Cute Chicks

 I have a great friend who's crafty, she's just my style.  She is also finishing her basement and has a plethora of bits of 2x4's.  With that in mind, she has found a couple of websites where they use almost only 2x4's in their crafts.  Super fun.  We had been planning to make pumpkins but we missed the Fall.  Then we were going to do Christmas trees, but alas that season also passed us by.  We were determined to do something for Spring/Easter though, and my persevering friend invited me over to make these little babies. 



 
We changed a couple of things.  I didn't really want to do a duck, so I did chicks instead.  I got one of those fuzzy feather boas from Hobby Lobby and cut it into strips.  It only took three strips to make the chick look really full.  We painted the boards and then used Elmer's glue to attach the feathers.  We hot glued the googly eyes, which, by the way, were purchased from the dollar store.  Beautiful.  We made the feet out of pipe cleaners and hot glued them to the bottom.  The beaks are a brown foam, also hot glued, and the bows (my own personal and wonderful idea) to make his and hers.  Love them!

The sheep we just followed the instructions from the blog, but we did add the bow.  Cutey, cute, cute and perfect for Easter. 

Butterfly in the Sky...I Can Go Twice as High

So, now that you hopefully have an awesome song in your head and a sudden crush on Levar Burton, I will tell you about these lovely little crochet butterflies.  I wanted to try these because it is my sweet Grandmother's birthday and she love, love, loves butterflies.  Whenever I see butterflies I think of her.  I haven't quite decided what I am going to do with these, but something awesome will come to mind, or, more likely, I'll find some great idea on one of the many wonderful craft blogs I read.  Until then, just enjoy.

The tutorial for this project came from the ever amazing Little Birdie Secrets blog, and the link directly to the crochet butterflies is here.  Also, really don't be afraid to try these, even if you don't know much about crochet.  I know the absolute, sheer basics and I had to google a couple of stitches, but the Birdies know their tutorials and this one is so fun and easy to follow.

Just for fun, here's a picture of my sweet Grandmother, my precious baby girl, and me.

**Don't be jealous of my awesome photography skills.  I mean, not everyone can be as good as I am at capturing the true wonder of real life through the magic of the lens.

A Little Easter Craft...or not

So I can't decide if I like my version of this or not.  I found this really cute craft idea at a lovely place called Positively Splendid.  Her version is amazingly adorable, but I tried to make one a little simpler because I didn't want to do the sewing.  I did a paper version and I think it maybe just turned out like I cut corners.  I can't decide.  I think I'll put it out for a little while, but I don't know that it will make it past one Easter season.  It was still fun to make.

What is even up with my awesomeness???

So this is my absolute first attempt at making any article of clothing.  I was incredibly nervous about it but my mom and I bought some Easter fabric last time she was here.  Unfortunately, my mom had to leave before we were able to do something with the fabric.  Normally I would just wait until she came back and have her do something awesome.  However, this fabric was time sensitive (ie Easter is in a month), so we needed to get it done.

I searched the internet for a simple skirt pattern that I thought I might be able to try to maybe attempt and accomplish.  Well, I ended up finding the most awesome website with the greatest ever tutorial for a super cute skirt. It's called Everything Your Mama Made and More.  The direct link to the skirt pattern I used is here.  I was so impressed with this tutorial.  It has amazing step by step instructions that were so easy to follow.  I was nervous to try, but this tutorial was the absolute best ever!  Seriously if you need to make a skirt or something else fabulous you should try here!

So here's my little project:

Supplies all ready, including a nice glass of diet coke, a must for any craft project.

So I had to change one thing threading the elastic and ribbon.  I used a bamboo skewer to thread the elastic and ribbon .  WAY EASIER!

Finished product.  So, so cute!

The cute tie.  Yes, I used a ribbon.

  I did make a few changes to the pattern.  I didn't fold the hem line over after I pressed the hem on the bottom.  I thought it needed a little more accent on the bottom.  Also, I ran out of fabric so I couldn't do an accent on the waistband.  I think that was probably the right choice for me because the waistband doesn't exactly look stellar, so it's probably a good thing I didn't draw more attention to it.  Finally, I didn't do the tie because, well, it seemed like too much work.  I had some cute ribbon on hand that I thought coordinated really well.  Way simpler than making the tie and just as cute, or even cuter.  Sweet!

