At the end of June I listed July's goals. The first one was to make at least half as many posts as I did in June (that would've been 12 posts this month) plus writing an inspirational post each week. I did exceptionally well in the area of posts this month! 75+ posts were made and over 60 of those are DIY, craft, or cooking related! However, I never got around to making a weekly inspirational post... I think this is mostly due to the fact that I completely forgot about it. Oh well!
On to August goals... For the month of August I have some lovely posts already in the making! If you read the Wednesday Weekly Review #2 from this past week you already have a hint at what some of those posts will be about! Either way here are a few that weren't mentioned in that post:
~A homemade, and inexpensive as possible, Ranch recipe
~A post of my life goals
~More DIY beauty products (toothpaste I hope!)
~Another Bible Study! This one is one women's hair in the Bible.
And of course other DIY projects, more recipes and some clothing refashions!
Here are some posts you may have missed in the past few weeks:
Cooking/Baking
Bisquick Peach Breakfast Cake
Bisquick Waffles
Blueberry with a Hint of Lemon Pie
Breakfast Oatmeal
Chocolate Nut Spread (Like Nutella)
Debbie's Banana Cake
DIY Pumpkin Pie Spice
Double Cinnamon Rolls
Edible Cookie Dough Bites
Healthy Cucumber Salad
Healthy Oatmeal Crackers
Mom's Taco Salad
Hot or Cold Pasta Salad
Oatmeal Meatloaf (Oatmeal is used instead of bread crumbs to give it better texture)
Oatmeal Pancakes
Pasta Rosa with Chicken
Pumpkin Breakfast Cake
Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
Texas Sheet Cake
DIY
Altering a Flutter Shirt
DIY Button Hair Pieces
DIY Denim Flower
DIY Headband Holder
DIY Painted Bobby Pins
DIY Painted Hair Clip
DIY Pampering Bag for a New Mommy
Organization Tip | Closet Shoe Rack
Refashionista | Capri's to Skirt
Refashionista | Cotton Jumper to Maxi Skirt
Refashionista | DIY Easy Maxi Skirt
Refashionista | Pajama Pants to Shorts
Refashionista | Shirt To Cardigan
Sewing | Denim Skirt with Ruffles
Sewing | DIY Basic Belly Band
Sewing | DIY Layered Denim Skirt
DIY Beauty
DIY Microderm Face Scrub
Hair | Olive Oil Treatment
Lavender & Lemon Lip Scrub
Lavender & Peppermint Foot Soak
Scented Vinegar Rinse
Yogurt Face Mask
Information You Might Want To Know
Health Tips | Pain Relief from Canker Sores
My photography blog is open!
The BRAT Diet for Sickies
Tips to Relieve Back Pain
Life, Organization, and Planning
A More Organized Daily Life
Bible Study | There Is Only One God
Healthy Snack | Cucumber & Ranch
The Envelope System
Outfits
Black & Purple
Denim & Sparkly Black
Denim Skirt & White
Denim, White & Flip Flops
Denim, White & Navy
Dressing Up Denim
Jean Skirt & Dark Color
Jean Skirt & Green
Red & A Maxi Skirt
Shades of Brown
Summery White Skirt
White Skirt & Navy
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
My Writing Thoughts
For me a story has always been in my mind. I used to write a lot more before I graduated high school. When I graduated my life became consumed with work. I worked as much as I could to save up for a car. Finally I had my car, and the following summer I started my first college class. That fall I started my first class involving writing: English Comp. 1. My love for writing had been neglected for a while, but it started to come back as I sat through the class. I remember liking the teacher but hating all the new rules I had to follow now. And then I realized that this was not the writing I was used to. Now I had only a handful of topics to choose from and on top of that I had to limit my writing to a specific amount of words, paragraphs, and pages. Writing was no longer my favorite thing, and the class really became a bore.
Two and a half months into my class the wreck happened. I didn't write anything except for bits and pieces in my journal to keep myself sane. The next spring I wrote a paper for cognitive therapy. I enjoyed it so much! (I wrote about the Leaning Tower of Pisa.) Terri, my therapist, was preparing me to return to a college class in the summer. She succeeded, and I was glad. I had to retake Comp. 1 but it was necessary after so much time because I did not remember as much as I thought I had from the first part of the class before. The class was hard, but dealing with memory problems and taking tests was very difficult for me. I managed to finish with an A!
