons + glue= floss eggs

7. I would make this garland, but I'm pretty sure if Home Depot sees me go near the paint samples again they will call security.

8. These braided eggs look amazing, but also a lot of work. I let you know if I figure out a lazy way to accomplish the look.

Are you already preparing for Easter? What's your favorite way to decorate eggs? I'd love to know!

Sheila

Last Minute Valentine Idea! (3 Day Snowpocalypse/Craftathon)

As everyone has heard by now, the south got slammed with Winter Storm Pax this week which has resulted in my work being closed for 3 days. Growing up in Florida, we never had snow days. Hurricanes days, yes. Snow days, no. Even though I lived in Montana I don't think I ever had a snow day until this week. I can't even imagine how much snow would be required to shut everything down there... *shudders with snowy thoughts* But here in the south, where snow is possible but not necessarily expected it only takes a few inches to shut it down. That said, I finished the Valentine's I would be giving out if civilization in Greenville is allowed to continue again. 

I tore the existing tag off a tea bag, folded washi tape over it and cut it into a heart shape. It took about 30 seconds. I just happened to have these little cello bags so I put the tea bag in there to give away. I couldn't resist the urge to incorporate a pun ("You're my cup of tea!"). Sealed the bag with another little piece of washi tape and it's all ready to give away to coworkers or friends.



I have made the most of these snow days. By that, I mean I've slept in, stayed in pajamas, eaten junk food, and watched wayyyyy to many movies. AND crafting!  Scrapbooking, crocheting, sewing, printing. The life and times of a lazy crafter. It's been wonderful :)

Wherever you are I hope you're safe, warm, and have everything you need to make fun last minute valentines. How did you spend your snow days? Did you make anything? I'd love to know!

Sheila

Simple Glass Ornaments

WHAT. HAPPENED. TO. DECEMBER. 

Seriously, how is it already the 11th? I feel like Thanksgiving tricked me this year by being so late. Oops. If you're like me and feeling desperately behind, I have an easy project suggestion that would be great as a stocking stuffer or simple, elegant gift.



It's pretty simple, especially if you're comfortable with free-handed drawing. All it takes is plain glass ornaments, puffy paint, ribbons, candy and a dry erase marker if you want to sketch out your drawings before using the puffy paint.

 We wanted each one to be unique so we used about 16 different Christmas images: star, a strand of lights, a fire place, stockings, Santa hat, silver bells, candy cane, gingerbread man, ornaments, Christmas tree,  wreath, snow man, snowflakes, holly, and then a few logos of the organizations receiving gifts.

After the paint dried overnight, we filled them with M&Ms and put a ribbon on top to finish them. We then realized the candy made them VERY heavy and also easier to break. Instead, we used the candy as a layer of protection around the ornaments when we put them in the gift bags. Functional and tasty, 2 things I love. 

The dry erase marker is particularly helpful for detailed projects, like this Pensacola Beach sign. If you use the dry erase maker then just use a dry paint brush to wipe off any extra after the paint dries. It's kind of fun to do. I would find myself using the marker even when I didn't need an outline just because I enjoyed brushing it off later... Is that weird? Don't judge me.

Pretty simple, but fun to make and seemed to be very well received by the people they were given to (it was actually a work project, I wish I had this many gifts finished for friends!).

So you have any handmade ornaments on your tree? Have you spent a lot of time mastering the beast that is puffy paint? I'd love to know!

Sheila

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you have a wonderful day, full of love and time for thankfulness. If you're traveling, be safe! And if you're staying put, be happy!

Do you have any Thanksgiving traditions you're looking forward to? Any special plans for this year? I'd love to know!

Sheila

When do you put up your (real or fake) tree?

Happy 2 days before Thanksgiving! Too early? Okay...

As I write this, I'm back in Sunny Florida where the weather is about 80 with a slight wind. It cracks me up that my entire family thought it was cold here this weekend. Do you know what the temperature was? 68 degrees. 6.8. That was a moment of realization for me that it wasn't changing my address, or moving a million times, or changing my drivers license to a new state that makes me no longer a Floridian. It's the fact that I'm no longer freezing when it's in the 60's outside. OH THE HUMANITY.

But all that aside, I have a serious question for y'all: When do you put up your Christmas tree? It's a tradition for our family to have the tree up the week of Thanksgiving, preferably before the holiday meal so we can enjoy it with any guests. My parents always use a fake tree. For about 20 years we had used a tree that had belonged to my Grandparents before it found it's way here. By the end, that little tree was sad, almost bare and leaning heavily but we loved it still! It wasn't until the tree started to look dangerously imbalanced that we bought a new tree.

