Free Project #2

With help from a little freckled person, I finished the second "free" project.  I had two mirrors, which were bought years ago on EBay.  They were from an old dressing table, and the mirror itself was somewhat scratched to begin with. So I figured they were the perfect guinea pigs for this project.

First, I cleaned the mirrors with Windex. I debated on whether to paint the frames, but that may have to wait for another day, as my assistant was anxious to help with the sticker part of the project, and, it was getting dangerously close to nap-time. So I decided to keep the wood frames as is.

I had a pack of stick on letters, which I originally got at AC Moore. You can get them anywhere, including Home Depot, Lowe's, Michael's, etc, and they come in all sorts of sizes and fonts.

I picked out a phrase and placed the vinyl letters on the mirror. I'm pretty sure more organized people would recommend you measure and align the letters "just so".  However, I like to live on the edge.  I just slapped them on the mirror and hoped for the best.

I taped off the edges of the mirror frame like this, so that I didn't get any paint on the frame itself, and painted the mirror with Satin White Paint. All the while my helper, insisted on guiding my hand while taping and painting - this was very helpful indeed.

Paint over stick on letters

After a 2 hour nap for my trusty side-kick, the paint felt dry. My much refreshed assistant happily removed the letters. All the while I calmly reminded him "pull gently" and "not too fast" and "steady does it". He interpreted this as "rip as hard, and fast as possible, like ripping off a band aid"...
Always have a competent assistant


Fortunately, it seems there was a method to his madness, because the letters came right off, and there were only a few tiny spots of paint that had bled under the letters, which I scraped off with a sharp knife. And, that is project number 2 completed.

I hung them in our little kitchen nook, and they look pretty cute.

For which I am happy.  :-)

]

Free Project #1

The first "free" project is complete! Inspired by Pinterest, I wanted to frame a couple of recipes to hang in the kitchen.

I have loads of sentimental recipes passed down from family members and friends.  I chose two that I love and make frequently. I know my great grandmother's English Butter Tarts recipe by heart, but it will be nice to see her name and the recipe every day.  She passed away about 20 years ago, and it makes me smile to think about her. Also, I have a hot cheese dip recipe, from my Mom, that I also have memorized, but it'll be nice to see it in the kitchen.

I had two small matching frames that I got on sale at Kinney Drugs.

[caption id="attachment_750" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Spare picture frames[/caption]

I took them apart, and took the wooden frame down to the basement for a little black spray paint.  (I wouldn't normally spray paint in the basement - but as there were no kids home, it was sleeting outside, and this only took about 10 seconds of spray paint, I figured there was no harm).

Then I went to the computer, and found a font a wanted to use.  I typed out the recipe and printed it on brown packing paper... Then realized I'd forgotten to spell check!

[caption id="attachment_751" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Recipe[/caption]

So, I did it again, and voila!

Here are the finished recipes.  I haven't decided where to hang them yet.  But I will post a photo when the week of free projects is completed.

[caption id="attachment_752" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Framed Recipes[/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_753" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Framed recipes[/caption]

 

Decorating for FREE

Yes, I'm on Pinterest again.  It's just so darn addicting and fun and inspiring!  However, I realize it could bankrupt me in a hurry if I decide to try and make or build or buy everything I am interested in! Similarly, I could gain 30 lbs just looking at the food... but that's another story.

I find myself pretty broke this month SO I set out to find 7 projects I can do this coming week that cost NOTHING. Okay, let me be more specific, I set out to find projects that don't require me to BUY anything!

I came up with a few ideas, and I have everything I need here in the house.

1. Take an old mirror and put on sticky letters and paint, and peel off the letters, like so:



I have two mirrors and some vinyl letters with which I'm going to attempt this project.

2. Find a free font site, use colored or cool craft paper, and print up favorite quotes, song lyrics, or whatever, and put in an old frame.  If the frame is ugly or less than appealing, give it a quick coat of spray paint or wrap it in ribbon.





3. Give clear candle holders or wine glasses some bling with a thin coat of elmers glue and glitter for a "new" candle holder.



