top 15 of 2015

Happy New Year, friends!

I thought I'd take a little trip down memory lane today...here are the top 15 posts from the past year.  They're such a mix...recipes, crafts, holiday projects...so fun!

Thank you all so much for reading + commenting + and following along with all of my little projects! xoxo

#15 diy Christmas cake toppers

: :click here: : for project

#14 diy chalkboard Easter eggs

: :click here: : for project

#13 diy 5 minute Christmas apron

: :click here: : for project

#12 diy cloth napkins from Ikea dish towels 

: :click here: : for project

#11 how to make a beautiful cheese board

: :click here: : for project

#10 diy Mother's Day donuts

: :click here: : for project

#9 American flag pie

: :click here: : for project

#8 diy pick up sticks

: :click here: : for project

#7 diy tulip bouquets

: :click here: : for project

#6 chocolate dipped bananas and diy magic shell

: :click here: : for project

#5 diy polka dot ring dishes

: :click here: : for project

#4 homemade pickles

: :click here: : for project

#3 diy grapefruit + mint soap

: : click here: : for project

#2 diy floral decoupage gift boxes

: :click here: : for project

and the #1 viewed project of 2015.....

chocolate pudding in diy edible chocolate bowls {and I can't blame you...they were delicious!!}

: :click here: : for project

Thanks again for reading!  Happy 2016!
xoxo

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diy: 5 minute christmas apron

It's Christmas cookie season in our house, so that means for pretty much the entire month of December you'll find me in the kitchen preparing goodies...and usually looking around for a towel to wipe my hands so I don't use my pants.

I'm only slightly more sophisticated than my 6 year old who likes to use his sleeve as a napkin. Ha!

Anywho...I'm not really crazy about wearing full aprons, but found pretty tea towels at Target, that I knew would make for a super cute Christmas apron.  {I've got a thing for tea towels.  These napkins are still going strong!}

This project is the most basic of sewing {just a few straight lines!}, but if you're not comfortable using a sewing machine, it could be done with fabric glue just as easily.

You'll need:

tea towel
2 yards ribbon or twill tape
clear nail polish or fray check

Start by deciding how long you'd like your apron to be and trimming your towel to size.  I made mine about 18 inches long, which sits about Steve Urkel pants height and hits mid-thigh.

Fold over the top edge and iron an inch down on the wrong side of the towel.  Hem using a sewing machine or fabric glue.

Trim ribbon or twill tape into two equal pieces.  Place one ribbon on each side of the hemmed edge.  Sew or glue in place.  Use clear nail polish or fray check to seal the raw ends to prevent unraveling.

There you go...a pretty and festive apron perfect for Christmas baking...and in only about 5 minutes...make more than one and gift it along with baking items and a favorite recipe or just make a few for yourself and keep them in rotation.  It won't take long!!

And when I finish my baking and need to throw my aprons in the wash, I've been using method's new 4x concentrated laundry detergent.

Visit method's site to learn more about the new 4x concentrated laundry detergent products for yourself.

My readers can use the coupon code YAYFORLAUNDRY for $3 off at checkout.

This post was sponsored by method, but I have loved their products for years.  As always, thanks for reading! xoxo



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diy: easy cloth napkins from ikea dish towels

I've had this project in the back of my mind forever.

So in hopes of going a little greener in 2015 {and let's be honest...being completely aggravated over throwing away too many paper napkins every meal}, we're switching to cloth napkins.

Each pack of 4 towels costs about $5 will yield 8 napkins.  Lay each towel out, cut along the crease {I took a picture of scissors but ended up using a rotary cutter to save time}, and then iron and hem each unfinished edge...I made 24 napkins in a little under an hour last night.  These really are cheap and easy.

I've made and sold my fair share of cloth napkins before...but {sorry former customers} vintage linens are super pretty but not all that absorbent and I think that's why I've always saved them for special occasions.  These dishtowels are everyday workhorses and durable!

xoxo


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tent building and the night before halloween.

This post sponsored by OshKosh B'gosh.  All opinions are my own.  As always, thanks for reading!! xoxo

I've had the Cakies A-frame tent on my to do list pretty much forever.  {Like...wanted to do this on Christmas Eve.  Last year.}  But anyway.  It's done now and it's an awesome addition to our family room. 

With three littles, forts and hiding spots and any excuse to use flashlights are big in this house...so of course I knew a tent of their own would be something they'd love.

And when OshKosh B'gosh challenged their holiday blogging partners to make a fort, I knew it was time to finally get my act together and do it.  

Rubyellen's tutorial does a great job of explaining dimensions and how to assemble the tent...so no need to do that here...but I did modify her directions by using heavier weight home dec fabric rather than a sheet and I also added non-slip rubber grips to the bottom of the tent posts because the whole thing was slipping and sliding and collapsing like crazy on our hardwood floors.  

While the boys were busy carving away at their pumpkins {and sister was busy squishing/throwing pumpkin guts...ugh}, I sneaked off to set up the tent and slip Hotel Transylvania into the dvd.  

I lined the tent with twinkly lights, filled it with cozy pillows and blankets, and put a few treats and glow sticks in their pumpkin buckets for fun.

