An Easy Gift For Your Man

It's always hard to find a good gift for a man - all the men in my life buy something the minute they want it. My husband was in need of a small box to place the items from his pockets at the end of each day, though, and I was lucky enough to find this pretty wooden box at a local thrift store.

It was in great shape but had a couple of nicks and scratches in the wood. I wish I'd taken a before picture, so you could see how easy those were to fix using Restor-a-finish by Howard. 

I can't say enough good things about this stuff - it rocks. I use it for any real wood - on our bedroom furniture, dining room table, wooden trim on the stairs...it really just works great, with no sanding or refinishing. 

I cleaned up the inside of the box using a lint roller, and I added a photo of my daughter and me to the little indented spot in the lid, for a personal touch.

We gave it to my husband for his birthday, and it was a big hit!

How to Give Yourself (and Your Family) a Haircut at Home

Going to the salon is a pricey endeavor in today's world. Even a quick trim of the bangs can set you back more than a little, and a full wash, cut and style can easily run into the triple digits (and that's before tip!). If you're like me, you're looking for ways to reduce household expenses every day, and the easiest way to save money is to not spend it in the first place.

That doesn't mean you have to let your hair completely go, get it trimmed twice a year, or constantly wear a ponytail or cap. It's easy to trim your hair (and your family's) at home with the right tools: the hardest part is getting past the fear to try it the first time. Once you try and and see the results, though, you'll be hooked!

My husband was easy: he doesn't like the thinner spot he is noticing on his crown, so he decided to go from his longer, wavy locks to a short, uniform cut. He initially went short at a barber shop, but once the cut was in place, it became very easy to maintain using this Wahl trimmer. We have been using it for almost two years now, and I have to say, it paid for itself after the first month. It's so easy to use, and it only takes a few minutes every couple of weeks.

My daughter and I were a little harder. Neither of us was particularly interested in the Sinead O'Connor look, so I had to look a bit harder for the right tool for the job. Both of us have thick, medium-length hair, so keep this in mind - what works for us may not work for other hair textures and/or lengths.

After a little bit of online research (I love online reviews - what did we ever do without them?), I found the Seki Edge. Its low price and great reviews convinced me to give it a try, and I have to say that I love it! I have used it on myself and my daughter, and it's so simple to use.

Here are a few pointers I have learned:
-Start with a salon cut you like, that way you can follow the same shape without having to experiment yourself.
-Start with longest setting, and when you get more comfortable, and if you want, work your way up. It's easier to cut more than to realize you've cut too much, then have to wait for it to grow back out.
-Never start at or near crown. Same as the above - you can always move up a little as you go, but if you start to trim near your crown, you'll have a bit of spike going on, whether you want it or not.
-Use a light touch - don't apply a lot of pressure.

And for any styling and cutting tool, always follow the manufacturer's recommendations for cleaning and maintenance. Cleaning and maintaining trimmers and tools will prolong their life and ensure that they remain clean, so take a few minutes after you use them each time to clean them up!

Once you get some confidence and want to try different styles, there are many awesome how-to videos now available online for practically any style. I'm really impressed by the wealth of information that is out there - have fun with it and feel free to experiment - you'll love the results and so will your wallet!

LIT (Little Irritating Things), First in a Series

We all have them...those little things that just irritate us. They aren't necessarily wrong, but they're irritating nonetheless. I'm sure I'll add to this list as I go forward, so consider this first in a series of posts about my Little Irritating Things, or LIT™.

1. When someone uses common words as a phrase, then turns them into an acronym, trying to be cute. It's even worse when he or she throws in a little ™ at the end. 

Okay, okay...seriously, though...


2. When an employee of an organization refers to other employees as "My staff". They aren't yours. You certainly don't own them. But you have told us all we need to know about how you think of them and want to control their every move. And that you're better than they are. You aren't, though.


That's it for today, kids! 

How to Decorate a Purse

I recently came across a fairly plain black messenger-type handbag, and I thought it had promise. I picked it up at a thrift store for $4 and it's in really good condition.

