Suzie Homemaker

Cult Nails Review

noreply@blogger.com (~Crystal~) — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 15:13:00 +0000

This last weekend I was able to attend The Makeup Show Orlando with Phyrra and many other bloggers from Florida. While at the show I was invite to go to a Blogger event with Phyrra put on by the show. We were presented with items from many companies and given items to take home. I will be reviewing many of those items soon.

Aside from all the events I got to meet some of the most wonderful people including Maria, the owner of Cult Nails. I loved the fact that she is a mom of three and a business owner like myself. She is such a strong beautiful woman. She runs her business, takes care of her family, and still manages to look like a million bucks everyday.

Ok, on to the Cult Nail Polish review. Cult Nails Lacquers are all 4 free, cruelty free, and made in the USA. They are $10 per bottle and can be purchased on their website.

I purchased 4 jars including

Get it On -

Perfecting base coat

Wicked fast-

Top coat that dries in 2 minutes for people like me who can't still still much longer than that.

Nevermore -

Captivated- coral jelly base, chunky gold and orange glitter, and a stunningly sophisticated glow.

Bitten-

A new color coming soon to their site.

Overall I am very impressed with their formula. I get longer wear time than I have with other polishes in the past. the formula is not too thick or thin and goes go just right. They are well pigmented so you will not need 3 or 4 coats. I only did one coat in the photo below.

Here I am wearing Cult Nail's Black nail polish in Nevermore. Out of all of the colors that I purchased this one is my favorite. It went on with great coverage, did not chip, and has a great glossy finish. I think everyone should own this polish.

This is a just a few of the colors that she has. That green "Deal with It" is next on my list. I just saw

a review and some swatches for it over at Temptalia.

This is me with the owner of Cult Nails at The Makeup Show Orlando.

Products purchased by me.

Tis' the season to eat turkey!

noreply@blogger.com (~Crystal~) — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 05:10:00 +0000

Whole frozen turkeys usually go on sale fairly cheap this time of the year. That makes it a great time to buy a couple for the freezer and cook a couple to use in recipes. Today I picked up a few for .59 cents a pound at our local store. I plan to cook one as soon as it thaws, debone it, and freeze it for recipes. These are also great for leftover turkey.

Here are a few recipes that I might try this time.

Turkey Soup from Taste of Home

If I make this I will boil down the bones and use the broth in the soup also.

Dad's Leftover Turkey Pot Pie from Allrecipes

Turkey Noodle Casserole

This recipe is great because I need to use some of the cream of mushroom soups that I got really cheap couponing last year.

Not sure how to roast the turkey? Check out Butterball's Roasting Instructions

Need tips on cooling and freezing your turkey. EatTurkey.com has all that covered..

Current and Recent Projects.

noreply@blogger.com (~Crystal~) — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 02:33:00 +0000

I got this beautiful antique buffet table on Friday. I was going to refinish and resale it but I am going to refinish it and keep it for myself instead.

I got these ugly silver glass candle holders for $1 at a thrift store along with 3 small frames for .25 each. With a little paint, wood for the inside of the frames, and paint I made these cute little stands.

This one was made by my brother using an old endtable and some scrap lumber. My cats want to keep it but it's for sale!

This small child's desk started off as an old broken magazie rack and a potty chair. We are planning to add a little more color by painting the chair and adding a design to the desk top.

Countdown to Candy Halloween Sign

noreply@blogger.com (~Crystal~) — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 03:52:00 +0000

A local friend made this sign for Halloween after seeing the one below on Pinterest. I have found that there are so many people in my area making cute projects that do not own blogs. I started asking them if I could blog about their projects. I recently did Karla's Baby Dresser Project.

This would be a great way to use up some scrap lumber and make a cute sign for Halloween. I am going to try to think of one to make like this for Christmas.

To see how she made this count down to candy sign visit The Corner House Blog.

End Table Dog Bed

noreply@blogger.com (~Crystal~) — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 04:13:00 +0000

After seeing this project on Pinterest my brother and I made this fire station inspired dog bed to sell on Highway 50 Finds and Designs. As you can see the cat loves it!

Want to make your own end table dog bed?

Check out these how tos-

Lucy's Designs
DIY

EOTD (Eye of the Day) using BFTE

noreply@blogger.com (~Crystal~) — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 16:46:00 +0000

My eye of the day using pink, purple and a bit of blue.