When the boys were done carving {more like stabbing while my husband carved!}, we snuggled up, ordered a pizza, and enjoyed the show.  Such a fun night...and hopefully one they'll remember.  {You know...at least this part...NOT the part with me breaking up the fighting over the carving tools...or constantly telling them no to "just one more piece" of trick or treater candy...or me grumbling about pumpkin insides smeared on the floor...or my freak out over the uncapped Sharpie that's STILL missing...}

And in case you were wondering...a tent is just as much fun in the daytime as it is in the dark. :)

I won't lie...seeing the twinkly tent lights and their reflection on the floor has me super excited about the start of the holiday season and twinkly Christmas tree lights and all the fun that time of year brings. I'll be sharing a few more projects soon and some of my faves from the OshKosh B’gosh Holiday Shop...fun tees, cute corduroys and adorable dress-up outfits...totally perfect for holiday photos. {I'm hoping for more success than last year.  Ha!}

And now for a little love from OshKosh B'gosh...

...just in time for the cooler weather...you can get 50% off kids' winter clothes in the winter shop at OshKosh B’gosh!!
...and a great option for girls' winter clothes on cold days is a puffy bubble jacket. With a fleece-lined hood and plenty of weather protection, it’s great for layered looks and will keep her warm.
...you can find lots of fun, girly details like polka dots, colors and floral prints that are fashionable and provide warmth on wintry days.
...see the sporty and colorful choices in boys' winter clothes like the heavyweight parka.  It's one of OshKosh B’gosh’s warmest options! 

You can shop their entire winter shop online here or search for a local store here.

Don't forget you can “like” OshKosh B’gosh on Facebook, mention  @OshKoshBgosh on Twitter, and follow them on Pinterest for outfitting ideas, vintage ads, deals and special events! 

OshKosh B’gosh partnered with bloggers such as me to help promote the OshKosh B’gosh Holiday Network.  As part of the program, I received product or gift cards.  OshKosh B’gosh believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words, and therefore did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the products I used. OshKosh B’gosh policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations. The winner of any giveaway in this program will be randomly chosen and gift card fulfillment will be handled by a third party.

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diy: folding chair slipcover

JoAnn's was nice enough to send a sample of Waverly fabric to help celebrate National Sewing Month.

I thought the bright and playful fabric would be perfect for prettying up a plain old folding chair.

I based my pattern mainly on the folding chair slipcover in the book One Yard Wonders {I omitted the top ruffle for simplicity and because I didn't read the directions all the way through...I added contrasting ties to the top portion}.

Start to finish, the whole project took less than an hour.  Not bad!  I think making a bunch of these covers would be such a great way to add a personal touch to a party!!

xoxo

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DIY: mason jar cozy

Back in June I wrote this quick little tutorial as a guest post for I Heart Naptime.

Because who doesn't need a cozy for their mason jars?? :)

I've been using mine a ton.  {The orange is my fave!}  Not only are they cute, they're helpful, too!

So in case you missed it...here you go.  I promise it won't take long and it is super easy...only sewing straight lines involved! 

There's something about summertime that makes me want to drink out of a mason jar.

Okay, actually I like drinking out of mason jars all the time...

But the drinks that I drink most in summertime...Arnold Palmers...cherry limeade...ice tea...lemonade...plain old H2O...look especially cute with a straw and in mason jars.

I thought a useful {and colorful!} way to keep my favorite summertime drinks cold would be to whip up some quick cozies.

This is the simplest of sewing.
If you can sew a straight line, you can make one!  I bet it won't even take you longer than 20 minutes...

What you'll need:

sewing machine and basic supplies {a walking foot is helpful if you have one, but not necessary}
2 pieces of fabric, 12.5 in x 3.5 in {scraps or fat quarters are perfect!}
1 piece of insulated batting {regular batting or fusible fleece would also work, but wouldn't insulate as well :)}, 12.5 in x 3.5 in
2 in piece of sew on Velcro {the adhesive kind will make your machine mad if you try to sew through it}

Start by collecting your materials and cutting them to size.

Then pin your fabric and batting.
The order and direction of the fabric is important!

Layer and pin...
insulated batting
fabric, right side up
fabric, right side down

When pinning, leave a 3-4 inch gap for turning later on.

Sew around the edge, using a 1/2 inch seam and carefully pivoting at each corner.
Don't forget to leave an opening, and back stitch at each end!

After sewing, remove any pins and carefully clip all four corners.
Be careful not to cut too close to the stitching!

Turn the cozy right side out, using a knitting needle to carefully push out the corners, and press.
Be sure to fold in the opening so its seam matches the rest of the stitching!

After pressing, top stitch a 1/4 inch seam around the entire cozy.
Make sure the opening is sewn shut.

When the top stitching is complete, pin the Velcro pieces.
Pin one to the front of the cozy and one to the back of the cozy so it closes properly around the jar.  {Practice wrapping it around the jar for a good fit if you need to!}

Then carefully sew, as close to the edges as possible, around each piece of Velcro.

Trim any loose threads and you're done.
Time to enjoy a nice, cold summer drink with your cute new cozy!

If you enjoyed this summer project, you may also like some of my other summer projects...

my DIY ice cream sundae gift kit
my DIY gardening kit for kids
my DIY terrarium with washi tape bunting

or any of my other craft or sewing projects...

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xoxo