My First Award

I have received my first award from the dynamic duo over at All Thingz Related. These girls are mighty talented but what makes them amazing is they are sister-in-laws and best friends that live 700 miles apart. Wow! Thank you so much Bridgette and Rebekah!

Now the rules of the award are this:

1) Post the award

2) Thank and mention the person who gave you the award

3) Pass the award on to 5 (changing the rules a little, I am tired) other bloggers who you feel are deserving of the award

4) Tell 7 things about yourself that others don't know

5) Be sure to tell your 7 about the award and post links to their blog :)

Here is our chosen 7:
Rose Colored Glasses- She is super talented in many areas! Check out her mural she just painted. If only I could paint like that!!

Creation Corner- She has some wonderful tutorial on her blog. This flower is on my to-do list.

Simply Designing- Lots of great baby ideas! I am currently making some of her baby burp clothes right now for baby shower gifts. Right now she is doing 17 days of St Patrick's Day Ideas.

The V Spot- One of the funniest bloggers out there!! Not only that she is beautiful, a mom of 4 boys she is ultra talented!!

Uncommon Slice of Suburbia- I am not quite sure how she has so much time to do everything she does!! Everything she touches turns out beautiful!!

Facts about Maridith:

1. I DO NOT own a sewing machine. Shocked? It actually surprises me too, a little. I use my mom’s sewing machine that she bought in 1976…
2. I DO own a serger but do not know how to thread it. It keeps Elmo company in my daughter’s closet (it is a personal goal of mine to figure out how to use it this year)
3. I have to have one regular Coke a day or I am GRUMPY
4. I do not drink coffee and I never have (even in college).
5. I am so grateful that the world is getting taller and it is easier for me to find jeans. It is about time the world caught up! (I am 5’11)
6. I think about sewing, crafting and home décor all the time…I am pretty sure I have an illness
7. I made my sophomore high school homecoming dress!!

Thanks again for this award. It is really nice to be recognized!!

5 year old Make-up Pouch & Final Touches

Thinking of a gift for a 5 year old is not as easy as one may think. Especially when your goal is to make EVERYTHING Homemade!!


I decided to make my daughter's friend a make-up pouch (like seen here, except this was the first one I made and inspired me to make them for my friends) a flower hair bow, and Lip Smacker Make-up.


Inside of the make-up pouch...


I am slow on some things but I have come to realize that the gift wrapping is as important as the gift. I went through my stuff to help embellish the bag.


Here is the tag...A flower (hint to what is on the inside), old scrapbook paper and used this corner thingy (didn't know I had it until I started digging in my junk) and on trimmed with glitter.

Now that is a gift tag!!

I think February was a success and everything was - Strictly Homemade

Ballards' Inspired Pillows- Work for Me!!

I LOVE THIS PILLOW SO MUCH...that I made it again and again.

This is my original pillow inspired by Ballards, sitting on my couch. When I made this the first time I had to use brown because that was all I had available!

One trip to JoAnns and $1.99 I have two new Ballards Inspired Pillows in my Dining Room. (Lori, notice the "F" Candle holder? Love it)

Ready for a close up!! If you find something that works for you , repeat it, your eyes will thank you!!! I love the two patterns together!!

Of course, this is made from my favorite material- Drop Cloth. Side note: I have finally used up all of my 6'X9' drop cloth. Time for me to go to Lowes for a new one!!

Thanks Ballards for the Inspiration!!

Back from Florida and Give-Away Winner

On Sunday I got back from my trip to Orlando, FL where I spent 4 days with my 5 of my college friends. I had the best time! It is so funny that no matter how much time has lapsed between visits (2+ years) we can all get together and it seem like just a day has passed. We shopped, laughed a lot, and ate really well and just hung out! There is nothing like not being on a schedule!

I had so much fun and already miss them tremendously. We are already planning our trip next year…hehe!!

I did give my little gift to my friends this weekend and they all seemed to appreciate them. Hopefully they use them, if they don’t it is the thought that counts, right???

I loved reading all about your friends. I believe that friends are an essential part of life. It makes life complete. I am so lucky to have lots of friends!

I wish I could send each one of you a bag to send to your friend because there is nothing like surprising someone with a small gift out of the blue to tell them you love them. I also am adding a small gift for you or you can give it to your friend as well. While I was shopping I was looking for something unique and this is what I found.

Isn’t it pretty? “Inspire Others.” I couldn’t say it better myself…but there is something else. It is PooPooPaper. Paper made from elephant poop. I know you are thinking “Great, I get crap,” but hear me out... So much of blog land is making something beautiful out of nothing. Well, this company truly takes waste/crap and makes something out of it. How ingenious, how smart, how crap-o-rrific (sorry I had to throw that in there.) So that is my give-away. A bag with your friend's initial on it with a quote inside and a Poopoopaper notepad.

