split the lark--

DIY Painted Chevron Patterned Rug

2012-03-12T18:06:00.000-07:00

A few days before we moved, I decided to tackle a huge project. Probably the biggest one I've accomplished since starting my blog. And that project was to paint my dining room rug. You see, we were fortunate enough to inherit a decent rug from my in laws for the dining room. But the rug was, well, shall we say: boring. Just plain off white berber.

I stumbled upon this tutorial one day on pinterest and decided this was exactly what I needed for my dining room, so I gathered up my supplies and got to work!

What you will need (besides a boring rug, as seen below):

Supplies::

1 rug (mat, runner, area rug, whatever!)

measuring tape

frog tape ( I am not a fan of painter's tape)

any indoor pain: my project required a little over a pint for a 4.5' x 11' area rug

parchment paper

straight pins

Step One: Using frog tape, tape off finished corners of rug. Once pulled off after the painting is complete, it will give the rug a more 'finished' look.

Step Two: Create a graph on parchment paper. For example: my rug was 55 inches wide, so I divided it by 11 and created a 5 inch by 5 inch graph. This can be accomplished with a measuring tape and pencil. Trust me, if this girl can do it, you can too!

Once your graph is complete (and is as long as your rug is wide) connect the top corner to a bottom opposite corner, diagonally, as seen below. This will create your 'chevron' pattern that is super hot right now! Cut your pattern out

Step Three: Once your pattern is complete, copy it exactly onto another piece of parchment paper. I made the mistake of running out of paper and using one stencil, measuring, then moving it down the rug. This is extremely tedious and makes for many errors. So do yourself a favor and cut out at least two stencils.

Now take your stencil and pin it to one end, using straight pins, as seen below:

Step Four: Begin painting. I found that using foam brushes are the easiest and using a 'dabbing' technique versus brushing is key.

Step Five: Continue to paint between stencils. Each time you must move your stencil, measure between each painted area to make sure you are maintaining even spacing. Also, when moving your stencils down, make sure no wet paint is around the edges, this may cause some to come off and stain areas of the carpet that are not meant to be painted. In this case, keep a bottle of carpet cleaner nearby! I used mine on several occasions!

Step Six: Continue painting until entire rug is covered!

Step Seven: Let dry. This takes at least an entire day. You will find out that a lot of the paint gets absorbed into the carpet and you will find areas of rug sticking out through your paint. I actually found I really liked the look of this. It made it look somewhat worn, so I left it just like it was. If you don't want this look, you will need to add another layer of paint.

Step Eight: put in your home to enjoy!

I love our rug. It gave a whole new look to it! Now that the house is one big room, it also goes better with our red and black living room and more modern look.

A lot of people think you are only supposed to paint hard surfaces, but that is just not the case! Just the thought of painting your carpet makes some people cringe. But I love ours and am so happy I did it! I hope this tutorial has made someone less nervous to give it a try! A fresh new coat of paint can change an entire room!

Thanks for reading everyone!

Spicy Zucchini Flatbread: 1 Recipe, 2 Ways

2012-03-06T10:41:00.001-08:00

Well, we did it! We are in our new place! We really like it so far! Things are coming together slowly, however, since we don't get home from work until about 6. Since we have been SOOOO busy, I decided to take my lunch break today and steal some free WiFi (until we get our internet hooked up!) and blog over lunch. I am pulling this little post out of my unused arsenal! I made this recipe a few weeks before the move and love love love it! I hope you do too! (Orignal recipe, which I changed slightly, found here)

Spicy Zucchini Flatbread: Two Ways!

Ingredients:1.5 c whole wheat pastry flour
.5 c brown rice flour
2 c grated zucchini
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp curry
2 tsp cayenne pepper
.5 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbs chopped cilantro
pinch of salt to taste
.25 cup fat free yogurt
1 tbs + olive oil for pan

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together. I had TONS of frozen zucchini from our garden in the freezer, so I thawed it, put it in the blender, and mixed it in with the rest of the ingredients. If you use frozen zucchini, make sure to squeeze it out and remove excess water.

Once everything is mixed together, clear a space on your counter or a cookie sheet and dust with flour/whole wheat flour. Make palm sized balls or dough and flat with hands on dusted surface until the dough is about 1/4 inch thick.

Next, place the dough in a frying pan with olive oil and cook until both sides are golden brown. Now for the fun part! Serving:!

Way Number One:

With chopped veggies and hummus. Yummo!

Way Number Two:
spread a thin layer of hummus on the dough, then sprinkle feta on top, like a little pizza! Top with your choice of veggies. I made mine with black olives!

This is a great, healthy snack! A few of these actually fill me up for an entire meal! These are super good and I think are even better with hummus than pita bread! Sooooo yummy!

Well, that's all for now folks. It's time to get back to work for this girl! Can't wait to be fully settled in, get our internet hooked up, and get back to regular posting. Until then, hopefully I'll be able to pump out a few more posts this week!

Thanks for reading!

Eat Me First!

2012-03-01T04:20:00.000-08:00

Hey guys! I'm squeezing in a quick post before work this morning. This week has been absolutely crazy with going back to working full-time and packing to move this weekend! I look forward to it, but it has been SO much work, and I feel slightly out of sorts. The end is in sight!

Anyway, today I wanted to share a quick trick that has helped reduce the food waste in our home. I'm not exactly sure where I got the idea from, more than likely pinterest, so whoever thought of this first: THANKS! It really helps us out! I love to cook, but when I do so, I purposely make extras so we can have left overs to take to work that week. We are totally left over people, and if you are too, this will help you out!

We were running into the problem of Ben grabbing whatever he found first in the fridge, or whatever sounded really good, and the rest being pushed to the back to spoil. Well, not anymore! Because I made this!

I took an old clementine container, put a coat of paint on it, stenciled in 'Eat Me First', and stuck it in the fridge.

It's so easy to just rotate the left overs through once every few days. Ben knows now that the left overs that he should be taking to work are the ones in the crate. Once those are gone or getting low, I re-supply with left overs from the shelves. And voila! WAY less food being tossed out and wasted! I hope this helps in your home too as much as it has helped up!

Thanks for reading! I will be back to regular posting (hopefully) next week!

VOTE

2012-02-28T14:58:00.000-08:00

Yep. That's all I have to say. That's all I have time to say, today. Between working 40 plus hours this week (first time since June, eeeek), working out, packing, moving to the new apartment, painting furniture, figuring out how to live without nail holes, I am making time to get out and vote tonight. As soon as Ben gets home. :)

I am actually looking forward to voting tonight. I usually try and stay out of politics, and generally feel less excited for the actual presidential elections, but I love the primaries! I love that there is still a good candidate in the running... well, as far as I am concerned. But we will not get into that here! Just go out and VOTE MICHIGAN! :)

P.S. Sorry for the semi-lame post. This is about all you can expect from me for the remainder of the week until we are moved into the new place.

Pass it Forward w/The Shine Project

2012-02-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

As I've mentioned before, I am avid follower of The Shine Project. Ashley started TSP to inspire people to get out of their comfort zones and start making an impact on their communities and ultimately, the world! She has been such an inspiration to me over the past few months. A few weeks ago she asked via facebook for some bloggers to partner with her on a new project she was about to launch. I jumped at the opportunity to help in any way I could and I am so excited to be a part of this movement and getting the word out! I have been looking forward to today's post for over a week now! So, without further adieu, here it is!

Have you ever wondered what was the point in helping a complete stranger? I think sometimes we get so caught up in helping those we know because we will see the fruits of our labor, that we pass by those who are hurting the most just because we don't know them and we aren't sure if doing anything will actually help at all! I, for one, fall into this category.

This new project is a killer idea! When you commit a random act of kindness, you also pass along one of these cards:

Each card is embedded with a unique ID number. Once you have given the card out, you will then log onto www.spreadtheshine.com, enter in your location and some information about what you did with the card, and watch where your card will go! It is going to be so amazing to see one kind act travel to the corners of the globe!

I am waiting with bated breath in anticipation for my card to arrive this week! I am so excited to get out there and spread a little shine! I have already been thinking of ways to pass the card along!

Tomorrow Ben and I will be participating at a local elementary school (where most of the family members live below the poverty level) to help pass out much needed food boxes. These boxes are meant to provide much needed nourishment through three of this winter's worst weeks, to a local family in need. I think tomorrow is going to be a great kick off for me, personally. How awesome that the Pass it Forward project starts next Friday!

If you would like more information, visit Ashley's site @ www.myshineproject.com, or go on right over the the Pass it Forward website @www.spreadtheshine.com. Lets start putting a little action to our words and get out there and :

SHINE ON!

Downsizing Days Pt.II: How to Stuff in all your Stuff

2012-02-23T19:58:00.000-08:00

I started this little 'Downsizing Days' mini series last week to hopefully inspire others (but mostly just myself) to realize the potential we all have at getting rid of junk and downsizing not only our lives, but our living situations as well.

With our move just around the corner to a small, one room loft, I am beginning to get more anxious, but also more excited! My creative juices have really been flowing the last week with new ideas of how to affordably utilize the limited space we will have with charm and character.

If you haven't visited Apartment Therapy's website, you really should. It is an absolute must for those of us renters, and just all around good advice and inspiration to anyone! I am currently reading their most recent book and I am so inspired! It is hard for me to turn my mind off at night at all the ideas running through it for our new place! Here's a little sneak peak into what is really inspiring me right now:

Industrial//Modern

I think this look just goes so well with loft living! I am so excited! I can't wait to show some of the projects we have been working on--the biggest projects we have tackled so far together since we got married--turn out.

I just LOVE the way they used the filing cabinets not only for filing--duhh--but for storage and to add to their industrial flare!

I wish I could get my hands on that corner tool chest piece. I swoon over this!

Anyway, so in the past week, I have learned a ton about downsizing. Here's a few pointers:

1. Utilize any and all vertical space
For us, this will be on the tricky side. Not only are we moving to a teeny tiny loft, but we are not allowed to put holes into the walls, eliminating the use of hanging shelving. We have figured out a few neat ways around this, which I am excited to share at a later date once we are in our new place.

Using your space vertically maximizes your floor space and opens up your area. For instance: things that you rarely use can go in decorative boxes high up on shelves on the walls. You can even utilize your ceiling by hanging things from it, requiring no floor usage at all! We are currently trying to get our hands on an antique wood ladder that we hope to run across the living area, perched high on two ledges, to hang things from! Hopefully we find a good deal soon, we are going to hunt this weekend!

2. Your storage pieces should also be statement pieces.
If you are going to waste precious space on a big piece of furniture, it should be something that adds charm to your home. Even if you just need to add a coat of paint, sand down some edges to make it look 'vintage' or toss the piece altogether and get something that really speaks to your space. You don't have room to hoard objects that are ugly, that you wish you could hide, just because they are used for storage. Get something that you actually like!

I am giving away a major secret, but we recently acquired some AWESOME lockers. As in old metal lockers you were shoved in as a pimply faced tween. I am so excited for this make over. Not only will they provide us with great storage, we are sprucing up the place and adding to our 'industrial' look! Can't wait!

3. Lastly, don't throw things out for the sake of making space. If it is something that really speaks to you, has memories behind it, and you love it even if it is not being used, keep it! Just make sure it has a place. A lot of people feel that they parted with sentimental pieces all in the name of downsizing and later regret it. If you can't use it in your decor, stow it away. Just make sure not to keep every little thing!

Well, that's mostly what I have learned the past week. Most of this stuff is pretty common knowledge, but sometimes it is good to hear it again! Thanks for reading! Wish us luck on our hunt this weekend!

Make Your Own Personlized Eye Chart

2012-02-22T10:04:00.000-08:00

I have so been loving the modern/industrial movement in home decor right now. I don't know if this is stemming from our near-future move to a loft, but I am just in love with the industrial look right now. Plumbing pipe, open brick, bright and bold colors! I love it all!

I have really been focusing recently on getting all of our artwork framed for the new house, as well as adding new pieces. With my love of industrial decor right now, I wanted to make a few pieces to hang on the wall. Today's tutorial is my first one! And I have to say, I absolutely love it!

I got the idea to make an eye chart about a week ago. I had started playing around with words and fonts on microsoft word, but it just wasn't coming along as well as I wanted. That's when I thought of looking it up on pinterest! And found this tutorial!

What You Will Need:-printer
-picture frame (I used an 8x10 matted frame)

Step 1: go to www.eyechartmaker.com. There, you will be able to play around and customize your own chart. It is a little tricky getting the wording right with the line spacing and the amount of letters you are able to use. I had to throw in an '-' to make mine look right. Play around with it and have fun!

This is what I came up with. As you can imagine, I don't really want my artwork to have someone's URL on it. So this is what I did next to fix that!

Step 2: Go to picnik and upload your eye chart once you have saved it to your computer. In the editing mode, select 'add stickers'. I chose to add a rectangle from the 'geometric' section, made it white, stretched it to cover the URL and voila! No more website on my artwork! I think this is perfectly acceptable being that I give them full credit for their awesome website and am sending my readers to them!

