Family of Savages

Whoopdwhoop Swappin' Fury!

2011-05-10T18:58:00.000-06:00

I have been loving the swapping going on at Whoopdwhoop. If you haven't be over there yet, go check it out! I've been able to trade little things here and there, and in return I've been able to receive the great things below. I think my favorites are the table runner, the purple hippo, and the t-shirt headband.

Whoopdwhoop is completely free to participate. Go try it out - what the worst that could happen? You'll get some cute stuff in the mail? I think you live... ;}

Canvases & Cocktails: A Girls' Night Out

2011-05-07T15:03:00.048-06:00

A few weeks ago some friends and I went to a locally owned place in Denver for a girls' night out. Thanks Melissa for tirelessly arranging this!

This is a great little place where you can go and paint your own painting while following basic techniques from the instructor, so that you end up with a painting similar to the original, but still all your own. As you can see in the picture above, the one we followed is up on the wall inside that yellow square. I think we all did pretty great! The original painting is called Almond Blossom by Van Gogh, but we were doing a pretty "loose" representation ;}

First, we got settled in our seats with our blank canvases. Our instructor was a super-hip, fabulous young woman that made the entire evening a hoot. She would first show us the basic technique, then she would turn up the music on her iPod and just let us work. We were encouraged to sing along, which we did, because played great tunes!

After washing the background in our chosen hue of blues and greens, we did the branches...

...then the blossoms.

We each ended up choosing different colors for the centers of our flowers. It was so fun to see how different each painting was based completely on our own personal style!

We had soooo much fun! I believe we would all recommend it to anyone looking for a great night out, especially since it resulted in a great piece for our homes!

Jacob Landon Truck Rag Quilt

2011-05-05T15:00:00.032-06:00

The other day I whipped up a new blanket for my sister-in-law and her new baby boy, Jacob Landon. It's a pretty cute combination of Dump Trucks and Tow Trucks, and features a nice big monogram in the center.

It has "intersecting" roads...

...great detail on the tires, windows, and other parts...

...and a super cute monogram {customizable, of course!}.

So here it is, the Jacob Landon Rag Quilt!

The pattern is available in both my Etsy Store HERE and my Whoopdwhoop Store HERE. This pattern is suitable for semi-beginner & Intermediate/Advanced. I hope you like it!

I think that Jacob does ;}

What I've Been Working On Lately...

2011-05-03T21:37:00.019-06:00

The lack of posts lately? The overwhelm of life taking over? Here's a little peek of some the things I've been working on lately.

A baby blanket for my dear friend...

with matching burpcloths.

A set of owls for swapping on Whoopdwhoop. You can get the pattern for these HERE.

A gorgeous 48"x48" quilted table runner. I absolutely fell in love with the green dot I used for the back; I went right back to Joann's and bought 3 more yards. I think an apron will come of it ;}

And more Snuggly Owls!

And Maddie needed a Toga for school so she could be Remus the Roman. Not bad for an old sheet!

Must Make List #2

2011-04-30T21:57:00.001-06:00

Sorry I've been MIA for a while! Life just got a little overwhelming for a little while, but it's starting to feel manageable again. I have so much to share with you!

Here are a few lovelies I wanted to show:

LOVE this brick patterned pillow cover. This particular one was made with all Moda fabrics, of course, but this would be a great "scrap buster" project. My scraps are about to take over my creative space!

Brick Pattern Pillow @ Moda Bake Shop

These are, of course, ingenious. Sydney definitely needs some of these!

Interchangeable Flip Flop Straps @ Make It and Love It

Love this birthday board too. We could certainly use it now to remember our family members' birthdays, but this will be perfect for the grandparents in our lives too ;} I think I might use something other than the little people for myself, though. Something more generic like colored circles perhaps?...

Birthday Board @ A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That

And last, but not least, this gorgeous bustle skirt! Love the flouncy-ness and the play-ablity of it. Perhaps for the first day of Kindergarten? I'm picturing the circles in different colors... Can't wait to make this one!

The Bustle Skirt @ Simple Simon & Company

Latest Rag Quilt: The Olivia Dawne Owl Quilt

2011-03-18T17:00:00.020-06:00

I realized recently that I haven't shared my most recent quilt with you yet! I finished this one in January, for a sweet little girl who was born a few weeks later.

Here it is!

The inspiration from this came from the Target crib bedding that she had purchased. I matched the colors, and took from it the general style of the flowers, birds, and the tree. The owls were a new addition to the look.

Love the owls with their sweet button eyes ;}

And the trio of birds, each one different.

And the big tree with a tiny bird perched inside. The leaves contain 3 different fabrics: Satin, Minky, and Flannel.

And there you have it!
You can purchase both the blanket and pattern in my Etsy shop HERE!

Whoopdwhoop! The Currency Free Creative Marketplace

2011-03-17T12:30:00.001-06:00

Have you heard of Whoopdwhoop? I just learned about it, and I'm so excited to start "trading" on it! This is a BRAND NEW craft trading site where you can trade your creations for others' creations without ever putting out money. This is perfect for all of my friends who make things just for fun - now you can trade your creations and get other great things!

I just made my first Request for Trade using the Whoops I earned by listing several items I'm willing to put on the trading block.
How does it work? Well, you earn whoops by

Add creation to community	+0.15
Accept swap	+asking value
Request Swap	-asking value
Mark Swap as received	+0.1
Leave feedback on successful swap	+0.1
Sign up for newsletter	+0.25
Invite friends to join whoopdwhoop	+0.25 for every friend that joins

Then, when you have enough whoops to spend, you can "buy" what you like without spending an money! All items will cost between 1-5 whoops each, and the seller pays for shipping. Go click on the logo above and sign up for your free account and list a few things - it can't hurt ;}

I think whoever thought up this site is brilliant! It's really new {there are less than 2000 items listed so far} and I'm excited to be in on it. I see a lot of potential here for Christmas and Birthday gifts ;}

An Inspiring Message from Pres. Uchtdorf

2011-03-16T17:00:00.001-06:00

I saw this video on another craft blog, The Secret Stitch Club, and really wanted to share it here! Enjoy! It's only about 2 minutes. :}

I'm LIFETIME! I reached my Weight Watchers goal!

2011-03-16T14:06:00.003-06:00

Today I went to my meeting and had my last weigh-in for qualifying for my Lifetime Membership! If you aren't familiar with WW, that means that I met my goal {that I set for myself}, and have kept it for 6 weeks. Now, as long as I don't go more than 2 pounds over my goal , I don't ever have to pay my dues again!
Not only that, but I have a huge sense of accomplishment. This is something that I never thought I would have again: my old body back.

After I got married almost 10 years ago, I gained the typical 15 pounds that most newlyweds put on. I didn't get if off before I started my 1st pregnancy. By the time I started my 3rd pregnancy, I was 25 pounds heavier than that :{ This, of course, made that pregnancy that much harder in every aspect.

Here I am right after Karrington was born in September 2009. I am here with my BFF Amanda, having just had a baby herself. Let me tell ya, we just love this picture. The funny thing is, I remember this day, and I remember feeling so svelte in my black skirt, so excited that I could wear it at all, because I had just had a baby and felt so "skinny."

Here we are a few months later, each having shed a few more pounds, though nothing impressing. I did manage to shed about 30 pounds on my own before joining WW in July 2010.

So here I am, 34 more pounds later, and loving my new ~ and old ~ body! Like I said, I never thought I would ever be in this body again, but I did it! I can fit into my college clothes, into my wedding dress, into the skinny jeans that are now so in style.

I owe it , my wonderful leader Amy, my supportive friend Amanda, and to myself. Happy day!

Must-Make List #1

2011-03-15T17:00:00.036-06:00

Oooh, these are just some things that I had to feature! I must make these sometime in the near-ish future...

These strap-on tails are adorable! I'm thinking I can think of a few other animals to adapt this too.

Strap-On Dinosaur Tails from Running with Scissors

And what child {or adult} doesn't want one of these in their Easter Baskets this year?

Plush Marshmallow Peeps from Dandelions and Lace

LOVE these headbands! I especially love how the are so girl, yet so fabulous!

Ruffled Headbands by Homestitched

Um, yummy! I'm thinking this look needs to go in my Master Bedroom ;}

Stenciled Headboard by The Idea Room

Love this sweet little baby dress, though it may have to wait until the next baby ;}

Scrunched Spring Dress from Running With Scissors

And there's some inspiration for ya!

What I've Been Busy Making Lately...

2011-03-14T15:08:00.000-06:00

I've been working on lots of "little" things lately while I've been catching up since the American Crafter competition. No big projects for me yet, but I've enjoyed working on these things!

I helped my niece Jade make up this adorable scripture bag tote for a friend for her birthday. It was based on the "Placemat Tote" bag project that is floating around everywhere these days, though we didn't actually use a placemat for it. I really love these bags because they are so versatile - you can embellishment a bajillion different ways!

Here is the tote I helped Jade make for her sister Kenz for Christmas. I never posted the pictures for it. It's it fab?

Next, I had an order for a Magnet Board for a young girl, Estee. Her room is in all blue and pink. Do you think she'll like it?

Then, I traded my friend Lyndsey some appliqued onesies for her cute Diaper Wipes Case and Diaper Envelope Set. Loving the birds and owls!

I did this owl on a onesie that had a leftover stain on it from my older daughter. I tried everything to get the stain out, but couldn't, so I covered it up!

Same for this one. Hurray for stains in the center!

This little guy I threw on and made from scraps. I haven't decided yet if I like him or not. What do you think?

On Saturday, for Kinley's 1st Birthday, I made her this sweet owl pillow. I found the pattern HERE at Make it and Love it.

I'm glad she liked it when she opened it! After I finished sewing her, I tried to get Karrington to love on her, but she was too afraid of it :{ I don't blame her - it's almost as big as her!

And lastly, I just finished making up a new Mormonopoly game for an Etsy customer. LOVE it all over again. You can purchase one HERE.

Well, that's it for last week. Lots to do this week. What have YOU been working on?

I received the Stylish Blogger Award!

2011-03-12T17:05:00.095-07:00

Wow, what a fun award to receive! Mary over at Maryberry Boutique presented this to me a little bit ago, and I like to shout out a big THANK YOU to her!This is a traveling award that bloggers get to present to other bloggers.

The Terms for Excepting The Award are:

Thank and Link back to the person who gave you the award.
Share Seven things about yourself.
Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers.
Contact the bloggers and tell them about the award.

Okay, so 7 things about me...it's hard to think of these kinds of things when you're on the spot! Here goes:

I am on a constant search for the ultimate necklace. I want a colorful, goes-with-everything, perfect-lengthed necklace. I often purchase one thinking This Is It!, but once I wear it, I realize that it's lacking in some area. Someday...
I have a fetish for office supplies. My stapler, my tape dispensers, my 3-hole punch, and especially my whiteout dispenser - I love them! I'm so happy to see the manufacturers finally making cute office supplies.
I love crayons. In elementary school, I was always insanely jealous of the kids with their box of 96 with the sharpener in the back. I never had anything bigger than a box of 24; I guess that's why I'm obsessed with them. Now that I'm the adult, I buy myself the fancy twist-up kind in the biggest package the offer. The kids know not to touch them...
I love to do the laundry, and I love to vacuum. I hate to mop the floors, and I hate to put clean dishes away. I have a post coming up addressing the love of the laundry. ;}
I love Roller Coasters and all manner of amusement park rides. I will ride anything without hesitation. I WILL NOT, however, ride a water slide any bigger than those at our local rec center. They freak me out!
I write with my left hand, but I do everything else with my right hand. I am NOT ambidextrous, though. I can't do anything with both hands.
My daughter, Sydney, is an exact blond replica of me at her age. I absolutely love it when people tell me how gorgeous she is.

