Sparkly Light Switch Covers

After a couple of whirl wind weeks... DD#2 graduated from high school, family down to visit and a week away from home on business, I can finally get back into a routine and get some posts up!  This project I started about 6 months ago, you know, just about Christmas time.  Isn't that when every teenage girl decides she MUST totally re-do her room?  New curtains, new mini blinds, new paint, crown molding, closet update, the whole nine yards.  And for some reason can't understand why you aren't as excited as she is, and don't even think you can pass this off as a Christmas present! Teenagers in Podunk are just like all other teenagers!

But I digress...sometimes you've just gotta wait and see how a project turns out.  I was a little sceptical when DD#2 showed this to me and declared that she wanted these for her bedroom that we were already painting an obnoxious fabulous pepto bismol pink! I didn't think they would hold up to the wear and tear of a teenager, but they have!  And now I want to share them with you.  SPARKLY light switch covers!!  

It was a little challenging to get a picture of them... they sparkle and reflect light like crazy, but if you have a daughter who's into BLING, by all means, these are amazing.  Slightly scratchy, but amazing!

We started out with the existing light switch cover - cheap, plastic and ugly.  I just wiped it clean with a damp cloth (trust me it needed done...icky) and let it dry completely.




My original thing of glitter with MUCH bigger!  Just using this one for reference.



Sorry, there are no pictures for this process... remember, I didn't really think it would work?  Well, I should have taken pictures anyway!

First I laid down some newspapers because I tend to be messy.  Then I smeared a pretty thick layer of Mod Podge over the entire surface of the switch plate.  Be sure you get it all the way over to the edges.  Then I sprinkled very liberally with glitter.  The glitter pictured is NOT the size I used... maybe 4 x that much.  Be sure you get glitter clear over to the edges (do you notice a reoccurring theme here?).  I let that set for about 30 minutes before lightly tapping the loose glitter off.  I recycled that glitter for switch plate #2.  Then I let it dry overnight.  

Once it's dry, I took it outside and sprayed it liberally with the clear polyurethane pictured.  I bought the gloss, but it comes in matte too.  Personal preference.  Then I let it dry for at least 4 hours and sprayed it again.  I did 3 coats of polyurethane and let the final coat dry overnight. 

That's it.  We hung it and have been using it for over 6 months now with no signs of wear and tear at all.   

Glitter comes in a variety of colors, and if you wanted to go crazy you could even do a design (thinking stripes or chevron would be cute).  And if you're like me, and love crafts and have girls, you probably even have all the supplies on hand, which makes it even better.

The "Art" of procrastination.

Our best friend's daughter K is going to have a baby.  We've known K since she was maybe 3 or 4 years old, and have watched her grow up, to to college, move off, come back, go back to college again, move off, and move back.  Typical 20's stuff.  Around Christmas, she and TJ announced they were going to be parents, and our friends are pretty excited.  This will make grand baby #3 for them.

K's baby shower was Saturday, and while I had the best intentions, when I woke up on Saturday morning, her present wasn't done.  Well, to be perfectly truthful here, it wasn't even started!  While this might throw most people into some sort of panic, I just looked at the fabric (which I had purchased on Monday, and washed on Tuesday) and went and made come coffee.  The shower didn't start until 1:30pm.

I started in earnest, cutting out the fabric about 9am, right after DD#2 and DD#3 left for a 4-H function.  I had decided to make here some baprons and some burp cloths, matching of course, and in her jungle nursery themed fabric. 

Fabric found at Hobby Lobby

I had decided to make her 3 of both, so I cut 3 bapron pieces from each of the fabric to make one bapron from the animal print, one from the green plaid, and one reversible.  You can find this great pattern by visiting Jess at "Craftiness is not Optional".  If you haven't been over there she has tons of great patterns and tutorials and the most adorable baby ever!

Cut 3 from both fabrics

Then I cut out the burp cloths.  I found this great, super easy pattern at "Cloud 9 Fabrics".  I started out only going to make 3, but had just the right amount of fabric to make 4, so 4 it is.  I didn't take pictures of that - kind of dull actually. 

Now it's about 9:30am.



I started sewing.  I didn't take pictures of that either (hard to sew and photograph).  The burp cloths took about 30 minutes beginning to end (I do have a serger, your time may vary) including the top stitching that really makes them look nice.

