Emilie Handmade

I'VE MOVED!

2011-06-02T16:00:00.000-04:00

please visit the new site for all of your favorite past posts and new ones! www.pluckymomo.com

please don't forget to update your:
- Google Reader
- Blogger Follower
- RSS feed
- Email Subscription

See ya there!

[ emilie ]

Tutorial: Picnic Play Mat

2011-06-02T07:01:00.006-04:00

"When You Were Young"

2011-06-01T00:01:00.003-04:00

Paper: Chasing Fireflies kit by Paislee Press

Frame: Chasing Fireflies kit by Paislee Press

Word Art: Chasing Fireflies kit by Paislee Press

Font: Century Gothic

buy this kit by clicking here.

[ emilie ]

Baby Shoes pt. 1

2011-05-31T07:00:00.060-04:00

Changes

2011-05-28T12:46:00.001-04:00

Changes are coming to this blog.

Remember these indecisive posts from here and here?

Well, the name change is back on...sorry.

There are 2 reasons...

1. There are a gazillion craft blogs with a first name + the word "made" in the title. There are a lot of Dana Made It, Homemade by Jill, Handmade Lovely, Made by Erin, etc. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's getting kind of common.

2. I have always felt this blog was too classy for me. When asked to describe myself in one word I always answer kooky. Does this blog seem kooky, colorful or full of life? Nope. As my best friend Emily and I put it: "Emily is Navy Blue + Pearls and I am Orange + Hoochie Hoop Earrings". This blog is so not me.

So it's time to change and I think I have come up with a decidedly (and maybe obnoxiously) kooky and colorful name and there will be some slight design changes...nothing too crazy. I dislike craft blogs that give you a tension headache just from viewing the color scheme.

Oh, and there WILL be a give-away when the new blog look is reveald.

I'm just sayin'.

[ emilie ]

Bridesmaid No More!

2011-05-27T08:12:00.004-04:00

I did it!

I WON 1Month2WinIt!

My PICNIC PLAY MAT took the prize.

Thanks for all who voted!

And, it's selfish and goobery but I am SO excited to get my prizes!

What did I win? you ask...

2 patterns from V and Co.

$25 gift certificate to Say It With Letters

$25 gift certificate to Precious Elaine

$25 gift certificate to Bonita Bellita

You should really go check out these sponsors' shops.

There is some pretty amazing stuff.

What would YOU choose?

[ emilie ]

dinner party: month 2

2011-05-27T00:01:00.003-04:00

As I mentioned here, after reading The Reluctant Entertainer I decided to entertain in my home at least once a month. Now, before this time, our dinner parties have been extremely informal and have included me being stressed out, frazzled and witchy to my family on the day of the party (ie: Why is our bathroom so messy! Gosh!!!).

Having read the book we made some changes, did well at some concepts and struggled with others. Here's the skinny...

Guests: 2 (sister missionaries for our church)
Date: Mother's Day 2011
Menu:
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Roasted Garlic Potatoes & Onions (using this recipe, but adding whole cloves of garlic)
Grilled Asparagus
Mixed Fruit Shortcakes

The girls playing in the yard with the Sister Missionaries before dinner.

What we did well:
- We realized (too late) that some of our fresh strawberries had acquired mold. We grabbed some frozen blueberries from our freezer, ran them under warm water to thaw and added them to our berry mix. Crisis averted.
- We also had a mishap with the potatoes not being near done when it was time to eat. No apologies, we just laughed and said it was part of a second course.

What we can work on:- We did not remove all toothpicks from the Chicken Cordon Bleu, so we warned our guests to watch for them. One of our guests (bless her heart) was trying to remove a toothpick and her entire chicken cordon bleu flew off of her plate and landed on the floor! Note to self: Instead of using standard toothpicks to hold cordon bleu together, try longer skewers that WE can remove more easily before serving.
- Much like last month I realized we maybe should always have two veggie options on the table (something my mother always did) since one our guests did not like asparagus. Plus, we would eat more veggies, right?

We're doing better and better as each month passes!
When did you last entertain?

Bianca at 7 months

2011-05-26T07:00:00.006-04:00

Tutorial: Birdie Wings

2011-05-24T07:02:00.005-04:00

1Month2WinIt - FINALS - Please VOTE!

2011-05-23T07:54:00.009-04:00

I am so excited to have made it through to THE FINAL of 1 Month 2 Win It!

I have had so much fun (and a bit of stress...stupid bobbins)
during this month long process. I'll be sad to be finished.

This week's theme was to make a project for a Summer Picnic.

Check out this week's crafts...

For more photos and project descriptions click here.

Make sure to vote for your favorite!

Can you guess which one is mine?

On to the Finals!

2011-05-20T10:15:00.000-04:00

I won this week's 1 Month 2 Win It competition with my

Birdie Wings inspired by Eri from Llevo el Invierno.

Now I am feverishly finishing up my project for next week's final.

Check back here on Tuesday for the full tutorial to make your own Birdie Wings!

Friday Feast: Classic Quiche

2011-05-20T04:22:00.000-04:00

I love pie in any form. So quiche is a classic at our house. The great thing about a quiche is, that like Cheesy Potato and Whatever Soup, you can chuck in whatever stuff you have in your fridge. Eggs, crust and cheese stay constant, but everything else can be random and very experimental (fun or dangerous: you decide).

And go ahead, use a pre-made refrigerator pie crust. It's all good.

Quiche is an oddly outdated meal, but try it...you'll like it!

(click to enlarge. then right click and save. print as a 4x6" photo)

Transformers Birthday Favor

2011-05-18T07:03:00.002-04:00

Tutorial: Prep School Skirt

2011-05-17T00:00:00.006-04:00

1Month2WinIt - Wk. 3 - Please VOTE!

2011-05-16T09:00:00.001-04:00

I am so excited to have made it through to week THREE of 1 Month 2 Win It!

I love these weekly challenges and being inspired by the other crafters.

This week's theme was to make a project inspired by another craft blogger's project. My favorite theme so far...maybe because some of the work was done for me. Yeah, I'm lazy like that.

Check out this week's crafts...

For more photos and project descriptions click here.

Make sure to vote for your favorite!

Can you guess which one is mine?

I'm Bi-Winning!

2011-05-14T01:36:00.000-04:00

Holla! I won this week's competition at 1 Month 2 Win It!

If you couldn't guess, mine was the Prep School Skirt.

A full tute with photos will post here on Tuesday.

THANKS for voting!

Friday Feast: Best Banana Bread

2011-05-13T09:12:00.003-04:00

Cherry Blossom Festival - Digital Layout

2011-05-12T07:01:00.011-04:00

I got to scrapbook some of the photos from our recent family trip to the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C. Here is the finished digital scrapbook page.

Paper: Sorrisso kit by Paislee Press

Frames: Cut and Paste set by Paislee Press

Swirl Detail: Ink+Blots by Pailsee Press

Pailsee Press products are available for sale here.

Tutorial: Silhouette Charm Bracelet

2011-05-10T07:00:00.007-04:00

1Month2WinIt - Wk. 2 - Please VOTE!

2011-05-09T08:29:00.002-04:00

I love, love, love how my project turned out and I hope you do to!

For more photos and project descriptions click here.

Make sure to vote for your favorite!

Can you guess which one is mine?

on to round two...

2011-05-07T11:37:00.001-04:00

I made it through week one of 1 Month 2 Win It!

Thanks to all who voted!

If you didn't guess my project was the Silhouette Charm Bracelet.

FULL tute coming this Tuesday.

