Craft day Thursday

Today, well every Thursday, is the day that I try and dedicate to doing crafts/creative projects. I do things on other days as well but on Thursdays I do only the basic necessities to keep the house running and work on crafts as much as possible. The word "dedicate" is used loosely these days as my tiny, cute assistant goes between fairly uncooperative and extremely uncooperative much of the time, but nevertheless I manage to get something done that is crafty. So here are some projects from today and some projects that were finished last night and today. And might I add all the while I have been having random contractions and getting nervous because I know what is going to happen any day now (and by that I don't mean just adding a second child to our family, by that I mean giving birth.) As scary as it is the first time around, I think it is scarier the second time around because you know what is going happen and how it is going to feel. I think that helped me be so productive today; trying to keep preoccupied. Okay so now here are the pictures: I am no Bakerella but these are my attempt at some spider cupcakes I made for some treat plates we will be taking out Friday night. Last year we decided to start a tradition of going Treating the night before Halloween with Small Fry in her costume to a few close friends and neighbors. We take a plate of treats to them and let Small Fry show off her costume.

These are for my husbands class Halloween party tomorrow which I will be helping with if I am not having a baby. I found the idea in a Family Fun magazine. They are doughnut holes dipped in "candy coating". I didn't have a peice of foam to stand them in while they dried so I used sand from the sandbox and actually I think they look cool and creepy just in these pails. I liked them plain like this, kind of look like gobblin eyes or something but...

They are supposed to look like this and I think they are cool this way too.

My husbands class has about as much creativity as wet paint (well actually wet paint may be a bit more creative than they, so dry paint) so they probably won't understand what these are supposed to be but oh well. My husband says they will probably think they are baseballs. Well it is the world series right now so I guess that could work. And a side note of disappointment to Wal-Mart for having the driest doughnut holes I have ever tasted. But when you only have one choice what do you do?

Here is the start of a set of felt food for a Christmas gift that I finished last night.

And a toddlers chef hat and apron to go with the felt food that I made today. I had a pattern for the chef's hat but just used my old apron and cut it much smaller to make this toddler version.

And last the blessing dress for our new arrival. It is plain and simple, made with eyelet material, but she will make it totally adorable I just know it. I am kind of hoping for a little girl with lots of dark hair this time around.

Of no significance

I am fully aware I have posted nothing of any crafty significance in the last little while. I have little projects on the go but mostly I don't really know what I am doing with myself. Well actually I do. I have been spending more time playing with Small Fry as it has become extremely clear to me that any day now it will no longer just be her and I for the rest of eternity (well her, myself and my husband of course too). So I am eating up every moment of watching her dance, sing, talk, play with her toys and be the cute little girl that she is and falling in love more each day. Thanks to my friend Charelle for the chat about living in the moment the other night. That has really helped.
Besides that I have been filling my freezer as we had a noticeable absence of meals shared with us after Small Fry's birth and I need to have some things on hand (that are quick and easy) for this time. So far I have made:

Taquitos

Stuffed Manicotti

Spaghetti Pizza bake

Brown Sugar muffins

Stratta Muffins

Biscuit dough

Waffles

Slice N Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies

Slice N Bake Sugar Cookies

Bean N Bacon Soup

I am hoping to get a few more things made.

And I guess because I am only like 20 days away from my due date, our newest little tater tot could be showing up at any time which would explain my own noticeable absence from this blog. Hopefully I will be getting back into the swing of things shortly. Thanks to everyone for continuing to read and show your support.

Our little Lady Bug

If this doesn't get you in the Halloween Spirit I don't know what will. Here is our little lady bug testing out her costume and showing Grammy before she goes to Arizona. Getting her to sit still was quite the challenge. She is one speedy lady bug. Probably the cutest one I have ever seen.

Fall in full blossom

Just a few fall pictures from Small fry and Co.

Our front porch with a few Halloween decorations. Usually we have at least 20-30 pumpkins but this year the guy we usually get them from had a poor pumpkin crop so I am sad; pumpkins are my favorite thing. I would have them year round if I could.

She loves leaves just like most anything else.

And she loves pumpkins too. She points them out where ever she goes.

A mommy-daughter moment.

And for all who are wondering (the 1 or 2 of you) here is a look at the lady who is about ready to pop and throw out her maternity jeans. I am feeling good and pregnant. Enough said right?

Mini Paper bag book

I am all about mini scrapbooks. I think I have mentioned this before. They are easy, require just a few supplies, you can make one in a day, you only need a few pictures etc etc. Lately I am really into paper bag books. The other day my sister in law came over and we started on some Christmas paper bag books. That got my juices flowing and I have about 100 ideas for ones that I want to make. Anyway one of the ones I started the other night was this one.:

I think I used 4 paper bags for this.

I decorated the pages and it has 4 pockets as well, so ya, duh I did use 4 paper bags.

Here is the side view. The problem I was having was deciding what kind of a book to turn this into. After a few days of thinking and sleepless nights with paper bag book ideas going through my head I came up with this:

I typed up some of my favorite recipes and used some cute pictures from an old Mary Englebrite calender and a few embellishments and here is the final product:

Here is a picture with the recipe from inside the pocket peeking out.

Here is the side view of the final product. I am so happy with how it turned out. This is going to be a gift for a friend for Christmas. Now I am itching to start on another one.

