Endure My World

White Elephants!

2011-12-10T15:49:00.000-05:00

My family does a White Elephant Gift Exchange every year instead of a buy for everybody exchange. It tends to be loads of fun, with the recycling of favorite gifts from previous years (ex. a framed photo of a family friend holding up lottery tickets. It pops up each year with new tickets!). There is the occasional dud, but more often than not everyone is satisfied.

Last year, Artum, a relative made a last minute White Elephant. It was rather primitive elephant with newspaper paper mache body, toilet paper tube legs and a sock trunk. But it was insanely cute and a hit (even before the $50 gift card was revealed). Artum promised to build a better elephant for this year and challenged us to come up with something similar.
This year at Thanksgiving he reminded me, and he seemed rather disappointed that I already had purchased White Elephant gifts and that I wouldn't be making a White Elephant. After I got home, I tried to think of ideas that wouldn't intrude on Artum's original Elephant.
So long story longer... These are my White Elephants.

First, I found a cute elephant face stencil using a search on Google Images. Then, I bought a pack of 36x36 White Felt at Michaels and it provided me with just enough Felt to make two 10x12 Gift Totes. I used a 10 x 12 gift bag from the Dollar Store as my template.

This was my first attempt at applique and if you don't look too closely you won't spot my mess-ups.

All ready to be stuffed with presents!

I made each one slightly different. One has wider shorter straps, and the other has exposed seams. I found some red buttons in my Grandmother's collection (because White Elephants are albinos, right?) for the eyes.

Did I do good? I'm hoping yes, so that these are able to be re-used and will become a regular fixture at future Christmases.

Organize with Beer Carton Carriers!

2011-12-04T11:47:00.001-05:00

My DH and a friend do a "weird beer" night a few times a month. They pick a beer they have never had and take pictures with a thumbs up and down. It' silly, but it's good memory tool.
This went on for months before I realize how many of those neat beer cartons were being thrown away. I had been in dining establishments and pubs were they reused the cartons as condiment carriers. So I decided to do the same thing to organize my cabinets.
I started in my pantry. On the top shelf is where I stored un-open condiments and seldom used bottles of oils. Because they were out of sight and hidden behind other bottles, I would buy things I had plenty of and they would expire before I could use them.
Now I can easily, grab a whole carrier and take a glance without having to shove bottles around and hiding even more condiments I didn't know I had.

Then I moved onto the bathrooms. I had so many bottles of hair products, shampoos, toothpaste and other toiletries just shoved under the counter. I would have to drag everything out to find one item and then shove everything back in.
In my master bathroom cabinet, it's shallow. So the Stewart's Soda Carriers were the perfect fit rather than beer cartons.

This is the carrier I use for bleaching and dying my hair Manic Panic Hot Hot Pink and Vampire Red. I cut the dividers on a 6 pack to fit my dye mug and the petroleum jelly (FYI...this is must, because Manic Panic will stain your skin).

And in the other bathroom's under sink. I added a little cup to my hair product carrier to hold tweezers, clippers and little hair clips.

Extra bath soap, and toothpaste are easy to reach.

Pet Bath Supplies. because the kitties do get funky!

See how nice and organized everything is? This was super easy and super cheap!

There are so many possible uses for these cartons! Don't want the world to know you love of beer, paint or decoupage the cartons! Use them as a gift basket and insert small gifts into the individual compartments! Use them to organize your art or office supplies!

My Button Art

2011-09-16T19:07:00.000-04:00

More Button Art. This time I made one for me, that now hangs in my bedroom.
Same as before, I used scrapbook paper for the background and framed it with an inexpensive frame from Michaels.
A little history about this one. My Grandmother was a Newfie. A very wonderful Goofy Newfie. What's a Newfie, you ask? It's the nickname for a native of the Canadian Providence of Newfoundland. They are crazy unique and most of them are Irish.
That in mind, I decided to do a shamrock for me. I am proud of my Irish Newfie heritage and I thought it was an appropriate reminder of my Grandmother.

Abbey's Button Art

2011-09-16T18:57:00.000-04:00

As told in the previous post, I inherited my Grandmother's sewing kit along with her collection of buttons. I being the eldest Granddaughter decided to make keepsake button art for all the Granddaughters and this was the second button art I made. This one was for the youngest Granddaughter, the adorable Abbey.

Button Art

2011-09-16T18:49:00.001-04:00

Okay, So I am not really abandoning this blog. I am just going to post the more normal stuff here, and the spookier stuff at Horrorcraft.

Back to the craft. When my Grandmother passed away, I inherited her sewing kit. She kept it in an old hermit crab plastic cage. It was a scary mess. There was thread, safety pins, rusty needles, patches and random items thrown in. There were also buttons, lots and lots of buttons. I don't think she ever threw a button away.
So one afternoon, I braved Tetinus and I sorted the items in her kit and disposed of what could not be used. I soaked and scrubbed rust from most of the buttons, and sorted them by color.
Now what to do with all these buttons? I decided to make Button Art keepsakes for all the Granddaughters (I still need to do one for Ashley).
The first one I made was a butterfly for Riley (the second to the youngest Granddaughter). It was pretty easy using scrapbook paper for the background, wings and body. Then I use an inexpensive Michael's frame.

Dear Poor Abandoned Blog,

2011-08-17T14:25:00.003-04:00

I haven't been faithful to you and now I am leaving you for another. Anyone who actually follows this blog please change your bookmarks/feed readers/subscriptions to horrorcraft.blogspot.com
Thanks

Iowa

2011-06-12T20:27:00.005-04:00

DH is from Iowa. Cedar Rapids to be exact. Did you know that there is more than corn in Iowa? There are Soybeans, too! More importantly, DH's Grandparents.

One of my favorite flowers is the Daisy. They were in abundance and in bloom during our visit.

This turtle shell has been a fixture on the shed since DH's childhood

This plow was used by DH's Grandmother's father when the property was a working farm. Now it sits treasured in a flowerbed.

