CyberRenos (See Link Below for My New Blog)

In Case You Forgot

2010-05-25T13:55:00.000-07:00

My blog Maggie Muggins Designs has been up and running for a while now. It has all the past posts from here up and a whole lot of new ones. If you're reading this in a reader cut and paste my site link into your subscribe box and you can subscribe quickly to my new blog: http://maggiemugginsdesigns.blogspot.com/.

One Last Hurrah!

2010-03-24T18:19:00.000-07:00

I hope that my disappearance from Blogtopia has not had anyone worried. I told you all to stay tuned, but that was over a week ago. A LOT has happened since then. But I'm not going to talk about it here. I'm going to tell you all about what's been going on over at my new Blog Home. Please give this Blog a sweet "virtual" hug good-bye and head on over to Maggie Muggins Designs. There you will find all of the old (I transferred the posts from this blog over) and you can discover a whole lot of new (new name, new face and new features).

*If you are following this blog in a Reader you will have to subscribe again. You can click on the feed-burner link on the right hand side to add the new blog to your list.

Farewell CyberReno's!

Kitchen Face-Lift

2010-03-19T09:48:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

So we had a designer from Home Depot come out last night to look at our kitchen and help us figure out how much it would cost to re-face it. For our, not too big of a kitchen I almost died when she told us the price $11,000! That was for cabinet refacing and a new laminate counter top only.

So here's to the wonderful ability my husband and I have of being able to do things ourselves. I have found a place online where we can order materials to do the same thing as them. Looks like materials for the cabinet refacing will be about $1,000. As for the counter top? Well, we'd have plenty of room for splurging with the $10,000 savings! I swear I just heard my husband screaming. "Please, Heaven help me. Not another renovation. Aaahhhhh!"

Stay Tuned

2010-03-16T20:49:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

I'm working on some changes here so I'm sorry to all who were anticipating another post today. I got a new calling as Beehive's Advisor and I've got an exciting side project going that I'll be so excited to share soon. I just won't be sharing any crafty goodness this week. Hopefully I will be back next week in full force.

Egg Theme Week #3

2010-03-15T21:45:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

I'm so excited about this week! We have been having a blast learning about eggs, chicks, penguins and letters. My son is still pointing out every e big or little that he sees. He can also recognize g about 50% of the time. It's a letter that has a lot of variations in print so it's a little more difficult for him.

By the way - "Emperor Lays An Egg" and "Where Do Chicks Come From?" were both a little too advanced for him. But he liked the pictures anyways and I just abbreviated.

This afternoon he asked for eggs for lunch. Not unusual seeing as he did that often before this unit. I pulled them out, and got ready to cook them. My back was turned for 2 seconds and I heard a little voice proclaim "I crack the egg!" only to turn around to see a very surprised face, little hands holding the remains of a crushed egg, and a mess for mommy to clean on the floor! Oh, the joys of discovery. Did I surprise him with my calm reaction to his mess? Probably. Did I surprise myself by not busting up laughing at his priceless expression?! For sure!

So what is in store for this week?

1. Review of Letter G, Letter E and E Song on Starfall.com

2. Read "Horton Hatches the Egg" by Dr. Seuss

3. March 17 - St. Patrick's Day Green Eggs and Ham (note, we are going to have a surprise Leprechaun attack, even dying milk and things green, and then we're going to try to trap him)

4. Scrambled Eggs Super Video (I got it at the Library, but it's also on You Tube)

5. Balance an Egg on End for Vernal Equinox. I don't care if it's true or not, it is fun!

I'm so excited for St. Patrick's Day and for Balancing the Egg. You know my back will not be turned this time.

This Guys Got Talent and link to Give-Away

2010-03-14T20:13:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

I was just about to post about one of our talented family friends this week for Preschool related activities when I read about his latest endeavour. This guys talent puts me to shame. Seriously. Brad of upstARTIST.org has mad skills when it comes to graphic design. My son absolutely loves his animated video-game J4NE the Pink Robot. That is actually what I was GOING to post about. It is a sweet little video game for kids to learn the alphabet with. My sons favorite letters are "V" and "K".

Don't even get me started on his paintings though. A while back I saw this painting and have been wanting it ever since.

Do you recognize it? That's Little Sal from "Blueberries for Sal"! It was one of my favorite childhood books. Brad, I want one! Can I pay you to make me one?

OK so here is the real reason for this post. He's entered another contest. You might remember me asking you to vote for him once before for his "Mista Barista" entry held by a Seattle TV Station last year. Did I ever tell you he won first place?! Well, he's at it again. This time he's entered a product design contest by Uncommon Goods. His product is Brainy Blocks. They are simple blocks for building and stacking, but they teach basic math and engineering skills! The best part? They are natural wood blocks! No lead scare!

You can see his video about the product here. It's a fantastic video!

Now, I want you to head on over and vote for his blocks. HURRY - the contest ends tomorrow (Monday) at NOON! Seriously, I looked at the other entries and his deserves to win! Please help him out!

To vote for him you have to "become a fan" of Uncommon Goods on Facebook here then click "like" on the Brainy Blocks Photo Album here.

Then once you've done that head on over to his cousins blog. She's hosting a give-away for him - a chance to win that "Little Sal" painting above! By voting for him you've already got yourself an entry!

Power of Moms

2010-03-12T10:39:00.001-08:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

As we all know, being a Mom is not the easiest task. Seriously, when my first son came along I was so unprepared for motherhood. The second time around has been much easier on me, but it still is a ton of work. It's only easier because I've got more experience. My friend April Perry started The Power of Moms a couple of years ago with her friend Saren Loosli and they just recently launched a new version! Their free site for Moms is a powerful resource for every and any kind of mother. I feel bad that it's taken me this long to share her site with the rest of you!

The Power of Moms has essays to empower you, monthly challenges and values, motherhood secrets (tips on coping from those with experience) and fabulous ideas for strengthening your family and lists of brilliant books. You'd think that was enough, but there is more to this site. I think my favorite part is their Power of Mom's Retreat for small groups of Moms. (Note: the retreats are not free.) You have the option of participating in a retreat or organizing one! I have wanted to participate in one of these retreats for a long time. April, any chance you'd come to Seattle?

Please go join this wonderful community of Moms, learn, share, participate, and enjoy. Also, please share this resource with other Moms out there. We could all be a little bit better.

Red Is Best

2010-03-09T15:37:00.000-08:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

I have a little kid piano from Craigslist. This weekend, while out painting something else, it seemed like as good of a time as any to get this project complete as well. It's only been on my list for a year. OK, I lied. It's been closer to two years.

The $30 Jaymar Piano courtesy of Craigslist.

I taped off the keys and had at it. Here it is with a new coat of paint courtesy of Krylon.

I plan to put some cute black vinyl saying or image on the front. I was going to do white, but realized that would make the keys look even more old and yellow than they already do. I love it so much now, as does my son. He's thrilled to have it back in the house. The other kid piano we have was put out of his reach. He kept climbing up on top of it. By the way, it cost me $5 on Craigslist! Patience pays off! The red one will go up there beside it later on, when the kids no longer play it.

I'm linking this up to DIY Day, Trash to Treasure, Get Your Craft On and Look What I Made and Show and Tell.

Home Preschool: Egg Week #2

2010-03-08T09:07:00.000-08:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

Wow - I survived my first week of home preschool! I'd like to say the first week went smoothly, but we never did get to the Humpty Dumpty video. I'll be doing that today with another activity.

As for the other activities, let me fill you in! My son loved the coloring page and can now find both big and little "E" on everything. This morning I was using E6000 to glue a waterfall image back onto a piece of his train track. He stood beside me shouting "Big E, Momma! Big E!" the whole time. I'm so proud of him.

Thursday we had one of his friends over to float the egg together. I got out 2 glasses and filled them 2/3 full with water. We asked them if the eggs would sink or float and they said sink. So we {gently} popped in the eggs and sure enough, they sank. Then we told them by adding salt we could make them float. This is where it got really fun. We started adding salt, but after adding quite a bit, I thought maybe it needed a stir. We got little sticks and the kids stirred. The eggs still didn't float. I had no idea that you needed SO MUCH SALT to get those eggs to float. By the way, you don't have to worry about water spilling over, salt makes the water more dense, so the water line does not rise at all. When the eggs finally started going up the kids got so excited. Then we let them poke at the eggs for a few minutes, popping them back down to watch them float back up! It was so cute.

By the way, I plan one short activity for each day, but you don't have to do it that way. You can combine some and only do 2 or 3 days each week. It just depends on your preference. So here are the activities planned for this week.

1. Interactive Letter G, Letter E and E Song from Starfall.com

2. Read "Emperor Lays An Egg" by Brenda Z. Guiberson

3. Read "Where Do Chicks Come From?" by Amy E. Sklansky

4. Green Eggs and Ham Video, Letter G Coloring Sheet

5. Peek-a-boo Egg Craft

Have fun this week! My son has enjoyed our activities so far. This morning we did the first activity already and he kept asking for it again and again. He's got big G and little g down!

Toddler Tool Box

2010-03-02T08:47:00.000-08:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs

.My toddler got a set of tools for Christmas that came with a very awkward back pack. You know the set? Anyhow, I wanted him to have a tool box to carry the tools in. Something like Handy Manny's but not one that would scratch the floors, or be easily smashed into my shins. No thanks. So I came up with a fabric box. Next time I make it I'll post a better tutorial, but for those of you that don't need too much direction I'll post the dimensions.

Fabric Pieces:

6 of 6"x10" for Sides and Bottom

4 of 9"x6" for Ends

Fusible Fleece (or Quilt Batting) Pieces:

3 of 6"x10"

2 of 9"x6"

Directions (1/2 inch seams, Serged or Zig-Zag Edge)

1. Fuse the fleece to all outer pieces.
2. Trim the top of all end pieces to an angle (I did a 60 degree angle)
3. Sew all outer pieces together - I did the bottom and sides first, then the ends. Turn it out and make sure all the seams look good on the outside.
4. Sew all inner pieces together.
5. Put inner and outer boxes together right side together. Sew around the top leaving a 2-3 inch space on one side to pull the bag through.
6. Pull the bag through and make sure get the edge seams flat, tuck in the raw edges of the hole, then top stitch around the entire top.
7. Cut a hole in the ends where you want to put the grommet, install grommets as directed on package. (Extra-Large ones from Jo-Anns.)

8. Cut a piece of 3/8" dowel 9.5 inches long. Sand it a little.

9. Cut a piece of 3/8" plastic tubing (PVC) 8 3/4" long. Push it over the dowel as shown below. *My Dad was brilliant and came up with this idea (it keeps the ends from going in to the center.)

10. Drill holes in the ends of the dowels for your screws.

11. I used wooden discs for the ends and drilled holes in them too, but seeing as one broke already I'm going out to buy washers to replace them. Put the dowel through the grommet and screw the washer onto the end as shown below.

*Note: I painted this using Krylon Plastic Paint. Big Mistake. It didn't dry properly so the handle is sticky. Permanently.

There you have it everyone! The finished product! My son loves it!

Let me know if you have any questions or something needs clarification.

I'm linking this up to DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land, Get Your Craft On at Today's Creative Blog and Look What I Made at Creations by Kara.

Home Preschool

2010-03-01T12:11:00.001-08:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

I've decided that instead of sending my son to preschool this year we are going to do preschool at home. We want to save the money from preschool to put him into music lessons, swimming, karate, and other various activities. So in an effort to be organized and do this right I emailed my Mom. As a retired Kindergarten Teacher she is an excellent resource. She suggested working on one theme each month and finding the resources locally, online and around the home to teach them about that theme. Here are her theme suggestions for those of you wanting ideas for yourself.

All about me: September/ October
1. Safety
2. Body - Healthy Eating - fruits, vegetables, grains, etc.
3. Fall

My family and community: November/ December
1. All about my family and community/ Pets/ Farm Animals
2 Gratitude - Thanksgiving - I am thankful for fruits, veggies, family, etc.
3. Christmas + Service

My friends and community January/ February
1. Winter/ Snow/ Penguins
2. Friendship/Sharing
3. Valentines

The World around me March/ April/ May/ June
1. Life cycle - Eggs
2. Spring/ Easter/ St. Patrick's Day
3. Rain / Water cycle / Rainforest/ Jungle
4. Flowers - Another cycle
5. Bugs
6. The Sea and sea Creatures
7. Summer

In an effort to organize myself a little bit better I plan to post every week with my plans for the week. Each month I will choose a new theme. Keep in mind, my son is going to turn 3 soon so I will be keeping the activities at a basic level.

Eggs

This month we are going to learn about Eggs. Spring is early here so I felt it was a good theme to learn right now. We'll color, read books, find information online, have green eggs and ham for St. Patricks, and oh so much more! It's perfect as a preparation for Easter too.

Here's what I've got ready for my son for this week:

1. The Letter "E" Coloring Page, Talk about E and it's sounds

2. Read "Green Eggs and Ham" by Dr. Seuss

3. Float an Egg

4. Watch a Humpty Dumpty video and learn the rhyme.

5. Reading time - search for the letter E in the books we read

That's my plan for this week. I'm ordering some books from our library and I'm going to look around to see what else I can find. Feel free to post your ideas, links and activities. For those of you that want to join along on our Preschool adventure please feel free to comment or even contact me via email with your suggestions!

Fabric Covered Cork Boards

2010-02-27T11:33:00.000-08:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

For almost my entire life, in every (OK, two) home I can remember we have had a giant bulletin board over the kitchen table. I'm not talking large, I'm talking massive. Bigger than the table! It was always crowded with papers, notes, bills, phone numbers, emergency lists, and then some. I think it was how my Mom managed any inkling of sanity with her 4 busy children.

