Asian Sesame Dressing

 Asian Sesame Dressing

3 Tbsp. honey
3 minced garlic cloves
2 inch piece of peeled, minced ginger root
3/4 C. grapeseed oil
1/4 C. rice vinegar
1/3 C. soy sauce
1/4 C. water
1 Tbsp. Sesame oil (more if you like it to have a stronger sesame taste)

Heat about 2 cups of water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Put the honey in the bottom of a mason jar. Put mason jar in the hot water and let the honey melt for a couple of minutes so it mixes easily with the other ingredients. Add the other ingredients to the jar, put on a tight fitting lid and shake well. Store in refrigerator.

Note: I use Organic Shoyu Naturally Brewed soy Sauce. I love grape
seed oil but you can use olive oil. I don't recommend using Canola oil unless you can get some organic. I often use La Tourangelle Organic (USDA Certified) Canola Oil. I love using fresh garlic over the bottled stuff. Tastes waaaay better!

Dress form card

I love paper crafts! Okay, I love all crafts. But right now I am loving card making. I think that if I had every paper pad, every stamp and every color of ink and ribbon that I would still want more! Okay, that might be an exaggeration. But I do love to get my craft on. I found these adorable little stamps last week and knew there would be something fun to make with them. I hate finding cards online that I want to replicate but there is no supply information listed. I want to copy. I don't mind when people  copy projects I have made. I think it is very flattering. I think this card would work as a birthday card, a thank you note or even just a "thinking about you" note. I know that most people just throw cards away when they are finished with them (guilty) but it is just so much dang fun to make them!!

Assorted paper
 *Bottom printed floral layer- cut 1 piece 3 3/4 x 5 1/8
* Top printed layer- cut 1 piece 3 1/2 x 4 3/4

The tag is a pre made tag that I bought but you can make your own by cutting your paper 1 1/2 x 2 1/2 and hole punching the top.

The cards are Recollections premade cards from Michaels

TPC Studio Vintage Threads Stamps from Joann
Black ink for stamping the images
Brown ink for antiquing the edges

5/8" cream ribbon
Pearl Flat backs x3
Scissors button from Hillcreek Designs (as shown on the green card)
Permanent fine tip marker to add stitching around the edge of the top layer

Almond Milk- So easy to make! It's nuts!!

I love almond milk! I don't feel guilty pouring it on my cereal or using it in my smoothies like I did cow's milk. I am shocked at how easy it is to make! I was a little intimidated at first but once I got my nut bag (insert giggles here) and got a good recipe I was on my way! I found an organic, GMO free bag for just over $10.00. Go to http://ecopeaceful.com for ordering information. I  had read on some blogs where people were suggesting using paint bags from the home improvement store but then I learned that they may not be safe. I am not taking any chances when it comes to my family. I have used the bag twice now and it works great! The lady who makes the bags even sends a recipe with the bag. I have not tried the recipe yet but as soon as I get some vanilla bean I am going to. For now we are just using the plain almond milk- and loving it!

Almond Milk
1 C. whole, raw almonds
3 C. water

Put almonds in a bowl and add just enough water to cover them. Let them soak for no less than 6 hours. Drain the water. Put the almonds + 3 cups of water into your blender and blend well.  Run the mixture through your nut bag white it is resting inside a large bowl or a pitcher. Hold the bag up and squeeze all the milk out. Once you have gotten all the milk out of the bag put it in an airtight container in the refrigerator where it will remain fresh for about 3 days. Dump the almond meal out onto a baking sheet and put it in the oven to dry it out. Once it is dry run it through the food processor or blender, put in an airtight container and use it to replace 1/4 of the flour in baked goods. This yields 3 cups of almond milk and 1 cup of almond meal.

Soak the almonds in water.

Put them in the blender and blend well.

Run the mixture through the nut bag.

Squeeze the milk from the bag.

Store in container in fridge.

Dry the almond meal in the oven.

 

Apple Crisp Mini Desserts- Lightened

Oh my yumminess! Today I made a little after school snack for the kids and they were a big hit! I wanted to have a little something for them (okay, and me) without risking binging on leftovers so I made individual apple crisps in ramekins. They turned out so amazing! I used a little bit of coconut oil on the top of them after I drizzled some melted butter on. I wanted to cut the dairy in this recipe to almost nothing. It worked great! Who says Apple Crisp is for Fall? Not me!!

Apple Crisp Mini Desserts

3 small apples ( I used organic Galas)
2 tsp. orange zest
2-3 Tbsp. orange juice
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. sugar ( I used organic sugar, next time I will try honey)

Peel the apples then dice them into smaller bite sized pieces so they fit nicely in the ramekins. In a small bowl mix together the apples, orange zest, orange juice, cinnamon and sugar. Mix well and divide evenly between 3 ramekins.

1/4 C. oats
1/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
A pinch of sea salt
3 Tbsp. chopped pecans
2 Tbsp. butter- melted (organic for me)
3 tsp. coconut oil (optional)
3 Tbsp. chopped pecans

In a small bowl mix the oats, flour, sugar, sea salt and pecans. Mix well. Pour over the 3 ramekins with the apples. Drizzle the melted butter over the ramekins. If you are using coconut oil put 1 tsp. of oil on the top of each dessert. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Whole Wheat Bread Recipe

Who doesn't love bread? It is a staple at our house. I love how it smells. Love how it tastes and I love a pretty loaf of bread. It has just enough honey to make it a little bit sweet. I use Montana hard white wheat and grind my own flour and do a big enough batch to make several loaves of bread. I freeze what flour I don't use immediately as I feel it helps retain more of the nutrients than leaving it at room temperature. Since I am no longer using Canola Oil (because it is genetically modified)  I have started using olive oil in my pan and then dusting it liberally with flour. This works so well in my stainless steel pans. and it gives the lower crust a really yummy taste and texture. This makes good sandwich bread and keeps for a few days in an airtight container. It took me a while to master bread making and I am so, so glad I didn't give up!!! I had many loaves that resembled bricks and some that had deflated centers but I was determined to get a good one. Yay for bread!!

Whole Wheat Bread

1 1/4 . Warm water
2 1/2  tsp. Yeast
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. Honey ( I use raw)
1 tsp. Sea Salt
1 Tbsp. Vital Gluten (heaping Tbsp.)
3 C. Whole wheat flour (approx)

Put warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer and add the yeast. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until the granules are mostly gone and the yeast is activated. Add honey, salt, olive oil, vital gluten and about 2 1/2 C. of flour. Mix well until the flour is mostly incorporated. Add more flour a little at a time until your dough is smooth and elastic. You don't want it sticky but you also don't want it to be too dry. Remove from mixer bowl and add to a bowl that has been drizzled with olive oil. Turn to coat the top and put a piece of plastic wrap loosely over the bowl. Let rest about half an hour or until almost doubled in size. Remove from bowl and shape into a loaf. Add to bread pan that has been sprayed with olive oil and dusted with flour. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest until it is about 1 1/2  inches higher than the top of the pan. Preheat your oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes at 375 degrees. I bake mine on the middle rack for about 20-22 minutes then move it to the bottom rack and bake for another 5 minutes.  Remove from pan immediately and cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!!

Chocolate Oat Drop Cookies- vegan

I am finding myself having to make more treats than usual. The kids come home from school hungry and since most of the organic and healthier treats/snacks available at the grocery store are expensive and not very filling I am having to make them. I have one kid who hates coconut and one who is allergic to peanut butter so my previous post with the recipe to the chocolate coconut cookies won't work for the picky eater. I took the coconut recipe and added oats rather than dried coconut and increased the amount of cocoa powder. They are delightful! I still want to make some with peanut butter as I love peanut butter but I will have to save that for a day when my peanut allergic kid is not going to be home. At least with these I know exactly what is going into our bodies. And the ingredients are all healthy!

Chocolate Oat Drops

1/3 C. honey ( I prefer raw)
2 Tbsp. Cocoa Powder- unsweetened
1/3 C. Coconut Oil
1/3 C. Almond butter (homemade is best)
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
2 C. Oats

Put the honey, cocoa and coconut oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add almond butter and vanilla. Stir until incorporated. Add the oats and mix well. Drop by spoonful onto a piece of parchment paper or waxed paper. I use my mini ice cream scoop and it makes such pretty cookies!

Refried beans- made healthier

We are back on track with our eating. Finally! I am trying to get all the GMO's out of my house and it is hard work! I have spent a lot of time researching them lately and have been quite disturbed by what I have learned. I have been replacing everything I can with organic or non GMO versions. Today I pretty much spent all day in the kitchen. I made bread, brownies and tortillas using whole wheat flour, made my first refried beans and solid perfume. I will post the recipe for the beans below. And when I get more essential oils I will post recipes for perfume. The kids are doing pretty good with the changes but the hubby came home with an angel food cake for himself last night. Is that even food? Lol! I have felt great since we started eating clean again. I am going to limit my poultry and shrimp intake to special occasions. It has been over a year now since I quit beef and pork and I was considering going back to it for a while. I am so glad I didn't. I just read that a lot of meat contains parasites.Um, no thank you!! I have switched over to Almond milk and as soon as I buy a nut bag (man that sounds so wrong!) I am going to start making the milk. I love how it feels to feed my kids foods that are not genetically modified or that are organic. I hope they know that I am doing this because I love them and that they don't think of me as some crazy, tree hugging hippie!

Refried Beans
3 Cans of organic Black Beans -drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 head of garlic- roasted and mashed (see below for roasting instructions)
3 Tbsp. Water
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
Salt to taste

In a mixing bowl mash beans with a potato masher until you get a mixture of creamy beans with chunks in it. Add olive oil, garlic, water and cumin. Mix well. Add salt a pinch at a time to desired taste. Mix and cook on low heat for about 10-15 minutes. Serve.

Roasted Garlic
Cut the top of the garlic off (about 1/2 of an inch from the top). Peel almost all of the skin off. Place in garlic roaster or a baking dish and drizzle with olive or grape seed oil. Cover and roast in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Once cooled you can push the garlic out and chop or mash it. If you have never used roasted garlic you are in for a treat. Roasting takes the kick out of it making it smooth and delicious! Yum!

Re-purposed soap

Today I decided to try my hand at re purposing soap. I am becoming increasingly more uncomfortable with the amount of chemicals used in the products I have in my home and in an attempt to get a little greener I have made some pretty big changes. First I bought a book of recipes for all natural cleaners. I have made glass cleaner and spray cleaner and am anxiously awaiting the ice cream bucket in my freezer so I can make laundry soap. I started using Castile soap to wash my hair (it works so good!) and bought a safer conditioner. I ordered 20 bars of Kirk's Castile unscented soap off the Internet and today I took some of the bars, chopped them into fine pieces and put them in the crock pot with some water and made my own liquid hand soap and then made some homemade bar soap. I scented one container of the hand soap with almond essential oil and the other with bergamot. This stuff works great!! It is vegetable based rather than petroleum based so it is much safer. I added some comfrey root to my white soap shavings once they had started to melt to give the soap a beautiful, earthy brown color and I am very satisfied with the visual outcome. I just hope it works well. I added almond essential oil once it had cooled a bit and it smells amazing!! I made a soap box mold and poured the soap in and now it is in my garage setting up.  Where it is probably 35 degrees!  If the soap turns out I will probably make some for gifts. It was a very productive day! No more buying Castile soap- from now on I am making it!!

Pumpkin Oatmeal

Good morning! Today I was feeling like some oatmeal for breakfast. I have left over pumpkin and decided to make some pumpkin oatmeal. It was delicious! I could eat this every morning. It was so simple to make. I bought a mini crock pot for under $12.00 and decided to dump my ingredients into it, plug it in and let it cook until I could no longer stand it. I originally bought the crock to heat left over soup for my lunches in. Truth be told- I also bought it to melt chocolate so we could do some dipping. Naughty! I used it to make body butter the other day and it worked perfectly. I think I might love this crock!! I will post the recipe for the oatmeal today and a photo tomorrow. I kind of ate all of the oatmeal already. No time for pictures when you are starving! Lol!!

Pumpkin Oatmeal

1/3 C. rolled oats

1  C. water

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/3 C. pumpkin

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

Pinch of sea salt

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ginger

1/8th tsp. nutmeg

pecans

Craisins

Put all ingredients, except the pecans and Craisins, in mini crock pot (or in a saucepan on stove top on low heat) and cook until thickened. Mine took about an hour and a half to reach desired consistency. Once finished add some pecans, a sprinkle of brown sugar and some Craisins. Yum!!

Pumpkin Cheesecake- minis

I ran out of pumpkin puree (say what?) and had to use some pumpkin pie mix for these tasty little desserts. I didn't think the hubby would even give them a try but he did and he LOVED them! Enough so that he told his work buddies about them and now they want him to bring some in. (Yeah right, they are totally not going to last that long!) I adore these little mini graham cracker crusts as it is easy to control portions with them. Try em, you'll like em! Maybe even love em!

Pumpkin Cheesecake- Minis

1 package mini graham cracker crusts

1& 1/2 Tbsp flour
4 ounces  Neufchatel cream cheese (softened)
2 tsp. milk
1 large egg
1 C. of Easy Pumpkin Pie mix

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl beat the cream cheese and flour. Add remaining ingredients and beat on medium speed until smooth. Spoon into mini crusts. I had leftovers which I cooked in a ramekin. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Chill 2-3 hours before eating. Enjoy with some whipped topping.

Pumpkin Squares= Love!!

I love pumpkin! Especially this time of the year. I never get tired of it. I took a recipe I liked and reduced the sugar and I really like how it turned out. Thought I would share.

Pumpkin Squares

Crust:
1 C. flour
1/2 C. quick oats
1/3 C. packed brown sugar
1/2 C. butter (softened)

Filling:
1- 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree
1- 12 ounce can evaporated milk
1/2 C. sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground giner
1/4 tsp ground cloves

Beat the flour, oats, brown sugar and butter in bowl until crumbly. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 pan. Bake at350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Mix all of the filling ingredients in a mixer bowl and pour over crust. Bake for an additional 20 minutes. or until a knife comes out clean. Let cool and cut into squares. Top with whipped topping and sprinkle with nutmeg.

Danish Christmas Crafts!

                       Scandinavian Christmas garland

                 This cute little mouse came from a
                 book called "Scandinavian Crafts".

 Copycat version of a Danish Nisse doll. I  made enough for myself and kids and will never make them again. Can you say TIME CONSUMING!!  Lol!!

 Vintage Danish Nisse elves my cousin's lovely wife brought me from Denmark this summer.

 

 Scandinavian inspired tree. I love the red and white. It's lovely!

Danish flag garland I purchased in Solvang this summer. I wasn't sure I was going to use it on my tree but I love how it looks.


I finally got all of my Danish crafts for my room finished. And just in time! I know it is early but we wanted to have all of our Christmas up before Thanksgiving. And, I finally talked the hubby into hooking up the new computer. Yeah- someone wants to golf tomorrow! Ha ha!! Now I can blog my little heart out AND add pictures. It was so much fun to make these Danish inspired decorations. I made Nisse dolls for the girls in my family, Danish coronets, crocheted hearts, a garland, some stockings, and some kissing balls (not exactly Danish, but red and white- so yay!!). I loved making the garland. I got the pattern for the heart, Dala horse, and mitten off of the Internet and the rest came out of a couple of Danish craft books I have. I have a few more things I want to add so I am heading to Ikea this week. I need marzipan and glogg too. Oh how I love this time of year! Glædelig jul!

Yamaha g231

Last week I picked up a Crosley record player and I am in love! I love the sound of vinyl records. I grew up on them. I remember my dad turning out the lights in the living room at the end of the day and turning on some accent lighting. He would put on a record- usually  Marty Robbins- and we would sit and listen for what seemed like hours. I have such a deep appreciation for music and it is such a huge part of my life. I have been to the thrift on the hunt for Christmas albums, numerous times, since I bought my new player, and I have scored some amazing music! Some of my records are warped and they all need a good cleaning so I need to doctor them up a bit, but so far they have been so much fun to sit and listen to. It is totally not too early for Christmas music! Speaking of music- this month marks my 25th wedding anniversary. I can hardly believe my husband and I have been married that long. For our anniversary we built our sofa table AND I got a new/old classical guitar. I have been looking for a vintage Yamaha g235 classical for a while now. I wasn't able to find one but I did find a g231 I just had to have. I got it yesterday and I have not wanted to put it down. It sounds amazing!! And looking at it you would never guess that it is between 32-35 years old. I ordered some new guitar books for Christmas and have been picking some new songs for the holidays. My hubby keeps joking that I need to either get a job or volunteer somewhere so I have something to do (besides shop for guitars and crafts) during the day when the kids are at school. I am perfectly content to stay home,  play the guitar and create! My home is my safe haven from the world. Why would I want to leave it? Okay, it did get me thinking that maybe I should volunteer at the senior center or something, so I am checking into it. We shall see what happens.

