Home Sweet Homebodies

I am still here.

2013-05-21T14:43:00.001-06:00

Sometimes these things just happen. Sometimes we walk away from our blog even though it has been a positive thing in our lives, because there are other, more positive things to focus on for a while. Like improving physical and emotional health, and working on family relationships that need to be strengthened.
I feel bad that I have been MIA for 5 months without saying anything (if there's anyone still reading this blog!) but I kept thinking I would be coming back to it... anytime now! But things didn't happen that way. I had a really hard winter. I did what I needed to do to nurture myself and my family, and I'm pleased to say that after everything, I am feeling like I might be able to have somewhat more of a presence here.

I have learned some things about myself. I have rearranged some of my priorities, and found some tools and resources which have helped immensely. I have recommitted to nurturing my personal spiritual health (meaningful daily prayer and scripture time, as well as meditation- I have particularly enjoyed Kundalini Yoga mantra meditation). I feel good. :)

I am coming back to blogging. I have been writing a few posts in my head for a while now. I have been working on making a cute, comfy dress for myself which I am excited to share. I plan to continue sharing sewing and crafty type projects, but I anticipate a slow change to start including other types of posts here too.

I guess the other thing I learned is that the {figurative and literal} winter doesn't last forever. Eventually spring does come, and the world is rosy again. Aren't new beginnings wonderful?

In Remembrance.

2012-12-17T15:57:00.000-07:00

My heart has been aching ever since the senseless tragedy in Connecticut on Friday. I know you all feel the same way, and like you, my family and I are praying for those who are sorrowing this Christmas season.

I have some projects to post, but it seems more appropriate to share them with you later this week.

Until then, I will leave you with the words of a hymn, which I love, and which my mom posted the words of today (thanks mom).

Come, Ye Disconsolate

Come, ye disconsolate, where'er ye languish;
Come to the mercy seat, fervently kneel.
Here bring your wounded hearts; here tell your anguish.
Earth has no sorrow that heav'n cannot heal.

Joy of the desolate, Light of the straying,

Hope of the penitent, fadeless and pure!
Here speaks the Comforter, tenderly saying,
"Earth has no sorrow that heav'n cannot cure."

Here see the Bread of Life; see waters flowing
Forth from the throne of God, pure from above.
Come to the feast of love; come, ever knowing
Earth has no sorrow but heav'n can remove.

Text: Thomas Moore, 1779-1852. Vs. 3 Thomas Hastings, 1784-1872 Music: Samuel Webbe, 1740-1816

Angel Ornament Kid's Craft

2012-12-06T14:12:00.002-07:00

Here's a quick idea for a fun craft to do with a group of children or just one or two! I did this with the kids in our neighborhood playgroup last year and they all seemed to enjoy it.

You will need: 1 marshmallow, 2 doilies, a toothpick, some ribbon, red and black sharpies, tacky glue or hot glue, and some yellow embroidery floss or pipe cleaner for a halo.

Directions: Fold one doily in half, and the other doily in quarters. Glue the quartered doily on top of the half- doily, as shown in the picture. Poke the toothpick up through the middle of the half- doily; the marshmallow goes on the exposed toothpick end. Glue in place. Cut a small piece of yellow floss or pipe cleaner and make your halo- glue it on. Use the ribbon to make a loop to hang on the tree- glue that in place too. Use the sharpies to make a face on the angel.

Fun, easy craft for the kiddos!

This year, I think I am going to have our playgroup make this simple but very cute ornament from Fun Home Things:

What crafts are you planning to do with your kids this year?

No-Socks Slipper-Mocs

2012-11-30T17:59:00.001-07:00

I am so excited to share with you a tutorial on how to make these simple, cozy, moccasin- style slippers... a perfect gift idea for Christmas for your husbands/ fathers/ sons/ brothers/ friends! Of course, you can use more feminine fabric and make these for the women in your life too!

The basic slippers are made from just two pattern pieces. It doesn't get much simpler than that! Let's get started.

Click to download the 4T pattern

Make Your Pattern

I am sharing the pattern I made for my son (approximately size 4T- click the picture above to download), but you'll have to make your own pattern for any other sizes you might need. Don't worry; it isn't hard- here's how.

Sole Piece
1. Grab a piece of paper large enough to fit your food and then some.
2. Trace your foot ("your" foot meaning whatever foot you want to make these slippers for!)
3. Round out the toes.
4. Measure and mark 3/4" to 1.5 inches out from the toes (the smaller measurement for kid sizes, the larger for adult sizes). Draw a line 1/2" to 1 inch behind the heel. Draw a 2" to 3+" line extending out at about a 170 degree angle (again, depending on if it is child sized, or adult sized). You may need to experiment a little to get the kind of fit you like.

5. Measure and mark 1"- 1.5" out from the widest part of the foot, and connect to the 2" line you just drew.
6. Following the contour of the toe, draw a curve connecting the three measurements you have marked out.

Upper Piece
7. For child sizes, draw a 3.5" line, with perpendicular lines on the top and bottom- the top line measuring 2.75", and the bottom line measuring 3".
8. Connect the lines to make a trapezoid, then round out the corners as shown above.

The picture above shows the abbreviated process for making an adult- sized slipper- for the gals. The upper piece above includes an option for a longer upper that can be folded up to get the effect shown in the gal's slipper picture at the top. For men's sizes, I would use the upper range of the measurements listed above, and make the sole piece at least 4" wide depending on the foot measurement.

Gather Materials

Pattern pieces, fabric (I recommend something heavy duty, like an old pair of jeans), scraps of faux- sherpa (or other suitable lining), and fabric of your choice to reinforce the soles (this is optional, but it will really lengthen the life of the slippers. Alternatively, you can put puffy paint or something on the soles to give it grip and make it last longer), pins, scissors, sewing machine.

I made this pair of slippers for my 2 year old, and I already had this anti- skid gripper fabric, so I went ahead and used it for him. You could obviously use any other material you wanted, including another layer of denim, perhaps with puff paint on the bottom.

Cut Out Pieces

Cut two each of the sole and the upper in both fabric and lining. If you are using denim, decide if you like the look of right side in, or right side out better. Make sure you are cutting out a left and a right foot- flip the pattern or fold the fabric to get two opposite feet. Also, if you wish, use the tracing of the foot that will be wearing the slippers, and round out the toes a tiny bit to come up with your pattern for the sole reinforcement piece.

Assemble Sole

1. If you are adding a sole reinforcement piece, pin it onto the right side of the fabric, with the heel of the reinforcement piece almost touching the back edge of the fabric.

