A Little Luckiness....

Happy Belated St. Patrick's Day!

This past week was busier than I had originally planned, so I'm posting this sweet little treat late. BUT I think its okay and you can use this little gem of an idea to build on...yeah, like a building block of bloggy giving. Let's go with that. :)

I made up some "pots of gold and green" for my son's class for St. Patrick's Day. And this is how I did it:

 ←Pop up 2 regular size bags of your favorite popcorn. Put it in a big bowl.  Next, you have to make up a yummy concoction of white sugar, brown sugar, water, green food dye, vinegar (weird? huh?  I know, I thought so, too!) and some butter. If you want an official recipe of the mess in the pot, then go to this nifty spot and do a looksy for red/green popcorn.  She's got some pretty pictures and everything!!

I'm sort of impatient (just a little), so the hardest part of the whole thing was waiting for the thermometer to reach 260 degrees. DON'T miss this step. If you rush it, the entire journey is fraught with disaster! I mean it! Sip on a Diet Coke for a minute and be patient for it inch up to 260...

←See that darn blue line...just hovering around the 200's? I'll tell you now: I had words with the thermometer. I did. And then I sipped on my Diet Coke...and I was okay again. Once the waiting is over, you have to be a little nimble and careful. That green mess is HOT, HOT, HOT!

Alright then, here we go: Once the butter is melted, you've got to pour the HOT green mess all over the popcorn without getting it on your fingers. This takes finesse and skill--absolutely don't look away to the TV when its playing a commercial of the upcoming Hawai'i 5-0 show. No, don't do that. So, carefully avoiding a trip to the ER, spread out the greeny popcorn on a cookie sheet. And let it cool completely. You will be tempted to taste your new popcorn. I would indulge. Because honestly, once the little people know its available, you won't see it. They will gobble it up. Fast like a Leprechaun, they will! :)

After the popcorn is cool to handle you can bag it up all fancy and pretty. That's what I did.  I found some green cups and clear cellophane bags and matchy ribbons. I scooped and tied and delivered the little treasures to class! I think they were a hit because when I poked my head in his class later that day there wasn't a kernel left! Sweet Success ♥

You could definitely change the color of the sugar syrup for any season/holiday. Just think of the pretty-ness you could make for Easter with purples and pinks! Or for the 4th of July? Red, White and Blue? Awesome! Let me know if you plan to try making some pretty popcorn....

Oh so "Paw"-some!

happy valentine's day!!!

Today is a sweet day. Or at least it should be. I think. My kids love the Valentine's Day. Now that they're older, they have such a good time deciding what Valentine to give what kids in their class. Its a funny thing to watch. My daughter is older, so the 'boy thing' is a serious dilemma.  The Valentines can't be too gushy or say ANYTHING about love....and my son is just figuring out that girls exist. This is the first year that he actually cared what his Valentines said. (and he spent an extra minute trying to figure out which Valentine to give Alex and Reese) ♥ So cute!!

I made these sweet little gifts for the kids' teachers at school. They were super-duper simple. You just need a little clip-art know-how and a paper cutter....and wah-la!

 I loved this little gift so, so much that I made a few of them.  yeah, maybe about 100. I tend to get carried away with the cute-ness. Another mom on the PTSO board helped me get coupons from a local yogurt shop. FREE frozen yogurt! How yum is that? TOTALLY ♥

So, I made a cover for the coupon (with a cut-out window). I wrapped it around the coupon--it says "U Swirl our world with sweetness...Happy Valentine's Day"

I found the picture frame card holder clips in the bargain aisle at Michaels.

 I ♥ bargains~~

I used the clip-art stuff in my Word program and cut out paw prints. (the school Mascot is a Wolf--so paw prints...) 

 Then you tie a bow in the middle.

Here's a picture of the gifts in the teacher's boxes. 

Oh So Happy!

I hope you have a sweet Valentine's Day today!

SSShhhhh...It's a Party!! Its a Craft!!

