Frugal...but Fabulous

We've moved!!!

2012-07-24T08:14:00.001-04:00

Hello,

I am not going to get into a long drawn out explanation here about why I decided to change blog publishers...if you want to know you can go to my new blog http://mamapartin.wordpress.com/.
the blog is getting a new look and we are going in a more general direction than I was before.
Please continue to follow me during this transition from Blogger to Wordpress.

Thanks for being loyal readers,
Mama P
(Beth)

Mercury Glass DIY

2011-10-30T20:52:00.000-04:00

There have been a lot of mercury glass

items in all of the major designer retailers

like Pottery Barn and Ballard Designs.

There was one such item in a Ballard Design mag

I was perusing that I coveted...but not at their price tag.

Photo courtesy of Ballard Designs

Price tag- $29-$39 each

I have seen tutorials all over blogland,

but with so many I had no idea which one to choose.

So I read about thirty to get a general consensus,

which was to spray light layers of water and spray paint

on the INSIDE of said item, then blot parts off

and repeating until you achieve the desired effect...

and they all agree to use only one product and one product only,

Krylon Looking Glass Spray Paint.

Here is what I started with, a .50 glass garage sale vase.

And here is what I ended up with...

Love it, but who doesn't love a good before and after?

Halloween Apothecary Jars

2011-10-09T10:26:00.001-04:00

I started my Halloween decor.

Most of it is silly because I have small children,

and don't want to scare them.

Here is one that scared one and grossed the other two out...

LOVE IT!

There are my leftover gourds and pumpkins...

and yes, those are

FINGERS!!!!

I couldn't resist.

I bought them for $1 at the dollar tree,

and used an apothecary jar I already had.

The black netting is the bag the fingers came in,

cut to shreds and laid in the bottom as filler.

For our Halloween party,

I plan on adding more jars and making a

"mad scientist" lab area.

The jars will be filled with things like:

gummy teeth, chocolate eyeballs

and more.

These three jars cost me about $2 to fill.

See? You can decorate and have fun for cheap.

Stay tuned for more...

Getting the Halloween Itch...

2011-10-06T15:40:00.002-04:00

I have already been thinking about

HALLOWEEN

for a few weeks now.

Last year, I bought up as many cute costumes

as I could find for my little ones

while they were 90% off at K-Mart,

so I know I have plenty, I just havent gotten them out yet.

In the meantime, I thought I'd play

with my photo editing software

and post pictures of last year's costumes.

ENJOY!

Wait, what is a picture of

Judy Garland doing in here...

Just joking, that's me as Dorothy.

Ethan went as Dracula~

Owen went as Yoda~

The perfect size, he was.

Happy, he was not.

Baby Estella was a pretty little ladybug~

Snug as a ladybug in a rug!

Super Scary Ethan~

Can't wait for this year!

I LOVE HALLOWEEN!

Fall Harvest Wreath

2011-10-04T22:21:00.006-04:00

This will probably be my last fall decor post.

(until it's time for Halloween decor)

Unless I come up with another frugal idea...

This one cost me about $8.

I KNOW...

Big Spender!

Here's the rundown of my materials:
rattan style cheapo wreath from Dollar Tree- $1

spray painted with Krylon glittery brown spray paint left over from this project- had on hand

fall silk leaves from Dollar Tree- $1
larger plastic pumpkin from Dollar Tree- $1
set of orange pumpkins and gourds from the dollar tree that I ended up not liking the color of with the other pumpkins and spray painted- $1

Rustoleum Antique White- on hand

2 sets of cat tail and leaf sprigs for fifty cents each- $1
Nicer and larger set of mini pumpkins at Walmart-$2.88.
pinecones- free from my yard
glue sticks and glue gun- on hand

(perhaps this is not the last fall decor post...I have more pumpkins)

Here are some during the process pictures-

Here is the

wreath being

painted.

Here is the

ugly pumpkin

and gourd

set being

painted.

After everything was nice and dry,

I warmed up my trusty glue gun

and arranged and glued until I liked the way it looked.

Do you like the way it looks?

(Look past that smidgen of pantry...

that IS organized!)

How about a close up of the goods?

Just one more-

in its new official home.

(Until it gets close to Christmas!)

Fall Coffee Table Centerpiece for $1

2011-10-04T21:26:00.002-04:00

Here is another fall decor post.

This is one anyone can do.

Really, anyone.

I started with this

I actually liked the original color,

but with the nicks and scratches,

I can see why they would get rid of it.

When I saw it at a garage sale for ten cents, I snatched it up.

Knowing I had the amazing power of spray paint at my fingertips,

I took it home figuring that at some point,

I would have the inspiring moment of clarity

where I knew what I'd do with it.

That moment of inspiration came when considering fall decor.

I found a set of cute little white pumpkin candles

at a rummage sale for fifty cents,

and had some leftover leaves from this project.

