Interestosity

Service Meals--The Worlds Best Lasagna Recipe

2013-04-25T09:33:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I spent several hours in the kitchen cooking dinner for 3 different families. They were my neighbors (a huge family of 11, who just had a baby), my husband's sister and her family (who recently moved), and my family, too. I love cooking for other people and I love serving others with food. Don't get me wrong, cooking for that many people is stressful and not easy. But it gets easier the more you do it.
I love taking dinner to sick friends, or taking dinner to new moms! This time, I decided to cook Lasagna. I have been making "The Worlds Best Lasagna" from allrecipes.com for several years now and it is my go-to Lasagna recipe. I've tried many others but this is BY FAR my favorite. Here are a few tips and tricks...

I omit the fennel--I am not a big fan plus most Italian sausage already has plenty, why add more?
Splurge on a good Sausage--mine was still only $2.99/lb at Harmon's, a local grocer who makes over 20 different kinds of sausage
Try a Hot Italian sausage for a little SPICE and HEAT
Doubling the sauce recipe makes 3 generous Lasagnas-- I made four out of this but ran out before I could completely make the 4th Lasagna(ours) but lucky for me nobody noticed
I substitute Sour cream for the Ricotta Cheese + Egg mixture. I hate the texture of Ricotta, you can also substitute with Cottage Cheese but I like the creaminess and slightly tangy flavor of sour cream. This is a secret from my Aunt Becky, who always made mouth watering Lasagnas.
If you are not using fresh mozzarella cheese--Costco has the best price for pre-shredded mozzarella cheese, Sams Club is less expensive for Parmesan Cheese.
This Lasagna can be made in advance, make a day ahead and store in the fridge or freeze it for another day.

In addition to the lasagna, I made a huge green salad with tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, and pepperoncini peppers and cheese, served with Olive Garden Salad Dressing ($6.98 for two bottles at Sams Club.) I also bought Several loaves of French Bread, and Ice cream cookie sandwiches from Costco. If I had more time I would have made the French Bread into Garlic Bread and made homemade cookies. But who has time for all that on a weeknight?

So try making yourself some mouth watering Lasagna or better yet make 2 and take one to a family who needs it! It really is easy, a little time consuming, but worth it! and SO much better than the store-bought versions!

What do you make when taking dinner to someone else's family?

"Until we meet again."

Sherwin Williams 40% off Sale

2013-04-18T08:42:00.001-07:00

Hey all! It is National Painting Week, and Sherwin Williams 40% off sale starts tomorrow April 19-21, 2013. If you will be spending over $50 be sure to print off the $10 off $50 coupon that is available on the Sherwin Williams website, you CAN use this in addition to the sales price. Also all painting supplies are 30% off.

This is my favorite way to buy new colors of paint. I am always trying new colors but hate spending a ton of money only to find that the color is not quite right! Sherwin Williams sells sample quarts and with the 40% off they are super cheap at $4-$5 a piece. This is not the best quality paint but for projects that you will be priming and then sealing it is an inexpensive way to try a bold color at a smaller investment. Also I always wait for this sale to buy certain painting supplies like, tack cloth and foam rollers.

This is a GREAT sale to jump on if you need paint!

Happy National Painting Week!

Semi-Homemade Minky Blankets

2013-02-21T08:32:00.005-08:00

Last year I made several minky blankets for babies. The first one was for my niece. This blanket actually was not semi-homemade but SO easy. I bought about 1 1/4 yards minky fabric and 1 1/4 yards of a cute pink cotton fabric. I wanted it to be a little larger than your average baby blanket so I used the full 1 1/4 yards, cleaning up the cut edges so that they were straight.

Pin the fabric right sides together, surge or zigzag around the perimeter, pulling out the pins as you go and leaving a small opening. Pull the fabric inside out through opening.

Tuck the openings raw edges under to match the rest of the sewn edges and pin shut. Sew again using sewing machine single stitch around perimeter again about 1/4 or 1/2 inch from edge. And you are done. That is about as easy as it gets.

The next blankets I made in a hurry I was invited to a baby shower for a friend having twins, and didn't want to spend the time and money buying the minky so I ran to Ross to pick up some inexpensive baby blankets $4.99--which is a steal for minky and the blanket binding. Her nursery colors are blue and green. I found two matching bright blue blankets, ran to hobby lobby next to pick up some green fabric and thread and went to work.

First I unpicked the blanket binding from the Ross blanket.

Next I cut my fabric to the same size as the minky blanket and pinned them to gether this time wrondg sides together, because the binding covers the raw edges. Here you can stitch or surge the fabric and blanket together for a stronger hold.

Next wrap the binding back around the blanket as before and pinning in place on one side.

Next flip the blanket over and pin again. The goal is to make sure that the binding does not move and is fitted evenly to both sides.

Next topstitch carefully along the same lines as the binding was sewn on before. I ending up using blue thread and not the green pictured, I am not the best at sewing straight and my lines did not show up as much using the matching thread.

Then I folded the blanket and put it back on its original hanger, and it is now gorgeous and one of a kind, well in this case, two of a kind.

Happy Sewing!

A New Attitude

2013-02-19T21:32:00.002-08:00

I came into blogging with a desire to share my projects and to help others. If my only readers are my sweet sisters, that was okay with me. But as soon as I started blogging and reading TOO many other fabulous blogs and scanning pinterest and comparing myself to others I started to doubt myself. I started trying to determine which post was "blog worthy" and which wasn't and half my projects were never posted.

It has been a few months since my last post, and I am okay with that. I am not here to have a million sponsors and followers or make a gazillion dollars, (although that would be nice.) I am not here to spend every second of my life on the internet and ignoring everything else. No, my goal is to help others. To encourage one person to try something they didn't think they could. Because if I can do it, ANYONE can. And I sincerely mean that. I am just a normal stay at home mom of four children, who loves to be creative and cook on a budget. That's it.

