Merry Merry...

Here's a fun and easy way to add some holiday flare to your mantle! Find blank pieces of cardboard that are precut in a triangle shape, then chose some holiday paper to cut the letters out of. I picked gold just because I love it, but anything will work. Once you cut the letters out glue them on the triangles and string some yarn through the top of each. Now hang them wherever you'd like!

Vintage Farmhouse Christmas Boutique!

Over the weekend we held a Christmas boutique on the ranch featuring all of Matt's reclaimed wood pieces of furniture and Christmas items. Please check out his website for more amazing work! www.vintagefarmhouse.org. Below are some pictures from the weekend!

Pinecones Oh My!!!

Pinecones they're everywhere this time of year so why not utilize them and craft away. One way I used them was to tie the top of them with yarn and hang them from a piece of driftwood above our living room mantle. I like the result in that it's very simple and organic and can be used for any occasion.

Again back to the mason jar... this time I glued the pinecone to the lid and filled the jar with fake snow and glitter and voila your very own very kitschy snow globe!

Chalk it to me!

Chalk, chalk, chalk... I love chalk!!! And lately I seem to chalk up anything I can find. My kids are loving it because there are a myriad of places they can draw on and mommy doesn't mind! Below are some fun chalk ideas.

MASON JAR PEN HOLDER

Things you need. Chalk, mason jar and chalkboard paint. I love this paint from Home Depot because you can tint it any color you want!

One of my favorite things to paint with chalk is a mason jar. It's super easy just paint it somewhere outside where you don't mind it getting a little messy and let it dry overnight. You can also use chalkboard spray paint, they both work well. I use mine for pens but you could put anything in it!

Here's another fun idea. My husband cut this silhouette out of a Husky for my daughter and I painted it. I love that she can learn to spell the name of her favorite animal!

My husband also makes these and I LOVE them!!! We have quite a few around the house!

And of course chalkboards themselves. But the great thing about these is that they are framed with reclaimed wood! 

Have fun chalking!!!!

A New Way to Pumpkin!

We all know how messy carving a pumpkin can be and with my kids still being so young it's not really interactive since they can't hold the knife. Although we still carve every year I wanted to try something new!

I painted a few of the pumpkins with chalkboard paint which I thought was fun since we can change the face every night or the kids can just scribble all over it. 

I also painted one gold, which the kids loved and now call it their "super special golden pumpkin."

Another idea... which could be a great hostess gift was painting a clay pot with chalkboard paint and decorating with fall foliage. 

Macaroni Frenzy in Turner's class

The necklaces were so popular in Hope's class that Turner requested I visit his. What a great morning with my best little buddy. Words can't describe how much I adore him!!!

Macaroni Necklace Class Project

I had so much fun making Macaroni Necklaces in my daughters class today! She was so excited to have mommy there and I loved spending time with all the kids and seeing how different and unique all their necklaces turned out. I thought it was adorable that almost all the kids wanted to bring their creations home to mommy!

Kiwi Crate Crafts

I love this company Kiwi Crates they deliver monthly craft projects which are all ideas submitted by moms or dads. They are always so unique and inspiring for the kids. I thought this week I'd post our Kiwi Crate craft. I highly recommend this service for either your family or as an amazing gift!

This months box contained an activity entitled "Farmer's Market" where the kids cut vegetables out of felt and decorate their own aprons. All the tools you need come in the box!

Homemade Play Dough

One of my favorite activities to do with the kids is to make homemade play dough. It's quick and easy and can accommodate any season by incorporating certain colors and or scents. Below is the recipe along with some pictures to help walk you through! Enjoy ;)

HOME MADE PLAY DOUGH RECIPE

1 cup salt

2 cups flour

4 tsp. cream of tartar

2 tbs. oil

2 cups water

food coloring

extract scent

Pour all ingredients into a pan except for the food coloring and scent.

Mix everyone together....

until it beings to harden.

Let it cool before coloring.

To color, press a few holes into the dough and fill with your color of choice.

 

Knead the dough until you get to your desired color and your all set!!

My Macaroni Necklace Necklace

We've all made one and we've all shed a tear when we first got one waiting in our child's cubby. And maybe even displayed it hanging on our rear view window. Yes that's where mine is and it's also where I got inspired for the title of my blog. Making a macaroni necklace embodies childhood and is just plain fun, so here it goes....

First grab some noodles... I prefer rigatoni (pictured above).

Then get some rubbing alcohol, food coloring and string or yarn.

Put your noodles in a sandwich size ziploc bag....

pour a teaspoon of rubbing alcohol in the bag along with a few drops of food coloring (more drops if you want a deeper color). Then shake the bag vigorously for about 30 seconds. Poor bag out onto a piece of parchment paper and let it dry (about an hour). 

Once all the noodles are dry have the kids pick their favorite color of string and start macaroning!!!

Not too bad... I wore it all day!

Let's go fly a kite!!!!

Here's a fun little kite project that my daughter Hope and I came up with! 

First pick your favorite color string! 

Then get a regular size (8.5 x 11) piece of white computer paper and decorate to your liking! Fold the paper in on either side so it forms a paper airplane. Make a hole in all three points... top of triangle and both lower sides. 

Tie a string through the points and tie the other end of the string to a pencil, this is what you will hold on to. 

NOW RUN!!! And have fun!!!