Friday Feast: Creamy Italian Chicken

2011-05-06T07:00:00.002-04:00

Some recipes just remind you of a person. I got this recipe from a member of my church two years ago named Nancy Winn. She was my Visiting Teacher (an LDS woman who is assigned to visit another woman each month). At the time I had a 3 year old and a 1 year old. During her monthly visits she always brought a little gift for me, shared a message of faith and then did something to serve me.

On one monthly visit she dropped off a big helping of this recipe. It was amazingly good and our little family gobbled it up! When I called her later, with pen in hand, to ask for the recipe, she gave it to me off the top of her head....that's when you know a recipe is well loved by a family. And now it is very well loved by our family too! Thanks Nancy!

Paislee Press LO

2011-05-05T00:01:00.002-04:00

the Huntinton Kit by PAISLEE PRESS

(a DST Gold Member Kit, May 2011)

Don't you love those chunky frames?

Pattern Review: Butterick 5443

2011-05-04T09:00:00.000-04:00

I chose this pattern for it's ultimate twirling powers. Ella is really gravitating towards tiered skirts and this was a winner. It was very easy to follow and I made it in a pretty short amount of time. The only problem is that it uses a lot of fabric, since the ruffled tiers are cut out of only two pieces. The size ran HUGE. Poor Ella had at least 1&1/2 extra inches of fabric on each side of her torso. I wish I had measured her and gone by that instead of the sizes, but by the time I realized how large it ran it was too late to re-cut.

Score: ★★★★☆
Skill Level: Easy
Direction Clarity: Very good.
True to Size: Size numbers ran very large.
Changes Made: I added a wide sash to the waist, a rosette and sleeves (much to Ella's disgust).
Overall: I really like this pattern. I will make it again, but go by measurements when choosing a size.
Recommended: Yes.

Happy Sewing!

Dinner Party: Month 1

2011-05-03T07:00:00.007-04:00

As I mentioned here, after reading The Reluctant Entertainer I decided to entertain in my home at least once a month. Now, before this time, our dinner parties have been extremely informal and have included me being stressed out, frazzled and witchy to my family on the day of the party (ie: Why is our bathroom so messy! Gosh!!!).

Having read the book we made some changes, did well at some concepts and struggled with others. Here's the skinny...

What we did well:
- The morning of the party arrived blustery and cold. We had planned on making ribs and the bar-b-que fixings, but changed over to a simpler menu. I made my Slow Cooker Beef Stew, bought greens for a salad and mixed up a batch of 5 Minute Artisan Bread. This change was wonderful because it (a) allowed more time to tidy the house, which needed tidying and (b) was easy and worry free.

(click to enlarge. then right click and save as. print as a 4x6" photo)

- I asked our guests to bring the dessert.
- I purchased a $10 table cloth from TJ Maxx which covered our battered kitchen table and made me feel very grown-up indeed.
- We had the table already set when our guests arrived so we could focus on being present with them, catching up and being relaxed.
- Ahead of time I designed and printed simple place cards and let Ella (6) write the names of our family and our guests on them. It was a fun and meaningful touch.

What needs improvement:
- I should have run the tablecloth in the dryer with a steam ball after taking it from the package. It was very wrinkled. Not a big deal, but good to remember for next time.
- I apologized for the salad not having fancy salad fixings.
- I realized we need a fancy water pitcher. And by fancy I don't mean crystal, I only mean NOT plastic. Next on my small to-buy list.
- I should have offered more varied side dish options, like red grapes and cheeses. This would have made the fact that our guests' kids didn't care for the stew less noticable and also would have given them other healthy options to eat instead of avoiding dinner all together....they could have snacked on bread, grapes and cheese.
- We ran out of eating utensils for dessert. Again, not a big deal, but maybe we should invest in some inexpensive additional forks/spoons.

Overall I was very happy with our progress. I was especially grateful for my choice of menu. It was warm, comforting and not stressful to prepare. When I realized that a bay leaf had remained in the pot I simply declared whoever found it the winner of the night.

Hello new relaxed attitude!

*beef stew photo by blogchef.net

1 Month 2 Win It - Wk. 01 - Go VOTE!

2011-05-02T08:55:00.001-04:00

For more photos and project descriptions click here.

Make sure to vote for your favorite!

Can you guess which one is mine?

One Month to Win It!

2011-04-28T13:45:00.001-04:00

I recently auditioned for the online craft

competition called One Month to Win It.

And I'm in!!!

I love being pushed from my crafty comfort zone and thinking up crafts per a theme.

Head over there now and see who's participating.

Week one begins this coming Monday and I am SO excited!

So get your voting skills all ready to roll!

Pattern Review: Simplicity 4711

2011-04-27T10:01:00.036-04:00

I chose this pattern for the multiple options and I really wanted the bias tape detail along the bottom edge. I wanted this to be a simple, no-brainer pattern I could whip up in no time....but it wasn't. I did enjoy using my new Bias Tape Makers...I'm in love with them, but not with this pattern. I had to re-sew the neckline and, although it turned out cute, that was simply luck.

Score: ★★☆☆☆
Skill Level: Easy
Direction Clarity: No bueno.
True to Size: Size numbers ran true to size
Changes Made: I added the "boy" sleeves to the dress and a sash.
Overall: I consider myself and Intermediate level sewist. This pattern's directions were very unclear. I cut out a used a piece of pattern and I still have no idea what it's intended purpose was. This should be such a simple dress to make, but it was not simple at all.
Recommended: No.

Happy Sewing!

Pattern Review: McCalls 5966

2011-04-26T07:30:00.000-04:00

This was Evangeline's Easter dress. I went with McCalls 5966. I chose this pattern because I love the faux wrap style top and like the short, half or long sleeve option. I always look for patterns I feel can look completely different when made again and again (saving money) and this one completely fits the bill.

Making the wrap top was much easier than I anticipated and I love the finished look, although I might try to raise the V just a bit for more modesty. The puff sleeves were a cute touch.

Score: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Skill Level: Easy
Direction Clarity: Very good.
True to Size: Size numbers ran large, but if you go by measurements (which you always should) it sewed up perfectly.
Changes Made: I added a wide sash to the waist.
Overall: I really like this pattern. I bought it in Ella's size as well and will definitely use it again.
Recommended: Yes

Happy Sewing!

Easter Dresses x 3

2011-04-24T18:38:00.002-04:00

Well, I got all three of the dresses sewn for the girls in time for church on Sunday.
Just barely.

Easter is the perfect time to realize that being a Mommy of three girls is sublime. Allowing sewist to geek out and plan crazy custom dresses for all three girls. It's pretty much femme-bot heaven.

I found this large floral fabric on clearance for $1/yd at JoAnns three months ago and knew it was just right for Easter. I grabbed a white fabric with tiny dots and accented with a deep hot pink (both also from JoAnns).

Over the course of this week I will review the patterns I used. Two good ones and one dud. I used three different patterns because I want to have coordinating dresses rather than identical.

But for now, feast your eyes on the cutest kids in the entire world...

Bianca rocks her mostly white dress with floral and pink accents.

Evangeline got a wrap top with a wide pink sash.

Evangeline opted out of a bow and wanted a simple knot instead. Love.

Ella got three tiers for optimal spinning powers and a large rosette accent.

All three girls in their dresses by Mommy.

Hope you had a Happy Easter!

the 11th hour

2011-04-23T07:00:00.002-04:00

1 down and 2 easter dresses

still need to be sewn.

