BraySam Lane

Painted Bistro Set

2013-08-22T10:26:00.001-04:00

Finally got around to getting pictures of my finished bistro set (see original post, here). I really like the way it came out:)

FLUBBER

2013-08-08T19:23:00.001-04:00

My sister gets the credit for bringing to my attention, this fun craft, for kids.....well let's face it, adults too! :)

It's called, FLUBBER! It's very easy to make and fun for hours!

What you need is:

food coloring
1 c Elmer's glue
3/4 c cold water
1/2 c hot water
1 tsp Borax

In a bowl mix together glue, food coloring (in your color choice) and cold water. Set aside. In another bowl dissolve Borax in the hot water. Slowly pour the Borax water into the glue mixture and slowly mix together. The mixture will start to gel together. Once it starts to form drain off excess liquid, let the flubber sit for a few minutes, drain again, if necessary. Turn it out of the bowl and your ready to play. You can stretch it, pull it, use cookie cutters to make shapes. Keep in an airtight container so it won't dry out.

Flubber will not hold shape. No matter how you mold it, it will flatten back out.

Dress Up Old Bistro Sets with Vibrant Color

2013-08-05T12:51:00.002-04:00

One of my Spring/Summer projects, was to paint and give new life to, two bistro sets that I have. We purchased them a few years ago and they are looking quite worn.

Well, here it is August and I still had not started that project....until, today!

I chose, Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch 2X Ultra Cover Paint + Primer in Satin Lagoon, as my vibrant color. This paint was very easy to apply and went on very smooth and uniform. It also works upside down!

These sets will go out by my pool when completed.

Before

After

Side by side comparison

I still have to finish the other chair and table for this set. I'll post the total transformation when it is completed.

What vibrant color would you try?

Basement Remodel With Painted Exposed Ceiling

2013-07-17T14:06:00.001-04:00

I have waited so long to make this post, and even though we are not done yet, I just have to share our progress.

Finishing our basement wasn't something I thought we would ever do. With the exception of all of out fitness equipment, it remained a big empty space. As our son has grown older, we have started to feel that creating a fun area, might be a good thing for us and so, we started thinking about adding on a theater area, gym area and rec area.....what better place than the unused basement!

The one thing we agreed on, we didn't want to lose ceiling height by putting in a drop ceiling or sheet rock, so I started researching alternatives. What I found were basement designs where the home owners were painting the rough ceiling and beams black. It gives a loft/industrial feel and I, FELL IN LOVE!!!

And now that our project is nearly complete....we still need to choose carpeting, furniture and decor....I am ready to share some photos. Hope you like! :)

Before...

Painted ceiling and framing

Drywall

Decorative touches

Finished product minus flooring and furnishing

I'm in love with the seating bench that was not part of the original plan! So happy our contractor recommended it!

What do you think of our idea to paint the ceiling and leave it exposed?

*wall paint is Wickham grey by Benjamin Moore*

Naked Egg

2013-05-21T10:03:00.002-04:00

Brayden and I did a pretty cool science experiment, this past week. We took an egg and submerged in a glass of vinegar. The vinegar breaks down the hard shell leaving you with a "naked egg", that you can lightly bounce....pretty cool!

It took about a day and a half for the shell to completely dissolve. This is what it looks like without the shell.....

Yup, Bray is in his Spiderman costume! LOL! Any chance he gets!

The naked egg is also larger out of the shell since the vinegar penetrated through the membrane.

It really does bounce just like a rubber ball but you have to do it low to the hard surface and be gentle. I saw a video where a girl bounced one a little too hard and it splattered all over the place. lol!
Anyway, it was a fun little experiment:)

Tulle Tuesday: Personalized Tulle Wreath

2013-01-22T11:49:00.003-05:00

Made for my beautiful baby niece:)

Turkey Meatloaf

2013-01-21T11:41:00.001-05:00

I wish I had thought to get some photos of this delicious meatloaf but I didn't think about it, at the time.

1.5lbs ground turkey
1 carrot fine diced
1 sm onion fine diced
2 celery stalks fine diced
1 tbs olive oil
1 egg
1/2 c bread crumbs (I used whole wheat & panko)
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
3/4 c marinara sauce
Lawry's garlic salt/parsley blend
Honey bbq sauce

Directions:

Saute carrot, onion and celery in olive oil, until soft. Stir frequently to keep from burning. Set aside until cooled.
Once veggies are cool mix together all ingredients, except for the bbq sauce.
Shape mixture into a loaf. I like to do free-form instead of using a loaf pan.
Top with bbq sauce
Bake for 60minutes at 350. Internal temp should reach 165.

I thought this came out really good! One of the best meatloaf recipes I've made.

45 Minutes With a Celebrity Trainer

2013-01-11T12:26:00.001-05:00

I was chosen to do the Work It, Wisk It work-out with Jackie Warner. It was a lot of fun but really hard. What stinks is, it shouldn't have been hard for me (but it really was) and I have come to the realization that I'm starting to let myself go:(
However, I think this work-out was just the motivation I needed to get back on track! I'll be 40 in a month and I refuse to let myself go!