Then I went about painting the (platter?).
I couldn't decide between brown and black.
I chose black thinking that I could reuse that more easily
in other seasons decor than I could with brown.
Holly or garland and a candle at Christmas,
a votive in a pile of red and silver kisses for Valentine's Day

Of course I forgot to take a picture of the painting process.
You are lucky to have gotten a before picture,
But here is an after...

All that loveliness for less than a dollar.

LOVES!!!

Beautiful and Frugal Fall Centerpiece

2011-10-02T09:48:00.003-04:00

I got to shop at one of my favorite sales this week.

It is hosted four times a year by the senior citizens organization.

There are so many treasures to be had...

and VERY cheap.

I have been looking for a large bowl or wide vase

to fill and change out with the seasons

to be used as a centerpiece at my kitchen table.

I found exactly what I was looking for.

And my silly self almost walked away

because of the $3.50 price tag.

Now, that is one cheap lady.

I'm not proud.

But I did snag it after all.

For Halloween, I thought about filling it

with plastic skulls and a string of lights...

But for now...

I filled it with pinecones from my yard

that I have had "curing" for a few months,

and some silk leaves from the dollar store.

Filled for fall for a grand total of $1.

ISN'T SHE GREAT?

Are you as overcome with the possibilities as I am?

I am excited to find things to fill it with for each season.

Let's take another look at her.

Just one more...

How I met my husband.

2011-09-28T11:52:00.002-04:00

You havent heard from me lately

because I am back in school.

I am super busy with six classes.

In my English class, we were asked to write

a reflective essay, telling about an event in our lives that

really changed us and helped us to learn something.

I chose the story of how I met my husband

and thought you may like to hear the story too.

Go here to read it.

Pennants Inspired by Beatles Lyrics

2011-09-01T14:32:00.000-04:00

This will be a quick post.

Another wedding decor project...

I made another one similar.

You can find that tutorial here.

This one is different in only two ways.

1. I used a smaller set of foam stamps

2. I distressed the top triangle with distressing ink.

Otherwise, they are the same.

I am keeping this one and hanging it in

Miss Estella's room when the wedding is over.

(I am ready)

I just had to share because I

LOVE LOVE LOVE!

Scrap Paper Roses

2011-08-31T08:38:00.002-04:00

This project is super easy.

All you need is some scraps of paper and scissors.

Start by cutting out a round "cloud" shape.

Like these:

Then, cut a scalloped edged spiral all the way to the center of your paper...Like this:

Next, starting from the outside edge,

begin rolling the paper up very tightly.

I used a safety pin. The curves you've cut

into your shape will contour nicely into a beautiful little rose.

Stop rolling when you get to the center of your shape.

The last little part from the center of your "cloud"

will flatten nicely into the outside of your flower.

If you like, now would be a good time to add a spot of glue.

When you stop rolling, your rose should stay together.

If you want your flower to open more, press lightly on the center.

NOTE: Make sure you cut your layers about the same size

or it will not stay together.

When you are done this is what they should look like:

I love them...so much I had to take more pictures...

Now...what should I do with these little beauties?

Escort Card Tree

2011-08-31T07:59:00.004-04:00

Yes, you read that right.

An escort card TREE.

I got inspired by these pictures from pinterest.com

Aren't these ideas dee-licious?

So, using these as my inspiration...

I decided to make a "tree" to hang our escort cards on.

I, personally have never seen anything like it.

Here are the materials I used:

ugly green plastic pot for a plant- .25 at a garage sale

spray painted with a pretty brown spray paint with sparkles in it...paint 3.76@WM

2 packs of escort cards- .50 at a garage sale
2 long branches- FREE from my yard
a decor type bird's nest- .10 at, yes...a garage sale.
3 styles of vintage lace- FREE from a dear lady named Kelly :)
2 pks of stained mini clothespins = 3.98 at WM

stained by me with FREE stain I found in our home when we moved in.... you can see that project here

"lovebirds"- on sale for .99 at Hobby Lobby
various pieces of florist foam- found at various places= $3
bag of moss- Dollar Tree $1
glue gun and glue sticks

Grand Total: $13.58

First, I spray painted the ugly garage sale planter.

Then, I cut up pieces of foam and wedged them into the pot.

*note- in hindsight, after knocking the finished product off of my dresser, I realized a little bit of weight was needed and added some rocks from my driveway

...and added more foam, making sure to hot glue it all together.

Then, I stuck my twigs into the foam like bunny ears.

Next, I began ripping up pieces of moss and gluing it down to cover the florist foam.

For the next step,

I took my little nest and

nestled it into a little nook

within one of the branches.

I actually wove the sticks around the branch to keep it secure, then hot glued it into place and glued

the birds onto the nest.

Next, I took three different styles of beautiful vintage lace and wove them back and forth between the two branches. I used the nooks and crannies of the twigs to my advantage and hot glued them in spots as needed. These will serve as a place to hang the escort cards.

