make your own microwave popcorn

Something to try tonight...

Use two brown bags and put one inside the other. Dump in 1/3 cup of popcorn kernels and 2 to 3 tablespoons of popping corn oil. Add salt to taste.

Fold the bag three or four times. Place in microwave with fold down.

If your microwave has a popcorn setting like ours does, just set it and wait. Otherwise, you'll have to do the same song and dance as regular microwave popcorn (set it for 5 minutes and wait until the popping sound slows).

Perfectly popped! 

If you like it buttery, spritz a little of this magic right into the bag.

The benefits: cheaper, healthier, no yucky microwave popcorn smell, and it's fun!

put a fork in it

I made a small batch of fork ladies from Kima's tutorial in the Summer issue (subscribe here for just $3.99).

I loved winding the yarn to make their bouffants. This would be a fun project to do with your little girl...you could even put on a puppet show with them when you've made up a few.

I found bamboo forks (100 for $6.50) here.

Complete instructions for this project can be found in the Summer issue of Inspired Ideas magazine (subscribe here for just $3.99).

Have fun!

fields of flowers

Today, Alfredo and I went with Pam to Fields of Flowers, a local pick-your-own flower farm. And, boy, did we have fun! It was a beautiful day...

And look at the pretty flowers that went home with us...

journal cheat

I have a paralyzing fear of the blank page that has prevented me from jumping on the journal bandwagon. The other day, Pam and I had an idea for a journal that would help jump-start me into recording my thoughts and plans on the written page...

The Jump Start Journal...

I used Pam's Doodle Bundle to make pre-doodled journal pages to print out. I loaded my printer with an assortment of odd paper that I have leftover...including this really fun kraft paper. 

The cover needs some help...I tried using iron-on transfers to decorate the embossed book cover but it didn't really work well...I think I'll keep working on it.

This is an iron-on transfer too...and he worked just fine on the inside cover since it was flat.

I even printed on vellum...

Those are my favorite pages because I can layer all sorts of fun things underneath...and when I start adding junk to the journal, it'll be even more fun.

I used a standard office-style 3-hole punch, adjusting the punch to be set up for the 8.5" long side.

Here are some more of the fun pages...

And now the moment of truth...will I be able to journal in these pages? We'll see.

If you'd like the Summer doodle bundle yourself, click here. And as a special gift, we're adding in the pdf with the doodled pages I just made up for my doodle journal. 

be my friend...

Yesterday afternoon, as I waited for the air conditioning repairman to arrive, I worked quietly on the sweet project Kristen contributed to the Summer issue (you've got to get it!)

I made 6 of her friendship bracelets so far and I'm itching to make more. They are so much fun to make! I'm thinking of making a whole bunch and giving them to friends when I see them. 

I made the first 3 with leather cording, as Kristen directed, and seam binding...

Aren't they fun?
These are totally my "I'm learning how to do it" 3. 

And then I ran out of leather. 

I searched my stuff for something that could be substituted...after trying a few things that didn't work (like twine)...I came upon a package of lovely pink corset binding. Who knows how long I've had it, afraid to use it, or even where it came from but I decided to use it. I need to do that more often because my accumulation of craft supplies is out of control. I also tried using vintage velvet ribbon. I love how it looks at the end but since you don't really see so much of it, it was kind of a waste of something so valuable. 

And then I found the sweetest, tiniest rhinestone buckles to use as slides for the bracelets. And oh my stars, they look so sweet! I think I found them on etsy a while ago...they are made for wedding invitation embellishments. Look for real metal ones instead of the el-cheapo plastic ones for this project. 

So, look how sweet..

Maybe you can see that I'm still perfecting the technique...I'm almost there. And I can't wait to make more.

If you want to see exactly how to make your own, subscribe to the Summer issue and look for Kristen's awesome project.

window bijoux

Here's one of the projects that I share in the Summer issue of Inspired Ideas. (Subscribe here)

I've always loved putting things I love in my kitchen window. When I was a little girl, my mother's window above her kitchen sink was lined up with small colored glass bottles. The effect of the sun shining through the glass and bouncing color over the room was simply magical. That idea was an inspiration for these mini-chandeliers. I really went over the top using my prettiest glass and plastic beads...it is such a fun project.

To make a few yourself, grab all your prettiest beads, jello molds, and subscribe to the summer issue for complete instructions. I can't wait to see how yours turn out!

doodle all day

My sweet friend Pam Keravuori, who has always been a huge part of making the Inspired Ideas issues, just added another cap. She's now my official doodler extraordinaire.

She's really much more than a doodler...she's a real artist who once upon a time had gallery shows the world over. So when she offered to draw some things for this issue of the magazine, I was really excited to see what she'd come up with.

One of the first things she drew for me was an extraordinary colorful pennant banner...I can't tell you how excited I was to see it. And every single day, it seems, she'd send over something new...each thing as lovely as the next. I love the birds and village houses. And the hot air balloon with little Alfredo aboard? How sweet is that?!

We had this idea that perhaps you would like to have such sweet doodles in your personal graphics library as well. You could use them to jazz up your personal correspondence. Can you imagine how sweet the borders would be as package labels? Or print out a full page and pen an old fashioned letter to a friend.

And you could use them digitally as well in your personal blog design. The frames would really dress up your photos, wouldn't they? And you could use the doodles to create sidebar buttons, a new blog banner, and page borders.

Later this week, Pam and I are hoping to get together to make a project we dreamed up using the doodles. I just know you'll be inspired by it.

Click below to buy the doodle bundle which includes 22 hand drawn, perfectly charming doodles by my friend Pam Keravuori. (for personal use only) $29.99