Edible Sea Glass Recipe

Are you planning an under the sea, ocean, or mermaid party?  Then I've got the perfect treat for you to serve!  One of my favorite parts of my daughters under the sea party was the edible sea glass that I made.

It is really easy and inexpensive to make, and makes a huge impression on guests because it looks SO realistic!  If you remember when I posted how to make homemade suckers, it is basically the same process, but without the molds.  If you want to wow your guests at your next party, here's the how to…

Edible Sea Glass Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1 tsp oil flavor (if using LorAnn's oil, it will be the whole small bottle, 1 dram)- I used mint.
• food color (regular food coloring or gel food coloring both work great)
• Powdered sugar 

Directions:

1.  Spray a light coat of Pam or other cooking spray onto a metal cookie sheet. 

2.  Combine sugar, water, and corn syrup over medium heat.  Stir until sugar is dissolved.  Continue stirring, and cook to hard crack (300 degrees F).  When my thermometer is almost to 300 degrees, I go on to the next step, because the mixture will continue heating...

3.  Remove from heat- add flavor and food color.  I used mint flavor and various blues and greens (one color per batch).  When you add the flavor, it's a good idea to turn your head.  These oils are very strong, and when they hit the hot candy mixture there is a little smoke that puffs up that is very strong- best not to sniff it!  Stir approximately 2 minutes, to ensure that the color and the flavor are evenly mixed.

4.  Carefully pour the mixture into the baking sheet, and let cool.  Once it has cooled and hardened, cover the pan with a dish cloth and use a hammer to break up the candy into pieces.  Try to get them the same size as real sea glass so they look realistic.  Don't go too crazy with the hammer, or your candy will get too crushed!

5.  At this point your sea glass candy will look very shiny and sharp.  To make the candy look more realistic, rub some powdered sugar onto each piece to give it that frosted, tumbled look of sea glass that has been battered around for years by the ocean waves and currents.  I also tried to sand down the edges with a dish cloth so that the pieces weren't so sharp.

The kids and parents all LOVED the edible sea glass at the party, and it was so fun to see their reactions when I told them they could eat it!  I told the parents and kids to be careful, because some of the pieces were a little sharp, and as with all hard candy, don't give it to small kids as it can be a choking hazard.  I served mine on a bed of brown sugar and graham crackers mixed together to look like sand, along with some white chocolate sea shells.

You can see more details of the Under the Sea party here and get more inspirations for your next bash!

If you liked this project, please follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Bloglovin', and Instagram.

xo, Laura

Sharing here:  Show and Tell

Under the Sea Ocean Birthday Party Details

I'm very excited to share this Under the Sea party with you that I put together for my daughter's birthday.  Her party was at the very end of summer, and for the first half of the party we ate and chatted, and the last half we swam.  There are so many fun details that I'd love to share with you!

I chose to use turquoise and white for the colors of the whole party to give it a nice soft natural look.  I wanted the tables to have an ocean feel to them, so I covered them in layers of tulle and net. 

I scattered sea shells, starfish, and those little round glass marbles (they reminded me of bubbles) all over the tables to add to the under the sea theme.  

I also had some tiny little metal crab name card holders that I bought a few years ago from Pottery Barn that I used to hold the names of the food that fit perfectly.  I created the printable signs and all of the food signs with waves on them so they all coordinated and matched.  

There are so many sweet treats that you can serve at an ocean party!  

One of my very favorite things that I made was this edible ocean sea glass.  It is a hard candy that you can suck on (I made them mint flavored), but looks EXACTLY like pieces of sea glass that have been battered around by the ocean waves.  For the directions and recipe, just click here!

I even made them look frosty, like real sea glass!  I'll include a tutorial for those soon, because they're very easy to make, but are very impressive to serve.  Everyone loved them!

They looked great with the chocolate sea shells that I made.  These too were very easy, but looked great on the table.  I also used graham cracker crumbs mixed with brown sugar underneath some of the food to make it look like sand, to add the the ocean feel.

