Its been awahile peeps..

Its been a while.
I got a lot of blog hits after posting a tut on a foot soak..that is exciting for me :)

So..I wanted to share a little tid bit as to what i've been up to and what nots..

Sewers out there: Have you heard to the sew along (SAL) going on was at LR Stitched with Lindsey now its over at A Quilters Table  with Debbie for the remainder of the SAL .

I have successfully completed all of the up to date projects..including a quilt! only my second one.. and my second time paper piecing which, its not as hard as I though. I am learning how to make sure my points are on and correct. I was so relived to have finished this quilt and overjoyed with my results.

I have a sweet affection for grey. Grey is the color of the clouds here in Oregon in the Fall. Fall is my favorite season and I am so blessed to live in a state that has all the seasons and so dramatically different.

I have had some cooking adventures in the past few weeks.

From scratch enchiladas ... to die for. I cook using a lot of recipes from The Pioneer Woman  who also is a Food Network host of her own show. I just adore her. Her recipes and delish and many of which you already have the ingredients in your cupboard if you are a usual cook like myself. Even though my husband and I do not have children I cook for the two of us and I dont know how to only cook for the two of us.... so really, we end up with left overs for days which,is a money saver and time saver for both of us as we both work full time. (Thank the Lord in this recession!).

Tonight I made a cake from a tutorial I found while cruising Pinterest.

 
You can find her recipe here Live Craft Eat Blog shes got some great tips and nummy looking recipes.
The cake above is my results. Not to swell in appearance as I didn't grease my bunt well enough but.... its her recipe and totally DELISH! I made it particularly for my hubby. He loves his chocolate!

I spent a lot of the day sewing and picking up the house...and watching my house bunn...

This weeks Patchwork Please project is a Mail pocket holder (not the name of the pattern .. )
here is what I have so far... 

I am going to go with a white background to sew the pockets to rather than the yellow... just washes the colors out too much..
I will post a finished product when im done :) Hopefully tomorrow!

Working and sewing, cooking, working and sewing..that's what i've been up to...
Take care!

Finally got around to trying a DIY foot soak off Pinterest.. My version

I saw a pin floating around Pinterest for a foot soak using mouthwash,vinegar and water.
My feet have been aching and needed to be pampered on my one day off.
I hate salon prices when I have all the tools I need at home. Not to mention the abundance of nailpolish to boot!
So, here is the version that WORKS! I started out using the version on pinterest but, the version on pinterest is not enough fluid to cover even a foot and not detailed enough for max. results. (My opinon)

Gather your supplies:
Bowl
Antiseptic mouth wash
Vinegar
Water
files
clippers
Clean dry towel you wont mind possibly staining.(from the dye in the mouthwash)


LARGE bowl or even a plastic storage container-big enough for both your feet but not so big the ingredients dont fill it enough.

1) Vinegar and Antiseptic Mouthwash (It does NOT need to be brand name!) The higher the acidity in the vinegar the better. I just so happen to have "Pickle perfect" because it is a 5% acidity and I use it for cleaning around the house.

     

2) IF you have this Pedro Callus Stone by tweezerman (its double sided one smooth one rough) USE IT! OR, I highly recommend the investment. It is $15-$20 and it lasts forever. I've had this thing for over 4 years now. You can use it wet or dry. Or a pedi egg works fine.

3)Nail clippers,Cuticle clippers if you know how to use them-you can end up with infected cuticles,metal nail file with pointed tip, and a measuring cup.

Now lets begin!
 ::FOOT SOAK INSTRUCTIONS::
-Run tap water to as hot as you can handle.

-Measure out 2 cups Antiseptic and 2 cups vinegar pour in bowl. Then add 6 cups of to the hottest bearable temp of water.
-Soak you feet for 30 minutes. I played on my phone for this step.
-One by one, leave the other foot in the bowl, with your foot wet, use a foot file to remove dead skin off your feet. My feet are calluced on the heels primarily. The foot file removes the build up. Lets face it, its a fact of life for some.
- Then wipe the removed skin off with a clean dry towel. Then put your foot back into the water. Then work on the other. Then go back to the first foot you started with and push your cuticles back, clip and file. Clean from underneath and the corners.Dry your feet one last time. Paint your nails if you'd like..

Tada! fresh feet!

My feet are tingling from the soak and it feels so good! (Thanks to Mentholatum!) My feet are clearly smoother and Gross: there was dead skin in the bowl! I soaked my feet all for about 45 minutes. 

Did you know: Vinegar has anti-bacterial properties and is a fantastic soak with water alone for ingrown toe nails? yep,true! and SO cheap!

