How To: The Ultimate Mac & Cheese

The Mr. needed me to make something for a potluck this past week so I set to work picking something delish, crowd-pleasing, and easy to make in bulk. Summer may be quickly approaching but that doesn't mean I don't like a yummy wholesome side dish... mac and cheese, anyone?

There are a ton of mac and cheese recipes out there and you probably already have a favorite. So rather than share my version, I thought it would be best to give you three tips to take your recipe the best it can possibly be!

DIY Dish Towel Market Totes

In honor of our first CSA pick up (check out the yumminess here on Instagram) I wanted to make some simple bags to tote our goodies home. When we were at Ikea this weekend, I grabbed this 4-pack of cotton dish towels which were the perfect material for produce bags -- both absorbent and strong! I love when things just work out that way haha :) The bags turned out so cute, dontcha think??

With that one set of towels, I was able to make 2 large totes and 3 smaller drawstring bags... and I still have another towel left over (I just wasn't quite smitten with the pattern).

Duct Tape Kite Tutorial

So... duct tape, huh? Not my favorite stuff, that's for sure... This project was the death of me at So You Think You're Crafty... quite literally. While my duct tape kite wasn't anyone's favorite, I can't say that I hate it.  Honestly, I thought it was both fun and unexpected. 

This tutorial was a bit delayed, but enjoy!

Insta Replay Monday #34

Good morning, friends! I hope you had a wonderful weekend! The Mr. and I spent tons of time together and I was able to work on several projects. I won't be sharing those just yet as they are a surprise for someone else (hehe!) but they look fantastic if I do say so myself. A weekend relaxing was just what the doctor ordered. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow night though as our favorite neighbor and I will have our first pick-up at the CSA. I haven't done many recipes in awhile so I think I'll be creating some fun figure-friendly summer dishes to go along with our veggie pick-ups each week!

Washi Tape Sculpture

Thank goodness for yard sale season! It's one of the absolute best parts of the year, dontcha agree? A couple weeks ago, the Mr. and I stopped by a garage sale at an alpaca farm and I found some simple hand-carved wooden animals. There were sea turtles and rays and a really awesome elephant. Confetti & Stripes put together an awesome collection of elephant inspired decor so I just KNEW I needed it in my life. Unfortunately, the ugly 70s finish was just too much for me to handle. I had originally intended to paint it or cover it with gold leaf, but seeing as I had it for a couple of weeks and still hadn't made up my mind I went with something a little less permanent - washi tape.

This is the perfect project to do with the kids this summer because it's virtually mess-free and would be an easy addition to their decor. It's as easy as 1-2-3. 

My First Dress Alteration

Okay, so I realize this isn't earth-shattering news or whatev but I am so proud of myself. I altered my very first piece of clothing! It's not like I don't love to sew, but I've always been too scared to make clothing for myself. The next best thing? Altering an existing garment into something much more wearable.

It was gorgeous this past weekend so I pulled out a dress I bought back in 2009 when I worked at American Eagle. It's been big and parachute-like for too long. After less than an hour, I had a dress that was much more flattering.

Insta Replay Monday #33

I really didn't want this weekend to end. To be fair, I can't remember the last time I was looking forward to a Monday though haha. I hope all of you moms (even you mamas with little fur babies) had a wonderful Mother's Day! You all already know how I spent my Friday night... and let me just say that The Great Gatsby was FANTASTIC. If I had any complaint, I would say that it was super long but considering how incredible it was, I'd barely acknowledge that as an issue. Did you have a nice weekend? Do anything fun?

Despite being ridiculously busy last week (or because of?) I was horribly inactive on Instagram but if you follow along, you saw: