Survey -- Stolen From Town Mouse in the Country

I feel like doing one of these today, so I stole this one... Hope Emilie doesn't mind ;)

1. If you could have a tea party and invite any 4 people, who would you invite and why?

Celebrities: Charliane Harris, Diana Gabaldon, Esmee Cullen & Carlise Cullen (I know not even a real people right?)
Non-Celebrities: ML, Steph, Meredith & Amy (My bridemaids, but the whole group hasn't been together since the wedding)

2. What is one city you'd love to explore? No one city, but both Ireland and Scotland top my list of countries to explore.


3. Describe your perfect day! Right now that would be some sort of spa experience... sleep as late as I want, go and get a massage, nails does, facial, hair done, have someone bring me delicious and healthy food, go shopping at Whole Foods with no budget and then go home to hang with Hubby and Nate.


4. What are some of your guilty pleasures? (Music, food, movies, etc)
Music: Ke$ha (that is embarrassing to admit)
Food: Pringles, combos, snickers, donuts
Television/Movies: The Twilight Series, TrueBlood, anything on Investigation Discovery, and any documentary about a serial killer.

5. What is your astrological sign and do you think you fit the description?

Sagittarius: "Restless, cheerful, and friendly, Sun in Sagittarius people are generally on the go. They have a love of freedom, and a disdain for routine. Generally quite easygoing, Sagittarians make friends with people from all walks of life. They love to laugh and tease, and get along well with both sexes.

Sagittarians have an often blind faith in people, and in the world. Their optimism is infectious, although it can get them into trouble from time to time. These are curious people who love to learn. Their idealistic nature is hard to miss.

Although generally easygoing, Sagittarius is a fire sign. This gives natives a generally quick temper. Fortunately, they're usually as quick to forget what got them angry in the first place.

The need for escape is generally strong, and some Solar Sagittarians come across as a little irresponsible. They're generally easy to forgive, however. After all, their direct, honest approach in life is admirable."

A pretty decent description although I don't think I am irresponsible at all... quick to temper is right on the money though.

6. When do you feel your prettiest? Probably right after having my hair done.


7. Do you keep a written journal or diary? Nope, not in a long time.


8. What is your main life goal? Be a good wife/mom, be a good person, raise a good man, Love more, hate less.

Who Knew The Things Actually Worked?

I was doing some spring cleaning (yes, I know it is summer) last week and noticed that the faux plants on top of the book cases in my living room were really dusty. It makes sense that they are dusty... I put them up there 4 years ago and haven't touched them since. Anyway I wanted to dust them and tried to think of the easiest way possible which was when I remembered something from Real Simple or Martha Stewart that said you should put the fake plant in a paper bag, add some slat and shake the hell out of it (ok so it didn't actually say that but that is my paraphrasing). So I tried it and low and behold.... HOLY CRAP... It actually worked. I still had to take the plant outside and shake it around a little to get the salt dust off, but it looks WAAAYYY better than it had before. I'm gonna have to remember that one!

Complete non-sequitur...

I was getting dressed this morning and wanted to wear a pair of tan capris to work. I dug them out of the hamper (DON'T JUDGE ME) and put them on only to remember that they had a big spot of dog blood on the leg from Beo's ear. I really didn't feel like putting on long pants, so I thought I remembered something about Hydrogen Peroxide being the trick to getting blood stains out so I tried it. I got a q-tip and the peroxide and began dabbing away... HOLY CRAP... it worked! The stain actually started to lighten and then disappear altogether. Now you can't tell there was blood there at all.

So the next time you have to dust a faux plant remember you need salt and a bag and if you have a blood stain hydrogen peroxide is the way to go.

Things I am Coveting Right Now...

I have put myself on a spending hiatus due to the fact that I just had to buy new tired for my car and the fact that it looks like our bathroom will need to be completely redone... not to mention I have been over spending in general (bad, bad me!).

That said, here are the things that I will be saving my pennies to buy at a later date:

1. I am IN LOVE with this pattern:



2. And I want to make it in this fabric:

Happy Father's Day!