I made these fun oyster cookies with a "pearl" in the middle, and they were a hit!  I'll write a tutorial for these soon.  

I made some homemade salt water suckers in two different shapes (no salt water inside, I just like the name) using this tutorial I shared with you last year.

Seaweed popcorn was such a pretty color, and was easy to make using this recipe.

You'll never guess what the secret ingredient is that gives the popcorn its' color!  

I made this sign, and placed it in front of the candy and treats, along with these cute little cups from Wholeport that matched perfectly.  The kiddos all loved filling up their cups with candy themselves!

 The kids all devoured these gummy sharks!

What under the sea party would be complete without salt water taffy?  I bought the turquoise, blue, and white colored taffy to go with my party colors.

Now for the dinner… yes, I did start with the treats first! ;) I served a build your own taco bar, with tons of different options and toppings for everyone.

The tacos were absolutely delicious, and it was easy to put together since I did all of the prep work ahead of time.  Plus, everyone could make their own the way that they like it!

Then came the cake.  I just love how it turned out!  I made a lovely four layer hombre cake, with each layer a different color of turquoise and blue.  

I added more graham cracker and brown sugar "sand" to the top, along with some chocolate shells.  Please excuse the darkness of this picture.  I had to get all the kids out of the pool to sing happy birthday and cut the cake, and it was dark outside by then.

I also whipped up a handful of these hanging jellyfish that really added to the party theme.  I love the way the long tendrils would slightly flutter in the breeze.  I could watch real jellyfish for hours at the aquarium, and these were the closest I was going to get to having jellyfish at the party! ;)  I'll write up a tutorial for these, too, because I really had a lot of fun making them.

And now for my sweet birthday girl.  I made her a starfish barrette with just a starfish, some tulle, a clip, and some hot glue.  I also made her a freezer paper stenciled shirt with a dolphin and her name on it using the tutorial I shared with you here.  She wore a blue tutu as well that her sister wore for her Minnie Mouse party.  I always try to make some kind of shirt or outfit for the birthday boy or girl to make them feel extra special!  

I didn't plan any games for the party since all the kids swam for hours after we ate.  The party was a huge success, and I honestly had so much time planning it!  Thanks for letting me share with you!  If you have any questions or comments, feel free to ask below!

For more creative party ideas, check out my son's Jungle Safari party!  From free printable safari passes to a homemade base camp where the kids get outfitted, this party is tons of fun!

Throwing a party doesn't have to cost an arm and a let!  See how I decorated inexpensively with Duck tape for my daughter's Minnie Mouse zebra print birthday party.

If you liked this project, please follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Bloglovin', and Instagram.

xo, Laura

Sharing here:  Show and Tell

Whale Watching in America's Finest City

I am so lucky to live in such an amazing city.   San Diego has been my home since I was just two months old.  There are SO many things to do here in San Diego!  We are blessed with the beautiful coast, the mountains, downtown San Diego filled with tons of activities, Sea World, the world famous San Diego Zoo, whale watching, and so much more!

From December through April the gray whales make their annual migration from the Bering Sea down to the warm waters of Souther California and Mexico to breed.  One of the largest mammals on the planet, the grey whale mothers find warm shallow bays and lagoons during their massive trip south to give birth to their young.  Gray whales have the longest migration of any mammal, and can be spotted in many places in San Diego during these five months.

You can see the gray whales in their migration at the Birch Aquarium at Scripps (a great place to witness many different kinds of sea life).

You can also see the gray whales at Cabrillo National Monument (where you can also visit the Old Point Loma Lighthouse), and Torrey Pines (where there are many hiking trails with breathtaking views of the ocean below).

San Diego Whale Watching in America's Finest City - An infographic by the team at Marriott San Diego Hotels

Marriott has created this beautiful infographic about the annual migration of the gray whales through San Diego.  Marriott International is a leading hospitality company with over 3,800 properties in over 74 countries and territories around the world.

