tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45707099186821938902024-03-05T00:20:10.510-06:00Benike BoutiqueA blog about a little of this, and a little of that. I am self diagnosed as having occasional craft ADD. Ok, maybe not, but seriously, there has to be more people out there who can't settle into one crafting nitche. Right?Amber Benikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047452479301957344noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570709918682193890.post-9995858125830908312012-10-22T08:13:00.001-05:002012-10-23T11:36:39.621-05:00Polymer Clay CreationsOn our summer bucket list, which has now turned into our "project binder" One of everyone's favorites is playing with sculpey clay. This stuff is available almost everywhere. And I usually get mine on an online sale or at my local Michaels when it's on sale there. A little bit goes a long way for the kiddos. So it has lasted us a long time. I also use my coupons at Michaels to get some tools because we learned there really isn't a great substitue for those.<br />
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Today we are making our own beads to be strung into necklaces later. Note: Use a toothpick to create the hole for the beads to be strung later. </div>
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Once everyone is done, place them all in a glass pan and bake according to package directions. The younger one did not enjoy creating her own beads and rather created blobs. These needed to bake MUCH longer. I think it ended up being a few hours. I just checked them every 20 minutes or so.</div>
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<strike>Once they had cooled </strike>When Mom found some time several days later, we strung them into necklaces. I forgot to put holes into the blobs, so I ended up wrapping them with wire and putting them on that way. They've held up so far, but they are REALLY heavy and so she does not really like wearing the necklace. Lesson learned.<br />
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I always keep a few "fancy" beads on hand for things. She chose to alternate with round black beads and then clear faceted ones. She really enjoyed all aspects of this project. And of course we are already looking for more ideas of things the kids can make themselves with the clay.<br />
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Amber Benikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047452479301957344noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570709918682193890.post-41129259511251191942012-10-17T09:59:00.000-05:002012-10-17T09:59:16.971-05:00Crayola Fabric FunWhoa, I've been absent lately. I guess the back to school, fall season, life in general bug got me. This summer we decided to try different thing to make our own tshirts and see which we liked best. We are far from through our list of techniques but the first one we tried was Crayola's Fabric Markers. And instead of a tshirt we got white bandana's from Hobby Lobby.<br />
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Now, while this is a great idea, I didn't realize how long it would take. But at least it kept them busy for about 45ish minutes.</div>
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Needless to say, its been awhile since we started this project. We still aren't done. But it was fun and they do like they get to color on something they wouldnt normally be allowed to! :)<br />
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If I were doing this again, I would maybe do a transfer to a tshirt so that it is less to color and they can hopefully finish it in one sitting. Either way, this gets a thumbs up from mom & kiddos.</div>
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Amber Benikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047452479301957344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570709918682193890.post-66359608872542125002012-08-25T09:43:00.000-05:002013-11-10T11:15:40.833-06:00A Baby (boy) ShowerThis month I had the pleasure of hosting my cousin's (who is like a sister) baby shower. She chose to wait until after baby was born to have it. She didn't find out if she was having a boy or a girl and she wanted to get lots of stuff that was for a specific sex. <br />
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I made an adorable invite on photoshop, which I'm not going to share because it has his picture and all of is info on it. We had the party at the new grandma's house for space reasons. So I didn't want to get to carried away with decorations. Plus it makes for a lot of extra work. I don't recall decorations from one shower I've been to over the years. But I do remember key pieces that were really unique. So I made the most adorable diaper wreath (if I do say so myself) for decor.<br />
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The menu was delicious of course and made all by me that morning. We had deviled eggs, cheesy potatoes (a recipe I completely made up that day!), little wieners, pasta salad, snicker salad and cake and punch. Naturally I got the punch idea from<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/163396292700276153/" target="_blank"> Pinterest</a>.<br />
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I did mine slightly different than the recipe. I used white grape juice, 7 up, vanilla ice cream and blue food coloring. None of the 3 grocery stores I tried had blue colored kool-aid. Plus, I did not want the added sugar. I tried a batch at home using blue Gatorade that tasted a little different, but still wasn't blue enough to emulate water. The food coloring version was delish!</div>
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Whenever we have lots of family together, we always take the opportunity to update our 5 generation picture. This is mine. We are SO blessed!</div>
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We played 3 games. First was a trivia game I made. I created this using facts I found on the Internet. I have created a free download for you to use - not the typo I have! oopsie!. And if you want specific sighting or you want to fact check the answers, just google the questions. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B7XGeR9Cfz4AWWI1QTQ0RWpNYU0" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZYPe_2EVg9tskgcL6NK3k5EwDGhdsBx1K_Ft1hjGgMe21kxke-lYK4nUiF98gtk2aP0jF1tzMmefVlYdz1P1r0tfxgyuaEbm8_OReeer6tTQekwUE2aJyqKb9KpzlIQdEW70s3RaQ5yA/s320/Shower+trivia.jpg" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trivia game I created has a typo! Oops! It's a nice ice breaker I suppose! :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkbslChuR7uj3b9nAxobtcFCJ_J_jNHQoZzd3GdL9ZxESYUAVrJKGQ0pJr6InHfgTxEstSlVfsGO2oWrDO2AVPfQSf6CSEWVtgEgI1p6Mp_uAnK3l6oGLz_2Yk_qqDCv2JAOmAFiIqozw/s1600/Shower+trivia+answers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkbslChuR7uj3b9nAxobtcFCJ_J_jNHQoZzd3GdL9ZxESYUAVrJKGQ0pJr6InHfgTxEstSlVfsGO2oWrDO2AVPfQSf6CSEWVtgEgI1p6Mp_uAnK3l6oGLz_2Yk_qqDCv2JAOmAFiIqozw/s320/Shower+trivia+answers.jpg" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And the answers!</td></tr>
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Second was "guess what's in the bag" where you put miscellaneous baby items into lunch bags, number them, and then have everyone guess what's in the bag by feeling them. I used all items you would find in a diaper bag to make it a little less complicated.</div>
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Lastly we played gift <a href="http://www.plan-the-perfect-baby-shower.com/babyshower-bingo1.html" target="_blank">bingo</a>. I used the free cards I found. But if you google "baby shower bingo card", you will get a lot of options to choose from. You use the gifts the mom receives as your bingo squares and then whoever gets bingo at the end wins the prize. If no one gets bingo, then the host can call out random items until someone gets bingo. Of course this generated a 3 way tie for the last gift when I did it. So I had a few extra baby trivia facts I didn't use on the first game. I used the question, what's the average time it takes a dad to change the diaper? They all guessed a time, and whoever got closest to the real answer won. </div>
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I wanted all my prizes to me things I had made. So this part was a lot of fun too!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 votive candles, a bar of soap and a lip balm</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">dish cloths (I love those!), a bar of soap and a lip balm</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a brag book made from toilet paper rolls and scrapbook supplies, a bar of soap and a lip balm</td></tr>
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Like I said, that part was LOTS of fun! :) I also of course, made my gift for the mom and baby too. Another puff quilt...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQceAdUlNLNSJMI2N62rWkIIxB7zan0EZEBHXpow7Sz5Au0cMVGL3JSc_nD5CyFZasnuZP24SEJIe0chzE2QoCK0pZOKop3y5E92TdvMuE5k8v2u1etXJRd6H80wZIodlKhlsncVNxgY/s1600/Puff+Quilt+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQceAdUlNLNSJMI2N62rWkIIxB7zan0EZEBHXpow7Sz5Au0cMVGL3JSc_nD5CyFZasnuZP24SEJIe0chzE2QoCK0pZOKop3y5E92TdvMuE5k8v2u1etXJRd6H80wZIodlKhlsncVNxgY/s320/Puff+Quilt+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It was a pretty easy event to put together. And with fairly minimal stress! If there is enough interest, I'll do future posts on the specific parts of the shower (how I made the diaper wreath, my recipes, the puff quilt, etc) Thanks for checking this out! </div>
Amber Benikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047452479301957344noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570709918682193890.post-81632040435045484732012-08-16T11:34:00.000-05:002012-08-16T11:34:37.573-05:00Blobs in a bottle...not quite...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4AIXQKth_GLNYUoI3fhlWPz4Xtw6xeTBvM_RkNbMJc1z2BktH2cYlKy1QwrGcIEk8XKOq79uJaAWdvryrMq-kE09E_iIXlE4oTT0TInby7Xva-TlcFD9Cb_8082w5hig60-0OAW25II/s1600/DSC07660-002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4AIXQKth_GLNYUoI3fhlWPz4Xtw6xeTBvM_RkNbMJc1z2BktH2cYlKy1QwrGcIEk8XKOq79uJaAWdvryrMq-kE09E_iIXlE4oTT0TInby7Xva-TlcFD9Cb_8082w5hig60-0OAW25II/s320/DSC07660-002.JPG" width="235" /></a></div><br />
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The girls decided they wanted to try the <a href="http://www.sciencebob.com/experiments/lavalamp.php" target="_blank">blobs in a bottle</a> experiment found on Science Bob's website. <img align="top" height="200" src="http://www.sciencebob.com/images/lava_bottle.gif" width="64" /> They were supposed to look like this. But ours didn't quite turn out that way....<br />
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We started out with these suplies:<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The girls poured everything into their bottles...</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The loved how the water and oil immediately seperate!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We added the food coloring, and finally dropped in the fizzy tablets.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We saw reaction (You can see the white fuzzy looking spots on the surface inside the bottles) but we never saw colored blobs floating around. No matter what we tried. We went back to the intructions. We used a different size bottle that Science Bob. We used knock off alka seltzer and we used equal parts of water and oil because <em>someone</em> didn't have enough oil in the house to fill these bottles. I am sure any one of these things could have given us scewed results. Either way, the kids still loved this project and I agreed to try it again, once we saved up the right supplies.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>Amber Benikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047452479301957344noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570709918682193890.post-18889669334670456332012-07-10T11:11:00.001-05:002012-10-23T13:15:05.152-05:00Summer List: Potato StampersAnother quick(ish) and simple kid project. I had some potatoes that were probably fine to eat but not my first choice. So we broke off all the growing parts and made stamps to paint with instead.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM7zL-22FIJoGyDjUS2VB91wixB7C1I1KOTLyijMMkPvRJ7sQdxrHMGztvLYNjSKd-5YcVr_PShz8q4MFn5f94s7zarGFNByEPyIJxTXg_QhdzYyP0YPSUAQbAhxG3yPveNiDq3yN4Ixg/s1600/pot+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM7zL-22FIJoGyDjUS2VB91wixB7C1I1KOTLyijMMkPvRJ7sQdxrHMGztvLYNjSKd-5YcVr_PShz8q4MFn5f94s7zarGFNByEPyIJxTXg_QhdzYyP0YPSUAQbAhxG3yPveNiDq3yN4Ixg/s320/pot+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We used powder tempera paint because we hadn't experimented with it much yet. But, after doing this, the liquid tempera paint would have been much better and quicker!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAirW7QRewhnX5E6977ZW64aggDFcl1Vm6yBc77TbF-h8VkEachRXyDjOnQ1t0hFe4dCml2BBnvzYfal37ygX9E2_IxdzjJJY9kmsjswIYoI_rxki8D7axJL7y3R8gnw1TDeSrSEk4JUo/s1600/pot+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAirW7QRewhnX5E6977ZW64aggDFcl1Vm6yBc77TbF-h8VkEachRXyDjOnQ1t0hFe4dCml2BBnvzYfal37ygX9E2_IxdzjJJY9kmsjswIYoI_rxki8D7axJL7y3R8gnw1TDeSrSEk4JUo/s320/pot+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We didn't do anything to complicated for designs. I used a small paring knife and just did the best I could. And the girls were fine with this too.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSJXchNj26PsgIWwrV0zGgINXQekk7vSRjhvgxyVH_XA1oohMv47uQDydmFcxPN5QsWgx8Ebtxcas4SuYB2hmo-YbNRAOvP8rFZQPdYYcYsoTAXtF9413V31CTvhP_qj5G4WQCZdqvUBg/s1600/pot+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSJXchNj26PsgIWwrV0zGgINXQekk7vSRjhvgxyVH_XA1oohMv47uQDydmFcxPN5QsWgx8Ebtxcas4SuYB2hmo-YbNRAOvP8rFZQPdYYcYsoTAXtF9413V31CTvhP_qj5G4WQCZdqvUBg/s320/pot+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We started out with regular copier paper, but that wasn't quite working for the girls so we quickly switched to our go-to paper; the butcher roll. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxcxHJ8WBqooxWnswnTZlZ8VGqk_2bvaA0gCSrQsJfMPx-FI1cuKsoItouVgX7ErzgwvaSzisI4rG6Nbpl7mU_kkG_8hPD7O0_V-aHJuQw2bnlI8ovSg7vf2bT0Y9evMyoXh1H81rORiA/s1600/pot+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxcxHJ8WBqooxWnswnTZlZ8VGqk_2bvaA0gCSrQsJfMPx-FI1cuKsoItouVgX7ErzgwvaSzisI4rG6Nbpl7mU_kkG_8hPD7O0_V-aHJuQw2bnlI8ovSg7vf2bT0Y9evMyoXh1H81rORiA/s320/pot+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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They made MANY pictures and I'm sure some of the relatives would love to see some of the masterpieces as well. This was a very quick project but they enjoyed it all the same. </div>
