The Pursuit of Happiness

Footprint Valentines

2012-01-30T06:00:00.000-06:00

Connor is only 5 months old, but I'm already making him do crafts! We did something similar for Halloween and everyone loved it, so I figured we'd do one for his first Valentine's Day too.

Like we did last time, painting projects seem to work best in the bathroom and right by the bathtub. I sat him in his little tub on the bathroom counter and he giggled. My craftiness is rubbing off on him!

I used some fingerpaint and a foam brush to apply it to his feet.

It worked best to leave him sitting in the tub and bring the paper up to his foot to stamp it.

On the back side, I printed out a little poem that I found online. (Sorry, I forgot to write down the source, so if it's yours, let me know)

S.W.A.K. (Sealed with a kiss) and mailed out to some friends and family for the holiday!

Valentine's Day Decorating

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-06:00

I'm embarrassed to say I'm a little behind on the decorating this year. I love decorating for Valentine's Day because it's a holiday about love and has nothing to do with religion. I also think the decor & accessories are so cute, so it's tempting to want to buy & make it all!

Time to bring out some of my favorites!

Felt Heart Wreath
This was all the rage with my friends last year. I ended up making a bunch of them when they all wanted their own!

Glittery XO Letters
I love these and I can just stick them in random places in the house to make it look a little more festive.

Paper Hearts Banner
This was a quickie project I did while watching tv a couple years ago. I wish I would have laminated it, but it's still holding up pretty well.
Happy decorating! Hopefully, I'll get to mine this weekend!

DIY Sew Pacifier Clips

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

Wow, looking back at these photos make me realize how much he's grown since I took them! Anyway, my cute son, Connor, is obsessed with his BFF - the pacifier. We always make sure he has one with him at all times. I got a couple pacifier clips for my baby shower, but I get sick of seeing the same ones all the time. Why not make a few of my own?

I based my measurements on the pacifier clips we already had since they seemed to work pretty well for us. I used a small piece of fabric that was about 4" x 10".

I folded both edges towards the middle and pinned them.

Then I ironed the folded fabric as shown below.

Once I unpinned, I folded the edges in towards the middle again.

I just used a simple straight stitch to close the fabric strap.

Most craft store sell these clips. I took my fabric strip and folded it over the metal loops.

To hide the unfinished edge, I just folded the fabric over a little and sewed it closed on the sewing machine.

On the other side of the fabric strip, I folded the edge over and sewed it closed too.

To add the loop, I made a tiny cut in the top of the strip.

I stuffed both ends of the loop inside and pinned them to the fabric.

Using my sewing machine, I just sewed back and forth a few times to keep the loop from coming loose.

And here's Connor showing off his new paci clip!

Very easy and fun to make them to match different outfits!

Angel Food Cake Roll

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-06:00

This is a great dessert for a few reasons:
1. It's pretty healthy. You can eat as much as you want and not feel guilty!
2. You can alter it in any way you want with different flavors.

With that said, you have no reason not to try it!

Adapted from here
Ingredients:
• 1 package angel food cake mix
• confectioners' sugar
• 2 - 8 oz. containers of low-fat yogurt (we used strawberry)
• 1 oz. package instant sugar-free vanilla pudding mix
• 5 drops red food coloring (to make the filling more strawberry pink)
• 8 oz. container non-fat Cool Whip

Line a jelly roll baking pan with waxed paper. (I forgot we had a jelly roll pan, so we used a cookie sheet and a 9x13 baking dish which both worked great.)

Prepare angel food cake according to package directions. Pour batter into prepared pan. (My batter made enough for 2 cakes)

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes.

Turn cake onto a kitchen towel dusted with confectioners' sugar. Gently peel off the waxed paper.

In a bowl, combine the yogurt, pudding mix, food coloring, and whipped topping.

Spread mixture evenly over cake to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up.

Cover and freeze. Remove from freezer 30 minutes before slicing.

After reading some of the comments on the original recipe, I found out all the different ways you can make filling with different flavors of pudding and yogurt. Even ice cream or jelly work!

Craft room organization

2012-01-03T06:03:00.000-06:00

As I organize my craft room, I wanted to come up with ways to store my supplies so they would be neat, clean and easy to get to.

Remember my last post about the cute labels I made for these plastic storage totes?

I want to show you the rest of the organization ideas I came up with in the room. I filed all my patterns and instructions for projects I've done in these file folders.

When we moved into our house, each room came with a set of Container Store wire drawers in every closet. Score! So instead of having all my fabric in plastic bags and huge boxes, I separated them by color and put them in the drawers.

These are quickly getting filled up!

I love how this looks and everything is so much more accessible.

If you'd like to see some of the other craft room projects I've done, go here for my DIY curtains, here for my sewing desk chair makeover, here for the pretty dresser makeover, and here for the coffee cup flower pot tutorial.

Linking up at these fun parties!

Really? You really love me?

2011-12-28T11:00:00.002-06:00

I was beyond shocked that I hit 600 followers today.

I don't spend nearly the amount of time that I would like crafting, sharing & meeting other bloggers, but you all know how life gets busy. Thanks for sticking with me and always leaving me such sweet comments!

So as this year comes to a close and my blog hits a milestone, I wanted to wish all my friends out there a HAPPY NEW YEAR and a wonderful 2012!

The Best of 2011

2011-12-27T07:35:00.000-06:00

This is the 3rd year I've done a year recap and it's always fun to look back and see everything we've accomplished during the past 12 months.

Project: What did you start this year that you're proud of?

The fireplace was the first project we started on when we moved into our house over 2 years ago. It was a bit too much to take on right away, but after many months, we finally had a beautiful fireplace and mantel to look at! See the amazing transformation here.

Another big project we tackled was the wood buffet we put in our family room. After major drama with the store we bought it from closing unexpectedly and filing for bankruptcy and then dealing with attempting to stain and paint in the middle of winter in the garage, we finally finished it! It's so great for storage and it fits perfectly in the space. See all the drama and more photos here.

Recipes: The yummiest cooking from the past year

Asian-inspired chicken tacos

Whoopie Pies

Best Craft: What got your creative juices flowing?

This is so hard to pick! I had to decide on a few of my favorites to share...

Valentine's Day XO letters

Felt Flower Spring Wreath

Initial Pillow

Initial Crayon Frame

Sock Monkey

Night Out: Did you have a night out with friends or a loved one that rocked your world? Who was there? What was the highlight of the night?
I can't say I had many (or any) of these in 2011. Considering I was pregnant or had a newborn baby for the entire time, there weren't too many nights that I was out. Since that doesn't apply, I'll go with one of my favorite days out - my baby shower. It was so much fun to see all my family & friends who came to celebrate the upcoming birth. Everyone was so generous to give us such wonderful gifts.

Challenge: Something that really made you grow this year. That made you go to your edge and then some. What made it the biggest challenge of the year for you?
Nothing has made me grow more than becoming a mom to an adorable little boy. I'm so happy to have him and I feel so fulfilled. The "pursuit of happiness" is now a lot easier to achieve with him around!

The Best Place:
Without a doubt, my favorite place this year was the nursery. This room was a work in progress for most of the year, but we finally finished it just in time for the arrival of the baby. See the details and decor here.

New Food:
Circus peanuts. Hubby apparently used to like these as a kid so his grandma bought him some at Thanksgiving. He forced me to try one. Ewww. Not a fan.
Best Accomplishment:
I survived pregnancy, childbirth and being a new mom! My baby blog documented my infertility, BFP, pregnancy, and the birth of the baby if you're interested in reading. I'm so proud to have gone through all of this and come out happier than ever with a beautiful new son that I love.

New person/people:
Of course, this has to be Connor. The newest addition to our family!

Web Tool:
I think most people would say Pinterest, but I'm avoiding getting addicted to that by staying away. This sounds so minor, but this year I figured out how to cut & paste images in blogger when I'm writing posts. This saved me so much time!

My goals for 2012:

• Continue to enjoy every moment with my baby son

• Finish updating all the doors & trim in the house

• Try to start cooking a little more again (I got a little side-tracked in 2011 with being pregnant and crazy house renovations)

Cranberry Pumpkin Biscotti

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000-06:00

I had a strange craving recently...for biscotti! I'm not sure why, but it sounded really goods and I kept thinking about how yummy it would be dipped in coffee or milk. I made some for myself and also to bring to work and they were gobbled up very quickly!

Adapted from From Apples 2 Zucchini

Ingredients:
• 4 1/2 c. flour

• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 3 eggs

• 1 1/3 c. sugar

• 3/4 c. canned pumpkin puree

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1/2 cup applesauce

• 1 c. fresh cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt.

In large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until the sugar dissolves and the eggs become pale yellow and foamy. Add the pumpkin and vanilla and mix. Slowly stir in the applesauce and cranberries.

Carefully mix in the flour mixture until the dough forms a ball.

Lightly cover your hands with flour and mold the dough into a 4 inch by 14 inch log.

Carefully pick up the dough and place on the baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

Bake for 50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and feels firm.

Let the biscotti cool to room temperature. Then uses a serrated knife to cut 1/2-inch slices.

Place slices back on the baking sheet cut side down and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, or until they are crisp and golden brown. For a softer cookie, bake them a little less.

Let biscotti cool and serve with coffee or milk.

Dipping in milk! YUM!

Edible Marshmallow Hanukkah Dreidels

2011-12-14T06:00:00.000-06:00

Hanukkah is coming soon! I'm very excited this year because it's Connor first Festival of Lights! It's also later this year so it makes things a lot easier for me and I feel like I can get more into the holiday spirit.

I have a lot of coworkers that celebrate Christmas and don't know very much about Jewish holidays. Since we're taking turns bringing in holiday treats every day for the next 2 weeks, I decided to make mine into a mini teaching lesson as well as a tasty treat.

Edible Dreidels!

Thanks to Danielle at Mostly Food & Crafts for this idea I saved from last year. All you need are marshmallows, thin pretzel sticks, peanut butter, and Hershey kisses.

And if you're interested in more info about the dreidel or how to play the dreidel game, go here

Easy 50¢ Snowflake Ornaments

2011-12-12T06:00:00.000-06:00

I was looking for some easy ornament gifts for family members to show off Connor's holiday photos. When I was at Joanns, I noticed these felt snowflakes and rhinestone stickers for $1 each.

To turn the snowflake into a frame opening, I cut out the middle section. The left snowflake shows how they looked when I bought them and the right snowflake shows how I cut out the middle.

Then I used the little rhinestones to accessorize the snowflake because...well, why not?

To make a backing for the frame, I used some white glitter felt and traced around the snowflake shape.

The turned out to be stars which is kinda cute!

Then I traced around the snowflake again so I would have the right size photo for the opening.

