Jen's Happy Spot

Teacher Appreciation Pencil Decoration

2013-05-07T20:34:00.000-07:00

I was hanging out with my husband the other day on one of our ultra glamorous dates, and we ended up at Home Depot. As we were wandering around the SUPER fun brick section (sense the sarcasm,) I saw a small little box full of what looked like potential pencils. I had seen an inspiration piece on Pinterest and thought I could totally swing my own version. What a perfect gift for Teacher Appreciation week!! I was able to finish 3 of them in about 1 1/2 hours.So, I had recently finished a project for my Mom and had some left over paper that was the same color as a pencil. Score!! I also found some paper that reminded me of an eraser, so it seemed like I was in good shape. I used my handy dandy Cricut to cut the names out of vinyl, some twine and ribbon for a hanger and some eye hooks from my craft stash. I painted the tip of the project with black paint to simulate the lead. And that is about it! I suppose I could have cut the wood with my new scroll saw, but if you find a box of 12 stakes on a glamorous Home Depot date, for $2.79? You buy them. Then you make pencils. The end. ;-)

Patriotic Banner

2013-04-26T09:26:00.000-07:00

Here is another project I made to coordinate with the other patriotic decorations I made for a friend. Pretty straightforward craft. I just cut the banner "triangles," made some embellishments, punched holes in the corners and assembled.

I found the papers at Hobby Lobby, in case you wanted to give it a shot. The project is hanging on navy blue organdy ribbon. That's it!

Patriotic Chevron Decoration

2013-04-24T10:02:00.001-07:00

This is another one of the crafts I made recently for a friend of mine. She had shown me a picture as inspiration and asked me to come up with some patriotic decorations. Not sure why, but this was a brilliant idea I had. I keep seeing chevrons everywhere and thought it would be a perfect way to represent the stripes in the flag. I think it is a super fun way to do it! I am just now kicking myself for not doing one of my own. I think it will be my next project. After all, it is my original idea!! Can't only be one of these in the world! ;-)

I made it by base coating the top of the wood board (purchased in the wood section at Joann Fabrics,) in navy blue and then base coating the bottom in red. I waited for the sections to dry, measured for the center of the board with a ruler, and then, using the width of painter's tape (about 1 1/4th inches,) I taped off the chevrons. With a light amount of paint, I painted the white chevrons with 2 coats of paint. Then when it was dry, I lightly sanded the whole surface to very gently distress it. I found the two layered wooden star at Joann Fabric store and painted the whole thing in the white color and then painted the surface of the small center star in navy. Sanded that piece lightly too. Before I attached the star, I wrapped the top blue section in red and white baker's twine, in a random fashion. Lastly, I used simple hot glue to attach the star to the board. Simple as that!

I am hoping that I will actually get motivated to make myself one. My friend just posted a picture of it decorating her mantel and it is just perfect! Very proud of this one...

Patriotic Wreath

2013-04-16T21:23:00.001-07:00

I wanted to share a wreath I made recently for my "benevolent benefactor," AKA, friend Kim. She showed me a picture on Pinterest of a patriotic mantel, said she loved it all and then told me to go for it. I mostly used the photo as inspiration for the feeling of the projects that I ultimately completed. I did 5 total and will be sharing them all as I find time. This wreath is the first that I completed. I made it by wrapping two kinds of ribbon around a straw wreath form. I then made a poof out of tulle, and added some rick rack to the back of a tin star ornament that I disassembled to make it more simple and usable for me. The small tag was actually part of the star ornament but the design on the other side of it didn't match, so I used my Cricut to cut out the "4th" in navy blue and mod podged it to the tag. Then I hung that from baker's twine and a ribbon bow which served to separate the two ribbon colors. That was it! Easy and fun!

Wooden Owl Magnets

2013-04-07T21:36:00.001-07:00

I just had a birthday! Yes indeed. I also have a daughter and a friend who share it with me! Now, my daughter has a party planned for this coming weekend and I am busy busy doing projects for her. (More to come about that in a later post.) Turns out that I got to be celebrated too! My friends all got together to celebrate our groups early April birthdays with a potluck. SUPER fun!! I just love those ladies. So blessed to have them in my life. So we had chicken tacos, salad, fruit, beans, and yummy oreo cupcakes for dessert. Mmmmmm. (Beats the sandwich I usually have...)

