Pinteresting: Pill Box Gift

So here's the Pinspiration: Using a week-long pill dispenser as a week-long mini-gift dispenser! I found it on Pinterest, originally posted by The Sweetest Occasion; they used it for Valentine's Day, for 7 days of love.

I thought it was a super-cute idea, but I was hoping to figure out something other than just candy. Then I totally scored when I saw really big pillboxes at my local Goodwill near the cash registers! I picked up two, but I wish I'd picked up more. (I'm hoping my recipients will be understanding and let me steal the containers back so others can enjoy the gift.) Unfortunately, even a "Jumbo" pillbox is still only 1.5" by 1.25", so my options were severely limited. I had to get creative! Here's a similar sized one from Amazon: EZY Dose Weekly Pill Reminder

One reason I wanted to avoid an all-candy (at least in this first round, for my best friend N) is because she's been working on weight loss, and I didn't want to throw off her efforts TOO much; there is candy under ONE day, but it's a small amount, and I'll understand if she throws it away instead of eating it - hopefully it's the thought that counts! ;D

I did keep the little slips of paper idea, and changed it - each day got a loose "theme", and since I love me some alliteration, they all had cheesy names! Having 2 S's was a pain, though - Man, Saturday was FRUSTRATING to figure out, but I'm happy with what I came up with.

The weekdays/message/gift for this particular pillbox:

• Sippin' Sunday - Relax with a cold drink! (Individual drink packet, low-calorie Raspberry Lemonade)
• Manic Monday - Something sweet to help you get through Monday! (M&M's)
• Tricky Tuesday - Give yourself a brain-break with this (slightly) tricky puzzle! (Custom crossword puzzle)
• Wear it Wednesday - Here's some new bling to wear today! (dangly earrings I made)
• Treat Yo' Self Thursday - TREAT YO' SELF! ($5 bill)
• Finally Friday - It's Friday! GO NUTS! (Pistachios)
• SWEET, it's Saturday - Here's a reward for getting through this week!  (Redbox gift rental code, a fake diamond ring charm - N really loves jewelry, but I can't afford the good stuff ;D)

Now, some of these gifts are specific to my friend N, obviously; for example, the crossword puzzle I made her won't work for everyone else because I made it using our personal history as the clues. If you want to do something similar, I highly recommend using the website Armored Penguin for your puzzle-making needs - you can make crosswords, word searches, and word scrambles!

This is the "prescription" I included; I made it sturdier with some coordinating cardstock and edging scissors. I found the cute prescription image through Google (it's from Testy Yet Trying) and modified it using good ol' Fotoflexer.

Then I used good ol' Microsoft Word, made a table, and filled it with my "clever" messages and some pictures of us to put under the gifts. I used the ruler on the margins as a guideline to shrink the pictures correctly.

Sorry, no sneak peeks of the pictures - N would kill me if one of those pics was made public. ;D

I cut them out using my paper trimmer, put the pictures on the bottom of the boxes, filled the boxes, and folded the messages on top!

The pics I took for N's gift were too blurry - these are for my friend R's birthday (she LOVES Grumpy Cat!)

Also R's version - her gifts were slightly different

Aaaaand the messages (which conveniently hide the gifts!)

Voila! (We're back to N's gift now. Consistency is very important in blogging, as you can see.)

Finally, You have to give them the "prescription"! The way I do it is to print out the picture, cut some colorful card stock paper (if you want to cut the border with edging scissors, I recommend adding an inch to the height and width so you have plenty of room; if not using edging scissors, 1/2 an inch should be plenty to still look nice), and glue it. To tie it around the pillbox like I did, punch a hole in the corner, wrap your ribbon around the box at least twice, then feed one ribbon end through the hole and the other end will overlap one side of the card/hole - tie a knot, curl the ends. (If you REALLY don't get it, email me and I'll try a mini-tutorial of how to tie it.)

Back to R's box!

Now, as you may have surmised by now, I've shown examples from two separate pillboxes. N's gift was just for fun, whereas R's is for her birthday. It was part of R's overall bday gift - the pillbox was for the week leading up to her birthday, and then she has an actual gift in the bag pictured above. That is what's so fun about this gift - it can fit almost any occasion! It is tricky to come up with/find small stuff, but at the same time the creativity is fun, too!

Link parties I've joined

THT: Xmas Cards (and a My Memories Software GIVEAWAY!)

So you know that review I did on My Memories, the software program? How at the bottom of it I showed off the prototype of the Xmas "card" I was going to send out this year?

