MAD IN CRAFTS

A Morning in The Mad House

2012-05-25T11:17:00.001-04:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Florida Orange Juice for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

5:30-6:30: One or both of the kiddos wake up. Pray that they will go back to sleep.
6:30: Snuggle with up-too-early kiddos and turn on Disney Junior to keep them quiet.
7:00: Head downstairs and change diapers, feed the kids, feed the dog, open windows, empty dishwasher, accidentally step on matchbox cars, and MAKE THE COFFEE.
7:30: A moment of peace with my coffee and my computer while all the monsters eat.
8:00: The kids are done, and we're off to the races!

Photo via Katie Hubbard

Most mornings I am rushing around and taking care of everyone else, and I forget to feed myself. A strong cup of coffee is usually the best I can manage. Not the healthiest way to start my day. I could improve my morning routine with one, delicious change... a glass of Florida Orange Juice!
Did you know that I am originally a Florida girl? I was born in Florida, and lived there for 5 years before we made the move to the Midwest. A little bit of the Sunshine State is still in my blood because I LOVE orange juice. I could easily down a carton of the good stuff in a day! Fortunately, all you need is one glass to get the natural health benefits.

One 8‐ounce serving of 100 percent orange juice is a good source of potassium and folate and an excellent source of vitamin C. These are three important nutrients that are under consumed in the United States, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
One serving of 100 percent orange juice is more nutrient dense than many commonly-consumed 100 percent fruit juices. A refreshing glass of 100 percent orange juice has no added sugars or artificial sweeteners, which may be found in many fruit juice cocktails and sports drinks.
A key recommendation of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans is to increase fruit intake. One 8-ounce glass of 100 percent orange juice provides half of the USDA-recommended daily fruit intake for most adults, based on a 2,000-calorie diet.

Photo via Mikamatto

If you are like me, you could use some of that natural energy and those healthy vitamins to keep up with your day-to-day responsibilities. Think about adding a glass of OJ to your morning routine! For more Florida orange juice info and recipes, visit Florida Orange Juice on Facebook and on Pinterest.

Progress on The Mad House

2012-05-25T08:05:00.001-04:00

It’s been a while since my last update on The Mad House, so I wanted to give you a heads up on how things are going. We still aren’t finished, and I have to keep reminding myself of the one word goal I chose for this year, Progress. We ARE making progress on the house, and it is a big job so I can’t expect it will all get done overnight.

Now that the wallpaper is gone and I have finished dancing that particular dance of joy, we have moved on to painting. Boy, is there a lot prep work that goes into painting! We found damage on a few of the walls that needed to be spackled or plastered, and others needed sanding after taking down the wallpaper. Then there is wiping and washing, taping, removing outlet covers, taking down shelving, etc etc etc.

My dad and I have been painting about 2-3 days a week when my mom can watch the kids. (Hubs helps when he isn’t working.) We have the upstairs mostly finished, but there is still quite a bit to do downstairs. This is how far we have come.

The living room was probably our biggest challenge. I love the new “greige” paint color but it was a PAIN to get it finished. I will write more about all our trials and tribulations with Clark + Kensington paint later. Suffice it to say, I am glad these walls are finished. I have more plans for those built-ins that we will be carrying out soon.

Aaaahhh! Let’s all take a collective sigh of relief that the wallpaper is gone, shall we? It was a ginormous, tedious job, but obviously SO worth it. There is still a lot to be done in the dining room, including the introduction of some pattern to the wall. NOT in the form of wallpaper.

Buh-bye, peach! After a coat of primer and two coats of paint, the full bathroom upstairs is looking much more serene. All the hardware needs to go back up, but the painting in here is done!

I wish the master bedroom wasn’t so hard to photograph. I can’t seem to get an angle that really shows the color in the room. The master bedroom is painted the same color as the full bath, but in these pics it looks almost white.

This room was another paint headache. The first color I chose was supposed to be a lovely grey-blue and ended up a “country-blue-that-should-be-accented-with-geese-wearing-bonnets” color. We covered that with two coats of a light silver blue, and things are looking much better.

I lucked out on the paint color for the craft room. I picked up a $9 gallon of mis-tint from a local paint store, and it turned out to be a really lovely color. When the light is off, it is this nice medium blue, but when the lights are on they pick up all the nice grey tones in the color.

Should I have warned you about this picture? Are your retinas okay? I know, I know. It’s bright. But I love it! I took a risk and painted my daughter’s room this vibrant green. It’s possible I might hate it in a year or two, but for now we are just having fun coming up with new names for the color: Comic Book Villain Green, Local Thunderstorm Warning, Nuclear Pear, the list goes on.

I’ve got big plans for my son’s room. It will still have an outer space theme, but I am going to incorporate a few more elements because of the new interests he is discovering as he gets older ((ahem, Star Wars, ahem)). The bottom grey color was another gallon of mis-tinted paint, so I got it for a song. We obviously need another coat of the blue on top, but that is all we have left to paint on the second floor. Hurrah!

We also painted the ceilings in most of the rooms, and painted the upstairs hallway which was tricky with all the picture molding. That’s where things stand at the moment I am writing this post up. Hopefully by the time I post it, there were be even more progress made!

What do you think so far? Do you have favorites? complaints? suggestions? I would love to hear them.

Eight Memorial Day Recipes

2012-05-23T17:39:00.001-04:00

Today I am sharing one of my favorite Summertime side dishes on Recipe Lion! If you have never heard of Gurkensalat, click over and check out the simple and delicious recipe. It’s perfect for your Memorial Day picnic!

Looking for other picnic-friendly recipes? Try these!

Mad Writing Skills: How to Write an A+ Tutorial

2012-05-22T07:27:00.001-04:00

A few weeks back I wrote a two-part series for Crafterminds on how to write an A+ tutorial. Using my background in education, I compared writing a coherent tute to writing out a lesson plan.