The winner is....

Congratulations to Wolfpacker’s Angel. I had no idea who was going to win this give-away until today. The Wolfpacker’s Angel happens to be a college classmate of mine. I bought this Poopoopaper that says “Inspire Others” because I was thinking “crafty.” Let me tell you this now has a new meaning for me. Shannon is truly the most inspirational person I know. I don’t think she will mind if I direct you to her blog. She is one amazing woman.

Thank you to all that participated in my little give-away. It was fun! I want to especially thank my friends and family who know me personally for your support on this silly corner of the web. It means a lot to me to have your support whether you follow me, have me on your blog lists, or just check in on me every once in a while!! Thank you! Now, I need to take a nap...I am still exhausted!!

Special Pouch for Friends & Give Away

Tonight I am packing my bags in preparation to go to Florida to see 5 of my best friends from college. These are my girls! Our friendships might not be what they use to be 5 or 10 years ago. Some friendships have grown closer and others have a little bit of distance between them, but we know that no matter what we will always be there for each other. Now most of us now are married have 1+ kids and hectic busy lives. The last time we were all together was September 2007 for a Bachelorette Party. Now we are all getting together because….we need a girl break! I AM SO EXCITED!!

Thursday-Saturday… just relaxing and enjoying the company of my good friends!

I have been so excited to see my girls I decided to make them something special. It is not much but it is from the heart. I made them each little pouches (from drop cloth) On each pouch I added their initials.


Each pouch is lines with different material, because each one of them are different

Then to make it EXTRA SPECIAL, I added a friendship quote on the inside


I had the best time picking these out. I tried to pick out the perfect quote for each friend. This is my little memento to them in remembrance of our weekend in Florida.

Here are the quotes I used...

"A friend is someone who understands your past,
believes in your future,
and accepts you just the way you are."

"It takes a long time to grow an old friend." - by John Leonard

"The most beautiful discovery true friends make
is that they can grow separately without growing apart."
- Elizabeth Foley

"It is not so much our friends' help that helps us
as the confident knowledge that they will help us. "
– EPICURUS

"Friends are like good wine, we get better with age."

I love these quotes!

Give away time:
In honor of good friends I am offering to you the same pouch for you to give to one of your friends. Just a small memento to tell them you love them! Plus, there will be a special surprise added for you as well!!

• 
  To enter this give-away
  1. Tell me something special about your friend, the letter you want on the front, and which quote you would like to add on the inside of the pouch. You may add your own if you would like. (be sure to add your email address if you have "no reply" on your profile.
  2. For another entry follow me.
• 
  The give away will end on Midnight Eastern Time Feb 21st.

Here is something I can promise...you will get your gift, I have won some give aways and have yet to see my gift (Lori I got my gift and love it!!) and your friend will love the sweet gesture!!

In the mean time...I am off to the Sunshine state!!

Today I am participating in...

Recycled Baby Bumper

My best friend, Donna, in Florida is about ready to have her second baby, a baby girl. She asked me if I would make her baby bedding. I was deeply honored that she would trust me with such an important task. In order to save money and recycle Donna asked me to use her sister-in-law's bumper to make her a new one. GREAT IDEA!!

Before: Sister-in-law's Amy Butler Bumper. Nothing wrong with it, it was just for a different time, different place. Now it is going to be recycled.


After: Donna's new baby bumper for her baby girl!


Here is an up close picture of the colors.

I have also made her the matching bed skirt and valance. I will post pictures of all that once Donna has it all placed in the baby room.

I really hope she likes it!!

Strictly Homemade by Maridith


Today I am participating in Kimm's Trash to Treasure Tuesday.

Monogrammed Pillowcase Gift

I hit my first real challenge this weekend coming up with a gift for my son for Valentine's Day. Nothing seemed appropriate and thought I would have to resort to a match box car. Then on Friday night I remembered I made pillowcases last year for some of my daughter's friends and they seemed to be a hit.

A quick tutorial for making a pillowcase.

1.Find material that your child loves. I picked Lightening McQueen for my son. Cut piece 2 pieces of material 22" X33" long.

2.If you do not have a serger (I do, unfortunately do not know how to string it) make a 1/4" stitch with wrong sides together on 2 side. One short side and one long side. Then turn right sides together, on the same sides of the 1/4" stitch.and stitch a 1/2" seam. Makes for a beautiful seam inside. See below.

3. On the unfinished side turn over 1/2" Press.

4, Then turn over 3" Press and stitch down.

