DIY CO Flag on Burlap

colorado state burlap flag_jsorelle

August 1 marks Colorado’s 138th birthday. Happy {early} Birthday Colorful Colorado! Being born and raised Colorado girls, we love to represent our state and give its flag some love. We also love burlap. So, we combined the two and created a piece of art…or a basket accessory.

You’ll Need:
a piece burlap
a photo of the Colorado flag {we used regular, white printer paper}
Golden GAC 800 Medium from Golden Paints
brush

How To:
Print a photo of the Colorado flag.
Use a brush to apply the gel medium to the item you plan to add the photo to.
Place the image, face down, on the item you are adding the photo to, in this case, a piece of burlap.
Gently press down and rub all areas on the back of the photo so the medium is applied, without bubbles, to the entire photo.
Wait for the medium to dry. We waited about 2 hours.
Use a wet wash cloth to ‘wet’ the back of the photo. The photo will look wet, and if it doesn’t, you may have to add more water to the wash cloth. Once the paper looks transparent, rub the paper with your hand or the wash cloth gently – it will peel the ‘paper pulp’ and reveal your transferred image.
We added the DIY Colorado burlap flag to a red basket with twine, and added lovely sunflowers. This would also be pretty framed, or mounted on an old, antique piece of white wood.

colorado burlap flag diy

colorado burlap flag diy_jsorelle

diy colorado burlap flag_jsorelle

{images j. sorelle}

Frozen Party and How to Train Your Dragon Party

fire and ice party_jsorelle

The obsession this year for my kiddos was of course, Frozen, and How To Train Your Dragon. So, for this year’s birthday bash, Fire and Ice seemed quite appropriate. Family and friends joined us as we celebrated the lives of our three beautiful children, who are the joy of our lives…and growing up too fast. More DIY’s to come, but for today, the photos.

Frozen Ideas

  • Activity for the girls after swimming was making their own ice bracelets with ‘ice crystals’ or clear beads. I wish I could take credit for this idea. Paging Supermom was the inspiration behind this.
  • Decorations included a DIY fringe North Mountain backdrop, spray-painted white branches with sparkly silver snowflakes hanging and custom water bottle labels by Fleur de Lis.
  • The cake was also the vision of Paging Supermom – y’all are good! It was the hit of the day for my daughter and her friends, and it was super easy to do the morning of the party.
  • Favors for the girls were sequins crowns from Jo-Ann’s, Frozen puzzles from the dollar section at Target, a girly ring and a Frozen cd we made with 5 of the hit movie’s songs on it.

frozen party_jsorelle

elsa donut north mountain cake_jsorelle

frozen party_jsorelle

ice bracelets for frozen party_jsorelle

frozen party ideas_jsorelle

frozen party_jsorelle

frozen party favors_jsorelle

birthday girl_jsorelle

frozen birthday party invitation

you can buy the Frozen invite here.

How To Train Your Dragon Ideas

  • Activity after swimming was sword fighting with their new DIY shields and swords.
  • Decorations included a toothless face backdrop, dragons, Dragon hats courtesy of Michaels {Bry, the manager at the River Point Parkway location was amazing}, custom water bottle labels by Fleur de Lis, DIY Sharpie balloons and Rice Krispy treats with added wings {Krispy Wings}
  • Favors for the boys included DIY shields and swords {from Target}, Michaels Dragon hats we assembled and DIY Book of Dragons with a photo and information about each Dragon.

If your interested in either of the backdrops, email me because I don’t need them anymore. They are large pieces of wood covered in felt and tissue paper.

how to train your dragon party_jsorelle

toothless eyes from how to train your dragon

dragon swords_jsorelle

viking armour_jsorelle

how to train your dragon water bottle labels

dragon hats from michaels_jsorelle

krispy wings_how to train your dragon

how to train your dragon treats_jsorelle

how to train your dragon balloons_jsorelle

how to train your dragon balloons_jsorelle

book of dragons_how to train your dragon party_jsorelle

how to train your dragon party_book of dragons

how to train your dragons party_jsorelle

how to train your dragon birthday invitation

you can buy the dragon invite here.

fire and ice party_jsorelle

{images via j. sorelle}

sugar cookie cup {recipe}

sugar cookie cups_jsorelle
I’ve been craving sugar cookies lately. And, when I crave something, I have to make it. I had absolutely no time today to make it and had way more important items on the to do list, but when a girl craves some sugar, a girl needs some sugar. So, the kids and I baked today…and I’m really glad I did because it was delicious. And, the perfect summer treat. The entire family loved it…and I still have 2 leftover for breakfast.

sugar cookie cups_jsorelle

Sugar Cookie Cups
yield about 14-16 cups

Sugar Cookie Ingredients
1 stick + 3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
4 teaspoons whole milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoons salt

Cheesecake Filling Ingredients
1 8oz package of softened cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

How To
Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla together in a medium bowl.
Then, add the egg and milk, and blend again.
In a separate bowl, add all the dry ingredients including flour, baking powder and salt.
Combine the dry ingredients with the creamed butter/sugar/vanilla/egg/milk mixture and blend until fully combined.
Form the dough into a large semi-flat pancake in between wax paper and freeze for 20 minutes.
Set the oven to 350 degrees.
Coat a cupcake pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Grab a handful of dough {about 2 tablespoons} and press the dough in the bottom of each muffin cavity. Fill the cavity about 1/2 way up the sides, forming a cup shape. Make sure the sides are not too think, as it will begin to fill your ‘cup shape’
Bake for 12-15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool. If the centers filled in too much, just use a spoon or the end of a tablespoon to press the center back down.
Add about a tablespoon of the yummy cheesecake filling to each cookie.
Top with bright and delicious fruit.

sugar cookie cups_jsorelle

sugar cookie cups_jsorelle
sugar cookie cups_jsorelle
{images via j. sorelle}

Alt Summit Video

I attended Altitude Summit in June. I. LOVED. IT.

