Pinterest Picks

I spent time with a dear, dear friend yesterday who isn’t just sweet, kind and Godly but also has a keen eye for all things vintage/rustic/primitive.  Her house is super cute and it made me want to browse Pinterest and pretend I had time to do some projects.  One day……

Until then, enjoy my lastest faves!

This pig feeder turned bar is a total yes!  Oh, honey!  Get the welder ready!

So us!
So us!

Who would not want to spend time in this kitchen?  To die for!

Get in my house!
Get in my house!

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Beautiful...
Beautiful…

How cute (and easy to make) is this?!  Pleather…I need pleather…

So cute and cool!
So cute and cool!

Love these pendant lights made out of old funnels.  Clean out your garage, people, and send these my way!  😉

Anything galvanized or rusty is my friend...
Anything galvanized or rusty is my friend…

I know a little boy that would look completely adorable in this!

Oh, yes.
Oh, yes I do!

I love to have people over and I love to make people feel comfortable – isn’t that what you want when you go somewhere?  This is an eloquent reminder…

It's my goal...
It’s my goal…

This light fixture is made of embroidery hoops – let’s do it!

Where to put this?!
Where to put this?!

This might look weird to some in my Colorado home, but who doesn’t love Texas?

Texas.
Texas.

You can follow me on Pinterest here.  Do it!

DIY: Christmas Snow Globe

What kid doesn’t love to shake a snow globe??  I remember my grandma having some at her house when I was younger and I was enamored by them!  We even got snow globe ornaments one year.  Mine is hanging on our tree right now, though the liquid has long been gone.

Today, I let Sawyer make her own snow globe!  It’s SUPER easy…

You’ll need:

  • a Christmasey trinket
  • silicon
  • mason jar with lid
  • water
  • glitter

We opted for a nutcracker and a pine tree…both of which were $0.75 at Joann’s during Thanksgiving.

LOVE the beard...
LOVE the beard…

1.) Adhere your trinkets to the lid of the mason jar.  We used silicone and let them dry about 24 hours.  I’m sure any type of tough glue would work, but this is what I had on hand.

He's stuck!
He’s stuck!

2.) Fill your jars with water and add glitter.  We filled our up to the neck of the jar and added WAY too much glitter.  I’m thinking a good tablespoon would’ve been more than fine, but hey – the more the merrier, right?!

Who doesn't love glitter?
Who doesn’t love glitter?

3.) Add your trinket and tighten the lid.

Gurgle gurgle
Gurgle gurgle

4.) Give it a good shake!

Adorbs, yes?
Adorbs, yes?

Sawyer had a ton of fun doing this!  She did want to take them to the toy room to which I did say no…but she’s welcome to come shake them in the kitchen anytime she’d like!

Preeeettttyyyyy...
Preeeettttyyyyy…

Happy shaking!

 

{Easy} Christmas Craft

I

love

buttons!

I remember my grandma having a huge canister full of buttons that I would sort through and play with when I was younger.  It was one of my favorite things to do at her house, as silly as that seems.

Wrex has bought most of these for me from auctions or thrifts.  He’s cool like that.

IMG_3287
For decor purposes only – do not eat 😉

Today, we put some to use on a fun, easy, Christmas craft!  You’ll need…

  • tacky glue
  • a felt Christmas tree
  • buttons of your choice
IMG_3277
I like Allene’s tacky glue for something like this.

Then, just get gluing!

IMG_3281
The two-handed squeeze!
IMG_3282
Pick and choose…
IMG_3284
The finished product!
IMG_3285
Super cute, yes?!

When it’s 10 degrees outside and baby brother is asleep in the toy room, you’ve got to have lots to keep you busy indoors!  Sawyer loved sorting through the buttons and picking out what to put where.  I made two more trees that we’ll save to do on another day and then I’m going to figure out something fun to do with the trio.

Anybody else have a button collection!?  Please share!

Tree Time

Before we left for Denver, a certain little girl pleaded to put up the Christmas tree.  She was quite convincing, so despite the extra work, we did just that!

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Daddy has no problem setting the tree up…
IMG_3244
But he’s not a fan of “fluffing” the branches…
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Sawyer was an AWESOME ornament hanger!

Our house doesn’t have just a ton of open space, so our tall skinny tree fits perfectly!

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Seeing this everyday makes me smile.

I’m kind of a traditionalist when it comes to Christmas; I like traditional colors and ornaments that mean something or were passed down or tell a story.

DSCF0783
Jesus! It’s all about Him…

Our tree is full of Wrex and I’s ornaments from when we were younger, along with ones for the kids and ones we got when we were first married, etc.  I LOVE the rich history that is hanging on that tree!