That fall (2011) I took Comp. 2 and passed with my second A. This past spring I did not take any classes which focused on writing, but I did a lot of research papers for my health classes. The last month or so I have been feeling the urge to write again. I have had several ideas spinning around in my head. Little bits and pieces were sticking themselves together as I thought about each idea. Last night I was in bed trying to sleep, but having no success. My latest idea was floating around in my head. I was glad to have the idea, but I really didn't want to be thinking about it at the time. I needed sleep! I began to pray. I remember talking to God and saying: please help me with this. I don't know why I am getting these ideas all of a sudden, but if I am supposed to do something with them then show me what to do. A few minutes later I was in bed and suddenly pieces started to fall in place. I jumped up and ran to my desk. I pulled out my notebook and a pen. I wrote the time and started writing everything I was thinking as fast as I could before it could go away. An hour and a half later I looked up at the clock. It was almost 5am. I signed the time out and put my pen down. An hour and a half of writing and I only had a few things down that I had running through my head.
To start a new story is nothing new for me. I have piles of them in a box in the corner of my room; piles of stories, ideas, names, everything except a completed story. I am hoping that maybe this time I will finish something and it will be decent enough that I would be proud to have other people read it.
For right now I will continue to write these thoughts in my notebook, to create each character, and build the scene. I cannot wait to see where God brings this. I have never felt this way about a story before. This is a feeling I could definitely get used to... that is for sure!
Two and a half months into my class the wreck happened. I didn't write anything except for bits and pieces in my journal to keep myself sane. The next spring I wrote a paper for cognitive therapy. I enjoyed it so much! (I wrote about the Leaning Tower of Pisa.) Terri, my therapist, was preparing me to return to a college class in the summer. She succeeded, and I was glad. I had to retake Comp. 1 but it was necessary after so much time because I did not remember as much as I thought I had from the first part of the class before. The class was hard, but dealing with memory problems and taking tests was very difficult for me. I managed to finish with an A!
That fall (2011) I took Comp. 2 and passed with my second A. This past spring I did not take any classes which focused on writing, but I did a lot of research papers for my health classes. The last month or so I have been feeling the urge to write again. I have had several ideas spinning around in my head. Little bits and pieces were sticking themselves together as I thought about each idea. Last night I was in bed trying to sleep, but having no success. My latest idea was floating around in my head. I was glad to have the idea, but I really didn't want to be thinking about it at the time. I needed sleep! I began to pray. I remember talking to God and saying: please help me with this. I don't know why I am getting these ideas all of a sudden, but if I am supposed to do something with them then show me what to do. A few minutes later I was in bed and suddenly pieces started to fall in place. I jumped up and ran to my desk. I pulled out my notebook and a pen. I wrote the time and started writing everything I was thinking as fast as I could before it could go away. An hour and a half later I looked up at the clock. It was almost 5am. I signed the time out and put my pen down. An hour and a half of writing and I only had a few things down that I had running through my head.
To start a new story is nothing new for me. I have piles of them in a box in the corner of my room; piles of stories, ideas, names, everything except a completed story. I am hoping that maybe this time I will finish something and it will be decent enough that I would be proud to have other people read it.
For right now I will continue to write these thoughts in my notebook, to create each character, and build the scene. I cannot wait to see where God brings this. I have never felt this way about a story before. This is a feeling I could definitely get used to... that is for sure!
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Health Tips | Pain Relief from Canker Sores
Now for the purpose of this post: I have had a nasty canker sore for about 4 days. I have been using my regular "cures" but they haven't been working like they normally do. I always brush my teeth at the minimum twice a day, when I wake up and when I go to bed, I use antiseptic mouth wash after I brush my teeth and usually at least one other time during the day. When I have sores I put peroxide or salt on them (see below for details on using these things). This store was just so stubborn that nothing was working. Last night I was finally desperate enough to try straight white vinegar... disgusting as anything I can think of or name, but man did it help!
Last night my canker sore was bigger than the end of a pencil eraser and was so painful I didn't want to eat or talk or drink water. Plain water! Today it is just a tiny bit smaller, but it is not painful! I plan to put vinegar on it again twice today to knock this thing out. I'm just so glad to have found something that works for this thing. I get them quite often because of my medicine, but they have never been as bad as this one. I hope that this tip helps any reader who might need this pain relieving tip!
