Do It Yourself Divas

Moving, moving, and more moving

2012-02-28T11:51:00.001-08:00

My husband and I have been so incredibly busy moving. What a big job it is! It feels like I'll never be settled in. But we just keep working at it everyday and slowly things come together. My husband has been a trooper through the whole process as I have been sick. Meg has watched my kids almost all week so that my mom and I could pack and clean my old house. I'm so thankful for family!

Stephanie

and the winner is....

2012-02-24T13:18:00.002-08:00

Lucky Entry number 16...

thanks random.org

CONGRATULATIONS JAMIE!!!

Just email us your mailing address within 48 hours at diydivas2@gmail.com.

If within 48 hours we don't here from Jamie we will randomly select another lucky lady to win this giveaway.

Thank you A Little Bird Blogs for hosting such an incredible giveaway for our readers!

We want to feature you!

2012-02-20T09:52:00.000-08:00

Hello all you fellow DIY Divas! We want to thank you! We have gotten an incredible amount of emails telling us about all the projects that you have done from our blog. We always get so excited to read your emails and success stories using our tutorials. We can't tell you how much we love getting those little love notes! Steph and I are shocked and amazed everyday with all the sweet compliments and comments from you, our sweet readers and loyal followers. We so badly want to show all of blogland what you have been up to.

Have you made something using a tutorial from our blog?

Please send us a picture, your name, and a link up to your blog if you wish.

We want to feature YOU. We want to dedicate a post with pictures of all our fellow DIY divas out there!

Just send all pics and other info to diydivas2@gmail.com

DIY: Nightstand

2012-02-18T06:17:00.000-08:00

Here are the instructions for building our nightstands. They go along perfectly with our DIY bed, don't you think? And boy are they easier to make than that bed! Remember, these are instructions for building TWO nightstands.

The following are my hubby's words...

Here are the materials. All of the wood shown here fit in my Subaru, just so you know.

Sand the wood.

The following pictures show the beginnings of what I call the "box." This is just the middle portion of the nightstand. The "box" of each nightstand is made up of four posts and three panels (two sides and a back panel). To fasten the panels and posts together I added the little squares seen below. I first secured them to the panels with brad nails and wood glue and then...

...secured them to the posts with more brad nails and wood glue.

For the bottom and top cap of the "box," I decided to use 1/2" sanded plywood with 1/4" rectangular trim nailed to the sides to hide the plies. The materials/cut list provided at the end of this tutorial shows these pieces as 3/4" thick. This will work but it is cheaper to use 1/2" plywood.

Draw the foot.

Flip it over and trace the other foot. Basically there are two feet "stuck" together per side, joined at the center.

In the following photo you will see that the decorative trim is sandwiched between the "box" of the nightstand and the top cap. Instead of this method, I wish I would made the "box" 3/4" taller and fastened the top cap directly to the four corner posts. The trim would have then been nailed to the sides of the "box." This method would have made the top much stronger. However, the lag screws I used here worked really well.

The following photos show the construction of the drawer:

The face of the drawer/front panel coming together.

For the drawer slides, I used 14" side-mount slides. I imagine bottom-mount slides may work better here as it could potentially lead to less measuring.

Tipped on it's side.

We decided to use scrap OSB for the shelf and will just cover it with something, i.e. wallpaper.

Prime it, paint it, and seal it. You could even Mod Podge some fabric on the shelves to hide imperfections (like our particle board).

Total cost about $30 per nightstand.

Materials/Cut List:

Feet: 3/4" x 6" board (56" per nightstand)

Bottom: 3/4" x 17-1/2" x 23" (1 per nightstand)

Vertical Center: 2" x 2" x 21-1/4" (4 per nightstand)

3/4" x 14" x 21-1/4" (2 per nightstand)

3/4" x 19" x 21-1/4" (1 per nightstand)

Shelf: 3/4" x 15-3/4" x 20-1/2" (1 per nightstand)

Horizontal Support: 3/4" x 3" x 20-1/2" (1 per nightstand)

Top Decorative Trim: 3/4" x 3/4" (60" per nightstand)