Anyway, I really like to give handmade gifts to my friends, since we all like the crafty stuff. I wanted to make a little something for my friend Dana. I searched Pinterest and found the cutest owl magnets with clothespins to hold art or business cards, etc. Since I was given a new scroll saw from my Mom for my birthday, seemed like the perfect opportunity to get back into wood crafting. Discovered just how much I missed it! I am so excited!! SO... I sketched out a template and went to work. I sanded the cut out shapes, painted them, decoupaged paper pieces to the owl body and to the clothespins. I added heavy duty magnets to the back with hot glue and attached a jute twine hanging line. I figured that her name will be removed to allow for her beautiful children to display their artwork on the fridge. OR she could just take ownership of whatever metal surface she chooses... I really love the results. I want to make them for all my friends now!

Mickey Mouse "Wash Your Hands" Sign

2013-03-26T09:23:00.000-07:00

I was asked by a friend to make something to go in her kid's bathroom. She showed me an inspiration photo and told me that she wanted a Mickey Mouse "something" to hang on the wall over their toilet. I had never seen their bathroom before but was given the freedom to be creative. So, I just went for it. I was so excited to see a picture of the finished product hanging on the wall and the colors matched almost exactly! So relieved! She said she was happy with it and so that makes me happy too! I am once again, a "professional" crafter! Yay! How I did it: I found some cute Disney themed scrapbook paper and rickrack and ribbons and started crafting. I made rag roses into the shape of "mouse parts," and printed the cute little reminder saying on the paper and cut the printed paper strips down to size. I decoupaged them onto a 12x12 mdf board that I purchased at Joann craft store, and then added the embellishments. I ended up adding white buttons to the corners to finish it off, right before it was delivered. You'll have to take my word for it. ;-)

Spring Tissue Paper Flower Wreath

2013-03-18T11:04:00.000-07:00

I have a friend who recently challenged me to recreate a couple of projects that she had seem on Pinterest. I am totally up for crafty challenges like that so I accepted! She said she would make a folder on Pinterest full of projects that she wished she could do but would rather pay someone else to do (meaning ME) and I am so excited!!

I am, once again, a professional crafter. LOVE it!! This is the first of two projects that she commissioned me to do. I will post the other project soon.

So, here is the inspiration wreath and in the photo above is my finished wreath that was delivered to its' new owner. I know she liked it because she posted a picture of it hanging on her door, on Facebook, and then publicly told me so. (That is, like, the most important form of approval these days.) ;-)

I already completed my second order for a Spring tissue paper flower wreath (photo on the right) and am hoping to dig up more interest. Here is an easy to follow tutorial. Now you can be a pro too!

The Best Potato Ham Soup Ever

2013-03-13T09:45:00.000-07:00

Wish I had a prettier photo. You will have to trust me!

It had been cold and wintery a little while ago and I was totally in the mood for some soup. I wanted it to be the thick and hearty stick-to-your-ribs kind too, not any runny healthy spinachy stuff. However... didn't have a recipe that fit the bill. I searched and found one that looked promising and I didn't even need to go to the store for anything, which is a miracle in itself.

I cooked up this batch of amazing soup and my family LOVED it! Ate it all. Scraped the pot with the spoon even. You have got to try this when you are in the mood. Would be a great St. Patrick's Day side dish to go along with your corned beef. In fact, maybe I should consider that too... Any time would be a good time for this soup, who am I kidding?!

Have I convinced you yet? ;-)

Potato Ham Soup

1 1/2 pounds yukon gold potatoes (I made it with russets and they worked just fine)
1 medium onion, diced
2 (smallish) carrots, peeled and diced
1-2 celery ribs, sliced and diced
At least 1 cup of ham, diced into cubes (I used 1 1/2 cups turkey ham because that is what I had)
3 cloves garlic, sliced (I used about 1 Tablespoon of jarred minced garlic)
3 Tbsp butter (ok... I used about 5)
1/4 cup flour (fudged here too. Used more like, a heaping 1/3 cup)
4 cups chicken broth (I used about 6)
2 cups plain water
1/2 cup heavy cream (I used the whole 1/2 pint. Ooops.) ;-)
salt and pepper to taste
cayenne pepper (optional- I used turmeric, about 1/4 tsp. I like the flavor it adds)
Chopped fresh chives for garnish (Didn't use these. Who the heck has fresh chives in their fridge?? Haha.)