The Nature Trail is within walking distance and they have a creek that runs along the back of the property.

DH's Grandfather still does all the landscaping and he does a great job.

Despite Cedar Rapids lack of a real entertainment district and nightlife (the Walmart is 24hours! and we did make a late night visit), we had a great time.

Recliner

2011-06-05T11:32:00.011-04:00

We all have them, that one piece of furniture from our husband's bachelor days that he refuses to get rid of. In my case, it's a recliner and it has seen better days. The upholstery is a crusty old beige cord. There are little holes all over the fabric, along with one massive one that is more than obvious.

But he loves it. He sits in it every day and before we got the Sleep Number bed, he often would sleep in in it. Now it sits in our office with a Devil's Rejects throw blanket hiding the worst.
A couple of years ago, I stumbled upon jean covered recliner on craftster. That's when I knew I wanted to recover DH's recliner, and vowed that when I had collected enough old jeans it would happen.
Fast forward to April 2011, I finally had enough jeans! I cut 2 different size blocks, 5"x5" and 10"x10" and began piecing them together. This was the most time consuming and back breaking part of the construction.
I then took an old bed sheet and turned the recliner on it's side to get a pattern. I could have removed the old fabric and made a pattern from it, but it is such a poor condition I feared it would be more hassle than it's worth.

So in random moments of boredom, I tucked and pinned and sewed. I finally finished it yesterday, after carefully stapling and hot-gluing it onto the chair!

There's even pockets on the side for whatever he wants to stuff in there!

And of course, once it was all finished. I noticed that there is red spot on one of the squares on the front of the seat! Dead center. I racked my brains for what it could be (yes, it was from one of my jeans and no, it's not what you think) and remembered it was nail polish! Thankfully it's not noticeable in these pictures and it's not very large.

And DH's first comment after he saw the finished project? YOU RUINED MY RECLINER

Yoga Pants Tutorial

2010-11-13T21:04:00.002-05:00

OMG! I found the best tutorial ever for Yoga/Pajama Pants on Craftster. I've made 2 so far from DH's old tshirts. I have a third cut out and waiting to be finished but I need to buy more shoelaces for drawstrings.
Super easy to make, and super comfy. I wear them all the time, and I don't for-see me buying pajama pants in the future.
I won't post the pics or the actual tutorial here, because I don't want anyone to get the impression that this is my original thought or project, but visit Tkrainy's thread on Craftster.org to see the tutorial.
I can't emphasize how quick and easy it was to make these pants. The lady who made this tutorial actually hand sewed her pants! The hardest part for me, was the waistband, and I chose to just add a drawstring then mess with pinning for an exact fit.

Blind Carbon Copy Is Your Friend!

2010-11-13T20:17:00.007-05:00

Do you have friends or family who send you junk emails that include a long list of forwarded addresses?

Do you have friends or family who insist on CC'ing every single person in their address book, revealing the names and contact information of every single person in their address book?

Are you sick of it and want it to stop? Then copy/paste the following "email" into a new email message and BCC it to every offender.
Actually, go ahead and BCC it to everyone in your address book, because people need a little refresher on email etiquette every once and a while.

Dear Family and Friends:

Do you like forwarding jokes? I admit that I do like forwarding the occasional joke, helpful tip or cute picture. I don't like chain letters, religious or political propaganda (but that's a topic for another email). Lots of people do, which means emails with jokes spread quickly around the net. Unfortunately, this often means email addresses spread with them, and could eventually end up in the hands of people who spread spam emails. If you forward your joke emails with Blind Carbon Copy, you'll help protect their addresses from reaching these spammers.

When you open this email you should have seen two names. Mine and Yours. Did you see a list of emails addresses of people you don't know, don't care to know, or insane people you have been previously stalked by? No? That's because I used Blind Carbon Copy or BCC. It's because I like you, so I am protecting you and your contact information.

You wouldn't want someone giving out your phone number without asking, would you? Of course not, that's because it's rude to do so without asking. So why would you send out the email address of every person in your contact list to every person in your contact list? That's what happens when you use CC.

I am going to assume that most people know how to use BCC, but here is a quick tutorial using this email as an example.
Click Forward at the top of this email. Add your own email address in the TO:
I am using Yahoo, so there is button to "show BCC". You might see "Add BCC".
Instead of inputting your contact list in the CC, input their info in the BCC.

And for added protection, go ahead and delete the previous sender's information from the top of the email, because that defeats the purpose of BCC.

Click Send.

You just sent an email with BCC. Super easy. Now just remember to use BCC in the future and you can help prevent spammers from sending spam, and viruses and trojans from spreading.

So when do I use CC? Ideally if you are sending to one person, and you want a copy for yourself. However, it's also acceptable when being used at work, and it's work related. Or group discussions needing feedback or communication from everyone involved (and they already know each other) and getting everyone together for an online chat isn't possible.

If you are in doubt the reliability of the information of any forwarded email check www.snopes.com or google keywords of the email. For example "BCC email etiquette", "Earn $5000 from Mystery Shopping", or "Nigerian Lottery' to see if the information is legitimate or a scam.

Please note this is not a personal attack on anyone, it's simply a lesson on email etiquette that may be forwarded to anyone and everyone.

I want your skull... I need your skull...

2010-11-03T18:46:00.003-04:00

So I discovered this lovely Wilton Skull Cake Pan at Michaels, and I knew I had to buy it. It being the most expensive cake pan I own, I vow I will use it at every chance.

I made a test one last week that looked like a Mummy's head, and I made one for a friend's Halloween Party tonight. It looks bloody disgusting, but I promise it's super yummy.

It's Devil's Food, Vanilla Jelly beans for maggots, Gummy worms, White Whipped Frosting to glue the skull together and sprayed with Black Frosting Spray, and Strawberry Syrup for the blood.

And just because I don't want to do a separate post, here is the Mummy one from last week.

