Cocoa bar plus a project I just thought I'd repost

 So, blurry. But. You get the point. I had a cocoa bar when some friends came over. I know it was before Christmas, but I thought I'd share it now. January and even February get me down. The cold and gray are really depressing. So why not have some friends over and do a hot cocoa bar to liven up the un-lively winter?
I did:
Crushed butterscotch candies
Crushed peppermint candies
Crushed Butterfingers
Marshmallows
Toffe bits
Coconut

 Not very earth-friendly, but Styrofoam cups are inexpensive and easy to clean up.

And to top it off? Whipped cream of course! I didn't take the time, but you could cut some wrapping paper or scrapbook paper and wrap it around the whipped cream can so it looks classier. I had a soup tureen with the hot water, but I also had a pitcher of cold water because I'm always thirsty after so much sweet stuff.

Do you remember this post? Well it has been a while since I made a pair of these baby shoes from this site. After all, my kiddo has been in "real shoes" for a while. I have a fab new friend who is just about to have her first baby so I had to make her some; especially since I haven't had the excuse to make anything girly in a while.
These shoes are perfect for babies. They're soft and flexible so when baby is trying to learn to walk they can still feel the floor. Or, if they haven't started learning to walk they're comfortable for those sweet little baby feet.
Hint: you can enlarge (or shrink) the pattern with a copier. If you enlarge them, you could even make slippers for your grown up kids. If you shrink them, you can make them for newborns (the pattern said they are for 6-9 months).

Quiet Book: Christmas Gift Idea

It is my personal goal to have each member of my family make something for each other every year. I love the idea of taking the time to do something special, show your love through your effort. This year I am making my buck-a-roo a quiet book. Using fabric, felt, my sewing macine, a pair of scissors and a little "Mighty Mend It" I will hopefully have something that will keep him happy for an hour at a time *fingers crossed*.

Bucky loves his Potato Head, but it's too big and noisy to take to church. I wanted to make him one that would entertain him but still be quiet. That's where the whole quiet book started. The background for all of my pages is flannel since felt 'sticks' to it. The large objects and all the little pieces are felt. I cute and sometimes glued all the little pieces for the house and the potato, but if there's something I think of later it is easy to add ot your collection of pieces.

Ooops. I realized this is upside down just barely. Anyway, it is grass and sky and the pieces I cut are farm-themed. There's a cow, hay bales, a white picket fence, etc.  You could make a pool scene, or a little house with flowers and pets.... whatever you want. You can even make more than one set of pieces for the page.

My little one looooooves pizza, so I made him a page with a pizza on it. I cut a smaller circle of cream colored felt to serve as the cheese and then cut red circles (pepperoni), pink circles (canadian bacon), green strips (peppers) and brown globs (sausage).  You could cut gray fish for anchovies, mushrooms from tan... whatever you felt like. The other side of this page is an ocean scene. I haven't cut the felt pieces yet, but I'm getting to it. I'll probably do some kelp, fish, a dolphin, a sail boat and maybe a treasure chest.

The cover pages are pockets where you can store all the little pieces for each page (in baggies). I did ties with ribbon, but snaps or velcro would work great, too. Maybe eventually I will sew little envelopes or baggies for each pages pieces, but for now I went with a plastic baggy.

It's all in the packaging...

It's the most wonderful time of the year.... one more week of school from where I sit, and I am sure most of you are about 1-3 weeks 'til the end too. So it's that time when we want to let the teachers know how much we appreciate them and give 'em a little something. Typically we turn to treats, no? So instead of a Styrofoam plate or a Ziploc baggie with some homemade (or store bought) goodies, why not do something SO simple that looks extra special? After all most of the time hand cooked and hand made gifts carry the most meaning for the fewest dollars.

I started with a 4 by 6 cello bag and used it as a template to cut my rice krispie treat to size (note, because the treats are thick you will need to cut it about an inch smaller than the actual bag).

I stuffed the treat inside, folded the top over, stuck a sticker that matched the thank you card I made.

and voila. A simple, inexpensive, but absolutely darling way to say, "thank you". You could use this idea for a neighbor gift or a gift for visiting teaching wherein you could include the message and a goodie... the possibilities are endless. If you don't like, are opposed to, or didn't make Rice Krispie treats, stick a couple of cookies or some candy inside instead.