Animal Magnet{ism}...

The other day I was browsing Pinterest and came upon this adorable pin...

I loved the idea and knew I wanted to make a version of those cute animal magnets. I chose to make mine a little different though -- more like the sculptured animal wall art {fauxidermy} we've seen in many stores this year. I headed over to Hobby Lobby to pick up some thin wood pieces...

...then to the Dollar Store for some $1 rubber animals. I chose an elephant, rhino and antelope -- that was about the extent of the choices unless you wanted a triceratops or brontosaurus. I will admit I felt a teensy bit uncomfortable as I took off their heads. I used a hack saw, but realized after that I could have used scissors. The rubber was very pliable and it isn't a solid piece of rubber -- it's just a thin layer. 

I gave each piece, including the wooden pieces, a hit of white primer and super glued the heads of the animals onto the wooden pieces. Then, I spray painted them with Krylon Brushed Metallic Satin Champagne Nouveau. {I think they would be really cute painted bright colors too.} When the paint dried I super glued a magnet onto the back of each piece. These are darling used on the fridge to tack things up or they'd be cute on a magnetic message board.

Animal Magnet{ism} at it's finest...

Because I'm such a frugal {not really a word I would use to describe myself} person I made one more...

I'm pretty sure it will be the next fad...

Have a happy day!

Pocket Bibs...

I've mentioned before that my sewing machine has been humming non-stop lately. I'm in "baby mode" -- getting ready for #13 grandbaby due next month. Receiving blankets were first off the line, then burp cloths. The next thing I made were some soft flannel bibs for the little guy... 

I posted a tutorial on how to make these cute bibs a couple of years ago. Go here for the tutorial and to find out how to get the pattern.

I revealed in my "Burp Cloths for Baby" post on Monday a tip on how to use lightweight receiving blankets from Target as fabric for baby items such as bibs, burp cloths and taggie blankets. These bibs were all made from those coordinating fabrics...

When I originally made this pattern I had intended it to be used for babies 1-6 months of age, so I was surprised when I went to see our granddaughter around her 1st birthday and she was still using it. I'm glad that they can be used throughout the baby's first year...

A bib is one of the quickest things you can make, and this pattern is simple enough for the novice sewer.

If you'd like to see the instructions and request the pattern for this bib, go to this Pocket Bib tutorial.

Linked to:
Friday Favs Party @ Nap Time Crafter
The Inspiration Board: Creative Party @ Homework
Show Me What Ya Got @ Not Just a Housewife

Friday's Fabulous Finds...

I spy with my Etsy eye a...

silver lining.

Clockwise, starting top left: 

Sterling Pendant

Clutch

Art Print

Moon Rubber Stamp

Bridal Flower Crown

Wishing you a relaxing weekend.

Staycation ... Pearl Street, Boulder

Boulder, Colorado is a 20 minute drive from our home and is a frequent destination for us in the summer and winter. It's the home of the University of Colorado and my favorite town along the Front Range. Just west of the city are imposing slabs of sedimentary stone tilted up on the foothills, known as the Flatirons. The Flatirons are the backdrop for the University of Colorado and the city of Boulder.

(source)

Twenty Ninth Street Mall and Pearl Street Mall are among our most regular stops in Boulder. Both have fabulous restaurants and fun shops. Pearl Street, however, is a bit more eclectic and eccentric, so that's where my husband and I found ourselves on the 4th of July. Pearl Street is a four block pedestrian mall, and is a favorite gathering place for a number of street performers, including musicians. The mall is filled with public art, including fountains and sculptures, and a variety of planted gardens...

(my grandson, Miles, mesmerized by performer in 2012)

The tree-lined, brick walkways are home to many shops, boutiques, galleries, cafes and restaurants. On the 4th we found ourselves sitting on the outdoor patio at our favorite restaurant on Pearl Street -- Trattoria on Pearl.