And so with a new and improved attitude, I will be posting several transformations from the last little while that haven't made it to my blog. I also will be sharing some of my frames that I have been making for our local boutiques. I love making frames because they allow me to be daring, creative --I am kind of a wimp--and colorful on a small scale. No two are exactly alike ever. Sometimes its the structure of the frame, or the colors, or the way they distress is different. I love the variety--and how each frame takes on its own unique beauty.

Thank you to my sweet mom and sisters who always encourage me and to my husband who always fills in the gaps when I need help!

My Frames

2012-10-01T08:53:00.001-07:00

It all started with my desire to create a photo focal point on my wall. I love huge chunky frames so I talked my husband into building --12, yes 12 frames for me, poor guy all with 6 inch trim all the way around. Then I started painting. I wanted all of them to be pretty neutral but also coordinate with each other and this is how they turned out.

I had so many compliments that I convinced my husband to cut more frames. The fall boutiques were coming up so I decided, after gentle pushes from my mom, sister, and SIL, (and with my DH's resigned acceptance) to apply for my favorite boutique - Oh Sweet Sadie. And we got in! That gave us a little over a month to make 50 frames plus a display booth. I am not sure what I was thinking--it was SO CRAZY! Between school starting, taking care of home and family and making that many frames was SO stressful. Plus the thought that I wouldn't sell even one frame was hanging over my head every day as I painted, and repainted, until every frame was just how I wanted it. What a learning experience!! I stayed up all night and then got my kids ready for school in the morning and then painted some more.

Finally it was time for the boutique to begin. We set up our booth and then from across the room another vendor, Mandy--my first customer--came to us and said that she saw our frames from across the room and wanted to buy at least two of them. My thoughts were "WOW, Really?" Especially since the frame she wanted to buy, I had finished only an hour before. And the rest is history, we have sold more than 40 frames since and are gearing up for the next Oh Sweet Sadie Boutique on November 14th.

Our Booth:

We also make 18X18 pillow covers in awesome trendy fabrics! I have always wanted to start my own business doing something I enjoy! Now I get to paint and shop for fabric, and I couldn't be happier! I am so glad I took the leap of faith and stress to do it. Thanks for reading!

Sherwin Williams 40% off Sale

2012-07-18T09:32:00.000-07:00

Hi friends!

I have been a very bad blogger these days. I thought things would slow down with the kids home and summer here, but it seems to be just the opposite. So this coming weekend is an exciting sale that I wanted to make sure you knew about from July 20-23. All Sherwin Williams Paints and Stains will be 40% off and all Painting Supplies will be 30% off. On top of the sales prices you can use this coupon for $10 off a $50 purchase. This is the BEST deal you will find on Sherwin Williams Paints. So if you had a project in mind, buy your paint and supplies this weekend. For some ideas on SW paint colors check out the Sweet Pickens blog. Sausha has been using a lot of SW paints lately and there are many colors I am tempted to buy myself!

I have some really great projects, that I am finishing up and I can't wait to show you, so stay tuned!

Thrift store find turned Bridal Shower Gift

2012-06-18T11:56:00.002-07:00

Yes, this is another chalkboard to add to the world of blogger chalkboards, but hey, isn't it true "There's always room for one more?" My in-laws were putting together a gift for my nephew's fiance. Since we are a fairly large group we generally put our money together for a larger gift. This time we made of gift basket of with a cookbook(Pioneer Woman's latest of course), mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons, mixing spoons, hot pads, dish towels and a Menu Chalkboard. Below is how I made the chalkboard.

I found this picture at my local thriftstore. It was faded and some of the trim was coming apart. But otherwise was in good shape.

So I just glued it back in place using gorilla glue

Spray painted the frame-- back and front 2 coats. When the paint was dry, I taped off the frame and rolled on chalkboard paint

Mix 2/3 glaze, and 1/3 Raw Umber Acrylic Paint

Brush glaze mix to frame.

Wipe off excess leaving glaze in the creases.

The glaze makes all of the details POP!

I painted the word menu onto the chalkboard. You also could just use vinyl. Then I stapled a ribbon to the back of the frame and tied a piece of chalk to the front, and took a quick shot before taking in into the party--Oops, I left my ISO too high and it made my picture over exposed. Ugh!

And here it is at the gift table. The only other picture I have of it-- from the background of a group photo.

Note to self... procastination is not good for blogging, and two always check your shots before giving it away.

Thanks for visiting!

Marinated 7-Up Chicken

2012-06-04T06:30:00.000-07:00

This recipe comes from one of my first encounters with marinated Chicken Breast. My Mom is a fabulous cook but she never used a grill. My Aunt and Uncle were the first to introduce us to the fabulous world of marinated-grilled meats and it has been a staple in my life ever since. This recipe is one of my go-to dinners all summer long. Serve with rice or summer salads! Okay so here we are 7-Up Chicken
The ingredients:

3 lbs Chicken -- any kind of cut, breasts are really great this way!
2 c. 7-Up (or Coke, yes the recipe is called 7-Up chicken, I just prefer the color a coke brings to the meat and Coke Chicken doesn't sound as good, but I digress!)
1/2 c. Soy Sauce
1/3 c. Brown Sugar
1 T. horseradish
Garlic Salt to taste

You can pound your chicken breast flat here or just clean it up and put it straight into a large ziploc bag.
Da da da! --That's just chicken in a bag you say? Ummm ya, so...

Mix all remaining ingredients, to look like this:

Pour over bagged chicken:

Marinate 6 hours to overnight. Overnight is best. You can also freeze it this way, for a later meal. If you freeze it just thaw completely in the refridgerator before grilling.

Next remove chicken from bag, and dispose of marinade. Place chicken breasts on hot grill. Grill for 7 minutes, turn, and grill for an additional 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from grill, allow to stand at least 5 minutes before slicing or eating.

Delicious, Simple, Tender, Flavorful. One of my all time favorite ways to eat chicken breast!

Enjoy!