The weave in the front got my attention - I immediately thought it would be fairly easy to dress it up with several different colors of ribbons.

I picked up some pretty ribbon in autumn colors at the local craft store, and pulled out some Quick Grip Glue (this stuff really does work great on everything!).

I decided that I didn't want to weave ribbon into each spot of the purse - I wanted to leave some areas black. For the areas I wanted to fill, I cut the ribbon about an inch longer than I would need on each size (so 2 inches longer total). I then wove the ribbon into the front of the purse, following the pattern that was already there.

I placed a little dab of glue at the outer edges of each piece of ribbon to hold it in place, and that's it!

The best part is that when I get tired of these colors, I can replace the ribbon with new colors.

Obviously, this method won't work for many purses, but hopefully it will inspire you and give you a some new ideas!

How to Stuff a Large Pillow on the Cheap

I recently came into some good-sized fabric scraps, and thought they'd make nice sofa pillows for our den. Our sofa is a dark brown, and the walls are painted a very light green. The fabric, striped with shades of taupe, blues, and greens, brought the two together nicely.

Polyfill, or any type of fiberfill, can cost a fortune - anywhere from $10 - $20 a bag. The large pillows I made here would have taken 5 - 10 bags, which would have made these pillows much more pricey than I would like. Instead of purchasing filler, I decided to look around our house for alternative stuffing to see if I could find anything usable. My pack-rat habits paid off for once!

I had a large bin of fabric scraps which were mostly sweater pieces. Many were wool sweaters that I'd felted. Others were leftover sleeves and t-shirt pieces left from long-finished projects. I decided the sweaters were ideal because they were bulky but not too heavy.

I sewed the fabric as I normally would to make a pillow: with right sides together, sew three sides along the edge, then sew the fourth side partially, leaving an opening wide enough to stuff the insides. Turn right sides out, then start stuffing.

I didn't quite have enough sweaters to completely fill both pillows, so I finished off the rest with an old mattress cover and the contents of an old bed pillow.

Once the pillows were stuffed, I hand-stitched them closed, and they were done! We love having them on the sofa - it really does make the sofa more comfy, and I love how they brighten up the room.

One drawback: these pillows are heavier than they would have been with fiberfill. However, given the fact that I ended up with huge, great-looking pillows for free, I don't mind it at all!

Fun with Little Bottles

I love little bottles, and so does my daughter. Whether it's those little airline-sized liquor bottles or the maple syrup bottle from Cracker Barrel, it's easy to turn it into something pretty and useful.

Take something like this:

and instead of tossing the bottle when you're done, dress it up a little.

My daughter simply stuck a jeweled sticker tattoo on this one and made a lovely vase:

You could also use paint to create a lovely and functional piece of art.

They're the perfect size for a single flower - we love them!

Ginger Lavender Lemonade: My Favorite Summer Drink

Last year, I bought a gallon ziploc bag full of lavender, thinking I'd be all crafty with it and stuff. Of course, here are, the bag and I, not getting any younger...so, I discovered how delicious it is brewed and mixed up as a lemonade. Then, I discovered Domaine de Canton. Wow! Altogether, it makes a most delicious summer drink. Rather than clash, the mild spice flavors of lavender and ginger compliment each other very nicely.

What You'll Need:
-1/4 c. Dried Lavender
-1/4 c. Lemon Juice (or fresh lemons if you're picky like that - obviously, since mine is from Wal-Mart, I'm not)
-1/2 c. Sweetener
-A Pitcher or something to put it in that will hold 2 - 3 quarts (mine pictured is 2.75 quarts)
-A Strainer
-Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur
-Water, ice, and a glass

First, combine 1/4 c dried lavender and 2 c. water into a pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let brew for 10 minutes. Bonus: your house will smell like Avignon in late spring.

Meanwhile, mix the lemon juice, sweetener, and about 1 quart of water (or a combination of water and ice) in your pitcher.

