It's a Box, It's a Snowman, It's a Refridgerator

Pinned From: Crafting My Talents

Did you pin this too?  You should!  It's so fun...the minute I saw it I knew my 2yo would LOVE it.  He's been pretty into snowmen.  Then my SIL actually did it and posted a pic on the ol' FB.  So I told her she should come help out her dearest nephew and she took the bait.  

Easy peasy lemon squeezy, she brought the paper, we cut out some shapes, ripped up some double stick tape and viola!  Berk climbed up the ladder and helped out his aunt and was pleased as punch to show this guy off.  

Pin Worthiness:  And how

I mean, what a simple cute idea!  It adds a big boost of holiday to your kitchen and it's just so adorable.  Plus it gives you a chance to clear all the crap off your fridge!  Am I right?

White Chicken Enchiladas

Pinned From: Joyful Momma's Kitchen

You know how we have perfectly tasty, relatively healthy recipes with tomato based sauces and we should be just fine with that?  And then, shazam, spaghetti marinara, meet fettuccine Alfredo, lasagna, meet white lasagna, enchiladas, meet white chicken enchiladas.  Sure we lose some nutrition in the form of a serving of fruit/vegetable (tomatoes! don't get me started), let's look at what we gain!  Creamy, ooey, gooey calories!  Oh, I mean, a good ol' dose of comfort food.  That's what we gain...pure c...comfort.

What we have here is half a pan because I forgot to photo before dishing up some plates.  Also, I used a Mexican Fiesta blend of cheese because that's what I had.  The results.  Pretty good.  But I felt like this recipe had to be better. I loved the sauce but it seemed like something was missing.  I made them again, this time being sure to use pure, unadulterated Monterrey Jack and adding about a tsp of salt to the sauce.  The results were super good.  Funny how a simple thing like cheese and a tsp of salt can make such a difference.

Pin Worthiness:  And How

Just make sure you follow the recipe, but add a bit of salt too because I think that just amped up the flavors in the sauce.  My husband and I agreed that round 2 was soooo yummy.

Ball Wreath

Pinned From:  Eddie Ross

Remember how you married a man with a closet full of wire hangers?  Remember how you threw them away in a fit of rage?  Remember how you really only threw most of them away and kept a few "just in case?" No?  Just me?  Hmmm...

Well if you are like me, with a few rainy day wire hangers stashed away than this is the project for you.  Last year on after-Christmas-clearance I snatched up some tubes o' ornaments for a quarter a piece.  I didn't know why exactly, I just knew that the price was screaming and I'd find something to do with them.  

Te gustas?  Well I do.  What's there to say?  It came together super fast and with SUPER cheap components.  One note though: this uses a lot of balls.  I mean a LOT.  So many in fact, I ran out so I had to cut a few inches off of my hanger with wire cutters and create my own twist.  OK, two notes: I didn't use various sizes of balls or glue my balls into place...there are a few gaps where you can see the hanger.  So sue me.

Pin worthiness:  You Betcha

Who doesn't love handcrafted holiday cheer?  I know I do.

Hot Cocoa Bar

Pinned From:  No Rococo

This past weekend my friend Natalie and I planned and executed a party for our church with an active congregation of about 200 people.  We had a turkey dinner, a Nativity performed by children, various musical numbers, games and crafts for the children and a HOT CHOCOLATE BAR!  I LOVED it.  I've seen it pinned all over Pinterest so there are multiple sources but this is the one I found easiest.

I did everything in clear glass containers with some homemade labels.  We had chocolate powder, white chocolate powder, regular marshmallows, gingerbread mallows, french vanilla mallows, chocolate mallows, chocolate mint mallows, peppermint mallows, toffee bits, peanut butter chips, caramel bits, peppermint candy canes, cherry candy canes and whipped cream.  I think it's safe to say that EVERYONE loved it.  Men and women, old and young, human and alien.

Sadly in all the hustle and bustle of being co-queen party animal I didn't get around to taking a picture.

Pin Worthiness:  And how

Planning a holiday get together?  DO THIS.  It's just good clean fun.

Taco Soup

Pinned from:  Six Sisters' Stuff

Remember this disaster?  Well this recipe is from the same collection of 25 recipes and that picture above is the one that shows up on Pinterest so for clarification I'm using that one.

Taco soup.  Not much to say really, it was simple it was good.  I'd make it again just because it was so simple but if I never remember to make it again it's only because it's nothing special.  If you're looking for something simple to make and you've got all the ingredients, give her a go.  Otherwise, don't go out of your way to make this one happen.