Tutorials are the main substance of creative blogs, and I obviously have a special place for tutorial since I have hosted over 100 Mad Skills Tutorial Link Parties! Tutorials can be tricky to write if you don’t have a plan of attack. My posts on Crafterminds walk you through the 4 simple parts of a lesson plan, and how those steps also appear in a great tutorial.

Part One deals with the first three sections of a lesson plan: the introduction, objective, and the materials. Part Two details the best way to write out the step-by-step procedure needed to replicate your creative project.

Check out the series and leave your best tutorial tricks and tips in the comments!

Mad Skills Party #104

2012-05-20T22:34:00.001-04:00

Welcome to the 104th Mad Skills Party!

If you have participated in a Mad Skills Tutorial Link Party in the past, you have probably gotten one of my emails. I like to highlight a few of my favorite submissions each week, and email is a great way to do it!

I also like to be able to thank all of you for participating in the party. It really means so much to me that you do. Commenting on each project is no longer an option for me, and I (legally) can’t spam you all with unasked for emails. BUT, if you sign up for the newsletter, I can still say thanks for your hard work AND you get to see the highlights from the weeks’ parties!

Sign up for the email by clicking HERE or using the form in the pink rectangle on my sidebar.

If you are linking up today, you might be featured in this week’s newsletter!

For the Mad Skills party, as usual you can link up a post, old or new, to share with other readers. The only rule for the party is that the post MUST BE A TUTORIAL. The tutorial can be written, pictorial, or a combination of the two, but it should be a project or a process that another crafter would be able to replicate. Any Mad Skill level, from novice to advanced, is welcome!

There is a Mad Skills Tutorial Link Party button that can be found by clicking on the Buttons tab on the new menu bar. Please add to your blog post or update your party pages! You have until midnight (EST) on Thursday to enter your projects!

By participating in this party, you are agreeing to allow me to feature your project in my weekly Mad Skills newsletter. Each feature will include a link back to your project, a photo from the tutorial, and a brief explanation of why I loved your project.

I do this because I want to make sure your hard work is rewarded. If you are not comfortable with this promotion, please do not link up your project.

Dollar Store Business Card Holder Makeover

2012-05-18T08:05:00.001-04:00

I was so excited when I saw that Dollar Tree was carrying patterned contact paper that scooped up about 10 rolls of the the different varieties. Total, not each. I am not THAT crazy. As soon as I got home, I re-covered the top of our laptop in a dark color faux bois paper. Then we featured this amazing laptop makeover on Décor Hacks, which is even more amazing!

Contact paper works on so many different surfaces. Don’t relegate it to a life of lining kitchen drawers and bathroom shelves. Get creative!

I bought a shiny brass card holder for 49 cents a thrift store, but my cute little Moo cards deserved something better. Before I headed down to the Michigan International Women’s Show last week, I gave the card holder a quick dollar store makeover.

To makeover your business card holder, you will need:

business card holder (duh)

dollar store contact paper

scissors

I feel a little silly typing this “tutorial” out, but here goes: Measure the width of your business card holder and add enough excess for overlap. Cut out the contact paper, peel off the paper backing, and carefully smooth the contact paper onto the card holder. Fold excess over onto the interior of the card holder.

Boom goes the dynamite.

I had to putz a little around the slightly rounded corners of my card holder, but the whole process took me all of ten minutes to do. I think the faux bois look is a little more current than the uber-shiny fake brass. And if I get sick of it, I can peel it off, and there will be no harm done.

Have you ever covered anything “unconventional” with contact paper?

Dad’s Paint-Saving Roller Trick

2012-05-17T07:23:00.001-04:00

My dad worked on a paint crew in college, so he has been sharing pearls of painting wisdom as we work our way through the house (as well as critiquing my work). It’s a good thing we are both perfectionists; I think we would drive any one else crazy.

Do you think you are out of paint? You would be surprised how much excess paint is hiding in your roller cover!

Use a putty knife to scrape down your roller before you rinse it. Rest the roller on the edge of the paint can and scrape down the sides like you are cutting corn off the cob. You can save yourself a few ounces of paint each time you use a roller!

Whole House Palette and a Painting Tips Round-Up

2012-05-16T07:54:00.001-04:00

We are painting the entire interior of The Mad House, and it has been an experience! I had originally thought about going with a limited color palette of just a few colors to tie the whole house together, and, well, I haven’t stuck to it at all.

The graphic you see above is the latest incarnation of the plan for the house. I still need to decide on colors for the downstairs bathroom and the large family room. Should I reuse one of the colors already in the house or go nuts and pick two MORE colors? (BTW, the color in my daughter’s room is actually WAY brighter than it looks in the graphic. Just wait till you see it.)

While we are spending our days with brushes and rollers, you might be interested in some of the blogs I consulted for painting tips and tricks.

The amazing Brittany from Pretty Handy Girl has two posts that I found very helpful. First, she posted a great tutorial on painting interior doors the professional way. The Mad House has lovely 4-paneled doors, but some of them are painted in a weird two-tone way so they need to be repainted. Brittany also has a 3-part series on painting like a pro that culminates in this picture-centric tutorial for painting a room.

source: Making It Lovely

Nichole on Making It Lovely has this comprehensive list of tips and tricks for painting. She takes you through the whole process step-by-step, including gathering your tools and picking a color!

source: Young House Love

Of course, Young House Love has a basic painting walk through as well. YHL’s post has good tips for tag teaming a room with a painting partner: how to work efficiently and stay out of each other’s way!

What are your best painting tips?

Mad Skills Link Party #103

2012-05-13T22:01:00.001-04:00

I hope you all had a wonderful and blessed Mother’s Day!

