Helping the Nail Polish Obsession

I have an addiction. I know I am not alone, my cousin is addicted too...we can't get enough of finger nail polish!!! I LOVE all the pretty colors and the new textures.

Recently I cleaned out my polish stash. I had some that where old and drying. I can't tell you how hard it was to throw them out.

I have a pretty nail shape so painting my nails has always been a pleasure. I went through a phase where I changed my color every couple of days. Now with 3 kids, not so much.

Then I came across this: Make Your Own Wonderful Galaxy Jewelry.

Oh my!!! My mind started to whirl. I had some flat bottom marbles from the dollar store. Of course, I had nail polish.

Thus started my addiction!!!!!

My little slice of the universe.

I used all the dollar store glass marbles and then headed to Michael's. They have glass marbles that don't have that weird sheen to the top of them.

I am not sure what to do with them now. I was thinking of making them into a stepping stone. I have avoided the glass marbles at both stores...too much temptation!!!

Hope I don't spread the addiction.

Here are some more pictures:

I just love them.

These are from the dollar store. They have that sheen.

The center one is from Michael's. It does not have the sheen.

Gymnastics and Medals

A byproduct of gymnastics competition is medals!!

Go onto Amazon and look up "gymnastics medal holders"...I'll wait...let's compare results.
The first item that shows up on my search result has the price of $38.95+$12.95 shipping. Who wants to spend that much?

I found a quick solutions, probably temporary, but very cheap.

How does it look?

Can you believe that this only took me $2.00 and some things I had on hand to make?

The picture frame is an 11x14 inch frame I found at the dollar store. Now this size of frame is not always in stock. I have about 8 frames this size in the back of my closet for future projects. (I like to print large size black and white pictures of my children to decorate our living room wall.)

The white hook is also from the dollar store. The metal is plastic coated which I might have been able to paint but didn't want to try.

There you have my $2.00 investment.

The silhouette I found online, resized and printed, traced onto black and cut out. Super easy!!

The background is just acrylic paint on a white sheet of paper. I could have used wrapping paper or maybe tissue paper, but I had a look in mind. Of course, the silhouette is not glued down so the background can be changed at any time.

Now I know we will have more metals than this. I will eventually find an alternative. What I will not do is spend $40 on it!!!

Thanks for stopping by. Please leave a comment so that I know you are out there! ;)

My Little Pony Party

Originally my soon to be 7 year old wanted to have  her party at home. She picked My Little Pony as her theme. Having a party at home puts me into create mode. I started looking on Pintrest for ideas and buying things as I came across them.

Then she dropped a bombshell on me...she wants her party at the rollerskating ring. WHAT?!?! How could she do that to me? I was already on a roll with tons of ideas planned. I was crushed.

Of course that only lasted until I realized I don't really have to do anything for this party then. I can just make the goody bags, order the cake and go!

One day at Micheal's they where having an awesome clearance sale. They had MLP lunch boxes for under $4.00. I counted out how many girls will be at the party and picked them up. The goodies for inside the box that where under a $1.00 where: MLP stickers, notebook, press on nails, and mini pens. I was able to get other items for under $2.00. Each girl gets one of these. I have to say, I want one for myself!!! They are way too cute and so much fun. I am going to use my Cricut to cut out their names in vinyl and label each one so there is no confusion.

Front and back of the lunch box.

These goodies where about $1.50 each.

Found these at Walgreens for $1.50.

All these goodies where under $1.00.

For the boys I am just going to give them candy and a few trinkets. Maybe even a character cup...thinking minions...which I can pick up at the Dollar Tree.

So I am left with the want to do a MLP party and a great Pintrest board of ideas. Have your kids ever done this to you??

(Update: Added pictures on 5/18/15.)

American Girl Accessories

My last stop at the dollar store resulted in a few  doll finds. The party goodie bag section is great for miniature or doll sized stuff.

Here are the few things I found:

Reminds me of the recorders we played in elementary school.

Cute Tiaras.

What doll wouldn't live a tiara.

These make great belts!!!

3rd Birthday Party Time

I have stated before how much I love birthday parties. Well, in a couple of weeks my little guy turns 3. I went back and forth between a Mickey party or a dinosaur party. I asked him again last week and he said dinosaur. So the theme is set!! (Yes, I did have to send out invites on short notice. His birthday snuck up on me.)

Of course my first stop is ALWAYS Pintrest. I loved the parties where they used their plants from all over the house to decorate one room. Too bad for me I have a black thumb. Plants just DIE around me. What this leaves me with is making my own plants.

I picked up packaging paper at the dollar store and made vines to hang. (You just scrunch and twist.) Thanks for my stash of scrapbook paper, I have leaves. I used a Cricut to cut some of the leaves and then just free handed others. I made large leaves and small leaves. I also made flowers. If you google prehistoric flowers, there are some really pretty ones.

I have made a couple of trees for the table. My local dollar tree had some 2 oz Mod Podge. I picked up a couple. This allows me to do small projects without having to open my big 16 oz bottle.

Inspiration hit this morning and I made the door decoration. I also sketched a dino on a poster board. I will paint it later or maybe tomorrow when all the kids are in school.

I can't wait to finish up the decorations. I just have to wait out Halloween. 

Here are some pictures of my progress. Keep an eye out for an update on the party.

 

 Thanks for stopping by! 

Go Fish...Mommy The Toy Doctor

My kids love fishing poles. We have never been fishing, but they love to just cast their poles in the backyard.

