my aunt joyce sent me such a cute article, which was in country living magazine.

she knew, i'd jump on this quick craft as soon as i could! and i did.

all you do is........ gather a few clean bottles, bowls, even a lampshade! find interesting

knit sweaters that you no longer need or purchase at a thrift store. plug your hot glue gun in.

then, slide the sleeve of the sweater over the bottle. measure, cut and fold the bottom to

the bottom of the glass... hot glue it into place.

this is how my finished project turned out!

i need to venture out and pick a winter bouquet of dried weeds

to stick in the bottles! i think dried goldenrod should do the trick!

i just love this bowl.

i used an old knit hat from the gap.

i wiggled it on the bowl and made a knit rosette!

and topped it off with a vintage button!

it sits on my coffee table...

holding my rug hook, scissors and sewing odds and ends.

so now, why don't you meander into your closet... pull out that shrunken cotton sweater that you never wear... rinse out a soy sauce bottle

and make a vase!

it's fun.

it's addicting.

it's a fun-addiction!

smile, wink, nod!

H

handmade and homemade!

(letter h)

handmade:

how sweet is this? handy, too!

my cousin knitted this little mini-tote for me for chirstmas!

i love the charm she attached to it. love the colors'.... both my all-time favorite!

homemade:

one of the christmas gifts, i came up with.... for my hard to buy-for mom and her husband, was a "once-a-month" complete dinner. they both work everyday... and i thought not having to think of "what's for dinner?" would be a welcome gift.... once a month. so, today... i will be in the kitchen whipping up a complete dinner, including dessert (which they don't normally do). i can't tell you what it is... because my mom reads my blog and i want it to be a surprise... how about if i tell you tomorrow? smile, wink, nod!

freebie.....

free sample of hand sanitizer from gold bond ultimate and walmart. i love walmart samples! the sign-up is quick and painless and.... walmart samples always arrive! you won't be wasting your time. click here to fill out the form: free sample!

dish!

i thought you'd find this as interesting as i did... i found this beautiful, flawless piece of china at our local goodwill store... $2. i flipped it over and learned that it was a replica of queen mary's china (probably one of many) from 1912-ish. i enjoyed it during the month of december... looking at it on a plate holder, then wrapped it up for a christmas gift for my elegant cousin. who very much appreciated it. can you imagine a whole set of these? smile, wink, nod.

what's in the bag?

for just pennies, last fall i picked up a stack of vintage linens and fabrics. after washing and pressing them and cutting them up... i pulled out my sewing machine and started creating reusable gift bags. on one of the linen's, i cut and pasted some quirky clip art and ran it through the printer. then, i very shabbily sewed the clip art to the linen. below, you'll see a couple of the bags, which i made out of a cross-stitched pillowcase.

now, i betcha you're wondering what's inside those gift bags? well, i'll tell you.... it's "dilly beer bread mix," inside a ziplock bag. i attached a holiday brad to close the bag and printed off the recipe and how-to instructions. the recipients will also get a can of beer to add to the mix.

(below is a snap of the beer bread after it's baked.. i like putting the bread into different sized bowls and baking.)

the mix is super easy to make... just take 3 cups of self-rising flour and 3 Tablespoons sugar. you can add any herb you'd like or none at all. i added dill seed to my mix, because i have tons of it leftover and dried from my garden. i've also had this with basil and parmesan cheese.

this is the recipe i attached. you are more then welcome to use it... just copy and paste and print it off.

dilly beer bread in just 30 minutes!

Spray a bread pan and it’s sides.
Pour a can of beer in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 1 minute or slightly longer.. Just enough to warm up the beer. Then, dump the beer bread mix in a bowl and add the warm beer. Mix real good. Pour into your greased bread pan. Put the good-smelling bread dough into a cold oven. Shut the door and turn the oven on 350*. Bake for 45-50 min.

gifts in a jar!

i'm excited to dive in and start creating christmas gifts! i love the idea of homemade, recycled, and thrift store gifts! this year, i think i'll be making a variety of "gifts in a jar!" i know these have been around forrrrrr-evvvvvvver, but they really are so useful and handy for the busy ladies on my list! and, i know-- long about february, i'd enjoy having some pre-measured ingredients on my pantry shelf!

now, if you're into this too, you've just gotta check out this site: make your own mixes!

osage oranges!

