I love birthdays. Every.single.thing.about.them. I love to dream up party themes and create the invitations. I love to decorate and make fun party food. I love to give gifts and think up pretty ways to wrap them. I am even one of those sick individuals that doesn’t mind getting older…at least not yet. Check back on that one in a few years when my age starts with a 4.
Since the estimated 200,000 leap year babies in the United States (and the 5 million worldwide) only get to celebrate their actual birthday once every four years (Boo!) I decided to host my own little Leap Year birthday party here.
So whether you consider yourself a leaper or a leapling….Happy Birthday!
Whether you are a Februarian (Translation: in non-leap years you celebrate your special day on February 28th.)…or a March 1 celebrator…Happy! Happy!
Even if you’re like me…and you likely are since the chances of being born on February 29 are only about 1 in 1,461…Happy soon-to-be-birthday-sometime-in-the-next-year to you!
Since I’ve got birthdays on the brain, I thought I would show you the felt banner I made for Beaut.two’s cowboy themed birthday this year. It is pretty simple to create and if you keep it generic enough, you can use it over and over again!
I have no idea how to use a sewing machine (although this is one of my life goals) so this banner was sewn by hand. I am positive a machine would have been easier but I just keep telling myself that my son will cherish my hand-stitching some day…just cherish it. (In hindsight, that may border on delusion.)
To craft this long-winded beauty you need just a few supplies and some old movies or DVR recordings to catch up on while you stitch away!
Oh, and a few great tools. The essentials: a good pair of scissors, felt in your desired banner colors, a screw punch (pictured is a Martha Stewart Crafts punch from Michaels), embroidery floss in your desired stitching colors, a needle and a cutting mat (pictured is a Martha Stewart Crafts mat from Michaels). You also need hook buttons to attach the individual pennant pieces together. I used La Mode brown leather ones that I picked up at Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts. They look similar to these.
To start, I found an image of a pennant outline online, sized it to 6.6″ high x 8.5″ wide and printed it out. I cut out the pennant shape, pinned it to a piece of felt and used it as a guide to cut the individual banner pieces. I cut out two pennant pieces for each letter (13 x 2 = 26). I think the banner seems more substantial this way. Plus, I like the way the pennant pieces look when stitched together. Here is the template: Pennant Outline.
Next task: figure out the lettering! In a Microsoft Word document I simply spelled out the words happy birthday in Times New Roman font, size 325. I opted to use all lower case letters because they fit on the pennants better. Simply print out the letters, cut them out and then use them as your stencil to cut out the individual letters from your felt.
Once the pennants and the letters are all cut out, the stitching begins! I used DMC embroidery floss #321 and #838. Try not to break into old friendship bracelet braiding habits at this point. Focus! 🙂
Stitch the pennants together first and then stitch the letters to them.
You’re in the home stretch now! With the stitching complete, you make your button holes with your screw punch. I used the smallest setting. Warning! Use a self-healing cutting mat when making your button holes. If you don’t use something to protect your surface, it will get a hole in it too. That screw punch tool is serious. Serious I tell you!
Insert the buttons into the holes, stitch and stitch again. You want to make sure they are secured tightly since they are the glue that holds this whole thing together.
Then behold your great talent and awesomeness! You just conquered a birthday banner my friend!
Do you have any leapers or leaplings in your life? I wish I did. How do you like to celebrate birthdays? I mean besides the amazing birthday banner thingy you just heard about. 🙂
Right out of the gate I am going to be honest. Hostess gifts. I don’t always think to bring these to the lovely people who invite me and my bevy over for dinner. In fact, if the truth be told, I am probably batting under .500. I tell myself that when my beauties are older I’ll do better and remember to thank my hosts/hostesses in the proper manor. I’ve also told myself that when they are older I’ll be more organized, more spontaneous, more trendy, more well-read, more fit…ahh!…the beauty of pipe dreams!
