Butterfly Birthday Party ~ Plus Pinterest Reviews!

Do you guys remember back in August when I was talking about my daughter's 2nd birthday party that was coming up?

Yeah, me either.

(I can barely remember yesterday!)

But I did talk about it, and at the time it seemed like her birthday was still soooo far away. But now it is over and done with, and I have some really cute stuff to show you guys!

So anyone who knows me well knows that I turn to Pinterest for everything. If I need a new recipe, if I'm planning a party, if I don't know what to get someone for their birthday, etc. My daughter's birthday was no exception. Here's the board I used for all the cute ideas:

Follow Eva's 2nd Birthday by Gela Smith on Pinterest

So let's start the pin comparisons! Here's the first one:

And here's mine:

The idea is relatively simple - you wrap up your various plastic utensils in a cute folded napkin and secure it  on there with candy bracelets. I had a couple initial problems with this one. The first one was that I could not find regular candy bracelets anywhere at first! I tried my regular local party store and all they had were candy watched and candy necklaces. But I FINALLY found what I was looking for at Oriental Trading - here is the link if you're interested. Now this listing is actually for candy bracelets with little "pool party" charms on them, and I just broke them off before I used them. I wanted those ones in particular because they were a more pastel color which is what I was going for, but if you don't mind the more vibrant colors than Oriental Trading also has regular candy bracelets without the charms here. Although I can't vouch for how the more vibrant colored bracelets taste, I can tell you that the "pool party" ones I got were really delicious - best tasting candy jewelry I've ever tried.

The second problem I had was folding the napkins all cute like that. I managed to do it ok, but once I put on the candy bracelets it didn't look so cute anymore. I had to wrap my bracelets around twice in order to secure them, otherwise they would just fall right off. That being said, when I wrapped them a second time it just scrunched up the cute folded design. So I decided to fold the napkins in half diagonally and roll them around the spoon instead and they still turned out really cute - I got lots of compliments on them, and even the adults had a fun time sporting their candy bracelets and munching on them throughout the party.

So it worked really well! I definitely recommend trying this.

Here's the next one:



And here was my version:

So I did a couple of things differently here. First of all, getting one specific color of candy is hard. You usually have to special order it from a place like the Candy Warehouse which I really didn't want to have to do. So I went to my local party store and bought a package of two colors of sixlets. I would have gotten more colors if they weren't soooo expensive! But I think they were worth it in the end. I also used much smaller vases that I just picked up from the dollar store. Then instead of leaving them as is, I added a little butterfly fan decoration in the top of each one (which I also got from Oriental Trading). They turned out adorable! At least, I think so - and apparently so did everyone else at the party because I got lots of compliments on this too. But the problem was that the fans didn't go in very deep and the candies didn't weigh enough to really keep them in place very well, so every little bump on the table made them fall over - not that my guests minded, though. They took them out and got into the candies inside before too long anyway. ;) Overall, a cute idea! It worked out well.

Ok, moving on:



And here's mine:

I absolutely love the way these turned out! I made much more than this of course, but I forgot to take a picture until a lot of them had already been scarfed down! Dang. But you get the idea. I used a star tip to ice the cupcakes in a spiral pattern to make it look like the butterflies were sitting on a flower, then I used my leftover sixlets to make their bodies and some yogurt covered pretzels for the wings! (I got my pretzels at Lin's near the bakery goods, but you could use Flipz or something similar as well, or even regular pretzels if you'd prefer!) These were pretty easy and self-explanatory, the only tip I really have about them is to make sure you put them in the fridge after you decorate them - the pretzels don't like to stay up at that angle when the frosting has warmed up some. I got plenty of compliments on this one as well - definitely worth doing!

And one more about the cupcakes...



I made them rainbow on the inside. Here's a pic:

So cute, right? I can't say I got a lot of compliments on it because no one really said anything! I was surprised!  (Maybe they were sick of handing out compliments by now, hehe!) But I thought they were absolutely adorable and the rainbow inside made them even more fun to eat! The only thing I really did differently was that instead of using all 6 colors in it, I only used orange through purple and iced the top with pink for the last of it. And let me tell you, I'm glad I did it that way. I don't know if you noticed in the original pin, but the tops of those cupcakes are kind of flat and protrude out a bit past the cupcake liner - that's from over-filling. By cutting out the top color it made them look so much better in my opinion. Just remember to only use a tablespoon or so if each color of batter if you want them to fit in the pan right! Then you can spread it around to the edges with a spoon - don't fill until it spreads to the sides on its own!