We first visited Trattoria a number of years ago and have loved going there ever since. The restaurant features traditional Italian dishes. When it's warm outside we love sitting at tables on the patio so we can do a little people watching as we dine. People watching is a past-time that many find interesting on Pearl Street Mall. {Those who have been there know exactly what I'm talking about!}

Trattoria has a wonderful lunch menu, but I especially appreciate the "Power Lunch" that is served on weekdays. Soup or salad, entree, and beverage for $10. You can choose between homemade pastas or delectable sandwiches for the entree. We've had all the entrees at one time or another, and they're all wonderful.

When we went on the 4th, they weren't serving the Power Lunch {holiday}, so we ordered from their regular lunch menu. I love the homemade bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar that they serve as you're getting settled. It's heavenly...

My husband and I decided we would each order something and split it between the two of us. I ordered the Insalata Caprese -- fresh sliced tomatoes, homemade mozzarella and fresh basil, topped with pesto, olive oil and balsamic vinegar...

My husband ordered the Deluxe Pizza -- artichokes, ham, kalamata olives, mozzarella cheese, red and green peppers and wild mushroom...

Both were fabulous. Lunch was under $25 {including tip}, and we left two pieces of pizza on the pan.

After lunch we walked along the mall and did a little shopping. My favorite store on Pearl Street is Peppercorn. It's a store with an array of kitchen, bath and home accessories.

(source)

There's so much to do in Boulder, that I've just scratched the surface telling a little about Pearl Street. If you're going to visit Boulder, Pearl Street Mall is a must, but we'll have to revisit Boulder to tell you more about the town.

"Ribbon" Photo Holder...

The other day my sister called with a suggestion. My mother, who recently moved into a smaller place, needed a bulletin board or grouping of frames where she could tack photos of grandchildren and great grands and interchange them as she received updated photos. My first thought was to make a small grouping of bulletin board frames a little like the "Smith Fine Art Gallery" that we have in our own home. My mother wanted something smaller, however, so I was told to look for something about 16"x16". I went to Hobby Lobby hoping to find a nice frame on their 80% off rack that I could paint and convert to a bulletin board. No such luck, so I started looking elsewhere in the store. This is what I came upon...

I loved the look of this burlap covered photo holder, but I immediately noticed that four of the five decorative buttons were missing. I asked a sales clerk how much she could discount the item in that condition and was told: 50%. Score.

Then I went looking for some buttons or decoration to put in place of the missing buttons and found these flowers in the scrapbook section of the store. Love them and, more importantly, I thought I thought my mom would like them too.

Those sweet flowers against the burlap really feminized the photo holder...

I love this burlap photo holder, because the neutral color of the burlap will let the photos shine. I bought this because I couldn't have made if for $8, but it would be so easy to make: foam board, burlap, flowers and twine -- done! It's a little larger than my mother requested, but the 16"x20" bulletin board should still fit in the space available. The total cost of this delightful piece was $17!

Burp Cloths for Baby and a fabulous tip...

I mentioned last week that I was sewing non-stop for our 13th grandchild due next month. Receiving blankets were the first things off the line. Burp cloths were the next item I made...

These burp cloths are created from ready-made cloth diapers. It makes sense to make burpies from this soft and absorbent fabric.

You simply add a strip of fabric down the center of the diaper, and add ric-rac to the sides of the fabric. Love the ric-rac. I used flannel fabric this time for the center strips of fabric, but any cotton fabric will do.

I posted a tutorial entitled "Baby Burpies {the easy way}" that has step-by-step instruction on how to make these simple burpies.

Now -- here's a great tip: Often when I am making items like this, I will buy a Flannel Receiving Blanket Kit like this one from Target...

Do these fabrics look familiar? Those are some that I used for the burpies. These little receiving blankets are only 30"x30", which in my opinion is too skimpy for a receiving blanket, but I use them as fabric for other projects. I buy a package of four coordinating fabrics {over 3 yards of fabric} for $12, which is a great price! Then I cut them up and use them for projects like these baby burpies, bibs and tag blankets...

The receiving blankets are a light-weight cotton flannel, so they work perfectly when combined with the cloth diapers to make a burp cloth. I love how the fabrics coordinate to make a cute set. That's my tip for the day! Don't forget to check out the burp cloth tutorial.

