Girls Tiered Skirt

Well, I finally got back onto my sewing machine.  I really am more of a crafter then a sewer (sewist?  seamstress?).  I really have to be in the mood to sew, and I have to have a big chunk of time, as I hate not not being able to finish a project once I've started it.

I wanted to make a cute skirt for my daughter, so I decided to try out the cute Tiered Skirt Tutorial from Make It and Love It.  Her tutorials are so easy to follow- I highly recommend them!  Anyway- here's how mine turned out:

Anyway, I used a cotton print that I've had in my stash for awhile, and got to work.  It came together in about 2 hours, only because I'm kind of slow at sewing.  

My daughter loves it- so I'm happy I finally made something for her.  It's a tad longer than I would have liked, but I know it will fit for a long time.  Next time I think I'll try one in knit!

Thanks for stopping by- I hope you have a wonderful week!

Feature Friday

Welcome to Feature Friday, where I get to share with YOU some projects that have inspired me!

Here are just three that caught my eye this week:

1.  I've got several friends with babies on the way, so I'm always on the lookout for baby gift ideas.  This Baby Bib and Blanket from The Gunny Sack caught my eye.  I especially love the star cut-out!

2.  I love this T-shirt refashion from Tousled Day.  The Heart has so much texture- it is really a conversation piece.

3.  This Clay Bunting Necklace from home.made is really cute and easily customizable!  Click over for the tutorial!

Thanks ladies!  Feel free to grab a featured button if you like!

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Have a great weekend!

Game Day Snacks- Cereal Treat

It's Mouth-Watering Wednesday, and let me tell you....this one is NOT healthy, will go straight to your hips, and will make you an addict.   But I promise- it's worth it!

I was first introduced to Cereal Treat at my mother-in-law's house, and the recipe was provided to me by my husband's aunt.  You may have made a version of this yourself- but this is how we like it.  (I hope I'm not sharing any family secrets!)

I usually make it for New Year's Eve, Super Bowl, and other times where people will be hanging around, snacking, all day or night.   

Here's what you need:

1 large Box of Rice Chex cereal

I large Box of Golden Grahams

1 16 oz bag Slivered Almonds (optional)

2 Cups Coconut (optional)

2 Cups Sugar

2 Cups Karo Syrup

2 Cups Butter or Margarine

Mix cereals, coconut, and almonds in a large bowl.  Set aside. (I'm allergic to coconut so you won't see that in my pictures.)  You'll also notice I'm not a slave to brand names.  I don't think it matters when your cereal is covered in buttery deliciousness.

In a saucepan, melt butter/margarine, then add sugar and Karo syrup. 

Mix together and simmer for 25 minutes.  In case you don't know, simmering means to cook at a temperature just hot enough for tiny, rapid bubbles to escape. 

Mixture should turn a light caramel color.  

Pour over mixture in bowl and toss until cereal mix is well covered.

Lay out on cookie sheets to dry.

Place it in your favorite bowl to serve, and watch as your guests return over and over for "just one more bite".  Delicious!

I'm linking this up to some parties this week- hope you'll check them out too!

What's your favorite Game Day snack?  Savory or sweet?

WInner- I Adore Decor. And....Ballet Vinyl Wall Art

Before we get to today's project, let's take care of a little business.  We have a winner for the I Adore Decor Custom 8x10 Art Print.  That winner is 

latanyaJan 16, 2012 05:35 PM

https://twitter.com/#!/sweetums82/status/159086434211463168

dlatany at gmail dot com

Congratulations Latanya!  I sent an email- please reply within 48 hours or I'll have to choose a new winner!

Now, on to today's project.

We moved my baby out of his crib, which means he's not really a baby anymore!  Sniff....  So, that means my boys are sharing a room, and my daughter gets her own room!  Makeover!

My daughter, who is almost seven, decided on a ballet theme for her room.  I'm not one for characters and themes in bedding- I prefer to choose a color scheme and use the accessories to create the theme.  So, here is my first project for her room:  Ballerina Vinyl Wall Art.

I cut these shapes from adhesive vinyl with my Silhouette Cameo.  After adhering them to the wall, I thought- wouldn't it be fun if I gave them little tutus?  So, I cut up some tulle from one of my daughter's old tutus, then scrunched it up and hot-glued it to the ballerinas.  I don't know if I should have used hot glue, but I did and it worked great!  I love the three-dimensional look!

I finished it off with a quote appropriate for the room.

Simple, fun, and best of all- free!  (Well, kind of.  I had everything on hand.)

Sharing at some of my favorite link parties this week:  I hope you'll join in and party with me!  Have a great week.

Feature Friday

Okay- last chance!  Please enter the giveaway for a CUTE

custom 8x10 art print from I Adore Decor.  It ends TONIGHT!

Click here or scroll down to enter!

Welcome to Feature Friday, where I get to feature projects from YOU that have inspired me this week.

