The American Homemaker

Shot Through the Heart

2012-01-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

and You're to Blame... ok, not really!

But I did go shooting :)

I hadn't been shooting in a very long time, but it was fun... even the climbing through barb-wire and being frozen and wet because I wasn't warned to bring snow boots part.

My redneck roots do show every now and again ;)

Spice Shelf to Shadowbox Make-Over and Tell Me What You Think About Something

2012-01-17T19:36:00.000-07:00

During Christmas break while my kiddos were gone I decided I needed a crafting project. I hit DI (local thrift store) looking for a project. This is what I found for $3:

Pretty ugly, huh? The hardest part was removing the puff paint stained glass. It took about an hour to scrape it off the glass. I was so worried it would break. Once the glass was clean I painted the whole thing white and started looking around my house for little vintage goodies.

I think it came out fantastic! I LOVE vintage shadow boxes! I gave it to my mom for Christmas. I think she liked it!

I may become addicted to making shadowboxes! They are so much fun. I may even do one to sell in my etsy shop!

Ok... Now I have to tell you about something I've been thinking a lot about lately.

In the fall I was randomly looking at MLS listings in Idaho... don't ask me why. I love my house! I love my ward! I love my location! We are totally happy here! I've never even been to Idaho other than the hot springs or the sand dunes. And yet I found myself on an Idaho MLS site. I found a big old church that I instantly fell in love with. I really love old buildings and I've always thought it would be cool to convert an old church to a house. I remember probably 8 years ago browsing old churches for sale all over the country and daydreaming. This old church in Idaho is in a nice small town. It's right on main street. It's already been converted into a house and it can be zoned for residential and commercial both.

My other dream I've had for as long as I can remember is to own a store in a small town. I had a store here in American Fork years ago. I converted an old house on main into a store and it didn't last long, but my dream didn't die. I just decided I need to try again in a small town, not in a city where there are big stores everywhere PLUS boutiques on every corner. So for the last few months I've been occasionally checking on this huge old church to see if it's still available even though I didn't really think it could happen.

My kids have always SWORN they would never move and if I ever moved out of the area they'd hate me forever and they'd run away, etc. etc... and by "they" I mean Nina. She has been dead-set against ever moving under any circumstances away from Utah County. She also hates old houses and says she'd never live in a church because we'd all get murdered. (Too many scary movies.)

In the meantime of this happening, in August I found a store in Las Vegas that sells bling jewelry for $1! Rings, hair accessories, jewelry sets all $1! It's the same quality you'd get at Rue 21 or Forever 21 which I LOVE and pay more than $1 for. I poured and poured over the internet trying to find the wholesale supplier of this jewelry for hours because I'm always thinking business and wholesale.

Here we are in January:

-The church's price has been lowered SIX times and is now $20,000 less than what they were asking. The mortgage would be half of what I pay now although heat would be double, I'm sure.
-It's almost 9,000 sq ft and can be zoned for residential AND commercial meaning we could live in it and have a store in it and have plenty of room for both.
-The basement is a big open area that could be rented out for classes and such.
-I've talked to a few people in the area who say the church is gorgeous and one person who said he knew someone who used to live in it and loved it.
-I lost my job and no long have work obligations (although I'm desperately trying to find a job!).
-I found the jewelry and clothing wholesaler I've been searching for for MONTHS and the prices are great. I could make a really fun and reasonably priced boutique and still do my online vintage/antiques. I would be the only store like that in town.
-Nina decided she REALLY REALLY wants to move and is BEGGING me to go look at the church. She's pouring over the internet researching everything she can about the town and the high school and is jumping up and down excited even though it's not even in the works. This has been the biggest shock. It was out of the blue and I have no idea why the change of heart.

I think I'm going to go look at the church in a week or so and take Nina with me (and the other kids if they want to go). Maybe it'll be a dump inside and not something I can manage, maybe they'll get an offer tomorrow... but at least I'll know. What do you think? Do you believe in signs? Would I be totally crazy to at least go look? Would I be crazy to not go look? It seems to me that way too many things are coming together that could lead to me fulfilling several of my long-term goals. BUT I just bought this house and we love it and we're happy here... I don't know. I'm feeling a pull to at least SEE if it's a possibility but I feel like people will think I'm insane, including myself. I know I was meant to buy this house I'm in now and I thought I'd be here a long time... What if I'm not? I'm a little scared, but I'll let you know if we take a road trip to check it out!

Mason Jar Cakes

2012-01-13T07:07:00.000-07:00

These are so adorable! I whipped them up for the 4th of July and somehow forgot to ever blog about them so here they are 6 months later! I made them for a cooking class as well and people loved them... they're just so dang fun!

You can use different cake and frosting colors for different holidays or occasions! They make fabulous gifts as well (think Valentine's Day gifts for lonely single people who will be sitting home eating cake!). You'll want to refrigerate if you're using homemade frosting or if you plan on making them ahead of time. Vintage silver spoons look great with the jars or you can use plastic. If you're serving them immediately don't even worry about the lids! They look great without!

Mason Jar Cakes

24 regular cupcakes made from a cake mix or homemade

2 cans frosting, or homemade frosting in a contrasting color, use whipped frosting if you can find it

Sprinkles or mini chocolate chips

12 8 oz straight mason jars (NOT wide-mouth), with lids and rings (lids don’t need to be new)

12 x 12 sheet decorative scrapbook paper

Ribbon, string or twine (coordinate with your paper/theme)

12 plastic spoons

Bake the cupcakes without paper liners, making sure to grease the muffin pan well. Let cool. Use a jar lid (not ring) to trace 12 circles onto the scrapbook paper and cut out. If you laminate your paper or cover it with contact paper your circles be reused over and over again. Place your frosting in a ziplock baggie and cut the corner for easy piping.

tray can be found here

To assemble: Place one cupcake inside the jar, pipe enough frosting on top it will be seen well through the side of the jar. Add a second cupcake. You may have to squeeze the cupcakes to fit them in the jar. Top with more frosting and add sprinkles or mini chocolate chips. Place a jar lid on the jar and top with a paper circle. Add the ring and tie a spoon to the jar using ribbon, string or twine.