Then your pillow is finished. To add a more personalized touch I added my son's monogram

Monogramming a Pillowcase

Print off letters from Microsoft. This was in Raavi text, the J & W were in 175 Font and the F was in 300 font. Copy onto interfacing.

Iron interfacing to material. I chose felt for this project. Cut out letters. Center letters on material. Stitch around all letters.

Finished Lightening McQueen Pillowcase for my son for Valentine's Day. I really love the monogram!! Gives it an extra special touch!

He LOVES it! I didn't realize I put him in Lightening McQueen PJs the night before. So he matches! Here he is opening his gift Valentine's Day!

I have to add that my husband's homemade gift from me and my daughter was a strawberry cake. Decorated by my daughter!!

All Strictly Homemade!!

Today I am participating in these parties!! Go check out the other talent!!

Valentine Flower Bouquet for Little Girls

One thing I have learned through blog land it is not just the gift you make but also the presentation of the gift!! For Valentine's Day I made my daughter some Zinnia Flower Bows. She had seen some her little cousin had and fell head over heels for them. I figured out how to make them, purchased the supplies and I had a handful of Zinnia bows. It worked out perfect to help me accomplish my year full of homemade gifts too!! The next trick was to present them to my daughter!

To present them to my daughter on Valentine's Day I arranged them on pipe cleaners and placed them in a milk glass vase. Isn't this just adorable???



The back of the flower arrangement.



Valentine's Day morning!

Flowers that will never die! That is my type of flowers!

Today I am participating in The Girl Creative Something I Whipped Up.

Final Valentine's Day Touches

This is the last of the Valentine's Day Crafts!

Heart on the Mantel. (Gotta show the ducks some love)

This week my daughter and I made this heart frame with glass marbles. I cut out a heart from a cereal box, then my daughter placed the glass marbles all around, glued the heart on scrapbook paper, place in a frame (no glass) and your done! (I used a low heat glue gun so no one got burned!)

Final Touch:
I placed this heart pillow (my grandmother made) on my chandelier (do NOT enlarge or you will see lots of dust)

Simple. Perfect.

Hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day with the ones you love!

Teacher Valentine's Gift- Germ Free!

This Valentines I am giving my daughter's preschool teacher a germ free gift! Hand Sanitizer dressed up for the occasion and a kitchen towel- all given a homemade touch!!

To dress it up a bottle of hand sanitizer you need scrapbook stickers (Sticko works best), a bottle of hand sanitizer (or you could use soap if you would like) and ribbon.

Steps:

1. remove carefully the front label. I did not remove the back label.

2. Stick stickers on where ever you like.

3. Decorate with ribbon.

4. Add a label with something clever if you can think of something. Everything I thought of seemed cheesy. If you come up with something let me know!!!

Finished Valentine's Hand Sanitizer!

Then to her gift I added a hand made kitchen towel. Using felt I cut out two hearts, appliqued the edges and added buttons for decoration. BTW- I did a test one for myself and washed the finished product and the red felt did not bleed. Thank Goodness!

Just sharing the love and fulfilling my challenge, one gift at a time!!

Today I am participating in Get Your Craft on Thursday!

Trash to Treasure: Drop Cloth Book Ends

This week I have been looking under beds, in closets, and in my garage gathering stuff up for a yard sale this weekend. The purpose of the yard sale is to earn money for our Bible Study (can not wait for it to start.) Now, I realize I am a pack-rat. I seriously have boxes under beds that have been there for YEARS that say...Yard Sale." I have not had a yard sale in YEARS, nor do I plan on having one. I have issues-but now I am happy to help raise money for our Bible Study.

Going through the boxes I found these. I remember buying them about 6 years ago for $5.00 and thinking..."maybe I will make my husband a poker room one day." Never happened. Never Will happen. Not sure what I was thinking!


I pulled then out of the "yard sale box" and decided to keep them. This time I determined to do something with them.

Watch the magic in process...

I printed out an "F" taped it to freezer paper and cut carefully out my letter.


I decided to give it lots of texture and painted the "F" on to Drop Cloth material. Yes, I love this stuff. I was hoping others shared the same love and would join me on Friday to show me their projects, but apparently I am the only one who know how cool this stuff is, (or maybe next time I will advertise a little but more.) Kimm from Reinvented knows how cool this stuff is! She makes something with drop cloth all the time!!

Here is the F in the process of being painted. Tip: Freezer paper can be reused 3-4 times. However on highly textured material it can only be reused 2 times max.




Then I glued the material on over the ugly King of Hearts! Then for added texture I added Jute to the trim.




The matching pair. WOW, big improvement! I can't wait to put these somewhere...now I need to find some books!







Today I am participating in Kimm's Trash to Treasure Tuesday!


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