Dia De Los Muertos makeup and headband

2010-11-02T20:00:00.005-04:00

We go to a friend's Halloween party every year. Every year we are told it's a costume party. DH and I dress up only to discover upon arrival that we are the only ones in a real costume. This year, DH said he wasn't going to do it and I agreed.
However, 3 hours before the party I decided that I wanted to dress up and began raiding my closest for a costume.
I found a Dia De Los Muertos tshirt from Hot Topic and a black gyspy skirt. Hmmm... I googled makeup options and since I don't have a steady hand I did a basic makeup job.

Then I grabbed my trusty glue gun, some fake rose petals and some dollar store skulls, a headband and five minutes later I had:

Blog Neglect

2010-11-02T19:57:00.002-04:00

We all start projects with the greatest intentions and then miserably allow those projects to fail. This blog is one of them. There are so many crafty things I have done that I procrastinate in blogging about and then totally forget about them. I will try to remedy that soon. No promises.

Easy Bathroom Decor Update

2010-03-28T18:13:00.006-04:00

Okay, when we moved into our apartment we failed to notice that we did not have linen closet. Only when we started unpacking did I realize this not so great fact.

We bought the one of those crappy Target Over the Toilet Cabinet and dealt with it's boring yet functional appearance.
A few months later, I bought a hanging Cabinet at the thrift store for $1.50. They didn't really match and there was wax stain all over the front of the door.

At a random visit to Michaels, I found black wrinkled scrapbook paper and knew I had to buy every sheet they had. 8 sheets for 19cents a piece!

My husband was suspicious when he saw me break out the white glue and started measuring the cabinets and cutting up the paper. He then followed me into the bathroom and watched as I glued them onto the doors.

15 minutes later, and with only one coat of white glue for protection I was done.

Technically I still need to change the knobs on the bottom cabinets to match the upper, but I otherwise I am very happy with it.

Almost a year later, they are holding up really well, and you can't see where I had to piece the paper together. I don't think the paper on the doors are going to survive the move, so I will probably remove and then re-apply later.

Special Request Tissue Box

2010-03-28T18:05:00.005-04:00

DH asked me if I could make him a tissue box cover to go with the Budweiser coasters on our coffee table.

I told him to peel the labels off the bottle of Bud and I would accommodate his request.

I started out with an empty Budweiser box. Then I used an existing tissue box to trace the pattern. I then cut out the pattern 1/4 bigger then the original.

A little bit of painters tape was used to assemble the box.

I then decoupaged the Bud labels randomly all over.

Super easy!

After wards, DH decided it looked better in the office, where he shows it off to his friends when they visit. I have several requests from his friends for more, but they need to provide me with the labels.

Go Colts!

2010-03-28T17:54:00.005-04:00

So my SIL bought me a White and Pink Peyton Manning Colts Jersey in a Ladies XL, similar to those at the Colts Pro Shop.
Well, normally that would be fine and dandy, but anyone who has ever owned a Ladies cut NFL jersey knows that they run small. This Jersey is more of a Large and fits a little snug.
So after a couple of years of not wearing it, I came across several ladies at the games who had those lovely Colts purses and thought "I can make that!".

So here is my buddy Blue modeling the results. It's more of a reversible tote with pockets than a purse, but I am proud of the results.
Blue hitching a ride to the game:

Blue ready to leave:

Blue is a little impatient, he decided to go without me:

I decided not to keep the bag, and entered it into my family's Christmas White Elephant Exchange. Uncle Doug was the lucky recipient and modeled it for me:

He later exchanged it with Nana, so she uses it almost daily now. :)

My Old High School Camera

2010-03-28T10:02:00.005-04:00

When I was in high school, I took a semester of Photography. As the pictures on this blog can attest, I am not very good.
My Grandmother worked for Drs. Dorothy and Marvin Schlegel. Retired College Professors they were very good to our family. On occasion I would take the bus to their home in Bay Colony and help with chores or make lunch. I have such fond memories of their home full of books, photo slides and collections of wonderful items from the many adventures they had.

Like I said, they were generous to me with the information and stories they shared, but Dorothy also lent me a beautiful vintage red dress for my first formal. Marvin, lent me his Praktica camera for my Photography class.

This camera was an antique before my mother was born and I certainly had the coolest camera in the class. My teacher was stunned at what I had to use, everyone had cheapo plastic 35 mm, but I had a real classic well made heavy camera with glass lenses.
Long story short, Marvin told me to keep the camera after the class ended because he had so many cameras and he hadn't missed this one.

It has sat in it's original leather case on display on a shelf and has traveled with me from place to place. I haven't used it in since high school.

Recently, I took it out of it's case which has fallen apart with age. Alas, I am saddened by the shape it's in. It has dust in all the wrong places, I can't open the film compartment, and there is hints of rust.

However, I am wondering where I may take it to have it cleaned and restored. I am not sure it's worth much to anyone but me but I still love it and treasure it as a reminder of Dorothy and Marvin.

Any thoughts or ideas?

Shot Glass Shelf

2009-08-05T21:06:00.003-04:00

I've been lazy in updating the various crafty things I do. Here is one I did for DH around Xmas. He requested a shelves for his ever growing shot glass collection.

Pretty simple. I just repainted a spice rack in black paint and decoupaged some vintage Budweiser ads that I found on the internet.

He was pretty happy with the results, and looks like I may be commissioned to make another in a few months.

McCormick's Creek

2009-08-05T17:26:00.008-04:00

On our second visit to McCormick's Creek State Park, we decided to stay at the Canyon Inn instead of camping.
We did feel out of place (No one looked anything like us. I suspect the Duggars would fit in), however we truly enjoyed our stay.
This was our view from our seats on the lawn.

We actually had room keys. I can't tell you the last time I stayed somewhere that didn't use flimsy plastic cards!

The decor was woodsy, and I swear the crane in the picture over my shoulder, was totally eye-ing me suspiciously.

On Friday we did the majority of of our hiking (2 trails and then an evening walk around the park). First was the trail to the Fire Tower.

