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Michaels Giftcard Giveaway!

posted in crafts, giveaway by Sara on
Today we’ve partnered with 11 other bloggers to bring you another amazing giveaway; a
 $140 Michaels Giftcard!

Just think of all the things we could do with $140 at Michaels!

To enter this giveaway for a chance to win this craftastic prize, scroll through the rafflecopper below and follow all of these talented ladies in as many way as you possibly can!

Please be sure to visits some of these awesome bloggers below as they provide a plethora of knowledge and inspiration.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Picnic Themed Birthday Party

posted in crafts, diy, family, food, holidays, inspiration, kids, party by Hanna on
It is officially spring (as of March 20th) which for me marks the beginning of shorts, sandals, vacations, and birthday celebrations. Ironically enough, my daughter and both of Hanna’s girls all have birthdays in April about one week apart. 
Picnic Themed Party | by Stripes and Polka Dots
Last year, instead of throwing two separate parties (little Livy was not yet born) Hanna and I decided to combined our girl’s birthday parties. Growing up, we never really had big elaborate birthday parties where we invited all our friends. Instead, my mom would make whatever we wanted for dinner and dessert and we’d celebrate our birthday with our family. However, this is not to say that we don’t enjoy throwing a good party. In fact, since Hanna and I have started our own families, throwing fun little parties together have become one of our favorite hobbies.

Picnic Themed Party | by Stripes and Polka Dots

We wanted to keep things simple, yet provide a fun environment for our family and friends while creating a sweet memory for our little girls. We finally decided on a casual picnic themed birthday party at the park. Minus the unexpected chilly weather, we managed to pull off a fun party for all ages on a small budget of just $100. 

Picnic Themed Party | by Stripes and Polka Dots

Since the food took up the majority of our budget, we looked for inexpensive packaging ideas and decorations. Instead of purchasing “to-go” boxes, which can end up costing a lot of money, we bought simple brown paper sacks and then printed a cute little banner on them. All the sandwiches  were wrapped in wax paper and this cute pink checkered tissue paper that we found at Walmart for $3. The fruit cups were packaged in cheap plastic cups and then topped with saran wrap and baker’s twine. Finally, all the different sack lunch items got a colorful label that we made with scrapbook paper. 

Picnic Themed Party | by Stripes and Polka Dots

Picnic Themed Party | by Stripes and Polka Dots

Picnic Themed Party | by Stripes and Polka Dots

For the decorations, we used some balloons I had leftover from my baby shower a year earlier and then we made some matching ruffled streamers. Here is a great tutorial from “Dana Made It” on how to make ruffled streamers– so cute! All the baskets and flowers were things that we had at home. 

Picnic Themed Party | by Stripes and Polka Dots

Great parties do not have to mean spending a lot of money. Try and look for areas where you can cut back or make simpler. Find things around your house, friends or family’s homes, or at second hand stores that can be reused for party decorations.  And last but not least, have a good time. What truly makes a good party is the people that you celebrate it with. 

Picnic Themed Party | by Stripes and Polka Dots
Honestly, this party seemed like it was just the other day. I can’t believe it has been almost a year later and that I’m already planning out birthday #2 for my daughter. Sadly, this year will not be a combined party since Hanna and I live much farther apart; however, we did manage to come up with the same birthday party theme for our girls. I guess great minds really do think alike… or maybe it’s our crazy twin connection. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed this picnic party flashback! And for all you “go-doers” out there, I’ve also gathered up some more fabulous picnic party ideas and inspiration shown below:
Picnic Themed Party | by Stripes and Polka Dots

Popsicle Picnic Party | Little Lovely
Boxed Lunch Picnic Party | All Things Heart and Home
Fabric Tent | Inspiration via Pinterest

The Pinterest Challenge: 6 Pins in 6 Weeks

posted in crafts, diy, inspiration, money saving tips, recipe, sewing, women's fashion by Hanna on
We love Pinterest. It is by far the best place to get inspired, no matter what your point of interest is. The hours seem to fly by scrolling through the endless supply of pictures that we fill up our inspiration boards with. But, for all the time we spend pinning various projects and recipes, how much of those pinned items do we actually complete? My answer… probably less than 10% of them.  In realizing this outrageous statistic, Hanna and I thought we’d bring back an idea that circulated through the blogosphere a couple of years ago; it’s called the Pinterest Challenge. Basically, you choose 6 pins to complete in 6  weeks. Pretty straight forward right? We’ve rounded up 9 awesome bloggers to join in on the challenge with us and invite everyone (not just bloggers) to join in too! 
Here is what we both have planned to complete over the next 6 weeks:

As I mentioned before, we have some great bloggers who are also taking on the challenge. They are:
Corey @ Tiny Sidekick
Megin @ VMG 206
The Sisters @ Sisters What!

