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Category Archives: be creative {DIY}

my perfect outfit

01.29.2010

In regards to your questions from last week’s questions…I know there are still some left to be answered. I’ll finish answering those next week!

Here are a few answers to yesterday’s post: I tried Snapfish & Shutterfly, but was not pleased with the quality. I have considered using a Blurb book – I like the feature of it being able to be larger than 100 pages. Ultimately I went with MyPublisher because of price. The Blurb and MyPublisher books seemed about equal in price until you factor in 50% off or a Buy One Get One Free coupon (which is a big deal when you are ordering around 400 pages total). I always wait to order my albums until I have one of those coupons. They email me one each year around this time. MyPublisher works like Blurb in that you can pull in all the pictures off your computer, but just use the ones you want. I go through and select my pics because I want to tweak the post processing on them before I pull them into the MyPublisher program. I pick the pictures I want based on what I like and what I don’t want to forget. I probably only end up using 25-50% of the pictures I take. (I’d like to use them all, but my wallet would not like that). MyPublisher does allow for different themes…including text. I choose not to add text because I like the ‘pictures only’ look and I would never get the books done if I added text! We keep journals for the kids.

Here is a link to what I do in regards to saving and backing up my pictures.

So the other day I was thinking…

I am 30. I am a mom of four. Maybe it is time to change my wardrobe to something that reflects this stage of life a bit more….

I went to the store and can you believe for $5.00 I found the PERFECT outfit?!1.10pillow-01

Perfect for two new pillows that is.1.10pillow-03

The ability to remove pillow covers is VERY important in my house. Messes happen. Messes happen a lot!

I kept the skirt slit on the houndstooth one and added a vintage button…to allow me to remove the pillow cover.

On the white one I added a flap with vintage trim…to allow me to remove the pillow cover. I like mine better than this $39.00 one.1.10pillow-05

For those wondering why I didn’t do a tutorial on this…I don’t really know how to sew. I make things up as I go and I usually make a lot of mistakes in the process. I should have done a tutorial on what not to do. For instance, when adding a flap to fold over make sure before you sew it that the flap is on the outside not the inside. Otherwise you have to remove a lot of tiny stitches and that is not fun.1.10pillow-06

Since I didn’t do a tutorial, I did think I’d share a few outtakes from my pillow making process. Looking at the chaos surrounding my projects it makes it seem worth it just to buy stuff sometimes!1.10pillow-081.10pillow-10

I know this is blurry. She was jumping so fast I couldn’t get any of her in focus. She likes to jump.1.10pillow-111.10pillow-12

And even now as I try to write this post I have a little one trying to crawl off my bed. I’m tired…1.10pillow-14

And for my Friday etsy finds….in honor of Valentine’s Day

valentinesEtsy

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by AshleyAnn

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annie - okay so first i was afraid, because it just didn't seem to work (the outfit that is), but then i saw the darling pillows - they're perfect! they look great with the moulded rocker. your crafting looks like mine, lots of (ahem) helpers! love the etsy pics - esp the live what you love - might need to check that one out! happy friday!

Jo - Ashley, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU SAY YOU CAN'T SEW AND IT LOOKS PERFECT!!!! I got a sewing machine for Christmas (2009) and i've made curtains and pillows and i'm not really satisfied with how i do it. =\ GR! I love the sweater pillow... WOW! Much cuter than the PB one. SERIOUSLY! You did a fantastic job. Like I have said before I really enjoy your blog... it's very bright, colorful and full of fun kiddos! Always something new!

tiny twig - dude, do you EVER sleep?! i am sooooo impressed with you "go-ness". i feel like with 2 boys ages 3yr and 1yr i'm running around like crazy with them and even getting something creative done every once in awhile is a feat in itself. how do you keep the boys from destroying your house? mine seem completely bent on doing that. :)

karen brown - I use my MyPublisher too and it is awesome! Just do a google search for "mypublisher+coupon codes" and I can pretty much always find some sort of coupon. Also, if you are a Costco member, you can login to costco.com and then hit the photo button and you get an automatic 20% off at checkout. I am so jealous you are done! I promised some for the g'parents as Christmas gifts and they are still in the works!

Christy - Lovin those pillows! The ruffle is so pretty

Sara - I love MyPublisher! Just finished my two books. Yes, this year took two albums worth, like 700 pictures. I dislike that after about 60some pages, the program freezes/slows way down. I talked to tech support and they said that the albums will hold 99 pages, but the slowing down was something they have regular complaints about. Thus, my needing two albums with 40 and 60 pages respectively. Love the pillows!!! Adorable. The outfit was perfect foil to a segue to the pillows. :D

Shannon Phillips - I just almost peed myself laughing so hard at your awesome outfit. I love you girl. Thanks so much for making me smile. You have encouraged me to work on my new pillow covers. Ours too get stained much quicker than I get sick of them and want new ones. (That is very very fast.) ;)

candace - I like your version better too! That whop-doodle ruffle is fun. Have you ever used Picaboo albums or just MyPublisher?

Emily - I love the pillows! I was recently given some not so cute pillows I had no clue what to do with...I can totally cover them! Thanks for the idea!

Anna Joy - those pillows are beautiful! so creative! good find on the cheapie clothes for them!

Allison - Love the pillows. By the way, what external hard drive do you have? I have a mac and looked at the apple time machine but it had bad reviews so I feared gettting it. Thanks again!

ashlee - you scared me with the outfit:) i love that sweater pillow!! my daughter has a pink cableknit she refuses to wear to it is destined for a pillow!

Lauren Roberts - I myself was thinkin "Oh my, she is finally looking way older than she is in that outfit!" Which is really hard for you to do. I like the pillows!

Shannon - Ok, this is off subject, but where did you have that big pic over your mantle done, and can we see the full thing. It looks amazing (each of your shoes??) and I just need to see the whole thing!

Anna Joy - not old...older-er. :) your comment on my blog made my day because, well, you're my MOM ICON (besides from my own mother, of course). Yay for me. Have a good day and stay warm :)

jill tracy - Wowsers--those are too cute. Love them both! Yours is way cooler than than the PB one--seriously!

Jodi - Adorable. I love your style!!!

Meagan - Haha, you're so funny! I was thinking, hmmm...that outfit...not loving it... The pillows rock! I agree, you're way too modest about your sewing skills.

Heather - Those pillows ARE so perfect! And what a fun Etsy list this week. I've already found 3 thinks I want to make mine!! Have a happy weekend :)

amanda torres - I now know why you have 4 kids. With an outfit like that, how can your husband resist all that sexiness!

Serena Lowe - I must admit when I saw the outfit....I though this girl needs some help.....then when I saw the pillows, I was relieved!! They are beautiful! I so need to learn to sew!!

christina larsen - Love the pillows. I never would have thought to make pillows out of clothing. Maybe I should start shopping in my closet for new pillow fabric. :)

Marianne Strong - Love the pillows, too funny, I was not sure where it was going. Your photography is gorgeous!

Dick - You don't look 17 in that outfit. We sure enjoy reading your blog each day

Tiffany - I absolutely ADORE all your projects and creativity...your blog has become my number one go to for project inspiration!!

Jesse - I love those Mr. & Mrs. pillows! And can totally relate to your crafting conditions.

Megan - You are so inspiring! The pillows are darling!!! I am really into re purposing things in 2010:) and I noticed that someone used plastic shopping bags to stuff their handmade pillows with. I am dying to make a pillow filled with plastic bags, so maybe I will grab an old sweater and go for it:)

Alba - thanks God the outfit is for pillows! for a moment I thougt you were serious, jejeje. Really nice pillows, anyway. I like your non-sew skills ;-)

reyanna - Looks awesome! Way to go! And that Pottery Barn pillow is $39 for the cover ONLY! That doesn't even include the pillow! LOL. Yours are fabulous! You inspire me so much. Thank you! :)

kid’s craft {rainbow hearts}

01.21.2010

A conversation with my 3 year old (when his best friend/big brother wasn’t home)
Him: “Let’s do something fun.”

Me: “What do you want to do?”

Him “Play the wii.”

Me: “No, we could make cookies.”

Him: “No, that’s boring.”

Me: “You could make a painting for your room.”

Him: “No, that is boring.”

Me: “We could make playdoh.”

Him: “No, that’s boring.”

Me: “We could melt crayons and make hearts for Valentines.”

Him: “No, that’s boring.”

Me: “Okay, what is not boring?”

Him: “Playing the wii.”

