Okay, so although I love airing out my thoughts and feeling on the internet for all to read, I am unfortunately going to have to 'throttle back.' The boys have entered that all too glorious 'terrible two' stage sooner than I had hoped and by then end of the day I am ready to just sit at my sewing machine and 'veg.' Lately, there has been no time to blog (yes, the nerd in me used to have a blogroll of at least 3 entries planned out in advance, ready to post) my blogroll has run dry, my thoughts in a jumble and my camera NEVER where I need it, when I need it! Not to fret though, my creativity thread is still weaving strong and it might even get stronger as things get more and more hectic with the upcoming holidays (what can i say, it's my outlet...) so I will continue to list my creations in my Etsy store and will most likely use this blog to post my latest projects and maybe a random recipe or thought :) But, I know for sure I am not going to be able to keep-up the 3 post a week pace :/ I'm going to rely a lot on The Spotted Lamb's Facebook page to get the word out about my store and about the items I have for sale, so please feel free to become a fan ('like' the page) to stay-up on the latest happenings!Thanks for being a part of my blog and I can't wait to show you what I make down the line!! Stay tuned! Hot off the press! Chick-a-Dee Baby/Toddler Quilt and Key Foblettes!
Hold on. Just a sec. I just need to wipe away a few more tears, as my first baby’s FOURTH birthday nears!! Four years!? That is just insane. The old folks always said time only passes faster the older you get, but if it’s already going this quickly now, it pains me to think what it will be like in 20 years…maybe I’ll just stay in bed all day in my 50s cause, at this rate, there won’t be time to do anything else! That aside, it is a bitter sweet moment to realize that your baby is quickly growing into a little girl, and also to realize that I have officially entered the realm of classroom birthday celebrations…I/my mom, never had to deal with this growing up because I have a summer birthday and would always get lumped into the one day at the very end of the school year when the teacher would recognize all the summer birthdays at once…no special birthday hats to wear during class, no birthday treats to share with your classmates, just one of many stars on a bulletin board under the heading ‘summer birthdays!’…boo. But, I’m not bitter.
So, with my daughter starting preschool and having a birthday in September, I had to put on my ‘thinking cap’…what was I supposed to bring to her class for her birthday treats!? I knew I wanted it to be: 1. Easy 2. Pass the ‘nap test’ (can I make it, start to finish, in the time it takes the kids to take a nap) 3. As mess free as possible – throw the teachers a bone! – but still fun, exciting and special. My cap must have been on extra tight this time, because I apparently hit a major home run!
I call them Confetti Sticks! They pass all of my rules and the kids/teachers apparently went nuts over them :) You’ve probably seen them in stores/magazines, etc. but maybe never thought of doing them for birthdays??
Here’s what you do:
1 bag of Pretzel Rods (be sure to look for the bag with the least amount of broken rods)
1 bag chocolate chips
1 tub of sprinkles (some may know them as jimmies…ahem, NJ?) or any other favorite candy
Poor chocolate chips in microwave safe bowl. Place in microwave and cook on half power until chips are melted, stir frequently.
Use a knife or spatula to spread melted chips on the pretzels, taking the chocolate about ¾3/4 of the way down the pretzel. Grab a handful of sprinkles and wave over the chocolate (be sure to do this over a plate to catch the loose sprinkles).
sprinkle fallout
Place finished pretzels on a sprayed cookie sheet or wax paper. Once all the pretzels are done, place in the fridge over night.
I packed my pretzels in a large Ziploc, put them in a lunch cooler with an ice pack – and off we went to school! So simple! I think the kids liked them so much because they were unexpected (not your typical birthday treat) – I will definitely be making these again and adjusting the candy decorations for a variety of occasions...Halloween is just around the corner!
Have you seen these before? All in one polish/brush for painting your nails?
I found these at our local Tuesday Morning (another one of my all time favorite stores) and decided to give one of them a try. The color choices that were available at the store, left something to be desired. So I settled on this nude/buff color: Catch Ya Later! but I was pretty disappointed with the results…
Great concept, but not so great application – the brush made it hard to get nail polish on the sides of my nails, so if I had gone with a brighter color, it would have looked like I had racing stripes or something on my fingers…why don't they make something similar but with a marker type tip -- it would make things a lot easier, I would think?
Maybe I just need more practice? But, I don’t think I will be going back for more of Nic's Sticks…
Let’s keep this home DIY project train going, shall we?! I think I mentioned a few entries ago that I happened to be in the right place at the right time when my neighbor was looking to unload the cutest little kids’ easel?? Well, I happily took it in, and decided to repaint it black to match our décor and to give it a fresh new start.
Easel Before: Easel After:
It’s amazing what a little can of black paint, a sponge brush, some painter's tape and a rockin' itunes playlist can do!
I purchased the paint and brushes at Michael's along with a small bottle of clear, matte polyurethane to go over the black paint.
! And, I didn’t stop with the easel…I toned down the gold accents on this picture frame too!
I have two other frames that also need some ‘toning down’…I wonder why I ended up with all of these gold accented frames…I don’t even like gold…unless it’s the pirate kind ;) Guess I will attack those next! As you can see, this picture frame is a bit unconventional in the sense that it doesn’t actually display any pictures. I graveled for months about which 4 of our 10 million-trillion photos to put in this frame, and never got around to actually ordering any prints, meanwhile the frame sat collecting dust…so, I decided to go a different route a display some of my favorite fabrics in the frame instead, which also happened to coordinate nicely with the room – I love the result!
This week’s fun fact is brought to you by: www.history.com
The first US observance of Labor Day came in the form of a parade. Sponsored by the Central Labor Union, On September 5th, 1882 ten thousand workers paraded through New York City. This is commonly considered the first observance of Labor Day in America.
What was so outrageous at the time to spur ten thousand people to parade through NYC? A 84+ hour workweek! In the late 19th century, it was not uncommon for an average worker to spend 12-16 hours per day, 7 days per week laboring!! Often, in very harsh conditions. The first Labor Day rally was held in order to gain support for an 8 hour workday and more humane and suitable work environments.
Have a safe and fun Labor Day weekend!
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