Cubbies and Pinwheel wall

I feel like I can finally relax a bit and be done in our nursery for a while. My talented hubby fixed up a cute set of cubbies for toys and books. We really love the way they turned out. I was in a crafty mood so I decided to make a pinwheel wall for above the cubbies. It was super easy and cheap to make but it makes a big impact. Just choose a bunch of your favorite coordinating scrapbook paper, make a bunch of different sizes of pinwheels then attach them to a piece of cardboard. I didn't want to be able to see the cardboard so I cut around it after I had glued the pinwheels on. I used command velcro strips to attach it to the wall and was done! Simple as that!

Project

We have had a big project...

And the biggest news of all...its almost done!

Travel Gifts

So, leaving your children home when you go on a trip can be difficult. I was trying to think of ways that would make it easier for children when their parents leave and I came up with this idea. I actually remember my mother doing it for me as a child and it can really make a difference in the amount of "home/parent sickness" a child has when you are away. Start off by purchasing a gift/treat for every day of your vacation. It doesn't have to be fancy or expensive, just a little surprise for your little ones to get excited about. Then, sort out which gifts you would like to give on what days. Next, I made labels using scrapbook paper to show which day what gift will be given. Last, I wrote a person little rhyme on the back. You can make it as personal or thrown together as you like. No matter what, your children will know you are thinking about them on your trip and it might make the travel a bit easier on you!

Key Hook

I have a new love. Its the Habitat for Humanity Restore. They have tons of salvaged items from homes for great prices. We found a lantern for our entryway for $5.00, you can't beat that. For me, that Restore is like a building of possibilities. I love how I save money, and feel like I am being "green" at the same time. This is a project we made from some salvaged bead board found at the Restore in Chantilly VA.

This project was so easy and effortless. First, I spray painted the bead board with Heirloom white. Then my handyman husband built a frame using molding we purchased at Home Depot. Another coat of spray paint to the frame and we were almost finished. We found some hooks at Home Depot, drilled those into place and we were done. Not too bad for a quick project.

Drift Wood Plaque

So I have been looking for something for above my t.v. for a while now and while I was looking in my Ballard Design catalog one morning, I found it. Have you seen this?

I loved it. Everything about it was perfect...except the price. For the small plaque it is $100.00 and I'll just be honest, that's not in the budget this month or any other month this year. Therefore, I had to be creative and try to make my own. We came across a salvage yard downtown and I found the perfect piece of wood. The shape isn't quite as intricate as the Ballard plaque, but it would do just fine.

I found a french saying online (I am no bilingual) and printed the letters out. I transferred the outline by tracing the back of the letters with a pencil and coloring in the whole thing. I then turned the paper around (right side out) and rubbed the imprint on my wood. Next I painted the letters with simple craft paint and continued to "age" the wood to perfection. I created a whitewash using silver-blue craft paint and water. Lastly, I lightly sanded the entire board for a more antiqued look. So...I'm sure you are wondering if I stayed in budget. Lets go over the numbers: Wooden plaque: $6.00 Craft Paint: $2.00 Total cost: $8.00 Yup, budget kept.

Consignment Chairs

When we moved into our home we hardly had any furniture. We had either sold or given away almost every piece of furniture we owned. Therefore, we had a lot of searching and re-painting to do when we moved in. We found this gorgeous Pottery Barn table at a local discount store for $50.00...that's right fifty bucks! I didn't even take a second thought when I saw the price. The table was signed, sold, and delivered that day to our home. As wonderful as it was to have a lovely table in our dining room, we had no chairs to sit on. So, I got to work. I found some chairs at a consignment shop for $40.00 a piece. They were a putrid forrest green and had uninspiring vintage plaid cushions. I thought about how I should paint/re-cover the chairs for a while and when I found the fabric for the cushions, the decision was made. After a few coats of paint and some simple re-upholstering, they were done! Here is the finished product.

Train Cupcake and Cake

When I was in seventh grade, I had a dream of having my own bakery. After I realized I have no self control and would most likely weigh 500 pounds I decided to give up on that dream. Even though I do not own a bakery, I still love to bake and have learned to limit myself to one baking session a week. I am no expert yet, but I thought I would share some ideas for a boy's train birthday cake and cupcakes. I searched and searched the craft store for a cute train I could glue to a lollipop stick to use as a cupcake topper but had no luck, therefore I made one myself. With the help of my brilliant mother, we came up with this design.

We used scrap paper for the entire train and a few circle punches with some brads to make the wheels. I also made a train cake and thought pictures say more than words, so I just took a few pictures of the process. I didn't use fondant but it probably would have looked more polished if I did. I just thought fondant wouldn't be the best for a one year old attack cake :)