small + friendly

Winners and More!

 

 

Congratulations Rosie(18) and Beth(2).  You each get a No-Sew Crayon Wrap!  You will be receiving an email from me shortly.  I wanted to thank everyone for joining in and following this little blog of mine.  Sharing with my readers is what keeps my creative juices flowing.

 

If you want to show Small & Friendly some extra love, I am currently in the running for two very cool awards, Apartment Therapy's The Homies for Best Family Blog and Circle of Moms Top 25 Creative Mom Blogs.  Please consider clicking on the links above and voting!  

Furthermore, I have a guest post on The Porch with Vanessa from Designs by Sessa, who was the fabulous person who nominated me for the circle of moms award.  It's a fun little post about how I'm too cheap to buy craft materials...I mean how cool it is to upcycle.   

Okay, enough craziness.  Thursday I will be back to regularly scheduled posting.  

Happy Tuesday!

Guest Post at The Imagination Tree

Today I have the honor of guest posting over at The Imagination Tree while Anna enjoys her new bundle of joy.  The post is about finding your inner artist by collaborating with your child.  I cover three ways to enjoy creative exploration with your little one.  I think you'll really like it, please hop on over and check it out.   

If you are stopping by from The Imagination Tree, welcome!  Please have a look around and consider following via Subscription, Pinterest, or Facebook.  Thanks so much!

There's still a little time left to enter the giveaway!  I'll be back tomorrow to announce the winners! 

No-Sew Crayon Wrap

Welcome Pinners!  Don't miss the latest DIY's and Tutorials from Small & Friendly, please subscribe via email or in a reader!

Plus, Giveaway! 

I've been dreaming of a crayon version of the No-Sew Colored Pencil Roll since I made it.  But this time, I knew I wanted to add paper.  The perfect little wrap to tuck in your purse and have on hand at a restaurant, or any other place a little one is expected to sit fairly still.  And so, the No-Sew Crayon Wrap was born.  Easily crafted, no sewing machine required.  This version requires even less materials and time.  What more could one want? ... A free one, perhaps?  Two lucky readers have the chance to win a No-Sew Crayon Wrap, see the end of this post for details!  

 

No-Sew Crayon Wrap Tutorial

Materials:

10" x 6 1/2" piece of wool or wool blend felt

about 30" of ribbon

8 crayons

about 6 sheets of 8 1/2" x 11" paper

exacto knife

ruler

disappearing fabric marker or tailor's chalk

self healing mat (optional but helpful)

stapler

* Optional Step 1: Thicken your felt: Wash it in hot water, and put it in the dryer until almost dry, iron.

1.  Download No-Sew Crayon Wrap Pattern

2. Cut your felt into a rectangle 6.5" x 10" 

3. With the pattern as your guide, use a ruler to mark all of the dashes in disappearing ink.

4.  Using an exacto knife, cut along the dashes to create slits where the crayons and paper will slide through.

5.  To make the paper pack, simply cut the sheets in half length wise, fold, and staple a few times along the fold.  

6.  Thread the ribbon through the ribbon holes.

7.  Tuck the crayons into their slots.

8.  Slip the last few pages of your paper pack through the large slot.

9.  Tie up and Enjoy!!!!

Giveaway now closed.  

Giveaway:  I'm offering to send two readers, anywhere in the world, their very own No-Sew Crayon Wrap.  Here's how to enter: (If you haven't already) First, Subscribe in a reader, Follow on Pinterest, and/or Like on Facebook.  Then, leave a comment (make sure to enter your email so I can reach you).  The winners will be drawn at random Monday, February 27, 2012 at 8 pm PST.   

Happy Crafting!

Soup's On!

I love soup, all kinds.  Those, such as Ribolitta, that bubble away on the stove for hours, filling your house with glorious smells and the promise of a hearty dinner.  And also those that can be thrown together, almost last minute, from a few simple ingredients: fresh, fast, comforting weeknight fare.  This recipe certainly falls into the latter category, making it the perfect thing to cook tonight.  I call it Drunken Tortellini Soup because I add a healthy splash of red wine, not once, but twice during the cooking.  The wine can of course be omitted, if you aren't a fan of alcohol or simply don't want to share it with the soup.     

Drunken Tortellini Soup 

Serves 4-6 

Ingredients

• 1 onion, diced
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced or sliced
• 4-6 cups Chicken/vegetable broth (homemade is recommended but low-sodium organic will do)
• 1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 package fresh cheese tortellini
• 1 big bunch of spinach, swiss chard, or tuscan kale, chopped
• Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese

Pantry Items

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Red wine
• Dried oregano
• Dried basil
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. In a large pot, lightly brown the onion in a few glugs of olive oil.
2. Add the garlic and stir to prevent burning.
3. When the garlic is cooked (1-2 minutes) add a good splash of red wine, scraping the pan to lift any brown bits.
4. Then add the broth, and a good shake of oregano and basil. 
5. Crush the tomatoes with your hands and add them along with their juice.  Add another good splash of vino.
6. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for at least 10 minutes (the longer you simmer at this point the better).
7. Return the soup to a gentle boil and add the tortellini.  Set the timer for the time indicated on the package.
8. Two to four minutes before the tortellini is done, add greens. (Earlier if you like your greens more than blanched)
9. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper.  Serve topped with freshly grated cheese and a nice rustic loaf of bread. 