Step 3: You can now either add another line to go over the spot where the website previously was, or leave it blank. I chose to add our names for one final personalized touch, and this is what my finished product looks like!

Step 4: Print your eye chart out. I used picture paper, but this is not a necessity. You can use regular copier paper if that's all you have. I just like the glossy look of photo paper. And you're done! Hang it somewhere lovely and enjoy!

This was such a quick and easy way to add some "Meghan and Ben flavor" to our home. I love our quote "You have stolen my heart". It is 'our song' which we danced to at our wedding. Our song that Ben has tattooed in binary on his arm. This is the song that reminds me of my awesome husband, and now it hangs in our home, with our wedding month on it, and our names!

I hope you have been inspired! This project was totally worth it! I hope everyone is having a great day! Thank you for reading!

Photo to Fabric Transfer

2012-02-21T07:22:00.000-08:00

We had a lovely and crazy weekend, filled with packing up boxes and taking loads to our new apartment. In the midst of all the chaos, I wanted to do something for me. We have about a million projects started right now, but I have been wanting to do this one for so long, I decided Sunday afternoon to take time out of moving and do it! I think it turned out lovely!

I originally got this idea from Elsie who blogs over at A Beautiful Mess. I think I am also going to try her method for transferring your image to a canvas as well. I will post that later, but for now, here is how to transfer your photos to fabric!

First, choose your photo. I chose to use one from our wedding, taken by our brilliant photog Ben of Benjamin David Photography.

What You Will Need:-Laser printed/copied image (our copier has the capability of copying color and black and white. If yours will only copy in BandW, make sure you choose a photo you don't mind in monochrome.)
-Liquitex Gloss Heavy Gel Medium found in painting section of any craft store
-White fabric (I used a plain white tee that was on its way to the trash)
-Spray bottle with water
-Scissors

STEPS:

1. First, copy and cut out your image. I did a trial run with BandW and color. I will be demonstrating the one in color.

2. Cover your image with a thick layer of gel medium.

3. Press your photo image side down onto your white fabric and let dry. Mine took 3 hours to dry.

4. Once your photo has dried, spray the back of it with water.

5. With your fingers, gently begin to rub the image, lifting the paper from the fabric. Some of the image may come up with the paper, but it will make it look worn and vintage. My favorite look!

6. Cut your image out from the fabric.

7. Style it!

Since this was a test run, I simply made mine into a patch for a corduroy jacket. I plan on making patches for worn jeans, transferring to a pillow for our bedroom, styling up a t-shirt dress even! The possibilities are endless!

So cute and fun and a super easy way to personalize your things with favorite memories and moments you have had!

I hope everyone has a terrific Tuesday! Thanks for reading!

Hey Girl

2012-02-17T06:34:00.000-08:00

So if you' been anywhere on pinterest (or the rest of the internet, for that matter) lately, you will have seen something like this:

I don't know about you, but I: A. Love Ryan Gosling and B. Find these so stinking funny I nearly pee my pants every time I read them.

I am especially fond of the one's directed toward bloggers/crafters/DIYers. They tickle my funny bone like no other.

this one is probably my favorite

And all I can end up thinking after stumbling across one is: "Gosh, I wish I had been the girl to think of this!"

So Ashley of Adventures of Newlyweds posted the following video on her facebook the other day and Ryan is just so funny about the whole thing, that I just can't help but share it here.

Sorry, there are a few obscenities, but they have been censored. :)

I hope this had made you laugh as much as me. Thank God for whoever thought of these! They always seem to pop up online right when I need a pick-me-up! I hope everyone has a terrific weekend!

Hearty Broccoli, Asparagus, and Red-Skin Potato Soup

2012-02-15T12:54:00.000-08:00

Today's post is going to be short and sweet. I wanted to share this recipe with you all because:
A. It is DELISH
B. It is SUPER easy
C. It is pretty good for you!

I concocted this recipe out of a deep yearning for something warm, creamy and soothing for dinner. This is what I came up with, and I have made it over and over again since then!

Creamy, Hearty Broccoli, Asparagus and Red-Skin Potato Soup

Ingredients:
(amounts enough to make about 6 servings)
6 medium sized red skin potatoes
1 head of broccoli
1/4 bushel of asparagus
2 large carrots
2 cups vegetable stock
1 cup water
1 cup rice milk
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
Cheese (optional)

To thicken:
1.5 cups of water
2 tablespoons arrow root or corn starch

Directions:

1. Wash and prep all vegetables. Cut potatoes into 1 inch cubes, broccoli into medium sized florets, asparagus into 1-2 inch long pieces. Peel carrots, and then continue to slice them with peeler so you have long, thin carrot strands.

2. Place potatoes, asparagus and broccoli into large pot, along with 2 cups veggie stock, 1 cup water, and 1 cup rice milk.

Let this simmer on medium for about 10-15 minutes.

3. Once the vegetables have begun to soften, add in the carrots, salt and pepper and recover the pot.

4. In a medium sized bowl with a lid ( I use my gladware) mix together corn/arrow root starch and 1.5 cups of water. Place lid on bowl and shake rigorously, removing any starch clumps. Add mixture to pot, stirring constantly, until the soup thickens.

5. Add in salt and pepper. Roughly 1 teaspoon of each. Simmer for a few more moments, until the vegetables are totally soft.

6. Serve. You may garnish with some cheese (Ben likes it with sharp cheddar), bread, or enjoy it plain!

This is about as healthy as creamy broccoli soup gets, and oh so easy and fantastic! I won't stop making this soup. It warms my soul and dazzles my little taste buds! SO yummy and perfect for a cold winter's day.

Thanks for reading! I'm off to enjoy a bowl of this right now!

Downsizing Days: All That Paperwork

2012-02-14T08:58:00.000-08:00

I just couldn't wait! I started this new 'mini series' on downsizing your home (since we will be majorly downsizing soon) and want to kick off right away, even though I just unveiled the upcoming series, oh, ten minutes ago? I finished this project this morning and am super excited to share it!

DIY File Cabinet

From every thing I've been reading recently on downsizing your home, I have come to find out that one of the keys to being successful at this is using your furniture wisely. Most pieces you put in your home should not only be functional, but should be dual functional. Meaning, everything should have its main purpose, but then also support another function in your home. I have so many projects coming up that are doing just that, I can't wait to get them finished and post them!

For a while now, we have been struggling with the decision of buying a filing cabinet. It is amazing how fast paperwork and documents accrue in your house! We don't even have kids yet, and the stuff is coming out our ears! Documents, licenses, certificates, warranties. It is endless. Until today, we have kept it all in accordion folders, which worked alright, but took up a lot of precious shelf space.

All this changed when I stumbled across this idea on pinterest. I was so inspired! I have a beautiful cedar chest from my grandfather that has been housing tons of stuff we were going to use for our wedding. Well, the wedding has come and gone, none of the stuff has been used, and it's time to get rid of it! So, the chest has now been transformed into a filing system!

All you will need are two curtain tension rods (I changed Martha's idea a little bit, not wanting to drill holes into my precious keepsake) and hanging filing folders.

All you need to do is hang your tension rods. I chose for them to run the short way in the chest versus the long way, ensuring they would hold up under the weight of our life's worth of documents. If you nee more space, just add two more tension rods to the side and get more folders!

Sort your paperwork, mark your files accordingly.

Make sure you are utilizing the remaining space. I filled ours with binders, books, and magazines that we rarely need access to and are simply taking up space on the book shelf.

And there you have it! Shut the lid, put a few decorative items on top, and you're done!

So easy! I am extremely happy we did not buy a filing cabinet. A. I think they are ugly. B. They cost money. and C. They take up more space, which I don't have to give up!

I hope you enjoyed the first week of Downsizing Days. I for one enjoyed posting this little tidbit! Thanks for reading!

Downsizing Days

2012-02-14T08:19:00.000-08:00

As I have mentioned before, Ben and I will be moving this month to a LOFT! I am really excited about living in a loft. We have wanted to live in at least one during our renting life (we will eventually be home owners). I am, however, slightly nervous. Here's the logistics. Which make me feel like this:

Our House Now:
-900 square feet
-2 bedrooms
-1.5 baths
-Kitchen
-Dining area
-Living room
-8 closets + wall of built in shelving
-Our own yard
-Patio
-Storage shed

Our New House:-500 square feet
-1 (sort of) bedroom: it isn't a full bedroom, just a partitioned off area
-1 bath
-Kitchen/dining area/living room all in one
-3 closets
-No yard, which means no garden :(, no patio, no storage shed

As you can see, we are majorly downsizing. I feel pretty apprehensive and a little freaked. I love our house now. I love the space, the closets, the extra room to get away and just be alone (that doesn't sound very nice, especially on V-day, but sometimes you just got to have yo space yo!). I love our view of the river, the old romantic neighborhood we reside in. I do not, however, love that Ben has to drive so far to work. I do not love that the house is poorly insulated because it is so old and we pay out the badonky donk in heating. I do not love that we rented the house with stars in our eyes, trying to convince ourselves we could afford it. Which, we can, but it makes it more tough to save.

So, we are moving. I feel like we are moving to something like this:

Though a little terrified, I am actually kind of excited! I have been wanting to declutter and get organized since we moved in together when we got married. This will be the perfect opportunity.

And in my quest to find innovative ways to reduce junk, get things in place, and live more frugally in a smaller space, I will be sharing my journey with you, my readers! Each week I will be posting a 'Downsizing Days' article that I hope you will find inspirational, even if you aren't living in a shoe box, like I am about to! It really does make anyone feel better to get rid of the extra stuff, get things organized, and live much more efficiently!

I can't wait to share what I come up with!

Thanks for reading!

DIY Recipes: Organized

2012-02-13T16:25:00.000-08:00

If you are anything like me, you probably have recipes stashed all over your house. I am constantly clipping them out of the newspaper, photocopying (shh, don't tell anyone!) them out of books, writing them down from friends and family. Well this weekend, I finally got a little more organized in this area, and here's how I did it.

Supplies:2 empty cereal boxes

tape

Modge Podge

Foam paint brush
Scrapbook paper (or fabric)
Contact paper
X-acto Knife
Two metal magnetic clips

1. Secure the ends of the box with tape and then cut the box in half with x-acto knife.

2. Secure seams with tape.

3. Using the other half of the box, cut out pieces to slide inside the box and strengthen the cardboard sides.

4. Tape all edges and corners, making the box stronger and more durable.

5. Do steps 1-4 with other cereal box.

6. Trace sides of box onto scrapbook paper and cut out. Cover outside of box with Modge Podge, and then cover all sides with scrapbook paper. Apply any lettering, stickers, or doodads that tickle your fancy.

Once all sides and bottom are covered, cover the paper with clear contact paper.

I decided to hang these on the side of my fridge from metal magnetic clips. They are out of the way, but in a convenient location that is not being used.

And there you have it! All done! Easy, quick, organization! My favorite kind!

Thanks for reading!

Short Fiction Story Link Up

2012-02-10T06:25:00.000-08:00

In a self-centered quest for my future career goals, I decided (partly) to start this blog. You see, I have always loved to write and thought maybe I would like to pursue this dream a little further and go back to college for another degree. I thought maybe blogging would break me back into writing (consistently) to see if I really still enjoy it (which I do!).

Last week, Ashley of Adventures of Newlyweds posted a short story link up challenge for her readers. I was so excited, because it has been far too long since I have written anything fictional. She gave up 25 one sentence openers to choose from, a minimum of 500 words, and a week to get writing. So here is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed writing it!

-------------------------------------

She tore through the alley, ducked into a doorway, and tried to squeeze into nothingness. She slowed her breathing. Pinched her eyes tight. If I can't see them, they can't see me, kind of thing, right? That really never was true, but she remembered thinking it when she was a little girl and it had comforted her. Slightly. Not so now.

Now she could feel her heart slam against her ribs, her blood pound in her ears. She had never been very good at this. She was usually the slower one, not quite as agile as the rest, not quite as clever in escaping as all of her friends. But so far, she had been quick enough and smart enough. Enough to get by.

Since the war broke out, everyone had had to change. Everyone had to become smarter, quieter, quicker. That, or get killed. Those were the two options now. The weakest were picked off like ants. Her own parents had been ripped from their home. She had heard their screams through the floor boards of the attic. There had been a lacing of bullets pelted through the front door just before it was smashed in. She had had to pinch her eyes shut then too, having made it to the attic's safety just in time. She had been quick enough and smart enough that time. Enough to get by.

This time felt just like that time. Rose pushed her eyes back open. The alley was clear, for now. She could hear troops on the next street over. She could hear the whirring of helicopters in the air above. She either had to move, or become a sitting duck.

