An Apple for the Crafter

Pinteresting Experiments

2012-03-12T16:16:00.000-04:00

So a couple of times this week I have worked on projects or recipes that I have seen on Pinterest. Here are the results:

Chocolate Chip Cookies
These cookies were purported to be the fluffiest, chewiest, BEST ever. I have had them pinned for a while now but it wasn't until Sunday that we actually made them. A friend brought them over as a thank you to Chance for helping them move. When we fell in love and asked for their secret family recipe, she replied, "Pinterest." I've been sick all weekend so Chance did the work on these.

They truly are the best cookies I have ever had. EVER! I can't wait until Chance makes them again!

Stain Remover

This was supposed to be the magic cure for yellow pit stains and it is supposed to be the "only stain remover you'll ever need." FAIL!!!
Since it didn't work I'll spare you the pictures of our pit-stained shirts. I did everything it said. I tried it on three different shirts.

Napoleons
You guys saw that I already blogged about these but they were, technically, part of the Pinterest experiment.

This Recipe is Dynamite.

2012-03-07T23:10:00.001-05:00

Napoleon. Dynamite.

I found this recipe for Napoleons on Pinterest and decided I had to try it right away.

Easy Strawberry Napoleon Recipe:

(Recipe from All Things Delicious)

1 sheet (half of a 17 oz. pkg) frozen puff pastry*
1 (3.4 oz) pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix
1 c. milk
1 tsp. almond extract 1 c. whipped topping
2 c. stemmed and sliced strawberries
1/3 c. sliced almonds, toasted (optional)
Powdered sugar, for garnish

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Thaw folded pastry sheet for 20 minutes. Open sheet and cut along folds to make three equal strips; halve each strip to make six rectangles. Space apart on baking sheet. Bake in center of oven about 15 minutes until well browned and baked through. Remove to rack to cool.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk pudding mix, milk, and extract for 2 minutes; fold in whipped topping and blend thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate.

Carefully split each piece of pastry in half horizontally. Cover bottom halves with almonds, then pudding mixture and sliced strawberries, dividing equally. Cover with pastry tops. Dust with powdered sugar.

Success!!

Question and Answer Session

2012-03-06T17:04:00.000-05:00

Andi from Jane of All Crafts tagged me to answer some questions about myself. I can't possibly think of 11 questions to forward on to someone else so I won't ask anyone else to contribute. I simply couldn't pass up the opportunity to answer questions from a blogger I so admire.

RULES
**You must post the rules
**Answer the 11 questions that the tagger posted for you & then create 11 questions to ask the people you've tagged
**Tag 11 people and link them in your post**Let them know you have tagged them

And now for my questions:

1. If you had to eat the same thing everyday for the rest of your life what would it be?
I truly do not believe that I can answer this question. I get bored of the same thing every day. In fact, I made lasagna last week and we had it for dinner 3 days in a row. By the 4th day I begged Chance to take me out to eat!
Even during the course of one meal I have to eat around the whole plate to cleanse my pallet.
I'm an Idaho girl at heart though and I can do a lot with a potato!

2. If you woke up one day and were an animal, what type would you be?
When I initially read this question I assumed I would be something cuddly. I am a sucker for pictures of baby animals. Then I remembered when Jack Hanna came to Capitol Hill last year and I got to meet him and play with some cool animals, like this baby cheetah. I've decided to call him Charlie because he bit me and it was awesome. :) How cool would it be to be a baby cheetah who tours around with Jack Hanna?

Then I thought, I could be a Phoenix and hang out with Dumbledore!! I would definitely help out wizards and witches who were fighting against the Dark Lord!! Then of course, that made me think about being a Griffin!
I can't leave out the Liger (or a movie quote just for you Andi!)
"It's pretty much my favorite animal. It's like a lion and a tiger mixed ... bred for its skills in magic."

3. If you could pick any profession other then your current one, what would it be?
I would work in advertising. I constantly point out to Chance what tactics are being used in commercials. I notice who they are aimed at; I mull over the implications of time slots and such. For example, during Price is Right the commercials are all aimed at senior citizens. HoverRound, Medicare, Wilford Brimley telling you to check your blood sugar. It is all fascinating to me and I think I could have been really good at it.

