mateo & tobias - quality plush toys & wall prints to decorate your living and work space

Friday Etsy Favorites

2012-11-30T11:43:00.002-08:00

I love decorating for Christmas each year. One thing that I always put on the front door is a wreath. I've had the same basic one on my door for a few years that I've added different things to (and taken some things away) each year. But really, it is time to change it up!

Here is some beautiful wreaths that I would love to have hanging on my door!

Christmas Wreath with Berries and Plaid
by Horn's Handmade

Christmas Wreath with Burlap, Natural with Red Berries
by Door Decor & More

Christmas Boxwood Wreath with Burlap
by twoinspireyou

Christmas Peacock Wreath
Luxe Wreaths

Christmas White Berry Rustic Wreath
by WildRidge Design

Christmas Hydrangea Wreath
by Country Prim

Get Rid of Those Stubborn Stickers!

2012-11-27T10:30:00.000-08:00

Recently, I finally bought some new plates. Our old ones were starting to show their wear and I saw some white square ones that I really liked. Not sure why I really like white, but I do. Probably hoping for the day when I can paint my walls white and have a crisp, clean white decor with splashes of color, ie. turquoise. But that won't be for quite some time, until my little boys get older. But I'm not complaining, they can take their time! :)

Oops, I got off topic. I was talking about plates. Well yes, under each of the plates is a sticker. Well, those stickers are really darn hard to get off. When I tried peeling it off, it would leave traces of the sticker behind and it took forever to get every.little.piece.off.

That's when a light bulb moment hit. I remember seeing a pin on Pinterest about using vinegar to remove stickers. Have I told you that I ♥ Pinterest. I could tell you here, but I'll leave that for another post.

So, I got my trusty spray bottle of vinegar and liberally sprayed it on the sticker.

I waited for about 15 minutes. Literally, the sticker peeled right off! Amazing!

And there you have it. Nice, new, stickerless plates!

I hope this post helps you with getting those darn sticky pieces of paper off!

Friday Etsy Favorites

2012-11-16T07:30:00.000-08:00

In Canada, we celebrated Thanksgiving Day last month. And my friends in the United States will be celebrating next week. There is so much to give thanks for, not just on Thanksgiving, but throughout the whole year. I am so thankful for my family, my health, my friends, my home...

Today's Friday Etsy Favorites are some beautiful ways that we can display our thanks.

Give Thanks Polymer Clay Pumpkins
by Skyart

Give Thanks Hand Stamped Serving Fork & Spoon Set
by jessica N designs

In Everything Give Thanks Duo Cotton Pillow Covers
by Mon Mell Designs

Give Thanks Necklace
by Susan's Jewelry Designs

Give Thanks Towel
by The New Vintage Home

Healthy No Bake Cookies

2012-11-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

I'm always on the look out for healthy snacks that I can make for our family. Pinterest is so awesome for keeping all of my recipes (and other things) organized all in on place.

I came across a recipe for Healthy No Bake Cookies and pinned it to my Healthy Snacks board, to be made at a later date.

Well last week, that later date came. I had a look at my Healthy Snacks board and decided upon what looked good to make (and what supplies I already had in my pantry).

Healthy No Bake Cookies it was then.

And I am so glad that I tried it. This recipe was so easy to make and so good. The kids loved them and little did they know that there was chia seeds and oat bran in it. Yay!

Here are all the ingredients all in one bowl.

Mix, mix, mix, mix until everything is well combined.

Then roll into little balls. I have been wanting to invest in a small cookie scoop. I have a big one, but I really want a small one...this recipe would put it to perfect use.

Put the balls on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and place in the freezer until frozen. Then put all the frozen little balls in a bag, store in the freezer, and take one or two or three or four as needed. :)

That's it. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy...like my boys would say.

Healthy No Bake Cookies

Recipe adapted from Wit & Whistle

1/2 cup honey
2 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup oat bran (you can substitute with wheat germ)
2 tbsp. chia seeds
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

Combine all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, using a wooden spoon.

Spoon 20-24 small balls of dough onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet and place the cookie sheet in the freezer for at least 45 minutes.

Remove sheet from freezer and transfer the cookies from the parchment to a Tupperware dish with a good fitting lid. The best way to remove them from the parchment is to get a good grip and twist slightly.

Store in the freezer.

Friday Etsy Favorites

2012-11-09T08:11:00.000-08:00

Today's Friday Etsy Favorites feature some fabulous Fall finds. And what better thing to make you think about Fall, then acorns!

