Ask and you shall receive

I am so glad you all liked my little Spool Dolls! I think they are so fun TOO!!

These are slightly different than the original ones I showed you. I used candle cups on these ones instead of the spools and painted the bodies with a design. For the previous shown dolls I painted the body and then Mod Podged paper on them.

Either way... Fun, Cute and Easy!

Here it goes:

our 15 seconds of fame

So... Did you see Studio 5 today???

Nannygoat was totally on it! I'm still giddy from it all.

Okay, I don't live in Utah so Melissa recorded it and then took her digital video camera and pointed it at the TV so we could all watch it on YouTube together... Hurray!

Are you ready??

Watch it here.

AAAAAhhh! Did you watch it ? Crazy huh.

Okay, I had to laugh that the "gunk" wasn't coming off too well on TV.

Maybe it needed to soak a little longer. lol

So now we just gotta keep an eye out for all the paparazzi...

I've heard they're ruthless...

yep...

they should be here any minute...

Yep, We're pretty much famous.

So I got an email this week from Studio 5 on KSL in SLC, Utah.

They found nannygoat and wanted to share this tip from nannygoat with the women of SLC on their show today.

So yep, we are pretty much famous. ;)

Need a unique neighbor gift? You've come to the right place!

We've been really excited to tell you about this Christmas idea.

Melissa and I were brainstorming what to do for neighbor/ friend/ VT gifts this year.

We were trying to think of something unique and special that we could MAKE for our dear sweet friends and neighbors

and then it hit us...

with a hammer, over and over and over...

Isn't it PURDY?!

This is what we used:

-1/8" steel stamping set (bought from habor freight back when the washer necklaces were all the rage)

- Two washers 1in and 2in in diameter

-Ribbon

Put any message you like and your friends and neighbors are sure to love these one of a kind ornaments!

******UPDATE*****

To answer your questions: 1. No, we did not paint the washers with anything. We bought them at Lowes and I just picked the ones that looked the best (not all scratched up).

2. The big washer is just a regular round 2 in. washer. (It is not smaller at the top)

3. We did not glue the washers together, we just tied them with the ribbon.

4. We followed this tutorial to stamp our washers and darken the letters.

Hope that answers all you questions. Good Luck and we would love to see yours when your done!

Your neighbors are going to love you. :)

and

All Pretty'd Up

5 days and 3 glue sticks later...
here she is.

(did you get to Dollar Tree in time to get some of these beauties?)

I just put her on the door for a photo shoot. I think it's a little early for Christmas decorations... maybe in a few weeks... er days... I'm feeling kinda anxious this year.

Out of curiosity...

When do YOU put up your Christmas Tree/ decorations??

Spool Dolls

I saw similar style dolls at a friends house and thought Avery needed some.

Heck, why not personalize them a little and make Jeff and I and the grandparents.

Should have done the lips a little darker... First time.

Kinda silly, Kinda fun!

Avery seems to like them... banging them on everything in sight that is:)

Ornament Wreath

I saw this beauty last year on Eddie Ross and put it on the "to-do" list.

A few weeks ago Melissa and I found these beautiful ornaments at... get this...
The Dollar Tree!
Seriously, go there today and buy them before they are all gone!
(this is why we crafters have to plan ahead!)

I followed this tutorial and it was looking SO PRETTY! I went to hang it up on the door and take a picture to share with you when I slipped and ...
Dropped it!

Half of the balls broke off and I screamed and tried not to cry.

So if you'll excuse me... I have a date with my hot glue gun.

Skipping October

October has been a cRaZy month. We started the month out in Idaho and ended it in Florida.

I do not have one Halloween decoration up in my house...
not one.
So, I thought I would share my SPOOKY banner and glitter pumpkins from last year.

At this point I don't think I will pull out my fall decor either ( can you say party pooper?).
I'm thinking Christmas.
I know, I know, it's only October but when you're crafters like us you have to plan ahead right?!
Christmas crafts here we come.
Oh, and we have a GREAT friend/ neighbor Christmas gift idea for you!

My Special Day Chair Cover Tutorial

Okay, here it is in all it's glory...

My Special Day Chair Cover Tutorial!!

First things first my friends.

1. Measure the back of the chair you will be using. Be sure that you measure the height from the seat up and the width on the top and bottom. This is the most important part to assure that your chair cover will fit nice and snug when you are all done.

Add 1/2 inch to all sides for your seam allowances.

2. Trace your letters on to your iron on adhesive paper (heat n' bond or such).

We found a font we liked on the computer and printed it off for our letters.

Don't forget to trace them backward on to the paper side of your adhesive, then iron on your fabric and cut them out.

3. Iron on your letters one at a time and then sew around it.

We went with the couple times around messy look since well, the once around was pretty messy and didn't look nearly as cute!

REMEMBER: Don't get ahead of yourself, make sure you are sewing your letters on before you sew anything else together. Trust me on this one... it will make your job MUCH easier!

4. Now for the 'MY'... We used a 5/8 in grosgrain ribbon and folded and tucked it to add dimension.

Take is slow and just continue to fold and adjust the ribbon while you sew till you get the look you like. Lower your needle into the fabric then lift the foot and you can turn your fabric every which way.

5. Cut your fabric for the back of the chair the same size as the front PLUS enough to overlap at the center and to add hook and loop.

About 1 1/2 inch added to the middle of both back pieces should give you enough to have 1 inch overlap and 1/2 in seam allowance.

6. Sorry, no picture: Sandwich, right sides together, the front piece, ric rac and the back of your chair cover (after you have finished off the back center and the bottom 'hem'!) Sew around the outside edge of your sandwich.

If you haven't already added your hook and loop, do it now (you could have also sewn it on when you finished of the back center edge).

WHAA LAA!

Could it be any cuter?

and

My Special Day

Been out of town... now I'm back. :)

This is one of my FAVORITE things Melis and I made while she was here.

We got the idea from Little Birdie Secrets, here.

You can use it for any special occasion... who wouldn't feel special sitting in that chair?!!!

Seriously, so so so fun to make!

I got to be the first to use it on my birthday (while eating my favorite pumpkin dessert, YUM). Let me tell you, I felt sPeCiAl! ;)

What do you think... Want a tutorial?

and

Don't be cheap and lazy like me: Glass Etching

Well, Melissa is gone and even though we still have a house full it seems so quiet around here. We ALL miss her and baby Avery (especially her little... okay, not so little high-pitched squeals ;).

Back to life I guess which is kind of a bummer for me but hey, fall is here and I LUUUVVV Fall.

Time to start sharing all of our crafts, wahooo! We were soooo busy and have a lot to share with you.

I thought I would start with my first attempt of glass etching.

I wanted to do a scalloped edge around this raised bowl. So, I followed this tutorial at Create Sudio. Well, I kind of followed it up until it said "dump a ton of the Armour Etching Cream on to your stencil" at which point I thought -This stuff costs $12.00 I'm not wasting it- so I laid out a thin layer of etching cream and lived to regret it.

After washing it off it looked terrible! Needless to say I had to do it again to try to even out the mess I made. In the end it turned out fine but next time I do this make no mistake, I will follow the directions instead of being cheap and lazy (oh, and she says you can reuse the etching cream so it is not so wasteful... so there you go).

ANyway, here is the result:

Not perfect but hey, it was my first try. ;)

Thank You!!