4. How many states have you visited?
First things first, I don't count a state if I have only had an airport layover there. So although I may have spent a couple hours in Chicago O'Hare airport I have never actually been to Illinois. (Something I hope to rectify this summer.) That being said:
I've lived in six.
I've stayed over night in 18.
I have driven through 30.
Below: On my honeymoon in Yellowstone. 2003.

5. Ever been overseas? If not where do you dream of going?
I got my first passport last August and during our trip to St. Thomas USVI Chance and I hopped a ferry to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. I was as giddy as a school girl to get my first stamp. (A la Sandra Bullock in While You Were Sleeping). Just looking at this picture makes me smile like an idiot.

I also took pictures of everything that said H.M. (Her Majesty's...)

I dream of going to the UK. I love all things British and can't wait to visit there one day. I have actually tried multiple times to convince my husband that we should move there. Just for a year or two. It would be SO much cheaper to travel around the rest of the world if we didn't have to cross the Atlantic every time! And all of our local friends would have British accents!!

6. If you had to choose, would you rather be an awesome dancer or an amazing singer?
Hmm. Dancer would mean I'd have a great body but singers are singers for life. Except poor Julie Andrews. Okay, yeah, singer it is. I sing all the time anyway! Chance would want me to sound like Jewel I think. I'd be okay with that.

7. What is your favorite beverage? (alcoholic or non)
Oh man. I should tell you that I LOVE empty calories. Drinking water is a chore for me, so narrowing it down to just one is difficult. For the purpose of this question I will say Dr. Pepper. I love that perfect combination of 23 flavors.
For those who are curious, other contenders are: YooHoo, Cherry Coke, Sparkling Cider, Grape Juice, Chance's Hot Chocolate, and all the Virgin Daquiris we had in St. Thomas. (There is just something about sipping a delicious smoothie type thing while sitting on the beach.)

8. What would your dream home look like?

9. What trait about yourself do you value most?
My sense of humor. I'm frickin' hilarious. Seriously though, a sense of humor can help you get through some of life's biggest challenges, especially if you can develop the ability to laugh at yourself.

10. Have you ever tasted the rainbow? ;)
Heck yes I have. I have even chased a rainbow. Really. My sister-in-law, Charity, and I once drove through Rexburg, Idaho and we truly found the end of a rainbow. It landed in a potato field. Probably Yukon Golds. Hardy har har.

11. Mac or PC?
PC. I'm not anti-Mac though. My husband has an iPhone which we both adore. I would love an iPad. I was truly saddened when Jobs died. I believe that he was a real revolutionary genius. In this same vein of thought: In looking at my blog stats I am always surprised at how many people use Internet Explorer and Firefox. I converted to Google Chrome years ago. I had it in my head that everyone else did too! Are all the Firefox users Mac owners?

So class, what have we learned? Apparently I have commitment issues since I could only definitively answer like half of these questions. Thanks Andi for getting me to do a little introspection! If any of you have any other questions you'd like to ask go ahead and leave me a comment or send me an email. Also, I would LOVE to hear your answers to these questions. Just because I didn't tag anyone doesn't mean I'm not interested!

Shake and Bake Ranch Chicken

2012-03-05T11:27:00.000-05:00

So I bought this box of Shake and Bake and on the back it gives a recipe idea. They suggest dipping your chicken breast in BBQ sauce before coating with S&B. I thought that sounded okay but what sounded even better was dipping it in Ranch! So, for the second time ever, I went off book and did my own thing.

Step 1: Coat chicken in Ranch. I am loyal to Hidden Valley. I have tried others and they just don't measure up.

Step 2: Coat chicken in Shake and Bake. I have used brand name and generic. No big difference. At our local Target brand name is just as inexpensive.

Step 3: Line a cookie sheet with foil before placing chicken. I use Non-Stick foil first. It makes clean up SO easy.

Step 4: Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.
Step 5: Serve! I made mashed potatoes and green beans for the side dishes.

What's Cookin'?

2012-02-21T16:50:00.000-05:00

So, I recently discovered something amazing. Maybe I should start with a confession. I'm not a very good cook. I don't like cooking and so I am not very adventurous or willing to experiment. I cling to recipes like Linus does to his blankie. That being said, when I try something new in the kitchen it is a big deal to me. When I try something from my own imagination is an even bigger deal. So, this may seem like a "duh" moment for some of you, but if there is even one person who will benefit from this post then I will be happy.

