The Silly Pearl {Handmade}

Giveaway: Mod Podge Rocks! by Amy Anderson

noreply@blogger.com (Steph @ The Silly Pearl) — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 00:51:00 +0000

I love using Mod Podge, and I love the blog Mod Podge Rocks! I am so honored to be hosting a giveaway of Amy Anderson’s new book, Mod Podge Rocks!: Decoupage Your World!Shall we take a peek inside?

Look! It’s Amy’s friendly, smiling face. When I read her writing, I can feel her warmth and willingness to share her knowledge and lift up other crafters and bloggers!

Amy’s book is filled with more than 40 inspiring Mod Podge projects. Here are the two I absolutely love…the Be A Deer Suitcase (I have a vintage train case with which I could do something similar)

…and the Modern Chair Media Tower (I’m always seeing these at the thrift store, and I love the fabric…I have a Pinterest board called “Chair Lust”).

Each project uses one or more Mod Podge products, so you really get to see each type of formula in action. The book also has a glossary of each formula for quick reference, plus Mod Podge basics that even the most seasoned Podger might not have known!

Click here to get your copy of Mod Podge Rocks!: Decoupage Your World!Or, try to win one right here. This is the first time I’m using Rafflecopter for my giveaway entries. Let me know if you have any questions or problems, but basically, just follow the prompts. It is way easier than the old fashioned way of leaving comments for every entry (though the first mandatory entry is to leave a comment), and way easier for me to pick a winner too.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open to US and Canada residents.

Disclosure: I received two copies of the book (one to review and one to giveaway). All opinions expressed are my own.

Craft Tutorial: Kids Activity Tray for Legos, Beads, and as a Felt Board

noreply@blogger.com (Steph @ The Silly Pearl) — Wed, 30 May 2012 07:47:00 +0000

It seems that as my girls get bigger, their toys get smaller and have more parts to them. And they like to play in different rooms in the house, as well as on the floor, on the couch…so I find their little toy parts everywhere. Nothing’s creepier than a Lego head staring back at you when you lift a couch cushion.

I had found two wooden trays on two different trips to two different thrift stores. I was going to redo one for my mom and one for myself, when it dawned on me that I could stick a Lego board on it and also provide some “wells” to catch their Lego pieces. I also realized that they could also use the board for beads as well as their felt pieces (like their Screen Printed Felt Paper Dolls) by laying a piece of beading mat on top of the tray (it’s like a really soft felt for keeping beads from rolling around on your work surface).

The tray would keep everything in one place as they move around the house, and encourage them to put one project away before they take out a new one. Maybe Mama needs one for her crafts, too.

Here’s how I made our

Kids’ Activity Trays

For Beading, Legos, and as a Felt Board

Materials:

Wooden tray. Again, mine were thrifted.
Lego building plate that fits your tray. Mine is the LEGO Green Building Plate (10" x 10")

White Primer
Craft Paint
Wooden dowels to fit your tray (you may need to trim them)
Fabrics:
- for the well (mine were stamped…see my DIY Foam Rubber Stamps for Kids tutorial)
- for the dowels (use long strips to wrap around the dowels)
Ruler/Straight edge, rotary cutter and self-healing mat (to cut fabric)
Mod Podge (I used Matte)
Foam brushes
Push Pins
Not shown: Sand paper, band saw (if needed to trim the dowels), sticky Velcro dots, beading cloth such as this one: Beadalon Beading Mats - Prevent Bead Rolling 12 X 9 Inch (Set of 3) or you could use a piece of felt.

Directions

Sand, prime and paint your wood tray. My girls selected purple and pink. I stuck push pins on all four corners underneath to serve as little legs to give me a place to hold the tray while painting it, and so it would dry without sticking to my newspaper (idea from Chica and Joe).

While the tray is drying, trim your wooden dowels if needed, and cut out your fabric to fit the dowels as well as the fabric for the bottom of the well (in my case, that would be the stamped fabric). For the dowel fabric, you can cut it just slightly longer but cut the width the exact circumference of the dowel. Also, stick a push pin on either end of the dowel to give you a place to hold the dowel while you are applying the Mod Podge.

Sand the dowel and coat with a layer of Mod Podge, and another coat on the wrong side of the fabric strip.

Here’s an easy way to apply the fabric to the dowel smoothly…lay the fabric strip down horizontally on your workspace, and hold the dowel by the pushpins with both hands, like rolling pin. Then roll the fabric right on to the dowel, smoothing the fabric as you go. The seams should meet together if you cut it exactly. Apply a coat of Mod Podge on top to seal. Allow to dry. Repeat with all dowels.

One of my girls insisted on using this purple floral, but it wasn’t long enough. So to hide the seam, I wrapped a strip of fabric around it and Mod Podge’d it down.

When the paint is dry on the tray, add the fabric strip that is the bottom of the well. Apply Mod Podge to the tray the width of the fabric, then apply Mod Podge to the wrong side of the fabric. Smooth down the fabric and apply a coat of Mod Podge on top to seal. Repeat for the other well on the opposite side. Allow to dry.

Use the glue gun to glue the Lego plate to the center of the tray. Then apply a bead of hot glue down the seam of the dowels and press down onto the tray, along the edges of the stamped fabric. You may need a rather thick bead of glue for it to stick. Test for wobbliness when it dries…if it wobbles, you can peel it off the tray carefully, peel off the dried hot glue, and reapply a thicker bead of hot glue and press down harder.

Finally, add Velcro to the tray and the beading mat which can be removed when the girls want to play their Legos, but the Velcro will keep the mat in place when they’re beading or using it as a felt board.

All done! Here are our trays in action…

-As a Felt Board

-For Beading

-For Legos, whether working on our own separate projects…

…or collaborating with each other.

We love snuggling with the tray on our laps, working on a project together.

So while I was working on our trays, I came across some other DIY Lego trays. Apparently I’m not the only Mama of kids who like Legos but wants them off the floor. These trays are both unique and awesome in their own ways! Go check out the Lego Trays from That’s My Letter and Finley and Oliver for more inspiration.

Anyways, hope these trays keep us more organized!

Linking: The Frugal Girls :: Tip Junkie :: Rook No. 17 :: How to Nest for Less::Oopsey Daisy :: The Trendy Treehouse ::Tidy Mom :: Creation Corner::Whipperberry :: Sassy Sites::Tatertots and Jello :: Lolly Jane Boutique : :Homemaker on a Dime :: The Gunny Sack :: Mine for the Making :: Fine Craft Guild :: Mad in Crafts :: Finding My Way In Texas

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Keep Learning All Summer Long with LeapFrog Summer Camp

noreply@blogger.com (Steph @ The Silly Pearl) — Tue, 29 May 2012 01:35:00 +0000

Thank you to LeapFrog for sponsoring my post about Leapfrog Summer Camp. To sign up for LeapFrog Summer Camp, please click here. #CleverLFCamp #spon

The purpose of LeapFrog Summer Camp is to keep little minds active during the summer months (ages 4-7) and starts on June 4. While my girls will be attending summer school at their preschool (before they start Kindergarten at the end of August…AAK!) I’m sure that some educational activities at home will be more than helpful to keep them learning as well.

A research study conducted a review of 39 other research studies that all looked at the effects of summer vacation on test scores, and their findings suggest it is important to keep kids’ minds engaged all summer long by providing them with the appropriate materials and resources. I think programs such as LeapFrog Summer Camp are a great resource for my girls to learn in a fun way, to get them into the habit of continued learning, even through the summer months.

At the same time, I also believe that kids need to be kids while they are kids. Summer needs to be a time to be a carefree! I think LeapFrog Summer Camp will help us maintain that balance…it’s the best of both worlds!

Each week at the Summer Camp will have a theme:

Week 1: June 4-10 Out & About—Learn about the people and places in our world on your way to becoming a global citizen.
Week 2: June 11-17 Caring for Animals—Experience animals in new ways and explore themes of responsibility and compassion.
Week 3: June 18-24 Puzzle Time—Build logic and reasoning skills as you puzzle your way through brain-bending activities!
Week 4: June 25-July 1 Art & Music—Let your creativity run wild as you experiment with a range of media, including handmade instruments, crafts and a home art gallery!
Week 5: July 2-8 Writing That's Real—Explore fascinating nonfiction topics and try your hand at investigative writing.
Week 6: July 9-15 Storytelling—Bring your ideas to life through storytelling, music, art, drama and pretend play!
Week 7: July 16-22 Science Adventures—Observe, ask questions and draw conclusions as you explore and investigate the world around you.
Week 8: July 23-29 Friendship Week—Get ready for school and International Friendship Day by exploring what it means to be friends.

