Remember the paper pinwheels from Day 5? Here they are in action!
Small ones adorned the mantel:
Large ones hung in the dining room windows around the snack table:
Come back tomorrow and see the gift I made for my SIL and her baby.
Tag Archive for Themes
Day 13 AEDM: Baby Girl Card
Today has been a fun day. This (very chilly) morning, I ran in a 5k race with my husband Andrew, his brother Jacob, and two of their sisters, Katie and Erin.
It was my first official race since April 2009, when I did the OKC Memorial Half-Marathon. Being pregnant and then having a newborn sort of forced running to the back burner, but now I’m back after it. Given how little I’ve run in the past several months, I was satisfied with my time, (31:41), which is my best in recent history.
Running aside, this weekend is a busy, fun-filled one!
My SIL Ali’s baby shower is tomorrow, and I needed a card. Luckily, I have nearly as many scrapbooking doohickeys as Hobby Lobby itself, so it was easy to find things to use.
Here’s what I came up with in about 10 minutes. I wish the photo were better, but I’m pressed for time right now:
An acrylic tile reading “Baby Girl” is the focal point, surrounded by pink circles and swirls.
Tomorrow I’ll show details from the shower as well as the gift I made for Ali and her baby girl.
Day 12 AEDM: Workout Album Art
This Sunday, my husband’s side of the family is celebrating all those who have fall birthdays.
One of his Aunt Cristi’s gift requests is new music she can listen to while she works out. Since I am a big fan of music AND exercise, I put together a disc full of tracks I think she’ll enjoy.
For today’s art, I used old magazines and scrapbook paper to make a collage for the CD cover.
Which way to the gun show? 
Category: AEDM2010, Challenges, Paper, Party /
Tags: AEDM2010, Celebrations, Challenges, Parties, Practice, Themes
Day 10 AEDM: Flowery Signage
Made this sign for a baby shower this weekend. Besides taking out the trash, it’s about all I “accomplished” today. But I DID have lots of fun with my baby boy, who is 20 weeks old today!
Category: AEDM2010, Challenges, Paper, Party /
Tags: AEDM2010, Celebrations, Challenges, Kids, Parties, Themes
Day 8 AEDM: Christmas Name Drawing
Each year for Christmas, my husband’s side of the family draws names for gift-giving (there are 25 of us!). I’ve offered to organize the drawing this year, and it’s going to take place this Sunday.
I used this as an opportunity to play around with doodling and hand-lettering. Over the years, I’ve seen multiple examples of “color-splotching” instead of precise coloring, so I tried that today, too.
Here is the entire set as well as a few of my favorites:
After trimming the slips, I used a wooden skewer to roll each one into a tube. That way, no one can peek! I also marked the slips for the kids with red marker so they wouldn’t get mixed in with the adults’ names.
Granted, the drawing ‘buckets’ are nothing fancy, but now each family member can see which slip they are drawing without knowing who’s name they are getting.
I will also be emailing out a Christmas Survey this year. Each family member will fill out their “Wish List” and Reply All. That way, the secret of who drew who STAYS a secret (no need for covert spouse-interviewing operations this year!)
The list will also be a great reference throughout 2011 as we celebrate family birthdays.
Does your family have any fun holiday traditions? Do tell!
Category: AEDM2010, Challenges, Paper, Party /
Tags: AEDM2010, Celebrations, Challenges, Kids, Practice, Themes
Day 7 AEDM: Dinner Menu
Each week, I sit down to make our dinner menu and subsequent grocery list. And each week I ask my husband, “What sounds good for dinner this week?”
Despite the fact we’ve been together over 3 years and married for nearly half that time, it’s as though my question gives him dinner amnesia and he can’t come up with any ideas when I put him on the spot.
And in all fairness, sometimes I even forget what yummy dishes I’ve made before and thus we fall into the same old pasta/chicken/salad/meatloaf/spaghetti/sandwich rut week after week.
NO MORE!
Today for Art Every Day Month I made a nifty 1950s-inspired menu list. Ta da!:
I’ve printed this graphic on 12×12 cardstock and will list out all the yummy dinner entrees I have made before. As I try new recipes that we deem “keepers”, I can add to the list. I plan to eventually make coordinating lists for side dishes and appetizers/desserts. That way, when it’s time to answer the age-old question, “What’s for dinner?” yet again, I’ll have some ideas at the ready, and hubby and I can avoid the suppertime blahs.
How about you? Do you have artistic or creative ways of making meal planning/prep fun? I’d love to hear them!
