Make Archives • Page 5 of 20 • diy mama

by Shelly on May 19, 2018 2 Comments

The Most Awesome Dollhouse for the Most Awesome Cause

Mid Century Modern Dollhouse- Tiny things are the best. I’ve always been fascinated by miniature versions of the things we use every day. The designers from Axis Architecture created the most beautiful custom mid-century modern dollhouses. The homes are designed to be played with even though they look delicate!

Mid Century Modern Dollhouse

Potted plants sprout from beads. A Christmas ornament, halved and attached to a necklace chain, serves as a hanging bubble chair. A globe light in one of the rooms is actually a high-gloss-painted ping-pong ball and some of the “artwork” on the walls is cut from an Anthropologie magazine.

I wanted it to be whimsical and modern. -Ashley Lee

These precise and intricate details are just a few of the hundreds inside this dollhouse interior designer Ashley Lee created to auction off at Feb. 24’s GiGi’s Playhouse “I Have a Voice” Gala.

‘This was a passion project of mine. I wanted to make dollhouses with and for my daughter ever since I was a little kid. I became even more passionate about it once I learned of Zevie’s diagnosis because my initial thought was that she would never be able to do these things with me. Now, I want to make sure she can.

Building things tiny is just fun. I made a house along with my co-worker (Liz Sutton) at Axis to auction off at Gigi’s Playhouse, Down Syndrome Achievement Center. It took two months to decorate. We wanted to help raise awareness and also money for a place that does so much good for individuals with down syndrome.’

For Similar Popular Posts:

https://diymamablog.com/kids-and-art-galleries-its-fun/

by Shelly on May 18, 2018 Leave a Comment

Gear Up for the Disney • PIXAR film Incredibles 2

Incredibles 2, is your family looking forward to Disney Pixar’s Incredibles 2 – in theaters June 15? Download and print FREE Disney Pixar Incredibles 2 Coloring Pages today!

Are your kids begging to see Incredibles 2 every time they see the trailer or a poster like mine? I can’t lie, I’ll be the first in line for tickets whether she wants to go or not. I’m positive Pixar won’t disappoint. Their movies tend to be some of my all time favorite movies!

In the meantime I’m excited to be able to download and print out these adorable Incredibles 2 Coloring Pages for us– plus there are a couple of bonus activities! Simply CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD the coloring pages today!

Incredibles 2 Official Trailer:

Incredibles 2 Storyline:

In INCREDIBLES 2, Helen (voice of Holly Hunter) is called on to lead a campaign to bring Supers back, while Bob (voice of Craig T. Nelson) navigates the day-to-day heroics of “normal” life at home with Violet (voice of Sarah Vowell), Dash (voice of Huck Milner) and baby Jack-Jack—whose super powers are about to be discovered. Their mission is derailed, however, when a new villain emerges with a brilliant and dangerous plot that threatens everything. But the Parrs don’t shy away from a challenge, especially with Frozone (voice of Samuel L. Jackson) by their side. That’s what makes this family so Incredible.

Like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PixarTheIncredibles/

Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheIncredibles

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theincredibles/

Visit the official website here: http://disney.com/incredibles2

INCREDIBLES 2 opens in theatres everywhere on June 15th!

For more Disney • PIXAR posts, check these out:

Disney Pixar Coco Coloring Pages

Inside Out Memory Orb Cake

by Shelly on May 2, 2018 4 Comments

Summer Blackberry Lemonade Whiskey Cocktail

This shop has been compensated by collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. The following content is intended for readers who are 21 or older. Maker’s Mark® is a trademark of Maker’s Mark Distillery, Inc. and is used with permission. #CelebratorySips #MintJulepMonth #CollectiveBias

We’re huge blackberry fans in the summer and I can’t wait to make my favorite summer cocktail as the weather warms up. Now that I’m in nesting mode, nothing makes me more happy than showing my love to friends and family by hosting them in my home. Since moving to Indy two years ago we’ve been working hard on making our outdoor space a place of retreat, back yard BBQs and a kid’s play haven. Back yard BBQs that include tasty cuisine and drinks is what I’m working on this summer.

I’ve found an amazing summer Blackberry Lemonade Whiskey Cocktail recipe that both men and women enjoy. It’s just the right mix of freshness and summer combined. Pair that with a charcuterie board for snacks and it makes for a great summer night out in the back yard with friends.

Summer Blackberry Lemonade Whiskey Cocktail

I know with The Big Race just around the corner, Mint Juleps are on the mind, but this cocktail has got it beat. It’s the perfect way to celebrate summer with your friends. First off, if you’re not familiar with the red wax-topped whiskey Maker’s Mark®, it’s one of the smoothest whiskeys around. At 90 proof, Maker’s Mark® has a woody oak, caramel, and vanilla aroma with a wheat prevail in the nose. The finish is smooth and subtle with a sweet taste, balanced with caramel, vanilla and fruity essences.

These flavors combine perfectly with the fruitiness of the blackberries and lemon in this cocktail. I’m always surprised when I find a drink that everyone in a group enjoys. I pair it with a charcuterie board full of various meats, cheeses, crackers, dips and fruits, making sure my guests have something to snack and sip while we chat the night away.