Linked to:
Made by You Monday @ Skip to my Lou
Create & Inspire @ Handmade Cuddles

Friday's Fabulous Finds...

I spy with my Etsy eye a...

rustic farm.

Clockwise, starting top left:

Enamel Bowl

Vintage Berry Baskets

Farm Fresh Sign

Crocheted Miniature Rocking Horse

French Fabric Ticking 

Sheep Photograph 

Wishing you a fabulous Independence weekend!

Ric-Rac Receiving Blankets...

The other day I realized that I've been making receiving blankets like this for over 30 years now. I made my first one when I was getting ready to give birth to my first child. He turns 35 this month. To think I have a child in his mid thirties is a bit of a reality check, but I'm loving this stage of my life so it's all good.

One of my favorite things to make a new baby is a receiving blanket. Homemade are just so much nicer than the ones you can buy in the stores. The receiving blankets in stores these days are about 30"x30", which is hardly large enough to wrap around a newborn. They are also made from inexpensive, flimsy flannel, so they don't hold up to the frequent washings that newborns facilitate. The solution is these beautiful blankets...
 

You can go here for my tutorial for these ric-rac receiving blankets. They are so easy to make -- even the novice sewer can whip one of these up in no time.

{Above: Micheal Miller "Dino Dudes" Cotton Flannel}

I made these for our 13th grandchild that will be born next month. I'm hoping he and his parents will like the cute boyish prints on these blankets and the classic polka-dots! They've also got enough ric-rac to satisfy any ric-rac fanatics appetite.

{Above: Michael Miller "Zoology" Cotton Flannel}

I can't wait to see the little guy wrapped in them.

Bloomin' Tuesday...

We returned back on Sunday from a quick three day trip to Omaha to help our daughter's family move into their {beautiful} new home. As we drove through the cultivated, lush farmland of Nebraska I had  a feeling of appreciation wash over me for all that is ours in the United States. I feel so blessed to live in such a wonderful, prosperous, free country. I thought it appropriate for this Bloomin' Tuesday post, to show some photos that I took {with my iPhone at 75 mph} on our drive through Nebraska. These photos show the heartland of America and the beautiful farms that feed our country and the world...

Happy 4th of July!

Linked to:
Ms. Green Thumb Jean's Bloomin' Tuesday

BLT done the right way...

Earlier this week I posted about visiting Lyons last weekend and going to a new (to us) restaurant.  I ordered a BLT that had been modified in some interesting ways, and I wanted to replicate it in my own kitchen. I loved the aioli, avocado, and spinach that Stone Kitchen used to make it an atypical BLT.

I started by making some aioli. Aioli is simply a homemade garlic-flavored mayonnaise made popular in Provence, France. I found an aioli recipe at Yummly and whisked it up in no time. If you've never made homemade mayonnaise or aioli before, treat yourself and make some. I consider it so much more flavorful and fresh tasting than store-bought and so easy to make! This is what added the extra punch of flavor to the sandwich.

 

Source

The next thing I did was make a couple loaves of homemade bread. Even in the heat of summer, bread is worth making. My home smelled divine after baking this bread. I used this "Simple One Hour Homemade Bread" recipe. I'd never made the recipe before, but it is fabulous whether you're in a time crunch or not. It's soft and yummy and the perfect recipe for a BLT. I sliced it extra thick for a heartier sandwich and because I could...

The aioli, bacon, avocado, tomato, spinach and more bacon was layered on a slice of bread. Then another slice of homemade bread with mayo was added to the top to make a delectable masterpiece.

It was better than the original bacon, spinach and tomato sandwich I had at the restaurant -- probably due to that unbelievably soft-crusted homemade bread.

I served it with the Chopped Pear Salad that I published the recipe for a year ago. They were a perfect match.

I often think it's difficult to duplicate recipes found in restaurants in my own kitchen, but this one was easy! The hubs gave me the biggest compliment when he said he'd never had a better "BLT."