I've been thinking long and hard about whether I want to buy a real tree this Christmas or a fake one to have for years to come. There's something so festive in the smell of a live tree, but there's also something to be said for having the same tree for many, many years. It's like having another member of the family just for the holidays. And then there's the maintenance of a real true vs. storage of a fake tree. I just don't know!

When do you set up your tree? Do you prefer real or fake trees? I'd love to know!

Sheila


P.S. My Mom uses beads as garland instead of tinsel around the tree. I love the simple look and it doesn't leave little pieces all over like tinsel does. Just a thought.

Snowflake Crust Apple Pie

It stands to reason that I should use a cookie cutter at least every now and then, right?



I made an apple pie the other night and decided at the last minute to do something a little different with the crust. I love this apple pie recipe because it's so simple but I like to make a few adjustments. For starters, I'm a big cheater and use pre-made crust dough (the kind that come in the refrigerated section and rolls out). Also, I used what I had which ended up being granny smith apples. Bobby Flay's recipe turned into this:

1 box of pre-made pie crust
4 granny smith apples
3/4 cup fine sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon of nutmeg



Preheat oven to 350. Slice up the apples, throw everything in a bowl except the crust (obv) and stir it up. It's going to look a little dry but it will be fine. Promise. Set it aside while you work on your crust.

Roll out one piece of dough for the bottom crust. Run a rolling pin over it to fix any cracks or inconsistencies. Place in buttered pie pan and pinch the edges. Toss in the filling. Roll out the next piece and use a snowflake cookie cutter to cut out as many pieces as possible.The snowflakes were a much easier alternative to time-consuming lattice crust and worked just as well.A cookie cutter and about 10 minutes was all it took. As you can see, these snowflakes landed all over the place without much pattern. I should have sprinkled brown sugar over the top but didn't think about it until after it was baked.

Bake your pie for at least 30-40 minutes. Keep an eye on it though: mine browned very quickly and had to be turned occasionally to prevent burning.

What is your favorite Thanksgiving dessert? More importantly, what's your favorite kind of pie!? I'd love to know.

Sheila

Crochet Pumpkin Patch Garland

TINY THINGS. Do you loves them as much as I do? I stand by my choice to adore things more for the simple fact that they are smaller than their full-sized counter parts. This love has most recently manifested itself in this little crochet pumpkin patch that even a beginning crocheter can make in less than an hour.

You will need:

Orange yarn
different shades of green and brown yarns
crochet hook

The size and gauge of the yarn/hook don't matter. Use whatcha got. I made about 10 pumpkins for my 3ft garland.

Start by making your pumpkins:

Chain 3.
Row 1: Double crochet 9 stitches into 3rd stitch from hook (the first chain you made). The last 2 chain stitches will count as a double so you'll end up with a circle of 10 double crochets. Slip stitch to join.
Row 2: 2 single crochets into next 3 stitches, 2 double crochets into next 2 stitches, 2 single crochets into next 3 stitches, 2 double crochets into next 2 stitches to make the oval shape. 20 stitches total.
Finish it off by tying and weaving in your ends.

Time to add them to the vine:

Use your first color of green or brown to chain at least 15 stitches. Add a pumpkin in by single crocheting through the top few stitches. I did each one a little different but used about 3 or 4 stitches each time. Chain anywhere from 15 to 30 stitches in between each pumpkin for desired length and variation.
Add other colors to give your vine dimension by chaining with 2 pieces of yarn at once. No need to tie in a new color, it seems to stay just fine. Occasionally, I would chain a few of one color and wrap the other around it then pick it back up in the chain. Leaving the ends loose looks cute.

You could add more variety by crocheting leaves along the vine as well. Or make little jack-o-lantern faces! I'm thinking about adding some acorns when it gets closer to Thanksgiving.

Do you decorate for the holidays? Living alone, I'm the only one who enjoys it but I still love to do it. Do you decorate for yourself or for family and visitors? I'd love to know!

Sheila

Happy Labor Day!

If today is a wonderful day of rest for you, I hope you're enjoying every minute of it. If you are in a field that doesn't give much attention to such holidays, like retail or restaurants, I hope you find an excuse to have a nice restful day sometime this week. 

If, like my Mom, you spent the long weekend making a trip to spend time with a loved one please drive safe today on your return!

