Upgrade your laundry room

Top spot 

Front view. My tiny laundry room made it impossible to back up for this photo; if I get brave I will add a better pic from a ladder view.

 One of my favorite dollar store materials is vinyl; generally sold as locker material in stationary, but, sometimes you can find letters in the hardware for your mailbox, etc. I have a handy Sizzix machine, which cuts die cuts. Cutting down the larger locker pieces I can get a lot of shapes from one dollar worth. Some friends have Cricuts, or similar machines for scrap booking that also cut vinyl.

I saw (on pintrest!) a great idea where a woman painted directly on her washer and dryer. Now, the sentiment has been re-used on tin signs and wood signs for the laundry room, but you likely know where it came from originally. I love the original Kenny Rogers song, The Gambler, even though I was (ahem) two when it came out.

I decided to get out the Sizzix and crank out some letters in a soft blue that seems like a good wall color when I'm ready to paint in there. Matching a wall I haven't painted yet, that's so me. What's very nice here is that this project costed one dollar. And a little time. I did use painters tape to get them even, but that peeled off the metal as nicely as it peels off walls.

As a fun bonus, I took a piece of scrap wood, some sand paper, and dollar store clotheslines to make this mismatched sock catcher. I used a different color vinyl, but the same Sizzix letter font. Attaching the clothespins with E-6000 I am not worried at all about it falling apart. I added eyehooks and wire from a, you guessed it, dollar store framing kit. Basically, this little sign cost more, but not much, than the whole washer.

Easiest Decor Ever

This picture did not cover the whole thing, but that just gives the impression that you could totally take this idea and do even better with it!Items needed:

Three pieces canvas art from the Dollar Tree
One sheet of wall stickers, also Dollar Tree

So, I am not even sure how to blog about this.... It's three pieces of canvas art from the local Dollar Tree and stickers from the same. I decided to change the position, but use the same three pics. I love succulents, as they always remind me of my Nana. Aside from having plenty growing in the rocks of her strawberry garden, I am reminded of a time she mailed me some from Washington State to my home in Vegas. They did fine in the mail. After I had them, however.....

This is literally the simplest idea to spruce up an area either one atop each other on a narrow wall, or as I used them side by side above the window. They fill the space nicely and add a bit of homey-ness to my dining room. I picked up some other canvas art that I will share another time, I can't be using up all my ideas in one blog.

The Dollar Tree in particular has had some very fun new wall stickers, so run out and pick some up! You can decide where they go later. I have seen many canvas options at dollar plus stores that are still fantastic for the price, and I wouldn't shy away from splattering your own canvas to really 'own' the finished product!

Happy crafting, and keep looking at everything with different lenses!

Solar System push lights

This  fun project can find you literally the center of the universe! Using Dollar store push lights (and batteries), and alcohol inks (mine are Tim Holtz for Ranger products) we created a Mars affect in under an hour. The planets you simulate will be based on the ink you use. 

For this project lay down a craft mat, and have some make-up wedges ready (You guessed it, from the dollar store). Drip the alcohol inks directly on the light, and quickly begin to dab them. Add random color splashed and dab, dab, dab! A really fun idea would be to use the moon or star shaped push lights in pastel colors for a new babies room. 

Here I have added red and dabbed it around.

These will dry fast, but are extremely reactive to each other. It is very fun to splatter and change until you find the right combo for your planet. Leave for about fifteen minutes after you have your desired affect. Spray with a clear coat and leave alone for a few hours, over night if possible. 

Here she is all done!

I can't wait to make seven or eight more. I'm gonna' have to check with NASA on that number!

Lit up!

Easy ornaments that aren't too ugly to put on your tree

So this is late, but I was super busy over the holiday, sometimes I only have time to make the memories and not actually get around to sharing them. This lovely red spiral is the highlight today, but you may see several handmade ornaments looming in the background. perhaps i will find time to post how those are made before next Christmas.
This is a pretty easy ornament that is fun for the kids, and not too time consuming, which mean you can make one or thirty if you're really feeling it. My kids did about four each. Why is that not a solid four? Well, they started to lose interest right about there.
All you need is tube netting and pipe cleaners. Choose a complimentary pipe cleaner color to the net tubing you choose. This could easily be silver on silver, get creative for Halloween with orange on black, use school colors to hang from your car mirror or whatever.
Cut the tubing to be and inch or two longer than your pipe cleaner. I need two full inches, because these knots are hard for me, but then I waste a lot at the end. Tie one knot then  feed the pipe cleaner into the tube. Tied the other end into a knot. Make sure your knots are nice and tight and then trim. When feeding in the pipe cleaner you may feel it get 'caught', this simply means you will have to inch it on, but it will be lovely at the end, I promise.