4. I have to do this!  Just use paint stirrers (sticks), and stain them, or paint them.  Glue them around an old ugly lamp shade!



5. Paint picture frames for the stairway, so that they all match and look antique. I have to do a little more research on this as I would like my frames to be black with a teeny tiny bit of red or gold showing through... but this picture shows the effect I want.



6. I have a lot of picture frames and Iove the idea of framing family recipes for the kitchen like these below:



So, let's see how I get along.  Where is that glitter?

 

 

A Quick Note on Modular Homes

It has come to my attention that some potential modular home buyers have trouble with getting their financial institution to play nice with their home builder/dealer. When you build a modular home you either pay in cash, or you will need a construction loan and mortgage.

If you are looking for an overview on obtaining a loan, I wrote a post about loans Here ...

But I'd like to make a quick point about your construction loan.

If you need a construction loan and mortgage, it is essential you speak with your modular home dealer, and financial institution before you sign anything.  I suggest you consider using a lender that your dealer/builder works with to avoid surprises.  Otherwise, it's imperative that you check with your choice of lender to be sure they are able to work around your builders draw schedule.  If the bank will not budge, then you need to see if the dealer and/or builder can work the lenders payment requirements.

If neither can reach an agreement, you may have to find a new lending institution, or modular dealer.

If you have any questions, please feel free to comment.

(We used Key Modular Homes as our modular home dealer.  They are more than helpful in helping their customers secure a loan.)

Organized 13 Things!

In keeping with theme of the 13 home goals, I thought I'd make a little note on the 13 things I do manage to keep well organized. Geez - I really hope I can find 13 - this could be a wake up call... Let's see how it goes!

1. Furniture.  When we built our home and moved in, we had a completely different floor plan from our old house.  Two large sofas, two large arm chairs, two end tables, two coffee tables, an ottoman, large flat screen, TV cabinet... all fit just fine in our old living room.  Although we have more space now, our floor plan dictates a lot less furniture to promote traffic flow.  Furthermore, all of that furniture made our house look like the home section of the Thrifty Shopper. SO, it took me a year and a half, but we ditched an end table, an arm chair, a rocking chair and several other pieces.  The living room still has plenty of seating, but it's uncluttered and easy to navigate.

2. Pan lids. I have spent the better part of my life with pan lids roaming freely throughout my cupboards. They could end up anywhere, and were rarely where I can find the one I needed.  SO, Finally, I took an old roasting rack out of the roasting pan.  Let's face it I roast a large piece of meat about once a year, and I chase my pan lids 3 times per day.

[caption id="attachment_732" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Roasting pan turned pan lid storage[/caption]

3. Utensils.  I keep the utensils I use for every meal near the stove in a glass vase.  No digging in the drawer.  I fill half of the vase with lentils (you could use coffee beans, kidney beans, etc.) and use it to keep the utensils standing upright for easy grabbing.

[caption id="attachment_733" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Utensil storage[/caption]

4. Tupperware.  I have A LOT of Tupperware.  (Mostly because my parents give us lots of yummy leftovers and goodies. I steal it and never return it. It's not a felony, but I guess I should say "I'm sorry Mom and Dad").  On the bright side, my ill-gotten Tupperware is very well organized.  Stacked by size.  Lids in a large container by size as well.

5. Q-tips and cotton balls. Idea from Pinterest. Keeps them handy without taking up a lot of space on your counter top.

[caption id="attachment_734" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Cotton Balls and Q-tips[/caption]

6. Makeup brushes and eyeliners.  I keep them in a glass candle holder filled with glass beads (or something similar) so that they stand up and you can find what you need easily and quickly.

[caption id="attachment_735" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Storing make-up brushes[/caption]

7. Bathroom storage. Use large baskets either side of your bathroom sink plumbing to hold hair dryer, brush, straghtening iron etc.

(Note: Bathroom storage is for women only.  Men only have store a bar of soap, a razor, a towel, and a toothbrush.  Women need to store at least 674 products and hair appliances.)

