Burlap Bag Bunny

I wanted to create something new to add to my Easter collection. The boys have recently been obsessed with bunnies in books, and I thought something of substantial size would be a great for them to be able to look at. But, it would also have to be something not too fragile for them to touch or bump into.

I took a burlap bag that I purchased from Online Fabric Store had been sitting in a drawer in my basement waiting to be used. This bag is 17 inches by 27 inches.  I took some poly fill that I had from a previous project and kept it in the plastic bag. I simply placed it inside of the burlap bag. Then I tied two bunny ears  by gathering the top section in two pieces and using some ribbon I had at home.  The filling took up about half of the bag.



I then used a foam brush to make a square shaped face out of craft paint on the bag itself.  It did not take long at all to dry. I used a foam round dauber to make the eyes and nose. Then I used a smaller paint brush to make the whiskers and mouth.  This project took less than thirty minutes if you wanted to include drying time with it.

Thanks for stopping by the blog today. Hope you enjoyed this quick and easy project idea for spring.

It's Time To Register with Target & Giveaway

Content and/or other value provided by our partner, Target. All opinions are my own.

The holiday season is a popular time for couples to become engaged.  It is the perfect time of year to begin your Target Wedding Registry.  There are several fantastic benefits to registering with Target. Be sure to follow this post until the end to enter the gift card giveaway.

• easy and engaging registry experience with inspirational starter lists
• 15% off completion offer - you will receive your coupon the week of your event
• easy returns

One of my favorite registry items that I received when Rob and I were married was the KitchenAid Ultra Power 4.5 Qt Stand Mixer. When I was registering I chose the basic black, but now they offer a variety of gorgeous colors that will make your mixer a kitchen stand out.  Make sure you put this on your registry it will become your most popular appliance in your kitchen.  In the past I have bought this with some other friends as a group gift for a couple. I also know friends who have used their generous completion discount and gift cards they received to purchase it for themselves after their big day.  

There are of course many other items at Target that would go along perfectly with a KitchenAid Mixer.  You are about to unite to families together, and it would be nice if you could collect recipes from various family members for you and your spouse to try together.
This Bride & Groom First and Forever Recipe Box could be used to store the family favorites.

My favorite recipe is a famous Hello Dollies passed along from my grandmother.  Rob loves anything that has any chocolate and coconut in it.  The recipe is something that I make when I would like to do something a little special for Rob, and allows us to have a delicious dessert for a nice date night in.  It is also super simple, and does not require much time which is great for not only newlyweds but busy families as well.  When we have the opportunity to set aside time for a date night at home, it is usually after the kids are in the bed. So, we usually have a dessert and some quite time.  Add this beautiful Threshold Rectangular Baker to your registry. It could be used for a multitude of dishes.  This also is a great size dish to bake the Hello Dollies I mentioned above.

Hello Dollie Recipe

Ingredients:

4 tbsp of melted butter

1 cup of graham cracker crumbs

1 c of shredded coconut

1 c chocolate chips

1 c of butterscotch chips

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

Heat oven to 325 degrees, and put butter in pan and allow to melt while oven is preheating.  Then take out  once butter has melted and layer the ingredients as they are listed above. Bake for 30 minutes.  Allow to completly cool before cutting. I actually put my pan in the fridge once it cooled to help the bars firm up even more.  Then I also added a little extra coconut to the top since we love it. You could also add 1 cup of chopped nuts if you desire as well.

Another aspect of an in home date night is the ambience.  A wonderful addition to your registry would be the  SONOS PLAY: 5 Wireless HiFi System,  Setting the mood while you as a couple prepare your meal will be easy with this system.  The built in wireless system makes it easy to stream music from a variety of internet radio options. The best feature in my opinion is that you can use your own phone as a remote control for the system.  

It is always important to remember to register for additional tools you will need for a functional kitchen.  Add a set of Room Essentials cotton aprons to your list for you to have when you are cooking together in the kitchen.  I will be sharing a way to personalize your apron below.

These adorable Threshold and Room Essentials tea towels will look great in the kitchen, and will hold up well over time. It is always a good idea to include items at multiple price ranges for your guests when they are shopping your Target registry. 

Registering at Target allows you to include a variety of items that will be enjoyed by both husband and wife. If you are someone who is shopping for the lovely couple I have come up with a way to put some of these items together for a bridal shower or wedding gift.

I took a simple Room Essentials cotton apron, and used an image from my Silhouette Cameo machine to cut out a mixer stencil.  I then upgraded the plain apron to an adorable coordinating piece that also doubles as gift wrap.

I placed the Threshold Towels in the baking dish, and then placed the Threshold Beechwood Large Spatula in between the towels.

I used the apron to wrap the items together, and it is the perfect addition to the KitcheAid mixer gift.

Thank you for stopping by the blog today. I hope you got some great ideas for your own personal registry or a gift idea for a friend who may be getting married in the future.  Remember these registry items are definitely get a lot of use in any family because of their practicality.  Thanks so much to Target for allowing me to share someone of their exciting items.

Share one of your favorite registry items below in the comments or share a recipe you would love to have on a date night. Then you will be entered to win a $25 Target gift card.  Thanks for taking the time to enter this giveaway and read this post. 