BEFORE:

So in my teens one day I realized that this board was not normal. That and it was an eye-sore. I think that's about the same time I started to develop a passion for home decor. I vowed to one day convince my Mom to take it down. So now years later, with children of my own and a need for my own humongous bulletin board (which I never would do) I finally found a way to convince her to remove it. For her birthday last year I gave her new covered cork boards. Only, it took me a long time to figure out how I wanted to make them, pick fabric with her, and complete them.

She didn't want framed boards so I found the easiest boards to cover. I wanted something that would last for a while. I found 14"x14" unframed cork boards at Jo-Anns and slowly purchased 6 of them with my 40% off coupons. You can also see them here. They cost more, but I think it was worth it for the way they are covered.

Due to the funky print and the fact that I wanted a smooth soft look on the boards I ironed the fabric flat and then ironed on some fusible fleece. This is my favorite thing to use instead of quilt batting. It worked a lot easier because it's ironed to the fabric so it didn't shift very easily.

I cut the fabric to about 17"x17" and stapled it to the back. I started in the middle on all 4 sides and then worked my way around the edges. This kept it from shifting and pulling too much. I think they turned out fabulous!

I added a pocket to one of the boards. I used got two pieces that were just over 1/3 of the height of the boards and ironed fusible fleece to one piece. I sewed the right sides together, turned them, top-stitched the top of the pocket and then sewed it to the fabric around the edges and a few rows for different size pockets. Then I stapled the piece on just like the other boards.

Ah, there it is again, my lovely new rug. Loving it.

They chose to hang only 5, my Dad just nailed them into the wall using his nail gun. But the best part of it all is it inspired my parents (that and the need to paint to cover a hole in the wall) to try wainscoting (or bead-board) on the kitchen walls. I think the room looks a whole lot better.

AFTER:

I'm linking this up to Thrifty Decor Chick's Before and After Party!

Ode to the Rug

2010-02-26T16:26:00.000-08:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

Do you remember when I was so excited and happy about a rug? It didn't last. I didn't even have time to take a picture of it in my house before it had to be returned. Sad yet true. After only a month in our house my son had a rash, one that grew, and covered his entire body. A few days after we hauled out the rug we knew it was the culprit. My dear little toddler, the one who loves to tear off his clothes and run around the house in his diaper is allergic to wool. Guess what else?! So am I!

By the way - just in case you didn't know. Hypoallergenic Lanolin is not so hypoallergenic to those with wool allergies! Suddenly some experiences in life make a whole lot more sense. Just saying... And for those more sensitive people I'll just stop there.

Ah, sweet rug, it took me so long to find you. So long. I confess though, I don't miss my sons rash, the endless shedding, or that one time that you plugged up my vacuum. Nope. Not at all. I've moved on. There's a new rug on my floor. It's bigger, better and more beautiful than you. And guess what - it was cheaper! I've moved on. And this time I took a picture. Well, alright, this is a picture of something else that included the gorgeous new rug! Someday I'll have the living room all clean and get a picture of the entire thing.

Storing Snippets

2010-02-23T09:42:00.001-08:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

Last year while quickly browsing through my local thrift store I found eight very cute jars. Their shape was just so cute and they were so cheap. I think all of them cost $2. I just knew they'd be perfect for storing little snippets in. You know: those little things for crafting that you want to remember you have.

Unfortunately after a trip to a few grocery stores I had no luck finding lids for the jars. I was very disappointed. But that weekend, while my Dad was visiting, he saw the jars and asked about them. I can't begin to tell you how much my Dad helps me with my projects. He opened the fridge, pulled out some jars and started testing lids. Turns out the lids for my spaghetti sauce and for artichoke hearts were just the right size. I wouldn't have even thought of that!

So I started collecting lids. It took some time, and my Dad even donated a few, but finally I had eight mis-matched lids. It just didn't work for me. Out came the spray paint! I painted them a black metallic. It's amazing how good it turned out.

After the lids were done I quickly cut some vinyl numbers and applied them. I think the final look is fantastic!

I'm linking this project up to DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land, Get Your Craft On at Today's Creative Blog, Trash to Treasure Tuesday at Reinvented and Look What I Made at Creations by Kara.

Life At Our House

2010-02-22T19:34:00.000-08:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

Last week my husband took a day off. It was wonderful. I took the toddler to play group and left the baby at home to sleep. It's such a treat to have one-on-one time with him. After that we all ran out to do errands. We first stopped at Jo-Anns where they didn't have the color yarn needed so we headed to Michaels. I didn't go in at all. These visits were for my husband and his most recent crochet project. A quick stop at Costco was then followed by another stop at Home Depot. There it was my turn to run in. I got the supplies I needed for my current project and home we rushed. It isn't the first time either of us have been in those stores, but it was a little ironic to me because usually it's the other way around.

It's entertaining to me what we sometimes "gender define". People have looked at me weird in the Hardware stores and the girls at Jo-Anns are always asking my husband if he's sure he got me the right color. I love that he's man enough to tell them straight-up that it's for his project. Especially when the color is Pink Poodle!

Praiseworthy

2010-02-22T10:28:00.000-08:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

I have said it before and will say it again. I have an amazing husband. This week I'm singing his praises. After an amazing Valentines night last week he went and out-did himself this week. After he had a guys-night a few weeks ago he organized with my friends husbands a girls-night-out! He organized pretty much all of it - the time, the location, the child-care, all I had to do was organize where to meet my friends and figure out the vehicle to take.

So Thursday night we all met at one friends house where the husbands were all going to chill with the kids. My husband not only took the toddler AND the five month old baby but he watched my friends two children as well! (Her husband is away on training.) We all piled into her van (I officially want a van now) and drove to down-town Seattle where we enjoyed three blissful hours at The Melting Pot. It was a first-time experience for two of the girls. Oh, sweet cheesy apples and bread. Yummy Lobster, shrimp and other succulent meats. Ahh, sweet heavenly chocolate fondue. But the best part of the whole evening? The sweet time I got to spend with my friends - without the kids! (At this part I confess my complete surprise that the four that my husband was responsible for were all asleep upon our return, even if one was bundled on the couch, and another collapsed on the floor.)

As if that wasn't enough we went out on Friday night too. Our valentines reservations had been cancelled and so this week he rescheduled. Unfortunately our date included the kiddos due to a little babysitting mishap. Those things happen, and we were OK with them coming. We went to Benihana in Seattle. I'm so glad the toddler came too. I think he was the most fascinated with the entertainment as our chef twirled eggs, spatulas, caught shrimp and things in his really tall hat and pockets, and drummed the big grill in front of us. It was such a good meal and so fun to watch our son. The two gentlemen next to us at the table commented three times on how well-behaved our kids are. I have to confess, they were exceptionally well behaved that night.

We were also supposed to take a trip up the Space Needle but seeing as how we had the kids we decided to save that for another time.

That sounds fabulous, you might be thinking, but I have to add - Saturday as per usual he did the laundry, yet to be folded, but all done! He also cooks, washes dishes, and cleans (all of those things done this weekend). I have to say I couldn't have asked for a more wonderful husband. He's so awesome. I have to say though, unlike many other Praiseworthy things in this world - he is not to be sought after. Sorry ladies, but he's mine!

How You Know Your Blog is Getting More Traffic

2010-02-17T11:22:00.000-08:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

As I checked my comments the other day I found several SPAM comments. Links to unknown and unwanted sites - ones that I will never visit. (Now you know why I have comment moderation.) I also had random comments on a few posts that didn't make any sense at all. I showed my husband and we laughed over it. His comment? "You're popular enough for Spam!" Just to clarify here: I'm don't blog for popularity. I gave up all hope of popularity in high school.

I actually use Google Analytics to see and understand my blog traffic. You see, I have an inner nerd, one that escapes every once in a while. Alright, often. I like to see how different things (like joining parties, labels, etc.) affect traffic. My favorite part of Analytics is the map overlay where I can see where people are visiting from. I've had visitors from 54 countries over the last month. How can it not be cool to look at a map and see that you've had 11 visits from Poland? OK maybe I'm alone in this.

I'd like to say the most visited post is some amazing creation of mine. Ha ha ha. For some reason Google image search results pops this post up on their first page when you search for Procrastination. I'd love to know how their search engines work but I don't think I'd make it through that explanation. I'm not THAT nerdy.

The Master Bedroom (Phase 1)

2010-02-16T21:20:00.000-08:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

Some time ago as we painted our house like crazy people we included the Master Bedroom in the whirl-wind. There was drama. First the wrong color, then two walls just didn't look right. Then last year we finally go around to fixing those splotchy walls. It took priming them and starting all over again. We finally had everything finished. Then, suddenly I realized I had no clue how to decorate my bedroom. I had no color scheme, no idea what bedding would work, nothing. So I left it. I lived in the room for days, then months, without doing a thing.

This is how the room was when we first saw it. (This is the listing image!) Just painted different there was a great improvement, but it still wasn't enough.

Then one day as I was moving decor around elsewhere I found my inspiration. These are some blocks we did one Super Saturday with some Scrapbook paper I love. (Please ignore the dusty night-stand. There's a reason I have time to craft you know.) I finally had a color scheme to work with.

I then used the same paper and Mod-Podged three Malma mirrors from IKEA. They were the Black-brown ones so I didn't paint or stain them at all. This was super easy to do. Cut the paper, mod-podge the paper, stick it on, press it flat. Then let it dry. Mod-podge the top after and let it dry again! Simple. Fingerprints bothering you? Refer to my earlier comment on dust. At least I used Goo Gone and got rid of the few streaks of mod-podge on the mirrors. I was a little sloppy.

I think they turned out super fabulous. Then lastly, I finally found some beautiful frames and framed some pictures of the Seattle Temple that I took last year! I'm finally getting somewhere with my room. And you finally get to see my red striped wall! That was a lot of work, but I LOVE it!

Here's what that back wall looks like now! I have more in store for this room but this is your sneak peak. And looking at this picture the red pillow just has to go. (I know, you'll be so happy Hun. He has no clue why we need so many pillows.)

I'm linking this post to Get Your Craft On at Today's Creative Blog, DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land and Look What I Made at Creations by Kara.

Valentines Treats

2010-02-15T12:08:00.000-08:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

I can never come up with gifts to surprise my husband. The things he always asks for are simple: books and tech toys. But he always seems to know exactly what to get me. Ever since getting my new camera I have had one regret. It does not record video. So what does he manage to sneak into the house this year and surprise me with?! A small video camera in HOT PINK. It's absolutely perfect and has already taken several videos.

He also lined up a wonderful date to the temple (which is hard to plan because of our little nursing baby) and we had a delicious meal after that! Ahh. It's so wonderful to just have time to talk. Thanks to our friends for watching our toddler and to my wonderful parents for taking the baby while we enjoyed a short temple visit. I have missed it so.

As for me? Husband and boys got Love buckets filled with goodies and trinkets to entertain them. I also got my husband a rain coat. We've lived on the West Coast for over two years now and he still didn't have one! Shocking, I know! Now he can stay dry during his commute - unless the rain pounds down. (I know it's practical, but I felt like I was letting him know I really care with this gift.)

It's sweet to celebrate Love.

Version 3.0 Diaper Bag

2010-02-09T09:34:00.000-08:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

Saturday I completed yet another Diaper Bag. My husband commented on it being Version 3.0. I gawked back and said, "You know, it actually is!" to which he replied: "I know, I keep track of your craftiness you know!" How sweet is that. He knows the number of times I've altered and created the same pattern. This bag, now version 3.0 is a favorite.

The Pattern: Simplicity 2750 BAGS View B

The Versions (and Lessons Learned):

1. I made the pattern as is on the outside but added pockets on both sides on the inside. The pockets went all the way to the bottom. They were too shallow and for this style bag you have to remember that the bottom seam is too low for a pocket to go. I am constantly digging for my things because the bottom of the pocket is really the bottom of the bag!

2. I extended the band across the top and joined the sides and the middle. Then I only did pockets on one side on the inside of the bag. The pockets were raised up. It worked, but it wasn't enough pockets. (At least for me.)

3. This time I opened up the front of the bag to make 3 large pockets on the outside and several on the opposite side on the inside of the bag. The outside pockets all fit bottles and the inside ones are a good size too. All of them do not go the depth of the bag to prevent losing things at the very bottom of them. Lastly, I added a Posy Pin like the one my Sister-in-law made me for a little extra touch.

I think I'm finally finished and have transformed this simple pattern into an ideal diaper bag. Of course, it is on the smaller side for a Mom of 2 kids in diapers. I'm going to work on a larger version so it will fit more. Version 3.1 up next!

Linking this bag up to Get Your Craft On with Today's Creative Blog, DIY Day at A Soft Place to land, Look What I Made with Creations by Kara and Show and Tell with Blue Cricket Design.

A Little Miracle

2010-02-08T14:51:00.000-08:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

I had the wonderful opportunity of taking Newborn Photos for some friends of mine. Theirs is a long story - but one that ends with a miracle and a beautiful baby girl. I have to admit, Daddy was right, she does look like him in his baby photos. But when they are so little and new, you never know who they'll end up looking like.

I'm still learning how to photograph and how to use my camera. I always feel so nervous and humble when taking photos for someone else. Thank-you so much for letting me practice photography on your daughter!

I rented a 50mm lens that I've been wanting to try out. After the shoot and struggling to get the focus exactly as I wanted I'm not sure I still want the lens. Time and more practice will tell. I'd recommend renting to anyone planning to make a large investment like a DSLR Camera or a lens for it. You can rent cameras and lenses at different locations. I know in some places it's not as easy, luckily I have a rental place near enough.

Let me know what you all think, if you have any suggestions on how I can improve I'd love to hear them.

IKEA

2010-02-06T13:16:00.000-08:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

I love IKEA! I love wondering the many rooms and gathering inspiration. I enjoy their meatballs. And if I were Swedish furniture - this would be me:

OK, that was a fun little 5 second break provided to you by Blogadilla.com. Go here to try it out yourself.

