Today's Obsession

Answers

2011-04-04T16:37:00.000-07:00

So, there is indeed a mass growing in my skull base causing trouble. It is scheduled for eviction April 13th.

Wish me luck! Hopefully I'll be back to my crafty self in no time.

Medical Mystery

2011-01-27T10:42:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been a medical mystery.

They thought maybe I had an autoimmune disease, but it didn't quite fit.

Now it's looking like a brain tumor.

On the plus side, I made an at-home version of the burlap mats available at Pottery Barn and I'm loving them!

Roths and rollovers

2011-01-11T14:51:00.000-08:00

Today I obsessed about money. Not the month-to-month money, but the long term planning.
I checked into our retirement accounts and filled out paperwork. It seems like a lot of trouble for a very small amount, but it's by making the effort that the funds will (hopefully) increase.

Decorating after Christmas

2011-01-10T05:53:00.001-08:00

I finally took down the Christmas decorations and now the house feels naked.

How do you add charm and coziness after the Christmas season?

New Year Obsessions

2011-01-04T05:36:00.000-08:00

1) Still obsessing over our home library and "afterschooling"

2) Recently obsessed over cups for the kids, as they have announced that they are too big for sippy cups.

3) The sweet, sweet silence of a school day.

Happy New Year!

Equity

2010-12-03T06:58:00.000-08:00

I recently purchased a costume trunk for my son. It was the perfect size and the design fit his room perfectly. He's been using it and he loves it!

The store, however, didn't have one that was perfect for my daughter's room. After much online shopping, I purchased the exact same trunk I bought my son. (At least they'll be the exact same size.)

I'm customizing it with wood onlays and will then paint the entire box a gloss white. Wish me luck!

Decking the Halls

2010-11-29T09:35:00.000-08:00

The Christmas season is upon us, and as I decorate our family tree, I am reminded of the virtues we strive for.

After stringing the lights, ribbons, and beads, I begin to add the star shaped wooden ornaments I created for us years ago. There are 26, and each one is inscribed with the name of a virtue (for each letter of the alphabet). The first one pulled out of the box each year is one to focus on.

The virtue to focus on this year is "Dreams." Having been so blessed this year, it's hard to imagine dreaming of anything more. Perhaps I will focus on being thankful that my dreams have all come true!

The virtues on our tree are:
Appreciation
Beauty
Charity
Dreams (our focus for the year)
Elegance
Friendship
Grace
Hope
Industry
Joy
Kindness
Love
Mercy
Nobility
Optimism
Patience
Quiet
Reason
Self-Control
Thoughtfulness
Understanding
Vigilance
Wisdom
X Excellence
Yeoman (should be "yeomanship", but I didn't have enough room)
Zeal

Wishing you a very merry Christmas Season!

Library Tote Bags

2010-11-05T18:08:00.000-07:00

Last week, my kids got their first official Library Cards. They were so excited!

I, of course, played mamarazzi and took a million pictures. I got some really cute ones of the kids struggling to hold all the big books they checked out.

Then I had an idea...
They need tote bags specifically for their library books!

I bought two plain totes and embellished them:

For my daughter, a white tote bag. I embroidered her initial in pink and attached a little pink and white bow near the strap. I wish I could embroider larger letters, but it turned out pretty cute.

For my son, a black tote (his favorite color). I embroidered his initial, but it didn't rock my world. I couldn't add a bow and it was looking pretty sparse. After mulling this dilemma over for a bit, I headed to a craft store and bought a couple iron-on appliques.

I picked out the initial I'd initially embroidered, and exchanged it for his full name in a different font.

Side note: is there any way to sharpen a seam ripper? Mine seem to dull so quickly!

I added the owl applique above his name, and I think it looks pretty darn cute. My son sees it and is upset that it says his actual name instead of "smartypants". I am forced to add "Smartypants" below his actual name. Fortunately, it's still pretty darn cute.

The Trivium

2010-11-02T09:41:00.000-07:00

My son is officially a smartypants. That's the technical term, I'm sure.

We send him to public school, but I want to supplement his education at home. I like the Classical education model and am currently obsessed with researching the model and finding resources.

I've found some History books that I like...

Mailbox Flag Renewal

2010-10-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

The flag on my mailbox was getting badly faded, and I'm crazy enough to care.

Luckily, I had just the right shade of hooker red nailpolish.

Good as new.

Lap Buddy

2010-10-27T11:42:00.000-07:00

My son was recently diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. I met with his school yesterday, and his teacher recommended a "lap buddy". The pressure of weight on the lap helps the child learn to sit and is calming. This sounded like a great idea!

I came home and did some research online. Lap buddies are hard to come by. I could find weighted lap pads for sale, but the prices were high and it was kinda.... boring.

I kept a bunch of my childhood stuffed animals for my future children, so I looked through the stored toys to find something the appropriate size. I found a cow that is vaguely pillow-sized (like an ancient precursor to the pillow pet).

I opened one of the seams and used a funnel to add aquarium rocks for weight. He was very happy taking his new lap buddy to school today. : )

How My Blog Got Its Name

2010-09-19T13:11:00.000-07:00

I fell in love with a cookie jar.

I put in on my Christmas list and checked in on it every once in a while. I patiently waited for it to go on sale.

Recently, I checked in on it and it was gone. "No longer available." I was heartbroken.

I searched far and wide for one I liked as much. I woefully admitted that I should have paid full price for it. I actually sent a message to the store's customer service department, letting them know that if one was returned I'd happily purchase it.

Yesterday, I received an e-mail that told me the names of the stores with one still in stock. I then drove 2.5 hours round-trip to procure the coveted cookie jar.

It was totally worth it.

Piano Restoration

2010-09-17T15:42:00.000-07:00

My son has been asking for piano lessons. We've decided to go for it and recently purchased a used piano that he can practice on at home. It's an old beater and was in need of some serious love.

First, a thorough cleaning. A Mr. Clean Magic Eraser helped remove some paint marks on one side. Once clean and dry, I polished with Pledge.

The bench required new screws in the hinges (the top had been completely unattached). The music stand also needs to be reattached and I stained an area where there was a large piece missing. It isn't a permanent fix, but it makes that spot less noticeable in the meantime.

The keys were discolored (and unevenly at that), but a thorough cleaning with toothpaste has helped immensely. If I ever run out of projects I'll do it again. : ) [Knowing me, that won't be anytime soon.]

Tip for Dusting Candles

2010-09-06T12:22:00.000-07:00

If your house is anything like mine, dust doesn't simply land on candles- it moves right in.

The secret? Rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball.

Water won't work as the wax will repel it. The rubbing alcohol will evaporate quickly, so moisture isn't a problem.

How much is 1 second worth?

2010-08-31T07:40:00.000-07:00

If I offered you a dollar for one second of your time, wouldn't you take it? What about $20 for 20 seconds? That's a pretty great deal!

No, this isn't a sales pitch. It's one of my favorite ways to save money.

When making an online purchase (as I did this morning for a new earring holder), take a quick second to google the name of the store plus "promo code" or "coupon code".

The earring holder I ordered retailed at $32 plus $10 shipping and around $3 tax. That's $45! That just won't do! After 1 click to open a new tab, I typed "Urban Outfitters promo code" into my google search bar. A click onto the RetailMeNot website gave me promo codes for free shipping and 10% off. I typed them into the checkout page on the first tab and immediately saved the full $10 for shipping and 10% off the price.
That made my total $28 + $0 + approx $2. A savings of $15 for maybe 10 seconds of my time! A total less than the original cost for the item before tax and shipping! I'd call that time well spent.

