Saturday Sparks – Picnics

Saturday Sparks – Picnics

Posted on by Mama

Labor Day reminds me of family-friendly picnics full of summer sun, tasty treats and lots of fun. As a nod to this last bastion of summer, I’ve gathered a few ideas and inspiration to help you transform you own family get-together into a weekend to remember.

This cute sign from Lancaster Lane lets all your guests know exactly where the picnic is and what to expect. I think it’s such a cute and colorful idea.

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This colorful drink idea from Cutest Food is great for the kids (or adults). Simply freeze several Kool-Aid flavors in ice trays, add them to a glass and pour in Sprite or another similar drink. I love this idea!

coloredice

If this doesn’t get you in the mood for a picnic, I just don’t know what will. It might just be a picnic for the two of you, but there isn’t a thing wrong with that. (I’m thinking the grandparents might need some Labor Day action with the kids.) These photos are from https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net.

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 This is a very clever way to set your picnic table with all the necessary utensils and seasonings your guests might need. While the Sassy blog kept it neutral, I think you can get as creative as you want in order to match any theme or decor you might be planning.

utensilbag

 I love this photo of a family at the beach. It just screams, “We are having some summer fun (and I want to choke my little sister because she’s so annoying)!” This photo was pinned by Lana Jones.

familybeach

 Here’s how to pack the perfect picnic in one easy stop. The Rock UR Party site gives you some great ideas on how to prep and pack your food to make your picnic a hit.

packfood

 And when the kids get to bed or for those youngsters without youngin’s, this picnic from BeaniPet is a perfect way to spend a dark summer evening with close friends and family. It just looks relaxing. . .

nightpicnic

Chairs Go From Bland to Bumblebee Beautiful

Chairs Go From Bland to Bumblebee Beautiful

Posted on by Mama

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I just wanted to show off my latest furniture project here at Small Talk Mama and share a bit about the evolution of these cute little children’s chairs purchased at a local resale store. As with all thrift stores, flea markets and resale shops, timing really is everything. I guess that’s how I justify visiting so often.

childchairsb4In the case of this petite pair of chairs, I spotted a gentleman on his way out of the storage room and literally followed him all the way to the showroom floor. I immediately examined the chairs, which were priced at $7.00 each (a steal), and found that the backs were loose. Luckily the manager heard my Mom and I bemoaning the fact that they weren’t sturdy and he offered them to us for half price. I immediately jumped all over the offer.

When I got these little gems home, I realized that there were some bolts that needed to be tightened and they shored up quite nicely. After that I did a quick sanding to knock down a couple of rough spots and began painting with a very pale yellow chalk paint that I mixed up myself (I don’t recommend the recipe I used, but that’s a whole other post). After painting, I lightly distressed some edges and applied a fabulous bumblebee graphic I downloaded from The Graphics Fairy. Another quick sanding over the transferred image and a coat of soft wax finished off this adorable project.

I love the way they turned out; but unfortunately my little boy probably wouldn’t have been thrilled with these cutesy chairs in his room, so I took them to the Rusted Rabbit for resale. Since I already had all the refurbishing supplies, including the paint, I should probably see a good return on this $7.00 deal.

A Scrappy Day in T-Town

Posted on by Mama

Well I didn’t see any new ground breaking scrappy inventions today at the Creating Keepsakes Convention, but that didn’t stop me from finding some good deals. I bought several types of sticker sheets for next to nothing, several embellishments and some cute decorative papers.

imageI also bought a couple of colors of Ingvild Bolme quick dry fluid chalk ink and really like how they perform. For $2.00 each, I’ll probably scoop up a few extra colors tomorrow. These inks are roughly the size of Cat’s Eye inks, but one edge of the inking surface is flat and they have a bit more area to grip while stamping. I am really impressed with the white ink I bought, because it actually has some pretty good opacity to it.

imageI did give the We R Memory Keepers Envelope Maker Punch Board a whirl while I was shopping, and I would rate it as an okay tool to have in my home craft arsenal but definitely not an essential. The best thing about this product, in my opinion, is the measurement guide printed on the front of the board.  You can look up your finished card size and easily see what size envelope paper with which to start. For folks who normally make a lot of their own envelops this might be useful, but for me it just wasn’t that impressive.

Tomorrow is class day at the convention, starting with a Button Farm project, so I’m really looking forward to another creative day in Tulsa.

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