Look out for other fun stuff like LeapFrog discounts and weekly photo contests to win LeapFrog merchandise.

I will be writing again in a few weeks to tell you more about LeapFrog Summer Camp, when my girls and I have actually used it. I look forward to seeing how the like it and what they have learned! You can sign up before it starts on June 4. For more info, check out the Summer Camp FAQ page.

This post is sponsored by LeapFrog. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Craft Tutorial: Make Easy DIY Stamps with Foam

noreply@blogger.com (Steph @ The Silly Pearl) — Fri, 25 May 2012 18:31:00 +0000

I was working on a project last week and I wanted my girls to put their own “stamp” on it! So I asked them what shapes they wanted on this project and we made our own stamps out of regular ol’ craft foam and some thrifted wood pieces.

Materials:

Foam sheets, available at Michaels
Wood pieces (I used thrifted Jenga blocks)
Glue that works on foam and wood (I used Elmer’s X-TREME Glue Stick, reviewed here).
Scissors and pen for tracing shapes
Strong glue for gluing wood together, to accommodate larger stamp shapes (I used Gorilla Glue)
Not shown: Fabric paint, Plastic lid and piece of felt (to act as a stamp pad), Plain fabric

Directions:

You can free-hand draw your shapes, use a craft punch that works on foam, trace a shape, etc. My girls wanted their favorite Cars characters, their usual Sun and Heart, and some random things like fish and octopus. The hearts were small so I was able to use just one wood piece. Then I glued the hearts on the wood with the glue stick.

I used one of their Cars to trace around on the foam and cut that out.

I glued two wood pieces together because the car turned out too big for one piece.

Here’s the whole gang.

I laid a piece of felt onto a plastic food storage lid and squirted some fabric paint onto the felt. Then I smooshed it all around to create an even layer on the felt. And they started stamping on their fabric pieces.

Here’s the finished fabric!

To wash the stamps, I just used a wet paper towel to wipe them off.

Here’s a sneak peek of what I made with the fabric, the project I mentioned I was working on last week. Tutorial for that coming soon!

UPDATE: Here’s the link to that tutorial, my Kids’ Activity Tray!

Tell me, how would you use the stamps?

Linking: The Frugal Girls :: Tip Junkie :: Rook No. 17 :: How to Nest for Less:: Oopsey Daisy :: The Trendy Treehouse ::Tidy Mom :: Creation Corner ::Whipperberry :: Sassy Sites::Tatertots and Jello :: Lolly Jane Boutique : :Homemaker on a Dime :: The Gunny Sack :: Mine for the Making :: Fine Craft Guild :: Mad in Crafts ::Finding My Way In Texas

Brighter Mornings with Allegra #ClearBeauty #cbias

noreply@blogger.com (Steph @ The Silly Pearl) — Mon, 21 May 2012 05:35:00 +0000

I am soooo not a morning person. Having seasonal allergies does not help matters either…sniffling all night, waking up all stuffy, and a runny nose all day. Add in contact lenses, and 3 years of sleep deprivation (that’s how long it took my girls to really sleep through the night!), and I certainly don’t look awake either! It’s hard to look and feel your best when you want to crawl under the covers! When I have taken allergy medicine, they make me drowsy so I took it before bed. While that helps me get some sleep, it does leave me kind of blah in the morning.

So I took this opportunity to try Allegra, which I found at CVS Pharmacy. It says “non-drowsy” right on the front, and it was on sale for $17.99 with my (free) CVS membership card. After a few days of taking Allegra, I am waking up with a less stuffy nose and I don’t have that groggy feeling when I wake up. But, I also got to try some cosmetics to perk myself up even more.

***Edited: Jenn @ Rook No 17 has a good point (see comments) about checking with your doctor first. Allegra is non-prescription now, but if you have any qualms or questions about Allegra, whether it may interact with other medications or if it may otherwise not be right for you, please talk to your doctor. And make sure you read the directions and warnings on the label first (i.e. you can’t take Allegra with fruit juice). I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on this blog. I rub funny bones if they get bumped, put Cars bandaids on boo-boos, and sometimes can guess right if someone’s faking a tummy ache, but that’s about it.***

Back story: My mom and I went to a department store opening a few weeks ago and took advantage of all the freebies they were offering that day, including a makeover. The makeup artist taught me this really easy eye makeup trick that really made a difference in my eyes. I looked so much more awake!

{And there’s probably some magical mood lighting in the store too, which would explain the “angels singing” rays of light coming down upon my newly made-up face}

While I splurged on a new moisturizer that day, I thought I could probably find the eye makeup for less at the drug store. In addition, she had used regular eye shadow that didn’t stay on my eyes for long, so I wanted something more long-wearing. I set out to find an eye liner that was easy to use that would also wouldn’t smudge. I found this Revlon ColorStay eyeliner.

In addition, I went shopping for under-eye concealers. I haven’t had the greatest luck with these and I really need help covering the purple-ness under my eyes. CVS had a huge selection of course, but I was worried about matching colors. One I purchased was Almay Smart Shade Concealer with SPF 15, which is supposed to transform to match your own skin tone when you put it on.

For more pictures from my shopping story, please check out my Google+ Album.

So this morning, I woke up and even though my Allegra didn’t leave me groggy, I apologize for the annoyed look on my face haha! I guess I really don’t like mornings! Will see if I can use this pic on my next drivers license.

I have added a few steps to my morning routine now…well, I saved one step by taking my Allegra last night. Previously, I just moisturized, then put on my powder foundation, then a lip gloss. Now I’m adding in my concealer (applied with a brush I already had) and the eyeliner.

First I put on the moisturizer, then I started on the Almay concealer.

I squirted some on my hand, and dipped in my concealer brush (you could also use your ring finger)

I remember the makeup artist applied my concealer in a triangle pattern, starting with the inner corner of my eye straight down along my nose, then directly to the outer corner of my eye. I used the concealer brush to fill in the triangle, using a dabbing motion. Then I used my ring finger to blend it together.

I think the color does match well with my skin. I am really happy with that! And, it does look like the side with the concealer is a little bit lifted and brighter than the other side. Not a huge difference, but I do notice.

{I also notice I look like a deer in the headlights here…so that must have been how I looked when I found out I was having twins.}

Now for the other side.

Then I blended everything together with my powder foundation and a makeup sponge.

Done with the concealer and foundation!

Now for the eyeliner. This kind is softer than a pencil so it should glide right on.

The trick I learned from the makeup artist was to line the inside of my upper eyelid. I admit I was kind of weirded out at first! But she did it so quickly and I experienced no irritation in my eyes. So here goes my attempt…I drew on the eyeliner about 2/3 of the way over, right underneath my lash line. I also went up a teensy bit to add the eyeliner right on my lash line. This way, no mascara is needed and I save myself another step (I will save the mascara I bought for nights out…remember, this is a quick daytime look!).

Here’s one eye done. That’s also my “How you doin’?” raised eyebrow.

And now the other eye. The makeup artist advised me not to line the lower lid. She said it would actually drag my eyes down which would make me look sleepy.

A little bit of lip gloss and I’m all done.

That was a really fun experiment and I hope you learned something as well. I am excited that just adding a few extra steps that took no time at all make me look more awake (and less frumpy, which I really love!).

To learn more about Allegra, visit their Facebook and Twitter pages, and check out the Allegra Makeover Game!

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™. #CBias #SocialFabric

Technorati Tags: Allegra,Allergies,Beauty

Summer Plans: Newport Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Steph @ The Silly Pearl) — Fri, 18 May 2012 05:51:00 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Newport Beach for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

My family and I were actually talking about going to Newport Beach this summer. So this opportunity to talk about it on my blog came at the perfect time!

I had fun browsing around the VisitNewportBeach website, dreaming of a sunny, laid-back SoCal vacation. We love road trips so we'd probably drive down. As I researched places to stay, I was really interested in the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach Hotel. Not only did I love the modern decor in the pictures, I could really imagine myself relaxing in that pool underneath all those palm trees! Ahhhh.... At the Hyatt, there's currently a deal going on: reserve a room and kids 18 and under will get their own adjoining room for 50% off. Talk about Ahhhh...having more room where you're staying always makes vacations much better. For more information on this deal, call 800-233-1234 and mention the Family Plan.

I'd love to go there to watch Fourth of July Fireworks along the water, or try to spot a giant blue whale during their migration along the coast, which goes on all summer. And I think my girls would be content to look for seashells and build sandcastles on the beach (and I'd be content lounging around and watching them)!

But when the kids are up for more adventure, Newport Beach also offers kids summer camps. They have something for every kid's interests, from learning to sail and surf, to themes like Harry Potter and Star Wars.

So where's your dream vacation? Headed to the beach this year?

Watch this video to take yourself there right now!

And click the orange button below for more information on visiting Newport Beach!

FREE Sewing Machine 911 Class with Craftsy

noreply@blogger.com (Steph @ The Silly Pearl) — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:22:00 +0000

The sewing machine…it can be an enigma sometimes. It may seem like it has a mind of its own. Sometimes I’ve got a sewing groove going on, and it jams on me. ARGH! Or my needle will break. WHY?!!! And thinking about thread tension sometimes makes me feel…tense.

If you’ve suffered from sewing machine woes like me, you are in luck. Craftsy.com is offering a FREE Sewing Machine 911 class! I’ve just signed up myself, and I like what I see so far. There’s even a place for the community to ask questions. I look forward to building some sewing confidence through this class.

Click the this button for a preview and to sign up!

All you have to do is join Craftsy.com (membership is free) and the class is available to you for free.

You’ll also have access to both free and non-free classes, patterns, and the community with your membership. If you don’t sew, don’t worry, it’s Craftsy, not sewsy…there’s something for all types of crafts, from knitting to chocolate making to wood working. You can also receive their email newsletter. I get a lot of email, but Craftsy’s newsletter is one of the few to which I look forward because it has so much useful information in it. And…you can even submit links to your own projects and check out other members’ projects as well.

Let me know if you take the class!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links (which gives me a little somethin’ somethin’ and helps to keep this blog going if you click and sign up!).

Retro Chip n Dip to Succulent Planter

noreply@blogger.com (Steph @ The Silly Pearl) — Tue, 15 May 2012 01:34:00 +0000

I found this vintage chip-n-dip bowl set at the thrift store a few months ago.

And I added some rocks for drainage (from the dollar store).

After I repotted the (surviving) succulents we bought a few weeks ago (yes, I manage to even kill succulents), the girls decorated the soil with these shiny blue glass rocks (also from the dollar store).

The only bummer about this is after I added the soil, I lost that pretty amber color of the glass. So since there was a lot of brown going on, I wanted to add some blue to the pot. I dyed some butcher’s twine by squirting some craft paint onto a plate and swirled it around (by mixing the colors, I had a little bit of ombre/tie-dye going on, but it was subtle). Then I rinsed it out under running water, squeezed out the excess water and paint, and let it dry. I then wrapped it around the large bowl.

I like that the twine breaks up all the brown, and goes well with the blue glass rocks.

Glad to be able to display one of my vintage finds while it serves a purpose!

Linking: The Frugal Girls :: Tip Junkie :: Rook No. 17 :: How to Nest for Less :: Oopsey Daisy :: The Trendy Treehouse ::Tidy Mom :: Creation Corner :: Whipperberry :: Sassy Sites::Tatertots and Jello :: Lolly Jane Boutique : :Homemaker on a Dime :: The Gunny Sack :: Mine for the Making :: Fine Craft Guild :: Mad in Crafts ::Finding My Way In Texas :: DIY On The Cheap :: Southern Hospitality :: Her Library Adventures :: The Thrifty Groove :: Apron Thrift Girl

Organic Container Gardening with Whitney Farms

noreply@blogger.com (Steph @ The Silly Pearl) — Fri, 11 May 2012 09:46:00 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Whitney Farms for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I'd been promising my girls to start a veggie garden for a few weeks now. We bought seeds and I rounded up some containers, since we only have a patio in the back. I'd also been reading a lot about the Whitney Farms® line of organic plant food, so I purchased some myself to try out.

There were clear instructions on the back, and it was easy to mix with our organic soil. When I poured it out, it wasn't dusty or too smelly (kind of like fish food!). Upon reading more about Whitney Farms organic plant food, I learned it contains beneficial microbes, and all the nutrients they need to grow and thrive.

I am happy our garden is getting an all-organic start! We decided on two types of tomatoes (yellow and Brandywine), as well as basil, parsley and green onions. There might be little bit more room in that big planter for more. In the little pots, my girls sprinkled wildflower seeds, which we started a few weeks ago (I repotted and added some of the Whitney Farms plant food there as well).

If you'd like to try out Whitney Farms organic plant food, click the orange button below for a $3 off coupon. Wishing you a happy gardening season, and wish us luck too with our little garden!

Peanut Butter Pizzas on Multiples in the Kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (Steph @ The Silly Pearl) — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:14:00 +0000

Today on Multiples in the Kitchen, the monthly series I write for the Multiples and More Blog Network, the girls and I show how we made Peanut Butter Pizzas. I have a lot of peanut butter left from this post, so I was looking for a way to use it up! So I found this recipe from Picky Palate and we put our own spin on it with different toppings.

And here are more recipes I cooked with my kids over the past year!

Peanut Butter and Condensed Milk French Toast for Lunch #CompareandSwap #cbias

noreply@blogger.com (Steph @ The Silly Pearl) — Tue, 08 May 2012 19:21:00 +0000

During Spring Break for my girls, Dada took a few days off. Unfortunately it was raining hard so our plans to go to Tahoe were canceled. Instead we saw it as a blessing…we got to sleep in and have a lazy day. On days like this, we often have breakfast for lunch, so I thought it would be a great time to try something super decadent.

Peanut Butter and Condensed Milk French Toast is a Hong Kong-style treat that is enjoyed any time of day. Also, it’s usually deep-fried! But I just made it with regular French Toast custard and baked it in the oven.

I was also on a mission to shop at Smart and Final, to try out their store brand called First Street, and compare it to some famous name brands. My specific task was to compare Orowheat Bread and Jif Peanut Butter to Smart and Final’s more economical First Street Bread and Peanut Butter.

The day I shopped, the Orowheat Bread was being sold at a promotional price of $2.50 a loaf, with an original price of $3.99. In comparison, the First Street Bread was $2.29 a loaf, which is the usual price.

As for the Peanut Butter, Jif costed $3.39 for an 18-ounce jar, while First Street was $2.29 for a same-sized jar.

I would love to save money on staples like bread and peanut butter because it really adds up over time. I’d be willing to make the swap if the store brand tastes the same or better. But sometimes we stick to what we know. I know that Orowheat and Jif taste good. I’m glad, however, to have gotten this nudge to experiment and try something new.

I already had Condensed Milk at home (a Chinese brand my mom previously brought me), but out of curiosity I also checked out the selection at Smart and Final. While my brand wasn’t available at Smart and Final, my next choice probably would have been Eagle Brand. I noticed a huge difference between Eagle and the First Street condensed milk ($3.39 for Eagle, and $1.49 for First Street with a sale price that day of $1.29). Wow! Good to know for next time.

Here are more pictures from my Smart and Final Shoppertunity on Google+!

So on the first morning that my husband was home, all four of us slept in, followed by a cartoon marathon in Mama and Dada’s room. Finally I dragged myself out of bed to start the French Toast. I pulled my recipe up on my phone on my Epicurious app (look at what time it is haha!). This is a classic recipe for Baked French Toast from Bon Appetit.

I decided to use my two beloved Pyrex baking dishes to distinguish between the name brands and the store brands. Orowheat and Jif will go in the green dish, while First Street will go in the red dish.

As I was setting up, my girls came down the stairs and saw I was cooking and volunteered to help. It was actually a good thing because they helped me keep track between the two (I admit I almost mixed them up but they caught me!). It was also fun explaining to them the difference in prices. I put it to them this way…if we like the less expensive one, we will switch and save money…to buy more stickers. They got it and were even more willing to help!

