Crystal's Craft Spot

How to curl Satin Ribbon

2012-01-27T13:04:00.000-08:00

Here's an easy way to make your satin ribbon curly. I used ribbon from Walmart. Turn your curling iron on to the lowest setting. the smaller the curling iron the tighter and more curls you will get. Clamp your curling iron to the end of the ribbon and roll up making sure your ribbon goes up the curling iron not just on top of its self. Slowly count to 30 then release. No need to do anything else, this will keep your ribbon curled. (I read if you want it straighted pull out your straightener) Who knew house hold items could be used for crafting!

Stop by...

2012-01-26T16:57:00.000-08:00

my first Ready to Ship night on Facebook! Lots of cute items ready to be sent out right away. Great photo props, baby gifts, or maybe something for you little one. Here's a peek at a few of the items that will be posted. Starts at 5:30 pacific time. See you there!

1K facebook fan Giveaway!

2012-01-25T19:06:00.000-08:00

On facebook I reached my goal of 1,000 fans and a few more now! Thank you to everyone that helped get me there :) So to celebrate we are going to have not 1 but 2 huge giveaway involving several generous vendors. Here's what you can win:

Giveaway #1
Kitty Cats and Airplanes is giving away a $30 Credit to her shop. You can also find her blog here.

Callie from Callielily is giving away 1 nursing cover of you choice from her shop. (free US shipping)

Jen from Isla Garden Boutique is offering this beautiful headband from her shop. winner picks the size.

I'm giving $20 shop credit to my shop A.O.kay designs.

Kimberly from Bugaboo mini mr and me is giving a stay-put bookmarker from her shop. You can also find her blog here.

Artfully Caroline is giving 2 of these Ear warmers. You can find her blog here.

Bobbie from A vision to Remember is giving a $10 gift certificates to her shop. You can also find her blog here.

Giveaway#2

Cherie from Jamberry will be giving away 1 Jamberry Nails sheet (of their choice),scissors, Cuticle Orange Stick, Mini Nail File, and a Catalog. You can find here website here.

Heather from Modern Mommy Crochet is giving 1 $25 gift certificate to her shop

I'm giving $20 shop credit to my shop A.O.kay designs.

Kimberly from Bugaboo mini mr and me is giving a stay-put bookmarker from her shop. You can also find her blog here.

Sahyli from Sugar and spice and everything nice is giving one of her gorgeous lace crowns from her shop.

Artfully Caroline is giving 2 of these Ear warmers. You can find her blog here.

Bobbie from A vision to Remember is giving a $10 gift certificates to her shop. You can also find her blog here.

Tawny Bee is giving this adorable upcycled hippo hat (size 2T-3T). You can find her shop here.

To enter:

Since it is a facebook celebration you need to like each person on facebook and come back and leave a comment telling me you did and if you would prefer giveaway #1 or #2.

A vision to Remember

Artfully Caroline

Crystal's Craft Spot

Bugaboo mini mr and me

Isla Garden Boutique

Jamberry
Kitty Cats and Airplanes

Modern Mommy Crochet

Sugar and spice and everything nice

Tawny Bee

Callielily doesn't have a facebook page so please heart her shop.

Extra entry: share this giveaway on facebook

(If you do not have facebook you can heart their shop or follow their blog instead.)

Giveaway will close Tuesday January 31st at Midnight and the two winners will be announced. Please make sure to leave your email in your comment or on your profile page. If you do not want to you will be responsible to check back to see if you won. All prizes must be claimed within 48 hours or a new winner will be picked. Good Luck!

Scrapbook Sunday

2012-01-22T17:16:00.000-08:00

I thought I would share a few layouts I worked on this week. Some still need some journaling but for the most part they are done. The digital software I had been using stopped working when my computer crashed a few months ago. But I have a new program that I'll be telling you about later this week (umm and giving one away!)

Green Clean Giveaway winner and discount!

2012-01-19T08:45:00.000-08:00

Winner is comment #16 Jentri! Congrats!

*Please claim your prize in the next 48 hours or I will need to pick a new winner."

Thank you Claire!

Last Day to enter

2012-01-18T14:24:00.000-08:00

The green clean giveaway! Its a really great product so you don't want to miss out. There is also a discount code. Good Luck!

Anyone intrested?

2012-01-17T19:32:00.000-08:00

I reached 1,000 fans on facebook and to celebrate I am having a big 1K giveaway. I currently looking for anyone interested in being apart of the giveaway. Its a great way to advertise your business. Those wishing to enter the giveaway will be asked to visit your facebook page or blog. Giveaway items don't need to big and anyone is welcome to be apart of it. Please email me (scharris21@gmail.com) for more details. Thanks :)

Guest Blogger: Efficient Design - Green Bathrooms

2012-01-16T09:11:00.000-08:00

*Don't forget to enter the green cleaning giveaway!*

Christina Johnson works remotely for Elliman Prudential. She is using her journalism major to combine what she loves most, writing and her career. Her specialties include home decor design and DIY home improvement projects. Today she is going to share some ways to not only make our bathrooms designs green but also beautiful and efficient.

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The bathroom is an essential part of most every home. However, the bathroom is also an area that is often neglected when it comes to creating an environmentally friendly and green space. Luckily, when designing or remodeling your bathroom, the nation-wide renewed focus on green living has opened up an entire marketplace full of green items specifically made for the bathroom.

Recycled Glass Tile: Tile is acommonly used throughout the bathroom, from floors and shower walls tobacksplashes and accent work. Consider using recycled glass tiles, which comein a wide range of colors, shapes and sizes. Recycled glass tile is installedin the same manner as regular tile, and can come in pre-spaced squares allowingfor easy installation and grouting

Sustainable Harvested Woods: Wood isoften used for vanities and even flooring for bathroom spaces. However, manywood products require the use of environmentally unfriendly or even illegal loggingpractices to supply the material. Choose products with a Forest StewardshipCouncil approved sticker on them, or choose more environmentally friendlyproducts like bamboo, cork or wheat straw. Storm-feld tree products are also anoption for a more green bathroom. Avoid wood products made from particle board,which often contains formaldehyde.

Recycled Metals: Recycled metals canbe used in your bathroom from cabinet pulls to fixtures. Look for products suchas recycled metal counter tops, vessel sinks made from recycled metal, recycledaluminum tiles, salvaged brass faucets, and recycled bronze metalhardware.

Composite Terrazzo: Another way touse recycled materials for vanity countertops is through composite terrazzoproducts. These counter tops are made from a wide range of different materials,such as recycled glass, which is then combined with an epoxy binder or cementto create the hard and formed surface of the countertop. Because there aredifferent types and colors of materials used in each piece, you get a uniquefinished look to the product you install.

Salvaged Products: Wheneverpossible, try to use recycled salvaged products in your bathroom remodel. Oftentimes home owners will get rid of light fixtures, cabinets or sinks that arestill in style, but that do not fit their own current personal style.Purchasing these products from salvage stores reduces the chances that theproduct will find its way into a landfill, as well as can provide a unique orvintage look to your bathroom space.

Windows: Install windows in yourbathroom to bring in natural light. The more natural light you have flowinginto your bathroom, the more open it will feel and the less electricity youwill need to use, which reduces your energy waste and brings down your electricbills. Install Energy Star rated windows to help reduce the loss of heat orcold air during the winter or summer months.

Toilet: Toilets make up asignificant portion of water usage in most homes or apartment rentals . Each flush can wastegallons of water, even though newer toilet designs can provide the sameperformance with less water. Look for toilets made to the HET Standard (or HighEfficiency Toilet) which guarantees you'll be using less water with eachflush.

While these steps may seem small, every choice helps create a better world foryou, your family and generations to come. By making these simple choices, youcan make a positive impact on the environment, all without sacrificing style orfunction in your bathroom.

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Thank you so much Christina! I love these tips and ideas. We are going to start building a house next month and I'll be keeping them in mind.

Valentine's Day Round up

2012-01-13T08:55:00.000-08:00

*Don't forget to enter the Green Cleaning giveaway*

I love decorating for the holidays! Here are a few ideas I love found through pinterest.

Love this free stitch pattern from Pine Needles

This is the cutest Valentine made by zakka life and I know my daughter will love it. It says Have a Super Valentine's day!

Still want to make one of these! (Found here)

Tons of Free Printable here

Love these drop cloth pillows from Pitter and Glink.

Do you have any Valentine's projects to share? I'd love to see them, leave a link in the comments and I'll stop by.

Green Cleaning Review and Giveaway!

2012-01-12T14:09:00.000-08:00

Today I have an exciting giveaway for you. In January I always get the bug to clean and organize everything so when I received this package I was so excited and it was immediately put to use. I scrubbed and cleaned my house in no time and started looking for more things to clean! My husband asked me if I was feeling okay because this is so out of the ordinary for me. So what was in this amazing package that would cause me to do this? Well it was a package from Claire an independent consultant for Norwex. First I'll have her tell you a little about about the company and then I'll share my experience with the products I recieved.

"Norwex is a quality microfiber that allows you to clean your house with water only. It has made cleaning simple, fast, effective, and without using chemicals! The reason Norwex microfiber cloths work so well is because the quality of the microfiber can pick up 99.9% of all bacteria, germs, and viruses. The silver inside the cloths (that cannot come out) will inhibit mold, mildew, smells, and stop bacteria from growing so you have fresh cloths every time you rinse it in hot water, and hang it to dry. Once it is dry it is all fresh again and won't have to worry about it spreading germs and bacteria around the house the next time you use it! They have a 2 year warranty, so if your cloth gets a hole or starts coming off at the edges you can replace it. They will last up to 500 washings, so if you only wash your cloths once a week they will last up to 10 years! Norwex has made it easy for my family to help me clean, I give them a wet cloth and they can go clean the counters, doors, mirrors, windows, floors all with the same cloth. My kids have enjoyed cleaning because they feel like they can help around the house and do as good of job as me."

Here's a great video that demonstrates how well these cloths clean and gives a little more information on how they work: A great mirror demo
And here is another good video my neighbor's video

I received 3 different cloths and some laundry soap to try, some instructions, and a phone call from Claire explaining each product. What I immediately like was the fact that I only needed water to clean and once I was done I just rinse it out and hang it to dry. The silver in the cloth sanitizes it's self so its ready the next time I use it. There is no need to wash it after each use! Now I was a little skeptical that water and the enviro cloth would be able to clean as well as my spray and sponge but I was very happy with the results. My counter looked brighter and everything come off easily including grease. It powered right through it with out any trouble and I didn't have to rinse out my rag right after I could just keep going. I also love that you can use it on any surface. I went from my counter, to my stove, my wood table, my sink, to my cabinets, to my window, to the frames, then on to my bathroom. No need to rinse in between or grab different cleaners or cloths. It was so fast and easy. And I love using it on my kitchen table. It is gentle enough for the wood and it doesn't leave water to wipe off or worry about, my table hasn't looked this good in a long time.

