Puppy Love

DIY Recycled Ornaments

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Rae) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 01:39:00 +0000

David, my wonderful boyfriend, is a magician (yes, a magician); therefore, we have odd things laying around the apartment for who-knows-what reasons.

One of those odd things-

Are these. They are the little plastic balls that hold cheap toys in the $.25 machines, or that hold pantyhose.
Side note- this is also a good activity for the little guys who actually buy the silly toys. Keep these balls around to repurpose them into ornaments!

I found 3 of these little guys on my desk. Wondering why, I asked Dave, "...What are these for?" He replied, "I thought you could make dog treat ornaments or something."

HOW THOUGHTFUL!! HOW SWEET!! HOW LUCKY AM I TO HAVE A BOYFRIEND WHO APPRECIATES MY LITTLE CRAFTS?!

Incredibly impressed, I gave him a big hug and put them away...

Until last night.

Ornaments? Hmm...

Great idea!

I decided to attempt this idea-

I took the little ball-thing and punctured 2 holes on the lid and put a ribbon through them.

Then, I stuffed it with glittered tissue paper that I had leftover from wrapping gifts.

I took some red ribbon and glued it around the lid closure.

I knew it needed a little something else, so I added some dazzle.

How cute!?

I didn't have any string or fishing line, but once I do I will tie it around the top ribbon in order to hang it on the tree :)

Christmas Wreath!

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Rae) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 23:05:00 +0000

I was looking around at Big Lots, Walmart, Hobby Lobby, and other places for a pretty wreath. They turned out to be more than I wanted to spend, so I decided to make my own!

At Hobby Lobby they had all Christmas crafts for 40% off (I bought a styrofoam ring), then at Walmart they had seasonal fake flowers, berries, and pine cones for $1 each! Sooo much cheaper!

I took the ring and hot glued the flowers, berries, and pinecones. Then at Big Lots they had a giant bow for $1, and of course, I added it!

Sorry I forgot to take pictures during the process, but I am sure that if you were to try it you wouldn't fail :)

Easy, inexpensive, and personal <3

Christmas Vase

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Rae) — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 01:24:00 +0000

With all of the time I had at home, I thought I would make myself productive. I didn't have my Cricut with me, so I had to really get creative!

For the holiday season, there's never too many decorations, so I decided to create a "Christmas Vase". I picked up some Christmasy flowers and cinnamon scented pine cones from Michael's, then my mom gave me a vase she never uses.

My mom had some leftover ribbon so I took 2 pieces and hot glued them into a bow. I cut the back and added velcro so I can take it on and off.

Cute "Christmas Vase" if I say so myself!

Cute Questionnaire

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Rae) — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 04:56:00 +0000

As I have nothing to do now that Thanksgiving is over (Happy Thanksgiving by the way...), I found this cute questionnaire in this adorable blog. Why not right? I mean, who wants to do homework anyway??

So without further ado, a little something about me-

{one} what time do you normally wake up?
Weekdays @ 6, weekends @???.

{two} do you have a go-to song for karaoke?
Even though I HATE karaoke, any Disney Princess song will do :)

{three} if you could only see black and white except for one color, what color would you choose to see?
Rose, I think it'd make everything look beautiful.

{four} what color best matches your personality?
I LOVE the color purple, so I guess purple... it's a color that means a lot of different things.

{five} if you could choose one meal to cook better than anyone else, what would it be?
Maybe some sort of chicken roast? I have no idea.

{six} how many keys do you have on your key ring?
Five, plus a cute "Love" keychain.

{seven} do you give your pets birthday/christmas gifts?
ALWAYS! I usually end up spending more on my fur-kids than on anyone else!

{eight} when your plate has different foods on it, do you mix or not?
Nope. I do not have anything against it, but if it doesn't "go together" then I don't mix it.

{nine} if you could hire someone to do one thing for you all the time, what would it be?
Clean! Oooh how wonderful that would be!

{ten} when flying, do you prefer the window or aisle seat?
I hate flying... but the window seat would be preferable.

Little "Joy" Pails

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Rae) — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 20:05:00 +0000

I loved this idea from my friend Leah and had to try it out!

The pails were 3 for $1 at the Dollar Tree and the ribbon was half off at Hobby Lobby ($.50)!
I cut the letters using the Opposites Attract cartridge and Mod Podged them. SO SIMPLE!

I decided to make these for my friends who are having a Christmas party in a couple weeks, I hope they enjoy them!

