Monday Made It {6/29/15}

Hey friends!  I'm off to my daughter's Freshman Orientation for the University of South Carolina today and we are super excited about what is in store.  I just can't believe the time has come for this major event in her life.  #wheredidthetimego?  If you follow me on Instagram, you have probably seen that hashtag a lot this year.  Before we take off, I'm linking up with one of my VEGAS roommates, Tara!  Are you headed to Vegas this year?  This will be my first time and I can't wait!

Last week, I posted a ton of pictures from Sarah's graduation party and promised to share one of the coolest features of her party this week.  
We had a photo booth set up in the back yard and it was a hit!
 This is my friend, Stacy, who is going to be starting her own teaching blog soon!  Isn't she adorable?

I made the frame.  It's made out of foam board from the Dollar Tree. Below is a little tutorial of how I created it.
Buy two cheap foam boards from the Dollar Tree.
I wanted the rounded edges, so I just found something round to create the curves.
 I had to make several attempts until I found the curve that made me happy.  :)
Then, the fun began.  I bought and FELL IN LOVE WITH a Hot Knife from Hobby Lobby!  Where in the world has this awesome crafting tool been all of my life?  So, let me break this down for you.  That tip gets like super, dooper hot.  Once it does, it cuts through this foam board like butta (you know, butter, but pronounced "butta").
Once all of the corners were cut, I used the first board to line up the second board to create the curve to match the larger board.  You can see in the picture below that I had to make several traced lines to get what I wanted...but that's OK.   You'll see later why it's fine...
Once the two boards are cut, the center has to be removed.  We actually used the center pieces for a display on the front porch.
 Ta-Da!  But, do you see that white?  Yuck.  Have no fear, spray paint is always near!!
Once spray painted, it was perfect!

Originally, I had planned on hanging it from the tree, but because it was foam board, it swayed quite a bit in the breeze.  I think it worked out just fine to have people hold it.  

Now, run...I mean RUN to your nearest craft store and get yourself a Hot Knife! 
Creative Versa-Tool Woodburning Tool Kit with Case
You will be glad you did!
My daughter's birthday was this week and we baked this beautiful cake together.  My husband laughed because she helped bake her own cake.  That's what happens when you are a grown up. She wanted a strawberry cake.  And not one of those "fake" strawberry cakes that uses strawberry Jello.  She would have no part of that!
We started with some fresh strawberries.
Then pureed them.

We added the puree to both the cake mix and the frosting.
It was delicious!
Want to make one of your own?  Here's a recipe:
Sadly, only two Made It's this week.  Next week should be a little better, I hope :)
Have you checked out this week's Monday Made It posts yet? 

15 comments

  1. That frame idea is adorable! I can totally see me doing something like that with my middle schoolers in the first week of school instead of just a standard "stand in front of the bulletin board and take a picture" picture. Great idea :)

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  2. So fun!!! That frame idea would be so fun in a classroom too!!! You and all your wonderfully fun ideas:) You're making my to do list quite long;) and that cake!!! Yes, I gained 3 pounds just looking at it! Thanks for linking up friend, I know how busy you are! Hugs!
    4th Grade Frolics

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  3. The photo booth looks like a lot of fun. The frame turned out great!
    I love baking from scratch, and I am always hunting for new recipes. Thank you for sharing the strawberry cake recipe!

    Mary
    Fit to be Fourth

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  4. I love the recipe! The cake looks so yummy. I hope your daughter had a wonderful birthday.

    Best,
    Julie

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  5. Your strawberry cake looks so yummy- I will have to try to make it for my boys! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
    :) Karli
    Creating a Thoughtful Classroom

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  6. The cake looks delish!! Thanks for sharing the recipe. Have an amazing time in Vegas!!

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  7. Good luck & have fun at Carolina! Our blood runneth Orange but USC is a great school. Also, thank you for the strawberry cake recipe. It looks like it's the perfect 4th of July dessert!!

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  8. That cake looks delicious! Thanks for the recipe - hoping to give it a try soon.
    Janie
    Are We There Yet?

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  9. Strawberry cake is my FAVORITE!! I request it every year for my birthday! And it has to be real too...non of that fake stuff!! Love the picture frame! I think I'll get one of those hot knives to just cut foam...sounds like so much fun...lol!! Hope you have fun in Vegas!

    Rachel
    A Tall Drink of Water

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  10. The frame is awesome! I've never seen or heard of that tool before, but I can see that it would come in very handy for crafty projects.

    Amanda
    A Very Curious Class

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  11. I MUST make that frame! I have the photo booth props already, so half done! :) I don't have a Hot Knife, but will be back to Hobby Lobby tomorrow to get one! (If I would've read this post earlier, I could've snagged one when I was there tonight!) Have fun with your daughter and I hope to meet you in Vegas!
    ~Joanne
    Head Over Heels For Teaching

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  12. Fresh strawberry cake-yummy! It looks great!
    Stephanie
    Applelight Moments By Stephanie

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