Melt butter in a stockpot over medium heat until golden brown. Stir in carrot, celery ,onion ham and garlic. Cook and stir for 5-6 minutes, until the vegetables soften and the onions are transclucent.
Stir in the flour and cook about 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, 1 cup at a time. Add water and stir to combine. Turn the heat to high and bring to a simmer. Simmer on medium-low for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Taste the soup for salt and add more if necessary. Stir in potatoes, cook for 15 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Skim fat if desired.
With a potato masher, mash the soup a few times, leaving plenty of whole chunks of potato. Season with salt and pepper to taste, add cayenne if desired and add cream. Stir to combine and heat through. Garnish with fresh chives, if desired.

Rag Rose Spring Wreath

2013-03-08T09:09:00.000-08:00

I got together recently with my MOPS table group and we made a cute little wreath. Or at least we STARTED a cute little wreath... I came home with my handful of completed rag roses and my wreath form and tons of strips of fabric and sat at my table until I got so tired my eyes just shut themselves and I slumped over my hot glue gun. In other words... this project took A LONG TIME! But the best ones always do.

I made sure to get a good night's sleep and after I took care of my morning responsibilities, I was back at it. Finally finished my wreath late the next morning. I would say that if you are planning on making yourself a rag wreath, you plan on doing a few flowers at a time, get a good stash of them going, then sit down to assemble them on the wreath form. That would make it seem effortless! If you are new to rag roses and need a tutorial for an easy version, you can find one here.

Crocheted Shamrock Wreath

2013-02-24T20:56:00.001-08:00

I was recently taught how to make crocheted hearts by a friend of mine. I was hooked! (how punny... get it??) Started whipping those things out like it was nothing. While I was there, She gave us a pattern to make shamrocks too! I was so excited to get started. I made a crocheted garland with my new hearts and it looked super cute put up with my Valentine's day decor. So then I moved on to learning and conquering the shamrocks. I don't usually decorate for St. Patrick's day itself, but go straight to Easter and Spring stuff. I thought I would give the Irish holiday a turn. Starting small this year. Just a few little things on my mantel and some green flowers in my flower vase. No biggie. What I thought was still missing was something for my front door. I used a Styrofoam wreath form that I wrapped in white yarn, then criss-crossed hunter green yarn around the wreath. Next I painted a rectangular wood piece with chalkboard paint. I further embellished with some green buttons that I found in my jar o' buttons and called it good. I am liking the simplicity of it. Yes, definitely feeling the green love...

If you would like a pretty good picture tutorial of how to make the shamrocks yourself, go here. Though it is not exactly the same as the pattern I used, it looks easy enough even for beginning crocheters.

Soft and Tender Frosted Sugar Cookies

2013-02-14T20:58:00.002-08:00

When I was growing up, it was a tradition to have rolled and cut out sugar cookies (that were frosted with homemade buttercream frosting) at Christmas and Valentine's day. I looked so forward to those things. My Grandma made them. My Aunt made them. My Mom made them. Oh man! They are like a kiss from Heaven! (Or some other flowery description.) Anyway, childhood flew by and I got married and suddenly I had the opportunity to supply myself and my new husband with our own sugar cookies. Awesome!! Ok, so, at first, though, not so awesome. I failed several times. It drove me crazy! Turns out there is a special secret that goes into them. Turns out it was a simple thing. You have to treat the dough with tender loving care. I mean, literally put love into them. Yes, that is the trick. Think happy thoughts and don't roll the dough too much. It toughens it. Just like people, they need to be treated kindly and sprinkled with extra sweetness. See, there ya go. These cookies hold the secret to a sweet life.

Soft and Tender Sugar Cookies (Jen's family recipe)
makes about 3 dozen

1 cup Crisco shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp water

1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
3 cups flour (plus some extra for dusting)

Cream the sugar and shortening together, until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing in between each addition. Add the water and vanilla and stir to combine. Add the salt, baking powder, and flour, slowly stir to combine. Continue to beat gently until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl. Place in the refrigerator and allow to rest for at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Divide dough into thirds. Lightly flour your rolling surface and roll dough with a rolling pin to about 1/4 inch even thickness. Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut your shapes out of the rolled dough. (Save your dough scraps and add them to your next 1/3 of the dough.) Place on a cookie sheet at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Allow to sit on the pan for 1-2 minutes then remove cookies from sheet to cool on a cooling rack. When completely cooled, frost with your choice of buttercream frosting and decorate to your choosing.