Smoked Salmon and Eggs

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Rae) — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 20:30:00 +0000

This is a household favorite! My mom makes this for me for breakfast whenever I come home from school, and I LOVE IT!

First off- you have to be a fan of smoked salmon (aka lox). If you're not a fan (because you haven't tried it), shame on you! Now, I'm not a salmon fan in general, but there's something about smoked salmon that is oh-so-good! If you have not tried smoked salmon, I say try it! You never know what you might like until your taste buds get the experience.

So, not only is this recipe super easy, but it is SUPER delicious!

You need (for 2 servings):

6 eggs
2 tbs of milk
1 pkg smoked salmon
softened cream cheese
green onion
salt
pepper

Add the eggs and milk to a large bowl and scramble

Heat an oiled skillet and cook eggs

Meanwhile, take a nice helping of the smoked salmon (I usually do about 1/3 cup) and chop into easily distributable pieces

Take about 1 stalk of green onion and chop into fine pieces

Once the scrambled eggs are done cooking, turn off the heat and set aside

Next, take a heaping spoonful of cream cheese and plop it right into the scrambled eggs

Add the salmon and mix together until well blended

Serve topped with the green onion, salt, and pepper (to taste)

Now you have a perfectly delicious, drool worthy, filling breakfast (or lunch, snack, dinner, etc... I can eat this stuff all day)!!

Enjoy <3

Birthday Cards

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Rae) — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 18:35:00 +0000

I thought I would share a few more birthday cards I created... I think I'm finally getting the hang of it!

I made this cute little guy for my sister's 21st birthday!

Then this card I made for David's client. He did magic at a 5 year old's birthday party.

Practice makes perfect, right? I think I am definitely improving in my card making skills. Only time will tell!

My Daddy's Birthday Card

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Rae) — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 18:31:00 +0000

Just thought I would share the birthday card I made for my dad using the Cricut.

I won't go through the step by step process, but I will tell you that using a piece of cardstock that is 9" x 5 3/4" words out awesomely if you have the Cricut Personal Electronic Cutter.

Some of the cards from the Wild Card cartridge would not cut at the proper measurements because my machine will only cut up to 5". So for this particular card I used the Paper Pups cartridge and the words were from Wild Card.

The little dog looks similar to my dad's dog, Kramer.

Back

Inside

Cute and simple :)

Biscuits and Gravy!

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Rae) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 17:48:00 +0000

To anyone who LOVES creamy flavorful gravy and fluffy biscuits... this one's for you!!

David and I are huge fans of this breakfast meal because it incorporates meat, creaminess, and fluffy hot biscuits... mmm.

You need:

Biscuits-

1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp melted butter

Gravy-

1/2 lb bulk breakfast sausage (whatever meat you like)
1 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1 3/4 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

First, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and milk until the mixture is moist.

Set the oven to 450 degrees.
Plop spoonfuls on a cookie sheet (I spray mine with Canola oil to help relieve stickiness).

Bake the biscuits for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

Meanwhile- in a medium saucepan, cook the sausage until there is not any more pink showing.

Add the butter to the pan and stir to help it melt. When butter is melted, sprinkle the meat with the 3 tbsp of flour and mix well.
Add the milk, salt, and pepper to the meat and bring to a boil. The gravy should start to thicken.

After the gravy has thickened and the biscuits have baked, serve in a bowl with the gravy smothering the biscuits.

Yum yum yum!! Hope you enjoy this as much as we have :)

Halloween Gifts

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Rae) — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 20:31:00 +0000

I just thought I would share these cute little guys I made from the "Paper Doll Dress Up" cartridge for Cricut!

Since I was having a Halloween party with my nearest and dearest, I decided to make everyone their own little "mini-me" in their costumes as a little gift :)

Katie

Lindsay

This was not David's costume, but it was accurate nonetheless.

Mitch

Melanie

Jacob

Amanda

Myself (1st costume)

Emily

Chile Fries!

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Rae) — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 01:25:00 +0000

These are seriously the healthiest version of "chile fries" you will ever find!!

If you like peppers (aka chiles) then this recipe is for you!
I saw this recipe on Rachael Ray and HAD to try it, let me know what you think!

You need:

1 1/2 pounds jalapeño and poblano peppers
1 cup flour, divided
2 eggs
2 tbs mustard (I prefer Dijon)
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

First, wash and gut your peppers.

Then cut into strips (fries) and set aside.

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Get out 1 small plate and 2 bowls. On the plate, put the majority of the flour on it. In the first bowl, scramble the eggs, about a tablespoon of flour, and the mustard. In the 2nd bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper.

