Salty Pineapple

THE ROLL COVER/NEW TOY BUCKET

2012-01-27T06:30:00.000-07:00

Cottonelle was one of the fabulous sponsors for Alt. In the ladies room, or lounge, you could find the new Jonathan Adler designed roll covers making toilet paper pretty.

I personally walked away with three roll covers. They were to take, I didn't steal. Oh, I have three bathrooms in our house, and coincidently three kids. So three seemed like the appropriate number.

My kids were head over heels for the roll covers. What can I say? I've trained my kids to appreciate good design and functionality.

While the toilet paper has yet to see the inside of the bucket, several toys have found nice homes in them.

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C-CLAMP BOOK ENDS

2012-01-25T13:17:00.001-07:00

I have a small shelf on my desk that the books would always fall off. To maximize book space, we used c-claps for bookends. These red clamps were a few bucks a piece at Home Depot. I did spot some cheaper black ones at Harbor Freight after I bought these.

While the red is really fun, it doesn't match anything in our house. Color was an easy fix.

Here is how we did it...

Let the spray paint dry over night. You don't want to smudge your super awesome paint job.

There were a few scratches on my desk from when I first tightened the clamps down. The felt pads should prevent any more of that.

There you have it my friends. A quick and inexpensive way to keep your books from falling off the shelf.

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FINDING MYSELF AT ALT

2012-01-23T17:36:00.000-07:00

Whoa. Uh, Altitude Summit was a whirlwind to say the least. Things started off a little shaky for me, but couldn't have ended any better. As in, I will be back next year!

One of my biggest weaknesses is a lack of confidence. I have to suck it up and just put myself out there. We heard multiple amazing people speak from all over the country, and world for that matter. Ben Silberman, of Pinterest, was my favorite keynote speaker. He is super genuine. Elle from Elle Keeps Moving pretty much sums up my feelings.

Another of my Alt faves were my roomies. Staying up late with Katie, Melissa, and Mica was too fun.

I felt like I was back in college. Just a lot older, and cuter. haha

What I learned:

- Meeting new people is overwhelming. You don't have to talk to everybody. Just pick a seat and introduce yourself to the person sitting next to you. The more people you introduce yourself to the easier it gets.

- I find lots of comfort in food. During our first lunch, the chicken pot pie warmed my soul. I didn't want lunch to end.

- Bring a big suitcase even if it's only half full. You might just have it filled up for your trip home.

- Outfit choices may or may not be a big deal to you. Just be sure you feel confident in what you are wearing. Sometimes my clothes make me feel less so, and you need all the confidence you can get when you are at a conference.

- Bring business cards. Or as I like to call them "Me Cards." Oh, and make sure they are awesome. You are handing them out the coolest of the cool. You want them to make a good impression and not end up in the recycle pile before the conference is over.

I came home feeling exhausted (the good kind) and ready to tackle some new projects. Hope you are ready for awesomeness!

Oh, check out this post too. You might just see a cameo from yours truly.
Lot's more photos here.

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FROM BANANA TO ALT

2012-01-18T10:24:00.001-07:00

Source: cookiesandcups.com via Veronica on Pinterest

I literally just asked my kids of they wanted me to make banana bread. Everyone cheered, and then I finished scrolling through my newest Pinterest feeds. What should my eyes be drawn to... banana bread with Reese's peanut butter cups! It's a good thing I don't have any peanut butter cups right now.

Sorry kids, just regular, old, boring banana bread with nuts for us. At least they will have something to eat while I am away at Altitude Summit.

Peace out friends. I will share the dish on Alt next week. Wish me luck meeting people and making friends.

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HOW TO TIE YOUR SHOES

2012-01-17T06:30:00.000-07:00

You may be thinking, what she is talking about? I know how to tie my shoes. However, you may not know this way...

Tie Your Shoes from Nikki McBride on Vimeo.

Mike's way of tying shoes laces may just change your life.

Most of us tie our shoes with a granny knot. The technique Mike shares in the video, ties your laces into a square knot. Your laces are a lot less likely to come untied with the square knot. This is especially helpful when you are jogging in your tennies. Flint Lockwood could have benefited from this lesson before he sprayed his shoes on permanently.

Watch the video a few times and let me know how you like it.

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FRUMPY TO FIT [eat your heart out]

2012-01-14T11:38:00.002-07:00

I never planned on sharing this part of me in such a public space, but if it helps someone else, then it's worth my ego.

Today I wanted to talk about food. Food and I have a love-hate relationship. I love to eat, and I hate to stop. When something tastes good I don't want it to end. At one point I really couldn't control my eating. I wish I was exaggerating when I typed that.

Artocraft on Etsy. Radish Kitchen Art

I can remember as a kid eating dinner and go back for seconds and thirds because it tasted so good. When I went to college I gained twenty pounds because I would reach into my desk, while I was laying in bed, and grab a Reese Sticks to munch before bed. The weight came off after I moved home.

Life changed again after I was married and learning to cook for the two of us. There were a few times Mike and I nearly finished an entire lasagna. Next comes baby number one. I believed that I could eat anything and then lose it while nursing. Not for me.

It is only when I pay attention to what I am eating that I am able to shed pounds. A little over a year ago I signed up for Weight Watchers online. The point system worked well and I lost five pounds the first month. Friends noticed and I felt great. I shortly after fell off the wagon.

Last spring my eating was out of control. I would treat myself to candy every time I was at the grocery store. When I would go out to do errands alone, I would stop at the bakery and get something "because I deserved it." I was hiding all the goodies from my family. They didn't have any idea what I was eating. Looking in the mirror became painful. I would cry a lot and poor Mike didn't know what was wrong. After some thinking, I approached Mike and shared my dirty little secret. I was to the point that I needed someone to tell me exactly what to eat, so I didn't have to think about food. After researching a couple of different plans, I signed up for Nutrisystem. The plan took the guess work out of eating. I got my physical and mental appetite under control. After three months the food got old and I was ready to go it alone. Maintaing was pretty simple until my Father in Law passed away. The memories of losing my dad came back and so did the treating myself to goodies. That is what moved me to join the gym.

So here we are up to the present. Calorie counting has now become part of my regular day. We use myfitnesspal to track our calories, but there are a bunch of others to choose from. If you use them honestly and regularly, these sites can help you achieve your goals.

I know this is a long post. If you read all of it, I appreciate your support. There are just a few more things I wanted to share.

Don't compare yourself to others.

Food tastes better when you are in control.

Don't deprive yourself, just use moderation.

It can be done, and you will be happier.

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UPDATED ME CARDS [+GIVEAWAY]

2012-01-13T11:19:00.000-07:00

A combination of going to Altitude Summit, and the new blog look, required some updated "Me" cards.

With some guidance from Melissa, it was decided I only needed to incorporate some of my new colors.

Hello new washi tape! Hello Chickydoddle!

Chickydoddle is an awesome Etsy shop filled with all things cute and kawaii. The selection of washi tape is fantastic.

The shop doesn't stop with tape. Chickydoddle has stamps, stickers, papers, bags, embellishments. The list goes on, but you should see for yourself.

Winnie is the owner of Chickydoddle. Winnie doesn't just have a shop for profit. One of the goals of her business is to help schools, and other non profit organizations. This is what Winnie had to share about her experience of donating.

"I donate to school projects through a website: www.DonorsChoose.org. Here's a link to the school projects I've donated to so far: www.donorschoose.org/donors/viewChallenge.html?id=165271&historical=true

Chickydoddle is a "division" of The MaKu Collection, www.themakucollection.com. Other than craft supplies, I also sell handmade jewelry. Every year I'll pick a few school projects to donate to. I often receive thank you notes and letters from the students' I've helped which truly warm my heart. I'm currently working on my main website to combine my craft and jewelry products together."

I think what Chickydoddle is able to do is so admirable. Supporting this shop, supports others in need.

Now for the goodies! Chickydoodle has put together a sweet little package for one of you lovely Salty Pineapple readers.

The package includes:
6 rolls of Valentine washi tape petite mix
1 package of CANDi craft embellishment in "Berry Crush"
1 Strawberry Cake Rubber Stamp
3 sets of heart stickers in craft, red and pink. 72 stickers in each set.

All Done My Friends

~~Different ways to enter giveaway...~~
~~1. Leave a comment on this post.~~
~~2. Follow @chickydoodle on Twitter. Leave comment here.~~
~~3. Follow @salty_pineapple on Twitter. Leave comment here.~~
~~4. Subscribe to Salty Pineapple. Leave comment here.~~

~~Giveaway runs 1-13-12 thru 1-20-12 midnight mst~~

Good Luck Friends!!!

➙This post was happily sponsored by Chickydoddle.

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MY NEW ONLINE LOOK

2012-01-12T07:58:00.000-07:00

Have I told you that I am attending Altitude Summit next week? Let's just

say that I am totally excited and super nervous. Are you going? If you see me will you please come say hi.

Have you noticed my blog has a new look? A huge thanks to Melissa Esplin and her husband Chris for the redesign. Melissa is super easy to work with and very talented. Over the years I have tried to do my own blog design, headers and even edit some html. Each time it never felt complete. I can happily say that I am really satisfied with the way this space looks. It's so polished, don't ya think?

Check back tomorrow to see another Alt slash blog inspired change. There might just be a really great giveaway too.

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QUICKEST SCARF EVER

2012-01-10T21:10:00.001-07:00

A circle scarf is just about the easiest sew or no sew project ever. It's the perfect project to tackle for a beginner. Google circle scarf and you will be inundated with multiple tutorials, d.i.y.'s and videos.

Your toughest task is picking the material.

Over the holiday I whipped up a few scarves for my baby sisters. Two of the three were made with some silky patterned polyester. Loved them. I made these scarves to be worn as one circle. If you are looking for a stylish sling, this is a good way to go too.

First I sewed a long tube, with the fabric right sides together. Now flip the fabric right side out.

Before I sewed the two short ends together, I twisted the fabric a few times. This gave my sister's scarves a little something extra since they were not going to be wrapped more than once around their necks.

