abby's monogram

...for sew many buttons {see what i did there?}  last month, we went to my adorable first cousin's once removed birthday party.  first cousin once removed sounds totally ridiculous... my cousin karen has a cutie pie daughter, abby.  her baby rolls and pigtails make my ovaries hurt.  she just turned one, and i wanted to make her something fun for her nursery.  using my own button monogram tutorial, i busted this little baby out in just about an hour. i had all supplies except the buttons already, so my grand total with coupon came to $1.48. 

don't worry though.  i made sure to include a baby friendly teddy bear with our gift, since canvas doesn't exactly scream toddler.  for now it's cute wall art for her space. 

and if she decides when she's older that she's not feeling all the pink, karen can just regift it back to me and i'll hang it on my own wall.  done and done.

cauliflower biscuit fails

...for kitchen fails.  these cauliflower biscuit - muffin hybrids looked so festive in their little muffin liners.  i followed the pin to the letter, and they smelled good in the oven.  they came out sort of potato pancake-esq, with a hashbrown like consistency.  the husband was not a fan, so i ate his plus my own and thought i'd created a viable afternoon snack option. 

and then it took me a week to make my way through the batch.  that would be one dozen in six days.  that's a lot of cauliflower. 

i chalk this kitchen miss up to several things; my lowered standards for baked things when using low carb ingredients, my hollow sounding insistence that nutritional yeast is really similar to cheese {it's so not}, and the pervasive online paleo attitude that cauliflower is a wonder vegetable.  rice, pizza crust, muffins, alfredo sauce... i've seen caulirecipes for all of these.

so i hope to impart the following important points in this post:
* the ricer attachment on my food processor is great.  i would like to begin ricing other veggies on a semi regular basis.
* cauliflower is a versatile vegetable, but let's call a spade a spade.
* these might have been tastier had i added real cheese.  and bacon.  
* if anyone has any ways to use up nutritional yeast, please comment.  my dairy allergic self thanks you in advance.


 

zucchini chips

...for snacktime.  i picked up a couple of zucchini last week at the grocer, and over the next few days, watched them sit in our fridge until they were within an inch of their lives.  finally, not wanting to lose them, i followed  this pin  and made squash chips in our dehydrator.  dehydrating is something i've watched the husband do forever {homemade beef jerky}, but never actually tried myself.  to any fellow dehydrator-phobes {just me?  bueller?}, it is super easy.  thinly slice whatever you're drying, season well, spread out, leave overnight, and eat.  tasty and crunchy, i've been enjoying these during my daily 3pm munch time. 

that said, potato chips they are not.  pringles shouldn't be nervous quite yet.

also, be aware that cleaning said dehydrator is a project in itself.  it makes you feel like instead of veggies, you should be drying something a little more decadent.  dehydrated  cupcakes, ftw.

coconut pistachio snoball cookie bites

...for yummy snacks.  i'm always looking for ways to use up some of our random fridge and pantry ingredients.  you know the ones...you buy something for one recipe and then it just sits there taking up space indefinitely.  chinese five spice powder, i'm looking at you.  {two full containers, and i can't use more than a teaspoon at a time}.

moving on. 

i've had leftover unsweetened coconut flakes for months now, but i couldn't figure out a good use up for them.  i was tinkering around last weekend when i decided to play with a "cookie" recipe i'd pinned many moons ago.  i made two variations, and was able to use the coconut flakes in batch #2.  these are not so much cookies, as little dough bites.  fragile, but worth it for ease of making.  the only bad part about them is the stomach ache which follows eating too many at once.  trust me.

peanut butter cookie bites {slightly adapted from peanutbutterfingers.com}
1 egg
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sweetener {i used splenda, but you could use sugar, honey, agave, etc.}

mix all ingredients together then roll into fifteen or so 1 inch thick dough balls
bake in 350* oven for ten to twelve minutes
check for doneness with a toothpick and then let cool for ten minutes 

and if you're feeling fancy {do it.  totally worth the extra step}
pistachio coconut cookie bites
same recipe as above, except substitute pistachio butter {grind two cups pistachios in the food processor for several minutes to make one cup butter} for peanut butter
after rolling into dough balls and before baking, roll the balls around in a few tablespoons of unsweetened shredded coconut flakes
coconut flakes will become toasted and delicious in the oven, as well as make the bites look pretty

both of these treats are yummy, as well as low carb, gluten free, paleo friendly {pb is not paleo, but you could use almond butter}, and can be refrigerated or frozen for several days.

