Super Girly Silhouette Lamp Shade

My niece.... if you haven't figured it out I have a lot of them, most of which belong to my one and only sister.  She has 4 girls and 1 boy and they are like my own children/sisters/friends/nieces, I have a very complex relationship with them all!

 OK, so back to my post...the niece I referring to this time is Rachael(the oldest), she is graduating from high school in a couple of days! She goes to a Private Christian School and after the ceremony each senior has a table set up so people can shower them with love money ;) Each table is decorated by the family of each senior!

The table theme she chose was silhouettes..and since my sister does not have a blog I wanted to show you some of the adorable things that will be on the table!

This picture is actually her silhouette and was also what the invitations looked like!

And this is what really made the whole table come together, there will be 2 of them on each end.

I took this while she was still in the process of setting it all up at home to see what was needed, but these were very simple to make.  First she just copied to size the silhouette on black paper and glued it to the inside and added the fake roses with a glue gun! EZ-PZ!

 

I am MUCHO proud of this girl!!!

I think she is pretty excited about graduation too!

Salutatorian of ACA 2010! Way to GEAUX!

Teacher Gift for the LAST day of School!!! HOORAY!

It's finally here, the last day of school this year!!! And so, Kennedy and I decided to make an appreciation gift for her Teachers!

I found this idea here and it was so perfect because her teachers drink this stuff all day!

You just need some card stock, bottled water and the Crystal Light...oh and the little fruit stick-ons

The kid lu, lu, luvs to draw so we made some thank you cards to slide in with the Crystal Light!

She drew and I wrote!

This project didn't take long at all and Kennedy and I had a blast doing it together!!!

Ahhhhh, SUMMER!!!

Cheap and SOOOOO Easy Homemade Baby Wipes!

I did this more for the FRUGALITY aspect but after looking at the ingredients in baby wipes, that had me a little concerned too!

Even the "NATURAL" baby wipes have chemicals.

Here is a list of some of the ingredients in baby wipes that are NOT natural and can be found in the "natural" wipes you buy...


Potassium Laureth Phosphate - This is a synthetic (man made) humectant. Humectants are used to keep the skin moist. Synthetic humectants create a suffocating film on the skin to prevent moisture loss. Chemicals with "eth" in the title should be avoided as it will often be contaminated with dioxane, which is linked to birth defects and cancer.


Polysortbate 20 - A synthetic emulsifier. Emulsifiers are used to keep ingredients such as oil and water together. Synthetic emulsifiers are skin irritants.



Tetrasodium EDTA - EDTA is a synthetic preservative, which can be an irritant, particularly to the eyes. Synthetic preservatives are considered by leading dermatological associations to be the number one cause of contact dermatitis.


Methyl paraben - This is another synthetic preservative, which is derived from crude oil. It is toxic and allergenic. 


Okay, so here is how you make your own!  I was REALLY surprised that it was so EASY!

2 Tablespoons of Natural Oil (Canola is what I used)
2 Tablespoons Natural Baby Soap  ( makes them smell so good and baby-ish)
2 cups water (purified is best)

I used the paper towels that are half sheets and folded them on the lines until I had a stack as big as I wanted

This is about 1/4 of the roll,  if that

Then I cut the stack in thirds to fit in the box

Mix the solution and pour it over the paper towels in the wipe box

Then I rung them out, because it was way too much solution.

I would say make half the solution for about a half a roll of paper towels.

This only took me 5 minutes tops!

I am never without baby wipes even for my 6 year old, especially when we travel!

  I know this will be soooooo much cheaper for me and better on my kids skin!

P.S. If you want even MORE  NATURAL do not use Bleached Paper Towels!

If you are not into the paper towel method, you can always do the same thing with thin baby washcloths and wash them I guess and/or put the solution in a spray bottle and use as needed.

This is my first batch and so far they work great, and totally worth a shot!

I

Burlap Table Runner in under 10 minutes!

I have been looking for a table runner for a while now...with no luck! Nothing has caught my eye or been long enough to fit my table.

And with all the burlap going around Blogland I thought it would make a great table runner and best of all I knew I would NOT have to SEW it!

I had to buy 2 and half yards to fit my table length perfectly which cost me less than 7$ and I have half of it left over!

My table is black so while getting the material at HL I found these cute iron ons that match!

I just cut straight up the middle and started pulling the strings out the sides and bottom to give it a fringed edge, WARNING! This is messy!

And another reason I chose the burlap...it matched my rug and wall color! (insert tiny handclap)Yay me!

Now onto the window treatments...which I am pretty sure won't be Burlap but you never know.  I've seen some really cute ones out there!

And just FYI I found these cuties to hang on my wall behind the table at TJ's! 

CHALKBOARD WINDOW FOR LAUNDRY ROOM!

Things you need...

1. A window

2. Chalkboard paint Any Color!

3. Chalk

I got this one by telling my friend about the project and she went and dug it out of her dad's basement for me. Thanks Sarah!

I put it in my Laundry room JUST FOR LOOKS. I do not really go by the chart! I might want to try it sometime it might work!

 It was dark outside that is just a regular window in the middle not another chalkboard ;)

EZ-PZ Custom Color Chalkboard Paint! Anyone Can Make!

Yes, there is chalkboard paint at HOME DEPOT that you can have tinted.  It is around12$, BUT I have found a RECIPE to make YOUR OWN and you CAN use ANY COLOR latex paint YOU WANT!

As you can see her I have used the red and the peapod green before but you are limited if you get this product!

So Below is a recipe for making your own and there are no limitations on COLORS.YIPPPEEE!  Pics below and recipe are courtesy of MARTHA!  

ChalkBoard Paint Custom Colors How-To:

Start with flat-finish latex paint in any shade. For small areas, such as a door panel, mix 1 cup at a time.



1. Pour 1 cup of paint into a container. Add 2 tablespoons of unsanded tile grout. Mix with a paint stirrer, carefully breaking up clumps.





2. Apply paint with a roller or a sponge paintbrush to a primed or painted surface. Work in small sections, going over the same spot several times to ensure full, even coverage. Let dry.





3. Smooth area with 150-grit sandpaper, and wipe off dust. (I didn't do this and you can't tell a difference)





4. To condition: Rub the side of a piece of chalk over entire surface. Wipe away residue with a barely damp sponge. (Didn't do this either and can't tell) Sorry, I am impatient!

This is how you see all those Pottery Barn Kids walls that are so cute with there custom color chalkboard paint.  I'm surprised they haven't tried to sell that for a million dollars in their catalouge! LOL! Hope this is helpful!

                                                                                 -K