To finish off the scarf, I just inserted one end in to the other and sewed a straight stitch.

This polka dot scarf is a half yard of jersey knit. I am able to wrap it around my neck twice. For a less full scarf use a quarter yard.

earrings: armelle jewelry. jacket: norstrom. cuff bracelet: twisted. t-shirt: hane's. jeans: joe's

I thought I would throw in a "what I wore" picture. I'm not sure if I'm cut out to do fashion blogging, but I might share outfits from time to time. Maybe it will motivate me to make myself more presentable in public. Although, I recently noticed it's totally normal to wear your mismatched p.j.'s to Walmart. All the Target people out there are saying to themselves, "At least I wear my matching track suit!" Personally, I have been looking for yoga type pajamas so I can roll out of bed and 'look' like I am heading to the gym.

Thanks to my friend Challey for taking the picture.

We were in front of the library and the kids were digging in the new landscaping while I was posing it up.

sweater: anthropolgie. t-shirt: gap. scarf:me. hair: mine. camera: cannon t1i. lens: 17-55mm 2.8 fixed

OH, and I made another knit scarf that was only 9 inches wide. The fabric didn't have a right or wrong side, so I cut and a strip and sewed the two ends together. Easy peasy. It's like having a blanket for a necklace.
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CLEAN IT REAL GOOD

2012-01-09T21:03:00.002-07:00

Do you have a cleaning routine for your house? I go through waves of routine and no routine.

In 2012 we are going back to a routine. This is the plan I worked out last week...

Started the second week of it today. I can't believe how much quicker I finished the laundry today. If I stay on top of my plan each week, the up keep should be a snap. I have a feeling this plan is the best in the universe. Okay, maybe not that solid, but still pretty good.

Try out the routine. Click on the image, save to your desktop, and print on white cardstock. Hang up routine on your fridge and get to work.

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FRUMPY TO FIT [let's get it done]

2012-01-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

My lil' sister, Cherie, tagged this picture on Pinterest for me to see. I totally connect to the bottle on the right, but not so much with the bottle on left.

Source: Uploaded by user via Nicolette on Pinterest

On the phone, I listed several words and asked my sister, Noelle, to tell me which one most represented me, and which one least represented me. The words were cook, mother, friend, author, and athlete.

Noelle was hesitant to answer, but after some coaxing she answered. I am a cook and not an athlete.

This was no surprise to me. I have never been a sporty girl. I have only ever played one team sport in my entire life. When I was about 8, I joined my friend's soccer team. My mom thinks I did it for the snacks. She is probably right.

check out my nice tan!

After having several babies and eating what ever I wanted, I realized things are never going to be what they were. Now is the time to get control of my body and do something. I want to be athletic, active and healthy. I want to set a good example for my kids. Sure we eat cookies for dinner once in a while, but it has to be balanced with something healthy.

Spring 2004 with baby Davis

Last October I did something I never dreamed I would do. Our family joined a gym. Years ago when I was dating my husband, I would go to the gym while he was studying. I always felt stupid and out of place. As my body changed from having children, I became very self conscious and would get anxiety at the thought of going to the gym.

It has taken me a couple of years to get to this point. Over the course of the year, I want to share my experiences, struggles, and any tips I find along to way to a active healthy life style. This is coming from a girl who would rather watch a movie with a brownie sundae than go for a walk alone with my husband.

If you have any health goals this year, follow along and share your stories. I can do hard things. You can too.

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AN ARTSY GIVEAWAY

2012-01-06T13:12:00.002-07:00

Are you looking for some new art to spiffy up your walls? Really? Great! I have just the thing for you.

My sister is hosting a giveaway on her website. The giveaway is for a free 8x10 print of your choice from a recent shoot.

Last November, Noelle was in Hawaii for a wedding. She spent an afternoon walking around down town Honolulu, taking pictures with her film cameras. The results of that afternoon are available for purchase, or you can press your luck and leave a comment to win a giveaway.

To enter you can:

1. leave a comment on Noelle's website

2. Like Noelle Reynolds Photography on FB

3. Share about the giveaway on FB or Twitter and link back to this post.

Do all three and enter multiple times. Then go back to her website and comment stating how’ve entered with links to your posts. If there are enough people entered I may even choose multiple winners. :)

Give away closes next Friday and the winner will be chosen at random.

*Salty Pineapple Readers listen up! Visit Noelle's post, then come back here and leave a comment telling me your favorite photo for the Hawaii shoot. Your comments here will be counted in the giveaway. Hooray and good luck.

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FOLLOW ➙ FOLLOW THROUGH

2012-01-04T09:29:00.002-07:00

For the first time in SEVERAL months, all of our clean laundry is folded and put away. It's a small miracle really.

This is a new year, and a new me. This is the year that I finish what I start. What ever it might be. Unless it's a book and I think it's really lame.

First thing to finish... an online art class I started last September.

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THE END OF 2011

2011-12-31T10:45:00.000-07:00

Source: Uploaded by user via Elayna on Pinterest

This year has flown by for me. Did it go by fast for you?

When I was a kid, New Year's Eve in Hawaii was a huge party night. It still is a big party night. Everyone in town is outside popping firecrackers and enjoying good food with friends and family.

New Year's Eve in Utah is a lot more calm and quiet. We can't even do sparkler's in our city. Sparklers were the best part of New Year's Eve for me. Oh well.

Tonight both sides of the family are gathering at our house for movies, pupu's, mocktails, and a little bit of Just Dance.

Thanks for reading. Talk to ya in 2012. Happy New Year!

IT'S GO TIME

2011-12-24T13:37:00.002-07:00

Happy Christmas Eve!

I hope you are enjoying today with your family and friends.

We are having a big ol party at my house tonight. Yipee.

Talk to ya later.

MAKE MINE A MINI

2011-12-22T10:48:00.000-07:00

Our family is officially on Christmas break. Shout hooray!

As Tess' room mom, yesterday was a big day for me. Okay, not really, but I had a lot of fun organizing the class party. We had five stations, came together for a big class freeze dance, ended watching Frosty the Snowman while eating different snow foods.

What are snow foods? Powdered sugar donut snowballs, white cheddar popcorn snow flurries, marshmallow hail, and milk. For those that couldn't drink milk, we had melted snow (aka water).

For the party favor, we gave out mini snowman kits.

Supplies:
Small buttons
1/4 inch black pompoms
Small candy canes
Felt strips
Clear bags

I thought about using a baby carrot for the nose, but if you sing the Frosty the Snowman song he has a button nose. So we went with that.

These gifts came together so easily. It was a nice alternative to a bag filled with candy and toys that will be thrown a way at the end of the week.

Wouldn't this be a fun friends or neighbor gift?

THE FLATEST SNOWMAN

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

Tess doesn't get bothered by the cold very easily. She loves to drag Collin outside to dig in the snow.

While I was cleaning the house Tess and Collin built their very own snowman on our deck. Tess was so proud. Strangely enough I was too. They didn't ask for my help, just went about their work and did their best.

Collin tried to start a snowball fight, but his efforts were waisted. Tess didn't even notice.

After the "big" snowman was done, Tess worked on a baby snowman. Tess is so funny. She loves all things little. This little man gave me an idea for Tess' class party. If it works out, I will share it.

Collin. Well, he just snacked on the carrots I had given them for snowman noses. Good times.

OUR MINI VILLAGE

2011-12-18T21:13:00.000-07:00

So, how was your weekend? Our family went to the mall and picked up some presents. The mall is a crazy place and it reminded me of why I shop mostly online. Seriously, every time the doorbell rings the two younger ones run to the door to see if there are boxes. Not people, just boxes.

In other news...

Davis wanted to make a gingerbread village. We didn't pick up a gingerbread house kit like we usually do, so I had to be a little creative. I pinned this recently, and knew it would be great to fill our needs.

Perfection was not the goal for this village. The kids and I grabbed an assortment of goodies from our cabinet, graham crackers, and a tray to contain everything. I melted vanilla almond bark and got to work.

After our structures were set, the kids got their house trimming on. Davis, Tess and I each decorated a house. Collin stood at the bar, and pushed all the rubbish and candies off the counter.

My house has the worm on top. I told you, perfection was not the goal. Oh, and most of the popcorn snow is now gone due to children eating it up when no on is around.

SEA SALT CARAMELS

2011-12-15T15:05:00.002-07:00

I've spent the couple of hours cutting and wrapping homemade caramels. I went with a new recipe, and it didn't disappoint.

Sea Salt Caramels via Tablespoon.

The recipe makes a batch to fit in an 8x8 inch pan. I quadrupled the recipe to fit my biggest cookie sheet.

Delicious. That's what caramel is.

MINI SALTED CARAMEL DARK CHOCOLATE TARTLETTES

2011-12-12T18:17:00.000-07:00

Have you seen these amazing tartlettes floating around Pinterest? This weekend I thought I would try to make something similar.

Presenting my...

These mini desserts are so tasty, you might just eat them all up before you share any.

Want to make some? This is what you will need:

Pie dough - Make your own, or buy it from the store.

Heavy cream

Salt

Sugar

Peanuts - optional

Chocolate chips

Corn Syrup

Water

Mini muffin tin

2" circle cookie cutter

Let's get started. Preheat your oven to pie dough instructions. Cut out as many circles as you can from your pie dough. I think I was able to get about 18 circles from one 9" pie crust. Work your magic here.

No need to spray, just press your pie circles into the mini muffin tin. Prick each mini pie with a fork.
The mini crusts bake up quicker than you think. Start checking them after five minutes. Bake until they are golden in color.

I have made these Chocolate-Covered Salted Peanut Caramel Cups in the past and love them. Use this Salted Peanut Caramel recipe for your caramel. I saved the peanuts for the topping at the end. Tip: Watch your caramel closely. Once it starts to change color it can burn before you know it. Trust me. Set the caramel in the fridge to firm up quicker.

When you crusts are cool and the caramel is thicker, spoon into the mini bowls. Fill the bowls a little less than half way.