The Pumpkin recipes are AWESOME!

I can't wait to try them all... ummm, like today.

My sis is the best.

Don't you worry, we are still crafting away and taking lots of pictures.

I can't wait to share everything with you!

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY

As Kathryn mentioned I am here... we are together again at last!! Oh the crafting we are accomplishing. Problem is, we are to busy crafting and feeding the children and cleaning up after the children that there is NO time to post about all the crafting:) That will have to wait till after I leave. ANY HOW!! The reason I am really posting to say...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATHRYN!!!

What can I say about Kathryn? She is just the sweetest best big sister a girl could ever ask for! She is an amazing mother and such a good wife to her hard working husband. She is always a shining example to me. I call her for advise and help all the time and I don't know what I would do without her!

I still want to be just like my big sister!

So I was thinking about a gift we could all give to Kathryn for her birthday and to show her our appreciation of all of her great crafting ideas and inspirational projects...

PUMPKIN

Kathryn loves all things Pumpkin flavored so I am thinking let's all share with her your favorite pumpkin treat recipes.

She will love you!!

... more than she already does!!!

Can't wait till Monday

Okay, I think I'm going to do it... I'm scared... but... I think I'm going to do it... maybe.

Now for some BIG news!

Guess who's coming to visit me in Kentucky...

(if you don't know who this is just look at the right sidebar ;)
For 3 WEEKS baby! You know what that means...

There will be a whole lot of crafting going on around here.

Next week we are meeting up with our very creative friends from Amazing Mae, The Polka Dot Chair, and Create a life you love.

Don't worry, we will take lots of pictures and share all of our projects with you.

Also, I'm starting to think about Christmas, are you? I have an idea for neighbor/ friend gifts but I have to try it out to see if it will work first so stay tuned.

PS I went yard sale shopping this afternoon and I hit the mother load! A table saw and china cabinet (that needs a little TLC). SCORE!

Stain My Oak Banister?

Did you see this over at Southern Hospitality?

Here is her banister before:

(Whoops ladies, I got a little confused! This "before" photo is from Censational Girl who also stained her banister. Go here to see her amazing transformation. She also painted and added moulding. You'll love the "after" it is BeAuTiFuL!)

Now, here is Southern Hospitality's Before:

Okay, you are not going to believe this...
are you sitting down???


Here is the after:

Be still my heart...
I Luuuuvvvv it .
Now, here is my banister:

Look familiar?

Censational girl sanded and prepped all of the oak. Southern Hospitality just put on the stain without any prep work.

I'm a little nervous about staining it but how can I NOT do it??
Of course I would also stain the wood on the steps (it is the only hardwood in the house so I don't have to worry about it matching anything else).

Has anyone else out there done this?

What do you think...
should I do it????

Just a thought

I've had this quote on my fridge for several years now. It's funny, I put things on my fridge so I will see them and read them often but it doesn't take long and I no longer notice them.
Anyway, it caught my eye today.

It's a miracle!

I've tried it all when it comes to cleaning my gas stove top grates.

I've soaked and scrubbed and sworn (j/k, I would NEVER swear ;0)

those nasty grates over and over and when I'm finally done with all that they don't look much better...that is, until last week ...

BEFORE: Now that's just gross people.

I put the grate in a zip lock bag, sprayed some ammonia in the bag, sealed it, and let it set over night. The next day the gunk just wiped off like nothing... I'm serious!

AFTER

Yep, it's pretty much a miracle.

Adjustable Headband

I am all about keeping my hair out of my face these days. So instead of putting it in a pony every day I have reverted to headbands.

I LOVE this one because unlike every other one I've tried it doesn't give me a headache 2-3 hours in.

To make your own you will need: 1 yard of ribbon, hot glue gun and plasctic cord spots with 2 holes (I bought these ones at JoAnns, I would like to also purchase them in white and clear but they don't carry those colors there... I will have to keep on the look out)

I put a thin bead of hot glue along the center of the ribbon so it doesn't slip out of my hair. I stopped 4-ish inches from both ends as to get just the majority of the ribbon that will be on my hair. (does that make sense?)

Put the ends of the ribbon through the holes in the stopper.

Loosen or tighten to comfort! Easy Peasy!!

Baby asleep, no makeup, pj's, bleach trays= time to craft.

Been wanting to make this ... finally did

I've seen these camera straps all over craft blogs and marked them as "to do". Then I found this great tutorial on cluck cluck sew and so while Melissa was here in March we made them.

We followed the tutorial but we wanted to sew in some stripes to add dimension so when the tutorial added the interfacing we just used a thicker interfacing and did the following... (Again, we just followed this tutorial for all our measurements etc. )

Once we ironed on the thick interfacing we measured and drew lines every half-inch.

Then straight stitched down those lines

And finished up according to the tutorial.

Super easy and I love how it turned out.

I also love that it is removable so I can wash it and make a new one when I get tired of this print.

Look at me... I'm sewing!!!!

Let's talk about our 30 meals

Hello my 30 MEALS friends!

I know you're out there because I get emails from you everyday!

Okay, we haven't talked about our 30 meals for A LONG TIME so

let's chat... how are your 30 meals coming?

Dinners are definitely running smoother at our house and we are loving our 30 meals (actually right now our 25 meals).

In an effort to get a few more recipes that my family will love, last week I had some of my 30 meals friends over and told them to bring their favorite recipes.

We had some treats, traded recipes, and talked and talked and talked (cause that's what us women like to do).

It was great fun and now we are enjoying those new recipes. I know at least one of those recipes is going to make the cut (the whole family LOVED it) and I have lots more to try.

So tell me now, how is the 30 meals plan going for you?

Funky frame take 2

Remember how I told you I was on the look-out for another funky frame?

FOUND IT!!!

Uh, Huh... pretty funky.

You know how I love spray paint. This time it's gotta be RED.

A little chalkboard paint in the middle and...

WALAA!

Yes, everybody in the craft-blogging world have been making chalkboards for months now, I know, I know. I'm a little slow on this one but now that I've made one of my own I can understand the obsession.

So easy, so funky.

It's going in my craft room... and when I say craft room I mean the little corner in our loft with a table and a sewing machine on it. ;) (I secretly dream about a craft room with like 7 big funky frames in 7 different colors adorning the walls... yeah .)

p.s. My husband hates it.

Dry Erase Calendar

I have been mulling over this to-do list on MakeItandLoveIt here. I used the basic concept but tweaked it just a bit:)

(one of my very favorite craft blogs!!)

I have a terrible memory and am notorious for planning 2 things at the same time due to my forgetfulness. I started using a planner which did wonders for me but am having a hard time keeping it up since the little one came along.... here I am back to double booking myself.

We desperately needed a calendar that was always visible and easily accessible.

I simple drew the calendar with black permanent marker on the INSIDE of the glass. In order to not have the days of the week backwards, I wrote them on the outside with dry erase and then turned it over and traced it with the permanent marker on the inside.)

There you have it. Now I have NO more excuses for forgetting an appointment or being double booked!!

I love it and I even spotted my husband looking at it to confirm an appointment time... SUCCESS!

Master bathroom

Until this last week our master bathroom was the only white room in the house.

I like color... a lot. As seen in this room, and this room, and this room.

So it was only a matter of time before those walls were covered in color.