I need a job.

2012-01-11T15:21:00.000-07:00

I'm looking for a job in the American Fork/Lehi area. It would have to start after 8am. I need to make at least $1,000/mo.

I'm not interested in anything with home parties, referrals or commissions... just a regular job with a regular hourly wage. I'm available the beginning of February.

If you know of anything PLEASE let me know. I am stressed out beyond belief and my heart is breaking that I'm going to be working outside my home again. I've been crying all day. So far this just isn't my year.

Canceled Trips

2012-01-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

I had three amazing trips I was looking forward to happening in the first part of 2012... One was going to be to Maryland. Then that was canceled along with everything that entailed (no comment).

Two was going to be a cruise with my best friend. I bought formal dresses and shorts and everything! Then that was canceled.

Last was going to be a Disneyland trip with my kiddos over spring break... but looking over my taxes it doesn't look like I'll be getting the kind of refund I've gotten the last few years because of the day care job I worked in 2011 so no-go on the Disneyland.

*SIGH* It's been a lot of disappointment. Traveling is something I have always wanted to do. I was married to someone who felt like traveling was a big waste of money and never wanted to do it and then since I've divorced I haven't been able to afford it. To have three trips planned and all three canceled within two weeks of each other has been pretty sad.

cell phone pic of me trying on my dress

I am determined to wear my formals somewhere though! There is a formal singles murder mystery dinner I'm going to try and go to this weekend so I can wear one of my dresses. It's a gorgeous mermaid blue. You can't tell in the pic but it's pretty shimmery. $10 at Ross!

disneyland 2006

I am also determined to take my kids SOMEWHERE cool this summer. It may not be Disneyland, but maybe it will be! If I can really put some time into my etsy shop then perhaps I can make up the difference from what I'm not getting back from my taxes. My kids are getting older. In 3 1/2 years Nina will be moving out and heading to college... I want those family vacation memories with my kids! We went to Disneyland once in December of 2006. I'd really love to take them again.

I'm not going to let this get me down! Good things will happen in 2012! I just know it!

Delish Dinner Rolls

2012-01-08T13:51:00.001-07:00

I've never had a lot of luck making yeast rolls or breads. They always come out heavier than I would like. BUT I made rolls last week and they were fabulous! The recipe was simple, but time consuming as all yeast recipes tend to be. I can't wait to make these again! I served them for dinner with a brown sugar glazed ham roast, cheesy mashed potatoes and a green salad with homemade dressing. It was a delightful meal! I think I may add more sugar next time to go for a sweet taste like the Texas Roadhouse or Golden Corral.

Homemade Dinner Rolls

4 1/2 - 5 1/2 c. white flour
1/4 c. sugar
1 T yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 c. milk (I used skim)
1/2 c. water
1 T butter
2 eggs

Combine 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Heat the milk, water and butter to warm. Add to dry ingredients. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add 2 eggs and beat on high for 2 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.

Turn onto a floured counter or cutting board and knead for 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top of the dough. Cover and let rise until double. Punch dough down. Turn onto floured surface. Divide into 24 balls of dough and place in 2 greased 9x13 pans. Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise until double. Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter while still hot.

Swag Bucks! You can totally earn Amazon gift cards!

2012-01-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

I was pretty skeptical of Swag Bucks because I don't have time to take surveys or watch videos, but I decided to try it out and it's totally worth it!

So far I've earned $20 in Amazon gift cards in six weeks. It took me about four weeks to earn the first one but after that they've been coming faster and faster.

All I do is the Swag Bucks toolbar, the daily poll, the coupons and the online shopping... Guess what? That is stuff I was already doing and now I'm earning points for it. When you go through the Swag Bucks link to online shop just about anywhere you earn two points for ever $1 spent. I even use it when I develop pictures. With the coupons you just go through their link to print out the same grocery coupons you'd already be printing... but you earn 10 points for every coupon you redeem. And then when you use the search bar to search you can win points just randomly. The most I've earned is 29 in a search but I'm still hoping for a 50!

If you've never used Swag Bucks I suggest trying it out... I'm always buying things from Amazon so it's nice to have a little balance in there now!

2011 in Review

2012-01-01T11:50:00.000-07:00

I am terrible at resolutions. I will never accomplish a goal just because I set it on the first day of the year. I have to be motivated for my own reasons to actually follow through. New Year's Eve is hard for me... I look back on the year and feel a little sad for my failings. Instead of writing down a list of things I'll never finish I'm going to list a few good things that happened in 2011!

January- I spent time with friends. I packed up my house. I was able to file my taxes and get a nice tax return. I worked out and ate healthy and was able to lose some weight!

February- I bought a house! It's an old house, but a great house! I love it! February was literally the most stressful month of my entire life, but I was able to get moved in and accomplish all that I needed to despite the problems!

March- I saw Bon Jovi in concert! Bon Jovi was always my dream concert! Since I was a kid I wanted to see him play and I loved it!

April- I was able to quit my job and start working from home fulfilling my goal of being home with my kids! I took the kids to the farm which was just the start of fun family activities we did throughout the year now that I'm home! I spoke in sacrament meeting for the first time.

