May 2025

We’re getting down to the wire here, Christmas is one week away! As I was putting together different neighbor gifts and teacher gifts, I needed something to not only let them know who the gift was from, but to add that last little holiday touch: gift tags!

You can make these easy and fun gift tags with the following supplies:

• Glitter (i used only red, but you could really go to town with this!)
• Washi tape
• Glue Pen- man do I love this really fine tipped glue pen, it’s great for small items!
• Tags! I cut them out with my Silhouette.

There are lots of ways to spruce up a tag, but I wanted something quick and simple, so no layers or cuts involved. I took one wrap around of washi tape, drew my design with the glue pen and poured glitter on top! 

My kids even joined in and made tags for their teachers. It was surprisingly fun to come up with a new design for each one! Now just picture if you wanted more than one color that you could start with one color of glitter, let dry and then draw another part with your glue pen and do your second color! 

What’s left on your list to do before Christmas? Today I’m baking 4 dozen cookies for class parties tomorrow! 🙂

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Now that the holidays are over, it’s time to start up the Making My Own Series again! If you’re just joining us, you can see the things I’ve already made by clicking on the Making My Own category on the right hand side of the blog. When you’re on a budget, Mexican food is often the best bang for your buck. We love to make enchiladas, but I don’t know about you– paying $1.25 for a can of enchilada sauce just bugs me. I mean, if you’re in a pinch it’s not the worst amount of money you could spend, but anywhere to save money is great in my book.

I searched around for awhile and found this recipe for homemade enchilada sauce at Clean Green Simple. I actually didn’t have any tomato sauce, but had a can of tomato puree, and it still worked out great.

This just happens to be another one of those recipes that you are likely to have everything on hand for, which also means if you are meaning to use enchilada sauce in a recipe, but realize you forgot to buy it, you can make it from scratch easily! The recipe made about 2 cans worth of enchilada sauce. Wondering how to use your new enchilada sauce? Try these easy Chicken Enchiladas.

Enchiladas                                                                                          325 degrees– 15 minutes

2 chicken breasts, shredded

1 pkg cream cheese, softened

1 can of enchilada sauce

1 can diced green chilies

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Tortillas

Thaw, boil and shred chicken. Mix cream cheese, chilies and about ½ can of enchilada sauce until smooth. Add shredded chicken. Place about 2-3 TBSP of mixture in center of a tortilla. Roll and place in an 8×8 pan. Once full, put remainder of enchilada sauce on top and top with cheese. Bake until warm throughout and cheese is melted.

Everyone in my family agreed that these were super yummy, and even better than the canned stuff we usually use. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

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Disclosure:  Affiliate Links are contained in this post.  I was contacted by Paint-A-Pillow and was given all supplies to create two pillows in return for an honest review and promotion of their product.  All opinions are my own.
Today I am so excited to show you a great new company that specializes in DIY Designer Accent Pillows! You all know what big fans of Cutting Edge Stencils we are. Both of us have remade our bathrooms into masterpieces, and I even used their stencils to make a greeting card.
Well now they’ve branched out into DIY pillows, using the same quality stencils. The company is called Paint-A-Pillow, and you can find them at this website. You won’t believe how many choices they have!
Paint-A-Pillow was kind enough to supply me with enough materials to create two pillows, and show you just how easy it is to make your own too. 

I picked out my stencil and several paints and embellishments to accompany a rug I have in my living room, and within a week my supplies arrived.
I had to take pictures of the packaging because I thought it was cleverly put together.
Everything was secure in the box, with a separate box for the pillow inserts and accessories. Underneath the inserts and accessories were the stencil itself with the pillow cover, ready to be painted on!

Here are the paints I picked. I felt they were a good quality paint and reasonably priced. I used my green A LOT, and there was still paint left over after two pillows.