Here's a before and After of my stove (I'm a little embarrassed) using the enviro cloth. Most of it came off really easy with this cloth, some took a little scrubbing.

I also received the window cloth and it works better then spray and paper towels and no streaks!

Next I tried the body cloth, I used it each night to remove my makeup. I was thrilled with this one! I have to be careful with face washes because most irritate my skin and the ones that don't are expensive. These were soft (you don't want to scrub hard) and easily removed all makeup. Also my face is much clearer. They are suppose to be great for exfoliating.

I was also sent a little of the Laundry Detergent to try. Our clothes seem to be clean and fresh. Also my washing machine had been smelling weird (gross I know) but after a 2 loads using this I think it cleaned my washing machine as well, no more smell. So that was a nice little bonus. Also my husband likes that he doesn't smell like flowers or fruit any more :)

Norwex does make cleaning quick and effective. I love the variety of products (I know I have a few on my wish list now) and that each one cleans so many things. For example the enviro cloth cleans, spot treats, dusts, washes windows and mirrors, and I'm sure I'm forgetting the rest. It is also very cost effective. I think the products are reasonably prices but what is great is you really only need one cloth to clean your entire house and it last forever! Besides toilet bowl cleaner I haven't really bought any other cleaning supplies and don't really plan to. So it saves you a ton of money! I love that their is no smell to them. I hate when I would clean my bathroom and it smelled like bleach or cleaner but now its not a problem, I feel comfortable cleaning the bathroom while my 3 year old is in the bath and not worrying about the smells affecting her.

I had a great experience with the Norwex products and Claire is an excellent consultant. She is friendly, very helpful, and excited about this product.

Here are some of Claire's other favorite products:
dust mittmakes dusting so fast and easy
travel pack Love to carry these around when I am out doing errands/restaurants for cleaning carts, tables, and hands.
dishwashing liquid This is so great for spot cleaning and caring for cloths, getting stains out of clothing, carpets, and also for washing dishes. Super concentrated so this bottle lasts a long time. You only need a tiny amount.
Tea towel setLOVE this set for my kitchen. I dry my handwashed dishes with the large towel, and then use it to wipe my hands on. I don't have to worry because it holds SO much and will keep it in the cloth until you wash or rinse it out. I love the little cloth for my kitchen counters, stove, microwave, and table.

*You can find detail on all of the products and their many uses here. This is a great resource.

Now for the giveaway!

One of you will win a cleaning set of your own!

You will receive the Blue enviro cloth, a window cloth, and your choice of one makeup removal cloth OR a body cloth!

To enter:

Mandatory: Visit Claire's Norwex website and tell me your favorite product and why

extra entries (leave a separate comment for each)

1. Like her page on Facebook

2. Visit the product manual and tell me something you learned about the company or about one of the products

3. Make a purchase during the week of the giveaway (2 extra entries)

4. Like Crystal's Craft Spot on Facebook

5. Follow Crystal's Craft spot
6. Share this giveaway on facebook

Giveaway will end Wednesday January 18th at midnight and winner announced the next morning!

*For all of you wanting to try Norwex products Claire is generously offering a 15% discount from Jan. 12th through January 21st to all Crystal's Craft Spot readers. To order e-mail your order to Claire at michaelandclaire@gmail.com with the subject as "Norwex order-- Crystal's discount."

*If you have any questions for Claire about any of the products, how they work, joining her Norwex team, etc. leave a comments and she will be happy to answer them here.

Recently finished

2012-01-06T08:03:00.000-08:00

I've been working on a few custom orders lately and just wanted to share some with you.

2012 Goals

2012-01-03T08:03:00.000-08:00

I love the New Year because I feel so much motivation. I love the fresh start. So today I thought I would share my creative goals.
*Write my own crochet patterns
*learn to sew clothes for my kids and myself comfortably
*make a quilt
*catch up on my scrapbook
*365 project
*learn to use my saw and actually make something with it
*keep a journal
*create a system to keep our home organized

Also I love the idea of a one word motto for the year. I saw this on my cousins blog the last two years and I know many of your do this, I thought I would try it out this year. So my word for the year or motto is enjoy! I want to find joy in the little things and the big things, I want to stop and take time to live life and not try to cram in so much that I'm just moving so fast that life just goes by. I want to find happiness even when things aren't going so well. I want to create moments with my family that we will always remember. I want to enjoy today.

Here's a few quotes I found on pinterest that I thought sum it up nicely.

What are some of your goals for the year? Do you pick one word?

My Favorite Projects from 2011

2011-12-31T11:37:00.000-08:00

2011 was full of creating. This year I created everything from decorations for my home, to memories with my family, to a shop where I get to create new products every day. I know this blog has been a little slow with new tutorials and even with posting. My goal is to have a lot more this upcoming year, I really miss it. I appreciate all of you joining me and for all of your sweet comments. One of my greatest joys with this blog is connecting with you.

So just for fun I thought I would share some of my favorite projects from this year

Rosette Frame

t-shirt Valentines Wreath

Lost Sock Board

Barn Window Makeover

One of my biggest projects-my etsy shop

And my favorite is the fundraiser we did to help Austin. It was amazing to see so many people come together and donate money, time, their talent, and products to help a little boy they had never met.

I hope everyone has a happy and safe New Year and I look forward to spending 2012 with you.

December

2011-12-28T18:30:00.000-08:00

First I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. We filled our month with holiday movies, games, cookies, parties, lots of parties, presents, and of course family.

Sorry I was missing on the blog this month. In addition to all of the holiday family time I did have some crafty time. Here's a peek at some things I created this month.

Apron for my sister in law

We made a pinewood derby car for our family Christmas party. My kid's painted it.

And it won! Ours was really simple but the theme had to be Christmas, I'll be sharing some of the other cars in an upcoming post. They were pretty amazing.

and lots of crocheting and fabulous pictures from my photographers.

New shot of the elephant hat-so cute.

beautiful cocoon and hat set

gorgeous petti romper (I think this is my favorite)

I made a fun snowman hat for my sister.

Oh yeah, we also signed paper with a builder and picked out a floor plan. Our new home will look something like this only a different color. Can't wait to get started.

I have big plans for the upcoming year, lots of projects, more recipes, a new linky party, and a couple of surprises. Hope you'll come along for the ride. Its going to be a great year!

Shabby Apple Winner is....

2011-12-14T07:56:00.000-08:00

Steph! Congrats!

* Please contact me within 48 hours to claim your prize.

Last day to enter Shabby Apple giveaway!

2011-12-13T14:01:00.001-08:00

Hurry and enter here. Winner will be announced tomorrow!

Shabby Apple Dress Giveaway!

2011-12-07T09:24:00.001-08:00

Shabby Apple has the most beautiful Women's dresses. I have spent hours browsing their website and love pretty much every thing I see. I'm lucky enough to have two of their dresses and can tell you the quality is outstanding and they are even prettier in person.

Here are a few items I have on my Christmas wish list.

They now have skirts

these boots

and something for my kids

So are you ready to see what dress one lucky winner will take home?

This Beauty-the Bali Ha'i

I have this dress and absolutely love it.

To Enter:

(leave a comment for each)

Mandatory: Like Shabby Apple on Facebook. Then come back here and let me know.

Extra entries:

1. Follow my blog

2. Like Crystal's Craft Spot on Facebook.

Giveaway will end Tuesday Dec. 13th at Midnight and winner will be announced the next morning.

*Please make sure to include an email address in your comments or have one in your profile. I will contact the winner through email and they will have 48 hours to respond. If not a new winner will be chosen. If you do not wish to include your email it will be your responsibility to check back to see if you won and again you will have only 48 hours from the time the winner is announced to claim your prize.

Sale time!

2011-11-22T21:41:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving and Black Friday Sale starts now through Monday! Take 20% off your entire order (can be used with photographer discount!). Use the discount code BLACKFRIDAY20 at check out.

Great for Christmas presents or photographers looking to stock up. Pick from several items already listed in the shop or let me know what you are looking for and I'd be happy to make it. (I have a huge list of ideas if you need some as well...tons of patterns I've just been dying to have a good excuse to use :) Think Hats, headbands, earwarmers, scarfs, photography props, etc (sizes newborn to adult).

Here is small sample of what you will find at A.O.kay designs.

Please tell your family and friends. Thanks and have a great Thanksgiving week!

FlowerPot Snowman

2011-11-21T08:49:00.000-08:00

Flower Pot Snowman

I think he's pretty cute and this would be a really fun project to do with your kids.

I started with 3 flower pots (3 for $1 at the Dollar Store). If they are plastic, sand them a bit so your paint has something to grab to.

Paint 2 white and 1 black

When you stack them the bottom one will be upside down, the middle right side up and top upside down.

On your middle pot paint on your face. You can also use vinyl if you want. On the bottom paint on your buttons. Stack and tie a scarf around your snowman.

He's finished and ready to be displayed. It would also be really cute to put candy in the middle pot and use it as a candy dish. Pull the hat off to reach the candy. You can glue them together but I decided not to because this way I can just put the three pots together for easy storage.

Christmas ornament Round Up!

2011-11-15T18:37:00.001-08:00

Its cold here and we even had snow and icy roads this morning (Not my favorite thing). However I do love the feel of the season and I'm so excited already. We already put up our Christmas tree but haven't decorated it yet. It got me thinking that we really don't have much to put on it and the hunt began for some fun Christmas tree ornaments to make this year. Click on the pictures to take you to the original link.

Love these sweet snowman.

This would be so cute to do each year and for grandparent gifts.

Precious right?!?

Fun to make with my kids and a precious keepsake.

I just think these are so pretty.

Scrabble tile names-so cute.

Another fun idea to do with the kids. Made with a juice can lid.

I think these were gift tags but thought they would be really pretty on a tree.

Wood and scrapbook paper. Another cute idea.

Crocheted snowflakes. Again thought these were so pretty and would be perfect for the tree

So I'm curious how do you decorate your tree?

Halloween ladder

2011-11-15T15:33:00.001-08:00

I'm a little lated posting this but it was too cute not to share. My mom and dad actually made and sent me all the pieces. I'll be sharing my Thanksgiving one hopefully tomorrow.

Handmade Christmas ideas

2011-11-13T09:33:00.001-08:00

This year I want to make a few handmade gifts for family. Here are some of the ideas I had for my kids. You can click on the picture to take you to the original post.

I'm also thinking a crocheted hat for each, finish Olivia's quilt, Christmas dresses, etc.

I need some more ideas for my 6 year old, she doesn't really like girly things so please send my any ideas.

Thanksgiving ideas

2011-11-12T11:39:00.001-08:00

With Thanksgiving just around the corner here are a few ideas I found while browsing pinterest and I'm hoping to get to at least some of them.

Saved by love creations. I love both printables and I'm using both this fall.

