[diy] Mini Mason Gift Jars

Bad blogger... I thought I had scheduled a post for Friday before we went out of town this weekend, but I realized I hadn't finished it yet... and then yesterday, I was busy prepping our house for visitors for the evening... so my MWF post schedule was messed up. Yikes! But here I am today with what was supposed to go up yesterday... Onward!

This weekend, my mom, aunt, and I coordinated a bridal shower for my cousin and his fiance! They are getting married at the end of the month and are so super precious, so we were excited for the opportunity!

 

One of the tasks delegated to me was creating party favors for the guests. My mom and I use Pinterest to the MAX when it comes time to plan a party or event, and this was no exception. We found a few cute gift jars and decided that's what we would do.

Luckily, my friend's mom is a pro-canner of all jams, jellies, and pickles (and I'm sure other items), so I enlisted her help! She found us the CAHUTEST (word?) mini mason jars and helped us create apple jelly for the shower. I don't have a specific recipe to share with you all, but you do need a jelly/jam machine (pictured below while I measure out sugar like a boss)... I don't have a machine like that, but I hope to acquire one day because it is super fun! We even sampled the jelly (quality control, you see) on English muffins... yum!

After we canned the jelly and the lids were sealed, my mom and I found the ::perfect:: shade of peach (the wedding colors) fabric to use in the lid, and then we used twine and a "thank you" gift tag found on, of course, Pinterest at the website Oh So Very Pretty (free printable!). We purchased a tag punch-out from JoAnn's, and in a flash, our mini mason gift jars were done!

Aren't they cute?! My mom kept telling the guests, "Chrissy made that HOMEMADE apple jelly!" She is so sweet: gotta love a mom who continues to talk you up and brag on you, even as an adult! Blessed.

Do you like to host showers? What kind of favors, if any, do you create? See more of the DIY Gift Ideas I have found through Pinterest.

Have a great week!

[food] Pinterest Recipe Round-Up #1

Alright, we should preface this post with the fact that I am not a baker nor chef. I enjoy the concept of cooking, but sometimes it doesn't translate to my fingertips. But I am trying to get better, thanks to the likes of Pinterest!

The past month, I have declared my commitment to try out new (easy) recipes to easily incorporate into our eating menu or to make a fun/new dessert for us to enjoy throughout the week or to take when visiting friends.

Today, I am sharing three EASY recipes I found through Pinterest. I will link the original sources, so if you want the recipe, check it out there. The pictures below are all my own creations/interpretations of the recipe. Enjoy!

one//Easy Potato Skins from I Heart Naptime: Y'ALL. These are delicious. I am a bit impatient when it comes to preparing baked potatoes, but these were so incredibly easy. Slice potatoes. Butter. Season. Bake. Top. Bake. So easy, so good! Nate and I may have devoured this entire pan...

two// S'mores on a Stick from Cupcakepedia: The Wednesday before Easter, our church had an evening service and fellowship afterwards. My contribution were these bite-sized s'mores on a stick. Oh my HEAVENS. Simple to make: Toothpick. Melted chocolate. Crushed graham crackers. Refrigerate. Easy peasy! They were a huge hit: next time I think I'll use more chocolate, but overall... divine! And I am all about bite-sized things (see above, ha!).

 

three// Hot Milk Cake from Lynn's Kitchen Adventures: Nate and I aren't big into sweet cakes with tons of sugar and frosting, so when I was perusing Pinterest for a simple cake that had everyday ingredients in it, I was stunned to find this recipe. This is an old recipe dating back to the Depression Era. How cool is that?! It is a bit more technical than the two prior recipes I shared, but you guyssss.... It uses warm milk in the batter! It tasted SCRUMPTIOUS. Firm, but moist. Filling. A perfect treat to end your night. The hardest part was getting it out of the dang bundt pan! I highly recommend this cake if you're looking to use simple ingredients you already have on hand.

Do you use Pinterest for your weekly/monthly/special occasion meals? I feel like my personal cookbook needs a shake-up every now and then, so I like to check out how to make the same things in new ways (hence the potato recipe above, or a new way to present a sweet at a social gathering, or an enhanced recipe on ingredients I already have at home). If you have any go-to recipes, leave a link and I will check it out!

Have a great week!

[make] Book Page Garland

Yesterday, Nate and I went "junkin'" (garage/thrift store/estate sale hunting) with another couple who are friends of ours. We had such a good time rummaging through other people's treasures and making a few our own... we got some GREAT deals that I cannot wait to share with you!

One purchase I made was a hardcover book for $1. It was published in the late '50s and I had no desire to read it, but instead to use its yellowed pages for a craft... I wasn't sure what craft until I perused Pinterest and found Meegan's Book Page Garland... umm yes, I sure did make one too!

