Purple Hound Designs

Follow us to our new blog!

2009-12-09T19:25:00.001-06:00

We would love it if you would follow us to our new blog!

prairiestormdesigns.blogspot.com

Thank You!

Sarah

On a mission

2009-10-27T12:35:00.003-05:00

I am on a mission to become more organized and more productive around the house, I do work outside of the home part time so I'm not home everyday to work on this but I think there are plenty of areas I can improve.

Since the first of the year my husband and I have decluttered and downsized so many of the things in our home and it has improved our way of living. There is always more to do but we're working it.

Dinner is one thing that I have always struggled with. Might sound simple to a lot of you, but for me it's not. For 5 year my husband got home at 7-8pm and we just threw something together to eat, by that time of the night I didn't feel like making anything and when I made something earlier I never enjoyed it because I always ate it by myself. The past couple months Dh has been getting home by 5pm so I am working hard at trying to plan dinners but yet stay on a really strict budget. We won't have the money to plan a dinner for every night but I am hoping as we get into a routine we'll be able to plan more.

Tonight's dinner, or at least part of it is in the crock pot - 6 pork chops and 1 bottle of Italian salad dressing. I'm serving it with brown rice and a vegetable. I cooked all 6 of the pork chops from the frozen package from Aldi so we could have them left over. If we like them this way next time I'll remember just to cook 3 of them and use 1/2 bottle of the dressing.

Last night's dinner was out of one of the Kraft Food & Family magazines. I have a pile of them from several years that I never even used to look at.

This recipe is from Summer 2007, page 47 if you have the magazine.

We substituted ground turkey so it became:
Turkey, Vegetable and Shells Skillet
1 pkg (12 oz) Velveeta Shells & Cheese Dinner
1lb. ground turkey
1/2 C Italian Dressing
1 bag (16oz.) frozen vegetable blend (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots), thawed
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese

First, prepare dinner as directed on package.
Meanwhile, brown meat with dressing in a large skillet on medium heat. Add vegetables and basil, cook 5 minues or until heated through, stirring occassionally.
Next, Stir in dinner; sprinkle with cheese. Cover; cook 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Makes 6 servings - 1 1/3 cup each.

Dh thought it needed some salt and pepper and of course he ate more than 1 1/3 cups. No, these are not gormet meals, but they are good for our budget.

My Secret Love.... Vinyl!

2009-08-21T22:54:00.006-05:00

If you know I've worked at a sign shop for the past 5 years then my love of vinyl isn't such a secret. I love it so much I'm venturing out on my own to create custom wall art!

My first rolls of removable vinyl arrived today and I started work.

Started with a sketch of an aspen leaf:

Turned the sketch into decals:

And onto the living room walls under my favorite corner windows:

As a kid I spent many summer vacations in Colorado and my husband worked there right out of high school so this is a little bit of Colorado we both love for us to enjoy.

Tired of veggie pictures yet?

2009-08-12T17:31:00.005-05:00

Yes, more veggies!! More lemon cucumbers, a regular cucumbers and 2 of the cukes that I think are crossing. My first eggplant! yeah! Yes, I probably could have let it get bigger but I couldn't wait any longer! It will be delicious! And one lonely okra. That okra is just not doing well this year. Added this one to the freezer bag I'm filling up with them as I pick them one at a time.

Hung on the line to dry...

2009-08-07T09:17:00.001-05:00

No, not laundry... Onions! I pulled the last batch of onions and they are hanging on my basement clothes line to dry! They aren't the biggest onions, but I am proud of them. I learned the best spot in my garden for them and I got them in earlier than I ever have and they are the biggest onions I've grown yet. And I learned a lot to get even bigger onions next year!

6 bunches should last us for awhile!

Freezer Pickles

2009-08-06T10:19:00.003-05:00

I wanted to talk more about the pickles I made yesterday because I don't think they are going to make it to the freezer they are are so yummy!!

I modified and combined a recipe I got from my husband's cousin and a recipe from the internet. I made this for my pickle loving husband and daughter thinking I would not like them but they are so good!

Freezer Pickles:
Combine: 7 cups sliced cucumbers, 1 cup sliced onion and 1 Tbsp salt. Let sit at room temperature for 2 hours the drain but don't rinse.
Boil 1 cup apple cider vinegar with 2 3/4 cups sugar (I think next time I will try reducing this a little as they are getting sweeter as they sit). After it boils take it off the heat and add 1 tsp celery seed and 1 tsp mustard seed.
Put the cucumbers & onions in containers(tupperware type) and pour vinegar mixture over it. Let sit until cooled and refrigerate for 2 days. The eat or freeze them!