Snow!!

Halloween? Christmas? I am so confused! Yesterday we got some great snow here in Utah. A week before Halloween is not too early for us to get some. I spent the day making Danish Nisse dolls and watching Christmas movies. It was great!! I made some yummy Pumpkin bars with an oat crust as a treat for my hubby. He really likes pumpkin pie but I didn't have time to make any. These are a good alternative. If my hundred year old laptop was allowing me to upload photos I would post the recipe. Hopefully this weekend we will have our new computer up and running. I am so excited to be able to post photos of the Nisse elves I have been making for my kids for Christmas. It has been a huge labor of love but it has saved me hundreds of dollars. Did I mention I love my new craft room?  It is a good place to spend my free time. I have somehow been able to balance everything this week and have practiced guitar almost every day, kept my house clean and been able to work on crafts. This almost never happens. I love it as I don't feel guilty at then end of the day when I have neglected everything else. 5 more days until Halloween. Yay!!

Easy Christmas gifts- bath salts!

I love making gifts for family and friends. And the easier the better! When you have a lot of people in your life you have to keep it simple. I am a very simple gal. If I can make something rather than buy it I will. I have started making my own lip balm and bath salts, thanks to my sister. Sea salt in bulk is really cheap and essential oils can be purchased on Ebay or at your local health food store. Some of the oils are really reasonable. I like the Ball canning jars that are called "Quilted" for my salts. They are super pretty and take under a lb. of salt per jar. I like to tie a tag with the scent of the salt and instructions on how to use it onto my jar with some ribbon. I can't wait to make some holiday salts!

Instructions:
Fill your jar half full of sea salt. Add 3-4 drops of essential oil to the jar. Put the lid on and shake well. Fill the rest of the jar with salt, leaving about an inch of room at the top, and shake well. Add some ribbon or jute to the lid. Now you are ready to share! Some of my favorite scents are:

Coconut lime (2 drops each of coconut and lime)
Almond
Citrus (2 drops each of lemon, lime and sweet orange)
Lemon Lavender (2 drops each of lemon and lavender)

I am doing pine + peppermint for the holidays.

I survived Disneyland!

Mission Beach- gorgeous!

Solvang- Santa Ynez Valley, CA 

Parade at California Adventure

 

Santa Barbara- my new favorite place!

 

What a busy week it has been! We took off for a 6 day trip to California last week and crammed as much into it as we could. A day at Disney and a day at California Adventure IS enough. Everyone told us we could not do both parks in 2 days but we did! By the end of the 2 days though we were exhausted. We drove up the coast of Santa Barbara to stay the night in Solvang and although I wasn't really feeling Solvang (kind of hard to get excited about Little Denmark when you have been to Big Denmark- lol!) I did love the drive up. It was so incredibly beautiful! It is my new favorite place in California. I am eagerly waiting for my photo enlargements so I can frame some. We spent a day in San Diego and met an old friend for lunch and went to the beach. We didn't have nearly enough time there. We wanted to take to kids to see the air craft carriers and the bases Nathan was stationed at but we ran out of time. I was so excited to be able to get some photos of the San Diego temple but of course it was closed for cleaning. The photos I was able to get through the gate did not turn out as well as I had hoped. 6 days and 2000 miles later and this mom is glad to be home!!

Danish Christmas Coronets

                             Finished coronet

I have wanted to make some Danish Christmas coronets like the ones my dad's family in Denmark sent him many, many years ago. I could not find a pattern I liked and was wondering what I was going to do. Then a week ago I found 2 of them that my parents gave me for my Christmas tree when I was just starting out. I decided to carefully take one apart, make a template and then sew it back together. I am so glad I did! I used some of the wonderful fabric my cousin's wife brought over from Denmark last week and started making some of my own. They were so simple and fun to make! A little bit of fabric, matching thread, interfacing and some bias tape and viola! Christmas Coronets for my tree!! Did I mention they are super cheap to make too?

