"Life's A Beach" - Homemade Frosty

Today, I'd like to introduce you to one of my favorite bloggy friends, Carmella.  She's a wonderfully creative stay-at-home mama to two beautiful children and one more on the way!  We started blogging around the same time, and I think her blog, Creative Carmella, is just fantastic!  Tomorrow, I'll be featuring one of my favorite of her projects, a "beach in a jar."  But today, she's here to share a delicious looking recipe with us...I want to try it and I bet you will too!

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Hi, I'm Carmella from Creative Carmella and I am so happy to be here guest posting at One Artsy Mama. I always love coming over to see what Amy and Noah have been up to....I always find a reason to smile and some great inspiration too!

Summer is in full swing at our house....a lot of lazy days spent in the back yard or at the pool...anything we can do to keep cool has been part of our plans!

Today I wanted to share a great recipe to help cool you down, it's for one of my all time favorite summer treats....

Did you know that you can make these at home??

Time to fire up your ice cream maker and get ready for a treat you won't be able to get enough of...

Homemade Wendy's Frosty

1/2 gallon chocolate milk

1 large container of Cool Whip (thawed)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a (very) large bowl mix all ingredients together. Pour mixture into your ice cream maker and let it churn away until it is finished! The consistency should be the same as the "soft serve" frosty you would get at Wendy's. Our ice cream maker takes about 30 minutes...yours may vary just a bit

I hope your family will enjoy this homemade treat as much as our family does! And thanks again to Amy for letting be take over her blog for the day :)

 I hope you will stop by and visit me soon!

Happy Summer!



"Life's A Beach" - Handstamped Card

Today, I'm excited to introduce you to my friend Lisa. 

We met back in 2007 on a BabyCenter chat board and found out that we only lived about twenty minutes apart.  We decided to meet in person, along with our hubbies, at Olive Garden, and we've been great friends ever since.  Lisa has an absolutely adorable 2-year-old named Chelsea {who I would love for Noah to marry one day}, and she is one creative, crafty mama!

She has always enjoyed scrapbooking, and now she's taken her hobby one step further by becoming a Close to My Heart consultant.  If you enjoy stamping, take a look at Lisa's blog where she has all kinds of fun info and ideas.  She's graciously agreed to share a beachy themed stamp project with us today...here it is!

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When Amy asked me to be a guest blogger for her during her vacation, I was delighted! I love reading Amy's craft ideas and all the fun ways she gets Noah involved. Also, the beach theme she requested is so fun for summer!

My name is Lisa Schaefer and I am a mother to a 2 year old girl, Chelsea. I work full time, and a few months ago I started as an Independent Consultant for Close to My Heart. I am having a fabulous time doing what I love in my spare time!

I decided to use my cruise stamp set to create a simple beach card. Here’s what I came up with:

Materials:
Cruisin’ Stamp Set D1471
Crystal Blue Cardstock (Bright Blue Shade Pack – X5902)
Desert Sand Cardstock – 1273
Colonial White Cardstock - 1388
Crystal Blue Ink - Z2117
Desert Sand Ink – Z2118
Goldrush Ink – Z2123
Stardust Glitz Glitter Gel – Z1313

Here’s the stamp set I used! This set is great for cruise or beach pictures or cards! I love the quotes. It is from the Spring/Summer 2011 idea book, and is available for only the next 6 months.

I’m delighted to announce the release of the Autumn/Winter 2011 idea book. Among all the great changes, we are now featuring a Cricut cartridge with matching stamp sets, lower prices on stamp sets, and much more. For more details, please visit my blog at http://lisalynn00.blogspot.com/.

All of the products featured in this post are available on my website http://lisaschaefer.myctmh.com/. Also, please visit my blog at http://lisalynn00.blogspot.com/ for more great card ideas, and for information regarding sales, specials, and local events.

Keep creating,

Lisa

"Life's A Beach" - DIY Body Scrubs

Are you enjoying all these fun beachy ideas?  I sure am!

Today, I'd like you to meet my bloggy friend Carrie from My Favorite Finds.

You may remember me mentioning her before; she was sweet enough to feature my ribbon lampshade project on her blog, and she made her own girly version of it for her daughter's bedroom.  Carrie has many interests, like cooking, scrapbooking, trying new foods, organizing, bargain-hunting, and telling others about Jesus.  I love this line from her blog bio:  

 "My life is fabulous-because everything I have is a blessing from God." 

Amen, sister!

I'm excited about what Carrie has to share with us today, a DIY body scrub!  So, please give her a warm Artsy Mama welcome and enjoy the project.....

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Hello!  My name is Carrie, and I blog at My Favorite Finds.  I am married to my best friend, and my high school sweetheart.  We have three children-a set of 8 year old twin boys and a 21 month old daughter.  I started my blog to share my favorite ideas, recipes, and organization finds.  I am so excited and privileged to be guest posting here on One Artsy Mama today.  I'll be sharing some recipes for homemade body scrubs, using ingredients you already have at home. 

Basically, you need "carrier oil", like EVOO (the light, cold pressed kind), mineral oil, or sweet almond oil.  I've used all three, and I don't favor one over any others.  It's ok to substitute oils for each other, and to substitute sugar for salt or vice versa.  You need an exfoliant, and I use sugar or sea salt, and a scent.  In the recipes below, I use Lavender essential oils, peppermint extract, and orange extract.  Vanilla and honey can be used, also.  I use an old small Ball canning jar, and I hot glue the ring to the lid so they stay together.  I've also purchased glass jars at Michael's that have a rubber seal around the lid, so it stays on tightly.  Either way you choose to store it or give it as a gift, you can't really go wrong. 

Lavender Vanilla Salt Scrub*1/2 c mineral oil
*1/2 c sea salt (I added about 1/8 c more because I like my scrub a little more grainy)
*1 t vanilla extract
*15 drops Lavender essential oil (I bought some at The Body Shop)

1.  Mix the sea salt and mineral oil together until all the salt is incorporated.
2.  Add the vanilla extract and essential oils.  Stir them into the salt/oil mixture until they are thoroughly incorporated.
3.  Add a few drops of blue food coloring to pretty it up.  So far, I haven't had any trouble with the food coloring staining my skin or my shower.
4.  Store in an airtight container.  Use 2-3 times a week in the shower.
Note: DON'T use salt scrub AFTER you shave your legs.  If you do so, your skin will burn-like you've rubbed salt into a wound :).  However, if you use scrub before shaving, you'll get a closer shave. 

Brown Sugar and Honey Body Scrub*1/3 c Mineral Oil
*1 C Brown Sugar
*2 T Honey

Mix all the ingredients together very thoroughly.  This scrub will be much thicker than the salt scrub above.  I can tell you, my skin is literally glowing and beautiful after using this scrub.  Use it 2-3 times a week, and make sure you rinse off really well.  As a note, it will make your shower floor a bit sticky.  Just make sure you rinse it well.

Peppermint Foot Scrub*1 c sugar
*1/3 c Mineral Oil
*1/2 t Peppermint Extract
*10-12 drops of Lavender Essential Oil (optional)
*Drop of green food coloring 

1.  Mix the sugar and mineral oil together.
2.  Add the Peppermint Extract, Essential Oil (optional), and the food coloring.  Mix until the food coloring is completely incorporated. 

Orange Vanilla Sugar Scrub
*1/2 t orange extract
*1/3 c sweet almond oil
*1 c sugar
*1/2 t vanilla extract

1.  Mix the sugar and almond oil together. 
2.  Add the orange and vanilla extracts and stir until they are incorporated. 

Thanks, Carrie, for sharing these great "recipes" with us!  I'm thinking the peppermint foot scrub is first on my list!  If you liked the ideas, be sure to stop by My Favorite Finds and let Carrie know.  Hope you all are having a great week.  Join us tomorrow for another fun summer idea!

"Life's A Beach" - Decorated Flip Flops

Today, I'd like to welcome our guest blogger, the fabulous Andi Jaye from Crayon Freckles.

Andi is not only a wonderfully creative mama, she also home-preschools her toddler son and is working on a degree in elementary education.

I hope you got a chance to visit her {very cutely named} blog on Monday when I guest posted for her series in{her}shoes.  Now, she's returning the favor and showing off her shoes, these cute decorated flip flops!

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hello lovelies!  i'm andie from cRaYOn fRecKLes.  so happy that amy is letting me do a guest post!  this is my very 1st one!!

keeping with the bEAcH tHeMe, i'm going to share my new obsession with you...

deCoRAtiNG fLiP-fLopS!!!

pair #1 ziPPy zeBRa

this pair was for my teenager, pip.  these were fairly straight-forward.  i cut off the regular plastic straps.  then i replaced them with strips of fabric i cut from a handkerchief.  ((in hindsight, i would use a pair of pinking shears next time to eliminate the fraying)) 

then i inserted the two strips into the toe hole.  i knotted them twice and cut off the excess.  on the top side, i placed my foot on the shoe and knotted twice above where my toes were.  then i slipped the two side straps through the holes.  again i knotted them with my foot on it to make sure it was the right size.  and here's the result:

pair #2 sWiRLy riBBoN stRaPS

the second i saw this ribbon, i thought of pip.  it's fun, fresh, and sooo summery!  each shoe used a little under 6 feet of ribbon.  to get them started, i stuck the end of the ribbon in one of the holes for the side straps. 

