hip2thrift

Don't name your kid 'Phone'

2013-05-15T18:10:00.003-07:00

source

I hope everyone had an amazing Mother's Day! I saw this awesome video, that I thought I'd share with you. It's super cute and it seriously made me cry.

Seriously...don't name your kid 'phone' or 'corndog'. Just sayin'

Let's hug it out,

Mother's Day JoTotes Giveaway Winner

2013-05-12T17:00:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Mother's Day! Just wanted to take a minute and announce the winner of the JoTotes Giveaway.

Tammy Davis, you are the winner!!! Congratulations! We are so excited for you to get TWO JoTotes Camera Bags, one for you and one for a special woman in your life (just in case yoare wondering, I'm pretty special myself and don't have a JoTotes Bag j/k).

Lots of hugs.

How to Make Easy Crochet Spa Baskets

2013-05-09T23:41:00.001-07:00

Today you can find me over at Craftaholics Anonymous sharing How to Make a Crochet Spa Basket. It is a very quick project, so it can certainly be whipped up in time for Mother's Day for those procrastinators such as me.

Go over to Craftaholics Anonymous to find the full tutorial and show some comment love...pwease.

Hugs,

Today is the last day to enter our awesome Mother's Day JoTotes Giveaway.

How to make a Chunky Crochet Lampshade Cover

2013-05-09T16:29:00.000-07:00

If we're gonna be friends, you need to know that I hate baking, and if we get to hang out together, the cookies will most likely be store bought. What does this have to do with this crochet lamp shade pattern, you ask? Nothing really, except to illustrate that when you bake you have to be exact, and like one of my awesome friends told me once, it is a science. Nuh-ah. Not with crochet! You can totally wing it so much of the time, and depending on how loose or tight you crochet, on the thickness of the yarn or the size of the hook (crochet hook...not Captain Hook, in case you too are obsessed with Once Upon a Time), your work can turn out to be completely different from whatever pattern you were following, which I guess can be frustrating sometimes, but totally awesome for me. I hate following exact recipes, patterns or directions (yeah...I do get lost a lot).

That, my friends is the case with this super simple and fast project. You've seen lampshades covered with flowers, paint, burlap, fabric, washi tape...you name it...blogland has seen it. This is my crochet spin on it.

Crochet Lamp Shade Pattern

What you'll need

- This pattern will work for any size/shape lampshade that needs a little makeover. I used a 13'' diameter JÄRA Shade from Ikea that I had gotten a few years ago - Any Super Bulky weight yarn. I used Lion Brand Wool-Ease

- Size N crochet hook

Abbreviations

CH - chain

SC - Single Crochet SL ST - Slip Stitch (or join) DC - Double Crochet

Pattern & Tutorial Round 1: Chain enough chains to go around the top rim of your lampshade minus 5 stitches. For mine it was 55 CH. Making sure not to twist, make a ring by joining with a SL ST.

Round 2: CH 1. SC all around. SL ST to join (55 SC total)

Round 3: CH 1. Work a SC in each stitch. If your lampshade is a bit concave like mine, you'll have to increase evenly 4 times during this round. An increase is 2 SC in the same stitch. (59 SC total)

If your lampshade is perfectly tubular, no increases are necessary in this round or any of the rest

Join with a SL ST. Round 4: CH 3. Work DC in the back loop of each stitch to make a ledge that will fold in. SL ST in the top of the CH3 (59 DC total)

Round 5: CH 3. Work one DC in the same CH 3 stitch. This will be your increase in every row. Join. (60 DC total)

Round 6-13: Repeat Round 5 until you get to the bottom rim of the lampshade. For mine it required 8 more rows.

Round 14: CH 1. SC in the back loop all around. This is a repeat of the little ledge we created for the top brim. Join.

Round 15: CH 1. Work 4 decreases dispersed evenly around.

How to do a Single Crochet Decrease:

Put the hook through the first stitch, wrap the yarn over and pull through. You now have 2 loops on the hook. Leave both loops on the hook. Put the hook through the next stitch, wrap the yarn over and pull through. There are 3 loops on the hook. Wrap the yarn over and pull through all three loops.

Round 16: CH 1. SC all around. Join. Weave in tail.

Dress your lamp with it's new coat making sure you use the skinnier part for the top of the lamp and match the folded edge with rims of the lamp.

You're done! Because of the chunky yarn and large size hook, this is a very quick project. I did it while I watched some NBA documentary with the hubs (and no...it wasn't my choice. It was documentary night and it was between that or one about how to armor an SUV). Also, if you've ever bought a lampshade from Ikea before, than you know they usually don't work with non-Ikea lamps. Check out the tutorial about how to hack an Ikea lampshade in order for it to work for all lamps.

Enjoy a whole new look for your lamp, added texture and character!

Hugs,

Don't forget to enter to win TWO JoTotes Camera Bags. Today is the last day!

