Pot holder

I made this pot holder with just scraps of fabric I had. To get this bird template, just google bird template and like 10 bird templates will come up. There are many other cute ones, I just like this one.

I lined the pocket part so that it would be soft to put your hand inside it (and cute of course!)

So, you might have noticed one of the things on my to do list was tile the back splash in my kitchen. I finally got around to doing it last week and here are my results.

This is the before picture.

To ensure the tiles will be evenly spaced I recommend using spacers. You can buy them for whatever size you need.

I used a tile adhesive to get the tiles placed where I wanted them before I applied the grout. Sorry, no pictures for the grouting process. I took some but they didn't turn out very good.

Here is the final picture! I am done. You might notice I still need to put one of the electrical outlets on. I have not done that because when I tried I blew a spark or something and now the light won't turn on. So, I have to get an electrician out to fix it. Which is a bummer because it turned my house project that was suppose to be only $91.00 (and it was) into a house project that cost $156.00

The bomb chocolate cake!

I just made this chocolate cake for the first time tonight.  It turned out incredible.  I think Enrique has eaten half of it already.  Poor guy, now he feels a little sick.  Not a good idea to eat half of a cake.  Anyway, I strongly suggest you give this recipe a try.  It was simple, easy and delicious!

Chocolate Cake

Ingredients                                                                                            

1 (18.25 ounce) package dark chocolate cake mix

1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix

1 (16 ounce) container sour cream

3 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup coffee flavored liqueur

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, eggs, oil and coffee liqueur. Beat until ingredients are well blended. Fold in chocolate chips. Batter will be thick. Spoon into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until cake springs back when lightly tapped. Cool 10 minutes in pan, then turn out and cool completely on wire rack.

Ganache topping:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

*Alterations:

I didn't have any coffee flavored liqueur so I thought I would just buy some.  Not so fast, it turns out that stuff costs like $20 a bottle.  So, I decided to improvise with something else.  I used 1/2 cup of chocolate milk instead with a tablespoon of vanilla.  I also used light sour cream.  It turned out just as good.  

Recycle it!

So, see that shirt I am wearing?  I am the blond one in the middle wearing a flowery shirt.  Well, I decided I love that shirt because the fabric was so pretty but it wasn't the most flattering shirt.  So.......

I recycled it!  I made this headband for a little girl.  I used the fabric from the shirt.  I did two layers of gathering and then put a button in the middle of it.  I attached it to a some little girl tights for the headband part.  The tights are really stretchy and comfortable.

I also used it to make this fabric card for my mom's birthday.  These are my new favorite types of cards.  The fabric gives them more demention then just using paper.  But if you do this be prepared to use one needle for sewing on paper and another for sewing on fabric.  Sewing on paper dulls your needle.

I also made a flower clip for this sweater.  The sweater itself is a little blah but with the flower, it is a lot more exciting and unique!

From good to better

So, there is nothing worse than finishing a project and being unsatisfied.  Especially sewing something and not liking it.  When you sew something and it doesn't turn out good, there is always that haunting feeling of  'If I weren't lazy, I would just unpick this stupid thing and do it right.'  

When I first got done with the curtains for my bathroom that was my exact feeling.  I left the curtains hanging for about 2 weeks hoping the disapproval for my curtains would soon leave and I would be able to enjoy what I had worked so hard on.  Unfortunately that feeling never went away, it got worse. Begrudgingly  I took the curtains down, unpicked them and re did them all over from the same fabric.  I am not going to lie, it sucked.  

My main reason for redoing them was I didn't make them wide enough.   They weren't full.  They were more like panels instead of curtains.  You might not be able to tell from the picture but when they were closed, it drove me crazy!  I also changed the ruffle style to make them more casual.  I frayed the hem of the ruffle too.

reuphostered chair

Aaahh!  I wish I had a true before picture.  These were originally brown with that ugly swirly creamish fabric.  I painted them purple then nasty royal blue and finally red.  I liked the red so I stuck with it.

I ripped all the piping off and then just took my fabric and stapled it over the old fabric and to the frame.  I am sure there is a more correct way on doing it but this way worked for me.

I staple gunned all the fabric to the sides but the back was different. On the back I had to cut the fabric almost to the exact size and then used a little fabric glue and flat head screw driver to shove it into the frame.  

I finished it off with a blue trim I got from Hobby Lobbby for $1.00 a yard.  Pretty cheap.

Ta duh!

Pumpkin Cupcakes

2 cups white sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup applesauce

1 t. vanilla

2 cups canned pumpkin

4 eggs

2 cups flour

3 t. baking powder

2 t. baking soda

1/4 t. salt

2 t. ground cinnamon

1/2 t. nutmeg

1/2 t. cloves

1/4 t. ginger

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.  Set aside.

In a large bowl combine sugar oil and applesauce.  Blend in vanilla and pumpkin, then beat in eggs one at a time.  Gradually beat in flour mixture.

You can bake this as a cake or cupcakes.  I have done both and love them either way.  For a cake bake for 30 minutes.   For cupcakes about 14 minutes.  You know the drill, check them with a toothpick or if you are like me, a fork.  I never have toothpicks laying around!

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese

1/2 cup softened butter

2 cups powder sugar

1 t. vanilla

Cream cream cheese and butter together until creamy.  Mix in vanilla and powder sugar.

You will love these!  

There is nothing like a cold wintery day and warm soup!  And yes, it is already winter for me because I live in Iowa.  I don't think I need to elaborate on that.  This is one of our family favortites, given to me by my good friend Chelsea Buetler.  Thanks for sharing this recipe Chelsea!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 boneless chicken breast

1 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp cumin

4 can chicken broth

1 cup frozen corn kernels

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 Tbsp. Lemon juice

1 to 2 cups chunky salsa (depending on how hearty you like it) *Use fresh salsa, not Pace or something nasty like that.

Garnish with:

chopped avocado

shredded Monterey jack cheese

tortilla chips (I like the lime flavored)

cilantro

limes

In a large pot, saute chicken, garlic and onion in olive oil.  Add cumin and mix well.  Add broth, corn, chili powder, lemon juice, and salsa.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 20-30 mins.  

Garnish with the topping and enjoy!

Fall wreath

I made this Fall wreath with some help of some friends.  One of my friends, Sara, who is like 9 months pregnant climbed up some trees just to get the berry branches which we used to put in our wreath.  It was quite simple to do once you get the shape down.  Just shove berry branches into one of those basic wood wreaths you can get from Michael's.  I like fall wreaths over Halloween wreaths because I can leave this up until Thanksgiving!