Despite the madness of my day-to-day, I have had some brief shining moments when I’ve miraculously had my act together and brought the hostess a little something special. One of my favorite things to bring is breakfast. I know that after I’ve hosted, cooked and cleaned the last thing I want to do is spend a lot of time the next morning in the kitchen.
Nothing says thank you like homemade blueberry muffins.
This is a really simple recipe (See below). Get your little ones to help.
I usually bake extra muffins for myself so I don’t have to cook the next morning either. I don’t know about you but I find it completely exhausting to be as witty and engaging and fabulous as I am while at a dinner party. Ha! There I go dreaming again.
Once cooled, place into an airtight bag. Resist the overwhelming urge to nibble.
And then I like to throw them into a gift bag purely for the purpose of pretty.
Blueberry Muffins (Parents Magazine)
1 3/4 cups all-purpose baking mix (I use Heart Healthy Bisquick)
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbs. sugar, divided
3/4 cup milk
1 large egg, beaten
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 cup blueberries
Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with baking liners. In a large bowl, combine baking mix, oats, and 1/2 cup sugar. In a medium bowl, beat together the milk, egg, and vegetable oil.
Stir milk mixture into dry baking mixture just to combine. Add blueberries and stir. Using an ice-cream scoop, place batter in muffin cups. Sprinkle tops with remaining 1 Tbs. sugar.
Bake in the oven for 17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.
Another easy, but fabulous hostess gift idea is fresh vegetables or fruits from your garden.
Carrots and tomatoes and more tomatoes…oh my!
And if your dinner hosts prefer the sweets to the veg just have this little gift delivered by a sweet-ie. Awhhh!
On a trip a few years ago to the great state of Kansas, I was greeted one morning by the smell of Christmas wafting from the kitchen. As I made my way toward that glorious scent I realized it was April so it wasn’t Christmas I was smelling, but instead delicious homemade granola baking in the oven. I scored the recipe (shared below) and have made it since many times to rave reviews.
I like to make the heavenly granola deliciousness and then package it in a fun way.
I scoop the cooled granola into a 12 ounce mason jar. (Don’t even get me started on how much I love me mason jars!)
I print a simple label from my computer and then cut it out with my 2 1/2 inch circle punch. This punch is the exact size of the lid. Affix label with double-sided tape.
I then wrap the top of the jar with bakers twine. I found this twine at my local Michaels store. You can also buy it in bulk online. Isn’t it just fun?
Present your creation to your host(s) and guarantee yourself another invitation. You can thank me later.
Crunchy Granola
2 1/2 lb. old fashioned rolled oats
2 c. wheat germ
2 1/2 c. shredded coconut
1 c. sunflower seed
2 c. nuts (sliced almonds, pecans, or raw peanuts)
1 c. sesame seed
1 Tbsp. salt
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
Mix together completely. Combine:
1 1/2 c. salad oil (I use canola.)
2/3 c. water
1 Tbsp. vanilla
Stir well and keep stirring as you add liquid to dry ingredients. Mix well. Bake in 250 degree oven in shallow pans, stirring every 10 minutes until coconut is light brown. Store in covered containers. I add raisins after baking. Makes 2 gallons. Translation: that’s a lot of granola my friend, a lot!
How do you show the hosts/hostesses in your life the love?
I was so very, very proud of myself. I am only into my second week of this whole new adventure called blogging. And it was last night and I had already finished writing, editing and previewing my post for today. I had even learned how to set it to publish automatically at a specific time. That’s probably where I went wrong…too much awesomeness, too soon. Anyway, oblivious to what was awaiting me the next morning I went to bed feeling oh-so proficient and efficient. Oh the heady feeling being 12 hours ahead on anything in this life of mine can give a person! And then, well, I woke up this morning. And the post I had written and planned on sending out today no longer applied, not even a little bit. (More on that whole little adventure in a future post!)
