Thirty Handmade Days

Posted on August 30, 2011 by Mique

Hi there 30 Days Readers!!

Can I just say how thrilled I am to be here?? I’m Jen from Tatertots and Jello – a DIY craft and decorating blog.

I just adore Mique and I think she is the best!!

I have been on a bit of a stenciling kick this summer.

I stenciled a few rugs, and then I tackled my kitchen window with some Faux Roman Shades. And also made some painted pillows.

I thought it might be fun to make some pillows for my Kitchen Banquette with Royal Design Studio stencils and some white napkins I found at Target.

Super easy!!

Stenciled Napkin Pillows

The first thing I did was I mixed up some paint and Martha Stewart’s paint medium. This makes the paint softer and washable.
Then I laid the napkin on my work surface and taped the stencil over the top with some painter’s tape.
I used this really cool roller top that fits on top a container and it makes stenciling a breeze. It’s also from Martha Stewart’s new decorative paint line.
Once it was painted, I laid the napkins out to dry.
Then I sewed another napkin to the stenciled side and added a zipper.

So now I have some fun pillows that go with my new kitchen décor AND they were super easy to make!!

Plus, if you don’t have stencils, you can make designs with painter’s tape! I think geometric designs would be awesome. I ‘m going to try doing that next!!!

Thanks for letting me stop by

xoxo

Ending Funner in the Summer with Jen is perfect. She is everything she portrays herself online to be and more. Yes, she really is *that sweet.* Always helping someone. And soooo creative and talented. I just wonder how balances everything so well and with a smile on her face!! Thanks Jen – you are the best!!

Posted on August 23, 2011 by Mique

Happy Tuesday all you wonderful 30 Handmade Days readers. I’m pleased as punch that Mique invited me over for a little guest post.

When I signed up … way back before summer really started … I picked the end of the schedule as I knew I’d be soaking up the short summer break my little guy {who is on a year round schedule} has from school.

Guess what? He went back to school yesterday! Boo!!

So while this post might be perfect timing for back to school, we all know that snacking is a YEAR ROUND affair … especially in the summer! I love to make homemade snacks for my little guy. I just feel like knowing what goes into the snack makes it 100x better than a store bought version. I don’t go sugar {or even chocolate} free, but I *try* to balance it out with healthy ingredients and just trust my gut {literally} that homemade is better.

Two of my favorite snacks to make~

Homemade Granola Bars {pretty healthy}::
After trying several recipes, my latest was a huge success. It passes the picky eater seal of approval, the husband seal of approval, sister seal of approval and fellow mommy seal of approval. I used this recipe with a few small modifications ~ Homemade Whole Grain & Nut Energy Bars (which is really close to my second favorite, Thick, Chewy Granola Bars). I noted my changes in parentheses.
Ingredients:

2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup raw nuts (1/2C pecans & 1/2C unsalted cashews)
1/2 cup raw seeds (unsalted/un-roasted sunflower seeds)
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup ground flaxseed (1/2C wheat germ)
1/3 cup natural peanut butter (almond butter/a tiny bit of Jif when I ran out of almond ;D)
2/3 cup honey
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter (more like 4T since I had half a stick in the fridge)
2 tsp. Vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
pinch of course salt
1 cup dark chocolate ships or chunks

Continue reading →

Posted on August 16, 2011 by Mique

Hi 30 Days Peeps! I’m Kami and and blog at NoBiggie. I’m happy to be here for Mique’s Funner in the Summer series. Last week Mique shared this print: 33 Ways to Stay Creative. It’s such a challenge to stay creative. It definitely comes and goes. I love to celebrate holidays and seasons. One of the ways that I love to stay inspired is through these simple clipboards that I keep up as inspiration and decor.

I’m a big fan of Martha Stewart Living magazine. I am constantly inspired by the content in these pages every month. I love to tear out great ideas, recipes, crafts and just beautiful images including the cover. Rather than just filing them away, I love to clip them in these clipboards and use them for inspiration and decor for each season. I love the 4th of July, so for most of the summer, this is what is up and out on display. But once July is over, I love to focus on just the simple beauty of summer.
August is such a great time for fresh fruit and veggies. We love to go to the Farm’s Markets, so it’s fun to have these beautiful images out as a reminder to enjoy it all during this great season. It also helps keep me in a creative mindset to have inspiration out where I can see it.
As much as I love fall and the fun holidays ahead, I sure do love to hang onto summer. Thanks Mique for having me today! I’d love to have you all stop by NoBiggie and pick up your free Happy Birthday printable card.

Thanks so much for sharing your inspiration with us Kami. I’ve had the chance to hang out with Kami at a few conferences in the past year and she is so much fun. Not only cute and creative, but that girl has moves. I love going to No Biggie to see her ideas on paper crafts, fun kid stuff, yummy recipes, quick tips, photography, parties and more. If you haven’t visited, head on over to No Biggie and say hi!