get snacking!

diy happy thoughts decorative wall prints

hello gorgeous and everything is sunshine

...for good thoughts.  i made these cuties a couple of weeks ago and actually hung them in a timely manner {read... craftermath is still very much happening} in our master bathroom.  i liked the idea of seeing them first thing in the morning and last in the evening.  some very unexpected family stress happened soon after i made these, and while it seems trivial to rely on silly mantras, i like their happy energy. 

the best part is, these are totally easy and cost me a grand total of $1.98.  woot to the hoot.

diy happy thoughts decorative wall prints
materials:  two inexpensive frames of any size {i used 8" x 10"s from dollar tree}
light colored book pages, construction paper and/or scrapbook paper for background*
sharpie and colored pencils
glue or double sided tape
ruler and pencil

directions:
1.  choose a happy thought as your main text for each print.  a two or three word phrase is ideal here, the shorter the better.  pinterest is a good spot for inspiration.  everything is sunshine is an inside joke my husband and i share, taken from an epic wheel of fortune puzzle solving failure.  yes, we're 80 years old.
2.  decide what paper you're using for the background and plan your layout.  i like the raw edges of the book pages, but that's just me.  line up your paper in your frames to check before beginning your lettering.
3.  choose a letter style for your text and go to town.  i looked up some fun fonts on pinterest, but ultimately stayed simple.  those with nicer handwriting than i {most everyone} can go as fancy as desired.  maybe not too fancy though, or you might not be able to read them easily.  i used the ruler to make sure my letters were straight, but i free handed the actual text.  you could use stencils to make these look pro.
4.  before framing, test run everything and then adjust for color, placement, etc.  i found i  needed to go back and darken my bottom lines on both pieces to make them brighter.
5.  you're done!  frame it up, hang it up, and admire your handiwork! 

* no books were harmed in the making of this diy.  i have several discard books from my school library, but you could certainly sub newspaper or even old maps.

not too shabby for an hour's work.  these could obviously be whatever size you want, and they could be on a canvas as well.  a ton of possibilities. 

happy crafting!

a whale of a... tortilla

...for foodie fails.  in my quest to become a little more housewifey skilled in all things domestic, i've been trying to accomplish some of my pinterest items.  i'm happy to say, my "pins i've actually tried" board is slowly becoming a real folder.  some pins have turned out better than expected {cake batter cashew butter, you have my heart}.  others... not so much.

these homemade tortillas had all the potential to be delicious.  egg whites, coconut flour, seasoning blend, almond milk:  all things i enjoy.  i even shocked myself when three out of four tortillas came out looking like actual tortillas.  you can see the hidden whale tale there on the right which was the result of a batter oops.  i lovingly spread almond butter on the top beauty there and sat down to enjoy.

it tasted like an off pancake.

undeterred, i tried again with a sort of breakfast burrito a few days later.  another fail.

i guess i'm sticking to my costco la tortilla factory low carb high fiber wraps {much tastier than they sound, i promise} for the time being.  i may not fully understand the whole of the ingredient list, but i'll be darned if they don't make an excellent salsa/ hummus vessel.

not, of course, using my pinned "dessert chickpea hummus" recipe that i made last week.  totally as disgusting as it sounds.    

paint sample art

...that home depot's paint guys don't bat an eye at sample hoarders like me {the same could be said for costco samples, but that's another post}.  still on the quest to decorate our empty rental walls, i found these two fun pins that inspired me.  originally, i tried to use stamp pads for this project.

don't do that.

to be fair, had i been using an actual dedicated rubber stamp for each color of ink instead of my fingers, i'm sure you could totally do that and it would turn out well.

ahem.

