{Sunday Love} Sunday Afternoon Crafts & FAMILY Wall Art

by Natasha on July 31, 2011 in tutorials

I’m SO SO excited about this! The wonderful Sarah from Blogstar approached me awhile back to see if I’d be willing to contribute a project for an e-book she was putting together. I, of course, was more than willing to participate (I believe I did a little happy dance around my living room) & this past week the book came out. You can view it as part of a daily slideshow website called Kirtsy via this link. A lovely company called giggle sponsored our little project. Giggle is one of those fabulous flash sale sites except it’s all wonderful kid & baby products. I knew I already loved Giggle just because they’re awesome enough to appreciate the craft community but then I checked out the site & love them even more because they actually offer great products! Even better if you sign up for their email updates via the Sunday Afternoon Craft book you’ll get a $10 off promo code towards any purchase, how cool is that?

Here’s my little project for the book, I call it “Family Wall Art”

The entire canvas is covered in our handprints & a few pawprints from the mutts, I’m completely smitten with it. You can see the full tutorial here…

So if you have a sec & you wouldn’t mind please check out all the fabulous tutorials (there’s some great ones in there!) & sign up for the giggle emails. You’ll get $10 off & can always unsubscribe later. Although you probably won’t. (;

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Simple Pesto

by Natasha on July 29, 2011 in dinner 101, Uncategorized

If you’ve never made homemade pesto trust me when I say you’re missing out. It’s summertime in your mouth. Fresh basil, toasted pine nuts & sharp parmesan cheese. Mmmmm…

This stuff is so good I could easily eat it by the spoonful. In fact I might just have done that, & then gotten a belly-ache, & then did it again. Glutton for punishment but it’s just that good. Try it on pasta, dolloped on a toasted crostini or even as a spread on a tomato mozzarella panini, you really can’t go wrong.I’ve tried a few pesto recipes & while they’re all pretty similar Giada’s is my favorite. You can always make extra & freeze it but honestly, we’ve never had extra. One thing I do freeze however are pine nuts, those little suckers are expensive, I never use the whole bag & if you leave them in the pantry they’ll turn rancid. I tossed the extras (untoasted) in a tupperware & stuck them in the freezer for the next time I get the pesto itch.

Basil Pesto

salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (toast briefly in a hot ungreased skillet or on a baking sheet, just be careful, they burn quick!)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup – 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Into the bowl of a food processor, add the garlic, basil leaves, pine nuts, salt, and pepper. Pulse until finely chopped. With the blender still running, slowly pour 1/2 cup of olive oil. Check for a thick, yet smooth consistency, adding more oil if necessary. Transfer to a bowl and stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan. (I use this hand mixer for my purees, soups & other random blendings)

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Underwater Bedroom

by Natasha on July 27, 2011 in tutorials

Last night I finally got my butt in gear & took the time to put this project together, I’m so happy I did too because although I knew it would probably look good I never expected it to make me feel good.The poster is called “Underwater View” & is from allposters.com, (use the code SUMMER22 for 20% off or SUN2499 for free shipping) I ordered a size 32×24 & then cut it into 6 8×10 pieces. The poster was a little too large to split into 6 evenly so I just made sure that all 6 prints had a common middle area & common sides. In other words I left the extra poster on the outer perimeter, you want the prints to look like they would connect were they still together. Does that make sense? I also used my old standby of IKEA Ribba frames.

I chose this print because I thought the blues would play nicely off of my rust colored bedding & it does, but what I really love is when I look up at all those beautiful sparkling water ripples it makes me feel calm. A bit hokey but I swear it’s true! I like to pretend the frames are actually portholes on a ship & I’m on a romantic cruise with the hubs. Baby crying? No, it’s just dolphins playing.

Shhhhhh, just give me 5 more minutes…

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Mermaid Birthday Party

by Natasha on July 26, 2011 in mommy blog, Uncategorized

The decorations were somewhere between an ‘ocean oasis’ & ‘underwater crackhouse’ but Sam was in birthday girl, fin-tastic heaven so I’m going to go ahead & stamp this party as a “SUCCESS”