Now it's about 10am. 

I started on the baprons, and got the fronts and backs sewn together and was ready to started the bias tape trim when I suddenly remembered, when I purchased the fabric, I didn't pick up the bias tape. I rummaged through my stash of bias tape and had a dark brown and a lime green, enough for two bibs, so finished up the two bibs.

Now it's about 11am. 

I've never made bias tape before, but I've read a couple of tutorials, so I pulled out my fabric stash, and found what I thought  hoped would be enough to make bias tape. 

Then I went and took a shower so my hair would have time to air dry.  I MOST CERTAINLY did not take a picture of that!

Now it's about 11:30am. 

I pulled out the iron, and the ironing board, and a ruler.  DD#1 has my rotary cutter and mat, so the bias tape will have to be done the old fashioned way.  I cut out 2" wide strips of fabric on the bias, and kept cutting until I thought hoped I had enough.  I sewed all of my strips together, and then measured the strips - whew, just enough.  Now, with my trusty iron and ironing board I ironed the double fold bias tape.  I did not take pictures of that either.  Hot iron, camera, fingers... I didn't see that turning out well.  The good news is that the bias tape turned out perfectly.  The really good news for you is that I can advise you to never make bias tape this way, instead go to the tutorial I found here and follow it.  Dana at "MADE"  explains it better than I ever could.  I will be making all of my bias tape following her instructions from now on.  Not one bit scary, now that I've done it.

Oh, and it's now noon.

I took my adorable brown gingham bias tape and finished bib #3.

It's 12:20pm.



Middle bib is reversible

Entire jungle set

I got out my gift bag and "wrapped" up the little jungle set, added the card, then straighted my hair and threw on a nice shirt (defined by me as anything not a t-shirt) and out the door. 

It's now 1pm. 

Short drive to the church where the shower is taking place.  Walk in the door - it's 1:25pm.

Now that's the art of procrastination!

Menu Planning in Podunk

This week in Podunk is going to be a busy week, not that every week isn't a busy week!  I have been so lazy distracted lately that I have not been posting like I had planned, but that's got to change.  And it's not because I have been lacking for content either!  So, one of my favorite organizing blogs, "I'm an Organizing Junkie" has Menu Plan Mondays, and I have decided that this is exactly what I need to do for my upcoming week and to jump start my blog again :)  My menu is simple, but simple is good, RIGHT??

Monday
Activity: Dr appointment, grocery shopping and buy fabric for baby shower gift.
Dinner:  Jambalaya (from zatarain's mix on sale at local grocery store) with smoked sausage and left over birthday cake for DD#2 birthday last week.

Tuesday 
Activity:  Another birthday (DD#3 will be 16!!).
Dinner:  Roast chicken (cheating and picking this up from Sam's) and mashed potatoes, and Grandma Sarah's cupcakes.

Chicks for the FFA petting zoo

Wednesday
Activity: Pick up hay and fence for tomorrow's FFA petting zoo.
Dinner:  Baked Spaghetti and French bread (I am hoping for leftovers for lunch the rest of the week.)


Baby ducks for the FFA petting zoo

Thursday 
Activity:  FFA petting zoo. 
Dinner:  Fried rice, using leftover roast chicken.


Baby calf and baby pig for FFA petting zoo.  They <3 each other!

 Friday
Activity:  Finish sewing gifts for tomorrow's baby shower.
Dinner:  Tacos with homemade taco seasoning.



DD#3 getting ready for FFA petting zoo.

Saturday
Activity:  Friend's baby shower. 
Dinner: Pizza with homemade pizza crust

Sunday
No Activity!  Unless you count laundry and dishes.
Dinner: Crock pot southwest soup (from pinterest) and french bread. 

25 Cent Sunday

For the last few weeks, my 3 daughters, granddaughter and I have been sharing some quality time, and making great memories on Sunday mornings with a new obsession of ours -  THE 25 CENT SALE.

 

Our local thrift store has item with certain colored tags for 25 cents or 5 for $1.00.  Amazing! Incredible!  To quote one of my co-workers "you can't get anything for 25 cents".  Oh, but you are wrong. 

