Crafting Vs. Reading

Lately, reading ( and gardening) has won. 

Every now and again I get into kicks, find a good book and then it snowballs. I find more good books. 

So instead of sharing what I have been crafting ( because there is little!) I'm sharing what I've read lately!

The Woman Who Wasn't There was a page turner, I read this is less than two days. I couldn't believe what I was reading! This is a true story about 9/11 and I couldn't put it down!

Perfect Match is by Jodi Picoult and I love her writing. I haven't read a book by her that I didn't love. She's my go to author.

Water for Elephants was very good too! I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it, especially being that I have never read this author before. I even thought it was comparable to how a Picoult book was wrote.

Plus I've read some garden books too!

Let it Rot! Just to help me get the right info about composting. A gardener friend from the library recommended and it definitely helped answer some questions!

The New Victory Garden was just okay, I really enjoyed the Square Foot Gardening method I read about a couple weeks ago better. And I applied the Square foot gardening spacing to my garden and I have a ton of stuff growing. Even more than last year! 

What's been on your reading list? I stopped into the library last night and picked up the Red Book and some pickling/canning books. I'll let you know how they were when I finish!

DIY Compost Tumbler

I've been wanting to write this post for over a year now! I have a post in my "drafts" called Attempting Compost, that  started last year.  This is what it would have looked like. 

(Ooops! One of my plastic knives that I use for marking plants is in my pile! I know plastic is not compostable!)

Yup. Just a compost pile. Nothing fancy. I had tried to do compost in a small bucket but it didn't go over very well. It became stinky fast. Yuck.

So it was back to the drawing boards, and library for some research. 

I first figured out why it became stinky. Not enough oxygen. 

That's when I just started a pile in the corner of my garden. Though the pile worked alright, I wanted something a little faster and not so in your face. 

So I started looking into composter's, or compost tumblers. My first reaction. Wow, kinda pricey. 

My second, I've got to be able to DIY this. So that's where the internet came in handy. I found that a composter could be made out of a 55 galloon drum. So that's the route I went. Once I got my drum, I just needed some hardware, and wheels. 

To make your own compost tumbler:

- a 55 gallon drum

-4 wheels (stationary, not casters that spin)

-Something to attach wheels to ( I used plywood)

-Hinges 

-Bolt lock

-Drill & Saw

The first thing I did was clean my drum out, I used vinegar because my drum had car wash solution in it. 

Next I drilled a bunch of tiny holes throughout the edge to allow oxygen to flow.

Next came the door, I had hubby cut a rectangle out for me. 

Make sure you keep your rectable, because you need to reattach it using the hinges and bolt lock.

Attach your wheels to your plywood.

To assemble, place your plywood wheel side up where you want it to be (before you fill your drum!)

Place your drum on wheels and get spinning!

So far this is working great for us! Carter can spin it! I can fill it! And it was so cheap to make!

Phew! Another task off the garden to do list!

I can't wait to share what's growing in our garden this year! If you thought I was crazy ( I did!) last year, wait til you see what we have added!

Playroom Re Organization

We are "lucky" to have a room that we can call a play room.

It's a spare bedroom on our first floor that is always changing. First it was a catchall, then an office/computer room, then a office/craft room, then a office/craft/play room. And now it's just the play room. 

Well, it seems like it's always a disaster. A battle I was sick of fighting so, I've been secretly getting rid of extras, broken or grown out of toys. And still we have a TON left. Sigh.  So I decided that seeing as this wasn't working, I needed to figure something else out.

The toy sorters were great, if I put the toys away but Carter had trouble getting the toys back, and the bins out. Plus with Wyatt climbing anything and everything, they were destined to tumble.

Here come the inevitable musical furniture.  I had these cubbies on the back porch, and they were perfect for the smaller bins. So I got to work. I wiped them down, and let Carter fill the bins. He sorted them how he wanted them and put them where he wanted them. So far so good! He knows where everything is! So he is actually putting stuff away when asked. A Win Win in my book!

Now, if only I could get some paint on that ugly paneling!

Calling All Crafters: 61st Edition

* *Happy Memorial Day!* *

Welcome to Calling All Crafters! 

A place where you can share your craftiness!

 This week I am loving...

Accidently Wonderful's
3 Ingredient Cobbler
(Gotta love easy!)




AND

Ellen's Creative Passages's
Painting Glass Jars
(Oh my word! Gorgeous!)

Want a button?

<center><a href="http://allthingsfee.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5018/5588365611_b3055bb44c_m.jpg" width="150" height="150" alt="Mondays @ All Things Fee!" /></a></center>

Here are the "rules":

I want YOU to stop on by, and share what you are up to, cooking, cleaning, crafting, you name it!

If your not a follower, please become one, this let's me easily find and visit your blog too!
Don't like to follow? Prefer Facebook?  Like Us! 


Tell your friends!

Come back next week to see if your great idea has been featured!

Lifesavers Series: Cleaning my Fan

Just another tip to save you some time, money and some frustration!

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This is what I've been up to this week!

And boy am I glad I found this tip!

Fortunately  I only have one fan ( for now!) and unfortunately it is in my kitchen. Gross. 

So I climbed up there with a pillow case and got to work.

Just slide your the pillowcase over the fan blade and pull all the dust inside. 

Worked like a charm! 

Slowly Checking...

off the garden to do list!

If you remember, I shared some of my pins and to do list with what I wanted to update this year in my garden.

And I am happy to say I am slowly making progress!

First off the list, the fertilizer barrel. Also known around here at "poop soup".

All this is, is a 55 gallon (plastic) drum with a spigot inserted in the side. My husband had to help with that, as I didn't know if I could get it to be water tight. 

Whats nice is that even after my days of "poop soup" I can always just open the top up for rain water instead.

Do you fertilize? If so with what? How's your garden shaping up this year? 

Calling All Crafters: 60th Edition

Welcome to Calling All Crafters! 

A place where you can share your craftiness!

 This week I am loving...

Shaken Together's

Pink Lemonade Cups and Whoopie Pies

AND

The Pursuit of Happiness'

Diaper Cover

(Love the cover and the hat!)

<center><a href="http://allthingsfee.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5018/5588365611_b3055bb44c_m.jpg" width="150" height="150" alt="Mondays @ All Things Fee!" /></a></center>

Here are the "rules":

I want YOU to stop on by, and share what you are up to, cooking, cleaning, crafting, you name it!

If your not a follower, please become one, this let's me easily find and visit your blog too!
Don't like to follow? Prefer Facebook?  Like Us! 


Tell your friends!

Come back next week to see if your great idea has been featured! 

Lifesavers Series: Bubble Station and Solution

Just another tip to save you some time, money and frustration!

With the nice weather coming, and staying for a while I decided to try my hand at bubble solution making!

With that said, I went with this corn syrup, dish soap and water mixture. Even though I was tempted to go with the cornstarch one, but I didn't have enough on hand. Maybe next time.

Do you make your own bubbles?  

Super Hero Sewing: How to

Yesterday I shared what I made for my nephews Super Hero Party. 

Each piece was so simple, I thought I would share how I made each item all at once!

First, this is what I made as his gift:

A Batman cape, complete with bat "points"on the bottom. 

To make the cape, I first cut two pieces of fabric the length I needed.

Then using right sides together, I pinned the heck out of it. It was slippery!

Using chalk, I drew my points on the bottom. The center was the longest. And tapered the sides.

I cut around my chalk lined and sewed around three sides. Just like a pillow case.

Next I flipped it right side out, and ironed away. 

Using each point as a guide, I topstitched from each point to the top. To hold the two pieces in place.

Lastly I made a collar with velcro and sewed them together.

Next I whipped up Wonder Womans crown!

Using a single piece of felt, I folded it in half the long way.
Then I folded it in half the short way, and started cutting my shape.
I started cutting from the tip, and to the sides. I left the bottom attached.
Next, cut and sew your star to the front of the crown.
Measure a piece of elastic so the crown will fit your head.
Slide your elastic in the sides and topstitch all the way around.
Done! Super simple!

For the Wonder Woman Logo:
I printed off the logo from a search, the size I wanted.
Then I placed it under my felt, and started tracing with puffy paint.
Let dry completely.
Cut out ( the picture is before I did!) And either stitch it to a shirt, or safety pin it so it's not permanent.

Next up was Captain America!

To stencil the shirt, I just cut a star out of regular paper, and slowly painted the edge and free handed it.



If you have a more complicated design you can freezer paper stencil it too.
Super simple!

For the no sew cape, I used fleece. Felt would work too.
Just like the bat cape, I started by measuring my length.



Next, I folded it in half, the long way so that I could cut out his neck hole.
Because I wanted it to be a no sew project I cut and oval to make my tails long enough to tie.
And that's it! Again. So fast!

Lastly, little Super Wyatt!

Using my machine and a quote I saw online somewhere I embroidered him a bib.

To make the bib I followed the same steps as the no sew cape! Making it look like a cape and not a bib shape!

What do you think? Could you make these? Aren't they fun?

Superhero Sewing

My nephew LOVES super hero's. If you've seen a little boy in the library, grocery store,  etc. in a cape it could have been him.

So for  his birthday, my sister threw him what else, A Super Hero Party!

First, this is what I made as a gift:

A Batman cape, complete with bat "points"on the bottom. He opened it up as soon as we got there and wore it all day!

To join in on the fun, we all decided to surprise the birthday boy by dressing up!  

Here's what my gang wore!

I transformed into WonderWoman! 

Complete with tshirt and crown!

Carter wanted to be Captain America.

So I made stenciled him a Star tshirt. And then he wanted my nephews present (a cape) 

So he got a red no sew cape!

And Wyatt didn't want to be outdone. 

So I embroidered him a bib.

Come back tomorrow for the how to's for all of these projects! 

Jalapeno Popper Dip

If you like Jalapeno Poppers, you will LOVE this dip!

It was so yummy!

Here is the original recipe.

And here is how I made it:

(I changed a few ingredients because of what I had on hand, and it was still awesome!)

2 packages (8 oz) of cream cheese

1 cup mayo

8 oz chopped jalapeno peppers, drained

1 cup  shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 cup crushed Ritz crackers

To make: Let your cream cheese soften, or use a double boiler. Mix your cream cheese, Mayo, Chopped Jalapeno peppers and cheddar cheese. Pour into a baking dish. Mix Parmesan cheese and crushed crackers and top.  Bake until golden brown on top. Serve with dipper of choice. We tried it with Tortilla Chips, and Crackers. But I imagine celery, sweet green and red peppers would be yummy too!

Definitely a crowd pleaser, and will be making again!