Lastly, I hung the tiny clothespins onto the lace trim.

Ready to see the finished product?

(well, without the cards...we will do that at the venue)

So stinkin cute.

An unconventional 'Something Blue'...

2011-08-31T06:34:00.001-04:00

My friend is getting married.

I have known her seven years and LITERALLY have

NEVER seen her wear anything but flip flops and sneakers.

She wears flip flops so late into the year, she is usually

still wearing them at Christmas...not kidding.

So when she was trying to figure out what to wear with her dress,

my first suggestion was flip flops...

"Flip Flops?" she said...

"Yes, flip flops." I said. "We can make them pretty..."

Then I had the idea to make them her 'something blue'.

Here is what we started with.

Plain Old Navy flip flops...$1

Next, I dug into my large tote of vintage lace...

(given to me by a lovely lady named Kelly S...I love to show her what I make with the materials she gave me...gives me a sense of satisfaction that we saved these things and are giving them new life)

and warmed up my hot glue gun.

I chose a length of lace that had a silky ribbon running

through the center, I thought the ribbon would be a good,

solid surface to glue onto the shoe.

Here I am gluing the lace on.

When I got to the center toe thingy, I had to think a sec...

I didn't want the lace to be tight around the toes,

I wanted it to lay relatively flat and not be in the way.

What I did was glue it all the way to the center, then backed it up a little and glued over itself...I did this a couple times, creating a semi circle around the toe thing...it worked, just hard to explain.

Other than that, I'd rate this project an

E for easy peasy.

Ready to see what that crazy girl is

walking down the aisle in?

How cute are they?

LOVE them.

Mascarpone and Chocolate Stuffed French Toast with Homemade Strawberry Sauce

2011-08-23T08:58:00.003-04:00

Please excuse the Dora plate, this batch was for my kids...I am thinking I need to buy some pretty plates for pics.

This post is three recipes in one.

You'll learn how to make my basic french toast,

stuffed french toast, and homemade strawberry sauce.

The other day when I went to WalMart,

they had packages of strawberries for $1 each.

With all my best intentions of making jam,

I picked up four packages.

Well, as you know strawberries are a fickle fruit.

You must eat them within a day or two or they will go bad.

After the hubby said he didn't have time to help me do the canning,

I set out to use up those strawberries.

We gave a pack to Grandma...

We ate strawberries with breakfast and for snack...

Yet two days later, we still had more berries and they were getting very ripe so I had to make something with the last package.

I started by hulling my strawberries.

(FYI- hulling is just a fancy word for cutting the stem and surrounding white part off)

Then I quartered my berries and put them in a sauce pan with two cups of water, a cup of sugar, half a tsp of salt and a half cup of clear corn syrup. Bring to a simmer and let it boil lightly

for ten or so minutes. It will look like this:

Then, use a slotted spoon to remove the berries and set them aside, then put the mixture back on the heat and bring to a rolling boil for a few minutes to reduce and thicken the mixture.

Don't let it boil over.

You will have a huge mess.

After your mixture has thickened, add your strawberries back in.

(the reason you take the berries out is so that they keep their shape and not turn to mush)

To store, keep in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

You can also freeze this sauce:

Once its completely cooled,

store in freezer containers for up to four months.

ON TO THE FRENCH TOAST-

Here is my basic french toast batter we will be using-

(I find one egg makes 2 pieces of french toast,

so multiply accordingly to suite your needs)

Yields- 8 pieces of french toast or 4 stuffed

8 pieces of bread

4 eggs

pinch of salt

1 tsp of vanilla

a good shake of cinnamon

whisk together in a flat baking dish (I use a pie plate)

soak bread in mixture long enough to coat

cook over med-high heat just as you would grilled cheese

HOW TO STUFF FRENCH TOAST:

Mix together softened mascarpone cheese with chocolate chips.

(mascarpone is like a lighter, Italian version of cream cheese found in the specialty cheese

sections of most larger grocery stores, I found mine at WalMart.)

Spread your mascarpone mixture onto one side of two pieces of bread and put them together like a sandwich.

Press lightly around the edges to form a seal

so the goodies stay inside the french toast.

Dip and coat your "sandwich" in the egg mixture,

and cook like a grilled cheese.

Yum... I just made myself hungry for it all over again.

Hmm...I have leftover sauce and cheese filling,

I think I am going to go make it again right now!

Here it is again in all its glory...

Yes, in all its D-D-D-D-Dora glory. LOL

Super Simple Headband

2011-08-18T06:20:00.002-04:00

This project is idiot proof.

You just cannot mess this one up,

it only takes as long as it takes to warm up your glue gun.

I started by buying a pre-made ribbon wrapped headband for .97,

and a sequined leaf already attached to a piece of felt for 1.97.

I figured out where I wanted the leaf,
and hot glued it into place.

