Working on a big one!

Hey guys! Sorry I have not posted in a few days, it has been a little busy at my house. I am however working on a nice big project and will post the blog once it is done. I am also thinking I will be cutting back to 2-3 blogs a week instead of 7, due to the cost of the projects and time, but mostly it is getting hard to find pins to do! So, if you have an idea of something you want to see done, email me!

So until I am done with this big project...
~Kelsy
bdklrising@gmail.com

Monday Life Hack #3

January 21, 2013 -- Day 21

Hey Guys,

This week's life hack comes to us from none other than my loving husband. This hack is something he tough me a couple years ago after I ruined a wall when I was tying to paint a cute design on my bathroom wall!

So when it comes to painting the best tape to use (in my opinion) is the green frog tape,

however because it is a bit more expensive I cannot use it as much as I want to. So instead of the frog tape the next best tape to use is the blue painters tape, but be careful because on a delicate surface it can be too sticky and you can take more off the just the tape. 

  And now to our hack, the best way to avoid the tape taking off more then it should simply stick the tape to your shirt before you put it on your wall. The tape will then take off  just a little fuzz off of your shirt making the tape less sticky, but still sticky enough to paint a clean line!

The final way to ensure a clean line is to pull the tape off before the paint dries. Paint your line, wait about 15 minutes and then pull the tape.

Do you have any tips for painting? Let me know!

~Kelsy

Breakfast Omlet Muffins

 January 20, 2013 -- Day 20

Hey guys!
Today's blog comes from a guest blogger who happens to also be my big sister. She found this recipe and tried it out, she said it was a total win!


Recipe:
Appx 6 small potatoes diced
1 package sausage or bacon fried and set aside
Appx 1C veggies of your choice
8 eggs
1/3 C bisquik
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 C shredded cheese of your choice
2 TBSP dried basil




She writes,
"So first I fried the potatoes.  I seasoned the potatoes with garlic salt, pepper and onion powder.  I also added some diced green peppers to the potatoes.  Then I added the sausage to the potatoes and mixed them.

I put the potato/sausage mix in a Tupperware lined with paper towel to soak up the excess grease.

Meanwhile, I whisked together the eggs, both cheeses, basil, and bisquik.

Then I GENEROUSLY oiled all of the spaces in a muffin tin and filled them about 3/4 full with the sausage and potatoes.

Last I poured the egg mixture over the sausage to fill the tins.  Bake at 350 for 20 mins.

 Look at how yummy these look!!!

Tips:  make sure muffin tins are greased well to avoid sticking.

A plastic spatula works wonders to loosen the muffins from the pan before removing.

These freeze well for hearty breakfasts on the go!

You could follow the basic recipe for the eggs and add any variation for the insides...the possibilities are endless!

Adding some seasoning to the egg mixture would help offset the blandness of the bisquik,  but a little salsa on top works well too!

Also,  IMO,  these would be better either without the potatoes, or with hash browns instead of diced.

Enjoy,
  Mikayla (Kelsy's sister)"

Let us know what you think!!!
~Kelsy

DIY Dry Erase Board

January 19, 2013 -- Day 19

Hey guys, 

A quick post from me today. I am going to replicate this pin:

Simple to make and would make a perfect addition to any room!

First pick a frame, you can use one you already have and do not use or you can go find one you like. 

If you want to you can decorate the frame by painting it or adding embellishments, maybe I will cover an option tomorrow.

After your frame is ready, simply pick out a piece of fabric that matches the room you are putting the board in. Cut the Fabric to the size of the frame and put it in the frame, and close the frame like you normally would. If you are having trouble getting the fabric to line up right (like if the fabric has stripes) you can glue the fabric to the cardboard back of the frame.

Once frame is together you can use any dry erase marker on it. You can use wet erase but this can cause water to get caught in the frame and can ruin it.

Once again my computer does not want to read my card, so I will post pictures later!

