tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34963564674771044642024-03-13T22:29:50.534-07:00Sarah's Never-Ending ProjectsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger155125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496356467477104464.post-4232131970593146332014-05-12T07:00:00.000-07:002014-05-12T07:00:00.087-07:00Name Brand MustsAnyone who knows me well, knows that I surely enjoy getting a bargain. I'm a strict buyer of clearance items, thrifted items, and off-brands. It's so ingrained in my mind that it's not even a thought in my mind anymore. I'm not even tempted to splurge on fancy name-brands when I know I can get the exact same satisfaction out of an off-brand.<br />
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However, there have been a <i>very few </i>number of items that I do prefer the name brand to the off brand. I feel guilty every time, but there are just a couple of things that really do taste/work better when paid a premium for. Here's a few of my short-comings:<br />
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Jif Peanut Butter - This stuff is so much more spreadable than off brands, and I love the flavor. Every time I think of a nice PB&J, it always involves dreams of Jif peanut butter.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vjG3Aj7JlD0/UlieZ5R7a8I/AAAAAAAAIik/aaHaX5mQkbM/s1600/jif.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vjG3Aj7JlD0/UlieZ5R7a8I/AAAAAAAAIik/aaHaX5mQkbM/s320/jif.jpg" width="188" /></a></div>
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Honey Maid Graham Crackers - I'm not sure what it is, but these grahams just taste so good to me. They're perfectly crispy, and have a rich flavor. Off brands taste like cardboard to me.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j1kNKSFbKAg/UliecrpggRI/AAAAAAAAIis/o2nq9kHEMTE/s1600/kft-535_1z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j1kNKSFbKAg/UliecrpggRI/AAAAAAAAIis/o2nq9kHEMTE/s320/kft-535_1z.jpg" width="233" /></a></div>
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Gain or Tide Laundry detergent - I fought this one for a LONG time. I knew I prefered it, but I kept thinking to myself, "It doesn't make <i>that </i>much of a difference", and when it is so significantly more expensive (like it is), I couldn't allow myself to do it. I tried homemade laundry detergent. I wanted to like it. I did. But I had to run every load through twice, and it would often have a funny after smell. Anyone who's used Tide or Gain knows that the only smells coming from your clothes after a washing them in those is fresh flowers and mountain air. Though I still feel guilty now and then, I've given into the fact that laundry is one thing I'm picky about and that I want done at a certain standard, which includes paying more for the name brands.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-icZv2p5UL-8/UlieVIHoBCI/AAAAAAAAIiU/RN2GxWC_wfY/s1600/Gain+Detergant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-icZv2p5UL-8/UlieVIHoBCI/AAAAAAAAIiU/RN2GxWC_wfY/s1600/Gain+Detergant.jpg" /></a></div>
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Clorox Wipes - Just the wipes, and they have to be Clorox. I love those things, they save my life everyday. I've tried the off brands, and even other name brands, and every time i wish i was using a Clorox wipe. Being someone who likes to pinch pennies, I feel guilty in buying them at all, but as a busy mom, I will take anything that makes my job just a little easier. Clorox wipes do that for me.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vh23yGvBOsQ/UlieXKveDkI/AAAAAAAAIic/tKvwBkNwFY4/s1600/hero_product.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vh23yGvBOsQ/UlieXKveDkI/AAAAAAAAIic/tKvwBkNwFY4/s320/hero_product.png" width="320" /></a></div>
I'm sure there may be a few more things here and there, but that about sums up the ones I'm most passionate about. So, if you are like me, and are always trying to find ways to conserve money, don't fret when you find something that you absolutely HAVE to have name brand. We're allowed to have a few of those. Feel free to let everyone know YOUR favorite name brand items as well!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496356467477104464.post-8510488570291623182013-10-03T10:23:00.002-07:002013-10-03T10:23:52.656-07:00Good GollyWell, I can't believe it's already been over a full YEAR since I've updated this blog! I never thought I'd let that happen! I haven't given up completely yet, but there's still a few things I need to figure out how to juggle before I plunge back into regular posting again. For starters:<br />
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-I had a new baby! This makes baby number 4 for us, so things can get a little hectic from time to time. Pregnancy is what caused my initial slip away from posting as I was sick and entirely unmotivated.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AQhybyUNIy4/Uk2jsgEjR9I/AAAAAAAAIdA/uR2OT5A2fxM/s1600/Baby+boy+announcement1+-+Copy.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="460" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AQhybyUNIy4/Uk2jsgEjR9I/AAAAAAAAIdA/uR2OT5A2fxM/s640/Baby+boy+announcement1+-+Copy.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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However, we are starting to find somewhat of a normal schedule, now that he's almost 7 months old!!!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kWFrpRukPvQ/Uk2iv054m2I/AAAAAAAAIcw/wFk5d3s2dw4/s1600/DSC_0128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kWFrpRukPvQ/Uk2iv054m2I/AAAAAAAAIcw/wFk5d3s2dw4/s640/DSC_0128.JPG" width="450" /></a></div>
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-I'm an official home school mom now! I had been teaching my kids at home for some time, but now I have a first grader, and a kindergartner, and into the whole official reporting, grading, etc. It takes some time, which I love, but it has kept me busy in areas other than crafting and posting.<br />
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-My husband has been working away from home, and I have had to juggle all 4 kiddos by myself for the last 6 months. It's been crazy, but I think I'm getting this army-wife thing down.<br />
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I've been getting that crazy creative itch lately, so I intend on starting again soon, but like I said before, I have to figure out a specific schedule for it. One thing I am in the works of getting together, however, is a FAQ post. I have received many e-mails, some of which I have replied to, and some of which I haven't. I plan on collecting questions and answering them through a post.<br />
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Thanks for all the visits, pins, and nice comments. I'll be back soon. Promise.<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496356467477104464.post-35357308730903273352012-08-06T05:00:00.000-07:002013-09-10T19:27:00.252-07:00Pinned It, Did It: Dolman TeeWant a fun, Easy Project?<br />
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I saw this little baby floating around Pinterest for awhile, and saw an XL grey t-shirt on sale at Goodwill for $0.99, so I thought, "Why not?"<br />
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The Verdict:<br />
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I loved it. It was super easy, and I was happy with the results. The only difference I would make is this: She says to cut a diagonal line across the shoulders, but when I did this, the collar stuck up too much. It looked kinda funny. I would keep the shoulders as is, and do all your angling on the bottom.<br />
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(click<a href="http://www.trashtocouture.com/2011/11/old-mens-t-shirt-sewn-into-womens.html"> here</a> to go to her site)<br />
<img height="360" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KE0b_lTa6pQ/T9vguLX3_0I/AAAAAAAACCk/R6iFqCnsc5U/s400/PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" width="400" />
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<span style="clear: left; color: black; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">And here's mine...</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yaY7mguIrGI/UBrCUm1-wbI/AAAAAAAAGek/O9mNXBfWmLk/s1600/IMAG1371.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yaY7mguIrGI/UBrCUm1-wbI/AAAAAAAAGek/O9mNXBfWmLk/s1600/IMAG1371.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yaY7mguIrGI/UBrCUm1-wbI/AAAAAAAAGek/O9mNXBfWmLk/s1600/IMAG1371.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yaY7mguIrGI/UBrCUm1-wbI/AAAAAAAAGek/O9mNXBfWmLk/s400/IMAG1371.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>
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If you're tall like me, I would recommend getting an XXL for length purposes. You can always take it in more. I got an XL, and since my frame isn't <i>quite </i>as tiny as the other gal's, it fits slightly different. I'm still pleased with it though.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496356467477104464.post-65162875363083519382012-08-03T05:00:00.000-07:002012-08-03T05:00:09.605-07:00Feed Me Friday: Peach Round Up "To-Try's"Happy Friday!<br />
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Summer is still going strong, and combine that with the fact that I practically live in Georgia (right on the border, and I spend a lot of time there), and You guessed it, I've got peaches on the brain.<br />
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I love peaches. My only issue is that I don't have a lot of peach recipes. And the times when I do have a lot of peach recipes, I don't have peaches. Well, I recently decided to stock up on peaches, and so I've been perusing peach recipes like crazy. I've never actually tried them, but I'll share the links, and maybe we can try them together!<br />
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Here's some that stood out to me (click links below pictures):<br />
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Peach Custard Pie...Tell me you're not just drooling at the title<br />
<img alt="Peach Custard Pie Recipe" src="http://www.eatingwell.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/standard/recipes/DS7296.JPG" />
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<a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/peach_custard_pie.html">http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/peach_custard_pie.html</a>
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My All-time favorite smoothie, Jamba Juice's Peach Pleasure. Here's a copy-cat version:<br />
<img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rpjy_HX7NdU/T8aQuAaKLAI/AAAAAAAAEz4/vnCG05KmCK4/s400/100_7739.JPG" /><br />
<a href="http://thedailysmash101.blogspot.com/2012/06/crazy-cooking-challange-peach-pleasure.html">http://thedailysmash101.blogspot.com/2012/06/crazy-cooking-challange-peach-pleasure.html</a>
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Good Ole Peach Cobbler<br />
<img alt="Easy Peach Cobbler Recipe" src="http://img4-1.myrecipes.timeinc.net/i/recipes/sl/03142008/peach-cobbler-sl-257827-l.jpg" />