Well, I was waiting on the photos from the photo shoot my parents arranged (and let The Hubs and I have our own little mini-shoot so we could have good professional photos of just us), because I was hoping the photos would turn out good and look nice for the card.

They did - and the card looks great, too!

Yes, I revamped it drastically from the prototype I originally posted... and I LOOOOVE it. All the embellishments are from a FREE DOWNLOAD My Memories offered on their website. They actually have a lot of free downloads, which is awesome, 'cuz I am a cheap-@$$ b-word, yo. They have several Xmas-themed ones, and I chose "Christmas Lace" because it looks really elegant to me. =D

Now my only problem is figuring out how to print the stupid thing out so it looks as gorgeous printed as it does as-is, but can also be mailed with little-to-no mussing (or additional postage costs, haha). Any tips are more than welcome - "Hot Mess Housewife" is not merely a clever blog name, after all, it's an accurate descriptor of yours truly.

I'm not SUCH a hot mess that I can't give away an early ChrismaHannaKwanzakkuh gift (a descriptor coined by The Hubs - we need to make merchandise, seriously), though! Intrigued by this My Memories software I keep hawking? Like the look of scrapbooking but don't feel like spending all the time, money, paper, and glue making one yourself? Love free stuff like me? GOOD! I have 1 My Memories software package to give away!

This is my first giveaway, which is VERY exciting! As such, I'll be gentle on myself and make this easy. Here's how you enter:

• Comment on this blog post. (Make sure to leave a valid email address in the appropriate box!) That's it! I prefer it's a friendly comment, naturally. 
• BONUS ENTRIES: Share this post via Twitter, Facebook, or Google+ using the buttons at the bottom of the post (each Social Media share counts as a bonus entry):

 

If your Twitter/FB/Google+ usernames are different from the name you  comment on this post with, please post a separate comment linking to your share or explaining the name difference. Four entries max per person! All entries will be assigned a number in the order they were received (as best as I can approximate), and I'll use the random number generator to pick a winner!

This giveaway is open from Monday, Dec. 12th to Friday, Dec. 16th! Winner will be announced Monday, Dec. 19th! OMG YOU GUYS ENTER, I WANNA GIVE YOU FREE STUFF!

The software I used, the Suite, is $39.97. For my readers (do I even have any?), My Memories has offered a $10-off coupon code as well. If you just want to buy it now rather than risk the giveaway, here's how:

1. Go to http://www.mymemories.com/digital_scrapbooking_software 
2. Click on Add to Cart.
3. Enter the Promotional Code STMMMS56332 in the Promotional Code field on the shopping cart page
4. Finish the checkout. To download the software, go to http://www.mymemories.com/my_accounts/downloads and click on the link to download the software. Your product key will also be displayed on that page (you'll need it for installation). Install, and have fun!

What Works for Me: Good Food FAST at home

As crazy as I am for the holidays, I figured this blog could use a "palate cleanser" post; even I get tired of talking about decorations. (Not THAT tired, but tired enough to discuss something else for one post.)

This'll be a short post, too ('cuz lord knows, I can TALK/WRITE for days). The inspiration last night was realizing that I have a small arsenal of recipes that I cook when I'm too tired to cook but also want something that's homemade-tasting and cheaper than take-out.

I wanted to post them, as well as other resources/ideas for emergency meals, because a purpose for this blog is to share what helpful tips I've learned for others who might not be as good at the art of housewifery, like myself for the most part. I'm all about education, people, even on my blog.

So here is a list of my quick-n-tasty meals that take literally 15 minutes to cook. Seriously!

• Pesto Ravioli and Italian Sausage -  Frozen cheese ravioli, pre-made pesto, and turkey Italian sausage (we prefer the spicy version). The sausage takes 8 minutes on the Foreman grill, and I boil the water for the ravioli while the grill warms up. I'll also throw in some frozen veggies from Trader Joe's, like their cauliflower/romanesco combo that comes with a garlic butter sauce; I nuke my servings in the microwave for about 4-5 minutes, covered with some cling-wrap (but not touching the food). 
• Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese - I use Trader Joe's carton of tomato soup, 'cuz we like it and it doesn't taste as ketchup-y as the condensed stuff. Sometimes we eat it as is, but I'll vary it up by adding in some drained canned cannelini beans, a single Italian sausage (meat taken out of the casing and browned), and fresh baby spinach at the end and some parmesan cheese. As the soup warms up over medium heat (when it starts to bubble, I switch to low), I do my grilled cheese mise en place (thanks, "Top Chef", for helping me make grilled cheese sound pretentious!). I butter the bread (I sprinkle garlic powder over the buttered bread and spread it a little with my butter knife) and pre-set the cheeses I'm using. If you like American cheese (which I do sometimes, for the melty factor), I suggest prepping the cheese leaving one side of the cheese wrapper attached, then alternating the unwrapped slices so they're easy to grab. I pre-prep the sandwiches because once the first sandwich is done, the other sandwiches grill SUPER-FAST.
  
  A sandwich variation I like for feeling fancy is to make a butter compound with parmesan cheese and garlic powder for the outside, then fill the middle with proscuitto and mozzarella. Mmmm. 
• COUSCOUS! Couscous is the wonder side dish. You literally have to just boil water! For flavor, I boil the couscous in chicken or vegetable broth, and mix in butter and a garlic seasoning mix from McCormick. I'll either mix in chopped pre-cooked chicken if I have it, or turkey Italian Sausage or chicken apple sausage (which The Hubs loves). 
• The reason I use sausage so much, aside from it's freakin' delicious, is that it works well for me as an emergency protein. The Hubs is a devout meat-eater, and he likes sausage, plus if I forget to take meat out from the freezer the night before for dinner, it only takes about a half-hour to defrost in a cold water bath, which makes it SO convenient.
• "Wonton" Soup - I put "wontons" in quotation marks because it's not authentic wontons; I use frozen potstickers (the chicken ones from Trader Joe's - why yes, I AM obsessed with that store!). It's SO GOOD, though, seriously. Bring 32 oz. of chicken broth to a boil, then turn it down to medium-low; add the potstickers and Asian-style veggies to your liking (I use frozen shelled edamame, chopped baby bok choy, water chestnuts, and carrots shreds), and some frozen shrimp. Watch the shrimp - you don't want them overcooking, and they'll defrost & cook FAST in the hot broth. I also add soy sauce, minced garlic, ground ginger (go easy if you're not a ginger fan - I only add about 1/4 tsp.) and a little hot pepper flakes and sesame oil to the broth, sorry, forgot to mention that! (Go slow with the soy sauce - you can always add more later, you don't want it TOO salty!)

Some other helpful links:  YourNutritionista has 3 easy microwave meals (and other recipes, if you check out her "Easy Dinners" section); The Noodle Soup Oracle (which has some damned randomly fabulous-sounding ideas, mmmm); My Fridge Food lets you enter what you have on hand, then provides recipes!

Hopefully these are some helpful, easy recipes! I like them because they use pre-made stuff which saves times, but they come together to create what feels like a full meal. Plus it lets me be lazy, and if I'm being honest, I'm ALWAYS going to choose the lazy route, but it saves us money and The Hubs still thinks I'm cooking. ;p

If you have any similar "quick and easy" meals like these, let me know! I love getting new recipes!

The Holiday Trinity: Xmas Decorations, Including an Easy Xmas Wreath Tutorial!

So, I love Christmas. Like, love love LOOOOOVE it. I wanna make out with it. I wanna gay-marry it in NYC, that's how much I love it. Not for religious reasons, though I do love that it's all about showering loved ones with gifts and celebrating the end of the year with your family and loved ones. Peace on Earth and Good Will Towards Men, baby.

What adds to this year's excitement is also the fact that this is the first year in a while where I've really wanted to decorate. Previous years have been either because I was too busy working as a teacher to give a crap (and by the time you're on vacation and CAN ACTUALLY CARE, it's the week before Xmas so what's the point if it's only going to be up for a week), or I was too depressed because I was unemployed to give a crap. Weird cycle, I know.

Well, this year I'm unemployed but REFUSING to be depressed about it (and I'm mostly successful in this refusal, I'm proud to say), so I had the time and energy to devote to it. This is probably the most decked-out I've had ye olde apartment, and since I'm doing it on a restricted budget, I'm ok with that.

We actually talked about getting a REAL tree this year, which would be either of our first time's having one on our own (i.e., without our parents doing all the work), and while you can get them for a reasonable price at the supermarket, I saw a fake 6" at Big Lots with pre-installed lights for the same price as the supermarket trees - and figured since we'd still need all the crap for the real one, let's just get the fake one that doesn't require a tree stand and constant watering. We bought some cheap ornaments while there, and got out all of our other Xmas stuff (which has now accumulated to a point where I needed a bigger container for all the decorations [with some of my Fall stuff thrown in] and a separate one just for gift wrapping stuff) and Xmas-bombed the apartment.