~Kelsy

Purse from a Skirt!

January 18, 2013 - Day 18

Hey Guys!

Today I am making a purse out of a skirt! This is a lot easier then it will be to explain, and would be much easier with any other fabric then the leather I chose to use! (What was I thinking?) 

Ok, So first get your fabric ready I cut two panels out of a skirt I picked up at a thrift store.

Print out this pattern and cut it, lay it on the fold of your fabric and cut out two pieces for each pattern. (Pattern is from this blog, it is not mine.)

Mark the pleat points and fold and press fabric to hold pleat. If you cannot press (iron) the fabric like me, you may have to get creative.

Sew across the pleat leaving a 1/4 allowance.

From here I got so wrapped up in what I was doing that I forgot to take pictures. Opps, but for step by step pictures you can go here, which are the directions I followed.

Next you add the zipper. Layer your fabric in this order to get the zipper on.
Outer fabric face up- bottom
zipper face down- middle
lining cloth face down- top

Sew the three layers, and repeat for the other side.

put the two outside layers (to make the shell of the purse) so the outside of the fabrics are touching and sew around the outside of the purse from zipper to zipper. Repeat this process with the lining, your purse will resemble the pillow I made here, and like the pillow leave about 1-2" of non sewn edge so you can flip the purse right-side out. Once you do finish closing up the edge. When you are done push the lining into the bag and this is what you will end up with! Pretty awesome!!

It is not a huge bag, but it is a great little clutch or make-up bag? Heck I could see making your kids one out of their choice of fabric and it would make a great pencil bag! 

Over all this was not too hard, though next time I will use a lighter fabric! This has so much potential!

Let me know what you think!

~Kelsy

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Guess what I found!!!

January 17, 2013 - Day 17

Hey Guys!

Guess what! I was giving my office/craft room a much needed cleaning yesterday and I found my glow in the dark bracelets that I knew I had! So, now that I have all the items needed I am going to do the Fairies in a Jar, as requested by one of you! 

So according to this site all you need to do is take your glow in the dark stick/necklace/bracelets (which ever you prefer) and cut them, pouring the contents into a jar. I used a mason jar like she did. 

Next add your glitter, put the lid on, and shake.

If it works like she said it should, you will end up with a pretty jar of "fairies". Unfortunately mine did not turn out like that, however it was still pretty neat.

Before water

 I even added water to get the glitter to float but it stopped the glow and just kind of made a mess.

With water

If you have tried this project send me pictures, tips to make it work better, or alternatives! Personally, I think this would yield better results.

Let me know what you think,
~Kelsy

Dessert Accessory Must!

January 16, 2013 -- Day 16

Hey Guys, 

Today I am gonna tackle an easy pin today, edible glitter. I am not a glitter lover, but when it comes to decorating cakes and cookies sometimes you just have to give in to the glam. Edible glitter sounds like a perfect addition to any food decoration drawer.

Like I said easy pin, all you need is 1/4 cup sugar, food coloring, an oven-proof dish, and a spoon. 

Put the sugar in the dish and add food coloring and stir, adding more color until desired color is achieved. 

 Bake at 325 for about 10 minutes. My hesitation with this project, is that when I think glitter, I think shiny, and I didn't really see this turning out glitter like.

 But look at the sparkles! It isn't as fabulous as Dorthy's red shoes, but I have to say I am impressed!! Totally going to have to make this next time I make and decorate cookies!!

The glitter did come out a little clumpy, so once it is cooled you will want to break it up as much as you can with your fingers. You can use a fork or spoon but if you are like me the sound will kill you!
Anyway, make the glitter and show me how you use it!!!

~Kelsy

Throwback Throw-Pillow

January 15, 2013 -- Day 15

Hey Guys,

Today I am going to recycle another shirt. This is a great idea for shirts that you do not want to throw away for one reason or another. I am going to make a throw pillow out of my husbands old Beatles shirt.