2. Sew the reinforcement piece down using a wide zig zag stitch.

3. Sew the matching lining fabric onto the sole piece, wrong sides together. See my skillfully drawn dotted lines on picture 3 above? Sew around the sole piece as shown, from one corner to another, with a 1/4" seam allowance.

4. Sew the back heel seam by matching up the side corners, lining sides facing each other. Yes, the seam will be "inside out".

5. Sew the upper of the lining to the upper of the fabric, wrong sides together. (pictured below)

Attach Upper to Sole

First, pin the middle of the top of the upper to the middle of the top of the sole piece, as shown.

1. Working from the middle, make small, even gathers, pinning after each one.

2. Do the same number of gathers on each side. Try to make sure they are all the same size.

3. This is what the top looks like. Stop pinning right before the upper piece starts to curve in.

4. Carefully sew the upper to the sole piece, sewing on top of the existing stitching on the upper piece.

Finishing Touches

You could be done now if you want- the raw edge has its own appeal, especially for the grown-up guys; continue if you like the fluffy edge going around the heel.

1. Cut a strip of your lining fabric that extends all the way around the heel from one side of the upper to the other. Fold it over the raw edge.

2. Pin the strip at intervals and sew in place.

3. Trim the raw edges so they are even- the strip you just sewed and also the gathered area around the toes.

And, repeat from the beginning for the other slipper!

Now you've got some pretty dude-ly moccasin slippers (or sweet, if you made 'em for a gal). Either way, they are sure to keep toes toasty and happy! Happy slipper sewing!

Headband Patterns

2012-11-24T22:03:00.000-07:00

Hi all!

It has been a looong time since I last posted here at Home Sweet Homebodies. Between graduating from college, going abroad, getting a full-time job, and having a baby in the past year and half, I just haven't had much time for anything extra! Things are starting to calm down around here though, and I hope to do more posts in the near future!

Remember these headbands? Well, its been a long time coming, but I've finally written the "Anna" Crochet pattern and put it up in the etsy shop, along with this headband pattern. I hope to write more in the near future!

"Anna" Headband:

Thanksgiving Crescent Rolls

2012-11-12T14:08:00.001-07:00

{This was originally posted in 2010, but I still have people asking me to share this recipe, so I am re-posting it and trying not to let my mouth water too much.}
I could have titled this post "The Best Rolls. Ever." -and it would have been true. My childhood memories of Thanksgiving dinners at my Grandparents' house always include hovering with my cousins over the napkin- covered baskets full of steaming, homemade, mouth- watering rolls. True, we loved just about everything put on the table for the Thanksgiving feast... but oh, the rolls! We could have stuffed ourselves just on those beauties alone. After I got married, my husband and I begged my Aunt Susan for the recipe, and she so kindly shared it with me. I have made these rolls so many times now, and they taste just like I remember. (I think what makes them so delicious is the butter... there is a lot. Don't say I didn't warn you!) I almost feel like I am sharing a secret family recipe, but I think great food is meant to be shared, and I hope you will enjoy these rolls as much as I do!

Thanksgiving Crescent Rolls

Yield: 48 rolls

1 c. + 2 Tbsp. butter
2 c. water, divided
2 rounded Tbsp. yeast
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
5-6 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder

Melt 1 cup butter in 1 cup of boiling water. Add 1 cup of cold water and when warm to the touch add the yeast and sugar. Allow to sit 10-15 minutes or so until bubbly (this is called "proofing the yeast", which ensures that the yeast is active and gives flavor to the rolls). Then add 2 eggs, mixing well (do this in a large bowl, or your stand mixer bowl). If you have the time, sifting the flour first will help make the rolls even more light and fluffy. Add 5-6 cups of flour, adding the salt and baking powder between the 4th and 5th cups of flour. For me, 6+ cups of flour is what it takes. Mix well. The dough should still be soft and sticky. Let rise double in bowl while covered with a clean, non- fuzzy dishtowel (about 2 hours). You can speed up the process a bit by placing the bowl in a warm area, e.g. preheating the oven for about 3 minutes, then turning the heat completely off, and placing the dough in the oven to rise. Punch the dough down and divide into thirds. Roll each dough ball into a circle (about 14 inches in diameter) and cut into 16 wedges with a knife or pizza cutter. Roll each wedge up from the fat end towards the middle of the circle. Set on cookie sheets, cover with dishtowel, and let rise again, 1- 1 1/2 hours (or you may freeze the dough at this point). Optional: Melt the remaining butter and use a pastry brush to top each roll with a little butter. Bake rolls at 400* F for 9-10 minutes.
Variations: Use this dough to make orange rolls or cinnamon rolls by adding 2 tsp. vanilla extract with the eggs. Roll the dough into 2 rectangles, butter the dough and sprinkle with (a lot of) sugar & grated orange peel, or brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll the dough into a log shape and use a piece of long thread or dental floss to cut the dough in 1 inch intervals by sliding the floss under the log, then crisscrossing the ends and pulling tight, all the way through the dough. Arrange circle slices on baking sheet, let rise, and bake as directed above.
Enjoy!
My additions in italics.

I look forward to baking these rolls next week. They are definitely one of my favorite parts of the meal (foodwise of course). I can hardly wait! I would love to know if you try them out, and I will do my best to answer any questions you may have (with the understanding of course that I am no culinary master)- just leave a comment or shoot me an email.

What is your favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner?

Baby Girl Refashions

2012-10-30T21:36:00.000-06:00

Here's a quick share of some baby girl refashion ideas...

This set is made of an old maternity shirt (pink stripes) and a bit of an old white Tshirt. (Pardon the phone pictures.)

I made the onesie using an old onesie that I cut apart as my pattern. The scratch mitts were made from my Infant Scratch Mitt Pattern and Tutorial here, and the tie-top hat was made from Tie Dye Diva's pattern found on Sew Mama Sew.

Don't forget the ruffles! Lots and lots of ruffles.

Flannel burp cloths- yeah, these are not refashions, although some are made from scraps of fabric used to make jammies, but I am including them anyway, because they are a great way to use up small pieces of fabric, and you can make them out of old flannel shirts, pants, even jersey Tshirts. They can have batting in the middle or not. I made my own pattern for these, but there are several free versions on blogs- just Google it or check Pinterest! These tend to be more absorbent than the ones you can buy from the store, so these make nice gifts.

Baby leg warmers made from Dollar Tree socks. Again, there are several free tutorials out there to make these.

This is a peasant skirt that I tried so hard to like, but it was just too generous in adding bulk around my hips, and... I just don't need any extra volume in that general area. So, my hip- fluffing skirt became a sweet little summer dress for my niece who should be arriving in the next few weeks!

The extra material made a nice diaper cover- tutorial found on MADE.