(karin and friends... you asked about the homemade theodore roosevelt game... i put snaps up on my twisted education blog and explained how i did it... click here: teddy roosevelt game!)


osage oranges. driving home from our homeschool co-op on friday, my big blue's spotted several osage orange trees. they're pretty rare around this part of michigan. oh! but i love them. i love the fragrant orange smell of these fruits! eating them is not recommended. don't even try it. i put the trailblazer in reverse and backed up (country road) no traffic. then, i trudged down into a ditch and picked several of these up! knowing, they'd make a great november centerpiece.

ironic. the trees were in the same city as where my mom and aunts grew up. right across from the very school (which is now my church) that my mom and aunts attended. the very block in which my cousins and i used to play. so, today.... i surprised my very cool cousin cathy and packaged up a couple of osage oranges, with a note telling her where they came from. she is a hard working ob/gyn and believe me... these will make her day! they will mean more to her then anything.

if you're interested in learning more about the osage orange trees click here. there's some pretty interesting info.

shabby chic refrigerator magnets!

i had a blast all by myself today... making homemade shabby chic refrigerator magnets. recycled at that!

find a piece of newspaper. i chose a page from brad's farm journal newspaper, all because i didn't want to use anything depressing from the regular everyday newspaper. nor did i want edward kennedy or michael jackson, or hurricane danny on my fridge....


next... saturate the newspaper with your favorite acrylic paints (i watered mine down a bit)... and then sprinkled gold glitter all over the paint... then waited for the paint to dry.

i cut out randomly shaped flowers of different sizes, then wadded them up and unfolded them... next i took needle and embroidery floss (hot pink) and sewed a vintage button to the center of each! i attached a magnet (from the craft store) to the back of each flower.....

then the best part... hanging them on the refrigerator! i loved doing this little project. i think the flowers would be an adorable "bow" on a plain brown paper gift bag! smile, wink, nod!

p.s. this morning i was dehydrating more zucchini chips... i plugged in the dehydrator... left it on the back porch, so i didn't have to deal with the fan running on it all day. i went back and the motor was burning up.... leaving the entire back porch filled with smoke and a dreadful toxic smell. i quickly unplugged it and threw it out the back door! i'm thankful i listened to my inner voice last night... i almost plugged it in while we were sleeping and my gut instinct said..."nah, you better not." thank's be to God.

orange!

i've enjoyed making and giving away these bath sachets! they're really a no-brainer. and, fast and easy to make! pinking shears, linen cut up into squares, orange embroidery floss and orange buttons. quick little in and out stitches...and viola'... there you have it. i filled the crude little bags with mango-orange scented bath salts. stop by... i have one waiting for you! smile, wink, nod!

V is for very easy, very quick, very sweet craft!

this week i enjoyed making these little bath sachets! i recycled a nice piece of muslin fabric that was given to me. my friend robyn stopped by for a little chat in my gardens... i stitched while we caught up on life. we had lemonade and brownies, too. the day was sweltering hot. but listening to her recent experiences made me giggle from my belly. look up free spirit in the dictionary...you'll see her picture.

at a garage sale, i bought a jar of brand new, juniper bath salts. (see first picture) .50 cents. after cutting the muslin into strips and using a very crude in and out stitch for the flower, i used the same in and out stitch for the seam. then i filled the sachet with the salts. they'll work perfect for drawer sachets or to toss in a bubble bath. i have enough muslin and bath salts to make six more! they'll be nice extra gifts to have on hand, or a hostess gift, or even for a friend who is under the weather. we had a family get together today, and i took several with me to work on in the car... very easy! very quick! very sweet! smile, wink, nod!

