DIY Decor with Flower Balls... and tutorial

I'm on a mission to post some of my "winter crafts." We did lots of remodeling this winter and since I couldn't clean I turned to crafting... which lead to blogging. These flower balls were one of my first finds in blog land and they are courtesy of House of Smith's... love that blog! Hopefully there are only a handful of days left inside... after that... and a 4th child of course... I may not keep up... until then I'll post my heart out! ... and it beats laundry, dishes, cleaning...ect.Place one or two of these anywhere... on a shelf, on the fridge, as a centerpiece... you can't go wrong... And thrift stores usually have oodles of candlestick holders, or if you are like me, go into your storage and pull out wedding gifts from 7 years ago:) I knew there was a reason I chose to keep them instead of re-gifting them:) lol...
Visit the link below to get the full tutorial on these beauties. All you need is crepe paper, hot glue, Styrofoam balls, and lots of patience... (I also saw a tutorial where someone used wiffle balls instead of Styrofoam which isn't a bad idea because I had to order mine from Hobby Lobby) Dollar stores have crepe paper and wiffle balls though... okay enough...Thank you House of Smiths for the great Tutorial
Come back soon... follow me... stay and take a look around... I have some great new posts in the works...
Click Here for a free mother's day printable.

Linking up to...
I Heart Naptime
Stories of A to Z
Simply Designing

Mother's Day Ideas

I don't know about anyone else, but my mother and mother-in-law are the hardest people to shop for. They are very happy with what they have and where they are in life... so finding something worth giving them is very difficult or at least I make it difficult because I want them to love... ADORE... the gift I give:) Here are a few ideas I found floating around out there.
For the outdoors/garden loving mother make her homemade citronella candles found at
Positively Splendid This adorable stool makeover is perfect for the sentimental mother. Check it out at Brown Paper Packages... love it! This super unique planter is courtesy of Messy Mimi. Check it out!

For the Mother that loves to bake... visit Think Liz. and download the free pattern for this beautiful apron

Try one of my past tutorials like these fun pillows.
 A Homemade Salt Scrub would be a hit.

 Easy DIY Polka Pots with scented geraniums or daisies would be lovely.

 This lovely Printable is found Here.

For a very cool inexpensive personlized print of some type... CLICK HERE!

Whatever you give, be sure and tell your mother how wonderful she is on Mother's Day... after all, you wouldn't be here without her!
Follow me and Check back soon... there is always something fun brewing!

To Enter my latest giveaway CLICK HERE!

May Day Basket Ideas

When I was little we created May Baskets with Styrofoam cups, popcorn, and marshmallows. Things have evolved a little since then for sure:) Although it doesn't matter what the basket looks like, to a child the best part is leaving the treat, knocking, and running like crazy. Apparently it is called, "Ding-dong-ditching." Quite a mouthful... and be careful... say it slowly so you say it correctly:) Have some fun this May Day and check out these cute finds.
If you have lots of time to prepare, try these cookie baskets from
Better Home and Gardens For a gift that keeps on blooming check out this basket idea By Skip To My Lou found at The Crafty Crow
Create your own out of scrapbook paper... get the 411 at My Own Ideas I saved my favorite for last. Check these cuties out at Skip To My Lou

Tuesday's Recipe... Swedish Meatballs

To begin, saute one small diced onion in 1-2 tbsp of olive oil. Then combine hamburger, eggs, rice, bread crumbs, salt, pepper and onion. Mix with a spatula or dig in with both hands.
Combine until you get a nice uniform substance.
Using a 3 tbsp scoop(Pampered Chef large scoop works great) or your own judgement place the beef balls into 2 greased 9 x 13 pans.
These meatballs are 100% cooked in the oven (no need to brown them first) Makes the perfect recipe for when you are in a hurry!

