fall crafts for under a dollar

this week i have been working on a lot of crafts using things i had just laying around the house.  this pumpkin is probably my favorite thing i have made. ever.  all you need is an old book, scissors, hot glue and an object of your choice to use as a stem.  i used a pencil wrapped in wire because that is what i had but anything could work: a twig, pipe cleaners, a pretzel...be creative.  the point is not to spend a lot of money on this. 

 these are easy peasy to make.  it took me fifteen minutes.  i had an old book laying around.  (i actually used Little Women which is my favorite book of all time and had a couple copies of).  if you don't have a book you want to cut up you can get one at a thrift store for a quarter.  for starters remove the cover of the book.  next use your scissors to cut the corners off the top and bottom of the pages to give your pumpkin a rounded look.  depending on how good your scissors are you can cut a pretty decent chunk at a time.  at first i was obsessed with getting each section to be the exact same size but i think i actually like it better when they are slightly different sizes; it gives the pumpkin a more natural looking texture.  once you have finished cutting glue the front and back pages together.  stick your stem in the middle and done!  i ended up gluing a few sections together because my book was kind of stiff.  if you don't have a hot glue gun it would even work to paper clip the front and back page together.  remember, be creative. 

 my next craft originally started from an idea i saw to make jack'o'lanterns out of painted tin cans.  i started on this idea but had some issues with my drilling.  i was too lazy to paint new cans so i had to think of something to cover the hideous holes i had drilled.  for this project i used tin cans in varying sizes, craft paint and brushes, fabric strips, twigs and hot glue.  again if you don't have some of the objects find a replacement.  the pumpkins would also looked cute wrapped in ribbon or twine.  again, get creative!  to begin paint your cans.  make sure you let the paint completely dry between coats otherwise the wet paint will just smear around.  once you have all your coats and the paint is dry tie the fabric strips around the pumpkin and hot glue on a stem.  see how easy that is?

and there you have it!  two quick, easy and inexpensive fall projects!  happy crafting!

enjoy your weekend,
k

naptime craftime

 today while hazel napped.....
                                                  i sewed.

i was starting to get tired of every baby wearing the same outfit so i decided to make some hazel originals.  embellished onesie + leg warmers.  i can't wait to get started on more! 

don't look too closely at the leg warmers.  i don't have a sewing machine and do all my sewing by hand, plus i am still a beginner.  i hated sewing growing up; i just didn't have the attention span.  who am i kidding, i still don't have the attention span-- these 15 minute projects are perfect for me!

easy, creamy, homemade spaghetti sauce

tonight the husband came home with a couple of sweet yellow tomatoes a customer had given him at work.  i had never before had a yellow tomato and let me tell you--delish!  they are very juicy and sweeter than a red tomato.  i decided to make some homemade spaghetti sauce and it turned out amazingly! 

i used:

2 medium yellow tomatoes (diced)
2 medium red tomatoes (diced)
1/2 yellow onion diced
1/2 green bell pepper diced

i chopped all the fresh ingredients and put in medium size bowl.  this is where it gets a little messy.  with clean hands squeeze tomatoes until you get a nice salsa-like consistency.  then add herbs/spices.  i did not have any fresh herbs on hand so i used dried. 

i added:

basil
oregano
onion powder
garlic salt
chili powder
sugar
worcestershire sauce
parmesan cheese
1 can tomato sauce

my husband thinks it is a crime to have meatless spaghetti so i browned some ground beef and added sauce mixture to the cooked beef.  i think the sauce would be amazing without the meat though.  after sauce had cooked for a while i reduced the heat to a simmer and added some heavy cream.  i did not measure anything but i would guess i added about 1/4 cup.  my sauce was a little runny so i added a pinch of flour to thicken things up.  before serving and after removing sauce from the stove i stirred in a handful of grated mozzarella cheese. 

i will now be searching for these yellow tomatoes because they were heavenly.  we both gave this sauce 2 thumbs up--don't think we'll ever be going back to canned. 

dip of the month: corn dip

Corn Dip:

4 cans mexican corn (drained very well)
2 cans Ro-tel, 1 can hot and one can lime (also drain very well)
1/2 jar mayo (mayo with lime tastes best)
2 cups sour cream
2 lbs shredded cheese (mexican blend is best)
garlic salt and died onions to taste
mix all ingredients together and enjoy!

creepy cute

i don't know how to crochet {yet} but these have inspired me to learn. i want to start a new tradition of making one of these little guys every year for halloween. they really are creepy cute.

check this out:

i sure have a talented sister. she put together this amazingly perfect guest book for the wedding!
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p.s. we are in single digits folks!!! just 9 days until THE day.

rainbow cake

i saw this cake and think i have a new must try project...looks beautiful, happy and delicious!

yay! it's june!!!
kira

a very unique wedding gift

dave and i spent an entire evening (or at least several hours) constructing this giant starburst for his roommate's (the whip cracking expert) wedding. word of advice: if you ever for any reason decide to build a giant starburst forgo the super glue and just use toothpicks.
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hope you have a lovely weekend,
k
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p.s. isn't he cute?

grilled pizza and sparklers

my sister came into town yesterday! we spent the evening celebrating a late fourth of july, complete with pizza on the grill, homemade icecream, games and fireworks.

in the kitchen

remember how once upon a time i posted my new years resolutions? well, one of my resolutions was to try at least one new recipe a month and so far i have stuck with it every month. here is a recipe that i recently tried; actually, it is a recipe that i concocted myself and i was very pleased with how it turned out, and it was very quick and simple. All you need is: chicken, a can of stewed tomatoes, a can of white beans, couscous, and your choice of seasonings. I simply cooked the chicken breast with the can of stewed tomatoes (undrained) and white beans (drained). i served it up with a side of couscous and enjoyed my quick+ simple + delicious + homemade meal.

boredom + a slow night at work =

a perfect time to play around on paint.
i am thinking this would make a fun card, or maybe a framed print...
what do you think?