My family and I LOVE staying at the Marriott on our vacations.  We have stayed at the Marriott Resorts on Kuaia, Hawaaii, in Park City, Utah, in Palm Springs, CA, and already have our vacation booked at the Marriott Resort in Lake Tahoe for this summer.  I can't wait!!  We are huge fans, and love the luxury and service that we receive when staying at the Marriott.

You can also check out Marriott on:

Twitter  /  Facebook  /  Google +

Now to start checking out whale watching tours... January is only a few short days away!

xo, Laura

I was selected for this opportunity by Clever Girls Collective, however all content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Party Sneak Peeks...

Party planning is in full swing over here!

My two youngest kids' birthdays are two weeks apart in August, which makes it a little bit crazy for a mom who loves to plan a big party and make all the food and DIY just about every last detail of the party.... but hey, it's totally worth it to see the looks on their faces at their parties, and to see how much fun they are having with their friends.

Here's a little sneak peak at the themes of my sons and daughter's birthdays...  see if you can guess what their parties will be!

Party #1 (for my son):

Party #2 (for my daughter):

Pretty easy to guess, right?  I LOVE planning parties, and have lots of ideas for upcoming DIY party posts.  Stay tuned!!

xo, Laura

DIY Anchor Pillow + Free Printable

Please tell me that I'm not the only person who absolutely loves the sight of an anchor?!

I've already professed my love of anchors to you in other posts, so you probably won't be surprised to know that I made my new favorite pillow this week, featuring a big white anchor stenciled onto navy blue duck cloth.

This anchor pillow is a great way to bring the summer into your living room, or any other room in your house (or even outdoors!).  Because I used duck canvas, it is very sturdy and durable.  I made an easy freezer paper stencil to use as my template to paint the anchor directly onto the fabric.  This is also a slipcover, so you can remove and wash as needed.

And this pillow only cost me $2.50 to make!  Duck cloth was on sale for $5 a yard at JoAnn, and I only had to get 1/2 a yard to make a pillow.  The rest of the supplies I already had.

Want to make your own lovely anchor pillow?  Here's how!

DIY Anchor Pillow:

• Fabric the same width as your pillow (I used navy duck cloth- my pillow was 18x18," so I bought 1/2 yard, 18," of fabric)
• Fabric paint, or  paint that is safe to use on fabric (I used Martha Stewart Craft Paint)
• Paintbrush (I used a Martha Stewart stencil brush)
• Freezer paper (I bought mine at Walmart)
• Cutting knife
• Iron
• Cutting mat
• Pins
• Sewing machine
• Anchor Printable

1.  Cut out a piece of fabric the same size as your pillow insert.  My insert was 18" x 18", so my navy duck cloth piece was also 18"x18".   Now cut out two pieces of navy fabric that are the same height as your pillow, but about 2/3 the width- in my case each piece was about 12."  These two pieces should overlap each other by a few inches, and will be the back of the pillow cover.  Fold over the edge of one of the 12" pieces, and sew along the edge, so that there is a nice hem on it.

 2.  Download and print the free anchor printable onto freezer paper.  You can print directly onto freezer paper with an ink jet printer- just cut the freezer paper to 8 1/2 x 11," and print on the paper side (not the shiny side).

3.  Cut out the anchor design with a craft cutting knife on a cutting mat.  Iron the freezer paper onto the 18" (or whatever size your pillow insert is) piece where you would like it.  Make sure that you iron on medium heat without steam, with the SHINY side down.  Iron until the freezer paper stencil is stuck to the fabric.  Don't forget to add the little circle at the top of the anchor!  And don't worry, the freezer paper will peel right off once the paint is dry, I promise!