I knew I wanted it to coordinate with the master bedroom so I decided to use the leftover paint from the bedroom and mix in some white to lighten the paint color and keep the bathroom bright.

So here it is my friends ...

BEFORE:

AFTER:

A few close-ups...

We have a huge glass block window above our tub that lets in tons of natural light which is awesome.

Problem is that the bathroom window is on the main floor and looks out at the neighbors yard. Needless to say it HAS to be covered but I still wanted lots of light so I made this curtain out of thin white cotton fabric. It covers the window but still lets the light in... perfect.

On the back wall of the bathroom I wanted to do a warm neutral color so I used my FREE Glidden paint (WAHOO, I luuuuuvv free stuff and I really LUUUVVVV this color!!!!).

Forest Khaki is the name of the color and I seriously want to cover my whole house with it.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

I used the same rod iron piece above the towels I just spray painted it dark brown.

I LOVE how it turned out but with all the rooms painted now what will I paint?

hmmmmmmm...

Busy

working on my master bathroom. These are my 10 year old towels. We got them as a wedding gift.

I don't love purple, sky blue, and forest green... they are SO 90s!

I'm painting the master bath to coordinate with the master bedroom.

I'll be done soon (I hope) and I'll show you how it turned out! :)

Owl onesie too

Whoooooo wouldn't love a onesie to match the

cutie-patooty owl toy?

This was Melissa's idea.

Isn't the owl toy with a matching onesie perfect for a baby gift?!

I think, however, the onesie applique is a little too girly for my little man but it would be so cute on a little girl (like my niece Avery to go with her new orange pants ;).

Stair Baskets

I've been eyeing these pretties for 2 years now (seriously, 2 YEARS). I could never bring myself to pay the regular price ($30 each at Micheals... that's like $100 for 3 baskets + taxes!).

Good things come to those who wait and finally this week they went on clearance. Waa Hoo!

I snatched up 2 of them then rushed back the next day to get one more and I'm thinking I should get another one for when my baby gets older so they will match.

I put a name tag on each one so I can sort the toys/ shoes/ clothes/ junk! according to who needs to clean it up. I'm also going to use them to put their clean laundry in. And sometimes I think I will surprise them with an empty basket and just a love note or maybe a treat inside. I have great kids and I don't do that kind of stuff nearly enough.

Every evening it is each child's responsibility to grab their basket (there is a handle attached to it {giddy}) and put everything away.

Aaaahhhh, my house feels cleaner already.

It's true

Okay, your not going to believe this...

Today's Creative Blog did a feature on Nannygoat!!

They really did... I'm serious!

If you don't believe me go see for yourself already. :)

Orange you glad it's Summer Time?!

I have been on a crafting hiatus.

Low and behold, I set up the card table in front of the TV, popped in a movie and I'm back.

I have made headbands and bows in the past but loved the idea of making the flowers fuller by combining several flower to make one that I got from Homemade by Jill. I attached mine to a ribbon covered alagator clip (with hot glue) for now but I love the idea of putting them right on an elastic headband [once she has hair].

These darling t-shirt pants from Lil Blue Boo immediatly made it into my 'crafts to do' folder.

Check out her tutorial.. SEW EASY, SEW CHEAP, SEW COMFY!

Still trying to figure out what size t-shirt I will need to make me a pair:)

Time to get cracking on the 92 other items in my ideas folder!

Almost too easy

I was laying in bed one morning when it occurred to me...

We have an over-the-range microwave!

No, I am not a complete idiot, of course I knew that we had an over-the-range microwave all along (hello, I use it everyday) but the realization that the microwave had to be plugged into an electrical outlet in one of the upper cabinets was really what I was excited about.

I headed over to Lowes and purchased a 24 foot rope light ($15.00) then had my hubby drill a small hole through the top of the cabinet .

No more dark and dirty looking corners and I love the glow it gives at night.

I've always wanted lighting above my cabinets...

only $15.00 people.

I LOVE it!

cutie-patooty owl toy tutorial

Okay, here we go. Remember I'm new at this sewing stuff so be nice. ;)
This is what you will need:
* fabric for body of owl, nose, and eyes
* ribbon
* big buttons
* diaper wipe bags or something "crinkly"
* pillow stuffing stuff ;)

Start by cutting 2 layers of fabric for the body of the owl.

I didn't use a pattern, I just drew a square then rounded off the bottom corners and made pointy ears on the top. My owl measured about 10x10inches.
Next I cut out the owl's nose (mine was 3 inches wide) from orange felt and straight-stitched it on.

I used burlap for the first layer on the eyes. They are 2.5 inch circles.

Then brown felt, again 2.5 inch circles.
Then sew on your huge buttons.

I love Joy's owl with the thick ribbon on the sides but I didn't have ribbon that thick and I'm too lazy to run to the store so I just used some thinner ribbon and more orange felt for the wings and pinned them on.

On the back piece of the body I cut and sewed on the diaper wipe bag to add some crinkle when the baby plays with it.
Okay, this is the point I remembered that I was supposed to take dinner to a new family and so

I frantically finished the owl (cause I can't leave a project undone) and forgot to take pictures.

All I did is sew the front and back together (the right sides facing each other) and left the bottom open so I could easily turn it right side out. Then I stuffed it, added some little ribbon legs and sewed the bottom shut.

WALAA!

How was my sewing lingo?

Okay, if you make one I think you should post it on your blog and send me a link cause I want to see!

I'm back

Just got home from a family road trip... I am pooped!

I will post the owl tutorial very soon but right now I'm going to collapse on the family room floor.

I've always wanted a front porch swing...

...and when we found our house in Kentucky I was thrilled to be greeted with a porch swing right next to the front door.

Just perfect...or at least after a good paint job and some pillows it would be just perfect.

I painted it black to match the shutters on my house and red pillows to match my geraniums... I luuuvvv red geraniums.
There is nothing better than swinging on the front porch with my fam and watching a Kentucky summer rainstorm... just perfect... seriously.

Owl toy

Oh my goodness, did you see this owl Joy's Hope made??? So, so, so, cute!

Well, you know I am learning how to sew so I love little projects like this to give me some practice.

This is my "boy" version for my drooling little 6 month old. I didn't have the wide ribbon for the sides so I just used some thinner ribbon I had and I found these huge buttons, perfect for big owl eyes and if little Davis pulls them off they are too big to choke on. So that's good.

Definitely not perfect but I'm improving and the best part is I LOVED making it.

Seriously, loved it so much that I totally lost track of time and was supposed to have dinner over to a new neighbor tonight. I had to throw something together last minute and when I tasted it later (after I had already taken it them) I was so embarrassed.

Seriously, it was yucky... whoops.

btw I know I'm probably not the best person to do sewing tutorials (ha,ha not even close) since I'm a novice myself but I did take pictures of the process so let me know if you want a tutorial on how I made the owl... it will probably be comical to all you talented seamstresses out there. ;)

That's the spot

I put my new Funky Bow Holder Thingy in my kid's RED bathroom (on one of the white walls of course). It's perfect!

So now, between the funky bow holder and the hair-ribbon baskets I bought at IKEA I think we have little girl's hair accessories under control... for now at least.

Still haven't found another funky frame for my next project. :(

I'm getting antsy about it... I just can't wait any longer but I'm still too cheap to buy it new so I guess I just have to be patient.

That's the price us thrifty women pay...so to speak.

Come visit us

We are being featured at U create today. TOO FUN!

Go check it out and see my "funky bow holder thingy" tutorial.

See ya there. :)

Our Playhouse

I little over a year ago my hubby told me he wanted to turn the attic above the garage into a bonus room. I thought he was CrAzY since the only way we could do it financially was if we did ALL of the work (and when I say "we" I mean "he") and he is a very busy resident. Not to mention the fact that he has never built a room before.

Anyway, make a long story short, HE DID IT!

During the process we found there was a little nook in the back of the attic and at first we thought we might just wall it off but then we decided it would be perfect for a little "playhouse" for the kids, especially since it opens into their playroom.

I keep adding stuff to it as I find new things (on sale or at garage sales of course) but this is how it has turned out... so far.

BEFORE, literally

AFTER
I want to put up a little roof face that comes out of the wall with wood shingles eventually but that is at the bottom of a long list of things to do so we'll see. Until then I think this iron piece gives it the shape of a rooftop.

I ordered this vinyl "Welcome" sign from Scribble it. You can't really tell from the pictures but the rod iron piece and the "welcome" sign are chocolate brown.

I LUUUVVVV it!

Remember, I am just learning (notice I didn't say "can't", baby steps people) how to sew. These curtains are actually placemats I found and loved the colors so I just folded over one side and made a seam for the curtain rod.
This window is perfect for puppet shows too!

Here is the inside of the playhouse.

See the artwork display in the back? Just a 1x4 piece of painted wood with clips mounted on it.
Easy!

Remember the silly lady that sold me a dresser for $5? She also sold me this gold framed mirror for $3... I love that silly lady.
I spray painted it with a high gloss turquoise and put the kid's "dress-up" clothes next to it.

I swore years ago that I would never paint anything orange in my house...

You should never swear. ;)heehee

So there you have it. Our new playhouse.
P.S. Literally 5 seconds after I took these pictures my two-year-old came through and destroyed all of my "staging" efforts. Real life at our house is NeVEr this clean. ;0

Speakin of swimsuits...

I like to eat.

It is one of my favorite things.

Especially if I am eating warm homemade chocolate chip cookies....

or pumpkin... anything pumpkin...I Luuuvvv pumpkin.

One thing I've learned about myself is if I want to lose weight the worst thing I can do is deny myself of my favorite things (chocolate, pumpkin pie, bread/ pasta etc.). If I'm trying to cut out sweets ALL I want from the minute I wake up to the minute I go to bed is SOMETHING with sugar in it. I try to compensate with other sweet things so I drown my food in honey or artificial sweetener ANYTHING that will quench my craving but in the end it is never enough and I end up eating the cookie or ice cream or hand fulls of chocolate chips.... aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh, much better.

I'm like a rebellious teenager. If you tell me not to eat chocolate, guess what, I'm gorging myself on brownies as fast as you can say "you have no self-control Kathryn".

Yeah, I'm pretty much addicted to yummy things.

I've got about 10lbs left to lose from my 4th baby. He is 6 months old and I'm getting really tired of wearing my "bigger clothes" and bulging out of my pre-pregnancy clothes. I am too cheap to buy a whole new wardrobe so I have got to lose a few pounds.

I know I'm not the only one out there who is in the same type of situation... you just need to lose a few pounds right?!

You know me, I'm ALL about sharing, so here is my thought;

I think we should share our ideas. (BRILLIANT!)

What practical tips/ideas do you use that help you stay fit or lose weight. I know we all have a few tricks up our sleeves. What are they???

I'll share mine first.

Like I said, deprivation does NOT work for me so I have to work on other things.

**In the past if I exercise 3+ times a week for at least 35minutes and if I stop eating after 7:00pm I lose weight. Not 10lbs a week but maybe 1-3lbs a month which is pretty good since I really don't change my diet at all (since eating is my favorite thing remember). So why do I still have 10lbs to lose you wonder... ummmm, because ice cream tastes better after 7:00pm.

**Also, I keep a bag of chocolate chips in my freezer so when I have a chocolate craving I grab a few chips and get my chocolate fix without destroying everything I'm working towards and since the chips are frozen the fix lasts a little longer (wow, I really do have a problem don't I?!).

Your turn, what works for you?

Please, for the sake of our swimsuits, share.

Summer Splurge

Every summer I pull out my swimsuit and grimace. This summer is different. I splurged on this suit from modbe (that is not me in the suit, you can tell by the thighs, lol).

I got it in the mail a few days ago and was thrilled to find that not only does it fit but with the matching skirt (which I will ALWAYS be wearing) I actually felt...dare I say cute in it.

It's never happened before.

I think that feeling is worth the splurge don't you?

Summer plans

School is out tomorrow and we plan on a laid back summer with only a few short get-aways. I don't know how your kids are but my kids need some kind of schedule during the summer or there is a lot more fighting and "mom, I'm bored" going on.

So, I'm working on a plan.

First things first, WORK. Yep, I'm mean like that.

I'm a big believer in the importance of teaching my kids how to work. I believe it builds self-esteem, patience, understanding, compassion... character! Not to mention the fact that there is NO POSSIBLE WAY I can keep my house tidy with 4 kids at home 24/7. It has to be a group effort.

So, I've started filling out this chore charts. I'm using it more as a checklist than a chore chart. these are all the things my kids need to do before they can play.

Like I said, I'm mean like that.

I got this beautiful chore chart from Jill at Contolling my Chaos (one of my fav blogs, check it out). You can download the chore chart (just scroll down and it is on the left sidebar, there is also a "boy" version) then I filled it out and I'll print it and of course laminate it (you know how I am with my laminator) and use a wet/dry marker to check off the chores each week.

You might have noticed "memorize" on the check list. I got this GREAT idea from one of our readers Shauna. She talks about the importance of memorizing things so when you need them you can recall them.
I love the idea of filling my kids minds with uplifting thoughts/ poems/ quotes/ scriptures especially since one of my kiddos tends to think negatively.
So, every week we are memorizing something new and everyday they have to work on it before they can check it off their list.
I print up the quote using photoshop elements and then I put it in a sheet protector and hang it on the fridge so everyone can see it. When we are done with it I put it in our memorization binder and pull out the next one. After we've done several we will go back and do them again. I wanted to start off with something easy so the kids won't feel overwhelmed so this was this weeks thought.

Everyday we will deep clean a zone together (entry, a bathroom, laundry room etc.) and then I will set the timer (this idea comes from my friend Angie years ago) for 10 minutes and we will do a quick pick up for the rest of the house.

That's my plan. What is yours?????

PS Thanks to Kristine who is my wonderful walking buddy. For the past few weeks we have been "fine tuning" our plans for the summer and she always gives me so many good ideas. I'm basically copying her plan. ;0 What would I do without you Kristine?!

Need a teacher gift???

Got this idea from Traci at amazing mae.

Traci is actually a good friend and neighbor of mine, how lucky am I!

She made personalized stationary for her kid's teachers using PSE. I totally copied her and made these. I love how they turned out (I blurred the last names).

So easy and so beautiful!

Thanks Traci.

Now I'm going to make some for myself!

Worth getting up early

I'm not a garage sale shopper for many reasons:

1. Everyone knows to get the good stuff you have to be there early, no thank you. Saturday is the ONLY day I get to sleep in past 6:30am.