What To Do
1 teaspoon of white vinegar
1. Pour the vinegar right on the area that is infected.
2. It is going to burn like crazy but it helps! Also you will make funny faces and feel like spitting it out right away but don't!
3. Keep the vinegar in your mouth on the sore for at least 30 seconds.
4. Rinse your mouth out as much as you want. You may even want to brush your teeth with water to get the nasty, gritty, squeaky feeling off your teeth.
Other tricks that might work for you:
~Table Salt. Get your finger wet with tap water, stick it in the salt then press it directly on the infected area. This will be a killer burn, but it should give some pain relief. Nothing as good as the vinegar did though!
~Antiseptic Mouth Wash. Any time you have sores in your mouth you should be using mouth wash. This helps kills germs and will help the sore to heal faster while preventing further sores.
~Peroxide. Pour straight peroxide on the infected area. This will burn a little but it does kill germs so the decision is up to you. This usually works just fine for me, but this didn't help with the sore I'm dealing with right now.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Am I Rachael Ray?
Today I was telling mom how it has become so hard for me to bake new foods because I feel like I have been getting a lot more criticism than I deserved... Not fun. After a long talk about how she was grateful for my cooking/baking skills, and how she was always looking forward to what the next recipe I created would taste like, she said: "Helen, you are like a famous cook; like Rachael Ray. You create amazing recipes and we love them. We are excited to try your new creations. It's like eating gourmet all the time." She reminded me that all good cooks have criticizers, but that's only so they can become better. I felt much, much, much better after having this conversation. I think that is mostly because I was compared to Rachael Ray. :) Always a bonus to be compared to someone like that!
Now my food creating spirits are back up and I may be in the kitchen a bit more this week... :) Ingredients look out..... you are about to become a new recipe!!
Quote | E.E. Cummings
Life is never going to be easy... might as well face it and become what you want to be now. When you are old don't look back and think "I wish I had..." think "I'm glad I did..." Now is the time for living. Discover who God created you to be!
Friday, July 27, 2012
Oatmeal Pancakes
My search for a family pleasing pancake recipe has come to an end at last! Thank goodness! I was getting tired of trying to find new recipes to try out... This recipe is one I whipped together this morning for breakfast. They were a huge hit and I was very glad! I added oatmeal to give the pancakes just a little more something in the flavor and it tasted really good.
Makes 24 pancakes.
Ingredients
2 cups oats (I used quick oats, but you could also use rolled oats)
3 cups flour (I used white this morning. I plan to try this recipe with wheat in the future.)
4 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
2 cups milk
2 cups water
2 eggs OR 4 Tablespoons egg replacer with 1/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 Tablespoons applesauce
Directions
1. In a large bowl mix together oats, flour, sugar and baking powder.
2. Add in milk, water, eggs, vanilla, and applesauce.
3. Mix everything together really well.
4. Cook on a griddle or in a skillet.
Notes
~For blueberry pancakes add 2 cups of frozen blueberries to the batter
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Summer Style | Red & A Maxi Skirt
This skirt is one I made (no surprise I'm sure lol). I love how comfy this skirt is! It is perfect for a long road trip, a relaxing day around the house, or a visit to the grandparents!
To Re-Create This Outfit:
~Red Shirt with a design on it (Old Navy)
~White belly band or tank top (Made by me!)
~Black or Navy Blue Maxi Skirt (Made by me!)
~White Sandals (Borrowed from my sister!)
Summer Style | Denim, White & Flip Flops
This skirt was one I made awhile back. I have since had to do a lot of zigzag stitches around each place where the denim meets the next piece because every time I washed it the skirt kept falling apart! :( Luckily I got it fixed because I love this skirt!
To Re-Create This Outfit:
~White high-neck lace tank-top
~White burnout shirt (Maurices)
~Layered Denim Skirt (Made by me!)
~Gray flip flops with rhinestones (Rue21)
Summer Style | Dressing Up Denim
This skirt was a project I made a little while back and I love it! The ruffles are adorable and the skirt is comfortable. I love this skirt because there are so many outfit possibilities waiting to happen! I'm sure this skirt will be featured in another outfit idea at another point in time! :)
To Re-Create This Outfit:
~Black silk flower headband
~Black lace shirt (George by WalMart)
~Striped Cardigan (Old Navy)
~Altered Denim Skirt (Made by me!)