Then, I tried it on my favorite model...

Super Cute, Stella!

No time for projects!

2011-08-14T13:37:00.005-04:00

Sorry for the lack of blogging,

I have been so busy!

From having a three day garage sale,

which turned into a over a week with prep and clean-up...

And this was only about a third of it...

to ending up with sun poisoning so bad,

I ended up in the ER.

All while having to be a wife and mother

and squeeze in working a few days a week.

I also have been on a mad dress hunt.

I have been planning my friend's wedding,

and needed an appropriate dress that would compliment her colors.

Here is what I came up with.

What do you think?

So now it is time to get down to it...

I have some projects that need done for the wedding that is in

three weeks.

Yes...three weeks.

I also need to finalize all the plans and decor.

Lots to do, I haven't been procrastinating...I SWEAR.

I've just been busy.

So come back soon, I should have some new

projects up by middle of the week.

For now, I am off to Jo-ann's

and tomorrow is housework.

Yuck.

Wedding Pennants

2011-08-09T04:55:00.007-04:00

I am making decor for my friend's wedding.

While cruising pinterest, I came across this picture-

(Sorry it's small, when I blew it up,

it got very pixelated)

Anyway, I knew I wanted to recreate it in her colors.

I started by cutting out triangle shapes out of pizza boxes

to use as a template for all the other triangles.

Can you tell I do most of my crafting in the middle of the night?

Then, I started cutting out the triangles.
I had made two sizes of templates so that I could
layer a smaller triangle over the top of a larger one
that I will be cutting out of scrapbook paper.

Yes, that is a ten cent sticker on the chalk ink pad...Yes, I am a rockstar when it comes to garage sale-ing.

I had a 2" alphabet stencil out to use, but it turned out to be too big.

Everything else I had on hand was too small.

FAST FORWARD TO TWO WEEKS LATER AFTER A VISIT TO JO-ANN's AND HOBBY LOBBY...

I had a hard time finding 1.5" stencils...

in fact, I had a hard time finding any stencils.

Jo-Ann Fabrics doesn't even carry them anymore.

I bought 1'' stencils and a chalk ink pad,

I got them home and dang-it if they weren't too small.

*Sigh*

FAST FORWARD TO A WEEK LATER AFTER

I'D BEEN GARAGE SALE-ING AND FOUND SOME

FOAM LETTER STAMPS...

OK, I was going to make it work this time.

I stamped my message onto the triangles.

After I stamped my message, I laid out the pennant the

way I wanted it and punched holes in the corners.

Then I took the distressed ribbons I made here,

and started lacing and tying my pennant together...

OK, so here we are...

almost a month after I started,

and countless issues later,

I FINALLY

have a finished product.

Ready to see it?

I am certainly ready to show it off...

Ta-Da!!! Whatcha think?

Just a Little Tease...

2011-08-09T04:02:00.001-04:00

Yes, those are miniature clothespins...

and Yes, I am staining them here...

Just another wedding project...

I am only teasing you.

I don't plan on telling you yet.

You will have to come back to see...

Mua, ha, ha, ha...(evil laugh)

Homemade Wedding Signs

2011-08-08T10:12:00.002-04:00

For my friend's wedding that I am decorating,

we needed a way to tell people what we wanted them to do

as they entered the venue, so I decided to make some sort of signs.

I had found a pair of pretty, ornate frames in a white washed,

goldish color that I thought would work perfectly...

except they did not come with glass in them...thats OK,

I can work around that....especially since I paid a buck each.

I decided that I wanted one to say "sign the book"

and the other to say "find your seat".

I picked out some ivory cardstock and used the paper

backing from the frame as a template to cut it to size.

Then I stenciled my words onto the paper...

but it was a little crooked, so I tried AGAIN,

and AGAIN, and AGAIN. They were all coming out crooked!

Enter the hubby...

My husband said,

"Why don't you draw a faint pencil line where you want

each word to be so you can line up your stencil on it...

then you can just erase it when you are done."

He's smart,I knew I married him for a reason...

And of course, the words were straight the last time...

or close enough that I'm not making them over...

except that I had left a couple smudges

on the paper from my stencil...ugh.

Another mistake...sigh.

all the mistakes I make have me feeling like a crafting hack.

Then I had an idea, why not distress the paper to make it look antiqued, and those smudges will just look like age!

I got out my distressing ink and a pouncer sponge brush,

and brushed over the whole surface, concentrating

on the imperfections and around the edges.

I stood back and admired them...I think they turned out beautiful,

but I wanted to take advantage of the fact that they had

no glass and make them three dimensional.

I found a tutorial on how to turn basic dollar store crepe

paper into beautiful little flower rosettes.You can find it here.

I made up some rosettes according to the instructions,

then glued them into the corners of my frames.

Sorry that I forgot to take pictures along the way...