Products used on my eyes-

Wet N Wild - Idol Eyes Cream shadow stick as a base (was not impressed with this product. It creased within 15 minutes)

Loreal cream shadow stick - used as a base on the brow bone.

Color Tattoo - also used as a base on the bottom

BFTE's-
Tickle Me- used on the bottom lash line
Zaniah ( the COTW)- used on the lower lid
Spider Venom- used on the crease and blended up
Lace- used as a highlight for the brow bone
Peacock and Black Out Gel Liners

Other products used today include-

BFTE Mineral foundation in medium

BFTE mineral veil in Angel

Cover Girl blush ( I forgot the color. It was a couponing freebie)

Lip gloss is from the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette

Some products were purchased by me and some were provided by the company. All opinions expressed on my blog are my own. BFTE products are always provided to me due to the fact that I own the company. :)

BFTE Cosmetics Sale

noreply@blogger.com (~Crystal~) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 19:22:00 +0000

Blushing Bride Makeup Set from BFTE

BFTE Cosmetics is having a sale until September 9th on Get The Look Collections

They are 15% Off. No code is needed. Discount will show up at checkout.

Rachel's Bridal Shower

noreply@blogger.com (~Crystal~) — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 15:46:00 +0000

I recently hosted a bridal shower for a friend and wanted to share some of the things that I made for it. I wanted a cute shower without breaking the bank. I was happy with the results.

This is a pink bucket from the $1 section at Target. It actually cost $2.50 though. I added some shredded paper and a tiny watermellon to hold my fruit kabobs. All of it can be done ahead and put together the last minute.

For this homemade cupcake stand I covered two box lids with cotton fabric. The top is held up by empty green bean cans covered in pink cotton fabric. It cost less than $5 and only takes about 10 minutes to make using a glue gun.

These .97 Walmart vases were painted on the inside with 1.00 craft paint to make a custom vase that matched the decor. Simply paint the inside with paint and a brush and allow to dry. Repeat until it has a good coverage.

The table runners were made out of wrapping paper. Super cute and afforable!

Individual veggies and dip in clear glasses. Cut the veggies up the day before to save time.

No shower is complete without something fun! We broke up into groups and make toliet paper wedding dresses. The timer was set for 15 minutes and each group was given 4 rolls of toliet paper and a roll of white duct tape. This is a photo of the bride's friend in her winning design.

Weight Loss and Fitness Update.

noreply@blogger.com (~Crystal~) — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 15:45:00 +0000

I have not posted much lately because I have spent my time with my children, working on my weight loss, and running a business www.bftecosmetics.com).

I plan to get back into the habit of blogging very soon, starting with a move to WordPress next month.

Here is my update photo.

The first photo was 2008, then 2010, 2011, and today. I started at 258 and currently weigh 166. I would like to lose about 15-20 more pounds total.

Want to know how I did it?

I cut back my calories to 1,500 a day at first and I am now down to 1,000 a day. I also walk 3-5 miles every night before bed. I plan to bump the exercise to take off the last 20 pounds.

My next blog will be about my favorite treats that are lower calorie.

Ice Cream Slices

noreply@blogger.com (~Crystal~) — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 08:22:00 +0000

We were eating at a frends house when I caught her slicing her ice cream from a half-gallon brick to serve. I just had to grab the camera and take a few photos. She folded open the carton and sliced the ice cream with a sharp knife. Can you imagine this with a bit of fresh fruit and whipped cream? We will be doing this at home also.

Karla's Baby Dresser Project.

noreply@blogger.com (~Crystal~) — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 04:10:00 +0000

This project is brought to you by Karla H. She is expecting a baby and wanted a fun baby dresser. She got creative and this is the result. We love it!

The dresser before.

Drawers removed and it was painted using Rust-oleum brand spray paint in black semi- gloss. Two good coats should be enough.

The drawers and old handles were removed then she stapled foam batting down.

The finished project. It is a great way to dress up an old dresser.

This would be great for a child of any age and would be easy to make match any room decor.

Time Shares- Eat in or Eat Out?

noreply@blogger.com (~Crystal~) — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 20:22:00 +0000

Our family recently stayed at the Marriott's Desert Springs Villas II in Palm Desert. I thought it would be great to post about some thoughts that I have on timeshares. This will be the first post of several.

