Towel Apron - Getting Creative!

My house is a mess, my kids are a mess, and I'm usually a mess!  The other day I said "I need to wear a towel!"  Enter the towel apron. I had fun dreaming this thing up and getting creative with it.

Argyle Yarn Wreath

Made this hanging with my small group girls back before Christmas. So inexpensive to make and easy to get creative with. Here is the tutorial I used to learn the basics:
 http://momadvice.com/blog/2011/09/how-to-make-a-yarn-wreath-for-all-seasons

Rice the Latin Way

I finally found a recipe for how to make rice the way my maid used to in Nicaragua.  I remember coming home from school starving and digging into the caldero. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!  Nothing like finding a recipe from one's past.

Perfect white rice

1 cup long grain rice
1 3/4 cup water
1 tsp. salt

2 T olive oil

1 small green pepper

1. Start by rinsing the rice. Put rice in medium-sized caldero or saucepan and pour hot water over it. Swirl it around with your hand and pour out as much water as you can leaving the rice in pot. Repeat two times, until water is clear and rice is well rinsed.

2. Add the 1 3/4 cups of water, salt and olive oil to the rinsed rice and place over high heat. Add about 10 thinly sliced strips of green pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium so it continues to bubble steadily for about 15 minutes. When most of the water has been absorbed and small craters have formed on top of the rice reduce heat to low and cover tightly. Allow to cook for another 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Remove caldero from heat. Cover the rice with a small kitchen towel and cover with the lid. Set aside in a warm place for another 10 or 15 minutes.

4. Fluff rice with a fork and serve. Makes 2 cups.

Making Old New

I love overalls but I hate how stiff the jean ones are for my baby.  I found some soft Carter's ones at a gently used kids sale for $2.50 but they had a tacky bear on the front of them.  Decided to pull out some scraps and make a unique pair of overalls for my lil' man.  Not sure if I'm finished yet.  May put a little green cuff on the bottom of the legs...

Caterpillar Birthday Continued

Hungry Caterpillar Birthday Banner

Feeling creative. Came up with using the dots like in the book to make a birthday banner.  I am enjoying doing all these little acts of love for my second born.  Sometimes I feel like he doesn't get much special attention.  Hope he will look back on these pictures fondly one day. =) 

Hungry Caterpillar Birthday

Very Hungry Caterpillar 1st Birthday

Getting crafty for my son's big day.  So far I've made very inexpensive party hats, a paper caterpillar display, and did the invites.

Party Hats
Materials: Regular Cheap Party Hats (any style or theme), Colored Felt, Hot Glue, Pom Poms

Found some regular cheap party hats on clearance for less than a dollar. Purchased different color felt (25cents a piece or less).  And a bag of PomPoms (2.99 minus a coupon). 


Step 1: Unroll one of the party hats and use it as a pattern to trace out on  your felt.
Step 2: Cut the felt (following the lines you traced of course)
Step 3: Glue (I used some spray glue as well as the hot glue, but all you really need is hot glue
Step 4: Glue a Pom Pom on top


Caterpillar

Materials: green circular tissue paper decorations and one red one(chinese lanterns would also work), purple, yellow, green felt scraps, popsicle sticks (I used bamboo skewers), hot glue


Step 1: Cut out eyes, ears, and nose
Step 2: Glue skewers or popsicle sticks to purple ears (I put felt over the back of the skewer as well so it still looks pretty from behind. Glue yellow and green eye pieces together.  Glue all your pieces to the red head.
Step 3: Hang them up in a row

Invitations
I bought the invitations on clearance last year (I'm embarrassed to say i bought them before my son was even born).  But you could always make some on the computer or buy some of Etsy I'm sure.  I used different colored Flair Pens to address them.  Made the invitee's name look like a caterpillar complete with purple ears and then addressed in all different colors.

Cards for Dad

Father's Day Card

Anniversary Card for my Honey

I stole the ideas of an Etsy store (JulieAnnArt).  Too cute.