Gift Bags and Favor Bags

I have come to the realization that paper is my creative medium. I like working with paper much more than I like working with thread or fabric or yarn or wood or clay or anything like that.

Here are some origami bags that I have folded and that I had/have the intention of selling. They are the perfect size for a gift card or any other small gift. I also make a smaller version that is perfect for a party favor. I use all kinds of themed papers for holidays and also for special events like a baby shower, wedding etc. I would love to hear what you think of these!

Below are some samples of colors/patterns. I can make bags to match any specific theme; as long as the paper can be found then I can make them. :)
The large bags are approximately 4.25 inches wide, 3.5 inches tall and 1.75 inches deep. The small bags are approximately 2 inches wide, 2 inches tall and 0.75 inches deep.  All of the bags can have ribbons, adornments or tissue paper added to them.  



Valentine's Day Treats

My daughter has been in preschool for a whole 5 months or so and I feel like there is always something "special" going on. A special craft, a special program, a special snack, a special lunch and so forth an so on. As a mom of a child with allergies these special events turn into a bit of a production for me since I do want to try to provide a very similar, allergy-friendly alternative for my daughter. To be honest, I would be quite ok if there were less "special" things and more of the "normal" things. 

Anyhow, to recap some of the events we have had in these 5 short months...there are of course all the birthdays with a special birthday snack. Then there was the hot-dog lunch, the Christmas party (which I still intend to post about later on), and father's night. All of these required a special meal or snack or treat. Oh and not to forget the firetruck craft and the gingerbread decorating. The firetruck was made from graham crackers, oreos and pink icing. Thankfully there are allergy-friendly alternatives to both grahams and oreos and beet juice makes icing pink, so after a get-your-kids-piled-in-the-car-and-run-into-the-specialty-grocery-store-with-all-three-in-tow-BEFORE-school-starts-in-the-morning scramble we did manage to make it happen on short notice. And as far as gingerbread goes, mamma can stay up and make dough the night before, sure thing! 

Conversation...is it still an art?

I just got one of those envelopes in the mail that contains a bunch of ads and coupons for restaurants, gutter and roofing companies, carpet cleaners and mechanics etc. I usually flip through the stack quickly because you never know when there might be one in there that is for a company I actually use or intend to contact.

As I was flipping through the stack today there were mostly the same old ads that I have no interest in but then one caught my eye. It had the words “Create a conversation starter” on the front. It was an ad for customized smart phone cases. My immediate thought was “This is the way to start a conversation with someone???!!! Maybe I am really old fashioned but how about putting the phone down and then you would be able to start a conversation with the person the old-fashioned way. Maybe you could start by making eye contact with the person?  Maybe paying them a compliment, or say something about your surroundings or circumstances; or comment on the weather for that matter?

Breaking up with clutter is hard to do...

Earlier today I was reading a new post on my friend Elizabeth's blog A New Version of Me (which by the way is an amazingly heartfelt blog worth reading) and she was talking about a clutter challenge she is doing. A clutter challenge! How perfect would that would be for me!! I have already admitted that clutter is a problem area of mine in my New Year's Challenge #1, so what better way to stay a bit accountable than to join in on this challenge?!

The original challenge is from a lady named SRB and she writes all about it on her blog VeggieSausages. 

The first step in the challenge is to Fess Up about our clutter....so here goes....

Birthday Creations - Birthday Sign

I usually make some kind of "Happy Birthday" sign for my kids each year for their special day. I generally cut out shapes, cut out the letters and assemble it like a banner. However, this year I decided to utilize the wrapped picture frames from my Christmas party to make my daughter's 3rd birthday sign. I simply took the ribbons off and added colorful letters that I drew by hand and cut out of various scrapbook paper. 

Christmas Creations - Hot Chocolate Party

Even though I know that Christmas is over with and it is a long time until next Christmas I am going to post a few creations I made for a cookies and hot chocolate party I threw last year. Pardon the quality of the pictures as I am still learning the picture taking skill.

Texas Sheet Cake

If you do a search for Texas Sheet Cake there are a lot of different recipes that come up. This one, from Southern Living’s Best Ever Cakes and Pies Magazine, is my favorite. It is moist and chocolaty and just the way a chocolate sheet cake should be.

Texas Sheet Cake with Fudge Frosting

Make the frosting before taking the cake out of the oven, and spread it on the warm cake.

Sheet Cake Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 (8oz) container sour cream