These are a few of my favorite things: March's 10

I haven't really had much time this month to actually get much crafting in, but I keep my promises, so here is a list of some great upcycled crafts that I have been dying to try (and will when I have the time).

by Stuff To Craft

1. Soda Bottle Sprinkler (free if you already have a hose)

I love this idea. And as soon as I plant my flowers in the yard, I will be using this to water them.

by Veseys

2. Slinky bird feeder ($2 for the loop)

This is awesome! It looks great and it's so creative. This website is selling the bird feeder already made but you could make your own with a slinky, a metal loop and peanuts.

by Infarrently Crafts

3. Shrinky Dinky (free)

All you need is some of those plastic salad to go containers and some markers. Awesome!

By Plum Adorable

4. Bleach pen shirts ($4 if you don't already have a bleach pen)

I am so excited for this. I love the idea of making an otherwise ordinary tee, into something super cute!



5. Foam Stamp (free once you order take out)

So simple yet I wouldn't have ever thought of it. Take a old Styrofoam container and carve a design on it. Instant stamp!

by Indestructible

6.  Upcycled crayons (Free, if you already have the molds)
You've probably heard of melting your old crayons down and melting them in muffin pans, but how about those awesome chocolate or oven safe soap molds? It makes for some cute new crayons.

by Groove Press

7. Earing holder (.99cents for that grater at the thrift store)

In the words of Martha Stewart "It's a good thing." Love it!

By Duo Fiberworks

8. Sweater pots (Free if you already have an old sweater and plastic pots)
What a great way to reuse old sweaters. I have so many, and am excited to try this.

by Crafty Endeavor

9. Yarm Garland ($2.00 of the balloons)

I love this idea and it doesn't have to be used just for Easter.

By Ikat Bag

10. Mail Box (free)

Liana loves to check our mail and I bet she would love it even more if she could have her own mail box. Going to have to make this one for sure next time I get a big box!














There are tons more awesome crafty ideas out there that I just can't wait to try. But they will have to wait, cause I am busy making busy bags! More to come on that....

Confession #18: Building is not just for boys.

I found a blog by Ana White on making a reading nook. It seemed so awesome and it had simple instructions. I followed her directions on how to make the frame. The only difference is that I used smaller screws to secure the base. I left like it would crack the wood with the screws that she had me use.

I couldn't find a curtain that I liked at our local thriftstore but I did find a cute duvet cover for less than $2.00. So I cute the cover in half, and hung one side onto the frame. I measured and trimmed and repeated with the other side. I trimmed the cover on all four sides. I also used the leftover trimmings to make the loops at the top. I made them the same way you would make bias tape. I pinned them on top the top of the cover while it was connected to the frame. So that way I knew they were in the right place. I made 6 smaller bias strips for the back. Pinned them and sewed them on.

Finally I threaded them onto the top rod (just like they say to do in the blog). Beautiful! It only took me one evening to do the sewing. And less than that to build the base.

I draped the cover over to measure

Trim all four edges of each side

I made fourteen large loops (bias strips) and 6 thin ones

Making the bias strips

Sewing all the strips on.

All the strips are pinned

Once sewed, thread on all the strips (every other one)

This side done!

The back with 6 ties.

Sharing the nook with friends!

She must have loved it!

And as always I did this barefoot (well, I did ware shoes while I drilled holes in the wood outside). I am so happy with the result of this project. I decided not to staple the bottom like Ana did in her blog. I want to be able to wash the cover if need be. So I made 12 more thing bias strips and tied the cover secure at the bottom. Hope this inspires you to create your own special fort for your child. It was so simple, and fun.
And under $20! You can't beat that!

Confession #17: Traveling with kids CAN be fun

Sorry (again) for the lack of blogging. I guess I have been too busy with life. haha
Well, I don't really know how to put our trip to the Dominican Republic in words. All I can say is that it was wonderful. Living down there two years ago was at times vary hard. Manly because teaching in an unorganized, undisciplined school comes with many challenges and grey hairs. But going back down there for Operation Christmas Child was another story. We saw this country in a whole other light. Our students were more enjoyable and it was stress free. Perfect! God sure blessed us throughout our trip.
We helped distribute many boxes to many different kids throughout the country. It was a great experience for us and our daughter. Liana enjoyed every minute of the trip. She would have probably been happy if we had never come back to the states.
I am having a hard time putting our trip into words, so here are some photos for your viewing pleasure. So kick off your shoes and relax

Liana dancing with the sunday school girls

A sleep on Jhonn

Some of the girls share their boxes with Liana

Letting Liana help open her box

Low rider!

Sean is praying for a girl in the hospital

Surprize!

Visiting our old school

What's so funny?

