Chocolate Chip Bacon Cookies

Yup, you read that right!  BAAAAACCCCCONNN (drool). 
In Oregon, there is a donut shop called Voodoo Doughnuts - if you have ever been there you will know how decadent everything is.  They have a donut called the Maple Bacon Bar. 

Two full strips of bacon, on top of a rich maple bar - crazy, but good!
It's the kind of thing you just have to try - because you're on vacation, and it sounds totally weird. 

I started wondering what other desserts people make with Bacon, and after a quick google search, found this recipe for Chocolate Chip Bacon Pecan Cookies (but I skipped the pecans :) ). 

They didn't even make it long enough to get on a plate so I could take a pretty picture!  They were devoured straight off the cookie sheet by grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles and cousins until they were gone... :)  Yes, they were that good. 
So, what am I saying dear blogging friends?
Don't think - just DO IT!  Buy the bacon and make them!

Pixie Dust Necklaces

Just had a fabulous vacation in Oregon, visiting my husband's side of the family.  My little sweeties got to spend time with their two cousins (this was about the longest they all stood still :) ).
For fun, I brought along supplies to do this little craft.  They had a great time!!
The full tutorial can be found here - at the Mommy Blessings blog. 

I went to Whole Foods, and the woman at the floral counter gave me a few of these flower water tubes for free!  That made the entire project cost $0, because everything else I scrounged from around the house. 

I ended up gluing them shut entirely, so that they couldn't be opened and leak glitter everywhere :)  The kids absolutely love them!
I also think this would be a great birthday party project...

Fabric Camera Strap Covers

This is one of those things that has been on my list for a long time - to make a few camera strap covers.
My husband lovingly teased - "you are even going to make our camera look girly??"
Yes.  Yes I am.
I made one for myself, and a couple relatives with SLR cameras.  They turned out GREAT, and they are comfortable and stylish!

Nursery Rhymes and Sweet Times has an excellent tutorial!  I would suggest using the fusible fleece.  Her tutorial shows you how to do it with or without, and I so much preferred the one I made with the fleece that I seam ripped open the one I did without, so that I could redo it!  The cover slid around a lot less (which I thought was good, because I like it to stay in place), and it was much more comfortable on the neck.

Another tip: if you are making the ruffles, the tutorial tells you to zig-zag stitch the edges to keep them from fraying.
At first, I tried sewing so that the entire zig zag was on the fabric.  This made the edge of my fabric fold and curl - horrible!!
It took me a few tries to figure out that I needed to sew the zig zag half on and half off the edge of the fabric.  So, only HALF the zig zag is being stitched through.  The middle of the presser foot is right on the edge of the fabric.  The thread still turns out tight, but it does not make your fabric fold and curl.

If you can't tell, the red one here is for a boy.  I wasn't sure if the idea of a camera strap cover in general is simply too girly, but I think this one turned out very suitable for a guy :)  He is a mature, secure in his masculinity kind of person too...so that helps:)

Very fun project with a satisfying result!!

Check out these parties I often link up to!

Notebook Design Snap Bag

Made a cute little snap bag...quick and easy.   This little guy is called a "snap bag" because the top three quarters of an inch are stiff from a piece of tape measure sewn into the fabric!  Very cool.  When it opens, the tension in the tape measure makes it want to snap back shut...

I followed this tutorial here...
It is a bit of a tough tutorial, so you ought to have a little sewing know-how before attempting to follow it.  Some improvisation may be required. 
The bag is much smaller than I originally thought when I saw the picture over at the Tolen Family Fun blog.  You can see in the picture below that it is just about the size of my hand - and it is so cute!
It would fit perfectly into a larger purse to hold things like chapstick, gum, lipgloss, makeup - etc. etc. - all those things that can get lost in the bottom of the bag :)

The back is a continuation of the notebook design.  You could, of course, stitch any words onto the bag - which makes it so personalized and fun!!
I particularly like this saying...I have a feeling I will be using it for a future project....hmm.... :)

By the way...this is one of many projects I found and pinned on Pinterest! 

Come follow me if you want - it is amazingly fun!

Check out these parties I often link up to!

Lamp Shade Bow Holder

This has been such a handy and eye pleasing craft -- I am really happy with it!
This lamp doubles as a bow holder, and I used ribbon to match the colors in my girls' room - so it fits right in with the decor!

After seeing this post at This Present Life, I immediately kept my eye open for a lamp shade and lamp base that would work....

