Martha Month: Five Finger Snowman and My New Man Mac Jr.

My post is very late this week because my computer finally gave up it's last breath after two years of diligent service. I don't blame the old man, his work conditions were less than civilized; loads of overtime, loud work environment that probably made him go deaf far before his time and the disorganized chaos that surrounded him is enough to make anyone loose their mind.  It was time to let the old guy retire. At first I was angry at him, but now Mac's little bro is gracing my presence and oh man, he's hot!  I can definitely say this transition hasn't been the least bit difficult. No hard feelings, rest in peace old man Mac...don't worry about me, Mac Jr. is doin a fine job! 


I have to give a big shout out to my friend Chris who gave new life to my computer! I am so thankful for your awesome geekiness, without it I would still be cursing and crying my way through the work day! Seriously, thank you!


Week two of my "Month of Martha" takes us to these adorable ornaments. Every year we buy the kids an ornament to add to our collection. It was the perfect opportunity to get my crafty pants on and find an ornament we could make and save some money doing it. Though cute, Hallmark ornaments for four kids can break the bank! 

My find and pin from pinterest

                                                                             Source: littlebitfunky.com via Linsey on Pinterest

What you will need:


- glass ornaments (I found these on 1/2 off day at the thrift store. I paid $3.00 for 16 ornaments, score!)
- white craft paint (I already had this, but it's .99 at the craft store)
- paint brush
- sharpie markers 
- egg carton for drying
- ribbon 

Paint the hands.

Place the ornament in the palm of their hand and have them wrap their fingers around it, keeping them spread apart. I helped a little by pressing some fingers. 

Let them dry.

Add all the snowman details, so fun watching them come to life!

Add names and the year.

What I love about this craft is they look cute no matter how perfect or imperfect the 
handprints are. 

I thought I would really get my "Martha" on and take it to the next level with a bow! Oh yeah, in the voice of Gay Focker, "watcha think a that!"

So easy, cheap and adorable! I am going to use the rest of the left over ornaments for Abby's birthday party! I'm really excited about finally being "that" mom that does something cool that makes all the other moms go, "oooo, ahhhh", and it becomes the hot conversation topic at next weeks play date!" 

A Month of Martha: Ruffle Goodness

I'm no Martha Stewart, but it's fun to pretend sometimes. The sense of accomplishment that you get after creating something is so rewarding. You come up with reasons that allow you to walk by your creation just so you can take another look at what you've done. "I made that? Wow, I did a great job! Oh my goodness I love it!" You're trip from one end of the house to the other takes you longer than normal, just so you can smile as you walk by the cuteness.

We all know everyone's recent addiction to Pinterest; I am no exception. I get on there and I am exploding with creativity...while I'm sitting on my butt starring at the screen for hours on end. It's like a really good book, one where you become the main character of the story.

I sit down, flip open the thriller and instantly get sucked in. I can't put it down, it's just too good. In this story I become Martha Stewart. The possibilities become endless and I become the mastermind behind it all. The problem with that is the minute you close the book, you are back to reality. When will I have time to create that? That would just cost to much money? There just aren't enough hours in the day. All those wonderful projects that had me bursting with ideas now get put on the back burner...forever. I walk away from the computer and I am no longer Martha, she only resides in my fantasies. Oops, strike that, that came out wrong. She only resides in my dreams? No. She only resides in my story? Whatever...you get the point.

I have decided to make December a "Month of Martha." A cheaper, less-meticulous, less-complicated, more of a copy-cat style of Martha...Martha, on a shoe-string budget. 

First up:

A gorgeous ruffled tree skirt!!

I love ruffles...always have!

Ruffled shirt and ruffled bangs, wowzers!

Ruffles weren't really in style after the sixth grade, so I had to layoff of them for awhile. I am so glad they're back!

My pin from Pinterest

Source: mycrazylife-lauren.blogspot.com via Linsey on Pinterest

Here is what I did

Items I used:
- painters canvas drop cloth, the one closest in size to 4 1/2 by 4 1/2 (purchased at Home Depot 7.99)

- 4 yards of fabric ... to save some money I used a cotton fabric. Actually a king size flat sheet from the thrift store (1.00)

- I also used a shiny curtain panel (i know there is probably a correct term to describe this type of fabric, anyone?) to add some bling between the layers of cotton, again, from the thrift store (.50)

- hot glue gun and glue sticks (about 5.00 worth of glue)

- fabric scissors

I also purchased some ribbon to tie the slit together with some cute bows. But, it's not necessary. I like the way it looks all gathered up under the tree and found I didn't really need to tie it off, but of course you could. I was picturing three bows down the length of the slit. Does sound cute doesn't it? Okay, maybe I will add the bows when all said and done!

Total cost so far: $14.49

I'm going to say that the final cost will be about $18.00, I still want to purchase some more sheer fabric to finish between the layers, I ran out.

First thing you need to do is make your drop cloth a 4 1/2' square.

Fold it over two times making a smaller square,

then into a triangle.

Cut off the bottom and top,

making a big donut.

Make a slit.

Then when you realize you've cut the center hole way to big, you will need to do a little damage control,

by glueing back on some of the canvas. It will all be covered by gorgeous ruffles, so no worries!

Take your fabric and cut 2'' strips. I started off by being meticulous with this, but then just started eyeballing it. This type of project is very forgiving!

Then just start creating ruffles by laying down a stip of hot clue and pinching the fabric into it. You will start to get a rhythm.

