Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Jewelery Holder

I've been wanting one of these for quite some time now but I kept waiting for the perfect frame.  Something like my Make-up Magnet Board but I think that was just a lucky find because I kept coming up empty handed.  I finally settled on just a frame.  Despite the plain frame I love it, and it's super useful and was a cinch to make.


I'm sure you can see exactly how it was made but I'll give a little tutorial anyway, starting with my supplies.

For the wire I used this Welded Hardware Mesh, it was exactly what I wanted except I had to buy a big roll.  If you live close to me and want a Jewellery Holder you should let me know, I'd be happy to help you out with Mesh for real cheap.


I picked up the paint at Michael's at 2 for $1.00.  The purple wasn't quite what I wanted so I added some black and it was just the right shade.
To hang necklaces I used these little "S" hooks I got from Lowes.

So once you have all your supplies, remove the glass and the picture from the frame.  They were held in with staples so I pulled those out two.  Then I nailed a hook to the back of the frame.

I lightly sanded the frame and then painted it with three coats.
Using the original picture as a template I traced around it on the mesh and cut it out with tin snips.  I flattened it as best as possible and then my lovely husband stapled it in place of the picture.
That was really all there was too it.  Here are a couple more photos and one last point, no judging the amount of earrings I own, in the last three years I've purchased two of them, the rest are just really old.



And a picture of what this looks like hung on the wall.


And one last plug, if you need mesh you just let me know.



Linking To Monday - C.R.A.F.T., Making The World Cuter, Polly Want a Crafter, Simpsonized Crafts, Sugar Bee Crafts, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, The Girl Creative   Tuesday - All Things Related, Creative Itch, Domestically Speaking, It's Sew for YouLadybug BlessingsSassy Sites, Today's Creative Blog, This & That, Topsy Turvy    Wednesday - Blue Cricket Design, Me and My Bucket   Thursday - A Glimpse Inside House of Hepworth, It's Sew Stinkin Cute, Somewhat Simple, The Train to Crazy, What Allie's Making Now   Friday - Creation Corner, Finding Fabulous, Tatertots & Jello, The CrEaTiVe CraTe

Friday, May 27, 2011

How Much is Your Face Worth?

I've seen this post floating around lately and I think it's a fun idea.  I use a lot of drugstore products so my amount may not be as high as some but I've never added up how much everything I use in a day costs, so with trepidation, here it comes.



Covergirl trublend foundation - $13
I bought this foundation because they made it really easy to pick a colour, I'm almost out though and I'm thinking of trying a more expensive one next time around.

Undereye Concealer - ??
I have no idea what brand this is or how much it cost.  I've had it for as long as I can remember but I'm sure it was only a couple of bucks.

Annabelle Blush - $5?
Again, I've had this for so long I can't remember when I bought it.  I'm guessing it cost around $5 though.

Hard Candy So Baked Bronzer, Hula Hula - $7 
This is a recent pickup and honestly I'm not sure I love it.  I use it but it's a little too brown for me, I wish there were some pick undertones.

ELF All Over Colour Stick, Lilac Petal - $1
This was a gift but according to the website it's only $1.  I don't use this everyday but it adds the pink that I was looking for in a bronzer.  You definitely have to use a light hand though because this colour and shimmer combo can be intense.

Mac Paint Pot, Painterly - $9.90
I use this every single day.  I wouldn't bother with shadow without my primer, worth the price, especially with the discount my friend gets me.

Wet n Wild, Vanity Palette - $4.50
I actually regret this purchase a little, the colours are great and super pigmented but almost all of them are duplicates to shadows I already own.  I guess that's why I was attracted to it.  I do use the highlighter shadow everyday though, it serves it's purpose very well.

MAC Eyeshadows x 3 - $33
I don't use MAC everyday but since it's the most expensive shadow I own I figured it would be a good for pricing.

Maybelline Lasting Drama, Gel Liner in Blackest Black - $11.25
Love this liner, it's intense and awesome.  I wish I had the same in brown but at nearly $12 bucks I've been holding off.

Maybelline The Colossal Volum Express Mascara, Glam Black - $6.99
Very happy with this mascara, gives tons of length and no flaking.

Total = $94.64

It's crazy how fast it all adds up, though the MAC shadows were most of the cost and I only own 5 of them.  It's a price worth remembering next time I go to buy something new.

So how much is your face worth?

