DIVERGENT Inspired Dauntless Bracelet and More

Remember yesterday I mentioned that there would be more Divergent inspiration around here today?! Two of my blogger friends are also fans of the book and excited for the movie, so we decided to each do a creative project and share them together...

See them all at the bottom of this post! But first...

So, it goes without saying that this boy mama isn't so much a jewelry maker. But I have dabbled in it very little and do actually enjoy it, especially when what I try actually turns out! At the risk of proving that I really am a silly fan girl, I have to share the specific inspiration for this bracelet before we go any further...

Simple Circle Pinwheels for SPRING!

This post has me wanting to jump and down! So much good stuff that I really love involved- the idea of Spring coming, pretty paper, taking photos outside, and pinwheels! Not to mention, a few of #myfavoritebloggers sharing their goodness too :)

From top down, left to right:

Stamped "Bloom" Necklace from One Artsy Mama, 

Spring Centerpiece from Happy Go Lucky, 

Washi Tape Popsicle Stick Flowers from The Benson Street, 

Simple Circle Pinwheels from me, obviously :)

Semi Homemade Strawberry Shortcake from Seven Alive

Five Minute Hair Pins from It Happens in a Blink and Suburble

Kool-Aid Dyed  Yarn in Your Microwave from 4 You with Love

Color-able Free Printable Spring Banner from Do Small Things with Love,

Fairy Guesthouse from Happy Hour Projects,

and Geometric Print Vase from Pitter and Glink  

This is the first time I've crafted pinwheels that actually spin- so fun! It's also the first time I've made them using a circle piece of paper instead of a square. I LOVE the more curvy result!

Simple Valentines Gum and Washi Tape Arrows

I might have all boys around here, but lucky for me, they dig Pinterest. :) Oftentimes they look over my shoulder for ideas for boredom busters, or costumes... or Valentines. Cooper happened to see these Valentines arrows...

 and got super excited! He immediately decided he wanted to give arrows to his classmates instead of Nerds :) I actually lit up over them too- super cute. I wanted to be able to make them our own! (We actually tried using the tinsel at the base and it got really frustrating.) 

And so, this cute cute washi tape version was born! Cooper can actually help put these together, beyond just signing his name, and he loves that part. They are pretty self explanatory, but I'll share some more details just in case. :)

Top Posts of 2013!

Just for the fun of it, I thought I'd share the most popular posts from this past year here in one quick spot on this last day of 2013! It's actually been really interesting to figure out just what brings people here the most... and realize that, indeed, the things we put the most effort into give us the most return, seemingly regardless of what they are specifically. This year I've been able to focus more on this blog than ever before, and it shows. Some ways good and surely some ways bad-ha! No matter what, thank you for being here and making this little space something that still brings me happiness, and especially allows me to share it :)

Adorable Fabric PomPom Pumpkins with #myfavoritebloggers

Today I get to participate in another awesome monthly theme with #myfavoritebloggers! Because we tend to like fruits and veggies... and because, ya know, it's Fall these days... this month we're all sharing something relative to pumpkins! I love how my contribution turned out- these little pompom fabric pumpkins are so stinkin' cute!

Looks like you're in for a treat, eh?! I'm anxious to get around and check out all of their posts myself! This month there's even a few more of us playing along:

Everyday Super Hero Photo Display

Thanks to Bluepeint Social and Disney for sponsoring this post!

Ya know when you hear a saying and it just kinda grabs you?

A good quote or simple phrase that you think, "Oooh, I like that!"

That was totally the case with this quote above from the brand new Disney Super Buddies movie! I was sent an advance copy of this funny, family show and it has already become the boys' most requested :) You can get it on Blu-Ray combo pack August 27th- only a few more days!

Apple Projects with #myfavoritebloggers

Sometimes I see other bloggers doing fun things together and think "that would be so fun to be involved in!" That's exactly the way it was with this awesome new theme series I get to be involved in with some of #myfavoritebloggers. I thought a monthly themed collaboration would be fun and a good way to share lots of talent with you- I'm so thrilled to be part of this one! Each month we'll each share a project relative to a particular theme.

Clearly this month is Apples!

Adorable Taffy Kabob Party Favors

So I recently threw a baby shower for my friend. And wouldn't ya know it, I took seriously NO pictures of the whole thing! :P I was so irritated at myself when I realized afterwards! Anyhow, in the process of getting ready for it, a facebook fan asked how I made the taffy kabobs I had made for the All Boy Baby Shower I posted a couple of years ago. I laughed because I was right in the middle of making them again and trying to take pics to share them with you! I've used these several times for shower favors and they always turn out stinkin' cute! I love the rainbow of colors you get with taffy. My boys always hope I have some left over so they can have one themselves :)

Fun and Educational Water Gun Targets

I originally shared this post over at the awesome Wait 'Til Your Father Gets Home while Meredith took a little maternity break with her new baby boy. It's been so hot lately and we've been enjoying these fun water gun targets- I thought I'd share then here today!

I'm guessing I'm not the only one that gets frustrated being the recipient of the kiddo's water gun cross fire, right? I can't usually swing it to be running around getting soaked for the afternoon like they can. A couple of years ago, I quickly designed a few sheets of letters and pictures that my older son enjoyed, then laminated them, for him to aim at instead! New ones were made last year too- my boys loved them and seem to start asking about them in April or so. And today, I'm sharing this years versions with you!

DIY Pinatas for any Party or Gathering!

Today I am posting as part of McKenzie from Girl Loves Glam's Summer Fun Series-

I've tried to come up with a really fun, and simple, idea-

I hope this will be something you can

enjoy and really use this summer!

Cutesy Curly Paper Wreath

Aaack!! I love this project so much- turned out so fun!

Awhile back I saw this great, curly looking wreath at our local craft store. I loved it, could hardly walk away! But it was $30 and I just simply could not pay $30 for a wreath and still call myself crafty! The one I had seen was made of cream colored paper that looked a lot like light tree bark. I immediately had the thought I could try to mimic it using fun colored paper. I searched Pinterest for a starting place, with absolutely no luck! I found a lot like this one: 

... which is stinkin' cute, but I wanted more of splayed out look

like I had seen in the craft store, which was kinda more like this:

... only a lot more full. So, I set out to figure out how to create it!

Fun, Easy Memory Wire Bracelet

Recently I've seen and happened upon several cute bracelets made out of Memory Wire-

first from HERE, then also from HERE and HERE.

Ya know those projects that you see and can't get over until you do it?

These were that way for me!

Geometric Spring Garland with American Crafts

This is going to be a great week- I can just feel it!

How can it not be- first day of Spring on Wednesday, which also happens to be my Hottie Hubby's birthday, and some fun planned this coming weekend with my awesome Mom and sisters. Not to mention the Silhouette giveaway going on! If you haven't entered, go HERE :) Plus we did some awesome Spring cleaning this weekend that gives way for some fun decorating with bright colors!

Faking Metal over Chipboard

Awhile back I drove past Porter's Craft and Frame, our great locally owned craft store,

and saw nothing but huge letters in the entryway.

I wanted to switch lanes and go in right then!

I couldn't really stop that very minute, of course, but I did go within that week

and grabbed up- what else- a 2' capital B!

Baking Soda Boredom Busters

I've decided Baking Soda and I get along really well...

If I need a good, solid boredom buster for the boys, I can count on baking soda.

Well, baking soda and vinegar, really :)

Mason Jar Wine Glasses Tutorial

Who else out there loves Duck Dynasty?? We are definitely fans around here! (Maybe not so much a fan of the major over-abundance of Duck Dynasty gear you see in the stores, though... but that's another thought train all together!)

From the very first time I ever saw the Robertson clan drinking out of mason jar wine glasses during one of their characteristic family dinners, I knew I wanted to make some myself.  I love how these fun glasses turned out and they are super easy to make. 

Lovin' this Valentine Wreath

I love how my little Valentine wreath creation for my front door turned out!

Valentines Flashback

It occurred to me recently that Valentines season is always a pretty full time for us- we do a lot of projects together and I do quite a bit on my own too! I love the creative energy I always get- somehow late winter isn't quite so overwhelming as Christmas I guess. :)

Anyway, I thought I'd post some of my posts from Valentines past here in one place...

Simple Square Bean Bags

So it's about time I posted something crafty-ish, eh?

For quite awhile now, I've wanted to make the little boys a beanbag.

The big sham pillows from our bed had long since been sequestered to serve as their cushions for TV watching, fort building, slamming each other over the head while pillow fighting... ya know, boy life. :) Anyhow, I decided I'd make them my homemade Christmas present to them this year. I really liked the ones I saw at this post- I love the square shape for a beanbag!

Super Simple Halloween Countdown

Two weeks (not quite even!) until Halloween!!

Cooper suggested just the other day that we make a countdown, "like Christmas."

And so we did! I had seen this idea and thought it would be super simple and fast,

plus had a fun thought to make it our own with some washi tape I'd won from Pick Your Plum!

We used normal toothpicks to stick right into a little pie pumpkin-

I think these little mini guys are just so stinkin' cute!

I tore a small piece of the washi tape, then wrapped and clipped it to create a little flag on the end,

then handed them one by one to the boys to poke into the top of the pumpkin themselves-

they loved it! I did have to stab little marks for Ryder  :)

I love gingham and was thrilled to see the sheer diagonal striped tape I had created it on it's own!

 Black and white tapes were what I had and it was perfect for Halloween :)

Really any colored tape, or paper scraps, or tissue paper,

or whatever you have on hand, could be fun.

They took one pick out tonight before they went to bed and now have it to

look forward to for the next two weeks :)

A little something to fulfill their excitement from now to then!

If you have an excited kiddo, (really, if you have young kids, they surely are excited!)

this would make a great super simple project- enjoy!