Pinterest Challenge - Family Dates Print

It's time for another Pinterest Challenge Party?
Don't forget to grab a button HERE or below! Share the fun too! It would be great to see all those Pinterest inspired projects recreated. <center><a href="http://thetrendytreehouse.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx169/trendytreehouse/Pinterest-Challenge-Party.gif"/></a></center>

Every Friday...stop by for the "Pinterest Party Challenge" 

You can link up posts related to a Pinterest inspired tutorial, recipes, projects, ect. Basically something you love, found on Pinterest that you want to make.

| Linky Party Rules |

• Follow Trendy Treehouse via Google Friend Connect
• Link up only posts related to this challenge. Not your home page
• VERY IMPORTANT...Include a link to the original PIN. (where you got your inspiration) They deserve credit for their hard work too!
• Please DO NOT link up none Pinterest related posts, shops or giveaways.
• Share the i took the {PINTEREST} challenge button somewhere on your blog or in your post.
• Visit at least 3 other link ups and leave meaningful comments.
• Come back next week to see if your link has been featured and to share another fun Pin Inspired Project

Check out my Tutorial Below the Linky Party

I made a Family Dates Print. I found this one on Etsy through Pinterest.

PLEASE READ...I am getting a few more link ups that don't apply and don't always have time to get them off right away. Please remember to only link up posts that relate to this part. You can link up all others to our Create and Share party on Wednesdays. Thanks!

Family Dates PrintRemember I got my {PIN}spiration HERE.

I love this print. I made mine in Photo Shop using fonts I found HERE. These are on my list to make as gifts too! I think it would be a great Grandparents gift. (mom pretend you didn't see this)
...Here is how mine turned out...Dates of course have been changed. LOL I didn't want to share our personal information. I mean, then you would know my age! LOL JK I'll say cuz I never worry about age. I just recently turned 35. Woo! Hoo!

Anyway...here is my print.

Have you seen these? Did you make one?

T-Shirt Headbands

Thought I'd change it up this week! I have been sharing T-Shirt Scarves for the past 4 weeks. Here they are...Scarf 1, Scarf 2, Scarf 3 and Scarf 4, if you want to check them out!

Well this week I thought I would share a t-shirt headband. As I was making one of my scarves with my mom (@Pine Creek Style), we thought it would be cute to use the same method on a small t-shirt for a kids headband.

I used the same method as the no sew scarf. See Scarf 2 for directions. Just used one of their old shirts. The size of the shirt was a 2T. It will be a little big, so I recommend a smaller shirt because after you stretch it out, well you know, it gets bigger. ;) I would say a 12 mo. shirt would be great.

...Look at how cute it turned out...

She really is happy to be wearing this. LOL I just thought it was a cute pic. Here is one of her smiling and showing that you can wear a clip with this too!

I love it and made a few of them for the girls. They even look cute with pony tails. The one below is another color I made.

And my oldest loved wearing hers too! Perfect for all ages. Mommy's too!

Cute! Cute! Will you make one? Have you made one?

These t-shirt headbands are awesome and a quick way to turn a simple hairdo into a fancy one!

Pinterest Challenge - Circus Snack Mix

It's time for another Pinterest Challenge Party?
Don't forget to grab a button HERE or below! Share the fun too! It would be great to see all those Pinterest inspired projects recreated. <center><a href="http://thetrendytreehouse.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx169/trendytreehouse/Pinterest-Challenge-Party.gif"/></a></center>

Every Friday...stop by for the "Pinterest Party Challenge" 

You can link up posts related to a Pinterest inspired tutorial, recipes, projects, ect. Basically something you love, found on Pinterest that you want to make.