Basically, you just make peanut butter and condensed milk sandwiches and pour the French toast custard on top. The girls spread the peanut butter, each only using one brand or the other.

I spread condensed milk onto another piece of bread of the same brand, and cut the sandwich on a diagonal. Then I arranged the halves in their assigned dishes.

I could totally stop here and munch on it as is! This was the Orowheat:

And this was the First Street:

By the way, here are the two peanut butters side by side. I did not notice any difference (Jif on the left, First Street on the right):

My girls did notice there was a difference in texture between the two breads. The First Street bread was denser and spongier, while the Orowheat bread was softer. That’s actually how one of my girls caught me mixing up the bread! Top: First Street, Bottom: Orowheat.

I made one and a half recipes of the custard, because it looks like I doubled the amount of bread! I should have used a smaller dish…oh well. I poured the custard into a measuring cup and poured it that way to ensure both pans got an equal amount of custard.

Then I baked them together at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes, turned them and baked for another 4 minutes. At that point, the custard around the bread was starting to set, but the bread itself was not browning. So I put them under the broiler for a few minutes…

…and they browned very nicely. Can’t wait to try them!

Now for the taste test. My husband doesn’t know which brand is in which dish. He tried the French Toast in the red dish first.

Then he tried the one in the green dish.

His verdict? While the one in the green dish was slightly peanuttier, overall he thought they were about the same. I think there was actually more peanut butter used on the green dish. Sorry I should have monitored that! So unscientific of me.

I agreed they did taste the same, as did my girls. And we all liked the slight sweetness of the condensed milk mixed with the saltiness of the peanut butter. Yum. I can’t wait to serve this at our next brunch or lunch gathering. And I’m glad to now have the less expensive option of the First Street brands of bread and peanut butter to save money for our family. I’ll definitely consider other First Street products the next time I’m at Smart and Final.

To keep up with deals and other Smart and Final happenings, visit them on their Facebook and Twitter pages.

Technorati Tags: First Street,Smart & Final,Comparison,Quality

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias #CBias. All opinions are my own.

Craft Tutorial: Date Night Box

noreply@blogger.com (Steph @ The Silly Pearl) — Fri, 04 May 2012 08:20:00 +0000

You may have heard of the “Date Night Jar”…this is my spin: the Date Night Box.

My husband’s cousin is having her bridal shower this weekend. She and her fiance have a registry but it’s not your typical one at the department store where you request dishes and kitchen gadgets. This progressive couple has requested gifts to be applied towards items such as their honeymoon, a new piano, and one that was the inspiration behind this gift…date nights. It’s great that they already know the importance of spending time alone together.

The date night jar idea, such as that one by Life in the Green House that I saw on Pinterest, is totally cute, but a little rustic for Brigitte and Gary. It’s obvious from their invitations that they love a clean, modern aesthetic. I thought a box with their wedding colors, plus blocks where they could change their date night ideas as they wish, would be perfect for them. The Date Night Box would also make a great DIY Valentine’s Day Gift or Anniversary Gift.

Here’s how to make a Date Night Box!

Materials:

Wooden box (this one is from Michaels)
Rectangular blocks (mine are thrifted…I think they are Jenga pieces)
Frame (for the top of the box, or use additional rectangular blocks as I did…these are flatter than the Jenga pieces were also thrifted.
Craft paint
Mod Podge
Foam brushes
Chalk board paper
Chalk board pen (or regular chalk)
Fabric
Strong glue, such as Gorilla Glue
Not shown: tools for cutting fabric (rotary cutter, ruler/straight edge, self-healing mat)

Directions: We can divide the process into five steps:

Paint everything that needs to be painted
Mod Podge the fabric to the box
Mod Podge the chalkboard paper to the blocks and the top of the box.
Glue the frame onto the top of the box, and color key to the inside of the lid.
Write date night ideas on blocks, color key, and top of box

1) Paint everything that needs to be painted.

First, paint the blocks. This box can hold 22 blocks, which is a good number of date night ideas. I chose three colors (purple, green and gray) to paint them, with 9 purple blocks (to represent dates at home), 9 green (dates out) and 4 gray (weekend/overnight dates). You don’t have to paint the surfaces that will be covered with chalkboard paper, or glued down onto the box. Also paint the additional blocks for the color key on the inside of the box lid (one for each color), and paint the frame.

In addition, I painted the inside tops and sides. I will cover the bottom and the inside of the box lid with fabric later.

2) Mod Podge the fabric to the box

I chose two fabrics in my stash to cover the lid, sides, and inside surfaces of the box. First the top…I flipped the box upside down and traced the shape onto the fabric. Then I cut it out and Mod Podged it on.

I trimmed off the excess fabric by turning it over onto a self-healing cutting mat and ran my rotary cutter along the edges. Then I applied an additional coat of Mod podge on top to seal it.

Same with the inside of the lid, and the bottom of the box.

For the sides, I used a tape measure to measure all the way around…since the corners are rounded, I thought I could do one long strip.

My fabric wasn’t long enough (d’oh!)

So I cut two strips each for the top and for the bottom of the box. For the bottom half, I started in the back in the middle…

…which gave me a seam in the front (by the way, I removed the hardware and just Mod Podged the fabric over the holes).

For the top half, I started on the side so there would be no seam up front.

Then I used a pin to find the screw holes and just reattached the hardware over the fabric.

3) Mod Podge the chalkboard paper

I love this chalkboard paper! I am not a very precise painter, so any errors with dark chalkboard paint would definitely show. And, I don’t have to wait for the chalkboard paper to dry! So I cut the paper to the size of the blocks, and applied Mod Podge to the unpainted side.

For the top of the box, I also used Mod Podge to stick on the chalkboard paper…

…and centered it onto the box.

For the color key, I applied a piece of cardboard paper to each wood piece.

4) Glue the frame onto the top of the box, and color key to the inside of the lid.

I used a thin bead of Gorilla Glue to glue the frame on top of the chalkboard paint.

As well as on the color key pieces.

It has to be a thin bead because Gorilla Glue expands. And it may seem to take a while for it to stick, but once the bond forms, it really sticks!

5) Write the date night ideas, color key, and top of box.

You can actually start writing the date night ideas anytime, while you’re waiting for the paint to dry, for example. I got some ideas off their wedding website (they love camping for example, so I put that as one of their “weekend” dates). I also included typical things like “coffee date”, “movie”, “cook together”, etc.

I also left several blank, and will be including the chalkboard pen for them to fill in their own ideas. I then wrote in the color key, then I filled in the box, alternating the colors.

…and inside the frame. Yes, I totally dotted that ‘I’ with a heart.

I will be buying them some gift cards (as the “real gift” haha) to help them get started on their dates, from REI (camping), Starbucks (coffee date), Safeway (cooking at home), and movie tickets. I’ll probably adhere an envelope on the inside of the lid, above the color key, to store the gift cards. Will come back and add some pics of that later.

I hope the bride (and groom) enjoys this shower gift! And here’s to more date nights for all, even old marrieds like us.

I’m happy to be participating in this DIY wedding ideas blog hop hosted by Crafterminds! Please click the links below (if the links are not there yet, come back soon) for more ideas from many of your favorite bloggers!

Linking: The Frugal Girls :: Tip Junkie :: Rook No. 17 :: Oopsey Daisy :: The Trendy Treehouse ::Tidy Mom :: Creation Corner :: Whipperberry :: Sassy Sites::Tatertots and Jello :: Lolly Jane Boutique : :Homemaker on a Dime :: The Gunny Sack :: Mine for the Making :: Fine Craft Guild :: Mad in Crafts :: Finding My Way In Texas :: DIY On The Cheap

Crafted by YOU: Family Birthday Wreath by Cheerios and Lattes

noreply@blogger.com (Steph @ The Silly Pearl) — Tue, 01 May 2012 20:06:00 +0000

I was so excited to see Mackenzie @ Cheerios and Lattes’ version of my Party Blower Birthday Wreath.

While I made mine for only my girls’ birthday last year, she has other plans. Check out her post for her Family Birthday Wreath to see what she has in store. Thanks so much, Mackenzie!

Please let me know if you have made one of my crafts. Even if you don’t have a blog, a good, clear picture would be great! You have no idea how encouraging it is to me when someone has made something from my blog. Thank you!