Top Cap: 3/4" x 18" x 24" (1 per nightstand)

Drawer Box: 3/4" x 5-1/4" x 16-1/2" (back, 1 per nightstand)

3/4" x 5-1/4" x 14" (side, 2 per nightstand)

3/4" x 13-1/4" x 16-1/2" (bottom, 1 per nightstand)

3/4" x 4-1/2" x 16-1/2" (panel back, 1 per nightstand)

Drawer Front Panel: 3/4" x 1-1/2" x 6" (side, 2 per nightstand)

3/4" x 1-1/2" x 16" (top and bottom, 2 per nightstand)

1/4" x 3-1/2" x 16-1/2" (center, 1 per nightstand)

1/4" decorative trim (44" per nightstand)

Slides: 14" or smaller (1 set per nightstand)

...and her engineer hubby (mostly).

Blog Design Giveaway!

2012-02-16T07:09:00.000-08:00

Meet Elise, our blog designer. She is the woman behind our logo, our pretty buttons, our beautiful fonts, and pretty much everything that makes our blog appealing. And now, she is giving away a free blog design to one of our lucky followers!

What started as a hobby, has quickly turned into a passion for me. I started dabbling in blog design years ago as I played with the look of my own family blog. Soon, I was creating custom designs for friends and family, and just recently, have turned my talents into a business. My favorite part of blog design is watching the design unfold into exactly what my client wants. It is such a fun creative process for me, and for my clients as well.

You can check out some of my most recent projects here

To be eligible to enter this giveaway you must be a follower of our blog. You can enter this giveaway up to THREE times. Here's what you need to do.

1. You must "like" us on Facebook. Then leave us a comment under this post telling us why you think your blog needs a new design.

2. Spread the word on Facebook about this giveaway with a link back. Then come back to our blog and leave us a comment telling what your latest DIY project was.

2. Spread the word through Twitter about this giveaway with a link back to this giveaway. Then leave a comment telling us you did it.

If you complete all 3, your chances of winning go up!

Good Luck Everyone!! This giveaway ends on Thursday February 23rd at midnight. The winner will be announced on Friday morning.

Our Valentine's Day

2012-02-15T07:02:00.000-08:00

Did you have a good Valentine's Day? We did, to some degree. Meg and I have been sick sick sick sicky people. I'm slowly getting better but I think Meg will need to go in to the Doctor. Our poor kids too. But Valentine's Day was still good!

Mima and Papa showed their love with some "Kicking Valentines." In other words, they doorbell ditched us some V-Day gifts. My girls LOVED it! They think they have a secret admirer :)

My girls enjoying Valentine's Day.

We hope you all had a wonderful day of love!

DIY: Cold Remedies

2012-02-13T15:01:00.000-08:00

Here in Utah we are sick. Both of the divas have been suffering through pretty miserable colds. Sadly even the diva children have gotten sick. Poor babies. On our quest for getting better we have been doing a few diy cold remedies.

#1 Sipping warm Honey and Lemon
8oz water
about a 1-2 T Honey
about 1-2 T Lemon Juice
a pinch of cayenne pepper
warm in the microwave for about 1 min or until nice and warm

#2 Rubbing our feet with Vicks Vapor Rub to stop coughing at night
Your hubby can help with this :)
Rub Vicks Vapor Rub on the bottom of your feet
Place socks on to seal in the Vicks
Supposedly the pores in the bottom of your feet will absorb the oils more quickly than any other part of your body.

Do you have some good DIY Cold Remedies? We would LOVE to hear from you and are willing to try just about anything to get feeling better again!!!

-Megan and Stephanie

DIY: Handmade Valentine Gift/The "Riesens" I love you

2012-02-11T12:45:00.000-08:00

This year for Valentine's day we are once again trying to stick to a budget. I wanted to do something simple, yet thoughtful and decided to tell my hubby all the "RIESENS" I love him.

Although simple, I think he will love it. I found it hard to only fill up this one little jar... I really do love that man of mine for more "Riesens" than I can count! Happy Valentine's Day!