{Sometimes when I don't know how something will turn out, I totally forget to take pictures.}

But, I do have a really nice "after" picture,

What do you think?

Wedding Guest Book Makeover

2011-08-08T09:29:00.003-04:00

I have been helping to plan one of my best friend's weddings.

I am doing all the decor and little details.

I found our guest book at a garage sale in a box of other

wedding stuff for ten bucks. There was also a cake topper,

~~plastic~~ disposable champagne glasses, and more...

I figured all in all I paid about three dollars for this brand new Martha Stewart guest book still in the original plastic.

Yes, its nice, but that grey ribbon is NOT.

Her colors are pale pink and dark brown,

so the grey was not going to work.

I figured it wouldn't be too hard to replace the ribbon.

well...

I couldn't find 1" grosgrain ribbon anywhere. Thanks, Martha.

I bet she sells it, but her stuff is overly expensive in my opinion.

So I went home hoping the 3/4" pink satin ribbon

I already had would somehow work.

I started by cutting the ribbon with my Xacto knife

where it goes under the protective sheet.

Then I began to gently pull it off, being careful not to rip the book.

Yeah, right...

I tried not to tear the book.

Martha apparently uses some really good glue.

That poor guest book ripped to shreds...

LOOK!

It was at this point that I crossed my fingers

and hoped for the best.

Time to try out the never ending roll of ribbon.

*crossing fingers*

This ribbon has also been used here and here.

I laid it out across the giant rip, and....

THANK GOODNESS, it worked.

It just barely covered the rip.

I used fabric glue and a paint brush to smear it onto the rip.

That worked fine until I saw a brown brush bristle under the ribbon.

NOT OK, I switched to Q-tips. Then I smoothed down the ribbon and wrapped it around the edges of the book.

I sure hope that glue dries clear...*more crossing of fingers*

Well, that darn glue DID NOT dry clear.

Well...I will deal with that later.

I need time to figure out what to do.

I attempted to distract myself by making

something for the picture frame...

I found a perfect piece of brown scrapbook paper

and used pink chalk ink to stencil the monogram.

M is for her name, J is for his,

and the O is for their last name.

Then I cut it out using the piece of paper that had been

in the frame as a template.

Then, I faced yet another issue...

The photo corners...ugh.

I got out my Xacto knife and used it like a seam ripper.

Then I put my monogrammed paper in...

and got this.

GREAT!

I have ribbon threads showing up on my brown paper!

NOT PRETTY!

Now what?

I tried to use my Xacto knife to get them out,

but that did not work.

Then I had a brilliant idea...

I glued a thin strip of pink ribbon around the inside

of the frame to hide the threads.

Next, I needed to adress the pink ribbon that

had the glue showing through...you could still see it.

I thought about making a few ribbon and lace

rosettes to put along the top third of the ribbon...

but as you will see later, I used rosettes elsewhere

and didn't want to over-do it.

Then I thought I should add another "floating" ribbon.

Meaning, I would just tack it down on the inside of the book

and let it "float" on top of the other, wider ribbon.

I found a perfect, sheer pink ribbon and layered it on top.

That worked, but I can still see the glue

through the ribbon a little bit.

Now I am wondering if I should add a bow like the original one.

Then my husband comes in and says he can't even read the monogram...Seriously? Now?

So, I took his advice and hand painted with pink paint right

over top of the chalk...

Are you ready to see the before and after?

Before:

and....wait for it,

wait for it...

AFTER:

I am pretty pleased with the results too!

Transforming Goodwill Plates

2011-08-08T07:08:00.004-04:00

So, I have this silver colored plate rack.

It was one of the first items I ever bought full price for my home.

I have had it since my first apartment, and unfortunately,

it has been sitting in a corner for a few years.

I used to use it for 3 picture frames that are long past gone.

I saw it laying upstairs looking pathetic and thought to myself...

SELF, you need to do something with this or get rid of it.

The ~~hoarder~~ collector in me picked the first option.

Then, I was on a mission...

a mission to find three red plates of the same size...

I found some lovely plates at WalMart,

but at 7 bucks a pop, I gently put them back....

I was planning on painting words on them anyway.

I looked...

and looked...

and looked some more.

I was DETERMINED not to pay over a couple bucks each.

That meant I needed to get them used.

Well, red plates are hard to find.

Then I saw someone (wish I could remember who)

out in blog land who spray painted their plates.

Genius Move!

Especially since we weren't going to be eating off of them...

First, I found 3 plain plates at goodwill and paid .59 each.

Next, I got a dollar can of spray paint from WM.

Then, I went to town on those plates.

I could have SWORN I took pictures of this project, but...

EH, guess not. Use your imagination.

I wanted to put the plate rack in my 50's inspired kitchen,

so I thought a food inspired quote or saying was in order.

I came up with "eat, drink, and be merry".

I blew the words up to the size I needed and

printed them out on my home computer printer.

