Not So Homemade

Patterns: Squares

2012-03-10T18:44:00.000-06:00

Here's another pattern I recently made.
Just a geometrical square pattern.

Feel free to download them!
Use them however you'd like {but please don't relink them anywhere else... just send people to this page for the links}.
I'd just ask you'd give me a shout out if you share a project featuring them, ya know holla back atcha girl {yea, I'm gangsta, so what?}.
And let me know if you're able to use them in any way!
I'd love to know what you're able to do with them and I'd love to check it out!

Click on the image above or go HERE to find the downloads over at 4shared!
Just save the images to your computer and go to town!
You can print them, add words in photoshop, use them as backgrounds for stuff, whatever!

Go HERE to see other patterns.

Patterns: Polka Dots

2012-03-09T09:54:00.002-06:00

For a while now, I've wanted to try my hand at creating patterned pieces to be able to share with others.
They're also great to have on hand when doing blog designs {minimizes the amount I have to "make from scratch"}.

So last night I opened photoshop and got to work.
I decided to start with polka dots since they're pretty easy to do.

And here we go!

What do ya think?
I know it's not much but I'm hoping to get better at this... gotta start somewhere!

I'd like to offer them to you guys!
Use them however you'd like {but please don't relink them anywhere else... just send people to this page for the links}.
I'd just ask you'd give me a shout out if you share a project featuring them, ya know holla back atcha girl {yea, I'm gangsta, so what?}.
And let me know if you're able to use them in any way!
I'd love to know what you're able to do with them and I'd love to check it out!

Click on the image above or go HERE to find the downloads over at 4shared!
Just save the images to your computer and go to town!
You can print them, add words in photoshop, use them as backgrounds for stuff, whatever!

I'm hoping to work on some more patterns soon!
Anything you'd like to see?

Life Cheats

2012-03-08T18:28:00.002-06:00

I have a board on Pinterest called ".life cheats."
This board is where I pin the things to help me "cheat" in everyday life.

I've learned so many things!
Like how to easily slice potatoes for steak fries:

Source: goodenessgracious.com via Courtney on Pinterest

Or how to keep from dripping paint down the side of the paint can:

Source: inmyownstyle.com via Courtney on Pinterest

How to fill a big bucket with water using a dustpan:

Source: farrahfair.blogspot.com via Courtney on Pinterest

Getting rid of PESKY ANTS!

Source: food.com via Courtney on Pinterest

How to clean a toilet (the lazy way):

Source: lifehackery.com via Courtney on Pinterest

And even how to boil an egg correctly! I didn't even know the egg was supposed to be a true yellow until after I read this one! Mine were always grayish.

Source: its-fitting.com via Courtney on Pinterest

Do you have any good "life cheats"?

How My Boyfriend Travels

2012-03-07T21:31:00.001-06:00

I know it's been a while since I posted about my vacation. I know. Shame on me. But I saw these pics on my phone and just had to share them.

This is how my boyfriend sleeps in the car. (I drove the whole trip because I get too nervous with other people driving me.)

And he'd kill me if he knew I was sharing these. So don't tell!

Tiles

2012-03-06T22:04:00.001-06:00

I FINALLY picked out and BOUGHT the tiles for my house. Wooooo! Just have to get them installed now.

I also got the tiles for my bathroom counter. I love the black squares with the lines! And the blue will add another punch of color. I plan on doing all that myself. I got my vessel sink. Just waiting on the faucet. Should be in next week. I can't wait to get started!

Giant Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

2012-03-05T19:48:00.003-06:00

I got an itching to bake something tonight.
And bake I did.

I pulled out my Best of Hershey's Recipe book and flipped through it.
I was immediately drawn to this recipe for giant peanut butter cup cookies.
It was pretty simple and I had everything needed for it.

Here's my cookies ready for the oven!
I only could scrounge up 7 individually wrapped small Reese's.
I cut each into 6ths and spread them about the cookies.

Mmmm....

They were delicious!
And 1 cookie is more than enough!
You could even, dare I say it, SHARE....
Pssh... who am I kidding?
Share? A cookie? I know, what was I thinking!

Facebook Timeline on {not so} homemade

2012-03-04T20:21:00.002-06:00

Have you checked out the {not so} homemade facebook page lately?

I've finally switched over to the timeline appearance.
What do you think?

For those who might not know, all "brands" facebook pages will be converted to timeline at the end of the month.
So I decided to go ahead and make the switch.