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Amber Benikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047452479301957344noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570709918682193890.post-86699723509817647202012-06-28T12:46:00.000-05:002012-06-28T12:54:06.459-05:00shadow boxesI love babies. I LOVE babies. Especially my own. Its been traditon that first birthdays are a huge hoopla here. (2+ birthdays are simple cake and ice cream parties) I always thought that day was so bittersweet. So happy to celebrate another first with our child, but the real first sign that our baby was no longer a baby and to quickly growing up. I knew I wated to preserve that day beyond my usual scrapbooking. And thanks to Hobby Lobby's awesome frame sale and shadow box selection, this idea came quick and easy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi931Eb9MNiucohcao96mlX5TZklcYxFcUc8vNtySE3JiIM-3sqEygBqY88lu2plWmq_YwLI3Wv2U6HsG-94P2aFZyOP7w964k4YuxjOsz1m_YGcQg8GFxnL2fxjLc8MyU5v-zzijqxX-Y/s1600/1+year+shadowbox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi931Eb9MNiucohcao96mlX5TZklcYxFcUc8vNtySE3JiIM-3sqEygBqY88lu2plWmq_YwLI3Wv2U6HsG-94P2aFZyOP7w964k4YuxjOsz1m_YGcQg8GFxnL2fxjLc8MyU5v-zzijqxX-Y/s320/1+year+shadowbox.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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First step is to save a few random things from the party. I always save more than I know will fit into the box because that gives me the most options to work with. Here is my finished frame. Besides the items and the shadow box, you may want a cute scrapbook page to be the background and some pictures.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEroNYg0zfo_F5LNX0U5l2bZc__T3ZYTbK8ED_QFVgyQkYnCatFJcSJh3rz49qZCUR-3MKgTCtzGGqy3I6mq-fKBVECyd7slolVsooVnyHgeCUuAjTTzyHsHJJhPDZfk1sr54MffvkGdg/s1600/1st+year+shadow+box+labels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEroNYg0zfo_F5LNX0U5l2bZc__T3ZYTbK8ED_QFVgyQkYnCatFJcSJh3rz49qZCUR-3MKgTCtzGGqy3I6mq-fKBVECyd7slolVsooVnyHgeCUuAjTTzyHsHJJhPDZfk1sr54MffvkGdg/s320/1st+year+shadow+box+labels.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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My finished product includes 2 pictures, one wearing the crown, and the other post cake! :) I also included a irridescent star we used for decorations, an invitation, the birthday princess button and crown she wore, and a small napkin.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQV557lDEWTiq_wXVK0U8rWtVx-HIESNhDocJiOG-6dENz0aMx2AgCZObfwEW7FQxqym1u4DewA3fJezOmz9mFgb6WpZdyEDOilEk-NB1TcY5P-7bba7Vq3ascW_9dJsxIUoD9TwZ63Q8/s1600/DSC02548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQV557lDEWTiq_wXVK0U8rWtVx-HIESNhDocJiOG-6dENz0aMx2AgCZObfwEW7FQxqym1u4DewA3fJezOmz9mFgb6WpZdyEDOilEk-NB1TcY5P-7bba7Vq3ascW_9dJsxIUoD9TwZ63Q8/s320/DSC02548.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Now that she is 7, she still loves looking at this. She has asked why I didn't make one for each party. That's a neat idea, but 18 boxes per kid could get to be a lot of wall space to display them...but still a fun idea! :)Amber Benikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047452479301957344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570709918682193890.post-55160577429103148042012-06-21T11:04:00.005-05:002012-06-21T11:04:57.655-05:00I made a Puff Quilt!If you have read any of my posts, it's not hard to figure out I L-O-V-E <a href="http://pinterest.com/abenike/" target="_blank">pinterest</a>! You may have seen the tutorial for this<a href="http://danandtes.blogspot.com/2011/10/puff-quilt-tutorial-for-beginners.html" target="_blank"> amazing puff quilt</a>:<br />
<a href="http://danandtes.blogspot.com/2011/10/puff-quilt-tutorial-for-beginners.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" closure_uid_tmwiru="11" height="400" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit3MjbP-MLDzoGTjx7ZaKbyYclY5rUCwu1OhcYeqlKqD53MnB6tTBk1XnIewFnhxJBfFTNJYnL4BsdYWt961gHdNCHUoqG5GQREotfVVdGgXj5dJN6DeGVbhVk6R3gdWDDZ7oRBxkHhyphenhyphenh0/s400/009.JPG" width="266" /></a><br />
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She has an awesome tutorial. So awesome that even if you have NEVER made a quilt of any kind (much like myself) you could complete a puff quilt!! I think her's is amazing! But before I tried one myself, I had to check out more. Enter "puff quilt" into pinterest search box. And you'll see many beautiful ones. My other fav is this one:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2apcHRKLOdxx_SKK5BjtT-Ngqa2X_w0XU92JIHDuO6s_VZtDyXSI-lz3c9bhlI7e9XCmyNXShTytL2h5Z-IvH3enNABLiowsLDpv9J6GUCFPVT2td6zLL3gPn2AdtsfeqIW3daEs5QNc/s1600/tealdamask1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2apcHRKLOdxx_SKK5BjtT-Ngqa2X_w0XU92JIHDuO6s_VZtDyXSI-lz3c9bhlI7e9XCmyNXShTytL2h5Z-IvH3enNABLiowsLDpv9J6GUCFPVT2td6zLL3gPn2AdtsfeqIW3daEs5QNc/s400/tealdamask1.jpg" width="297" /></a><br />
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Can you believe this one was a give-a-way!!? Awesome! The post is on<a href="http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2010/08/brand-new-sponsorand-gorgeous-giveaway.html" target="_blank"> makit-loveit,</a> but the blanket was made by Heidi at <a href="http://www.honeybearlane.com/" target="_blank">Honeybear Lane.</a> All 3 blogs are really great!<br />
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So with all that beautiful inspiration, and a very pregnant best friend, I needed to attempt to make one. I went to Joann's. I was super lucky and received a 60% off coupon back in May. That was what made me decide to get the Minky for the back side. (I'd never attempted to sew minky before. I am not a fan.) After my two little helpers and I decided on a few different fabrics and patterns we wanted, I headed home. Of course I was extremely excited and didn't take hardly any before pictures.<br />
But here are plenty during:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs4Sqx-eBDx4DmTs3QvRpg-RljJOycxPd5NrPhQr8kx5Snw_1u2kGWo39IlrD6raTqS78nYh9V4lW6_V6qYt8sRDjkVxVENlMBqPG9mm6YMwPJiPyfZ5BHpViBlYq-fKEhj5r_YZ4Q1Ls/s1600/puff+quilt+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs4Sqx-eBDx4DmTs3QvRpg-RljJOycxPd5NrPhQr8kx5Snw_1u2kGWo39IlrD6raTqS78nYh9V4lW6_V6qYt8sRDjkVxVENlMBqPG9mm6YMwPJiPyfZ5BHpViBlYq-fKEhj5r_YZ4Q1Ls/s320/puff+quilt+1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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AHHH! Finally done stuffing!</div>
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I used minky, flannel and cotton. </div>
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4 rows done!</div>
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I wanted my blanket to be small enough to throw over the carrier or stroller. Or to use for tummy time on the floor. Not really one to wrap him up in. So I made mine a little smaller. But I am so madly in love with it!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDdVppqrawf75A3mCkX40DX_MkF-K0uazPpEbrOPJwSteclCqIjsTjgZZKDerBQpg7wtV8gNY8H5_vhAsSFOrHbWSm_4hYmsEWR3_k88bETOdDLlZTBdBr9ZEylwBZ5hTlYYBaXQyn_IU/s1600/puff+quilt+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDdVppqrawf75A3mCkX40DX_MkF-K0uazPpEbrOPJwSteclCqIjsTjgZZKDerBQpg7wtV8gNY8H5_vhAsSFOrHbWSm_4hYmsEWR3_k88bETOdDLlZTBdBr9ZEylwBZ5hTlYYBaXQyn_IU/s320/puff+quilt+5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Of course I had to add a tag! :)</div>
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Ready for giving! Everyone in my family wanted to keep it because it was so cuddly. My husband even asked if I'd make him one. I'm fairly certain he was serious. </div>
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The only changes I made to the tutorials (although I didn't follow them exactly) was instead of doing a slip stitch to close it, I did an invisible stitch. Which I'd also never done. It was a little more time consuming and I only ripped it out twice! But I was much happier with the finished appearance. </div>
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Also worth noting, if your minky gets to long when you are closing the last seam/pocket, I just folded mine in on itself. I would have taken a picture of it, but you couldn't hardly tell that it was even there. So there wasn't much to show! </div>
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Even if this project intimidates you, or you are just a beginning sewer, I still think this is a project anyone could do and the end result is worth every minute!! </div>Amber Benikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047452479301957344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570709918682193890.post-32867759654301466432012-06-18T17:36:00.001-05:002012-06-30T20:00:36.081-05:00Bored Jar Activity: Marshmellow CreationsA great summer day that turned out to be really productive brought us to the bored jar. E drew "see what you can make out of toothpicks and marshmellows" So we got our supplies:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGzvhMc3ENmycbLG3j-XIhCI2VVf-fBjm_y75tYPdPssmDqSmT4IWRf1Lwif94os2tUB3lo-Eg9OjKy10KKgVQzyZ7GSkDnk2MXh2xNNFSe7x_CU9HcxeTUQGSAFhWf30luMw6XmQjS8/s1600/marshmellows+1+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGzvhMc3ENmycbLG3j-XIhCI2VVf-fBjm_y75tYPdPssmDqSmT4IWRf1Lwif94os2tUB3lo-Eg9OjKy10KKgVQzyZ7GSkDnk2MXh2xNNFSe7x_CU9HcxeTUQGSAFhWf30luMw6XmQjS8/s320/marshmellows+1+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">As usual, I just let the kids do whatever with them. I showed them how to connect them, but then they started creating simple "pictutres"</div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Once that was mastered, they chose to create all kinds of things.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I didn't think this would keep them as busy as it did. They spent easily an hour at this.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And before long, they had...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">...lots of toothpick and marshmellow creations. I can't remember what everything was, but as long as they were happy and entertained, it didn't much matter! :) Another simple and easy "project" in the books!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Amber Benikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047452479301957344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570709918682193890.post-34452196575357815412012-06-11T11:17:00.003-05:002012-07-01T14:22:15.674-05:00A Life bookMost people know I'm an avid scrapbooker. And naturally the girls are also becoming interested in paper crafting. They also like to look through old scrapbooks from when they were babies. We share laughs and stories and it's always great. Now that the oldest is able to read and write neatly I thought i would be fun to have her do some things we can look back on. I also wanted something more personal than the School Years books you can buy. <br />
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So we are going to create a Life Book. It will be a continual work in progress. I know many will think how is this different than a scrapbook? In my opinion, scrapbooks are stories told through pictures. I want this book to be the story of her life, told by her, and in her words. So I wanted to share with you the pages I have made so far.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRtKPKG7wzjnGyKDez-DCyJY6iKAZFceaOPSuJuKclOVKFYKq5ZG7JkDsTG6uUzopZMf-IczA32gObvTAA5r3zSHkwmfw3y7lV-shdfwSGxvG9CDCVUqbARZ1FEBZBphGBqQESGG5ss0Y/s1600/name+sample.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div style="text-align: left;" unselectable="on"></div></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A name/signature sample page. Have the child write the name on the line, and then the date goes in the parenthesis.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B7XGeR9Cfz4AeTdoLU85R0xndWM" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif-qWt3avPWWGmyFAJbsjUwMnVx1nojQGy8dip8h3yNc8mRlgwp7c-cthBij_wV_RZZk_jgk-PcV4d678TSl3GJaWy9WXXI-XAXMgMyihJN7Hxb0iqUp64kxXuYMT7kjDFBRGokazLeg4/s320/favorites.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif-qWt3avPWWGmyFAJbsjUwMnVx1nojQGy8dip8h3yNc8mRlgwp7c-cthBij_wV_RZZk_jgk-PcV4d678TSl3GJaWy9WXXI-XAXMgMyihJN7Hxb0iqUp64kxXuYMT7kjDFBRGokazLeg4/s1600/favorites.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif-qWt3avPWWGmyFAJbsjUwMnVx1nojQGy8dip8h3yNc8mRlgwp7c-cthBij_wV_RZZk_jgk-PcV4d678TSl3GJaWy9WXXI-XAXMgMyihJN7Hxb0iqUp64kxXuYMT7kjDFBRGokazLeg4/s1600/favorites.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div style="text-align: left;"></div></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I plan on reproducing some of the pages each year, so I thought it was important to write the date on very page. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B7XGeR9Cfz4AdUppQUdxQnZtNkU" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioguU6F-vEbB-L8dvLyjzbzjn9uyF3DBEnS6IhKh_U846SDnoQ-gjypfb4D7wjKZTH0rxqPWm58hD1k2YOavLiyZJdKXVF7zS55dNQC3G2ai-9ZHxZ4N7NM0ydut_q_JJ20cYzFMGKtCM/s320/First+Grade+memories.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioguU6F-vEbB-L8dvLyjzbzjn9uyF3DBEnS6IhKh_U846SDnoQ-gjypfb4D7wjKZTH0rxqPWm58hD1k2YOavLiyZJdKXVF7zS55dNQC3G2ai-9ZHxZ4N7NM0ydut_q_JJ20cYzFMGKtCM/s1600/First+Grade+memories.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioguU6F-vEbB-L8dvLyjzbzjn9uyF3DBEnS6IhKh_U846SDnoQ-gjypfb4D7wjKZTH0rxqPWm58hD1k2YOavLiyZJdKXVF7zS55dNQC3G2ai-9ZHxZ4N7NM0ydut_q_JJ20cYzFMGKtCM/s1600/First+Grade+memories.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div style="text-align: left;" unselectable="on"></div></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My Daughter just finished first grade, but this could easily work for any grade, and we most likely will do it for every grade.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B7XGeR9Cfz4AQm4zeDdXNlZsam8" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCb3eZqDBwDQgGrqQQAK0CgMfVtPJ8YI9ubPM-E-LpGLWg5M1OI-1Ac5sDvPgGIp9CgPTAQo8qL-F3ttwymA3EygoXqb2D0aFq_taT9mhDIY10d1pnWwrnu1SPAKuMWaZ0aaf-Hk1lGFY/s320/Me+Book+Birthday+Cake.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCb3eZqDBwDQgGrqQQAK0CgMfVtPJ8YI9ubPM-E-LpGLWg5M1OI-1Ac5sDvPgGIp9CgPTAQo8qL-F3ttwymA3EygoXqb2D0aFq_taT9mhDIY10d1pnWwrnu1SPAKuMWaZ0aaf-Hk1lGFY/s1600/Me+Book+Birthday+Cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCb3eZqDBwDQgGrqQQAK0CgMfVtPJ8YI9ubPM-E-LpGLWg5M1OI-1Ac5sDvPgGIp9CgPTAQo8qL-F3ttwymA3EygoXqb2D0aFq_taT9mhDIY10d1pnWwrnu1SPAKuMWaZ0aaf-Hk1lGFY/s1600/Me+Book+Birthday+Cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div style="text-align: left;"></div></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is more of a preschool page, but I still think it would be cute to see how they change their coloring, writing, etc of this page through the years.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B7XGeR9Cfz4AU2xIQmNaRHJSc28" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAFQW9ggzoIUIjiCe-HkOJe9jm5rcNtbqjJbIGMk0CDHdkNwy6PvDhi4dCxddGY5vNt66CsKTMdr9pw8Tx40si71fqGwiDJCukiNblDVfdSjo7nEdGt5sHVLfUu_-EEvNfO10OWxj-IUw/s320/Me+book+Page+1.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAFQW9ggzoIUIjiCe-HkOJe9jm5rcNtbqjJbIGMk0CDHdkNwy6PvDhi4dCxddGY5vNt66CsKTMdr9pw8Tx40si71fqGwiDJCukiNblDVfdSjo7nEdGt5sHVLfUu_-EEvNfO10OWxj-IUw/s1600/Me+book+Page+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAFQW9ggzoIUIjiCe-HkOJe9jm5rcNtbqjJbIGMk0CDHdkNwy6PvDhi4dCxddGY5vNt66CsKTMdr9pw8Tx40si71fqGwiDJCukiNblDVfdSjo7nEdGt5sHVLfUu_-EEvNfO10OWxj-IUw/s1600/Me+book+Page+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div style="text-align: left;"></div></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I love this page. It's a little more intimate than some. I would like to do several more of these with different prompts.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B7XGeR9Cfz4AODRjNHRXLS0tV28" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcrb99tey3GdjWUrVgnsb6btmTM1cyjTIkqc7BKuJiajCix2gkWvgClUgLut-mDwfhhZZbHe8fhL0n8uwfFtqliM13zMCoy3Za6J2Z29_hJkwPI32oMPQ5iE5zK1me3fYLKsMVmo7KBWo/s320/my+favorite+book.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcrb99tey3GdjWUrVgnsb6btmTM1cyjTIkqc7BKuJiajCix2gkWvgClUgLut-mDwfhhZZbHe8fhL0n8uwfFtqliM13zMCoy3Za6J2Z29_hJkwPI32oMPQ5iE5zK1me3fYLKsMVmo7KBWo/s1600/my+favorite+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcrb99tey3GdjWUrVgnsb6btmTM1cyjTIkqc7BKuJiajCix2gkWvgClUgLut-mDwfhhZZbHe8fhL0n8uwfFtqliM13zMCoy3Za6J2Z29_hJkwPI32oMPQ5iE5zK1me3fYLKsMVmo7KBWo/s1600/my+favorite+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div style="text-align: left;"></div></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Books are a big deal around here. I LOVE reading. LOVE it. Kids books are my favorite. And I hope that this love is passed on to my children. But, even if it's not, they have to read for school and are bound to find books they like :)</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B7XGeR9Cfz4ATUxXNmJ2Nm9NWUE" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-mIK0qxEMLo3JmnjZewrscarrHlp2fSuNgmj0ooVYPVOm4WCR2HNXgVbu7wH-4N5BA7LMOpi04LQO05J3QNgKZ5wjDIlGbmUEqw7EMmeMdJmz5NSeD7b0DRnmrFXzOH0LKYtMIFTYWB4/s320/My+school+year.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-mIK0qxEMLo3JmnjZewrscarrHlp2fSuNgmj0ooVYPVOm4WCR2HNXgVbu7wH-4N5BA7LMOpi04LQO05J3QNgKZ5wjDIlGbmUEqw7EMmeMdJmz5NSeD7b0DRnmrFXzOH0LKYtMIFTYWB4/s1600/My+school+year.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-mIK0qxEMLo3JmnjZewrscarrHlp2fSuNgmj0ooVYPVOm4WCR2HNXgVbu7wH-4N5BA7LMOpi04LQO05J3QNgKZ5wjDIlGbmUEqw7EMmeMdJmz5NSeD7b0DRnmrFXzOH0LKYtMIFTYWB4/s1600/My+school+year.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div style="text-align: left;"></div></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Again, I think date is huge! This page will be so cute! Now just to remember to weigh them at the beginning and the end of each school year! :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We've been working on a family tree page as well, but haven't come up with something that works like we want it to. But when we do, I will post that as well</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I don't have an order worked out just yet. But I don't think it matters. I want this book to be all hers. So I will also include drawings and art work she makes that are the 8.5x11 size. I have ordered some chipboard and we are going to do a cover when those arrive. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'd love some feedback on these. Let me know what you think of the idea and if you have any ideas you'd like to see made into pages. Thanks so much!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*Let me know if you have any trouble getting the pages yourself!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Amber Benikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047452479301957344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570709918682193890.post-6093084771682154442012-06-08T09:00:00.000-05:002012-06-18T16:52:22.792-05:00On our summer list - shaving cream colorsThis concept is pretty common among preschool programs, but both my girls love this activity so much that they both requested it be added to our summer activity list. And it's extremely inexpensive fun. We picked up dollar store shaving cream cans, one for each girl. But one for the both would've been plenty! And then we used cookie sheets and food coloring from the cupboard.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8vBcyZW2bNO4AKrfYPKAmyAGtuiH5lm_xd0Sw7iM7hNH56i0ctg-aGFWMan3QowaUISGnYXLMqTH7ikqYIZtlQi8wuMa6YPpshUiddD17wJMe_Ax9dFDHcLHeMb0wI229KtY3mDhwR78/s1600/shavingcream2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8vBcyZW2bNO4AKrfYPKAmyAGtuiH5lm_xd0Sw7iM7hNH56i0ctg-aGFWMan3QowaUISGnYXLMqTH7ikqYIZtlQi8wuMa6YPpshUiddD17wJMe_Ax9dFDHcLHeMb0wI229KtY3mDhwR78/s320/shavingcream2.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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This is pretty simple. Shake. Spray. Play. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUS0cACv6c9neRSjEKykvUSjJ9TR-W5udyo8tlADTnref_PF2zCbUHGt4FPQtMeOXMGzIDhcTNs3095IQho9SNRotyxDGtLxjevDt311iy_tbngIb4fXjPgC8m6NUCr3Fnj-JXwNoW5Ms/s1600/shavingcream1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUS0cACv6c9neRSjEKykvUSjJ9TR-W5udyo8tlADTnref_PF2zCbUHGt4FPQtMeOXMGzIDhcTNs3095IQho9SNRotyxDGtLxjevDt311iy_tbngIb4fXjPgC8m6NUCr3Fnj-JXwNoW5Ms/s320/shavingcream1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And I totally let the girls take the lead here. We just plaid in the white cream for awhile. We talked about how it expands as it is being sprayed from the can. How it feels, etc. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIV396DVaua8BPSq6WfLS6uDRyXMyzpj3siIzKkANpHSiEeBuCFSCYAmQuHjG3oCIEkArzL6cy82SDwRH0XG6nOcVzGhP4B8HneX8MyfuqQvV-4Zd8bAlOFuE8hlTfz4mEF0I2kj37plg/s1600/shavingcream3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIV396DVaua8BPSq6WfLS6uDRyXMyzpj3siIzKkANpHSiEeBuCFSCYAmQuHjG3oCIEkArzL6cy82SDwRH0XG6nOcVzGhP4B8HneX8MyfuqQvV-4Zd8bAlOFuE8hlTfz4mEF0I2kj37plg/s320/shavingcream3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I was especially proud of Little Miss Creative who used the cookie sheet and cream as a magna doodle of sorts. Here she shows her family portrait. :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGuabORKMfia8zPsObCw5bOQlQb8z3_INS5LPnu4DOPIoKqJEOIzfCeBUf6NcyaEKzstXzplBztAchZxKllZ14_C6gs4OdI-A4aC4FVN0fnnfcesm4jzfblaYQsyp8zu8Eylo9Boj03bc/s1600/shavingcream6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGuabORKMfia8zPsObCw5bOQlQb8z3_INS5LPnu4DOPIoKqJEOIzfCeBUf6NcyaEKzstXzplBztAchZxKllZ14_C6gs4OdI-A4aC4FVN0fnnfcesm4jzfblaYQsyp8zu8Eylo9Boj03bc/s320/shavingcream6.jpg" width="204" /></a></div>
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Next we decided it was time to add food coloring. Of course we stock regular colors and the neon colors. Now if only they made more colors...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEln_X_JaU9KpXeXYX03VEL4Gb8-hs39wP2Et5CFgtf88qKMQVzBAjgY3jf7XjDT_tCz4zaKDCKq8BX1i7yqBjRi5Xx5IigmUYwDcOOdqQDjXt6LFBdwSeLJHRPz1m6LSVpsiSeK_fnm8/s1600/shavingcream3b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEln_X_JaU9KpXeXYX03VEL4Gb8-hs39wP2Et5CFgtf88qKMQVzBAjgY3jf7XjDT_tCz4zaKDCKq8BX1i7yqBjRi5Xx5IigmUYwDcOOdqQDjXt6LFBdwSeLJHRPz1m6LSVpsiSeK_fnm8/s320/shavingcream3b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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E loved dripping EVERY color on her tray, but realized later that may not have been the best choice as it made an icky poo green we could't fade out or change. But it sure looks cool here!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBuybdf56smRYJ2IHtKczlSRLOERqb87levu7d6doIQiS65eSVxe2M230qZ0ZBn-eAgJtc1hkbmLiC23Wi9u2kOr_7hPAksM-dl30pqdn6ktYp-VUXn6qHZwaHQmjzyhZCRRZnIYaJiMU/s1600/shavingcream5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBuybdf56smRYJ2IHtKczlSRLOERqb87levu7d6doIQiS65eSVxe2M230qZ0ZBn-eAgJtc1hkbmLiC23Wi9u2kOr_7hPAksM-dl30pqdn6ktYp-VUXn6qHZwaHQmjzyhZCRRZnIYaJiMU/s320/shavingcream5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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O chose to add her colors slowly. At first picking her two favs, pink and purple. (my girly girl!) and added more colors as we added more cream. This made for a cool rainbow affect. And she really enjoyed when we added the spatulas and other utinsels.</div>
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We also added clear water beads to see what they would do. But I think there was to much cream at this point and they sank right to the bottom of the pile. E used hers to pretend it was buried treasure, but it was only found once as the pile was to big and the colors were to dark to find a clear softish marble.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRwjVk1w80hmMSFtnfX9iJwzddB5WBWVeG5AhGHHlNoXkdEJgrR_YG_sB4WAUw3L0M58hiJbQ7XY0MKallyVscLFsd09ArxhfE7feEKOC6gLK7BKZrKtumBSf2z13PHKJNBk9neXpq8mI/s1600/shavingcream7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRwjVk1w80hmMSFtnfX9iJwzddB5WBWVeG5AhGHHlNoXkdEJgrR_YG_sB4WAUw3L0M58hiJbQ7XY0MKallyVscLFsd09ArxhfE7feEKOC6gLK7BKZrKtumBSf2z13PHKJNBk9neXpq8mI/s320/shavingcream7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Of course Mom had to make a rainbow pile of mooshy cream too! E wanted to know what would happen to the shaving cream if we baked it. I honestly did not know. So of course we fired up the oven. (I am blessed with a double oven, so the smaller one only takes minutes to heat up) We set it to 350 and "baked" our creations for about 2-3 minutes. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6u5tZyhJQjoxjRQqlRMSGXJ9sa0nzQq18cgGh6ovZKNYwMx-PcsXPzHT7g90UpXFrWF1W0CLVvvMePGdLpXtEJ3X2Id70OqxYtwmVJNvgLpCUML9O07rvt7IgibgthVe8VB70RbodFqk/s1600/shavingcream8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6u5tZyhJQjoxjRQqlRMSGXJ9sa0nzQq18cgGh6ovZKNYwMx-PcsXPzHT7g90UpXFrWF1W0CLVvvMePGdLpXtEJ3X2Id70OqxYtwmVJNvgLpCUML9O07rvt7IgibgthVe8VB70RbodFqk/s320/shavingcream8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here's the cream after baking. It's hard to explain what happened to it. It was very clean smelling (like the original shaving cream but much lighter and airy) and it "sparkled". It didn't seem to change size, but I suspect it would have had we left it in longer. The girls were surprised that the cream was not at all hot like we all thought it would be. But again, with longer time, who knows. There are so many things you can do with shaving cream, so thankfully we have some more for next time!</div>