Can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week. These cookies are better the next day. I kid you not. They absorb moisture and become even more like Heaven. Trust me. Save a couple for the next day. You will thank me...

Here is the buttercream recipe that I use. Pretty standard, I think.

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar (1 lb box)
6 tablespoons milk

In a mixer bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Combine in mixer. Drizzle in the milk while stirring, adding a little at a time until the frosting is at the desired consistency. Frost your cookies and eat them. The end.

Little Red Riding Hood Clothespin Doll

2013-02-10T15:41:00.001-08:00

I have been eyeballing these adorable clothespin dolls on Pinterest for such a long time, stocking up on the bits and pieces but I finally couldn't take it anymore! Marched myself (and my loving husband) to the craft store and purchased the remaining supplies necessary to make some of my own! Another thing that prompted me was the fact that my daughter is having a Red Riding Hood themed birthday party in a month and a half and I needed some kind of cute little table decorations. These would be the sweetest little take away goodies for her guests! This is my first attempt, mind you but I plan to keep going. These are so easy to put together and the possibilities are limitless! I would eventually love to make some for the holidays and seasons as I get better at it. There are some tutorials out there on the internet, but I found I didn't even really need one. Once you have all the supplies you need, you are already there! Paint the parts to please you, embellish as desired, and voila! The stinking cutest little dolls ever. I will say that I wish I had sealed the project with some sort of sealer. I think that would have added to the durability of it. Well, something to fix for next time.

Kid's Class Valentine's Day Exchanges

2013-02-10T15:20:00.002-08:00

I like to plan ahead for things if I can and so I started brainstorming and searching for ideas for little Valentine's day goodies shortly after Christmas. Found a super cute idea for a yarn project where you use regular yarn to make the cutest little "love bugs." I thought that would be a perfect idea for my daughter's class. So, I purchased the supplies and they had been sitting on my craft table since New Years.
Finally found some time so I got busy. I made 36 of my little love bugs, added heart punched antennae attached with chenille stems and then attached them with a dab of hot glue to the end of some Valentine's themed pencils. .

My daughter and I also had fun naming each one. I figured, since I was printing the tags myself anyway, might as well switch it up a little! We used names that we keep hearing a lot lately. You know, names from popular shows like, Honey Boo Boo and all the Disney princesses... Couldn't resist! ;-)

Then we used a scalloped circle punch to take "bites" out of the sides of the tags. (Because bugs bite things. Get it?) Haha. So, I am thinking these are the cutest bugs I have seen in a long time!

Next I moved on to my youngest son's class exchange. He ordered "nothing fancy or girly." He is 8, after all... I had found some little heart mazes at Dollar Tree. 9 to a pack!! Super cheap!! Love that. I simply printed out the saying onto sturdy Stampin'Up cardstock and then attached a Tootsie pop to the back. (Son is a MAJOR lollipop fan!) And guess what?? He approved! In fact, he loves them and declared them "perfect!" Hooray!! He made my day. I am excited for them to be handed out. Looking through their cute little Valentine's day card holders when they get home from school, is one of my favorite Valentine's day traditions. I have strawberry milk and heart shaped pancakes on the menu for breakfast for my 4 kiddos and hubby, along with their traditional card/candy/stuffed animal gifts. Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Valentine's Day Decorating 2013

2013-01-24T16:42:00.000-08:00

I had a couple of extra moments in between projects so I thought I would go ahead and decorate the house a little for Valentine's day. I mean, it had been back to normal now for a good three weeks! ;-) I ended up putting together a couple of projects this year to fill some space. I like the way that they turned out!

Now, I will be honest, sometimes I don't feel like decorating for every holiday or season. But I will tell you, when my kids and other family members mention how they love how it makes them feel to be in my house with the changing seasons/holidays, I kind of want to keep the tradition going!

