Domestic Addiction

Baby Girl Sundress

2011-08-17T15:50:00.001-05:00

Today’s project was a cute sundress that I found a tutorial for online. This one was super easy to do! Here is the tutorial that I used.

I changed two things from the directions. I added bias tape to the hem and used the same bias tape to make the straps. I love the little birds on the fabric! So cute!

Baby Jean Skirt

2011-08-16T15:42:00.001-05:00

I have 6 days until I am induced and have to pass the time somehow… so sewing it is!

I found a very simple tutorial online to make an infant jean skirt and it looked easy enough so I decided to give it a try. And it sure was easy peasy! I found the tutorial at KojoDesigns. It was a guest post by Jill. Here is the tutorial that I used to make this cute baby skirt.

Now I just need a cute lil model to put it on!

Baby A’s first UT dress!

2011-08-16T11:34:00.001-05:00

I’ve had this fabric remnant for a while now and never knew what to do with it. I knew I wanted to make something University of Tennessee related but never found the right project. The fabric remnant was just a little too small to make me something. So when we found out baby was a girl I knew exactly what to make!

I used New Look pattern # 6576.

I didn’t add the appliques, just sewed the dress without them.

And it came out super cute and it was super easy!
Here is a picture of my finished product!

I am so pleased with how it came out! Now I have to find other cute things to sew her in 6 days before she gets here!

Baby A’s Room

2011-08-10T15:23:00.002-05:00

Here is our daughter’s room:

I made another wallet!

2011-01-31T15:36:00.001-06:00

Remember the wallet I made last year? Well I made another one this weekend. It was so much easier doing it the second time around, since I was familiar with what I had to do. Last time I made a black and white one to match my black purse, this time I made a brown one since I had gotten a brown Coach purse for Christmas from the hubs! This time I used a different snap closer than last time and that was much easier as well.

If you would like to view the tutorial that I used just click the link to the last time I posted. Here are a couple of pictures of what it looks like!

I love how it turned out and I’m please with my fabric choices!

My Picture Wall

2011-01-28T16:48:00.001-06:00

I have wanted to start a picture wall in my house for quite some time now. A few weeks ago I finally got around to starting my wall o’pictures. I bought the saying in the center from the Dollar Store and collected old picture frames from around the house or I bought a couple from Dollar Store as well. I put my wall in the middle of the hallway in between the master bedroom and the loft. All my frames are black or black/silver for uniformity.
Here is just a sneak peek of my picture wall. There are no pictures in the frames as of yet since I am still working on finding the right pics to go in each frame.

I love how it is coming along. I can’t wait to fill it with pictures and even add more frames to it later on down the line.

I made a button!

2011-01-26T15:01:00.001-06:00

As you may or may not already see, I made a button for my blog! You can simply copy the code and put it on your blog! It was super easy to do as well!

Myths About Couponing

2011-01-19T13:28:00.001-06:00

My friend Carmen from Extreme Couponing with Carmen wrote a fabulous blog post about the myths of couponing and I found it interesting.
Here is a list of the myths she talks about:

#1 - Myth: Using coupons means that I’m broke.

#2 - Myth: I can’t find coupons for the items I purchase.

#3 - Myth: You can’t be brand loyal and save money.

#4 - Myth: Coupons cause you to buy things you might not purchase otherwise.

#5 - Myth: Buying generic is always cheaper.

Carmen breaks each myth down and gives you the truth behind each myth. Overall couponing is easy, you just have to know how to do it! Hope this gets you the right start to couponing!

My Real Small Stockpile!

2011-01-14T16:12:00.002-06:00

So I don’t have a huge stockpile by any means! But I do have the start of a small one. Right now all our cleaning and laundry things are in the laundry room. Our bath and toiletry items are in the guest bathroom. I haven’t been able to start a stockpile on much of anything else because I haven’t found the deals are those things yet. I actually haven’t seemed to find many deals on anything lately but that is half my fault since I have been slacking in the ‘find good deals’ department.

I am still getting my newspaper and coupons every week and still look through my circulars to find the deals. I just haven’t been doing my research online to scope the greatest deals. I think partly because I wasn’t in town for a few weeks in December due to Christmas. I swear I need to get back on top of things!

Here are a few pictures of my stock in the laundry room. Like I said it is rather small…but hopefully one day the start of something.

Baby Shower!

2011-01-14T16:01:00.002-06:00

One of my good friends is due in February and a small group of us hosted a baby shower for her last month. It was a lot of fun and I got to make some really cute stuff for the precious little girl that we are all anticipating. I got to make the momma to be a three tier diaper cake, baby booties, baby legs, a ruffle butt onesie and a couple of bibs and birb cloths. It was tons of fun buying all the pink cute girlie stuff!

Here are pictures of the things I made.
Diaper Cake

Booties

Baby Legs

Ruffle butt Onesie

Bibs and burp cloths

I also made the favors for the party. I found a cute recipe online and had to give it a try! They were really easy and quick to make! They are little pink pacifiers! Here is the link to a recipe that is identical to the one I used.

It was so much fun making all this cute stuff!

DIY Felt Wreath

2011-01-14T15:25:00.001-06:00

I finally made one! A felt wreath that I have longed to make for about a year now! I found a couple of tutorials around the interwebs for a cute and easy to make wreath. It took me a while to actually sit down and make it but when I did, I realized that I didn’t have a wreath which I thought for sure I have bought at the Dollar Store. So two days ago, I made it out to Michael’s and found my wreath so that I could get started. And here is my beautiful wreath

The pic came out rather fuzzy but oh well.

Girl Scout Cookie Fake Out!

2010-11-10T11:17:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I had an inkling to make cookies, any kind really. So after checking out a few of the baking blogs I have bookmarked I came across a recipe to make those yummy minty flavored Girl Scout cookies! Mmmm, homemade thin mints! Then my hubby suggests that I make homemade tagalongs (his favorite), so I start my search for a recipe. I came across this lovely recipe. Mmmmm, those sounds delicious! So I went to the store to get more flour (I knew I didn’t have enough for both recipes), sticks of butter and mint extract.

Overall the recipes were great! I wish I would have made the thin mints a little bigger, they came out quite small. I also would have made the tagalong cookies smaller. The recipe said they wouldn’t expand and they did! So they were a little big.

I plan on only eating a few () and then serving the rest on Friday at Trivia Night!!

Pictures to come soon!

Menu Planning Monday (11/1)

2010-11-01T13:56:00.001-05:00

Here is my menu for the week:

Monday - Meatloaf with Green Cabbage and Bacon
Tuesday - Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken with Roasted Red Peppers and Asparagus
Wednesday - Crockpot Pot Roast with Yellow Squash and Zucchini
Thursday - Eggplant Lasagna with Creamy Broccoli
Friday – Dinner out for a friend’s birthday!
Saturday - Breakfast – Eggs, Bacon and Hashbrowns (Might go ahead and make this in the Crockpot depending on how I feel)

I’ll post recipes and pictures once I make the meals so you can try them out too!

My Foyer Make-Over Part 1

2010-10-28T16:54:00.001-05:00

Ever since we moved into our house a year and almost a half ago, I’ve wanted to repaint the trim in our foyer. The previous owners had the trim painted an ugly ‘purple’ color as I call it. It’s probably really called ‘mauve’ but it still looks purple to me. Well we I finally got around to repaint it white. Unfortunately we don’t have the paint for the trim in the rest of the house so I had to do my best to find a pretty white. I started the first coat the other day and finished the second coat today and am now waiting for it to dry so I can take the tape off and clean up the newspaper. Here is a sneak peak of how it looks.

Before:

The new color is on the left… old yucky purple color on the left.

~~After:~~ During:

I can see the improvement already! I will post final pictures when I am done.