May- I got to attend the end of the year school dance festival for the first time in years! It made my heart happy that I could be there for the kids and not at work.

June- We went camping to the hot springs! It was so much fun to take my kids camping after so long. I was also featured on the Ladies Home Journal website which was so cool!

July- I opened my etsy shop. It was able to pay for back-to-school shopping! I saw Sawyer Brown in concert. I LOVE him! We brought Tika into our family. I went on my first big hike!

August- I went to a great singles conference. School started again. I was able to work out a carpool saving me a lot of money.

September- I did a lot of canning with fruit from my very own trees! Football was a great experience for Nina and Caleb! I got to be a football mom. I made more money in my etsy shop than any other month in 2011. Nina and I were extras in two short films.

October- The Zombie Prom & my Halloween party went great! All the classes I taught and everything else I was in charge of went fabulously.

November- I updated my 72 hour kits after two years. I hosted Thanksgiving at my house. Black Friday shopping was a lot of fun! I took a wonderful break from facebook while I did some pondering and praying.

December- I reconnected with crocheting after more than 10 years. The kids and I did a lot of fun Christmas activities. I had a great late Christmas with my kids. I was able to spend New Year's Eve with my kids and my sisters.

There you have it! And because it's tradition I will set a goal for the upcoming year...

My goal for 2012 is to have more faith in myself and the Lord. I recently came across a great quote by Henry B. Eyring, "With faith, we will be able to pray for what we want and appreciate whatever we get." I believe that as I have more faith I will be able to be more healthy, happy and spiritual in 2012. Happy New Year!

Feminine Friday: Pink Poodles, Stupid Hats and Moldy Cupcakes

2011-12-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

I used to be a crocheter, but it's been YEARS! I've done a scarf here or there, but I haven't done any real crocheting since Nina was a baby... yes, that's been 14 1/2 years! My mom gave me a crocheted pink poodle for Christmas and it sparked my crocheting interest again! It's a vintage pattern and we all know how I feel about vintage!!! She made poodles for my sisters as well, but I got the pink one... hehehe

I opened it on Christmas Eve and went home and made myself another one! I used fluffy yarn (because that's what I had) and ended up with a fuzzy poodle who fit on a mouthwash bottle!

The next day I decided to make myself a hat to pass the time on Christmas when I was sad and waiting for my kids. Perhaps it wasn't the best idea because I showed Nina when they got home and said, "Is my hat stupid?" and she said, "Ummmm... yes". Just to prove to her it wasn't stupid I wore it out the whole next day! Then I sent a picture to my friend Jake and said, "Does this hat make me look stupid?" and got no response. The next day on the phone I asked if he got the hat pic. He was like, "Well... yes. But that was a trick question! I know better than answering something like that!". So... My hat is stupid! But I made it! Oh Nina and Jake! The two people who will tell me to my face I look stupid! Blah LOL!

As I was perusing easy crochet patterns online I came across a blog called Gleeful Things which has some super adorable and unique crochet patterns! I fell in love with her moldy cupcake pattern and created my own!

Isn't he freaking fun and adorable? I don't know what I'm gonna do with a moldy cupcake, but I think he needs friends... lots and lots of friends! I guess it's time to make a whole collection! *grin*

Happy Feminine Friday!

Link up below! Don't forget the rules: ~You MUST link back to The American Homemaker or you will be deleted. Using the Feelin' Feminine Friday banner is optional; linking to The American Homemaker is not. Postings not linked back will be deleted from the linky. ~You must post on something feminine... whatever that means to you. We're looking for postings that fall under that theme. ~You must link to your individual blog posting, not the home page of your blog. ~No linking to shops or other link-up parties. ~Links to giveaways are perfectly fine... Who doesn't love winning something? *grin* HAVE FUN VISITING ALL OUR FEMININE FRIENDS!

T-Shirt and Tank Top Bags: I heart them!

2011-12-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

I've made several t-shirt and tank top bags over the last couple of years. I use them daily! They're super simple to make and have so many uses... dirty laundry while traveling, hauling packages to the post office, yard sale shopping, carrying craft supplies, holding food for camping or car trips, etc. etc. They stretch HUGE and are totally machine washable so I don't mind throwing dirty things in it. The girls love that they can keep t-shirts they outgrow and I love finding shirts for .25 at yard sales I can upcyle into bags. I have tons and keep making them because I use them like crazy!

I've been giving Alyssa sewing lessons and one of our latest sewing adventures was t-shirt bags and a purse out of a pair of jeans she's outgrown. She did a great job!

Here's the easy tutorial for the t-shirt bags:

Lay the t-shirt flat and cut the collar off evenly. Cut the sleeves off as well. If you're using a tank top you can skip this step.

Turn the shirt inside out and stitch the bottom of the shirt closed. I like to double or even triple stitch the bottom closed because I carry tons of heavy things in my bags. I once carried stacks of vintage books and pans in one bag! I have never had a single bag tear or any handles break. These things hold up!

That's it! You can whip one up in about 5 minutes! Oh and if you can't read Alyssa's shirt bag it says, "Blondes have more fun. BRUNETTES CAN READ" Bwah haha!

AND t-shirt bags aren't just for carrying stuff! At my baby sister's wedding a couple weeks ago I had a *cough cough* mishap with the punch and the kitchen we were in had nothing to clean it up with! Nothing... no paper towels, dish rags, towels... but I grabbed an empty t-shirt bag and it ended up being our cleaning rag all day. ~~At the end of the day it went right in the washer.~~ Ok, I won't lie. It sat in my kitchen in a wet heap along with the hoards of wedding, ward party, cooking class and cookie decorating activity items I was supposed to put away for probably way too long as I tried to recuperate/pout about my kids being gone. T-shirt bags rock.