I had seen this idea on Pinterest, to add some decorative paper cut out hearts to skewers (which I just happened to have left over from another recent project,) and put them in a simple jar or vase. I just fiddled with hand drawing a heart in various sizes and cut them out then hot glued them on to the sticks. Simple as that.

This Valentine's day holiday is, shall we say... doesn't seem so lovely to me. I have been in a little bit of a funk. Life is stressful. Lots of bills to pay and not enough money to pay them. Isn't that the case with a lot of us?? But something inside of me doesn't want to disappoint.

So, off I went to scavenge as much stuff as possible from my arsenal to decorate my usual spots: the mantel, the baker's rack, and the mirror above my cookbook shelves. Best thing is that I did it without spending a dime. Just went "shopping" in my house and pulled stuff together.

I found another project to display that I had made a couple of years ago with my kids. All you do is cut a bunch of hearts out of red printed fabric and stuff them with polyfill and I taught my 3 youngest kids to whip stitch the edges closed. A great sewing skills project for them and a great way to use up scraps! Here is the original post from 2011.

I also cut a heart shape out of red vinyl and added it to my decorative bowl that I display often. It just gave it a little color that I was looking for on my shelf. Next to the bowl is a couple of projects that I made last year that I just happened to find in my box of goodies. You can see my original post on them here.

I am really happy with the way it turned out and am especially happy about the cost. Hooray! I may be in love with the holiday once again. Maybe...

Valentine's Day Candy Kebobs

2013-01-24T11:25:00.002-08:00

I saw this idea on Pinterest and thought I would give it a shot. Super cute, I think. I was also thinking I could cheaply whip up a bunch for Valentine's exchange gifts for my kiddos. I was wrong, unfortunately.

Making 36 of them for my child's class would have been too pricey. The kind of candy you need is heavy, so even buying in bulk at WinCo was an investment. So... I am settling with making 8 for my MOPS ladies.

I can give you a tip for when you decide to make some. Keep a damp towel nearby to wipe your fingers. This gets REALLY sticky (understatement.)

Another tip is to make sure to get the shorter skewers, otherwise you will have too much overhang. I found the shorter ones at Party City, of all places, along with the pretzel rod bags (in the baking supply section.)

The ribbon I chose was 80% off at Hobby Lobby. It was left over from all the Christmas stuff. LOVE those kinds of bargains. I got a couple other rolls of red ribbon to keep in my ever growing stash. I mean, for 60 cents each?! Can't beat that!

I may end up making some cute tags to go along with these. Not sure yet. My group meets next week...
I guess it all depends on if the magical extra-free-time fairy stops by my house. ;-)

Flameless Candle Snowman Pins

2013-01-07T21:13:00.001-08:00

I wanted to give my MOPS table another little treat and I had seen a cute project made out of a flameless votive candle. I found a package of 3 for $1 at Dollar Tree. Super cheap! I found the trinity poem on the internet and the idea on Pinterest. I put 9 of them together in about 2 hours from start to finish. Just used an orange Sharpie marker to color in the "carrot" nose and a black one for the eyes and "coal" mouth. I hot glued on a pin back in case they wanted to wear them ever (probably not, but it sure made it easier to attach them to the poem cardstock!) So, if nothing else, the pin made my job as assembler much easier.

I think if I had more time to plan this one, I would have purchased some cute polar fleece material for the scarf but since I didn't... I just used up some snowman fabric that I had on hand.
In any case, it added a little cuteness to my MOPS lady friend's days. Or at least I think they did.
Here is the poem, in case you would like to use the idea for a project of your own.

Snowman Trinity Poem
by anonymous

When you see a snowman, three snowballs round, it reminds you that with God, three in one can be found. The bottom reminds us of God, the Father, our strong Rock and Foundation, Creator of all living things. The middle shows us God, the Son, with arms spread open wide, who died on the cross for our salvation. The head reminds us of God, the Holy Spirit, who is our Counselor and Friend. He speaks to our hearts and minds, transforming us into the likeness of Him. So when you are in the midst of your wintertime fun and a snowman you do see, remember the blessings given you through the Holy Trinity.

