A Real Closet Makeover Begins!

Now, y'all know that I like to keep it real.  And, I have a really small master closet.  No I am not being modest, no you are not going to scroll down and think, "My goodness it is bigger than my children's room!"  Nope, it is small.  I jokingly tell people that some people talk about their country home and the doggone thing ends up being an estate.  I just say I have a home in the country, because that is what it is.  A nice little house in the country.  The main problem in my house is storage.  The house was designed for up north where it should have a lovely basement.  But this is Gulf Coast Texas, a basement would be a bog of red clay and water.  It just doesn't happen here.  So the storage is all very tight!

I have had several configurations to my closet and they have all been horrible.  To be honest, though, a pretty new closet from a store is just out of my budget.  So, I am trying to make as small an investment as possible.  Here, is what we have been living with for several years, absolutely horrible.  I think at some point I just got so frustrated that I just gave up and lived with whatever! 

Now, the confession part hehehehe!  This has been severely purged when I took this picture.  I have already gotten rid of a bunch of clothes and several totes that were just stacked up at the end.  Yes, that is new light fixture for my bedroom that I put together and hasn't been put up yet.

So over the next couple of weeks (okay, maybe months) I want to show you the transformation and the projects that helped to make the improvement.   I wish that the end product was going to be three feet wider and a foot or two longer.  Unfortunately, it won't but I think I have some ideas that will definitely work better and ascetically be more appealing.  Of course, what wouldn't be :) !

Look what my wonderful husband did!

I am so excited to show you what my husband did for me recently!

Isn't it just a beauty!?!  And actually, this is just the first of three that he recently built and installed.   He was able to whip this out in a matter of a couple of evenings (yes, that was after years of asking LOL!).  Now, I don't have a tutorial for this but The Family Handyman does have a pretty good one.  My hubby had built several of these out in his garage cabinets.  I know that got done first, huh!?!  And was fairly comfortable with this build.  

Of course, I couldn't be happy with three the same.  They are each different in size and function, but the construction was basically the same.  I want to note here that as you can see in the picture he cut the center post out.  We installed these counter tops ourselves and know that they are very sturdy.  If you were going to do the same I would suggest checking with some tuts and seeing their recommendations. 

Now, on with our tour!

This one was built specifically to accommodate my Kitchen Aid and Soda Maker.  It is so wonderful to have a place to put them that they fit so comfortably.  I would eventually like to have one of those swing out shelves, but I've been told they are fairly expensive and then my Soda Maker wouldn't fit.  Speaking, of money.  These slides can get rather expensive but we were able to pick most of ours up at the ReStore for next to nothing.  Just make sure that they are heavy duty enough to support whatever you may want to put in your cabinet as well as that they slide easily and freely.  

And them came the piece de resistance!!!(okay, maybe I'm not sure how to spell that, you get the jist)

My under sink has always been a disaster area and you could never find anything!  Not anymore!  Now I can actually pull it out and see what is in there.  Believe it or not, I had three Jet Dry type product in there and have been using vinegar for month because I thought I was going through it to fast!  Heck, I wasn't even putting it in UGH!  We decided to stick with the wire baskets that I already had in there but hadn't worked as well as I had hoped.  Then we added more small wire baskets that I had picked up.  The ones on the left are from Ikea, I had been using them in my bathroom but sacrificed them for the kitchen.  The one on the right came from the Container Store.  They had a big sale back at the beginning of the year and I had picked it up then.  

I hope you enjoyed a little visit to my latest life's joy!  Please, feel free to leave a comment!  

 

 

 

 

I'm Back!

Before you start this post I must say in my own defense I wrote this post a couple of weeks back but could not for the life of me get the pictures to load.  Finally, today I tried another server and boom it worked!  So, I guess my kids have been right for some time and I will be forced to part ways with Internet Explorer :(  So with no further adieu, I'm Back!

Okay, so I must admit that my little holiday break has turned into a whole stinking winter hiatus!  Well, maybe not the whole winter but I have been away much longer than I intended. 

I have to say  though this break has actually been very, very busy in the real world.  We have been knocking out little and not so little projects all over the house. 

Do you ever have those little projects that just build up all over the place?  I mean I have supplies for this project and that stuck in every nook and cranny! 

Well, my oldest is the "neat" one in our house!  And though, he loves to point out my own messiness, he does help to keep me from getting totally out of control! LOL!  A few weeks back before his new semester started he and I got on a spring cleaning kick.  In one week we cleaned out FIVE closets and my craft room/storage building.  Okay, to be honest my kids call it my "crap building" instead of my craft building.  Aren't they so cute ;)!  And maybe sometimes (okay most of the time) it is true.  You can come  to my house for any function and find it looking pretty presentable but DON'T and I can't stress that enough look into my building.  All those supplies for all those projects will definitely be shoved into a bag or box and dropped in the building! 

So we cleaned out the building and guess what I found a whole lot more little projects than even I realized I had.  I mean that is money sitting around being wasted in my book.  And I can't stand to waste money.  So my spring cleaning turned into project time! 