Soap Pump Take Two

2010-02-02T22:19:00.000-08:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

I have been so busy this week working on several projects. I have 3 aprons cut and ready to sew, one bag cut out, and I'm working on curtains for my living area. Plus a super cute gift for my son which I'll show you soon. Sheesh it's a lot to take on in one week. But my goal is to get it all done this week.

So with no time to take pictures of other things I've done, here's another version of the Soap Pumps I made last year. Go see that post for more instructions on how to do it! Wrapped up with a towel and some ribbon these look fantastic! They are so cheap and easy to make too. You can go all out or keep it simple and it always blows people away!

For one recipient I had planned to give her Crystal Nail Files (which, by the way, are so wonderful to use) so I packaged them along with this and it was perfect. Wouldn't this make a super cute House Warming Gift, or Valentines Gift? The possibilities are endless!

Joining up to DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land, Get Your Craft On with Today's Creative Blog and Look What I Made with Creations by Kara.

Boys Travel Room

2010-01-28T09:32:00.001-08:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

My son has a transportation/travel themed room. And these two things I saw this week have got me re-thinking the entire room. Ack. My husband is going to want to shake some sense into me. I seriously can't help it. Just look at the fabric. It's drool worthy. And the paintings just melt some part of my heart that only a mother of boys can understand. Here's to dreaming.

Travel Wall Art from Fall Down Tree's Etsy Shop:

The Wheels Fabric Collection by My Mind's Eye from Riley Blake: (Thanks to My Little Gems for sharing it with me.)

Now to convince my husband that the room needs something more.

Chalk Mat

2010-01-26T18:34:00.000-08:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

One of my dear friends gave me a Chalk Mat at my baby shower. Not for the baby, but for the toddler. Perhaps it was that miraculous gift, or perhaps something else that has our son behaving near perfectly every Sunday since. Perfection for me at this point would be not talking loudly and not starting his own prayer every time we tell him "It's time for prayer, fold your arms". But what can I say, the moments we haul him out to the foyer are few and far between lately.

No matter his behaviour, he loves this new toy! If it was the Chalk Mat though I hope that my sister-in-law is enjoying it's magical abilities. I managed to sneak one of them into the Christmas package for her son!

Most of the materials were a kit provided by my friend but I chose to use laminated cotton instead of cotton. The laminated cotton means the chalk dust can easily be wiped off the entire thing, and the damp sponge doesn't soak through to the inside. It looks fabulous too! It's also super easy to sew. I'll tell you more about another experience with laminated cotton soon.

*For those interested my friend is currently working on a tutorial for this and will have it up on her blog soon. I'll give you the link to that as soon as she's done.

Chalk cloth, available on a few online fabric sites, makes it possible to write on this. I wish I'd thought to actually draw on it before taking pictures and sending it off.

My son loves to draw roads, or train tracks to drive his cars around on it.

I'm sharing this with my blog party usuals: DIY Day with A Soft Place to land, Get Your Craft On with Today's Creative Blog and Look What I Made with Creations by Kara.

Look What I {Had} Made!

2010-01-19T12:23:00.000-08:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

I love Newsboy Beanies. I've wanted to buy my son one since I saw these on Etsy.com. I've wanted one for myself too - especially this one.

Then one day my Husband returned from a quick errand to Michaels where he'd purchased yet another item for me. This time he had a skein of yarn and crochet needles in hand. I gawked. Was he serious? Did he really think he could crochet? (I tried knitting - the project hasn't been finished for nearly two years, so I seriously doubted his patience and commitment.)

I watched as he began, saw his first finished project

only hours later and was amazed. It was a doily, not imperfect, but very impressive none the less. His second doily (made for his grandma for Christmas) blew me away! My hot computer geek has skills. That's when I realized I didn't need to order the beanies I wanted, he could just make them for me. So we ordered patterns, bought yarn, and he got going!

Newsboy Beanies for the boys:

Newsboy Cap for me:

I had found a button in my craft stuff for my hat. It was cute, but before I even put it on the hat, it disappeared thanks to the toddler. My sister-in-law made that awesome Posy Pin for me for Christmas and it was just perfect for my hat! Click on that link for a tutorial.

After completing his first doily my Husband showed it to everyone - insisting that I wasn't the only crafty person in the house. After installing laminate flooring, painting, putting in new baseboards, closet systems, designing our friends web site and doing much more for myself and others I can attest to the fact that I already knew that!

I'm linking up these awesome creations to DIY Day at A Soft Place to land, Get Your Graft On at Today's Creative Blog and Look What I Made at Creations by Kara.

Quick Pearl Necklace

2010-01-12T15:37:00.000-08:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

In a hurry to get things made for Christmas I found myself making a necklace for a family member. It has been a long time since I've made jewelry. Nearly a decade. The last necklace I made was just before my mission. I had fun making this one. I'd do things differently next time, like actually try to space it properly. I used crimping beads to the freshwater pearls in place. I think I'll try some sort of glue in the future to make it more fascinating. I do like the look though and plan to make one for myself soon!

What I used:

1 Strand Freshwater Pearls

1 Package Crimping Beads

1 Magnetic Clasp

Jewelry Wire

Flat nosed pliers

How I did it:

Attach two long strands of wire to one side of the magnetic clasp. I used crimping beads for this as well. String pearls with a crimping bead on either side on both strands and stagger the spacing on either wire. Crimp the beads on either side to hold the pearls in place using the pliers. Once you have the length you desire attach the other side of the magnetic clasp. So Easy!

I'm linking up to Get Your Craft On with Today's Creative Blog and DIY Day with A Soft Place to land. Also linking up to Look What I Made at Creations by Kara!

The Topless Undershirt

2010-01-09T20:48:00.000-08:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

As a nursing mother I'm always looking for ways to make things a little bit easier when out in public. The other day I came across Blush topless undershirts and thought they were a great idea. But of course, like all things out there you really want to try before you buy. So I pulled an old white Shade camisole out of the drawer, and serged the top right off. I didn't even cut or hem or anything. No one is going to see that part. It works great! Best of all - it was free and so easy to make. I'm planning a trip to WalMart or Target to buy some more tanks/camis in fun colors. While Blush might have a good product, I just can't pay $15 for something that ought to cost $3.

The Car Cozie

2010-01-05T19:43:00.000-08:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

For Christmas I went all out and made many of the gifts. Between that and the two kids (baby is doing fine) I've had no time for the blog. You'll see my creations in future posts. For now, take a look at the adorable car cozie that my son got for Christmas!

Sharla over at My Little Gems provides an excellent tutorial on how to make an adorable Car Cozie. Thanks Sharla!

I followed the tutorial closely. I chose not to do an alternating fabric. I got a little confused following the pattern when it came to sewing the ribbon on. Uh Duh. It's meant to be sewn on one side only, hence the folding the ribbon in half. I think I skipped a little on those instructions but I really wasn't thinking it through either. I ended up sewing the ribbon on either side only to roll up the cozie and realize my mistake! At least it wasn't too much work to unpick.

See how the ribbon attaches to one side?

There are 6 pockets that fit big cars. You can even fit two flatter cars in one pocket.

Ah, "Green" Herbie, driving on the road.

I used a play mat fabric so that the opposite side of the cozie could be used for cars as well.

We tested this out the first Sunday after Christmas at church. Wonderful! He played with it the entire meeting. It's not going to be one we use every Sunday, I'd prefer the coloring, the chalk mat and other more reverent toys be used. However, desperate times call for desperate measures.

I'm linking up to Get Your Craft On with Today's Creative Blog and DIY Day with A Soft Place to land. I'm also joining a new blog party (Thanks Kara!) over at Creations by Kara: Look What I Made! A Special Thanks to all the hostesses of these parties - they inspire me to keep creating!

Tick Tock Herbie Clock

2009-11-24T16:00:00.000-08:00

I bought this table top from IKEA's As Is Section for $1 some time ago. I can't begin to explain how much I love that section. I think the wood was from this table:

I had many ideas for it: A spinning toy, big artwork, something for my son to play with. The more I looked at it the more ideas I got. But nothing ever felt right. One day I saw these clock kits in the isle at Joanns. They have vinyl products for the face of the clock. At the time my son was fascinated with clocks. Really, he still is. I decided to make a clock with the table top. I searched online for a cute "transportation" style clock to go in his room. When I saw this one (shown below) I knew it was what I had to make. My son has loved Herbie from the day he watched "Herbie Fully Loaded" nearly a year ago. Every new or old model VW Bug in the house is Herbie, the same for every VW Bug on the road. He can spot Herbie from miles away.

I already had black and red vinyl and I bought blue vinyl (and probably used $1 worth of them). The clock kit took a while to find as the shaft needed to be long enough for the wood. I found it on Amazon.com for $15.44 including shipping. If I hadn't needed such a specific shaft size it would have cost a lot less (I would have pulled an old clock apart).

Total Cost: About $18.

I cut the vinyl (lines and circle by hand, numbers on my Silhouette) and placed it on the wood. Then I had my husband quickly drill the hole and installed the clock piece. I finished it last week and we hung it yesterday in his room. He could not be more thrilled! I have more in store for his room!

I'm linking up to DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land, Trash to Treasure Tuesday at Reinvented, and Get Your Craft On at Today's Creative Blog. Enjoy viewing the other awesome projects!

Thank-You Pottery Barn!

2009-11-10T16:17:00.001-08:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

I have frequented the actual Pottery Barn store twice in my life time. I'm serious. I enjoyed each visit and felt completely at home amid the gorgeous furniture, textiles and home decor, but I was constantly aghast at the prices. Seriously, most of the stuff is way too expensive for me. My first visit was after receiving a gift card to the store one Christmas. It was so delightful to search for the bargains, and even splurge on a beautiful platter, although I am extremely proud of the $0.99 Chargers that I bought as well! Just this week was my second visit to your store. It was a quite fast. (I couldn't browse much with a toddler and new-born in tow.) I did make a purchase which I have to confess I am in love with:

This new rug adorns my living room floor. It looks perfect there. I don't feel that I payed too much either for a lovely wool rug. Not when I would have payed the same or more elsewhere! Thanks for having some reasonably priced items. (Or at least one!)

I must also say Thanks to Living With Lindsay for her recent post on the book Design Rules. It helped me know just what kind of (color of) rug to get to go with my dark green couches.

I must confess though, I like most bloggers out there enjoy the Pottery Barn Knock-Offs. So thank-you Pottery Barn for the inspiration you provide me. It's way easier to make a knock-off when you have something to truly inspire you to do it. Your beautiful magazines, website, and staged stores inspire me to have a beautiful home, only at a fraction of the price I would have to pay you!

Photo Editing

2009-10-29T10:07:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

I love having fun in Photoshop. Today, in light of the season, I decided to play around with this picture of mini pumpkins that I took last year. I wanted to wash it out more to make the orange one really stand out. First I brightened the colors. Then I used a texture to give it a vintage look. Lastly I rounded the corners.

I love how the photo turned out. It feels a lot less like an actual photograph to me now. I think I'll print this for the dining room for some more seasonal decor.

Before:

After:

Actions: Fresh & Colorful from Pioneer Woman's Action Set 1

Texture: SubtleGrunge4 from Lost and Taken

Rounded Corners: Tutorial from Pioneer Woman

DIY Graphic Design

2009-10-27T16:52:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

I'm back with projects to share! I figure a nearly 4 week break was long enough. I've started so many things but I'll confess I'm a little overwhelmed with the idea of going out to purchase the few supplies needed to complete them. I blame it on the brand new baby! I can't wait to share some of my projects with you, here's some recent ones.

A couple of months ago my friend contacted me. (The proud recipient of this creation.) She wanted suggestions for wedding invitations. I replied with what may have been an overload. I explained the various styles, options, do it yourself versions, and wished her luck. Her reply was grateful, but she wanted to know more about the "Postcard" version of wedding invitations. I sat down and quickly threw together a sample for her in Photoshop to give her an idea. Ends up, that's what she decided she wanted. So after much tweaking on my part, a correction of wording and the addition of pictures the invitations (on my end were complete). The trick was finding a good price on printing.

They chose UPrinting.com as their printer. They were quick with getting the invitations to her, made one mistake (Not too serious: they made 600 invitations instead of 200 and sent her the whole bunch without charging her for the extras!) and the quality is great. I love that both sides of the invitation are glossy, unlike a true postcard, and the card stock is a nice weight. I was so excited to get a copy! Here's what it looks like:

That was so easy and so much fun to do! After I had completed the invitations I got on a role. I decided to design shower invitations for my friends shower. These were printed at OvernightPrints.com. This company was cheaper but the quality was great as well. The gloss is a much higher sheen, just too glossy for a wedding invitation, but great for these. I copied the design directly from a site, and added some wording for the theme.

Lastly I did my own baby announcements! Again these were a design I saw online and duplicated. I printed them at the same place as the shower invites. I love them!!!

I'm linking this up to Kimm's Trash to Treasure Tuesday at Reinvented and Kim's Get Your Craft on Party at Today's Creative Blog. I'm also linking up to Kimba's DIY Day on A Soft Place to Land. Head on over to these party's to see other creative projects.

Confession # 5: I am a Momarazzi

2009-10-07T14:55:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

Ever since our first son was born I've had this irresistible urge to document my child's life through photography. My habit of capturing cute moments in still grew significantly when my camera was upgraded. Last week our second son was born. All 8lbs 15.1oz of cuteness came out after 15 minutes of pushing. Of course, the fact that I was immobile and had just spent several hours in labor were not going to stop me. Within minutes the camera was back in my hands and I was taking photos of our beautiful little boy.

So to confess that I am addicted to taking pictures of my children might not be surprising for some of you. (Especially for my husband.) But recently I realized the depths of my addictions. I'm not sure if it was the moment I was taking pictures of my son in my hospital bed, or later when I was looking at the various lenses, flash, and other accessories on my Amazon wish list. But I realized I am full fledged member of the Momarazzi! My poor, poor children. I hope I'm not too embarrassing when they're older and I'm on the sidelines cheering and taking pictures.

