Showing posts with label crafts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crafts. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

$ave $ome $crilla: Mobile Madness

There are DIY mobiles everywhere!  My Babies R Us Mobile is looking pretty ugly after seeing all of these.  What a great way to add some flare to your nursery!

I stumbled upon a great post on Trashy Decor while researching this topic.  They put together a list of DIY mobiles (a couple of them pictured below). 



I have seen the butterfly mobile they reference copied multiple times.  The $60 Pottery Barn Mobile (no longer available) inspired many crafty moms to try and recreate it. 

Pottery Barn Kids

Pick your fave copycat mobile below and click on the links to see how they did it.  These may be more high maintenance than you are looking for, but if you enjoy crafts, these are definitely for you!



The Penny Parlor

Mama Tots (spent $8)
I love the 3rd one the best!  What a great idea to use a wreath base!

Please send in any of your own DIY nursery items!  Let me know if you try any of the above.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Sweet Mint Studio

If you are trying to decorate your nursery on a budget, this is no easy task!  The baby market can be a bit of a racket.  I ran across this great blog called Sweet Mint Studio that features decorating ideas, recipes, life lessons, and more.  Here is a sneak peak of her low cost idea for nursery wall art.  I just LOVE it! 



Click here to read how she did it.

Don't forget to enter the 10,000 hits giveaway!

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

CopyCat: A bad thing?

Growing up, I was never one to care if someone copied me.  After all, copying is the highest form a flattery.  Why is copycat a negative term, just take a look at these two!?!?  They are too cute to be thought of in a bad way!

 
Now that I am a grown up (ha), I flatter (copy) all sorts of people!  I am no Martha Stewart or even close to it,  but I like to consider myself an expert googler.  There are some fantastic ideas out there!  I have gathered some ideas about baby showers decorations and activities that I would love to share with you.  Please copycat my copycats!

I have renamed these awesome things Puffkins.  We made them for a baby shower I was hosting last weekend.  I was a bit nervous because usually the make your own decorations things looks way easier in the picture than it turns out to be.  These were actually really easy!  We found this article from Martha Stewart with the step by step instructions, but here are my pictures to see a different vantage point.



8 sheets of 20x30 tissue paper


Fold 1.5 inch accordian style


place a wire around the center


Round the edges with scissors


Pull each layer of tissue paper to "fluff" it up


Hang with ribbon


My mom had the idea to stuff them at the top as well




I had a couple thoughts after we made them.  We could have alternated the colors of tissue papers to make multicolored Puffkins.  Also, it might be cute to use tulle or organza, but thought they turned out pretty cute as they were.  I think they added a lot more than flowers and were a fraction of the cost.  At Michaels craft store they sell pre-assembled Martha Stewart "Puffkin" making kits for $20, but we just bought all the pieces separately and it was only $10. 

Good luck!  Please send pictures if you decide to copycat or improve on the idea! 

More baby shower ideas to come!


Don't forget to enter for the Barefoot Designs giveaway.



You must complete all three things listed to qualify.  Click here for details.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Small Town Lovin MEETS Keeping it Simple

One of my old friends and I have reconnected over the ever-crazy blogosphere.  I am so excited to introduce guest blogger, KK of Small Town Lovin.  I have very vivid memories of jumping on her trampoline and counting out hundreds of pennies so we could go with her cool older brother to the movies...come to find out, we were $4 short.  We had a good laugh about what the movie theatre would have said when we handed them 1,000 pennies.  How selfish of me to spend KK's life savings on a movie! 

Below is a picture of us from 1996 Homecoming...



I look like a baby and she look so grown up and has hardly changed a bit!!!

Small Town Lovin dabbles in a few different areas.  She posts incredible photography and crafty ideas for raising children.  She has the three most beautiful daughters!!!  Definitely bookmark her blog for future reads.  Her post today is a clever way to document your family's busy life:


hi! my name is KK from Small Town Lovin, and I will be guest posting today at Keeping It Simple. I am a mother of 3 girls all under the age of 4. 
This = craziness! 

If you have one child or five, you know the demands of being a mommy are tough. I never knew I could multi task so many things!!  I can hold a baby, make dinner and talk on the phone all at the same time. I am like a super spy and have perfected the art of opening sleeping babys doors,  without making the slightest noise. Some nights I wake up at 3am, realizing I nursed the baby an hour ago and we are sleeping, sitting up right in the same position. Does this ring a bell with anyone? I am a master at distraction so my 2yr old won't throw a fit, I wipe booties, clean noses, fix meals, clean up all day and love {most} every minute of it. 

With all that being said, sometimes the days get a bit blurry and I forget what happened an hour ago. I do not want to look back and not remember these precious times even though they are so demanding. So, I created a family journal. 

Whether you are a newlywed or already have a house full of kids, it is never too late to start a family journal. 

We keep ours in the kitchen, right by the telephone. It is easily accessible and always open.
things included in our journal include:

~ funny things the kids say
~notes to eachother
~things we are thankful for
~milestones
~prayers

~lovely doodling from the kids

really the book is about us- there are no guidelines, no time frames. since it is so handy, it is so easy to go write something really quick. we all take part, and THAT is what makes the book so special. i have baby books for all my girls and can transfer anything to there i want to, but i know in years to come, that these will be the books we will all look back on and cherish.

* if you do not have kids yet - go ahead and start one - it would be so great to document those early years before kids and all through future pregnancies as well:) wish i would have done that looking back!

*if you want to add little photos here and there, then i recommend getting an Instant Camera -

its great to have handy and include every day photos - first day of school, sick days at home, special meals etc...

*remember to keep it in a very handy place - again ours is open and by the telephone in the kitchen with a pen always handy ready to write.

start yours today and make memories for a lifetime!

thanks for having me janann ~ you will always be one of my favorite peeps! 
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