Old book. Torn pages. Fan pages into quarters (three folds). Hole punch in the middle and string onto twine. DONE. Super easy, but kind of time consuming. This garland hangs above our mirror in our dining room and it's a little over 100 pages. Not very long, but you can spread them out if you are covering a longer area. The way the pages spin on the twine is fun too!

I start in-service on Friday this week and then next week begins every.day.in-service. I suppose I can say "buh-bye" to summer, but it was a great one! Now to prep for my classroom :) The FUN part!

Have a wonderful week!

"When I am afraid, I put my trust in you." Psalm 56:3


See where I link up: Monday Made it @ 4th Grade Frolics, What I Whipped Up Wednesday @ Sugar and Dots, Craft-O-Manic Monday @ Craft-O-Manic, Monday Funday @ C.R.A.F.T./Lines Across/Uncommon Designs/That's What {Che} Said/Creatively Living, Whatever Goes Wednesday @ Someday Crafts, Show Me What Ya Got Linky Party @ Not JUST A Housewife, {Wow Me Wednesday} @ Ginger Snap Crafts, Link Party @ Destination: Craft, The Inspiration Exchange @ Clean & Scentsible (and others), Before & After Party @ Thrifty Decor Chick, Weekend Wrap-Up Party @ Tatertots and Jello, What I Wore Wednesday @ The Pleated Poppy

[teach] It's Gettin' Crazy Here...

Y'all. School starts in 3 weeks and 2 days. Where did summer even go?!

One of my summer projects was to organize my Pinterest "School Days" board, the board where I "pin" all of the school ideas I find. As I went through this... wow. I realized I had a bajillion categories to fill! It was a bit tedious/time consuming, but it is so much easier finding what I need/want to make/want to implement in my classroom!

Here's an example... Instead of searching through ONE "School Days" board for that cool art project I want to make with my kiddos, I can go to my "School Days: Art" board and find it in a jif!

If you are interested in getting specific pins, here are the links to my forty-billion School Days boards: enjoy!

School Days: Reading/Phonics

 

 School Days: Math

School Days: Science

School Days: Social Studies

 

 School Days: Writing

School Days: Videos and Brain Breaks [my kiddos LOVE these!]

School Days: Classroom Organization, Helpful Tips, and Decor/Set Up [my favorite section!]

School Days: Documentation/Assessments

School Days: Art

School Days: Centers/Fast Finishers

School Days: Technology

School Days: Holidays and Themes

School Days: Behavior Management

Whew! I know, OVERWHELMING. But isn't it better to identify the specific thing you're looking for instead of having ALL of these ideas in one place?! Yikes. My heart likes organization, thank you very much.

Hope this helps, fellow teachers! And if you're not a teacher, maybe you'll find a fun idea to implement with your kiddies at home? No kids? Maybe your nieces, nephews, or even for you at your own workplace! You never know what you will find on Pinterest :)

Have a good weekend! Sorry for the lack of posting... we have been out of town, and then I have been prepping for our Vacation Bible School (I'm the director) and working in my classroom. Very very VERY busy week! Hopefully I'll have more to share soon, but in the meantime... have fun perusing my Pinterest boards!

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens." Ecclesiastes 3:1

[make] Guest Bathroom Inspiration

I am back at home and ready to get back to regularly scheduled posting! I know, you're all on the edge of your seats :)

This week's project inspiration has come from Jesse Kate Designs. Unfortunately, the blog has been removed, so if you know where it was relocated to (or anything about its whereabouts), just let me know in the comments so I can give proper credit to the photo below! 

With all of our traveling this summer, we have acquired quite the tiny toiletry collection. You know, the small shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, bar soap, etc. that hotels leave for you in your room. I actually saw this pin before our trips, so I made a point to collect any and all tiny toiletry items for our guest bath. This is a small upgrade, but it really adds some impact for your guests and their time at your home (I think, anyways)!

[image taken from Pinterest via www.jessekatedesigns.blogspot.com]

This week, I plan to add this plus a couple of other fun touches to our guest bath before, you guessed it, we go out of town again this coming weekend. I just have to remind myself... "Live it up, it's summer!"

Stay tuned! Have a great week!

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." Psalm 51:10

[make] Calligraphy Inspiration

Do you read Emily's blog at Jones Design Company?  I adoreee her style both in the home and how she dresses, so classic and chic. Anyways, I think I've blogged about this before, but she teaches an easy way to do "calligraphy" by adding a thicker line to all of your downward strokes. That is my project this week, and ahem... I've already done it ;) BUT I will show you these inspiration photos before I reveal the finished product tomorrow!

This beautiful piece from Life Made Lovely

Source: lifemadelovely-blog.com via Chrissy on Pinterest

This gorgeous art from Kate's Letters (etsy shop)

Source: etsy.com via Chrissy on Pinterest

And this piece from The Nester... stunning!