My next project- taking over the guest room closet to create a "craft nook" just for me. : )

Better Water

2010-08-26T09:28:00.000-07:00

The plumber is here and I am ridiculously excited.

The water on the East Coast of Central Florida is hard, clogging pipes and ruining my beautiful fixtures (not to mention the war of the shower door.)

We let some water softener companies give us a hard sell in exchange for coupons, but we didn't sign anything. We went online and did our research. It turns out that most water softeners use salt (bad for you and bad for the environment- these systems are being prohibited in some areas.) An alternative to salt is a potassium system, but these still waste tons of water!

We decided to go with a nanotechnology system- no salt, no water waste, and virtually no maintenance! The best part: We ordered in online for a fraction of the price!

Kid's Rooms

2010-08-18T15:21:00.000-07:00

In an earlier post, I showed you the Photoshopped mock-ups I made for the kids to approve their bedroom designs. Here's how my daughter's room turned out:

The carpet was originally blue. We dyed it purple. Thank goodness I only needed to paint half the wall, because that pink took at least 5 coats! That's what I get for buying cheap paint.

We installed the wainscott and trim, painted glossy white. The headboard was painted in the same glossy white. I installed the girly chandelier and swapped out her closet doors for mirrored ones.

She loves her new room and calls this her princess bed. <3

My son's room:

He'd begged for bunkbeds and I couldn't resist. His room has the same wainscot as my daughter's room, but the trim is stained instead of painted. I love how that looks with the deep blue paint.

I apologize for the sparse number of pictures. (Running out of storage in Picasa.) To see more, come visit!

Finding Used Furniture

2010-08-18T15:01:00.000-07:00

With a new house to furnish, I'm having lots of fun hunting down amazing deals.

Craigslist was an absolute treasure trove (new desk for half the price of IKEA, most recently).

Goodwill was the spot for a large, solid desk for my crafting nook.

Today I scored a sideboard at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. If you have one of these near you, I highly recommend them! They have donated furniture, light fixtures, etc. They also have more industrial items such as sinks and cabinetry.

I bought some art at BigLots, but mostly to cannibalize the frames. More on that later....

Happy Hunting!

Luggage Tags for Little Legs

2010-08-10T15:25:00.000-07:00

We've been teaching my son our new address and phone number, and that reminded me of one of my amusement park strategies.

When he was little, my son was a runner. Once, while my husband was off buying concessions, my son took off running. I had a baby strapped onto me in a Baby Bjorn, and was trying to chase after my son. I kept yelling for help, but nobody would touch him. It was terrifying.

Now, my son wears carpenter jeans to amusement parks. I buckle a luggage tag to the little loop on the leg, listing my name and cell phone number. (It is important that the tag does NOT have his name on it.) It's easy and and it doesn't bug him.

Another tip is to take a picture of the kids on the way in with your digital camera. That way, if needed, you could show security exactly how he looks today (including what he's wearing.)

Removing Paint from Carpet

2010-08-03T16:45:00.000-07:00

It's day 5 in our new home. We all love it and are getting settled in nicely.

We got the kids registered for dance classes yesterday (a longer ordeal than anticipated.) The entertainment console arrived today (not the color I was expecting, but workable). Then we got my son to the doctor for his school registration checkup. (He registers for Kindergarten tomorrow morning!) From there, we drove to the title company to sign a final closing document that they forgot to send to me earlier.

Home again, dinner eaten, we tall folks tried to get a bit of rest as the short ones pulled games from the new game closet. All was well until...

"Mom! Lily spilled paint on the carpet!"

Quite a bit, actually. I proceeded to freak out.

My husband decided the first step should be to suck up the majority with his shop vac. While he did that, I googled for a solution. The winner? Windex.

It worked so well on the fresh purple paint, I decided to try it on a dried blue rectangle from where I'd dropped a paint pad a few weeks earlier. It seems to have greatly improved that spot, too!

Once again, may you never need to know. : )

Feathering the Nest

2010-07-12T09:25:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, I'm headed to Florida to get the house ready. The POD should arrive during the day on Saturday and I get in that evening.

Today, I mailed myself a box of necessities that I didn't want to pack or worry about getting through airport security.

The most important thing to send was my toolkit. I filled the rest of the box with: First-Aid supplies (if you know me, you understand the need for these), an alarm clock, hangars, rags, a bathing suit and towell, picture hangers, thumbtacks, furniture felt pads, etc.

By parcel post, it should arrive Saturday and be waiting for me.

Going green while saving some

2010-07-01T09:36:00.000-07:00

I love craigslist...

With craigslist, everybody wins. Stuff gets recycled instead of going to a dump, sellers get rid of things they no longer need, and buyers can score great deals!

My favorite story involves the time I made a profit by upgrading our crib. My son's crib didn't fit into the nursery in the new house, so I sold it on craigslist for $50.

I then bought a prettier, nicer, crib for $50 that included bedding I didn't need.

I sold the bedding for $20.

So to recap, I was given $20 to have a nicer, prettier crib.

I have a new place to furnish and have already lined up some major craigslist purchases. Bookcases, chairs, appliances, and beds all at great prices. It takes some of the sting out of a shopping spree.

Coolest Mac and Cheese on the block

2010-06-30T08:09:00.000-07:00

Preschoolers are not known for their patience.

After heating up a lunch of Mac and Cheese, they don't want to wait for it to cool down. To cool it down quickly (and punch up the nutritional content) add frozen veggies that your child likes. (Peas and carrots are great- they add color that makes the meal more appetizing, cools it down for tender little mouths, and get veggies in those bellies!)

Works for me!

When to Buy

2010-06-29T14:00:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows that buying on sale is better than paying full price, but when can you get the best deals of the year?

Car: Weekday mornings in September (lower prices, plus it's prime time for incentives)

Airline tickets: On a Wednesday, 21 days (or a little more) before your flight.

Appliances: Holiday weekends (basically anytime soneone's on TV yelling at you to buy a mattress)

Clothes: Thursday evenings, about a month after an item first arrived in stores

Patio Furniture: Will go on sale after Labor Day, but the best deals are found in January/February

Let Me Entertain You

2010-06-29T07:44:00.000-07:00

I've already ordered the entertainment console! First, I shopped around until I found one that hubby and I both liked.

It's going in the same location that the previous owners had their wall system:

I'm hoping that the lower unit with a wall-mounted TV will compete less with the fireplace. Less bulk at eye-level should also make the room feel more spacious.

I got the information on the maker, the line, and the item numbers. Then I searched for a website that sold it (with listed prices) to use as a baseline. Second, I got a quote from High Point, North Carolina (famous for selling fine furniture at discounted prices).

But the best deal was had when the local furniture store had a clearance sale. This is where you generally expect to get the worst prices. I ended up getting it for $400 less than I could get it from High Point!

Never let your preconceived notions about pricing stop you from getting a quote. : )

Digital Floorplan

2010-06-19T10:24:00.000-07:00

After playing with old school paper floorplans with little furniture cutouts, I discovered floorplanner.com.

I've been obsessing for a few days on creating a virtual floorplan of our new home. Since my husband hasn't actually seen it in person, this is the next best thing. It can even render it in 3D, which is super-fun.

Faux Planter

2010-06-13T14:47:00.000-07:00

I love topiaries.

The new house has some bushes growing by the front door, that I think I could trim into cute little topiaries.

However, they need a planter box. I'd like to make something like this (with no bottom):

Formal Living Room to Library

2010-06-08T19:37:00.000-07:00

Everything is going smoothly with the purchase of our new home, so I'm obsessing over the decorating possibilities.

