Crafting Craziness

Saturday was a day set aside solely for the purpose of crafting with my best friends! Ashley & Maryann came over to the house Saturday morning and we enjoyed some breakfast casserole, S'mores Crispix mix, fun conversation, lots of laughs, and lots of craft projects. We decided to make this an annual event and do it more than once a year. Want to join us? You are certainly welcome! We missed Reena, for sure, and would love for you to come join us next time. Pinterest was our inspiration and Michael's was our friend! Here are some pictures of our mess, our projects, and our process.

Crafting...makes my heart happy!
It was a success too...Scott loved all the projects made for our home. :) That is a Christmas miracle in and of itself, as my taste can be a tad--um--eclectic at times. :)

Maryann working on her TP poinsettia project

Ashley getting started on her painting

All finished and SO lovely!

My finished project #1...bottles wrapped in yarn & twine for my kitchen window sill

Ashley starting work on her TP project for her bedroom

My finished project #2....Christmas Card Wreath in our kitchen

Some of our crafting supplies and mess for the day

My in-process project...Goodwill $2 painted canvas. Pattern drawn on tape and put onto the canvas. Spray paint over all the canvas. Remove the tape.

Oops! Canvas was too big for my little art on it. This is my attempt to make it all colorful again before I repeat this process. Funny thing was, Scott saw it like this and said he liked it...as is. Maybe he was just trying to be nice because he thought I was finished. :) Love him!

Stay tuned for pictures of the finished in-process art to come soon...as soon as it dries and doesn't smell horribly of spray paint. :)

Today's Creations

Here's the scoop.
This past week I had seen some posts on Pinterest on making your own laundry detergent for way cheap. We are talking under $20 to last about 9 months. That sounds awesome to me! Then this past weekend, we, girls, noticed that all of our blankets and clothes were starting to get more and more static. That is unacceptable!

Yesterday we ran completely out of laundry detergent and I need to wash some clothes. So, what is a DIY girl to do? Buy the ingredients and make your own, of course!


I will update this post, very soon, with pictures. For now, check out these links and maybe you can try it out for yourself! Happy creating and happy cleaning!

Homemade Laundry Detergent HERE

Homemade Fabric Softener HERE


So, I just completed making both products in about 30 minutes.
Here are my pix and my how to's.

All the ingredients for my creations. I had the Vinegar, so I didn't have to purchase that. Also, the green hand soaps are for another project. I am removing the labels and drawing festive trees on them. We ran out of hand soap so I decided to add a little pizazz to a necessity.

Total cost for making BOTH laundry detergent and fabric softener...$15.95! Note: I could not find the Fels Napthal soap at any of local grocery stores. Our Ace Hardware store had it, though. Just in case you might be on the hunt as I was.

You can't eat this...but it sure does smell nice. Grating up the soap. :)

After all ingredients were mixed up together.

I had an unused small/bathroom sized trash can handy. I put a trash bag in it and this is what I am storing my detergent in. I have my tablespoon attached nearby and the bag is closed up when not in use. Here's to trying something new!

So. I forgot to take pictures as I was making the Fabric Softener. Sorry! These are all the tools I used. I heated my 6 cups of water on the stove. I went ahead and poured my 3 cups of vinegar into the gallon container. After water was heated, I mixed the conditioner with the water in the pot, stirring with a whisk until evenly mixed. I finished things off by using my measuring cup to pour liquid into the gallon container, used my spatula to stir things up, put on the lid, and shook shook shook!

Wowzer! That is a lot of fabric softener!!

All finished and first load of laundry in the wash. Here's to hoping this new experiment turns out GREAT! :)

projects, projects, projects

Happy Friday!

I have been a bit busy lately, but not in the usual way. I have been finding some very interesting projects to dive into. Between Pinterest and The Dating Divas, I have been keeping myself busy! I wanted to share with you a few of the new things I am working on, have just finished, or that are in process. Maybe, just maybe, it will be of some inspiration to you or spark some kind of idea in you. The holidays are a super fun but super busy time. If you take a few moments to try something new or do something just for you, maybe it will keep the magic of Christmas alive and not let it get drowned out by the hustle and bustle.

• Affirmation Christmas Countdown--This is the best idea! I had seen this idea on The Dating Divas website some time ago. The author of the post had done this for her husband for his birthday. I immediately thought it might be a fun way to give a gift (of words, dates, etc) for my man for Christmas. We are coming up on celebrating one year of marriage and we have been through a lot this year. I wanted to do something creative to show him how much he means to me and how I'm more in love with him now than ever. This idea could totally be done for children or roommates or whatever! It cost me nothing but time! I even enlisted the help of some special folks to make this project even sweeter. So, who could you totally bless with some words of encouragement, praise, love, and thankfulness?

 

• Oil Cleansing Method (OCM)--Thanks to a link on Pinterest, I have found this very interesting method for facial care. If you know me at all, or have seen me more than once, you have known that I have trouble with my skin. I didn't really have issues until I went to college. Since then, all the way to right now, I have had problematic skin. Think: oily, dry, clogged pores, breakouts, deep under-the-skin kind of bumps, & uneven skin tone. I see these ladies who don't have to wear makeup because their skin is near perfection and, I must admit, I tend to be a bit jealous. I have heard, for some time, that using oil on your face is actually good for it. This flew in the face of any and everything I had ever heard and I dismissed it completely. Until now. My thinking now? I've tried it all--from drug store cleansers to prescription cleanser and meds--what have I got to lose? So I've started the Oil Cleansing Method. I am only on day 3 of this endeavor, but so far have been pleased. My face feels clean and has not been as oily as it tends to be. I will definitely keep you posted on progress as I continue. 

• Going 'Poo Free!!! While I was doing some research on the Oil Cleansing Method, I happened to find the link to THIS blog post. I was so intrigued. Here's the thing. I'm not a hippie or a peacer or a treehugger, however, I do think natural methods tend to be very helpful. I also hate spending money. As my husband will tell you, since I would rather buy my clothes at the Goodwill than a retail store. So, I did more research and read the many comments of readers who had success and had variations on this subject of cleaning your hair without shampoo and conditioner. I brought this idea to Scott and he was game for me trying it (not him, but I could go for it) :). So I started last night. There is a transition period, so I hear, and today I feel like my hair is a little limp, but on our date night last night Scott couldn't tell I had done anything different to my hair. This method costs next to nothing and I am excited to see if my fine, limp, straight hair will improve over time. We shall see. Again, what have I got to lose?
• Christmas Fun!! Thanks Pinterest! :) I have tried these few projects and been pleased with their results! I love to be creative and am thankful that my creativity has the spark from other creative folks. We are all in this together! :)

                                                            

         

•  Last but not least, here is the latest thing I am trying TODAY! Here's to hoping it turns out well because I think it is too cute!

Well, TGIF!!! We have the girls this weekend and there are lots of new and exciting things happening. If we don't chat before Monday, have a GREAT weekend! Love you all!