“Please God.” She whispered under her heavy breathing before pressing on. She felt the door handle behind her. This was a tricky situation. The troops were known for lying in wait for their prey to come to them. They loved when that happened, like a fat goose served to them on a golden platter. They could be waiting for her right behind the door she now pressed her back against. Coming from the sounds down the other end of the alley, from the boots to the gun shots, this was her only option. They were closing in on her. She had to move fast.

Rose pushed the door open and quickly latched and locked it. She waited one full second for her breathing to come under her control a bit more, before she familiarized herself with her surroundings. There were shards of shattered glass on the floor. The front windows had apparently been pushed in, which were now covered with boards. The room appeared to be a shop of some sort, a grocer, or convenient store, most likely. The room was empty. No one was waiting here for her.

In one corner, a chair and table were knocked over, there were scratches on the floor. Just as Rose looked away, she noted a spattering of red on the wall. There had been a struggle here. She calculated all this in one instant and knew she had to look deeper. She started rummaging through piles of books behind the counter, looked for clues high on the shelves behind the cash register, even pried open the till and dug through scraps of paper looking for it. Finally, on her hands and knees, she found what she was looking for. Etched in the back corner, on the underside of the counter, was a tiny carving. No more than an inch long, but there nonetheless. Rose breathed a sigh of relief. She was on friendly grounds. Or, grounds that were once friendly.

Getting back to her feet, she began a new search. This carving told her more than any troop could ever know. They suspected, but they did not know for sure. Her eyes scanned the room again. She saw a door on the opposite wall and made for it. The grocer had used this side room as a storage area and the far corner was stacked high with sacks of flour, beans, and rice. It had to be here!

Frantically now, she began to throw the sacks out of the way. If the troops had been looking for her, they would be knocking down the doors any minute. She cleared away the sacks until there was bare floor. But nothing. Nothing looked out of place, nothing seemed abnormal. It had to be here!

She got to her knees once more, ran her hands over the walls and the floor boards. She felt the trim along the ground until her finger hit a spot that gave way. It was nothing more than a knot in the wood, but it concealed a button that nobody would be able to notice, except a highly trained person, like herself. The wall behind gave way, swinging back on hinges. A cold blast shot Rose in the face, just as she heard bullets lodge into the store's back wall. She threw herself into the darkness where the wall had been and slammed the door shut behind her.

Feeling with her hands, she crawled until the ground gave way and she felt a ladder lowering down further below. Ten minutes later, she found herself deep in the belly of the earth, far below the city. She stopped to rest a moment, catching her breath and letting her heartbeat come down again. She reached for the pack that was strapped to her back for the first time that day, and drew out a canteen full of water, indulging in a long draw from its mouth. Once her thirst was quenched, she settled the canteen back inside, and then checked the remainder of the bag's contents. Everything was in place. She felt along the inside where she knew a secret pocket was , another hidden place only the trained would be able to find.

She pulled the contents of the secret pocket out and scanned it with her flash light. This was it. This was why she ran. This one photograph. In it, she could see her mother and father, beaming proudly on either side of her. She peered at the face of the young girl in the middle. So happy, so full of hope. Radiant. She barely recognized this girl anymore, even though the picture had been snapped less than two years before. Before the war.

Finally, she let her eyes fall to what was in the photographed girl's hands. A scroll. Just like the symbol that had been etched into the grocer's counter. A simple piece of paper, rolled up in her hands. What it represented—intelligence, education, knowledge, pride—was the reason the war broke out. The reason hell had been unleashed on earth. She wiped a single tear from her eye and pressed the photo back into its hiding place. No one would be able to take that from her. She had to keep moving.

I had so much fun writing this... I'm actually kind of hoping to add more to it.

Thanks for reading!

DIY Big Bow Throw Pillow Tutorial

2012-02-09T14:41:00.000-08:00

I have been using the excuse of not having a sewing machine for far too long! I drool over fabric/sewing projects all the time, so why should I be left out? Because I am a sad craft blogger without a machine? Well, what did they do before electricity? That's right! They sewed by hand, and that, my dear readers, is precisely what I spent my afternoon doing today.

I have had two spare throw pillow forms sitting around the house for WAY too long that really needed a facelift. I wanted more pillows in the living room, and since working on a few new projects (found here and here), I really wanted to incorporate our new color pallet and fabric! Also, I am obsessed with bows (I do, after all, have a pair permanently tattooed to my earlobes), so when I spotted this project I KNEW I had to make it.

Supplies:18 inch pillow form
2 yards of fabric (if doing two different patterns. If you are just doing 1 fabric, 1 yard is enough for 1 pillow)
needle and thread
Scissors

Aren't these fabrics so fun and retro? Perfect for our living room!

Step One:
Choose your base fabric if using two different fabrics.

Lay pillow form on top of fabric to measure, and cut accordingly.
This will be the front of your pillow.

Step Two:

Begin to assemble your bow. I have made a fabric bow before ( here ) and the method is pretty much the same.

The following dimensions are for an 18 inch square pillow. Adjust accordingly if your pillow varies in size and shape.

For the main part of my bow, I used a piece of alternating fabric 17.5 inches wide by 39 inches long. You will be bringing both sides and ends together, so when you are measuring, you will want to use double your desired size.

Once my fabric was cut out, I brought both 39 inch edges together with the underside of the fabric on the outside, and ran a simple stitch, creating a long "tube".

You will do the same, but with a smaller piece of fabric, for the little part of the bow in the middle. My dimensions were 4 by 16 inches.

As with the larger "tube", bring the two long edges together, underside of fabric facing outside, and run a simple stitch.

Step Three:

Bring the short edges (17.5 inches) together on the larger "tube", with the previously stitched side of fabric on the outside, and run another stitch, bringing the shorter ends together. If you hold it, you will now have a complete circle of fabric.

Step Four:Flip the fabric back so that the stitch from step two is on the inside.
Find the middle of the tube and cinch together.

With the smaller tube made previously, wrap it around the middle of the larger tube, securing with a few stitches on both sides. Once you have wrapped it around and know approximately how much fabric you will need, cut the smaller tube, leaving half an inch extra to spare.

Now fold the cut end of the smaller tube inward, and secure to body of bow with hot glue. Folding it inward will create a clean, smooth edge.

Step Five:
Return to the "front" of the pillow and find the center. Secure the bow to the fabric in the middle and corners with pins.

Step Six:You will create one more "tube" to become the 'tie' part of the bow that appears to go around the pillow. Simply follow the steps previously mentioned to create this last tube. Mine measured 8 by 15 inches and was enough fabric for both sides of the bow.

You will then sew the tube onto one side like the picture below and secure the other end underneath the bow with a quick little hand stitch. Then, cut off access and use on the other side, using the same method.

Step Seven:Now that the front of your pillow is assembled, you are ready to make the back. I used the 'envelope method', which is simply two pieces of fabric, approximately half the width of your pillow, that come together and open in the middle for you to stuff your pillow into and easily remove.

I cut my fabric to be about 19 inches in height (leaving an extra in to hem and sew together to the front) and 10 inches wide. This will give you two extra inches to spare. Now, take the edge that will meet in the middle and form the envelope, fold it over about 1/4 of an inch, and iron down. Repeat the fold and ironing process one more time (so you are folding over twice). This is keep you from having to sew two more edges (by hand, if you are like me!).

Step Eight:Almost there!
Now all you have to do is run a stitch around all four edges of the pillow case while it is flipped inside out. I did this while baking some cookies and watching a movie. Yeah, this pillow is that simple. It doesn't sound like it, but really, it is. Trust me.

Step Nine:Stuff your pillow inside! And you are done!

I am THRILLED with my new pillows! My couch looks so lovely with the foot rest and pillows to match. I am swooning over my own living room and I like it! :)

Thanks for reading!

Endtable Remake: How to Paint Laminate Wood and Fabric Your Furniture Tutorial!

2012-02-07T18:09:00.000-08:00

So, I have been working on this end table re-do for the past week. We have had this end table for a few years, and it has been screaming at me for a repurpose and I'm happy that I finally got around to it this week!

I inherited this lovely particle board table from my mother when I moved out of her house. I have always liked it because it is the perfect height next to our chair and takes up very little floor space due to its size. I do not, however, care for the look of particle board, so I am more than happy to be rid of the look.

I chose the paint color to match an accent color on our couch pillows. I knew I also wanted to bring the black from the living room rug out, so I chose black as the accent paint color.

Painting particle board can be a little tricky. The method most often used it to sand the entire thing rigorously so that the paint has a rough surface to stick to. I, however, see that as a lot of work. So I did a bit of research and found this primer. It pretty much is made to work on any surface, including laminated wood!

So first, I added a couple coats of the primer and let it dry.

Next, I added several layers of the orange paint. As painting goes, this part of the project was pretty standard. I will have this to say though: I have discovered a love for frog tape! When I was painting my black trim on the table's door, I was having a heck of a time using painter's tape. The paint would soak through and then pull off on the tape! URRGGHHHH!!! Never again will I use painter's tape for this type of project. It may work for walls, but not intricate lines like this.

So, the second part of my project was to apply fabric to the table. I really wanted to incorporate the fabric I used in this project. The footrest is used with this chair, and the end table sits next to it, so I really wanted to two to match a little bit! Adding a bit of the same fabric was just the thing!

Being that the end table has very straight lines and is symmetric, I thought it would be fun to add some curves! I chose to add a circle of fabric to the top of the end table, and found that my plates were the perfect size, so I traced one with my rotary fabric blade and came up with a perfect circle!

I then measured the top of the table and found the center for the fabric circle. Tracing the plate again with a pencil lightly on the actual wood, I used this circle as a stencil to fill in with a layer of Modge Podge. Now place your fabric face up on top of the glue, flattening gently and smoothing out any air bubbles. Try not to pull the fabric too hard, because your edges will fray.

Once the fabric is in place, you can now trim any loose frays. Let this stand for a half hour to allow the glue underneath to somewhat dry.

Using a sponge paintbrush, smooth a coat of Modge Podge on the top of the fabric. I Modge Podged (is that a verb ?!?) the entire top of my table to make an even, shiny surface. Once you have applied the first layer, let it dry for an hour. After the time has passed, apply another layer and let this layer dry once more.

And you're done!

I love how this turned out and can't wait to see our living room all pulled together in our new place (since our current living room is full of boxes and trash bags in preparation for our move).

Thanks for reading!

Repurposed: Antique Suitcase into Footrest!

2012-02-06T08:44:00.000-08:00

Ok, I have not been so excited to publish a craft post in... well, probably never. This project turned out beautifully and I am so pleased with it!

I am a lover of all things old and have been wanting to make this footrest for a while now. This weekend, I picked up my supplies and got to work this morning. This only took me about and hour and a half to complete and was so easy!

Here we go:

Supplies:
1 old hard-case suitcase
4 metal table legs (I purchased these from Ikea)
A yard or so of fabric to match the room the footrest will call home
1 regular sized bed pillow (depending on how big your suitcase is, you may have to get a smaller or larger one)
Decorative nailhead trim (I bought mine from Joann's, but here is an example)
Drill
Hammer
Stitch Witchery
Scissors
Iron

Step One:Place the pillow on top (on the lid half of the suitcase, so it opens up) of the suitcase. Stretch fabric across and measure off how much you will need, making sure to leave at least half an inch extra and all sides to hem.

Step Two:Cut your fabric after taking dimensions, then begin to hem up. I am probably the only craft blogger in the world who doesn't have a sewing machine, so I simply used Stitch Witchery to tuck in my frays and create a clean edge to my fabric. If you are a fortunate enough soul to have a sewing machine, by all means run it through! If not, do as I did (which was actually extremely easy!).

Step Three:
With the pillow in place on the top of the suitcase, begin to attach the fabric to your suitcase with upholstery tacks. I chose to use a pillow for the padding versus craft foam because of the price. I would have had to pay twenty bucks for two inch thick craft foam big enough to cover the suitcase, while I paid four for the pillow, which I think is actually more comfortable anyway!

I liked to use the 'trim' version of upholstery tacks because you only have a pound a nail in every five spots, versus every single one, and it creates a very straight line with minimal effort on your part. But this option is much more expensive, so you be the judge!

Continue until you have nailed all four sides. At the corners, I did a tuck and fold method and then brought the folds together with a simple hand stitch with thread that matched my fabric and I can't even see! This created nice clean corners, but is not necessary.

Step Four:
Follow the instructions on your table legs' packaging to attach the legs to the under side of the suitcase. This step was maybe the hardest for me, but overall the entire project was easy-peasy.

Not only do I now have a one of a kind footrest that matches my living room oh-so-well, this cute little number will also come in handy when we move to our loft, as it doubles as storage space!

This project was so fun and easy to make. I was a little leery of dealing with upholstery tacks, but it all went super smoothly! I am beyond happy with the results! Can't wait for more awesome projects to come as we prepare for this move and this downsize! My little organization wheels are already turning!

Thanks for reading! I hope everyone had a great weekend! Enjoy this awesome weather we are having in mid-Michigan!

