Summertime Spruce Up

Out with spring, in with summer!  It's hot, hot, hot and my spring time wreath told me so.  It couldn't handle the heat and bugs any longer.  I felt it's pain and updated it with summer time flowers, and ribbon.  Since yellow is the "in color" for fashion this summer I decided my wreath needed a little style too. 

What I mean by updating my wreath is that I use the same grape vine wreath and switch out the flowers every season.  Hince why it's easy to change it out....it does not cost much.  For these flowers and ribbon it was around $9.00.  Any easy and cheap spruce up huh?

Corn Hole Bags

Last Friday afternoon I overheard Phil and his friend, Travis discussing bean bags for the game corn hole.  They kept debating about what to do and a light flipped on in this pea sized brain of mine and said ahh ha you can make them some bags.  I just so happened to have scraps of FSU and Miami fabric and whipped them up some bags to play with just in time for their tail gate. 

If ever you need to make them cut 2 squares that are 7x7 and sew them right sides together.  Fill them with dried corn or beans and sew them up.  Super easy, Phil even made one! The different teamed fabric made their game a little interesting I think. 

Which Tutorial to Feature?

Several people have contacted me asking me to give them instructions on how to make certain projects that I have done.  I have since created a poll on the right hand side of the screen for people to log on and vote to decided which tutorial I will post.  I know some of you have asked me for directions on how to do a couple projects however, I would like to keep some as a secret.  Feel free to use my ideas and try to figure out on your own how to do them though!  As always if you have questions or are stuck I will be glad to help you. 

The poll is open from today until May 20th.  You can vote as many times as you would like.  Simply select which tutorial to feature and next week we will find out the results.

Happy early polling!

Triple the Love

If you need a chocolate fix these cookies will sure satisfy it.  My parents went to San Fransisco last week and brought me back a Triple Chocolate Chip Mix. 

 After eating a salad last night, Phil asked me to bake the cookies for him.  I gave in and made them and I think I found my new favorite cookie.  It is basically a cookie mix with milk, dark, and white chocolate chips.  Indulge and make these scrumptious things....

If your not in San Fransisco to buy the mix below is the recipe:

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups stick butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips 1
1/2 cups dark chocolate chips

Directions

Mix softened butter with sugars and beat for several minutes, until mixture is creamy. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat for one minute, or until eggs dissolve into butter mixture.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Add butter mixture, stirring well. Add chocolate chips. Refrigerate cookie dough for two hours or until firm.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Drop by two tablespoonfuls of dough, spaced 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned and puffed up.

The secret to baking a perfect cookie (that even my mother does not understand) is to pull the cookies out when the middle still looks a little un-done.  When you take your cookies out to cool for a bit the cookies are still baking because the cookie sheet is so hot.  If you take them out of the oven when they look too done they continue to harden and over bake on the cookie sheet.  Let them cool on the cookie sheet for a minute or two and then slide them onto a paper towel or cooling rack to properly cool.

Sending out a Message

When I posted sometime last week I mentioned that there were several celebrations around the corner that needed my gifting attention.  Two of my cousins are graduating this month.  As I reflected upon what I got for graduation I tried to really like about what was my favorite gift.  Well, I had a many favorites but what stuck out most were things I have since used.  As these two cousins are moving out this fall I thought it would be perfect to make them something for their apartments and this is what I came up with...

Picture Frame Dry Erase Board

When I was in college I used a dry erase board in my bedroom a lot.  Not really school related, mind you but it was a funny way for at the time my friends and I to communicate.  They would come into my room and write me a funny message.  Most of the time they consisted of funny things like "silly hefer" or inside jokes.  It made for a good laugh...which is what I wanted to pass on to these girls.  Hopefully they will love them and also crossing my fingers that they match their room decor. 

The green and white damask print is for my cousin, Abigail.  The other frame to the right is for my cousin, Tori.  Tori's is a more retro print that I think she will really like.  To the right of hers is my Moms which has a leopard print.  I was thinking she could put it in her office or at home by her calendar.  All of these gifts are not gifted until tomorrow and Sunday...so really hoping the homies won't look at my blog until Monday.  I have been dying to post these little gems. 

I am going tonight to buy them a set of dry erase markers to include also.  Will let you all know what they think of their little boards.  I think I will write them a funny message to keep the tradition going :)

This little package is for my grandmother....what do you think is inside?

Mom's leopard dry erase board...(please act surprised if you read this post before Mother's Day)

This is a fabric flower arrangement also for another lucky lady. I made this with scrap fabric laying around my craft room...out of boredom :)

Happy Mother's Day, Moms!

I Can See Clearly Now

Sunglasses Pouches

I know I am biased...but aren't these little precious things cute?  These little numbers are perfect or any pair of glasses that you own. As you can see I even made a Miami Dolphins one for Phil's sunglasses and he loved it!  All of the Mother's this year are getting one... (let's hope they don't look at the post until after Sunday)  Sorry I couldn't wait any longer to post these. 

If you are a beginner these are super easy.  I whipped these up in about 10 minutes.  As I have said before if your interested in how to make something let me know and I will post a tutorial. 

Update on the Produce

I updated a while back on the plants.  However, since the last update they have grown in size!  Our peppers were due to be ready on Cinco de Mayo (funny, huh) but they aren't quite ready yet.  They are looking pretty healthy though....

We now have a couple tomatoes budding too...I can't wait for these juicy things to be ready

Our onions are progressing well too...they produced these pretty bulbs

I hated to pick them off but many told us if you don't it will stunt the growth of the onion.  The flowers are a way for them to pollinate and produce more onion. 

The cauliflower has formed a head and doing well so far.  It should only be a couple weeks until it is ready.  Most of our plants are due to be ready now, but are a little behind their estimated time.