I think that's pretty much wraps it up, other than to show you a picture of the cute little star of the party!

Happy birthday my sweet 2 year old girl!!

10th Sale Celebration ~ Plus a New Halloween Bow!

I just crossed another couple of items off my 101 in 1001 list.

#6

Fulfill 1 custom order.

#9

Reach 10 sales.

I am so excited to finally be crossing these ones off my list! It was a big week for my humble shop! I had my first international sale, my first custom order, and my 10th sale all in the same purchase. It was such an awesome learning experience, and I am so happy to finally be seeing my sales in the double digits too! This is what I sent out:

This bow was already listed in my shop, but she asked if I could make her a 2nd one, which qualifies as a custom order! Not only that, it was sent to the UK! How awesome is that! Because of this I also discovered that my shop's international shipping rate was grossly inaccurate and had to change it. Whoops! Well, like I said - this was definitely a learning experience! My lovely customer also told me that these bows are being used by 2 excited bridesmaids at an upcoming Halloween wedding! So cool! I hope she sends me a picture!

So, since this bow was finally purchased, I realized I have NO Halloween products left in my shop! That is just outrageous - Halloween is one of my favorite holidays after all. So, of course, I had to whip up this beauty:

Candy corn bow! Hooray!

I think it turned out pretty stinkin' cute. Have you ever seen those little candy corn witch costumes for little girls? SO cute! I think this accessory would look really cute with something like that.

Well I guess that's it for now! I hope to be putting more Halloween bows up in my shop soon, as well as some CHRISTMAS stuff (yay!) so remember to keep checking out my shop which can be found on the right sidebar over here ------>

Thanks for stopping by!

Pinterest Review - Easter Edition

Happy Easter!

Whenever a holiday rolls around, our family always has fun traditions. However, that doesn't ever stop me from trying to find new activities and recipes to keep things interesting. Besides, if you come across a really good one and your family loves it... That's how new traditions are born!

So this year I turned to Pinterest. I don't know about you guys, but I am pretty picky with pins. I always like to look at the source first and make sure the pin leads to a good, valid, helpful source before it goes on my board. Sometimes I even Google the pin to see if others have already tried it and to see what their thoughts were on its ease, taste, etc. That made me think that maybe I should also be trying pins out and reviewing them so others can see what worked for me and what didn't!

Welcome to my very 1st Pinterest Review!

Bird Nest Treats

So this first pin I tried can be found here. It originated (as far as I know) from the Curvy Carrot. I made these yesterday and gave them to family and friends as an Easter gift. I have to admit, I didn't actually look at the recipe beforehand because I didn't really plan on making these, it just sort of happened. As a result, I ended up using slightly crushed pretzel sticks instead of chow mein noodles and also I didn't have any butterscotch chips to use so I stuck with milk chocolate and peanut butter. But this was the end result!

They ended up really cute! They held together really well, too. As far as the pin goes, they are not kidding when they talk about greasing the muffin pan beforehand. These things want to stick in there. But I used a generous amount of cooking spray instead of butter and they came out relatively easily that way. I also put the mini Cadbury eggs in the nests before they set up in the fridge. That just made them stick in there instead of roll around, which made more sense to me and it worked well. Overall, I am pretty happy with it! Taste-wise they taste like.... Well, pretzels in chocolate and peanut butter. Haha. Nothing too special about the taste, but still yummy.

Hard Boiled Eggs in the Oven

The second pin I tried was the claim that you can make better hard boiled eggs in the oven. That can be found here. This blog originally got this idea from the food science guru himself - Alton Brown. I love that guy, and that's what really pushed me into the decision to try it this year. Before that, I used this method for years and trusted it with every fiber of my being. Now I have to say... My heart may have been stolen by Mr. Brown's method.