I'll try to do a tutorial for you guys soon!

Forts Aren't Just For Kids

2012-03-03T19:43:00.002-06:00

So guess what I did yesterday...
Built a massive fort in my living room with my boyfriend.
Try to control your extreme jealousy.

It was so much fun!
It's still up too :)

I think I'll go home and watch tv in it!

What do you do to "feel like a kid again"?

Quick & Easy Potted Plant

2012-03-02T14:00:00.003-06:00

My mom bought me this plant that she SWEARS I can't kill.
We shall see.

But it was in one of those standard black plastic pots.
With holes at the bottom.
So it basically lived in my sink for about a month because whenever I watered it, it needed to be able to drain.
It really needed a "pretty" house.

Recently I was at the store and saw one of those clay colored plastic planters that had the water catcher thing at the bottom {don't laugh at my lack of gardening vocabulary!}
It was only a couple of dollars so I bought it.

I grabbed some aqua spray paint I had and gave it good coat.

Then, since I've decided red will be my accent in my kitchen/living room, I knew of some red fabric scraps I could use.
The fabric was a little frayed, which I actually really liked!
So I wrapped it around and tied a bow.
I stared at it for a while and decided I didn't like the "tails" of the bow.
So I simply tucked them in behind the fabric.

Then I popped the plant inside.
I tried without the black planter, but the new planter was a little too big.
So I just stuck the whole thing inside.
And that was it!

I love the way it turned out!
The red really POPS on the aqua!
And the plant looks much better.
It was SO simple to make, seriously MINUTES of actual effort!

Fried Chicken 2 Ways with Cane's Dipping Sauce

2012-03-01T07:20:00.003-06:00

There have been several Pinterest recipes I wanted to try.
And the boyfriend came over last night so it was the perfect time to try them out!

So we made sweet chicken nuggets, fried chicken strips, ranch roasted red potatoes, and cane's dipping sauce!

I had found the recipe for the Sweet Chicken Nuggets over at My Name is Snickerdoodle.
And it was really good!
I didn't have peanut oil {which she recommends} so I used vegetable oil.
While they didn't taste just like Chick-Fil-A's, they were pretty dang close and super YUMMY!

I used a previously posted recipe for Fried Chicken Strips.
Mmm... I just can't get enough of these!

Per the boyfriend's request, I made some more Ranch Roasted Red Potatoes.
Delicious as always :)

And then finally I tried this recipe for Cane's Dipping Sauce.
{Cane's is a chain chicken restaurant that originated here in Louisiana!}
It was really close the the original and SO good!

Finished the meal with some good ole corn :)

Deliciously, satisfying meal!

2/29 What's New Wednesdays

2012-02-29T12:26:00.003-06:00

Happy Leap Day!
It only happens once every 4 years so live it up!

I can't think of Leap Day without thinking of that movie Leap Year.
Watch out boys!
Tradition says we can pop the questions today ;)
{my boyfriend said he was gonna avoid me today}

Anyways, only 3 link ups last week, but they're all great so I thought I'd share them!

These Applesauce Cookies over at Craft Geek look SO YUMMY!

This Shrimp and Avocado Salad over at Cook Lisa Cook seriously has my mouth watering!

These Homemade Waffles over at The Preacher's Wife look DIVINE!

Now.... It's time to see what's new with you!

Add as many recipes, crafts, DIY, etc... as you'd like!

Please... don't link to your main blog page, shops, giveaways, etc.

And please make sure to visit others and comment on their stuff too!

Look for featured ones next week too!
Your link up could be a favorite!

Grab the NEW button and share with others!

Wooden Wall Art

2012-02-28T11:38:00.007-06:00

It took me AGES to decide on an accent color for my bedroom.
I've got a gray and white room.
First I wanted to add yellow.
Then I thought about a teal/aqua, and stayed there for a while.
Then when I was re-doing my bathroom, I finally decided on yellow.

My walls are so bare in in my bedroom!
So I decided to make some artwork to jazz it up a little bit.

I was inspired by THIS artwork over at Young and Crafty!
I pretty much followed her directions, only added more dots.

Anyways, I had some wooden boards that were part of the shipping pieces for my washer and dryer.
They were pretty strong wood and needed a purpose now that their job of securing appliances was over.

Then I screwed in some small pieces of wood to the back.
I used 1 inch screws as this was what would go through the small pieces and into the large pieces of wood without going all the way through.
This was HARD!
That wood was TOUGH STUFF!
My poor power drill.