Mother's Day JoTotes Giveaway

2013-05-06T08:06:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day is only DAYS away! YIKES!! Are you ready? Do you have a gift for that special Mom in your life? Well, don't worry, we have you covered! Hang onto your seats and get ready for a FABULOUS giveaway!

With Mom Day coming quickly, the Craftaholics Anonymous® Creative Team put our crafty little heads together and decided to hold a very special giveaway just for you! We are giving away 2, yes, not 1 but TWO Jo Totes! {are you jumping up and down yet?! Because we are!} We are so excited to offer you this special giveaway! Jo Totes make us weak in the knees, so we knew they would be the perfect giveaway.

If you're in love with these bags, wait till you see JoTotes' newest bag that we have the honor to introduce to you today! Behold the "Abby" bag!

It comes in mint or lilac and is available for preorder today on May 6th.

The lucky winner will get a Jo Totes for herself and one to give to a special gal in her life!

{The Rafflecopter may take a second to load}

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GIVEAWAY RULES:

No purchase necessary. To enter, participants must like the facebook pages by using the Rafflecopter form above. This giveaway is in no way affiliated, administered or endorsed by Facebook. The giveaway closes on May 10th, 11 PM CST. The winners will be chosen via Random.org and will be notified by email on 5/11/13 and will need to respond within 48 hours to claim their prizes or other winners will be chosen. Winner must be 18 years of age or older and a US resident in order to win. Winners are responsible for paying any necessary taxes on winnings.

Disclosure: A HUGE thank you to Jo Totes for donating the prizes! We love Jo Totes and appreciate them sponsoring this giveaway.

How to make a bed canopy with an Embroidery Hoop

2013-04-26T07:40:00.000-07:00

My daughter has been making sure to remind me regularly that she is a a big girl and a princess. So, I've been working on making changes from a baby looking room to more of a toddler or as she reminds me - princess room.

Because we live in an apartment that we rent, where not much can be done to the walls, I decided to make this bed canopy, that provides a lot of impact for minimal wall or ceiling damage; also satisfying my daughter's pleading for anything princess related.

It is absolutely perfect and my daughter is absolutely in love with her 'princess bed'. Head over to Craftaholics Anonymous, where I am sharing how to make this super easy bed canopy.

Have an awesome weekend and lots of hugs,

Chevron Wrapping Paper Covered Bookshelves

2013-04-25T07:20:00.000-07:00

Though I love the look of bookshelves, decorating them is not my favorite thing. Why you ask? because I'm of the opinion that bookshelves should be practical, and used according to its destination...you know...holding books. However, if they hold only books and trinkets, they can look messy and chaotic. I did my best at marrying practical, organized and pretty. I still have boxes full of books that haven't made the cut for displaying rights, but hopefully their turn is coming soon.

Here's what I started with...

and here's what you'll need to achieve the same look:

wrapping paper (when I saw this chevron one at HomeGoods I felt like the angels were singing Hallelujah and so I snagged 3 rolls (which is all they had)
double sided tape
scissors and/or X-acto knife

Here's what I did:

cleared everything off the shelves and dusted. This was the hardest or longest part of the project (you know...since I can hardly remember when I dusted there)
removed shelves
This is when you start measuring your wrapping paper. I was soo lucky because the width of the paper was exactly the same as the width of my bookshelves backing. Remember those angels I heard at the store?...yeah...now you know why - it was a match made in heaven.
I actually didn't have double sided tape and tried using regular tape. That was a bad idea, as the paper would fall 2 seconds after i put it up and overall it made everything so much more frustrating, so I abandoned the tap route and went with push pins in the corners. You can barely tell they're there and most of them were covered by books anyway.

After I attached with two pushpins at the top, I rolled out the wrapping paper all the way to the bottom of the middle shelf that doesn't come off, made a crease and used the X-acto knife to cut. I did the same for all the rest.

It only took me one roll of wrapping paper, so for under $5, I was able to get a whole new look for the room. I like that it looks sort of nautical and will work out well for summer.

What do you think? Do your books get dusted more often than mine?

Hugs,

Spring Picnic Ideas

2013-04-15T07:02:00.000-07:00

I have to say that one of my favorite ways to eat and in general spend time with friends, family or dates is to have a picnic. There's something so magical about it in my mind. I think it reminds me of my childhood days spent at my grandparents', running in the fields, smelling the fresh air, feeling the grass on my feet, and hearing the beautiful sounds of nature. Every day was picnic day, as we ate food we had just picked from the garden.

The other day it was my turn to plan date night and so dinner and a movie it was. I didn't really want to spend money at a restaurant (does anyone else feel like they go bankrupt when going to a movie?! Seriously...way too expensive), but didn't really want to eat at home either. So picnic it was. I decided to go with a simple and light dinner, as we had a coupon for popcorn and knew that we would stuff our faces with that during the movie (romantic...huh?!)

I made a broccoli grape salad, a small plate of Caprese Skewers (recipe here) and some
awesome Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I used a mason jar for the salad, topped it with some butcher paper, and the put the rim lid on. I tied the fork with some bakers twine. I added some paper and twine to the cookies as well.