No need to grab a clean dish... it is all going in the oven:) Combine cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, evaporated milk and Lawry's seasoning salt. Whisk until smooth and then spoon over the top of each meatball.
The meatballs should cook for 40-50 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Since this recipe makes so much I either deliver one pan to a friend or freeze one and our family eats the other. (Because these are not precooked they do sweat a lot of grease while cooking... my husband loves it but I do sometimes use a baster to dispose of a little grease after they are done... makes for a better presentation:)

Swedish Meatball Recipe

-3 pounds of ground beef
-1 small onion
-1-2 tbsp. olive oil
-1/2 cup white or brown rice
-1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
-1 tsp. black pepper
-1.5 tsp. salt
-3 eggs

Sauce:

-1 can cream of mushroom soup
-1 can cream of chicken soup
-1 can of evaporated milk
-1-2 tsp. Lawry's Seasoning salt
(if you like garlic minced garlic adds a lot of flavor to this sauce)

Bake at 375 for 40-50 minutes

Yields TWO 9 x 13 pans of meatballs

Boy Room Remodel

We are expecting baby number 4 sooner than later... Assuming that we would have to bunk a couple kids I asked my husband if he would build bunks and instead he said, "Nah... I think we'll just add another room in the basement, each kid needs their own room"
Uh...okay that definitely caught me off-guard but I certainly wasn't going to argue with his "idea." Anyhow it turned out lovely...
I wanted to use a green decor because I thought I would accessorize with John Deere tractors. I found this lovely camo set at JoJo Designs... super cute. The headboard is 100% Walnut, made by my husband's grandfather, as was the bedside table. (it is actually a cedar chest too) yes, I know... we are so spoiled:)

I did a little of my own art with the "boy" print... you can download one from the link below.

This piece was a fun little project. Those are Walmart wooden letters, painted with a glossy black. I took an unattractive country print and glued burlap right to the glass with Tacky Glue. Then with the glue I glued the letters on, let it dry overnight and wahlah.

Love Tacky Glue!!!

Another cute accent I did was I used little army dudes inside this Ball Jar. I attached a screw-on light bulb fixture with cord (Hobby Lobby is where I would look for one of these) I happen to have one in my craft supplies from years ago. Then I covered a blah shade with green fabric and trimmed it in chocolate ribbon.

I must say... I'm pretty proud of this closet... I put the organizer together myself! Took me an entire freakin' day but I did it. I even had to use the hubby's grinder to cut off one end of the top rack. It was a lovely sight... me, preggo, flip flops, saw horses, clamps, power-tool, sparks, but I did wear safety glasses.

Also, please note the John Deere Tractors on the top shelf:) Some accessory huh? I guess they accessorize the closet for now:)

I'm very excited to have this new space and so is the boy! The paint color was
Doughty from True Value.

Below is the link for this lovely piece of art, by me:)

Click Here for the free printable
Hopefully soon I will get a few more of our remodel/makeover pictures up:)
HAPPY EASTER!!!

Linking up to...

More Flowers and Flip Flops!

Remember that post where I was whining about living so far from everything... Maybe not:) Well I finally got online and ordered a few things... one, a new pair of flip flops, color gray. Yippee! Anyhow, I just wanted to show these cute little babies off. I took a relatively unattractive floral fabric and some pink/gold gemstone buttons, add them to a pair of blah Old Navy Flip Flops and what do you get? Tah dah... click the link below to view the tutorial of how to make your own. Instead of ribbon just use 3/8 inch strips of fabric and follow the instructions for the headband if you want a fuller flower.
Flip Flop Makeover Tutorial (Click Here)

Tuesday's Recipe... Homemade Doughnuts!!!

Here in my little ole town, we have no doughnut shop... I know, HORRIBLE! However these can compete and are definitely worth a try:) Thank you Pioneer Woman for the mouth-watering photo and great recipe!!! Pioneer Woman's Doughnut Recipe (Click Here)

What an award for me???

Holy Petunias... I'm super excited and honored to announce that I have been awarded an award.

The Versatile Blogger Award!

Cool eh? With honor comes responsibility and here are the rules I am to follow...

1. Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them.

~This great honor came from Amy at Sitting At Our Kitchen Table

Amy is a fellow Nebraska blogger and you Have To check her out!

2. Tell 7 things about yourself...

~ I am the eldest of three children and I act the part.

~Pathetically it took me 4 colleges to become an RN.

~I was actually a good student... 4 schools had nothing to do with grades.

~I loathe... despise scrapbooking... and I don't know why, it just bores me, but I still occassionally do it with friends.

