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One-on-One Challenge with Michele: Gift Wrap

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Michele is one of my favorite bloggers. I think I have sung her praises before, but I can’t help it. Every time I go to her site I come away with a dozen ideas on what to make next. She is like a sugar rush of creativity. 
A few weeks ago we decided to challenge each other to find new a glorious ways to celebrate something leftover from Christmas. Something wasteful. Something in abundance. What could be better than gift wrap!
The rules of the challenge were wonderfully open ended. As Michele explains 

“We emailed back and forth. Picked a day (today). Decided on a challenge. Created a post with a link to the challenger’s post, and that’s it! Now all you do is check out what I made, check out what Peaches made, and Bob’s your uncle, your work is done! No winners, no losers, just happy happy all around.”

HaHa “No winners, no losers” she says. Michele is diplomatic. It’s easy to be that way when you are clearly the winner. Just wait until you click here to see Michele’s AMAZING Childhood Charms. They are like happy little stained glass pieces made from her children’s drawings. Stunning.

I like my plaid bowl just dandy but honestly, it could not be more plain jane next to Michele’s project. I’m OK with it, but honestly, it has been a long time since anyone has out-glammed me. A LONG TIME. Something tells me I will be eating sequins with supper tonight!

Well, today’s challenge clearly boils down to form vs. function. And while my giant plaid produce bowl isn’t nearly as snazzy as Michele’s charms, it is something I have been hankering to make for years. Years I tell you! I have wanted a giant pedestal bowl to keep on my kitchen table, to hold fruit and veggies that don’t go in the fridge… problem with giant bowls is that they usually come with a giant footprint and take up half my table. No good. Enter paper mache!

Materials

  • One old beat up paper lantern 
  • One large chili bowl (you can skip this if you don’t want it to be a pedestal bowl)
  • duct tape
  • flour
  • water
  • carpenter’s wood glue or mod podge
  • A Whole Boat Load of leftover wrapping paper, including some brown craft paper or old paper bags (for the base layer)

Warning
This project is messy and takes a while. The kind f thing you do for 30 minutes a day, every day over the course of a week. The goods news is, this project is hard to mess up and kids love to help out. Just be sure they don’t expect immediate results. This one drags out a bit but the rewards are beautiful and will last a long time 🙂

1. Make a paper mache paste. My typical recipe is: one cup flour + two cups water stirred constantly over low heat for two minutes….but you can also buy it commercially or just google up our own recipe.
2. For the base layer, run brown paper under the faucet to moisten. Squish, crumple and tear into pieces no larger than your hand.
3. Put all your pieces the paste pot and beat it around with a wooden spoon (note: kids LOVE this step!)
4. One by one pull pieces from the pot and use your fingers to ensure they are fully coated (Note: kids LOVE this step even more!)

5. Prop your lantern up on an old bowl. Be prepared for a mess. As you can see, I left my kitchen messy to match the craft today. Yeah, that’s it.
6. Lay pieces on the lantern, overlapping heavily. Let it dry thoroughly.
7. Once dry, use scissors to cut the lantern in half.  Now you have your basic bowl shape in place and you can go back and repeat steps 1-4 with wrapping paper, building layers as you go. The more layers, the stronger the bowl. If your bowl is going to be just for decorative purposes, you could probably get away with just a layer of craft paper and single layer of wrapping paper, but since mine is going to hold some heavy duty fruit and veg, I made 5 layers over the course of a week.

8. Cover/Reinforce holes using paper plates and duct tape.
9. Duct tape a chili bowl to the bottom of the larger lantern bowl. Note: Any bowl will do the job, but try to choose something heavy enough to balance the weight of whatever you plan to put in the bowl. 
10. After your final layer of wrapping paper is on and 100% dry (at least 24 hours dry or in the oven at 200F for 30 minutes)…coat your bowl with a water-resistant sealer. I like to use a 50/50 mix of mod podge and water, but I recall my old art teacher saying a 50/50 blend of wood glue and water is a far more thorough sealer. Wood glue can also give a slight yellowy-antiquey finish that is really nice for certain things.
11. And there you have it!  A happy and robust, not to mention PLAID produce bowl you can use all year round! 
With this little challenge project, I have saved space, found storage, utilized some otherwise discarded paper, and had such a fun time working with Michele!  Again, I urge you to check out her AMAZING Childhood Charms and leave a comment on either of our sites. There is no winner here (ahem!) but y’all are certainly welcome to weigh in 🙂  Many thanks to Michele for coming up with this wonderful idea!  Until next time….