I glued the back of the photo to the felt star backing using some Elmer's glue.

And then I glued the photo onto the back of the snowflake and let it dry. I had to glue the corners again just to keep the edges down.

Using a large needle, I added a silver ribbon to the top of the snowflake.

Because I'm a crafty hoarder, I save old holiday cards. I found a glitter snowflake one and cut out a little piece to use as a label on the back of the frame.

We don't have a tree up this year (sad face), so I don't have any fun photos of it on a tree branch. But I'm sure it will look nice on the trees of the family members that get one!

My Favorite Hanukkah Projects

2011-12-08T06:00:00.000-06:00

In honor of Hanukkah coming up, I wanted to share some of my favorite Hanukkah posts from the past few years. Those of you who celebrate know it's challenging to find fun crafts and decor ideas when everything is Christmas. Hope this helps spark some ideas!

Spin the Dreidel Wood Blocks

Stuffed Dreidel

Glittery Hanukkah Banner

And for some Hanukkah food...

Cupcake Menorah

Apricot Kugel

Sew a Baby Santa Hat

2011-12-05T06:00:00.000-06:00

Here's a secret: I have an obsession with dressing my baby up in cute outfits and taking photos. The best part about little ones is that you can dress them up however you want! Maybe he'll be embarrassed in 10 years, but for right now, I love it. This little Santa hat was really easy to make and it was nice to have a hat that actually fit his little head!

To make sure the hat fit, I used one of his other hats as a template on 2 pieces of stretchy red knit fabric.

I traced around the hat and then altered the design slightly to be more of a Santa hat shape.

Then I cut it out and sewing around the edge, but left an opening at the top for the furry ball.

I had a small piece of white fur left over from my fur-trimmed tree skirt I made last year and it worked perfectly for this hat.

I folded up the bottom edge of the hat and sewed around it.

Then I added some fur trim along the edge and sewed it on.

For the puff at the top, I took a small piece of fur and rolled it into a thin cylinder. I quickly hand-stitched it closed so it wouldn't unravel.

The fur roll got placed in the opening at the top of the hat and I used the sewing machine to attach it.

Just to add a little more fur, I sewed on another thin strip along the top.

And here's my little elf! Not so happy here, but he's still cute!

That pacifier always solves the problem : )

Baby Taggie Stuffed Football

2011-11-28T06:00:00.000-06:00

Every Sunday, Connor and his Daddy watch football. Sunday is Mommy's resting & shopping day! Anyway, I always say that he needs a little football outfit for Sundays, but all his football-themed clothing is still too big. So I made him a little football toy...that's also too big! He'll grown into it : )

I followed the pattern from The Train to Crazy with a few changes of my own. I had this thick white woven strips leftover from the belt I made. I reinforced the ends so they wouldn't fray.

I cut 7 inch pieces of ribbon for the taggies.

Then I pinned everything together and sewed the taggies on.

Using the fabric pattern from the link above, I cut my football-shaped fabric and put everything together.

With the right sides in, I sewed the football together and left an opening for stuffing.

I also added a few small jingle bells inside the stuffing to add some noise for the baby.

After stuffing the football, I hand-stitched the small opening closed.

Here he is showing off his new football! (Not too excited that day, but oh well...)

And since we're in Bears territory, I also made a Chicago Bears football.

DIY Brooch Bracelet

2011-11-21T06:00:00.001-06:00

I hope you stopped by Bella Before and After where I was guest-posting on Friday about these super easy brooch bracelets I made. Bella is such a sweet blogger that I've gotten to know during the past year or so. Be sure to stop by and check out her fabulous blog and link up to her Amaze Me August link parties every Tuesday.

If you didn't catch my post, here's a recap...

I was out shopping one day to find some jewelry for a dress and I came across this really cute idea. There was a whole display of beaded bracelets with a really pretty brooch holding them together. I had no idea it was a brooch until I really took a look at it when I tried it on. Very cool idea and most of us can make them with things we have at home already!

If you're like me, you save your jewelry through the years and never want to throw it out. I only wear my favorite things, but I save a lot of it in case it comes back into style or I have something that would match it perfectly. I had some of those groups of beaded bracelets that were so popular a couple years ago. I found 3 or 4 bunches that I've collected in the past 10 years.

I also had some pretty brooches that I've collected over the past 10 years. I even found one that my mom gave me from the early 90's! It's so simple to just clip it on to some bracelets and you have a cute new accessory!

These rhinestone bracelets are probably 11 years old and the brooch came from some blazer I bought maybe 5 years ago. But together, they're so fun!

This is the brooch from my mom that she used to wear years ago. I paired it with these fun gold, pearl & rhinestone bracelets from Forever 21.

Can't beat a craft that takes 2 minutes and gets tons of compliments!

I also want to send a quick HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my Hubby today! Love you!

Lowfat & Easy Pumpkin Cake

2011-11-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

I can't miss out on all the pumpkin goodness this year! I made a few minutes to squeeze in a couple fun pumpkin treats including this semi-healthy & sweet pumpkin cake.

Adapted from here

Ingredients:
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 cup flour
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 t pumpkin pie spice
• powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 9x9 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine butter, brown sugar and eggs in a large bowl.

Add in applesauce and pumpkin puree.

Mix the flour, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice and then stir into the liquid mixture.

Pour into baking pan and bake for about 25 minutes.

Let cake cool and then top with powdered sugar.

Hubby warmed it and topped it with butter and I ate mine plain with some cold milk. Both ways were delicious!

Blogging with one hand...

2011-11-14T06:00:00.004-06:00

Yep, I've done a lot of blogging and commenting on your blogs with one hand in the last 3 months - One hand on the keyboard and one hand holding the baby while I breastfeed.

The last 3 months have gone by way too quickly and now it's just about time to get back to "normal" life or my new normal which is life as a working mom. I go back to work on Tuesday. :::sigh::: I know a lot of you are working moms and I don't know how you do it. I really thought it would be a lot easier than it's turning out to be.

While I don't want to go back to work, I do miss my coworkers and the gossip. I also miss blogging and being about to chat with YOU more often. (Ok, I admit it. I blog at work when I have time.)

I know I promised this blog would remain a fun crafty, DIY & cooking blog, so I won't overload you with the baby gushing. I decided to make my baby blog public (for now at least), so if you're interested in reading it, go here.

But before I end this post, I can't help but add a few of my favorite photos from the last three months!

Parmesan Garlic Green Beans

2011-11-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

It's hard to get people to eat veggies when they don't like them. So what can you do to make them a little tastier? Add some cheese and spices and they suddenly become a lot more appetizing! I want to thank Christina's Taste Test Project for this awesome recipe.

Ingredients:
• 2 cups fresh green beans
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• salt & pepper
• parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400.

Pour green beans in a large bowl.

Mix olive oil, salt & pepper and parmesan cheese with the green beans.

Toss to coat green beans evenly.

Spread green beans on a baking dish. Cook for 15 minutes or beans turn a light golden brown.

Tons of flavor and very good!

Planning for the holidays

2011-10-31T06:00:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's already getting to that time! I try to get holiday planning done early so I'm not stressed when it gets closer. Also, Hanukkah tends to be earlier in December (or even November sometimes) so I like to start early. Luckily, this year Hanukkah is late so we have more time to enjoy the holidays and get in the holiday spirit.

I'm super excited to send out our first-ever photo cards showing off our new little bundle of joy! I've been racking my brain trying to come up with some fun photo ideas. What mom doesn't love taking tons of pics of their little one and dressing them up in cute outfits?

Because we're a mixed religion household, it can be hard to find cards that all our family & friends can enjoy. However, Shutterfly has a lot of options that I really love. I'm thinking about one of the holiday cards from here such as:

Charming Snowflakes

Simply Love

Modern Warm Wishes

And while I'm ordering, I may have to get a cute photo calendar for my desk at work because a mom can never have too many photos of her baby! If I have to be back at work, I need to have lots of pics of the little guy around me.
Just to make things even easier, I'm thinking about buying some personalized photo gifts this year for family & friends. I gave a few of these out last year and everyone loved them!

What kind of holiday cards are you planning to send out?

Halloween Footprint Card

2011-10-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

I've been looking for some fun crafts to do with Connor (getting him started early!) and this was the perfect project for us!

I had some old black cards & envelopes I've been saving since I was in high school. (Hello, pack rat!) Finger paint doesn't come in white, but I used some acrylic paint that washes off really easily.

Planning for a mess, I did this on the bathroom counter with a plastic bag under the baby. On the other side of the sink was his bath tub so I could drop him right in after we finished. For itty bitty babies, I'd suggest painting the bottom of their foot and bringing the paper up to their foot while they lay flat. It worked a lot better than holding them up and trying to stamp their foot on the paper.

I used a black marker to draw eyes on the ghosts and a silver marker to write on the cards.

On the inside of each card, I put a photo of Connor in his pumpkin hat that I made. (I was planning on putting a photo of him in his costume, but he wasn't in the mood to pose for pictures that day.)

Each one is a little different & I wish I could have kept them all. I sent them out to some family & friends and everyone loves them!

Baby Pumpkin Hat

2011-10-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

Isn't he adorable?

Connor is doing great and growing so fast! But he's still pretty small and it's hard to find cute Halloween stuff that's small enough. I absolutely love little baby hats, so I couldn't resist making him a little pumpkin hat for the fall.
I found a couple hats that I know fit him to use as a template.
I used the width of the green striped hat and traced around it on the orange knit fabric. If you don't have a hat, the bottom brim was 6.75 inches wide (that includes a .25" seam allowance) and that's probably around a newborn size.
I drew the hat shape on the fabric, stitched around the edge, and left a small opening at the top for the leaves. To make sure the hat fit correctly, I tried it on the baby and adjusted the top to fit snugly around his head.
To finish the bottom edge, I just folded the fabric up and sewed around.
For the leaves at the top, I used some stiff felt and freehand drew three leaf shapes.
I arranged them so they overlapped slightly and stitched them together across the bottom.
With right sides of the hat in, I placed the leaves on the inside and stitched the opening closed. Then when I turned the hat right sides out, the leaves would stick out at the top.
I had no idea how easy it would be to make these!

My little sleepy pumpkin : )

Pumpkin Favorites

2011-10-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

I have a confession.

I don't like fall.

I get sad that summer is ending and fall makes me think of cold & snow coming quickly. But the one thing I DO like about fall is pumpkin! You can never get enough pumpkin! From crafts, to pumpkin costumes, to pumpkin spice lattes...they're the only thing I love about fall!

In honor of my love of anything pumpkin, here's some of my favorite crafts and recipes. Scroll down to the bottom of my blog and click on pumpkin to see all my pumpkin-related posts.

Burlap Pumpkins

And more pumpkins...

Pumpkin Fluff

Pumpkin Cornbread

Pumpkin Spice Yogurt

Pumpkin Pecan Bread

Banana Caramel Challah Bread Pudding

2011-10-05T06:00:00.001-05:00

This is one of those recipes that tastes amazing, but doesn't look as good in pictures. Bread pudding probably isn't the most photogenic food in the world because it looks like mush, but it's SO good! This one is also low fat so you have my permission to indulge! It's the perfect dessert for breaking the fast 0n Yom Kippur coming up later this week or any other occasion.

Ingredients:
• 2/3 cup skim milk
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups cubed challah bread
• cooking spray
• 1 cup mashed banana (about 2 bananas)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons fat free caramel topping
• powdered sugar

Mix the first 4 ingredients in a bowl.

Pour bread cubes into a 9x9 baking pan covered with baking spray.

Pour liquid mixture over bread cubes and top with mashed banana.

Sprinkle mixture with sugar.

Chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

Before serving, top with caramel sauce and powdered sugar.

Really, really yummy!

Funny Iron-On Baby Clothes

2011-09-23T09:46:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm the only craft blogger out there without a Silhouette, so I had to come up with an alternative. I was at Joanns one day and came across this photo fabric that you print on and then iron onto fabric. For just a couple bucks on clearance, I figured I'd give it a try!
I designed a few different fun images and then printed them all on one sheet of the PhotoFabric. Since onesies are so small, you can fit a bunch of images on one 8.5" x 11" sheet. The directions on the package say to let the ink dry, peel the backing off, and then rinse the fabric in water.

Then I placed the damp fabric patch on the onesie, covered it with an old rag, and ironed it on.
The adhesive didn't seem to stick that well and the edges were slightly frayed from the water, so I also stitched around the edges as well.
I was a little disappointed at the fraying on the edges, but some people like that texture.
I regret my decision to place the patch on the onesie at an angle to be more fun. It looks kinda stupid, but you get the idea...
I'm a lot happier with the next one that I put on a little snap-style shirt.
Every time I see this, the song gets in my head again!
So my overall review of the PhotoFabric, it's a great idea and I had fun trying it, but don't expect the best quality.

Handprint & footprint crafts?

2011-09-13T11:22:00.003-05:00

We all know how tiny and adorable little feet and hands are. So I figured I should capture these little memories before they grow to be huge!

Please share your hand and footprint crafts and keepsakes with me.
I'd love to try a few and maybe make some cute gifts for the holidays!

Connor has exact replicas of my hands - long, skinny and the exact same shape of nails!

And Daddy's large feet...will he beat Daddy's size 13 shoes?

Thanks for your help! : )

Peanut Butter Cookies (might induce labor!)

2011-09-12T10:40:00.000-05:00

After dinner on August 22, I was still hungry so I hinted to Hubby that he should make us dessert. Peanut butter cookies are our little secret dessert that we make randomly when we need a snack and don't have anything in the house.

He whipped up a batch of these things and we pigged out in bed while we watched tv. 4 hours later and I was having painful contractions. 12 hours after that, I had a beautiful baby boy! While I was in labor we kept joking that it was the labor cookies that did it. So beware! They're good, but you never know what might happen if you eat them! : )

Adapted from Simply Recipes

Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 cup flour• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Beat the butter until creamy or for about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and beat for 2 more minutes. (We mixed by hand, but I think an electric mixer might be easier.)

Mix in the peanut butter and egg.

In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the sugar butter mixture.

Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls and place about 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Flatten in a crisscross pattern with a fork.

Bake until light brown or for about 10-15 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for a minute and transfer to rack to cool completely.

Guest posting & baby craziness!

2011-09-01T09:16:00.004-05:00

Wow, I don't know how you all do it! It's pretty time-consuming to take care of a baby (and yourself and your house) and then have extra time for blogging! And those of you with multiple children...you're rockstars!

Our little Connor is doing great and I'm still getting the hang of being a new mom. I've got more blog posts planned, but I want to have more time to chat & get back to reading your blogs too. I promise I'll be back soon once I get into a routine!

On an exciting note, our baby nursery is being featured today on All Things Fee. Felicia had a baby last week too! Congrats to her and her family!

Introducing...

2011-08-28T12:00:00.003-05:00

the newest part of the Team T family!

Connor Bradley
6 lbs, 10 oz
19.75 inches long

The whole family is doing great! Thanks for all your well wishes!

Still hanging in there...

2011-08-21T08:30:00.000-05:00

After the nursery reveal post, some of you have asked about labor progress and if the baby is here yet. I'm officially due on Wednesday, but still have an inside baby as of now.

If you would have asked me a week ago, I would not have been ready and I could have gone on for weeks. But now, I'm totally ready and getting impatient! As much as I would have liked to finish the house projects we've had going on this summer, it's not going to happen. With the basement flood, power going out for days at a time, and me being a whale, they just didn't all get finished. I'm at a stopping point (as much as I don't like things unfinished) and I'm ready for our little one to join our family.

Like I've said before, this blog is meant to be about crafts, recipes, projects, and fun things that make me happy. I have another baby blog that will probably turn into a "Look how cute my baby is!" blog. It's private, but I'm happy to give anyone access that wants to read it (just send me your email address). Hopefully, my baby will sleep lots (I can dream!) and I can be on here blogging away as usual during my maternity leave.

Hope everyone is enjoying that last little bit of summer! I'll keep you posted!

Baby's Nursery Reveal!

2011-08-15T06:35:00.000-05:00

The baby boy nursery is finally done! It's been such a fun experience to renovate the room and come up with crafts to personalize the space. Hubby and I spent so much time this summer trying to make it perfect for our little boy.

(See the list at the bottom of the post for tutorial links and where I bought things)First, let's go back to the room before when it was just for storage and random crap...
The nasty mirrored closet doors and icky 80's blue blinds are horrible!
Old ugly trim and doors...and Kitty taking a look!
To this little baby haven!

So let's start out at the door with the new 6-panel door and updated white trim. We painted the room in light yellow with a blue border around the top.

I couldn't resist this cute door hanger for 50 cents from the thrift store

We bought white wood blinds with a valance for the windows. Curtains are just too much of a mess with a hairy cat! The white dresser will have the changing pad on top and we can look out the window as we change diapers.

The white wall shelves in the corner are perfect for showing off future baby photos, heirloom books, etc. The lip on the edge is great so nothing falls off. The frames were thrift store purchases that I painted to match.
(See the sock monkey and crayon frame tutorials at the bottom of the post.)

Ah, the glider. Sadly, this glider decision stressed me out more than anything! I had the hardest time picking one that was comfortable, cheap, and matched the room. After hours spent at baby stores, I took a risk and ordered this one online. Who knew it would match perfectly? We love it and it was a lot cheaper than those baby store gliders.

The lamp was also another struggle. Of course, I needed white to match, but it's pretty hard to find a white floor lamp. After some searching, I found one, but it came with a pink lampshade. I figured it would be super easy to find a blue or red lampshade to replace it with. I was wrong! Apparently, colored lampshades are harder to find than I thought! I gave in and decided to cover a white one in fabric...until I put the white one on and realized I just liked it plain white!

The wall letters were a fun project that Hubby and I worked on together. It's a little twist to the normal wall letters because we hung them on drawer knobs.

I love the bedding we picked! I never would have thought this would be my choice, but I got really into all the preppy boy stuff I saw in the stores. I love that it's not super masculine, but it's still cute and really soft. It's been fun to be able to make pillows to go with it also. The embroidered C pillow and the patchwork one pictured above were some of my fun crafts from the summer.

Did you happen to catch the old light that used to be here? It looked almost like a spotlight and the lightbulbs made the color in the room horrible. I picked out a white fan to replace it.

So maybe we're bad parents, but yes, we have a tv in there. I admit to being a tv addict, so Hubby convinced me that we would want one in there if I'm going to be spending a lot of time nursing and sitting in the glider. We plan on taking it out later when the baby knows what it is.

Wall art was really hard to find because we don't really have a theme in the room. I saw these pieces and I knew they would match perfectly!

After our baby shower, I realized we would probably need somewhere to store books and toys. We found this small shelf set and bought some canvas storage cubes to hold toys.

Remember those nasty mirrored closet doors? Now we have 6-panel white doors to match all the doors in the house.

Nothing too exciting in the closet, but there's lots of room for baby stuff! We got very lucky that our house had Elfa already in the bedroom closets when we moved in!

And our growing collection of baby clothes...

So there it is! We're so excited to have it done and ready for baby to come home to!

Shopping List:
Yellow paint - Behr Pale Honey
Blue paint - Behr French Court
Baby furniture - Babies R Us Baby Cache collection
Glider & ottoman - Target Danielle glider & ottoman
Floor lamp - Target (comes with a pink gingham shade that we changed)
Bedding - Babies R Us Bacati Boys Stripes & Plaids
White storage shelf & colored storage cubes - Target
Wood Wall letters - Joanns
Framed wall art - Hobby Lobby

Tutorials:
Crayon Name Frame
Patchwork Pillow
Embroidered Initial Pillow
Sock Monkey
Wall letters - coming soon!

DIY Initial Crayon Frame

2011-08-08T07:15:00.000-05:00

I saw this a lot in the spring in blogland when people were making cute teacher gifts. I kept thinking how cute this would be in a child's room. Once we decided on a name, I was super excited to get started!

Ok, so Hubby gave me a lecture because I bought cheapie crayons instead of Crayola. Am I bad mom? I was just trying to save a couple bucks!

Anyway, I started out by printing out a giant letter outline in a very light gray with his first and middle name inside. The light gray letter outline works great so you can see the shape and you'll know where to put the crayons.

I'd suggest printing one on some regular paper to use while you're setting things up and then print out a final copy on some heavier card stock to use for the finished product. In this picture, I'm using my scrap copy to lay out the crayons and figure out how long to make each one.

I used a utility knife to cut the crayons. Maybe I'm just weak, but it was hard to do! I had to enlist Hubby to help me cut so I wouldn't crack all the crayons.Once I had everything laid out on the scrap paper and all the colors were where I wanted them, I used Elmer's Glue to attach all the crayons to the card stock. Make sure to let it dry completely before moving the paper.
And here it is! I spray painted a frame in red to match his room and put the cardstock in the frame. No glass on the frame is needed since the crayons stick out too far.
And if you like his adorable little sock monkey, go here for the tutorial!

DIY Sew a Sock Monkey!

2011-08-01T07:15:00.001-05:00

Ok, so I have a slight obsession with sock monkeys. I don't really know how it started, but I love them! Hubby bought me my first sock monkey last year for our anniversary and I was super excited. Since then, I've collected a few more, but I've always wanted to try making my own.