Set a cup of cream on the stove to boil. In another bowl place one cup of your most favorite chocolate chips or wafers. I like dark chocolate with salted caramel. It's a good balance of sweet and salty.

When the cream is nice and hot, pour it over your chocolate chips. Using a whisk, mix the cream and chocolate together and your should have a nice shiny ganache.

Watch out for little helpers. 1. They tend to sneak your chocolate. 2. The caramel is really hot.

Spoon your ganache on top of the caramel, sprinkle with chopped peanuts if you like. Isn't this so simple?!

Find some friends to share your tar-teenies with and eat up. A glass of milk is the perfect pairing to this dessert.

Holly Jolly

2011-12-09T15:30:00.001-07:00

How is your weekend shaping up?

The family and I are going to an ugly sweater party tonight. It's amazing people are still designing and producing ugly sweaters, and turtle necks with candy canes or holly for adults.

Are the sweater parties a product of so many ugly sweaters, or are the sweater makers trying to keep up with the parties? I'm not sure, just hoping my sweater is ugly enough for tonight. I'd hate to look good. That's weird to say.

This cute little Green English Holly plant is a gift for our host and hostess tonight. It was too cute to pass up.

I hope you have a fabulous weekend.

the kids's nativity

2011-12-08T17:24:00.000-07:00

Did you see this stable in the bargain section of Target? It was only two fifty. I bought a bunch of doll pins to paint up as the Wise men etc. After a little bit of thought I decided to leave them unpainted.

Mike cut the pins down for me with a ban saw, and I sanded the bottoms smooth. There are a few more dolls, but Collin likes to tote them around the house and set them in different places.

These little pieces are not for little little kids, but we have three and older in this house. The kids love playing with this set and I don't worry if we loose one of the people. They can easily be replaced.

Natural or Neutral

2011-12-07T16:14:00.001-07:00

Stockings have consumed more of my time than any other Christmas craft. Between sewing, fixing mistakes, making new and new again I have made a few too many.

Last Christmas Tess picked a stocking at a local craft market. The boy's needed something similar, so I sewed a couple up. Looking at them this year, I was not excited to put them up. They are super big. Think ten pounds of potatoes big.

Mike thinks these are a little on the small side, but I think their perfect!

I have held on to this left over linen from a table cloth I made a couple of years ago. It is so great, I wish I would have bought the entire bolt. One side has a silver shimmer to it, and the other is plain. Fancy or casual, easy peasy.

The supplies to make these are so basic. Everything you see in the above photo, + pinking shears and five inches of rick rack per stocking.

I drew a stocking shape on card stock and cut it out for a template. 1. Fold your fabric over with right sides facing each other. 2. Trace your shape and pin the two pieces of fabric together. I traced five stockings. 4. Instead of cutting each stocking along the line, I just cut them so each was it's own chunk. I cut them out after I sewed. 5. Sew on your traced line.

5. Use your pinking shears to trim off any excess fabric about 1/4 inch away from your stitch.

6. Flip your stocking right side out and iron flat.

7. Fold down top of stocking about two inches and stitch your rick rack to the edge for hanging.

Tess and I glittered these initials for each family member. Now I can change things out each year, and don't feel bad throwing away glittered paper.

Our kids pick a new ornament every year. When they move out they will have a small stash of ornaments for their own tree. Each kid wanted something so different, but I love how it reflects their personality. The kid's ornaments are from Crate and Barrel this year.

Our fireplace is in the basement and doesn't have a mantel. I think the mirror works just as well to hold the stockings up. I love that the stockings are simple, but spruced up with each person's initial and ornament.

This month is moving along pretty quickly, but I don't mind. I'm excited about the holiday break and having my Mom and Step Dad in town for Christmas.

How are your holiday plans shaping up?

P.S. The dinner last night was perfect, and I am still on a happy high thinking about it.

Tougher than I thought

2011-12-06T14:48:00.001-07:00

Tonight is the Christmas Social for the ladies at my church. I am coordinating all the efforts for this shin-dig, and it's been occupying brain space for over a month now.

One of my visions were cute little chocolate bowls filled with ice cream for dessert. I pinned this idea forever ago and was excited to give it a try.

I used a ballon animal pump to fill my balloons. Filling the balloons wasn't an issue. My fingers were sore after tying so many.

The kicker was getting them not to pop.

A chocolate balloon would be sitting fine for a few minutes.

Then BOOM!

Chocolate splatter all over the kitchen.

I did eventually get the forty bowls I needed. Then I realized they were a little smaller than I wanted. I debated on melting the chocolate down again and starting over with bigger balloons. Mike informed me that was not a wise decision. So small bowls will have to do.

And because I can't do things the easy way. I decided to make forty linen napkins for the dinner too. My serger munched one of my napkins funny, so I will be holding that on the side to use for myself.

I hope you are have a great Tuesday friends. Talk to ya later.

Our Neon Christmas

2011-12-04T20:56:00.001-07:00

Every year we pick out a tree at the local grocery store. I grew up with real trees, and artificial tree was not in my vocabulary. The kids and I spotted this white tree at Wally's and my standards got flexible. What would make neon pop better than a white tree? Done, tree was in the cart. Kids were excited.

A friend of mine said their Christmas tradition is to have no tradition. Hello?! Totally my new motto. I can't even go longer than two months before I rearrange my furniture. So, while we might have neon this year, I have no idea what is in store for next year. Isn't that exciting?

I have to be honest. The kids were most excited about setting the train up around the tree.

I wanted to bring something natural to the room. This tree stump made my heart go pitter patter. Mike screwed a lag bolt into the center of the tree stump, and we slid the white tree on. Perfect.

The neon pink fabric was from the remnants rack at the fabric store. Nothing fancy, just draped around the base and it's done.

With a few cans of neon spray paint anything ordinary can become an extraordinary ornament.

The neon card stock wasn't just for our countdown. I put together several of the 3D paper ball ornaments from How About Orange. They only took my two days to figure out how to put together.

Overall, everything has turned out exactly as I had dreamed. The kids love to play and make house in the front room all around the tree. Glitter is everywhere, and Christmas music is always playing.

Now that I am thinking about it, this is the most enjoyment I have ever had from Christmas. It must be all the bright colors!

Glitter Everywhere

2011-12-02T13:50:00.001-07:00

I have a really bad habit. Only my sister, Noelle, has witnessed it.

When I am overwhelmed with something, anything, I neglect my responsibilities and craft instead.

This week I have had a lot on my mind. Nothing life altering, just stuff to remember and do.

Today, instead of being responsible, I am treating my self to some glittering. Oh, and I'm loving it.

Tess, the kitchen and myself are covered in tiny little sparkles and specks. I'll share pictures when everything is finished.

I hope you have a great weekend friends. Tonight my hubby and I are going on a date to his work Christmas party. I hope they have stuffed mushrooms. I'm really in the mood for stuffed mushrooms.

25 to 1

2011-11-30T20:07:00.001-07:00

Call me lazy, call me a genius, I'm going with trying something different.

Instead of an advent, where the kids get little presents every day until Christmas, we are doing a countdown. Each day, as we countdown from now until Christmas, we are encouraging the kids to do acts of service. The service can be for someone at school, a neighbor, or family member. It doesn't matter to me who they serve, as long as they do it joyfully.

I wanted something fun to help us count down.

In walks the neon card stock.

In less than half an hour I had 25 ornaments cut out with my trusty Silhouette. I used a basic ornament shape and cut out the numbers 1 to 25 in the font American Typewriter.

So, I have been eyeing different trees all over town for the last couple of weeks. The other day I finally decided on a tree and pulled over to break off a branch. As I was trying to be cool, while ripping a tree with my bare hands, a neighbor drove by. She passed us, then pulled back around to make sure I was okay. I felt really silly explaining myself.

When we got home with our branch, I gave it a nice coat of gold metallic spray paint.

Right now the branch is attached to the wall with gold striped washi tape. I'm not sure it will last all month, but I am willing to sacrifice some tape to make it work. The ornaments are hanging on the branch with simple white string. As we count down the days, we will tear off the ornaments.

Now, I couldn't totally deprive my children of all goodies till Christmas. So each day, after the kids have done their service, they will get to pick a little candy form the candy jars.

Let the countdown begin!

Festive Garland

2011-11-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

Do you remember this neon mess? Here is what we made...

I liked the big gaps between the poms, but it would be just as fun with them flush with each other. This is a good project to have your kiddos help out with.

Long Weekend Love

2011-11-28T14:13:00.001-07:00

When the alarm clock sounded this morning I wanted to cry. I hate when long weekends are officially over. On the positive side, we had a fabulous weekend and for that I am grateful.

We didn't hit up the stores early Friday morning. Did you brave the crowds? Instead we played with the kids and I did a spin class at the gym. When I got home Mike, and the kids, had cleaned up the entire house. It was such a pleasant surprise!

Later that evening we ran to a few shoes stores. We all got a new pair of shoes. Shoes for running, shoes for keeping feet warm, and shoes for making our outfits just perfect.

Decorating was also a big part of our weekend. This year we went the non traditional route. Well, sort of. More like changed things up. I will share pictures later this week.

In between eating with family, and a couple of yummy restaurants, I stopped in at The Chocolate. I have wanted to go there for ages, but never found time. As we were driving down State street I decided it was time.

If you haven't been there, and you live in Utah, you must stop by. We tried some cookies, a delicious salted caramel brownie, and the decadent brooklyn blackout cake. SO YUMMY. It's a good thing the shop is not closer to our house, or I might stop in too often.

I hope you are all enjoying your Monday. Talk to you soon.

Giving Thanks

2011-11-24T09:54:00.001-07:00

Last night we started two Thanksgiving Eve
traditions.

« A huge nerf war with the kids. Well,
it was Davis and Mom against Dad. Tess and
Collin were distractors and dart gatherers.
« And movie night/family sleep over in the basement.
Lots of laughing and minimal crying.

My cute neighbor made this cookies with her grandson and brought them over to us yesterday. I didn't think the kids noticed, so I ate all of them. Don't judge. They were good.