NEW...I opened an ongoing party for you to join too. I made a board on Pinterest strictly for my Top To Do Projects. It's called My Pinterest Bucket List. I even included an image for you to download and use. Read more about it HERE or find it in my Top Bar below the header on the right. There only one rule. ;-) Please leave a comment below the party so I know there is a new bucket list to check out!

| Linky Party Rules |

• Follow Trendy Treehouse via Google Friend Connect
• Link up only posts related to this challenge. Not your home page
• VERY IMPORTANT...Include a link to the original PIN. (where you got your inspiration) They deserve credit for their hard work too!
• Please DO NOT link up none Pinterest related posts, shops or giveaways.
• Share the i took the {PINTEREST} challenge button somewhere on your blog or in your post.
• Visit at least 3 other link ups and leave meaningful comments.
• Come back next week to see if your link has been featured and to share another fun Pin Inspired Project

Check out my Tutorial Below the Linky Party

I made a Circus Snack Mix. It is a little different than the one I found, but pretty similar and so good!

Circus Snack Mix

Remember I got my {PIN}spiration HERE.This mix will be great for parties, school functions and to give as a gift. A new twist on snack mix. Love it!
...What you will need...Circus Cookies

Fruit Loops

Popcorn

Marshmallows

Bugles

M&M's

Mix all the ingredients together and you have your mix. I didn't put amounts because I like to add more of my favorites. LOL So just add in what you like until you get your desired amount. TIP...use one bag of microwave popcorn and add to that. That will give you an idea of how much to make. I used air pop popcorn for mine and made a large batch. I gave some to friends and the kids have been taking it in their lunch to school a couple days this week. ;DDoesn't that look yummy!?!I am keeping this on my must list for all parties.

Peanut Butter Cracker Treats

Today I am sharing some delicious treats! At Christmas time, a friend of ours sent some goodies. Amongst the goodies was chocolate covered ritz crackers with peanut butter inside. They were amazing. I knew I would be making them in the near future. Yum!

So I went to the grocery store and was about to buy all the ingredients when I found fudge covered ritz crackers. Perfect! So I bought up all they had. I wanted to keep some in my pantry for later use. Well with Valentines this week, I decided to make some for the kids classes....They were a hit!

...What you will need...

Fudge Covered Ritz Crackers

or (ritz crackers and meltable bark or chocolate)

Peanut Butter

Sprinkles or other edible decor

These are really easy to make. 

Spread the peanut butter on one side of the cracker.

Place another cracker on top of the peanut butter.

Squeeze the crackers so a little peanut butter comes out the sides. Roll in sprinkles.

TIP...to help the peanut butter set, place in fridge for a little while. I found out the hard way. When I stacked them to take to the school, the peanut butter squished out. My friend told me that she put hers in the fridge first. AWESOME! So now you know.

That's it. Very quick. Ready to serve at parties, school functions or to give out at the holidays!

Let me know if you try them and if they were good! They are very rich, but so worth it!

T-Shirt Scarf - Part 4

I'm back with another t-shirt scarf today! 

For those of you who haven't been here, I have been sharing a different tutorial for a t-shirt scarf every week. Visit Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 to see what I have already shared.

....The Loopy Scarf....

Today's scarf is another no sew scarf. For this one I used two different shirts.

Next cut strips out of both t-shirts. 

Cut from armpit to armpit. Cut the hem off the bottom of the shirt. Then cut strips. Cut all the way off so you have individual strips. Stretch each piece to curl the fabric.

 

Once you have all the stretched strips, take two, one of each color and twist and fold them into circles. You can make large circles or small circles. For this one I made small circles. The small circles make a perfect length for a child's scarf. If you make your circles larger, they will be longer for an adult.

Cut some small strips from the top of your shirts to tie your circles together. I cute them about 4 inches long. Stretch those out too then tie the circles together making the scarf. You can cut the excess fabric from the ties or leave them. I left mine.

This turned out to be a pretty cute scarf. I like the tow colors mixed together!

And my daughter looks pretty darn cute wearing it! Wear it like a normal scarf, hanging straight down or you can slip one end through antoher circle to hold it in place.

And since today is Valentine's Day, we had fun with this picture for you.

{Happy Valentines Day Everyone}

It makes a pretty darn cute heart too!

I do have more t-shirt scarf ideas, so check back again next week.

Red Barn Scrapbook Review & Giveaway

Red Barn Scrapbook offers unique, handmade camera straps. What started as a simple desire to have a stylish camera strap for myself, has turned into sharing my creations with others. I currently make straps for DSLR and SLR cameras, as well as wrist straps for point-and-shootcameras. These are beautiful, fun, and unique straps. If you are like me, always with camera in tow, you will delight in having a pretty camera strap. Please visit my etsy store to see the current collection of camera straps, and to make a purchase. Kim

Info above taken from Kim's site Red Barn Scrapbook

I was asked by Kim if I would like to review one of her camera straps. When I saw all the cute straps she had to offer, I was very excited to say YES! All I had to do was decide on a favorite. LOL Which was very hard because there are so many cute ones to choose from! I love owls and when I saw the one I chose, pictured below, my search was over.

Isn't it cute?!? I love the ruffles and the owl ribbon.  This camera strap is perfectly made and very comfortable to wear. I put it on my DSLR camera as soon as I got it. It was the perfect week to get it. We had 2 field trips planned at school and 2 sporting events. I received many compliments from teachers, friends and strangers.  We even took the kids to see the Dr. Seuss Art Show at a local museum. I loved the overall look of my strap and will most likely be ordering another for my other camera.

Red Barn Scrapbook offers many camera straps and camera wrist straps too! The best camera accessories available! Just look at these cute ones now available on Kim's Etsy Shop...click on the photo to see more info on those straps.

...The Ooh La La Camera Strap...

...The Sketchy Camera Wrist Strap...

...The Black and Red Ruffle Camera Strap...

If you like what you see and want to learn more, you can visit Kim's blog too. As well as her business site.


Interested in buying a strap for yourself?
Kim is generously offering a discount through March 15, 2012.
Just enter Code: TRENDYTREEHOUSE
at checkout for a 10% discount
Thank you Kim for offering this discount!


Kim at Red Barn Scrapbook is also offering a giveaway here at Trendy Treehouse
1 lucky reader will get to choose one camera strap of your choice.

...How to enter...

Mandatory 1st Entry -Visit Red Barn Scrapbook & Comment below sharing with us what your favorite camera strap is.

Must enter Mandatory entry or all others will be deleted. Thanks! 

Additional Entries... Eligible after completing mandatory entry above. 

Please leave a new comment for each entry that you have done. Thank you! 

• Like Red Barn Scrapbook on Facebook Leave a link in the comment
• Add Red Barn Scrapbook to your Link List - http://www.etsy.com/shop/redbarnscrapbook
• Comment on Red Barn Scrapbooks Facebook page about this giveaway including@TrendyTreehouse

• Follow Trendy Treehouse via Google Friend Connect
• Follow Trendy Treehouse via Link Followers
• Follow Trendy Treehouse on Facebook
• 1 entry daily for each - Blog, Tweet & Post about this giveaway including@trendytreehouse & @redbarnscrapbook

You will have until  March 4th @ 9:00 p.m. Pacific Standard time to enter this giveaway. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here. If the winner has provided an email address I will contact you. If you don't provide your email, you will want to check back here and see if you are the winner. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to those living in US, CANADA & AUSTRALIA. You must be 18 years or older to enter. Thanks for entering at Trendy Treehouse. Good Luck and Have Fun!!

The featured product {s} in this post were provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer or pr company representing the company. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone. By entering this giveaway you agree to Trendy Treehouse Disclaimer/Terms of use.

Art Case Birthday Gift

Well hello there old friends! It's been a while hey? Like over a month! Yikes! I never intended to be gone so long but life has just been going on and on and I've been enjoying the ride. We had a great and very relaxing Christmas and genuinely did not want to return home. January flew by in a flash and here it is the second weekend in February already.

