TURKEY BINGO

Here is a another fun and easy game to play with / occupy the kids on Thanksgiving. Print out the TURKEY BINGO Game boards and use beans or color counters as your bingo chips. I put my game boards in sheet protectors to shield from spilled drinks. Hope you enjoy!

Thanksgiving Bingo

Here is a fun and easy game to play with / occupy the kids on Thanksgiving. Print out the Thanksgiving BINGO Game boards and cards and use beans or color counters as your bingo chips. I put my game boards in sheet protectors to shield from spilled drinks. Hope you enjoy! 

Halloween Sugar Cookies

Here are some Halloween Sugar Cookie Ideas. I always have so much trouble with the decorating bags so I decided to use a condiment dispenser for the icing. This worked boo-tifully! Don't be fooled, the decorating process takes a while.....but it's so much fun!  The more you decorate the easier it gets. My first batch is normally my "quality control batch" ....which means I can eat them while I decorate the rest! Hope you enjoy!

Royal Icing



(this will cover approximately 3 dozen)

1 pound powdered sugar
5 TBSP meringue powder
1/2 cup water
a few drops of almond or vanilla extract (optional)
food coloring 


Combine the meringue powder and water with a whisk attachment using an electric mixer. Beat until peaks begin to form. Sift in the powdered sugar and beat on low to combine. Increase speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form. (You should be able to remove the beater from the mixer and hold up and jiggle without the peak falling.) If using an extract, add it then beat for a few more seconds to incorporate.


 
How to:
 
1.)Make your favorite sugar cookie recipe.
 
2)After the cookies have cooled. Use the royal icing recipe from above to outline your design. Allow this to cool for 10 minutes.
 
 

2) Once the outline is fairly dry, add a few drops of water to thin the royal icing. Now you can "flood" the inside of the cookie and the outline will serve as a barrier. Allow this to cool for 30 minutes.

 

3) Once the "flooded" icing has cooled, you are ready to add the details.

4) Voila ....enjoy!

Ctrl + Alt + Delete

After a hectic and stressful week complete with several meltdowns, this quote made me laugh. If only it was as easy as ctrl + alt  delete!! Feel free to print and use. I designed this in publisher and framed it for my desk.

Eat, Drink, & Be Scary

Just a little Halloween picture that I created using  Publisher. Feel free to print and add to your holiday decor. I put mine in a little black frame on the mantle. Hope you enjoy!

Halloween Frame Fix Up

Here's another simple and festive frame fix up using Halloween wire ribbon and some bling from my collection of broken earrings. Hope you enjoy!

Supplies



dollar store frame
acrylic paint
wire ribbon
clear acrylic high gloss sealant (spray can)
Tacky glue or liquid nail
a little bling


How To:



apply to coats of paint onto frame
allow at least an hour to dry
apply 2 thin coats of clear acrylic high gloss sealant- this gives the frame a glossy finish
attach bow and bling using liquid nail

Frame Fix Up

Here is an easy way to jazz up a plain picture frame. I took a wooden dollar tree frame and added some paint and leftover christmas wire ribbon. For the finishing touch, I reached into my graveyard of broken earrings and added a little bling to the center of the ribbon.

Supplies
dollar store frame
acrylic paint
wire ribbon
clear acrylic high gloss sealant (spray can)
Tacky glue or liquid nail
a little bling

How To:
apply to coats of paint onto frame
allow at least an hour to dry
apply 2 thin coats of clear acrylic high gloss sealant- this gives the frame a glossy finish
attach bow and bling using liquid nail

Letters and Love Collage

Nothing fancy today. Just a fun little letter collage. Micrsoft publisher + a little creativity. I'm going to frame this for my desk but it would be a great project for a kid's bedroom. Hope you enjoy!

Frozen Hot Chocolate

Here is a sweet and refreshing treat that is quick and easy to prepare.

How to:
2 cups of ice
Hot Chocolate packet
1/2 cup of  milk
a drizzle of Hershey's Chocolate 
Blend and Enjoy

Another Halloween Wreath

Here's another easy Halloween wreath using my holiday wreath base, some festive ribbon, mardi gras beads, a spider made out of old garland....everything and the kitchen sink!

"Dressy" Shower Napkin

Here's an idea to jazz up a baby or wedding shower... a "dressy napkin."  It makes for a nice table accessory and you can use colored ribbon and napkins to match your theme colors. The only downside is that the napkin is so cute you will not want to use it to wipe your mouth!

Supplies:

Paper Napkins

Curling Ribbon

Directions:

Fold the 2 ends of a paper napkin to meet in the center

Press the napkin between the pages of a heavy book or paper weight to crease the edges

Cut a small triangle from the top for the dress neckline

Cut a small triangle from the right and left side to create the sleeves

Tie with a piece of ribbon to create the dress sash

Voila!



BOO to you!

Here's another easy Halloween craft that can be used to decorate your mantle or table top! I have been using the "BOO" theme for most of my Haloween decor because my husband's nieces and nephews call him "Uncle Boo"....I'm not sure why but it's cute! 

Supplies:
3 dollar tree frames
scrapbook paper or decorative paper

How to assemble:
1) Cut 4x 6 squares of scrapbook or decorative paper. I downloaded some free holiday background paper from http://www.backgroundfairy.com/2009/09/2-free-digital-scrapbooking-papers.html

2) Use microsoft word to print the letters on your paper.

3) Insert prints into frames.

4) Voila!

Witch Craft Wreath

After a brief hiatus, I am back to crafting and gearing up for Halloween. While my husband was indulging in some Sunday NFL action, I assembled this wreath using my recycled holiday wreath base and some Dollar Tree finds. Total cost : $4

Supplies: Wreath Base, decorative wire ribbon, craft wire or paper clips, festive signs

How to assemble:

1) Loosely warp the wreath with one yard of ribbon

2) Make a holiday bow using 2 yards of wire ribbon

(Wrap 10 alternating loops or ribbon, 5 on each side. Tie the center with craft wire. Bend the loops in alternating directions to create a circle.)

3) Attach your store-bought holiday signs to the wreath base with craft wire or by bending paper clips.

4) Voila!

Valentine's "Cup of Tea" Card

In addition to being a caring and thoughtful lady, my mom is a tea connoisseur! I wanted to send her something special for Valentine's Day to thank her for taking care of me after my surgery. The fabulous Martha Stewart made this homemade card on her show this week. I used some leftover art supplies and modified the card a bit. This valentine was easy to make and a great way to send some homemade goodness! As Martha would say "It's a GOOD THING!"

Here's what you need:
cardstock
doilie
leftover scrapbook or wrapping paper
ribbon
adhesive
tea and sugar

Click the link below to see Martha's Card

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/valentines-day-card

Sassy Switchplates

I love to use scrapbooking techniques to jazz up switchplates. All it takes is a piece of scrapbook or wrapping paper, Modge Podge, and a little imagination. I made this Saints switchplate after our first run of "Bless Ya, Boys" at Le Chat Noir Cabaret on St. Charles Avenue. I used pieces of the playbill, photographs, and newspaper clippings. Here's how you can make your own decorative switchplate: Brush a thin layer of Modge Podge on the switchplate and then carefully apply your paper or photos. Apply another thin layer of Modge Podge and allow to dry. Voila....sassy switchplate!

Mixed Media Repurposed Art

This project is the reason that I love mixed media and repurposed art! It is my strong belief that with a little time and super strength glue, trash can be transformed into something beautiful. This is my all-time favorite project and quite a conversation piece. It proves that art does not need to be costly. I am working on creating some more mixed media collages with pieces of jewelry that were damaged, broken, or tarnished from Hurricane Katrina. For years I have held on to little sentimental objects that were damaged by the storm and I hope that through projects like this I can transform my damaged tokens into something beautiful again! So go ahead, clean out your desk drawer and turn your broken earrings and old keys into something beautiful!

Repurposed Salsa Jar

I love trash to treasure projects! I was minutes away from disposing of this empty salsa jar when I decided to make a jazzy repurposed jar!

1.) Clean the jar thoroughly and remove the adhesive label
2.) Apply a thin layer of Modge Podge around the jar
3.) Wrap the jar with a piece of leftover wrapping paper or scrapbook paper
4.) Apply a thin layer of Modge Podge over the paper and allow to dry for about 10 minutes
5.) Apply another thin layer of Modge Podge over the paper and allow to dry for about ten minutes
5.) Attach ribbon around the edges of the paper using super glue

Voila! You can use this repurposed jar for pencils, utensils, candy, etc!

Refinished Furniture Project

My friends Ted and Alison gave my husband and I a beautiful platter from Tiffany's for our wedding. Alison said, "Every girl deserves a little Tiffany's." I loved the pristine platter and equally loved the signature "Tiffany blue" box! With a little help from the Home Depot paint department, we used the signature "Tiffany's blue" color to brighten up a Katrina-damaged armoir. In the center of the armoir is the gorgeous white Tiffany's platter. Thanks to Alison and Ted for the lovely gift and redecorating  inspiration!

Handmade Wedding Cake Pulls

As my one year wedding anniversary approaches, I continue to reminisce about the happiest day of my life. With the help of my family and friends, I had a memorable night

In an effort to customize a wedding tradition, I put a handmade twist on my cake pulls. Instead of the traditional ribbon pulls, I made freshwater pearl bracelets with silver charms for each of my girlfriends. This way the ladies could wear the charm as a bracelet after the wedding. I have to credit my good friends and the owners of Flour Power Confectionery, Ronda and Doyle DeForest, for giving me this great idea. Our wedding cake was designed and prepared by Ronda and Doyle. The photographs are by Beebe Tran.

Hope you can pass this idea along to any bride-to-be!