And now the fun part! I get to give this award to 15 more Stylish Bloggers!

Made by the Mama Monster

The Secret Stitch Club

Sister's Stuff

Take a few minutes to visit these great blogs - I promise you'll like what you see!

Blog Share: StashHappy

2011-03-11T16:54:00.002-07:00

I'd like to share with you a great new blog called StashHappy. Her blog is great: full of great, creative ideas, and she loves to explore and discuss the lives of us "real" moms. Check her out! Take it away, Alison...

Hi, this is Alison from Stashhappy. I’m so excited to be a guest blogger at Ash’s ! I thought I might share with you a bit how I became “StashHappy”. It all started with the realization that I am a stashophile. What’s that?

Stashophile: an individual who is addicted to collecting crafty items and supplies with the intention of using said items; but really they are stuffed into a closet, drawer, shelf, or under the bed and left unused.

The sad part of this addiction (yes—it’s an addiction) is that I LOVE my stash, I feel very attached to it. At the time I came to this realization, I had a stash of the following:

-fabric

-yarn

-buttons

-embroidery thread

-scrapbook paper

-stickers

-beads

-~~children~~

~~-laundry~~

Oops, I can’t technically count those last two, right?

Anyhoo, things were getting bad. I LOVE to make things, but I will have 8 projects going at once and so things get spread all around. I would then go buy MORE because I would be inspired by something and get an idea. Into the stash the supplies would go.

One of the biggest problems is that I have a ‘can-do’ attitude. I look at something and say “I can do that!” Then I go about trying to figure out how to do that project. I have learned so many different skills, tried out new hobbies, dragged all sorts of things into the house.

StashHappy is part of my recovery plan. A place to share fun projects that I am doing, or that I’ve run across. I hope you’ll join me as I work thru the pile.

Buttermilk Syrup Recipe

2011-03-02T13:13:00.003-07:00

This is one of my more popular & beloved of my personal recipes. This wonderful homemade syrup is so divine - and so flexible! - that I would love to share it with you today.

For years my little family has simply used the store-bought pancake syrup. That's what I grew up with, so I knew no different. I would purchase the nice big jugs at Costco, because that was the best deal for such a thing, and we were happy. Then my sister in law mentioned this recipe she had tried out of Taste of Home {LOVE TOH!} and said is was great. So I tried it - and it was great! I've been using it for over 2 years now, though more recently my now-older children have decided firmly that they prefer my homemade syrup to the store-bought. I will never have to purchase it at Costco again!

Are you ready to learn how to make your own? Here we go!

Recipe:

Homemade Buttermilk Syrup
Ash Savage, adapted from Taste of Home

1 1/2 C. White Sugar
3/4 C. Milk
1/2 C. Butter, softened
2 Tbsp. Corn Syrup
1 tsp. Baking Soda
2 tsp. Flavoring or Extract {Vanilla or Almond}

I'm going to be making a double-batch in the following pictures, so here is the Double-Batch recipe, for double your pleasure ;} I recommend this size recipe if you have more than 3 kids or serve a syrup-loving recipe {Pancakes, Waffles, etc.} more than once per week.

Homemade Buttermilk Syrup - Family Size

Ash Savage, adapted from Taste of Home

3 C. White Sugar
1 1/2 C. Milk
1 C. Butter, softened
4 Tbsp. Corn Syrup
2 tsp. Baking Soda
4 tsp. Flavoring or Extract {Vanilla or Almond}

Great! Get out a decent sized sauce pot and turn it on to medium. Mix in the first 5 ingredients and stir, stir, stir! You don't have to stir the entire time, but definitely often so the bottom doesn't scorch.

After the butter finally melts, it will start to froth and fluff. This is when you want to stir constantly. If you don't, it will quickly boil over and you'll find yourself with a huge mess to clean up. Yes, I speak from experience!

See it getting fluffier, and rising higher? Keep stirring, then after about 3 or 4 minutes of the fluffing and frothing, remove it from heat.

Now we get to do the fun part - the add ins! Typically, you might just want to go with vanilla. Most people like it, and it's a pretty standard flavor. We are really big fans of Almond Extract at our house, so we'll use that quite often. Sometimes I'll break up the batch and do some of each. To distinguish between the 2, I'll stir some sliced almonds in the the almond flavored one. You can even try other extracts such as orange, raspberry, strawberry, mint - the possibilities are endless. Walmart has a great selection of inexpensive extracts on their baking aisle.

Today I'll compromise and do vanilla flavoring with almonds mixed in. Yum! Stir it all in really well. You can see that the froth is already going away as it cools.

After it's cooled enough, I pour it into this nifty short/fat Rubbermaid pitcher thing. It's perfect for this purpose. It has a pour spout, is easily sealed, it fits in the microwave, and I can shake it to remix. Keep your leftover syrup in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. To serve, just throw it in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes, and shake it up!

Mmmmm, warm vanilla syrup on homemade Belgian waffles. Perfect!

But waffles aren't the only thing! Use it on pancakes, German pancakes, French toast,crepes, ice cream, anything! Bliss... Try it and let me know what you think!

This post sponsored by

2011-03-01T21:18:00.001-07:00

Well, I won 2nd place in the American Crafters: Season 1 Contest! I gave it all I had, and only lost by a few votes, so I can only feel good about it even though I didn't win ;}

I want to send a huge thank you to Amy at Naptime Crafters for putting it on, and also to the amazing sponsors who provided my prizes! Go give them some love and visit their stores!

2nd Place

$10 to the Ribbon Garden

$15 to...

1 craft kit from

$20 of Raineforest Supplies

3 patterns from:

$10 vinyl pack from:

$24 prize from:

GIVEAWAY & New Sponsor - WallVinylDecal.com

2011-02-28T09:00:00.005-07:00

I'd like to introduce you to a great new online vinyl lettering store called WallVinylDecal.com. They are my newest sponsor, and I would love for you to check them out!

I absolutely love this multi-colored flower garden! Yes - it comes with 4 color choices! I especially love how she applied it in the corner of the room.

She also has a huge selection of classic quotes and sayings, expertly designed for great visual impact.

She has THE BEST selection of "Stick Figure" people that I've ever seen. I'm sure you've seen these on the back of people's cars illustrating the members of their family. Not all vinyl websites have these, and Wall Vinyl Decal has hilarious stick people along with all the regular-style ones. Isn't this baby adorable? I want this one for my Karrington!

I also love the Door Greeting Samplers. She has 1 sampler that has a greeting for each of the 4 seasons, as well as a 10-pack that is more holiday oriented. How fun would it be to change your greeting whenever you wanted!

And she has a great selection of Twilight quotes. Perfect for your Twilight release parties, teenager gifts, etc. Team Edward or Team Jacob?

So, how about that Giveaway? Well, WallVinylDecal.com is giving away a $25 Gift Certificate good towards anything in their store, including the Custom Quotes! Just leave a separate comment for each entry:

Visit WallVinylDecal.com and tell me what you would spend your Gift Certificate on
Like WallVinylDecal.com on Facebook
Follow Achieving Domestic Bliss
Add an Achieving Domestic Bliss button to your blog
Post this Giveaway on your own Facebook

This Giveaway will be open until Monday, March 6 at 10 am.

Final Round of American Crafter!

2011-02-25T11:27:00.003-07:00

Well, I've made it to the Final Round of American Crafter! This has been a really great ride - I've challenged myself to come up with something new and fresh each week, and I've learned so much.

So here is my final project: A mantle-style moulded shelf, with a redone vintage door, and monogram. If you like it, I would really, really appreciate a VOTE from you over at Naptime Crafters! I'm #3 ;}

This is a project that I've been meaning to do for about 3 years now, and I was happy that this competition gave me the push I needed to get it done. I'm very please with how it turned out!

This is how my front living room started out. A tall blank wall. Other than the stars and good old George Washington, it's never had anything, including window treatments. Yes, we live in a fishbowl.

I also started with this door. It was in my Grandmother's old house, the door to her sewing room closet, I believe. Which was Aunt Jan's old room, right Jan? Well, here it is, in all its orange glory, along with some rockin' wallpaper. I sanded it down and painted it with the same paint I used on my Dining Room walls, which adjoin this room. Love the red!

I looked all over the internet for a tutorial to tell me how to make one of these shelved, but could fine none. My Brother-in-Law Ron was gracious enough to help walk me through it. He told me what to do, what steps to take, but I did all the cutting and sanding, and almost all the nailing and gluing.

To get the job done, I used a nail gun, a compound miter saw, a rotary sander, a handsaw, a scroll saw, and a biscuit cutter.

Finally, after 2 1/2 days, the shelf was done! Though you can't see it in any of my pictures, the bottom is hollow. There is a hidden curtain rod up inside for my window treatments. I caulked, spackled, and sanded before painting it black.

The shelf measures 7 feet across.

And here it is, all finished, styled, with swag hung. I hope you like it! Show me some comment love ;}

Heirloom Family Portrait Window Panes: Round 3 of American Crafter

2011-02-18T14:32:00.001-07:00

Well, another round in American Crafter is submitted! The theme this week was "Vintage." I'm glad there is only 1 week left - this competition has been exhausting! That is, if I go on to the next round ;}

Seriously, though, if you like the following project, I would truly appreciate your vote in the American Crafter competition! You can CLICK HERE to go vote. I'm #5 ;}

Vintage is not my natural, personal style. My house is more traditional, with clean lines. So if I was going to do something “Vintage,” and have it in my home, I wanted it to mean something. My dad gave me 2 sets of window panes a couple of years ago. He had been keeping them in the attic of the garage for over 35 years. You see, my parents bought this very old frame {and partially log} house in 1974 and fixed it up and added to it to create the home I grew up in. When they were fixing it up, Dad removed the original wood frame window panes, and saved them away. The original part of the house that they came from was built in the 1890s!

I took these window panes and created something beautiful and meaningful for my family. As you can see from the Before picture, they were in pretty bad shape. I sanded them down {outside, because who knows what was in that paint} and repainted them in the original off-white color. This was all easier said, than done, of course.

Next, I gathered all of our family portrait pictures since the time my husband and I were married. I ordered them in black & white, 8x10, with a torn-edge finish. So far, there are only 9 of them, but I designed the look so that I can readjust everything in a few years where there are more to add!

I also included some vinyl lettering that I had on hand {leftover from my Uppercase Living days} to finish it off.

My dear, sweet husband braved the heights on a ladder to hang them up for me.

Here it is from the ground floor. Paul hung them up on one of the vaulted walls. From down here they don't look so big, but they are each 28" square! LOVE IT!

Floating black and white pics...