Fab 5

okay! so this is how this works...the first 5 people to respond to this post will receive something made by me for you. my choice made especially for you. of course there are some restrictions and limitations:~
1. i make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2. what I create will be just for you.
3. it will be done sometime this year.
4. you have no clue what it will be... could be lint from my dryer... who knows? not you, that's for sure.
5. i reserve the right to do something extremely strange.
6. i will send it anywhere! It doesn't matter where you live!
the catch? the catch is that you must repost this on your own blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on their blog.
the first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did will win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me!!
oh! and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it.

my weekend: part I

the weekend started off with homemade pizza--i really can't think of a much better way to start the weekend. v and i told everyone we would make the dough and sauce if they brought the toppings. well, as it turned out we did not have time to make dough. So, instead we bought pre-made dough and placed it in a bowl with a towel over it to give the illusion we actually made the dough ourselves. pretty sneaky if i do say so, nobody caught on and we got several compliments on what great dough we made.

oh and we may or may not have burnt one of the pizzas...just a little..

cards, books, and a movie

i finished my christmas cards yesterday. they didn't turn out exactly how i imagined, but i do like them, although they were a lot of work! i was a little frustrated because i slaved away yesterday putting the final touches on the cards to have them ready for the card party which was supposed to be last night. just as i was finishing up i found out the card party is being rescheduled for next week.

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oh well, at least i have them done.

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in other news, i went and picked up my check from the christmas boutique yesterday and was pleased to see that i sold more than i thought...still not as much as i hoped...but more. i guess in my haste to get my stuff all put away i failed to keep an accurate inventory.

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oh, and in other news i got twilight tickets for this weekend. despite my love/hate relationship with the books i am surprisingly excited to see the movie.

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that's all.

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happy hump day,

kir

card club: month two + a future giveaway

this month for the card club i'm in we are making thank you cards. i wanted something cute + simple. (simple as in the way they look because those flowers took hours to put together!) i think i achieved that, although now i'm wondering if maybe they are too simple? i have a week to decide.
l
also,
i decided since i am making all of these cards each month, why not make one extra each time and in a few months put together a card variety pack giveaway....

what do you think?

making my space my own

i spent all day yesterday on this nie inspired project. i am making fans just like these ones to cover the bare wall above my bed. stay tuned for a peek at the final result!

enjoy your wednesday,
kira

creative cravings

i must say that i am quite pleased with the way downtown nampa is developing. there are cute new shops left and right! as i walked around this morning i felt a strong desire to open up a shop of my own--maybe a bookstore or a cozy cafe?---if only i had a little more cash laying around. someday. on mine and my mother's quest to find flannel to quilt with we did come across this adorable quilting/knitting shop. i will definitely be going back. walking around downtown got me feeling very creative. i purchased an embroidery book that will fill my creative cravings, at least for a little while.

l

hope you are having a lovely monday,

k

breakfast week: day two

egg scramble

l

i used 3 eggs whites and one whole egg. instead of scrambling them in a frying pan i used an old trick i learned at girls camp years ago: eggs in a bag. place all of the ingredients for your scrambled eggs inside a ziplock baggie (i double the baggie) and place in boiling water. The moving water scrambles and cooks the eggs without using any oil! i added in onion and tomato, and after they were cooked i sprinkled with a little mozzarella cheese. any combination of veggies tastes great--i especially love mushrooms, green pepper and tomato.

bringing outside in

inspired by mother nature and my dear friend m's front yard decor i decided to make a fall centerpiece using only things from my own yard. (the vase excluded). i filled the bottom half of the vase with pebbles and water and then added branches(?) from our front yard bush. the lovely mahogany colored display now decorates the dinning room table.

a homemade day

yesterday was a day full of creating.

after i moved away from home i realized all of the things i took for granted. i wish i had paid more attention when my mother tried to teach me the art of homemaking. cooking. sewing. cleaning. canning. these things truly are a lost art. since i get the opportunity to be with my parents again i am making sure i don't miss out on learning anything!

yesterday morning my mom taught me how to can homemade salsa. it is amazing to see all the homegrown produce bottled up to last through the winter.

(let me just take a quick side note to say that cutting jalapenos is probably the worst thing i have ever done. i would not wish it on anyone).

and last night....
more creating.

before i even moved back to idaho i was asked to join a card club. once a month i will be getting together with a group of ladies to exchange homemade cards. the theme this month is 'birthday cards.' so last night i spent the evening making 10 birthday cards. it was a lot more work than i expected but afterwards i couldn't help but admire my work.

not too shabby for a rookie.