Then I traced around the letters with a pencil on the BACK SIDE

of the paper so that when I turned it over and smoothed it down really well, I had a very faint impression of the words to use as a guide to paint the words. I used a paint pen for precision.

Does that make sense? I hope so,

I don't know how to explain it any better.

This is why I take pictures...ugh.

Well, I do have a picture of the finished product...

Wanna see?

In hindsight (always) I wish I'd placed the

"be merry" a little more centered.

But those words were very time consuming,

and I didn't want to repaint the whole plate.

I recommend using a stencil, not the way I did it.

It worked, but it was doing things the hard way.

Bargain Ring Bearer Pillow

2011-08-01T16:42:00.002-04:00

We still needed a ring bearer pillow

for a wedding that's in a month....yeah, 30 days from now.

Shudder

I found this for $2 at the Salvation Army.

Oh, and this was after I cut off the unsightly plastic "rings".

I could not figure out what all these ribbons were for...

So... I cut 'em off. Hehehe.

See? Isn't that better?

But....it's still a ~~little~~ lot plain, what to do with it now?

Next, I hunted for some pink ribbon.

I wanted something a little fancy.

I soon found something and decided to sew it in the middle,

going all the way through to give it a "tufted" look.

I hand-sewed it...yes, I love her.

Then I tied it in a pretty bow and.....

Here she is!

All of that cuteness for a mere $2.

She will go so nicely with the flower girl basket I "made".

You can see that project here.

You can check out a couple of the other
wedding projects here or here.

Flower Girl Basket on a Budget

2011-07-27T21:21:00.005-04:00

I am helping my friend who is getting married soon.

I {somehow} have adopted the role of:

wedding planner

decorator

coordinator

major stressor

We are trying to squeeze a big wedding

out of a tiny budget.

Her theme is a forest wonderland,

and her colors are light pink and deep brown.

We needed something for the flower girl to carry.

Traditional flower girl baskets are pretty blah...

So I decided to find one to compliment her decor.

I figured the cheapest way to go was second hand,

so I began my search at my local garage sales.

I soon found this beauty for .25

Once it was washed up it looked pretty good.

My friend liked it okay the way it was...

but I can never leave well enough alone.

I thought it needed a little polish.

Thats kind of the theme of this whole wedding...

Nature with a little sparkle.

I had these materials on hand...

The beige satin is from a baggie full of fabric I paid .25 for.

The ribbon is leftover from this project.

I warmed up my glue gun and placed my satin inside the

basket to figure out how big to cut it.

I cut around the top edge of the basket,

leaving about an inch of excess fabric.

I then turned the excess fabric inside

and hot glued it around the lip of the basket.

I "ruffled/pleated" the fabric as needed,

gluing as I went to ensure a secure hold.

Then I tied two simple pink bows on either side...

Ready to see it?

I know it's not perfect, but I

adore it.

And to top off the cuteness,

it isn't being filled with flower petals...oh, no.

It is being filled with beautiful, pale pink, shimmery,

Butterflies

Blueberry Compote: Solving the Yogurt Dilemma

2011-07-25T09:20:00.008-04:00

My kids love yogurt...

seriously, love it.

But, they don't all like the same kind.

Therein lies the rub.

Ethan likes fruited yogurts, but he doesn't like fruit mixed in.

Owen doesn't like even ONE TRACE

of fruit in his (he is SO picky).

On the other hand, Stella will eat anything...?

So, what is a Mom to do?

Here is what I do:

I buy vanilla yogurt in a large container and give it to Owen as is...

I give Ethan vanilla yogurt with fruit topping and

I give Stella(who is under two and super messy) yogurt with fruit topping mixed in (to avoid stains).

I make a fruit topping anytime I have a small amount

of fruit that I dont know what to do with

or when something ~~is spoiling~~ needs used up.

It is beyond easy.

The pectins in the fruit act as a binder.

Blueberry Compote-

1 cup ~~turning~~ fresh blueberries

1-3 Tbsp of sugar*

¼-½ cup water**

*amount of sugar needed depends on the sweetness of your fruit, it is important to taste your fruit
**start with smaller amount of water...add more if needed so the fruit has something to cook in

Add all the ingredients to a small saucepan and heat on medium to medium high heat, stirring often until berries have burst, and sauce has thickened. Store in the refrigerator in an air tight container for up to two weeks.

This fruit topping is great on yogurt, cheesecake,

ice cream or even in smoothies or milkshakes.

How to Coupon- Part 2 {Where to find coupons}

2011-07-25T07:00:00.004-04:00

Hopefully, you caught part one of the series...

If not, check it out here.

Now, you are probably asking...

Where do I find all these coupons?