Love this quote and printable.

Love this outfit and want to create something similar for Livy.

Real pumpkins with fabric leaves. love the classy look

Cute Burlap sign from Red Heads Craft More fun

Adorable blocks from You craft me up

and a whole bunch more I pinned.

Texas Roadhouse Rolls and Honey butter!

2011-11-11T14:44:00.001-08:00

I found this recipe here and had to try it. I couldn't figure out to print it from her blog or easily copy and paste it so I posted the whole recipe here (and some of my method as well) so it should be easy to print out. All I can say it this is good! I don't really make bread or rolls because they often turn out a little hard and not so good but this one was easy and turned out really well. Also check out the link because she has a lot of really good recipes I can't wait to try.

Texas Roadhouse rolls
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
6-8 cups flour
2 Tbsp. melted butter
2 eggs
2 tsp salt

1.Activate yeast in warm water with a tsp. of sugar.

2.While yeast is activating, scald milk and cool to lukewarm

3.Once yeast has doubled in volume, add yeast, sugar, and milk to a large bowl and enough flour to make a medium batter about the consistency of pancake batter.

4.Beat thoroughly. Let stand alone until light and fluffy

5. Add melted butter (which has been cooled), eggs, and salt. Beat well.

6Add enough flour to make flour to form soft doughSprinkle small amount of flour on counter and set down on it to rest. Meanwhile, clean out the bowl and grease clean surface down with crisco. Place dough in bowl and flip over to grease the top as well. Knead dough until smooth and satinyCover and let rise in a warm area until double in sizeOnce double in size punch down. Turn out on floured board. Divide into portions for shaping and let rest for 10 minutes

7.Once dough has raised, shape dough into desired forms. Place on greased baking sheets and let rise until doubledBake at 350 F for 10-15 minutes

* made my dough in the bread maker because I was lazy and in a hurry. I don't necessarily recommend my method but it did turn out really yummy! I followed the same directions above until step 4. I started the dough option on my bread machine and let it start mixing it. Then continued on to step 5 and added about 6 cups of flour. I then started the dough option over again to mix it better. When I came back from church about 3 hours later it was pushing my lid open a little bit. I pulled it out and put it in a bowl and covered until we were ready to use it. (about 15 minutes) I then followed step 7.
Like I said those of you that bake bread are probably cringing that I would do this but remember was was in a hurry (yes and lazy).

Honey butter
You have to make this! It makes a lot but keeps well. We've been using it on our toast for the last week.

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp. cinnamon

Blend all ingredients together at room temperature.Spread on rolls

New!

2011-11-09T17:49:00.000-08:00

My shop is open again and I have lots of new and adorable products!

2x4 Pumpkins

2011-11-08T08:44:00.000-08:00

We had a craft night at church a few weeks ago and this is one of the projects I decided to do. It was really easy! The wood was cut to 8", 6", and 3.5" (but you could do any size). Just paint, Then hot glue a branch to the top for a stem and some moss to cover up the extra hot glue.

The Princess and the Frog

2011-11-04T09:19:00.000-07:00

My kids wanted to be a princess and one wanted to be a prince. I wasn't really loving the idea of my cute 6 year old girl going as a prince so we compromised and ended up with Prince Naveen as a frog and Livy would be Princess Tiana.

For the frog I made the hat and we found cute green leggings and matching shirt. She added her cape just for fun. For Tiana, I made a poofy tutu (any one interested in a tutorial?) and for her crown I wrapped a headband with green yarn (same color as the frog). The cut a fake rose apart and hot glued it the the back side of the headband. Easy and pretty quick.

Can I have a checkmark?

2011-10-17T08:47:00.000-07:00

Today I wanted to share with you our new rewards system. We've been using it for a little while and it seems to work really well. Here's what it looks like.

They each have their own page. When they do something extra nice, help clean up, etc. they get a check mark in one of their boxes. If they do something naughty we erase one (sometimes two) check marks. Once their chart is full they get to pick a prize or special treat. This time I took them to the store and let them pick something out (it got kind of expensive:) this time around I want to have a treasure box with special prizes that they can pick from. I think they will be excited about this and help keep the cost under control. (or I could just be better at saying no!)

Their charts were just made in Word. I used some digital scrapbook elements but you can also use free clip art. The boxes are just text boxes. I sized one then copied and pasted it several times. I want to laminate it and use a marker to add and take away the check marks but you don't have to. I just used a pencil this time and it worked great.

You may have noticed Aubrey has a lot more boxes then Olivia. Here was my thinking, Aubrey is older so we expect her to do a little more and lets just say Olivia loses several check marks. I was a little worried when we started that it wasn't fair but after a little while it went as I suspected-Aubrey had two rows full and Olivia has 2 boxes. Its worked for us and has made rewarding and disciple much easier. Its something they understand and are excited about.
What reward system do you use?

Fall Blocks and pictures

2011-10-14T08:41:00.000-07:00

My mom made me this adorable Fall block set. I Love the scarecrow!

and here is my sisters version in her beautiful new house.

Here are some of my new Fall photos for my shop (once it reopens!) All are from the talented Erica from Red Barn Photography.

Halloween Printables

2011-10-12T09:11:00.000-07:00

I still can't find my Halloween decorations :( But I decided to turn to one of my favorite blogs for some free printables!

To get the size I want I copy them and then paste them in a Word document and size it. I then print them on Cardstock.

You can find this one here.

Then she had this adorable print (its my favorite). However the background is black and I didn't want to use all my black ink and I didn't want to wait to have it printed somewhere else so I made my own version in Word with a white background. I used free clip art and pretty much stole her idea (remember how much I loved it). Not quite as cute as the original but I still love it.

(If you want a copy of this print leave me a message or email and I'd be happy to send it to you. I can't figure out how to add a word document to this post. I'll figure it out one day, maybe.)

10 Wallet Friendly Ways to Beat Boredom This Halloween.

2011-10-10T21:48:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to have Emily Patterson from Primrose Schools: early childhood day care services guest posting today. She has some great fun and budget friendly ideas to do with our kids this Fall.

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Autumn is the time of year when kids go back to school, the heady rush from summer vacation seeps away and the family settles back into the normal, day-to-day routine. Sometime towards the end of September or the beginning of October, parents will notice that their children have gotten used to their new classroom, new teacher and maybe even new friends. When this happens, parents will undoubtedly begin to hear that familiar chorus of “There’s nothing to do!” While, as a parent, you may have quite enough to do and are finding yourself busy with life’s details, children’s lives revolve around school and home. It’s not unusual for children to have less quality interaction with their parents once school begins. Children also may begin to feel boredom creep upon them because school work often does not require the same amount of creativity and imagination that summer activities do. Luckily, the beginning of the fall season brings us a step closer to what is quickly becoming one of the most popular holidays of the year: Halloween! Getting ready for Halloween allows parents and children to spend quality time together completing projects, designing costumes and baking treats. If you run out of ideas for the holiday, you may be able to find some great local autumn activities taking place in or near your town. Here are 10 ideas for parents who want to keep their children busy and entertained during the fall season:

1. Activity Jar: The weekend before school starts, sit down as a family and think of activities that you can all do together or your children can do as individuals. While some activities may be a bit over-the-top, you’ll be surprised at how many sensible activities your children will come up with. Let your children decorate a mason jar while you write down all of the approved ideas on slips of paper. Place your slips into the jar and allow your children to pick out one slip of paper on designated days (weekends often work best). Letting your children take part in the brainstorming process will get them involved in the project and when one of their ideas are picked, they’ll feel a sense of pride when they see their family having a great time with the activity they have thought of.

2. Story Time: If you have a fire pit in your backyard, grab some marshmallows, a few sticks and some cozy blankets and make a camp fire. Sit around the fire and take turns telling ghost stories. Even though you’re only in your backyard, you’re children will feel like they’re on a campout.

3. Craft box: There’s no doubt that, with children, you have craft supplies around the house. Glues, crayons, scissors, construction paper, tape and markers make great Halloween crafting items. Toss in old magazines, small, empty boxes, a few packages of stickers and even glitter. Add holiday specific items at different times of the year to keep the box fresh and interesting. Allow your children to add things to the box as they, and you, see fit. When your children come down with a case of boredom, let them dig through the box and create something special.

4. Choose a costume: Sit down with your children for an hour or two and brainstorm ideas for Halloween costumes. If you’re crafty, take them shopping for the materials you’ll need to make their perfect costume. If you’re not able to or don’t have the time to make a costume, take them shopping for a costume they’ll love.

5. Build Something Haunted: Children adore building forts. Take that creativity and harness it for the Halloween holiday. As a family, ‘build’ a haunted house in your basement, turn their bedroom into a haunted castle or construct a haunted maze in the backyard.

6. Make Spooky Treats: Look through a Halloween cookbook or magazine and find cookies or other treats that your children can help you make. A day in the kitchen will be fun for both you and your kids. Following recipes will also help your children with their math skills!

7. Pick Out A Pumpkin: Find a local farm or grower that is offering pumpkins for sale. If you can find a farm that is offering hayrides, cider and even apple picking; all the better! Make a day out of picking out the perfect Halloween pumpkin, though you may want to set a pre-determined budget to avoid having to lug home the biggest pumpkin on the lot.

8. Jack –O-Lantern: Once your children have picked out pumpkins, you’ve got a brand new activity on your hands. There are many sites online that can help your child design a pumpkin and there are also books and magazine articles dedicated to the subject. If the design is very intricate you’ll need to do the knife work. Look for a child-safe decorating kit at your local craft store; many include patterns on the package.

9. Friendly Scarecrow: Raking leaves is never fun but it can be made better knowing the leaves are going towards a good cause! With just a few items like old clothing, garden gloves and a potato sack, you and your children can create the friendliest scarecrow in town!

10. Take a Drive: more and more people are decorating their homes for Halloween. Pack your kids into the car with their favorite juice box, a baggie of snacks and a cozy blanket and head out on the town. Take a tour around the city and look at all of the fantastically decorated homes. You may even find some great ideas to borrow for your own home decorating project.

Using this list as a starting point to your fall activities will no doubt have you thinking up some of your own! Remember, even though summer has ended your children still need an outlet for their creativity and stimulation for their imaginations. Keep activities fun, tailor them to the interests and abilities of your children and you’re sure to put an end to autumn boredom.

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Thank you Emily! I love these ideas and know my girls will love these ideas.

Shop Announcement

2011-09-26T20:11:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that I'll be temporarily closing my shop starting tomorrow. I'm not sure how long it will be probably 2 or 3 weeks. A few months ago I decided to give etsy one more try and I have been amazed and truly blessed by how well its done. I love my shop, it really is a dream job and I've been able to help contribute to our house fund (we are signing our contract in two months!) Its so fun to create new items and my favorite part is when I receive pictures of them on your precious little ones. With the sudden success I've fallen behind on orders and need a few weeks to catch up. I hate having such a long turn around time and will be working on some changes to keep this from happening again. So if you are wanting anything for Halloween (animal beanies, crowns, mermaid tails, etc.) hurry and get your order in now. I do have some pretty fun Christmas items coming soon so I won't be closed to long.