I like to make pot roast in the crock pot at least once a month. It is a very traditional Sunday dinner that Chance and I both love. However, since it is just the two of us, we never eat it all in one meal.

I needed to find a way to efficiently use the leftovers, but by the next day the roast was SO dry. Just, ugh.
So, I threw a bunch of leftover roast in a pan and dumped in a can of beef broth. I let it simmer for a few minutes to absorb some of the moisture. Then, I moved all the beef to one side of the pan and sprinkled Wondra (ultra-fine flour for gravy and sauce) into the broth and stirred it continuously with my whisk. In about five minutes I had delicious roast with gravy. I was SO proud of myself. Chance was pretty darned impressed too. He even came into the kitchen a took a picture of my attempt at throwing caution to the wind!!

From now on I will also be contributing to a recipe blog with some of my friends. Check us out at The Kitchen Diaries.

Valentine's Decor Rewind

2012-02-10T09:15:00.000-05:00

Well, friends. I didn't craft any new Valentine's Day decor this year. I live in an apartment and we have run out of space to a) decorate and b) store stuff. So here is a reminder of what I have gracing the walls and flat surfaces in my home.

My Valentine's Day Blocks.

Even though I didn't craft anything new my amazing SIL, Chelsea, made us a great little sign. We intended to put it on our door but we like it so much we decided to keep in inside and hang it on the wall. Thanks Chels!!

Emergency Preparedness: Make A Car Kit

2012-01-23T09:30:00.001-05:00

A couple of years ago Costco sold some 72 hour kits. I bought 2, along with a first aid kit, that we always keep in the trunk. The first aid kit has come in handy more than once. We weren't on the road per se: the first time we were at the beach and the second time was at one of Chance's softball games.

Here is a picture of the contents of the survival kit.

I also assembled a kit for emergency car repairs. We have jumper cables, a ratchet set, fuses, a couple of tools, a tire repair kit, and a flash light. (Not pictured: a delightful fleece blanket.)

Here is the little, out of the way, pocket where the kits normally reside.

Emergency Preparedness: Making an Office Kit

2012-01-19T21:22:00.002-05:00

Having an emergency supply kit is essential to making it through a disaster safely. You can either buy pre-assembled kits or create them for yourself.

According to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management you should have these essential items in your kit.

Today I spent over an hour at Wal-Mart assembling the items for Chance's office bag. I also took a couple of minutes and got some pictures of the kits in our car (that will be in the next post).

I used the contents of this kit, plus this list, and a conversation with my man to help me decide what should go in the bag.

I took pictures of the items in groups.
Here we have a first aid kit $4.97
Rain poncho $2.88
Hand warmer $1.97
Ice pack. The ice pack was purchased as a two pack to replace the one from our car ice pack. I estimate that it cost me about $1 each.
So these four items total: $10.82.

I went crazy in the camping department and found:
a four pack of waterproof matches $1.88
a two pack of luminescent sticks $2.26
reflective stickers $2.88
Water purification tablets $5.88
and a sweet wind-up flashlight that is also an AM/FM radio and it has a siren! It came in at $19.88.
These five items total: $32.78. The matches were a four pack so the rest are going into our home kit.

Next, Chance wanted his to be in a small backpack, but it also needed to be small enough to fin unobtrusively under his desk.
The backpack in an easy to spot red color was $7.00,
a small sewing kit $1.47,
a five pack of dust masks (the other four are going in the home kit) $1.00,
Powder, in case his feet get drenched or something, $.97
an emergency whistle that is also, get this: a compass, magnifier, and thermometer $3.88
Last but not least, I found a Hobo Tool. It has a fork, knife, spoon, cork screw, an awl, a bottle opener, and can opener for $3.88!!
Total cost: $18.20

Food! All of the food and drink except the jerky and trail mix had left overs.
Boxed juice: $2.78
Water: $2.00
Trail mix: $1.94
Cheese and Crackers: $2.68
Beef Jerky: $2.98
Sweet and Salty Granola Bars: $2.98
Total: $15.36

In this photo you'll see Chance's spare glasses, hand sanitizer, lip balm, lotion, and sunglasses. We already owned all of this. Free!

Finally, Chance wanted a change of clothes and a spare pair of tennis shoes. We discussed retiring his current pair of shoes but they're still too new. Yada yada yada, I bought him an inexpensive new outfit and tennis shoes specifically for the pack.