Linking to:
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Somewhat Simple
The Shabby Creek Cottage
House of Hepworths

Copycat Gymboree Hair Curlies

2012-06-02T13:36:00.005-07:00

Hello! It is been a while since my last post. I have been having bad luck with my pictures lately, and nothing is quite blog worthy. I've been playing around with the manual settings on my camera and my pictures have been either too dark or over-exposed-- and of course just as I am finishing up a project the battery in my camera dies or I realize that my CF Card is not in my camera. Ugh! And as you all know first hand May is a crazy, busy month, with end of school programs, spring soccer and baseball games finishing up, it feels like I haven't had time to breath. But enough whining, I SO admire all of you who can balance crazy schedules and blog at the same time! Blogging is definitely not easy!

On to this week's tutorial... I finished up several pairs of these hair bows the other day and wanted to share them with you!! One of my favorite stores to shop for my kids is Gymboree, I LOVE their matching accessories!! I can't always afford to buy them however so I decided to make a few sets of copycat bows myself. I love how they turned out and they are SO Easy and inexpensive!

Supplies:

2 (or more) spools of 1/4 in Grosgrain Ribbon (also from Joanns)
8 3/8 in Dowels (found mine in a 10-12 pack at Joanns for $1)
Clothespins
2 Hair barrettes($ store) or alligator clips
Glue gun - or heavy duty craft glue
FrayCheck or other Anti-Fray product

Start by spinning your ribbon (from the spool) around the top of a dowel - hold in place using a clothespin. It should look like this:

Keep wrapping ribbon around your dowel until you reach the bottom. Use another clothespin to secure the ribbon at the bottom and cut.

Repeat this process 7 more times on other dowels--using two or more different colors. If using more colors just make sure you have an even amount so that your bows match. Spritz dowels with water. Place dowels on a foil lined cookie sheet, and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 225 degrees.

Once baked the ribbons will stay in a ringlet form. Remove from dowels and trim ends.

Cut each length into 4 equal pieces. Apply FrayCheck to ends.

You will need use 16 pieces for each bow--or 8 of each color. You will also need a two inch extra piece of ribbon to tie the ribbons together in the center. Stack the ribbons together and smooth flat in the middle of each ribbon --until all together.

Use your extra ribbon piece to tie together the centers of all ribbons. It should look like this:

Use your hot glue gun to glue inside of knot to a hair barette, and wrap excess around the barrette. Also secure with hot glue-- and for extra security you could also stitch these end pieces together with a needle and thread.

Repeat this process for second bow, and they are ready to be worn!

And that's it! Easy Copycat Gymboree Hair Curlies at a fraction of the cost.

Below are pictures of a couple of other curlies I made. The color possiblities are endless!!

So fun! My daughter will be wearing the pink and orange bows to my nephew's -- pink and orange themed wedding!

I love them! Do you?

Linking to:

It's Overflowing!

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Savvy Southern Style

Not JUST A Housewife

Creations By Kara
Somewhat Simple
The Shabby Creek Cottage
House of Hepworths

EZ Baked Tortilla Chips

2012-05-14T10:42:00.003-07:00

Chips, Chips and more Chips! My husband and kids loves them, so we are always running out! And it is especially frustrating for Mom who can never seem to find enough on sale--and that stay fresh! One way we make up for this is by making our own tortilla chips. I found this idea somewhere in the blogosphere and will be eternally grateful for a recipe that has saved me time and time again!! I use these chips for soups, dips, salsa and salads-- and just for snacks. The best part is that they are so much healthier than their fried counter parts! My kids love to help make these too!!

My ingredients:

Stack of Corn Tortillas
Kosher Salt
Cooking Spray (preferably Canola Oil) -- the Crisco brand is actually my favorite but they all work!
1/8 Freshly Squeezed Lime (Optional)

Start buy cutting your stack of tortilla into six equal pieces

Lay flat on cookie sheet -- try not to overlap pieces.

Spray tortilla wedges with cooking spray lightly -- making sure each piece is covered!

Flip each wedge and spray the side facing up with cooking spray!

Grab a pinch of kosher salt and sprinkle evenly over all your tortilla wedges. Avoid putting too much!! A little goes a long way!

Avoid trying to use your camera while sprinkling--Oops. :)

Bake in your oven for 8 - 12 minutes at 400 degrees.

8 minutes for a softer, chewier chip or up to 12 minutes for a crispier chip.

Remove from the oven and eat immediately -- or let it cool. Your choice.

Sprinkle warm chips lightly with lime juice -- for that touch of lime taste!

And Enjoy!

I hope you love these as much as we do! You can also cut these into strips for salad and soup toppings!

Have a spectacular day!!

Linking to:

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

CowGirl Up!
The Shabby Creek Cottage
House of Hepworths
Somewhat Simple
Saved By Love Creations
Crafty Scrappy Happy

EZ Baked Tortilla Chips

16 Corn Tortillas

Cooking Spray

1 tsp Kosher Salt

Juice of 1/8 of a lime

Cut tortillas into strips or wedges. Lay flat on 11in X 17in Pan. Coat one side of wedges with cooking spray. Flip wedges, Spray opposite side and then sprinkle each wedge lightly with kosher salt. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 8 to 12 minutes.

Enjoy!!

Hobby Lobby Shopping 4/29-5/5

2012-05-02T20:56:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this is my favorite week to shop at Hobby Lobby and it only comes every 4th week. You can see the Hobby Lobby ad here.

The weekly 40% off any one item coupon is also here.

Now for the good stuff... why is it my favorite week? Because so many of my favorite products are on sale!!

All Krylon Spray Paint is 30% off -- so a regular can of spray paint that is $4.99 knocked down to the great price of $3.49! --- this is actually .02 more than my local Wal-Mart, however I love Hobby Lobby's Color Selection! Plus other choices like Magnetic Paint is close to $7.50 after the discount...
Jewelry Making Supplies -- Traditions, Explorer Brand Supplies are on sale like the ones I used here and here. Also Bead Stringing, and acrylic/plastic beads (my 2 year old's favorite.)
Scrapbooking -- Single Sheet Paper, Chipboard & Chip Decor...
TONS of Home Accents--just about everything is 50% off this week: knobs, glass ....