So basically the pin says that you put raw eggs in your oven for 30 mins at 325 for perfect hard boiled eggs that are creamier, cooked more evenly, and easier to peel. It also mentions that putting the eggs on their sides will keep the yolk in the center and positioning them in a mini-muffin pan will keep them from rolling around. Then after they are done baking, you plunge them in an ice bath to stop the cooking and supposedly they are done to perfection.

After mine were cool, I sacrificed one to check that it had been cooked thoroughly. I cracked open the bottom of it and some watery liquid came out. I almost freaked out! I thought that they were sooo under-cooked that they were practically raw. But I was mistaken. I don't know what the deal is with the little bit of liquid that came out, but as I peeled more shell away (relatively easily I might add!) it revealed a perfect egg. The only difference I could tell between actual hard-boiled eggs and this baking method was this:

I know these pictures aren't very good, but you can kind of see a golden-brown discoloration on the bottom of the egg there. There wasn't anything wrong with it, it just looked like when you bake something in the oven and it gets a golden-brown color. It only got it on the bottom and in the two spots where it was touching the muffing tin. It doesn't bother me at all, but if you are making deviled eggs or something and it matters to you, I just thought it would be good to mention. However, these eggs are definitely the easiest to peel I have ever encountered (the peel doesn't slide right off like some pins say about it, but it's definitely easier), so if you are making deviled eggs and don't mind the discolored spots - I would still say this method is best because your egg whites won't end up with chunks missing. As for the yolks...

Ahhh... Beautiful! There is no weird raw-looking spot in the middle and absolutely no yucky green discoloration. They really were perfect. Amazing! They are so velvety and creamy too. So happy with them. I'm really not a yolk person, I will take scrambled egg whites over regular eggs any day, but these were really good.

So be brave! Try it out! This pin is Gela approved! ;)

Marbled Egg Dye

The last pin review I have for you today (I know! This post is already sooo long as it is! But hang in there, we're almost done!) is the marbled egg dyeing method that can be found here. The basic idea behind this one is that if you add some vegetable oil to your egg dye, you can swirl your egg around in it for a few seconds and get these gorgeous marbled, shiny eggs. Now, this pin was confusing because the information is messed up. On the actual pin it said to use one teaspoon of oil, then on the actual website it said to use one tablespoon. I decided to experiment and see what worked best.

First I tried the Tablespoon because that's what the actual website said. This is how it turned out.

Umm... Kinda weird and splotchy. I didn't really like it at all. So I tried it with a teaspoon instead.

Better! Now we are getting somewhere. I achieved this with the one teaspoon of oil, 10 drop of food coloring, 1 Tablespoon of vinegar, and 1/2 cup of water. Then I let it sit for about 10 minutes on the cookie rack before wiping it off. And when I did wipe it off, I didn't just pat it like the pin suggests. I rubbed it all around. This still doesn't match the amazing photos that the pin claims to have accomplished, but it also said to try swirling it around in multiple colors. So I did try that as well. This was the end result.

Now, I'm not gonna lie. This egg is pretty cool. And it did retain a little bit of shine even after wiping off the excess oil! But.... I still don't think it looks marbled, and it definitely doesn't match the picture from the pin at all. It's still a fun way to decorate eggs, but if you're expecting the amazing results shown in the photo.... Sorry kids.

You guys should definitely feel free to try out any of these methods and let me know how they worked out for you! In fact, if you got them to work better some how, please share with us! If you have any questions, I would love to help you out so feel free to ask in the comment section below.

Thanks for stopping by - hope you all have a fabulous Easter Sunday!

Happy Halloween! Halloween Activities for the Family

Happy Halloween everyone!

This is one of my favorite holidays! I go all out. There's something amazing about the new Fall weather and spending time doing things just to make your kids happy. It just makes Halloween one-of-a-kind. Yesterday my family did all our Halloween activities in one night because we have been so busy this month! This is what we did.

Halloween Bingo!

