For the teachers

One of these years, I am determined to have all my kids' teacher gifts ready before the last day of school.  This year school got out a week earlier than usual so it was a bit hectic trying to fit in all the end of year parties, field days, and presentations.  By the time all that was done, it was the last day and I was caught yet again empty-handed and unprepared.  Lucky for me, I have a good friend and neighbor who is always on top of things like this.  She sent me a great link to a blog named eighteen25.  I know there are a lot of great sites out there with good ideas but I love that they offer printables so that I can pass them off as my own......it is something I seem to excel at.  I mean, why try to come up with something original when someone else has already gone to the work of doing it and sharing it with the world??

Here are the ones I ended up using:

I bought the glass jars at Wal-Mart and then just printed out the labels and used glue dots to secure them.

 I filled up these colorful bags and a few cellophane bags with wrapped gumballs/starburst for the peripherals........you know, the gym/art/music/library teachers, bus drivers, and other people who work with my kids.  

So thank you ladies at eighteen25....you saved all our teachers from getting gift cards without anything pretty to go with them!  I am sure I will be stopping by more often to "borrow" some more of their good ideas!

Catching up......

This is the time of year that I really don't have much time for creativity........

I am putting in some serious hours at the baseball/soccer fields.  Of course, when

you spend a lot of time at practices and games, you also spend a lot of time 

hanging out with Mr. Clorox and Mrs. Tide.  So, between laundry, sports,

and school getting out......my sewing "corner" is a dusty neglected place.  

I knew that if I didn't post something soon, it would get easier and easier to keep putting it off.  

So, in lieu of any recent projects, I am catching up on a few that I meant to

blog about and never got around to it.  

Some friends of ours hosted a fun evening at their home last fall and

gave "serious" food assignments to all who were invited.  Serious, as in....

it better be good, or don't bother:)  I was assigned to help with dessert and

really, is there such a thing as just dessert anymore?  I mean, these days

desserts are far more suited to their own table with coordinating decor

and multiple choices for all the guests.  

I didn't get any good pictures but I wanted to share a few that were taken by

our host and some from my phone.  We had a great time putting it all together and 

it really wasn't all that much work.  

We went with a brown, orange, and white theme.  I covered a piece of plywood with 

some orange/white Amy Butler polka dot fabric and then just used a piece of

brown cotton for the main table cover and then folded up an orange matelasse fabric

for some contrast in the middle.  

The treats were all quite simple, the colors and white dishes just tied everything together.

If you haven't tried making cake pops yet, I recommend doing them this

way on the first go around.  It was much easier and left a lot of room

for error.

Again, I apologize for the poor picture quality.  I completely forgot

to bring my camera!

I am not sure if this counts as a true crafty project but it was a lot

of fun and a change from the norm for me.

{The white cake stands are Martha Stewart from Macy's and the

other pieces are from Southern Living at Home.}