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<a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/easy-peach-cobbler-10000000257827/">http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/easy-peach-cobbler-10000000257827/</a>
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And to refresh you in the summer's heat :<br />
<img height="213" src="http://dinnersdishesanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Peach-Lemonade-4_labeled.jpg" width="320" />
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<a href="http://dinnersdishesanddesserts.com/?p=2630">http://dinnersdishesanddesserts.com/?p=2630</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496356467477104464.post-77538650912653267502012-08-01T05:00:00.000-07:002012-08-01T10:22:34.425-07:00T-Shirt to Dress for Sienna<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I know I've mentioned over and over about how tall I am, and how frustrating it can be trying to find clothes to fit. </div>
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My wonderful Sister-in-law, Casey, recently gave me a big bag of clothes that she wasn't wearing anymore. Among the clothes was the shirt below, which i thought was a fun shirt, but just one problem...yep, just a tad too short in the torso. </div>
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Not only do <i>I </i>struggle with things being long enough, but unfortunately, my daughter, Sienna, has inherited my crazy long torso and limbs. The poor girl grows out of things so quick in the length, but never can keep up in width. Lately, she's been hurting in the dress department. She's hit a growth spurt that left most of her dresses looking like mini dresses, and her skirts looking like mini skirts. </div>
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So I thought of a solution for the afore-mentioned shirt. Too short for me? Sienna needs dresses? Make it into a dress for Sienna!!</div>
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Here is the shirt "Before" (Half sleeves)</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AXWvVAWkmJQ/UBKi2Bi_e-I/AAAAAAAAGbw/63CjX-4iVko/s1600/IMAG1350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AXWvVAWkmJQ/UBKi2Bi_e-I/AAAAAAAAGbw/63CjX-4iVko/s400/IMAG1350.jpg" width="272" /></a></div>
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1. The first thing I did was I tried the dress on Sienna. I measure where I wanted everything at, including neckline and sleeves. (I didn't really need to measure the waist for this dress, because I just gathered the waist according to the size of elastic I used).<br />
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2. After that, I pinned the neckline into a "V" neck where I wanted it.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--XRcbr4E_X0/UBKi-Of2qlI/AAAAAAAAGb4/_RoaiID5K68/s1600/IMAG1353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--XRcbr4E_X0/UBKi-Of2qlI/AAAAAAAAGb4/_RoaiID5K68/s400/IMAG1353.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
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3. I then sewed a line *just on the collar band* and reinforced seam. Then I cut the extra loop of the band away from the actual t-shirt material along the seam as pictured below.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a0jrhvfQPKM/UBKjE4gFNpI/AAAAAAAAGcA/FE2mmU3lWJU/s1600/IMAG1354.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a0jrhvfQPKM/UBKjE4gFNpI/AAAAAAAAGcA/FE2mmU3lWJU/s400/IMAG1354.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>
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4. Next, cut off the loop, so the collar looks like an ordinary v-neck seam. Look at the pictures below. That's what you should be left with.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PVG0A60kwv8/UBKjLqJsTtI/AAAAAAAAGcI/tDu0vHySA7Y/s1600/IMAG1356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PVG0A60kwv8/UBKjLqJsTtI/AAAAAAAAGcI/tDu0vHySA7Y/s400/IMAG1356.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9cOPPADg8A4/UBKjRSKIkVI/AAAAAAAAGcQ/DaAvdznV-I4/s1600/IMAG1358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9cOPPADg8A4/UBKjRSKIkVI/AAAAAAAAGcQ/DaAvdznV-I4/s400/IMAG1358.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Gather that loop above, and attach to the collar V. There should be no holes after that.</div>
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5. Next, cut a piece of elastic to the size you want it. I measured it around Sienna's upper waist snuggly, then cut.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TSqWrECx8YQ/UBKjZE4Y87I/AAAAAAAAGcY/ZDgouObNt5s/s1600/IMAG1360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TSqWrECx8YQ/UBKjZE4Y87I/AAAAAAAAGcY/ZDgouObNt5s/s400/IMAG1360.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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6. Then, attach elastic to the dress (I attached it about an inch and a half under the bottom of the V for a higher, but not empire waist) using the same method for smocking material with elastic,<a href="http://sarahsprojects.blogspot.com/2009/04/smocked-dress.html"> here</a>. (Step 4)<br />
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7. I then cut the sleeves, and let the edge roll. I tapered a pretty big diagonal line from the armpit seam to the shoulder. You'll see in the final picture where it hits.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1gdQnMFumwc/UBKjiMnO6CI/AAAAAAAAGcg/EbxSm_dZ5Gg/s1600/IMAG1361.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1gdQnMFumwc/UBKjiMnO6CI/AAAAAAAAGcg/EbxSm_dZ5Gg/s400/IMAG1361.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
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8. Now it's all about embellishing. I put a faux white top under the V to make it look like a little camisole. I had white knit fabric that I cut into a V that was just a tad bigger than the inside of my V on the dress. Then I attached lace to the top. I then attached the white to the dress by attaching it to the collar seams of the V.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_amoVb4Z6dg/UBLtEUgPvRI/AAAAAAAAGdE/OQlXnlNsvC4/s1600/IMAG1362.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_amoVb4Z6dg/UBLtEUgPvRI/AAAAAAAAGdE/OQlXnlNsvC4/s400/IMAG1362.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZiYcuIlYMzU/UBLtN3hUHWI/AAAAAAAAGdM/RfUHObQNfzI/s1600/IMAG1363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZiYcuIlYMzU/UBLtN3hUHWI/AAAAAAAAGdM/RfUHObQNfzI/s400/IMAG1363.jpg" width="225" /></a><br />
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9. I also made a bow for the front using the extra sleeve material.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eZBFUeNUiAw/UBLtVIz9vnI/AAAAAAAAGdU/J3LRyrlQrZo/s1600/IMAG1365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eZBFUeNUiAw/UBLtVIz9vnI/AAAAAAAAGdU/J3LRyrlQrZo/s400/IMAG1365.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-size: large;">And we love it! </span></span>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZArQ4EbY15s/UBL6HRWTpxI/AAAAAAAAGeA/bYHg1yOmpYI/s1600/IMAG1368.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZArQ4EbY15s/UBL6HRWTpxI/AAAAAAAAGeA/bYHg1yOmpYI/s400/IMAG1368.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496356467477104464.post-49155870428999867522012-07-30T05:00:00.000-07:002012-07-30T05:00:10.462-07:00Party How-to: Polyhedrons<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Today is my husband's birthday! He's turning the big 3-0!! Happy Birthday Jos! In honor of birthdays, I am posting today on some party how-to.</div>
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I feel like every party needs something hanging from the ceiling. Pom poms, lanterns, punching balls, balloons, etc. are all great and look nice. When planning Breck's party this last year, I saw a picture of the cutest polyhedrons hanging from the ceiling at a party. Perfect for what I had in mind for his party, and the best part...they use solely those cheap paper plates!!! I only used one pack to get three (and I could have made more), which brought me to a grand total of 1.50!</div>
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Some extra costs are staples (if you don't have any at home), and spray paint (if you want them another color. I got spray paint from Wal Mart for another whoppin' $1.23. I wanted a blotchy, somewhat camouflaged look, so I didn't need a nice paint. However if you want the paint to be more solid looking, go with Krylon.</div>
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Here's the comprehensive list of what you need: </div>
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1 pack (100) white paper plates</div>
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Stapler/staples</div>
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Spray Paint (if using)</div>
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Here's what to do:</div>
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1. You'll need 20 plates for each polyhedron. Fold each plate three ways, so there's a triangle in the middle. Try to make the triangle close to centered as you can.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SBp7ynaeVqQ/UAb7JQXDUJI/AAAAAAAAGaI/1n2TuFQAhhc/s1600/IMAG0773.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SBp7ynaeVqQ/UAb7JQXDUJI/AAAAAAAAGaI/1n2TuFQAhhc/s400/IMAG0773.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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2. Separate your stacks. You'll put this together in three pieces, the top, the bottom, then the middle. 5 for the top and bottom, and 10 for the middle.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q1NFdXeLKfY/UAb8DtPkFAI/AAAAAAAAGa4/sMK0ievII8c/s1600/IMAG0774.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q1NFdXeLKfY/UAb8DtPkFAI/AAAAAAAAGa4/sMK0ievII8c/s400/IMAG0774.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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3. Start attaching your top piece. Hold two pieces together as shown and staple together in several places along the arch.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BRdmJy4_QOM/UAb7iDkm3wI/AAAAAAAAGaY/4fTV9q85LIs/s1600/IMAG0775.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BRdmJy4_QOM/UAb7iDkm3wI/AAAAAAAAGaY/4fTV9q85LIs/s400/IMAG0775.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
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4. Continue attaching until you have a pentagon. Repeat for bottom piece.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8DHEep7ESKY/UAb7urLCfRI/AAAAAAAAGag/tXMb6P8vYXY/s1600/IMAG0776.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8DHEep7ESKY/UAb7urLCfRI/AAAAAAAAGag/tXMb6P8vYXY/s400/IMAG0776.jpg" width="273" /></a></div>