Dip the pepper slices into the flour, then into bowl #1 (egg mix), and then bowl #2. Place on a cookie sheet.

Dave helps me out in the kitchen <3

Put into the oven for about 7 minutes, then flip them. They will need an additional 7 minutes or so, or until golden.

Take out, let cool, and enjoy with ranch dip!

Meringue Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Rae) — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:32:00 +0000

These cookies are super sweet, so if you have a sweet tooth like I do, you'll love 'em!

Meringue Cookies

You need:

2 egg whites
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cream of tarter
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (optional)

Mix everything aside from the sugar until it forms peaks and is stiff.

Fold in sugar, using small portions at a time.

Next, preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Scoop the mixture into ziplock bags and cut one bottom corner off (this will make it easier to form little cookies).

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and squeeze out little plops of the mixture onto it.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until very lightly browned.

Then there you have it! Delicious, sweet, sugary, chewy meringue cookies!

Enjoy!!

Witch Finger Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Rae) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 22:50:00 +0000

Searching through blogs one day, I found this awesome recipe here. Try it out!

I thought this would be fun to share even though Halloween is over!

Witch Finger Cookies!

(Oooooh... Ahhhh...)

You will need:

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup whole blanched almonds
1 tube red decorator gel

First, blend together the butter, sugar, egg, almond and vanilla extracts.

Mix the flour and salt in a separate bowl, then add to the moist mixture in small parts. Make sure it is blended well and moist.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (I accidentally used wax paper and it smoked us out of the apartment).

After it has been refrigerated, scoop spoonfuls of the dough out and roll it into yucky, creepy, bulbous finger shapes.

Then take a knife and make little slits where the knuckles are to create a more dramatic effect.

Push a blanched almond in the tip of the finger, acting as the nail.

Bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes (ovens will vary), until pale golden brown.

After letting them cool for about 3 minutes, you're ready for some decorating!!

Take the almond off the cookie and add the red gel to the empty space.

Add more red gel to the knuckles and base of the finger for a ickier looking cookie.

Add the almond back to the tip and let the gel ooze out around it.

Creepy little witch finger cookies ready to eat! And they are DELICIOUS!

Hope you try these out (even though they look creepy)!

Repurposed T-shirts

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Rae) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 03:05:00 +0000

I found this idea on one of my favorite blogs to follow for recycled t-shirts! I LOVE repurposing old items into cute things, so I needed to give it a try! This is the making of a ringlet scarf!

First, take a few t-shirts that you don't wear anymore. I found a couple plus a tank top! Try to make sure the colors will work together, otherwise it wouldn't make much sense.

What you need otherwise: scissors and a ruler (if you're a perfectionist).

Cut the hemming off of all the t-shirts and put aside for later.

Next, I cut the shirts into about 1 inch strips because the material was thinner than most t-shirts. This is where the ruler comes in- if you really want all of the strips to be the same width, use the ruler to make markings along the shirt.

All of my shirts were cut and ready to be made into a scarf! I had about 30 strips.

Take each strip and stretch them so they're looser.

See the difference between the stretched and the not-yet-stretched?

Then wrap them loosely around your hand and put to the side. Do this with all of the strips you cut, aside from the hems.

Cut the hems into about 5 inch strips and tie them around 2 ringlets at a time.

Keep linking them together...

Until, voila, finished!

A cute repurposed t-shirt scarf that everyone (even my Zoe girl) will admire!

Good for you for recycling :) Enjoy!

Pumpkin Seeds!!

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Rae) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 00:05:00 +0000

Oh, how I LOVE autumn!! Pumpkin seeds being one of the reasons....

So this year, David and I bought 2 beautiful, fresh, large pumpkins to de-seed and carve.

First, we took all the gooey seeds out of the pumpkins and let them sit in a bowl of water (to get more goop off). Then we dried them out on paper towels over night.

The next day we peeled them off of the paper towels, making sure that paper towel didn't stick to them.

Then, I poured some olive oil on a cookie sheet and spread the seeds out the best I could.

I poured more olive oil over them (try not to over do it, but make them semi-moist), then salt and pepper. If you want to add more spices, go for it!

The oven was set at 300 degrees. I put them in there for a good 20 minutes, mixing them around halfway through.

And when they were done...

Golden deliciousness in seed form!

Now, I used olive oil but my mother always used butter- this is your decision. I am not big on butter and I thought the olive oil worked out really well.

Enjoy!!

More Blogs Coming Soon!