One of the things that we love about timeshares is that most have full kitchen facilities with all the cooking utensils and grills a few feet away. We have the option of whether to eat out or cook meals. We like to do both.

Our Timeshare kitchen.

We went to the grocery store to get---

Breakfast foods for 6 days (milk, eggs, sausage,pancakes,orange juice, waffles, bread, bananas,and butter)

Food for 5 meals (a bag of chicken breast, pork chops, lettuce, pasta, pasta sauces, salad dressing, fresh salmon, french bread and some veggies)

Extras- ( some mini bottles of wine, oil, salad toppings,chips, dip, microwave popcorn, juices, waters, a big chocolate cake, coffee, sugar, and cream.)

We paid a total of about $150.00 for all of the above.

Breakfast for 5 - $30 a day for 6 days = 180.00
Meal out for 5- $40 each for 5 meals= 200.00

Total if we ate out all these meals= 380.00

Our first timeshare meal included grilled salmon, a salad, bread, chocolate cake, and wine. The whole meal for 5 people was about $23 dollars. (Yes, it was cheap wine at $1 per mini bottle but that is just fine with me)

A tip to save even more- bring your spices from home.

Individual Veggie Cups

noreply@blogger.com (~Crystal~) — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 07:37:00 +0000

These are a must for your next party. I made them to take to our harvest crew last week and will be making them again for a bridal shower in July.

It is super simple! Start with a clear cup, add some ranch to the bottom and veggies on top. No double dippers and good to walk around with at a party.

I got the idea at
http://www.thesisterscafe.com/2012/04/individual-veggie-cups-bridal-shower

Big Mac Salad

noreply@blogger.com (~Crystal~) — Wed, 16 May 2012 23:48:00 +0000

My friend shared this on Facebook and I had to share with my readers-

Shredded lettuce,browned ground beef, pickles, tomatoes, cheese and thousand island dressing!

Homemade Laundry Soap Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (~Crystal~) — Wed, 16 May 2012 01:55:00 +0000

I started with the Duggar Family laundry soap recipe and then tweaked it to work best for me. You can fine the original recipe here.

What I do differently-

* I add 1 full cup of borax because we have very hard water.
* I add 1 bottle of Downy Unstoppables to the whole batch. It makes it smell awesome!

We are on our 2nd 5 gallon bucket and we do not plan to buy laundry soap anytime soon. We love this stuff!

Here is a how-to video-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIVeSl2_zWo

Crockpot Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

noreply@blogger.com (~Crystal~) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 06:18:00 +0000

I made this yesterday and the kids loved it!

Throw the following into the crock pot-

1 package chicken breast (raw and cubed or even leftover chicken)

1 chopped onion

3 cans cream of chicken soup

1 can rotel tomatoes

2 cans nacho cheese soup

1 carton chicken broth

2 cans of corn

Cook on low all day while you are at work. Serve with crushed corn chips, sour cream, salsa, or anything you like.

My first T-shirt Scarf

noreply@blogger.com (~Crystal~) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 06:05:00 +0000

I found a website that has 10 T-Shirt Scarf Tutorials so I thought that I would make one with the kids. Here is what we came up with-

You can find more at-

T-SHIRT RUFFLE SCARF TUTORIAL

DIY T-Shirt Scarf

braided scarf tutorial - this one requires a little sewing

Teacher Crayon Art

noreply@blogger.com (~Crystal~) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:49:00 +0000

The kids made these for their teacher for Christmas.

We used-
$4 frame from Dollar General (glass removed)
1 box of 64 crayons (made three frames with one box)
1 large print out of the teacher’s initial (set at 500 using arial)
Hot glue gun

The instructions that we used are HERE.

It took about 30 minutes to do each one and cost $5 to make each.

Pumpkin Fluff - 3 ways

noreply@blogger.com (~Crystal~) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 05:41:00 +0000

I love this recipe because it can be made for different diet plans. I use it when I am doing low cal and low carb.

#1 Pumpkin Fluff

1 (16 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

In a bowl blend dry pudding mix and pumpkin till light. Add spices,
mix to distribute. Fold in whipped topping. Refrigerate until serving.