I do a lot of sewing crafts, but for some reason, making a sock monkey really intimidated me. It looks so hard to do and I didn't want to mess it up and ruin it! Hubby convinced me to try it, so I finally bought some Rockford Red Heel socks from Hobby Lobby in the winter. Then it took me another few months to finally get the guts to try it! I'm so glad I did it because it turned out so cute!

There are a lot of sock monkey tutorials out there and I collected a bunch before I did this. After looking through some of them, I liked this one the best. They aren't very detailed, but I was able to figure it out. It also really helped to have my original anniversary sock monkey nearby to look at.

Fox Sox Tutorial
Go here and download the PDF instructions.

I used black buttons for the eyes and hot glued them on. To me, it seemed easier than embroidering them.

How could I not show the butt? So cute!

Delicious Cottage Cheese Bread

2011-07-26T06:03:00.001-05:00

Don't worry, I'm still here and the baby is still baking! We had a really bad storm over the weekend, lost power AGAIN, and our basement flooded. It was a blast : ) We're still recovering and cleaning up from the mess, but we're okay and I'm glad the baby didn't have to witness the mess!

Anyway, this sounded a little strange when I first heard about it, but we had some leftover cottage cheese and I decided to give it a try. It was surprisingly good and very moist! I definitely recommend it!

Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 2 T margarine
• 1 egg
• 3 cups bread flour
• 1 T sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2.5 T yeast

This can either be made in a bread machine or in the oven at 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together and bake according to machine guidelines.

Very good and the perfect consistency for bread. I pigged out!

Embroided Initial Pillow for Nursery

2011-07-18T06:00:00.002-05:00

I love the bedding we picked out for our nursery, but I thought it needed a few extra accessories. The pillows that went with it were really expensive, so I figured I could make my own for much cheaper. Go here to see the first pillow I made with a quilted look.I took the bedding for the crib to the fabric store and bought some new solid pieces that matching pretty well. I used a light blue for the front of the pillow, but I also added some fusible fabric on the backside to make it a little more stiff. I've found that embroidering on the sewing machine works much better when you have a little thicker fabric so it doesn't move all over while you're trying to sew.
I printed out the letter C in a font I liked to use as a template.
For the C fabric, I also added some fusible webbing to the back to thicken it up. I traced the letter on and cut it out.
Then I pinned it onto the solid blue fabric.
I used a really tight zig-zag stitch to sew it on. Doing this always makes me nervous, but it came out great!

I added some quilted fabric for the backing of the pillow and stitched it up.

Go here to see the patchwork pillow that matches!

Quilted Pillow for the Nursery

2011-07-13T06:03:00.000-05:00

I know a lot of you have been asking about nursery pics and I'm working on them! This is the beginning of the nursery craft posts and there's a lot more to come. Working on decorating the baby's room has been so much fun! I'm having a great time coming up with fun crafts and ways to add color to the room.

The bedding we chose is mostly red, blue, and yellow plaids and stripes, but I wasn't a fan of all the little accessories that went with it. Some of the accessories have sailboats on them, and while they're cute, it's not really my thing. So, of course, I had to make my own! One of my first crafts was designing and sewing two throw pillows for the glider.
I loved the idea of a patchwork-style pillow, so I took a sample of the bedding to the craft store and picked out matching fabric. The solid colors were easy to match, but the plaids are a little more difficult. My secret: the two plaid patterns are actually from two pairs of boxer shorts I found for 50 cents each. Score!
For the back side of the pillow, I went with a quilted-style navy fabric.
I pinned the squares in a pattern I was happy with and then sewed everything together with a .25" seam allowance.
For the actual pillow form, it would have been super cheap (or free) to recover some old throw pillows. I decided against it just for this project since it would be in a newborn's room and I wanted to buy hypo-allergenic and washable pillow inserts. At 40% off, they were only about $6 each so that wasn't too bad anyway.

So here's the finished pillow! It looks so cute!

Sweet Apricot Kugel

2011-07-11T06:00:00.001-05:00

My family has a few kugel recipes that have been passed down through the generations. I love them, but I wanted to try something new. This kugel was fruity, sweet, and really good! And you don't have to be Jewish to enjoy kugel...who can resist cinnamon noodles?

If you've never heard of kugel, check out this info from Wikipedia. It's basically a baked pudding or casserole that's usually made with egg noodles or potatoes. It's noodle kugel is almost always sweet, but still served with the meal rather than a dessert.

Adapted from here
Ingredients:
• 12 oz. package of egg noodles
• 1 cup apricot jelly
• 1 cup orange juice
• 7 egg whites
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2/3 cup chopped dried apricot

Topping:
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and let cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly grease a 9x13 baking pan or spray with a non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix jelly, orange juice, egg whites, vanilla and almond extract. Beat with a wisk until blended.

Stir in chopped apricot. Add cooled noodles and mix well.

Spoon mixture evenly into baking pan.

Mix sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over the top of the kugel.

Cover tightly and bake 15 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake 20 minutes more until set.

Some people like kugel warm and some people like it cold. Serve your favorite way!

Cute Fleece Dog Bib

2011-07-05T07:10:00.000-05:00

I might be going a little overboard with the bib crafts, but they're all so cute! And maybe this isn't the most practical bib, but I couldn't resist trying it when I saw it!

Adapted from the book, Sewing for Tiny Tots by Susan Cousineau. My bib design is based on the book, but adjusted slightly to make it my own.

I mentioned in a previous post that it's way cheaper to buy an old piece of clothing from a thrift store rather than off the bolt at a craft store. Plus, I love that this is already worn in and won't pill as much right away since it's been washed multiple times already.
The book gives you a pattern that you can copy and enlarge to the size you want. The book suggests enlarging it 400%, but that seemed huge to me, so I cut it down to 300% for a newborn.
I cut out all the pieces from the fleece shirt and a scrap of felt.
I used a blanket stitch to outline the felt pieces for the spots and nose. The book suggested basting all the felt onto the dog face, but I felt like fusible webbing would work much better. I traced the felt pieces onto the fusible fabric and ironed them onto the face and ears.
Sewing the mouth onto the dog was a little tricky for me and I forgot to take pictures because I got so frustrated. I couldn't come up with a good way to get the lines onto the fleece so I would know where to sew. My final solution was to use a piece of tracing paper with the face drawn on it. I pinned the tracing paper to the fleece face and sewed right through both pieces. Then when I was done, I ripped the tracing paper off.

The eyes were another tricky thing. The book suggested using embroidery stitching or felt to make them. I really didn't want to mess with that after the tracing paper fiasco above. I found these doll eyes at the craft store and they worked great. Hubby cut off the ends with a pliers so they didn't stick out so much. Buttons would have worked well also.

I thought it might be fun to use some ribbon as the closure at the back of the bib rather than the usual velcro. Then the size can also be adjusted as the baby gets bigger.

A LOT of work for a bib that's just going to get dirty, but it was fun!

DIY Matching Baby Booties, Bib & Hat

2011-06-29T06:03:00.000-05:00

I've been seeing a lot of great up-cycling blog posts about taking an old piece of clothing and reusing it to make something new. I found this old shirt I used to love and thought it would be cute fabric for some baby accessories.
How could I resist these cute booties? I used a pattern from Stardust Shoes.

I made the bib by tracing an old one for size. I used stretchy cotton fabric for the front and terry cloth for the back.
Baby hats are too darn cute not to have, so I made sure to save some extra fabric for one. These were made using a tutorial from Make it and Love it.
Hope the set looks cute on the baby!

Healthy Black Bean Brownies

2011-06-27T06:00:00.001-05:00

I'm back! We had some drama last week after a bad storm in the Chicago area. We got hit pretty hard on Tuesday and then the power went out on Wednesday. And Thursday. And Friday. And Saturday. Let's just say it wasn't a very fun experience to live in a house with no power or technology for that long. Seriously, there's nothing to do besides play with my cat who loses interest after 4 minutes! The power is back up now and I'm happy to be back to normal life again!

Anyway, I'm a little sneaky : )

I was dying to make these and then see who would notice that they weren't "normal" brownies. So I made a batch for someone's birthday at work and put them out with all the other treats. In a meeting later in the day, someone mentioned that they liked the brownies and then everyone else chimed in on how good they were. All I said was that there was a special ingredient and no one ever knew what it was! So if you're grossed out by this, I promise they still taste fabulous! I ate half the batch on my own!

Recipe from Local Fun for Kids

Ingredients:
• 1 box of Duncan Hines Milk Chocolate Family Size Brownie Mix
• 15.5 oz. can of black beans
• water

Empty the can of black beans into a colander and rinse with water.

Pour the black beans back into their original can and fill it with water.

Use a blender to puree the beans and the water.

In a bowl, mix the black bean & water mixture with the package of brownie mix.

Pour mixture in a greased pan and bake according to the directions on the box.

*Optional: top with powdered sugar when cooled for a little extra sweetness.

Fabulous and guilt-free!

The Buffet Saga & Makeover

2011-06-21T06:03:00.000-05:00

This story could literally be a novel, but I'll try to just get the basics as I explain the saga of the buffet...

Back in January of 2010, we decided we needed a little buffet or cabinet to fit in this area of our family room. After searching for months, I quickly realized that it was impossible to find one in the size and color we needed. I found this small store where you could order pretty much any size wood cabinet and they would finish it in whatever color you needed. Perfect!

We ordered it and were told it would be here in 8-10 weeks. 8-10 weeks came and went and we still didn't have our cabinet. Every phone call to the store was excuses and excuses and they kept saying it was coming on a certain date in the future. The entire summer was spent wondering where the darn thing was!

In August, I called again and no one would pick up the phone. WTF? Did the company close or what? I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and a problem solver column in the Chicago Tribune newspaper. Both did their share of research and were not able to help when we found out the company filed for bankruptcy. Hours spent online were helpful and I was able to find some others who were in a similar situation with this store. I started calling the bankruptcy attorneys to try to get some answers.

Finally, I was told the store had some stock in the back that they never delivered and I could come by to see if my cabinet was there. Luckily, it was there, BUT it was not finished and we paid for it to be stained black. They let me have some free stain and we took it home to attempt to finish it.

So here's a look at our cabinet in the garage when we got it home. Honestly, we figured if we can drywall, tile, paint, and do minor electrical and plumbing, how hard can it be to stain something?
Let's just say it didn't go as well as we expected. Here's a bit of our mess after 3 different kinds of stain plus hours and hours of sanding.

After everything we've been through with this cabinet, we were fed up! We gave up and decided to paint it black. And even that didn't go as planned! The garage was too dusty so we had to bravely paint with black in our living room!

FINALLY, months and months later, here's our finished buffet in it's spot in the family room.
I covered the bottom of the drawers in black felt so we can store our China and other serving pieces in there.
And of course, some fun accessories!