The decorations were a mix of dollar bin finds at Michaels, fabric from JoAnn’s, wall decals from Sears & a hundred different little chachkies from Oriental Trading Company. For entertainment we had a few things going on…this Ariel slip n slide, a baby pool with this Folding Slide we already had in it, our wonderful sand & water table, the best bubble machine ever, this baby sprinkler pool as our “guppy pool” for the babies & the star of all water play…the inflatable little tykes water slide. We bought this at the beginning of the summer (with $100 off coupon at toys r us) knowing we’d use it not only for Sam’s party but also all summer long. It should last a few years & I justified the cost by rationing that we probably would’ve spent around the same amount of money on kid’s entertainment at some kid’s gym, romp, bounce house place. (I also ordered this splitter that let’s you hook 2 hoses up to one spigot so all the activities can run simultaneously)

For drinks I served blue gatorade to the kid’s & labeled it “Sea Water” & served ‘Ocean Ritas’ to the adults. (We used this margarita machine & substituted part of the tequila with blue curacao) The food was done by our local Chick-fil-a, I ordered the trays online & let me tell you, those little nuggets of happiness were a HUGE hit! And super affordable too. I would absolutely order trays from Chick-fil-a again. And then there were the cupcakes….sighhhh. It was almost a shame to eat them, they were so pretty. I went into Lilly Magilly’s & ordered them with just the description that they were for a little girl’s mermaid party. Perhaps she could do some fondant starfish or something…well, never did I ever expect her to make those GORGEOUS fondant cupcake toppers! They were seriously amazing, so much so that when people asked me if I made them (PuHAHAHAHAHAAHhahahHAahHAHhaha…whew, that was a good one) I couldn’t even pretend to lie. If you live in DC/MD area drop by the shop & try one. AH-MAZING.

I can’t believe my little munchkin is 3. UGhhh. Just kills me. On one hand, I’m absolutely loving the age. Yesterday I took her to Panera for lunch, just the two of us, & it was the first time I was ever able to just sit & talk with her. Like a real conversation. It was crazy. But on the other hand my memories of her as an infant are starting to get hazy, it all went by so fast. This new “girl” is wonderful but sadly for her to be in my life means my little “baby” is gone. Man, life’s a b#@ch sometimes ain’t it?

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Mermaid Wreath

by Natasha on July 22, 2011 in tutorials, Uncategorized

What a week! Sam’s birthday party is on Saturday, as in, TOMORROW so we’re in major party planning crackdown mode here in the little monster household. I actually had to ~~beg~~ kindly request for our sitter Miss Kim to come by for a few hours this morning so I could decorate the house. Sam requested, with a little subtle suggesting from me, to have a “Mermaid Party”. When you have a birthday that often falls in the middle of a heat wave (it was 101 yesterday!) water activities are a must. Throw in a mermaid theme & you can get a fix for 3 yr old’s princess obsession too.
Since I’m giving myself a pass on cooking or baking anything homemade I decided to set my domestic sights on transforming our home into an underwater princess oasis. If I can get half of the ideas in my head actually up & hanging on the walls this could be pretty awesome. (I bought an unspeakable amount of turquiose, lime green & purple tulle, netting & glitter) I got a little headstart yesterday during naptime with this mermaid wreath to welcome our guests & yes, I already know, it’s a bit on the gaudy side. But that’s just how Sam likes it. (see pink clip-on hair extension at end of post)I figured she’d be so busy with her friends presents on Saturday that there’d be no harm in going ahead and giving her one of mine. I found this mermaid costume costume on Amazon & it’s so much bettter than the Disney store one she used to have. (not to mention half the price) I’m really happy with it & considering she’s worn it for 2 straight days I’m thinking she likes it too.

And the photo shoot is officially over. What time is that sitter coming again?

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{Sunday Love} Michelle Chang Jewelry

by Natasha on July 19, 2011 in Sunday Love

I found this Etsy shop via Pinterest & immediately fell in love…

Baby Elephant Ring

Baby Skull Necklace

Pyramid Stud Earrings

Snake Ring

Michelle Chang’s pieces are everything I love in my jewelry. Simple, delicate & whimsical. I love unique pieces & these are so different, I mean, when are you ever going to run into someone with Manta Ray studs or Kitty bangles?? I also have pretty tiny wrists & a thin neck so I like pieces with thin chains & tiny charms. I also love to layer my jewelry so having lovely smaller pieces is a must.

Honestly, I want every single piece in her shop, from the pyramid stud earrings to the amethyst snake ring I WANT THEM ALL.

I was so smitten with her shop that I knew I had to share it with you so I emailed Michelle, told her how much I loved her shop & if I wrote a review about it on my blog would she be willing to give my readers a discount. And guess what? She’s giving all Pink Monster readers 20% off of any item in her shop! Nice, huh?! Just use the promo code “PINKMONSTER” when you check out, the code will last for 2 weeks so get going & buy yourself something nice. Or I suppose you could buy something for someone else but seriously, don’t you deserve a little something pretty?

ps- Yes, I realize this ‘Sunday Love’ post is on Tuesday. It’s been that kind of week but good news is someone is pooping on the potty, woohoo for one less butt to wipe!