When the lavender has brewed for 10 minutes, pour it through the strainer into your pitcher, and mix well.

In a glass, add 1 oz. Domaine de Canton and ice, then fill the glass with your lavender lemonade. Mix, then drink.

So delicious.

How to Make Mobile Indoor/Outdoor Speakers

My family recently thought it would be a good idea to install some outdoor speakers so we could enjoy music when we're in the pool or out on the deck, but the more we looked into it, the more we thought it would be easier, and more useful, if we pulled together a solution that would allow us to use them anywhere (well, within our Wi-fi reach, at least).

My husband came up with the idea of using Apple's Airport Express to allow us to play music from our iTunes (from the laptops, PC, iPads, or iPhones, or iPods if you have them). From there, we found some speakers that we liked, but they weren't very mobile. We thought it would be fun to be able to move them outside when we're in the pool or yard, and inside when we want to use the speakers in a room where we normally wouldn't be able to hear our computers' built-in speakers.

I came up with a solution that uses all of the above, but in a small, rolling suitcase.

What You'll Need:
-Apple Airport Express
-Power strip or surge protector
-Rolling fabric suitcase
-Computer speakers (We used the Logitech Z313 speaker system)

It was really easy to set up: all I did was connect the components and place them into the suitcase. We were lucky and had this older, small, rolling suitcase up in our closet. It's covered in fabric, so it doesn't muffle the noise noticeably, but that means it isn't waterproof, so we'll need to be extra careful to remember to roll it all in when we're finished.

My first step was to make sure everything worked: I plugged it in and tested it, and everything sounded great.

Luckily, this suitcase had a piece of fabric that connected to the bottom with velcro, and this was handy in keeping the smaller speakers from moving around.

So, I tucked the smaller speakers under the fabric and used the velcro to hold them in place.

Then, I added the other components, heaviest on the bottom. Make sure the power strip is in the ON position so you won't have to open the zipper each time you use it.

I left the plug outside the suitcase, since it will need to be plugged in each time we use it. Since this speaker set also had a volume control, I also left it hanging outside and zipped around it. However, if you choose a speaker system that doesn't have a separate volume control, you can still use iTunes to control the speaker volume.

That's it! It's now ready to roll around and be used. I'm so excited to be able to listen to some decent tunes this summer while we enjoy the warm weather.

To use them, roll into place, plug it in, then go to your iTunes console, and click the speaker option (lower right of the screen - the rectangle shape). Select "Airport Express", and the output will be redirected to your Airport Express, wherever it may be.

And here it is on our deck, beside the hot tub. It sounds great!

This solution will be so handy for our 4th of July cook out - I can't wait!

How to Cover a Notebook with Fabric to Make a Wookie-Inspired Notebook!

My husband is a huge fan of the Star Wars franchise. He's also a big fan of always having a journal with him so he can capture his thoughts whenever he feels like it. He typically likes carrying a Moleskin, and he's also a big fan of journal bandoliers to hold his pens and keep his journal nice and tidy.

So, for Father's Day this year, my daughter and I decided to combine all of the above, cover the journal in brown fuzzy fabric, and turn it into a wookie-inspired journal as a gift for my husband. Since we were starting with a prototype, we ended up making two, one large and one small.

What You'll Need:

-Brown fabric (I used felt for the small one and a soft fuzzy polyester for the large)
-Black elastic
-White fabric paint
-White glue
-Quick grip glue (or super glue)
-Scissors
-Narrow white elastic
-Notebook(s)
-Foam paint brush

I basically followed the steps from this excellent online tutorial, but with a few changes. This is what I did to make it a "Wookie Book":

I first cut a length of black elastic that would fit diagonally across the front of the notebook. I cut a small loop of white elastic, sized to hold a pen or pencil, and sewed it onto the middle of the black elastic, perpendicular to the edges of the black elastic. I then used my white fabric paint to paint matching stripes along the front of the black elastic. This is the bandolier.