Confession:  I totally skipped some of the finishing steps because, you know, that's how I roll.  Don't look at the back.

Kindle Case

So I got a Kindle for Christmas!  Whoa!  It is pretty much the most AWESOME Christmas gift I have ever gotten.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!  So I really wanted to make a case for it.  There are A TON of patterns and tutorials online.  There are a lot that you can buy already made both of the standard leather-ish variety and the cutesty fabric variety.  Anyway, I found about three different ones that I wanted to make, but I finally decided on this one.  And I love the result!

So I think it is so awesome!  The tutorial is beyond excellent and really takes you through the process step by step, which is good, because I needed a lot of help.  I am so pleased with the results though.  Also, these guys have the measurements for any version of the Kindle that you may have and they have a formula to figure out what sizes you'd need if you have a different brand of e-reader.  Enjoy! 

Another Sweet, Sweet Recipe

So I enjoy Chinese food, for the most part, but it is always super daunting for me to try at home.  Once a super awesome lady taught me how to make egg rolls and they are for sure a family favorite!  I also have a recipe for sweet and sour chicken that we have really enjoyed, but it takes FOREVER to cook.  So, when I found this recipe for Sweet and Sour Chicken on Mel's Kitchen Cafe I had to try it.  Um, WOW!  It was amazingly good!  Though it is still pretty time consuming because you have to fry the chicken and then bake it, it is totally worth it!  I loved it and my husband, who is not usually overly effusive, said we had to add this recipe to our standard, have-super-often meal list.  I can't say enough how much we loved it.  You have to try this!!  Awesome!

**Picture from:  Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Slacker FOR REAL! But here is an awesome recipe

Well, I decided that I wasn't going to feel guilty about not getting everything together and really running on this blog.  I'm abandoning my initial template so I can just do whatever I want and not feel guilty for posting for a couple of weeks at a time.  So anyway, with this small explanation complete here is what's been on my crafting mind for a while...



Cafe Rio Pork Recipe
from:  The Girl Who Ate Everything
So I made this incredibly delicious pork!  It was truly awesome!  I really like both Cafe Rio and Costa Vida.  We eat there pretty often and I have been wanting to try to make it at home for a while.  My sister recommended the recipes on this blog to try.  (By the way, you should check out her other recipes because they are awesome!)  I was worried about trying it, but it was really good.  The recipe was more involved than I usually do and I probably won't make it too often for that reason.  However, when I am in the mood for a little bit more of a time commitment then I am all in for this.  I also made the Cilantro Lime Rice which was DIVINE and not that hard.   

  So, for the meal I made some tortillas, also easier than I originally thought they would be.  So we had a tortilla with rice on top, then pork, then cheese.  We ate it like an open face taco and it was awesome.  Totally try it!

**Picture from:  The Girl Who Ate Everything 

Crafty Crafts Wednesday

So this week I have been trying with my mom to make this cute bedskirt:

My sweet little princess is getting older and in the next few weeks we are going to start to transition her into a big girl bed.  I wanted a bedskirt like the one above, however, $149?!?!?!?  I just don't think that is going to happen.  So I bought 9 yards of tulle and five spools of ribbon and I dug out an old sheet.  We are still in the process of completing the project, so I'll add those pictures soon.  However, I would love to point out that the total cost of this project is going to be a whopping $15!  Awesome!

Terrific Blog Tuesday

So, this is a blog I've stumbled upon fairly recently.  It is called Make It and Love It.  First off, I love the look of this blog.  Sometimes craft blogs can get a little cluttery (not that I usually mind) and it is pretty refreshing to see a very clean looking blog.  It for sure makes a nice change, and, for that reason, I find it less daunting to see things so clearly put out there.  Love it!  Check it out!  Become a follower!  Try it out and let me know what projects you choose!