Friday Feast: Cheesy Potato & Whatever Soup

2011-04-22T07:00:00.002-04:00

Quilting Bee Blocks

2011-04-21T00:02:00.000-04:00

Here are my final two blocks for my Stitch Six Quilting Bee.

Block for Michelle

Michelle's block was so fun to make and the fabrics are very interesting. I am dying to see the finished project since the blocks are each slightly different.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Block for LeeAnn

Isn't this Bento block divine? And I ADORE these fabrics. This block will eventually be cut into fours and matched with other block quarters to create new blocks. Then sashed and quilted.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Whew! I am finished with all the blocks for The STITCH SIX bee!
And it was so much more fun than I even imagined.
I found quilting to be relaxing, yet exciting. Seeing pieces of a puzzle come together through shapes and angles was truly exhilarating. I am thinking the stitch Six Bee may have to have a Round 2.

Have you ever been a part of a Quilting Bee?
Virtual or Face-to-face?

Tutorial: Photoshop Action Installation & Use

2011-04-20T07:00:00.006-04:00

Paislee Press Sneak

2011-04-19T10:30:00.019-04:00

I just LOVE digital Design Kits by Paislee Press. The owner, Liz, has given her team permission to Sneak Peek her newest kit, Sorriso, the day before its release. Here it is...isn't it glorious?

I really love that this kit is feminine, but has darker colors. Many girl/baby kits are much too cutesy for my taste, but Paislee Press always makes it classic and yet modern.

Here's a layout I made using this kit and a recent picture of Ella.

Now be sure to visit other Paislee Press Team members' blogs to see their layouts made using this kit.

The team is FABULOUS and you are sure to be inspired!

brenda - http://lillylanemarket.blogspot.com/

shaui - http://www.feifeistuff.blogspot.com/

diana - http://minimalscrap.blogspot.com/

christelle - http://scrapenherbe.blogspot.com/

nicole - http://nicoleleblancphotography.blogspot.com/

amy - http://alb52.typepad.com/

crystal - http://www.liveyourstories.com/

Dress to Skirt Re-Fashion

2011-04-18T00:01:00.000-04:00

I love the Goodwill. We have a really great one by our home that seems small and I think that is why it is always filled with hidden treasures...less traffic. I have found so many amazing deals there. Like this...

This dress was spotted at the Goodwill for $0.75 last month. I loved the tiered skirt with its bold mix of prints, but that bull dog on the stained t-shirt top had to go. So I set out to make it a skirt for Ella and I love the results.

I had my husband time me and it took under 20 minutes, and that included threading my machine with black thread.

And here's my beautiful model showing it off. She wore it to church today and there was much twirling and primping to be had.

featured...

2011-04-15T17:28:00.004-04:00

i was featured on the very cool and totally inspirational eighteen25 blog today.

they showcased my ideas from our recent Despicable Me party.

and now i really wish i had made those cupcakes cuter!

so much for "embracing imperfection".

sheesh!

make sure to stop by and check it out!

my recipe box: monkey buns

2011-04-14T07:00:00.002-04:00

I mentioned monkey buns on this blog once and about a million of you asked for the recipe. Well, I finally got my act together enough last night to take step by step photos to post here. This has been a tradition in my family for 30 years. It is delightfully sticky and caramel-y and completely bad for you, but oh, so good.

You start this process the night before you want to have your sticky buns.

1. Generously grease a bundt pan with cooking spray or crisco. Make sure you grease all the way to the top and the middle flute.

2. Add 16 frozen Rhodes Roll balls evenly in the bundt pan.

3. Melt 1/2 c. butter in the microwave.

4. Add 1/2 c. brown sugar and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon.

5. Add 1/2 package of Jello brand Cook N' Serve butterscotch pudding from the small box. I usually just eyeball what is half.

6. Whisk together and pour evenly on top of rolls.

7. Grease underside of plastic wrap and place lightly over bundt pan.

8. Place on counter top and let rise overnight.

9. In the morning, these will have risen to the top of the pan (and sometimes ballooned slightly over the top). Gently remove the plastic wrap and place bundt pan into a cold oven on the second to bottom rack.

10. Turn on oven to 350* and let bake for 15 minutes.

11. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes in the pan. Invert carefully onto a plate (larger than the diameter of the bundt pan) and go crazy! Pull off buns from the ring...careful!....they're hot! Lick your fingers and get ready to come away a sticky, but happy, mess.

MONKEY BUNS
16 Rhodes frozen rolls
1/2 c. melted butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 pkg. cook n' serve butterscotch pudding (small box)

1. Generously grease a bundt pan with cooking spray or crisco. Make sure you grease all the way to the top and the middle flute.
2. Place 16 rolls in bundt pan.
3. Combine melted butter with other ingredient in a small bowl. Whisk to combine.
4. Pour over rolls and cover with greased plastic wrap. Let rise overnight.
5. Uncover and place in cold oven on 2nd to bottom rack. Turn on oven to 350* and set timer for 15 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes. Invert onto serving plate.
Caution: buns will be hot!

You can also print out the 4x6" recipe card by clicking below to enlarge. Then right click and choose 'Save Picture". Print and cut along grey cutting guides.

Digital Designs

2011-04-13T07:00:00.001-04:00

Patterned Paper: Dialog kit by Paislee Press

Embellishments: Dialog kit by Paislee Press

Months of the Year Stamp: Memorandum by Paislee Press

Font: Bebas

Patterned Paper: Open Road kit by Paislee Press
Embellishments: Open Road kit by Paislee Press
Months of the Year Stamp: Memorandum by Paislee Press

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Purchase PAISLEE PRESS digital supplies here.

Facebook Winner!

2011-04-12T07:00:00.000-04:00

The Winner of the Facebook Fan Give-Away is...

Marolyn from Arkansas!

Marolyn, please email me with your contact info so I can send out your prize!
What's the prize you ask? THREE craft idea books.

Now, I see in Marolyn's picture that she has ribbon, paper flowers and dimmensional glaze. And that, my friends, means Marolyn is a Scrapbooker. So some great Scrapping Idea Books are coming her way!

And thanks to all who LIKED Emilie Handmade on Facebook.

Now let's get our craft on!

caught up!

2011-04-11T09:52:00.002-04:00

i finally caught up with my bee blocks.

doing this has definately given me "quilting fever".

block for Nichole

Nichole chose very modern fabrics for this wonky star block.

Yes, another wonky star block, but I am totally fine with it.

I feel like each time I get better at it. This was my best so far in size and proportion.

three more bee blocks

2011-04-08T07:14:00.009-04:00

i am almost totally caught up on my quilting bee blocks.

i got two done on wednesday. and another on thursday.

block for Amber

Amber gave us a collection of cute fabrics and free reign. she let us know this quilt was for a baby so we could embroider, applique and cutesy it up.

i went with a very linear, hard lined design and then softened it with this appliqued heart. i left the edges of the heart raw so it would fray slightly when washed.

......................................................

block for Jenny

Jenny gave us three fabrics and the directions for a wonky star block.

Jenny is a friend of mine and I suspect this will be her 4th of July quilt, since she has a goal to make a quilt for each month of the year, celebrating that month's holiday.

so cute!

......................................................

block for Anita

I think I fell in love with this type of block.
i have never done one before and I LOVED it!
the tutorial is by Film in the Fridge. Find it here.

It later gets sewn together into a diamond
kinda like this...

( via Film in the Fridge )

......................................................

More Bee Blocks ahead!

facebook fun + give away

2011-04-07T07:00:00.028-04:00

Ladies and...errr.....ladies (do any men read this blog?)

I finally figured out the Emilie Handmade Facebook page.

Yep, Mrs. HTML Code took over a month to get it together.

But it is now rocking and you can now click "like" and

see the blog updates in your feed and get all facebooky.

In the "Discussions" area is my blog playlist for all of those who have asked.

Oh, and there's a Give-Away posted over there so ya might want to check it out.

Just sayin'.

What are you waiting for?! Head on over!

Stitch 6 Bee Blocks

2011-04-06T10:05:00.026-04:00

Remember my walking pneumonia? Well, it has really kicked my butt.

And my Quilting Bee blocks have suffered.

So this week I am sewing two each night to catch up and redeem myself....okay, it's probably too late for redemption, but at least I can tone down some probable inner loathing of me from the group.

MONDAY

First up, a block for Krista. (10.5" unfinished.)

Krista gave us free reign. I just went with it, letting pieces come together and I really like the results. Ummm....would you think I might iron a block for snapping a photo? I guess not.

.........................................................................................

Next was a block for Jackie. She sent along the fabrics and only specified that it be a star block and end up to be 12.5" unfinished. I decided to go with a wonky star, mostly since it was 2AM! I really like the pop of the paisley fabric.

This is the block that made me realize my current presser foot is inaccurate and it ended up 1/2" short of it's goal size. Eek! Poor Jackie is going to have to add a fun little white border (I would have, but didn't have enough white fabric left over).

.........................................................................................

TUESDAY

After yesterday's seam issues I broke out the old sewing machine manual and assessed my presser feet. Good old Brother comes with a "Quilting Foot" which is a funny little foot with an ice skating blade on the underneath and to the right, making it impossible for you to align your fabric incorrectly. I checked it and TA DA! It worked!

Here is my block for Jessica with a very accurate seam. Woot.
This block had specific guidelines.
Block tute found here via Piece Meal Quilts.

.........................................................................................

More Quilting Bee adventures as this week unfolds
and I piece and sew my fingers to the bone.

Okay, maybe that was a bit dramatic!

ch-ch-changes

2011-04-05T07:00:00.004-04:00

It's been a month or two since I featured the wonderful recipe cards designed by Emily Merritt. I have been transferring a few recipes over to these cards and realized, after much typing and resizing of text, that the cards weren't working well for me. Being somewhat of a foodie, my recipes have too much info to fit on the card when the photo is so large. So, I have made a slight modification to my template (based on Emily's original). I thought I would share in case some of you had the same problem.

My new template has a smaller square photo in the top corner, leaving room beneath for additional recipe instructions. This download is a layered Photoshop file. It also includes cutting guides for easier trimming after printing. If you don't want the trimming lines and excess space, simply open file and change "Canvas Size" to 4x6 inches.

Download my modified recipe card template here.

The font for Recipe category ifs Fling LET and can be downloaded for free here.

lemon drop cookies

2011-04-04T00:01:00.002-04:00

i adore lemon and this recipe is perfect for Spring!
i made it up this weekend over the course of three different batches.
there are lemon drop candy pieces inside the cookies.

the result? Chewy, lemony, crunchy, delightful.

click to enlarge to original size, right click and choose "save picture"

then print onto 4x6 card or as a 4x6" photo.

*adapted from a recipe from Taste of Home magazine.

Weekend TAKE 5 Sale!

2011-04-01T12:19:00.000-04:00

I'm having a HUGE sale in my MomoPrints shop this week.

FIVE prints are sale priced at just $5 each.

And if you buy any 4 prints you get a 5th FREE!

To receive your FREE print, simply purchase 4 prints and then in the NOTES TO SELLER portion of your purchase please specify which print you would like to add as your 5th print. Don't forget to indicate size and color for each print ordered!

Stock up on gifts, prints for your kids rooms, thoughtful Mother's Day prints and more!

This sale ends this Monday, April 4th at midnight EST so don't delay!

Despicable Me Party: Games and Favors

2011-03-30T07:00:00.007-04:00

i was late...way late.

2011-03-30T00:06:00.008-04:00

here goes modesty out the window.

i am usually on top of things.

i snagged the demi moore "ghost" haircut in the same year the movie came out (with disastrous results). i blogged before everyone had a blog. i knew about jack johnson when he was still an unknown indie artist. you get the picture.

and yet...

i have never read The Pioneer Woman blog.

i heard about it years ago, but for some reason i never latched on.

until now.

know what changed my mind?

mac 'n cheese.

i made it last night for dinner (with some modifications)

and it was divine! heaven! sinful!

here is the ensuing recipe card for my files.

click picture below to enlarge, then right click and
choose "save" to have your very own copy in 4x6" format.

note: my changes to the recipe are on the card above.

i am late to the party...but i am a believer.

and there's only one thing left to say,

pioneer woman mac 'n cheese....you. complete. me.

Book Review: The Reluctant Entertainer

2011-03-29T07:02:00.011-04:00

The Reluctant Entertainer: Every Woman's Guide to Simple and Gracious Hospitality
by Sandy Coughlin
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Wow! This book was completely amazing. So much better than I had anticipated. I was unfamiliar with the author's blog of the same name so I came to this book with fresh eyes and was not disappointed.

Not only was it inspiring, but it was also meaningful and really made you think about the concept of hospitality in a new way. I was expecting a book with set meal plans and decor ideas and, while there are a few of those in here, this book is much more a book about letting go of perfection and taking fear out of entertaining by breaking down the concepts, giving inspiration and empowering the reader to move forward with a new definition of what makes a good hostess.

Recommended to all for its wonderful readability and no pressure guidance to become a person of hospitality, not just a stressed-out person throwing dinner parties.

Available on Amazon.com here.

busy busy busy

2011-03-27T20:52:00.000-04:00

i know, i have seriously been slacking on the ol' craft blog lately.

mostly because crafting has taken an unexpected backseat to...well...life.

{sigh}

2011 has been a ca-raze-ay year so far.

and my days are currently filled with just making it through alive.

wow, that sounded overly dramatic.

it's not all bad, just so busy it's insane!

do you have seasons of life like that?

i feel downright proud of myself if ella gets to school fully clothed and with a backpack.

however, i do have a thing or two to report of a crafty nature...

1. i finished this book.
amazing people, amazing.
check it out from your local library...like now.

i have planned twice monthly dinner parties from now until summer.
i will be reporting after each party with tips, what worked, what didn't work and maybe a freebie or two for your own dinner party!

2. i have been hitting the thrift stores pretty hard and getting great finds lately. i will definitely be sharing fun finds and fabulous makeovers.

3. i am currently in the process of turning our living room from a "college dorm/women's penitentiary/toddler naughty zone" into a fun, cozy and fresh space that i can finally be proud of. i painted two walls 2 weeks ago. stepped back and decided i wasn't being bold enough. last week i bought new paint and will be repainting soon.

4. i am scouring the internet for white tablecloths to cover our "college dorm/women's penitentiary/toddler naughty zone" scuffed table for our forthcoming dinner guests.

5. i am cleaning out my craft room to make way for baby bianca. also getting all of my best scrapbooking items ready to be artfully arranged in a basket and donated to our local women's organization charity auction.

so, my friends, i want to say thank you for reading my blog.

thank you for sticking with me during my recent abandonment of said blog.

thanks for leaving comments that put a smile on my face!

seriously, you rock.

it happens...

2011-03-25T01:16:00.001-04:00

what happens?

life getting in the way of crafting,

and posting on one's craft blog.

almost 10 days with no post?

sorry.

don't give up on me yet!

i do have something to post about today.

i am currently reading...

this.

and it's changing the way i feel about

entertaining guests in our home.

we have made a new goal to host a dinner party

once each month.
plans, free printables and other fun ideas
are running through my head.
monthly details to follow.

will you be our first guests
???