White space cleanly filled...

Dimensional perfection!

Round 2 of American Crafter: Vote for my Layered "Snow" Wall Display

2011-02-11T09:53:00.001-07:00

Okay, the voting is up for Round 2 of the American Crafter competition! I think it's going to be a pretty close race, as most of the projects this time seem to be pretty equal. I'm very happy with home mine turned out, however, and I would love it if you took a moment to go and VOTE HERE at Naptime Crafters. Vote for your favorite 3 projects. If you're looking for mine, it's #7!

You can find my tutorial of the project HERE. Enjoy!

Tutorial: "Snow" Wood Wall Display

2011-02-10T16:51:00.002-07:00

This is the project I came up with for Week 2 of the American Crafter Season 1 Competition. The theme was "Let it Snow," and I had a really hard time coming up with an idea; Christmas was long over, and I'm so ready for Spring, so it was difficult to get inspired. Eventually, this vision popped into my head, and here it is! I hope you enjoy it!

I love cutting letters from wood. You can have so much control over everything, from the font, and the size of the letters, to the thickness of the wood, etc. This display has a "debossed" look, with 2 layers of wood stacked on top of one another.

I love that you can let them stand on their own {like on my mantle, above} or hang them on your wall in a square pattern. And their BIG! Originally, I planned on making these each 6" square, but then I realized they would be so much more awesome and more striking in a bigger size. So they are each 11" square!

Download the Template for the letters HERE.

Supplies Needed:

8 feet of 1" thick/11" wide pine or similar
8 Sheets Coordinating Scrapbook Paper
Mod Podge & Sponge Brushes
Wood Glue
Sander
Cream Spray Paint
Rhinestone Stickers

Tooles Needed:

Table Saw
Router
Scroll Saw

Step 1: Using your table saw {or other saw} cut your board into 11" widths. You should end up with 8 pieces. Get each of your squares as close to 11"x11" as possible. Match them up into pairs, and do a final trim, if needed, to get each pair as close to matching as possible.

Step 2: Take 1 square from each pair, and route along all 4 sides with your preferred route blade. The one I used was a simple rounded corner. This will be your Top Layer. Repeat for each of your 4 squares.

Step 3: Print out the pattern template provided above. Cut out the 4 letters. Trace them onto the front of your Top Layer squares that you just routed with a pencil. Make sure they are as centered as possible ;}
Step 4: Using your scroll saw, cut out each of your 4 letters. You will be cutting up through the bottom of the square to get to the letter, but you'll be covering most of that with paper a little bit later. TIP: If you do a nice, careful job cutting these letters out, you can use them for another craft project when you're done with this one!
Step 5: Take all 8 squares outside and spray paint the edges and sides off white. Be sure to get the sides of your newly cut letters really well. I used Rustoleum 2x Coverage in Heirloom White.

Step 6: Next we cut our scrapbook paper. Determine which papers you'll be using for the inside of the letters. Cut each of those 4 papers to 8"x8". Next, determine which of your papers will go on the fronts. I used all the same papers for my fronts, but you could definitely have them be different too. Cut each of these papers to 11"x11".
Step 7: Take all your 8"x8" squares of paper and mod podge them onto the top of the Bottom Layers of Wood. Make sure it is as centered as possible. Important: Only use the mod podge on the back of the paper. Do not yet put a layer on the top of your paper. If you do, it will wrinkle out of control!

Ack! Wrinkles!

Step 8: Take all your 11"x11" squares of paper next. Lay them face down, the lay your Top Layer wood face down on top of it. Using your pencil, trace along the inside of your wood letter cutout. Repeat for each of your letters. Cut out the letter you just traced. DO NOT cut up from the bottom; using sharp scissors, cut right into the line to start cutting. TIP: If you do a nice, careful job cutting these letters out, you can use them on the wood letters you just saved from before!
Step 9: Mod podge our 11"x11" square of paper to the front of your Top Layer wood. Your wood letter and paper letter should line up perfectly. Your paper will hang over the edges a bit, but we'll take care of that later. Again, mod podge only on the back of the paper for now, NOT the front. Avoid the wrinkles!
Step 10: Your Bottom Layer woods should be dry now. If they are, go ahead and Mod Podge on the top of your 8"x8" papers.
Step 11: Take your electric sander, and sand the following parts:

Bottom Layer corners
Bottom Layer bottom sides
Top Layer top sides, sanding off excess paper
Top Layer corners
Letter edges, sanding off excess paper

Step 12: Dust everything off really well.
Step 13: Your Top Layer woods should be dry now. If they are, go ahead and Mod Podge on the top of your 11"x11" papers. Mod Podge also along your routed edges, and along the inside edges of your letter cutout.
Step 14: Turn your Top Layer wood face down. Smear a layer of Wood Glue all over the back of it. Don't make it too thick because we don't want it too ooze out. Turn it over and press it down over it's matching Bottom Layer. You may want to put something heavy on top of it all to weigh it down as it dries for a bit.
Step 15: Throw some rhinestone bling in the corners to finish it off!
Step 16: Optional: Since you can see along the sides where the two pieces of wood meet, you may or may not want to cover it with ribbon along the perimeter.

You're Done!

If you make one for yourself, please leave a link in the comment section - I wanna see!

I'll be linking this project to the linky parties above!

Come and Vote for the Week 1 Challenges for American Crafter

2011-02-04T13:56:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! If you have a minute, I would soooo appreciate it if you took a moment to go and vote for me over at Naptime Crafters' American Crafter competition. I worked really hard on my completely original Cupid Costume for Karrington, and I hope you like it! I have to make it in the Top 10 of the15 in order to not get "sent home!"

Click HERE to go vote!

I'll be posting a tutorial as soon as possible so you can make your Cupid one too!

I'm a Contestant on Season 1 of American Crafter!

2011-02-01T16:06:00.002-07:00

The starting lineup of 15 contestants for Season 1 of American Crafter was announced yesterday afternoon, and I was chosen to compete! If you follow the Crafty Blog world at all, you may have heard of these "knock off" shows redesigned for crafting competitions, such as Crafting with the Stars, Project, Toddler Runway, etc. Well, Amy over at Naptime Crafters is running American Crafter, and I auditioned 3 weeks ago with my Hallee Shawn Owls in a Tree Quilt. I'm pretty proud of it, since it was 100% original, and it feels so great to feel that validation that other people like it too! Anyway, I guess what I'm saying is that it's a Pretty Big Deal!

The first week's challenge is doing a Valentine's Day project. Finished projects will be posted at Naptime Crafters for voting on Friday morning. I would totally and completely love having your Support and Votes each week so I can stay in until the finals! Wish me luck!

A Sad, Sad Day...

2011-01-26T18:07:00.001-07:00

I lost my phone today. I lost it, and whoever found it decided that it was more important to keep it than it was to turn it in. So, I lost it, and it was stolen.

If you know me at all, you know that my iPhone is a part of me. An appendage. A part of the family. I LOVE it, my life is in it, and I use it constantly throughout the day to help me do my jobs better. {This is mostly because my Mom Brain doesn't work as well as it used to; I have to write everything down and have it with me at all times.} It has my Shopping Lists, my Calendar, my Cell Phone, my Camera, my Address Book, David Copperfield for next month's book club, games to keep my kids occupied while in a shopping cart, my Calculator, everything! I'm so grateful that I removed all the pictures from the last month just yesterday.

So I have spent most of the day in tears. Big huge tears that won't stop. I tried to take a nap so I didn't have to think about it anymore, but I just laid there and thought about it. I'm so devastated.

My son loves it too. Jefferson {6} has games and apps he purchase with his own iTunes money on there, and often chooses iPhone time as his reward for good behavior. When I picked him up from school today and told him the bad news, he was as devastated as I was. He is appalled that someone would be a thief and take it when it didn't belong to them. I truly hope that he remembers how this feels, and will never keep something that doesn't belong to him. Finder = ~~keepers~~.

After we stepped in the house, and he had a few minutes to think about it, he said the sweetest, most thoughtful thing a 6-year-old boy ever could. You see, Jefferson recently learned that there are Wish Bones in turkeys, and that if you rip off the bigger piece, you get to have a wish. He has been counting down the days until Thanksgiving so that he can pull on the Wish Bone and wish to become Spiderman. The big thing about this is that he truly believes his wish will come true! So what did he say to me? "Mom, I'm not going to wish to be Spiderman on the Wish Bone anymore. I'm going to wish for you to have a new iPhone." Of, course, that made me start crying all over again. What a sacrifice for him!

I realize that I need to keep this in perspective. I know that this is not on the same level a losing a loved one or a child, or having my home burn down, or a horrible car accident. But that doesn't stop me from being sad about it, and that's okay. Tomorrow, though, I will do my best to shed no more tears, and start working my way to earning a new one.

Is there anyone interested in Homemade Bread, fresh from the oven? I'll make you a good deal ;}

Giveaway Winner Announced!

2011-01-21T09:52:00.001-07:00

Can I just "Wow" and "Thank You"! There were so many great New Year's Resolution ideas {Good Luck everyone} and so many nice comments about my blog. It warmed my heart!

So, without further ado, the $25 Gift Certificate to my Etsy store goes to:

{I promise, this is really the random winner!}

Steph, I will get in contact with you. Thank you to everyone who participated, and to all my new followers, you can expect some exciting new changes around here...come back soon!

Indiana Jones Whip and Satchel {Projects #34 & #35}

2011-01-15T20:42:00.000-07:00

Jefferson has been totally obsessed with the Indiana Jones movies lately; for some reason they are on TV all the time. I found this leather hat at a Garage Sale for $1 quite some time ago. I dug it out of the Halloween box and presented it to him. He thought it was the best thing ever! I loved that, but I did not love it so much when he started using his belt as a whip. The girls almost lost some eyes before we nipped that one in the bud!

So I got online and looked for a homemade whip tutorial. I found the perfect one HERE at Pin and Paper. So easy, so perfect. I even had just the right flannel to use for it.

After I made that, I dug out some vinyl "leather" I had found in the remnants at the fabric store for about $.50. I kind of just made up this bag as I went. I won't say it turned out that great, but Jefferson didn't complain!

Amanda's Camera Strap {Project #33}

2011-01-13T20:43:00.019-07:00

For another of my 50 Projects, I made my dear friend Amanda a fun camera strap for her fancy camera. I've had my eye on this tutorial for quite some time, so I was glad for the opportunity to make it for her! You can find the tutorial HERE at The Cottage Home. Great tutorial, very well written. However, I will say that it wasn't the easiest thing to put together, because everything has to fit so tightly ;}

A New Year & A New Giveaway

2011-01-13T08:45:00.002-07:00

So I finally feel as though I've gotten myself in gear lately. I'm lovin' this being-a-mom-stuff, this making-dinner-every-night-stuff, and this try-to-keep-your-house-clean-stuff. So many blessings are coming our way, and I'm so grateful for the wonderful life my family has. I love making goals, because it gives me a direction to be heading, while in the midst of other things coming and going. I'm happy that I was able to accomplish my "50 Projects" goal last year {even though I haven't posted about them all yet, I did make it!} without letting my family responsibilities fall by the wayside.