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<br /></div>Amber Benikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047452479301957344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570709918682193890.post-81694519348860306932012-06-07T18:15:00.002-05:002012-07-01T13:53:11.746-05:00Bored "jar"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizeVlkXt1UY2mMH1w69idrtXr2_4RM8_w3fZeOmwpFbTT3a-0zpqMIZ0XJZ9GGkLbd1B6wmYA58uCTik51TWk1flxSJz-nQ8ZzbfDG1iEzcoCFUZf16QwD8S14771jM2JNa155HjPgG9U/s1600/bored+jar+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizeVlkXt1UY2mMH1w69idrtXr2_4RM8_w3fZeOmwpFbTT3a-0zpqMIZ0XJZ9GGkLbd1B6wmYA58uCTik51TWk1flxSJz-nQ8ZzbfDG1iEzcoCFUZf16QwD8S14771jM2JNa155HjPgG9U/s320/bored+jar+7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
We've been mentally preparing for summer for at least a month now. I am extremely excited about the upcoming months. This is the first summer that I've been healthy enough to participate in playing with my kids like I want to. And they are both old enough that they can play and contribute and a new and fun way too. We've been preparing both a summer list (to be published later) and a bored jar list. </div><br />
Of course I searched Pinterest and found these fun ideas:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://teachmama.com/2012/03/quick-trick-fun-sticks-150-things-for-kids-to-do.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-6783" height="149" src="http://teachmama.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/fun-things-to-do-cover-21-350x262.jpg" title="fun things to do cover 2" width="200" /></a></div><br />
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<a href="http://www.somewhatsimple.com/the-mom-im-bored-jar/" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-10513" height="200" src="http://www.somewhatsimple.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/mom-im-bored-jar1-401x600.jpg" title="SONY DSC" width="133" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.shabbybeachnest.com/101-idea-im-bored-jar/" target="_blank"><img alt="Pinned Image" height="200" id="pinCloseupImage" src="http://media-cache-ec6.pinterest.com/upload/237705686552584181_YnTGFJnA_c.jpg" width="149" /></a><br />
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Click the picture to get to the links. There are more on pinterest. I just searched "bored jar" (and "board jar" - seriously...) I liked things about each post, but of course needed to make it my own. I wanted it to be a project for the kids more than me. So I complied all of the lists I could find. Then I gave them to my 7 year old with a highlighter and she chose the ones she wanted to make the cut.<br />
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We also set some guide lines. The purpose of the bored jar is to entertain themselves. So that means, when mommy is busy and there isn't anyone available or willing to play. And you also have to be able to do each activity on your own, without needing help or materials we don't have. So there were a lot of them that we both agreed would be fun to do, but that didn't fit our criteria. Those things went on the Summer List.<br />
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I liked the idea of putting them on the sticks. And I liked using Avery's clear address labels. I was able to make them a little unique by using different, fun (free), download-able fonts from the Internet. I also wanted to keep track of what we had borrowed from Internet friends and what ideas we came up with on our own. So I color coded them. <br />
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We had 120 ideas to start with. We split up the sticks, got out the tempera paint and I let the girls go crazy. <br />
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O lasted about 3 minutes and then she resorted to just finger painting on the paper :)<br />
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But E likes to see the projects through and was THRILLED with the idea of the bored jar. So she stuck it out and finished painting about 110 sticks on her own! (But it kept her busy nearly all of the morning! Day 1 of boredom - BUSTED!)<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We let them dry, and then I helped her stick all the labels to all the sticks. Originally we had planned to keep them in one of the large mason jars and swap them out with others to keep the idea newish. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizOSL5YO-VZiMNaYXuvfpqvvOAzHx5R_L5pTYt07embfPknJmKs0iIWpTG2Me-pmxCFbqiVy5asEjqHJW6iQsT4zThepgvOdrgs2LIi7kY70_3rQVm8rtI-NF2mviIWWTXM8fr97KYR_U/s1600/bored+jar+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizOSL5YO-VZiMNaYXuvfpqvvOAzHx5R_L5pTYt07embfPknJmKs0iIWpTG2Me-pmxCFbqiVy5asEjqHJW6iQsT4zThepgvOdrgs2LIi7kY70_3rQVm8rtI-NF2mviIWWTXM8fr97KYR_U/s320/bored+jar+6.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But the jar only held like 20 some sticks and we didn't like the way it looked. Plus, having helped compile the list, she knew what she really hoped to draw! Instead, we decided just to use the pink flower pot I picked up at the dollar store. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNNtuywx5s_NVhMC52l72uLy-c7mu0S54DBPdtEwApbr6nobeAe5w1HnBQLB_0mAV78ztBfze6pegECOnXCZ-IAl4cNy9wGralTaGmscGcFqR8GLmgpADkCXeSLO7nlXj8wT2kpx3T5Zs/s1600/bored+jar+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNNtuywx5s_NVhMC52l72uLy-c7mu0S54DBPdtEwApbr6nobeAe5w1HnBQLB_0mAV78ztBfze6pegECOnXCZ-IAl4cNy9wGralTaGmscGcFqR8GLmgpADkCXeSLO7nlXj8wT2kpx3T5Zs/s320/bored+jar+8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We've had the "mommy-I'm-bored" flower pot in use for a week and a half. I've only heard those dreaded words once, and I immediately replied, I think you know what to do. She skipped off to pick out a new stick. </div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Some activities last a few minutes like, "stand on your head" and others can last as long as she is interested. Like one of my childhood favorites, "paint the cement with water". </div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*Side note - some of the labels have come unstuck from the side they were folded over on. So I just used a scissors to trim them off, and they've been fine ever since.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*Click on the images below to download the files via google docs. (Don't worry, they're available to everyone - with or without a google account.) Thanks for looking! Enjoy!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B7XGeR9Cfz4Ac3dvdUJYT3FJQzA" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhteGO-oW1TDHYvz0ytVy-z1elURu72960HQ_IRVrGAZ7H7ZbGoWSnO201ZjexY2fTE0HxI1ko3w9plWEuDMBrWlwNqgveHCxhg0NeaSHPO9HELvIy3wVGqpSuq9fDDjMw4ByrLl-5VnoU/s320/bored+jar+image2.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B7XGeR9Cfz4AUTViR2tvUUJNWG8" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC6R2GFiITMuWM5BUf-4ljSQ39Cy3jQKSC1hL1b1bnNVLqeuO0TRUxsKRmKmaxHOaLaiAS4gft-fXR9MilBuifOy83hath_KDXWpYlOCxwhZMAXPLh37-LgoKNA6Bgb5BFnA-ERwRkypo/s320/bored+jar+image3.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B7XGeR9Cfz4AQ3A3aEdYb1IwWXc" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio5JIT9cxe5rOEwn23NGr9-ykuVGEXDPWOCQJUEZMv1D4oKuj4UgrLtYXq5b2py5w0kayMdqA2jEyaqoI0wYe7oeCNu38WqPvXd20CqmA3SA0zf0Q_4fRhQrdmQKuKO9R4RB59Wu7mrm0/s320/bored+jar+image4.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B7XGeR9Cfz4Aakt6SFhtYVVER3M" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwirLuVEGLC6KrxxJ3XT02_iCGwkmiPd3UYUHxqHXymkxFmlJqsYHIpTHNErDxkG-aZoN0TLL2f6cEqn9T-PVTpmEUK026hYC_c-Q1UjKF3tWqfWCq1DucbphXpK7hiy-Yqzqu-72a3UA/s320/bored+jar+image1.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Amber Benikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047452479301957344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570709918682193890.post-40774482161514479602012-05-24T11:25:00.000-05:002012-05-24T11:25:56.190-05:00Back at it!Well obviously I'd fallen off the face of blog world. With the surgery and the complications and almost the school year behind me, I'm ready to blog again! I've been quite busy down in my little craft world, so to get back on pace I thought I'd just share some of the things I've been working on! Lots of scrapping! So let's start with that!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiom0rLX9Z8mnsDHlQhbvxGBL7IekMDaaR7s1Troq8Ok9eWdqNtony_E32U-4YnDrfWOsobZilyHxHLjmsTEwYs36kKKDj-VoIWIwTzhlFly8f7Y6xMvt5eB63Ji4OLc3ll90pC8ml4dCM/s1600/Scrap+Album+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiom0rLX9Z8mnsDHlQhbvxGBL7IekMDaaR7s1Troq8Ok9eWdqNtony_E32U-4YnDrfWOsobZilyHxHLjmsTEwYs36kKKDj-VoIWIwTzhlFly8f7Y6xMvt5eB63Ji4OLc3ll90pC8ml4dCM/s320/Scrap+Album+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I do a decent amount of custom scrapbookin (although I wish I did more - sometimes! :) I just finished an order for a baby boy first year album. I use ONLY Creative Memories Scrapbooks, pages, and protectors. I personally had to learn the hard way, despite being told, not all proudcts are created equal. When it comes to albums, you get what you pay for. Since I believe so strongly in the products, I became a consultant also! This soft cloth baby boy album has the birth pages attached to the first few pages, but the rest of the year pages I put in a sleeve and tie it all together with a ribbon. I do this because each baby and story is different. They might not get their first tooth until 6 months, instead of 5. This allows the mother to put the pages in cronolgical order or whatever order she likes!</div>
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When you open up the cover, this is the first page you see. When I do custom orders, I like to keep them simple, yet complete. I scrap my own albums in this manor too. I like the photos to be what you look at, not all the othe stuff on the page. So I pick a few things to add to the page to make it "full" but not overwhelming. In doing custom pages, I like to make a finished page so you could just go in and attach your photos, but if you wanted to add something more, you could. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZd_zvJTwZe-Kaf7SF9jjVhctqicMIjaHlU0NUYQRb_w2_HIiT2GGdgSWlbk1af5DG8PPOX3_76WyyiHaFKPh15leIQJmE8qO5qeUEFOXKM9JpJhtB0EUPJ4bZqI6iMTtBlfA18JhEWBI/s1600/scrap+page.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZd_zvJTwZe-Kaf7SF9jjVhctqicMIjaHlU0NUYQRb_w2_HIiT2GGdgSWlbk1af5DG8PPOX3_76WyyiHaFKPh15leIQJmE8qO5qeUEFOXKM9JpJhtB0EUPJ4bZqI6iMTtBlfA18JhEWBI/s320/scrap+page.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Not every page will have room for added things after purchase. But with a big busy page like this, I don't feel that anything else is needed. When I made this page I imagined being home to a photo of an adorable baby boy close up or maybe a photo of his parents kissing his chubby cheeks. :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXXGyBCmgHwKA-Eoee_PSv57hbLa-DfcjqVLCoeoA-lj9s29n1H5QMY5ekRI2qOHTd_Ux0Ezn2NdUjBzKEUemlE99DrbeUOCmYRM4_WSWgpHCv6PIW-1WAOKKuPG656D5QIuwv_H271ko/s1600/scrap+page+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXXGyBCmgHwKA-Eoee_PSv57hbLa-DfcjqVLCoeoA-lj9s29n1H5QMY5ekRI2qOHTd_Ux0Ezn2NdUjBzKEUemlE99DrbeUOCmYRM4_WSWgpHCv6PIW-1WAOKKuPG656D5QIuwv_H271ko/s320/scrap+page+1.jpg" width="273" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5CqBOwE2gEuZUCNwDmhccXau40_RsBEOXZ-OqPAKcSHVLc2vJOfnG2NQhyphenhyphenPE3yShyV0RvuDNSCvjAygWhB6UdM_3YDoN00UEJTycbJWmlU7UJQLbte04jjzEa-Alyvj7V95IcYnpP-X4/s1600/scrap+page+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5CqBOwE2gEuZUCNwDmhccXau40_RsBEOXZ-OqPAKcSHVLc2vJOfnG2NQhyphenhyphenPE3yShyV0RvuDNSCvjAygWhB6UdM_3YDoN00UEJTycbJWmlU7UJQLbte04jjzEa-Alyvj7V95IcYnpP-X4/s320/scrap+page+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Some pages I leave a lot of room. These pages are great for adding your own touches after purchase, but also to add photos where you want. You would also then have the option to do some journaling. I think it's important to write in your own handwriting at least some of the time, no matter how much you hate it. Now that my grandma is gone, I treasure the few notes I have from her and so wish I had more. It's such a powerful connection to her and your family will feel the same way about your albums!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1PqKub7eWJlguYnlKk6J-MArfGYQ-yajPW3Pv0ZqTJzjY2LqVTkY7IzBFsJ7wqimSNsBVap7WsJJtaw_bG4Njc-K4YM-jYVQGAQ5qQBZGtqJebZGZL2jNh_14aeGarZnK9l4Gr3h88TA/s1600/Scrap+page+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1PqKub7eWJlguYnlKk6J-MArfGYQ-yajPW3Pv0ZqTJzjY2LqVTkY7IzBFsJ7wqimSNsBVap7WsJJtaw_bG4Njc-K4YM-jYVQGAQ5qQBZGtqJebZGZL2jNh_14aeGarZnK9l4Gr3h88TA/s320/Scrap+page+5.jpg" width="306" /></a></div>
