DIY Coming Home Outfit

Back in August, my sister-in-law sent me a pin on Pinterest asking me if I could make this outfit from an Etsy shop. Knowing that I could totally replicate it, and that I definitely could do it for way less than $24, I told her yes.

I kept some things the same, but added my own style, too.

 

I chose a lighter grey chevron and a dark pink onesie. Did you know that Hobby Lobby sells onesies for like $3.99 and then you can use a 40% off on top of that?  I also chose to have my bow tie go all the way around the onesie rather than just at the front. I like that it hides where the onesie and the material meet. And finally I found a giant rose for pretty cheap at Hobby Lobby and added that right to the center of the bow.

Cost breakdown:

Onesie: $2.40

Chevron material: already had, but let's say $1.50

Black material: $0.40

Flower: $1.80

Total: $6.10

 

 

That is quite a savings by doing it yourself, or finding a generous family member to do it for you! ;)

 

So the next time you find something super cute on Etsy, pause before hitting the "purchase" button and find out if you can do it yourself.

Picmonkey Handouts

 

If you haven't tried Picmonkey yet, you totally need to. I use it all the time to edit photos and create fun handouts for my YW. You can totally pay for the complete version, but I find the free version suits all my needs just fine.

 

I created this cute handout to go with one of my lessons. The great thing is that it is totally interchangeable. Just swap out virtue for whatever other word you want.

 

To create this handout, I googled "water" under images and found one I liked. Save the image to your computer. Open the image on the Picmonkey website and click the add text button. I found a "creepy-ish" looking free font and began adding my text. Once I had it the way I wanted it, I changed the blend modes from normal to overlay to give it that see through look. 

 

The best part was finding Bruce (the shark from Finding Nemo) Pez dispensers on clearance to attach the handout to. They turned out adorable and the girls loved them.



Potato Soup

 

The BEST Potato Soup

 

Bacon (lots!) cut into pieces

5-6 large russet potatoes

1/2 medium white onion

2 cans chicken broth

1 5oz can evaporated milk 

2 T flour

Salt & Pepper

Shredded cheddar cheese

 

 

1. Heat a large pot over medium heat and cook bacon until crispy. Remove bacon from pot and set aside, leaving the bacon grease.

 

2. While bacon is cooking, peel and cut potatoes and onion into small pieces. Since I am not a terribly big fan of large chunks of onion, I cut mine pretty tiny.

 

3. Add potatoes and onion to the bacon grease. Cook until potatoes turn translucent.

 

4. Add both cans of chicken broth and cook on medium high, stirring occasionally. Simmer soup until potatoes are tender.

 

5. While soup is simmering, pour evaporated milk into bowl and add flour. Mix well, until flour is completely incorporated.

 

6. Once potatoes are soft, add milk/flour mixture. Lower heat to medium and let simmer for ten minutes.

 

7. Serve hot with shredded cheese and bacon pieces.





Life is Full of Surprises

Oh yes... we will be adding another Tinsley to our family in May.

 

To say that we were shocked would be quite the understatement. Especially since we were taking the necessary precautions! I had a few symptoms but didn't think much of it since I am "getting older" as my mother likes to point out. The symptoms increased and then a few others announced themselves, so I bit the bullet and bought a test.

 

I still waited a couple days, probably in denial. Finally, one Sunday afternoon after waking up from a nap, I knew I couldn't put it off any longer. Those two pink lines popped up faster then I expected and for a brief moment I am pretty sure I had a small heart attack.

 

I haven't had a baby in five years. FIVE YEARS! Not to mention that we got rid of most of our baby stuff. We thought we were done... we thought wrong.

I'm pretty sure I made this same face when the test read positive!

 

We have had several weeks to adjust to the news and it is sinking in. I am also surrounded by amazing friends and family that are ready with whatever baby supplies I need. And I have about seven months to mourn my craft room before the new little arrives.

To surprise the grandparents I made Savanah a quick shirt using my Cricut. I cut the vinyl out to use as a stencil and filled in the letters with fabric paint and some glitter.

Don't have a Cricut, no worries, freezer paper and an exacto knife work awesome!

Pottery Barn Gear for Cheap

I love Pottery Barn. We definitely cannot afford it, but my mother in law has bought the kids several awesome things from there and I just love the quality. One of my favorites was when she bought the kids luggage with their initials. They look so cute rolling their personalized luggage through the airport.

 

While visiting Utah this summer I made sure to hit up Downeast the check out their PB stock. They sell it at a discount because it is either damaged or has been personalized. Most of the names are odd. Like REALLY odd, but they have some awesome stuff for cheap. And occasionally you can find a name of someone you actually know. Score!

 

The day we went they happened to be doing an extra 30% off their gear. This alone would have been awesome, but on top of that the stuff was way clearanced already.

I grabbed several backpacks, like the one above, for under $2. I also grabbed lunch boxes, water bottles, and little make-up bags. I didn't want to miss anything. Especially when these backpacks still sell for a ridiculous amount.

 

I tried to grab the ones with the shortest names so that they would be easier to cover. Then I got to work finding the perfect patches. Landon's proved to be a little difficult, as I had to go to the Internet to find it. A quick ship from London and we were in business.

I opted for the iron on version because obviously anyone can do it. I figure if we have issues later, I can sew it then.

 

Not too bad for a seven dollar Pottery Barn backpack. Sadly, yes, the patch was more then double the actual backpack. :(

 

So if you live near a Downeast, seriously go check it out. You won't be disappointed.

Simple Nail Polish Handout

I have mentioned before that I teach the 12-18 year old girls at church. We decided to divide our teaching responsibilities into months instead of weeks this year. That way we get all our teaching done at one time and don't have to worry about it for another three months.

 

Since September is one of my months, I am currently in full swing. The first week of the month is always a fast Sunday in the LDS church, and so handing out treats would be torture for everyone! I try to come up with something that isn't edible.

 

While at Joann's I came across a three pack of little nail polishes for only 50 cents. I snatched up all they had and knew I could do something with them. 

 

It didn't take long for something to pop into my head and with the help of picmonkey I got to work.

The best part is that you could easily change out the "testimony of fasting and tithing" part for anything else.

 

Simple and cute. And what girl wouldn't love a new nail polish?

Homemade Detangler

This might not be new to some of you, but this idea just popped into my head the other day.

 

My daughter has a ton of hair. And we live in windy Wyoming, which means we deal with a lot of tangles. The store bought stuff can be pretty cheap but trying to find one that has a nice smell and doesn't leave a build up can be tough. I guess I jut dealt with buying the stuff from the store that it didn't dawn on me to try to make my own.

 

On one particularly tangly day last week I thought about putting a small drop of conditioner in my daughter's hair to try to help. That was when I came up with this solution.

 

Take any empty spray bottle (you can buy one from the Dollar Tree or use one from home) and add about three squirts of your favorite conditioner. I used what was left of my organic coconut conditioner. This is especially great if you are concerned about unknown toxins. Now fill the bottle with hot water, leaving about an inch at the top and shake. The hot water helps break the conditioner down and allows it to mix with the water.

 

We have been using this for about a week and love it! The smell is amazing and it works wonders on tangles.

Happy Birthday, America!

Have a happy and safe fourth of July!



Surprise Homecoming

One of my good friend's husband was deployed for the past year. When the date was finally set for him to come home, we made some big plans. Another friend and I snuck in while they were down at the airport and put our creative juices to work. We wanted to show our support and love for their family and I think we nailed it!

We started by decorating the outside, all while grey clouds began to inch their way closer and closer. We used a ton of yellow ribbon and had some of the girls from church make signs. I know my you can't read them but my personal favorite (maybe because I made it... just maybe...) is the one that reads "Are you free next Saturday?". We LOVE some How I Met Your Mother!

Inside we decorated with balloons and flag banners. My friend also had the brilliant idea of heart attacking their house. We had everyone at church write a note to Tyler and the family. Even the little kids. We got some pretty cute notes from the little ones.