Today we are enjoying some down time at home while I make rolls for our family Thanksgiving dinner. I have decided not to pig out, but will be wearing a nice billowy top just in case my mind changes. I may need to work on my commitment issues.

This is a small sampling of things I am thankful for:

Mike, world's best husband to me
Davis, Tess, and Collin
My faith, and an eternal perspective
Our humble home
Chocolate and peanut butter - One of the best duos in the universe.

Happy Thanksgiving to all those who celebrate it. For every one else... Happy Thursday, go eat some good food today!

Inside Snow

2011-11-23T12:03:00.002-07:00

This kids and I loved the awesome snow globes at Anthropologie. Unfortunately they were a little out of my justifiable price range. When I was looking around my house, I realized I had a lot of the supplies needed to make snow globes at home. I'm sure you do too.

This is a little tutorial on how to make a snow globe on the cheap...

❉ Glass jars with lids

❉ Glitter and or buffalo snow [picked mine up at Joann's]

❉ Glue gun

❉ Aluminum foil

❉ A little plastic animal or trinket

❉ Mini pine trees [$6.97 for a pack of 21 assorted sizes at The Home Depot]

Gather up your supplies and wash out your jars. Our extra jars are stored in the basement with all the dead spiders. So the kids made sure I washed out the spiders.

Find the tree that fits best inside your jar.

At this point I spray painted some of my plastic toys gold to make them more fancy.

Grab a small piece of aluminum foil. Crumple it up and hot glue it to the inside of you lid. This is creating a little stage for your tree. This way the tree will sit up further into the jar.

Hot glue your tree to the aluminum foil.

If you are adding something else to your globe, glue it on now. I love the golden moose.

This is Tess' winter rabbit. It was first glued to a shell to give it more height, but it wasn't enough.

That's where the aluminum foil came in. Thanks to my friend Jenni. She was hanging out while I made these and made the best suggestion ever.

Now it is time to add the 'smow' as Collin says. Tess wanted some tiny jingle bells, then went in the buffalo snow, and last a few shakes of glitter.

This part can be a little messy. I found clean up was the easiest if you set your jar in the sink and then add your snow. A little goes a long way. I really only needed a couple of tablespoons worth of snow. You can add more or less. Just make it how you like.

Once your snow is in, set your lid on the jar. I made sure to position the moose on the opposite side of the words on the jar.

Flip over and enjoy.

Infestation

2011-11-22T12:31:00.001-07:00

Well, the neon pom poms have become something. Caterpillar friends/ornaments.

It's funny how cute some fuzz becomes when you add a couple of googly eyes.

We have big ones, small ones, some with big ears and some with multi color antenna. Several have sophisticated names like Cat-e, short for caterpillar.

I hope they make it to the Christmas tree, but if not, at least they are having fun with the kids.

Are your eyes tired of looking at the electric pictures? Uh, ya, wait till you see what else we have going on around here. I might need to make sunglasses for everyone to look at our holiday decor.

Mess Makers

2011-11-21T14:02:00.001-07:00

Tess and Collin ran to me, in my room, and told me to come see the mess they made.

Neon pom poms spread all over the family room.

Yeah for me.

I know these colors look a little electric, but I am totally loving them right now. Neon isn't for everyone. Mike is not quite on board with my idea, but this year our Christmas decor will be neon.

That's right, NEON!

We have always had hodge podge decorations and ornaments.

This is the first year I have even suggested a 'theme,' and maybe I should have started with something a little less startling.

The kids and I will just have to use tough love on Mike. He will get what he get's and can't throw a fit.

I can't wait to show you what we have been up to. I am trying to stay true to Thanksgiving and not get too excited for Christmas, but it isn't going too well.

Holiday Gift Swap

2011-11-16T21:39:00.001-07:00

Did you sign up for the Holiday Gift Swap that Freshly Picked and Ardor are hosting?

I wanted try something new to me, and I made note cards.

I had a lot of fun trying out different designs and drawing with my kids. They always want to be a part of what I am working.

After the cards were finished, I felt like I needed something more to my gift. In comes...

One night I sat in our craft room and punched out tons and tons of confetti circles. They are about the size of a nickel.

Packaged up with a little washi tape!

I bundled five different cards and envelopes with some natural cotton yarn.

Toss all the goods in a little linen bag and you have a notecard gift set. Perfect for a little holiday giving.

Hoping to get these packages mailed off soon. I love sending mail, but better getting mail. I can't wait to receive my five gifts.

Eggs

2011-11-16T07:42:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago I declared, "Wednesday nights would be breakfast for dinner nights!"

Yes, that is a direct quote.

I took this picture in my collage photography 101 class.

Yesterday Davis asked me to make hard boiled eggs for Wednesday's dinner. I said whaa? I don't particularly like to eat eggs, especially hard boiled eggs. They stink.

I was thinking chocolate chip waffles with buttermilk syrup for dinner tonight. Now I might just have to learn how to make a stinky hard boiled egg.

Does anyone have any egg recipes or tips for me?

Sparkles

2011-11-14T08:35:00.001-07:00

Generally, I like to enjoy one holiday at a time.

Sometimes I start to feel bad for Halloween when all the Christmas stuff is making it's way out into the stores. But, let's be honest, Thanksgiving is the holiday that really gets left out. Normally I try to decorate for Thanksgiving so that "it" doesn't feel bad. This year is different.

I can't stop thinking about Christmas decorations, parties, presents, food, and new traditions. What's changed in me? Maybe the man finally got to me. We even paid someone to put Christmas lights on our house already (this is the first time ever).

Thanksgiving is ten days away.

In all fairness to the Day of Thanks, I will not set up any Christmas decorations until twenty-four hours after it's fulfilled it's purpose. Maybe I need to bring things back to reality and ponder on all that I am grateful for. Actually, I think I was save the pondering for the actual Day of Thanks, so I have something to do other than stuff my face with food.

Here is a pin that is inspiring me this holiday season.

Source: theglitterguide.tumblr.com via Nicolette on Pinterest

p.s. I really do love Thanksgiving, and think's a great time to reflect on life's blessing.

Jack Jack

2011-11-10T22:40:00.001-07:00

Davis' long time buddy, Jaxson, recently turned 8. My friend, Jax's mom, asked me to take some pictures of him for a baptism announcement. I quickly agreed!

Here are a few of my favorite shots from our super quick afternoon photo shoot! ;)

Jaxson was a little over three when they moved next door to us. He and Davis spent just about every day together for two years solid. We don't live next door to each other anymore, but the boys don't skip a beat when they are together. Best buddies, that's what they are.

Pen-tastic

2011-11-08T17:00:00.000-07:00

I have a new shopping obsession.

Pens.

I can't get enough. There are so many colors, felt tip v. roller ball, thickness, grip. The list of variables goes on and on.

I really enjoy the ultra fine point Sharpies. More colors are in my future.

Japan knows how to make a nice pen. The Micron pens are supreme. Did you know the same company makes...

the Gelly Roll pens? Yep, they do. Love them!

With all these pens, my hands have been busy drawing up different little doodles. The kids are totally into the drawing action too. Tess always wants to use my metallic pens. I think she might need to get some of her own.

Weekend Photos

2011-11-07T20:08:00.003-07:00

Over the weekend our family went for another long drive. This time we drove to look at a tent trailer.

I brought my Fuji Instax along to document the outing.

photo 1 - We introduced our children the wonderful world of McD's breakfast. It was a hit.
photo 2 - The tent trailer in all it's glory. Two king beds people. We don't fool around.
photo 3 - Davis' ammonite fossil we bought at a little fossil/rock shop in Delta, Utah.
photo 4 - A cute eating establishment named Dessert First by Rose. I love to visit independent businesses. And I have always wanted to open a restaurant named Dessert First. Had to check it out.
photo 5 - A shot of our lunch at Dessert First. The square thing in the foreground is a giant piece of the most delicious carrot cake ever.

What's the best part about taking these pictures over the weekend? I have an awesome new Instax display board courtesy of The Picture Board to hold my pictures.

This picture board is super slick! I just slide my pictures in the groves and stand back to admire them. I love it, don't you!?

Only five more day's until next weekends adventures. I hope I survive the week.

Rock Treasure

2011-11-04T06:00:00.000-06:00

Our temperatures are dipping down, and I can't believe it was only a couple of weeks ago we were sweating out in the desert looking for geodes.

Davis had been looking forward to geode hunting with Grandpa Corey for a while. After the funeral we promised Davis we would still take him there.

During fall break we surprised the kids with a day trip out to practically the middle of no where. They couldn't have been more excited.

The kids started picking up every sparkly rock they could see - as soon as they got out of the car.

Tess and Collin stayed back from the digging and found ways to get themselves, and me, dirty.

When the digging became to laborious, we found a spot that was kind of like a geode graveyard. Tons of already broken and discards bits and bobs. The kids didn't mind that we weren't unearthing it ourselves. By this time Tess was just hanging out in the car sucking her thumb. To my surprise, she didn't complain once.

There was a lot of talk about snakes and scorpions, but we didn't see anything besides lizards.

Oh, and here is a little proof that I was actually there.

The weekend weather is shaping up to be a bit chilly. I'm glad we got out to the geode beds when we did.

I hope you have a great weekend where ever you are!

The Kiddos

2011-11-02T21:25:00.001-06:00

Davis downloaded the pictures off of his Lego camera. These are a few of my favorites.

Self portrait.

Puppy hanging in the back seat.

Tess loving her new kicks.

Spooky Ooky Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T09:37:00.000-06:00

Before I can fully embrace November I need to share Halloween costumes with you.

This was the first time, in nine years of marriage, that there was no family costume theme. I thought I would have a hard time with it, but it made things a lot easier.

No convincing any one of what they "wanted" to be. Just straight fun dressing up.

Collin is an old fashioned pilot, Tess a cute witch, and Davis is a healthy banana.

The weather was so perfect the kids didn't need to put on a coat. I saw several little princesses dressed with sandals on. That is a neighborhood first. In fact, last night was the first Halloween we didn't have snow since we moved here five years ago.