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5. Forgot to get a picture of this, but attach the middle 10 in a row as illustrated below. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jd_lxemCC9k/UAb7xfY3lFI/AAAAAAAAGao/4-5v6-SwHVE/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jd_lxemCC9k/UAb7xfY3lFI/AAAAAAAAGao/4-5v6-SwHVE/s400/Untitled.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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6. Attach the top to the top of the middle section with staples on each arch, and then the bottom in the same manner. Spray paint, if desired.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0qXYxCVaMyA/UAb7zrQF3QI/AAAAAAAAGaw/qyeqr_mdK7M/s1600/imagejpeg_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0qXYxCVaMyA/UAb7zrQF3QI/AAAAAAAAGaw/qyeqr_mdK7M/s400/imagejpeg_3.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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DONE! And you got yourself some cute decorations for super duper cheap!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496356467477104464.post-73985045410663730652012-07-27T05:00:00.000-07:002012-07-27T05:00:03.902-07:00Feed Me Friday Meets "Pinned it, Did it"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Remember me talking about a new series I was going to do called "Pinned it Did it"? Well, if not, it's basically my review of popular pins from Pinterest, that I have tried. Today the pin I tried happened to be edible AND summery, so it also fit the mold for "Feed Me Friday"!<br />
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These are called the<a href="http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/40-Minute-Hamburger-Buns"> "40 Minute Hamburger Buns"</a> (click title to take you to the recipe)<br />
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<a href="http://hostedmedia.reimanpub.com/TOH/Images/Photos/37/expsi15221_W101973175B07_07_1b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="40-Minute Hamburger Buns Recipe" border="0" src="http://hostedmedia.reimanpub.com/TOH/Images/Photos/37/expsi15221_W101973175B07_07_1b.jpg" /></a></div>
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My review? ......AWESOME!!!<br />
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These are actually as quick and easy as the recipe makes them sound. Yes, it takes more effort that grabbing buns off of a shelf at the store, but they are SERIOUSLY so much better! They are more rich and dense, but not gross dense. They are perfect texture, flavor, and for making homemade yeast bread items, it was surprising quick.<br />
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Make them NOW!!!!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496356467477104464.post-86847737407649938962012-07-25T05:00:00.000-07:002012-07-25T05:00:09.226-07:00Rose Decorations from Veda's PartyIf you're looking for a good way to fluff up a little girl's party easily and cheaply, this post is for you. This is a how-to for the rose decorations I used at Veda's party. They were all handmade, and though it took some time (I made 50), they were super easy, and SUPER cheap!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C_MmUh2qZ54/UARcdD-mcQI/AAAAAAAAGY0/s0mRo6XQtso/s1600/IMG_0794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C_MmUh2qZ54/UARcdD-mcQI/AAAAAAAAGY0/s0mRo6XQtso/s400/IMG_0794.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
What you Need:<br />
1 pack (8 sheets) Tissue paper ($.97)<br />
Paper (free if you have enough, can be any sort of paper, I used regular printer paper)<br />
Elmer's glue<br />
Scissors<br />
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1. Use a cup to trace circles onto your paper. Cut out as many circle as you want flowers. The circles should be around 2-3 inches in diameter.
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vVaorevZc4w/UAXAMmkDJRI/AAAAAAAAGZk/sbK1cxR6ma4/s1600/IMAG1343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vVaorevZc4w/UAXAMmkDJRI/AAAAAAAAGZk/sbK1cxR6ma4/s400/IMAG1343.jpg" width="275" /></a></div>
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2. Open up tissue paper pack, unfold, and lay flat on the ground.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rlwTKQ7IkyM/UAW_2lRSC6I/AAAAAAAAGZM/Av26E_NQyNQ/s1600/IMAG1340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rlwTKQ7IkyM/UAW_2lRSC6I/AAAAAAAAGZM/Av26E_NQyNQ/s400/IMAG1340.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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3. Cut a strip (through all 8 sheets) about an inch or more long off of the end of the tissue paper.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eFbQkUvItC8/UAW_9t378fI/AAAAAAAAGZU/_QmXYxpmt0Q/s1600/IMAG1341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eFbQkUvItC8/UAW_9t378fI/AAAAAAAAGZU/_QmXYxpmt0Q/s400/IMAG1341.jpg" width="271" /></a></div>
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4. Take 2 strips from the 8 you now have. You will use 2 strips per flower.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yxkujEre9y0/UAXAE7AenrI/AAAAAAAAGZc/dtjhuWpGwbA/s1600/IMAG1342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yxkujEre9y0/UAXAE7AenrI/AAAAAAAAGZc/dtjhuWpGwbA/s400/IMAG1342.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
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5. Glue a swirl on a circle as shown below with the Elmer's glue (I ran out of glue, so I have drawn how the Elmer's glue will be on your paper).<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GCHATgDerOs/UAXAUk2hniI/AAAAAAAAGZs/XSUNjWW-LQo/s1600/IMAG1344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GCHATgDerOs/UAXAUk2hniI/AAAAAAAAGZs/XSUNjWW-LQo/s400/IMAG1344.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>
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6. Starting on the outside, feed the first piece of tissue paper around the circle, overlapping a little as you go so it creates a little ruffle. Once your first piece runs out, finish the circle with the second strip of tissue paper. If you have a lot left once you get to the middle, just cram it all in there, and glue. Trust, me, it looks cute. Just make sure you're cramming the length of the strip in, not cramming it from the top into a crumpled mess!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EldKempEQaw/UAXAcDGkLjI/AAAAAAAAGZ0/OSxqyYywpeo/s1600/IMAG1346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EldKempEQaw/UAXAcDGkLjI/AAAAAAAAGZ0/OSxqyYywpeo/s400/IMAG1346.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bYAb0fHng1Y/UAXAjVYONiI/AAAAAAAAGZ8/A93OfB2paGw/s1600/IMAG1348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bYAb0fHng1Y/UAXAjVYONiI/AAAAAAAAGZ8/A93OfB2paGw/s400/IMAG1348.jpg" width="275" /></a></div>
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Done! I made 50 of these and still did not use the whole pack of tissue paper!!! So as I said, these are VERY cheap!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bqWTyno0XL0/UARctVn_40I/AAAAAAAAGY8/sjw9quqgIUg/s1600/IMG_0817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bqWTyno0XL0/UARctVn_40I/AAAAAAAAGY8/sjw9quqgIUg/s400/IMG_0817.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Happy Rosing!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496356467477104464.post-2922239092837098972012-07-23T05:00:00.000-07:002012-07-23T05:00:08.446-07:00DIY Maxi Skirt from Bridesmaids Dress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Do you have a ton of Bridesmaids dresses? I do. And oddly enough, I only started the rapid accumulation of these dresses<i> after </i>I had been a bride! Bridesmaids' dresses are notorious for being ugly, but I never thought any of the ones I wore were. The only problem is that I really never came upon the occasion to wear them again. So they just kind of sit and sit and sit in my closet, hoping one day I might just pull them out and wear them.</div>
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Feeling bad that such nice dresses were going to waste, I decided to put them to good use. This is one of my "revive the bridesmaids' dress" projects. </div>
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This dress was from Cameron and Shawnte's wedding (Josten's sister, and her husband), and the first wedding I was ever I bridesmaid in. Here is the only "before" I have of the dress...</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-epXVnUeyu3c/UAQz5U2-xrI/AAAAAAAAGYU/yOgN7gIPqs8/s1600/scan0001+-+Copy+(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-epXVnUeyu3c/UAQz5U2-xrI/AAAAAAAAGYU/yOgN7gIPqs8/s400/scan0001+-+Copy+(3).jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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*And no, I was not placing my hand inappropriately as it may look...I promise my hand was just around Shawnte's arm</div>
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Well, I decided that with the rich tone, the cut, and the delicate fabric, that this dress would look great as a maxi skirt. Making these dresses into skirts is such a great idea because it is so simple, and a lot of times the simple cuts of bridesmaids dresses work perfectly for that.</div>
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Though regretfully, I did not take pictures of my process of refashioning this dress, I promise I will try to be as thorough in my explanation so you can try this as well.</div>
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1. Figure out where you want your dress to hit your waist. Make a cut a little over an inch above that on the dress, and cut the entire top off. You may have to cut through the zipper (unless you spend the time to rip it out before, which I didn't), so use scissors you don't care as much about when you get to the zipper.</div>
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2. Remove the remaining part of the zipper (unless you already removed it).</div>
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3. Measure around your waist, and measure around the top of the skirt. If the skirt is too big to sit where you want it to, you'll either need to gather it a little, or take it in a little until it's the right size. I took mine in, because I wanted the straight lines.</div>
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4. Fold down the top of the skirt, facing outward, two times about a half inch in height. Pin them down. My dress had two layers of fabric, and I just folded them both together when I folded them down and pinned them.</div>
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5. Sew along the bottom of the fold. Here is a picture of what mine looks like. You can see it's folded outward, then sewn along the bottom.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-esEtk6W7M_0/UARETlwaHeI/AAAAAAAAGYg/piBln2ioi1I/s1600/IMAG1332.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-esEtk6W7M_0/UARETlwaHeI/AAAAAAAAGYg/piBln2ioi1I/s400/IMAG1332.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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6. Add a new (shorter) zipper. I purposely added one that was off in color, because I like that look. Mismatched zippers give things a funky edge. My zipper is the same color as the belt in the picture below. I also added a hook/eye combo to the very top above the zipper, but it's not completely necessary.</div>
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Then all you need to do is cut strings, and you're good to go! Woo Hoo!!</div>
