Two Unbaked Cakes

How to make an UGLY space pretty...CHEAPLY

2013-07-26T18:41:00.001-07:00

I must apologize for not posting in some time...but I got so excited over a recent project, I just had to share. I wish I had before pictures of the light on my landing (you know, that unused space between flights that you're always wondering what to do with), but I do not have pictures, so you will have to trust me when I say that the light was a hideous thing straight out of the 70s. Anyway, my mom and I tackled it today. It all started because I bought a "Starry Night" panel from a yard sale. It was $15 find; a former dorm room piece, a room divider. I had no idea what I would do with it...I just knew I had to have it. I mean, it was 15 bucks ($20 actually, but she took $15) I couldn't let it sit under a horrible light! It had to go. We started with the panel. I unscrewed the very old, weak joints and mounted it on my wall. I have to say, the thought of it would never have occurred to me, but my mom took one look at this thing and knew. I let it sit in my foyer for weeks. I looked at it a hundred times. Finally, I asked momma... Here is what we came up with-

After I hung my art (they are doors to a trifold room divider), I took off the awful light fixture cover. The my mom and I stood they and stared at it. We brainstormed, and my mom mention rice paper. SOOOO we went to my craft room and started digging. I ended up using a piece from a wallpaper sample book my girlfriend gave me. So we fixed that ugliness with a piece of paper!!! It looks fabulous! See that!? WEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

THANK YOU MOMMY!!!!!!!! I really wish I had a before pic...you have nooooo idea what an improvement this is!

Rag Ruggin' 2

2013-02-05T14:52:00.001-08:00

Okay, so I am obsessed with rug making. I think most people can relate. You take an interest in something for awhile....who knows how long it will last. Probably until I find the next thing. In any case, it is cathartic. Being a high school teacher, I am used to making multiple decisions in a matter of minutes. Multitasking. That is how I survive my job. Making rugs is nice for me because I don't really need to use my brain. I just do it. No thought; and I like that. Anyway, I have been selling them at my pet store (yep...my hubby and I have a pet store) as rugs/beds for dogs and cats. I am thinking of trying to make enough to open an Etsy store...I don't know-

As you can see, I am having fun doing it!

Rag Ruggin'

2013-02-03T06:34:00.003-08:00

So I have been on a rug kick lately. It's a bit addicting. It's awesome because I am creating beautiful rugs while repurposing old clothes, sheets, curtains, etc. I originally got the idea from Sugar Bee Crafts Blog. I also love an activity I can do while hangin' with my kids or watching TV...keeps my hands busy without much though, ya know? So I begin my experimenting with a simple crochet stitch style rug.

This project has actually translated into selling these as pet rugs in our pet shop, Dart Frogs To Dogs. My mom's dog enjoys lounging by the fire. MUST BE NICE! Due to their popularity, I have also begin selling them on EBay.

The above pictures are miniature braided rugs for dollhouses. Of course, if you check out my Barbie House post, you will see that my daughter is real into it right now. She just loves these little area rugs. Some of these are listed on EBay as well (I am the bestnest11)...but I need to hide them or she would take them all!

I then began to mess around with braided rag rugs of a bigger size. These take longer because I need to hand stitch the braids together, but they are awesome. Needless to say, my family got a lot of rugs this Christmas!

I am enjoying experimenting with different colors and textures. You never know what will happen!

Terrible Table Turned Terrific

2012-12-17T05:53:00.000-08:00

A lot of furniture in my house is there thanks to my mom. Seriously. If it weren't for her, my home furnishing would be almost non-existant. This table was one of the things she passed down to me. It is an old table. The beading detail is what I really like!

You can see in the picture below that the entire top was lifting off. I pealed up some of the loose wood, but when I felt resistance, I let it go. I didn't want to damage the table further. I had to do A LOT of sanding, which I hate, hate, hate.

Below is a nice upside down shot of the table. (I have no idea).

After a whole lot of sanding, I painted the table with some white paint I had on hand. I wanted to keep the table "old looking," so after I was done I worked on distressing. I took some fine sandpaper and ran it along the edges and the beading. The pictures don't really show this well. I just did enough to make the edges look worn.

Now for making the table truly special and unique.