The Braves beanie was already ours.
The gloves are $7.00
The shoes were $14.97
I bought him a red t shirt for $3.25
Jeans for $9.96
I bought a six pack of socks and put one into the pack. At $5.50 for a six pack it means we spent $.91.
Total: $36.09

Grand total: $113.25

You may not have noticed but I deliberately bought a red shirt, red rain poncho, and red backpack. I want my man to be easy to spot. :)

So here's the thing. The pre-made kit I wanted to buy was only $45. However, it didn't have any of the clothing items, the food cannot have possible been as delicious, and there was no Hobo Tool set!! It's a HOBO TOOL set. Sounds awesome.

Anyway, I realize that this is a lot of money to spend on something you hope you'll never use. I hope my little kit making journey helps you figure out if you should compile your own kit or buy one. Either way, having a kit will give you peace of mind and may end up making all the difference some day.

Emergency Preparedness: Getting Started

2012-01-13T09:00:00.002-05:00

Step 1: Find out what disaster risks are in your area
Go here for a list of state/local FEMA offices.

Learn what types of disasters are likely to happen and how to prepare for each.
Identify what your community’s warning signals sound like and what to do if you hear them.

Step 2: Create a Family Emergency Plan
I found a great plan generator here.
Virginia also has an online form to help you generate a plan. Check it out here.
Basically, you need to consider what you would do in the event of an emergency.

Discuss with your family the types of hazards and threats in your area and what to do in each case.
Make a list of important contact information and keep it with you at all times.
Decide on a meeting place in case you cannot return to your home, and know where you would go if you had to evacuate your area.
Collect information about the locations where your family members spend the most time (work, school, etc).
Record any medications your family members take on a daily basis.
Collect information for others you might need to contact in an emergency. ( For example, doctor, pharmacist, insurance.)

Step 3: Assemble an Emergency Supply Kit
Chance and I are creating one for the car, one for our home, and one for him to take to the office.
Virginia has a list of recommended items for such a kit here.
The third post in this series will focus on creating your kits. Stay tuned.

Links:
*I started my research using my local church's website BlessFamily.com
*This pdf helped me get the ball rolling. I also used a lot of the information from it in this post.

Emergency Preparedness: Why?

2012-01-12T15:44:00.001-05:00

Since living in Virginia Chance and I have had some serious adventures.

1. Snowmageddon (aka Snowpocalypse)

My honey trudging through the snow

We were blissfully trapped in our apartment for a week. Thankfully, we had plenty of food and water. We have multiple friends in our apartment complex so we were all able to get out of the house for a while and share supplies if necessary.

2. The Earthquake of 2011
I don't have any pictures because our apartment was unharmed by the quake. I was driving to Wal-Mart and didn't even feel it, but in the District it was a pretty big pain. Allow me to soap box for a moment.

Westerners (especially Californians) have given us some flack about our reaction to the quake. After having lived in California, Washington, Idaho, Kansas, Georgia, and Virginia I have had occasion to experience most of the types of extreme weather. I lived through earthquakes and flash floods in California. I survived a tornado in Kansas that destroyed most of the town I lived in. In Idaho we know how to drive in the snow; in Georgia they don't, and they shouldn't be expected to. Roads in Idaho are straight and flat. Makes snow removal a ton easier. In Georgia roads are hilly and windy. That makes driving in it way more dangerous and snow removal heinous. Earthquakes are so common in California that they build roads and buildings to handle it. After experiencing extreme weather, however minor, people learn how to prepare and behave. If we were to have a tornado drill right now I would know exactly what to do. Would you?

I guess my point is, let's be nice to each other. The earthquake was a big deal here. The National Cathedral, LDS Temple, and Washington Monument all sustained damage. The Monument is still closed. Buildings, roads, and people out here just aren't built to weather earthquakes the way they are out west.

End soap box. Thank you.

3. Hurricane Irene
Again, we didn't personally have any problems due to Irene (except our flight to St. Thomas getting delayed.)
We did, however, have friends who were without power. Also, people went nuts at the grocery store in preparation for the weather. You couldn't find anything, bread, milk, water. It was crazy.

So, during two of these instances Chance and I had time to prepare. We were at home during the worst of the weather and we didn't have any real problems. During the earthquake I was in the car and Chance was at work. We had no warning. When it initially hit one of Chance's colleagues pondered aloud, "I wonder which building was bombed." That possibility is frighteningly real for us. Because of all these experiences I have decided to start researching Emergency Preparedness.