Keep tabs on our progress over the next 6 weeks and get inspired by following our “Pinterest Challenge” board on Pinterest! There will be many awesome crafts, recipes, projects, and inspired ideas completed over the course of the challenge, so don’t miss out! Join in on all the fun by participating in the Pinterest Challenge with us! Send us a picture of your completed pins to share with everyone! 

The Wednesday High-Low Dress for Girls

posted in diy, kids, sewing, tutorial by Hanna on
I wouldn’t consider myself anywhere close to as good a sewer as Sara, but every now and again I like to try my hand at it. It’s usually something that involves a lot of straight lines or is something for one of my girls. I find kids clothes much easier to make since you don’t have worry about perfect fit and the curves that we adult, women have.
It has been awhile since I’ve sewed anything for my daughter, but I’ve been itching to make her a casual, comfy dress with some fun design element to it and to use up all the material I keep buying but never use! Is anyone else guilty of this? And so the Wednesday High-Low dress was created!
For those of you who don’t have a serger or haven’t sewed much this is the perfect dress to make for your wee one. Plus I’m thinking it would even translate well into a dress for yourself. Dare I give that a try?

My daughter was SO excited to get to wear this. While I was sewing it she kept asking to try on her “princess” dress. Everything is princess with this girl!
Now let’s get to the nitty gritty…oh wait, there’ll be none of that as it’s pretty straight forward.
Supply list:
– knit fabric (I used around 1 yard of fabric for my dress to fit a 3 year old.)
– matching thread
– measuring tape/rule
– fabric scissors
– sewing machine
– a dress or shirt that fits your child
– cutting mat (optional)
Fold your knit fabric in half, right sides together. This way anything you cut out you’ll be getting double. Now take a dress or shirt that fits your child and use that to make your measurements for cutting the 2 different sized rectangles shown below.
Rectangle 1 will be the top piece of the dress. To figure out how wide I needed rectangle 1 I took a short sleeved dress that fits my daughter and measured from the end of one sleeve to the other.
Once you have your two sized rectangles cut out at the right measurements you’re ready for the next steps.
Before you gather the bottom rectangle fold it with the side seams together in the middle and cut the high-low part of the dress as shown below.
Now gather the top of rectangle 2 to match the width of rectangle 1 using the gathered stitch you sewed earlier. Pin and sew rectangle 1 to rectangle 2 and finally hem the sleeves, neckline and bottom of the dress by folding under once and sewing with a stretch stitch.
Wallah! You’re finished and now you’re little princess has a cute, new dress to wear.

Linked To:
http://persialou.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-makers-no-9.html

We Did It! Wednesday


http://theblissfulbee.com/work-it-wednesday-no-39/
http://thewinthropchronicles.blogspot.com/2014/03/share-it-link-party-106.html
http://staceyembracingchange.com/2014/03/20/creative-inspirations-linky-party-76/
http://www.lambertslately.com/2014/03/create-it-thursday-46-plus-features.html#more
http://sparklesandastove.com/things-pretty-linky-party-52-features/

DIY: Framed Pegboard Jewelry Holder

posted in crafts, diy, home, tutorial by Sara on
DIY Pegboard Jewelry Holder | by Stripes and Polka Dots
I hope everyone has been experiencing the beautiful spring weather that we’ve been getting! I think we went for a walk or to the park almost everyday last week. I could just live outside! The sun is shining, flowers are blooming, and the world seems to be coming alive again. Living in Oregon you never really know how long the sunny days will last so I try and soak up every minute of it! In light of the beautiful weather, over the weekend I even whipped up this cute little springtime skirt for my daughter (an easy sewing tutorial included). 
Today, I wanted to share this easy pegboard jewelry holder that can be made for under $10. For under $10 it is a fun way to organize and display your jewelry, or whatever you decided to use it for. I have a larger one of these in my sewing room that holds all my thread, sewing accessories and crafts– they’re wonderful! Here is what you’ll need:

Supplies:

–   pegboard (I found mine in the scrap bid at Home Depot)
–   floor board casing or trim (THIS is what I used)
–   liquid nails
–   wood glue
–   paint (optional)
DIY Pegboard Jewelry Holder | by Stripes and Polka Dots

After you have all your supplies, the first thing you’re going to want to do is cut your pegboard down to the size you want. I cut mine to be 24″ x 20″. If you wish to add a fun pattern or paint your pegboard a bold color, do this next. Hanna and I, along with our sister-in-law, actually made up a bunch of these cute pegboards to sell at a craft fair last summer and they were a big hit! Click HERE to see more of the pegboards and for different ideas on what to use them for.