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After:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pn-aAeY4Meg/UAQxIKDb_eI/AAAAAAAAGYI/NA_CHkVFsYc/s1600/IMAG1320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pn-aAeY4Meg/UAQxIKDb_eI/AAAAAAAAGYI/NA_CHkVFsYc/s640/IMAG1320.jpg" width="404" /></a></div>
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And I love that I wear it so much more now! I was even able to wear it for another <a href="http://www.lds.org/church/temples/why-we-build-temples/what-happens-in-temples?lang=eng">temple sealing</a> 6 years after the first time I wore the dress!</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496356467477104464.post-17621969715773969332012-07-20T05:00:00.000-07:002012-07-20T05:00:14.083-07:00Feed Me Friday: Potato SaladThere are lots of ways to make potato salad. Almost everyone has a different variation, and it's usually suited to their taste. Mine is no different.<br />
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I love this potato salad. If you don't like pickles in your potato salad (Mom) this recipe isn't for you. I happen to LOVE them, so hopefully you do too.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Sarah's Potato Salad:</span><br />
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5 unpeeled baking potatoes<br />
5 hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped<br />
3/4 cup sour cream<br />
3/4 cup mayo<br />
1 Tbsp Yellow Mustard<br />
1 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar<br />
1/2 white onion chopped into tiny pieces<br />
1 cup dill pickles, chopped<br />
1 Tbsp dried dill weed<br />
Salt and Pepper to taste<br />
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1. Cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to med-low, and let simmer about 20 min. or until tender. Drain water, and cut potatoes into chunks. I just like to whip a knife through the pot to get it all chopped up. Refrigerate and add the eggs. Set aside.<br />
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2. Mix the remaining ingredients together in a sauce, in order, and pour over potato/egg mixture. Lightly mix it together, and refrigerate. It is best if it can be refrigerated overnight, but can also be served immediately as long as the potatoes are cooled.<br />
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* Because sizes of baking potatoes vary, if there doesn't seem to be enough sauce for the salad, just add a little more mayo and sour cream until it is as moist as you would like.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496356467477104464.post-59531550064289426212012-07-18T05:00:00.000-07:002012-07-18T05:00:04.128-07:00Sienna's Cinderella Party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Sienna turned 4 this last fourth of July. Her Golden Birthday. She tells everyone that she just had her "golden Cinderella party", which I think confuses people, because when they see pictures they expect to see some sort of gold gilded party, with a Cinderella theme in there somewhere. But no, no gold really to be found here!</div>
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Anyway, it was a "Dream come true" for our little Cinderella wannabe. She was so excited when she saw everything that she squealed the highest pitch squeal you could ever imagine. It was pretty darn cute. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Well, without further ado, here are the pictures from our "Royal Ball!"</span></div>
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The invites, rolled up, tied with a bow.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b6WP4K6jWpQ/UACHFkaPm5I/AAAAAAAAGUA/pxlt7XxOBwI/s1600/IMAG1271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b6WP4K6jWpQ/UACHFkaPm5I/AAAAAAAAGUA/pxlt7XxOBwI/s400/IMAG1271.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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The Mantle: Pictures of Cinderella, iridescent fluff, and pink streamers lined throughout</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PNP_Xrm7wi4/UACHVR2O57I/AAAAAAAAGUI/OuxxAOLymDY/s1600/IMG_0870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PNP_Xrm7wi4/UACHVR2O57I/AAAAAAAAGUI/OuxxAOLymDY/s400/IMG_0870.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Castle: I just googled an image of the Cinderella castle, printed it, and copied it by hand onto poster board. Then I painted the tops blue, and lightly sprayed over with silver spray paint.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jXg6XHpIsBA/UACHkxXjq_I/AAAAAAAAGUQ/D2nTEcBInFs/s1600/IMG_0871.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jXg6XHpIsBA/UACHkxXjq_I/AAAAAAAAGUQ/D2nTEcBInFs/s400/IMG_0871.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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The entryway</div>
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Our little Cinderella. Thank goodness her Halloween costume still fits!</div>
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The table</div>
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I wanted food that was simple, but sophisticated, that either tied in with Cinderella, or was "palace-like"</div>
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Magic Wands</div>
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The Favors</div>
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The Activities: #1 Ballroom Dancing - a <i>very </i>basic beginners course on how to dance politely at a ball. This was our ballroom. Though you can't see it, the purple drape (tablecloth) had yellow fringe (Crepe paper cut into fringe) all the way down the side</div>
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Activity #2 - "If the Show Fits" - a game where everyone had to (blindfolded) find the right shoe for Sienna, out of many shoes of different styles and sizes.</div>
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It fits!</div>
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Activity #3 - "At the Stroke of Midnight, the Spell will be Broken" - a card game where everyone had to turn over a card to make sure they were still horses, and not turned back into mice. If they got a horse, they were safe. If they got a mice, they were out, and so it continued until there was only one left!</div>
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This was a fun party, and I was glad that Sienna enjoyed herself. She is seriously such a girly girl, and I was happy to see that I lived up to her "expectations". She's sweet, and we're excited for another fun year with our little Princess!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496356467477104464.post-90732730564716990832012-07-16T05:00:00.000-07:002012-07-16T05:00:08.915-07:00Some Links for Veda's party How-To'sWith the explosion of Pinterest, it not only made my planning for Veda's party more organized, but also a lot more detailed that I would have probably planned on my own. I just kept finding more ideas that I like, and I didn't even end up using all of the ideas I found!<br />
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Here are some of the links I found via Pinterest (and others) for some of the decorations for Veda's party:<br />
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<a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/how-to/tissue-paper-pom-poms-how-to">Tissue Paper Pom Poms: Martha Stewart</a>: I had posted the link several years ago when I used them for Sienna's first birthday party, but thought I should probably post it again, since not everyone will want to surf all the way back to 2009 in the blog.<br />
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For these, I cut the tips of the folded tissue paper in a quarter circle, so when opened up, it was a much larger scalloped edge.<br />
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*I also used these instructions for the backs of the chairs, except I only used half the tissue paper, since I needed it flat on one side.<br />
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<a href="http://www.thediydish.com/2011/04/welcome-viewers-from-the-rachael-ray-show/">Hanging Rose Balls</a>: This link takes you to the site that originally featured the balls, but I couldn't find instructions on their site. They're pretty straight forward though, dollar store wiffle balls, dollar store rose bunches (about 4 per ball), hot glue around each hole, and stick the heads of the roses in them! Hang with ribbon.<br />
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<a href="http://www.theidearoom.net/2011/01/tissue-rosette-kissing-balls.html">Crepe Paper Rose Balls</a>: Follow instructions as posted on blog. I used the twist method for mine. She'll explain two different methods.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496356467477104464.post-64924718783271118092012-07-13T06:00:00.000-07:002012-07-13T06:26:15.492-07:00The Return of Feed Me Friday: Watermelon SalsaI just love the summertime. I always have. I grew up in North Idaho most of my life, after spending my major formative years in Southern California. Though my time spent up North WAY exceeds the time spent in sunny California, I think I always carried that need for warmth with me, no matter how many harsh, four-feet-of-snow, ice-crusted-windshields, and power outaged winters I endured. Though strikingly beautiful, the downfall of North Idaho is definitely the lack of tolerable seasons. You get a nice Fall for the first part of September, (though nights are promptly returning to below-freezing temperatures), by October, snow is fair game. Though there can be some beautiful Autumn days, they are short lived, and very cold, even if you have little to no snow fall. There's almost always snow in November, and by the time the holidays are past, you're sick of it, and you still have 2-5 months left! Now, fast forward to April. Spring, right? Not necessarily. My birthday is April 30th, and I had snow the day before my birthday a couple of years ago. Think that's crazy? We had a snow storm in June in 2008. BUT - once the summer weather DOES kick in, it is SO beautiful, and really I always long to be there, when it's warm.<br />
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But you can see my desperation for that blessed season of summer in Idaho. You really try to live and soak up every minute of it, knowing it will be taken from you so quickly!<br />
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One of the ways I learned to enjoy summer to the fullest is by cooking like it's summer! Tons of fresh foods, produce, and lots of grilling! Though I live in the South now, and my seasons are generally warm year-round, (LOVE it!!) I still enjoy treating the entire summer like a holiday, even though it's much hotter, and much longer lived!<br />
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One recipe I came across (while living in Idaho), was this great Watermelon Salsa. I've played with it, and come up with the way I like it best, though it's still pretty straight forward. I originally used it for <a href="http://sarahsprojects.blogspot.com/2010/07/siennas-watermelon-2nd-birthday-party.html">Sienna's Watermelon Party</a>, which not only fit the theme, but impressed all who partook! ;) I loved it, and hopefully you'll love it too, because it's what's on the menu today for Feed me Friday!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Watermelon Salsa</span><br />