We didn't stay very long (like 15 min at the most), because the winds became very strong and the sky looked like this.

As soon as we got in the car, it started raining. I still view the picnic a succes! Your turn to go grab something simple to eat and drink, and a blanket. It will make any dinner or lunch seem fancier.

What do you like to eat on you go on picnics?

Easter recap

2013-03-25T01:11:00.000-07:00

I love the Easter season, because of what this holiday means, and what it does in terms of bringing families together.

So for this Easter we were able to spend it with close friends and family. I am grateful to have a wonderful family and especially for the amazing sacrifice of the Son of God and the Atonement he performer for us

As far Easter decor for this year, I went with a simple spring mantle and just a few words on a chalkboard.

I love to keep it simple, but this year it was mostly because I couldn't find my Easter Decor box anywhere in storage, and didn't want to spend any money to decorate. It was enough to spend on the candy for treats and eggs. Speaking of treats, my daughter wanted to give some to her friends for Easter, so she participated in filling these up.

I got the little baskets in the dollar section at Target; they came in a pack of six, and with two packs, we were all set. We added a bit of paper grass and topped it with candy. My daughter absolutely loved making these and stayed focus on filling the baskets and not eating the candy in the process.

Although easter egg hunts and bunnies are not a tradition I grew up with, I am happy to report that it was a lot of fun to watch my little girl enjoy these activities.

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter and lots of hugs,

Easter Panettone Recipe (Moldovan Style)

2013-03-21T15:35:00.000-07:00

Easter is a huge holiday in Moldova, which, if you're new here, is where I am from and where I lived until 4 years ago when my (american) husband and I moved to the US. Anyway, back to Easter in Moldova...I could say that it is a holiday bigger than Christmas. I remember dearly all the wonderful times spent with family on Easter. No bunnies, no Easter Egg Hunts, but certainly plenty of other traditions, many of which are food related.

Today I am sharing a must have for a Moldovan Easter and a new favorite of

my American side of the family.

It is a mix between the American pound cake and the Italian Panettone, and we call it 'Cozonac'. It is super yummy, but super difficult to make. I know it took my mom days to prepare for this. I've never actually attempted to make one myself using my grandma's recipe, but here's one I adapted from the Italian Panetonne recipe over at the Food Network.

I didn't have the right form for this, so I just used regular loaf pans.

Difficulty: medium

Prep time: 30 min

Inactive time: 2 hours

Cooking time: 35 min

Yield: 2 loaves

ingredients

Dried Fruits

1/2 cup diced candied orange peel

3/4 cup dried cherries

3/4 cup golden raisins

3/4 cup diced dried apricots

Dough ingredients

1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp active dry yeast

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 tsp salt

Mixing and finishing ingredients

1 cup of whole milk

1 stick of butter

¼ cup honey

2 tbs grated lemon zest

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

step by step

1. Place the dried fruits and dough ingredients into a bowl.

2. Heat 1 cup whole milk, 1 stick butter, 1/4 cup honey and 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest in a saucepan, until all the ingredients are homogenized and are about 120 degrees. Pour and stir into the dry mix in the bowl.

3. Lightly beat 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, add to the dough and mix.

4. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

5. Butter two 5-by-9-inch loaf pans and line with parchment paper.

6. Separate the dough into two equal parts and place them in your pans; cover and let rise 1 hour.

8. Whisk 1 egg with a little bit of milk, and brush your loves conservatively (as in don't dump the whole egg mixture on top; we don't want burnt omelet on top).

7. Bake at 350 degrees until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 55 minutes.

Cool before slicing.

If you attempt this recipe and it doesn't turn out well, please don't hate me. I am not a baker, and I hate following exact measurements. I didn't use exact measurements for any of the dried fruit, sugar or honey. I also, added extra flour when the dough was too thin, or water when it was too thick. I just worked it until it wasn't sticking to my fingers.

What Easter Traditions does your family have that you love?

Hugs,

Chunky Crochet Lampshade

2013-03-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had an awesome weekend and if you celebrated St.Patrick's day, hope it was fun. We didn't do much, except to the Parade downtown Denver.

Today I am really excited to share a new project, that just makes me smile every time I glance at it.

I am sharing the full tutorial and pattern over at Craftaholics Anonymous! Stop by and share some love!

Have an awesome week and lots of hugs,

Mini Crochet Hearts Garland tutorial

2013-03-11T13:23:00.000-07:00

Last month I was able to share this crochet hearts tutorial over at Craftaholics Anonymous. Sharing it here too!

You can use these Mini Crochet Hearts make a garland to decorate a room, or whatever strikes your fancy.

For this project you will need to know how to crochet a basic single crochet, and double crochet. If you are not sure about a certain step, there are really good crochet videos out there, which is what I consulted in my first days of my crocheting adventure.