 Pin worthiness:  Meh

Felt Tipped, Tip

Pinned From:  Wee Folk Art

Sometimes you just want to throw your palm against your head and exclaim, "why didn't I think of that?"  This is one of those times.  Pinterest is full of good tips.  I really like to do crafts with felt, it's soft and it doesn't fray, what more could a girl want?  Sometimes I just wing it as I cut and sometimes I marker the shapes I want right onto the felt.  The former doesn't always work out so well.  The latter can be visible depending on how you apply the felt to whatever you're doing.  Wee Folk Art to the rescue.  The answer?  TAPE.  Tape that whole mother down, yo.  And she adds, staple the middle for stability.  Uh, duh!  Why didn't I think of that.

I did it.  I made my little friend Stella a Super Stella/Bird Girl cape for her 1st birthday.  One side was purple with a dark purple super S.  One side was pink with a bright pink bird.  Unfortunately I didn't take a picture before I gave it to her!  My bad. Cutting that felt out with this method was awesome.

Pin worthiness:  And how

I'll never felt the same way again.

Alleged Texas Roadhouse Copycat Rolls

Pinned from:  Eat Cake For Dinner

The word "alleged"  carries a bit of disdain doesn't it?  I mean, I'm not mad at Ms. Eatcakefor Dinner.  Even she admits these bready bits aren't real Texas Roadhouse rolls.  Let's be honest it's not like you feel classy when eating at Texas Roadhouse, what with peanut shells on the floor and your server breaking into a sweaty line dance next to you, but those rolls?  and that cinnamon butter?  Good night, Nurse! 

These are not Texas Roadhouse rolls.  They are rolls.  Fine rolls, really but I already have better rolls in my recipe repertoire.     

Pin Worthiness: Sure

Not much else to say except for don't bother pinning, you have better roll recipes I'm sure.

We Need S'More Puns Around Here

Pinned from:  one simple addiction

A co-worker was getting married and we were having a work girl shower for her...I was assigned party favors. And I was all, please, give me s'more to do.  Pinspiration to the rescue!  (too much?  oh, come on, who doesn't enjoy a good pun now and then?)   I just had to come up with the perfectly bridal showery S'morey tag...

  Do you love it?

Pin Worthiness:  You Betcha

This little project is nice and easy, simple and pretty.  Clear bags with "garbage" string as my son calls it.  He thought we should throw it away.  I guess it wasn't pretty enough for him.

Go on and do it already, you know there's something you need to make something for...and you can microwave yourself some s'morey leftovers.  YUM.

Deck The Wall

Pinned From: Centsational Girl

Gotta love all the tips and tricks you find on Pinterest!  At first I thought, I'm never going to do this, the cutting of the paper and the hanging it is just more work...but then I decided that it would be nice for my new family photo collage to actually be uniform.  Cutting the paper out went really quickly and having everything exactly where I wanted it before putting holes in the wall was great! I laid the paper on the back of each frame and marked where the nail would hang on each, then I (and by "I" I mean my husband and I) put the paper up and hammered our nails right through the paper.  

Pin Worthiness: And how!

The extra steps weren't so bad and ended up being worth the stress free picture hanging!

Ranchy, Porky Goodness

Yeah, that's right, I said "porky."

Pinned from: Real Mom Kitchen

I logged onto Pinterest just to show a friend of mine how it worked.  Then I saw this yumminess all smothered in yumminess and pegged her pardon while I did a quick pin.  I'm super glad I did.  This is a winner!  Very easy, very tasty, whips up fast in the crock pot.  Can I get an "Amen?"

The only problem is that the quick crock pottiness of it is just for the pork.  You do have to actually make your starch and your side.  Might I recommend Real Mom Kitchen's Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes she herself serves with this pork?  I'm not usually one to follow a recipe for mashed potatoes because, come on...but I did with this because I'd never roasted garlic before, GASP, and wanted to give it a try.  Results, delish.  I also served with some green beans lightly sauteed in olive oil with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Wanna see?

I got a little anxious...promise the gravy thickens up a little if you give it a minute or two.

Pin Worthiness:  You Betcha

Eat this for dinner!  Soon.