 Buon Appetito!

What's on your menu this week?  Do you make a lot of soup in the winter or is it just me?

DIY Cozy Reading Fort

I have a confession to make:  Jude wasn't really using his mini lounger very often.  But then, in the spirit of the William Morris Project, I was cleaning out our linen closet and I came across some red sheers that I forgot I had, instead of donating them, I found a way to make them useful.  Jude's nursery is slowly becoming a "big boy's room."  With the crib gone, I had space to install a cozy little reading nook.  

See, I knew I had been hoarding red curtain sheers for a reason.  I attached four sheers and a few lengths of ribbon to a 12" diameter embroidery hoop.   I hung the knotted ribbons from a small hook in the ceiling.

With the addition of Jude's mini lounger, a comfy fort was born.  We still plan to hang an IKEA spice rack for book storage ...

But in the meantime, this cozy nook is getting plenty of play ...

Happy Lounging!

Linking up with the the William Morris Project at Pancakes and French Fries.

P.S.- For anyone wondering:  the first couple of weeks were a rough transition from a crib.  Not with bedtime, but with middle of the night awakenings.  Things have since mellowed out, with only the occasional late night "Mom in" request.  Thanks to all my kind readers for their support and suggestions.  Change is rarely easy, thank goodness it is by definition, temporary.  

Hot Skirt for a Hot Date

This weekend Jude spent the night at Na and Pa's, AKA his favorite place in the world.  And Jason and I went on a hot date.  I had "nothing" to wear.  Or rather, nothing new.  But it was also nothing that thirty minutes at the sewing machine couldn't fix.  I love me a pencil skirt, and I've been sitting on this houndstooth knit for too long.  So when this great tutorial from Suburbs Mama popped up on pinterest, I knew it was meant to be.  After my last skirt attempt, I knew I wanted to keep things simple ... twenty-five minutes? one seam? yes please!  

One note to add to the tutorial: make sure your stretch is going hip to hip.  The only thing I changed was that I simply hemmed the top with a generous zig-zag stitch and skipped the elastic, which meant I also got to skip the muffin top!  Oh, and I hemmed the bottom for a more polished look.  This skirt is so comfortable, it's crazy.  It totally accommodated the epic proportions of that night's feast.  I also love that I finally have a skirt at this length, tough to find when you're a tall gal like me.  And since it's quite tight in the behind, it felt very date appropriate.  

Feel free to make fun of my attempt at "modeling", and don't worry, the peeling house paint is on the list of to-do's.  I hope this inspires you to make your own date skirt.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Secret Message Valentine

I love the idea of a secret message.  A little love note, invisible until brushed with crimson watercolor.  Magic for little ones, exciting for adults.  (I got the idea after seeing this post on Creative with Kids.)  This is a simple little project that would work great for all manner of greetings, not just valentines.  In fact, I'm certain this won't be the last wax-resist watercolor project around here.  

Secret Message Valentine

Supplies:

Watercolor/thick white paper 

White crayon or birthday candle

Watercolor paints (liquid ideal but optional)

1.  Draw a small heart on your paper with the crayon and fill it with water color.  Liquid works great, but a very thickly painted heart of regular crayola watercolors does the trick.  Allow to dry, it takes a few hours.  (You can of course skip this step and simply present the page along with a palette of watercolors.)

2.  Pressing really hard and making fairly thick lines, write your secret message with the crayon or candle.

3.  Present your valentine with a brush and some water.

4.  Watch the magic happen.  Secret love, revealed!

I hope you have fun spreading the love.

In case you missed them, here are two other valentine projects you might like:

Birdie Valentine: a bird seed cookie recipe and free printable

We Go Together Like: a free and funny last minute v-day card printable 

Happy Friday!

A Valentine Stitched With Love

When Rachael asked for embroidery pattern testers, I jumped at the chance.  I can always use hand stitching practice, and I knew an imagine gnats pattern would be all kinds of adorable.  Check out this little valentine super hero:  

I attached him to a little bag I had.  (I knew there was a reason I saved the bag from that fitted sheet.)  Perfect for filling with lovely treats for the little man in my life.  This pattern and a girl version are for sale here or here.  Get them today and you'll have plenty of time to whip up a little handmade love.  

P.S. - If you can't get enough valentine love, please check back here tomorrow, I've got a really cute DIY to share.