Here, Jackie is telling me to go lower and I'm telling her, if I go any lower I'm not getting back up! LOL!

It was great to be able to train with Jackie. I love her and have been a fan since her show, Work Out, came out in 2006. It was one of the shows I looked forward to while I was up nursing Brayden.

Heartshaped Felt Catnip Mice

2013-01-10T19:17:00.000-05:00

I made these cute little heart shaped mice toys for my cats, today. My Krinny was all over them, right away.

To make you will need:

2 sheets of felt in your choice of color. I did a dark grey and light pink.
coordinating embroidery floss
scissors
sewing needle
polyfil
catnip

Cut out heart shapes for body and smaller heart shapes for the interior body. I free-handed the hearts, instead of using a pattern. Cut out 2 strips of felt for the tail. Stitch smaller heart to larger heart, stitch on eyes with embroidery floss. Stitch front and back of the hearts together using a blanket stitch. I started at the tail and stitched that in first. Halfway through the blanket stitch I added the polyfil and catnip, then I finished stitching the hearts together. Easy project and fun for hours for my cats.

Superhero Ornaments

2012-11-27T12:09:00.002-05:00

I saw a similar project on Pinterest and I just knew, I had to create my own version, for my son. My son loves all things Superhero, particularly Spiderman.

I will give these to him on Dec 1st, to kick off the 25 days of Christmas. I just know he will love them!

This is a very easy project!

You will need:

Glass or plastic ornaments (I chose plastic because I want them to last)
Paint in squeeze bottles
Stickers

I get all my supplies from Michael's craft store.

Remove tops from the ornaments, squeeze in paint and coat the interior of the ornament, let dry a bit, put tops back on and affix stickers to the outside of the ornament! EASY!!!

I think I might make some Strawberry Shortcake ornaments for my niece:)

Christmas Snowglobe Soaps

2012-11-26T13:22:00.000-05:00

This is actually a project my son and I did last year. It was so much fun to create these!

You will need:

Ice cube trays
Glycerin soap clear and white
Little (and I mean little) toys for the center. I used mini Christmas buttons...make sure whatever you choose doesn't have really sharp edges.
Soap scent (I did peppermint)
Soap color dyes
Bags for packaging

First you want to break up your clear glycerin soap block. Put soap in a pot and melt over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once melted, add your coloring and soap scent. Pour melted soap into your ice cube trays about 3/4 full. Gently push your center decorations into the soap, upside down. * I should add that before you melt your clear soap, you will want to grate your white soap (my son used a spoon) and set aside.* Once you add your center deco, sprinkle the white soap on top of the clear soap. carefully pop the ice cube trays in the freezer to set. After they set, pop out of the tray and your done. We wrapped ours in cello bags to give away as gifts.

I had intended to smooth out the bottom of my soap once they set but we decided we liked the rough edges because it looked more, snow-like.

My Black Friday

2012-11-23T19:32:00.001-05:00

Was yours as peaceful and restful as mine? :)

We spent the day, listening to Christmas music, eating Thanksgiving left-overs and decorating our new smaller and slimmer tree.

Felt Gingerbread Man

2012-11-15T11:54:00.001-05:00

Having no power for nine days, gave me lots of time to create (thanks Hurricane Sandy followed by the snowstorm that dumped over a foot of snow)!

I love working with felt and decided to make my son, a felt Gingerbread man, to go along with one of his favorite Christmas books, Gingerbread Friends.

First, I cut out a pattern using recycled newspaper

Then, I pinned the pattern to 2 sheets of brown felt

After cutting out my felt pieces, I then cut out all of my embellishments to decorate my gingerbread man. I did simple stitching to add my embellishments and a blanket stitch, to sew my gingerbread man together. I stuffed him as I went along.

Here he is!

Tulle Christmas Wreath

2012-11-15T11:41:00.001-05:00

Finally got my Christmas wreath done! I'm a bit obsessed with tulle wreaths:)

See my, Halloween Tulle Wreath post for instructions on how to make a tulle wreath. It's easy and fun!

Let me know if you try one:)

Hurricane Sandy

2012-11-03T15:09:00.000-04:00

So sad for all the loss that has happened from Hurricane Sandy. We are in Monmouth County, NJ but were definitely among the lucky ones. A few downed trees and a week without power but we made the best of it.

How have you been affected by Hurricane Sandy? Please feel free to share your stories, or just vent. Does anyone know where we can donate to people in need?

Halloween Tulle Wreath

2012-09-24T12:48:00.001-04:00

I made my first (well technically 2nd) tulle wreath. I say first because this one is completed. I have a Christmas wreath, nearly finished that I will debut, later. I found this project to be quite relaxing. I worked on it while watching TV, which is something I rarely do. It took me about 2 hours to wrap the wreath....I think it came out really nice!

What do you think?

To make this wreath you will need:

12" styrofoam wreath form
2 spools of black tulle (6" by 25 yard spool)
rotary cutter or scissors
flat working space

I cut my tulle strips to 12" because I didn't want the tulle to be too long. If it's too long it tends to flop and look messy. Tie your tulle around the wreath until wreath is fully covered. At this point you can leave it and hang with coordinating ribbon, or decorate with embellishments.