Can't wait to meet my niece in the very near future! :D Think happy, positive childbirth thoughts for Marissa if you will- good karma, right? Maybe soon I can post pictures of the little miss wearing some of these outfits!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2012-10-24T16:59:00.002-06:00

Source: http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/

Breast cancer awareness... a matter close to my heart. Besides having more than one family member who has battled breast cancer, I am a public health nurse at my local health department's women's clinic, and one of my main functions is to screen for and educate about breast cancer. October is almost over, but it's never too late to be reminded to get screened! And even though I post this (or something like it) pretty much every year, I think it is important and worth re-posting, because I care about each of you- so here you go!

Important breast cancer information:
If you are at least 20 years old, you should be doing self breast exams. I know you may feel uncomfortable, or it may be difficult to remember, but do whatever you have to do to remind yourself! Put a note or sticker somewhere you will see it, or choose to do it on your birthday- date each month. If you are at least 40 years old, you need a mammogram every 1-2 years (every year after age 50). Men, please encourage the women in your lives to do this- it may save their life. When breast cancers are detected early, women have an excellent chance of survival. If you need a reminder on how to do a self- exam, check out this link that has step- by- step instructions.

I like to tell the women I screen that doing a breast self exam isn't really about following a rigid set of instructions or searching for cancer. Thinking of it that way can cause anxiety that may cause you to avoid even thinking about it. I recommend being aware of your body- becoming familiar with what is normal for you. Think of it as a way to have peace of mind. If you do notice a change, whether it be a lump, a change in color or texture of the skin on your breast, a change in shape or appearance of any part of the breast, or anything out of the ordinary that persists and doesn't resolve, you should have it checked immediately by a health care professional.

As women, we put so much of our energy into taking care of other people that we sometimes neglect to take care of ourselves. Please consider that you can best care for those you love by keeping yourself healthy! What I'm saying is that there really isn't any good excuse for not giving your health the attention it deserves.

If money or lack of insurance/ underinsurance is an issue, there are programs that offer free or low cost mammograms to women over 40 each year if you meet certain income requirements. The clinic I work at is one of these programs, and there are programs like this all over the U.S. You can check out the CDC’s website to find out if you qualify.

What can you do to help?
1. Get yourself screened.
2. Spread the word and encourage someone you love to get screened.
3. Show support this month for breast cancer awareness and those who have battled breast cancer by wearing pink or the BCA ribbon.

A Wendy Dress

2012-10-13T21:35:00.000-06:00

A couple weeks ago, a friend of mine called me up and asked for help in creating a costume for her daughter, who had landed the role of Wendy in her school's production of Peter Pan. We couldn't find a reasonably priced costume, a nightgown that looked like it could be altered, or a pattern specifically for a Wendy dress, so I semi-cautiously decided to make a pattern myself. (How hard could it be? No matter that I mainly sew little boy stuff... hahaha.)

We opted to follow most of the stylistic traits of Disney Wendy's dress, with a change or two of our own.
I started by taking measurements and drafting the bodice pattern (I actually didn't start completely from scratch on this, but I radically modified an existing girls dress pattern- including resizing it and pretty much changing the entire shape, so... yeah, I'm going to count that as drafting.). Thankfully, I made a muslin first, because I needed to make several changes to my first draft to make it fit correctly.

I altered a simple cap sleeve to become a perfect puff sleeve using this technique on Vani's blog. Thank goodness for Google searches and awesome people who put up random super-helpful tutorials.

The skirt is just one rectangle, 1.5x the width of the waist measurement. I know there are other, probably better ways to do this, but this is what I knew and felt comfortable doing, so I went with it. The bottom ruffle is 2x the width of the skirt. I sewed the zipper in first, and then sewed the rest of the back seam together. Oh, and I added a hook and eye above the zipper. The ribbon belt is tacked on at the side seams to keep everything together in the wash.

I used a little extra ribbon to make a matching hair bow. (I have to admit that because I don't have daughters, this is actually the first bow I have ever made- and I really didn't know what I was doing- so don't judge too harshly!)

I lined the bodice of the dress for 3 reasons: First, for the "seamless" look on the neckline; second, for a "no-itch" feel- which apparently is really important to eight year olds. Third, lining the sleeves gave them a little more volume.

I do have to say that the puff sleeves might be my favorite part of the dress. Aren't they just adorable? I'll just answer my own question- yes!- they are about as adorable as the eight year old wearing them!

The dress isn't perfect, but it makes a pretty good Wendy-bird costume for the play and for Halloween! I have to say that I am relieved that it turned out and I didn't mess the whole thing up... whew! Has anyone else taken on a project they weren't sure they could deliver on and how did it turn out?

Ugly Duckling T-shirt Transformations

2012-09-21T14:13:00.002-06:00

Is it just me, or does everyone have a basket/pile/box/bin of clothes that are technically unwearable as-is, but have tons of potential if reinvented? (I guess I shouldn't admit that I actually have three bins full of such articles...) These four unlovely and unloved shirts came from one of my bins. Two of them were previously- loved shirts of mine (from an earlier fashion- phase), and two were pre- loved shirts from D.I ($1 each).

I drafted a little pattern for baby leggings and transformed this shirt into a cute pair of lace-bottomed, ruffle-bummed girl leggings (for Marissa's baby, of course)!

With plenty of leftover fabric, I created this flower headband to match!

Using the same leggings pattern I drafted earlier, I transformed this stretched out sequin trim shirt from "Closet Disco Wannabe" to "Subtle Sparkling Diva"! Both pairs of leggings were soooo easy to make, since I didn't have to hem the legs- I just used the fun trims.

I believe this shirt was previously a men's size large which had shrunk in the dryer. I used a T-shirt that I like the size of as a pattern to cut this shirt down to size. Of the plentiful fabric scraps left over, I made the flower, stem, and leaves, which I pinned down and sewed over with contrasting thread.

This pink shirt was a women's size XL which had also shrunk in the washer (I'm assuming, since it fit me just fine when I bought it at D.I.) I used more of the scraps from the white shirt (which I cut into long strips) to make the swirly designs- you can see how I pinned them onto the shirt on the top right of the picture below. I also added a little modesty panel because I really hate layering shirts. I didn't bother trying to keep the white strips straight; I figured it would have more character if I twisted, and turned the fabric. I sewed with white thread down the middle of each strip. This one took a little more time than the rest, but still probably close to an hour, so not too bad! Since I have worn and washed it a couple times now, I like how the swirls look even more than that "brand new" look.

Want to see some of my other women's shirt transformations?
Check out this flutter sleeve refashion, this quick modesty refashion, the stripey shirt refashion, this awesome spring shirt refashion, and, should you be interested, a regular T-shirt turned nursing shirt.