Every year since my oldest was one, we have gone to the beach in the summer. On these trips, one of our favorite things to do is collect pebbles on the beach. We spend hours doing this. After a day on the

beach, we would go through our findings. Our treasures. Well, that gave me the idea for this table. It was the perfect way to save these treasures we found. I took all the pebbles we brought home from our trips and picked out the prettiest stones. I meticulously placed them on the table and used Mod Podge to glue them down. This took a looong time.

After I completed that step, I poured Castin' Craft Clear Polyester Casting Resin over top of the table. It was super easy to do. It gave it a wonderful underwater look.

TA DA! I love the result. It was worth the time and effort. More importantly, I was able to save memories too!

DIY Mirror Redo

2012-12-08T17:10:00.003-08:00

Christmas time! I am making all sorts of things for the holidays. One really cool present came from a thrift store trip. I saw this big, heavy mirror. I knew it had potential. I didn't take a before picture (hmph), but trust me when I say it looked ROUGH. I sanded it down. And sanded it down. Then I sanded some more. I grumbled the whole time. I do so hate to sand things. Anyway, in the mean time I had a DIY stain brewing. I poured some vinegar in a big coffee mug and added some pennies. After a few days I started to see the vinegar change color; but only slightly. Day four-it was ready. I put lots of stain on this mirror and I just love the color I got!! It looks fantastic; sort of a blue/brown thing going on. Then I hot glued some twine and rope spirals to the front.

I like the contrast of colors and textures.

BARBIE POST #1

2012-12-08T16:42:00.000-08:00

So, I decided to make Emi a Barbie house. What fun it has been! It has taken a lot of planning and imagination, but it is slowly starting to come together. Yeah me! Unfortunately, I have not been taking too many pictures along the way. I thought I would start to put it together in this blog post. I will need to revisit this topic though. THERE IS SOOOO MUCH! I will post as I work from now until Christmas. I started with two bookshelves I got for $5 a piece at a yard sale. Lovin' it. I have been waiting for an opportunity to use them creatively. And so it began. I started to look at things in a new way; miniature. I scouted for things I could turn into mini-household decor, etc. I am having a blast. Haha.

This cute little chocolate tin became a coffee table with storage.

I glued marbles on for feet.

I put a little decoration on there; a few stickers and beads.

This is an early view of one of the bookcases. I used duct tape on the floors. Scrapbook paper for the bottom half of the walls (the pretty wallpaper), and tissue paper, a lot of patience, and Mod Podge. I really like the effect I can get with tissue paper.

On the second shelf I used a crocheted piece of blanket (I never finished it) as carpeting. I used green tissue paper on this level. I like the contrast with the purple.

This is the bathroom/changing area. That black thing is a shower stall. I used cardboard and duct tape. I glued a bead and string on the side for a latch. I then glued it to the wall. I like the striped craft paper in this room. It has a loooong way to go!

On this floor I used a piece of an old, fuzzy shirt as carpeting. Cute!

MORE TO COME!!!!

Repurpose an old table with beach pebbles...and distressing

2012-10-21T15:32:00.001-07:00

It has been awhile since my last post. Since my mom and I have no following right now, I guess it doesn't matter!

I have always been a fan of beachy things. I like to be creative with shells and pebbles; especially when my family is the one collecting them!

This bag for collecting shells and such will be in another post!

Our goal on vacation this year ( okay, MY goal) was to collect as many pebbles as I could. My husband and kids get VERY into it. After a day at the beach, we would come back to our place and go through our treasure. It has become a family tradition, and this year we took it a step further.

My son also caught fiddler crabs!

Prior to leaving for vacation I worked on fixing up the table I intended to use. This was a task! I peeled some wood off the top. I painted it with some paint I had laying around. Then I did my first distressing job. I like how it turned out!

This is what the table looked like before the project.

Although you can't see the distressing and paint job, you can see how the top turned out. I used Mod Podge to secure the pebbles and shells to the table. My daughter enjoyed doing this with me. We carefully placed each one. I then poured on some resin. The effect is awesome. It looks like you are looking under water!

Quick Post About Duct Tape!

2012-07-28T14:39:00.002-07:00

I got inspired today, so my daughter got a purse made out of duct tape. I didn't take pictures of the process, but it is pretty simple. I will add a tutorial soon.

This is my end product!

I added a little velcro button to keep the bag shut.

Lovin' me some duct tape!