I need to go take more pictures of my kids. I'll be back with more projects soon. Thankfully I'm recovering quickly!

New Blog Header - Trash to This will make do...

2009-09-22T14:28:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

I have been wanting to update my blog ever since I changed it the last time. The old picture was stretched funny, and the design was just underwhelming. Someday I will have time to do something that I absolutely love. But first I have to find a layout I'm in love with, a name that I can use for a blog, a site and a shop, and then design it all. That's just a little too much today. For now, this quick update will have to do.

Before:

After:

Really, it is a very simple change. But I love change. I love to improve things! This really will make do until I can really spend quality time on it. Although it might change once or twice again over the next few days. You never know!

I'm linking this up to Kimm's Trash to Treasure Tuesday at Reinvented. Also linking up to Kim's Get Your Craft on Party at Today's Creative Blog. Head on over to these party's to see other creative projects.

Trash to Treasure Thursday - Bathroom Makeover

2009-09-17T08:35:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

So I finally had the energy last night to do more than just feed and care for my son. I've finally got something to share!

3 weeks ago my husband and I spontaneously decided to paint our master bathroom. Again. It was the first room in the house to be painted when we moved in. It was just the white contractor paint still, after 10 years of people living there! We chose a very beautiful grayish green. I loved it. But if you took all of our paint colors in our house and held them together - everything coordinates well. Except for that one. It was like the odd room out. It didn't even go with the colors we'd chosen in our bedroom. The other problem is in our window-less bathroom it just felt too dark. I know it really wasn't that dark, but it's not a high energy color so after nearly two years we were sick of it. (No offense to those who love this color - I love it too. It just wasn't

working.)

This is how we had it decorated in there. White, Cream and a little pop of Red here and there. I think it was pretty. It just never felt right.

So we matched the bathroom to the cream in our bedroom. Why? Because the paint store made a mistake and gave me 1 gallon instead of 1/2 a gallon. We had the paint, and it seemed right. Once we got it painted, I had to decorate on a budget. Baby is due in 12 more days!

I dug through my decor stash and found a $5 Goodwill frame to use, just spray painted it black. In the dining room I found another frame and grabbed it off the wall. I also re-purposed several things with a nice coat of spray paint. I love spray paint. The cute white shelves from above that cost me $4 for both originally? Painted them black! The white iron candle holders above the tub? Painted them blue. Just wait, you'll see. Then I spent $17 for new towels. Bathroom makeover complete!

Before:

Here's the frame and other things before I painted them.

The After:

Here's the back wall when you enter the bathroom. Complete with the freshly painted black shelves, red flowers from the living room, and the frame from the dining room. Of course, the blue towels that I bought new.

The wall above the tub. The green frame painted black and monogram I cut from left-over vinyl. I decided to just put it straight on the wall - I think it looks great! The white candle holders painted blue (the towels are the same blue). I'm still not sure if I want to spread them out more or leave them as is.

Lastly, I have a question for you all: Should I paint the Bath Tray or leave it as is? I was thinking black, maybe red? My husband says leave it, but I'm not sure I want to.

I'm linking this up to:

Kimm's Trash to Treasure Tuesday at Reinvented

Kimba's DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land

(I know it's a little late for these, but I'm running on low this week.)

Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Chic Cottage

Head on over to check out all the amazing projects posted by others this week!

Don't be surprised if I my project posts suddenly hault for a little while. I do only have 12 days left until our second son arrives!

The Perfect Baby Shower for a Crafter

2009-09-16T11:00:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

I have to tell you about a recent event that I'm still gushing over. My dear friends decided to host a shower for me and the little one on the way. Knowing it was my second child (and second son, at that) they knew I wasn't really up for a huge, overwhelming shower where we played the craziest of games. First, I really like to talk with everyone and games can slow that down, and second, whoever came up with the idea to melt candy bars in diapers and make you guess what they are was not pregnant. I mean that grosses me out normally, but during pregnancy? No thanks!

Of course, my friends know me well. There was delicious food: Meatballs, Spinach Artichoke Dip, Mini Quiches, Vegetables, Mini Cheesecakes, and a most amazing Chocolate Fountain! I was in Heaven. And don't worry, I completely understand and appreciate just how far overboard these girls went for me. Of course, the food is only the beginning. There was the loveliest flower arrangement from Pikes Market (courtesy of the hostess's Husband) especially for me. It made my house smell so beautiful for nearly a week!

You can only imagine my delight when I was told that our evening's activities would be none other than a craft! My friends know me so well! There were several different sizes of white Onesies to decorate. Most of us used the stencils provided with the pens, but some free-handed it. I'm so excited to use these "made with love" Onesies on our soon to arrive son.

Of course there were wonderful gifts from everyone who attended, and even those who weren't able to come. I must say I love all of my friends and I'm especially grateful to the wonderful Hostesses of such a perfect shower for me!

*Photos of the onesies to come.

No Creativity in Me Today

2009-09-15T20:40:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

Seriously, I've been so exhausted the last few days. I've been napping lots and trying hard to induce labor. I know I'm jumping the gun two weeks from my due date, but I'd rather just have this over with. So when it comes to my crafts and projects for this week. I've done a few things, but I don't even have the desire to take pictures and post about them. Maybe tomorrow. I've got something really exciting that I plan to start working on this week.

I'm also kicking myself for not doing the dumpster dive I was extrememly tempted to do. I just couldn't think of a re-invention for a headboard. Then today I saw this: Re-purposed Spool Bed. The headboard I almost grabbed was very different from this one, but it would have made a gorgeous bench. Seriously regretting that choice. Of course, my husband is grateful that I'm not cluttering up the garage even more. Anyhow, head on over and check out that project. It really shows you how to re-purpose things.

Labor Day in Reno Land

2009-09-08T19:53:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

Is it ironic to anyone else when they are pregnant on Labor Day? I know it's all about giving the workforce a well deserved holiday. Every bone in my body gushes in patriotic pride that this holiday began in Canada and the US copied us. I may have crossed the border but I'm still proud to be Canadian. Anyhow, for me it's ironic because I'm so close to delivering I can't help but focus on that instead of the thousands of people working hard in my community.

I'm due in 3 weeks and honestly, while most of the time I am so busy I forget I'm pregnant today I was feeling it. Swollen feet, that horrible bloated feeling, craving 15 things at once - knowing I would probably only be able to squeeze in a bite at dinner before feeling sick. Ackk. I'm done. Some of you are wondering how it's even possible at 37 weeks to completely forget you're pregnant. I'm not kidding. I even have a story to prove it:

My husband is still in stitches over this. After his long day of painting, cleaning, moving appliances around (he is such an awesome husband) and me watching our son, we decided not to mess up the freshly-painted kitchen and go out to a local buffet for dinner. As I returned from the desert buffet, a lady at our neighboring table asked what I was having. I looked down into my hands and quickly replied "Carrot Cake, and a Brownie." All the while thinking, "what an odd question" as if I'd never been asked it. Her face and my husbands quizzical look made me realize that wasn't the appropriate response. Her next question cleared it all up "Are you having a girl or a boy?" My husband claims my face soon matched my dark red hair and my freckles stood out as I replied "A boy, our second!" We had a good laugh over that.

I did get out shopping for one sale. 50% off everything at the Salvation Army! There wasn't much, honestly, but I did find a frame and this:

It's so perfectly hideous, don't you think? What, pray tell, shall I be doing with it? You shall have to wait and see!

More Artwork Made New

2009-09-08T12:24:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

Over a year ago I was hanging out at a mall while waiting to meet up with my Sister. I strolled into Kohl's and noticed their frames were all on sale. So I decided to check it out. I found these frames with shadow box style art work. It's hard to see from the photo, but one of each of the instruments is popped forward.

They were originally $19.99 each marked as 60% off. The sale was half off that. So they ended up just over $4 each. I really didn't like the inside, but I loved the music theme and the frames themselves.

So for over a year they have sat with my home decor stash waiting for the right use. We recently, and finally, got around to painting our guest bathroom. It used to be a bright lime-ish green. It was hideous. Now it's a really light creamy tan. I love the difference! So with a new color in the bathroom I've decided to re-decorate as well. I decided I want black frames in there. That's when I remembered these ones. I pulled them out and went to work.

I got a huge surprise when I cut the frames open and realized that the shadow box effect was actually another piece of glass with the instruments printed on! I was able to remove that with a scraper, and put vinyl words on that layer instead. I also edited the photos to coordinate them a little.

This is what I came up with:

Eventually I want to put up pictures of my family having fun in the rain, but for now, I've put in these pictures. It will do. I also cut a vinyl saying to place above the photos: "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to Dance in the Rain."

I'm adding this to Trash to Treasure Tuesday over at Reinvented and Today's Creative Blog's Get Your Craft On! Head on over to check out the other projects!

*Update - I'm linking to Kimba's DIY Day on A Soft Place to Land as well. I couldn't help but link up. I really want to win that apron. It's adorable. I think I'm going to head back now to check out what else The Hip Hostess has in their store.

Shadow Box Art

2009-09-07T09:20:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

Over 10 years ago I bought an unfinished shadow box, white-washed it, and then sponge painted it with gold. Inside I carefully arranged a picture of me on my grad night, my corsage and some ribbon. I thought it was so amazing and I had incredible talent. I can't say if I really did, but 10 years later as I went through all my old frames I discovered it. I couldn't resist attempting a make-over for our son's nursery.

BEFORE:

I decided to do a little monkey scene to go with his bedroom. I pulled everything apart and evaluated it. The top mat was great but I'm not a huge fan of gold. I painted the bottom one dark brown. Then I worked on my 3D scene. I pulled the monkeys from my scrapbooking supplies, and then I pulled some old plants and bamboo pieces apart, threw in some twine, and backed it all with a simple fabric. I used a lot of glue and played around with the scene until it seemed just right.

I originally planned to paint the frame as well, it had GOLD on it. But when I popped the shadow box all back together so I could decide what color to paint the frame I decided I actually liked it!

This cost me next to nothing as it came from supplies on hand. It's amazing what you can make-over without going overboard!

AFTER:

This hung in the nursery for a while, but when we were decorating our sons bathroom in our new house I used it there instead. (It completed the Monkey Theme perfectly.)

I'm joining this to Thrifty Decor Chick's Before and After Party. Click on the image below to see her post and all the awesome before and after projects posted.

Blog Theft

2009-09-03T10:38:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

Recently I read a blog post on Joys of Home of yet another case of blog theft. It’s floating around out there like crazy. While these stories don’t always surprise me, her situation actually did. The person was posting her entire blog, post-for-post as their own. Usually you hear of tutorials being copied and claimed as someone else’s hard work. Or another is family photos being downloaded and edited or used for random things. In a recent news story a woman received an email notifying her that her little child’s picture was being used in an adoption scam. The person was sending the photo of her son to people, which linked to her family blog. And people wonder why my family blog is private?!

While theft from a public blog will remain a threat for many years to come, there are some things that you can do to protect your blog. I have not implemented perfect protection for my own personal blog, but have started the process slowly. I found one article that gives a few good tips on how to create a Creative Commons license and protect your blog through Copyright. These things, however do not stop everyone, so if you experience blog theft, or wonder what to do in that situation, the rest of the article suggests some of the actions you can take.

One of my suggestions, aside from this article is to watermark your own photos. (The "mkr designs…" on my photos is a watermark.) After commenting on Joy’s blog, she emailed me to ask how to make a cute watermark for her photos. Since then, I have been looking for a free, simple method. If you own photo editing software such as Photoshop Elements, Photoshop, or some other in-depth program you’re already set to go, if not there are a few options.

Your choice will, of course depend on the style of watermark that you want.

1. Text Only

Picasa - no customization on font or location. Multiple photos at once. Click here for instructions.

Picnik - font and location customizable. One photo at a time from what I've been able to read. Click here for instructions.

Alamoon Watermark (Free software) - font and location customizable. Multiple photos. Also resizes the photos for you. Click here to download. There is an upgrade for $30 but I'll give you another suggestion in a minute.

These are all relatively easy to use. Picnik is online, Picasa and Alamoon are downloaded to your machine.

2. Customized Text or A Fancy Image

If you're looking for a custom design like your business logo, or even text arranged like my watermark, you're going to need a better program. My watermark is an image that I place on the photo in Photoshop. I designed it using Photoshop. Even if you decide that designing your own Watermark is too much work and have someone do it for you - I still think it's not worth your money to buy a Watermark Program.

Let me explain: If you purchase a Watermark Program you will most likely pay about $30 to get what you want. I would recommend purchasing a copy of Photoshop Elements instead. You can buy it here for $40. $10 more and you have a good photo editing program as well, something that is way more valuable! Isn't that brilliant?

Let me explain why this company has two different prices for the same program. OEM is the simplified software package that a company gets in bulk, usually for the purpose of selling packaged with a computer, notebook, or a software bundle. It's the same program just doesn't come in the standard "Full Retail" box with all the manuals, etc. This one will come with CD's and installation instructions only. I hope that explains it.

I recommend Photoshop Elements because there are so many online tutorials on how to use it and free downloads that you can use in it. Here's how to make a watermark in PS Elements! I actually did something similar, just used the text tool to create 3 separate text pieces and arranged them together as you see on my pictures now. I'll try to make a tutorial for that soon. Here's another tutorial on how to then use the watermark on multiple photos.

I hope this answers some of your questions and helps you decide how you want to protect your photos. Let me know if you have more questions in your comments and I'll try to answer them the best I can.

Two-For One Photo Shoot

2009-09-02T17:16:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

Many of you know I love photography. Up until recently though, I've really kept my growing love of photography to capturing pictures of my family, nature, and those fun candid moments with friends. I've shared my first photo shoot with you in another post. That one I was less nervous about. It was mostly pictures of our friends truck and a few family ones thrown in - all for his new company's website.