I only forced The Hubs to humor me for the actual tree piecing-together/decoration; we put on Christmas music and got to work. The best moment is when we plugged in the tree to make sure we'd put it together correctly, and the lights came on; my face broke out in the hugest grin because as a kid, we always used the multi-colored lights and it was so amazing to see them for some reason, that little bit of magic came back for just that millisecond. I happened to glance at The Hubs right after, and he had this sweet smile he gets on his face when he sees I'm delighted. It was a special moment for me.

For this year's tree, I stuck to red, silver, gold, and green sphere ornaments, with some gold-edged (fake) crystal ones put near lights for extra sparkle; I also put up special-meaning ornaments I have, like the ones my ex-stepmom makes for gifts most years (she takes clear ones and decorates them with glitter and ribbon each year, and usually that fake-glitter snow inside - they're really gorgeous!) and my "baby ornaments" that my mom gave to me when she decided she didn't want to put up trees anymore.

The blue china ornament is from our honeymoon; the green w/ white decoration is my baby ornament, the gold angel is also from when I was little, and I bought the pearl M at Michael's a while ago ('cuz our last name starts with M)

Other decorations include a little pastiche of ornaments near the front door (my mom painted the 3-piecers!) that didn't fit in the tree's "theme" this year; some cute tealight lamps and another ornament that's too heavy to be on the tree on the bookshelf; and a welcome mat and wreath for the door.

The "pastiche" - the Snowman ornament actually has a music box that plays "Frosty the Snowman"!

The tealight lamps and the too heavy ornament with a secret...

... it's also a music box! I love the little skating scene inside. It plays "We Wish You a Merry Christmas"

The front door wreath!

That wreath, btw? I "made" that. "Made" meaning bought a wreath and added ornaments to it as I saw fit. (STILL COUNTS.) The best part is that I did it in such a way that I'll be able to keep using the base wreath but change up the colors/ornaments every year! It was easy, took me an hour, and I took pictures so you can do it, too! Click the "Read More" link to find out how...

Product Review: My Memories Digital Scrapbooking Software

So I received an invite to review the My Memories Digital Scrapbooking Software for free. Which is awesome, because A. I love computer stuff, B. I love crafting, and C. I LOVE FREE STUFF! So I said a whole-hearted yes.

There's no such thing as a free lunch software download, though. I have to review the darn thing! Which meant I had to mess around with it.

Please keep in mind that I received the software for free for the purposes of evaluating it and promoting it on this blog. I will schill, but only honestly. ;D So my review is how well it worked for ME. Specifically, they offered me the big momma - My Memories Suite Version 2.0.

Downloading/Installing: Piece of cake! A breeze to download and install, and while I say this as someone who is computer-savvyish, I think even a relative novice will have no issue downloading it. The instructions on the download site were smooth and easy to follow.

Use: For the most part, I found the software REALLY easy to use. My suspicion is that this is designed for people who aren't computer-savvy or scrapbookers by nature. There were a few minor quibbles, though, so let's just break it down into pros and cons:

Pros -

• It's mostly intuitive; I simply picked an album and started clicking away, no tutorial needed! But, again, I'm comfortable with computers. BUT they have a helpful-tips window that explains everything the first time you open the program, and it'll stick around until you tell it to go away:
  
  
• They have a ton of pre-made layouts to choose from! They range from basic photo layouts, so you can choose what "papers" you want, to pre-made albums where all you do is add the photos! The example photos are using one of the pre-made albums:
  
  
  
• You can even use the software to make COMPUTER-only photo albums - you can add music, narratives, videos, links to websites... it's pretty advanced options, but it's easy to add - you just click the menu you want to add stuff from, and then click the necessary buttons. I didn't mess with it too much, other than testing out adding music - took a second and was very easy!
• These pre-made albums are completely customizable, too, see?
  

  

  Please note that I'm fully legal age and I'm allowed to drink - in fact, I was turning 30 that day and had plenty of reason to drink, let's be honest. ;p

  All I did was click on each individual item to change the paper or background, whatever you want to change. I did have to individually delete the dots and replace them with hearts, but that was easy, too.

 Cons - 

• It runs kind of slow. I'm incredibly impatient, so having to wait for the program to catch-up with my key movements were REALLY annoying. This was mainly with keyboard manipulations (like using the keyboard arrows to move an embellishment), but you can move most items with your mouse, too - but there's still a delay. Again, though, this delay is all of 1 second, but I'm INCREDIBLY impatient. ;p
• There are some random errors that weren't really... errors! I'd get these "Error" messages, but ultimately they weren't ERRORS, whatever I was trying to do would work fine once I hit the "ok" button. (To the program's credit, they have a tech support email listed at the end of each error description - I just didn't because, again, impatient and ALSO lazy - that "hot mess" isn't part of my screen name just 'cuz it's cute, y'know.)
  