So glad to be done with this!

2011 Summer Wish List

2011-06-15T08:45:00.000-05:00

I did this last year so I figured it might be fun to do it again.

First, I'm going to look at my summer of 2010 list and see how much we actually did. (This might be embarrassing...) Unfortunately, the summer didn't turn out as planned and we had some hard times, so some of these got put on the back burner as we coped with it. But we did still accomplish a lot of them!

1. go for a bike ride - I did in the driveway...does that count?

2. dine al fresco - I know one time we went to the KFC drive-thru and then brought our food to the forest preserve and ate it while we watched the Des Plaines River. We also had a picnic at Carved Rock in Rockford, IL and I took a bunch of pretty pictures of the sailboats.

3. have a cigar night in the backyard (kind of an inside joke b/c we did this at our old house on the balcony off our bedroom one day) - This never ended up happening. However, this year, Hubby has already checked this off his list.

4. buy ice cream from the truck that drives around our neighborhood every night - I know we never did this, but we did go to Dairy Queen a few too many times!

5. run my first 5k race (as long as my body isn't broken) - I missed my first one when I found out I was pregnant, but I did do it later! So happy about this one!

6. do cartwheels in the grass like the neighborhood kids - Not that I can remember, but I bet I did while Hubby was mowing the lawn and laughing at me.

7. feed ducks in the park (I'm supposed to do this alone because I was told I am too old for this) - While we waited for my D&C surgery to be scheduled, I wanted to get out of the house, so I convinced Hubby to walk around the lake by our house with me. I brought bread and fed the ducks and geese (who chased after me once I ran out of bread). I also spent way too much time in the petting zoo area at Brookfield Zoo feeding and petting the animals like I was 4 years old.8. go to a tapas restaurant - We went for our anniversary in August. Here I am posing with my anniversary gift before dinner. Yeah, I'm a dork.
9. hit up my usual summer craft fairs - Done, but I don't think I bought anything

10. do something fun for our anniversary in August - Done! See #8

So for this year, our plans will be a little different now that we have a little boy coming! But there's still so much to do!

1. Have a healthy baby boy in August (or September if he's late!)

2. Bring back #4 from last year. I must buy ice cream from the ice cream truck. I have now been told I have a 6th sense for when it's coming. I can hear that song in the house with the a/c on and the tv blaring!

3. Dine al fresco as we did last year as well. One of my favorite things to do!

4. We've been going crazy trying to get things done in the house before the baby comes. I really want to have all our new doors & trim installed by the time he's born. Then it will be time for a major home renovation break.

5. Get the nursery finished. It's our priority before the other house projects and it's on its way to being completed.

6. Start trying to do some cooking again. I went through a lazy time when I just didn't have the energy, but I'd at least like to try some new recipes during the summer when I'm more motivated.

7. Continue trying to work out a few times a week. I've cut down from my hardcore 5x a week, but 2-3 is good for me. Hopefully, I can keep it up until it's really uncomfortable.

8. Enjoy myself and relax as much as possible now. Our lives will never be the same again!

Easy Cucumber Sandwiches

2011-06-09T06:03:00.001-05:00

My tastes have changed since I got pregnant. I was out at a restaurant eating a bagel and cream cheese with some veggies on the side. I had some leftover cream cheese and just came up with this idea to spread it on my cucumber. Amazing! The taste reminded me of one of my favorite simple appetizers - cucumber sandwiches!

These are perfect for someone like me that likes to eat healthy and doesn't want to spend a long time cooking. I started eating them for dinner and I love it!

Ingredients:
• mini rye bread (or something else if you prefer)
• cream cheese
• sliced cucumber
• dill weed

Spread cream cheese evenly on bread.

Top with a slice of cucumber.

Sprinkle dill weed on top.

Pig out!

Partying it up at these weekly link parties

DIY Summery Linen Scarf

2011-06-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

This was one of my recent thrift store bargains. I was looking for maternity shirts and came across this really pretty sheer linen blouse for $2.
I loved the rhinestone details! I figured if it didn't fit, I could use it for a cute scarf instead. It didn't end up fitting my baby bump, so it became a scarf!
I started out by trying to get as many strips of fabric as I could from the shirt. It's a little hard to work with such light fabric, but if it's not perfect, it shouldn't matter too much.
From the back and front of the shirt, I was able to make 4 strips to create the scarf. I left the edges unfinished and sewed all 4 pieces together to make one long piece. (My fun green paint in my craft room looks horrible in photos, yuck)
I used the sleeves of the shirt to add some cute flowers. I cut thin strips of fabric (they don't even need to be even or perfect cuts). I put a drop of Elmer's glue on one end.
The I slowly rolled, twisted, and glued to create a circular shape. There's no right way to do this so you just kinda learn as you go. The glue dried clear so you can use as much as you need to make it stick.
When I was done with each flower, I glued the end flap down.
I pulled off some extra rhinestones from some of the shirt scraps and glued them on to the flowers.

I ended up with 3 different-sized flowers for each end of the scarf.I used Elmer's Glue to attach the flowers to the scarf, but I realized that would mean you'd see glue on the back of the scarf. To avoid that problem, I added a light pink layer of fabric as the back of the scarf.
I love it! It's so light and perfect for summer! Also a good way to hide a bulging baby bump or post-baby bump : )

Light Tasty Mac & Cheese

2011-05-31T07:20:00.000-05:00

Yes, that's right, I said LIGHT mac & cheese. Who doesn't love this food? But it can be REALLY bad for you so I'm always looking for healthier ways to make it.

Adapted from Gina's Skinny Recipes

Ingredients:
• 16 oz elbow pasta
• 2 tbsp light butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup minced onion (or onion powder)
• 2 cups skim milk
• 1 cup fat free chicken broth
• 8 oz low fat mild cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper (I suggest lots for flavor)
• 4 cups frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• non-stick cooking spray

Scroll down for the instructions...

Cook pasta in salted water according to directions on box.

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 375°.

In a large skillet, melt butter. Add flour and cook over low heat stirring with a whisk.

Add onion and cook another 2 minutes.

Add milk and chicken broth and continue whisking for 2-3 minutes, until smooth and thicker.

Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Add cheddar cheese and mix well until cheese is melted. Add cooked macaroni and baby spinach.

Pour mixture into baking dish. Top with grated cheese and breadcrumbs.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until breadcrumbs are golden brown.

Pig out!

Old Jeans to Cute Denim Baby Bib

2011-05-23T06:00:00.003-05:00

Cute, huh? That's my nephew modeling my newest baby craft!

Adapted from the book, Sewing for Tiny Tots by Susan Cousineau
My bib design is based on the book, but adjusted slightly to make it my own.

I started out with an old pair of jeans I found at the thrift store for super cheap. The softer and more worn in, the better!
There's a bib pattern to use in the book or you can just make your own using a bib you already have. I used the stencil and traced the it onto the denim with the seam centered in the middle to make the bib. For the bottom part, I just followed the shape of the bib, but added a curve at the top. (Pen works really well for tracing and it washes off easily.)
I pinned the bottom part on the bib to overlap. The bottom edges should be even. If they aren't you can always trim them to be the same.
To get some fraying, I sewed all the way around the bib about 1/4" from the edge. The bottom overlay piece will be attached on the outside, but the top will be open like a pocket. You could leave it open or sew it closed. I chose to close mine with a straight stitch.After the bib is washed, it will fray at the edges. I cut off the long pieces and left the short ones.
Using some small pieces of Velcro, I sewed one on each end to close the bib.
How could I resist the cute little chick patches I saw at the craft store?
I ironed them on the bib and let them cool.
Isn't he just adorable? Future hottie here!

Brie Tomato Basil Pasta Salad

2011-05-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

Some of you might know that I'm a pasta salad lover. I'm always looking for new and unique ways to make it and I get sucked in to your blogs when I look at your pasta salad recipes! I came across this one and the photos and title screamed, "Make me! I'm delicious!" Of course, it was fabulous and I had to share it with you.

Adapted from 33 Shades of Green

Ingredients:
• 12 oz. shell pasta
• 2 oz. brie cheese, diced
• 1 qt. cherry tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to directions on box.

Drain pasta and pour into a large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Serve cold and top with parmesan cheese.

So good and great left over too!

A Crafting Secret

2011-05-10T06:03:00.000-05:00

Fabric can be really expensive. Even with those 40% off coupons or a good clearance, some of the specialty fabrics cost way more than they need to.

So here's my secret to save you money on your fabric purchases:

Buy things from the thrift store and reuse them!Fleece can be pretty expensive to buy, but this huge men's fleece sweatshirt was more than enough for my project and it was less than $2!

Denim is great from old jeans and it's already nice & soft.

I've also used bed sheets for large projects like quilts. Just make sure they're not too stretchy unless that's what you're going for.

Old t-shirts & blouses are perfect to turn into scarves too.

The possibilities are endless and you'll save so much money!

Yummy Peanut Butter Bread

2011-05-05T06:03:00.000-05:00

This was one of those recipes that tasted really good, but the photos did not turn out very good. So I warn you that this tastes much better than it looks! It's bread...how can it be bad, right?

Ingredients:
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 3 cups bread flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3 teaspoons yeast
• 1/4 cup sugar

Optional: chocolate chips, banana, caramel chips

Add all ingredients to bread pan and bake according to breadmaker directions.

This can also be made in the oven and baked for about 50 minutes or until cooked throughout.

Absolutely fabulous with melted butter, pumpkin butter, or drizzled with caramel sauce!

Sew a Stuffed Elephant

2011-05-03T06:03:00.001-05:00

I saw this tutorial over at Pins & Pens and thought it was too cute to pass up! I love this for baby shower gifts and also for myself!

I followed the tutorial, but added a few of my own touches. I felt like the elephant really needed a tail, so I came up with a simple solution. Using a long thin piece of fabric, I folded both horizontal ends toward the middle and ironed the creases. Then I folded again horizontally and ironed the creases.
I took some leftover yarn and made a small tassel.

Then I sewed the fabric piece closed with the yarn tassel inside and attached it to the elephant.

The tail is the perfect touch! I also thought about adding button eyes, but I don't think they were needed. It's cute enough already!

The elephant is featured at Sugar Bee Crafts Facebook page today! Go check it out!

A Blogging Tip - Who Are You?

2011-04-29T07:23:00.000-05:00

I've been meeting a lot of new bloggers lately (hello to you!) so I just wanted to give you a quick tip that will be very helpful.

Some of you may not have all your Blogger.com settings updated so when you comment on blogs, your comment will come from the generic address we know as noreply-comment@blogger.com. When this happens, the person who received the comment can't reply and respond back.

