Ribbon wrapped flip flops

I love flip flops. Unfortunately, I live on the arctic tundra, so outdoor flip flop season is brief. Therefore, I need to make the most of it. Each year I make myself a new pair and I make extras to give as gifts. This year, the 2014 model are ribbon wrapped.

It's super easy. You need a pair of flip flops, ribbon & glue.

Start at one end of the flip flop and dab some glue. Cut a length of ribbon, glue one end down. Wrap ribbon around them and glue the other end. 

I love giving a pair in a spa gift basket, which is perfect for a birthday present. 

A pedicure set, potpourri and some bath salts and it's a perfect present!

Teacher appreciation week: handprint bouquet

Construction paper
Markers
Ribbon
Pipe cleaners
Cardstock tag
tape
scissors

Have your child trace handprints on construction paper. Cut out and fold up like a flower. Tape together. Tape to pipe cleaner stems. Tie into a bouquet and add a cardstock tag saying “I couldn’t have picked a better teacher than you!”


All pictures from Google images

Heavens to Etsy! Mothers Day Edition

Mothers Day is a week and a half away, but there's still time to buy something handmade for that special someone. In this treasury, I've included some of my favorite things I've seen on Etsy recently.

My favorite-and I would love to have-is an adorable trio of pears that would look perfect on my windowsill in my kitchen. Plus they spell out my favorite 3 words. Check out the store here:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/93716369/mothers-day-love-you-mom-three-handmade?ref=tre-2722771908-1

I'm a little late to the chevron trend party, but better than never! This is a really cute and affordable poster that would look great anywhere. I have visions for it to go in my studio...

http://www.etsy.com/listing/91502708/chevron-screenprinted-poster-pink-18in?ref=tre-2722771908-2

I love this fabric brooch. Its very old school, romantic and my favorite color to boot!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/96095108/fabric-brooch-pastel-colors-soft-pink?ref=tre-2722771908-3

I love candles. I love the smell of coconut and lemon verbena together. Can it get any more perfect than this?

http://www.etsy.com/listing/57051800/salebuy-3-get-1-freesoy-tart-candle?ref=tre-2722771908-4

Every great mothers day gift needs a great card. If you're not inclined to make your own, this is a great alternative!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/93727297/mothers-day-card-card-for-mom-marvelous?ref=tre-2722771908-5

This necklace is just really cool and really simple. I just really like it, full stop. The price is reasonable, and there are other great things in her shop too!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/97524069/candy-pearls-necklace-lavender-alice?ref=tre-2722771908-6

I love these hair pins, and they could work with long or short hair. I love this green color too!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/96630201/apple-green-starburst-treasury-item?ref=tre-2722771908-7

Check out the entire treasury here:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTQ3NTU2MzV8MjcyMjc3MTkwOA/heavens-to-etsy-mothers-day

Favorite Things: Mother's Day Edition

Mother's Day is just around the corner and time is ticking away to buy mom a present that she would absolutely love. While I wish I had swag to give away or be sponsored by someone, alas I am not. I'm just a mom sharing some of my favorite things.
If you are on Twitter, come follow me @craftychicky! As you could probably tell, I love doing crafty things. When I read other blogs, most of them are crafting blogs, because they totally inspire me and want me to try something new. It's been a tough climb out of that pit, but I'm working on it and my hobbies are part of it. One of my favorite crafting blogs is Brassy Apple. Megan has some amazing tutorials and is so incredibly creative too. One of my most favorite things are her mosaic jeans. I saw them in her store and was psyched she sold the pattern (http://brassyapple.com/category_9/Mosaic-Jean-Kit--Women.htm) She also carries fabric scrap bags that are amazing!
Speaking of fashion (and I have a Pinterest board called Passion for Fashion so you know I'm serious!), one of my favorite on line stores is Shabby Apple. I love the style of their site, and I love the clothes too. There is a nice selection of plus size (http://www.shabbyapple.com/c-38-woman.aspx?size=plussize) fashions. My two favorites are Study Break-I love that mustard color-and West Coast Swing. You have to read the stories that go along with the items too!
I blogged about my desire for The Vintage Pearl's I Love You to the Moon and back here (http://mommydomchronicles.blogspot.com/2012/04/moon-river.html?m=1). There are so many great things in her store, but that's my favorite.
I love to scrapbook and have been doing it for years and years and years. I tend to set up photo ops for scrapbook pages. My brain just thinks like that. Thanks to my iPhone, I snap tons of candid shots, and can just upload them to the Walgreens app and order them. Way too cool. My biggest issue is sitting down and actually scrapping them. It's a combination of time and attention span (or a lack of both of them). So, I decided Becky Higgins Project Life would be perfect to share our story (see my article about it here: http://mommydomchronicles.blogspot.com/2012/04/what-story-morning-glory.html?m=1)
I've been a big fan of Whippy Cake going way back when, and while I love everything in her store, I do have a few current favorites. Right now I'm totally drooling over the Swanky Souffle collection (http://whippycake.com/shop/swanky-souffle/). Even though I had about 6 inches cut off my hair a few weeks ago I still have more than enough to add these to it! I especially love Klepto (which coordinates with most of my wardrobe) and Vanity.
I am a music fan, and have fairly diverse taste. I listen to it all day long at work, and my iPhone literally contains everything from alt country to zydeco, Abba to Frank Zappa. However, I only have a few complete albums on it: The Clash London Calling (read more about my love of the only band that matters here:http://mommydomchronicles.blogspot.com/2012/02/clash-city-rockers.html?m=1) and Mindy Gledhill's Anchor. Its the perfect soundtrack for most days. Whenever I hear Hourglass, I get a lump in my throat because as the mom of a little boy, I could have written that one myself! I love the whole album, period. Buy it, you won't be disappointed. Click here and it can be yours: http://bluemorphmusic.mybigcommerce.com/!
One of my Mommy blog inspirations going way back was Nie Nie (http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/?m=1) We have very different styles but we are both telling similiar stories. She wrote a book that I'm currently reading (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heaven-is-here-stephanie-nielson/1104239810) which is so inspirational. I'm still reading it and will have it as a Friday reads soon, but right now I'm enjoying the journey with it.
Any of these make a perfect mother's day gift (or gift period). And tell them I sent you!