Cookie Cutter Wreath: The Velour Sweatpants of Home DĂ©cor

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Long time ago I started a holiday tradition of making one wreath each year dedicated to one person/place/event. It doesn’t need to be fancy or frilly, just made from components that remind me of something wonderful. I hope, as years past, my home will be filled with oodles of nifty wreaths, each with a story to tell. So far I have 10 and counting. I try to make them in between Christmas and New Years, the time of year reserved for family and reflection and eating pie for breakfast.

I’ll save the story behind this year’s wreath, but, let me tell you: this sucker is snazzy. Like Pee-Wee’s Playhouse style snazzy. And, get this, it’s functional! You can even hang it up all year round.

Snazzy + Non-Seasonal + Totally Functional = Awesomeness.

This wreath is like the velour sweatpants of home décor.

I know you want it.

The idea of making a cookie cutter wreath came from this project in Better Homes and Gardens. It’s a lovely piece, but it doesn’t really allow you to use the cookie cutters once they are incorporated in the wreath. Sure, sure, that’s fine for someone who has antique pieces that are no longer in use, but what about my green plastic stegosaurus cookie cutter? If I glue him in a wreath, that would mean no more stegosaurus stamped pie crust. Can I live without stegosaurus stamped pie crust? Hello no.

So what am I going to do? I am going to use the wire branches to create little loop pockets where I can insert Mr. Stegosaurus. This way I can reach in and pull him out any time I want. Beat that!

Materials

* Cookie Cutters
* Wire based tinsel wreath. The branches need to be the sort of sturdy wire you can bend and mold easily. Just about any cheapy faux greenery wreath will work. I picked up this pink number in the dollar section at Target. Suppose you could also have fun painting an old wreath you have laying around the garage. And yes, I saw your garage, I know you have an old wreath lying around. PS: I borrowed your camping thermos. Thanks!  

Tutorial

Prepare yourself, this could get complicated.

Step 1. place your cookie cutter on the wreath.
Step 2: use the wire branches to twist in the cookie cutters
Step 3: repeat
Step 4: get a diet coke and take a load off. This is exhausting.
Step 5: insert a thumb tack on your wall and hang it up.

Whew! We made it!
The really nice thing about this is that the wreath is 100% functional. I know it seems odd to think of a Christmas wreath as an organizing tool, but hey, think twice!  Those little branches are sturdy yet super flexible. Perfect for gripping things that you don’t access everyday, but don’t necessarily want to relegate to the basement or under the bed.

When I was a kid my mom clipped all my hair barrettes and ribbons onto a tacky old wax grape wreath she picked up at a garage sale. It hung in my room and I stared at it every night wondering what barrette I would wear the next day. Pink and green polka dots bows or the Raggedy Ann clips?

Unfortunately, scrunchies came into fashion and the wreath got thrown away. Still, I look back now and realize what a smart idea my mother had back then. To this day I have never seen another quite like it. Now I think about it, there are so many things you could organize and/or display using a wire wreath….kitchen utensils, measuring spoons, pens and pencils, legos, beanie babies, barbie dolls….the possibilities are endless.

Have fun. Have fun Y’all!

PS:  In combing through my cookie cutter collection, I found one that I cannot identify. Can anyone tell what this is? It does not appear to be bent or damaged in any way. I think it might be a platypus. Or a matinee. Ideas? 

There’ll Be Some Changes Made

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If you stop by regularly, you may notice things are looking a little bit different. Nothing big, just a little lipstick and hair brushing. I’m aiming to neutralize the sandbox so I can leave more room to play with new features down the road.
Couple of new additions include links to my Facebook and Twitter pages. That’s right, Social Media, here I come! No clue what I’m doing but you are welcome to link up and join in the ride. 
This could get addictive in a hurry.
Happy New Year Y’all!  

The tooth fairy owes me

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Yesterday’s long-overdue visit to the dentist’s office resulted in the loss of one troublesome bicuspid, and the welcome addition of a new and ferocious sweet tooth.  For most people, a trip to the dentist inspires a surge in flossing and responsible dental hygiene habits. For me, a trip to the dentist means out-of-control cravings for all things sweet and sugary. Hello Coca-Cola Cake!


It’s way too intense for regular consumption, but my friend Noelleen requested it, and, honestly, I feel I am entitled to indulge my cravings. If I am going to wander around the house, toothless and slobbering, talking like a hillbilly beaver, I should enjoy the experience.


Hope you enjoy it too!


Old Fashioned Coca-Cola Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted
1/2 cup buttermilk (or regular milk with 1/2 tsp of vinegar)
1 cup Coke
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
1 cup miniature marshmallows

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13- x 9-inch baking pan (I used a bundt pan here and it came out sloppy. In the future, I’ll stick to the flat pans. This sucker is just too moist!)