There is an EASY fix! I posted the secret awhile ago and I want to pass it on again. Go here to follow the instructions and fix it.

Happy Friday!

Delicious Spinach & Artichoke Pasta

2011-04-26T06:03:00.000-05:00

We LOVE anything spinach & artichoke so when I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it!

Adapted from GetHealthyCheap.com

Ingredients:
• 12 oz. whole wheat egg noodles
• 2 - 6 oz. jars of artichoke hearts (drain but save 2 tablespoons of the oil)
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 cup white wine
• 10 oz. package of frozen spinach, thawed & drained
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 oz. ricotta
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• salt & pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, chop sun-dried tomatoes and artichoke into smaller pieces.

In a large pan, cook artichoke, sun-dried tomatoes and the leftover oil from the artichoke jar. Stir occasionally and cook for about 3 minutes.

Add garlic and salt & pepper and cook for 2 more minutes.

Add white wine and cook until evaporated.

Add spinach and drained pasta once it's cooked. Spinach should be cooked until wilted or about 3-4 minutes.

Pour mixture in a large bowl and toss with ricotta and parmesan cheese.

SO good! Enjoy!

National Infertility Awareness Week

2011-04-24T06:03:00.000-05:00

I don't usually get too serious on here, but this is a topic that is now very important to me. Some of you have followed my experiences of infertility, miscarriage, and now pregnancy. I'm just trying to get the word out so I'm participating in the Infertility Myth Blog Challenge.
MYTH: Just relax and you'll get pregnant.

BUSTED!: Really? That's all it takes? Thanks for the advice! Argghh, this one is the worst! It's not hard to figure out that most women with a fertility issue have some kind of medical problem...whether it's been diagnosed or not. In my case, it was that I wasn't having a period or ovulating. We never figured out the cause of this, but that's an obvious reason why I wouldn't be able to conceive. Infertility might cause a little stress in your life, but it sure isn't the reason you're not able to get pregnant.

MYTH: You're too skinny.

BUSTED!: I'm not a doctor, but I'm going to try to bust this one...or at least give my take on it since I got this one a lot. Don't health care providers tell all adults that they need to get an hour of exercise 5 times a week or something similar? So if I was doing that regularly, doesn't that make me healthier? I was born with a thin body and I worked hard to keep up my flat abs and tiny muscles in my arms. I also regularly ate 3 meals a day plus 2-3 snacks, so it's not like I'm starving myself. Just because I might look skinny doesn't mean I'm unhealthy. Making a judgement like this is the same thing as assuming I have an eating disorder because I'm thin. While the weight thing might be the case for a small percentage of women, don't assume I'm part of that.
After going struggling with this process for over a year, I have learned a lot about myself and others. The stress, sadness, and pressure is something no one will understand except for another woman who experienced the same thing. People around you will tell you things that are rude, inconsiderate, and false as I mentioned above. Though it might be hard, you can't let it bother you. You need to be proactive for yourself and get treatment with a doctor you love. (And if you're in the Chicago area, I can recommend one that I love.) If you feel alone in this process, get some help from others who have been through the same thing at a support group, or try individual therapy. My support group was one of the things that really helped me during my worst times.

I never, ever thought I was going to be one of those girls that needed fertility treatment, never thought I would have a miscarriage, and then never thought it would take THAT long to get pregnant. But it happens to a lot more females than you would think. Once you get people talking, it's a lot more common than I ever thought. This topic should NOT be taboo and needs to be more publicized. Get the word out there and bust those myths!

Go here to learn more about infertility and here to read more about National Infertility Awareness Week.

If you'd like to participate, submit up your blog post here.

P.S. If anyone wants to vent privately or ask questions, I'd be happy to chat. Send me an email at kermiefrg@aol.com

Hall Light Makeover

2011-04-20T06:03:00.001-05:00

I've mentioned before that our house is still stuck in the 70's in the rooms we haven't renovated yet. There's also all those little details like door knobs, light switches, sconces, etc that have to be updated. We had enough of our nasty brass hall lights and one of them even cracked when we tried to change a bulb. Seriously, aren't these things nasty?

So we bought 6 new lights for our front hallway, second floor hallways, and master closet. It took me a long time to find something that I really liked. For once, this project went pretty smoothly and we were done in just a couple hours! I'm so happy to have these updated!

Go here to see where I'm linking up today

Fluffy Broccoli Souffle

2011-04-18T06:00:00.001-05:00

Anyone in your family hate vegetables? I know the feeling...

This souffle is packed with broccoli, but it doesn't taste like it! Perfect for any picky veggie eater!

Adapted from here

Ingredients:
• 2.5 cups fresh chopped broccoli
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 3 eggs, separated
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Steam broccoli in boiling water using a steamer or in a pot.

In a large pan, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in flour, salt, and pepper until smooth.

Slowly add milk and continue cooking until sauce is thick.

In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks lightly. Pour yolks into pan and blend well.

Add lemon juice, nutmeg, and cooked broccoli.

In another bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Mix egg whites into sauce mixture.

Pour into a baking dish. Bake at 350° for 45 to 50 minutes until soufflé is puffed and golden brown.

Delicious!

Join the link party fun! Here's where I go to party!

Happy Birthday to me!

2011-04-14T06:03:00.000-05:00

I'm 29 today!

It's kind of a bad week to have a birthday because there's so much crap going on right now at work. I hope I'll still be able to enjoy it and not have to work too much overtime. I'm also excited for some fun birthday festivities with family this weekend. It's my rule that I always take off a day of work to celebrate my birthday and do something fun. Because it's on a Thursday, I took off tomorrow for a day of shopping, a massage, mani/pedi, and some relaxation!

I love surprises so I make it very clear to my family that I don't like to know what gifts I'm getting. To me, if I know, it ruins the surprise and it's not as exciting. I usually make a list just so they have some ideas, but I never want to know any more than that!

Here's a few things I'm hoping to get...
Anne Klein Bambam flats
I have these in black and love them! It's so hard to find comfy flats that don't cut up my feet. I usually never spend this much, but my mom begged me to buy some shoes with real support. I figured I could use the brown ones too...hey, it's for the baby, right?
Liz Lange Trench Coat
My fleece is the only light coat I have that even zips so I'd love to have another one that's a little nicer. This looked perfect for spring and fall.
Long Sleeve Maternity Hoodie
I started to realize that my cardigans and hoodies don't zip anymore and I needed something comfy for when it's cold. I love this because it doesn't look maternity and I can wear it later too.

A scanner
I have so many old photos that I want to be able to save and look at later on. I'd really love to have a scanner so I can start archiving them.

It's been a year of growth, changes, heartbreak, and happiness. I guess I'm starting to feel more like an adult now. Though I still get carded, I feel less and less like I'm still a carefree 20-something and more like a real adult with responsibilities and soon will have another life to make a priority. This is my last year in my 20's and I'm hoping for it to be the best one I've had in a long time. I'm so excited for my 29th year to be happy, enjoyable, and filled with smiles!

Delicious Chicken Gyros Sandwiches

2011-04-07T06:03:00.000-05:00

I've had this recipe sitting in my "To Make" pile for awhile. I'm SO glad we decided to make it because it was the best dinner we've had in a long time!

Adapted from here

Ingredients:
Tzatziki sauce
•10 oz. plain yogurt
• 1 cup cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• salt & pepper
• fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

Chicken
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 3 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• salt & pepper
• 4 boneless chicken breasts

To make sandwiches
• pita bread
• sliced tomato
• sliced red onion

Mix diced cucumber, yogurt, garlic, white wine, salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil in a medium bowl. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving.

Dice chicken into bite-size pieces.

Mix garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, salt and pepper in another bowl.

Add chicken pieces and coat with mixture. Let chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Once chicken is marinated, heat in a pan until meat is fully cooked.

Heat pitas in microwave or bake for a few minutes in the oven.

To make sandwiches, wrap a pita around chicken pieces, onion and tomato and then top with tzatziki sauce.

I could eat these every single day! SO good!

Pretty Spring Banner

2011-04-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

This was a year-long project. It all started last spring when I found these cute little stuffed bunnies and carrots for 90% off. I knew I could do something with them, so I bought them and came up with the idea of a spring banner. No point in making a spring banner during summer, so I saved them until this year.

So when I pulled everything out this year, I also picked up some wooden letters, scrapbook paper in pretty colors, and jute string in two different sizes.
I painted the on both sides letters using some acrylic paint.
Then I traced the letters onto scrapbook paper that I planned to use to cover the front side.
Using Mod Podge, I glued the paper onto the wooden letter.

Now comes the handy hubby part. I had him help me drill holes in the top of the letters so I could hang them. Of course, us girls can use drills on our own, but I'd rather not have him make fun of me when I mess up!

I used the thinner jute to tie bows onto the letters...

and then I tied them onto the thicker piece. I tied all the letters, cute little bunnies, and carrots to the thick piece of jute and made sure to have some extras on the end to hang it.Very hard to get a good picture of this because it's so wide.

Happy Spring!

Team T's Newest Edition is a...

2011-03-30T07:30:00.003-05:00

BOY!

This shows the you-know-what, but I can't really see it.

The ultrasound tech promised me it was there!A little shocked yesterday when we found out because we totally thought it was a girl for the past 3 months. But we're so happy to have a perfect little boy coming in August!

I'm a little MIA this week because I'm sick with a cold and we all know how fun that can be while pregnant with morning sickness. Hopefully back soon with a new project to share!

Heavenly Whoopie Pies

2011-03-24T06:03:00.000-05:00


I recently had my first whoopie pie at Corner Bakery when I was having a bad day and needed a little something to cheer me up. Hubby and I both took a bite and were suddenly in heaven! I thought it would be fun to surprise him with some one day...Ohhhh, they're good!

Ingredients:

• 1 package devil's food cake mix

• 1/2 cup butter

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter

• 3 tablespoons milk

• 2 cups confectioner's sugar

Still with me?

Mouth watering yet?

Here's how you make them.

Prepare devil's food mix as shown on package except use only 3/4 cup water.

Using a spoon, pour batter on a greased cookie sheet in 2-3 inch circles. I found that using a coffee scoop worked perfectly for that size.

Bake as directed on box or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into a cookie.

*Be sure to let these cookies cool completely. I suggest at least a few hours.

To make the peanut butter filling, put peanut butter and butter in a bowl and combine with a mixer.

Gradually mix in sugar and milk and continue to mix.

Beat with mixer for at least 3 minutes until frosting is thick and fluffy.

Once cakes are cool, spoon peanut butter filling onto each and top with another cake to form a sandwich.

And grab a glass of milk...you're gonna need it!

