And the season starts…

3 daughters + 4 softball teams = BUSY!!!!!

 

Between coaching 3 house teams (13U, 10U and 8U) and Rae on the town 10U travel team, it’s gonna be a busy summer!  Tonight is Rae’s first travel game.  Here’s a little something I put together for the team to wish them luck in their first game:

A bottle of water (wrapped with duct tape), a package of sunflower seeds, and a few candies all wrapped up and ready to go!  Can you tell our team colors orange and blue? 

GO MAGIC!!!!!!!!!!!

Activity Folder

I have seen many travel ideas for kids on Pintrest.  We are going to be traveling by plane for the first time as a family this year and I wanted to make something to keep the girls occupied on the plane.  I found a really cute activity folder…made from fabric. Now, I can sew, but only basic stuff!  This looked like I might be able to do it…

Just the other day my middle daughter was making things with duct tape and came up with a cute folder…yep…I decided I could make their activity folders out of duct tape instead of sewing them!!

So, a trip to AC Moore was in order, as they had duct tape on sale!  I raided the pantry for some cereal boxes and I went to work:

Complete Folders

First, gather your supplies.  I found the activity books in Target’s dollar section.  One roll of duct tape is more than enough to make one folder.  And one cereal box.

Using the activity book as a guide, cut your cardboard.  Be sure to leave enough room aound the book! (Sorry, I don’t measure, I trace! LOL)

Then cover your cardboard, on both sides, with duct tape.  Each of mine had vertical designs- it took 4 strips to cover the cardboard.  I found out the hard way duct tape isn’t that easy to cut- it’s much easier to tear.  TIP: Tear the tape strips so they overhang the cardboard and trim afterwards- tape that doesn’t have any adhesive showing is much easier to cut!!

Once both pieces are covered you’ll need to make the binding.  I only plan on putting thin items in the folder so I made the binding one tape width.  Put the covers about an inch apart and tape. Then, flip and tape again.  Trim any overhang.

Now for the pockets.  Lay 2 strips of tape, just shorter than the width of the cover, sticky side up.  Then cover with 2 more strips just a little longer (you’ll need some adhesive showing to attach the pocket).

Press the pocket in place.  Then add another piece along the bottom and wrap around to seal the bottom.

Repeat for the other side.

I added a pencil pocket in the middle- be sure to form around a pencil because my first attempt was too small and I couldn’t get a pencil in! LOL

Hope I explained myself enough!  I usually forget about taking pics until I’m well into a project!  If you have any questions, or if you make one for yourself, please comment and let me know!! Have fun!

This is for Pinning to Pintrest- for some reason none of the other images are pinnable!  Thanks!

Happy Easter!

Hello all! Can’t believe the end of March is here.  Hope you’re March is going out like a lamb…it’s not here!

Tomorrow is my girls’ last day of school before break and we made a little something for their teachers.  I’ve seen similar  ideas all over Pintrest and couldn’t resist!

Peep S’mores

Updated Website!

I finally updated my photography website with the 2012 weddings!  Please take a look here!

Thanks for looking!!

Family Vacation!!!!!!

It’s official! We’re going on our first big family vacation!  Airplanes, hotel, rental car and DISNEY!!!!

We’re spending a week in Clearwater, FL and taking a day trip to the Magic Kingdom.  My 4 year old is obsessed with princesses so this should be the “happiest place on Earth” for her! LOL

While it’s 6 months away, and I certainly don’t want to rush summer, I’m already planning.  Softball starts in about 6 weeks and it’s going to be a very busy summer with coaching 3 teams, and, one daughter also on a travel team. So, I figure I’ll get as much done as I can now!  Reservations are made.   I have a box started and I’m adding stuff constantly.  Lists are made and being edited.  I’m constantly looking for ideas and tips (have a good one?  Please share!).