Here's the purse we upcyled from a pair of jeans:

I remember making jean purses for my girls when they were like 2 and 5 years old out of adult sized jeans. I made them into church bags to hold a notebook and the pockets held colored pencils and crayons.

These purses also whip up super fast. Alyssa's came out so cute! She's in love with it. My little girly is addicted to sewing!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

It's December 25th and as I'm anxiously waiting for my kids to get home after 10 days of being gone (8 hours to go!) I thought I'd take a minute to wish you all a Merry Christmas! I hope Santa brought you just what you asked for!

We've been really blessed this Christmas season by secret Santas leaving us gifts on the doorstep or in the mail box. We appreciate it more than you will ever know! I am so grateful for friends and neighbors.

I'm cleaning up my kitchen today and preparing for the Christmas Eve festivities a day late! My kids may have had Christmas Eve last night, but I want that with them too! We'll be watching Christmas movies, eating breakfast rolls, drinking hot cocoa, going on a light scavenger hunt, opening our new jammies, decorating cookies for Santa and sprinkling magic reindeer oats on the lawn. I love Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas!

Cookies Cookies Cookies

2011-12-21T11:00:00.002-07:00

Tis the season to make cookies fa la la la la la la la... Christmas time is about the only time I ever make rolled cookies. The secret to soft sugar or gingerbread cookies is not overbaking them! Pull them out when they still look almost raw. If you do overbake your cookies you can put them in a covered container with a piece of bread to soften them back up. This year we decorated cookies at our family Christmas party. Who doesn't love decorating (and eating!) cookies?

Here are my three favorite holiday cookie recipes:

Gingerbread Cookies

This is the gingerbread cookie recipe I've been using for 15 years. It's pretty much no-fail. It's also has no eggs in it so if you're looking for a no-egg cookie, here it is! This is a great make-ahead recipe as well. They stay fresh for a very long time.

¾ c butter

¾ c dark brown sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ginger

2 pumpkin pie spice

¼ tsp cardamom

¾ c corn syrup or molasses

¼ c water

3 ¼ c flour

Cream butter and sugar together. Add salt, soda and spices. Stir in water and corn syrup, gradually mix in flour. Cover and chill for 2 hours. Roll and cut into fun shapes with cookie cutters. Bake on a lightly greased cookie sheet in preheated 350 oven for 10 minutes or until light brown around the edges. Do not overbake! Cool and decorate.

Soft Sugar Cookies

These have a very soft, flaky texture and are pretty dang close to Lofthouse cookies. This is a very soft dough. Work it as little as possible to keep them soft & delicious. I just use a round cookie cutter for these.

1 c softened butter
1 c sugar
3 beaten eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground nutmeg

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Add in remaining ingredients. Refrigerate the dough for about an hour. Roll dough on lightly floured surface and cut with a round cookie cutter. I cut these cookies thick, about 1/2 inch. Try to work the dough as little as possible. Bake at 425 for about 10 minutes or until lightly golden. Do not overbake! Cool and frost.

Snow-capped Gingersnaps

This has been our “Cookies for Santa” recipe since my kids were babies! They would be great to mail in care packages since they're made with shortening and are topped with white chocolate instead of frosting.

1 c brown sugar
¾ c shortening
¼ c corn syrup or molasses
1 egg
2 ¼ c flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
½ tsp cloves
¼ tsp salt

Sugar

1 c white chocolate chips
1 T shortening

Mix brown sugar, shortening, corn syrup and egg in a large bowl. Stir in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Heat oven to 375. Lightly grease cookie sheet. Shape dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into balls; dip tops into granulated sugar. Place balls, sugar-side up, about 3 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until just set. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack to cool. Cover a cookie sheet or countertop with waxed paper. Melt chips and shortening together in the microwave, stirring every 15 seconds until melted and smooth. Dip half of each cooled cookie into the melted chocolate. Place on waxed paper, let stand until firm.

Cookie decorating!

Pink frosting!

We give each kid a paper plate with a couple of cookies, a scoop of frosting and whatever sprinkles or candies they wanted... that way they don't contaminate the whole operation with their cooties! Plus they get excited to use their own Christmasy spreader.

This boy never takes off his coat! LOL

Nina helping her little cousin

Me like cookies! Nom Nom Nom Nom Nom!

We didn't just have cookies at our party... we had appetizers, pizza and chicken as well :)

I bought a dozen of these Christmas tree dishes at a yard sale over the summer for SUPER cheap (I think it was .50 for the dozen). I made jello in them and scattered them around the tables.

Hot bubbly spinach dip!!! I make it with fresh spinach, sour cream, cream cheese, mayo, cheese and ranch dressing powder! Sooo good served with wheat thins, french bread and bagels!

My spinach roll-ups! Mmm...

This is just one of MANY holiday parties I've been to or hosted and we still have a few to go! It's party season for sure!!!

Feelin' Feminine Friday Week 8: Hand Knitted Socks and the Friendship They Represent

2011-12-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to meet an amazing woman in my ward recently. She is a great-grandma and super funny and sweet! I went to visit her the other day and take her a couple of freezer meals. (Don't forget the grandmas and grandpas who live near you and can use some holiday cheer!!!).

She showed me several knitting projects she does as service projects, one of which is socks. She had all sorts of fun colors. She asked me which was my favorite and then gave them to me!!! I love them so much! What a touching gift!

