Sew Fancy

  Time spent with my Grandma the past couple weeks has been so sew wonderful! I have learned so sew much from her being here and teaching me everything she knows about quilting, plus we got some good quality shopping time in too! I wanted to send her off with a little token of my gratitude, so sew I decided to create this fancy pin cushion. My favorite types of crafts are functional projects and this one takes the cake. This is one pin cushion that you don't have to pack away when you are done with it and it makes a great gift! You will be shocked with how simple this project is!
(and this is another UNDER 10 gift, like this one! Under $10 and 10 minutes!)

What you will need:

• A small fancy frame (3"-5") - I scored these at TJ Maxx, $4 each.
• Fabric (depending on the size of the frame and quantity of frames) - I chose a quarter yard.
• Batting- just a handful for each.

Yep, that's all you need. This is a NO adhesive project!!!!!  

The first and hardest part was peeling the stickers off of the glass. Then I realized the glass won't show.. DUH! Don't spend your time peeling the sticker! 

 

Once you take off the back of the frame and the glass, take your fabric and stretch it over the opening.  If your fabric is like mine you might have a certain part that you want centered, I chose one of the butterflies. After you find your pattern, cut the material  but be sure to leave 2"-3" on the edge to allow for stuffing. With your fabric centered take a handful of your stuffing and push it through the back of the frame into your fabric. Once you have the center filled take the glass and place it back in the frame (see picture below).

 While holding the glass firmly to the back, you can flip it over to see if your fabric is centered, if the fabric needs tightened, or if it needs more stuffing. To tighten it (or to reduce any folds) tug on your edges of the fabric while holding the glass in place. 

Once you are happy with the firmness of your cushion, continue holding the glass in place while tucking the left over edges of the fabric onto the back of the glass. To keep everything in place just replace the backing over the fabric.

TADA!!!

Warning: You may go a little 'Pin Crazy'. I just couldn't stop adding pins.

-Ashley-

Stay-cation

Hey Everyone-

I am out this week on my stay-cation. My Gramma and little brother are here visiting from the Great Pacific Northwest :)!!!!!! Yay for family!!!! I will be back next week.

xoxo
Danni

Viewing A Creative Masterpiece

When Les Miserables came out in the theater, I wanted to see it so badly, I went to see it during the day while the kids were in school.

I had never seen the play, but I had heard how wonderful a story it was.  I was so anxious to see it and watching it I completely got lost in the story and the amazing sets and scenery, not to mention the beautiful, heartfelt music and words. I enjoyed all the actors and thought their singing was amazing. (yes, even Russell Crowe.)

When it was released on DVD I made sure to purchase it, as I was excited to watch it with my kids and hear what they thought and felt.  I think it is important to expose your kids to art and creative venues outside what they would choose to view for themselves.  We have watched musicals before, but none similar to the story and events that take place in Les Miserables.

Both my son and daughter really enjoyed the movie.  My son really liked it and was glued to the movie the entire time it was on.  I was so happy he appreciated the film and we talked about it for quite a while after it was done.  Having the opportunity to share this with him meant alot to me and I feel he came away from it appreciating the film on many levels.

My daughter was home from school sick yesterday and she asked if we could watch it together.  She, too, enjoyed it very much.  We had a much different conversation afterwards regarding the story and the characters involved.  She fell in love with the music and downloaded my CD as soon as the movie was done.
It was clear the movie had an impact on her as she kept coming up with questions and expressing her thoughts on events that took place.  She thanked me for letting us watch it together, and I told her the pleasure was all mine.

After my son came home from school I was surprised to hear them talking about the movie and sharing their thoughts and how they felt during different scenes in the film.  It made me feel so good that they, too, liked the movie and appreciated the talent of the actors who played the parts and sang the story.  I am even more glad that we were able to share this amazing movie together and be able to talk about it and gain different view points from each other.

I do believe that in order to be creative you need to be able to appreciate creativity in many different forms.  They might not be your favorite, but opening yourself up to what it took to make it, what the person was thinking, and just admiring the effort and talent that it took to create helps to make us well-rounded and more aware of the beauty that surrounds us each and every day.

The next time you are needing a break from creating, sit back and enjoy the creativity of others.  Think about it afterwards, talk about it with others, take time to really appreciate all the effort and talent that was involved.  It will touch your soul, open your heart, and make you happy that we live in a time where we are free to express our creative selves in so many ways.

Until next Tuesday -

Fondly,

Sharon    

Chocolate Banana Cream Pie

Happy April fool’s day! Can you believe it’s April already!? Where is this year going? I hope you all had wonderful Easter Holidays. Today’s post will be brief, since I am currently on the ultimate road trip!! My dad and I are driving from San Diego to South West Missouri to visit the fam. It’s a 24 hour drive and we’re planning on making some stops along the way. We’ll see how it goes, wish us luck!


Anyways, what I’d like to share with you today is the fastest, easiest chocolate banana cream pie ever!! I made it for Easter yesterday and there are unfortunately no leftovers. Which is actually a good thing I guess, right? :)

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 Oreo Cookie Crust

3 medium bananas (Or 4 small ones)

1 cup chocolate chips

Banana pudding mix

2 cups milk

Cool whip

1. The first step is to melt your chocolate chips. (set aside a few to garnish on top) The fastest and easiest way to do this is in the microwave. Melt for 20 seconds, stir, and repeat. Just enough so you can spread it along the bottom of your Oreo crust. Then set it in the fridge to harden

2. Make your banana pudding mix using 2 cups of milk. Set it in the fridge to thicken

3. Slice your bananas into quarter inch medallions, and layer them along the bottom of the crust.

4. Add a layer of pudding

5. Continue with another layer of bananas and finish off the pudding to fill in all the cracks.

6. Add your cool whip and garnish with your left over chips.

7. Set it in the freezer for 15 minutes or so to set before serving.

And that’s it!! Hope you all have a great week

<3 mandy="">

55 Sunsets

In case you didn't know already, I am obsessed with sunsets. Something about them is so refreshing, relaxing and calming. They are just quiet and beautiful. Each one is unique and sometimes the cast a beautiful gold or rose colored glow on everything within its light just so pretty. Sunset is definitely my favorite time of day. I could just sit and watch the sun slowly sink down into the horizon and sometimes I do. I even went on a search for a place where I can sit and watch the sunset with an unobstructed view... just happens to be on a secluded dirt road around the corner from my house next to a bunch of cows. I better never be driving during sunset otherwise I will be staring at it either in front of me, the side or me, or worse, the rear view or side mirrors. Unfortunately,  sunsets don't last forever. I always try to capture the beauty in a picture so I can look at it at them at all times of the day. From California to Texas, the sunsets are just as spectacular wherever you go. Over a grassy field or ocean, it doesn't matter, anything is beautiful with a sunset. I want to share with you some of my collection of sunset pictures. Some are strange, some are bad quality, some are picture perfect, some a vibrant, some are pictures of the direct sun, some are sideways, some have filters on them but most do not, some were taken while driving and some were carefully thought out... but all of them are beautiful to me. Also, I want to add that all of these pictures were taken with my handy-dandy Iphone.

Now just enjoy looking at these 55 sunsets.

one of my favorites, but its just some weed in my parents back yard.

this is a spinning firework... i love it with the sunset in the back.

one of my first sunset pictures ever... Oceanside Pier 2009

Are you relaxed now?

-Ashley-