Santa's Coat Milk Carton Treat Holder

2012-12-13T22:47:00.001-08:00

I made a project last year using hand sanitizer with the label remade into a "Santa-tizer" (reminiscent of a Santa coat) and it was pretty popular. I thought about other ways I could use a similar concept. This is what I came up with for this year. It seemed like a perfect Christmas party gift for my daughter's 5th grade class. Pretty cute, if you ask me! In fact, my sister liked these so much she asked if I wouldn't mind whipping some up for her to give to her co-workers. So... I only had to make about a gazillion of these babies. Ok, not a gazillion, but 58. (I can't do tiny quantities any more, apparently.) Anyway, it is simple to assemble, though a little time consuming. It is all paper punches or die cut shapes held together with hot glue (on my 3rd bag for this season...) How cool is that? Just one little stamp with simple black ink, a little bit of ribbon, and you are done! Filled my little boxes with Christmas M&M's. I am keeping that company in business this year, apparently.

Reindeer Class Treat Holders

2012-12-13T18:04:00.000-08:00

I found another cute little project on Pinterest and thought I would give it a shot. Made 28 of them for my second grade son's Christmas party for next week. Been crafting up a storm lately and having a total blast! Super easy to make this one too.

Just cut a 5x7" piece of cardstock, roll it into a tube (so it looks like a toilet paper tube,) and then hot glue one of the edges. Turn it over and fill with goodies (we used mini Snickers and M&M candies,) then hot glue the edge in the opposite direction.

Use a paper crimper to crimp the edges, about 1". Then you add the googly eyes and red pom pom nose with hot glue. Draw a mouth of any style you choose with a felt tip pen. Attach the chenille stem antlers with hot glue and you are done!

Pretty quick to assemble which is a bonus. Would make an excellent last minute party favor. Enjoy!

Ribbon, Twine, Jute Handmade Ball Christmas Wreath

2012-11-24T19:41:00.000-08:00

I recently made a yarn ball wreath for a friend and loved the technique so much, I thought I would create one in a completely different style than the other more modern one. I am in love with this one! Totally my style, kind of old fashioned but with a modern twist and definitely cute. ;-)
I found the centerpiece ornament at Joann Fabrics and used it as my inspiration. I added the bow myself to match the other balls. I had all the ribbons and laces and jute and twine on hand and found the rusty jingle bells at Hobby Lobby (50% off!!) I used a ton of hot glue on this wreath too. Not as much as the other, but still a lot. I need to restock for my next wreath which is in the works. I am loving these! Hope to have time for at least a couple more for gifts. I suggest you give them a shot. Here is a great tutorial for the yarn balls themselves. Enjoy your season!

Homemade Yarn Ball Christmas Wreath

2012-11-24T18:58:00.001-08:00

I have a friend that recently requested that I do her a favor and make her some kind of a yarn ball wreath for her front door. She is having a party soon and since I am all over the idea crafty challenges, I accepted the opportunity with enthusiasm. :) I asked her to send me a picture of what she had in mind and it seemed like something I had the skills for. I asked her if she didn't mind if I just used her photo as inspiration and came up with a design of my own. She said to go for it! Yay!! So here is my result. It is on an 18" wreath form, covered in white fabric strips with all the ornaments and embellishments and yarn balls hot glued on.
I will give you a tip, if you decide to give this project a shot. Get a TON of glue sticks! I went through a whole bag of mini ones to put this together.

I had another friend ask me if I purchased the yarn balls somewhere and I explained to her that I made them. It was super easy too! I did a little searching and found the styrofoam balls were REALLY expensive. 6 for $4.79. Since you need about a gazillion for this wreath, I searched the internet for a solution. I found a great tutorial on how to make them with newspaper and tape. Hooray! Since I had the tape on hand, the total cost for the balls themselves was $0! Love a good bargain!

I think you can have a blast designing your own wreath. I know I have! I am currently designing my third. Kind of addicting actually. Have fun!

Fall Embellished Coaster Decoration

2012-11-11T20:26:00.001-08:00

In case you are new here... I am in MOMSnext. We meet with one of our local MOPS groups until we are big enough for our own shindig. Someday...
One of the things I really enjoy is that it gives me the opportunity to make crafts and gifts for and with my new table friends. This month, our group is getting together for an outside activity craft night without kids. SO fun!! I was asked by my group to create a project and gather supplies so that we can meetup and have a grand ole' time. Makes me so happy! I wish I could do things like this every day and get paid for it. Would be the coolest job ever!