S is for silk painting out in the garden!

not my idea. i found it through a link on the crafty crow. you have really no idea how much fun this is! you know by now, i'm into those quick, easy, 1-hour and under thrifty crafts. this is exactly that! if you try nothing else crafty this summer, this is it!

it was suggested that you purchase silk-type, white fabric from joann's or walmart. i didn't. being neurotically frugal, i decided instead to buy a lined skirt from the .25 cent store (or even a garage sale). next, i used pinking shears to cut it apart into several strips.

then... pick out a few acrylic paints. i found pop sickle colors at walmart for .48 cents. (dark colored paint, was not recommended.) water the paint down to the consistency of ink (it doesn't take a lot of water!!) give it a little stir.....start designing anything with various sized paint brushes... viola'...watch the colors run and spread! amazing!

let them air dry...they dry quick! wash in the washing machine on cold... the colors do not bleed. these were all washed together in a small load...and hung again to dry!

that's it.

i'm not exactly sure what i will use them for? maybe i'll attempt to make a funky gift bag or journal cover. the site i copied this idea from made their's into ladies scarves!

what do you think i could use them for?

how about some very nice freebies? click here... it's my twisted education blog! smile, wink, nod.

daisy cupcakes, summer gift basket and happy vases!

on friday, we celebrated birthday's in our family. i was in charge of bringing the birthday cake. instead, i opted to bake and make lemon cupcakes, topped with real garden daisies from our field... daisies are non-toxic, however...none of us ate them-they were more for an inexpensive, pretty look.

i was happy to make and give "summer themed baskets." i bet you're trying to figure out what's i stuffed in the basket? things like: a new beach towel, 2 summer reading novels, lemonade, orange jell-o, tinted moisturizer, tangerine body lotion, an orange candle, rachel ray's current magazine, birdhouse gourds, homemade felted potholder, lime green polka dotted rubber cleaning gloves, a vintage springtime apron, canning labels, fuze raspberry water, and note cards. you might think i spent a lot.... i did not. most things were free (lemonade, jell-o) and other things i've picked up throughout the year...for very cheap. i'm happy because my family enjoys previously owned stuff! it makes shopping much more fun!

i'm not sure if you remember, but i picked up these apple juice bottles at goodwill... i filled them with water and added food coloring and plunked a daisy in each jar. they're happy sitting on my window sill. and i'm happy when i see them. smile, wink, nod.

Shabby chic birthday gifts and party favors!

Check out these party favors I made tonight... they're for a family party I'm attending tomorrow! I took a yellow bandanna from Wal-mart ($1), made 4 batches of Lemon Poppy Seed cookie dough up, wrapped the dough in wax paper and foil and then tied the bandanna around it. The baking instructions are attached to a little homemade card. They are freezable, too!

I had a great time painting up more birdhouse gourds... for birthday presents! I found them unfinished at a local nursery for $4. a piece. So, tell me when is your birthday? And, I'll make one for you! smile, wink, nod.

From the wool sweaters I've been collecting and felting...I made a few crazy potholders up. See why I shop at thrift stores? I'm a cheap gift-giver!

I made the one below, today while at the doctor's office with my father-in-law. I was nominated to go with him to get the test results from his brain scan. My mother-in-law has a difficult time comprehending medical stuff, plus she was frightened to find out the results. And, is very intimidated by the medical world...The scan showed normal activity, no tumors but he has had quite a few mini-strokes and has been put on medication to eliminate future strokes. I'm glad.

I went to Redbox tonight, and we're currently watching Mall Cop. Not my choice...but my boys. It is quite funny... pre-teen humor with adult twists. Brad is making popcorn as we speak.

cupcake potholders, a drive thru at Arby's and Wednesday highlights!

In the past 24 hours, I whipped up two more pot holders! I felted a kool-aid colored striped sweater and came up with 6 separate pot holders! 4 left to do. I may decide to just turn the other four into little change purses or gift bags....

I took the dog with me this afternoon, while I ran errands. Tommie was working with his dad. My final stop was here:

At Arby's...today only... you can get a free fruity iced tea. So, I did. Mandarin Peach!