I wear them to sleep in. They're very cozy, but more than that, they remind me of the sweet woman who knitted them.

I love visiting with the older women in my ward. They have such wonderful stories and sweet spirits.

I am so grateful I got to spend a great afternoon with Marianne and I look forward to visiting with her again!

Today my feminine posting is about sisterhood. I want to remind you younger women that there are older women who would love to feel your enthusiasm and energy... and you older women need to remember that there are younger women out there who would love to hear your stories and learn from your experience. Although it's wonderful to have friends your same age who are in the same stage of life as you are, don't limit yourself! There is much we can gain from women of all ages! (((hugs)))

Happy Feminine Friday!

Super Cool Yard Stick Pegs & I Cleaned my Craft Room!

2011-12-14T21:11:00.001-07:00

My craft room has been a DISASTER for a long time! I couldn't even walk in the room. I decided to devote my WHOLE day today to my crafty disaster area. I was out of storage space and out of walls to make more. The only possibility was the wall behind the door which wasn't deep enough for a piece of furniture. I had a great idea!!! Who knew yard sticks and corks could be a storage answer?

I bought the yard sticks at a thrift store for $1 each a while back and I've been saving them for a decorating project... I didn't know they'd become storage.

I had nine corks, so I used heavy duty epoxy and glued five corks to one of the yard sticks and four to the other.

Then I screwed the yard sticks into the wall using a level to make sure they were straight. Super easy!

The feeling I've been going for in my craft room was an old fashioned general store and this fits in perfect!

The bags of pom poms remind me of cotton candy. I have extra pegs as you can see, so I'll be able to add more to my storage display.

I picked up this vintage wood food box at a thrift store for $1 a month ago. It was hideously spray painted silver. I covered it with a white paint and sanded it so you could see the writing... Corned Beef! Random, but it's a fun box! I screwed the box into the wall using screws and plastic anchors. It holds paper for wrapping etsy items I ship.

I just love this!

I feel like a genius! haha!

If you forgot what the rest of my craft room "general store" looks like, here's a reminder. The empty spot on the desk is where my sewing machine goes. I finally gave my sister's machine back to her and pulled my NEW Black Friday machine out of my trunk. Alyssa and I used it today! It works beautifully!

We'll just pretend the other half of the room doesn't look like this:

My etsy shop inventory plus boxes and packaging materials are SO taking over my craft room! That's why it's been such a disaster. I need to find a better organizing system for my inventory... as in any system.

The cats love staring out the window... there must always be something interesting going on!

Why are cats so dang nosy? What are they looking at anyways???

Tika was bored of all the cleaning so she climbed to the top of the closet and slept in my basket of "clean" sheets for my bed. She tosses things around to make it comfy for her.

Silly cats!

But as soon as the kids got home she was jumping down and asking for attention!

I love my kitties! And they love my craft room!

I also redid a dresser this week! It turned out fabulous!!! Pics will be coming soon!

Please Come to My Cooking Class batting my pretty brown eyes

2011-12-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

I love teaching cooking classes. It's really fun to get together with a group of women and share ideas and recipes. I teach once a month at a local grocery store and I would love to have more opportunities to teach!

At my November class I found out that mine is the least attended class. I feel really, really sad about that. I feel like my topics are fun and creative and I don't think I'm boring. I try to keep the class upbeat and interactive. I'm not sure if it's me or if it's just my random, bad luck.

I'm going to start posting each of my classes here on my blog because I'd love to have YOU attend!

You're Invited!
-FREE Cooking Class at Pleasant Grove Maceys
-Pleasant Grove, UT
-Thursday, December 15th from 7-8pm
-Topic: Christmas Eve Traditions

I'll be demonstrating recipes (with samples!) and talking about different fun family holiday activities! I hope to see you there!

Christmas Fun!

2011-12-05T21:43:00.001-07:00

I LOVE Christmas traditions and festivities! This year my kiddos leave on December 16th and don't come home until 7pm on Christmas night so I'm trying to squeeze everything into the first half of December I can! Friday we attended my sister's ward Christmas party with her.

Her ward had their party catered by one of my favorite places, Wallabys! They had the cupcakes catered by The Sweet Tooth Fairy and they were amazing! Santa was there and my kids refused to get their pics taken with him! I miss the good old days!

Saturday after hitting the post office (I'm there almost every day because of etsy sales! Hooray!), the kids and I headed up to Salt Lake City for the day! First we had FABULOUS sushi! A friend of mine introduced me to the Red Ginger Bistro! Mmmmmmm! Amazing and really cheap! I fed the four of us until we were ready to burst (with leftovers) for $35. If you're a sushi fan you know that's an amazing price.

Here we are in Salt Lake! If you aren't familiar with Utah, I live in American Fork which is about 30 minutes south of downtown Salt Lake City. I love living close enough to everything, but not TOO close!

After sushi we went to the Gateway outdoor mall and wandered around. They had hot cocoa for sale for $1 so we had to partake! It was mighty cold out! Don't ask why Caleb and I left our coats in the car! LOL

We went to the planetarium while at the Gateway. Here we are in the giant elevator. I love the free hands-on displays.

After the Gateway we went to the Hogle Zoo, ZooLights. It was so cool! It was our first year going and we loved it. The lights were animal themed and a lot of them were cool motion lights (I don't know if that's what they're really called). We got hot cocoa at the zoo too!