I found this website – WDW Prep School - and it’s AMAZING!!!  Shannon has a WONDERFULLY helpful site and will even answer your personal questions.  Please pay a visit to her sight if you’re even thinking of going to Disney!  From this site I found a great idea- pressed penny tubes.  Apparently Disney had machines that you can squish pennies into souvenirs!  It’s $.51- 2 quarters and the penny to squish.  So, each of the girls (and myself!) now have a penny tube.  Find great labels here.  I put mine into Word and added the girls’ names before I printed them.  Then just wrap around the tube and tape in place with packing tape!

Pressed Penny Tubes

I started each of the girls with $3 in quarters- layer 2 quarters and a penny- much easier than digging for the right coins when you find a machine!  The tubes hold several dollars but they’re digging in their piggy banks for the rest! LOL

 

I’ve seen these on Pintrest and thought they would be a great idea- phone number bracelets. I don’t even want to think of us getting separated but if it does happen, hopefully no one will panic too much and they will remember to find a cast memeber and show them the bracelet!

Phone number bracelets

And with a layover (changing planes) in Atlanta, they’ll be wearing them on the plane too! If you plan on making these, don’t forget your zip code!!

Do you have any great tips about a day trip to Disney?  Please feel free to share in the comments!  I look forward to it!

A Gift for My Sister

It’s been a while, but for several years in a row I gave my sister a gift basket for her birthday and/or Christmas.  After she took her goodies home she would give me the basket back to refill the following year.  Well, the basket has sat empty in my basement the last couple years as we (my daughters) found something else for their Sosh.

This year I made her a little something to put in that basket!  She has recently started drinking wine, so I made her a set of painted wine glasses and a set of wine glass charms.  Added in 2 bottles of wine, some chocolate, a Starbucks gift card and a baby T-Rex (she LOVES the T-Rex)!

I never thought to take a pic of the filled basket but here’s a pic of one of the glasses and the wine charms.

Silver and Berry dotted glass with Berry dipped rim

 

Heart wine glass charms

 

I had a lot of fun painting her glasses…so I had to make one for myself!  Did you think it would be anything besides softball?

Softball glass

 

I’m slowly adding colors to my glass paint collection…I’ve found just one more thing I love to do!   Stay tuned as I’m sure there will be more glasses coming…

 

DIY Christmas

Hello faithful followers!  I realize we are into February already of the new year….how does time go by so fast??

Here are a few of my favorites I made this Christmas.

Lighted wine bottle

This wine bottle was one of my favorites this year!  There is only ONE type of wine that I like…thanks to my friend Chris.  I made this for her with the first big bottle we shared (up until October “our” wine was only available in smaller bottles).  With a special glass bit, my husband drilled a hole near the bottle- I fed in the lights, sprayed the bottle with frosted glass spray paint, and added the ornaments and bow…then made one for myself too!

Lighted vase- my girls

Thanks to Pintrest, I found A LOT of things I wanted to make….photo vases were one of them.  I printed the picture on vellum and Mod Podged it to the vase.  Then I sprayed the rest of the vase with frosted glass paint and inserted a flameless votive.  Then, I needed a little something for my oldest daugther’s violin teacher…

Lighted vase- Canon in D

Side view of Canon in D

I printed sheet music on vintage paper and did the same thing…it came out great!  I liked the look of the sheet music and made these little snowmen, too…a little brown ink around the edges to make it more vintage.

Snowman ornament

 

This year we took our Girl Scout troop to Designing Dish as part of our Potter badge.  The girls painted mugs and ornaments.  They were ready to take home in time for our Christmas party- I made these hot chocolate snowmen as a little something special.  Just baby food jars, dowel sections, felt, paint and, of course, hot chocolate mix and marshmallows!

Hot Chocolate snowmen

I love the deluxe apples but not the price…so this year I made my own!  I covered large honey crisp apples with caramel then drizzled them with chocolate, toffee pieces and/or pecans.

Deluxe caramel apples