~Black Flower Sandals (Payless)
DIY Pampering Bag for a New Mommy
My sister Brooke is having her second little baby Monday! Mom had the idea to get together a little collection of things just for her. Of course I took over the project and am now making a post about it! Between the 4 sisters at home we came up with quite a nice collection of things for her. I also had a few things left over from when I was a MaryKay consultant so I put some of those in there as well.
Here is what we have:
(Left to right)
~MaryKay mineral foundation
~Fragrance Spray from Vanity
~White Citrus Body Lotion from Bath & Body Works
~Soft Lips chap stick
~Liplicious Berry Gloss from Bath & Body Works
~Berry Soap from ULTA
~MaryKay Peach Satin Hands Lotion
~Hand sanitizer with the bag clip
~Purple glitter nail polish
~2 hair clips
~Tooth brush
~Floss
~Tooth Paste
~Night Time Face Cream and Eye Cream Samples from Elizabeth Arden
~Travel Size Hairspray
~A wonderfully scented candle
~And the bag, of course!
To Make One of These Pampering Bags Yourself:
Collect these things that you may have on hand in extra abundance (make sure they're new!) and make up your own gift bag for the new mommy you know! Gift bags can be as expensive or as inexpensive as you want them to be. Although all of the things in mine were things my sisters and I had on hand it still cost money at some point in time. Go with what you have first and try to not spend too much on the rest. This should be a fairly inexpensive project!
~Face products: moisturizer, face wash.
~Teeth products: tooth brush, tooth paste, floss.
~Lip products: lip scrub, lip gloss or lip moisturizer.
~Hair products: clips, rubber bands, headbands, hairspray, shampoo, conditioner.
~Body: lotion, body wash, fragrant body spray.
~Feet: foot lotion, pumice stone, socks, foot soak.
~Extra things: pens, sticky notes, sleeping mask, candle, a book.
Anything else you think the new mommy would enjoy! Be creative! And remember this gift is from YOU! :)
Here is what we have:
(Left to right)
~MaryKay mineral foundation
~Fragrance Spray from Vanity
~White Citrus Body Lotion from Bath & Body Works
~Soft Lips chap stick
~Liplicious Berry Gloss from Bath & Body Works
~Berry Soap from ULTA
~MaryKay Peach Satin Hands Lotion
~Hand sanitizer with the bag clip
~Purple glitter nail polish
~2 hair clips
~Tooth brush
~Floss
~Tooth Paste
~Night Time Face Cream and Eye Cream Samples from Elizabeth Arden
~Travel Size Hairspray
~A wonderfully scented candle
~And the bag, of course!
 |
| The only thing better than taking a moment for yourself is giving one to a friend. Savor the moment! |
To Make One of These Pampering Bags Yourself:
Collect these things that you may have on hand in extra abundance (make sure they're new!) and make up your own gift bag for the new mommy you know! Gift bags can be as expensive or as inexpensive as you want them to be. Although all of the things in mine were things my sisters and I had on hand it still cost money at some point in time. Go with what you have first and try to not spend too much on the rest. This should be a fairly inexpensive project!
~Face products: moisturizer, face wash.
~Teeth products: tooth brush, tooth paste, floss.
~Lip products: lip scrub, lip gloss or lip moisturizer.
~Hair products: clips, rubber bands, headbands, hairspray, shampoo, conditioner.
~Body: lotion, body wash, fragrant body spray.
~Feet: foot lotion, pumice stone, socks, foot soak.
~Extra things: pens, sticky notes, sleeping mask, candle, a book.
Anything else you think the new mommy would enjoy! Be creative! And remember this gift is from YOU! :)
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Refashionista | Cotton Jumper to Maxi Skirt
This project was super easy and now I have a new all-the-time favorite skirt! I got this done in less than 30 minutes total it was that easy! The jumper I used had buttons down the side, but most jumpers you will find probably won't have that.
The inspiration for this project was found via Pinterest, but led to Nordstorm:
I think over all my skirt turned out a lot like the photo I was aiming to match! I was quite pleased with the resemblance!
What You Need
A jumper that is your size
Thread to match the fabric
Sewing things
Directions
1. If the jumper has buttons then cut out the buttons along each side of the seam. If there are no buttons then see how much you might need to take off one side of the skirt so it will fit you well.