4.  Using your paintbrush and fabric paint, paint inside the stencil so that there is a nice, even coverage. Let the paint dry, and then carefully peel up the freezer paper.  It comes up very easily.  Voila! You should now have a beautiful anchor staring back at you!!

5.  Time to sew!  Place your anchor fabric anchor-side up, and place the hemmed piece of 12 x 18" fabric along the left edge of the pillow, on top of the anchor.  Next place the other 12 x 18" piece of fabric on the right edge of the pillow on top of the anchor.  Pin all of the layers together, and sew around all four sides using a 1/4" seam allowance.

Now make a small diagonal cut on each edge of the pillow, making sure that you don't cut any of the stitching.  Turn the pillow right side out, and use your scissors or pencil to push out the corners.  Place your pillow insert into your cover.

Done!  Isn't it pretty?! I think I'm in love ;)  Now I'm off to make another matching one!

xo, Laura

If you liked this idea, please follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Bloglovin', and Instagram.

Linking Up Here:  Tatertots and Jello, Ginger Snap Crafts, The 36th Avenue, House of Hepworths, Tidy Mom, 30 Handmade Days, See Vanessa Craft, Whipperberry, Sugar Bee Crafts, Lil' Luna, Somewhat Simple, House of Hepworths, Craft-O-Maniac, Skip to My Lou

How to Make a Lasting Sand Castle from DIY Sand Dough

Ahhh, summer time... for my family summer includes lots of trips to the beach, where my kids love to make sand castles in the sand near the water.  It's always hard to say goodbye to their creations!

But what if there was a way to make a sand castle that would last for many year? Did you know that you can make an easy 5 minute dough made out of sand and a couple other ingredients that you probably already have sitting at home?!

If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen my kids' everlasting sand castle that they made out of this DIY sand dough.  It was very easy and quick to make, and kept the kids occupied for HOURS... score!

I gave them each a big chunk of dough and some seashells and let them go for it.  They loved creating their own castles, and especially loved that they would be able to keep them once they were finished.  These castles just need to air dry- they will get hard after a few days, and you don't even have to turn on the oven!

I just used some sand from our recent beach trip for my birthday, but if you don't live near the beach, you could buy a small bag of sand from your local craft store, hardware store, or garden store.  I'm planning an "Under the Sea" birthday party for my daughter next month, and I plan on making a few batches of this dough for the kids to make their own sand castles to take home.

This recipe is originally from Family Fun Magazine.  I ripped out the magazine page years ago when it was published, and finally got around to trying it.

Sand Dough Recipe:

1 cup sand
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 tsp. alum
3/4 cup water

1.  Mix together the sand, cornstarch, and alum with a wooden spoon in a small saucepan.  Add the 3/4 cup of water to the mixture, and stir until it is smooth.

2.  Cook the clay over medium-high heat, and stir quickly.  Once the dough has the consistency of play dough (after about 3 minutes), then remove from heat.

3.  Once cool, you can remove it from the pan and let the kids play!

* NOTE: My daughter wanted her dough firmer, so she added more sand... too much sand! It made the dough a little too dry, so as it dried it cracked.  Lesson learned- stick to the recipe ;)

I love how my kids got creative!  My daughter made the above sea turtle and dolphin to go with her castle.

She even made flags out of washi tape and toothpicks.

A sea monster is guarding the main entrance into the castle.

See his long tail, spiraling through the castle?

My son loved making one, too!  He used lots of shells and made two towers on his.

Give this clay a try!  I KNOW that you will love it!!

Thank you to everyone who entered my birthday giveaway!!  I will be announcing the winner tomorrow, so be sure to come back then to see if it's you!

If you liked this idea, please follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Bloglovin', and Instagram.

xo, Laura

Linking Up Here: Tatertots and Jello, Sugar Bee Crafts, Lil' Luna, Ginger Snap Crafts, The 36th Avenue, House of Hepworths, Tidy Mom, 30 Handmade Days, See Vanessa Craft, Whipperberry, The 36th Avenue