DIY Glitter Belt

2012-02-03T09:03:00.000-08:00

So today's post is going to be short and sweet. Ben and I are heading to Ohio for the weekend with my side of the family. I'm looking forward to a few days of relaxation before this next month hits (we are moving, more on that later).

I have been working on projects throughout the week, and decided to pull this one out of the arsenal for today's sweet little post.

DIY Glitter Belt:
Glitter belts are all the rave right now. Glitter in general is all the rave. I don't really like spending 20-30 dollars for a belt, so I decided to make my own! I picked up a leather woven belt for a dollar at a thrift store and began this super easy little craft.

Supplies:
Belt
Glitter
Modge Podge
Spray Glue Adhesive
Paint brush

Digging the 90's rainbow leather belt? I was too. :)

Step One: work a work space available. You will need quite a bit of space, so I just cleared our kitchen table.

I found it easiest to do this project over a cookie sheet to collect all the stray glitter. easy pick up!

Step Two: In about 6 inch increments, spread modge podge over the face of the belt with a dry paint brush. You want to be somewhat quick here and not let the glue dry, that's why I did this in increments. When you are done with the glue, pour your glitter over the area, then move on to the next section. Continue on until the entire belt is covered.

Step Three: Let the belt sit overnight. In the morning, turn it over onto the cookie sheet, letting any stray particles fall off.

Step Four: Touch up any areas that may not be glittery enough to your liking, and again let sit for a while to dry.

Step Five: Once the Modge Podge has all dried, take your spray adhesive and give the entire glitter side of the belt and good, thick spray.

*Note: do not do this step over the cookie sheet. You will have to throw it away. I happen to have a painting project going on in the house using a tarp, so I set it on that. You can also just take it outside and set it one the ground and spray away.

Step Six: Let this last coat of glue dry.

Step Seven: Wear!

You will most likely still lose a few pieces of glitter here and there and if that is something you cannot deal with, this project may not be for you. I really like how mine turned out! I had this lovely aqua blue glitter left over from Christmas and it is just about my favorite color right now. I am super pleased with how this turned out!

Well folks, we are off for the weekend! We are driving down to Ohio with my family for a mini-vacay! Hope you all have a good weekend and thanks for reading!

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap

2012-02-02T08:16:00.000-08:00

Since I was on the topic yesterday of stain removal, I thought I would continue on with laundry care since I needed to make a batch of homemade laundry soap anyway! Most homemade laundry soaps are made in a very similar fashion to this one. This is about as easy as it gets!

Ingredients:1 bar of soap-I used Fels Naptha
1/2 cup of Arm and Hammer Washing Soda
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 distilled white vinegar
essential oils (optional)

* most of these ingredients can be found in any grocery store

Breakdown of Ingredients and their purpose:
When I started wanting to make my own products around the house, I had to do a lot of research to find out what things were. A lot of times bloggers forget that most people (me included) do not either know what an ingredient is or what it does. So I would like to include that here for your reading pleasure!

Fels Naptha:
Is a soap that was designed over a hundred years ago to treat contact dermatitis from poison ivy and other oil transmitted skin irritants. It is often used as a pre-treatment to clothes and is especially good at removing hard stains like baby formula and under arm stains. When grated and added to a load of laundry, the manufacturer boasts its capability of removing stains that have been locked in fabrics for up to a year (which is why it was designed to combat poison ivy: poison ivy oils can stay in your clothes for up to a year!)

Washing Soda:
Is a high alkaline chemical compound very similar to baking soda. It has a wide range of stain removal possibilities. Unlike bleach, washing soda is a tough stain fighter that is not harmful to the actual fabric. It also aids in removing any residue from your laundry soap or your machine.

Baking soda:
Everyone knows what baking soda is, but some people may not know what it does in laundry.
A lot of homemade laundry soap recipes use washing soda but not baking soda. I like to include both of them, because, even though very similar, they both do something different. Baking soda is a natural deodorizer and is incredible at lifting smells. It is awesome at removing smoke and sweat smells. And this is why I throw it in my soap!

White Vinegar:
White vinegar is another ingredient that commonly gets left out of most homemade laundry soap recipes. I like to include it because it helps deter the formation of lint (which is very helpful to someone who hates separating loads and likes to throw blacks in with towels. AKA: lint catastrophe!) It brightens whites: under arms, socks, you name it! Get those dingey whites white again!

Essential oils:
I like to use several different essential oils (EO). EOs can start to get costly, so this is totally optional!

First, I like to make a batch of laundry soap using Thieves Oil. Thieves is a natural anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and anti-fungal. It kills molds, viruses and bacteria! Since I work in the health care industry with direct patient contact, I am constantly bringing germs home. When making my soap, I simply add about 20 drops of thieves oil to a container of soap. When I want to do a heavy duty load, like my scrubs, I choose this batch!

Second: I like to make another container of laundry soap with lavender essential oil. Lavender is a natural calmer and soother--not to mention it smells awesome. I like to use this batch when I am washing our bedding. It smells amazing and is so soothing!

Again, EOs are totally up to you!

Ok, on to making the soap.

Here's how:
*I got my method from here. Her method makes the most sense to me. No toting around a 5 gallon bucket of soap to do my laundry like a lot of online DIY recipes.

1: Grate 1 bar of fels-naptha soap.

2. Add soap gratings into a large pot. Add two quarts of water and heat up on stove until all the shavings are melted.

3. Once the shavings are melted, add washing soda, baking soda and vinegar and mix until all the dry ingredients are dissolved.

4. This was the tricky part for me when making my first batch, because you will need to collect several containers. This took me several months since we don't drink bottled juice or milk. I came up with 3 1 gallon jugs and a 1/2 gallon juice jug. Use what you got! This recipe is designed for 3.5 gallons, but I'm sure you could stretch it to 4 or 5!

Once you know how many containers you have, you will take the soapy mixture and evenly distribute to each container. Once you have done this, add hot water to each jug until about halfway full.

5. Let your laundry soap sit overnight to thicken. And don't freak out in the morning when you have a big blob in your jug.

6. Again, I stole this idea from this website, but simply insert a long spoon handle into each bottle and mix that blob up! I then put the lid back on and give at a really good shake!

And this is what it looks like after! Chunky!

7. Almost done!
Now, add enough hot water to each container that you are a few inches from being full. This leaves a little room for a few final shakes to get the chunks out!

And now you're done! You have laundry soap. This is what the final product looks like:

I like to make a nice label for mine. But you really don't need.

Cost:
I also always like to include cost in my posts so you can see that it isn't necessarily more expensive to go all-natural.

Fels Naptha: 1.00 dollar per bar

Baking Soda: 0.04 cents per ounce
                     0.16 cents per 1/2 cup

Washing soda: 0.05 cents per ounce
                       0.20 cents per 1/2 cup

White Vinegar: 0.04 cents per ounce
                       0.16 cents per 1/2 cup

Essential oils: 0.20 cents per oil ( very approximate, considering you can't really measure a drop)
                    0.40 cents for both oils

Total: 2.08 for 3.5 GALLONS of laundry soap!

Cost comparison:
I currently still have a bottle of Purex laundry soap in the house that I formerly used.
Purex is sold in a 150 ounce bottle for 8.99.
Purex: 0.06 cents an ounce
          0.24 cents a load

My laundry soap:
Made 448 ounces for 2.08.
Mine: 0.005 cents an ounce
          0.02 cents per load!!!!!!!

This is the first time I have actually sat down and plugged in the numbers and this is outstanding! The amount of laundry soap I made in this batch will probably last me the rest of the year (or at least 112 loads) and it only cost me a little over two bucks and very minimal effort. I would say that is worth it!

Sorry this post was so long, but I really wanted to familiarize my readers with the why I use what I use and how much money it saves me in the process.

Thanks for sticking it out and reading along! Happy Thursday!

4 All Natural Stain Removers + Which One is the BEST

2012-02-01T11:26:00.000-08:00

So a few weeks ago I met up with Aundrea of La vie en Rose to explore a local antique store I love frequenting (read more of that adventure here). We both picked up a pair of these fab vintage belts. They were in need of some lovin' and gentle care.

I bought two covered in stains, determined to find a great solution to make them beautiful again. The more I read up on stain removal, the more I realized it is helpful to know what kind of substance is staining your fabric. However, since these were vintage belts, I have no clue what could be on them! So after coming up with a few basic home remedy recipes, I tried them out!

First, I wanted to try four different methods for removal, so I split the belts in half, testing each half with one of the methods.

Method One:
1 tablespoon distilled vinegar to 2 tablespoons boiling water

Method Two:
1 tablespoon of Arm and Hammer Washing Soda (not baking soda) plus 1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide plus 2 tablespoons boiling water

Method Three:
1 tablespoon baking soda plus 1 table spoon fresh lemon juice plus 2 tablespoons boiling water

Method Four:

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons boiling water

I mixed my ingredients in separate bowls and prepared my work area. I put a towel down to catch any drips on the kitchen table, and applied each method to half of a belt with a tooth brush I use for cleaning.

Belt #1:
Black and White Plaid Buckle half received vinegar and water mixture, the other half (with the holes) received the washing soda, hydrogen peroxide and water mixture.

Belt #2:
Teal and Black FloralBuckle half received the baking soda, lemon juice and water mixture while the other half (with holes) got the lemon juice and water mix.

I let them sit for 3 hours and then rinsed them off with water and set them out on a flat surface to dry.

Results:

First place: baking soda, lemon juice and water
Second place: washing soda, hydrogen peroxide and water
Third place: Lemon juice and water
Fourth place: Vinegar and water

First and second place were pretty much a tie. Every one of the stains on those halves of the belts were lifted! The lemon juice also did pretty well, but didn't brighten quite as well as the first and second place mixtures. The vinegar was so-so. There was still some 'dinge' left behind after the application of the stain remover, but it wouldn't necessarily deter me from using it in a pinch!

I feel like I just conducted a science experiment!

I can't wait to come up with a clever, beautiful way to use these awesome belts! I am also really having fun racking my brain for a brilliant antique restoration I picked up from Lamb's Gate while with Aundrea! So much fun in store!

Thanks for reading!

DIY Mercury Glass for Cheap!

2012-01-30T14:24:00.000-08:00

So if you have been anywhere in the past year other than under a rock, you would have seen mercury glass somewhere. It is the look of the year, I swear. I saw actual mercury glass this weekend--not the knock off stuff you buy at TJMaxx or Target--at the Plymouth Ice Festival selling for seventy-two dollars for a little tea light candle holder. Holy moly! (My candle holder would have to be made of pure gold for that price).

Anyway, I have been scouring the internet for months--ok, not months, but it feels like it--to come up with a cheap way of making my own knock-off mercury glass. Everywhere I looked people were using Krylon Looking Glass Paint that costs like 15 bucks a bottle. No thu-ank you!

So my search continued until I deployed my mother to help in the quest. And we came up with this website. This blogger uses silver leafing sheets instead of any paint for her metallic look to her faux mercury glass. Genius!

I had actually forgotten about this project until Ben and I saw silver leafing on clearance at Hobby Lobby for 3.14! Jackpot! So, this is how you do it!

Step one: Select your glassware.
I used this lovely glass.

Step Two: break your silver leafing up until smaller (not shredded) flakes.

Step 3: Coat inside of glass with a thin layer of Modge Podge.

Step 4: Drop silver leafing flakes into glass and smooth over glue surface with a dry paint brush.

Continue until the entire inside of the glass is covered, as well as the bottom of the glass, stem, handle, etc. depending on what piece of glassware you choose. You can continue to add more and more silver leafing flakes until you gain your desired look.

Step 5: Let the glass sit over night to dry and then apply one more thin coat of Modge Podge over top the next day to keep all little pieces of silver leafing glued down.

And voila! Your own mercury glass at a fraction of the cost!

Note: this method, as well as any other, is not suitable for eating surfaces. So don't redo your china set on the side you eat.No good. Also, if you are using for candle holders, make sure none of the products you are using are flammable. I am using a flameless candle in the photo above.

Enjoy!

Thanks for reading!

Plymouth Ice Festival

2012-01-25T17:30:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we celebrated our one year wedding anniversary! We had originally intended on spending our anniversaries somewhere warm since our anniversary month is January, but with me not working for the past two months, we decided to stay local.

We chose to drive down to Ann Arbor for the weekend. Neither of us have really spent much time in that city and it is supposed be be a pretty sweet place and awesome campus, which we found out actually was! While researching our weekend get away, I discovered that 15 minutes away from Ann Arbor was the Plymouth Ice Festival! Now, I think ice carvers are intense and crazy, but we read somewhere that this is the largest one in either the US or Northwest ( don't quote me here) so we decided to check it out on Friday afternoon.

This, of course, was the same afternoon Mother Nature decided would be the coldest this winter! We had to grab coffee to keep from freezing to death, but it was really fun to walk around and look at all the displays!

P.S. Never let old men take your photo. Even if you have it all lined up, zoomed in perfectly, and all he has to do is push the button. He will mess it up. Just fyi.

