Pages

Pages

Showing posts with label Blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blog. Show all posts

Friday, March 27, 2015

Playing with clay


I hosted this month's Crafty Club recently. The evening was filled with crafting, cocktails and snacks. No hubbies or kids. Just a bunch of cool girlfriends hanging out and being creative. 

The seven of us take turns hosting. I really look forward to hosting because I get to pick out the craft and then show/teach it to everyone. Arts/crafts + sharing it with others = my passion :)

The craft I picked out was one I came across in a blog a few months ago. I didn't think up this craft in any way and take absolutely no credit for the idea (although I wish this is something I had thought of)! I fell in love with it when I saw it and just knew I had to do if for my next hosting gig.

The blog I saw it on is A Beautiful Mess (it's one of my new favorite blogs to follow). And the craft is Marbled Clay Ring Dish.

Ours did not turn out exactly like the ones on A Beautiful Mess, but I think that's what's so cool about this craft! Each dish you make turns out different from the rest. They're little works of art.

There's a great step-by-step tutorial on the Beautiful blog already, but I thought I'd show you the quick lowdown anyways:

All you need is a specific type of clay, a rolling pin, bowl, knife, kitchen oven and liquid leafing.
1 & 2 - Original Sculpey oven-bake clay in white
3 - A multi-color package of Sculpey oven-bake clay
4 - Liquid Leaf one-step leafing paint 
(I bought all of these materials at Hobby Lobby)


Aren't these colors fun? Liam thought so too (you can see his little hand grabbing at them)!


This is one of my dishes in a glass bowl, waiting to be baked in the oven. I did three
test-rounds prior to hosting the craft. I wanted to make sure I had the technique down.


Here's the dining room table, all set up for crafting.
Luckily I had 6 cheap IKEA cutting boards on hand, one for each lady.



And of course there's never a shortage of snacks at our gatherings....


....or drinks.


And here are some of our finished dishes!


We each ended up making two dishes, one big and one small.




And here are mine

I made three at three different times, and they ended up nestling together perfectly. I guess they were meant to be together :)

This one is my favorite. It was the very first one I made. 



We did not apply a glaze to seal them better. And they are not food safe by any means. But I think they're great for rings, earrings, bracelets, pins, paper clips, stray buttons....what would you put in these dishes? Please share!

And thank you A Beautiful Mess for the fun idea.

Saturday, May 31, 2014

This week

Almost a year and a half ago I decided to post a list of what I called "Daily Smiles" each week on my blog. I would jot something down each day that made me smile, whether it be Liam telling me that he loved me or seeing a bunny in our backyard. Forcing myself (willingly) to write something down each day made me stop and reflect on the simple, beautiful things that happen each day. 

Well...for Christmas this year my sister-in-law gave me a perpetual calendar where I write down a special tidbit or event from each day. It has become too time consuming for me to write a tidbit down in my perpetual calendar plus write it in my blog each day, so I've stopped adding Daily Smiles to this blog.

I thought of a more fun way to share the things that make me smile each week here on my blog - I'm going to start my Weekly Smiles. At the end of the week I will post some of my favorite moments via photographs. I take so many photos each week, on my Nikon, my iPhone and the iPad. So I figured, why not just download some photos and share them. It's fun for me and more visually stimulating for you.

And I'm changing it to weekly smiles instead of "daily" because, honestly, some days we don't even leave the house or the play/toy corner! I definitely smile at Liam and Chloe in the toy corner many times a day, but do you really want to see photos of Liam playing with Matchbox cars every day? And Chloe drooling on her play mat? And then there are some days when we actually get out and walk to the park or pick veggies from the garden and those days warrant more photos :) 


Finding time to blog has become a bit hard for me (toddler + newborn = not a ton of personal time). But blogging keeps me somewhat sane and I love doing it, so I'm going to try really hard to keep up with this.

So here it goes...my first Weekly Smiles...complete with photos and blurbs:


'Up north' at our cabin this past weekend my niece and nephew showed Liam how to fish...

Liam played nicely (most of the time) with his cousins...

Here are my niece and nephew splashing around in the lake. The water was about 40 degrees, but they didn't care at all! These are some true Wisconsin kids.

My niece turned 14!! How did that happen? I feel so freaking old. We celebrated 
with her at the cabin. Happy birthday, sweet Caroline :)

Matt and Liam sharing a moment. Makes my heart flutter.

I am obsessed with Chloe's little feet! I can't get enough of these cute toes. 
I already have a vast collection of Chloe Feet Photos :)

Our neighbor left a bottle of this by our back door this week. Who knew there
was a bottle of wine named after our kid!

I actually baked something. I found time! They are not from scratch (what. ever.) but they
were still yummy (yes, they're gone already).

Our perennials are finally blooming in our yard...

It was warm enough outside for Liam to play in his sandbox...

Chloe enjoyed the warm weather too. Although I'm a pretty paranoid mom
when it comes to keeping her warm, so she was still bundled up in a blanket.

We took a family trip to a local garden center (Caan Floral and Greenhouses) and bought some more perennials to add to the gardens in our front yard...

