erasable weekly calendar { Tutorial }

Today was back to school day where I live.

Thank goodness that doesn't effect me anymore/yet!

Oh I hated those first day of school nerves when I was a teacher.

As a mother,  I am TOTALLY not ready to send either of my children off to school.

They  need to stay with this mamma for.ev.er.

(Today I feel that way. Tomorrow I may be willing to pay someone big money to take them ;)

I know back to school means busy. busy. busy.

I made this little beauty a couple of weeks ago and it has been a life saver.

a weekly calendar

erasable

cute

Yeah, I'm loving it.

You want to make one too?

First go find a frame with 7 or 8 openings.

If you are lucky- you'll find one on clearance like I did. Whoop!

Take the mat out of the frame and cut the burlap about one inch larger than the mat on all sides.

Fold the burlap over onto the back of the mat and glue down (I used hot glue).

Be sure to snip your corners so they don't end up to bulky.

Your mat should look like this from the front once you are done.

Take your scissors and cut from the center of each frame to the corners.

Fold each piece of  burlap back and glue. Trim the excess burlap off.

This is what your mat will look like when your done.

Pretty pretty :)

Use a picture (the size of your frames) to cut out the scrap book paper.

I used the paper that came with the frame- you know the one with all the random smiling people- to tape my scrap book paper to.

Paint the frame white.

Put it all back together and Wha-La ~

You have a cute new calendar!

I hope this helps make your busy school year run a little more smoothly :)

Much love

Life is beautiful sign { Tutorial }

In my many months of perusing pinterest I spotted this sign idea...

But I guess I never pinned it!

Lame

Props to whoever came up whit it!

It stuck with me though, and I have been dying to make it ever since.

I actually started this project right after Mattie was born 

but it took me forever a bit to finish it.

Those sweet newborns sure are needy aren't they!

Do you wanna make one of your own?

It was so fun!

*Tutorial*

I took an old beat-up piece of wood we had in our junk pile

(gotta love post baby body...)

and cut it into four equal sized pieces.

Paint them with a couple coats of stain and let them dry.

Grab one piece of cut wood (I grabbed the one that was the most warped and damaged)

Pull some scrap book paper from your stash and brush mod podge on the back.

Place the paper on the wood where ever your heart so desires.

smooth any bubbles out

and then smile at your handy work :)

Finally slather on a thick layer of mod podge onto the entire board.

For the letters:

If you are like me and do not own any type of professional cutter thingy 

(you know what I am talking about :)

you will need to grab some contact paper and cut out your letters.

(If you have one of those cool cutters feel free to whip it out now)

adhere the paper to the wood and paint the letters

(I did this same technique to all 4 boards)

I love the imperfections it came out with!

(Isn't it just a perfect fit for the meaning of this sign- 

It is usually the imperfection that makes life beautiful.)

Okay.

Enough of the deep thoughts :)

I used a scrap piece of wood and nailed it to the back-connecting the four boards.

(sorry no picture)

(I have changed it up a bit since this picture.

 I have filled all the frames and 

I added a large empty frame behind the

 pictures on the right to balance it out a bit)

Now it is sitting cute on my fantle (fake mantel)!

And I L.O.V.E. it!

Do you ever have those projects that just make you smile every time you look at them?

This is totally one for me!

I'm linking to these great parties!

bathing suit cover up to girl's summer dress

I told you I had one more project to show you from elsie marley's kids clothes week challenge.

If you missed the sweetheart shirt for Zadie you should check it out!

I am going to give you a little picture tour of the process.

Don't we all have one of these little cover-ups in our closet.

If you are like me you never wear it because

1. you shrunk it the first time you washed it

2. that skin right at your armpit is pinched and hangs over and it is very attractive (not!)

so instead of chucking it in the donate pile refashion it!

I took a tunic-length shirt to figure out a length.

I decided to cut right under the shirred top.

Cut out the armholes.

Finish the armholes.

Fold the top down one inch and and hem.

Feed whatever you want to use as the strap through the top.

Hopefully you will be lucky like me and you cover-up will already have a strap!

Wha-La! Now your little one has a super-cute new pillowcase dress.

One man's trash is another's treasure, right?!

It is not perfect but she LOVED it!

I also made a cute little headband from the shirring at the top of the dress.

Isn't Mattie getting SO stinking big!?

It is cute and it is functional.

Who needs a perfect dress?

In our house we choose comfort over everything else

because who knows when you may want to roll around outside!

(Yes that is chalk in her mouth. Don't judge. She is still super cute!)

xoxo