We love you Dads!

Chicken Marinated in Beer

I can never figure out what to do to chicken before it goes on the grill... I really can't, and it seems like no matter what I do to it it all tastes the same in the end... like grilled chicken.

So I was looking through the Dean Brother's cookbook, Ya'll Come Eat, that my best friend gave me for my first mother's day and found their recipe for Beer in the Rear Chicken. You know, where you grill the chicken on a full beer can... any way I had chicken breasts not a whole chicken to work with and their recipe call for Mayo which hubby won't eat so I came up with this marinade instead.

In a shallow baking dish place thawed chicken breasts.

Squeeze lemon juice over chicken.

Coat both sides of chicken with kosher salt, black pepper, paprika, and celery seed. Pour on can/bottle of beer over chicken and let marinate for a few hours. Flip the chicken over about half way through. Grill/bake as usual.

The chicken had a little beery flavor to it, not overpowering, but pleasant.

Easy Balsamic String Beans

I really, really love canned string beans. I mean, eat them straight out of the can LOVE... I actually prefer them to fresh. But, in the summer when fresh green beans are plentiful and cheap we eat a lot of those as well. This is how I prepare them the vast majority of the time.

1. Steam the Beans!
2. While still hot pour balsamic salad dressing over the beans and toss to coat.

That's it!

Jasmine

I love the scent of jasmine. I have had several jasmine plants in the past but they have all succumb to some mysterious plant disease. I was looking to buy another and try again but they have been surprisingly hard to find. My mom stumbled upon this beauty at K-mart of all places.


Jasmine bloom at night and then the white star-shaped flowers promptly fall off the plant. The scent when they first bloom is intoxicating and heady. Since the blooms fall off you can gather them up and taken them elsewhere in the house or to work with you as a natural air freshener.

Dryer Balls

I have been a fan of dryer balls for a while now. I was using the blue plastic bumpy ones and they worked great, except that both the dogs and Nate like to steal them and play with them. They make the clothes softer, they reduced static, it was a win/win situation. What I didn't like about those plastic dryer balls were the plastic-y oily smell they have. Not that my clothes smelled plastic-y or oily, but you just had the feeling that the PVC was dumping loads of phthalates all over everything.

My solution? Wool dryer balls. Essentially, balls of either roving or yarn that has been felted so that they won't unwind. They are tossed into the dryer just like the blue plastic ones and they bounce around in your laundry making everything soft and static free.

I bought a "trial" set of wool dryer balls from Etsy. I liked them, they worked, but somehow I managed to loose all three of them. So I decided to order some of the "good" dryer balls from Buddha Bunz.

Seriously, Melinda makes THE BEST wool dryer balls ever! They are some heavy duty balls, much more substantial than my "trial" balls. You can ever order your Buddha Balls custom made where she will needle felt a design onto them and scent them. I thought if I was going to do it I was going to do it right so I order some custom balls and I could not be more exctied with the result!




I think it will make doing laundry (something I really like to do anyway... seriously, I LIKE doing laundry) that much more fun. Not only that, but the wool is a greener choice and I got to help support a work at home mom. That is truly a win/win for everyone!

Sewing on Jersey: The Result

Here is the result of my first attempt at sewing on a stretch fabric. As I mentioned in an earlier post I didn't find it difficult or scary at all. I al pleased with the shirt, although the next time I will make the ruffle and the neck fuller and rufflier.

Cost Comparison:

Original Boden Shirt: $35

Fabric $6 + Pattern $2 + Notions/time $0 = $8

Savings = $27

Sewing Update

I haven't been sewing as much as I would have liked to be, but any time I can get in is better than nothing. I was able to finish my pajama pants and will post a pic in the near future.

Last night I started what I thought was going to be a challenging project... sewing on jersey. I have NEVER sewn on a stretch fabric before, I was afraid to, because, you know, it is so much different than sewing on a woven fabric... expect I was completely wrong.