I let the paint dry thoroughly, then I cut a piece of brown fabric the size of the notebook, plus about 3/4" around each edge. I figured out the placement of the bandolier onto the fabric by doing a mock-up and placing the fabric onto the notebook, then the bandolier diagonally across the front. I marked the two spots on the back of the notebook where I would need to sew the bandolier edges.

I then sewed the edges of the elastic firmly onto the fabric. I back-stitched several times to ensure that it holds tightly when stretched.

This is what it looks like once sewn, before the fabric is attached to the notebook.

Next, I used white glue to attach the fabric to the front of the notebook. 

I used a foam paint brush to spread the white glue evenly, then pressed the fabric firmly onto the notebook.

Since my fabric was a bit bulky, the white glue wasn't quite powerful enough for the edges. I pulled out my favorite all-purpose glue, Quick Grip. It's useful for so many things around the house, and it worked perfectly for the edges of my wookie book.

Once the edges were glued, I used a sheet from the notebook itself to cover the inside front and back. For the larger notebook, I used a nicer piece of heavy stock stationery. I went back to white glue to glue the inside covers.

To help with drying, I propped up the inside pages to allow air to circulate. 

Once it was dry, I was pleased with the way it turned out. This is the front:

And this is the back:

Since it was a first attempt, the paint stripes seem a little uneven, so I'll work on that if I make others. All in all, I think it made a pretty good gift for my Star Wars, journal-carrying guy.

VHS Cassette Case as Hidden Wall Storage

What a smart idea...I love this!

Another Quick and Easy Hand Print Gift - Framed Art!

If you're still looking for a quick and easy Father's Day gift, this isn't very difficult and is another fun craft for you and your kids: a hand print tree, as framed art!

What You'll Need:
-Posterboard
-Tempera Paint
-Pencil
-Colored Pencils
-Poster Frame

I used the pencil to sketch out a tree like the one below. If your kids like drawing and art, though, they could draw it themselves.

I wrote, "Happy Father's Day 2012" at the bottom in block letters, although my lettering needs quite a bit of work. A paintbrush probably would have been a better choice here, but this was my result:

Then, I rounded my up niece, nephew, and daughter, and let them add their hands to the branches. If I do this again in the future, I'll be sure to make the tree outline darker so it shows up more.

I then let it dry and place it into a poster-sized frame, and that's it! I picked up the frame for $25 at Big Lots, but lightweight poster frames can be found at Wal-Mart for even less than that.

Have fun with it, and to all the Dads out there: may you have a Happy Father's Day!

How to Make Your Own Deodorant

I have been making my own deodorant for two years now. I see several benefits to it:

• It's cheaper then buying commercial deodorant / antiperspirant
• Less waste (no more little blue plastic containers to throw away - and anything that reduces plastic waste is a good thing)
• I never run out, as long as my ingredients are well stocked (and they always are)
• Fewer chemicals on and in my body. There is a great deal of Internet debate about whether or not the chemicals in deodorant and antiperspirants cause cancer and/or Alzheimer's, but whether or not it's true, I'd rather not take the chance...especially if I have a natural alternative that works just as well as the commercial solutions.

What You'll Need:

-Coconut Oil (available in the baking aisle of most supermarkets)

-Corn Starch

-Air-tight container for storage

-Baking Soda (optional)

-Tea Tree Oil or lavender oil (optional)

I find it's easiest to mix if you first melt the coconut oil in the microwave. I remove the jar's lid and microwave on high for 2 minutes until most of it is melted.

My preferred recipe is simply 1/2 C. Corn Starch and 4 Tbsp. Coconut oil, mixed together and stored at room temperature. I apply it with my fingers and it works well for me, even in the Summer. 

If that doesn't work for you, an alternative recipe would be 1/4 C. Corn Starch, 1/4 C. Baking Soda, and 4 Tbsp. Coconut oil. If that still doesn't control odors, you can add 10 drops of Tea Tree or Lavender oil to the mixture. 

Store in an airtight container and just mix more when you need it. I also use a little travel size container (that used to contain eye cream) for traveling.