Also my store had piles and piles of new clearance items.

Happy shopping. Let us know what you find!!

TheShabby Creek Cottage

Romantic Girl's Dresser

2012-04-19T21:54:00.000-07:00

I finally finished my daughters dresser today! I found her on my local classifieds for an easy $20.

I had looked for months for the perfect dresser for her room and was looking at a new one--crazy I know, but I was desperate. Until 9:00 one night I was browsing the classifieds when I saw an ad for a $20 dresser. I immediately sent a text the seller to make sure I read the price right. She said that it was not a mistake. I immediately called her and set up an appointment for next day and I could not have been happier with my final purchase. Sometimes you just have to be patient...

Well, she was in great shape, with cute lines and gorgeous feet. But just not what I wanted for my little princess. Here is her before picture:

I cleaned, and sanded her then applied several coats of Rustoleum Heirloom White spray paint, sanding between coats. Then debated what finish to apply to the drawers. Last week I made these bars and used a cellophane bag to wrap up my treats as gifts. I was admiring the pattern on the bag when I realized it was just what I was looking for. I slapped it down on my $5 projector (a thrift store find) and it looked perfect. How's that for an easy transfer!

If you don't have a projector you can always check one out from your local library.

I used the projector to place the image on the drawer, and traced the image onto my drawers and then moved the drawer to finish off the pattern.

Next I took my fine point paint brush and a bottle of acrylic paint and filled in my pencil marks. Moving from top to bottom to avoid touching any wet paint. This was a slow process, but well worth it!

I let the drawers dry, and cleaned off any extra pencil marks, sanded, and distressed some of the edges. Then applied 3 coats of Polycrylic.

Installed her knobs, and she was finally finished!! Hallelujah!

Now for some beauty shots:

Do you like her? I do and most importantly my three year old princess does too! She told me I was the best mommy ever! Gotta love that -- especially since her dresser is not her favorite color-pink. And everything she loves is PINK!

Thanks for the visit!

A Huge Thank You to Lindsey at Better After for Featuring!

Linking to:

Miss Mustard Seed

The Shabby Nest

My Romantic Home

French Country Cottage

SHOP Michaels this week!!! 4/17-4/21

2012-04-18T21:23:00.000-07:00

I stopped into Michaels this week and was pleasantly surprised by this weeks sale! It is the "Lowest Price of the Season Sale" and it is A REALLY GREAT SALE and it ends this Sunday!!!! So don't forget to shop or you will miss out on some fantastic deals!! You can see the ad here.

Also there are two coupons:

Other great deals I noticed this week:

50% off Recollections Products - stickers, embellishments, craft storage, paper punches and more
7 for $1 Open Stock 12X12 scrapbook paper
5 for $10 T-shirts --HELLO!!
40-50% off Most BEAD Gallery and Jewelry products Including Filligrees (like these)
60% off Spring Bushes
Custom FRAMING --- Best deal I have ever seen 60% + 15% off coupon = 66% off
40% off Sheet protectors for scrapbooking
60% off Gallery Wrapped Artist Canvases
50% off Ribbon
50-60% off TONS of Floral
50% off Baskets and other Home Accents - usually 40% off
50% off Value pack Foam (kids art)
2 for $3 Photo Boxes
20 for $1 1" foam brushes
40% off Martha Stewart Craft Punches
Plus my store had tons of great clearance items

If you shop Michaels this is a GREAT week to go! I might have to make another trip--there were some I missed, but that happens when you shop with 3 kids!

Stop by or follow for next week's crafting coupons and deals!!

If you find any more great deals let us know!!

Happy Shopping!

Linking to: House of Hepworths

The Shabby Creek Cottage

So Delish Caramel Heavenlies

2012-04-12T21:55:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share another family favorite recipe with you. The first time I ever tasted these was at a family Christmas Party on a desert platter and they definitely made an impact. Let me first warn you that they are very rich but so so so good. The best part is that they are Super Easy and can be made in a matter of minutes, and to top it all off your kids can help you make them.

So here we go Caramel Heavenlies, bars filled with Yummy Goodness! Caramel, graham crackers, marshmallows, toasted almonds and coconut.... Really could you ask for more in one bar?

The ingredients:

30 half graham crackers
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butter
2 - 4 cups marshmallows
2 cups sliced almonds
2 cups shredded coconut
1 tsp vanilla

Start by lining a large cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Lets begin with the crust! Line the bottom of the pan with graham crackers.

In a saucepan add the butter and brown sugar. Melt and combine over medium heat until stirring until smooth.

Remove from heat and add vanilla extract. Set aside.

Sprinkle marshmallows evenly over graham crackers--the original recipe called for 2 cups, I usually use half a bag to make sure that every piece gets covered. We love marshmallows. Mmm...

Pour saucepan mixture evenly over marshmallows. Yes, I know mine is not pefectly even but as the marshmellows melt every piece gets covered. You can also increase the butter/brown sugar to 1 cup each for extra caramel goodness--but you don't need it!

Spread shredded coconut over marshmallows and then top that off with sliced almonds.

Place in preheated oven for 15 minutes, until coconut and almonds are nice and toasted.

Remove from oven and cut into triangles once cooled.

Enjoy!! What did I tell ya, so simple yet so delicious... Like a little bite of heaven..

Mmmm...

Right before I took a bite....

They also make a great gift!

These are a favorite at our house and I hope they will be at yours as well!

Linking to:

Blissful and Domestic

The Shabby Creek Cottage

House of Hepworths

Thrifty Decorating

Fireflies and Jellybeans

Mom On Timeout

Cheap Crafty Mama

So Delish Caramel Heavenlies

30 graham crackers
2 to 4 cups miniature marshmallows
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups sliced almonds
2 cups flaked coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 10x15 inch cookie sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Arrange graham crackers to cover the bottom of the prepared pan. In a small saucepan, combine the butter and brown sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Sprinkle the marshmallows over the graham cracker crust. Pour the saucepan mixture evenly over the graham crackers and marshmallows. Sprinkle the coconut and almonds evenly over the marshmallows.

Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until coconut and almonds are toasted. Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting into triangles. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Lace-like Filigree Earrings

2012-03-17T21:11:00.001-07:00

I made some new earrings that I am so excited to share with you! And they are SO easy! If you've read any of my posts by now, you know that I use paint in almost every project. I love how paint can transform the average to something special. These are my new favorite earrings. What do you think?

It starts with these average, but pretty filigree pendants I found at Michaels (using a 40% off coupon) and a can of Black Rustoleum high gloss enamel spray paint from Lowes.

Set up a safe place to Spray Paint -- I just sprayed with one coat -- because I liked the detail that showed in spots --but two coats will give you a more even finish.

Attach some ear wires...and you're done!!

And in White...Lace-Like Filigree Earrings...

And thanks to my little sis for posing in them for me... please ignore the fact that she is wearing them using

clip-ons... She STILL doesn't have her ears pierced...crazy I know. I've been trying to convince her to have her ears pierced since she was 8. Back then she wouldn't do it because of infection horror stories--and the pain. Nowadays, I swear she won't do it out of stubbornness and just to be different. I guess I can understand that, stubbornness and the desire to be different is just natural in our family. Wait--did I just admit to that? Good thing my husband isn't in the habit of reading the blog...

And here is my beautiful sister.

And here they are upclose.

Thanks again little sister. I owe you one, again.

Thanks for visiting! Hope you are having a BEAUTIFUL day!

How I get all my magazine subscriptions for FREE!

2012-03-12T16:33:00.000-07:00

I admit it. I love getting things for FREE!! A couple of years ago I discovered the world of coupons and was obsessed. I checked all of the couponing blogs daily for all of the new coupon codes and best deals from all stores. Nowdays I still coupon, but not nearly as much.
For me, it was just so time consuming and I kept falling behind on my clipping and shopping, I felt my life revolved around the next deal. Not to mention my coupon shopping always involved 3-4 kids at all times, unless I went shopping at 10 pm every night. I think I just got burned out.

However, one of my favorite savings tips I learned was how to get free magazine subscriptions. I LOVE magazines, there is just something special about holding printed beauty in your hand.

We are big Coke drinkers at our house--I am a HUGE Diet Coke fan -- especially with a slice of lemon. Yum! Well every time I purchase a Coke product I save the My Coke Rewards codes and then enter them into My Coke Rewards account. Then I redeem my rewards on magazine subscriptions. A regular 12 pack is usually 10 points -- and some year long magazine subscriptions -- like Better Homes and Gardens are only 133 points. Or 13 12 packs and a 2 liter. Here is a link to most of the magazines, I also have a subsctiption to Country Living and Martha Stewart Living magazines.

That may sound like a lot, but with as much Coke as we go through -- it only takes me a couple months to earn one subscription. I also ask Coke drinkers --who don't redeem their points-- that I know to save their codes for me. My Mom is also a Diet Coke drinker and would save stacks of Coke Rewards codes for me. Until I finally talked her into entering them herself.

Another favorite magazine is Disney's Family Fun magazine. I also get this one for free by using Disney Movie Rewards. Disney rewards usually come in the cases of Disney movies, but you can also find bonus codes all over the internet. A magazine subscription is usually about 500 points or -- 5 movies.

Hope this helps you!

EASY Chicken Noodle Soup with Homemade Noodles

2012-02-29T21:43:00.000-08:00

Ugg. Everyone at my house is sick with an awful cold that just seems to never want to leave. I have taken 2 out of my 4 children to the doctor for ear infections, and that is never fun. And so as I was debating about dinner last night my hubby called with a hoarse voice and lots of coughing just to see how we were doing. "Light bulb!"

"How about some homemade chicken noodle soup?" I asked
"Mmmm..., with homemade noodles?" He asked.
"Of course!" I answered.
"Yeah, that sounds good. " He replied.
And so my dinner plans were made! A chicken noodle soup with a homemade noodle recipe that comes from my MIL, who is an AMAZING cook. This is the chicken noodle soup my husband grew up with and lets face it, one that I haven't been able to beat. It is guaranteed to have magical healing and soothing properties for the worst of cold symptons (if only temporarily.)

The only problem was that it was 3:00 and I didn't have time to slow cook my chicken and make my own chicken stock... So on to plan B. I ran to my local grocery store and purchased a rotisserie chicken and two boxes of chicken stock. And started cooking.

First pull all of the meat off of your rotisserie chicken. Feel free to snack as there is more than enough chicken for your soup. Combine chicken and chicken stock in a large soup pan. Also if you want you can pour in the drippings from your chicken using a strainer to avoid any unwanted bones from falling in. You can also add any additional fresh veggies here and let them cook now too. I was too lazy.

On to the Homemade Noodles your ingredients are:

2 tbs. of milk

3 eggs

1/2 tsp. salt

2 + cups of sifted flour

Combine the first 3 ingredients into your mixing bowl.

Next sift your flour. I use my MIL's method using a wire basket and a sheet of parchment paper and 1 cup of flour at a time.

Next pick up two side of your parchment paper, making a U-shape and pour in the flour while mixing.

Once combined, prepare your second cup of flour and add. When the mixture starts stick together and begins to clean the sides of the bowl stop mixing. The dough should be fairly sticky. You may need more or less flour at this point. In my mixer 2 cups was perfect. Flour your work surface. Divide your dough into 2 sections. Cover both sides in flour.

Roll out your dough, picking it up and flipping it over to prevent it from sticking to your work surface.

Using a rolling pin, roll out to about 1/8 to 1/16" thickness--it's up to you!

Cut dough into strips using a pizza cutter and then let them sit for 20 minutes.

Bring stock and chicken to a boil and add your noodles. Stir and add more.

Until your pan is filled with noodle deliciousness! Mmmmm....