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2-3 cups seeded and coarsely chopped watermelon<br />
3 tablespoons chopped onion<br />
4 tablespoons seeded and chopped Anaheim Chiles<br />
3 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar<br />
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt<br />
1/4 teaspoon creole seasoning<br />
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<span style="line-height: 16px;">In a mixing bowl, combine the watermelon, the chopped onion, and the chile. Evenly coat the mixture with the </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">balsamic</span><span style="line-height: 16px;"> vinegar, then the </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">garlic</span><span style="line-height: 16px;"> salt, then the creole seasoning. Put into the refrigerator, and let sit at least one hour so the flavors blend. Serve with chips, or whatever your heart desires!</span>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496356467477104464.post-12610185955160474062012-07-11T11:42:00.001-07:002012-07-11T11:42:53.311-07:00Party for our Little Rose<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br />Well, my baby turned a year old...</div>
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Not too sure how I feel about that. On one hand, the stage she's in right now is so cute, and her personality is blossoming everyday. On the other had. I really don't like how quickly all the time is going. </div>
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We decided to celebrate her party this year with a dessert party. No games or activities, because, well...she's one. So we kept it to eating and entertaining each other! </div>
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We celebrated with a rose theme, using rose decorations and (attempting) rose-flavored food. Among my food casualties were these really neat looking rose water meringues. I'd never worked with meringue before, and it just didn't work for me. Something to set as a goal!</div>
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Here are the invites. They were printed out as pictures, mounted on cream parchment paper, with a bow in the upper left hand corner. They were also scented like roses!</div>
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Our mantle...Pictures of Veda each month </div>
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The entryway</div>
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The backs of the chairs</div>
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The table</div>
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The cake</div>
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The labels</div>
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Rose Lassi, and Indian yogurt drink</div>
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Rose petal jam</div>
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The Verdict? Well, she sure enjoyed her cake!</div>
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I will also be posting different tutorials and references on how to do some of the things I did for this party. Stay tuned!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496356467477104464.post-87958742661657958772012-06-12T07:34:00.000-07:002012-06-12T07:34:23.255-07:00Super Easy Top Re-DoHave I mentioned that I'm tall?<br />
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Pretty sure I have. But in case you didn't know... I'm 6'1". Yeah, not just <i>kind of</i> tall.<br />
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I have the same issues that every other tall girl has. I have trouble finding pants long enough, sleeves long enough, and most mid-length skirts end up looking like mini skirts on me.<br />
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Oh, and then there's my torso. The torso is a story within itself. My torso is WAY long. Like, almost too long for the rest of my body. Really, the length of my torso almost suggests my legs should be a few inches longer...which we all know I don't need...<br />
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I have to preface that because, due to my extreme lengths, I tend to have devastating results when items shrink up in the dryer. I need every inch of fabric my clothes can offer, and if any of it gets lost...I'm outta clothes.<br />
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Well, unfortunately it happened. A shirt I loved previously ended up in the dryer, and shrunk in the torso length. The cry of death for any of my tops.<br />
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The top had previously been one of those loose, boxy-fitting, v-neck shirts. It was a very silky and slinky knit, a peachy pink color, with light grey feathers printed here and there on it. After washing it, I felt like a little kid wearing it, because it was too short, but not intentionally short. Like I was a 5 year old wearing a 3T.<br />
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I just couldn't let the shirt go, so I thought about what I could do. Make it into a dress for one of the girls? No. Make it into a shirt-dress? No, it's too loose fitting in the sides for that. But wait... if I were to cut it, and make it <i>intentionally </i>short, then I might be onto something!<br />
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I thought about it, went back and forth, decided to scrap the idea in fear of looking too much like Bill S. Preston, Esquire.<br />
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But no, I couldn't let it go. The day before Thanksgiving, I made the cut. And the hem. And got one of the easiest, flub free refashions, I'd ever done. No regrets.<br />
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So here's what I did:
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The shirt...after the wash, before the cut.</div>
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The pattern</div>
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As seen below, I cut an arched line from left side to right side. Then I hemmed it, but you don't have to, if you use a top with a knit fabric.</div>
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Another variation could include making it a "hi-low" shirt with the arched cut in front, gradually descending into a reverse arch down in the back, so the front is cut high, and the back is cut low.</div>
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And here's how it looks all put together:</div>
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These pictures are not the best quality...we are looking into getting a new camera since our camera broke...so these are with my phone, hopefully you get the picture.</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496356467477104464.post-2566070844376656672012-06-08T07:27:00.001-07:002012-06-08T07:27:49.478-07:00Simple Gifts: Memory GameFor Christmas this year, we decided to hand make a lot of the gifts. Some were Simple and easy, yet very appreciated. Some were complicated and made me more angry making them, than I should have been in a happy season. <div>
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Of the simple ones that left me feeling happy and crafty, I found particular joy in the ease of the Memory game.</div>
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I used 20 of the thin, <b>unfinished wood sqaures</b> from Michael's. I think they were 25 cents each. </div>
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I also used<b> paint</b>, <b>scraps of fabric </b>from<b> </b>10 different types of fabric, and <b>mod-podge </b>(I suggest using a matte, it's a little less tacky feeling). </div>
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These are so easy, I feel silly even posting instructions... but I will, just to prove to you haw easy, and how possible it is for <i>anyone</i> to make a cute gift. </div>
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1. Paint your squares front and back with desired color. (Easy enough, right?)</div>
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2. While paint is drying, cut out 2 squares of fabric from each of your ten different kinds of fabric. The squares should be slightly smaller than your wood squares, so there's a border around the fabric when you attach it to the wood. If you're concerned about finding ten different types of fabric, look through old clothes, or heck, you could even use scrapbook paper!</div>
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3. Apply a layer of Mod-Podge to the square. Add a layer of Mod-Podge to the back of your fabric piece and attach it to the square. Let it dry.</div>
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4. Once it is dry, apply mod-podge over entire square, front and back to finish it off. Repeat for all Squares.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I added a few more pairs after this, so not all is shown, but you get the idea. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I printed out a fun design and covered a box I had, but since not everyone will have a perfect square box lying around, I didn't include this in the instructions!</span></div>
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Completely Simple, right? Now, stop telling me you're not crafty, and go make this for someone!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496356467477104464.post-6933327961651121772012-05-29T09:05:00.003-07:002012-05-29T09:05:59.391-07:00Dinosaur Party! RAWR!!!Okay, I am SO not used to posting regularly! I've got to get my system back in order...<br />
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Anyways, March was my Little Man's <b>5th Birthday</b>!! I couldn't believe it! It really doesn't seem possible that 5 years have already come and gone since I became a mother! Isn't he handsome?? ;)<br />
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Well, anyone that knows this energetic little tyke, knows that he LOVES dinosaurs! He loves that they run around screaming, so they naturally became his mascot. He begged me to let him be a dinosaur for Halloween. I wasn't sure I could pull it off, but we made it work, and he was the happiest kids alive. For his birthday this year, I let him pick his theme for the first time (last year we didn't have a big party because we had just moved, and before that he didn't really get what was going on), and he of course, picked a dinosaur theme.<br />
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Now, as a mother who likes to plan parties, I was a little disappointed because I thought, "Dinosaurs?? How do I make that cute??"<br />
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But soon my brain started tinkering, and I was finding ideas right and left, that left me thrilled to be putting on a dinosaur birthday, against my expectations!<br />
