My favorite project from this year's 4th of July party had to be the tie-dye style custom paper napkins I made to line the hot dog baskets.  They look like groovy fireworks, and were so much fun to make!

My Kia Sedona minivan had plenty of capacity (I loved the space), but it died a horrible, complete death 2,000 miles after it was out of warrantee. Two months after it had been at the dealer for regular maintenence and an inspection. Have not had a response back from Kia.

I love the 4th of July!  There's just something about all that wholesome summery family fun.  Backyard BBQs, kids playing late into the night, sparklers and hot dogs and giant slices of watermelon.  I love it all.

Easy to decorate patriotic stars and stripes sandwich cookie tutorial and recipe.

Make fruit skewers that look like arrows with this easy tutorial    I made these arrow fruit skewers inspired by Bard the Bowman for the Hobbit birthday party.   Because as well all know, it may have been Bilbo's cunning that found Smaug's weak spot, but it was Bard's arrow that took the dragon down.

How to prep corn ahead of time for camping, so you can easily cook amazing grilled sweet corn over the campfire.

It is HOT down here in Phoenix. This is essentially our version of winter, when we hide inside for three or four months to protect ourselves from the elements. And get a bit of cabin fever, especially with the kids home for the summer, when you can't even shoo them outside. It was time for an escape, so we decided to attempt our very first family camping trip.

Turn dollar store flip flops into hairy hobbit feet with this easy, no-sew tutorial.  These DIY hobbit feet make a great Lord of the Rings costume accessory, or party favor for a LOTR birthday party.

At my daughter's hobbit-themed birthday party, I knew I wanted to use some of Tolkien's original art from The Hobbit.  I've always loved the fact that Tolkien did his own illustrations, and wanted to pull that into the party design.

My Kia Sedona minivan had plenty of capacity (I loved the space), but it died a horrible, complete death 2,000 miles after it was out of warrantee. Two months after it had been at the dealer for regular maintenance and an inspection. Have not had a response back from Kia.