Goodbye February

Because you were so cold and gross, we had no choice but to stay inside and

make lots of treats,

enjoy fantastic Valentines from sweethearts and friends like this one from Grace's bff "E".... candy ipod with Reese's ear buds (brilliant),

sew a baby quilt,

give and receive cute haircuts,

and spend TONS of time together!!! We'll miss you, but we're ready for Spring now.

(And after all those sweets, stay tuned for "Goodbye Muffintop", coming soon!)

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful for this message because I've been struggling lately and needed to hear it. As a mother I'm thankful for the eternal principle of losing ourselves in unselfish service to others. Sometimes I forget and my priorities get messed up and sometimes it's just really hard to be a mom... but I know it's the most important work for me on this earth and I will keep trying!!!

Removable Wallpaper is the Best Idea EVER!!!

I saw this tonight and had to share! Jordan Ferney of "Oh Happy Day (parties and pretty things)" blog put her removable wallpaper to the test and it was indeed removable. Not only that, she has a friend who wants to reuse the pieces in her house. Brilliant!

http://jordanferney.blogspot.com

So So SO Awsomely Bad

For some reason I've had this annoying song in my head all day, so when I got home I thought it'd be funny to look it up on YouTube with the kids. What we saw took our breath away... between the tribal makeup, shirtless guys wearing bow ties and dookie pants, I'm stunned. I wonder what it was like on the set of this type of production. How many people busted out laughing mid, "Ohwayohway"?

I didn't think there was anything worse than Jefferson Starship's "We Built This City", or Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart", "The Safety Dance" or Wilson Phillips in general but I was wrong. Who knew?

Another Blog Link... Slipcover How To

I've tried making slipcovers and they turned out OK.... alright, maybe way less than OK, but this is why I love blogging so much. I'm not in a place in my life right now where I can take "real" sewing classes, so I rely on my generous blogging friends (they have no idea who I am) to show me how things are done.

"Be Different Act Normal" posted this link to a slipcover tutorial on her blog and I watched the first video. FANTASTIC!!! I've sewn piping before, but used the wrong pressure foot and it looked terrible. Now I know! I've got four dining chairs and a settee to cover, and by the end of this series, I'll be more prepared. Thanks Lori AGAIN!!!

www.bedifferentactnormal.com/2011/02/slipcover-tutorial-series.html

Enter to Win a....

...Shabby Apple dress! Go to the "From An Igloo" blog to enter. You just have to pick your favorite of the three. It's a fabulous blog by the way, posting some of the cutest sewing and craft ideas! Go now guys. http://www.fromanigloo.blogspot.com/

You should also check out the actual Shabby Apple Blog... http://blog.shabbyapple.com/ to find lots of beautiful dresses, shoes, bags, etc. Think "toned down Anthropology"... modest and more reasonably priced! I like the middle one the best, with a little more sleeve. I just saw a cute pair of pumps that are begging me to take them home as well!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

AMAZING!!!

I want to be like these guys.

Year of the Rabbit

I'm a rabbit, so 2011 is my year! Happy Korean New Year.

Rabbits are private individuals who would rather work behind the scenes than in the spotlight. The rabbit is not a recluse however, he is reasonably friendly and enjoys the company of a group of friends. He would like to be part of the gang rather than the leader of it. The rabbit is keen and plays close attention to what is going on around him. The rabbit is one of the most stylish of the Chinese animal signs and finds interest in different cultures. Rabbits also like artistic ventures. CHARACTERISTICS: keen, wise, fragile, tranquil, serene, considerate, fashionable, sneaky, obsessive...

Baby it's Cold Outside

We've had more snow this winter than any other Tennessee winter I can remember, but it doesn't even compare to what's going on up north!!! Phewee, I'm ready for Spring! I can't wait to get out in the garden and start planting.

Hoddeok

Hoddeok is a Korean dessert that I make for my family a lot. It's a traditional street food that is so simple to make and kids absolutely love it! It's kind of like a doughnut/sweet pancake/beignet type dessert. Here's what you do:

Place one cup of warm water in a bowl and add: 2 TBSP white sugar, 2 tsp yeast, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp vegetable oil. Stir until it's completely dissolved. Add 2 C of all purpose flour and mix it until there are no dry spots. Cover it with plastic wrap and a lid, and let it rise for one hour. Dough will be very sticky. Then punch it down and let it rise again for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, put 1/2 C brown sugar, a pinch of salt, 1 tsp of cinnamon, and a handful of walnuts into a food processor. Pulse until it's all chopped up and mixed well.

Heat a couple of TBSP of vegetable oil in a pan on medium heat. Flour your hands and counter, then separate the dough into 8 parts. Flatten one of the dough balls in your hand and place a heaping spoonful of the brown sugar mixture into the middle. Then pull the sides together and seal the top so the filling is all enclosed. Then place the dough, with the sealed side down in the warm, well oiled pan.

Fry for a couple of minutes and then turn over. At this point you'll use your spatula to flatten the dough ball completely. Cook for a couple of more minutes and flip it again. Then cover with a lid for a couple of minutes. Remove it from the pan and put it on a plate with paper towels to get the excess oil off. Serve warm/hot, whatever you can stand!

The outside is crispy, the dough is chewy and the center has turned into a lovely nutty syrup. You can change out the filling too if you'd like. Nutella is delicious as a filling with some powdered sugar on top, or you can go savory and fill it with cheese! The ultimate comfort food!!!