2. Once the fabric is cut, lay it inside out with the raw edges together.
3. Start pinning the raw edges beginning at the hem of the skirt and working up towards the top. Try and make the seams match as best as possible.
4. Sew a straight line then serge or zigzag the raw edges to keep everything together nicely.
5. Cut the top of the jumper off as close to the underarm area as possible. Mine had a logo on it so I had to cut below the logo (as shown in the photo).
6. Put the skirt right side out. Fold the raw edge down and pin in place so that the fold is on the inside of the skirt. (You can kind of tell how I pinned my skirt on the inside so that I had a little bit of a waist band.) Make sure there is no raw edge showing at any point.
7. Sew the waist band of the skirt into place.
8. Cut all strings.
Congratulations you now have an extremely comfortable skirt! Which is perfect for long car rides (summer trips here we come!) or a relaxing day around the house!
Notes
~Once I finished my skirt I was able to wear it three days in a row before it needed to be washed so that it would shrink back to the normal size. It didn't stretch a lot and I was quite happy with that!
~You can also choose to put in elastic in the waist band. In step 6 you would just leave a small section open so that you could slip the elastic in and then you would go back and seal the gap. This way you wouldn't have to worry about your skirt slipping off your hips from stretching out.
This Post Was Featured!
The inspiration for this project was found via Pinterest, but led to Nordstorm:
 |
| Bobeau Asymmetric Knit Maxi Skirt. |
What You Need
A jumper that is your size
Thread to match the fabric
Sewing things
Directions
1. If the jumper has buttons then cut out the buttons along each side of the seam. If there are no buttons then see how much you might need to take off one side of the skirt so it will fit you well.
2. Once the fabric is cut, lay it inside out with the raw edges together.
3. Start pinning the raw edges beginning at the hem of the skirt and working up towards the top. Try and make the seams match as best as possible.
4. Sew a straight line then serge or zigzag the raw edges to keep everything together nicely.
5. Cut the top of the jumper off as close to the underarm area as possible. Mine had a logo on it so I had to cut below the logo (as shown in the photo).
6. Put the skirt right side out. Fold the raw edge down and pin in place so that the fold is on the inside of the skirt. (You can kind of tell how I pinned my skirt on the inside so that I had a little bit of a waist band.) Make sure there is no raw edge showing at any point.
7. Sew the waist band of the skirt into place.
8. Cut all strings.
Congratulations you now have an extremely comfortable skirt! Which is perfect for long car rides (summer trips here we come!) or a relaxing day around the house!
Notes
~Once I finished my skirt I was able to wear it three days in a row before it needed to be washed so that it would shrink back to the normal size. It didn't stretch a lot and I was quite happy with that!
~You can also choose to put in elastic in the waist band. In step 6 you would just leave a small section open so that you could slip the elastic in and then you would go back and seal the gap. This way you wouldn't have to worry about your skirt slipping off your hips from stretching out.
This Post Was Featured!
This Post Was Shared!
Summer Style | Shades of Brown
This is an outfit I had on the other day when I went out with Autry to run errands and spend some time with him. I thought it turned out cute...even though I had a horrible time getting a good photo.
To Re-Create This Outfit:
~high neck, white lace tank top
~Patterned tank top with browns (WalMart)
~Crop-Sleeve Open-Front Cardigan (Maurices. Thrift Store find!)
~Khaki Skirt (Cato. Thrift store find!)
~Gold Sandals (Merona. Thrift store find!)
Wednesday Weekly Review #2
Here is to my second weekly review post! I have not been 'out and about' as much as I normally would be on the Internet this past week. This is because I started a new medicine and have been sleeping most of the day and night. I hope to be back to my normal soon!
1. I was featured on another blog!
Paula Parrish @ Livign A Blessed Life was so sweet and allowed me to guest post on her blog this past Monday!!! I am very grateful for the experience and nice comments I received! Here is the post if you would like to read it!
2. Revived post from my past!
This is my Banana Nut Bread! It is a huge hit around our house, and to each person who has tried the recipe. It requires only a few healthy ingredients to make this delicious and moist bread.
3. I started following 2nd Story Sewing!
The dress Here Comes The Sun, a yellow maxi dress with a ruffle around the bottom, led me to this blog. I looked around and found several other neat things like these refashions and then to follow along with their adventures!
4. 12 Tips for using Baking Soda as a Beauty Product!
