Ghost Clip Tutorial

October 1st...that means Halloween is almost here!

So, how about a cute little tutorial?

Since I have a two year old, and I'm THAT Mom....

{you know, that Mom that puts all sort of funky things in their kids hair?}

I thought I'd share with you an easy Ribbon Ghost Clippie.

The kiddo wasn't available to model,

so my spooky black bird volunteered to do the job!

To make this cute little Girly Ghost you'll need:

Hot Glue Gun

5" piece of white grosgrain ribbon {I used 3/8 inch ribbon}
two 2" pieces of white grosgrain ribbon
1" piece of white grosgrain ribbon
1 piece of orange grosgrain, about an inch
1 piece of black grosgrain, about 1.5 inches.
Fray Check or a candle to heat seal the ribbon
Wiggly Eyes
Pin or Clip
**please note, lengths of ribbon are an estimate,
make it whatever size you'd like!

Using the 5" length of ribbon make a 90 degree fold

2 inches from the end.

Use a dab of glue inside the fold to hold in place.

Measure across about 1/2 an inch from the first fold

and make a second fold, glue in place.

Don't worry if your ends aren't the same length,

the measurements are an estimate and at the end we will trim them up.

Use the 1" piece of ribbon and glue it to both "legs" to form an A.

This helps stabilize the body of the ghost.

Glue on the 2" pieces in the center, attaching with glue at the top

AND to the stabilizing piece in the middle.

Trim the top of the ghost, and the bottom.

At this point you can also trim and "notch" the bottom of each piece.

Be sure to apply Fray Check, OR heat seal the ends of the ribbon over a candle.

To make the bow - take the black ribbon and

fold the two ends back and meet them in the middle.

Glue in place.

Lay the orange ribbon in the middle of the black to for a "t".

Glue in place.

Trim the ends of the orange and wrap them around back.

Glue in place.

Glue the bow to the head of the ghost.

I like to make mine a little crooked for character.

Now you have a choice...pin or clippie?

I made mine a clip.

I wrapped the clip in ribbon for a more finished look.

Last but not least! Glue on the eyes, and attach to the clip!

BOO!!! 

The black bird did need a little sprucing up :)

Want to make the picture in the background with your kiddo?

Check it out here! It was lots of fun.


I shared this tutorial over at Truly Lovely this past week...
If you didnt get a chance to head over and meet the Laney sisters
I highly suggest you do!

I'm linking up at:

A Rainy Day Adventure

Yesterday when I was driving home from work I had an urge.
 I just wanted to be outside. Rain and all.

To be en-capsuled in the quiet, calming sounds of nature.

Breathing in the fresh air and letting out all my worries.

I wanted the chance to just "be" and watch my little Punkin' explore.

Then I passed it.

The entrance to the state park that is literally a 5 minute walk from my front door.

It's such a beautiful little {actually, big} place.

A pond, creek, and little waterfalls that wind in and out of the woods.

A true gem that we don't spend nearly enough time at.

So, when I got home I pulled out our rain coats and rain boots and we were off.

I never gave a second thought about all the housework I was leaving behind.

Something I don't normally do - in my world work usually trumps fun.

We walked through the trails in the woods.

Crossed over the bridges and stopped to watch the water at the falls.

Stomped in puddles.

Jumped on and off rocks.

Ran through the mud.

Found some rocks to put in Maddy's Adventure Jar.

Snuck up on some fish.

And sat and relaxed by the pond.

An hour and a half later I was a new person.

I put off the crazy jumble of my everyday life and exhaled.

And it was good.

Watching Maddy run and explore made me a proud Momma.

She took in all the little things in nature she could find...

Bugs, pine cones, rocks, frogs, fish, water and using nature as her playground.

It was beautiful.

The past couple of months have been so busy and hectic,

sometimes I forget to stop and smell the roses.

I forget to show my daughter all the little things in life that have meaning.

All the things I LOVED as a kid.

It amazes me how easy it is to put off all the things that we SHOULD take part in.

Yesterday opened my eyes to the fact that the world we live in 

doesn't have to be fast paced.

The competition I have going on with myself to try to get everything done in one day

doesn't need to be there.

IT SHOULDN'T BE.

What should be racing through my head is thoughts of how 

Maddy's little smile lights up her face. 

The look of WOW she gets when she see's something for the first time.

How when she grabs my hand to show me something 

I find myself getting excited like when I was little.

And the feeling of contentment when she hugs me.

It's the little things that make us who we are,

and sometimes those little things have the biggest impact

on the lives of not only our children, but us as adults.

I left there yesterday feeling like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

My mind had been filled with wonderful memories,

and my heart was bursting at the seams after getting to spend that

one on one time with my amazing little girl.

Yesterday was one of the best present I could have ever given myself.

And I think {hope} Maddy feels the same way.

Truly Lovely! Honestly, they really are!

