Friday, March 4, 2011

Friends on Friday...Lots of Them Today!

First, I had a lot of giggle comments on my new Thoughts on Thursdays post. Thought I would add a day with just simple thoughts instead of a whole post or tutorials...you know, mix things up!! I guess I mixed things up alright...shaving is out of left field, far from crafting!!

Before I share project pictures, this picture below is from my bestest quilting friend Tina from Seaside Stitches. She is in charge of a yearly quilt retreat and she invited me to join in the fun. This is my first one, so wish me luck. I'm so excited! Aren't these flowers beautiful? She made them for challenge prizes. I'm bringing my camera, so I share all the pictures next week!




Friends on Friday is a place where I share YOUR projects that you've made from tutorials from Sew Many Ways. Thanks so much for sending me your photos!

This first photo is from Betsy at Little Mountain Gal blog. She used my car caddy tutorial to make this one. Isn't it cute? Love the fabric! Go visit her blog, it's full of hexies, needle punch and great wool projects. Click HERE to go to her blog. Click here for the car caddy tutorial.



This is Carlena's picture. She used the coffee tray idea found here for her husband and all their coffee supplies. The tray makes it so much easier to slide the coffee maker from underneath the counter. I LOVE the round tray! You can visit Carlena if you click here ...great site!


These last few photos are from Gail at The Fairy Gardener Quilts Too. Click here for her wonderful blog. She loves to use recycling ideas too. I used plastic cookie trays to store my hexagons, thread and more...click here for that.
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Gail uses these bread trays for so much.


Here's a picture of the empty tray.



Here are the pictures of how she uses them. So great under lotions and soaps to catch all the messy drips and water.



and this one is awesome. I know I could have used these in the past. I've ruined some furniture tops from water leaking out of a plant.



Thanks ladies for sending me your photos. If anyone has a project that you've made from one of my tutorials or projects...just send me a picture and I'll share it on Fridays.
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If you have any projects, even if it's not from one of my tutorials...I'd LOVE to share those too. Just send me the picture and a link to your blog!
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Have a great weekend,
~Karen~

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

My Thoughts on Thursday...

Did you ever get a chill while shaving your legs and feel like you shaved off your goose bumps?!! LOL

~Karen~

Organizing...Keep Like Things Together

Hi to all my blogging friends. I did a post last week about spring cleaning and organizing little spots around your home...ONE PROJECT AT A TIME. Click here for that post. Why "one at a time", because if we take on too much all at once, we become over whelmed and quit.

Well, to continue on with the organizing theme...today's topic is "Keep Like Things Together". What does that mean? It means...if you keep all of the same items in the same place, you won't be pulling your hair out trying to find something or trying to explain to family where something is. "it might be in the basement or it might be in that box out in the garage or maybe under my bed." Believe me I've been there. That's why a long time ago I organized things in the same category all together so it's easy for ANYONE to find something.

I'll be sharing different corners around the house like the basement, my jewelry, sheets and blanket, DVDs etc, but today I'll show you where I keep all my candles.

This is an area near our front door. We're not a fancy house...very relaxed and casual.




This narrow buffet was from Target a long time ago. Perfect size for this area.



An old mirror from our old bedroom set, painted black. The wreath is from a thrift store...$2.00 and a crinkly ribbon from Christmas.


This is the cell phone charger spot and where my husband keeps his keys. He puts them there as soon as he walks in the door, so we never hear..."has any one seen my keys?"


I told you we're not fancy here, so thought I would zoom in on the dinks from the front door hitting the buffet...


and what the water from a plant did. That's why the phone's there...you never see it!



Well, this post is about keeping like things together, so let's get to it. This cabinet has 2 doors hiding shelves and several drawers. Looks great by the front door, but HIDES so much inside...



Hides all these candles. You may not have to store candles, but you may have a lot of something that is scattered around your home in different spots.
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Gather all the same items together, sort through them, weed out old broken ones or things you won't be using and then organize the things you will be keeping.



Tea lights and candle tarts.



Larger candles and candle trivets.



These are cheap plastic trays I've bought at Walmart over the years. They separate all the candles by color and size.
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**My tip for buying plastic baskets or trays is to stick to one color. No matter where I buy them...dollar store, Walmart etc...I always buy the same color. White. That way I can use them in different places, mix and match sizes, move them around and they always match.





So what are my organizing tips so far...
  • One project at a time
  • keep like things together
  • hide things in untraditonal spots...like candles near your front door...who da thunk it!

I'm putting together more organizing tips, so stay tuned.
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Have a great day,
~Karen~

Monday, February 28, 2011

Tool Time Tuesday...Homemade Gift Wrap Paper

I can't play any instruments or carry a tune...not even in a bucket! Although, I do think I sound great when I'm singing along with the radio, but don't we all.

I can play one song on the piano though and I really shouldn't even say the word "play", because I can only play the left side of the piano or the right side...not both at the same time. Our family song is "Heart and Soul". At almost every family function it's played loud and proud with 2 people on the piano...one playing the left side, another person playing the right side and every one singing along!


So, with that in mind, here is today's Tool Time version of that special family time.




Wrap small gifts in old sheet music that you've found in yard sales or thrifting. Wrap with the orginal sheet music paper...don't copy the paper. I don't want to violate ANY copy right laws.





Can you hear us singing? Maybe you'd rather not!


Pretty and sentimental too.





I positioned the title on the front. However, the seam of the 2 edges is on the top. That's where the bow comes in...hides the seam perfectly.




You can use so many different things for gift wrap that are special to you.
  • use pages from an old book you found thrifting and use it to wrap a gift for someone who loves to read
  • use old out dated maps to wrap a gift for someone who is traveling
  • copy your child's art work or school work (you get to keep the original) and wrap a gift for Grandma and Grandpa
  • put several old photos, that belong to you, in the copier in a collage form and use that for gift wrap too.

The possibilities are endless. It's all up to you and what is special for the person you'll be giving the gift too.

Have a great Tuesday and don't forget to visit all the wonderful projects in my Sew Darn Crafty Linking Party. Click HERE to go for a visit or add one of your own projects.

~Karen~

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Grilled Cheese with a George Foreman Grill

Saturday night was cold, rainy and then snowed some more. What's the perfect quick dinner...soup and grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. Yum!




This is what makes the grilled cheese...Quick! My George Foreman Grill. Do you have one of these or something like it? Well, dust it off, because we're going grillin'



My version of a panini press.



Just place your bread, buttered side down...


top with your favorite cheese. I used shredded cheddar.



Add sliced meat if you'd like. This is ham left over from a big ham dinner we had.



Sprinkle with a little more cheese...just to seal the deal!



Top with more buttered bread. We use "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" the light version! Big deal using light butter, right...with that pile of cheese in there! LOL



Only a few minutes later and it looked like this. It is so fast because it's grilled on both sides at the same time.



Crispy on the outside and ooey and gooey on the inside.



Enjoy,
~Karen~

Sew Darn Crafty...Linking Party #4


A great big thank you to every one who has linked up your projects in the past weeks! I am just amazed with all your talents! I love linking parties, because it's like a one stop shop for inspiration.
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Easy rules for the linking party:
  • link to your project post, not your whole blog...just makes it easier to find that post
  • link up as many projects as you'd like!
  • link to Sew Many Ways blog party either written in the post or with the blog button above on your side bar...that way more can join in
  • link anything you'd like...craft project, redo, painting, cooking, sewing, quilting, knitting, recycling, anything goes here
  • if you are a first timer, the steps are easy to link up. Just click the button below and follow the directions. If you need help...just email me. I'd be glad to help

Let's see what you've been up to this week!

Thanks for joining in on the fun,

~Karen~



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