Simply Elegant Valentine's Wreath

If you're like me, then you probably have a wreath (or some form of decor) to hang on your front door for every single holiday. As I was digging through my seasonal decor, I realized I did not have one for Valentine's Day. I had forgotten that my previous one fell victim to high winds & rain last year and sadly, could not be saved.
The silver lining? I got to make a new one! (Insert choir of angels here) But alas, since I am currently unemployed and on a fixed budget, I decided to try to make one using only supplies found at my local Dollar Store. I wanted a very simple, yet elegant wreath and limited myself to a $5 budget for this project. Did I succeed? You tell me.

I am very pleased with the final result. My total cost for this project was $4 ($1 under budget) and it took me about 15 minutes to make.
Supplies:
1 wooden wreath (I used a medium size but you can choose what works for your space.)
1 spool of hot pink ribbon (Prefer red or light pink? Knock your socks off!)
1 pack of styrofoam heart picks (I chose these because they are lightweight, but any hearts will do.)
1 bunch of red silk daisies
Hot glue gun & glue

Start by cutting the wooden picks off the ends of the hearts, if you purchased this style. Then cut the stems off of your silk flowers, leaving just the flower.
Glue one end of the ribbon to the wreath & let dry. Once glue is dry, wrap ribbon around the wreath. You can cover the entire thing or just use as an accent. Once it is wrapped, glue the other end & allow to dry. Using the remainder of the ribbon, cut into 3-4 equal lengths, stack them atop one another and make a good sized bow. Fluff the loops, angle cut the ends to the length you want and glue the bow to the top of your wreath.
Select your prettiest flower and glue it into the center of your bow. Then glue one of your hearts into the center of the flower. This is the focal point of your wreath. You may want to do it along the side or bottom, there is no wrong way to make this.
Once the glue is dry, decide where you want to place the rest of your hearts (and/or flowers if you wish) and glue them in place as well.
Once all the glue has hardened, take another piece of ribbon, yarn, string, etc. and tie it onto the top. This will be your loop with which to hang it from. That's it, you're done! Now hang it on your door and impress all your neighbors and friends with your creativity! XOXO

Crock Pot Chicken & Dumplings!

This is a recipe I found on Pinterest, but made very minor changes to. I never follow a recipe exactly, but this one is as close as I've ever come. :)
It's another 5 ingredient dinner, which I love, but also a Crock Potter, which I LOVE! Cost for this meal is less than $10 and would feed a family of 4. Because it's made in the crock pot, it's a great dinner for working parents.

Ingredient List:

1 package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can of biscuits
2 Tbsp butter or margarine

**I added diced onion, sea salt & pepper, also. Feel free to add veggies or any seasonings you prefer.

Place chicken, soup, butter and seasonings into the crock pot, blend together well. Add water until chicken is well covered. It will cook down, so don't worry if it seems thin/watery. 
I added my chicken frozen, so if you forgot to thaw it out the night before, no worries. Cook on High setting for a minimum of 5 hours. If you work and are worried about leaving it for more than 6 hours, use the Low setting and it will be just fine.

About an hour or so before you are ready to eat, open your can of biscuits & tear them into chunks. (I tore mine in half, because I like my dumplings a little bigger.) They will fluff up as they are cooking, so keep that in mind. Toss them into the crock pot, stir the mixture to get your biscuit chunks well covered so that they absorb the juices for better flavor. Put the lid back on and if you haven't already, I recommend adjusting your heat setting to Low. In about 45 minutes to an hour your meal will be ready to eat. (I left my dumplings in for about an hour and a half & they were perfect, but some people prefer them a bit less done. This is entirely up to you.)

Your finished meal should look something like this.
This is one of the BEST chicken & dumpling recipes I've ever tried and by far the easiest. Having been raised in a southern cooking family, I am a bit fussy when it comes to my favorite comfort foods, and I give this dish 4 stars. My hubby also loved this and he's not even much of a chicken & dumplings fan. (Had I known this earlier in the relationship, I might have reconsidered. I mean who doesn't like C & D?)
This is also a great meal to make in larger quantities for family gatherings and parties. Just double or triple the ingredients and you are good to go. So try this one out today & I guarantee you will be adding it to your family's meal rotation. Enjoy! XOXO

Super Healthy Vegetarian Lasagna Rolls

This is a 5 ingredient meal that is healthy and delicious!

These are your 5 ingredients:
Whole Grain lasagna noodles
Frozen (chopped) spinach
shredded mozzarella cheese (low fat is better)
1 can of pasta sauce (your choice)
16 oz. container of cottage cheese

Start by cooking the pasta as directed on package. (About 10 noodles for a 13x9 dish) While pasta is cooking, combine the spinach (thawed & drained) with the cottage cheese. I added some low fat parmesan cheese to mine as well, but it is up to you. Once the pasta is cooked, make sure it is dry, then lay the noodles out on a sheet of wax paper. Scoop a spoonful of your cheese & spinach mixture onto the end of each noodle, then roll them up. I poured a little of my pasta sauce in the bottom of my baking dish, then placed each roll (seam side down) into the dish. Then pour the remainder of your sauce on top, cover with a generous layer of  shredded mozzarella cheese and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 30-35 minutes. (Or until cheese begins to brown on top.)
Each roll is a perfect little serving, no cutting or mess. I served mine with some garlic bread and we had a delicious, healthy dinner. Even my meat eater hubby gave this recipe 2 thumbs up. :)

This is a great recipe for a family on a budget, as well. Total cost for ingredients was around $8 and would easily feed a family of 4. Also, great meal to make ahead & freeze individual portions for adult lunches. Try adding shredded chicken for a different twist. :)

Learning to sew.

For Christmas, my Mother-in-Law bought me a sewing machine. I was so excited and surprised and couldn't wait to try it out. Well, as soon as the holiday madness settled down, I made a quick trip to the craft store for supplies and got down to it.
It has been many years since I used a sewing machine. (Like, since middle school home ec class as a matter of fact.) So, needless to say, it's taking some practice to get back into the swing of things. But, I am making progress, though I don't see any ball gowns or fancy stuff in my near future. :)

My first project was this baby blanket. I found some cute fleece remnants at the craft store & figured I'd give it a go. Lesson 1: Fleece is evil. After cutting it (several times) and never having the 2 pieces match up, I just pinned it anyway. Then I proceeded to sew it. Lesson 2: Fleece is the Devil. Not only is fleece very soft, but it's very stretchy. It catches on the machine and moves all over. Lesson 3: Next time I want a fleece blanket, use the no sew tie method. But, it's finished and although it's far from perfect, it's a blanket, so I count it as a success. The next one will be flannel & cotton though...

My second project were these 4 mini princess pillows. I have had this princess fabric for years and had no real use for it. After my Mother-in-Law sent me a bag of fabric scraps/remnants, which included the pretty butterfly one, I decided to make these little pillows for my nieces dolls. I mainly just wanted to practice using the machine, but these were fun and a great form of practice. (The flipped pillow is Snow White by the way.) The fabric had all the princesses in little squares, so I just cut one of each out and matched them up with some of the butterfly material, sewed, stuffed and viola! Adorable little pillows that are perfect for a little doll bed. Project 2 was a success. :)
I'm not sure what my next project will be, but I feel slightly more confident in my abilities, so hopefully something cool. I will keep you posted...

Make your own crayons!

These were so easy & fun to make, I can't wait to make them again. All you need are old crayons and a muffin pan. I used paper baking cups, to protect my pan (and I liked the textured edges) but not all the directions I read called for it.
Start by removing the paper wrappers from your crayons. This is the worst part, but because I didn't have any kid helpers, I used a utility knife to speed up the process. Once you have finished stripping your crayons, decide what colors you want to mix. I chose to stick with color families. (Purples, reds/pinks, greens, etc.) Then break your crayons into pieces & fill the cups. Do not overfill.
Place pan into preheated 250 degree oven for about 10 minutes (give or take) or until melted. I took a toothpick to mine to swirl the colors & removed them before they were 100% liquified, but you can let yours fully melt, that is up to you. They cool pretty quickly & easy peel away from the paper baking cups. A little clean up on the edges to make them pretty and you are ready to color.
Great kids project. Have a Valentine's party coming up? Make heart shaped ones to give to the kids instead of candy. I plan on buying some fun molds for the next time I make them. :)

Meet Hank

For those of you who may not follow me on facebook, there's someone I'd like you to meet. His name is Hank and he is a big part of our family.

Hank is the Travelocity Roaming Gnome (in case you didn't recognize him) and he's a bit famous. But, unlike most celebrities, Hank is very grounded. For the most part, he likes to hang out at home with us, but he has been known to get his party on from time to time...

He's a fun loving, witty guy and he has a huge fan following, but he rarely lets it go to his head. He loves to travel and road trips are his absolute favorite hobby. (see above photo) Just this past summer, Hank took a trip to Grand Haven for the Coast Guard Fest and spent some time at the beach.

He loves to sit and watch the sun set over the water, and never complains about the sand in his beard. He has a great sense of adventure and has been looking for the right gal to share his life with for some time now.

Sadly, not all the ladies he's met have been the "angels" they claim to be. Lesson learned there. But he trudges on. Never feeling sorry for himself and always staying positive. He is such a charmer though, and we knew it wouldn't take long for him to find the right woman. His patience finally paid off this week, when he met this lovely gal.

I'd like you to meet Willow. She is just what Hank needs. Her sassy personality are a perfect fit for him. The two of them are inseperable and I have a feeling there might be a gnome wedding in our future. (and hopefully, a few adorable little gnomies) But for now, it's just nice to see him happy. (and have another woman in the house) I'm sure there are plenty of new adventures in Hank & Willow's future this year and we can't wait to share them with you. So, keep checking in to see what these crazy kids are up to. Happy 2012, everyone! XOXO

***Disclaimer***
In case anyone is unsure, I am not insane, and I know that Hank isn't a real person. I just have a healthy imagination and love gnomes. When my hubby & I bought Hank, we knew we had to have some fun with him and we definitely have. And when I found Willow, I just knew she would be the perfect addition to our silly little game. :)

Giving old memories new life!

Everyone has those old items that we can't bear to part with, but have no real use for. Attics, basements, garages & closets around the world are filled with these memories, but we just aren't sure what to do with them. Well here's an idea. Repurpose them! An old table can be turned into a work station for crafts or a homework area for kids. Antique kitchen appliances make great display pieces. Use them to decorate above your cabinets, or choose a few favorites (maybe grandmas old mixers) and bookend your cookbooks on your counter. Was Uncle John a great photographer? Display his old camera on a shelf next to some photos he took. Have an old sewing machine that doesn't work anymore? Use it in an entryway for a statement piece. Drape a handmade throw over it & hang a picture of Great Grandma above it, so you always have a piece of her nearby.

Stack old books and use them to create depth on a mantle or shelf. This is also a fun idea for kids rooms. Use your old favorite childhood books on a shelf in your son or daughters room. Have childrens books that have seen better days? Remove the images and frame them for an inexpensive and fun theme in a playroom or nursery. If you like this, but don't have old books, check garage sales & thrift stores or ask friends and family if they have some they are willing to part with. Books have so many great uses and are full of history and character, so dust them off and get creative. I have an old typewriter that was my grandfathers, and I have always loved it, but obviously with computers now, I have no use for a typewriter. Instead of sticking it in a closet, I used it as a bookend. I have a photo of him on the shelf next to it and each time I see it, I think of him and smile.

A vintage telephone or record player would make a great display piece as well. Old records can be hung on a wall and make a fun border for a teenagers room or a bar area. Use the records themselves or the covers or both. Have old baking sheets laying around? Paint them & hang them for magnet boards in a kitchen or kids room. Old ladders make great shelves, magazine racks, quilt holders and more. Old toys and games make great display pieces in kids rooms. Old clothes can be turned into new clothes, blankets or fabric scraps for craft projects. Have some old purses just taking up space in your closet? Why not hang them and use them for storage? Have a daughter that's really into fashion? Old shoes, purses, scarves, belts, jewelry and more can be used to decorate her room. Turn old dresses into throw pillows. Use scarves and belts as curtain tiebacks. Purses, hats and shoes can be displayed on shelves next to vintage fashion magazines. Or pin vintage clothes to the walls in funky dress up styles, for a great statement piece. An old dress form would be perfect for this, too!

I think you get the idea. Anything can be made new again if you just give it a chance. Take a trip around your local craft store every so often and get inspired by the fabrics and colors. Before you go buy new lamps, maybe try changing the existing ones. A little paint and creativity can go a long way. Make covers for your throw pillows instead of buying new ones. Did you get new kitchen utensils? Save the old ones and give them to the kids to use when they play kitchen. We are too quick to throw away and replace things, so before you take out the trash tomorrow, take a second and make sure you aren't tossing out any treasures.