On tap for today: Turning the formal living room into a library/office.

Here's a pic of the room:

I want two comfy reading chairs by the bay window, and a wall of bookcases across from it.

The ideal would resemble Belle's library in Beauty and the Beast.

I'm still in the planning stage. I've made a scale blueprint of the room's floorplan and cut out little scale furniture footprints. Then I can move them around and play with different arrangements until I find one I like. All this can be done before a single item is purchased.

Prolonging shoe life

2010-06-03T17:29:00.000-07:00

For all you Moms out there who buy shoes every 2 weeks for your kids growing feet: here's a way to make those fancy shoes last a little longer.

Light gray spots can be colored in with black marker before polishing. Makes the wear and tear less noticeable.

Personalizing and Privatizing

2010-06-01T06:24:00.000-07:00

Happy to announce that our new home is under contract! Closing scheduled for July 6th. This should be good fodder for many future Decorating posts (and maybe some more Photoshop mock-ups).

It also reminded me of a great project I did: our Dayton home's front door. It was a beautiful glass door, but that didn't give us much privacy and I didn't want to curtain it.

The solution:
1) I printed our last name in a font I liked.
2) Cut out the letters.
3) Printed name again (without cutting out)
4) Placed the paper on door exterior so the name would be at an attractive height on the door (and would function as a peephole). No need to reverse print, the light shining through the paper makes placement position clearly visible.
5) Sprayed the cutout letters with stencil adhesive and placed on interior side of the glass as indicated by exterior paper
6) Sprayed the interior of the glass with Frost.
7) Remove letters

We had neighbors we'd never met stopping by to tell us how much they loved the new door!

(I have pictures of this project somewhere, and will scan them when I find them.)

Shoe Makeover

2010-05-08T16:57:00.000-07:00

Another crazy plot is afoot.

I saw a picture of these online and fell in love-

I love the fun blue color (I'm picturing them with jeans) and the whitewashed sole. I think they'd be great when I need casual shoes that aren't sandals.

Sadly, the shoes in person in no way resemble this pic. The "ocean blue" is pale grey and the white base is actually a yellowish cream.

So I purchased these (super cheap)-

Let's see what magic I can make....

They're not perfect, but they're not awful either. There was some bleeding under the masking tape, so I may try touch-up with a small paintbrush. I'll also attack the sole more with steel wool (and possibly a bandsaw).

Idea Boards in Photoshop

2010-05-06T18:30:00.000-07:00

Not everybody is a visual thinker. Sometimes it helps to see something on paper when you (or your spouse)can't "see" it in your mind.

Interior decorators used to make actual foam core boards covered in fabric swatches and pasted-on pictures of furniture. Many needed artistic abilities to illustrate their visions. I have basically no drawing talent, so I thought I'd put together a virtual room using Photoshop.

My Mom saw them on Facebook and thought I should do a tutorial- so here it is!

First, the finished product:

First, open a new file that's 11" wide and 8.5" tall. It's a nice ratio for the perspective and makes it simple to print out.

In light gray, draw diagonal lines corner to corner (making a large 'X' on the page). Then in the same gray, draw a rectangle where all 4 corners touch a point on the diagonal lines (This will be your main wall). Now flatten the image. (You should not see the portion of the 'X' inside the rectangle- if you do, erase it.)

You can use the Magic Wand tool (making sure that the "contiguous" box is checked) to select just the floor portion (or ceiling, etc.) For flat paint, simply fill the selection with your color of choice!

I'm a sucker for paneling, so I found a pic online and inserted it into the image. For the portion on the side walls, I used the same image and when in "Transform" mode, hit Control while moving the corner points to skew for perspective. (You can simplify a text or shape layer and do the same.)

When searching online for images to insert, I like to search Google shopping. Many of the images you'll find that way have a simple, easy to erase background. Save each image as a PNG to support transparency.

Have fun!

Child size towel rack

2010-05-05T07:54:00.000-07:00

You know those adorable hooded towels they make for children?

We've repurposed a key rack as a special towel rack just for the kids hooded towels!

It can be mounted lower on the wall right by the bathtub, allowing the kids to choose their own (and hang them back up)! Works for me!

Dollhouse Progress

2010-04-29T16:57:00.000-07:00

I've been working on the dollhouse, so here's my progress so far:

There was a setback when, while I was painting the pink bedroom, my son pulled every single key off my laptop (breaking some important ones). After much begging, I resumed work on it yesterday.

There's a painted doily ceiling medallion in the pink bedroom and the room on the second floor far left is wallpapered with scrapbooking paper.

I don't have a home yet, so I'll have to make do with decorating this one. More craziness to follow.

April Showers party page

2010-04-26T14:07:00.000-07:00

Dandelion Days

2010-04-20T08:04:00.000-07:00

Flying South

2010-04-20T07:23:00.000-07:00

No, this isn't another post about the local geese. We're moving to Florida! My husband will be working at Cape Canaveral and I'm in charge of finding our new home.

All I need to do now is make peace with stucco.

April Showers bring.....

2010-04-12T18:53:00.000-07:00

Rainbow cake!

Plastic Paint

2010-03-16T14:10:00.000-07:00

I was super-excited when they came out with spray paint for plastics. Now, they've got a primer for plastics (Rustoleum) that lets you use ANY Rustoleum color over it!
I bought helmets for the kids for five bucks each. The only problem was that my daughter's size only came in this pattern:

We'll call that "Before."

A couple hours later:

I wonder if this stuff works on laminate....

Shower Curtain Tips

2010-03-16T13:05:00.000-07:00

To let the kids play in the bath, I purchased a clear shower curtain liner. Once they've been cleaned, we simply pull the curtain closed and flip the outer curtain up. That way, they can see us, and we can see them, and they can play without flooding the bathroom.

Annoyingly, the curtain tore at the first hole. Fortunately, in my sewing/scrapbooking stash, I had large metal eyelets. A few taps of the hammer later, it was better than new!

A Doll's House

2010-03-09T12:45:00.000-08:00

I was so fortunate to receive this dollhouse from a neighbor this week:

I am, of course, now obsessing about how to paint it and decorate it. I look forward to posting more as I progress!

Stalking Geese

2010-02-26T17:21:00.000-08:00

I love the fields of geese near our home here in MD. I kept passing by them without my camera (or even cameraphone!) . I finally remembered to put my camera in the car and realized that I am officially stalking the geese. Here's a pic I took today:

Photo Collage

2010-02-25T16:52:00.000-08:00

Today I obsessed over a multi-photo frame. Here's the result:

Bunny Cake

2010-02-24T09:48:00.000-08:00

Easter is April 4th this year and while I'm busy planning my son's birthday party on the 11th, one must never overlook the bunny cake:

One year my best friend helped me make it, and after an "oops" and a little creativity, we made a rather adorable pig!

All you need to do is bake 2 circular cakes. One makes the head, and the other is cut into the tie (center) and ears. Then decorate as desired! I reccommend jelly beans- nothing says Easter like a bunny cake covered in jelly beans.

Photoshop Actions

2010-02-22T10:40:00.000-08:00

I got PSE8 for my birthday and have finally installed some actions. Here's how they work: You find them online and download them into Photoshop. Then they appear in your styles and effects palette. They save a ton of time! For example, say I'm starting with this photo:

I love those baby blues, but the bright red shirt is distracting. I can try "Selective Color" and it runs automatically, creating layers with layer masks, etc. Then I can just paint where I want to see color and get this:

I can also change the color of just the shirt by selecting with the magic wand and desaturating:

They have actions for creating vignettes, retouching portraits, selective color, making pics look antique, etc.