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*LOVE* these stickers!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLSfw2l8myzY3RI5IEfDnyTCoo3PUQamC33NJIAptJn7w7vshW74qfL_SsX0qViDBKBhJPqajX1LsAnniN3CXDnvxCYsVQiHGo5vrjiin2OMn-I392JrL0BlVXpuPTXLbFv2sZPNBj9RI/s1600/scrap+page+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLSfw2l8myzY3RI5IEfDnyTCoo3PUQamC33NJIAptJn7w7vshW74qfL_SsX0qViDBKBhJPqajX1LsAnniN3CXDnvxCYsVQiHGo5vrjiin2OMn-I392JrL0BlVXpuPTXLbFv2sZPNBj9RI/s320/scrap+page+8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Mommy pages are my favorite for doing in boy albums. It's the one place that everything girly is ok. The page is about mom, but the photos are about the child. A page like this is a perfect meeting of those two things!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pw8HEOIqr0Rk-VpYEEOxS1ygL1rOBpTQTa5wNKfiwJZQn6Shp4aaV-FITokwAQ0Pd22L8Wb28YHkg447Z0XeM17aEmeieBHa1exJ0wNNpPhwZHptUGxoayKbRBaFF9dzsQQ-be1mEH4/s1600/scrap+page+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pw8HEOIqr0Rk-VpYEEOxS1ygL1rOBpTQTa5wNKfiwJZQn6Shp4aaV-FITokwAQ0Pd22L8Wb28YHkg447Z0XeM17aEmeieBHa1exJ0wNNpPhwZHptUGxoayKbRBaFF9dzsQQ-be1mEH4/s320/scrap+page+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Bath time photos and pages are one of my favorites. The pages are so fun to do as there are so many possibilites to me. Most kids LOVE the bath, so its an awesome time for some great photo ops! (Don't worry, with a little practice, you'll figure out how to shoot the pic without anything showing you don't want!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Sa1S5xszSwj1ltrN1WLUvwPKX-GDPn4ryk8N9dHjZbwzZohAegvjyQmkUS0PGZ0y-JaezrbXH2bkfUT6Yja3IYaiOOKyX7-OA3ZA0ByCh2g89nLTwHP-X6S5ls6wYxYJAva32JJvSbQ/s1600/scrap+page3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Sa1S5xszSwj1ltrN1WLUvwPKX-GDPn4ryk8N9dHjZbwzZohAegvjyQmkUS0PGZ0y-JaezrbXH2bkfUT6Yja3IYaiOOKyX7-OA3ZA0ByCh2g89nLTwHP-X6S5ls6wYxYJAva32JJvSbQ/s320/scrap+page3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkkee7AcH9LEz6i9cnMsS3cU8leq2qsn-b0SjEgBId_t3_iThxlGPkwTNtQKRBG6LvH1Nay84ENIlfUyV78X_4uQRlPVx-aYwCXDf8pGnVmt0yjPtZ5rtd2SesTUBPqkDGUs9CY7DwjY/s1600/Scrap+page+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkkee7AcH9LEz6i9cnMsS3cU8leq2qsn-b0SjEgBId_t3_iThxlGPkwTNtQKRBG6LvH1Nay84ENIlfUyV78X_4uQRlPVx-aYwCXDf8pGnVmt0yjPtZ5rtd2SesTUBPqkDGUs9CY7DwjY/s320/Scrap+page+9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is another example of a page to add as many or as few photos or even more embellishment as you like. This teddy bear is actually fuzzy and so cute! He was an obvious choice for this simple page.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDu2hw5Fyilj7ZY9-f7nH9dZA5B80dTuqEKK6RD4Z7uxEI-LQWoxTF64_cpLwMU1G56PXazgJpBAlMciFW4y5Mw6YE39j6KxRw0huBkTsmz1nibvfiAwj1id6eRNEWyq69BLEbvmtgwl0/s1600/scrap+page+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDu2hw5Fyilj7ZY9-f7nH9dZA5B80dTuqEKK6RD4Z7uxEI-LQWoxTF64_cpLwMU1G56PXazgJpBAlMciFW4y5Mw6YE39j6KxRw0huBkTsmz1nibvfiAwj1id6eRNEWyq69BLEbvmtgwl0/s320/scrap+page+10.jpg" width="278" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGdQEOZv19M4DXOSdP5ILi9X0Tybrd0WHLu1wki4h-da090o_5cTZDvmsBtpdUWFkl2okGVp0Az749cCG97KQP8q50pJdGDlpNAlN42zFJa6EfvVALx5GmQGZHP6EU-8gF6bxMtgDRGww/s1600/scrap+page+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGdQEOZv19M4DXOSdP5ILi9X0Tybrd0WHLu1wki4h-da090o_5cTZDvmsBtpdUWFkl2okGVp0Az749cCG97KQP8q50pJdGDlpNAlN42zFJa6EfvVALx5GmQGZHP6EU-8gF6bxMtgDRGww/s320/scrap+page+11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Again something simple, but so easy! This is a great example of the type of page you'd see looking through my personal albums.</div>
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So there's a few peeks into what I've been creating lately. I'm currently working on finishing up a few of the projects I've started (I have extreme crafter ADD) I am so guilty of starting something but not totally finishing it! Things like dry time annoy me. I get so excited about what I'm making, I hate waiting for things, so to cure it, I'll start somethings else! ;) </div>
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If you want to see more of my scrap pages, you can check out my<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Benike-Boutique/127004734020541" target="_blank"> fan page</a> or my <a href="http://www.benikeboutique.com/" target="_blank">website</a> and of course there are a few in my <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/BenikeBoutique" target="_blank">etsy shop</a>.</div>
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I'd love to see what you've been working on! Leave your link in the comments and I'll stop by!</div>
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<br /></div>Amber Benikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047452479301957344noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570709918682193890.post-44758869970049703622012-04-06T12:54:00.000-05:002012-04-06T12:54:55.792-05:00Please excuse my absence...I didn't have time to say so beforehand because my to do list was long, and did not get finished. I had lung surgery towards the end of March. The surgery went fine, but there have been some unforeseen complications/delays after. I am home now, sore and sleepy, with a chest tube still in. I will have to keep it in until the lobe that had surgery done stops the air leak. I've been told it can take weeks. "everyone is different". ugh.<br />
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So in the mean time, I will do the blog to the best of my ability. They forgot to mention that a main side effect of the pain meds I have to take is narcolepsy. Seriously! Well not really, but I do randomly fall asleep in the middle of everything. It comes out of no where and before you know it I am out cold. When I wake up My book is closed without the bookmark, I'm watching some weird show I've never even heard of, or I have like 289 "0"s on my page! :)<br />
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While I try to get my thoughts back in crafty blog mode, here's a site I've come upon while looking through the world wide web. I have a pile of palettes out in the driveway from the fire/moves. So I've been looking for projects. This site is one of the coolest I've seen. Lots of unique designs and different ideas. <br />
<a href="http://savedbylovecreations.com/2012/03/50-wood-pallet-projects.html#comment-9693" target="_blank"><img alt="WoodPallet+50 50+ Wood Pallet Projects" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6311" height="300" src="http://savedbylovecreations.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/WoodPallet+50.png" title="WoodPallet+50" width="300" /></a><br />
I'm sure you'll like what you see. If you don't have palettes already, I'm looking into where you can get them from. If you have any ideas, I would love to hear them!Amber Benikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047452479301957344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570709918682193890.post-87650646698585785312012-03-13T22:45:00.001-05:002012-03-13T22:46:02.037-05:00Tutorial tuesday - jellyfish!Sorry for nothing yesterday - it was my baby's birthday. They are so bittersweet for me. I LOVE the birthday and the day and the event. And of course I always reflect back on the day and the events of the birth itself. But I can't help but realize each year it just gets faster and faster. Every birthday is another year closer to no babies here anymore. And that makes me one sad momma.<br />
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We were at Mall of America in Bloomington MN this weekend for the girl scouts 100 year anniversary birthday celebration. (WOW!!) We went to the sea life aquarium. And much to my surprise the jellyfish were a HUGE hit with the kiddos, as well as myself! They had a very large display of many different jellyfish. So I thought this tutorial about making your own jellyfish bottle was fitting! I don't know if I could accurately reproduce her project, but its definitely worth a try - now just to find some clear shopping bags!!!<br />
<a href="http://bhoomplay.wordpress.com/2011/09/09/diy_jellyfish_eng/" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1971" height="263" src="http://bhoomplay.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/101106_jellyfish5.jpg?w=535" title="101106_jellyfish5" width="400" /></a><br />
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Click the picture to get to her awesome tutorial!<br />
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Let me know if you make one and how it goes for you!Amber Benikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047452479301957344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570709918682193890.post-33972657818354322512012-03-09T22:21:00.000-06:002012-05-24T12:20:27.684-05:00Freebie Friday - Magazines!I love getting magazines and/or catalogs in the mail. A lot of people just toss them, labeling it as the dreaded junk mail. But I love to look at them. Even the catalogs. It might seem silly, but I've learned a lot about different techniques and ideas from just browsing through catalogs. You never know when inspiration will strike. <br />
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<img align="left" alt="" border="1" src="http://www.catalogs.com/img/covers/full/cov_metkids11-11.jpg" width="175" /><br />
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Fill out the order <a href="http://www.catalogs.com/order.asp?id=1470" target="_blank">form</a> for Met Kids. I haven't gotten this one before. But it looks fun! And its free, so thats even better!<br />
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If you are reading this blog, then I'm nearly positive you love Martha Stewart. And if you don't love her, I bet you still wouldn't mind getting her magazine for one year for free! Unlike the one above, you do have to take a short breakfast survey. It took me less than 5 minutes. I was enrolled in some reward point program (for answering the questions) but I don't plan on using that so I did nothing further besides hit delete. Here's the <a href="http://www.rewardsgold.com/mags/ms_living_gd1y/sg_ms_living_pg2gdnomem1.htm" target="_blank">link</a> I used.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOCiVQDos0FhhyqjABAWqJz-N2qG2QifCVbX1Zw6fmBhDSL1MpazJGNoykB46L-OKsRwPXqTBNpYjzu3MxhfhdRC5ur-tjtnjrCg2I5puQKlk-2a-QocNDHDxhsaY3xlnc3KZOPPS-TUM/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: right; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOCiVQDos0FhhyqjABAWqJz-N2qG2QifCVbX1Zw6fmBhDSL1MpazJGNoykB46L-OKsRwPXqTBNpYjzu3MxhfhdRC5ur-tjtnjrCg2I5puQKlk-2a-QocNDHDxhsaY3xlnc3KZOPPS-TUM/s200/2.jpg" width="161" /></a><br />
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I love spring and fall for many reasons. Especially because of the nursery catalogs. I get a lot from Spring Hill nursery. I have bought quite a few plants from them (they have good specials) In addition to their main catalogs, they also do a ton of mailers. I know this too would be junk mail to most, but the pictures they use are so beautiful I just know I will think of something awesome to make with them some day. So down to the craft room upcycle shelf they go. And in the mean time the kiddos make some pretty beautiful collages! :)<br />
<a href="http://springhillnursery.com/catalog_request_qas.asp?splid=SPLID02">http://springhillnursery.com/catalog_request_qas.asp?splid=SPLID02</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNs0I0S9BrgEVROp8DB3Qm4R3z_cRqDLaGj9VaYoskYZWbQtSA0V7IE_s_VvxgVDvE-kU1mwbEvOizpJQ9lIBBZ4HgG-gUzUqg7OPBflAs7NK-H0vpJ0NDUAEnl_Sc7kFIsXr4WTaPogWU/s1600/AWCatalog.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452237810304480738" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNs0I0S9BrgEVROp8DB3Qm4R3z_cRqDLaGj9VaYoskYZWbQtSA0V7IE_s_VvxgVDvE-kU1mwbEvOizpJQ9lIBBZ4HgG-gUzUqg7OPBflAs7NK-H0vpJ0NDUAEnl_Sc7kFIsXr4WTaPogWU/s200/AWCatalog.gif" style="float: right; height: 130px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 101px;" /></a><br />
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My nephew (and now my daughters - thanks to the new "girl" line) are getting really "in-to" legos. I had no idea there was a magazine, but why not! It makes sense. Because Lord help me, I can never think of anything to create when challenged. And if I'm lucky enough to get an idea, I can never figure out which piece I am missing to complete my vision. I had to fill out a form and then confirm from an email. There are different age magazines, which I though was nice - hopefully the JR addition is filled with Duplo ideas! <br />
<a href="http://club1.lego.com/en-us/LEGOMagazine/default.aspx" target="_blank"><img alt="Sign up for FREE LEGO Club magazines!" src="http://cache.lego.com/upload/contentTemplating/Club2HomepageTouts/images/picC034353C52E6AB2C85EF2314624678C7.png" /></a><br />
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I scrolled down until I saw the image above. If you click the magazines tab it'll take you to the digital eddition that shows up on your computer using your flash player. So I hope by doing it the other way it'll actually send one in the mail and not just enroll the kids in the club. (just click the picture for the link)<br />
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<span style="color: red;">**Update** We are receiving the Lego Magazine in the mail! :)</span><br />
