DIY Self Laminating Valentine Card Embellishment

January 28, 2017September 22, 2017 The Dimestore GypsyLeave a comment

Hello! Today I wanted to share my self-laminated Valentine card embellishments with you. They’re fun to make and with a few craft supplies, you can customize these to your liking.

All you need is some scrap craft paper, glitter glue, stickers, etc. and some self-laminating sheets. I happened to score 2 packs of the 5 x 7 size from the Dollar Tree but you can find these at any store that carries laminating products.

The self-laminating sheets are easy to use and will make your embellishments last a long time. You just center your project on the hard side and the back is peel and stick. It comes with instructions and shows you exactly how to seal your craft.

For the love tag, I started with a cream 4 x 7 piece of cardstock for my background. I then cut a piece of pink scrap paper smaller than the background and added a couple of stickers to the center. After, I went around the edges making hearts with my mini heart puncher and affixed it the background piece.

The cupcake card was actually a card so I just cut it in half and decorated it. I added glitter glue and the pink hearts from the previous punched card. You could create a cupcake with a few scraps of paper if you like this one.

For the larger card I used a page out of a dictionary. I love using dictionary pages in my crafts and decor! You can find them just about anywhere. I found mine at my local library. They sell books for like .50 cents so I’m always there getting old books. It’s just something about those old, worn out pages that I love. Just add a little glittered heart cut out or punch and you have a cute little card.

There are so many possibilities on how you can use these. Punch a hole at the top and add some twine and you have a cute little ornament for your Valentine tree! You could also use these in your planner…add some sequins to the front before sealing and you have a shaker dash-board. Also, these would be fun as a gift tag, or a love note for your special someone. Leave one on the night stand for your love to find or even drop one in your kids lunch to find at school.

My cards are hanging right next to my tree. I display extra Valentine cards here too during the holiday and it makes a pretty festive display.

Feel free to use these if you’d like. I’d love to see how yours come out. You can find me on Instagram @thedimestoregypsy for home decor inspiration and more.

Thanks for reading,

~The Dimestore Gypsy

Recipes

My Family Dinner Favorites: Turkey, White Bean, and Spinach Soup (photo: rachelcooks.com)

January 23, 2017July 11, 2018 The Dimestore GypsyLeave a comment

Oh my goodness! I just have to quickly share this turkey, white bean, and spinach soup from rachelcooks.com. It is safe to say this has become a family favorite and one that will be on repeat in our home. I made a big pot Sunday night thinking I would have leftovers and it is completely gone! It’s a 20 min. recipe and healthy too! Perfect for those nights when you need to put together something quickly.

For the soup I used 90% lean turkey and organic broth, tomatoes, beans and spinach. I only had Italian seasoning on hand so I used a sprinkling in place of the 1 tsp. oregano & 1/2 tsp. of basil. I seasoned the meat with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt & pepper while browning, and then again after I added my stock.

This is a great little recipe and I highly recommend you try it out. Head over to her site for more pics and other great recipes!

~The Dimestore Gypsy

Recipes

My Family Dinner Favorites: Double-Cheese Chili (photo: kraft.com)

January 8, 2017March 15, 2017 The Dimestore Gypsy1 Comment

I hope you’re staying warm where you are. Here in Texas it’s probably the coldest it’s been in a long time!

Today I’m sharing this double-cheese chili from kraft.com. It’s perfect for these cold winter nights. I tweaked a few things to our liking and it was really good.

I used 90% lean ground beef and seasoned it to my liking. After adding the remaining ingredients, I added a quarter cup of pace mild picante sauce (for extra flavor and veggies), a dash of garlic powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and hot sauce.

To serve, I added the cheese like so in the bottom and ladled a nice hot spoonful of chili on top. I also added a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of chopped green onion. Add some Jiffy homemade cornbread and this meal is complete!

If you try this recipe let me know what worked for you!

Stay warm friends,

~The Dimestore Gypsy

DIY · Holidays

Winter ONEderland Birthday Party

January 4, 2017September 22, 2017 The Dimestore GypsyLeave a comment

First post of the New Year! I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays. We recently celebrated my daughter’s 1st birthday and I’m so excited to share all the details and decor. I love planning and hosting so naturally I had to go all out!