If Music Be the Food of Love, Play on!

2012-01-12T14:47:00.000-05:00

As promised, I am researching Emergency Preparedness today. As I do that, I am listening to a playlist that I created. I sort of felt like sharing it. Here are a couple of my current play lists:

What I am listening to right now! Literally.

My trusty iPod.

Coldplaylist: (Made up strictly of Coldplay, The Script, and One Republic)

Coldplay:
Paradise (IN LOVE WITH THIS SONG!!! It's my anthem right now.)
The Scientist
Viva la Vida
Fix You

The Script:
The Man Who Can't Be Moved
Breakeven
Nothing

One Republic:
All This Time
Stop and Stare
Good Life
Secrets
Marchin' On
Passenger

I recently bought the entire One Republic album Waking Up. I love them!

Work Out: (Apparently I'm some sort of bad-a at the gym because some of these have questionable lyrics. I have weaned out the cussing though. Oh and Black Eyed Peas have tons of swearing if you can't find the radio edits!)

Wake Up Call- Maroon 5
California Gurls- Katy Perry (Hate the deliberate misspelling)
Let's Get it Started- Black Eyed Peas
Single- Natasha Bedingfield
If You're Gonna- Natasha Bedingfield
Made for You- One Republic
Cooler Than Me- Mike Posner
Party Rock Anthem-LMFAO
Millennium- Robbie Williams
Sexy Back- Justin Timberlake
Everybody Loves Me- One Republic
Animal- Neon Trees
Dynamite- Taio Cruz
Let It Rock- Kevin Rudolf (I got the clean version on iTunes)
Yeah!- Usher (Try to get radio edit without the Ludacris solo.)
Good Girls Go Bad- Cobra Starship
I Like It- Enrique Iglesias (I should hate this song...)
Won't Go Home Without You- Maroon 5

What are you listening to? Any good work out jams that I need?

A Fresh Start for 2012

2012-01-11T16:01:00.000-05:00

Hi All!

So, here we are. It's 2012. I can't believe it. I graduated high school 10 years ago. Really? Sometimes I can't believe it has been that long other times, when I reflect on all that has changed in my life, I can't believe it has only been that long.

My BFF, Lindsey, and I at a football game Senior year

Anyway, next month will mark the one year anniversary of this blog. I'm trying to get excited about the milestone but I am still beating myself up over how neglected this blog was over the last six months. I have struggled with anxiety/depression for a number of years but never more so than the last couple of years. Watching my blogs (this one and my family blog) get completely ignored for six months was the first concrete reminder that my personal struggles with this demon aren't totally behind me.

However, with the dawn of the new year I feel a sense of new beginnings. I have a clean slate. I didn't really make any huge resolutions. You know, the kind that you will inevitably shirk off, struggle with, or fail at? I don't need to disappoint myself. I simply resolved to take care of myself.

For me, taking care of myself means doing things that make me feel good about myself and my life. In that spirit I:

Started working out regularly again
Went at got a hair cut and color that make me feel pretty. I didn't even wait for a groupon or go to the cheapest place!! I went someplace I really like!
I made another hair appointment for 8 weeks from now.
Didn't work out yesterday and I didn't beat myself up over it.
Set a goal for crafting/blogging

What is that goal you ask? Great question.

I have complained to you all before, either on here or on our Facebook page, that sometimes I feel like stuff is taking over my apartment. Just stuff! It's everywhere! Obviously, my first instinct is to complain to Chance that we need a bigger apartment, which isn't a lie. However, I had another solution come to mind.

I am going to make 2012 the year of finishing projects. My goal is to complete crafts, decor, blankets, gifts, etc all with supplies I already own. Clearly, the caveat being that I am allowed to buy various notions as the NEED arises. I hope you all don't judge me by all the crap I have accumulated. :)

At any rate, I am so grateful that you are still here, still reading, still crafting with me. This world of craft blogs is a big one. I've been overwhelmed by the sheer volume of ideas. (Thank goodness for Pinterest, am I right?) So thanks for choosing to share the journey with me.

I have some fun stuff coming up.

Tomorrow I am researching Emergency Preparedness. I plan to drop some knowledge on you after that process completes.