I'm very excited for this upcoming week.  I have a very double top secret hush-hush surprize party to help out with.  I'm excited for two reasons:  1) The food and decorations are going to be SWAG (super, wonderful, awesome, great) and 2) I'll be glad to be finished obsessing over it!!  I love the planning and organizing and details of planning stuff like this, but it comes with an OCD pricetag. I TOTALLY  overthink and over-analyze everything.  It keeps me up at night....BUT, it goes without saying that the crafting of the table centerpieces are the most fun!!!  They are my go-to centerpieces.  So easy, so clever, so cheap and so so cute.  Here it is:

Aren't you thinking "WOW!!" I'm intrigued...what is it? how did she do that? how can I make one?  Of course you're thinking that!  It's one of those things that when you see it explained, you automatically think "DUH!  I could do that!  That's just way too easy!"  And you couldn't be any more right. You can do this. AND....wait for it.....its an eco-recyclable craft!! Yeah, I'm green like that. :)

Here's the what for and the how to of it: 

 Go get:  3 different colors of tissue paper, curling ribbon, 1 roll of toiletpaper



Step 1:  lay one tissue paper flat on the table. Grab another color of tissue paper and lay it over the first--at an angle. Grab the last color of tissue paper over the 2nd--at an angle too.

←See my angles?  Try to offset the papers so that you have an oddly shaped star.  I try and only use 3 sheets of paper/colors. I don't have a special reason and certainly no scientific theories to back me up. I just like it with 3.  I've also done this centerpiece using the same colors--still using 3 sheets.

Step 2:  put your roll of toiletpaper in the center of the tissue papers. 

Step 3:  holding a length of curling ribbon in your mouth, use your hands to gather up the corners of the tissue paper. Gather and hold the papers at the top of the toilet paper. (I know, its a little bit of coordination and determination. It will work out for the cute--promise)

Step 4: use the ribbon to tie the gathered tissues at the top. Take a look at my first picture if you need to.

Okay, I stuck in a picture of me gathering the tissue around the top of the toilet paper...once all the sides are gathered, then tie it together with your ribbons.   this way...look over here→

Doesn't it just crack you up that the base of this happy centerpiece is a roll of toilet paper? I chuckle every time I go to make them.  I've made some for a big Spaghetti Dinner at the kids school; I've made them for a Preschool Party, a Baby Shower....they're fun. And when you're finished with your party you can use them in the potty!!! Bawahahaha!!

I can't wait to do this surprise party!  It's for a wonderful woman that encourages and inspires children everyday. Who better to have a party for?

Merry Chris'Mouse'!

Merry Chris'Mouse'!!

Just like my spiders during Halloween, I've been making these cute little Chris'Mice'---for a long time now. And I thought I'd share the crafty love with you!! They make an adorable gift for a teacher or classmates...you could attach it as a gift...they can even sit on your Christmas tree branches. yeah! I know.

So, how to get started, you wonder?  Take a trip to your favorite crafty place and pick up some white, red and green felt squares. Also get some teeny tiny red pom-poms for the noses.  You can either use the google eyes or dots of black paint--just depends on how crafty you feel. Oh! And you need some candy canes, of course. And some hot glue. And a diet Coke too...really you do. Oh, and grab some scissors.

Now, here comes the very un-tricky part. The patterns to trace the ears and the body. Listen to this--for the ears: use one of those wooden spoony sticks.  The kind you get from a second-hand store--no, wait, sorry about that. That was my crazy radio in my head playing Prince. Nevermind him.  Okay, the sticks--they're the kind that you get with single serving ice creams--kind of looks like a flat hourglass-ish shape (about 2 1/2 inch long). I know, I'm very technical with the terms. Stay with me. For the body: use an enlarged pattern of a tear/rain drop from your scrapbook cache. Enlarge the drop to be as long as your index finger.

I know what you're thinking. Is she serious? Is that how she measures things? The answer: Yep! I am and do.

So, trace the body on the white felt and the ears on red/green felt. Cut them out. Now, a slight bump in the road: fold the tip of the white body (where the nose would go) in on itself about 1 inch. Did you make a triangle? Excellent. Cut 2 small (1/4in) slits on the fold of the triangle. That's where you are going to stick in the ears.

 Now, fold the ears in half lengthwise and pull them up through the slits in the white felt.

Oh, you're almost there. Isn't he a clever little fellow. So merry and bright!

Look at my mad camera skills!  There's the loop at the bottom and the ears on the top.  At this point, you can dot the eyes and glue the nose.  All you have left to do is put a candy cane through the loop and presto! Oh so cute little mouse!! ♥

These are just a few (alright, maybe 100) of the mice. I know, I tend to get carried away with my cute-ness. I made them for the teachers at the kids school for a December Teacher Appreciation gift. Can you see the little blue mouse? He's a Hanakuh mouse for a great teacher!!  I attached a small tag to the cane that read "Merry Chris'Mouse from your little elves in the PTSO"  I love the kids school and feel really blessed to have my kids be a part of something special everyday--so my making of the gifts is my way of saying thanks to all the great people and teachers.

Merry Christmas to you and your family!