Now - Let's welcome November. Thank goodness the snow didn't show up until this morning! Feels like a pajama and soup day.

Happy November.

Or as Tess told me yesterday, "Tomorrow is chicken day."

Party Favor Pumpkins

2011-10-27T15:04:00.000-06:00

Source: marthastewart.com via Nicolette on Pinterest

I pinned these little paper pumpkins a little while back. They looked so cute and fun. I thought they would be fun to make for Tess's class.

Tess helped fill the pumpkin circles with lots of different goodies from the Dollar Store.

We ran out of crepe paper, so I used the next closest thing to my set up. Three ply napkins. ~~Being the super thrifty person that I am~~ Because I didn't want to waist good napkins, I peeled apart the three ply and had three thin tissues ready to wrap goodies.

You really couldn't tell a difference.

The floral tape was a little tricky for me. I called my sister, who took a floral design class, and she told me not to over handle the tape. It losses it's stick if you touch it too much.

Our results were not too shabby if you ask me. I'm sure all the kindergarteners will so appreciate of our handy work. Ha Ha.

Party Prep

2011-10-25T09:40:00.001-06:00

I am the room parent for Tessie's kindergarten class.

The Kinder Halloween party is the Friday.

I am consumed, mind and body, with party prep.

Let's hope I survive. This is only the first party of the year!

Digging for rocks

2011-10-21T08:34:00.000-06:00

Thank you for all the well wishes and sweet treats everyone sent for my birthday. It was a fabulous day filled with really great food. I feel so loved. It was so great, I might just need to start celebrating my half birthday!

Topaz Mountain

Today we are heading out to the desert to look for geodes. The kids are so excited. Last weekend we visited Topaz Mountain and sifted for topaz crystals. We are into some serious rockhounding. I hope we find some good stuff, for the kids!

Have a great weekend friends. Talk to ya later.

That's right...

2011-10-19T10:30:00.001-06:00

Today is my birthday. The kids have the day off from school and we slept in till 8:03 AM. What a treat!

Lovely note from Davis.

Birthday photos to document my youthful looks. Haha.

And presents from my Mom. I'm thinking the peanut butter cups need to be used for some giant cookies.

Today will be spent eating Mexican food for lunch, a trip to the craft store, and dinner with family.

Have a great day friends.

Our Pirate Turned 3

2011-10-17T21:37:00.000-06:00

Collin is officially three as of Sunday the sixteenth.

The pirate party was a success.

I kept things simple and loved how everything turned out.

My cake efforts were successful too. I realized the key to making a cake look nice is good frosting.

A nice buttercream frosting goes on so much better than the store bought stuff.

This cake was chocolate with peanut butter frosting between the layers, and a vanilla butter cream topped it off.

In my quest to keep things simple, I opted to use the party favors as part of the table decor. Collin picked out eye patches, gold doubloons and pirate mints. He really calls the coins doubloons. I think it's from this show.

I wasn't sure the cake would be enough dessert to feed all of our family, so I made chocolate chip brownie cupcakes too. Two brownie mixes makes 24 cupcakes. Bake them at 350˚ for around 20 minutes. I kept my eye on them and waited for the tops to crackle a little. It important to me that they stayed on the softer side.

The pirate ship flags and sails were from Cottage Industrialist. Totally worth the time to cut them out. It was actually pretty fast.

There was no hesitation when it came to blowing out the candles. This kid had the best day ever. He was so happy and excited all day. It was fun to be a part of the excitement.

Decorations don't need to be complicated. It's amazing how festive a room can feel with some streamers and balloons. I hung the decorations the night before his birthday so when he woke up it was all ready to enjoy.

Hooray for birthdays.

Now all I have to do is find a way to make potty training this exciting!

Back to normalish

2011-10-11T13:43:00.005-06:00

Well, the big kids are in school. Collin and I are picking up the house while watch Disney cartoons. Mike went back to work today, and we are moving forward again. It's amazing how time can stand still, but the world is still moving around you.

Our family has a lot of fun things coming up, and I am hoping they can help mend our hearts a little.

My sister in law's birthday is this Saturday, and Collin's third birthday is Sunday. Originally I was going to a small family dinner party for Collin. In lieu of recent events, I think we need a reason to have a happy and cheerful gathering.

Collin has requested a pirate party. I've been looking around the web and found some cute things I thought I would share with you.

picture via Hostess with the Mostess

I'm not super gifted in the cake making department. This little polkadot cake hits me as very doable.

printables from Cottage Industrialist

For some reason printables always add so much to the party. Cottage Industrialist has a whole party set free for personal use.

party favors from HomeSpun Threads

It's always fun to get a goodie bag at a party. These pirate booty bags might just fit the bill.

I will share all the details and photos after it's all pulled together. I'm going for simple and thrifty with a lot of wow. Is it possible? I will let you know what I find out.

heaven to earth and back

2011-10-06T10:15:00.000-06:00

Yesterday it rained most of the day. Mike and I were at his parents house, and I had a feeling the rain would turn to snow at our house.

Yesterday we were gathered around my father in law to tell him how much we loved him.

Yesterday our sweet Corey Dad returned to his Heavenly Father greeted by his parents and my Dad, along with lots of other loved one that have gone on before.

The rain reflected my sadness, but also felt comforting.

My Dad passed away eleven years and six months ago. Mike's dad was just like him. They were both hard workers, soft spoken, and they loved their Savior Jesus Christ.

For the last ten years I have loved Corey Dad like my Dad. It is sad to have him gone, but comforting to know his spirit is still with us.

Five years ago we moved into our house. We knew the snow would come, and we knew there would be a lot of it.

For the last five years I would get a phone call anytime the mountain looked snowy. Mike's dad would call to check on me. He knew his daughter in law was a fish out of water up there in the snowy mountains.

I looked forward to those phone calls. I loved joking with him about what I was baking to stay warm.

This morning the snow reminded me of all those conversations. I won't be getting phone calls anymore when the snow comes, but I will remember Corey Dad and how he's still thinking of me.

I love you Dads.

A little something

2011-10-05T07:00:00.000-06:00

The kids are always excited to decorate for halloween. One year, Davis decided to forget saving money for a hamster, and spend his cash on some halloween decorations at the dollar store.

You may be thinking I am a heartless mom. How could I let my child spend his money on holiday decor instead of a pet he didn't have, but already named Jonathan? Easy, I feel no remorse. And halloween is my favorite holiday.

Here are a couple of pictures of what we have going so far. We have many spiders and cobwebs in the basement waiting to find their place for the month, but they will have to wait till I have more time.

Life is pretty busy right now. I think this will be a year of costumes from the dress ups and halloween boxes. Do what you gotta do and remember your priorities. Spending time with family is more important than the best homemade costume.

I'm not trying to preach, just reminding myself.

My mod pumpkin

2011-10-04T09:40:00.000-06:00

I pinned these mod pumpkins on my halloween pinterest board.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw them. Making something like that was not an option. It had to be done.

I picked up some small pie pumpkins and the grocery store and pulled out my paints. Nothing too difficult at this point.

My paint colors were uninspiring, so I decided to mix my own. I actually enjoy mixing paint. It's the kid in my that likes to make a mess.

I'm happy with the way the pumpkin turned out. I think the color looks really great with the orange. It was a little hard to get a crisp line. I pulled the tape off and it wasn't perfect. I just touched it up with my steadiest hand and called it good.

There are lots of other non-carving, pumpkin decorating ideas. Here are a few others I like...
Small pumpkin display, Sharpie art pumpkin, Mummy pumpkin.

Candy in my pocket

2011-09-30T07:00:00.000-06:00

This project is nothing new. Homemade candy jars are a simple project, and can cost you just pennies to make. The most expensive part is constantly keeping them filled with candy.

Normally I don't like anything on my counter tops. I'm odd like that. However, with candy season starting tomorrow, I thought I would make an exception.

My city doesn't pick up glass recyling. If I want to recycle glass I have to drop it off somewhere. I don't know where that is, so I usually keep all my glass jars. You never know when they are going to come in handy.

The jars for this project were a large peanut butter jar, a large applesauce jar, and a bouillon jar. I had the paint and primer on hand. All I had to buy were a few candlesticks from the Dollar Tree.

I didn't have a lot of white spray paint left, but I did have a lot of primer. I decided to prime my lids and candlesticks first. I figured I would need less paint if I did that. When the primer was set, I sprayed everything white.

While I waited for the paint to dry I cleaned my jars up. I was too lazy to look for the Goof off, so I just used a Clorox wipe. It worked really well.

When the candlesticks were ready, I glued them to the bottom of the jars with some strong adhesive. Let it dry and you are done. Oh, then fill your jars with candy.

These candies are disappearing fast. Maybe I will put carrots in the first empty jar. I wonder how fast they would get eaten?

Fingerprint pictures

2011-09-29T07:00:00.000-06:00

I pinned this on Pinterest a few weeks back. I didn't really pay attention to the book cover, just how cute the little doodle drawings were. When we were at the library last week I cam across this book...

This book, along with several stamp pads and piles of copy paper, have been on my kitchen table ever since. The kids and I are loving everything about it.

Tess has invited several friends over and they have stayed at the table stamping almost the entire play date.

Collin gets in on the action and really goes to town. He doesn't really care about the book, just the stamp pad.

Tess is very particular and doesn't stray from the example very much. I love all the little details.

If you haven't seen this book, go to your library and scout one out. Totally worth it.

Fancy writing

2011-09-28T07:00:00.000-06:00

Last Saturday I attended Melissa's calligraphy class. To be honest I was a little nervous to go. I don't know why. Probably because it was something different with people I didn't know.

I have this insatiable thirst to learn. I was telling Mike not to long ago that I wanted to learn calligraphy. Melissa spoke at Creative Collabrative last month, and another gal mentioned she signed up for Melissa's calligraphy class. When I got home that night, I walked in and sat down at the computer to sign up. I'm so glad I did.

The supplies are simple and don't take up a lot of room. I don't have big plans for my calligraphy, just addressing cards and making gift tags. Practice, practice, practice is my calligraphy motto.