Now, you all know that I am very new to the blogging world.  So, some of the projects got really good pictures and some got the "Oh no!  I forgot to take pictures" pictures!  So here is a quick overview of a few of the small and not so small projects we have been working on!  Stay tune and tutorials and overviews will be coming shortly!

Burlap Frames

Hey, are you still looking for a few more handmade gifts for under your Christmas tree?  Well today I have a great one that is easy and fairly quick.  Though, I must tell you anytime that you start cutting burlap it gets messy quickly so be sure and work someplace that is easily vacuumed or even outside, weather permitting.

What you will need is a frame (mine is flat and wooden), burlap cut big enough to cover your frame and have a little extra all the way around.  Then for adhesive you will need a spray adhesive and a glue gun.  And don't forget the scissors and decoration.

Now, I have to tell you that my frame was, well, ugly when I bought it.  I had already sanded it down and given it a coat of primer by the time I took this picture.  Maybe you will get lucky and find something already in the shape to be covered.

I sprayed both the frame and burlap outside, according to the cans direction.  Be sure you do this step outside preferably or in a REALLY well ventilated area.  This is some stinky stuff.  Then you want to smooth the burlap over the frame.  When you do this you want to check out the lines of the fabric.  No, I would not drive myself crazy to make them perfect, but your end result will be better if it doesn't look like it is all running down hill!

Now you can start folding the material over the edge.  I start in the center on opposite sides and as I go I spread a thin bead of hot glue along the back edge of the side and up each corner.  This will keep the burlap from unraveling once you trim it.  Then trim the excess material.  Now do the same thing to the other two sides.

Once the sides are secured and trimmed you will want to do the same thing in the inside.  As you can see I cut a straight line in the center first, then diagonally into each corner.  You are going to see as you are securing the burlap that the inside corners will not be completely covered.  Trust me it will look fine once the frame is reassembled with glass and picture.  Just make sure that you have it glued well and that you trim the burlap so that the glass can fit in flush.

Finally, embellish with your decoration and your frame is completed.  I really love the finished look of these!  I actually made some extras and will add them to our etsy inventory http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheEssenceOfSSS?ref=search_shop_redirect 

Note:  Please be sure to follow the directions on your spray adhesive.  And never forget to respect the glue gun!  It really is hot and you may want to use something like a plastic ruler to press your burlap down.  The weave is so loose that it can get you pretty quick!

Christmas is on the Horizon

Okay, are you guys ready for Christmas?  I am actually really close! 

So I thought I would take just a moment to share some of our Christmas with all of you!

I used my decorative box that I love so much again!  This time I built my advent wreath in it.  I know not actually round, but I love the final look.

It really added something nice to the side table in my dining room.

This is the neighbor and teacher gifts I made this year.  The baggie holds a great simmering potpourri that I made using a recipe I, of course, found on pinterest, though I did make quite a few changes to the original recipe.  Mine goes like this:

2-3 slices each of dehydrated orange, lemon, and apple
3 cinnamon sticks
1 nutmeg
2 tbs. whole cloves
1 tbs. whole allspices

It really fills the house with a lovely aroma and I think it just keeps getting better each day.  Yes, I just leave it on the oven and add water to re-heat it when I think about it.

The teachers gifts were double-walled glasses that I found. Then I simply sewed black ribbon onto white felt and added the belt buckle.  On top I added a ribbon and a cute ornament.  Inside I placed a bag of the simmering potpourri.

Have you seen the ornaments with the Mop and Glow and glitter?  I kept seeing them and really liked the look, but to be honest I was worried about how well they would hold up.  Well I made these back in October and they still look great!  I have to say I am really pleased with them.  Though, to be honest I don't use Mop and Glow so I bought it specifically for this project.  It was pricier than I normally would like to spend and used VERY little of it.  So my thought is find a friend who wants to do them too and split the cost or be prepared to make a LOT of them.  Just me thinking out loud.

I love for my nativity to be center stage in my Christmas decorations.  So, I love to spread it out across the antique buffet that we inherited from my husband's grandmother.  (Now, I am busted that the TV is the center of my living room too.  It is the way we live.)  Over the 12 days following Christmas the Christ Child will make His appearance in the manger and all of my pieces will come into the middle. Don't you love the stocking hangars my husband made me a few years ago!  I just wish that they were black.
 

Lastly, these are my presents this year!  Yes, I spent a little more time than usual, but I loved the look of these.  And, as usual, I took a few short cuts.  I used white and silver duct tape with black electrical tape.  Now this was all stuff I had around my house.  The only things I bought was the all red paper (thank you Nutcracker Market) and some black ribbon for the larger packages where I doubled the white tape.  I also, did not wrap it all the way around. To afraid I would run out before I got through them all.  I did eventually wrap some in solid white paper and add red tape.  They all got a ribbon tail with the recipients name on it.  Still have a few more to wrap, but they will follow the same suit (haha!).