2. I have enough STUFF, I don't need someone else's stuff TOO.

3. My hubby often works Saturdays. Garage sale shopping with four kids in tow = not fun.

Well, recently I made an exception since it was a neighborhood yard sale just down the street. I packed up all of the kiddos and we went shopping and oh the bargains we found. But one in particular... this one:

I saw her from the street and tried to guess the price, $40 maybe $30. I finally got out of my car and literally choked on my own saliva when I read the sticker on the front. Any guesses???

Would you believe the lady was selling this beauty for $5.00!

Silly lady,

doesn't she know what a little paint and new hardware can do...

No more sleeping in on Saturdays for me my friends.

Picture Matching Book

So easy, you CAN do this!

This is another project Melissa and I worked on while she was visiting me in Kentucky. I saw something like it over 8 years ago and it has taken me this long to make one for my kids.

This is GREAT for keeping kids quiet and entertained during church, in waiting rooms, in the car etc.

All you do is:

1. print doubles of the pictures you want to use.

2. Take one of the doubles and cut out the head of the person.

3. Then, laminate both the full picture (I laminated 2 different pictures back to back to save room) and the "head".

4. Buy some clear round velcro and attach it to your full photo and the back of the "head" so that you can stick the head back on the body.

I love this because we don't live near our family so it helps my kiddos remember what everyoe looks like. If your kids are old enough to read you could write the names on the picture too.

5. Once you've got all of your photos ready just punch a hole in the corner and add them all to a ring.

6. You'll also want to add a thick envelope to the ring and put some velcro on the envelope so you can open and close it and store the "heads" inside.

WaLaa! Your kids will LoVe matching the pictures of the people they love most.

What the heck it the 30 meal plan?

If you are new to nannygoat and you are wondering what we are talking about, 30 meal plan, huh?!

Well, if you want to make dinnertime a breeze, grocery shopping more efficient, save money, AND have your kids love EVERYTHING you make for dinner... then you want to check out the 30 meal plan.

It is ALL about simplifying and making life (specifically dinnertime) pleasant... is that possible?!

Now, if you LIKE dinnertime chaos including you searching through cupboards and flipping through endless recipes TRYING to come up with SoMEThiNg to eat all while your children are screaming at each other (due to low blood sugar of coarse) and begging for treats then you DO NOT want to do the 30 meal plan... enjoy your anarchy.

But, if you like peace and happiness and yummy food then JoIn In!
Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Recipes

recipe box tutorial

30 Meals: Step 4, Final Step :)

Okay my "30 meals" friends, I hope you are working on your 30 meals and your master ingredients list and hopefully you are starting to reap the rewards of all of your hard work.

I know I am and I am seriously LOVING IT!

So, this is the final step.

Step 4: Create a Binder to keep yourself organized.

Inside my binder I have several sheet protectors which I am using as pockets. I just took a sharpie (because I'm fancy like that) and wrote on the front of each of the sheet protectors. This is what I have so far:

1. Recipes to add to my 30 meals. (btw your 30 meals may eventually be 34 meals... nothing wrong with that).

2. Recipes I want to try. Now, don't put just any recipe in here! You worked hard to simplify so don't go making things crazy again. But, if your bff goes on and on about a meal that her family gobbled up with lots of "mmmmmm", and "yummy", and "mom you are the best cook ever!" then you should definitely add that recipe to this pocket and try it out.

3. Special Occasion Recipes. In this pocket you would put special recipes you make just a few times a year (ex. Holidays, summer salads, winter soups etc.)

4. Side dishes. Eventually I will type these up and put them on their own ring but for now my funeral potatoes and vegetable recipes etc. will be found in this pocket.

5. Desserts. Again, eventually I will take all of my FAVORITE desserts and type them up and add them to their own ring (might need 2 or 3 rings, lol) but for now they go in this pocket.

6. Breads/ Appetizers/ drinks

7. Other Recipes. This pocket is for those recipes that didn't make it to the top 30, maybe the kids nixed it but the adults loved it so you don't want to just throw it away...but maybe you should just throw it away... think about it.

The beautiful thing is once I've gone through all my recipes and divided them among the pockets I can finally THROW AWAY all of those recipes that are crowding up my cupboards, YAY!

(If you want to print off this cover page for your binder just leave me your email address in the comments or email me at kathrynsphotography@gmail.com and I will email you this file.)

WARNING: The 30 Meal plan is ALL ABOUT SIMPLIFYING. This Binder is for your FAVORITE recipes (unless they are recipes you want to try but even then be realistic. Are you REALLY going to try it?). If you put ALL of your recipes in this binder it will explode at the seams and be a HUGE mess. If you have millions of recipes you want to keep then you'll need to use another method.

Feedback:

Any thoughts/ suggestions on this step?

Is the 30 Meal Plan working for you?

We want to hear your thoughts!

Weekend Crafting

I finally found some time (midnight- augh) to finish up some really random crafts I started.

Problem:

A cute cheap outfit (I found at Old Navy for like $3.00) with a message written across the front that I didn't love!

Solution:

A cute cheap outfit with flowers that I do love!

While I was making flowers, I decided she needed a giant flower!
I am loving to applique these days!!

This cute red chair sits up entirely to straight, it needed a pillow!

(a friend made the cute quilt on the back, not me!)
I have wanted to make a little cozy thing for a while now. This is what I came up with using stuff I already had hanging around my craft room!




She seems to like it!

It tastes good too!

The Power of the Mind

I know, kind of a deep title for a craft blog but it's so true! The mind is a powerful thing.

I am a big believer in the power of ones thoughts. When I find myself thinking negatively my actions always follow (apathy, frustration, impatience etc.) and visa-versa.

I've found in my life if I tell myself I am capable, smart, strong etc. I become those things. It is not "the secret" it's the truth and really I think it's, in a way, showing my Heavenly Father gratitude for the body/ mind He has given me by being positive with myself.

I recently found myself saying "I can't" A LOT. "I can't make bread" or "I can't sew" or "I can't keep up with 4 kids!!!"

I tell my kids all the time "you become what you think" and here I was "thinking" that I was incapable. So it hit me one day, I CAN do those things. I may not be GOOD at them but the only way to get good at them is to keep doing it!

I know, I know, this is totally elementary. Like I said, I tell my kids this ALL OF THE TIME. But, do you ever find yourself saying "I can't" almost like you were made out of a different mold;

"I'm not crafty", "I can't cook", "I have no patience"(a favorite of mine), "I can't lose weight" and on and on.

Made these the other day for the first time ever:

I CAN make bread and I CAN sew!

(the bread was kinda dry and luckily you can't see the seam where I accidentally measured the fabric wrong... I didn't say I CAN do it perfectly. lol)

The power of positive thinking my friends. believe it

.....I CAN handle 4 kids. I CAN handle 4 kids. I CAN handle 4 kids.....

Thanks

Thanks for ALL of the great advice!

I'm going to ask for advice more often! :)

Sleep-lover needs advice

My baby is 5 months old now...

I'm thinking it's time to put him in the room I decorated for him almost a year ago.

Problem is that he has a 2 year old brother he has to share the room with and I'm worried that they will be waking each other up throughout the night and I really like to sleep... I also like happy, well-rested little boys... I'm nervous.

So, I am asking for advice.