Making friends

The Janssens at the beach

Enjoying her new shades

Confession #16: Granola bars should never be store bought

I know it's been a while since I last blogged, and I'm sorry for that, but I am right now in finals week of school so I have been busy pulling my hair out! I plan on writing a little bit about our trip to the Dominican Republic but for now I am just going to give you the best granola bar recipe (that's peanut free) that I have come across. I am making this right now! I am using the first part as a base and going from there.
Mix 1 cup homemade apple sauce with 1 tea cinn and 3/4 tea homemade van extract. Add in 2 1/2 cup oatmeal. And I expanded from there.
1st Batch: 1 cup crushed walnuts and almonds and 1 cup crazins and raisins.
2nd Batch: 1/2 cup chocolate chips, 1/2 cup crazins, 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
3rd Batch: 1 cup marshmallows and 1 cup chocolate chips

Recipe inspired by Brown Eyed Baker

Enjoy! And I will be posting regularly again next week.

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things: Feb's 10

The Janssens are heading out tomorrow for the Dominican Republic. My husband and I lived there for 8 months teaching English almost two years ago. We are going back to see old friends, show off our baby (I was 20 weeks pregnant when we left) and help out with OCC. Even though the Janssen house is crazy right now I promised you I would do a posting once a month on my favorite recycled crafts, and I didn't want to let you down. So, kick off your shoes (I, that reminds me I still need to pack shoes) and get your craft on.

The Crafty Crow

1. Cork Snake by The Crafty Crow (free)

This was so easy to make and fun for my daughter to play with. I have been collecting corks for many projects and stumbled upon this one a few days ago. I just had to make it. Click on the link above for more great gift ideas you can make your kids.

El Mundo Del Reciclaje

2. Plastic jug turned bucket from El Mundo Del Reciclaje (free)
Ok, the directions for this are in Spanish but the photo pretty much speaks for itself. It was super simple and great for taking to the beach, pool, or just planing with in the back yard.










3. Crayon Holder by Brown Paper Packages ($1, for the crayons)
I found this idea on pinerest through Brown Paper Packages. I don't know if it was her idea or if she just pinned it from someone but there wasn't a link. Either way, it's a great idea! I am bringing crayons on our plane ride and was excited to put them in this case. So simple, but so awesome.

Ana White

4. Reading Nook by Ana White (under $20)
The recycled aspect of this one is that I used an old sheet for the sides. I haven't quite finished mine, but I am super excited about it.

The Crafty Crow

5. Cork Stamps by The Crafty Crow (free)
I love stamps and these are free and easy to make. And my daughter loves using them. This blog also has a whole bunch of other cork craft ideas.

 6. Canning Lid Colors (free, using scrap paper)
I got the idea from Brown Paper Packages but she used frozen juice lids instead of canning lids. I canned alot this summer/fall so I have tons of these lying around. I am glad they were put to good use. The back side of each lid says the name of the color.

7. Crib Makeover by Apartment Therapy (free, using an old crib)

My grandma gave me an old crib (about the size of a bassinet). And when I found this crib makeover on pinterst I knew that I wanted to make it. As soon as I put the crib together Liana grabbed all her dolls and tucked them in. Even though I was planning on making it a desk, I decided that Liana sees it as a doll bed. And it just so happened that her old changing table pad was just the perfect size.

8. The Better Bolder Wipey Holder by Crafty Mama (free, using scrap fabric)
I bought Abby Pecoriello's book Crafty Mama a couple years ago and love it. I have made tons of awesome fast crafts from her book. This one only requires fabric, ribbon, an old wipe box and a glue gun. So easy. I use it to keep Liana's finger nail clippers, brush (in case she needs it sometimes), etc.

9. Egg carton Planter by Tiffany C'de Baca Moncada (free if you can get seeds someone)                                                                          One of the first MOPS meetings I went to was in the Spring. Tifffany showed us how to start seeds in an old egg shell carton. I had never tried that before. The seeds I planted that day turned into the tomatoes and peppers I canned that Summer. If you have never done this before check out Austin Children's Museum website for more info.

10. Glass Jar Terrarium by Craft Zone (free if you already have potting soil)There is an endless possibility of what you can put in your terrarium. They are pretty much free too! I used an old pickle jar, moss and rocks from my yard, and potting soil I already had.

Ok there you have it. I am off to finish packing, see you in March.

Confession 15: Giveaways make me happy!

I love free stuff. Who doesn't? So I wanted to let everyone know about the awesome giveaway happening at Ball Hank n Skein. Check it out before it's too late!

http://www.ballhanknskein.blogspot.com/2012/02/focus-on-photography-conversation-and.html

Vanessa's It List: The Top 8 Reasons I Need a Bigger Kitchen

Well I am finally done with midterms (killer) so I thought I would drop a line and give you a taste of what I have been doing this last week when I should have been studying. Keep in mind that my kitchen is probably the size of your bathroom! Hope you enjoy, and I hope I passed my exams. Eek. I studied barefoot, hope that helped. 
The Top 8 (sorry I ran out of time) Reasons I Need a Bigger Kitchen

Reason #1. Homemade Pasta

I tried making pasta for the first time. I used whole wheat on the first batch and I wished I had done half whole wheat, half white (which is exactly what I did the second time around). They were great. Thank you Pioneer Woman for the recipe.

