Liebster Award

So while on my hiatus, I received a sweet email from Janice over at Nearly Handmade giving me a Liebster Award! I was so surprised to see her email and almost thought it was spam! haha! I am not a constant blogger (school... remember?) so I thought it was really nice for her to give it to me. 

The idea is to find 11 new blogs that you enjoy with less than 200 followers. State 11 facts about yourself and then you are supposed to answer 11 questions provided by your nominator and create 11 new questions for the nominees to answer. Can I say this has been difficult? You all rock! It's been hard for me to find 11 new blogs, all the ones I come across have more and I just don't have the time to continue looking :(. So I am cheating. There are two blogs that I love to follow and I am giving them these awards! Jessica from 1-2-3 Neat & Tidy has great organization ideas for small spaces. Also, Crystal from My Blissful Space has great organization tips as well as easy DIY projects. Both of these ladies have great blogs and provide great inspiration!

Jessica

Crystal

I hope you check those blogs out! Now for the questions Janice gave me.

Facts about myself:

1.) I am a social work student and will be graduating May 2015.

2.) I favor Country Music.

3.) I don't know how to swim!

4.) I have to keep my foot or leg moving in order to fall asleep.

5.) I hate driving or being in the car for long periods of time.

6.) I am in love with my Erin Condren Life Planner. 

7.) My dream is to own a country cottage on a lot of land... but not to far out to where I have to drive an hour to go to the grocery store.

8.) I am overly obsessed with The Walking Dead... like... talk-about-what-will-happen-next-for-an-hour obsessed!

9.) I scrapbook and used to have a scrapbooking blog and met a lot of nice people throughout that community!

10.) I also have a crazy obsession with The Office and have my own Dwight bobble head that I am so excited to display once my craft room is done!

11.) Fried Macaroni and Cheese from The Cheesecake Factory is all I need to make my life complete!

Here are the 11 questions Janice gave me!

1. What's your favorite food?

       I really love chicken, but I also really love pasta. Chicken and pasta? I'm in heaven!

2. What word makes you cringe?

      Botany.

3. How many brothers & sisters do you have?

      2 brothers ages 12 and 15!

4. What's your all time favorite movie?

      The Notebook.

5. If you could furnish your entire house for free what catalog/store/website would you choose?

    I just received a catalog from Birch Lane and there was not one thing in there that I didn't like. So I choose them :).

6. How do you stay creative?

      I browse Pinterest to get inspired and I still love hardcopies. I buy cottage/country type of magazines and get a lot of ideas from there. I try to create something whenever I get the chance!

7. When you were 5, what did you want to be when you grew up?  Did you do it?

      I said the standard, Doctor or teacher. I did not do it, I chose social work instead :)

8. What book(s) would you recommend that I read?

    Friendship Bread is the last one I remember reading and truly enjoying. I haven't had a lot of time to read but this summer I am picking it back up! I don't know what's hot right now? Any suggestions?

9. What is one skill or hobby you've always wanted to learn?

    My life would be so much easier if I knew how to sew!

10. Do you speak any other languages?

     No :(. The mister's first language is Spanish and I wish I knew it as well since I am also Mexican-American!

11. Do you have any collections?

     Crafting supplies, antique mason jars

Now for Jessica and Crystal, here are my 11 questions!

1.) What's the #1 thing you'd like to get done this summer?

2.) What's your favorite go to recipe?

3.) Do you have a hobby?

4.) What's the most random item in your purse right now?

5.) Who is your celebrity crush?

6.) What is the one area in your home you find yourself constantly re-organizing?

7.) What's your favorite season?

8.) Why did you start blogging?

9.) What are your go to colors when decorating your home?

10.) What is your favorite summer activity?

11.) Do you have any pets?

Alright! That was it :). Make sure to check out these lovely ladies blogs! I finally took pictures of my newest favorite project in the dining room so I will be sharing that this week as well.

Thanks for visiting!

Amanda

Free Recipe Binder Download

In yesterday's post I shared our new family recipe binder and today I thought I'd share a free printable so you can make one of your own!