I love free magazines, but I am willing to pay for a good mag I really like too. If you are the same way, I urge you to check out <a href="http://www.valuemags.com/home/index.asp">http://www.valuemags.com/home/index.asp</a> They have several different titles with reduced subscriptions. If you click on their free tab, you will see a list of freebies. In my searching for today's post I have come across links from them for free Disney Family Fun and Better Homes and Gardens. They are since expired, but at least its nice to know they put popular ones on the free list also!Amber Benikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047452479301957344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570709918682193890.post-35833266130820651482012-03-06T22:23:00.000-06:002012-03-06T22:23:45.537-06:00Tutorial Tuesday - St. Pats DaySince it's really late, and my husband is shutting lights off on me... I will keep this really short!<br />
I stumbled upon this cute tutorial for a St. Patty's Day shirt. Her tutorial is great, but I think I have another way.<br />
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Here's her completed project:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZTO0VCkERj6gQJxRDdtOKX-ieZ2uZ5fG22WHKuR3C8ZbwG96CCAM2i-otsy2jEH-pbvAhadFGvUXXa5Vy4Rmk6FGIzxTsFB79nh-urJeqHHg7-jXnsXBwnBS2_Ouz8Dscav3cc2uNYX-r/s1600/IMG_0377.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZTO0VCkERj6gQJxRDdtOKX-ieZ2uZ5fG22WHKuR3C8ZbwG96CCAM2i-otsy2jEH-pbvAhadFGvUXXa5Vy4Rmk6FGIzxTsFB79nh-urJeqHHg7-jXnsXBwnBS2_Ouz8Dscav3cc2uNYX-r/s320/IMG_0377.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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ADORABLE! And her <a href="http://www.naptimecrafters.com/2011/03/st-patricks-day-tee-tutorial.html" target="_blank">blog post</a> shows how to do it using the freezer paper stencil and cricut technique that has been all over pinterest and the like. If you have a cricut and are confident in your skills to do this, excellent! If not, you could easily reproduce this shirt without.<br />
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My idea is use felt or scrap fabric to cut out your clover and then use a disappearing fabric pen (in the sewing section for a few few bucks - then the ink will "erase" during the first wash) to hand write your own letters and then fill them in with paint. This idea is much quicker and while you may not think your handwriting is cute now, your kids will love it when they don't have you anymore. My grandma's handwritten notes, cards and recipes are some of my most treasured belongings. Happy Creating!Amber Benikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047452479301957344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570709918682193890.post-4418019646708532632012-03-02T08:56:00.004-06:002012-03-02T08:57:58.940-06:00Free Friday - St Patrick's Day & Free CRAFT Samples!!!<div style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></div>Finally Found a Free Friday Craft Sample! You have to have facebook, (but who doesn't!) and like them, and then you get a free tape measure. I easily lose these bad boys for some reason!<br />
<a href="http://www.indochino.com/tapemeasure">http://www.indochino.com/tapemeasure</a><br />
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I'm not Irish, so I sometimes forget about St. Patrick's Day. And I've had a hard time coming up with crafts for the kids or myself that I enjoy for the holiday. So, today, I'm going to try to change that! Here is a cute <a href="http://www.familycorner.com/family/kids/crafts/10_st_patricks_day_crafts.shtml" target="_blank">website</a>, with several St. Pat's crafts. Some kid related, some not. But all cute none the less.<br />
My favorite (because bright colors are always fun) are these rainbow bean bags!<br />
<a href="http://www.familycorner.com/family/kids/crafts/10_st_patricks_day_crafts.shtml" target="_blank"><img height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiepVRLfM8eFP89CFmu34wQh7Xgg34-dqQJUVeRLXIsXT8HBWNqtl7O0VzF8Lk780Ki64JghywpYslOelmQhoa1J3vhN0VN31O9SpZWGwEEtekh5Q1spg7oVxVydh6Omk_zyMuma4igm3U/s320/bean_bags_2.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
If you follow me on Pintrest, I also pinned this image this morning!<br />
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Before our house fire, I did monthly kid craft classes. And for St. Patrick's Day we made this adorable "pot of gold". I had stopped at the dollar store and picked up some butterscotch candies for the gold. And just asked some new moms I knew for enough jars. Otherwise it was super easy - I had 3 year olds doing it (with some help obviously) <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><img align="right" alt="pot of gold" border="0" height="200" src="http://www.familycorner.com/jpg/potofgold.jpg" width="150" /></div><div align="left">Note on these: Glue dots did not work for us! We had to use the glue gun. And the Curly Ribbon is a cute touch, but didn't seem to be "kid friendly" for the end project - they were very excited about it. I would recommend simple fabric ribbon instead. The online instructions if you need them are here: <a href="http://www.familycorner.com/family/kids/crafts/pot_of_gold.shtml">http://www.familycorner.com/family/kids/crafts/pot_of_gold.shtml</a></div><div align="left">The picture editing is not working for some reason...</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">I'm not a huge artist. I am much more comfortable crafting things. But I do like to play around with new things. And this paper sample pack should be a lot of fun. This was super easy! Fill in the bare bones basic info, click submit and with in 24 hours my request will be processed! Sure beats the usual 4 - 6 weeks jazz!</div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://fineartamerica.com/fineartprintondemandsamplekits.html">http://fineartamerica.com/fineartprintondemandsamplekits.html</a></div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://fineartamerica.com/PrintOnDemandSampleKit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="http://fineartamerica.com/PrintOnDemandSampleKit.jpg" style="height: 272px; padding-top: 30px; width: 403px;" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">If you craft with your kids, you should be using glue dots. They are simply freaking marvelous!! I don't use anything but if I can help it. This request is a little different. Send them a self addressed stamp envelope and the reason you are requesting the product and they'll send it off. Really easy! And old fashion! :)</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.buygluedots.com/free_glue_dot_samples.html">http://www.buygluedots.com/free_glue_dot_samples.html</a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><img accesskey="" align="absMiddle" alt="triple3" border="0" cache="null" height="134" hidefocus="hidefocus" id="elm57447" implementation="null" ismap="ismap" lang="" language="" src="http://www.buygluedots.com/ImagesRepository/buygluedots/DesignElements/My%20Images/57165/57165_4.JPG" title="" width="120" /></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Not sure about this one, but figured I'd let you be the judge. The claim is 50 sheets of orgami paper. But once I filled out the request, it said, you may be selected for a free sample. So I don't know. But still worth 5 seconds of my time I guess. Good Luck!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.everythinginpapercrafting.com/paper_promotion.html">http://www.everythinginpapercrafting.com/paper_promotion.html</a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><img alt="Origami Paper for FREE from EPC!" height="107" src="http://www.everythinginpapercrafting.com/paper_main.jpg" width="320" /></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Happy Freebie Friday!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Amber Benikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047452479301957344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570709918682193890.post-79351505987059937162012-03-01T10:22:00.001-06:002012-03-01T10:24:46.794-06:00Egg Carton Creations 2In January I did a <a href="http://www.benikeboutique.blogspot.com/2012/01/i-intentionally-save-egg-cartons.html" target="_blank">post</a> on what to do with Egg Cartons. I couldn't help but to add a part 2. Since then I've found so many more fun things to do with them!<br />
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This really fun <a href="http://familyfun.go.com/easter/easter-crafts/easter-decorations/3-things-to-do-with-egg-cartons-841066/" target="_blank">article</a> from one of my favorite kid idea sites, Family Fun, has some really great ideas. <br />
<img alt="3 Thing to Do With Egg Cartons " class="simpleFrame imgLeft" src="http://familyfun.go.com/assets/cms/crafts/3-things-to-do-with-egg-cartons-craft-photo-260-FF0310THINGA04.jpg" /><br />
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Although only 3 of them are listed, I think number 2 is pretty cute! And of course it could be adapted to any holiday or event, not just Easter.<br />
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After I did my post, I got inspired to use them for something I'd made. It took a lot of tweaking, but I finally was able to crank out enough flowers to finish my first yarn wreath. <br />
<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/92532184/spring-yarn-wreath-with-egg-carton" target="_blank"><img alt="Spring Yarn Wreath with Egg Carton Flowers" height="284" src="http://img2.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.310382166.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Once I finally figured out how to do them (I couldn't just cut and paint - they were way to big) it didn't take long at all and I'm already brainstorming ideas to use the "flowers" for something else. You can purchase this specific wreath on my<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/92532184/spring-yarn-wreath-with-egg-carton" target="_blank"> etsy</a>. :)<br />
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Another adorable idea (followed by another "why-didn't-I-think-of-that" moments) from this blogger. She used the lids to make buttons out of. Which I think would be fabulous on some scrapbook pages. She showed you exactly how she did it on <a href="http://prettylittlethings.typepad.com/lori_marie/2011/02/button-candy.html" target="_blank">her post</a>. Very nice job!!<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://prettylittlethings.typepad.com/.a/6a00df3520bf3488340147e2d0f00c970b-pi" style="display: inline;"><img alt="IMG_1774aa" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00df3520bf3488340147e2d0f00c970b" height="316" src="http://prettylittlethings.typepad.com/.a/6a00df3520bf3488340147e2d0f00c970b-800wi" title="IMG_1774aa" width="320" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I also really liked this idea, which again, can't believe I didn't think of doing! Used Egg Cartons as little gift packages. Depending on the gift, the dividers inside may be in the way. You could possibly cut them out? Not sure on that one, I'll have to try it myself! At any rate, this one looks really great! (PS - this image came from flickr, and there wasn't a blog or anything attached to it, so no instructions or credit to give here sadly!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><img alt="Pinned Image" height="263" id="pinCloseupImage" src="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/123497214751278263_tbCjxrFf_c.jpg" width="320" /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Another idea I've seen is to use them as centerpieces. I found one on Etsy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/93582556/springtime-fiesta-vibrant-orange-pink?ref=sr_gallery_11&sref=&ga_search_query=egg+carton&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_ship_to=US&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade" target="_blank"><img alt="Springtime Fiesta: Vibrant Orange, Pink and Purple Gerber Daisy Candle Recycled Egg Carton Centerpiece" height="213" src="http://img2.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.314251454.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I think you would probably not burn the candles however though. I know from our house fire, silk flowers aren't even kindling! They melt down to nothing, faster than you even know they're burning. So this one is just to look at in my opinion. Nevertheless, I love the dyed carton as the base.</span><br />
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I remember from my daycare days there was a toy from Fisher Price (in the 80s I think??) that used an egg carton and eggs as sorting. I don't remember exactly what you had to do anymore. But you could do something similar with your own. Paint the insides of the cups and then use plastic Easter eggs in the same colors to help your child learn colors and matching. Of course, you could get even craftier and sew felted ones.<br />
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My last idea for today would be to use beans and an egg carton as your own mancala game. I played mancala a lot as a kid. You would need a dice too (if I remember right) and two different colored playing tokens. (like two different kinds of bean or marbles) If you have no idea what mancala is, you can look it up online. <br />