For this project I used the following Supplies:

- Worsted Weight Yarn (these crochet hearts are quite small, so you can use scraps of yarn)

- H crochet hook (you can make the hearts bigger or smaller simply by using bigger or smaller size crochet hooks)

- scissors

How to Crochet a Heart Step by step tutorial:

Step 1: Start with a magic loop/circle (don't you just love the name of this step?

I'll tell you later what makes it magic)

Step 2: Chain 3 into the circle

Step 3: Work 3 treble (or triple) crochets into the circle.

This is how you make a treble crochet: Yarn over your hook twice and then insert into the circle

Pull up a loop. Yarn over. Pull through two loops. Now you have 5 loops plus yarn over. Pull through 2 loops. You have 3 left on the hook plus yarn over.

Yarn over and pull through the remaining 2 loops. You now have your first treble crochet.

Step 4: Make 2 more treble crochets.

Step 4: Make a double crochet. Yarn over and insert hook into the circle. Pull through. You now have 3 loops on the hook.

Yarn over and pull through 2 loops. Yarn over, pull through the remaining 2. Repeat process two more times. You now have 3 double crochets.

Step 5: We are now going to work on the tip of the heart. Chain 1 and then make one Treble crochet. Chain 1 again. This is the tip.

Step 6: Now let's work on the other half of the heart. (I really wanted to get cheesy here, and talk about how the two halves of the heart are meant to be together, but then I stopped myself, and stuck to the tutorial). We will be repeating everything we've done so far, but in reverse order.

3 Double Crochets into the circle. 3 Trebles Crochets and then chain 2.

Step 7: Slip Stitch by inserting your hook into the circle, yarn over and pull through both loops at the same time.

You won't believe it, but we are almost to the end. Below is a goofy looking diagram of what we've done so far:

Step 8: You see that tail or end of the yarn? Let's pull on that and tighten the two halves of the heart together. And this my friend is why they call it the magic loop.

Picture making a hat - you start with the top of the hat and you really don't want to have a hole there, which is where the magic loop comes in handy. An alternative to this method is chaining 3 and then slip stitching it together. You have a circle that you can start making your stitches into, but not much control over how big or small the circle ends up being, which is why I usually opt for the magic loop.

Step 9: Ch 1

Cut the long yarn and pull tight. Use this leftover yarn to attach it to ribbon or twine to make your garland. I used 12 different colors to make my hearts for the garland.

Take a needle, thread some twine, or thread, or baker's twine and go through all your hearts. You can hot glue them to simple cards, or attach a barrette and you have a cute hair accessory for a little girl. There are lots of things you can do with them, and since it takes about 3 minutes to whip one up, you can really make a ton during an episode of your favorite show.

I hope you enjoy making these adorable lil' crochet hearts. Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions about any steps described above.

Hugs, Iuliana

Build Your Blog Conference Recap

2013-02-23T22:11:00.001-08:00

If you follow me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, then you know that last weekend I was able to attend my first blogging conference.

I absolutely loved it! The speakers were amazing, the atmosphere was fun, easy going and inspirational, and the people were just awesome! I met a lot of bloggers, new and seasoned and they all had something I learned from them.

I was so star struck when I met some of the bloggers whose blogs I already followed, such as:

Desiree from The 36th Avenue

Here I am with 4 of the 6 sisters from sixsistersstuff. They were the

organizers and have done an amazing job.

This is Emilie from Photo By Emilie. She gave such an awesome workshop on Photography 101 and specifically how to start shooting in manual. I think my brain finally understood all that terminology and how it works. Let's see if I actually apply it! I was also the lucky winner of one of her online classes. So excited to learn more.

There are a lot of great things that I learned and was inspired to do.

Stay tuned! Coming up next '7 unexpected things you learn at a Blogging Conference'

Hugs,

Love Day

2013-02-14T18:18:00.001-08:00

It’s Valentine’s Day today and I hope you all have someone that gave you lots of hugs and kisses. I've never thought of Valentine's Day as a very big deal, but since my daughter turns everything she touches into something totally adorable, so it is with this holiday too.

Yesterday my adorable toddler was beside herself when I told her we were going to put together Valentine's Day treats for her friends. I got some cute treat cups and bags from the Target dollar section, and she put candy in each of them one by one until they were filled.

That was like an hour of pure bliss for her. She just loved being helpful. At some point I had an M&M and she made sure to remind me these were not for us, but for her friends.

Even more, she loved delivering the goodies to her friends today. She absolutely loved practicing saying 'Will you be my valentine' all day today.

We weren't able to find anyone to watch our daughter, so we all went out for a Valentine's Day bowling date. Can you believe they have size 8 bowling toddler shoes?! They looked so cute on her!

I hope you bad an awesome day. I am flying out to Utah tomorrow morning for the Build Your Blog Conference. Stay tuned for updates!

Hugs,

Iuliana

How to Crochet a Heart

2013-02-11T07:30:00.000-08:00

You guys, I am jumping up and down of excitement Today I am sharing my first contributor post over at Craftaholics Anonymous! My cheeks hurt, because I've been smiling the whole time since the post went up.

Go over to Craftaholics Anonymous to see the tutorial. These adorbs little hearts are super easy to make, even for every crochet beginner. They are perfect for Valentine's Day, and look how cute they look as a garland.

So, go over there and show me some comment love. I am so afraid that none of the Craftaholics Anonymous readers will like my tutorial, so I need your support!

I hope you have a fabulous week and lots of hugs,

Creative Clothespin Crafts and Home Decor

2013-02-09T22:44:00.000-08:00

The world of blogging is always changing and is infamous for going through different phases or trends. Chevron anyone? I am convinced that chevron will have a special place in my heart even if it goes out of fashion some day. Thank goodness that day is nowhere in sight.

What about clothespins? I’m amazed by these creative and practical uses for clothespins!!! So, I'll let you decide if they are just a short trend or here to stay.

Creative Clothespin Crafts and Home Decor

Birthday Notes with Clothespins @Pure Joy Events

Clothespins Stamp Art @Easy Peasy Pie

Reclaimed Wood Photo Display @ Talia Christine

Clothespins Party Favor Display @Country Living

Gift Tag @Quotes and Notes

Clothespin Shelf @Country Living

Week at a Glance with Clothespins…

Week at a Glance with Clothespins @BHG

Laundry Room Art @Burton Avenue

Chandelier @YHL

Washi Tape and Clothespin Wreath @Hambly Screen Prints

Chicken Wire and Clothespins for Organizing Papers @Lemonade Makin Mama

Clothespins & Tuna Can Planter @Shelterness

Modpodge Clothespin Magnets @One Arsty Mama

Clothespins to Label Baskets @Martha Stewart

Tell me in the comments what you think of clothesepins? Do you use them in decor? Maybe you use them for the original purpose of hanging clothes?

Growing up, we didn't have dryers in Moldova, and so all our clothes were dried on clothes lines. I do remember hating clothes pins, because dealing with them meant I had to hang clothes and linen. I especially hated ironing the little marks that were left from the pins. Today, I look back at those simpler times and wish I dried my clothes like that! Ah...they smelled so good and fresh, especially in the winter when all the clothes froze and then dried.

Hugs,

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to my blog by clicking on one of the icons below:

Valentine's Day Project Fail

2013-02-07T10:37:00.001-08:00

I saw this cute wreath and tutorial at Naptime Crafts (isn't that an awesome name for a crafty blog?).

and another one:

Source: craftaholicsanonymous.net via Iuliana on Pinterest

It seemed really simple and cheap to make, which is my kind of project, so I proceeded to making one.

Here is mine. Big fail. It looked so ridiculous that I really wanted to show you how my

projects ~~often~~ sometimes turn out.

No matter what I did, the wire hanger did not look like a heart. I have found that my artistic abilities are very limited and most of the time look done by a second grader. I am not sure if my hands are growing from a different place as other crafters' hands, or it really isn't that simple to shape a wire hanger into a heart. To feel better, I will probably just use the latter justification. Plus, I didn't have burlap and used a strip of canvas, which was also torture to thread unto the wire I didn't bother to add more fabric, because it was gonna be ridiculous anyway.
Oh booo....

Although this was a failed project, I don't feel like my Valentine's Day is ruined or anything.

Hugs,

Superbowl Recipes

2013-01-31T07:30:00.000-08:00

I like soccer. I am European and so I like soccer. But since most of my readers are american and superbowl is coming up soon, I figured you'll be watching it, Maybe I will watch too...you know...so I can impress my american husband with my knowledge of the game, which is currently limited only to
the fact I think the game is too violent.

When I think of Super Bowl food, I think of hearty soups & chilis, yummy appetizers & easy-to-eat snacks, anything bite-sized, and delicious, munch-able treats. This is a collection of recipes that have caught my eye, and started my mouth watering. Some of these are not very friendly, so choose one and balance it with fresh veggies and water instead of soda. Enjoy!

.....

The Ultimate Super Bowl Dip

Football Strawberries

Snickers Popcorn

Monkey Caramel Bread

Hot Pizza Dip

Individual Seven-Layer Dips

Caramel Cheesecake Apple Dip

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sausage & Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pulls

Chili & Garlic Chex Mix

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Walking Tacos

Baked Potato Soup

Mini Meatball Sandwiches

.....

Are you looking for some healthier options?

Check out these links...

11 "Healthier" Super Bowl Food Ideas!
Healthy Super Bowl Recipes

Have a fabulous week!

Craftaholics Anonymous Team

2013-01-28T14:55:00.000-08:00

You guys...I have some super duper awesome news for you guys!!! I am part of the
2013 Craftaholics Anonymous creative team, which means more awesomeness all around. I will be posting over at Craftaholics Anonymous once or twice a month sharing new projects, including fresh fun and simple crochet projects to add some natural texture and DIY goodness to your home decor.

I am still super shocked to be part of CA, which is one of my favorite blogs ever!
Go ahead and read the full creative team post! So excited!
Hugs,

DIY Jewelry Display and Storage

2013-01-23T20:06:00.003-08:00

When it comes to jewelry (and things in general) I am an 'out of sight, out of mind' type person. This means that I rarely wear jewelry, because I don't remember I have it. With so many ideas roaming around blog world, I had to make my own jewelry display and it only cost me $2 to make.

If you want to make your own, you will need:
- cork board (I got mine for $1 from the Thrift store)
- upholstery tacks ($1 from the Dollar Store)
- fabric (had this already)
- hot glue

All I did was take the fabric and hot glue it on the back of my cork board (sorry...no picture of this step). Make sure you stretch your fabric well, so that it doesn't hang loose.
If you have a staple gun, you can use that instead.
I don't, so I used what I had.

I put upholstery tacks all around right up against the frame. This step is optional. I just liked the way it looked. You can stop now, and you'll still have a cute and functional jewelry display. I however drilled tiny little holes at the bottom of the frame and screwed in small hooks for more space to hang my necklaces. I use regular push pins to hang the rest of the jewelry. The cork board makes it all stable, yet easy to change. I hung it on the wall with command strips and done!

Hugs,

New Year {healing with the GAPS Diet}

2013-01-11T13:59:00.004-08:00

This post is not about anything crafty, so if today you came here for a thrifty transformation project, you can skip reading this post.

Since the new year has started, I have read a lot of inspirational health and resolution related posts by fellow bloggers, and have felt so inspired and encouraged. So, I decided to put it all out here in the hopes that this will be helpful to someone and that I feel accountable to you guys.

See, in the last 2 years I have gained about 80 pounds and have felt so sick all the time.After a year of struggling, I finally got diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, which is pretty much an auto-immune disease where my body attacks my thyroid. It has caused my weight gain, my permanent lethargic state, depression, and a slew of terrible digestive and sleep disorders. I was given hormone replacement medication, which is what I used to take for my hypothyroidism, but that hasn't helped at all. A friend of mine recommended that I read Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms? When My Lab Tests are Normal, which advises against gluten. So, gluten free I went. I've seen some improvement in the first month, but went back to feeling crappy soon after. I persevered in my gluten free diet, but often have fallen off the wagon. It was very discouraging to not see results, so I'd give in.

After more-or-less abusing my body over the holidays, I'm ready to try a new strategy, which I have been contemplating for some time. It is called the GAPS Diet. My new awesome doctor recommended it and I am excited. The GAPS Diet is based on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) created by Dr. Sidney Valentine Haas in America in the early 20th century. SCD was later popularized by Elaine Gottschall in her book "Breaking The Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health Through Diet". Gottschall wrote the book after her success with it in curing her daughter, who had suffered from severe ulcerative colitis and neurological problems.

Dr. Natasha Campbell-Mcbride, the author of the book, "Gut and Psychology Syndrome" (GAPS) has used the SCD diet coupled with other practices to help many people suffering from autism, ADD, ADHD, depression, anorexia, schizophrenia and many other health problems.

The goal is to improve my immune system function, as well as my terribly toxic digestive system, so that it is no longer attacking my thyroid. I will keep a personal record of what I eat and how I feel. After 3 months I will test for antibodies against my thyroid tissue.
I am hoping to share the progress with you guys. I am also hoping to be able to loose weight, and feel like a good mother and wife, which has been a challenge to feel like for while now.

I have found a few good resources to help, including some blogs. I ordered this ebook from a blogger at HealthHomeHappy, to use as a guide for my first 30 days. This is not a short term diet through; most people have to be on it for 2 years before they are completely healed.

Source: healthhomehappy.com via Iuliana on Pinterest

The Plan:

Week 1

Avoid the following items:
All industrially processed food
All sweeteners except for raw honey, eaten raw
Most dairy, except butter and ghee
All grains and starchy vegetables and seaweed
All starchy foods such as arrowroot powder, cocoa, carob, baking powder, etc
All spices except salt and pepper

Eat mostly the following items:
Stock and stock-cooked meat, fish, seafood and vegetables
Raw and undercooked eggs
Lacto-fermented vegetables
Fresh vegetable juice
Raw meat and egg yolks
Nuts and seeds
Fruit
Raw Honey
Butter and ghee

Encourage Healing With the Following Practices:
-Drink 2-3 cups of homemade water kefir daily
-Take the following supplements (which are unique for my needs): zinc and vitamin A
-Take Fermented Cod Liver Oil
-Take 1 probiotic capsule daily
-Drink fresh vegetable and fruit juice daily
-Eat raw liver at least 2-3 times per week (either juiced or blended in beet kvass...sounds yucky, but I'll try my best)
-I may take an enzyme supplement but I am still looking into that option.
-As usual, avoid, as much as possible, all toxins in my environment.

