I have been feeling the urge to do some crafting lately, and since I haven’t had time to make that a reality, I thought I would share some crafts I have done in the last few months (more like last 6 months…lest you think I have lots of time and am super ambitious).  I also want to share some new recipes that we have tried and really loved lately….since I am all about sharing the wealth in that area as well.

1.  Monogram Shirt – Being Southern, I am all about monograms and sweet tea and “ya’ll.”  Anytime I have the chance to monogram anything, I am going to take it.  So, I had extra t-shirts I had bought and decided to make this initial shirts for my mom and myself.  I think they turned out great and they were super easy, using heat transfer vinyl.

2.  Then, continuing on the monogram train, I decided to put my name on my Kindle case.  I never take it out of the house and don’t use it that much, but it never hurts to have your name there just in case 🙂

3.  And, because my kids need their name on something too, I made these really cute buckets for them for Halloween.  I actually loved the way these turned out with layering the vinyl and wish we could use them all year long.

4.  And continuing down the name train, I have loved these frames on Pinterest for a while now and finally decided to recreate them.  I made one for us and then one for my brother and sister-in-law in Gamecock colors.  I also loved the way these turned out….in person, they look very professional and elegant.

5.  And I can’t leave out my friends when monogramming….so for Christmas, I bought these cute mason jar ornaments and put their initials on them.  They can even open the lid and fill them with cute things should they decide too.

Looking back over these, it is funny that they all involve names and initials…I didn’t plan that, but I guess it is because I am going back to my roots 🙂

Now for the recipes….we have tried lots the last few months – a few were really, really good, a few were complete misses (not in the can’t eat – it tastes like rubber way but the I will eat another bite because this is what we have way), and a few were good but way too time consuming to put together.  To be keepers in my book, they have to be quick, cheap, and good.  So, these are the recipes that passed my tests.

1.  Ham and Cheese Sliders – These are super easy and super good – I originally had these in NYC the summer we were there at a birthday party in the park, so when I found this recipe, I was totally game to try.

2.  Healthy Baked Chicken Nuggets – these are really good and are a huge hit with the kids.  They are a little work intensive but not enough that we found it wasn’t worth it.  And best part?  they are healthy!

3.  Taco Bake – I have made this recipe LOTS since trying it for the first time.  Confession – its not the healthiest.  Truth – its really, really good and easy to put together. Try it…you will be glad you did.

4.  Chicken Tetrazinni Casserole – again, this recipe isn’t the healthiest, but it is really good and pretty easy.  I love the cheese on top…it makes it so, so yummy.

5.  Cheesy Taco Bake – Another taco type recipe, which our family loves if you can’t tell.  I love that this one has salsa in it, which gives it a special kick and taste.  Super yummy.

Feel free to share the wealth if you have projects or recipes that you think I should absolutely try. I love trying new things!