Bra and Panties card

    My favorite card EVER!  I received one like it in a card swap at the CTMH convention, and unfortunately, I no longer have the business card of the brilliant artiste who created it.  However, a friend pointed out that if you google "bra and panties card," there are literally tons of variations online.  This Cherry-O set is my version.  (Yes, I'm using Cherry-O again.  When you buy it in bulk, you kind of have to use it...)

    The best part about this card is that it allows you to break out those shaped scissors that never get any action.  I used scalloped scissors on the reverse side to create the edgy lace.  You can't see my bow made from matching tulip organdy right at the cleavage, but the straps are made from the same ribbon.  Choosing a paper pack that you have a coordinating stamp set for helps for the tuckus tattoo, but not necessary.  One version I saw online uses black swirlies as a "tramp stamp," a lower back tattoo just above the panties.

     So what do you do with such a risque card??  Lots!  Bridal shower, bachelorette party, "slumber" party invites (ya'll know what I'm talking about, heh-heh...), congratulations on your boob job, hey, you lost 50 lbs. and look great, whatever.  I'm sure there are other uses that I'm just too sun-spun from Hershey Park to think up right now.  But enjoy the card, and please feel free to post your version!

Riding High!

    
     Both my husband and father-in-law are 6'3-4" ish, giants to our little ones.  So here are two of the girls getting a birds' eye view of Hershey Park in 2008.  Since it won't be long before my now 7 year-old will be looking me in the eye, it would be neat to recreate this photo with her gangly legs hanging down my husband's chest.  We're actually on our way there tomorrow, but my father-in-law is currently RVing his way to Wisconsin.  I guess I'll have to step up...  : )

The Infamous Snack Bowl

   
 We all have one of those huge, space-hogging punch bowls, lying in wait for a baby shower or retirement party.  Put it to good use already!  Whenever we go to Costco and load up on a cubic yard of goldfish and pretzels, I come home and divvy it up into snack bags.  Throw in some granola bars, dried fruit, and leftover parade candy, and you've got THE INFAMOUS SNACK BOWL!!

Why we LOVE the snack bowl:

-  First and foremost, kids can help pack their own lunches.  They grab a fruit, juicebox, and snack by themselves.

-  DIY 100 calorie snack packs for mommy.

-  Snacks stay fresher longer.

-  No more 5 pairs of grubby hands sharing germs in the bottom of a chip bag.

-  No one will eat the last little bit of cereal in the box, but put it in a snack bag and they fight over it.

-  No storage issues for huge bags of chips.

-  Far fewer crumbs and spills on the floor.

-  Portion control for the kids.

-  I don't refill it until its mostly empty so nothing goes to waste.

-  Although its not very "green," we reuse snack bags whenever possible.

-  VERY easy to grab-n-go on the way out the door.  Throw a couple in the purse to avoid meltdowns.

Family Recipe Box, Cherry-O!

Okay, I'm going to go out on a limb and assume my 22 year-old sister, Julia, doesn't read my blog.  This is her graduation gift (George Mason, class of '10), and I haven't given it to her yet.  When my brother graduated from VT a couple years ago, I made him a 5x7 album including a recipe from and picture of each family member that chose to participate (don't leave out the kids in the family).  Then I realized a recipe box would be easier to add to.  This decorable magnetic-closing recipe box, Cherry-O paper pack, ribbon and embellishments are available from Close to My Heart.  I cut the letters out on my cricut, covered them with paper, inked the edges and covered each with liquid glass (also available at CTMH) to give them a glossy 3-D feel.

The beauty of this fun project is its simplicity.  I bought this coordinating set of Cherry-O recipe cards already printed "scrappy style," and they come with stickease and dividers.  I just slapped on a sticker and a matted photo and I was done!  (Your gift receiver does not need to know how easy it was.)

Practical tips:
-  Because you hope that this will actually be used in a real kitchen, I recommend sliding each card into a sealable cellophane bag for protection.  Clear Bags seriously has any size you need.
-  And secondly, I am going to attach a decorated clothes pin to the back of the box to hold the card up where the chef can read it.

Super Mario Birthday Party

Happy 5th birthday to my sweet Savannah-banana!  It's safe to say Savannah is a bit Mario-obsessed, even commenting on his handsomeness.  So we didn't really have a choice on birthday theme this year.  I brainstormed the design of her party invite by printing off some Mario clipart to see what we could do with it.  When she started playing with them like paper dolls, I wondered what she would do if I put her face on Princess Peach.  And there we have it.  I popped Mario and the mushroom with 3-D foam squares, stickled it up, and the back has the party information and gold coins.

For a crafty person, I struggle in the kitchen so when there's an occasion when cupcakes will do, I jump on it!  The red/green mushrooms in the video game made the easiest cupcakes ever.  Thank God!  The only commercially marketed Mario do-dads I could find were these two candy tins at Michael's.  For an impromptu center piece, I turned my cupcake carrier upside down and cut off some ribbon from the balloon bouquet.  Weak, but it did the job...

As summer approaches, Michael's puts out the bulk items for camps and Bible schools.  I got red (Mario), green (Luigi), and black (the bad guys, Waluigi and Wario) for just over a buck each.  You have to be quick because as the 4th of July approaches, the red caps become really hard to find.  I hot-glued a white felt circle with puffy-painted letters for each cap.  However, if you want to be 100% authentic, the puffy paint should be the same color as the cap.  As for the mustaches, PaRtY cItY, baby!  I love that place.  I got the 'staches on clearance right after Cinco de Mayo, but there is a year-round "Fiesta" themed section that also has them.  (This is my soon to be 7 year-old.)

The party was held at Kidz Play in Winchester, VA. It's an AWESOME place with a variety of climbing/bouncing structures as well as some Little Tyke action for the little ones.  That's the birthday girl (AKA Princess Peach) on the middle of the plank.  (And just in case you're wondering, their basic party package is OVER $100 cheaper than Pump It Up's in Leesburg.)

Mommy and Savannah-  For a baby with a rough beginning, look at you now!  I can't wait to see what the next 5 years has in store for you.  Who said the middle child doesn't get any attention?  : )

Convention Roomie Gifts

Before I officially begin this post, I need to offer 2 pieces of backstory:
1.  The following pics are from the Close to My Heart annual convention at the Gaylord Resort at the National Harbor.  Four days of paper-crafting euphoria!  ~sigh.
2.  Yes, I am aware my photography stinks...I'm working on it.

So, it's tradition to give gifts to your roommates at convention, and this was mine.  I totally snatched this idea from a preschool mom and I'm sorry I don't even know which.  Someone gave it to the preschool teacher as an end-of-the-year gift.  Appropriate, I thought.  It's super easy: 

1.  Dollar Store!  Choose your container 

2.  Stuff it with tissue paper or colorful paper

3.  Tie a coordinating ribbon around the base

4.  Set a styrofoam ball on the tissue paper

5.  Use straight pins to pin chocolate minis around the ball, starting at the bottom.  (Push the pin through the end of the wrapper, not the compartment holding the actual chocolate.)

6.  Bunch shredded white paper (purchased at Michael's) on top for the whipped cream and stick a red tootsie pop into the center.  Voila! 

A couple more just for variety.  : )