Drum Roll Please...

2012-02-09T08:56:00.000-08:00

And the winner of the incredible Simply Pure Product giveaway worth $100 is.....

thanks random.org!

Congrats missbarbie01 you luck lady! Just email us your mailing address within 48 hours at diydivas2@gmail.com.

If within 48 hours we don't here from missbarbie01 we will randomly select another lucky lady to win this giveaway.

Thank you Simply Pure Products for hosting such an incredible giveaway for our readers!

Thoughts on the Powell Case

2012-02-07T19:32:00.000-08:00

It seems like everyone in Utah is mourning the loss of the two Powell boys, although most of us have never even met them. Just when you thought the story couldn't get any worse, it does. I've lost sleep just imagining what those poor, innocent boys went through. I had to go check on my two baby girls a few times in the night just so I could look at their beautiful sleeping faces and thank my heavenly father for sending them to me, for keeping them safe, and for blessing me with my sweet husband who would do anything to protect us. My heart goes out to the Cox family during this time of complete despair. The final moments for Charlie and Braden must have been completely horrific, but I take comfort in knowing that they are now wrapped tightly in the arms of their mother.

-Stephanie

DIY: Leather Messenger Bag for Men

2012-02-06T19:33:00.000-08:00

How to make a leather bag.

Thanks Engineer Hubby for modeling your new bag!

Take some hardware from an old bag.

Grab a bag pattern or make your own. I made my own...as you can see. I got some dimensions online from a briefcase I liked at Macy's.

Go to Tandy Leather and grab a hide of leather. You can't buy leather by the yard like you do at the fabric store. You have to get the whole hide and it's measured and priced by the square foot. They also carry hardware for bags, so grab some while your there if you need. I bought belt buckles for this bag. You will need a leather punch (to punch holes in the straps), some leather edge finisher (leather dye) for the raw edges, and a couple bags of rivets to attach the straps.

Make sure you use leather needles on your sewing machine and some strong upholstery thread. My Bernina handled this project pretty well, although I felt bad for it a few times.. like I was pushing it too hard. :)

To give my bag some stability, I cut out some poster board just a little bit smaller than the pattern and sandwiched it in between the leather. With the flap of the bag, I sewed two pieces of leather, wrong sides together, with poster board in the middle. I then dyed the edges to give it a finished look. Other parts of the bag I sewed right sides together, such as the sides. You can do what you want or whatever is easiest. Just be creative!

Adding straps...

Adjustable strap. I found this video on You Tube describing how to assemble an adjustable strap. Mine was 52" long.

Rivets are ready to go and holes are being punched.

Here the holes are punched through the bag and through the strap, held together with rivets. It's easier doing it this way than having to sew it. The leather is just too thick.

It's coming together!! Use a belt you already have to mark where the holes need to be on the strap ;)

And there you go! Fancy shmancy and it cost about $65. That's a good deal considering how much leather bags cost at department stores!

DIY: Sticky Finger Chicken Salad

2012-02-03T18:30:00.000-08:00

Here in Utah we have a most delicious restaurant called Wingers. It is known for it's "Sticky Fingers" and "Freaking Amazing Sauce." You can eat the chicken with the sauce by itself or even dipped in ranch. Our favorite way to enjoy these sweet and spicy sticky fingers is in a hearty salad. We thought we would share our knock off recipe, that a friend gave us, with you just in time for the Superbowl. Forget the buffalo wings and make some sticky fingers! Everyone at your party will thank you!

Salad Ingredients:
Lettuce
Corn
Black Beans
Tortilla Chips
Avocado
Ranch Dressing
(anything else you think might be tasty)

1 pkg. Frozen Breaded Chicken (Walmart has a bag of frozen breaded chicken breasts bites that is PERFECT. It is the Great Value brand and runs for about $2 a bag.)

Sauce Ingredients:
3 T. Franks Hot Sauce
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 T. water

Here is what you do:

1. Heat up the chicken in the oven (just follow the directions on the bag)

2. While the chicken is heating up, make the sauce.

Heat up the Hot sauce, brown sugar and water. Stir on med. heat until the sugar is dissolved.