This was my favorite sculpture... a long neck wearing a saddle! Who comes up with this stuff? Srsly.

Ben took this photo because he thought the dolphins in the background looked like they were being naughty and getting it on. He's such a boy.

Sitting on the ice bear chair.

All in all, it was a terrific anniversary! Thank God we checked in to our hotel before we went to the ice festival because we got to go immediately back after freezing our tootsies off and jump in the hot tub! It felt great! Many more adventures were had this last weekend and many memories made!

But for now, on to more pressing news! I am finally employed again! I started working on Monday after almost a two month career break. I really enjoyed my time off, but I am actually really liking this new job. I get to use my education and my skills... but also do one of the most fun (in my opinion) facets of radiology... surgery! All day, every day!

I'm so happy to be back working. I really enjoyed my time off. I haven't had a break from work or school since, well, I started working! But I love being back doing what I have been educated to do, using my skills, and contributing more to our household. One thing is for certain though: it is so hard to juggle everything! I have failed miserably this week at working 10 hour shifts, getting an hour work out in, making dinner, and finding time to blog, let alone working on the creations I blog about!

I have a free weekend, though, so here's to crafting, cooking and creating in the days to come!

Thanks for reading about our little adventure!

Homemade Toothpaste

2012-01-23T17:43:00.000-08:00

I decided I wanted to try my hand at all natural homemade toothpaste a few weeks ago. After some research, I decided to use Meghan Telpner's method. She blogs over at Making Love in the Kitchen. When I first started following her about a year ago, I admit I thought she was a little crazy. She is crazy intense about her love of food, but her delicious holistic approach to cooking turns out some pretty awesome meals, if I do say so myself. I also admit that I often use her as a cross reference when determining if something that is labeled as 'healthy' ultimately really is. She is a fount of knowledge and knows her stuff! Her blog is a great tool for those of you trying to cook whole, healthy, holistic meals and I more than suggest checking her site out!

Anyway, on to toothpaste. We had Crest Scope Outlast in our house, and I'm not sure what the dealeo is, but I cannot find the ingredient list anywhere on the tube, on Crest's website, or online. I'm not sure if it was printed on the box, but that in itself makes me a little leery, knowing the company is not freely displaying the ingredients. The only ingredient listed is fluoride and oh buddy, that is a whole other can of worms. Suffice it to say, I am not delving into the fluoride topic. But look it up for yourself and make an educated decision!

This toothpaste recipe is actually pretty simple to make and you only need a few things!

Ingredients:1/4 cup baking soda

1/4 cup vegetable glycerin

10-15 drops peppermint essential oil (food grade)
old toothpaste tube
toothpaste tube squeezer gadget you can find at the dollar store

Note: some people are really used to toothpaste being sweet, and need to sweeten this recipe with xylitol or stevia. Glycerin is actually a liquid by-product from vegetable oils that is sweet enough to use as a sweetener!

Directions:

And that's all folks! Easy, quick all natural toothpaste. This toothpaste won't foam and bubble like the commercial toothpaste most people are used to, so make sure you are aware of that before going this route. However, my teeth are already looking noticeably whiter from the baking soda without harsh chemicals of whitening products so I think this is totally worth it!

Cost:Baking soda: 0.07 cents
Vegetable glycerin: 0.78 cents
Essential oil: 0.05 cents *approximately* It's hard to measure drops.
Total: 0.90 cents
This amount filled up my tube about 3/4 of the way, enough so that I could fit the tube squeezer on the end. Compared to 4.28 for Crest Scope Outlast at Meijer, I would say this is an awesome deal on natural toothpaste!

Thanks for reading!

P.S. I got a new job and start tomorrow! Pretty excited to be working again, even if it is only part-time! Thank God for blessings!

Marriage

2012-01-20T07:05:00.000-08:00

With our one year anniversary quickly approaching on Sunday, I have really enjoyed taking a step back and looking at what all has happened in the past year. The change, memories, and adventures. It has been an amazing year for this Fleury clan. We have been blessed beyond belief, not just with careers and vehicles and a lovely home, but with friendships and relationships and joy and peace. This year has been a year full of learning!

Marriage has taught me how to 'think for two people' as one person. Just because the saying goes 'and two shall become one' doesn't mean it happens overnight. It takes time and effort. I will be the first to admit I went into our marriage a tad selfish. Lots of 'my' this and 'me' that. But over time you begin to replace those possessive nouns with 'ours' and 'we'.

Marriage has been so much fun! We have been on so many adventures this year! We have been outside the country for an entire month of our first year as a married couple... and let me tell you, when you are in a foreign country and can't understand anyone, you really learn to lean on your spouse!

I have learned that marriage is what you put into it. Give a little, get a little type of thing. It can be difficult sometimes, but for the most part, marriage is such a reward! I am blessed daily by a husband that loves me, supports me, encourages to chase my dreams, and helps me think outside the box. I am such a blessed girl, I cannot even begin to list the ways. It touches my heart when my friends and family say 'Wow, Ben is just the nicest guy. You got yourself a good one.' And this actually happens a lot! God has indeed blessed me!

As I look back on the last year, I am in awe of how amazing my God is. With so many marriages ending around us, it is truly a gift to have such a blessed one! I can't wait for the next anniversaries to come! Each year will just get better and better!

We are headed to Ann Arbor for the weekend to some new adventures. I am really looking forward to the time I will have with my husband! I hope everyone has a GREAT weekend!

Splithelark-- Meets La Vie

2012-01-19T10:48:00.000-08:00

Hi guys!

I am so excited for today's post! Yesterday I met up with Auna, the amazing woman behind the super amazing blog: La Vie en Rose. We met at a local coffee shop for an interview followed by an afternoon of antiquing (one of my favorite hobbies, and come to find out, hers too! We apparently are both in love with the same antique store in town. Small world!).

Meet Auna! The beautiful blogger behind La Vie en Rose!

This is the first guest post Splitthelark-- has ever done, so I'm SO excited to share our afternoon with all of my readers. Oh, and by the way, she will be posting my interview on her blog today so make sure to check it out. Not to mention, her blog is just absolutely fantastic and informational!

Without further adieu: Splitthelark-- Meets La Vie

Q: Tell me a little bit about yourself.

Auna:Ok! I was raised in the suburbs by my parents and grew up with one brother. I have a degree in Biblical Studies from Berean School of the Bible. I have been a ballerina for one year. ago. Well, technically for one year, but in my head, it has been my life long goal. I speak three languages: French, German, and English. And now I live with my husband who is a fabulous musician. I like him. He's nice.

Q: Awesome! Where does your inspiration come from?

Auna: A lot of my inspiration comes from my mom and best friend. They are both highly creative people, so trying to make them proud is huge! God also inspires me: He created us and when we are creative, we are most like Him. I also have European inspirations. I lived there for a time and am so inspired by the architecture, culture, food and the women.

Auna gaining her inspiration from 1940's French doors

Q: What is it about European women that you find so inspirational?

Auna: Their fashion and hairstyle. The fact that they rarely work more than 18 hours a week, that totally inspires me. I love the culture of less work and more play. Women in France are not so concerned with aging or plastic surgery, they really know how to age gracefully. Here we are, so hung up on staying young, but there they realize they flourish as they age.They also seem somewhat mysterious to me, but also confident. The women in Europe also do the best with what they have. They are very domestic. Over there is seems to be more accepted to stay home and be just that. Here in the US women 'have' to work.

lovely vintage belts

Q: What was your first 'ah ha' blog moment? When did you first know you wanted to blog?

Auna: I think when I started seeing myself as creative. I was always surrounded by such creative people that I didn't see the creativity in myself. I felt like I couldn't hold a candle to them. But as I got older, I realized that everyone can be creative and La Vie came out of that. It is my contribution to the world.

My first proud crafter's moment was my 'lovers scarf'... making two scarves out of one. Then I looked around and realized that I was the only one that had done exactly what I had just done and that I really can be creative.

Q: What do you do to keep the creative juices flowing?

Auna: I stay in touch with my European side because I am so inspired by it and my time spent there! I like to take walks and be inspired by creation. I have a special thinking chair that I sit in and do just that: think! Having left my job, I now don't have quite as much to invest into La Vie and that in itself has opened up a lot of creativity in me because I have learned how to make things myself. If I don't paint the picture myself, I won't get it. That sort of thing. I want, therefore I create. My necessity has bred creativity!

Q: What is the focus of La Vie en Rose?

Auna: 'La Vie en Rose' is a French way of life that means to see your life through rose colored glasses. This is the idea of learning to be content and work with what you have. Making the most of what you've got: from clothes to decor, from food to natural products. Natural products: I believe in them and I think La Vie does a really good job with introducing my readers to them. I have been making my own natural products since high school. La Vie is a way of life: of doing the most with what we have.
My personal journey with La Vie right now is thinking outside the borders of 'what is creative'--everyone is creative!

What an awesome lady and what an inspiration she has been, just spending one afternoon with her! Still to come is our trip to Lamb's Gate where we made purchases with the idea of refurbishing to do a before and after post! So excited!

It was great meeting with Auna and all the fabulous ideas we started bouncing off each other. The best is yet to come and I, for one, can't wait!

Thanks for reading!

P.S. Totally off topic, but Splitthelark-- is FINALLY on facebook, so you'll have to go over and check it out! Big things people, big things are coming! Stay tuned!

DIY Mail Sorting Solution

2012-01-18T07:16:00.000-08:00

If you are like me, we have TONS of mail that builds up in our entryway (usually where we come home and 'dump'). It collects there for weeks because neither of us know what to do with the others mail, it gets misplaced, thrown out, or is just an unorganized mess!

I have been wanting to figure out a mail organization solution that didn't cost me an arm and a leg from the store (come one, thirty bucks to organize what is mostly junk to begin with?!?), that went with my decor, took up minimal space, and was cost-effective. So, this is what I came up with! Cheap, easy, hang it on your wall so it doesn't take up valuable counter space.

Supplies:
3 8x10 frames (or larger)
3 pieces of scrapbook paper that match your room's decor and colors
3 magnetic backed metal clips (the kind you hang on your fridge)
hot glue and gun
scissors
printer

Directions:

Take the glass out of your frames and place on top of scrapbook paper, lining up one corner so you only have to cut two edges.

Next, cut the other two edges. I used a rotary blade because it is super easy, but you can trace your glass and use scissors if you don't have one.

Print off pretty labels. We decided we would have 'his mail', 'her mail' and 'outgoing mail'. Pretty self explanatory. This way, Ben will be in charge of his own mail area, I am in charge of mine, and anything that needs to be mailed out will go in outgoing. You can label yours anyway you chose. Bills, incoming, outgoing. Etc.

I chose a border off google, and uploaded it to picnik (which is a free internet photo editing software).

I added my text.

And printed the labels.

Next, assemble the frames with the label and scrapbook paper of your choice inside.

Once the frames are assembled, you will put hot glue on the back (magnet) of the metallic clip, and place in the center at the top of the glass.

Now they're ready for hanging!

Choose a spot in your home where your mail normally collects. Like I said, ours sits on this shelf (currently propped behind some gnomes) and sits and sits and sits until I can't handle it anymore and I go through it.

Once your frames are hung in the provided space, you can begin to sort your mail and hang according to the proper frame!

This project took me about half an hour to complete. It is super simple and we are already loving it. It has freed up space (which, if you live like us, is hard to come by), made our entryway less cluttered and organized our mail!

Cost:

Frames: 3.00 (yes, I am a dollar store believer)
Clips: 1.29 from any grocery store

Total: 4.29 (I had all the other materials already)

There you have it! Cheap, easy, and quick!

I am pretty excited for today. I am meeting with a fellow local blogger from La Vie en Rose to team up in an upcoming double feature post. Stayed tuned, it is going to be amazing!

Thanks for reading! Happy Wednesday!

XOXO

DIY Legwarmers and Boot Socks!

2012-01-17T09:11:00.000-08:00

Last week I worked on making these awesome legwarmers. I would have had this post up then, but I was having a wee bit of technical difficulty with my camera (I admit now, it was totally user error). So at last, here they are!

This is a super easy craft and it took me about 15 minutes to complete it. Plus, you get two different looks out on one craft project! Sweet!

DIY Legwarmers

Supplies:
1 old sweater
2 1-2 inch ribbon, about 3 feet long
scissors

Directions:
Cut off sleeves of old sweater at the arm pit, depending on how long your legs are.

Next, turn both arms inside out and fold the cut end down about an inch. Then thread your ribbon through every several inches. You can use anything for your ribbon. I bought an old lady scarf from Goodwill for 50 cents and cut it up to the appropriate dimensions. The ribbon acts as a 'stitch' (for those of us less fortunate enough to not have a sewing machine) to keep the cut edges from fraying.

