It's no secret that i love pinterest...a lot of crafts have been waiting patiently while i spend my extra time perusing the pictures there!
You can find everything there....
from patterns and recipes...
to cleaning tips and excercise routines...
My latest find...
Woolie dryer balls!!
You add them to your dryer before drying the load and they bounce around aerating your clothes ...making them soft, static free AND cutting down on the drying time!
This means that you spend less money on electricity and you don't have to buy fabric softener sheets!!
WHOOOHOOOO!!
Here is what you need to make yours:
1. one skein of 100% wool (i get mine at Hobby Lobby!)
2. one pair of nylons
That's it...so far so good.
First..you start wrapping the yarn around two of your fingers, slide it off and start wrapping the yarn around the little wad of yarn you just made...technical ...right? LOl
Keep wrapping until you have a ball smaller than a tennis ball but bigger than a golf ball.
Now cut the string and tuck the end under so it is anchored into the ball.
one skein of yarn made six dryer balls for me
You have just made your first ball!! Easy!
Continue until you have used all your yarn...my skein made six...according to the pinterest site...you only need four.
Now...place one of your balls into the nylon leg and push it down . Then tie a knot above it. Now do the same with the rest..making sure to tie a knot after adding each ball. This will keep them from fusing to eachother.
You are almost done!!
Throw them into the washer machine (i washed them with a load of whites!) on your hottest setting...then throw them in the dryer on the hottest setting..remove them from the nylon and they should be fused...if not..repeat washing and drying process...That's it!!
You are now ready to use them!
I have seen ..also on pinterest...that you can soak a piece of tshirt in fabric softener, let it dry and use that as a fabric softener sheet...so i am going to try that with one of the dryer balls.I am a sucker for the smell of the dryer sheets and don't want to give that up.
I am listening to my dryer now using the balls for the first time and i don't hear them bouncing around which is good. I will let you know how well they work in my next post!
I'm off now to make some homemade granola for the week.
Until next time!
God Bless,
Tonia
God does have a plan....I firmly believe this. We may not know what it is, or be completely happy about it at times,
but it is set in stone.
Think about it....haven't there been people in your life, whether they be friends, family, or people you just met, that have lasting effects? Or maybe you just met them once, but the impression they left with you changed you in some way?
For instance, there was a time in my life when things were in transition...and i was having a very difficult time with it.
In popped a woman(who ended up becoming one of my best friends!)
She saw things were difficult, and went out of her way to befriend me. In that new budding friendship, she showed me how to sew. Sounds simple, but it changed my life!!
She started me on a new life path that still today..almost 20 yrs later....keeps changing me and making me a better person!
At the last craft show i worked...i met this wonderful fellow crafter. She saw that i hook and had to stop and chat. Seems her mother used to have a love for hooking (she actually worked at Greenfield Village working with the wool and such!) and had passed on to the other side...leaving all her tools, wool and books!
The next day...she brought me in this book and said i could have it...along with a bag full of wool!!
She couldn't have made me any happier!!
This book has inspired me and has been the teacher that i so desperately needed!!
So see....God placed her in my life at just the right moment to keep pushing me in the direction i need to be going.
Without this book, i would have given up.
But now...i am planning my next rug which hopefully will turn out as nice as planned and will be donated to raise money for the Relay For Life!!
He truly has mysterious ways...
I will have to share pictures soon of the project in process so you can give me your feedback..i am so excited about this one.
First i will draw it out on burlap with a sharpie, then decide what textile to use....wool yarn or wool fabric???
Either or....i love them both!!
Yarn is easier to use...you don't have to worry about what direction the loops are going...and it is faster...and i have more control over what colors i can use...
BUT....
Fabric is so much fun!!
I have to go on a treasure hunt to find the fabric...and if i can't find just the right colors...i get to pull out my dye pot and have fun coloring!!
I can't even begin to tell you how much fun it is for me!!
I have to go for now...but remember...
When life seems so hard, or people are really getting difficult to deal with...God put them in your life for a reason....and every day has a lesson.
Go out of your way to embrace life and those around you....you never know when a kind gesture from you may just change someone's life!!
God Bless!!
Until next time,
Tonia
I have been doing little odds and ends jobs around the house for a few days...not my idea of fun...but i want to get them done before the weather gets nice and warm.
One of those was to clean out my son's bedroom closet...like i said..not my idea of fun!
I came across his old sheets with the Wishbone dog on them and was putting them in the bag to give to his little cousin, when he came in. Now..i have learned years ago to do these kind of chores when they are at school, that way they aren't there to see what you are giving/donating/throwing away....and this is the very reason why!
"What are ya doing mom?"
"Well...i'm giving Jakob your old sheets."
"Why ?"
"Because you don't use them anymore and he will love them"
"Since you are going to just give them away...can't you PLEASE make me a rug? I still love my sheets...you can't give them away..."
