Project Playroom- Part3

Here is the next wall in the playroom!  The Dr. Seuss paintings are up and the cabinet is organized.  It is full of all the goodies that I acquired during my teaching days.  All I can say is that I'm glad it came with a lock :)
Natalie's favorite toy in the entire room is her train table.  She will play there forever with Thomas and Percy (that is really James) and James (that is really Percy).  She even brings over her toy tools to work on fixing them.  I love listening to her little conversations as  she plays.

Just one project left on the playroom.  I had to put it off to work on Easter outfits for my little bugs.  I can't wait to share them, they will look ADORABLE.

Dr. Seuss Artwork

Remember how I was inspired by this Dr. Seuss poem?

 

I saw an idea to paint a canvas inspired by a storybook character with the Pigeon painting on a Lemon Squeezy Home.  I thought it would be really neat to turn these illustrations into artwork for the playroom.

Let me just say, I am not an artist.  I really wish that I had the ability, I just don't have it.  But the contact paper method in the Lemon Squeezy tutorial looked like something I could manage.

It turned out pretty good in my opinion.  Of course the hardest part ended up being the vinyl letters.  That was fun.  All in all, I'm rather proud of myself :)

3D Cork Boards

 I was inspired by this board at Ruffles and Stuff.  I love the subtle interest this adds to the boards, and since they are for the playroom, I went with fun designs (flowers, sun, butterfly, clouds).  Can you tell I've been thinking spring?  Our fabulous March weather has been glorious this year.

 When I was in middle school, gel pens were the biggest craze.  We would draw silly pictures and write little phrases all over our hands and notebooks.  Drawing those butterflies was a specialty of mine.  It makes me smile to think of those days when I see that butterfly on the wall.  It also inspires  me to indulge each of Bug's little fads, both present and future, even when they don't make any sense whatsoever.  It gives me yet another reason to appreciate my mother.  She let us graffiti our hands to our heart's delight because she knew it made us happy :)

Project Playroom- Part 2

 Here's a look at the whole wall, our bookshelf piled with ever so many favorite books, and it doesn't even scratch the surface of our children's book collection, and the never-ending selection of fun toys.

 I LOVE these cube shelves.  They make organizing the toys so much easier and the animal bins are so stinkin' cute!  (Bins and shelves were found at Target.)

And our art gallery with Bug's collection of Watercolors on White, and our Valentine's day projects.  The footprint heart is my favorite!  We used stencils to spell the "Daddy I love you" on Natalie's valentine for him.  The wire curtain rods and clips are Ikea again.

I just finished up two more decorating projects for the playroom, and have one more big project left before I'm finished!

You are loved.

I love your chubby cheeks and the stars in your eyes.  

I love your crooked smirks and monkey faces. 

I love it when you snuggle up and give me baby kisses. 

I love holding your little hands and tickling your tiny toes. 

I love hearing every single gurgly laugh and soft coo.

I love watching you sleep so peacefully and kissing your little nose.

Little Baby Bear, You are loved.

Reusable Grocery Sack Tutorial

 This project has been sitting in various places around my house for nearly 3 years.  I just never made time for it after my initial attempts.  So I am quite proud that I actually finished and got these shirts OUT of my stash :)

WARNING:  This project is purely utilitarian.  These shirts are not cute, in fact, they may be considered downright ugly.  You may also need sunglasses if you want to make it all the way through the tutorial sans migraine.

The hubby works in the highways department for the local county, he is required to wear brightly colored, headache inducing shirts so that he is clearly visible when he works outside.  When they switched from bright orange to fluorescent yellow, we were left with all these orange shirts that had the county emblem slapped on the pocket.  I decided save them to make reusable grocery bags.

I made 3 attempts to create a workable bag design way back when.  The first two were hardly big enough to hold one box of cereal, and it is a bad idea to serge around the top of the bag/handles (no stretch).

At least the 3rd attempt couldn't be accused of being too small, ha ha.  That is when I gave up.

 I fixed attempt #3 with some elastic, and I kind of like it now.  But I still went back to the drawing board on the design that I wanted.

This time I drew my inspiration from "real" grocery bags.  The plastic kind you get from the store that have already had their designs tested numerous times.  This time I met success :)

 So without further ado, the Grocery Sack Tutorial.

Take your shirt, ugly or cute, and lay it out flat.

 Measure and cut a 20" x 20" square.

 Make marks 4" in from the sides on the top and bottom.

 Fold over the edge on both sides, like it is on the left in the picture.

 Use a grocery bag to trace out the handles and cut them out.

 Unfold the edges.  If you are going to be making several bags, use this one as a pattern to cut out the rest.

Sew across the handles at the top and sew or serge down the sides.

 Turn the bag inside out,

 Fold in the edges again, and sew or serge across the bottom.

 Clip threads or tuck in the tails. 

 Flip it right side out and you're done!  I chose to sew a quick seam across the handles to keep them straight.

My Ninja

Mulan is our new obsession these days.  It's a welcome break from Rapunzel, and has an equally great soundtrack.  Bug found a stick and started running around the house with some great ninja moves singing :)

 Let's get down to business

 To defeat the Huns!

 Hua!

Heed my every order

and you might survive.

Thrifty and Thriving #3

 I've been so thrifty that I only needed to get a few staples at the grocery store this week.  And I was able to do it all at just one grocery store, and I still saved 40% off my total.  I have to say that I am loving my mealtime organization.  And it's making this handsome guy happy that I no longer need to agonize over what's for dinner while he pesters me endlessly.  No pestering = happy wife = happy life.

Bride and Prejudice flashback!  My sister and I could watch this Bollywood version of Pride and Prejudice every day, ha ha.  No life- without wife!

Image via

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

 

I love me some Dr. Seuss.  I learned to read using his books, I taught kids to read using his books, and I love to read them to Bug.  (Even though she has a blatant preference for Eric Carle's literary masterpieces.)

I wasn't feeling all that crafty today, so we just read lots of his books and made fun food.

  We started out with green eggs and waffles.  I do not eat ham, green or otherwise. (You hear that Sam???)

My favorite page from Green Eggs and Ham :)

 For lunch we had poodle noodles, goldfish, and blue goo.

 

 
 As an afternoon snack I whipped up some pink ink berry smoothies.

This is my favorite little poem from Dr. Seuss.  I have no idea why.  I think I may have to incorporate it into my playroom decor somehow.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!