Other Wednesday highlights? I went to an awesome garage sale up the street. Everything was crazy-cheap! I found: a knee deep package of drawing paper for .50 cents (I'm hoping to teach a Museum Art class this fall at our homeschool co-op...which is why I bought it.), a brand new cookie sheet for a nickle, a stack of bath towels for .50 cents each, gift ribbon a quarter each, a stack of embroidered linens, waiting to be laundered...a dime each. And, a whole bunch of candles for a dime. I bought a new pair of brown flip flops today... just the cheap kind... which now Tommie took ownership to, tacoes for dinner, 2 miles on the treadmill, 100 tummy crunches, bought new socks too at Walmart. So, tell me...have you been garage sailing lately? What are some of your treasures?

Felted Pot holders!

During my weekend at the ranch... I worked on handcrafting these felted pot holders! I found these cheap and fun wool sweaters at Goodwill... came home, washed them on hot water and dried them in a hot, hot dryer...which felted them. -And then, cut out wavy patterns into the shape of a flower! I layered two pieces together, for thickness and used the blanket stitch to sew them up! I've used the pink one already...and it worked beautifully! I plan to make stacks of these to keep on hand for gift giving-- wouldn't they be cute tucked in a basket with homemade raspberry jam and baked goods?

Total time to make? Under an hour! Can't beat that!

Here's more snaps of them!

Lily, coupons and party favors!

Look at this beautiful Easter Lily that I received last night, from my second dad! You see my dad passed away about 12 years ago. My mom remarried this wonderful man- excuse me- he's a wonderful gentleman. He has been a God-send and has blessed my family and my mom, in so many ways! We all love him!

I had my in-laws and favorite neighbor over for Easter dinner last night...it wasn't the traditional dinner..but it was what I had on hand...stir-fry chicken, salad and homemade bread. We played the card game 7's and had pineapple upside down cake for dessert. We all had a good time.

Today, we went to an awesome church service and then headed to my aunts for a traditional Easter dinner! It was a beautiful day. Family is everything to me. And, so are my friends. I'd love to hear what you did on your Easter day!

Yesterday, I made up these little Easter favors to give to my aunts, mom and cousins, today! They're white chocolate-oatmeal cookie dough. I rolled them into logs, wrapped them in saran wrap (nice and tight) and then wrapped the Easter cellophane around them...tied them off with ribbon and attached a "how to bake" homemade card to them. I thoroughly enjoy making them....and let me tell you this...THEY'RE ALWAYS APPRECIATED! I got a great deal on Nestle White Chocolate Chips, at Krogers.. 2 for $4... plus a $1.50 off coupon and then another $1.50 off from the Krogers coupon's that you get in the mail.

Speaking of cheap deals... I was able to feed my family of three for .60 each. Walmart had a sale on this salad dressing for $1.58, I had a $1.50 coupon which equals .08 cents for the dressing. Also, went to the day old bread rack and bought our favorite French bread $1.20 and picked up a bag of Asian Salad mix -- on sale for .75. I just love figuring out coupon deals! I really feel like I'm helping with the income.

So tell me what you think of this very retro-shabby chic oil lamp, that I found at Goodwill? I couldn't pass it up... .99 cent special. No chips and in mint condition. I'll enjoy it until my garage sale and then try to flip it for a few more dollars. smile, wink, nod.

just friday.

Although I am not at all an organized person, truth be known..... anything important is usually scratched on a paper towel or napkin and stuffed in the pocket of my blue jeans...I couldn't stop myself from buying this 3 pack of beautiful file folders at The Dollar Tree. They were tucked low on a shelf in the back of the store. I also found coordinating note cards and ink pens, which are already tucked away...to give as extra gifts to someone!

I've also been fooling around with my new juicy acrylic paints! Remember? I showed you in the previous post? Yesterday, I traced a couple of antique cookie cutters and came up with these gift tags and an Easter card. I did the blanket stitch around the middle card. Safe to say, I have blanket stitch fEVer!

After a BBQ chicken dinner, with baked beans and baked potato's...and a garden salad....last night I pulled out the birdhouse gourds and got started painting on them. I still have a bit to do...detail work, that is. I'll put the pictures up when the project is completed. Have a happy Friday whatever you do... First day of Spring. Love it. How about YOU?