Corn Bread Dressing

Pinned from: Mangio da Sola

Looks good doesn't it?  That's what I thought.  Don't get me wrong, it's not bad, it's just not my cup of tea.  I consider myself well versed in the consumption of good but I can honestly say I'd never really had a cornbread stuffing before.  I always thought it sounded good and seeing this image sure made me want to give it a go, plus there were comments on her blog by people who LOVED it.  Maybe I just don't like cornbread stuffing.  Maybe it is this recipe is the end all be all but I'll never know because of my aversion to it's basic make up.

Also, it goes against my basic rule for Crock Pot cooking...that it all be done in the pot, or maybe dirties one extra dish in preparation.  This bad boy dirties many dishes.   You have to make the cornbread, you have to poach the chicken.  That's lots of prep work and dishes for a crock pot dish if you ask me!

OK, that went on long enough, let me break it down for you.  My dinner table that evening included, me, my husband, my 2 year old, my 8 month old, my mother, and my brother.  I thought it was way too sweet, my mom that it was sweet, my husband said it was fine with salt, my  kids loved it and so did my brother.  So there you go.  A house divided.

Pin Worthiness: Sure

I mean, if some people love it and other's don't I suppose it's worth you giving it a try.  If you like cornbread stuffing then I really suggest you give it a try and tell me if it really is the best cornbread stuffing you've ever had.

Beauty

Pinned from:  The Ballet Blog

This image is just so beautiful.  I really love it.  I have a bit of a weakness for ballet art.  I used to be a ballerina, never anything major and honestly never any good but I did it for years.  When I was on a field trip to some museum (no idea where!) I bought a book of Degas paintings as a souvenir.  I just couldn't pass up all of those beautiful ballet paintings.  Years later my sister and I went on a trip to Paris and made a stop at Musee d'Orsay, it was by far my favorite day of our whole trip.  I saw all of the Degas works I'd loved up close and personal.  I've never been an artsy, fartsy, cry if a painting moves you kind of gal but I tell you I teared up a bit!  Anyway, I do so enjoy good photography.  Good, not overly photoshopped photography.  And good photography of ballerinas?  Well that's just icing on the cake.

Pin Worthiness:  And How

I'm loving the beautiful photography I get to see on Pinterest and I can't wait for more.

Simple, Different

Pinned from:  Cute Girls' Hair Styles

I've seen lots of cute hair ideas on Pinterest but I especially love the fast and easy ones.  This one is so simple I can't help but wonder why I didn't think of it.  I am a genius after all!  All you have to do is braid a normal, simple braid and then choose a strand to hold onto, any strand'll do.  Hold firm and slide the other two up.  It creates this fun, different look.  I did it to my 11 year old niece the other night and she liked it a lot.  I wowed everyone around with my vast knowledge of braids!  I didn't take a picture but this is one instance where it turned out just as well as the source picture!  I am sure it works better on "young" hair because it's so healthy and undamaged you can slide on up with out too much frizz and breakage poking out.

Pin Worthiness:  You Betcha

You're kids might be in bed, but grab Barbie and give it a try.  You know you want to.

Recipe Fail

Pinned from: Six Sisters' Stuff

This is not the recipe I made, this pin is for a list of 25 slow cooker recipes and this is the picture that appears on the pin boards, I've seen it all over pinterest.  Thought I'd show you this one in case you have it pinned.

This is what I made.  Orange Chicken in the Crock Pot.  When I started making my grocery list and added items from this recipe I became suspicious. A whole can of orange juice concentrate?  OK, I'm sure these people think it tastes good or they never would have linked it, right?

Well, I made it.  It was disgusting.  Seriously.  I could not finish it.  My son gagged, my husband humored me and then confessed that it was't good, never admitting how awful it really was.  It just was not a pleasant dining experience.

Why the epic fail?  Oh, that's just because...well...I'm an idiot I suppose.  The recipe calls for 8 oz of orange juice concentrate, an entire can is 12 oz.  I didn't misread just once, while writing down ingredients but again while making this stupid dish!  And here's the thing...I'm not sure that 4 fewer ounces would have made that much of a difference.  I realize it's a full third but it was just sooooooooooooo orangey!  Ick.

Pin Worthiness:  Not Really (this is based on this recipe alone and not the fact that this pin is for 25 recipes.)

The bottom line is I won't be making this again, even with just 8 ounces of juice, I'm too scarred from my first experience.  You can try if you want.  Let me know how it turns out.

Pinterest: A Double Edged Sword

Pinned from:  Need Supply

These boots.  I saw them and loved them.  They were only $75!  I tried to order them.  They were out of stock!  Out of stock!  I was so sad.  That's the problem with Pinterest.  You find something on there that you like, and everyone else does too.  It's a shame.  I would have been good to you brown derby boot.  We could have had some pretty good times.