Recipe binders tend to not be universal. So for the contents page I left it blank so you can fill in what fits your family. Here is what's available for this download:

The contents page isn't really necessary, I just thought it was a cute addition ;). I am still going hard on typing all of our favorite recipes. It'd be easy to quit and just print them all out but I like how they look typed. You of course can do it however it tickles your fancy.

If you are interested in downloading this file, please click here!

*Update: The preview looks a little wonky but I tested how it looks once download is clicked and it is normal!

 Note: The file will download as a Word document allowing you to edit the font. If you share this via your blog, please link back! Giving credit is nice, stealing is not.

I will be back to share our dining room progress and how far away (or close too) our inspiration board we are!

Thanks for visiting! If you use these printables please share a link (if you blog) or email them to me! I'd love to see :).

Amanda

Linking Up: 

Hit Me with Your Best Shot, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Show Me What Ya Got, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Wow Me Wednesday, Creative Inspirations, Grace at Home, Lovely Ladies Linky, Blissful and Domestic

Recipe Binder

I have wanted one of these for my home for years. I remember when my hubby and I first moved in together, I had attempted to make one and then quit. Six years later and I finally knocked it out! I am so excited to have a go to binder for our recipes. I usually use my phone (I mainly get and use recipes off of Pinterest), but it goes to sleep too quickly and sometimes it kicks me out of the link of the pin!

The awesome part about this project is, everything I used was already on hand! I used this binder during my Statistics class (our "book" was a binder type) and I got it from Target. Win win for cuteness and reusing! Also, I tried my hand at couponing a few years back and that failed. The page dividers are from that binder as well.

I designed all of the pages in Microsoft Word. I am working towards offering free printables so you can make one of your own! I should have that later this week. I mainly cook for dinner. I have a 4 year old and a 2 year old so more time than not sandwiches (as in peanut butter & jelly) are for lunch. Since that is where our needs are for the binder currently, I gave the dinner section specific tabs that run down the right side. My tabs on top are as followed:

• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
• Grill
• Beverages
• Desserts
• Sides/Party

My pre-sections for dinner are:

• Chicken
• Beef
• Italian
• Pork
• Crockpot
• Sandwiches (I had to call them sammies for the binder so it'd fit!)
• Meat Free

I purchased a Dymo label maker off of a local Facebook yard sale group a while back so I was so excited to put it to use! The top tabs will probably be replaced eventually. I had to cut them off of my old dividers and glue them on top of each section. This project was done with a goal of no spending! Eventually, I want to add new dividers and plastic sleeves. I already had to reprint one of the recipes because as I was making it, I opened a pop that was in the freezer too long and it sprayed all over it! Bummer. 

I might be considered crazy for this next part that I share. I've already started questioning my sanity but I must press on! I am in the process of typing all of our tried and true recipes. I know #aintnobodygottimeforthat. However, as I mentioned I mainly find my recipes off of Pinterest. I have a board title Pins I've Made and if I like a recipe, it goes into that board. If I don't I delete it entirely. So I am not printing recipes twice. I'm just typing them once and in the binder it goes. I know a lot of people just print the recipe and place it into their collection and that's fine. I just like things to look a little more, together. Each section has it's own color as well and they all look like the one below. If it's a short enough recipe, I include a "notes" section. This is where I add if I need to increase or reduce an ingredient, or what I served it with.

So that's my binder! It is super bare right now, I finished it yesterday. I just can't wait to have it full up with our most loved recipes. I've already used it and it's so much nicer than relying on my phone!

Oh and if you're into Sloppy Joes, this recipe from Pioneer Woman is amazing! I'll be back later this week with another project we finally finished and an update of our dining room. :)

Amanda

Raised Garden Bed Tips & Free Supply List

If I wasn't a difficult person I would have settled with having a garden the good ol' fashioned way... in the ground. However, I like what I like and I am blessed with a hubby who has construction skills and entertains all of the ideas I throw at him.

I did a LOT of research on raised garden beds earlier in the spring. I wanted to make sure it was built the right way (for us) without cutting out the most important tips. If you are looking at building a raised garden bed, there are many benefits that come with it.