Next we decided to do the trail to the Falls. Evidently the path next to the Geocache site isn't a real trail, because we hiked for over a mile and didn't see a trail marker, nor did we find the falls.

But we kept going because it was beautiful and we were enjoying ourselves.

We also found the remains of some poor creature.

We eventually did find the trail, and there were a lot of steep stairs to climb.

On Saturday, DH woke up with a sore throat and wasn't up to hiking, so we just went to the Falls Overlook, where there were easy stairs down to the Falls.

I really never thought I would enjoy hiking as much as I do. It was not something I did a lot growing up, and it's now one of my favorite things to do!

Chase is Closing WAMU accounts

2009-07-24T10:55:00.004-04:00

Check out the posts just from the last two days on ConsumerAffairs.com.

Chase has just sent out a mass letter (coded WaMuClosure1) to former WAMU card holders that Chase has closed their accounts. Most hadn't even received the letter when they found that their charges were declined and upon calling Chase discovered the closed accounts.

I cry FOUL. Looks like a horrible way to do business. Most of the accounts were in good standing, but still recently had interest rates raised before they were closed.

Chase says that they used Experian as their reporting source, but account holders who checked their reports found nothing to support Chase's actions.

Wonder what effect this will have on all consumers, and if they will even bother to report this in the news.

Not So Normal Tub

2009-05-25T19:32:00.004-04:00

DH and I decided that we need some of those anti-slip treads for our crappy fiberglass apartment tub.
So off to Target we went, were the options were pebbles, frogs, feet and DUCKS!

A few devil ducks already reside in the bathroom, so we decided to continue with that theme. So with some Sharpies we got busy:

Pirate Duck

Buckshot Duck

Vampire Duck

Roadkill Duck

Ninja Duck

And Zombie Duck?

Were going to let them dry 24 hours, but hopefully they don't require any sealer.

Tooth Fairy Oh Tooth Fairy

2009-04-02T20:34:00.002-04:00

I made Tooth Fairy Pillows some time ago and just now getting around to posting. These were my first attempts modifying this pattern.
These turned out super cute, and overall I am happy with them.
But they are also super small and were a bigger pain to make then I originally thought.
I plan on making a few more soon, but much bigger with more personal details for special kids in the family.

Don't trash that Cell Phone... RECYCLE!

2009-03-20T14:28:00.002-04:00

In the latest addition of ALL YOU I saw a Green Tip that tells you how to safely get rid of your old cell phones. Go here to print out a postage paid mailing label to send your phones to be recycled.

While your printing out that label, check out more Recycling Options at Keep America Beautiful.

Here's another "Did you know?"

2009-03-14T13:59:00.003-04:00

Did you know that you can not turn right on red at the intersection of 86th and Michigan?

I just received my first traffic ticket in over 8 years, for just doing that.

I've lived near this intersection for almost three years and never noticed the signs. People turn right on red all the time.

According to the officer that wrote my ticket, they've been there for over an year and it's all directions.

I was the last in a group of three cars that turned right onto 86th and he pulled us all over. Thankfully I got my ticket first and the officer even blocked traffic so that I could leave.

Of course I have no idea how much the fine is. Police are not longer allowed to put the fine amount on the ticket. I have to wait 7 to 10 business days and then look online at www.indy.gov/ticketpay. Considering the average speeding ticket is $125, that's the worse I can expect.

I will not fight it, I see it as paying for every other time I broke a traffic law and wasn't caught.

So here's a reminder "DO NOT TURN RIGHT ON RED AT 86TH AND MICHIGAN". Doesn't matter what direction you are going in.

Save Water and Money

2009-02-22T11:52:00.003-05:00

Last week Mr and Mrs Not Made of Money did a post about ways to save water and money.
This week, they featured my reply on how to make a rain barrel in their latest post.

Call me lazy or forgetful, but I really don't know why I haven't posted on making your own rain barrel before now. Perhaps it's because I live in an apartment and not something I currently have to worry about.

However, this summer while visiting my uncle; I discovered that he was making rain barrels and selling them on Craigslist.

Checking Craigslist now, it doesn't look like anybody is doing selling them in Indianapolis. But that doesn't mean you can't make your own!

I did a quick google search and came up with these various diy instructions:
DIY Life

DIY network

Instructables

And this is the method my uncle uses:

(1) 50 gallon plastic barrel (call around to restaurants to see if they have any empties wasting space. My uncle gets them from free to $15).
(1) outdoor water faucet (to connect garden hose)
(1) outdoor water valve (optional- to connect multiple barrels together for overflow)
(1) piece of scrap gutter about six inches long
(1) pool filter
(1) bolt

Instructions:
Install outdoor water faucet and/or valve about a foot from the bottom.
Cut hole a snug hole for the gutter scrap
In the middle of the gutter scrap, insert bolt through the width of the gutter. (this is only to keep the gutter from slipping into the barrel. It doesn’t attach to anything)
Insert pool filter into gutter (we don’t want leaves and trash in the barrel)
Slid the scrap gutter into the hole and you are done with making your rain barrel!

Final step, is to place barrel under the run-off for your gutter!

Why I hate going to the movies...

2009-02-14T09:28:00.003-05:00

To avoid all the hub-bub of all the love-struck fools on Valentine's Day, my love and I celebrated Friday the 13th instead.

This was our first movie and a dinner date in over a year. I personally haven't been in a theater since Twilight (I'm sorry Vampires don't sparkle). For the price of this date, we could own at least 3 copies of this movie later.

Because I didn't want to spend as much at concessions as I did to get in the movie ($9.75 a person) I snuck in Twizzlers and Cookie Dough Bites. We shared a large Mr. Pibb for $5.50. I didn't feel bad because I heard a symphony of soda cans open.

We were real relieved that the giggling group of Tweens were seeing "Push", but I saw them sneak in to "Friday the 13th". I looked at my love and asked "This is rated R, right?"