I was also supplied with tools and brushes to get me going. If you enter our giveaway below, you can win a free starter kit which includes the following items: 

• Stenciling frame (pat.pend.)
• Reusable pillow stencil
• 17”x17” Cotton pillow cover
• Pillow insert: linen/down alternative
• Mini roller and 1/2″ stencil brush
• Paint tray and stirring stick
• Illustrated instructions
• Free mini stencil and practice fabric swatch
• One free fabric paint (choose your color above)

I love that they included a swatch of fabric. I immediately tested out all my paints to see how the colors would look on the fabric once dry.

I also picked out a few embellishments. There are quite a few to choose from, including studs, rhinestones, tassels, and even flowers.

So now I had everything I needed to get started!

I think my favorite thing about the whole process, was the way Paint-A-Pillow created a way to keep the pillow cover and stencil, stationary. If you look close you will see that the stencil lies on top of the pillow cover and is held down on a cardboard frame with brads. I had no problems with it shifting around, and only need to hold the stencil close to the pillow towards the edges.

I started with lighter colors first and moved to darker colors as I went along. Here’s a look at the pillow cover all painted with the stencil still on… And here’s a look with the finished design! It turned out so neat! I tried to get a little creative with the flower using some shading. I wanted to give the pillow a little texture and pop. If you need any help with the painting part of this project, be sure to check out a full painting video tutorial below. It really helped me feel confident to do this! After the paint dried, I heat set the paint by running an iron over the entire design for 30 seconds. I need a bigger iron! Anyone want to buy me a heat press? 🙂   It took awhile, but setting the paint will allow me to wash it, dry clean it, or even use them outdoors! Need some pillows for your patio set? These would be awesome!

Now the pillow cover was done. But if you’re going to add any embellishments, you need to do that before putting the pillow form inside the pillow cover. I decided to go with tassels for my pillows and couldn’t decide between a standard tassel and the suede tassels they offer, so I went with both! Paint-A-Pillow has a great tutorial video for applying embellishments that made my tassels go on super easily!

Another thing I love about the pillows is that the stencils match the ones offered by Cutting Edge Stencils, so if you’ve done something on your walls, you can match the decor with pillows! A few things I feel like Paint-A-Pillow could improve on is pricing and a the idea of reverse stencils. While picking your own design, paints and embellishments makes these pillows very customize-able, I would have a hard time paying that much for two complete pillow sets. The items individually are priced well, so perhaps if you already had a pillow to start with, buying a stencil and paint would not be more than going to the store and buying a finished pillow. As for reverse stencils, the thought came to me as I started my second pillow and placed the stencil back on top of a blank canvas. I though how neat it would be to be able to reverse the imaging so that the leaves and flower could be left natural and the background could be painted in. Wouldn’t that be neat? If that were available I would have done one the way you see it, and one in opposite to compliment each other.
With all that said, I think Paint-A-Pillow offers a solid product. Their stencils are second to none and the easy process always surprises me with great looking results!

Here are the tutorial videos, and keep scrolling to enter the giveaway! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

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****This Giveaway is Now Closed****

Welcome to a “special” edition of Scrappin’ Wednesday- on Tuesday!  I’m moving things up a day this week so I can have my Thanksgiving free!

If you’ve been reading my blog this year, you know that every week, I share a digitally-scrapbooked page that I created.  It’s really helped motivate me to catch up on my scrapbooking.  So, I was super excited when I was contacted by the company that makes My Memories Suite, a top rated, best-selling digital scrapbook software.  I was offered the opportunity a free copy of their product to use, review it, and give one away to one of you!  (more on that in a minute-) Many people use Photoshop or Photoshop Elements for their digital scrapbooking.  Those programs are great, but expensive- often prohibitively so.  They also have a steep learning curve.  So, I know lots of people are on the lookout for good alternatives to those programs.  My Memories Suite might be what you’re looking for.

1.  It is affordable– the full software costs $39.97, and that includes a good amount of papers, embellishments, and such.  If you use my coupon code that I’ll give you later, you can save $10 on your purchase, making it even more affordable!

2.  It is easy to understand and navigate.  You can choose pictures and embellishments from the menu on the left, then use the menu on the right to edit them.  On the page, you simply drag and drop.