Tada!! 

Ugly, right??  I picked this beauty up at a garage sale for $1 - because it had just what I needed - a metal framed lamp shade.  These are actually rather hard to find in regular stores.  You might have to go thrifting to find one... 

After ripping off the fabric, it required a good long scrub with some steel wool to get the rust off, and then a couple of coats of spray paint.  The lamp base got the spray paint too, and some sand paper distressing:

The Present Life has a good explanation on covering the metal shade with ribbon.  I had wanted to put my ribbon on horizontally, but that does not work very well.  Best to keep the ribbons running vertically - but as you can see here, I used 3 different kinds of ribbon, and spaced mine pretty close together...

All these bows clip right onto the ribbon.  It makes for really easy access, the bows are really easy to see (in order to pick the exact right color!), they are easy to put back, and the lamp actually works if I want!

I have tried out quite a few different bow holders - and I really think this one is going to stick! ;)  It is working great!

Check out these parties I often link up to!

Stars and Stripes Forever - Specimen Art

4th of July is just around the corner, and I can't believe it!  It is such a fun holiday here in New England.  Our family loves going down to sit on the banks for the Charles River in Boston and watch the world famous fireworks while the Boston Pop's Music plays!
A few months ago, I saw this post at Nifty Thrifty Things about making easy little 3D paper stars.  This was also about the time that blogland seemed to be inundated with specimen art of every kind :)  So, my mind immediately went to the idea of making star specimen art for a bit of 4th of July decor. 

I started by making a stack of little red, white and blue stars, using the Nifty Thrifty Things tutorial - and they are very quick to make.

Then, I wracked my brain for a way to display them.  Luckily, I had taken apart a picture frame for another recent project, and had this mat leftover.  Score!

I took a piece of white cardstock, big enough to fit behind the mat, and hot glued rows of stars to fit inside the mat. 

I toyed with the idea of handwriting my words - but I'm a bit of a perfectionist :)  Why write it when a Silhouette can cut it out perfectly?  So, with my Silhouette, I cut the words "Stars and Stripes Forever" in vinyl and stuck those onto the mat.

Then, I taped the cardstock to the back of the mat - so the stars fit inside the mat...

Aw yeah!  I hot glued a piece of blue ribbon to hang it - and that is it!  I love it! 
Remember, that you can get just the mat (without a picture frame) at the craft store... I love using a mat without a frame for these inexpensive little projects. 

Happy Birthday America!

Check out these parties I often link up to!

A Few Father's Day Gifts

Handmade gifts are the best for Father's Day - don't you think?  Now that my kids are getting older, it is so fun to really include them in the creation of the gifts.
For my husband, I had my girls help me make a Garden Journal, and a Painted Canvas - an "original" piece of art :)

For my dad, I sent him a little glass jar with vinyl letters on the outside (cut with the Silhouette of course), and some money inside.  He thinks he might use it for a candy jar - which would work too!
The saying is a play on words - to mean "Don't Touch My Stash" (Don't Touch Moustache).  I got a good chuckle out of that one ;) 

Three years ago, when my daughter was just 1 & 1/2 years old, I painted the background of this little canvas, and let her paint over it, however she wanted.  That was the Father's Day present that year, and my husband has always loved it.  He keeps telling me he wants more.  

So this year, I did as he wished, and had both my daughters go to town on a bigger canvas:

Once they were done painting, I found a saying that I thought fit him perfectly, and cut out the words with the Silhouette, using a magazine page:

They got mod podged onto the painting - and I really like the look of the words, not perfectly straight, and filled with the printing from the magazine.  It seems to fit the feel of the painting...

And now it can hang next to the yellow one; two father's day gifts that are all his little girls...

The Garden Journal was simple - a composition book with scrapbook paper mod podged on.

I let the girls pick out some dried grass and bits of bark dust to mod podge on the cover, along with some plant stickers.  They had a lot of fun.  Now my husband can keep track of how the plants grow - because we never can remember from year to year which brand and kind we liked best.  Gardening is another thing the girls love to do with their daddy. 

Last year, I dressed the girls up in their dad's clothes, and took pictures to put in a frame with their handprints...that was pretty cute too:)

Words can not describe how thankful I am for my husband as a father, and my own father.  It is fun to honor them this day, as we try to do each day of the year.  Hope you had a peaceful Father's Day as well.  (And the cherry on the cake?  My little sister is in the hospital right now having a baby - making my dad a grandfather again on this special day!)