This list is includes basically everything from head to toe and different ideas for using baking soda in your beauty routine! The post is found at the Beauty & Personal Grooming blog.This includes basically everything from head to toe in which you can use baking soda on for good results!
5. I started following Dump Your Frump!
I started following this blog because she has some really good ideas and I love the design/lay out that she has! Plus, her Get Rid of 100 Things post has inspired me to take up the challenge myself! (I WROTE: My Personal Goals For August and Challenge | Get Rid of 100 Things In 2 Weeks)
6. I started following Old World Garden Farms!
She has a lot of good ideas for farming, composting, canning, gardening, and recycling! I love all the ideas. One day I hope to be able to do at least half of what she does!
7. I started following Lauren's Latest!
After using this recipe for granola bars last night, I looked around at some of her other recipes and realized this was a blog worth following! She has a lot of delicious sounding foods and if they are anything like the recipe I used last night then they will be good!
Upcoming Blog Posts for you to look forward to seeing in August:
~Many posts for recipes using apples! Our neighbors have an apple tree and so does our grandma!
~Get rid of 100 things in 2 weeks challenge!
~3 months to in-shape arms part 1!
~A blog button which you can grab for your blog!
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Plus many more! I anticipate that August will be a good month. :)
Featured? Grab a Button!
On the left sidebar click the "grab a button" tab (or click the link) and scroll down to the "I was featured @ Blue Eyed Beauty Blog" button to share on your blog!!!
Interested In Seeing More Blogs?
If you loved these blogs, you may enjoy the other's I've featured since the birth of The Wednesday Weekly Review. How can you find them without going through each post? Easy! Just view all the buttons on my Pinterest board: Blogs I've Featured!
Microderm is not for daily use!
Hello readers! Last week I posted a recipe for a microderm face scrub. I forgot to mention in the notes of that post that this is something that should be done with at least a day in between each use. The reason for this is: your skin will become red looking and that's not pretty on anyone! Sorry to have left that valuable bit of info out of the post...I have now gone and added that to the notes so that if any future reader finds the post they will know!
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Summer Style | Sister Style: Denim, White & Navy
This is a cute outfit for a casual day. Lyd is a beautiful model!
To Re-Create This Outfit:
~A modest white tank top
~A blue knit or crochet shrug (Old Navy)
~A long denim skirt
~Navy flip flops (Old Navy)
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Texas Sheet Cake
This is one of my favorite cake recipes! I would even go so far as to say that this is pretty much the only chocolate cake that I like to eat... It is moist, it has good flavor, the icing is amazing, and it's easy to make!
Ingredients
2 cups flour
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 Tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 eggs
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl place flour, cinnamon, and baking soda. Set aside.
3. In a sauce pan melt the butter.
4. Add water, vanilla and cocoa to butter mix.
5. Pour the wet mix into the flour mix. Stir.
6. Add in milk, apple cider and eggs. Stir until smooth. (I like to use a whisk.)
7. Pour batter into a large, greased pan.
8. Bake for 25 minutes.
9. While the cake is cooling, mix the frosting.
10. Pour the frosting onto the cooled cake and smooth with a spatula.
Frosting
1 stick butter
6 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 Tablespoons cocoa
1 box (2 cups) powdered sugar
1 large package chopped pecans (optional...I am allergic so I don't use them but I've heard it makes the cake that much better!)
Frosting Directions
1. In the saucepan melt the butter. Add in the milk and vanilla.
2. Stir in the cocoa.
3. Add in powdered sugar. Stir until smooth.
4. Add in pecans.
5. Spread on cooled cake with a spatula.
DIY Headband Holder
A long time ago, when I first got Pinterest, I saw this neat idea of turning an old oatmeal container into a headband holder. At the time I didn't have too many headbands, but since then I have come up with quite a collection. In fact, I have so much of a collection that I couldn't keep them in my dresser anymore (plus the flowers were getting squished!). Today, while I was straightening all of my hair things (they were quite a mess. I couldn't even close the drawer...), I remembered seeing that pin and then I remembered we had an oatmeal container. I knew exactly the solution to my problem and got to work right away. I must say I am quite impressed with the outcome!
This Post Was Shared!
What You Need
A large oatmeal container
Spray Paint (I used black)
Newspaper
1. Use water and rinse out the container quickly. Dry it well!
2. Set up some newspaper, or other large piece of paper, outside. Make sure it is secured so that the breeze won't send it flying. (I used two large washers on each corner and two inside the container.)