I have to admit they are very good even after 1 day! I had to taste some, but I can tell the flavors are changing as they sit.

Stocking the Freezer

2009-08-05T15:11:00.005-05:00

A couple years ago my mother-in-law gave us a small freezer that she no longer needed with everyone being grown and out of the house. We hooked it up in the basement and never really ever have anything extra in the budget to be able to freeze anything down there.

My goal is to use this summer growing season to freeze what I can for us for later, hopefully through the winter. Today I broke out the dust covered food saver vaccuum sealer and packaged up 9 - 1 cup packages of blueberries (1 cup because that's what my blueberry muffin recipe uses). I freeze the blueberries loose in a cake pan or cookie sheet and then package them up frozen so the vaccuum sealer doesn't smash them. I have another pan freezing now that will probably give me another 3 packages. With the abundant cucumbers I also made a batch of freezer pickles today that I divided up into 3 containers.

I hate it when we have let any food go bad and we have been trying really hard not to waste any of our food budget. We hid the bananas one day when we left the house so the dogs didn't get them and we forgot about them, and yes, you guessed it they were going bad. But they were perfect for banana bread so I divided them up and I have enough banana in the freezer for 2 batches of bread.

Last year our okra did awesome and we were able to freeze up some for the winter. Unfortunately we have had a cool summer and the okra is just not growing. I have been able to pick 3 at 3 seperate times so I have just been cutting them up as I pick them and throwing them in a freezer bag.

Spring Salad

2009-08-04T18:31:00.005-05:00

While doing a major basement declutter I came across a Kraft Food & Family magazine from summer 2007. Flipping through it I found a recipe for a Mediterranean Marinated Vegetable Salad.

Here is the original recipe:

2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 each green and yellow pepper, coarsely chopped
1 zucchini, cut lengthwise in half, sliced
1/4 cup red onion wedges
1/2 cup Kraft zesty Italian dressing
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Kraft Natural Italian style cheese crumbles

Toss tomatoes, peppers, zucchini and onions in large bowl.
Combine dressing, basil and garlic. Pour over vegetable mixture; toss to coat.
Add cheese; mix lightly. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
Makes 8 servings, 1 cup each.
Make ahead: Store salad in refrigerator up to 24 hours before serving.

Now to my variation:
I added a cucumber, a can of chick peas, used red and yellow bell peppers because we had those on hand. I used a yellow onion from the garden and left out the cheese because of a short grocery budget this week. Also, I found out that I really don't care for fresh basil so I would leave that out next time. And I also substituted creamy Italian dressing. This is a wonderful fresh salad for a hot summer day!

This is all that's left from the big batch it made!

Yesterday's Harvest

2009-08-04T18:23:00.005-05:00

I just love having a garden and I am loving the raised bed way of gardening. We have been having cucumbers coming out of our ears but it is so nice to have more than enough for our family so we can share with family and friends. That is the one memory I love about my grandpa's garden is all of the wonderful food he would give us and everyone else he knew! My mom has confirmed that I inherited Grandpa and my great-grandparent's green thumbs. (My great-grandparent's were farmers.)

Here is a photo of yesterday's harvest: Cucumbers, Lemon Cucumbers, Carrots and Pea Pods.
With the pea pods I don't let the peas mature fully because my daughter loves to eat the pods and all just raw and the pods are better before the peas mature fully. And for anyone that has never had lemon cucumbers they are D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S! Very mild flavor, not bitter at all like the regular cukes can be. Perfect for slicing up and eating with a little bit of salad dressing as dip!

Happy May!

2009-05-02T14:26:00.002-05:00

Happy May!! I am so excited to see May finally come. My tomato and eggplant plants having been taking day field trips outside. Too afraid we aren't quite out of danger yet so they aren't going in the ground yet. One of my new raised beds is in and hopefully a second one will be soon. I have my onions planted, just can't wait to plant everything else!

New Garden Beds

2009-04-20T21:53:00.001-05:00

There is no doubt about it, I inherited my grandpa's green thumb. Growing up he always had huge gardens and so much wonderful produce to harvest. He learned everything he knew from my great-grandparents who were farmers.