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.


Heat butter, cocoa and Coca-Cola to boiling and pour over the flour mixture. Mix well. Add eggs, buttermilk, vanilla extract and marshmallows and blend. The batter will be thin with marshmallows floating on top. Bake for 45 minutes.

Frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
4 tablespoons cocoa
6 tablespoons coke
1 box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Mix/melt first three ingredients in a sauce pan on the stove. Remove from the heat and blend in the sugar and vanilla extract. Spread on warm cake. Expect the cake to absorb some of the frosting.

Stick a fork in it.

Happy New Year Y’all!

PS: Anyone looking for a seriously nifty last minute New Year’s craft needs to check out this amazing lantern from Alison over at Backstich Baby! Wish I had thought of this one myself. Seriously considering hanging one in my bathroom all year round 🙂 Thanks for sharing, Alison!

Candy Coated Anxiety

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Who made “GET YOUR BUTT TO THE DENTIST ALREADY.” as one of their 2010 new years resolutions? Me.

Who waited to schedule an appointment until the last day of the year? Me.

Who is terrified and chewing out their anxiety on sweet-n-sour shoe leather candy? Me.

Who would be stupid enough to eat sweet-n-sour shoe leather candy, THE WORST possible breakfast in history of mankind, just before the dentist? Me.

And yes, those are Milk Duds in my purse.

And no, I’m not sharing.

Custom Party Hats (and not just for kids and cats!)

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My friend Noeleen,snarling on her birthday and wearing a photo of herself snarling at a previous birthday.PS: I’ll have you know, Noeleen authorized the public distribution of the photo above in exchange for my bringing coca cola cake to her boyfriend’s NYE party…!!BARGAIN!!

Oh, how I love me some party hats. I jump at any excuse to make them and wear them…

Birthdays = Party Hats
New Year’s Eve = Party Hats
Good haircut = Party Hats
Bad haircut= Party Hats
Visit to the dermatologist = Party Hats
Discovered the cat likes Barry Manilow music = Party Hats

There is never a bad occasion. Never. And I’m not just talking about kid’s parties either; adults enjoy part hats just as much, if not more! Well, maybe not all adults. Maybe just the cool ones.

The nice thing about party hats is they lend a sense of occasion to any location. When my friend Noeleen had her birthday party at a restaurant last summer, decorations weren’t really an option. Too much fuss. So, we brought the party to the table and wore the decorations on our heads. So what if the other tables looked at us funny? Fun was had by all!

My family wearing Abigail themed party hat’s at Abigail’s first birthday. Note every adult on the property that day was wearing one of these hats. The only ones *not* wearing them were Abigail and Old Rusty (Old Rusty the dog, not Old Rusty the Uncle)

Not long ago I was down South celebrating Abigail’s first birthday. Of course, there needed to be custom hats. And of course, everyone wore one except Abigail. Apparently, baby does not like anything touching her head, not even a custom party hat! Oh well, she had plenty of fun looking at all the adults looking like goofy Carmen Miranda types.

As long as we are on the subject of Abigail’s’ birthday, can we all just take a moment to admire my niece? I mean seriously. Just look at that pudding face!


There are lots of ways to make custom party hats, but I find the easiest, sturdiest, and least expensive bases are those latex foam visors you find at craft stores. I try to stock up when they are on sale, buying a bag of ten for $4.00 or so. You can also use disposable paper party tiaras from earlier parties, or anything that will sit securely on the head. I have even used paper cups in the past….just make due with what you have.

Embellishments are unlimited! The secret is to find one or two lightweight elements that take up a lot of space + one or two sparkly/unique elements that will stick out from the pack. The foam rubber is especially nice because you can piece it with pipe cleaners or silk flowers, but glue and duct tape will also get the job done.

Think about incorporating…

  • Photographs
  • Letters and Numbers (Hello 2011! Or what about celebrating Alex’s Birthday by putting one big A on one hat + L on another, etc etc.)
  • Plastic bottles cut into flowers
  • Coloring book pages
  • Feather boas cut to bits
  • Silk flowers
  • Paper doilies
  • Holiday tinsel garland
  • Small toys
  • Tulle netting
  • Monopoly money
  • Playing cards

Just about anything in your waste bin that doesn’t smell or stick to your show can be used to make nifty hats!

Y’all have fun!

PS: Just as I was about to post this, I saw this wonderful article from Tatertots & Jello featuring 20 fabulous party hats. Check it out!

Bubba, Kerry and Abigail celebrate the day in style! Abigail was fascinated by all the adults wearing hats on her birthday, but they only one she would put on her own head that day was the pink monster (a gift from Uncle John). Kerry took the party hats home afterwards –she thinks they will come in handy in the doctor’s office. Can’t you just imagine your childhood doctor administering shots in a kickbutt hat like this?!

