Quickie Craft, St. Pat's Style

Here is a quick and cheap little St. Patrick's Day project for all of you non-crafters...

I found these super cute bamboo placemats at Dollar Tree. They would be super cute on a table alone, but I wanted to do something a little different...

So I bought several of them and used the non-crafters key to success: Duct Tape. I taped together four of them to create a table runner. They line up right next to each other making them easy to connect:

And that's it! Now I have a cute table runner and it only cost $4! Another cheap score!

Now what to put on top of that table...???

St. Patrick's Day Wreath

After putting a hook on my door at Christmas, I've found myself wanting to put a wreath up for every holiday!

This month I obviously wanted to Go Green and make a festive St Patrick's Day wreath. I found everything I needed at the thrift store and the whole project only cost me $5!


I started with a stack of assorted green t-shirts, all priced at 50 cents-$1.99 each.


I also found a couple of wreath forms that were 50% off 99 cents! Score! I bought 2, but only used one for this project. I'll save the other for next month! (Notice the background- yes, I did this project in a laundry basket to minimize the straw that would end up all over the floor!)
I started cutting each t-shirt along the bottom hem and continued to cut it into one long 1 inch strip, all the way up to the sleeves.

Keep cutting until you have a pile of green strips! (this is after two of the four shirts I used)
After I cut up each shirt, I took the strips and cut them into manageable lengths, approximately two arm spans long. I'd say cutting them in to 4 foot strips would be perfect.

I used a straight pin to hold the first four strips on to the wreath. After pinning them down, start randomly wrapping them around the wreath, alternating directions and colors.

When you reach the end of your first strip, pin it to the wreath form to hold it in place. After the first few strips are pinned down, the rest of the strips can be tucked under existing strips and no more pins are needed.

Continue wrapping and alternating until the entire wreath is covered and the colors are the way you like it.

I like the way this looks, but I thought it needed a little something else, so I traced out a shamrock on one of the shirt scraps to add some flair.

I laid out the shamrock and started lining the edge with hot glue. I twisted the extra strips and glued them along the edges (yikes! flash wash out!)

After making it all the way around the shamrock I filled in the remaining sections with smal twists of fabric

Once it was done I pinned it to the wreath and it was ready to hang!

Of course it was dark out when I finished, but I had to hang it and get pictures right away! I was so pleased with the final product and happy that it was so easy and cheap!

Total cost:

wreath form: $ .50

t-shirts: $2.00

$ .50

$1.00

$1.00

Total: $5.00

Sweet!

Linking up:

Valentine's Day Crafts

Looking for some Valentine's Day decoration inspiration?

Check out my other blog for some of the festive crafts I've been doing around the house: http://www.memorabledetails.com/search/label/Valentine%27s%20Day

Including this Rose Topiary made entirely with materias from the Dollar Tree!

Happy Crafting!

Low Carb? No Thanks.

I could never be on a low carb diet. I love carbs- especially BREAD!


Right now I have three loaves of different kinds of bread on my counter:


~I made this pumpkin bread from scratch around Thanksgiving and froze an extra loaf to savor later (like now). It is super moist and oh-so-delicious, with or without chocolate chips.

(image credit: eighteen25)

~I made chili last night, so to go with it I also whipped up a batch of Paula Deen's Beer Bread. I cheated and used a box kit (just add beer and butter!) and it also turned out delicious. The smell in the kitchen while it was baking was unreal! YUM.

~I always have a stand-by loaf of Sara Lee Whole Grain white sliced sandwich bread. It's my go-to.

Plus, when I really get on a baking kick, I pull out my bread maker and then it's a full-on carb fest! Guess I just need to start eating them in moderation!

So no, a low carb diet is not part of my New Year's Resolutions.

Goodbye Christmas...

...see you in 2011!

All packed up and ready for a fresh start for the year. Here we go!

A penny for your pictures

Snapfish Penny Prints are here! What a way to wrap up the year- print 99 of your favorite 4" x 6" prints for only 99 cents!

Upload your favorite pictures and use the promo code 2011PENNY before Jan 9th and you can get them mailed to your house super cheap! (shipping not included, but usually only runs a couple bucks)

Looks like I've got some uploading to do! Happy New Year!

Just Cool It

Merry Christmas! I hope you had a great holiday weekend! My Christmas was super low-key and lovely. I slept it, relaxed with the dogs, and then spent the afternoon with Shawn's family.


I was very blessed with some wonderful gifts this year. Many of them are slowly adding to my kitchen arsenal of gourmet gadgets. Soon I will have a kitchen to envy!


One of my biggest scores was a Wine Cooler from Shawn. It holds 36 bottles (wowza!) and is the stand alone black fridge-looking kind. I immediately plugged it in and put my 3 bottles of awaiting wine in there to chill. Man, 36 bottles is a LOT to fill!


