Oh So Cute, Santa Hats!

I saw a variation of these on pinterest and knew 1) that I had to make some and 2) I had to bling them up some! I went to Hobby Lobby to get all my supplies and the lady that cut the fabric "might" have asked me if I was making a Madonna costume! LOL!

Here are all my supplies: 2 cones, 3/4 yard of fabric (but I only used maybe 1/2 of it), ribbon, fur, big cotton ball puffs, and bling.

This project was SOOOO easy! I used pins for all of it except the cotton ball top... I used hot glue for that part. It only took me about 30-40 minutes from start to finish.

I didn't take the fabric all the way to the end because the fur covers it anyway. So easy... I Love it!

I just pinned the top and then hot glued the cotton ball on top.

So....what do you think?

2x4 Halloween Friends - Witch, Dracula, Mummy, and Frankenstein

I am trying hard to finish my Halloween Mantle before Halloween is actually here and I am quickly running out of time. :) I finished one part last night and I wanted to share them with you. I created these friends using 2x4s and some ideas I found on the internet. (This was my first project using the table saw by myself unsupervised!) YAY! :) I was pretty proud of that little fact.

I painted all 4 then added felt, little wood pieces from Hobby Lobby, some foam, and a little piece of boa. Since I had most of the supplies here at the house, my total cost was like $2.50. Score!

I hope you like my little friends.

I linked this to Tip Me Tuesday on Tip Junkie!

Meet the Teacher Gifts!

With 3 kids in school of some sort (daycare or elementary) this year we have a lot of teachers to meet in the next few weeks. I decided that I wanted to make something that was A) cute B) inexpensive and C) homemade. I have seen things that are similar and decided to put them all together with my own little twist. I started off with a dollar store vase, big lollipops (also from the dollar store), jolly ranchers (for their colors), and some colored pencils (Crayola, of course) and some dowel rods with ribbon.
After experimenting with rubber bands and zip ties, I went ahead and hot glued the colored pencils on the vase. It was MUCH sturdier this way. The lollipop sticks were very short, so I attached them to a dowel rod and wrapped them up with some ribbon. Then I just filled the vase with some Jolly Rancher candy and put the lollipops in, and topped it off with a few more pieces of candy.
I printed out the little card and attached it with ribbon to the outside. I like the fun, colorful look and just how quick and easy these were to make.

Painting Pottery with Kids (and planting too!)

I am trying to keep my kids busy this summer while also living on a budget. I don't know about where you live, but here there are a few places that you can take kids to paint pottery. However, they all tend to be kind of expensive....especially when we are talking about going with 3 kids in tow. This summer I thought that we would do things a little differently. I bought 3 pots at Walmart for a couple of dollars each. I already had a stash of acrylic paint and brushes. I set the kids up on the kitchen table after covering it with half of a vinyl tablecloth. (I stock up on these any time they are on clearance or sale and I cut them in 1/2, making them last even further.)

After thinking of the design that they wanted to paint, and choosing their colors they want to paint with...I set them free with their own imaginations. 

It was so fun to see what they each came up with and just listen to their conversation as they painted. It was a perfect afternoon. It was also funny to see how different, yet alike, each of their pots were.

In order to check another thing off of our Summer Bucket List, the kids got to go and pick out their own plant to put into their pots. It was supposed to be a fruit or vegetable...but, we were a little too late in the season. We did get some strawberries to try....but the kids each picked out a flower to plant. This made for another inexpensive activity that they loved.

Homemade Cherry Limeade

We were in Canton, TX this past weekend and got a Cherry Limeade that was delicious...and $4!!! It was gone in about 2 minutes, so I decided that I needed to find a way to replicate the recipe. I looked online, but didn't want to mess with making a simple syrup. I played around and figured out a great little recipe. It is a perfect poolside treat for this Fourth of July....and the 5th of July and the 6th of July! Lol! Hope you enjoy!

In a large glass add the juice of 2 limes, 1 tablespoon of sugar, splash of grenadine, and a cherry. Fill the glass 2/3 of the way full of ice. Use another slightly smaller glass to make a shaker. Shake them together several times. I recommend doing this over the sink...hehe (oops!). Then fill the glass with water. It seems like a lot of water, but once you stir it together it is quite tasty. Garnish with a lime and a cherry and enjoy! Mmmm!
We are also going to try this using splenda instead of the sugar...save a few calories here and there.

Summer Bucket List

Last summer seemed to come and go and I felt like I did not get to do half the things that I wanted to with the kids. This summer, I was determined not to let that happen. That is where the bucket list came in.... The kids and I sat and talked about some different things that they wanted to do this summer. We started writing them down and they came up with a ton of ideas. I took their ideas (and a few of my own) and made our Summer Bucket List. We have it displayed on the fridge...because that is where all important information is, right!?! :) The kids get really excited to cross things off. They also plan our time using the list. We have already had so much fun together and we have been able to spend some great quality time together. I am loving this list and hope that you do too.

I Did It!

I have wanted to start blogging for a while now, and I have finally made the leap! I have followed so many talented bloggers, that I was scared to start....but here I go. I am excited to share this experience with you.
Let me introduce myself...My name is Candace and I am a wife, mother, and teacher who is crafty, thrifty, and quite a girly girl. My hubby Blake is wonderful.. He helps and supports all my adventures and ideas. We have 3 kiddos, well actually 2 boys and a princess. T is 10, L is 5, and A (the princess) is 3. We have 3 dogs as well, 2 boxers (Rocky and Dixie) and a lab mix (Dory). I stay very busy, but that is the way that I like it.

I have several things in store for the near future and hope that you enjoy them!