Source: thenester.com via Chrissy on Pinterest

Classic hymns in beautiful lettering make for an amazing and sentimental piece of artwork. Hint: I also used a classic hymn... any guesses as to what it may be? I'll give you a multiple choice test and maybe you can guess ;)

a. "Great Is Thy Faithfulness"
b. "It Is Well With My Soul"
c. "How Great Thou Art"
d. "To God Be The Glory"

This should be fun! Check in tomorrow to see which hymn I used for my piece of art.

Happy Wednesday!

"The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." Psalm 126:3

[make] Weekly Inspiration: Upholstered Bench

Hello there, happy long weekend and happy Memorial Day! Thank you to all of the veterans, past and current, who are working to keep our families and country safe. You are a blessing from God and we thank you for your service!

Now that I am OFFICIALLY on summer break (yee-haw!), I have decided to focus on at least one project a week, unless we're on vacation or something, that I can share through the blog. I'll share the inspiration Sunday night/Monday morning and hopefully get it done by the end of the week.

This week, I plan on turning a coffee table into a upholstered bench for the foot of our bed.

We have this coffee table from Ikea:

The top comes off as a lid and the inside of the table can be storage. We plan to put it at the foot of our bed and store blankets, throw pillows, etc inside of it, OR maybe turn it into a dog bed with some hinges and handles... we'll see. For now, a bench will do. This past week, we got a new coffee table (which I'll have to share photos of later this week: it is so beautiful!) so now our old one can be turned into something maybe like this:

from here:

from here:

from here:

I plan on using quilt batting, fabric, and a staple gun :) Maybe even stain the bench or paint it? We will see! Have a great week!

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God." 1 John 4:7

[photoaday] Week Forty Two

Bad blogger, bad blogger! Didn't post as much as I would have liked to this past week. However, surprise-surprise, I DID GET SICK. I jinxed myself and everything last week saying I haven't gotten sick in a while, and then boom: fever. So now I know to just keep my mouth shut! It only lasted for a day, but ugh, fevers just make you feel terrible, don't they? Glad to be up and at 'em!

[psst: if you take photos this week, use my button on your blog post and leave me a comment on THIS post with the link to YOUR blog post with your photos.... that's not confusing at all, is it? once you do that (and assuming you're a follower of mine), I will feature your blog one time with a few of your photos! remember, sharing is caring :)]

[monday] I was able to Skype with my mom and dad this evening! We do this weekly, but it is always so neat to actually see them while I talk to them. Living four hours away can be difficult at times (I know people live a lot further away from their family, but four hours is too far for this family girl)!

[tuesday] Someone got a bath tonight... Not too happy about it.

[wednesday] This is the day I left school sick (I didn't get to leave early: there was no one available to cover my class). Around 3pm, during our pep rally, is when I started feeling t-e-r-r-i-b-l-e. Glad to have a hubs who will leave Wednesday night church to buy and cook me soup while I'm in bed!

[thursday] In bed on a weekday morning (when the sun is up) is foreign to me during the school year. However, I had two excellent doctors who took care of me while Nate went to work!

[friday] Since I felt much better this day, I traveled 50 minutes to the nearest Hobby Lobby and Target (that would be a one-way trip, ladies... feel my pain, I know!!!) for some retail therapy. Hey- Nate was gone to the coast on a fishing trip with some men from our church for the day, so I needed something to preoccupy my time. This worked out quite nicely!

[saturday] Saturday afternoons equal projects and experiments from Pinterest... experiments in cooking! I had pinned this copy-cat recipe for Chili's queso from The Blonde Can Cook and it was pretty good. It uses Velveeta, which I am not that big of a fan of... but it was okay.

Did everyone have a good weekend? I hope no one was sick like I was! I have 21 Kindergarteners and at least half of them have been sick during the past two weeks: fever, vomiting, and/or coughing/sore throat symptoms. And every child that has been absent has missed at least two days of school. Gotta love teaching! I am excited though because tomorrow I am getting a new student: she visited our school a couple of weeks ago and my students are so excited to make a new friend!

Have a wonderful week!

One of the verses from Nate's sermon this week (we are doing a verse-by-verse study through Hebrews: awesome things from God's word)!

"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone." Hebrews 2:9

[make] Girly Girl Headbands

Upon hearing the news of my new niece's arrival, I turned to Pinterest (of course) for the perfect gift that I could make myself. I am obsessed with the girly headbands that I am seeing all over the place: adorned with poofs, flowers, feathers, jewels, buttons... the possibilities are endless! After completing these projects, I most definitely (Lord-willing) want a little girl in my future!

Here are my creations: some I created by following a tutorial, some I made myself just by trial and error, some were actually supposed to be gift wrapping tops (the leopard print and zebra print) but I turned them into bows instead!

Hot glue is now my new best friend. And feathers. And glittery buttons.

What do you think? Who else has a baby girl? I'm lovin' making these headbands!

Have a great (?) Monday!

"My chains are gone, I've been set free. My God, My Savior, has ransomed me. And like a flood, His mercy reigns. Unending love, amazing grace." -Chris Tomlin