Glitter Wall

I saw on Pinterest that you could do a glitter accent wall with glue & glitter. I wasn't sure about the glue. I have put glue on walls PLENTY O TIMES & it peals off easily. So I looked for a clear paint. It does exists, but I only found 5 gallon tubs & it was mainly for sealing in projects. I kept looking because I wasn't too sure about it. Then I found a Faux Glaze by Behr. It was $27 for a gallon (a little pricey) they also sell a pint for &14. You're supposed to mix it with a color for sponging & such on walls. It looks white, but dries clear. It's to lighten a color or make it milky. Sooo I just added glitter! I made the mistake of buying the chunky glitter. What you need is the dusty glitter. I used silver & the cream color I already had of the dust type glitter. A pint would've covered the wall & then some, but I'm going to use the full gallon for other walls in the house (without glitter lol).

Milk in the trash

I am a PROUD Starbucks gold card member.  I recharge that thing every pay day and then on outings we go by there.  The Madd Hatter either likes a Double Chocolaty ship OR a Hot Chocolaty Chip (hot chocolate) Bubba gets a chocolate milk in the carton. Today I asked MH what she wanted "I want the milk in the trash!" I had NO IDEA what this was so instead of the drive thru we went in.  She grabs the carton milk ... Technically she is correct, the carton ends up in the trash so logically it is milk in trash, right?  So I pay and Bubba is having a holy FIT! There was a guy there joking saying "Give that kid some milk! He needs his milk!" LOL It was insanity, but funny.  I told the guy he was a milkaholic and he is getting treatment. LOL
The drive home was interesting.  MH asked if cows jump over the moon. I told her only in fairytales and if we waited for a cow that we see daily to jump over the moon we'd be waiting a really long time.  THEN I got a milk from a cow lesson from my 3 year old.  According to her people in a factory make the milk and they take it to the cows and put it in their bellies.  THEN a farmer comes and squeezes their bellies and the milk comes out.  While all this is going on the cow is saying "Moooooo". That is how we get the milk we buy at the store.  I'm not sure why we just don't cut out the middle man.  Seems like an awful lot of work for some milk.  She also schooled me on aliens.  I told her they like to make pictures in corn fields.  Apparently aliens HATE corn! They only drink milk from cows. 
I DO have a craft, but it is going to take me several days. I KNOW you all are soooo disappointed LOL BUT I wanted to tell you all about where milk comes from.  I thought you all needed the knowledge.  

Creamy Tomato Soup

This is a really good soup! I made it too thick and I know where I went wrong.  

What you need 2 cans of tomatoes (I used petite diced tomatoes)

                         4 cups chicken broth

                         1 cup carrots

                         1 cup celery

                         1 cup onions

                         basil (I put in about 1/4 cup fresh basil)

                         oregano (I did 3-4 shakes)

                         bay leaf

                         1/2 cup butter (I think this is too much)

                         1/2 flour (I think this is too much)

                          1 cup parm cheese

                         2 cups half and half

                         salt and pepper to taste

What you need to do is put the first 8 items in either a crock pot for 6 hours on low OR in a pot and simmer until veggies are tender.  Once it's all tender, melt the butter in another pot and add the flour.  Like you're going to make a gravy.  The reason why I say this is too much is because you will add about 1 cup of your HOT soup to this and it will INSTANTLY become thick.  My advice would be less butter/flour mixture OR don't put in that initial 1 cup to the mixture and just dump the entire soup in there and simmer to get it a little thick.  Then you add the half and half and the parm cheese. I do not buy butter with salt anymore and I bought fat free half and half ... I can't even tell! SO Bubba didn't like it AT ALL and Big Mak just got seconds.  It's a really good soup I just wish I didn't put that initial cup of hot soup into the butter/flour mixture.  That's why mine is so thick!