It's funny how putting a nice meal on the table each night for your family gives such a satisfied feeling of happiness. Do you experience that? I love that my kids are finally getting to the age where it's more "worth it" to make a meal for them, because they will actually consume a portion of it. For so many years, it didn't seem "worth its" to make the full meal, have the Family Home Evening, finish my scrapbooks, etc, simply because the kids weren't big enough to enjoy it all. Now we are finally at that point in our lives where it all makes sense and I am loving it!

So my goals for this year are many: Budgeting Goals {Go Dave Ramsey!}, Spiritual/Church Goals, Homemaking Goals, and Creative Goals. One specifically I would like to share with you so that I am Committed To It is that of catching up on my scrapbooking this year. I will tell you that this is a monumental task; I am about 4.5 years behind. BUT, I feel it's more important now than I ever did before because the kids so enjoy looking through them, learning about themselves and their families. It's just the best sitting with them looking through their baby books. So there it is, that's my goal!

I'm presenting to you a Giveaway today! It's nothing special, really, just a $25 Gift Certificate to my Etsy Store. I'll be listing several more items this week before the Giveaway ends, so hopefully there is something in there you'll like! If not, feel free to request something to be listed! I'll close the comments on Friday the 21st, and choose a winner randomly.

To Enter:

1. Leave a comment and share with me one of your Goals for this year. Doesn't matter what, I just want to know!

Extra Entry

2. Become a Follower of this Blog! Leave a new comment telling me you've done so.

A New Magnet Board {Project #32}

2011-01-11T10:40:00.000-07:00

A custom Magnet Board was ordered from customer as a Christmas gift for someone, so I counted it as one of my projects! These magnet boards are made by Provo Craft, and I ordered them from the warehouse a couple of years ago. At the time they were closing out their unfinished wood products line, and I believe I ordered the very last ones. I've searched online and I can't find any vendors that still have them, or any similar products. If you really want to make one from scratch, I'm sure you could if you're handy with a saw and merging angled corners!

Here is the one I made just before Christmas:

I've made several of these in the past. Here they are:

I've linked up to these Great Parties!

These boards are available in my Etsy Store!

Making Pumpkin and Freezing It {Project #31}

2011-01-10T12:43:00.000-07:00

Have you ever baked a pumpkin and harvested the "meat" for use in pumpkin pies, breads, soup, etc? I did it once back in college. I was dating Paul {my husband} and I wanted to give it a try. I called my BIL for instructions {odd that he was the best person to ask} and he told me how to cut it open, bake it, scrape it out, and process it. From there I believe I just used the classic Libby's Pumpkin recipe to actually make the pie. Well, apparently it turned out wonderful. Paul tells me now that it was one of the top convincing factors that I was the girl for him. Pumpkin pie is his favorite, and it was better than his mother's. Shoe in, I was.

Well, pumpkin supply being what it was this year, I didn't find a lot of pumpkin at great prices, or even many coupons for it. Not that it's totally expensive at $1.75/can, but it's the principle. I also just realized this year that you cannot get pumpkin year round! I guess I always just had some in my food storage when I've needed it in the past, but this fall {it was already September, for goodness sake!} it wasn't even on the shelves yet! Well, that just won't do.

I decided to use the pumpkins leftover from Halloween to harvest. I used the great but simple instructions found at The Pioneer Woman. Not only were the instructions and pictures great, but she is a hoot to read as well. She instructs to use "pie pumpkins," but I looked it up and several places said it was okay to use any old pumpkin. At one point she says that she popped a piece in her mouth and it was so good...so I did the same. No oil, no salt, no butter, just baked pumpkin - and I will tell you that I think I ate about 3 cups of pumpkin during this whole process, it was sooooo good. Here is my process to prove I made it.

I found my pumpkins, scattered about the house:

Then I cut my pumpkins. I will tell you this was pretty difficult to do with jack o lantern type pumpkins. My hands and wrists were dying by the time I was done with all 4 pumpkins. I put them in the oven on foil-lined sheets, having poked holes in the flesh to let the steam out. It took quite a while to bake all the pieces, because even though I have 2 ovens, it still didn't all fit at once.

Here it is fresh from the oven. A little dark around the edges, but fork soft. This is the point that you'll want to start munching.

Here is the time consuming part. Peeling off the skin. It's not hard - just long and slow. Then you put your pieces into whatever blender, food processor, kind of thing you have, and whip it good. You want to end up with the same puree that you'd get if you just opened a can of Libby's - except it's even better than that!

Sorry I don't have any more pictures from here, but I ended up with 2 huge bowls of the stuff, which I put into freezer ziploc bags in 1- and 2-cup portions. I ended up with quite a few bags making 2 stacks in my freezer. Now I'm set!

Where I Party At!

2011-01-10T11:13:00.000-07:00

Monday:

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Friday:

Saturday:

Sunday:

Super Easy, Super Fun Table Runners for Christmas {Projects #28, #29, & #30}

2011-01-10T11:06:00.000-07:00

So back in August Kari at Ucreate picked Table Runners for the Create with Me Project of the Month. She picked this tutorial over at Diary of a Quilter for everyone to follow. I FELL IN LOVE with it immediately! I didn't get my own done in time to share in the gallery at the end of the month, but I knew these would be perfect for some Christmas gifts.

So, I made one for my Mom first so I could get it shipped. It measured about 14"x45".

Next, I made one for my sister Ang. She has one of those counter-height square-ish tables, so I redesigned the pattern to make it a square. It was a little more difficult to sew, simply because of the bulk, but it didn't take too much longer. It measures about 34"x34".

Then, just before Christmas, I whipped up one last one for my sister-in-law TeriLyn. It measured about 13"x48". I think she liked it!

I think the thing I like most about these quilted table runners is that they are GREAT scrap busters I was able to use so many skinny, scrawny pieces of fabric, yet make each table runner unique and fun. One of these days coming up I'll make one for myself for my sofa table...

What are you waiting for? Go make yourself one!

I've linked this project up to these Great Parties!

You can find these table runners in my Etsy Shop.

Christmas Baking Day! {Project #27}

2011-01-09T10:45:00.000-07:00

Ang, Amanda, and I got together on a Saturday before Christmas to have our Christmas Goodie Baking Day. It was so much work, but it was so fun! It was another time I was infinitely grateful for my double ovens - they worked so hard all day long.

We each planned and contributed for 4 recipes for whatever we wanted. We ended up with a pretty good selection: Black & Whites, Peanut Butter Bars, Linzer Cookies, Snickerdoodles, Sugar Cookies, Chocolate Dipped Pretzels, Peanut Clusters, Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Truffles, White Chocolate Chunk Cookies, Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies, and Peppermint Bark.

We made up plates to give to family and friends. It was actually impossible to fit even one of each item on the plates!

Here we are after a hard day's work. Success!

Kenz's beautiful stacking job...

Newest Quilt Design - The Hallee Shawn Rag Quilt of Owls! {Project #26}

2011-01-08T22:08:00.000-07:00

I did this quilt just before Christmas for Lyndsey to give to her daughter Hallee as a gift. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out, though it was a bit time consuming because of the extra detail. But you can never go wrong with owls!

Here is the Hallee Shawn Owl Rag Quilt
Original Design by Ashley Savage {me!}

One Owl...

Two Owls...

Three Owls...

Four!

You can find this one in my shop!

I partied with these great ladies:

Sew Dang Cute, A Little Lovely, Tatertots and Jello, Craft Envy, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Kojo Designs, Fun to Craft, I Heart Naptime, Under the Table and Dreaming, Simply Designing, It's So Stinking Cute, Life as Lori.

Our Study Makeover! {Project #25}

2011-01-08T19:17:00.000-07:00

After several ~~weeks~~ months of discussing our options, Paul and I finally committed to redoing the office. Ever since we moved in 4 years ago, it's been my personal office/domain, painted a lovely purple, and filled will all my paperwork junk. Paul had his computer set up in our Master Retreat, but he never spent any time in there because it's so far away from the action {and there is usually a baby sleeping in there}. I convinced Paul that he should move his desk in with me so we could spend more time together, and could be more efficient with our time while discussing bills, etc. Honestly, I don't know why we didn't both move in there together in the first place.

We did this whole project during the few days before Thanksgiving.

So here are the before pictures. I'm disappointed that I don't have pictures of what it really looked like before I started organizing my belongings. Really, because my time in there was limited, it was a really pigsty. But here it is, nonetheless...

What you don't get to see is the huge stain in the middle of the room on the carpet where my son broke open a ballpoint pen. Big blue mess.

Paul ripped up the carpet and pad first. We're relaying that down in the unfinished basement for temporary increased comfort. It was interesting to see the pad under where my office chair was - it was totally flattened!

Next we painted the walls and shelves in two tones of blue. It was a pretty purpley-blue, so it wasn't a drastic change, but it definitely made the whole room less feminine for my man.

Then Paul and our friend Taylor put in the Pergo laminate floor. Paul really wanted to do real hardwood, but we just couldn't justify the $600 difference, naturally. By the way, this was super easy to install.

Then, Paul put in the mopboard trim, crown moulding, trim on the shelves, and framed the window. We simply used the same white paint that came with the house, which we really like.

And there it is!

New Year's Eve, 2011

2011-01-03T20:53:00.004-07:00

New Year's Eve! We all gathered at Taylor & Amanda's for a fun-filled evening of junk food, games, Rock Band, and Sparklers!

Our obsessed husbands all their Mountain Dew shirts on...

Happy New Year!

Newest Quilt Design - The Emmett James Fishy Quilt {Project #24}

2010-12-18T07:27:00.000-07:00

This sweet little blanket was commissioned for Emmett James Crapo, a cute and round little baby boy. Inspired by a discontinued Pottery Barn bedding set, this is what I came up with!

I'm very pleased with how it turned out. {I think that Emmett is too!} I haven't made up the pattern yet, but it will eventually be in the shop.

If a custom-designed blanket is something that you'd like for yourself or for a friend, visit my Etsy shop to order one!

My New & Fabulous Dining Room Curtains {Project #23}

2010-12-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

After letting my purchased {and expensive} fabric sit for over a year, I finally got around to sewing this curtains. I think a lot of what was holding me back was that I wasn't sure of exactly what I wanted them to look like. I knew I wanted them to be able to hang or be held back. But I didn't want a regular boring rod-pocket style, or a poofy 1993 style, either.

One day I was walking through a model home with some visiting family members when my sister Kellie noticed their curtains. I took some pictures because they were just perfect! Here they are. I of course couldn't take them down and examine how they were made, so I just had to figure it out from these pictures.

I had never made curtains before, especially lined ones, so I looked for a tutorial and found THIS ONE. It was really a great tutorial, and included a video about blind hems, which are essential for curtains. It was the top loops that I had to figure out on my own, and I did! I will admit that I'm pretty proud of my curtains. They are not perfect by any means, but I'm very happy whenever I look at them! I did take pictures while I was making them, so if there is enough interest, I'll put together a tutorial.

Here they are in all their glory.

The top loops and rings...

And I get some drag on the floor when they are unhooked...

And now I've made my Dining Room Curtains!

Making Grape Juice {Project #22}

2010-12-16T07:10:00.000-07:00

My Mother-in-Law has made her own Grape Juice and Jelly for years. At the old Homestead, so had a pretty good array of Grapevines that she had planted and cultivated over the years. Now that she's moved to town, so drives over to Utah every year to get grapes from her sister, because we all must have our Grape Juice and Jelly! Thanks Mom for doing that!

Typically, she just does it for us without us knowing, then hands us finished bottles of the Good Stuff. This year, though, she handed me a flat of grapes and said, "Get to it!" I was grateful for the opportunity to learn! She told me what the steps were, and shared her big, big pots with me, and I "go to it"!

Ultimately, it was a very simple process. I think the most time-consuming part was picking out the bad grapes. You don't even have to take off the stems with her method, which I think is great.

Wash your grapes, and place them in a large pot. Fill with water to just covering the grapes.

After it's come to a boil and cooked for a bit, place them in a cheesecloth clipped to another large pot. The juice is going to run through, but the skins and the stems won't. Let it sit for a while. When it's cool enough to handle, you can use your hands to work with it and squeeze it to get as much juice out as possible.

When you have a pot full, bring it to a good boil for a bit.

When your good and boiling, then fill your already hot jars, put on your prepared lids and rings, and let sit. They will self-seal on the counter as long as everything is hot enough. Safe too.

I did 3 pots of grapes, and I got 13 quarts out of it! Now, in the near future, I need to turn this juice into jelly - because we're out!

And now I know how to make grape juice.

Coupon Bootcamp Classes for Early 2011

2010-12-15T13:39:00.005-07:00

Hello People!

This is a post I’m putting up to notify everyone of my upcoming dates for Coupon Bootcamp Classes at the beginning of the year. I’ve set several dates, and while it is still First Come, First Served, there are plenty of spaces for lots of people. Please sign up as soon as possible if you’re interested. You must email me at ashley{@}foryearstocome{dot}com to register. While I am limiting the classes to 4 students each, anyone who would like to come for a “refresher” is welcome to do so in a 5^th or 6^th spot.

Class Description: Starting from the very basics of couponing, we will discuss in depth the how’s and what’s of couponing, the best stores to shop at, the best prices to look for, building your food storage stockpile, and cutting your grocery spending up to 75% or more.

Here are the dates available.

~~Thursday, January 20, 9:45-11:30 am~~

~~Wednesday, February, 7-9 pm~~

Thursday, February 17, 9:45-11:30 am {1 Space Left}

Thursday, March 10, 9:45-11:30 am {3 Spaces Left}

Also, I’ll be holding an Advanced Class due to several requests. For this class I will need to have a 4-person minimum to hold it. You’ll enjoy this class if A} You’ve taken my Coupon Bootcamp Beginning Class and have all the basics down, or B} You are already an experienced couponer and would like more tips and information to further your savings.

Class Description: We will discuss the intricacies of Walgreens and Target, additional sources of coupons and savings not previously discussed, budget concerns, and frugal lifestyle choices.

Tuesday, February 22, 9:30-11:30 am {1 Spot Left}

Please email me at ashley@foryearstocome.com to register for any of these classes.

**************************************************************

BEGINNER CLASS SYLLABUS

**************************************************************

Hi Ladies,

This email is to let you know what to expect from this class, and what you need to do to come prepared for it. Our class will be 9:45 to 11:30 am. Please arrive A FEW MINUTES BEFORE so that we can start ON TIME. At class, we can discuss whether or not you would like to participate in a trip to the store together that evening.

First of all, this class will not be me spending any time convincing you that you should coupon. By the time this class date comes around, you need to already be mentally, emotionally, and financially committed to changing your grocery/household shopping lifestyle. Because that’s what this is ~ a lifestyle. Therefore, you need to have already worked out any budget changes that need to be made with your spouse, such as deciding how much money you want to go to grocery/household stuff, will you use the cash method, etc. Come with your personal goals already decided upon.

Next, I would like you to be saving your receipts between now and then, so you can bring them with you. Include receipts for your groceries, personal care items {deodorant, shampoo}, and household items {cleaners, toilet paper}. Also, bring you with you the total amount of $$ you spent for the month previous to your class on these 3 categories of items. I want you to have a clear idea of what you are spending now, so that you can see the difference for yourself later. And for me, I want to see what items you are purchasing that are important to you and your lifestyle. I can give you better information that way.

Next, your class supply list. You didn’t think you’d have to get class supplies, did you! Please bring with you the following:

· All your coupons. Do not clip them! Bring them whole! If you do not already subscribe to the Sunday paper, start your subscription NOW so that you can get Sunday’s paper.

· File Folders {at least 16}

· Hanging Folders with Tabs {minimum of 17}

· Small File box {like this: http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/656096/Office-Depot-Large-Mobile-File-Box/?cm_cat=2000000371}

· Pen, Highlighter, Scissors

· Notepad for taking your own notes

· Coupon Organizer, 12” wide, like this: I often see these in the Target $1 Spot.

I will try to have folders and hanging folders on hand if you want to just purchase them from me, but otherwise, bring everything with you.

Okay, I think that’s everything. Again, I want to stress the importance of being already committed when you come to this class. If you are already committed, instead of wishy-washy, you will learn more. If you don’t think that you can do this, let me now, and I’ll get another person to take your spot. Sorry to sound so serious! But I am…

Let me know if you have any questions in the meantime.

Thanks!

Ash

More Canned Apple Pie with RECIPES! {Project #21}

2010-12-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

My Apple Pie filling that I canned earlier this season from my very own trees gave me 11 quarts total. This would have been enough for the entire year, if you'd asked me. I mean, how often, really, does one need to make an apple pie? As soon as it was done, however, I seemed to be blowing through it!

Of course, we had to have one that night to make sure it was yummy {which it was}. Then the next week I needed to make 2 pies for an Enrichment Activity. And I have deep 9" pie dishes. It actually takes 1-1/2 - 2 quarts to fill each one, so I was already down by 5 jars!

I was happy to see an excellent price on apples, and my friend Amanda wanted to make some too for the first time, so we worked all day doing more pie as well as some chunky applesauce. Chunky Applesauce is great to just eat, eat warm with granola, or use to make cobblers and crisps. We blow through that too...

And now for the recipe and instructions!
{My mother has used this recipe for years, but she can't remember where she obtained it. I cannot guarantee that this is an approved canning recipe, so use at your own risk. And, as with most canned items, it is recommended to use it within one year.}

Bottled Apple Pie Filling
Courtesy: Rosemary Palmer

Get your apples and wash them in your sink - be sure to remove the stickers! This is a great way to let your kids help.

Next, you need to peel, core, and slice your apples. This would be a horrible, time-consuming chore if the Apple Peeler Corer Slicer was not invented {Bless you, Inventor!}. But since it was invented, and I own one, this job is fast and easy. My 6-year-old can do it without much trouble.
Put the apple on...

...and wind it through. It peels...

...and slices...

...and cores all in one easy motion!

From there, you simply cut it crosswise 2 times, and you've got all your pretty little bite-size slices. Fill your jars to the top. You'll want the jar to be full, but not super tight packed.

Now, make your Filling Sauce!
Filling Sauce
{Fills approximately 6-7 jars.}
10 C. Water
4 1/2 C. Sugar
1 C. Corn Starch
1 tsp. Salt
3 tsp. Cinnamon
3 Tbsp. Lemon Juice

Bring all ingredients to a boil and thicken.

With your funnel, pour in your boiling Filling Sauce to fill your jars to the neck. You may need to use a butter knife to move your apples around in the jar in order to allow the sauce to fill all the gaps.

Wipe the rims clean, put your lids and rings on, and hot water bath process them. I do mine for 25 minutes. This will seal your jars as well as cook your apples!

I make a great pie crust as well, but I think we'll save that for another post on another day when I have pictures to support it. Apples are still at a great price this time of year - it's not too late to do your own!

Sydney and Her Tooth

2010-12-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

Poor Sydney was wrestling with Jefferson {as they often do} and her front tooth loudly cracked against the back of his head. He was even crying it hurt so bad. Hers was bleeding, and she wouldn't eat anything for about a 24 hour period. Flash forward 2 or 3 weeks to when your tooth starts to turn GRAY! The poor girl! I took her in to our wonderful dentist where they did X-Rays. They assured us that the root is actually still fine and that as long as she doesn't complain about it hurting, it will be fine until it's ready to fall out on its own. I'm sooooo grateful this wasn't an adult tooth!

Here she is being so brave on her first trip to the dentist. I'm glad it was a positive experience, even though it wasn't a positive reason!

Holiday Enrichment Dinner for Relief Society {Project #20}

2010-12-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

Well, folks, this one was a biggie! This was my largest event so far as Enrichment Leader in my ward, and it was so much fun to plan! My committee and I got together in September to make some plans for it - it was slow going at first while we tried to decide on a direction to go with it, but once we decided on a theme, it was easy to build on it. A HUGE THANKS to my committee for all their wonderful work in putting together the musical numbers, speaker, advertising, childcare, game, and to everyone else who helped with the set up and cooking. It was a HUGE SUCCESS, but only because I had so much help! I was lucky enough to claim the responsibility of making the dinner arrangements, which I thoroughly enjoyed planning for and putting into action.

I'd like to share what we did, along with the pictures and recipes, so that if any other Leaders need some ideas on what to do, you can draw from this.

I think that one of the smartest things we did for this activity was have it in early November. It was a great way to kick off the holiday season with our theme of "Feel the Joy of Giving." We put together our invitations with a Wide Mouth Mason Canning Jar, complete with the name tag for the person's name on it {this helped us make sure each sister received one}. The invitation had instructions to bring the jar with them, having filled it with a creative gift to exchange.

We set up the cultural hall that morning, the table setting complete {Thanks Tami} with lots of silverware, 2 glasses each, a "charger" plate, and fan-folded napkins {Thanks Gina}. We even had table numbering signs, pretty butter {Thanks Shaunna}, and a centerpiece make up of a pyramid of truffles.

We also had signs sharing the Program on one side, and the Menu on the other {Allison}.

Our wonderful Elders and High Priests agreed to serve as our waitstaff, and they did an incredible job under the direction of Bro. Larry Oliver. They did everything from seating the sisters, taking coats, and filling beverage glasses, to plating all 3 courses, serving them, taking dessert orders, and washing all the dishes.

Didn't they do a wonderful job on their presentation?

I apologize now for the horrible quality of my pictures. All I had with me was my iPhone, and it really doesn't do too well in a low-light setting. But here they are, regardless! I think everyone appeared to have a pretty good time...

After the Main Course, and while the brethren were preparing the desserts, we all got up to do our gift exchanging game. We did the classic "Left & Right" game where you pass to the right or left while listening to a story; we were lucky enough, however, to have a story that was written by our very own Ashley Thurber! There were some amazingly creative and wonderful gifts in those jars! I didn't get to see very many of them myself, but among those I did see there was a hand-knitted hat with a flower, a gorgeous necklace made from metal washers, and a homemade pie.

And now for the recipes! There were rave reviews about all the dishes featured that night, and many requests for recipes, so I though I would share them here. Here is a rough draft of our menu that was at the tables.

Spinach Apple Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Find the recipe for this HERE.

Carbonara White Sauce

Carbonara Sauce {recipe created by Jen Hansen}
15 servings

½ pound good quality smoked bacon
2 10.5oz. cans of Condensed Cream of Chicken soup
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup sour cream
About 3 cups half & half cream or evaporated milk
4 cloves crushed garlic
2 tbsp. dry onion flakes
2 tsp. paprika
½ C fresh chopped parsley
Salt and pepper

Cook bacon until well done and crisp, drain on paper towels, crumble or chop into small bits when cool.
Blend all remaining ingredients in a large saucepan except for salt and pepper, reserving some half and half or milk for thinning. Cook over medium heat to a low boil, adding more milk for desired consistency. Remove from heat and add salt & pepper to taste, stir in bacon bits.

Herb-Infused Red Potatoes

This recipe I found at Mel's Kitchen Cafe {Thanks Melissa}. I think that this is the recipe that surprised me the most by how amazingly good it was. I was expecting everything else to be good, and that's why I chose the other recipes. This one I kind of picked out of desperation, simply to have something to do to the potatoes. Get the recipe HERE.

Oven Roasted Asparagus

This recipe is also from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. Oh, so easy, and so tasty. I do believe I'll be preparing my asparagus this was many times in the future. You can find the recipe HERE.

Pumpkin Roll

This is just your classic Pumpkin Cream Cheese Roll from Libby's. You can get the recipe HERE.

Angel Food Cake Roll

This little wonder is from the Pampered Chef "All the Best" Cookbook. I bought the book a few years ago, and have made it several times over the years with a few minor changes. I even won a dessert contest with it and received $100! As far as the changes are concerned, I recommend using a homemade raspberry or strawberry jam, rather than the cherry preserves. You can find the recipe HERE.

Projects #15 -#19!

2010-12-12T16:23:00.000-07:00

The whole Project Goal thing has had me so busy that haven't had the time to BLOG about it all! But, I have been taking lots of pictures along the way to prove that I have indeed been keeping up with it all. I'm going to try to get a bit caught up in the next few days, so here goes!

{Projects #15 & #16}
Halloween Costumes for my sweet girls. Sydney was Princess Tiana from The Princess and the Frog. And Karrington was Snow White {mostly because her hair dictated that she should be}.

Here is Paul acting as her Prince Charming.

And here am I being the Evil Witch.

{Project #17}
I did need to make Sydney some matching shoes, so I took some red sparkly ones she already had and covered them with the green satin leftover from her dress. They turned out hideous, but good enough for a few evenings of Halloween parties.

{Project #18}
I saw this awesome, yet nasty Spider Egg Sac tutorial on another blog and knew I just had to do it! It was as fast ask she promised, and super cheap, but it added such a wonderful touch to my giant hairy spider on my front porch that I don't know how I've lived without it the last few years. You can see the tutorial HERE..

{Project #19}
Mending Jefferson's poor pants. The boy hasn't yet outgrown his current size of pants {by some miracle} but he has been wearing out the knees. This is the first time this has happened to me; he usually grows out of things before they fall apart so I've never had to do this!

These 3 pairs had holes in the knees, some bigger than others. The small ones on the blue pants I did a simple ironing on of interfacing on the back along with some reinforced stitching so it wouldn't get any bigger. The khakis, though, had a much bigger rip, so I had to get creative. I had a pair of khakis that I'd saved from an earlier pair of his pants, so I cut off one of the cargo pockets. I adhesive-ironed it on to start with, then stitched it on with some contrasting orange thread. He loved it!

Project # 14 - Bread Making Mama!

2010-12-02T07:16:00.000-07:00

Okay, here is the bread recipe that I've promised so many of you - FINALLY! For my local friends, let me know if you want to do a class.

Back in August, I was given a great recipe for homemade bread from a new friend. We are distantly "related" {she is my sister's husband's sister}, but mostly because we are Kindred Spirits. We talked Domestic Goddess strategies all weekend while she was visiting, and she shared a few of her time-tested recipes, which I was so grateful for! This bread recipe was just what I was needing.

It's been a goal of mine for several years to make bread for my family, instead of purchasing bread. I wanted to do this for several reasons: 1} Obviously, it's healthier; 2} Even though store bread is relatively inexpensive, making it is still cheaper; 3} It will allow me to rotate my wheat food storage on a regular basis; and 4} It's Sooooo much yummier! Well, that very week I made my own batch of Kareldean's bread, and true to her promise, it made 5 perfectly beautiful and tasty loaves EASILY. This is what I want to stress about this bread - it is EASY, Fast, and Fool-Proof. Ever since that first batch, we have not purchased bread from a store since. I've been making this bread for my family now for over 3 months, and I will never go back!

So, without further ado, here it is!

Homemade Bread
from Ash Savage, via Kareldean Landrum
Yield: 5 Loaves

In a large mixer {Bosch or larger KitchenAid}, add:
5 C. Hot Tap Water
2/3 C. Sugar
2/3 C. Oil
2 Tbsp. Salt
3 Tbsp. Yeast
Mix briefly, then let rest 5 minutes.
{While it's resting here, I like to grind my wheat.}

Next, add:
6 C. White Flour
8 C. Whole Wheat
Mix on HIGH for 6 minutes.
{This recipe will work with store-bought wheat flour as well, if you don't have your own grinder.}

Divide your dough into 5 pieces, and shape into loaves. The dough will be a tiny bit sticky; a good spray of Pam on your hands will fix that. Place your loaves in greased & warmed pans. Let rise to a pretty mound.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

After baking, remove them from the pans to cool on wire racks.

I like to cut mine with my electric knife for perfect slices.

If you won't be consuming some loaves in the next 2 days, throw it in the freezer. I like to cut it, then freeze it, so it's ready for sandwiches for lunches even if I have to make them frozen. This bread is perfect for just eating, making sandwiches, french toast, anything! Here are some big fans enjoying it fresh from the oven - oh, it's the best! I hope your family enjoys it too!

The "Samantha Marie" Rag Quilt Pattern Premier!

2010-11-05T16:00:00.000-06:00

I have *finally* listed my pattern for the Samantha Marie Rag Quilt. I've had the pattern itself done for quite some time, but am just now getting around to listing it on Etsy. So, here it is in all it's glory!

The pattern is now available in my Shop!

It's premier price is $5.00 until November 30, then it will go up to its regular price of $9.00, so don't wait! If you're local and want to shop, just stop by my house and shop in the boutique!

Family Halloween Party, 2010

2010-11-01T16:59:00.000-06:00

We had a super fun Halloween Party this year. We planned for it on Saturday, which was good because me and the kids were flat on our beds being sick on Sunday with that nasty flu that was going on. It was the Russells, Hughes, and Savages {the Savhughsells!} for the party, and we were all in our best duds {sorry for the horrible pictures!}

Snow White and her Prince Charming

Evil Witch

The Spread! What fun Halloween Food: Owl Moonpies, Scarecrow Taco Dip, Sugar Cookies, Pumpkin Seeds, Witch Hat Krispies, Bone Sticks...

Candy Corn Parfaits, Celery Mummies, Eyeball Eggs, Devil Eggs, Gingersnaps...

Hot Chocolate and Hot Spiced Cider!

We also had an Old Woman, Little Miss Muffet, 3 Witches, Dr. Pepper, and Cinderella!

In the aftermath of the next day, Karrington found, opened, and ate her first sucker. What a natural!

Anderson Farms, Fall 2010

2010-10-28T16:38:00.000-06:00

Every couple of years we manage to make it to Anderson Farms to spend a day of Fall Fun. I think we like going there more for the pretty picture opportunities than anything else. So fun!

We did do the corn mazes as well. After we did the first one with everybody, the daddies were done. So the mommies {Ang, Ash, & Amanda} and the big girls {Jade, Kenz, Loryn, & Jade's Friend} had a race for the second maze (you have to find all the punches at the stations throughout). Us mommies whooped on them good - they didn't stand a chance!

Scrapaway 2010!

2010-10-13T10:00:00.000-06:00

This fall I had the opportunity to go on my first Scrapaway with the other scrapbooking girls. They have been going for several years now, and I had so much fun I will definitely be going again if I can! We traveled to a sweet little scrapping retreat in Colorado Springs and had a great time, as you can see from the pics.

I primarily worked on my family's trip to Disneyland this past February. When I got those pages done, I started work on our family's trip to South Dakota/Mt. Rushmore this past summer. So fun!

I did get to be in the cool car...

Carli and Jamie...

The super productive table...

The whole gang...

And one night we played the ever-hilarious Character Game...

Project #13 - Green Glitter Skeleton

2010-10-08T19:05:00.000-06:00

Yay for Halloween decorations!

So, Two years ago Just a Girl showed some skeleton bones she glittered...

...after seeing the project on Martha Stewart...

Well, if you click on the Martha Stewart link, you'll see that she sells a kit for this for $14.99 {not including the lovely pedestal and glass dome, of course}. Plus shipping... And you still have to do it yourself! Sheesh, why not do it yourself, for cheaper? Just a Girl did it, and I've had it on my list for 2 years. I bought the skull and bones last month while shopping for Super Saturday stuff. Then, I found this pedestal at a garage sale for $3. Not bad for something that's going for over $30 on eBay right now!

I have to admit I felt a little bad painting such a nice piece with black spray paint. But, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do to get the right look!

Here's the Tutorial. Have fun with it!

Glitter Skull & Bones

Step 1: Get yourself some bones! I got mine at Dollar Tree {I'm loving Dollar Tree}; I went with a large skull and a small skeleton.

Step 2: Take outside and spray paint all pieces the same color as your glitter. I, of course, painted it green, but purple, orange, black, or silver would all look great.

Flip and paint the other side!

Here they are, along with the beans I picked while they were drying in the sunshine...

This picture turned out horrible, but I just wanted to show that because I had several different shades of green glitter, I wanted to do different shades on my bones.

Step 3: Get glue onto your bones. I used an aerosol spray glue, but you can easily just brush on some Mod Podge or Elmer's. I opted for the spray, simply because it got into all the little creases great.

Step 4: Sprinkle your glitter! This is messy, but so fun!

Repeat for each piece until they are covered all around. As you can see, I used 2 different shades of glitter. Let it dry completely.

Step 5: I found a tube of green glitter glue stuff in the $1 section at Joann's.

I layered it on thickly where his eye sockets are, and where a couple of teeth were missing. I did all that on the mini skull too. Let dry completely.

Step 6: After it was all dry, I sprayed it all with a polyurethane layer. I don't know for sure if it really did anything, but it made me feel better about keeping the glitter on.

In retrospect, here are some things I learned:

Do not sprinkle your glitter on the same paper plate you just sprayed with glue.
Wear rubber gloves, unless you like the green-glitter-glued-under-your-fingernails look, of course.
Spray the glue spray outside, in a well-ventilated area. If you don't, your nose hairs may end up glued together...

And here he is, in all his glory...

Project #12 - Canning Plums

2010-10-06T10:22:00.000-06:00

I was recently give a bucket of Italian plums {thanks Dawn!}, and I've never worked with plums before.

I thought for a long time about what I wanted to do with them - so many options!

Jam...

Plum Tarts...

Plum Sauce...

Prunes...

...the Options were endless!

Eventually, based on the time I had that week, I decided to simple for my first time with plums. I washed them in the sink, sliced them in half, and removed the pits. Lucky for me, they were freestone! Then I put them straight into my wonderful Strainer:

If you've never used one of these before, you're missing out. This little beauty is amazing when working with tomatoes, apples, plums, etc. For these plums, specifically, I simply placed my halved, pitless plums into the bowl, and cranked them through. As the shaft turns, the strainer separates the skins and other undesirables from the wonderful, pure plum goodness. Out of the chute comes strained plums, a consistency similar to applesauce {if you strained stewed apples, you would get applesauce; if you strained Roma tomatoes, you would get tomato sauce}. If you want to look into getting one of these, you can purchase them here: The Mending Shed.

Anywho, after I strained the plums and got the raw plum sauce, I followed the Ball Pectin instructions to make my Plum Jam. 12 Pints.

Then, I still had lots of leftover "sauce." I decided to simply mix in a little lemon juice with it, then freeze it unsweetened. 12 Pints. I plan to use it in my baking as a substitute for oil {similar to how you would do with unsweetened applesauce}. Hopefully it works out just as well!

And now I've worked with plums!

Project #11 - Flat Marble Magnets

2010-10-05T10:22:00.000-06:00

This was one of our projects from Super Saturday. Since I was teaching classes during Super Saturday, I wasn't able to finish my projects there. Don't you hate bringing home unfinished projects? Do yours always end up in a pile somewhere for about 5 years before you come across them again? I'm determined to finish all mine before the end of the year, so here we go with the Flat Marble Magnets.

These have been around for a while, but Oh So Cute! Dear Gina taught this class, and I appreciate her work and her wonderful teaching instructions!

Flat Marble Magnets

Supplies:

Flat Marbles 1.25" Size
Scrapbook Paper
1" Circle Punch
Mod Podge
Super Glue
Heavy Duty Magnets
White Cardstock

Step 1: Cut circles out of your white cardstock and your chosen scrapbook paper for each magnet. I used my QuicKutz die for this, but any punch or Cricut will do. You can even trace around the magnet itself and cut the circles out with scissors. Glue them together with the mod podge and let dry completely. {The white cardstock here is to create a "light" barrier; ofttimes you can see the black of the magnet through the thinness of the scrapbook paper.}
Step 2: Using the mod podge, glue the paper to the back of the marble, decorative paper to the marble. Press together really well to get all of the bubbles out. If there are any bubbles when it's wet, they will still be there when it's dry! Let dry completely.
Step 3: Using the super glue {or Alene's Jewel It Glue}, glue the magnet to the back of the white cardstock. Let dry completely.
Step 4: Enjoy!

Way cute! I must be such a caveman, but I've never had cute magnets on my fridge! The first thing I did when these were done was throw away all those ugly magnet things. Gone. Buh-By!

Now I know how to make Flat Marble Magnets!

Sweet Niblets! I'm a FINALIST!

2010-10-04T21:56:00.000-06:00

Help me out people! I made the finals for Honeybear Lane's Applique Away Contest! Yay - what an Honor! Please go there and VOTE! If you like what you see, vote for mine!

If you'd like to see the original post about this blanket, click here.
Thanks in advance!

Project #10 - Canning Dill Pickles

2010-10-04T18:21:00.000-06:00

My dear friend Michele gave me some pickling cucumbers the other day, since her plant was still producing and she was all pickled out. I was so happy to have them and to be able to try pickles for the first time. She assured me that it was so easy, so I decided to go for it!

Here are the little lovlies, fresh picked that morning. It doesn't seem like a ton, but it will make lots of pickles! Since this was my first time, I decided to just use a pickling mix instead of making my own. I used the Ball brand, since I'm sure it could be trustworthy, and it was on sale! I used a potato scrubber to clean them, making sure that I scrubbed off all the little pokies on their skin. Then I cut them into spears, simply following the directions on the package.

In one pot I have my pickling mix in with water and vinegar {again just following the instructions} waiting to come to a boil. In the other pot is my boiling water for my hot water bath. I didn't own a hot water bath, so I simply always put a couple of dishrags in the bottom of my largest pot and use it when ever I need one! {I have since purchased a real hot water bath pot at a garage sale for $3! Score!}

I slipped my spears into my wide mouth pint jars, and I made them pretty tight. Next, I ladled the pickling juice {boiling hot} into the jars, making sure to cover the tops of the cukes. Then I screwed on the prepped lids and rings and hot water bathed each batch for 25 minutes.

Voila! That little batch of cucumbers went a long way - 12 pints and 1 quart! Unfortunately, I have to wait about 6 weeks before I can try them... Next time I'll try making my own pickling mix, depending on whether or not I end up liking this one.

And now I know how to make pickles!

Project #8 & #9 - Two Appliqued Onsies

2010-09-29T16:42:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I know these have totally been around forever, but really, this was my first time! I had a Baby Shower coming up {for sweet Baby Emmett} and this seemed like as good a time as any to try it out!

I searched online for a quick tutorial to help me figure it out and came across this tutorial here at Crap I've Made. Great tutorial, and she even gives you the pattern for that adorable tie! I was happy to see that I even had striped fabric that was perfect for the job. decided to make that as well as one of my own. So I opened my Microsoft Word, decided that I wanted to make an elephant and searched their clipart for the cutest one. Oh, he's so cute! I used some scrap cotton for the body, white minky for the tusk, added ric rac for the tail, and a sweet green button for the eye.

I added my tags...

and added some items that I had already made, and here we have some Love for Emmett in a Bag!

And now I know how to Applique a Onesie!

Project #7 - Apples from MY TREE! Pie Filling Goodness

2010-09-28T16:38:00.000-06:00

When we moved into our house 3 1/2 years ago, one of the first things we planted were 2 apple trees and 2 peach trees. An orchard, we wanted. I've seen a small handful of apples growing here and there, eventually ruined by the birds or some kind of bug. But this year, my trees were loaded! We took pretty good care of them, pruning and spraying appropriately and voila! An actual harvest! So exciting it was. The kids helped my pick the apples when we decided it was time. Both our trees are different types, so here we were at the beginning of September where one tree was totally ripe, and the other tree was still pretty tart. I knew that all I wanted to do was bottle my own Pie Filling, and I knew it would be best with a mixture of apples, so we picked them all! We got almost a whole 5-gallon bucket, which totally shocked me since our trees are so small.

I used my mom's tried and true recipe, which she gave me over the phone. Thanks Mom! Sydney washed the apples in the sink while Jefferson ran them through the Apple Peeler Corer Slicer {the best invention ever!}, and I made the filling. We started after dinner and ended way past bedtime, but it was so fun having the kids help! From our apples we ended up with 11 quarts of pie filling, which will hopefully last until next year's harvest.

I really should have taken a picture of the first pie we made from this filling. It was to die for, and I will say, I make a good crust. So perfect with a little vanilla ice cream on the side...

And now I know how to make Bottled Homemade Pie Filling.

Project #5 & #6 - GOBBLE and JOLLY Wooden Letters {with Demi-Tutorial}

2010-09-27T16:20:00.000-06:00

I know that I posted about these letters a little while ago in my Super Saturday post, but there are several people who have requested the instructions {including people who couldn't make it to the SS, but need to make their projects!} so I decided to post a Demi-Tutorial on it. It won't be a full tutorial simply because I didn't take pictures while I was making them, so I'll do the best I can to explain the process!

Seasonal Wooden Words Demi-Tutorial
{For Personal and Super Saturday use only, please!} Enjoy!

Step 1: Get a board of 2" thick pine from your local Home Depot or Lowe's. Trace out your letters with a pencil. I would recommend leaving 1/2" - 1" worth of space between your letters.

Here is the Template for the letters I did. This is a mix I put together that uses a couple of different fonts.

Step 2: Get to work on your Scroll Saw! If you don't have one of these, I'm not really sure what to tell you. This will work with a Jigsaw, but since those are free-hand tools, I wouldn't really recommend it. Ultimately, they are not that expensive, just a little over $100, so if you think you'll be cutting lots of craft items out, this might be worth it for you. You can also purchase cut letters here. As for Step 2, follow the User's Guide for your saw, and don't cut off any fingers!

You should end up with the letters you need. Yes, this picture is missing the "G."

So sorry this is upside down! Something gets lost in translation between my iPhone and Computer...

Step 3: Get out your electric sander - any kind, be it a rotating sander, belt sander, mouse sander, etc - and smooth out the front, the back, and all edges and sides. Personally, I like the really work on the edges and vertices to make it look more rustic and weathered.

Step 4: No picture for this one. Take your letters outside and spray paint THE BACK and THE SIDES only. This should just take two good, quick coats. Make sure you get into all the little crevices in the inside curves! Let dry completely. For the GOBBLE, I used a Chocolate Brown color; for the JOLLY, I used a Brick Red color.

Step 5: Choose your papers. Keep in mind that if you are doing the extra "o" letter so that you can also spell "BOO," then be sure to plan your other "o" and one of your "b"s to be a little Halloween-ish.

Step 6: No Picture. Place your letter FACE DOWN on THE BACK of your designated paper. Using a pencil, trace around it to the best of your ability. It will be pretty tight going around the inner curves. Trim as close as possible to the wooden letter.

Step 7: No picture. Brush a layer of Mod Podge on THE FRONT of your letter and place your paper on top of that. Press out any bubbles and let dry completely {20 minutes}. Repeat for each letter.

Step 8: No picture. Take your letters outside and sand again. This time, your goal is to sand the papers down on the edges so they meld in with the wood nicely. You can also sand on the top of your papers to distress them up a bit. I also like to sand the back and edges of the spray painted areas to distress them as well.

Step 9: Brush another layer of Mod Podge on THE FRONT of your letters to seal in your paper. This will help your letters to look great for years to come!

Step 10: Now for the fun part: Adding Embellishments! This is the fun part because you really can do whatever you want. Go through your stash of stuff and bling your letters! Rhinestones, ribbon, brads, charms, etc. Remember that Super Glue is your friend and use it a lot. Even your ribbons should be glued in place. I don't know about your house, but at mine I know little fingers will be touching these, so I want to make sure they will look nice for a long time.

Here are some closer pictures so you can see the embellishment details. Have fun with yours and send me pictures of your final product!

Projects #3 & #4 - Loopy Loo Pillow Case Tutorial

2010-09-16T16:33:00.000-06:00

So Sydney was with me at Joann's a while back and saw the Licensed Character fabrics on the shelf, namely the Dora and the Tinkerbell prints. She exclaimed that she wanted to have her whole room be Dora. {Ugh...no.} "How about a pillowcase?" She happily agreed. The character fabrics were not on sale however, and I'm not about to pay $9.99 a yard for it. I told her, as I often do, that we will look when it's on sale. Well, 3 months later, it actually was on sale for 50% off! I had to go to Joann's for some other things anyway, so I picked up both Dora and Tinkerbell fabrics. Spoiled girl!

I couldn't, however, make a boring old pillowcase - I had to add something. And when you see the Dora fabric in a minute, you'll understand why. It's U-G-L-Y. Seriously, could the designer do no better than mustard yellow with neon green and neon orange? I had to cute it up!