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Rae) — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 19:20:00 +0000

Unfortunately, I lost my camera this past weekend... so... blogs will be continued ASAP!

Birthday Party Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Rae) — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 21:28:00 +0000

I am a college student, which means I am very short on cash. I was having a birthday party this weekend, and of course I wanted super cute decorations!

Things I got for a super cute successful party:
2 pack of balloons ($1.59 ea.)
1 streamer roll ($.99)
2 packs of ribbons ($2.50 total)
Pretty wrapping paper ($.99)
Party game ($1.99)

What I did:
Took my largest picture frame and wrapped it like a beautiful present!

Took half the balloons and hung them from the ceiling using ribbon

Took the remaining streamers and made a cute entrance way

The game was picked up at Party City and it was a lot of fun! They have different versions, but since we are all adults, this seemed to be more appropriate than "pin the tail on the donkey"!

Now... for the most important thing... DESSERTS!
I took some cookies my grandma sent me and defrosted them. Then I went to the infamous Larry's House of Cakes and spent $12 on cookies and cupcakes.
Lindsay brought delicious brownies and my mom gave me some cute Eli's Cheesecake cakes!

TA-DA!
A cute and fun birthday party for under $20!

Homecoming Parade and an Important Message

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Rae) — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 02:35:00 +0000

Hey kids! I have been so busy with homework and planning for a birthday party, so forgive me for not providing you with amazing blogs...

David and I marched in the SIU Homecoming parade last weekend and it was a blast! We marched with the group I am a part of; educ8kdz!

I wanted to spread some word about educ8kdz...

It is a group of the College of Education and Human Services and they do wonders for children in the community all the way to New Orleans. They provide books, fundraising, family fun, and education to children of all walks of life. How wonderful, right?

I love being a part of this amazing group of people, I only hope I will be able to accomplish as much as they have.

Now for my little soapbox moment:

I would like everybody who reads this to think about the amazing things they have done for others and really reflect on it. Keep it dear, because I am sure the people you have helped did. If you haven't done anything for anybody else- it's about time you did (and shame on you)!

Help the world spin in a positive direction!

Delicious Thai Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Rae) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 00:29:00 +0000

I found a really easy recipe for a Thai style soup, and let me tell you- if you like curry, you'll love this soup!
Lindsay and I were quite hungry after the homecoming game, so we wanted to try something hearty and new!

Slice approximately 1 medium onion and 2 cloves of garlic. Throw into a couple tablespoons of heated vegetable oil in a wok. Cook until tender (2-3 minutes)

Then cut 1 large carrot, about 1 cup of broccoli, 1 large zucchini. Throw into the wok with the onion.

Meanwhile, throw together 1.5 cups of coconut milk and 2 cans (14 oz) of vegetable stock into a large pan. Bring to a boil.

Once boiling, add 2 tablespoons of red curry paste, 2 table spoons of soy sauce, and a good handful of rice noodles. Let simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, or until noodles become tender.

Make sure there are no greedy hungry doggies watching for fallen noodles...

Once the noodles swell and tenderize, add the vegetable mix from the wok.

Yum, right?! Once the vegetables simmer in the stock for a couple minutes, add fresh cilantro (to taste) and bean sprouts (I hate them so I didn't add them).

There you have it! DELICIOUS Thai soup!

Getting This Card Thing Down

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Rae) — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 03:02:00 +0000

I had a little free time today (or rather I made some free time) and wanted to attempt another card!

Of course, my dad needed one for the wonderful birthday gift, so I got creative!

First, I used the universal envelope from the Wild Card cartridge, so I'll actually be able to send this one via USPS!

Then using lime green card stock, I cut out the "I Miss You" card from the Paper Pups cartridge.

This is my *favorite* cartridge by the way...

Then I cut out a liner for the card using yellow card stock, which means I have orange to write on!

After using the quick-dry adhesive to out it together, I cut out the "Miss You" letters and glued them onto the inside.

Now I have a cute little "made with love" card to send to my daddy :)

"Thank You" Card for my Mommy

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Rae) — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 22:32:00 +0000

I wanted to attempt another card today and I succeeded! Except for one minor detail which I'll talk about at the end...

First I started with some cute patterned card stock and cut out the "quotes" die cut on the Wild Card Cricut cartridge.

I used the scoring blade to make it easier to fold.
I then cut out the "blackout" of the same design for a nice little liner to the card.

After I scored that, I glued it on using quick-dry adhesive.

Cute so far, right? Then I used the "porthole" design for a "thank you" quote (I liked it better than the "quote" design).

