Stock the Bar Party Invitation

My husband's cousin is getting married in June and we are flying to Mexico for a destination wedding. That is us...and about 30 other people! I can't wait. In the meantime, we are working on planning a Stock the Bar Shower for Matt and a Lingerie Shower for Sara. We decided to do something a little unusual, and have them the same night at our house. I hope to have a dinner on the lawn with twinkly lights adorning the trees. It might be more realistic if I had Martha Stewart's house and financial backing. I designed these simple and classic stock the bar invites for the event.

Ok Sara...you are cheating if you see the invites on my blog before one arrives at your door. (smile)

Luckily, I had a stash of beer bottle caps at my house. I know, I save the most random things. I had them planned for another project, but then this wonderful opportunity arose.

What describes a stock the bar party better then the word BOOZE. It worked perfectly to use two beer bottle caps for the O's. Leave it to my husband, to have some "crafting doubt." He was wondering how I was going to be able to pull off attaching the caps firmly. It was easier then I thought. I used the raised double sided sticky foam and stacked it four layers high. The caps stuck on well without a hitch.

Stay tuned for the lingerie shower invite to come soon.

35 DIY Clothespin Projects, Ideas, and More

I think my newest obsession just might be clothespins. For one dollar you can buy a huge package and they are so versatile. There is something simplistic about the light wood clip invented by the Shakers. They are perfect for crafts, useful as clips, and adaptable to so many projects. I have compiled a list of 30 DIY clothespin projects for the whole family.

Clothespin Pinwheel by MarthaStewart.com

Attach clothespins around a tuna can and place a votive inside for rustic candle holders.

Clothespin Food Labels by CarolynsHomework

Clothespin Planner by MyBlessedLife

Clothespin Bill Sorter by Unknown

Bucket List by Jandmseyecandy

Clothespin Chop Sticks by KK

Wedding Seating Cards by Jeff Wallace Photography

Clothespin as a nail holder by realsimple.com

Clothespin Bug Clips by Unknown

Clothespin magnets by Very Jane

Clothespin for Flower Hanging by Not Just a Housewife

Clothespin Drop by MarthaStewart.com

 Clothespin Mirror by Countryliving.com

Clothespin for packaging by Creature Comforts

Clothespin and an Old Frame by My Blessed Life

Festive Clothespin Garland by Martha Stewart

Clothespin & Gloves Advent by Holiday Crafts and Creations

Paper Sacks and Clothespins by Cake Events

Clothespin Christmas Card Display by Kojo Designs

Clothespin Food orBag Clips by Greene Acres Hobby Farm (me)

Clothespin Catering Labels by Catch My Party

Clothespin Racers by Almost Unschoolers

Clothespin Chandelier by Apartment Therapy

Clothespin Bookmark by My Sister's Cottage

Clothespin Placecard Holders by My Sister's Cottage

Clothespin Camping Journal by My Sister's Cottage

Pillow for Bride and Groom with rings attached with clothespins from annaleeco.com

Clothespin art center by craftsbyamanda.com

Clothespin bats by Martha Stewart

Clothespin art by Anthropologie

 

Clothespin Bouttonniere by Annaleeco.com

Clothespin shelf by countryliving.com

Clothespin wreath and card holder by gwennypenny.com

Oh...and don't forget the original reason for clothespins...

Photo from Black Eiffel

Dollar General - A Dollar Still Goes a Long Way

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Dollar General for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I would be suprised if any one of you reading this post that has a Dollar General in your area and has not been there. The store is amazing. I am lucky to have one a few miles from my house. I live in a very small town and this store is a life saver. We had it in town before we even had a grocery store. Now don't get that wide eyed. I am only 30 minutes from the DFW metroplex and I used to live there.

The closest store to me is 1602 W Henderson St Cleburne, TX 76033-4123

                                                                     

I can't even count the number of times I have run up there after dark for something I truly needed like medication for the kids. And of course, it is to my advantage they have crafting supplies such as spray paint too. If you appreciate them and love the store like I do, like them on Dollar General Facebook.

Those of you in California will be excited to know Dollar General in California will be coming soon. Look out for a store near you. The best part is you can either find bargains or name brand prices at an affordable price. Some of the new stores are also supposed to have a food market as well. I wish we had that in my town!

Dollar General also has a long standing history of contributing to literacy. Everytime I check out, I notice the donation container on the counter. I try very hard to do my part, because literacy is something so dear to my heart. Books open a magical world of imagination and opportunity. Thank you Dollar General for all you contribute to such a wonderful program of literacy.

It is nice to know a Dollar Still Goes a Long Way!!

DIY Army Tanks

Boom! Crash! Bang! You are under fire...according to my son. He is sooo obsessed with army men, army tanks, and guns right now. A mother's dream...Ugh! However, I like to make my little one content, (I'm such a sucker) so we built some army tanks today. They are otherwise known as 2x4's painted with black paint and a dowel rod as a barrel (canon). I found this fabulous idea at Brown Paper Packages.

Supplies:

2x4's

Dowel Rod

Black Spray Paint

Wood glue

Directions:

1. First I cut my 2x4's in two sections. One was a little bigger then the other. Use your own judgement on how big that you would like them.

2. Spray with black paint. Cut dowel rod desired length and spray with black paint too.

3. Drill a hole the same size as your dowel rod in the smaller 2x4. See my little helper. :) 

I would have liked a larger dowel rod, but this was what I happened to have at home.

4. Glue dowel rod into top piece of 2x4 with wood glue. Then glue both pieces of 2x4 together as shown below.

Here is my oldest blowing up who knows what. I wish I had recorded his amazing sound effects. I feel like gun sounds must be a part of the genetic coding of little boys. He made me laugh so hard because he said, "Mom, why do you always have to take a picture before we play with everything!"

This provided the longest afternoon of fun and creative play...even if it was with army men, tanks, and guns!

Here is an older post you might like about building a super hero town out of 2x4's. Click here to see the instructions.

Summer Salad or...

My sister and her husband are home visiting from Thailand, and she came out to take the boy's pictures today. I can't wait to share them when they are done and edited. I have been dreaming up props and settings for weeks now in anticipation of some photo fun.

I love that the weather is warming up and we are getting to spend more time outside on the weekends. Texas has such a small window of opportunity to truly enjoy the afternoon weather before the 100 degree days hit! We have been doing a lot of dinners outside on the patio to enjoy the fresh air. Along with this time of year, comes the promise of fresh vegetables. Therefore, I did a little experimenting and concocted this dish I call summer salad. There are so many possibilities with this meal.  Scrumptious!

Ingredients: 

1 avocado cut in small cubes

1 cup of grape tomatoes cut in half

1juice of lime

8-10 oz crab meat

1 cup cooked or roasted corn

1/2 cup peppers (green, red, and/or yellow)

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp chopped cilantro
2 tbsp chopped red onion

Jalapeno chopped (optional)

Directions:
1. Place olive oil, lime juice, and red onions in a bowl to soak. In the meantime, prep the rest of your ingredients.

2. I wanted to use roasted corn but we didn't have any leftover. Instead, I combined the peppers and corn in a skillet and cooked them with a little olive oil leaving a little crispy.

3. Combine the remainder of the ingredients and toss well to coat.

4. Yum! Enjoy! These colors are just so vibrant.

I served some over some parmesan crusted tilapia and ate some just as an excellent salad. This recipe could easily be served over salad greens as well.

Oh...and I tried a new version of potatoes. They were a huge hit with the kids. I will share them another day, but they are a healthy alternative to potato skins.