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We went with a grass green, and navy blue striped color scheme, with little tan accents here and there.<br />
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These were the invites. Super simple. I created the inside on my computer, had them printed off in 4x6's. Then I took regular 8.5x11 green paper, cut it in half, hamburger style, and placed the picture in the middle, folding each side over the picture for a 3-way fold. Then, I added a strip of teeth I cut out myself onto the top flap, and stuck the name labels that i also created on my computer on the front. Done.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6Xb9K4c6OvI/T8Tq_1uexDI/AAAAAAAAGAQ/XnpzvAD75lM/s1600/You're+invited!.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="528" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6Xb9K4c6OvI/T8Tq_1uexDI/AAAAAAAAGAQ/XnpzvAD75lM/s640/You're+invited!.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The decorations...I'll post a tutorial on the green polyhedrons soon. They're super easy and cheap!</div>
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Also, though you can't read it, The sign on the meat says "Carnivors", the sign on the veggies says "Herbivores", and the sign on the water says "Watering Hole".</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pEGBh2GqKu0/T8Tqr44G5eI/AAAAAAAAF_o/GeIbsKIM-2E/s1600/Decorations.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="340" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pEGBh2GqKu0/T8Tqr44G5eI/AAAAAAAAF_o/GeIbsKIM-2E/s640/Decorations.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The Food: Fossil Cake, Jello Roll-ups, Dinosaur Eggs (Oreo truffles), Dinosaur Bones (breadsticks), Dinosaur Cake Pops, and fossil imprint cookies (not shown).</div>
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The Favors: Nests with Dino Eggs (jelly beans), and a little toy dinosaur</div>
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The Activities (The pictures will speak for themselves)</div>
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Super fun, and easy theme. Hope this helps you jump start your planning for your own little dinosaur lover!</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496356467477104464.post-45889371555709002232012-05-22T11:47:00.000-07:002012-05-22T11:50:08.402-07:00Oh, Hi.Sorry I've been gone so stinkin' long! But I'm very happy to say that we have a connection!!! We live kind of in the sticks...pretty close to a bigger city, but far enough away from it (I guess 5 miles is super far??) that we don't have any options for internet. Our options included, get a mobile hot spot (poor internet quality and speed), <i>maybe </i>get AT&T (reliable internet, good price, but only offers to really extremely random locations; your neighbors could get it, but not necessarily you), or the dreaded local cable company who "doesn't have the technology" to only offer internet and not cable along with it (c'mon, we lived in a small Idaho town that was probably 1.5 miles in diameter who offered cable internet without cable!!), thus forcing you to pay what is already an insane amount for those two services, but couple it with the fact that it's AWFUL service! There were days where we wouldn't even get service!! I seriously hated it, plus, I prefer <i>not </i>to have TV, because if we pay for it, we feel like we have to get our money's worth out of it, so we watch it more than necessary. We've always chosen to not get cable, and I hated being forced to have it.<br />
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Until a week ago, I found a 4th option! Satellite internet! They come out here, and it's a WAY better price! And I don't have to get cable with it! Wahoo! So we are back online!<br />
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And don't you worry, I haven't been idle these last 6 months. I've got lots of stuff to show you.<br />
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Here's a look at what we've got coming up:<br />
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-LOTS and LOTS of refashions<br />
-Gift Ideas for kids<br />
-New fun recipes<br />
-Birthday Parties (Yay!)<br />
-New series<br />
-"Pinned it, Did it" reviews - trials of popular pinned projects from Pinterest, and my review<br />
-"Tipped Off" - Tips and Tricks for around the house, with kids, with projects, etc.<br />
-"Frugal and Fabulous", - my own personal secrets to saving money while crafting, gifting, decorating, dressing, and cooking wonderfully. I will open this up for submitted tips as well.<br />
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SOOOOooo...lots of great stuff. Stay tuned. Thanks for all of the support!<br />
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Love, SarahUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496356467477104464.post-59134428704232880922011-11-01T17:25:00.001-07:002011-11-01T17:25:56.103-07:00Halloween<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H1MnFltkz_c/TrCOFMXOuCI/AAAAAAAAFWc/Vu1Vzxvko3c/s1600/IMAG0121-1-756103.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H1MnFltkz_c/TrCOFMXOuCI/AAAAAAAAFWc/Vu1Vzxvko3c/s320/IMAG0121-1-756103.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670188150728603682" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0ctaYr2iMsE/TrCOFTCmOgI/AAAAAAAAFWo/CcWpCf4lF4M/s1600/IMAG0126-1-757148.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0ctaYr2iMsE/TrCOFTCmOgI/AAAAAAAAFWo/CcWpCf4lF4M/s320/IMAG0126-1-757148.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670188152521112066" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SqlDh_H7-4k/TrCOF4nhJHI/AAAAAAAAFW0/1Rn3MQI68oQ/s1600/IMAG0131-1-758947.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SqlDh_H7-4k/TrCOF4nhJHI/AAAAAAAAFW0/1Rn3MQI68oQ/s320/IMAG0131-1-758947.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670188162608079986" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wXE7VDh22kU/TrCOGsgkFvI/AAAAAAAAFXA/X0Uwt_P4S7Q/s1600/IMAG0129-1-761834.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wXE7VDh22kU/TrCOGsgkFvI/AAAAAAAAFXA/X0Uwt_P4S7Q/s320/IMAG0129-1-761834.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670188176537556722" /></a></p><p>I hope you all had a great Halloween. As you've probably noticed, I never posted the tutorials for the girls' princess dresses. I really expected to have them done sooner, so I could post the tutorials in time for Halloween. I grossly overestimated my free time with 3 kids! </p> <p>But, I will write them up and post it next year. My goal is to have costumes done by the first week in October next year, so you'll have FIVE costumes to learn how to make next year! Yahoo!</p> <p>Also, we're switching internet providers right now, hence no formatting in this post, as I am posting from my phone. My posting will probably be slower for a week or so, and less than beautiful in appearance.</p> <p>I hope you had an awesome Halloween, can't wait for Thanksgiving now!</p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496356467477104464.post-83025267978850250882011-10-28T06:00:00.000-07:002011-10-28T06:00:20.154-07:00Feed Me Friday: Worm BurgersOh this grossed me out so bad when I saw it! Isn't it funny how during Halloween, we seek to eat stuff that makes us want to vomit looking at it??? I guess it's all part of being festive!<br />
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These, like the other posts, are ridiculously simple.<br />
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Worm Burgers:<br />
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You'll need:<br />
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hamburger buns<br />
hotdogs<br />
BBQ sauce<br />
any other condiments you prefer (we didn't use anything special)<br />
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The concept behind this, is that you cut each hot dog in half, length wise. then you cut those halves in half again length wise.<br />
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Boil them for a few minutes, they will curl on their own. Drain water.<br />
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Cover them in BBQ sauce, and serve on hamburger buns. So easy.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qIYJe4G1zp0/TMukycFj9ZI/AAAAAAAADp4/qbcatCa25yc/s1600/SDC10846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" rda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qIYJe4G1zp0/TMukycFj9ZI/AAAAAAAADp4/qbcatCa25yc/s400/SDC10846.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>You'll need 3-4 "worms" per hamburger bun set, so with each hot dog producing 4 worms, you can plan accordingly how much you need.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496356467477104464.post-82958709635773569792011-10-26T08:15:00.000-07:002011-10-26T08:15:59.330-07:00Breck the DinosaurWell, I'm ashamed to say I don't have a tutorial for this costume. The reason?? I honestly didn't know what I was doing the entire time. Making animal costumes is just something that's foreign to me, and without a pattern, I'm at a loss. I was lucky that it did turn out, but I just don't have a tutorial, and if you copied everything I did, you would be running around like a chicken with it's head cut off like I was while making this.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7ASX0qGOgQQ/Tqgh34fqhZI/AAAAAAAAFTE/tScfrqVi9Rc/s1600/IMAG0026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" ida="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7ASX0qGOgQQ/Tqgh34fqhZI/AAAAAAAAFTE/tScfrqVi9Rc/s400/IMAG0026.jpg" width="238px" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LjOCbwWq_t4/Tqgh1UP7NAI/AAAAAAAAFS8/s0ef4f0Pf9k/s1600/IMAG0024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" ida="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LjOCbwWq_t4/Tqgh1UP7NAI/AAAAAAAAFS8/s0ef4f0Pf9k/s400/IMAG0024.jpg" width="238px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YoKPZ7sFUYs/Tqgh6jWYgrI/AAAAAAAAFTM/2EBAyG8s4f0/s1600/IMAG0028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" ida="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YoKPZ7sFUYs/Tqgh6jWYgrI/AAAAAAAAFTM/2EBAyG8s4f0/s400/IMAG0028.jpg" width="238px" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j00hxis9zFI/Tqgh9BEKmjI/AAAAAAAAFTU/aPtfRUUUMiM/s1600/IMAG0029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" ida="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j00hxis9zFI/Tqgh9BEKmjI/AAAAAAAAFTU/aPtfRUUUMiM/s400/IMAG0029.jpg" width="238px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">However, I will say, that if you want to make this exact costume, I can give you some tips.</div><br />
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First of all, get a pattern for pajama pants and a hooded jacket/anorak.<br />
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Once you've cut all your pieces out, you need to apply the knee pads and the tummy patch with an applique stitch. I just eyeballed how big I wanted mine.<br />
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<strong>For the spikes:</strong><br />