Right now, I am logging off to go fabric shopping with a friend. She is pregnant and working to make a baby quilt. Beer me the strength not to buy anything!

Five points if you get my TV reference.

Christmas Gifts (for friends and neighbors)

2011-12-22T16:35:00.000-05:00

I realize that I am a little late in sharing Christmas gift ideas, but I've been told it's "better late than never." So here goes!

This year, I used the power of the internet to make some simple, but yummy gifts for some of our friends and neighbors.

I found this recipe at Me and My Pink Mixer for Cinnamon Honey Butter.

I already owned the glass jars and I was lucky because butter went on sale at my local supermarket.

My supplies:

Small Glass Jars

Scrapbook paper

Ribbon

Card Stock

Cute little snowmen gift bags

I downloaded this adorable printable from the girls at eighteen25. I'll never be able to pay them back for all the amazing work they do. I also printed out a copy of the recipe that I glued to the back of the note. That way, the recipient a) knows what she is about to eat and b) can replicate it in the future.

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and a Wonderful New Year. Thank you for all of your support and kindness in 2011. I plan to be back in full blogging mode in 2012. (We may even be having a giveaway to celebrate 50 followers...)

Thanksgiving Decor

2011-11-15T12:23:00.000-05:00

As I promised Chance, the Halloween decor was put away before he got home from work on November 1st. I have a stockpile of Thanksgiving stuff. I didn't need to make or buy anything.

I continued the use of my Toilet Paper Pumpkins. Though, if I don't make a trip to the store pretty soon one of them make get sent back to the bathroom. :)

You'll also notice the Pilgrims and Native American Indians that I have on either side of the entertainment center.

I have been searching for this lovely couple for YEARS!! Finally, in mid-September I found them waiting for me at HomeGoods. Aren't they beautiful?!

I got my amazing Pilgrims at THE Plymouth Plantation in Massachusetts. We went there for Thanksgiving in 2009. I loved it.

A couple of years ago I got to make this Give Thanks display at a church activity. I LOVE it.
I got the male N.A. Indian at HomeGoods in October of last year, but his wife was no where to be found. :( I waited too long.

I got the Harvest sign at (drum roll please) HomeGoods on clearance after Thanksgiving last year. The delightful Pilgrim couple was a gift from TMJ and Tervlon.

Well Hello...

2011-11-03T17:23:00.000-04:00

I know I have been completely blog negligent as of late. I'm kind of in a rut. I don't feel like I have done anything worth blogging about.

Well, that isn't totally true. I am currently working on the most time consuming Christmas gift ever. In fact, I have already spent over 40 hours on it. I'm still only about 30% done. But, alas, my darling mother-in-law follows this blog, so I can't divulge any of it. Rest assured though, you'll see it eventually. Chance takes a picture of it every night before we go to bed so we can chronicle that day's progress. Keep in mind that I have other projects to work on (like a special request from my Mom...) so this gift may end up a Christmas 2012 surprise, though I sincerely hope not.

I am, yet again, organizing the guest room. After Bryan moved out I thought I would be in there 24/7 crafting and sewing. But I walked in and felt immediately overwhelmed. We had been hiding miscellaneous stuff, like cases of water, all over our apartment for three months. So, when our spare room opened up again we put it all in there. The rest of our house was blissfully uncluttered, however, that meant our craft room was a hot mess. I had the strong desire to go in there and throw everything away. There were some tears. At one point I think I got in bed and pulled the covers over my head. I determined to stop following craft blogs because they give me too many cute ideas and I don't have enough storage for any of it. Chance tenderly talked me down from the ledge but I haven't gotten back into the swing of blogging yet.

As for the craft room, I've decided to condense our spare linens into space bags. The bags have been purchased and the linens washed. I have plans to spend a few hours at a local laundromat in order to wash our large quilts and comforters. Then the real organizing can begin. I have already collected two garbage bags full of stuff to take to Goodwill.

Madigan Made posted the other day about her UFOs Unfinished and Forgotten Objects and projects. Oh my gosh. Its like she gets me. I told Chance that I have enough stuff around here to do projects for months. I am committing to using up my old stuff before I buy any new. (With the exception of one sewing notion IF I get to the finishing stage of my MIL's Christmas gift.)

Anywho, I have a fun Saturday coming up with my friend the Playful Professional. I will definitely be tweeting and blogging about that.

I decorated for Thanksgiving on November 1st just like I promised I would. Pictures are forthcoming.