Where I got the recipe -

http://utah.todaysmama.com/2012/03/20/tomato-basil-parmesan-soup-in-the-slow-cooker-or-on-the-stove-top/                      

I did the crock pot version

The flour/butter mixture

Everything poured in lastly the parm

The "Cooker" serious

The "Cooker" smiling

A "fancier" pillow case dress

Ok Soooo I got the idea to make a pillow sack SHIRT for myself from a redeployment photo a friend posted of FB.  Her daughter had a pillow case (or are the potato sack dresses well whatever) dress on as a top.  I thought HOW CUTE! It's flowy, you can wear leggings under it.  ANYWAY,  I made myself the top all I needed to do was hem it and guess who comes home from school ... twirling it, commenting on how she LOVES purple and how my top is purple and how she LOVES purple dresses.  Like every mom on a guilt trip put on by their daughter would do.  I slimmed the top down and now it's her dress.  
I used that jersey fabric I bought several days ago at 54 inches.  I folded the 54 inches in half and then estimated how wide I am (or how wide the person you are making it for.  I then cut the arm section.  Just a little triangle on each side.  Sew the the 2 sides together.  NOT the arm section.  After that hem the shoulder section so the rough edge isn't showing.  I then hemmed the neck section.  I did a huge section about 2 - 2 1/2 inches because you're going to put a ribbon though it.  I made the ribbon like I made the ribbon to the dress yesterday. And that is it! What makes this dress "fancier" then the other pillow cases dresses is this one has a cute bow and it's tad bit more form fitting. =)

What I have to put up with when I sew at a time OTHER then nap or bed time

Again with the little man standing on my project

The dress cut and the sides sewn

The arm section hemmed

The neck line hemmed

And the dress on

The bow =)

Sundress Anyone?

Ok I bought a tube top sun dress a couple summers ago for $25 I think it was and it was on sale.  This one I bought a little over 1 1/2 yards I bought the rest of the bulk so I'm not sure of the exact amount.  I am going to say buy 2 yards.  This print was $4 a yard. So you need 2 yards of fabric and some elastic.  I had 1/2 inch elastic ($1.88 for 3 yards at Walmart).  So under $10 for this dress.  

AGAIN I have no pattern.  Your body is the patter I guess.  I measured my hips.  That is the widest part of your body in this dress.  Cut the fabric that wide.  I then slipped on the tube of fabric (inside out) and marked where it needed to go in and where my hips were going to be.  Then I sewed the fabric again so that it was hour glass-ish shape.  SINCE my fabric was white I put in a panel on the front for more boobage coverage.  I then measured a strip of elastic to go under the boobs (under the arm to under the arm.  Then I sewed where it would fit under the boobs.  Make sure you are pinning the elastic so it will be in the correct place and when you sew make sure to use zigzag stitch and PULL the elastic as you sew.  Then you measure elastic for the top part.  hem the top and stick the elastic in.  Then hem the bottom.  BOOM $25 dollar dress for $10. =) 

The fabric and the model

Hem at the top for the top elastic

The panel sewn in and slowing cutting the hour glass shape

The bottom and top elastic 

How much I leave when sewing

OH YEA! I made a bow.  I cut 2 2 1/2 in strips the longest I could get.  Sewed 3 sides together.  Turned it right side out and then ironed.  Then sewed the last side.  I also put a small stitch in the dress and ribbon because I ALWAYS lose those things in the wash.

End product (before I hemmed the bottom LOL)

Flip Flop Redo

I saw this on Pinterest, THOUGHT I pinned it, but didn't so I apologize to the blog I got this from because I can't find where I saw it or exactly how they did it.  SO I did trial and error and got it (not that hard. Mainly pictures ... The only thing I didn't picture was I burned the fabric that was under the flip flop by the knots.
What you need flip flops (I got these for $1), 4 strips of fabric.  I did little girl flip flops so for those I suggest a 3 - 3 1/2 inch wide strip and for adult probably 4-5 inch depending on pattern and how much you want to saw. Here you go =)

Add caption

Cut off the nubs off the bottoms and take off the plastic part

Cut points on the fabric

Shove both fabric through the toe hole

tie a double knot

I did a knot that would go on top of the toes.  So leave a little space FOR the toes.

You can knot the straps however you want.  All knots or no knots it doesn't matter.

Then shove them throw the holes by the heels and knot. (Again I burned the little edges so the fabric kind of stuck to itself)

Basic end product.  The smaller the foot I would use thinner strips. I used 5 in on these and wish I used 3.  You and even do a fabric flower for the side.  Add a back strap just sew some fabric together and put elastic in there and knot it through like the others.  It's really easy and a play and see type thing.