3. Once the chicken is cooked and crispy, pour the sauce on the chicken.

4. You can stop here and enjoy them as is, or put them on top of your favorite salad ingredients! Yum!

5. Top or dip with ranch dressing

Giveaway! By Simply Pure Products!

2012-02-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

Just look at this incredible giveaway! We are so excited for you guys to have the chance to win such amazing products. It's valued at $100 and is going to make one lucky person very happy. Trust us, we've tried it! Remember that YouTube video? We do...

Meet Barbara and her son Aedan. They have quite an amazing story.

Simply Pure Products began as a way for me to make healthier products for me and my family. I have four children that are beautiful and healthy. However, when my third child, Aedan, was 2 weeks old, he developed eczema. I took him to our family doctor and he gave me several ideas on how to handle it and armed me with our first prescription for a steroid creme. Not only did that creme not work, but neither did any of the subsequent cremes that we tried. As time went on, I became discouraged and frustrated and began to research ways to help us overcome itchy, peeling skin that was just frustrating our son, and us!

What we found was alarming. I soon discovered that many of the ingredients that were in our son's bath products (as well as our own) and his prescriptions, were actually linked to eczema and worse...cancer. So, I went out and purchased a few "pure" products to bath our son. I was able to find these products, but finding truly pure was difficult and expensive. However, it worked! In just under a week, Aedan's skin began to heal.

Trying to ease our budget, I researched how to make our own soap. Not only was our new soap fantastic, but it blew away what we had purchased initially for Aedan's skin. I began to give it out to others who were suffering with the same skin issues, and they fell in love. Once I began mixing some all natural oils together to create our own body lotions and cremes, Simply Pure was born. However, before I would even consider beginning a company, my husband and I had to figure out what would set Simply Pure apart from all other companies. So, we decided that other people looking for all natural products should not only be able to find them, but they should also be able to afford them.

We have kept this in mind as we have developed Simply Pure Products. Our products are consistently pure, always made with high quality ingredients, and with low overhead, we keep our costs down. We would rather reach a million people with a healthy product before we make a dime.

You can enter this giveaway up to 3 times. Each time you leave us a comment, your chances of winning increase. Here are the rules...

1. You have to like Do It Yourself Divas on Facebook. Come back to our blog and comment below telling us what your favorite way to be pampered is... Want to be entered in the drawing again? Go to step 2.

2. You have to like Simply Pure Products on Facebook. Come back to our blog and leave us a comment telling us what facial products you are currently using... do you like them? Want a higher chance of winning this giveaway? Do step 3 as well.

3. You have to spread the word through Twitter or Facebook and you need to link back to this giveaway. Come back to our blog and leave us a comment letting us know you did it.

If you are the lucky winner, we will check to see that you completed all the necessary requirements to be entered into this giveaway!

The giveaway closes at midnight on February 8th. Good luck to all!

www.simplypureproducts.com

DIY: Facial Cleanse

2012-01-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

Here is our first ever YouTube video! Thanks to Simply Pure Products, we were pampered. Hope you enjoy seeing us without makeup :)

Simply Pure Products

Point of View - POV

2012-01-27T00:04:00.001-08:00

Are these projects amazing or what?!

We are thrilled to have the chance to post as guests with POV this month!

Here's a list of everyone involved.

Just click on each link to see a tutorial of their project.

Camilla: rosyredbuttons.blogspot.com
Amy: amerooniedesigns.blogspot.com
Gwen: gwennypenny.com
Michelle: alittletipsy.com
Jonie: easyascutandpaste.blogspot.com
Steph and Meg aka the DIY Divas: doityourselfdivas.blogspot.com

Do you have a project that you would like to share?
Join the linky party over at gwennypenny.com

This month for POV the theme was Love, and rightly so! Valentine's Day will be here before we know it. The DIY divas wanted to look fashionable this holiday and so we came up with the Lovely Lace Sweetheart Shirt.

You want to know how we made this refashioned t-shirt? Just click HERE for the entire tutorial! It's incredibly easy, cheap and took a grand total of 20 min. max to create!