New Meal Monday (on Wednesday, almost Thursday)

Well, frankly I have had some unpleasant stomach flu virus bug deal and I have not felt like blogging, esp about food.  However, I had a request from my nearest and dearest to please report on my New Meal Monday.  This one's for you Sarah!

First off, here is my meal from last week:  Creamy Orzo with Chicken, Mushrooms and Red Peppers


Verdict:  TOTALLY DELISH!  I really loved this!  I had never used orzo pasta before and it has a very different feel than any other pasta I've had.  Love it!  It had a nice spice to it (and I usually don't like red peppers).  I will definitely be making this meal again.  NO DOUBT ABOUT IT!

Now, what to try this week.  That would be BBQ Chicken Pasta.  I'll let you know how it goes.

FAQ Friday

So, you may be thinking, what in the world is FAQ Friday?  Well, it is a day when I share five fun facts about Lindsey.  You may not really care, but, hey, this is my blog and I suppose I can do what I want. :)  So, without further ado, here are this Friday's FAQ.   Also a picture of my pretty princess, just for fun.

 

• I hate sad movies and I refuse to watch movies where people you care about die.  
• I'm slowly, slowly learning to run.
• Sometimes I think in Facebook statuses.
• I love making lists.  They are awesome.  I also love to include a few things on my lists that I have already done, so I feel like I have accomplished something.  (Thank you AlliG.)

• There are few things I enjoy more than a new notebook.  Oh the possibilities.

Are these true FAQ's?  No.  Frankly very few, okay, no one, actually asks me questions about myself.  I like to share and FAQ Fridays had a nice ring to it.  

Crafts Gone Wrong

So Thursdays are reserved for crafts gone wrong.  At first you may think, "Well, Lindsey, are you sure you'll have enough crafting mishaps to feature one every week."  Well, the answer to that is a resounding YES!  I try so many things that just do not work out.  Frustrating, but this is a nice little way to vent the frustration and also let those other imperfect crafters out there know that they are not alone.  So this week I tried this wreath which is really beautiful on this blog, but not so hot in the House of Lindsey.  Here is my attempt: 

Not quite the awesome situation I was going for.  However, I will persevere with my crafting until everything I do is perfect...Right.

Crafty Crafts Wednesday

Well hello again friends.  Today I will show you how to make some ORGANZA FLOWERS which are awesome, super fun, super easy and super addicting.  I was going to make a little tutorial but lo and behold I found an awesome tutorial online and decided to use that instead.  However, I will include a picture of my beautiful friends as we made these little babies.

Now grab a candle, grab some organza, grab some friends and get crafting.  These are great for hair bows, gift toppers, accessories for shirts or cardigans, pretty much anything!  Get ready though because once you start it's hard to stop. 

Terrific Blog Tuesday

So I thought a fun thing on Tuesdays would be to highlight one of the many craft blogs I absolutely love.  The first is an awesome one called Somewhat Simple.  I found this blog several months ago and I have looked forward to reading it every day.   Stephanie is super creative herself and highlights some super fun projects all the time.  I have found so many fun ideas on her blog.  I'm sure in the future I will do a better job on my highlights, but in the meantime, check out her blog and enjoy!

New Recipe Mondays

So, my goal for this blog is to have a new recipe to try every Monday.  This week I am going to make Creamy Orzo with Chicken, Mushrooms and Red Peppers.  It's from Mel's Kitchen Cafe, which honestly is my all time favorite cooking website.  This website is so awesome.  I am not a good cook, I mean really not a great cook.  It seems like it shouldn't be that hard, but I have a hard time anyway.  My husband is always really nice to me and tells me he likes what I cook, but I think he sort of glosses over the unfortunate mishaps I have in the kitchen.  Bless his little heart.  The point is, even I can handle these recipes.  Awesome.

So, cook along with me.  Next Monday I will report how this recipe went and let you know what my next cooking adventure will be.

**Side Note:  Just so you know.  I am SURE that my dish will look as beautiful as this.  I won't put a picture of mine on here so that Mel won't feel bad about her dish. :)

Super Sweet Bulletin Boards

So basically my friends need to start having more girls and fewer boys.  I love making baby girl gifts with the pink and purple and ruffles and bows and dresses and tights and...the list goes on and on.  One super fun project I did for my own little princess is a ribbon bulletin board.  This would be great to use for hanging bows or displaying pictures or artwork.  Basically anything.  They are so fun and awesome.  

