Hey! I'm BAAAAACK!!!

Ok, so life happened. Again. My sister-in-law and I are still working on our site. And I have decided to incorporate fashion into my blogging. I'm working on that, too. I have a photographer and some super cute outfits and all that fun stuff. So, I haven't decided if I am going to mix fashion into this site or have a separate one. That is still up in the air. But I do know I am SUPER determined to have this take off. In the mean time, I plan of posting on here...crafts, recipes, mom stuff, etc. So keep tuning in and it will all fall into place.

Lenci

I've Been MIA...

But it has been for an exciting reason! I have teamed up with my sister-in-law, Jenna! We have an amazing new blog and etsy shop in the works and will be showing it to you all soon. We are so pumped and ready for this next step in our crafting lives. Stay tuned!!

Lenci

What? What? Has This Really Been My Week?!

I had huge plans and tutorials for this week. But things happened. First, I want to ask anyone who views my blog to please pray for my Poppy and Nana. We found out news this week and could just really use prayers. So, please pray. Secondly, my Mac is ruined. I bought it last summer and still making payments on it. But it is ruined. Funny story. I have a certain child who sleep walks and he thought it was his toilet. That's how it got ruined. Water damage. Or urine damage. Whatever, it is ruined. And I washed a load of clothes with a pair of red jeans and those clothes are ruined. The next day I washed another load of clothes with a red crayon and those clothes are ruined. And my 14 month old has had explosions in her diaper. That really stinks. Ha! Hey, life happens. We just roll with it and pray for better days.  But in the mean time I am working on tons of photos and tutorials to share next week. I will be redoing my guest bathroom tomorrow. My goal is to do it for 20 bucks or less, so check back Sunday (hopefully) to see if I made that goal. Things you can look forward to are painted metal animals, covered TOMS, refinishing furniture, and lots more!

I guess nobody entered the baby blanket giveaway. That's okay! I will keep it going until next Saturday (May 25th). I am just trying to get going with this blog thing and it has been so much fun!

Lenci

Recycled Wood. What! What!

Finally!

If you have been reading along, you probably know by now I like cheap and easy (only when I am dealing with crafts and stuff. I will take a Gucci bag any day. Hint, hint hubby).

So, one day I was outside playing with my kids and I saw a piece of scrap wood laying on the ground. It was left over from one of my husband's projects. Immediately the wheels started turning and before I knew it I was pouring stain on that bad boy. I LOVE to stain things. I don't know why, but I just really do. Painting is more of an effort for me, stain seems so simple. Especially if there is no sanding involved. Anyways, I stained it and got out my white paint and wrote the word "joy" on it. I free-handed it (very obvious). But I like simple. I like that it is not perfect. There is something about a house full of store bought decorations that makes it feel not so welcoming to me. Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of store bought decorations in my house. I just like the feel of handmade.

The how to is simple. Find any scrap of wood. Any size, any shape. Maybe you have some left over from a project. Or maybe you went dumpster diving at Lowe's. Once you have the piece you want, stain or paint it. Any color. Mix colors. Stick with one color. Paint it and rough it up to give it an antiqued look. After that, write something on it. You can free-hand or use stencils (I used stencils on my "love rocks" one). Just have fun and make it personal for your home.

Here is my Joy sign.

Excuse the ghetto tape holding up my banner!

See how simple and inviting it is?

You can also break out the stencils and make a fun saying on one. I chose "love rocks" because let's face it, love DOES rock!

See how imperfect the wood is? Makes me love it even more!

After you are finished making one, use one of these to hang it. I tried the command strips and it fell. During the night. I thought we were being robbed and I freaked out. So unless you have better experience with hanging heavy things with those strips, use something more sturdy!

Have fun with this. There isn't a wrong way of doing it. You can make it any color and put any words or picture on it. It is a cheap, easy way to bring character into your home. 

Lenci

Time For A Give Away!

Want to win a baby blanket like the one here? All you have to do is follow my blog and comment under the baby blanket tutorial post. That's it. On Saturday, May 18, I will randomly select a follower.

Also, if you are chosen and want a boy blanket, I will use blue instead of pink:)

Now go follow my blog and comment! At this time, I only ship within the United States. As I get going, that will change:)

Lenci

P.S. Don't worry! I will posting the recycled wood tutorial later today!

OOPSy And Happy Mother's Day!

So, I totally promised a cool recycled wood tutorial. But I got so excited about my DIY outdoor rug (here) and posted that instead. And now it is Mother's Day. Tomorrow the recycled wood project will be up and ready to go. There isn't much to it, but still a cool thing.

And Happy Mother's Day to all of you mamas out there! Isn't it such a blessing? I am so incredibly blessed to have my four babes. I am going to spend the day with them and try to keep the electronics low key today. Keep checking back throughout the week though, lots of neat stuff coming!

My loves!

Lenci

DIY Outdoor Rug

Who thinks outdoor rugs are cool? This girl. Who thinks they are super expensive? This girl again. Who wants to make their own for around 30 bucks? You guys. Let's go...

I saw a painted stripe rug online somewhere. I thought it looked cool and wanted to try. I would soon learn taping stripes in the form of painters tape on a rug is not easy. Maybe for some it comes easy, but this mama lacks the patience big time. I bought a small rug for by the back door (outside) and a huge rug for the patio. I started with the small rug and attempted the stripes. I don't like how it turned out. I forgot to put the last stripe on my chevron design. The paint went under the tape. Ah! But I am sharing that one with you anyways so maybe you can learn from it. And then I will show you the masterpiece. Hold on to your pants!

Here is what you need:

1. Rug(s) Buy the cheapies, guys. This is an OUTDOOR rug. It will get rained on, faded, and if you're lucky enough you will have an awesome neighbor dog that will poke through the fence and try to do his business on it. So don't go all out. I found my doormat for $6.00 and my huge rug for $20.00 And if you are military you get 10% off at Lowes or Home Depot. Holla! (I think police and firefighters do, too. Check on that one...)

2. Spray Paint. I used Valspar Outdoor. It's the bomb and they have a lot of colors.

3. If you decide to do stripes, you need tape. Frog tape is the best for walls...for rugs, not so much.

4. Ruler (if you are doing stripes)

5. Round containers. Lots of them. You will see....

Now we are ready to roll!

Gather your supplies. (The big rug isn't in this picture)

                                                                   

                                                                  Lay your rug out

Start taping. This part is whack!

Get crazy! So, I'm not a chevron expert...

Spray paint it and peel your tape away. Yuck. 

See. Not the best. 

Don't get discouraged because I stink at laying tape. I started laying tape on the big guy and realized really quick I ain't got time for that. So I sat and thought about it. I drank some sweet tea. I ate some goldfish. Nothing. Then all of the sudden my brain power kicked in. I had an idea! I went to the pantry and grabbed some chicken broth cans. I laid them on the rug. I went to the garage and got our old paint cans. I laid them on the rug. My four year old, Sophia, went and got more cans. My 14 month old, Cora, moved all of our cans. It was great fun! Finally, we were ready. Are you ready?

Lay out that big, giant $20 rug!

Arrange your cans. There isn't a wrong way to do this. Get them just how you want. Now spray! And spray! Get close to the rug with your paint and spray! And spray some more. Do the middle first so you aren't trapped. Keep your babes away, they will look like a smurf it you don't. 

Look! Once you are done and your hand is finished cramping, let it dry for a few minutes. It dries really fast. 

Are you excited yet?

You are done! Now go put it somewhere. Anywhere. I put mine on the patio with our beat up ottoman. That is a project to come...

Isn't that cool? Now go make yours! And if you want stripes and have the patience, you rock!

Here are some pointers I can give you:

1. If you do stripes, realize the tape does not adhere well to the rug. Press it down really hard to seal it up. Even then it will not be stuck all of the way. 

2. If you use food cans for the circles, turn them upside down so when you go to eat them you aren't getting spray paint in your food. RIP my two cans of tunafish.

3. Make sure you get an outdoor spray paint. 

4. When you spray, hold the can close to the rug. It has to seep into the fabric.

5. Shake your cans. I didn't shake my second can and the color was a little different until I shook it.

6. Have fun with it! Make a cool design. Be creative! 

Lenci

More Tutorials Coming

Ok, so that little thing called life had to be put before my blog today. But don't worry! I have a super easy recycled wood project coming tomorrow that you will love. And I am trying to convince my sister-in-law to share a tutorial with you guys. She is awesome. You will LOVE her. So stay tuned for the cool tutorial tomorrow and even more to come next week!



Lenci



*Also, if you want to subscribe to the blog, that would be great. Once I get going well with it there will be some fun giveaways! Can we say headbands and baby blankets...:)

Baby Blanket Tutorial

Baby blankets. They are cute. They are cozy. They are necessary. Most importantly, they are easy to make!


What you need:

Two contrasting fabrics. One side preferably very soft, like the cute mink stuff fabric stores sell. The other side can be any cotton choice!

Thread: Your color choice

Sewing Machine

Ruler

Scissors

Pins

*****Make sure you wash your fabric first!

Here's the how to:

1. Lay your fabric out to cut same size. Mine ended up being 26"X 36"

I should have ironed first, but I didn't...

Cut your fabric. See my cute little assistant?

Now I ironed it out. Should have been first step!

Note to self: Make appointment for manicure ASAP!

 Important Step: Put fabrics RIGHT sides together. So the pretty parts should be touching!!

 Now you are going to pin around the entire blanket. Leave a space open (about 3 inches) so you can turn it right side in. 

 ** Use a lot of pins. It will take time, but it will help assure that it stays in place while sewing.

If you realize you were off on your cutting, that's ok! Just trim it up before you sew.

Ok, now the hard part is done (the pinning). Time to sew this baby together!

Just sew a straight line. Make sure to stay far enough from the edge so it is secure. 

                                          

                                        

Don't forget to leave your space open so you can turn it!