3.  You can use all the digital “stuff” you already own.  This was a big concern of mine.  I’ve spent a lot of hours, and a decent amount of money collecting digital scrapbooking kits, elements, word art, etc.  I was worried I’d be unable to use them, but you can simply add them as a photo, or even import them into the program and organize them as you desire.

Remember this page from last week?  All my own elements, created with My Memories Suite.

4.  You can create other things besides digital scrapbooks.  I used MMS to create a holiday card.  (This is an old picture, so I’m not actually sending these ones out).  It was so easy to do!

You could also use it to create a “slideshow” of sorts from a recent trip.  You even have the options to share your albums by printing them, exporting as JPEG so you can have them printed, creating a hardbound book, creating an interactive “movie”, or sharing on Facebook.

5.  It is compatible with Windows/PC and MAC.  If you’re a MAC user, you’ve got a version just for you!

Now, the few concerns I have: 1.  Pictures Pixelate.  I have used other software that enables my digital elements to change sizes without pixelating.  On My Memories Suite, I have to be much more careful in the dimensions I choose.  It seems like there is less leeway there. 2.  Albums v. Pages-  I wish I could just create a page at a time, instead of having to create a new album each time.  I currently have to create or open an album,create a new page in the album, and then save that page to the album.  It’s just not the way I usually work- sometimes I create out of order- my pages don’t necessarily go together, so it’s just clunkier for me. 3.  I would love a “group” option for my elements/text, so I could move things all together.  Though I hear that version 3 will be offering that….. __________________________________________________________________________________

Want a Free copy of My Memories Suite?  Simply visit MyMemories.com, choose your favorite kit/paper pack/element pack and leave a comment telling me what it is.

For extra entries:  (please leave a separate comment for each!) 1.  Follow Occasionally Crafty on GFC (1 entry)

2.  Follow the My Memories blog here:  (1 entry)

3.  “Like” My Memories on Facebook:  (1 entry)
4.  Follow My Memories on Twitter (1 entry) 5.  Blog, Facebook, or Tweet about the giveaway (1 entry for each)

Want it now?  Use my coupon code to save $10 off your purchase, and a $10 coupon for the My Memories Store.  Nice.  The coupon code is STMMMS33532.  This coupon code is good from today through….forever!  It might make a great gift for the scrapbooker in your life!  

The giveaway will be open until next Tuesday, November 29th at midnight Arizona time  (Mountain Standard, I think).  A winner will be chosen by random.org and announced on Wednesday, Nov 30th.  Good luck!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #LetsMakeSmores #CollectiveBias #sponsored


Summertime means camping, parties with friends, and definitely Smores!  I’m going to show you three different ways to do Smores indoors!



I am part of the women’s organization at my church called the Relief Society.  In addition to providing service and welfare assistance in our community and congregation, we also meet for fun activities as a group once a month.  One of the things we’ve learned is essential for these meetings is some sort of dessert.  If the women know something delicious will be waiting for them, more people magically show up!


My latest idea was to have a Smores Dessert Table.  It’s summertime, and what else is a more classic summer treat?  The only problem is, we aren’t allowed to have any sort of open flame in our church building where we hold our meetings.  So that means we have to be creative and show you don’t need a campfire to make delicious Smores!  


For this idea, I came up with three different ways to serve Smores indoors!  You can use these ideas for your home and family, because ANY day can be a Smores day!


Luckily, Walmart has everything you need for Smores this time of year, and it’s all put together in a fun display.  Here’s where I found mine.



Now, on to the Smores!

You can certainly build a Smore without a fire.  All you need are the three classic ingredients:  Honeymaid Graham Crackers, Jet-Puffed Marshmallows, and Hershey’s Chocolate bars.




I spiced these up a little by including Jet-Puffed Stacker Marshmallows with Chocolate middles, and by including Hershey’s Cookies and Cream Bars for another option.

 
If you love Smores the most when they are ooey-gooey, then you’ll want to make these!  I used Hershey’s Chocolate Spread, Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Cream, and of course, the Honeymaid Graham Cracker Squares.