Monday, May 23, 2011

Quilled S

It's been a while since I've done any quilling so I was excited when my friend asked if I would make her an S.  I found a frame at Value Village that was perfect and after coiling and mod podging I came up with this.

This was actually attempt number two, attempt number one was not nice.  I thought that the pretty orange paper would show through the frosted part on the glass but I was obviously wrong.  Instead it ended up looking really boring and sloppy.
Sadly I couldn't change the framing without starting from scratch.  To fix the frosted glass problem I did something different with this letter.  I printed out my letter like usual and then I carefully cut it out and glued it directly onto my paper.


I outlined in a nice brown paper and then filled it in.  I'm super pleased with attempt number two, here's one last close up.

You can see my other Quilled Monograms here and there should be a second S later this week.
 

Linking To Monday - C.R.A.F.T., Making The World Cuter, Polly Want a Crafter, Simpsonized Crafts, Sugar Bee Crafts, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, The Girl Creative   Tuesday - All Things Related, Creative Itch, Domestically Speaking, It's Sew for YouLadybug BlessingsSassy Sites, Today's Creative Blog, This & That, Topsy Turvy    Wednesday - Blue Cricket Design, Me and My Bucket   Thursday - A Glimpse Inside House of Hepworth, It's Sew Stinkin Cute, Somewhat Simple, The Train to Crazy, What Allie's Making Now   Friday - Creation Corner, Finding Fabulous, Tatertots & Jello, The CrEaTiVe CraTe

Friday, May 20, 2011

Our Best Bites

I may not be doing a lot of crafting these days but one thing I am doing is cooking.


I think it was January when I decided I wanted a new cook book.  I'd been cooking one new recipe a week and was tired of searching the internet all the time, I wanted to be able to open a book from my cupboard and find something new and exciting.  I looked around a bit and then I discovered the Our Best Bites website.  I cooked from there for a while until they announced they were releasing a cook book and I knew that was what I wanted.

I've cooked a bunch of recipes from the book now and there isn't one I don't love.  I thought I'd let you know what I've made and a link to the recipe's they've posted online.


Glazed-Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf
This is just as awesome as it sounds, meatloaf wrapped in bacon.  I especially love that this isn't a ketchup based meatloaf.


We served this with roasted potatoes and my favorite Oven-Roasted Balsamic Brussel Sprouts.


French Dip Sandwiches


These were so delicious and super easy.  Who would have thought to put Swiss cheese on a beef dip?  So yummy and happy I made it.


Taco Chicken

I can't stop craving these taco salads.  The chicken is crazy easy and don't you dare skip this dressing, it's incredible.  Turns a regular taco salad into so much more. Creamy Lime-Cilantro Dressing

Then there was the Mexican-Style Sweet Shredded Pork that is just as crave able, sadly this recipe isn't online and perhaps I shouldn't but the recipe is so good I'm giving it to you here (sorry there's no photo).

4 lb boneless pork shoulder roast
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp onion powder
1-2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 (10 oz) cans enchilada sauce
1 cup brown sugar, divided
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup apple juice

1. Trim visible fat from roast and sprinkle with salt, pepper, chili powder and onion powder, massage into meat.
2. Using the oil sear pork roast on all sides until golden brown
3.  While meat is searing, combine the enchilada sauce, 2/3 cup brown sugar, salsa, Worcestershire sauce, and apple juice in slow-cooker.  Add the pork, cover and cook on low for 7 hours with lid on the entire time.
4. remove pork and shred, discarding any pieces of fat.  Add the additional 1/3 cup brown sugar to slow cooker and turn heat to high.  Add shredded meat, simmer with lid off for 30 minutes.


I served this with Lime-Cilantro Rice with Pineapple

 Pico de Gallo
Tortilla chips, my favourite Cilantro-Lime Dressing and avocado.  It was incredible only I couldn't find enchilada sauce so I made my own.  I'm at my in-laws still so I used the chilli powder that I found and it turned out to be insanely spicy.  I look forward to the next, toned down version.


Last there are the recipes that aren't in the book that I won't share with you:
Italian Chicken and Vegetable Skewers
Spinach-Chicken Stromboli  (oh man I loved this)
Oven-Roasted Broccoli


These are just a sampling of the yummy recipes found in the book, there are still a bunch more I'm excited to make.  It's awesome and I highly recommend it, you should buy a copy.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

What Catie Wore Wednesday #34

I did slightly better at taking pictures this week, perhaps next week I'll hit every day.


Saturday
Perhaps she'll be a construction worker one day?


White Onesie - Carters
Flower T - Carter's, altered by me
Ruffle Jean Skirt - Children's Place
Pink Sandals - Walmart


I realize this picture doesn't really show what she's wearing but come on, look at that hair.

Sunday
My sister recently talked about her pink Christmas courtesy of our Auntie Betty.  Betty's first granddaughter is on it's way and I think she's buying clothes for every little girl she knows.  Catie was one of the lucky ones so in the coming weeks you'll get to see the cute things she got.  This dress is my favorite.  I'm not sure where it's from.
Grey Sweater - H&M
Pink Sparkly Shoes - Target


And a photo without the sweater.  I think she looks so grown up and tall.




Monday
Blue T - H&M
Capris - Old Navy Jeans turned into Capris by me
Pink Flip Flops - Old Navy


Tuesday
I asked Brad if he would put shoes on Catie, I didn't care which ones.  Despite it being 17 degrees out today this is what she ended with.  To give him some credit she did emphatically say no to any other shoes.
Also, this is the best photo I could get today.


Polka dot Dress - Carters
Black Pants - Children's Place
Yeti Boots - Old Navy

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Jeans to Capris

I picked up these jeans for Catie a while ago and I'm pretty sure they were defective.  The size was 18 to 24 months but they were ate least 2 inches shorter than her other pants of the same size.  

It turned out to be for the best because there was a while when these were the only jeans that were a good length on her but while the waist is still fine it didn't take long for them to be too short.  I loved the style of the pockets on them so I couldn't bear to get rid of them and she's in need of shorts/capris.  She's a busy girl and I see lots of knee scraping in her summer so I thought capris would be a better choice.


I used another pair of capris that fit her to determine the length I wanted them to be.


I then used this awesome tutorial from Crap I've Made to hem them.  They look so good that unless you look close you can't even tell they've been hemmed.

She looks super cute in them and they're perfect for summer.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Classy Blanket for a Classy Lady

I have a friend expecting a baby and I knew the perfect gift would be a Faux Chenille Blanket.  This lady isn't a cutesy baby type but a sophisticated, classy lady, not someone who can be defined by the baby they carry so I set out to make a blanket tailored for her.  The sex of the baby is unknown so gender neutral was necessary.


Here's the front, black and sleek.

The yummy, soft chenille on the inside

And a couple extra shots.  
It's hard to tell from the photos but this blanket is quite striking and the chenille side ends up being almost surprising.  I love the simpleness of the colours.

Hopefully she loves it as much as I do.
I'd forgotten how much I love making these blankets, I'm already looking forward to the next one.

If you haven't seen the blankets I've made in the past you can check them out here.


Linking To
Monday - C.R.A.F.T., Making The World Cuter, Polly Want a Crafter, Simpsonized Crafts, Sugar Bee Crafts, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, The Girl Creative   Tuesday - All Things Related, Creative Itch, Domestically Speaking, It's Sew for YouLadybug BlessingsSassy Sites, Today's Creative Blog, This & That, Topsy Turvy    Wednesday - Blue Cricket Design, Me and My Bucket   Thursday - A Glimpse Inside House of Hepworth, It's Sew Stinkin Cute, Somewhat Simple, The Train to Crazy, What Allie's Making Now   Friday - Creation Corner, Finding Fabulous, Tatertots & Jello, The CrEaTiVe CraTe

Saturday, May 14, 2011

What Catie Wore Wednesday #33

I had every intention of posting a full week of photos and posting them on time but then we were away from home so things slipped away from me.  Also the full week of photos turned into two days, oops.


Normally when I take Catie's photo I snap a bunch and end up with one or two that are okay but this day was an exception, I took three photos and loved them all so I'm showing them all to you.
Hair Clip - Dollar Store
Sweater - Annabanana
Dress - Eddie Bauer
Brown Capris - Joe
Sparkly Shoes - Target






It was a semi nice day so we played outside in the morning.
Catie doesn't have a spring coat so I was grateful when Grandma had this cute froggy one sitting around.  Not sure where it's from.
Jeans - Old Navy
Pink Tennis Shoes - Ga

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Mother's Day Slide Show

I know things have been quiet around here but I actually have a couple projects to show you next week so come back and see.


I was given a lovely Mother's Day gift from Brad and I wanted to share it, especially with Grandma. 


Thanks my love

Untitled from Brad Wiebe on Vimeo.