DIY: Lovey Lace Sweetheart Shirt - Refashioned t-shirt

2012-01-27T00:04:00.000-08:00

The Sweetheart Shirt

You will need...

1. A bit of lace

2. A shirt

3. A bit Interfacing or Pellon

Let's Get Started:

1. Cut a heart out of the lace, whatever size you wish

2. Place the lace heart on shirt

3. Place interfacing/pellon inside the shirt directly beneath the lace heart

4. Pin the heart and interfacing to the shirt

5. Sew heart and interfacing in place

That's it... now it is time to strike a pose

Happy Valentine's Day!

DIY: Burlap and Felt Valentine Garland

2012-01-26T08:03:00.000-08:00

As Valentine's day fast approaches, I wanted to get my home ready for some love. I decided to use some of my left over scraps of fabric to make this happen.

The only thing I did purchase was a package of doilies which cost about $2. I found these at the local Walmart in the cake decorating section. They sell every size imaginable.

Here is what I did to create this fun and festive garland.

1. Cut various sized hearts out of burlap, felt and other fabric. (word of warning.. burlap is a bit messy.)

2. String twine, or ribbon through the hearts and doilies in whatever pattern you see fit.

3. Hang garland anywhere, and in my case, EVERYWHERE!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Radiohead Cover/ Coldplay Cover

2012-01-23T11:35:00.000-08:00

You guys will die and go to heaven when you hear my talented little brother Jason Wadsworth and his friend Matt sing this Radiohead cover of You. L.O.V.E!!

And here is another one. Coldplay Amsterdam

Jason you are so talented, I had to let the world know.

Steph

DIY: King Size Bed - All Instructions

2012-01-21T07:24:00.000-08:00

In this post I am giving you links to all the instructions for building this bed. Now it's all in one, easy to find, location. Happy building!

Part 1 - Plans and Center Storage

Part 2 - Drawers

Part 3 - Footboard and Feet

Part 4 - Headboard and Assembly

Good Luck!!

Stephanie

DIY: Flannel Baby Rag Quilt REPOSTED

2012-01-20T13:06:00.000-08:00

ok.. so strange, but many people have not been able to get to the older link for this baby rag quilt. We have contacted blogger with no luck. I think that if we direct traffic to this link as well as the other we might solve the problem, and more people will be able to view this tutorial. Please let me know if you still have trouble accessing the directions for this quilt.

DIY: Flannel Baby Rag Quilt

This is the softest little quilt made of flannel. The best part about it is how dang easy it is to make!

All you need:

7 different, yet coordinating flannel fabrics cut @ 1/2 a yard each

(so 7 half yards of fabric)

2 yards of solid flannel fabric for the batting (the middle of the quilt)

(white is usually the best)

about half a yard of matching fabric for the binding

matching thread

sewing machine

scissors

And here is how it is done:

* Cut 2 strips of each fabric @ 6 inches wide (one strip will be the front and one the back)

* Cut strips 2 of each fabric @ 3 inches wide (one strip will be the front and one the back)

* Cut 7 strips of solid flannel @ 6 inches wide (this will go in between the other fabric strips measuring 6 inches wide)

* Cut 7 strips of solid flannel @ 3 inches wide (this will go in between the other fabric strips measuring 3 inches wide)

Make a fabric sandwich like the picture above and below!

Now sew a seam down the middle of each fabric sandwich to hold all three pieces together.

Once you have sewn a seam down each fabric sandwich strip lay out your quilt.

Sew it together (ALWAYS RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER so that there is a tiny bit of fabric that you can snip. You choose the "right" sides for this quilt. One side of the quilt will be smooth and the other raggy.)

Snip fabric with scissors along each sewn line.

(sorry for the lack of pictures to describe this... if you have any questions please email me or just ask with a comment!!)

Bind it

Wash it... this will make it more raggy and get rid of all the little strings!!

P.S. Don't know how to bind a quilt? Check out this link.... HOW TO BIND A QUILT thanks to the DIYDISH!