Once you have threaded all the way around the leg warmer, bring the two ends together in a cute little bow. Cut off excess remains, keeping just enough that you can turn them upside and tie them around your calves for the next project:

DIY Boot Socks

Boot socks are the biggest thing right now. I went hunting for a pair a couple weeks ago and was shocked that they cost anywhere from twelve to twenty five bucks. I couldn't bring myself to pay that price, so decided to turn my leg warmers into boot socks!

Really, you can just throw boots on over your legwarmers, but I like to flip them around so the cute little bow will peek out the top of your boots!

And there you have it! Two cute projects in one with a grand total of: 3.00!!!!!

Happy Tuesday! Hope everyone is having a great week! Big things are in store for splitthelark this week so stay tuned!

One of those days....

2012-01-16T13:06:00.000-08:00

Ever had "one of those days"? Everything seems to go wrong, you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, etc.? Yeah? Yeah, me too. And I am having one right now! I have several cute posts all ready to put up this week, and guess what?!? I can't get my camera card to read my photos. It's like they just disappeared even though I can see them when the chip is in the camera. This type of thing absolutely gets my goat.

So I moved onto something slightly more positive. Or am trying to, anyway. When you're already bumming, thinking about getting in shape is about the last thing you want to think about. But, I want to look like her:

Is that really too much to ask for?
I think not!
And I have a plan to go from feeling like this:

To looking like this:

First and foremost: the number one reason people do not stick to their fitness goals and resolutions is their lack of motivation and accountability. My solution: group up!

Today started a 6-week healthy lifestyle challenge between some of my friends. We are sprinkled all over the state of Michigan, but once a week we will weigh in and count up points. Point system:
1 point for 64 ounces of water drank in a day

1 point for 5 servings of fruits/veggies a day

1 point for 30 minutes of working out ( can get more points for each half hour interval each day)

Ben and I also started a fitness challenge as a New Year's Resolution this year. It is nice to have him along side me for this one because it is going to be an intense challenge. Starting this month, we are to do 1,000 ab work outs whether it be crunches, bicycles, planks, reverse crunches, etc. February, we will boost it up to 2,000. March we will go to 3,000. By the end of 2012, we will be doing 12,000 ab workouts in December alone, with a grand total of 78,000! Yikes!

I couldn't do it without him.

So that's my plan. Start the year with a group of girl friends pushing me over that initial 'working out and eating healthy sucks' rut and finishing the rest of the year with the hubby pushing me harder every month. We will see what happens!

Hopefully I can figure my stupid computer situation out soon! I can't wait to share this week's projects!

Happy Monday!

Ballin' Tacos//A Recipe

2012-01-11T08:14:00.000-08:00

This weekend Ben and I went with my in-laws to a new restaurant in town called Fork in the Road. FITR specializes in locally-grown, from scratch meals that are to die for. Their menu is somewhat limited due to only being able to serve what is in season, but we were amazed at the dishes we ordered!

Sometimes going out to eat with my mother-in-law can be challenging. She is a gluten-free, dairy-free, health guru and though I strongly admire her, Lansing is not really the place for this. We apparently really like our chain restaurants in these here parts. However, with some new, awesome restaurants coming to town, the cuisine is kicking it up a notch in Lansing (and I, for one, am extremely excited for this long-needed change).

Anyway, my MIL ordered Ballin' A** Tacos for dinner while we were there and let me tell you: I have never ever had such a good taco before! In my opinion, tacos along with most Mexican dishes, are way over done, but I don't think I will ever get sick of these tacos. It was my mission this week to go home and experiment and replicate this bit of savory heaven and I think I did even better than they did! Check out the recipe!

Ingredients:

Soft Corn Tortillas
1 lime
1 small bunch of cilantro leaves

Queso Fresco (or Queso Blanco or Mexican Cheese found in specialty cheese area)
1 lb seasoned taco meat*

olive oil

*Seasoning (approximate, adjust to your taste):
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp arrow root starch

1 cup water
dash of red pepper flakes

Directions:Prepare beef in pan, adding seasoning while cooking, until browned. Once cooked through, continue seasoning until you have reach desired taste. Meanwhile, mix 1 tablespoon arrow root starch with 1 cup of water, cover with lid in small bowl, and shake until completely mixed. Add to beef and mix until juices have thickened.

Set meat aside. Prepare the soft corn tortillas by placing a 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil in the bottom of a pan and browning both sides of tortilla until completely warm and slightly crunchy, but not hard.

Grate cheese. Queso Fresco is a dry cheese and will crumble as you grate.

Pinch off leaves of several cilantro stalks and leave whole.

Peel your lime. Pull each section apart and then remove meat from white pulp completely. This is a bit challenging and do not get discouraged if the meat pulverizes. It tastes the same and oh-so-good!

Prepare your taco: tortilla, meat, cheese, cilantro and lime. Serve with side of wild rice or quinoa and enjoy!

I seriously will never look at tacos the same way again. YUM!

Happy Humpday everyone!

P.S. We are going to look at a house tomorrow. Praying for favor!

"Lovely Weather We're Having"

2012-01-10T15:54:00.000-08:00

This weekend we experienced something terribly abnormal. We hit the mid-50's in January in Michigan! Holy moly! You'd of thought it was the beginning of spring. People were out playing catch, walking dogs, running. I even caught the tale end of a game of golf out our back window (we live right on a golf course).

So Ben and I took full advantage of the beautiful weather and got outside. First, we went to a cute, artsy little side of town known as "old town". I love this place for several reasons, but the top two are as follows:
1. Lamb's Gate Antiques
2. Love, Betti Antiques

By far the two best antique stores in town, and this girl loves some antiques!

Another reason old town is so cute is that the Grand River runs right through it with a fish ladder and a dam to add to the rustic charm.

kissy. aren't we cute. :)

After a lovely stroll in this spring-like weather, we ended our afternoon excursion at Lake Lansing Park. We were pretty spoiled this summer to live so close (1 mile) from a fairly nice lake. I will miss this convenience once we move. Sigh.

The sun was just about to go down, and I looked halfway respectable, so we got a few outfit shots.

I can't believe it was 55 degrees out with the frozen lake in the background!

Outfit:
vest: thrifted
sweater: h & m
scarf: gifted
jeans: target?
earrings: thrifted
purse: gifted
bows: gifted
my brass knuckle: forever21

Today was another beautiful day here in mid-Michigan. It just is not supposed to be fifty degrees in January. Oh Mother Nature, you and I are not going to be friends when you decided to dump snow on us... oh.... this weekend. Sad face. I HATE snow!

Is everyone else enjoying particularly unseasonably weather?

Easy DIY Makeup Organizer

2012-01-09T11:40:00.000-08:00

Living in a small-ish house, I have found that organization is key! I am always looking for new and innovative ways to keep our house clutter-free and everything easily accessible. My dad always taught us: if you don't have a specific location to keep something, you don't need it. And no, the floor does not count as a specific location.

I got this idea for a makeup organizer on pinterest. While it is meant to hang on the wall, I paint my face in my main bathroom everyday and don't really care for this hanging there for viewer's discretion. So I decided it would be just as beneficial inside my makeup drawer. Everything has a spot, everything is labeled, everything is nice and neat and easy to find. My kind of project!

Btw, I did this on the cheap!

What you'll need:
1 cookie sheet from the dollar store for one dolla!
1 strip of cut-able magnets
1 package of ten circular magnets
2 little wood tags, painted black and a paint marker for writing (you can use paper or something similar if you have it)
1 roll of wrapping paper of choice (or scrapbook paper)
scrapbook paper if you want to pretty it up with cute quotes
hot glue gun
scissors

Directions are as follows:

As you can see, I used a fabric cutter, but this can easily be accomplished with scissors.

Now:

I found that some products work better with the strip of magnets versus the circular ones and vice-versa. For instance, round handled brushes work better with the circular magnets because bending the strip of magnets makes less surface for the magnet to attach to the sheet.

I used this pouch and attached it with magnets to hold little things like eyeliner and tweezers. Use what you have! You can use a jar, a can, make a fabric pocket to hold these little goodies, whatever works!

And voila! You now have a beautiful, easy, cheap way to keep all your beauty products organized!

Cost:
Cookie Sheet: 1.00
Wrapping paper: 1.00
Magnets: 2.08
________________
Total: 4.08

*I already had remaining items

Thanks for reading!

CHANGE

2012-01-06T08:27:00.000-08:00

Have you heard of The Shine Project? NO? You have to go over and check it out!

Created by the lovely Miss Ashley, this blog is totally worth checking out! She has a heart for change and a weekly challenge to help the rest of us get off our tooshies and do something worthwhile, something outside ourselves.

This week, she challenged her readers with this:

"If I could change one thing in the world, what would it be?"

She prompted us to write down the first thing we thought of and then simple, practical ways to start the change. After all, change is not an event but a process of getting there.

So, what would I change?

First of all, I would change me. I would stop thinking so inwardly, and start thinking outwardly. For years, I have had a gnawing ache to volunteer my time at a local children's home. I don't know where this desire came from, but it is there. And you know what? I have pushed it aside and ignored it! For years! That is just crazy?!

I would start volunteering. Not just at the children's home I have been longing to for so long, but at the soup kitchen and my church and parks and recreation clean up days! When is the last time I got outside myself to help others (not counting family or friends)? It's been too long.

I would then ignite the spark. I would try and get anyone involved that I can. My husband, my family, my friends. We live in a very privileged time. We have so much knowledge and access right at our finger tips! I would research areas that need volunteers, then I would get the word out! Gather the troops. I remember in high school volunteering for a lot of events... that I heard about. The truth is, a lot of volunteer work just isn't publicized enough.

Can you imagine what the world would look like if everyone volunteered just one night a week? Our roads would be clean, our homeless would be fed, our orphans would be cared for, our elderly would not be so lonely!

After all, we have been called to do this long before I wrote this post.

Isaiah 1:17 "Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of the orphans. Fight for the rights of the widows."

"There is no better exercise for your heart,

Than reaching down and helping lift someone up"
-Bernard Meltzer

"There is a tremendous strength that is growing through the world...
sharing together, praying together, suffering together, and working together."
-Mother Teresa

In this time, the beginning of the year, we always look into ourselves. "What resolutions should I make?" Lose my weight, make and save more money for me, stop letting so many curse words come out of my mouth. Maybe everyone should just make ONE resolution not about themselves? Just a thought! :)

Today I am linking up with Ashley:

MIY All-Natural Creamiest of Cream Shaving Cream

2012-01-05T17:26:00.000-08:00

This craft was supposed to be finished yesterday but it was my sister's birthday and I ended up hanging out with her for the day and spent the evening with the family for her birthday dinner. Needless to say, this craft had to wait one more day!

As you have probably picked up from previous posts, I am trying to get rid of all of my conventional beauty products and create my own all-natural regimen. I have nixed the shampoo and conditioner, made my own body wash, went all organic mineral makeup, tossed the deodorant sticks and created a new toothpaste (more on that in an upcoming post).

I still have a long way to go, but my next step was to create a shaving cream! I have been researching and pricing it out for the past few weeks. I tend to tailor my recipes for my specific needs, and when it comes to my skin, I need moisture to the max and gentle for my sensitivities. So, here it is! All-natural shaving cream!

Ingredients:

2 tbs glycerin soap
2 tbs coconut oil
1 tbs cocoa butter
2/3 c. distilled water
1 tsp baking soda
2 ounces rose water (make your own, instructions found here)
1 tbs castor oil
lemon

*Sorry about the inaccurate photo. I was going to use honey, but opted not to.

Directions:

Take glycerin soap bar ( can be found almost anywhere, actually, even Meijer! Just make sure it is unscented.) and cut up into two tablespoon approximate cubes.

Place cubes in a double boiler. In my case, I didn't have one, so I filled the bottom of a sauce pan with water and placed a heat-safe bowl that fit on top of the pan. Now add the tablespoon of cocoa butter and 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and let them melt completely--will be almost clear.

While you are waiting for them to melt, mix together 2 ounces of rose water and 1 tablespoon of castor oil in a bowl. Once the oils are all melted, remove them from heat and set aside until they have cooled to room temperature.

While this cools, start boiling 2/3 cup distilled water. Once it has begun to boil, add 1 teaspoon of baking soda and mix until dissolved. Turn off and let cool. Now add the oil mixture to the rose water mixture, and add the baking soda mixture to the rest and whip up until light and frothy.

This is when I began to get nervous. While my concoction seemed nice and moisturizing on my skin, it was very runny. I literally set it aside in failure and went to make dinner. After dishes were done ( I was about to dump my concoction into the trash) I noticed it had changed! After stirring it up a bit more, my shaving cream had become, well, cream! I was pretty excited!

So, I gave it a test run. And I'm pretty happy with the results. My legs feel super smooth. This shaving cream isn't like a normal canned cream. It doesn't froth or foam up, so don't set your heart on that. But it does run nicely over your skin and leave it feeling very nourished.

In my research, I noticed that a lot of people were having problems with their shaving cream clogging up their razor. No such luck here! My razor came out perfectly clean after rinsing! Overall, I am very satisfied with my newest bathroom product addition.

Thanks for reading!

MIY Rose Water//A Natural Facial Toner and Astringent + MORE!

2012-01-03T17:53:00.000-08:00

For a while now I have been seeing rose water everywhere and hearing about how great it is for your skin! Since it is especially beneficial to those with dry skin, I looked at getting some for myself. I found one thing out quickly--this stuff is expensive. It sells for about twelve bucks for eight ounces at our local health food store and I found it on amazon for ten dollars for eight ounces. That is outrageous for something that seems SO simple: ROSE + WATER.

So here's the catch: the reason rose water is so expensive is because of how it is made, not what it is made from. Rose water is made by the process of distilling--which is time very time consuming. After a little bit of research, I learned that it really isn't that difficult to make your very own rose water, and if you can get a great deal on roses, it is very inexpensive.

So, here is how to make the stuff!

What you need:
1 large stock pot with lid

1 heat resistant bowl

Something heat resistant to set your bowl on. I have seen people use bricks, but I didn't have one. So I used the good old flour sifter that's metal and has holes in it so it won't float!
6 roses-- any kind will do. Since it is the dead of winter, I couldn't get my hands on any from the garden, so I picked up a dozen from the local super market. This is where it can get expensive. Roses run about 20 and up for a dozen, so shop around! Sometimes larger stores will drop their prices on roses when they have begun to wilt (you will be wilting the heck out of them, so who cares?). If you know a local florist, pop in and ask if you could buy old roses off of them for a discounted price. Who knows, maybe they will just give them to you instead of throwing them away?!?

Also, you can actually use dried rose petals as well. Ya know, those ugly brown things sitting in a shoe box at the back of your closet from prom ten years ago. Yup, you can even use those!

Six long stem roses will give you about two quarts of rose petals. Pull the heads off the flower and then pull the petals apart individually.

Your heat resistant bowl has to be able to fit inside your stock pot!

Next, place your base for your bowl inside the bottom of the stock pot. Use a brick, a flat stone, a flour sifter, a metal colander. Whatever you can find that won't float. Then place the rose petals in the bottom of the pot around the base, adding approximately 1 gallon of water as well. Finally, place heat resistant bowl on top of the base.

Once roses are in place, turn stove on and let the water heat up. Place lid upside down on top of pan. The inverted lid will catch all the condensation from the steam of the water and roses and will drip into the awaiting bowl below. Once the water has started to boil, place ice cubes on top of the lid. This will speed the process up considerably. As ice melts, continue to replace it. It goes so much slower when the ice has melted and you don't notice! Ugh!

This process does take some time. Mine took about an hour before I got bored and called it quits. When I looked inside, almost all the water in the bottom of the pot had evaporated into condensation!

And a beautiful condensation indeed!

I got sixteen ounces out of six roses.

Cost:
From store:
10-12 dollars per eight ounces
Approximately 1.25-1.50/ounce

At home:
Six dollars for six on sale roses that made 16 ounces
Approximately .38 cents/ounce

I'm pretty satisfied with this method and I think I will continue to make my own rose water from here on out. It is way more cost effective, especially if you can find your roses on sale! BINGO BANGO! Also, I can't wait to use this rose water in my next MIY natural product endeavor that I am doing tomorrow. Stay tuned for results!!!

Thanks for reading!

2011// A Year in Review

2012-01-02T18:10:00.000-08:00

I had all intentions of posting this yesterday, but at the last minute Ben and I decided to drive down to Detroit to see my sister's family. So, though it is not the first day of 2012 anymore, I still wanted to reflect upon 2011 and share with you!

2011 was an amazing year for us. We have been blessed over and over and I am so excited to start the next one and see what God has in store for us!

So here it is, a month-by-month countdown of the highlights of our 2011!

JANUARY

Well, the year started out from the very beginning with a bang. On January 22,2011 I married the best man I have ever known. Marriage has been the biggest adventure of my life and I continue to learn more about my spouse and about myself every day!

We had our dream wedding. With just our immediate families, we gathered at a library I grew up frequenting as a young girl. It was the most wonderful day of 2011 and I will never forget it!

FEBRUARY

After our wedding, we took off in late January for our two week honeymoon to Easter Island, Chile and Machu Picchu, Peru.

On February 2, 2011 Ben and I hiked Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu. It was the most breathtaking view I have ever taken in and I don't know if I will ever forget that moment, when the clouds first lifted, and we finally were able to look down on this ancient civilization in complete awe.

This was also a memorable moment on our honeymoon: watching the sun go down on January, 2011, over the Pacific ocean on Easter Island.

MARCH

In March we 'came home'. After living a few months located in the most convenient center between our two jobs in a crumby little apartment, we moved into what we feel like has been our first home. We love this home and will be sad when we have to move away from our little haven.

APRIL

In April my wonderful family threw me a post-wedding bridal (since our wedding day was drastically moved forward) along with one of my best friends: my cousin, Jessica.

Later that month, Ben and I attended said good friend Jessica's wedding. This was a special moment not only in celebrating with my cousin in her nuptials, but because this was the first time I did not have to get up for the bouquet toss or Ben for the garter toss! Goodbye singleness!

MAY

The first week of May, I finished a tattoo I started when I was eighteen (I can't believe that has been seven years ago, now!). The second week of May Ben got his very first tattoo and they both turned out so great!

JUNE

My precious little niece, Lucy Adele, made her debut! She brings so much joy to our family with her chubby, drooly smile and squished-nose giggles. I just love the little nugget!

JULY

For the first time since being able to drive (aka when I got my first job) I was able to go on an entire family vacation to Higgins Lake and loved every moment of it!

AUGUST

In late August, 2011 we left for our second huge trip of the year to New Zealand to see my best friend!

Two of our favorite places on the southern island was Key Summit and Milford Sound. The atmosphere was jaw-dropping and breathtaking.

SEPTEMBER

After returning from a crazy two week vacation filled with hiking, kayaking, exploring caves, underwater observatories and the like, we decided we needed a mini-vacay from our vacay. We took off for a weekend to Grand Rapids and stayed at a beautiful B and B.

September was also a big month for me because I created Splitthelark! This blog was started as a creative outlet, but it has become much more than that: a hobby and something I really love doing!

OCTOBER

We had a lot of fun in October. We enjoyed a beautiful fall this year with several sunny weekends. One of them we spent in Holly at the Michigan Renaissance Festival. It was the first time going for both of us and we had SO much fun!

NOVEMBER

November was my last month of working at my former job, which enabled me to enjoy my Thanksgiving holiday. Generally when you work in healthcare, you don't get holidays off, so this was a real treat this year!

DECEMBER

Christmas is a magical time for me. My parents always made it such a big deal growing up and I wanted to bring the tradition into my house. We enjoyed an entire festive month with our Christmas countdown, topped off with an extraordinary Christmas!

I hope everyone else had as amazing of a year as we did... and these are only some of the highlights of the year! May the upcoming year be just as amazing and filled with many adventures, learning, and blessings!

Happy 2012 everyone!

Peanut Butter Chicken Encrusted in Roasted Coconut and Sesame Seeds

2011-12-28T08:26:00.000-08:00

I have discovered something. I don't know how it happened, or when, but all of a sudden, I find that I am actually a good cook. It's the weirdest thing. I never was growing up. In college the best thing I could make was canned soup or ramen noodles. But all of a sudden, as if I blossomed over night , I am a good cook! This is not to toot my own horn, but I am so proud of myself!

One of my favorite ways to cook is to think of my favorite tastes and textures and try to make a meal of it, as healthy as I can. I, like most girls, love deep-fried crunchy goodness. But I don't love the deep-fried crunchy goodness finding its home on my love handles. I have discovered a solution and it is called encrusting. Ya roll yo food in crunchy goodness and bake it. Voila! Yummy! Today I am sharing a recipe that I threw together from ingredients that sounded yummy, and after a couple tries, this has become our favorite dinner. I love it because it is easy, but also because Ben absolutely devours it!

Peanut Butter Chicken Encrusted in Roasted Coconut and Sesame Seeds
Ben and I usually make an entire meal, with left overs, from one large chicken breast, so these portions are based off of that. Adjust accordingly to your family's needs.

Ingredients:

1 large chicken breast
1/2 c all natural creamy peanut butter ( I like using almond or cashew butter, but I was out)
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce ( I love my Bragg's Liquid Aminos soy sauce substitution. So much better for you!)
2 tbsp sesame seed oil (or vegetable, olive, coconut)
2 tbsp water
1/8 tsp or less of crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/8 cup unsweetened coconut shreds

Directions:
In medium sized bowl, whip together peanut butter, water, soy sauce, red pepper flakes and choice of oil. This is the most labor intensive part of this meal: getting all these liquids and oils to mesh. It's that easy of a recipe.

Next, prepare your chicken. We are meticulous chicken people in this house. We take our time and remove every single ounce of fat. But, it's up to you. Next, chop up chicken into either tenders or bite sized pieces. The smaller they are, the crunchier they seem. We like little guys! :)

In a separate bowl from the peanut butter, you will mix the seeds and the coconut and set aside. I prepare a cookie sheet with tin foil. Parchment paper will do as well, and preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Now, take your chicken and individually run through the peanut butter mixture, coating all sides. If you have too much on the chicken, it will be soggier than if you just have a nice thin coating, so I run the chicken against the mouth of the bowl and remove excess before dipping both sides into the sesame/coconut mix. Finally, place on cookie sheet.

After you have done this to each piece of chicken, place cookie sheet in oven for ten minutes at 400 degrees. We like ours extra crispy, so after ten minutes, I flip them over and cook again for another ten minutes.

Par with your favorite sides: last night we had salad and potatoes--and enjoy!
Thanks for reading!

no poo fo you! //an update!

2011-12-27T09:03:00.000-08:00

Now that the holidays are over, I will be doing my darndest to stay on top of my post updates. I promised weeks ago to do a no-poo update, so here it is! Better late than never, aye?

So October 30, 2011 was the last day that I have used conventional shampoo and conditioner, as you might recall from my previous post. After looking into what actually goes into our mainstream beauty products, I weighed the pros and cons, and decided to go with an all-natural hair care approach using baking soda and apple cider vinegar. As you may recall, I mix 1 tablespoon baking soda to 1 cup water, as well as 1 tablespoon vinegar to 1 cup water. Starting out, with both Ben and I using it, this amount lasted about 4 days. Now that I am using it drastically less (Ben still washes his hair as often, because, let's be real here, he is smelly, sweaty boy!) this amount lasts about a week and a half.

So what exactly does baking soda do for your hair, you might be wondering? Baking soda (or sodium bicarbonate) is a natural emulsifier-meaning it's great at breaking stuff up! People actually add the stuff to their commercial shampoos for better build-up break-down like the residues left from sprays, gels and mousses. You can even use just dry baking soda on its own for a quick dry-shampoo. Simply sprinkle on scalp, massage through roots, and fluff hair with blow dryer! Baking soda is absolutely my best friend. It has so many purposes. I clean with it, I shampoo with, I remove smells from my fridge with it, I whiten my teeth with it and settle my stomach with it, just to name a few!

So what does apple cider vinegar do? ACV is a natural cleanser that also helps remove build-up. It returns luster and shine to your hair that would normally be stripped away from the baking soda's emulsifying effects. A great question that was posed to me was: what if I don't like the smell of vinegar? To be honest, Ben and I actually both like the smell, so it doesn't bother us at all. Once the vinegar is rinsed from our hair, I have never noticed a lingering smell. However, this is a problem for some people, so here are a few solutions I have experimented with:

1. Add a few drops of fresh squeezed lemon juice. It is the smell of clean, and does well to mask the vinegar scent. However, I did notice it left my hair just a teensy bit sticky.

2. Add a few cinnamon sticks to the vinegar solution and let them steep. Go ahead, just throw them right in. These bad boys do well covering the aroma. Only con was a weird discoloration.

3. Add a few essential oil drops to the mixture. Rose, lavender, tea tree. You have it? Use it!

Side note: some sites that I researched about ACV say that it causes the natural auburn high lights in your hair to come out. This, I have noticed, is totally true. I cut my hair last week and hadn't had a chance to clean up the bathroom before Ben got home. He went in there first before seeing me and asked if I had dyed my hair red, that's how different it looked! I actually really like it. I have always enjoyed the auburn in my hair and since I no longer dye it, I am totally ok with it changing shades on its own. But you must take this into consideration if you are fond of your exact hair tone.

It has been almost two months since using shampoo and conditioner. Most people consider the first 2-3 months as the "transitional" period where your hair revolts somewhat and assimilates to its new maintenance regimen. I have noticed no rebelling of my follicles. In fact, they seem to be singing the praises of BS and ACV! I have so much more body, my style holds so much longer, my hair is looking more auburn and shiny and healthy, I love this method!

I snapped a few photos a couple days before Christmas of the hairs. I have never ever been able to poof my hair before, but guess what?? I can now! And this was without any use of hairspray! Yay for chic hair!

