Can I have your autograph please?

We are heading to Disney soon with JP’s mom and sister’s family. So since Easter is coming I decided to make all four kids autograph books to collect character names during our trip. After researching on the internet, I found a tutorial that would fit what I wanted to make.

Here is a link to the tutorial, 

http://greenbirdofhappiness.blogspot.com/2011/05/how-to-make-disney-autograph-book.html

I used chipboard for the covers, mainly because I can a free supply from work. To help with the sturdiness I had JP glue to of them together. I made the book to me 4 x 6, and added the extra inch for the spine just as the tutorial suggested.

After getting all the boards glued and cut out, I laid them out on the cardstock I chose for the covers. I left roughly about 1/8”ish spacing between the cover and the spine. Then trimmed the cardstock to leave 2 inch over hand and cut the corners in on an angle. My choice for glue is modge podge; it’s my favorite and worked well for this project. I then glued all the over hang down to the chipboard.

For the back cover, I hot glued twine that is roughly 12” long, this is to attach the marker. Then cut the piece for the inside page, to cover up the edges and give a nice clean look (And on the back cover will cover the glued twine.)

Now in the ladies tutorial she was able to use a hole puncher to punch the holes, but my strong hubby broke two hole punchers trying to punch the holes. So I matched up the front and back over and then made my marks for the holes, roughly in the center of the spine and then I measured and marked for the 1” and the 3”. The securing the covers together with insides facing each other, passed them on to JP. He then got manly and drilled the holes for me with power tools.

In the meantime I cut all the inside pages, making the pages 4 x 6” and hand punching the holes to match the cover. This took a minute, making 20 or so pages for each book and then for four books.

Now in the tutorial, she used brads to connect the pages and covers together and making easy to add additional pages if needed. However mine did not stay together when I tried to open the book up, so I decided to use binding rings. Easy to use, I can add pages of photos later to each of their books.

For the back cover I simply put the year of our trip. Then for the front cover, I added each of the kiddos' names and a Mickey Mouse face. I also have some stickers to add randomly throughout the book. Lastly I used the twine to tie the marker to the book.

These we given to all the kids for Easter as part of their basket, huge hit!!

Bunny, Eggs and Baskets....Oh my

We have never been in to the Easter Holiday, but I want to start celebrating a piece or Easter. Easter for me is the beginning of spring, life and growth. The sun shining bright to extend the days which were once darkened shortly after work.


Bunnies and eggs are both symbols of fertility, so Friday we made wonderful coca rice crispy nest with baby eggs. Super yummy and easy to make.

Community Easter Egg Hunt, was first on our list Saturday afternoon. We went with some friends with baskets in hand. Each age group took turns to collect eggs.

That night was filled with a house full of girls and one little boy. Little hands created little master pieces on their eggs. Next year I plan to investigate and do natural dyes.

When the night settled and our two girls were in bed, the easter bunny loaded up baskets, filled eggs and hid them for the hunt in the morning.

Morning was filled with smiles and surprises, as Avery discovered a basket filled with duct tape in an assortment of colors, bubbles, a chocolate bunny and a tooth brush. Sonya pulled out her new doll, book, bubbles, tooth brush and chocolate bunny. Both also received a Disney autograph book for the trip this June. Sonya's favorite thing......the toothbrush.


Then it was time to make brunch for Josh's family coming over. The menu included egg in a boat, individual hash browns, spiced bacon, and mini berry danishes. All courtesy of pinterest  pins and the blogs that housed the recipes. Now as my blogging continues I'll learn to stop and photograph the wonderful things I make, but it escaped me. Trust me that everything looked wonderful and tasted even better.

After tummy's settled and naps were taken, we went to visit great grandparents and deliver and Easter card. So I've seen lots of cute prints done with little feet, so I figured a bunny with the ears made of Sonya's feet would fit the holiday and cuteness. Easy to make and GGparents loved it.

It was a beautiful weekend filled with smiling faces.

My Fairy Tale Weekend

Moments of my weekend captured.....tomorrow an Easter Holiday.

Its not like your typical fairy tale....

This is my ordinary fairy tale; it is not like your typical fairy tale.

A little about me:

I am a wife to JP, stepmother to Avery (10), mama to Sonya, aka Little Bit (18 months), a gardener, a composter, a photographer wanna-be, a stay at home mama wanna-be, chicken lady, cook, baker, urban homesteader, like my clothes on the line, canner, crafter. Mix in my artistic creative, type “A” personality.

I work a full time job plus help my hubby out with his business, freelance for friends and fun. JP and I are also working on collection for his company, The Sapling Collection.

My weeknights are spent making dinners, cleaning up, caring for animals, baths and crafting. My weekend is filled with gardening, being a mama, crafting and several hours in the kitchen. My crafts currently consist of sewing, hand embroidery, knitting and painting. Weekends are also for family and finding fun and inexpensive things to do.

I’m also searching and making learning tools for my little bit, she stays with a friend during the day while we all work. The arrangement is perfect because I was able to bring her my homemade baby food, and she agreed to use cloth diapers. Yes, we love cloth! Ginny, our childcare giver, has a toddler also and it gives Sonya a chance to learning sharing before we later enroll her in a preschool, a few years down the road. But this gives me the opportunity to create learning books and flash cards that reflect our lifestyle.

My family:

My husband, JP, is a self-employed small business owner. He is a wonderful woodworker with big, big dreams. We start a collection through is company called “The Sapling Collection”, which are simple toys and decorations for little ones. So I create the designs and collaborate on materials. He makes saw dust, and we have product. Please feel free to visit our etsy store (link) we are working on new items and hoping to fill up our store soon.

JP, my hubby

He is also a Frisbee golfer, a video game player, a wonderful father and full supporter of all the wonderful things that get made around the house.

Avery is 10, I have been involved in her life since she was four. We have a good relationship that doesn’t conflict with the relationship with her mother. She stays with us several days during the week and every other weekend, sharing equally with her mother. I get involved with her school and have met all of her teachers. She is a crafty little lady, duct tape being her media chose at the moment. Loves our chickens, so much that she has stopped eating chicken for about 7 months. This is due to we will be eating our chickens after they stop producing eggs and getting new pullets to continue the process.

Sonya (little bit) is 18 months, and even though she says daddie a lot, she is a mama’s girl. Yea! She is the reason I got motivated to do more myself, having control over the food we put in our bodies, wanting to make learning tools, create simple toys to develop her imagination and make cute things for her to wear.

Sonya and Avery

Animal wise, we have a small zoo, or at least it feels like that. We have three dogs:

Liea, yes my husband is slightly obsessed with star wars, a boxer lab mix and is easy to spot with her spiral tail. Gracie Lou, who is a border collie lab mix. She is the puppy at age 3 and full of energy to light our city. Elvis is a cardigan welsh corgie mix, mix with what we are not sure. He has the spirit of the grumpy old man that yells at kids for walking in his grass.

Leia

Elvis

Gracie Lou

We have a cat, brought to us by a hubby Frisbee golf outing and her finding him. Her name is Piper Ann. She is a spunky little thing that enjoys attacking the dogs and playing with my balls of yarn.

Piper Ann, sun bathing and bird watching

Lastly, we have two chickens, Francine and Molly Sue. We got them last May and they are a fun treat for the girls.

Molly Sue (left) & Francine (right), and yes I can tell them apart.

So there is a little bit about me, I hope that people enjoy the post and topics I write on. Get inspired by my crafts and photos, the way I get inspired.