Have fun!

To someone, you are the world

2010-02-19T10:52:00.000-08:00

Today is my husband's birthday and I therefore made him a cake. He is in Iraq right now, but we sang to him via Skype and showed him his cake.

Prepping photos for framing

2010-02-18T09:14:00.000-08:00

I wanted to frame my kids' recent school photos in the 4x6 frames I'd recently bought. Here's the original pic of my son:

The problem was that they weren't the right proportion and I didn't want to crop them. To solve the problem, I stole a page from the digital scrapbooking book. I opened a 4x6 document in Photoshop and covered it with a patterned digital scrapbooking paper. Then, I plopped the photo down on top of it.

I adjusted the saturation and lightness until my (originally green) paper matched the gray background. Then, with a soft brush set at 22% opacity, I erased the background to allow the pattern to show through. Here's the finished result:

The original picture of my daughter:

And the 4x6 version:

Framed!

2010-02-17T09:58:00.000-08:00

For some reason, decorating relieves stress for me. That creates a bit of a conundrum because during this stressful time I'm living in someone else's home! Fortunately, my mother-in-law has been very gracious.

Color Theory: In the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew, everybody painted their living room walls mauve. It is said that mauve relieves insanity. It is a color often used in prisons and hospitals for similar reasons.

To ward off depression during my hubby's deployment, I painted my room (AKA the guest bedroom) bright green. I hung gorgeous white curtains and bought a white duvet cover set that I have plans for....
Then I played musical frames. I started with these:

After a quick swap, we have:

I bought two 4x6 frames in a similar ornate dark wood. I then added pics of the kids (more on that soon):

I like the way it's turning out. What are you working on?

Uses for shaped cake pans

2010-02-16T20:17:00.000-08:00

Ever bought those character shaped cake pans for a child's birthday? They can be used for more than just cake.

For my son's 3rd Birthday, we had a Tigger and Pooh themed party. I bought a Winnie the Pooh shaped cake pan. First, I used the pan to make shaped baklava (with honey, of course):

Then, I used the same pan to mold Jell-O! This was a big hit as the party was outdoors on a warm day.

It could also be used to mold an ice cream cake, etc. What ideas do you have?

Cleaning Tips

2010-01-21T12:56:00.000-08:00

My Mother-in-law has been cooking dinner for my family every night, so I recently spent a weekend cleaning in return. Here are some of my favorite cleaning tips:

Used dryer sheets can be used to repel dust from surfaces. This is especially helpful for electronics! You can also put them in trash cans, shoes, and luggage to prevent odors. (You can also put one through a belt loop to repel mosquitoes).

Baby wipes are magical. They clean doors and mouldings, lightswitches, telephones, coffee tables, etc. You can add alcohol to make them sanitizing wipes, too! When your kids want to help you clean, baby wipes can be attached to a swiffer with no worries about chemicals. I let my kids help clean the floors and baseboards with baby wipes (then rub baseboards with a dryer sheet to repel dust in the future).

The best tips don't make cleaning easier, they make it less necessary! Here's a gem: You can wax your shower (everything but the floor) with car wax. It only needs to be done twice a year to seal porous surfaces and repel stains.

What's your best cleaning tip?

Flexible Farewells

2010-01-13T20:32:00.000-08:00

My husband was supposed to fly out Monday. He would be flying out of BWI, near where the kids and I are staying. I would be blessed with the ability to spend some time with him Sunday night, and so I trooped out with a little bag with toiletries, pajamas, and a change of clothes.
We saw a romantic movie and enjoyed the day together Monday. We said our goodbyes and I dropped him off at the airport Monday evening and drove back home. I did the paper chain and candy jar rituals with the kids and put them to bed. Then the phone rang. Mike's flight had been delayed 24 hrs.
Tuesday morning, I drove back to Mike's hotel to spend the day with him and once again say goodbye (I didn't pack a bag for this simple day trip). We were at the hotel check-out counter when they told him he wouldn't be leaving that evening. At this point, we headed to the nearest Wal-Mart to buy necessities.
If you're ever stuck in a similar situation, here are some emergency grooming tips: In a pinch, you can brush your teeth with a wet washcloth. Thankfully, the hotel provided us with a razor. Conditioner stands in for shaving cream in a pinch.
We spent today (Wednesday) nervous about the ongoing uncertainty, but trying to make the most of our time together. I dropped him off at the airport six hours ago, and I haven't heard from him, so he's probably somewhere over the Atlantic.
I have no idea when or how I will hear from him next, but I have a webcam en route.
I can now focus my attentions on my distraction activities: decorating, scrapbooking, etc. More to come soon...

Arrived

2010-01-10T13:45:00.000-08:00

Well, we have arrived in Maryland and are getting settled. I don't think I've blogged about travelling with small children before, but here's one of my favorite tips:

Bring along triangular crayons for the kids. They won't roll off airplane seat trays, etc.

I hope you all had a memorable holiday season. I know I did!

Getting a broken lightbulb out of the socket

2009-12-20T15:10:00.000-08:00

Has this ever happened to you? My kids broke the bulb in their lamp quite thoroughly. Immediately, I thought of the potato trick. You simply cut a potato in half, push it onto the broken glass, and turn!

However, we don't have any potatos in the house and since we're trying to eat everything before our move on Wednesday, I didn't want to go out and buy some.

Plan B: Making sure that there's absolutely no power going to the lamp (you must unplug it- not just turn it off), open some pliers inside the broken bulb base. Exerting just enough light pressure, you can unscrew the base by turning counter-clockwise.

Clipping Masks

2009-12-17T12:53:00.000-08:00

I've just begun experimenting with clipping masks. What's that, you ask? Here's an example of a clipping mask I found online:

You stick in in Photoshop and "clip" a photo or paper to it. The results look like this:

You can use this technique with any shape your heart desires!
Here's a random clipart image I had on my computer:

Here it is after clipping some digital papers to it:

What do you think?

Tip for Holiday Baking

2009-12-12T16:53:00.000-08:00

Many people are starting their holiday baking, so here's a little tip to make it easier and faster:

A powder puff (the kind used for makeup) works perfectly for dusting flour or powdered sugar on surfaces! I keep one in each jar at all times. Use it to dust your counter and rolling pin, etc.

What are you planning on baking this season?

Wrapping an oddly-shaped gift

2009-12-11T10:09:00.000-08:00

Not all oddly-shaped gifts require a box or gift bag. Feel free to get creative, and by doing so, the thought and care you put into the gift wrapping becomes another expression of your love.

Here are a couple fun ways I've wrapped oddly-shaped gifts:

One Christmas, I gave my mother a paint set and a bouquet of dried sunflowers. I placed the bouquet upside down on top of the paint set, making an inverted cone shape. I wrapped this in red tissue. I then used red tissue to make layers of petals around the cone. I finished with a few layers of green tissue, to make the finished gift wrapped as a rose.

Last year, I wrapped a gift for my nephew as Santa Claus. I began with a base of red wrapping paper. I cut a circle of fleshtone scrapbooking paper for his face and attached it to the top of the gift. (I may have also cut small pink circles for his happy cheeks.) I unrolled cotton balls for his beard and the trim of his hat. Details (like eyes) were simply drawn on with a marker.

What creative ways have you wrapped oddly-shaped gifts?

Update and Gift Wrap Tip

2009-12-11T09:26:00.000-08:00

Thanks for the support, guys! Here's the update: My eardrum ruptured and I may be deaf in that ear for quite a while. I'm praying that it's not permanent.

I've officially stopped working so I can focus on packing, etc.