This shoot made me a lot more nervous. Would I capture the family the way they hoped? Would they be pleased with the results? Would I forget something in my pregnant state of mind? The shoot was for two siblings and their separate families. I was worried about how all the kids would survive.

I prepared in advance, charged all the batteries, wrote a pose cheat sheet to myself just in case things were difficult, and got to the park a little early to have the camera ready. I thought it all through, and even brought a bubble machine so at the end the kids could have at it and I could still (hopefully) get some good pictures.

We're all at the park, everything is going smoothly, I take one picture and my camera froze. Literally - it would not take a picture. I didn't know what to do. Pressed a million buttons, changed settings, and powered off. Nothing worked. I prayed, removed the battery, and started over. It worked. (There's nothing like the power of prayer!)

Here's a quick peak for all to see. These are just a sprinkling of the photos I was able to get of these two wonderful families! The kids were great, the park was beautiful, and the bubbles were the perfect hit.

The First Family

An Outfit Change

The Second Family

One of my Favorites. I must tell you, this was a lucky shot - the littler sister is about to rip the older sisters arm off her shoulder.

Just one of the adorable shots captured around the bubble machine.

Thanks so much to my friends who were so willing to let me practice on them. I had so much fun taking and editing their photos. Despite their worries that I might be a little too far along in the pregnancy.

Lamp Revamp

2009-09-01T17:35:00.001-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

Another Trash to Treasure Tuesday here! I'm actually getting so much more done by challenging myself to have an entry every week.

A few short months after we learned I was pregnant with our second we moved our son into his new bedroom. The transportation themed room with a Thomas The Tank Engine toddler bed (bought on Craigslist, I would NEVER pay full price for that) replaced our Guest Room. That left a lot of things without a home. These for example:

These IKEA Grono lamps, which I've had for a decade (no joke), have sat around the house for months now, with no home. Oh sure, they're cute as is. But after a while I get bored with the same old. So it was time to make a change or just get rid of them. At first I planned to pair them and do something like I saw on IKEA Hacker:

That would have been adorable - but I had no idea where I'd put them. I just didn't need a pair of lamps anywhere. (I know, some of you are thinking I could have sent them your way. Sorry.)

In the end I decided to make two distinct lamps. Each is a very unique style

The first Revamp was for our Jungle Themed Nursery. I searched for the right image, imported it into Robo Master, added some text and cut this beauty out of Vinyl on MY NEW SILHOUETTE! (Saving that for another post.) Here's the first lamp:

The second lamp is for my niece. Her Mom won my Give away a while back for the Young Women's Plaque. (No it was not rigged.) Seeing as she just had a birthday, I thought this would be a really fun thing to personalize for her. This was also cut on my new machine. It's just scrapbooking paper and I stuck it on with Mod Podge. I'm still considering adding a ribbon. Happy Birthday B I hope you like your gift!

Head on over (or back) to Reinvented to see everyone else's awesome projects this week. I've already seen a few and I'm so inspired! Also check out my Tutorial for dressing up a soap pump, including the free file here.

I'm also linking this up to Kimba's DIY Day on A Soft Place to Land. Head on over to her blog to check out many more DIY projects.

Clean Hands Soap Pump (Free File and Tutorial)

2009-08-31T08:47:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

A while back I saw this cute soap dispenser on the bathroom counter at one of my friends houses. Then a few weeks ago I was reminded of it as I spoke with our another friend who is in charge of organizing the Super Saturday for our Ward. She was considering doing this and asking how. I said I could make the print-out for her. And it was really easy to do.

I've decided to share the file for this simple craft with you. In order to share the file I've removed the personalization (The _____ Family) on the top and chosen a few different headers in hopes that one will work for you:

Our Little Monkeys

Our Happy Family

Mother

Grandma

His

Her

The last two (His and Her) would be a really cute addition to a towel set for a wedding gift! Hopefully those Headers will give you enough variation to choose from for gifts. Let me know if you any other ideas and maybe I'll make another file.

You can download the file here. *Note the view of the file looks like it's missing a dot in the line, but the actual file has it there.

This is designed to fit the cheap soap dispensers from WalMart. It must be printed on overhead transparencies with either a Laser printer or photocopied onto it. Home printers (InkJet) do not set the ink as required so once it's in the soap dispenser the ink will run. If the design is not the right size for your bottle, you can blow it up or shrink it when copying.

You can also purchase empty soap dispensers from Industrial Container and Supply Co. The part numbers are: Bottle - B3221, Pump - DP111E. Contact the company for prices and shipping costs.

Instructions

1. Peel the labels off the soap dispenser, use a blow-dryer to soften the glue and Goo Gone on the left over glue.

2. Cut the transparency to size. Make sure to leave a clear space on the bottom so that the words are at the height you would like. Test this on the outside of the dispenser before putting it in.

3. Roll up the transparency and squeeze it into the bottle. It will unroll once it's inside the bottle. Push it with the pump to the front of the bottle.

4. Put the pump back on, and if desired tie a cute ribbon around it.

Note: if you are using the empty containers make sure the transparency is sitting at the front of the bottle before filling the bottle with soap. Otherwise the pump will block some of the words.

Please let me know if you have problems downloading the file. Enjoy!

I'm linking this project to Today's Creative Blog's "Get Your Craft On".

I Know I Disappeared

2009-08-30T21:33:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

This week has been a whirl-wind of activity at my house. While we continue painting and I have started to catch up on sewing - I had my second photo shoot this week. This time, not for a business. I did family portraits for some friends! It was a blast, they were so patient with me, and I can't wait to tell you all about it. But for now I sneak away to bed. Not without mentioning my newest crazy creation: Wedding Invitations for a friend. Can't wait to get her photos to put it all together. I'll be back tomorrow to tell you all about it. Bye.

Camera Strap Make-Over with Tutorial

2009-08-25T16:02:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

I've been seeing cute camera straps lately. They are all the rage. Etsy sellers have anything from the $6 (on sale) Camera Strap Cover to the $39 Recycled Seat Belt Custom Camera Strap. Honestly, I had a strap (and it wasn't trash - just not cute), so I just couldn't justify a cute custom strap. I could easily make myself a strap cover, but that wasn't the look I really wanted. So when I was in Joann's looking at the big bin of grosgrain ribbon spools and saw some really cute ribbons I envisioned a quick and easy project immediately.

This is so easy anyone with sewing capabilities will be kicking themselves for spending money just to have a cuter strap than the one they already own.

Before:

Here's the strap that came with my camera back in February. I finally pulled it out of the packaging last month.

1. Choose the ribbon. I used grosgrain ribbon because it's strong, looks good and had several cute styles. My strap is 1.5 inches wide, so I got 1.5 inch wide ribbon. Pretty simple. At first I wanted a really cute pink with white polka-dots and brown ribbon. But my strap is black and red and the way it would all be put together the red would still show a little on the edges. Pink and brown didn't really go with the black and red. So I opted for a white ribbon with black and red flowers. It cost $2.50 for a 4 yard spool. I have tons left over.

2. Cut the ribbon to the length of the strap. This is the length between the two leather pieces plus about 1 inch to be able to tuck in the ends.

3. Pin the ribbon to the strap. This is a little difficult if the strap is thick, but it will help as you sew. Tuck the ends of the ribbon under just before the leather sections. You can see how this is done in the picture just after Step 5 if you skip ahead. I tried very hard to line it up the best I could so it's not too obvious.

*The rest of my pictures are taken after I put the strap on the camera, hence, the quality is not as good because they are taken with our smaller camera. Sorry.

4. This is a really important step. Match the upper thread on your machine to the ribbon and the thread in the bobbin to the back of the camera strap. I used white on top and black underneath. This keeps the strap looking well made - if I'd had white thread on the black back of the strap it would look less professional. See - you can't tell on this side that anything was changed!

5. Sew the entire perimeter of the ribbon and strap, close to the edge. Remove the pins as you sew. If you are worried about the ribbon not laying flat, sew down both edges from the same end then sew the widths on either end. I didn't need to do that with my strap though. Here you can see how that red from the strap shows - I'm so glad I chose a coordinating color!

6. Put your new strap on your camera and enjoy!

While this wasn't really trash to begin with I think it's safe to say the make-over has significantly improved the strap! Once again I'm linking up to Trash to Treasure Tuesday. Kimm's post this week was a good reminder to me of life's lessons and how we just need to keep going and remember God even when the unexpected happens.

Full Blown Nesting!

2009-08-24T13:13:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

I think my husband would say I'm nesting with a vengeance. Either that or I've just gone completely insane. After all of my freezing and canning we continued with the home renovations. I've shown you the new Chandelier which still stuns me every time I look at it. But we've been busier than that. My wonderful Dad was here to help last week. He installed closet organizers in the two kids bedrooms. They look so fantastic! The nursery closet is packed full. I can't even open the door to one side of the closet.

My son's bedroom on the other hand has a very empty closet. It actually took me a while to figure out what to store in there. Anyhow, we're going to get some big tubs and hide some of his toys in there. That way we can rotate the toys again and have less to clean up! Hurray!

My husband also finished that guest bathroom, painted two walls in our bedroom (they were messed up from the original paint job), and is going to re-paint the master bathroom. I think we're both sick of the color in there, and it just doesn't fit the rest of our house.

I wish I could say that's all, but no, we've got more in the works before this baby arrives. Seriously, it was a long list, but we're getting through it quickly. Today I'm working on sewing projects. I have a lot of things cut out and ready to sew!

Zucchini Salsa

2009-08-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

The previous post is for regular homemade salsa. Zucchini Salsa might sound strange or weird to some of you, and it takes a little more effort to make. But let me tell you it really is fantastic. If you're not sure you're going to like it, make half of the following recipe, not the whole thing.

Zucchini Salsa

Dice:

10 cups zucchini

1.5 cups onion

3 cups green/ red pepper mixed

Sprinkle 4-5 tbsp coarse salt over top and let sit overnight. In the a.m., drain & squeeze out liquid. I rinsed it too.

Add:
2 tsp Garlic Powder
2 cups Brown Sugar (mix with cornstarch FIRST)
2 tbsp Cornstarch
1 1/4 tbsp Dry Mustard
2 tsp dried Chile Peppers
2 tsp Turmeric
2 qts. Tomatoes peeled, chopped (about 8 cups, 6-7lbs) you can used canned tomatoes too
2.5 cups Vinegar
2 small cans Tomato Paste
3 Jalapenos chopped and diced (for a good medium heat)
Yield: about 10 pints

Combine all ingredients in a pot. Stir and simmer for 1/2 to 3/4 of an hour. Seal in mason jars (halves or pints) and process 20 minutes in a hot water bath. (You can follow the canning directions for the Homemade Salsa below if you want more detailed canning instructions.)
* Since making this Salsa I have used it on Chicken and Salmon as a marinade. It's so delicious that way, especially on the Salmon!

Homemade Salsa

2009-08-24T10:30:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

The last two weeks have been so busy! After freezing 10lbs of Blueberries someone should have yelled at this pregnant woman to take a break. But no! Her husband was painting the guest bathroom while she was happily cutting vegetables for Salsa. 10lbs of tomatoes, and many more vegetables, mind you.

The next morning when she fire roasted (oh fine, burnt) the Salsa she really should have quit. But the Zucchini Salsa was already started so she forged on. In the end the result was 7 pints of "Fire Roasted" Salsa and 15 pints of Zucchini Salsa, and one exhausted pregnant lady. (Only 6 weeks left folks! I can't wait!)

The Fire Roasted Salsa was barely worth saving, but I figure it will can still be used in recipes. (We'll see how it withstood the canning process.)

The Zucchini Salsa is awesome. By the way - the first large Zucchini in the picture was 11 cups cubed. And that was after I removed the seeds! The little Zucchini was 2 cups cubed. I made some slight variations to the recipe that my Sister-in-law used last year, and I think it turned out perfect. So now, I must share the recipes with all of you!

Homemade Salsa

4-8 Jalapenos seeds and veins removed, diced finely (4 is a mild Salsa, 8 is too hot for me)

7 cups Tomatoes peeled, diced (this is about 5lbs of tomatoes)

2 cups Onions

3 cloves Garlic finely chopped

1 cup Green Bell Pepper chopped

½ cup Cilantro chopped

¾ cup White Vinegar

½ tsp ground Cumin

1 can Tomato Paste

Yields about 3 pints

If you'll be canning: Begin sterilizing jars (I start them in the dishwasher before I start cooking).

In a large stainless steel or enamel saucepan combine all the ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until Salsa reaches desired consistency. (Be careful to stir and monitor the Salsa when bringing to a boil and simmering - you don't want it to burn!) It should be thick, runny Salsa just isn't fun to eat.

Sterilize and soften lids in boiling water for about 5 minutes. Fill the canner with hot water.

Ladle the hot Salsa into empty jars (it's best if the jars are still hot) to within 1/2 inch of the top rim. Remove any air bubbles by sliding a knife between glass and salsa along the sides of the jar. Make sure you still have 1/2 inch space at the top. Wipe the rims clean to remove food or stickiness. Center sterilized lids on the jar and apply the screw band until just barely tight. Place jars in canner. Make sure the jars are covered with water in the canner and bring the water to a boil. Process for 20 minutes and remove. Cool and make sure all the jars are sealed. Sealed lids curve downward. Continue to cool for 24 hours. Wipe the jars clean and store.

Love and Patience

2009-08-20T10:37:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

So last night, the last stroke of Twelve marked the beginning of a special day for me. Today 4 years ago I was married to my amazing husband. It also marked the end of a 2 year battle, no not with said amazing husband, we don't have battles, it was with my Living Room.