Volcano Science Experiment

2012-07-08T15:54:00.000-07:00

My son got a book from the library this week that gave us lot of ideas for projects. The book is called Nature Explorer by DK. We did this volcano first because I already had all of the necessary ingredients. I will be posting other cool science experiments and projects as we make our way through the text.

For this project you will need:

Sand
Warm water
a small plastic bottle
a funnel is nice but not necessary
vinegar
baking soda
food color

I suggest working outside. This is a messy project! I laid down a big, plastic lid for a working surface. Setting the bottle in the center, I told the kids to make a volcano by using sand and water to help shape the sand into a volcano like form. They worked on building that sand up for a while. One fun part of this is squirting in the water! I just used some sand from our sandbox, but any sand will do.

Be careful not to let sand fall down into your bottle!

The kids added adornments like rocks and weeds from our yard. They also used some plastic dinosaurs and trees.

When you have the volcano built and your kids have tired of decorating it, it is time to add warm water to the bottle. Use a funnel if you have it to avoid spills and work faster. We didn't have one and it was not an issue.

Next add warm water to the bottle; about 3/4 full. Top that off with vinegar.

I don't have a photo of the next step, but it is simple. Also, this step was my tweak since the book instructions flopped. I found this method to be the most explosive! Place about two teaspoons of baking soda in a square of toilet paper. Twist it into a ball-a little bomb, if you will, and get ready!

I placed this baking soda bomb right over the mouth of the bottle and had my kids push it in. Below are the results.

Almost instantly the liquid bubbles out of the bottle and oozes down your sand volcano.

The kids loved this project. They wanted to do it again immediately after it was over. Fortunately, it is not a difficult experiment to replicate and it is inexpensive. What I loved about it was that I had all the ingredients on hand. The kids also got to learn about what happens when these two ingredients collide!

DIY Dough - Score!!

2012-07-01T05:07:00.001-07:00

Make your own cloud dough!!!

This activity is super simple and the kiddos were all over it. And who doesn't love an activity that keeps 'em busy??! All you need are two things: flour and oil.

Now I have seen this activity done with canola oil, and I have seen people measure it out precisely. That's not how I roll. I used generic, dollar store baby oil, cheap flour and I eyeballed it, rather than measure...

If you are a measurer...go with a 5 to 1 ratio of flour to oil.

I got a big lid and laid it outside for this activity. I was not about to do this indoors; clean-up outdoors was much easier and less stressful for mom. I have more fun when the mess factor is lowered, and then, of course, the kids have more fun!

I dumped out some flour and told the kids to spread it as I started squirting in the oil. As I did, they squished it together.

The dough quickly becomes easy to work with. If you find you have a little too much oil, just add a bit more flour.

The kids loved this stuff. They played with it off and on all afternoon.

Happy playing!!

Flower Power in the Garden

2012-06-26T09:25:00.001-07:00

For a wow factor in the garden sometimes it's all about numbers. The number of blooms on a plant, the number of inches across for each of those blooms, and the three numbers that must appear on the front panel of plant food and fertilizer packages. To achieve maximum number of blooms and maximum size the plant food you choose has to have the right numbers. I found an amazing product in my own quest to get the numbers right and the result was a garden with FLOWER POWER.

Last year I discovered Shultz Expert Gardener Bloom Plus.

This product is a water soluble fertilizer that promotes rapid blooming, vibrant color, and strong root development. This particular Schultz fertilizer product contains a 10-60-10 nutrient analysis. This is one of the highest phosphorous counts of many other brands. It also contains a variety of micro-nutrients such as chelated iron, manganese and zinc which are required for optimal plant growth. For me the results were lightening fast and shocking when I applied it to my potted plants. Take a look at these results! I give this one five stars out of five for effectiveness and bang for the buck.

Just two seed geraniums!

   Where is the foliage on this petunia??

                                              Then I tried it on an Oakleaf Hydrangea.

Baking Soda- It's not just BS

2012-06-21T19:48:00.002-07:00

I have changed a lot in the last 10 years or so. Much of it, I am sure, comes from being a mom of two and a wife (kind of sucks me dry). No longer can I go out and blow money on the oh so many things I want, so I have been forced to get creative. Well, I am trying anyway! And I am thoroughly enjoying this chapter in my life. But I miss those massages, pedicures, waxes, and all the other frivolous, incredibly enjoyable indulgences, that the princess inside me LOVES!