Crockpot Honey Maple Chicken and Sweet Potatoes

2010-10-28T16:27:00.001-05:00

I love sweet potatoes! And since it is getting cooler I will be making then more often. Last week I came up with this yummy sweet potato and chicken meal.

Ingredients:

3 or 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 or 3 sweet potatoes (cubed)
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp of butter
2 tbsp of brown sugar

I started by putting my chicken at the bottom of my crockpot (doesn’t matter if it’s still frozen). On top of that I poured the syrup, honey, butter and brown sugar. Next I tossed the sweet potato on top of the chicken. I cooked on low for 5 hours. I made sure to stir it about halfway through so that the sweet potato got some of that yummy juice! It came out quite flavorful! This is a great fall meal!

Mexican Lasagna

2010-10-18T12:31:00.001-05:00

I made this super yummy dish the other night and it was a big hit! I had most the ingredients on hand which was the reason I came up with the idea. I only had to get tortillas and the taco seasoning.

Here are your ingredients:

1 lb of ground turkey or beef
1 can of Fiesta Nacho Cheese soup
1 can of whole kernel corn

1 can of crushed tomatillos
1 taco seasoning packet
1 cup of shredded mexican cheese
6-8 flour tortillas
salsa or sour cream for garnish

Preheat over to 350 degrees.
First cook up your ground meat. This is where I get to use one of my favorite kitchen utensils, my Pampered Chef Mix ‘n Chop. It really is such a dandy little tool.

Next add the seasoning packet, corn (drained), tomatillos, and soup. Mix till it’s well blended. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Next take a medium sized casserole dish and line the bottom of it with two tortillas. Then scoop some of the meat mixture (about 1/4 of it) on top of the tortillas and spread it out. Now layer two more tortillas and top with the meat mixture. Add one more layer of tortilla and meat mixture. I had room for one more layer so I added another tortilla layer and meat mixture. Lastly I topped with the cup of shredded mexican cheese.

Pop your dish into the oven for about 15 minutes or until cheese on top is melted and bubbly.

It came out delicious. And it’s a yummy alternative to taco night! And you can easily do this with chicken as your meat.

Menu Plan for the week 10/17

2010-10-17T16:23:00.002-05:00

I actually planned out my meals for this week, a task that I rarely get around to doing.

Friday: We ate a yummy dish that I created which my husband dubbed Mexican Lasagna. I will be posting the recipe once I upload the pics.
Saturday: Pizza at a friend's house.
Sunday: Chicken parm and alfredo cooked by my husband. =)
Monday: Shrimp Lomein with roasted broccoli and red peppers
Tuesday: Honey maple crockpot chicken and sweet potatoes
Wednesday: Easy beer and ketchup meatballs and roasted parmesan cauliflower
Thursday: Chicken Alfredo and green beans
Friday: Chicken fries and corn on the cob.

What's on your menu this week? Any good recipes to share?

Mushroom & Onion Crockpot Chicken

2010-10-15T16:09:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I cooked up a very easy and delicious crockpot meal.

Ingredients:
3 boneless chicken breasts
1 can of golden mushroom soup
1 onion chopped
4 gloves of garlic minced
Salt & pepper to taste

Place chicken breasts in the stoneware. Add onion, garlic and salt and pepper to stoneware. Lastly pour soup on top of chicken. Cook on high for about 6 hours. I served it with chicken flavored rice and it came out delicious! Unfortunately I didn't take a picture of it.

My Favorite Coupon Sites

2010-09-29T22:56:00.001-05:00

My absolute favorite is Hot Coupon World. There is tons of info on this site… especially on the forums. The other ladies are so knowledgeable. And you can check out the deals in the stores that are near you.
There are only a couple of grocery stores around me and after reading through posts on HCW, I realized that HEB is not the place to go if you want good deals. Yea they sometimes have good deals. But it’s usually on their own brand or “in store with coupon” which is basically the same coupon I have that I clipped from the Sunday paper! So no real savings there! Needless to say, I only shop at HEB if there is something I absolutely have to have.

I get my real deals at Randall’s, Walgreens and CVS. They each have awesome sales and deals to save the average shopper. Randall’s has their Remarkable Card, CVS has their Extracare Bucks, and Walgreen’s has their Register Rewards. You can definitely find deals if you look for them!

Here is a list of other Couponing sites that I have found and liked!

In my “Buttons” column I have a couple that I frequent like:
* Coupon Geek
* Passion for Savings
* Wild for Wags
Here a couple of more:

* I Heart CVS

* I Heart Wags
* Totally Target
* Debbie Does Coupons
* Freebies 4 Mom
* Saving With Shellie
* Money Saving Madness
* Coupon Gal
* Pirates of the Supermarket
* Frugal Shopping with Julie
* My Coupon Teacher
* Simply CVS

Now these are the ones that I have found quite useful but I am sure there are TONS more out there, so please share those that you find!

My Floor …

2010-09-29T21:59:00.001-05:00

… after sewing…

Lots of thread everywhere. I gotta bring the vacuum in and clean it up!

My Coupon Binder

2010-09-29T21:50:00.001-05:00

So I told you I started couponing and saving my family money… by family I mean, me, my husband and our furbaby Captian. I wanted to share with you how I organize my coupons.

At first I had a small accordion folder that I had gotten at the dollar store. That didn’t last very long because I had filled it to the brim… I needed a new way and though that the binder was the way to go. This is similar to the one I used, just without the notepad.

I bought a pack of Pokemon card holders at Target for like $9.99. The package had about 65 pages with 9 slots on each page. Essentially they are baseball card pages but the only ones they had when I went were Pokemon brand. I also got a 2” binder that came with a plastic pocket. It also had a front see-through pocket so I can add my own front cover. I already had several dividers around the house so I didn’t need to buy those.

I didn’t really know how to organize my dividers so I just used the words that my accordion folder used. I can always go and rearrange the way I organize them.

Here are the categories I use. You can use whatever categories work for you.
*Drug Store Items --- I realized later that I could separate this into “Health & Beauty” and “Pharmacy”.
*Cleaning Products
*Baking Items
*Cereal/Breakfast Items
*Dairy/Meats
*Paper Goods
*Canned/Frozen
*Pasta/Bread/Condiments
*Pets/Other miscellaneous

If I happened to have more dividers I would break some of these up but I just had to use what I had at the time – no need to spend more money!

The dividers in the back (the nicer ones) have pockets on both sides. So I use those to hold other coupon books I have, extra printables, my rebate checklist and receipts that I need to hold onto.

So every Sunday I get my paper and go straight to the coupons! I clip them and then put them in their respective category. It looks something like this…

Each week I go through and clip my coupons and add them to the category it belongs too. I also go and check for expired coupons.

I’ve made a checklist of the rebates that I’ve sent in and what dates they were sent.
I also keep a pair of small scissors and a pen in the pocket at the back. There is also a page that I keep all my CVS Extracare Bucks and my Walgreens RR and any Randall’s catalinas that I get.

Well that’s my coupon binder! I always check the store inserts and look for good deals and pull those coupons out. And I always take my binder with me to the stores… which I had never even seen until very recently… I was watching a show and a lady was talking about her coupon binder and when I went to Randall’s today I saw a lady pull out her binder… so neat. I had never heard of it and now that I do it, I see coupons everywhere!

How do you organize your coupons?

Jewelry Pouch - Tutorial

2010-09-29T13:09:00.005-05:00

I got a neat book at the library yesterday that had all sorts of organizational items to sew. I came across a cute jewelry pouch that seemed easy enough to make. I didn’t like a few of the things that it suggested so I changed it up a bit and added a couple of things too. I also learned a way to sew a zipper that I never want to use again!