I don't have anything to write, but I want to write all the time now. Davis was asking to try out my pen and ink. I told him no because I didn't want to share my new supplies. Lame mom moment.

Forgive me Davis. You can try it when you are older and I am not such a stinker.

P.S. Melissa is working on an online class. Check her website for updates.

Felt Fun

2011-09-27T07:00:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I shared a picture of my new fall decor. Remember I went all out.

Dana shared her happy day garland, and Elsie showed us how to make her fall leaves garland.

This is what I came up with.

I used my sewing machine to stitch the leaves together.

I over lapped on top of my leaves about an inch or so. Half way through the garland I sewed the leaves overlapping under the previous leaf.

After I hung the leaf garland up I got the mail from the mail box.

The October issue of Parents was in the box.

Right away the colors on the cover sang to me. I knew I had to make another garland.

I love that these colors still speak fall to me, but are not the traditional brown, red and orange. That pop of blue soothes my soul.

It just so happens that I had bought almost every color of cheap felt the other day. So, I grabbed my scissors and felt and started cutting away. I actually layered all four colors of felt on top of each other and cut them into approx. 4.25 by 2.5 inch rectangles. That took all of two minutes.

Next I stitched them together with dark brown thread on my sewing machine. I hung up the rectangles, but the garland lacked some pizazz. After consulting Davis and Mike, I decided to cut out the little triangles on the bottom.

I brought up one of my pillows from the basement because it has a fun print and more orange on it. The fall decor is looking complete now. Don't worry I didn't throw out the first garland. It's hanging out in the kitchen as a little table runner.

Free Fall Pillows

2011-09-26T07:00:00.000-06:00

Now that it is officially fall, I needed to change up some decor in our front room. Instead of buying new pillows for the season, I thought I would make some pillow covers. This way I don't have to store pillows or buy new forms.

Enter pillows that we already have.

I decided to really keep this simple and only use the fabric I had on hand. This cream colored fabric was sitting under a bunch of stuff. It has a bit of a sheen and fancy feel to the touch. I decided this would be the perfect fall pillow cover.

I sewed up some envelop back pillow covers because they are the least fussy. Susan has a nice tutorial with pictures if you need a how to.

Now the brown pillow is from Target. I don't have the patience to make that. It was in another room and I swapped it to the front room.

I like to keep things simple, so the fall decorations are nearly complete. Your probably thinking, "A couple of lousy pillows and your done?" The answer is maybe. Did you notice my little garland on the mirror? Check in tomorrow and I will share more on that.

Romantic Family Picnic

2011-09-23T07:30:00.000-06:00

Okay, so maybe romantic family picnic doesn't sound plausible, but let's just pretend. For family night this week we shared a nice meal outside on the soon to be finished deck.

Davis was a great helper and laid out the big quilt. He shares my vision of a nice evening at home. ;)

I picked up this fancy soda for a picnic date, but was rained out. A romantic family picnic seemed the perfect time to bust it out. You know, because my children appreciate imported French soda.

Homemade pizza is always a crowd pleaser in the McBride house. Turkey pepperoni for the littles, and veggies with fresh mozzarella for the grown ups.

We didn't forget entertainment either. The kids and I watched Mike take down the railing he put up on Saturday. Mike and I have been going back and forth on some of the last details of the deck. Once the railing was up, we decided we didn't want it. Bummer for Mike.

The family was outside until there was no light left. We really are trying to soak up the nice weather while we can. I think it is safe to say it could snow at our house in the next month. Yikes!

Happy first day of fall. Have a great weekend friends.

a CHARMing necklace

2011-09-22T07:00:00.000-06:00

Making a charm necklace is so easy and fun. The hardest part is picking out a charm. I ordered these bow charms from Yozo Craft . There were so many to choose from, I can't believe I only ordered these.

I didn't really want to spend a lot of time or money on these necklaces. So here is the quickest charm necklace I have ever made...

1. Attach split rings to charm. My bow had two holes, so I attached two rings. I don't have a split ring tool. I just used my thumb nail to pry the ring open.

2. I cut two lengths of chain that were ten inches each.

3. Attach the end of the chain to one of the split rings. Repeat for the other side.

4. Attach a lobster claw to the other end of the chain to complete the necklace. If you have a long chain that can slip over your head, just use a split ring to tie the ends of the chain together.

All of my supplies, except the charms, I had on hand. They were purchased from Michael's and Jo-Ann.

I have a hard time making the same thing over and over again. For my second necklace, I only used one loop on the bow.

The charm seemed lonely by itself, so I added a little glass bead. It would be fun to add more charms. I spotted a few more on Yozo Craft that I just might need to order.

There you have it. A quick charm necklace. Or three or four necklaces.

A hot breakfast

2011-09-21T06:30:00.000-06:00

Have you ever thought of heating up your grapes?

We had some roasted grapes for an appetizer once and it was delicious.

The next time you are making flap jacks on the griddle, save some room for your grapes.

Yes, those are chocolate and peanut butter chips on our pancakes.

There's nothing like a nice warm grape to compliment our sugar covered pancake.

Harvey Two Face

2011-09-20T17:08:00.000-06:00

This project almost made it's way to the trash can today. After two days of work I was getting really frustrated. In the end we decided to 'make it work!'

We turned our Ikea easel into a magnet easel. The kids didn't really used the chalkboard side and when we are out of paper on a roll, no one would color on it. Magnets are fun and this seemed like a better idea than just throwing it all away.

With a good rag, some Goo Gone, and a little bit of muscle I cleaned that baby up. I was trying my hardest to do a good through job, so I taped off the edges of the board. I shook that twenty dollar can of primer with all my might. I priced out aluminum sheets compared to the primer and both options were more money than I wanted to spend. However, the primer seemed easier than measuring and cutting, so that's what I went with.

I painted several coats, then let it dry over night. Oh, I was so proud of myself. Until I tried sticking a magnet to it. Wah wah. Project fail at this point. My magnets were not sticking.

So enter day two of impromptu project. I shake that can till I can't shake anymore. Now, I dig my paint brush out of the trash because I am not prepared with another one. I can't find a stir stick, so I grab a branch off my little tree and try to stir things up. Uh, I feel a wall of magnet half way down the can.

I pour the liquid off the top of the primer into another container, and see a solid mass of magnet on the bottom of the can. Maybe I should have had the paint department at the Depot shake the can up for me? I decided to slowly add a little liquid in to the mass. Using my brush I get a thick paint/paste to brush onto the easel.

One side of the easel looks bumpy like the surface of the moon. The other side is nice and smooth. The bumpy side was my first attempt. After a while I didn't care about the edges and ended up painting everything.

In the end, I probably painted eight coats of primer. Five of those coats were thick. I knew that the thicker the paste, more magnet was sticking.

The kids don't care what it looks like, just that it works.

The easel is sitting in the middle of the craft room ready to be played with. When the kids want to color or paint, we can use a magnet to hold the paper on.

Overall this is a great and simple project. Just make sure to stir your paint super awesomely, and grab a couple of disposable foam brushes.

I see some magnet making in our future...

Mundane Monday

2011-09-19T14:25:00.001-06:00

Ordinary days are not a bad thing. They are just regular old days. I actually really enjoy an easy going day to recoup after an awesome weekend.

That's right, our weekend was awesome. How can a weekend not be awesome when it starts with a date night and ends with chocolate chip cookies by the fire pit?

carrots at the farmer's market

The junk part of this particular mundane Monday is that my body is achey and tired. It's beautiful outside with the sun shinning. But I really want it to be cold and dreary so that I don't feel guilty curling up on the couch and watching t.v. with the kids.

Wait, my kids are playing at the neighbors house. Maybe I should just go lay on the couch and ~~be lazy~~ relax.

Wouldn't those fresh garden carrots be delicious in a chicken soup for a sick mommy?
Well, let's hope for a terrific Tuesday people!

Knot too fancy

2011-09-16T15:54:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I showed you a picture of something I made. There were two necklaces. Today I'm sharing my 'knot fancy necklace.'

I always browse the clearance section at Target for good deals on t-shirts. I will only spend a couple of bucks, and I look for the biggest sizes. The bigger sizes give you more fabric to work with.

These necklaces aren't anything fancy, but it's a great way to use up old t-shirts. It's kind of my ode to the t-shirt eternity scarves.

1. Grab your tools. - a t-shirt, scissors

2. Cut a long strip from your t-shirt. Make it thick or thin, it doesn't matter.

3. Trim off any sewn seams

4. Start tying knots on your strip of fabric.

When you reach your desired length of necklace knot the ends together. There was no rhyme or reason to where I tied my knots. Except if I had cut my t-shirt and had a curve, there would definitely be a knot there.

Now repeat the process with as many t-shirts as you want.

I thought it would be fun to have a printed necklace too. To get the most from my shirt, I cut along the side and bottom. You can see my angle in the middle picture. I tied my knot right on the angle.

Adding beads and flowers is a good way to spruce them up too.

There was one more necklace in this picture, but the kids and I are going to snuggle on the couch and watch Indiana Jones. I guess you will just have to keep checking back here to see when I share it

Have a great Friday!

- bows -

2011-09-15T09:22:00.001-06:00

Here's a peek at something I put together last night. I am hoping to get a tutorial done later, but right now we are off to visit Grandpa. Have a nice morning friends.

the BOY'S room

2011-09-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

Earlier in the summer I got the redecorating bug. First up was the boy's room. Mike painted these stripes when we first moved in five years ago. The boys still liked it, but I needed something new.

When I took the before pictures, it was just Collin sleeping in here.

Now Davis and Collin are sharing a room.

We painted the room gray with white trim and accents. Only a few toys are kept in their room which helps keep clutter down. The bunk bed, bookcase and shelf are all from Ikea. Yes, that is the Ikea spice rack holding Davis' books by his pillow.

The pull down school map is my favorite part. I picked it up here from these girls. The room is simple and fresh. I like how the colors pop on the gray wall.

Here is a quick how-to on Davis' hanging solar system...