Yesterday, I spent the day wrapping Christmas presents. I've always enjoyed wrapping and like to get creative with it at times.

Today's tip:
How to wrap a round gift

Easiest way: Put it in a box or gift bag : )

Most festive: If you want it to look like a Christmas cracker- Wrap the paper smoothly around the round side. For a neat edge, fold the paper under before taping. Leave a few inches overhanging the flat ends. Tie off and fringe the ends (cut into thin strips). This works great for presents packaged in cardboard rolls.

Variations: To display standing up, pleat the paper down on one of the flat edges. The top can be fringed or pleated down with a bow on top, etc.
The pleating on the ends can also be covered by a circle of wrapping paper.

I hope you're all having a merry holiday season!

Day 1

2009-12-07T19:13:00.000-08:00

My husband hasn't even been gone for 24 hours. He helped put the kids to sleep last night before he left. It lasted for about two hours before the first alarm went off.

Literally.

The smoke alarms decided to start chirping at 10 minute intervals. I'd get up and take one down, wait 10 minutes, and take another one down until the chirping was silenced. For a small house, there were a lot of smoke detector options.

Last night, I also went deaf in my left ear. The ear hurts and I had trouble getting any sleep for the rest of the night. This morning, I got the kids dressed and off to school, got myself to the clinic, and waited for prescriptions for sudafed and zyrtec.

I then took myself to a dentist appointment where he numbed half my face and my neck and tongue.

I'd just fallen asleep for a nap when the phone rang.

I realized I hadn't eaten anything today and made blueberry muffins.

I picked up the kids, sold their plastic playhouse, made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and got the kids in the tub. While they played in the water, I tried an internet remedy for my ear- it didn't work. They took the opportunity to splash so much that (even with the shower curtain closed) they flooded the bathroom. I got them in pajamas and sent them to bed.

Not even 24 hours....

Edges

2009-12-02T12:56:00.000-08:00

As long as I'm thinking about scrapbooking, allow me to share one of my favorite tips.

Sometimes, when you've cropped a photo and you put in on a background paper, the white edges stand out and detract from the picture. To eliminate the contrast, simply run a marker along the edges of the picture. Now you'll have a nice clean look.

Happy scrapping!

To store or not to store...

2009-12-02T12:28:00.000-08:00

I am currently obsessively scrapbooking. I'm trying to finish any albums that could be stored instead of mailed to MD. I can store our wedding and honeymoon albums, the kids first year albums, and the Halloween album. If I can get it up to date, I can also store the Thanksgiving album. If I finish that I'll move on to the Disneyland album. I still have plenty to take with me, don't worry.

Last night, I also photoshopped the backgrounds of a bunch of the kids' school pictures. I used techniques I've already blogged about. I simply desaturated most of them, making a light gray background.

Just touching base. What are you working on?

Father's Day 2009 page

2009-11-30T16:17:00.000-08:00

Most of the friends who are leaving comments seem to be digital scrapbookers. Here's a digital page that I completed today:

It's not my favorite page, but it gets that album officially up to date! I used an 8.5x11" template, so it was super speedy. If you want more freedom with the printed books (from Shutterfly, etc.) you have the option of digiscrapping the pics using your own papers and templates, and them uploading them to Shutterfly as if they were full page photos. Have fun playing!

Album Organization

2009-11-29T19:38:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to say that the Christmas album is up to date! I got the chance to scrapbook at church on Saturday and made a ton of progress! All the ladies were working on different aspects (sorting and organizing photos, cropping, journaling, etc.) and it got me thinking about my process.

Here's how I normally assemble an album:
1st: Take great pictures. If the picture isn't great, alter it and print a new one. For example, if the colors are horrible and clash, make it black and white (or sepia).
2nd: Choose which pics I want to scrapbook and put them in page protectors in the appropriate album.
3rd: Put a post-it note on the page protector with the date and any info I don't want to forget to journal.
4th: Go through and choose a background paper that enhances the photos. Slip that into the page protector with the pics.
5th: Sometimes I'll go through and put specific matching embellishments (or a coordinating paper) in the page protector.
Finally, I put the pages together.

How do you organize your efforts?

Searching a vacuum canister

2009-11-18T10:54:00.000-08:00

Not a fun task, but sometimes it just has to be done. I've been searching for my lost diamond earrings, and recently attacked the vacuum canister. I didn't find them, but I did find the best way to search a vacuum.

First, put a mesh strainer over the drain in your sink. Then, fill a big bowl with water and put plastic grocery bags nearby it on an easy-to-clean counter. As you pull some gray junk out of the canister, soak it in the bowl of water. This makes it easier to manipulate and reduces the dust. Pull the wet mess apart and check for your item. Once it's been cleared, put it in the grocery bag.

Pour the contents of the bowl through the strainer into the drain. This will catch any items that may have sunk into the muck.

Good luck!

Flying Solo

2009-11-18T10:46:00.000-08:00

My husband is off at another training, so I am single-parenting again this week. The last training gave birth to the posts about cleaning cracked eggs, etc. One night, I put them to bed, went to take a quick shower, and got out to find them playing in the fireplace!

Monday and Tuesday went as well as could be expected. I showered before picking them up from school to avoid a repeat of the soot episode. Yesterday, I even scored a ton of free boxes and packing materials!

This morning, however, I have a sick 4 year old home from school. Today's tip: frozen blackberries are a great way to cool down hot oatmeal.

Silver Bells....

2009-11-15T21:56:00.000-08:00

I've been polishing the silver, and am reminded how little I enjoy that. I've also been worried about its fate while in storage.

They sell storage bags made from silver cloth for $15 each at Bed Bath & Beyond. I'd have to buy 4 of those plus a big one for the tray, etc.

Instead, I bought some silver cloth (available at JoAnn) and made my own! It's not difficult at all.

For the trays: Sew a pouch with extra length for a front flap. Attach ribbon to the front of the pouch and to the flap to secure.

For the hollowware (teapots, etc.): Make into drawstring bags, sized to fit.

You only need to be able to sew a straight line. Make the channel of the pouch first, then sew the side and bottom. I attached a diaper pin to the end of some satin ribbon to make threading it through the channel easier.

Voila!

Burned

2009-11-12T17:08:00.000-08:00

I recently got a 2nd degree burn on my index finger. (Tip #1- Don't grab a hot burner.) Here's a tip for how to treat a minor burn:

First, hold a frozen cold pack to it (the kind you put in packed lunches). Make sure you don't go numb, as that could indicate frostbite. This will stop further injury and ease the swelling and pain.

Treat with Butt Paste:

The name is awful, but this stuff is magic! I slathered it on and covered with a super-cool Hello Kitty Band-Aid to keep it on overnight. It helped immensely! The burn didn't even blister (and I know it wanted to- I could see it coming).

My husband and I road-tested this stuff on our children. Surprisingly, it works better than the competitors that have more active ingredients in them. It works magic on terrible diaper rash, and can help grown-up healing, too.

Sensitive Little Ears

2009-11-12T16:30:00.000-08:00

We attend the "contemporary" service at our church. The band is amazing, but it's too loud for my son.
He would beg to stay in the nursery with my daughter, but that meant he missed the children's message. (He's the kid who always "says the darndest things" and we'd hate to miss out on that.) So we tried having him stay with us, but he'd end up hiding under the pews holding his ears, or begging to go back to the "cry room".

We tried regular headphones. They looked adorable, but didn't help the sound levels. I considered earmuffs. Then I came across these:

"Sound isolation headphones" meant for kids who play instruments (like the drums). They reduce the noise level by 22 decibels. They weren't as expensive as the adult versions you see in in-flight catalogs, either. They were around $30, including shipping.