You’ll need your cast of characters (a.ka. materials):

Cut 1 of each:
14” x 7” piece of fusible fleece
14” x 7” piece of fabric
6.5” x 7” piece of fabric
2.5” x 7” piece of fabric
3.5” x 7” piece of fabric
4.5” x 7” piece of fabric
8.5” x 7” piece of fabric

4” x 6” piece of fabric
5.25” x 6” piece of fabric
5” Zipper (I used a 6” one and cut it donn)
4” velcro
42” double-fold bias tape, .5” wide
24” of grosgrain ribbon

Once your pieces are cut out it’s time to start!

Take your 8.5” x 7” piece and fold back along one side of the 7” side, 1/2” and press with iron. Now attach your zipper along the this edge using your zipper foot. Next take your 6.5” x 7” piece and fold back along on side of the 7” side, 1/2” and press with iron. Attach this piece to the other side of the zipper. Unfortunately I do not have a picture of this “easy” way to attach a zipper because I decided to try the way the book showed to attach the zipper. Something about basting then attaching the zipper along the baste then take the baste out and voila your zipper is there… um no it was not that easy!

Anyway here is the zipper attached the “hard” way ---

I seriously should have just done it the easy way, they way I already knew how but I thought I’d try a new trick… and I failed miserably. I think the zipper looks horrible! But oh well!

Now round the four corners. Set aside for a minute.

Now take your 3 pieces (

2.5” x 7”, 3.5” x 7”, 4.5” x 7”) and turn and press under 1/4” twice down one of the 7” sides.

Now top stitch each piece using 1/8" seam allowance.

Now take the piece with the zipper and place the largest piece at the bottom (the bigger/bottom side), then place the medium piece on top of that piece and finally the smallest piece on top of that.

Using 1/4” seam allowance sew the sides and bottom sides of the three pockets.
Now round the corners.
Next mark lines on the pockets at 2”, 3.5” and 5”. And sew along those lines.

Set this piece aside. Time to work on the small jewelry pocket.

Take the 6” x 5.25” piece of fabric and turn under and press 1/2” on three sides. Turn under and press 1/4” then 1/2” on the remaining 6” side. Topstitch with a 3/8” seam on the top edge.

Now to attach the velcro piece. Center and pin the velco (the hard part) to the top of the pocket. Sew in place.

Set aside. We are going to work on the top flap of the pocket.
Take the 4” x 6” piece of fabric and pin the velcro (the soft part) 1/2” from the bottom making sure it’s centered. Now fold the flap in half with the right sides together (the velcro is ‘inside’ now). Round the corners and stitch the sides and down to the center making sure to leave a 2” gap so that you can turn it. Cut excess bulk before turning.

Make sure that the opening is closed and top stitch all the way around the flap.

Now take the piece with the zipper and small pockets and make sure that the smaller part of fabric is at the top and the pockets are on the bottom. Pin the pocket to the fabric above the zipper, 1/2” above the zipper making sure it’s centered. Sew it on using an 1/8” seam allowance.

Next take your (small) pocket flap and lay it on the velcro make sure it lines up correctly. Using a 1/8” seam topstitch it in place.

***I realized that this is where I should have added a lining to the zipper pocket since I had added the fusible fleece. So you can cut out a piece of fabric that fits from top of the zipper to 1/2” below the top pocket. Stitch in place at the top of the zipper.***

Now place this piece on top of the piece with the fusible fleece, wrong sides together. Sew all the way around using 1/4” seam allowance

.

Now to make the bottom of the zipper pocket, stitch along the top of the small earring pockets making sure not to touch the pockets.

Sew the bias tape around the edges of the bag.

Last thing we have to do is attach the ribbon.
Turn jewelry bag over and center the ribbon on the end with the earring pockets with 8 inches hanging off the edge. Stitch in place making sure it’s centered.
Now fill it up with cute jewelry and go on vaca!

I love it! Does it look familiar? Well it should! I made it with the same fabric as the flat iron pouch I made! I like how it looks like a set! Now I need to make a makeup pouch and I’ll be set!

Walgreens Deals 9/27

2010-09-27T21:20:00.001-05:00

I got some awesome deals today! I did three transactions today. One transaction was all items that I would receive Register Rewards (RR). the second transaction was items that I was purchasing with my FSA card. And the last transaction was everything else and that I was using RR to purchase.

Transaction 1:

Clorox Wipes 35ct - $2.50
Tilex Mold & Mildew - $2. 50 (awesome product btw – really works!)
Axe Body Wash - $3.99 x 2
Crest Toothpaste - $3.99
Vaseline Sheer Infusion Lotion - $5.99
-------------------------------------

Total -- $22.96

Coupons used:
-$1.00 Clorox Wipes
-$1.00 Tilex
(B1G1) -$3.99 Axe Body Wash
-$1.00 Crest Toothpaste
-$1.00 Vaseline Lotion
--------------------------------------
-$7.99 Man. Coupon savings

Total paid OOP: $15.96 ($0.99 is tax)

RR received:
$2.00 Clorox & Tilex
$1.00 Axe BW
$2.00 Crest Toothpaste
$5.00 Vaseline
--------------------------------------
$10.00 RR to use on next purchase
So it’s like I paid $5.96 on this transaction or $0.99 for each item!

Transaction 2:

Halls Refresh 2/$2.00

Robitussin 2/$10.00
DayQuil/NyQuil Multipack 40ct $8.99
Vicks Sinex $6.00
----------------------------------
Total: $26.99

Coupons Used:
-$1.00 DayQuil/NyQuil
-$1.00 Robitussin (wish I had two of these but oh well)
-$4.00 Vicks Sinex
-$0.75 Halls Refresh
-$0.75 Halls Refresh
-----------------------------------
Man. Coupons: $7.50

Total paid OOP: $19.49

RR Received:
$3.00 Robitussin
$2.00 Vicks Sinex
$2.00 DayQuil/NyQuil
-------------------------------------
$7.00 RR to use on next purchase
So it was like I spent $12.49 or $2.82 on each item.
Not bad if I do say so myself! I also got a $3.00 of any Prevacid Product Catalina with this purchase.

Transaction 3:

Starbucks Doubleshot Energy Coffee Drink $3.29 x 2
Colgate Renewal $3.99 x 2
Dawn Dishsoap $0.99
Old Spice Deoderant Body Wash $2.99
Old Spice Body Wash $2.99
Gillette Body Wash $2.99
Gillette Body & Hair Wash $2.99
Softsoap BW $3.99 x 2
Reese’s 3/$2.00 (I bought this as a filler since I was using more coupons than items purchase, but later realized that I didn’t need to buy this bc of the B1G1 deals ---oh well I love me some Reese’s!)
---------------------------------------------------
Total: $37.49

Coupons Used:
-$3.29 Starbucks Drink (B1G1 coupon)
-$0.25 Dawn
-$2.99 Old Spice BW (B1G1 coupon)
-$2.00 Gillette BW
-$2.00 Gillette BW
-$1.00 Softsoap
-$3.99 Softsoap (B1G1 sale)
-$1.00 Colgate Clinical
-$3.99 Colgate Clinical (B1G1 sale)
= -$18.51
I used:
$5.00 RR
$2.00 RR
$2.00 RR
= $9.00 RR used on this purchase
------------------------------------------------
Total coupon and RR savings: $27.51

Total Paid OOP: $7.98 or $0.57 on each item
I also got a $0.50 off any bag of Hershey’s or Reese’s snack size bag catalina.

Today I paid $43.43 OOP or $1.67 each item! PLUS $17.00 RR to use on next purchase!

I think it was a good trip!

Hopefully I can look through and find some other great deals on Thursday since I can save an additional 15% off my purchase since I donated $5.00 to Dell’s Children Hospital the last time I went.