I have to admit, the room isn't 100% complete. While all the redecorating was in motion, I started making two Rollie Pollies. One of the kids spilled food on my pattern before I cut out the cover pieces. I need to reprint the pattern so I can cover the two rollie pollies I already stuffed. So lame of me. I will share a picture of the complete pollies when it happens.

sources-
bunk bed
bookcase
bookself
picture ledge
solar system
map
paint wall: Elephant trim/ceiling: High hide white

Sandals to Sandals + Bracelet

2011-09-13T06:30:00.000-06:00

I bought this pair of sandals last spring. They are the perfect mixture of gold and silver metallic color.

Love them.

Then there was a mishap.

It was my own fault, but it's hard not to look for someone else to blame.

There was no passing the buck. It was all me.

After trying on some jeans at the store, I slipped the sandals on, but didn't buckle them. I thought I would just do it once I was out of the store. Tess and I shopped around for another ten minutes then checked out. When I got outside I realized one of my straps was missing. I buckled my sandals on and retraced my steps. The strap is lost forever.

I was heart broken for about a minute, then decided to find the positive in this situation.

1. I could take the second strap off my other sandal and they would match again.

And

2. It's almost boot season. I'll just treat myself to some new boots soon. ;)

I pulled off my now "extra" strap and set it aside.

My kitchen shears did a great job of trimming off the extra tab on my sandals.

Not bad, huh? Still super good sandals and now I get a bracelet to match.

I wasn't sure if you would be able to tell the bracelet was really a shoe strap. After I saw this in my Nordstrom magazine, I knew I was golden. Michael Kors and I are so chic.

Calling cards complete

2011-09-12T06:30:00.000-06:00

When I saw these calling cards on Pugly Pixel I was in love. I wanted one.

image via pugly pixel

I've been thinking about getting some kind of card, and then it hit me. Just make something.

With Pugly Pixel's cards as my inspiration this is what I made...

I picked up the stamp kit at Office Max. There were three options and I went with the least expensive kit. This proved to by good and bad.

Bad because I think the stamp was smaller and couldn't fit my url: thesaltypineapple.blogspot.com. As I was getting frustrated trying to figure out how to make it work the good came.

I sucked it up and paid for a dot com. You now can access this site by typing thesaltypineapple.com! If you use the blogspot url it will redirect you to the same place.

Tess helped me put these cards together. She was upset when I wouldn't make a personalized stamp for her own cards.

So, you can't actually give me a phone call because I didn't add my phone number, but I didn't know what else to call this cards. You get the idea, right?

Last Thursday I attended Creative Collaborative and listened to Melissa Esplin of ISLY and C. Jane from C. Jane, Enjoy it speak. They shared their stories and thoughts on blogging and being creative.

The whole experience of trying to meet other creatives is new to me and a little nerve racking. I enjoyed the meeting and met some really nice people. I'm hoping to try and do this more often and not be so nervous about it. I mean I'm totally legit - I have calling cards!

A place to hang your pretties

2011-09-10T14:12:00.000-06:00

When I saw the twine wrapped picture frame from Sweet Peach, I thought it would be a great way to display hair bows and headbands. Last week I set out to make one for my friend who is due to have her first baby girl in a couple of weeks.

Collin and I picked up this five dollar frame at Ikea. With pliers I pulled out the prongs and set the glass aside for something else. I don't know what yet, but I'll find something. Hot glue is holding the ends of the natural cotton yarn to the back of the frame. Simple enough.

Sparkly baby clothes pins are holding the headband and flowers on to the yarn. The clothes pins are not intended for small children. These little felt flowers, and bow, are for "glueing" to baby's bald head. Do you recognize the lacy headband from a couple of days ago?

I'm happy with how it turned out. All Jenni has to do it lean it or hang it on a wall. Hooray for babies and all their cute accessories.

Mike's big race 2011

2011-09-09T11:43:00.001-06:00

Last spring Mike set a goal to ride an endurance mountain bike race. Mike's goal turned into a family affair. Davis learned how to ride a bike and has become interested in racing. Collin loves going outside every day to ride his motorcycle bike and Tess is sporting her helmet all the time.

When Mike signed up to race Park City Point to Point I thought he was crazy. 80 miles of mountain riding with huge elevation changes isn't my cup of tea. But for 300 riders it was doable.

The race started at 7 in the morning in Round Valley. They rode up and down Deer Valley resort and crossed over to Park City Mountain Resort. That's where we met up with our hero.

Mike came coasting in to the check point at 1:30 full of energy, but with a broken rear hub. It was looking like he might be out of the race. While I stood back in awe, friends and race volunteers refilled water bottles and his camel back. Ryan, from Revolution Cycles, rebuilt the hub in a miraculous 7 minutes making it possible for Mike to continue.

I was so nervous all day hoping that everything would go well for Mike and his friends. I think waiting for your racer is just as exhausting as racing. OK, not physically, but emotionally.

The kids were happy to go along for the ride. They kept themselves busy with dirt and games, totally unaware of the "seriousness" going on around them. ;)

The race ended at the Canyon's resort. Mike's goal was to finish under 10 hours. He rode a great race and finished in 9 hours and 20 minutes. Of those 9 hours he was stopped for only 15 minutes. 15 minutes is actually a long to be stopped, and this was because the of mechanical problem.

I wish I could explain the way I felt when I watched him cross the finish line. Really just pure joy and excitement.

I couldn't believe Mike didn't fall over dead after he finished. Covered in dirt and sweat he was ready to eat some solid food. Man can only live on CarboRocket and goos for so long.

Michelle, Darren, and Mike

Mike trained with two of his friends and co-workers, Michelle and Darren. Theses guys raced weeknight races together, rode long rides on Saturdays and encouraged each other. They even lost some weight to get faster. The hard work paid off. All three of them finished under 10 hours.

I can't wait for next year. This whole experience was super rewarding. I loved seeing my husband set a goal and accomplish it.

Summer corn on the grill

2011-09-08T09:50:00.000-06:00

I love sweet corn. We are lucky enough to get if right from my in-laws backyard. Mike, the kids and I helped pick and shuck about 80 ears of corn the other day. It was such a fun family activity.

Mike's favorite way to cook corn on the cob is on the grill.

1. Take a piece of tin foil that is big enough to wrap around you corn, and set the cob on top.

2. Top the uncooked corn with a slice of butter, kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper.

3. Wrap tin foil up and grill on high for about ten minutes. Turn the corn once or twice in that time.

Unwrap and enjoy.

Stretch lace headband

2011-09-07T13:42:00.001-06:00

A while back I made some headbands for a friend. The lacy headband in the last picture of that post was so simple and cute I wanted to share it with you. This headband can be made for anyone from baby to grandma. As long as you have a head to wear it on. No hair required either. It looks great on bald babies.

Supplies:

Stretch lace

Sewing machine

I ordered my stretch lace on Etsy. There are lots of different colors and widths to choose from.

1. Decide how long you need your headband to be, and add three to four inches.

2. Fold your length of lace in half with wrongs sides together.

3. Measure two inches in from your cut edge and sew. I stitched across three or four times.

Take your cut ends and tie in a knot. Now find a head that needs a little decorating. You did it!

This headband is a gift for a friend who is having her first baby in a couple of weeks. I hope she likes it.

Play dough [+ real life]

2011-09-01T17:54:00.001-06:00

This afternoon we made play dough.

The kids thought it smelled funny.

I thought making it was therapeutic.

It must be getting close to bread making season.

It's funny when my kids see me pick up the camera, which is often.
They want me to take a photo of every creation.

Tess helped me make a salty pineapple.

Now that heart is being used on every play dough sculpture.

Here are two shots of some real life. My hands turned pink when I was coloring the dough. The colors in that photo are all natural. I hope it fades this weekend.

The flour on the floor just needs to by wiped up. But why would I wipe that up now when there are bits of play dough falling on the floor as I type. I didn't bother taking a photo of that because I'm sure you can imagine.

I think I will save the sweeping for after everyone is in bed. That way the kitchen will stay clean all night while we sleep.

Happy Healing [ + real life]

2011-08-31T15:07:00.001-06:00

We go through bandages pretty quickly around our house. I'm not a stinker and I let my kids pick out fancy band-aids with characters on them. We usually have Hello Kitty and Perry the Platypus ready to go.

On my last trip to the store I picked up some inexpensive plain bandages. I had so much fun doodling on my napkins yesterday. Today we doodled on our bandages.

Tess got into the action with lots of fun designs. She drew anything from mushrooms to puppies, and angels with cupcakes.

As I am typing this post up, Tess is still drawing on more bandages. I don't think they are considered sterile now that they are out of their wrappers. Considering most of our bandage use is for old scrapes and cuts that I can't see, I think we are okay.

Close up shots are a great way to crop out all the chaos around you. This is what the whole desk looks like where we are coloring. That pile of bandage wrappers is a lot bigger than what you see.

Have a great day!

Steal of a deal

2011-08-30T20:14:00.000-06:00

One Charming Party is having a sale on their party plans right now. Buy one party plan and get one free! This is a great deal. I love One Charming Party plans.

I used the Mermaid party for Tess' birthday and the Water party for Davis' birthday.

Their party plans have tons of detailed pictures and lots of ideas. Visit their shop and enter the code SUMMER at checkout. You need to hurry. The sale ends August 31 at midnight.

New Napkins [+ real life]

2011-08-30T14:15:00.000-06:00

I've had this fabric set aside for over a month now. The plan was to make six double sided fabric napkins. One side with off white fabric, and the other side with something colorful.

I sewed one double sided napkin together and it felt too thick. In the end I sewed twelve single sided napkins. What I have been putting off for several weeks was completed in a couple of hours. Why do I get so distracted? Darn you Pinterest! I'm obsessed with collecting ideas.

The patterned fabric was all just laying around my craft room. This was a very inexpensive project. I cut my napkins pieces 17 inches square and used a half inch hem.

All along I had planned on doodling a picture onto the off white fabric with a fine point Sharpie.

Collin and I spent some time sketching ideas. I'm not big on perfection, so I wasn't worked up about the pen bleeding and my art looking like a grade schooler did it. I call these imperfections charm.

