How To: Make that skirt long enough

Materials:
1 short skirt
1/2 yard of fabricsewing machineyada yada yada
Ok, so I found this really cute denim skirt at the DI and had to have it...but it was too short. So I went to the fabric store and got this cute multi-color fabric that I can dress up or down to put a ruffle on the bottom.
1. cut your 1/2 yard in half (hotdog style) so that you have 2 long 1/4 yard strips.
2. Fold them in half and press, so that you have 2 even thinner strips, but still the same length. Then, sew the strips together on the short sides, matching the raw edges. Now you have a big loop.

3. Turn the skirt inside out, and start pinning the loop to the skirt. Make sure that the raw edges of the loop seam are facing out, not in.
Pin the seams of the loop to the seams of the skirt so that when sewn, match up.
Start pleating 1 side of the skirt: If you look at the picture below, I pleated (folded over the fabric and pinned) about every inch or so of skirt. play around with it until it pleats evenly.


4. Sew the fabric to the skirt on the one side. Do this by turning the skirt RIGHT SIDE OUT, so that you know that your stitch is straight. I sewed right over the existing top-stitch of the skirt.


5. Now pin/pleat the OTHER side of the loop to the OTHER side of the skirt and sew.

Ta-daaah! You're done!

DIY Nap Pad

The toddler has been going to summer camp and will be going to pre-school in a few weeks. Since she is almost 2, she is in the class that naps. I looked all over and the prices for these are just outrageous. So, I found a lot of tutorials but this one is my favorite since it includes a built in blanket and the option to take out the pad for washing. Thank you Jenny Garland! I think I may make a few while I am at it for gifts!

I will show you pictures of mine when it is done

Hot Dog Cupcakes

Is it a cupcake? Is it a hot dog? What is that?

Well, it is the perfect dessert to your backyard BBQ. That is what it is. It has been kid-tested and mother approved. Well, sort of.

I saw these at the grocery store and thought "I can make that" and so with an invite to a BBQ and being asked to bring dessert, I just knew that this would be the debut of the hot dog cupcakes. They are really simple.

Bake and frost cupcakes

Cut up red licorice and get vanilla cookies

cut the top circle part of the cookies. NOT IN HALF. Just the top part

get the cookies to stick... frosting and shoving are welcome. 

add your licorice like this....

and some yellow fondant writer for mustard and you are done!

M&M dispenser.

This is what my sister did so I guess I can't take credit. But what a cute and easy way to make your guy smile.

Wicker-Basket liners

For those of you who want to RE-cover those wicker baskets... this post is for YOU!
My daughter has outgrown her crib! So we bought her a twin a few weeks ago. So along with a new bed.. comes, of corse new bedding. For me, this was exciting. Because not only do I get to re-decorate her room (YYAAAAAAAYYYY!!!), but I get to make stuff like curtains, re-paint picture frames, etc. The old wicker basket liners were nasty, as you can see from the picture. Stains, tears, you name it.

So while walking the aisles at Joanns, I found this:

Super cute huh? Super girly and bright. I just LOVE it!


Materials:
1 1/4 yard fabric
matching thread
fabric scissors
iron
the old wicker basket liner
seam ripper
1/4 inch elastic (measure the whole distance around the top edge of your wicker basket. this is the amount of elastic you will need)

*all seam allowances will be the same as it was before taking it apart. I used 1/4 inch and it worked great*

So I experimented a little. I got my seam ripper out and went to town on it.

I took the whole thing apart so that I could use the pieces as a pattern. Once you have your liner taken apart, iron the pieces:

Next pin your *pattern* piece to the right side of your new fabric:

Cut it out. Repeat until all 4 sides are done.

Then measure the lower side of your piece (see picture below). Cut a square with that measurement. For example. If the edge measures 12 inches, cut out a 12x12 square.

Lay 2 pieces down, right sides together, matching up all edges. Sew down the short side:

Press seams:

Repeat until all pieces are connected. It should look like this:

See how the top edge is larger than the lower edge? Ok now take your square and sew it, one side at a time, to the lower edge. (make sure right sides are together!). Now it should look like this:

Ok now its time to finish our edges. Fold edge over 1/4 inch, ironing firmly as you go. When finished, fold over again but this time do 1/2 inch.

Sew at lower edge of your fold, leaving a small (1 1/2 inch or so) opening so that you can insert your elastic.

Take your string of elastic and wrap it around your basket about an inch below the top. Cut. Slip safety pin through end of elastic and feed it through the opening (make sure as you feed it that you dont lose the other end). Once its pulled through, sew ends of elastic together. Sew opening closed. Youre done!!

Hope you have as much fun with this as I did!

Little girls hair bows

Ok so I LOVE this!! I love her, she has some really awesome, cute, cheap crafty ideas. I fell in love with this idea a few weeks ago, and have been waiting to do it ever since.. SO family pictures are friday. Yesterday I went shopping looking for something for me and cami that goes nicely with ANY of ryan's shirts. This was much more challenging then I thought it would be. He wears a lot of blue, which should be easy to match but not when you live in california and nobody has long sleeve shirts this time of year. (not too fond of my flabby arms taking presidence in the picture). So I decided Ryan would be wearing this:

I found a shirt for me to go with my white skirt. Pretty color huh? only 8 bucks on clearance thank you very much. AND it matches the lighter blue in his shirt.

So then I am thinking about Camis wardrobe.. which consists of mostly pink because for some reason I feel no need to buy her any other color (seriousely?.. thats gonna change). Im thinking.. hmmmmm navy would tie in the other color.. but finding something navy that is also pretty and semi formal for pictures is kinda hard. Then I remember that someone once long ago came up with the idea of Jeans. Brilliant. We have those. So.. an adorable jean skirt, and a white shirt. BORING. (am I picky? yes, im picky. but i dont want to look back at our family pictures in 20 years and think... thats ALL I came up with??) so, a thought comes back to me about a blog I visited a few weeks back... BOOM hits me like lightening. IM MAKING ONE OF THOSE!!! So.. now that ive shared my entire thought process with all of you, here is my finished result. I had the fabric, I had the pin.. I had everything for it. In her tutorial it shows a button. I didnt have a cute button, so I used an orange button that I have from a while back. Covered it with matching fabric. Slipped it up through the hole from the back of the flower, cut the excess, and hot glued the remaining fabric in place. Then I just hot glued the hair clip to the back. This just goes to show that you can improvise if you dont have the right stuff, and it can be free to make stuff like this.

Cute huh?

Here is the finished outfit. Im in love with it.

Make sure you visit her main site for lots of other fun ideas, its called Pink Paper Peppermints.

Delicious Cheap Chicken Enchiladas!

Yes, its me again. Im just such an amazing cook, and so humble too, that I couldnt keep my recipies from you any longer :).

And you are gonna be SOOOOO happy because its a Crock Pot recipe. I dont know about you, but I am a huge fan of Crock Pot recipies. Simple, Quick, and you dont have to babysit it! Its just great! Not to mention you (or the hubs... hehe) only has one pan to clean :). Ok so Ive experienced a bit with chicken enchiladas. I wanted them to be yummy, easy, fast, and inexpensive. So here is what I have come up with that isnt going to break your pocket book, but is still UBER yummy. (I just love that word.. UBER).

This meal fills a 9x13 pan if you have a lot of mouths to feed (or just one HUNGRY hubby). But for some of us we just have a little family so you can make 2 8x8 pans if you dont want 5 days of left overs :). What I actually do is just do the 9x13 pan, then freeze the rest and reheat a week later. It reheats really well!



2 chicken breasts (about a pound. I buy mine on sale for no more than $2)
1/3 cup mild salsa (about $.50)
1 10 oz can chile verde enchilada sauce (about $1)(many brands make it. Ive found that Las Palmas has the best flavor.. but thats just my opinion)
1/2 cup cheddar cheese (i use the cheddar/monterey-jack blend) ($.50)
1 1/2 cup mozerella cheese ($2)
10 tortillas (about $1.50)

Totals around 7 or 8 bucks. not bad to feed a whole family. especially not bad for 2 meals.

mix sauce and salsa in crock pot.


add chicken and fully coat. cook for an hour on low heat (i think my crock pot cooks really fast so check for doneness at this point. chicken should be completely cooked). shred with 2 forks and return to pot, keeping pot on "keep warm" setting for at least 30 minutes. the longer it sits in the sauce, the better the flavor so i do mine for an hour.


put a little cheddar, some chicken, and some mozerella in each enchilada.


top with remaining sauce and mozerella. 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly. We were so excited to eat these that I forgot to take a final picture.. but you get the idea. Enjoy!!

DELICIOUS Homemade Wheat Bread

This recipe is amazing. For one.. its delicious. Two... its a FOOD STORAGE recipe. No eggs, no milk, etc.. like many bread recipies call for. Will come in handy one day if it needs to. I have to say that my mother in law makes the most amazing wheat bread. Its like candy... seriousely. My almost 2 year old (picky as picky gets) eater wont touch storebought bread, but calls for this one by name! I could eat a whole loaf, but havent (or have I?). Its sooo good and I didnt take pictures because its super easy and well.. i forgot. So get out your bread maker and write down this recipe!

*First of all I have to say that some of my comments are geared toward those who may have never made bread before, or are new at it. These are tips that I wish I would have known when I was new to making my own bread*

First, make your Bread Mix:
1 cup shortening powder (you can buy this in a #10 can at places like Emergency Essentials
2 cups sugar
4 TBS salt
combine all ingredients and mix WELL!

Now this mix makes about 13 loafs of bread, thats why this might seem like a huge amount. But if you are like me you make it often so I like to make it in large quantities and just grab a small amount each time I make it.

Tip: Have all ingredients ready when you start, if the water sits too long it will cool down and take longer to rise.

Here is the recipe: Add to bread maker in order.
1 1/4 cup very warm water (not HOT, just very warm)
1/4 cup Bread Mix (see above)
1/4 cup honey (I know.. YUMMM right?)
3 TBS, 1 tsp non-fat dry milk

Every good bread recipe has 3 cups of flour or grain. As you can see in the next part, she uses a variety of yummies that make the flavor of this bread INCREDIBLE!

First cup:
2 heaping spoonfulls of gluten (Walmart has this)
the rest whole wheat flour

Second cup:
whole wheat flour

Third cup:
1/4 cup instant oats (the quick ones... they are smaller then regular oats)
the rest bread flour

2 tsp yeast. When adding yeast to the top of the flour, make sure the yeast does not touch the liquids in the bottom. The heat from the water kills the yeast and it will not rise properly if it doesnt churn with the flour first. The best way to do this is to make a pool on the top of the flour thats about 2 inches wide and an inch deep. Pour yeast in pool, cover lightly with flour. Set bread maker to dough setting. When its done, do not knead! Gently form dough into loaf and place in greased loaf pan. Ive found that using crisco works best. Let rise until double in size. This should only take 1-2 hours. Sometimes less depending on temperature of your kitchen, and altitude level. Im in California and it takes about an hour. I just moved from utah and it used to take like 3 or 4 haha! But when its double the size its ready to go in the oven. 350 degrees. 29 minutes. TaDa!

This hits store-bought wheat bread out of the park!! Its a lot healthier for you too. Im a nerd sometimes. One thing that makes me a nerd is that when I find or make up new recipies I like to do all the math and figure out the nutrition facts for it. This is especially fun to do with bread because bread isnt very good for you. BUT, lets be honest now, most of us would sit and eat a whole loaf becaues bread is AMAZING! So its fun to find recipies that are healthy, as well as delicious. SO, I have done the math on this one and the nutrition facts are as follows:

Serving size: 2 regular slices (or one large (3/4 inch or so) slice if you like to eat it plain like me)
Calories: 106
Fat: .5 g
Sugar: 6 g
Sodium: 151 mg
Protein: 4.5

So as it turns out, its actually pretty healthy for you. A great source of healthy calories. Enjoy!

Summer of Love, no, not THAT kind!

Me: "Hubbs, I have an idea"

Hubbs: "ok" (I have LOTS of ideas so he is used to this)

Me: "I have been thinking that maybe we could do something fun and different this summer"

(in my mind I am picturing ideas from here, here, and here)

Hubbs: a little hesitation than, "what do you have in mind)

because let's be honest, sometimes my ideas are WAY out there. Like how I think we should live in Australia. No job there? BAA! Who cares! Let's just go

Me: "Summer starts on the 21st. That's in a few weeks. So, I was thinking that everyday until the end of summer we can do acts of love. EVERY DAY. "

(I can't see his face since we are laying in bed but I can only imagine...)

"It doesn't have to be very big. (because I know he is adding up the costs) But just little things each day, like a letter or leaving a note somewhere or....

Hubbs: "That's a great idea!"

Me: "Really?" I mean, "yeah, it is a good idea. If course it is!"

And thus begins our summer of love. Are you going to participate?

Homemade Foam Pump Hand Soap

I know that this post is supposed to be genuinely from me.. but it is not. Others have such better ideas.. well.. sometimes. I am awfully talented, you know. So you know those incredible smelling foamy hand soaps (awesome for kids)and if, emphasis on the IF you can get them on sale they run you about 3 bucks each, and last.. Oh.. about a month. If you are like me, you buy them anyway, because they are just THAT awesome! But it gets expensive. Well I was browsing blogs the other day and I found THIS. She has the cutest ideas and is super creative. Its how to make your own foamy hand soap! Awesome huh? I thought so! I found it yesterday and went into my bathroom and made some in like 2 minutes. All you need is liquid hand soap (I used softsoap and it worked great), water, and an empty foam soap bottle. The liquid handsoap I have, I bought from Sams Club. 160 oz for like 8 bucks. That would make an awful lot of foamy soap since you only use a few oz per bottle. Im thinking I want to try to find unscented soap, and add my own scents... hmmmm.. I will have to experiment a little. But anyway, I wanted to share this because its the best idea ever! If you make some, leave a comment and let me know how it went!

Easy Chewy Granola Bars

I used this easy chewy granola recipe. But I adapted it a bit It turned out YUMMY! The toddler east a few bars a day. I think that means it passed the test

add the oats and the flour. I added some whole wheat into the mix

be sure you know where your granola maker helper is!

fresh honey. Seriously. Its from my parents house where there are bees. 

mix everything all up. It will be crumbly. Make sure there are no dry spots

Add in the mix-ins. This can be whatever you want. 

Pat down. Not hard but firm. 

yummy whole wheat homemade bread and butter and honey to pass the time while it bakes

whala! The finished product!