While celebrating with my children and my mother yesterday, I kept thinking of Alice Hansen’s family. My friend and fellow blogger, Heidi of Honeybear Lane, lost her sister-in-law, Alice Hansen, last week to complications following the birth of her third baby. She fought a hard fight to stay on this earth with her husband and three little children who love her dearly. But God wanted her with Him and there is none who can stop Him. Her husband, Heidi's brother, was left behind to take care of their two little boys and newborn daughter.

Alice gave birth to her third baby last week and then fell seriously ill with a terrible infection. She passed away on Tuesday. Her husband had just graduated with an MBA but they didn't have health insurance and he doesn't have a job. And now he is left to be a single father to his three children, one of which is a newborn baby.

Heidi's family opened a donation account for Alice and her family. This money will go towards funeral costs, residual medical expenses, and the costs of raising children without a mother or a job. Her brother is going through a very difficult thing and while nothing can replace the ache of losing his sweetheart, any sort of donation will help to ease the burdens a little.

If you would like to donate money directly, please visit Heidi's blog Honeybear Lane. You can donate easily by clicking the "Donate" button on the right sidebar. You can donate through Paypal, credit card, or e-check (a check directly from your bank account.) Any and all donations are appreciated. Please also spread the word by sharing any posts you see about it.

Message from Heidi: From the bottom of our grief-stricken hearts: Thank you.

If you have the opportunity to help this family with your prayers or gifts, please do.

The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ – Matthew 25:40

THANK YOU!

If you have participated in a Mad Skills Tutorial Link Party in the past, you have probably gotten one of my emails. I like to highlight a few of my favorite submissions each week, and email is a great way to do it!

I also like to be able to thank all of you for participating in the party. It really means so much to me that you do. Commenting on each project is no longer an option for me, and I (legally) can’t spam you all with unasked for emails. BUT, if you sign up for the newsletter, I can still say thanks for your hard work AND you get to see the highlights from the weeks’ parties!

Sign up for the email by clicking HERE or using the form in the pink rectangle on my sidebar.

If you are linking up today, you might be featured in this week’s newsletter!

By participating in this party, you are agreeing to allow me to feature your project in my weekly Mad Skills newsletter. Each feature will include a link back to your project, a photo from the tutorial, and a brief explanation of why I loved your project.

I do this because I want to make sure your hard work is rewarded. If you are not comfortable with this promotion, please do not link up your project.

My Day at the I Love to Create Booth at MIWS

2012-05-11T07:56:00.001-04:00

Last Saturday, I had the chance to volunteer at the Michigan International Women’s Show in the I Love to Create booth. I had such a great time! I had never been to a trade show before, so the whole experience was new to me.

The exhibition hall was filled with great booths from vendors of unique craft supplies, home improvement companies, gourmet food distributors and more. I could easily have spent a day wandering around and checking out all the exhibits. But I was lucky enough to spend my day at the most popular booth at the show, the I Love to Create Make and Take booth!

I Love to Create set up a make and take station where guests at the show could use Tulip’s Tie Dye Kit to create their own one-of-a-kind t-shirts. I got to help dozens of people rubber band, dunk, and dye a shirt for themselves or a friend.

The t-shirts were amazingly popular. I should have taken a picture of the line of guests waiting to tie dye; at some points they waited up to an hour to make a shirt.

That’s Lish from Lish Dorset and CRAFT working the middle M&T booth.

I was shocked at how many people had never tie dyed before. Those who had were impressed at how much easier Tulip’s kit is than the old-fashioned tie dye method. No dunking in individual colors, no rinsing with vinegar, no messy pouring and mixing. All they had to do was wet the shirt, squirt the dye directly onto the fabric, and bag it up!

Across the aisle from us was the I Love to Create stage where famous faces like Pattie Wilkinson (seen above) were leading workshops for creating fantastic projects using products from ilovetocreate.com. I am really excited to try the watercolor marker shirt that Pattie was working on in this presentation.

I did get to meet Pattiewack and she is extremely nice AND a Mad Men fan. Bonus!

All of that made for a great day, but my favorite part was getting to meet Alexa from The Swell Life! Alexa ran the social media for I Love to Create and was the one who clued me in to the opportunity to volunteer. She and I have been online buddies, but I finally got to meet her in person at the show. She is just as great in real life as she is online, and that’s saying something!

I was really glad I was able to be a part of the show and meet so many fabulous ladies! If you are in the area, make sure to check out the Michigan International Women’s Show next year. In the meanwhile, the I Love to Create blog has tons of great information and project ideas too!

Schaum Torte (aka Pavlova aka Meringue)

2012-05-09T08:08:00.001-04:00

If you are looking for an elegant, inexpensive dessert for a Mother’s Day brunch or a wedding shower, Schaum Torte is your answer. In German, Schaumtorte literally means “foam cake,” and this light, crisp dessert is pretty and tasty. If you aren’t from the Midwest, you probably know this dessert as a pavlova or just meringue. Whatever you call it, you know it’s delicious!

You can top a Schaum Torte with just about anything; you can customize your dessert to your tastes, theme, or color palette. The way I am most used to eating Schaum Torte is with a healthy helping of macerated strawberries and HUGE dollop of whipped cream. The tortes would also be fantastic with chocolate syrup, lemon curd, blueberries, or whatever you have on hand.

Meringues have a bad reputation for being fussy or difficult to make, but if you follow a few simple guidelines they are nothing to be scared of. The best part of this recipe, besides how delicious it is, is that you likely have the ingredients in your house right now. And if you don’t, you can buy them for almost nothing.

Pick a sunny day to make your schaum tortes. High humidity can keep your tortes from getting crisp like they should. If you need to, you can make the schaum tortes a few days ahead of time, and store them in air tight containers or food storage bags until you serve them. Just be careful where you store them because they are fragile.