**Update: apparently I forgot to hit publish yesterday. Sorry!**

What I used: a shirt, a rotary cutter, quilting square, pins, an old pillow, and my sewing machine.

First thing I did was I marked with the square and chalk where I wanted to cut:

I then cut it out and flippped the front so it was 'inside out'.

I pinned the sides together...

The I sewed three of the four sides all the way, and 2/3rds of the fourth side.

I turned the fabric right side out, so the picture was again on the outside. 

I took an old pillow, cut it open and started to pull apart the stuffing.

Make sure the stuffing is nice and fluffy, or it will make a lumpy pillow.

Stuff you pillow till it is the thickness your desire. Remember that pillows flatten so you may want to add a little extra for wear.

Here is the tricky part. Take the section that is not sewn and fold it in on itself. If you know how to do an invisible stitch do so now, other wise pin the pillow shut and sew. I like to start at the corner and go about an inch past the opening.

And your done. Your favorite t-shirt is preserved!!

I will be pairing this tee with about 9 other ones that my husband has worn out or out grew that I am turning into a quilt. I will post pictures when I get to that.

~Kelsy

Life hack Monday #2!

January 14, 2013 - Day 14

Hey Guys,

Today is Monday, and to make your Monday a little easier here is this weeks life hack. Not sure what a life hack is, check out last weeks hack. Today's hack is inspired from this pin:

genius right!! I have also seen this style shoe organizer be used for cleaning products, yarn, small toys... the sky is the limit! The hack I want to show you is something that I thought up all my own years ago. I live in a modular house, the only thing this means is there is no storage room at all!! (ok, maybe a little, but not much!) But to get great deals I do like to buy some things at my local big box store. Toilet paper and Paper towels are my favorite things to get there because they are good quality and good prices. The problem is where do you store that much paper towel or toilet paper?? 

And here is my hack for you!

 By using a vertical shoe organizer and filling it up with paper towel, toilet paper also fits, you can keep your shelve clear for other things. What I do is hang it just far enough from the wall that I can fit the packs of TP stacked beside it, the paper towel keeps the tp from falling. Using the vertical space in closets is a way to maximize the usefulness of the closet and cuts back on the clutter. This can also be used for bath towels, clothes, shoes (of course), and anything else you can think of! These organizers can hold more weight then you may thing, just be careful not to over load them. I had one that had 12x12 cubbies and stored scrapbooking paper and binders. It worked for about a year then it broke in half, made a mess and scared me half to death when it went. 

A bonus hack for ya, (as seen in the first picture of my closet) use pant hangers to hang your bags and stuff, it keeps the floor and shelves of you closet clear for other things. I also use climbing hooks(see below) to hang backpacks and other things that hangers do not work well for. I have wire shelves so I can usually hang several bags next to and in-front of each other, just make sure the bigger and longer bags go in back and the smaller ones in front, that way you can see everything you have.

My last tip for closets is while bins and stuff are great for keeping things looking clutter free, keep to smaller boxes and bins, because bigger bins just because collect all's and do not stay organized as well as small ones do, and make sure to label them. The fastest way for your family to undo your hard work is if they don't know where something is and they dig through everything to find it!

Well that does it for today! Come back tomorrow! 

Don't forget to leave a comment!

~Kelsy

P.S. What is your favorite organization tip or hack?

T-shirt Recycled

January 13, 2013 -- Day 13

Hey Guys! 

Wow, that is a lot of 13's today!! Anywho... today I am going to show you a cheap, and easy alternative to those expensive store bought re-usable bags. This project will be more valuable to some then to others, for example, my readers from Bellingham that have to bring their own bags or buy bags when shopping, this will be awesome for you, for the rest of you, this is a cool way to be green, and will also allow you to use that t-shirt you have been holding onto for years on end, but can't really wear anymore. I am going to hold out on you to show you the final product!!

What you need: An old t-shirt, scissors, a large quilting square or plate, rotary cutter (optional- but suggested)

First take your t-shirt turn it inside-out and cut the sleeves off right at the seam, but keep the seam intact, this will reinforce the handles.

Your 'T' will now look like a work out shirt.

Take your quilting square, plate, or what ever you want to use and center it. This is going to create the opening to the bag, so make it as big as you see fit. I made mine a bit bigger so it will hold anything!

Use your rotary cutter, or scissors to cut out the shape. If you use scissors I suggest first marking where to cut first.

While it is still inside out, place or pin the bottom of the shirt together and hem it shut. It may be a good idea to do a double stitch at this point.

If you really want to get fancy, you can fold your corners and sew perpendicular to the hem line. 

And there you have it, a re-usable shopping bag. (Thanks to my cute husband for holding it up for me!)

Nice large opening to hold all kinds of good stuff!!

This would also be a great way to make candy bags for Halloween, gym bag, book tote. If you use a T-shirt without a picture, you can add one with the DIY screen printing technique we tried a couple days ago. The possibilities are endless!! Here is a pic of the original pin I saw.
 

Over all this was super easy. It would be great for the pre-teen and older age group, or anyone who can sew in a straight line. If you really wanted to get creaitive you could use the old sleeves to create pockets, or you can use ribbon to clean up the edges, but I think it is great as is!

Let me know what you think!

~Kelsy

Painted Mason Jar

January 12, 2013 -- Day 12

Hey Guys!

I will be honest with you, I am gonna kinda cheat today. This is a craft I did around Thanksgiving when my husband was painting our house. It is simply a mason jar with paint. It is very self explanatory but I will go through the steps just in case.

First take a mason jar, any size will work. Take the lid off and choose your color. I chose the main color that we used in the living room which was also the accent color in the kitchen, as this was going to go in my kitchen.

 Next, pour about 2 tbsp (give or take depending on the size of the jar) of paint into the jar, and roll the jar around in your hands until the pain is covering the entire inside of the jar. As the paint dries the paint may settle from some parts of the jar, so you will want to roll the jar a couple times as it dries, or wait till it dries completely and do a second coat.

 Let the paint dry and your done! Use the jar to hold utensils, silk flowers, or just as a piece of decoration (that's what I do). I also used latex paint so I am pretty sure that if I ever want to change the color I can just peel the paint.

This is not a particularly fun craft, but it is easy and adds a pop of color where it is needed.

Let me know what you think!

~Kelsy

P.S. I have been getting a lot of questions as to how to subscribe to my blog. The easy answer is to check out my blog on your desk/laptop. For some reason there is no "subscribe'' button on the mobile app, just the full site (which is viewable from your phone). Hope this helps!

DIY Screen printing!

January 11, 2013 - Day 11

Hey Guys!

Today I am going to show you the quick and easy DIY Screen printing!! This is the pin I saw:

Their directions were to cut a shape out of wax paper, iron it to the fabric, paint, let dry, then remove!! Sounds easy and I will try their way just once I find my iron(I know, I know) but if you are like me and your iron ran away, or maybe you want a project the kids can do on their own? Here's what I did.

Choose your fabric and shape. I chose to use a heart. I used PostIt Paper, which is really hard to find any more but you can use any scrapbooking paper that has been ran through a sticker maker. You could also make a sheet of sticky paper by overlapping painters or masking tape.

Place the shadow of your shape on the fabric, and get your paint ready. If you do not have a foam brush or stencil brush use a rolled up paper towel! (as seen below)

Pat out the paint on the fabric, make sure to use a lot of paint but not so much that it will run!

Wait at least 10 minutes to remove the stencil, then let it dry completely. 

But there you go, easy DIY screen printing. Bust out your cricut and you can make just about any screen you want!! You can reuse your screen a time or two, more if you pin it in place. Over all this was incredibly easy and safe for the kiddos!

Let me know what you think!!

~Kelsy