HAPPY 2010! (and a little Christmas too)

Remember when we said "Gonna party like its 1999" well, can you believe its 2010! Man, time is flying right by, I hope everyone is slowing down to look at all the wonderful little things around you!

I have finished many projects! And have many, MaNy, MANY more in the works. I love it, I got so many amazing books for Christmas for ideas: Martha's A to Z Crafts, Weekend Sewing, Warm and Fuzzy (a felting book), a patch work book, and I believe one more. I also got this really inspiring calendar for my desk at work called: 2010 Sewing Calendar, every three days there is a new idea for you, most seem simple, but hey I am only on the second one! My holidays were amazing! I spent time with my awesome family, my kids were just a touch over spoiled with their 5 Christmas'! Yep I said 5 (divorced parents). Here are few things that have been completed:

These are the super cute and easy brownie Christmas trees I made for my daughters Polar Express day at Little Sprouts (found the idea on Bettycrocker.com) Just bake your brownies like normal, flip them out of the pan cut into triangles, and frost with green or white frosting. Then...Sprinkle away!!!

I made felt ornaments for all my fellow co-workers a total of 10! So much fun, here are just a few (sorry about the pictures I was so excited to give them away I forgot to take pictures and then had to do it at work with um not the best lighting!): The first are a set of white felt mittens with some stiching, the second is just a stuffed round one, which then made me think of sugar cookies for the kids to play with made out of felt-next project, then, my awesome owl, the first I ever did, LOVE HIM, I am into owls lately... and lastly an ornament. I hand stiched them all! Phew!

Next up...I saw this on a blog, and forgive me I have been reading so many lately I lost where I found this....a wall of "D's". I have painted a total of 9 different wooden D's all black and I am in the process of hanging them on the wall when you first walk into our house. They are starting to look really cool. And just incase I ever change my mind I am using the new picture velco stuff, aswsome. Here is a picture with a few up....

Here are few of my Chritmas decorations around our house. We had several trees, only one real! Thank goodness. The Mr and Mrs Claus my mom made when were kids! Enjoy them. The very last one is of my sons feet in the lights...Twinkle Toes! Cute, I love them piggies!!

A next very small project that I did was glam up a outlet cover. I know that everyone must have them, the safety covers for outlets....with a 1 year old I have them....EVERYWHERE. Sometimes they are just so ugly, they need a little pick me up. So I went to Michael's Craft store bought two dino's. I just hot glued them on and....poof....instant make over! Love them. And look really cute in his rooms as well!

*Front*

*Back*

Well, there will be many more projects and a very exciting adventure for me this year! More to come on that! I hope your first week of the new year has started off with a bang and continues to be amazing!

Until next time...

T

Ladies weekend and the Start....

We have made it back from the Annual Ladies Weekend Shopping trip in Lancaster PA. I think that we have officially supported that town for a good solid week! We had so much fun, I love getting away, we laugh and laugh... had a really good dinner together, laugh some more, and to finish with some ice cream from Friendley's with (click click) extra PB. We filled B's SUV to the brim, literally barely any room for a backseat passenger, but we managed. Everyone got most of their shopping done, or at least some ideas to start. On the way home we even did a Chinese Fire drill-Ha, have not done one of those in....YEARS! K was getting a little carsick so we switched! Good times. Like promised I would share what was in the gift bags for all my ladies: I sewed everyone their own "Santa" bag (in their fav color) in years past we just put bags after bags in the back and at the end of the shopping trip we have to go in every bag to see who's is who's-this year with a little help from the Santa bag we could just put our stuff in there and no extra time needed (sometimes I am so smart ;)), a small notebook, a pen, and their fav candy bar (everyone needs a little pick me up). It was such an awesome time, typically we figure out where we are going next year on the way home....but we were laughing to hard at ourselves....ladies...where are we going? I have attached a picture of the car...yikes, and of us.

Next on the list: operation Table top tent. Thanks to Jill from Homemade by Jill (http://homemadebyjill.blogspot.com/) she gave me the awesome idea for my little people for Christmas, I went and bought all the felt a couple weeks ago, and now....to begin. And I did, Monday night in my livingroom....I cut all the large pcs for the top, sides, and back (I choose a light blue so it would look like the sky when appropriate), and decided that perhaps I should start on a small end first, to get my feet wet. I figured the end with the barn on it would be the easiest...huh, well, um, not totally easy but I managed. I wanted to make sure the barn was completely level on all sides, and it HAD to have an "x" on the door, because all barns did. The little pig I made...super cute! Love him/her. I will post pictures once I sew it this weekend and its not held together by pins anymore.

On my way home from the shopping trip, well it actually may have been when I was in Christmas Tree Hill (I love this store) that I got the brilliant idea that I am going to put up ALL my trees this year. In the last couple years I have slacked off, I am not sure why, but I admit it totally. I am going to put our big, fresh one like always, then a little one that's about 3 ft and then another that is about 5 ft. The 5 ft one I am going to decorate in all white and red: snowflakes, mittens, etc. I am making all of the stuff! Yikes, yet another thing, but I am keeping myself busy. The mini tree I am going to have A (my daughter) help with. I want to do a paper chain, the old school ones, and something else....not sure yet. I love this time of year, almost a little sad when I have to take the decorations down. A and I are going to make that this weekend when my hubby is at the Penn St. game (Yahoo go Penn St.) and I am home with the kids. (only fair since I went away all last weekend.) I am also going to make some felt ornaments...due to the excessive amount I bought. To justify when you can get 50% off the bolt if there is less than a yard left at Joann's-I will!

We have family coming in this weekend, our cousin Jeff just got back from his (I believe) third trip to Iraq (thanks Jeff!) so they are coming over for a big family dinner...so excited I love cooking for everyone. I am going to make: Brown Sugar baked ham, homemade mac and chz, scalloped corn, apple pie, and PB/Choc pie. Yummy, its like um, Easter.

Happy crafting...

T.

Halloween, Crafts, and more.

Hello all, I hope your Halloween weekend was fun and exciting. Other than visiting grandparents, family, and friends on Halloween night, I had a very busy crafty weekend! Love that.

First off, I made Alyvia some additional Peggie People for her collection. This time they are to be like the Disney Princesses per request of course (Belle, Jasmine, Cinderella, and Auroa). It was fun to make them super girly...glitter and all. (Even thought I can not stand glitter) They are so much fun. I purchase naked Peggies from Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/nakedpeggies, they always say they are addicting to create, they are right. I find they are very peaceful to paint, well, when Livy isn't directing me on colors for dresses and eyes (she wanted yellow eyes, creepy). I have plans to make many more, she would like Nana, Papa, Grandma, and Grandpa. They are on order. I highly recommend trying them out. Perhaps when PJ is a little older I will make some super hero ones.

On to project number two, this coming weekend is our annual Ladies Trip, a group of us moms go away for the weekend, and shop, laugh, shop, laugh, eat...and so on. Its so much fun, I think we are really look forward to it, and need it! Between the 4 of us there are 9 kids! So I made them all a special gift bags with goodies to get us through the weekend, I can not tell you what is in them...yet. I will post next week after they have received their bags.

And the final project of the weekend were the letters F-A-M-I-L-Y. I have a really cool idea in mind, but I could not foresee spending $4-5 a piece for them, so I recycled a Huggies box (thanks PJ) and cut them out myself. Yep lost feeling in my thumb after a while, until late last night! Weird feeling..do not recommend it! HA. I then proceeded to dig deep into my scrapbooking stash and found paper that was really fun and happy. Covered the letters and then embellished, again from my scrapbooking stash. Once I do what I plan on doing (surprises are crazy right?!?!?) I will hang them in my newly reorganized and gussied up Craft room.