8. Winter boots/Summer shoes.  My family (excluding moi) leave their snow boots, sandals, Timberlands, Uggs, flip flops, sneakers, and indoor soccer cleats, ALL OVER the house.  I took two plastic laundry baskets, and put all out of season shoes in an office closet.  The closet by our door houses only the shoes they use now. Anything good lives in their idividuals closets.

9. Hats and Mittens. The same closet in the office has a large sturdy basket for all ski gloves, hats and scarves that aren't used on a daily basis.  Throw in a bouce dryer sheet so that they stay smelling good. Everything else is stored on the "mitten tree" by the door (that my Mom and Dad gave us).

[caption id="attachment_737" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Mitten Tree![/caption]

10. Technology. We have an office.  But we like to use the "good" laptop daily and it inevitably ends up on our kitchen island.  Same with kindles, portable dvds, leap pad, ipods, etc.  SO, enter the large media storage cabinet.  We keep it in the kitchen, where it doesn't take up too much room.  When I want a clean counter, it all goes into the cabinet. Voila!

[caption id="attachment_738" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Kitchen storage[/caption]

11. Crafty stuff.  Scissors, glue gun, staple guns, command hooks, tape, duct tape - all share space in the same cabinet as the laptop.  I like having the basics at hand.  Larger items that I don't use often are in the basement.

12. Bedside table "stuff".  I keep a pretty fabric covered box on my bedside table.  It holds my glasses, ear plugs (guess who snores like a dinosnore), and benedryl (for when the ear plugs don't cut it). If I find myself lying sleepless in the middle of the night, I don't have to get up and go to the bathroom or dig through a drawer.

13. Children.  They get everywhere. I keep a room for each child and neatly store them for periods of time.  (I find the basement works too, but some people find that objectionable.)

Ok, well there are 13 things that are actually organized around our home.  (Okay, well maybe only technically 12. Clearly, I have a lot of work to do.)

Today, I think I will start on my reverse stencil.  All this organizing makes me feel like I need to do something uplifting and fun. :-)

 

20(13) resolutions

Before I start this post, I want to give credit, where credit is due.  Carrie at Making Lemonade wrote a post called "Thirteen Home Goals for 2013" and that got me totally excited to make some home goals for myself.  I'm not big on resolutions, but this is something I need to do, and want to do.

For some time I have needed to update my To Do list.  It's the usual.  Cross one thing off, and add three more... But with the new year and all... I can handle it.

Like most people, I'm not thrilled about posting pictures of the ugly side of things at our humble abode, but I do hope it will help me forge ahead when I'm feeling lazy. Basically I'm embarrassing myself into action! So, with Carrie's encouragement, here are 13 things I'm going to do around the house. Each is a task that has been put off for far too long.

1. ORGANIZE all closets.  A few of my closets are pretty well-organized and neat.

A. Few. Are. Not.



Big A went in this closet last Thursday, and didn't come back for 3 days, mumbling something about talking lions.

2.  Hang holders and hooks in pantry for herbs and spices.  So inexpensive and simple, yet something I manage to ignore so easily.  These racks would cost me under $10 and save me digging through all of the spices and herb containers I have stacked in a drawer.



SpiceStor Organizer Rack 20 Cabinet Door Spice Clips

3. Hang my step stool!  Ok, I realize this is hardly a "Goal". However, it's another one of those tasks that I've managed to put off for a year and a half. The inside of the pantry door is the perfect place for it. It's the perfect solution to lugging the step ladder around and then hiding it when company comes over!



Werner AC11 Stepladder Hanger

4. Now to the basement... No photos!  It's just too embarassing.  Been in the house for a year and a half, and still have boxes to sort through.  For God's sake woman, either take it to the dump or find it a home.  (That is me, talking to me. I'm allowed to speak to myself that way).

5. Paint the master bathroom. The master bathroom is still only primed!  Time to pick out a color and paint.

6. Change white “shades” on lights in master bathroom.  I want something less white!

I was hoping to find a way to make the existing shades look like mercury glass.  However, I don't think I will be able to achieve the affect with the frosted glass.  Therefore, unless I hear of a way to paint them myself, I eventually have to buy new shades.