So here is my tutorial for a Loopy Loo Pillow Case! Enjoy!
For personal use only, please.

Materials Needed:

1 yd. fabric for body of case
1/3 yd. fabric for contrasting strip
20 pieces of ribbon, 5 inches each
1.5 yd. 1" ribbon
Basic Sewing Supplies

Step 1: Cut your main fabric to 43"x29". Cut your contrasting fabric to 43"x8". {not shown in pic} Sorry all my pics are such horrible quality. My craft room is in my basement, which is a total dungeon with no natural lighting. But trust me, this fabric is horribly hideous.

Step 2: Cut out your 20 strips of ribbon. Personally, I like these opportunities to use up my ribbon scraps as much as possible. I used 20 pieces, but depending on how your spacing ends up as you sew, you may need a few more, or a few less. I used lots and lots of different ribbons, but you can also just have 3 or 5 different types, and have them repeat a lot more. I promise it will still be cute ;}

Decide what order you want to sew them in. You can put them in a rainbow order...

...or you can put them in a semi-random pattern...

Step 3: Take your contrasting fabric piece out and lay if Right Side Up on your sewing machine. Take your first ribbon and fold it in half to make a loop. Sew along the long edge of your contrast fabric at a 1/4" {line up your edge with your foot}. For your spacing, simply sew through a ribbon, then get your next ribbon in front of your presser foot. They will end up about 3/4" apart. Continue all the way until about 1.25" from the end.

Here are all your ribbons, sewn on the right side of the fabric.

Step 4: Take your contrast fabric and fold it wrong sides together. Pin if necessary. Do a quick basting stitch over the same stitch you did for the ribbons. Doing this step will make the next step much easier, I promise.

Step 5: Take the long edge of your main fabric and put it right side down on top of your contrast fabric, facing and covering the ribbons. Pin if necessary. Sew a 1/2" seam down the length. Our seam this time is wider, so that we will not see our first seams on the outside. Take care to make sure that none of your ribbons have flipped up into your seam. It's a pain to have to unpick them!

Step 6: Open up your seam and place face up on your ironing board. Iron the seam flat so that your ribbons lean toward the contrasting fabric. Doing this step will make your next step easier, I promise ;} Here you can take the time to iron out any unruly ribbons.

Step 7: Take your long strip of ribbon and lay it along the front the seam you just ironed. Place your ribbon mostly on the main fabric, but a little bit on the contrast fabric {you can see how far to the right I went if you look at the pink plaid ribbon}. Do a straight stitch right on the edge of the ribbon {like at 1/16"}. Sew all the way to the end, then cut off your ribbon to match the end of your fabric.

Step 8: Start again at your starting point and sew the other side at 1/16". Used a yellow thread so that you could see the stitching. If you are less confident with how straight your stitches will be, try to use a matching thread, and it won't matter at all!

Step 9: Fold your pillowcase in half and sew up the sides, making sure that your ribbon ends - especially - line up. Use 1/2" seam. Sew up the back end also with a 1/2" seam.

Trim the corners...

Make your personal mark!

Last Step: Lay it out for your sweet one to find! I'm pretty please with the way the ribbons make this fabric look bearable. Lots of fun color!

And when you lay on it, you get to see this!

Sweet...

And there you have the Loopy Loo Pillow Case! I'll work on the Tinker Bell one another day and post pics. Send me pics if you make one!

**UPDATE** Here are pictures of the Tinkerbell Pillowcase - turned out really cute! Sydney is definitely happy with it!

Project #2 - Canning Peaches and Peach Jam

2010-09-13T22:17:00.000-06:00

I know, it sounds so unexciting after making that adorable skirt. BUT, this is something I've never done before, and it was definitely a big project! My friend Michele and I did them together, and we were able to get in on a good deal on the peaches at $.33/lb {thanks Karen!}. They were soooo yummy.

Michele was far more ambitious than I - she purchased 7 crates full while I only ordered 3. But now having done them, I think 3 crates is just right for a year's worth for our family.

I'm thankful Michele was willing to teach me how to do the peach halves. It's really such a simple process, but it's so much easier to learn from someone else, rather from a book!

Step 1: Blanch the peaches, then immediately move to ice water. Skins will now peel off easily.
Step 2: Cut the peach in half, and remove the pit.
Step 3: Place nicely and beautifully into your jar, nesting them ever so sweetly to fit as many as possible.
Step 4: Fill to neck with prepared syrup {it's personal preference on how syrupy you want your syrup}.
Step 5: Wipe off rims. Place prepared lids and rings.
Step 6: Hot water bath the appropriate time for your elevation.
Step 7: Remove from hot water bath and listen for those glorious sounding *pops*!
Step 8: Look at your glorious array, remove your apron, and exclaim, "I'm Awesome!"

When all was said and done, I had 24 quarts of peach halves.

A couple of days later, Michele and I made peach jam over at my house. For shame, I did not take any pictures of this! I was prepared with additional berries, so I made all kinds! At the end of this day, I ended up with approximately:

12 pints Peach Jam
12 pints Peach Strawberry Jam
12 pints Peach Raspberry Jam
6 pints Peach Blueberry Jam
12 pints Sugar Free Peach Jam
12 pints Sugar Free Peach Strawberry Jam
12 pints Sugar Free Peach Raspberry Jam

Sugar for my husband. Sugar free for me. Sugar free jam is almost 0 points on Weight Watchers! And when it's homemade, it's soooo good it doesn't even matter...

And now I know how to do peaches.

50 Projects: #1 - Kayla's Dresden Plate Skirt

2010-09-13T19:28:00.000-06:00

To be honest, I'm going to include a few projects that I did in the last couple of weeks. I actually took pictures of them {which I never used to do} and by golly, they are counting!

My friend Amanda's daughter Kayla just turned 1 last month and a few days beforehand I decided that I wanted to make something, as opposed to buy something, for her gift. Startlingly enough, this is a new concept for me and childrens' birthdays. It's rare that I like someone else's child enough to make something for them, so Kayla, you're number 1!

So I was perusing my favorite crafty blogs for just the right idea and up popped this one from Crafterhours. She called it the Dresden Plate Skirt, and it was just perfect! Check out her tutorial - she has great pictures and instructions, making this skirt fabulously easy!

So I printed the tutorial and got to work right then.

Thankfully, I had just the right fabrics to work with and additional buttons and scraps so I could attach a flower to the waist and make a matching hair clip.

So fun! It's long enough I would call it an 18 month size, but she'll be able to wear it for a long time, especially since she can wear leggings under it when it gets shorter.

Love the curved edges!

Ultimately, I was so happy to have found this tutorial. I have been wanting to make this Mary Engelbreit apron for ages, ever since I saw it in her now-discontinued Home Companion magazine. But now I can figure it out myself thanks to a little help from Crafterhours!

GOAL: 50 Projects before 2011

2010-09-13T19:13:00.000-06:00

So I was perusing my fave blogs the other day and I came across a brief mention of someone name Caroline or Catherine {no idea who she is} and her goal to do 100 projects in 2010. I LOVED this idea! There are so many creative ideas out there, and so many things that I've never done before, this idea struck me as the perfect goal to help me on my way to being a Domestic Goddess.

So, starting now{ish}, I'm going to complete a goal of 50 Projects before the end of 2010! To be clear, I would like to define the term "PROJECT" as an activity with a finished product, specifically something that is for me, my family, or a gift for someone else. To keep it a little more challenging, no two projects can be alike. For example, if I make 2 appliqued onesies, they need to be completely different from each other in order to count as 2 projects. My projects will include crafts, of course, mostly sewing, with a little bit of new kitchen skills and home decorating added to the mix.

I'm really excited about this. It's been simmering in my brain for a couple of weeks, and I'm definitely ready to take this plunge! Wish me luck!

Super Saturday, Fall 2010

2010-08-25T12:59:00.000-06:00

This is my first Super Saturday since I've been called as the ~~Enrichment~~ Leader... ~~Relief Society Meeting~~ Leader {that sounds sooooo above my pay-grade}... Homemaking Leader. Yes, I like that. That's totally what I'm in to right now - Making my Home awesome. Perfect.

Anyway, this is the first SS I've directed. I've taught classes at a few before, but this is a whole different ballgame! You have to decide what projects you are doing in time to ask people to make them in time to get the displays made in time to let people sign up and pay in time for the teachers to buy the supplies in time for Super Saturday! Oy! It's been going on for 2 months now, and it's still 3 weeks away!

Anyway, I've decided to post the lineup for this year so that those who are still on the fence can think about what they are getting before the deadline THIS SUNDAY. Also, to share with other Homemaking Leaders out there who are looking for Super Saturday ideas. Seriously, if you are reading this and you want the instructions/patterns to any of these, contact me and I'll point you in the right direction.

Rinn Valley Ward Super Saturday, Fall 2010


"Gobble" with an extra "o" so you can also make "Boo". Mod podged with scrapbook paper and embellished with ribbon and other stuff. $12. Designed by Me.

"Jolly." Mod podged with scrapbook paper and embellished with ribbon and other stuff. $10. Designed by Me.

Silk Flower hair clips. $.50 each. Designed by Me.

Glass Marble Magnets. These are the big ones that are @ 1.5". $.50 each. Designed by Gina.

Flower Vase from recycled books! Love this! There is a test tube in the center so that you actually can put flowers in it. $1.50. Designed by Becky.

Pumpkin Trio. So cute you'd never guess the were made from toilet paper rolls! $5.00/set. Designed by Jen.

Family Picture Plaque. Though the picture doesn't show it, the photo has been Mod Podged with brush strokes to give it the look of a painting. Hangs from ribbon! $5.00. Designed by Allison.

Super cut and easy nativity. Simply cut wood, paint, and sand. This one you won't mind your kids playing with! $3.00. The pattern for this can be found here.

Fun glass bead bracelets you can design yourself. Assorted beads and closures available. $4.50 each. Designed by Melissa.

This next one I'm particularly proud of. My Mom had this old Mormonopoly Game that the made in Homemaking back in the late 70s / early 80s. Apparently they made the rounds through the wards back then, but I haven't been able to find any modern ones online {except for the manufactured one that doesn't look like much fun}. So I updated my mother's game by using vinyl to keep it clean and crisp looking, designed the Property Cards, Money, Chance/Gospel Treasures Cards all on the computer, and found pewter LDS charms to use for playing tokens. This was definitely a work of love, and I spend many hours trying to find just the right materials, designing the vinyl pieces/pictures, and re-writing the cards and instructions. But I love it!

MORMONOPOLY by Ashley Savage

Don't you love these playing pieces? Here I have pictured the Tree of Life, Young Women Torch, Beehive, Book of Mormon, Liahona, Covered Wagon, SLC Temple, and an Iron Rod. I'm also going to include a CTR ring.

I'm not sure why these pictures are upside-down.

The game itself is $12. Each pewter playing piece is an additional $1.75 each {optional}.

So there you have it folks! I think it's a pretty good selection for 1 craft day. Until Super Saturday Spring 2011!

Bowling for Maddie's Birthday!

2010-08-24T17:11:00.000-06:00