Etsy Treasury - Inspirational Gifts of Love by Holyland Designs

I love that my All That I Am I Owe To My Angel Mother wall print in this wonderful treasury. I love all of the inspirational Mother's Day gift ideas! Thanks so much Holyland Designs!

Friday Etsy Favorites

Flowers are blooming everywhere here. I love it! It's so exciting to see the new blooms emerge. They are just so beautiful. This weeks Friday Etsy Favorites feature some very pretty blooms. Enjoy! ♥

1. Julishland ► Leather Bracelet With Shabby Rose
2. JJcreation ► Wild Orchid Flower Connector And Ceramic Mint Bird Pendant
3. Serenity Crystal ► Woodland Bridal Hair Flower
4. Lavender Cottage ► Handmade Sterling Silver Flower Cuff Bracelet
5. Silk Couture by Takuyo ► Hand Painted Silk Scarf
6. Crucible Crow ► Silver Flower Locket

Great Uses for Old Tees

I have tons of t-shirts (my husbands, my kids, and mine) that could be more useful as something else. Who would have thought that you can make so many cool things with just a plain 'ol t-shirt?




Shag Pillow. I absolutely LOVE this shag pillow. It is gorgeous! (The chair is pretty fab too.)




Dishtowels. Who knew that you could make dishtowels from t-shirts? I sure didn't. Awesome! Love the colors.




Knotted Headband with T-shirt Yarn. Totally love this headband.




Ruffle Skirt. I love this ruffle skirt. So clever to make a ruffled skirt out of t-shirts. Very cute!




Recycled Tee Scarf. I really dig scarves. This one is VERY cool!




Jersey Bracelet. Very neat to transform t-shirts into funky bracelets. Love this!




The Shirt Skirt. These skirts are sweet! Perfect for spring and summer weather.




T-Shirt Necklace. Very trendy. Yes, very trendy indeed!




T-shirt Latch Hook Rug. I am in love with this rug. I love the color too. I love the color gray, as shown in this post! :)

Friday Etsy Favorites

I love handbags. They are such a fun accessory or for me a necessity! :) I tend to trend towards larger bags...something big enough for me to put all my stuff in. What exactly will you find in my purse? Well let's see...wallet, lip gloss, iPhone, notebook, pen, business cards ('cause you just never know!), hand sanitizer, kleenex, gum, coupon organizer and more...! :) I thought I would highlight a few handbags that I really love from some talented Etsy artists. ♥ 1. Art On Crafts ► Emerald Green Leather Handbag 2. Chic Leather ► Dark Brown Leather Handbag 3. VEINAGE ► Leather Handbag With Strap Bulbe 4. The Leather Store ► Leather Handbag in Purple 5. milo & saint ► Bespoke Denim Blue Italian Leather Handbag 6. Adeleshop ► Yellow Hobo Messager Bag 

 

Etsy Treasury - Appreciate an Administrative Professional by C

Check out my Do What You Love, Love What You Do wall print in this beautiful treasury. I love the turquoise color. Did I mention that turquoise is my favorite color? Thanks so much C!

Oreo Ice Cream Cake - Seriously Good!

I contemplated either buying a cake or making one for my son's kids party this past weekend.

I thought about all the different cakes I could make. I knew that it had to include chocolate because Mateo (and not to mention me) love chocolate. ♥

I had never made an ice cream cake before and thought that it would be a hit for the party. I mean, really, what kid does not like ice cream? :)

I came across this recipe for Oreo Ice Cream Cake and added it to my "Sweet Treats" pinterest board. It includes a how-to instructional video. Fabulous!

I watched the video and thought, "That looks really fun and easy to make. I'm going to give it a go". With the help of my trusty assistant, Mateo (who insisted on helping me make his cake), we went to work.

I didn't follow the recipe exactly. I just added the things that I thought would be a good combination.



This was the resulting cake. I wish I had taken step-by-step pictures, but I was pressed for time.