This is a deodorant only, not an antiperspirant, so you'll still sweat (but you shouldn't stink). If I was a teenager, though, I'm not sure this would be a good solution, but since I'm older and don't sweat as much as I used to, this works great for me. 

Another important note - sometimes it takes a couple of weeks for your sweat glands to adjust to not being squelched by a commercial antiperspirant. So, if you feel like this isn't working because you're so sweaty, try giving it 10 days or so to see if your body adjusts. It really is worth it!

Quick and Easy Father's Day Crafts for Dads and Grandpas

It's nearly Father's Day, and if the men in your life are anything like mine, they already have everything they need. This leaves me searching for new ideas every year. Here are a couple of gifts we have made that the Dads and Grandpas loved:

Battery Garden


One Christmas, we gave my father-in-law a pack of batteries to power a new lantern that was separately wrapped. He opened the batteries first and went on and on about how he loved them and always needed batteries. Even after he opened the lantern, he told us how much he loved the batteries. So, it made me realize that men really do always need batteries, so why not make a cute little garden out of them and give them as a gift? My four-year-old decorated it herself and it was a fun project. I just helped cut holes in the boxes to hold the sticks, and added a little glue at their bases to hold the heavier batteries.

She had fun making it, and the Grandfathers both thought it was really cute. Be sure to tell them that they're new batteries so they'll be able to use them!

Painted T-shirts with Hand Prints and Footprints


Painted T-shirts are are a fun and simple gift, and my daughter always loves getting paint all over her, so be sure to wear old clothes if you make them! All you need is fabric paint (available at most craft stores) and plain T-shirts (they're cheaper at Wal-Mart, Dollar General, or a similar store than they are at craft stores).

Here are a few hand print / footprint designs:

"World's Best Daddy, Hands Down" with hand prints

"Best Granddaddy, Hands Down" with hand prints 

"My Granddaughter Walks All Over Me" with footprints

The best part of painting your own T-shirts is that you can customize them with whatever you call the Dads and Grandfathers in your life: Papa, Papaw, Grandpa, etc. Then, there's the added bonus of just getting messy with paint, so have fun with it!

All About My Granddaddy Free Printable

I love the "All About My..." printables that are popular now - the cute questionnaires that let kids answer questions about their relatives as a gift. My daughter calls my father-in-law "Grandpa," and those questionnaires are widely available and easy to find. I had trouble finding a printable for a "Granddaddy," though, which is what she calls my father.

So, like I always say...if you can't find it free, make it yourself! And make it available to others for free, right? So, here it is - free to download and use as you wish. Enjoy!!

How to Make a Quick, Easy, and Inexpensive Light Box

If you sell small things online, you could probably benefit from a light box in which to take your pictures. By using a light box and a free web-based photo editing site, you'll get pictures that are clean, crisp, and eye-catching to prospective buyers.

It really doesn't take much to make a simple light box. I used a cardboard box, cut the front panel along the right and left sides so that it is open to the front, and covered it loosely with white fabric (I used muslin, but you could use any smooth fabric).

A quick peek under the hood reveals...

It's a USPS flat rate box, which are available free (Free!) from the U.S. postal service. I love these boxes for shipping - this is one of the smartest things that has come out of the postal service in years. And in this case, the large sized box makes a perfect light box for me.

I topped off my cheap and easy light box with a small halogen desk lamp.

I think my husband originally purchased it from IKEA, but any small lamp would do. This lamp works well because the halogen is nice and bright, and the light is targeted and shines straight down into the box.

Once you take your pictures, you can use free online editing sites to crop and adjust the photos to look better. I love the Fotofuze site for this - it's easy to turn photos like this:

Into this:

I love how Fotofuze removes everything but the item and its shadow. It's also super easy to use! It's designed to work with Etsy, but it's easy to download the modified photo and then upload it to any other site, not just Etsy. Best of all, it's free! There are other free photo editing sites out there, but in my experience, Fotofuze is the easiest way to remove anything in the background as long as the background is white or black.