We also left dinner, flowers, and decorated their bedroom. I totally forgot to take a picture of that! Picture sparkling cider, champagne glasses, candy all over the bed, balloons, and some fun decorations.

It really was so fun surprising their family! We are so thankful for them and especially everything they have sacrificed this past year.

Maxi Mayhem

I seriously can't stop making these! I made five for a friend and three for me so far, not including the pint sized ones I have made. And I have fabric for five more! Can you have too many maxi skirts? Please say no...

 

Seriously head over and start making your own. You will not be sorry!

Baptism Invites

Or any other type of invite for that matter.

 

I had one of my awesome friends snap a few pictures on Easter. Making sure to off-center the picture so there was room for some text. Once I picked the perfect picture, I added the words with Picmonkey. If you haven't tried that site, you must! Most of it is free with a few upgrades if you want to pay for it. After adding the words I faded them a little into the brick wall. Then a quick print at Sam's Club and they are ready to be sent out.

 

So excited for these invites, and more importantly, this day!



Maxi Skirt Tutorial

Once I realized how ridiculously simple these skirts were to make, I have been whipping them out like crazy!

This tutorial is really simple, so don't try to over think it. Also, it involves some basic addition, so bust out those calculators if you need them!

1. Cut your waist band pieces. You will need two rectangles that stretch across your hips. To find the size measure around your hips. For example: my measurement was 33". Then subtract 2" from that number.  For the "height" the basic measurements call for a 16" piece. That way when it is folded and sewn it is 8" and then essentially folded again over itself when you wear it, it is 4". I cut this a little short because I have a shorter torso.

2. Cut you main pieces. You will need two of these again with the stretch going across your body. This is where you need to do some math. To find the width of the top of the skirt, take your band measurement and add eight inches. Then find a bottom measurement by just cutting your piece at an a-line until you hit the edge of the fabric.

Example:

My hips are 33"

33"-2"= 31"

31"/2= 15 1/2" (Divided by two for the front and back panel)

My waistband was 15 1/2"x15"

31 + 8= 39"

My fabric width was 56"

Once you have these numbers you need to place your fabric right sides together and then fold the material hot dog style again. This will make it where you only make one cut. But doing this means you need to divide your two numbers in into fourths. So, in my case, 39/4=9.75" and 56/4=14".

Yeah... you totally can't read what that says. The drawing points out the line that you make from the top measurement (9.75") and the bottom measurement (14"). You are angling the line out from the smaller number to the larger number. Cut along this line, leaving you with two a-line pieces.

3. Serge, serge,  serge. If you don't have a serger, you can use a zig-zag stitch on your machine. Sew your two main pieces of fabric, right sides together, down the sides. Also sew your two waist band piece together along the tall sides.

4. At this point try on your waist band piece to make sure it fits. If it is too big, meaning you have a lot of stretch in your fabric, cut it smaller little by little. Once you are satisfied with your waist band, continue!

5. Fold your waist band piece over, wrong sides together, and line up the raw edges. Flip your main skirt piece so right sides are facing out. Now place your waist band around the main skirt piece and line up ALL the raw edges. Line up the side seams and pin into place.

5. As you sew/serge, pull JUST the waist band piece. You are pulling on the waist band to stretch it to the same width as the main fabric. Just stretch and sew/serge.

6. After your two pieces are sewn together, iron all your seams. This will snap your fabric right back down to size. Make sure to use lots of steam!

7. Now try on your skirt and cut any excess material from the bottom. No need to hem this stuff, it will just kind of roll over on itself anyway.

Now, about the pink skirt pictured, it is obviously not the same type of skirt. I did several alterations to this skirt because I cut the material wrong and wanted to add a fun ruffle to the bottom. This just shows how you can dress up and add things to this simple tutorial.

Enjoy!

***My awesome friend did a quick photo shoot for my facebook page!

Fixing a Too Long Shirt

I have a ridiculously short torso. Like REALLY short. Combine that with a larger chest and some shirts can make me look really wide. I try to buy longer shirts but sometimes that doesn't work out very well either.