My grandmother was the first to teach me about the baking soda power and I have found it to be incredibly helpful through my life. I, myself, am easily bothered by stings, bites, plants, allergies of all kinds, hair, ...you get the picture...and my son; well, he is my 6 year old boy. Today he caught a bee. I told him for weeks (longer actually) NOT to do that. I might have said, "What, are you crazy? That bee will sting you!" He, of course, continued to catch them and succeeded today with a sting to show for it.

One of my son's favorite pastimes, much to his mother's dismay, is studying spiders (which means catching them and making homes in one of his many critter containers). He has gotten bitten SO many times, and let me tell you...it is UGLY and PAINFUL.

Medicinal Uses- Baking soda is the answer. Mix it with a few drops of water to create a paste and spread it over the sore. It will draw that nasty, puss poison right out of there. Be persistent though. It is not a once and done remedy. This works for mosquito bites too. If you do it immediately, no red welt will develop. Another medicinal use comes with treating sunburn. Sprinkle some BS in the tub to relieve stinging and calm skin. Cradle cap can also be treated in this manner (just keep away from eyes). Canker sores as well; mix warm water and baking soda and swish the mixture and spit. Repeat every couple hours. Even Fido can benefit from the power of the soda! Use this solution to clean out your pet's ears. There is an awesome DIY recipe for a foot soak using baking soda and epsom salt at LIVESTRONG.com. The baking soda soothes dry skin.

Clean your dishwasher- Put a cup of baking soda on the bottom of your dishwasher and run the rinse cycle. Cleans it right up!

Water repellent- Wipe some baking soda and warm water on your windshield and rain will slid off more easily.

You ever burn a pan? I have. It is salvageable...fill the pan with about 1/4 water and a cup of baking soda and bring it to a boil.. Turn it off and let it rest overnight...in the am it should clean up easily. The same idea applies with thermoses or containers that smell funky. Put in some warm water and a tablespoon of baking soda and let it sit overnight.

Clean a drain- Dump down a cup of Baking Soda and a cup of vinegar and let it sit for a bit. Then dump down a pot full of boiling water. This is more of a maintenance things. It would work on serious blockages.

Fishy Hands? Wash with baking soda and take that smell away so you can enjoy your dinner!

Garbage- Sprinkle some on the bottom of the can and leave it smelling fresh.

Clean out hairbrushes and toothbrushes with baking soda.

Tomato Plants- Sprinkle some baking soda in the soil to make those maters sweeter.

Fluffify your omelets...can't get that fluff? Put in a LITTLE (maybe 1/4 teaspoon) into your eggs and you should see nice results.

Veggie Wash- A baking soda bath for your produce is awesome. It removes pesticides and wax.

2012-06-21T19:00:00.000-07:00

DIY sidewalk paint...super cool when color pops after it has dried!

You will need:

Muffin tin or small cups...shot glasses work!

Corn Starch

Water

Paintbrushes

Acrylic Paints...almost anything works!

Mix equal parts warm water and corn starch and add in some paint. Use a plastic knife, something similar the stir...you king of need to work that corn starch, it's stubborn.

If you use a fat paint brush and be very generous in your paint usage, you will see that as the paint dries, it becomes colorful. At first my kids were a bit disappointed because the color doesn't show immediately. After a few minutes they were all giggles. It is magic:)

Tye Dye DIY...for Paper

2012-06-20T18:40:00.001-07:00

Ignore the terrible shadow!

This is a very simple, but messy project. The results can be real cool! And the kids just love it. Of course, I am a bit of a paper freak. It's the scrap booking thing. I can't help myself.

You will need:

A can of shaving cream- Go cheap. I got a huge can at the dollar store.

Food Coloring or some paint- I have used both. My opinion; the food coloring makes for a prettier result, the washable kiddie paint is sooo much easier to clean up. Food colors WILL stain.

Card stock (again, makes for a prettier outcome) or Index Cards- The index cards worked well with the kids because they could do more.

I just used some pie plates for the index cards. When we made larger sheets we used pizza pans. Just squirt and spread. They loved it. We talked about the texture of the shaving cream while trying to smooth it out.

There's something cool about just squirting it on the plate-

I filled a big bowl with water to dip hands in before swirling in the colors.

