Manly Easter Basket

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There are so many memories of growing up and getting carob chocolate bars for Easter…yuck!  Carob?  Yes, I was allergic to milk and it was a "delicious” treat I would score in my Easter basket.  The Eastern Bunny sure knew my allergies.  Thank goodness for the Peeps and the sugar based candies or my childhood would have been really depressed.

Things have changed and I no longer have issues with dairy, but I also do not have any children to make Easter baskets for.  My sister’s children are up in NY, so I wont be shipping any candy their way, but I do have a husband that I think deserves a basket…a MANLY basket.

There will not be any pink bows, Peeps, or Easter hay (shiny green filling) in this basket.   The basket will not be weaved, it will be only something that carries a manly beverage in a hoppy beer box.  Get it?  Dogfish Head 90 minute IPA is very hoppy!  This basket is personalized for him and the items are not requirements for your man’s Easter basket.  Find what he loves and put it in.  All items apply, even dirty ones (tee hee).

Items in the basket include:

- Beer (many rare varieties)

- Hickory and Mesquite Wood for Jeff to do smoking and grilling

- Reese’s Eggs (Easter themed candy only)

- Cadbury Cream Eggs - Original and Caramel

- Axe Body wash

- Gum

- Grill Brush

- Car Cleaning Cloths

- Manly chap stick

No matter what you put in the basket, if the focus is on him, even better.  Think about it, how special is he going to feel when he also gets a basket along with the kids.  They never really do grow up!

Only a few weeks until Easter, start stocking up for your basket today.

<3 mk

Personalized Child’s Step Stool

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Traditions are important to a family.  Things that are given to a child when they are young can be given or passed down to ones own children. Part of a tradition that I have started with my sister’s children is to personalize their own step stool.

For a child a step stool is more important than you know.  As adults we forget that we can see ourselves in the mirror standing up.  We forget the importance of making funny faces and sticking our tongue out when brushing our teeth. 

My husband still has his step stool that his maternal grandfather made for him.  It was crafted by hand and still is able to do its job over thirty years later - his younger (and shorter) sister had used it last.  Knowing that it has held up and our own children will be using this makes my heart happy.

I didn’t craft this wooden stool myself, it was purchased at a craft store.  However, I put the time and effort into sanding, painting, and decorating.  Oh and don’t forget, transporting up north to NY.  Each of my nephews, niece, and now my youngest niece will get hers.  It is always nice to see all the stools lined up in the bathroom, in used condition.  My sister’s oldest is now in third grade and he is so tall that it wouldn’t be required anymore, but it is nice knowing that it helped him out for so many years.

Before you paint or spray paint the stool make sure you sand it down and clean the excess debris off.  It requires a few coats of spray paint and then a final clear coat of gloss.  The top was painted with an off white spray paint. After taping the top with painters tape, I used the same adhesive stick on letters that were used in my personalized subway sign.  They came off really easily after spraying with the white. They are outlined with a silver paint marker. The clear gloss was the last step in the painting process before the decorations. 

My oldest niece was the first girl in the family so when I made her step stool few years ago it was done "princess style".  She is a little princess so it was very fitting. Glitter spray, tiaras, and lots of bling were the style.  For my younger niece's stool it was done with more of the cutesy nature directions.  All of the buggies came painted from Michael’s and I couldn't resist when I saw them.  They were attached to the sides and top using wood glue.   The outline of the white is actually a self-adhesive fabric border and fabric buttons that I found at Joanne Fabrics. A hot glue gun was used to make sure the buttons stayed on. 

No matter how you decorate it, the step stool will be special because it will be there to help them when you aren’t.  Being so far away from my family it makes me wish I could be there to help out more, but I guess I am in a way!  

<3 mk

State Love

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I found this idea from Pinterest and realized it would make a really personal present for someone special. Totally printed for free.  I just bought the frame for Kohls for $10, printed our states, trimmed, taped, starred our current home and hometowns with stickers and voila…DONE!

Above is the picture from the pin that I originally got the idea.  When you click the pin you only get linked directly to the website to print the states.  I wish I could give credit to the originator of this idea because it is a good one.

On a side note, I think these are identical frames.

Click here to print your states

Taking a picture of this was impossible because the glass was like a mirror.  Please dont mind me in the background in my running clothes.

This would make a really thoughtful gift for V-day or just because.

<3 mk

Initial Quilling

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Whenever I do an arts and crafts project, I,  one,  feel like my mother and, two,  wish I had a room specifically for doing my projects.  The dining room table is a great space, but I have done such damage to that guy, thank god for sanding a varnish.  