1.10crayon-01

I got out the crayons and decided to start shaving crayons and melting them anyway. This the face sitting across the table from me as I played.1.10crayon-02

He watched me shave the crayons (with an old cheese grater).

He watched me lay out a towel, then wax paper, then pour the shavings on top, and then cover it with another piece of wax paper and another towel.

He watched me iron it just until the crayons melted.1.10crayon-03

And his pout turned into a grin and my idea wasn’t so boring anymore.1.10crayon-07

This is a bit messy of a craft, but fun nonetheless (the towels I used did get stained just fyi). Several people have asked me about how I get my kids to do craft projects. Well, sometimes it is easy. Sometimes it takes me starting it out by myself before they realize how much fun my idea is. 1.10crayon-11

I will say my initial idea was cute hearts in various shades of red. Big Brother wanted to add blue. I’d like to say I agree without hesitation, but I usually hesitate. I told him, “Hearts aren’t blue.” He responded, “Mommy, hearts are whatever color you want to make them.” I could stick to my guns and have cute hearts hanging in the window or I could give in to the blue. I gave in. Encouraging his creativity and imagination are more important than picture book designs.1.10crayon-12

I cut out hearts to hang in the windows…he cut various shapes, strung them and wanted them hanging in his room.1.10crayon-13

And on a totally random note…look what I found online!

9. MargaretsHopeChest

Yep, my quilt for the Margaret’s Hope Chest Craft Hope Project. It was my first quilt ever and I am pretty proud of it…even if it looks a bit sad and ugly in this photo among all the hard core quilts! Some little guy or girl is warm today. Pretty cool. The next project is making scarves for college students that have aged out of the foster care system. I don’t know how to knit, but hopefully I can figure that out soon to get a scarf there by the Feb. 14th deadline. Check it out here!

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by AshleyAnn

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Shannon Phillips - I think that your quilt looks awesome. I lived in Grand Rapids for 5 years so I know that it can be a very cold place. Someone is surely snuggling up in their very beautiful work of art made with the hands of an amazing woman of God!

Jo - Hey ashley, I have a question! I did the hearts last night! BUT! It IS suppose to be a double sided heart right? Like wax on top, melted crayons in the middle and then wax on bottom and then cut the shape of your heart? When I did it I thought um... this doesn't look right. But maybe I did it correctly. Thank you!

Susan - Cute idea! I've done it before, but never thought of cutting it into heart shapes and hanging...we just have blobs!

AshleyAnn - Jo - that is what I did. There is probably a more 'correct' way to do it, but I was just trying to occupy my 3 year old!

Erin - I like the convo you two had...boring

Moriah - How do you come up with these great ideas!? I love this one!

Jo - Lol! :) Great, thanks for responding!!

Jo - BTW- did you happen to make the curtains hanging in the picture above? Or just buy them? I love white curtains, but i never can find any thick enough!!

tiny twig - LOVE this project! it's now officially on the docket for next week. :)

AshleyAnn - The curtains are a shower curtain from Target that I cut in half!

Brooke - Oh I totally understand - my 3 year old loves the Wii too. Crafts just don't compare, well until you get them started, like you said :) I love those crayon hearts! Super cute. Love your blog.

Kelly - We just made these this last weekend and they are hanging from from the chandelier over our kitchen table. And our's aren't all red and pink either. My boys added orange, green & blue :)

rachel denbow - our sons are of the same opinion these days. Trying the crayon project soon!

Michelle - My childhood best friend and I used to do a similar project--we used an electric griddle and laid wax paper on top. Then we drew on the paper using whole crayons, which melted when they touched the hot griddle. Probably more dangerous, but less messy for sure!

Jodi - you should have your own tv show.:)

Kaitlyn - Thanks for the great idea! Super simple and quick. We made ours today. They look so neat in the sunshine. Keep those ideas Rollin sista!

Jen - I think this is my new favorite project. I love the hearts against the window - such a beautiful look! Definitely going to have to break this out the next time I babysit!

stephanie - ah! i see my quilt too!! love all the crafts that you do that involves the kids....and i think the blue heart looks pur-ty ;)

maegan - I love the melted crayon project! I used to do it when I was little. I plan on doing a VERY simple crocheting tutorial (I am no expert) on Monday if you want to stop by. Those are the plans.

Nicole - I have a question that might be considered silly: Do you take the wax paper off after you melt the crayons? I want to do this for my bedroom, lol.

AshleyAnn - Nicole - you leave the wax paper on. I suppose if you were able to make it really thick you could peel back the wax paper. Ours have wax paper on the both sides with the melted crayon in the middle.

Emily Bergquist - You have just inspired me in multiple ways and I am so thankful for your blog! And by the way, I love the blue in the hearts, it gives them a wonderful Eric Carle look!

Nicole - Awesome! Thanks so much.

linda geertsen - Hi Ashley! I just knew it! I know we are meant to be friends. So, I was browsing the collage of thumbnails and saw that the MY quilt is to the left of YOUR quilt. Coincidence? I think not. We are meant to be friends. :) All kidding aside. Thanks so much for the guiding me to Craft Hope. I LOVEd every second of the experience. If you are wondering, I did "quilt" the top together--the quilt squares happen to be of the same fabric. It looks just like one piece in the photo. Thanks again! linda

my studio….

01.20.2010

So I have gotten a lot of emails asking questions about my ’studio’ space and wanting a photo tour of my craft room. I smile whenever someone asks about my craft room. If there is one thing Chris could add onto the house right now, he’d probably add on a creative studio space for me. He knows how much I’d love it and I think he’d kind of like to sit down for dinner at a table that doesn’t have paint and Mod Podge splattered all over it.

My kitchen craft room

1.10craftroom-01

A bit scary, huh? Typically I am picking up so fast that everything just gets shoved in and the curtain closed. This is actually a bookcase we bought at a garage sale for $5.00 about 6 years ago. We added molding to the top and I made a curtain out of a vintage tablecloth to hide the disaster on the shelves. I have good intentions of keeping it organized, but obviously that isn’t happening. A creative mess. Someday it will be a cutely organized creative mess. Someday as in when the boys are older.

1.10craftroom-031.10craftroom-04

So half my creative stuff is downstairs in the kitchen. The other half is upstairs in my daughter’s room my sewing room.

1.10craftroom-06

My grandpa built me a craft armoire like this one several years ago. To fit it into this space we had to remove the crown molding and take off the doors. A table pulls out for sewing, but to sew I have to move the ladder with the quilts and the crib. The sewing machine is about a foot from the crib which means I can’t sew during naps or at night when she is sleeping. Needless to say that is why I Mod Podge more than I sew! I keep everything fabric related in this area.1.10craftroom-09

Is this an ideal set up…no. Is it convenient….no. Does it work for what I have available right now…yes. I think in most areas of life we make it work for what is really important to us. I’m making it work….and dreaming of having a space like one of these someday. (I am a pretty content gal, but I have to admit there was some major coveting going on seeing these beautiful craft rooms!)

Apartment Therapy’s motherload list of Creative Craft Rooms

Apartment Therapy’s second motherload list of Creative Craft Rooms

Soule Mama’s Studio v.2

Heather Bailey’s Studio

Karen Russell’s Scrapbook Room/Office

Meg’s Craft Room

There are so many more, but I am trying to stay on task with some projects this week, so I better stop. Do a google image search for “craft room” and just look at all the beautiful spaces that come up.

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christina larsen - I'm not even that "crafty", but I would love to have an organized space to do fun projects. Wow, those were amazing.

ashlee - this is how my stuff is spread most of the time! right now i share a room with mercy:) thanks for sharing...i personally want a room like meg with all those amazing windows!

Lisa Johnson - I confess to occasionally picturing the sunny corner bedroom in my house transformed into a dream craft room with a place-for-everything-and-everything-in-its-place. But, for now, it is occupied by 2 lovely daughters and filled with polly pockets, dress-up clothes, doll-house decor, and their huge collection of crafty things, and atleast for the next several years, I wouldn't want it any other way. Thanks for sharing your real-life solutions. I think the bookcase curtain is brilliant!

Tess S. - wait a second... didn't you meet Meg from whatever?! i was expecting a post filled with glorious pictures of your 2 sweet faces!

jessica ast - I always thougt, I was the only person having the kitchen table problem. now, I feel in good company ;-). on the other hand, one of my best excuses for not being creative does not work anymore - as you do an awful lot of wonderful projects without having a craft room. thanks for sharing.