We placed a few drops of food coloring...or a teaspoon of paint...and swirled it in with the opposite end of a paint brush. Then take your paper and press it flat into the concoction. I couldn't get a picture of this next step because I was a mess at this point... When you lift the paper out, take a ruler or something with a flat edge to scrap off the shaving cream.

This is what you will have left!

Now I need to find a craft to do to use this beautiful paper.

Not Just For The Hair Spray

2012-06-19T19:05:00.001-07:00

Over the many years of hair spray usage, I have picked up some other, more creative things, to do with my hair spray. It all started with good ole' Aqua Net. The hair spray for ultimate hold...on those feathered, eighties bangs (don't act like you don't know).

These days I change things up and try new products, but two of my favorites are John Freida's Luxurious Volume spray and Big Sexy Hair Spray and Play. Check out our favorite product page for more info-

Bug Bites- A shot of hair spray to the ailing bite and viole'... the stinging is gone! I have also taken fire directly at bugs with spray. That works too.

Stop The Run- Okay, girls. This is not a new one, but it must be mentioned. Spray that stocking run with hair spray and watch it stop in its tracks!

To Combat Nail Polish- If you drip on the rug (or your little diva spills), squirt the spot with a bit of water and hair spray. You should be able to lift it up after it takes on a gummy consistency.

To Help Nail Polish- Spray a light coat over freshly painted nails for a longer wear time.

Faux Dye- Use some Kool Aid to color your hair, and hold it in place with some hair spray. I can't wait to try some funky colors with my daughter this summer!

Hair Roller Substitute- Spray a tissue with hair spray and swipe over furniture to pick up animal hair.

Do It Yourself Children's Furniture

2012-06-17T18:55:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I tackled this project with lots of enthusiasm, but it was a bit harder than I expected. I got the inspiration from Pinterest (as I often do), and decided to try to make a piece - A PIECE - of furniture for my kids. That is exactly what I did, but now I am thinking I need a table to go with this chair. Also, my 6 year old son is asking for one of his own. GAH!

The hard part about starting this project is finding the right boxes. Unless you want a crooked chair or a slide, you're going to want to use matching boxes for the arms. Other than that you'll just need a nice, fat box for the seat, and a long box for the back rest. After much digging (and bugging my mom to look through her boxes), a few weeks after I decided to do the project, I was finally ready to give it a go. You MUST have good boxes, even if it means waiting.

Another key to making this project a success is reinforcing the seat. Since numbers give me a headache, I did not measure out and fit in a nice X in the center of the seat (probably would have been best). Instead, I took some pieces of cardboard, making sure that they were the height of the chair (Yes, I did do that at least...didn't want it to cave in), and I put them in in various directions closely resembling the X design I should have followed. After that, I found some cardboardish paper stuff that came in a box my mom gave me. I shoved that in all the open spaces. Sloppy, but it worked! And, who cares? Once the box is closed you can't see it!!! So lots of things could work to create a stable seat.

As you can tell with my picture, I also made sure I taped all the boxes closed. All the bumps and uneven places will be seen on the finished project, so I tried to minimize the bulges and bumps.

The next step was fastening all the boxes together with my little bitty glue gun. I piled books on top to help get a nice, tight seal. It took maybe 15 minutes.

I thought I took pictures of this next step, but apparently I did not.

This mass of boxes went out to my deck along with Mod Podge, scrapbook paper and an old paint brush.

I was not really happy with my finished upholstery job because I did not have enough of the rose paper I began with. Oh well, I made the best of what I had. I have learned that gluing on bits of tissue paper will help smooth the seams and make, ehhem, problem areas less noticable.

And this is what I got.

All in all it was a successful project. Even though she does not look pleased in the picture I took (haha), my daughter loves it. It is holding up quite well too. We have had it for over a month now and it is still going strong! So...a table to match?????

Vinegar...That's What's Up!

2012-05-28T16:25:00.001-07:00

Oh my goodness, the many uses of vinegar. I never knew how useful this cheap item could be (under $2.00 a bottle)! First of all, I have never used a window cleaner that has done a better job. No streaks on my mirrors...amazing! I guess the easiest way to share all of the wonderful things I've learned about this product is to make a list.

As a cleaner- 1cup vinegar to 3 cups water. I put this in a spray bottle and use it to clean windows, glass tables, counter tops, and especially mirrors. Vinegar is super cheap and safe, and it works better than any cleaner I have EVER used. NO STREAKS. Am I really getting that excited about this? Sheesh.