I think I'll find ways to talk more about my MIL's gift. You know. To drive her a little crazy. :) Stay tuned.

Dessert!

2011-10-13T20:16:00.001-04:00

Oh my gosh you guys. I just made an amazing dessert. I didn't take any pictures because I was just trying something I saw on Pinterest.

I saw this Sticky Bun recipe on All Thing Delicious. I borrowed one of her pictures to show you the awesomeness. It was one of the easiest recipes I have ever made.You'll have to go to her website for the recipe though! Let me know if you try it!!

Sweet Tea Social

2011-10-08T21:05:00.000-04:00

Today I had the awesome opportunity to drive down to Richmond to meet a group of other Virginia area bloggers. Allison from A Glimpse Inside and Michelle from Dream Home DIY put together a fun-filled day of eating, socializing, and shopping!

We spent some time lamenting the fact that much of the blogosphere is centered out West. It is a lot more difficult for us East Coast girls to meet one another!

I'll spare you the awful details of our two hour drive down to Richmond. Suffice it to say, I-95 never fails to be a miserable experience.

The day started at The Cheesecake Factory where we got to sit around a chat casually. Sometimes we would quietly chat with those next to us, while other times we were yelling across the table. Conversation topics included Geography, Photography, and Pinterest. Lots of Pinterest.

The party then moved to the nearby Hobby Lobby. Unfortunately, not everyone joined in the shopping. Here is a picture of the five of us who made the trek. From left to right: Me, Kristol from The Magic of Ordinary Things, Allison from A Glimpse Inside, Michelle from Dream Home DIY, and Linda from Craftaholics Anonymous.

It was Linda's first time in a Hobby Lobby and we were all excited to join her. Allison and Michelle hosted a HL gift card giveaway at the restaurant, and the stars aligned so that Linda won. It was meant to be!

Anyway, I am so grateful to Allison and Michelle for taking the time to put this together. I had a ton of fun getting to know some awesome people in real life! Makes me want to host a get-together closer to home!

Go-To Pumpkin Update

2011-10-04T20:12:00.000-04:00

I'm just so excited about this that I can't take it!
I got some new suggestions for how to...spice up the T.P. Pumpkins.
1. My brother, Bret, suggested using cinnamon sticks for the stems to add a little scent to the decor. Brilliant!
2. A new follower, Janelle, decided to make some toilet paper pumpkins and I LOVE what she did.
She used scrap fabrics, her stems were made out of empty toilet paper rolls, and her leaves were made from ribbon rather than scrap fabric! I love that she added twine too. She even sent me some pictures!! Check it out while I go buy some twine to add to my pumpkins.

Guest Post at Everyday is a Celebration!

2011-10-03T14:17:00.002-04:00

Come on over to Everyday is a Celebration and see my tips for decorating around a Halloween Hater!

My Go-To Pumpkin Decor

2011-10-03T09:00:00.001-04:00

I love fall.
Winter is too cold which means my knee hurts all the time.
Spring allergies have me scratching my eyes out.
Summer gets too hot and mosquitoes treat me like a buffet.
Fall, better yet, Autumn is my favorite season.

That being said it probably comes as no surprise that I have an over abundance of autumnal decor.
I don't want to overwhelm you with all the cool stuff I have around right now, so I'll share just one of my favorites.

Toilet Paper Pumpkins.

That's right. You heard me. (Well, not technically since you're reading this...) You read me!

Here's what you need:
Toilet paper
A square of fabric roughly 14x14
A scrap of green fabric (mine are 2"x3.5")
Something brown (a scrap of a brown paper bag, a toilet paper roll, brown cardstock...)

Place the fabric right side down
Put the tp on the fabric

Pull a corner of the fabric up and tuck it into the tp roll.
(Here is where I stop and think, "Maybe I should have done this on the table so my legs and adorable socks wouldn't be making a cameo in these pictures.)

Repeat with all the corners
Tuck extra fabric until you think it looks pretty

Center your green scrap over the top and tuck it in part way, these are your leaves

Roll up your small piece of brown whatever and place it in the top as your stem

My favorite part of this project is the amount of space I need to store it when the season is over. I put the TP back in the linen closet and I am left with a few scraps of fabric and paper. Woo Hoo!

I like that I get to use those irresistible fall fabrics without having to sew anything!
This same idea can be used for apples in September, snowmen in January, don't get me started on Paper towels!