Now we have to have at least one vegetable here, we use frozen peas. Of course you can use whatever frozen veggies you would like.

Add a little parsley for color and your soup is ready to eat.

I love this recipe. It is one that any picky eater will eat. My children eat this soup better than any other soup on the planet and that makes me happy. My hubby loves it, of course. And it was even better the second day. Mmm Good-- Campbells has nothing on us.

For variations try adding cream to the broth at the end, or serve your soup over mashed potatoes. My MIL always serves it over potatoes and that my friends is what puts the word Comfort in Comfort Food.

This recipe feeds any where from 5-8 people depending on the portions.

Thanks for visiting!! I hope that this soup will bring as much comfort and soothing to your family as it did to ours!

Linking to: It's Overflowing

House of Hepworths

The Shabby Creek Cottage

Debbie Doos Blogging and Blabbing Newbie Party

Come join SoupaPalooza at TidyMom and Dine and Dish sponsored by KitchenAid, Red Star Yeast and Le Creuset

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup with Homemade Noodles

1 Rotisserie Chicken deboned

2 cartons chicken stock or 6 cans chicken broth

1/3 package frozen peas

2 tsp Parsley

Combine chicken and stock and simmer over medium low heat while making noodles.

Noodles

2 tbs milk

3 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

2 + cups sifted flour

Combine first 3 ingredients in your mixer. Sift flour and add carefully 1 cup at a time. Too much flour results in extra firm dough that is difficult to roll out. Once the dough begins to clean the sides of the bowl, remove from mixer and divide into two parts. Flour your work surface and roll out dough, flipping to avoid sticking. Cut dough into strips and let sit for 20 minutes. Bring chicken stock to a boil and add noodles a few at a time to. Noodles will take less than a minute to cook. Add frozen peas and parsley. And your soup is ready to be served. Also can be served over mashed potatoes.

Enjoy!

Hand Printed Fabric LOVE

2012-02-13T12:05:00.000-08:00

Prepare yourself for some major Eye Candy!

Since I am a little ;) obsessed with hand printed fabric right now, I thought that I would share some of my favorite fabrics and designers that create them.

** Also I don't want to take credit for this gorgeous inspiration so if you pin, PLEASE go to the link at the bottom of the picture. THANKS!

First up Galbraith and Paul are fabric designers based in Philadelphia that print their own fabric, wallpaper, rugs, paper and more. I love to look through their textiles and installations and get inspired by all the beauty!! Their products have been featured in many magazines including House Beautiful, BH&G, and Domino. These are some of my favorites!!

http://www.galbraithandpaul.com/textiles.php?title=Diamond

Featured in Domino 2008 http://www.galbraithandpaul.com/textiles.php?title=Ivy%20Paisley

http://www.galbraithandpaul.com/textiles.php?title=Small%20Star

And for some awesome Galbraith and Paul wallpaper!!

http://www.galbraithandpaul.com/wallpaper.php?title=Primitive%20Flower

Next up LES INDIENNES designed by Mary Mulcahy. Gorgeous designs that are both classic and modern! I love her curtains and upholstered furniture.

http://www.lesindiennesshop.com/curtainseraphine.aspx

http://www.lesindiennesshop.com/elegantfrenchchairinindigosabinefabric.aspx

And last but not least-- Etsy Shop Giardino

Have you seen her work? GORGEOUS!!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/82823893/folk-art-floral-autumn-decor-hand

http://www.etsy.com/listing/64583715/pearl-gray-lace-medallion-on-white-linen

http://www.etsy.com/listing/91642722/tree-and-fern-orange-on-white-linen

And there you have it. AWESOME, GORGEOUS hand printed fabric! Are you inspired? I am.

Have a beautiful day!

Linked to: Freckled Laundry

My Slipcovered Sofa

2012-02-09T21:11:00.000-08:00

BBB (Back before blogging) I had these two couches, which my husband and I purchase when we were first married. They actually don't look to bad in this picture. But in person they were a mess. With spots and stains (from my beautiful children) and faded yellow spots from sun damage, they needed lots of help. My husband just wanted to replace them. But aside from the cosmetic damage and the dark green color they are in really great condition, just needing a face lift. My goal? To slipcover them.

I started with Miss Mustard Seed's slipcover tutorials, then moved on to free Youtube videos, and figured out how to make them piece by piece. There are also slipcover tutorials that you can purchase, that I am sure save you a lot of time, and I was wishing I had bought one...but it is possible to do it without. I will warn you that making your own slipcovers takes HOURS and HOURS!! One night (because I have 4 kids to take care of) I stayed up the entire night just to get ahead and to work on them without interruption. But now they are finished and as imperfect as they are I still love them!

The best part is that I can throw them in the washer and they look like new again!

The worst part? They were so close fitting, they can be difficult to take on and off!

I really struggled with the zippers--being an intermediate to beginning sewer this was the most difficult part for me! Also the skirt was challenging. But that is because I had to guess how to sew and fit them myself.

I used close to 30 yards of fabric at $5.99/yard for both the sofa and loveseat.

And here is my loveseat again all finished. The damask pillows I printed and made myself, you can read that tutorial here.

Thanks for the visit! This project was time consuming but SO worth it! And yes, I would do it again, just not right away. ;)

Thanks for the visit!

Linking to: Miss Mustard Seed
The Shabby Nest
My Romantic Home
At the Picket Fence

PIY Damask Pillows

2012-02-09T12:42:00.000-08:00

PIY stands for Print It Yourself

Hurray! I am back and I have an awesome tutorial for you!! It is how to print your own fabric!! For the last little while I have been searching and searching for the perfect fabric. The challenge, was that nothing was within my budget. I have no desire to spend hundreds of dollars on the perfect fabric. So instead, I am obsessed with printing my own fabric and checked out every book on the subject from my local library.

There are many ways to print your own fabric, most of which use stamps or making your own stamp using a lino block. But did you know you can also print using stencils? Well, you can and here is how you do it!!