To remove rust- Oh yeah baby, you read that right. It takes rust out of carpets! I have a lovely set of patio furniture (thanks mom), which sits on a beige rug. With time, and rain, rust stains began seeping in turning what made my patio look AWESOME to...yucky dirtiness. I poured vinegar over the stains and let them sit. Since my carpet is light, I didn't have to worry about bleaching. Dark carpets take heed! Anyway, I then got some paper towels and pressed them into the areas I covered. It freaking pulls it out. Don't expect to tackle this quickly though. It takes time. Lots of time. My carpet laughed at the other products I used. It was a little victory, no matter how long it took!

LICE-UGGHHHHH Anyone with school aged kids knows what it's like to fear these creepy, nasty, tough as nails little buggers that can hold their breath under water and spit it back out at you. Really though, they actually hold their breath under water. But they don't like vinegar!! Take some vinegar and a little bit of water to dilute and place it in a light colored bowl (this is so you can inspect what you've gotten out of the hair). Then go ahead and dip the fine toothed comb in vinegar, run through hair slowly, dip it in the vinegar to see what you've got. Repeat. Repeat again. And again. Every day for at least one week as many times as you can. It works.

Bird Poo- Yep, I said bird poo. Vinegar takes it away easily, particularly when tweety takes aim at your windshield.

Those annoying stickers...You know the ones-they are the price tags you can't get off of your pretty, new vase. It makes me want to scream. Why do manufacturers do that anyway? Vinegar.

SMELLS- Put some vinegar on a rag and run around the room waving it over your head. Goodbye nasty, smoky smell.

SALT BE GONE- You know that nasty, white ring you get around your shoes in the winter? Tackle it with a rag dipped in white vinegar.

Keep your flowers fresh longer- Add a tablespoon or two and a bit of sugar to that vase.

Garden Bugs and Pests? Take back Your Garden!

2012-05-23T18:09:00.000-07:00

For the last two gardening seasons I have fallen in love with Bayer Garden products.
I'm an avid gardener with an abundance of roses that are supposed to be pest and disease free. They are far from it (see picture above). The first year I planted my roses they were so eaten up by insects they were just twigs sticking out of the ground. A landscaper suggested I pull them out and throw them away. Yea, not a good idea for what I paid for those roses. Plus, I really wanted them to be beautiful and thrive. I researched and found I had sawflies, Japanese Beetles, Aphids, etc..

I tried Bayer Advanced All-In-One Rose & Flower Care.

This stuff works!!! I used to spray EVERY day and now I just put this at the base of the plants and shazam... Deed done. Give me a nice cold tea and a hammock I can rest in for the next few months. This stuff keeps working that long. I put this on my Oak Leaf Hydrangeas when I saw they were getting black spot. It stopped it dead in it's tracks and the leaves looked flawless the rest of the season. I love this stuff. It is so effective AND easy.
From personal experience I would suggest following the storage temperature suggestions. I left mine in the shed in this northern climate and it wasn't quite as effective this year. I bought a fresh bottle and it worked as good as ever. I find if I put it on during the time of new growth it is even more effective.

Treated rose foliage

http://www.bayeradvanced.com/insects-pests/products/all-in-one-rose-flower-care

Since the product for the roses and shrubs worked amazingly well I checked out other Bayer products for the garden. For my trees I chose the systemic treatment they call Bayer Tree and Shrub Protect and Feed. This one is even easier to apply than the one for the flowers. Japanese Beetles used to plan their meet and greets in my trees every year. Not any more! In fact, I don't have issues with any pests at all now. How about another gallon of iced tea and a cabin on the lake because this stuff lasts for a full 12 months! At first I thought it was a bit pricey but when I thought about it I only apply it once a year and it works great.Again, with this product, it seems to have worked best during the time of new growth.
Now for the feeding part. My house was built last in the row of five homes. Thus, my Crimson King Maples were the smallest. I put this product on them this year and they are NOT the smallest anymore!! I'm amazed every time I drive by the row of trees. I could almost see them growing. They are now the same size as the neighbor's trees which were planted three years earlier than mine. I plan to put it on again next spring. The goal is to get them even bigger than the neighbor's trees!