We live on a very small lot in town. Last year we skipped the flowers and planted okra, peas, radishes and onions in our flower bed with great success. After much trial and error with some attempts at container gardening other vegetables, we decided we needed more space for growing food.

On Sunday, Dh followed these instructions that I found and built me a new bed for the backyard:
http://www.wikihow.com/Construct-a-Raised-Planting-Bed

The frame is done but we need to do more leveling to the spot it's going. I will get some photos as soon as it's in and filled with dirt! I am so proud of Dh for building it for me! I have eggplant, yellow pair tomato and mortgage lifter tomato seedlings ready to be planted when the bed is filled and the danger of frost is gone!

Spring is here!

2009-04-20T21:48:00.003-05:00

Winter is still trying to hold on today with the cold rain and 40 degree day but a backyard bunny nest is the sign that spring is here!

There is nothing better than...

2009-04-01T14:59:00.003-05:00

warm fresh baked bread, especially a sweet cinnamon raisin bread.

I finally started using my bread machine. My first try was a cheddar and chive bread. Although it didn't look very pretty with a huge bubble on the top and then a collapsed top it was still tasty! Today I tired a sweet cinnamon raisin bread. I took my sister's advice and checked to see if it was too wet or dry in the first kneading. It was too wet so I added more flour. The bread turned out so much better this time! The one mistake I made was turning the bread out onto a plate instead of the cooling rack to start with so the top got a little soggy and pushed down.

Anna Wrap Dress

2009-04-01T12:05:00.004-05:00

I love the Farbenmix Anna dress pattern!! These are my first 2 dresses made from the pattern. Fabrics were all bought from Hobby Lobby. The best thing about this pattern is how versatile it is! The back can be the front and the front can become the back. If you line the inside completely instead of just the bodice lining you can create another 2 dress options on the reverse side.

First one is for my daughter in the smallest size - 86/92.

Front:

Back:

The second dress is the next size up - 98/104 - for my friend's 3 year old daughter.

Front:
Back:

New Fabric, Custom Orders

2009-03-30T18:39:00.004-05:00

Just wanted to share with you one of my newest fabrics and a couple recent custom orders.

My skull flame fabric was very popular last year, so much so that I ran out! I couldn't find another flame and skull fabric but I did find this awesome black, red and grey skull fabric.

And a couple recent custom orders for two greyhound girls.

I love this purple princess fabric! I originally ordered this fabric specifically for a customer's request but I bought enough to offer it to other customers as well and I am so glad I did. It makes such an adorable collar!

I love my job!

2009-03-26T18:00:00.004-05:00

I have to just say today that I love my job again! I have worked for a sign company for 4 1/2 years and I've just been moved back to the art department after the last few years in more of a production position. It feels so wonderful to have a spark back in my job! I've gotten to work on many designs already - several boat names, signs both big and small, vehicle magnetics, etc. It is such a change to get up and go to work and not always know what you're going to be working on that day!

Progress of the Toddler Room

2009-03-25T12:04:00.010-05:00

L's room is looking so cute! I have made a lot of progress on the change over from her baby room. L was born 11 weeks early and her bedroom wasn't done being painted and her crib wasn't even put together all the way so her baby room was a rush to put together and I never felt like I got to make it like I really wanted to so that is why I am making such a big deal over her toddler room!

This is the before:

Before of one of the windows. Her 2 windows are identical with blinds and shelf/curtain rod above.

And the after where it is today!

After of the window, sorry for the bright sunshine photo! I love how much light she gets in her room!
Closeup of the bottom of the curtains - adorable mermaids! They are the same as on the bow board I previously posted.
After of the bed. My mom made her several fitted sheets. And I've made her the 2 pillow shams, the pillowcase as featured in the tutorial I made and this morning I made the flat sheet with a special fitted bottom.
For the flat sheet I used the full width of the fabric and just under 2 yards. I used a tutorial at Everything Your Mama Made and More to make the bottom end of the flat sheet fitted so it would stay on better than just being tucked in under the mattress.

A benefit of being a sewer...

2009-03-21T16:35:00.002-05:00

Creating clothes for your children and gifts for friends and family is great but I am realizing what a huge reward sewing is when you can create a completely custom bedroom!!

I am on the last curtain panel for L's room! I've had one window done for a few weeks and love seeing them every time I walk into her room. We didn't have to settle for whatever color combination the retail stores had available, not to mention the cartoon and other licensed characters that are plastered all over every toddler item out there. Don't get me wrong, L loves to watch Sesame Street and Dora but I don't want to see them every waking minute in her bedroom too.