Shanalea - I feel your pain. I am in the process of rearranging my house because of one more child and have no idea where to put all the things that are coming out. A family of 6 takes up a lot of space.

the inadvertent farmer - As much as Heather Bailey's makes me swoon...Meg's is more my style! I love that you have some of your supplies in your kitchen so they are close at hand when inspiration strikes! Kim

Susan - I love when you post pictures of your home! It is warm and whimsical. Anyway, I will be back several times to look at these pictures for lovely inspiration. :)

tiny twig - i love that you work with what you have! i can't imagine having a whole room dedicated to crafting...but maybe someday. i really do prefer just sitting on the ground and sprawling out anyway, though. :)

Jessica - It is sooo refreshing to see someone as creative as you using your kitchen table and random storage! It gives a mother of 2 like me hope that using my kitchen table can still CREATE beautiful things. :)

Jamie - Ha! That's pretty much what my crafting space looks like. Wherever it will fit!

Mandy B - So should we be expecting a "save the date" four pack of treats sometime soon? Or is this a big "hint, hint" for Chris for Valentine's Day?

Alba - as long as these works for you... and you are a lucky girl ;-) but craftroom is a box lol jajajaja

Nikki - I LOVED this post! My craft room is all over the house too--my sewing table is in a corner of my living room, my fabric and supplies are in a dresser in our only basement room (where my youngest son also sleeps,) my sewing/craft books are in the cupboard of our entertainment center and my scrapbooking stuff is in our closet. HA! It's nice to know there are other women who are happy to "make do" too :)

candace - i love how practical and creative you are!

indiana - What are those cute orange and pink pompoms up in the room? I would love to do something like that for my babies room. Do you have a post on making these?

my first TtV attempts

01.14.2010

I don’t know about you, but sometimes there are just too many creative things I want to try. I’ve wanted to try TtV photography for a long time, but just never got around to it. Mainly I would see it online somewhere, love it…then I’d forget about it. Well this week Rachel posted her first experience and it was just the little shove I needed. There are lots of great online tutorials, Rachel shared this one on Hula Seventy. If you don’t have an old camera to use, you can fake TtV using Photoshop. Just Google instructions and there are tons out there.  Looking at other sites, I am obviously doing something wrong because everyone else’s does not have the square corners in their shots…just perfect little black trim on the edges.  I also didn’t clean my old camera AT ALL – so I am going to do that too. Finally I noticed the little strap on top of my Brownie Hawkeye kept getting in my shots – one more thing to remedy. I’ll have to figure all that out and post more next week. Feel free to give me pointers if you are experienced with TtV! Until then, here is my very first attempts at TtV…it was fun!
1.10ttv-011.10ttv-02
1.10ttv-031.10ttv-041.10ttv-05

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Jeannette Swan - I don't even understand what you are doing!

Michele V. - I'm right there with you Jeannette.... what are you doing?

Allison - I've been meaning to try since I bought the perfect camera to do it with. I always seem to forget and then run out of light! I'm going to try and do it this week though. I love how yours turned out! Are the square corners specific to the type of camera you used maybe?

Stephanie - Ok. This is a really silly question, so please don't judge me on it, but I'm interested in testing out TtV photography...does the old/vintage camera need to be in working condition? or are you just utilizing the viewfinder?

Sandy - I too had to go look up what Ttv was, guess I am not alone. I have to say, it's really pretty cool. I really like the last one of the window. The shadow effects around it and the black boarder makes the pic look old. I like it.

Anna Marie - Stephanie your old camera does not have to work. You just need it to have the lenses. I bought a Kodak Duaflex at a local antique store to try it out but once I got it home and tried it the first time I realized that the top corner of the lens was cracked so I couldn't get the four perfectly rounded corners :( I am on the look out for another. I am wondering if those square corner things in your picture is because those are on your brownie lens??? I have heard that the Duaflex is the best way to go for the TtV shots. But I could be wrong. There are some awesome TtV Flickr groups out there.

susie whyte - i saw this on rachel's blog, too!! i love it!!

Asha - I've seen Ruby from Cakies and Rachael from Smile and Wave do this and I think it's great but did you know you could just use a simple mask in photoshop without the complicated contraption menthod? There are a ton of them on flickr.

Asha - Here is all the info you need: http://asha-mary.blogspot.com/2009/08/through-viewfinder.html

diy {paper bird painting}

01.13.2010

After yesterday’s comments on how unique you thought my craft ideas are, I was a bit hesitant to post this! Not so unique, but easy enough for anyone to do!

Last week I gave you a glimpse of a little craft project I had in the works. I wasn’t going to post pictures because this is part of a surprise for a dear friend, but she needs a little pick me up right now. If you have read this blog for very long you know that adoption and orphan care are very important to me. My sweet friend (and her 3 young kids) are in Africa diligently trying to adopt an older sibling set of 3. She has been there since Nov. and had hoped to return home to her husband this week. Plans have changed and we are still all waiting for a super sweet homecoming. While she is away some of us are working on a few surprises. She knows we are decorating the kid’s rooms, but she doesn’t know what all we have up our sleeves. So, sweet friend, here is a peek at some artwork for the girl’s room!

I was inspired by this DwellStudio painting (thanks Bryn!)

Step 1: Draw the basic design on the canvas (I messed with this picture in Photoshop to make the pencil marks show up…it isn’t really a big gray bubble)

Step 2: Cut out random scrapbooking papers for leaves and the bird (I used Amy Butler paper)

Step 3: Glue down the paper. I applied Mod Podge to the back of the paper and then stuck them on the canvas. Just do a thin layer of glue to prevent bubbling. I also did a thin layer of Mod Podge on top of the paper and around the edges.

1.10painting-02

Step 4: When gluing the paper down some of my paper bled, so I lightly went over the white areas of the canvas with white craft paint.

Step 5: Paint on your branches

Step 6: Seal the canvas. I just used Mod Podge since it was already on hand.1.10painting-05

In the girls’ room these will not be hanging this close together….1.10painting-07

While I was working on these, Littlest Brother joined me in the kitchen. At one point he tried to quietly push the chair over to the countertops. He returned, with the chair and turned it where it was facing the opposite direction of where I was. He thought he was being sneaky, but I knew what was on those countertops.1.10painting-081.10painting-09

Handful. Can I say it again? HANDFUL!!!!

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Alba - jajajajajaja smart guy! life is tough mum, but to have to older brothers helps ;-)

Megan H - I love this and I can do it, I know I can. This is my mission, thanks for the idea!

christina larsen - "But I'm cute, Momma!" Cute bird pics, I hope she enjoys them.

Jodi - Adorable. I want to steal every single one of your craft ideas for our new playspace, 3rd birthday party, and shared big girls' room space. I haven't finalized any of them yet, but I am sure they will feature one of your many DIY projects. This one looks like it might make the list! Keep em' coming!

Jeannette Swan - Love them!!! It is simple, but still unique - I'm already trying to think of what I can mod podge onto a canvas (I've done fabric and painted, but hadn't thought of paper). I'm still trying to make a tray like you showed at Christmas Gathering - painting and mod podging - not wood burning! I'm so not creative that I bought the same Martha Stewart flowers from Michael's that you had. I noticed the little silver birds on your mantle - I knew you could use those!!

Marie - I love it! Perfect for a girls room. What do you mean by seal the canvas? Do you paint over the entire thing with modge podge?

Rachel - Those are perfect!! M and the girls will absolutely love them!

laura - love it! and i love your blog. i've been checking everyday for months and it brings me a lot of joy...especially as a young, Christian, crafty mom of two. i do have one request...i just had a baby BOY and am having trouble w/ boyish cute crafty ideas for his room. if you have anything to share sometime, i would LOVE it.

ashlee - so very cute!

Heather - I love these! They are so pretty, and so easy to make I can hardly believe it!! I definitely need to make myself one. Thanks for the tutorial!!

amanda torres - Very cute! And, I LOVED the onesie from yesterday. So unique and funny.

melanie - Thanks for the sneak peek!! it is beautiful and I can't wait to see it and also for the girls to see it! S has never even had her own bed, so I'm so excited that you girls are helping me give her a beautiful room!!

Katie - LOVE it!! Gosh, you never cease to amaze me with your adorable ideas! Thank you!