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Next, cut out about 12 squares of fabric that are about 4"x4". Cut them each in half diagonally so you have 2 triangles for each square.<br />
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Cut pieces of felt (1 for each set of 2 triangles) in the exact shape of the triangles you just cut, just about 1/8 inch shorter per side.<br />
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Sew each triangle together, then turn inside out. insert felt triangle, and sew along edges of the triangle. Bottom of triangle does not need to be sewn. Do this for all 12 triangles.<br />
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Attach triangles along the center hood seam, the back seam (you may need to cut a line down the back to make your own seam), and down the tail.<br />
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Sew all the other pieces together, according to the instructions, leaving the bum seam of the pants open and unsewn for a tail.<br />
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Use similar concept for the bill of the hood as the spikes, just using a bill of a hat as your guide to the shape. when sewing the fabric together, add little white felt triangles on the edges of the inside, and sew the curved side of the bill together. when turned inside out, it will reveal teeth. Then put the felt inside the bill, and sew along the curved side again. Attach to the hood.<br />
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I just added googly eyes for the eyes with hot glue, velcro for closures, and white felt claws. <br />
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<strong>For the Tail:</strong><br />
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Cut out tail shape. (I know real specific, huh?) But that's all I did, I just decided what shape I wanted the tail, cut out 2 of the shape, sewed the spikes (triangles) in the top seam, and sewed the rest together. When I turned it inside out, I stuffed it with poly-fill, and I sewed the end up.<br />
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I then placed it into the unsewn hem of the pants (the bum seam) and sewed it up.<br />
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Then, you just finish up your pants, put elastic in, or a tie, depending on your pattern and preference, and you're pretty much done!<br />
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Sorry these directions weren't more specific, with pictures and instructions, but like I said...you probably wouldn't have wanted to follow my exact lead with this costume. Just make it easy and get the pattern, and then you can copy my embellishments!<br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Luckily, Breck was thrilled with it, and he can now live out his life-long goal of becoming a dinosaur!! Rawrrrr!!!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496356467477104464.post-11335763791819269492011-10-24T11:43:00.000-07:002011-10-24T11:43:42.015-07:00Sneak Peak on 2011 Halloween CostumesNot finished yet, but progress<em> is</em> being made. <br />
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Here's some sneak peaks at what I have in store for this year:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Three-year-old girl rite-of-passage</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-df9iil8uBl0/TqWxROO1B1I/AAAAAAAAFSk/WWMjBaCBu94/s1600/IMAG0088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" rda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-df9iil8uBl0/TqWxROO1B1I/AAAAAAAAFSk/WWMjBaCBu94/s400/IMAG0088.jpg" width="326px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Crazy Boy's dream come true</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IuufAy31vdc/TqWxUFHZflI/AAAAAAAAFSs/CDV4SNawX00/s1600/IMAG0006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" rda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IuufAy31vdc/TqWxUFHZflI/AAAAAAAAFSs/CDV4SNawX00/s400/IMAG0006.jpg" width="327px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And one not-even-begun-costume for our littlest princess ;)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PZJr0yxY3M8/TqWxWSmnwUI/AAAAAAAAFS0/jq37Mz2D-Es/s1600/IMAG0011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" rda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PZJr0yxY3M8/TqWxWSmnwUI/AAAAAAAAFS0/jq37Mz2D-Es/s400/IMAG0011.jpg" width="326px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Must keep going...must keep going...</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496356467477104464.post-73011474175614374212011-10-19T07:44:00.000-07:002011-10-19T11:07:44.361-07:00Change of Pace - Just For TodayThis post has nothing to do with projects or crafts...I just have some things on my mind that I've been thinking about.<br />
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I've been thinking a lot lately on how we treat one another. Especially how we treat one another online. With so many bloggers out there now, it seems as though the world of critics has vastly expanded. I mean, I get it, you put yourself out on the Internet, you make yourself vulnerable to criticism whether you ask for it or not, but does that give everyone else the go ahead to say what they please?<br />
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I used to think that celebrities were ok to criticize. I figured they knew what they were getting into when they got into the business they did, and that they were somehow immune to people making fun of them...or even that they were not <em>real </em>people. Well, the fact is, is that they<em> are </em>real people, a truth that their mothers can solemnly attest to. Is it alright for us to make fun of these people we've never met, know nothing about, and have no idea what they are individually struggling with? What does it accomplish to critique their clothing, their hair, etc.? Maybe it's just our own insecurity that we don't have the money and freedom to choose so many different kinds of fashions. <br />
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I don't care if I was the most successful actress out there, grossing the most per movie than anyone else. It would still hurt my feelings to see people dissect every outfit I wore, every sentence I uttered, every hair on my head. Especially if I had never met that person, and that person was just an everyday blogger/columnist who didn't know the first thing about me or my life. I would wonder, "what have I ever done to that person??" <br />
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Really, that's a great question, what have they ever done to us? You don't like a movie they were in?? Don't watch it! You don't like an outfit they chose?? No one's forcing you to think that it's cool! You don't agree with their political stance?? Don't listen to them, and turn the channel when they come on TV. It's simple. <br />
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Now, with the world-wide blogging craze, this need to critique everyone and everything has just spread like wild-fire! I have read several blogs that have talked about extremely rude comments left in their comment boxes. I have read blogs that criticize other bloggers. Some of them are just so mean-spirited, from showing off "Lame Ideas", stealing bloggers' pictures to showcase how lame an idea is, to calling people fat in their comment boxes, or even wannabes (do people still use that word, or am I just lame?). Even entire websites are now set up for the sole purpose of making fun of people, such as Awkward Family Photos, and People of Wal-mart.<br />
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I was really sent over the edge this last week when I saw a pin on Pinterest. It was one of those "funny" motivational posters, whose picture was a mother with her daughter. The caption was "Reincarnation". Underneath that, it said, "Welcome back Chris Farley, you've been missed." The poster suggested that the little baby girl in the picture was a replica of Chris Farley.<br />
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What upset me, was that this was actually some one's family photo. Some mother just wanted to get a picture with her daughter, someone who she cares deeply about, no doubt. She likely shared it with friends and family via Internet, and for some reason, somebody thought it would be a good idea to swipe the picture, and make fun of a precious little girl's appearance, just so they could have a laugh, and make others think they are just so hilarious. <br />
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Imagine if that was you. Imagine you took your child to get special pictures taken with him/her. Then, as you proudly send them off to family and friends, you find it's the newest joke spread over the whole face of the earth. That would be heartbreaking. You would yearn that someone, just one person, would stand up for you, and say "That's really rude", but to your disappointment you find that each new day, the picture circulates to a different part of the world, creating all new groups of people who are laughing...at your child's expense. It makes me sick thinking about how that would feel.<br />
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And what was accomplished?? What is accomplished by making fun of people? What is accomplished by letting everyone we know that we think someone else's outfit is ugly? What is accomplished by saying that someone is a bad actor/musician/photographer/seamstress? What is accomplished when we give into the sickening need to tell everyone that so and so is NOT pretty, and IS fat, and is NOT original, and does NOT have style??? NOTHING!!! We think it lifts us up to be able to critique others, but it really drags us down! It makes others critical of you, and it makes us uglier people on the inside when we care so much about what other people are doing. <br />
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Some people seem to believe that the Internet is this a place where they can say what they want to no consequence...but they're wrong. Hurt feelings are just as strong through computer screens as in person. The point is, that it's never ok to laugh at someone else's expense. If you're putting other people's style down so that it makes people think you are fashion savvy, then try focusing more on your own fashion than everyone else's. Are you trying to get people to think that you are funny? Then try making jokes that don't put others down.<br />
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I'm not trying to be all preachy, and I'm definitely not perfect, but it <em>is</em> something I've thought about lately. Maybe we can all at least just try to catch ourselves amid trash-talking and think of something more positive to talk about. Maybe we can be that one person who stands up for someone else who is being made fun of. Let's try harder to lift each other up, rather than drag each other down, because, as we say in my church, <br />