Week 2-Week 4
Depending on how I feel I may introduce home-made yogurt, some cheeses and cultured cream at this point. I will also add spices and some raw veggies.
I am really excited, because so many of these foods are what I grew up eating - very organic and not processed. I will also be training to do another 10k in March!

Have any of you done this healing diet, and if so, what has been your experience with it?
Please tell me I can do it.

Hugs,

Post Christmas Cleaning

2012-12-28T10:14:00.000-08:00

Source: someecards.com via Iuliana on Pinterest

Zip Lock Power - I use them for everything when it comes to packing up my Christmas decorations. I keep all my ornaments, and all other home decor pieces in ziplock bags. It helps tremendously when I start decorating again, because it is all neatly packed. Love it.

Recycle and Reuse. I know that sometimes it is easier to just throw things the way they are straight to the trash, but it really is worth to recycle your boxes and paper. Also, I am all about reusing, so if you have boxes, wrapping paper, bows, and ribbons that are still in good shape, you can keep them and reuse them next year. Fold and store things neatly.

Christmas Cards - I usually put all the Christmas cards in a big Ziploc bag and display them the following Christmas. When I get a new one from a specific family, I replace the old one. I feel bad throwing them away. I've heard people scanning them and keeping them that way. I haven't tried that and I am not sure I will find the ~~patience to deal with my ridiculously stupid scanner~~ time to do it in the future.

Donate - in the spirit of holiday giving and of having space in your closet, donate some old clothes for every new piece of clothing you got as a gift. Awesome way to suppress any hoarding tendencies, of which I know nothing about, and a great way to help good causes by donating to goodwill or any other thrift store in your area.

Replace your old media - if you got cds, dvds or books, you can use websites such as paperbackswap.com, cdswap.com and dvdswap.com, and thus make more space by getting rid of your old ones.

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

2012-12-26T09:00:00.000-08:00

I hope you are all enjoying your time off and time with family and friends. I have been doing just that, and although it's been lots of fun, it's also been exhausting and taken a bit of a toll on my health. I may be MIA for awhile, or I may not. I guess, what I am trying to do is figure out some things for me and my family, and I wouldn't want this lil blog of mine to suffer prematurely. In the meantime, here are a few pics of my dearest ones enjoying Christmas.

Isn't the expression on her face and reaction to her gift just priceless?! Love my baby!

For Christmas Day dinner I made a big ol' moldovan style Christmas feast and it was awesome. Memories are full and leftovers are sparse.

Happy New Year!

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5 stress-free ideas to make your Christmas morning more meaningful

2012-12-24T10:07:00.000-08:00

1. Happy Birthday to you! It is Christ's birthday, so why not light a candle and sing a quick happy birthday to Jesus. It is a cute and fun way to remind us all the reason for the season, and get the kids involved. My daughter has been thanking God for Christ's birthday the whole month of December.

2. Gratitude Session - my mother in law is a counselor and using the word 'session' seemed appropriate to describe this simple step. You know you and your children will be opening gifts. It is often potentially a pretty crazy activity. After each gift, just encourage your children to thank the giver. You can even have a stack of thank you notes ready for them to write into. I like to mention how much they are loved and what a generous gift they have received. Be an example - show your gratitude.

3. Merry Christmas in different languages
Why not take a fun minute and say Merry Christmas in a few different languages. That naturally happens in our household...you know...since I am a foreigner and all.
English - "Merry Christmas!"
German - "Froehliche Weihnachten!"
Hawaiian - "Mele Kalikimaka!"
Italian - "Bon Natale!"
French - "Joyeux Noël!"
Danish - "Glaedelig Jul!"
Finnish - "Hauskaa Joulaua!'
Brazilian - "Boas Festas!" or "Feliz Natal!"
Portuguese - "Feliz Natal!" or "Boas Festas!"
Spanish - "Felices Navidad!"
Swedish - "God Jul!"

4. Place your main Nativity on the hearth of the fireplace. When the kids came down on Christmas Day, “Santa” will have moved it to under the tree and in front of the presents…reminding us of the real “reason for the season!”

5. Wrap nativity scene pieces. Have the kids open each piece and set the nativity scene. Then open your gifts.

Most of all, don't stress out about any of these things. If you are able to spend quality memorable time with your family, your Christmas is successful!

Have a wonderful Christmas you all!

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{Real spirit of Christmas giving} Christmas morning story

2012-12-23T21:57:00.000-08:00

He woke suddenly and completely. It was four o'clock, the hour at which his father had always called him to get up and help with the milking. Strange how the habits of his youth clung to him still! Fifty years ago, and his father had been dead for thirty years, and yet he waked at four o'clock in the morning. He had trained himself to turn over and go to sleep, but this morning it
was Christmas, he did not try to sleep.

Why did he feel so awake tonight? He slipped back in time, as he did so easily nowadays. He was fifteen years old and still on his father's farm. He loved his father. He had not known it until one day a few days before Christmas, when he had overheard what his father was saying to his mother.