Today I have the privilege of introducing you to Kassi
from the Laney sisters blog Truly Lovely...

So here she is...feel free to shake her hand,
give her a hug and by all means head on over to her blog!
{Where I'll be hanging out today with a fun ghost clip tutorial}
Enjoy, my lovelies!
_________________________________________________


Well hello you lovely Punkin' Heads! 

I like that... Punkin' Heads!

Like Parrot Heads... but so much cooler! haha. 

Anyways... 

I am SO THRILLED to be here blog swapping with the sweet Miss Katie today! 

She's over at my place when you're finished meeting me of course! ;)

And am I excited to meet you!!!

My name is Kassi and I blog at a little place called Truly Lovely! 

Yep, that's me. (On my wedding day in July!) 

Yep, that's my blog. :)




Moving on... ;) 

I have a little Fall craft to share with you dolls today! 

My Monogram Fall Wreath!




So I started with my wreath form, a retired rope from my team roping hubby. 

You can read more about other ways I use those here if you'd like. 

If you don't just happen to have a team rope laying around the house... Cause let's face it... 

There are a few people out there who don't... heehee. 

You can use a vine wreath form, or wire, etc... 




I used clear fishing line to tie the rope together to form a circle. 

Again, same concept with twigs, or vines, or wire or whatever route you choose for your form. 

Then I made my monogram. 

Just a simple wooden M purchased from the craft section of Wally World.

Two coats of brown paint. A little ruffing up with some sand paper... 

And viola! I really like to ruff up the edges to give it some dimension... 

Plus is goes with the rustic feel of the wreath as a whole!

Then I attached the M to my rope form with some brown ribbon and hot glue. 

If you are going to be hanging your wreath outside where it's windy... 

REALLY glue that sucker on there! 

Now... Time to pretty it up. 

I bought a couple bunches of fall colored flowers and leaves, again, from Wally World. 

Then used a combination of hot glue and the fishing line to attach them to the top of my wreath. 

A little ribbon for the "hanger"...  The windier it is outside... MORE hot glue!!!

On a side note... I might have come home from work the day after hanging this and found it lying on the ground... Which might have called for some hot glue and ribbon and fishing line reinforcement... 

Just sayin'... GLUE it on ya'll. :)

And there you have it!!!

A Monogram Fall Wreath to hang on your door! 

Or your wall... Or your car... Or... Well you get the idea... ;)

THANKS SO MUCH to Katie for blog swapping with Truly Lovely today and for being this week's Bloggie Bestie!!! 

If you're interested in what a Bloggie Bestie at Truly Lovely is... read this. :)

Hope you'll stop by Truly Lovely and say hello sometime! 

We would love to see a few Punkin' Heads pop over! ;)

Happy crafting lovelies!!

I'm a MAJOR What-Iffer

WHAT IF?

WHAT IF?

WHAT IF?

This little question consumes my life.

EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

I have never been the type of person that just 

goes with the flow without thinking something through.

I tend to talk myself through  out of everything for fear that I
might not SUCCEED.

My mind is filled with so many ideas, projects, 

and opinions that need to be released,

yet I can't let them out for fear that I may FAIL.

And for some reason I'm afraid people will judge me by my failures.

All these jumbled thoughts and questions swirl
around and around in my head,
until I'm so dizzy I can't make sense of it all.

So, I give in and give up.

I hold myself back from challenges.

I gracefully find a way out of sticky situations.

I stick to what I know and what I have been doing my ENTIRE life.

To put it bluntly, I take the easy way out if I don't feel comfortable.

This blog was one of the first things I have ever done to step outside my comfort zone.

To be put in the spotlight, in front of people I do and don't know.

And quickly, through all your kind comments, I stopped stressing over it 

and started ENJOYING my time with all of you!

But, my everyday WHAT IF's are still there.

And they exhaust me!

What if I can't pay all our bills on time this month?

What if we don't get approved for the loan for a car?
What if Maddy throws ANOTHER tantrum leaving pre-school?
What if that new recipe for dinner doesn't come out good tonight?
What if no one likes anything I want to put in my Etsy shop?
What if the shop starts to take over all my free time with Maddy?
What if Maddy is lonely being an only child?
What if I don't have another child?
What if I DO have another child?

What if I go back to work full time?

What if being a part-time SAHM mom wasn't financially right for us?
What if I'm getting in over my head with the horses?
What if I can't please everyone EVERY DAY?
And the list goes on and on and on....

One of the lovely banners my hubs went to all the trouble to create for me, for Etsy.
A little blurry since I enlarged it but I love it, he's so creative.

This post came about because of the Etsy Shop I have been wanting to open...

FOR THE PAST MONTH!

I keep putting it off.

Coming up with excuses why I can't open it right now.

And the truth is...

I COULD open it RIGHT NOW.

But my mind won't let me do it.

Last night I sat back and had a heart to heart with myself 

about bucking up and following through.

