Recap: 2012's Resolutions

I am proud of my accomplishments this last year. I think it's so easy to set the bar way too high and then be unhappy with not meeting unreal expectations of ourselves.

 

This last year my resolutions were to live a healthier lifestyle, be more authentic, speak kinder, and try new things.

 

My results are as follows:

 

 

-I have lost over 20lbs since Jack was born last year. I still have more work to do, but I am happy with what I have accomplished so far!

 

-I made this space more authentic this year. Sometimes that means taking a break from blogging for a few days at a time because I don't have any fresh ideas or just want to spend time with my family more (no offense!). I've also learned this year that it's impossible to make everyone happy and at the end of the day, my husband and kids mean more to me than the opinion of anyone else.

 

-I have to be honest and say that I haven't always chosen to say nice things 100% of the time, but I am working on understand how my attitude and words affect others. I want to be a source of joy, not annoyance for others.

 

-Finally, I think a tried a lot of new things this year! First off, I completed my first half marathon in Disneyland! Then, I experimented as a red head, challenged myself to cooking at home for a whole month, and flew to Utah to visit friends.

 

It was fun to accomplish new goals and it has made me so excited for 2013! My husband and I already sat down to discuss new goals for the upcoming year. I'm sure it will be filled with crafts, messes, lazy days, and maybe even a trip to Disneyland:)



DIY: Numbered Coasters

I had been wanting to make a set of numbered coasters for a while but wanted them to look more vintage than shabby chic.

 

I found these blank wood coasters at Joann for $1 and I used a coupon that was about to expire on them...making them just $.60. Sweet!

 

I found a font I wanted to copy (this one is EcuyerDAX from dafont.com) and I printed the numbers out to create stencils. I traced each number with a sharpie marker and then free handed the boarders and lines.

 



I gave them two coats with a clear satin sealer that resists water and then one more coat of matte Mod Podge so I think they are well protected from our cold drinks;)

 



Now we have a new place for our newly thrifted owl glasses.

 



 

Hope you are having a lovely Tuesday!

DIY: Replace the Glass in an Old Clock

Our old living room clock had an accident and fell off the wall. The glass shattered everywhere and left us with either replacing the glass or the clock as a whole.

 

After going to the home improvement store (and them having NOTHING in the entire warehouse to help me) and being referred to a glass specialist (do you know it's hard to cut glass in a circle?)...I ended up at Walmart.

 

Yup, Walmart.

 

For once, that store actually had something I needed!

 

I bought this cheap $6 frame with thin plastic (instead of glass) and decided to take a chance on cutting it to fit in the clock.

 

 

I took the face out of the clock and traced it onto the plastic:

 

 I cut out the circle and it splintered just a bit:

 

 

 I put the plastic back into the frame, sealed up the clock and it is good as new!

 



 

It looks exactly the same and is a lot lighter now too.

 

Happy Wednesday!

DIY: Felt and Fleece Stockings

I made these Christmas stockings last year. Jack was only a few weeks old and I was feeling crafty. I made the whole set in less than an hour.

 

Materials:

 

1 yd of fleece

 

1/4 yard of felt

 

matching thread

 

hot glue gun

 

STEP 1: Cut stocking shapes out of fleece and sew around all sides (with wrong sides facing), leaving the top open. I liked the look of the raw edges.

 

STEP 2: Cut strips 1" by 4" strips of fleece. Fold in half and sew to the left inside corner of the stocking.

 

STEP 3: Cut embellishments out of felt and hot glue to the front. I cut strips for my husband's stocking, large flowers for mine, small flowers for my daughter's, and a chevron pattern for my son's.

 

Since I have no shelves to place the stockings on, I used some old shower curtain hooks to hang them on our curtain rod in the living room.

 

Getting Away: Disneyland

I still haven't shared about our Disneyland vacation back in September! I'm not shy about my love for Disney and this vacation (although it had many ups and downs) was still magical:)

 

We always stay in a cheap hotel across the street and what it lacks in amenities...it makes up for with a fireworks view!

 

 

 Baby boy's first time in the ocean:

 

Sandy baby toes:

Jack dumped all his goldfish crackers on the blanket and made a lot of bird friends within a few minutes. They were hoping he might share;)

 

 

The next day was Disneyland...I was almost too excited to sleep!

 

 

The princesses were our first stop and they did not disappoint! Mulan was our favorite:

 

 

 Cinderella + kitschy cuteness = perfection:

 

 

 Hello Minnie...nice to see you again!

 

 

Relaxing on a boat tour:

 

The parade is always the perfect ending to a perfect day. And yes...that would be Cinderella waving at MY daughter! She couldn't contain herself.