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Enjoy even more egg carton uses! :)Amber Benikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047452479301957344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570709918682193890.post-28015235577077122752012-02-29T21:58:00.000-06:002012-02-29T21:58:05.858-06:00dslr definitionsI've been reading lots of books, blogs and forums about "how to take great pictures" or "get the most out of your dslr camera" and it's a lot to take in to say the least. Assuming you are like me, with little knowledge of the technical side of photography, perhaps starting at the begining would be the most helpful. Here are some terms that you will need to fully understand to get the most out of any of those other things.<br />
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<div><strong>Aperature: </strong></div><ol><li>narrow opening: a small narrow opening</li>
<li>opening through lens or mirror: a fixed or adjustable opening in a piece of equipment such as a camera or microscope that lets light pass through a lens or mirror</li>
</ol>The larger the diameter of the aperture, the more light reaches the film / image sensor. Many cameras, books, manuals, etc, will talk about aperature as an F stop. And you can see this somewhere on your camera. If I am using the eye piece, which I usually do, it shows up on the LCD when I press the shutter button half way. Right now it says F5.6. If I zoom all the way out (make the image as far away as possilbe), its F22! The smaller the F-stop number (or f/value), the larger the lens opening (aperture). This might not seem important or even matter to you just yet. Once you start to do more with lighting, you will pay more attention to the F-stop.<br />
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<strong>ISO: </strong><br />
ISO tells how sensitive the image sensor is to the amount of light present. The higher the ISO value, the more sensitive the image sensor is, so ideally, you can shoot photos in low light situations. I strongly encourage you to get familiar with your camera's ISO. Figure out where it is, how to change it manually, note how or if it changes between different settings and so on. Play around with it. You will use this much more than you realize. On my Sony Alpha 300, I am able to go from 100 to 3200! And its all in a button on the top next to the shutter. Thank you Sony. <br />
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This, along with the flip LCD were extrememly handy during my sister's snow week coronation. Imagine sitting in the middle of a crowded, extrememly dark gym. Since I have the fake leg, I can't just pop up and take a great shot really quick. And I can't scrouch down and slink next to the chairs. So I sit in my chair, flip my screen down, turn up my ISO setting and shoot away. Excellent!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No editing, just high ISO!</td></tr>
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<strong>Shutter Speed: </strong><br />
This is easy to understand (I think). Shutter Speed is simply how long the shutter is held open. Again, this relates to lighting. It's like how long it takes the camera to take the picture you want. You will notice this specifically when you are changing your lighting situations. But also as you start to test out your settings too. I found a great article about shutter speed that already says what I would say, so I'll work smarter and not harder here and just give you that link. Before I do, I think you need to remember that if do start to experiement with slower shutter speeds, you MUST use a tripod or rest the camera on a table or something secured. ANY jiggle, even if you didn't think you did, will blur the entire photo. Many also use the self timer option with really slow shutter speeds. But enough from me; here's the<a href="http://www.photographybay.com/2009/12/13/6-tips-for-beginner-dslr-users-to-keep-in-mind/" target="_blank"> link</a>.Amber Benikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047452479301957344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570709918682193890.post-78529564167474995392012-02-28T09:32:00.000-06:002012-06-11T11:28:13.043-05:00Tutorial Tuesday - Charts for stuff I hate having to rememberI have been throwing around a new idea for Mondays. And it's not fully developed hence my lack of post yesterday. Shame on me. And I have been scouring my brain and the internet for something post worthy sine last night. It was a struggle, but if finally dawned on me. I have so much going on in life and so at least twice that in my brain. I hate having to try to pull old files I rarely use from the memory bank or things I don't think about often. So today is not a tutorial, sorry! But here are a few handy charts, hopefully you can free up some brain space too.<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">If you are like me, you like a visual. This site also offers explinations to how to create each stitch along with this cool picture chart.</span> Very nice! No more looking it up in one of my books or online!</div>
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I always wonder what size A39 is. Ok, so there is no A39. But I do find it frustrating trying to figure out what size is which. And it happens more than you think. Like when I'm ordering new blank cards and envelopes or when I'm trying to print something on a different size. Maybe you have similar frustrations. </div>
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Print <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:A_size_illustration2_with_letter_and_legal.svg" target="_blank">this</a> off and tape it by your computer. </div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">This next one happened to me just yesterday at Joanns when I went in for more Nylon Strapping. I needed exactly 75" to finish my bag. Silly me, I thought the professionals at Joann would know how many yards that is. I was wrong. To bad I didn't have one of these in m wallet to give the poor girl. The very nice gal who put this together even did it in a few different colors so you can pink. I had to go with yellow of course! :)</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://everydaycelebrate.blogspot.com/2010/06/little-something-for-you.html" target="_blank"><img class="CSS_LIGHTBOX_SCALED_IMAGE_IMG" closure_uid_fzoqr8="39" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYKm55hu47VMG_LbDX2jMlzSDzMJaoRd4tjiHfH_rQngViDLO4xGtw_jO0L-6K24LNvJO78SYpXthPUwf4Nqk6_Y3CfU2p5ScTCcfHuue25O9tijakQqTyX16uRV-FIdiVlPx-R39q-Mc/s400/Yardage+Card+yellow.jpg" style="height: 448px; width: 269px;" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">Thank you for a nice job and something every crafter will need eventually!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">I LOVE hanging my pictures on the wall because some are just so great I want to see them everyday, not just when I look at the scrapbooks. But I always end up with an overpopulation of frames and it looks cluttered. Enter this handy chart!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"><img alt="" class="half" height="260" src="http://s4.hubimg.com/u/1731995_f260.jpg" title="Click to see full-size image" width="260" /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">She even has actual photos of these layouts on the <a href="http://lilyrose.hubpages.com/hub/wall-decor-photo-display" target="_blank">blog post</a>. So now you can actually see what it might look like. Very genius!!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">Ok. I was going to post some more, but trying to find them is clogging up the new ideas I'm getting. So this will have to do for today! :) </span></div>Amber Benikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047452479301957344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570709918682193890.post-54084753397701921342012-02-24T13:20:00.000-06:002012-02-24T13:20:16.187-06:00Free FridayI love winter. I love snow. I don't hate the cold. I do hate the wind that makes you hurt. But with the extremely mild winter we've had, I have spring fever in the worst way. I'm ready to see my beautiful flowers and to put in another flower bed! So today I thought it'd be fun to show off my spring fever in some fun ways - free files!<br />
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<a href="http://projectcenter.creativememories.com/digital/digital-freebies/page/4/" target="_blank"><img alt="Preview_11_07_22" height="250" src="http://projectcenter.creativememories.com/.a/6a00e54f77ee13883401539011ba0c970b-800wi" width="400" /></a><br />
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This one is from Creative Memories - oh how I love them! This download is about half way down - it's from my birthday! :) July 22, 2011. There are also a BUNCH of other downloads on this site if you don't have spring fever.<br />
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<a href="http://freepsdfiles.net/graphics/psd-spring-silhouettes-mega-pack/" target="_blank"><img alt="Preview" class="size-full wp-image-1783" height="320" src="http://freepsdfiles.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/spring_silueth.jpg" title="Preview" width="238" /></a><br />
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These would make a great scrapbook page, bookmark, or easter card. The file is a PSD file but even if you don't have photoshop, I think you'll still be able to use the file. If not, I can always convert to an SVG or JPEG (probably) :)<br />
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<a href="http://www.crayola.com/free-coloring-pages/print/spring-time-friends-coloring-page/" target="_blank"><img height="320" src="http://a62.g.akamai.net/7/62/10424/48ac3675aa04d0/www.crayola.com/coloring-pages/media/print/1785.gif" width="244" /></a><br />
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So Stinkin' Cute! Thank you Crayola! There were some other fun free activities from them. I liked the color, cut out and assemble your own flower. Very cute as always!<br />
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<a href="http://familyfun.go.com/printables/spectacular-spring-stickers-703368/" target="_blank"><img alt="Spring Stickers" class="simpleFrame" src="http://familyfun.go.com/assets/cms/printables/0306_Spring-stickers.jpg" /></a><br />
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How Simple!? put a full sheet of sticker in the printer, print and cut! yay! Home made spring/easter stickers!<br />
<a href="http://purplegiraffecrafts.blogspot.com/2011/05/spring-subway-art.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" closure_uid_37ef7r="3" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNk6AT1qBj9znSDITUXPpRKfhiTJCvAri6Vzc-h39oYv36NrBf4TOR04j574OLqUUkOiz2w-plj_o55FhdZ_T2pVrnA_O0j1Co96FNt93_MExNdso6m_fH_45W88DKhuBhccrWQsW2uc/s320/Spring+Subway+Art+No+background.jpg" width="247" /></a><br />
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Cutest Subway Art I've seen in a long time!<br />
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Enjoy the files! Happy Think Spring EveryonAmber Benikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047452479301957344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570709918682193890.post-35613102317904204312012-02-22T19:47:00.000-06:002012-02-22T19:47:35.920-06:00This techy (photography) worldLike a lot of you I'm sure, my mind rarely is at rest. I often wonder if it has a unique ADD all of it's own. I will bounce between 3-5 or more topics at any given moment. Most of which are probly not even closely related or even have anything to do with each other. I realize I am not supposed to figure out how or why my mind works. Instead, I just embrace it.<br />
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Changes to my blog are one of the things I've been thinking about. I thought it would be fun (and even healthy) and hopefully helpful to start putting my thoughts to paper, well to web anyway. One of these things is photography. Everything from digital cameras to lighting to technical terms to just learning how to get good composition.<br />
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I have had a camera in my posession since I was about 10(ish) years old. It was from the most amazing lady I've ever known - Grandma Taubel. It was a Kodak 110 film camera and it looked something like this.<br />
<a href="http://www.kodak.com/global/images/en/consumer/oldProductImages/star110Camera.gif" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.kodak.com/global/images/en/consumer/oldProductImages/star110Camera.gif" /></a><br />
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I thought it was the greatest thing in the world. It took horrible pictures. But it worked. And it was hers. What more could a girl ask for!? :)<br />
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Since then, I've had several other cameras. Almost all Kodak Cameras. Not for any specific reason other than because I am a relatively brand loyal customer by nature. I never had a problem with a kodak, so I never looked at other brands. The first point and shoot digital camera I bought on an impulse was a Nikkon and it turned out to be one of my biggest regrets. Thankfully I wasn't out much and it was a good lesson learned.<br />