Telling myself that now is as good a time as any.

I'm just one little person in this big old sea of Etsy shops, 

who is going to care if I only have a few items listed?

Then I heard myself start up again...

I WILL CARE. 

DO IT RIGHT or DON'T DO IT at all! That's what my mind is saying.

But, what IS right?

This is a new venture, I don't know what's right, or wrong for that matter!

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks.

I never follow through with things that are just for me.

If it involves my family I push through and persevere, 

make sure everything gets done, and done well.

My family comes first, thats how I want it to be.

But, I've come to terms with the fact that I NEED something for me.

Something I can call my own where I don't need to report to anyone else.

Something that may bring in a little money, but mainly that I can support my hobby with.

But, then when I try to push through with the thoughts and ideas that involve just little old me,

I put them on the back burner.

Why? The what if's.

I hate them.

I'm putting this out here because I need a kick in the arse, a little push...
and I need to be held accountable.
So I guess I figure if I post about it, I'm giving myself that little push.
It's out in the public eye.
So, it's time to suck it up and get a move on.

I am giving myself until October 5th to open my Etsy shop.

7 Days.

Can I do it?

I know I can.

Will I do it?

I hope so.

If my mind doesn't get in the way.

Blah. Sometimes I hate being a girl and over thinking things.

How about you??

Let me introduce you to: high heels 2 flip flops

Hey everyone!
I have another great guest post tonight. I'd like you to meet 

Christy from high heels 2 flip flops.

She's adorable, has a fantabulous blog and has 3 of the cutest kiddos 

{seriously, wait until you see their pics below}. 

Tonight she's going to fill us in on how she keeps the sanity and
communication going in her house.

So, here ya go Christy...take it away!
_________________________________________________________

Hello cute fans of Punkin' Heads and Dooda Loo's!

I am Christy from high heels 2 flip flops.

I have been reading Katie's blog for a while now and LOVE the things she blogs about. She is such a sweetheart and I have gotten to know her a bit better through our facebook interactions.

I have been married for almost 4 years now and my husband and I have 3 kids. 

{Yeah, we might be a little CRAZY.}

Honestly, I love my life now more then I ever have. I have experienced more joy these last 4 years then I ever dreamed possible. I find joy in my day to day motherly tasks and love that I get to stay home with these three precious little ones.

 My kids are my whole world.

I know they have made me a better person. I enjoy seeing the world through their eyes and slowing myself down to meet their needs. That is how I can balance all that I need to with three little ones. By taking everything slowly. If I try to rush us somewhere I end up panicked, all of us angry and I don't feel good about that. I have found that if I talk out loud to myself and say what I need to do for the day that works the best for us. My kids over hear me and then when we need to go somewhere it is not a shock. No yelling "Get in the car, NOW!", frantically searching for shoes or little ones refusing to leave the house.  While I am doing the dishes I talk while my kids are eating. "Hey guys, today we are going to go to the grocery store. If everyone is good then we can swing by the library on the way home. Oh, and I need to remember to go to the post office...." and so on. It allows me to calmly communicate with my little ones and believe it or not, they learn to communicate better with me because they shadow these types of conversations.

Communication is my one of my biggest concerns about my kids growing older. Wanting them to always feel like they can confide in me and talk to me about their problems. I know that by starting dialogues now, even small ones that seem unimportant, they will grow to feel closer to me with each passing day.

That is all we want right? Happy, emotionally stable and confident children who grow into positive adults.

The best way for me to ensure those qualities in them is for me to exhibit them myself. My kids also watch me and my husband having these types of conversations. We talk about our day, catch up on family things and bond through talking. ALL in front of our kids. I know that by doing this my kids will grow up seeing what a healthy relationship looks like and how we are supposed to treat the ones we love. These are all reasons why my kids have made me a better person. Being a mother forces me to better myself so I can teach them the things they need to know for their future. All while bonding with them, laughing and enjoying the entire journey!

Come over and share our life and our joy with us!

XOXO

Egg Cartons and Hand Prints

It's Sunday Funday!

I hope you are all having a great weekend!

This morning the Punkin' and I broke out some paint and had a little fun with some stamping.

Usually I just pull out the paint brushes and let her go at it, but this morning 

I figured we'd try something a little more "hands on" and intricate

by using the bottom of an egg carton and some newspaper.

At first I cut out the shape of a pumpkin and let her stamp the inside

to get a feel for how the stamp worked.

Here it is, still drying...

Then we got a little more detailed and decided to make a Fall Tree.

I painted the trunk, then we got to stamping.

The egg carton stamp made for some great leaves, 

and her hand prints worked great for the grass.

Here is the end result...cute huh?

She had to make sure her little pumpkin and cinnamon apple ornament made it in the picture too!

I LOVE the end result! I think I'll frame it.

What fun things did you do with your kiddo's this weekend?




Linking Up at: