Love old keys!

 Aren't these cool!!!?  I love old keys! My husband collected a bunch all growing up,  and they've been sitting in a gallon sized ziploc bag for 11+ years! They deserve to be out and coveted by all! {but at the rate my kids want to look through them  and claim them for their own,  they may end up on a high shelf at some point} But since they are out for little wandering eyes,  I wanted a really great saying on the jar... This is the one I picked, "kind words will unlock an iron door" (its an old proverb from somewhere) I explained the meaning of it to my 8 and 7 year olds in the hopes  that they will remember it everytime they want to see the keys! Check out Sundae scoop at I heart naptime!

Unmounting stamps...

{ I did this and posted it last summer on my family blog...} I am so glad to have way more space!  I just finished UNMOUNTING all my rubber stamps!   It was a long, sticky process! The bags of removed wood blocks weighed 32 pounds! Before: 82 cases and 11 background stamps (all the plastic cases are stuffed full of rubber stamps,  some multiple sets per box--people would see my shelf and say  "Holy freak--are those all stamps? How many do you need?"  My answer? All of them!~) After: Down to 25 cases (Exact same amount of stamps...but it really looks like I desperately need more stuff!) Since the redo...I have moved my stamps to a dvd case... still loving that unmounted magic!  Directions for unmounting: microwave your stamp for 3-8 seconds, this will loosen the glue. Peel off the rubber and foam together... carefully peel the sticker off the top of the block and  adhere it to the top of the foa...

Homemade Chicken noodle soup!

This recipe is my mothers... it is great on cold-not-feeling-so-good days like today! 3-4 lbs. chicken 2 diced onions 5 chopped celery stalks 5 chopped carrots Salt, pepper and chicken bouillon to taste Add noodles 1/2 hour before serving Noodle recipe: 2 cups flour 1 1/2 tsp salt  Mix  push flour to edges of the bowl crack 3 eggs in the middle. Beat eggs, slowly mix in flour to make stiff dough. flour board and roll out dough, turning often.   (I use the kitchenaid...) Add flour if sticky. Roll to less than 1/8" thick,  cut with pizza cutter into 1/4" strips,  separate noodles and let dry 1/2 hour. I used my noodle attachment on my juicer! They turned out beautiful and all uniform! Thanks for looking!

Hair Candy

 I love old jewelry! I found a ton of vintage stuff at the DI for $5... {whoever was pricing that day didn't know what they had!} *lucky for me* I used some pieces to make beautiful hair candy for my mother in law for Christmas! She loves them! And she brags about them to everyone she meets!   Easy steps: Line jewelry on barrette clip Use E6000 glue to secure them on. I wrapped some wire afterwards  to be extra sure on these ones... And, You can never have too many flower clips right? (not at the rate we lose them!) Also super easy. I take out the plastic centers/sticks/tops/everything... they are not good for sticking with hot glue! I replace with a scrapbooking brad  and hot glue onto an alligator clip! hot glue a button, jewel or something on top! Thanks for looking!

Fabulous meat strips!

Don't know what to make for dinner? Try this!    Fabulous Meat Strips: 1/2 C. apple juice 1/2 C. Soy sauce 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 onion, chopped 1/2 C. sugar 1/2 C. Oil 1/2 tsp. ginger 2 pounds of lean steak, cut into 1 inch strips (obviously from the picture mine are bigger than 1"... just ask your butcher to cut it in strips!  Flank steak works great, but I have used other cuts too!) Mix all ingredients together and put in zip lock to marinate for 3-4 hours.   Grill or broil at 475* for about 5-10 minutes on each side.  It cooks fast!  My children love this!  Really, what's not to love!??? Also, this works great as a freezer meal! I make 2 or 3 times the recipe...divide them up into  freezer ziplocks and then freeze them! They are easy to pull out, slightly defrost and grill!

Lady Gaga Hair bows!

 Hailee and I helped out at a Young Women's activity teaching some simple up-do's! I had to mimic the Lady Gaga "hair bow" ... which all the young women loved! It's way simple... and great for one of those attention getting days!  4 SIMPLE Directions: #1:  Start with a looped ponytail bun with  the tail of the hair toward your face...    #2: Split that bun in half  #3: Pull that "tail" over the top of the split like a bow... you get the idea...bobby pin in place #4: Proceed to bobby pin and hairspray the crap out of it! Pin, tuck and spray all those loose ends.   Pin the "loops of the bow" down on the sides... (I didn't do this step on myself...but I did on Hailee) Anyways, a fun step up from just a bun! Great for those 2nd or 3rd day hair days! Thanks for looking!

Card coloring tip!

 A card coloring tip! I start by stamping an image 8 times on my paper... Then I color all the skin tones Then I color the hair...a variety of shades  Then I color the details...  Colored all the clothes and added all the glitter! Many times, I stop here...and save the clothes for when I know what color scheme my card is!  Just a little time saving tip!

Covered Cake Stand addiction

 Remember this post? Well, my regret for not purchasing one cookie dome, (actually cheese dome or cloche as I have since been educated) ...has turned into HOARDING... I found this little sucker at the DI for $1.00 and could see it's potential... I scraped and cleaned that awful painting off to reveal a beautiful glass dome... which I immediately put on a pedestal and filled with delicious cookies!  I even made 2 different bases because I couldn't decide...  Here's where the hoarding comes into play... I have since found 2 additional cheese domes... Another at the DI for $1.00 and one at the Air Force Base thrift store for $1.50... I had to buy them both! now, alas, I have 3 darling covered cake stands... will it stop?  Unlikely... so if you are interested in one, I'll make you a deal!   Thanks for looking,  Happy hoarding!