 

Counting down the days until we get to visit again!

DIY: Advent Calendar

I've never been consistent with the yearly Christmas advent calendar. The wooden ones in the store are cute...but I don't want to pack one...or try to find little things to fit in the spaces (it just leads to more little things to find between the couch cushions or to step on in the middle of the night, right?).

 

This year I decided I would do an activity themed calendar, filled with things we can do as a family. 

 

 

Oh, and did you notice I only have 20 cards in my calendar? Well, I decided to do a few less, that way if we miss a day...it's all good. (Plus, I only had 20 clothespins...so win, win.)

 

I made these cards in Photoshop, folded them in half, and wrote down 20 different things we can do as a family. I used an old frame and strung them on yarn taped to the back. Most of our activities cost little to no money.

 

Some examples are:

 

-have a slumber party in the living room

-write letters to family members telling them what we love most about them

-watch a Christmas movie

-pick a child off the Angel Tree at church and shop for them

-have dinner out on the patio

-get hot chocolate at a cafe'

 

I'm really looking forward to our month of family activities and teaching our children that it's not about opening a present every day...but about being together as a family and giving to others.

 

Happy Tuesday!

 





Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope you are having a wonderful Thanksgiving!

 

 

 

A Vintage Motorcycle Birthday

Jack's first birthday party was this weekend and we had a great time!

 

Such a great time, in fact, that I forgot to take pictures of all the treats and favors I made! Oh well, it was such a fun day and we had a blast celebrating our little man.

 

I've mentioned before that motorcycles are kinda a big deal in our home. My husband used to be a Harley mechanic and now teaches the subject for a living. He also owns a Harley...so it was obvious that the birthday theme would have something to do with motorcycles. We compromised and decided to go with a vintage motorcycle theme.

 

I made this sign in Photoshop and we stapled it to a wooden stake:

 

 

 

On the dessert table I had chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, cookie dough truffles, cheesecake truffles, and s'mores...all on popsicle sticks. I wrote the name of each treat on the popsicle stick like these treats from Bakerella. I used a plastic table cloth as the backdrop and printed out the monthly pictures I've been taking of Jack to string up. I made the "one" letters in Photoshop as well and used mini clothespins to hang everything up. I also used up some left over scrapbooking paper to make confetti:

 

Mmmm...cupcakes. I used box mixes for the cupcakes and classic Wilton buttercream for the icing. I got a lot of compliments on both and they tasted pretty close to a bakery cupcake.

 

I made brunch since the party was early in the day and it was a hit! Not only was it a cheap option to feed a large crowd...but it appealed to both the parents and the children.

 

I cut down paper straws to fit in the cups and printed out a "fuel up" sign. I saw that idea on Pinterest;)

 

We already had this vintage Harley metal sign, so I propped it up in a stand and framed Jack's 1 year old picture in a frame I already had for the food table.

 

 

Instead of making games for the kids, I set up a cookie decorating station for them outside. It was so much fun and something I will definitely do again. I couldn't resist driving a little out of my way to the cake supply store for this motorcycle cookie cutter! It's all about the small details, right? I also made the "customize your ride" sign in Photoshop.

 

I made a little paper bunting for the front of the highchair:

 

 

I kept the smash cake simple and color free! Ha! I made a small double layer 6" cake and used my star decorating tip to frost it.

 

The kids went home with homemade chocolate motorcycle suckers and each family got a goody bag with flap "jack" mix and a box of Cracker Jacks. (will post those photos later).

 

It was such a great day and we all slept really well when it was over! I can rest for a few months until the Little Miss has her birthday in the spring;)

Turning One

This little man is going to be one in a few days.

 

ONE.

 

I am refusing to accept it.

 

 

I saw a Dreft commercial the other day that said, "You only have a baby for one year."

 

Wow, thanks for bringing a mom down.

 

I can't wait to share his birthday party with you, but for now, I am going to cuddle him and kiss him as much as I want.

 

Or, you know, until his birthday in a few days...when he's not a baby anymore.

DIY: Painted Oven Mitts

I needed some new oven mitts and while I liked the price of the dollar store ones...I didn't care for how plain they were. I found this old stamp in with my paints and decided to stamp my new mitts with some fabric paint.

 

MATERIALS:

fabric paint

paint brush

foam stamp

oven mitt(s)

 

STEP 1: Brush fabric paint onto stamp and press on oven mitt. Let sit for 24 hours (or however long the fabric paint bottle says) and then use!

 



 

These would make a great Christmas gift or hostess gift for the holiday season.

 

Happy Wednesday!