Spring has Sprung Etsy Event!

2009-03-20T12:55:00.003-05:00

One of the etsy teams that I belong to, Sewing Mamas on Etsy is having a Spring has Sprung event today through the 27th!

Check out our blog for more details on the spring items that are listed!

etsysewingmamas.blogspot.com

Also, you can just search on etsy for the tag: sewingmamas team

How I make a pillowcase

2009-03-11T14:56:00.015-05:00

(note: this is my first "draft" of this tutorial. I've never made a tutorial before and I would love some feedback. I have more pillowcases to make and will be re shooting the photographs after some camera help from Dh. I was thinking the sunny kitchen would be the perfect place to take photographs but it was causing me lots of trouble.)

Start with a nice soft cotton fabric, something you really want to lay your head one.

You will need one piece 26" x 40" and a coordinating fabric piece sized 8" x 40".

Here are the fabrics I'm using:

Take the small piece and match up the 8" sides right sides together and sew and/or serge the seam. When sewing woven non-stretchy fabrics that frey, I like to sew the seam and then serge the raw edges, but just sewing or just serging would be fine also!

Take the piece you just sewed that is now a long circle and match up the long sides, wrong side together and press. You will have formed a loop that looks like this:

Set this piece aside and move to the larger piece.

With right sides together fold the fabric so you have a piece that is 20"x26". Sew the open 26" side and one of the short sides so you have something that looks like this:

Turn right side out and press.

Take your coordinating piece and and place around the main section, right sides together and sew. (note: you have 2 right sides to your coordinating piece, so it doesn't matter which side you use. Just make sure that you are matching up the raw edges, not the folded side.)

Also, make sure that you matched up the one side seam:

Unfold the end coordinating piece and press the seam allowance towards the main case and top stitch:

Press and insert pillow! Here is the finished pillowcase, ready for a sleepy head to lay on:

Mermaid Bow Board

2009-03-10T11:37:00.002-05:00

With barrettes constantly getting lost and found around the house, they needed to find a home. And what better than a little space saving wall storage!

I used the basic instructions from this site:
http://www.girlythingsbows.com/bow_board.html

I used all supplies that I had on hand. I am so happy about using up supplies and reducing my craft stash.

It's an 11x14 canvas. Instead of using hot glue like the instructions said, I used a staple gun tp attach the fabric and ribbon to the board. I put the ribbon in a different layout to show more of the mermaid that is the theme for her big girl room! The corners are perfect for Lidia's little snap barrettes and the longer sides for bigger bows. I left the ribbon hanger off and it's just hanging on a nail above her dresser.

Motherly thought of the day

2009-03-10T10:35:00.001-05:00

Getting your child a toddler bed, a booster seat for the kitchen table and a new car seat and in less than 2 weeks makes your feeling of your child growing up too fast even worse!

1st Finished Korker Bow

2009-03-07T15:53:00.001-06:00

The 1st bow came out really cute! L loves it and calls it a flower.

Korker Saturday!

2009-03-07T08:51:00.007-06:00

L has been 2 for less than a week and I realized that she has never had any hair bows!! Just little rubber bands and some little colored snap barrettes but never any sort of bow. So what does a crafty mom do about that?

Pull out ribbon stash:

Steal clothes pins from the laundry and dowels from cake decorating supplies and bake some korker ribbons:

Korker Ribbon 18 minutes later!!

L and I just need to head to Sally Beauty Supply today to get some hair clips so we can turn these into bows!

Here is the awesome website full of tutorials I'm using. FREE instructions!!
http://www.girlythingsbows.com/

March for Babies

2009-03-05T15:52:00.004-06:00

As most of my family and friends know, my daughter was born 11 weeks early at just 2lbs. 7 1/3oz. She spent 7 1/2 weeks in the NICU before coming home for another month on oxygen and apnea monitor.

L just celebrated her 2nd birthday and is the happiest, silliest, rambunctious and most of all healthy toddler. In L's honor, I will be walking in the March of Dimes March for Babies this year. L will be riding along in her stroller with me.

I know that everyone is feeling the effect of the economy but if you can even spare the tinest amount, we would love if you could help us in our fundraising efforts.

My personal page is:
http://www.marchforbabies.org/srkravetz

Thank You!