DIY Pegboard Jewelry Holder | by Stripes and Polka Dots

Once you have finished painting your pegboard, set it aside to dry while you construct the frame. To measure out the size of the frame, first measure in about 1/2 inch on your pegboard and mark it with a pencil on all four sides. Then measure the distances between each mark (they should equal the length and width of your pegboard minus 1 inch). Now measure out one of those distances on your trim and with an angle ruler, draw a 45 degree angle on each side extending out. Repeat this step for each side of the pegboard, then carefully cut your trim along each 45 degree angle. You should now have the four sides to your frame. With the wood glue, glue the frame together and allow the glue to set overnight. After the glue is dried completely, you can now attach the frame to your pegboard. Do this by spreading the liquid nails around the outside edges of the pegboard then place your frame on top to align with the 1/2 inch markings. Press down firmly on the frame for about 30 seconds then set the whole project aside on a flat surface to allow the glue to finish drying.

My grandma had a huge box full of pegboard hooks, which is where I got mine. But, the cheapest place I’ve seen them for sale is on Amazon, or you can find them at most any hardware store such as Home Depots or Lowes. I also found this cute wire basket on Amazon which opens up even more organizing options using these easy framed pegboards! The possibilities are endless!

Linked to:
http://elizabethjoandesigns.com/2014/03/designs-time-no-1/
http://justagirlandherblog.com/hit-me-with-your-best-shot-11/
http://www.madincrafts.com/2014/03/mad-skills-party-199.html
http://www.sohosonnet.com/link-it-or-lump-it/link-it-or-lump-it-sunday-link-party-31/
http://thediydreamer.com/from-dream-to-reality/110-share-your-projects/

Friday Finds #8: Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day

posted in family, Friday Finds, inspiration by Hanna on
While we had a lot of traditions surrounding the bigger holidays, growing up we didn’t celebrate these small holidays like St. Patricks day. I’m not sure if I even ever wore green on that day! However, since I’ve become a mother I’ve gained a whole new meaning of “holidays”. I want to use these holidays to create fun memories with my girls and do something a little special as a family. At the same time, the thought of decorating every inch of my house in shamrocks and the color green and making these elaborate recipes as well as coming up with gifts for everyone we know isn’t something that gets me excited as a busy mom. In fact it’s VERY overwhelming.
If you’re like me and you’re a mother chasing kids all day while juggling 50 other things or are not a super crafty person, you’re going to LOVE today’s finds as St. Patrick’s day is right around the corner! I really like how these ideas make celebrating St. Patrick’s day festive and easy while spending time with the family. And the best part…we’ve got ideas from breakfast to dinner to everything in between!

1. Start the day and surprise the kids with this “Lucky” breakfast | Thoughtfully Simple
2. DIY Bell Pepper Clover Stamp craft for kids | The Crazy Coupon Lady
3. St. Patrick’s Day Family Fort Night | Pillow Thought
4. St. Patrick’s Day Outfit Inspiration | The House in the Hills
5. Shamrock Rice Krispies Treats | Try Me Tonight
6. Anti-Pinch Polish | Eighteen25
7. Lucky Shamrock Pesto Pasta | Babble
8. The Night Before St. Patrick’s Day picture book | Amazon
I think my St. Patrick’s day is officially planned out from start to finish with this round-up! How cute is that anti-pinch polish going to be for the girls?! And forget corn beef and cabbage; the pesto pasta looks a lot more kid friendly and so easy!
What are your plans for St. Patrick’s day? We’d love for any more ideas you guys have!
-HANNA

Homemade Laundry Soap

posted in diy, home, money saving tips, tutorial by Hanna on
There seems to be a tutorial or recipe out there for just about any cleaning supply. I’ve never been one to quickly jump on board when I can just buy something for the same price or just a little bit more, especially when it will save me time. However, after watching my mom make her own laundry soap for the last couple of years and how much she is saving I decided I needed to give it a try. Not only does this laundry soap save money but it’s easy to make and works great for washing whites, colors and everything in between! Who’s ready to take the jump with me?
To make this you’ll just need a few supplies.

– 4 lbs Borax
– 4 lbs Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
– 4 lbs Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
– 3 bars of Fels-Naptha Soap
-large mixing bowl
-fine grater
– air tight container

*Just a tip, I was able to get all the supplies to make this in the laundry section at Walmart all pretty close to each other. It makes it that much easier!

Combine all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Using the fine side of a grater, grate the Fels-Naptha soap bars. Mix everything together and store in the air tight container.

Use 1/2 cup for a large load of laundry.
One batch filled three of the smaller containers that I used. It also lasts me around 4-6 months with doing laundry a couple times a week for a family of four.
Now that I’m trying some new things, I’d love to hear of other cleaning supplies that you’ve made that I should try too!
Linked To:
http://sparklesandastove.com/things-pretty-linky-party-51-features/