And maybe once I can get things under control this poor blog and my house won't suffer as much either:) I have a fun tutorial/swap later this week. I can't wait.

More Fall Favorites

2011-09-26T08:56:00.000-07:00

Its officially fall! I wanted to decorate 3 weeks ago but my box of full of fall decorations is missing! So until I find them here are some adorable Halloween ideas I did find :)

Candy Corn Outfit by Positively Splendid

Boo Block from Wood N' Stitches Etsy Shop

Awesome Witch broom from Kiki Creates

Crochet Thread pumpkin from Mamie Jane's

Adorable print from uupp etsy shop

Witch Board from Little Luna

Broom Parking from Diary of a Crafty Lady

Crochet Pumpkin Coasters from Mari Martin etsy shop

Age 3

2011-09-21T19:38:00.000-07:00

I love all the cute photos with interests floating around on pinterest lately. I was able to take a few fun pictures of Olivia today that really show her personality and style. And thought I would make one of my own. I made it in picnik in a few minutes. I can't wait to print it out and frame it. Eventually it will be added to her scrapbook. Now I just need to take some pictures of Aubrey.

3 strand bracelet

2011-09-15T09:01:00.000-07:00

I wanted something to dress up an outfit a little and I Loved the color of these beads.

I don't know very much about jewelery making but you can find amazing tutorials here.

Supplies: clasps, crimp beads, wire cut to wrist length and add extra length for finishing the ends, beads, and needle nose pliers

Pull all three wires through the clasp and the crimp bead

pinch your crimp bead with the pliers (I didn't make my wire long enough so you can see how short the ends are-make sure yours is long enough to push through the first through beads).

Add your beads on each wire

add the other end of the clasp the same way as the first.

That's it! You now have a beautiful three strand bracelet.

I've been busy

2011-09-09T09:47:00.000-07:00

I've been crafting away but just having had much time to post. I've got a few things ready to share about a million started and soon to be started and well I've been a little busy creating things like this for my shop. I have Amazing photographers! I'll have some more fun stuff to share soon.

Guest Post from Kitty Cats and Airplanes

2011-09-01T09:20:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy to have Amie here today. She is seriously one of my favorite people and bloggers. She has a great tutorial for you today.

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Hello Crystal's readers! I am so happy to be here to help out Crystal while she is off enjoying her family. I am Amie, and I blog over at {Kitty Cats and Airplanes}

Today, I am sharing one of my most popular tutorials, the Lace Bow!

Are you ready for the EASIEST knock-off in the history of knock-offs?? This bow is so super simple it's criminal. It will blow your mind.

I was enjoying browsing through Anthropologie's loveliness when I spotted this pretty little number called the Fanny bow. My jaw dropped a little and I let out a "Fer realz????" when I saw it. Super cute and I knew I could whip up a knock-off version in a few short minutes. Enter supplies...

Vintage lace (or regular, non ruffled lace from a spool)
Matching felt
Hair clip
Scissors
Glue gun

Cut two lengths of lace, one five inches long, one six inches long. Run a line of glue down one end fold the other end over to create a loop. Do this for both pieces of lace.

Make sure your two glue-y sides are facing down, and stack the smaller piece onto the larger piece. Center everything.

Put a little dab of glue into the center of the top piece.

Gently pinch the two sides of your bow inward. Make sure that the glue doesn't find it's way all the way up, you only want the glue to be at the bottom of the fold! You should still have a little bit of loose lace at the top of the fold.

Cut out a third piece of lace, shorter than the other two.

Fold/roll your lace. Secure with glue if needed.

Gently press open the fold on your bow. See how it can still be opened a little? This is important to give the bow the prettiness it deserves.

Lay your folded lace on top of your bow so that it "opens" the fold. Secure with glue.

Wrap the folded lace around to the back and secure with glue! The bow is done!

To attach it to a clip, glue a small piece of felt on the back of your bow.

Cut another piece of felt and sandwich it in between the prongs of your clip.

Add glue to the TOP of the clip.

And add it to the back of your bow! Trim any necessary felt aaaaaaaaaand....

Look fabulous! I love this little bow, it's feminine and chic at the same time. Plus, I kind of love lace. A lot. Easiest Anthro knock-off ever right.

Little Prince or Princess hat

2011-08-31T12:23:00.000-07:00

Here's my newest hat in my etsy shop. Cute right?!? Well just imagine it in your little ones favorite color. And think how warm your little princess will this Halloween wearing this or on any day. Olivia has requested a pink one and I'm pretty sure she will wear it all year! Its available in any size and color. You can get it in my etsy shop or if you are a fan on facebook I'm having a little special (discount and free shipping!) but it ends Sunday so hurry!!!

From sheets to Curtains

2011-08-31T09:47:00.000-07:00

I found this sheet at a thrift store for $0.50. It has the pink and green that I wanted for their room.

So it went from this

To this (I'm working on their room so please ignore the mess)

They only took about 30 minutes to make. First I folded it in half (I guess you would call it hot dog style:)and cut. I hemmed the raw edges.

Then I measured the thickness of the pole (can't remember that they are called) above the window and added 1 inch to figure out the casing at the top. Pin and sew.

Slide curtains an and pull to the side with a ribbon. I have a thumbtack pinning my ribbon in place.

Owl Pillow made by Olivia

2011-08-30T08:58:00.000-07:00

A little while ago Aubrey was sleeping so Olivia and I decided to make something together. She picked all the fabric and helped me lay out all of the cut pieces. I just cut it out and sewed it. After she stuffed it all by herself.

I probably should have made a pattern instead of just cutting but I was under a lot of pressure from this three year old and there was just not time for silly things like drawing out out first. Also I took pictures along the way but I can't find them anywhere. So here's a quick how to and maybe one day I'll make another one and actually draw it out so it doesn't look so silly and then share it with you. In the mean time...I used used fleece for the entire thing except the wings. This way it doesn't fray. I cut out 2 squares of pink (I just used a couch pillow to estimate size). Then 3 circles in 3 different sizes and 2 wings. Lay all your pieces on on pink square and pin in place. Cut the top of your owl to give it the little points on the side. Then sew your eyes and wings in place. Place the two pink pieces right sides together and sew around the edge, cure the bottom two corners, and leave an opening to flip. Pull through and stuff. Sew up your opening and your done.

And since I don't have the pictures of all the steps I decided to add a few more pictures of Olivia with her new pillow. She sure loves it and told her daddy as soon as he got home that she made it.

Fall Favs

2011-08-28T07:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been missing on my blog this month. We had a wonderful 3 week vacation and thank you to everyone that guest posted for me. Weren't there projects amazing!!! In addition I've been working a ton of etsy orders. Its been so fun and my favorite part is receiving so many pictures with adorable little babies and kids in my products. Oh it makes me so happy. Being that things have been nuts around here I thought I would get a jump start on fall ideas. here are a few that I'm hoping to make this year and you can find a lot more ideas on my fall pinterest board.

Crochet Pumpkins from Sugar n' Cream website

Print these beautiful printables from Betty Crocker Wannabe

Pumpkin topiary from the Yellow House

Any ideas you are planning?

Bugaboo, mini, mr & me

2011-08-19T00:07:00.000-07:00

Hi, folks! I'm excited to be here at Crystal's Craft Spot! You can normally find me over at bugaboo, mini, mr & me where I like to blog about my attempts at creativity. Triumphs and failures alike! I craft, sew, bake, cook, photograph, do kid projects, and live to bare all.

Today I'd like to show you a little summer sewing project I did for my daughter.

I knew I wanted to make her a cute little ruffled tank, but couldn't decide on a strap. Ruffles? Ribbons? Some kind of trim? And then I realized, I didn't have to decide! I could do it all!

Here's how.

First, you'll need:
a shirt that is about two sizes larger than your child wears
another shirt in the same color - size doesn't really matter
a tank top or shirt that fits well to use as a template
Grosgrain Ribbon (or bias tape) to match the shirt
snaps
sewing machine

Lay out your shirt and find a shirt that has the right fit to use for a template. Using a tank top would probably be easier, but if you use a short sleeved shirt, just fold the arms in.

Fold your shirt in half. Fold your template shirt in half and lay it on top. Trace around the outside of the shirt, leaving about 1/2 inch or so for seam allowance. Cut this out of both sides of the shirt, so you have two pieces that are the same.

Measure the width across the top of the shirt piece. Cut two ribbon pieces this size. Really, you should probably use bias tape, but I didn't have any and I knew that ribbon would work for a baby shirt, anyway.

Then, measure the arm curves and cut four lengths of ribbon that length.

Fold the ends of the ribbons over and sew them to the back - this will prevent fraying and give a finished look.

Start with the armholes. Lay the ribbon on the armhole curve and fold it over it, so the shirt is sandwiched between. Pin it. Then sew with a straight stitch making sure to sew through all three layers.

Do this with all four armhole curves.

Then do this same technique of sandwiching the shirt between the folded ribbon for the tops of both pieces of the shirt. Now all of your edges except the side seams are finished.

Take one side of four snaps - I used the side with the holes - and hand sew them to the top corners by the armholes, about an inch in from the sides.

Using your second shirt, cut strips that are about 2 to 2 1/2 inches wide all along the torso of the shirt. Then cut one side seam off of each strip to open the strip up longer.

Set your sewing machine to the longest stitch length and sew two rows of straight stitches on one edge of each strip. Pull the bobbin threads to ruffle the strips.

On the front piece of your shirt, pin a ruffle on across the bottom.

Sew it on, right across the gathering stitch.

Pin the next ruffle on so it just barely overlaps and sew. Continue doing this all up the shirt. When you get to the top ruffle, pin it so the top of the ruffle is flush with the bottom of the ribbon.

And this piece of shirt is all ruffly now!

Put the two shirt pieces right sides together and pin the sides.

Sew up the sides using a straight stitch. There will be some excess fabric, including ruffles. Just cut them off.

Next, choose your straps. You can use trim, lace, ribbon, knit ruffles, whatever you'd like. Just measure the length of the shoulder straps from an existing tank and cut your trim about an inch longer. Fold each end over to the back (so that it is finished looking from the front) and hand sew the back side of the snaps - I used the side with the little posts - to the ends.

Then you just pick your straps and snap them on! You can use eyelet trim...

(Her crazy poses just crack me up...)

OR, you could use ric rac...

(That first picture is the "Welcome to the GUN SHOW!" pose...)

AND, just to mix it up, you can fold down the back of the shirt. Because it's knit and pretty form fitting, it should stay put.

Then you can use some ruffled chiffon trim with VELCRO on the ends as a halter style top.

(And here's her model-y pose.)