7.  I have the letters, and the old painting.  Do the reverse stencil treatment I have been planning for months.

8. Paint the picture frames near our stairs a uniform color.  I think black frames and some stencils on the wall, etc... would pimp the stairwell.  These family pictures were thrown up on the wall when we moved in, and I haven't touched them since.  Furthermore, there are probably 20 other photos neatly stored (no, not shoved!), under my dresser.

[caption id="attachment_715" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Gallery wall to be...[/caption]

9. Finish the paint in the stairwell.  It was high, it was precariouss, and well, frankly, no one really sees this but us, so it's never been finished!

[caption id="attachment_716" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Stairwell[/caption]

10. Finish the kids bathroom and shower. Ok, I really do have a good excuse for this.  We ran out of money!  And it's not as if the kids have to use a bucket in the field, or wash in a stream.  We have other bathrooms!  BUT, I guess, it's time to get it done...

[caption id="attachment_717" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Finish the kids bathroom[/caption]

11.  Finish the playroom.  All we really have to do is finish the trim, and move furniture in there.  (And clean!).

[caption id="attachment_718" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Playroom to be...[/caption]

12. Not technically a goal, but a necessary ongoing task: threaten my 14 year old gorgeous, funny, talented daughter

with a life devoid of cell phone or ipad if she does not keep her room clean.

13. Paint the dresser that has been unfinished for 15 years quite some time. And buy new hardware for it. If all goes well, I have quite a few items that could use some paint.  (But none as badly as this!)

[caption id="attachment_721" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Paint![/caption]

Okay!  So there are 13 for 2013.  I feel good about this list.  It's do-able. It doesn't overwhelm me, it just makes me excited to get some things done. Thank you for the inspiration Carrie at Making Lemonade! I think I will tackle the closet today!

Mini-Muffin Tins

Christmas isn't really over! Because we are exchanging presents with Big A's family today!  And with that said, we are going to eat, drink and be merry! Technically, it's Christmas!  Again.

Each family is bringing a dish - I hear Swedish Meatballs, Baked Swiss Cheese Dip, Veggies, and a Rye Boat are all on the menu.  I am making Mini Muffin Pan Appetizers.  They're yummy and sooo cute.  All you need is won-ton wrappers and mini-muffin tins -you can fill them with anything you like.  I had planned to make mini tacos, and when I mentioned it to my Mother in Law, she said she was craving Crab Rangoon.  Done.  Just put the filling in a won-ton wrapper in a mini-muffin tin!

[caption id="attachment_709" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Place wontons and fill![/caption]

(Note: I find the 3" square won-ton wrappers in the produce section, the brand is Melissa's)

 

Mini Crab Rangoon

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 large clove garlic, minced
2  6 oz cans crab meat, drained
24 won-ton wrappers (pre-cut)
1/4 cup Chinese duck sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. 
   
   Mix first 6 ingredients together. Set aside.


2. 
   
   Spray mini-muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray an place one won-ton square in each mini-muffin tin.


3. 
   
   Place a heaping teaspoon of crab mixture in each cup, and fold wonton tips in over filling.


4. 
   
   Bake 12-15 minutes or until won-tons are golden


5. 
   
   Remove from oven and top each with 1/2 teaspoon duck sauce.

Min Tacos

24 Won Ton wrappers (I bought the pre-cut ones)

1 lb Hamburger meat

1 packet spicy Taco Seasoning

1 can or jar Nacho Cheese sauce (gross, but necessary!)

Grated Cheese (I bought pre-shredded taco cheese)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Brown the ground beef.

2. Season with taco seasoning.

3.  Spray the mini-muffin tins with cooking spray.

4. Place the won-tons in a cupcake pan

5. Place a teaspoon of nacho cheese sauce in the bottom of each wrapper, and fill each cup with meat mixture, and top with grated cheese.  Fold wonton wrapper tips in over filling.

6. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes at 350 degrees or until won-tons are golden.