They've already arrived, so I'll let you know how it goes!

Tip for Cleaning Sharpie off Leather

2009-11-06T18:15:00.000-08:00

Keep in mind that I have a 4 year old. And considering that we haven't found the missing marker, I may soon be posting tips for removing Sharpie off other surfaces as well!

The magic potion that saved our sofa was: sunscreen!

May you never need to know this. : )

Alteration

2009-11-04T18:57:00.000-08:00

I'm not one of those women who's attracted to broken men, and thinks that I can change them.

I do it with clothes.

Today's purchase was a bubble-hem sleeveless blouse with pleated neckline and tone-on-tone polka dots.

It needs to be re-hemmed (AKA "un-bubbled") and taken in. If I am successful, I envision it as a great shell for my gray suits, and something to match the killer shoes I want to wear for New Year's:

Wish me luck!

Tip for cleaning cracked eggs

2009-10-30T12:28:00.000-07:00

I awoke this morning to the mess created by 2 children and 13 cracked eggs. You know I love a good tip, so today I'm sharing tips for cleaning up eggs!

Immediately cover the spill with a generous pile of salt. Let it sit awhile (5-10 minutes) and the salt will absorb the egg, making it easy to sweep up. This worked extremely well in the kitchen, and even on the living room rug.

Unfortunately, they also trailed yolk onto the cream carpet in their bedroom. To fight back: cover the stain with a paste made with water, cream of tartar, and a crushed aspirin. Leave for about half an hour before removing. (Note: never use hot water when cleaning egg- it will set the albumin.)

Finally, I sprayed Petzyme on the carpet as a preventative measure against any rotten egg smell. This stuff is amazing and works on anything that could be considered "biological" (including blood and grass stains). It's available at PetSmart. It uses friendly bacteria and enzymes (not harsh chemicals) and is safe to use on carpet, upholstery, and around kids.

Album covers

2009-10-29T20:16:00.000-07:00

This week, I've been backing up my photos and organizing my albums. I love albums with a spot for a photo on the front cover. For our Thanksgiving album, I didn't use a regular photo. Instead, I grabbed a Norman Rockwell painting, lowered the opacity, and topped with some wordart.

The result:

Digital Page

2009-10-26T20:58:00.000-07:00

The kids' birthday albums are officially up to date! Today I worked on my Mother's Day album.

Here's the page for 2008:

It's an 8x8 book, so I just printed it off and slipped it in a page protector!

Back to Scrappin'

2009-10-26T00:14:00.000-07:00

My daughter's second birthday had a little bird theme. I couldn't resist this paper. I put the photos together using a template, just as I had for her first birthday page. This time, I didn't like the white border, so I cut out all the pics and glued them back in position. The template ensured that the photos were sized and cut perfectly, so it was a breeze!

Halloween 2009

2009-10-25T15:44:00.000-07:00

Here we are:

Flu Season Tip

2009-10-20T18:26:00.000-07:00

Flu season is upon us, and while (thankfully) my family is healthy, we know a lot of families with sick kids right now.

A tip from our doctor that has served my family well:
To keep kids hydrated, give them Propel ("fitness drink"). It works just like Pedialyte but tastes better- the kids love it! Mine are particularly fond of the Berry flavor.

Here's to your health!

Hybrid Scrapbooking with Templates

2009-10-19T18:13:00.000-07:00

So by now we all know what scrapbooking is. And many are familiar with digital scrapbooking- making "pages" on the computer and printing them as a photo book. I've been dabbling in "hybrid" scrapbooking. I'll print out my journaling, for example, and then glue it onto a regular page.

I'm now trying out templates. I downloaded a few online and they look like this:

Apparently, more recent versions of Photoshop can drag and drop into the squares. I've found a system that works in PSE4. I select the square with the Magic Wand. Then open the picture you want and Select>All; Edit>Copy. Back in the template, Edit>Paste Into Selection. Then Image>Free Transform to size it, spin in, and place it in the square.

My daughter's birthday scrapbook is an awkward size (9.25x12.25). I can't print that size, so I printed on 8.5x11 and glued it to a pretty patterned paper. Here is the result:

One thing I love about this technique is the ability to print words directly onto the photos.

Well, I'm off to make a page for her second birthday. How time flies....

Halloweens Past

2009-10-19T14:22:00.000-07:00

I've been back at scrapbooking, and just got the Halloween album up to date.

Silver Science

2009-10-18T12:58:00.000-07:00

Here's one of my favorite tips of all time. It uses a chemical reaction to easily polish your silver!

Using an aluminum pan, add between 1/2 and a full cup of baking soda and cover with boiling water.

If you don't have an aluminum pan, line the bottom of your sink with aluminum foil (shiny side up).

If you have large items, and a lot of hot water, you can even do this in the bathtub!

What makes your life easier?

My Son's Baby Book

2009-10-17T14:02:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo collage of my son's baby book.

I'll go back and make it better if I'm ever caught up. : )

Bittersweet Baby Book

2009-10-15T18:22:00.000-07:00

I've finally completed my daughter's baby book. She's my youngest, so it is bittersweet to be done with baby books. Someday, if I'm ever completely caught up, I can go back and make things better. For now, it's going into storage.

I've made my first Photoshop collage with pictures of the pages:

There is a castle on a cloud....

2009-10-11T19:07:00.000-07:00

I made a helmet cake for my son's fireman themed birthday in April.

My friend Angela saw it and said, "My birthday's in October and I like castles!" Her party was Saturday, and I did my best to provide her a castle.

She enjoyed the white cake I made for my daughter's birthday, so I used the same recipe for her cake (with the addition of blue food coloring- she loves blue food.) The icing on the inside was white icing with Jell-O mix added for color and a fruity flavor. (My friend also likes those fruity blue mixed drinks- I would've added rum extract to complete the effect but we were in mixed company.)

I first baked 2 9x9 inch cakes and stacked them. I made niches in the corners with a cookie cutter (to better support the towers.)

I baked a 9x13 inch cake and, using the cookie cutter, cut twelve rounds out of the cake. I stacked them 3 per tower.

At this point, I iced the cake with Swiss meringue, piping turrets on the towers.

I piped the sidewalls and door onto parchment paper.

The idea was for the meringue to harden and then be attached; however, it never did. I ended up having to bake it like regular meringue. (Swiss meringue is heated as you make it, and does not need to be baked- that way it keeps its pure white color.) I'll try a different recipe next time.

The meringue and towers were determined to discintigrate. I did my best, and it's the thought that counts, right? I'd rather not show a picture of the final result, but in the spirit of honesty:

It sits on the bottom tier of my silver server. I cut cobalt blue cardstock to fit (with scalloped edges) and wrote "Happy Birthday!" on the front. She did indeed have a happy birthday and, as far as I know, lived happily ever after...

Sparkles

2009-10-09T20:46:00.000-07:00

I've finally found a way to add twinkles to the picture from the September post, "Photoshop Magic?"

To recap, here's the original pic:

I'd changed the background color, but couldn't master adding my own sparkles.

Today, I downloaded some pictures of the night sky and used them like I would a texture.

Here are the results:

As you can imagine, the dark photos totally overwhelmed the picture of my daughter when I was scanning through the blend modes. Today's tip to help get around that issue: Have multiple, identical layers of the lighter pic. Then when you blend them together, it's 2 to 1!

