How to Make a Ruffled Heart T-shirt

So, I have all these colorful T-shirts that I've been using for crafts, and I love the look of those little girls' ruffled heart t-shirts. I happened to have a colorful Tangerine Tango T-shirt and my daughter had a plain white T-shirt, so I decided to put one together myself.

To make the ruffles, take the T-shirt you'll use for the heart and cut it into strips about 2 inches wide. The T-shirt I used had seams down each side from the armpit to the hem, so I cut horizontally along the bottom of the T-shirt then trimmed the seam off each side to get the strip you see here. Doing that would make two of these. If your T-shirt doesn't have seams down each side, you would end up with a large loop after each horizontal cut which you could cut in two to give you these strips.

To turn your strips into a ruffle, stitch a long stitch down the middle of the strip (I set my machine on the longest setting - 5), and do not back-stitch the beginning or the end of your stitch.

Hold the strip at one end, and pull one of the threads (either the top or bottom, but not both) in one direction (toward you) while pushing the material in the other direction (away from you).

You'll end up with a ruffle like this! Space the ruffles evenly by sliding the material along the thread, then place it onto your T-shirt and pin it into place. Continue making the ruffles and placing them onto your T-shirt until you have the size and placement you want.

You'll want to be sure to place the centers of the ruffles as close to one another as possible, otherwise when you wash it, you'll end up with gaps inside the heart in which the T-shirt underneath shows through.

Once you have everything pinned, simply sew the ruffles onto the shirt (taking extra care not to hit any pins!), and you're done!

Graduation Cap Candies

My daughter graduated preschool last night. It was bittersweet to see her walk on stage in a little cap and gown to accept her certificate of completion. She looked so much older with her hair curled and styled and pulled back into her graduation cap. I suppose these ceremonies are really designed more to prepare the parents - emotionally and mentally - for the future than those actually "graduating". It certainly was a dose of reality for my husband and me: our little girl is growing up.

Of course, any ceremony has to be followed by gluttony or it just wouldn't be American. Every family was asked to bring two dishes and a dessert, and I took the easy way out and brought a fruit and veggie tray for my two dishes. The dessert was really simple, too - but fun and fit the occasion. I made little chocolate graduation cap candies from store-bought candy and icing.

To put these together, all you'll need are:
-Chocolate squares (I used Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate - found on sale at Target)
-Miniature Peanut Butter cups (I used Reese's)
-Cookie icing (I used Betty Crocker)
-White Fondant icing (I had some left over in the freezer from decorating a birthday cake recently)

I originally thought that I would use graham cracker squares dipped in chocolate for the cap tops, but the chocolate squares were so much easier. It occurred to me later that I could also have used brownie bites in place of the peanut butter cups - maybe I'll do that next time! Brownie bites would also be best if someone has a peanut allergy.

To assemble, unwrap the candies, and turn the peanut butter cup upside down. Place a small amount of cookie icing onto the peanut butter cup, then place the chocolate square on top of the icing.

To make the tassel, add a little icing on the center of the cap, then roll a small amount of fondant into a long string-like shape, and place one end of the string into the icing.

Give the icing time to set up (Betty Crocker's cookie icing is great for setting up very quickly!), and you're all done! They were a huge hit at the graduation dinner, enjoyed by kids and parents alike.

Happy Graduation to all of this year's graduates out there! And to both the parents and graduates - you did a Great Job!

The Perfect Mother's Day Gift (and it's FREE!)

Are you still searching for the perfect Mother's Day gift for your wife or significant other? I'll share a secret Mom's wish with you guys who are out there, desperately searching the ether for last minute ideas...

This is what Moms really want:

1. Let her be able to do something - anything - of her choosing, unrushed and uninterrupted. I haven't been able to do this in over 5 years now. A pregnant friend recently asked me, via email, if I had any advice for her, and I told her to expect to not be able to finish anything uninterrupted for the next few years. I still haven't heard from her, but I'll bet she'll agree with me in a couple of years.

2. Pretend she isn't there. That's right! That means you and the kids figure out the day's details, events and activities - everything from eating meals to wiping butts to finding the duct tape - on your own. Even if she's there, pretend she isn't and improvise if you must. Whatever you do...don't ask her where something is, or how to do something, because that really isn't giving her a break at all, much less letting her have some uninterrupted time (see #1).

3. Pick up your own stuff, and your kids' stuff, if only for one day. She picks up her own stuff and puts it back where it belongs, all day, every day. Guess what! She also picks up your kids' stuff, all day, every day. You don't notice it, but trust me, she's doing it. All. Day. Long. And - BONUS! She also picks up your stuff. You probably don't notice that either, but it's always where it belongs, isn't it? And - hmmmm...I'll bet you weren't the one that put it there, but like magic - POOF! It was there, in it's place, when you went to get it. So, just for Mother's Day, don't leave her anything extra to pick up and put away.

Forget the jewelry, fancy dinners, breakfast in bed, and anything else that you thought she might want. Trust me when I say that if you can swing these three things, you'll have a happy Mama in your house.

More Scent-sational Teacher Appreciation Gifts!

A few weeks ago, I posted about finishing a Teacher Appreciation Day gift early. In true fashion, tomorrow is the big day, and I haven't done anything more to add to it. So, at the last minute (you call it procrastination, I call it forced efficiency), I decided to make a few more of the aromatic shower bombs I also made recently, and put them together as a Super-scent-sational gift.

I dressed up the shower bombs by using decorative foil cupcake liners, wrapping each individually, and making a label for the bottom that explains to the teacher what it is ("Aromatic Shower Bombs - place in the bottom of the tub while showering. Do Not Eat! Contains baking soda, food coloring, and essential oils.")

I put a couple of the bombs into a decorative little watering can I picked up for a couple of dollars at Dollar General, then added the lavender sachets and a handmade card from my daughter.

For the finishing touch, I wrapped them in cellophane and tied the top. I love the way they turned out!

I'd love to hear other ideas for Teachers' gifts. What is your favorite thing to give to your child's teacher?

Rainbow Pour Paintng

I love this idea!