Christmas ornaments

I have really gotten a jump start on my Christmas crafts this year. My dad's family from Denmark came to visit this week and brought me some fabulous fabric. I love the authentic Scandinavian textiles. I decorate my room at Christmas and this year I decided to go traditional Danish decor. I can't bare to buy any ornaments for my room as I know I can make them all myself at a fraction of the cost. AND it will give me fun stuff to work on in my new craft room. Yaaaaaaaay! I used scraps of Osnaburg to make stockings that I layered with cotton batting. The image is painted onto the stocking using acrylic paint that has been mixed with fabric extender. I got the image off of my die cutting machine. I added a jute hanger and then zigzagged the layers together. I love the simplicity of these stockings. One of the things that I admire about the Scandinavians is that they really like clean lines and soft color. They like to decorate for Christmas using items from nature. With textiles that are organic and natural. Painted tree branches, wood ornaments, fabric coronets, woven paper hearts, etc. I am really excited to incorporate this look into my home this Christmas and can't wait to get more fabric from my cousins in Denmark! Farvel til nu!  (Goodbye for now!)

Ready for Fall!

      Duck Cloth Pilllow with wood buttons

                                                

                                                                                                                     Ruffled pillow

Osnaburg "Autumn" pillow painted with acrylic paint using an image from the "Stretch Your imagination" cartridge.

Fall is coming!  You can feel it and smell it in the air. Today I cracked open my first can of pumpkin for the season and it smelled amazing!! It is getting cold at night and the grass is kissed with frost when we wake up. And you know what? I LOVE IT!! I made some fun pillows for my room this week. I bought 1/2 yard pieces of cotton prints from Joann and whipped these up. I think the most expensive one was the brown duck cloth pillow and that is only because I put wood buttons on it. I already had the fabric leftover from another project from years ago. The fabric for the other pillows was under $2.00 a piece. Today we put all of our Fall/Halloween up and made pumpkin cookies. Yum!  I made tomato basil soup which I lightened. When it was finished cooking I poured it into my cute pumpkin shaped tureen to serve. I cut the fat in this soup by about half and it was still delicious! I served it with mini ciabatta rolls with toasted cheese. What's not to love? Cream, butter, cheese, bread and tomatoes. Heck yeah!!

Tomato Basil Soup- Lightened
2 cans (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
2 cans (14.5 oz.) vegetable broth (or chicken broth for my carnivorous friends)
1 C. heavy cream
1 C. 1% milk
1/4 C. butter
2 Tbsp. dried basil
Combine tomatoes and veggie broth in medium saucepan. Bring to boil and simmer a few minutes. Add butter and melt. Add cream, milk and basil. Stir well and let simmer about 5-10 minutes. Carefully pour into a blender and puree. Return to pan or put in a tureen and serve with bread or crackers.

Panited Christmas pillow.

I know- 2 days ago I posted a Halloween project I had just finished and now I am posting a Christmas one. Sick! I saw a pillow just like this one on Pinterest and fell in love. It is from Pottery Barn from 2009. I knew I had a Cricut cartridge (Christmas Noel) with this image on it and decided to try my hand at replicating it. It was a little bit tricky but I am so glad I tried it. I used Osnaburg fabric I bought at Hobby Lobby  (regular price-$3.99 a yard, price with 40% off coupon- $2.40) I found jingle bells to match my red paint at Michaels and sewed them onto the corners with Linen thread. I used red acrylic paint for the image but didn't have any fabric extender so it took a while longer to get the image filled in. I love painting on fabric but I have to admit that I hold my breath every time I peel my vinyl off in hopes that I have not bled. I think my whole pillow probably cost me under $2.00 to make. Now if I can just find some large red and white checked fabric to make a companion pillow

Itchin to bewitchin!

  

                                                                
I know that it is just barely September but I am itchin to bewitchin! I wanted to do some towels to give as gifts this Fall and decided to use some Osnaburg fabric, scraps of Halloween print and some of my Cricut cartridges to make a stencil. I love how they turned out. I also tried doing one with Citrasolv (okay I did 2 but I messed one up- transfer to Osnaburg BEFORE spending the time making a towel) but I think I prefer the boldness of the painted images. I cut out my images on my Cricut using vinyl and threw away the actual image. I used the outline to create a stencil. I stuck that onto my Osnaburg and used black acrylic paint with a little bit of fabric extender in it. I used a sponge brush and dabbed it on. So simple! And really inexpensive. I think the funnest part was being able to do this project in my new craft room. I think I may be in love with my new room. I will save that for another post.