Winter Wonderland

One final recycled Christmas project before I put the holidays to rest until November. I love making chocolate candies and am always looking for a creative container for them.
When I was about my son's age, my mother had a small cottage industry selling chocolate candies. In fact, on many occasions my aunt and I were caught eating various orders (it's so good!)brown (as in milk chocolate) handed!!
My mother taught me to make candies as well. I, in fact, gave them away as favors at my wedding.
They are really easy to make, too. All you need are candy melts, a microwave and a mold.
Microwave the chocolate until melted, pour into the mold and refrigerate until done.
I am always on the lookout for great gifting ideas when I saw the cute little canisters on Pinterest.
You need:
Crystal lite containers
Scrapbook paper
Embellishments
Glue
General craft supplies

Glue paper to canister. Let dry. Decorate. Fill with candies. Give.

Frosty the Snowman

There are people who collect Santas or trees or some other holiday accouterment. My guilty pleasure are snow folks. It's an accidental obsession...one year every kiddo in my Sunday School class gave me something snow man related, and an obsession was born.
One of the first quilts I ever finished was a snowman quilt. Bought the fabric on black Friday one year, it was done by the end of the weekend, binding and stitch in the ditch.
I have snowmen mugs and serving platters. My dish towels, oven mitts, soap dish & all are all snowmen.
At one point we even had a shower curtain.
My favorite flannel sheets? Yep, snowmen.
I have snowmen earrings.
And my ugly Christmas sweater collection is all snowmen.
I even give them as gifts.

Snowman soup
1 pkg instant hot cocoa
Mini marshmallows, in a baggie
1 candy cane
1 mug (I buy mine either on the clearance rack after Christmas or at the dollar store)
You can get really cute & fancy by printing out the poem, putting it on a tag (I stamp mine with a stamping up snowman stamp I got 10+ years ago) & tying it up in cellophane and ribbon