In our home, we’ve gone straw-free and have switched to stainless steel straws. Maker’s Mark® has a similar outlook on helping to save the Earth. Be sure to check out their movement on water sustainability while enjoying your beverages this summer. You can find Maker’s Mark® at most stores where liquor is sold. To learn more about their efforts, follow Maker’s Mark® on Instagram at @makersmark.

Blackberry Lemonade Whiskey Cocktail

This fruity whiskey cocktail is perfect for any summer backyard BBQ.

10 Blackberries (Muddled )
2 Lemons (Juiced)
1 cup Maker's Mark® Whiskey
1/2 cup Simple Syrup
2 Rosemary Sprigs
2 Lemon Wheels

In a shaker, add muddled blackberries, juiced lemons, simple syrup and Maker’s Mark® over ice. Shake 10 times and pour into a short glass filled with ice. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and a wheel of lemon.

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Preschool Valentines Day Heart Shirt

Remember when we were kids and Valentine’s Day was a big deal in school? A day for making our Valentine’s Day boxes and another day for passing out our cards and having treats! The smell of conversation hearts is still fresh in my mind. Despite schools making less fuss over the holiday, we’re still giving it our all with home made decorations and clothes! We made a simple preschool Valentines Day Heart Shirt just for the occasion.

Preschool Valentines Day Heart Shirt

This shirt is pretty self explanatory but I wanted to share a few tips we learned through our process. My daughter is 4 and has just begun liking paint as a medium. She has made several holiday shirts while visiting her Grandma so I knew she would be interested in using paint for a Valentines Day shirt.

Materials Needed:

Shirt (we found a white Old Navy shirt at Goodwill for $1.50)
Fabric Paint (we used Martha Stewart because it’s what we have on hand)
Tape (we used Painter’s Tape because it’s extra sticky)
Cotton Balls
Clothespins
Paper Plate (or paint pallet)
Color Paper (card stock thickness is best so it doesn’t warp)

(The links above are affiliate links)

The first step was to choose the colors. Sophia is just beginning to learn about color mixing so I chose the paints this time. Choosing colors that were similar that I knew wouldn’t mix to make brown was my goal. I knew she’d want pink so I chose a bright pink, light pink and coral. As long as you choose a few colors in the same family they will blend nicely.

She wanted a heart so I cut a simple template out of card stock colored paper and taped it extra well with painter’s tape. I let her use the clothespins to pick up the cotton balls and choose which paints she dabbed where. This was a good exercise in her motor skills and creating something how she wanted (with some guidelines I’d already put into place.) TIP: Having a cotton ball and clothespin for each color was helpful to keep the colors separated. If she wanted to blend the colors she would just mix them on the shirt rather than on the pallet.

The shirt turned out cuter than I thought it would and the best part is how proud she is of her shirt that she made. TIP: Have your child try the shirt on after washing and before painting to make sure it’s a good fit. This shirt is a little big on her but it will get tons of use before next year’s Valentine’s Day!

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Making Creativity the Norm for Kids

With the new year came lots of talk of eating healthy, organizing, schedules and goals. I’ve been focusing on Less Stuff, More Fun and choosing experiences over things. With that comes activities that are free that we can do by exploring our city or experiencing at home. Sophia, our four year old, has been getting very interested in coloring. There are no less than six coloring sheets coming home each day from the Y or school. I want to help her by making creativity the norm around our home. Being DIY Mama, you know I have ALL the craft stuff and we pull them out often but I want to do it in a more guided educational way. Cue Encouraging Creative Kids (affiliate link) e-course by Elise. Elise shared a code with me to take this course for free because I was so passionate about the topic.

Elise’s course helps parents by having a guide to start making creativity a habit in their family’s lives. The piece that really resonated with me was saying ‘YES’ when our kids ask to do something creative. A lot of the time my thoughts automatically turn to ‘no, because it’s too messy, I’m making dinner, we’ll do it on the weekend when there’s more time etc.’ Always an excuse but no real reason for it. I want to be ‘YES Mom’ when it comes to encouraging creativity in my daughter. I will be doing a series on the blog with the different crafts we create as we go through the course.

Encouraging Creative Kids

If you want to join along with me, check out her course video and see what it’s all about. The course is laid out nicely with an introduction followed by getting the supplies organized (and easily accessible for kids), working art into daily life and continues to go through several key topics like where to store all the art they create and educating along the way while you do art side by side.

Each day during the summer Sophia and I worked on a craft to teach her the alphabet and she loved it. I miss doing bigger crafts with her and am excited to making crafting a habit again. I loved crafting before she was born but had the feeling it was ‘too much’ while she was a baby. I’m ready to bring creativity back as a hobby! Follow along with #creativekidsecourse

Here are a few links to crafts I’ve done with Sophia so far:

Halloween Ghost Toddler Shirt

Tie Dye With Your Toddler

Valentines Day Heart Garland

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The Most Awesome Dollhouse for the Most Awesome Cause

Mid Century Modern Dollhouse

For Similar Popular Posts:

Gear Up for the Disney • PIXAR film Incredibles 2

Incredibles 2 Official Trailer:

Incredibles 2 Storyline:

Summer Blackberry Lemonade Whiskey Cocktail

Summer Blackberry Lemonade Whiskey Cocktail

Blackberry Lemonade Whiskey Cocktail

Print out the recipe or Pin it for later:

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Preschool Valentines Day Heart Shirt

Preschool Valentines Day Heart Shirt

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Making Creativity the Norm for Kids

Encouraging Creative Kids

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