Jaimie - I was just about to say how GOOD your kids were until I read that they were a handful. It seems like they are really good!!! I love this and I have been thinking of something very similar. Simply Modern Mom also did some canvases that are really similar: http://www.simplymodernmom.com/2010/01/tree-canvases/

Meagan - Those are super cute, Ashley! Very similar to the paper nursery art I will have in my new etsy shop! The onesie is adorable too, BTW! I can just picture that whole Hobby Lobby thing! When I have bought felt from them and told them it was for baby headbands, they looked at me weird too! They just aren't very hip! ;)

meg duerksen - but being that adorable...it is impossible to be frustrated with him i bet. at least not for very long!

Rachel - So cute...I think I am going to have to do this one for my daughter's room!!!

Andy - love the pics i'm pregnant and if it's a girl then i may have to make some for the room

Christy - Love, Love the birdie pictures!! Such a cute cookie stealer..

Beatrice Killam - What a wonderful idea! I'm sure your friend - and the girls - will love these!! I was just wondering where you bought that awesome Amy Butler paper...

Rachel Ridd - please please please email or post and tell me how you did the logs in your fireplace. Is it real wood or painted on?

Jessica Mad About Pink - Simple tutorial for a great effect. Thanks for sharing it.

katherinemarie - tweet tweet--- these are BEYOND SWEET!!! Isn't modge podge the greatest thing?? You've got to stop with all these sensational projects!!! Too much amazing stuff girl!

dori - Precious! I just started reading your blog and haven fallen in love with birds. I never really cared for them until I saw how you've incorporated them into your crafts and decor. Love it!

Andrea - that is adorable! love your pictures and DIY articles!!

chantelle - you are brilliant-the bird art is great I can't wait to try it! You do all that with 3 kids.......you must be brilliant!

susie whyte - and i just caught myself speaking outloud, saying, "aww, those are really cute!" figured i should say it to you, too! :) i love his hair!! such a stud. i always tell my friends that they should just name their boys "stopit" with the middle name of "now". that's all you say to them. :)

Jesse - Super cute DIY! And so is Mr. Ornery!

Tiffany - Adorable little birds and adorable chocolate chip face!

Erica - Thanks for the inspiration! I've been trying to think of some art to put in the bathroom that the kids share with the guest room, fun but not too childish, and I think this is it!

Ashley C. - I was so inspired by your birdies, I made my own. I linked back to your blog so everyone can be inspired by yours, as I was. Here's the link to what I did. http://ashleycrenshaw.blogspot.com/2010/01/fly-away-with-me.html Thanks for the daily inspiration! I love it!

Diana - Stunning, absolutely stunning

courtney - I loved this one so much I went right to work, they look perfect in my little girls room.

indiana - I had to post your blog on thebump.com! This project and so many others are brilliant! http://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/forums/30290170/ShowThread.aspx#30290170

Our Canvas Trees « - [...] Canvas Trees Jump to Comments So tonight Justine and I made these. Justine was successful with the project and finished hers. I think they’re lovely, even [...]

DIY {Wii minutes board}

01.06.2010

So I’ve mentioned recently that we now own a Wii. I fought it as long as I could and finally caved into the big boys and Chris. I am viewing it as our “winter sport”. It became obvious to me pretty quickly that the boys needed something visual to understand how much time they are allowed to play. So I made a Wii minute board. Really I was just looking for an excuse to use some of the Amy Butler paper my sister got me for Christmas.
1.10wiiboard-01

I made each of the older boys “Wii minute” cards. I also made myself 4. Once the boys use up their minutes for the week, that is it until the next week. However, I have 4 cards to give out at my discretion for whatever reason I want (like a desperate need to be alone with coffee and the sewing machine). Chris asked if he got any minutes to pass out…nope. The whole point is to limit Wii time! To make the cards, I cut out strips of paper, rounded the edges, tied a ribbon to the top, and stamped the initials on the front.1.10wiiboard-02

Then I took a clipboard (that I had previously painted in chalkboard paint) and glued paper to it using Mod Podge.1.10wiiboard-03

Then I glued 3 envelopes to the clipboard. 1 for each boy and 1 that is “Mom’s” that the used minutes go in. The 4 discretionary minutes are clipped to the top. I also used chalk at the bottom to write the days of the week and check them off…there is no such thing as “wii rollover minutes”. Granted, this is quite girly looking, but the boys could care less. They are more concerned about how many little cards they have left than they are over what paper the cards are made of. I could have done some boyish paper – like balls or transportation – but I want to enjoy looking at it!1.10wiiboard-04

As I was making this project I thought of a comment that was recently left on this blog. I deleted it because it was very mean spirited and it is my blog, so I can delete comments if I want! The comment said, “You have GOT to be kidding. Next time you get these urges drink something alcoholic until they pass. That wire basket ceiling fixture is indescribably ugly, and the backsplash should effectively get you laughed off the web, which considering all the other ‘loving hands at home’ projects around, is no small feat. Please don’t ‘craft’ anymore, unless you want to see such comments as mine.”

So here’s to you – mean, grumpy man…another craft by Ashley Ann….next time you get the urge to visit my blog drink some prune juice and wait for the urge to pass.

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by AshleyAnn

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pamela - eeeeeewwwwwwww! what a jerk! although, i've read on other popular blogs that you know you've made it big when people start disliking your blog. not that that makes it better. i mean if people really don't like your stuff, then why even bother wasting your time reading it!? so weird. in any case i love the Wii board and all of the other stuff you make! you're inspirational : )

Katie L. - I visit your blog every day and have only left one comment. I'm more of a stalker than a participant! :) However, I simply had to let you know that I think your craft ideas are fabulous! I made more than one Christmas present (as did several of my close friends) based on ideas from this lovely blog. Keep crafting, keep blogging and please, please, please, keep taking those gorgeous photographs!

amanda torres - I cannot even imagine someone going to the lengths to make a comment like that. Obviously he had to be into the blog to read the whole post and check out all those pictures associated with that post. That poor guy must really hate many aspects of life if he felt it necessary to take his precious time to leave a comment. Crazy!

Lindsay - people can be so mean! i love love love your blog and look at it everyday - even though google reader can't figure out how to work itself. i don't have a wii or kids, but i want to make the stinking wii board! i love it! keep on crafting and blogging about it my friend. you have plenty of people reading who love your stuff and that outweighs the bad a million times over.

Jenny - What a meanie. I LOVE that remodel. In fact, that is how I found your blog and now I visit every day. I really enjoy the pictures of your beautiful children. Especially the oldest one. The girls are really gonna like him when he gets to dating age. Keep up the good work and try to ignore comments like that.

Rachel Ridd - oh my! I can't believe someone would even write that. People are crazy haha. I LOVE you kitchen. Well really every picture of the house that I see. I actually bought a wire basket at Home Goods the other day because your blog inspired me to make my own basket fixture. Thanks for all your creative ideas and inspiration. Rachel stellabellaboutique.etsy.com

Jeannette Swan - You Rock!!! God has given you a talent that a lot of us try not to be envious of...I can't imagine not having your amazing blog with amazing ideas and pictures to inspire me to at least try to be crafty!! We love you!!

Ryan - Mean people stink. Keep on keepin' on - that's the best way to handle these sort of things.

Lauren Roberts - Obviously this person has no better talents than to put rude comments out there. Ashley, we love all YOUR craftineess. Keep on crafting girl!

Aunt Sandy - Love your site, love your crafts, Love your family, Love your comments, Love, love your spunk (not just saying that because you are my niece). So with all that said, I have one last thing to say: YOU GO GIRL!!!!!!!!

raychel - NEVER let a comment like that ever get you down!! I come on here daily just to see what you're crafting!!! As for this one - I wish i had little kidlets just to make one! You think my husband would mind if I just gave him minutes?! :) All God's Blessings! Keep using your AMAZING talents!

jenni - oh my. that's horrible! i can't believe someone would say that to you. or to anyone! if you can't say something nice, then dont say anything at all. i personally loved your basket fixture and the kitchen backsplash. if i owned my own house, i would definetly copy your backsplash idea! keep up the cute crafts!