The classic Smore ingredients are used here in a slightly different way!  Read on for the recipe, or click here for a printable recipe.
Ingredients


1 box cake mix– traditional Chocolate
1 cup water
1/2 cup oil
3 eggs
1-2 sleeves Honeymaid Graham Cracker Squares
2  Hershey Chocolate Bars
1 cup Jet-Puffed Mini Marshmallows
1.  Make cake batter using cake mix, water, oil, and eggs, according to the directions on the box.
2.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare cupcake pans with liners of choice.
2.  Crush the Honeymaid Graham Cracker Squares in a food processor or by placing in a bag and rolling into crumbs with a rolling pin.
3.  Place a few teaspons of graham cracker squares at the bottom of each cupcake liner.
4.  Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full with cake batter.
5.  Bake according to box instructions.
6.  Remove from oven and let cool.
7.  When cupcakes have cooled completely, frost with Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Cream.
8.  Slice one Hershey Bar into individual pieces as marked, then cut each piece diagonally so you have two uneven pieces.
9.  Place one piece of Hershey Bar into the marshmallow “frosting” towards the back of the cupcake top.
10.  Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over the “frosting”.
11.  Finish by placing 2-3 mini Jet-Puffed Marshmallows in front of the Hershey piece.
We finished off our dessert table with some chocolate cookies for those who might not be Smores fans.  
The theme of our table was Black and White Polka Dots to play off the contrast between the chocolate and the marshmallows.  I brought in little touches like some fun signs, 

and some classy containers to display all our treats.  I transferred all the spreads into pint-size mason jars, and I used larger glass jars to hold all our treats.

We are somewhat limited in space so the treats will be restocked as needed as everyone loads up their plates!


I know this is going to be a huge hit!  What is your favorite way to eat Smore’s?  
Be sure to visit Kraft for more summer recipes!

Disclosure:  Affiliate Links are contained in this post.  I am a Pley affilliate and was given a free three month subscription in return for an honest review and promotion of their service.  All opinions are my own.

The Lego Movie comes out tomorrow!  If you have Lego lovers like me, this is cause for rejoicing (at least for them!).  Actually, I loved the movie.  I was laughing out loud throughout the movie, and I wasn’t the only adult doing so.

In celebration of this, I have two exciting announcements for you.  First of all, I am now a Pley affiliate!  If you are a mom of Lego-lovers, you need to check this company out.  This video I made (awkwardly) tells you exactly what it is and shows you what you get.

(You can click here if you’re having trouble loading the video) Sound interesting?  You can get a FREE Trial by clicking here or by clicking the ad in my below.
 Some quick FAQ’s answered:

 1.  You can lose up to 15 pieces without being penalized- which is essential if your kids are playing with them.

2.  The sets are cleaned and sanitized between rentals.
3.  It takes 2-3 days to get a new set. 4.  Yes the Lego sets are sometimes incomplete, but so far ours have only been missing pieces that were not essential to building the set.

5.  As I said in the video, shipping is included in your monthly rate, so you don’t have to pay to ship it back!

My kids have put together two sets from Pley and it has been awesome!  We were missing two small pieces, which we reported online, but neither was essential to the construction of the set. You can see they were very deep in concentration.
These keep my kids busy for several hours building, and then I let them play with it over the weekend.  This morning we took it apart, bagged it up, and I dropped it off at the post office.  Soon, our next set will be on its way!  We are all thrilled with this so far!  Here’s two small things I don’t love about our experience.

1.  I can’t always report the missing pieces.  I think there may be a bug on their website, but according to a rep of the company they are trying to figure it out, so I hope it will be fixed soon.

 2.  Do you remember the old Netflix days, when you would put DVD’s you wanted to see in your queue, and then when it was available, they sent it to you?  Your Pley “pleylist” is the same thing.  It tells you to put your Lego sets in the order you want to get them, but it doesn’t necessarily ship you your #1 choice, but rather the first that’s available in your desired order.  So, when we were hoping for a “Creator” Lego set and got a “Chima” one instead, my oldest son was a little disappointed.  He still enjoyed putting the set together, but the language on the website isn’t really clear that that will happen.