Picture this if you will - a lovely Living Room with a vaulted ceiling that reaches about 15 ft high. There are plenty of windows and a fabulous skylight. I'm sure you're now wondering what my battle could possibly be. Sounds wonderful doesn't it? It is! During the day, when it's all bright and sunshiny. I love pulling up the blinds, and on the not-so-hot days, opening the windows for a nice cool breeze. I love this room. But when we purchased this home 2 years ago, we didn't realize the major downfall with the room was it's lighting. This lovely wonderful sunlit room turns into the darkest abyss in the evening. Why? Because some stupid designer thought that one spotlight way up high on that vaulted ceiling would be sufficient, plus two outlets with their own switch. I mean, what more could a person want? Um... a spotlight, really? And where am I going to find toddler-proof lamps? Is it just me that thinks lamps should be accessories, not the only source of decent light in a room?

Hence, last night, just after midnight I was gloriously bathed in more light than the spotlight ever gave from just one single 60W bulb plugged into the newly hung chandelier! The one that requires 8 bulbs. The one that we hunted for a long time to find. The chandelier is a thing of beauty. It was exactly what we were looking for, and within our budget. We had hunted online and in stores for nearly a year and I had seriously given up hope. The size and style I wanted was anywhere from $250-500! Then, to install it, it would have cost us even more! We just didn't want to pay that much.

This chandelier was $100! It was the last one, the floor model, filthy as could be hanging there in the store. We almost walked past it, in fact, I think we may have a few times before we noticed it. Even when we saw it, we still weren't sure. Was it really what we wanted? After 10 minutes thought, we knew it was. We bought it a few months ago and just in time to be one of the best Anniversary Gifts ever my husband worked like a dog to hang it last night. He did a fantastic job thanks to the help of his and my Father! We saved so much money just by waiting for what we wanted (and of course - because I have a patient husband who's willing to try just about anything himself).

Thank-you Matt for your amazing hard work and patience with this chandelier. I know it wasn't easy. Trust me, I watched you wobble up there on the scaffolding, pulling, lifting, sweating in the heat, and knew that the main reason you were even up there was because you loved me. I love you too. Honestly 4 years ago I did not think life could get much better, but it has! So much better! Thank-you!

Two Night Stands

2009-08-18T07:08:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

Once upon a time my husband and I were using one of the end tables meant to be in our living room (as if it would have fit in that little matchbox) as our night stand. Yes, just one. Our bed was against the wall. There was only room for one. When we moved to our next apartment we got a cheap end table and used a bookshelf on the other side.

So when we finally moved into our new home I had hopes of finding the night stands of my dreams. Those were quickly dashed as I discovered just how much they could cost. Finding something I liked under $100/per stand was impossible. So I hunted Craigslist. Eventually I found two that I thought had hope. Pine night stands. 2 of them for $30. My husband wasn't so sure about them, they needed work, it was obvious from the picture online, but I was sure I could do it.

They were in terrible shape. They were covered in cobwebs, one was missing a foot, the other the back, the tops were disgusting with rings from cups, marks from pens and I think a highlighter, they smelled of smoke, and they were the absolute wrong color. Light pine. Not so cute with my dark cherry bed. They were way worse than pictured online and when I brought them home even I was dubious as to their potential.

But despite my doubt another DIY project began. First I stripped the varnish and sanded those suckers down. Ha - one sentence for hours of work. It seemed endless. Or should I say it was endless? When that was finally finished I painted them with a flat black paint. After the paint was dried I distressed them. That took a bit of work to get a good look too.

Center Black drawer = Painted, Bottom = Distressed, Top 2 = Stained

Then I did something I was rather excited/nervous about. I stained them with a dark red stain that matched the bed. Let me say I had no need to be that nervous. After staining them enough and coating them with some varnish I couldn't believe the results myself. I only wish I took a real before picture. So instead you get to see some of the process and the end result.

Painted

Seeing as these were finished long ago, they are already stock full for the after pictures. I have a lot of craft books for inspiration.

After

Once again post is part of Trash to Treasure Tuesday over at Reinvented. My husband is very excited about Trash to Treasure Tuesday and wants me to do this every week! I wonder why? Something to do with the fact that I've accumulated a lot of "Trash" over the few years we've lived here? Probably...

When Life Gives You Zucchinis

2009-08-12T08:09:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

So last weekend my parents came to visit. Prior to their visit I called them up. The conversation went something like this:

Me: Mom can you guys bring some vegetables from your garden? Please?

Mom: I'll see what Dad can get for you, what do you want?

Me: Oh, well some zucchini, cucumber, whatever's ready, I'll take.

Mom: Well, we'll see what we can bring down.

The next day Dad brings in the loot. A few nice cucumbers and two zucchini's. I seriously stared at them for a day wondering what to do with them!

Don't worry, I know how to cook with zucchini. I love the stuff grilled, fried, mixed into many meals. It's just that I now have more zucchini than I've ever had in my entire life!

I'm sure some of you are thinking "OK Maggie, two zucchini's, you seriously can't handle that?" These are not just any two zucchini's though. Pictured below they are beside one of the larger zucchini's I'd purchased at the store earlier last week. Now do you understand?

So I'm going to be making Zucchini Salsa! Hurray! That and regular Salsa. So delicious. I figured if I'm going to break the canner out I might as well make it worth it.

By the way, I just froze 10 lbs of Blueberries last night. Delicious and easy. My only problem is I'm wondering if it's enough.

Trash to Treasure Tuesday

2009-08-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

Tuesday, for many in the blogging world, is Trash to Treasure Tuesday. I thought I'd join the band wagon today and share my most recent thrifting find and what I chose to do with it.

Before:

Old Sign ($4.99)

This sign was probably in good shape once upon a time. When I found it there were scratches and marks on it. It also had raffia tied on it to hang it. I already removed that. I also didn't have need for anything pink in my house. Maybe someday I will.

I'll confess I wouldn't normally pay this much for a sign. Seriously, that was more than I wanted to pay, but I haven't been able to find boards with the nice routed edges lately so I caved.

I decided it was the perfect size for a space in the nursery where a shelf had formerly been. It fell off the wall so we ended up with two large holes. We're not re-painting this room so I needed something to cover the holes.

Supplies and Instructions:

Left-Over Paint (Free)

I sanded the sign down and painted it with two coats of this beautiful green left-over from our home make-over.

Note: if you want to distress the sign do it right after the paint is dry. Then wipe it down with a damp cloth to get the dust off. After everything else is on, it's way more difficult to do this.

Iron-on Flocking ($1) (Yes you read that correctly.)

I cut pieces of the flocked flower to fit the lower left and upper right corner of the sign. Cutting the right size was important so I didn't iron extra petals onto the nice routed edges. That would have been a mess. I applied this once the paint was dry following the iron instructions on the back. I touched the paint with the iron in one spot and had to touch it up. I was really smart to apply this first so the lettering could be aligned well in the rest of the space. Note that it's really important to wait for this to cool before you pull the top back. Otherwise the flocking won't stick properly.

Stock Vinyl Lettering ($5.99)

I found this Vinyl at a local craft shop and decided that the price was better than paying for custom and shipping. Plus I could get this done on my time and not have to wait. Once the touch-up paint was dry I applied the lettering.

After ($12 Total):

I love how this turned out! The green looks fantastic and goes great with the Nursery. The price was great too. That's how much I would have paid for the Vinyl alone had I gone the custom route.

The flower and the it's texture gave the sign a very unique look. It's not your normal choice, I know, but I think it looks very modern and fun.

*This post is part of Trash to Treasure Tuesday over at Reinvented.

Conviction

2009-08-05T11:25:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

I saw this video today and it had me laughing and moved. It's so hilarious and yet it talks about something that I've been thinking about for a long time. Studying language has truly made me consider how I speak my own native language. I will be the first to admit I do not speak it well, I do not always speak it with conviction, and I do not always say what I meant to say. I believe that comes with speaking. (Or was that pregnancy?)

The typography is so amazing and the speaker does a fantastic job. Watch, enjoy and share. Hopefully we can all walk away wanting to speak with more conviction, more authority, and more appropriately.

Typography from Ronnie Bruce on Vimeo.

Free Bag Patterns

2009-07-31T09:08:00.001-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

I love bags. I just don't love paying $15 for a pattern. So when I came across DIY Bag Lover the other day I was so excited. This site has a whole bunch of bag patterns and tutorials on one page. The best part - they are all FREE! Go ahead, check out the site. I'm going to make the Buttercup bag this morning.

Delicious Recipes I've Tried

2009-07-30T13:40:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

A while ago I subscribed to The Pioneer Woman's blog feeds. She's one amazingly talented woman. Her photos are beautiful and her tutorials and actions for Photoshop are wonderful, but what gets me is how much this woman cooks. Reading her blog posts about food almost always gives me cravings. And I don't think it's just because of pregnancy. I blame her pictures too.

So on the Fourth of July after we'd planned to have friends over, changed our minds as they were all out of town, booked a weekend away, and cancelled that when I got sick, we ended up having a small BBQ with 3 of our friends. It was fun, and I couldn't help but try some of Ree's recipes.

The day I saw these I had to have them. I craved them. I'd never even had them before and I wanted them like candy. So I made them. Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Thingies is one of my new favorite appetizers. I can't believe how simple the recipe is and how divine they are. I must warn you - do not nibble at these, take good sized bites (3 minimum) or you'll really feel the heat of the jalapeno. It you take bigger bites you won't feel the heat so much because you'll have more cheese. I must also warn you: Use gloves so you don't kill your hands, and anywhere you touch after (eyes do not fare well when rubbed with jalapeno oiled hands, just saying). The seeds and membranes are the hottest part so for less heat really get it all out. And lastly make sure your Bacon isn't too thick to bend and wrap, you want the thinner stuff.

Oh - and if you don't like Jalapeno Poppers - never fear. I don't like them either, or cheese-sticks for that matter. So please still give them a try. I've been craving these ever since I had them.

Monkey Bread is one of those things on the bottom of my list to make. Why? Well, I usually make the bread for something else first. Like rolls, loaves, or whatever. There's usually not left over dough. If there was, and this happened probably twice in my life, I made Cinnamon Buns. So when I discovered Ree's recipe for Monkey Bread I had to try it. I must warn you, it's not a recipe for dieters. My husband loved this recipe even more than me. If it wasn't for the heat of summer I'd be making him more. (Sorry, it's just too hot to cook right now.) So for those of you willing to try this here's what I did wrong: everything. OK just kidding, I think two things were what really threw it off. I used 3 of the Buttermilk Biscuit tubes, but the big ones. I think it's meant to be the smaller tube. I also used flaky instead of non-flaky. I'm not sure why that's important. It might have worked with the flaky had I used the right sized tube. I'll let you know once it's not too hot to cook.

Lastly, I finally discovered the secret to Dill Dip. I love dill flavored stuff. Dill Pickle Potato Chips, Dilly Potato Salad, Dill all over my vegetables. So it's no wonder I came up disappointed every time I made Dill Dip at home. It was never right. Not even most of the special Dip packages from specialty shops were just right. So I went online to figure out what I was doing wrong. That's when I discovered Pickle Juice was the missing link. I tried out this recipe for Fresh Dill Dip and fell in love. The flavor was amazing and of course, the fresh dill from my garden made it even better.

I know some of you probably have no desire to eat some of the things that I love. But I don't care - for those of you who love food as much as I do, and particularly, think you'll enjoy the recipes above - Happy Cooking and Eating.

Jelly Fish

2009-07-24T10:02:00.001-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

Have you ever seen a jelly fish up close? I got to this weekend! While we were out walking along the beach one of our friends spotted a jelly fish and wanted to know if he could catch it. He did and brought it over for all to see! He was pretty sure it was a Moon Jelly Fish.

Confession #4: I Break Down and Cry Sometimes

2009-07-22T09:19:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

There are so many crafty blogs out there. So many talented women, I'm amazed and inspired by. I'd like to think that some people get inspiration from my ideas and projects too. At least maybe just a little.But the one thing that I don't want anyone to think is that because I have talents or seem to have it all together that I'm one of those uber-wonder-women. I'm not. I do break down and cry sometimes. There are nights my husband comes home and I go take a nap. Dinner is not always on the table at 6 or 7, sometimes we just eat sandwiches for dinner. I'm not trying to say I don't love my life. I do. I have an awesome husband and an adorable son, and I love the home that we've created. What I want you to know is that I am not perfect. I'm just plain old me.

Crafting is one of my many outlets. It helps me take the break I need and makes me feel in control. Perhaps that's why yesterday after one particularly crazy phone call I broke out the fabric and cut out 2 quilt tops and a pattern. That was, of course, after a good long bawl.

Young Women's Plaque Tutorial

2009-07-21T10:36:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

Are you interested in making a Young Women's Plaque for yourself, your own daughter, or as a Young Women's activity? Here are the instructions on how I did mine:

1. I had a plaque from Value Village on hand. I painted the front cream. You could use a frame, a tile, or anything that you can come up with for this project.

2. I cut a cute piece of scrapbooking paper to the size of the front, coated the front in Mod Podge and pressed on the paper.

3. I used Vinyl Lettering my Mom gave me last year and cut "Virtue" on the Cricut in black Vinyl. I was too impatient and cheap to get the matching font. At the end I've listed a few sites you can order your own YW's vinyl. It's different from the one I used, but super cute too.

4. Once the Mod Podge behind the paper was dry I applied the Vinyl. I didn't coat the front of the paper with Mod Podge or a finishing spray as the paper had a pretty sheen to it I didn't want to mess up.

Where to buy Young Women's Themed Vinyl:

JK Vinyl Designs Etsy Shop

Legacy Signs

Vinyl Craft Lettering

Arroz con Pollo Recipe

2009-07-20T21:22:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

I know there are many recipes out there for Arroz con Pollo (Rice with Chicken), it does happen to be a very popular dish. I love it. Just two years ago I was given the wonderful gift of Dream Dinners after our son was born. It was a miracle, a life-saver, and I don't think I've ever fully thanked our friends enough for the wonderful gift. One of those meals was Arroz con Pollo, and since then I have craved it, dreamed of it, and even tried my own hand at it: Mexican Cheesy Chicken and Rice Recipe. While that was yummy (alright, I confess, I love it too), this recipe is to die for!