Date Night Inequity

2009-10-03T13:13:00.000-07:00

My husband's preparations:
1) Put on the shirt he knows I like.
2) Spritz of cologne

My preparations:
1) Pedicure in the gazebo so he won't smell the fumes.
2) Manicure
3) Plan my "look"
4) Glaze hair
5) Shave
6) Moisturize with self-tanner to attempt human skin tone on my legs
7) Research cute, retro hairstyles
8) Attack my hair with scalding hot curling iron in attempt to replicate cute hairstyle, while the sun scorches my retinas if I dare move a millimeter.
9) Fail miserably to replicate cute hairstyle- decide to just go with it.
10) Spray with hairspray
11) Spray with silicone shine gloss, to make recently fried hair look non-fried
12) Curl eyelashes
13) Apply foundation, bronzer, blush, eyeliner, eyeshadow, mascara, and lipstick
14) Throw together new outfit when crucial items for planned "look" cannot be located.
15) Run out the door, forgetting perfume.

Husband's step 3: Say, "you look great, honey", making it all worthwhile.

Object Swap

2009-09-29T15:22:00.000-07:00

Making Memories recently had a challenge based on the song lyrics "Every generation has a chance to change the world." A picture of my son sprang to mind. In it, he was holding a big green balloon. I decided to see if I could turn it into a globe.

I first removed the string and tie. Then I pasted a globe onto a new layer. Tip: By adjusting the opacity of the globe, I could see where his fingers were (so I knew exactly where to erase).

I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

No Anne Geddes

2009-09-27T19:17:00.000-07:00

I'm no Anne Geddes, but I have to experiment on something while I learn about Photoshop. Here is the fruit of today's labors:

Photoshop Magic?

2009-09-26T22:17:00.000-07:00

As soon as I saw this picture of my daughter, I knew I wanted to play with it. I had dreams of adding a little magic with fairy-like sparkles.

I first changed the color of the background (as done in the post, "A Beginning"). I gave it a soft blur and brightened her up a bit. I then added a layer of texture (64% opacity) and smoothed it over her face and arm (as done in "Photoshop Textures", with the healing brush).

I think it lends her an ethereal quality and the sparkles I've tried so far have just looked cheesy. I'm continuing my research and this may not be the final incarnation of this pic, but I thought I'd share with you what I've done so far.

With Halloween approaching, how do you add magic to your pics?

Routine charts

2009-09-22T11:52:00.000-07:00

My son used to love his My Go To Bed Book. When my husband had to be gone for 6 weeks, I scanned some of the pages and turned them into a bedtime routine chart. It worked like a charm!

Now that he's old enough to make his bed in the mornings and with the approaching turmoil of a deployment, I've added a morning routine chart. We didn't have a book that fit the bill, so I had to improvise. For "wake up" I googled the phrase "happy sun" and the kids picked this one (quite emphatically, I might add).

To make a chart, simply print your images, glue them to 8x10 cardstock, laminate, add 2 eyelets to the top, and hang with fun ribbon. They're extremely durable! I might even make an afternoon chart for the things they do when they get home. (Put shoes away, set the table for dinner, etc.)

I can't wait to hear your thoughts! What are your best tips for mornings/bedtime?

Update: My son requested a green chart for the afternoon. Here it is!

Decorative Packing Tape

2009-09-21T12:54:00.000-07:00

I always clean my home thoroughly before going on vacation. It's such a wonderful feeling to come home to a beautiful and clean home!

I'm having similar ideas about the boxes we'll be putting in storage. Everybody knows to designate boxes according to their rooms and I'm doing just that with a whimsical twist, using decorative packing tape.
Maybe polka dots for my son's room and birdies for my little girl? Here are the rolls I've purchased so far:

Not only will we know where each box goes, but there will be a little something to make us smile.

What are your best moving tips?

Toddlers Telling Time

2009-09-19T17:09:00.000-07:00

Today's obsession is how best to mark the passage of time while Daddy is gone.

The first strategy involves apothecary jars filled with jelly beans (1 for each day of the deployment). Each day, the child gets to eat 1 jelly bean. To avoid fighting, we'd need a jar for each child.

A fun thing to do before my husband leaves would be researching which jelly bean flavor is each child's favorite. Then, each jar could be filled with their favorite flavor bean! I can imagine my son choosing the buttered popcorn flavor because he often eats popcorn with Daddy.

The second strategy is a paper chain. Each day, one link is removed from the chain.

I like these because they're patriotic without being over-the-top.

These are gorgeous, but wedding-themed. I'd have to custom print the paper with messages from Daddy for each day and markers like "Halfway there!"

My final conclusion? I need a better way to cut my scrapbook paper with these cute patterned edges! (The little scissors never work very well for me.)

What ideas do you have to mark the passage of time?

Growth Chart

2009-09-19T14:28:00.000-07:00

Admittedly, I've been out of commission for a few days while reading the new Dan Brown novel. Not wanting to shirk my blogging duties, I'll share with you a project I completed a few months ago: a growth chart.

Being a military family who moves often, we needed an alternative to tracking our kids' growth on a doorframe. Many growth charts commercially available are too cartoonish and furthermore, too small! My son could easily grow past 6' and I'd like to be able to chart the whole way.

The solution: I purchased a 1x4 and placed it on the wall at the height I wanted it to be. Then, I placed a tape measure over it (starting at the floor) and taped it to the wood. I woodburned the ruler markings into the wood. I also woodburned the family name into the top of the growth chart. Two coats of natural polyurethane and it was finished! Here are some pics of the finished chart (with the names of my children removed):

Today's Tip

2009-09-16T14:42:00.000-07:00

I love tips, hints, and tricks! I thought I'd share one with you today:

Another use for air freshener

Instead of spraying air freshener willy-nilly around your home, did you know it does an excellent job cleaning mirrors? The pleasant scent it leaves behind is a bonus!

What's your best household cleaning trick?

Kids' Costumes

2009-09-13T21:52:00.000-07:00

The kids' costumes have been completed!

My daughter's overdress turned out like this:

Because the dress still had the zipper in the back, I sewed the bow closed in the front.

I found an awesome blouse in her closet. Unfortunately, it was too long to be just a blouse, and too short to be used as a chemise.

I bought some plain white muslin and fashioned a skirt that I sewed to the blouse, above the ruffled part.

The result? A chemise that can be turned back into a cute blouse with a simple rip of a seam!

Here are both pieces together:

Being modeled by my cuties:

A Highland Halloween

2009-09-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

Halloween costumes have begun!

Last year, we were a Viking family:

This year, we'll be Scottish Highlanders (my cultural heritage).

My Grandfather bought a gorgeous kilt for my son, and hand-made him a sporran. I've altered a plain white oxford shirt for him to wear with it, adding eyelets and leather cord.

He sent my daughter a red plaid dress that looked something like this (I forgot to take "before" pictures, so pardon the Photoshopped rendering):

I removed the velvet bow and trim and split the dress open down the front. I added eyelets at the top of the dress (above the empire waist). The top is laced together with thin black ribbon. Now I need to make her chemise and the kids will be all set!

Costumes for the adults will require actual patterns, but I'm excited to improve upon my sewing abilities. And I do love a project. : )

I hope you're also having fun with scissors and seam rippers!

What are your plans for Halloween?

Fall fashion update

2009-09-10T17:39:00.000-07:00

I've donated a bunch of clothes to charity, but some remain that require alteration. I'll occasionally splurge on a tailor for complicated waistband stuff or princess seams, but I'll often just take to my clothes with a seam ripper and hope for the best.

This summer, I bought a couple tanks that looked horrible on me as they were. After shortening the straps, they've been go-to pieces.