Ping Pong

2012-05-23T17:43:00.000-07:00

Well I'm admittedly a little tardy getting my first post up here. You see, I've been very busy getting ready for my departure from sanity (as some may see it). What a strange time in my life. The good, the bad and the unknown all intersecting. All of my life I've been striving to 'get there' and I finally did by definition. The house that's too big with a mortgage to match, great credit score, respect, title, beautiful kids and fun, beautiful grand-babies, and a whole bunch of stress. I've lived like a candle in the wind while not really living at all. I've lived backwards (more about that later). Somehow I guess it all turned out okay as observed by outsiders. But what is success anyway? Is it following along with all the other little worker bees flowing into the industrial parks every morning? I find myself following along in the line each day and thinking....since when have you ever been one to color in the lines anyway? For quite some time I've had a feeling that things don't quit fit. I'm at a stage in my life where I am comfortable with me and less stressed about what others think. I'm not so reactionary. Not so afraid of failure. So....I'm about to take a flying leap away from the attained goal. I'm getting out of that line of cars buzzing along to work. Yep, my autonomy score of 99.9% is rearing its head. I gave my 30 day notice (still playing safe and responsible) on May 4, 2012. I had 30 days to plan how to come out of it a raging success or at least still be able to pay my bills and never touch a Ramen Noodle. 30 days to squeeze all the doctor visits in ( yep, soon the insurance will be history), to figure out what happens to my 401K, to start a business of my own and a zillion other things. What did I get into? All because I wasn't digging the corporate coloring within the lines gig? You betcha! I'm going to start my own business!! Oh crap.....

Okay it's nearing the end of June. I've sunk an impressive amount of money into this new business adventure so it's too late to turn back now. I've got everything moving along nicely and in the back of my mind is a voice asking...Are you crazy? You've never done anything like this line of business before. It is totally unlike healthcare which you have been in since age 18 and you are a hundred after all so what the heck? Did you not have enough sense to at least go into something similar? Then the same voice says...well it is nice to do something totally different. But how the heck do you know it is good to do something different since after all...you haven't done anything remotely like this EVER. How's that for circular thinking? At least it is the same voice and not multiple voices right? I have no idea if I'm going to like what I'm going to be doing but I'm pretty sure I will like not doing it for someone else or some corporation. At least I own myself for the first time.
So for now my money is dwindling on the gamble it will multiply in the future and in the end buy me some emotional zen. Life is chaotic in every corner of my life. All around me is one drama or another outside of my control and involving people important to me. It's like a train that never ends. One car, attached to the next, attached to the next and they keep on coming. I am blessed with never ending tenacity which keeps me pushing ahead as the trains threatens to run me over. I get that from my mother.
But anyway....I wanted to put in an update to let you all know I'm hanging in and still moving toward the goal of professional independence. School will start mid-July. May the force be with me!

No Water Shampoo...for the love of oatmeal

2012-05-12T04:42:00.001-07:00

While pondering the many uses for baking soda, I realized I could make a waterless shampoo to help out my gramma. It is simple and effective! I just took some oatmeal and put it in a food processor to make it very fine. Then I added an equal amount of baking soda and mixed them together. The key really is to make it super fine.
Here is what it will look like...

When I was done I got a mason jar and put a bow on it. All she has to do is put some of the mixture in her hair and brush it out. EASY! This recipe is great for people who are bedridden or otherwise unable to get to a bath.

I also set aside some oatmeal and placed it in a mason jar by my kids' bath. I sprinkle some in for soft skin. AWESOME.

DIY Kazoo

2012-05-11T19:54:00.002-07:00

This post was inspired by something I ran across during one of my craft browsing sessions. It is so very simple and my kids loved that they made this strangely musical contraption.

You will need:

A toilet paper roll

embellishments -- stickers work well. We also glued some small foam pieces on.

Wax paper

A rubberband

I found that I needed to leave a space open in the wax paper (I just moved the rubberband until I had a small space where air can get in) because it made a better sound. The hard part was getting them to HUM into it!

My daughter's has a bit more bling.

Paper Towel Art

2012-05-08T18:17:00.002-07:00

When I first saw art done with cardboard rolls, I thought it looked so cool. I also thought it was easier! I learned some things as I messed around with making one for my daughter's room.

The idea is simple. Cut pieces off of paper towel or toilet paper rolls, arrange them prettily and glue. It does sound simple, right? Maybe it's me. I have a way of complicating things at times! So...