Felt Flower Spring Wreath

2011-03-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

After the popularity of the felt heart wreath for Valentine's Day, I wanted to do a new version for spring. It was pretty easy to do and doesn't require much thinking, so it's a fun craft to do while you watch tv!

Supplies:
• foam wreath
• small pieces of felt for flowers
• approx. 1/3 yd. felt to wrap the wreath
• dressmaker pins (standard pins are too long and will go through to the other side)
• Elmer's or Tacky glue
• ribbon for hanging

I started out by cutting strips of felt to wrap around the wreath. My strips were about 1" wide, but I didn't measure each one. I just tried to make them all the same and it worked great. The more strips you have, the more gluing you have to do, so I would suggest using long pieces of felt to make these.
Using glue, I started wrapping felt around the wreath and overlapping each piece a little.
Keep going...
I tried to keep all the ends of the strips on one side of the wreath so they would be hidden.
Here's the finished wreath
For the flowers, I used a mug to trace circles onto the felt.
Each of my flowers is made of 3 circles and I used 4 different colors.
To make each flower, I folded the circle in half.
And then in half again
I used a pin to attached them to the wreath.
I just attached and moved them around until I was happy with how they looked.
The pins can be hidden if you arrange them correctly
To hang the wreath, I added a ribbon on the back and pinned it in place.
Here's my finished wreath! Happy Spring!

Tasty Chopped Salad

2011-03-17T06:03:00.000-05:00

I'm obsessed with salads. I don't think I ever thought I would say that, but pregnancy is making me wild for them. I don't think any salad can compare to the Wildfire chopped salad and Portillo's chopped salad, but I can't buy one every day, right?

It's definitely the dressing that makes the salad so good. But why don't salads taste as good when you make them at home? We tried to make our own chopped salad and I have to say that this one was pretty good!

Adapted from Frugal Homemaking

Ingredients:

Salad:

• romaine lettuce

• 3-4 chicken breasts, grilled and cut into small pieces

• 1 cup corn

• 1 green onion, chopped

• 1 tomato, chopped

• bleu cheese crumbles

• tortilla strips (see recipe below)

Dressing:

• 1/4 bottle French dressing

• 1 packet Zesty Italian seasoning made by Good Seasoning

• 1/8 cup sugar

• 1 t oregano

• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice

Tortilla strips:

• flour tortillas

• olive oil

• salt

Cut tortillas into small strips. Brush lightly with oil and salt. Grill in a pan or bake in the oven until crispy.

To create the chopped salad look, we use a chopper to cut the lettuce.

Mix all the salad ingredients together.

Pour dressing over vegetables and mix well.

Top with bleu cheese crumbles and tortilla strips.

Delicious Turkey Patty Melts

2011-03-15T06:03:00.000-05:00

Hubby created this dinner for us recently and I wanted to share it with you because it was so good. I've never had a patty melt before because I don't eat red meat, so this is our turkey version.

Makes 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:
• 8 slices of bread
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 4 slices mozzarella cheese

In a small pan, heat vegetable oil and pour in onions. When onions start to soften, add brown sugar and grill for 5 more minutes.

Roll ground turkey into 4 patties. In a large pan, melt 1 T butter and then add turkey patties. Grill patties until meat is fully cooked.

Once patties are cooked, move them to a plate and heat 1 T in pan. Lightly toast slices of bread until golden brown and then flip to other side.

When bread is toasted, create a sandwich with turkey patty, grilled onions and a slice of cheese.

Messy, but very good! Enjoy!

Family Room Window Transformation

2011-03-10T06:03:00.000-06:00

I don't think I ever shared this makeover, so I wanted to post some pictures. This was our scary family room when we moved in last year. Yes, the carpet was new, but the rest of the room was still stuck in the 70's!

As the first task when we moved in, we pulled down the nasty paneling and trim around the windows. I'm so proud of my hubby for spending many of his days off of work building beautiful trim around the windows to dress them up.

And here they are!

They took some getting used to, but we love them now. It's so fun to sit on the couch and look out the window at all the hard work we put into making these windows beautiful!

Sweet Lemon Blueberry Coconut Bread

2011-03-08T07:30:00.000-06:00

I've was really into cooking with lemons and coconut, so recipes with these ingredients caught my eye. I took a few different recipes I've seen and combined them together to make this yummy bread.

I also just wanted to apologize that I've been a little MIA lately. I'm about 16 weeks and still pretty sick, tired, and suffering from migraines every day. I'm having a hard time getting through the work day. Looking at the computer screen often makes me dizzy so I haven't been spending as much free time on here. On the days I'm feeling better, I always try to get back to blogging. Today is a miracle and I have some energy, so I'm back!

And back to the yummy bread...

Ingredients:
• 2.5 cups flour
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 t baking powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 cups shredded coconut
• 1/4 c lemon juice
• 1 T lemon zest
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 t vanilla
• 1/2 c applesauce
• 3/4 c fresh blueberries

Getting hungry? Keep scrolling down for directions : )

1. Heat over to 350 degrees. Grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, sugar and coconut.

3. In a small bowl, mix lemon juice, lemon zest, milk, eggs and vanilla.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the large bowl with the dry ingredients and mix well.

5. Carefully add applesauce and blueberries and stir until smooth.

6. Pour mixture into the loaf pan and bake for 70 minutes or until the center is cooked. Let cool, slice, and enjoy!

DIY Throw Pillow to Chair Cushion

2011-03-03T07:12:00.000-06:00

Some of you asked about the pillow cushion on the chair makeover I did recently. I wanted to share how I made it.

I bought this really cute & fun bedding for the craft room to use on our two guest beds. I also bought some different throw pillows since they were such a good price. I didn't end up liking how the twin bed looked with so many pillows so I had a couple extras. It took a little trial & error, but I was able to take apart the throw pillow and resize it to fit my chair. Here's how you can resize a large throw pillow to create a pillow cushion...

The throw pillow was larger than the chair, so I had to use a seam ripper to carefully take the pillow apart.

I took out some of the stuffing to make the pillow flatter and easier to sit on.

Then I resized the pillow to the size of the chair, pinned the sides of the cushion, and hand-sewed it closed.

I pinned the trim around the edge that I took off earlier.

To make the chair ties, I cut 4 strips of fabric.

To create each strip, I folded each edge towards the middle, pinned, and ironed the creases. Then I folded again and pressed to hide the unfinished edges.

A simple straight stitch closed the folds and finished the ends. Then I attached the ties to the pillow trim and hand-sewed everything closed.

For the cushion buttons, I bought a button cover kit and followed the package directions.

I marked the center of the pillow on both the top and the bottom and sewed them on.

Here are the finished ties on the chair.

I was so scared to do this project without any idea what I was doing, but I'm so happy with how it came out!

Delicious Artichoke Rigatoni

2011-02-28T06:00:00.001-06:00

Pasta is a staple in our house so we're always looking for ways to spice it up. I loved this recipe I found and wanted to share my version of it with you.

Ingredients:
• 1 T salt
• 12 oz box of rigatoni
• 5 T olive oil
• 3 T lemon juice
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 t dried oregano
• Salt & pepper
• 1 jar artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1 Roma tomato, diced (we used cherry tomatoes)
• 4 T fresh chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Optional: For a more filling meal, add some grilled chicken or pepperoni slices

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add salt and cook rigatoni according to box directions.

Drain pasta and rinse in cold water. Toss pasta in cold water for a few minutes until it cools.

In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt & pepper.

Add the artichoke hearts, tomato, rigatoni, and parsley. If you added the optional meat, mix that in now.

Top with grated parmesan cheese and lemon juice.

Eating this as I type! Fabulous!

Blog advertising?

2011-02-24T06:03:00.000-06:00

How do you feel about advertisements on blogs?

Do you notice them? Do you avoid blogs that have giant ads all over them? Do you support other bloggers who try to make some extra money from ads?

As of now, I have chosen NOT to have ads on my blog because that's not what blogging is about, IMO. My blog was about searching for happiness and sharing my creativity with all of you. There have been times when people have asked me about advertising and I turned them down just for this reason. Maybe one day I'll change my mind, but for now, it's all ME : )

Every blogger has the choice about whether they want to have ads on their personal blog. I understand that everyone has their own opinions and they choose what they think will work best for them.

Please share your opinions!

Cotton Ruffle Scarf

2011-02-22T06:03:00.000-06:00

I keep a record of all my favorite crafts that I see on blogs and then I can go back to look through them when I need a new project. I saw this cute ruffle scarf on 3 Punk Mom back in November and finally had some time to try it. I love scarves that are not too thick so they work all year long. My scarf came our super cute and I love how the ruffles go all the way around!

I did a little fashion show for the Hubby and Kitty felt left out...
And my stupid faces...
My mini baby bump : )
He loves to take pictures of me when I look stupid.
These are totally embarrassing, but hey, I'm feeling gutsy today!
I'm a dork!

Tropical Coconut Shrimp & Mango Rice

2011-02-18T06:00:00.000-06:00

On a whim, we decided to make a fun tropical dinner on a Saturday night. It was really fun to make and the dinner was surprisingly good! It kind of reminded me of our honeymoon in Maui and the luau dinner we went to.

Baked Coconut Shrimp
Adapted from here

Ingredients:
• non-stick cooking spray
• 1 pounds defrosted shrimp
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper
• dash of salt
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 egg whites
• 3/4 cup coconut

Preheat oven to 425. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

In a bowl, mix cornstarch, peppers & salt.

In a small microwave safe bowl, warm honey for 30-45 seconds. Add lime juice to honey and stir. Slowly add in egg whites and continue to stir.

Place shredded coconut in a thin layer on a pie plate or flat dish.

Take each shrimp, dip into cornstarch mixture, then in egg white mixture and finally roll in the coconut.

Place on the baking sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes or until coconut is lightly toasted.

Mango Rice
Adapted from here

Ingredients:
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• rice
• 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 large ripe mango, peeled and cubed

In a large pot, heat oil.

Add rice and mix with the oil.

Pour in coconut milk, water, and salt and bring to a boil.

Stir in the mango and cilantro.

Cover, reduce heat to very low, and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.

Remove the rice from the heat and fluff with a fork. Add brown sugar to rice and mix well.

Cover the pot and let rice steam for about 5 minutes before serving.

Definitely a keeper dinner! Yum!

Sweet Craisin Banana Bread

2011-02-15T17:08:00.000-06:00

First of all, I just wanted to say thanks for all your sweet comments about my pregnancy! You're all so sweet!

Second, I promise not to turn this into a baby AW blog. I have a separate baby blog that was designed just for that purpose. It's private right now because it has so much personal detail during my infertility journey. If anyone would be interested in following it, just let me know and I can send you an invite.

And now, back to the reason you're here!
I came across this recipe and it reminded me about some leftover Craisins I had sitting in the cabinet. This was the perfect way to use up the bag and make a yummy snack!