I finally got the Dream Dinners Recipe book from our library. I've heard so many mixed reviews on it that I couldn't bring myself to buy it. First I learned that most of their recipes are not their popular make-and-take dishes. Then I read how many mistakes that book has (and saw for myself the corrections list on their site) and to top it off no pictures?! I figured free library use versus purchasing it was a brilliant option. That and I do need some freezer dinners now that our second son is on the way. (10 more weeks, but who's counting?) Now, after

discovering the fact that one of my favorite all time recipes is in the book - I will sing it's praises. Alright, I'll let you know how I like the other recipes.

Can I tell you one last thing before I share this recipe? Good: It's dairy free if you omit the cheese topping. And it is just as easily gluten free if you purchase the right products, which for this recipe isn't hard.

OK so, without further ado:

Arroz con Pollo

1 cup uncooked rice (This annoyed me: the instructions tell you to cook the rice, if you have any left-over rice you'll need about 3 cups cooked rice)

1 cup black beans, drained
1 cup frozen corn (or canned corn, drained)
6 (4oz each) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

½ cup chicken broth
1 cup salsa
1 cup marinara sauce
½ cup red bell pepper, sliced
½ cup scallions, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup shredded cheese

Spray 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Prepare the rice according to package directions. Spread the rice over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Layer the beans, corn, and chicken over the rice and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Set aside. In a large bowl combine the rest of the ingredients minus the cheese. Pour the mixture over the chicken. Sprinkle with cheese.

Serves 6 (So I'm going to make one recipe and freeze half for my little family)

For dinner tonight... Preheat the oven to 350 F (175C). Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the internal temperature of the chicken breasts reaches 165F.

If you want to freeze it for later... Before baking, cover the dish with foil. Label, date, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before cooking as directed above. (A good idea is to double the recipe, or half it depending on portion size needs and cook one for dinner while freezing the other.)

Tomorrow the left-overs are going to be cut up, warmed up and wrapped inside a soft tortilla with avocado, sour cream, cheddar cheese and a squirt of lime. Oh so divine!

I've Been Busy

2009-07-17T09:53:00.001-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

I've been a little busy with a sick toddler. I can not tell you how much more laundry there is lately, how messy the house has become, and how crazy life can get when one person in the house is sick. But I know many of you completely understand. Try having a sick one for 4 weeks, with very little rational explanation as to why he's sick. Today he's getting allergy testing again. We're hoping it will give us some answers.

I have had time for a few projects but no time to show them to you. Hopefully soon.

I do have to take a quick moment however and brag about my wonderful husband. Not only is he the one doing 80% of the cleaning and laundry around here. He also just finished a website for a friend of ours. I think it turned out fabulous. All their (my husband and his friend) hard work together was worth it to see our friend so happy with the site, and especially to see him getting more business. I had the lucky opportunity to help out here and there. Mostly giving design advice when asked for, and taking the photographs for the site.

So to my wonderful husband who does so much work - I love you! And for the rest of you - if you want to see the site, or if you're in need of carpet cleaning and live in the greater Seattle area check this company out: Ryan's Restoration. He really will do a fantastic job. Trust me, I've seen his work.

And the Winner of the Young Women's Plaque Is...

2009-07-11T07:18:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

So I used Random.org to provide me with an unbiased random selection. Of course, with so few entries the chances of winning were high for both people! The random integer was:

The winner was the first commenter: Colleen!

She said: "I think my favorite value is Divine Nature. Knowing that I have a divine nature is linked to my faith, helps me value my individual worth, encourages me to gain knowledge, helps me appreciate my choice and accountability, motivates me to do good works, and gives me a true reason for having integrity and protecting virtue. My daughter will be a YW in 3 years and I hope she will see by that age that she is truly divine and want to have these values in her life."

Congratulations! I will have this on it's way to you shortly. I'm sure your daughter will enjoy it!

Can't Get Enough

2009-07-10T17:18:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

Have I mentioned lately how much I love my camera and how much I love Photoshop? Yes? Well, let me mention it again. I LOVE them!

Here's my SOOC (straight-out-of-camera) shot of the Space Needle:

And here's what I was able to do with it after 5 minutes in Photoshop:

5 minutes and I have a cool vintage look to my photo. Is that evidence enough for you? A good camera is worth every penny. Then there's Photoshop. It is so fun to play with photos in that program. I could spend hours, but luckily I don't have to.

Tonight's your last chance to enter the Give Away.

Confession #3: I Love Free Stuff!

2009-07-09T15:04:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

This week I started an online Photoshop Frame-Ups and Special Effects class from Jessica Sprague. Why? I've been interested in her classes for some time, but I'm always skeptical about spending money for something I can't really evaluate beforehand. I like to read the reviews on products before buying them, or check it out in a store first. So up until a couple of weeks ago an online Photoshop class was definitely not on my to-do list.

So what does my love of free things have to do with Jessica Sprague's class? When I saw she was offering a free class I jumped all over it! Here was my chance to truly evaluate her classes, and experience first hand, for free, something I was skeptical about. I completed my second assignment this morning. I'll confess, I wasn't overly blown away by the class (as in, I already knew 70% of the material) but what I did learn were short-cuts, easier methods, and I've got a better understanding of the why behind the how. I'm already glad I'm taking the class.

Could it get any better than that? Honing my photoshop skills for free? Yes? Oh, did I mention free Photoshop Frames, Brushes, Word Art, Masks and Texture Overlays? Yup, throw in a few of each of those for free! Ha. I love free!

Here's Project #1 working with PNG Frames and Word Art:

By the way - while working in Photoshop (CS3) I got stuck. I'd changed all the settings as suggested for the class and then all of a sudden I couldn't do a thing. Photoshop would let me select any tool, but I couldn't use it on the photo. All that showed up was the hand tool. Closing and re-opening the program didn't work. Finally, a quick internet search gave me the answer: I found the topic discussed here, and someone replied with this answer: Go to Edit>Preferences>Reset all Warning Dialogs. Thank-you Internet and dev47 for a quick resolution. I was able to move on.

Here's to Free Stuff! Don't forget to enter my Giveaway.

100 Posts, A Holiday and a Give Away

2009-07-04T09:08:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

This post marks my 100th Blog entry. I know it's been over a year since I started this blog, and that it's changed drastically since then. What started out as a family blog turned into a way to share my creations and thoughts with my friends. It seems fitting somehow that as I change and grow my blog does too.

This week I'm so lucky to be able to celebrate the remarkable independence of two countries: my native land, Canada, and my home, the U.S.A. I'm proud to be part of both places. I'm grateful to live in a free land, to be able to believe and live as I do, and that is truly what I wish to celebrate.

So on this lovely 4th of July I want to show my appreciation to my friends, family, and readers with a give away that shares a small part of my beliefs!

This is a unique item, and is specifically for young women. The values listed on this plaque are the values of the Young Women's program for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I believe that these are values that should extend beyond that program, however to all people. If we all knew about, understood, accepted, and acted upon these values there would be much more cause for celebration today! I love the fact that in November 2008 Virtue was added as a value to the program. (Hence, I was not able to get the matching font for the last word as I got this prior to the addition. I think it actually works well though, highlighting the newness and importance of the new value.)

This is for all those of you who have a beautiful Young Woman in your home, whether part of the LDS Young Women's program or not, or if you know of a Young Woman who could benefit from this special gift. Please enter.

How to Enter:

1. Post a comment below sharing your favorite value and why. I have comment moderation on so your post will not show up until after I approve it.

2. Only enter if you live in the U.S. or Canada, I will not ship anywhere else.

3. Give Away ends Friday, July 10th at midnight PST.

The winner will be chosen randomly and announced by Monday, July 13th. If I know you I will directly contact you when I post the winner, if not, I will need you to email me using the link in my profile.

*For those of you interested in making this project I will post instructions later this week.

Camping and Photography

2009-06-21T16:59:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

We went camping this week and had a fantastic time with our many friends that came along. I was able to have fun taking lots of pictures. Here's a little peak at the beauty we witnessed!

As a side note to my photography loving friends. I've been learning a lot about specific styles of photography online from Digital Photography School. I've also been having fun learning about photo editing from Coffee Shop (this blog also has free tutorials, textures and actions) and The Pioneer Woman (again with the free actions, etc.).

I'm sure that some of you are sitting there thinking "that's all great and wonderful, but I don't have Photoshop, nor will I be able to afford it for some time". In that case, I'd suggest you look into the free online photo editing programs. One I've recently looked at is Aviary. It may not have everything Photoshop does, but it looks like it will work well. Let me know if you try it and like it.

Child's Tote Bag

2009-06-16T17:09:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

I've been busy making more Strawberry Jam, organizing around the house, visiting with my parents, and sewing. I've actually done a lot of sewing lately. It's been awesome! Here's something I've had done for a while:

I made this tote bag for my son for taking his toys, books and coloring things to church on Sunday. It was my hope for Sacrament survival. Needless to say, he's still getting hauled out of Sacrament weekly, but this does help. I used canvas fabric from one of my old diaper bags. I made the pattern myself and bought some cheap fabric to line it with.

My other recent projects are from this fabric: A new diaper bag, and a tent for my son. I'll show you those soon.

Strawberry Jam

2009-06-01T15:44:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

Do you love Strawberry Jam? It's the favorite flavor at my house. But we're picky. Both my husband and I prefer smooth jam. No lumps of fruit that you just can't spread. No seeds to get stuck in your teeth. Now that's jam! So where do you get jam like that? At home! Just a few weeks ago I made my first jam ever. We love it so much we've already gone through 2 jars. I guess that means I'm going to have to make more!

I followed this recipe for the jam. Of course I pureed the jam in our blender and strained the seeds. It was a little extra work but well worth it. After cooking the jam to 222 degrees (just a little over what the recipe calls for) I canned it. It's a true work of art. After making more strawberry jam my next attempt will be blackberries. Yum!

Where I disappeared to...

2009-05-26T18:21:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

I disappeared for a while. Other than close friends and my husband and child I'm not sure many other people really noticed. But for a couple of weeks I spent days designing with the bride and her sister-in-law and redesigning. Luckily the sister-in-law did most of the sewing and I only holed up to do alterations and to finish the skirt. Finally I handed off the dress. With a prayer that the bride does not change in size before her wedding, and that with the few final touches and especially a good press and steam job that it will look picture perfect on that day. Here's the blushing bride in all her glory, the day the dress left my sight.

Congratulations Dear Bride and please do have a wonderful wedding. We will be cheering you on from this continent and praying that your day is as special as can be! Thanks for giving me the chance to remember a few long unused skills.

What Do You Think?

2009-05-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

Sometimes there are craft or home decor trends that I just drool over. I mean it. I see it and want it. Final. But then I get to thinking about them. Is it practical? Will I use it or like having it in my home? Or the ultimate question for me is always can I make it myself for less? Often after some serious thought I end up not making the purchase. (My husband is probably in complete shock over that last statement.)

So recently my Mom asked me if I knew anything about the current trend: Blackboard Vinyl, and how it works. Let's just say I've seen the item all over in the Blog world lately. I think it's absolutely adorable and seriously for about 5 minutes almost bought some for my house. (That was the first time I saw it.) Then, however, I got to seriously thinking about it. Thank Heaven.

Sure it is really cheap and cute. It's not only a decoration, but it has practical use. BUT, when it all boils down I HATE CHALK. Why then, would I ever want a blackboard in my home? In Elementary School we all took turns cleaning the chalkboard brushes. (Yes, when I went to school there were still blackboards.) So maybe that's why, or was it the sound of scratching nails on a blackboard that I associated with chalk? If you ever write on a cardboard box with a Sharpie it's pretty much the same sound as chalk on a blackboard. I did for a job. That just brings back memories of boredom. Then again, I don't know if that sound would even exist with the vinyl. Anybody out there know? But even more than all that. I just don't like the texture of chalk in my hands. It makes my skin crawl to think about it. I'm still wondering what crazy idea caused me to buy my son sidewalk chalk. I suppose this should be a confession, but no, it's merely an explanation. I'm so glad I thought that purchase through. Although, I suppose this one I could have given it to my Mom as a gift. Unless reading this is making her reconsider as well.

Overall - for looks I must say I approve. Adorable. But for practicality at my house it scores really low. As to the how it all works? It's really easy to put up and install just like all the Vinyl Lettering things out there. Just remember, the larger the piece you get, the more difficult it will be to align perfectly. Of course, considering the textured finish it will be thicker than the vinyl used for lettering. But it's still going to be a lot thinner than actually buying the blackboard.

If you do end up buying this product I sincerely hope you enjoy it. I'll be sticking with my Whiteboard and Dry Erase Markers. Thanks. Actually, one of these days I'll show you our own little system.

*images taken from Say it On the Wall

Delicioso Marinade

2009-05-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

I discovered this marinade one afternoon a few years ago while I was searching for a good marinade for Shish Kabobs. That night we enjoyed the most delicious Kabobs I think I'd ever had.

Delicioso Marinade

1/3 cup Soy Sauce

3/4 cup Olive Oil

1/8 cup Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 cup Lemon Juice

1 tsp Dry Mustard

2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Parsley

1 1/2 tsp Pepper

1 clove Garlic crushed

Place all ingredients in blender and blend thoroughly. Marinade meat for about 40 min-1 hour. Store in fridge.

We use this marinade on Chicken, Beef or Pork Kabobs or not. When we make Kabobs we like to marinade the mushrooms with the meat. It gives them wonderful flavor. If you're not grilling you can use the left-over marinade to marinate and fry mushrooms for on top of steaks too. Just don't over-do it.

Confession #2: I'm a Procrastinator

2009-05-14T12:12:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

If you want to know the real reason I need a large craft room or area it's because I have so many projects that I haven't started or haven't finished. It's not my tools that take up the space, or even my sewing machine and serger. Nope. It's all the things I have on a list of projects.

Last week I actually went through almost all of my craft things. This was because it was moved out of the old guest room so we could give our growing son the bigger bedroom and prepare for the second baby. It was so much work. I re-discovered things I had forgotten about. Like the skirt that I made for myself 4 1/2 years ago, but never finished because it was too small. Or the pajama bottoms I had cut out but never got farther than that. The quilt I began for my son, still unfinished. Scrapbook pages I have yet to put together, and oh so much more waited for me in my piles. My true identity became very clear to me.

I am a Procrastinator.

Procrastination at my house means:

1. I should really never be in charge of something major. Like a girls night out or a wedding dress.

2. I should not be allowed to shop. Period. I'd say just at craft/hardware stores, but pretty much any store can be dangerous. Trust me.

3. I shouldn't blog. This habit causes serious delay as I take pictures of the before, during and after. It also takes precious time. And yet I won't stop, don't worry.

4. I shouldn't read other Home Decor/Craft/DIY blogs. It makes me want to do more.

5. Projects shouldn't take priority over dinner or cleaning. Yet they often do, and seldom get finished. Sorry Honey.

6. Productivity in front of the TV is minimal. Even if there is something I could do while watching. I can't even knit while watching TV.

7. There are things that always need to be sorted through: Papers, crafts, mail, boxes of junk, etc.

8. Distraction by a craft idea or project is always welcome when the alternative is not interesting (ie. All the random phone calls, grocery shopping, folding laundry, etc).

9. Actually profiting from my projects is impossible. I take too long.

10. 80-90% complete is often good enough.

So I confess my true nature to all my friends and family. Maybe I should join Procrastinators Anonymous. But for now I will go sweep and mop my floor. It has been over a week since I actually did that. Then I think I'll make dinner.

Taco Soup with Black Beans

2009-05-13T09:41:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

I love a good soup. But make it Chili and I'm in heaven. It wasn't until much later in life that I discovered the joys of White Chili, Tortilla Soup and Taco Soup. Once again, I found myself in Heaven. Yesterday some of my friends got to sample my favorite Taco Soup recipe. So here's the recipe for everyone else to enjoy too:

Taco Soup with Black Beans

1lb Ground Beef, browned and drained

28 oz can Crushed Tomatoes

15 1/4 oz can Corn, undrained

15 oz can Black Beans, undrained

15 1/2 oz can Red Kidney Beans, undrained

1 envelope dry Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix

1 envelope dry Taco Seasoning (1/4 cup)

1 small Onion, chopped

1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.

2. Cover. Cook on Low 4-6 hours. (This can be cooked on med-low heat on the stove in about an hour, but it tastes way better done in the crock-pot.)

3. Garnish individual servings with: Corn Chips, Shredded Cheese, Sour Cream, Avocado, and Spinach as desired. A little fresh Pico de Gallo is always delicious too.

I usually use Ground Turkey instead of Ground Beef. I prefer to brown the onion before mixing it in, otherwise the onion is a little too strong for my taste. I put the Cheese, Sour Cream and Spinach at the bottom of the bowl so that it will melt, or wilt better. Then I stir it all up.

How does your Garden Grow?

2009-05-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

This year after attempting to late to sign up for a plot at the Community Garden we decided to try Square Foot Gardening. I'm excited to say we've got the boxes made, almost filled, and we have the seeds (and their locations) planned. I'm especially excited to try some things I've never grown before: Cantaloupe, Jalapenos and Round Zucchini.

Anyhow, as we've planned the locations of the vegetables, fruit, and herbs I realized we would benefit from plant markers. For two reasons: it makes it cute and so we remember where we planted things.

So I've found two really cute and crafty ideas for making them. I started the first idea and

then saw the second one. I'm not sure which I'll end up making in the end, but I will show you the finished product. In the meantime, if you are planning to make your own markers here are the ideas and tutorials from the online craft world:

1. Marble Garden Markers

2. Polymer Clay Herb Garden Markers

I Love To See the Temple

2009-05-04T10:21:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

This weekend I spent a few hours at the temple with my dear Sister and her son. I arrived and it was raining, but when I came out and there was glorious sunshine. I decided to take a few pictures of the gorgeous flowers there. By the time I drove home it was raining again. Go figure.

Have you been impatiently waiting to see pictures on my new camera? I'm still learning just how it all works. All I can say is it takes me a lot longer to download photos and sort through them. Not because it's slow or anything, just because I take WAY TOO MANY pictures!

Back to Designs

2009-04-27T08:05:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

Once upon a time I designed all sorts of clothing for myself. I must confess that out of those designs I probably only ever made one for real. I just finished the picture and was on to something new. If you're wondering why I haven't blogged for ages, it's mostly due to several weeks of the flu. But more recently it's due to the fact that I've been back at the design tables. This time I have already seen both designs part-way through creation as well.

The first pattern, a children's tote is cut out and by my sewing machines waiting to be made. The second pattern is a wedding dress for a friend. This has taken a lot more work. Luckily so far I haven't done any of the sewing. Each mock of the pattern (there were three of the upper half of the dress) has been made by her sister-in-law. I have yet to see the finished results of either pattern, but let tell you, they will be awesome. Beyond awesome! (My son has watched Bolt way to many times this week.)

So all of this designing has really made me want to make something for myself. I've got a few maternity patterns I might try. But you may be seeing more designs of my own in the future.

Inadequacy and Real Friendship

2009-04-17T16:39:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

Do you ever feel inadequate around someone? I just want you to know it's OK. But that they most likely don't have it as together as you think they do. Trust me. Some people are just really good at hiding it.

Remember Pottery Barn does not show lived in houses. So it's like the fashion super model for homes. Impossible to attain for 99% of the population.

I read this post today on Light Refreshments Served that made me think a lot about how grateful I am to have wonderful friends who don't judge me. They know that I'm not perfect and they don't care. It doesn't matter who's the best housekeeper, the most loving or patient mother, whose husband makes the most money, or who has the prettiest clothes. They just love and accept me for who I am - all my craziness included. I love those friends so much and I hope they know it!

Britains Got Talent

2009-04-16T21:32:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

I've see a few of the auditions so far and laughed and been amazed! Here's one I couldn't resist sharing. I can't embed it in the blog but here is the link. Enjoy!

Made New Again!

2009-04-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

Remember these items I bought? The bird house was about $4. No offense to those that love gold, but this was just a little too gaudy for me.

It has a few broken pieces, some dents and dings, but that just makes it unique. So with a little spray paint later and I have a beautiful spring birdhouse for my front entrance!

For a total of $5 I have all new decor. I used indoor/outdoor spray paint so it would last a long time or at least until I have another $5 to replace it with something else! At wich point I'll probably remove the bird house and make it a candle stick holder.

Confession #1 - I have no organization system.

2009-03-26T09:32:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

I like too many crafts. You name it, I have probably done it, or want to. While to many this may not seem like a big problem it really is. I have so many projects waiting for me to get around to them. If only it were just the sewing projects, but alas, it's the decor, the scrapbooks, the furniture, the artwork, and oh so much more. My craft closet has exploded and has taken over the entire guest room, part of the kitchen, and hides in my personal closet, the garage, and yet other locations throughout the house. Shhh - don't let my husband know how bad it really is or I'll never hear the end of it.

Anyhow - I saw this closet system and it had me drooling. That's about the size of my craft closet. But then I realized I have too many large items, tons of fabric, paper, supplies, a sewing machine and a serger and a whole lot more. Organizing it all into that little space would be next to impossible. I'm not kidding. No wonder it's all over the house. That and with all my stuff put away, even with the beautiful closet system - it would NEVER look this good.

Someday maybe I'll have my own craft room. Imagine that - just walk in, sit at the table and start back up on the current project? No clearing off the table just in time to eat, no hauling everything back out of the closet just in time to have to put it all back. Apparently other people have that luxury. I curse them, and secretly envy them.

Please Vote

2009-03-26T08:29:00.000-07:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

So a friend of ours has entered the CW11 and Art Institute of Seattle's Animation Competition. They are looking for Puget Sounds next Animation Hero. This guy has some serious skills and we think he deserves to win the competition. He's one of the Top 20 Finalists - and from what I can tell the only one that submitted a video and not just sketches. To watch his video and to vote for him go here. His submission is "Mista Barista". Voting is daily and ends on March 29th.

Another Thing to Crave.

2009-03-07T13:57:00.000-08:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

So one of my dear friends and her husband dropped off a movie and some treats for my Husband on his birthday. Thanks guys! Unfortunately for me - the treat means a new craving.

I'd NEVER had Samoas before. I know, some of you are in complete shock! Don't forget - I'm Canadian and these are one of the American Girl Scout cookies. Let's just say I'm in trouble. Pregnancy and something only available once or twice a year do not mix well. So for all of you Samoa cravers - here's a recipe. I haven't tried it yet myself. But I had to search and make sure it was out there.

Homemade Samoa Recipe

I'll let you know how these turn out once I try it.

P.S. For those Gluten Free friends of mine - here's someone's tips on making the Gluten Free version of this recipe: Gluten Free Samoa Recipe.

For all my Private Readers

2009-02-25T18:01:00.000-08:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

There are a few new posts on my private blog...

If you're not a reader and would like to be just let me know.

Update: I have added a link for the blog on the side. This way my public blog won't be inundated with links to the private one. It won't show when the blog is updated, but I figured you can check the private blog as frequently as I post on this one and will probably find some new reads over there.

Quilt Top Complete

2009-02-24T09:18:00.000-08:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

I confess, this is the second quilt I ever started. Not the first I ever finished though. My first quilt ever started is not complete yet either. The top was finished and I decided I didn't like it. I am planning to re-finish it soon so it will work for my son's toddler bed. So this will be my second quilt started, and if I actually quilt it this week as planned it will be my second quilt finished!

I learned a few important things about quilting while making this:

1. Once you've completed a block trim it down to size before attaching all the blocks together. You can see why that's important when you realize half of my blocks are not lined up properly.

2. The question of pre-washing fabric is a large debate among quilters. In this case seeing as all the fabric was the same company, the same line, and it just meant i had to iron and do a lot more work to get it all done I wish I hadn't pre-shrunk. Oh well.

3. Quilting Patterns can lack a lot of information. I think the one I got assumed that the quilter would understand a lot more than I do. So if you can learn from the Internet, a friend, or a class you might find the patterns make a lot more sense.

4. I just put the batting and the back all together. I used a spray adhesive to make them more stable while I quilt. I may pin it as well, but I'm hoping the adhesive will be enough.

Best of luck on your firsts (or seconds).

Thrift Store Finds

2009-02-24T08:40:00.000-08:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

So I'm sure to some it looks like I bought more junk. Just wait and see what I do with the $10 worth of items that I purchased. I'm excited about this!

IMPATIENCE!

2009-02-13T08:54:00.000-08:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

Months of anticipation all boil down to this:

My Birthday/Christmas/Valentines gift is "Out for Delivery" and I will hardly last as long as it will take to arrive. I have the most awesome husband in the entire world. Seriously - he always seems to know exactly what I want - even when I don't give blatant hints (like he got with this gift). Anyhow - if I seem a little busy or distracted in the next little while, it will likely be this - or the Egyptian Flu.

*Update: it has arrived and I have already taken over 100 photos. (Not that all of them are worth keeping.)

The Egyptian Flu

2009-02-12T14:25:00.001-08:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

So recently I have come down with a serious case of the flu. I just wanted to let everyone know.

I've been hot, cold, sniffly, nauseous, and had many other symptoms.

But don't worry. It's not contagious.

P.S. Have you heard of the Egyptian Flu? After 9 months you become a Mummy!

Baby Wearing

2009-02-06T11:53:00.000-08:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

(New Post on the Private Blog)

I have tried several methods of baby wearing:

The Ultimate Baby Wrap: So much hastle to get wrapped properly and then within minutes it is stretched too much to hold the baby well. I also got warm all wrapped up with this on in the summer.
BabyBjorn: My husband loves this, and I do too, now. My problem with this carrier was it was so big and bulky for everyday use, and not perfect for a newborn. That and when our son was around 4 months and facing out, he sucked on it the whole time he was in it. That was the first and last time his vomit was dark green.
Snugli: You would think it would be just like the Bjorn but it was not as comfortable, or as easy to adjust.
Baby Sling: Our friend had one made for us. It ended up being my favorite carrier. Not only is it easy to use, it's comfortable, and cute. I love that there are 3 positions for using it. I also appreciated how small it bundles up. The fact that I could use it without asking for help was a huge bonus.

Hence, when I had a baby shower to attend last night, and no desire to go shopping, I quickly searched for a pattern. Lo and behold, there are a few free patterns to follow, and it was super easy to make.

I used stretch sateen cotton which is supposed to be very comfortable for the baby. I also made it reversible, not just for the two fabric options, but because I think it gave it a more finished and professional look.

So for those of you who sew here's the pattern I followed: Handmade Adeliade's Free Baby Sling Pattern. Be sure to read the instructions on how to sew it all together. I messed up the end stitch

I also gleaned information from Karma Baby's Free Baby Sling Pattern. Her pictures and instructions worked a little bit better for me, but I relied on the other for the reversible instructions.

I'll soon create my own tutorial for all to download. Until then, enjoy the above sites.

There's a new Etsy...

2009-02-06T09:38:00.000-08:00

This site is no longer in use. You can see all this information and new posts at my new blog Maggie Muggins Designs.

Have you heard of Etsy.com? Perhaps you have sold or purchased on it recently? Well watch out Etsy - you've got competition! ArtFire.com They are up and running their Beta version. I have never sold on Etsy, or anywhere else for that matter. My crafts are either for personal use or for gifts. I don't think I've purchased on Etsy, although I have several things there on my wishlist. But today I found this new site and quickly found something I want.

So if you're looking for art, crafts, home decor, and oh so much more, stop on by and search on this new site. If you're a seller you might also consider joining while their fee is only $7 a month, no per item costs. The more you sell the better the deal.