I just love dressing her in cute little girly ruffles. And this little top will take about 1/2 an hour to make. Easy!

Thanks for letting me crash your blog, Crystal! I hope y'all will stop by and say hi!

Sumo's Sweet Stuff

2011-08-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Sumo, from Sumo's Sweet Stuff here!

I'm excited that Crystal asked me to help while she is enjoying the last little bit of summer!

This is a tutorial I've shared on my blog before, but I think it is super fun, and a great way to spruce up any outfit!

Okay. It's no secret around here that I'm a lover of jewelry. I rarely leave the house without it, even if I'm just in my gauchos and t-shirt!

Here's what you need:

- beads, beads, beads! (Yes, I realize that's a lot of beads. No, it's not even close to all the beads I own.)

- chains of varying sizes

- two large lobster clasps

- one smaller lobster clasp

- crimp beads

- scissors

- crimping tool

- beading wire

- split rings

The large flower bead had holes for two wires to string through it. So measured the chain that would be going around my neck on one side, strung it through a small piece of wire, and then put both sides of the wire through the large bead. (Sorry, I know the picture is fuzzy; I couldn't get very good clear shots today for some reason. I'm probably one of the last bloggers on earth still using a point and shoot!)

Then I took a large lobster clasp and put it on a split ring. On the two pieces of wire that have come through the large bead, string together with a crimp bead. Then loop the wires around the split ring and back through the crimp bead. Use your crimping tool to press the crimp bead down, securing it all in place. Trim any excess wire.

Measure a second piece of chain to go around your neck. Open up one of the rings and put a smaller lobster clasp on. This will connect the two sides on the back of your neck. At the bottom of the second piece of chain, attach another split ring with a lobster clasp on it by opening up another ring and close the ring around it. My crimping tool is handy for this! This is what you've got so far!

Now it's time to start making the fun bead strands! Take a piece of wire, put a crimp bead on it, loop the wire around a split ring and back through the crimp bead. Press the crimp bead down, securing your loop around the split ring.

String on your beads to the length that you want. Secure the end with another crimp bead and split ring.

Here's how it looks attached on to your base necklace pieces.

Measure different lengths of varying sizes of chains, and hook those on to your necklace. You like?

But maybe you don't feel like wearing those clear beads. How about a strand of black pearls?

What's that? It's spring, and time for bright colors? Okay, done.

Or you could always keep it classic with regular pearls.

For a simple look, maybe you just want a few different chains hanging on.

This strand may be my favorite: an eclectic group of clear and silver beads.

So there you have it. A boutique style necklace, with lots and lots of options to make it work for you!

Thanks for letting me stop by today, Crystal! I hope you are having a great vacation!

Sew Dang Cute Crafts

2011-08-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! I’m Tam from Sew Dang Cute Crafts and I’m excited to be here at Crystal’s Craft Spot.

Summer is winding down and Fall is right around the corner, so I thought I would share with you these fun Fabric Pumpkins. I first made them about 6 years ago at a Super Saturday (a bunch of women from the neighborhood get together to craft, craft, craft). So just in case you were wondering, here is how they were made.

Materials needed:
- Fabric
- Coordinating thread
- Embroidery floss
- Polyfil
- Green felt
- Leaves template (click to download)
- Stick
- Hot glue & gun
- Raffia

This is the pumpkin we are going to make right now. To make one shorter/taller, skinner/wider, you will need to adjust the fabric piece accordingly. I started out with an 18" x 11.5" piece of fabric and stitched RST (right sides together) along the 11.5" edge, so you have a tube of sorts. Turn it inside out and sew a basting stitch along one of the raw edges. This will now be the bottom of our pumpkin. Pull the threads to gather. (I find the bobbin thread is easier to pull). Once it's gathered, tie the strings off in a knot and trim the excess thread. Don't worry about what it looks like right now, we are going to cover it with a leaf later. Sew a basting stitch along the top raw edge, then stuff Polyfil inside until it's the desired fullness. Gather the strings along the top that you just sewed before stuffing and tie off just like we did the bottom. That's your pumpkin. Let's define it a little bit now.

Grab some embroidery floss. Place the floss underneath the pumpkin and bring it up around the sides to the top and tie off. Tie it pretty tightly so it squishes the stuffing a little bit to give the pumpkin more definition. Repeat several times to create all the different sections of the pumpkin. I used four strings for mine. Go ahead and rearrange them until you like they way they look. I made sure one of my strings covered up the seam.

Print off the leaves template and cut out the different leaves. Then pin those paper leaves onto your green felt and cut those out. Take the more circular leaf and hot glue it to the bottom of your pumpkin. (See, now those strings are all covered up)? Turn the pumpkin over and squeeze out a glob of hot glue on the top and place the little piece stick in it to create the stem. (I just ran out to my yard and grabbed a little stick off the ground and clipped it to clean it up a bit). Cut a slit in the middle of the biggest leaf (the pointy one) and slide it over your stem and glue it down. Then take the last two leaves and glue those on the top as well. Tie a little raffia around the stem and you are done. Let your pumpkin join the rest of the patch. Remember to get pumpkins of different sizes, you will need to adjust the size of the fabric piece and the size of your leaves. Have fun making them!

I hope you guys will come over to Sew Dang Cute Crafts to see what else I’ve got for you!

Thanks for having me Crystal!

CreationsbyJune

2011-08-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hello!
My name is June and I am from CreationsbyJune ! I am so excited to be an official "Guest Blogger"!! I have been blogging, oh for almost a year and have been crafting for as long as I can remember! My blog focuses on the different things I make, my kids, some foods, photography, my nutty dog and essentially what ever is on my mind at the time!
Lately, I have been on sewing kick, but also love, love, love to repurpose old furniture and clothes. My stash includes fabric, spray paint, paper and more paper, my cricut, many different adhesives, more paint and I currently have a large collection of empty toilet paper rolls for an upcoming project. I work full time and my office sort of questions my sanity, especially when I sent out the office email asking for everyone to save tp rolls for me! Oh well!

You may also see some posts about running and fitness! I am currently training for the Honolulu marathon, which is on my 48th birthday!

This is me before I completed my first Half Marathon in St Louis! Trust me, I look much better than the after photo!

So come on over, look around, stay for a while! One of my latest projects was taking an old shirt and making it into a new skirt! You can find it here . It is currently at the State fair being judged in the repurposed clothing class, got my fingers crossed!!

The country Chic Cottage

2011-08-15T00:21:00.000-07:00

Hello all!! First I need to thank Crystal for letting me guest blog today!! Next I need to invite y'all to come for a visit over at The Country Chic Cottage!! Need a reason to visit? Here are a few...

To check out my monogrammed plate....

Course we all love pillows....burlap and ribbon together?? Oh yes!!

Ya know every once in a while we gotta do something for the little people in our lives. This was one of those projects.

It started with just a thrift store bulletin board. Number one rule when looking for a bulletin board -- the surface does NOT have to be perfect -- you can just cover it up.

I just painted the frame red. Then sprayed on some spray adhesive and attached a sturdy weight fabric to the cork. Worked like a charm! I added those foam stickers to the outside to go with the little man's sports room. Now, this is where the project went wrong. I made this hoping to get his transformers "decor" off of the wall...

But as soon as he saw his new board, he went to draw a picture of himself playing football. It was just too darn cute not to hang up....

So there it is next to his "digger" calendar! Y'all stop by the cottage anytime for a visit!
Have a great vacation Crystal!!
~Angie~

Twelve Months of Fun

2011-08-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hello! I am so excited to be a guest today! I love Crystal and all her crafting beauty. I appreciate this opportunity to share a bit about what I love.

My name is Becky, from Twelve Months of Fun. I'm a work at home mom. I am wife to Curtis and mom to Logan and Hannah. Besides trying to be a domestic goddess, I am a Special Education teacher for an online school. I am very passionate about creating memories and traditions with my little family.

I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Fall and am in full swing in the planning stages to celebrate the crisp air, changing leaves, and pumpkins. With the start of Fall, our weekly theme nights return. Our weekly theme nights consist of festivities and dinner that center around our monthly theme. My husband, kids, and friends love theme nights. It's a night to let loose and just enjoy life together. My all-time favorite theme night is October's Frightful Friday!

Our festivities include Pin The Nose on The Witch, Halloween Bingo, and Trick or Treat where you pick a card and it either tells you a "trick" such as flying on a broomstick or "treat" which everyone hopes to get!
We also love to celebrate Falling into Fall Friday (September), Thankful Thursday (November), Merry Monday (December), Winter Wednesday (January), and Twitterpated Tuesday (February).
I have also started a new project. I have recently started teaching my children values. On my blog, I will be posting my lessons, pictures books, and activities I am using with my children. My husband and I have decided to display our virtues we are learning to create a visual reminder.

I envision the final product to look like a Wordle which I think will be fun. This project will probably go on for years to come as we add new virtues and ideas. Thus far, we have "try," "are honest," and "share." I added "try" because my little guy does not like to try before asking for help. That's what is wonderful about this display, I can add any word that I feel is important for my children to do!

To make:

Buy a large frame. I bought mine from Michaels when frames were 50% off.
Turn the picture inside the frame around for a white look, or buy a poster board and cut to fit.
Using a vinyl cutter, cut out any desired word
Rub the word on

Ta da, you are done! Easy and quick project!!!

Thanks so much Crystal for having me! I hope you can stop by my blog for more ideas on how to create memories and traditions with your family!

Fireflies and Jellybeans

2011-08-11T00:28:00.000-07:00

Hello Crystal's Crafters! I am so excited to be here to day to share with you a fun Back to School Teacher gift!

Let me introduce myself!

I am Fawnda and you can find me at Fireflies and Jellybeans! I am a thirty-something mom of a son (3 1/2 years old) and a daughter (15 months)! My Husband is my best friend and biggest supporter {I am every lucky}!

We have all sorts of fun over at Fireflies and Jellybeans! I share crafty tutorials with you, we have the Iron Crafter Competition and a fun Show Off Your Stuff linky party on Thursdays.

Today I am going to show you a last minute teacher gift, that is quick and easy!

Here is a cute simple gift you can make for your child's teacher. I was a middle school teacher for 10 years and I would have loved to get one of these!

Materials:

4.25 X11 inch piece of card stock for box
2 X 3.75 inch coordinating card stock for mat
1/75 X 3.5 inch white paper or card stock for welcome back message.
ruler
Scoring tool (I use a rule and a skewer)
scissors
paper cutter
adhesive (I use double sided tape)
.5 inch hole punch
Embellishments
Water bottle

1.) On your 4.25 X 11 piece of card stock make score lines parallel to the LONG side at .5, 1, 3.25, 3.75 inches (I outlined mine in pencil so you could see them)
2.) Now make score lines parallel to the SHORT side at 4, 4.5 and 8.75 inches.