Recipe: Irish Soda Bread

2011-03-17T07:00:00.019-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Here in the Ahern household, we take this holiday pretty seriously. Check out our wicked-cool Coat of Arms pictured left. You don't want to mess with a Wild Heron...or three!

But I'm pretty sure you may be more interested in this..my Irish Soda Bread Recipe. It's quick, easy and delicious! If you're not a bread maker don't worry! There's no yeast and it's goof proof!

Make it tonight! Click here for the printable 4x6" recipe card pictured below. It's the first in a series of printable recipe cards from my kitchen to yours...per your request!

Simply open the pdf, print and trim to 4x6". Enjoy!

Ahern Irish Soda Bread Yields 1 loaf

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour or substitute with ¾ c. flour + 2 T. cornstarch
2 T. granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
3 T. unsalted butter (2 tablespoons softened + 1 tablespoon melted)
1 1/2 cups buttermilk or substitute with 1½ c. milk + 1½ T. lemon juice or vinegar

- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt in large bowl.
- Work softened butter into dry ingredients with fork or fingertips until texture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add buttermilk and stir with a fork just until dough begins to come together. Turn out onto flour-coated work surface.
- Knead until dough just becomes cohesive and bumpy (do not knead until dough is smooth, or bread will be tough.)
- Pat dough into a round about 6 in in diameter and 2 in high and place on greased baking sheet and cut a cross in the top.
- Bake at 400* 20-30 mintues or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into center of loaf comes out clean.
- Brush top with melted butter.

Note: this bread is always best warm. When it cools it loses some of its magic so make it right in time for dinner!

Despicable Me Party: Food & Treats

2011-03-16T16:00:00.010-04:00

Despicable Me Party: Invites & Decorations

2011-03-15T07:00:00.004-04:00

Bachelor Finale Printables

2011-03-14T07:00:00.004-04:00

4:43 am

2011-03-12T04:43:00.001-05:00

awake.

baking minion cupcakes.

what we do for our children.

Tutorial : White Balance Correction

2011-03-11T07:02:00.009-05:00

Thrift Store Thursday

2011-03-10T07:02:00.001-05:00

I found this hidden gem at our local Goodwill for $0.50.

It's a Russian children's book called "Seven Simeons" and the illustrations are divine!

I am going to remove some of them and frame them for the nursery.

This angel illustration was one of my favorites.

You can buy the same book on Amazon.com by clicking here.

NEW copies are going for under $5.00 including shipping!

tutorial: rounded photo corners

2011-03-09T07:00:00.005-05:00

pinterested?

2011-03-08T15:04:00.002-05:00

okay, it's not like anyone needs any more ways to waste time on the internet,

but here's a great one that you MUST join.

Pinterest

so, you make different "boards" on varying topics, whatever you want. and when you see something cool online, you click a magical little button on your tool bar that says "Pin It" and then assign it to one of your boards. then it stays there so you can always find the cool online ideas you are looking for AND you can follow other people's boards and they can follow yours.

i'm telling you people...it rules.

pictured above are just a few of my boards where i have neatly organized

inspiration, ideas, projects and eye candy.

so, if you're like me and have bookmarks and special folders on your computer with endless ideas to try later, but can never seem to find them...Pinterest is for you.

if you join come and follow my boards by clicking here.

I hope to see you there!

Despicable Me Party Preview

2011-03-05T22:34:00.002-05:00

Little Evangeline's birthday party is this coming Saturday!

4 little boys and 5 little girls will be celebrating Despicable Me style.

A few things this party will have...

Minion bowling

Squid Guns

Carnival Games
Great music

Tutus

and MUCH more!

Full details coming soon!

Until then...excuse me if I don't get any blogging done.

There are minions to be made.

Polka Dot Obsession via Etsy

2011-03-03T00:41:00.002-05:00

Crafting has screeched to a halt after last weekend's big birthday bash and Chicken and Fifi both having fevers this week. Fifi at the beginning and Chicken's starting last night. So, a lot of Etsy browsing has been happening, where I can feed my recent obsession with polka dots.

1. Ruby Swing Dress by Dismantled Fashions (this also comes in Plus Size)
2. Polka Dot Paper Straws by Hey Yo Yo
3. Digital Party Polka Dots Paper Pack by Little Ninja Designs
4. Retro Dot Dog Collar by Bow Wow Couture
5. Red and Turquoise Polka Dots Handmade Buttons by Tessa Ann (I've bought these before. They are divine!)
6. Retro Dot Apron by Apron Queen

Which is YOUR favorite?

Despicable Me Invites

2011-03-01T07:00:00.024-05:00

disney's tangled birthday party

2011-02-27T08:00:00.007-05:00

pampering party report

2011-02-25T07:00:00.008-05:00

the pampering party i was a vendor at was last night and i had such a great time! here is what my table looked like...(sorry about the yellowish lighting)

i made the bunting out of paper pendants and sewed them together with one long straight stitch. i had mustard yellow and light blue elements everywhere on the table...from the dish which held my business cards to the blue canning jar propping up the frames.

i had to supply each guest with a freebie so i gave out these luggage tags...they were a HUGE hit!

the girls modeled different types of hair flowers for me this past week and i made a collage and put a framed copy on the table to give the locals some visuals of just how cute my hair blossoms can be.

each blossom was displayed on these cards i designed in photoshop. here's what they looked like...

it was a really good night and starting this sunday, all left over inventory
will be in my etsy shop and ready to ship to you!

life among the amish means....

2011-02-24T00:01:00.006-05:00

slowing down for buggies.

learning not to take photos no matter how cute the amish kids on the tire swing are.

and tons of little shops displaying amazing, handmade quilts like this one....

i spotted it in a small quilt shop in bird-in-hand, pa.

it was hanging on a rack, so i asked the nice amish woman if i could take it down and take a picture.

she happily obliged and we chatted for a while as i snapped away

and dreamed of having $700 to purchase this exact quilt.

a few tidbits of info about traditional amish quilts...

- they are sewn on sewing machines. sometimes pedal and sometimes electric.

- they are made only using pieces of fabric leftover from the clothing the family makes.

- if pink is in the quilt you know the family has a little girls, since adult amish women do not wear pink.

- there is no yellow or orange in amish quilts...those colors are considered vain.

side note: a life without orange? i cringe!

- although the quilt top is pieced on a machine, the actual quilting of the layers together (using intricate patterns) is done entirely by hand. yep, every little stitch...hence the $700 price tag.

isn't it divine?

i would love to know if there is a history of quilting in YOUR area of the country/world?

this week...

2011-02-21T23:52:00.002-05:00

i am busily making about a gazillion of these in various sizes and colors.

some attached to pin backs.

some attached to headbands.

some clustered together on barrettes.

this one is a generous 4.5" across.

wouldn't you just love to pin that onto the lapel of your cutest jacket?

heading to a craft fair this thursday with these in tow.

left over inventory will hit my etsy shop this friday!

Art Canvas Follow Up

2011-02-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

Remember this post about getting canvases printed from artscow.com?

Well, I received mine in the mail this week.

I wasn't sure what to expect as this company is in China

and I distinctly remember when I worked for a scrapbooking manufacturer

their samples coming back from China in completely fluorescent colors and botched shades.

But my canvases are perfection!

Even better than I had hoped.

Check them out...

Love.

Question....

2011-02-16T23:47:00.002-05:00

I have a family blog.