For a video tutorial, go here:

www.maangchi.com/recipe/hoddeok

This is my favorite website for Korean recipes. They always turn out well, using simple, easy to find ingredients, especially if you have a local Asian grocery. Enjoy, and let me know if you tried it!

UPDATE: You can cook this without a filling and just drizzle honey on top when it's hot. I tried it and it's good!

Happy February

I don't decorate for Valentine's Day. I do, however, get the biggest kick out of making new cards for my kid's class parties. Last year I made the cards that have a picture of your child holding out a lollipop and they were huge hits. I've made the fortune cookies and the lollipop flowers too.

I really like these red hot gift baggies with the picture. It looks easy! The custom candy bar wrapper is pretty cute too.

Click on the MSL link on my sidebar for these instructions and much much MORE!!!

A Quick Fix

Like most people, we have (had) one of those bathroom mirrors downstairs that's stuck with glue on the wall. It has no frame and just looks unfinished, so we wanted to either A.Put a frame on it or B.Replace it. We decided on plan B because we already have an extra mirror to hang over the sink. The trouble is, taking the existing mirror down without breaking it into a million pieces is some sketchy business.

Well, I saw this tip on HGTV.com years ago and Scott and I decided to put it to the test today... and holy guacamole, it worked!!! -Take medium gage picture hanging wire and slide it behind the glued on mirror. With one person on one side, and you on the other, alternately pull each side so the wire saws right through the glue. This will save your wall and this will save the mirror. It took maybe 20 minutes.

(PS. Neither one of these pictures is my bathroom! I wish.)

Smart.

www.littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com

I love this blog! Her most recent post is about using sheet sets as curtains. I haven't done this since Scott and I first got married, but why not?! I recently bought a duvet cover on sale to make a shower curtain. I know it sounds weird, but it's all just fabric, right? The sheet set idea is even more brilliant because it doesn't require any sewing. If you want it lined, simply buy a cheap white sheet set and fabric glue it to the back! Look at Goodwill.

So I did a little search for sheet sets and found some beautiful patterns:

Check out her blog for the finished product! It's pretty amazing what you can do with sheets.

Pottery Barn: Where I Live

Hey all you renovation and decorating enthusiasts out there, here is a fun way to peak into other people's houses for inspiration without being a freak! This is an awesome series of videos that Pottery Barn put together featuring the various homes they use to stage their products. Pottery Barn has the entire series on their website, but they're also available on YouTube. I love watching these at night after the kids go to bed when I get a little down time.... and no, I don't ever expect my house to look like any of these and yes.... I know they're not kid friendly. Who cares? It's an escape that doesn't have all of the trash of late night TV and it's soothes the nerves. Lovely.

Jessica Simpson Clip In Fringe - Clip in Bangs

I used to have bangs. I've got a bigger forehead, so it was nice to be able to hide behind them... but, they were so hard to keep up with! The constant trimming, and then I cut too many and Scott made fun of me and called me a "Dutch Boy" for ever so I grew them out. I still think about getting some cut though.

The fake bangs look good on this girl, but sort of itchy. Sort of "Bumpit" like.

What do you guys think?

Paper Whites Stink

I've wanted to grow paper whites for a long time. I heard they were super easy to force indoors and so very pretty.

Anyway, this year I splurged and bought some bulbs that came with a beautiful silver pot and the magic soil disk. (It quadruples in size when you add water, it's the coolest thing ever) I was very excited!!!! I was hoping they'd bloom by Christmas but no such luck. Once they're potted, you have to keep them in a cool dark spot for two weeks. So into the garage they went.

Well, they finally sprouted and I brought them into my family room so we could all watch in wonder at how quickly they grow... and they did! Almost every day they'd grow a half an inch or so. Very satisfying! We were all on pins and needles waiting for them to bloom.... and then they did... and now we're totally grossed out because they smell like URINE!

Yucky, yucky paper whites.

The ABC's of Snowman Lacresha's Construction

A... always work together.

B... be careful not to break the carrot!

C... crying may/will occur.

Repurposing

Stacey H asked the question a few days ago on her blog, "What to do with hand-me-down tees, jeans, shirts, etc...". I was inspired after reading her post to find more ways to recycle/reuse my kids old clothes and other scrap fabric leftover from various sewing projects. While I do love the t-shirt rug in my last post, I don't have 60 plus hours to devote to any one project. So here are a few less time consuming ideas for you from my BFF Martha:

1. Using old sweaters to make baby rattles or stuffed animals. I've done this and it's so easy and super cute.

2. Cutting up baby and little clothes to make a keepsake quilt. Good for boys and girls!

3. Scrap fabric heating pads. I made one for my mom and stuffed it with rice. If you put it in the microwave for 2 minutes or so, it retains heat and soothes sore muscles. A great gift for a new mom, someone in the hospital or a crabby Korean mom with arthritis.

4. Quilted coasters are brilliant! Who doesn't have a bunch of scrap fabric from a sewing project or old clothes even. I love this.

All of the above patterns/instructions can be found on http://www.marthastewart.com/

My New Favorite DIY Projects

I found a tutorial for this awesome tshirt rug on http://www.pressurefoot.blogspot.com/

It's looks so soft!!!!







The gal from http://www.littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/ found this dresser for 20 dollars at an antique store and painted it "Billiards Table" blue from Behr. I love this table, the orange mat, the ceramic lamp and I especially love the cute little rain boots on the right of the dresser! Wet feet are some of my least favorite things!