DIY : King Size Bed Frame Part 4 - Headboard and Finished Product

2012-01-18T19:32:00.000-08:00

It's finally time to finish this bed!!! You will see that we made a couple of mistakes, but things aren't always pretty behind the scenes. We learn as we go. Engineer Hubby will be the author of this post.

I started with a piece of 1/2" OSB for the back of the headboard, attached 2 x 4's to all four sides of the OSB (these can be scrap 2 x 4's), and then attached the front trim of the headboard to the 2 x 4's. This was the result.

Another view.

As I wanted my posts to be 3-1/2" x 3", I had to fabricate my own using 1 x 4 pine boards. Once the posts were built I secured them temporarily to the drawer receivers with bar clamps.

With the posts held in what would be their final vertical position, I could double-check that the middle section fit between the two posts. Also this ensured that the posts were plumb and were flush with the drawer receivers. I had Steph help me hold up the middle section of the headboard as I connected the posts.

Next I cut out the feet. I didn't get a picture of the finished feet connected to the headboard but the concept is the same as with the footboard. That is, a 1 x 4 is sandwiched in between the foot and the headboard post to match the 1 x 4 at the bottom of the drawer receivers.

Next the padded insert for the headboard. I cut another piece of OSB to fit inside the front trim. This piece of OSB will rest on the 2 x 4's and be framed in by the front trim.

To finish the top of the headboard I used 3/4" trim and a 1 x 4. I increased the width dimension of the 1 x 4 by 1/4" using a piece of 1/4" rectangular trim. After nailing these pieces into place I used wood filler to smooth out the rough spots.

There was a gap between the 1 x 4 and the top of the posts so I filled that in with a piece of 3/4" square trim.

Back to the padded insert of the headboard. I drilled and cut out six elongated holes and placed 1 x 2's across the holes, allowing enough space on either side of the 1 x 2 to thread a rope through the hole.

Then, on the OSB that will be used for the insert I drilled 12 holes and threaded rope (in this case we used my old snowboarding boot laces...) as shown in the following picture.

After the laces were threaded, we wrapped the front side of the insert in batting and stapled it into place. The overall thickness of the batting is about 3/8".

View from the back.

Then came the fabric. We used some inexpensive curtains from Ikea for this.

Once the headboard was painted, we took the laces of the completed insert and threaded them through the holes and around the 1 x 2's of the headboard.

View of the back with the laces pulled through and tied to the 1 x 2's.

We tucked the excess lace back into the headboard.

One thing I forgot to mention earlier is the way in which the headboard connects to the drawer receivers and storage compartment. I placed a 2 x 4 between the posts near the bottom of the headboard. The drawer receivers and storage compartment have 2 x 4's attached to each end which rest on the 2 x 4 of the headboard. I then used lag screws to secure the compartments to the 2 x 4 of the headboard.

We decided to leave the back looking like this since it will be against a wall. You could possibly use extra fabric to cover the back if you desire. The nice thing about this setup is that if you get bored with the fabric you chose for the headboard insert, all you have to do is untie the insert from the headboard, which you can then easily recover.

Here is a closeup of the finished product.

The overall dimensions of the headboard are 55" x 3" x 80".

I highly suggest that anyone who may attempt this project sketch out the bed and its components and create your own Cut/materials list. I am providing my list to be used as a "check."

Cut/materials list:

2 - 3" x 3-1/2" x 48-3/4" (post, glued pine boards)

2 - 3/4" x 2-1/2" x 36" (vertical trim on front of headboard, pine board)

2 - 3/4" x 2-1/2" x 68" (horizontal trim on front of headboard, pine board)

1 - 1/2" x 30-1/2" x 67-1/2" (headboard insert panel, OSB - thickness of OSB was actually 7/16)

2 - 1-1/2" x 3-1/2" x 73" (internal horizontal frame, 2 x 4 pine board)

2 - 1-1/2" x 3-1/2" x 29" (internal vertical frame, 2 x 4 pine board)

1 - 1/2" x 36" x 73" (back panel, OSB - thickness of OSB was actually 7/16)

1 - 3/4" x 3-3/4" x 81-7/8" ( top plate, pine board - I used pine 3-1/2 pine board and a 1/4 rectangular piece of pine to get the 3-3/4" dimension)

90" (approx.) - 3/4" x 3/4" (decorative top trim, any material type)

2 - 3/4" x 3" x3-1/2" (post bottom plate, pine board)

2 - 4" tall feet (any material)

Batting and fabric (enough to cover the headboard insert panel)

Wood screws, lag screws, washers (for the lag screws) and brad nails.