Crockpot French Onion Chicken

2010-09-27T20:05:00.001-05:00

The other day I whipped up this lovely meal in my crockpot. I had no recipe, I just used all the things that I had in my pantry. It came out delicious! Unfortunately I didn’t get a picture of this lovely meal but I’m sure that I’ll make it again soon. I was a really cheap meal too!

Ingredients:

3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 can of French Onion soup
1/2 onion cut into strips
1 small package of mushrooms
1 tsp each of salt and pepper
1/2 a soup can full of water

I put the chicken at the bottom of my crockpot and seasoned it with the salt and pepper. Next add the onions and the mushrooms. Then pour the soup on top. I then added the water. I wouldn’t add too much water, I used about half a can of it. But it could need more depending on if you use more than 3 pieces of chicken.

I cooked it for about 5 hours on low. If you use more than 3 pieces of chicken or your crockpot cooks slow then I would leave it for longer.

It came out so flavorful! I love onions and mushrooms together! I served it with white rice and green beans. Such a great meal!

Greek Pasta Salad

2010-09-25T22:21:00.002-05:00

My dear friend Kelly introduced me to a salad that she enjoys making. She told me how she makes it and told me I should try it sometime. So tonight I decided to give it the good ol’ college try. Though I didn’t replicate it exactly, I did make it to how I would like it.

Ingredients:
About half a bag of colored rotini pasta
Half a red onion chopped
1 small can of black olives
About a half cup of turkey pepperoni (sliced into fourths)
3/4 a small tub of feta cheese
1/4 cup of red wine vinaigrette (I might have used a little less but eye-ball it to make sure you don’t put too much)

Cook pasta according to package. Drain pasta and run cold water over pasta. Mix all ingredients in a bowl except the feta and dressing. Once all ingredients are mixed, add the vinaigrette making sure not to put too much. Lastly add the feta and mix. Cover and set in fridge for an hour to cool.

It came out super yummy! I know Kelly’s version is probably way better than mine but I guess she’ll just have to make it for me sometime when I see her!!

Doggie Pillow

2010-09-25T18:30:00.001-05:00

Captain loves laying on our pillows in our bed so I thought it was be neat to make him his own pillow. I got a cute dog printed fabric at Joann’s today for his pillow.

I went online and search for a dog bone. I printed it off and cut it out. This will be my pattern for my pillow.

I used this pattern to cut two pieces of fabric.

I placed them like sides together and sewed around the edges making sure to keep the bone shape. I left about a two inch hole for turning and stuffing. Then I cut excess fabric and turned it.

Next I stuffed it with Poly-fil and hand sewed the hole closed.
And here is my finished project.

Here is Captain modeling his new pillow, which actually is turning out to be a toy. He won’t stop playing with it. ::sigh:: Guess I’ll just have to make him a bigger rectangular one.

Oh and notice my new cutting mat! I got a rotary cutter as well! I used a birthday gift card and a 40% off coupon and got a good deal! I really wanted to use my 50% off coupon but apparently that one isn’t valid until tomorrow and I didn’t want to have to come back tomorrow so I just used the 40% one. I love the ease of the rotary cutter!

Here’s the one I got.

UT Reversible Dog Bandana

2010-09-23T13:51:00.001-05:00

We love football here in our house and are always screaming at the t.v. on Saturdays. I wanted a way for our sweet (fur)baby to share some team spirit. I haven’t gotten around to actually buying him doggie jerseys yet so I thought I’d make him a little bandana out of UT fabric that I had leftover from when I made my husband a laptop sleeve. If only I had FSU fabric. ::sigh::

Here is a tutorial on how I made it.

First I measured around my puppy’s neck: 12”

Then I cut two ~~squares~~ rectangles (two different fabrics or the same, for the front and back of the bandana) 12” by 10”.
Then folded it in half and cut diagonally from the corner to the bottom.

I now have two triangles, one black and one patterned.

Next I went to my trusty computer and printed out a decal of the Tennessee T.

Now I layed my orange fabric on top of it and traced the T on the fabric.
This is what the tracing looks like.

Then I cut out the T and placed it on the black triangle. Pin it in place.

Then I used a zigzag stitch to sew the T on the black fabric. (which is very tricky with the small curves of the T… I think it came out alright.

Then I made the ties. I cut two 2” by 7.5” rectangles. I ironed them in half lengthwise and then ironed each side into the middle.

Then topstitch all the way around the ties.

Now I sandwiched everything together. I put the black piece face up, then the ties on top of it facing the middle and leaving about 1/8” stick out, then the patterned piece face down on top of it.
Then sew all the way around leaving an opening for turning.

Cut excess fabric off and cut the corners for turning.

Then I turned it and ironed it flat making sure to iron the hole that was used for turning.
Last I topstitched all the way around the bandana, making sure to close the hole.
And ta-da! You have a very cute reversible bandana for your furry friend.

And here is my puppy, Captain, modeling his new duds.

As you can see my puppy is small, so you can modify the lengths to make it fit your puppy.

Doorstop Pyramid

2010-09-22T15:08:00.001-05:00

So I have been meaning to make a doorstop for our guest bedroom for a while. I just never got around to it. Last week I found a cute tutorial online for a pyramid shaped doorstop. I thought it looked simple enough. So I whipped one up…

The door before: (notice it doesn’t stay open fully).

Here is the doorstop:

And here it is in action:

It came out super cute. I used some leftover fabric from the purse that I made my MIL last Christmas. It was a quilted fabric so it gave the doorstop a little more weight.

I’ve been bad …

2010-09-22T14:53:00.001-05:00

about sharing my shopping trips… oops!

Sorry!

I really need to be better about it!
I have been getting some good deals too!

Chicken Parmesan with Tomato-Basil Salad

2010-08-29T18:04:00.002-05:00

I made this delicious recipe yesterday and it was absolutely yummy! I loved the chicken with the tomato basil dressing. I will definitely make this again. And you can’t beat the calorie count! =)

Ingredients

Directions

Trim any visible fat from the chicken breasts. Slice into four servings. Place chicken between two sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap. Pound with the bottom of a pan or rolling pin until the meat is 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick. Prepare a breading station by placing the flour in a flat dish, egg whites in a second dish and cheese in a third dish. Toss the dried herbs in with the cheese. Working with one piece of chicken at a time, dip the meat in each dish to coat. Place a non-stick skillet over moderate heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Saute chicken until no longer pink (approximately 5-6 minutes per side). While chicken is cooking, combine the tomato and basil in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the lemon juice and pepper. Slowly whisk in the oil. Pour the mixture over the tomatoes.
Number of servings: 4
Serving size: 3 oz cooked chicken with 1 cup mixed greens and 1/4 cup tomato mixture.
Number of Servings: 4
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user CHEF_MEG.
Number of Servings: 4

It was so yummy and filling!

Flat Iron Traveling Case

2010-08-29T17:55:00.001-05:00

Last weekend I stumbled upon this tutorial showing how to make a case for your flat iron. I thought this was so cute. I had been to Steinmart a few weeks ago and saw these for sale but thought I could definitely make it. So glad I came across that tutorial! It was super easy and I plan to make it for Christmas gifts. The only thing that I did differently is that I made mine a few inches longer since I know my iron is pretty long and I didn’t think that they measurements she showed would work.

This was the first project that I used bias tape so I went and bought some. All the other materials I already had. I love it! I always just stuff my flat iron in between clothes and hope it doesn’t break!

Walgreens 8/21

2010-08-29T17:37:00.001-05:00

Here are the deals I got at Walgreens last week:

Just a small trip this time around.
Mott’s Apple Juice 3/$4

Listerine $1.99
Tooth Brush $1.99

Coupons I used:
$1 off Mott’s Apple Juice
$1.50 off of Listerine and Reach Toothbrush
$1.00 RR

Not a bad small trip!