This is the curtain panel that I used. I just cut out the shiny strips and put them between the cotton layers.

I really love what this does for the skirt, gives it a more chic look! It's also off-white in color so it balances out all the white.

Even though it's not finished yet, you get the idea. Just picture the bottom portion all the way up!

Isn't she gorgeous, I love her! I'm hoping to make a trip to the fabric store this weekend so I can get this lady finished!

I'd love to hear about any projects you've accomplished lately? 

Ways to Stay Creative

You have probably already seen this list circulating the internet; I came across it for the first time the other day. For those that have not seen it yet and maybe as a reminder to those that have...I thought it was worth sharing.

Some thoughts:

#4- Get away from the computer.  This is a big one for me. It's so easy to get wrapped up in the computer, the time passes by and we never get to exercise the creativity that we sat down to research about in the first place. Not good. 

#5- Quit beating yourself up.  I saw a post on one of the photography forums I belong to; it made me so sad. The question posted was, "Do you like your work?" Pages and pages of responses with everyone saying that they didn't like their work. I know it's very easy to be hard on yourself; I am definitely guilty but there should always be a sense of joy within our passion. I can always look through a session and find something I love; something I can be proud of. Sometimes I will catch myself smiling as I flip through pictures. It might not be the most technically perfect picture but it shines in one way or another. We all need to stop beating ourselves up and see our creativity for what it is...beautiful!!!

#6- Take breaks.  I have to remind myself of this one constantly. One of my strengths in life is "Achiever" (this will be a topic in another post) but with that strength comes burn out. I have to remember to get up, walk around, engage is something different. Read. Fold some laundry. Play with my kids. So important!!!!!

#7- Sing.  Pandora is always in the background when I'm editing. If it's not, I get irritated. 

#8- Drink coffee.  Totally have this one down!!!!

#9- Listen to new music.  Of course!

#16- Allow yourself to make mistakes.  Goes along with #5. Without mistakes you won't learn. 

#18- Count your blessings.  Perspective is huge.

#20- Take risks.   I feel like I am doing this a lot lately. Although it can be scary, my goodness, it's fun. And that brings us back to #16. It's okay to make mistakes while you are taking risks. They go hand in hand. Allowing yourself to make mistakes is a risk all on it's own.

#21- Break the rules.  I love this one. Being creative means you don't have to live in a box; something I have never been comfortable with. 

#22- Don't force it.  If it's not flowing, go back to #6 and walk away. Take a break and come back; don't force it because then it stops being enjoyable.

#25- Stop trying to be someone else's perfect.  Probably my favorite!! Comparing yourself with others is probably the one thing we as "creative people" do and the #1 thing that is most detrimental to our creativity. Let it go. Be your own beautiful!!!! Be okay with loving what YOU do and the way YOU do it!!!

#27- Clean your workspace.   I am so guilty of working in clutter and also guilty of being stressed within that clutter. I don't even realize why I am so stressed until I clean up all the junk around me. I have learned to clean my space before I begin work. My mind is clear and I am free to only focus on what is in front of me rather than the pile of unopened bills I continue to notice out of the corner of my eye. 

#28- Have fun.  Isn't this the reason we fell in love with whatever it is we do? It's our passion, it's what we can't live without doing, it's FUN! Don't let the fun fade away. If it begins to fade then look over this list. Ask yourself what needs to change and then make those changes so that you don't lose the love. 

More DIY Easter Basket Fun: It's All About the Boys

Last week I posted about the cutest girly Easter baskets, that I attempted and succeeded in making. But, I couldn't leave the boys out. This week it's all about the boys!

The first thing that came to mind, when thinking of what to do for the boys, was bow ties. What's cuter that a little man in a bow tie!

I then called my mom. Why? Well, she is the greatest, I love her, and we like to chat. I also had a little favor to ask. You see, I do have a sewing machine and I can sew, a little. But, when I want something done right I typically contract the job out. My mom is an amazing seamstress and so she is used to me calling on her and requesting her services.

She did attempt to show me how to make these simply constructed bow ties on skype, but totally lost me at ,"and then you sew a seam here." I gave her my puppy dog eyes and she giggled. A few days later I received a package from New York. Not only did she supply me with the cutest bow ties, but she also sent me all the necessary accessories I needed for the baskets too. She is amazing! Love you Mom!


What you will need:

bow ties made with love

ribbon

scissors

hot glue gun

buttons

collars and cuffs off of old shirts

Wire and the appropriate wire cutting tool. Don't use your good scissors to cut your wire, your mom will yell a you.

How to assemble:


cut off the collar and the cuff

find the center of your basket and lay the collar over it

get an idea of where you want to place them

then cut them so you just have the ends of the collar

make them the same size

two ends of the collar

glue them on

I took the cuff and glued one end up to shorten it a bit

Then glue the cuff over the top of the collar ends. I thought this was an adorable way to cover up the frayed ends of the collar. With the button on one side and the button hole on the other, cute!

glue the bow tie on in the center

leaving the ends unglued for now

glue the ribbon around the basket hiding the ends under where you will be glueing the bow tie down

I added glue anchor points around the basket to hold the ribbon in place

use the wire to attach the buttons

twisting it on the inside

So stinkin cute.

The only thing I wanted to add was suspenders. Up and over the handle. I still might look for some and see how I can attach them.

Tuxedo baskets done for two adorable boys!

Happy Easter!