Ingredients:
Foam Board (back to your local dollar store)
Quilt Batting (I used scraps)
Fabric
Ribbon
Stapler

1.  First use an exacto knife to cut your foam board to desired size.  I wanted squares, but random sizes of rectangles could also be super cute. 

2.  Cut your batting to fit the squares.  You could use double stick tape to sort of keep the batting in place if you need to.

3.  Trim your fabric to the size of your boards leaving at least two inches extra around the entire thing. 

4.  Lay your fabric on top of the batting and turn board over.

5.  Begin stapling your fabric all around the back edges of your board.  Be sure to pull fabric tight as you go.  I recommend doing this on a hard surface.  Some of the staples might pop through a tinge, but that's okay. 

6.  Lay out your ribbons at whatever intervals you want.  Staple them on either end of the board.  Pull them tight.

7.  Finally, step back and enjoy! 

These are super cute to hang on the wall with command strips or you an add one of those little metal hanger thingys (yep, that's a technical term).



I made these with a couple of my friends and it was such a fun afternoon.  They used patterned fabric and solid ribbon which was also fun.  I just found some really cute ribbon I liked so I decided to use the patterned ribbon and solid fabric.

Run and Tell that Homeboy

So I was chatting with my mom today telling her how the one phrase that keeps going through my head is, "My eyes are bigger than my stomach." Another one that keeps butting in is, "Don't bite off more than you can chew." Why do all my thoughts, no matter what the core subject is, revolve around food?? I suppose that is for another day. I am super excited about this blog, but I am worried I am going to get ahead of myself.  Hopefully that won't be the case.  Only time will tell I suppose.  In the meantime, I did want to start off with a BANG!  Hence the TWO, yes count them TWO posts in one day. Although it is pretty late so today might actually be tomorrow. Oh, how I digress.

Point #1

One major thing about this whole blog deal is I want to highlight crafts gone bad. I feel like there are plenty of people highlighting what goes right, but a very choice few telling you when they have an idea that is absolutely horrible or horrifying.  So here is my premiere nightmare.




Dude, can I just tell you I super hate working with minky fabric?!?  It is just totally lame.  It moves around and stretches in weird ways and no matter how many pins I try to put in to keep things in place it NEVER works!  Everything on these crazy burp cloths is crooked.  It is making me crazy!!!  I have taken them apart twice and I just had to give up for the night.  I'll let you know if I ever get these to look right, but in the meantime, enjoy the error that is Lindsey.

**Note about the random title.  I happen to be a big fan of one Mr. Antoine Dodson.

A Little Valentine's Love to Get This Party Started

I was going to start this little bloggity blog with some sort of introduction but then, it hit me, no one cares about that.  Therefore, i decided to start with a little project I did last year and which I will (hopefully) get around to doing again because it was easy, fast and super cute.

First off, I am not a crocheter.  I have been trying to become a crocheter for YEARS, but it is something I simply can't master.  (One huge reason for this is because I've never had someone patient enough to sit down and really teach me...SARAH!).  I do know a few basic things though and that is all you need to do this little project.

Items needed for project:

Yarn in whatever color you choose
Small frame (hello dollar store)
Paint
Scrapbook paper
Button

Step One
Use this tutorial to make your crochet heart.  Easy Peasy.
      **Also, you should probably follow this blog because it is truly aMaZinG!

Step Two
Cut scrapbook paper to desired size then glue to the back of the picture frame.
     **I just threw out the glass for the frame although I am sure if you thought about it long enough you would
         be able to think of something super cute and craftsy to do with it.

Step Three
Using Elmers glue, paste the hear to the scrapbook paper.

Step Four
Glue the button in the center of the heart.

Step Five
Use as an awesome decoration for your own home or give away to any friend you want to impress with your super craftiness.



There we go.  Done and Done.  Enjoy!

Also, I'm linking up here: