DIY Snowflake

Since my blog for TP roll awesomeness, I have been saving rolls like a crazy person.  I mean, for real.. I found myself at a friends house and actually happy because she had a few laying around waiting for the trash. I snagged them of course - What?  I asked permission, lol.  So Pinterest has found its way into my ridiculously busy life and instead of spending any spare minute I have blogging, I have strayed.  Thats right, Pinterest is every bloggers best friend and worst nightmare, why blog when you can pin?    I have folders upon folders of saved clever ideas... and now a place to put them - publicly!  But now I have a stash of pics and DIY's that I have done over the last few months (big thanks for Pinterest and all my fellow bloggers) that I must share to keep this circulation alive!  Ah.. anywho, I am getting off subject.  So I saw IT…yes, on Pinterest.  I have blogged before about painting them different colors but now turned into snow flake?!  LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT. *Doing it! Granted I should have actually read the blog it was on vs. "liking" and moving on, but that kinda takes away from the fun of figuring out how.  So perfect to use as an addition for my Christmas Favors :D (as well as a few decoration ideas!). Anyways, I popped a pic up on FB and a few ppl asked me to show how I did these so here ya go! 

Collect TP and Paper Towel rolls - FOR-EV-ER.   With the TP the rolls, they actually evenly cut out every half in.  I did the same cut with the paper towels.  

Used a glue gun to secure them together.  Did about 5-10 as they built up.  For the masses; place them on a string for safe keeping.  Most of mine were 5-7 pieces, and I did about 5 that were bigger.. two that are about 15 pieces.  Once dried, I spray painted them all white - 1 bottle did about 45 snow flakes.  That was kinda tough, I broke a hanger put about 10 on it and sprayed.  Took a second hanger and flipped them upside down and sprayed the rest of the insides (prolly will make that spray paint stretch a bit more the next time around, have a few ideas to rig it).

  The easiest part was the glitter (after a few trial and errors).  My sister suggested I dip each side in glue and then follow up with glitter.  After my elmers  glue, probably a hundred years old, revealed its water consistency we had to change tactics.  Had a few bottles of polycrylic finish in the garage so tried that.  Worked!  Next we had a paper plate and started sprinkling on the glitter - hello time CONSUMING!  And I KNOW the pic I saw was covered and that is what I wanted.    *Flashback to 90's shake and bake commercial* I ran inside and grabbed a zip lock baggy put glitter in it.  I sprayed the flake with polycrylic before putting it in the bag, shook it up and sprayed it again to secure it.  Also used workable fixatif when I ran out of the other.  They are drying now, but I couldn't wait to decorate and post so here are a few of the firsts done up already...

here is a sneak peak at my house and decor.  

I hope it keeps the glitter on, seems like it is.  I also feel like I read somewhere about hair spray helping keep it on there.   Below and at the beginning is two of the FINAL products.  :D  I thought the big ugly apartment mirror would be nice to hang a bunch on- I'm just getting started!

Craft Cardboard Stars from a Toilet Paper originally found here. 

appetizer season has sprung.

its on.  football, that is.

i have not always been into the actual game, getting there, but more so the events and promise of fall.  bring on fantasy football, fun with friends and FOOD!

hostesses; start your engines!
here is one of my favorite, finger friendly, finds (gah.. whats up with all the 'f' words lol).  keep in mind.. this is my recipe.  i had this once, years ago, and made it to taste.  experiment and make it your own!
oh yea, its not a football shaped cupcake or themed colored cookies, but all will love this being a change of the norm.

my specialty bruschetta 

grab it
french bread - i grab mine from the nearest grocery bakery
tomato  1 large tomato chopped (2 or 3 small)
FRESH basil  as much as you want! i use about 5 leaves (+/-).  however, add at will
olive oil  2 tbsp
balsamic vinegar  1 tbsp
minced garlic  1 LARGE spoonful (more if you like, i most always add more)
parmesan cheese  (or mozzarella)
salt and pepper to taste

bake
cut the french bread at about every half inch.  lay on a cookie sheet and brush with olive oil.  cook at 350' for 5-7 min.   keep an eye on them. you want them to be crouton like

combine
tomato, basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic and s/p.  stir and taste.  YUM!

eat
take a piece of bread add a spoonful of your mix and top with parm.

 i literally make this for most all my events.
not only do others ask for it, but i now seriously crave it.
WIN WIN.

its always pumpkin time.

its been a while since i posted something healthy (well kinda) to snack on.  i love all kinds of bread, pasta, and ...bread.  well when loosing weight and trying to stay healthy i wasnt about to kick EVERYTHING so i altered some of my favorite things.  

the most moist and flavorful (not to mention cheap!) quick pumpkin bread in a box is actually krogers.  always found on the top shelf, where all good things are hidden.

the box calls for 3 tbsp vegetable oil and 2 eggs
in my healthier version i sub in 3 tbsp of natural apple sauce and  3 egg whites

taking out the oil AND the yolks will make the bread a bit more spongy but, hey, i still get to eat it! ENJOY!

TIP if you don't like the texture change just sub in the egg whites OR the apple sauce.  

dead space turned book nook.

when apartment hunting the best thing you can come across is a built in book shelf or a cute NOOK.  <3 nooks!  ok, i actually have a built-in already but it wasn't BIG enough. so i put all my spill over books in that area above the kitchen shelves. c-l-u-t-t-e-r.

i caught the inspiration bug
at my aunts house last saturday, i noticed that she had taken the cabinet doors off the end part of her kitchen shelving and piled some books in.  all i could think was i want to do that.  i NEED to do that!  after about 2 SECONDS it was logged as a TODO.  apartment, shpartment....  they wont notice.  DOWN WITH THE DOORS!

have: UN-useful ugly cabinets

get:
screwdriver - *apartmenters; tape screws to cabinet doors bc they will have to go back on when you move out
paint brush

paint  

after almost no deliberation, i wanted the shelves to look like they were intended to LOOK like book shelves. bring on the paint.  already had some white base paint on hand (thanks big.box.store oops paint section). 

almost done.

the first coat ended up being BRIGHT white.  grabbed some old brown paint and mixed a dab in with the white.  made a nice off white to match the originally white trim haha

looks gray in the pic (i thought so too), but dried to match perfectly! 

  BEFORE. kinda

AFTER.  

added my candle holder (hanging) birthday present too - dont think its meant to hang but  the area above the shelves is so big the candle holder almost looked small.

yup. this'll do :)

the option:  i ALMOST took my warm green paint and went to town but apartment people might notice that.  grr.  you know your apartment. be brave at will.
homeowners - TAKE ADVANTAGE and make it your own. 

and now, i seriously just want to sit in front of this area and just be HAPPY.  it used to be where things went to die, now its so accessible! 

from 24 to 25!!

last time i posted i was 24 yeas old. as a now wiser 25 year old, for the first time i'm REALLY thinking, "whoa, 25 sounds old".  all the stigmas that you told us came true... gained the freshman 15, time seems to be passing by faster, hang-overs last a MINIMUM of 48 hours and friends are getting harder and harder to stay in touch with (even with facebook).  getting on with it, i do what i can to keep in touch and those of you who know me know i like to throw a good party.. those that do not, i throw THE BEST parties.  haha

when i am not throwing the parties i am clicking away at my camera.  yup, with old age comes, more like GOES, your memory.  therefore, making stories from my photo albums to remind myself, and tell others, of the fun that was had becomes a necessity.  well, HELLO old age.. my party was a day before my birthday, july 1st, and i forgot, that's right, FORGOT to take pictures.  all that planning and cute, vintage, colorful, cleverness going on and not one picture... well, of usefulness to the contents of this blog ;)

however, for those who could not make it, here is a little gathering of the decorations i used.

THINK: buffet table colors. pale yellow table cloth, pale blue, mixed with a splash of orange and a drop of red. 

menu:
.bite sized pigs in a blanket (wrapped weenies)
.3 glass milk carafes filled with kettle popcorn, stick pretzels, and banana chips.
.balled watermelon *with the half watermelon scooped out and then refilled with the balls - looked awesome!*
.a wood tray pained red lined with brown paper bag and filled with crumbly brownies.
.fresh carrots, celery & chips with veggie dip.
.a friend make the MOST yummy deviled eggs and another brought fresh fruit salad, strawberries, cantaloupe & bananas.

it opens?!  cute, right.   and this sucker to our right was filled to the top with our late night surprise; WATER BALLOONS. 

                     

  

oh, did i mention that it was a "beer olympics" party?  all along the perimeter we put up 36 mason jars with tea lights a tiki torch at each game table.  the back yard was decked out with tables for beer pong, flip cup, my thumb war and arm wrestling station, robo pound, and corn hole!
of course you have to have a championship for beer pong.

made the frame with a bit of white paint, red spray paint,
ply wood cut to shape and black board spray paint.  clever! 

Christopher Peterson was our 2011 BEER PONG CHAMPION!  

all and all it was probably the best birthday i have had.  thanks to a special few for helping with all the preparations, and everyone who came out start preparing for next year.

so. did you get any good ideas?  good - now go throw a party.