This game has been a family tradition since I was a kid. My family played this every single year, and every single year I looked forward to it. In our married life, we have usually lived close enough to home that we could go to my Mom's house to play every year, but this year we are on our own, so I made our own Halloween Bingo cards! I think they turned out pretty cute. I got the pattern from Artsy Fartsy Mama. She actually has printables for it, and they are ADORABLE. Unfortunately for me, printables are for when your printer is actually working. I would have just printed mine off since they are so cute, but since I couldn't I made my own based on her pictures and bingo cards. It's ok though, it was hard work but I feel like it gave a more personal touch to it and I will treasure it a little more with each passing year.

So, bingo is a pretty simple game and the rules are basic. The only thing you do differently with Halloween Bingo is that you use candy for your markers. Then, when someone calls BINGO! you forfeit all the candy on your card to the player that won. Then after each round, you rotate your cards clockwise.

Vincent enjoyed himself immensely. As you can see by his huge candy pile, he won most of the rounds.

And as you can see by Max's lack-of-candy-pile, he didn't win at all. Haha, don't worry he's only pretending to be upset for the camera. It's actually funny, because he usually won almost every round in previous years. This bingo set must be enhanced with magical kid-advantage powers. =)

Another tradition we have is making Ghost Suckers!

All you need is lollipop sticks, aluminum foil, and chocolate. It is so much fun and tasty too!

This is something else I grew up with. My Mom had us make ghost suckers every year around Halloween. Once again, loved it and always looked forward to it. The picture above is Vincent's "Big Smile Ghost" and also his "Boo from Ruby Gloom" ghost. This is what we normally had when I did it with my Mom growing up - just melted white chocolate and milk chocolate chips. But now I am an adult. And like I said, I go all out for Halloween.

This is my ghost. She's dressed up for Halloween. This year she is going as Little Red Riding Hood. Unfortunately for her, in this version she gets eaten by the Big Bad Gela. =)

Here we have just a couple of the ones Max made. He made a Deadpool sucker for himself (left) and a Spidey sucker for Vincent (right). Turned out great right? He's so talented.

Here's another one Max made - The Grim Reaper! He looks so happy to be here for our Halloween party, doesn't he?

We just happened to have the red and black melting chocolate leftover from Eva's and my birthday party over the weekend. (More on that in the next post! Stay tuned!) But if you are feeling as ambitious as we were, melting chocolate in virtually all colors can be bought at most local crafting stores. I got mine at Jo~Ann. 

And of course, we also carved pumpkins!

Well, I have a long day full of trying to keep my kids' Halloween anxiety down before the fun stuff tonight. Wish me luck!

Happy Halloween!!

101 in 1001

The Mission:

Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:

Tasks must be specific (i.e. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (i.e. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?

Many people have created lists in the past – frequently simple goals such as New Year’s resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

The Start Date:

September 24, 2012

The End Date:

June 22, 2015

completed
in progress
Completed so far: (33/101)

For the biz….

1. Organize craft supplies.
2. List 25 items in my shop (17/25)
3. Have a booth at a fair or craft show.
4. Get Photoshop and learn to use it.
5. Have my shop or an item from my shop featured anywhere.
6. Fulfill 1 custom order. (9/13/13)
7. Organize photos on computer. Seriously. (3/18/13)
8. Try 10 of the amazing tutorials I always see online. (6/10)
9. Reach 10 sales. (9/13/13)

For the blog….

10. Have someone guest post on my blog.
11. Guest post on someone else’s blog.
12. Post a pic on my blog of what I normally look like every day. No make-up.
13. Completely re-vamp my blog.
14. Learn some HTML.
15. Write my 100th blog post.
16. FINALLY start up my “family” blog. (3/26/13)

For me….