  
  
  
  

Overall, I liked My Memories! It was easy to use, and the basic program has a lot of options. They offer more "kits", too, if you need more options than what comes with the basic package, at a variety of prices. Their website also offers non-download options to make your own photo albums and calendars, with a decent amount of variety.

I'm using the program to make our Xmas "card" this year! Instead of having to spend hours making each card, or buying a bunch of meh ones, I can create my own "card" with my own pictures and the program's easy layouts! Check it out:

This is just a prototype; my parents had us take family portraits with them and our own little family as well, and I plan to use those in place of the ones I currently have once we get them (although the current ones aren't so bad either). I like that it's part letter, part card, and part picture! Plus I can get them printed out on nice paper if I really want it to be all fancy-pants.

Interested? The software I used, the Suite, is $39.97. As part of my review, My Memories has offered a $10-off coupon code AND a free giveaway! I'll do the giveaway later this week in its own separate post, but if you just want to buy it now, here's how:

1. Go to http://www.mymemories.com/digital_scrapbooking_software 
2. Click on Add to Cart.
3. Enter the Promotional Code STMMMS56332 in the PRomotional Code field on the shopping cart page
4. Finish the checkout. To download the software, go to http://www.mymemories.com/my_accounts/downloads and click on the link to download the software. Your product key will also be displayed on that page (you'll need it for installation).

Let me know what you think, and show me what you create! I'm excited to see what you come up with as well. 

The Holiday Trinity: Holiday 2, Turkey Day Prep!

So Halloween has come and gone. I'll admit, it's the least important of the Holiday Trinity for me. I like it, and as I've gotten older I've circled around to being MORE into it than I used to be, but it still pales in comparison for me to Turkey Day and Xmas!

Turkey Day is the middle child, unfortunately, when it comes to my excitement. Like Halloween, my excitement for it is growing as I'm getting older, but that's because I'm more involved in it now. Growing up, it was just a day where I feasted on Southern-style Thanksgiving foods made by my step-grandma, and we hung out watching basketball and movies. THAT'S IT. Boring, but delicious.

A few years ago, as my mother-in-law's work schedule started requiring her to work holidays, I offered to take over Thanksgiving, and we have it on the Saturday after. This benefits me nicely, in that I get to actually enjoy Thanksgiving the way I did growing up (yes, it can be boring, but it's also DELICIOUS), and yet I still get to host and cook the meal on my own! I've blathered about this before, so I won't repeat myself, other than to say that I'm aiming to extend the guest list this year. 3rd time's the charm, and the last 2 have been successful enough that I'm comfortable offering for my parents, siblings and their mom, and my cousins who live in town to join us this year. =)

I'm also going to work on more decorations this year. I bought the makings of a Autumnal wreath for the door at the Dollar Tree, and busted out my glue gun! For $6 and a podcast of "This American Life", I made this:

I considered making a tutorial, but honestly, there's not much TO this. I wrapped the ribbon around the wreath, then tied a knot and glued the knot to the wood. The pumpkin pieces were pre-"bunched" floral picks from Dollar Tree - all I did was bend the wire stems to wedge them in, and once I liked where I placed them, I used a glue gun to secure them. Then I picked some leaves from a bigger bunch of autumn leaves and filled in gaps where I saw fit.

Some tips for first-timers (in lieu of a step-by-step tutorial):

• Fake flowers/plants are usually detachable and interchangeable - the second picture (which you'll notice is slightly different from the first one) shows me taking the "wheat" off the bunch on the left and adding it to a bunch on the right. I had an extra "wheat" and replaced another bunch that had a weird sprig-thingie on it. 
• Use a variety of leaf shapes and colors - it's more visually interesting. Just place them around until you like how it all looks!
• Start small and take frequent breaks to stand back and assess. This way you don't "gild the lily". I had to refrain from adding gold pinecones several times, but I'm glad I didn't use them (and I have other plans for them now, muahahahahaha).
• Glue the pieces to the WOOD - plastic doesn't adhere well to plastic when the glue is hot, all it does is melt it. 
• Use the individual leaves to cover areas where you can see the floral pick stems or where you could see the ribbon knot through the wreath (if you have that problem like I did). 

Other than that, it's all about individual tastes. Take it slow and enjoy the process - that's the whole fun of crafting!

I'll post my official Thanksgiving menu and plans for execution closer to the actual day, as well as my centerpiece/table decoration once I decide on it and how I plan to make it. (I'm fairly sure I know what I want!) Yay for the Winter holidays! Weather-wise, Spring is my favorite season, but the Fall/Winter holidays are my favorite time of year!

Free downloads: I made art!

"What is art? 

Are WE art?

Is ART art?"

    ~ Lisa Turtle, "Saved By the Bell"

I figured out how to use photoshop brushes in GIMP (the free version of Photoshop). They are seriously SUPER-EASY. 

This is the most pedantic form of art I could possibly make, IMHO. To call it art is insulting to artists. I just wanted something pretty to hang on my walls that had some semblance of purpose, sooo... pretty colors, fancy shapes, and a nice quote! DONE. I made them 11"x14", but they could be resized as needed, obviously. Click on them to see them full-size.

Feel free to steal! 

Crafts for the Non-Crafty: Mini Flower Bud Vases!

This is seriously the easiest thing you will ever "make". Because most of the "making" is done in advance by the lovely soda factory that blows the glass containers into these cute shapes.

Materials:

• 4-pack Orangina Bottles
• Wire cutters
• Soap
• Water
• dish sponge with a green "scrubby" side (that's a technical term, "scrubby"; I'm an English teacher, so I would know)

Steps:

1. Buy the Orangina bottles. If you have a Trader Joe's near you, they sell it in the 4-packs there. Check other "fancy" grocery stores, too. 
2. Drink the tasty, bubbly orange beverages, and rinse out/save the bottles as you work your way through the 4-pack. I LOVED this stuff as a kid, and it's now an occasional treat (as it's a little expensive).
3. When you have as many bottles as you want to keep for making into vases, fill a sink with warm, soapy water. Place the bottles (lids removed) in the water; I tried to keep the labels facing down, but the bottle has a mind of its own, annoyingly. Filling the bottles with the water seemed to help a LITTLE, but in the end it wasn't a huge deal if the labels weren't completely submerged.
4. Let them soak for at least 2 hours; I soaked mine for about 3, I think? Honestly, I managed to forget about them until I walked by the sink and went, "Oh yeah!" 
5. Peel the labels off slowly; doing so lets you get most of the paper off fairly easily and in fewer pieces. There will most likely be glue/paper remaining even after this step, BUT that comes off easily as well. 
6. For the remaining bits of label paper/glue, rub it off with your fingers while submerging that section of the bottle in water. If it's being REALLY stubborn, use the green scrubby side of the sponge, it'll come off without issue. 
7. Tip the bottles upside-down onto a paper towel so they drain, then dry the outside. With your wire cutters, cut off the ring of aluminum that was there to keep the screw-on lid attached and tamper-free. (Tip: Pull the ring down the neck bottle a little, it's easier to get the cutter onto it that way.)
8. Fill with water and pretty flowers. Enjoy!

Why did I take the pictures outside on my balcony? Because my table's messy again and I didn't feel like cleaning it off right then. Once a hot mess...

But wait, you say! This is still far too complicated for me! I want something simpler! Are there any sodas out there that I can use without all that pesky label removing?

The answer is yes. I found this bottle's shape and label particularly charming. The how-to steps for this one:

1. Live in an area that has cute little French bistros. 
2. Buy a sparkling pink lemonade with your tasty meal of ham with dill mayo on crusty baguette and a nicely-dressed salad. Admire how a French accent can make even the ugliest waiter kinda hot. (Seriously!)
3. Once you finish your sparkling pink lemonade, giggle with your companion as you sneak the bottle into your purse because you realize it's kind of weird/dorky to take a bottle home to use as a flower vase. 
4. Once home, rinse out the bottle, avoiding getting the label wet as much as possible. 
5. Fill with water. Put in a single flower. Feel French. Use the video below to help feel French-ier:

Ok, so really this isn't a "craft" so much as "Samantha likes those cute little bud vases but doesn't want to spend $10 PER VASE when she can make them from bottles that also contain a taste of her childhood... and she's cheap." Still, how cute do they look?

Ok, now I'm just showing off.

Crafts for the Non-Crafty: DIY Fridge Dry-Erase Board!

FINALLY! The reason I didn't post this sooner is that I wanted to create an easier way to decorate and demo it, but the whole office chair sitch had to be resolved first. It's resolved, it's done, TIME TO POST! WHEEEE!

First, the finished product, then the how-to's:

You like? Pretty, yes? You want your own? Here's the deets.

First, credit where credit's due: This is not an original craft. In fact, the craft has appeared in a couple of different places. (I found one version at Prudent Baby)This is merely my variation on it, and a simpler version as well.

Your finished product will be a great way to jot down notes on your fridge, or even use as a menu planner! Enjoy!

