Saturday, August 28, 2010

Magnet Board and Princess Tiana Cake

I saw a magnet board tutorial online and decided that I HAD to try it. Not that I really needed a magnet board right by my refrigerator, but oh well!





The pictures aren't the best, but you get the idea. I made the first one for a co-worker for her birthday and since have gotten orders from other people at my work. Not my intention, but I might as well make a little money doing it! :) They are very easy to make and really didn't take that long.
Supplies:
  • sheet metal (I purchased a large sheet at Lowe's and cut it to the size I needed. Definitely wear gloves and get really really sharp scissors.)
  • Material of your choice
  • frame (I found a cheap frame at Walmart and spray painted it the color that I wanted.)

Directions:

  • Cut the metal to fit the frame. (Be careful! The metal is sharp when cut!)
  • Cover metal with fabric. Glue gun the sides of the fabric on the back of the metal to keep it in place.
  • Position in the frame and close the back. (If your frame doesn't have a back to it, just glue it into the frame)
  • Add any embellishments to the front, if wanted.

...And...there you go! It's really simple. Of course I had to make matching magnets, but I can post those later.






Last Saturday Maris's 4th birthday party. Of course, I didn't take any pictures, but it was a great turn out. We had her party at my house and, of course, the little princess got everything that she wanted. Including, her princess Tiana cake. A few weeks ago, she demanded a Hannah Montana cake that was pink. I was a little worried about making a Hannah Montana cake, but luckily she changed her mind. She wanted a Princess Tiana cake that was purple and blue. To mess around with her a little, I asked her if a purple Barney cake would be okay. She yelled, "NO!!! I...WANT...A...PRINCESS...TIANA...CAKE!" I learned my lesson: Never mess around with a serious 4 year old that knows exactly what she wants. I just told my sister that she better not change her mind because I had already purchased the Tiana cake topper online.



Nothing too fancy, but I was pleased with the results considering that I did this in less than one hour of decorating.



Friday, August 6, 2010

Long Time Coming...

Yes, it has been over 1 year since I last blogged. I kind of "checked out" of the blogging world for a short time...if you consider 1 year a short period of time. Sean banned me from looking at blogs so I tried not to go on too much. (Okay, so he didn't really ban me from looking at blogs, but he didn't like to see the crying and emotional break downs that came after it.) Every time I would look on blogs, I would find out about someone getting pregnant, having a baby, or blogging about their cute babies. Everything is centered around babies. One might ask, why would that make you cry? It only makes me cry if I am feeling sorry for myself, lacking sleep, or when it is that time of the month. That time of the month that a girl who has been trying to get pregnant for MANY years dreads. (When I say many, I don't mean one or two years, I mean over 3. It may not sound like a lot, but for someone impatient like me, it's been a while.) I have always been one to be in control of situations for my life, which is why this has been the hardest thing I have ever endured. So, if you were wondering why I stopped, that's why. And, no, I am not pregnant yet. I just decided that I need to face this trial that Sean and I are going through. Plus, I wanted to put a different spin to my blog. Instead of blogging about life's happenings, I am going to blog about crafts and fun hobbies that I am taking on. However, I will still be blogging about a few different life events, if anything cool happens.

I have been obsessed with crafting and making home decor. I think obsessed is a little of an understatement. Hobby Lobby, Michael's, and I have become besties. I like to say that I have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. No joke! I get something in my mind and I have to do it...SOON. I have made picture frames, plaques, letter blocks, etc. Plus, I have definitely improved on my cake decorating ability. The cakes in the last blog were very amateurish. Some girls and I have been getting together every 1-2 weeks to do a new craft. That's how obsessed I am!

Before getting into all of the crafts, here is what we have been up to the last year:


1. We got our Dewey boy. We got him to fill the void and it really only worked for a couple of months. He has literally destroyed the wood panel on our couches and stained our carpet. Potty training a dog is no fun. Here is a picture of him when we got him. He was so little. Now, he is almost triple the size. I don't want to take a current picture because he needs grooming, bad. I love that Dewey is so excited to see Sean and I. No matter what kind of day we have had, Dewey loves to see us and definitely adds happiness to our lives.

2. Grandma moved in. My grandma has been living with my uncle for some time. Their rental house ended up foreclosing and they moved into a house that was smaller...which meant that my grandma would have been sharing a bathroom with 4 children under the age of 17. She wasn't really down with that, and I'm not sure who would have been. Sean and I received the prompting that we needed to invite my grandma to move in with us. It is temporary until she sells a lot up north. I can honestly say that I know 100% that we were blessed with this house so that my grandma could live with us. Everything has been working out perfectly in our lives to align to getting this house. It also gives me comfort to know that we weren't supposed to have kids up to this point. If we did have a baby, we wouldn't have had as much room to invite grandma. It's crazy how Heavenly Father works everything. I know that Sean and I will have a baby, but it's on His timing, not mine.

3. We celebrated our 4th anniversary! We didn't do anything extravagant, but maybe next year for our 5th we will. It's crazy how fast time flies! I am so happy that I am married to my best friend!

4. I got the Cricut Create. Yes, that is a huge event in my life because that little machine does wonders. I love trying to find new things to do with it. I have yet to do vinyl, but one of these days, I will.


5. I made my first wedding cake. My cousin asked me if I would make her wedding cake. I was kind of freaking out because the most I have ever made was birthday cakes and easy stuff. The reception was last night and it turned out really well! Don't look too close. :) Next time, I will for sure do 4 tiers. I didn't know what to expect so I wanted to start small.



6. Sean started playing in a city in-door soccer league. While I haven't made it to every game, it's pretty fun to go and see the games.

7. I got a piano! I have been very deprived the last 4 years without a piano and would go to my in-laws and parents frequently just to play. I love having my own piano!



8. Sean turned 26! I feel like he is so old. He was only 21 (almost 22) when we got married. I think that turning 25 is a big milestone, but he is no longer in his mid-twenties. At least that's what I tell him. He thought he was turning 25 this year! I had to keep reminding him that he is older than he thinks.


That's basically been the events that took place in the last year! I do not plan to go M.I.A. this time, I just don't always have fun things to blog about. I will definitely be blogging about the crafts that I am getting done. Next post will feature the fabric magnet board and some Halloween decor that I am working on!