This project took place on that table and was for my most recent niece’s first birthday.  I always try to do some sort of crafty item for each of my nieces and nephews when I can.  They get some many toys from the rest of the family and friends, that I want to make something special.  I always give them a personalized step stool for their first Christmas, but I saw this idea for quilling and I though it would be perfect for the spot above Emily’s crib.  

Quilling is a skill that is developed with a lot of practice.  I realized this as soon as I started this process.  The projects that I have seen are so intricate and time consuming that they made my final project look novice, but in reality, it is.

I stared by collecting all my supplies. A three dimension letter (E), spray paint, card stock, paper cutter, and hot glue gun.

First, I spray pained the letter.  I bought it at Michaels pretty cheap and spray pained it pink at the same time I sprayed Emily's stool.  Pink was the color of choice because I had already done purple for my first niece, Cailyn.

I already had card stock that I had used for some photo albums so I chose anything with pinks and greens.  There were a bunch of paisley combos with my colors and stripes and polka dots with pinks and greens.  I was lucky to already have these, but you can buy these prints one page at a time from your local craft store for about $1 each.  

I used my paper cutter to cut the paper into into 1/2 in strips.  I don’t think cutting the paper by hand would work.  You need the straight lines to lay against the flat section and you want the other perspectives to look symmetrical.  Paper cutters range from $15 and up. Once you own one, you use it for more than you realized. It is worth the investment.

Quilling 101

Love in Envelope

The rest of the process was all new to me.  I used pictures I had from the computer to make my various shapes.  I stuck with teardrops and scrolls because they were what I could handle, but there are so many shapes that you can make using practiced techniques.  I used my hot glue gun and definitely burnt myself a few times.  It is not recommended to use the hot glue gun, but my result made me and my family happy.  

I hope Emily has this for many years to come.

I hadn’t started my blog yet and did not take any pictures of the process before I gave this gift to my niece for her first birthday.  Over the holidays I remembers to go and take pictures, but Emily was sleeping which is the reason for the poor quality of the pictures.  I didn't want to wake the sleeping baby.  She was sleeping with her bum in the air.  How freaking cute is that?

<3 mk

DIY Terrarium

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I bought this terrarium from Urban Outfitters online on a whim.  I was purchasing a mirrored initial letter for my entry way wall (post to come) and bacon floss for my husbands holiday stocking stuffer when I stumbled upon it.  I had some sort of percentage off the purchase and it was free shipping so I wanted to check it out.  If I didn't like it I would go to the local store and return it.  Well, I liked it and this is what I did with it.

I love the shape of this terrarium, but there were a few problems immediately.

One- The corners did not meet and that would not only be an issue with watering, but also with the soil.  So, my husband got out his clear caulking and took care of that.  I taped off the corners with blue painters tape and filled them in.

Two- The other problem was that the opening that you use is quite small.  My hands aren't the largest so I could get them in there and do what I needed, but I did poke myself with the cactus spines a few times.  You might need to use a spoon towards the end.

Once the caulking was dry, I was able to get going on this project.    I bought all my supplies from the local gardening store and from Home Depot.   The local gardening store had a whole section set up to make your own terrarium and it wasn’t overly expensive.  The charcoal went for $4 and the potting soil went for $5.  I also got some moss for $3.  I actually bought the plants from Home Depot for a total of 10 bucks.  I already had the river stone at home left over from my other indoor plants.  The plants were slightly more expensive at the garden store, but I am nervous that the ones I bought from HD might not last.  Time will tell.

First, I put in some of the river stones to cover the bottom.   Cover the stones with charcoal and then a layer of the potting soil.  Then put in the succulents, cactus and more soil.  Next, arrange the moss and more of the stones.

Making it Lovely explains it in a bit more detailed than I did.  I really like the way she used the tall terrarium and the billy buttons.  She didn't use succulents for this terrarium, but I still love the way it turned out.

Warning, make sure you do not put the plants too close to the sides or you might have a mold problem in a few weeks.

I watered the plants, but will not water them again until they get really dry again.

Set up by a window that gets a lot of sun.  Enjoy.

<3 mk

Baby Mustache?

Recently one of my best friends had her second child, a beautiful boy named Benjamin.  Her first child was a girl and I went all out buying frilly stuff when she was born.  I thought it would be fun to make something that would make for an awesome boy picture.

The mustache fad has been in full swing for a while now especially with Movember ending recently.  Everywhere I go I see mustache shirts, pencils, and even drink decorations.  Mustaches everywhere.  I am so happy my husband didn’t rock one.  So to bring that fad to Ben was my goal. I thought it would be funny to put a mustache on a binky for the new baby boy. 