Mr. Dry meet Mr Wet

 Reason #2 CranCocoOat Cookies.
I was really craving cookies the other day but didn't have any chocolate chips, so I came up with this recipe.

Recipe:

Wish I had taken them out a few minutes earlier

3/4 cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup grapeseed oil ( I used Wildtree) 
1 large egg 
½ teaspoon vanilla extract (make you own)
½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup whole wheat flour
1 ½ cups whole oats
½ cup coconut flakes (I used unsweetened
¾ cup craisins

Mix the top 5 ingredence together until smooth. In seporate bowl, mix the next four ingredence. Add to wet mixture. Stir in coconut and crazins. Line baking sheet with partchment paper or Silpads and drop a spoon full at a time onto the sheet. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 8-11 minutes (more like 8 if you have my oven). Cool on a wire rack and enjoy with milk!

I also made a plan chewy coconut cookie. It was awesome too.

                                             Reason  #3 Soft Pretzels

 I am a carb addicts so I was excited to see if I could turn my pizza dough into soft pretzels. The verdict: Yes, I can!

First off prepare the pizza dough just like my directions (click here for recipe) but instead of pulling the dough into two equal balls, make 6 balls. After those have set for 15 minutes roll the balls out one at a time and twist into the pretzel shape.

 Mix together 1 cup of water and 1 teaspoon baking soda. Dip each pretzel into the baking soda water and place on a lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt and cook in a preheated 450 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. (my oven is wack so it only cook 8 mins). While they are cooking melt 2 tablespoons butter. Take pretzles out of the oven and brush with butter. Place on a wire rack, with something underneath them to cetch the drips, and cool. 

Sweet and Creamy Mustard dip:
 (thank you Food network!)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup dijon mustard

3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
The brown mustard shown is from my friend Erin (thanks!).

Reason #4 Onion Bread Twists

Oh So Onion Twists

So keeping with my love for pizza dough, I made some soft bread sticks. Prepare pizza dough as directed but devide dough into 6 equal balls instead of 2. After 15 minutes roll into long logs (about 18 inches) and twists. Hold the two ends together and let it twist onto it's self. Pinch the ends a little so that they hold together and place on a lined cookie sheet.  Mix 2 tablespoons of grapeseed oil (I used Wildtree) and 2 teaspoons seasonining of your choice (I used Wildtree Oh So Onion Blend). Brush each twist with seasons oil and place in a pre heated 450 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. When you take them out you can brush them with a little more oil and cool on a wire rack. Yum!

Cimmamon Sugar Twists

Bonus: Craving something sweet? Change it up and sub the onion blend for 2 teaspoons sugar and 1/4 tea cinnamon.

The production Line

        Reason  #5 Butternut Squash Ravioli
Since I had mastered the art of making pasta (or atleast attempted it a few times), I decided to try my favorite: butternut squash ravioli!. I didn't know what I was doing so I jack a recipe from food.com

Blueberry, blackberry, orange and plain yogurt

Reason #6: Flavored Yogurt
So we have been unjoying our homemade yogurt a lot lately, but I wanted to change things up so I added 1 cup of frozen blueberries to 1 quart of yogurt. I threw it into the food processor and...tada: blueberry yogurt! I did the same with blackberries and frozen orange juice concentrate. I want to try strawberries when they come in season. And you could always mix in maple syrup (thanks Kopavi for that tip) and honey. And don't forget the ground flax seed!
 So good and only simple.

Bean and rice burrito

Reason # 7 Homemade Tortillas

I got my recipe from The Urban Spork. It was so simple. The only change I made was I did 1/2 whole wheat flour and 1/2 white flour. And I added 1/4 cup ground flax seed (I pretty much add this to everything).

Crackers can be any shape!

Reason # 8 Homemade Crackers

I have made over 10 different recipes of crackers since this year started.
These are my favorites:

Fishes by Miss Anthropistic Kitchen

Cheeze crackers by Happy Smple Living

Ritz by Cupcake Project

Olive Oil Crackers by Yes I Want Cake

Most of the time with these crackers if it called for all purpose flour I used 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 white flour. And of course, I added a little ground flax seed. 



The snack that smiles back...

Also I want to note that I think in order to prevent your crackers from burning (my first batch was runied), I cut the cook time almost in half and put them in the dehydrator for a couple of hours. This way they crisp up and wont burn! (Yes, I'm a genious)

Ok, there's 8 reasons why I need a bigger kitchen. Now if I can make all of this in a kitchen the size of a standard bathroom, what's your excuse?