Acorn Pendant Necklace
by Gwen Delicious Jewelry Designs

Painted Wooden Acorns
the baker's daughter

Bamboo Acorn Ring
by Graphic Spaces

Charcoal Felted Acorns
by The Bee Junkie

Autumn Acorn Necklace
by La Foret des Gemmes

Operation Christmas Child

2012-11-08T07:32:00.000-08:00

Each year we participate in Operation Christmas Child organized through Samaritan's Purse.

As per their website, "To date, Operation Christmas Child has collected and distributed over 94 million shoe box gifts worldwide. Each shoe box gift is filled with hygiene items, school supplies, toys, and candy, is given to children regardless of gender, race, religion, or age."

It is such an awesome way to make a child's day and share God's love. I can just imagine the smiles on their faces when they open their box to discover what treasures lie within.

You can read more about this wonderful work here.

Everything Coconut

2012-11-06T10:00:00.000-08:00

I don't know why, but I just LOVE coconut! One of my favorite things to eat at breakfast is old fashioned oats, topped with unsweetened coconut, then topped with frozen berries (blueberries, blackberries and raspberries) and a sliced apple. Then I would pour almond milk over all. Delicious!

So it's no surprise that I love to pin the coconut recipes I find onto my Pinterest boards.

Here are a few (of the many!) coconut recipes that I am itching to make.

Brownie-Bottom Coconut Chocolate Cream Cake

via Willow Bird Baking

Thin + Chewy Chocolate Drenched Coconut Oatmeal Squares

via how sweet it is

Lime and Coconut Chicken

via chaos in the kitchen

Almond Joy Cheesecake

via The Curvy Carrot

Coconut Prawns

via Life's Ambrosia

2012-10-26T21:00:00.000-07:00

I'm honored to have my Eat Your Greens wall print included in this beautiful treasury.

This treasury definitely brightens my day! I am so longing for Spring and sunshine after many days (and days to come) of clouds and rain.

Thanks so much to Kristi and Amy from To Be Jolly!

I'm Back and With a New Blog Design

2012-10-25T00:07:00.000-07:00

I have not written in a while, but that is going to change! :) Now that the kids are back at school, I have more time to dedicate to my blog and my Etsy shop. Yay! I've really missed writing and creating new wall art designs.

In the meantime, I decided to update my blog design. What do you all think? I am in love with gray as shown in this post. It is such a neutral color and goes well with a whole palette of different colors. And of course I stuck with turquoise because that is my all. time. fave. color. I just love it!

I also love the punch of red on the left side of the blog where you can follow me on Etsy, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

And here is a sneak preview of some new wall art that I am working on for my shop.

Friday Etsy Favorites

2012-05-04T06:30:00.000-07:00

It's my wedding anniversary, so I thought it would be fun to feature wedding/anniversary related items for this weeks Friday Etsy Favorites. :)

1. CVennell ► Sterling Silver Personalized Necklace
2. Jennifer Lyons ► The Wedding Anniversary Pillow Set
3. Jorgensen Studio ► Anniversary Band 5 Stone Wedding or Stack Ring
4. Zinnia Designs ► Custom Engagement, Wedding or Anniversary Dish
5. Leather Made Nice ► His n Her Anniversary - Roman Numeral Wristband
6. Taylor Crafts ► Personalized Cutting Board, Custom Engraved

Etsy Treasury - Inspirational Gifts of Love by Holyland Designs

2012-04-30T09:09:00.000-07:00

I love that my All That I Am I Owe To My Angel Mother wall print in this wonderful treasury. I love all of the inspirational Mother's Day gift ideas! Thanks so much Holyland Designs!

Friday Etsy Favorites

2012-04-27T06:55:00.000-07:00

Flowers are blooming everywhere here. I love it! It's so exciting to see the new blooms emerge. They are just so beautiful. This weeks Friday Etsy Favorites feature some very pretty blooms. Enjoy! ♥

1. Julishland ► Leather Bracelet With Shabby Rose
2. JJcreation ► Wild Orchid Flower Connector And Ceramic Mint Bird Pendant
3. Serenity Crystal ► Woodland Bridal Hair Flower
4. Lavender Cottage ► Handmade Sterling Silver Flower Cuff Bracelet
5. Silk Couture by Takuyo ► Hand Painted Silk Scarf
6. Crucible Crow ► Silver Flower Locket

Great Uses for Old Tees

2012-04-24T09:15:00.000-07:00

I have tons of t-shirts (my husbands, my kids, and mine) that could be more useful as something else. Who would have thought that you can make so many cool things with just a plain 'ol t-shirt?

Shag Pillow. I absolutely LOVE this shag pillow. It is gorgeous! (The chair is pretty fab too.)

Dishtowels. Who knew that you could make dishtowels from t-shirts? I sure didn't. Awesome! Love the colors.