Do you have any go-to refashion techniques for shirts?!

Mother and Baby Shower

2012-09-05T14:33:00.002-06:00

I mentioned very briefly in my last post that while in Oregon, we had a baby shower. What I didn't mention was that it was a shower for my sister Marissa! My mom, my sisters and I collaborated and planned it all, with Marissa's help and input, and I think it was a success!

Marissa wanted frilly, lacy, pink-y loveliness as the theme, and so that's what we did!

Marissa and I got together and laughed hysterically- as we usually do- while we designed the invitations. We were able to make them entirely out of what we had on hand already. :-) The pink part is a sleeve which the invitation slides out of. The umbrellas, clouds, and hearts were cut using my Silhouette machine. I designed the text part of the invitation in Inkscape.

If you are going to ask people to RSVP, it is a good idea to not only include your phone number, but also your email address- some people (including myself) don't like to call. We also created a facebook event. Hey, we just figured that the easier it was (and more ways there were) to RSVP, the better response we would get.

I had read about an idea of a "mother blessing shower" in one of my favorite new books (The Gift of Giving Life- seriously an amazing book; I would say that reading it, along with their blog for the past two years has changed my life and the way I think about motherhood- I'm not paid to say that, it's just true. Go check it out; you won't be disappointed, even if you just read through the archives of some of the positive birth stories). I was charmed with the idea that while it is great- and really fun- to focus on the baby, a shower is also a great opportunity to celebrate motherhood. So, taking the suggestion from the book, in our announcement we invited people to bring a blessing or good thought for Marissa and a bead or charm to represent it, which would be put on a charm bracelet for Marissa to wear and feel happy vibes! ;)

This was a blank paper we included in the invitation for people to bring their written good wishes on.

The shower was fun (I really enjoyed seeing people I haven't had the pleasure of visiting with for many years in some cases) and lovely of course. We used pieces from our mom's wedding china to hold flowers and candy. My mom also had a great collection of crystal and glass serving dishes, and glass snack sets which she inherited from her mother. I had picked up mini- chalkboards from the craft store recently, and those were fun to use, along with ribbons, and tons of tissue paper that we turned into flowers and pom-poms.

Ooh, before I forget, the menu included assorted fresh fruit, gluten/dairy/egg free brownies (which were amazing), oreo truffles, jordan almonds and Dove chocolates, dark and white chocolate drizzled popcorn, and heavenly pink sorbet punch. Mmm.

Here's the cute pregnant mama... I wonder why I couldn't get her to look at the camera?!

Something else we did that I have seen done at other showers is pass around a basket of blank envelopes for people to address to themselves to make it that much easier for Marissa to send out her thank-you notes. (Whoops, don't have a picture of that one, but you can use your imagination...)

A few nights ago, Marissa and I got together, and we added jump rings to all the charms, and attached them on to a bracelet that we made. I think it is adorable, if a bit crowded- but you can never have too many blessings, right?! Some of the charms were meant for the baby some day, so ultimately, a few charms will be removed and it won't be quite so crowded.

Here's what it looks like on. Artsy, unique, lovely, and a reminder of all the love, blessings, and good wishes from friends and family!

As a gesture of gratitude/ favor of sorts for those who attended, we made about 30 of these crocheted friendship bracelets with a bead in the middle. The idea was that people would grab one as they walked out the door, but of course we forgot until half of the people were already gone. :P Oops. Maybe they will go out in some of the thank you notes.

We definitely had fun with this baby shower, and I really liked the "mother blessing" part. It seems appropriate to me that this portion could be done for any mother- regardless of how many babies she has had, or if she needed an actual "shower" for the baby. Honoring motherhood and womanhood is always a good move in my book! Tell me what you think in the comments!

Home Again, Home Again, Joggity Jog...

2012-08-28T22:25:00.000-06:00

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind for me, and I expect the next two weeks to be more of the same. However, I wanted to pop in and share a bit of what I've been up to...

Baby shower fare

A road trip to Oregon, during which we packed in a baby shower, a cousin tea party, taking my handsome brother's senior pictures, a backpacking trip, an anniversary getaway, visiting family, and all the outdoor stuff the guys like to do (tennis, racquetball, golf, paintball, shooting), shopping, etc.

Tea party lovelies

Since we've been home, I've registered my son for preschool, gone to work (I am an RN), attended playgroup with my kids, and had eye surgery. Yup, it's been crazy.

My brother... photo credit to my awesome hubby.

In the next little while I have trainings and meetings, my usual work, a webinar, and a mandatory weekend conference for work, playgroup, preschool starting, and working extra hours at a health fair. Add in a couple of birthdays and family coming into town, plus all the laundry I still need to catch up on from our trip and things are about to get interesting!

I'm certainly not complaining about my life right now; in fact, I feel incredibly grateful. Just busy, so with that, I will leave you with a these pictures, and I will be in and out, hopefully, with more photos from some of the things we have been doing, and some new projects.

Until then, peace!

Steps to a Wearable Wardrobe: When Your Flutter Sleeves Are Flying Away

2012-08-08T15:52:00.000-06:00

How was that for a ridiculously long post title? It was almost as ridiculous as I feel wearing flutter sleeves. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind them on other people, but it is the wrong sleeve for my arm, and it makes the difference between a cute shirt that gets worn and a mostly- cute shirt that takes up space in my already- full- closet, making my husband raise his eyebrows when I state that I have nothing to wear.

Take this shirt for example. Cute detail on the neckline, good length, generally flattering- oh wait- those sleeves are going to get me airborne if there is a breeze. See what I mean?! Truthfully, it is just a personal preference, but if you have the same quandary as I do, maybe I can help you.

In this refashion, we'll be transforming a flutter sleeve to a gathered cap sleeve by threading a piece of elastic through the casing of the sleeve hem.

First, inspect your armpit. No, not yours, your shirt's! You're going to use your seam ripper to cut two tiny slits to thread the elastic through, so you'll want to determine the placement for those.

You don't have to mark where you're going to cut the slits; I just did so you can see where I put them.

Attach a piece of elastic to a safety pin and insert it through the tiny slit you just cut with your seamripper. If your shirt is made of a stretchy knit fabric, this will be easier. [I suggest measuring around your upper arm and cutting that exact length on the elastic. When you sew it together, it will be snug around your arm. Or just make it whatever length you want. I'm not here to micromanage you. :) ]

Thread the elastic all the way through the casing.

Sew the ends of the elastic together any way you can. It doesn't have to be pretty. Clearly.