Yesterday I finally found one of my favorite Texas wines and bought 2 bottles to add to my now growing collection: Fall Creek Chenin Blanc. I tried it this year at Grapefest in Grapevine, TX and it was delightful! I love fruity, light wines, and this one hit the spot! Plus, at under $8 per bottle- you can't go wrong!

(image credit)

I've searched stores for it since September and finally found it at World Market in the Arlington Highlands. Locals- go get you some!

Christmas Eve

Today is Christmas Eve and it makes me miss my family. Since I moved to Texas I've had to choose going home for either Thanksgiving or Christmas but rarely both. (darn you expensive airfare!)

One of the traditions I miss most during Christmas is my family's annual Christmas Eve Dinner. No, we don't have a fancy homemade spread. No, we don't gather with extended relatives and dine on turkey or ham. No, we don't go to fancy restaurant.

Our family tradition every Christmas Eve is to go eat at Fort Wayne's Famous Coney Island. Yep, a hot dog stand. Well, it's more than a stand. It's a little restaurant full of small-town charm and home to the best Christmas Eve Coney Dog ever.







It's not much to look at, but it's delicious and it's tradition. We've taken many people there with us over the years and everyone enjoys it. We used to get a glass Coke bottle with the Holiday Santa on it every year too, but they stopped selling those (boo).

After dinner we drive around downtown and look at all the big light displays and holiday decorations before making our way home for the night.



It's a great tradition that I certianly miss. What are your Christmas Eve traditions?

Oreo Truffles

The first time I had an oreo truffle, I thought it was a little bite of heaven! They were so moist and delicious and oh-so-sweet. I imagined that it took forever to hand roll and dip these little treats...

...boy was I wrong. After getting them for gifts from a few different people, I started to think- "Well they can't be THAT hard to make if everyone else is doing it!" So I finally looked up the recipe.

OH MY THEY ARE EASY!! So now I'm sharing the recipe with you so that you can wow your friends, family, neighbors, co-workers with some of the tastiest little morsels around:

1 package Oreos

1 package (13 oz) Cream Cheese, softened

melting chocolate (you can use white, milk, semi-sweet, dark- whatever you prefer. I use white)

Grind up your Oreos in a food processer until they become fine crumbs. (You can also put them in a ziplock bag and roll over them with a rolling pin). Reserve about 1/4 cup of crumbs and set aside for topping.

Combine crumbs with softened cream cheese in a medium bowl. Stir until mixed.

Roll into 1 inch balls. (I made rough looking balls first, then refrigerated them until they were stiff enough to roll and smooth out). Refrigerate until firm.

Melt chocolate in a double boiler or carefully in the microwave. Dip refrigerated balls into melted chocolate and sprinkle extra crumbs on top. Refrigerate until chocolate is set.

Eat and Share!! YUM!

First Day of Winter

(image credit)

Today is officially the First Day of Winter

...and it's 80 degrees in Dallas/Fort Worth!

I guess I'll take that over snow! Happy Winter Y'all!

Voice of Christmas

In my opinion, Bing Crosby should be the Official Voice of Christmas. His songs are so warm and welcoming and just filled to the brim with Christmas Spirit.

I've been listening to Christmas songs all month and whenever one of his songs come on, I just swoon....

Wish List

It's that time of year again (already?!?) when people start creating Wish Lists for the Holidays. Some people simply jot down a few things they'd really like to have, while others create full blown online wishlists to share with family and friends.

Usually when it comes down to the wire, it's hard for me to come up with things I want. I've been very lucky in life and I try not to "want" too often. So, I personally use Amazon.com to create my Wish List througout the year. I started one last year and I add to it all year long with random/assorted things I would like to have.

Usually it's nothing major, but when I see something and think "well that might be nice to have..." I simply add it to my list. Then, whenever family or friends need to get me a gift any time of year, they can browse my list for inspiration. The best part about Amazon's Wish List is that you can add items from ANY website to your list, not just from Amazon. In fact, right now they are running a contest with prizes every week for those that add items from other websites. It's a really nice way to keep all of your "future purchases" and "wants" all in one place.

(image credit)

On another note, however, I've been thinking of a different kind of Wish List. This is more of a personal list of wishes for life. Things like:

*I wish I had more time to blog
*I wish I did more crafting
*I wish I baked and cooked more often
*I wish my house was cleaner and more organized
*I wish I kept in touch with my friends more often
*I wish I had a better workout routine
*I wish I could plan more events
*I wish I took more pictures (and actually put them in frames!)


So... I'm turning this Wish List into a Resolution List of sorts. My boss was recently speaking to a group of young students and told them "If you want something, go out and get it. No one is going to give anything to you. It's up to you to get it for yourself. If you want a helping hand, it's at the end of your arm."

Well, I'm taking his advice, starting now. I'm going to make it happen. I'm tired of wishing for more. These are all things I can achieve, so why just wish and wait for them?