Will you try a tulle wreath?

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Banana Muffins

2012-09-20T19:04:00.000-04:00

An afternoon spent baking with my favorite boy:)

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Banana Muffins

3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
3 very ripe medium bananas, mashed
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
2 tbsp butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg white
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325°. Line muffin pans with baking cups. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, spices and salt with a wire whisk. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add egg whites, bananas, pumpkin and vanilla, and beat at medium speed until thick. Scrape down sides of the bowl.
Add flour mixture and chocolate chips, then blend at low speed until combined. Do not over mix.

Spoon batter into muffin pan and bake on the center rack for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Scarecrow Festival & Felt Scarecrows

2012-09-18T11:44:00.002-04:00

I spent Saturday afternoon at one of my very favorite places, (Peddler's Village) with my husband and son. This weekend, Peddler's Village hosted their, annual scarecrow festival. It was so nice to walk around the village and view all the creative scarecrows.

We've arrived

Some of my favorites

After walking the village, we decided to make our own scarecrow. We had lots of fun but I have to say, our scarecrow needs a little help.

Pretending to be a scarecrow

It was such a great day!!! :)

Inspired by the festival, I decided to whip up a felt scarecrow for my son. I was able to create him in about 2 hours and my son was beyond thrilled with him....

Diaper Cakes, Cupcakes & Lipgloss

2012-08-24T19:27:00.004-04:00

As Summer winds down, these are the things I'm thinking about.

Soon, Brayden will be heading back to school, as a full day student and I will find myself, with lots of time to create and blog.

I'm very excited to get back into my studio and start creating new diaper cakes. I have lots of new fabric and tons of ideas swimming in my head.

Over the Summer, I have started a love affair with raw eating and creating recipes for all types of raw foods but my obsession is with raw cupcakes! I look forward to sharing some recipes over the next few months.

And well, lipgloss.....just because:)

Pretty recycled plastic pots

2012-05-25T19:37:00.002-04:00

Instead of tossing these basic plastic pots, that my arborvitaes arrived in, I decided to paint them and use them for planters around my deck.


A little help from my son:)


Some cherry red spray paint


Cute stenciling and DONE!

Now, I just need to fill them:)

Pink Felt Ornaments

2010-12-01T17:06:00.000-05:00

Available now in my Bonanza BraySam Lane Booth

Set includes deer, bear and mitten

http://www.bonanza.com/booths/ceciliam/items/Pink_Felt_Ornament_Set

Fall Favorite Recipe: Chicken with Apples, Onions & Sweet Potatoes

2010-10-02T14:56:00.001-04:00

This is one of my favorite recipes. Super easy.

You need:

6-8 chicken pieces (I usually use legs or thighs)
3 diced up apples (pretty large dice)
1 or 2 chopped up onions
1 lrg sweet potato, chopped
1/2 c. chicken broth
brown sugar
salt (I like to use Lawry's salt for this)
tablespoon olive oil

Toss chopped apples, onions & sweet potato with olive oil, salt and brown sugar to coat mixture.

Line chicken pieces in baking dish and season (I usually use Lawry's salt). Spoon apple/potato mixture around chicken pieces and then pour chicken broth over. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 375 for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes.

I usually serve with rice.

This picture is from right before I covered it to put in the oven. It's a really yummy Fall dish:)

Cardboard Box Haunted House Craft using Elmer's CraftBond

2010-09-25T18:18:00.001-04:00

As a BzzAgent, I was lucky enough to be chosen to participate, in the Elmer's Crafters BzzCampaign! Truly a crafters dream come true!

I was so excited when my Bzz Kit finally arrived, with these goodies to try...

Brayden and I decided to make a Haunted House from a card board box and craft foam. To assemble our haunted house, we used, Elmer's CraftBond Glue Spots, Elmer's Tape Runner and Elmer's CraftBond All Purpose Glue Stick. All the CraftBond products were very easy and enjoyable to work with. We had a blast!!! We are not done yet but here are some pictures....

My new German Shepherd

2010-08-18T10:51:00.000-04:00

Welcome Grayson!

Grayson has been our newest family member for the past 5 weeks now. I can't believe how fast he is growing. Tahoe (our other GSD) is finally getting used to him and they are actually playing together now.

Grayson has definitely been keeping me busy this summer but Fall is coming and I am looking forward to sharing lots of new things:)

Summer Craft Projects

2010-06-25T16:53:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I have posted. With summer here, I have been spending a lot of time out at the pool and also working on some projects with Brayden.

Here are some of the things that we have been working on.

First, Brayden is growing green beans & radishes. He is so proud of his gardening:)

He also created these Abstract Super-hero spin arts. He painted the frames and I mounted his art work for him. These will hang very nicely in his Super-hero themed bedroom:)

Finally, we have been working on this project together. It is a barn made out of Popsicle sticks! We have had a blast making this barn up as we go along. I'll be sure to post pictures again when it is completed!