I hope you love this idea as much as I do!

This is in the Bag!

2011-09-16T16:07:00.000-04:00

Chance and I were lucky enough to be able to go to the Congressional Baseball Game. It is a game in which Democrat Congressmen play Republican Congressmen in a charity baseball game.

When we walked in all kinds of companies started handing us free merchandise (SWAG!)

C-SPAN (the channel on which you can watch what is happening on the floor of the House) gave us these messenger bags.

We're going on a vacation soon and I think the messenger bag is the fanny packs cooler, younger brother. So I really think these could come in handy. Sorry, C-SPAN, I don't really want to advertise for you! So I placed thick cardboard under the logo and used plain ol' masking tape around the edge.

I painted two coats of white acrylic paint over the logo to get a nice base. I mixed the white with a Textile Medium, which is just a liquid you can mix with acrylic paint to help it bond to fabric and become washable.Then I went crazy with aqua paint. I painted one whole box aqua and then part of the second box.

I decided to go with monograms. I just eyeballed it because I'm kinda lazy and I like immediate results. :)
I made mine a black cursive and Chance's a blue Arial type font.

When I took the tape off I saw that I had a little leakage. Not surprising really since I used masking tape...*hangs head in shame*

Anywho, I just touched up the edges with black.

Here's our end result! Maybe not show room perfect, but it was FREE! And it allowed us to carry stuff on our vacation without a purse or a heavy backpack or heaven forbid an actual fanny pack.

Great Big Thank You

2011-09-13T15:58:00.000-04:00

You might remember that I won a giveaway at eighteen25. Well, last week my beautiful purse arrived, and I absolutely LOVE it!! I wanted to get a picture with it, but I also wanted to look cute. Strangely, that took a while to happen! At any rate, we went at saw a 9/11 Memorial performance of the Mormon Choir of Washington D.C. As usual the Chanceman was taking loads of pictures. I went ahead and jumped into one since I had my hair done. I'm pretty happy with the result.

Thanks to Jamie, Jen, and Jodie for an amazing purse and the little rush of winning something! Check out their blog. It is one of the absolute BEST!

I remember...

2011-09-11T00:33:00.000-04:00

Ten years ago I was a senior in high school.

It was six days before my 18th birthday.

As I stopped at my locker to begin my day I peeked in my History teacher's classroom. I saw a fire in the World Trade Center.

I sat in my first period English class and watched the reporters fumble for information as the second tower was hit. I remember holding my classmate, Lindsey, as she cried.

Then she returned the favor as I burst into tears as the first tower fell.

Over the course of the next few hours, days, and years we learned what happened. We've worked to make sense of it. We got the people responsible.

And President Bush's words have come true, "This country will define our times, not be defined by them."

Here is a picture of my journal from that day. I started keeping it on the 9th. I have never been good a journaling. But I'll never forget the importance of my journaling from that day. I was at work on the 20th when President Bush gave a speech. I was so touched by the above quote that I wrote it on a napkin to insert in my journal later on.

I am so grateful for all the men and women who serve our country in the military, fire, police, and EMT departments. These people, and their families, are truly heroes.

Here are a few pictures of the mementos I have saved from that day.

I crack myself up

2011-09-09T22:57:00.000-04:00

So Chance worked as an assistant photographer at a wedding today. He had me go with him mostly because he wouldn't get there in time without using the HOV lane. :P

Anyway, I was sitting at a table chatting with guests when Chance came up and asked how I was and then gave me a kiss. After he walked away, I looked around at the other people at the table and said, "I don't know him..."

I got the best laugh from the whole group! Then one guy says, "You should pursue it. Looks like there could be potential."

I think I'll take his advice. :)

I've been Pinspired

2011-09-08T16:22:00.000-04:00

I saw this fun DIY menu board on Pinterest. It is from A Creative Momma.

She gives great, step-by-step instructions on how to create this for yourself. I was set on making one when I stumbled upon these on clearance ($4.00) at Target. Seriously, it might be the happiest place on Earth!

At any rate, I was able to buy a dry erase calendar and blank note board. They are both adhesive but re-positionable. The set also came with a marker and holder.

I couldn't decide which picture was less crappy. So you get with and without flash. :)

So thanks Creative Momma for opening my eyes even though I didn't use your tutorial.