I'm off to finish building the mound of Ikea purchases made this weekend...

Sheila

Happy 4th!

Happy 4th of July!

I have this thing where everytime I hear the National Anthem, my eyes start watering. Every. Time. Some people would have a legitimate reason to cry at the inspiring song, but not myself. I just do. I think it has something to do with the idea of how many people have sung it and the many, many different situations. Have you seen Casablanca? My favorite scene is the anthem scene.  You would think I was Yvonne based on my routine reaction to the Star Spangled Banner. Maybe I'll better off today if I think of it like singing "Happy Birthday" to the land of the free and the home of the brave... Hope you have a wonderful day :)

Sheila

Firework Poppers!

Fireworks are dangerous y'all. 

They are loud. They involve fire... Maybe that's a part of their appeal to the masses. For others, the noise and the danger are unsettling and intrusive. Even illegal. So I came up with something else!

You will need:

Colored rice (food coloring, vinegar, white rice)
2 sheets of paper cut in half, hotdog style
4 toilet paper rolls
markers
tape
4 medium-sized balloons

*Makes 4 poppers.
*This project was originally intended for kids but my test audience (fellow 20-something) and I found them highly entertaining.
*I researched to make sure the rice/food coloring combo wasn't bad for birds. As far as I could find, they'll be fine.

Start with dying the rice. Use 2 tbsp of vinegar with 2 drops of food coloring to 3/4-1/2 c of white rice. Stir it all together and let sit for 5 minutes.

Spread the rice on foil to let it dry. I left it overnight, but I think it was ready in a few hours.

Use the markers to decorate one side of cut paper. Roll the paper around the tube and tape it shut.

Tie the end of the balloon and cut off the very top. Place it around one end of the tube.

Are you ready for the fun part? Take a small handful of rice and put into the open end of the tube. Pull back on the knotted end of the balloon slightly and FIRE! 

See all the rice in the air? It worked way better than I expected. But don't aim these towards your face. We didn't try it but I have a feeling it wouldn't go well.

We even took a video because we weren't sure a photo fully captured the effect. Unfortunately, I'm apparently the world's worst videographer and there's a lot of camera shaking and laughing involved.

Do you love real fireworks or hate them? Would you make these with your kids or for yourself? I'd love to know!

Sheila :) 

Patriotic Nachos

Hope you had a great weekend! We decided to celebrate the 4th of July a little early with a picnic on Sunday. There are so many red, white, and blue recipes for the holiday. Most of them seem to be berry-centric, so a friend challenged me to come up with something else. Maybe something cheese-related?

This is probably the easiest 4th of July party idea ever. If you've got plans for next weekend and don't know what to bring, THIS is the way to go. I didn't do anything fancy to serve them since we were planning to transport them to the park with all the rest of the picnic stuff. You could go all out if you're so inclined.

It's just red salsa, queso blanco, and blue corn chips. Red, white, and blue. Patriotic nachos. Boom.

What are you looking forward most about the 4th? Any special traditions? I'd love to know.

Sheila

P.S. Normally you'd have to melt queso blanco but we were eating it outside in Summer in South Carolina. It stayed plenty melty.

P.S.S. We made quite the dent for just 2 small people.

Weekend Inspiration: 4th of July

I asked my Mom yesterday what I should use as a theme for Weekend Inspiration. Her answer: "Well the 4th of July is Thursday so..."

"WHAT? That's the next week."

"Nope. It's in 7 days."

"I refuse to accept that."

Seeing as the calendar doesn't care about my refusal, I guess I better find some great stuff to celebrate Independence Day!

I love that this banner isn't the usual stars and stripes but just as patriotic. From the Shabby Scrapper on Etsy.

Chocolate dipped frozen popsicles from Just a Taste would be the perfect treat. 

This recipe from Whipperberry uses Jell-o to make multi-colored popcorn. I'm curious to try it.

Such a simple idea from BHG to use little flags as napkin rings. Then everyone gets a napkin AND a flag to wave during fireworks. 

Is there any dessert with a better ease-to-taste ratio than Rice Krispies Treats? Nope. And the color added by Lil' Luna makes them extra special. 

First, we can all admire the silly face on the kiddo in the corner. Second, this wreath from Tell It To Your Neighbor is made out of paper cups! So neat! 

 What a fun idea for a pie crust from Cosmo Cookie! 

This tutorial from Whimsical Whimsies looks pretty easy and would make a perfect party decoration.

4th of July citronella candles from Alpha Mom. Decorate AND keep the bugs away from the outdoor festivities.