To get started, you will need to separate the egg whites from the yolks. It is crucial that NONE of the yolk makes it into the egg whites. The fat from the yolk totally messes up the schaum torte.

If you have a fancy egg separator, go ahead and bust it out. I just transferred the yolk from one half of the broken shell to the next until the whites were removed. Whichever process you use, I suggest separating the whites into a bowl other than your mixing bowl in case you do get a little yolk in the with the whites.

If yolk does sneak in, fish it out with a clean spoon, not your fingers. Your fingers have oils that will also mess up the schaum torte.

Once the whites are separated, pour them into stainless steel or copper bowl and beat them until they are frothy. You really want a stand mixer or electric hand beater for this dessert. Heaven help your biceps if you are doing this by hand.

Add in the cream of tartar and the vinegar. Something science-y about the acids makes the egg whites begin to firm up. Turn the mixer back on, and let her rip.

Once the mixture forms soft peaks, you can begin to add the sugar. You will know you have soft peaks when a spoonful of the mixture forms a peak that curls over on itself. Add the sugar SLOWLY, one tablespoon at a time while mixing.

After adding one cup of the sugar, add in the vanilla. Keep adding the rest of the sugar, one tablespoon at a time.

Keep mixing until the mixture forms stiff peaks. Stiff peaks will stand straight up from your spoon like a tiny little mohawk.

Now you can spoon your schaum torte mixture onto the paper lined baking sheets. If you are concerned with uniformity of size and shape, you can trace a bowl onto your paper as a guide.

Put the tortes into the oven at 250 degrees for one hour. After one hour, turn the oven off BUT DON’T OPEN IT! Leave the tortes in the turned off oven for another hour.

When you remove the baking sheets from the oven, the tortes should peel right off the paper.

When you break into the schaum torte with your fork, it will kind of shatter and fall apart into sugary goodness.

Finish them with your choice of toppings. The schaum torte itself is VERY sweet, so you don’t need to add too much sugar to your toppings.

ENJOY!

Mother’s Day Craft Round-Up

2012-05-08T08:04:00.001-04:00

Any mom will tell you that her favorite presents from her children are gifts the children made themselves. It doesn’t matter if you are 5 or 50, your mom will appreciate the thought and love that went into a gift you made just for her. These seven projects will appeal to all kinds of moms!

DIY PEARL NECKLACE

Jennifer from Always in Wonder shared the tutorial for this elegant pearl necklace, made for a fraction of the cost of store-bought jewelry.

RETRO HOSTESS APRON

Say thanks for all the delicious meals your mom has made you with a super cute hostess apron courtesy of Momma D and Da Boyz.

VINTAGE SWAG BROOCH

The fashionable mom will appreciate the retro look of this swag brooch made by Sew Wrong.

PARTY STREAMER SEED TAPE

Help your mom with the tedious prep work that goes into a healthy garden by making up some useful seed tapes.

WINE BOTTLE HUMMINGBIRD FEEDER

Invite some lovely hummingbirds into your mom’s life by making a pretty (and eco-friendly) wine bottle hummingbird feeder.

FRONT DOOR BOUQUET

Make sure your mom gets flowers every day by making her a bouquet to hang on her front door.

HAND-PAINTED MUGS

Get your little ones involved in the gift-making process by painting with non-toxic, dishwasher safe paints on drinkware.

Mad Skills Party #102

2012-05-07T07:49:00.001-04:00

Welcome to the 102nd Mad Skills Link Party!

If you have participated in a Mad Skills Tutorial Link Party in the past, you have probably gotten one of my emails. I like to highlight a few of my favorite submissions each week, and email is a great way to do it!

I also like to be able to thank all of you for participating in the party. It really means so much to me that you do. Commenting on each project is no longer an option for me, and I (legally) can’t spam you all with unasked for emails. BUT, if you sign up for the newsletter, I can still say thanks for your hard work AND you get to see the highlights from the weeks’ parties!

Sign up for the email by clicking HERE or using the form in the pink rectangle on my sidebar.

If you are linking up today, you might be featured in this week’s newsletter!

There is a Mad Skills Tutorial Link Party button that can be found by clicking on the Buttons tab on the new menu bar. Please add to your blog post or update your party pages!

Also, make sure to tell your bloggy friends about this party so we can get as many great entries as possible! You have until midnight (EST) on Thursday to enter your projects!

By participating in this party, you are agreeing to allow me to feature your project in my weekly Mad Skills newsletter. Each feature will include a link back to your project, a photo from the tutorial, and a brief explanation of why I loved your project.

I do this because I want to make sure your hard work is rewarded. If you are not comfortable with this promotion, please do not link up your project.

DIY Faux Pocket Squares

2012-05-04T09:33:00.001-04:00

Are you planning a wedding? Thoughtfully choosing and pinning idea for flowers, shoes, and décor? Awesome! I know everything will turn out beautifully. BUT, don’t forget the boys! I know weddings are mostly about the girls’ details, but the guys deserve a few special touches too.

Usually the only accessory the groom and the groomsmen get is a boutonniere that ends up smooshed and wilted after one hug from Great Aunt Ethel. For my wedding, we 86ed the boutonnieres for the classic pocket square.

Classy, no? And, yes, we are toasting with homebrewed beer. Because that’s how we roll.

If there are any of you out there who think that pocket squares are just for grandpas, take a look at this collage.

Pocket squares also go with any style of wedding, from casual to formal. Going clockwise around the collage you can see that pocket squares can be worn: 1) without a tie, 2) with suits and ties, 3) with a tuxedo, 4) in addition to a boutonniere.

The problem with pocket squares, as with real bow ties, is that nobody knows how to work them. If you have a wedding party filled with guys who know how to properly fold their own pocket squares, you are a lucky lady.

