goodbye paper napkins

We go through paper napkins like water. Each night after supper I'd make a mental note to look up cloth napkins, but with a million and 2 distractions I'd forget about my mental note.

Until yesterday!



You can find gorgeous handmade napkins on Etsy, and I'm sure the big box stores all carry them. But I needed a lot. So I went to Sam's Club. They had 8-packs for just under $8.00.

But leaving them white wasn't any fun. Bust out the Rit! I wanted to bust out the Dylon but for some reason the big box didn't have them anymore and I was too lazy to go to Joanns.

I filled up the sink with enough water for 6-8 napkins to move around freely, added 4 tablespoons of salt, and then mixed the dye into 2 cups of warm water before pouring it into the sink.

I added the pre-soaked napkins and stirred them around. You're supposed to stir constantly for 10-30 minutes according to the directions. I tried to do this - but it just didn't happen (it never happens). I stirred for maybe a few minutes and then walked by every 10 minutes or so and stirred them around.

After the time was up I rinsed them in water until the water ran clear, ran them through a couple cycles in the washing machine, and then threw them in the dryer.

The napkins are part polyester, so I didn't expect the dye to take as well as it would have to 100% cotton, but they still turned out to be really pretty, soft colors. The kids love them! And yay for no more paper napkins.

These would also be fun to dress up with fabric embellishments for different holidays or to match to your kitchen colors.

alternative baby & more

thelogchateau, PRINCESSDESIGNS and tinacraft added our bibs to their treasuries this week :)

Happy New Year!

In honor of 2011, use coupon code HNY2011 during check-out for 11% off of your entire order.

This New Year discount is good on both Etsy and our website!

some more s'mores

I sent my sister outside to ask my husband where the propane torch was.

I had asked Santa for a kitchen butane torch after making these cupcakes for the first time last week, but Santa forgot. He did remember to bring me good cocoa powder though (brownie points for Santa).

My husband didn't like the idea of me and my sister in the kitchen with a torch, so he toasted the marshmallow topping again (he didn't trust me last time either). Can't say I really blame him.

These are really good though. Still not extremely s'morey but sorta s'morey. Last time I followed the recipe exactly, this time we used 2x the graham cracker, added more mini chocolate chips and added in a tub of marshmallow creme to the meringue.

funny papers

WiggysStuff added our Little Drama Queen bib to their See You in the Funny Papers treasury. :)

for the sweets

threesistersharvest added our Heart to Heart bib to their newest treasury!

back from "break"

a "break" that flew by way too fast!

We had our newest addition a few days after my last post, and have been happily adjusting to life as a family of 6 since then. My website and Etsy shop are now both back open as of a couple days ago.

Here's the first treasury we've been featured in since reopening:



It's been so nice to not have to do anything but cuddle babies over the past two months. And eat holiday goodies. I promise to get back to blogging regularly. I just have to ease back into it. Kind of like my pre-baby jeans. :)