And then he says this...
"You make everyone else rugs...why haven't you made me one...i want you to make me one with my dog sheets..PLEASE!! I will love you forever...and i can keep it forever!!"
Little stinker...that's all i have to say!
So ...needless to say...here is the rug in progress:
Kids know just the right words to say to pull your heart strings so they can get exactly what they want!!
Not sure exactly where on his floor he is going to be able to put it...but i'm sure he will try!
Well.. off to work on the rug so i can start on some new projects.
Until next time!
God bless,
Tonia
I love saving money...I mean i LOVE saving money!! There is nothing more thrilling than finding that thing you just have to have on sale!
So its no surprise that when i do everyday tasks, i'm also thinking of ways to save money. So much of the money in our house goes to food and cleaning supplies..ugghhh. I'm sure its the same at yours.
Well Pinterest to the rescue!!!
I love pinterest....
I mean i LOVE pinterest!!
How did we live without it?
You can find anything your heart desires...such as homemade cleaning supplies and how to cook better meals cheaper!
Two things that make my heart soar..LOL!
Today we will stick to the cleaning...not my favorite thing, but something i do everyday.
In my house...we go through paper towels...mostly my dear hubby, but we won't go into that.
And i mean alot.
While cleaning out closets...i came across a bunch of old tshirts i had been saving for a "Pinterest" project which was meant to be done, but alas, never accomplished.
Well...wouldn't these make great little cleaning clothes. So i cut them into squares, put them in a basket, and placed them on my kitchen counter, with strict instructions to use these in place of paper towels!!
And they actually listened...what a great idea. I also cut up an old towel to use for the bathroom cleaning jobs. They work great on the mirrors!
I also found this great recipe for shower cleaner:
1 part warmed vinegar
1 part Dawn dish soap
1 empty squirt bottle
You warm the vinegar in the microwave, add the dish soap and shake really well. I also added some warm water after shaking.
This worked so well in my shower! I didn't have to use any elbow grease at all..and i have glass shower doors, so you can see exactly how well its cutting the soap scum!
One warning though...there are terrible fumes...not sure why..but they are bad enough to make me turn on the vent!
I found the recipe on Pinterest which led me here http://www.simpleorganizedliving.com/2012/02/01/homemade-shower-cleaner/
THis site is AWESOME if you want to learn how to save money and streamline your life!
I'm off again to finish cleaning the rest of my house..even though i always feel so much better when the bathrooms are clean.
Thanks for stopping by!!
Until next time,
Tonia
I am back from the craft show that i participated in today....WOW! I really had a great time! I met so many new people, got to enjoy friends i haven't seen in awhile...and made some extra money too!
What more can a girl ask for??
I hope tomorrow brings more of the same!!
Getting ready for a craft show can really be stressful for me....i am a serious procrastinater and that brings its own challenges...but pricing is definitely the hardest part for me. I never know what is the correct price...am i pricing too high?? Too low??
See?????
But on the other hand....making the "price tags" is always fun!!
Primming isn't only for the crafts...but also the tag!
I make a strong batch of tea, pour it into my enamel pan, drop in the tags, wait a few minutes, then remove.
I like to put them on an old towel topped with a paper towel to dry.
For a really mottled and aged look....you can sprinkle some of the tea onto the tags after they have been placed onto the towel. Just let it pool on the tags and let dry. What a great "old" look!!
You could also use old coffee for an even "older" look....whichever you prefer...or for that matter...whatever you have on hand!! Hee hee!
These add such a nice touch to your "prim" crafts!
I need to get going for now....so much to do before i can rest!
Until next time,
Tonia
Boy have i been busy!!!
I am participating in a craft show this weekend to help support the local High School..and i had lots to Create!!
First...I finished the stool i have been working on...and personally...its not what i expected...but i still like it!
You can see it in the top left corner...and then you can see the top in the next photo.
If you look close you can see that i wrapped and glued twine around the bottom edge....because my math skills are lacking..Ha ha!! I didn't quite make it big enough to staple it to the bottom, then had to hide all the ugly staples...oh well..we learn as we go i guess!
I also hand dipped some "chubs" as i like to call them and they are going to make my booth smell so nice.
Dipping the candles was fun and easier to do then i thought...i will share how i did it next time...i still have so much to do to tie it all together.
Pricing is the worst part and i always leave that to the last...i don't want to price too high...but i also have to make sure i get what i put into it!
UGHHHHHH!
I need a price chart to make it all easier!! Hee hee!
I'm off until next time!! If you are in the area...come stop by and say hi...it's in Carleton, Mi....just follow the signs..you can't miss them!!
God bless!
Tonia
You add them to your dryer before drying the load and they bounce around aerating your clothes ...making them soft, static free AND cutting down on the drying time!
one skein of yarn made six dryer balls for me
You are almost done!!