Here are some tips from my experience:

Try to cut the pieces to the same height. If you do not, when it is hung on the wall, it won't stay put. Also, it just looked careless.

Painting, I thought, added to the look of this wall art. At first I thought I could just throw together colors. That looked way too chaotic for me. I redid my piece using one color for each flowers, and mixing it up that way.

Play around with your arrangement before gluing. Try different things and pick what looks right to you.

Using paperclips to hold the pieces together while the glue dried worked nicely.

Scrapbooking scissors gave the flowers a nice textured edge-I should have made all the leaves flat and all the flowers scalloped. Be careful though! The scrapbooking scissors are usually pretty small, and it works way better if you can cut in ONE single line. Otherwise the cardboard frays and tears. Again, just looks messy and careless.

Some people say Elmer's glue or rubber cement worked. Not for this chick. I used Mod Podge because after having the first one fall apart several times from the weight of it hanging on the wall had me mumbling under my breath. I didn't want to have to put it together yet again.

Overall, I like the way it turned out. I would like to try it again. Maybe decorate a frame in this way...but I need a break. I will think on it, and go back to it at a later date.

Trash to Treasure Yard Sale Decoupage

2012-05-06T18:20:00.001-07:00

We just LOOOOVVEE yard sales! The kids have become keen observers on these outings. If we tell them what to look for, they can spy it from a great distance! Amazing. We are usually on the hunt for particular items, but there are some constants (like aquarium equipment) so I make it a game-the buggers enjoy it immensely. My son will even scout cute dresses and toys for lil' sis. Yes, I taught him well! A few weeks ago I picked up an ugly, old suitcase looking thing. It was part basket, part leather-ish. Again, ugly. I had no clue what I was going to do with it, but I couldn't help thinking it could be cool...somehow.

Here is how I started............................>>>>>>>

As you can see, the old, weaving and pleather combo left much to be desired. I start playing around with the top. I added pieces of scrapbook paper...stepped back and realized that the weaving HAD to be covered. I knew that the scrapbook paper was a bit too stiff. It wouldn't hold well, and it would have looked terrible. I need something that I could push into the cracks and crevices. TISSUE PAPER! I grabbed some complimentary colored tissue paper, or so I thought, and some Mod Podge. I spread crinkled pieces of tissue paper up and put them on with loads of Mod Podge. I also some pieces of scrapbook paper to bring the top and sides together. As it turned out, the one color I chose was way too bright, but I was not about to give up. I would not allow myself to rip it apart. I pushed on.

Honestly, the picture doesn't do it justice. It actually looks quite cute. I would change the colors if I had it to do over, but I will take this information with me to the next project. It was worth the $1.00!!

TWIGGY-A great craft for kids and mom

2012-05-05T17:55:00.003-07:00

My family loves to romp through creeks and such. Today, as we were doing just that, we found these cool twigs and I got inspired.

Baby girl had fun scrunching up the tissue paper and pinching it onto a twig. A little Elmer's Glue-you can't go wrong. It looks great, and it is such an easy, fun craft.

Although I love the deep pink, next time I will go for a softer, cherry blossom look. It is amazing how something so simple can look so lovely.

Swheat Scoop - Natural Wheat Litter

2012-05-03T18:15:00.003-07:00

Swheat Scoop

If you have a cat you have to try the wheat litter. It is a little more expensive than regular litter but it lasts forever!!! I got it two weeks ago and still haven't had to change the litter box. It clumps so hard that all of the waste is removed when I scoop and still is at 2 weeks. With typical grocery store litter I had to dump the box weekly at the tune of $15/wk. I'm already spending less because this litter still looks like I just put it in fresh. I used corn litter before. Disgusting. So I was hesitant. I AM NEVER USING ANYTHING ELSE. I'm a clean freak and pretty picky. - Mom

So I tried this stuff too, and I can honestly say I noticed a difference immediately. There is no artificial smell, no weird dust flying all over.

Another product that I love is Tropiclean. I recently tried this Cat Odor Removal liquid. Cat urine makes me gag. A certain someone in my family brings a large dog over and she scares Dwight-last time she scared Dwight all over my lovely sofa. It took 2 coats, but it is gone!!! I am SO happy.

Tropiclean...check it out HERE