Slide the ends up into one side of the casing so it doesn't show. If you want to be finished with this project already, you can stop here. Well, after you do the other side of course.

Otherwise, you can take a needle and thread and sew up the slits you made and keep the elastic concealed.

Ta-Da!

Repeat for the other side, and here's what we're looking at:

I like it and it only took about 15 minutes! So what do you think about flutter sleeves? Love 'em? Hate 'em? Let me know in the comments. (Hopefully I didn't alienate anyone with my feelings about flutter sleeves- haha.)

Let Them Eat Cake

2012-07-23T14:05:00.002-06:00

Cake is kind of a big deal in our family... birthday cakes are a labor of love, and while not every year has its masterpiece (we have to be realistic here, some years it is all I can do to present the birthday boy with a full belly and a clean face; forget about beautifully wrapped presents and gorgeous cakes) we do like to have fun with our cakes.

I thought it would be fun to share a few of our birthday cakes from the last year or two!

Front Loader Cake (as per the then-2 year old's request)

Noah's Ark Cake

The Noah's Ark cake was made with Marissa's help; it is covered in delicious chocolate marshmallow fondant that we made (painful, I don't particularly recommend it). The animals are made of fondant as well. We were going to make tons of animals in various colors, but it took so long that we called it good here. Marissa used dye and a paintbrush and painted lines to look like boards on the ark.

Barbie cake made by Marissa for our sister Cara's 20th birthday- to commemorate the barbie cake Marissa made when Cara was... 7 or so.

Simple layer cake with paper bunting sewed together and glued on bamboo skewers.

My 4 year old's Airplane Cake.

I was so glad that a) Marissa helped me with this cake, and b) that we started it the night before. Marissa frosted the cake with 3 different colors to give the fluffy sky/cloud look, and I made the wings, windows, and banner out of gum paste, and let those dry overnight. We formed the body of the plane (also the night before) out of rice krispy treats. We used store bought fondant to cover the body of the plane and the wings (as well as add all the decoration) the following day. The wings were all attached with toothpicks.

Pretty pleased with his airplane cake!

My birthday cake!

I take no credit for this cake whatsoever; except that it was made (by Marissa) for my birthday! It's been 8 years since Marissa and I have been together on my birthday, so it was an extra special treat! The flowers were made of fondant. Also, this cake turned out to be one of my favorite cake flavors so far- pink lemonade cake with lemon-almond buttercream frosting. Whoa! So good.

For those of you who don't know, my sister Marissa is one of the "Homebodies" but has been on hiatus from blogging to do important things like finishing school and internships, traveling the world, working full time, and now growing a tiny human being! >excited squeal!< So perhaps we'll see her back here in the future (maybe I can prevail upon her to share more of her own cake masterpieces she is so talented at- who knows!) if we're lucky.

So- back to cake... what traditions do you have for birthday cakes? Birthday child gets to pick? Costco cake? Ice cream cake? Brownies and ice cream? Themed cakes? Let me know in the comments!

New Things Around Here

2012-07-10T08:28:00.000-06:00

A new color scheme...

A new Twitter account and button...

A new site badge (that actually works- check out the right sidebar)...

A new page ("I believe")...

And a new policy...

This new policy will be explained in more depth on its own page soon for those with questions. Until then, just shoot me an email!

The Missing Piece

2012-07-06T15:52:00.002-06:00

A while ago I posted my master bedroom transformation that was finished all except two big empty spots on either side of my bed.

I was considering making more faux-metal wall art from TP tubes like I did here, but to be honest, the thought was exhausting to me, and I felt like that wasn't something I wanted to spend time doing. So, the spot remained empty... until a couple of weeks ago I was at a fabric store and noticed their decor aisle was 60% off and I found two of these:

I said "Yippee!" in my head and it was a done deal.

So there you have it! The transformation is complete and I couldn't be happier. :)

Watermarking Your Blog Photos (After Publishing)

2012-06-30T20:18:00.000-06:00

Photo watermarked after original publishing on blog

If you blog, and your blog is public to anyone on the web, you probably know that you should be watermarking your photos to offer them a bit of protection from... well... plagiarism.

But what if you've been blogging for years, and somehow watermarking just wasn't a priority? Now you're looking at hundreds (at least) of photos that need watermarking. It's overwhelming and altogether impractical to think of going through and editing each and every photo and re-uploading it into each post.

That has been my dilemma for quite some time, but after Picnik went away (RIP, Picnik), Google integrated some of the Picnik functionality with Picasa Web Albums, and the result is that you can edit photos that were uploaded long ago, and they'll be automatically updated on your blog (and any other blog that might be hotlinking your photos) without having to re-upload anything, if you save it correctly. I'm going to show you how to do that. The only downside is that there is no way to batch-edit that I am aware of- you have to pick and choose which photos are most important to watermark, and do them one at a time, a little at a time until you've finished them.

This tutorial is for bloggers who use Picasa Web Albums to host their images (i.e. instead of uploading photos from your computer straight into your blog post, the images are stored in Picasa Web Albums and embedded into the post by the URL generated by Picasa). Also, I use Blogger, so I can't speak for how well this works on Wordpress or Typepad blogs, or for using a photo hosting site like Photobucket. If anyone tries it with another photo hosting site or blogging platform, let me know, and I'll post those results.

On to the tutorial:

Here is a screenshot from a post I did a couple of years ago, and I had not watermarked any of the photos. I really didn't feel like I needed to watermark each and every one, but I wanted to do the first photo, shown above, and the last photo, shown below.

First, I went into my web album where I was storing my photos for this post, and I selected this photo.

Second, I went into the "Actions" dropdown menu and clicked "Edit in Creative Kit".

Once in the creative kit, I clicked text.

In the text box at the top left I typed in my blog URL and clicked the font I wanted to use, then clicked "Add".

The text was added, and I had the opportunity to re-size it and choose the placement. Then on the menu that pops up while the text is selected, I used the slide bar to select the amount of fade I wanted. Depending on the colors and exposure in the picture, 40%-70% fade is the range that typically works the best.

Once the watermark is in place, click "Save to my album" in the top right corner, then when the "Confirm Photo Replace" popup comes up, you must click "Replace". Obviously, if you haven't yet published the blog post, you could click "Save a new copy" if you wanted to preserve the original for some reason, but replacing the original is the only way to update the photo in your already- published post without re-uploading the photo and re-publishing the post.

Within a minute or two, the photo will be updated on the blog.

As I mentioned before, replacing the original photos with watermarked ones in this way will not only automatically update your own blog posts using those photos, but any other site which is hotlinking your photos (that is that they are displaying your photos by copying your photo URL and inserting it into their own post, or just straight out copying the html for your whole post... this will not work if they have copied your original photo to their own computer and uploaded it themselves) will be updated with the watermarked photos as well, hopefully regaining you some lost traffic.