And on that blog I share recipes.

Would you like recipes shared here?

Or are recipes not entirely crafty?
What if the recipes had a 4x6" printable recipe card download?
Like the ones shown here.

Just wondering.

{love}

2011-02-14T16:24:00.006-05:00

she headed off to school today with a heart covered box

filled with 16 of these handmade valentines

(idea ~~inspired~~ full-on stolen from here).

and the close up....

and 2 of these (there's a tube of pomegranate lotion beneath).

one for the kindergarten teacher and one for her aide.

(idea found here).

tonight we will have a fun family night with small gifts for the kids and thursday

(yes, it was the first day we had free) the Hubbs and I

will go out to dinner somewhere romantic....like denny's.

hope your day is filled with LOVE of every description!

Book Review: How to Sew a Button

2011-02-10T07:00:00.003-05:00

How to Sew a Button: And Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew
by Erin Bried
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

I expected to like this book much more than I did. I really agree on the overall premise. I think we could learn a lot and utilize our resources much better if we took a cue from the older generations. I know many women who can't sew a button.

One of the issues is with the writing style which is forcefully cheeky. Sometimes you find this forced humor funny and other times, annoying. Also, the book is peppered with illustrations of various retro women engaging in the tasks being explained, but what it really could have used are a few illustrations to clarify the more complicated instructions.

There is some very useful information in this book, but not any you wouldn't find through a google search in a much more clear and concise manner with pictures included.

Have YOU read this book?
If so, what did you think?

Featured Book on Shutterfly!

2011-02-09T00:17:00.005-05:00

I got an email today from Shutterfly telling me that my ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ME digital Photobook (see it page by page here and then read my follow-up here) is their featured book! Woot!

The lovely email read...

My name is Savannah and I'm the head of Shutterfly's Scrapbooking Advisory Team. I help manage Shutterfly's Gallery and I wanted to let you know that we're featuring your "Encyclopedia of Me" photo book in the "Digital Scrapbooking" section of the Gallery. It's such a great idea for a book. I've seen lots of ABC books, but it never occurred to me to use the same style for an adult book. It works perfectly! Great job.

Check it out here within the next three days...then they rotate for a new pick.

If you miss it, here's the screen shot (click to enlarge).

Disney's TANGLED Party Invites

2011-02-08T07:00:00.006-05:00

In case you don't have small children, this is a wanted poster of Flynn Rider from the Disney movie TANGLED. Ella is having a Tangled birthday party this year, but we are inviting boys as well as girls, so we didn't want the invite to be overly femmy.

I swapped out some of the poster's real words and added our own for a custom invite. We know all the kids from Ella's class at school have seen this film since last month a classmate had a birthday party where the entire theater was rented just for them to watch this movie. A very hard act to follow.

But I'm cooking up some sa-weet birthday party fun! More details to come.

Tutorial: Photoshop Actions

2011-02-07T07:00:00.014-05:00

Book Review: The Handmade Marketplace

2011-02-03T10:00:00.004-05:00

The Handmade Marketplace:
How to Sell Your Crafts Locally, Globally, and On-Line

by Kari Chapin

★ ★★ ★★

I have been in the online crafting community for a few years now (formerly in the Scrapbooking industry) and how I wish this book was out there sooner! First, it is packed (and I mean PACKED) with every tidbit of information you might need about selling handmade goods. It is a very easy and entertaining read, which is hard to do when you are presenting so much information.

Despite already having a pretty good knowledge of selling my goods online and otherwise, I still learned A LOT of helpful information from this read. The format was very flowing and the tidbits of practical info from various celeb crafters was very insightful.

I highly recommend this book to all who are considering (or who already are) selling their handmade goods. This will prove to be an invaluable resource! And don't just get it from the Library because you're going to want to highlight it...I promise.

Have you read this book?
What did you think?

Prognosis Pictogram

2011-02-01T21:35:00.004-05:00

Be back soon! (cough! cough!)

FREEBIE: Printable Valentine's Art

2011-02-01T07:00:00.012-05:00

As a little gift from me to you this Valentine's Day here's a FREEBIE printable Valentines sign for your home.

Simply click HERE to download, then print on your home printer or at a local photo lab and frame.

Print is sized 8x10".

Here's how it will look printed and framed.

Art Prints for a great price!

2011-01-27T07:00:00.001-05:00

Right now Artscow.com is having a sweet deal on stretched canvas prints. On today’s offer you get any stretched canvas up to and including 8” x 10” for a fixed price of just $7.99/each including free worldwide delivery. Choose from six available sizes to suit your pictures.

Link: http://www.artscow.com/photo-gifts/small-stretched-canvases
Coupon Code: 8X10SCNVS
Expires: 2/17/2011

Now, I have never been one for photos on stretched canvas personally, but I do love a good piece of Word Art.

I designed this print in a jiffy. This is a saying my Mother saw once, framed in a home and throughout my childhood it became a mantra in our home. I love it's simple message. Don't wait for something else to come and then be happy. Don't hinge your happiness on more money, more time, more square footage, more anything. Just be happy. Now.

I ordered this on an 8x8" canvas. And you can too!

I just threw this print up in my MOMO PRINTS shop for sale. I am putting it in at a special price....just $5. Choose any color. Then head over to Artscow.com and make a canvas. Viola! A cool piece of Word Art for your home for under $15!

Not feeling my chosen quote? Pick any Word Art from my shop and use the code CANVAS20 to receive 20% off through this Saturday (January 29).

Hair-Bow Holder

2011-01-26T07:00:00.005-05:00

Remember this amazing tutorial from my new friend, Jess, which was posted here last week?

This past weekend I whipped one up and I love it! Between this our elastics mini zipper case and our headband holder....we're in organizational heaven. At least where girls' hair items are concerned.

We went with a very bold, modern print. I got 5 yards of this fabric in a clearance bin at Wal*Mart over the Summer for $1/yd. When rifling through my ribbon stash I realized I had a HUGE assortment of black and white ribbons. Because the print was so bold, we stayed in that color pallet (and made the Headband holder in the same color scheme).

Guest Tutorial: Organization Tips

2011-01-25T07:30:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone! This is Cheri from I Am Momma - Hear Me Roar. Emilie and I go way back....well at least to June :) We competed in SYTYC together and she made some amazing things. I am excited to be a part of this organizational series. Why? Because when I finally conquer an area of my home and fully organize it I feel like I can conquer the world.

Today I'm going to show you what my unsightly cabinets over the desk area in our kitchen looked like. Yup. It was bad. There was no real structure, which means it became the collection area for all random objects. I wanted to make the space logical and organized.

So, after an afternoon of sorting, labeling, and more sorting.......we arrived at this. Ahhhh! So much better! Now there even room for growth.

So, I'm going to share four tips with you to help in organization. Let's hit it!

1) Containers are obviously a must. When dealing with small objects, you just need containers. It's nice to use the same ones so that the area will have some consistency. The silver bins are from Target. I found them in the dollar section, but they were $2.50 each. Not bad.

These stackable shelves were from DI. (Maybe it's Goodwill where you live.) This is a great place to find cheap bins and containers. They were $. 75 each and at Wal-mart the cheapest thing I saw that was similiar was $8.

This little puppy helped a ton! It was also $2.50 at Target and it perfectly houses all those tiny little knick knacks that don't really have a place.

See? Yeah, I bet you have most of these random little items, too.

I also got a little container for my coupons, which helps me remember to use them.

They are divided by catagory.