As expected the business cards were beautiful and so creative. There were pretty parties and great attention to detail. The ‘high school girl syndrome’ of feeling like you have no friends and are totally awkward was re-lived all over again…only this time, there were no mean girls…just nice ones. Fashion was fabulous. Talent was out of this world. And, I learned A TON.

I am so grateful for my experience at Alt and really hope I make it back every year, and take both sisters with me.

Among the many, many things I learned, here’s 10 things I took from the Alt Summit {then be sure to watch the video at the end}…
1. Martha Stewart is not a b****, but rather like a beech tree
2. We need to hashtag everything.
3. I want the energy and positivity that radiates from Rachel of Handmade Charlotte {she is really talented too, so check out her site here}. And, fashion advice from pinfluencer Alexandra Evjen would be greatly beneficial too.
4. A lightbox will rock our instagram world {thanks @zelmarose and @sarahderagon} and help with my composition, consistency and color.
5. We need to find more creative ways to date our hubbies {thanks Camille at Fridays We’re In Love}.
6. Joy Cho of Oh Joy is just adorable and a fantastic business woman, and we can “create something from nothing.”
7. We want to work with Bing, The Honest Company , Silhouette and Wayfair on a regular basis.
8. Dream Big. Be Brave.
9. It’s time to collaborate y’all. We’re brainstorming ideas now Freshly Picked, Freckles in April, Shoes Off Please, Spitfire Girl, McCall of the Wild, Agnes & Dora, One Charming Party, LuLu the Baker, Yellow Bungalow Shop, Hillary Butler, Annie Reeves, One Little Minute Blog, The Alison Show, White Plum, Design Improvised, Pepper Design Blog, fellow Colorado gal Courtney Khail, Thrifty Littles, Happy Confetti, Planning Pretty, Petit Lemon, Leland Gal, and The Banner Shoppe…and all those who we didn’t get a chance to meet, but really wanted to {please, please introduce yourself}.
10. My dream job doesn’t exist, I must create it. Thanks Melissa at Best Friends for Frosting {so glad I met you during checkout with my kiddos running around}.

As we gathered together to talk about our special experience at Alt, we had our friend and wonderful photographer Meredith of Meredith Moran Photography bring her camera and handmade marquee letters {so so cute…you can buy them here} to capture it all on film…and say ‘thank you’ to everyone on the amazing Alt team.

Please take 1.5 minutes to watch our video. Enjoy!

click here if the video above does not load

thanks to my hubby and his dad, the fantastic builders, who let us use their new, gorgeous home for our backdrop.
Video by Meredith Moran Photography
Photography by Meredith Moran Photography

worm pudding {recipe}

worm pudding_jsorelle

There is nothing my 6-year-old and 2-year-old son loves more this summer than worms, water and dirt {mud}.  And there is nothing my 4-year-old daughter loves more than sugar. So, for their recent birthday celebration at school, we made dirt pudding cups, which I lovingly call ‘worm pudding with a budding flower’ {my husband thinks the flower looks like the kind that opens up and eats people, but I was going for a tulip}. You decide for yourself, but whatever flower you think it is, make this dessert. So yummy.

chocolate mousse worm pudding for kids

Chocolate Mousse
{recipe by Kimi Hansen}
makes 13, 9 oz elegant plastic cups or more if you use smaller shot glasses

Ingredients
2 cups chocolate chips
2 cups whipping cream
2 egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla
Oreo cookies
13, 9 oz plastic cups
13 strawberries or other ‘flower’ fruit
13 gummy worms
Sharpie Oil-Based Paint Markers

How To
Use Sharpie Oil-Based Paint Markers {love these things} to draw grass on the outside of the cups. It dries almost immediately.
Add chocolate chips, vanilla extract and egg yolk to a blender.
Heat cream to a boil on the stove and then slowly add the cream to the other ingredients in blender.
Pulse ingredients together
Wait until it cools a bit before you pour in plastic cups.
Refrigerate for at least 3 hours. After the first hour or 2, stick a worm in the semi-hard pudding and continue to refrigerate.
Before serving, top with crushed Oreos
Use a straw or toothpick and add your ‘flower.’ It can be made with a strawberry like I did, with 4 slits on top and whipping cream on the inside, or even raspberries and blueberries.

worm pudding

worm pudding for kids

worm pudding with a flower

worm pudding with a flower

Just look at this chocolate, happy face. Pure joy.
chocolate mousse face

{images via j. sorelle}