I have to mention that watermarking is not the most foolproof way of protecting your photos, but it probably is the easiest and most time-efficient deterrent to photo- swiping. I think when it comes down to it, nobody wants to be the photo/ blogging police- after all, most people are well intentioned, and/or perhaps aren't up-to-date on their blogging etiquette. In these circumstances, sometimes the best thing is to do... nothing (except watermark your photos- ha!). Do you agree? Disagree?

Cleaning Tip: Air Vents

2012-06-25T14:47:00.002-06:00

This tip will work for any vent; I used this on our air intake vent (the most shockingly dirty vent in the house).

Below, my 2/3 cleaned vent is nice and white on the left side, and disturbingly grungy on the right side. I am convinced that you cannot appreciate the actual level of grime by looking at the picture. Believe me, it was obvious to anyone walking by.

So, how do you clean a vent without taking the whole grill off? My dear neighbor, who cleaned professionally at one point, taught me this trick.

First, gather cleaner of choice, a metal butter knife, and a cleaning rag.

Second, wrap the cleaning rag around the knife- if it is a thin rag, double the layer.

Third, spray the vent with cleaner and insert knife between the metal slats. Clean side to side.

Fourth, readjust the rag as necessary so you have a clean area of the rag to use. Rinse and repeat.

Et voila, after less than five minutes: a vent that is spic and span!

My Super Cereal Supplement: A Granola Recipe

2012-06-18T17:50:00.001-06:00

Here's a post of Marissa's from the archives that you might enjoy!

Being young, married, tight-budgeted college students, my husband and I have been trying to get creative and think of things that we can make on our own, that we would normally pay more for at the grocery store.

Unfortunately, one of those things that a large part of our grocery budget is dedicated to is cold cereal... When we came to this realization, and talked about the possibility of reducing the cereal consumption in our home, there were tears.... Yeah, I cried! I know it sounds silly. But you don't understaaaandd! - My whole life up until now, cereal has always been a part of my breakfast. It has always been there, waiting for me, like a true friend! How could I even think of including any other breakfast food in my morning meal? And all through my single years of college, what would I have done for breakfast and dinner, if I hadn't had my cereal waiting there so patiently in the cupboard for me? I could go on, but I'll spare you my "life cereal" poetry... that's just embarrassing.

As we talked about cutting cereal out of our lives, I thought of my morning bowl of cereal and all its deliciousness and glory. I couldn't bear to let it go. I knew I had to come up with a solution. Well, I actually came up with two!

SOLUTION #1: only cut back on cereal, rather than cut it completely out. Instead of going through 3-4 boxes of cereal per week, cut it down to 1 box, and supplement it with other foods like eggs, toast, fruit and yogurt. It's been working pretty well so far. I tried buying two kinds of cereal and splitting them each in half, so that we could have a variety still, but keep it at 1 box's worth of cereal. That has worked decently well - I just put the other half in a gallon ziploc bag.

SOLUTION #2: (This one is my favorite) Make. Granola. That counts as cereal, and do you realize how much cheaper it is to make it??! I found a recipe on allrecipes.com for really simple granola, with typical ingredients you would have on hand. I have made it 4 times now, each time, changing it a little so I liked it better, and now, I have come up with a recipe that I really like! I'll share it with you because I'm just hoping it will give you as much joy as it has brought to me. :)

Honey Almond Granola

2 c. old-fashioned oats (or 1 c. quick oats and 1 cup old fashioned if you want it to be in clusters)
¼ c. Sliced almonds
¼ c. + 1 Tbsp flaked coconut
1 Tbsp packed brown sugar
1 ½ tbsp vanilla pudding powder, divided
½ tsp cinnamon
Scant ¼ tsp. salt
½ c. orange blossom honey (or clover honey)
* milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp almond extract

Directions:
1. Combine oats, nuts, coconut, sugar, 1/2 Tbsp vanilla pudding powder, cinnamon and salt in a mixing bowl.
2. Measure 1/2 cup honey into a liquid measuring cup, an then add milk on top of the honey* until it is up to 2/3 cup.
3. Add 1 Tbsp vanilla pudding powder, vanilla and almond extract to the honey and milk, mix together and pour into dry ingredients. Mix well.
4. Bake at 280 degrees for 35 minutes. (check every 10 minutes, stirring each time) Bake until golden brown. Let it cool (and if you want it to be in clusters, let it cool before you stir it again), and store in an airtight container.

For a low sugar version - I have made it without the brown sugar or pudding powder, and just let the honey do all the sweetening, and it is still delicious.

I have found that Granola is a very forgiving recipe - you can really tweak it to meet your desires - If you want to add something or leave something out, you can, and it won't mess it up!

*EDIT 7/28/10: I found out that boiling the honey for 1 minute and then adding it to the dry mixture helps to soften the oats so they aren't so hard and crunchy and hard to chew...

**Rochelle's notes 6/18/12: An alternative to using quick oats is to just pulse the old fashioned oats in your blender for a few seconds. I have tried this recipe with agave and it works well. A fun way to change this recipe is to add in some dried fruit after the bake time. I usually go with craisins, but you could add whatever you like.

A Quick Modesty Refashion

2012-06-13T16:19:00.000-06:00

Just a quick post to show one of my more recent refashions; alas, I took no "before" pictures, but just imagine this shirt without any of the white fabric, and with a neckline that goes halfway down to my belly button (well, don't imagine me wearing it that way, just imagine how sad it was in my closet, never being chosen because of its refusal to comply with my decency standards).

Those who know me well know that I have little patience for shirts that require tank tops or camisoles underneath. Hence why I stopped wearing this shirt. Adding in a faux tank top modesty panel helped with that, but didn't fix the issue completely, so I inserted a far-from-professional-looking single box pleat in the back of the neckline. I also added the sleeve "extensions" because the sleeves were so wide that they didn't help me much.

Now this shirt is much more comfortable to wear! Oh, and I forgot to mention that all the white fabric came from a camisole I found at D.I. for about $3 last summer for such a purpose as this!

Camping, and Kiddie Sleeping Bags

2012-06-04T14:21:00.001-06:00

I grew up in a camping family. Not so much your ordinary campsite camping, but the backpack in a few miles in and stay a few days kind of camping. Every summer, usually around mid-August, we would pack up and go.

My dad was there too, but he is taking the picture!

There was usually some of this...

sometimes some of this...

and we certainly did this...

After I got married, we went with my family a couple of times, but then life got busy, and we had kids.