3.) Cut off the part that I have shaded below (click on the picture to make it bigger)

4.) Make a cut on the score line to make a little tab on the little square that is formed. ( do to both sides)

5.) Fold on all your score lines. make sure you make your creases really good.

6. Fold over the long sides to start to form the box and place adhesive on the the flaps that are made.

7.) Carefully adhere the flaps to the back of the box.

8.)Punch a hole using your 1.5 inch hole punch on the top flap of the box.

9.) Write your message and attach your embellishments and adhere to your mat. Then, adhere your mat to the box.

10.) Place on a new water bottle with a juice mix inside and you are all set!

Stop by Fireflies and Jellybeans for more fun ideas!

A glimpse inside

2011-08-10T00:16:00.000-07:00

Summer Frame Wreath

I've been seeing so many fun projects out there using frames so I thought why not jump on the bandwagon. I needed something for our front door since all my wreaths went into storage so I thought this would be a good chance to make something with a frame.

So I went off to Goodwill and found this frame.
I liked that the frame had a little shape to it. Had to laugh at the photo- an outhouse! lol
Who would have had this in their house?!

But I bought it and then decided I wanted it yellow.
So yellow it become.

I spray painted it Hubbell House Golden Maize from Valspar.

And then it sat... for 2 1/2 weeks.
I just wasn't sure how I wanted it decorated.
I thought about flowers like this.
I thought about pinwheels like this one.

But thought I'd do something new.

So I went off to Michael's and bought some fun summery ribbon.
Then came home and made some ribbon medallions.
To learn how to make them check out my Medallion Wreath Tutorial.

Once those were complete, I decided I wanted a little bunting banner.
So out came the scrapbook paper, sticky adhesive, string, and alphabet stickers to create a no sew banner.

Here's how I created it.
Decide how large you want each pennant.
I wanted them to 1 1/2 inches wide.
Draw a line the length of the width.

Then, mark the center point.

From the center point, measure 1 1/2 inches in each direction .

Connect all points.
It will look like a kite.

Cut out and fold along the center line.

Then trim the edges so they are even.

To create the banner, add adhesive to one flap of the pennant. Keep pennant open and place the string in the crease of the pennant. Fold over the flaps so they stick together. Continue until all the pennants are attached to the string.

I then used scrapbook stickers to spell out Welcome.

And just tied the string around the frame.

Back to the Medallions.
I played around with placement of the medallions and when I was happy, I just hot glued them onto the frame.
I placed two in the upper left corner.

Then glued the rest along the bottom.

For the one that is in the corner of the frame, I just place a small piece of cardboard on the back of the frame and hot glued the medallion to it.

Tied a ribbon on the top to use for hanging and its done!
I love how it came out!

I tried to match the colors of the ribbon to our welcome mat.

And here it is on our front door.

Since we are on the ground floor of our apartment complex and the rear apartment, our door is out of the elements so I don't have to worry about the paper bunting getting messed up.

I think it looks pretty good with our welcome mat!

Hope you like it because I love it! :)

Babblin' Brooke

2011-08-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Crystal’s Craft Spot readers! I’m so excited to be guest posting today.

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Brooke, and I babble (or blog… whichever) over at Babblin’ Brooke. I babble about all kinds of things: recipes, crafts, family-life, kids and random thoughts. The goal is to someday become SuperMom, SuperWife and an official Domestic Diva!
But for now, let’s talk summer! More importantly, let’s talk summer food! Can you believe how quickly the summer has whizzed by? I’m not the only one that feels that way, I’m sure. But before the warm weather leaves us completely, you’ve got to try one thing… carbonated watermelon.
That’s right, carbonated!
Many years ago as a teen, my family was getting ready for a camping trip. One of the food coolers had a watermelon in it. To keep it cold, my dad decided to put a chunk of dry ice in the cooler as well. Sadly, the watermelon was never eaten on the trip. So, when we got home a couple days later, we cut it up for dinner that night.
I’m sure you won’t be surprised to learn that it looked like watermelon… nothin’ special {unless you think watermelon itself is special, which I do!} But as we bit into our watermelon, it had a strange fizzy sensation, like soda pop! At first I thought it was bad, as in rotten… I’ll be honest.
It’s kind of like those times when someone puts milk or orange juice into a solid water bottle and you go to take a drink {expecting water} and spew the unexpected liquid all over the place. It’s not bad, it’s just not what you were expecting.
So anyway, back to the watermelon, as I took my second suspicious bite along with everyone else, we realized something… it was carbonated!!
Who knew you could actually carbonate a watermelon? I sure as heck didn’t know.
I think everyone should try this at least once this summer. And possibly only once every summer because have you ever bought dry ice before? It is not cheap, my friends! But still worth it for a one time each summer deal.
Here’s what you’ll need…

Whole watermelon
4 or 5 lbs. of dry ice
cooler {large enough to fit the watermelon and the dry ice}
Oh yes, and enough common sense to remember that dry ice is extremely cold and will actually BURN you if touched with bare skin! Always wear thick, protective gloves when handling dry ice!!

Put your dry ice in the cooler along with your watermelon. Let it sit for at least 24 hours. I would say 24 – 48 would be great. Cut into chunks or wedges and ENJOY!
Don’t forget to visit me at Babblin’ Brooke where you can find tutorials about things like Soda Can Hair Bows or just get to know me a little better.
Thanks so much for having me, Crystal! It was lots of fun.

Sugar Bee Crafts

2011-08-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!! So excited to be hereon Crystal's Craft Spot!! I've been following her forever! I'm Mandy, from over at Sugar Bee Crafts:

Here's the whole gang on our recent vacation:

I enjoy all things crafty and have lots of DIY and tutorials on my blog. I even have a link party on Tuesdays so I can see your craftiness - then I show off a bunch of you on Wednesdays. You might know me from a few of my fabulously popular posts (click picture to check them out!):

You can see more projects in my new Tutorials Page, so check that out as well.

Today I wanted to share with you a quick and easy craft for spicing up your computer - -

No need for a boring computer - spice it up with a little craftiness!

Oh look, it's http://www.sugarbeecrafts.com/ (it shows up weird-sized on my sewing computer - gotta fix that):

A brighter view of the computer in my sewing room - love it! Love the stand I had Trevor made for me - the Silhouette fits under the screen perfectly, and I just slide it out when I need to use it. It also keeps my Magic Box (for my Embroidery Machine card) and computer speakers out of the way

Yep, I just hot-glued the sticks to the side of the screen -

A backed-out view of the corner - one day I'll have the room clean enough to take pictures of the whole thing - for now, I just clear out one corner at a time and take a picture - -

The quick how-to on a computer bunting: just cut some triangles and sandwich it in to some bias tape - you can sew it (I did) or even hot glue it in. Then I wrapped the bias tape around some dowel rods I had painted, and hot glued it in place. Easy, right?!?

Hope to see you over on Sugar Bee Crafts - it's awesome over there!!

A little bit of everything

2011-08-04T17:29:00.000-07:00

I'm packing and getting ready to go visit my family for a few weeks. We are really excited and have been so busy. So sorry for the neglected blog. Don't worry I have some fantastic guest bloggers while I'm gone so come check them out each day.
I thought I would show you a little of what I've been working on.

Crocheting a ton of mermaid fins. This is a beautiful photo sent to me from Timeless Images Photography.

An adorable ruffled tutu and hat

some scrapbooking

I've also managed to fit in some painting, sewing, and occasionally cleaning. Just nothing ready to be shown. See you when I get back or maybe sooner if I decided to pop in with a few feature posts. Have a great rest of the summer!

Frame it up!

2011-08-02T12:04:00.000-07:00

First Austin and his uncle are in surgery right now. Please keep them in your thoughts today. Its a 6+ hour surgery.

Second, I have room for a few more guest bloggers. Please contact me if you are interested. I have some great guest bloggers lined up for you while I'm out of town.

I found a huge frame at a yard sale earlier this year. It was super heavy and I knew I wanted to use it with out the glass. So I took it apart and painted it black. (Cut my finger on the glass in the process, ouch!) I hung it on my wall and added a monogram. I wanted to add some frames on the other side by my hubby won't let me, he likes it how it is.

On our dresser I have my bouquet in the vases we used for our center piece. I added another empty frame in front of it. It looks a lot better in person.

Our room is far from done. I am working on some pillows for our bed and I need to add a few more things to the walls and the dressers including some knobs. Also my hubby keeps asking when I'm going to paint our bed. Honestly I really want a new one. I bought a new mattress and its so tall it covers up most of the headboard. I'm trying to convince him we can build one next year (after we move) or buy a new furniture set because we need one. In the mean time I have a few ideas for a temporary headboard. We'll just have to see what I come up with.

A miracle

2011-07-31T22:49:00.000-07:00

Remember this sweet little boy? This is my friends little boy named Austin. He is only 3 years old and has been waiting for a kidney transplant. Last year he contracted a deadly strain of e-coli that almost took his life. This little boy is a fighter and survived but it caused his kidney's to shut down. After a year of dialysis, tests, operations, prayers, and fundraising, its finally time. Tomorrow (Tuesday) this little boy will finally get a new kidney and the beginning of a new life. The donor is his uncle. This little boy and his family have touched my heart and I know many of yours as well as you helped with the fundraiser we did on my blog a few months ago. I just wanted to let you know he is finally getting his miracle. Please keep Austin and his uncle Jacob in your thoughts and prayers these next few days. He really is an amazing little boy. And if you want to read more of his story you can find it here.

Mermaid tail and favorites

2011-07-28T15:55:00.000-07:00

I've been busy working on crocheting a bunch of these. Isn't this picture adorable? A Huge thank you to Kendra Conner Photography for the beautiful photo. You can find them in my etsy shop.

Since I haven't had time to finish up any of my other projects I thought I would share a few of my favorite find on Pinterest.

Button Calendar

This tree from Ginny Phillips Photography

Headband holder from oatmeal container made by the gaines gang

All three have been added to my huge want to make list. Now I just need some time....

New Summer Dress

2011-07-25T13:51:00.000-07:00

Kitty Cats and Airplanes has a fun new Craft Challenge. This rounds theme is Summer Sewing. Go link up your projects as well, she has some great prizes.I decided to finish up this little summer dress for Olivia before it turns too cold to wear it. Its hard to tell how cute this dress is in the pictures (one day I'll learn how to take better pictures.) The top ruffles all the way around. She was too excited to let me fix her bow. She just wanted me to take pictures. I wanted to make it a bubble dress but I couldn't figure out how to get the elastic to work so I decided I'd try again on a different dress. The pattern is from Whimsy Couture.

Need Guest Bloggers

2011-07-22T10:36:00.000-07:00

I'm headed out of town most of August and could use some (well several) guest bloggers to help out. It can be a new or an old post. Please email me (scharris21@gmail.com) be added to the schedule.

Sometimes I wonder why I scrapbook. It takes a long time and they often sit on the shelf. However, every once in a while this happens and makes it all worth it.