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Island Monster

by Natasha on July 16, 2011 in personal ramblings

So nobody bit at my little tease yesterday, huh? No one?? {cue the crickets}

Well, I guess that should be a lesson for me to not do shameless teases. Lesson learned dear friends, lesson learned.

ANYWAY, after you all went crazy with speculation as to what I could have been lying to you about I was going to tell you that I’ve secretly been on vacation for the last week & a half. While you saw my blog posts & assumed I was still snug on my couch with a half drank cup of coffee & unbrushed teeth I was actually sunbathing on an island enjoying the BEST VACATION OF MY LIFE!
I would’ve told you we were leaving because I totally trust you but who I don’t trust is Joe McCreeperson who I’m sure trolls the mommy blogs & would’ve been all too tempted to sneak into our house & try on my underpants while he knew I was out of town because my blog said so. I’m on to you Joe. Stop being creepy.

We snuck off to a place called “Palm Island Resort”, it’s a beautiful island off the west coast of Florida around an 1hr & a half south of my hometown, Tampa. There are no cars allowed on the island, you take a ferry to get there & trade in your minivan for a golf cart. No grocery store so you stock your fridge at the beginning of the week & then the families all take turns grilling out by the pool every night. The island is mostly 1,2 or 3 bedroom condos right on the beach, it’s really the perfect place for multiple families to join in on a fabulous family vacay. But enough of that, now I’m going to treat you like the friend you are & make you look at my vacation photos. And you’re probably going to be bored but because you’re my friend you’re going to smile & nod & maybe even ask a question or two just to seem interested…

All beautiful sunsets & unicorns, hugs & kisses, perfect vacation, right? Well, apparently we must have been having too much fun because somebody put a joo-joo on us at the end of the trip…

1st my sister Rebecca fell off her golf cart & broke her leg & ankle! YIKES!! (although she does rock that cast, does she not?)

Then that very same night Sam got bit by a “buh-gee-do” (translation:mosquito) right under her eye. The next morning it swelled up her entire eye which I kind of expected but what I wasn’t expecting was for her tongue to swell too! PANIC PANIC PANIC!

Luckily while we were in route to head off the island & back to the hospital when the Benedryl I had given her kicked in & the swelling subsided. (Also I just picked up a scrip for an epi-pen (sp?) from the Dr today, looks like I’ll be making a little emergency bug bite travel case! Woohoo.)

I’ve been a completely depressed shlump since we’ve been back. I just want to go back! I’ve enjoyed vacations before but have always been ready to come back home. This one however I really, truly was sad to leave & I realize it’s because I had everything I wanted in one perfect place. No chores, no work, no phone calls…every morning was a lazy Saturday. Lay in bed with our kids, watch cartoons…no schedule. NO alarm clock. It was just us with our kids, family & friends & the biggest decision we had to make was should we go to the pool or beach next. Sigh.

I suppose it would get old at some point & I’m sure we’d drive each other crazy but one thing I am leaving this vacation with is that we work entirely too hard in this house & need to make more of an effort on the weekends to just say “screw it” & do something fun with our kids. Because really, they’re pretty darn awesome.

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American Apparel Inspired Circle Skirt

by Natasha on July 14, 2011 in tutorials, Uncategorized

I know I usually set my crafting cross hairs on Crewcuts when I want to do a knock-off project but today I’m going for American Apparel. I just love their designs & soft knits for kids but hate putting money in their d-bag CEO‘s pocket. This was originally a post I did for Crafterhours Skirt Week but it was the same week as the new site launch so I’m just now getting it up on Pink Monster. Boo on me, I know, I know.

Anywho, this skirt is made from any soft knit you have on hand. From leftover t-shirts to slinky jersey they’ll all produce great results that are just as comfy as they are perfect for twirling. The skirt itself is one continuous circle of fabric which gives it it’s great flow. Throw in an easy foldover waistband & I’m officially in love.

