Staying Home Sawyer

Real Life Living on a Real Life Budget

Birthday's, DIY, Home Decor

DIY Chalkboard Sign

DIY Chalkboard Sign Dollar Store Products

Happy Birthday to ME! I’m turning the big 3-1 today, and I’m really excited about it. While it isn’t a monumental birthday year, it’s still another year on this glorious planet (okay, so semi-glorious – if I was on a beach sipping a cocktail, it would be much more glorious). In real life, I will be on a beach in a few short weeks, so I won’t complain (too much).

After I hand out all my birthday blessing bags (see this post from last year), I will have a cheeseburger on a patio somewhere, while drinking a beer, and thanking God for another wonderful year. While you may not appreciate birthdays as much as I do, the alternative is pretty grim. So try to take a second to appreciate that you have been blessed with another year on Earth, and do something crazy. After all, you only get one life. And because I only get one year to be 31, I’m going to make it great. I’ll start with a trip to Mexico in a few short weeks. Tacos and tequila here I come!

DIY Chalkboard Sign // Steps

For those of you that don’t want to spend your dinero on a trip to Mexico, you can start with making a simple chalkboard sign to bring in your birthday. Or your friend’s birthday, or your cat’s birthday, or even your stuffed animal’s; I don’t judge. Start with the dollar store, and a pizza pan. Use chalkboard paint of any kind to spray and cover the whole pan (about 3 coats). And you’re done.

The only thing missing is the “chalkboard writing” class that someone should offer. Clearly my handwriting is horrible. But since it’s my birthday, you’ll give me a pass right?
DIY Chalkboard Sign // Dollar Store Products // Dollar Store Crafts

Birthday's, DIY

3-2-1 Cake in a Jar

DIY Cake In A Jar // 3-2-1 CakeOne more day until I can indulge in all things unhealthy, without feeling any guilt about my choices. While most people indulge on cakes, pies, and cookies on their birthdays, I will be having a cheeseburger, fries, and a beer. Or a few beers. Why limit myself?

But for those of you that want to indulge in a little cake every now and then, you should try making a “3-2-1 cake.” I am by no means the genius behind this amazing little piece of heaven, but I did come up with a cute way to gift it to others. Who doesn’t want their own serving of cake?

DIY Cake In A Jar - Just Add Water - 3-2-1 Cake IngredientsStart with one box of Angel Food cake, and one box of cake mix (any kind your little heart desires). Mix the dry mixes together in a large bowl and store the mixture in a Ziploc bag (it’ll last for a long while).

DIY Cake In A Jar - Just Add Water - 3-2-1 CakeI used baby food jars, spray painted the tops to give it a little more color. Measure three tablespoons of mix into each jar. Save and print the tags below, then tie them onto your jars for a fun gift! One tag has instructions, but if you choose to use the other tag, your recipient needs to take the mix from the jar, mix with two tablespoons of water, and microwave for one minute. Be sure your container is microwave-safe before heating!

Just Eat Cake tag

3-2-1 Cake tag
DIY Cake In A Jar // Just Add Water // 3-2-1 Cake

DIY

DIY Dollar Store Cake Stand

DIY Cake Stand - Simple Dollar Store Cake Stand And just like that, it’s officially my birthday week! B said the opening ceremony will begin tonight. Tune in to Channel 3 at 7:00pm sharp. You’ll probably end up with something like Modern Family, but hey, a party is a party. I’ll drink a fancy-pants margarita in honor of you watching Modern Family, in honor of my birthday.

In order to really get this party started, I am going to grace you with “All Things Birthday” this week. Don’t worry, I’ll open all your cards and gifts on Friday (the official birthday), no need to get a head start. I have all day, I took off work.

Let’s start this party with half of the most critical thing: Cake (the other half, clearly, is alcohol). You can’t have cake without…

A DIY Cake Stand. There are tons of these on Pinterest, so I am not that unique. I mean, I am unique, but my cake stand is not. The only difference may be my detailed photo steps. I wanted to give you all the info, since a teacher is only as successful as her worst student (at least that’s what my teachers always told me).

DIY Cake Stand - What to buy

I bought the two items pictured above, a martini glass and a tin plate at Dollar Tree. Just a heads up, the tin plate was actually by the cookie sheets, not the plates. You’ll need a glue gun, and a spray paint color of your choice.

DIY Cake Stand - Simple Dollar Store Cake Stand

Hot glue all around the rim of the martini glass, and add it to the upside down plate. Then hot glue around the outside rim again (trying to keep a steady stream of glue). It doesn’t have to be perfect, as most people will not be looking up, from underneath. Unless your party is serving shots of tequila. Then you may have a few people looking up from the floor. Party on!

DIY Cake Stand - Simple Dollar Store Cake StandUse your spray paint to spray the entire stand. I chose gold (shocker), and it took about three coats.

DIY Cake Stand - Simple Dollar Store Cake Stand
 Remember, you will always need to use a doily or some sort of napkin (or lace, as pictured), as food shouldn’t come in contact with the paint.

DIY Cake Stand - Simple Dollar Store Cake Stand
This project was extremely easy, and it turned out adorable if you ask me. But you didn’t, so I’ll shush now.

Four more days! Can I eat the cupcakes now?

DIY, Holidays!

DIY Gold Dipped Candy Dish

DIY Gold Dipped Candy DishIf your mother is anything like my mother (which would be impossible, because my mother is one-of-a-kind) (double brownie points), then you have no idea what to get her for Mother’s Day. Or her birthday. Or Christmas. This may come as a surprise to you, but I typically like to make my own gifts. Weird, right?

Well Mother’s Day causes somewhat of an issue there. See, I’ve already hand made her just about every single thing there is to hand make. And by now, the storage unit she has to pay for to hold the boxes of junk I’ve made over the years, is costing her a small fortune. So, out of pure love for my mother, this year I will just send her what she asks for every year: a card.

But in order to keep her from loving her other child more, i.e., my husband, I guess I will make her a little something. It totally counts if all she can do is see the photos on my blog right? Sorry mom, but I’m not mailing this vase across the country. Plus, gold isn’t really your thing.

DIY Gold Dipped Candy Dish

 Start with this clear glass vase above, from the Dollar Tree. You can find these at many other locations as well, but they shouldn’t be much more than $1. Then, use painter’s tape to tape off the top half (see below).

DIY Gold Dipped Candy Dish

Next, you will use gold spray paint (any kind will work, as long as the glass is clean), to spray the whole bottom. Leave upside down to dry, try to give it at least an hour. Then you’ll SLOWLY pull off the painter’s tape, to reveal a gold dipped vase. Perfect for a candy dish at work!

DIY Gold Dipped Candy Dish // Mother's Day GiftI tied my little Mother’s Day tag onto the vase, and filled it with one of my mom’s favorite candies. Next time she visits, she can enjoy the sweets. Until then, hopefully she enjoys the photos.

Print your Mother’s Day Tag Here, save a copy, and size it to your liking.

Since I made the cute tags, I thought I’d share them with you (even if you don’t use them for a vase). I’d love to see what gifts you use my tags for, tag me on Instagram (@raeofsparkles), Twitter, or Facebook so I can enjoy them! Then I can show my mom how her tag has spread the love! That’s way better than a gift.

Happy Mother’s Day weekend to all my mommy friends!