Craft Tutorials: Three Bracelets Inspired By Three Designer Bags

noreply@blogger.com (Steph @ The Silly Pearl) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 07:00:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, I went window shopping at the new Neiman Marcus in my town. It had been a while since I was surrounded with such creative inspiration – not looking at pictures online, but actually looking at designer pieces in person. I was most in awe of the new collections of handbags displayed in the store. While I so very very sadly could not purchase any of the bags, their beauty followed me home in my head.

I did not want to knock off the bags themselves, but just capture the details I loved in a smaller form, and I thought bracelets would be perfect. I love cuff bracelets in particular because they stay close to my wrist, not flopping around while I play with my girls (or chase them around a store or cut up their food in a restaurant).

I had a wonderful time bringing my visions to life, and creating tutorials on how to make them. They were surprisingly easy and quick to make, even for me, the one who makes everything complicated.

Click on the following links for each tutorial:

Whip-Stitched Chain Cuff Bracelet

{Inspired by the edgy meets bohemian style of the Stella McCartney Falabella Bag}

Painted Wood and Leather Cuff,

{Inspired by the modern graphic design mixed with the traditional leather detail of the Fendi Patchwork Peekaboo Bag}

Lace and Patent Leather Bow Cuff,

{Inspired by the gorgeous lace and fun patent bow of the Valentino Nuage Straw and Lace Bag}

Hope you enjoy the tutorials as much as I enjoyed creating them!

Linking: The Frugal Girls :: Tip Junkie :: Rook No. 17 :: Oopsey Daisy :: The Trendy Treehouse ::Tidy Mom :: Creation Corner :: Whipperberry :: Sassy Sites:: Tatertots and Jello :: Lolly Jane Boutique : :Homemaker on a Dime :: The Gunny Sack :: Mine for the Making :: Fine Craft Guild :: Mad in Crafts :: Finding My Way In Texas

Thank you to Premiere Props for providing the wire jewelry display.

Valentino Nuage Inspired Cuff Bracelet

noreply@blogger.com (Steph @ The Silly Pearl) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 23:33:00 +0000

Here’s the last of three designer handbag-inspired bracelets this week! If you’d like to see the previous two, here’s a whip-stitched cuff inspired by Stella McCartney, and a painted wood cuff inspired by Fendi.

Today’s bracelet is a fabric cuff bracelet inspired by the Nuage Straw Lace Tote by Valentino. I saw this bag at Neiman Marcus and it stopped me in my tracks. It was inside a glass case so I couldn’t touch it, making it even more covetous! The body of the bag is made with peach-colored straw and covered with lace, accented with patent leather details. Instead of straw, I used peach cotton fabric, plus lace with a similar scalloped edge and a bow made from a thrifted make-up bag that I cut up!

Here’s how I made my Valentino-Inspired Lace and Patent Bow Fabric Cuff Bracelet!

Materials:

Peach cotton fabric
Lace (2.5 inches wide, not gathered)
Patent leather (actually PVC) fabric. I cut up a thrifted make-up case, but you can also purchase this at the fabric store.
Scissors
Snaps and snap tools: I used KAMsnaps (you’ll need 4 caps and 2 of each cap ends, plus an awl to poke a hole (not shown)).
Rotary cutter or fabric scissors, ruler/straight edge, and self-healing cutting mat.
Not shown: tape measure, fusible interfacing, sewing machine, coordinating thread (I used both black and peach), iron and ironing board, glue gun, basting glue, water-soluable pen, needle and thread.

Directions:

Determine the final dimensions of your bracelet, to determine the dimensions of the fabric to cut. Things you need to consider are your wrist size and the width of lace you are using. My lace was 2 1/4 inches wide, and I want the peach fabric to peek out over the lace about 3/4 inches (which is approximately 1/3 of the width of my lace…I think that is a good proportion). So my final width of the bracelet is 3 inches. Then I measured my wrist with a tape measure, so I get my exact wrist size. So don’t squeeze too hard, and don’t leave room either. My wrist is 6 inches, and I want my bracelet to overlap about 1 inch at the ends, then I don’t want it to be totally tight. So I added 3 inches to my wrist size, making the final length of my bracelet 9 inches.

So in summary, your final dimensions are determined as follows:

Bracelet width: the width of your lace plus 1/3. So for me: 2 1/4 inches (lace) + 3/4 inches (about 1/3 of the lace) =3 inches wide.
Bracelet length: your exact wrist measurement plus 3 inches. So for me: 6 inches (my wrist measurement) + 3 inches (for overlap and wiggle room) = 9 inches.
=> My FINAL bracelet dimensions = 6x9 inches

Now to determine the fabric dimensions (as well as the interfacing and lace), using the final dimensions.

Fabric length: add 1 inch to the final measurement for a 1/2 inch foldover at either side = 10 inches.

Fabric width: multiply your final width by 4, because the bracelet is made of 4 layers of fabric in the end for oomph = 12 inches.

Interfacing: 2x finished width by finished length.

Lace=final length + 2 inches

=> So my final cuts are:

Fabric: 10x12 inches
Interfacing: 6x9 inches
Lace: 11 inches

Ok sorry that took FOREVER to explain!!!

Now we’ll fold down the peach fabric into the final dimensions, ironing on the interfacing, and attaching the lace. First, fold our fabric down the middle and crease with an iron, to mark the middle line.

Open it back up, and fold in one side to the middle.

Then fold in the other side to meet it in the middle, and press.

Open it up again and fold the top and bottom (i.e. the long edges) 1/2 inch and iron.

Then take your interfacing piece and tuck it into one side, underneath the 1/2 inch folds. Iron it on, following the manufacturer’s directions.

Then fold the two sides back in again, keeping the 1/2 inch fold. Then finally, fold it down the middle, to give you a 3x9-inch piece of fabric.

Now center the lace over one side of the fabric. It will overlap 1 inch on either side, which you’ll tuck in between the folded fabric. You can use basting glue (like Aleene’s No Sew) to keep the lace in place.

The straight edge of the lace will be about 1/8 inches above the opening of the fabric. The scalloped edge will be 3/4 inches from the fold.

Then on the other side, fold in the edges at a diagonal if needed, so they don’t stick out.

Here’s what it looks like from the side, with the lace edges tucked in.

{NOTE: You can make the bracelet no-sew, by using a more permanent fabric glue (like Aleene’s You Can Wash It) to glue down the lace at the edges, and then gluing the fabric closed. Then skip down to making the patent bow and adding the snap clasps.}

Now to sew. First we’ll open up the fabric, sew the lace onto just half of the fabric, then we’ll fold it up again and sew it closed. So first thread your sewing machine with black at the top, and peach in the bobbin (which you will use throughout). Sew the lace along the bottom straight edge. I used a regular ol’ straight stitch, and switched to a transparent presser foot.

Then sew along the scalloped edge.

Here’s the stitching on the other side, which will be hidden inside the bracelet.

Now fold up the fabric, so the lace edges and the stitches you just sewed are now hidden on the inside. Top-stitch just the sides of the lace, through all the layers (remember you still have the black thread on the sewing machine).

Now to sew the bracelet closed. Switch the black thread for peach thread at the top. Starting at the bottom edge of the lace, sew along the 1/8 inch to the bottom corner, pivot around and sew along the bottom edge to close it. When you get to the other corner, pivot around and sew up the remaining 1/8 inch to the bottom edge of the lace.

Then starting from the top edge of the lace, sew up to the top corner, pivot around and stitch all the way across to the other corner, then pivot around and sew down to the top edge of the lace.

All done with sewing! Note: if you used glue instead of sewing, you’ll continue with the instructions here.

Time to make the bow. It’s just a fake bow made with two pieces of the patent leather/pvc.

I cut off one side of my make-up bag and trimmed it to a rectangle. The result was about 3x6 inches. I cut it in half lengthwise, so you have two pieces of 1.5x 6. Take one and fold it in lengthwise, meeting in the middle. Crease it with your fingernails, and add a bead of hot glue to keep it folded.

Now fold the short edges in to the middle and glue with hot glue. These will be the loops of the bow.

To make the “knot”, take the other piece and fold it in lengthwise again, as you did the first piece, but overlap the edges in the middle so that the resulting width is a little bit smaller than the first one we folded.

I trimmed it but you don’t have to at this point, to make it easier to work with. First, glue the 2nd piece perpendicular to the first piece, on the back.

Then, pinch the first piece, so that the fold goes towards the back, if that makes sense.

Then wrap the 2nd piece as tight as you can, keeping the fold you just pinched in the first piece. Glue the 2nd piece in place in the back and trim. Your resulting bow is 3/4 inches by 3 inches.

Now glue the bow onto the fabric. Center the bow on the peach part of the bracelet, overlapping it just slightly over the edge so that a little bit of the peach fabric peeks out, and you can still see the scalloped edge of the lace.

Add a bead of glue to the center of the bow. You don’t want to add it too far out to the sides of the bow because then your bracelet will not bend around your wrist. You can add more glue if there is still some room.

The final step is to add the snaps for the closure.

If you have peach or black snaps, then you can skip this step. I only have white, so I covered mine with scraps of the peach fabric. Basically you’re making a yoyo with a needle and thread…

…and before you pull it closed, you’ll insert the snap…

…then pull it closed and knot it. You might need to trim the edges down so the point of the snap is sticking out (don’t cut your stitches).

The two ends will overlap by an inch, so I drew a dot for each of the two snaps about 1/2 inch in and 1/2 inch down from the corners.

My KAMsnap kit came with an awl to poke a hole through the fabric.

Then I used the pliers to fasten the bottom piece.

For the snaps that will be on the inside, you don’t have to cover them. But they will go on the opposite side of the fabric snaps, if that makes sense.

All done with the snaps

And all done with the bracelet!

I know it seems like there are a lot of steps to make it, but it’s mainly the determining of the fabric dimensions that took me the most time. After that, it went fast.

The gang’s all here! I had so much fun making these bracelets, inspired by such beautiful bags. Hope you enjoyed the tutorials, and let me know if you make one yourself!

Fendi Peekaboo Patchwork Inspired Bracelet

noreply@blogger.com (Steph @ The Silly Pearl) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 18:25:00 +0000

This is the second of three bracelets I’ll be showing you week, inspired by three different designer bags. Here was the first bag and bracelet!

Today’s bag is the Fendi Peekaboo Tote, specifically this one in patchwork calfskin. I love the color combination and the clean graphic design, which I painted onto a little piece of wood. The bag also has leather detail up top, and I had the perfect leather bracelet to mimic that as well.

Here’s how I made my Fendi-inspired painted wood cuff!

Materials:

Leather bracelet – This was on clearance at Michaels. I liked the clean lines of this bracelet, which is slightly different than the ones I used for my previous designer-inspired whip-stitched bracelet.
Template for design (to make the design, I used a quilting ruler)
Rotary marker thingy (or use pencil/stylus and transfer paper)
Wood piece – Available at Michaels in the wood section (with all the other wood shapes)
Scissors
Craft paint – I used metallic gold paint and the rest are satin paints.
Painter’s tape
Dental floss (you’ll see why later!)
Pouncer brushes – I found these to cause the least bleeding underneath the painters tape.
Sand paper
Strong glue such as Gorilla Glue, but jewelry glue or E6000 might work.
Not shown: foam brush

Directions:

The wood piece is 2x3 inches but we only need to use half. This wood was so thin that I just had to use my (not favorite) scissors to cut it! Then sand the edges as well as the top and bottom surfaces. There was a price tag on one side so I removed that and it left a little bit of goo. So I sanded that off, but just make that the back.

Then paint the back with black paint and the foam brush.

Why are you painting the back first? So this doesn’t happen. Sob!!! I finally got the design the way I liked it, and I ruined it with my sloppiness! So…paint the back first.

Then I used a quilting ruler to help me make the design to mimic the bag. It had some marks at right angles that were separated about 1/4 inch so I just put a piece of paper over and traced it. It was the perfect size for my wood piece.

Then use the rotary marker thing to make marks on the wood piece. I actually don’t recommend this. The paint would seep into the holes and the lines weren’t very crisp. If I had dark-colored carbon paper or transfer paper, I would have used that instead. Or I would have just tried to draw the lines with a pencil and ruler.

When the back dries, start taping off the front to create the design. I started with the dark green first…

…followed by the gold…

…then yellow in the corner. Make sure to dab your brush a lot, as you don’t want excess paint to ooze underneath the painters tape.

Once those dried, I taped off the sections where the black paint will go. But first, I painted a grey color. Remember the purse is patchwork? I liked that you could see the lines of the black pieces that were sewn together. When I just painted the whole section black, I didn’t like it as much. So the grey paint will become some thin lines to create a similar effect…that’s where the dental floss will come in!

So after the grey paint dried, I laid down the dental floss along the dividing lines. I removed the painters tape on the right side so I could line up the floss with the green, gold and yellow stripes up top.

Then I put that piece of tape back down. The dental floss was easy to work with because it’s a little bit sticky, so it stayed in place well. But I also taped down the ends to my table top.

And I applied black paint over the floss.

Moment of truth…voila!

One more black stripe in the bottom corner, and after touching up the side edges with a little bit of black paint, we are all done with painting.

Now to attach the wood piece to the leather bracelet. I used a piece of painters tape to find the best position for it. I wanted the clasp to be visible to mimic the handbag, so I put the wood piece close to it, as opposed to centered in the middle.

I drew an outline of the tape piece to mark where I should apply my glue. Gorilla Glue is what I had on hand, otherwise I would use E6000. Gorilla Glue expands so I had to be careful not to apply too much, using the outline as a guide. It did expand a lot! I ended up having to wipe some of it off with a dry paper towel.

All done.

I like that the leather strap is similar to that of the bag. I love the colors and the design. If I didn’t use the wood piece, I would have loved to get my hands on some colored vinyl (maybe by cutting up some thrifted handbags or belts), or I would paint some fabric, and sew the pieces together.

Two down…

…one more to go! This time there will be a little bit of sewing involved!

Stella McCartney Falabella Inspired Cuff Bracelet

noreply@blogger.com (Steph @ The Silly Pearl) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 23:32:00 +0000

This week, I'm showing how I made three bracelets inspired by three designer handbags. I am so excited to share what I’ve made!

The first bracelet today was inspired by the whip-stitched and chain detail of the Stella McCartney Falabella bag. I love this bag, but I thought I’d just pay a subtle homage to it instead of making the bag itself, with this bracelet with similar detail along the edges.

Remember the Horseshoe Bracelet that I made for St. Patricks Day last month? I used a similar technique to make it, but with a thrifted horseshoe necklace.

Materials:

Two 1-inch wide leather bracelets. These were on clearance at Michaels (just $2…I bought a bunch!) but they also sell a pack of them. These are a similar style from Joann.
Martha Stewart Craft Punch, or something to make holes in the leather bracelet. You could use a kit made especially for it like this one, or you could use rivet pliers.
Cutting board for using Craft Punch
Suede cording. It comes in small packs like this, in colors or neutrals. You’ll need about 96 inches for this bracelet (I ended up buying a roll of fuchsia cording).
Curb chain – this one I bought from Michaels as well but it’s also available at Joann. Just make sure the hole is big enough, both for the look you want as well as to thread the suede cording through up to two times.
Scissors, pliers and washable ink pen.
Not shown: ruler, jewelry or craft glue (I used Aleene’s Jewel-It).

Directions

Lay out one bracelet next to the curb chain, stretched out and laid flat as well as you can. In my bracelets, there is a large hole at either end for the clasp, so I wanted my chain to go in between the two large holes. So I determined I would use 23 chain links. My particular chain links can be opened and closed like jump rings, but you can also use heavy wire cutters to cut them. Then use the chain links as well as a ruler to help you decide where to make the holes in the leather bracelet. Tape down the ruler and the chain.

The length of my chain was 6 inches, so I divided that by 23 chain links and I got .26 inches. So I couldn’t really make a hole exactly every 1/4 inch or whatever…I had to eyeball it and mark it on the ruler with my disappearing ink pen.

Then use the craft punch to make the holes. Actually make one hole and see if your suede cording can go through it relatively easily. The craft punch comes in 3 sizes. If it’s a struggle to thread the cording through, even with the help of pliers, then use a bigger size. I ended up using the middle size.