Last week we went camping for the first time since we have had kids; in actuality, it has been about 7 years. We were excited to let the kids experience it (even though it was your standard campsite kind of camping) and let them play with rocks and sticks and dirt, but we were also a little concerned about how to keep them warm at night (with temperatures in the low 40s) since our kids don't stay in sleeping bags or keep their blankets on well.

What ended up working for us was to layer as much as we could. So, each of my boys had on an undershirt or onesie and socks, pajamas I made for them out of my husband's old thermals (pictured above), and zippered footie pajamas on top. Each of the boys had their own little sleeping bag (made by me) and their usual blankets they sleep with on top.

I made this sleeping bag a few years ago for my oldest son. I used 4 matching quilted pillow shams- I just sewed them together, leaving one side partially open and adding velcro for functionality.

Fully extended sleeping bag

Velcro closures

The end of the sleeping bag folded up for more warmth

I also made this sleeping bag for my younger son in preparation for our camping trip. It is made from a hodgepodge of different fabrics I had laying around. I figured if I had to go buy fabric I might as well just buy a sleeping bag, so I made it work with what I already had and busted some of my stash in the process... win! (I used two different kinds of batting, two different kinds of fleece, and two different jersey knit fabrics, and and old 24" zipper- a real mish-mash).

Well, the kids didn't keep their sleeping bags on too well, but that might partly be due to the fact that they were so excited to be sleeping in a tent that they could barely hold still. Once they fell asleep we had readjust the sleeping bags/ blankets a couple times but they stayed warmer than me! (I checked, and while I had ice cold ears and nose, they felt nice and toasty warm. I obviously should have implemented the same layering strategy for myself.)

I forgot the camera on this camping trip (shame on me) but we have a couple more camping trips planned, including a backpacking trip with my family later this summer! Woot!

Has anyone camped or backpacked with toddlers? What advice do you have?

Tabdump Tuesday

2012-05-15T14:41:00.000-06:00

Well, funnily enough, after my post on escaping household clutter, I realized that my computer is fairly cluttered. I have to admit, I am pretty hard on my computer; I usually have anywhere from 3-7 programs open at a time, and my browser(s) usually have... um... dozens of tabs open collectively. Pinterest has actually helped this somewhat, but not everything I am interested in is pin-able, or even pin-worthy. So today is tabdump day!

Here's what I have been reading/ musing over recently (in no particular order, and no implied endorsements):

Know Your Stuff (free online home inventory software for insurance purposes etc.)
Is Preeclampsia Preventable? YES! by Banned from Baby Showers
Eat Your Sunscreen? by Wellness Mama
My Brightest Diamond singing 'I have never loved someone' (a lovely lullaby)
Tutorial: Land of Nod inspired Floor Cushion by Living With Punks

Happy Tuesday!

Escaping the Clutter

2012-05-14T14:58:00.002-06:00

I struggle with clutter. Growing up, it took me years to realize why my dresser top and my shelves didn't look tidy even after spending an hour "cleaning" them- or more accurately, re-arranging the knick- knacks and clutter on top of them. I did eventually learn that cleaning was more than reorganizing a mess (without putting anything out of sight) and that the best look for my dresser was "bare, with 2 or 3 attractive accessories".

My kitchen clutter "hot spot" (ala FlyLady)

These days I feel oppressed by clutter, stifled even, but still it accumulates... doo-dads in hidden nooks and crannies, baskets full of random items longing to be put away, and even stacks of mail and broken toys that dare to loiter in plain sight on my kitchen counters. The clutter has become so much more offensive now that I am acquainted with the freedom of shiny, clear counters and dresser tops that imply endless possibilities.

Shiny dresser... ahh!

So what is a girl to do? If only it were as simple as just putting all the clutter away... Is anyone with me here? A year ago or so I really got to work organizing and busting my clutter. Don't get me wrong, it is still an issue and I am working on it everyday, but when I realized that we were not going to be able to sell our condo (due to the economy) and move to a bigger home, I decided I was going to do what I could to be happy for as long as we end up needing to stay here.

Are you in a similar situation? Have you reached a point where you know Something Must Be Done (!) or have you learned to embrace the clutter and just go with it? Or maybe you are a champion homemaker and you don't have this problem... (?)

I can't promise that I can solve your clutter monster problem, but I can share what I did and what is starting to work for me.

Ack! Another hot spot (office)

Here's where I started: I looked at my clutter problem (which had me all antsy and irate about my perfectly lovely and comfortable condo, which we seemed to grow out of at an abominably quick rate) and decided to figure out what I could do based on where the clutter problems were coming from. I think we can classify some clutter problems as "out of our control" issues and others, well, it is up to us to "take control".

The "out of our control" issues:

Apartment/ condo/ home is too small; there just isn't a "place for everything"
Babies/ Toddlers/ Kids... need I say more?
Budget- to a degree, you have to work with what you've got as far as furniture, organizing materials, etc.

The "need to take control" issues:

Tendencies to hoard certain items
Priorities- If you can't stand the situation and there is something that can be done to improve it, then make it more important than browsing Pinterest, right?

A little closet organization never hurt anyone.

First, I addressed the "need to take control" issues. I am not a hoarder per se, but I love a good recycling/ upcycling project, and sometimes I tend to get a little carried away in the materials collecting process. There came a point that I had bags and bags of empty toilet paper rolls, boxes of glass bottles that I had washed and saved from various drinks or condiments, and containers of random pieces of junk that I "might use someday". I just had to realize that enough is enough. I used quite a few of those toilet paper rolls for various projects, but when those were finished, I had to just be done with them, and recycle the rest. Same with the glass bottles. I went through all my craft materials and recycled, donated, or otherwise disposed of several huge bags worth of junk. New rule for myself: I will not hoard craft supplies unless I have a clear plan of what I will be doing with them. As for my priorities, I didn't just try to organize the whole house in one day, I have been trying to pace myself a bit and work on one area at a time- and it is working, slowly but surely!

My crafting supplies (not counting sewing stuff) all fit in these bins (at least now they do)!

As a side note, one of my clutter problems stems from junk mail... half of it I can't throw away because I feel like it needs to be shredded, so it accumulates. Here is one solution I have found that seems to be working: Catalog Choice. Just save your junk mail, go to their (free) website and enter the information they ask for for each catalog, and they will opt you out of mailings and name sharing. It's pretty cool, and no, I didn't get paid to tell you that!