How Does Your Garden Grow?
Some of the most important women in my life are gardeners. I am not. In fact, you might say I have a black thumb. I bet if you gave me enough time, I could even find a way to kill an artificial plant. But then again, that’s not what this post is about.
No, this post is about celebrating the green-thumbs in my life. Though I originally made the following cupcakes for the back-to-back birthdays of my sister-in-law, Ali, and mother-in-law, Robin, I cannot continue this post without offering up a shout out to my sister Arica, who is turning 25 today!
Happy Birthday, Seester! I LOVE YOU!
Now, Arica is a gardener for sure. She gets it from my Grandpa. I, however, get cupcake baking skills from my Grandma (and the book Hello, Cupcake).
This set is meant to resemble garden rows, complete with veggies, tools, and cookie crumb dirt!
The shovels were made from pretzel sticks and candy melts. The “seeds” were candy-coated sunflower seeds.
Heads of lettuce were made using green Tootsie Rolls and icing-covered corn flakes.
The peas were made from green Tootsie Rolls and M&Ms.
Radishes were made from red and white Tootsie Rolls and icing-covered corn flakes
The carrots were my most favorite veggie to make…orange and green Tootsie Rolls. The carrots were then scored with a knife and rubbed with cinnamon to give them a fresh-pulled look. Yum!
So what if I don’t have many outdoor gardening skills…these ‘veggies’ taste better anyway.
Boy or Girl?
One of my good college buddies, Geoff, and his wife Cheyenne are among the many friends I have who are becoming parents this year. They are incredibly talented photographers and designers, so it came as no surprise that they planned a special party to announce their baby’s gender.
When they had their ultrasound, they had the technician write the gender down and place it in a sealed envelope. Then they took the envelope to a cake baker, who made a cake revealing the baby’s gender. They borrowed the idea from a friend, and as a cake baker, I can only wish I would’ve thought of this! Perhaps one day someone will want me to bake them a special announcement cake like this. Enjoy the video:
Boy? or Girl? from Cheyenne Schultz on Vimeo.
Geoff and Cheyenne: I am SO THRILLED for you guys! You are going to make terrific parents!! Congratulations, again!
#41-Piña Colada Cupcakes
In September, I started a cupcake adventure. If you haven’t read about it yet, you can do so here.
***
Today is my dear friend Megan’s birthday!! It’s been 9 years since we first met in a Survey of Western Arts history class in college. We hit it off immediately and it didn’t take us long to become close pals, especially when we figured out our apartments were just one mile apart! So many of my fond college memories (and beyond!) include Megan. She has such a sweet disposition and is the kind of friend a friend would like to have. Despite the several states that separate us now, she has continued to put forth the effort to keep in touch and continue our friendship…including traveling to Oklahoma to be one of my bridesmaids!
After nearly a decade, Megan remains one of my favorite people to talk to and spend time with. She’s an incredible artist and if she were here, I would make here these cupcakes! 
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEGAN! These are for you! ((After this baby is born, we should get together for REAL piña coladas…and maybe some turkey/spinach tacos! haha))
***
The first step was to cream together butter and sugar and then add eggs one by one.
Next, pineapple juice and rum combined to make the ‘liquid’ part of the batter.
Dry ingredients and the pineapple/rum mixture were alternately added to the butter/sugar/egg mix.
Pretty yummy looking batter, huh?
Next, a scoop of coconut was added to increase the Piña Colada effect.
Then, egg whites were beating within an inch of their lives…
…until they formed stiff peaks:
The beaten egg whites were gently folded into the batter.
And the little suckers were ready to be baked.
Mmmm.
Then, there was more beating of egg whites…
to which powdered sugar was added…
to create the icing.
And, yup, more coconut.
Then, these morsels of sunny goodness came into play. Oh man, do I LOVE dried pineapple!
Each cupcake was iced and topped with a wedge of dried pineapple.
Yes, ma’am. This round’s on me!
And just to be sure they were tasty enough to share, I took one for a test drive.
All that’s missing is a little paper umbrella!
Theology, Repurposed
A while back, Kendra, an old co-worker, found several books that she wanted turned into journals. They all had such awesome titles, so I was excited to redo them for her.
Here’s a photo montage of each title and its inside facing pages. My main goal was to match colors and, if possible, theme.
This last one is probably my favorite…not only a cool book title:
But the perfect excuse to use this ethereal scrapbook paper.
Thanks again, Kendra, for asking me to make these for you!
Anyone who has attended an online Christian college or has a library science degree would love these books!