So I was scrambling to come up with something brilliant and insightful…life changing really…for you today. And while that didn’t exactly happen, I am happy to report that I picked myself up, dusted myself off and am here in full blogging glory to bring you buckets! Buckets? Yes, buckets! I love buckets. I’m not sure why. It may have started when I was a wee one and would carry many a bucket to feed and water my dad’s horses. Or maybe it was because we would sometimes use (different!) buckets to carry manure out of the stalls. No, I’m quite certain that can’t be it. Anyhoo, no matter the origin my bucket love is here to stay.
I love buckets because they are so very versatile. We all know they can be used for cleaning. Or more like it in my case, used for holding my cleaning supplies.
Now let’s move on to more pleasant uses, shall we? Like storage! This stainless steel beverage tub/bucket from Target makes our canned goods feel right at home in our pantry…you know…right before they’re eaten.
Our family shoes happily walk to this shoe bucket. We snagged this rugged number at the Container Store this summer. It is made out of recycled rubber. Nike rubber sole meet former rubber things made into a bucket bucket.
Our beauties’ candy stash finds a home in this princess bucket. Sweet meets sweet. Beaut.two is even willing to power through all that princess to get to that candy! I love all the pink.
But hands handles down (pun totally intended!) my favorite buckets are the two antique galvanized buckets my Beau and I picked up on a rare sans children shopping excursion.
We found these nostalgic beauties at Porch Light Antiques in Des Moines. One was $14 and the other was $10.
Worth every penny I tell ya. They remind me of the feed buckets I lugged around as a kid. Now they have new life as a container for my Chinese Evergreen.
And for Beaut.one’s dumb cane houseplant. I am not making this up. The dumb cane is literally the plant’s name. Maybe we should refer to it by its scientific name…dieffenbachia hybrid. O.K. Maybe not. Either way, it may be dumb but it sure is pretty.
And for all of you out there compiling that bucket list, why not add incorporating buckets more into your life to it? At the very least, the irony of it all will make you smile.
I know that when I woke up this morning winter had left a surprise.
And even though we haven’t had a bad winter this year at all…
…I had already moved on to spring in my own simple, little mind.
After all, I have already purchased a new, spring trench coat. Doesn’t Mother Nature know what that means?
Well since Ms. Nature didn’t get the message with the jacket purchase maybe she will get the spring wake-up call when I exchange my winter pillow covers for my non-winter ones. Yeah, that should work.
I absolutely love pillows and have been known to obsessively buy them. And then I discovered pillow covers. Brilliant! They are so easy to store. And affordable too since you don’t have to buy the insert after the first time. This is one of the pillow covers that flanked my couch during the holiday/winter season.
And this one found a cozy home in our leather chair.
This is its plush, green, velvety backside. It took quite a bit of coaxing but I finally got it to agree to be photographed in such a revealing manner.
To switch you just unzip, remove insert, put on new cover, done!
From pine cones to pretty pattern in an instant. From winter to not in a moment. I think Mother Nature could learn a thing a two from pillow covers.
This is the pillow cover I snagged last fall on the sale table at Pottery Barn.
Here it is at full attention with Old Faithful (my blue pillow cover sees me through many, many seasons).
You can get pillow covers from a lot of different stores. Look at these adorable animal portrait hooked wool pillow covers from Garnet Hill. The pastel colors and playful theme scream spring!
Or consider these family portrait pillow covers also from Garnet Hill. They are customizable and you can choose from 35 line-drawn characters to represent your brood. I am currently plotting where I can put one of these little works of art in my home.
And here is another lovely option. Nothing says spring like a butterfly. I am selfishly posting this pillow cover in the hopes that it will fulfill my desire to hop online and buy this little number right now. I mean Old Faithful (blue pillow cover standing at attention a few pictures up) would be so happy next to this Pottery Barn creation. So very, very happy.
My grandmother gave me my first exposure to the idea that decor can change when the season changes….or in my case, apparently whenever you feel like it. That beautiful lady has a fake flower arrangement for every holiday, season or occasion one can dream up…and then some. Same goes for dinnerware. What changes do you make in your home to reflect the change of seasons? And if you don’t what are you waiting for? I mean spring is only a pillow cover away!
Last night this single, blessed outlet remembered it was Ash Wednesday and decided it was giving up working for the next 40 days.
The problem? Our TV, DVR and Blu-ray player are all plugged into it. Translation: no Today show (How will I know what is happening in the world? How?!), no watching taped episodes of Late Night With Jimmy Fallon (I’m way too old to stay up and watch it when it is actually on.), no movies for the kids (This one is the kicker since, truth-be-told, a movie is usually in order so I can shower without worrying about what they’re eating, climbing, rearranging)…nada, nothing, zip, zilch. Our DVR runs the only other TV in our house as well so we are sans viewing pleasure until Beau can get to the business of fixing our Ash Wednesday outlet…and pushing it off the proverbial Lenten wagon.
So faced with my forced fast of all things television I started to dream about what I could do with my gift of time.
Idea #1 Catch up on some reading!
I received Martha Stewart’s Handmade Holiday Crafts as a Christmas present from my friend Christine and her family. Even though they worried that the gift would just feed the craft beast they loved me enough to push through all that and get if for me anyway. That’s what friends are for! And as if that didn’t have enough brilliant, crafty goodness I had to snag the even larger Martha Stewart Encyclopedia of Crafts at the library this week.
Is it just me or can anyone else feel my family visibly cringing right now!? My beauties are already picturing themselves walking up each and every aisle at Michael’s wondering how anyone can spend so much time staring at paper. And my beau is envisioning a monthly budget where craft supplies warrants its own category. Shudder, shudder.
#2 Have a Decorating Brainstorm!
Beaut.one has a built-in playhouse in her bedroom. It was here when we moved in and it was one of the many reasons we bought this house.
We have it set up as a reading nook now. Occasionally it also doubles as a castle that houses a princess in need of rescue.
Coziness…check!
Books…check!
But let’s be honest. It is a bit uninspired. And it definitely needs some serious ‘girl-ing’ up.
It just needs some work. Paint? New flooring? A welcome mat? Accessories? Garland? Art? Stencils?
Ooohh…the possibilities are practically endless. Check back to see what we decide to do with this small but dear space.
#3 Try a new, delicious recipe.
Three words…Roasted.Chicken.Thighs.
I discovered this recipe a few months ago and I ain’t ever gonna live without it again. It is a delicious and simple way to use this affordable cut of meat.
All you need to enjoy this tonight is chicken thighs, lemon juice, olive oil, salt & pepper, honey and grainy mustard. Find the actual recipe here.
I’m off to read, dream and cook. I would love to hear what you would do or do do (there’s got to be a better way to say that) with your TV-free time.
Hello! Today is my first blog post. It is not my first 6 am wake-up call from Beaut.one (my daughter) and Beaut.two (my son). It is not the first time I’ve started my day facing a potty nightmare, a pile of laundry and the midst.
The midst? I know. I was thinking the same thing. So I looked it up. The midst means the middle. “In the midst of the confusion, one strong and steady voice broke through and was heard.” I don’t know about you but my days are full of midsts. I find myself in the middle of yet another unfinished episode of The Biggest Loser, a pile of laundry half-folded, a lunch never eaten while it’s still a respectable temperature, emails that I can’t seem to answer on time…life.
In the middle. And in the midst of the every day I try to find beauty. Beauty can be found in so many places and sometimes when you are knee-deep in yet another potty-training disaster, a little shopping is in order.
Here are my three fun finds today! I don’t know about you but I am obsessed with trench coats. And when my eyes met this Michael Kors beauty it was love at first sight. The color: truffle. The lines: classic. The belt: YES! The bright heart plate and bowl were rescued from the clearance rack at my local Target store. Thank you 70% off. You are so very good to me. The bowl and plate will not be relinquished to February-only usage at this house. They (and their sisters) are definitely in the every day rotation. Two items culled during this shopping experience were 74 cents each. One was not.
And now for the not so beautiful. 6 am laundry. What are you in the midst of today?
beauty in the midst 