As I posted in the sneak peek, here are the necessary, and the optional, materials:

* Cheap frame (check the dollar store!), at least 8"x10". If you find it in a color you like, skip the optional paint-related materials.
* 1 piece of Scrapbook paper in a pattern you like, at least 8.5"x11"
* Four 3/4" magnets
* mini glue gun (not pictured)
* Paint (optional) - Acrylic works best for wood; if the frame is metal, look for a Metal paint (bottled or spray). If using wood, I recommend buying at least one bottle of solid white paint to help make the main color POP a little more.
* Sealer for the paint job (Read the labels - you'll want one that works for wood if your frame is wood, same with metal) (optional)
* fine sandpaper (if using wood frame)
* Paint brush (optional - only if you're painting) - I like sponge brushes, cheap and work well.
* 1 piece of vellum paper (optional)
* Spool of thin ribbon (optional)
* patterned rub-ons (optional - not pictured)

If you're wondering about the costs, I can't give you an exact amount due to having all these materials on hand already, so this was free for me. =) But the frame can be found for cheap, the paper is cheap, mini glue guns are usually no more than $5, and the magnets might set you back about $3-4. If you decided to paint it and add rub-ons, that might add about $6-10, too, depending on what you buy . So my estimate, if you're buying everything new and as cheap as you can, the cost might get as high as $15. BUT, if you find a frame you like and don't need to alter the appearance, this project could be as cheap as $10 (again, buying everything new).

The Steps:
1. Take your frame apart. Remove the glass and the frame backing. Plug in the mini glue gun, making sure it's set over paper or something (as the glue will drip a little once it's warmed up).

2. On the frame backing, eye where you want to place the magnets. Make sure the magnets will be clear of the frame once the frame is re-applied! Once you've placed them where you want them, Lift them up one at a time, squirt a little of the hot glue, then re-place the magnet over the glue. (Don't worry about those little strings - we'll trim them away when the glue's dry!) Repeat with all the magnets. Set aside and DON'T TOUCH until you're done with everything else - it'll give the glue ample time to dry.

3. Take the glass and apply it to the side of the scrapbook paper you don't want to use. Trace the frame's shape along the paper, then cut out the paper according to the tracing. DONE. (Oh, and go windex the glass if it's dirty.)

I demo'd this on the wrong side - ignore my mistakes. xD

3A. Here's where the vellum comes in, if needed - IF you really love the print of your paper, but you're afraid it'll be hard to read writing on it, this is what the vellum is for. Vellum will kind of tone down the print, like a thin fog over it, but the print will still be visible behind it, I assure you! It'll just make any writing you do on the glass easier to see. Trace and cut it just like you do the paper.
4. Prep the frame for alteration, if necessary. (This step is if you are changing the frame's appearance; if not, skip this step!) For a wood frame (which I used), sand down any unsmooth spots first. This is really easy - just rub the paper back and forth until the rough spots go away (extra-fine sandpaper will do this without altering the surface drastically). Then apply at least one layer of white paint, if using acrylic paint. If you don't mind the wood grain showing through your paint, you can skip this step for a wood frame, but if you want a solid color base, you'll need to use the white paint.
5. Once the frame is primed, paint! Make sure you cover the front of the frame, then the sides. Don't worry about the back - it's going to be up against the fridge, who's gonna know? ;D Let the first coat dry, then give it one more coat. IF you're using spray paint, paint the frame OUTSIDE and with lots of paper under it to protect the ground - esp. if you're like me and live in an apartment. Don't want THAT coming out of your deposit!

This version, I used a pearly white paint without a base coat. It basically white-washed the wood, but I liked the end result, so it was a happy accident!

6. If you are happy with the frame just being a new neat-o color, then go ahead and seal your frame according to the sealer instructions. If you want a little more OOMPH, here's where the rub-ons come in. I would recommend cutting the rub-ons into strips to fit the width of the frame sides first, then place them close to each other, end-to-end, to create a seamless design.

The right side of the design that's a little blurry is how the rub-on looks when you've rubbed it on sufficiently. If you HAVEN'T rubbed it on the surface enough, it'll look more like the design's left side.

This was the design as a whole, and how I cut it into strips. I measured the frame first, then cut from there.

Once the rub-ons have all been, well, rubbed, SLOWLY peel off the top opaque paper. If the rub-on comes back up with the top paper, gently lay it back down and try again; sometimes it needs a little more elbow grease is all. THEN seal your frame according to the sealer instructions.

Ta-Da! This is the easier decorated version I made. Seriously, paint and rub-ons, that's it.