I bought this shirt at Downeast a couple years ago and have truly never worn it. It is awkward long and flow-y. Not a good combination. But it is also so dang soft and comfy that I just couldn't get rid of it. I knew I needed to fix it, mainly because I have the perfect yellow skirt to wear it with. 

I started by cutting off about five inches from the bottom. I would have cut a little less but there was a tiny hole in the shirt.

Take the bottom section and cut some of the width so that it is more fitted. Then fold it in half, wrong sides together. You are going to be making a band for the bottom of the shirt.

Slip the band around the outside of the shirt (facing right sides together) and pin the side seams so they line up. Now, my shirt piece was a little wider than the band, so slightly stretch the band as you go to match it up with the shirt. Serge/sew the two pieces together and iron. 

Now I have a shorter, more fitted shirt that is still SUPER comfy and soft.

Mason Jar Pin Cushion

I whipped up this cute little mason jar pin cushion the other night. I happen to have a bunch of mason jars from my husband's boss right now, so I am in mason jar heaven!

 

I pinned this on Pinterest the other day and thought the overall idea was really cute.

On small change I made was instead of adding thread and other notions to the jar, I added the extra pins. Good storage!

Itty Bitty Maxi

We finally made it. Wyoming finally had some Spring like weather! Don't worry, though, it is suppose to snow tomorrow.

 

I ordered some knit off of fabric.com a couple weeks ago and couldn't wait to test out some cute little maxi skirts. I figured it would be easier to test one on her before I attempt one for myself.

Super comfy and super cute! Tutorial coming later this week!

I Dub Thee, Slap Bet Commissioner

I seriously LOVE LOOOOOOOVE How I Met Your Mother. Let me take you back a little. Two years ago we moved to Wyoming and I was all about Friends (still am, you never forget your first love). I had never really even heard of HIMYM. Not long after moving here, my birthday came around and my friend dropped by that fateful day to drop off a gift. I was so young and naive. I had no clue that she just handed me the best gift ever!

 

She gave me the first two seasons of HIMYM and I was hooked. We now own them all as well as watch them on Netflix. Soooooooooo freakin' funny. You have to watch them in order from the beginning to get the best experience. It truly gets funnier every time I watch it.

 

So in honor of my friend's birthday, I deemed her "slap bet commissioner".

These shirts are so fun and easy to make. Just like the Disneyland shirts. Just a quick stencil, some paint, and a little glitter.

I especially love that it sparkles.

 

The possibilities are endless. Time to personalize your gifts!

Quick and Easy Birthday Gift

One of my closest friend's daughter turned eight today. Her dad is currently deployed in Afghanistan and she wanted to wait until he got home for her party. My friend thought it might be a fun idea to throw her a surprise party today, since she knew she wouldn't be expecting it. And she was right! Total surprise.

 

Eight year old girls can be a little tricky to buy for. They don't really play with toys much anymore but are still too young for things like make-up and accessories. One thing I do know is that Camille LOVES skirts. She is definitely a girly-girl!

 

My first thought was to head to Children's Place for some plain t-shirts, but then my sister told me that Walmart had some for half the price and a bunch more colors. My Walmart had about fifteen different colors, and at only $3.47 each, I grabbed four. Then it was just a matter of matching fabric.

I started simple. A brown and cream skirt with a coral top. No frills, just a elastic waist. But definitely one that she can mix with whatever color top.

The next one took me a little to find a good fabric to go with this teal top. I like that the small amounts of teal pop from the skirt. I added a little brown ric-rac to the bottom for some detail.



The black skirt got a little pink binding sewn along the bottom. Instead of sewing the binding over the material like normal, I sewed it behind the main fabric to give a little layer.

The last skirt is my favorite. I added about two extra inches of fabric on the top and top stitched before adding my casing. It gives it more ruffle at the top. Then to lighten up the skirt, I added white ric-rac a long the bottom hem.

