Scrap Coloring!

With the weather changing, parents are beginning to search for indoor activities that their children can enjoy. I feel activities on the computer can be very beneficial for your child, as it can help them develop their own computer skills. I would like to introduce you to Scrap Coloring which also will develop your child's creativity.


SrapColoring.com is a fun interactive coloring book for your child to enjoy. Your child can select from a variety of pictures and themes. Once they select the picture of their choice, they have several bright colors and patterns to work with. Your child can simply select the color they want, then click on the part of the picture where they want the color added. If your child wants to use a pattern, they can select the two colors that they want in the pattern. If your child prefers to color with markers and crayons, you can print a black and white copy from your printer. Another fun feature is the "First Name Coloring Page". Here you or your child can create a custom coloring page with a name or written message. Scrap Coloring can create hours of creative fun for your child.

Scrap Coloring also has some fun features for adults. If you are into digital scrapbooking and or enjoy making backgrounds for your personal websites and pages, Scrap Coloring can create fun colorful patterns with their Pattern Generator. To try this out and for further instruction, you can select the "Pattern" tab on the menu bar.

You Can Make This...(The Name Pillow) review/giveaway! CLOSED

I have been very excited to share with you this next giveaway. I have been a fan of "You Can Make This" for a while now. I am always eyeing their shop and the variety of projects they have available. I don't even know where to start with what they have available. Their is sewing, graphics, photography, shoes... I could go on and on. You can find practically anything you are wanting to find instruction and directions for. This site is a MUST SEE!

I was recently contacted by Courtney, from "You Can Make This" about spotlighting their favorite book, The Personalized Name Pillow pattern. Because of timing and my overbooked schedule, I informed them I would not be able to make the pillow at this time. They were very generous and still sent me a copy to have. Let me assure you, I will be making these when I have a moment to spare. The Personalized Name Pillow is super cute and I feel confident I can accomplish this project from the easy detailed instructions.

I am no pro-seamstress, but I do love to sew. I have made bedding and costumes for my family. Being the visual person that I am I seem to struggle following written instructions. I am always wishing they would use better and more pictures. You Can Make This uses "Real" photos of their step by step instructions. It is so nice to really see and understand what the instructions are trying to say. If you are worried about the letters for your name turning out right, don't worry. There is a patter for each letter provided in the book, which is available to print as the actual needed size. You cannot mess up "You Can Make This" patterns. These books are made for the least experienced and the struggling seamstress like myself.


The Giveaway:
You Can Make This is really feeling generous these days as they are also offering two readers "The Personalized Name Pillow" book. Yes, 2 winners!!!

To Enter: You must visit "You Can Make This" or "You Can Quilt This" and find other patterns you are interested in. Then come back here to comment on what you found.

Bonus Entries:
-Tell me how many children you will be making these adrable Personalized Name Pillows for!
-Add my button
-Subscribe to "Catch the Drift.."
-Tweet or Post this giveaway. (Be sure to leave the link for me)
-Follow me on Twitter

Giveaway Ends:

Easter Craft Ideas.

Easter is just around the corner and I feel so bad I never got any crafts or fun ideas up to share. This month and next are some of my busiest months this year. Well, it does seem like I get a lot of those months??? Well it really is and I have several projects I am trying to keep up with along the way so I hope I start getting some moments like this where I can hurry and post some fun things for you. Here are some fun crafts I wish I would have done or am planning on doing with my kids this weekend. Enjoy!

This Chick Card is very easy for all ages and not that messy.


Look what I found. These wonderful instructions on how to make a fabric Easter Basket at dabbled. I love this site it has lots of fun ideas. I totally want one of these so by next year I am going to make one or order one from our favorite Etsy shop LaDesign2.


Present you Easter Eggs to the Eggstreme! I have started seeing several ideas using toddler socks. At first I was like, "Gross", but it is starting to grow on me. Then I saw these cute one's at Parents. Here is the instructions.


Parents also offered instructions for these adorable eggs. If you are able to do your egg hunt out doors imagine how fun the kids will have looking for these fun creatures.




Last is these cute name holders. I imagine they may take a while so maybe use cotton balls instead. But I love the idea.

The Valentine Ideas are In!!!

I decided I couldn't wait any longer to get these up so I am a bit early on the post. I was so pleased with the response I got calling for all “Cheap and Creative Valentine Ideas”. I received so many ideas but I don’t have quite enough time and space to post them all. So if you don’t see your idea please don’t take offense. I truly loved all of them. Please leave a comment telling me which ideas you would like to try! If you have ideas you want to share post them in the comments. We would love to hear them!
Well lets get started…

Touch up with Vinyl:
I do have to start by introducing you to one of my new favorite websites, E.A.D. Design. They have an awesome website full of vinyl lettering and wall art. I think vinyl can be the finishing touches to a great valentine’s gift. You can use vinyl to decorate a vase, a clear jar filled with love notes, you could even leave a love note for your valentine using vinyl lettering on a bathroom mirror. (Don’t worry it can easily be removed!)



Right now E.A.D. has several Valentine themed vinyl’s ranging from $4 plus. (You also only need to plan on 3-5 days for order to be processed and then delivered to you). I added the “Valentine Circle Design” to this white plate purchased at the Dollar Store. Now when my special valentine’s finishes their plate of cookies they find a special message at the bottom and have an adorable valentine plate to keep.

Love in a Jar:

Find a cheap jar or vase and decorate it with ribbon, hearts or whatever beautifies it best. Now find some pink and white card stock and cut it into strips.