Lately I had been stalking Pinterest (again) and saw some really cute ideas that I wanted to try someday. Then, I happened to be at Target and saw that their "purple dot" merchandise in their dollar spot was 50% off! My favorite!! I found a package of 8 chipboard coasters for 50 cents. Score! Suddenly had my project ready to go. Seemed like a perfect thing for all skill levels- from the crafty to the not-so-crafty. Hopefully everyone will have as much fun creating it as I did.

First, I drilled holes in the corners of the coasters. Then I used my trusty Mod Podge to apply the scrapbook paper. Sanded the edges and inked them with Stampin'Up ink. Then I thought some sparkle would be good so I used my glue pen to apply some coppery Martha Stewart glitter. Next I used my Big Shot machine and my leaf die to cut out the leaves, crinkled them and inked them with my Stampin' Up ink then embellished with buttons and some linen thread. I also cut out the "Fall" letter in vinyl with my Cricut machine. Next step was to coat the whole project with another layer of Mod Podge to seal it, let it dry, then hot glued the leaves in place. Last step was to thread brown organdy ribbon through the holes and created a bow to be used to hang the project. Really happy with the results! Thanks to my find on Pinterest for the inspiration!
I will call this my weekly Pinterest project, even though I have missed so many weeks it is ridiculous. Just got to throw myself back in the game! (again...)

Fresh Apple Cake with Caramel Drizzle

2012-11-11T15:58:00.000-08:00

We were invited to a friends house for dinner the other night and they had planned to make a giant slow cooked roast and some super yummy green beans. I offered to bring some scalloped potatoes and a dessert.

I had recently found a Pinterest recipe that sounded very similar to a cake I had and loved when I was younger. I happened to have most of the ingredients on hand and it seemed like a perfect fall dessert to share with our new friends.
It was a great night! Hoping to do it again soon!

I tweaked the recipes just a bit to suit my tastes and really enjoyed the results. So, I am happy to share the most amazing recipe for the yummiest apple cake ever!
By the way, it tastes even BETTER the next day. Moist and fabulous until the very end. Hope you get a chance to make this one soon. You will be happy that you did!

Fresh Apple Cake

2 eggs
1 cup oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp. baking soda
4 cups unpeeled diced Granny Smith apples

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 inch dish.
Cream the oil and sugar then add the eggs and vanilla and blend well..
Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and baking soda together in a bowl. Add to the wet ingredients and stir to combine. The batter will be VERY thick. (Don't worry, it is supposed to be that way. The apples will loosen it up.) Fold in all the apples and then place it in the greased dish.
Bake it for 45-50 minutes or until the center is completely done. While it cools, make the Caramel drizzle.

Caramel Drizzle recipe

1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. milk
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Melt the butter, brown and white sugars, vanilla and milk over medium heat, stirring constantly. When it reaches a boil, boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the cinnamon and the powdered sugar until well combined. Drizzle over the cooled cake and enjoy! Serve with ice cream if desired.

Vaseline Distressed Wood Cross and "E"

2012-10-10T14:07:00.001-07:00

My sister decided to "girlify" (yes, it's a word...) a few of the spaces in her house and she hates to shop. What is that sister to do?? Call her shopping, decorating, and crafting loving sister to help her out, of course! And so she did. "Where should we go?," I asked. "Hobby Lobby," she replied. "Heck yeah!," I exclaimed. Soooooo, off we went. She chose some fabulous items and her mantel area is nearly complete. Imagine lots of turquoise and brown and fleur de lis stuff and you will have a good idea of what she was going for. Shabby chic-ish and super cute. She had wanted a cross but we just couldn't find exactly what she had pictured, so, sister shopper/crafter to the rescue again!! I volunteered my crafting expertise and offered to make her one that she would love. I found some blank wooden crosses and she picked some colors that complemented her chosen scheme. We happened to walk by the paper mache section too and she wanted an "E" to go with her stuff. "Ok," I said (and secretly squealed with happiness in my mind.) I was so proud of her! Shopping and picking stuff out and acting like a real grown up house decorating lady! ;-)

