Wednesday

journal

i have seen homemade journals before (most recently at the market in clarksville this weekend) and i decided that it was something i was interested in making. so i went to hobby lobby and bought some fabric and 2 sheets of scrapbook paper and tried it. here are the supplies you need:
white computer paper (10 sheets)
2 pieces of colored cardstock (or more if you want)
single hole punch
glue gun
some type of card board or thicker paper (i used a strip from a manila folder)
some type of string (i used hemp)
fabric of your choice
scissors

1. cut the computer paper in half (hamburger style)

2. punch 3 holes on one of the longer sides


3. thread your string (or hemp) through the holes to make sure the book stays together. this will not be seen in the end but it is just to ensure the pages stay together. i threaded my hemp then tied it off in the back.
4. cut a piece of cardboard (or manila folder) about 2 inches wide.
5. cover the cardboard with fabric. i used a hot glue gun for this step.

6. glue the fabric covered cardboard to the edge of the journal. i creased mine first and just slipped it over the edge (don't forget to cover up your string).
7. place your journal under a stack of books or magazines to flatten the fabric out and make it look better.
here's the finished product, i like it!



things i will do differently next time:
-be sure to fold the fabric over the top and the bottom of the manila folder as well as the side so that there are not frayed edges on the top and bottom.
-maybe use cardstock instead of computer paper (this is really just preference)



still reading radical by david platt. it's still changing my life.
we ate feta peppers again last night- jared said they are his favorite and they went great with 3 cheese tortellini and meat sauce.

enjoy your day.

Thursday

three things.

1. an invitation.
mom and i (and mom's friend) hosted a wedding shower for my best friend b. i was really excited about making the invitations because i love making new things. these turned out cute and were extremely simple. so being wedding season and all, i figured i would post it just in case anyone need a simple idea.
supplies:
one solid color of scrap book paper (i used card stock)
one fun color or pattern
ribbon (the ribbon with wire works best)
single hole punch
you simply cut the patterned scrap book paper to the size that you want the invitation to be then you cut the solid sheet a little smaller. line the paper as you want it and punch two holes in the top center of the paper (about 1/2 inch from the top). cut a piece of ribbon (about 2 inches) and feed it through the holes by place each end of the ribbon through the front of each hole, pull the ribbon through on the back side, cross the ribbon and thread it back through the front on the opposite side. that may sound confusing but you are just trying to get the two pieces of paper to stay together. then if you have the wire ribbon scrunch it together a little to make it cute. these are extremely cheap (i made 30 invitations for about $9) and they do not require any other adhesives (i hate glue!)

2. a book.
i am reading an incredible book by david platt called radical. it is challenging to say the least. it challenges believers to take back our faith from the american dream. platt discusses how we as american christians have manipulated the gospel to fit our cultural preferences instead of being a true disciple of Christ. i encourage everyone to buy this book and read it... but don't read it if you are not ready to be challenged and changed.

3. cookies.
i had to make a simple (and quick) dessert for an engagement party the other day and i decided to not go out and buy anything new... i was determined to use something that i already had in the pantry. so i found a box of devil's food cake and looked up recipes for cookies to make with the cake mix. i found a simple and DELICIOUS one.
1 box devil's food cake mix
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
some chocolate chips of your choice (i used white chocolate chips, others said they use peanut butter chips or butterscotch chips, get creative!)
you simply mix all the ingredients together (with a spoon). the dough is very thick but great to work with. then you roll dough into balls at place them on an ungreased cookie sheet. bake at 375 for 9-11 min. they are great! it made 2 dozen cookies.



i am starting a new fun project today so i hope to be posting it soon.

Sunday

break out the fine china

when we were registering for our wedding gifts the man at bed bath and beyond (along with my mom) insisted that we register for china. he convinced me by saying that the reason people don't use their china is because people do not make events special anymore. well i was determined to keep events special in our family so we registered for some very simple china. i was so excited to receive 12 precious place settings along with other fun serving pieces (coffee and cream containers, vegetable bowls, butter dish, etc..) well today was the day that i pulled the china out for the first time. mother's day is very special to me because i have 2 great mothers in my life and i wanted them to know how much that j and i appreciate them. so what was on the menu?
-salad with carrots, bell pepper, celery, cheese and croutons
-chicken spaghetti
-garlic parmesan cheese bread
-mud pie ( the recipe will be added below) IT'S DELICIOUS.
so i encourage everyone to get their china out and use it. what's the point of having it stashed in the attic and never using it? it only took 30 min for j and i to hand wash everything afterward and it was definitely worth it. so take the challenge and make dinner special one night soon!
here was the set up:




mud pie recipe:
ingredients:
-about 20 oreos
-4 tbs butter, melted
-2 tbs sugar
-breyer's (or whatever brand you choose) coffee ice cream
-chocolate syrup

instructions:
crush oreos. place in mixing bowls and add melted butter and sugar. mix and then put in pie pan. press cookie crumbs along pie pan (to make crust). place in refrigerator for 30 min. while the crust is in the frige take ice cream out and let it soften. take crust out and add ice cream. drizzle chocolate fudge on top and swirl with a tooth pick to make it pretty. this pie is EXTREMELY easy and a big hit. the picture below is from the taste of home website... but it really does turn out this good looking.

Friday

addition to the magnets

i was disappointed that the magnets weren't staying on the fridge very well so i went to michael's and got more magnets. instead of the roll of adhesive magnets you should definitely buy the package of round magnets. 8 came in a package for $1.99 and they work MUCH better. just a thought :)

Thursday

dinner and a magnet

SCHOOL IS OVER. it is officially summer time. i can't even explain how excited i am. one more semester and i will officially be a university of memphis alumni. there is only one bad thing that i can think of when it comes to graduating- no more free memphis basketball games. dang. i guess j and i will just have to work extra hard to pay for two season tickets.

last nights dinner menu: baked teriyaki chicken topped with pineapples and fresh green beans sauteed in soy sauce and garlic powder (this was another vegetable suggestion from the hendricks household. the green beans turned out okay. here was the process:

i put some soy sauce and garlic powder into the pan and turned it on med high. then i added the green beans. being my first time to do this i realized that the soy sauce was evaporating much quicker than the beans were cooking. so i decided to add a little water and allow the beans to simmer for a bit. they ended up turning out just fine... but maybe a little on the salty side. i am definitely open for tips on better ways to cook fresh veggies. all in all the dinner was pretty good and j seemed to enjoy it (that's what's most important!)







as we watched that thing you do (such a classic) i experimented with making some SIMPLE magnets. my 2nd grade students had made something similar for mother's day presents so i decided to make some as well! the only supplies that you need are:
-round glass stones (i got these at hobby lobby for $1.50)
-scrap booking paper
-magnet strips
-scissors
-glue gun
the steps are very easy and i'm sure some of you have made these in the past
1. cut out a square of scrapbook paper of your choice
2. put glue on the stone and quickly place on scrapbook paper (hot glue dries extremely fast)
3. cut extra paper from around the stone off
4. place magnet strip on the back
these are super easy and definitely something fun to do with kids, students or even by yourself.











after getting some items for extremely cheap at pottery barn outlet today i have been inspired for a few more projects. man, i'm so glad it's summer.

Tuesday

my goals.

i really like making goals. long term, short term, goals for the day/week, anything. i enjoy having a set list of things i want to do or complete in a given amount of time. so that's why i set four goals for my summer:
1. explore new recipes and try them out
2. make new crafts
3. get in shape
4. become a coupon expert
to add to this list i will be catching up on some reading, spending quality time with my husband (J), finding a place to live come september, and saving money like crazy. this blog is simply to keep me on track and help document my progress. i will post pictures, share good deals/coupons that i find, record recipes that are successful and give my opinion about books that i read. i'm excited.

so what have i done so far to begin reaching my goals? well i have gone through, cleaned out and organized ALL of my craft supplies (paint, scrap booking materials, ribbon, jewelry making supplies, sewing kit, etc), j and i have walked three days (for three miles) in the last week, i invested in some 5 lbs. weights to do some mild arm toning exercises, and tonight we made a new vegetable recipe. it was delicious and i give all the credit to the hendricks family. here's the recipe:
Feta Peppers

yellow bell pepper
red bell pepper
garlic
salt
olive oil
feta cheese
preheat oven to 400. cut the bell peppers into strips and put in mixing bowl. coat peppers with olive oil, salt and garlic (i didn't have exact amounts for any of the ingredients and it still turned out great. just add to taste) Bake for 12-15 min. then remove from oven and add feta on top. bake another 5 min. ENJOY.
we ate them with roast and it was the perfect balance of flavors.

this will be a great summer.