2) Labels. I LOVE labels. They are so nice because then everyone knows where things go - not just you. I created these with my Silhouette machine, but you could also order some HERE. (She takes custom orders as well.) Don't labels make everything look nicer?

3) Find the right place. Put the things you use all the time in the most reachable area. Use bins for storage that's up high. Then the bins are like drawers and you can access things by just bringing it down, rather than climbing up high to see what exactly all the small items up there are. Try and keep dangerous things out of the reach of your little ones.

4) Once you've got your system down - USE IT! If you start to casually leave things out or stop putting them back where they go it won't take much time to be back where you started. Ugh! Not pretty.

That's it! So, pick an area of your home and TACKLE it! It feels so good when it's done. I'm off to find another area right now. Thanks for having me, Emilie!

All of you are welcome at my place anytime. -Cheri

Tutorial: Headband Storage

2011-01-24T07:00:00.069-05:00

My Recipe Cards from Emily's Template

2011-01-22T07:00:00.007-05:00

I was so excited when I saw Emily Merritt's Recipe Card Templates for her guest spot yesterday. I already had photos of some of our favorite recipes, so I went to work and made some cards.

Something great about her template is the ability to make slight changes. I changed the fonts and a few small elements and made them just right for my recipe book. I also color coordinated my recipe categories for easy finding. Can you tell how excited I am to continue with this project!?

Here are a few of my cards...

How do you organize YOUR recipes?

Guest Tutorial & Template: Recipe Cards

2011-01-21T07:00:00.017-05:00

Inexpensive Small Item Cases

2011-01-20T07:00:00.002-05:00

We all have some certain item(s) in our homes that never seem to have a place to stay. These things usually end up in the "Junk Drawer". But what if you don't have a Junk Drawer? We don't.

And so, this year I decided to make a "Junk Box". Although (in behalf of safety pins everywhere) I resent the term "junk". So I call mine a "Odds Box". I keep it on a shelf in our pantry and ever since it was created my life has been easier.

I use a clear school case (oh yes, I love these) for new batteries. I store postage stamps in a small envelope inside. Now, let's get to the safety pins and hair elastics.

Last week I ordered 2 Custom mini Coin Purses from ARTSCOW.com for a total cost of $3.49 (and that includes shipping). I designed them specifically for certain items and I cannot wait to get these, fill them, and add them to my Odds Box. Here's how you can make yours too!

1. Click here to go to Artscow.com and click on CUSTOM MINI COIN PURSE.

2. Choose CREATE IT!
3. Create two jpg images in Photoshop (one for the front and one for the back) to illustrate the items you will be storing inside. Load images as prompted and add to cart. Then design your second coin purse in the same way.
4. Enter code MCP4FRDS at checkout to get the special low price (note: I am not sure if/when this code expires, so don't wait!)

The top row is the one I created to hold all of my safety-pins.
The bottom row is the one I designed to hold the tiny, clear hair elastics I use in my girls' hair.

I'm sorry, but aren't these cool? I'm just sayin'...I liked the way they turned out. I can't wait to get my small package from China (where Artscow is located) and pack my little organization coin purses into my Odds Box.

Of course, if you already have and Odds Box or a Junk Drawer you might still find a use for these. here are a few uses I thought of...

- store band aids in your car glove box

- keep a variety of change inside and store in car glove box for use at tolls.

- store spare watch or hearing aid batteries.

- or anything else that comes has many little loose parts and is packaged without a container.

confession time.

2011-01-16T16:34:00.000-05:00

I have some sort of awful bronchitis/massive chest cold thing I think.

This past week was filled with hacking coughs, chest pain and blah!

And I ended up neither ORGANIZED nor INSPIRED.

I mostly felt like this.

<- - - - - -

So, last week you got just one post, albeit a fabulous one by Jess.

I have high hopes for this week's tutorials and tips getting up so stay with me!

Guest Tutorial: Hairbow Holder

2011-01-11T00:05:00.010-05:00

Tip: Glue Gun Storage

2011-01-07T10:00:00.004-05:00

This past Summer I stocked up on about 6 of these clear school cases when they were on sale for $0.25 each. I have since used them for many things, but my favorite use is to store my mini glue gun and glue sticks. Since the Summer I have been wondering why I never thought of it before.

Just grab this off the shelf and you know that everything you need is on hand. You do have to wait for your gun to truly cool down after use before putting it away...or else you will melt the glue sticks below.

And yes, I learned that the hard way...or should I say the "melty" way.

How do YOU store your glue gun and sticks?

Do you have a system in place?

Storage Ideas for Quilters

2011-01-06T07:00:00.011-05:00

The reason I chose to host this event in January is because there seems to be an almost collective surge towards organization as a new year begins. In early January I got an email from All People Quilt discussing ideas for Sewing Storage and wanted to share a few of my favorites with you.

Now, I am not a person who feel the need to buy storage containers. I feel most of us can make storage happen with a little ingenuity, but I have to admit that this seems pretty nifty!

Their Description: At 12x12x6 inches, ArtBin’s Super Satchel Double Deep is ideal for storing precut fabrics. Arrange the dividers to form up to six compartments. It is also available in purple, pink, and green. The deep compartments allow for easy storage of larger, bulkier supplies. Price: $28.99 (which is decent if you only need one, but could get seriously steep for major fabric hoarders). for more info go to http://www.artbin.com/

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Being the cheapskate that I am, I like storage containers that can have multiple uses as life changes and evolves. This idea seems right up my alley. Shoe organizers are a natural option for storing fabric. They're great for keeping rolls of batting, fusible web, freezer paper, and more.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Hit the hardware store for useful storage containers. The small drawers meant for nails make great receptacles for embroidery thread. Create labels for the small drawers.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Don't worry if these ideas don't meet your fabric storage needs...

I'll share some of my fabric storage ideas this month with a tutorial or two!

Tutorial: Paper Storage Rack

2011-01-05T07:00:00.005-05:00

And the winner is...

2011-01-04T07:00:00.005-05:00

Hey bloggies!

Thanks so much for spreading the word for this event!
I hope you find some tips that help you free up your life for more creativity!

Without further ado...
The True Random Number Generator chose...

TESSA BUYS

Congrats Tessa!
Please email your name and mailing addy to emiliehandmade (at) comcast (dot) net.

If you didn't win...no worries.
There will be other chances to win this month!

Organized & Inspired: Meal Planning

2011-01-03T07:00:00.010-05:00

There are certain aspects of parenthood that seem like a never ending cycle. That each time you do the laundry, you know a new load of dirty clothes will appear tomorrow. This goes for tidying up, vacuuming, doing dishes, etc. One area that becomes sheer drudgery for me if I don't plan ahead is cooking meals. Leaving this to the last minute produces panic and, more often than not, ramen noodles.

Over the past few years I have found a plan that works well for me. Using two different printable sheets I can make grocery shopping and meal time MUCH more organized.

Step 1: The first step is writing a document in a word processing program. You are going to save this document for future reference and add to it often. Each family's will be different. It is a MASTER MEAL LIST. This is a list of every single meal your family eats on a regular basis. I separate mine by proteins. You'll want to think about this over the course of a few days and add to it as meals your family makes come to you.

Step 2: Print out a WEEKLY MEAL PLANNER. It's available for free download here (along with the GROCERY LIST). There are two per sheet. Cut down the middle to use. If you want to plan by two weeks (like I do...it coincides with our paychecks) or by month, print multiple lists. Grab a pen. Now, open your MASTER MEAL LIST and start with Monday and plan a week's worth of meals...varying proteins for variety. My family always does Meatless Monday. Then you could add a beef meal on Monday, Chicken on Tuesday, Ham on Wednesday, Fish on Thursday, etc. We always do Leftovers on Friday (to clean out the fridge for Saturday's shopping) and Pizza on Saturday.

When you plan next week's meals, don't repeat any from the prior week. This is why planning a month would be excellent. You could make sure there are no meal repeats in a 30 day period!

Step 3: Grab your printed GROCERY LIST. Go through each night of your meal plan for the week and write each ingredient you need in the appropriate category. If two different meals need the same ingredient (say onions) than add a tick mark after the ingredient you already wrote down.

Now, hit the grocery store! You'll be sure to save time and not have to double back on any isles because your list is already arranged into sections! And saving time in the grocery store frees up more time to craft...am I right?

Oh, and one more thought about your MASTER MEAL LIST. Once you have this system worked out for monthly meal planning, try adding new meals at regular intervals. Make a goal to try a new recipe once a week or once a month. If it passes the family taste-test...add the recipe to your files (more on that topic later in the month!) and add the meal to your master list. When you see all of the meals on your master list arranged by protein you'll get a great sense of what area of your recipe file can be expanded.

Now, it's your turn to add to this post!
What works well for you as far as family meal planning?
Do you have an organized system or wing it?
Please leave a comment.

a year in handmade

2010-12-31T11:14:00.000-05:00

Here is a quick view of some of the crafts I made in 2010.

Whew! And I even managed to make it through a pregnancy

(of which 16 weeks was spent on moderate bedrest).

And give birth to the cutest baby in the history of the world...

besides my other two, of course.

Looking forward to more craftiness ahead!

Fab Fabric Friday

2010-12-31T08:06:00.002-05:00

My new current obsession is the Woodland Delight line by Paula Prass.

Check out this adorable bag made from these fabrics.

(from the HAWTHORNE THREADS website.)

What would YOU make with this fabric?

It starts on MONDAY!

2010-12-31T01:19:00.000-05:00

Yes, I guess it may be slightly anticlimactic to start our month of being ORGANIZED & INSPIRED on the 3rd of January, but a girl has to have a holiday, right? Until Monday, feast your eyes on this delightful set of containers I saw while browsing last night on CSNstores.com (which is an online store that sells everything from kitchen stuff to modern bedding and everything in between).

I have not heard of this designer Thomas Paul before, but when you are done feasting your eyes on the cool storage containers pictured above, you really must check out his other products. I adore his style.

See you on Monday!
Are you ready to be inspired?

Handmade Holiday

2010-12-30T10:13:00.001-05:00

Well, I did not get to make very many handmade items for Christmas this year. The holidays crept up on me and pounced right around the 20th of December. I am going to use a newish baby as an excuse. How long is that excuse good for? She's about 10 weeks old now...can I still use it?

I did manage to make homemade peanut brittle (my very favorite holiday treat). If you love it and have never made it, try it! It's SO easy!

And I sewed up this little quilt for Bianca. No piecing or anything, I just added a layer of batting between the two fabric, machine quilted it in diagonal squares and did an easy, fold over binding. But I just LOVE how it turned out. It's very smooshy and cuddly.

I used a pre-cut blanket pack from this Etsy shop (although, I cut the fabric after I got it to make the blanket smaller). And just now, when I went to find the shop link, it looks like she's having a year end sale! 15% off with the coupon code in the Shop Announcements. To find this exact set click on BLANKET BUNDLES. She's got tons of cute stuff!

2010-12-25T21:05:00.002-05:00

Thanks to each of you for reading my blog!

And have a very Merry Christmas!

COMING SOON: Organized & Inspired

2010-12-19T20:00:00.003-05:00

We all have New Year's Resolutions, right? Well, this year mine is to more organized so that I can open my life up for more inspiration. Because who wants to start a new project when their craft room looks like a war zone, or they can't find the fabric they know they bought.

And, confession time, this is my resolution because I struggle with it...greatly.

So I am very excited to announce a month long event right here on EmilieHandmade.

Oh yeah, you read that right.

More than 15 step-by-step tutorials on everything from

never losing a sock again

organizing your daughter's headbands

more efficient grocery shopping.

And did I mention give-aways?

OH to the YEAH.

Let's get going and give away the very first prize...

The Creative Family

by Amanda Blake Soule

So, grab a button by using the code below

(also available in my sidebar)

and add it to your blog!

Then you have TWO WAYS to win...

1. Leave a comment with a link to where you are showing it off on your blog.

2. Write a post about the Creative&Inspired event and why it excites you on your blog.

Please leave a second comment with a link to the post.

This contest is open from now until December 31st at Noon EST.

GOOD LUCK and

LET'S GET ORGANIZED!

photo book follow-up

2010-12-17T00:13:00.003-05:00

MANY of you asked questions about the Encyclopedia of Me photo book gift I posted here. It made me all giddy again, because I love this gift!

So, here's how I did it.

- Emily Foley had written all of the posts on her blog over the course of two years. She finished in September of this year (2010). I knew she had labeled the posts under Encyclopedia of Me. So I went back to her blog, found the final post in September and clicked on the label at the bottom of the post. That brought up all posts from that series.

- I decided on an 8x8" finished book. I used Adobe Photoshop and opened a blank 8x8" canvas. Then I created a new layer and made a 1/2" border around the perimeter of the canvas. This is so I would not make any designs elements too close to the edge and risk it being printed off page when the book was made. This layer was deleted before saving the finished page.

- It took me an hour or two to decide exactly how I wanted each page to look. I tried all different fonts and designs, but decided on this basic design.

- The I started the real busy work. Since I wanted the block of pictures in the middle of the text, I copy and pasted the text from Emily's blog posts in two sections. Top and bottom. I added the top text, then the bottom then right clicked and saved the photo collage she had made with each post. I put that photo in the center and then added my own rounded corner template (available for free here) to the photo collage to make the book feel a bit more soft.

- I used the eye dropper tool in Photoshop to draw a dominant color from the photo collage and made that the background for the color block at the page's top and the cursive title words. I did the alphabet in order so I made sure two oranges weren't close together, etc.

When each page was finished I saved it into a special folder on my desktop and went on to the next. A note: When Emily wrote her posts she made one for X,Y and Z so I made the page topper look like this...

I then added a title page. For most of it, I took the explanation paragraph straight from her first Encyclopedia of Me blog post. I added a small dedication from me, the gift giver, at the bottom. You'll notice that this, the first impression of my labor of love, has the only type-o in the book. BLAST!

Next came designing the covers. Now that my pages were completely finished, I took the alphabet square from each page and arranged them onto a new 8x8" page in alphabetical order. I slightly changed the order a bit of the way through, since the design was looking too repetitive. This became the back cover.

For the front cover I used the same image and added a rounded white square and used the same fonts from the inside to make a title for the cover.

That as pretty much the entire process. I designed a spine, uploaded it all into Shutterfly, used a coupon code and sent this personalized gift straight to Emily for around $18.

FONTS USED
Title Letters: Candian (get it here)
Main Text: Print Clearly (get it here)
Cursive Text: Amelie (get it here)

to Flickr or not to Flickr?

2010-12-16T10:52:00.000-05:00

Some readers have been requesting a EmilieHandmade Flickr group.

This is an interesting prospect.

On the one hand, it would be SO COOL to see projects made from my patterns all in one place.

On the other hand, can you think of anything more embarrassing than starting a

Flickr group and having it sit there, with like 2 items, for months?

On the other hand, this might motivate me to finally get more

of my softie sewing and quilt patterns up here for free download.

What do YOU think?