3. Set the lid on the paper and the container next to it.
4. Spray paint a good, but not too thick, coat of paint. It will run if you use too much paint.
5. Let it dry for about an hour.
6. Go back and spray a much lighter layer of paint.
7. Let it set 2-3 hours to make sure it dries completely.
8. "Decorate" with your headbands and set on your dresser as room decor!
This Post Was Shared!
Altering A Flutter Shirt
A friend of mine gave me this shirt about 6 months ago. Since then it has sat in a box and lived a boring life...until my sister saw it. She tried it on (the before pictures) but, because it is such a loose shirt it wouldn't stay on her right. She asked me to fix it for her so I did.
What To Do
1. Put the shirt on.
2. Figure out where you can get the shirt on and off comfortably around your arm area.
3. Make sure the front and back of the shirt are even (this is very important!)
4. Use a safety pin in the spot where you want to sew it. (You can barley see the lines I marked where we pinned this shirt in the photo above. This is a before photo.)
5. Take the shirt off and bring it to the sewing machine.
6. Run a row of stitches forwards, backwards then forwards again. The stitches should be no more than 1-2 inches long.
7. Cut off the hanging strings and there you have it!
Needless to say Val loves her new shirt! I will say it looks very cute on her and I'm glad it is finally going to get some good use!
This Post Was Shared!
What To Do
1. Put the shirt on.
2. Figure out where you can get the shirt on and off comfortably around your arm area.
3. Make sure the front and back of the shirt are even (this is very important!)
4. Use a safety pin in the spot where you want to sew it. (You can barley see the lines I marked where we pinned this shirt in the photo above. This is a before photo.)
5. Take the shirt off and bring it to the sewing machine.
6. Run a row of stitches forwards, backwards then forwards again. The stitches should be no more than 1-2 inches long.
7. Cut off the hanging strings and there you have it!
Needless to say Val loves her new shirt! I will say it looks very cute on her and I'm glad it is finally going to get some good use!
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DIY Painted Hair Clip
This is my second post on DIY hair things! One day when I was painting my bobby pins I realized there were a lot of other hair things I could add glitter to but just hadn't done so. I decided to attempt painting hair clips... and loved the results so much I painted a few more!
What You Need
Hair Clip(s) ~I did a black and a clear one
Silver glitter nail polish (or other color)
1. Put the clip around something that can hold it for you while you paint. I used a different nail polish to clip mine onto.
2. Paint as much of the clip as you can.
3. Let it dry for about an hour.
4. Hold the clip and paint the inside pieces (if you want!).
5. Let it dry some more.
6. Use to style your hair!
What You Need
Hair Clip(s) ~I did a black and a clear one
Silver glitter nail polish (or other color)
1. Put the clip around something that can hold it for you while you paint. I used a different nail polish to clip mine onto.
2. Paint as much of the clip as you can.
3. Let it dry for about an hour.
4. Hold the clip and paint the inside pieces (if you want!).
5. Let it dry some more.
6. Use to style your hair!
DIY Painted Bobby Pins
This is the first of a few small and easy projects which relate to hair! For quite a while now I have been painting my bobby pins because with 5 girls in the house bobby pins are always disappearing! Since I have started painting mine I have always had plenty to use because everyone knows they are mine and won't "steal" or "borrow" them. Lol. :)
What You Need
A package of bobby pins (brand new are easiest to work with, but I have painted used pins too)
Silver glitter nail polish (or another type of polish. I have used hot pink a few times!)
1. With all the pins on the cardboard piece they come on, take the polish and brush it over each bobby pin or small groups of bobby pins. Coat them with as much or as little polish as you want. I like a lot of glitter so I usually run the brush over them 4-5 times!
2. Let the pins sit for about an hour to dry really good.
3. Remove the pins from the cardboard piece and use in your hair!
What You Need
A package of bobby pins (brand new are easiest to work with, but I have painted used pins too)
Silver glitter nail polish (or another type of polish. I have used hot pink a few times!)
1. With all the pins on the cardboard piece they come on, take the polish and brush it over each bobby pin or small groups of bobby pins. Coat them with as much or as little polish as you want. I like a lot of glitter so I usually run the brush over them 4-5 times!