Christmas with Kermit

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Update Dec 28: Sorry Y’all, I accidently deleted this post and need to repost from scratch. Beg your pardon if it gobbled your comment or appeared in your inbox twice 🙂

The “Kermit Tree” in the central rotunda


One of my favorite holiday traditions is spending Christmas Eve at the Museum of Science and Industry. I know some people will think spending Christmas at a science museum sounds kooky, but honestly, their Christmas Around the World exhibit is amazing. It’s like that Disneyland ride, It’s a Small World, minus the annoying music and the boat that smells like vomit and Captain Crunch. Trust me y’all, this show is not to be missed!


There are over 50 trees scattered throughout the central corridors of the museum, each decorated by volunteers from various ethnic communities. In addition to being drop-dead-gorgeous, each tree’s decor is aimed to represent each individual country’s holiday traditions. You hear that: it’s got rhinestones AND educational value. Beat that!

Some trees are decked out with traditional folk crafts, while others use local exports, like candy and coffee, while some limit their decorations to the colors of their national flag. It varies widely and no two are alike. Individual plaques below each tree explain some of the more popular traditions. Did you know that the Italian equivalent for Santa Claus is a witch that flies around searching for the baby Jesus? Well, you’ll just have to go see for yourself and read more.


In the center rotunda, there is a 45-foot tree with more than 30,000 lights and 1,000 ornaments. It changes every year, usually to highlight some sort of current event or museum exhibit. This year’s tree is in honor of the Jim Henson Exhibit (more on that later!)…y’all, I wish I could show you this beautiful thing. All of the ornaments were covered in furry bits and googly eyes and curly bursts of color….like a giant bedazzled muppet!  If you are in the area, you have got to see this think for yourself.

Christmas Around the World is open until Jan 9, 2011.

Just a few of the trees from (left to right, top to bottom):Czech Republic, Guatemala, Greece, France, Lithuania, Denmark, Estonia, Puerto Rico, Italy, Native America, Bosnia, Belize, England, Belarus, Thailand, Sweden, Bulgaria, USA, South Korea 

Left to Right / Top to Bottom: Shoes and blue glory from Greece, Lithuanian straw crafts, Japanese origami, French Angels, Bulgarian folk crafts, and a plaque explaining Christmas in Guatemala

All of these trees featured “angels” in their own way. Isn’t it funny how angels look so very different to each of us?
My favorite tree! From Poland, all of the ornaments are made from polish candies. Bah! Isn’t is gorgeous?!

Look at these chandeliers hanging above lobby! Wish I had seen these before I tried my garland light. Oh well…next time 🙂



Yeah, that Good King Wenceslas was a cool dude.

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For a long time, I thought Good King Wenceslas was just the title to a funky Christmas carol…but it turns out, he was a real person. In fact, he was a King and a Saint who was murdered by his younger brother. Geez-o-Pete, scandal much?

If you are like me, you probably never paid much attention to the song…but if you look closer, you might be surprised at what you find.

The song takes place today, St. Stephen’s Day (December 26) and describes King Wenceslas braving a horrible storm in order to help feed a poor neighbor.  Pretty great when you think about it. Click here to listen. Or read blow:

Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the Feast of Stephen
When the snow lay ’round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gath’ring winter fuel
“Hither, page, and stand by me,
If thou know’st it, telling
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?”
“Sire, he lives a good league hence,
Underneath the mountain
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes’ fountain.”
“Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me pine-logs hither
Thou and I shall see him dine
When we bear them thither.”
Page and monarch, forth they went
Forth they went together
Through the rude wind’s wild lament
And the bitter weather.
“Sire, the night is darker now
And the wind blows stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how
I can go no longer.”
“Mark my footsteps, good my page
Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shall find the winter’s rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly.”
In his master’s step he trod
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye, who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing.

Now, I don’t know what it’s like to be a Bohemian King or what it feels like to starve in the snow, but I do know what it like to be on the receiving end of a random act of kindness just when I needed it most.

Yeah, that Good King Wenceslas was a cool dude.

Twas the night before Christmas…

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Bow hats are coming back!

…and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

Mostly because Lola will attack anything that moves.

This is what I get for decorating my tree with nothing but birds and feathers. She thinks the living room is now her own personal Audobon sanctuary. No creature is safe. Not even the pot holders.

At the moment you are reading this,  she is under the tree, standing guard and ready to pounce. While I’ll probably be on the couch, wrapping gifts or eating cookies, and wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas.

Happy Holidays Y’all 🙂