~I'm living out a childhood fantasy through my 6-year-old... (I got her a horse)

~ When I'm pregnant my shoe size is a 10, normally I wear a 9. (that one is dumb)

~I'm addicted to blogging to the point I wake up at night and all I think about are new tutorials, recipes, and posting cool things... and for some reason I don't want to advertise to friends and family that I blog???

3. Pay it forward and award the Versatile Blogger Award to 15 recently discovered new bloggers.

Blogs I Award

At Home With K

Little Bits of Crunch and Fluff

City Girl Gone Coastal

Ma Nouvelle Mode

The Dragon's Fairytail

Mudpies and Marigolds

Helping Little Hands

Landee See, Landee Do

Allie Belle Designs

Thrifty Decorating

First Lady of the House

Taylor Made

Jessica's Paper Petals

Scissors & Spatulas

Tattered and Inked

4. Contact everyone and let them know they have been awarded the award. That way everyone can spread the love. Followers and comments make me smile! I'm sure they make fellow bloggers smile too! It's a great way to find new inspiration!!!

Crafting Blooper... with Etched Glass Tutorial

Okay so not every idea comes out perfect and this tutorial is a classic example...luckily I was able to salvage the project to some degree:) I've seen many tutorials on glass etching and thought it looked simple enough...lol...I'm laughing because it is simple, however I guess I had unknown expectations ... I don't own any kind of cutting machine, so that complicated the project a little. My projects would be somewhat simpler if I had a Silhouette however I'm too cheap for now:) My good friend turned 29 last week... seriously 29, I promise, this is the real one (the first 29th birthday in her words... actually she said the first of many 29th birthdays) Since I plan to celebrate the next fifty 29th birthdays with her I thought it was appropriate to make glasses to celebrate the occasion. Below is the final product and the rest is a lovely story... I thought I would start by etching her last name initial onto a frame and then accessorize the frame a little...

1. Thrift store frame and Armour Etching Cream (Hobby Lobby)

2. Glass from the frame, contact paper, mat, and knife

3. Cut contact paper large enough to cover the glass surface you intend to etch, smooth out the contact paper to remove any air bubbles

4. I printed a large letter T in a pleasing Font (I used Word)

5. Place the printed paper under the glass and trace with your knife, then gently peel up the area you cut.

6. Generously cover the stenciled area with the etching cream using a brush... use more than shown, let this set 5-10 minutes.

7. No need to waste... I used a Pampered Chef pan scraper to remove the excess and I put it back into the bottle. Then rinse the glass under water and gently rub the area with a paper towel.

8. If you would like a more defined etching, dry the glass and repeat the etching process again. I did the T twice. I only did the "29 glasses" one time.

9. I put a coat of glossy black spray paint on the frame.

10. The frame needed a little bling... so I added a fabric flower rosette. (Tutorial Link is at the bottom of the page)

11. I took some hot glue and accessorized the frame... so pretty! This is the finished etching... I could have left the card stock off the back and applied a ribbon hanger or something but it just didn't pop enough for me, however the etching did come out exactly as it was supposed to. Since I wanted the overall look to "pop" more I reapplied some clear contact paper and cut the T out with my knife AGAIN... then I put on three coats of black craft paint. Once the craft paint is dry take your knife AGAIN and score the stenciled area one last time. If you don't run your knife along the edge of the stencil before peeling it off you'll take all the paint with it... TRUST ME! Isn't the finished project lovely?... I'm pretty pleased considering I don't have a Silhouette or Cricut and it certainly isn't vinyl... not to mention I turned a mediocre etching into a more pleasing show piece... like I said earlier, I cut an 8 x 10 piece of attractive looking scrapbook paper and added it to the back of frame. ... and just to prove that in the process I did learn how to properly etch a piece of glass and what the expectations should be... I thought I would post one last picture of these beautiful goblets... did I mention they came from the dollar store for $1 each:) Just a little bonus to my etching experience! I used Word again for the 29 stencil, font was Georgia size 72.
Jen at Tatertots and Jello gives a great rosette tutorial (click here)

If you are visiting from a linky party... thanks for checking me out. Enjoy your stay and check out a few of my other tutorials... and if you like what you read, follow me because I'm hooked, addicted, and totally dependent.... this blog "thing" has just started for me:)