I was more annoyed by the parents who had children under the age of 5 with them.
The children were quiet, but that's not even the point.
If you can't afford a babysitter so you can go see a boobie filled kill fest, please stay home.
Seriously, were they trying to traumatize their kids? I just don't get it.

Then there was the guy across the aisle who was texting throughout the movie. Remember the days when people talked on their cell phones? I don't know what is worse, the sound of someone jibber jabbing or the glow of the phone.

I almost chucked a Twizzler at him. However I suspected that would have been a waste, because he probably wouldn't have thought it was meant for him. Just like he probably thought all the signs that said "NO TEXTING DURING MOVIE" and repeated commercials that asked for us to "TURN OFF YOUR PHONE" didn't apply to him, either.

And the seats... when will theaters get hip and install over-stuffed reclining couches? So you can snuggle with your love or kick back and relax?

I think the bathrooms scared me more than the movie.
I have seen rest-stops that were immaculate compared to this place. You would think that a theater in the most affluent suburb of a major metro would at least having functioning toilets and soap.

I guess I should be happy that the movie was entertaining and nothing freakish happen to us.

Get Your Print On

2009-01-01T13:51:00.003-05:00

Get your printers ready!

As with the first of every month most of the online printable websites have updated their offers.
Coupons.com Betty Crocker and Pillsbury have the hot Green Giant Steamers Coupons! Print them now, because they go fast!

Nestle has added all kinds of baking goodies!

And finally Kroger's E Coupons have all updated:
Shortcuts
Cellfire
PGesaver

Drink Coke for Toys For Tots!

2008-11-07T14:05:00.005-05:00

You are probably one of millions of people that drink Coke. But do you ever redeem your Coke Rewards?

If you don't, then I am urging you to redeem them for one reason.

Coca Cola is allowing you to donate those rewards to ToysForTots.

You can redeem your points in 3, 10, 25, 50, 100, 500, and 1000 increments.

Why not do it? It costs you nothing, other than the time to sign up for Coke Rewards. It also makes sure that a needy child has a little something this Holiday.

Surviving the MAUL

2008-11-01T10:16:00.003-04:00

I just got done reading Money Saving Mom's recent adventure to the mall.
I replied with a few tips on how to survive the MAUL (as I like to call it). So I figured I would offer the same tips here.

I worked for two years at one of the more popular stores at the mall and it has broke me of any desire to go to the mall.

I learn to walk against the flow of traffic (otherwise you are constantly stopping behind groups of young giggling girls goggling some young boys or the occasional mom with the three wide stroller) and dart in and out of people.
I try to Shop alone and without other people who don't know this trick, because they will slow me down.

I park near the fire exits near the actual stores. I use the fire exits for quick entries and exits (I have yet to hear them go off). But beware professional shoplifters like to use the exits for the same reason. So if security gives you an odd look that's why.

And if I must MUST go during the holiday season, I go during the GAME. For us, it's the Indianapolis Colts.
The first time I walked into the mall during a Colts game, it was eerie and I was totally confused by the lack of people and the wealth of parking.

And finally don't look anyone in the eye. The minute they make eye contact with you, those kiosk vendors turn rabid on you. They will yell at you, grope at your arm, and follow you like zombies.
Not like real zombies, but like salespeople who have a large quota to fill.

Anyway those are my suggestions. Good luck to everyone in the Holiday Shopping Game. And GO COLTS.

Use Your Feed Readers!

2008-10-26T13:20:00.009-04:00

You've seen it. That little orange box with that pops up on random pages. It's the RSS feed box and it can be your best friend. Sometimes it's accompanied by the instructions to "Subscribe".

For years I pretty much ignored those instructions. I really wasn't interested in reading blogs. I had friends who posted on LiveJournal, Myspace and IAM and they kept my interest for awhile.

Then I got serious with coupons and saving money. I started using GoogleReader.

Then I tried Internet Explorer's feed reader.

But I decided to switch back to Firefox and discovered I loved it's easy to use feed reader. I don't have to bother with subscribing off actual blog. I just click on the RSS symbol and it automatically adds it to my lists. I can easily delete and organize them as I see fit.

But the point is, any of these reader make it easy to keep up with the blogs out there. Don't be afraid to use them.

And while I am telling you to use them, I am also telling you to add the following Hot Money Saving blogs to your reader:
Money Saving Mom
Cheapsk8mom
Bargain Briana
Coupon Cravings
Censtible Sawyer
Be Censtable

You may find duplicate info on these Blogs, put they are all worth reading on a daily basis.

Black Friday

2008-10-13T19:07:00.003-04:00

It’s getting to be that time of year. Here comes the seemingly endless days of spending quality time with people you avoid the rest of the year. Yup. “The Holidays”.

Wow, is it really that soon? Yup. We are already hitting mid-October.

And do you know what the means for me?
My Wedding Anniversary! Halloween! And the leaking of those beautiful wonderful Black Friday Ads.

Ace Hardware already has leaked theirs. Soon the others will follow suit. Before Thanksgiving, I will already have my strategy planned and my lists made. 90 percent of my shopping will be done by 2pm on Black Friday.

I didn’t start enjoying the craziness of Black Friday until I started dating DH. I went from buying for just my family, to suddenly having his family to buy for too.
So while Thanksgiving dinner was cooking, I learned from the masters. I began my training with my Nana and my aunt as we searched each ad and planned. We took two vehicles and would meet up in the wee hours of the morning.
We would hit the hot stores first and then head to Walmart after all their chaos had ended and price matched what was left on our lists.*

Now, I get a heads up by using my RSS Feedburner to subscribe to such lovelies as:
black-friday.net
blackfriday.info
bfads.net

There are other sites out there, but for me those three have always been the most reliable.

Which reminds me, Toysrus better get their Toybook to me soon! I need to have it handy for the kids to mark up for me.
The Toybook is a must for planning my Black Friday shopping! It determines which items go on my “must get” list and which go on the “backup” list.

Ohhh… I have such a fever going just thinking about it.

So what's your favorite Black Friday website? What's your strategy?

