Just Bead Happy

I never been very girly. I just am now getting in touch with my soft chewy center. My girls have been benefiting from my new interest in all things pink and poofy. Recently, I have been putting more of an effort into their hair. Thanks to blogs about little girls hair dos and my neighbor who should go in the hair book of geniuses for the fabulous styles she gives her girls, my girls are looking a bit more kept. When it comes to hair embellishments there are a lot of options every where you go. However, I have got to be a creative and a smidgen frugal. I have come up several idea's already as seen here and here. So now I will share one more idea.

You will need:

24 gauge wire

Package of beads (I got the pkg. shown in the picture at Wal Mart for $2)

Package of bobby pins

A few of the beads and bobby pins is all you will need.

Select 2 coordinating beads and cut about 3"-4" inches of the wire.
Slide one bead onto one end of the wire leaving enough wire to wrap around bead.

Push end of wire through the other side of the bead. You can do this a couple of times to secure the bead. Pull tight.

Twist the wire together with the top part of the remaining wire. ( I know, I need a new camera and maybe a new end user. If you have any suggestions for a new camera I am listening. If you know of any Internet camera classes I am still listening.)

Do the same with the other bead on the opposite end.

Then slip wire into bobby pin with a bead on each side.

Twist beads until secure on the bobby pin.


Then decorate that cute little head of hair. With these cute little buggers you can make one to coordinate with each of your bows and flower clips.

Seriously, so cheap. So easy. So cute.

Consider yourself framed

Last month I participated in Craft it Forward. I had my three people comment and 2 of them have contacted me with their mailing info. However, one hasn't.

Reneee where are you?!?! Please contact me with your address. I made this frame for you.

If Renee doesn't contact me by July 1, I will hold a drawing to find this frame a home.

Look Xazmin! An entry for Mod Podge Mania! Everyone go check out Xazmin, @This is the year, this Tuesday!

Beary good

It doesn't take much to turn a simple ball dough into a fun edible friend. I used Rhodes Roll dough, which is so easy, oh so easy! With just a few pinches and a little manipulation you can give your kids a tasty pal to eat with their dinner.

Hmmmm, reminds me of my own tummy, which oddly enough also rises on a warm day.

Now your little carnivores can bite the head off of their lovable friend.

Stroll happy

Meet the newest baby wipe diaper holder helps keep everything together ma-jigger. I plan to add it to my Etsy account soon. Can you imagine yourself standing up in church holding this little cutie and not having to search the depths of a diaper bag to find both the wipes and diapers.

I'm toying with doing a tutorial on these in the near future.

You can even attach it to a stroller to keep your hands on both handles.
What a skinny shadow!

Here is a heads up: My 100th blog is coming up soon. I will be having a give-a-way. Be sure to become a follower! I will have more details next week.

Thanks for stopping by.

Scrappy Paper Dolls

To celebrate going dot com the Tip Junkie featured a bunch of posts about parties. One of them had a link to this post on This Mama Makes Stuff. It was an American Girl themed party and she had Kit paper dolls. I couldn't find a pattern for them so I made my own. Get all of your ribbon, lace, fabric scraps and any beads, paper or embellishments you don't need anymore and let your girls have a blast designing clothes for their own paper dolls.

My oldest daughter is 4 and she was able to do a lot of it on her own. She and her friends, ages 5 and 7, played with the scraps and dolls for over an hour. I think had they all been 6+ they would have play even longer.



This is a great summer activity.

A De-Pantsing

A couple of days ago I found Handy Andy's pants in the trash. What!?! Why would he do such a thing? Why? He obviously has not been to visit Kimm @ Reinvented. Had he done so, he would not have tossed out his pants so fast. So, I pulled them out and washed them. Just so I could cut them up for Trash to Treasure Tuesday.

I even removed the inseam and pockets.
I had been wanting to make Ashely's water slings from Make it and love it for some time. Denim was perfect for the project. It was sturdy enough I was able to skip a few steps. They will look even better after I wash them and the edges fray.

Ashley's tutorial was very easy to follow and if it was easy for me you should be able to do it in your sleep. ( mine are a little taller than Ashley, because I didn't hem the top.)

What to do with the inseam and pockets? Well....

I made a pocket purse of course.

It's a pocket. It's a purse. POCKET PURSE!

Cool Trick Cool Treat

I am loving food on a stick and it doesn't get better than chocolate. Don't let this summer go by without try this little trick. Push a lollipop stick into a large or small candy bar.

The wrapper will create a barrier between the chocolate and the kid. Hopefully reducing a melty mess.


For a even better cool summer treat. Place candy bar pops in the freezer and serve frozen.

At the kids next lemonade stand have them sell these frozen little cuties. To help make pushing in the stick, prick the wrapper and bar with a sterilized needle and use as a pilot hole.

Father's day

I don't have many idea's for Father's Day. I don't get men and won't even pretend to. Here is a quick and affordable gift for you kids to give good old Dad. Buy a book about dads. I bought the I Love You book from Wal Mart for $2.50. Then write in the cover the date and what your child likes to do with dad or a favorite memory from the past year. Give it to Dad, then update the book every year on Father's Day.

A Sweet Summer Field Trip

Who doesn't love a summer field trip to break up their week. Be sure to put Krispy Kreme on your list. Why a donut store? Well Krispy Kreme provides a special opportunity for you and your children to watch the manufacturing process. I'll bet it's a day they will remember for summers to come. Be sure to call ahead and ask for times they will be making donuts. You may want to plan this soon because the company has been said to be struggling right now. I would hate to see such a fun and educational store to be closed.

Want to add a little more fun to your field trip? Take along a couple of books about donuts. Search your local library or do an Internet search. I found several books on Amazon.com and they qualify for free shipping.

Topped with a bow

My girls don't have a whole lot of hair and what the little ones does have is in the shape of a mullet. So, girlifying them is very important and tricky. I gathered ribbons and elastics. (not pictured here is those little disposable back elastics, they work well for this.)

Cut a 3-5 inch length of ribbon...

or fabric of varying lengths.

Seal ends.

Tie in a knot around elastic.

Girlify like crazy.

Works with curly ribbon too.

Have a ribbon swap with friends and you just may end up with every color you will ever need. Because the ends are sealed, if an elastic breaks, just tie ribbon to a new elastic. I love these because they are small enough that they don't over power a little head and you can use several per hair style.

These are very cost effective and easy to make.