And I scored THESE at a rummage sale yesterday!! Liam, Chloe and I were out for a 
walk and came across some rummage sales in an alley nearby. And I found these
bad boys!! Can you tell I am excited? They are perfect for our kitchen and just the
right size for a small cup of coffee in the morning. And guess how much I scored them for?
$2 for the entire set!! And they're vintage Fire King

Lastly...we're chicken-sitting for our next-door neighbor this weekend. 
Look at what Matt found in their coop today? Fresh eggs...yeehaw!

And here's Matt putting them in their coop for the night. 
Note how Liam is intently watching his dad :)



Happy weekend to you all...

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

I love blogs

I'll admit it. I'm a bit of a blog stalker. When I come across a blog that I really like, I follow it on a weekly (sometimes daily) basis. Some of the blogs I follow are mommy/family blogs, some are home decorating blogs and some are foodie blogs. Some are funny and some are inspiring. No matter what the blog topic may be, there are certain ones that just stand out to me and I really enjoy them.

After all....the reason I started my own blog was because I felt inspired by some of the blogs I currently follow. I thought it was interesting to get a glimpse into other mothers' lives, into other peoples' homes (a little creepy, I know) and check out new recipes and home decorating ideas.

The blogs that I enjoy have definitely changed over time. Sometimes I lose interest in one and decide not to read it anymore. And sometimes I come across a brand new blog to follow, one that I wish I had found years ago.

I thought I'd share my current favorite blogs. The ones that I stalk! I think they're worth sharing because A) they are sources of creativity and inspiration and connection (a connection to other moms and families) and B) I just think it's nice to spread the word about fellow bloggers! If I can help other bloggers get some more followers, then that puts a smile on my face and theirs :)

None of these bloggers asked me to list their blog here or give opinions. All opinions are totally my own.

So here it goes...

Here are my current favorite mom & family blogs...

Mom to FIVE children and photographer, Ashley Ann blogs about life, family, creativity and photography. Her family is beautiful, her writing is inspiring and her photography is simply amazing.



Mom to three adorable children, blogger Amy shares snippets of her family and home. I like her style and she has a seriously contagious smile!



I follow this blog the most! Blogger Katie is a mom to two boys with another boy due any day! She is full of creativity, constantly doing cool stuff to her home and isn't afraid to try new things. She's funny, honest and has made a beautiful home for her and her family.



I just discovered this blog within the last few weeks and I fell in love. It's just funny. Blogger Teri posts a lot of random things about babies and pregnancy and life that are of interest and use to me. As a mom myself, it makes me feel like I am not alone!



I've been following this blog for a few years now. Blogger Sara is the real reason I started my own blog! I've just found so much inspiration over the years while reading her blog. She's full of life and love and isn't afraid to share anything. Her photography is cool, her three girls are beautiful and she always has something interesting to share. A true nesting gypsy she is. 



Mom to an adorable little boy, blogger Jessica is one of the most honest bloggers out there. 
She is a "hopeless encourager" as she calls herself. Her and her little boy are always on a mission to make others' people days and she shares the stories on her blog. This woman is honest, cool and creative. She also has an Etsy page where she sells some cool crocheted goods



A mom of two, Amy is funny and honest. This is another pregnancy/mom site that reassures me that I am not alone!




Here are some of my current favorite home decorating blogs...


I like Kelly's style. She gives great vintage decorating tips & also posts a lot of "home tours" which let you see inside other peoples' cool, eclectic homes. I consider my decorating style to be a bit "eclectic" which is why I was drawn to her blog.




Look at the title of this blog. Need I say more? I am obsessed with the color turquoise (and teals and blues and greens) so looking at this blog is about equal to eating a Snickers bar to me! Blogger Erin posts photos of amazing turquoise-inspired homes almost every day. Eye candy.



This is a cool creative living site by blogger Holly. Food and flowers and home ideas, oh my! Her topics and ideas are fun and fresh. She keeps me in the loop with what's "cool" at the moment :)


If you're looking for remodeling or crafting ideas, this is a great resource. Blogger Cassity shares great do-it-yourself projects that are actually doable!


Another nice do-it-yourself kind of blog. Krista shares great tips on how to make your house happy :)




Some of my favorite creative blogs...

Mom and blogger Sarah takes you inside her home and shares bits of her family life and her fresh, simple style.


I wish I were friends with this girl! Blogger Natalie shares stories of her family & home and is full of creative inspiration (she has an Etsy shop). Her blog is filled with beautiful photos and it encourages me to want to live more simply.


I came across Sarah's blog when my Crafty Club re-created one of her crafts (an eggs-in-a-nest necklace which she sells on her Etsy page). She has a beautiful family and posts the most incredible photos on her blog.


And my current favorite foodie blogs...


I just love the recipes that blogger Sarah posts. I've tried numerous recipes from her blog and they've all been successful.


Blogger Nikki posts super yummy recipes, but also posts about random other things (life, fashion, trends) that I also find interesting.



I recently started following this blog. Bloggers Teri and Jenny share great recipes and the photographs are funky & fresh to look at.


I hope you enjoy at least one of the blogs as much as I do. As I said earlier, I love to check out (and stalk) new blogs! So please tell me, what are your favorite lifestyle/food/home/mommy blogs? I would love to hear from you.  Please share with me by commenting in the "Post A Comment" spot below!