CVS 8/21

2010-08-29T17:31:00.001-05:00

Here is what I got last week at CVS:

Sense & Spray $5.00 each
Blink Gel Tears $7.99

Windex 2/$4

Vitamin Water 10/$10

Coupons I used:
$3.00 off Sense & Spray x 3

$1.00 off 2 Windex
$1.00 off Vitamin Water

ECB I received:
$5.00 from Vitamin Water
Not a bad trip!

Hazelnut Blondie

2010-08-20T15:55:00.005-05:00

I was looking through a Family Circle magazine today and found this yummy recipe.

I had most of the ingredients on hand and it was sup easy to make. I didn't have hazelnuts but that is ok since i don't really care for nuts anyway. And I didn't have any white chocolate so I melted chocolate and nutella to make the drizzle.

I can't wait to taste them later-- I made them for girls' night tonight.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-18T17:54:00.001-05:00

Grocery Bag Holders

2010-08-16T16:39:00.001-05:00

In my house we use a lot of plastic grocery bags. We use them in the bathroom trash cans, in the backyard for the dog’s ‘business’ and around the house as other things. I always forget to bring bags upstairs or outside and since I saw this great tutorial on one of the blogs I read, I decided it’d be a smart idea to just make a couple of these to keep where they are needed.

The first one I did was the red and black one and this one will go in our master bath. I had a ton of fabric leftover from when I redid the vanity stool in my bathroom so I decided to use that fabric.

Here it is without bags inside it:

And with bags:

And here is the one that will go on the back patio. I actually used outdoor fabric for this one. I got quite a few fabric scraps from a Craiglister for free and this fabric was in the bag I got! It’s so pretty!

I love how they turned out!

CVS Deals 8/15/10

2010-08-15T19:13:00.001-05:00

Here are the deals I got today at CVS:

Total Paid OOP: $16.78 ( but it should have been $10.78 OOP – I’ll explain the difference below)

Breakdown:
Kellogg’s Cereal: 3/$10

ReNuzit: $0.88 x 3
Head & Shoulders: $4.99
Purex 3 in 1: $5.99
Right Guard Deodorant: $4.49 (B1G1F)
Blink Tears: $14.99 (This is where the discrepancy is, it’s supposed to be on sale for $7.99 with $7.99 ECBs back --- I didn’t realize the mistake until I got home and started writing this post. I will go back and fix it tomorrow morning.)

Coupons I used:

$1.00 off 3 Kellogg’s Cereals
$0.55 off 3 ReNuzit’s
$1.00 off of H&S Shampoo
$3.00 off of Purex 3in1
$1.00 of Right Guard Total Defense 5
$1.00 of of Blink Tears
$5.00 ECBs off of $15 order
$4.00 ECB
$9.99 ECB

ECBs Received from this order:
$5.00 from 3 Kellogg’s Cereals
$2.00 from Purex 3in1
$2.00 from H&S Shampoo

Not a bad trip though I am super bummed that I have to go back and fix the Blink Tears deal. They also didn’t have the Zegerid that was on sale but the cashier said they restock on Thursday so I will be going back for that.

Doorknob revamp!

2010-08-15T18:46:00.001-05:00

So I saw on a blog that I came across that someone had spray painted their ugly brass doorknobs a pretty brushed nickel color. I really hate the fact that our downstairs doorknobs are all an ugly brass color that is very dingy looking and discolored. (For some reason all of the upstairs doorknobs are silver.) I had contemplated about just buying new doorknobs since I only have 4 doorknobs that I would want to replace. But since I saw this post I thought it would a better more inexpensive way to give my doorknobs a new look.

I decided to test the look on my pantry doorknob.

Here is what my doorknob looks before:

Ugly huh?!

Here is the contraption I made to hold all my pieces.

After I washed and sanded the pieces, I sprayed it with primer.

I had to give the pieces a few coats before they looked like I wanted them to look but I think my DIY revamp came out great!

Here is my doorknob on the door.

I plan to do the rest of the doorknobs downstairs next weekend. I have the half bath, laundry room and coat closet doorknobs left to do.

Randalls Trip 8/13/10

2010-08-14T17:09:00.001-05:00

Total Paid OOP: $8.72

Breakdown:
Hamburger Helper: 4 at $0.99 each
Triscuits Crackers: 2 for $4.00
Cheerios: $1.79
Nature Valley Sweet & Salty: $1.49
Nature Valley Nut Clusters: 2 at $1.49 each

Coupons I used:

$1.00 off Cheerios
$1.00 off NV Nut Clusters
$1.00 off NV Nut Clusters
$0.75 off of Triscuits when you buy (wyb) 2
$0.75 off of HH wyb 3
$0.50 off of NV Sweety & Salty (this coupon was doubled for a total savings of $1.00)

I also received a Catalina Coupon for $1.50 off my next order. So really it’s like I paid $7.22.

I can’t believe that I paid $0.87 for each item today! Super great deal!!

My Latest Deals!

2010-08-14T16:48:00.001-05:00

So here are my latest deals from my latest project of couponing. My cousin has gotten me hooked on couponing when she hosted a free online class all about the basics of couponing and how to get started. I had started using coupons about a year ago but would either forget to get the newspaper or decide it wasn’t really worth it to use coupons (which I now know I just wasn’t using the coupons correctly). I had always clipped my coupons and try and use them on my next trip to the store. Then I would realize that even with the coupon the generic store brand would still be cheaper and thus my frustration would set in and I’d stop with the coupons. Thankfully I now know the ways to use the coupons to my greatest advantage and I am hooked on couponing! I’ll make a separate post on what I learned, good couponing websites I like, and how I organize my coupons but for now I will show you a couple of my first real trips to get some deals.

First Trip to CVS 8/9/10:

Total paid Out of Pocket (OOP): $14.91
Here is the breakdown:
Schick Hydro: $8.97
Progresso Soup: $3.19 (B1G1 Free) x 2

CVS Hand Sanitizer: $1.19
Dulcolax: $9.99
Warm Delights: $2.29 (B1G1F)

Coupons that I used in this purchase:
$5.00 off Schick Hydro
$.75 off of Warm Delights
$.50 off of 2/Progresso soup
$3.00 off Dulcolax
$5.00 Extra Care Bucks (ECBs)

ECBs that I received from this purchase:
$4.00 ECB when you buy Schick
$9.99 ECB when you buy Dulcolax

So even though I paid $14.91 on this purchase it’s really like I only paid $0.92 since I received those ECB. I love those ECBs! And now I have them to use on my next order!

Oh and I forgot to add that I have a Mail in Rebate (MIR) on the Schick Hydro, so I will be receiving the $8.97 back!

Walgreens Trip 8/9/10:

Total Paid OOP: $8.43

Here’s the breakdown:
Lysol Bleach Toilet Cleaner: $2.99 (B1G1F)
Dial Bodywash: $3.99
Secret Soothing Effect Deodorant: $2.29
Mentos Gum: $1.69

Coupons I used:
$.75 off of the Lysol
$1.00 off the Bodywash
$.70 off of the Mentos (Walgreens Coupon)

$.55 off of the Mentos (Manufacturers Coupon)

Register Rewards (RR) that I received:
$3.00 from the Bodywash
$3.00 from the Deodorant (This was a money maker since the deodorant was only $2.29!!)

So really it was like I paid $2.43 for this order since I received the RR to use on a future order.

Total amount of savings for both orders : $40.43!!

Coupons!