We were there for the lights on ceremony and my kids decided I would look better covered in streamers :)

Tonight we bundled up again (Utah is cold in December!) and went to a live nativity. We go every year. This isn't just the typical Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus scene... it's really a large production. There are fire pits and Roman soldiers on horses, shepherds, wise men, a market place where you can see people working on different trades, live animals including sheep, donkeys, goats, geese and camels... At the end you enter into a quiet barn and see Mary, Joseph and a real live baby Jesus. It's a really great experience!

We've been attending this nativity for years. It's one of my favorite traditions. Everyone goes to see Santa each year... I think it's important to go see Baby Jesus as well.

It's a good reminder of why we celebrate Christmas.

Hot cocoa seems to be quite the staple of winter around here. We love it!

Tomorrow is Alyssa's Christmas Choir concert. Thursday is our family Christmas party (at my house & I just found out tonight!). Next week I have a big Activity Days activity combined with the Young Women in the ward and we're decorating hundreds of cookies for our Ward party on Tuesday. Next Thursday I teach a Christmas Eve Traditions cooking class. That Friday is our ward party which I'm on the committee for and Saturday is my sister's wedding which I'm doing all the food for. I did say I was gonna pack the first half of December!

Anyone wanna guess why Panther is in the Christmas tree box?

He needed a place to go after I booted him out from under the tree so I could put presents down there. He was so insulted!

This is our tree this year! I went primitive again. I love it! I love Christmas!

Merry Christmas! The countdown has already begun!

Sugared Peanuts: A super simple gift idea

2011-12-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

These peanuts are delicious and only have three ingredients. They take a little time, but they are so worth it! They also ship well for care packages.

Sugared Peanuts

1 c. water
2 c. sugar
5 c. dry roasted (or raw) peanuts
salt, if desired

Preheat oven to 300. Boil the water and sugar together in a heavy saucepan. Once boiling add peanuts. Boil and stir until most of the sugar-water is thickened and absorbed (about 10-15 minutes). Spread onto a buttered cooked sheet. Bake at 300 for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or until peanuts are looking dry and sugar coated.

Feminine Friday Week 7: Yummy Felt Goodness:

2011-12-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my felt poptart cell phone holder. LOVE him!!! Did I mention that I love him?

This guy was super easy to make although the sprinkles were time consuming. Nina wants to make some for her friends for Christmas. We'll see if she has the patience... I want to make a bunch and perhaps sell them in my shop.

This poptart is ADORABLE!!! Oh and yes, I love him :)

Here are a couple other felt items I whipped up... I've caught the felt food fever for sure!

Cookies are super easy! But I'm sure you figure that since I stay away from anything crafty that isn't super easy... hehehe

Crackers and cheese make me laugh! Brandon loves them. The first day I made them I found every one of them stuffed in his pocket as he tried to steal them and take them home!

Here they are together! How cute are they?!? I can't wait to make more felt foods!

The little kids have tea parties with the cookies, crackers and felt sushi I made. Only at our house do people have sushi at tea parties. I love making things with my hands... it's for sure a feminine thing!

Happy Feminine Friday!

Quick & Easy Ribbon Hair Tie

2011-11-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

My sister wasn't aware that it was "red day" for Red Ribbon Week, so Sadie showed up at my house in the morning not wearing any red. I whipped together a hair tie for her to show her red ribbon spirit!

It's very easy to make a fun ribbony hair tie in any color scheme. I did all red, but you can do any color combination you like.

If you're unsure how to attach the ribbons to the pony tail holder, here are some step by step pictures of how to tie them on. If you'd like to add a dab of hot glue, it will be more permanent. Hot glue the ribbon to itself, not the pony tail holder though.

Ta-da! It's that easy! Add lots and lots of ribbons for a full look! You can choose the length of the ribbons depending on the look you want.

These would make fun Christmas gifts for the little girls in your life!

She loves it!

Easy Cookie Dough Truffles

2011-11-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hi! I'm Angie and I'm addicted to cookie dough. (hi, Angie) My children are also addicts. They really had no chance... it's in their blood. As I was buying pounds and pounds of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough (dude, I totally had coupons AND earned three free gallons of milk!) I started thinking of how my kids would probably just eat it all and we'd never actually see any warm baked cookies. Then my wandering mind starting thinking of what I could do with the cookie dough... and an idea was born!

I'm not one of those people who is scared of eating raw cookie dough. In fact I have been eating it my whole entire life and I'm still alive (last time I checked). My kids eat it all the time too and have since they were itty bitty. If you are opposed to eating cookie dough then don't make this recipe and don't tell me about it. I'm getting ornery in my old age... haha.

Cookie Dough Truffles

30 oz pkg of cookie dough (or adjust chocolate to the pkg size)
12 oz pkg chocolate chips
12 oz pkg white chocolate chips
oil
mini chocolate chips & crushed candy canes

Shape the cookie dough into balls. Melt chocolate chips in microwave with a bit of oil. Dip half of the cookie dough balls in the brown chocolate and place on wax paper. Insert a pick if desired and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips for decoration while chocolate is still wet.

Follow the same steps with the white chocolate, using crushed candy canes to embellish. Keep refrigerated.

These are freaking good!!! For real! I like the brown chocolate ones best, but others liked the white better. The candy canes make them AWESOME. I have to say they went down pretty fast in my fridge. They're way too easy to pop in your mouth as you're looking for a healthy snack! These would be a big hit at any holiday party for sure!!!

***Warning: Cookie Dough Truffle attract monsters***

Thanksgiving Day!

2011-11-27T21:33:00.001-07:00

We had a great Thanksgiving! I thought I'd share a couple of pics from our day.

Alyssa is a bit too much like her mom! haha! Here she is putting together the centerpieces for our Thanksgiving dinner.

