Now that's a label. :) I bought a subscription from silhouetteamerica so I figure if I'm paying I might as well be making use of it right? I dl the shape from their site and tweeked it to get my perfect label. Don't you love the font? Isn't it ...wait for it...sweet?! lol #nerdalert
Now to get more jars for the flour, and whatever else. I'm label crazy ya'll. & in case you're wondering, the spices already have labels, on the lids, so no vinyl for them. Darn I know.
You've probably seen this piggy bank before. Everyone sells it. Sure you can draw on it and make it cute, but I took it up a notch and added vinyl :) Now it looks like this.
If that's not a kawaii makeover I don't know what is lol. Its sooo darn cute now lol. You'll never see that plain boring pig in the same way again! I designed the eyes and placed it closer to the nose. Then I cut one of my doily patterns I bought from the silhouette site and used the negative space out outs to form the decorative head piece. If you look close enough you can see where the old eyes used to be.
I might add Miniboss's initials to it or something on the side later on.
Not to sound crazy, but I love this picture lol. I gotta post it everywhere so that when I'm having my frumpy mom days I will remember that hey, I look like crap now but with some makeup and good lighting, I look like THIS! lol. Yea, I had a veryyy long day yesterday as mom and wife, so I deserve some me time.
I made these chalk labels to organize Miniboss's small toys.
I went to Lowes and bought the small plastic containers that are supposed to be for organizing shoes, but it works well for holding all of her tiny toys. I love how it turned out, so much more organized! I need to go back and get some more containers, because I still have a large bucket of toys to sort through. Sigh* sooo many toys! BTW The top labels look a little weird but it's just the sun streaming through from the window behind the containers.
& I finally made a silhouette of Miniboss :)
Isn't it adorable?! I'm surprised I haven't done one sooner..ohh yeah, because I didn't have a Cameo back then lol. Want to know how to make one too? First I took a picture of her profile.
I took it and edited it in Photoshop. You can see I added a sweet curly ponytail, since Miniboss's hair was uhh..a hot mess lol. This part took a huge chunk of time to create her silhouette and to then slowly smooth it out and make it look nice. You basically use the pen tool in PS to create the outline shape of your childs head and it will automatically fill in the area you create and you copy and paste it into a new document.
Once I got the image I wanted, I saved it as a tiff. file and imported it onto my Silhouette Studio, and cut out the image. I didn't use transfer paper because chalk vinyl is so thick anyway, it peels off easily.
I knew I wanted to put her silhouette into this plate I got in a yard sale years ago.
I liked the decorative edge of the plate, but the blue flowers just felt like it was missing something. I'm glad I left the plate alone until I found the right project to use it!
Here it is all done. I made the image slightly bigger than the center so that the hair hangs off a little. It was just my preference to do so. You could always make yours slightly smaller. I wanted to hide most of the floral background, and I love the way this turned out.
Best part is that now I can leave tiny messages on her BRAIN!! lol. Miniboss likes to say there are bugs in her brain when she has an itch on her head. Kids say the darnest things :D
I found this doily pattern from from the silhouette online site. I added a 'D' in the middle with a font I already had on my computer and cut it out. It turned out even better than I expected!
The only advise I have is that for every cut your machine does, you will have to use your hook to take out all the tiny little vinyl pieces out. Tedious..but worth it!
The adorable silver ABC block is actually a coin bank I picked up at the base thrift store for almost next to nothing! They had a brown bag sale and I couldn't believe no one wanted this guy! I love the patina on it. I have a weird obsession with coin banks lol.
Here's the vase in another setting. Wouldn't it be a nice personalized gift for someone?! Or you could use it on your vanity and hold some makeup brushes..oh the possibilities are endless with this simple vinyl idea! You could get tons of cheapie vases at the dollar store or thrift stores and give them a whole new life :)
Isn't it cute?! It was super simple too. I just used the scalloped image that came with the machine in your library and traced just the outside. I then added Miniboss's name in a thick font and used the circle tool to make the hole at the top so I could string through some pink yarn left over from my cowl project. You make one image and the program that comes with your silhouette lets you multiply the image. I just laid them out so it would all fit onto a sheet of card stock.