They do make binkies with the mustaches on them, but they are pretty expensive at about $18 for one and I it hurts me and my wallet when I spend a lot of money on something that won’t be used.  I don’t even think this little boy is even using a binky.  So, I saw these rubber mustaches in WorldMarket that attach themselves to wine/drink glasses.  I got a pack with six for $5. 

I bought a pack of clear binkies for $6 at Target and then hot glue gunned the mustache right on the front.  I wouldn’t recommend leaving the child alone with this, but my ultimate goal was for picture taking so I thought it would be ok.  How funny will that be? 

The mustache could even be pulled off for full use once the picture taking moment is over and regular life sets in.

I also found a baby onesie at Target (similar) with a black mustache on the front which was a prefect pairing for the binky.  I can’t wait for my friend to send me a picture of this. 

One a side note, the left over mustache drink stickers came in hand on Thanksgiving.  They not only did their job identifying our drinks, but some fun pictures were a result. 

Paperwhites - Three Week Update

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A few weeks back I posted how to make a decorative Paperwhite indoor planter.  From experience, I knew that these were instantly gratifying when it came to growth speed.  It has only been about three weeks and they are literally growing before my eyes.  I expect to see some flowers popping up soon. 

I am not sure about the runt of the litter (far right), but I hope it will catch up with its big brothers soon.  I did try the alcohol mixture to stunt the growth a bit and I haven’t really seen any difference as of yet.  Maybe the runt has been drinking all the alcohol?

It is so nice to have some green around the house, especially as we step into the first day of December.  I’ll be sure to take a picture when the flowers perk out.

Have you made your Paperwhite planter or anything similar?

<3 MK

Paperwhites (Indoor Planters)

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I don't see myself as a fancy person, but I have seen live flower arrangements that I am totally envious of. Anything that isn't a cut flower is considered extravagant to me.   About seven years ago I made a bad decision when I told my husband (then boyfriend) that I never wanted flowers.  What I really meant is that I wanted live flowers, not that ones you pay a load for and die a few days later. 

I am honestly not sure where I got this idea from, but I made a few of these guys for several of my friends for Christmas last year.  They were perfect in bringing some beauty into a cold winter day.  They are fast, easy, and beautiful.   In the beginning they grew and brought excitement to those dreary days of winter, but after a few weeks (4+) they ended up smelling a little funky. Be aware, but it's totally worth it.

Don’t get me wrong, theses guys are awesome and perfect for the bleak and depressing winter months.  I will make sure this year I pull these guys and start a round #2 once I feel like they are hitting their prime (aka, skank city).

Planting Instructions:
1.     Fill the glass container halfway with small stones
2.     Place the bulbs on the stones with the points up and the root plate down.
3.     Ensure that the root plates are even so that the water is able to reach each root bottom.  If the bulb sits in the water, then it will rot.
4.     Plant them close together for a more floriferous display.
5.     Cover the bulb with stones, all the tips to sit above the stone line.
6.     Water well after planting with lukewarm water; do not over water. Water within about ¾’ of the tip of the pebbles.  You want the base of the bult moist without the entire bult being soaked.  This will encourage root growth.
7.     To ensure growth, place in a very bright or sunny location.  The light makes sure they wont grow that tall.

These zinia get about 10-15 blooms per bulb.  You need to make sure you plant them near a window with lots of light. I don’t think there is enough light in my kitchen which is why they grew so tall last year.  I had to use wire to keep them from falling over.  I will be keeping my blinds up this year to ensure they stay shorter as well as using a technique known as "forcing alcohol".  No, it's not a sorority hazing ritual but a method to possibly stunt their growth.  Next time I water, I will make sure the mixture is 5% alcohol (A 5% mix is obtained with 40 proof liquor by using 7 parts water to 1 part liquor).  You can use rubbing alcohol to save money.

Once they are in their planters, they should root within a week or two.   I remember that they bloomed shortly after and was always amazed that they grew so quickly.   I swear they grew before my eyes.

Price breakdown:

Bulbs- $3.98 for three at homedepot

River Rocks- JoAnnes $3.99 for 2 Lbs.; I used a coupon when purchasing

Glass Planter- ~$6.99 from TJ Maxx (purchased last year)

Are you thinking…pretty frugal, eh?

If you are looking to give homemade and thoughtful presents to friends, this is the perfect gift for you.  There are tons of different colored river rocks and planter shapes that you can purchase that will allow you to personalize.   You can have beautiful flowers in any room in about 30 days.

Check back for a growth update in about 30.

<3 MK