Hope your Christmas is coming along nicely with plenty of time to enjoy the real joy of the season!  I look forward  to sharing a few more moments with you before the big day!  Merry Christmas!

A Great Little Receipt Folder to keep you Organized for Christmas

Let's face it the idea of returning or exchanging something after Christmas makes most of us just cringe!  And if you are like me the worst part isn't even the traffic or the lines.  The worst part is finding the receipts!  Well, at least, that was the case until a few years ago when I started keeping a receipt folder.

So today I want to share with you how to make a quick and easy receipt folder that you can personalize any way you like.

First, we are going to start with our supplies, standard size envelopes, cardstock (I like to use 2 coordinating pieces), a stapler, adhesive, scissors, ruler, a punch, and a paper clip clasp.

 

I always start by folding my envelopes in half and stacking them.  Once they are stacked I fold them together and cut off the ends.

 

Once they are all trimmed they will fit into the stapler.  So staple them in the crease.  And add adhesive to the center envelopes.  This covers the staples and when I open my folder it doesn't flop open.  Now I take one card stock and cut it just a smudge larger than the width of my envelopes and about an inch longer on either end.

 

Now, here is an important part.  You want to fold the cardstock at the fold of the envelopes, as well as, about half an inch away from that fold.  This will give your envelopes room to plump up from all those gift receipts!

 

Just some tips on the folding, you can use a fancy bone tool to get really crisp lines, but if you are like me and doing this for yourself eyeball it.  Or use you ruler and run it back and forth a few times to get a quick folding line.

It is time for the adhesive.  This can be a tape runner, double sided tape, glue stick, or glue gun.  You decide, I used some double sided tape this year.  Attach the last envelope on each end to your cardstock. 

Now, grab your coordinating cardstock and cut it the width of your original cardstock.  For the length you want it to have about and inch over your first cardstock, plenty of room for hanging over front and back, as well as, an extra half to one inch.

If you look at the picture you can see that I glued the back.  (Then forgot to give myself the inch clearance on top so this one will have a tight fit once I am filling it.)  Then I made the same folds on the top cardstock as I made on the bottom.  Finally, attach your clasp to the front and make sure it all closes well.

 

You have successfully made it through the hard stuff.  Okay, not really hard, but the hardest part of this project (that is if you still know where your receipts are for this year :).

Lastly, lets put in your tabs.  I punched six red cardstock and three white (really just my coordinating paper flipped over).  Then I cut the white ones in half and attached them to the red ones.  Now attach the other half of the tab to each envelope.

It is a lot easier to label your tabs before you attach them.  Now you are done!  I hope this helps your holidays run smoothly!

Are you still with me?  Now I know that several of my girlfriends are rolling their eyes and fussing that I love crafting just a little to much.  GUILTY!  I cannot begin to tell you how opening my purse and seeing my little goodie made just for me by me makes me feel!  But lets face it not everybody feels the same.  So for the non-crafters :( out there you can also adapt a small coupon organizer to do the same thing.  No, this does not bring joy to my heart in the same way, but this is how I got started.  So give it a try in a pinch! 

Technical glitch:  I understand right now people can't leave comments.  Please know I am now aware of this and trying to correct it.  Also, I would love for you to sign up to follow me at the top of the page!  Thanks again for your patience!

Check out these great Holiday recipes!

So did everybody have a good Thanksgiving?  I know ours was great!

Now, I know the holiday is over, but I wanted to share with you some recipes that I tried and were really fabulous!  These would be great to pin for next year or for those who do the traditional  Christmas dinner these will definetly be a welcomed addition.

The first was the Sweet Potatoes, yum!

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/46865652346399286/

The only thing I changed on this was to cut it in half.  Now this is really sweet, but to me not that sugary sweet of standard marshmellow topped casseroles.  Also, I really liked the texture of this dish, since it had some body to it!

Next, was the stuffing!  Now you have to realize that we have a family recipe that has been around forever that we all love.  So to say the least I was a little weary to try something new.  The thing is this was a crockpot recipe and I love the idea of using my crockpot and not taking up oven space or having to keep something warm.  And this recipe is very similar to my family recipe so I decided to give it a try. 


I am so glad that I did!  I really liked this stuffing, but I have to tell you that I did make some changes from this original recipe here.  I did cut the milk in half.  I also used Progesso's Tuscany chicken broth and, of course, I used Old Bay for my poultry seasoning.  The most distinct change that I made, though, was to the cooking.  I did cook it for 2 hours on high, but after an hour on low it just looked WAY to runny for my family's taste.  So I pulled it out of the crockpot liner and put it into a baking dish.  Then I just popped it into the oven with the sweet potatoes!

It browned up beautifully on top and firmed up wonderfully!  Now, I must tell you that I truly love crockpot liners, but I do feel that thing have a tendency to just stay juicier in them.  So my problem with the consistency could very well be just me.  Either way, I was thrilled with the final product!