Come On Spring Wreath

As I sit here typing this we have just received a few more inches of the lovely white stuff. I think this year having three kiddos on the go makes me long for spring even more. I want to get outside with everyone and go places. I feel like we have been inside for as long as the boys could walk. I decided I was ready for a spring wreath. I know it may be wishful thinking in mid-February, but I am thinking positively.  

I used the great tutorial again from Top This Top That.  I love how easy it is to make this wreath, and then you can add decorations as the season changes.

I used a wire wreath form, about two and a half rolls of plain burlap, a smaller roll of pink burlap, Silhouette vinyl, Silhouette machine, a wooden plaque from Michaels and shelf liner.  I made the wreath and added the bit of burlap in pink at the top. I figured that saved me from making a big bow for the top of it since it already resembles a bow.  Then I placed some shelf liner on the wooden plaque I got at Michaels. It comes off pretty easily, and so I think I will be able to peel it off and reuse it if I felt like changing up the wreath.

I cut out the word Spring on my Silhouette Cameo machine, and then attached the wooden plaque with some ribbon I had on hand. I added an extra paper flower from a set I picked up in the dollar aisle at Michaels with a glue dot.   I did glue the ribbon to the backside of the plaque, and then tied it through the wire at the top.  I am hoping maybe that cute little groundhog was wrong and spring will be coming earlier after all. Here's hoping.  Enjoy your day!

Baby Food Lid Snowflakes for Kids

One day I will use up all of the food pouch lids in my house. Well..maybe. This is a fun idea to do with kids when you are stuck inside like we've been for months now.  

Using scrapbook paper, glue, a pencil and baby food lids we created snowflakes. I had Wynn help me draw out the lines, and then I placed pencil dots for where Wynn could place the glue for the lids.  We did the first one together, and then I let her get creative with the second one.

Obviously Elsa/Minne Mouse aka Wynn was into a much more colorful snowflake, and was very proud of her creation.  

These are now proudly hanging up in Wynn's room.  Thank goodness for recycled craft materials once again.

Frozen Party Favors

For Wynn's party it was mostly adults, and it was not the type of party to hand out plastic toys and candy necessarily. I thought it may be fun to have Wynn make the favors for her party guests.

We were already making handprint ornaments for Christmas, and had some extra salt dough left. We were using the recipe found here.

Wynn and I cut the snowflakes out using a snowflake cookie cutter. Then we used craft paint, and Wynn painted with the white paint and a foam brush.  Then I added some simple dots and stars with a smaller brush in some turquoise craft paint.

I placed each snowflake ornament in a blue paper favor bag from Target. I put them in a basket with Frozen colored snowflakes from the Target Dollar Spot. Then added a foam snowflake and wrote in sharpie the phrase. It was on a table by my front door with one of my favorite pictures of Wynn and a cherry snowman. It worked out to sit everything there and so my mom brain would not allow me to forget to hand them out as people left.

Frozen Birthday on a Budget

My goal for Wynn's 5th birthday party was to keep to a strict budget. I usually go crazy with parties, and it is easy to do so when you do not keep track of expenses. There are so many great ideas out there, and I decided to try my best to keep everything under $125.  

Decorations:

 I made this centerpiece from a bottle from Michaels, fake snow, a few straws, a long lollipop like stick and scrapbook paper. It is possible to make these several at a time.  It cost around $1.50 a piece if you are looking to make something similar.  I traced the wooden five I purchased from Michaels. You do not always need a Silhouette to cut out a shape :)

Clockwise from the top left: Target Favor Bags ($2), Walmart tableware for 10 ($8), Michaels foam snowflakes ($2), Tinsel ($1), Michaels glitter letters ($3), Michaels Christmas tree on clearance ($5), Walmart cup, snowflake boxes and ornament ($3), Michaels wooden 5, gems and cupcake liners ($3), Michaels wooden frame ($2), Etsy food labels ($2), and Michaels scrapbook paper ($1).

I had never done hot chocolate in a crock pot before, but I used this great recipe.  Everyone enjoyed their hot chocolate. I decorated around the crock pot with some leftover stuffing I had in my basement to resemble snow. I purchased a set of paper cups from Target and added everyone's name to the sleeve for the cups with stickers. I used printable food labels purchased on sale from Etsy for $1.50.

I wrapped the whipped cream with a piece of scrapbook paper.  I had cinnamon sticks, peppermint patties and snowman marshmallows for toppings as well.

 I love the line "we finish each other's sandwiches" from the movie. Wynn loves chicken salad and I used a basic recipe that was new to me. Everyone said it was delicious.

I wrapped small Gatorade bottles in scrapbook paper for a more Frozen look and called it melted snow.  Wynn said that this was the "Frozen" colored Gatorade.  

Food Cost for a party with 9 people (which includes Wynn): $65. The cupcakes were purchased from Wal-Mart, and added some edible snowflakes I purchased on Etsy.  The total cost for this party was $97, it was $28 below my budget.  I will be sharing the party favors tomorrow.  

The birthday girl had a great time!