*Always call or email your Walmart to make sure they will price match Thanksgiving and Black Friday.

National Transplant Assistance Fund

2008-10-01T20:53:00.002-04:00

Hey Everyone,

Some of you already know, but my Uncle James is waiting for a new heart.

His insurance company dropped him from their plan and the National Transplant Assistance Fund is helping with the costs of transplant.

Click Here To Read His Heart Story.

I know that money is tight for everyone in this economy, but if you find you have a few extra dollars, please consider donating in his name.

Thanks,
Sheila

Blue Angels

2008-09-22T20:34:00.003-04:00

Apparently the Blue Angels are in Virginia Beach right now.

My Grandparents live in the flight path of the landing strips at Oceana and it's a rare conversation talking to my Grandmother during the day without her saying "Hold on a plane's going over".

Anyway, my Grandfather sent me these pictures of a Blue Angel getting ready to land. From his front porch. You can see just how low this plane is.

And the funny thing is... it's a common sight. And the noise of the engines, well you get used to it, expect it. I even miss it.

Apron for Sarah

2008-09-16T19:30:00.004-04:00

My friend Sarah's bridal shower was on Sunday; and since she likes to bake him brownies, I decided to make her an apron.
I originally was going to make a McCall's pattern, but saw the Domestic Diva pattern/fabric kit and knew I had to give it a try.

I made it on Saturday, in between reading a few chapters of Twilight and getting a fix of my favorite Cylon episodes of Battlestar Galactica.

Sorry no action pics. I took a couple of DH modeling it, but he made me promise not to post them on the internet.
And here's the back:

She actually wore it while she she open the rest of her gifts. I was really happy with the way it came out.

There were a few things I didn't like:
The actual quality of the fabric. It's Walmart $1 fabric quality, frayed really easy when I cut the pattern out.
The sizing. The package said "one size fits most". I'm really glad that Sarah is small, because there is no way I could use this apron for myself. I am a little too broad shouldered and frontal endowed.
The seam allowances. I am a 1/2inch seam allowance girl. This pattern called for 1/4 inch pain in the arse seam allowance.

I really want the red or rooster version of this apron for myself. I think after doing Sarah's, I can make it happen with some modifications.

I think another trip to Joann's might happen this week. :)

Another Did You know

2008-09-11T17:50:00.003-04:00

Did you know that in some areas Meijer's ad still runs Sunday to Saturday? Kokomo Indiana does.
However, the Indianapolis area stores are Thurday to Wednesday.

So what's the big deal?

It's the same ad.
So if you are in the Indianapolis area and want to know what the upcoming ad is. Just go to Meijer.com and plug in the Kokomo zipcode 46901.

I was thrilled to discover this from Budget Briana's Blog this past weekend. It was confirmed over at Hot Coupon World.

It saved me time today because I already knew the Meijer ad, so I already had pulled my coupons and had that store trip planned.

Now I just have to browse Kroger's and Marsh on Thursday for their deals. Or find an advance posting of their ads.

Internet Printables

2008-09-06T17:38:00.003-04:00

Internet Coupons-

Only in the past year have I started printing coupons from the internet. I had it in my head that I wasting more money on ink and paper then it was worth to print them.
Not so, as I learn that many of the internet sites print 3 or more coupons to a sheet, and some give you the option to print in black instead of color.

I’ve use them without incident at Walgreens, Target, Marsh, and Kroger.
Only recently at Meijer did I have a problem with a cashier who swore “we haven’t taken web coupons in years”.
After I told him that I had an email from Meijer corporate stating that Meijer does, he called the Team Leader who confirmed I was right.
The Walmart near my home refuses to accept them. I have emailed their store manager several times without response asking why that store refuses to accept them, but the Walmart coupon policy that is available online says they do.

Store Internet Coupons-
Target and A full cup offer Target Coupons
(These can be stacked with manufacturer coupons and you can print them at the Baby Registry kiosks inside Target!)
Meijer (Can not be stacked with manufacturer coupons)
Marsh doesn’t have its own online coupons, but directs you to coupons.com.
Kroger doesn’t have coupons printable from their page, but they do have a great program with shortcuts.com and Proctor and Gamble allows you to load coupons onto your Kroger Plus card.

Internet Coupon Sites-
These sites have very similar coupons, but quite often one site will have a coupon for “75 cents off 3 Hamburger Helper” but another site will have it for “$1.00 off 3 Hamburger Helper”. So it may be worth it to check before printing or if you need multiple coupons.

Coupons.com
Smart Source
Red Plum
Betty Crocker
Pillsbury
Coupon Bug
Boodle
Boxtops For Education
Proctor and Gamble
Finish

Slick Deals has a regularly updated list of Printables

And Coupons Inc has a list of Brinks Coupons as well.

And lastly Brand Coupons Sites-

If you are looking for a coupon for a specific item, try the product's website. I have had luck by going straight to the manufacturer. A couple of good examples are Sargento and Bertolli.

Did You Know?

2008-09-06T12:26:00.004-04:00

Did you know that your local Dollar Tree sells your local Sunday Paper for $1.00? They also sell the early Sunday editions as well for $1.00.

I used to buy my paper there every Sunday, until Indy Star finally wised up to the fact that their subscribers don't like paying more than the cover price to have it delivered. They deliver it now for $1.00 a week as well.

I mention this, because I discovered a great blog called Taylor Town Preview which previews the upcoming Sunday coupons.

I seriously don't know how I never knew about this blog before.

I can see money saving potential by checking Taylor Town. Then buying the early Sunday edition and taking advantage of this weeks sales before the Drug and Department Stores change their sales on Sunday.

I just went and bought 4 papers because this is an awesome coupon week. There's coupons for Electrasol Finish Tablets for $2.25!

Kid Free!

2008-08-16T19:11:00.000-04:00

I went in for my HSG
on Thursday and my tubes are officially blocked!

No Birth Control pills for me! Yay!

Thank you Essure for making it happen!