Knotted Headband with T-shirt Yarn. Totally love this headband.

Ruffle Skirt. I love this ruffle skirt. So clever to make a ruffled skirt out of t-shirts. Very cute!

Recycled Tee Scarf. I really dig scarves. This one is VERY cool!

Jersey Bracelet. Very neat to transform t-shirts into funky bracelets. Love this!

The Shirt Skirt. These skirts are sweet! Perfect for spring and summer weather.

T-Shirt Necklace. Very trendy. Yes, very trendy indeed!

T-shirt Latch Hook Rug. I am in love with this rug. I love the color too. I love the color gray, as shown in this post! :)

Friday Etsy Favorites

2012-04-20T06:30:00.001-07:00

I love handbags. They are such a fun accessory or for me a necessity! :) I tend to trend towards larger bags...something big enough for me to put all my stuff in. What exactly will you find in my purse? Well let's see...wallet, lip gloss, iPhone, notebook, pen, business cards ('cause you just never know!), hand sanitizer, kleenex, gum, coupon organizer and more...! :)

I thought I would highlight a few handbags that I really love from some talented Etsy artists. ♥

1. Art On Crafts ► Emerald Green Leather Handbag
2. Chic Leather ► Dark Brown Leather Handbag
3. VEINAGE ► Leather Handbag With Strap Bulbe
4. The Leather Store ► Leather Handbag in Purple
5. milo & saint ► Bespoke Denim Blue Italian Leather Handbag
6. Adeleshop ► Yellow Hobo Messager Bag

Etsy Treasury - Appreciate an Administrative Professional by C

2012-04-17T09:31:00.005-07:00

Check out my Do What You Love, Love What You Do wall print in this beautiful treasury. I love the turquoise color. Did I mention that turquoise is my favorite color? Thanks so much C!

Oreo Ice Cream Cake - Seriously Good!

2012-04-16T07:30:00.001-07:00

I contemplated either buying a cake or making one for my son's kids party this past weekend.

I thought about all the different cakes I could make. I knew that it had to include chocolate because Mateo (and not to mention me) love chocolate. ♥

I had never made an ice cream cake before and thought that it would be a hit for the party. I mean, really, what kid does not like ice cream? :)

I came across this recipe for Oreo Ice Cream Cake and added it to my "Sweet Treats" pinterest board. It includes a how-to instructional video. Fabulous!

I watched the video and thought, "That looks really fun and easy to make. I'm going to give it a go". With the help of my trusty assistant, Mateo (who insisted on helping me make his cake), we went to work.

I didn't follow the recipe exactly. I just added the things that I thought would be a good combination.

This was the resulting cake. I wish I had taken step-by-step pictures, but I was pressed for time.

And this is how the inside looked. I love the Oreo lined bottom and side and the crushed oreos mixed in with the ice cream. This ice cream cake was seriously good! I will definitely be making it again! :)

Oreo Ice Cream Cake

Ingredients (only 3 ingredients!)
1.66L of cookies and cream ice cream
1/2 cup chocolate fudge sauce
1 large bag of Oreo Cookies

Directions
Let the cookies and cream ice cream thaw until it is soft and workable.

Line a 9" springform pan with plastic wrap (this will help with getting the cake out easy peasy). Line the sides of the springform pan with an upright Oreo until the sides are completely Oreo covered. Next separate some of the Oreos top from bottom and place them cookie side down (not cream filling side) until the bottom of the spring form pan is covered.

With the rest of the Oreos, place them in a bag and smash them up with a rolling pin or use the flat side of the meat tenderizer. (Mateo loved doing this part). :) Don't crush them too fine, as it is good to have larger chunks mixed in with the ice cream.

Put the soft ice cream into a large bowl. Add about 3/4 of the crushed Oreos and 1/2 cup of the chocolate fudge sauce. Mix until everything is well blended.

Next pour the ice cream mixture into the awaiting Oreo crust in the springform pan and then top with the remaining crushed Oreos. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for a few hours or overnight (that's what I did).

Make sure that you take the cake out about 10 minutes before you are ready to serve it so that it will be easier to cut. When everyone has their piece, cover the remaining cake with plastic wrap and put in the freezer so it doesn't melt all over your counter top into a milkshake mess. :) And now you have yourself a midnight snack. :)

Enjoy!

Etsy Treasury - A Mother's Love by foldi

2012-04-14T20:14:00.004-07:00

So happy to have my A Baby's Life - Eat, Cry, Poop, Play, Sleep, Repeat wall print is included in this absolutely gorgeous treasury. Thanks so much foldi!