Bird Nest Cookies

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Ladybug #1 has to take treats to kindergarten tomorrow, so I thought why not celebrate the season... Earlier this week my sweet little kindergartner left me a note that read, "Mom, ples be nisr." Isn't that lovely?... haha, no we aren't the Brady Bunch, so I'll quit pretending... tomorrow, lol... I thought perhaps... in an effort to be nicer... we might have fun making bird nest treats Together, but like I said, we aren't the Brady Bunch:) I made treats, and she watched TV with her sister... I guess she approved though because she wanted to make sure there were enough for the other kindergarten teachers... yikes I'll take whatever approval I can get for now:) Enjoy these festive treats!

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Easter Peanut M&M's

1/4 cup of butter

4 1/2 cups of mini marshmallows

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

4 cups chow mien noodles

To Make:

-Put butter and marshmallows in a large saucepan on medium heat. Melt until smooth, stirring often

-Once the butter and marshmallow mixture is melted add peanut butter and chocolate chips. Stir constantly until smooth.

-Then remove the pan from the heat and add chow mien noodles. Stir until all noodles are coated in the marshmallow mixture.

-After mixture is coated, spoon it onto wax paper that has been coated with cooking spray. While still warm, push egg candies into the ‘nest.’ This is where the kiddos will be more than willing to help (and eat candy!).

Tuesday's Recipe of the Week... Homemade Pizza

Homemade Pizza is the "how to" for today:) I can't decide if this picture is pleasing or not??? Taking pictures of food is hard... I've even googled and researched taking photos of food. The angle definitely counts and natural light is best... which I don't exactly have at meal time... well except breakfast and uhm... I'm not ready to start thinking in the AM, so taking pictures of supper dishes isn't exactly gonna happen. Okay...so on with the recipeFirst combine 4 cups of flour with 2tsp of sugar and 2tsp salt: at the same time sprinkle 3tsp of yeast over 2 cups of very warm water (110-115 degrees); this needs to sit for 5 minutes if you want... use a mixer (mixing by hand works well too) and add 4 tbsp of olive oil to the dry mix, mix well. Then slowly mix and add the yeast/water. The mix should be pretty sticky but combined and uniform. Cover with plastic and let it rise for several hours. I like to make this in the morning and then let it rise and then place in the refrigerator until 30 minutes before needing it. You can make a day or two ahead as well. Combine 1 small diced onion and 1 pound hamburger and 1 pound sausage...brown these and use salt and pepper sparingly.

When the meat is almost ready, prepare the crust and sauce... I use the Pampered Chef's medium sheet pans (I also sell this stuff) but any pan will do... lightly oil your pan... the picture below has far too much olive oil on both pans

Split the dough in half and press into the pan with your fingers... lightly flour the dough prior to pressing into the pans...no rolling pin necessary. Place these into a 350 degree oven for 6 minutes.

While the crust is baking... make the secret weapon... the sauce

Combine 1 can of tomato sauce (14.5oz) 1.5tsp salt, 2 tbsp sugar, and 2.5 tsp Pampered Chef Italian Seasoning (did I mention I sell Pampered Chef:) I mix everything right in the can...

Cover both slightly cooked crusts with 1/2 can sauce each

cover each pizza with half of the meat combo... I prefer to use the empty tomato sauce can and drain the meat heavily... pork is really fatty and so I drain as much as possible (as a nurse I must emphasize this step... lol... and then add butter haha j/k)

cover each pizza with 2 cups shredded mozzarella or cheese of your choice

Bake for 20 minutes at 350 or until the cheese begins to brown slightly.

Great pizza and sooooo filling!

Recipe

Crust -4cups flour -2tsp sugar -2tsp salt -4tbsp olive oil -2 cups water -3tsp active dry yeast

Sauce: -1 can (14.5 oz) tomato sauce -1.5 tsp salt -2 tbsp sugar -2.5 tsp Pampered Chef Italian Seasoning (or some form of Italian seasoning) *I also use the Pillsbury Pizza Crusts from a tube and find they are hard to beat, especially if I don't plan ahead for the yeast rising process... definitely try both!