'Tis is the season for wishes and dreams to come true... so let's get to work.

Easter Goodness

I can't wait to make these Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies for Easter weekend!
How delicious do they look?? Yum!!

Such a great twist on the original Carrot Cake!

Saw it here.

Original recipe here.

Wicked Lucky

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Between watching Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day last night (totally bad ass, by the way), and hearing all the great Irish pub music today, I'm ready to ship up to Boston too.



What a great day to be Irish! :)

Holiday Inspiration

I didn't have the time or money to do a lot of the decorating I wanted to this year for the Christmas holidays. Since it was the first year in my house, it was a chance for me to put out everything I already have and figure out what else I can use. Plus my parents brought me a bunch of stuff from their house, including our old large artificial tree. It was much fuller and taller than my old tree, so that left lots of room for new ornaments (which they also gifted to me!)

Here are some things that I hope to do next year... a little inspiration if you will:

Love this New Years centerpiece idea- it's even in my theme colors of silver and gold! (from Martha Stewart)

I really want to do some kind of elegant ornament centerpiece- either on a cake stand, in tall vases, or in a bell jar like this. I love the simplicity of it- just gorgeous! (from Home Goods blog- love that store!)

And I REALLY want to hang a branch from my ceiling and have it dripping with ornaments and crystals, like this one (from a store called Indulge)

So many ideas, just not enough time!! Maybe if I start now, I can have some of it ready for next year! We shall see...

Happy Cinco de Mayo

Definition on Wikipedia: Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "fifth of May") is a regional holiday in Mexico, primarily celebrated in the state of Puebla, with some limited recognition in other parts of Mexico. The holiday commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely defeat of French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín. The outnumbered Mexicans defeated a much better-equipped French army that had known no defeat for almost 50 years. However, Cinco de Mayo is not "an obligatory federal holiday" in Mexico, but rather a holiday that can be observed voluntarily.


While Cinco de Mayo has limited significance nationwide in Mexico, the date is observed in the United States and other locations around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. However, a common misconception in the United States is that Cinco de Mayo is Mexico's Independence Day, which actually is September 16, the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico.


Definition in Texas: An excuse for everyone to drink a lot of Margaritas and Corona and eat tons of chips and queso all day. See also, "getting drunk at lunch" and "take an afternoon nap outside."

Lone Star Christmas

I went to the Gaylord Texan hotel in Grapevine this weekend to check out their free Lone Star Christmas display in the atrium. It was beautiful! If you are looking for something to do, or some cool light displays to go see this holiday season, I would definitely make this one of your stops. There are 1.2 million lights throughout the display, plus a gigantic gingerbread house, a 50 ft spinning christmas tree, live reindeer, and Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus! And again, everything is FREE!! There are also several bars and restaurants, so people of all ages can be entertained. This is "don't miss holiday spot" for sure!

Plus, if you're extra special you can check out the ICE! exhibit there too. I haven't been to that show yet, but as soon as I go, I'll report back. :)

More details at www.gaylordhotels.com.

Turkey Thursday and Black Friday

Happy Early Thanksgiving!! Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday- hands down, number one- so I am super excited that it's almost here. Great food, good company, 4 days of total relaxation and enjoyment. What's not to like?!

But then there is Black Friday. I mean, if you're crazy enough to get up at the crack of dawn (or often before) to go fight the crowds at some 4am store opening so that you can get your stuff for half price, then more power to ya! I, myself, can't believe anyone would get up that early on their day off! But, I know it's popular and you can get some great bargains. So for those crazy deal hunters, here is a website with a list of some of the most popular chain stores and their "Black Friday Ads" so you can plan your Friday shopping spree:

http://www.black-friday.net/

And for a bit of trivia, do you know why the Friday after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday?

It's because store's earnings are always in the Black (profit) instead of the Red (loss). Pretty interesting...

Carve it up!

I love carving pumpkins.
2 years ago I carved the Strokers Logo into a pumpkin- no stencil and using only a steak knife. That took skill. (Of course I have no pictures to prove it)
Last year I carved an entire "haunted scene" on my pumpkin. Again, no stencils and using minimal tools.

This year, I've gotta get creative. Any ideas? I'll take 'em.


For ideas of your own, check out http://www.extremepumpkins.com/

Father's Day is coming up quick

Here's a gift idea for father's day. Well, if your father likes motorcycles I guess. Or if he wants to impress ladies like Sandra Bullock.



Give him Jesse James' new "Dopp Kit" from Kiehl's



The kit includes: Facial Fuel Energizing Face Wash, “White Eagle” Ultimate Brushless Shave Cream, Ultimate Man Body Scrub Soap, Facial Fuel Energizing Moisture Treatment and a deluxe sample of Ultimate Strength Hand Salve. It retails for $66 and all comes in a West Coast Choppers logo case.