Summer Skirt

I went to Joanns today and got 6 yards of jersey fabric from Joanns.  They had 45 in and 52.  I got the 52.  I came home a and WASHED! If there's anything you learn from my blog is WASH YOUR FABRIC BEFORE YOU SEW!!!! Ok then I laid it out on the floor.  I had 2 yards of each color.  I used the gray today and once it was laid out I folding it about 1/4 in.  I guess you can cut the 2 yards in half and then fold the yard in half.  Fold it so the length of the skirt (at this time) is the 52 inches.  I then cut the raw edge in a diagonal so it looked roughly like a skirt.  Then I cut about 4 inches off the top where the waist would be and kept that piece. I wrapped it around myself to see if it was too big and cut a couple more off the diagonal so it fit better. Sew the rough edges together (I used a triple stitch again).  I then hemmed the skirt.  I took that 4 inch piece and did a very small hem on one side all the way down.  Fold that in half a pin the skirt inside of it.  So the band and the skirt together.  I had 1 1/2 in elastic.  I just wrapped it around my waste and cut.  I ran it through the band at the top of the skirt.  Sew the elastic together and then fold in one side the band (just so there is no rough edges showing.) Sew that AND the elastic together.  This is so when you wash it the elastic won't twist around.  EASY RIGHT! I have seen these skirts ALL THE TIME. Very casual, comfortable still cute ... $15.  I paid $10 for 2 yards.  Stay tuned for tomorrow maybe there will be a tank =)

The original cut and band

After the diagonal and sewing it together I got a tail if you can see

I cute the tail to make the skirt even

This is the hemmed band being sewn onto the top of the skirt

Shoving the elastic

End product.  Sorry had no one to take the photo for me

I had to have my model in a photo

I'm BACK!!!!

Ok Sorry for the break!


Today I made my daughter a dress.  There's no pattern because it's THAT easy.  Went to Walmart and bought 1 yard ($5 for the most expensive) and a 5T T-shirt ($3.88).  I also got 1 inch elastic (around $1.40).
MH put the shirt on and I saw where it needed cut at.  I think I left the shirt too long, but it turned out cute.  As for the fabric.  I just got regular fabric, jersey (a stretchy type fabric) would've been better, BUT any light weight fabric will work.  Make sure the fabric is WASHED before you sew it.  1 yard fit perfectly around.  After you wash the fabric fold it just like how it came.  Fabric is always folded in half when you pick it out and get it cut so just do that again.  MH wanted it long dress. I put the 2 long raw edges together and sewed.  I did a triple stitch for strength (Why yes blogger reads, I DID get a new sewing machine for Mother's Day!).  I ALWAYS get confused when I need to put the right sides together to bring the top and bottom together. SO you don't have an inside out top and a right side out bottoms.  This section TAKE YOUR TIME! Even when I THINK I'm paying attention I mess it up.  I took the raw  edge and the cut side of the shirt and triple stitched it together.  The reason why you fold at the beginning is because that is the bottom.  Then when the girl does a summer salt in the DRESS then it's the same pattern inside and out AND you don't need to hem the bottom.  If you're like me and have the jersey top sewn to the regular cotton fabric eventually the shirt and fabric will pull and the weaker fabric with rip OR become really stretched.  I took a 1 inch wide strip of elastic the length of her waste and sewed it around where the 2 fabrics meet.  When sewing elastic make sure you use the zig zag patter.  EVERY machine has it.  Even my very basic machine has it.  What you do with the elastic is pin the 2 ends on the back, then you need to pull the elastic while sewing.  has hard as you pull and sew is how far the elastic will stretch once you're finished.  Make sure you only put it as long as the fabric because it you do it too hard then when the elastic is relaxed it will be too tight to wear and if you do it too loose it won't stretch. And that is it! We are all getting dresses around the house.  At the end of the day MH decided she wanted a shorter skirt so I will do that tomorrow.  

The skirt cut and the fabric sewn into the skirt

Pinning the fabrics together.  The skirt I had to put a couple pleats in

Sorry it's fuzzy, I wanted you to see how much fabric I leave when I sew

The elastic band after sewn

The dress finished (it won't let me flip the photo) 

What the other side looks like with the zig zag stitch and the elastic on the inside.

I originally saw this a year ago when a family friend made dresses for my daughter, sister and niece (she used a jersey fabric for the skirt).  THEN I saw a similar idea on Pinterest and had to do it! 