This past weekend, here is what we got:

Fancy little basket - already holding the remote at DD#1's new house.

Two Jones New York sweaters for me.  The gray is a long sleeve, and the pink on it exactly matches a scarf I just finished crocheting.  The blue is short sleeved.  Both are in perfect condition.  I wore the gray one and the scarf to work today.

An adorable skirt for DD#3 to wear for various school functions.  If she only wears it once, I'm money ahead!

Two more baskets for DD #1 new house.  No, the apples were not included, but by the time I got the pictures, the fruit was already in there and on her kitchen counter.  The darker basket with a handle is now in her guest bath with wash cloths.

Three knit shirts of various sizes that I purchased to make bibs for Ms Paytan. The green one is Paul Frank.  I am planning on using the "bapron" pattern that DD #1 found here via Pinterest. It's such a cute pattern, with an even cuter baby model.  I can't wait to make one (or actually several).

Three great guys plaid shirts.  One is Old Navy, one is Ralph Lauren, and one is Redhead (Bass Pro brand).  I can't decide what exactly to do with these, but I love the colors.  They will either become bibs for a little nephew (maybe not the pink one!), throw pillow covers, or rag quilt pieces.  Maybe all three!  DD#1 also bought 3 men's shirts that I didn't get a picture of, and they are already throw pillow covers.

Two light weight shirts to make little summer dresses and diaper covers for Ms Paytan.  Thinking something lady bug from the black checked one, similar to this dress I found on Pinterest.

DD#1 bought 2 summer dresses (back row) and two summer tops.

She also bought this simply darling little top. It is going to become a dress for Ms Paytan to wear to DD#2 high school graduation.  Love the details, and while you can't tell very well from the picture, the buttons are sparkly.





And certainly not least, a Carter's sundress in perfect condition.  This one will have to go into a rubbermaid storage tub for next summer, but for 25 cents, DD#1 will happily store it.

What I didn't take pictures of were the 6 throw pillows of different sizes that are all going to be recovered, a king size sheet that is going to become curtains for DD#1 guest bedroom, 2 sweatshirt that DD#2 is going to do something crafty to, a pair of jean shorts for DD#3, a picture frame and a gray, never been worn blazer for me to wear to work.

In total, I spent $4.00 (this includes DD#2 and #3), and DD#1 spent $9.00. 

Now, I must craft and sew everything I bought so we can go again next Sunday.







Crocheted bag from grocery bags - part 1

I found a really sweet crocheted bag while surfing the net, on this website.  I love it's shape, but something just didn't quite do it for me, but I bookmarked it.  You just never know when inspiration will strike.

 Then I found a really cool crocheted bag, made from recycled grocery bags on etsy, but I didnt' care for it's handles - plus I didn't want to buy one, I wanted to make one. 

I was working on Christmas gifts, and inspiration struck me one day as I was gathering up all of my plastic grocery bags to take them to the recycling center.  Note: in Podunk, they don't pick up any recycling curbside, you must take it to them.  Inconvenient.

Back to the inspiration... I decided to take the best of both worlds and see what happened.  Since the recycled bag didn't come with any instructions (they wanted to sell it, not give me instructions) I had to make some guesses.  Turns out, I guess pretty well!

I am going to make this post from here into 2 parts.  This part is the prep, and the second part will be the actual creation part.  If you feel the need to jump ahead, the website where I found the first bag has complete bag instructions. 

First, you will need to gather approximately 50 plastic grocery bags.  They need to be clean, so either wash the ones with the "stuff" stuck to the insides, or sort them until you have about 50.  I chose to only use one variety of bag, the one from our local grocery store.  I like the colors.  You can mix and match if you like.

Once you have your grocery bags, you need to cut them up.  For me this is the hardest part - not because it's actually hard, but because it takes a long time, and I am not a patient person.  I am using a cutting mat with a rotary cutter.  This is not essential, but it certainly makes it easier!

I found that I can cut about 5 bags at a time with the rotary cutter, so I lay them out flat, and then fold them once and line up on my cutting mat and trim off the bottom.



Then cut the rest of the bag, up to the handle portion into about 1" width strips.

Discard the handles and trimmed bottom.  Add them to your recycling. 