Adapted from Delectable Dining

Ingredients:
• non-stick cooking spray
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 large banana
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 6 oz. package of Craisins or dried cranberries

See directions below...
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a bread loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl mix sugar, butter, banana, milk and eggs.

Add dry ingredients, craisins and mix well.

Pour mixture in the loaf pan.

Bake for 75 minutes or until cooked throughout.

So good! Enjoy!

Team T is growing!

2011-02-14T15:49:00.000-06:00

I'm so happy to announce to all of you that I'm pregnant! A lot of you have followed my infertility journey and sent your thoughts and prayers as we endured a miscarriage and a year of fertility treatments. I appreciate all your kind words and our dreams finally came true!

Some of you may have noticed that I started taking a closer look at all your baby crafts, nursery designs, etc. and hinting that I might be needing these things soon. It's hard to keep a secret! I also have to admit that there were days I couldn't even stomach looking at food posts because they made me sick!

But now that the first trimester is over, I'm excited to have more energy to work on some new crafts and home decor that we need to get done before the baby comes. Looking forward to getting started!

Happy Valentine's Day! <3

Happy Little Pleasures

2011-02-11T06:00:00.000-06:00

I think everyone needs to remember to take some time to focus on the Happy Little Pleasures in life. I'm guilty of hardly ever doing this, so I decided it was time for another HLP post. Here's what made me happy recently...

Pesto Sauce
I recently re-discovered pesto when we had some left after a recipe. I used to eat this stuff all the time in high school and I kinda forgot about it. In the last week, I finished off the jar and now I'm onto the next one! I love it mixed with some fresh cold pasta and a little parmesan cheese. Not the healthiest, but it's SO good!

Spring Crafts
Winter sucks. We just had a major blizzard and I'm over the snow and the cold. For the past few weeks, I've been inspired to start working on spring crafts to get ready for next season. Get excited because there's some cute & springy crafts on their way! For right now, I'll just daydream about the garden flag I made last year and hope I can put it out soon!

Trader Joe's Ravioli
I could do an entire post just on the amazing food at Trader Joe's, but I'll start with this one fabulous meal. These seem so simple and ordinary. I don't know what it is, but they are awesome! I dream about these things! They're good hot or cold, plain or with sauce, and fresh or leftover. I have to refrain from eating these every day!
Blue Bloods
I haven't been very impressed with a lot of the new tv shows this year, but this one got my attention. You may not have heard of this great tv show, so I wanted to share a little about it. Dramatic, great acting, good storylines, etc.

Here's some info from CBS: BLUE BLOODS is a drama about a multi-generational family of cops dedicated to New York City law enforcement. Frank Reagan is the New York City Police Commissioner and heads both the police force and the Reagan brood. A source of pride and concern for Frank is his eldest son Danny, a seasoned detective, family man, and Iraqi War vet who on occasion uses dubious tactics to solve cases. The sole Reagan woman in the family, Erin, is a N.Y. Assistant D.A. and newly single parent, who also serves as the legal compass for her siblings and father. Jamie is the youngest Reagan, fresh out of Harvard Law and the family's "golden boy;" however, unable to deny the family tradition, Jamie decided to give up a lucrative future in law and is now a newly minted cop.

What are your Happy Little Pleasures this week?

Placemat Makeover

2011-02-09T06:00:00.001-06:00

We have a glass kitchen table and it gets scratched really easily. I like to keep placemats on it to keep it a little more covered. We've had these nasty red plastic ones that I got at Big Lots a few years ago and I always meant to buy new ones. (Don't make fun of me, I took this photo back in the fall.)
I haven't really seen anything I like that much in the stores and I want them to be wipeable in case we spill. So I found these wooden weaved mats at Joanns on clearance for $1! Cute, but they don't match at all. I primed and spray painted them and then added a glossy finishing coat.
Here they are on the table! SO much better and much more modern!

Cheesy Spinach & Turkey Ziti

2011-02-06T18:20:00.000-06:00

Well, hello! I've been MIA for a few days during the Chicago Blizzard of 2011, Hubby being sick, and getting busy with life. I apologize for accidentally posting this earlier in the day and deleting it. This is one of my favorite new pasta recipes! Definitely a keeper!

Adapted from Your Homebased Mom

Ingredients:
• 1 lb Italian sausages (take out of casing)
• 1/2 c chopped onion
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 24 oz. can of diced, peeled tomatoes
• 2/3 c pesto
• salt & pepper
• 10 oz. cooked ziti
• 4 c chopped fresh spinach
• 8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 c grated Parmesan cheese

In a large pan, cook sausage, onion and garlic until sausage is cooked through.

Add tomatoes with juices and simmer until sauce thickens slightly. Stir occasionally, for about 10 minutes.

Add pesto. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly grease 13 x 9 baking dish.

In a large bowl, mix pasta, spinach, mozzarella and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese. Add in warm tomato mixture.

Pour mixture in baking dish and top with remaining 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese.

Bake until sauce bubbles and cheeses melt, about 20-25 minutes.

So good! Seconds, please! : )

Cinnamon Sugar Bread

2011-01-31T06:00:00.000-06:00

This is one of those recipes where the photos don't turn out so well, but it tastes amazing. Bread doesn't look too exciting when you take a photo of it, but this was SO sugary sweet and yummy! It's more like a dessert than a bread, but who cares?!?

Note: I made this in the bread maker, but it can also be made in a loaf pan in the oven.

Ingredients:
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 3 cups bread flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 t salt
• 1.5 t cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons yeast

Place ingredients in bread maker pan.

Set machine for quick bread or sweet bread.

When the machine is done mixing and starts to bake, open the top and sprinkle sugar on top of the bread.

Let bake for remaining time.

Dance around impatiently in the kitchen as you smell the bread and wait for it to cool.

See all those cinnamon and sugar pieces? YUM!
The bread was great with a quick spread of butter or a dip in some vanilla frosting.

Pretty Felt Heart Wreath

2011-01-26T06:00:00.000-06:00

If you're into craft blogs, I'm sure you've seen this heart wreath all over this year. It's all the rage in the blog world for Valentine's Day 2011! My friend Christina at Finally Mom asked me to make her one and then a couple more friends requested one as well. How can I say no to my girls? Plus, they're super cute!

I used the tutorial from The Idea Room with a couple adjustments. It took 4 stores, but I bought out all the heart wreaths at the craft stores nearby.

Since the felt pieces will only cover the front of the heart, I spray painted the back side red. It looks a lot better than the white foam sticking out on the sides.
A yard of fabric was enough for me to make 3 full wreaths, so you only need about 1/3 of a yard for one wreath. I used a mug to trace circles on the felt. The diameter of the circles was about 2.5 inches.

How many circles do you need? Lucky you! I counted! I used between 100-115 per wreath. You can always add more, but I think 100 fills it pretty well.

I'd suggest sitting down to watch some tv while you do this because it can be a little monotonous. It works well to switch off between tracing circles and cutting so your hand doesn't get too sore from all the cutting!Once all the circles are cut, I took each circle and folded it in half. Then I folded it in half again so it becomes a little wedge.
Using a small pin, I inserted it into the corner of the wedge and then into the wreath. I didn't see any other blogs mention this, but I would suggest buying some dressmaker pins that are a little shorter than the standard size. The longer ones might poke out on the back and scratch your door.
Just keep folding and pinning as you go around the wreath. There's so special tip or pattern to doing this. You just adjust and place them as you want.
Once the wreath was completely covered in felt, I turned it over to add a hanging string. I took some red ribbon and tied a knot at one end. Using a few pins, I attached the ribbon to the back.
I love it! It's so pretty on the white door and it's perfect for Valentine's Day!

Some of my other ideas for future wreaths that I may try:
• glitter felt
• using multiple colors for one wreath (red, pink, white)
• adding little accessories like pearls, candy hearts, etc

Happy Valentine's Day!

Delicious Caprese Scallops

2011-01-24T06:00:00.000-06:00

This is a great, healthy recipe that we tried last week. The flavor was great and we loved it!

Adapted from Savoring Time in the Kitchen
Ingredients:
• 1 tomato
• 6 basil leaves
• 1 red onion, sliced
• salt & pepper
• 3 T olive oil
• 1/2 lb scallops
• 1/2 of a lemon

Slice tomatoes and basil leaves. Pour into a large bowl.

Heat 1 T olive oil in a large pan. Season red onion with salt and pepper and pour into pan. Cook for 7 to 10 minutes.

Let cool and pour into bowl with tomato and basil.

Drizzle 1 T olive oil into the bowl.

Season scallops with salt, pepper and 1 T olive oil. Place in pan and cook for 5-7 minutes.

Arrange in large bowl over vegetables.

Squeeze the juice from half a lemon over the scallops and vegetables.

Aren't the colors gorgeous?

Yummy : )

Glittery XO Letters

2011-01-21T06:00:00.000-06:00

I was walking around the craft store one day and this project popped into my head. A cute & easy way to decorate for Valentine's Day! I love Valentine's Day decorations because they're always adorable and they're not religious so everyone can appreciate them.

I bought two 3-D papier mache letters that were about 10 inches tall.
I found some really fun glittery red paper in the scrapbooking section and bought two sheets. I traced the letters onto the glitter paper and cut them out. I wanted paper to cover the front and the back of each letter so I made two X's and 2 O's.

Using some red acrylic paint, I painted the sides red to match the paper.

I used spray glue to attach the glitter paper to the letters and let the glue dry.
Glittery, sparkly, and fun!

Here's the letters on our bookshelf in the family room and I thought they worked well next to the frame I gave Hubby on our first Valentine's Day after only 2 weeks of dating. Gosh, we look young and innocent in that photo!

Simple & Tasty Pita Pizza

2011-01-19T06:03:00.000-06:00

I don't know anyone who doesn't love pizza, but who wants to spend hours making dough or wasting all their calories for the week on a single meal?

Solution: pita pizzas! I came up with this recipe when we had my 8 year old cousin over for dinner. It was perfect for a quick meal and he loved making his own pizza.

Ingredients:
Add or subtract whatever you'd like, but these are some of the things we used.
• sliced red onion
• sliced tomato
• chopped spinach
• turkey pepperoni slices
• ground sausage (cooked quickly in a pan)
• shredded mozzarella cheese
• feta cheese
• pizza sauce
• oregano
• pita bread

Preheat oven to 350.

Spread pita bread on cookie sheets.

Add pizza sauce, veggies, meat, and top with cheese and a shake of oregano.

Cook for about 10 minutes or until golden brown on top.

This was Hubby's red onion, sausage, and pepperoni pizza.

This was my red onion, tomato, sausage, and feta pizza.

Enjoy!