For any woman considering permanent birth control, I strongly suggest the Essure procedure. It's totally non-surgical and in my opinion, no worse than a pap smear.
It was a simple office visit to my OB/GYN. I went in on a Friday at 2:30pm and by 3:30pm I was home and taking a nap. I had some moderate cramping, but I have had far worse. I resumed my normal activites the next day.

The follow-up HSG was under forty minutes from the time I signed in and I walked out. Also some cramping, but totally bearable.

Most insurances will cover a traditional tubal, so all you will have to pay is a regular office visit co-pay.

Just say NO to Gloria Vanderbilt

2008-08-13T16:54:00.001-04:00

I bought the capris on clearance at JC Pennys 2 weeks ago. I liked that they were black and loose in the butt and the legs. The fit well at the waist, leaving no marks.
So I was quite unhappy when I bent over to pick up a 40 lb box and heard the rip and felt the draft.
It was embarassing to tell my boss why I wanted to leave early. I only had 30 minutes left and he was leaving as well, so no big deal.

I get home and pull them off to check the damage and noticed that they were Gloria Vanderbilt capris. I can't believe I didn't notice the brand before or I wouldn't have bought them.

Because the last time I ripped the seat out of my pants, it was in Gloria Vanderbilt jeans that I had worn only twice before. Perfectly right down the seam of the butt both times. And the jeans were stretch and actually loose fitting.

I don't think I bought the wrong size both times because neither pair were tight.

I just need to remember that when I hunting clearance racks at certain stores to check the brand before I buy, because I think they have serious quality isse.

Speaking of "Green Bags"

2008-08-08T14:23:00.000-04:00

I love them.
I have seven.
I from each of the stores I shop (Meijer, Marsh, Kroger and now Aldi's)
Two are thermals (one from Meijer that was the twice the price of the one from Aldi's and not half as well made).
One is made out of old stretchy jeans that was hand sewn while I waited for my prescription at Tucker Walgreens (45 minutes average wait, I hated having to go to that place).

Reasons I love them:
It helps the enviroment.
They don't tear.
I don't have to "double bag" them.
They carry a lot. It's rare that everything doesn't fit in them.
The straps fit comfortably on my shoulders thus saving my arms and hands from angry red welts.
I can carry all of them up a flight of stairs in one trip.

I only have one complaint.
Cashiers.
Before the cashier even starts ringing, I alert them that "I have my own bags". At Kroger and Marsh it's never an issue, because they have baggers.
I served my time as a cashier in a quality customer service driven grocery store in my teens. So I am helpful and I put my items on the counter in the order I want them bagged to help.
Unfortunately at stores like Meijer or Walmart, I rarely luck into finding a cashier who doesn't immediately get an attitude when they see those bags.
After being told once "If you want to use those bags, you need to bag them yourself" (want to guess where?). I decided that I would remain chipper and that from now on I will just offer to bag.

The upside, the cashier can go faster, doesn't smash my eggs and bread and doesn't put shampoo with my produce.

Now here is my rant:
The downside is that I can't watch when something is being rung up wrong.

It happen today at Meijer.
I handed my bags to the cashier and she promptly tossed them on the carousel
and started bagging in plastic.
When I said, "Ma'am I have my own bags", she glared at me, didn't respond and began tossing my groceries on top of the bags.
I bit my tongue and bagged.
After I got my receipt, I found the half-price Cheez-its didn't ring up right. Luckily it was the only error.
The Service Team Lead spotted me (I used to be a merchandiser and she was my store contact) and came over to say hello as I was checking my receipt. I told her that the Cashier needed an attitude check and explained why. She shrugged and said "I know I know, but you know this place."

Wow. I will never get over how bad customer service is now acceptable. And why do Cashier's have such grudges against "green" bags?

Another gift for Amanda's twins

2008-08-07T18:38:00.001-04:00

I found these wood signs at Michael's for 25 cents each!
I can't remember what they originally said, but I knew what I was going to do with them immediately!
Anyway, several coats of paint and varnish later, with some store bought lettering, they have their own name plates.

Ceramabryte

2008-07-30T19:11:00.002-04:00

I love Ceramabryte.
I don't even have a ceramic cooktop stove and I use it.
Primarily in my bathroom for my ceramic shower tiles, it cleans and sparkles.
I use it on my chrome bath accessories.
It polishes jewelry.
I use it on my stainless steel sink. It still never stops amazing me how much black crap appears on the cloth. Especially a sink I rinse and clean every day. It even got the hard water stains off a friend's sink, that even barkeeper's friend couldn't get off.

So, I have a set of Wolfgang Puck knives. I love them, but they had little rust spots all over them, and they were less than a year old. Apparently, it's a common problem because Wolfgang cheaped out and used inferior Chinese stainless steel.
After searching online, and seeing that a lot of people were having problems removing the spots without scratching the knives, I used the Ceramabryte. And it took the rust spots off without a scratch.

Seriously, I just want to spread the love. Use it.

Onesies

2008-07-20T18:40:00.001-04:00

I found some uber cute iron-ons at Joann's made by Plaid. I tried them out on Onesies for the Newman girls.

First off were the "Does this diaper make my butt look big?"
And then there were the "Arrgh Wipe Me Booty" and "Arrgh Kiss Me Booty". Notice that the "Arrgh" is missing on both. They were horribly mangled when I removed the transfer, but the rest of the iron-ons were fine. I'm not sure if I did something wrong, or if they were defective. I had to pick out the lettering that did transfers, thus the little black spots at the top of the images.

Diaper Stacker for the Newman Twins

2008-03-15T20:28:00.001-04:00

I made my first Diaper Stacker today! I couldn't find a tutorial online that I liked, so I completely winged it and truthfully I think it turned out pretty awesome. Sorry about the wrinkles, I still need to press it.

A little closeup of the ribbon I used.
A peek at the inside. No diapers handy, so I used books. Removeable Fabric covered cardboard stabilizes the bottom.
A side view.
And a closeup of the ducks! I love ducks!