My favorite ornament of Wrexy's...a little hereford calf!
My favorite ornament of Wrexy’s – a little Hereford calf!

We went a little more woodsy this year and added this tree branch garland.  We made this for a friend’s wedding this summer and re-used it as part of our Christmas decor.

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Isn’t it fun?

We collected branches and then Wrex cut them into disks, drilled holes and then threaded twine through them.  I really like how rustic and organic they look.

garland
We might be seeing this at MOPS meeting soon…

I’ve never owned a tree skirt.  I always end up finding something fun (fake snow, felt, etc.) and making due.  This year, I grabbed a couple of burlap feed sacks from the stash I have that is still BEGGING to be made into curtains.  (I’ll get to that…in all of my spare time, ya know.  HA!)  I wrapped them around the base and voila!  Cute enough for me!

burlap
Who doesn’t love burlap anyways?

I love this time of year and all that it represents.  Let us not forget that if we make it about anything other than Jesus the Christ, then it is not Christmas.  He IS the reason we celebrate and decorate and give and feast!  Merry Christmas, friends!

Indeed!
Indeed!

Keep an eye out for a full living room tour this week!

Pinterest Picks

Oh, Pinterest.  I don’t spend as much time with you as I did in the beginning…and that’s more than fine with me…but you’ll always have a special place in my creative heart.  You make organizing for the holidays a lot simpler, as I love having all of my PINspiration in one, easy-to-find place.  I’ve jumped on a few times here lately and these are some of my favorites as of late!  ***Beware – randomness ahead***

These little fellas look so divine…

Apple Pie Cookies
Apple Pie Cookies

One of the cutest mobiles I’ve seen (and simple, too!)…

Seriously cute
Seriously cute

This bunk bed will soon be built for a little cutie that resides in our home…

This lady has some great and EASY plans!  We've made the seesaw - WIN.
This lady has some great and EASY plans! We’ve made the seesaw – WIN.

I need want this!  Better buy some more glue…

How fabulous, yes?!
How fabulous, yes?!

Hysterical. You’re gonna have that song in your head all day now, huh?!

foxI would sip on this if it were in my hand…

Anything coffee is good in my book!
Anything coffee is good in my book!

Lovely.  I think I’m heading to the chicken house again this afternoon…

Oh the things I can do with these!
Oh the things I can do with these!

How incredible is this double shower curtain concept…

Fancy nancy!
Fancy nancy!

Crocheters, Sawyer would DIE for this

I mean c'mon - how adorable is that for the little chicken girl!?
I mean c’mon – how adorable is that for the little chicken girl!?

Great guestbook idea…

Who doesn't love celebrating birthdays?!
Who doesn’t love celebrating birthdays?!

Painted pinecones will be happening soon…

How cute and easy?!
How cute and easy?!

What are some of your favorites you’ve found lately?!  Paste your Pinterest link in the comments so I can follow you!

DIY: Red Hot Applesauce Jello

In the midst of all this sickness, this yummy goodness sounded tasty to me yesterday so I ventured off the couch and made a quick batch.

Red Hot Applesauce Jello
Red Hot Applesauce Jello

The first time I ever had this was at Wrex’s family’s house for Christmas one year and I fell in LOVE.  It’s like Christmas in a bowl!  We have perfected the recipe and its consistency over the years so here is the official recipe.

Red Hot Applesauce Jello – Makes 12+ servings

  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup Red Hots (you can use Cinnamon Imperials if you can’t find Red Hots.  They work….they’re just sugarier, where as the Red Hots add some spice!)
  • 1 packet Knox Gelatin
  • 6 ounces Raspberry Jello
  • 1 large jar of applesauce (5-6 cups)

IMG_30581.) Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a large pot.

2.) Add in 1 cup of Red Hots and boil and stir until dissolved. 

This will make your house smell DIVINE!
This will make your house smell DIVINE!

3.) Slowly add in 1 packet of Knox gelatin to dissolved Red Hot mixture.  Make sure to remove any clumps that may not get dissolved well.  They don’t taste good.  🙂

This will help the recipe not be so soupy.
This will help the recipe not be so soupy.

4.) Mix in 6 ounce of raspberry Jello until dissolved.

IMG_3062
Wrex’s mom says you can use any red Jello, but we prefer raspberry.

5.) Remove from heat and then add jar of applesauce and mix well.

You can use either original or unsweetened.
You can use either original or unsweetened.

6.) Pour mixture into a serving bowl and place in freezer for about 2 hours.  After 2 hours, place in refrigerator.  Don’t forget about this lovely stuff in the freezer; if it does freeze, the ice crystals later melt and it gets soupy and not as good.

There's a LOT of volume here so it really needs freezer time to set it.
There’s a LOT of volume here so it really needs freezer time to set it.

7.) Try not to eat the whole bowl in one sitting.

Seriously, this stuff is delish.  I have a certain pregnant bestie that loves this stuff.  And? I love her so much that when she came to see Wryder the weekend after he was born AND told us she was pregnant herself, I made some in my 5 day postpartum stupor.  She MUST be loved.  Haha

Enjoy!  Let me know how you change it up and what you thought!

 

DIY: Rice Krispie Treat Pumpkins

Each week at Cubbies, one of the little cuties is responsible for bringing back the cookie bucket full of, well, cookies for snack time.  This week was Sawyer’s week.  (Don’t tell me you’re surprised that I signed up for a fun week…)  You don’t have to bring cookies so we decided to make Rice Krispie treat pumpkins and they turned out really cute!

You’ll need:

  • 3 Tablespoons butter
  • 1 package of marshmallows
  • 5 cups of Rice Krispie cereal
  • orange food coloring
  • 15 mini Tootsie Rolls

1.) Melt down your butter and marshmallows over medium heat.

De-lish
De-lish

2.) Add in the food coloring and then coat your Krispies.

Halloween in a bowl
Halloween in a bowl

3.) While these cool, unwrap your Tootsie Rolls.

You should eat a few for good measure
You should eat a few for good measure

4.) Coat your hands in butter and shape your Krispies into a ball of sorts.

IMG_2928
Note the buttery hands

5.) Make a well and insert the Tootsie Roll in top.  We curved ours for a little character.

Perfect pumpkins
Purdy pumpkins

These are super easy and super cute!  Are you seeing a theme here regarding the kinds of projects I like?  🙂

 

DIY: Felt Flowers

How cute are these felt flowers?

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They are SUPER simple (and cheap!) to make and you can do countless things with them.  All you need to create this flower is:

IMG_2850

  • 1 sheet of felt (your color choice)
  • Scissors
  • Pen
  • A round object for tracing
  • Hot glue gun

Step 1: Trace out 6 circles onto the felt.

IMG_2851I used the big end of a coffee cup to make these and ended up with about a 4″ flower.  Then, flip the cup over and cut a smaller circle; you’ll adhere your flowers petals to this smaller circle.

Step 2: Cut out all of your circles.

IMG_2852Step 3: Fold your circles in half, like a taco.  (Yummmm….tacos….)

IMG_2854Step 4: Place a decent sized dot of hot glue in the bottom middle of your taco.

IMG_2855Step 5: Fold your felt taco in half again and pinch it at the bottom.  Allow the glue to dry completely.

IMG_2856You’ll end up with a twirly, cone shape.  Cute, yes?  This is your first petal.  Repeat this with all six of your big circles.

Step 6: Glue four of your petals onto the small circle.

IMG_2858It should look like this once all four are glued on.

IMG_2859Step 7: Put a well of hot glue in the middle of these four petals. 

IMG_2861Step 8: Add the two remaining petals (standing up as opposed to flat) to the center of the flower.

IMG_2863Seriously, aren’t these the cutest?!  You can do sooooo much with them!  I added these guys to a cute frame project I’m working on.

IMG_2864You can make them into name tags, necklaces, package decor – anything you can think of!  If you decide to give these a whirl, let me know what you make with them!

 

 

DIY: Food for the BeBe

When this handsome fella turned 5 months old,

Seriously, such a heartbreaker
Seriously, such a heartbreaker

we decided it was time to start introducing him to solid foods, pureed style, of course.  I had never made my own baby food – we bought jars with Sawyer – but decided I would give it a try this time.  I wanted it to be easy, quick and cost efficient.  HOLY.CATFISH.  It is all of the above!  I will never highly doubt I will ever purchase baby food again!

Saturday, I made peas and green beans.  For both of these purees, I bought frozen vegetables.  (For carrots, sweet potatoes, apples, pears, bananas and squash, I bought fresh.)  Canned foods aren’t ideal because they tend to leach nutrients in to the water or brine they are packed in and they have a lot of preservatives.  Read up here.  The only exception is pumpkin (which WD loves) because it isn’t cooked or packed in water, prior to canning.

To make pureed peas…

Step 1 – Cook your peas as directed on the packaging.

LOVE this pan
LOVE this pan

Step 2 – Drain (but save your water) and put peas in your appliance of choice for pureeing.  I chose the food processor this time (though a blender usually gets them smoother) because I knew I was going to press them through a strainer later.  This is recommended for peas because the skins are a little hard for baby to eat.

Making mush
Making mush

You may have to add some of your reserve water to help make a smoother puree.  (You can use formula or bottled water, too.)  After pureeing, you’ll end up with something like this:

A little too grainy
A little too grainy

It’s a little too grainy, due to the pea skins, for baby’s first foods.  Here’s where the strainer or sieve comes in.

Step 3 – Work puree through the strainer.

Use some muscle!
Use some muscle!

You’ve really got to push the peas to get the nice, silky puree you’re looking for.  I used a bowl to press this and ended up with a beautiful, Jeanie-green blend!

Isn't it pretty?
Isn’t it pretty?

We fed the leftovers, which looks a lot like guacamole, to the chickens.

Where's the chips?
Where are the chips?

Step 4 – Place into ice cube trays and freeze.

I haven't used ice trays in ages
I haven’t used ice trays in ages

Each ice cube is about 1 ounce so it’s an easy way to measure out how much you’re feeding baby.  Once frozen, I put mine in a dated Ziploc bag and toss them in the freezer.

DSCF0617
Once frozen, your baby food cubes will keep for 3-6 months.

When it’s time to feed your munchkin, take out the number of cubes (ounces) your baby will eat.  You can thaw them in the refrigerator (overnight) or microwave them or by submerging a small bowl of cubes into a larger bowl of hot water.  Thawed purees can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 72 hours.

To date, I’ve made around 130 ounces of food for about $10!  No joke – it really is the way to go.  On average, baby food in the store is $0.40/ounce and I’m making it for about $0.07/ounce.  To some, that might not be worth it, but for us it most definitely is.

Start to finish, this was the most labor-intensive puree I’ve made and it still only took about 30ish minutes.

Give it a try if you have the time; your kiddo and your bank account will thank you.

Fall Living Room Tour

As my About Me page dictates, I looooooooooooooooooove fall!  I love everything about it!

I’m a snuggler – fall’s good for that!

I love pumpkin – fall’s good for that!

I love football – fall’s good for that!

I love overcast weather – fall’s good for that!

I love all things cozy – fall’s good for that!

I love hot coffee – well, anytime’s good for that but – fall’s good for that!

With this chilly, overcast day making it REALLY feel autumnal, I decided to take you on a little living room tour, fall style.  Here are a few things I love that make it feel cozy in our family room.

I am a lover of words so I have a few fun, chatty prints scattered about our living space.

crate and prints
It’s fall ya’ll

I don’t know why I’m so drawn to that apples one, but I have quite an affinity for it.  It might just stay up post-Christmas, too.

Wrexy hand-painted these pilgrims and indians when he was around 9 years old and I think they’re adorable (like him).

pilgrims and indians
The first Thanksgiving on a single shelf

I put them out last year but had them on our coffee table.  I’m thinking they work better up high so little hands aren’t too tempted.  This one is my favorite

Papoose
Papoose

the indian momma with her little papoose baby.  Aren’t they sweet?

Our picture window needed a little color (color is GOOD!) so I made this felt leaf garland that I think turned out pretty cute.

leafy
See that overcast goodness outside?!

These were super simple to make!  I just free-handed a leaf shape, traced it onto multiple colors of felt and cut them out.  Then, I had Wrex thread the yarn through the leaves (that felt can be kinda tough to poke through.)  Told ya it was simple!  😉

Told ya it was simple!
Thankful for the hubs

I really dig reclaimed wood and I think this tree is so fun.  I always have something hanging from the hooks and the twine, so for fall, I just did a berry wreath and a few more seasonal prints (that I’m betting little Wryder will attempt to pull down as he’s in his circle of neglect jumper.)  We’ll use the actual branches come November when we add leaves to make a thankful tree.

tree wall
If a tree grows in a living room…

Yes, yes indeed.
Yes, yes indeed.

This is above Sawyer’s and my desk where we do our preschool and computer work.  I think the girl in the leaves is super cute; she’s just kinda whimsical and trendy and nonchalant all rolled into one.  Plus, she has curly hair – who doesn’t love a girl with curly hair?  Sawyer is in love with that little jack-o-lantern, so I put it where she can see it during our lessons.

Inspiration
Inspiration

There are other random pumpkins in a few more nooks and crannies around the room, too.

You can't have fall without pumpkins
You can’t have fall without pumpkins

All of these warm oranges and reds make it feel extra cozy in here.  Now if only I had a fireplace…and some Red Raider football on TV……….