perfect bow

Tieing a perfect bow is definitely an art and something I feel like I'm completely inconsistent at. This tutorial from Paper Source may be the solution I'm looking for to get that polished, finished look everytime.

mini ice cream treats

I've started to plan what I want to do for Elle's birthday party next month. I'm thinking a mini or tiny theme with cute tiny party hats, a mini cake just for Elle, cupcakes and finger foods for everyone else. These mini ice cream scoops might be the perfect addition to theme.

terra cotta entertaining

I must be thinking spring - here's another post with terra cotta pots. I love this idea for entertaining. It's simple and allows you to pull together a cohesive look easily and without a lot money.

chalkboard paint

I love the look of chalkboards. This is a recipe to create your own chalkboard paint in the color of your choice. I think the terra cotta chalkboard pots would be the perfect place to test it out.

3 teaspoons acrylic paint (color of choice)
1 1/2 teaspoons glazing medium (water-based)
1/2 teaspoon powder tile grout

Mix all ingredients together, blending very well.

chalkboard pots

I love this idea from MS. Simply paint the pot with chalkboard paint and then write the name of the plant directly on the pot with chalk. I'd like to try it with the entire pot painted in chalkboard paint and use a chalkboard pen to make sure the writing is clear and dark enough. I think it'd be perfect for a small indoor herb garden.

photo journals

Check out this tutorial from five and a half to create your own photo journals. I love any and all notebooks. They're the perfect place to express and dream up creativity.

leather day planner

Anything planning, calendar and/or notebook is right up my alley.

From Martha Stewart: Leather is forgiving to work with -- it doesn't fray, so there's no need to finish edges, and if you purchase a 1/16-inch or thinner hide, it can be fed through a sewing machine. You'll need sturdy poly-cotton thread, a leather needle, and a Teflon pressure foot, which will keep the leather steady. Raise the tension according to your sewing machine's instructions, and make the stitches slightly longer than you would with fabric, to prevent the leather from tearing. Mark lines by scoring with a bone folder before sewing.

Tools and Materials:

One hide (5 1/2 square feet) leather

No-slip rulerRotary cutter

Multipurpose cement

Poly-cotton thread

Sewing machine equipped for leather

Leather hole punch

1/2-inch binder rivets

7-inch 6-ring spine

Rivet setter

Mallet

Paper inserts

Grommet kit or elastic cording (optional)

Leather Planner How-To

1. For standard refills (6 3/4 by 3 3/4 inches), use a rotary cutter to cut a rectangle of leather that is 10 3/8 by 7 1/8 inches. Mark the midpoint of the length, and score with the bone folder. For the closure, cut a 3 1/2-by-1-inch tab to fit in a 3-by-1/4-inch strip.
2. Cement a 1/4 inch of the tab halfway up the inside of the back cover of the planner; let dry, and then sew. Cement the strip halfway up the outside of the front cover; let dry, and sew ends. For side flaps, cut two 3 1/4-by-7 1/8-inch pieces. Cement them on all but the inside long edge; let dry, and then sew all around, leaving a 1/4-inch border.
3. Backstitch at start and finish. Place the spine on the halfway point, mark each hole with a pencil, and punch out marks with a hole punch. Align bar over holes, and stick rivet posts through each one; snap the cap pieces onto posts from the other side. Position rivet setter over each rivet head, and pound them into place with the mallet. Fill binder with paper inserts. Use flaps to store loose items.

First Published: January 2003 Martha Stewart

fabric wall squares

I love the clean, stylish look of this framed fabric project by Martha Stewart. Maybe I'll implement this in the girls' room.

baby announcement

Baby l is going to be here before I know it. I love this baby announcement by Inkbox Design...such a cute and creative way to announce the arrival of your new little one.

happy birthday olivia

Today is Olivia's birthday! She is my youngest sister, and I love when she comes to stay with me and we get to create a ton of fun projects.

Here's an idea from a recent birthday idea book we created at QuicKutz. Just cut letters from vinyl on your Silhouette and apply to balloons for an easy and creative way to personalize party decor.

baby face thumbtacks

My little girl loves to name friends and family in photos. I think this project would be fun to make as magnets for her to play with on her magnet board.

glassine bags

Growing up, my Grandma Jerry would give us little white sacks of crackers to eat while we were out playing by the pool or hiking in the hills behind her house. I want to order some glassine bags or white bags to gocco. There are a ton of food packaging websites to order from so I just need to find the best one and place an order.

fingerpaint wall art

I think this project looks like a lot of fun. I'd like to try it on small, square mini canvases while e's hands and feet are still small. You let your child "fingerpaint" canvas and then help them personalize it with handprints and footprints. I think she'd love it.

cd calendar case

My friend Rachel gave my mom a calendar as a gift last year. I found this website which sells the clear cases the calendar is displayed in. They have a ton of sizes and options.

entertaining idea

Image from MSweddings

I'd love to have a party with these hanging in my back yard. Step One: Finish my backyard so I can actually have a party back there.

homemade photo booth

I think this sounds like such a fun photo shoot to do with your kids. I have an old set of filmstrip photo booth photos of me and my mom when I was a baby. I kept meaning to take e with me to a photo booth (I think Kmart has one) but never got around to it - now she isn't a baby anymore! I think I'll still have to actually make it to a photo booth as well as set up my own at home.

play kitchen

I'd like to make e a play kitchen for her birthday. Here's one idea made from products from Ikea. I like the basic concept but I think I would want to at least paint it and add some moulding for embellishment.

Here's another...

And another...

craft room countertops

Someday, I'm going to remodel our basement into the ultimate craft room. I'm wondering how concrete countertops would look in that space. If I do decide to go that direction, here is a tutorial to get me (really Adam) started.

fabric baskets

I'm thinking these fabric baskets would work well for organizing e and l's closet. I'm also wondering if they'd be strong enough to use as toy baskets. My wicker ones just aren't holding up with to the daily abuse. I love that I can make them in the fabrics I used for the bedding in their room.

craft supply organization

Craft supplies is definitely one thing I have a lot of. I'm always looking for new ways to store and organize my ever-growing supply (working in the craft industry definitely has its perks!). I like the look of this system. Last week I bought a few tin buckets in the dollar section at Michales.