diy abstract wall art

materials:

canvas size of your choice {i used 8" x 10" because i had some left over from a michael's impulse bulk canvas pack purchase, but i think this would have been even cuter a little larger}

construction or scrapbook paper, color of your choice

spray adhesive, glue or double stick tape

assorted paint samples {free at any hardware store}

2" circular punch {mine's from joanns}

instructions:

cover your canvas with your construction paper, using whatever adhesive you like.  i used double stick tape because i didn't want the glue to wrinkle.  i'm sure modge podge would work here, too.

punch out your paint samples until you have enough to play around with on your canvas.

create your design.  i moved these little guys around quite a bit until i was happy.  you could go abstract like i did, but i also created a triangle ombre pattern that i really liked.

turn your dots over and apply adhesive, then attach to your canvas.

were i to do this one again, i think i'd use an actual picture frame instead of a canvas.  after hanging it on my wall, i wish it had a defined border.  however, not leaving the house to buy a frame meant that this project could be completed with jammies and dirty hair.  and that's a win in my book.

if you try it, comment/link!

california girl

...that my home state is relatively easy to freehand.  i've been wishing after this super cute tshirt for a few weeks now, since they seemed to have popped up all over blogland.  when i realized i could diy it for next to nothing, color me satisfied.

wall art home state diy

materials:  16" x 20" frame

construction or scrapbook paper in the color of your choice

black sharpie

optional:

paint samples {free at home depot}

2" round punch {i used a coupon and my teacher discount at joanns}

1.  cut your construction paper to fit your frame

2.  freehand or stencil your state's outline in pencil first, and then trace with sharpie

3.  i'm a socal girl, so i wanted to place the home script near the bottom.  totally optional.

4.  also optional, but fun, is to use the punch and paint samples to highlight places that you've traveled to throughout your state.  i've been to norcal several times to visit, but i wanted to show places that my husband and i have been to together as a couple. 

considering that i am craft challenged {i didn't post the "places we've visited across the united states" companion piece i made.  trust me.  fail.}, i was really pleased with how this turned out.  leave a comment/link if you try it!

they say the first anniversary gift is paper

amy and ian had coffee, fell in love, and got married.  and they lived happily ever after.

...that my dad always knew the value of a good map.  because my directional sense is...challenged... and occasionally i get lost in my own neighborhood , back in the day i relied on these really cool laminated fold out maps of orange county to get me where i needed to be.  they stayed in the back of my car, unloved, until last month when i used them for an anniversary project.  thanks to these tutorials, i got my craft on and am pretty pleased with how it turned out.  i should have used darker ink, but each map shows the exact location of significant relationship events. 

my inner mushmellow smiles each time i see it.  i'll love it even more after it's hung up on the wall.  my current MO is making cute stuff and then delaying deciding exactly where to put it.  i'd like to blame our strict rental rules, but i can't.  it's just me.

upcycling

...for my poor shopping skills.  i was so excited to find this cheapie frame the other day at ikea; i knew it would be perfect for my currently frameless anniversary map project.  only after getting it home and taking it apart did i realize that the plastic "glass" was not actually meant to protect anything which might be framed.  in fact, it had printing all over it which i somehow managed not to see back at the store.

womp womp.

serendipitous this turned out to be, however, because i've been looking for a use for the extra half of a shower curtain which had been appropriated for window blinds.  with the curtain, some kitchen twine and some fabric glue, i was able to make this cute bulletin board.  right as i finished the board, i remembered that we had some honeymoon postcards hanging out in a bag in the office.

my inner pinterester is so proud.     

refashioning

...for refashioning old and little worn jewelry.  i've had these pearls for a couple of years now, and i like them because they remind me of something my grandmothers might have worn.  but the odd length makes me feel not quite comfortable wearing them, and they have been just taking up space on my jewelry tree.  enter pinterest, and specifically this diy tutorial about creating something new from jewelry you already own.  after some ribbon cutting and measuring, i ended up with a much longer necklace that comes to a more flattering length on me.  then i started playing around with adding extras.  she suggests clip on earrings and a flower brooch... as i had neither, i added another rarely worn necklace as an inset.  i'm not 100% in love yet, but i like it much better than before.  yet another addition to my necklace obsession collection.    

pretty bird wall art

...for pinterest {again}.  i found this awesome tutorial back in september and was super pleased with how well my bird art turned out, especially since the branches are freehanded.  i had a vintage (read:  discarded and damaged) nancy drew book that provided the background for the birds, and the project cost me nothing because i repurposed the seating chart canvases from my wedding.  flash forward to a couple of weeks ago and me in a panic trying to hang various wall things up before my in laws came to see our new house for the first time (although they are much more tactful than my own mom's, "where is all your furniture?").  now, at least, our hallway is cute.  the extra bedroom, though, is still very much a work in progress.  new year's (spring 2013) resolution?

making a statement

...for pinterest {again}.  i'm so into statement necklaces lately, but they can get really expensive.  following this tutorial, i'm happy with how mine turned out.  perhaps i should have lied to the home depot guy when he asked me what i needed 5/8" washers for, but whatevs.  you could make this with any color ribbon, and you could also use nail polish to fancy up the washers.  i can never wear this to the airport or jury duty, but it definitely pretty's up my tshirt and jeans. 

winning

...for exceptional customer service.  last weekend while lost in my favorite blog reading hours, i ordered a necklace from this etsy shop {i swoon for this one someday, but i also like to buy groceries}.  i ordered it late saturday night from the east coast, got a shipping confirmation email sunday (!), and was wearing it by wednesday afternoon.  the icing on the cupcake was an included handwritten thank you from the seller when it arrived.  color me impressed.   

diy monogrammed canvas tutorial

...for our house beginning to feel like home.  this past weekend, the husband and i made semi progress on unpacking and arranging our furniture and boxes that have been evil eyeing us since our move last month.  in my quest to cover our naked white rental walls, i pinned a bunch of home diy stuff.  and, shock of shocks, i did one!  i add this bc we all know that most pin boards should be subtitled "stuff i'll never complete."  if you're into it, here's a quick tutorial.  this one is easy enough for those of us who are craft and creativly challenged {cough...me}.

diy hanging monogrammed canvas {inspired by this etsy find}

 

supplies:

canvas, any size {i used 16" x 20"}

enough fabric to cover the canvas plus 2" all around

staple gun {you could also just use the fabric glue here, too, since you'll use it later}

assorted buttons {i used two packs of 130 each, but yours will depend on what size/look you want}

tacky glue {you might be able to use elmer's, but i don't know if that would hold longterm}

ribbon to hang

 

1.  cover your canvas with your fabric and staple or glue fabric edges around all sides of canvas, like you're wrapping a present.

2.  attach your hanging ribbon to the back of your canvas via staple or glue {i forgot to do this first and had to attach the next day and let dry again before i could hang it}.  i would recommend stapling here, so you can move on to the buttons without needing to let the ribbon glue dry.  

3.  spread out your buttons in the basic letter design you're going for on your canvas, and then stand back and see what it looks like.  you may need to adjust height, color placement, whatevs.  i freeformed my letter, but if you're a perfectionist you may want to use a pattern or stencil here.  you could be really creative and use cursive or a fancy font.  that's not my forte.

4.  go to town with your glue.  for my m, i started glueing in the middle of the letter and worked out from there, switching sides every so often so i could gage for symmetry.  *you might want to save a few extra buttons for the end so you can fill in any areas that don't quite match*

5.  when you've finished glueing, stand back and look at it again.  this is where i realized that i had some empty spots which needed to be filled. 

6.  let dry completely, preferably overnight on a flat surface.  i was disappointed at first to see all the white tacky glue through the button holes, but it dried clear overnight and looked much better the next day.

7.  you can hang up with a nail under the ribbon bow, or you can use sticky hanging strips if you don't want to damage your walls {see rental reference above}.

8.  pat yourself on the back that your entire project took 90 minutes-ish and was under $20 {this is the time to use those 40% off coupons you always get at michaels and joannes}.  resist the urge to repin on pinterest from your own blog, but just barely. 

 

question:  have you done any fun diy's lately?  seen any out there that you want to do?  leave a comment and link away!