Also I have a bunch of projects almost done, some just need pictures taken, and also my etsy shop and win, lose, or blog competition has been keeping my busy. Sorry its been a little slow around here. My kids and I have been enjoying the summer and it hasn't left as much time to craft. Hoping to get some finished up this weekend.

Parmesan Chicken

2011-07-21T07:13:00.000-07:00

This was really good! I found the recipe here. I did change it a bit to fit out family of 4.

Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
2 Chicken Breasts
2 Egg Whites (or whole eggs if you prefer)
1 Garlic Clove
1/2 Cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs
1/4 Cup Grated Fresh Parmesan Cheese
1/2 Teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1/8 Teaspoon Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons Flour
Spaghetti (cooked and drained)
1 Jar of your Favorite Spaghetti Sauce
1/4 Cup Cheese (shredded)-Mozzarella is probably best but use what you like
Preheat oven to 425. Trim Chicken. First bowl add flour, Second bowl Beat egg whites and press in garlic. In a third bowl Mix together bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and seasonings. Coat chicken with flour, dip in egg mixture, and then in crumbs. Place Chicken on baking sheet and bake 20-25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. Cook pasta and heat up sauce. To serve, place pasta on plate, placed baked chicken on top. Cover with sauce and cheese.

Don't forget to add your recipe to this link up!

Any Office Fan?

2011-07-20T09:38:00.000-07:00

I love when my hubby asks me to make something for him. Its even better when he helps me out. He's training for a marathon and wanted a shirt to run in. The front is an inside joke that I won't even attempt to explain

and the back is another joke you will get if you watch The Office. HaHa we just watched that episode last night and it made me laugh.

(sorry for the crappy picture-my camera died before I could take a better one)

So any Office fans out there? What's your favorite episode or character?

Recipe Link up!

2011-07-19T09:24:00.000-07:00

*I'm hosting a giveaway on Kitty Cats and Airplanes today. Head over and help Amie celebrate reaching 500!*

I hope you enjoyed last weeks Recipe Week. It was so fun to to great new recipes and awesome ways to organize. Thank you to everyone that participated. Now I want to see your favorites. Hopefully this will be a great resource when you are planning your meals. So please share your favorites. I'm excited!

Also if you want even more ideas I have an entire board devoted to yummy recipes I want to try on pinterest.

Egg McMuffins

2011-07-16T09:22:00.000-07:00

Hi Crystal's Craft Spot!! I'm super excited to be over here today!! I have loved Crystal's blog for a long time now. My name is Natalie but my friends all call me Nat. I have a little blog called Nat Mac's Knick Knacks. At the Mac house we LOVE McD's for breakfast. It can get tight on the pocket book to eat there every week though. We started making our own version of egg mcmuffin's. They are sooo easy to do yourself!

What you need:

1 package of English muffins
sausage patties
eggs
sliced cheese

Start by preheating your oven to the broil setting. Next start cooking the eggs. I have a fun trick that works great for these. Be sure to cook the eggs a bit longer then the trick says. You don't want the yolks to be super runny. While the eggs are cooking cook your sausage patties according to the package. I follow the microwave instructions.

Next take the tops off the English muffins and set them aside. Lay out the bottoms of the English muffins onto a cookie sheet. Start assembling the sandwiches. Place the sausage first, egg second, slice of cheese third. Last put the tops of the English muffins onto the sandwiches. Broil in the oven for about 3 min. Just until the cheese melts.

That's it!! I've made these for both breakfast and brinner (aka breakfast for dinner). These are a HUGE hit at our house. Hopefully they will be at yours too! A big thanks to Crystal for letting me stop by and hang with you ladies! I hope you stop by my little blog and say hi!

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Yum! I love egg Mcmuffins and these look even better.

Mandy Personalize Cook Book

2011-07-15T00:28:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!! So excited to be here on Crystal's Craft Spot!! I'm Mandy, from over at Sugar Bee Crafts:

Here's the whole gang on our recent vacation:

You can see more projects in my new Tutorials Page, so check that out as well.

Now, for today..... Personalized Family Recipe Book

I've been planning this project for quite some time. I had a grand idea: I wanted a recipe book full of recipes that we regularly cook, all with pictures so the kids could flip through and see what to make. I typed out the recipes long ago, but was waiting to put my picture idea into motion. Lofty goal. I still want to add pictures, but I thought the other day, as my recipe cards were spilling out of my cabinet - I should just print those recipes and get on with that book. And so I did.

For a personal touch, each recipe names who it's from. Then under that I tried to add a couple lines of commentary about each recipe - who loved it, when we ate it, etc. I am hoping to bring memories along with the how-to-make-it.

At first I searched book stores for a recipe book I could write in. Then I thought, why! Just use a three-ring binder. I love the page divider things - they have pockets, so in the pockets I put recipes that I want to try - ones that sound yummy, but I wasn't sure they would be worthy enough to be typed up and added as a page.

My categories are: Desserts, Main Dish, Breakfast, Appetizers, Breads, Side Dish. These work for me, but obviously you need to tailor your book to your family. I love how it can grow with time. Organizing recipes seems like such a daunting task, but this is soooo doable. Go grab a binder and start typing!

Pasta Salad

2011-07-14T15:26:00.000-07:00

Hi!

I'm Sumo!

I blog over at Sumo's Sweet Stuff.

It's my little place to share tutorials, recipes, giveaways, and feature other bloggers. I also like to throw in some stories about my two (soon to be three) cute girls!

The recipe I'm sharing today isn't very tough, and can be adapted to your family's likes and tastes. When it's hot in the summer, I hate to be turning on the oven and heating up our house. This is a great recipe to make a big batch of, keep in the fridge, and eat it for dinner and leftovers!

PASTA SALAD

- noodles (I like to use multi colored ones; they look prettier!)

- tortellini

- veggies: broccoli, carrots, pepper, tomato, cauliflower - whatever you like!

- 1 bottle of your favorite Italian salad dressing

- chicken or pepperoni

- cheese (I used a mix of feta and colby jack)

Boil your noodles and tortellini and rinse in cool water.

Throw them in a big bowl.

Start chopping up veggies and adding them to your bowl. You'll see that I just did broccoli and carrots. I would have added peppers, but my husband is not such a fan. He would have added tomatoes, but I am not such a fan. Give and take, right?

Sprinkle your feta in. I also cut up small pieces of colby jack cheese as well.

We didn't add any meat into ours this time, but usually I would use the mini pepperonis. They are the perfect size for a pasta salad!

Mix it all together with 1/2-3/4 of your bottle of Italian dressing. You don't want to use the entire bottle just yet.

Let it cool in your fridge for an hour or two before serving.

Prior to serving, mix some more fresh dressing into your salad.

If you like, you can sprinkle a little fresh parmesan cheese on top. Serve it with some bread. (Yes, I just tore a chunk of bread off. We're classy like that!)

Enjoy!

Menu board and kid's Menu

2011-07-14T09:23:00.000-07:00

Hi. I'm kimbo--i am the girl over at a girl and a glue gun

and i love to eat.

oh. just thinking of a little panda express and cafe rio right now.

a little drool.

but you know. i'm not a fan of cooking. i don't mind it...but i don't lOVE it.

but the part i dislike the most is the 4:30 scramble of "what am I making for dinner"

you with me? yeah....i knew I wasn't the only one!

I came up with an easy way to display your meals (a whole months worth)

and it's magnetic.

cause magnets are cool.

but that also means you can hurry and swap it for out for "EAT OUT" if you get invited to a BBQ.

When it's time to grocery shop I just take my list and write down all the recipes and then I make my list from there. no wondering the aisles trying to come up with enough meals.

and then when 2:30 hits...i look and see what's on the agenda...pull out whatever needs to be defrosted and cook away!

it has saved so much time!

and so many questions from the kids of "what's for dinner?"

To go to the full tutorial on how to make them you can go HERE.

i also sell them HERE...

and now I'm selling just the kits to make them HERE...

see...apparently i'm not the only one who needed this!

also...to make my life EVEN easier...

I made this kids lunch menu

my kids just grab it when it's lunch time and pick whatever floats their boat.

(they know mom has the power of veto if we don't have something)

i drew these...but you could use clip art or have your kids get involved and cut out pictures of the food.

and then i just laminated!

saves me from having to recite all the options there are.

thanks for having me crystal! (did you see the yummy recipes below? i'm going to have to add them to my menu board!)

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Both of these ideas are brilliant. Thanks for sharing them Kim!

Kara's Pink Lemonade Pie

2011-07-13T09:15:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow crafters! I'm Kara from Creations by Kara, and I'm thrilled that Crystal asked me to be a part of recipe week. I love crafting and DIY projects, but I also love spending time in my kitchen trying new recipes.

Today I'm sharing a dessert recipe that is just perfect for summertime-- Pink Lemonade Pie. It only takes a few minutes to put together, and it is so refreshing on a hot day. You can use a purchased crust to make things even easier. I used a pastry crust this time because we were out of graham crackers. You can use whatever you like. Oh, and if all you have is regular lemonade, I'm sure it would work just fine. :)

Pink Lemonade Pie

1 9" baked pie crust-pastry or graham cracker
8oz cream cheese, softened
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
6oz frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed (I used half of a 12oz can)
4oz Cool Whip
Few drops red food coloring (optional)
Beat cream cheese till fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk, then lemonade. Mix well. Fold in Cool Whip and food coloring. Pour into pie crust. Chill for at least four hours or till set. Garnish with whipped cream if desired.

Thanks for having me Crystal! I hope that all of you will stop over and say hi. I love meeting new bloggy friends!

my boys ate all

Cafe Rio knock off! From Bugaboo, Mini, Mr & Me

2011-07-12T15:48:00.000-07:00

Hey Crystal’s Craft Spot fans! Allow me to introduce myself - the me in bugaboo, mini, mr & me! Or Kimberly, if you’d prefer - it’s not such a mouthful. Over on bugaboo, mini, mr &me, we do what is called “Yummy Monday” every week! That’s when I pick three new recipes to try (and sometimes MORE depending on how ambitious I’m feeling!) and then use my family and my parents as guinea pigs! Sometimes they love it. Sometimes they hate it. I’ve discovered a lot of great recipes this way, and I’ve also developed some dormant cooking and baking talents!

The recipe I’m going to share with you today is one that I discovered on-line on a little blog called Favorite Family Recipes. I made a few subtle changes to the recipes that I’m including below, and you will definitely want to check out their blog for more delicious inspiration.

With the following recipe (which is a knock off salad done in 6 parts... so it does take some time) you will be upgraded to Master Chef status after the first few bites - guaranteed. It’s definitely one of our favorites.

Without further ado, I bring you the

Don’t you love their shredded pork salad? You’ll love this one even more, and that’s not lip service.