Since I recently made a Vaseline distressed letter and it was so easy, I thought that would be a perfect technique to do with my sister's decorations. These were a little different because I decided to double distress them. I started by base coating the items in a dark brown, then dry brushed some turquoise over the brown once it dried. Then I added the Vaseline in spots all over, in places I wanted distressed. Then I painted an ivory color over the whole piece. Waited a few minutes for the paint to dry (ok, almost dry... I am impatient...) Then with a paper towel, wipe away the Vaseline gently.and allow the remaining paint to dry completely. Then embellish! Simple as that. Since I already had a muslin rag rose left over from my last project and some jute cord, it made it even easier. I bet I can do these letters in my sleep pretty soon!
As for the small cross, I base coated in brown then I dry brushed it in ivory. I decoupaged some basic scrapbook paper to the painted surface and then added the Cricut cut vinyl "faith" word. I coated the whole cross with a layer of Mod Podge to seal it and that was it! Super easy.
For a good tutorial on the Vaseline distress technique, check out Shanty 2 Chic. :)

Jen's Hamburger Vegetable Crockpot Soup

2012-10-07T23:03:00.000-07:00

Yes, these are baby carrots, not sliced. I used what I had. ;-)

I am always on the lookout for easy, economical, and family friendly recipes for my crockpot. My crockpot is my best friend in the kitchen these days. It is a necessity, as far as I am concerned. In my searches, I came across several recipes for soup that used ground beef. Since we always have that on hand, seemed like a good place to start. I combined a bunch of recipes, picking and choosing the ingredients that I knew would work well together and that my family wouldn't turn their nose up at. I think I succeeded.
In fact, it is popular with lots of moms that I know! ;-) You see, I am part of the creative activities team for my MOPS group and we recently made 120 meals worth of this soup as our opening day activity. Put out all of the ingredients and the ladies assembled them to take home and make for their own families. I got a lot of positive feedback! What a relief it was, for sure. Sometimes I question my taste buds... Hahaha. But, rest assured, this is a keeper. I thought I would share the recipe with you too since it is finally starting to cool down and Fall is in the air. So incredibly happy about that! Hope you give this one a shot and enjoy!

Jen's Hamburger Vegetable Crockpot Soup
serves 6-8

2 cups of ground beef, browned and drained
1 cup (or 1 can) diced tomatoes
1 small (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 cup (or 1 can) corn
1 cup peeled, sliced, carrots
1 cup sliced celery
1 can kidney beans
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 tbsp. beef (or chicken) bouillon powder
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 bay leaf (remove before serving)
6 cups water
1 cup dried pasta (wagon wheel or rotini works best, but any bite sized shape will do)
Parmesan cheese, for topping when serving (optional)

Add all ingredients, except dried pasta and Parmesan, to a 4-5 quart crockpot. Cook on high 4-6 hours. Stir in dried pasta and cook for an additional 30 minutes. Top servings with Parmesan cheese, if desired. Alternatively, you may cook in a large pot on the stovetop for 1 1/2 hours, add pasta and continue to cook until noodles are done, about 15 minutes. Serve with bread or crackers and a salad. Enjoy!

Vaseline Distressed Fall Monogram

2012-10-07T22:29:00.000-07:00

Base coated and ready for the Vaseline.

Close up of the distressing.

I am loving the giant letter projects that I keep seeing everywhere on Pinterest. Since I needed a Fall inspired door decoration, I thought I would search until I found the perfect way to make a monogram project of my own. I have also been dying to try the vaseline distressing technique that is used on all those adorable shabby chic items. Seemed like an awesome idea. So I set out to find an "A" that I liked, a sprig of fall berries, some paint to use and a tub of vaseline (haven't had that stuff around in about a gazillion years...) I was amazed at how easy the technique was!! My mind is full of ideas now.
The letter I found is paper mache, about 12" tall. I found it at Joann for $4.49 and used my 40% off coupon. Bought a bottle of ivory paint for .89 cents and got the berry sprig at Micheals. It was $1.39 with 50% off. I had the muslin, twine, buttons, and hot glue. So, super cheap project, yet again!! Love it!
I could explain how to do the vaseline distressing technique but it would be easier to send you to where I learned it- Shanty 2 Chic. (Love that site!) Also need to show you my inspiration piece. Found it on Pinterest, of course. I feel like making a couple more for gifts for my family... Shhhh, don't tell them.