Part of the process is laying down landscaping fabric which cuts back on the weeds that come through. I don't like to weed, do you? Even though we built a ledge on my raised garden bed, the height of one without it will still prevent back sprain! Although I am in my late twenties, I get bad back pain if I'm hunched over too long and pulling back muscles is a common occurrence. I liked the idea of being able to garden at a more comfortable height! Also, the confined space is pretty sweet, my daughter's won't be accidentally trampling the garden over or be motivated to run through it!

Download the list here

Raised garden beds can also be inexpensive! I have created a supply list and you are free to use it to your hearts content! This is for a simple 4'x4' garden bed but you can adapt it to any size you would need.

The important thing to remember when building your garden bed is to make sure the wood is untreated and unstained. Cedar is the best option for this project! The chemicals from the treated/stained wood can seep into the soil and poison your crops. We would not want that!

For our garden, we went off of the methods above but visited our local landscaping company for organic soil. We topped that with cow manure as well as miracle grow. For our garden bed and all of the plants included, we probably spent about $150. It's a lot  more than the list above, but it comes with a ledge, it's taller, and it is a 4'x8'. That's what I love about these raised garden beds. There are so many ways you can make it your own!

Cucumbers!

The majority of what I buy at the grocery store is produce. That stuff aint cheap! So I know we will get our money's worth. If you are just wanting something simple, easy, quick, and inexpensive, the list is a great way to go! You will still have an adorable enclosed garden bed and will be producing your own crops! It can be as fancy or as basic as you want it to be. The list is more as a guide and gives you an idea about what to expect in the price department.

If you make a garden bed using my list, please link back with a picture! I would love to see how yours look :)

I hope this is helpful! If you have any questions, please ask.

Thanks for visiting,

Amanda

Linking Up:

Whimsy Wednesdays, Show Me What Ya Got, Whatever Goes Wednesdays, Wow Me Wednesday, Creative Inspirations, Grace at Home, Lovely Ladies Linky

Raised Garden Bed

We have high plans for our backyard and a garden was one of them! So for Mother's Day and our anniversary, my hubby built me my very own. We finished it over the weekend and I am so excited and already looking ahead to when I can start canning! I have never done that before either but I am excited to learn.

It was his idea to add the ledge and I love it. It makes for a great seat. Oh and never mind our patchy yard, we have plans to level out the entire backyard which is why the garden bed looks uneven!

I am not one who likes to sweat and be around bugs. However, I have wanted a garden for about two years now. I think I can push through the bug issue when the garden gets further along. I already have plans on buying gloves so I don't have to pick anything off barehanded. Hopefully. I am a beginner, so we shall see. HA! I love it so far. My daughters love going outside with me every afternoon to check on the progress. I was worried about overcrowding so the other day my hubby built a lower level off of the garden bed and this is where we planted watermelon, spinach, and pumpkin. My cherry tomato plant went down there as well!

Up top we planted: red, yellow, and orange bell peppers, carrots, romaine and iceberg lettuce, roma tomatoes, better boy tomatoes, zucchini, and yellow squash.

We walked out this morning and saw our Better Boy tomatoes starting to flower! I also have an issue with ants. I sent out a plea on Facebook and a friend soon brought over cayenne pepper which i sprinkled all over the garden. I had tried cinnamon but it didn't work!

Recently, I created a budget list as one of my final projects in school that was for a raised garden bed. So I know these can be done inexpensively. I will share with you the supply list for a basic raised garden bed and what we spent for ours later this week :).

Thanks for visiting!

Amanda

Linking Up:

Hit Me with Your Best Shot, Frugal Friday, Show Me What Ya Got, The Party Bunch, Turn it Up Tuesday, One Project at a Time, Whimsy Wednesdays

Target Inspired Photo Frame

So guess what? I just finished my 20 credit hour semester and... I survived! I am currently on summer break although I am taking one summer class. It is online so it doesn't really count. I am looking forward to more blogging and relaxing. I have a lot to share with you, we have been busy!