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"Charity Never Faileth".Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496356467477104464.post-2009015664195638532011-10-14T06:00:00.000-07:002011-10-14T06:00:08.821-07:00Feed Me Friday: Icky Fingers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Last week's Feed Me Friday, I had featured bread stick bones and blood (pizza sauce). You may have noticed the pictures had another spooky treat next to them, which I am featuring today:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Icky Fingers.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Super easy. All you need are a couple packs of string cheese, depending on how much you want. I have even less than that pictured. You'll also need some blood (Pizza Sauce) and fingernails (almond slices). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">What you're going to do, is first, cut the string cheese pieces in half.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Next, carve two sets of three tiny divots in each one to resemble the wrinkled skin where your knuckles are.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Then, slash a shallow angle at the very tip on the finger downwards as a place for the fingernail.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Attach each finger nail by placing a dab of pizza sauce on the angled tip, and putting the almond sliver on top.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And there you have it, gross, nasty fingers, ready to eat!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K1QEX_zbip0/To9jQYOXOxI/AAAAAAAAFO4/lVm5Juw9HLw/s1600/SDC10859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" kca="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K1QEX_zbip0/To9jQYOXOxI/AAAAAAAAFO4/lVm5Juw9HLw/s400/SDC10859.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kNgpAYWkCZE/To9jTYVSApI/AAAAAAAAFO8/x64OJSDTVpo/s1600/SDC10864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" kca="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kNgpAYWkCZE/To9jTYVSApI/AAAAAAAAFO8/x64OJSDTVpo/s400/SDC10864.JPG" width="300px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Now tell me those don't look like the most appetizing of treats!!!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3496356467477104464.post-64859092846617150292011-10-12T06:00:00.000-07:002011-10-12T06:00:07.757-07:00Thomas the Train Costume...Again, from Last Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here we go getting a tutorial written up for the Thomas Costume from last year! This was a fun little project, though by the end I wasn't having much fun, and sloppily finished it. I was totally sick by that point, so the finished project wasn't quite as polished as my normal, non-pregnant hormoned mind would stand for.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It was still pretty easy, and CHEAP! Here are the supplies you'll need:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">-Box big enough to fit your little conductor into</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">-scissors/knife</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">-Paints (I used acryllic) Blue (I mixed Royal blue and white until I got the right "Thomas Blue"), Red, and Black</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">-Black paper</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">-One large paper plate</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">-6 smaller paper plates</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">-masking or painter's tape</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">-Black Sharpie</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">-2 empty toilet paper rolls</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">-1 inch thick elastic - about a yard, or suspenders</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Step 1: First, find a box. Got a good one? Great...now cut off the bottom flaps, and securely tape the top side flaps in place. The picture show scissors, but a knife may be more useful.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rHYxhUiMEjg/TpUIx9AfrwI/AAAAAAAAFPA/5vXhFNQG5ZQ/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271px" kca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rHYxhUiMEjg/TpUIx9AfrwI/AAAAAAAAFPA/5vXhFNQG5ZQ/s400/1.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Step 2. Using your knife, cut along where the red dotted lines are. You may want to trace it out first. For the front, trace around your bigger paper plate as pictured below for Thomas' head. If your box is flimsy, you may want to use some of your scrap cardboard to reinforce the newly cut sides from the inside, to thicken it up.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R4-GbDTlmWk/TpUIy0-HCLI/AAAAAAAAFPI/37PDyhxCJn0/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271px" kca="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R4-GbDTlmWk/TpUIy0-HCLI/AAAAAAAAFPI/37PDyhxCJn0/s400/2.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Step 3. Now use either your masking tape or painter's tape to seal off the cut edges. You will paint over these so that the edges looke more finished than that cut cardboard look. I'm pretty sure I skipped the round part though...yep, just checked, I did.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YsPW9sdWcrU/TpUIz_Jq3sI/AAAAAAAAFPQ/MNO4hdr00Rc/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271px" kca="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YsPW9sdWcrU/TpUIz_Jq3sI/AAAAAAAAFPQ/MNO4hdr00Rc/s400/3.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Step 4.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Paint the box according to the guide below. Blue on the outsides, except for the top and Thomas' head. Black on the inside.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AbfsbGBKLQ0/TpUI0mbfuFI/AAAAAAAAFPY/-e7l9phtECc/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271px" kca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AbfsbGBKLQ0/TpUI0mbfuFI/AAAAAAAAFPY/-e7l9phtECc/s400/4.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Step 5. Now paint all the extras, starting with the red lines. Mask off a square wuth the line being about an inch or so thick, and paint it red. Use your plate as a guide for painting the red half-circle on the front. I wish I woudl have done that...mine was a little sloppy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8uLK3rzBWIs/TpUI4C8z3wI/AAAAAAAAFPg/-5-br_8lh8U/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271px" kca="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8uLK3rzBWIs/TpUI4C8z3wI/AAAAAAAAFPg/-5-br_8lh8U/s400/5.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You can use the picture below for your number 1. Save it to your pictures, then print it out as (2) 8x10's. Cut the 1 out, and glue it in the middle of the square on each side.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kFV9f0nAhCk/TpUI7dDrazI/AAAAAAAAFPo/414VtW1__gI/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271px" kca="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kFV9f0nAhCk/TpUI7dDrazI/AAAAAAAAFPo/414VtW1__gI/s400/8.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Tape off and paint a red line in front for your bemper. Then cut out 2 circles (use a glass to trace) from black paper, and glue in designated areas.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0CSTwArY7do/TpUI987k9cI/AAAAAAAAFPw/hCg4UjkNfSs/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271px" kca="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0CSTwArY7do/TpUI987k9cI/AAAAAAAAFPw/hCg4UjkNfSs/s400/9.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Step 6. Using scrap cardboard, cut out and paint the funnel as pictured below. Fasten it to the top of Thomas' head area with glue.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2javhPXUNJQ/TpUI_p63bDI/AAAAAAAAFP4/e_lEKq8ak08/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271px" kca="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2javhPXUNJQ/TpUI_p63bDI/AAAAAAAAFP4/e_lEKq8ak08/s400/6.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Step 7. Thomas' face. Paint the backside of your big paper plate grey. Then you've got a couple of options. I just copied his face from a picture, and drew it on with a Sharpie, and painted the eyes white, then drew on the pupils and irises of the eyes. But you could also print out a picture of his face, cut it, and glue it to the plate.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gYbLRQfPW3g/TpUJAWnZaMI/AAAAAAAAFQA/iWdhrmf9aIY/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271px" kca="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gYbLRQfPW3g/TpUJAWnZaMI/AAAAAAAAFQA/iWdhrmf9aIY/s400/7.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Step 7. Carve a slot into a toilet paper roll as pictured. Paint it gold. You can either do the 2nd one exactly like the first, or you can elevate teh 2nd one on a gold popsicle stick kind of like Thomas has. Your choice.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9dTRK0k44rw/TpUJCkf_BvI/AAAAAAAAFQI/s1NFDxFA8GU/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271px" kca="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9dTRK0k44rw/TpUJCkf_BvI/AAAAAAAAFQI/s1NFDxFA8GU/s400/10.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Step 8. Paint all 6 smaller plates blue on both sides. These are your wheels. Once dry, Use Sharpie to draw designs on wheels as pictured below. This was another thing I did sloppy. Sad.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IhKrTApjwys/TpUJD3T_kWI/AAAAAAAAFQQ/uxRXpaoQqmA/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271px" kca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IhKrTApjwys/TpUJD3T_kWI/AAAAAAAAFQQ/uxRXpaoQqmA/s400/11.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Step 9. Attach suspenders (or elastic, which is what I used) to each side of the head, where it meets the base in the front, and up to the top, about 6 inches apart. Look at the bottom picture for a guide.I used hot glue, but you could easily use a stapler.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Step 10. This costume will be very back heavy, so I put some rocks in a little baggie and glued it to the front, behind Thomas' head. You could sew a little black baggie, so it blends with the inside, and put a paper weight in there or something.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CKbzTVEUxEs/TpURLjbFSoI/AAAAAAAAFQY/O8ReN_epuhQ/s1600/SDC10884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293px" kca="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CKbzTVEUxEs/TpURLjbFSoI/AAAAAAAAFQY/O8ReN_epuhQ/s400/SDC10884.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sqjjYJDEjic/TpURVcFmEjI/AAAAAAAAFQg/bpx41wC8F-s/s1600/SDC10883.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" kca="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sqjjYJDEjic/TpURVcFmEjI/AAAAAAAAFQg/bpx41wC8F-s/s400/SDC10883.JPG" width="300px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After that, You're Done!!! Now all you need is a little conducter's hat, and a bandana around the neck, and you're good to go! </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3