Most bridal stores have jumped on the fake bow tie bandwagon, but it’s harder to find places that will provide you with a workable solution for the pocket square. Fortunately, they are both inexpensive AND easy to make, and I’m here to show you how.

Traditionally, pocket squares are made from silk but you can get away with other fabrics, they might just not fall as nicely as real silk.

For our wedding, we used the fabric salvaged from the bottom hem of one of my bridesmaid’s dresses (the dress was crazy long and she is on the short side). The lady who did the alterations on my dress was able to make faux pocket squares for each of the four groomsmen and two ushers with just that little amount of fabric!

I made each of these faux pocket squares with half of a fat quarter of fabric. You really need very little material to work with.

To make DIY Faux Pocket Squares, you will need:

1/2 of a fat quarter of fabric for each pocket square

stitch witchery or sewing machine

an iron

pocket sized pieces of cardboard (cereal boxes work well)

staples, hot glue, or safety pins

First you will need to decide which style of fold you would like to use. I will show you how to make 5 popular styles.

The Square Fold and the Triangle fold are the most classic and understated styles. The Winged Fold and the Three and Four Point pocket squares are a bit more formal and flashy.

Before you begin, iron each of the fat quarter halves to remove any packaging wrinkles. All five pocket square styles start with the same three steps.

Step 1: Fold the material in half with RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER and iron along the fold. Open. Use stitch witchery and an iron (or a sewing machine) to hem the left and right edges.

Step 2: Turn the material right side out and push the corners out as best you can.

Step 3: Iron the material flat.

Do those three steps to begin each of the five pocket square styles shown below.

SQUARE FOLD POCKET SQUARE

Do Steps 1-3 as shown above.

Square Fold Step 4: Fold the ironed material in half. Iron flat.

Square Fold Step 5: Place cardboard piece one inch from the top edge, fold excess material up over the bottom. Attach the material with staples, hot glue, safety pins or by running it through your sewing machine.

(NOTE: This is the back of the pocket square.)

TRIANGLE FOLD POCKET SQUARE

Do Steps 1-3 as shown above.

Triangle Fold Step 4: Lay the material down like a diamond with un-hemmed edge on the bottom right side of the diamond; fold the bottom point up. Don’t fold the point all the way up to the top point. Iron flat.

Triangle Fold Step 5: Place the cardboard on the material, fold the excess fabric over the cardboard, and attach.

(NOTE: This is the back of the pocket square.)

WINGED FOLD POCKET SQUARE

Do Steps 1-3 as shown above.

Winged Fold Step 4: Lay the material down like a diamond with un-hemmed edge in the bottom right side of the diamond; fold the top point down. Fold the point down so it meets the bottom point (as closely as possible).

Winged Fold Step 5: Fold the right point of the triangle down to meet the bottom points. Fold the left point of the triangle down to meet the bottom points. Iron flat.

Winged Fold Step 6: Flip the pocket square over, lay the cardboard on the material, and fold the excess fabric over. Attach.

(NOTE: This is the back of the pocket square.)

THREE POINTS POCKET SQUARE

Do Steps 1-3 as shown above.

The following steps are the instructions for BOTH the Three Point pocket square and the Four Point pocket square, unless otherwise stated.

Three AND Four Points Step 4: Fold up the bottom edge of the fabric and hem in place with stitch witchery or a sewing machine.

Three AND Four Points Step 5: Miter your corners and iron flat.

Three AND Four Points Step 6: Lay the material down like a diamond with newly hemmed edge facing up. The newly hemmed edge should be in the bottom right side of the diamond.

Three AND Four Points Step 7: Fold the bottom point up and JUST TO THE LEFT of the top point. Iron flat.

Three AND Four Points Step 8: Fold the left point across and JUST TO THE RIGHT of the top point. Iron flat.

If you are making a Four Points pocket square, stop here and skip down to Four Points Step 9.

Three Points ONLY Step 9: For the Three Point pocket square, fold the right point straight across. Iron flat.

Three Points ONLY Step 10: Flip the pocket square over, lay a piece of cardboard on the fabric, and attach.

(NOTE: This is the back of the pocket square.)

FOUR POINTS POCKET SQUARE

Four Points ONLY Step 9: For the Four Point pocket square, fold the right point up and JUST TO THE LEFT of the farthest left point. Iron flat.

Four Points ONLY Step 10: Flip the pocket square over, lay a piece of cardboard on the fabric, and attach.

(NOTE: This is the back of the pocket square.)

Are you looking for more great DIY wedding ideas? You are invited to check out 20+ fantastic projects put together by my fellow crafty bloggers! Check out the links below!

Homegrown Strawberries with Whitney Farms Organic Plant Food

2012-05-03T17:45:00.001-04:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Whitney Farms. All opinions are 100% mine.

Last summer I planted a few everbearing strawberry plants in our backyard. I wanted to make sure they would be able to make the move to The Mad House with us, so I bought a cheap hanging strawberry plant kit. To make sure that the plants weren't shocked too much by the transition from ground to planter, I supplemented the organic soil with some of Whitney Farms® organic plant food.

All I had to do was mix 1/4 cup of the Whitney Farms® plant food per gallon of soil and mix thoroughly. It's a simple as that! The mix feeds the plants for 4-6 weeks before you need to feed again.

The food contains specially designed protein blends to give the plants the nutrition they need, without the worry of chemicals you wouldn't want on your food. Oh, and did I mention it is completely free of that nasty manure odor some organic plant food have? Yeah, bonus.

Now our strawberries will be able to travel to the new house with us, and we will be able to enjoy organic treats all summer long!

If you would like to try some of Whitney Farms Organic Plant Food or their Organic Tomato and Vegetable Food, be sure to use the $3 off coupon found on the Whitney Farms® website.