Easy Christmas Baskets

I saw these at a scrapbooking booth at Melon Days. The ladies were sharing the idea with everyone. I thought they looked really cute and easy. I decided to try and make a couple of Christmas ones. I think they would be cute filled with candy to give to a neighbor or teacher. Here is what you do:
Start with a square piece of paper (it can be any size your basket will just be larger or smaller depending.)
Score it in thirds in both directions. Fold along your scoring lines.
Now score a diagonal at each corner and fold along these lines as well. It should look something like this when you are done.

Then you will pull up all 4 corners to the middle to create the basket. I call it a basket I don't know what else it could be called.

Now before you attach the corners in the middle you will want to decorate it. Here is one example that I did with squares of scrapbook paper. Just really easy and simple. You could go all out though. Whatever you decide to do, attach it first before tying off the top.

To attach the corners in the middle first punch a hole in each corner.

Then bring two sides together and tie them with a piece of ribbon.

Bring up the next side and attach it with a piece of ribbon. Continue working your way around repeating this step. You will use 4 pieces of ribbon. I tied mine in knots but you could use longer pieces and tie them in bows or curling ribbon would look cute.

The finished product will look like this.

Here are the ones I made. This is the scrapbook paper embellishment.

Here is one using snowflake stickers.

Here is one using fun foam snowmen cutouts.

These could be used for centerpieces on a holiday table filled with mints or nuts. You could stuff small cookies inside. They can be used for any holiday too.

Easy and cute; works for me.

Dear maternity jeans

I just want you to know that I hate you (at least the 2 pairs I currently own). You are either too small or too big, you either sit too low or too high. You don't stay on my hips like normal jeans and I am constantly pulling you up and tucking everything back in. My friend told me she wore her normal jeans her entire pregnancy. Wish I was that lucky. You are too expensive to upgrade at this stage in the pregnancy but it is too cool most days not to wear you. With my last pregnancy I loved my maternity jeans and wore them until the inner seams literally burst (well after the baby came I might add) but you my friends; I can not wait to fold you up and put you away for a long time. Thank you for adding to the uncomfortableness we like to call being pregnant. Of all the things to forget about after pregnancy is over, you will be the first I assure you. Actually maybe I should remember you so I can replace you the next time. Don't feel offended if you find yourself at the thrift store in a month.
Yours truly,
The pregnant lady

Small fry reaches a milestone

Today small fry is officially 18 months old. I can't believe that. It seems like she was a little baby for so long and all of a sudden she has become a little girl. 18 months we have had her. I still can't believe the hospital sent me home with her weighing only 6 lbs 11oz. What were they thinking? Didn't they know I didn't know a thing about taking care of a baby? And yet we made it. She survived and so did we and she is super smart, cute, funny, full of personality and did I mention she is adorable.

And now here I am 5 weeks away from the due date of baby girl #2. As of late I have been feeling really pregnant and a bit overwhelmed. What am I supposed to do with 2 kids? How will I ever get enough sleep so that I can be a good and patient mom? Will there even be time to go to the bathroom? Will small fry feel like she has been replaced? Will she be really cranky if she is not getting all the attention all of the time? It has been her and I at home basically on our own for most of the time during the school year, now we are adding another baby to that picture. Um, just wondering, is it too late to just get a puppy?

I guess it is good that we don't really have an idea of what it will be like with any number of children until they come. We may not even want to think of the idea if we knew exactly how it would be right? Well come when you are ready my second little sweetheart and meet your fantastically wonderful, full of energy, (I hope she won't poke you in the eyes) big sister. We are excited and nervous all at the same time for our family to grow. More excited though for sure.

Cute Halloween Packaging Ideas

I was needing to find a cute way to package some cookies to give to some of our Primary Children that we were visiting this week and so I decided to dig out my paper bag idea from much earlier in the year. For a tutorial on how to make these go here. This just goes to show that these can be used for any season and can be for boys and girls. I thought they would make cute party favors for a Halloween party. As I was making these I also got my mind racing with ideas for Thanksgiving and Christmas so keep posted for those. Just a note about these: I only decorated one side of these. You could decorate both.

Here are a few close up's.

The spiders are large black buttons and the legs are made with black masking tape. I sewed the buttons on but they could also be glued.

Here is a simpler version if you were going to mass produce these. The BOO is made with stick on letters. I added some ric rac for decoration and then attached these little bat cutouts with white string and tape.

This one is made with a Snip-It's pattern. I originally bought my patterns at Pebbles in my Pocket but they don't make them to sell in store any more. You can however go on-line and buy downloadable versions of the patterns. For this pattern go here then look around because these patterns are so adorable. I just shrunk mine down to make a smaller version.

This is what they look like from the top. Plenty of room for lots of treats this Halloween.

Then last minute, after I had made the 3 bags, I got a call that I needed 2 more treats. So I whipped up these. The decorations are a bit lame, but I was in a rush and decided to add a tutorial of these so I didn't take as much time on decorating.

For these you will need 1 piece of 12X12 cardstock (this is enough to make one)

Cut the cardstock into two strips that are 4 7/8" wide.

Overlap these in the middle about 1 inch and glue or tape in place. This will give you one long strip that measures 20 3/4" X 4 7/8".

Using a razor and a ruler score the strip at the following places:

3/4 " from one end

9 1/4 " from the same end

12 1/4" from the same end.

Fold along these scoring lines. Make sure your folds are crisp.

Trim 2 3/8 " off the opposite end and assemble and decorate. I put cellophane bags with cookies and treats inside, then folded over my top flap and punched holes through everything. Then I tied them with ribbon.

The measurements were just to suit this particular cellophane bag size. You could alter the measurements based on what you are using. Again lots of possibilities with these.