I know I'm not the first person to put a baby in a room with a toddler. Any tips/ tricks?

Please.

Mr Linky is having issues

Apparently some of you guys can no longer see mr linky on our recipe swap post (thanks for the heads up Lindsey) and so you can't get to those yummy recipes... don't panic ( I would totally be panicking because I've already bought the ingredients to make those recipes!)

I'm going to just list/ link them below. Here they are:

Kristy Staker a touch of country Laura Michelle

Pixeltrash (Tami) Amy Martinez Katrine

Keri Jessica Carrie Lisa

Kari @ Ucreate Jeanie Crystal Kristine

Heather @ Cookie Mondays Brassy Apple

Stephanie btw I made this one on Sunday, SO easy and my fam loved it (we served it on rice wrapped up in a flour tortilla with ranch, mmmm)

Priscilla Marin Summer Sarah

Katie J Natalie

Did I miss anybody????

There you go. Anybody else tried any of these recipes? What do you like so far?

Sneeze!

I heart my

Refrigerator Box Tutorial

The verdict is in... You guys want a tutorial for the refrigerator box Kathryn and I made.

We say...

Ask and you shall receive!

On a single piece of cardboard without any bends or folds, cut a rectangle out 13in x 7in.

Then also make 4 more cuts as see on the above diagram in pink.

You can see those cuts above. Next you will want to fold along the dotted green lines.


Use a boning tool (I don't have one so I used the rounded end of my sissors:)) to rub along the green dotted lines to make folding easier.

Now it can bend easily.

This is the trickiest part... peel off the 1st two layers (if you are looking at the side with the measurments written on it) so that you are left only with the one layer as seen above.

These are the two layers you just peeled off... STOP peeling at the dotted line!

Now cut that off at the dotted line.

Now do that for all 4 corners.

Now is time to assemble the box.

I just use a glue stick to cover the corners. Start with 2 that are across from each other.

Fold the side up and press the flaps firmly onto the the main section.

Now repeat for the other side.

There you have it.

Now just Mod Podge your favorite scrap book paper over it, add some magnets to the back and you have yourself a super cute and personalized fridge box to store your delicious recipes you are going to use for the week!!

If you are not up to making your own fridge box (totally understandable),

Carrie said that she found some magnetic containers here that look like they would work perfectly.

I also found some here that might work.

We wanted to give a big THANK YOU to you, our readers, who have given us some great ideas and tips on how to make the 30 meals even better and again for sharing all of your great recipes with us!!!

Dress up your drawers

Thanks for all of the great recipes yesterday!

It's not too late if you still want to share, just go to the previous post.

With all of this "cooking talk" I've been missing our crafts, after all

this IS a CRAFT blog.

So here is a fun idea for you... at least I think it's fun ;).

Want to brighten up your little girl's chest of drawers?

Just add some flowers.

From boring to Blooming!

Works every time.

It's a Recipe Swap, join in!

Women helping women make dinnertime a little easier... and yummier too.

That's what this is all about my friends.

So let's start the party!

I'll go first.

I'm so excited to share a few of my families favorite meals with you!

HERE THEY ARE...

Yummy Yummy

Want to share your favorites with us?

Just do a post on your blog with some of your families favorite, fast, and easy recipes and link that post (via mr. linky) below.

THankS for sHaRinG.

and

Don't forget my friends.

Remember tomorrow (Friday, May 1st) we are sharing our favorite, fast, and easy family recipes.

You don't have to be doing the 30 meal plan to share cause who doesn't need a few new recipes?!

So join us!

Just do a post on your blog sharing a few of your families favorites and then visit nanny goat to be linked to others blogs and get their favorites. PERFECT!

I still need 8 more meals to finish off my 30 meals so I can't wait to try your recipes!!!

PLEASE join us... pretty, pretty please. :)

and

see ya tomorrow

It's nice to SHARE.

Don't you worry, your voices have been heard and YES, let's SHARE our recipes!

Here are my thoughts, you do a post on your blog talking about the 30 meal plan and share your top 3-5 recipes. Remember these are SIMPLE, FAST, FAMILY FAVORITES (we are NOT gourmet chefs here so keep it simple). You may want to make a link to nanny goat so your readers can join in on the 30 meal plan and share their recipes too, the more the merrier!

I will do a post THIS FRIDAY with my favorite recipes and we will use Mr. Linky (if I can figure out HOW to use Mr. Linky, lol) to share all of your posts with your favorites.

This is going to be AWESOME!

Get started on those posts and we will party soon.

30 meals: Step 3

Okay, here it is STEP 3: Master Ingredient List

This step is why I wanted to do the 30 meal plan in the first place... it just makes sense!

It's great to have all of my recipes compiled, laminated, and ready to go but I can't make any of those yummy recipes without the ingredients... ALL of the ingredients which is often my problem when I'm trying to come up with a quick meal, it seems that I am always missing something!

Melissa and I thought and thought about how to do our MASTER INGREDIENT LIST we proposed this and that but then it hit us and here it is...

**Disclaimer: I'm still trying to work out all of the kinks (would love any ideas to make this just perfect, just leave a comment please).

I used Microsoft Excel to make this lovely table (this is just a piece of my table) with the names of the meals on the left and ALL of the ingredients needed to make those 30 meals across the top. I separated the ingredients into sections to make it easier for shopping, i.e. meats/proteins, carbs, dairy, veggies, spices, etc. I think I will go back and alphabetize those sections to make it even easier.

The beauty of this is you can see EVERYTHING you need (and how much) at a glance.

Also, if you are at home looking in your fridge and thinking you need to cook up the chicken (or sour cream, or veggies, etc) before they go bad you can just pick up your Master List and check out the chicken column to see which meals you could make to use that chicken quick.
Once I am all finished with entering all 30 of my meals and the ingredients I will add some empty lines at the bottom of the page and laminate so that I can use a dry erase marker and circle ingredients I need to buy and also add other items I need to pick up at the store (i.e. cold cereal, soap etc.) so that I can just take my Master List shopping with me and know that I have everything I need.

Also, I plan on having an extra Master List in my car for those unexpected stops to the grocery store.

The other fabulous thing about this is I can stock up on the items on my Master List when they are on SALE or when I have coupons because I KNOW I will use them. I'm ALL about saving money.

You guys, I can't tell you how excited I am about this! There is something about 30 meals... I can handle 30 meals! It is totally going to change how I cook and shop, WAHOOOO!!!

Would LOVE to hear your thoughts on all of this. Are you on board and so excited too? Any great ideas to add?

and

Get ready for STEP 3

I'm getting ready to post STEP 3 of our 30 meals project.

Seriously, it's going to blow your mind!!! {giddy}

It's not ready just yet, so stay tuned...

and

30 meals: Step 2

First, Don't Panic if you don't have all 30 of your recipes ready yet... neither do we but this step goes along with step 1 and will help you see where we are going next.

STEP 2: Put your recipes/ meals on individual cards. Like I said, even if you don't have ALL 30 of your recipes picked out yet (it may take a while to find 30 meals you LOVE) go ahead and start copying the ones you have onto individual cards.

There are several ways you can do this but we wanted to have them on the computer so that we could reprint the cards and also easily email them to friends and family.
We found these free recipe card templates here and just used photoshop elements to put in the text then we printed them as 4x6 photos at our local costco. You could also just use a word processor and print them on your printer or even hand write them onto index cards.

