Friday Faves {April Fool's}

Can you believe it's already the first of April?  And since it is April Fool's Day, how about a Friday Fave collection dedicated to all you little pranksters out there?!

If my daughter weren't staying home sick for the fifth day in a row, I might've packed her one of these gag lunches from Family Fun!

photo credit: Family Fun

Maybe you'd like to fool someone with a little spilled coffee prank?  This is from Clumsy Crafter...

photo credit: Clumsy Crafter

Even Martha gets in on the fun... the ole rubber band around the spray nozzle trick!

photo credit: marthastewart.com

Or salt in the sugar bowl?  Martha, you are a naughty one, aren't you?

photo credit: marthastewart.com

Or my personal fave... saran wrapping the toilet seat.  Just be prepared for the, er, cleanup.

photo credit: EgoTV

Hope you're pulling some pranks on the ones you love today!  Happy April Fool's and Happy Friday!

We'll be busy with our neighborhood garage sale this weekend - maybe I'll finally be able to park in the garage!  And stay tuned... there's a tutorial headed your way!



Jersey Knit Bracelets via V and Co.

There is a great tutorial over at V and Co for jersey knit bracelets, a great flashback to friendship bracelet-making times of long ago... since I was at home today with the girls (big sis has a nasty tummyache), we decided to try our hands at this.  Here's mine...

I made some for the girls too but I couldn't get them to sit still long enough for pics... maybe another day.

Try the tutorial - it's fun!

Somethin' Bout Sunday...

Do you have a favorite day of the week?

Mine's Sunday. 

I know, most people would say Friday or Saturday, cause that's when the humdrum of the working world ends temporarily and your time is once again your own, to do with as you please, to wind down, to get your to-dos accomplished, to celebrate...

But I like Sunday, a day that clearly marks the beginning of every week, a chance to start anew, a day that is fresh with opportunities to make the week whatever you want.

It's a day that forces me to slow down a little and listen a little closer to how the Lord wants me to use the upcoming week, or rather, how He wants to use me in the upcoming week.  It's also a good reminder to reflect upon maybe how I didn't fit that intention so well in the previous week.

Grace is amazing, isn't it?

Just like Sundays, I get the chance to begin anew every week, every day, every hour because of a Lord that has shown amazing grace and accepted me for the broken soul, the impatient mother, the imperfect spouse, the sometimes less-than-trusting believer that I am... and blesses me each day with the opportunity to change and grow and love.

So this Sunday... I'm doing some reading, spending time with my sweet chickies, and preparing for a great week.  I know He's got big plans for me...

(Friday Faves) Color Me Happy!

I am loving all things bright and colorful right now; what a welcome change from the dreariness of winter and clouds and cold.  Today my Friday Faves is a collection of bright, bright sunshiny day items... enjoy and happy Friday!

This Fabric Necklace Scarf from estilapronto is making me wish I'd given up something else for Lent!

photo credit: estilapronto

I can't help but smile and think of my chickies when I look at this art print from shirae:

photo credit: shirae

My sister would dig on this cyclist tee from onegearclothing:

photo credit: onegearclothing

This "Happiness is Homemade" vinyl lettering from DesignDivasGallery will be in my craft space one day, bet on it.

photo credit: DesignDivasGallery

And finally, this print is a good reminder to be happy wherever you are; from HoneyBoo.

photo credit: HoneyBoo

What's making you happy today?

{Tutorial} Placemat Pillow

There's something about the newness of spring that always inspires me to renew and freshen up things around my house.  After a weekend spent mega cleaning, purging, and organizing, I was ready for some fresh new decor.  For a long time, I've been wanting to replace/update the pillows on my sofa but every time I found some I liked, I couldn't believe the price... $30-40 for a little pillow?

Yeah.  Some places are proud of their pillows, people.

Then, this past weekend, I found a gorgeous placemat in the summer section at Target.  It's a thick canvas material, double sided, and only $2.99!  Rather than see a placemat, I saw a pillow waiting to be stuffed... and thus the Placemat Pillow tutorial.

What You'll Need:

Double-sided placemat

Seam Ripper

Polyfil (or stuffing of choice)

Needle and coordinating thread (or sewing machine, if that's how you roll)

Step 1:  Take the seam ripper and open up about 4 inches along one of the sides.

Step 2:  Stuff to your heart's content.  (I know... ridiculously easy right?!)

Step 3.  Close seam with straight stitch on machine or backstitch by hand.  I chose to use my machine, so I pushed the stuffing to the far opposite side to help keep my seam line straight while sewing.

I also left the thread line from aforementioned seam-ripping as a guide so my new seam lines up with the previous one.

Step 4:  Fluff and enjoy your new $2.99 pillow!!

Now, go make one... and email me the link if you do so I can enjoy your fabulous pillow too~

Quilt Dreams

As a crafter, I've tried my hand in quite a few different crafting arenas.  One that I'm interested in, but a little afraid of, is quilting.  All those pieces!  Stippling - how do I do that?!  And four big edges of binding... holy moly.  Despite my fears, my eye keeps wandering to quilting blogs and sites... I'm really wanting to make one of these sometime soon.

Thimbleblossoms Picnic Rollup

photo credit: Camille Roskelley/Thimbleblossoms

Fig Tree & Co. Whimsy Fresh

photo credit: Joanne Figueroa/Fig Tree Quilts

Just Growing Quilt by Leanne Ballard

photo credit: LeAnne Ballard

A little ambitious dreaming, but aren't they magnificent?  I think if I can accomplish the quilt, I can do anything!  So whaddya think?  Which one's your fave?

Every Season

"And everything that’s new has bravely surfaced
Teaching us to breathe
What was frozen through is newly purposed
Turning all things green
So it is with You
And how You make me new
With every season’s change
And so it will be
As You are re-creating me
Summer, autumn, winter, spring"       
~Nichole Nordeman 'Every Season'