Dec 23 2014
ornament

Cross Stitch Advent Calendar Ornaments

Posted on by
Follow Me on PinterestPin It

ornamentI have worked hard to complete cross stitch advent calendar ornaments. I loved how they turned out!

Materials:

What I did:

ornamentsFirst I decided how to space out the ornaments on the linen. I should have measured it but I didn’t. Then I cross stitched them all which felt like it took forever mainly because it almost did.

Next, I measured about in inch around all sides on the pattern pieces and cut. I then took out my sewing machine and found matching thread and did a zigzag stitch around the edges of all 25 pieces.

Then I decided which color of fabric would go best with each ornament. I then placed the fabric right side up on table and laid the cross stitched pieces wrong side up and pinned them to the fabric. Then I took pinking shears and cut out the fabric around the linen getting as close to it as possible without cutting the linen.

ornamentsNext, I cut 6 inch pieces of ribbon and slipped a folded in half piece between the two fabric layers and centered  and pinned it with about ½ inch of the cut sides sticking out.

Then, leaving about an 1½ inch opening (to be able to turn right side out) I straight stitched with about ½ inch seam going back and forth over the ribbon a couple of times.

Press, on the fabric side, and carefully turn ornaments right side out, pushing corners out. Press again.

Stuff to your desired fullness.

ornamentHand stitch the openings closed.

Enjoy your hard work!

ornament

Aug 26 2014
knit kitchen mat

Knit Kitchen Mat

Posted on by
Follow Me on PinterestPin It

knit rug

I recently moved into a new apartment and along the way my old kitchen mat got thrown away. I was trying to decide whether to buy one or make one and then I saw the Rag Doily Rug on Cocoknits.com and knew I wanted it in my kitchen. I followed her rag yarn tutorial and the only thing I did different was use an old queen sheet set because I didn’t have a king size flat sheet and I didn’t want to buy one. Rusty really enjoyed the process of making the yarn or enjoyed getting in the way at least.

knit kitchen matIt was a really quick and fun process except for the part when I was watching a show and messed up and didn’t rip out enough stitches. But now mine is unique, right? That’s what I’ll tell myself. It was my first time knitting with rag yarn and using size 19 circular needles. I enjoyed using both. I’ve actually put it in the washer and dryer twice now and it still looks good! So happy with my special kitchen accessory.

knit kitchen mat

 

Aug 8 2014
pico de gallo

Pico De Gallo Recipe

Posted on by
Follow Me on PinterestPin It

pico de galloI came up with this recipe because I was making shredded chicken tacos (just add some taco seasoning into a pan with a little bit of water and you have shredded taco ready chicken) and needed either a salsa or a pico de gallo to put on them. I decided on making a pico de gallo with the veggies I had in my fridge. One thing added, that was a nice addition, was roasted corn from an ear I didn’t end up needing from dinner the night before. I simply cut the corn off the ear and roasted in a pan to cook the corn. I also added diced cucumber which provided a refreshing crunch to the pico. It was a success in my kitchen that night, it tasted great on tacos and would be perfect with tortilla chips.

Ingredients:

  • roasted corn
  • chopped cucumber
  • chopped tomatoes
  • diced red onion
  • chopped green onion
  • seeded and chopped jalapeño pepper
  • some jalapeño seeds
  • cilantro
  • lime juice
  • salt

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients and stir! The amount of each ingredient is a matter of what taste is preferred. I personally like equal amounts of the veggies, only a few jalapeño seeds so it’s not too spicy for me, A LOT of cilantro, minimal salt, and enough lime juice to coat all the veggies in the bowl.

Enjoy!

pico de gallo

Jun 23 2014

Favorite Fourth of July Dog Outfits

Posted on by
Follow Me on PinterestPin It

I’ve complied a list of my favorite Fourth of July dog outfits! Your dog deserves to get in on the fun this holiday brings!

4thdressThis is an adorable dress that will make your girl the life of any barbecue!

 

 

 

 

 

 

LilFireCrackerRoyal-300

This tank top is great! It has some sparkle and comes in a wide arrange of colors.

 

 

 

 

collarcoverFor a bit more subdued look, this collar cover is great to get your dog dressed up for the day’s activities without worrying about your dog getting too hot.

 

 

 

 

61iMtXyUZOL._SL1500_If you’re not a fan of bows, maybe this collar cover will suit your pup for the Fourth of July.

 

 

 

 

 

tieMaybe everyone needs to dress up for your holiday activities, this tie is the perfect accessory for your dog.

 

 

 

 

DogTies-RedWBlue-300You can’t go wrong with a classic bow tie.

 

 

 

 

bandana This reversible bandana is great for any holiday function.

 

 

 

 

funcollarThis Smoochers collar is full of fun and sass.

 

 

 

 

 

pulloverThese pullovers are fun and casual.

 

 

 

 

 

sweaterThis sweater will keep your pup warm throughout the evening.

Apr 22 2014
tie onesie

Tie Onesie

Posted on by
Follow Me on PinterestPin It

tie onesie

My friend is about to have a baby boy and I wanted to make him something special. I saw this DIY Necktie Onesie tutorial from HauteApplePie.com  and thought that would be the perfect gift. I ended up using the pattern from CrapIveMade.com. Both are great tutorials but I did a few things differently for my tie onesie.

What I used:

  • muslin scraps
  • cotton fabric scraps
  • water-soluble fabric glue stick
  • matching or coordinating thread

What I did:

First I cut out the pattern pieces, I angled the knot part to make it look more like a real tie.

I wanted the tie to be a bit sturdier and I didn’t have interfacing on hand so I used muslin. I cut one of each pattern piece. I then trimmed ¼” off of the muslin piece.

Next, glue the muslin pieces to the wrong side of the patterned fabric pieces, positioning them so there’s a ¼” edge around the muslin.

tie onesie

Iron the ¼” fabric over towards the muslin, being careful of the points. Use the glue to help keep the fabric down. I didn’t iron the top part of the tie because the know will be covering it.

tie onesie

Position the knot over the un-ironed part of the tie, sew a line across the bottom of the knot, connecting the two pieces.

tie onesietie onesie

I trimmed the thread and ironed again.

I then took out the universal needle and replaced it with a knit needle because the onesie is a nice stretchy knit cotton. I then positioned and pinned the tie onto the onesie. I did it in a way to where I didn’t have to move the needles as I sewed so I could concentrate on the lines of the tie.

I sewed along all edges of the tie and close to the edge of the fabric as possible, pivoting at the points. Be careful as you sew, go slow. It’s very easy to catch some of the onesie as you sew .

Iron and wash.

Enjoy!

tie onesietie onesie

Apr 16 2014

Booya Fitness

Posted on by
Follow Me on PinterestPin It

Found a workout website that I love! Fitness is important but something I don’t always make time for.

Between work, house work, volunteer activities and trying to be crafty, I have found it difficult to force myself to work out. I hemmed my yoga pants, I would actually like to use them for yoga and not just lounging on the couch. I even knitted a headband for running in colder weather and I might have said “no more excuses” I found plenty not to venture out into cold.  Booya Fitness brings professional trainers to my living room! It’s pretty cheap at $10/month. It has four workout categories: cardio, bootcamp, strength and toning and yoga. Now I can “retire” the winter headband and use my yoga pants for their real purpose! And  I don’t have to leave my house!

I was pretty excited to find Booya Fitness and thought I’d spread the word!

Mar 27 2014
bacon and brussels sprout fladbread

Bacon and Brussels Sprout Flatbread

Posted on by
Follow Me on PinterestPin It

bacon and brussels sprout fladbread

We went out to dinner one night and tried a bacon and brussels sprout flatbread. It was so good, I had to recreate it at home!

Ingredients:

  • dough, this is actually the same recipe for the BBQ Chicken flat bread, but now I make all the dough, and then separate it into two halves. Roll one half out and freeze the other half until next time. This allows the dough to be even thinner and more crispy.
  • 4 slices of bacon
  • ~ 8 frozen brussels sprouts, thawed and quartered
  • black pepper
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • shredded parmesan
  • shredded mozzarella

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 450°
  2. Roll out the dough and place on greased baking sheet
  3. Cook the dough for about 8 minutes.
  4. While the dough is in the oven, heat a large skillet on medium.
  5. Cook the bacon until it’s how you like it. I prefer mine to be crispy. Chop or tear apart into pieces after it has cooled down.
  6. Save a little bit of the bacon grease in the pan and add the brussels sprouts, garlic and pepper to taste.
  7. Saute for about 5 minutes, and then set aside.
  8. Remove the dough from the oven and carefully flip over. Leave the oven on.
  9. Place a layer of parmesan cheese on the bread, followed by the bacon, brussels sprouts and more cheese. The amount of cheese to add is whatever your personal preference.
  10. Cook for another 8 minutes.
  11. Carefully remove and slice.
  12. Enjoy!

bacon and brussels sprout fladbread

Mar 5 2014

French Tip Manicure at Home

Posted on by
Follow Me on PinterestPin It

french tip manicure

I wanted to do a French tip manicure at home but I don’t have the steadiest of hands when it comes to painting. I was looking at Chloe’s Nails Blog and liked that she uses tape to get the designs she wants and was inspired to find something similar to achieve my desired effect. I decided to try band-aids. But they have to the plastic or sheer type because the polish will soak through the fabric band-aids. For my first couple of tries, I am pretty pleased with how my nails turned out and decided to share what I did.

Things you need:

  • base coat
  • main color
  • tip color
  • top coat
  • band-aid
  • time
  • maybe nail polish remover

How:

  1. Clean and prep your nails by filing, pushing back cuticles, etc
  2. Apply base coat and allow to dry.
  3. Next apply a couple of coats of the main color to get your desired color.
  4. Wait a few minutes and then apply a thick layer of top coat.
  5. Now you’ll want to wait awhile for these coats to dry, so catch up on a show or something. Also, while they are drying take out your band-aids and put the sticky side on your palm a couple times in order to take away some of the stickiness so it doesn’t pull up your polish.
  6. After your polish has dried, carefully place the band-aid towards the tip of the nail, just exposing the area you want to paint.
  7. Paint the tip. Carefully and quickly pull the band-aid off.
  8. Continue on the rest of your nails, you might need more then one band-aid to avoid a mess.
  9. Next clean up your nails. I like to use an angled craft/paint brush dipped into nail polish remover. It’s much easier for me to be more precise around my nails with a paint brush.
  10. Apply top coat and wait for it to dry.
  11. Enjoy!

My product list:

french tip manicure

Feb 28 2014

2014 St. Patrick’s Day Dog Outfits

Posted on by
Follow Me on PinterestPin It

I have created a list of my favorite St. Patrick’s Day dog outfits.

st patricks day

This cute t-shirt by Canine Causal that says “Kiss Me I’m Irish!

harness

This green harness is a cute and functional way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

lucky

This adorable bandana says “Lucky Charm” and is a great way to celebrate without your dog having to wear a lot of clothes.

st patricks day

This dog barrette is a cute addition to any dog’s wardrobe.

st. patricks day

Turn your pup into a leprechaun with this adorable costume.

st patricks day

This cute headband from Old Navy will be sure to get you and your dog in the spirit.

st patricks day

For those still having cold weather, this shamrock fleece is just perfect for a St. Patrick’s Day dog outfit!

st patricks dayOr if you aren’t into fleece maybe your pup can wear this cute knit shamrock sweater.

Feb 6 2014
cheesecake brownie

Cheesecake Brownies

Posted on by
Follow Me on PinterestPin It

cheesecake brownie

Combining two of my favorite things, cheesecake and brownies. Yum cheesecake brownies!

Cheesecake Ingredients:

  • 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Brownie Ingredients :

  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

  1. Preheat over to 350°
  2. In a bowl,  with a hand mixer, beat all of the cream cheese on medium until smooth. Next add vanilla and egg and mix. Then add the sugar and beat until smooth and well combined. Set aside.
  3. Grease and 8x8inch pan.
  4. In a small saucepan on low-medium heat, add butter cocoa powder and sugar. Place over heat stir occasionally until butter is completely melted and is well combined. Remove from heat.
  5. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, and then vanilla. Try to mix quickly because the cocoa mixture is still warm and could cook parts of the egg if you just let it sit there.
  6. Next add the rest of the ingredients. Brownie mixture will be thick.
  7. Pour into greased pan.
  8. By the spoonful, add the cream cheese mixture and use a butter knife to swirl it throughout the brownie mixture for a marbled look. I usually have a few spoonfuls of cream cheese mixture leftover.
  9. Bake for about 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
  10. Enjoy!