I painted the whole thing white.
Then I used a small paint brush and made some branches coming up from the bottom.
I didn't have any brown so I sort of made this reddish color.
It close to the color of the furniture in my room anyways.

I found these circle sponges at Walmart in the arts and crafts section.
It was a 10 pack and came with several of each size.

Then I got to stamping!
I used 2 shades of gray and 2 shades of yellow.
Then I was done!

I love how it turned out!
I think it's going to look great in the empty spot between my windows.

It really was easy to make!
I can't wait to hang it!
Well, as soon as I get some heavy duty stuff since this piece weighs a TON!

Pamper Yourself, Head to Toe

2012-02-27T20:36:00.002-06:00

Every now and then, we all need to pamper ourselves.
Take a little time to make ourselves feel better.

And there was this pin on pinterest about an easy, DIY spa at home.

Source: collegefashion.net via Courtney on Pinterest

The first thing I did was give my hair an olive oil treatment.
I massaged a couple of tablespoons of olive oil into my hair.
Then I wrapped my hair in a warm, damp towel.

While it set, I made the face mask.
The original recipe called for honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
The website really explains WHY each are used too.

"Nutmeg and honey act as natural anti-inflammatories, which can reduce swelling and redness in skin. They’re also great for soothing acne scars and preventing infection. In addition, the nutmeg and cinnamon also work to exfoliate your skin when you wash this mask off."

I didn't have any nutmeg so I substituted brown sugar.

Let me tell you, it felt WONDERFUL as I rubbed it on my face.
And it smelt SO GOOD!

I let both the mask and hair wrap sit for about 20 minutes.
I would have gone longer but I started "melting".
Literally.
My mask was all down my neck.

So I hopped in the shower and firstly rinsed my mask off.
Then I washed my hair twice with shampoo.
Also gave it a nice coat of conditioner.

While the conditioner set, I scrubbed down with the brown sugar scrub.
Basically, I used what was left from my mask and added a little more brown sugar, lemon juice, and olive oil.

And it smelled really good too!

After my shower, I feel WONDERFUL!
SO relaxed, and I smell pretty :)

Do you have any good home spa secrets?

Potato Stacks

2012-02-26T15:13:00.007-06:00

So a while back I had pinned this recipe for potato stacks on Pinterest.

Unfortunately, when I went to make the recipe, I found it had been removed from the website.
So anyways, I did a little searching and found other similar recipes.
Using those, I kind of made up my own recipe!
And now I'll share it with you guys :)

First things first, I used my slicer thing {I think it's called a mandoline??} and sliced 1 small white potato and 2 small red potatoes.

Then I melted about 2 tablespoons of butter in a bowl.
I added about 1 tbsp of dried parsley, 3 tsp minced garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp dried onions.
Now these aren't specific, because honestly I just guesstimated on the amounts.

Then I greased a 6 tin muffin pan.

Using a pastry brush, I put a little of the butter mixture in the bottom of each tin.

Then I added a potato {or more if they were small slices} and topped with a smidge more butter.

I kept doing that until I filled all the pans.
Then I popped it in an oven preheated to 350.

I cooked them for about 45 minutes or so until they are golden brown and the potatoes are cooked through.

Mmmmm!
So delicious!

ENJOY :)

Ranch Roasted Red Potatoes

2012-02-25T12:31:00.004-06:00

So a few weeks back, I pinned this recipe for Ranch Roasted Red Potatoes from LaaLoosh.

Then I decided to make it.
Holy. Stinkin'. Cow.
These potatoes are PHENOMENAL!

And the best part?
Only 4 ingredients!
Red potatoes, ranch seasoning, salt, and olive oil.

The original recipe says to use olive oil cooking spray but I didn't have any.
So I just used regular olive oil.

But they were SO GOOD!
Seriously, if I had more ranch seasoning, I'd make some RIGHT NOW!

Dang.
I gotta stop talking about this and looking at these pictures.
My mouth is starting to water and my stomach's starting to growl.

Pantry Makeover

2012-02-24T14:29:00.006-06:00

When I moved in, I was pretty excited the house had a pantry.
Unfortunately, it was that dark paneling my living room was.

Here's the before... brace yourself... it's pretty bad.

TOTAL disorganization.
The dark wood is so depressing.

So the first thing I did was get all of the stuff out of the pantry...