Put all the strips in a bag or a box, or in some way contain them.  You are going to have a bunch, so you will want containment!  Mine tended to have static cling, so I just threw a dryer sheet in with them and shook the bag a little.

Once you have them all cut, you need to string them together to make you "ball of yarn" that you will crochet with. This takes a while too... hang in there, the fun is just around the corner.

 First open up one loop.

Then take a second loop and make a slip knot with it through the first loop.

And pull until snug... not too tight or you will break one of the loops, but you also want your knot to be small, or that will cause you challenges when you start to crochet.

Continue looping together until all your strips are one LONG string.  You will want to either roll it into a ball or have some sort of containment.  Daughter #1 uses a paper grocery bag, but you can use whatever you have handy.



 Once you get finished, kick back and relax.  The hard part is done.  See you again in Part 2.

My New Fat Quarters

I found this quilt that I simply LOVE on Pinterest.  So basic, but so colorful.

And I followed the link off of Pinterest to a blog called Stitched in Color.   She has a whole tutorial on how to make this quilt.  At first I was thinking "what a great idea for my scraps", and in fact I think that's what I said on my pin.

But then, I remembered that I have a nephew due in February, and this would be an easy baby quilt to make.  Only problem was I wanted some really great farm/boy fabric, and the "box" fabric stores near Podunk just don't have the best selection.  So, I followed the advise on the blog, and visited her advertisers... isn't that what all bloggers want you to do anyway?

I found this great fabric, in fat quarters, just as her blog suggested.

Isn't it fabulous? Lots of tiny cows and sheep and pigs and tractors. Just what a little boy needs.  And more than enough to make this quilt with!  I might even have scraps left over to make bibs out of.

I ordered it on a Friday.  They shipped it on the same day, and I got in on Tuesday.

I highly recommend ordering online!  It was so easy.  I will be doing it again. I got this fabric from Fat Quarter Shop.  I will be posting pictures of the quilt when I'm done.  I will, however, be making one slight change to the original instructions - I will be sending this off to get machine quilted.  I've tried to quilt them myself, and it always comes out looking like a herd of monkeys did the quilting! 

No monkey quilting for the new nephew!

Pinterest

Is anyone else addicted to Pinterest?  I know you're out there... I suspect there are many of us! I hope.  PLEASE let there be someone else. PLEASE.  

I would like to say that I am taking part in the 12 step program to kick this addiction, but I'm not.  I like this addiction, and I don't WANT to kick it.  In the interest of full disclosure, I do think that recognizing you have an addiction is the first step.

Here's what I've made... so far!

I have made sugar hand scrub before.  I found my first recipe here, on the Chickens in the Road blog (one of my very favorites).  But then on Pinterest, there were so many scents and combinations I had never thought of before.  Perhaps for good reason.  I "created" the peppermint sugar scrub picture all by myself.  BAD idea.  It smells amazing.  It looks amazing.  This problem is after sitting for a week to give for Christmas presents, the stuff turned into a solid chunk, and I had to throw it out.  I will stick to the tried and true recipes.  The ones I eventually used are here, but they are really everywhere.

The girls were needing Christmas presents for the FFA gift exchange, and these redneck wine glasses were so cute, but in the store they are like $14.99!  No way, but on Pinterest, I spent $2.00 per glass plus the candy and eventual ribbon that was added.  Everyone that didn't get one was jealous.

We always try to make a special Christmas present for the couple that got us started in cows.  This year we made custom coasters and glasses etched with their farm name.  The calf on the coaster is the first calf we bought from them.  We did 6 coasters with 6 pictures of their different cow.  I didn't get a picture of the glasses, but I also did some glass etching for me.

I borrowed a friend's cricut to cut the "B" out of vinyl.  It worked amazingly!  I made a ton of glass etched Christmas presents, and so did daughter #1.  Now I want a cricut!



These lovely little things are crocheted braclets.  I made one for all the girls for stocking stuffers.  The Pinterest link went to an Etsy shop, and they wanted $28.00 for one.  I just used my smallest crochet hook (which ironically I realized later was label "Loreal" lol) and chained a bunch of stitches (I just wrapped it around my wrist to determine how long) and then single crocheted two rows, added a button, and walla, stocking stuffer.

