This really isn’t much of a DIY. It’s more of an idea on how to add color to your table! While getting ready for a party last week, I decided that my little bamboo forks needed a pop of color. I dug out a tube of acrylic paint that I bought on clearance. {I simply bought it because I LOVED the shockingly, bright pink color!}. Using a painters tape, I taped the forks to a piece of paper and painted the tops with a sponge brush. When they dried, I flipped them and painted the other side. It took really no time at all to paint 30 little forks. And they turned out awesome.
Aren’t they darling in that black cup? I am thinking they will be fantastic painted yellow in the summer. Oh, the possibilities are endless!!
I love snow days! Call it wishful thinking {because we are in desperate need of snow in our mountains}, but I am ready for another one. We were lucky enough to get a day off due to snow just before our long winter break. Unfortunately, it all melted before lunch time! We are due another one. A massive snow fall, with multiple days off from school, would make me VERY happy. I thought it would be fun to put a Snow Day Survival Kit together just in case. Being prepared always makes for a much more enjoyable day.
After playing in the snow for hours, they eventually come in. Spending uninterrupted time together is a major perk to an unplanned day off. New activities go a long way for entertainment value. My kit includes: cookies-in-a-jar, hot cocoa and marshmallows, a deck of cards, a game to play together, and an old school movie.
Snow Day. Cookies required. The key is making it easy to bake them. Using a large Mason jar, I layered the dry ingredients for Best Ever: Chocolate Chip Cookies {directions and recipe after the jump}. Dump the jar in a bowl, mix with butter, eggs & vanilla, and you have homemade cookies. Since I plan to give a few kits as gifts, I also created colorful direction cards and labels to go on the jar.
Other kit essentials:
HOT COCOA: No snow day is complete without hot cocoa and marshmallows to warm up. Individual packets make it simple to make a quick cup.
DECK OF CARDS: Play go-fish, high/low, or rummy. How about a friendly game of poker using goldfish crackers to wager?
DRAW A SNOWMAN GAME{link after the jump}: It is a great way to add a bit of art and drawing to your day. Kids of all ages can play successfully. Bonus-you will have works of art to hang up!
OLD SCHOOL MOVIE: When you are exhausted and need to cuddle up- just pop in a classic movie you loved to watch as a kid. I picked Goonies because, well, it is just awesome.
Well, now I am set and ready! I know my boys would love a chance to miss school and sled all day instead. We are all hoping a major winter storm hits Western Washington REALLY soon!
Click through for cookie recipe, the Draw A Snowman Game, and resources:
Lately, I have been wanting to go to the movies. I have been wanting to go all on my own. There is something about grabbing some Milk Duds and going to a matinee that really appeals to me. It wouldn’t be a lonely thing to do…you don’t talk to anyone during a movie, do you? I thought about it during the school year, when I have a bit of free time, but never did it. Now the kids are with me all day [everyday] so I will have to wait. Bummer too, because there a few movies I would really like to see. Kings of Summer and The Way Way Back are quintessential coming-of-age movies. The Bling Ring is just guilty pleasure and I like Sofia Coppola.
Have you ever been to the movies by yourself? Do you think I will like it?
For my husband’s 40th birthday party, I decided to have a little fun with a press-on tattoo. I ordered temporary ink to wear the night of his party. Easily applied with a wet wash cloth {just like the tattoos you put on little kids}, it was a fun way to celebrate his big day. Aaron was completely surprised and not-so-secretly loved it! That makes me smile.
It is a great gift for your significant other on his or her birthday or your anniversary. Also, wouldn’t it be so sweet for a bride and groom to wear one on their wedding day that only their new spouse will see?
I recently made a batch of cookies for my father-in-law as a thank you. Wanting to transport them in a disposable container, I scrounged around in the closet. [I do not have a craft room. All my crafty supplies get shoved onto various shelves in the hall closet.]
This is what I came up with: *a left over ice cream cup from Little Man’s birthday party *washi tape *fun colored sharpies *a stray goodie bag *some ribbon
Tear off a length of tape and stick it to a hard surface. This will make it easier to write a message.
Simply place the tape on the cup, fill it with cookies, and slip the cup into the goodie bag.
Finish with a ribbon and there you have it!
Teacher Appreciation Day [or week] is just around the corner. This is an easy, simple [and cost effective] way to say thank you.
We were lucky enough to get a sneak peek [and taste] at Radiator Whiskey Monday night. There were thoughtful details, in every corner, that give this new space charm [and a little grit]. The staff is amazingly talented and welcoming. The spirits plentiful. And the food is fantastic. Let it be said that the 1/2 smoked chicken and potato salad is to die for good! On any given night out, I am certain this is going to be the place we end up over and over again.
The doors to Radiator Whiskey opened to the public yesterday at 4pm! Go get some.
Check out RW @ 94 Pike Street | Seattle, WA
Radiator Whiskey: A whiskey and cocktail bar brought to you by Dan Bugge of Matt’s in the Market, featuring custom and barrel-aged cocktails mixed using craft-distilled spirits, including local labels and a house-branded whiskey by Seattle’s 2bar Spirits.
{cool, old wood crates hold an endless selection of whiskey}
{the bar. built from salvaged high school football bleachers}
{vintage post office mail slots used as wine storage}
{Radiator’s 2bar Moonshine}
{Radiator Whiskey is just up the stairs from the heart of the market.}
I had lunch [again] last week at Volunteer Park Cafe. Nestled in a residential Seattle neighborhood, it is a lovely spot for a meal. The food is fresh and delicious. The incredibly friendly staff make you feel right at home. However, what I truly love is their attention to the little things.
{galvanized buckets with stacks of fresh baked goods}
{gumballs near the register}
{fresh flowers arranged on the long community table}
{garden herbs planted in sidewalk boxes}
The little thing are what make you linger after your meal and keep you coming back time and again.
Dorothy Dean’s Turkey Talk. Instructions my grandmother sent to me when I was preparing to roast my first turkey. She had received it as part of a Homemakers Service mailing printed by the local paper. Decades later, nothing has changed. I love that I have this!
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. I am thankful for the little things.
{And also all of you. Thank you for being so supportive of my little blog!}
