My Little Turkey

My husband and his friends play bowling the day after Thanksgiving for the past 15+ years.  Last year, we made a onesie for LJL that said "My First Turkey Bowl".  It was cute since he was only 3 months old.  Well this year we needed to come up with something better...his very own turkey costume!  We found a few options for buying a turkey costume online but they seemed rather expensive.  My mom, the great crafter she is, decided we could make our own.  After a few conversations of planning, digging through L's clothes to find items we could use, and a trip to JoAnn Fabrics, we had all the supplies and started our adventure.  The hardest part was trying to get a 15 month to sit still for measurements and fittings...

It took a few evenings and a Saturday afternoon but we completed it without another trip to the craft store.  I'm pretty proud of my little turkey :)

Chalkboard Paint Wine Glasses

I've seen lots of dinnerware on Pinterest, Today Show, The View, etc. used with chalkboard paint to help personalize each table setting for guests.  For a recent get together with friends, I decided to try the wine glasses with chalkboard paint bases I found online at: http://justshortofcrazy.com/2011/09/chalkboard-wine-glasses-tutorial.html.  

I started with inexpensive wine glasses from Ikea which I had around the house.

Next, I ventured out to find the chalkboard paint.  My first stop was JoAnn Fabrics craft store but unfortunately they didn't carry it (I did pick up a box of colored chalk and a box of white chalk while I was there).  Luckily, Lowe's Hardware store was across the street and they were stocked with small cans of chalkboard paint, which a staff member helped me locate.  ((In talking with the staff member, I found it was just matte paint, which if I had time to have him mix, it could have saved me a few bucks AND I could have selected the color, but my 1 year old was ready to leave so I grabbed a small paint can and headed home.))

I gathered all the supplies (wine glasses, paint, LOTS of newspaper, parchment paper for drying):

I used the "dip and slide" technique...dipping the ends of the glasses and sliding the excess off the edge of the paint can.  The paint was VERY thick but it was smooth and laid nicely on the glass.

Next, I dried the glasses (base side down) on the parchment paper.  After about 20 minutes I moved the glasses to new parchment paper to dry.  I left them over night and moved them the next morning (they stuck slightly to the paper but none of the paint came off).

After a day, the glasses were ready for some personalization!

I think they turned out great and were a hit at the party!  My only suggestion would be to NOT PLACE THEM IN THE DISHWASHER!  After a couple of glasses of wine, I didn't think it would be a problem to put them in the dishwasher.  In the morning there were specs of black paint all on the inside of the dishwasher :(  Luckily, only 2 glasses made there way into the dishwasher!   

LJL's First "Art" Project

Since Thanksgiving is just a few days away, I found this DIY Thanksgiving decor idea online at http://zitzmanfam.blogspot.com/

I thought it would be a great item to display at our "Friendsgiving" party on Thanksgiving Eve.  HOWEVER, a 15 month old who was ready for bed has NO interest in finger painting.  I set everything up so as soon as my husband got home I would have an extra set of hands to assist.  Since LJL wasn't really into it, there is only 1 picture of the project in action....

Fast forward through a bit of a temper tantrum and enough time for the paint to dry and here is the final product....

I purchased the supplies from JoAnn Fabric: frame for $5.99 (60% off!), scrapbook paper ($.69), paint ($.59), and scrapbook letters ($1.99).  Total project = $9.26.

Homemade artwork from my son's 2nd Thanksgiving that we can have forever!

((Since this is my first pin project, I learned to take more pictures along with way.  My next posts will include my photos and step by step instructions.))

My Pinterest Addiction

I recently discovered the website, Pinterest, an online pinboard which allows you to categorize and post links, pictures, and ideas to share with followers (and anyone else who might be interested). I have found my favorite categories to "pin" are: Favorite Recipes (sharing my love of cooking for others), Style (clothing, hair, makeup), Dream Home (ideas for your home including room layouts and designs), Holiday Ideas (Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc recipes, decor), Life (motivation, general ideas), LJL (named after my son, fun ideas for kids), New Uses for Everyday Things (creative solutions to everyday items), and Wellness (health, fitness).

Once I reached 80+ pins, I realized it was about time to start actually doing something with these ideas. Since we were approaching Thanksgiving, I started with a few DIY home decorating ideas and party recipes. My next blog post will highlight how my projects turned out! Enjoy :)