Next, I got to looking at the "out of my control" issues and wondering if there really wasn't anything I could do. As it turns out, there really wasn't anything I could do about moving to a bigger home yet, but I could rent a small storage unit and fill it with as much rarely-used stuff as I could possibly squish into it. So I did, and that made a huge difference in how spacious my home felt. Crib? Gone. Changing table? Gone. Unused furniture? Gone. Boxes of baby clothes too small for my kids? Gone. During this whole process I had to really ask myself "Do I want to pay to store this for x number of years?" each time I put something in a box to go to storage. Consequently, I donated or tossed a lot of stuff here too.

Cheap shelf and baskets that add storage to our guest bathroom.

As for the kids? Yeah, nothing I can do about the constant messes they make, but I did what I could to organize their toys, and I try to hold them accountable for at least picking up all the toys in the front room before going to bed (at a minimum). Last week I changed my routine for the morning, so that we all do some cleaning together. I have my 2 and 3 year old sons picking up items and running around the house putting them away. They help me clean every room in the house, put away laundry, throw garbage out, and pick up their toys. I pay them (mostly pennies and nickels) for each task they do, and they love putting the coins in their money jars through a little slot I cut in the lid (originally a small plastic peanut butter jar). Last weekend I was shocked to realize that every single part of my house was decently clean- not perfect- but acceptable. Today is more of the same. It is because of this little routine change that we have implemented.

Now the budget was a tricky one, but I got my husband on board with me and we made a list in a spreadsheet of all the items we wanted or felt like we needed to make our home more comfortable. That list includes things like smaller furniture for certain rooms, organizational materials like storage containers, shelving, paint, and a few home improvements that would add storage space. We save our money and try to check a couple of things off the purchase list each month.

It is working! I think I am always going to have to be mindful of clutter and work to keep it at bay, but for the first time in my life I am starting to feel like I am going to be able to conquer it!

What have you done to combat clutter from taking over your home? Changed routines? Are you a pro? Still working on it? I'd love to hear what you're doing!

Power-Through-The-Day Treat Bars

2012-05-07T14:39:00.000-06:00

I ran across a wonderful recipe about a year ago on the Green Smoothie Girl blog which I have been making ever since I found it. It is a {mostly} raw “power” bar that is similar to Luna bars in that some major ingredients are nuts and fruit (the only non- raw ingredient is the gelatin). But don’t be deceived; while it is somewhat “healthy”, it also has a deliciously fudgy texture. Now be warned, this is not low calorie or low fat bar (190 calories, 87 from fat). However, it contains mostly unsaturated fats, and it is very filling- great for when you need just a little snack pre-workout, or mid-afternoon. In addition, some of the ingredients are awesome superfoods (chia and flax) and eating one bar meets ~25% of daily dietary fiber needs for most people. So eat it in moderation or call it a "treat replacement bar" and feel really good about yourself! :D

By the way, I have adapted this recipe somewhat; the directions below are my way of making it, in my own words, and all photos are mine. If you want to see the original recipe and instructions, go check it out on the Green Smoothie Girl Blog here.

Power-Through-The-Day Treat Bars (Adapted Version)

2 C unsweetened, reduced fat shredded coconut (unsweetened is important; check your health food store)

1 ½ C chopped almonds

½ C other nuts (i.e. pecans, and/or hazelnuts, or just more almonds- your choice)

2 C chopped dates (I buy the Dole pitted California dates- you’ll find these at most grocery stores)

½ C flax seed

½ C chia seed

½ C unsweetened cocoa powder

1 ½ C unsweetened carob chips (you can substitute chocolate chips if you don’t like carob)

1 pkg. plain gelatin

½ C hot water

½ C honey

½ t salt

2 t vanilla

Measure the coconut, nuts, dates, flax seed, chia seeds, cocoa powder, and carob chips into a large mixing bowl. Blend this mixture in your blender (you really need a good, strong blender for this) 1-2 cups at a time, and dump into another bowl to separate blended and unblended ingredients. When all of the ingredients are ground to a pretty smooth, fine consistency, pour them back in the large bowl and set it aside.

Measure out your hot water and gradually add the packet of gelatin, stirring as you pour. Let it sit for 3-5 minutes, then pour it in the blender (don’t worry about any remaining ingredients from the coconut mixture you just blended). Also pour in the honey, salt, and vanilla. Hit the “pulse” button on the blender a few times, and watch the mixture turn white and bubbly!

Pour the liquid from the blender into the coconut mixture in the large bowl and stir the whole thing well. Line a 9x13 pan with aluminum foil then dump the whole mixture into the pan. Moisten your hands as needed with cold water, and press the mixture flat into the pan so the surface is even.

Chill the pan in the freezer for up to one hour (so the mixture is set but not too hard) then remove from the pan by lifting the foil. Place on a hard surface and cut into 2”x2” bars. Slide bars into a heavy duty ziplock bag or other container and keep frozen (or at least refrigerated) for best results.

Enjoy!

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Ring Box Photo Frames

2012-04-30T09:49:00.001-06:00

I am going to be occasionally re-posting a few of my older posts (2+ years back) that most of you haven't seen, starting with this fun recycling project! I hope you enjoy it!

I have a couple of shoe boxes full of those little boxes that rings, watches, and assorted jewelery come in- both the fancier hinged kind, and the cardboard ones. Being the recovering pack rat that I am, I still have to look the other way when I am decluttering in my craft room, because they are just so dang cute that I cannot get rid of them! And anyway, I might be able to turn them into something fantastic, right?

Well, after 12+ years of collecting these little boxes that I might use "someday", I am finally figuring out how to give them new life! I hope to share many different ideas; here is my first.

I kept the boxes my engagement ring and wedding band came in, thinking they were just too pretty to throw away. I wanted to do something sentimental with them, and display them somehow without looking junky. They reminded me a little of photo frames, and that seemed like a feasible option.

I had to rip out the padding so that photos could lay flat over each square opening. I thought about also ripping out the other piece that covers the hinge, but decided to leave it in.

I used E6000 glue to stick the two boxes together, and the drying time was pretty short. I recommend using some sort of clamp to hold the boxes exactly where you want them.

I measured the squares and chose 4 portrait- oriented photos and re-sized them to fit the openings, which for this project was 1.5 x 1.75 inches. For sentimentality, I had to choose one photo from the day we were engaged, where my husband was actually holding the ring box- it seemed only fitting. The rest are from right after we were married, and from our reception.

I glued each photo over the square opening, and let it dry. I kind of wish now that I hadn't left the white strip that covers the hinges, but not enough to rip the whole thing apart and start over.

For now, my little frame will live on top of my computer desk.

This idea works well if you have 2 identical ring boxes, but you could still use just one with cute results! I am going to tweak the idea a little more with some of my other gazillion boxes and see what I can come up with. I would love to see pictures if anyone else tries this (or some other way of recycling a ring box)!