May 2015Occasionally Crafty: May 2015

Thursday, May 28

The Handmade Hangout #50- Introducing Tracie + FEATURES!

Hi everyone! Welcome to another edition of the Handmade Hangout! Link up today for a chance to be featured on EIGHT different blogs!

This week I'm featuring three of my favorite finds from last week's party.

1. Strawberry Lemonade Slushies from Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom. I need these to beat the heat this summer!

2. Master Bedroom Reveal from Lehman Lane. I want a huge retreat like this- and they really remade this from the ground up!

3. Rustic DIY Footstool from Anderson and Grant. This is a fabulous makeover- you have to see what it looked like before!

Now, on to today's hostess: Meet Tracie from Cleverly Inspired!

Hi yall! I am Tracie from Cleverlyinspired.com. I have been sharing DIY, recipes, crafts along with design and decorating ideas on my blog since 2010. I originally started blogging as a way to share DIY ideas with some of my friends who are curious how I did things and it has blossomed into a great little business for myself. I am so happy to be a part of this Handmade Hangout group with such a fab group of bloggers. On my blog you can find lots of projects and recipes. My background is in photography so I also love to share on Instagram and other social media…lots of behind the scenes stuff. I hope that you can join me on Cleverlyinspired.com and add me to your favorites on your social media channels. Here are some of favoritte current posts (to see some of my readers favorites from the past 5 years see this link popular projects from the past.) If you want to search the catalog there is a tab at the top of my blog that says Project Gallery. Here is a bit about me and a couple of past projects;)

Aqua and Black Tween Girls Room

Finally- it's time to link up! Remember- just a few rules:

1. Become a follower of the blog where you linked up. Of course we'd love it if you follow all our hosts on whatever platforms you use most!

2. Share our button or party link in your post or wherever you share your linky parties

Link up your projects!

An InLinkz Link-up

Tuesday, May 26

Heartfelt Father's Day Gift Ideas

Memorial Day is over, and the month of May is just about done too! Where did the time go! Father's Day will be here before you know it, so I've scoured the web to bring you my favorite Heartfelt Gifts for Dad.

These are the gifts that are a little sappy, might make him shed a tear, but will definitely leave him feeling loved and appreciated. So get the kids involved and get to work!

Heartfelt Gifts

These Handcrafted Father's Day Trophies will Elementary Art Fun make any dad feel like a champion! Dad will love to display this on his shelf or desk!

Have your children fill out this Father's Day Questionnaire from Daffodil Design, then type up and frame for a special keepsake. It's fun to see how their answers change from year to year!

This I Love You Pillowcase from Mama.Pappa.Bubba for CBC is so sweet! Have your children write in pencil, and then you can trace it with a fabric marker.

Make Dad feel special with these Awesome Dad Buttons from Disney Family!

Dad will love reading these Best Dad Books from Eighteen25 year after year. It's fun to see how the answers change as the kids grow!

Show Dad how much you love him with this I Love You card from Day In My Life! It's a great way to preserve those handprints.

Dad truly is a King for a Day with this King Daddy Crown from 4 Crazy Kings. Personalize it with his favorite things!

Cute printable Necktie Father's Day card {OneCreativeMommy.com}

Dads are going to get ties, so why not make yours into a Tie Card from One Creative Mommy? Let the kids choose his favorite colors for each card.

Father's Day Photo Gift Idea | Easy Mod Podge photo tile. Free photoshop template available at the same site {OneCreativeMommy.com}

Or, you can use his favorite photos to make this Photo Collage Tile from One Creative Mommy. He'll love displaying all these beautiful pictures at once!

Surprise Dad next time he opens his wallet with these adorable Gift Coupons from The Dating Divas! He'll love redeeming these for fun gifts and extra time with you!

This Chalk Photo Idea from Craft Texas Girls is so sweet and fun! Have fun turning your driveway or patio into the perfect scene for a picture!

Father's Day Free Printable Gift | CatchMyParty.com

This Free Printable from Catch My Party is the perfect background to preserve some special handprints. Simply use some fingerpaint, let it dry, and frame it up.

Frame up a a meaningful quote with this Gold Frame by Lia Griffith. The masculine colors and feel make this the perfect gift to display in an office or at home.

Time to print out those Instagram photos! Make this Daddy's Love Magnet Board from WhipperBerry and display all those photos you have on your phone!

Let Daddy wear a special tie on Father's Day! Let your kids decorate their own Ties for Daddy from Make it and Love it, and he'll feel really loved.