I love that when we light the tree up at night the light glows behind the card stock and it stands out even more. I love them and Miniboss does too. It also doesn't hurt that it's completely toddler proof and I don't have to worry about her breaking them. Toddler + broken glass = not good!
It is made out of paper so please do not put them too close to any of the light bulbs on your tree! Safety first guys :)
I think it turned out adorable. Anything handmade just seems soo much more warmer, maybe because it's stitched with love?? hehe
Like her cowl? I made that! I've been in such a crochet kick lately now that it's colder. I'm actually working on a secret project right now...it's going to be amazing! Can't wait to finish it up and post photos.
Well I hope you guys enjoy the colder weather, and time with family and friends this holiday season :)
Anyway, I hope everyone had an amazing Thanksgiving. I know we did. My family drove from Colorado to spend the weekend with us. It was so fun and nice to see my parents and siblings. After they left it was so quiet and lonely here...yea I had Miniboss and we all know she's noisy, but it wasn't the same. No matter how many times you have to say goodbye, it never gets easier!
But hopefully next year when we move, we'll be slightly closer to them and hopefully we can see them more often. & also we'll be closer to the husbands family, so it'll be nice too.
Let's see what I have to catch you guys up on..Miniboss started dance classes :)
She's always been a tiny dancer, and now that she's old enough I figured it was time to get her into some sort of dance thing so she can start socializing with other kids. We had her in a Tumblebears class with was like for babies and the sing sings and work on tumbling. But I think she's outgrown it, and she just started the preschool combo class, which includes ballet, tap, and tumbling. She's not used to the new building her class is in and she's clingy but hopefully she'll adjust soon. She always has a hard time adjusting at first, and we're trying to help her with that.
I got to meet John & Sherry from Younghouselove.com, and got my book signed by them.
They are very sweet in person...they are just like I imagined them to be from their blog. My husband watched Miniboss and I stood in line and got my book signed. He could careless about books or blogs but he did me a solid that day lol. It was a one time thing and I'm super glad I went and got to be a #nerdybloggerfan that day :) Not often does a girl get to stand in line with a bunch of other girls who get what you're talking about! Nerdy crafting bloggers get me right?..Right?!
I just finally bought the Silhouette Cameo! I know talk about LATEEEEE. Crafting took a backseat for a while in my life while I was trying to stockpile goods for my familys visit and then I was crazy obsessed with the gym and getting back to my pre-baby size. But Now that I got all that done, I can finally get back to crafting!! My love of crafting and blogging. YESSS! It's been a while, and I'm glad to be back :)
My first Scentsy warmer! I fell in love with Whoot and got him just in time because he was the warmer of the month for August. Sooo glad I waited for a warmer I reallly wanted! Patience pays off! :)
Isn't he adorable? All snuggled up ready for bed hehehe.
You know it's an old photo because Miniboss hasn't been that small and cute in a long time #eviltoddler LOL.
Well I got rid of it. Sold it on craigslist for a whooping $5 :) I know, but I got it for free so really no biggie. I've been purging furniture I've collected lately to make room for stuff I really want, and I just didn't love that headboard. It wasn't tall enough and I outgrew the shabby chicness of it.
Well now we're headboard-less and it looks pretty bare so instead I found a temporary solution that will workout perfectly until we do move and I can hunt down that perfect headboard :)
I just blew up a huge picture of us through shutterfly..though I could have done an engineering print, but I wanted a high quality photo so you could always do the engineer prints to save some money!
I got the frame from IKEA for $29.99 while we were in Dallas one weekend, and hung it over the bed with a monkey hook. Have you guys tried monkey hooks?! It's soo simple and holds so much weight..You know since it'll be hanging over our heads at night I don't want it to come crashing down! I had used one in the living room for a huge frame above the bench for a year and it held up perfect so I knew I had to use a monkey hook for this one as well! No tools needed and it comes out very easily as well so I can take them with us when we move :)
I think it's a great photo and it's not too in your face and kind of off beat since it's a picture of us indirectly, and not a huge cheesy photo of our faces lol. I love how it turned out, and the idea of not having a headboard, but still having something finish off the area.