2. Let the pins sit for about an hour to dry really good.
3. Remove the pins from the cardboard piece and use in your hair!
Saturday, July 21, 2012
The Little Things In Life
I feel like, until recently, I have been looking at my life expecting the big things to make me happy. Big things would include good health, the ability to work, or even drive a car, yet I know there is more to life than that. I am very grateful for God bringing Autry into my life. He has been such a blessing to me and I know that we are meant to be together.
In the past two months I have been able to be around Autry in a way that was never possible before. We met through my best friend via Facebook last March. After a rough start and then an abrupt end to a blooming relationship I was heartbroken. Five months later God brought him back into my life. This time things were much better (timing, etc.). We had a second chance at a relationship that was meant to be.
Two months ago Autry bussed in to the station at Cape. I was there to meet him. I remember getting there an hour early with mom and dad. I was so excited I couldn't sit still. Of course a huge load of fears were creeping into my head at the same time. "What if he doesn't like me when he sees me?" "What if my brain injury problems scare him off?" "What if he leaves?" Fortunately mom was there and she helped reassure me.
The bus was late. That was the most nerve wrecking hour of my life. I watched the road constantly; waiting to see the tall bus looming into view. Finally the moment arrived. I saw the bus! I jumped out of the car and was across the parking lot in no time. I stood to the side while the bus driver unloaded baggage. I could see him! He was walking through the bus, to the door, and into my arms. I was still nervous, but I was the happiest girl on earth! I had waited 9 months and 10 days for this to happen, and it finally did!
Autry has been apart of my daily life since he arrived. I have come to love him in a completely different way than I was able to with just a long distance relationship of phone calls, letters and texting. I have realized that what happens in life doesn't matter anymore. I may not ever work again, but that isn't the end of the world. I am happy with my man. He helps me to enjoy the little things in life and that is what is important.
Since Autry has been here:
~We have gone on a long walk :)
~I have cooked him many, many meals which he only heard about on the phone
~ He found me a kitten to hold when I had to give all of mine away
~He bought me 12 yellow roses! (yes the ones from the first pic!)
~We have gone shopping at Walmart together (silly, but it was such fun!)
~He went camping with me and my family at the river (talk about beautiful skies!)
~He has seen me at my worst
~He has endured my constant worrying
~He has experienced first hand the reality of my brain injury and still wants to be with me
~He has held me in his arms and told me "I love you" (I always dreamed about that moment)
There are so many more, but these are the few I can think of at this very moment. :)
Here are a few photo's of the first meeting I thought I would share with you!
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| Waiting, and waiting some more. |
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| The first hug! |
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| I couldn't let go... |
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| Collecting baggage. The driver said, "Man, someone really missed you." Yes, yes I did! |
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| The faces of two very happy people! |
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| In front of the bus. |
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| In the car on the way home! |
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Refashionista | Pajama Pants to Shorts
This is one of those projects I have been putting off for no good reason. I had these flannel pajama pants from years ago that were now too short for me. They were comfy though so I didn't want to get rid of them. I decided to make pajama shorts out of them instead! And I must say they are quite comfy. :)
What You Need To Make These
A pair of pajama pants that still fit you
1. Lay the pants out flat on the floor.
2. Lay a pair of sleeping shorts on top of them. Preferbly a pair you like!
3. Cut, cut, cut the legs off!
4. Fold the shorts in half. Trim them up to make them even.
5. The even shorts. Also, you may want to trim extra off the front so that they will hang even when you wear them...depends on how big of a booty you have. ;)
6. Inside out the shorts and fold the raw edges under. Pin in place.
7. Sew! Start at the edge where the shorts will be between your legs so the other edge will not have a million back stitches showing!
8. Snip all the excess threads.
Enjoy your new, comfy pajama shorts!
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What You Need To Make These
A pair of pajama pants that still fit you
1. Lay the pants out flat on the floor.
2. Lay a pair of sleeping shorts on top of them. Preferbly a pair you like!
3. Cut, cut, cut the legs off!
4. Fold the shorts in half. Trim them up to make them even.
5. The even shorts. Also, you may want to trim extra off the front so that they will hang even when you wear them...depends on how big of a booty you have. ;)
6. Inside out the shorts and fold the raw edges under. Pin in place.
7. Sew! Start at the edge where the shorts will be between your legs so the other edge will not have a million back stitches showing!
8. Snip all the excess threads.
Enjoy your new, comfy pajama shorts!
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