Bryte's Halloween Costume this Year: Carl from "Up!"

Bryte loves this movie. He loves balloons! I thought it was a great fit and very easy. The four pronged cane was the hardest part. But I took a trip to Home Depot and picked up some PVC piping and fittings. Spray paint. Liquid Nails. Then borrowed some Tennis balls from our friend Wil. Thanks again Wil! I thought it was a lot of fun to see him dressed up and playing with his cane. He knew just how to use it and hummed the theme song as he walked along. My sweet boy.

Meditation Jar For Kids

This was one I came across on Pinterest that caught my attention right away. From the searches I have done, it seems that there are many ways of making one of these jars and this is how I decided to do it. I liked the concept of giving something to Bryton to focus on during time outs or times when he was caught in a loop of some sort of thinking. I like to think of it as his thoughts being like tornadic and swirling glitter. I will be explaining to him that as he focuses on the glitter his thoughts will calm and settle just like the glitter does. As of now, I am just introducing the concept to him. Little by little he will understand better what it is for. Right now he just thinks that it is pretty. Let me know what you do as a sensory tool. Obviously, taking an energetic child outside to burn energy is ONE option but that is not always the solution. Do you use a stimulus brush? Do you use counting? Deep breathing? Keep the ideas coming and keep me informed on how your own Stimulus jars work out. I'll do the same. What you'll need: Ball Jar with a sealed lid. Glitter Glitter Glue Water That's it. Easy as can be. I chose Glitter in blues and purples. But do what you want! Just remember the multi colored glitters will be hard to see. It will just look like a glittery mess. I used Glow in the dark finish by Martha Stewart on my first attempt. Don't do this... Unless you want to be unable to see the Glitter. However, if you want a Glow in the Dark jar; this is the way to go! I had to scratch my first batch after that. Use Glitter Glue. Not Glitter Paint. The paint will cloud the water and you will not be able to see the Glitter. It also creates a thick foam on top that collects glitter. A total Waste! You can use Oil. You can use Water. Just don't use both. I went with Water because I wanted an easy clean up in case of a disaster! I could give you exact measurements here; but it really depends on your glitter. I can tell you that the light weight glitters will float to the top and collect there so use them sparingly. My last tip is that you should make sure that your ball jar top SEALS or use another one. Reason being is simple. Shake it and see;o) The glitter glue may clump up on the bottom of the jar. But over time, the water WILL delude the glue and the glitter consistency will become thicker with much shaking. Okay, so there you have it. Easy peasy. Bryton LOVES his.

Yarn Wrap Monogram Wreath

This one was a little more of a pain than I thought it would be but so worth it! I only had to use two small spools of yarn for $1.99 a piece. Instead of making felt flowers, I opted instead to purchase premade ones. It really took the headache out of it for me. White is kind of a brave choice for a door wreath so I have a feeling that I will end up moving it inside. Things to know before starting this project: Wrapping yarn sounds easy...until you end up with giants knots of yarn. It becomes hard to avoid. But if you clip smallers strands to wrap then it will make things easier on yourself. The mess is really hidden on the back of the wreath where the knots are tied. Over all, a very cute and attractive project that took up only a few hours in the evening while relaxing on the couch with the hubs. Please forgive the play doe on the table. In this house we do fun. Not perfect;o)

Home Made Owl Costume

I am absolutely thrilled with how this costume came out! It was my very first attempt with a sewing machine. My hubs had to show me how to thread a needle (He claims to have learned this in home ec. lol)! I went with Felt because it was inexpensive and I knew I may have a few failed attempts before a success. It turned out this was not the case! This was very simple and easy to execute. I purchased a simple brown hoodie at Target in Brytons size. I knew I would want to sew the eyes and beak on just like all of those cute little Etsy owl caps. I wanted to give it that crafty flair by using buttons as the pupils. The tummy is just circle cut outs layered as feathers. I staggered the colors in a lighter shade to give it a realistic look. I sewed the cape into the shoulder blade area all the way out to the arm so that Bryton wouldn't be bothered with it as he trick or treats. The colors I chose were purposeful to give him a Barn owl look but you can get creative here. You can make it look as realistic or as cartoonish as you wish.

The Owls ears are just simple pom poms made of strips of felt that I had cut out. I think the costume really came together when I added these. I used string wrapped tight around the center of the strips. I flaired them out in a pom and then sewed them down to the hoodie.

PB sells a Owl costume and the sticker price is shocking. Total, I paid around 15 for everything I used. This could probably be done with spending even less. Another idea is to use patterned fabric for the feathers. It is really up to you. I would absolutely love it if you shared my idea but please make sure to link back. Also if you do make the costume, I would love to see it! So please share your creations here with me!

DIY Crafts

Transform Old Mirrors into New Chalkboards

This was originally a Balinese styled & colored Mirror from Pier 1 that I eventually outgrew. It 

had oranges, blues, reds. yellows, etc. I had nearly sold it in a garage sale before I changed my mind. The detail work was just to great to say Goodbye to. So I taped off the wood and used Chalkboard spray paint on the mirror. When that was finished, I went in and painted the rest. We are doing a ton of white accent in the house; hence the choice. Also pictured is decor that I absolutely adore from Willow House. If you are interested in these pieces check the link below. Thanks for visiting!

http://caragroenendaal.willowhouse.com/

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DIY Craft's

DIY Silhouette's for the home

This tutorial is so simple that you'll wonder how you never thought of it before. 

When designing our picture shelves for the main wall in the house I wanted a ton of special pieces to 

make a home on the shelves. One of the things I had wanted to do was a Silhouette but I had no idea how to do it. So, here is what I figured out. You can use Photoshop or even a Paint program for this. 

Step 1- Take a profile shot of your subject. Make sure that it is an exact profile and that you are positioned just so that you are not too high or too low to miss any details of their profile. 

Step 2- Upload the picture into Photoshop. From here you can use the Quick Selection Tool to outline your subject. I do not suggest the lasso or the Magic wand for this. Once you have your image selected; Right click on the selection. You will then choose "Refine Edge". This will give you an opportunity to catch the small details like wisps of hair and eye lashes. Then as an option on the bottom you will see that you can turn the image black and white. For this tutorial you will make the empty space black and your subject white. Then print.

Step 3- Once your image is printed then select a durable and thick crafting paper to trace onto. You can either pencil outline your subject or cut around your stencil into the paper. I suggest using a exacto knife instead of scissors for a cleaner edge and you can get into more detailed work. 

Step 4- Completion & get creative with borders! For Bryton's silhouette I used another decorative scrap booking paper to frame it with. But you can use circular, square or decorative matting. Whatever your heart desires.... 

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial and if not I hope it at least inspires you. Thank you for reading and visiting! If you have any questions please post them below and I will do what I can to help you:o)

My very first post!

Hi all! Here we are.

My name is Cara and I love craft blogs! So this blog will be an ode to my favorites and I will give credit to what has inspired me. Pinterest has become a huge part of where I get fuel for my craft fire and I hope to be repinned there in the near future. So if you see something you like, by all means; share!

You'll learn plenty about me, my friends and family through this blog so I will refrain from bombarding you with too much info now.

I have been planning this blog for what feels like forever now. I have tons of pics and tutorials coming quickly that I have been saving up all year. From homemade halloween costumes and photography tips to recipes and refinished furniture projects. I hope you enjoy what you see and if you have any tips or ideas to share; please do!