Here's another fun photo idea from Holli Evans Photography. If you don't have enough kid feet to spell it out, you can jump in with a Sharpie and a self-timer on a camera!

If you want to give something handmade, but your crafting skills aren't quite up to par, consider making a special book like this one from Design Aglow. He'll love looking through it on a rough day.

These Rustic Photo Frames from Shanty2Chic are perfect for displaying Dad's favorite photos and quotes.

I hope you've found some fun ideas that will show Dad just how much he is loved. What are you planning on giving this year?

Friday, May 22

10 Things You Can't Miss at Disneyland

I just booked our next trip to Disneyland with our family. We go every 2 years or so and have a blast! This year, we booked with Get Away Today to go at during Christmas Break, so we can experience all the holiday magic! It'll be crazy busy during that time, but we can't wait!
If you're planning a Disney trip sometime soon, this post is for you! I asked all my friends and readers what their #1, can't miss thing to do or see at Disney is. I've compiled their answers into a Top Ten list, so make sure you make time for these things during your visit:

Top Ten Things to Do/See at Disneyland/ California Adventure

Click to Keep Reading....

Thursday, May 21

The Handmade Hangout #49- Introducing Me + Features

Welcome back to the Handmade Hangout! I'm excited to see what you've been up to this week!
Here are some of my favorite projects that were linked up last week:
1. Snickerdoodle Cupcakes by Simply Stacie

2. Lotus Flower Ring Holder from The Pin Junkie

3. Watermelon Birthday Party from Jolee Studio

Thanks for linking up, ladies!
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Each week we will introduce you to one of our hostesses and give you a chance to get to know everyone better! We will share a bit about our blogs, our passions, and exciting recent posts and projects we have been working on.

Click to Keep Reading....

Wednesday, May 20

6 Things We Do To Teach Our Kids the Importance of Work

I'd like to share with you something my friend posted on her Facebook wall. She is a store manager for an upscale retailer. "I seriously can't believe the work ethic of people any more. I got called a nasty name by a new employee (right before she quit) because I, her boss, told her that she needed to show up to all her shifts. I'm over it! I need people that actually want a job and will show up every time, not cause drama and actually care about how they perform at their job. "
Does this sound familiar? Have you worked with, or for, people like this young woman? In this day and age where we are praised for doing the bare minimum, how can we teach our children that the bare minimum isn't good enough?
This post contains affiliate links!

My husband and I were both taught a lot about having a strong work ethic. He is from a family of nine, and embodies the saying "There is always, always, always something that needs to be done." While my housekeeping skills are sometimes lacking, we both learned the value of working hard in school to excel, and we had opportunities to develop our work ethic through part time jobs throughout our youth and into adulthood.
Now that we are "grown up" and married with three kids, my husband and I talk constantly about how to teach our children to have a strong work ethic and to be reliable and responsible people. Our kids are still years away from part-time jobs. We're not always sure we're doing all we can to instill that work ethic in them while they are young-- but we are trying!

I know we're not alone in this struggle. How in this world of entitlement do we teach our children the importance of work? I thought I'd share what we're doing so far, and then I'd love to hear your suggestions as to what is working for you. Please chime in below in the comments!

Click to Keep Reading....

Monday, May 18

Free Patriotic Printable

When I was a child, I used to sit outside with my friend during warm summer nights, singing crazy songs at the top of our lungs. Some of our favorites were "Livin' on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi and "This is My Country", an older patriotic folk tune. I don't know why, but there was something so fun about belting "This--- is--- MY--- Country!"
We also used to watch Top Gun just about every day (I was maybe 9) , put on lip sync performances of "You Give Love a Bad Name" and pretend that the Black Phantom was haunting us. Ah, imagination.
Next week is Memorial Day. This is a holiday set to honor those who sacrificed their lives in service to our country. I typically display our flag outside, and then put up a few patriotic decorations inside my home as well.
This year I'll be framing up this Patriotic Printable, which I am offering here as a free download. As a nod to my childhood, I included the first few lines of "This is My Country".

You can download your printable here. (or open the image in a new tab and save to your computer)

Do you have a crazy childhood memory? How did you keep busy during summer as a kid?

If you like this, you might want to check out some of my other printables and patriotic decor, like this Burlap Star Banner and Scrapbook Paper Covered Star (both pictured above),

or this Land of Liberty Framed Vinyl (also available as a free download).