The Life of Jennifer Dawn

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

6 Amazing Sewing Projects to Try Today and A Little Bird Told Me Link Party #164

Welcome to...
The Life of Jennifer Dawn

I'm so glad you're here! It's link party day, and I'm sharing six amazing sewing projects. Get out your sewing supplies and prepare to try these unique crafts. Whether you're looking for something to make for yourself or as a gift for someone else, you're sure to find the perfect project!
This first one is not a sewing project with fabric and thread, but this cute scroll saw sign from Virginia of Fynes Designs would look fantastic in any sewing space!

Sew adorable owl stuffed animals with Lynda of Lynda Creates. I love the different expressions on these little birds' faces.

Coffee never looked so cute! Whip up a few mug cozies using this tutorial from Bev of Flamingo Toes. Wouldn't these make fantastic gifts?

What a lovely and unique piece! I can't wait to try this embroidered necklace also from Bev of Flamingo Toes.

I'm loving this gorgeous quilt made by Leslie of The Seasoned Homemaker. From beginner to expert, it looks like the perfect quilt to try.

Lisa from Mabey She Made It shared this beautiful dress. The lace trim on the bodice is perfection. Want to know the best part? There's a free pattern included in her post!

Amazing posts, ladies! Now...

Monday, January 4, 2016

DIY Projects and Printables for the Home

Over the last few days, I've been sharing my top 20 posts of 2015. There were five delicious recipes and ten super fun crafts that have already been reshared! That just leaves five more that fell into the category of HOME--nesting if you will.

It actually surprised me that five of my printables and projects for the home fell into the top 20. This felt like a year that I didn't accomplish much with our house. I mean...it certainly wasn't the year of the hallway and bedroom makeover or the year of our fabulous master bath remodel. I had so many grand plans for DIY projects I wanted to do in our home this year, but they just didn't come to fruition.

I did kick-off a kitchen remodel, but even that didn't get done. Most of the cabinets are painted and the whole area has been redecorated. What's still left? Well, I have one more section of cabinets to paint, hardware for the cabinet doors to install, plans for a new sink, and a tile backsplash to complete. Whew! This is the year though! It will get done. "Someday is now" as Myquillyn Smith wrote in her book The Nesting Place. Afterall...
"Creating a beautiful home is a journey, not a destination." --M. Smith
Here are a few tiny pieces of that journey for my home...

1. Printable Planner Page
The motivation behind creating this planner was better time management. I wanted to be more intentional about my days and carve out time for not only myself but also for all of the things that are on the docket each day. This is a great page to print off a whole slew of and bind them together or print just one to place inside a page protector that can be written on and erased.

2. Homeschool Room
We have the homeschool looking pretty good. I have some plans for the back wall. That's on the list of things to get done this year too.

3. Framed Chalk Love Notes
Last February I made these framed chalk hearts. I left the glass off the frame so they could be written on. There are two of them--one for the hubby's nightstand and one for mine. It was just a fun idea I had for a way to leave notes to each other.

4. Quote Printable and Craft
This was a fun project to do. I designed a printable and showed how it could be framed or transferred onto wood for a unique piece of art. Click on over to take a look.

5. Sparkly Fairy Fort for a Girl's Room
This project was pure magic. I created a glittery fairy fort for my little fairy princess. She has now switched to a teepee, but this was so cute while it was up.
Thank you so much for stopping by and taking a look at a few of my home posts from the year. Be sure to also take a look at the top recipes and crafts for the year! I have high hopes for 2016! It's going to be the year I finally get to share the work on my kitchen and the fabulous DIY projects I have planned! What plans do you have for your home this year? Anything exciting? I'd love to hear about them.
Happy homemaking!
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Sunday, January 3, 2016

Saturday, January 2, 2016

Best Crafts of 2015


It's no secret that the kids and I love to craft and create. I guess you could say that I'm just passing the legacy down. My sister and I grew up with a mother who was always sewing, crocheting, or painting something. Long before Pinterest, she was making Pinterest-worthy crafts and providing us with the tools and freedom to create.

If you're looking for some fun crafts to try with your kids this year, you've come to the right place! Below you'll find my Most Popular Craft Posts of 2015! It's always fun to look back and see what YOU loved most.

(Side note: You'll find my Most Popular Recipes here.)

I always love a good countdown! So...counting down from #10 to the #1 MOST POPULAR, here are the top crafts for the year!

#10

#9

#8

#7

#6

#5

#4

#3

#2

#1

That's a wrap on for my top crafts from 2015. Be sure to also check out my MOST POPULAR RECIPES OF 2015.

Still craving more craft inspiration? Linked below you'll find the top kids' crafts from several of my fellow bloggers. Get that clicking and pinning finger ready because you aren't going to want to miss these...



Happy crafting!
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Friday, January 1, 2016

Best Recipes of 2015

It's hard to believe that the year 2015 has come to a close! The end of one year and the start of another opens up time for reflection. Year after year it's fun to look back on the blog and see what your favorite posts were. Usually I throw them together into one big collage and reshare them with you. This year I decided to do something a little different. I've taken the top 20 posts for the year and separated them into three categories--recipes, crafts, and printables & home. Over the next few days, I'll be sharing them all with you.

Let's start with recipes! Here they are--the five most popular recipes for 2015! You'll find them in order of their popularity.

#1. Apple Pie Popsicles
These were a lot of fun to make, and the kids loved them! I frequently come up with new popsicle recipes and use our Zoku Quick Pop Maker to make them. This is a recipe that I created during the fall. It's was a mash-up of a cool treat and the tastes of the season.

#2. Whipped Lemon Cream Cheese Tartlets
Playing off the popularity of my whipped lemon cream cheese frosting, I decided to make tarts using the creamy delicacy. These were easy to make and oh so delicious!

#3. Strawberry Jam
One of the things that the kids and I enjoy most is going down the road to the fruit and berry patch. Year after year we pick and sample the berries, peaches, and apples that are grown there. One of our hauls of strawberries was made into this delicious treat--homemade strawberry jam. I put up several jars that didn't last as long as I had expected. I guess that just proves how delicious this recipe really is. In the summer, we're going to try making blackberry jam from the wild blackberry bushes we discovered in our backyard this year.

#4. Pasta Sauce
This tasty recipe was a result of our own personal garden. We grew more tomatoes than I knew what to do with this year, so I started cooking them into meals like this garden fresh pasta sauce.

#5. Homemade Caramel Candy
Caramel is one of my favorite treats! I really enjoyed whipping up these homemade candies and sharing them with others.

AND just for fun...
You can find my ALL TIME most popular recipe by clicking here! It continues to be my most popular post year after year proving that kitchen mishaps can become delicious strokes of luck!

Update: TOP 10 CRAFTS OF 2015 are here!
 Happy kitchen adventures!
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*Affiliate links may be present to help you find products mentioned in the post.
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