Our Crafty Corner...

 

 The kids and I have been tucked away inside a lot this past week with the cold weather and rain oh and even some SNOW....is this really April or is this an elaborate April Fool's joke? While we have kept up with our reading and board game playing, we have still needed something to keep our hands busy and I figured we would try something out with what we had on hand. I grabbed a couple corks, a knife, eye screws, old magazines and some mod podge, then we were ready to create.

I cut the cork into 7 pieces (depends on how thick you want the pieces) and then let the kids screw in the eye screws into each cork and search through magazines for whatever they wanted on their corks. Optional items are markers and a circle hole punch to color the cork and make cutting easier but they are not necessary.

Some were colored and some were left blank but once the pictures were ready to be put on, they just needed a little modpodge first and then place the photo and then another coat over that. So simple and so fun! We had a blast trying to find pictures small enough and we had a few mistakes, which made the whole process even more fun! All in all, this could be done in no time or you can drag it out even longer! We had so much fun that the kids keep asking me to have some more wine so we can have some more corks! Hahaha! 

Enjoy every minute my friends!

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Virtual Destinations and Beyond!

Our virtual trip to Mexico was absolutely delightful, but this could be because we have actually toured this Country and can refer to actual photos and memories!

We had fun in the kitchen making a taco bar and quesadillas! We had a blast with papier mache making a pinata (that the kids are NOT allowing to be broken) and enjoyed hopping on SKYPE to talk to some of our family members in Mexico! Now if only the rest of our Countries we had we have on the list we had actually been to, that would be fantastic! haha!

So it's time to stamp your passport and hop on the next flight! We are headed to Brazil and Ecuador!
Here, we plan on touring the equator, Exploring the rain Forest, Peeking in on Carnival and maybe taking a Samba Lesson! We will be making Carnival masks and making Empanadas!

See you in South America!!!

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Tuesday Giveaway!

 
Hello everyone!! I truly hope that your weekend was wonderful and that you are ready to take on this new week. I've been cleaning out our bookshelves of books that we have multiples of (Having 2 kids in school and getting books from teachers often does this!) and ones that we have worked our way all the way through. This week, I would LOVE to give away: Mission Addition. This is perfect for the young child and my 6 year old really enjoyed it. She is in Kindergarten, but taking 2nd grade math and this was a great book for introducing concepts to her.

GIVEAWAY ENDS MAY 20th!

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We spent the weekend travelling Wisconsin and I had 2 of my trusty companions with me! haha!! A good friend and a good magazine! How did you spend your weekend??

~Michelle!~

Crafting Stop!

 

 During the average week, I will make about 3 trips to Michaels and I love to check out every single nook and cranny and to see what's new and what all I can use in upcoming projects! I'm there constantly, since I am usually running in for custom work that someone requests from my shop. This week their 1.00 carousel has a VARIETY of alphabet stamps!! I love these for learning projects, making cards with the kids and all around just fooling around! These were such a steal, I took 3 different ones!

One of my favorite tips to do when I shop, is to print out my coupon and write my list on the back of it!! Since I constantly have my list with my as I shop, I know that I will not forget to hand over my coupon! I always get my craft store coupons online.

Here is this weeks coupon, just click to enlarge and then print! Enjoy your weekend readers!!!

~Michelle!~

For the Birds!

My youngest and I read books about birds and then we took our binoculars outside and watched for some as we lay on our backs and stared in the sky! We wondered what it would be like to fly and where we would go, Disney World (me!) and McDonald's (him!). We marveled at all the colors that could be found on birds and even visited a pet shop to look at birds that could be kept as pets! Upon coming home we started our craft of the day!

We dug around in our bucket of CAPS, CAPS, CAPS and found one that belonged to a trail mix bucket and we were ready to roll! We were going to make a bird feeder! We waited until the big kids got home from school, so that all could be involved in putting in the seed and hanging it up!  Let's hope we get some birds!

Share a link to your homemade bird feeders in the comment section please!!

I'm Blog Hopping Today!

More Fun with Buttons!

I have already mentioned how much I love buttons before, but my passion are vintage ones! Celluloid, pierced buttons always seem so magical! When I work with buttons for pieces in my shop, I often find little hands that are itching to get in my prized collection! I've learned to keep a sorting tray on a low shelf with a small jar of buttons just for them! They use these to sort the colors and sometimes pull out interesting ones along the way! A quick and easy tip to get some time for yourself!!

Easter Egg Counting

 

 We had some felt scraps that were dying to be given a new life, so we got busy! We cut them into egg shapes and used black puff paint to put numbers onto the eggs! Since this is a game for my 3 year old, we just went up to number 10 right now and only use them a little bit at a time, so as not to overwhelm him.

 I start out round one with the eggs in order, but gradually mix them up as the game progresses!

Roman then uses buttons on each egg. 1 button on the number one, 2 buttons on the number 2 and so on and so forth. Sometimes we play a game where I say put a red button on number 3 and he will do that instead. We try to change it up each time we play!! Share your Easter themed crafts!!

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I Had the Time of My Life...

Cheezy, I know, but I truly had a fabulous weekend!! I know you all want tips on business running and promoting, but today I had to steal a day to write about the awesome weekend I had! I finally got a hair cut that I love, I mean LOVE. My father insisted on taking me to his stylist, since I have been known to fall into the mommy look with my hair pulled back and out of the way of tiny hands! I hesitated to go, since my last hair cut was a disaster and I paid waaay too much for it, then I paid even more to have it 'fixed' and I still hated it! This is the first time I have ever had a stylist tell me what I needed and guess what? I needed it! haha! I never know what works for me, what looks good and what doesn't. I NEED that persons opinion, this is their career, their job, their life! They know what they are talking about. She topped it off with a headband by PinkPewter and it was glorious and perfect!

I walked into the hosue to see my husband and he smiled, he told me he loved my hair and it's his top style yet! Believe me in 10 years of being together, this is a huge compliment! I change my hair all the time!

Next was dinner at the Signature Room on the 95th of the Hancock Center in Chicago. It was absolutely fabulous if not magical! We had been there several times before kids, but somehow, now that we have kids, it seemed so much more elgant, fancy, dreamlike! It's great seeing a menu without chicken fingers on it! After a before dinner drink at the bar, we were seated along side a window the view was amazing. We had another drink while overlooking the menu and finally my husband decided on Lamb and I had the Filet. We ordered new drinks with dinner and it was decadent. Everything seemed to matieralize out of nowhere. Service was superb! Dessert followed and then it was time to keel over after settling the bill! Down we went in a super fast elevator and as if by magic a cab was down there ready to escort us to the Cadillac Palace, we were off to see Dirty Dancing! OMG! It was closing night and it was crowded! We were easily the most overdressed in the theatre, my husband in a suit and I was in an evening gown. (Remember, first big night out in 4 years, we wanted it to be perfect!) But it was still awesome! I bout too much merchandise, but I had to! It is my all time favorite movie!! Everything was SPECTACULAR, but I swear I fell in love with Tony Vincent. Was he in the lead as Johnny Castle? Nope, he was a singer and played Johnnys cousin, you know, the guy that takes baby to see the staff only quarters? WOW, he has a voice that makes women swoon! We had a truly fabulous weekend! I could go on, but I think I have said enough! haha!