then i wound it around the little bottom stopper several times and glued.  make sure you shove the stopper back in pretty well.  then i just started wrapping and wrapping and wrapping.  once on the other side, i repeated the wrapping around the bottom of the side strap.  and this is them...

pair #3 suPeR stRiPS
i had a pair of these when i was in junior high. i made them out of those nylon circles like this that you weave to make pot holders:

image from liveandlearn.com

this time, i used strips of handkerchiefs.  i cut strips that were six inches in length.  ((again, the next time i make these i'll use pinking sheers to cut with)).  once the strips were all cut, a-tieing i went.   

pair #4 fuN fLoWeRS

i love these!  i was in the rhinestone/button/brads section of hobby lobby when i saw the brads.  **tiNK** went the lightbulb over my head. and knew i had to make them for myself.  again, pretty easy and pretty self-explanatory.  i pushed the brads in one by one, using a little bit of super-glue to make sure they stay in there.  to get the spacing equal on the two different shoes, i rubberbanded them together sole-to-sole.  and there you go...

pair #5 woNDerFuL waTErmELonS

these are my absolute favorite pair.  ever.  i wrapped the straps with green gingham ribbon just like i did the blue ones.  then i glued the round brads in just like i did the flower ones.  ((i think that this style would be cute as ladybugs too using red flip-flops and red and black gingham))

so there you have it doLLs!

some fun ideas to make your fLiP-fLopS fabulous!

thanks again to aMy for letting me guest post during her bEAcH wEEk! 

stop on over and visit me at cRaYOn fRecKLeS sometime!!

"Life's A Beach" - Starfish Canvas

Welcome to the first day of my "Life's A Beach" series!  Summer is going by so quickly, isn't it?  Before it slips away, I wanted to take a week to focus on my favorite place...the beach!  And to do it, I wanted to feature projects from some of the other amazing, fun, crafty ladies I've met, either in real life or in blog-land.

To kick off our series, please welcome the lovely JessaJill.

She has a great blog of her own where she shares DIY decor projects, great fashions, some of her Pinterest favorites, and all kinds of other fun girly things.  Today, she's going to share a quick beachy home decor project with us; I just love it and I know you will too!

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Hi!  I'm Jessa and I blog at JessaJill!   

I'm so excited to be at One Artsy Mama today!  I started JessaJill as my outlet, a place to craft and play.  I like to do small projects one at a time to slowly fill my home with fun projects.  Today I'm going to show you how I made a little Starfish Accent I made for my guest bedroom.  The theme in that room is "Beachy," but I hate overstated themes so I wanted to do something simple.


And trust me - simple is the name of the game with this project!




Here is what you'll need:

1. Canvas - I bought this at Hobby Lobby for $3.99 - but I could have waited for it to go half off too and saved some more.  
2. Paint.  I wanted a very pale blue so I mixed a little bit of Spa Blue with White Wash to get the color I wanted.
3. A star fish, or really anything that would go with your theme of choice.
4. Glue gun & Glue sticks
5. Tape.  I used regular old run-of-the-mill scotch tape because I wanted thinner lines.  
6. Not pictured - paint brush.

Next:

I taped off one inch sections.  I eyeballed it, because I'm lazy and truthfully I wasn't after "perfect."

Next:

I mixed my paint so I'd have a very, very pale blue.  I just wanted faint lines because I like the white-washed beach feel for my guest bedroom.  I only painted on one coat and it took about 10 minutes to dry.  Once it's dry go ahead and peel off the tape.

Next:

Star fish generally don't lay flat, so I only applied glue at the points and let it set.

Next:

 Because this little accent is small, I used a push pin.  I mounted it in between the guest bedroom door and the door to the guest bathroom.  

And that's it!  It's a small little accent, nothing much, but it's still fun to add small changes to a room.  It's exactly what I was after - "beachy" without being too "Beach Themed!"  The nice part about this project is that it would be all too easy to change it to the theme of your choice too!  The possibilities are endless!


Thanks Amy for having me today!  You can find me over at JessaJill any time, rambling on about my favorite finds or projects I'm trying next!

Nautical Necklace & Crystal Heart Necklace

As I've been gearing up for the "Life's A Beach" series next week, I couldn't help wanting to make a few nautical themed projects myself!  I saw a necklace similar to this on Etsy and decided to give it a try.

NAUTICAL NECKLACE

Materials: 26 gauge wire, flat shell-like beads, jump rings and clasp, pliers and cutters

First cut four strands of wire the length you want your necklace to be plus about six inches.  I didn't measure, I wrapped it around my neck, allowed an extra 6" and cut.  Then, string your beads one at a time and wrap your wire once or twice around each one to hold it in place.  They're not perfectly spaced so that it has a more random look.  When you've placed beads on all 4 pieces of wire, secure them around one jump ring on each end.  Then add a clasp, and enjoy!

I also have another necklace project up my sleeve...it's not beach themed but I thought you might enjoy it!

CRYSTAL HEART NECKLACE

Materials: 12 gauge aluminum wire, 26 gauge wire, 7 small crystals, jump ring, pliers and cutters

STEP 1: Using needle nose pliers, curl wire into a small loop.

STEP 2: Decide how tall you want your heart to be.  Go down the wire that far and make a loop in the opposite direction.

You can flatten it down with pliers.

STEP 3: Curl the other end of the wire down in a loop to form the second side of the heart.

There's no exact science to it, each one you make will look slightly different...that's what makes it art!

STEP 4: Wrap 26 gauge wire around the larger side of the heart several times.  String a crystal and wrap around the heart once.  String another and wrap, repeating until all seven beads are secure.  Wrap wire several times and cut.

STEP 5: Add jump ring and chain.

You can also make it a more simple necklace by leaving off the crystals and just wearing the heart.

Another option is to make the heart with thinner gauge wire if you like a more delicate look; this is 20 gauge.

You can customize it using any color or combination of colored crystals, even using family birthstones if you like.  What do you think?

I'm thinking of adding these to Etsy...which reminds me, don't forget to enter the giveaway for a $25 gift certificate to my Etsy shop found over at Crayon Freckles!  Only 15 entries so far...your chances are good! :)

Have a great day!

These are a few of my favorite things...

So, Julie Andrews might love raindrops on roses {which are pretty indeed} and whiskers on kittens {which just make me sneeze}, but I have a few favorite things of my own.  One of which is...

 Football. 

So we were thrilled to hear that the lockout is over!! 

Are you ready for some football?!

We sure are.  You probably already know that at this house we bleed purple.  Even Elmo wore a jersey last season when the Ravens were in the playoffs...it's that serious.  We're quite upset about the four big cuts that were announced yesterday; I'm putting off telling Noah that his very favorite player {Heap} got the boot until we know for sure whether he'll resign a new, cheaper contract.  Here's hoping!  In the meantime, I am super excited about this awesome score I got at the mall today...a Ravens swimsuit!  I've had the same suit since 2006. 

Don't get me wrong; it's a nice one: it's black and it has a little skirt to hide my big thighs {the life of a dancer}, but sometimes when we go to the beach it would really be nice to have a second suit for when the first one is still wet.  Ugh...isn't it gross trying to put on a wet swimsuit?  I technically do have a black bikini that I bought and wore the summer I was pregnant with Noah because I didn't want to pay for a maternity suit, but post-baby I refuse to wear it. :)  Partially because the year I did, I got a major, painful, lobster-esque sunburn that covered my entire {pregnant} stomach...and I was afraid I had cooked my baby. 

{Yes, I googled it to make sure he was okay.}

All that to say, I was in the market for a new suit.  I thought I'd snap something up cheap since everything would be on clearance.  Trouble is, there's nothing left.  Just odds and ends; tops that don't match bottoms and vice versa, a major lack of sizes, and really hideous looking things.  My mom was shopping with me, and she literally loves to pull the ugliest thing off the rack and hold it up like she's serious just to see the face I make.  I've always suspected this and today she finally admitted it.  After five stores and lots of terrible faces, I finally landed at Sears where we found this:

Oh. Yes.  And it was surprisingly reasonable for being NFL merchandise.  The swimsuit, of course, reminds me of another of my favorite things...

the beach!

Which is why I'm super excited about the series I'm running next week featuring all kinds of fun beachy projects from some of my favorite bloggers.  Recipes, home decor, decorated flip flops, cards...all kinds of goodies!  So be sure to stop by all week and check out the featured project of the day.  Tomorrow, to get us in the mood, I'll be posting about this little beauty I made.

...and finally, speaking of our fabulous guest posters, there's one more favorite thing I want to mention today:

bloggy buddies and giveaways!

My fabulous friend Andi over at Crayon Freckles just reached 101 followers {yay, Andi!} and is celebrating by hosting a giveaway.  The prize is a gift certificate to...my etsy shop!  So if you've been eyeing up a bird nest, some peas in a pod, or maybe a birthstone necklace, head on over and enter yourself in the contest!  All you have to do is follow my blog and Andi's, check out the etsy shop, and tell Andi what you'd buy with your gift certificate.  Last time I checked, the entries were still in the single digits, so why not give it a shot? Good luck!

Hope you all have a day full of your favorite things!