Andrea Jett - Oh my, I am positive that he must have mis-spoke! ;) Here is what I think he meant: "You have GOT to be kidding me. Why have I not seen this blog before?? Next time (if ever) you get an urge to NOT post something, drink some coffee and recuperate until the feeling passes! That wire basket thing is so indescribably creative, and the backsplash, along with your hilarious and endearing commentary, should effectively get you laughed right off the web and ONTO YOUR OWN TV SHOW. Which considering all the other 'loving hands at home' projects around, it is no small feat to be such an inspirational and admired leader. Please don't ever stop! Unless you want to be inundated with comments begging your return." Yes yes. I am sure that is what he meant to say, but the prune juice had clouded his vision and he missed some keys on the keyboard. Mr. Prune Juice, don't mess with Ashley! She is a God-given gift to many.

kelly - Holy Mean Comment! I come here every morning to see what you have done next and I steal I mean use your ideas all the time! This is agreat one! I have one two year old and I want a Wii for myself to excercise and I have debated about it and the headache that comes from limiting the game time. This is a GREAT suggestion!! I am also thinking I could turn this idea into some sort of potty training/rewards chart - because really who want to look at a Thomas the Train potty chart everytime they go to the bathroom!

Leanne - maybe the guy that left that comment was the same one that stole your little one's hat in hobby lobby. love the idea...will be passing it along to my friends that got a wii from santa this year and deal with the same issues. ;)

Mique - Ashley! Oh my gosh- I can't believe someone wrote that!?! The nerve. AND so not true- it'd be one thing if it were true. But not at all. I love this project! LOVE! And I laughed when you put you wanted an excuse to use your AB paper- that's my kind of girl. ;) I will be linking on 30days! So cute. Thanks.

Trinity - I love the idea of the wii time cards. We are always looking for good ideas for things like that. Here is my question. How much time do they get for each card, or is that specified?

Mary - I visit your blog everyday. I seldom leave messages because I'm at work and if I left a message on every blog I visited I would get fired. But I love to take a break from work throughout the day to read some of my favorite blogs, and you're definately at the top of my list. I love your house and all your cool ideas. I don't have a crafty bone in my body. If I did, I would copy your ideas. Thanks for sharing your fun home with everyone.

Jo - People are so rude and so blunt these days its UNREAL! :) Keep on makin' your stuffies!!! They are awesome! So awesome they make me want to leave work and go home to craft! ;)

Rachel - Oh no he did-n't. Picture me saying that while snapping my fingers with a very sassy look on my face. I LOVE the Wii minutes idea. I can't wait until my guy is old enough for those!

Emily - Ashley, I LOVE your projects - keep 'em coming!!! :)

Anna Joy - Ashley, your crafts are incredible! Don't listen to a man who probably does not have an ounce of creativity in his body. Keep creating, PLEASE!!!

Patti Robertson - I read your blog everyday and look forward to it. God Bless you for being able to just hit the delete button. You have been very blessed with you talents and this person is just jealous.

courtney - SOMETHING good came out of that ridiculous & meanspirited (not to mention WRONG) comment -- it's forcing ME to comment. I'm very bad about lurking and silently enjoying the blogs that I love so much and never even saying thank you. So...thank you! I really enjoy your projects and lovely photos.

ashlee - mean people stink! I love love love your blog! your crafts are awesome...like this one. we just got a wii for christmas and i too needed a way to regulate their time. I will be making this today! thanks:)

dena - I LOVE your crafts.. I copy them... ALOT. :) How long is a WII card session? Trying to figure out how to let my boys play without it taking over their entire day!

Lisa - I think this is an awesome idea I should do something like this, I happen to like your blog and your crafts. Some people just don't have any taste and to much time on their hands so they have to fill their day being miserable. Idle hands are the devil playground as they say. keep up the good work and ignore the grumpy people. Hugs.

Carol - The man is obviously suffering some type of mental problems.

Jamie - How mean!!! If you don't have anything nice to say,...well, you know. Well, it got me to comment anyway. I've just recently found your blog & I love it! And funny, I've been showing all my friends & family that light. I think it's genious! The Wii minutes is a great idea & you made it cute too!

Valerie - I, too, want to know how much time each card represents. I'm thinking I'm going to need to copy this idea for TV time at our house! :)

Elizabeth - Okay..I love it...but do you need another envelope for the "used" minutes??? Where do they go???????

AshleyAnn - You all are cracking me up with some of your comments today! Thanks for all the sweet ones too. To answer some questions: The "used" minutes go in the "m" envelope. Each card represents 30 minutes. They get 7 total...so if they want to play with dad on the weekend, they have to save a few up. I also reserve the right to say "no" to the wii anytime I want.

Kara - It might have been funny if you had left the comment up...your faithful readers would have jumped all over that! :D (like we have today!)

christina larsen - I think it is a wonderful idea. BTW, hasn't Mr. Grumpy man ever heard the saying, "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." Really, how rude could you be. Don't listen to him, you are amazing.

lorae - I agree 100% with Ms. Jett's comment about said grouch. More importantly, AMY BUTLER HAS PAPER!!?? I'm trying to limit craft consumption and now I am tempted with this. I promised to use what I already have(and it is a lot!) for upcoming crafts. I'll be fine no really I'll somehow make it without those wonderful, beautiful papers in my life. Who am I kiddin I'll have that goodness in my hands by nightfall:).

the inadvertent farmer - ROFL...yes prune juice is in order, as they say 'mean people suck'. I hope you never quite crafting because I so enjoy your projects. Good luck on the video game thing...have three now college age sons and I will hold my tongue on the subject! No video games during finals week are NOT a good idea! Great clipboard project, Kim

Jill R - The anonymity of the internet makes people unafraid to be themselves. In some people this is jealousy and downright ugliness, and in others, like you, it is a bright ray of sunshine in the middle of this horrible winter! Thanks for sharing your light with us every day.

Kristi - I cant believe someone would say that to you! I love reading your blog and dont find anything distasteful about any of it. I could seriously look at your pictures forever!

Ayesha - Ashley..you are fantastic and i am glad you posted the diy project....jerks like that are too full of themseves xxx

Megan H - Ha ha...well said. For the record, I LOVED your back splash. The kitchen in my new house is in desperate need of a makeover. Reading your blog and seeing the creative things you come up is one of the highlights of my day!

ElleBows - oh my gosh. ewww, what a yucky comment! so far from the truth too!!! Weirdo alert! I love this idea! You are too clever!

tiny twig - LOVE your response to mr. grinchy pants! and i actually love your little light fixture. too bad those people are often even more miserable in real life than they are online. booooo grinchy pants.

Rachel - i know i am just one of the many to add my horror at such a comment but i just felt it was needed! i love your blog and the inspiration that i pull from it each day, thank you for taking time from your very very busy life to share with all of us! and for the record i am a professional graphic designer working for an architecture firm, and for what it's worth from a "professional" standpoint, your remodel and projects are both elegant, timely, inventive and beautiful!

Jill J - Well, your wii board is MUCH cuter than mine. Our "wii tickets" (as we call them) are contained in 3 envelopes on the refrigerator. Oh well. Maybe when I grow up and become as crafty as you are, I'll make a cute one too! (sticking tongue out at grumpy man troll.)

Cheree - Wow. Whatever happened to "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." Especially if the comment is completely WRONG and UNCALLED for. You have a lovely blog and awesome ideas for crafts. Keep it up!

Ingrid - what a miserable person to go out their way to be so mean! your blog is my favorite - i love your photos and most of all your craft ideas! you are an inspiration!! thanks for blogging and sharing your ideas with us!!

Melissa - Wow.. The nerve of some people.. Why would they even bother reading your blog then?? I think you are super creative and look forward to reader your blog often.. I love being inspired by you as a woman, crafter and mostly a mom! Keep up the greatness!

Jen - this person OBVIOUSLY reads your blog everyday (like the rest of us!) and gets inspired. apparently, they are just not as talented as you so they are taking it out on you. it's just sad. but WE all love your blog! what an inspiration to us all :) thank you for blogging!! XO

Rachel - Well I *love* this idea! We need one of these in my house! Thanks so much for yet another wonderful and BEAUTIFUL project. I'll be linking.

Casey - that's a really good idea, such a pretty way to keep track of time spent on the Wii! and I can't believe the comment you received, if you have nothing nice to say or type, don't do it, sorry you had to ever read it :(

Dee - I have never commented...also would be classified as a "blog stalker"...but I LOVE YOUR BLOG!!!!!! Your crafts, your humor, your photography...it's the BEST!!! Keep it up!!

Allison - Yep, you know you've made it when the poor, sorry, lonlies come out and waste time. You should take it as a compliment! Cute idea, gets my wheels turning about a chore chart...

Bonnie P - very impressed with how you handled that grumpy man. and dont ever think for a second that you should quit crafting...you're AMAZINGLY TALENTED!!