Danish Nisse doll

Ooooh, frustration! I am on the hunt for Danish Nisse dolls and I keep coming up empty handed. Unless I want to pay about $90.00 a doll. I really want each of my kids to have one but would never pay that kind of money for some fabric and poly-fil. Lol! I am almost desperate enough to only buy one, pick the darn thing apart and use the pieces as a pattern and make my own for them. I can not find a pattern online anywhere, and have only been able to find 1 store that carries the super cute ones, and it is in Denmark! I know it is only August but I am an early bird and do think about these things (obsessively) months in advance. I am not the kind of person who gives up very easily either. What to do, what to do??

Christmas kissing balls

 I am planning on adding a bow before I put these on my tree. The punch comes in a few different sizes. I bought the medium one and found medium sized balls. Small won't work as the pins will be too long and will poke through the opposite side.

I love these kissing balls! I saw some on a website and I just had to borrow! They are so easy to make. I used paper I already had, ordered red corsage pins for a great price on Ebay, had the red ribbon on hand  and found the balls at Michaels for under $5.00. After using a coupon they ended up being around $3.00 for a package of 6. I found the punch at my local Benion Crafts store and used a coupon on it as well. They are also available at Amazon. I will include the link. I am going to put these on my Master bedroom Danish themed tree this Christmas. I think I am going to decorate it exclusively with handmade ornaments. I am going to try making Danish coronet ornaments next.  I am having so much fun with the crafts right now!!

Instructions:

The balls I found have a hole in the center of one side. I use this hole to hot glue my ribbon hanger into. Cut enough flowers to fill a sandwich bag as you are going to use 2 flowers per pin. I start pinning in the center where the line is and pin all the way around the center until I have covered the line. Then I continue on underneath that row until I reach the bottom. Then I start the row above the center line and work the rows up until I have covered the entire ball. How easy is that? Way!

Ek Success daisy paper punch- medium

http://www.amazon.com/EK-Success-Paper-Shapers-Medium/dp/B000MATGLC/ref=sr_1_15?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1344189970&sr=1-15&keywords=ek+success+flower+punch

Scandinavian crocheted hearts- so fun to make!

 Scandinavian crocheted heart. Quick and easy to make. I am so glad I found the website with easy to follow instructions.

I am having so much fun making Christmas ornaments! I know it is only August but if you are a crafter you know that you have to start early. I grew up in a home with a Danish father and every year at Christmas we would get several large packages full of the most delicious treats from his family in Denmark. Anthonberg marzipan, nougat, black licorice (the salty kind- sweet is for wimps) chocolate frogs, etc. And there was always homemade crafted items in the packages. My favorite was the red, crocheted hearts that we would hang on the tree every year. I loved, but never fully appreciated, my Danish heritage until I grew up. Now that most of my dad's family has passed away I am really feeling the need to cling to the traditions he brought over from Denmark with him. Those Danes sure know how to party! They start on Christmas Eve and go until the new year. Traditionally they eat roasted pork or duck with gravy, glazed new potatoes, red cabbage (yuck!), sweet pickled cucumbers and the most delicious rice pudding flavored with sherry. There is a whole almond hidden in one dish of pudding and whoever is lucky enough to get it is given a marzipan pig. YUM!! Candles are lit on REAL Christmas trees. My dad tells stories of dancing around the Christmas tree singing carols when he was little. Our favorite Christmas story is "The Little Matchgirl" by Hans Christian Anderson. I read it every year to my kids. We never get tired of it. I searched high and low for a pattern for these Scandinavian hearts and found one that I think has the easiest instructions and pictures. I used Patons Grace yarn in Cardinal red for my hearts. It's 100% cotton and has a nice shine to it. It is really easy to work with as it is not too thin. I am getting about 10 hearts out of a skein of yarn.  I'm surprised at how quickly the hearts whip up. The best place I found to buy the yarn is Joann.com. None of my local craft stores carries the Cardinal. I will post a link to the yarn and a link to the instructions. Is it Christmas yet? Lol!!