The secret is using "block printing ink." The ink that I used is a Speedball Block Printing Ink Set You can buy block printing ink at most craft stores. I bought mine at Hobby Lobby using a 40% off coupon. I also bought my stencil at Hobby Lobby using a 40% off coupon (different trip.) The price on the stencil was $2.99 before the coupon, the individual inks are $4.19 before coupons. There are other fabric inks that you can buy and if you are doing a large project it is more economical to buy large bottles of ink!

My fabric is a light gray poly/cotton mix(guessing) that I bought from WalMart, at an easy $1.50 a yard. Have you ever looked through WalMart's "Undetermined" fabric? Its kinda fun. I will do a post on that soon too, as it is another great way to save money on your craft projects. So here we go...

How to Print Your Own Fabric:

Supplies:

Fabric

Sponge

Stencil

Block Printing Ink

Iron

Prewash and dry your fabric!! Don't forget this step!! This will help the ink sink into the fabric better.
Mix your block printing ink. I used a combination of white, blue and black to make a light gray blue. I used almost a full tube of white to do just over a yard of 55in fabric. To get the most uniform look try to mix up as much ink in the beginning as possible, because unless you measure or keep track of the exact mix it may be difficult to match your first color. Also the ink WILL dry lighter than your original color mix and some WILL wash out.
Once mixed, keep your ink covered, I used a small plastic bag to cover, in between ink dips. It dries quickly. Also you can help this by adding TINY amounts of water(and I mean like small drips) . Just be careful not to use too much or your print will wash out or bleed all over your fabric. Another good reason to start with $1.50 a yard fabric--at least until you get the hang of it!

Tape your stencil onto your fabric or use a stencil adhesive.
Dab your sponge into the ink and blot it to get most of the ink off of your sponge before applying it to the fabric.
Gently blot the sponge with ink into the fabric. I applied my print by hand, and eyeballed where to put each stencil. You can make your design more uniform by using a grid in disappearing ink before applying your design.
Pick up the stencil and move your stencil to the next spot and apply again. If the stencil overlaps any previous design make sure it is dry before applying.
Apply your design over the entire fabric let it dry to the touch, and then heat set it. Either by putting the fabric in the dryer for 10 to 15 minutes or ironing the opposite side for several minutes. Make sure to use plenty of heat so that the ink does not wash out!

Once the fabric is heat set you can wash it or cut and use for any project. Make sure to use plenty of heat so that the ink does not wash out! To wash use the hand wash setting on your washer. Plan on some color variation depending on how well the ink was mixed.

Yea! At a $1.50 a yard plus supplies, options are endless!! It is easy, fun and beautiful!!

I made my fabric into some quick and easy pillows...

Cut 2 18.5" x 18.5" squares. Sew fabric right sides together leaving a fist sized whole open, pull the fabric inside out and stuff with filler Use your sewing machine to stitch the opening together and VOILA! So easy and gorgeous!

What do you think? Are you going to try this? I would love to see what you do with your own fabric!

Happy Printing!

Linking to:
The Shabby Nest
My Romantic Home
At the Picket Fence
French Country Cottage
Five Days Five Ways
Debbie Doos Blogging and Blabbing Newbie Party
It's Overflowing
House of Hepworths

My Best Thrift Store Find Ever!

2012-01-26T21:59:00.000-08:00

Okay, so first I have a stack of projects that I am finishing up this week. I promise I will have some great things soon, but until then I wanted to post about one of my most time consuming projects and that is teaching my children how to read.

I have 3 boys ages: 8, 5 and 4. They are in 1st grade, kindergarten, and preschool and all three are ready to read but not reading, yet. My oldest is the sweetest 8 year old but is struggling with some special challenges. It seems like every day he is falling farther and farther behind. I am so worried about him. So I try to use education related play at home to try and supplement what he is learning at school. My favorite place to look for teaching resources is at my local thrift store. I cannot leave the store without scouring the book section for books that we can use at home.

Not too long ago I stumbled on the book: Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons for $1 at my thrift store. I brought it home and read the Amazon.com reviews. There were over 700 reviews and more than 500 were 5 star ratings, all from parents who had taught their children to read using this book. Glancing through the book I noticed that every lesson was a script that I could read to my children. We could spend "20 minutes" per day learning how to read together. Not only that all I had to do (aside from the initial preparation) was to read along with them consistently every day.

Now I am sure that there are a million other awesome reading programs, but for the price and work, this has been a fantastic resource for us. My oldest is learning, and is able to sound out words, despite his challenges. My other two boys are also learning so quickly!! We are about 1/5 of the way through the 100 lessons. Some days are better than others. Sometimes we repeat lessons, sometimes we don't. Sometimes we finish in 20 minutes, but it usually takes us closer to 30-40 minutes per lesson. All the time has been and will be SO worth it!

I can't say enough good things about this book, and it truly has been one of my best thrift store finds ever!!
If you are looking for a great way to teach your children how to read, whether they have special needs or not I HIGHLY recommend it.

Do you have a favorite thrift store find?!

Thanks for the visit!

Bookcase Beauty

2012-01-17T22:18:00.000-08:00

She started out plain and boring. A heavy wood bookcase without personality and now she is painted and pretty. Here is her embarassing before picture, poor girl.

With scratches and dents, she was in a sad state. Her one benefit was that she was solid wood inside and out and that she was $15 from my local thrift store.

I started first by sanding out the major dings and dents with my trusty orbital sander.

Next she was primed and painted... with help (or not) from my 2 year old.

My husband attached new feet to give her a more finished look.

Next I stenciled the back piece using a Martha Stewart Stencil from Michaels.

I learned one lesson -- start on one side and move to the other side. Do not go around the edges and try to meet in the middle or else you will make the same mistake that I did. Good thing the worst part is in a place where no one will notice.

Now for the distressing, I took a razor blade and started scraping the paint off the edges, and then glazed her.

Next she was sealed with 3 coats of Polycrylic in a semi-gloss. And here she is again!

I love her feet!

Here is how she looks in my house. I wish I knew how to stage...