Now I gotta get rid of more furniture and belongings that are just baggage and not worth lugging to another home. :) I know for sure I need a small couch, some sitting chairs, a coffee table, a guest bed, night stands for our room, a new dresser/solution for the tv, extra dining chairs, patio furniture, and office chairs! Eppp...lots of stuff I gotta get and that means lots of clutter to toss!
Source list: Shams from West Elm, white comforter from Target, white frame from IKEA, small body pillow from Dillards.
I'm selling all my projects and things on craigslist and starting fresh! All new furniture, and all pieces that will really reflect me, and us, and everything I want :)
Hahah I say mostly "I" because well the husband doesn't really have a say. Happy wife, Happy life right guys?! :)
I'm soo excited and ready to look for houses, I want a small old home I can do renovations on. I have a huge obsession over tiny homes, and the idea of making a small house work for you in every sense. I know, I want out of an apt for a tiny house?! Whattt?! But with a house I could really personalize it and make it just the way I want, and make every inch useful and in that sense it will be more "roomy" without having to have a huge square footage. Anyway, it makes sense to me lol.
If we don't find a house we love, we will live on base housing and though that will be like renting again, at least I will have all the furniture pieces I really love!
Anyway wish us luck, cuz in 10 short months the Douangphilas are moving out of Texas!
I've had a few of our friends who have kids her age (Miniboss is 2 1/2) and are still in diapers and have asked me how I did it... so I'd like to share in case any other Mommas are having trouble potty training their toddlers.
It took me 3 days for the entire process. Before I started I asked a few moms what they did, and everyone kept telling me they will do it when they're ready don't force potty training on them. I understand you can't rush anything with kids, they have a tiny mind of their own and we all know toddlers are stubborn! But I couldn't take that as an answer..I guess I'm more stubborn lol. The first day of potty training I took her to the bathroom and sat her on her potty seat as soon as she woke up. I told her go potty and sat with her until she went. It took like 20 mins and her stuggling wanting to get off and eat and play. I just kept telling her no you need to potty first and would put her back on when she tried to jump off. Well she finally went and when she did I gave her a "reward" aka candy and was really enthusiastic telling her look you did it! you did it!! What a smart girl!! After that I put big girl undies on for her and just let her roam the living room. I shut all the doors in our apartment and kept her in one area so I could keep an eye on her. Every 20-30 mins I'd ask her if she needed to go potty and and placed her on the potty seat anyway. Sometimes she went and I'd reward her, and sometimes she didn't and would end up peeing where ever on the floor and even on her art notebook! I would tell her, "ewww icky look your all wet!" and then place her on her potty seat and tell her you need to pee here. Later in the day when she decided she had had enough of potty training and it wasn't for her, I gave her a new toy to get her to sit on the seat until she went. I got her the IXL Fisher price toy and it has lots of fun little apps for toddlers, and she was really interested in the new toy she sat still and eventually went. I would then take away the toy and only give it to her while she was on the potty. At first she would tell me "ohh I need to potty" but she just wanted to sit there and play with her new toy lol.
The second day I started the cycle all over again, except this time I let her wear a pull up. I would take her every 20-30 mins and she had a few accidents in her pullup and I would change her into a new one right away so she could feel dry and would be more conscience of when she had to go. She also went a few times while on the toliet and I just kept giving her candy and her IXL game. (Over night I just let her wear a pullup btw)
By the third day I left her in pull ups again but she had no accidents! She kept telling me "Mom I have to poop" and I'd grab her and run to the toilet. Of course she when she says it, it just means pee, but that's her way of telling me she has to go potty. She still says I have to poop lol..but whatever I'm just glad I don't have to change any diapers anymore! I have the inconvenience of running her to the toliet every 30 mins at first...she has a tiny bladder, or maybe she drank too much..but now that it's been a few weeks she only goes once an hour or so. Sometimes I let her wear big girl undies and sometimes shes in pullups like when we leave the house incase we cant get to a toliet in time, but she's been really good at letting me know.