Removing Wallpaper with a Steamer

2012-05-02T07:22:00.001-04:00

Before I could start in on painting The Mad House (yay!), we needed to tackle the scads of wallpaper all over the house. I had heard that DIF was great for smaller projects, but since we had large areas that needed to come down, we opted to use a wallpaper steamer.

I could only find one place in my hometown that rented wallpaper steamers, and they were charging $35 a day! For $50 we were able to buy a steamer, and it ended up being SUCH a smart move. It took us the better part of four days to get all the wallpaper down, and I can always sell the steamer on Craig’s List if I want to recoup some of the cost of purchasing it.

Just because I’m smiling doesn’t mean I’m happy. And, yes, I am operating an electric device, not wearing shoes, and likely standing in a puddle. Safety first.

Today I will take you through the steps I used to steam down the wallpaper in our new home. Both of my parents helped with the process, and over the course of four days we got the paper down, the walls mostly washed, and many of the walls sanded. We are by no means experts; these are just the tips and tricks we learned by trial and error.

Using the Steamer: The steamer I used came with two plates, a large size for walls and a small size for tight spots like above our kitchen cabinets. All I had to do was fill the tank with water, wait 15 minutes or so for the water to heat, and hold the plate against the wallpaper. The steam loosened the paper and the glue so it was easier to scrape it off.

Pros:

The wallpaper came off MUCH more easily than by scraping alone or with water and a rag.
The cord isn’t super long, but the hose was long enough that I didn’t have to move the tank every few feet.
The 1 gallon tank was good for 75-90 minutes of steam before I needed to refill it.

Cons:

The plate, hose, and tank all get hot to the touch.
The cord can be a tripping hazard.

NOTE: This is not a sponsored review, but the links are affiliate links. I just wanted to share my experiences with this particular steamer.

Prepping the Wallpaper for Steaming: At first I tried just scoring the wallpaper with a linoleum knife. Not only did it slightly damage the walls under the paper, but unless I crosshatched the whole wall it didn’t let enough steam under the paper.

My dad bought a circular scorer which worked MUCH better. It is far easier to use, it lets more steam under the paper, and it doesn’t damage the walls. Win-win-win.

NOTE: I should have removed that outlet cover before scoring and steaming the wall. Rookie move.

Prepping the Room: Before you start steaming, you will want to lay some towels down directly under the wall where you will be working. A lot of water will drip down the wall, and you will end up with puddles on the floor if you skip this step. I also used a big tarp to catch as many of the wallpaper schnibbles as possible. By the last day of wallpaper removal, I was just throwing the paper willy-nilly on the floor to be shop-vacuumed later. (Thanks, Mom!)

It’s also a good idea to crack a window in the room. You will appreciate the fresh air, and it limits the fogginess of the room. Unless, of course, you want your neighbors to think you are re-enacting the jalopy scene from Titanic, in which case, keep those windows shut.

Removing Wallpaper with a Steamer: Several of the rooms had the specially-treated wallpaper that is meant to be able to be wiped down with water to clean. This meant that it took two passes with the steamer to take it down: once to remove the printed layer, and once more to remove the paper and glue.

When the wallpaper looks like the picture above, get scraping! That means the paper is saturated and will come off relatively easily. If you wait too long, it will begin to dry back onto the wall. Keep the scraper at a shallow angle (aka as close to parallel with the wall as you can). You will get more paper off with one swipe, and you are at less of a risk of gouging the walls.

I found the best way to work was to hold the steamer over one area with my left hand, while I was scraping the wet areas with the scraper held in my right hand. Move the steamer to a new spot and scrape that wet area. Repeat for four days.

After the Wallpaper is Down: When the wall is done (this one wasn’t totally finished), it’s a good idea to wash down the walls with warm water and vinegar. You can get off the last bits of paper and glue residue.

Trouble Shooting: We did find some surprises under the wallpaper we removed. In my son’s bedroom, we took down one layer of paper only to find ANOTHER layer of wallpaper… that had been painted over. Ugh. The only way to fix this is to do the whole area a second time and pray there isn’t another layer underneath it.

The border in the master bedroom was a PAIN to take down. I think it had been glued with non-water soluble glue, so it took a lot of scraping to bring it down. The wall underneath took a beating because of it.

Dad used an orbital sander to smooth out the rough spots on all the previously wallpapered walls, scraped off any damaged areas, and spackled where it was needed. (Thanks, Dad!)

It was a lot of work to take down all the wallpaper, but I think it would have been even more backbreaking without the steamer. Just a little more prep work, and then we will be ready to paint!

Affiliate disclosure HERE.

Mad Skills Party #101

2012-04-29T22:36:00.001-04:00

Welcome to the 101st Mad Skills Link Party!

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO TAKE THE BIG DIY BLOGGERS’ SURVEY!

I'm part of a group called Crafterminds, that you may or may not have heard of. We're basically just a collective of DIY bloggers that support each other in various ways, including a weekly twitter chat on a craft-blogging topic, a FB group for support, and a blog with informative blogging-related articles.

We decided we wanted more information about us - Craft bloggers. To understand our niche better. So, we came up with the idea of a survey. It is 30 quick questions, which take less than 10 minutes to answer. Once we finish collecting the data (through the end of April), we'll start analyzing it to see what we can learn about the success within this niche.

We are getting the word out about the survey so to get as many responses as possible - the more responses, the more powerful the final data will be. Would you be willing to help us spread the word? Mentioning it in your weekly link party post, tweeting, or sharing on FB would all be great!

Here is the link to the Crafterminds article that has the details, and the link to the survey: http://crafterminds.com/2012/04/big-diy-blogger-survey/

And now back to the show!