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Because of that experience, when I decided I was finally ready for a DSLR (digital single lens reflex, also commonly just called digital SLR...don't ask me why...) I knew that Nikkon and Cannon were the two biggest contenders. And when I resorted to my usual tactics, aka facebook, I was disappointed when nearly every single response I got was "get a nikkon!" <br />
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Of course I did my own homework as well. I knew I didn't want the top dog since this was my "entry level" camera but I wanted something that I wouldn't outgrow right away. I stumbled upon some rave reviews for Sony during my many hours parusing forums. I found the Sony A-300. I liked it because it was in the higher end of the middle cameras. If that makes sense. And some would argue it is even better than that. I may be one of those people very soon! :)<br />
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My main reasons for purchasing it were the ease of use and all of the capabilites it offered. But my biggest selling point was that it has a flip screen. So I can remain standing, and hold the camera at my waist and still see what I'm shooting at eye level. This also works the other way. At my sister's coronation a few weeks ago, I couldn't get past the heads in front of me. I flipped the screen down, and held the camera up. Voila! Tons of great pictures, without heads and without standing up in front of others. I also thought I read somewhere Sony was the only line of DSLRs that had a GPS disable capability. As a paranoid momma, this seemed really important. I didn't want any stalkers seeing where I take my pictures of my babies. And that is important, but I have not investigated this further to do it on my own camera.<br />
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The biggest and best reason - the price. I found an amazing used bundle on Ebay. I got a Sony lens, Sony A300 body, and tons of accessories like a really nice bag, UV filter, car charger, wall charger and other little stuff included. I didn't know the seller, but he has done photography for years and also cleans and resells cameras on ebay. So he knows the damage to look for to the camera that cant be seen with the naked (or untrained) eye. He also offers a 7 day return policy - there truly is nothing more you could want! <br />
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Here is an awesome deal - <a href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/MINT-Pro-SONY-A200-ALPHA-DIGITAL-DSLR-SLR-CAMERA-10-2MP-KIT-18-70mm-LENS-/160740378507?pt=Digital_Cameras&hash=item256cdf878b" target="_blank">a Sony A200</a> bundle for 325.00! Awesome deal! He also had other cameras and accessories listed. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN174gynWjEMbmSEP4LT_pEydnr9DeQJMgOhjw8A5UQjwbk9n-xqoMCjyQuuZTTzI6nU6UINyozRw9EqO7XKcF2KUe8jhhoNsFB_VJBVRaiBZZUG12hYWP3d4wyNhiwpOIrxy_e3Iue1M/s1600/a200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN174gynWjEMbmSEP4LT_pEydnr9DeQJMgOhjw8A5UQjwbk9n-xqoMCjyQuuZTTzI6nU6UINyozRw9EqO7XKcF2KUe8jhhoNsFB_VJBVRaiBZZUG12hYWP3d4wyNhiwpOIrxy_e3Iue1M/s320/a200.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Of course, right after I made this purchase, I headed over to Amazon to buy a book. I found one I absolutely love and read it very frequently. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Alpha-DSLR-A300-Digital-Field-Guide/dp/0470386274/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329885823&sr=1-5" target="_blank"><img alt="Sony Alpha DSLR-A300 / A350 Digital Field Guide" border="0" height="300" id="prodImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51sErM2BN7L._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I can easily say that my DSLR camera was one of my best purchases. And I am quite honestly only begining to learn how to use it. So even the sky might not be the limit! </div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Amber Benikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047452479301957344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570709918682193890.post-25266482232066835502012-02-21T23:44:00.000-06:002012-02-21T23:44:14.397-06:00tutorial tuesday - butterfly wreath<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></div>It was my second day in a row of non stop mommy/wife stuff. So I didn't even get to a thought for today's tutorial, let alone actually creating it. Thankfully, I found a tutorial from another obvious creative crafter who must have been thinking of me when she created it! (Quite the feat considering she has zero idea who I am!) <br />
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This simply gorgeous <a href="http://alisaburke.blogspot.com/2010/03/butterfly-wreath-tutorial.html" target="_blank">wreath tutorial</a> uses several of my loves: wreaths, butterflies, and lots of bright color! She does such a great job and I love the finished product so much so, I may need to add this to the to-do list! See for yourself!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Obviously, I haven't tried it yet. But knowing how I like to do things, I noticed a few things I would change. I like to make sure that when I make something, its going to have as long a life as possible. So I would make sure I made it several pages/layers thick. Probly using a watered down modge podge or school glue mixture? Secondly, while this wreath is perfect just the way it is, I think it would dramatically alter the look if you added just a few sprigs of either tiny flowers, or boutinere (I don't know how to spell that and spell check says that is right - I think spell check may be broken!) leaves or even the pearl sprays. Or maybe even baby's breath?<em> </em>I like baby's breath, but in VERY small moderation. It gets over used a lot, and I think gives it a bad rap... Also, I would TOTALLY get the kiddos in on this one! Just imagine how much better the finished product would be if you each had butterfly on it? Or maybe you do something different. Like each pick your favorite part of a season. Like your favorite fall leaf. Or your favorite thing about spring.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div> My mind wont stop. But my body says enough - my lids are honestly closing as we speak, which makes correctly typing difficult! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, awesome right? I would love to see your project. (And mine!)</div>Amber Benikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047452479301957344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570709918682193890.post-23354484215506415232012-02-20T22:06:00.000-06:002012-02-20T22:06:54.520-06:00A local true beauty - who knew?!Who knew a day to celebrate the leaders of our country would turn out to be so hectic! We did not get home from the clinic until 630! We should've been home LONG before that! We spent an hour and a half in the waiting room. Usually, I would keep myself very busy being productive crocheting. However, earlier that day in all the chaos, I forgot my bag. And my iPod. And I had zero service and 3G on Mayo 8. <br />
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This left me with only my thoughts. Well, my hubs was there, but like I said, this left me with my thoughts! :) I couldn't help but notice all the beauty that surrounds you at Mayo Clinic. I've noticed it several times before today. There is something so peaceful about it when you aren't certain if you'll live to see the next season or not. You notice every ant on the sidewalk. Every word quickly spoken in a foreign language. Every musical note filling the silence. But today was different. Today, I didn't see just the peace. Today I saw the raw beauty.<br />
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Of course I did not get any pictures on my cell phone to do justice to what I'm speaking of. And of course, I want you to all see it, but the images are all copyrighted. So I am not going to risk pasting them here. But I can give you links to some breath taking photos. And right in our own back yard! Please, take a moment to look at these:<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnson7/sets/72157600013809973/detail/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnson7/sets/72157600013809973/detail/</a><br />
<a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/virtual-tours/mn-picture-tour.html">http://www.mayoclinic.org/virtual-tours/mn-picture-tour.html</a><br />
<a href="http://myretirementchronicles.blogspot.com/2010/02/mayo-clinic-art-part-two-featuring-dale.html">The Retirement Chronicles: Mayo Clinic Art: Part TWO: Featuring Dale Chihuly glass art</a><br />
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This last link, wow!! Talk about an amazing job!! Even if you live around Mayo Clinic Rochester, even if you WORK at Rochester Mayo and you see this every day, I PROMISE you have not seen this breathtaking sculpture this way! With that much beauty and inspiration, I feel good about ending this post here! :)Amber Benikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047452479301957344noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4570709918682193890.post-83121060828411719462012-02-17T11:49:00.000-06:002012-06-11T11:54:36.691-05:00Free Friday Printables!I'm attempting to figure out a layout schedule for the crafty blog (like Tutorial Tuesdays) and I'm thinking to make Friday's a little more awesome, I should have something free. I love free so of course free stuff turns up other places on other days. But today I was feeling a little inspirational. Unfortunately we've had a busier-than-normal week here (those happen often) and being inspirational did not turn into being creative yet. So I turned to other's creativity. Here's what I found!<br />
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<img border="0" closure_uid_pet12z="6" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kXFpFjSPn5Q/TgfUS9KqkAI/AAAAAAAACrM/I4IVnq_CQkk/s320/14880103842.jpg" width="256" /><br />
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This is from the blog A Step in the Journey. There are several printables <a href="http://www.astepinthejourney.com/2011/07/few-printables.html" target="_blank">there</a>. I thought this one would be adorable in a kid's room or a play room.<br />
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<img alt="fishing_medium" height="320" src="http://www.craftysecrets.com/images/stories/americathebeautifulWEB_medium.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(156, 156, 156); display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="247" /></div>
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I have been searching second hand stores tireslessy for some old books that I could use for craft projects. Like I always say, the best idea are the most obvious! (and usually overlooked) So if you need some sheet music, or old book pages, why not just print them off yourself!? There are more on this <a href="http://www.craftysecrets.com/freeprintables/34-patrioticsheetmusic.html" target="_blank">blog</a>!</div>
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I think it'd also look great in a frame sitting on the book shelf!</div>
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<a href="http://www.4shared.com/photo/lxgIFH-o/Dad_superhero_edited-1.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTZF0jU0o2wClhn_EUQ_3kFbp6r4msOCXkFdQPR0ciCHv3I-MgPvlyeqDjKHXdGEXjFG1UrpExBMgx81voctfiamJl_1H2OtLRaA-aUO6Fpl-WwyRWVWYBtXlahZGeoY6z7_SvgXvBHaxw/s320/Dad+superhero_edited-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This one is super cute also! I thought it would make a great scrapbook page title. Or of course in a frame as a gift for dad's birthday or father's day. (which will be here before we know it!) Get it <a href="http://amamas2centsworth.blogspot.com/2011/05/fathers-day-free-printable.html" target="_blank">here!</a></div>
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<a class="imgLnk" href="http://www.bhg.com/dyn/dyn/servlet/securePdf.dyn?file=/bhg/images/securepdf/100227933.pdf&regSource=0809"><img alt="Design 8" border="0" src="http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/2009/05/p_100227933.jpg" /></a></div>
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When I was a kid I LOVED to color these! They were so fun to do over and over and change the patterns or designs. Now that I'm a mom, I will print off enough for one for each of us and then we all color it without looking at each other's. When we are done, we compare each other's pictures. Simple fun! You can find TONS of other designs if you do a web search for something like "geometric coloring pages". I found 15 of them at <a href="http://www.bhg.com/crafts/kids/coloring-pages/free-coloring-pages-geometric-coloring-pages/#page=1" target="_blank">bhg.com </a> Love Better Homes & Gardens!!</div>
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It's nearly lunch time, so this post must come to an end as my mommy duties are calling! :) Enjoy these great fun printables and hopefully you dont waste an entire morning browsing all the great ones out there!</div>Amber Benikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047452479301957344noreply@blogger.com0