Brooke - Oh my goodness. I am obsessed with Amy Butler! I keep taping paper down on everything in my classroom. My second graders don't love it...but if I have to look at it all day.... Seriously, I cannot believe someone would be so mean to write something like that! I'm glad you didn't leave it up. People like that shouldn't have the right to computers. Dramatic? I don't think so. Keep up the adorable crafts. No need to drink. :)

beth - I think sometimes people forget that design is personal. What appeals to you may not appeal to me, and vice versa. That doesn't mean it's wrong or ugly or anything. "Mean Guy" needs to remember he's not the measuring stick (that's my nod to your kitchen) for everyone.

Meagan - Okay first of all, awesome idea! My 4 y/o likes to go down to my Mom's and play her WII.. He gets really obsessed with playing; He screams and fusses when we tell him it's time to leave. (In fact, he's begging to go down there right now...) Maybe if he had a visual que... That comment makes me mad and laugh at the same time. Obviously someone with major mental problems... You HAVE to know that you're awesome; an awesome mom; an awesome crafter; an AWESOME photographer. Enough said.

Katie - I just discovered your blog recently, but have devoured all your DIY posts in the archives and just can't get enough! I think your crafts are fantastic and you do a great job explaining so that even a not-so-crafty momma can figure them out. Thank you for sharing your talent and beautiful family!

Renita - I really enjoy your blog..keep up the great work...

Rachel - We just got a Wii too..it is so fun, but my kids are still young enough that they would rather be doing something else than playing Wii all day...I'm the one who needs the Wii minute board....I could play Lego Rockband forever!!! Anyways, I love your blog so much...it is one of the few things that I look forward to everyday..you are amazing in so many ways and do it all with 4 kiddos to take care of too...you go girl!! xoxo

Valerie - Just wanted to add a big congrats for being featured on Apartment Therapy Nusery again! Saw the adorable chalkboard on there!

Donna - Mean people suck! I love, love, love your blog and your crafts. Pretty sure that person has other issues that have nothing to do with you (except they chose you to take it out on.)Please make more crafts, please, please, please! (And keep deleting those nasty comments.) PS I making the pirate patches for my kiddos for Valentine's Day!

Natasha Perryman - Well geez... that is awful. I must say the only thing I don't like is that I cannot steal your pics to put in my "Natasha Loves" folder. I put all cute stuff I find in there for future inspiration. I have always loved all your things and like everyone else whose a reader, tries not to be jealous! See you...

Kristin S - What a great idea! And that person is a total, rude dork.

Bren - I love your blog-- it is one of the few that I make sure to check every day. I LOVE your photography, stories, and all your DIY projects and have found lots of inspiration here. The minute cards is such a great idea. Please keep crafting, making, and sharing! You are so talented.:)

betsy - I, as many others have written, love your blog. I haven't left a comment until now but it wont be the last time. I love your crafts and every photo. I have already made the pirate eye patches and the bandanna aprons. Keep up the wonderful work.

maegan - Way to implement a great idea in a totally cute way! I have used that same exact paper on several projects lately- love it! I love all your crafts and photographs and DIY tutorials. Keep them up!

angie - I agree - kudos to you for deleting it. I love your blog, but have to admit - a little jealous of all you get down with 4 kids.....

Jen - SOOOOOOO Super CUTE!

meg duerksen - we'll have to talk about deleting comments sometime. :) it is bold but necessary. it is 100% ok to guard your heart. he sounds like a nut!

Amanda Mc - Maybe somewhere along the way he got rejected by a really hot crafty girl... He's been bitter ever since! Love your blog Ashley!!

Kate A - Hi Ashley - Like my mother always said: if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. Apparently not everyone abides by that phrase! Just wanted to let you know yours is the first blog I check every day. I am so inspired by your fun, creative, loving home and aspire to create the same environment for my own baby girl. Keep on being exactly who you are making exactly what you make - there are so many of us that love what you do! Thanks for all the ideas and the motivation to be the best mom I can be! Kate

rachel denbow - I like to consider the rude comments a mark that you've done something well enough for long enough to get you the kind of attention that gets you noticed by those outside the crafting/family circles. An achievement and a curse, huh. He did exert a good amount of energy on that comment. Someone must've told him he wasn't good at something before and he's not quite over it. Anyways, you handled that well, Ashley! You're classy. I'm sure I would've tweeted something angry about it if it had happened to me. I've got a wire basket lamp, too!

Theresa - I came across your blog from the photography aspect and when I discovered all the other FUN stuff you post I was hooked! I check your blog everyday and I think it is FABULOUS... just like you!! Don't let some ignorant fuddy duddy bring you down!!!

ellen - I haven't ever commented before (AND I'm a day late), but I'm going to join everyone else and say that I am loving your blog. I'm a newish reader. One of my favorite things about your kitchen remodel was the light fixture. It seems like you value making personal and unique design decisions. Those are the kind I love! I want to see the person in their house, not something cookie cutter.

katherinemarie - I totally agree with Rachel D. You are out-of-this world wonderful!!! AND I'm glad you didn't let that ridiculous comment get to you. The fantastic thing about YOUR blog is that it's 100% b e a u t i f u l you! Keep up the crazy wondeful work you do! :):):)

kassondra - i just wanted to say i love your blog the snow in the bathtub was a perfect idea!!! i -like you- hate the cold!!!! so when i found that i was soooo excited to try it out my daughter would love it sooo much and i get to stay warm! and you house is sooo pretty! i just wish i could actually find the time to do something like that

Shannon Staker - Ashley--- I have got mean comments like that too... People really have a nerve... I think your projects are darling...so craft away girl!!!

Linda - I think you should just ignore these people and do what makes you happy. No one is forcing them to read blogs! I got a rude comment in person about my blog (that I was a mean blogger!) I was so upset I took my blog off and restarted one by invitation only...but I feel like that gave the mean person too much power over me... Anywy, your crafts are great and I love the Wii idea, I might make it Webkinz time for my daughter. Keep it up! And don't be afraid to ask for bloggy love- it makes me stop lurking!

kt - ... i just wanted to you know that i only recently stumbled across your blog. stumbled across it because i LOVED the picture of your kitchen, yard stick back splash included! i've continued to enjoy reading your blog and love your pictures and posts. thanks for sharing with us all!

Shelley - What a super idea! I'm trying really hard to not be difficult about the Wii boundries. We've limited it to weekends only but then thats ALL the boys want to do. They run for a book to "earn" more minutes but I love the idea of when your minutes are up, they're up. Do you mind me asking how many minutes each ticket's worth? As for the mean comment...really some people just need to try and make others feel bad to feel better themselves~just like Junior High. They were wrong and we know it. Thanks for a super great idea!

Sarah - Ashley, you're famous! You're going to be the next Julie and Julia - just look at all these comments. Impressed. Well, I'm a day late posting a comment, but it goes without saying that even though I'm NOT a crafter (not a talented bone in my body), I LOVE your blog. Aside from my daily latte, I look forward to reading your blog and catching up on your family... and it always makes me laugh. Half the time I drag Travis in to show him the funny new thing one of your kids said or did. Keep up the good work girl! I'm proud of you!

Kelly W - If One Pretty Thing features you then you must be something special. You must be pretty awesome to have a troll on your blog. They don't bother with the little guys but please do delete their comments because the rest of us don't really want to read that trash. Now I am going to check out the rest of your blog and see what other great things you have.

Emily - Just wanted to de-lurk myself & say I think your projects are great! Mean, mean, mean. Glad to see your other blog readers have set that person straight!

Jennifer - Love this idea!!! My 4 year old is obsessed and really has no concept of how much time he really spendsing playing. This is such an effecitive, visual tool for kids of all ages. Hmmmm, maybe I need to include my husband on there too. Sorry that someone posted such an awful comment on your blog. I just stumbled across it and already love your ideas! Jennifer

Elizabeth B - That person who left that ugly comment doesn't know what is good or bad obviously! I love your blog and your creations! Keep it up!! -xoxo E

heidi jo - i love your reaction to grumpy man as much as i like your CUTE crafts. some people are hurting for attention. grumps like that ruin a lot of creativity for a lot of people... i'm SO glad it didn't hurt you. guess that guy uses his 'creativity' to find new cruel and unusual ways to harass people. don't you feel just a tiny bit sorry for him? he must be a sad sad man... pitiful really... puny, tiny, small... just a sad small mess of a person. there, don't you feel better? ha! :) keep crafting - it's good for the soul. that's more important than whether or not people like our ideas or not.

Kelli - Please tell me that each of those tags represents more than one minute. . . I need help on the timing issue.