Diaper Cake for the Newman Twins

2008-03-01T20:17:00.000-05:00

This diaper cake is for the twin girls of a good friend of DH's. They are due in June and this is my second diaper cake.
Close up of some of the accessories. There is two different colors of the Pacifier Clips. I also don't have the supplies to make the sock bouquets, so I just open them up like butterflies

Some notes on this cake:I used a giant cardboard spool (like Rex's cake) for the base. Someone suggested using a full roll of papertowels instead of just the tube. Not crazy about this idea at all.

I had to tape the papertowels to the spool base, because it just slid around. Next time I will use just the tube again.I hand tied every diaper with ribbon.

32 1's and 35 2's.

And use more ribbon to loop each diaper together, so they were stayed in put.

This "It's A Girl" ribbon SUCKS. It slides like crazy. I thought the ribbon was fabric, but no such luck. I fear I am going to have to ruin a few diapers taping the ribbon to them. I

Rex's Diaper Cake

2008-02-15T20:07:00.001-05:00

My first diaper cake. Made for Rex. Niles and Bronnwynn's son.
Back:

The base-in progress shot.
The second layer in progress.

Universal Monsters Canisters

2008-02-15T20:04:00.001-05:00

Purchased some Santa Canisters after Xmas on Clearance at Walmart. Promptly went home and turned them into something I will use all year round.

Remote Caddy Tutorial

2007-12-23T18:50:00.000-05:00

Fabric Needed:(1) 28 x 10 outer layer(1) 28 x 10 inner layer (2) 6 x 10 inner pocket(2) 4 x 10 outer pocketCreating the Pockets:Hem (1\2”) top of each 6 x 10 and 4 x 10
Attach the pockets to the inner layer by sewing the bottoms of the pockets right side up
On the wrong side of the inner layer, mark your pocket channel. Sew the pocket channel thru all three layers.
Attach the outer layer to the inner layer (now with pockets attached), right sides together.Sew all but one side.Pull inside out and carefully tuck and sew the last side
If you want a little more detail and strength, then sew a ¼” seam around entire caddy. I do suggest you do this extra step if you are not using an upholstery fabric.

Pillows

2007-12-23T18:42:00.001-05:00

Just a couple pillows I have made for my nephews

Grandpa's Knitting Roll

2007-12-23T18:22:00.000-05:00

My Grandfather knits, I don't. So I made him a knitting needle roll.
Currently he keeps his needles and such in a tackle box.I'm pretty proud of him.
All the ones I had seen were very "Pretty", and I decided he needed one that was a little "Manly".
I slightly altered the pattern from www.tostetoes.com/knittingroll.htm
I don't have any knitting needles, so I used pencils to take the picture.

Tv Remote Caddies Anyone?

2007-12-23T18:08:00.000-05:00

I did some scrounging the internet for a DIY Remote Caddy Pattern yesterday, and found none that I like. I didn't want my version to tuck and I wanted extra pockets. I made up my own from combining basic elements from wallet patterns I've used from Craftster.

Here they are:

Nana's

Paula's

Paula's is reversible with pockets on the inside and the out, as well as both ends.

Uncle Doug's

Bree's quilt

2007-09-23T18:46:00.000-04:00

I made this rag quilt for my 6 year old niece, Bree.
I picked out the fabrics, but she gave final say before I started piecing the top. My MIL donated the queen sheet for the backing.It took me about two months, 90 percent of which I did with a middle broken finger, because it really didn't involve me grasping with my left hand.
I also made a matching throw pillow and sham.I did sew it with seams expose to give it a distressed look, and everytime she washes it, it will fray.I did not machine or hand "quilt" a design onto this.
The local Joann's didn't have a walking foot or quilt stencils, but they had buttons on clearance. So at the corner of every block, there is a different button.I finally finish it and bring it over to put on her bed, and it only fit the top!
When I asked her mother to measure her existing comforter, she just measured the bed instead! I did however go 4 inches wider than she had told me so it wasn't so bad, but still aggravating.So I asked Bree if it mattered to her, and it didn't. But I promised to make it wider later if she changed her mind. She just put it on top of her existing comforter and it does seem to go.

Along Came A Spider

2007-06-29T18:43:00.000-04:00

This is what I use to keep all those plastic bags from the grocery store.

I sewed a finger towel into a cylinder, added some elastic and ribbon.

Super easy

The Horror of Country Crock

2007-06-29T18:38:00.001-04:00

I started keeping the empty Country Crock containers to hold small items in my pantry.They looked boring, so I slapped some acrylic paint on, decoupaged some B-Movie Horror Posters onto them, and gave them a few extra layers of Modge Podge to seal them.

Anyway, they keep my pantry neat, and keeps the containers out of the landfill.

Devil's Rejects Trash Can

2007-05-05T18:35:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago, my DH commented that he didn't like the dollar store blue trash can we had in our office, he prefered black like the one in our bedroom. Well I am not going to waste a perfectly good trash can, so I pulled out some acrylic craft paint, my trusty modge podge and some Devil's Rejects movie ads that I had found in a couple of magazines.

Several coats of varnish later and it was ready to serve it's function. Note I did get lazy and didn't paint the inside, plus I ran out of varnish.Thanks for viewing!

Day of the Dead Canister

2006-02-08T18:32:00.001-05:00

Here are some canisters that I made when I had a Day of the Dead themed kitchen. I don't have the kitchen anymore but I still use this canister to hold flour.

I used images from http://www.azcentral.com/ent/dead/ and decoupaged them. Added a little red violet and blue paint and sealed it with more decoupage!

Sandy Votives

2005-10-05T18:27:00.002-04:00

This was a recent gift for my 13 year old cousin's birthday. She had seen similiar ones in a catalog, but they were only in pink! She liked the votives just not the color, so I made some for her.Well, she loved them and couldn't believe I remembered! Sometimes teenagers appreciate little things!

All I did was fine two plain votive holders, applied craft glue, and rolled them in sand and glitter!