2010-07-21T22:30:00.001-05:00

So my cousin has got me into couponing. It’s really called ‘Extreme Couponing’. She gave a class online on how to get started and it was really interesting! I love all the information she had to share. I have always wanted to get into coupons but never really got into for one reason or another… never thought is was a good deal, coupons expired too soon or I didn’t use that product. Well I learned some real useful tips tonight and are ready to start couponing! I just signed up on www.hotcouponworld.com and can’t wait to get started!

Teach Yourself to Sew!

2010-03-02T15:54:00.001-06:00

I found this easy to follow video series on a website I was looking through. I have had the chance to watch the videos and think they are so great! Such a great resource for those starting to sew! I really recommend taking the time to watch the short videos. I even learned a few new things! These videos are made by Thread Magazine.

Here is the link:

http://www.threadsmagazine.com/teach-yourself-to-sew

Enjoy!

A Work in Progress: Entry Table

2010-02-04T16:41:00.001-06:00

My entry table is still a work in progress. I am trying to be as frugal as possible so I haven’t really done much with it but here is a picture of it. I played around with two different vases and I think I am currently liking the second one. I guess we will just see what else I can find really cheap.

Here are the two pictures:
#1 #2

Still searching for the right hardware… I by still searching I really mean I haven’t really looked! Oops!

My Cheap and Simple DIY Decor

2010-01-28T22:51:00.001-06:00

I really do love the Dollar Store. It is possibly the best store ever! You can create so many useful things from items bought from there. Well after reading through about 4 or 5 blogs that had the same idea of hot glue-ing a couple of crystal pieces together to create some really neat decor items, I decided to try and make my own!

The first thing I made was a potpourri holder. I found some really pretty potpourri at Ross for $2.99. I bought a candlestick holder from the dollar store and I had a glass bowl leftover from the wedding. So I decided to get the hot glue gun out and get started.

This is what I used:

The directions are pretty simple. Hot glue the candlestick holder to the bottom of the glass bowl. Pour potpourri into the bowl. Place decor item in desired place around the house. =)

And here it is my half bath:

The other thing that I created was a large candle. I created it using these items:

The directions are pretty much the same as the other item. Hot glue the candle (found in the candle section of the dollar store near the other religious candles) inside the glass hurricane. Hot glue the candlestick holder to the bottom of the glass hurricane. Place completed item in a special place around your home. To add a decorative flair, you can add leaves, twine, or other decorative foliage in between the candle and hurricane.

Here is the completed candle in my half bath:

I plan to make one more of these and add it to my entry table or on my mantel. I just haven’t made and haven’t decided exactly where I want it. I will post pics when I complete it.

Cost Breakdown:
Glue gun and glue sticks --- I had already. --- $0
2 Candlestick holders ---- 1 I already had at home. --- $1
1 glass bowl --- I had already at home. ---$0
1 glass hurricane --- I had already at home --- $0
1 package of potpourri --- $2.99
1 tall candle in glass holder --- $1
For a total of roughly ----- $5 What a steal!

As you can see this a very inexpensive project. Something else that you can do that is unique is spray paint the glass, that will give it a very unique look as well.

My Half Bath Facelift

2010-01-26T14:48:00.001-06:00

So a couple of days ago I told you about my weekend project of repainting and redoing my downstairs half bath. I had gotten and picked out the paint awhile ago and I finally got my butt in gear to do it. It took hubby and I one night to really do almost everything. We took the next day to do some touch ups and clean up the bathroom. It was a pretty inexpensive facelift. I have yet to replace the faucet but I definitely will do that sometime in the future. I replaced the light fixture, replaced the jumbo mirror (who wants to look at themselves while they use the bathroom?? –not me!), and painted the walls. I will also (sometime down the road) refinish the vanity. That will most likely be a longer project so I decided to forgo that for now.

And now for your viewing pleasure, before and after pictures of the half bath.
Before:

After:

You can really see the paint color in the last two pictures.
I love how light and ‘fresh’ it feels.

Here is a rough cost break down:
Paint - Glidden Canyon Echo and supplies: $30
Lighting: $79.99
Mirror: $39.99
Most of the decor I had already or I made from supplies found at the Dollar Store. I will post about those later.

So overall it was about a $150 facelift. I can’t complain because it came out just as I had hoped!

My Buffet is Complete!

2010-01-26T14:20:00.001-06:00

My buffet is complete and I am so happy how it turned out! I am in love with it! I am also quite impressed with myself; I saw an inspiration picture and was able to replicate it.

Here is how it turned out:

And for reference here is the inspiration picture next to my completed picture:

My Weekend Project

2010-01-24T20:10:00.001-06:00

So I never really got around to finding the hardware for my entry table. I instead, devoted my weekend to finally painting my half bath that is down stairs. I had gotten a small can of paint from the Glidden Promo that they did this summer and just never got around to painting it. This weekend the hubs and I painted the bathroom, replaced the lighting, and took out the (huge) mirror. It came out lovely. The only thing left to do is find a mirror. I would like a smaller mirror with a frame to put in there. I also later on would like to replace the faucet but I didn’t do that yet. I really think it turn out great. I will post some pictures of the finished product once I find a mirror to put in there.

Here are some BEFORE pictures:

As you can see they are not the best pictures, but you can see the basic decor. The walls were painted Glidden Canyon Echo. I bought the two flower pictures from Garden Ridge and the shelf above the toilet used to be white and I spray painted it the metallic charcoal color. The three pictures in the picture frames at the bottom of the shelf are actually just scrapbook papers. I also spray painted an old trash can to match.

Completed pics to come soon!

It’s Here!

2010-01-21T15:19:00.001-06:00

My entry table is here! I got so excited when I heard the FedEx truck coming down the road. I knew immediately that it had to be for me!

I was eating lunch at the time so I finished eating and then decided not to wait for Hubby to come home and put it together. I took on the adventure of putting it together myself. It only took me about an hour and a half, maybe two hours to complete it. I was also watching a DVRed episode of Nip/Tuck so I going back and forth from that and the assembly directions. I set it in it’s place and it fits great! I had a 40 in. space to work with and I it was somewhat hard finding something to fit that space without being too small. It looks great!

I have yet to decorate it or add the hardware to the drawers (I should go buy those this weekend).

A Tour of My Home

2010-01-20T14:37:00.001-06:00

Here is a look through my home. It’s our very first home and it truly is my ‘baby’. Here are the stats on my home.
3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 2 car garage, 1,822 square feet on a corner cul-de-sac lot.

I will update when I get a chance since I still need to take some current pictures since some things have changed.

I love this home!

2010-01-19T21:58:00.001-06:00

I never really thought of a “style” that I liked when decorating. I just like what I like and I really just leave it at that. I don’t like “modern”, or “contemporary” or “shabby chic”, I usually like something from each. But I definitely don’t like “frooffy”. That is my own word for things with ornate detail. I really don’t like it. Anything with a one too many flowers or something with too many curves or ‘fluffs’ is called frooffy. I know that I don’t like it.

Well I stumbled across this beautiful home while looking through one of my favorite sites. It is absolutely gorgeous! I love everything about it! I want to model my home from it. Everything is ‘warm’ and ‘cozy’ feeling! And I love that! Her home really inspires me!

She also has an awesome blog that I love reading. Here are some pictures of her gorgeous house! If you want to see more check out her home site or her blog!

I love it! **sigh** If this “style” had a name, it would totally be mine! But, I guess I will have to get inspired by it instead!

My Entry Way

2010-01-14T16:31:00.001-06:00

My entry way needs a table. Currently there is a black 3 shelf book shelf that usually goes in the living room, but since the Christmas tree was out we moved it there. I have been searching for a cheap entry table that is less than 40” to go in the space in our entry way. And I found one…… I want this one!