Last night I attacked some blouse sleeves. I'll try to do the alteration when I get the sewing machine out (I need to start on Halloween costumes anyway). Worst case scenario: I'll have a tailor make shells of them!

The bottom line is that a little bravery goes a long way. Wish me luck!

Fall closet update

2009-09-09T14:14:00.000-07:00

As you already know, I'm in a frenzy of purging. Yesterday, we sent two boxes of baby clothes and shoes to my sister, a box of books to my husband's office library, and a box of books, a bag full of shoes, and two bags of clothes to Goodwill. Progress is being made!

Parting with beloved items can be difficult, so keep these principles in mind:
There's no point in storing items that you don't wear, are worn out, outdated, or don't fit.
If it's not flattering, it doesn't fit.
Keep in mind the lucky recipient of your donation!

It's time again for a change of seasons, so now is the perfect time to update your wardrobe. Anything you didn't want to wear this summer, you probably don't need to keep around for next summer. Also donate anything you loved to death this summer. Decide which of your Fall wardrobe you will use again this year, make any necessary repairs and donate the rest.

Don't only look at your clothing- go through your shoes, purses, and makeup as well.

A neat trick to try this season: As you put the 'keepers' away, put the hangars on the closet rod backwards. As you wear an item and put it back, put the hangar on forwards. At the end of the season, you'll know exactly which clothes you were actually wearing and which ones didn't make the cut.

A similar tip for items in drawers: Pin a safety pin to the tag of each item, which you remove when you wear.

An edgier tip: Put off doing laundry for as long as you can. When you start running out of your favorite clothes, you'll see which items you refuse to wear (even when you're out of options) and which ones you only wear reluctantly. Those are the clothes that go.

Happy wardrobe decluttering!

Mother's Day Photo Shoot

2009-09-08T17:15:00.000-07:00

I wanted to do something special for Mother's Day this year and, naturally, I thought of photos.

I gave my son a heart "tattoo" using longwear lipstick. With scrapbooking stickers, I spelled out "Grammy", then "Grandma", and finally "Mom". I outfitted my daughter in a Mom tattoo t-shirt. Here are some of my faves:

I had the bottom picture enlarged to 24x36 and printed on canvas. I framed it and it hangs in our dining room. Tons of people have asked about the background. Did I take it at the beach and then wash out the colors? Nope. It's a white backdrop! All these pics were taken in our backyard.

Minimizing

2009-09-06T18:24:00.000-07:00

In the past, I've had precious items lost or damaged during a move. This time, we're going to try packing ourselves and using a POD. It's an exciting possibility, but it means that we must fit all our worldly possessions into an 8x8x16 foot box... Therein lies the problem.

Some of the decisions are easy: Of course we'll sell the old sofa, give away the wall heater covers, etc.

Some are less clear: How do you get rid of picture frames without knowing which ones you'll want in the new house?

And some require getting creative: When my husband proposed to me in Boston, he did an amazing job of it! It's a long story that ends in a room filled with 20 dozen long stemmed red roses. I dried them and enjoyed having them hung around my room. They were boxed and moved with me to Ohio. They remained in the boxes. We moved to California with the roses still in those original boxes. Now that we're about to move again, I couldn't bear the thought of them moving around in boxes yet again. There must be a better way...

After obsessing about it for a while (that's what I do, right?) I made this:

Now instead of 4 giant boxes, I have one 12x12 shadowbox. My roses will be on display where I can enjoy them and it's a small step toward reducing our footprint. Tell me what you think!

Kids' Room Decor

2009-09-05T14:43:00.000-07:00

My family is preparing to move again. Hubby is off to war and I'll be house shopping while he's gone. That leaves me to dream of decorating my imaginary new home (a source of joy and stress-relief).

The kids currently share a green, sheep-themed nursery. It's beautiful, but in the new home they'll each have their own room.

I'm currently leaning towards a nautical theme for my son's room.

My daughter was a born fashionista (One of her first words was "shoes".) She also loves the color red, so she might have a sophisticated and dramatic room.

It's always fun to think and plan ahead! I'm off to help a friend set up her new home. Have a great one!

Photoshop Textures

2009-09-04T13:18:00.000-07:00

This tip was shared with me by an amazing photographer at my church: Cheryl Groff.
Here's a helpful video tutorial:

If you're having trouble viewing the video, the steps are something like this.
Start with an open picture in Photoshop. I'm using this picture I took of my baby girl in a lake that's very sentimental. I wanted to give it more of a historic, timeless feel. Start by pressing Ctrl+J to make an editable layer.

Next, open a picture of a texture (you can Google "Photoshop Textures" to find some). I wanted something with a sepia tint and a border effect- I found a linen texture that might work. Some newer programs can drag and drop. In Elements 4.0 I had to Select >All and then with the entire texture selected, hit Edit> Copy.

Then from my original photo I could Edit>Paste to layer the texture over the photo. It's scary at first, because it covers the entire original photo, but just play with the options in the Layers box ("palette") to adjust the opacity and merge the layers with effects like "Soft Light".

My biggest problem at this point was the linen texture on my daughter- not the most flattering. So the next trick removes that. Open a new window with a blank layer in it. Using the paint can tool, fill the layer with a random color. Now here's the important part: Select the healing brush (looks like a Band-Aid) [*Note: Make sure you've selected the Healing Brush and NOT the Spot Healing Brush] Alt+click in the midle of your colored layer. That will select the texture of that layer to copy (and it has no texture).

Now in your photo, still on the top textured layer, paint with the Healing Brush over the areas where you don't want the texture. (At first it appears to be painting with your chosen color, but fear not. That will disappear when you let go.) Works like magic! Flatten and save! Here's my finished photo:

I might continue to play with different textures on this photo, but love the technique! Have fun with it!

A beginning

2009-09-03T16:56:00.000-07:00

Every day I seem to have a new obsession- something that I spend hours online researching. Be it cake decorating, interior decorating, Photoshop, scrapbooking, or something entirely random, I've decided to post some of the fruits of my labors here.

On tap for today: Digital photography and alteration
I work with the Canon Digital Rebel XT. It takes great photos. But what to do when you want to alter a photo? I've had great success with Microsoft Photo Editor (no longer available with Vista) and would sometimes use multiple programs to achieve the desired results. I've just begun to delve into Photoshop with Photoshop Elements 4.0 and I'll share as I learn.

First up: Changing background color.

I am a mother of 2 stinkin' adorable children. They've taken some great pictures at school, but I hate the background they use. It's a mottled fleshtone sort of color. (See above) It's a cute pic, but the background makes her outfit the center of attention.

First: open the pic in Photoshop and Press Ctrl+J to make an editable layer of the image (as opposed to the background layer).

Using the magic wand tool, I begin to select the background. *Tip: it's often easier to select the background and then inverse the selection than to get all the colors of the foreground image.
Start with a pretty high tolerance if the color is significantly different than the foreground (maybe 80). My colors were all pretty similar, so I started the selection at 35 and went down to 10-15 for detail work.
Press Shift while clicking to add an area to the selection.
Press Alt while clicking to tell it not to select an area.
Once you have the background selected, right-click and select the inverse. (Now your foreground image is selected). Press Ctrl+J to make a new layer with your selected image.

Now for the fun part: Select the layer that is currently sandwiched between your background and your selected image (it's just a copy of your original pic). Click the 'Enhance' tab and then colors: Hue/Saturation. *Tip: make sure to check the "Colorize" box in the pop-up!

Now you can change the hue and saturation levels at whim! Play with this layer as much as you like until the background is the color you want. Here's my finished pic:

Now the focus is on her smiling face!

If you have any other great tips on the subject, please post them! Comments welcome!