We had three tables to accommodate everyone. The thing that cracked us up was everyone using their cell phones to save their places as they served up their food. Times have changed, for sure!

I think the table came out looking pretty good... As we were setting the tables Nina reminded me that I told her she could have the gold flatware when I die. Bwah haha! She was probably four at the time. She has always loved the gold stuff. I think it's a little tacky, but the kids get a kick out of how "fancy" it is at holiday meals.

I got the paper plates at Smiths for free with a coupon. I liked them because they weren't "Thanksgiving" but they looked nice. The napkins were 90% off at Hobby Lobby a couple of days before Thanksgiving! :)

I'm SLOWLY rubbing off on my sista! This is the first time she's ever worn an apron so I had to document it. I'm so totally gonna make her an apron in her style with my NEW Black Friday sewing machine (woo-hoo!).

Meet Hank, Hank Sgiving. (Did anyone else see that show? haha!) So I'm like totally ditzy sometimes and put his tuxedo on upside down. I wouldn't have even thought about it, but Alyssa pointed it out! *sigh* I like to think of him as holding his hands in the air... Put 'em up!

We had a bit of a fiasco with the gravy. I found out on Thanksgiving Day I was out of both flour and corn starch. My sis and I totally made it work though. Good thing we're creative!

Janelle made a delightful corn with mayo, chili powder and some Mexican type cheese. It was yummy!

Stabbing Hank... poor Hank! Notice the turkey pan? I so totally bought one this year for like $7. After doing Thanksgivings for like 15 years I decided it was time to stop buying the dumb flexible throw away ones! Why didn't I buy one before? Oh yeah... I'm kinda kooky sometimes!

What would a family gathering be without wresting? It would be boring, that's what. *grin*

Alyssa-Lou, our Thanksgiving photographer and my sister, Nikki playing with the camera.

This is my soon to be brother-in-law. Notice the table behind him? It was the table we fed the kids on... it totally looked cute, but for some reason it was very UNphotogenic and every pic of it came out blurry.

Meet my mom... she had to approve the pics Alyssa took of her. hahaha... My family thinks people will see the pics we take?

Me and my best friend, Jake... One of these days I'm gonna hold him down and shave his whole freaking head!

Thanksgiving was a lot of fun. The food was yummy and the company was great. Afterward my sisters, mom and I hit Walmart for SEVEN HOURS of Black Friday shopping. We got there by 7pm and didn't get home until super late. It's insane and totally unnecessary, but a fun tradition! How was your Thanksgiving holiday?

Feelin' Feminine Friday Week 6: Pretty Pink Cupcake Ornies

2011-11-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

These were so easy to make and I love the results! I took white glass balls from my Christmas box, hot glued them in nut/baking cups from the dollar store and added paint and glitter. I used a pink craft paint and sprinkled pink glitter onto it while still wet. The next morning I covered it with a brush-on gloss since the paint was a flat pink. That's all! Quick and easy! I'm going to make a bunch of them! They won't match my tree this year, but I know I'll use them in other decorating!

I am such a flake with my Feelin' Feminine Fridays... I guess it's because I'm not sure if they're appreciated or not. I know it's next to impossible for anyone to participate when I'm missing them half the time, but I'm not sure if people want to participate or not... I wonder if people are joining in just so I don't look like the only loser at a party? LOL! Oh well... I will keep on with it :)

Happy Feminine Friday!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T22:45:00.000-07:00

I am thankful for you!

ps. I'm actually doing Feelin' Feminine Friday this week... feel free to join in after your crazy Black Friday shopping!

10 Things I am Thankful For

2011-11-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

Gratitude is something we should be feeling all the time, not just in the autumn months, but November always makes us think just a little bit more about those things we are thankful for. There is so much in my life that I am grateful for, so bear with me as I make my way through the incomplete list of things I'm thankful for in no particular order.

1- My children of course come to mind first. I love them with all my heart. I am so thankful that Heavenly Father trusted me enough to put them in my care. I'm grateful for their personalities, their strengths, their weaknesses, their love and all that they teach me.

2- God probably should have been #1, but I know that without my children I wouldn't be as close to my Heavenly Father as I am. I am so truly blessed every day. I know that everything I have and everything I am I owe to God. There is no way I can ever repay him for all my blessing, but I can sure try through my service and actions.

3- My home is a sanctuary that I am so thankful for! It makes such a difference in your life to not only have a roof above your head, but to have a place you love to be. This is the first house I've ever lived in where I have felt complete peace and comfort. It is by no means perfect. It's old and not in the best shape, but it is all mine and a place I feel safe and happy!

4- My car is something that I think I take for granted. Without a vehicle I would have very little independence. I would be dependent on others to take me shopping, to get my kids to school, to run errands, to get us to church and so many other things. If I didn't have a running car my life would be much harder.

5- People who care about me is a huge thing I'm grateful for. Whether it's my online friends helping me to make a decision or just listening to what I'm going through or my ward family who are here to help me with whatever I need such as my furnace not working or my yard needing work or my friends who are always there to help with car issues or school projects or my sister who is always there when I need her, I am so truly blessed to have people in my life who are filled with love and service. I can't even begin to express my gratitude for those caring people.

6- Sushi, chocolate and Cherry Coke seem like silly things to add to a list such as this, but comfort foods have not always been as readily available as they are now. We can eat foods not only for our survival, but for our enjoyment as well. 100 years ago the average person was not able to eat as quickly and deliciously as we do now. That's something we don't often think about.