Katie - I am so sorry someone would say that!!! Don't be disheartened, keep up the crafting!! Keep expressing your creativity in ways that you think are beautiful, we are greatly enjoying it!!!

emmylou - I just found your blog via 30days. Such a wonderful idea! I will have to do this! Right now I limit mine to 30 min on school nights & 1 hour on weekends, but only if their room & the family room is clean. When I'm sewing I tend to lose track of time & they end up playing way too much!! It looks like you are like me 3 boys & a girl! I just wish I could take beautiful pictures like you to document their lives. Oh & hat beanie was too cute, so I ordered a couple for my daughter.

Ashley - The reason I come onto your blog, (and has, in turn, become my very favorite) is because your loving and caring presence exudes out of these words and pictures of your daily life. Your values in God, family and church reflect in everything you do whether it is pleasure or business and I find myself drawn to this aspiring to balance my own new and growing family the same way. I don't normally post comments a whole lot because I am browsing while breastfeeding and that usually takes most of my mobility away from typing, lol, but I wanted to say: THANK YOU FOR YOUR BLOG. It's an inspiration to a new mom :D

Heather - Why do people have to be so nasty?? For the record, your light fixture is amazing, your backsplash is completely inspiring, and your crafts are something I look forward to each time I check your blog. Boo to you Mr. Nasty! Didn't your mama ever teach you- "If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all!" P.S. I don't have a Wii, but I love that board and I think I might make one up to control tv time. thanks for the inspiration!!

Becka - I just wanted to say that I adored the backsplash. I love seeing something different and with your cute kids and fits so perfectly. And the lamp.... I am addicted to Anthro and have actually stood in the store with those open Edison lamps in my hands multiple times and want one so bad but they are expensive. I got so excited to see the one you made and now I'm thinking that I might actually be able to make my own as well. It was so exciting. So screw the mean commenter. They have nothing better to do with their time than be mean? You're so much better, (and busier) than them anyway. ;)

sarah - Oh man, what a cranky person, and if I do say, very incorrect. I find your crafts and ideas very inspiring. I do believe it's very easy to sit and judge from behind our glowing screens in the comfort of our own homes. I'd like to think it's this comfort that allows people to be so hurtful. That they may actually never say this if we really knew them. I'm sure those words are still hurtful, but please know that you are very much adored for the work you do. Many of us out here wish we were as resourceful or as creative as you. Keep doing what you do!

Laurel - I just made them today! We're calling them technology tickets and am trying to include TV with it! I'll get it up on my blog soon. Thanks - keep these ideas coming, despite what grouchy people might comment!

Maggie - B Intrepidatious...:D....

Sheri - Mean people suck. And you have cute ideas.

Jennifer - I LOVE that you replied to the loser who left that comment. I love that you deleted it and I LOVE THIS IDEA. I deal with the same struggle with my kids and a reward system really helps. Makem earn it!

Karla - THIS is genius! Seriously...genius. I will be making this. My boys will hate it. But I will love it :) Thanks for posting it!! ~Karla @ It's The Little Things...

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Chocolate Bavarian Torte {and getting stuck in a graveyard}

01.01.2010

It was a warm Friday Oklahoma summer night. The year (I believe) was 1996. My friend Treva and I were bored and looking for something to do. Oddly enough the idea that came to us was to stalk our friend Georgia while she was on a date. We loaded the camera with film and climbed into Treva’s VW hippie van. Our plan was to take pictures of Georgia and her date and them mail them anonymously to her to weird her out. Like I said, we were bored. Well, lucky for Georgia we lost them on the highway after dinner. Bored again. We had the bright idea of driving down country roads. We ended up in an Indian Cementery – don’t ask. Well as we were on that dirt road a sudden DOWNPOUR began and before we knew it the VW had sunk to its axle. We were stuck…in a cementery…in the dark. We called some guys friends (instead of our dads) for help. Our friend Sean tried so hard to help us. Nothing worked. A police officer showed up and told us we were trespassing – which WE WERE NOT! He told us we could kiss prom goodbye. Treva then pulled out her guitar and asked him if she could sing him a song she wrote. That is my friend Treva for you – singing to the cop that wanted to book us. Eventually the dads came, the tow truck pulled out the van the next day and we had to return to the cementer with shovels to fill in the holes in the road we left. Nothing like digging in a cementery. It is one of my favorite high school memories.

Many years later I went to visit Treva at her little house in the country. We had both just had babies (at least I think she had just had her firstborn). Anyway, babies were asleep and we sat down in her sunlit kitchen for a cup of coffee and conversation. Then she pulled out a beautiful cake. It was like a Norman Rockwell morning….great friend, big windows, country kitchen, sleeping babies, good coffee and chocolate cake. It has been my go to recipe ever since. I am not a cook. I don’t pretend to be a cook. BUT when I need to fake it I can whip this up and people think I am great in the kitchen. It is simple. I like simple!

Chocolate Bavarian Torte

Ingredients:

Devil’s food cake mix (not the kind with pudding)

1 pkg 8 oz cream cheese – softened

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 pint heavy whipping cream – whipped

2 T chocolate shavings or mini chocolate chips

Make the cake according to box directions. Cook in 2 round pans.

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Make the cream while the cake is cooling

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Whip the Heavy Whipping Cream and then set it aside

Combine the SOFTENED cream cheese, brown sugar, salt and vanilla until fluffy1.10cake-05

Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture1.10cake-07

Cut each cake in half. String or dental floss helps with this. Layer the cake and the cream mixture.1.10cake-10

Top with chocolate shavings or mini chocolate chips. Wrap sides in plastic wrap to prevent cake from drying out. Refrigerate 8 hours before serving.1.10cake-11

If you are a nursing mom and burning crazy amounts of calories a day from feeding your baby – you can cut a piece in the morning, fix a latte and if anyone asks what you had for breakfast tell them “Coffee Cake”.  I, of course, did not do that. Well, yeah I did.1.10cake-13

Here’s a pic of Treva and I from my 30th birthday in October. Ignore my lovely hair – I just returned from my Amelia Earhart adventure! We both now have 4 kids. Crazy.

super

Happy New Year’s

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Posted in be creative {DIY}, personal

by AshleyAnn

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the inadvertent farmer - Well you could make a girl forget her resolutions with that recipe! I have a friend that has almost as many kids as I do...it is fun filled chaos when we all get together. Happy New Year, Kim

ashlee - first off thank you for enabling me to eat cake and coffee for breakfast! second i must make that cake it looks divine!!!

maegan - Looks delicious! Thank you for the recipe!

meg duerksen - that looks AWESOME!!!

Tess S. - what a beautiful cake. GORGEOUS! and that cake stand is loverly. i'll have to add that one to the recipe box. next week i'm attempting the rainbow cake. my daughter's 3rd birthday. i can't wait!

julie - brown sugar? chocolate? I'm in love.

Heather Stauffer - YUM! I want that cake stand!!!!

Noreen - My daughter, grandson and I were visiting a quaint old cemetary one late afternoon a couple of years ago. It was rapidly getting dark, and when we got ready to leave (now full dark), we discovered we had been locked in! After about 15 suspenseful minutes the caretaker came by and told us how to drive around and find an unlocked exit. We had thought we would be spending the night there!

The Peas in our Pod » Coming Out of the Holiday Haze - [...] tried making a cake (that I saw on this blog that I love) for a get together we had with some friends. It doesn’t look too pretty, but I [...]

DIY {’glitter’ RockBand mic….Carrie Underwood style}

12.30.2009

Now I admit this DIY tutorial is more of a joke than for serious purposes, but HEY I figured there are others of you out there that would like to rock it with a bit of glam. We recently became the owners of RockBand and I like to pretend I can sing – which I totally can’t. AND singing is more fun when the mic has a bit of sparkle. The boys think it is funny and “gross”. The bigger deal they make out of it only encourages me more – one day they’ll figure that out. So here’s to you Carrie!

My inspiration:

carrieunderwood_acm2008

Step 1: Cut your fabric to size. I didn’t use actual measurements…

Step 2: Sew the long edges together

Step 3: Put it on your arm and rock it 80s style

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Step 4: Sew down one of the shorter edges. Probably better to use matching thread, but I didn’t have any on hand.

Step 5: Measure how long it needs to be to overlap with velcro

Step 6: Sew down the other edge (don’t judge my master sewing skills)

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Step 7: Take a break and laugh at your son trying to teach his baby sister how to sing in the mic. There is about a foot clearance between her crib and the sewing machine.