First step is to write up a quick pattern. The only thing about this project that could be construed as even slightly difficult is figuring out the measurements. It involves a bit of math but don’t worry, I’m allergic to math so I promise to keep it super slowww & simple.
(Also note that I did not add any seam allowance in my measurements, since the knit has such stretch I wanted it a smidge snug)

The idea is to draw a pattern that is a perfect 1/4 of a circle with the inner circle being 1/4 of your child’s waist measurement. (eh? keep reading, it’ll make sense) To find that magic number you need to figure out what the radius is of a __ circle (blank being your waist measurement, mine was 20″) That involves Pi which is already making my nose tickle so I just google it. Seriously. I typed in “what is the radius of circle who’s circumference (total measurement around the circle) is 20 & guess what, some math website tells me it’s 3.18!

On my pattern paper I drew two 3.18″ lines (see step 1 below), then continued to draw more 3.18″ lines so that I could easily connect the lines & have a nice curved edge. (step 2) This little arc is going to be the inner curve of our pattern. Next decide what you want the length of the skirt to be, I chose 9”. Stemming out from your little arc draw several 9″ lines. Connect these edges, cut out your inner arc & congratulations, you’ve got yourself a pattern.
For Step 4 I took a large square of fabric (32″ square in my case) & folded it into equal quarters. I pinned my pattern on top & cut along the curved edged of my pattern. (ONLY the curved edges! You need the folds of the straight edges for this to open up to one large circle)

Now for the waistband. I usually use a foldover waistband for making baby yoga pants but lately I’m really loving it for skirts. And it’s SO SO simple.

Start with a rectangle of fabric folded in half, cut to your waist size (20″) by 4″. Unfold & sew the short ends together. Fold this tube in half & you’ve got your waistband.The final step is to attach the waistband to the circle. It’s as simple as pinning the waistband along the inside circle of the skirt (right sides together) & stitching into place. Just be sure to catch all three layers as you stitch! (2 from the waistband, 1 from the skirt)Fold down the waistband again (now it’s a 2″ waistband) & you’re set!
You could finish off the hemline but knit doesn’t fray & I kind of feel like a hem would weigh down the twirl & therefore utter awesomeness of this skirt.

Next post I have to confess something to you. I’ve been lying to you & the jig is up…

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DIY Neon Necklace – Tom Binns Inspired

by Natasha on July 11, 2011 in tutorials

So answer me this, how much are you lusting over these Tom Binn’s necklaces? I don’t know if it’s just the beautiful bright colors or that they fill a small void that’s been in my heart since I gave up my day-glo pink Hypercolor shirt but I’m all about the neon trend right now & this jewelry makes my heart pitter pitter pat pat!

Price tag though, eeeeee, not so pitter patter. At almost 2 grand a pop it’s more cha-ching cha-ching.

So what do we do ladies? Give it up? Hells no. We DIY. Aw-Yeah.

Take some cheap-o, Claire’s boutique, prom rhinestone jewelry & a ka-trillion layers of neon nail polish and…

Ta-da! It’s kind of more of an enameled look than the clear crystals Tom has but the effect is still the same, & I can still feed my children. Bonus.

There’s really not a whole lot to the process, once you get your dabbing down you’ll be good to go. I did 2 thicks coats for the small stones & 3-4 slightly thinner coats for the large rhinestones. I also mixed in a few black polish stones to anchor the look of the piece. Top it off with a high gloss clear top coat & you are officially rocking the neon. But not in a ‘get sent to the principal’s office for having a slap bracelet’ kind of way.

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Turkey Burger Sliders with Avocado Aioli

by Natasha on July 7, 2011 in dinner 101

Mmmmm, now I’m hungry.

Season your small turkey patties with garlic powder, salt, pepper & worcestershire. (I always over-season ground turkey because it tends to be bland from the low-fat content) Grill them in a hot oiled skillet for about 2-3 min each side. Top with a tomato slice, crisp bacon & the avocado spread. (Recipe below) I find you don’t even need cheese because the avocado spread is so creamy, which is great because I’ve been trying to dial down my cheese intake since it’s so darn high in saturated fat. Although I suppose the bacon strips kind of negate that effort huh.

The avocado spread is a good ol’ Rachel Ray recipe. Speaking of, has anyone heard she’s preggers? I went to google search this recipe & when I typed in “Rachel Ray”, “Rachel Ray pregnant” showed up. To that I said, “Noo, I was going to say “Rachel Ray Avocado” but thanks, good to know. “

Avocado Aioli

1 avocado, halved and pitted
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Salt

Directions:

Scoop the avocado flesh into a small bowl. Add the mayonnaise and garlic and mash with a fork until well combined but chunky. Season with salt to taste. Spread on a toasted bun when ready to serve burgers.

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