17. Go to 3 social events for fun, not because I have to. (2/3)

18. Go without the computer for 1 week straight. (9/24-30/12)

19. Get my 1st pedicure.

20. Get my 1st massage.

21. Try out 10 new hairstyles. (3/10)

22. Follow 1 season of football. Identify my favorite team.

23. Fire a real gun.

24. Learn enough Japanese to say that I’m “fluent”.

25. Learn 1 more complete song on the guitar. (June 2013, "Just Give Me A Reason" by P!nk)

26. Try sake.

27. Order a martini.

28. Buy a bottle of wine.

29. Drink champagne. (8/24/13)

30. Read 10 books cover-to-cover (2/10) (Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker)

31. Sing in public.

32. Learn to knit.

33. Write a letter to myself to open in 10 years. (4/24/13)

34. Attend a concert. (Backstreet Boys - 9/7/13)

35. Get my upper ear pierced.

36. Complete “50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind” (9/30/12)

37. Make a new friend. (1/16/2013)

38. Use entire teeth whitening kit.

39. Wear a sexy costume on Halloween.

40. Fail miserably at something then look back on it as a valuable learning experience. (7/14/13)

41. Do something COMPLETELY outside of my comfort zone. (7/11-17/13)

42. Be in a position of authority for anything.

43. Attend a class or seminar.

44. Write 5 chapters a fiction book. (6/5) (8/23/13)

45. Grow out my nails and try 5 awesome DIY mani designs on them. (1/5)

46. Win a contest.

47. Tell someone face-to-face that I’m atheist 5 times. (4/5)

48. Wear make-up and do my hair every day for a week straight. (7/11-17/13)

49. Sew something. ANYTHING.

50. Pull an all-nighter for fun. (10/10/12)

51. Fill up another entire journal. (10/14/13)

52. Do another “Deaf for the Day” – only this time really do it for a WHOLE day. (9/25/12)

53. Bawl out of sheer happiness. (8/11/2013)

54. Submit a postcard to Post Secret.

55. Write a list of 101 things I’ve already achieved in my life.

56. Write another 101 in 1001 list when this one is over.

Family/Home/Organizing

57. Go on 5 FREE dates with Max. (1/5)
58. Have a romantic candle-light dinner with Max at home. (8/11/2013)
59. Plan our dream vow renewal.
60. Unpack all boxes from moving. (February 2013)
61. Fill up photo albums.
62. Take a nice new family portrait. (December 2013)
63. Teach Vincent 10 new words in ASL then quiz him to make sure he knows them. (4/10 water, please, milk, potty)
64. Buy a new vacuum. (November 2013 - got a new one, didn't buy - still counts!)
65. Go on a family picnic. (February 2013)
66. Finish Eva’s 1st Year Calendar. (10/11/13)
67. Put an emergency kit in the car.
68. Plan our 1st family vacation. (Hawaii!! Planned in March 2013)
69. Take a legit family “staycation”.
70. Do whatever Vincent wants to for a whole day (no TV or video games).
71. Create a night-time routine for myself and my kids then stick to it for 30 days.
72. Buy coasters and then USE them.

Nutrition/Exercise/Food….

73. Get down to goal weight.
74. Try a juice detox for 10 days straight.
75. Exercise for 30 mins a day for 30 days straight. (0/30)
76. Go 7 days straight without sugar.
77. Meditate for 10 mins a day for 30 days straight. (0/30)
78. Go 30 days straight without fast food or restaurants.
79. Do the splits. (Must be able to hold it for 10 seconds with little-to-no pain.)
80. Try a new recipe once a month for 12 months. (12/12) (2013)
81. Make Thanksgiving Dinner by myself. (11/27/2013)
82. Make real, homemade lasagna from scratch.

Culture

83. Visit 3 museums (0/3)
84. Eat at 10 restaurants I’ve never tried before. (4/10) (Breakfast at Tifiny's, Red Robin, BJ's, Plantation Grille)
85. See a show at the Tuacahn Amphitheatre.
86. Explore the Saint George Mountains. (5/12/2013)
87. Vote in an election and actually KNOW who I am voting for and why. (11/5/2012 - Obama)
88. Watch 5 of the past Best Picture Oscar movies. (0/5)

For others/For the Earth….

89. Donate to a charity. (February 2013, Dumb Friends League for Pet Rescue)
90. Donate blood twice (2/2) (1/4/2013)
91. Send a snail mail birthday card to each of my 6 siblings (2/6)
92. Start recycling again.
93. Crochet another baby blanket. Donate it to a hospital or family in need.
94. Throw a surprise party for someone.
95. Write 10 Operation Beautiful notes and leave them in random places. (0/10)
96. Crochet something made entirely from recycled items.
97. Send all my neighbors Christmas goodies. (12/20/13)
98. Leave a 100% tip.
99. Send someone flowers.
100. Smile (big & intentional) at absolutely EVERYONE I pass by for a whole day.
101. Start a “Phantom” exchange in my apartment complex near Halloween.