After the knots are good you can shape your noodle any way you want. We had some hearts, but my favorite were these spiral shapes, reminiscent of a set my husband and I bought in Denver years ago. Here's one of the girlies, proud of her ornament!

Cookie Cutter Chirstmas frames

Let's face it, Grandma has everything. At least everything your seven year old can afford. The only thing she wants, the same thing every year, pictures. Pictures. This magically instant way to connect with those she loves so much; but have little time for her. It's OK, she understands, she was younger before she was older.
So, let's do something special this year, and make some uber-cheap, child skill-level perfect presents. This actually means easy enough for us; because, let's face it, these kids can figure anything out.
Get some 'spare' pics, or print some special. Buy a pack of cookie cutters at your local dollar store. Trace around the pics, then cut inside that trace about an eight to a quarter of an inch inside. This will eliminate the line you drew and make up for the 'wall' of the frame. Once trimmed, place inside and press the picture against the front of the cutter. gently work the picture up against the wall anywhere it might still be a little too large.
Using a high heat glue gun- parents do this part- trace the edges to seal in the picture. Poke a hole in the top and run twine, string, or ribbon to hang from your tree. You can even plan on using ones that are self standing to decorate your desk at work! Add flowers, glitter, tiny pine cones, whatever makes it especially perfect for your recipient.
If using older ornaments, you can spray a nice sanitary layer with spray paint, we're not eating off of these, but we could also hope not to get tetanus. Have fun and add as much fru-fru as you and your kiddos like, Grandma loves glitter!

Important Product Notice/Review

Ok, I know there are people out there with more money than sense. They are the target audience for 'gimmicks'. I love to be a (self appointed) gimmick tester. So yeah, I've tried Slow Cooker Liners. They are great. But I have more time than I have money, which are both pretty low. So I have dreamt of them each time I clean out the crock pot. Telling myself, next time you need to remember they're worth it.
And this affects what I might cook. I think, did I buy those bags? Never mind, we don't want homemade beans. Because I am a Mom, and I am already thinking about clean up before the meal is made.
Perusing the Dollar Tree, looking at Thanksgiving type items I saw the oven bags were out. And I thought, 'Hmmm..... A crock pot is like a tiny oven.' Opting for the four pack, as opposed to the one piece extra large, I figured, I have several size crock pots so whatever one it works in.
Of course I checked in in my most often used large oval crock pot first. I scrunched the sides like you're putting on pantyhose then pushed the sides to fill the space. It was almost as big!
I have since cooked a ham bone with beans and sweet and sour pork, with more plans on crock pot meals. I place my ingredients in, shake it so there is a top, twist and fold it over.
Ham bone soup:
Ham bone, hopefully with some meat on it
Bag of great northern beans, rinsed
a tsp each of salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes
Five bay leaves.
Fill water to to proper level on crock pot. Cook on High for six hours. Dredge fat and bay leaves off the top. Serve over corn bread or Frito's.
Sweet and sour pork:
Pork
Onion
2  Bell Peppers
Sweet and sour sauce
Can of pineapple chunks
1/4 cider vinegar
Cube pork, rinse and shake in a bag with 2 TBSP flour. (Optional step, grill on high to a nice color on the outside) Chop Onion and Bell Pepper. Throw full can of pineapple, pork, veggies and vinegar into bag. Cook on High four hours.

The season(ing) of gifting

Anyone who knows me knows the importance I place on gift giving, after all, it is my Love Language.
Also, anyone who knows me knows I love food. Seriously. Like to a sinful level. And people like my cooking. They love the Hubs cooking. It's all about flavor. So why not combine the two?
A seasoning shaker is like the gift that keeps on giving. Like four or five or ten meals worth.

To make a few jars of Beef seasoning buy the following ingredients
3 pack of gravy mix
'jars' of  red pepper flakes, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, minced onion, cumin, and pink salt.

Combine the full amount of paprika, garlic powder, minced onion, brown gravy.

All of this goes in.

Next add just two Tablespoons of cumin, pink salt, black pepper. 

2 TBS of these

Finally you will add just two teaspoons of the red pepper flakes.

Just a wee bit o' this one.

The end result is a very lovely rub/seasoning/mix in. 

Wow, look at the texture!

Place the mixture in two to three Parmesan shakers. Cut a tag from some rustic looking paper. Give it a name. Use a coffee filter before screwing on the cap. After screwing on the cap trim the filter to a more appealing length. Tie on the rustic tag with some twine. Voila!

The fully used seasonings account for four dollars. The minuscule amount of other seasonings may equal another dollar. The shakers are one dollar each. So we have seven dollars divided by two here, making each shaker 3.50. The more you make, the more value you get, as the unit cost can go down by shopping elsewhere. This is feasibly enough to fill three jars, increasing the number to eight dollars, but decreasing the cost by dividing it three ways. At two sixty-seven a jar this is a great gift for neighbors, work mates, and pastors!