7- The freedom to make my own decisions is such a big thing I think about all the time. With all the people out there telling me I should dress this way or act that way or buy this house or drive that car or date this person or not date that person I am eternally grateful for my own agency. I can make my own decision and deal with my own consequences. So many people think that there is one way only to think or act and everything else is "wrong" and while there may be some black and white choices out there, for the most part what works for one person doesn't work for another. I'm grateful I can make those choices for myself!

8- My self esteem is something I haven't always had, so it's something I truly appreciate. I like myself. I like the way I look. I like the talents and abilities I have. I like the way I parent. I like the way I decorate my house. I like the person I am. I am confident in myself. That doesn't mean I'm always happy and sunshiny, but it does mean that I am ok with who I am which is something a lot of people can't say.

9- My testimony is also something I haven't always had, but I am grateful for the knowledge that I truly am a daughter of God and a sister of Jesus Christ who both love me with a love I can't even begin to comprehend. I'm grateful to know that there is a living, breathing prophet on the earth today. I'm so glad I know that I have purpose and meaning and I'm not just an insignificant speck on the earth. I'm thankful for my knowledge of the importance of temples and families. I'm thankful for the knowledge that even though we all sin, we can repent and be forgiven. I don't know where I would be in my life right now without a testimony.

10- Modern conveniences are something that I sometimes think I could live without. I love learning about pioneer history and I think it would be an amazing experience to live the simple way they lived... But with that being said, I am so grateful for my dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, cell phone, tv, dvd player, radio, microwave, fridge, oven, furnace, running water, flushing toilet, car, electricity and much much more! We take for granted the fact that we can flip a switch and the light comes on or that we can go to the bathroom in the warmness of our house and not make the trek to an outhouse. There are many people in the world even today who do not have these things. I am so thankful for them!!!

There you have it! 10 things I am thankful for. What are 10 things you're glad you have in your life?

Felt Sushi Tutorial

2011-11-21T21:18:00.001-07:00

I have been in a CRAFTY mood lately! This is just one of the projects I did today. Y'all know I'm a big time sushi fan... It is definitely my favorite food. I decided I wanted to recreate the goodness in felt. I'm not exactly sure what I'll do with them, but they are pretty dang cute! I'm addicted to making felt food. I MAY let my niece and nephew play with them... we'll see! haha

One thing I like about making felt sushi is you can use up little random scraps of felt.

You can get just about any fish, veggies, fruits or meats in sushi at a sushi house (yum!), so feel free to play with whatever colors you want in your play sushi!

For the rice you'll want to cut two pieces of white felt. I like to use pinking shears to add rice texture. My rice pieces are 1 1/2" x 9" (the short side of a felt sheet).

Place your sushi insides on the rice. I like to use tacky glue to help hold it all together.

Once you have your filling in place, roll up the rice tightly. If one white piece ends up longer than the other (it happens), trim the end so they're both the same size.

With white thread stitch the sushi roll closed.

Maneuver your rice and fillings so it looks nice.

Cut a piece of black felt to fit around the rice. Use regular scissors since seaweed is cut straight. Use glue to help hold the seaweed felt in place.

Stitch the black felt with black thread the same as you did the white.

Ta-da!!!!! You're done!!!

I think they came out so great! I made each of them different. I can't wait to make more too! My felt sushi came out WAY better than my attempt to make real homemade sushi!

HAHAHAHA!!! It was yummy, but entirely unattractive! I think I need to take a sushi class!

There you have it! "Delicious" sushi for your little ones to play with! I made a few other felt items as well... I'll be sharing them soon!

I want to follow up about the facebook thing. I REALLY enjoyed being away from facebook. Some of you know the only reason I ever created a facebook page was to build a closer relationship with my blog readers and I still put it off for a long time. I never really wanted one. I'm rarely on facebook even though I update my own status all the time. I just text it from my phone... I'm a BIG texter. I didn't miss facebook one bit. I actually didn't want to rejoin, but I started to feel guilty for loving my fb-free life. Isn't that weird??? I'm back on facebook for now. I may take a break again if it gets too much.

I'm feeling much better. I did a ton of thinking, pondering and praying over the week. I also did a lot of cooking and crafting. I had two girls' nights out, one being sushi with my awesome friend Kaylene (she dragged me out and I loved it!) and the other being dinner and the new Twilight movie with my sister. I sold several items in my shop and listed a few as well. It was a good week! Now it's time to get ready for Thanksgiving dinner at my house! I'm having family and friends over. I'm excited for the holidays!

The American Homemaker

Shot Through the Heart

Spice Shelf to Shadowbox Make-Over and Tell Me What You Think About Something

Mason Jar Cakes

I need a job.

Canceled Trips

Delish Dinner Rolls

Swag Bucks! You can totally earn Amazon gift cards!

2011 in Review

Feminine Friday: Pink Poodles, Stupid Hats and Moldy Cupcakes

T-Shirt and Tank Top Bags: I *heart* them!

Merry Christmas!

Cookies Cookies Cookies

Feelin' Feminine Friday Week 8: Hand Knitted Socks and the Friendship They Represent

Super Cool Yard Stick Pegs & I Cleaned my Craft Room!

Please Come to My Cooking Class *batting my pretty brown eyes*

Christmas Fun!

Sugared Peanuts: A super simple gift idea

Feminine Friday Week 7: Yummy Felt Goodness:

Quick & Easy Ribbon Hair Tie

Easy Cookie Dough Truffles

Thanksgiving Day!

Feelin' Feminine Friday Week 6: Pretty Pink Cupcake Ornies

Happy Thanksgiving!

10 Things I am Thankful For

Felt Sushi Tutorial

T-Shirt and Tank Top Bags: I heart them!

Please Come to My Cooking Class batting my pretty brown eyes