"Mary, I hate to call Rob in the mornings. He's growing so fast and he needs his sleep. If you could see how he sleeps when I go in to wake him up! I wish I could manage alone."

"Well, you can't Adam." His mother's voice as brisk, "Besides, he isn't a child anymore. It's time he took his turn."

"Yes," his father said slowly. "But I sure do hate to wake him."

When he heard these words, something in him spoke: his father loved him! He had never thought of that before, taking for granted the tie of their blood. Neither his father nor his mother talked about loving their children--they had no time for such things. There was always so much to do on the farm.

Now that he knew his father loved him, there would be no loitering in the mornings and having to be called again. He got up after that, stumbling blindly in his sleep, and pulled on his clothes, his eyes shut, but he got up.

And then on the night before Christmas, that year when he was fifteen, he lay for a few minutes thinking about the next day. They were poor, and most of the excitement was in the turkey they had raised themselves and mince pies his mother made. His sisters sewed presents and his mother and father always bought something he needed, not only a warm jacket, maybe, but
something more, such as a book. And he saved and bought them each something, too.

He wished, that Christmas when he was fifteen, he had a better present for his father. As usual he had gone to the ten-cent store and bought a tie. It had seemed nice enough until he lay thinking the night before Christmas. He looked out of his attic window, the stars were bright.

"Dad," he had once asked when he was a little boy, "What is a stable?"

"It's just a barn," his father had replied, "like ours."

Then Jesus had been born in a barn, and to a barn the shepherds had come...

The thought struck him like a silver dagger. Why should he not give his father a special gift too, out there in the barn? He could get up early, earlier than four o'clock, and he could creep into the barn and get all the milking done. He'd do it alone, milk and clean up, and then when his fatherwent in to start the milking he'd see it all done. And he would know who had done it. He
laughed to himself as he gazed at the stars. It was what he would do, and he musn't sleep too sound.

He must have waked twenty times, scratching a match each time to look at his old watch-midnight, and half past one, and then two o'clock.

At a quarter to three he got up and put on his clothes. He crept downstairs, careful of the creaky boards, and let himself out. The cows looked at him, sleepy and surprised. It was early for them too.

He had never milked all alone before, but it seemed almost easy. He kept thinking about his father's surprise. His father would come in and get him, saying that he would get things started while Rob was getting dressed. He'd go to the barn, open the door, and then he'd go get the two big empty milk cans. But they wouldn't be waiting or empty, they'd be standing in the milk-house,
filled.

"What the--," he could hear his father exclaiming.

He smiled and milked steadily, two strong streams rushing into the pail, frothing and fragrant.

The task went more easily than he had ever known it to go before. Milking for once was not a chore. It was something else, a gift to his father who loved him. He finished, the two milk cans were full, and he covered them and closed the milk-house door carefully, making sure of the latch.

Back in his room he had only a minute to pull off his clothes in the darkness and jump into bed, for he heard his father up. He put the covers over his head to silence his quick breathing. The door opened.

"Rob!" His father called. "We have to get up, son, even if it is Christmas."

"Aw-right," he said sleepily.

The door closed and he lay still, laughing to himself. In just a few minutes his father would know. His dancing heart was ready to jump from his body.

The minutes were endless--ten, fifteen, he did not know how many--and he heard his father's footsteps again. The door opened and he lay still.

"Rob!"

"Yes, Dad--"

His father was laughing, a queer sobbing sort of laugh.

"Thought you'd fool me, did you?" His father was standing by his bed, feeling for him, pulling away the cover.

"It's for Christmas, Dad!"

He found his father and clutched him in a great hug. He felt his father's arms go around him. It was dark and they could not see each other's faces.

"Son, I thank you. Nobody ever did a nicer thing--"

"Oh, Dad, I want you to know--I do want to be good!" The words broke from him of their own will. He did not know what to say. His heart was bursting with love.

He got up and pulled on his clothes again and they went down to the Christmas tree. Oh what a Christmas, and how his heart had nearly burst again with shyness and pride as his father told his mother and made the younger children listen about how he, Rob, had got up all by himself.

"The best Christmas gift I ever had, and I'll remember it, son every year on Christmas morning, so long as I live."

They had both remembered it, and now that his father was dead, he remembered it alone: that blessed Christmas dawn when, alone with the cows in the barn, he had made his first gift of true love.

This Christmas he wanted to write a card to his wife and tell her how much he loved her, it had been a long time since he had really told her, although he loved her in a very special way, much more than he ever had when they were young. He had been fortunate that she had loved him. Ah, that was the true joy of life, the ability to love. Love was still alive in him, it still was.

It occurred to him suddenly that it was alive because long ago it had been born in him when he knew his father loved him. That was it: Love alone could awaken love. And he could give the gift again and again. This morning, this blessed Christmas morning, he would give it to his beloved wife. He I could write it down in a letter for her to read and keep forever. He went to his desk and began his love letter to his wife: My dearest love...

by Pearl S. Buck