#2 Pumpkin Fluff ( Low calorie style)
1 (16 ounce) container frozen lite whipped topping, thawed
1 (5 ounce) package instant sugar free vanilla pudding mix

1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

In a bowl blend dry pudding mix and pumpkin till light. Add spices,
mix to distribute. Fold in whipped topping. Refrigerate until serving.

#3 Pumpkin Fluff (low carb style)
1/2 heavy cream
1 (5 ounce) package instant sugar free vanilla pudding mix

1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

In a bowl blend dry pudding mix and pumpkin till light mix in heavy cream and water. Add spices,

7 Up Biscuit Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (~Crystal~) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 05:08:00 +0000

I saw this recipe over at I Heart The Mart, one of my favorite couponing sites!

7 UP Biscuits ( I used Sprite)
2 cups Bisquick (coupon HERE)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup 7-up or other lemon lime soda
1/4 cup melted butter
Cut sour cream into biscuit mix, add 7-Up. Makes a very soft dough.
Sprinkle additional biscuit mix on board or table and pat dough out. ( I made drop biscuits) Melt 1/4 cup butter in a 9 inch square pan. Place cut biscuits in pan and bake at 450 degrees until golden brown.

My review- They are awesome. They remind me of the cat head biscuits that my grandfather made when I was little.

Weight Loss Update!

noreply@blogger.com (~Crystal~) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 04:03:00 +0000

It has been a long time since I did a weight loss update. Here is the last photo update. I have lost another 20 pounds since then!

I am at 176 pounds right now and it feel great.

2 Ways to Refill Lysol Soap Dispenser Quick and Easy.

noreply@blogger.com (~Crystal~) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 06:12:00 +0000

I got several Lysol Soap Dispensers free with coupons a few weeks ago. I was looking for a way to refill it to save money. I have found two ways that work well.

This method requires a drill.

This is my method of choice. A quick fix with a butter knife!

If you happen to get some free or cheap bar soap you can make your own liquid soap to refill it! Check out Savvy Housekeeping for a liquid hand soap recipe and how to!

Dryer Vent Pumpkins

noreply@blogger.com (~Crystal~) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 20:34:00 +0000

My Fall decor on top of the piano.

This week my girls and I spent an afternoon making Dryer Vent Pumpkins. We looked at instructions on several sites including

Smilemonsters

DLTK

Shingleroof

We made the pumpkins and then hot glued them together. Then I did a coat of gold spray paint. From there the kids took over. They used cut up pieces of an old wash cloth to rub their paint on. For the stems we used twisted brown paper sack.

How cute are these?!?

When life gives you leftovers, what do you make?

noreply@blogger.com (~Crystal~) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 02:19:00 +0000

We had a BBQ for Labor Day and had some ribs left. I had promised my 7 yr old that we could have omellets today so it worked out great. I chopped the meat off the ribs and sauteed that with some bell pepper and onion. They came out great!

What is your favorite ways to make over leftovers?

Our Weekly Menu- Cutting cost using coupons!

noreply@blogger.com (~Crystal~) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 01:10:00 +0000

Most of my readers know that I started couponing awhile back. I usually do not make a weekly menu but this week is hectic so I did. I thought I would share my menu using items that I got couponing and the cost to feed my family of 5. If you would like me to break it down more as to how I came up with that figure just ask in the comments.

Sunday

New - Velveeta Cheesy Skillet (free with coupon)

Fresh Veggie Salad

Green Beans

(cost for my family of 5- $5.50)

(Cheesy skillet was free, 1/2 lb hamburger was 1.50, fresh veggies from farmer's market was 2.00, dressing was .49 a bottle, green beans were .50 a can and we used 2 cans. That comes up to 4.99. The rest covers any small usage of butter, spices, or etc.)

Monday

Sausage Gravy

Biscuits

Scrambled Eggs

Turkey Bacon

(Cost of meal for my family of 5 - $6.00)

Tuesday

Baked Chicken Pasta

Cucumbers with Ranch

Corn

(cost of meal for my family of 5- $4.50)

Wednesday

Tuna Melts

Peas

Veggie Mac & Cheese (new from Kraft and very yummy)

(cost of meal for my family of 5- $3.00)

Thursday

BBQ Pork Chops in the crock pot

Deviled Eggs

Steamed Carrots

(cost of this meal for my family of 5 - 4.00)

Friday

Beef Veggie Soup

Cornbread

(cost of meal for my family- $6.00)