http://byteresa.com/CrochetHeart.pdf

http://www.joann.com/patons-grace-yarn/prd24736/

It has been such a busy past couple of months! With my second daughter's upcoming nuptials and my son leaving for his mission I have not had the time to update. I have once again been neglecting taking care of myself. I started back on sugar and had a heck of a time getting back off but I am happy to report that I am back on the wagon. Yeehaw!! I decided I needed to really change my eating habits. Why is it that mine are constantly evolving? Although I loved how I felt when I was eating basically whole foods I realized I can't live that way.  I can't spend hours a day in my kitchen preparing fresh fruit and veggies and that going off of white flour and rice is not really very realistic. Especially since I have young kids still. So, I am still going to keep sugar out of my diet unless it is a very special occasion (like a wedding). Wow, I already know when my next score will be. Once an addict, always an addict. Lol!! And I am still eating a plant based diet. I will continue to juice but know that I don't have time every day. I will bake bread when my schedule permits and I will try to eat as healthy as I can given my circumstances. I know this can work as it has for me in the past and my mom started doing this about 2 months ago and has lost over 22 lbs. I am so proud of her. I don't think she has been this weight in years. Maye even a decade or so. As for my blog- I noticed when I was being so strict with food that it left very little time for the things I love. I lost the desire to craft and I didn't pick up my guitar as much. I felt great but I was missing out on the things I love to do. Now I am going to use my blog to share all of the things I am passionate about. Music, crafts, eating healthy, entertaining, etc. I am going to kick it off with photos of my new room! I wish I had before and after photos but I neglected to take any before I pulled all of the red and gold. It was really pretty but I was ready for a change. Hubby and I did all of the work in about 2 weeks (My dad helped get the bead board hung) . It was crazy, busy but I am so thrilled with it.  I think I will keep it all!

Bedroom remodel.

I love my new room! I went from red and gold bedding and decor to white and linen. (Shh, I used Osnaburg fabric. Aka- poor man's linen).  I made pillow cases, throw pillows and runners out of it. Regular price is $3.99 a yard at Hobby Lobby but you can use a 40% off coupon. This stuff is awesome! We added bead board panelling to the main wall and painted it white. The whole room got a new coat of light tan paint. Who doesn't love a little face lift? And I added splashes of soft pink for some color.

 I love how the pink looks with the white and Linen (wink, wink) but I limited how much I added to the room.

 I copied this pillow from a few sources. It is Pottery Barn inspired with button loops and leather buttons. I already had the pillow form so this pillow cost me under $5.00 to make. The most expensive supply was the buttons.

 I am really captivated with this whole Citrasolv transfer business! It was super easy to do. I didn't have a pillow form so I used some good old Poly-fil. I am guessing this pillow cost me around $2.00 to make. For real! I got the image at www.graphicsfary.blogspot.com The Citrasolv at www.vitacoast.com for around $10.00. That included the shipping. If you haven't seen this stuff in action check it out on YouTube.

 In case you hadn't caught on yet I am really into the whole French look. I found this label here. http://scrapforjoy.blogspot.com/2012/05/say-it-with-lettersthe-ooh-la-la.html I printed it out on some 8x10 card stock and used some Mod Podge to stick it to the bottle. The bottle is an empty wine bottle I scored last Fall from The Olive Garden (They give away empties) and I had the jute and ribbon already. So basically this project cost me the ink in my printer.

My hubby cut the wood for this tray and I painted it with the same latex paint I used on my bead board. We used Gorilla wood glue to hold it together rather than nails. I sanded it to make it look a little rustic and added some drawer pulls from Lowe's. I didn't screw them into the wood as I didn't want to see the silver screws on the inside of the tray. I used some adhesive and glued them on instead. It is kind of supposed to be a magazine tray but I thought it would be great as a perfume tray. I am mean and banned my cute dog from my bed and told the kids they could no longer hang out in my room and watch tv. Red hides a lot but white is so unforgiving. I actually love that this is my sanctuary that I don't have to share anymore. I still let the kids climb in bed with me and watch tv sometimes but I have TAKEN BACK my room and I love it!!