And on to my dining room table.

It looked SO much better just with the fresh coat of paint.
It took a coat of kilz and 2 coats of white paint.

Then I put everything back in an organized fashion.
AND I STINKIN' LOVE IT!!!

Bottom shelf... snacks and canned goods.

Second shelf- I LOVE these jars I got from Amazon!
HERE is the 4 pack of large jars and HERE is the 6 pack of smaller jars.
{I also got a 12 pack of tiny ones I plan on using for spices}

And let's not forget the SUPER CUTE labels I got from Say It On the Wall!

Third shelf... nice, organized boxes!

And top shelf has other boxes and other goodies.

Let's take a look at that before and after one more time...

I'm so happy with my new fresh looking pantry!

Now I just have to finish both bathrooms and my laundry room then I'll be ready for my floor installation which will make a huge difference!

Temporary Pantry

2012-02-23T19:15:00.001-06:00

Why is all my food packed up on my dining room table right now? Guess you'll just have to wait and see!

2/22 What's New Wednesdays

2012-02-22T15:18:00.002-06:00

It's Wednesday!
And that means another week of What's New Wednesdays!

Check out a few from last week....

These Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken Tenders over at Successful Together look so YUMMY!

And check out this DIY Mercury Glass over at Mrs. Crafty Pants... how COOL!

This Malted Pretzel Crunch over at Cook Lisa Cook looks MOUTH-WATERING!
{this was also the most viewed link!}

Now.... It's time to see what's new with you!

Add as many recipes, crafts, DIY, etc... as you'd like!

Please... don't link to your main blog page, shops, giveaways, etc.

And please make sure to visit others and comment on their stuff too!

Look for featured ones next week too!
Your link up could be a favorite!

Grab the NEW button and share with others!

Quesadilla Burger

2012-02-21T14:42:00.005-06:00

Whenever I go to Applebee's I LOVE getting the quesadilla burger!
And so I decided to try and make it myself.

{I will apologize in advance for the lack of sufficient photos}

I did a little research, found other copy cat recipes, and then sort of made up my own seasoning blend based on the general seasonings used.

Mix together:

2 tsp cumin
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp dried onions

It makes a nice amount so you can save some for later or another recipe.

Every recipe I saw suggests a heaping tsp of mix for each burger.
Blend well with your ground beef and then cook on a skillet.

While it's cooking, mix together about 1/2 a can of rotel tomatoes and 1/2 a diced onion.

Once your burger is finished cooking, remove it to the side.
Also butter 1 side of 2 tortillas (8-10 inches).

In a clean skillet, add a tortilla, butter side down.
Then add your desired cheese (I used colby jack).
Then some of the tomato onion blend.
Then your burger.
Then more cheesy, because honestly, can you ever have too much cheese?
And lastly your other tortilla, butter side up.

Cook for a few minutes, until your tortilla is crisped some, then carefully flip it.
Cook until that side is crisped.
Remove, slice, and enjoy!

It was really good!
I will definitely be making this again soon!

The Time I Dyed My Hair Burgandy

2012-02-20T21:44:00.001-06:00

So about 2 years ago I saw Iron Man 2.
And I LOVED Scarlett Johansson's hair!

So I got my mom to dye it for me.
It was crazy!
My hair was orange during the dying process!
Very strange looking.

But I liked the resulting color and kept it for a little while before dying it back.

Here's some pics of the process and final result- one picture was edited.
You'll see that one. (sorry if they're in a random order... The blogger app on my phone likes to do that).

Cheesy Taco Pasta

2012-02-19T18:33:00.006-06:00

So every now and then I'll decide to basically throw some things in a pot to make a meal.
Which is what I did here.
And it turned out really good!

And here we have...
Cheesy Taco Pasta!

Here were my ingredients:

First I got my pasta boiling.
I used 1 lb rotini.

Meanwhile, I cooked 1 lb ground beef with 1 chopped up onion.

All nice and cooked!

Then I added a can of black beans, some frozen corn, a can of rotel tomatoes, and a packet of taco seasoning.

Mixed that all together and let it simmer for a few minutes.
Had to resist eating it here as it smelled SO GOOD!

Then I added the cooked pasta.

Lastly, I added this Ragu double cheese sauce I had gotten on sale at Dollar General.
Let that mix together until nice and melted and cheesy... mmm!

Then enjoy!

It was really good!
But it makes a TON!
Seriously, I ate this for DAYS!

Hope you guys have a great week!

Linky Followers

2012-02-18T07:58:00.000-06:00

So Google Friend Connect will be going hasta la vista soon.
The new thing now is Linky Followers!

Head on over to Linky Followers to get set up.
You can post a code on your blog so others can follow you.
And you can follow others... like me :)

Look on my sidebar to find my Linky Followers!

LinkWithin- Adding a "You Might Also Like" Section Under Your Blog Posts

2012-02-17T07:43:00.001-06:00

Ever wanted to add a "You Might Also Like" section under your blog posts?

It's really easy to do using LinkWithin {no, I'm not being asked by them to do this... I just think it's a great tool for your blog!}.

LinkWithin is a website that easily sets it up to where underneath each post it will show your readers other posts they might enjoy.
It accesses ALL posts, even from years ago, giving those oldies some new attention and exposure!

So how does it choose which posts it features?
The website states, "Stories are chosen based on several factors, including title, tags, and content."

Simply go to their website and on the right side you can fill out a few things and get set up!

It will bring you to a page with SUPER in-depth details on how to get it set up on your blog!

Easy as pie!

Hope this helps :)

Just Like Chick-Fil-A Lemonade

2012-02-16T17:58:00.005-06:00

So I LOVE Chick-Fil-A's lemonade.
It's is, by far, the most superior of all lemonades.

{begin redneck voice} And one day I got a hankerin' for one of them there lemonades.
So I went to the grocery store and bought me some mighty fine lookin' lemons.
I only needed a recipe now.
So I turned on my dial-up and got on that world wide web I've heard all them kids these days talkin' bout.

Ok, enough redneck voice!
Anyways, I found this SUPER simple recipe over at Good Cheap Eats!

It's really easy to make and only requires lemons {obviously}, sugar, and water.

I decided to make it for myself and I LOVED it!

First you get your lemons {displayed here in my NEW crate and barrel fruit basket!}.
I used about 9 small lemons.

I whipped out my juicer thing and got to work {my first time to use it in the 3 or so years I've had it!}
A little tip I like to use is to roll your lemons on the countertop before you cut them to maximize your juicage... they'll get really soft feeling as you roll them.
Just be sure you cut them over something so the juice doesn't get all over your counters.

Keep juicing until you get about 1 1/2 cups of lemon juice.
If you have a strainer, I'd suggest using it if you don't like a lot of pulp and to get out the seeds that slip by.
But I don't have a strainer so I just drink with caution to avoid choking on seeds.

Then you mix that with 1 1/2 cups of sugar.
Apparently the acidity of the lemon juice mixes in a way that your lemonade won't be grainy from the sugar without having to cook any of it down.

Then you mix with 5 cups of water.
I found that it fits perfectly in a 2 qt container (the kind you mix kool-aid packets in).

Pour over ice and enjoy!

I have noticed that I have to give the container a good swirl to evenly distribute the pulp that rises to the top when I go to pour a glass.
But it tastes PHENOMENAL!
LOVE it!
And I live by myself so it's all mine, ALL MINE {MUAH HA HA HA HA}!

But seriously, you should go make your own.
What are you waiting for?
Now!

And check out Good Cheap Eat's recipe for it cause they have a cool recipe card print out.
---------------------------------------------------------

On a different note...

Oooh girl {or guy}.
Let me tell you what this nurse did to me today.
I had a doctor appointment.
And they get my blood pressure, height, and then the dreaded weight.
And you know what this girl had the AUDACITY to do?
She rounded UP on my weight.
And if you ask me, it was closer to the lower number!
How dare she?
I don't care if it's .999999999 you still don't go to the next number up for a woman!
Hmmmph.
The nerve of some people.

2/15 What's New Wednesdays

2012-02-15T11:37:00.003-06:00

Ok, I missed last week due to forgetting to renew my Linky Tools subscription but now I am back on track!

Check out a few link ups from 2/1 What's New Wednesday...

Look how cute these DIY Star Wars Costumes are over at Super Savings! I love how she made an entire "cast" for only $12.75!

And these BBQ Ranch Deviled Eggs over at Craft Geek are a yummy twist on an old favorite of mine! Plus check out the bacon wrapped jalepeno recipe she also has on the post!

I know Valentine's Day was yesterday but this mantle over at Dandelions and Dust Bunnies is TOO CUTE! I love the idea of putting letters into frames to spell out whatever you want! This was also the most viewed link :)