 

So easy and fun mix things up with a simple skirt pattern.



Bow Holder

I have been wanting to update Savanah's bow holder for a while now and finally found a frame I loved. I initially was going to use a thrifted frame, but it wasn't holding the paint very well. Then I found these new line of frames at Hobby Lobby. They are white and ready to be painted. No sanding!

 I added some bright pink spray paint and some fun ruffly green ribbon.

They now hold her everyday bows instead of the giant flowers she rarely wears. I wanted something smaller hung up so that the green ribbon would poke through. And it looks so cute! Especially with her bows in color order.

 



DIY Disney Shirts

I had such an amazing time at Disneyland with the ladies. I forgot what it was like to only worry about myself! Only dress one person in the morning, only feed one person all day, no one telling me they have to go to the bathroom or that they are tired. I missed my kids and hubby, but it was wonderful! I was in complete bliss until...

I came home to this! Record snow fall. And it hasn't stopped since. Boo!

I shared a sneak peak of the matchy matchy shirts I was making for the trip. They were so much fun to put together and we got a ton of compliments! I kind of wanted to wear them every day we were there.

Rapunzel    Merida    Aurora    Belle    Cinderella    Minnie    Ariel

 I started by having everyone pick a favorite princess and a coordinating colored shirt. We had to make sure there were no duplicates! I then scoured the Internet for the perfect silhouettes that I could cut using my Make the Cut program. LOVE that program! It is too bad you can't buy it for the Cricut anymore. The actual picture of the princess isn't as important as the outline. Remember that!

I cut out 6" princesses onto scrap vinyl that I had lying around. Pulled out all the middle stuff so that I had a princess silhouette stencil. I did make sure to save any important inner parts, like the space between arms and the body. You don't want it to look like a blob!

Place a piece of cardboard between the layers of your shirt. Slap the vinyl directly onto the shirt, making sure to push around firmly so that no paint seeps under the vinyl. I then mixed a basic black enamel paint with some paint medium. I also tried adding some glow in the dark paint but it didn't work. :(

Simply paint in the open space and if you want to add some fun, throw on some fine glitter while the paint is still wet. CAREFULLY peel off the vinyl and let your shirt dry overnight.

I love how they all turned out, but I think the Merida shirt was my favorite. Definitely a fun, inexpensive way to spot who you are with!

Cork Board Clothespins

After making my large cork board for my craft room, I knew I needed some "blinged out" accessories to spice it up. I am still on the look out for some broach-esque pins, but until I find the perfect ones, these clips are doing the job.

I started with the cutest baby clothes pins from Hobby Lobby. They already had the bling attached, so one less step for me. I also bought some basic tacks, although I HATE that they are gold. HATE IT!



I simply glued the tack to the back of the clothes pin. If I were to do them all again, which I probably will, I would use E6000. I have one that has already popped off the tack.



Super cute and super simple!

Fun Birthday Gift

Do you have a friend that seems to have everything? Maybe several friends? Maybe it is just that when you get older you just buy yourself whatever you want, so there really isn't anything else for others to buy you?

I sometimes have a hard time shopping for my friends, if you couldn't tell. I like to make the gift personal, but also functional. I get tired of framing pictures or cute quotes, and buying clothes or shoes can be tricky. I love gift cards, but they can seem so "I didn't know what to get you so I bought you a gift card".

Do you see the problem?

I have a close friend who is celebrating a birthday on the 2nd. Her husband is currently deployed so I wanted to do something special. I partnered up with another good friend of ours and we got our think tanks turning.

Say hello to the gift card bouquet.

We got gift cards to all her favorite places, as well as one for a pedicure. Can you believe she has NEVER had one? I will be joining her. You know, for moral support on her first time. ;)

We also threw on some gum, mints, and nail polish. I normally would have used a bunch of candy, but she is on a sugar free diet until her husband comes home.

Just tape all your goodies onto skewers and poke them down into the vase. We used a Styrofoam ball to keep them in place. Throw a big bag of mints down to cover the bottom and the ball and call it good.