Then, using the same card stock as the liner, I cut out the envelope and scored it to assemble it easier.

And there you have it! Another cutie-patootie card :)

Now... about that little issue I had-
I tried to cut the envelope at a 5 1/2 size, but my Cricut said it would not fit on the card stock! So here's a warning for all Cricut Personal Electronic Cutter Machine users- DO NOT USE THIS ENVELOPE TYPE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEND IT VIA USPS! It's a little embarrassing, but my mom will now receive this card inside of another envelope.

First Attempts at Scrapbooking

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Rae) — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 02:48:00 +0000

As you can see, I'm new at this! I find crafting (of all sorts) very interesting, but never made the time to try it out. So once I bought my Cricut, I decided to give it a whirl!

This is the first attempt I have made at scrapbooking. I would love some advice, comments, hints, etc.! I feel like what I'm doing is so basic in comparison to other people I have come across.

I'll keep an update on this, but don't hold back any thoughts!

Sweet Dog Card for My Grandma

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Rae) — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 12:14:00 +0000

I decided to send out some "thank you" cards to my family for being wonderful and providing me with a great birthday.

For this first card, I used the Wild Card Cricut cartridge for the envelope. I cut the envelope out using teal cardstock, and I cut the liner using lilac.

I then used the Cricut cutter's scoring blade to make nice, foldable creases.

Quick-dry adhesive was used to glue the liner to the envelope and seal the sides.

What a pretty little envelope, no?

Afterwards, I decided to use another cartridge to create the card. I used the Paper Pups cartridge and chose the "smiley" option (I thought it was adorable).

I also cut out a violet background so the pup can have some life to him (as you can see, I do not use typical colors).

I decided to mod-podge the dog for a sealant. Little did I know, it would wipe those cute yellow eyes right off! I used an orange marker to try to regain them, but it turned out red. Now he's an evil little doggy...

I hope my grandma will get a kick out of those beady evil-looking eyes...

I then cut out a small square of lilac card stock to put behind the evil little guy and voila! My first card created on the Cricut!

Birthday Bash! (sort of)

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Rae) — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 01:46:00 +0000

So, of course with my luck, my birthday would fall on a Monday!

Even though it is Monday, David made me a wonderful unhealthy breakfast (yum)! I had a fantastic cream horn (from Larry's House of Cake of course!) and turkey bacon!

But guess what was for dinner! That David made all by himself!...

LOBSTER! Can you believe it?! He did such a great job too! Excuse our Halloween table cloth btw...

I also had a great weekend with my mom and Bob (mom's bf)! We went to the "Art and Wine Fair" in downtown Carbondale, my favorite 2 restaurants (Harbaugh's and the Underground Grille), and had some delicious watermelon martinis with many desserts! My mom spoils me!

The gifts were also very wonderful and heartfelt.

From my dad, I received the all time favorite gift- money! But with that money, I bought my new pride and joy, the Cricut! So thank you daddy! (This was about a week ago, just thought I'd share anyway)

My mommy got me some cute clothes, a SodaStream (if you don't know what that is, you must check it out!), and Old Navy, Pet Co, and Wal-mart gift cards!

Bob got me some super awesome Marilyn Monroe (I'm a huge fan) shot glasses and a birthday martini glass!

My grandma and grandpa came and visited last weekend as an early birthday celebration! I miss them dearly!

And of course- David! He was so sweet and bought me the cool new EasyTone Reebok's! Now I can exercise my bum while walking :) Oh and he got me an AWESOME card with a cool Wii game!

Lindsay surprised me with yummy yummy fun-fetti cupcakes! I LOVE being her neighbor!

I just had to write this personal blog to thank everybody for the wonderful birthday celebration they have provided me. NEVER take family for granted! They will always be there for you and make you feel loved beyond belief! Take them into your heart and never let go :)

Recycled Cardboard Idea

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Rae) — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 22:23:00 +0000

Here's a cute idea for your scrap cardboard!

First I cut up the leftovers into 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 squares.

Then I measured out a pretty designed card stock to apply to both sides of the cardboard piece. I used a E-Z runner scrapbook adhesive.

I then cut out the letter "N" (for Nicole) using the Opposites Attract Cricut cartridge. I just chose 2 colors I thought would look pretty on the base card stock. I glued it on using a quick drying adhesive.

I added embellishments (I chose the topaz color because it's my sister's birthstone).

Mod-Podge the initial down. I like how it adds a little bit of a pearly-ness to it!

Punch out two holes on opposite ends on the top of the cardboard. Add ribbon and hang it :)