Command It!

I'm seriously in love and addicted to Command strips and hangers. They are awesome! I love that they are so commitment free. You stick them on and then when you get the urge to rearrange...and lets face it, most of us crafties get the urge to redecorate frequently...you just pull them down. No nail holes to patch up!

And now that they have expanded their line there are so many choices! I really like these decorative hooks.

I have a few attached to my crafty table to hold my scissors.

 

And a few in my kitchen for my aprons.

Look how creative you can be with them. This person used them to hold up curtain rods!

The smaller ones are great for jewelry.

I've have quite a few in my laundry room holding up brooms, mops, plastic bags and other odds and ends. They are an organizational dream!

 These organizers would be great under a kitchen or bathroom sink.

They even have a few WATER PROF ideas!!!

They also have a line of picture hanging hooks that I'm eager to try!

Their claim is that it will hold up to 5 pounds! I have a few blank walls in my house that I've been wanting to decorate. I've been hesitant to starting pounding holes in my newly painted walls, but thanks to Command I no longer have to be afraid!

Christmas in March

When I woke up this morning I found these wonderful goodies waiting for me.

 

The hubby just returned from a week-long international trip and picked up some wonderful treats for me along the way.

Olive oil and wine from Italy-he knows the way to my ♥

 

From England, a beautiful Harrods Laptop bag for my new computer. The inside pockets were filled with candy and chocolate. Luckily the girls got their own because I'm not sharing!

 

It's was like Santa paid me a visit last night! 

Merry Christmas...I mean Happy Saturday!!!

Up-cycled Scrub Quilt

As  a nurse I've collected quite a few scrubs over the years. Since working for a pediatrician's office I rarely wear them. I had been hoarding my stash for awhile convinced that someday I'd find their purpose. That revelation came to me last week! We had some unseasonably warm weather here in the Midwest. All the snow melted and my girls were able to play outside and ride their bikes. It got my mind moving to spring and summer and all the fun activities they bring: picnics, swimming, outdoor sports and fun sunny days....and what do they all need???

A HUGE picnic blanket!!!

Here was my stash:

Using a cardboard square as my template I was able to get two 12in x 12in squares from each top. Then I laid them out to see how big of a blanket I could make.

I didn't really worry about placement. The squares are random. I just made sure two of the same prints weren't next to each other. I then sewed the top of the quilt together.

 

I was excited to find two canvas curtains in my crafty closet. They were off-white. Not the most ideal color but I didn't want to have to go out and by any fabric. Plus the bottom will get dirty no matter what color it is. I sewed two curtain panels together, right sides facing, to make one large piece slightly larger than the quilt top.

Putting the right sides together, I attached the top and bottom of the quilt together. I stitched around the edge leaving a 5 inch opening. I turned it right-side-out and used Heat 'n Bond Hem to close the opening. 

Instead of machine quilting I used the "Tie Quilt Technique" and used embroidery floss to tie knots where the squares intersect, but yarn would work as well.

I love that it is big enough for the whole family and it didn't cost me anything to make!!!

Now all we need is for spring to arrive!

Spinach and Feta Hummus

This one was a total crowd pleaser. I could have eaten the whole batch all by myself. It comes from What's Gaby Cooking and it is DE-LISH!


Here's what you need:

• 30 ounces, weight Garbanzo Beans Drained
• 1-½ cup Fresh Spinach
• 8 ounces, weight Feta Cheese (I used reduced fat)
• ⅓ cups Olive Oil
• 5 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
• 4 Tablespoons Tahini
• 2 Tablespoons Red Pepper Flakes (For a kid-friendly batch omit this. It wasn't too spicy the first day but it became progressively spicier each day)
• 2 cloves Garlic, Peeled
• 2 teaspoons Salt

Combine the garbanzo beans, spinach, olive oil, lemon juice and tahini in a large food processor. Pulse until combined. Add the feta, red pepper flakes, garlic and salt. Pulse until combined. Taste and add salt or more red pepper flakes if desired.

We gave it two thumbs up!!!

Wordless Wednesday-Girls Nite Out

Freezer Paper Stenciling

Lately I have come across quite a few tutorials on using freezer paper for stenciling. I've seen it used on shirts and bags, even pants. I loved that most of the supplies were already in my crafty closet and it's a project that the girls could do with a little help. I couldn't wait to start making my own stencils!!!

Here's what you need:

• Freezer Paper
• Matte Fabric Paint
• An Iron
• Cardboard for inside the shirt when painting
• Sponge Paint Brushes
• Craft Punches 
• Exacto Knife

Use your exacto knife or craft punches to make your desired shapes. You can also trace your design onto the freezer paper and then use the exacto knife to cut them out. So many ways to let your creativity shine!

Layout the shapes on your fabric where you want them. Freezer paper has a shiny side and a dull side, place them shiny side down on the fabric. I used my washable fabric pen to help mark placement.

Use your iron to attach the freezer paper to the fabric. Make sure all the edges are  sealed.

Paint over the stencils. Make sure not to go outside of the freezer paper. You may need 2 or 3 coats of paint to get the look you desire. Let the paint dry between applications.

If you are impatient like me you can use your blow dryer to speed up the process (Yes, I have a pink blow dryer. I have two girls, practically everything in our house is pink!)

 

Once the paint has dried completely CAREFULLY peel the stencils off of the fabric.

Following the instructions on your fabric paint, cover the paint with a pressing cloth and heat for approximately 30 seconds (without steam) to seal the paint.

Admire your work! 

I was so impressed how clean all the lines were. It really looks close to a silk screened shirt! We are going to have so much fun stenciling!