First Giveaway - Easter Garland

It's our very first giveaway here at Aristocrafty and we are so excited!  To launch us into this giveaway  we are starting out with this festive Easter garland that could be hanging in your house very soon!

Here's what you need to do:

1. Like us on Facebook

2. Share our blog on your FB page.

3. Leave a comment that you have done these things and you will be entered into the drawing!

We will be announcing the winner on Friday, so check back!

We will ship this garland anywhere in the world!

                                                                          xoxo
                                                                 Melanie & Tami

Lessons I Learned as a Boy

I love this video, such a simple but profound lesson and I love hearing Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley's voice, I just loved him so much. xo Melanie

Lemon and Strawberry Cookies

Pretty lil' things eh?  And they taste divine too!  At first glance you might say this is my cheap and lazy version of a macarons.  Speaking of macarons, I've never tried one.  I was going to buy one for $2 at a gift show but my frugal side got the best of me and I passed it up.  Wish now I hadn't listened to her.  I hear they are delicious pretty little things.  I would like to to try to make them, do you have a recipe?  Have you made them yourself?  I'd love to hear all about it.  They look a little tricky.  Ok, enough about that.

These cookies are cheap and easy!  I've been making oreo cookies out of a cake box for almost 20 years and they are my favorite cookie next to my oatmeal cookie.  A few years ago for Easter I made them out of a lemon cake mix and they were an absolute hit!  Who doesn't love lemon?  I tried them out of a strawberry cake mix yesterday thinking the pink and yellow would make a lovely presentation for an Easter party, a tea party or any spring or summer occasion.  I was totally right!


Lemon or Strawberry sandwich cookies

One cake mix of lemon or strawberry (or devil's food cake if you want to go chocolate!)
2/3 cup butter crisco
2 eggs

Mix all ingredients together until well combined.  Roll into balls and bake on metal cookie sheet - NOT on a dark non-stick cookie sheet otherwise they will bake up brown...trust me this happened yesterday! Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Frost with cream cheese, lemon or strawberry frosting.  I did lemon and strawberry for color but you could dye cream cheese for the the same look but a little better taste in my opinion.



                                                                xo
                                                            Melanie

So Yummy! Homemade Coconut Syrup on French toast

If you are craving something tropical or are in the mood for a yummy breakfast this Syrup is truly the best!  My family craves it!  In fact I joke with my kids that they have more syrup on their plates than french toast.  This coconut syrup is so easy to make.  It only takes about 5 - 10 minutes.  Please give it a try and let me know what you think.  I promise you will not be disappointed!

Coconut Syrup Recipe

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2  cups sugar

2 Tablespoons corn syrup ( sometimes I do not use this)

3/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 Tablespoon Imitation Coconut extract

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, bring butter, sugar, corn syrup, milk and baking soda to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly a couple of minutes.  (Mixture will bubble up, so be sure to use a large pot)  Remove from heat and carefully stir in the coconut extract.

Pour it on pancakes, waffles, ice cream, bread pudding...or anything else you would like!

Enjoy!

XO, Tami

Oatmeal Cookies and an award too!

I was talking to my mom on the phone the other day and she asked me what I was doing, I said "baking cookies".....her response, "you bake a lot".   Um...ok, so I bake 2-3 times a week,  it's one way I show love to my little family.  Is this excessive??  Please tell me how often you bake for your family.  By the way, my mom wasn't being mean, she's far too sweet for that!

WARNING:  These cookies WILL make you fat....because you CANNOT stop at one.  Atleast I know I can't and numerous friends and my SIL have confessed they can't either.

Oatmeal Cookies (adapted slightly from Favorites cookbook)

1 C. Butter
1 C. Sugar
1 C. Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
2 tsp Baking Soda
2 1/4 C. Flour
2 C. Oats
1 package Semi-Sweet Morsels

Cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.  Add salt, soda, powder, flour and mix just until combined.  Add oats and morsels and mix with a wooden spoon.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes (I do 10 mins.)  Enjoy with milk!


Now on to the award,  I'm honored to receive the Liebster Award from Shannon over at Sew Sweet Cottage, thanks my sweet friend!  Her blog is a collaboration of DIY projects and creative parties, check her out!

I am passing the award on to some other fabulous blogs, check them out!

Natalie at SeeJaneScrapbook

Jeanne at SimplySacred

Karen at Giggle Goat




p.s I froze half of the oatmeal cookies so we wouldn't feel obligated to eat all of them before they went hard!


xo
Melanie

All that glitters

I got the Martha Stewart glitter set for Christmas and have been wanting to glitter something ever since!  I bought an elk figurine on clearance and thought it would look cool in white glitter for Christmas but haven't done it yet.  So...we decided to glitter some cheap plastic toys laying around the house.  I say "we" because my girls glittered these horses (with the help of mommy)!  I spray painted the large one gold before we glittered it.  

I recommend spray painting it first so if it chips it won't be that noticeable.  Then Mod Podge and glitter.  Let dry.  You could/should do a coat of clear spray paint over the glitter to help it from spreading glitter everywhere!  I'll do that to my elk.  

 I was hoping it would look like a beetle.  Kinda cool I think.

I saw a quote on Pinterest one day: "Glitter is the herpes of crafting".  Bahaha!  Spreads everywhere and you can't get rid of it!  So so true...about the glitter I mean.

                                                                    xo
                                                                Melanie

Noah's Nursery

We have two girls and a boy.  When we knew we were having a son, I couldn't wait to decorate a boy nursery!

This sign was hanging outside by my doorbell until a wind storm blew it off a couple of weeks ago.  It was a gift from a dear friend, it's way cuter than the masking tape I had over the doorbell!

I adore this paper and fabric garland.  I think it turned out just right, not too fancy and not too plain for a baby boy.  There are three layers of paper and the top layer is fabric that I adhered with spray mounting glue.  The medallions under the chipboard letters are also fabric as well as the ruffle at the top and the rosette at the bottom.  

The fabric garland on the wall is so easy to sew you can find the pattern from my friend Natalie's blog.  I figured out how to make the paper mobile on my own and it used to be hanging over his crib until one day he stood up, pulled it down and ate some of the paper!  

I cut out a loads of circles on my Cricut but you could do it just as easy with a circle punch.  Sew the circles together and hot glue the strips on a ribbon covered embroidery hoop rigged with dowel rods.  I think it finishes the room off....since I can't really have a chandelier  in his room, this gives it the same feel.

Every time I go into Noah's room, I smile.  It makes me happy to know I created a beautiful space for my son to grow up in.

                                                                    xo
                                                                Melanie