homemade cinnamon rolls

I made these for a couple families on thanksgiving, and I think there may be no greater act of love than waking up early to roll them out, let them rise, bake & frost then deliver. I felt so good doing it, but I wouldnt mind trying the kind you can make ahead. My friend has a recipe for that kind...so Ill let you know!

Book Club favors...book marks

I thought it would be fun to make book marks for the book club meeting.

I used double sided cardstock so that they would be pretty on both sides.

I think they turned out cute...and I have been using mine! So much better than lying the book on it's front with pages open...or worse, folding corners!

Babies & College Football

For a twins baby shower...who's parents LOVE Y football.
I better make some for my own kids with U's soon!

Sweet 30 package

Have a friend turning 30?
Bright colored candy counted out into "30's" make a pretty cute package. But make sure to include a card and maybe 30 things you love about them.

Leif Flowers

Girls are doing the coolest things these days. My cute friends Chelsea & Amanda (twins) just started the most fabulous flower shop in SL. I love how people are taking their creativity to the next level. Inspiring. Check them out here

Changing up the packaging

Sometimes I feel like cellophane bags are too cliche, especially when I use them ALL of the time. This was a fun way to branch out. To celebrate Teacher Appreciation week, I used these colored chinese take-out boxes from Michaels. Sometimes I just need to think outside the box!

Robbie's Valentines...Done!

As you can see...I let Robbie pick out the theme. I was thinking Dr. Suess myself, but he was So excited about Wall-E this year.

I just put Eva up on a pop-up dot!

I personalized the labels for the kids in the class (this one is for his teacher Maestra Sylvia) I used cute spanish words like: funny, smart, and friend for some of them.

Neighbor gifts...

For the past four years I have made caramel and chocolate covered pretzel gifts for neighbors...so I thought Id better continue the tradition!

You will need: pretzels rods, kraft caramel squares, white chocolate chips and milk chocolate chips.

I add a little water to the caramel and then melt it in the microwave, and dip the rods in caramel. I use the back of a spoon to roll the caramel off and leave a thin layer. I lay them down on parchment paper and stick them in the fridge.

I dont add anything to the chocolate before I melt it, I put it in for 1 minute and then add 15 seconds if it needs it. I dip the rods in the chocolate just as I do with the caramel, using the same technique with the back of the spoon.

After they harden I drizzle the opposite color on them and then, WA LA!

I also made PEACE blocks...cause lucky for me, not a lot of people know about vinyl here!

And for Robbie's teachers, I made Spanish Christmas trees.

Neighbor gifts...Check!

My new favorite: the gift tag punch!

This year I bought a gift tag hole punch at Michaels. I didnt know if I would ever use it, but thought it would be fun to have. WHAT? I have used it tirelessly since I got it! One day last week, Robbie came down with a stack of gift cards he had punched out with all of my patterned scrapbook paper...what a novel idea! So now, I can print on the one side and have a cute pattern on the other! Amazing!

Gift wrap for little girls...

Make the wrap part of the present! I made these bows for Elle's little friends and clipped them on top of their gifts. They were fun to make and top off the gifts quite well!

The Birthday Book

So, this has been my latest little idea/craft. I saw a really cute birthday calendar book at anthro and almost got it. I didnt because I figured it was missing one thing: a place to keep the cards!

So, I went and made my own (took all of 30 minutes!) I showed it to a friend and she said it would make a great gift, so keep that in mind.
You will need:
*13 pieces of double sided 12x12 scrapbook paper that coordinate, you could also use 8.5x12, you'll just need 2 of each
*13 pieces of vellum
*that red super sticky tape from any craft store (it is thicker than normal tape and not as wide)
binding...I did mine at office depot for $5.00

Cut all the paper to 8.5x11. Then cut the scraps to 8.5x3.5. Put them in the order you want them and tape the scrap of the next paper to the back of the paper before (I know that doesnt make sense, but look at the pic) ONLY tape the outside edge and the bottom because the binding will keep the inside together. Make up a word document with lined 1-31 with the month at the top. Change it for each month until you have all months printed on the vellum. Print an additional vellum sheet that says "birthday book" or what ever you want for the front...get it bound, and WA LA!

Ok, so my plan is to fill this out with birthdays, make a word label document with all the people I would like to send cards to, and at the beginning of each year (or in Dec) buy 20 cards or so, stick the label on and file them. Then, at the first of the month, fill out the cards and send them all. It could work right?

Making bread...ANYONE can do it!

Thank you to a recipe Mir shared with me, these 2 loaves were a cinch! This is in fact the first time I have made bread NOT using a breadmaker...and it was as easy as pie. You only get your hands sticky for a quick second, and then it's all over! Seriously, give it a try...you will be amazed at what a fabulous baker you are! Her recipe is here.

Flushable Diapers?

So, Im reading Gorgeously Green (a wonderful, but very overwhelming book...in my opinion) and it's all about going green step by step. So, I have started with recycling (I know...can you believe I wasnt already doing it?) and now I am just beginning to explore other things. I know diapers are terrible for the earth but NO WAY would I do cloth. So this was an option that the book proposed: Flushable diapers! gdiapers
I looked up the website and read about them today. They really didnt seem too expensive, and they would be a whole lot better on the earth...so I am thinking about giving them a try. They said they sell them at "HEB" (the only grocery store in texas) so I am going to look for them next time I am there.
I guess there is a little cloth outside, and then little diaper inserts that can literally be flushed down the toilet. (I read all the comments, and everyone said that they dont clog even the worst toilets) You can throw them away too...and they will biodegrade in 50-150 days.

After reading, I think the best thing would be getting our kids potty trained as soon as possible...but, I know that isnt easy...so, this may be a good way to go!

Flower Arranging Kit...another Mom gift

I just found this here and I really love the idea! A pretty jar, that could be a vase, some flower cutting scissors, a stem stripper, maybe a little flower food (she also talks about some sort of clay and a stem frog) Anytime your Mom cuts fresh flowers, or brings them home from the store, she can just get out her little kit instead of using kitchen shears and knives (like I do)!

Remember: Mother's Day is Coming

Time to start thinking about Mother's Day gifts. Let it be known that my mother is getting a black and white polkadot oilcloth tablecloth with a green edge for her outside dining table. My mother in law is getting a oilcloth beach bag (similar to the one I made last year for myself)

This year...I am on a sewing kick so Im going homemade, normally I would go buy something of course. If these ideas sound good, and you dont have a serger...try modern june on etsy.

If you do, let me know and I will give you instructions on how and what to make.