In spite of these small problems, we’ve LOVED having a new Lego set each week!  I hope you’ll try it out or tell your Lego-loving friends about it!  This leads me to my second announcement:

Prizes include LEGO DVDs, The LEGO Ideas Book, two Superfan Pley Subscriptions and a Grand Prize Package that includes one 3-month Mega Fan Pley subscription, LEGO Movie Set, and LEGO Movie DVD! (Open only to U.S. residents).

RSVP by clicking here .  Anyone who RSVP’s will receive a SPECIAL OFFER for Pley.com after the party!  Awesome!

Would you rent Lego’s?  Does this sound as awesome to you as it is to us, or do you have reservations?  Let me know if you have any questions!

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Before I get to my favorite things this week, I wanted to let you know that my Pottery Barn Cottage Frame Knock Off  is being featured at Knock off Decor.  I’m thrilled!  I love a great knock-off, and this site has a great collection!  If you haven’t been, go and check it out- there are some seriously awesome projects over there! On to Three Things I love this week:

1.  This Blogging Calendar by Evelyn Kate Designs is cute AND functional.  I love it- if you have a blog you know how hard it can be to stay organized.  Her blog is just beautiful, too.

2.  I love this pillow made from a man’s t-shirt!  Maridith at Strictly Homemade promises a tutorial is coming.  I’m always looking for a new pillow idea!

3.  This Mother’s Day Plaque from Sassy Sites is a beautiful gift to give someone- perfect for Mother’s Day!  I love the combination of the Subway Art with an upcycled cabinet door.  Plus, she personalized it for her mom- wouldn’t it be fun to sit down with your kids and brainstorm words that show what someone means to you?  Love it.

I hope you’re inspired!  Feel free to grab a “Featured” button if you were featured here today!

Thanks to everyone who entered the Pinwheel Pretties Giveaway, and welcome to any new followers and friends!

The winner of the Custom Party Package is Jenny Orr!   Congratulations!  Please check your email and respond within 48 hours, or a new winner will be chosen.

I’ve got a few fun project to post this week, so I hope you’ll stop by later and check them out.  Have a great week, everyone!

Have you been to Funky Polkadot Giraffe?  This is one of my favorite fun, cute blogs.  Today, I’m sharing how to make a knock-off Pottery Barn Cottage Frame.  My version cost $1 to me- theirs cost $29.  Go see how I did it here:

As a part of my church I help out in the Primary, which is the children’s organization. There is a theme each year which all of the lessons focus on. For 2014 the theme is ‘Families can be together forever’, and I was asked to make a bulletin board centered around that theme. 
I have to be honest, this was my first time doing a bulletin board since having my silhouette. I’ve always wanted to but never had the opportunity. It was a lot of fun!

I used brown packing paper and a black border to set the scene. For the title I cut out the letters on my silhouette and attached them to black cardstock and hung them with tiny paper clips off of some silver elastic banding i found in the jewelry section of Michael’s.
I cut out the temple from a sheet of 22×28 white posterboard. This was very time consuming, but it turned out awesome. I patterned the temple off of an image on the Silhouette image store. I cut the spires and the windows out with an exacto knife. My hand is still sore! The angel Moroni at the top of the temple was part of that same image and I cut that out using my Silhouette with some yellow glitter cardstock. I placed black cardstock behind the temple to create some contrast against the brown paper.

Lastly I used vinyl to do the silhouette of a family holding hands in front of the temple. This is one of my favorite things about the silhouette. You can copy images from the internet and turn them into cuttable images. This family took a lot of work since sometimes copying and pasting create sloppy lines. There were all sorts of weird things inside their bodies that i had to edit or delete so I could get one clean image. I think it was worth the work! In fact, the more I look at it, the more this looks like Valerie’s family! Haha..

I love how it turned out and I can’t wait for all the kids to see it on Sunday!

Side note: if you are curious about the posters, our stake presidency made them for each ward using the digital Stampin’ Up software. 

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