If you have participated in a Mad Skills Tutorial Link Party in the past, you have probably gotten one of my emails. I like to highlight a few of my favorite submissions each week, and email is a great way to do it!

I also like to be able to thank all of you for participating in the party. It really means so much to me that you do. Commenting on each project is no longer an option for me, and I (legally) can’t spam you all with unasked for emails. BUT, if you sign up for the newsletter, I can still say thanks for your hard work AND you get to see the highlights from the weeks’ parties!

Sign up for the email by clicking HERE or using the form in the pink rectangle on my sidebar.

If you are linking up today, you might be featured in this week’s newsletter!

There is a Mad Skills Tutorial Link Party button that can be found by clicking on the Buttons tab on the new menu bar. Please add to your blog post or update your party pages!

Also, make sure to tell your bloggy friends about this party so we can get as many great entries as possible! You have until midnight (EST) on Thursday to enter your projects!

By participating in this party, you are agreeing to allow me to feature your project in my weekly Mad Skills newsletter. Each feature will include a link back to your project, a photo from the tutorial, and a brief explanation of why I loved your project.

I do this because I want to make sure your hard work is rewarded. If you are not comfortable with this promotion, please do not link up your project.

Home Tour: Part Two

2012-04-27T07:53:00.000-04:00

PART TWO

Google got angry with me for posting such a photo heavy post with the first part of the home tour, so I had to break it into two.

SECOND FLOOR

FULL BATH

MASTER BEDROOM

DAUGHTER’S BEDROOM

SON’S BEDROOM

CRAFT ROOM

BASEMENT

BACK YARD

Living Room Layout Dilemma

2012-04-25T07:18:00.001-04:00

I have been trying to figure out how to lay out our new living room for weeks, so maybe you wonderful readers can help me out. The issue is the shape of the room and the difficulty of having dueling focal points.

The room has a working fireplace flanked by lovely built-in bookcases and storage. The plan is to highlight the backs of the two sides of shelving by painting them an accent color. We might also paint the brick, but that has yet to be decided.

The fireplace would make a splendid focal point on its own, if we were to leave the room as a formal living room. I really want it to be a space that gets used though, and I know it won’t unless there is a TV in there. Sad, but true. (There is no way to run cords around or behind the fireplace, so mounting the TV above the mantel is right out.)

LIVING ROOM

The living room is long and narrow with a large bank of windows that provide the room’s only natural light.

_{All floor plans created using Icovia’s Room Planner.}

So, how do I make this long space cozy AND accommodate two focal points? And, to sweeten the issue, how do we feel about putting an area rug ONTO wall to wall carpet?

Discuss.

CHOICE A

One big space, couch in front of window

CHOICE B

One big space, chairs in front of window

CHOICE C

Same as B, but with an area rug

CHOICE D

Two separate seating areas, couch partially blocking window

CHOICE E

Same as D, but with an area rug

CHOICE F

Two separate seating areas, possible traffic issue

CHOICE G

Same as F, but with an area rug

So, what do you think? Which of these layouts do you think would work best in The Mad House living room? Vote in the poll below!

EDIT: Oops! Forgot to add Choice G to the poll. Dur. If that's your fave, vote for F but let me know in the comments. Thanks!

12 Upcycled Crafts

2012-04-24T07:11:00.001-04:00

^{original image from Flickr user DonkeyHotey}

I don’t intentionally make “green” crafts, but I do think that taking old or broken materials and giving them a new life is good for my creative mojo. Each of these projects is the result of upcycling or repurposing an otherwise useless object and turning it into something functional and beautiful!

TYPOGRAPHICAL GLOBE WITH UPCYCLED PEDESTAL

Make an art globe upcycled from a thrift store globe and an unused lamp!

CHEVRON WALL ART

Do you have salvaged floor boards (or leftover slats from a flooring project)? You can make some trendy architectural wall art!

VINTAGE CAMERA TRIPOD LAMP

Turn a camera tripod into a useful and beautiful floor lamp!

UPCYCLED HOUSE NUMBER WALL ART

Discarded cabinetry samples and old house numbers from the ReStore make great typographic art.

5- MINUTE “GREEN” PLACEMAT PILLOWS

These quick and easy pillows are stuffed with plastic grocery bags!

FREE KITCHEN DECOR

Use what you already have to make wall décor for your kitchen or dining room.

UPCYCLED SOLAR LAMPPOST

Metal hanging planters, a shepherd’s hook, and solar lights become an elegant lamppost.

CHEAP FIRESTARTERS

Turn your dryer lint into useful campfire starters.

UPCYCLED HANGING LANTERNS

Broken solar path lights are repurposed into lovely hanging lanterns.

WINE BOTTLE HUMMINGBIRD FEEDER

Bring beautiful hummingbirds to your yard with an upcycled wine bottle feeder.

RECYLED PLASTIC BOTTLE TOYS

Create imaginative toys for your children from repurposed plastic bottles.

BABY FOOD JAR WEDDING LIGHTS

You can add mood lighting to your wedding with tea lights in decorated baby food jars.

THE 100th MAD SKILLS PARTY!!!

2012-04-22T22:24:00.001-04:00

HAPPY 100th MAD SKILLS TUTORIAL LINK PARTY TO YOU!

I can’t believe I have hosted a hundred of these link parties over the few years this blog has been going! That’s thousands and thousands of amazing talent, creativity, and ideas. Thank you to each of you who have participated!

If you have participated in a Mad Skills Tutorial Link Party in the past, you have probably gotten one of my emails. I like to highlight a few of my favorite submissions each week, and email is a great way to do it!

I also like to be able to thank all of you for participating in the party. It really means so much to me that you do. Commenting on each project is no longer an option for me, and I (legally) can’t spam you all with unasked for emails. BUT, if you sign up for the newsletter, I can still say thanks for your hard work AND you get to see the highlights from the weeks’ parties!