The toaster ended up being my favorite of all the sketches, and maybe the veggies.

Twelve new napkins ready to be used and abused.

Sometimes it just feels good to make something with you own hands. This is one of those projects for me. Nothing too complicated, just fun.

You should give it a go. Let it be fun and have lots of charm. ;)

Just in case you were wondering about what was going on in the background of my pictures...

This is a picture of my standing on a bar stool to get the shot of all the napkins. Collin was coloring next to me as I was drawing my doodles. The last photos is what it looked like when I took a picture of the line of napkins. The picture is a little too small, in this collage, to see the dust on my table and crumbs on the floor. So goes my life.

Movie Night Recap [+ real life]

2011-08-29T17:06:00.001-06:00

Our outdoor movie night was a success.

The water bottles and bags looked great.

We enjoyed butterscotch bars and

summery cherry lime bars.

I popped up three different kinds of popcorn.

But, I really could have just made caramel popcorn and everyone would have been happy.

I used my Silhouette to make the popcorn signs. Oh, and my big purchase for this get-together was a couple of silver scoopers for the popcorn. They really put to party over the top. Ha ha.

I was joking with my friends about what the behind the scene blog shots really look like. All this week I am sharing pictures of what things are really like in our house. This picture is of a few of the blankets and pillows still sitting in my family room from the movie night. Just for reference, the movie was three days ago. Maybe I will put that stuff away tomorrow...

It's gone

2011-08-27T17:01:00.000-06:00

I thought it would be fun to make some simple cinnamon bread for the kids. Kind of like monkey bread. Nothing fancy or too difficult.

Rhodes frozen rolls + butter + cinnamon sugar + bunt cake pan

Bake for 15 minutes at 350˙

I sprayed the pan with Pam. Tossed my frozen roll dough in and swirled them around a bit to coat them. Set on the counter to thaw and rise. Poured 1/4 cup of melted butter around and around the top of risen rolls. Sprinkled the tops with lots of cinnamon sugar. Then a little more cinnamon sugar.

I ate one and couldn't stop. Davis had one and Mike had one. The rest went into my belly. What is the deal with warm carbs and a little butter? It's irresistible.

The bright side: These are so easy to make.

The dark side: These are so easy to make.

Hooray it's Friday!

2011-08-26T14:34:00.000-06:00

This week I felt like a legit mom. Two kids in school, one of those in half day kindergarten = three trips a day down the hill to the school. Agh, that's a lot of driving. We love their school, so it's worth it.

To celebrate the weekend, we invited some friends over for another outdoor movie. I thought it would be fun to make some cutesy stuff that will make me happy, and the kids will take for granted. Mike mentioned this was just friends coming over. I laughed it off, and made a mental note to keep this low key.

Believe it or not, this was the first time I have made water bottle wrappers. Yeah, I know that's sounds like crazy talk, but it's true.

I had lots of grandiose ideas, and things I wanted to buy to make this ~~event~~ little get-together spectacular. In an effort to keep things simple I tried printing text on to some little paper bags instead of buying popcorn boxes. I don't know why I lack printer skills, but I do and was not successful in printing on the bags.

To follow through with the idea, I cut a stencil out with my Silhouette. Yes, I just used cardstock.

With some paint and a sponge brush, the kids and I stenciled our popcorn bags.

It wasn't perfection, but I don't mind that. Projects like this get the kids and I to do something creative together.

I'm off to make some popcorn for the masses. I hope you have a fun Friday night too.

p.s. I did spend some money for this get-together. I tell you later when I share more pictures.

Tess' Big Day

2011-08-24T07:52:00.003-06:00

Tess starts her academic career today and she couldn't be more excited. Davis is just as excited for her.

Kitchen - lingual

2011-08-23T20:08:00.000-06:00

I really miss eating fresh saimin and ramen. I haven't found a restaurant in Utah that makes fresh ramen. If you know of one, please pass the info on.

When I went to the Asian market, I walked very slowly down the noodle aisle looking for something familiar. I found some yellow noodles that looked good and bought them. A long time ago I worked in a restaurant that made fresh ramen. I have seen it being made, but I don't remember how to make the dashi, or broth. I searched the internet for a ramen recipe I could make with my noodles. Getting discouraged by one thing or another, the noodles have sat untouched for a while.

I didn't look at the back of the noodle package until tonight. The cooking directions are clearly not English. Lucky for me I am kitchen lingual. Yeah, figure they are noodles - just boil them.

The noodles didn't end up in a nice tasty bowl of ramen, rather the bed for some chicken and veggies.

I picked up this dipping sauce at the farmer's market, and it's delish. A little goes a long way, so I just drizzled it on top of my dinner. Oh yummy!

noodles + panko crusted chicken + veggies + Noona's dipping sauce = best dinner I've made in a while

Family parties are the best

2011-08-22T08:36:00.000-06:00

They are even more fun with a theme! Our simple bbq was just that much more fun because of a few little party favors and some simple decor. I wish everyday was World Photography Day.

Kids and grown ups alike carried their paper cameras around all night. We joked about my Mom taking her camera to the airport and running it through the scanner. Maybe you had to be there, but we had a good laugh.

To make things a little festive, I hung up some streamers and pictures with glittered clothes pins. I took about half of the photos myself, and others were just funny ones I found really quick. I kind of don't want to take this down.

Those cute paper cameras worked hard all night. Between snapping hundreds of pictures and being smashed by little ones, they were the life of the party.

Tess and Drew also made a couple of solar prints with flowers and rocks from the yard. I remember doing this in my first photography class. Simple and fun.

The party was topped off with cupcakes and a movie in the backyard. I can't for our next party.

World Photography Day

2011-08-19T12:42:00.003-06:00

Did you know today was "World Photography Day?"

There are no shortage of cameras or pictures at our house.

click on photo

We are hosting an Abiang (my maiden name) family bbq tonight.

I'm working on some party favors and photography themed decor.

I'll share photos when it's all said and done.

GO TAKE SOME PICTURES!

Do you have a card?

2011-08-19T07:25:00.001-06:00

I don't have a business, but sometimes I think it would be nice to have business cards.

This sounds like crazy talk, but maybe I need a Mommy calling card or something.

image via glitter guide

Rae has a set of Mommy cards and they are super cute.

If I made cards, should I include blog info, kid info, or both? Maybe I don't even need them.

Do you have any feed back for me?

1st Day

2011-08-17T12:14:00.000-06:00

2nd grade here he comes...

potato stamping

2011-08-16T06:39:00.000-06:00

This was the first time I have ever potato stamped. Can you believe it? I've wanted to do it for a long time, but never got around to it. When I saw this and this post I knew it was time to go for it.

Supplies:

Potatoes

Pairing knife

Fabric

Craft paint

Imagination

For my first print, I really wanted to make an argyle design. Cutting a diamond was easy peasy.

For some reason I had a little difficulty lining up my diamonds. For the most part they turned out pretty good. I also liked the look of some being dark and others light.

I wanted purple lines, but didn't have any purple paint. Using the old fashioned color wheel, I made me some purple. It turned out more plum, but you get the idea. I painted dashed lines across the whole pattern and it looked too busy. Then I connected the dashes to make straight lines and it started to look ugly.

The plum with the black looked a little goth. I am calling this a small craft fail. I haven't decided if this fabric is going in the trash, or if I should still make something with it.

Don't fret my friends. I did have a little triumph too.

Cutting out the pineapple made me giddy. I was so excited to print the pineapple on the natural linen in a lime green paint! It wasn't perfection, but that's what I loved about it.

With all the back to school excitement, I decided to make myself a pencil case with this print. It's sitting by my sewing machine waiting to be stitched together. I will share pictures when it's done.

Speaking of school... Davis starts tomorrow morning. I'm hoping we can wake up on time!

Saturday's Market

2011-08-15T11:01:00.001-06:00

Saturday was girls day out to the farmer's market. A visit to the market was on my summer to do list. Going with my mom and sisters ( - 1 + bro in law) was a great way to check it off.

There were so many delicious pastries, delectable veggies, and darling handmade goods. I love a day out like this, especially when they are topped off with really good pizza.

I have friends

2011-08-12T08:00:00.000-06:00

And friendship bracelets. I am totally rocking the chevron on my wrist.

Thanks to my new friends Cassie and Ingrid.

What Knots

2011-08-11T12:04:00.002-06:00

Are you ready to get addicted to another simple bracelet?

I was mesmerized when I saw this little girl in front of me, at church, tying this knot bracelet. It was so simple and only took we watching her a few times to get it. Then I leaned forward and asked if I could try it. Not a super mature way to act in church, but the crafter in me couldn't resist.

I'm sure there is a name for this knot, but I don't know what it is. Leave me a comment if you know!

Don't you love the cut out pineapple? I'm especially proud of it. ;)

I picked this cable cord up for $0.25 at the craft store. Love sale items!

Here is a little photo tutorial for you to follow.

1. Hold the end of the string in your hand and loop the tail counter clockwise. 2. Pinch the strings together between you thumb and forefinger. 3. Pull the tail end through the loop and pull tight. 4. To make your loop smaller, pull on the tail of the string. 5. Repeat the process of pulling the tail up through the loop.

6. When you have the length of bracelet you want, pull the tail completely through the loop and pull tight.

Your bracelet is ready for wearing. Yeah!!!

My very first, totally awesome, and way professional video tutorial! NOTE: If neither of these tutorials make sense, please email me and I will try to add more details to them.

~~Be my 300th Follower and I will send you this bracelet!~~

Tuttles email me your address and I will get the bracelet in the mail!

saltypineapple at gmail dot com

Let's make cake

2011-08-10T05:32:00.000-06:00

Our summer list included making cakes. I picked up some sprinkles and pre-made icing. No reason to get all fancy, right? Instead of making one big cake, I split the cake mix between several different size ramekins and some mini muffins.

Collins mini cakes hardly made to the frosting.

There really was no holding back on the sprinkles. The floor and counter were just as decorated as the cakes.

SWEET!