Note: Not a paid post by any company including Tweezerman, I just LOVE There products and it is the sole opinion of me and my preference.

Ever see a "Mini" kitchen? .....welcome to my Apartment!

So, after a lot of thought and a lot of time spent in the kitchen since purchasing my KitchenAid Mixer...and some color inspiration from a gal pal that just moved..I decided it was time to updo my little..very little..kitchen.Unfortunetly,I do not have any before and after photos on hand so... I can just tell ya what i've done and how i've done it... Lets start with a "this is good as its going to get" Photo of the kitchen intself.

We have lived in this Apartment for going onto 3 years now. My husband,brother and myself..needless to say..can you see 3 people in this kitchen? Imagine one getting a cup of coffee, one making a sandwich and another at the oven frying an egg....get it??? Its really not fun! This kitchen is maybe 4 feet wide and 8 feet long.no joke. This photo was taken by me with my back against the "fake" wall (just a wall that stands to block the kitchen from the living room-which is large for an apartment) We have a total of 5 cupboards for storage. I put the shelf over the sink which originally I had a canvas print ..a coffee cafe motif ..I loved coffee so much I wanted my kitchen to be all coffee like..since we have these ugly press-board "wood" cupboards and brown lanolium...you need to improvise right?

I store my dry baking ingredients in 1 gallon vintage ball jars (I collect). I had ceramic canisters that were terribly hard to get clean, they were white. . Boring...white... meh... I used chalkboard vynel on the lids with a metallic paint marker to write what was in the jars..obviously sugar and flour are different in color in texture but.....ya know... OCD...

The wire wracks with hanging baskets are from IKEA...that store.... pshhh... Ive actually used them for the past 4 years now in this apartment and our last when things on the counter was just too much clutter. I pop these bad boys into the dishwasher and tada..good as new!

I was cooking breakfast this AM as I was snapping these photos. I hung the marigold tea towel and the tangerine towel on the bar of the oven to add a pop of color. I've asked "the boys" to not use them ..I pop them into the washer when I wash the rest of the kitchen towels. I am a lover of cast iron and vintage Wagner ware..they normally hang out on the stove :)

The wood tray on top of the microwave is from Ross. I paid $10.99 for it. I tried to thrift one or DIY one myself but..the price was cheaper and the style was a bit more me. I wanted to create a cleaner line rather than the stuff thrown on top of the microwave. This also helps from items sliding or falling off the microwave.
..if you store on your microwave like I do..counter space is very limited.

 

And theres my French Toast I was making..I use an electric skillet often for breakfast so it gets done quicker and I can use the stove for other things like bacon and potatoes.. 

I shoved my pink Kitchen aid mixer into the corner..I have plans of making a cover for it but...time.. 

Yes,we have two coffee pots. One is mine and one is my brothers..I am very protective and particular of my coffee...and my coffee pot.. My little 5 cupper.. My husband doesn't drink coffee from home...he's too good for that..Pinkies up... bwahahaha! 

Do you see what I mean by counter space? this is what it looks like on a typical morning but,it is what it is..

It is a surface and it is available...so ta da! top of the fridge storage! A $2.99 Thrifted black storage box hides all the pans that get used routinely..because my brother has his own and my husband and I have our own set our main cupboard is FULL to the brim with pans. . . that is another DIY storage for another time.

 

Pardon my overfilled recycling bag... but, it tis OreyGon and we have to pay a deposit on cans..adds up..

This roller cart has 3 shelves and it is SUPER handy! my brother stores his rice cooker ..see the wire? on this cart and we collect our "go backs", store our plastic bags in a handy dandy IKEA Plastic Bag collector.. 

I like to DIY my own coffee and the syrups were taking space up on the counter so this nice basket now homes them..I have had this basket for YEARS.

 

These are my very own hand painted DIY wall art. Acrylic on canvas and sealed with varnish except the one on the far right.. I had wanted to try out chalkboard paint and tada! Memo Board..BAM there it be! I used masking tape to create the designs and goggled and researched trends. I didn't want to create a floral kitchen because I have a husband and a brother..my husband does not care because I am the cook of our marriage but,my brother may wine a bit.... I purchased the large matching frames from IKEA..oh THAT STORE!!! I decided on the sprig design simply because it could be considered a flower or an herb...cooky like.





After many-a-seaches on Pinterest... yeah addiction... and a little idea

The baskets came from Target and range from $$2.99-$9.99. But Online they come in 4 packs. I suggest the Med. Size those are the ones on the top two shelves.
I don't really have an organizing method here other than the top one is my dairy products and they all get frequently used..Especially my Coffee creamer that just so happens tom come in "Coffee Lovers" size bwahahaha! I love my ceramic Egg crate Cost Plus World Market..Gotta LOVE it $5.99

I DIY'd my shelf liners because they are easy to clean, decorative and make all those wobbly items not fall over. The oil cloth was $7.12  a yard  at Fabric Depot

The first item for my small kitchen update was this rug......... $5.99 at Ross.. its more of a utility like texture so it is super durable for the kitchen..yippie skippie..

 

I tried to pull colors out of the rug since it is a bit of a focal point for my kitchen...
 So, all and all the kitchen looks messy but,the very limited space makes it a bit cluttered.. little by little progress is happening!

Here is my tutorial on how to make the WIRE rack covers..you can do this with plastic too BUT you don't need the snaps. Just trace your refrigerator racks and you can use double sided tape to keep the oilcloth down.

Plastic Snap kit. The tool comes separate. I purchased mine at Joann Fabrics The snaps come in rad colors I highly recommend for the frugal minded such as myself to wait until you get a few good coupons to purchase these as you'll end up becoming addicted. I ended up paying $10 for the pliers and $4 for the snaps (50% off coupons woot woot)

A super Duper Sharpie any color just make sure it does not bleed threw your oil cloth or seep.

Sharp Scissors

One of your fridge racks IF they are the same size. 

1 yard of Oil Cloth for two shelves and the inside of your shelves if yours are completely closed in without a bar.

 So...here we go kids!!!!!!!
.......

1) Trace your shelves of your fridge. If you have ..we will call them trays for now..
if you have wire trays like I do.. you will need to trace 6- no larger than the width of your rack flaps to attach your eyelets to that will fold over and hook to the underside of your racks to keep the oil cloth from moving off the rack. ...see photo below. then begin to cut after you've traced out some flaps. Mine were not perfect AT ALL I just "winged" it for it being my first time and not looking at anyone's instructions.

Chop chop chop...

2) Once you have cut it all out we will now begin applying the snaps. Be careful, read the directions that come with the pliers because if you do not you will end up ruining your piece of oil cloth because once these are put into the hole and "crunched" down they are VERY hard to remove. The pointed tips of the flat backs will go easily into the oil cloth so go ahead.. Push them threw closest but,not too far away from the end of the flap..The flat back is always on the printed side of the oil cloth.

The center pointed piece is the center of the flat sided snap. and the part that squishes as you use the clamp.

Make sure the snaps are opposite..one flat piece

on each side of the snap per the instructions for general application.

See how my cuts aren't perfect..meh..no one is judging.  See how the snaps are opposite? one male one female..I hate that term! but... is what it is! Continue doing this until your all done. then place your fridge liners over your wire racks and bam! DONE!

Welp...thats what I got for now folks! more ideas to come later!

Out with the "Color puke" in with the chic and organized!

I am trying so hard to put everything in my craft room in its rightful place. It is difficult.

I bought this here Amoire for $50 handmade second hand by the guy that made it from Craigslist. I wanted to idealy make a craft amoire and give more use to my craft area and not allow it to be messy anymore..

So this is a mess...this is what the area of my craft corner aka) our was dining room.

This is what my craft im just going to say room looked like BEFORE:

 and this above..was way the heck before my infatuation with ball jars really became more of hording.
And above..was extreamly clean for maybe 24 hours until I blew up all over!

Well things started to get crazy and really, really unorganized.

This mess above..this was during a week I couldn't work because I had been very sick and was contagious to others for a few days. In order to make any kind of income during this time I had to make more things to fill my shop on Etsy- Sunshine Nellie which I received answers to my prayers and made some money that week from orders. My etsy shop is not a main source of income- I have a full time job and a part time job so,that week my shop was my full time job.

After a lot of collecting things that were cute and quirky I found myself a lot less organized and having a hard time thinking without sensory overload. So, I got a wild hair and decided it was time for a change. I purchased the amouir and became a avid researcher on pinterest. I got lots of ideas and this is so far..what the was "color puke" looks like now! (as of an hour ago)

The fabric hoops: I found them all, in a bag at Goodwill for $8.00 (okay, $7.99) and decided that these were going to be my wall art.

Fabric in the hoops: Colors of grey,blues,yellows and greens I bought cheap quilting weight fabric from joanns. Really, I wanted better quality BUT these were just going on my wall and really? I didn't need to spend the extra amount of money on fabric when I had coupons and got most of the fabric in either 1/2 yards or 1/4 hards. However, the large grey hoop and yellow hoop I bought the remainder on the bolt because I love it so much!
Amoire- $50 handmade 2nd hand from a guy on CL
Lacey "table cloth" (yes,that was our dining room table,its folded down and is being used as a surface space I had the table cloth for about 6 years now got it at a garage sale for I think $1.00
"Inspire" word- Ross $7.99
and the rest of the stuff are things I already had.

When you google "Shabby chic" or even "Shabby chic" craft room the colors are all pinks and whites-eww not my thang!

I am currently painting this here shelf it holds my Berry dolls ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Its "Winners circle" blue
I made the bunting that is strung across the top of my window lace. .32 cents for  1/8 a yard. in green,brown and cream.
I pinned them together on the backside with safety pins. since is burlap you can't sew it very easily.

This room is so much better than the color puke before. The room looks much larger too.
I am finding things I didn't even know I had! ..... I dont know if that is cool to admit or not...

Husmabiest and I went to IKEA late last night. I was on the mission for new holders for scrapbooking scissors, pens/pencils and rotary cutters and tools I use often. at $1.29 for the largest one and .99 cents each for the other two aluminum supposed to be plant pots- good deal! and that was the least i'd EVER spent at IKEA.. oh..IKEA..how I love tho.

This is what the interior of my Amoire looks like:

packed full of crafty goodness!
and its really unorganized but, thats for a different day!

Anyone can have a craft room or a craft area. It is hard to have a 4 walled room to devote to crafts because our apartment home is small and there are 3 of us that live here. My husband and I and my middle brother. I never thought i'd have an actual area that was bigger than a 3 foot by 2 feet table-that is all I had org. and it sucked. I hated that I didn't have  space of my own and that all of my crafty items had to be shuved out of sight. After we moved into this apartment home 2 years ago our dining room was never used and that is when I took it over. hung a cable from IKEA and bought a decrative curtain from IKEA and turned the dining room into my craft room. I call it my craft corner because I can see into the kitchen over the breakfast nook and into the living room as I sit in front of my sewing machine table. Ive made the best of it. I hope you have an area devoted to your creativity and you have been inspired by reading and seeing what i've done to a space in my home. Creativity and an eye for what could be is really,all you need. Someday i'll have a 4 walled craft room. Preferably a basement or attic that is well lit and all mine to paint and do as I please in. My husband and brother do not care that this is my little area..they were not going to use it anyways!

All while cleaning,organizing and creating new wall pretties I baked two loafs of Amish white bread and cooked my husband dinner. Peppered Bacon potato chowder. It rains a lot here in Oregon (I <3 it!) and soups are cheap and easy to make. Throw a bunch of stuff in a pot and there you go!!!!

I got the Amish white bread recipe here Recipe of goodness Easy and CHEAP to make!
and the Peppered bacon potato chowder is my own doings here is my recipe:

Peppered Bacon Potato Chowder

10 Russet potatoes-size does not matter we bought a 10lb bag. Chopped into "medium" peices
1/2 lb of Peppered Bacon from the Deli counter. (or packaged your choice) chopped
1/2 cup green onions-diced
3 veggie bolion cubes disolved in 1 1/2 cups HOT water.
           Can Substatue Veggie stock- 2 cups (I just didn't have any on hand)
1 Cup heavy cream OR milk
---------------------------
1)Boil chopped potatos until they are soft and smash under a fork. Remove from heat, pour into strainer to remove water. Set back onto cold burner.
2) Half cook bacon in a pan do not drain. If you dont like the idea of "limp" bacon- just cook it till its NEARLY crunchy. After bacon is half done add it to potatoes. Stir
3) Pour Veggie bolion/broth into potato bacon mix return to heat.Stir
4) Add green onions to potato bacon broth mix. Stir
5)Add heavy cream or milk to potato,onion,bacon mix, Stir
6) Bring to a good simmer-almost to boiling- then drop heat down to low.  Let it sit for 10 minutes.

Tada! Enjoy your chowder!

Our apartment smells wonderful. I'm not a love of bacon but the combo of bread and soup smells just is devine.
As I write this blog I am  drinking my Cranberry Lemoncello - 21 and over!..... Homemade Lemoncello might I add... I got the recipe from Food In jars Marisa's recipes are divine-I own her cookbook- I started canning after accidentally coming across her blog.  Food IN Jars I highly recommend buying her cookbook. I have made a few of her jams/preserves and the Lemon Cello (A boozy lemon beverage).

Vanilla Pear Jam

Cranberry Pear Jam

 Enjoying a bit of handmade homemade goodness.
I hope you enjoyed reading my little blurb for the day. I have a lot of fun writting into the universe and I have hopes that people read and enjoy! Back to organizing this mess!

TTFN