It's a great, cute & easy gift and it's easy to have on hand just in case

Paper back Writer

I have been a reader for as long as I can remember. One of my most prized possessions as a child was my library card. Favorite thing to do? Go to the library & load up on books! I was (and still am) a voracious reader. As I grew up, I began reading harder & harder books to the point I got my adult library card in the 5th grade. That was my passport to new adventures.
To this day, I read a book a week on average. When we moved here, I joked that they needed to add another librarian to keep up with my reading habits.
Then my mother moved here. She reads 6-8 of her silly little mysteries each week.
My mother in law, prior to getting a nook, had a suitcase dedicated to books.
The little man also loves to read. Each week, as part of his homework, he is supposed to read 100 minutes each week. Each week, he well exceeds it. It makes my heart sing that he can let himself be transported to a whole new world.
One of Friday night rituals is to go to Barnes & Noble, and enjoy the time looking at books & magazines. I go to the cafe, get a chai & stacks of my British magazines, crafting ones and a few cooking ones. Little man reads, and reads and reads. We usually leave with several books for his shelf, and I will never say no to reading.
Right now, he is obsessed with Captain Underpants, which is definately targeted at his demographic! You can read more about the series at Dav Pilkey's website:
http://www.pilkey.com/
Another series of books the Little Man loves are the Bad Kitty books by Nick Breul. We have our own Krazy Kat, whom would be right at home with Bad Kitty! More at Bad Kitty's corner on the web:
http://badkittybooks.squarespace.com/
Little Man is pretty much Star Wars obsessed. He loves the movies, the lego sets and the video game. Now we have started reading the books. There are a lot of novelizations out there-from the movie plot lines, to the clone wars and beyond. Scholastic has a great introduction to the books on their website, found here:
http://www.scholastic.com/starwars/
Even though we are beyond picture books on an ability level, there are some that are still pretty cool to read. The other day at Childs Play Toys, we found one such title: Punk Farm. Hilarious & artfully illustrated, it may wind up under our Christmas tree.
http://www.punkfarm.com/
The other series Little Man loves are the Bad Dog Marley. It is basically Marley & Me for kids, so it's obvious I was all over it. In fact, to this day, little Man's two favorite bedtime books are Bad Dog Marley and A Very Marley Christmas.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bad-dog-marley-john-grogan/1100239146
Little Man is also obsessed with the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. He even told me about the new book coming out! I admit, I am the least intimately acquainted with these books out of all that he reads as the Big Man & he have their own mutual appreciation society.
http://www.wimpykid.com/
My son loves legos almost as much as he loves his hot wheels. We have several design encyclopedias, along with tons of legos in our house (he loves to build!). Now there is a new series that combines his two loves: building & books.
http://www.brickset.com/search/?query=brickmaster
My new favorite book for him are the doodles for dinner books:
http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/doodles-at-dinner
It's always exciting for my son to discover new books and continue his love of reading!

The Name of the Game

Note: this is not a sponsored post. Its my opinion and I happen to like the store and the products.
I am a firm believer in educational toys. I think that kids need to stimulate creativity & learning. Studies have shown that play is educational for children...so why not present them opportunities to develop critical thinking, artistic ability and other higher brain functions.
We are so fortunate in Sioux Falls to have Child's Play Toys. They are an independent toy store in the middle of the shopping district. Most of their products are educational, but all of them are super fun.
Yesterday was neighborhood toy store day which was a perfect day to visit. There was a chance for the Little Man to try some new craft items and he made an awesome sign!
While he was crafting away and writing poetry (a new talent!) I had a chance to browse for possible gifts from Santa.
Little Man loves to build, and legos, k-nex & kreo offer lots of possibilities. I found two new products that add to them.
One are Snap Circuits.
http://www.snapcircuits.net/products/product_details/snap_circuits®_jr._100_experiments (available at Child's Play for $29.99) it is a building set that teaches kids about building electronic circuits, resulting in being able to light a light bulb, ring a doorbell & tons of other projects. The really cool thing about these sets is each one builds on the previous set, so you expand your knowledge of electronics as you build.
Another super neat building set are Nano Blocks. These are like mini legos (& i mean super mini). there are several different sets available, including the Eiffel Tower, the Taj Mahal and a giant banyan tree amongst others. These little masterpieces are only a few inches tall, accurate renderings and really affordable. One of my biggest gripes about other building systems is the cost of each set.
http://www.mynanoblock.com/site/
They retail at Child's Play for $17.99.
Another cool thing that I found at the store were Christmas items from Playmobil. There are both an advent calendar & nativity set (each about $23). http://store.playmobilusa.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-US-Site/en_US/Product-Show?pid=4884&cgid=Weihnachten &
My son loves to create art, and I encourage it at every turn. My great grandfather was a sculptor, my grandmother was an artist and fashion designer, my mother is a crafter & I am an artistic dilatente. It is only natural Little Man, via osmosis, would pick up on the creative & artistic vibes. He made a clay pot in art class last year, and has been wanting to do more. The kids pottery wheel set looks like fun http://aventura.learningexpresstoys.com/buy/aq62202/kids-pottery-wheel-by-curiosity-kits/ and is $54 at Child's Play.
There are also some really cool (science) magic kits that the little guy was looking at. Also exciting to him were some of the soda can science kits.
My son could usually care less about clothes, but in the Child's Play Wear section, he found a bunch of "skater boy" shirts made out of organic cotton. They came in a variety of neutral, muted hues and featured screened on dragons (lizard?) dogs (wolves?) and other exotic creatures. If he noticed them, then they have to be cool.
There are a ton of stocking stuffers by the door too, as well as a reading room. Little man could spend all day there!