Why I Love You:
Dayna said, "I then took pretty card stock paper that we had and used pinking shears to cut strips of paper out from different colors of paper. I think I ended up with about 30 strips. Then, on each strip of paper, I wrote one reason why I love him. I then folded the papers in half and mix them up in the vase. A year later, he still pulls a strip of paper out of it every morning to read why I love him!".

*This would also be great time to pull the family together to write several reasons on why they love their Grandma and Grandpa. What granparent wouldn't love special notes from thier kids and grandkids.

All Homemade

Unwind and Relax:
Claire came up with the idea of giving a friend a small basket of homemade bath and beauty products (you can get instructions online!). This can help someone unwind, relax and feel special on Valentines day!"

Hold on to Those Memories:
Several people sent ideas that included photos of memories. I think photo albums and creating a vidual keepsake are some of the most cherished belongings.

Our Story:
On one of our anniversaries I wrote and illustrated a book I called, "Our Storey". No, this wasn't actually published nor was it even all that amazing. It was very cheaply done, in fact almost free.
I had a friend show me how to make a book using paper, cardboard and thin rope (You could just buy an art book at a art/craft store and use Modge Pod and scrapbook paper to decorate the cover more). Since I love art I drew all the picture and wrote our story of how we met and all the silly things that went on through out our relationship. I made it to our first child and left several pages empty. I always planned on continuing but obviously I am very behind now. Here is some samples.




As you can see I showed the good and the bad moments of our life...

The Album of "Firsts":
Heather created an album of "Firsts". She included things like the first time they met, first date, first time held hands, first kiss, Getting married, honeymoon, first home, first adventure (they went skydiving), first baby, etc. She continued by saying, "I put a picture for each thing and then wrote something about it. He loved it and it was fun to think back about everything. I left a few pages in the back blank so that I can continue to add more firsts that we share with each other. For example we are now going to have a boy and our first was a girl."

The Traveling Mini Scrapbook:
Megan, who's husband travels a lot, decided to make a mini scrap book for her husband. She will include favorite pictures of them together, their kids and a couple of cards her and her husband exchanged in past years.

The Video Scrapbook:
Claire said, "I am in the process of making a video "scrap book" for my daughter! It is photo's of me and her father from the day we started dating to today, photo's from her birth and life up until today. I am putting it all to music and adding some creative touches! Once it is all done I am burning it to a DVD so she can watch it whenever she wants!"

Love Letters


Emily had to say this about the love letter. "It is a gift from the heart. and people love to hear how much they are loved, especially by their significant others."

Some ways to make your love letter stand out:

Do a love letter in a bottle.
You can find cheap bottles at thrift stores, dollar stores and stores like wal-mart. Type or write a letter, tie a string around it and put it in the bottle.

Make an Old Fashion looking Love Letter:
You can do thins by crinkling the paper a bit and burning the edges.

Stamp and Send:
Surprise your loved one by mailing them the letter and use a cute valentines stamp to send it. Even if you do live under the same roof this can be romantic gesture. Even better, have someone deliver it with chocolate or roses!

Romance is in the Air
So wether your able to getaway or even if your stuck at home waiting for the kids to get in bed, you can still create a very romantic night.

Sweet Night:
Ally from "Mommy Diaries" explained how this would be her and her husbands first Valentine's Day with their daughter. Every couple they know seems to already have plans on Valentine's(of course) so she is having to create a romantic atmosphere in her own home. Since their daughter is so young, Ally has chosen to focus the day on her hubby. Ally said, " I'm planning on preparing a chocolate fondue, with our favorite fruits that are in season. Gonna set the mood by playing romantic songs in the background. And for decorations, put tealight candles throughout the room. And then watch a movie while snuggling in front of the fireplace."
Sounds romantic to me!

How Fortunate are You:

For some reason I have always thought ordering in Chinese and sitting at home by the fire is romantic. Maybe I am on my own here? One year I did just that. We ordered in chinese and I put together some romantic fortunes before hand. All I did was buy a bag of fortune cookies at the store. I then used a needle to get the original fortune out and replaced it with one I created on my own. Not to get to specific, I filled the fortune cookies with things we could do to each other to.... Well you know, make the night a little more interesting. You could replace the fotune cookies with anything you want from reasons why you love them to creating a sensual game.

Ideas for the Kids
So here is a handful of ideas you can use fir your children or crafts you can do with your children.

You Color My World Valentine:


My favorite idea was from Staci. I really want to try this! She mentioned how she took all of her kids brocken crayons, threw them into a heart shaped muffin tin and melted them in the oven. She then placed them in baggies with a note attached saying, "I made these crazy crayons for you because I am crazy about you! Will you be my Valentine? ". Here is a link I found with details on how to make them.

Stained Glass Valentine:
Nicole posted this link with a craft idea she heard about. It is these adorable stained glass looking hearts.

Leave Your Print:

Use your children's hand prints/finger prints/footprints to create custom Valentines day cards!
Miranda saw a cute Valentine art project where the kids used their hands to create a heart. They created a scroll made from an 8 1/2 X 11 sheet of felt with ribbons around the edges and then painted the child's hand and had them place them on the felt.
Miranda didn't have a picture, but I thought the picture above may have been similar.

Jello Jigglers:

My sister in-law saw a magazine that had valentine ideas using Jello! She said that they put different things in the jello like candy hearts, kiwi or sprinkles. After the jello was set they used cute cookie cutter s to cut out hearts and words, like "I Love You". Here are some instructions I found when wanting to use cookie cutters with Jello.
Pour into 9 x 13-inch pan. Refrigerate at least 3 hr. or until firm. Dip bottom of pan into warm water about 15 sec. to loosen Jell-O Gelatin.
Cut Jell-O Gelatin into decorative shapes with Valentine’s Day cookie cutters, or use cookie cutters to cut out the words “love” or “sweetheart.”