I made two of these for my sister in law for Christmas, only I never gave them to her!  She got sugar scrub instead!  (Sorry Sally!)  They just look so cute on my dining room table, and smell good too.  The little square glass voltive came from the Dollar Tree ($1.00 each) and then I got whole coffee beans from Dollar General, and I already had the tea lights.  I do intend to glass etch some for Sally as a gift later... really.

And last, but certainly not least is my spin on this adorable crocheted bag, instructions are found somewhere on the internet, but I've lost the link.  If anyone knows where this came from, I would be happy to link the instructions.  But I made a spin on the original instuctions by making this bag 100% out of recycled plastic grocery bags.  I will be posting the complete instructions later, but if you want to make one, start saving your plastic grocery bags now.  It takes about 50 bags!

I have so much stuff pinned.  I can't wait to share it all with you.  What are you pinning?

Homemade Laundry Soap

It's time to make laundry soap.  I've been making this for just over two years now, and I wouldn't go back to the high priced store kind.  No way!  For those of you who have the high efficiency front load washing machines and worry about using this, that's exactly what I have,   Whirlpool Duets.  You will find this recipe all over the Internet, so I don't have anything special or new, but I do have PICTURES with mine!!

It's a pretty simple deal.  3 ingredients, 4 if you count water, 5 if you want fragrance.

1 bar Fels-Naptha Soap

1 cup Super Washing Soda

½ cup Borax

Water - HOT from the tap

5 gallon bucket

Optional : essential oil 10drops per gallon (lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil, etc.)

 Oh, I guess 6 if you count the bucket!  Is a bucket an ingredient?? 

First step is to grate the soap.  You can use a food processor if you like, but a regular cheese grater works just fine.  I grate it over a paper towel so I can pick the towel up and use it to pour the soap into the water in that step.

When you're done, it looks a little like a pile of cheddar cheese.  Then put a pot of water on the stove over medium low heat - the amount of water is somewhere around 3 - 4 cups. This does not need to be exact, you're just going to melt the soap here. 

PLEASE, PLEASE do not look at the dirty stove!  We are making soap here! 

Then using your paper towel, pour the soap into the water and give it a quick stir.  Don't have the heat too high, we are just melting the soap, not boiling it.  If you boil it you will have a giant mess!  I might have done that before (I'm not saying!).

Now, get out the other ingredients, 1 cup of washing soda... I've included a picture of the box.  I sure wish I had a picture when I was trying to find this stuff.  I was looking for a little box, like the baking soda comes in!  I got mine at the local Krogers, usually grocery stores have it. They also have the Fels-Naptha soap.  My local Wal-Mart does not.

And now the 5 gallon bucket.  Put about a half gallon of the hottest water that comes out of your tap into the bucket.  Add the 1 cup of washing soda to the water.

Stir it completely with a LONG handled spoon. 

Now add the 1/2 cup of borax.  I don't have a picture of that box, but it's alot easier to find.  Stir this completely into the water and washing soda mixture.  When you think it's completely stirred together, stir it some more.  That's one of the thing I've learned, getting this stuff stirred together well is the trick to great soap.

Go back to your melting soap hand give it another stir.  Don't stir it too much, or it will foam up and you can't tell if it's melted yet!

Once it's completely melted, pour it into the water/washing soda/borax bucket.  It will quickly turn thick.

and STIR!  Then STIR some more.

After you have stirred it completely, I use the same pot I melted the soap in to add one pot of hot water at a time to the mixture, stirring completely between pots of water.  I repeat this until my 5 gallon bucket is about 3/4 full.  If you are going to add fragrance, either do it now, or you could wait until you put it into the containers so you can have several fragrances from one batch.  The mixture should be about the consistency of runny pudding.  Let this mixture sit overnight to gel up.  Now get out your containers and a funnel.



Pour the finished laundry soap into your containers (I love these old vinegar containers because the cap is attached!).  If you want to use several fragrances, add them to the containers before you fill them and then shake to mix.  Don't fill them all the way, as you will want to have some head room to shake the soap before every use as it might separate some.  It all depends on how long it takes you to use 5 gallons of laundry soap!  A front load washer takes about 1/4 cup and a top load takes about 1/2 cup of soap. 

This makes great gifts for your family, friends and neighbors if you don't have room to store it all.