Painting and the final assembly:

We used three coats of paint and rolled it on with a foam roller. Once the paint was dried, we sealed the bed with three coats of polycrylic.

Here is the bed being assembled in its final resting place.

A shot of the feet and support blocks in action.

Finally, the finished product!

Here's what it looks like today. Nightstand tutorial is on it's way!

Need to see the other posts for this bed? Click below.

Part 1 - Supplies and Middle Compartment

Part 2 - Drawers

Part 3 - Footboard and Feet

Stephanie & Her Engineer Hubby

DIY: Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

2012-01-17T18:48:00.000-08:00

I only blog about a recipe if it is super tasty, and this fits the bill. This Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo is incredibly easy to make and your taste buds will scream for joy! Oh man, and boy is it fattening. My engineer hubby got this recipe from a roommate in college.

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

Melt 1 stick of butter in a pot on med-low heat

1-1/2 C heavy whipping cream

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp pepper

Simmer for 15 minutes

Add 2 C parmesan cheese

Stir until melted

Add cooked chicken, grilled or shredded

Serve over fettuccine noodles

Enjoy!

Stephanie

DIY: Scrap Fabric Wreath

2012-01-17T18:21:00.000-08:00

This will soon hang from my little girl's door to get her all excited for Valentines Day. What a great way to get rid of some extra fabric sitting around! Inspiration from design {etc}.

You need:

1 wire hanger

Various scrap fabric and ribbon

Wire cutters

Bend the hanger to form a circle.

Cut strips of fabric and ribbon to desired length and width. With each piece of fabric and ribbon, tie a regular knot around the wire hanger.

It will probably look uneven like this , so trim fabric and ribbon after you have tied them all on, to create an even look.

Cut off the "hook" from the hanger, or just bend the hook so it is not visible. Loop a long piece of ribbon around the wreath so you can hang it.

Tie a big tule bow on the top if you wish.

Stephanie

Update on the carpet situation

2012-01-17T10:42:00.001-08:00

Well I tried everything. Thanks everyone for your wonderful stain removing suggestions but this stain won the battle. It now rests under a rug :)

Stephanie

DIY: Chevron & Lace Pillows

2012-01-16T04:57:00.000-08:00

The chevron pattern seems to be a big deal these days, so I decided to make some pillows for my bed using that pattern. Lovely!

Make the chevron pattern out of cardboard using a small triangle as your pattern. This is really hard to describe, but you can see where the triangle fits into my chevron patter piece. Just trace it and cut it out like so. It can be any size you desire. My pillow form is down feather and measures 26" x 26", and since it's down feather, I did not add seam allowance. I didn't want a floppy pillow so I made my chevron pattern 26" long.

Trace your pattern onto felt. Felt doesn't fray and that is why I chose it. I did not want to have to hem it! I think that would have been a nightmare.

Cut it out. I used 5 chevron strips per pillow.
Cut out your base fabric (white) and your lace. I cut them 26" x 26" again with no seam allowance only because it's a down feather pillow I wanted it to stand up better.
Lay out your white base fabric and situate the chevron pattern evenly on top of it. Pin it in place and tac it down (sew it) in place. You could also use fusible interface if you don't want to tac it down.

Place your lace on top.
This is an envelpoe pillow case so I cut out two back pieces. I always refer to Make-it and Love-it for my pillow assembly instructions. Each of my back pieces were 26" x 17". Make-It and Love-It explains how to sew it together so well, I just left it to her to do the explaining ;) Be sure to check it out.
And Bam! Here's the end result.

-Stephanie