Hope you have a great weekend! Any fun plans in the works? I'd love to know!

Sheila :)

Dad's Steak Shish Kabobs

Happy Memorial Day friends! I hope it's wonderful so far. Full of lots of friends, celebration, thankfulness, and remembrance.

One of my favorite things about visiting home, aside from spending time with family and hopefully seeing from friends (which sadly didn't happen this time) is cooking together. The internet can teach you recipes, but family will teach you how to cook.

I'm pretty lucking in that both Mom and Dad are good cooks. My sister and I grew up on simple, healthy, and delicious meals that are still some of my favorites as an adult. A special treat frequently  requested for Birthdays and other occasions are these shish kabobs.

We made a ton of shish kabobs. For a normal dinner, you could use about half of the ingredients listed. This recipe made 15. The best thing about serving shish kabobs at a cookout is that you can prepare everything in advance and let everyone make their own according to preference. These instructions are to make them to Dad's tried and tested method.

You will need:

2-3 lbs Top sirloin steaks, trimmed and cubed to 1-1/2" pieces
Extra virgin olive oil, covered enough to coat but not to swim
McCormick Grillmates Montreal Seasoning, Dad has tried many and feels this is definitely the best
3 cubed peppers, green and red
2 large cubed Sweet Vidalia onions
2 lb Whole white mushrooms
1 pt Tomatoes, we used grape this time but Dad prefer's cherry


Marinade the meat with the olive oil and a healthy sprinkling of the Montreal seasoning. This is easiest to do in a dish with a tightly closing lid. Apparently the secret to a good marinade session is being able to shake it and evenly distribute the goods. Dad likes the Tupperware marinade set. Refrigerate in marinade at least 2 hours, flipping or shaking the container at least a few times throughout. Ideally, the marinade would sit a whole day, or even overnight. When you're done marinading don't throw out the leftover oil/seasoning, you're going to need it when grilling!

Lay out all of your cubed veggies and start adding to your skewers. According to both parents, the most important part of building a shish kabob is putting a green pepper in the bottom to keep the rest from moving around.

Dad recommends grilling with charcoal, as many grill aficionados will suggest. He let the coals heat up for a good 30-45 until they were nice and grey. (Dad just got a new grill. It is not for the faint of heart.)

Remember when I said to save the leftover marinade? Now is when we use that. Add a little extra olive oil and Montreal seasoning and brush the mixture over the assembled kabobs. You’ll do the same thing again while the kabobs are on the grill.  

Grill 'em up!

Tend constantly and turn frequently. Cook to desired doneness. Our family prefers medium rare which doesn't take quite as long.



Add some more marinade.

Admire the deliciousness.

Serve with rice and good company.

Well, it's time for me to hit the road back to South Carolina! What is your favorite family tradition meal? Are you a griller? I've never tried but have always wanted to. I'd love to know.

Sheila :)

Weekend Inspiration: Memorial Day

What are you doing over this long Memorial Day weekend? I'm driving home to see my family in Florida. It's always such a treat to be home. I anticipate lots of sun and family time. Memorial Day will be spent driving back to South Carolina , so you'll have to have extra fun for me. This weekend inspiration is devoted to great ways and ideas to celebrate and remember.

Vegan Memorial Day recipes on Vegan Yack Attack. Now no one has to miss out on the cookout fun.























This "Patriotic Punch" from No. 2 Pencil is so cool!

Find instructions to make this pretty patriotic wreath or one of the many other holiday decoration ideas listed on Girl Next Door Decor.

Here's a fun list of ideas to celebrate the holiday and start the summer off right on USA Today.

Have you thought about going berry picking for Memorial Day? Creature Comforts makes it look like fun. And she has a great recipe to use with the fruit of your labor ;)



How about using some vintage posters from Found in Mom's Basement for decorating?

It's easy to over-eat during gatherings. Damy Health has a list of 40 healthy recipe ideas that will make the over indulgence a little less calorie costly, including desserts.

Catch my Party is offering loads of free coordinated Memorial Day printables
like these firework cupcake toppers.

Everything made by Kristin on Iowa Girl Eats looks delicious. Everything.
This Memorial Day menu round up is no different.

A good party is all in the details! How about a Memorial day wine pairing from Relax Wines?

And most importantly, don't forget to thank those who served. Present, living, or past. Thanks Grandpa Mettetal! 

What are your plans? Do you have any Memorial Day weekend traditions? I'd love to know. 

Sheila :)