Now that it's been about a month, I have started cutting back the use of even BS and ACV (which is the goal in the first place, to train your hair to not need anything!). Starting out, I washed it about every 2-3 days (I have really dry hair) and now I'm down to about once every 5-6 days. Don't think I'm gross, I still wash the rest of me, in fact, here's a lovely little all-natural DIY body wash I made a few weeks ago!

Cost: Some people have asked me about the cost of this method, so I thought I would break it down here:
Bragg's Organic Apple Cider Vinegar: 15 per gallon
Bob's Red Mill Organic Baking Soda: 4 dollars for 16oz bag

In the past two months, we used approximately 11 tablespoons of each, which equals (don't mock me if my math is a little off, I have been out of school for almost two years):
0.66 cents of ACV in two months

1.43 cents of BS in two months

Adding them together, then dividing by two months equals: approximately 1.04 per month for shampoo and conditioner. Not bad! I did not take into consideration the use of water. We pay near nothing for our water and filter it through an in-home filter.

I compared this to the shampoo and conditioner we were using before and figured out we spent about 0.84 cents a month on semi-cheap commercial hair products. All in all, you can see the natural method is slightly more expensive, but when we are talking nickles and dimes here, I think it is totally worth it!

I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas and got to spend lots of time with loved ones! Can't wait to post our Christmas pictures!

first annual Fleury Christmas party

2011-12-21T21:03:00.000-08:00

these are my lovely friends. aren't they pretty?

Rita, Christina, Ryan and Chris

my friends are totally fabulous, I'm a lucky lady to roll with these chicas!

So two weekends ago we threw our very first Christmas party. It was such a smashing success and it seems that everyone had such a good time, I decided a while ago I would make a post about it! Yes, it has taken me almost two weeks to write the post, but bear with me, it is the week before Christmas, and I've been a busy girl!

This week we came to the realization that we most likely will not be relocating this year for Ben's position. Sad face here. I was looking forward to a new area, a new perspective and new adventures. But, as they say, there is a reason for everything and a reason God must be closing those doors and keeping us here. Needless to say, I decided that if we are staying in mid-Michigan, I am hopping back on the working girl band wagon and applying for jobs again. That has consumed a lot of my free time this week, but I remain hopeful that something will turn up! Keep me in your prayers!

Anyway, back to our party last week. We did some nice appetizers like tortellini skewers, a cheese log, and rolo-turtles, just to name a few. My awesome friends supplied more food and drinks and my friend Rita brought her chocolate fountain. The food was great, the conversation awesome, and the company the best in the world. There's one reason to stay in Michigan: we truly do have the best friends ever! This year has been a big year of change for us, and our friendships have evolved just quickly, from old friendships being rekindled, to good friends moving home from far away, to new friendships blossoming before our eyes, God has truly blessed 2011 with some awesome relationships we have made!

I was definitely in the holiday spirit if I broke out into dancing. Come on, I have sweet moves. Don't be totes jeals.

Yes, this picture was taken the night of our party and yes, it is ok to laugh. It's totally funny. I know. And again, you are totally jealous because my amazing husband got me a cat clock for Christmas. Go ahead. Admit it. It's ok.

I just love this picture. It's totally rando, but Chris and Christina are really good friends and I just think this expresses how close they are!

Anyway, I was having a slightly sad day because it's rainy and yucky outside and it looks like we won't be having a white Christmas this year after all, but looking back through these pictures and remembering all the fun that I have already had this season has cheered me up and I can now go to bed a happy girl!

Happy Holidays everyone!

DIY fabric hairbow tutorial

2011-12-19T18:16:00.000-08:00

Recently I read a post by Ashley from The Shine Project which inspired this tutorial. In a collection of weekend instagrams, I noticed she was wearing a love ~~little~~ bow in her hair, under a sweet messy chignon and it got my wheels turning. After a little researching, I figured out how to make my own fabric bow with a no-sew method (I am still waiting on getting a sewing machine. Cough. Cough. Christmas. Cough.) and ran to the craft store to pick-up supplies. I spent an hour perusing the fabric isles, and finally settled on a few different ones to create several bows from, including a lovely little Christmas-tree fabric, which I guinea pigged first, being that Christmas is only a few days away (eeeekkkk!).

Supplies:
1/2 yard of your choice of fabric (1/2 a yard is plenty, especially depending on what size bow you want)
hot glue and gun
hair clip

Directions:

Decide on how big you want your bow to be. I wanted my finished product to be about six inches long. Once you decide how long you want the bow, double that, add an inch or two more, then cut. Then, depending on how thick you want your bow, you will cut double that. I ended up with a 6 inch by 5 inch bow, so my initial piece of fabric was 14 inches wide, by 12 inches high.

Next, you will place the fabric on the table in front of you, face down, and fold up the bottom edge of the long end, and then the top edge of the long end down, so they meet in the middle evenly. I used an iron on the edges to keep them down, as well as make a very defined bow as the finished product.

Next, you will do the same as the first step, folding the edges in, only this time with the short edges, and meet in the middle evenly. Again, I used the iron to press down the edges.

Next, cut another piece of fabric, 2 inches by 3 inches. Follow the first steps with the original piece of fabric, bringing the edges together evenly. I then folded the edges under and ironed them down, so that no frayed edges would be exposed with the finished product.

Next, you will bring the top of the bow and "squish" it together to meet up with the bottom. Taking the second piece of fabric, wrap it around the middle, fastening it down with a dot of hot glue.

Once the second piece is wrapped all the way around the bow, you can cut any remaining fabric off, folding the frayed edge under, and then fastening it down to the body of the bow with another bit of hot glue.

Finally, put a small amount of hot glue in the center of the back of the bow and push the top side of a hair clip down onto the glue and hold until it dries.

Finally, put in your hair where you want and enjoy. It can be placed below the chignon, above the chignon, or up by your bangs. This can even be made into a headband! I think I will try that tomorrow with other fabric I bought!

I love my new bow and am only sad that I didn't make it earlier to wear to Christmas parties! I will be sporting this little beauty for the rest of the holiday season!

official Christmas kick-off TSO style!

2011-12-19T07:26:00.000-08:00

Many years ago I was introduced to TSO: Trans-Siberian Orchestra. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the band live, this is the best way I can summarize their stage presence: an 80's hair band strung out on Christmas crack cocaine. No joke. I think it is a prerequisite to have head banging hair to be in the band. Hot.

Anyway, I have seen TSO once before, and was able to see them live again this weekend. They consistently meet my every expectation, and this year was no different. Their stage presence is phenomenal, and now I feel that I am truly in the Christmas spirit.

A group of us drove out to Grand Rapids where their show was held at the Van Andel Arena, which seats some 18,000. 18 THOUSAND people all hyped for Christmas, jamming to some sweet holiday metal. Bliss.

little sis Emily, cousin Katie and me!

I took my husband's TSO v-card this weekend. He is now hooked as well.

Seriously, from laser beams, to fire, to giant electronic snakes with creepy eyes, to snow, TSO is the bomb.

it's a little hard to make out, but those are three giant snake mouths and kept opening and closing and huge devil-ish eyes that kept scanning the crowd. CA-REEPY.

I can't even comprehend being on drugs I felt so trippy being there sober.

Though they put on this huge hoopla, what I really enjoy about TSO is they keep the reason of the season at the forefront. They sing of Christ's birth all the way from the shepherds in the fields, to the angels in the heavens. It isn't all about presents and Santa Claus and reindeer. It's about the Christ of Christmas, which I really appreciate about them.

If you ever have a chance to see these guys, I would definitely suggest them. You will not be disappointed.

Happy Monday everyone! I'm off to craft!

The Best Thumbprint Cookies EVSSSS

2011-12-15T08:33:00.000-08:00

Oh boy have I been in the baking/cooking mood this week! I have made some killer meals and these great cookies! I poked around a bit on foodgawker and pinterest, and whipped up these bad boys using several different recipes. Don't let the name scare you off, these babies are to. die. for. for cereal.

Gluten-free Thumbprint Cookies with Sugar-Free Freezer Jam:

Cookie Ingredients:

1 cup of teff flour
1/2 cup of brown rice flour
pinch of salt
1/4 cup organic raw honey (or any other sugar substitution such as agave or maple syrup)
1/4 coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup almond butter

1/2 cup peanut butter (or any other combination of nut butters you have lying around)

Jam Ingredients:
Last summer I made a ton of strawberry jam from fresh picked strawberries. I used Pomona's Universal Pectin, as well as a few other methods which required no pectin (added sugar from fruit rinds) at all. You can use any jam you have on hand, though, in any flavor. My next batch of these I will be using a dark red raspberry jam. YUMMO!

Glaze (extremely optional. It is the Christmas season and ya gotta be a little bad, plus I love almond flavor, so I used it!)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp almond extract
water: added water in tablespoon amounts until you get your desired consistency. I think I ended up using about 3 tablespoons

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Add dry ingredients (salt and flours) in a medium sized bowl and mix thoroughly. Next, add all other ingredients in a food processor and pulse until completely mixed and smooth. Now pulse the wet and dry ingredients together and then roll out balls roughly the size of a ping pong ball. Place balls onto lightly sprayed cookie sheet and press the center of ball down with your thumb (duh, thumbprint cookies!).

Once you have a pan's worth, fill the hollowed out 'thumb' area with the jam of your choice and place the cookie sheet in the oven, baking for 8-10 minutes. Continue to do this until all cookies are baked. This recipe made approximately 30 cookies. Once the cookies are all out of the oven and cooling off, mix the glaze ingredients together and then drizzle on top. Again, the glaze is totally optional, but mucho yummo!

I keep these in the freezer, that way they will last until Christmas. I enjoy them straight out of the freezer, but Ben likes them at room temp, so that is for you to decide! Either way, probably the best cookie I have made in years and I would definitely recommend these little nuggets!

I am so happy it is Thursday! Tomorrow we will be going to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra in Grand Rapids, then holiday parties this weekend! I just stinkin' love this time of year!

Thanks for reading!

DIY all-natural body wash

2011-12-14T20:39:00.000-08:00

I have finally done it! For the past few weeks I have been researching how to make my own body wash. A few months ago I successfully made a great sugar scrub. But a girl can't use a scrub every single day! Sometimes we just need a great body wash.

Most recipes I found online involved castile soap. Originally, I wanted to create something that didn't include castile soap. However, after researching a little more into what castile soap really is, I decided that, at least for my first DIY body wash attempt, I would use castile soap. So, here it is!

Ingredients:
1 c. castile soap with tea tree oil
2 ounces aloe vera juice
1 tbs. coconut oil
5 drops eucalyptus essential oil

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1/4 ounce jojoba oil

Most of the ingredients you can find at the local health food store, if not , you can order it online and even in bulk, which would make this cheaper!

First off, castile soap is a very easy base to make your own body wash. In fact, you can actually just use castile soap on its own as body wash, household cleaners, shaving cream, etc. However, I wanted to add a couple extra things to really spruce this recipe up and take full advantage of the awesome properties in each ingredient. Castile soap has an olive oil base and therefore is very moisturizing and gentle for sensitive skin. It is commonly believed that it is great for eczema, which I actually have, as well as incredibly dry skin.

Aloe vera juice: acts as a natural anti-inflammatory, proven to aid in elastin and collagen repair, also shown to help with redness, scars, healing, and eczema (score!).

coconut oil: is an excellent moisturizer, helps fight against aging, is gentle and mild and also helps with chornic skin conditions such as... you guessed it... eczema. BINGO BANGO!

tea tree oil: helps fight scarring and heals cuts and scrapes, helps with canker sores, boils, lesions, etc. In essential oil form, it is not recommended to put directly onto skin unless diluted with other liquid.

eucalyptus oil: is a very versatile essential oil that helps fight infections. It also has a deodorizing property and gives the body wash a great smell!

xanthan gum: used as a thickening agent

jojoba oil: excellent moisturizer, does not evaporate like many other moisturizers, therefore stays with you all day long. Prevents damage from free radicals (guess that's good for an x-ray tech!), high in vitamin E, some studies show jojoba is the closest in oils to that of human skin oil.

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together, then bring to a boil for 2 minutes in a medium sized sauce pan, stirring constantly. This step is simply to dissolve the xanthan gum and thicken it up. In all honesty, the next batch of soap I make I will not be using xanthan gum. I was unimpressed with how much (or should I say little) it thickened, and therefore will be able to skip the boiling step and just dump my mixture into a jar and stick it in the shower.

Afterward, I gave my body soap a go and really liked it! A little, tiny bit, went a really long way and it smelled amazing! My skin felt great, which was surprising. Usually when I get out of the shower, I am covered in hives and have to dump oil on my skin right away. Not so today. No hives and my skin felt better than normal, not like I was going to crack in a bazillion little pieces! Plus!

I'm pretty excited to get this blog back on track. I have some great pictures and recipes to share for the rest of the week and a NO POO update!

Thanks for reading!