For invitations we used Vistaprint.com. They have a great selection of invitations that can be printed from your home or printed and mailed to you. I chose to have them printed and mailed and they did a really great job! Everyone loved them. I’ve linked them below.

Here’s the style I used. There are 3 different color options and I chose the pink. You are able to edit the wording, pictures, etc. however you like. I took the photo insert off so I could have one large snowflake and we edited the wording under Winter Wonderland to say: Oh what fun! Our little snowflake is turning One! They came with white envelopes for free or the option of matching envelopes for an additional cost. I found a coupon code online and ended up paying around $.60 cents per invite with free shipping.

I created all the decorations using the Recollections Strawberry Cream cardstock value pack from Michaels craft store. It has 5 different shades, comes with 50 sheets total, and It’s priced at an everyday value at $2.00! I’ve linked it here for you.

10386856 — Recollections Strawberry Crème-Michaels.com

*I found a 25 pack of snowflake cutouts also from Michaels but these were seasonal and are no longer available.

Check back a few posts to see how you can make these magical snow globes I used in my table centerpiece!

I always decorate my kitchen with gingerbread during Christmas and this was just so cute with all the other decorations.

For this backdrop I used the cardstock to create some paper fans and glued them to a white back drop from Dollar Tree.

In keeping with the theme I chose a white cake with white butter cream icing and some edible snowflake accents. I ordered from our Wal-Mart bakery and it was so moist! The cake topper was a clear ornament filled with faux snow and a dye cut snowflake from some of the leftovers I had. You can wipe the bottom off and it becomes a keepsake ornament. Just add the birth details with a sharpie and hang it on your tree with some pretty ribbon!

I saved the tutu from our cake smash photo session and used it as the high chair skirt.

I put together these dainty little sitting table centerpieces with the Recollections silver glittered die cut snowflakes and clear rhinestones I found at Michaels. They were 12 in a pack, with a mix of large and small. I’ve linked the exact ones below.

I wanted a deli style lunch so we had a mixture of catered and homemade goodies. From the Kroger deli I ordered mini chicken salad croissants, assorted ham and turkey tea sandwiches, a fruit tray, a veggie tray, and a spinach and artichoke dip bread bowl.

I ordered a couple of gallons of the Zuppa Tuscono soup from Olive Garden for something warm and I have to give many thanks to my stepmother for bringing one of her friends awesome cheese balls (this is so good everyone is literally asking for it at every party I’ve had), cranberry chili meatballs, and these delicious salads!

We had cake for dessert along with strawberry wafer cookies and donut holes.

For the drink station I used my cute little mason jar drink dispensers that I found this summer at a discount shop. They really came in handy for the sweet tea and cucumber lemon water I served.

I used an old chippy tray to hold all the napkins and serving ware right next to the food.

For our party guests I put together these goodie bags with Grab n Go Play Packs, a few pieces of chocolate candy, and a snowflake bubble wand. The play packs are really handy and they come with an activity book, a sticker sheet, and a small set of crayons. You can find these at Wal-Mart, Target, etc. in a variety of characters. They’re relatively inexpensive at $1.00 each. I just lined a basket with some tissue and arranged the goody bags here for the kids to grab.

20161211_235901 — Iced gingerbread men all wrapped up as a party favor for everyone!

I used the Little Debbie gingerbread snacks as party favors. All you need is some loot bags and decorative ribbon and you have a cute, in-expensive favor. Arrange them in a basket and put them near the door so when your guest leave they can take one with them.

20161210_141749 — Christmas tree with birthday gifts by the fireplace.

For the fireplace I used the Wal-Mart Creative Cuts 2 yd. piece of burlap as an overlay. I then added baby photos, pinecones, DIY poster board tree cones, and a name banner pinned with flower ribbon brooches.

A few fun game ideas we used that you can play too!

24391 — Pin the nose on the Snowman-partycity.com

christmas-party-games-for-kids-4 — Draw a snowman on your head from housingaforest.com

We are so thankful for this little blessing and couldn’t be happier! Thanks for reading along and I hope this gives you some inspiration for your next party.

~The Dimestore Gypsy