Photo Book Project COMPLETED

It's done!  I finished putting all the photos in the book, and I think it turned out great!  Here is what it looked like before:

 And here it is all done:

I'm more than pleased with it and so excited to show it off.  It really didn't take too long all together.  Maybe 5 hours total.

In other news, we got some starter plants from a friend for our first attempt at a garden this summer.

There is an artichoke, a cherry tomato, and a bell pepper.  I am also wanting to plant red potatoes, strawberries, watermelon, and pumpkins.

Project Progress

Here are my pages so far. . . 

I have put paper on one side of each page and blacked out the edges with a Sharpie.  I still have to fix a few of the holes where the pages got torn off the rings by tiny hands. . . Plus I need to line the other side of the pages with paper.  

Then I will add the photos and show you the finished project! 

Hiatus

Hey everybody!  Sorry for the unannounced hiatus. . . I needed a few days to get myself reorganized.  I have decided that I am not the best housekeeper, but that doesn't mean I can't try to keep things nice.  The last week I spent doing some of the following:

• Cleaning bathrooms
• Cleaning bedrooms
• Doing yardwork (lawn is set to be planted at the end of the month)
• Sweeping and mopping the wood floors
• Organizing the desk
• Making white chocolate chip cookies
• Celebrating my little bro's birthday
• Doing a billion loads of laundry
• Working on the latest project and discovering it in the destructive hands of my 14 mo. girl (still working on repairs)
• Discovering that I really like days when I get a lot of things done
• Acquiring a new (to me) trampoline, lawn mower, and silk tree; all for free!
• Just picking stuff up and loving the warmer weather

It may not sound like a lot to you (supermoms), but I feel so refreshed and recharged!  The feeling is amazing.  I also found a link to this blog, where I was delighted to read part two of Obvious Tips for Not-Very-Good Homemakers.  Now, I am pretty crafty and all that, but the actual keeping of the home is one of my weaker points.  No, I don't have a cleaning schedule.  No, I don't make a great meal every night.  In fact, a lot of nights I make my husband cook something.  Sshhh.  Don't tell.  I am working on these things, but hey, Rome wasn't built in a day.

Hoping to finish the project for you to view on Monday.

Etsy Voter

Hey all!  I've got some great news!  My Scarborough Fair Wooden Blocks are in the Etsy Voter this week!

 The theme for the week is gardens.  This is my first feature in the Voter.  I think it's because I never had an item that really fit the theme until now.  

Anyway, if you have a second, an Etsy account, and you want to help, then pop on over to the Voter and vote for the Scarborough Fair Garden Blocks by audzipan!

Really, it would be great.  Happy Weekend!

New Photo Book Project

Apparently, my rainbow cupcakes were featured on a major cupcake blog this week, Cupcakes Take the Cake.  Sweet!

500 views later, I am still here.  And I have a new project!  This one isn't done yet, because I am not quite sure what I am going to be doing with it yet.  

But I am going to show you a preview, and when it is done I will post the tutorial.  There are still a few bits I am not quite sure what to do with yet, but I will hopefully come up with something great.

Here's what I have to work with so far, a chipboard book and a stack of new scrapbook paper:

 I am excited to get to work!  But I am not sure what to do with the holes in the edges of the chipboard.  I would like to cover the pages completely in paper, but I am not too keen on cutting all those tiny holes. . .

Rainbow Cupcakes Trial

I introduced this recipe for Rainbow Cupcakes a couple of weeks ago, and I finally got around to mixing it up for myself last night.  

Here's what I thought about it:

• Wow!  Talk about moist cupcakes!
• Using gel food coloring (Wilton brand) made a huge difference in the intensity of the colors.
• Overall, it was a very easy recipe.
• The butter cream frosting recipe was yummy, but pretty standard (read: nothing new).

I had a really good time making these with my husband.  We made one pan of regular sized cupcakes and one pan of mini cupcakes.  The cooking time for the mini cupcakes was 12 minutes instead of 18, but that was the only difference.

These cupcakes look very impressive for the amount of time involved, so if you are looking to make a big splash, these will do the trick!

P.S. I have no idea how they get the frosting to look so smooth.  I used the same frosting recipe and everything.  I just put it on with a butter knife, and that works for me, but if you know the secret for smooth frosting on cupcakes, let me know!

Fancified IKEA Mirror

Today I am going to share my latest project, which I like to call the Fancified IKEA Mirror.  To start, you will need the following:

1. RAM Mirror from IKEA for $7.99.
2. Enamel Paint (found in the acrylic paint aisle at Robert's or Michaels)
3. Masking tape or Cut vinyl strips (I used vinyl)
4. Paint brush
5. Paper towels

Originally, I was just going to paint the wooden part black to match my bedroom decor.  Once I finished the project to that point, I realized that I could still see the unfinished pine color in the reflection of the mirror.  

So here is what you need to do: 

Tape off the paint line on the actual mirror (that is why you will need enamel paint) with either masking tape or your cut vinyl strips.  I cut out this scallopy-postage-stamp looking pattern and just put the vinyl directly onto the mirror, but you could use masking tape and an exacto knife to cut a pattern.  Once your vinyl or tape is up, lay your mirror out on some paper towels and start painting!  Enamel paint will cure on the mirror in 21 days, so keep it out of reach for a while.  Once the paint is set, it cannot be scratched off the mirror.

So there you go!  This is an easy and relatively cheap way to spice up a boring old mirror.  Enjoy, and let me know if you have any questions in the comments.

Feature: Easter Eggstravaganza

Today's feature is all about Easter eggs in all varieties. 

I am sharing with you some of my favorites.  For a link to the site, click on the caption below the picture.

Eggs Easter Letters by JC BloomingBoutique

Giant Peanut Butter Easter Egg by SweetMcBirdie

Small Hand Painted Pearl Green Paisley Egg by KimArt

Bird Egg Pillow by Giardino

Hand Painted Glass Egg by Schemata

Easter Egg Lasso Necklace by TheWhirlwind

There you have it!  Have a great weekend, and most of all:

Happy Easter!

Sick Baby

So, let's just forget about how horrible I have been at updating the blog this week, okay?  

Add last weekend of having two tiny house guests (ages 1 and 3) along with my one-year-old, plus this week of my baby throwing up all over the couch and her crib (twice), and you get one crazy woman who wants to do nothing but sit on the couch and eat bonbons.

I promise to not have such a crazy life anymore. Promise.  I am hoping that with a few days of rest and some great Easter plans I will be back to my normal motivated blogging self.

I am coming up with something great for tomorrow.  And possibly Monday.  So stay tuned and don't give up on me!