And finally, I am coming along on the table top tent. I cut and sewed two eggplants, two turnips, and two flowers! A small step, a very small step, but a step non the less. I hope you enjoy my projects....more to come!

Have a great Monday!

T.

Cookies, Cookies, and a Camera Strap

The bucket list coming along nicely. I finished one thing on my list...the camera strap. Its the first I ever did, and I thought I padded it too much (however very comfortable), but after reviews from fellow co-workers they disagreed. I love the fabric, I previously made a bag from it and had just enough left. It coordinates with the inside of my camera bag, pink and black. So needless to say, I really like it. Now just need to add something on the bucket list to replace it..hey might as well try and keep 10 on the list at all times!

Pumpkins, Bats, Ghosts, and Witch Hats-oh my! Tonight, my daughter and I made cookies for her Halloween party at school. Sugar cut out cookies, it was adventure. She really, I mean really likes sprinkles. I think they may rot out the other kids teeth, the local dentist will be very happy! HA. I always use the same recipe I found many moons ago, and a frosting recipe from my mom, they are oh so good! I have uploaded a few pictures, I am sure you can taste them via the computer! I hope the kids enjoy them.

Happy Thursday!

T.

Welcome & My Bucket List

Simple. Inspired. Homemade. Three outstanding words to describe me, my life.

I am a working mom of two kids, 4 and 1 yr. old; they keep me on my toes and inspired to say the least. They remind me every day to look at the little things and see things via their eyes. My life is by no means calm, tidy, or perfect, but it’s my life and I wouldn't change it for anything.

Why blog? My friends are often amazed at my ability to "run" on no sleep (5 hrs is good for me), why add another thing to my very over flowing plate...I could spend hours, even days reading blogs. I often get "lost" in them. They inspire me daily, people in general are astonishing. They are creative, kind, generous, and the list could go on and on. This leads me to my blog. If I can find time working full time, a wife and mother to do SIMPLE crafts/projects...so can anyone! Just have to have a little faith in yourself.

How did I choose the name: first I made a list of words I thought would be perfect (and that didn't have 1 million other blogs), then my friend Mel and I spit off things that came to mind about that particular word. Leading to the three words, Simple, Inspired, and Homemade. They are me! (She is a pretty groovy chic too). SIMPLE: I do not have a lot of time for projects, who does! INSPIRED: My family, friends, and other bloggers really keep me going. I love seeing an idea and putting my spin on it to change it up. Lastly, HOMEMADE: Honestly, who doesn't love getting something homemade? Cookies, a quilt, a photo album, card, even something as small as a pair of earrings, I love making those things to see the receivers face light up! It truly warms my heart!

Next up my Craft Bucket List:Everyone knows what a bucket list is....well I am doing one for my crafts. I am a list person and a huge planner. I have to be! The top 10 on my list are:


1: Table Top Tent, I saw this on a blog: Homemade by Jill (homemadebyjill.blogspot.com)-I changed things and plan to have it done by Christmas as a together gift for my kids. I really love this blog, she is super cool.

2: Camera Strap Cover (a fun and simple project for me) ETA: Before the ladies shopping trip next weekend, I would like it to make its debut.

3: Advent Stockings-Dec 1, 2009

4: My daughters Princess Peggies. I have previously made her two very large Peggie Families, but now she wants Princesses (I want to try and make Santa and Mrs. Claus too)

5: Make 1 purse: I bought the pattern a LONG time ago, just need to do it.

6: Make an apron-it is almost Christmas cookie time!

7: Make mittens for friends from my daughter’s old sweaters.

8: Valentines Garland (Thought I should get that on there ...maybe it will get done in time)

9: Finish my Alphabet Photos

10: Start and Finish my letter D project-I have a bare wall and a vision.


I hope you like day 1, come in, enjoy, and come back to see the finished projects! And maybe my crafts will INSPIRE you!
T