1. The number one spot...in the Sunday newspaper. The number of newspapers I buy depends on the coupons that will be in it. You can find a preview of what coupons will be included here. I usually buy my newspapers at the Dollar Tree because they are only $1 each rather than 1.75 everywhere else. I hear of people who dumpster dive into those paper recycling bins on Monday morning, but unfortunately, we don't have anything like that in my area....or I totally would. Other people go through their neighbors' blue recycling bins at the curb, or have friends and relatives give them their unused coupons. The trick if you are wanting to stockpile is to get get your hands on as many copies of the coupons as possible.

2. At the grocery store...really. They are everywhere.

Manufacturer's coupons- You probably pass by them and dont even realize it. The most common is the kind that are in the form of a notepad with a sticky back, usually on some sort of display, but sometimes just stuck right next to a product. I have found these in produce, on endcaps, in the bakery section, stuck directly on the deli window, up above the meats...and definitely on displays. (They kind of hide them, I think) The next kind is called a peelie....they are a double layered coupon stuck right to the actual product on the coupon. They call it that because you have to peel the top layer off to use. Another kind at the grocery store is the booklet kind. They are usually coupons for products all made by the same company. These are usually found on displays.

In Store Coupons: There are two kinds. First is the kind offered in the weekly ad. The next kind depends on your shopper's card use. Most grocery stores have a shoppers card which is what you are required to have to participate in the sales. They take the info they get from you, like the type of products you use and will periodically send you coupons in the mail for things you already use.

Catalina Coupons- These are the coupons that print from the machine at the register. Again, like the kind the store sends you, it takes information from your current shopping trip and gives you like coupons.

3. Online-

Random lists-There are so many online services that offer printable coupons. Below are some links to my favorite reputable online coupon sites, although there are many more.

smartsource.com, coupons.com, redplum.com

Product Specific-These are usually found on the products' website, but are hit and miss whether they are being currently offered. A good way to keep abreast of them is to follow a few coupon blogs, they will let you know when new coupons are available. I follow them on facebook so that I can get the new deals right in my news feed everyday.

Here are a few of my favorite coupon blogs:

dealseekingmom.com, cincinnaticoupons.com and nanasdeals.blogspot.com

4. In the Mail-

Grocery Stores- as explained above in the grocery store section...

Complaint/Compliment Coupons- I call them that because that is how you get them. When you call a company to complain about a product, they will usually send you coupons to make up for your issue. The same is true of giving a nice compliment. I have called a company and told them how much I loved their product, but how disappointed I was that I was unable to find coupons for the product.* Lactiad sent me five coupons for free milk this way.

5. E-Coupons- These are coupons you load directly from a website to a shopper's card. I have mixed emotions about these. "Extreme Couponing" on TLC has prompted many coupon policy changes... like this: Kroger has been offering e-coupons on its website, and the policy used to let you stack an e-coupon with a manufacturer's coupon. But not anymore. Thanks, TLC. Now what happens is if you have an e-coupon for an item, it will come off of your order automatically, then lock out any manufacturer coupons' use. I found this out the hard way when I had .35 off of Bounty as an e-coupon, and $1 off printed coupon...I had planned on saving 1.35, but only got .35 off....Grrrr.

Well, now you know where to find the coupons,

you will just have to come back for the next

part of the series to find out the best ways to use them!

How to Coupon- Part 1 {The ABC's of couponing}

2011-07-21T15:19:00.001-04:00

Recently, I have had some requests...LOTS of requests, actually.

Apparently, everyone wants to know how to use coupons.

The new show on TLC "Extreme Couponing" has made more people interested...

{it's also prompted MANY coupon policy changes all around, thus making it harder for the

average person to coupon, which I am sure was not the goal in airing that stupid show,

but that is the end result...urrrgh.}

but, I digress.

So I am taking it upon myself to teach you how to coupon the right way.

No clearing of shelves, no 50 identical coupons, no scamming the stores.

This is couponing for the average ~~Joe~~ Jane...

So today I will start with the confusing lingo...

All the abbreviations you will find on the internet and what they mean.

Let's call it

The ABC's of Couponing-

$/$- means a dollar amount off of another dollar amount spent....for example: $2/$10 means you will get a two dollar reduction off of ten dollars spent.

$/#- means you get a certain dollar amount off when you purchase a pre set amount of the item....for example $3/2 mean if you buy two of the items you will get a three dollar reduction.

B1G1 or BOGO- means if you buy one you will get one free. This is the same concept as 50% off 2

Blinkie- this is a little coupon device that is located near the actual product in your local grocery store....its that little thing that when you take a coupon, another one spits out for the next person.

CRT- Cash Register Tape...just another name for your receipt

CAT or Catalina- This is a coupon thats prints out when you are at the register for a purchase in the future. This can be a coupon for a certain amount off of your whole purchase OR a cents off a certain item. You only get these if you use your shoppers loyalty card...your loyalty card keeps track of the items you purchase and will give you coupons according to your previous purchases....for example, the other day I bought Vitamin Waters and get a catalina coupon for Sobe LifeWater.