Sign up for the email by clicking HERE or using the form in the pink rectangle on my sidebar.

If you are linking up today, you might be featured in this week’s newsletter!

There is a Mad Skills Tutorial Link Party button that can be found by clicking on the Buttons tab on the new menu bar. Please add to your blog post or update your party pages!

Also, make sure to tell your bloggy friends about this party so we can get as many great entries as possible! You have until midnight (EST) on Thursday to enter your projects!

By participating in this party, you are agreeing to allow me to feature your project in my weekly Mad Skills newsletter. Each feature will include a link back to your project, a photo from the tutorial, and a brief explanation of why I loved your project.

I do this because I want to make sure your hard work is rewarded. If you are not comfortable with this promotion, please do not link up your project.

Home Tour

2012-04-20T07:34:00.001-04:00

PART ONE

As I told you last week, my husband and I just bought our first home. This post will take you on a visual tour of the house as it is when we moved in. Consider these all the “before” pictures. We are going to be tackling the first projects this week, including battling with the wallpaper you see throughout the house!

FIRST FLOOR

LIVING ROOM

DINING ROOM

KITCHEN

HALF BATH & LAUNDRY

FAMILY ROOM

SUNROOM

GARAGE

EDIT: Google is being a pain about the size of this post, so I have split the home tour into two parts. Part Two will be posted next week. Sorry!

Welcome to the Mad House

2012-04-18T07:19:00.001-04:00

As I announced last week, we just bought our first home! This means that we are going to be crazy busy with packing, moving, and making the new house a home. I plan to share my progress right along side any problems we have along the way. We are heading into uncharted territories, and it should be an entertaining ride.

To keep the Home DIY projects distinct from the craft/décor projects, I am instituting The Mad House. This section of the blog will hold all of our attempts at fixing up the new house without losing what’s left of our minds.

Already on the docket:

Removing wallpaper from several rooms
Painting the entire interior of the house
Steam cleaning the carpets
Replacing a broken window
Fixing the porch railing
Re-roofing the house
Re-caulking the backsplash/counter
Landscaping and gardening
Re-wiring outlets
Re-wiring the garage door opener

And that’s just what I could think of today! Some of these projects we will attempt on our own, and others we will be bringing in help from people who actually know what they are doing.

On Friday, I will be taking you on a tour of the Mad House. I am so excited to show it to you!

Mad Skills Party #99

2012-04-15T22:26:00.001-04:00

Welcome to the 99th Mad Skills Link Party!

Taking a break from our regularly scheduled programming for a quick message.

Here is the link to the Crafterminds article that has the details, and the link to the survey: http://crafterminds.com/2012/04/big-diy-blogger-survey/

And now back to the show!

If you have participated in a Mad Skills Tutorial Link Party in the past, you have probably gotten one of my emails. I like to highlight a few of my favorite submissions each week, and email is a great way to do it!

I also like to be able to thank all of you for participating in the party. It really means so much to me that you do. Commenting on each project is no longer an option for me, and I (legally) can’t spam you all with unasked for emails. BUT, if you sign up for the newsletter, I can still say thanks for your hard work AND you get to see the highlights from the weeks’ parties!

Sign up for the email by clicking HERE or using the form in the pink rectangle on my sidebar.

If you are linking up today, you might be featured in this week’s newsletter!

There is a Mad Skills Tutorial Link Party button that can be found by clicking on the Buttons tab on the new menu bar. Please add to your blog post or update your party pages!

Also, make sure to tell your bloggy friends about this party so we can get as many great entries as possible! You have until midnight (EST) on Thursday to enter your projects!

By participating in this party, you are agreeing to allow me to feature your project in my weekly Mad Skills newsletter. Each feature will include a link back to your project, a photo from the tutorial, and a brief explanation of why I loved your project.

I do this because I want to make sure your hard work is rewarded. If you are not comfortable with this promotion, please do not link up your project.

We Bought a House

2012-04-13T08:27:00.001-04:00

Have you been wondering why there have been fewer and fewer Mad in Crafts home décor projects lately? Why I seem to have completely abandoned my Bathroom HELP! idea? Why there have been so many color palettes pinned to my Pinterest boards? There’s a reason.

We bought a house.

Our first house. That belongs to us. Well, technically, it belongs to the bank for 30 years, but in theory it’s ours.

This is huge deal for me, in so many ways. I have never been part of a home-owning family. My parents’ homes have always been provided to them by the school or church my dad was serving. Up to this point, I have only rented apartments and houses.

And now my husband and I are homeowners.

Five years ago, the idea of us owning a home would not have even crossed our minds. You see, five years ago my husband and I were jobless, homeless, and I was pregnant. Thankfully, God has blessed us with amazing friends and family who took us in, looked out for us, and kept us on our feet.

In those five years since then, God blessed my husband with better health and, eventually, with an opportunity to work for a company that values him and his hard work. God blessed us with a healthy baby boy and, three years later, a healthy baby girl.

And now, He has blessed us with a home of our own.

I am the poster girl for not liking things to be out of my control. And the last five years have been completely out of my control. But they were always in God’s control. When things were hard, He was in control and saw us through. When things were good, He was in control and kept us close to Him. There aren’t words for the comfort that brings this Type-A girl.

Things are going to change a little on Mad in Crafts in the coming months. You can probably expect to see bigger, DIY projects mixed in with the home décor ideas and recipes. Oh, and paint. I’ve never been able to paint my home before. So that is totally going to happen.

I promise that Mad in Crafts will still be the type of blog that it always has been, but I hope you will stick with me through this new adventure. And that you will share your stories and tips with me along the way. I’ve never done this before, you know.

Now, I have to go and let it all sink in. It’s not completely real to me yet.

We bought a house.