To punch each hole, I positioned it right up against the ruler (without punching a hole in the ruler, of course). Then I pushed straight down, wiggle it a little bit (since leather is a bit thicker than what the punch is meant to be used for i.e. paper and thin metals), and then release it.

Continue down that side of the bracelet. Then repeat on the other side, but instead, line up your punch with holes you punched on the first side. And repeat again on the second bracelet, again lining up the holes with the first bracelet’s holes.

Now to start whip-stitching the chain. For my bracelet, I guess-timated that I would need 1 inch per chain link, so about 2 feet per side (total 96 inches). Start by pulling the suede cording through the first hole, from back to front. Leave about 2 inches in the front. Then thread that 2 inch length through through the first chain link…

…and push the chain link to the bracelet, so that the side of the chain is sort of sitting on top of the edge of the bracelet.

Then bring the 2-inch length of cording to the back and tie a knot. Leave the length for now…you will pull it a little bit tighter when you’re all done with the stitching.

Now take the long end of the cording, and thread it through the 2nd hole, from back to front. Thread that through the next chain link, again pushing it snugly to the bracelet and overlapping on the sides.

Go around to the back and thread the cording through the 3rd hole from back to front, again repeating the process until you get to the end. Continue til the end.

Lift up the last stitch in the back a little bit so you can insert the end through it to tie a double knot. Leave the extra length there for now so you can re-pull it tight before you finish.

Now to attach the 2nd bracelet to the first by stitching the cording through the same chain. Cut another 23 inches or so of cording and repeat the process. Thread 2 inches of cording through the first hole…

Tie a knot in the back as before, leaving a length for re-pulling later.

Repeat the process as described above for this middle chain…

…and on either side of both bracelets.

When you’re all done with the stitching, gently re-pull the knots tighter, tying a double-knot if needed. Try not to make the knots too bulky and try to get them to stay towards the back of the bracelets. You may need to untie and tie again from a different direction (the stitching shouldn’t unravel). When you’re happy with your knots, dap a bit of jewelry glue to secure. The glue should dry clear. Trim the ends.

All done with the side stitching and the chain! Now to deal with these two holes in the middle that my bracelets happen to have. These leather bracelets were in a line of jewelry components at Michaels where there’s a ready made jewel that you can insert into the two holes. Instead of purchasing one of those jewels, I just added some more chain detail. Instead I used some black suede cording and 4 chain links.

I threaded on the chain links to about 6 inches of black suede cording, and pushed the links to the middle of the cording, making sure the links were laying flat.

Then I simply inserted the ends of the cording through both holes.

And finally, tied a knot in the back and secured with a dab of glue and trimmed the ends.

Now all we have left is the clasp. These bracelets came with jump rings and a lobster clasp, but they’re the wrong color. I thought I had some gold clasps but I don’t, so for now, just pretend they’re gold! But I did have some big gold jump rings so I replaced those.

If you don’t know how to open and close jump rings,I have a quick how-to within my Knit Fabric Necklace post (scroll down in that post to find the tutorial).

So to put on this bracelet, I just have to open and close two clasps.

All done!

Like the Stella McCartney Falabella bags, my bracelet is edgy but the whip-stitching also gives it a bohemian twist. And also like the Falabella line, there are so many different takes on it…you can do the same with this bracelet! And if you want to be true Stella McCartney, use non-animal materials (unlike me…oops).

Note: The pink bag up at the top of this post is no longer on the website.

I’ll be using one more of those clearance leather bracelets in my next tutorial, coming later this week! Here’s a little snippet of my next inspiration bag!

All inspiration bag images are from http://www.neimanmarcus.com/. I am not affiliated with Neiman Marcus or Stella McCartney (unfortunately).

3 Bags, 3 Bracelets

noreply@blogger.com (Steph @ The Silly Pearl) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 06:22:00 +0000

This week

I’ll be showing you

how these three

designer handbags

inspired me to create

three different bracelets.

First bracelet’s

inspiration

and tutorial

coming soon.

First bag and bracelet, here!

Where to Buy Handmade For Your Wedding

noreply@blogger.com (Steph @ The Silly Pearl) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:26:00 +0000

Dear DIY Brides,

I know, I know. You want to DIY EVERYTHING for your wedding. I have been where you are. If Pinterest existed 6.5 years ago, oh believe me, I would have had a wedding board filled with ideas I would want to make myself for my day; I’m sure would have had all of these DIY wedding ideas on my board!

But in case you can’t make everything, don’t be hard on yourself. You can still get that unique, totally YOU look you are going for, by buying handmade. I’ve rounded up these amazing shops to make your planning easier and your day even more special than you ever imagined.

Love, Steph, the old married broad who wishes she could have a zillion weddings because she had so many ideas she couldn’t use (to the same guy, of course).

Horseshoe and Hydrangea Ring Pillow from Sweet C’s Design

“Mr. and Mrs.” Wedding Cake Forks from Pendants by Steph

Ruffled Farmhouse Burlap Table Runner from The Shabby Creek Cottage

Irish Marriage Blessing Print With Wedding Date from Balancing Home

Pearl Cluster Rings for Bridesmaids from Always in Wonder

Mason Jar Wedding Favor Boxes from The Country Chic Cottage

Browse around their stores for even more ideas!

15 DIY Wedding Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Steph @ The Silly Pearl) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 11:00:00 +0000

{My DIY Bouquet}

DIY-ing elements of your wedding can help you save money, but also allow you to add your personality to your special day. I’ve gathered 15 DIY wedding ideas to get you started!

Vintage Book Wedding Ring Holder from papernstitch

Tiffany Blue Bridal Shower from Mural Maker and More

Place Card Holder from Sweet Rose Studio

Rose Petal Chandelier from The Country Chic Cottage

Painted Chalkboard Sign from The Graphics Fairy

Vintage Button Down Shirt Bouquet and Boutonniere Wraps from papernstitch

Inexpensive Wedding Ideas from Mad In Crafts

Something Blue Bridal Shower from Sweet Rose Studio

DIY Bride and Bridesmaid Bouquets from Mad In Crafts

Monogrammed Wedding Favor Stickers from Christine and Co.

Traditional Almond Wedding Favors from Christine and Co.

DIY Garter from Crafts by Amanda

Black and White Floral Centerpieces from Madiganmade

Dry Erase Table Signs from Tiles by Madiganmade

Burlap and Doily Luminaries from Crafts by Amanda

Wedding Card Box from Balancing Home

DIY-ing several elements for my wedding is what woke up my very dormant crafting bug. Then I went on to start my own bridal jewelry business…one of my most popular items was my bridal hairpins <----that’s a tutorial! So wedding season always evokes special memories for me in more ways than one.

Don’t DIY but love handmade? Or you’re going to DIY some of your wedding but need help for other elements? Stay tuned for more wedding ideas just for you.

Summer Outfits for My Girls from #MyHartstrings #cbias

noreply@blogger.com (Steph @ The Silly Pearl) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 22:29:00 +0000

People always ask if my twin girls (turning 5 next week!) have similar or different personalities. Because I am with them so much, I guess it’s hard for me to tell; it actually seems they swap personalities all the time! But one place they have expressed differences are clothing and color choices. Sophie is a die-hard pink fan, while Sarah says she loves all colors (but her favorites are red, blue and purple).

I had the opportunity to shop at Hartstrings.com for them. I was asked to pick a swimwear outfit for the summer. I had never shopped there before, but my first impression of the website was that it was more of an upscale children’s store. But as I browsed their selections, it was far from stuffy. Their clothing ranges from conservative to very fun. There is something for every kid and occasion.

I headed for the swimwear section…ruffles and polka-dots, oh my! I know my girls will love whatever I choose for them.

Sarah would love the twin cherries.

Source: hartstrings.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

Sophie would love the pink and polkadots. We prefer that my girls wear one-pieces and these were pretty much it. Thank goodness they were cute!

Source: hartstrings.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

I did consult the sizing chart for their swimsuits, as I had never bought from here before.

Next I went to the Bottoms section. I wanted to get some coordinating shorts to go with their swimsuits. There was a large selection of bottoms so it took me a while to browse through everything. I tried narrowing down by Collection, but I didn’t know which styles belonged to which collection. Also, there were clothes from different seasons as well as age (infants vs non-infants) so there was a lot to sift through. But it was okay to just browsed the old fashioned way, and eventually I found these two shorts.