This is what the our cards look like- and by the way if you love Cafe Rio Sweet Pork you should totally make this recipe, it is awesome!

After we printed them we laminated each card.
Then we punched a hole in the top left corner and put all of the recipes on a ring.

This way at the begining of the week we can pick the meals we want to make for that week and remove them from the ring and put them in in this little card holder we made to stick on the fridge.

btw- We looked everywhere... well almost everywhere, to find a card holder like this to hold our 4x6 cards for the week on the fridge and couldn't find anything which is why we had to make our own. Anybody know where to find something like this?

ALSO, is anyone interested in a tutorial on how to make one of these boxes for your 30 meals cards?
and

30 meals: Step1

Someday I will enjoy cooking.

Someday I will baste and sauté' with feeling and pleasure!

But right now there are 4 little ones underfoot and a kitchen table covered in art projects, homework, and spilled honey from breakfast.

It's 5:00pm and one of my girls is complaining of a growling stomach and begging for cookies while the other is whining about having to come inside and help set the table. Meanwhile I'm frantically scanning the pantry and fridge for clues of what to make for dinner. I finally spot the spaghetti sauce and start to cook only to realize that we are out of pasta... grrrrrr all the while nursing my baby and yelling at my toddler to leave the dog food alone... I just love dinnertime.

Sound familiar?

I'm always up for new ideas that will make dinnertime run more smoothly especially if those new ideas save me time and money too!
So when my mom shared a new idea with Melissa and I that promised these results we were all ears and now we want to share this idea with YOU! (Because we are ALL about sharing)

INTRODUCING...
THE 30 MEALS PLAN!

Okay, this is so simple and yet SO BRILLIANT!
The idea is to find 30 meals that your family loves MOST and compile those meals/ recipes so that they are easy to access. Then make a master list of all the ingredients you would need for all of those meals so you can keep your cupboards (and food storage) stocked so that on any given night you can pick a meal and whip it up in a jiffy or plan a week-month at a time... easy peasy!

The beauty of this is you still have a great variety (or if you are like me, more variety) and you can shop the sales, stock up on those ingredients, and make less trips to the store which saves me lots of time and $$$$ since I can never stick to my list. Plus no kids complaining, " This is gross"... you know everyone will be happy!

So if you want to join us then...
HERE WE GO:
STEP 1: If you are like me then you use a lot of the same recipes over and over again. I have several cookbooks and recipe boxes full and over-flowing but honestly I make maybe 15 of those recipes on a regular basis so the first step is to find 30 recipes your family LOVES. I obviously picked all 15 of our "standard recipes" and then we have been making a new recipe every night to start building to 30 meals.
We get most of our recipes from Kraft foods because they are SOOOOO simple and my kids like 9 out of 10 of the recipes. I also use ward/ neighborhood cookbooks and recipes on the Internet. Every night after the meal we go around the table and vote yes or no whether or not to add it to the list.
There you go, start compiling your 30 meals and we will be back soon with Step 2!

PS we would love to hear your thoughts about this. Are we the only ones that think it's brilliant?!?

and

stay tuned

I know, I know... it's been awhile, but here is our great excuse. Melissa was supposed to be visiting me in Kentucky for 10 days but near the end of her visit we decided 10 days wasn't enough and so she decided to stay for TWO MORE WEEKS! Wahoo!

Anyways, we are working on some great stuff that we can't wait to share but we aren't ready just yet so please don't give up on us... these things take time. ;)

BTW Melissa is thinking about doing a giveaway... can't wait.

Melissa and I

Sorry..... we are busy around here.

Melissa flew out to Kentucky to visit me (and probably the rest of my family too) so we are too busy shopping, playing games, eating, and taking pictures of babies who are growing way too fast.

(These photos are of Melissa's little angel, Avery)

PS She is wearing the tutu we made here.

Photoshop Actions (PS and PS elements)

Found the coffeeshop blog from my friend Traci at Amazing Mae where you

can get free actions for your photoshop. WAHOO!

For those of you who don't know what an "action" is, basically someone else does all the work (messes with colors, levels, layers, etc.) so that all you have to do is click the mouse and it takes your pictures

from this:
To this: Do you like the vintage look? Then try this one...

From this:

To this:

Or if you just need a "little perk"

From this:

To this:

gotta LOVE it!

Find all of the great coffeeshop actions HERE and have fun playing with your pictures!

Babylegs

I saw these here with a link to a tutorial here.

I HAD to make them!!!

Mine turned out like this...

(gotta love that spit up:)
...stockings too BIG and babies legs too SKINNY.

Still cute though!

I will be purchasing more tomorrow!!

I, like Ashley from makeitandloveit.blogspot.com, thought that parts of this tutorial were just a little bit confusing. So I thought I would do a tutorial of my own because like she mentioned, they are SO easy to make. Honestly, you can make a pair in 5 min.

Here goes: (warning: 1 million pictures!)

All you need is, KNEE HIGH SOCKS, SCISSORS, SEWING MACHINE and THREAD.

Make the above 3 cuts in your socks.

Now make your last cut as shown above. Cut more or less off the bottom to make a bigger or smaller cuff (for older or younger bebes).

You will now take the larger piece and flip it so the right sides are together.

Take that same piece (soon to be your cuff) and close the open edge with a zig zag stitch.

Your cuff is well on it's way. Now turn the long part (leg) inside out.

Start to turn your cuff right side out... but not all the way.

Just till it is exactly in half. (folded edge towards the leg, unfinished edge toward the toe).

Simply slide the leg up so it is even with the cuff.

Move that cuff closer to the leg.

Even closer, till it is inside the leg.

In a little more.

And just a touch more so all the unfinished edges are together.

Move that same piece to the sewing machine, place your foot on three layers of fabric (2 cuff, 1 leg) and sew all the way around (line up the right edge of your presser foot with rough edges).

Since the cuff is a little smaller than the leg, you can pull on the cuff to stretch it a bit while you sew. (Don't stretch the bottom layer.)

Once you have made it all the way around, go around one more time, this time sew right on the rough edge.

This is what it will look like.

Flip out that cuff.

Now turn it right side out.

Toss those little scraps and WALAA!!!

You made BABYLEGS!!!

The blue pair were made exactly the same way, I just cut the sock a little higher above the ankle than the green sock for a shorter BABYLEG.

Let me know what you think and if you need clarification I can do that too!

** Melissa **

lamp shade silhouette

Saw this idea on U create and LOVED it...So I did it... using just a SHARPIE... I'm serious!

I found the silhouette to trace here.

I think I need to do a little more on the other sides but I had to show you first.

I think I love it.
What do you think? Be honest.

Easy taco bowl

My sis shared this trick with me and I thought I'd pass it on...

We love taco salad at our house and this is a super easy way to make a taco bowl.

Take some tin foil and scrunch it loosely into balls,

Then take a flour tortilla and spray both sides of the tortilla with PAM (or any nonstick spray) and lay on top of the tin foil balls (the tortilla will form better to the ball if it is a little warm so I microwave it for a few seconds first). Bake at 375 for about 10-15 minutes or until golden.

And Walaa! You have a taco bowl... mmmm. Now I'm hungry.

My first curtain

My mother is a seamstress, I am not. I have been making an effort lately though and have really enjoyed becoming familiar with my sewing machine.

My daughters brightly colored nursery needed a brightly colored window treatment and I thought to myself... 'Self, I bet you could whip up a little somethin' to dress this place up!'

I managed to make the entire thing without unpicking even one stitch! I was off to bed feeling very tired (1:00am) and very proud of myself.

THEN IT HIT ME (while casually brushing my teeth) ...

I made it about 2 inches to short (width wise) ARGGG! ARGGGG!!

I WAS going to rectify the problem (so much for no unpicking) but my wonderful mom convinced me that is was fine just the way it was and that no one would ever notice.

So now that I have drawn your attention to it... can you tell?

Way before: After:

(the room desperately needs a cozy chair and some other touches to warm it up but it is a work in progress. I am unbelievably slow when it comes to these kinds of things and I'm cheap so it will have to wait until I find a steal of a deal on just the right chair.)

The moral of this story: Window treatment, not nearly as intimidating as I thought!

Here are a couple more pictures of the mostly completed nursery.

**Melissa**

Can't remember

My baby is 3 months old now.

I'm trying to get him on a better feeding/ sleeping schedule and since my brain is pretty much mush nowadays I thought I'd make a couple of these "nursing bracelets".

(this one makes me want some bubblicious gum)

There are three beads in between each number and they represent 15 min each like so...

Each bracelet has a charm to clip on in between the beads to tell you when you last fed the baby and you just put the bracelet on the right or left wrist (whichever side you last nursed on).
I hope it helps but if nothing else I like my new funky jewelry.

Inspired by color

I didn't really need new wash clothes.... I just loved these colors... so I bought them to look at.

Don't tell my husband, he doesn't understand these things.

Giveaway Winner

Wowzers people! I seriously was thinking maybe 30 comments at the most! I'm blown away... and a little embarrassed... the banner is not THAT cute. Thanks for all of the sweet comments though.

AND THE WINNER IS

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:92
Timestamp: 2009-03-02 12:16:44 UTC

Angie said...
I love reading about all of the projects you do and wishing that I was that creative. Thanks for sharing your talents!
February 26, 2009 7:47 PM

Congrats Angie! Just email me (kathrynsphotography@gmail.com) your mailing address and spring will be on it's way!:)

I guess the other 141 of you will have to make your own. lol. ;)

Here's the tutorial.

Happy Crafting!

Our First Giveaway, WAHOO!

You might have noticed that I made TWO "Spring" banners...

One for me and one for YOU!

Just leave me a comment by Sunday night and I will randomly pick a winner Monday morning.

Who's got the button... We do!

Yep, I figured out how to make a button for nanny goat.

Okay... I know it's probably silly for me to have a button for this little craft blog but believe it or not we've gained quite a following...

Thanks to so many of you who are spreading the word.

So if you love crafting and you love nanny goat then grab our button and wear it proudly. :)

(just copy and paste the code below onto your sidebar... and let me know if it actually works ;0)

<a href="http://littlenannygoat.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x261/kathrynannygoat/nannygoat-button.jpg"/></a>

Banner Tutorial... finally already!

Okay my friends, I took like a bazillion pictures for this tutorial so it will be super-dooper easy to follow... I hope.

First off, decide what you want your banner to say and pick coordinating paper.

For the letters you have a few options.

If you have a circut then you are LUCKY and you can just cut out your letters with that (about 5 inches tall).

If you are like me then you need some other options:

You can always go to a scrapbooking store that has die cuts and cut your letters or...

You can find your favorite font and print the letters you need (again about 5 inches tall) on cardstock and cut them out and use them as a pattern (don't throw them away so you'll have them again for another banner another day).

That is the method I used for my Halloween banner and although it was more time consuming the banner turned out great.

These are my recent find and are perfect for making banners! I got like 10 packs on clearance at a scrapbooking store here in Louisville. You can buy them online or check out your local scrapbook store to see if they carry them or anything like them.

You also need a pattern for your scalloped circles (again, if you have a cricut then you are LUCKY). I'm including this one so you can use it to make your pattern. Just size it to 6inches and print on cardstock and cut out.

Okay, once you have all the items the rest is easy. Layout your letters... I like to alternate circles and squares.

Decide what papers you want behind each letter and cut the paper into circles or squares.
I just used a lid to trace my circles.

I like to have a solid color behind the paper to pull it all together. For this banner I chose a dark brown. Cut it big enough to create a border around the paper. I also like to round the corners on the squares.

Now pull out your distressing ink or stamp pads or chalk or even paint and use it on the edges to give your paper a finished look.

Almost done... doesn't it look pretty?!

Now pull out your eyelets... I only have 2million of those little guys... and put two in the top corners of the paper to hang the letters on the string. If you don't have eyelets just use a hole punch.

Now glue...tape... adhere all of your letters and papers so that they are secure.
Pull your string through the letters and then I like to hang it up to add the ribbons so I can space the letters and stand back and look at the colors I need.

I like to pick lot's of bright colors of ribbons and just tie them with a square knot.

Someone asked how I hang the banner. I don't do anything fancy, I just use a little clear packing tape and then I tape the ends of the string under some heavy vases I have on the mantel so they hold it in place.

If you have another idea of how to hang the banner please share in the comments.

And there you go! Too cute!

Okay Spring... I've got my banner up to welcome you... I'm ready... Spring?

Your wish is my command

Thanks for the comments and emails. I think a banner tutorial is a great idea!

I'll get started on it ASAP.

And I'm thinking about my first giveaway...

Happy Day Banner

I know, I know, I'm pretty much obsessed with making banners.I can't help it.

Hope you have a "HAPPY DAY"!

More Mod Podge

I made these for my little girls room. I loved the way they turned out!

(much cuter in person)

all you need to make these are:

Plain white canvases from your local art supply store

Scrapbook paper (that is what I used, you could probably use fabric also)

Mod Podge- to glue the paper on and then applied over the whole thing

Buttons

Hot Glue- to attach the buttons

Ribbon

Stapler- to attach the ribbon to the canvas

There you have it, your very own wall art and everyone will think you are an artist!

Hair Clips

I saw a friend wearing a one of these darling hair clips the other day. I thought that it was so cute that I had to make some immediately!!

They are so cute and easy to make (alligator clips, ribbon and hot glue) and the possibilities are endless. I love that the adults can wear these ones too!

**Melissa**

Valentines Cards

I wanted to do something fun for my hubby this year for Valentines so I printed 25 of the above card and handed them out to our family to fill in what they love about him. I'm going to hide all of the notes in his car for him to find... ssshhhhh...don't tell.
I thought it would be fun this year to make our own valentine cards with photoshop elements.

The girls helped me design them and they were super easy...

I think we'll do it again next year.

On the spot

I bought "Grandma's Secret Spot Remover" from Hobby Lobby the other day because it claims it can take out all spots, including old paint... I'll believe it when I see it.

I tried it today on a spot of paint on my carpet from when I painted my little boy's room several months ago.

Guess what... it worked... I'm serious.

Dress Up

Every little kid needs a box full of dress up clothes, Right? I am getting a head start. My baby is 10 weeks old, and a girl :)

**Melissa**

Valentines Wreath

I saw these on Little Birdie Secrets and a craft day was born!

She used Elmers glue I however, has having a hard time with that so I opted for hot glue.

(Love my hot glue gun!)
So cute! So easy!