I had my little guy (2 1/2 years old) with me at Tuesday Morning a couple weeks ago and we came across a fishing pole just for him. The pole came with these disks that have a screw on the top edge. The end of the fishing pole has a magnet on it that is not very strong. Why they don't test these toys before they put them for on the store shelves, I have no idea!

Of course as soon as we get home and the package is ripped off we find that the toy does not work. The magnet does not pick up the disk because it is to weak to lift a big disk with a tiny screw as the metal contact point.

Mommy to the rescue. I took out my glue gun and raided the tool box. I found some small washers I could glue on the disks (fish). I then glued a strong magnet to the pole's "hook" end. Wouldn't you know it, the whole thing worked. I then cut out some fish out of foam I got at the dollar store. I glued a little washer on the back of these as well.

I love being able to take something that we would just throw away and making it work.

Thanks for stopping by,

Making a doll area wall or floor

I have been spending quality time with Pintrest looking at American Girl crafts. I noticed that it is common to make an American Doll play area since a doll house needed for 18" dolls is huge.

On a trip to our local Dollar Tree I noticed they had some decal back splash which would make a great floor.

With a dollar store foam core and a decal back splash I made a floor/ wall for my daughter.

I lined up the decal on one corner of the board. I attached this corner and slowly pulled away the decal back. I had to apply a little tension to prevent bubbles.

Here is the package

I pulled the backing off slowly to prevent bubbles.

Finished!

In all the project took a few minutes and my daughter loves it! I picked up some wood grain contact paper for $2.00 at Big Lots. Just need another foam board and I have another floor/wall...think 70s wood paneling.  

Here is the finished foam board in action!! Bet I could l make it too sided as well. Enjoy :)

Here it is as a wall.

Here it is as a floor.

Working Through the Stash: AG Goody Bags

A while ago I had a post about my addiction to craft supplies. I have been in serious need of some focused clean up.

A few years ago I developed a stash of tulle. For my daughter's first birthday I made her a really cute tutu for her cake pictures. Of course, not knowing what colors I wanted, I purchased a few. Since then the rolls of tulle have been in a bin.

My daughter's birthday this year has been all about American Girl...even though we purchased her a Journey Girl. The location where we are having her party provides gender neutral goody bags. As a special treat for her friends who also have American Girl dolls, we decided on AG goody bags. Inside they have a bracelet, a ring pop, an AG hair clip, an AG duck tape purse, an AG necklace and an AG tutu.

I have been able to use some of that tulle and ribbon that was sitting around. Since the necklaces and duck tape purses where made from supplies I got from the dollar store, they where really inexpensive.

Stack of finished tutus for AG dolls

Also, as part of using my craft supplies, I have been doing some sewing. I have made my daughter 2 dressed, 4 skirts, a pair of pants and some shorts for her doll. Her doll beds got new pillows and new reversible blankets. I have a stash of material picked up at the craft or fabric store clearance bin. AND some clothing I have kept with the idea to reuse it. Hope to make a serious dent in this stash.

Update 6/13/14: I finished the duck tape purses and necklaces for the goody bags as well. I made a few styles of bags. I had so much fun with these that I made a few for my daughter. She loves her collection.

These bags have empty Capri Sun packages as the base.

The center purses are made using my tutorial.

American Girl Purse

My local dollar store (99cents only store) has a really neat selection of duck tape. I picked up a few rolls just to see what I could make. Then came the whole American Girl craze to our house. As I stated before, we purchased a Journey Girl for our daughter. Next thing I know, I am on Pintrest looking at all things AG related.

I am going to make some skirts and a tutu for her doll. This will be part of her birthday gift. I also began to see some really cute accessories for the dolls. That got me to thinking about the duck tape I picked up.

I decided to start simple and made a duck tape purse for her doll. Then, because I can't help myself, I decided to make special goody bags for her friends with AG dolls. These goody bags will each include a purse as well. So here I am making a dozen purses. I have completed 7. The only reason I haven't finished is because I got distracted. I decided to make AG necklaces, bracelets and headbands as well. I make a couple of purses and the then shift gear to something else.

Making purses is really easy. I am sharing my process. Think of this as a starting point.

Here are the duck tape cuts you will need:

3 6" pieces (body)
1 3 1/2" piece (body) -- cut in half for 2 pieces 3 1/2"
1 4" piece (purse flap)
1 3" or so (flap hold) -- cut in half for 2 3" pieces
1 10" pieces (handles) or 7" for a shoulder bag -- cut in half for 2 pieces 10" or 7"
Some extra to tape down the handles and the flap hold.

Attach the 3 6" pieces to make a large square.

Then fold this in half and trim as needed. This is the body of the purse.

Take a 3 1/2" piece (which is half of the original piece I cut) to close up the side of the purse. You just trim off the extra.

Now the body is done for now. On to the handles.

Cut a 10" piece of duct tape and then cut it in half. Each of these long pieces gets folded onto itself to make the handle.

Tape the completed handle to the inside of the purse. Repeat for the other side.

Now take a 4" piece and fold it over leaving about an inch of exposed sticky side. This is the flap for the purse. Trim it up to make sure it fits between the handles and round the edges to give it a finished look. Just tape it onto the back of the purse.

To hold the flap down, cut a piece of tape as long as my purse and cut it in half. One of these gets folded in on itself. Trim it if needed and tape it to the front of the purse taking care to make sure the flap can slide in and out.

The purse is now done. You can add some sticky jewels or leave it as is. You will also notice that on some of the purses I used two color duct tapes to add contrast. Please let me know if you have any questions or any problems.

Also, let me know if  you would like me to post a tutorial on the AG necklace, bracelet or headband.

Thanks for stopping by!!