It is not more difficult to sew on... it was exactly the same. Ok, I had to change the needle in the machine, and use a few more pins, but that was about it. Really the only thing you have to remember when sewing on a stretch fabric (so I have been told) is NOT TO STRETCH IT. I didn't stretch it and everything is going fine.

I started off simple for my first project, a T shirt with a ruffle around the scoop neck.

I saw this shirt in the Boden catalog and thought it was really cute, but not for $34.

I found a pattern, some jersey on the clearance rack at Joannes and set to work last night. In 1.5 hours I was able to construct the body and the sleeves. Tonight I will attach the sleeves to the body, add the ruffle and hem it and my shirt will be complete.

Pics to come soon!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Arbor Day!

Go Hug a Tree!

Sewing Sewing, and More Sewing

All of a sudden I am having trouble prying myself away from my sewing machine. I think it is because every day my reader serves up a daily dose of inspiration from Made, Made by Rae, Crap I've Made, Grosgrain, etc.

So... I sew. So far I have made a denim wrap skirt and a kakhi wrap skirt. I made a spring top, Nate's Easter shirt, a coffee cozy, and... I can't remember what else.

Today at lunch I escpaed to the fabric store to pick up a few more sewing projects for myself. Here is what I have lines up:

1. Another spring top using this pattern and this fabric:



2. A summer top out of this pattern and fabric:




3. Sleep/Lounge Pants from this pattern and fabric:



4. I am going to try my hand at making a T-Shirt. I have never sewn on knit fabric before but everyone on the Internet seems to do it without a problem, so I think I can manage.

5. I Grosgrain Ribbon belt using these insturctions

I think that will keep me busy for a while. Oh and you might notice that I am fully embracing my punk side with all the skulls and tattoos. {{wink}}

New Blog to check out Plus The State Fair Frock Grosgrain Giveaway

So maybe everyone already knew about this blog but me, anywhere I just learned on Grosgrain today and I think everyone should check out her GORGEOUS clothes. I am completely IN LOVE with the State Fair Frock. If you love it as much as I do you should enter the The State Fair Frock Grosgrain Giveaway

How to Clean Your Powder Room in 5 Minutes with One Cloth

I'll be perfectly honest... I kind of like cleaning. I mean if it was a choice between a day at the spa and cleaning, the spa would win hands down, but there is something satisfying about taking something dirty and making it clean again.

Even though I kind of like cleaning, I really don't want to spend a lot of time doing it, so here is my 5 minute method for cleaning a powder room.

1. Put toilet cleaner in the toilet. I like Seventh Generation and Method.
2. Remove trashcan, bathroom rug, hand soap etc. Best to have uncluttered surfaces.
3. Clean Mirror with a clean microfiber cloth. Vinegar and water works great for this.
4. Spray all other surfaces (including toilet) with an all purpose cleaner. I like Sun and Earth and Method, but good old Simple Green works great too.
5. Wipe all sprayed surfaces with same microfiber cloth.
6. Scrub the toilet bowl with toilet brush and flush.

[At this point all of the things (toilet, sink, mirror, etc) in your bathroom are clean, time to hit the floor]

7. Spray the floor with the same all purpose cleaner.
8. Get down on your hands and knees and wipe the floor clean (YES, I ACTUALLY DO THIS). Your other option is to take the cloth you've been using to wipe down everything else and to attach it to your swiffer and use that to clean the floor, but I find trying to maneuver the swiffer in such a small space to actually be more work, so I do it the old fashioned way.
9. Find trashcan, rug, etc, wipe clean (if applicable) and put back in the bathroom.

That's it. Doesn't take long and it really can be done with one cloth. Just remember to do the mirror first and the floor last. Also, I use all non-toxic cleaning products. If you are using traditional cleaning products make sure they are safe to combine. REMEMBER TO NEVER COMBINE CHLORINE BLEACH and AMMONIA toxic gas will result and it can kill you.