And this is how the inside looked. I love the Oreo lined bottom and side and the crushed oreos mixed in with the ice cream. This ice cream cake was seriously good! I will definitely be making it again! :)

Oreo Ice Cream Cake

Ingredients (only 3 ingredients!)
1.66L of cookies and cream ice cream
1/2 cup chocolate fudge sauce
1 large bag of Oreo Cookies

Directions
Let the cookies and cream ice cream thaw until it is soft and workable.

Line a 9" springform pan with plastic wrap (this will help with getting the cake out easy peasy). Line the sides of the springform pan with an upright Oreo until the sides are completely Oreo covered. Next separate some of the Oreos top from bottom and place them cookie side down (not cream filling side) until the bottom of the spring form pan is covered.

With the rest of the Oreos, place them in a bag and smash them up with a rolling pin or use the flat side of the meat tenderizer. (Mateo loved doing this part). :) Don't crush them too fine, as it is good to have larger chunks mixed in with the ice cream.

Put the soft ice cream into a large bowl. Add about 3/4 of the crushed Oreos and 1/2 cup of the chocolate fudge sauce. Mix until everything is well blended.

Next pour the ice cream mixture into the awaiting Oreo crust in the springform pan and then top with the remaining crushed Oreos. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for a few hours or overnight (that's what I did).

Make sure that you take the cake out about 10 minutes before you are ready to serve it so that it will be easier to cut. When everyone has their piece, cover the remaining cake with plastic wrap and put in the freezer so it doesn't melt all over your counter top into a milkshake mess. :) And now you have yourself a midnight snack. :)

Enjoy!

Etsy Treasury - A Mother's Love by foldi

So happy to have my A Baby's Life - Eat, Cry, Poop, Play, Sleep, Repeat wall print is included in this absolutely gorgeous treasury. Thanks so much foldi!

Friday Etsy Favorites

We have been getting quite the bit of rain here. This week's Friday Etsy Favorites is in celebration of those wet and cloudy days! Ok, truth be told, I would prefer it to be sunny, but these creations definitely put a smile on my face! :) 1. Wendy and Peter ► Felt Cameo Hair Clip 2. Circumhorizontal Arc ► Hand Painted Flats 3. Pony And Poppy ► Rain Cloud Pillow 4. Dana Castle ► Rain Cloud and Aquamarine Earrings 5. oelwein ► Rain & Cloud Organic Cotton Tote 6. Acts of Craftiness ► Rainbow, Rain, and Cloud Cross Stitch

  

Easter - More Than Eggs and Bunnies

For the past couple of years, we have gone to my sister's house to do an easter egg hunt. The kids always look so cute in their bunny ears holding their baskets in search of the well hidden eggs.

They always have so much fun! I love watching them run around frantically and then seeing the look of joy on their faces when they find an egg.

And yes, I want my kids to have fun on 'the hunt' and I want for them to enjoy this time with their cousins.

But, I also want them to know why we celebrate Easter. And that it's not because of the easter bunny or the sweet treats that they find in the eggs.

I want them to know that Easter is so much more than eggs and bunnies. That the reason we celebrate Easter is because of Jesus and what He did on the cross.

This Amazing Love wall print that I designed for my shop summarizes what I want them to know.




Here are some Christian inspired items that I absolutely love.



Names of Jesus Christian Bowl Fillers by Ryens Marketplace




Hand Stamped Metal Necklace by Wonderkath




Felt Finger Puppets by So Simple So Sweet




Jesus Lives Paperweight by Fresh Retro Gallery




Not Perfect Just Forgiven Necklace by Alexandra And Company




I Love Jesus Leather Bracelet by Crystal's Sweet Imagination Boutique




He is Risen Resurrection Sculpture by Hooked on Clay




Hand-Stamped Sterling Cross by Joy Belle Jewelry


I hope that you all enjoy this Easter weekend!

Month In Photos - March 2012

This is my month in photos collage for March.



To create your own photo collage and join in the fun, you can download the template the I use for my month in photos at simple as that.

Etsy Treasury - Colorful Spring by imali

I love that my Live What You Love wall print is included in this colorful and bright treasury. Thanks so much imali!