DIY :: enamel dots!

source

So in the scrapbooking realm, enamel dots are all the rage (at least for me!). The downside is that a pretty package with about 40-60 dots usually costs $4-5. Not highway robbery...but I love to put a nice little cluster on a card or scrapbook page, so as a result I tend to hoard them. Anyways, on instagram I noticed that some people were making their own with perler and pony beads. I decided to give it a try this weekend.

I bought this package of perler beads from Michael's for about $10. That's 11,000 dots for $10 plus the electricity to heat my oven. Yes, please. Of course, you can't get the variety in sizes...but that's okay.

before...during...after

They make me so happy. Now I just need to find maroon beads!

Here are a few tips from what I researched and experimented. This worked for my oven, but I'm sure everyone's is different.

• Put down parchment paper on a cookie sheet and lay them out. I like to arrange by color because it's prettier to look at. :)
• 280-285*F for 30ish minutes. I put a timer on and rotated the pan halfway through because they seemed to cook a little unevenly.
• At first I tried dark colors and light colors separately because I heard they took different amounts of time...but I did not find that to be the case. Black, white, grey, and clear beads all seemed to take longer than the rest of the colors though. On the last batch I did a variety and just kept those four colors in the back the whole time.
• When the dimple disappears from all of them, take them out and let cool to the touch. Mine didn't stick to the paper, so I was able to funnel them into a container easily.
• In my experience there was no smell at all, but I didn't try any pony beads (I read differing reports on smell between the types of beads).

Get crafty :: card rampage!

Last weekend my craft buddy and I got together for some dedicated hobby time. Skinnygirl margaritas were helping us be creative...always a favorite.

Anyways, I have been in "card making mode" lately because I have had so many occasions to give them! Thank you, housewarming, just because...they are all my favorite. I tend to write notes to my students, so I've been stockpiling small, simple cards in my desk to use as needed.

(Sidenote: my favorite card making necessity for this endeavor will always be these sets of cards from Target. They are flat, but perfect for a quick little note.)

So this weekend I decided to use up some old tags I've had lying around and make some cards. I ended up with 16 simple but sweet cards. I'm a fan.

Currently... [Christmas break edition]

Drinking Starbucks Christmas blend coffee...pretty delish. Also loving ginger ale lately.

Listening to my wood wick candle. So peaceful and relaxing!

Watching plenty of TV shows on netflix...Once Upon a Time and Scandal have been my preferences over this break.

Cleaning and organizing. Trying to get life in order to gear up for another semester.

Thinking about how my word for 2014 will fit in. The word is MOVE as I have gotten lazy lately.

Working on my first quilt! I have the top pieced together and need to find some more fabric for the back before I can proceed. My mother-in-law is helping me...I am calling her the quilt whisperer because she is teaching me some awesome tricks not in my quilt book.

Wanting a little more time to get some errands done. I wouldn't mind another week of vacation! :o)

Counting down the days until football season is over...and my Project life book is delivered...and a few books to be released on my to read list in 2014...

Get crafty :: happy bear

I survived/thrived on another first day of school yesterday. Favorite part? Hands down, when a few eighth graders came back at the end of the day to visit me. 

I made this awhile ago, took pictures, and then was too lazy to upload the pictures. I just love looking at his happy face! He loves a good car ride.

Get crafty :: Cards!

Last weekend I sat down with my crafty partner-in-crime, Ashli, but I couldn't scrapbook because I desperately need to print pictures. Anyways, I made some cards for the first time in a long time and it was quite fun! Here's a peek at what I made...

I think I made one or two more, but I didn't photograph them. It's been awhile since I've made a card, and I was kind of obsessed by the end. I used to even have an Excel workbook that helped me calculate the size of paper I needed to create my own envelopes. Unfortunately my laptop has since crashed. Here's to hopefully a craft-filled school year! Hizzah!

Get crafty :: hooray card

I've needed to print pictures all summer, so I've been making a few cards instead. This one was for a friend's bridal shower. Hooray, indeed! My apologies for the cell phone pictures; I need to charge my big camera's battery!

A little bling is always a good idea.

A little craftiness...

What a whirlwind the past few days have been! I've been busy reading the 7th grade summer reading novels (Tangerine, Esperanza Rising, and The Last Book in the Universe--all really great reads), getting my classroom ready, and trying to soak up the last bit of summer. I haven't taken my camera up to school yet, but I will share that my theme is super cute owls and my colors are aqua and a little purple. :o)

I've had to buy some items for my classroom, but I've tried to be as thrifty as possible and craft a bit too. It's been fun, and hopefully my kids will notice (and maybe even like?) that I put my own little touches here and there.

Months for my calendar! I got my trusty Cricut and scrapbook papers I've been stockpiling and got to town. I even had a free coupon for 5' of laminating at a teacher supply store, so I saved my school a little green as well.

I was planning on adding on some buttons, but now I'm kind of liking how it looks as is. Something to ponder.

These were formerly Crystal Light containers, but I am reusing them to pull popsicle sticks with my students' names on them during discussions and readings. It's funny how I hated it when a professor did that in college...and now I'm doing it.


Menu Planning Monday
monday :: baked potato night + leftover steak
tuesday :: chicken pierre
wednesday :: tostadas
thursday :: red beans and rice
friday :: slow cooker brisket

In other news, I am totally enthralled with Bachelor Pad. So much deception and craziness!

Adventures in Quilting

One fabric down, nine more to go. ;o) I ordered the print fabric for my quilt last week and spent the last few days just looking at the cuteness. I finally got brave and just dove in: prewashing (interesting experience), drying, ironing, and cutting. I told Tyson that the theme of this quilt is "Rid Hailey of her OCD-ness and Embrace Imperfections," or Embrace Imperfection for short. Seriously. I spent so much time folding and refolding the fabric so that the dots would line up straight, and then realized that it doesn't really matter. It can be a little...non-straight. :o)

I still need to find some cream fabric locally (I'm thinking Hobby Lobby with a coupon), and also fabric for the binding (maybe chocolate? unclear at this point). I am extremely fortunate to have a sewing enthusiast for a mother-in-law, as she was able to let me borrow tools and a sewing machine to work on when I'm at home. I plan to do a bit at the ranch under her supervision though. I keep second guessing myself, and it would be nice to have someone who knows what she's doing to point me in the right direction.

Random tip: When ironing fabric, starch one side and then flip over to iron. Then starch the side you just ironed and flip again to iron the first side. It worked perfectly for me (and I am definitely not very skilled with an iron)! Thank you very much Mother-in-Law!

On an unrelated note, I showed Tyson Angry Birds on my phone and now he is addicted. I am seriously regretting that introduction. I was never really hooked (more of a Doodlejump fiend myself), but he most definitely is.

An assortment of thoughts.

There are a couple of things that I just really enjoy. White wine. Liquid gel ink pens. Owls. Cutesy pads of paper. And perhaps most of all, Top Chef. I have noticed though, that I enjoy the upcoming scenes from yet-to-be-aired episodes quite possibly the most. As such, I loved catching a peek at these stills from Bravo's website. My favorite is probably the 5th one, as you can see Tom wearing flip flops. So endearing!

In other news, Ali Edwards' Tuesday Tutorial caught my eye today. I was actually thinking last night that I wanted a few more magnets on my fridge, and I have several rolls of the magnet strips from making a post-it notepad for the fridge that can be used! Hizzah!

My puppy is the cutest.
And by puppy, I mean almost 90 pound monster.