7. ALMOST DONE, HOME-STRETCH, PEOPLE! Put the glass back in the frame. Put the vellum against the glass (if using), then the printed paper, then the backing with magnets attached (now you can pull away those little glue strings), and lock the backing into place. TA-DA! DONE! You now have a nifty Dry Erase board for your fridge!

Optional variations:
- If you want to use the frame solely for meal-planning, replace the pretty printed paper with a meal-planning print-out! I recommend the adorable "Pots and Pans" one from the OlliBird blog, which is free! (It might need to be resized, depending on the frame size you buy.) A simple 8.5x11 weekly organizer is here, from Perideau Designs (found via The Frugal Life Project)

- If are a crafty sort like myself and know how to emboss, embossing looked pretty cool! Learn from my Martha Screwups and use a stamp that has fine, thin-lined detail, and don't press down so hard. I still like how it turned out from far away, but I wish half the sections weren't so mottled. (The first project example, with the embossing, is what inspired me to try the rub-ons, - less chance of screwing up!)

This is ultimately the one I put on my fridge, 'cuz I simply like it better for MY kitchen. I really love the silver one, too, though.
- To attach a dry erase marker, simply get some stick-on velcro (MAKE SURE it's stick-on! I'm experienced, and I STILL almost bought the sew-on! Sheesh!). It's a good, sticky glue so you don't NEED to glue-gun it, but I did for the wood just in case. I wrapped the soft side around the marker, and then I put a small strip of glue in the middle of the frame and put the scratchy side on the glue. Gave the glue a minute to dry, then trimmed the sides. Now I always have the pen handy!

The scratchy-side, glued down and trimmed

So, as you can see, a fairly easy project for the novice crafter! Hopefully the pictures and instructions are helpful and easy to understand; this is my first tutorial EVER, so feedback is welcome and appreciated!

Crafts for the Non-Crafty: Photo String

SO. A change in plans.

See, originally I planned to show you how to make your own pretty Dry Erase Message Board - for the fridge! So I spent all day Saturday working on it, but not quite finishing all the examples. In an office chair we got for free from The Hubs' office. That they were getting rid of because it hurt people's backs.

See where this is going? *sigh* My back is broked. For the 3rd time since he brought it home - I seriously cannot sit in that chair for longer than 30 minutes without my back being WRECKED for the next few days. It sucks. Who knew a chair could be so awful? I know it sounds crazy, but seriously, the chair is the only connecting factor to the recent rash of back incidents. (This weekend we're going shopping for a new chair for me so I may craft my little heart out comfortably.)

So, I don't have the Dry Erase Board done just yet. Next week, most likely. BUT, I do not arrive empty-handed! I just moved up my craft plans a week.

Today, instead, I present the super-easy Photo String! Seriously, it's ridiculously easy.

Materials:

• thin ribbon or transparent beading monofilament
• push pins
• binder clips (splurge a little and get some cute, colorful ones!)
• photos of various sizes that you would like to hang. 

Steps:

1. Measure out how long you want the ribbon or beading monofilament to be (3'-3.5' should be good for starters); hold it up to the wall and see if that's long enough for you.
2. If using ribbon, pin the ends to the wall with push pins, allowing the ribbon to drape slightly (you don't want it taut). If using the clear beading monofilament, double-knot the monofilament ends around the push pins, as pictured below:

3. Using the binder clips, attach the photos to the ribbon/bead monofilament! If using medium-size binder clips, you might want to make sure the clip also clips a little of the string/ribbon to keep the photo in place. (If you don't care about the pics sliding around, then don't worry!

My version of the Photo String using ribbon:

The framed art above the photo string was made by my mom!

 

My version of the photo string using clear bead monofilament:

It's hard to see ('cuz I like the push pins to blend into the wall a little), but I actually used 3 pins and created a > -shape, and pinned it above my craft desk to use as a photo strip/ inspiration board (hence the torn-out magazine pages). I need to make a bigger one. xD See below:

The charming young boy in the middle is my baby brother, Matthew. He's 18 now, but what's the point of having a blog if you can't humiliate your family members a little? ;D
I like how it looks like the pictures are floating by using the clear monofilament as the base. It's admittedly a little trickier to use the bigger binder clips, though, but I LOVED these binder clips (found them at Michael's in the dollar bins!).

That's it! Easy, it looks neat-o (esp. if you vary the sizes of the photos you're using), and it's easy to change up the photos - all you do is un-clip 'em!

Have fun! Next time I post a craft, it WILL be the Dry Erase Board, I swear. If you want to get the materials in advance, check out this post for the materials needed!