Source: hartstrings.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

There are also shoes and accessories as well as a nice neutral cover up that would go with their swimsuits and shorts, shown in this Polyvore set I made. I love those metallic gladiator sandals especially. Do they come in my size?

Source: stephsf.polyvore.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

I also couldn’t resist creating some other outfits for my girls while I was in Polyvore. I wanted to see if I could predict what the girls would choose so I browsed first, and then asked them to select some outfits on their own.

Sophie’s picks…I knew she would pick the pink shirt with the black heart.

Source: stephsf.polyvore.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

Sarah’s picks. I knew she would love the blues.

Source: stephsf.polyvore.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

I also love these dresses for them:

Source: hartstrings.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

Finally my order arrived. Here’s a peek at our items. I am noticing that the cherry swimsuit is a bit longer than the flower one. I checked and they are both the same size. Hmm. The girls’ birthday is next week so we will try them on when they open their gifts…we have 30 days to return items so it should be no problem if there are any problems with fit.

The swimsuits and shorts are really nice quality. The appliques are so nicely done. I love the little stitching details on the cherries, especially that they are different on the swimsuit and the shorts! Also, I’m happy that the swimwear is lined on both the front and back.

I’m sure these will be favorites of theirs for at least two summers!

Keep up with Hartstrings.com on Facebook and Twitter.

Technorati Tags: Hartstrings,bottoms,swimwear,summer

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias

Easy No Bake Lemon Cream Cakes on Multiples in the Kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (Steph @ The Silly Pearl) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 05:58:00 +0000

My mom had given me the last few Meyer lemons from her lovely lemon tree. These Easy No-Bake Lemon Cream Cakes were a perfect way to use up those lemons, and were fun to make with my girls. These little cakes were also a great make-ahead treat for their Easter party at school. I found the recipe on The Kitchn.

See how we made them today for this month’s Multiples in the Kitchen post on the Multiples and More Blog Network. If you’re new to The Silly Pearl, I write this series once a month. It has been such a great thing for me. I would never have dared to get my girls cooking, being such a novice myself! To my very happy surprise, they love cooking even more than I thought they would.

Here’s what else the girls and I have made together in the last year’s Multiples in the Kitchen posts.

Spring Wheat Grass Wreath

noreply@blogger.com (Steph @ The Silly Pearl) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 22:30:00 +0000

I wanted a modern, and living, wreath for Spring.

Of course, my girls put in their two cents, requesting a flower and a heart.

And I chose the word “GROW”. I asked the girls if they knew what GROW means, and they said, it means you get tall, tall, TALL! Having a black thumb, I thought my wheat grass could use all the help it could get! Plus, Spring is a time of growth, not just for plants. Spring is renewal, and a chance to learn and improve ourselves.

And many supplies used in this wreath were found at the thrift store, so the total cost for this wreath was waaaay less than $10. Yay!

Here’s how I made my Spring Wheat Grass Wreath.

Materials:

Wheat grass seeds and soil
Small, lightweight containers (thrifted)
Wood pieces (also thrifted – needs to be long enough to reach both sides of the wreath form)
Gorilla Glue or other strong glue
Chalkboard paint (I also recommend primer, but didn’t use it).
Acrylic paint and paint brushes
Twine
Wreath form (thrifted - not shown, but pick one that is sturdy and flat)
Painter’s tape (not shown)

Directions:

You need to allow a few days to let your wheat grass grow. It will start to sprout in 3-4 days. Add soil to your containers and sprinkle the seeds on top, and water. For a great intro on growing wheat grass, check out the tutorial on Carissa’s Creative Space.

This was about 6 days of growth. I had meant to put four containers but there wasn’t enough room on the wood pieces so I stuck with three.

Speaking of the wood pieces, remember my Chinese Soup Spoon Wall Art? I am using the same wood for my wreath. But I reused these three pieces that I had glued together for that project, but the glue oozed out too much (and I later used it for practicing my lettering). Anyways, just make sure your wood piece(s) for the shelf stick out enough to hold your containers. For my wreath, I painted over it with acrylic paint so it doesn’t go to waste. I used gray paint accented with yellow, which you will see later.

Now to paint the containers. I really wish I had used primer on the glass first. When I wrote over it with chalk, it seemed to scrape off the paint a little. Next time. But anyways, wrap a piece of painters tape across the top, and paint the bottom. I wanted the roots to show a little bit through the grass.

While the paint dried on my shelf and containers, I wrapped the wreath form with twine.

When the paint on the shelf was dry, I glued it onto the wreath, about 3/4 of the way down.

And when the chalkboard paint dried overnight, I tried writing on it with chalk. As mentioned, there was some difficulty, but it looks ok. Rustic! Haha.

When the shelf was securely sticking to the wreath, I started gluing the containers to the shelf. I started with the large middle container, then glued the two small ones on the sides.

The wreath kind of teetered back and forth as I glued the containers, so I used some twine rolls to prop it up.

While the glue was setting, my girls pointed out there is a Mama grass and two baby grasses, but what about the Dada grass? They thought for a moment and decided “he was taking the picture.”

When everything was secure, I hung the wreath on my door, directly onto the wreath form. I did leave a length of twine for hanging, but hanging it on the hook made it not cover the peep hole.

All done. I hope they’ll start growing in the same direction as they stay in one spot.

But maybe I should be happy it keeps growing at all! It’s been cloudy and raining…hope my grass survives…cross your fingers everyone!

Linking: The Frugal Girls :: Petite Hermine :: Tip Junkie :: Rook No. 17 :: Oopsey Daisy :: The Trendy Treehouse ::Tidy Mom ::Creation Corner :: Whipperberry ::Sassy Sites:: Tatertots and Jello :: Lolly Jane Boutique::Flamingo Toes ::Homemaker on a Dime :: The Gunny Sack :: Love Affair With My Brother:: Craft Monkey:: Mine for the Making ::Fine Craft Guild :: Mad in Crafts :: Southern Hospitality

Repurposed Boxes to Trash and Recycling Center

noreply@blogger.com (Steph @ The Silly Pearl) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 03:33:00 +0000

Last year, I made a trash and recycling center for my craft corner. Here’s how I made it out of a diaper box, a cereal box and a less-than-perfect plastic garbage can.

I can’t remember the last time I bought a big box of diapers from Costco, but for some reason I hung on to the last one and I’ve been using it as a catch-all box under my sewing table. Alongside it I kept a big garbage can, where I’d throw out both non-recyclable and recyclable trash. Then when it overflowed, I’d have to pick through and pull out the recyclables. Even though don’t normally throw out anything icky in my craft trash can, digging through garbage is not how I want to spend time!

So I decided to conceal the trash and recycling in the diaper box, while keeping them separate. I used a big Cheerios box for the recycling bin and swapped the big trash can with a smaller one in our bathroom that somehow got chipped on the rim. Since it would be concealed in the diaper box, I didn’t mind using it here. I like how they’re contained together, but the two bins can be removed separately when needed.

I cut off the tops of the boxes, then covered the boxes with kraft paper (mine is from IKEA just because I was there, otherwise I would have gotten it at the dollar store).

I decorated the outside with some scrapbook paper. I cut 1-inch strips and cut them into parallelograms. I cut half facing one way and the other half facing the other way.

Joining them together, you make a chevron or zigzag pattern.

I glued them on all the way around, spacing each row about 1.5 inches apart.

Much better, and fits perfectly. Didn’t take too much time, and used things that I already had in my stash.

A year later, I’m still using it!

Pearl Cluster Ring by Always In Wonder

noreply@blogger.com (Steph @ The Silly Pearl) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 03:27:00 +0000

Jennifer @ Always In Wonder hosted a giveaway last month, and I won! The Pearl Cluster Ring that she made arrived in this sweet little package:

I love my new ring! It’s so well made and so pretty.

So excited to put it on!

I love that the band is adjustable…it is really comfortable to wear, and it’s one less thing to fuss over when buying online.

Speaking of which, you can buy a pearl cluster ring like this in dark grey, or in champagne or white, from the Always In Wonder Storenvy Shop. Be sure to visit her blog, Always in Wonder, as well for the best painting, diy, jewelry and craft ideas as well as awesome blogging tips!

Thanks so much Jennifer for my beautiful ring!