Valentine's Day is coming up quickly, and man are there some great V-day projects out there!  I was tempted to make this entirely v-day themed, but I'm holding out another week or so!  Still, I do have one great Valentine's-themed project to share with you:

1.  This Polkadot Valentine Pillow from Sweet Rose Studio is gorgeous!  I love the pin-tucked heart.  I may even attempt it myself someday, if I dare.  Click over for the tutorial!

2.  I love family trees.  I love the idea of remembering those who came before you, and I love the personal touch it brings to your decor.  This Word-Art Family Tree from From Gardners 2 Bergers is beautifully done!  I love that she shows exactly how to do it, and that it's done in Publisher, which most of us have!  No need for pricey software.  Click over to see how she made it:

3.  If you have a little boy with a superhero obsession, you might want to either A) Bookmark this and begin making it immediately or B) Shield them from this project so you don't have to redecorate their room.  My little boy would love this, but we just made him a baseball-themed room.  I'm making sure he doesn't see this and go crazy.  

         Seriously, though, this Gotham City Wall Mural from Polish the Stars is awesome!  What little Batman-loving boy wouldn't think he died and went to heaven?

Thanks for the inspiration, ladies!  Love them all!  Feel free to grab a featured button if you like!

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Have a great weekend!  I'll announce the giveaway winner on Monday!  

"Pin"spiration- Delicious Dinners

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for I Adore Decor's

CUTE custom 8x10 print!  Click here or scroll down to enter!

As a crafter, Pinterest has been a wonderful source of inspiration for me.  As a mom, it's been extremely helpful. One of my favorite things to do is use the search box on Pinterest instead of searching on Google for something. I know it's good (or at least worth trying) if someone took the time to pin it.

That being said, here is a completely Pinterest-inspired menu I made for dinner this week:

Main Course:

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken and Rice from Southern Plate.com

On the Side:

Delicious Yeast Rolls from How Does She  ( I half the recipe to feed my family of 5, with a bunch for leftovers!)

For Dessert:

Perfect Brownies from Cook Like Your Grandmother. 

I said these recipes were yummy, not that they were good for you :)

What are your favorite recipes you've found on Pinterest?  Do share!

If you'd like an invitation to Pinterest, leave me a comment with your email address and I'll happily send you one!  You'll love it!

Giveaway! I Adore Decor Prints

Thank you to all of you who helped me reach 600 followers!  I greatly appreciate your support, every visit you make, and every comment you leave!

To celebrate my latest milestone, I have a really cute giveaway for you!  Let me introduce you to IAdore Decor:

Jena is the shop owner.  "I Adore Decor is a unique collection of art prints for your home. Custom keepsake prints make wonderful gifts for family, friends, births, weddings, and more. Your choice of colors, sizes and customization too. I'm always working on new designs, and also love custom requests."

I think her prints are gorgeous!  They are fun, modern, and a perfect addition to any room in your house.  

I love this modern take on a Family Tree:

This Wedding Date print would be a lovely wedding gift, or you could hang it in your own home to always remember your special day.

Jena offers a huge variety of prints for your children's rooms.  Seriously, I love all of them.  This would be great in the bathroom:

How about this sailboat print for a nautical-themed room?

I love this sweet owl print for your little girl.

You can customize any of her prints, so there's really something for everyone here!

Jena is giving away one 8x10 of YOUR CHOICE to a lucky winner!  I'm jealous- I really want a bunch of these!  Here's how you enter:

First of all, PLEASE make sure you either have your email linked to your profile, or you leave me a way to contact you if you are the winner.  Now- the entries:

MANDATORY ENTRY:

Visit I Adore Decor, then come back and leave a comment telling me your favorite print!

EXTRA ENTRIES (please leave a separate comment for each-)

1.  Heart I Adore Decor on Etsy, then tell me you did it.

2.  Pin your favorite print on Pinterest, then tell me you did it.

3.  Follow Occasionally Crafty, or remind me that you do.

4.  Tweet this giveaway, or share this giveaway on Facebook (1 entry for each)

The giveaway is open until Friday, January 20th at midnight Arizona time.  A winner will be chosen using Random.org, and I'll announce the winner next week!  Good luck!

Feature Friday

Welcome to Feature Friday!  I love browsing the link parties each week to find some great inspiration to share with you.  Here are three great projects I found inspiring this week:

1.  This Cherry Almond Valentine's Cake from Bird on a Cake looks divine!  Not only does the flavor sound delicious, but the decorating is just beautiful!  Click over for the recipe!

2.  This Teacher Valenitne's Gift Idea (and printable)  from Home Confetti is really cute and thoughtful.  I love hot chocolate, and really, this could be a gift for anyone, anytime!

3.  I LOVE these Skirted Barstool Covers from The Creative Imperative.  If I could sew well, I would definitely make some.  If I had barstools, which I don't.  But I love these so much I would go buy barstools just so I could have these covers on them.  

Thank you so much for the inspiration, ladies!  Feel free to grab a featured button if you like.

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