Merry Christmas!

Just wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

Tutorial Tuesday: Christmas breakfast!

OK, so this is not really a tutorial but I wanted to share some yummy recipes that are perfect for Christmas morning. They are super easy and a lot of it can be done the night before to make it even faster to throw in the oven in the morning. You don't want to miss a moment of the fun!


Monkey Bread

3 (12 oz) packages refrigerated biscuit dough
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ cup margarine
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
½ cup raisins (optional)
Preheat oven to 350. Grease one 9 or 10 inch tube pan, bundt pans are perfect for this recipe. A spring ring pan wouldn’t be a good idea since the caramel could leak out of the pan.
Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a plastic bag. Cut biscuits into quarters. Shake 6-8 biscuit pieces in the sugar cinnamon mix. Arrange pieces in the bottom of the prepared pan. Continue until all biscuits are coated and placed in pan. If using nuts and raisins arrange them in and among the biscuit pieces as you go along.
In a small saucepan melt the margarine with the brown sugar over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Pour over the biscuits.
Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate. Do not cut, the bread just pulls apart.





Wake-Up Casserole

8 frozen hash brown patties
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 pound cubed fully cooked ham
7 eggs
1 cup milk
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground mustard
Place hash brown patties in a single layer in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese and ham. In a bowl beat eggs, milk, salt and mustard. Pour over ham. Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Uncover, bake 15 minutes longer or until edges are golden brown and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

YUM!!

Last call for Christmas orders!

We're counting down the days to Christmas around here,
and my little one is thoroughly enjoying the fun Christmas decorations
(that are finally up!).

I'm getting ready to close the shop so I can get caught up on all the holiday orders
and get them shipped so they'll arrive in time for Christmas.
If you order today they still have an excellent chance of arriving in time,
so hurry quick! I'll close in the next day or two.

And thanks so much to everyone who has already ordered,
we really appreciate it!

Tutorial Tuesday: Car Seat Swaddle Blanket

I don't know if it's cold where you all live, but it has been cold here!
OK, it's much warmer this week, but it has been really cold.
So I was browsing the internet for ideas on how to keep my baby warm
in his car seat. I found a really great idea!

This would really work best for a smaller baby,
my little guy's legs are already hanging over the edge of his car seat
and the blanket just didn't really cover him.

I found two great tutorial for this:
Visit Made By Marzipan (this one has a great little video that's extremely helpful)
or She Tries to Learn (I like the shape of this one better) for the tutorials.

SUCH a great idea!!

Tutorial Tuesday: Tiny Christmas Trees

Thanksgiving weekend is usually the time
when we put up our Christmas tree
and all the holiday decorations.

This year we ordered a new tree
so we haven't put anything up yet,
but the kids cannot wait!

Maybe until our tree arrives
we could make some of these beautiful tiny trees.

Aren't these glitter trees gorgeous?!
You can find instructions on how to make them
over at Eighteen25.
Beautiful!

I also love these beaded trees from All Things Heart and Home.
Gorgeous!

I love long weekends!

Did you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving?
I hope so!

We didn't have to travel too far for dinner
and we came back home and relaxed.
The entire weekend was spent with family
and was just perfect.

We had the first significant snowfall of the season this weekend,
so we stayed inside and had indoor picnics,
did some Christmas shopping online,
and sipped hot chocolate.

We loved it!

Don't forget, the last day for Christmas orders is December 3rd.
That's THIS Friday, so don't delay!

Tutorial Tuesday: Thanksgiving Table Centerpiece

Thanksgiving is in two days!
Are you all ready?

If you need a last minute centerpiece
or place cards
then stop by Studio 5 for the tutorial
for these darling turkeys!

Wishing each and every one of you a wonderful Thanksgiving!

And don't forget, the last day you can place an order and be sure to have it in time for Christmas will be December 3rd. That's a week from this Friday, so don't delay!

Tutorial Tuesday: paper ornaments

I have more ornaments to share with you today.
I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet,
but it takes time to make these
so you'll want to do them ahead.

Aren't these gorgeous? These are all paper ornaments
from Heartland Paper.
They're really easy to make but they make a big statement, don't you think?
You can find the tutorial right here.

And just to let you know, be sure to place orders no later than December 3rd to ensure a Christmas delivery. We're already starting the holiday rush around here!

Tutorial Tuesday: Angel Ornament

Every year the women in my extended family
get together before Christmas.
We bring lots of yummy food
and ornaments to share.
We try to bring a handmade ornament
though I admit I've had to bring store-bought ornaments
in the past.

I'm always looking for new ideas
on an ornament that's easy to put together
because our group is getting pretty big.

So I absolutely loved these Angel Ornaments
that I found on Gracious Rain!

Want to see what they're made of?
Look at this:

Now that's a great way to use noodles!
You can find the tutorial right here.

Back open

Welcome to everyone here from the Crap I've Made blog!
And if you've never visited this blog
you should really check it out!
Char is just amazing!

You may have noticed that the shop is back open.
We're back from vacation and we had a wonderful time!
My in-laws got to meet the baby for the first time
and they loved every minute of it!

We visited the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter
and my kids absolutely loved it (and we did too!).
We went to the beach several times and just had a great time.

I've added a few holiday listings to the shop.
These ornaments are a fun Christmas gift:

And we have some holiday necklaces as well:

And just a reminder--
it will be much harder for me to keep up with holiday orders this year.
Last year I was able to work all day while the kids were at school,
but it has gotten trickier with a baby at home again.
So try to place your holiday orders as early as possible,
before December if you can.
That way you will be sure to get your things in time for Christmas.

Thanks for stopping by!

Tutorial Tuesday: Maple Leaf Coasters

Believe it or not Thanksgiving will be here before you know it!
These maple leaf coasters from The Long Thread
would be a perfect accent
to your Thanksgiving table.

And these aren't complicated at all.
Aren't they gorgeous?
You can find the tutorial right here.

Tutorial Tuesday: Display Board

My daughter loves making new art pieces.
And she loves displaying them in her room
all over her walls.
But I have a problem with the way she displays them--
she likes taping them to her walls
and they are a huge pain to remove.
Not to mention how cluttered her room can look
with so many things on her walls.

So when I saw this gorgeous display board
from Make it and Love it
I fell in love!
This would be a great solution to my problem.
My daughter can display her art,
and I don't have to keep peeling tape off the wall.

You can find the tutorial right here.

Tutorial Tuesday: Wax Paper fall leaves

The mountains near my home
are ablaze with beautiful fall colors.
I love the beauty of fall
so I really love these wax paper fall leaves
from V and Co.

I know my kids would love making these with me!
And I would love having them on display in my home.
You can find the tutorial right here.

Tutorial Tuesday: Felt Trick or Treat bag

Are you all ready for Halloween?
We're not quite there yet.
We still need to come up with costumes
and still need to put up our decorations too.

My kids usually use those plastic pumpkin buckets
for trick-or-treating.
But wouldn't this cute bag from Krista Maurer
be more fun?!

It looks super simple to make.
And you could use this basic idea to make bags
for other holidays too.
Can't you just see a darling Christmas bag?
You can find the tutorial right here.

Time goes by too quickly!

My sweet little guy turned 6 months old this week!
I can't believe how quickly the time has passed,
my kids are just growing like weeds.

We'll be visiting with family (they've never met the baby!)
and my shop will be closed for a couple of weeks,
so if there's something that you need be sure to order before Sunday.

And just a head's up--
it will be much harder for me to keep up with holiday orders this year.
Last year I was able to work all day while the kids were at school,
but it has gotten trickier with a baby at home again.
So try to place your holiday orders as early as possible,
before December if you can.
That way you will be sure to get your things in time for Christmas.

Thanks for stopping by!

Tutorial Tuesday: Refashioned Shrug

The weather here has cooled off considerably.

I adore fall, but it also makes me realize
that winter is just around the corner.
So when I saw the tutorial from Create and Delegate
for this gorgeous shrug
I knew I wanted to try it soon.
You can find it here.

Love it!!

Tutorial Tuesday: Brimmed Beanie Hat

OK, I really need to do these Tuesday posts ahead of time,
with soccer, 4H clubs, and the kids' homework
I always seem to be a bit behind!

I saw these cute hats over at Ucreate this week,
and knew I had to share this awesome tutorial with you!

Isn't this hat just the cutest?!
It is made with an old sweater-- I love it!
I totally want to make one for my little guy.
You can find the tutorial here.

Tutorial Tuesday: Sponge Koosh Balls

I saw these sponge koosh balls over at House of Hepworths,
and they look like so much fun!

They're perfect for using at the pool
and also make bathtime lots of fun.

They're super easy to make too!
You can find the tutorial here.

Tutorial Tuesday: Fabric Covered Cork Board

Sorry, this is just barely going to post on Tuesday so it's a bit late.
We've started soccer season here
and that means that almost every day
ends up being very busy!

Add a 5 month old baby to the mix,
and it's busier than ever before,
but still fun of course.

So we're in the process of making over our office.
One of my current projects is revamping an old cork board
to hang on the office wall.

I'm using this tutorial from Fresh Vintage.
And if when I finish it
maybe I'll add a picture of my finished project.

Until then, enjoy these fabulous images from Fresh Vintage.

The before (my cork board looks almost exactly like this too):

And the after:

Isn't that an amazing transformation?!

Tutorial Tuesday- Menu Board

Ever since my baby was born in April
I've had a hard time keeping up with my meal planning.

I used to go through my list of meals every month or so
and assign a different dinner for each night.

But now I have a better way to do it!


It all started when I saw
this cute menu board
from A Girl and a Glue Gun:

Brilliant! And SO super cute!
But I didn't know where to buy the blank calendar
that she used on the front of her menu board.


Then I saw these meal planning magnets
from the red chair blog:

I love the idea, but I really wanted something to put it on,
rather than my already cluttered fridge.


I saw this magnetic calendar from crafts keep me sane:

I loved the idea of using a cookie sheet!


And then I saw this cute menu board
from Heartland Paper:

LOVED IT!


So here is what I ended up doing...
I didn't want to spend a ton of money,
so I bought a cookie sheet from the dollar store.

I painted it with chalkboard paint.
I gave it 4 layers, letting it dry in between.
Then after 24 hours I followed the instructions
to cover it with chalk before writing on it.

I made my calendar with a ruler and a chalk marker.
(The chalk marker does leave faint lines even after wiping it off with a damp cloth,
a magic eraser helps take the rest off.)

Then I printed off a list of meals,
including some "eat out" options
as well as "try a new recipe".

I cut them out and mounted them on cute paper,
and attached a magnet to the back.
(I used a roll of self-adhesive magnets from the craft section at Walmart.)

The "What's For Dinner" sign I printed out from this pdf
from Heartland Paper.

So far I am loving it!