Friday Etsy Favorites

2012-04-13T07:05:00.000-07:00

We have been getting quite the bit of rain here. This week's Friday Etsy Favorites is in celebration of those wet and cloudy days! Ok, truth be told, I would prefer it to be sunny, but these creations definitely put a smile on my face! :)

1. Wendy and Peter ► Felt Cameo Hair Clip
2. Circumhorizontal Arc ► Hand Painted Flats
3. Pony And Poppy ► Rain Cloud Pillow
4. Dana Castle ► Rain Cloud and Aquamarine Earrings
5. oelwein ► Rain & Cloud Organic Cotton Tote
6. Acts of Craftiness ► Rainbow, Rain, and Cloud Cross Stitch

Easter - More Than Eggs and Bunnies

2012-04-06T08:47:00.001-07:00

For the past couple of years, we have gone to my sister's house to do an easter egg hunt. The kids always look so cute in their bunny ears holding their baskets in search of the well hidden eggs.

They always have so much fun! I love watching them run around frantically and then seeing the look of joy on their faces when they find an egg.

And yes, I want my kids to have fun on 'the hunt' and I want for them to enjoy this time with their cousins.

But, I also want them to know why we celebrate Easter. And that it's not because of the easter bunny or the sweet treats that they find in the eggs.

I want them to know that Easter is so much more than eggs and bunnies. That the reason we celebrate Easter is because of Jesus and what He did on the cross.

This Amazing Love wall print that I designed for my shop summarizes what I want them to know.

Here are some Christian inspired items that I absolutely love.

Names of Jesus Christian Bowl Fillers by Ryens Marketplace

Hand Stamped Metal Necklace by Wonderkath

Felt Finger Puppets by So Simple So Sweet

Jesus Lives Paperweight by Fresh Retro Gallery

Not Perfect Just Forgiven Necklace by Alexandra And Company

I Love Jesus Leather Bracelet by Crystal's Sweet Imagination Boutique

He is Risen Resurrection Sculpture by Hooked on Clay

Hand-Stamped Sterling Cross by Joy Belle Jewelry

I hope that you all enjoy this Easter weekend!

Month In Photos - March 2012

2012-04-04T09:42:00.002-07:00

This is my month in photos collage for March.

To create your own photo collage and join in the fun, you can download the template the I use for my month in photos at simple as that.

Etsy Treasury - Colorful Spring by imali

2012-04-02T11:59:00.002-07:00

I love that my Live What You Love wall print is included in this colorful and bright treasury. Thanks so much imali!

Friday Etsy Favorites

2012-03-30T06:58:00.002-07:00

Loving these week's Friday Etsy Favorites! Fabrics and embroidery! Fab! ♥

1. Kain Kain ► Red Queen Ann Table Runner
2. La Maison de Floria ► Linen And Cotton Fabric Pincushion
3. Prints n Patterns ► Notebook Paper Fabric Pencil Case
4. avery william designs ► Large Fabric Bin
5. Waterrose ► Linen Winterberry Hand Embroidered Coasters
6. The Parris Domestic ► Flower Brooch

Fun Easter Craft DIY Tutorials

2012-03-27T09:33:00.003-07:00

I love crafts and with Easter just around the corner, I thought that these would be some super fun ones to make.

This easter egg garland using embroidery floss is so cute.

These easter surprise eggs look like they would be so much fun! You crack the egg to reveal some fun and tasty treats inside!

This terra cotta pot easter bunny is so cute!

I simply love these unique paper punched easter eggs. They are so unique!

I'm loving these fabric easter buckets. So fun to hold so sweet treats and other goodies! :)

These bakers twine eggs are so colorful and fun!

Giveaway on Domestic Charm!

2012-03-24T06:30:00.000-07:00

I am taking part in a group giveway at Domestic Charm to celebrate her 1000 Facebook fans!

There are some very fabulous prizes to be won! And...there will be 4 winners!

Enter to win ALL of the following wall prints from my shop -

Set OF 4 - 5x7 Forest Friends

Live Your Dream

I Love You to the Moon and Back

So head over to Domestic Charm and enter for your chance to win!

Friday Etsy Favorites

2012-03-23T07:25:00.000-07:00

I love owls. There's just something about them that intrigues me. This week's Friday Etsy Favorites is all about owls! ♥

1. Mod Clay ► Vintage Ceramic Owl Coin Bank
2. Angel Lea Designs ► Owl PDF Sewing Pattern
3. Mooli ► Gray Leather Bronze Owl Bracelet
4. Cache Creek Quilts ► Bright Owls Quilted Potholders
5. cassandra & daniel's little shop ► Owl Hat and Leg Warmers
6. Maple Shade Kids ► Owl Art Display Clips