Velata

So I sell Scentsy and they have branched out to fondue. Today I got my kit sooo we had to try it out. I cut up some apple and poured some Carmel chocolate mix into the warmer. I am very pleased with this new brand. If you've seen me sell Scentsy I tell it like it is. I hate the travel tins & a couple of the smells I hate. I won't lie to you. Although I won't be selling Velata I had to get the kit.
The girls of course liked it. I'm not sure about the pouch they come in. You have to heat it up in the microwave before putting it in the warmer which to me is odd. The little forks work well. I got the blue warmer (like it matters) and the top is a flimsy type rubber. It makes the clean up easy. So I guess if any of my due hard readers want to get in on this I do have a gal selling starting May 1.
Two thumbs up from me! Oh and you can control the temp on the warmer which is cool!

Sad news

Sad news about the tomato from the turvy ... I went outside to water the plants and there it was! The carnage. Dirt everywhere! An empty planter with a lone tomato at the bottom. No other trace of a plant! My freaking dogs!!! I can't believe it!!! In better news! I bought a red delicious apple tree & it was sooo sad! We put it in the ground and now it has new growth! How exciting!
So I'm writing this on the blogger app on my phone! Pretty nifty!
Ok so Madd hatter has been FULL of sayings lately. My fav is I'm the sand & she's the waves. Not sure what means, but cute! Today we were listening to that Call Me, Maybe song. There's a part that is says something guys chancing the girl singing. MH goes "Mommy, if boys try to chase me, I'll just run away!" good plan! And then there's the one she told ME waiting wasn't her job ... Yea! Lol

AAAHHH

AAAHHH! Ok So I've dropped the ball, BUT I did do some stuff that people MAY think interesting.
First - Vinegar and weeds.  I was a little ... not sure about this one.  I read a blog that you have to SOAK the weed in vinegar and it's going to take days to work.  My back yard is a SEA of weeds.  I mowed the weeds down and then applied the vinegar.  I got a spray pump thing and Walmart for about $9.  I got JUGS of vinegar from Sams club.  I did it on a pretty warm day.  I think it was about 80-85 outside.  That evening the ones I sprayed and where I sprayed were shriveled.  BUT it only kills where you spray so if you don't get the root then the weed will still be alive and kicking.  
The day after that we went car shopping for 9 hours so I didn't really do anything news worthy except go with a plan and KNOW what the actual are is worth so YOU KNOW how much the dealership is trying to get you for.  AND never ever buy into the "We have to feed our families" speech from the dealers.
Yesterday and today was food.  
Today we had this pretty good fried chicken! Here's the blog I got it from. http://rockrecipes.blogspot.com/2012/04/doube-crunch-honey-garic-chicken.html?utm_source=BP_recent
What I used - 2 cups flour, 4 teaspoon pepper, 2 teaspoons of ginger and nutmeg, 1 teaspoon cheyenne pepper.  The egg wash I did 2 eggs and some milk (probably 3 tablespoons).  For the sauce I did 1/2 cup of honey, around 1/8 cup of soy sauce and a table spoon of minced garlic.
I took the chicken and pounded it, dipped in the flour mix, egg wash then flour. THEN to fry.  The sauce I just heated it up in a pan.  It was really good.
Yesterdays was really good and it wasn't about what I made, but it's about looking in the store for new things.  My husband threw the package away, but in the Asian section they have these shake and bake type things.  SOMEONE (I think the Madd Hatter) put one in my basket and it ended up in my pantry.  So I tried it one shrimp last night and it was pretty good.  It was that peanut Asian taste.  Sorry about the picture ... Kid finger print LOL So if you are looking for something new look in the ethnic section for that shake and bake type stuff.  We had shrimp, beans and tats.  Good eats LOL

Topsy Turvy Review

SO a couple weeks ago I made a topsy turvy for my tomato plant.  I also have another plant in a planter.  The one in the planter is doing SO MUCH better.  Granted they aren't the same breed or whatever, but the one in the planter now has 3 or 4 tomatoes on it and the plant has doubled since I planted it.  The topsy turvy went from having several stems and leaves to having 1 stem, a tomato and hardly any leaves.  Sooo even though I thought it was this GREAT thing the long term is not very good.  BUT I did do some differences.  The one in the pot got the morning sun and the topsy turvy got evening sun.  They both got watered the same time and they both had the same soil.  I do not think the sun would make THAT drastic of a difference to the plants.  See photos.  I will be taking my sad plant out of the turvy and into a planter.  I have moved the bigger tomato to the back this week so I will report if there is any change to it.