More Inventory, Supplies, & Hope

Hi again everyone! I have been very busy. I've added lots of stuff to my inventory. I am now at 21 items!! Almost a quarter of the way to my goal. Man, there is still so much to do!! But I got more done every day, so it's a work in progress. You can see some of my newer items in my brand new SLIDESHOW!!! ------------------------------->
Isn't it pretty? =)


So, the other day I had a little mini scare. I made about 3 pairs of mini classic bows. Only had enough small alligator clips for one set of them. So, I set off to the store. Wal-Mart first because I had to pick up a couple things for the fam anyway, and because they usually have some there. Nope, out-of-stock. So I head over to the ONLY other place in town that sells them, Jo-Ann. (Did I mention that this town is teeny?) And wouldn't you know it. They are completely out of them. And the best part was that they had NO idea when they were getting more. =D Whoo-hoo. So I looked online to see if I could get some without an outrageous price tag. I had heard of www.hair-hardware.com before, but had never visited. But in my google travels, I stumbled upon it and decided to check it out. They had just what I needed. AND IN BULK. ON SALE. It was amazing. At Wal-Mart I would be paying roughly $2 for a package of 10. At Hair-Hardware.com I got 144 for $10. I KNOW!! Never again, Wal-Mart. NEVER AGAIN!


So, I love what I do. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE IT. 110%. But I haven't had any sales since my first one. I get compliments on my photos and items and shop and treasuries and such ALL THE TIME! But for some reason I have had no more takers, and even my views and favorites are going down. Sometimes it's hard to keep going. But in the long run, I know I wouldn't stop making bows.... And they would just pile up in my living room anyway even without a shop, and at least this way I have an excuse for my obsession! Just gotta keep up the hope and the faith that someone else will love my bows as much as I do someday!!


~*~Gela~*~

Promoting, Inventory, & New Section!

Hello again, blogosphere...... I don't know why I keep calling it that. Oh well!! Lately I have been exhausting myself everyday trying to promote my shop. Treasuries. Forum posts. Favoriting. Linking. Etc, etc, etc. But all my hard work seems to be coming up with little to nothing. So, I decided that maybe the problem is still that my inventory is too dang small! So I'm working on that. Got a couple more new items up today. But even still, I only have 16 items up. Ahhh!! That's not enough! Everyone says that 100 is the magic number. So I will shoot for that. But it's gonna be slow-going. I think maybe 1-2 a day. Until then, I don't expect to see a whole lot of traffic. But I am still going to try my hardest!!

As I said above, I added a couple more items to my shop today.... One of them being..... Drumroll please....... A pair of earrings!! Whaaaat?? You thought I was a BOW SHOP?!?! Oh, wait. I am a bow shop. Oh yeah, my earrings ARE BOWS. Whaaaaat?? Genius, no?? I thought so. You can see them here.....
http://www.etsy.com/listing/95443894/black-hot-pink-bows-earring-with-rose
I'm pretty pleased with the outcome. I made a whole new section dedicated to flower & bow jewelry! Maybe someday I will have matching earrings/necklace for each flower bow and I can sell them as a set. How fun would that be?? Next up.... TATTERED ROSE EARRINGS!! So look out for that, people.

Oh yeah, remember how in the last blog post I said that I'm looking forward to the day when I am fatured in a treasury? Well, right after I posted that I went to check on my Etsy account, and VOILA. I was featured ina treasury. Wow, it was like magic!! Now I should say "I'm looking forward to when I make my second sale!" and see if that happens like magic too. =) Yeah, tough cookies haha. Speaking of which, I still haven't heard from my first customer. I'm getting worried and anxious. At the very latest her package should have arrived today. I want to know what's going on!! Oh, well. Hopefully everything got there in one piece and she loved them. Ideally, in mind, that's what happened. =D Alright, that's enough rambling for now. Until next time!

~*~Gela~*~