This Apron Has a Tail

Er, TALE.  It goes like this... sometime around Christmas last year, I was at a white elephant gift exchange.  As one of the very last people, I opened an apron.  It wasn't so cute or anything but since I'm a messy fun, spontaneous cook, I said "ooooooo, I need an apron, I'm keeping it"!  Well, naturally, in true white elephant fashion, it was snatched away.  That's right, I said snatched. 

Fast forward to May 2010, just a few weeks ago.  My super thoughtful friend, Michelle (I love my friends!), who witnessed the loss of the apron, now works at a library part time and spotted this book:

(sorry the picture is so tiny, it's called 'The Apron Book')

Well, she checked it out for me right away and said 'Sara!  You should just make your own!  There's a pattern in there and everything!" And that is how this apron was born. 

And technically, it does have a tail.  When you tie it in the back... you know, it kinda hangs down like a tail.  Just sayin'.

The pattern was for a one-sided apron - what I mean is there is no back to it, so the back of the fabric is what you see (is that how they all are??). Personally, if I'm using an apron I want it to be more than just one thickness of fabric and, more importantly, to look pretty from the back too!  My manipulations to the pattern started there. This apron is almost reversible, I didn't actually think of that in time, so that will be my next apron attempt.  Also, it had this super long tie that went around your neck, through loops on the sides and then tied in the back. Well, I like simplicity and call me crazy, but I could see myself ending up looking like this in that apron.

I decided to create a loop around the neck and the tie around the back.  Nice and simple.  So, despite my best efforts to finally use a pattern (I've never used a pattern before) I ended up changing it anyway!  For my next apron, I will just use my new found apron knowledge and make my own pattern!  I think I'm gonna change it up some more...

Oh, and this was FREE (well, once upon a time I bought the fabric in the clearance bin- but it was so long ago that it doesn't count, right?)!  

My kind of project. 

My Ladder is FAMOUS.

Funky Junk Interiors featured my 'ladder turned organizer' in her sidebar!!!!!!  Who knew that it would be so much fun to see something you made appreciated for all to see!  Awesome!  If you haven't already, go check out her very cool ideas.

Happy Tuesday! 

The Casual Cake Stand**

**Alternately titled **

"Is it still considered crafty if it only takes 30 seconds to make?"

I saw this adorable plate at Meijer the other day...

...they also had some green apple plates which I loved even more, but the red matches our kitchen soooo much better.
I immediately wanted to make a cake (muffin, cupcake, whatever you want, doesn't even have to be a baked good) stand using the matching red bowl.

So, I gathered the supplies (as pictured below):
Plate
Bowl
Super Glue

See that super glue? Don't use it for this. The label says you can use it on 'some plastics'... well, what I have here is some plastic that it doesn't work on. So, use Liquid Nails- that does work.

Put your glue on the bottom of the bowl...center on the back of the plate... let dry... add some Apple Streusel Muffins and done!


See what I mean about 30 seconds?

Extra Storage/Organization Anyone?

I Hate (with a capital H) piles of papers and 'things' in the kitchen. Buuuuuut, since we don't have an 'office space' (love that movie!!), piles inevitably happen. I finally came up with an organization method I can fit in the laundry room (conveniently located next to the kitchen) to create a place for everything that accumulates in our kitchen, so everything can be in it's place (did you see that coming?). And my favorite part is that it was super cheap too!

So my idea was this- use an old ladder I've had fur ever (and was begging to be used in a useful way)... you may have to cut it down to fit in your room like I did. Or my hubby did, whatever.

Pick a REALLY amazing day... well, hello sunshine!!
Paint the ladder RED...(which happens to be my very favorite color) oh and I had intentions of distressing it a bit, but clearly this ladder has been stressed enough in it's life without my help!

Run to Hobby Lobby for some buckets (they were only $2.50 each), then use Mod-Podge to label the buckets...

Then hang your buckets with a pretty ribbon (also cheap from Hobby Lobby) and WA-LA a 'Bucket/Ladder organizer'(that's what I will name it, yes, that's catchy!)!

Do you love it like I do? It rests against the wall in the laundry room, totally out of the way but easy enough to put things in. I wish the colors were better on the pictures, the turquoise ribbon really looks good next to the red ladder.
Some close ups you say? OK!



I labeled the buckets based on what accumulates at our house, but you could categorize these in any way! I think it would be so fun to do this in a bathroom for things like 'washcloths', 'soap', 'lotion', etc! Where else could you use it?

Some Tiramisu Love

I love Tiramisu and always assumed it would be difficult to make, but this recipe is delicious and EASY!
This is from allrecipes.com... I've made it twice now and LOVE it! I made just a few changes to the original recipe:


TIRAMISU

Ingredients
6 egg yolks
3/4 cup white sugar
2/3 cup milk
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup strong brewed coffee, room temperature (I use more like 1/2 C)
2 tablespoons rum (I use 4 T Bacardi rum)
2 (3 ounce) packages ladyfinger cookies
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions
In a medium saucepan, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until well blended. Whisk in milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Boil gently for 1 minute, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Cover tightly and chill in refrigerator 1 hour.

In a medium bowl, beat cream with vanilla until stiff peaks form. Whisk mascarpone into yolk mixture until smooth.

In a small bowl, combine coffee and rum. Split ladyfingers in half lengthwise and drizzle with coffee mixture. (I do more than 'drizzle'- use a spoon and pour it on the ladyfingers, not soaking, but a little more than 'drizzle')

Arrange half of soaked ladyfingers in bottom of a 7x11 inch dish (8x8 works great for me). Spread half of mascarpone mixture over ladyfingers, then half of whipped cream over that. Repeat layers and sprinkle with cocoa. (I am able to do a layer of ladyfingers, marscarpone, whipped cream, then repeat that, then do a layer of ladyfingers and whipped cream before the cocoa powder.)

Cover and refrigerate overnight!

It's SOOOOO easy and tastes amazing.

Happy Mother's Day to me!

Enough said.

Word to your mother

Happy Mothers Day!

Towel LOVE gone CRAZY!

I decided to try embrodiery after I saw this beeeauuutiful towel made by Amy at The Idea Room. Isn't it perfect? I used her template for the word 'blessings' for the towel below.

These are really fun to make, first I hand embroidered the words, then appliqued the fabric to some flour sack dish towels.
So I made another...

...then another...

...then another... (you get the picture)

Oh, and whhhhhooooooo doesn't love an owl??? I drew this owl myself!

And, yes, there are more towels already made. I will post those as soon as I take pictures!

Wine Cork Wreath

This I love. I've been saving corks since Chris and I started dating and never knew what to do with them... until I finally made a wreath!

I think it turned out perfect and looks great in our dining room. I used a grapevine wreath (hello, grapes!)and a hot glue gun (ouch) because I wanted it to be all different angles- I like that better than neat and tidy.

There's even a champagne cork in there! The best part is, we have written on a lot of these with the date and who we were with or what event it was.
I'm ready for more cork projects and have some in mind... stay tuned!

Veggie Love

I'm so excited! We are going to have a small vegetable garden this year and I started my seeds inside a few weeks ago and they have sprouts! Yay!


We will have red peppers, cherry tomatos, basil, green onions and zucchini. This is my first time ever having a garden- I'm so looking forward to fresh veggies for free.