Pin Worthy:  You Betcha

A good looking boot at a great price is hard to find and apparently harder to acquire.

Lemon Garlic Spaghetti

Pinned from:  I Nom Things

I love noodles.  I love basil.  I love light dishes.  I didn't love this dish.  It was fine.  I'd eat it again if it were in front of my face but I wouldn't go through the trouble of making it again.  Don't believe me, try it for yourself.  I wish you better luck.

Pin worthiness:  Meh

So why bother posting?  Well honestly, sub par recipes were my number one motivation for starting this blog believe it or not.  I feel like people over rate recipes (like on food.com) all the time and I am NOT a picky eater.  I'm a good eater.  Ask anyone, especially my mother!

I'm a TV Watcher

Pinned from: ilikeartalot.tumblr.com

Parks and Recreation anyone?  Sometimes you just need the silly pins for a good laugh.  Who doesn't love mustache chest hair?  That's why I married Shawn.

Pin Worthiness:  You Betcha

Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

Pinned from:  C + C Marriage Factory

This pork loin in and of itself is good.  Not great, but certainly better than fair.  It's the glaze that makes this bad boy a winner.  Aye Ca-rumba!  I liked it.  A lot.  I generally think people over rate food on-line.  Things that are given 4-5 out of 5 stars I'd often give 3 or fewer.  I am not a picky eater!  I love food.  But I figure if I'm going to go through the trouble of putting those calories in my body I better enjoy it.

Pin worthiness:  You Betcha

This recipe is easy peasy, lemon squeezy.  I like my crock pot dishes nice and simple and this did not disappoint.  Although you had to dirty an additional pot to make the glaze, it whipped up fast and was delish!

Happy Feet

Pinned From:  Coolest Homemade Costumes

Check out those feet.  This year the plan was, Shawn a rooster, Me a hen, Berk a chick and Sovie an egg.  We got a few costumes donated to our cause and did some roll shifting but we were still in need of chicken feet and these cleaning gloves I pinned seemed like such a great plan!  Shawn sported these yellow feet and I wore brown gloves for mine.  I think our feet were everyone's favorite parts of our costumes and I didn't even get a picture with our feet in it.  Ugh.

Pin Worthiness:  You Betcha

I love to "search" in Pinterest.  It's like a filtered Google where only the cool ideas and images are allowed.  That's where this clever idea came from.  Try it out!

Trick or Treat Banner

Pinned from:  Etsy shop, FrogPrincePaperie

 Admittedly I did this totally differently.  This link is not a tutorial, it's a good for purchase, a printable for a DIY craft.  Well, I Did It mYself but not with a printable.  I picked out some basic black and a cute orange fabric, the super cheapest they had at Walmart.  Did you know that a Cricut can cut fabric?  Well it can.  Really well if you iron some heat bond onto it and the heat bond makes these come together with minimal sewing.  I did double the fabric for sturdiness.  I liked the idea of doing this in fabric because it will last year after year better and better.

Pin Worthiness: Sure

I mean, cutting out rectangles, circles, and letters isn't rocket science so this pin hardly requires a tutorial but sometimes you just need to pin things because they're cute and you want to remember you liked it.  While it's not complex, beware it is fairly time consuming.  If you ask me it's worth it.  Jump on the banner band wagon!  See how festive it is?  See the cute little witches on the ends?

(I know.  It is seriously a cellphone picture!  I'm lame.)

Pumpkin Decor: Power Drill

Pinned from: multiple sources

Just as easy as you would think!  I made a small pattern on a piece of paper and taped it to the pumpkin then drilled away.  I also drilled little holes all around the pumpkin randomly which gave it a lantern type look.  I love it.

Word to the wise:  Space your design out more than you think...those holes get rather close together.

Pin Worthiness:  You Betcha

As far as alternative pumpkin decorating methods go this is tops.  It doesn't cost a thing (unless you don't own a drill) and it goes very quickly.

Getting Started

If you're anything like me than you've probably been wasting your day away in front of the computer screen pinning crafts, recipes, clothes, tips and ideas on Pinterest.  And if you haven't, you might want to jump on it because it's amazing!  Anyway I have actually been doing more than merely filing these various links away for a later date.  I've been doing.  Some of these have worked out great, some others, not so much.  I thought I'd share with you, the vast world wide web, what I've liked or haven't liked about certain recipes, projects and more.  Let's see what works!