First of all, please note that several pieces of this salad can be made up ahead of time, so as to break the work up over a few days. The rice, beans and salad dressing can all be made and refrigerated, then heated up when you serve the salads. The pork needs to cook for about 6 hours - although if you do chicken as I usually do, you only need about half that time. You may want to cook this over night. The crispy tortilla strips are really the only thing that needs to be made just prior to serving so they stay nice and crunchy.

On to the recipes!

Part 1: The pork or CHICKEN (note, I ALWAYS make this with chicken because it’s faster, and we love it that way. The pork is yummy, too, though!)

Sweet Chicken

2 pounds chicken (if you use pork, it’s best to get the boneless pork loin)

2 20 oz bottles of Coke (NOT diet)

1/4 c. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1/4 c. water

1 can diced green chilies

3/4 (10oz) can red enchilada sauce

1 c. brown sugar

Put the chicken in a heavy duty ziploc bag to marinade. Add a bottle of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight. Drain marinade and put chicken, 1/2 a bottle of coke, water, and garlic salt in a crock pot on high for about 2-3 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. Remove chicken from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred the chicken. In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 bottle of Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar. Put shredded chicken and sauce in crockpot and cook on low for 1 hour.

Part 2: The rice

Cilantro-Lime Rice

1 c. uncooked rice (long-grain, white rice)

1 tsp. butter

3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

2 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

1 can (15 oz) chicken broth

1 cup water

2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

2 tsp. sugar

3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

Part 3: The beans

Mexican Black Beans

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 1/3 c. tomato juice or V8

1 1/2 tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro.

Part 4: The dressing

Cilantro-Lime Ranch Dressing

1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)

1 c. mayonnaise

1 c. buttermilk

2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced

3/4 bunch of fresh cilantro

2 clove garlic

juice of 1 lime

1 jalepeno (or less depending on taste)

Mix all ingredients together in the blender.

Part 5: The tortilla strips

Crispy Tortilla Strips

10-12 corn tortillas

oil for frying

salt

Cut tortillas into strips using a pizza cutter. Cut 2-3 tortillas at once. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Place strips into hot oil and fry until they become crispy. When nice and crispy, remove from oil and place on a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt after each batch.

Just a note: the first time I made this I didn't make the strips, I thought they were just "fluff". But I've made them every time since - they are almost essential in my book. Just so you know.

Part 6: Assembly! (best part)

Shredded Sweet Chicken Salad

6 large Tortillas

Mexican blend shredded cheese

Cilantro Lime Rice

Mexican Black Beans

Sweet Chicken (or pork)

Green Leaf Lettuce, or Boston Bib, or similar

Pico de gallo

Guacamole

Sour cream

Tortilla Strips

Cotija, or Mexican Cheese

Cilantro-Lime Ranch Dressing

Lay your tortillas out on a baking sheet, sprinkle cheese on them, and put in the oven at 375 for about 5 min or until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and place each tortilla on a plate or shallow bowl. Add beans, rice, chicken, then lettuce and a pico. Add guacamole and sour cream, if you like. Sprinkle on some of the tortilla strips and crumbled cotija cheese. Top with a few cilantro leaves. Serve with the cilantro-lime ranch dressing.

If you’d like to make your own pico de gallo and guacamole, you can find my recipes by clicking the links. Otherwise, you can find them in most produce departments.

We usually eat this with a refreshing pitcher of Brazilian Lemonade - that stuff is addictive, I tell ya.

This super duper salad will have them all begging for more. And why not give them more? Do you need dessert ideas? I have some good ones for you! Lemon Cake Pie. Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries. Creamy Dreamy Lime Pie. Take your pick!

Be sure to stop by my place and say hi! Thanks for having me over, Crystal!

--------------------------------------------

Thanks Kimberly! I love Cafe Rio and this looks so yummy.

Stefanie's yummy dip recipe

2011-07-12T08:42:00.000-07:00

Hey there, my name is Stefanie, I'm 42, constantely challegend with timing and I live in Cologne, Germany. I love the internet and the blogging world because I get to know people from all over the world without leaving my home. Isn't that cool? On my blog Stefanies Sammelsurium I write about my adventures in the jewerly world, share my favorite recipies, recommend books and show my favorite pics from my trips and around Europe and the world - mostly Europe to be honest:-).

By visiting my blog you can also learn a little bit German, because all of my post are written in english and german. So you may wanna step by and visit my place - I would love to meet you in my little corner of the web. So thank you Crystal to give me the opportunity to guest blog today and to share my favorite dip recipe.

Summer is here and so is the barbecue - I love dips but they have to be easy and quick to make because I'm always having time issues - not a great organizer here:-)

Der Sommer ist da und somit auch das Grillen - Ich liebe Dips, aber die müssen einfach und schnell zu machen sein, da ich mein Timing meist nie auf die Kette kriege - kein besonderes Organisationtalent hier:-)

So I was happy to find a tasty dip that is made in 5 - 10 minutes

Daher war ich sehr glücklich einen leckeren Dip zu finden, der in 5 - 10 Minuten gemacht ist.

1 ripe Avocado (preferably a "Hass"-Avocado)
3 Scallions
125 g sour cream
1 table spoon olive oil
1 table spoon vinegar
salt, pepper

1 reife Avocado (am besten eine "Hass"-Avocado)
3 Fühlingszwiebeln
125 g Saure Sahne
1 Esslöffel Olivenöl
1 Esslöffel Essig
Salz, Pfeffer

Peel the avocado and remove the pit. Cut the scallions in small slices. Put both - together with the other ingredients - in a bowl and mix to blend well. Salt and pepper to taste. it goes with nearly everything - chicken, pork, beef or potatoes

Die Avocado schälen und den Stein entfernen, die Frühlingszwiebeln klein schneiden. Alle Zutaten in ein hohen Gefäß geben und mit einem Zauberstab oder ähnlichem gut durchmischen. Nach Geschmack pfeffern und salzen. Er passt fast zu allem - Hühnchen, Schwein, Rind oder Kartoffeln.

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Thank you Stefanie it looks delicious and so easy!

7 Layer bean dip

2011-07-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

Need a quick and easy dip for a party?

1 layer of bean dip (I used 2 cans)

a layer of guacamole

layer of sour cream

layer of cheese

layer of olives and onions

and for the 7th add tomatoes.

Serve with tortilla chips and ohhh its yummy.

Recipe Week!

2011-07-11T07:34:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I get tired of eating the same thing every week and look for a new recipe to try out. The problem is it can be time consuming and its often risky. So I thought it would be fun to have an entire week dedicated to tried and delicious recipes and also some ways to store your recipes and plan your meals. I'll be sharing a few we have tried recently and have some wonderful guest bloggers helping out. If you would like to share a recipe as a guest blog please send me an email I still have some room or come join the linky party on Friday. The goal is to have several new recipes to try and hopefully add to your cookbook. Hope you will join us!

Also I'm competing on this seasons Win Lose or blog! I am very excited to have this extra motivation to get in shape, so excited in fact that I've gained 1.5 pounds in the last 3 days. Awesome huh (insert sarcasm here). Anyway as you can see I'm going to need your help-encouragement and suggestions please. We each have our own weight loss blogs for the season so come say hi.

How to make a giant puzzle

2011-07-08T09:28:00.000-07:00

I am now in the primary presidency which means I'm in charge of sharing time for the month (for those of you that don't know what the heck I'm talking about I am one of the leaders over the 18 month to 11 year olds at our church and sharing time is a 20 minute lesson taught when they are all together). I used this giant puzzle last week but I thought it would be so fun to use any picture for your kids to play with-I'm thinking animal themed, Disney princess, family photo etc.

So here's how you can make one. Pick a graphic or picture and open it in a word document. Mine had a ton of background and didn't want to waste that much ink so I first edited it in picnik and used the sticker option to white out most of it and add the text. (need a tutorial for that let me know)

Print out your photo (quick black and white works great). You will need one poster board-I think next time I'll try one of the thin foam boards and see how it goes. Measure your poster board to figure out how many pieces of paper it will take to fill up your poster board. Draw the lines on your print out where you need to crop your picture.

Now copy and past your picture however many times you need it. Mine was 6. Use the cropping tool to crop out each section and enlarge to the size you need. Here's one of my pieces.

Print them all out and trim off the white boarders.

Glue on your board

Use contact paper to laminate.

Cut into as many pieces as you want.

The hardest part is figuring out the size for each piece but once you get that its pretty quick and easy. I'm planning on making a few more for my kids.

Not as hard as I thought

2011-07-07T12:08:00.000-07:00

I accomplished one of my goals-Learn how to sew a pair of pants. The great news is it wasn't as hard as I thought! These are the ruffled shorts pattern from Whimsy Couture that I was able to test for her. Olivia loves them and they are so comfortable. I think we are going to have a lot of these in their closet.

Boy or Girl?

2011-07-06T09:49:00.000-07:00

Summer from Sumo's Sweet Stuff is having baby #3 and is celebrating with a huge giveaway! Head over and enter you guess for a chance to win. There are lots of great prizes and one is from me.

Birthday Giveaway Winner is...

2011-07-06T09:02:00.000-07:00

Mary Ellen! Congrats!

I'll be emailing you later today.

Thank you to everyone that entered and the birthday wishes. It was so fun to read about your favorite birthdays.

P.S. I still need a few guest bloggers for recipe week. Read here for details.

Next Week...

2011-07-05T16:45:00.000-07:00

will be recipe week here at Crystal's Craft Spot!

Want to join in? Send me your favorite recipes, menu planners, cook books, cooking tips and tricks, etc. Please contact me asap to let me know you want to participate and I'll need all posts the day before your post goes up. It should be a lot of fun and hopefully give your some great ideas.

Have you entered yet?

2011-07-05T12:34:00.000-07:00

With the holiday weekend I decided to leave my Birthday giveaway open for another day. So hurry and enter if you haven't. It will close tonight!

Hope Everyone had a wonderful 4th of July! We sure did.

I'll be back a little later today.

More 4th of July Crafts from you!

2011-07-02T09:59:00.000-07:00

Here are a few last minute ideas to make your 4th of July Weekend special

Vanilla Bean shared her adorable patriotic hats

The Wayward Girls Craft shared some fun firework nails. (Olivia's really wants me to do this to her fingers)

And I just posted a ton of 4th of July kid's Crafts on our Preschool blog (new and old)-in case you need a few last minute decorations or a way to keep the kids occupied.

Have a fun and safe Weekend!

Patriotic Ideas from you!

2011-06-30T16:54:00.000-07:00

Here are some fabulous ideas from my readers. You are all are so talented!

Adorable blocks from Kristina Grapes

Wayward Girl's Craft

Such a fun Free Printable

I want some of these Patriotic pinwheels

Love this 3D art from Snowflakes and Dragonflies.

If you have any 4th of July crafts please send me the link(s) or leave it in the comment section. I'd love to feature you!