Getting back into the swing of work on a Monday morning never gets easy (especially the day after hosting a super bowl party). Is there any way to solve this eternal dilemma? Probably going to bed early on Sunday night, eating a healthy breakfast, or exercising at the break of dawn? Nah. Not gonna happen. Maybe some crafty office supplies to look forward to? Yep. That should do it.

Dress up your thumbtacks with nail polish like these from The Modcloth Blog.

Glue corkboard into embroidery hoops and then paint for a poppy wall display. It’s okay to hang an excel spreadsheet from one of these, really it is! By Signed by Tina.

Go ahead, take a few minutes and turn your paper clips into hearts. It never hurts to spread a little love around the office on a Monday morning. By How About Orange.

It’s not so hard to take apart your staper and give it a little facelift like this color-blocked one from Design for Mankind.

I got roped into throwing a last minute Super Bowl party, and I’m scrambling a bit for what to make, do, craft, etc. I’m going with the traditional menu of high-caloric, greasy foods that includes wings, Lipton’s onion dip, and my husband’s Saltine Surprise (basically, it’s milk chocolate melted over buttered saltine crackers—he’s famous for it). But I refuse to accept a cheesy aesthetic that can be bought at Party City (not that I have anything against the amazing party superstore). So here’s my attempt at a tastefully crafted Super Bowl soiree!

I have to cover my table with something, so why not make a little football field? I’ll probably go with brown butcher paper, white tape, and white sticker numbers since I have all of those on hand. Photo via Parents.com.

Unless you have enough beer koozies for everyone, coasters are a must. I love that I can download these chic, vintage designs from Design*Sponge. Designed by Fawnsberg.

And this might be the cutest Super Bowl craft to date. Make your own little “finger” finger puppets in the team colors for the kids. By the talented Kendra Smoot for Holidash.

I will never claim to be a sports fan, but I throw a mean party. Enjoy!

My birthday has come and gone, and as planned, Oliver and I baked a cake together. It took 3x as long as it would have alone, but it was adorable and his enthusiasm for “helping” was precious. The best part, for everyone involved, is the way he decorated it. I put together a little time lapse video so you can follow his genius from beginning to end (it’s only 25 seconds, I promise).

Have a lovely weekend!

How is it possible that every utilitarian object now has a design-y counterpart? Let’s take the drinking straw, for example. Never did I ever imagine that I’d utter the words “oh my, what a darling straw you have.” After researching for this post, I’m firmly dedicated to adding a straw craft to my book. (Floral straws from Emerald & Ella, amazing Birch-tree straws from Jazzy Apple Girl on Etsy, and Polka Dot straws from Shop Sweet Lulu.)

The straw flowers are really a dime a dozen, but these are really pretty gorge. By GCD Spa Stuff.

Alone, I think this straw garland by Crossing the Bugger-Dixon Line would feel pretty sad, but I love how she mixed it in with the dots. Super cute.

I know it’s a little early to be thinking Easter egg crafts, but seriously, come on. I could not resist sharing these precious dye-ving eggs, originally from Spoonful with you!

Tell me, if this jewerly by Creme de La Craft wasn’t pictured in a straw round-up, would you really know that the gold triangles were made from drinking straws?

When I saw these coasters in Country Living magazine last summer, I gasped when I learned they were made from woven plastic straws.

Straws make the perfect frame for kite crafts. Found these on Make and Takes.

Every year, I hear that I’m hard to buy for. Birthday, Hanukkah, Mother’s Day…I’m a challenge. You know what it’s like; we creative types that read a gazillion blogs, we have high standards. We know what’s out there, and if there’s nothing good, we just make it.

I’m pleased to say that I found me a husband that rises to the occasion. No matter how much I say “this year, I don’t want anything,” he knows that I do want a little attention. And for me, there is nothing better than the gift of creative thought.

This year, I’m all wrapped up in my craft book project and like most people, Pinterest is my best friend. So he created a private (uh-hem, how racey!) board called The Amanda Book Project, where he took vintage book covers and doctored the words or images to make them about me. I am sharing a few with you, the few that I can share (wink, wink).

Not only do I have a funny, creative, and expressive husband, but he’s damn good at photoshop.

(PS…Oliver is our 2 and a half year old son. Anyone with a toddler knows that you are just their pawns in the game of life.)

(PPS…For my newer readers, check out what the husband did a few years ago. It got linked to the Brooklyn Flea’s blog!)