Butterfly Kisses

It has been a few months now, but I think it is safe to say that craft night is around to stay.

Last month, craft night was all about ornaments. 

This month's theme was, Just Do It January. We were charged to take on the craft we had always wanted to do, and with the referral of the newest member of our family, I knew exactly what project
 I wanted to work on. {Inspiration}

Materials Needed

Martha Stewart butterfly punch

 {$6 at Michael's with 50% off coupon}

An assortment of different scrapbook paper

Glue dots

{which I did not know existed until tonight, thanks kt }
11 x 14 frame with mat
White card stock

How To
The how to is simple.....
1. Punch out as many butterflies as your heart desires.
{I used 49 butterflies for 7 rows of 7}
2. On card stock, measure out desired spacing of butterflies
and mark a dot with a pencil.
{My butterflies are 1 in apart and my columns are spaced 1 1/4 in}

3. Place glue dots, one at a time on card stock and place butterflies on glue dot.

4. When you are finished, place in frame {minus the glass} and enjoy.

I linked up to The Terpblog

Mama's Losin' It!

Creative Blog

Delightful Order

The Great Ice Dig

A few weeks ago while searching for kid friendly activities on pinterest, I stumbled
upon this clever idea.

It looked right up the boys alley, and it was something we could do without having to 

run out to get supplies. 

So, with a quick hunt in for a bin and random, small toys in the toy box, {to freeze in three different layers} I was on my way to having the boys entertained with some
good 'ole ice mining.

The adventure started with a hammer, a nail and ice flying everywhere.
The uncooperative ice proved to be frustrating,

until the boys solved their problem and pulled out their shades.

It was smooth sailing now that they were sporting their shades....

However as the duration of their ice mining adventure increased, 

so did the coldness on their little hands.

So, out came the gloves.
Now, it was time to get down to business.

With each slam of the hammer, ice sprayed all over the kitchen,

{Note: Common sense should have told me that this should be a summer activity}

and the boys retrieved one more treasure that was buried within the ice,

proudly pulling out each rescued toy as if it was the first one.

Which made the ice catapulting all over the kitchen and the massive amounts
of water covering the floor totally worth it.

Ornament-y Fun

Things are getting crafty in this neck of the woods.  In October Katie kicked off our first craft night with clipboard crafty-ness.  November brought a wreath making marathon at Kmac's house, and last night we got creative and whipped us up some mighty fine ornaments on Goldnerod.

What we have discovered in our latest crafting adventures is that women are craving community and cannot get enough when it comes to crafts. And, lets face it, they can't say no to a couple of hours laughing with friends.

There is something so raw and rewarding about creating something with your own hands, adding personal creative touches, and ending up with a finished product that looks drastically different from what you started with.


And there is also something raw and rewarding about hosting craft night.  For the first time since I left the classroom, I was able to create something for others to enjoy.  And, with the help of Pinterest, I had a plethora of ideas I was dying to try out, all of which involved my favorite decorating medium: chalkboard paint.

My inspiration started here and led me to my basement, with the windows wide open, {chilling the house with crisp forty degree air},  a roll of contact paper, and my all time favorite: a can of chalkboard spray paint.  And, with one quick coat, that took a total of 5 minutes I ended up with this very rewarding chalkboard runner. As each guest arrived they described the dish they brought in chalk. {For the record, I HATE contact paper, and this was fool proof}

As an added bonus, after the girls had left, the boys got their turn to chalk it up on the chalkboard runner.  It was the highlight of their morning and evening and morning again and occupied them for quite some time.

After I realized how easy the runner was to make, I decided to try my luck and use even more spray paint for the Hot Chocolate Bar {inspiration found here}.  With the plastic planters I found at the dollars store for $0.50 a pop, I couldn't lose.  

When they were done, I added some fabric squares and voila we now had the option to add some mallows,

a hazelnut wafer {or two},

an extra shot of dark chocolate or a hint of mint,

some creamy caramel,

or a classic candy cane to our warm hot chocolate.

And, with a few last minute touches,

craft night #3 was a success thanks to these wonderful women,

and a few ornaments I never thought I was capable of making.

Give some women a night away, a cup of hot chocolate and some yarn and they can change the world.

I linked to....

I've been P{inspired}...

It was approximately three months ago that my life changed forever.... 

After a couple email invites from Katie, I finally logged on and signed in to see what this Pinterest was all about, and it was love at first sight! 

Now 547 pins later, I can say without a doubt, that what started as a mere fling filled with little substance, has now blossomed into a full blown love affair.

And here are the Top 5 Reasons why I love Pinterest.

1. It stimulates both my left brain and  my right brain at the same time.  The left side of my brain is pleased with the nice and neatly organized structure of Pinterest, and the right side of my brain dances with joy each time I see something new and creative. It's the best of both worlds, creative and logical, all at the same time.

2. There is a place to find everything. And, I mean everything.  If you're looking for a pair of boots and where to buy them...pinterest it.   If you are looking for a new recipe to try...pinterest it.  If you are looking for outfits to wear for family pictures....pinterest it.  If you want to know how to make homemade Mod Podge....pinterest it.  If you have no idea what Mod Podge is but want to find a craft to make with it.... yep, you guessed it, pinterest it.  I can almost say I like it better than Google, because with each search there's a picture. Who knew?

3. Fun with friends. What can I say, I am a girl who loves community and there is no better virtual place to find it than Pinterest.  It's like taking one long shopping trip with your best friends.

4. It's Real. Most pins are from real people, leading real lives. 

5. It's P{inspiring}. I cannot tell you how many times I have been to Hobby Lobby since I was introduced to Pinterest.  I have never been so motivated to craft, and it's all thanks to Pinterest.

Since I started my pinning journey I have made,
 

 T.V. Tickets

P{inspiration}

Not just 1 Topiary....

but 2 Topiaries
P{inspiration}

 A Memory Jar
P{inspiration}
 

A Letter {H}

P{inspiration}

A 'Store me I'm Important' Clipboard 
{one for each boy}
P{inspiration}

A Peanut Butter 'Cheese Ball'

P{inspiration}

and...Clean Eating Fried Rice
P{inspiration}

 

How have you been P{inspired}?