Closeouts- A term used for a deeply discounted item that may not have sold well and most likely wont be restocked to the shelves...don't forget you can use coupons on reduced and clearance items at most stores.

Coupon Policy- This is each individual store's policy on how they treat coupons. It will address what they do accept and what they do not accept. I suggest familiarizing yourself with each store's (that you shop at) coupon policy...I keep a copy of each store's official policy in my coupon binder at all times....you never know when you will run into someone who challenges your knowledge of the policy or some cashier who doesn't know...its just best to have ALL your ducks in a row. Below are links to some stores official coupon policies... These are just the big guys though...

Wal-Mart I♥Kroger.com's breakdown of Kroger's coupon policy (because I couldn't find an "official" copy), Target's (whom I ADORE for their stacking) K-Mart's is "unavailable" (I have found them to be pretty hit and miss anyway....lots of fine print when they double, watch your back), and Meijer's (at bottom of the page) Here are the major drugstore's policies... Walgreens, creativecouponing.com requested the CVS policy by mail, and Rite-Aid's.

Coupon Insert- these are the packs of coupons in the Sunday newspaper. These packs are usually sent by Redplum, SmartSource and Proctor and Gamble. These are then referred to as RP, SS or S and PG

Double Coupons- this is when a store will double the face value of savings on your coupon. I personally do not go to any stores that the doubled value exceeds a dollar....but not for lack of trying. Kroger, (my grocery store of choice) doubles anything up to .50 doubling to a dollar. Then....for coupons over .50 off, like .75 off, they will give you the difference up to the dollar....so .45 doubles to .90, .50 doubles to 1.00, .60 off doubles to 1.00, .80 off doubles to 1.00 and so on.

ECB- this refers to an Extra Care Buck from CVS. These are used like cash only at CVS and are earned through in-store promotions and are printed out at the register...more on these when I explain how to play the drug store games...

ES- This refers to the rebate program at Walgreens (WAGS) these rebate books are located by the ads in-store.

EXP- expires or expiration date

FAR- Free After Rebate

FAE- Free after Extra Care Bucks (only applicable at CVS, see ECB)

FARR- Free After Register Rewards (only applicable at WAGS, see RR)

IP or Internet Printable- these are coupons that can be printed from the internet and are now widely accepted

IVC- Instant Value Coupon, referring to the in-ad coupons at Walgreens (WAGS)

MFR- Manufacturer

MIR- Mail in Rebate- These are usually offered by the manufacturer as some sort of promotion. Usually you save your receipt and mail it in and receive a check within 4-10 weeks.

OOP- Out Of Pocket, referring to your actual Out Of Pocket expenses. This is the amount you have spent after all ECB's, gift cards, RR's, +UP's, coupons and other reductions.

OOS- Out of Stock

OYNO- On Your Next Order, usually referring to an amount off of your next purchase.

OYNP- On Your Next Purchase....see ONYO

Peelie- this refers to a coupon that is actually placed onto the item for sale...its usually a two layered sticker that you can use right away.

Q- Coupon

Raincheck- This is a slip of paper you can ask for at the store when the item is on sale but out of stock to secure yourself the sale price when its restocked in the future, even if its not still on sale.

RA- Rite-Aid

RR- Register Rewards- Exclusive to WAGS, these work like cash on your next order. They are earned in-store and are printed out at the register.

SCR- Single Check Rebates- This is Rite-Aid's Rebate Program....I love it. You buy something that applies, go online, type in a few numbers from your receipt and they send you a monthly rebate check for all of your transactions on one "single check". More on this later in "Drug Store Games".

Stacking Coupons- This is pure awesomeness... This is when a store issues its own coupons for items and allows you to use those coupons and the regular MFR coupons from the internet and newspaper in conjunction (at the same time, STACKED) thus taking two reductions off of the same item. Not too many places allow it. Target ROCKS for stacking coupons.

Triple Coupons- This is a fairy tale....I NEVER hear of anybody doing triple coupons, and when they do there are usually so many rules that it barely makes it worth it. I honestly do not know of any stores that have triple coupons...

+UP- UP Rewards- This is the reward program at Rite Aid- You use these like cash on your next order and are earned through in store promotions, they are printed out at the register.

UPC- Universal Purchase Code- This is the bar code, some rebates will ask you to cut these out as proof of purchase.

WAGS- Walgreens

YMMV- Your Mileage May Vary- you will see people saying this when they are explaining a good deal if there are variables that are impossible to factor into the price, like coupon policy and the difference in prices by region....

WYB- When You Buy- Usually referring to getting a free item "when you buy" something else

Whew.

Now you have the tools to go onto the couponing blogs and

understand them, here are a few of my faves...

Just click on them to go to their site.

Cincinnati Coupons

Deal Seeking Mom

Nana's Deals and More

Wicked Cool Deals