Well, since Valentine's Day is next week I probably should be showing you the really cool craft that my daughter made for her little classmates but it really didn't turn out that well. We punched hearts into paint sample strips and then she wrote their name on the front and on a piece of construction paper of the same size she wrote her name for the back. The problem came when I laminated the bookmarks...the lamination didn't really stick and they just look a little chintzy. But I don't think the 4 and 5 year olds will be too concerned...plus, I added in a pencil and a box of conversation hearts just to make sure Naomi wasn't pegged as "the girl who gave lame valentines" (like they do that in 4K anyway). I'm so self conscious even as a mother that I want to make sure my kid gives cool valentines. Yikes. Maybe I need some therapy!

Well, onto the real post! My daughter got invited to a birthday party on Super Bowl Sunday at the local bounce house place. This was a party for a little girl in her class that I'd never met. She was so excited and I was feeling well, strapped for cash, self-conscious (was I going to have to stay at the party and mingle with people I didn't even know?), and just plain intimidated. I decided that her little friend would get a handmade gift and I would quit making excuses. Because dangit, it was gonna be cute and functional.

I was browsing my saved tutorials on my hard drive when I came across this art case. I knew I didn't have the quilted fabric that it called for so I improvised and just used regular cotton with a little fusible interfacing to make it a little more sturdy. Other than that, the only thing I did differently was sew it right sides together and turn it out. I had a hard time with attaching the handles and sewing the sides shut because my machine only likes to stitch through two layers of fabric at a time but four needles later the job was finished. And I think it came out pretty good and I think Naomi's little friend was happy with the gift, well, it didn't compare to the almost lifesize Rapunzel doll, but what does! (seriously, who gives that to a five year old that is not their own child?) Anyway, I think this will be a good go-to gift that I can easily (minus four needles) make that is a pretty neat and functional gift. Naomi kept telling her friend "You can even take it to church with you" -my little evangelist!

The party was great and yes I did mingle with some of the other mothers and actually had a good time. Little ol introvert, self-conscious me had a good time. yup!

And if you haven't checked out Carrie at This Mama Makes Stuff you REALLY need to. She has TONS of great tutorials and refashions and just great sewing advice and tips! go check her blog out...and tell her I sent you!

T-Shirt Scarf - Part 2

I'm back with another T-Shirt Scarf. 

Remember last week I promised a no-sew scarf. Well, I'm sharing it today! Stop by HERE to see last weeks!

Let's get right into it cuz I'm a little late posting. ;-)

Start off with a cute T-shirt. This is a smaller one of mine that I am making for my daughters. They have been wearing the others I made and asked for more colors. Too cute. But I usually use either a mens shirt or xxl for an adult scarf. You can pick them up at a thrift store to save on cost. Or if you're like me, save all your t-shirst and grab some that family and friends are throwing out!

I used another polka dot shirt. ;-D

Trim off the bottom and cut from arm pit to arm pit. Set aside the top of the shirt for later.

Fun part! Start cutting strips. Mine are just under 1" each. DO NOT cut completely off. Stop just short of the other side. Remember this is a NO SEW! Continue all the way across.

Close up of where you are NOT cutting.

Now you get to stretch out each strip to get that cute curled effect.

Now carefully separate the loops where you did not cute the shirt.

Before you gather that up, grab the top of the shirt and cut out a rectangle shape. About 2x6 in size. Then trim each end into a point. This is what you are going to use to hold together the gathered end of the scarf.

Now gather up the end that you didn't cut. 

Wrap the cut strip from the top of the shirt around the gathered end a couple of time and tie in a knot.

To get rid of the stringy ends, just tuck them under. And you have a nice finished NO SEW t-shirt scarf.

This is a really quick scarf. I had this one made in a matter of minutes. So if you need a last minute gift for someone, this would be perfect!

 Again, I added a flower. But it is just a clip on one. So you can use this scarf with or without one. Don't forget to double it up for another cute look!

I have more! Come back again next week for Part 3. I will be sharing another NO SEW scarf but with a completely different look! I can't wait to share this one!