psychocrafter

Winter Wonderland Party

Posted on January 13, 2011 | Leave a comment

Birthday parties for kids this time of year can be tough because the weather doesn’t really allow for playing outside. That doesn’t mean they can’t be fun events kids of all ages will enjoy.

Invitation: Snowmen with the addition of a face to warm your heart available on Etsy.
Decor: Blue and White paper pom poms from Martha Stewart Crafts
Snacks: Hot cocoa bar ideas at The Bride and Groom blog
Snacks: Bring a little snow indoors with snowball cake pops from Maple Spice
Favors: mini felt mittens from Beau Coup

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Posted in Party Plans

For several months, we’ve had naked window in the breakfast area next to a table and chairs so stained, they desperately needed to be recovered. I had a streak of bravery or psychosis, however you want to look at it, and decided to recover the chairs and make curtains.

When I started removing layers of fabric on the chairs, I found some particularly poor previous choices, like this one.

: Of course, none of my choices were as bad as the original fabric on the chairs.

Luckily, a simple staple gun and new fabric can improve even the ugliest of chairs.

I hadn't used a sewing machine since 8th grade Home Economics. Let's just say the bobbin and I are not on speaking terms.

Fortunately, cafe curtains are essentially sewing a long hem. They turned out not nearly as terrible as I feared.

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Posted in Stuff I Made

Champagne: Favorite Things

Posted on January 6, 2011 | 1 comment

Like so many, we rang in the 2011 with a little bubbly. But you don’t have to pop a cork to enjoy champagne this year.

I don’t think I’ve ever drunk champagne before breakfast before. With breakfast on several occasions, but never before. ~Breakfast at Tiffany’s
A Time for Toasts dress from ModCloth
Vintage Lace from Crystal Clover
Scandall shoe by Steve Madden
Hip Hop Champagne Truffles by Vosages
Beautiful Accents shown on Green Wedding Shoes

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Posted in Favorite Things

Paper Crane Art

Posted on January 3, 2011 | Leave a comment

One of our neighbors when I was a kid was a Japanese woman who had married an American serviceman and immigrated to the US. In many ways, she kept a Japanese home, right there in Russellville, Arkansas. I found her fascinating. I liked to hang out at her house. She had a son, who had recently gone to college, so a little girl hanging around was fun for her. She taught me some Japanese and origami. I can still count to 10 in Japanese, but that’s about all I retained. However, even now, when I’m on a long conference call or something, I’ll catch myself folding paper.

Recently, I made several planners from vintage books. I wanted to do something with the pages I gutted from them. I remembered I knew how to make paper cranes.

In case you were wondering, this is what 99 paper cranes look like.

I hung them in the guest bedroom with a large frame to create 3 dimensional art.

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Posted in Stuff I Made

A Star is Born Party

Posted on December 30, 2010 | 1 comment

When a friend was expecting her second baby, she wasn’t comfortable with a traditional shower. However, her friends still wanted to celebrate. We compromised with a books and movies shower with the theme: A Star is Born! Everyone had a great time, and Mom got lots of entertainment for both kids.

Invitations: The invitations from Special Event Ticketing were printed as event tickets instructing guests to bring their favorite children’s books or movies.
Decor: A local movie rental store gave us movie posters they were about to throw out. We used kid friendly ones, like Ramona and Beezus.
Decor: Guests entered on red carpet from PartyCheap.
Food: We served movie candy and popcorn.
Favors: With all this glitz and glamor, guests needed star-shaped sunglasses from Oriental Trading Company.

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Posted in Party Plans

Christmas Thank You Notes

Posted on December 27, 2010 | 1 comment

I usually order some photo cards with a good photo of the kid and the tree to send to family and friends to say thanks for the loot. (Of course, we also appreciate the time they spent with us) This year, I decided to make them a little more personal by actually making them.

I take sick pleasure using my husband's engineering ruler to craft.

This may be the prettiest envelope I've made.

I made five different variations of cards and envelopes.

Since it's craft paper instead of photo paper, it's easier to write personalized notes and for Monkey Boy to sign his name.

But I just can't resist a cute pic in the card.

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Posted in Stuff I Made

Unique Christmas Trees: Favorite Things

Posted on December 23, 2010 | Leave a comment

We have pretty traditional Christmas decorations at our house. Much of it was passed down or purchased to look like the holidays we remember as a kids. We like it that way. I have good memories of lying side by side with my sister with our heads under the tree looking up at the lights.

But I have a streak of weirdness in me that can’t help but love looking at unique trees.

This tree is reportedly from the University of Aalborg Library in Denmark. The book nerd in me loves it.
Sometimes when it’s been gray and cold long enough, a little tropical daydreaming is exactly what you need. Amazon can help you get your piece of paradise by the palm tree light.
As the ad at Treetopia states, “If it’s good enough for Molly Ringwald…”
Jane Schouten is an amazing artist. She made this “tree” from found objects. What a beautiful mind to make such a thing.
I do not understand why people like upside down Christmas trees, but they are everywhere, including the Christmas Tree Market. To each his own, I suppose.

Whatever kind of tree you have in your home, I wish you a Merry Christmas to you and yours.

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Posted in Favorite Things

Christmas Card Garland

Posted on December 20, 2010 | 2 comments

This is one of the desk drawers in the rolltop. It's been filled with store bought Christmas cards for 10 years. They just take up space and annoy me when I see them there.

I used a plastic cup as a pattern to cut circles out of two boxes of the cards.

I wanted this to coordinate with our stocking hangers, which spell: PEACE & JOY.

It makes me irrationally happy to actually use these old cards.

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Posted in Stuff I Made

Holiday Spirits Party

Posted on December 16, 2010 | Leave a comment

In the season when people become both irrationally happy and grumpy, perhaps some holiday spirits will get your friends into the holiday spirit. Make your average seasonal cocktail party one to remember with added meaning.

Invitation: Love this cute invite with lots of color available on Amazon.
Festive Spirit: Tequila Who doesn’t want to party with a little salt and lime?
Cosmopolitan Spirit: Vodka It’s not just a drink; it’s an attitude.
Spirit of Adventure: Gin A new distillery in Arkansas is making gin not just about cotton any more.
Traditional Spirit: Bourbon What else can you call the spirit in the Old Fashioned?
Favors: Personalized bottles of champagne from She Said Yes. Your guests will have some holiday spirit to take home with them.

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Posted in Party Plans

Cupcakes and Champagne

Posted on December 13, 2010 | 1 comment

Last year, my friend got married right after her birthday. This year, she celebrated her birthday and anniversary while expecting her first child. While this is all terribly exciting, pregnancy does tend dampen any plans for toasts, if you’re being all responsible and stuff. This meant a slight change of plans for the cupcakes and champagne birthday treat I previously planned.

: There is a delightful cupcakery in town. This brown label has come to symbolize happiness in a box.

: The day of the wedding, I ran a couple of last-minute errands. I swung by a drive-thru liquor store and asked for a bottle of champagne, “just whatever.” He sold me this. It was $4. We drank it while getting ready. It’s a wonder we didn’t get sick.