And most importantly shelves and books within 2 year old reach!

What do you think? My paint color is Martha Stewart Living Paint in Popcorn (at $5 a quart), and glazed using Martha Stewart Black Coffee Glaze.

Linking to:

The Shabby Creek Cottage

French Country Cottage

Boys Camoflauge Birthday Part 2

2012-01-17T21:22:00.000-08:00

I promised the follow up on our birthday party, so here it is, you can read about part 1 here:

The most important part of a kids birthday party is the activities. And the biggest activity challenge was keeping the kids inside and busy on a winter weather day!

We played a dress up relay game where I took a large basket and filled it with my husband's hunting clothes and put it at one end of the room. At the other end we lined up the kids into 2 groups. One person from each team had to run to the basket and put 3 items of clothing on completely, and then run to the back of the line and sit down before the next team member could go. The first team with all of their members dressed and sitting won. The clothing ranged from pants and jackets to hats and gloves. Some things were easier than others to put on. We had lots of laughs!!

Another fun game was the hunting box. We filled a tote full of dried beans and the kids had to find certain mountain wildlife. Most of the toys we used were from the dollar store. Snakes, frogs, and other animals. Now that the party is over I will use it for an ISpy Letter box to help my kids work on their letters and numbers. Please ignore the ripped label...oops.
Next we lined the kids up and took turns shooting a Nerf gun at a paper bullseye. This was fun too!
We also had the kids draw a picture of the mountains or their favorite animal. -- in order to get all of the kids to do this (use more time) we gave them a camoflauge notepad and pencil when they were finished.

My little sister also did camoflauge face painting. They girls could have pink and red and the boys were the typical brown and green.
Another game that we wanted to play was a veggie fear factor (I found this on an unkown blog--thank you!). Where each kid had to try a veggie they have never eaten before. And when they were finished they earned a Smore on a Stick--a chocolate dipped marshmellow rolled in graham cracker crumbs--YUM!!!
And finally we ate cupcakes and icecream, opened presents and sent them all home. Whew!

This ended up being a great party that the kids are still talking about. And the parents are too. Only one warning I bought the facepaint at a party store and one parent had trouble getting it off of his daughter's face, and told me that the rest of the day he kept asking her if she felt okay, because her skin was tinted green. ;)

I love being a parent!

Boys Camoflauge Birthday Party Part 1

2012-01-09T15:30:00.000-08:00

I mentioned in my last post that my son's birthday was last week and in blogger style I went a little overboard with decorations! We had a fun and crazy group of 17 kids!!

My husband is a hunter and my oldest son loves to go with him on deer and elk hunts. So there really wasn't a better party theme for his 8th birthday. We were careful however, to keep the hunting theme really tame so we would not offend any parents.

We started by brainstorming typical hunting/camping gear and settled on backpacks. I found some camoflauge fabric and we made all 17 kids a mini drawstring backpack. This was the most time consuming part. We (my little sis and I) followed a tutorial on Youtube to learn how to make them and they were really easy. The only thing that I did differently was to surge all of my edges and the straps we used were just heavy fabric folded and surged on one side. The eyelets that we used on the bottom were from Wal-Mart. I would definitely reinforce these if you aren't using a heavy duty fabric.

The backpacks were a huge hit!! The kids of all ages loved them.

On to the rest of the decorations...

Minutes before the party started I arranged everything on our buffet and took a few shots. Unfortunately, I wish I could go back and tweak a few things but, being the procrastinator that I am this is what I got!

I made and printed all of the banners, labels, and cupcake tags myself on the computer and printed them.

Cupcake tags printed on paper and glued to toothpicks.

To make the banner I just trimmed down some sheets of construction paper to fit in my printer and printed directly on it. Then I cut out the letters and taped them around a strand of twine. I loved how the construction paper curled a little more than regular paper. I think it gave the banner a little more dimension.

I also made little labels for the mini water bottles. I wanted them to write their name on each one. If I could go back I would just type the name on each, it's much faster!!

We played lots of games and for every game that the children played they earned goodies to take home. Like these pencils and notepads

Stay tuned for part 2 of this party and I will tell you all of the games that we played and other fun activities!

It was so much fun!!

PS. You can read more in part 2 here

Linking to:

Sugar Bee Crafts

Happy New Year!

2012-01-07T22:41:00.000-08:00

I love January and the fresh start, the New Year brings. The week following New Years however, is always a crazy time for me. It is filled with hours in the kitchen and too much eating! It all starts with New Years parties, next comes my husband's birthday on the 2nd and my oldest son's birthday just a few days later. So this week I have been busy cooking, cleaning, and party planning. And now that the major parties are over, including my son's birthday party (with an insane, 17 kids), I can breathe again. And humbly say that Jen from The Consigner Designer has nominated me for the Liebster Blog Award! Thank you so much Jen!!

The Liebster Blog Award is an award that brings attention to blogs with less than 200 followers.

Here are the rules:

Choose 5 up and coming blogs of fewer than 200 followers to grant the Liebster Blog award.
Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them!
Post the award on your blog. Link back to the blogs you have given the Liebster Blog award to so everyone else can pay them a visit!

Now I get to nominate 5 blogs that I love, in no particular order!

They are:

OAK House 5 -- A blog by Kelly who has one of the most beautiful homes I have ever seen!
The Velveteen Rabbit -- A blog by Jessica who is a true inspiration because she can create a beautiful home and stay so positive despite her young daughter Maci having Leukemia.
From A to Being Creations -- A blog by Ashley who is refinishing her stairs and they are looking awesome but is SO very creative!
Stiltskin Studios -- A blog by a husband and wife duo who refinish furniture that are always GORGEOUS inspiration pieces!
Dumpster Diva -- A blog by Melissa who also transforms furniture pieces from garbage to gorgeous!

Congratulations!

Thanks again Jen!! Jen recently created a baby mobile that is gorgeous so don't forget to stop by The Consigner Designer to see it!

Hope your day is Fantastic!