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Step 8: Sew down a strip of velcro on the under side

Step 9: Sew down the opposite velcro on the top side. This piece will be sewn on a bit diagonally if the mic is wider at the top and narrow at bottom

Step 10: Make sure it all fits together

12.09mic-1012.09mic-12

You can tell by the coloring of the pictures that this tutorial didn’t just happen in 5 mintues (though it should have). I got about 1 step done at a time over 3 days…hence the daylight and night flash pictures. Oh the joys of creating with 4 kids in the mix! And there you go…a glam RockBand mic cover.

mic

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by AshleyAnn

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Kari Sanchez - LOVE IT! My daughter received a microphone for Christmas and loves Carrie Underwood- this is great! She loves to sing in church...haha, Baptist Church meets Rock Star microphones!!! Thanks Ashley!

Jeannette Swan - You are hilarious!! Rock on!!

Erin - That's awesome, Carrie Underwood better watch out!

Lesley - Too funny! I think I need one of these for my mic now :)

christina larsen - Thanks for the laugh this morning. :)

Amber Zimmerman - Haha. . .I love this! My fave tutorial of the year. ;-) For my next karaoke performance maybe? ;-)

Rachel - Oh my gosh, so funny! Love it!

Kara - totally brightened my day! Thanks!

amanda torres - Girl, you are one HOT Rock Star!

ashlee - you are too funny!!!

the inadvertent farmer - You are one rockin' mama...great job! Kim

Jess - I am totally going to have to make one of those for my mom! She would love it!

Lacey McKay - You are too cute!

DIY {pirate eye patches}

12.18.2009

Baby Sister got a new headband in the mail and she was sleeping when I opened it….which meant I couldn’t try it on her. So I decided to put it on like a pirate’s eye patch, grab a sword and jump out at the boys while they were playing with Legos. This is what they saw (minus the camera):

12.09pirate-01

Yeah, I’m a tough looking pirate. (I think you guys just read this blog b/c I post dorky pictures of myself). Anyway, Biggest Brother went nuts over my eye patch and begged me to make him one. “Stocking Stuffer” ran through my mind and I told him I’d think about it.  Of course, I made 4 (4 kids=4 pirates) and have a little tutorial for you. Now I know many of you could make these much bettter and much cuter, but I was going for speed in making them. Naptimes only last so long you know. I finished all 4 in about 30min.

Step 1: Cut out 2 layers of felt in the shape you want

Step 2: Cut iron adhesive (Heat-n-Bond sheets is what I used). Place a women’s hairband near the top of the patch, between the felt layers.

Step 3: Iron the layers (felt, Heat-n-Bond, hairband, felt). I placed fabric over the felt when ironing b/c I had cheap felt that was melting.

Step 4: Stitch along the hairband and felt to secure it tightly (if you have kids that are ROUGH on everything)

Step 5: (not pictured) Using embroidery thread make simple stitches only the edges and add any other top embellishments12.09pirate-02

3 Pirates and 1 Piratess (that is what a princess with 3 big brothers that love pirates is called. Just filling you in)

The bands are a little big on the youngest two, but I just tied a knot in the back to get them to fit. You could cut them the right size, but then they’ll just outgrow it and you’ll have to make more. These fit adults too.

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Since these are going in stockings I couldn’t take a picture of any of the Pirates, but here is one of the Piratess….12.09pirate-09

Just to include it…here she is in the original headband. I got it from etsy dealer Clara Clips (I know you’ll ask)

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With her current favorite toy…a gift all the way from Egypt. Thanks Liz.12.09blueband-01

And in honor of my seafaring gang today’s Etsy finds are picked with Pirates & The Sea in mind:

etsypirate

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by AshleyAnn

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Jamie - Cute! My boy, Cal, loves his Sophie Giraffe too! My mom says I had one when I was little, 32 years ago :)

Amy - You are so clever. I have nephews coming for Christmas and this would be perfect. Thanks Ashley..

Liz Pray - I am so glad she likes the giraffe. Caroline loved hers...it is a great teether. (Adam calls it a dog toy...weird!) Thanks for the great idea, I am off to find felt tomorrow, it is an adventure for me to locate all kinds of craft stuff here! Miss you guys!

Holly - i love them. especially on baby sister. you are a crafting genius!

Lisa - Did you honestly have a pack of women's hair ties hanging around your house, waitin' for a DIY project? I love it.

amanda torres - Whoa! You are one ferocious mama.

Jeannette Swan - Love the headband so went to Etsy to check it out - how did you get Breese's picture out there? What an adorable model!!

susie whyte - love it. my kids(2 & 4) have been sucked into the captain hook vortex and talk about him ALL the time. great post.

Amy - These are SO cute. I've totally lost myself in your blog. (Wait, nap time is over already?) What beautiful kids, fun pictures and great ideas! I'll add this to my favorites list!

Christmas Happenings « {bmp} - [...] weekend after I had put off and put off the gift I intended to make for my nephew and then I saw this post from the ever inspiration AshleyAnn. All I needed was a little inspiration. It let me to the idea [...]

DIY {doily table runner}

12.16.2009

After posting pictures of the kitchen remodel, I had several emails about the doily table runner I made. So here is a little tutorial on that.

I was inspired by this picture on the Country Living website:

countryliving

I liked that it looked fresh, but a bit vintage at the same time. I had a few big doilies and my mom had several more she passed along to me. I still needed some small ones though. I visited a local flea market and found a box full of them with a 50% off sign. So the $4.00 doilies were now $2.00. As I was rummaging through them the seller arrived and started hanging signs that said “50% off everything”. I asked if that applied to already marked down items and she said “yes”. So I got a good pile of doiles for $.25, $.75 and $1.00 each. SCORE!

Step 1: Lay out your largest doilies first

Step 2: Fill in with smaller doilies. I used all different shapes and stuck with white and cream colors.

Step 3: Overlap the edges of the big and small doiles so that the small ones aren’t always on top.

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Step 4: Tack the doilies together using string on the UNDERSIDE. I tied a double knot in several spots using thread and a needle. Knowing me it won’t take long before I decide I am ready to do something different, so I wanted to be able to take the runner apart easily without hurting the doilies.

12.09doily-2

Ta Da

12.09doily-3Google Reader is not picking up my blog – if you work for Google feel free to fix this issue for me!

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Posted in be creative {DIY}

by AshleyAnn

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Christy - Love this runner! I have got to try this. I have a box of doiles that I have saved that were my grandmothers.

ashlee - AMAZING!! this is so fresh and fun! your style is simply superb! what is your favorite flea market?

Kate - Beautiful!! Great idea!

amy - this is just gorgeous. i love it!

Lisa Johnson - i am once again inspired!

Heather - I love your runner and was staring at it just last night trying to figure out how to make one. Thanks for the tutorial. As soon as the Christmas train gets off my dining table I'm making myself one of these. I love it!!

Katie - Nice idea for the doilies that I have squared away in a box doing nothing.

Becka @Studio222 Photography - I love this. Just this morning I saw a photo of one online somewhere and wanted to make one. I'll have to check out the local flea market

Jen - I spyed this in the remodel pics but didn't ask how it was done...thank you for reading my mind! I am certainly going to get to work on making one of these...I just need to get to a flea market first! JEN

Becca - SO cool! I love it! :-)

Tammy - I absolutely LOVE this idea! Thank you! So cute!

Lacey McKay - I was wondering where you kept all of those globes! Now I know!

Shelley - I'm always wanting to pick these up when I find them but never know what to do with them. THANK YOU so much for the idea!

Pam - I am absolutely making this!!! Thanks, Pam, South Bend P.S. found you thru Dusty Frame

Kylie - What a fun and cute idea this is. Gives me ideas for a tea party.

evie - Oh, I'm just getting caught up on your blog...I did a double take on this post since I came up with this idea and thought it was soooo original! Ha! I guess everything has already been done before. Yours looks beautiful!

A Dusty Frame » Blog Archive » From Outside the Frame - [...] this doily table runner so [...]

DIY Doily Table Runner – The Sweetest Occasion - [...] was doing some research for an upcoming project this evening when I stumbled upon this gorgeous DIY doily table runner and I couldn’t resist posting it right away. Photographer Ashley Ann crafted this darling [...]

DIY Doily Table Runner | Weddinic - Wedding Articles - [...] was doing some research for an upcoming project this evening when I stumbled upon this gorgeous DIY doily table runner and I couldn’t resist posting it right away. Photographer Ashley Ann crafted this darling [...]