So it only took 3 days to potty train Miniboss! Aftwer that I was feeling pretty confident in my big girl so I decided I wanted to get the last thing out of the way and get her to stop co sleeping with me in my bed. Once again the process took 3 days, and I barely got any sleep, either did she, but she is finally in her own bed!
The first night I placed her in her bed and laid on the floor next to her bed and told her to go to sleep and she kept crying and jumping off her bed trying to lay with me on the floor lol. Well eventually it was like 3 am and she was really tired and I told her to get on her bed and gave her her itouch which has pbs on it and she watched it till she knocked out. She woke up in the middle of the night twice and would run onto my bed but i just grabbed her and put her back into her toddler bed and lay next to her on the floor.
Second night was a little easier. She knew she wasn't going to lay on my bed with me, and we repeated the no sleep screaming and crying and fussing and I laid on the floor with her and when she knocked out I jumped back into my own bed.
By the third night I had my husband lay on the floor with her and I was in our bed, and Miniboss was in hers (all in the same room) and she laid there and slept with no problems! She woke up once (which she always does anyway) but she would see us in the rooom and go back to bed in her own toddler bed.
She still wakes up in the middle of the night once in a while to try and climb into my bed, but I put her back in her toddler bed and lay on the floor next to her till she knocks out. She's a stubborn kid, but getting her to be more independent has been soo great for her socially with other kids and when we go out. She wants to play with other kids now. Before she would always just be clingy and it would take her forever to get used to new people. I don't regret pushing her to be more on her own, which I know is hard since I'm a SAHM and she see's me all day.
Anyway that's our big kid story! Miniboss is sure growing up and I miss her as a baby, but I am really loving this toddler age!! She's so fun and sassy. :)
Sad sad news about Aurora. We were just there less than a month ago visiting my family, and it's heartbreaking to hear such tragic news. I used to go to that movie theater all the time during high school, and in fact the school that they took all the witnesses to was the one my little graduated from in June.
My trip to Vietnam really opened my eyes about the important things in life and not to take things for granted, but this tragic incident in my hometown makes me even more thankful for life, and that it's precious and can be taken at any moment.
The last few months have really changed me and made me a better, grateful person. I am sorry for everyone's loss, and everyone affected that dreadful day. I know Aurora is strong, and in time of crisis, Coloradoans know how to pull it together and support one another.
I am thankful my family is safe.
What about you guys? Ever go through some old stuff just to realize you have some pretty awesome things that just needed to be re-discovered?
I really wanted something different this year for our photos. Last year we did studio ones for Miniboss's 1st birthday, and since we didn't go this year for her birthday (we did the aquarium), I knew we had to make it up.
We called up our good friend Franciz and he managed to squeeze us in and took some amazing photos for us!
These are just a few of the ones I loved.
I love them!! They turned out more than perfect. I wanted them to be like a glimpse into our lives and I showed him a ton of different photos I loved and he gave me exactly what I wanted. He was sooo good with Miniboss too! Normally we always get mean mugging "Walmart" looks lol, but as you can see, she's super cheesy in these.
I can't wait to blow up a few of these for the living room!
Thank you for capturing these beautiful photos for us Franciz!
My little brothers Jason's Graduation from Gateway High School! The same high school I graduated from (class of 05'), and my older sister (class of 02') as well. I didn't think we were going to be able to make it in time to see him graduation but our leave got approved last second and we got some extra time off to make it :)
He graduated ranked #6 of his entire school. My parents moved around a bunch during his high school years, and I think he's been to a different high school every year, so it's such a huge accomplishment! Here's to the real world Jason! I love you!!
It was so much fun to hangout with my family and spend time with them. We see each other once a year for a big reunion, and it always feels like I've never left! I love my family. Congratulations again to my little bro! :)
