Savvy Valentine Mobile

January 13, 2011

Oh how we Love Valentine's Day.

The Hearts, the Colors (we are kindof obsessed with red), and the fact that you can say LOVE 100 times a day.

And then there is the decor.......

Don't even get us started on our love for all things Valentine's.

Nothing elicits heart palpitations like a great Dollar Bin Raid.

And an even greater project from that shopping spree.

Here is our latest Savvy Style Project. Inspired by Pottery Barn Heart Strings Mobile and Pam at Party Starters Snowflake Hearts!

Get 2 packs of Large Heart Doilies and 2 packs of Smaller Doilies

$1 each from the Target Dollar Bin

(or you could create your own in varying sizes like Pam did)

You will need 3 for each 3D hanging Heart

Fold the Doilies in Half

Put ample glue in the center of each Doilie

And attach to a mirrored 2nd (and 3rd) heart.

When all 3 are glued together you will have your 3D Heart

Attach the Large and Small 3D hearts with Fishing Line

Sorry for the dark picture the space has very little light

And hang.....

There it is. Your hearts a float 3D mobile.

Super Savvy, Easy and Sweet.

Total Cost $4.

Smiles~

Amy & Bri

{Giveaway} Gingerbread Inspirations and Giveaway!

December 8, 2010

And the Winner is......the sweet paperhouse!

She said, The "tree of thanks" is too cute! Wish i would've known about it for Thanksgiving:)

Please email us with your Contact info at thesavvymomsguide@yahoo.com.

Congrats!!!!

We have Gingerbread on our mind......And do you see why?

If you have followed our Blog for a while, or at ALL, You know that we host a Monthly Play Party. This Month was a Gingerbread Party Savvy Style. If you did not see it we Hope you will take a minute to Run, Run, As Fast as you can over to the Blog Post.

Gingerbread Houses and Men(Women) are such a fun and festive addition to the Holiday Season. So we wanted to share with you some of our favorite Inspirations, Creative finds and Fabulous Foods that will help you create the Perfect Gingerbread Event.

We Love this Children's Gingerbread House Decorating Party from Pizzazzerie. So much inspiration....Such Sweet Details and Fabulous DIY Tutorials. Courtney always creates Magic.

One Charming Party Created a lovely Gingerbread House Decorating Party. They used Graham Crackers to construct their houses. What a Savvy and Sensible idea. So Sweet and Wintry. Such Inspiration and Fantastic Tips and Tutorials.

If Baking and Decorating Gingerbread Houses in not your thing we have the PERFECT Solution. This Adorable Paper Gingerbread House from Paper and Cake. Just Purchase, Print and Put together. Easy Peasy and Super Cute (for years to come).

Once Your Gingerbread House or Village is Created add this Adorable Printable Gingerbread Train from Fabulous Toys.

Every Gingerbread party needs Yummy Treats. Here are some of our Favorite Fabulous Gingerbread Finds.

These Tiny Gingerbread Houses are just Perfection. An Adorable way to dress up your Hot Cocoa. Sweet on the eyes and the tummy. Seriously we are in love with these. Only Not Martha could create such a clever Treat.

These Gingerbread Rice Crispy Treats from Our Best Bites are sure to be a hit with your guests. Anything Sara and Kate create is Delicious!!!!

No Party is complete without a Seasonal Drink. And nothing says the Holidays like the Red cups from Starbucks...Oh those Yummy Seasonal Lattes. Have you tried the Gingerbread Latte?

Should you want to Whip up a Gingerbread Latte at home here is a great recipe from eHow.com

And for that Cocktail Party Starbucks helped Happy Hour Create the Gingerbread Lattetini.

But No party is complete without those Printable Touches. And Frog Prince Paperie created the Perfect Collection for your Gingerbread Gathering.

And Because it is Christmas.

Because We Love Gingerbread Men.

And we know you are going to throw a fabulous Gingerbread Party.

But Mostly Because You Make us Smile.

We are giving away a $30 Store credit to Frog Prince Paperie and the Adorable Gingerbread Cookie Printable Collection. SWEET!!!!

3 ways to Enter to Win.

1) Head over to Frog Prince Paperie and tell us your favorite Design! Here


2) Become fans of The Savvy Moms Guide and Frog Prince Paperie. Leave your Savvy Smiles on their pages!

3) Suggest The Savvy Moms Guide and Frog Prince Paperie to your Friends and Family and share the link that you did here!

Please leave a separate comment for each entry.
Winner will be chosen on Sunday, December 12, 2010 at 10:00pm (PST). Any entries received after this time will not be considered. Winner will be chosen using random.org

Smiles~

Amy & Bri

Savvy Advent Garland

It is so hard to believe that December 1st and Christmas are Upon us.

This year I wanted to create an Advent Piece that would be fun, practical, and appealing. When I saw this Pottery Barn Advent I fell in LOVE. The problem is that it costs $299 and is not practical with 2 3 year olds. So I kept the image tucked away in my ever foggy mind and continued on with my crazy life.

Then Anders Ruff posted their Advent Cones and I knew exactly what I wanted to create.

With the Pottery Barn Advent as my inspiration I headed to our Local Dollar Tree. There I was able to get all of the materials I would need to complete my Savvy Style Advent Garland. I purchased the following items:

25 Pails (in sets of 3 so 9 sets) for $9

Twine $1

Clothes Pins $1

Santa Ornaments $2

Fillers $3

Anders Ruff Printables

Total Cost $21

Here is how I created the Advent Garland

I printed out my Anders Ruff Advent Cones and cut them to fit the Dollar Pails.

Then I hot glued the printable to the pail.

I wanted my advent to be a spiritual one (but you can always just use the idea as a countdown). One that would have teachable activities for my children. It just so happens that My Insanity had just shared her Advent and printable list. So in the spirit of Christmas I accepted her gift and am using her list for our advent. I filled each pail with snacks and treats, which coincided with each number, and the Action that each day inspires. I then hung the 25 pails evenly with the clothespins on my twine line.

And there it is...My Advent Garland.



I hope you find some inspiration and tips from my Savvy Seasonal project.

Smiles~
Bri

{How Savvy are They} Thanksgiving Decor

November 5, 2010

How Savvy are They?

Very!

We wanted to share with you some of the Savviest Thanksgiving Designs that came across our favorite Blogs this week.

We hope you enjoy them, and are Inspired to create just like we were.


Isn't this Thankful Garland Charming? So excited when we found it along with the tutorial at Tatertots and Jello. Perfect way to bring the Thanks into your Thanksgiving Decor.

These really are simple and elegant. "Ready to make a Set for your home", Visit Choose to Thrive to get the Step by Step directions.

This is a Wonderful idea for a Thankful tree from Skip to My Lou. Love the visual reminder of our Blessings.

Adorable is all we have to say about these Pilgrim Place cards from Jelly Bean Junkyard. These are sure to make your guests smile.

OK.....How cute are these Chalkboard Turkey Place cards? These would be a great addition to a kids table (or adults too). You can find the fun tutorial over at I can teach my child.

Oh and if we have never mentioned before, we LOVE chalkboard paint.

See..told you we love it. And love these too. Super Savvy (since they were $1 each) and stylish. You can find the DIY steps from Jen at Tatertots and Jello.


For even more Stylish and Savvy Thanksgiving Decorations visit Tip Junkie.

and ishare

Savvy Styling Friends!

Smiles~
Amy & Bri

{Guest Blogger} No Sew Fleece Blanket Tutorial

October 24, 2010

It's that time of year again; time for the warm summer days to give way to the cool, crisp days of autumn. Time for flip flops and tank tops to be replaced by warm boots and chunky sweaters. And time to grab a cup of your favorite hot beverage and cuddle up under a cozy fleece blanket.

Over the past few years, my family and I received no sew fleece blankets from our crafty family members and we use these blankets throughout the year. This year, I decided to learn how to make the no sew fleece blanket and add it to my gift giving repertoire.
No sew fleece blankets are simple to assemble and can easily be made in an afternoon (or less time, depending on how fast you can knot!).

Here is how I put together a no sew fleece blanket:

Materials

• A coupon to your local fabric store so you get the best deal on the fleece!
• 2 yards of patterned fleece
• 2 yards of solid colored fleece, complimenting the pattern
• Straight pins (optional, but very helpful)
• Cardboard or cardstock to act as a template
• Scissors
• Measuring tape

(**These measurements are for the standard sized blanket. If you choose to make a blanket for a smaller child, I would recommend using a yard and a quarter of fleece.)

Begin by trimming the edges of your fleece. As you will notice below, my fleece had a strip of writing along the edge that I did not want showing up on my completed project.

Next, lay the two pieces of fleece on top of each other, being mindful that the wrong sides of the fleece are back to back. Generally there is a color and texture difference between the right and wrong sides of fleece. Once you have the fleece together, I recommend pinning two sides of the blanket together, paying close attention that your fleece is even on those sides. Follow up by pinning the last two sides together. I happened to have extra fleece on the last side I pinned, so I trimmed down that side. Be sure that each side is evenly matched up prior to trimming just in case; otherwise, you may cut useable fabric!

Measure out a 4 inch by 4 inch square from one corner of the blanket and cut out.

I like to use the corner I just cut out as a template to cut out the remaining three corners of the blanket.

Once the four corners are cut out, use your cardstock or cardboard and cut out a 1 inch wide by 4 inch long template. You will use this template to cut strips all the way around the blanket, starting from the corners. As you cut the strips, move the straight pins up above your cuts so that the blanket stays together better.

Once you have finished cutting the strips, it's time to start tying knots. Tie the top and bottom pieces of the fleece in a double knot. The best way to do so is using a square knot. You will want the solid color strip to end up on top so it contrasts with the pattern of the blanket and visa versa.

That's it! You've finished a no sew fleece blanket.

I love these blankets. Our family uses them to add extra warmth to our standard bedding. I have also used these blankets to throw down on the ground at home as a play area for my daughter when she was a baby or outside at the park when we picnic. And now I get to use them as presents for family and friends. The purple and print blanket featured above was put together as a Christmas gift. I included the star blanket, pictured below, in a gift for a friend's baby shower.

The best part of this craft is that the variety of fleece choices found at your local craft store continues to grow, from holiday prints for Christmas and Valentine's Day to licenced fleece in your favorite sports team or cartoon character. Which means you can give these blankets for any occasion to kids of all ages. Better yet, put together a craft night with your friends and make a few blankets to donate to charity.

It's getting cold outside; why not warm someone's heart with a fleece blanket!

Amy j is a long time friend of Savvy Moms' Amy & Bri. Married to her high school sweetheart, Amy j has the great pleasure of staying home with her 4 year old daughter while teaching online college courses