After you have sewn it all together, flip it right side in. 

Look! You have sewn a baby blanket! Now you just need to close it up. 

Now stick your hands inside it and poke each corner. This will push the fabric out and give it a more rounded look. Don't do this too hard! Don't want to pop those pretty seams you just worked so hard on!

Fold the seams in where you left it open. Pin it closed.

Now you are going to sew it closed and put a top stitch to make it extra sturdy. This takes time and patience to keep the line straight. Find a guide on your machine and follow it! Sew a stitch around the entire blanket (like what you just did on the inside)

And that's it. You made a baby blanket! The possibilities of fabric choices are endless. The sizes are endless. These make great gifts, too.

               

Be careful! They are so cute and cozy, someone might snatch them up and take off!

Happy Sewing!

Lenci

*****You do not have to cut your fabric the way I did. I just knew I wanted it that exact size. You can always get out your measuring tape and cut the pieces that way. This is just what is easier, and since it is a simple shape, it works! On other things like skirts and pants, exact measuring is a must:)

Yummy Asparagus Recipe

So, I have a thing for asparagus. And so does my husband. We LOVE it. When we first discovered our common love for this green veggie, we tried a lot of different ways cooking it. A few times it ended up in the trash because we completely destroyed it. But after several tries, we have our new go-to recipe.

(I don't have any pictures. You know what asparagus looks like, right?)

What you need:

*Asparagus. I buy the 3lb bag at Sams. But you can get however much you need from wherever you want! But just an FYI: At Ralphs (in Southern California) it is 4.99/pound. Whoa! I can get a 3lb bag at Sams for under 4 bucks!

*Minced garlic. I buy the glass jar of already minced garlic. It is cheaper and saves me the hassle of using my garlic press. I hate that thing!

*Coconut Oil. I bought mine from Trader Joe's for 5 bucks. It lasts a while, too...

*Salt and pepper

Here's the how to:

1. Wash your asparagus. I don't take a ton of time doing this because I figure the heat will cook off all of the yuck stuff. Hopefully I am right.

2. Snap those suckers! Just grab the end and snap. I usually snap off about 2 inches. Just look at it and you can tell where it is thick and gross looking. Also, snapping it will be effortless. That's how you know you hit the spot.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of coconut oil over medium-high heat. Ok, so here's the deal: Coconut oil has a coconut taste. Who would have thought!? We like that taste a lot. If you aren't too much of a coconut type of person, either use olive oil instead or just use a tiny bit of coconut oil.

4. Add your garlic. This all depends on how much garlic you like. We looooove it so I add 2 heaping tablespoons. Yumm-o!

5. After you sauté your garlic for a minute, add your asparagus. Make sure you stir it around and get some of that garlic on the asparagus. Add some salt and pepper.

6. Add one cup of water. This is for a 3lb bag. If you are using less, add less water.  You can also use chicken broth. Totally up to you. We use water, but we have used the broth before. It isn't much difference in taste for us.

7. Cover with a tight lid and lower your heat to medium-low. If you are wanting really tender asparagus (that's how we like it) you need to cook (covered) for 25-30 minutes. If it looks like it is burning up the water really fast, lower your heat. Every stove is different! If you want a crispier asparagus, about 15 minutes is good. Just keep an eye on it, checking every 5 minutes or so.

And that is it! Yummy, yummy asparagus. I can taste it now!


Lenci

Messy Bun (The EASY Way)

I don't know how many tutorials I have seen on Pinterest for messy buns. Spray this product, tease your hair with this comb...blah, blah. I wear a messy bun pretty much every second of my life unless I am going somewhere important. On my roughest days with my messy bun I seem to get the most compliments. Seriously, people admire my messy bun. I look at it and think to myself, "if you only knew how I got this bun..." My hairdresser loves to make jokes about my bun and she thinks it is funny how I achieve the "look". I debated sharing this with you because it is kinda embarrassing on how my messy bun came about. But here it goes....

Here's my first piece of advice for the perfect messy bun.

1. Don't wash your hair everyday. Go as long as you can stand it without washing it. The oils in your hair will help the messiness be wonderful!

2. Ok, here's the BIG secret. After you do wash your hair, wrap it up in a towel. You know, like you normally do after you get out of the shower.  Don't comb or brush it out! That's the trick! Accidentally (or purposely) fall asleep with said towel on your head.

3. When you wake up in the morning take that towel off and look at the dry napiness you have created. If your hair is like mine after I do this, it will be a hot mess. You will want to go wash it again and start all over. But don't!! Just gather all of the hair up into a loose (or tight) bun and tie it up with a hair band. I personally like mine on top of my head. Put on a cute headband or just leave it as it is and go. I wear it like this for a few days and the more you wear it, the messier it gets. I do have to take it down sometimes and throw it back up there again. Just play around with it!


That's it guys. I don't have any secret "messy" products or special combs. If you want a messy bun, you  have to get a little messy.

Now go get messy!!

                                                            

  Messy, Messy Buns!

Don't worry. I do wear my hair down sometimes:

Lenci