Making Good on my To Do List

So a little while ago I posted my crafting TO DO list which included:

1. Finish the tan wrap skirt that is cut out.

2. Make the spring/summer blouse from this fabric before it is fall/winter.

3. Make this Tie Shirt for Nate in lieu of an Easter outfit.

4. Make a few bunny door hangers as Easter decorations.

5. Make a Can-Can Skirt for me

6. Finish Nate's birth sampler (before he finishes college, I think that is a realistic goal)

7. Learn to needle felt before next Christmas


I am please to give this status report:

1. Finish the tan wrap skirt that is cut out. Finished

2. Make the spring/summer blouse from this fabric before it is fall/winter. I finished this the other day, here are some pics,



3. Make this Tie Shirt for Nate in lieu of an Easter outfit. I posted about that here

4. Make a few bunny door hangers as Easter decorations. Tried and failed... I'm not so good at sewing curves apparently. Maybe I will try again with wonder under.

5. Make a Can-Can Skirt for me

Oh yeah and...

6. Finish Nate's birth sampler (before he finishes college, I think that is a realistic goal)

7. Learn to needle felt before next Christmas

Next on my docket is the finish a skirt that my mom had cut out for me. It was a yoked skirt and I put it together the other day only to find out it is too small in the waist. I removed the yoke and am going to turn it into a facing and the skirt should fit. I will post pics when it is finished.

Spring/Summer Bag

I like to get a new bag for the warmer months. I don't know why, I just do. Maybe it just freshens everything up or maybe it is because I like to carry a fabric bag in the summer as opposed the the leather bag I can in the winter. Who knows... anyway, I was looking at this Vera Bradley bag for this summer:

Saddle Up

I LOVE Vera Bradley, and I LOVE a saddle bag... but I am always hesitant to pay $65 for a fabric bag that, even with a good Scotch Guarding, might not make it to next year.

So I kept looking and thinking... then I started trawling Etsy.

And I found this:

Jenna Lou Designs

and then I found this:

Kathi's Kreations

and I fell in love. Oh how I love that Indie, Mod fabric, and the color combo and, and, and, everything about both of them... so I bought them... and I feel good about it.

Not only were they cheaper than the Vera, but I am helping to support handmade and helping other working women.

More Resuable Products

So you have all heard my rave about the reusable pads. I am sure some of you are thinking, please God don't let her talk about that again, pleas, please, please. Well, rest assured I am not. However I am going to talk about another product that I LOVE from Homestead Emporium (the company?) that makes the pads I like, and that is their reusable cotton balls... well they aren't really cotton balls at all, they are little rounds of serged Organic Bamboo Velor.

They look like this:

I use them to take off my eye makeup, to apply toner, almost anything that I would use a cotton ball for. I put the dirty ones in a small mesh lingerie bag and I wash them with my towels.

[Updated: I completely forgot to finish writing this post the other day. These are really easy to make too. If you don;t have any bamboo velor lying around (who does actually?) flannel works great too. My mom made her own set by cutting out two layers of flannel and zig-zagging the edges. Everything came from her stash so it was Ec-friendly and FREE]

Goodwill 4/13/10

I was having a crap-tacular day at work yesterday so I stopped at Goodwill on my lunch hour to see what they had. I have been inspired by Wardrobe Refashion to look for pieces of clothing that could be reworded into something else.

As you know Goodwill is hit or miss. Yesterday was a hit for sure.

I found a cute chiffon blouse for summer and a new pair of black Bandolino heels. I like to have two pairs of black heels for work. I wear them almost constantly and I was down to one pair after wearing the other pair to a funeral with mud so thick it actually sucked to shoe off my foot... there is really no going back from that.

So then I wandered into housewares and found the Williams-Sonoma Pumpkin cake pan that I have been coveting for year... maked at $2.

Then I walked through toys and spied a Thomas the Train play mat that nate would go biserk over. Sadly another mother snatched it up before I could get to it. As I was headed to the counter I looked down and found this beauty...


A Kik-Step library stool.... for $5. I remember when Meredith found her library stool at a yard sale and how jealous I was... I am jealous no more.

To Hubby: Happy Birthday Baby!

I love you!