I plan to add hardware to the drawers to make it ‘pop’. I love that it has a bottom shelf for decor and drawers so the Hubby can put his keys and wallet and work badge away (AND out from on top of our counter!). It is a reasonable price and the shipping doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. This will be purchased tomorrow and I can’t wait to get it!

Dining Room Remodel

2010-01-14T16:24:00.001-06:00

I posted about adding a buffet and wine glass shelves to my dining room and I showed you my gorgeous inspiration picture. Well here it is as of a few weeks ago (the week of New Year’s Day).

I have since taken and put away all the Christmas cards and decor. The buffet is currently bare. I am looking to peruse Ross and Marshalls sometime soon to find something to put on the top of the buffet and on the shelves. I am so glad to have all the wine glasses out of the cabinets in the kitchen to free up some space (though currently it is empty!).

So you tell me, am I on the mark with my inspiration pic?

Once I get everything completed and more presentable I will post pictures of the whole dining room.

Yummy Pumpkin Rum Pie!

2010-01-14T16:06:00.003-06:00

I lurve me some pumpkin pie, it is one of my favorite things about the holidays. I wanted to make some pie this year and since we weren’t home for Thanksgiving I decided to make it for Christmas! I searched the interwebs for a yummy sounding recipe and stumbled upon this yummy recipe. It took a little while to make the first time I made it (I made another pie just last week!) since the recipe really didn’t say that the heating directions were for a convection oven, but once reading the reviews of other who had made them it was super easy. It really did come out so yummy. It was declared the Best Pumpkin Pie Ever by my lovely husband so I think this will be made ever year from here on out.

I followed to recipe exactly except for the cooking time and temp.

Here are the modifications:

Cook for the first 10 minutes on 425 then 325 for 45 50 minutes.
Oh, and don’t forget to put foil on the crust!!! I had almost forgotten the first time and then after 10 minutes when I went to turn the temp down, it was already pretty browned!
And the last thing that I want to add is that the recipe makes enough filling for two pies or one pie with a little left over. The filling is runny when you put it in the pie shell so don’t over fill it because you might spill some transferring the pie to the oven.

Mmmmm… this pie is sooo addicting!

Dining Room Remodel (sort of)

2010-01-03T22:58:00.001-06:00

My dining room remodel is almost finished. And it shouldn’t even be called a remodel since it’s more like a model since it was never really decorated to begin with.

Here is my inspiration picture:

Here is the space that I have to decorate:
(The area that is inset to the right of the dining room table.)

I haven’t uploaded the recent pictures but I will soon. I still have to get the Christmas decorations put away. And that is going to be a task!

Quilted Purse for my Mother-in-Law

2009-12-27T11:47:00.001-06:00

I made my mother in law (MIL) a quilted purse from a pattern that I had gotten for $0.99 at Hancock Fabrics. It seemed easy enough! I went to JoAnn’s with my trusty 40% off coupon and went searching for a pretty quilted fabric. I didn’t realize you could get the fabric already quilted! Super easy!

Here is the pattern that I used.

And here is my finished product:

My MIL absolutely loved it! I am so glad it turned out well since I really haven’t done many patterns. There were a few times I had to step away for a while and come back and read the directions again. But other than that it was a pretty easy pattern and it came out lovely!

The Last of the Fall Decor

2009-12-13T03:03:00.001-06:00

Here are couple of pictures of more of my fall decor that I had.

These pumpkins were so cute AND they were only $2.99 at Micheal’s!

Ball Ornament Wreath DIY

2009-11-07T10:08:00.001-06:00

I found this website and fell in love with this easy DIY project for the upcoming holidays. It shows you how to use those glass ball ornaments to make wreath. I will definitely will have to try it out.

Here is the website and tutorial from the Eddie Ross website.

And here is a picture of the finished product taken from the website.

One Skillet Chicken & Rice

2009-10-27T20:12:00.002-05:00

Tonight I made a delicious one skillet meal that was super easy to make. Another plus was that it took about 20 minutes to make!

One Skillet Chicken & Rice
1 lb of boneless chicken breast cut into bite size pieces
1 cup of uncooked white rice
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 cup of frozen peas
1/2 cup of broccoli
1 1/3 cup of chicken stock
1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup
Salt and pepper to taste
Shredded cheese for garnish

1. Season and cook chicken thoroughly. Remove from skillet, set aside.
2. Cook garlic and onion.
3. Add rice and cook for about 3 minutes stirring constantly.
4. Add chicken stock, peas and broccoli and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

5. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until stock is absorbed.
6. Return chicken and add the cream of mushroom, salt and pepper to taste.
7. Mix thoroughly, top with shredded cheese.

It really came out delish and I was quite surprised how easy it was to make.

Fall Table Setting

2009-10-27T19:49:00.001-05:00

So I made TWO of my napkins and I couldn’t wait to see what it looked like at the table so I rushed downstairs and took some pictures. I LOVE how it turned out! I can’t wait to make the small mat to go under the centerpiece so that everything comes together! Here are some pictures of what each setting looks like.

You can see the beautiful color of the placemats. I fell absolutely in love with the fabric when I saw it at Hobby Lobby. The ribbon I got on sale at Joann’s and the leaves I also got at Joann’s.

I only made two napkins, so I have two more napkins to make. My dining room table is almost complete!

Crockpot Rosemary & Red Wine Vinegar Chicken with Mashed Butternut Squash

2009-10-26T23:20:00.002-05:00

I made this dinner totally on the fly. I am without my hubby this week since he is out of town in Detroit for a tradeshow so I really didn’t have anything on the menu. I had taken some chicken out and didn’t really want to cook so I came up with this chicken recipe. I also had a butternut squash that I had gotten at the grocery store that I wanted to try since I had never had or cooked it before.

Crockpot Rosemary & Red Wine Vinegar Chicken
About 1/2 lb. frozen bone-in chicken drumsticks (you can use whatever kind you like)

1/2 onion chopped

1/2 Tablespoon of rosemary

1 Tablespoon of red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

Place onion at the bottom of the Crockpot. Place chicken on top of onions. In a small bowl combine rosemary, vinegar and EVOO, pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 6 – 8 hours.

Mashed Butternut Squash
1 butternut squash
1/2 small onion chopped
1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese
1 cup of bread crumbs
parsley for garnish

Cook butternut squash by slicing in half lengthwise and deseeding. Place skin side up in a baking dish. Add 1/4 in. of water in baking dish. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until fork tender.

Scoop squash into a mixing bowl. Add onion, cheese and bread crumbs and mix. Place in baking dish and bake on 350 for about 20 minutes.

Once cooked garnish with parsley.

It came out pretty tasty and was quite surprised how it reminded me of mashed sweet potatoes –which I love!

My Fall Decor

2009-10-25T19:10:00.001-05:00

So it’s finally the fall season and that means fall decorating!

This is the first time decorating my new home so I definitely had a lot of fun with it. I am not completely finished with everything but this is what I have started so far.

The outside of our house:

The fall ribbon wreath that I made from material found at the Dollar Store:

My garden flag:

The staircase:

The fireplace:

The dining room centerpiece:

You can sort of see the placemats that I made. I will get pictures of them once I finish sewing the napkins for the table. Also if there is fabric left over I will make a mat for the centerpiece to sit on because I am not digging the beige one with the other decor. That is pretty much the only things that I have left to do.

I think that is all the decorating that I am going to do this year. I have a table runner and pumpkin spice candle on my coffee table that I didn’t get a picture of yet since the coffee table is quite messy at the moment. I will try and get one of that soon.

Happy Fall Y’all!

Laptop Sleeve

2009-10-25T15:13:00.001-05:00

Here is the laptop sleeve that I made my husband. It really came out super cute! I love it! More importantly HE loves it! He takes his laptop everywhere (for work) and he isn’t the best about taking care of it so this is perfect for him.

It was really easy to make as well. I basically used this tutorial that I found online. I changed it a little bit to best suit what materials I had around my craft room.

My current addiction….

2009-10-05T20:11:00.001-05:00

I know I have been MIA lately. I have been doing some neat things but have not had my camera lately to post some awesome pictures.

I should be back soon with pictures of what I have been doing.

My current addiction is fall decor. I have been busy decorating my house with pumpkins and fall leaves. It has been so fun! The Dollar Store has been my friend as well. I have some sewing to do. I am going to make some placemats and possibly a table runner.

I will post pictures soon!

My Yummy Dinner

2009-09-10T19:43:00.002-05:00

Tonight I made the most yummiest dinner ever! It really was heavenly. I unfortunately didn’t take pictures of my yumminess but I will definitely be making it soon so I am sure I will get some then, plus my camera’s battery was dead.

Here are the two recipes that I made:

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
Eureka Chicken

When the cats away the mice will play.

2009-08-24T23:01:00.001-05:00

I think that is the saying, right? My hubby is out of town and I have definitely been addicted to the sewing machine the passed three days! I have gotten so many sewing projects done, it’s been fun!

I had totally forgotten that I had saved this cute tutorial on a quilted wallet a while ago. I was looking through my favorites and found it again. I immediately said I had to do it now! So I got my last couple of supplies… a few fabric quarters and snaps for the closure and I locked myself in the sewing room. Next thing I know I am done and it is so late! But I am happy with the way it turned out… I can see a couple of imperfections but that is just because I am critical of myself. Though it is great looking. I was going to make my own tutorial but I didn’t really get a picture of each step since sometimes I would just forget! So here are some pictures of my completed wallet. I have a black and grey Coach purse so I picked the colors to match.

The front:

The inside:

The snap closure:

I am really pleased with how it looks! And it wasn’t terribly difficult.

My Sorority Tshirt Blanket

2009-08-24T22:33:00.001-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I had started to recycle my old sorority tshirts. I really like the idea of turning it into a blanket and that is what I set out to do.
The stretchiness of the fabric of the tshirts was definitely a challenge for me since I am novice but I think all in all it turned out great! I might add a couple of more embellishments but it is complete.

You can see the front here:

And you can see the back here:

I am so glad that I decided to do this since I didn’t want to just throw them away. It definitely came out perfect!

Dollar Store Craft

2009-08-24T22:20:00.001-05:00

I finally completed my first Dollar Store Craft. I made a library tote out of two placemats and a belt all found at the dollar store. It was hard finding two placemats of the same fabric. Imagine if I needed 4 of the same one… they didn’t have many placemats that matched!

This is especially great because I have been going to the library a lot lately and usually get three or four books at a time. Now I have a cute bag to carry them in.

Here is my final project.

This is definitely a great gift as well since it is such a quick and inexpensive craft.

So I lied…

2009-08-21T22:25:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I said that my next project would be a fall wreath but actually I just sewed a camera case. Today I decided to scope out Joann’s sale and bought quite a few yards of cheap fabric, some for specific projects and some just to have around just in case.

Earlier I was looking through my sewing websites and I was looking on the Sew, Mama, Sew! Blog and came across this super cute project. And I fell in love! So I hurried upstairs to the craft room and started my own camera case.

Here is what the finished project looks like.

Here is a how-to. I tried my best to get a picture of each step.

Cast of characters:

12” x 4.5” piece of brown lining
12” x 4.5” piece of batting
12” x 4.5” piece of fabric
Fastener (not pictured) – I used velcro. You can easily use snaps or buttons.
*Please note that you can adjust it to fit your own camera, so you can add to make it bigger or subtract to make it smaller.

1. Sew velcro piece to the ‘right’ side of the lining.

2. Stack lining, batting and outside fabric piece in this order:
batting on bottom; outside fabric piece ‘right side’ up; lining piece on top ‘wrong side’ up.

3. Next pin around the edges.

4. Sew around the edges (1/4” seam) leaving about a 2”-2.5” opening for turning.

5. Turn right side out. Make sure to use push the corners out using a pointy object. I used a pencil.

6. Tuck the opening in and then press.
7. Sew both of the shorter sides. Make sure you sew the opening that you left to turn it right side out.

8. Now it’s time to sew the other piece of velcro. At the opposite end from the other piece of velcro and on the outside piece of fabric measure 1/2” from the edge and sew the velcro piece.

9. Now fold bottom half up 4”.

10. Pin sides and then sew.

11. Now you are done!

Here it is in action:

It took me about an hour and a half to finish but next time it will definitely take less time since I won’t be reading a how-to. I really wish that I had some white velcro but I didn’t. I only had black because I had gotten it for another project. It was super easy to do and I can’t wait to do more!

Oh and here’s a tip: I used those fabric quarters that you can get at the fabric store for like $2. So this was a super cheap project.

My own Dollar Store Craft.

2009-08-20T23:47:00.001-05:00

So my next project will be a ribbon wreath similar to this one I found on Casasugar:

I was looking online to an idea of what they look like, different styles etc. and I came across this wonderful site.

http://dollarstorecrafts.com/

This is so great! I actually bought my supplies for my ribbon wreath from the dollar store. I am really excited to try some other crafts and projects from supplies from the Dollar Store.

I found a cute sewing site…

2009-08-20T09:15:00.001-05:00

I found a really cute sewing site the other day. It is Mada’s Place and it has so many neat sewing projects.

I just love the fabric that she chooses for her projects. I can’t wait to see other projects she uses and hopefully learn a few things and make some projects of my own.

Chocolate Oreo Balls

2009-08-03T15:52:00.007-05:00

If you love oreos then you'll love these oreo balls.

Ingredients:
1 package of Oreo cookies (I used double stuffed)
1 package of cream cheese at room temperature (I used fat free)
2 8 oz packages of dark chocolate chips

First chop up oreos using a food processor.
Next mix in the cream cheese until thoroughly mixed.
Once mixed shape dough into bite sized balls, set on cookie sheet lined with wax paper.
Put cookie sheet in the fridge and let the oreos harden and chill for about an hour.
Meanwhile, melt chocolate in double boiler.
Once the oreo balls have hardened dip them into the chocolate.
Return the balls back to the cookie sheet and place the cookie sheet in the fridge to set about an hour.
Once hardened place in serving dish and add some powdered sugar on top.

So yummy!

Panko Crusted Tilapia hold the Panko, please.

2009-08-01T16:47:00.004-05:00

I found a great recipe in one of my Family Circle magazines for tilapia. My dear husband hates fish but will eat tilapia since it's not too fishy, so I love finding new tilapia recipes. The recipe called for panko bread crumbs but I didn't see it at the store so I just used regular bread crumbs. I also substituted broccoli for the brussel sprouts sicne I have never had it and wasn't going to experiment now. It was super delicious.

I really wish that I could post a link to the recipe but Family Circle's recipe website is acting funny for me.

A table runner for my favorite Gator!

2009-07-28T18:21:00.006-05:00

My friend had been looking for a runner for her new entry table and was not finding what she wanted. She got the brilliant idea to just make what she wants --- only problem is she doesn't sew! So she asked me if I'd help her out and boy was I honored! She had gotten a very pretty fabric at Joann's along with some beautiful beading to go on the ends. She came over and in about an hour or so later(we did a lot of chit chatting and I showed her the 'ropes') I was done with her beautiful new table runner.

Here are a few pictures of the finished product.

The Beginning of an Addiction...

2009-07-25T14:58:00.001-05:00

Domestic Addiction: \də-ˈmes-tik\ \ə-ˈdik-shən\; noun

the compulsive devotion to home duties and pleasures