First thing's first. I was at Target awhile back and saw these frames:

Come on.  I mean. So cute right? I started to picture where I would put them in my house when I thought, I could totally make these! So... I did. Sort of. They're not an exact replica but I love them, and I love how Target continues to inspire me to make decor on the cheap!

Here are the supplies I used:

I also used Mod Podge, binder clips with magnets (although the magnet serves no purpose, it is just what I had on hand), mini alphabet stamps ($1 at JoAnn's), black ink pad, and scrapbooking paper ($1 at Target!). There's a lot I left out of the photo! :)

This is the part where we pretend I have step by step pictures.

First I painted my wood frames (I keep a stock of these but they are $1 from Michaels) with the silver acrylic paint. I painted the sides of the frame as well as the inside part of the center frame. I didn't want any bare wood to show through the burlap!

I placed the burlap on top of the frame and cut out where the center would be. I used Mod Podge to adhere it together and to be honest, I wasn't sure if this would work. I did like how easy it was to line up the cut center of the burlap to the frame so it'd be straight! Luckily, it adhered nicely and I haven't had any problems with it peeling off.

I took my alphabet stamps and stamped "I love you forever and ever." onto the burlap. This part was a little frustrating. The stamps were too small so I had to carefully stamp over each letter to make it readable. I'm sure with a larger alphabet this would be easier too accomplish!

I also took the twine ($1 at Target!) and framed where the picture would go and inserted a piece of scrapbooking paper from a paper pack that was also at the Target dollar spot.

I hot glued the binder clip above the frame and printed out an Instagram photo using my Canon Selphy.

My stamping is a little crooked but I like it that way! I think it turned out super cute. While it's not an exact version of the two at Target, it is my own. The best part is I used up some of my stash to get it finished! My craft room is still under construction so any chance I can craft, I'm going to take it.

I have a list of posts I want to share with you so be on the look out!

Thanks for visiting,

Amanda

Linking Up:

I Should Be Mopping the Floor, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, The Makers, Frugal Friday, Not Just A Housewife, The Party Bunch, View From the Fridge, Thoughts from Alice, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Whimsy Wednesdays

Mason Jar Herb Garden

Hello everyone!

   I know it's been awhile. This semester has been jammed packed! I knew I was going to be expecting a lot of work, with taking 20 credit hours, but it's not only homework and studying that has kept me busy. A lot of outside school work and commitments have been taking up my time. I guess that is what happens when you are this_close to finishing!

Anyway, I've been wanting to do some more projects. We are in the middle of remodeling our right side basement (we have a partial) into my croffice! Craft room/office. We just laid the flooring and will be grouting it soon. I can't wait to share it with you. However, my stuff is all over the place and I can't find anything I need to craft up some projects. Wahh wahh.

So I went on Pinterest because spring has gotten me motivated to garden. I love fresh herbs and knew it would be beneficial to have some on hand. So I made a mason jar herb garden!

This really is too easy to be a "DIY." The products I used are: quart sized mason jars, river pebbles, organic potting mix, and rosemary, parsley, chives, and cilantro. I love how the herbs are in a biodegradable "pot" and the whole thing could be planted into the ground! I am new to gardening so a lot of this stuff is just fascinating haha.

Anyway, I washed the pebbles and placed them at the bottom of the mason jar about a third up. This helps to keep the plants from drowning since there are no holes in the bottom of the jar. Otherwise, the roots would submerge in the water and the plant would die. Next, I filled the remaining space with potting mix. I kind of feel bad because I had to break up a lot of the roots in order to get the plant to fit in my jar. I would recommend being patient and find wide mouthed mason jars. I did not. So I'm hoping they will live. Maybe they will and it's just another newbie gardener worry!

I was originally going to hang them on a pallet skid, but I kind of like having them in my coke crate. ;)

I would still like to add oregano and basil but I have to get seeds for those unless I can find some seedlings at a plant store! I like how there is the perfect amount of room in my coke crate and I can move it around the sunroom to keep it in the sun. The rosemary I believe is the only one that needs full sun. However, the weather still thinks it is winter time and gave us some flurries this week. So, they are in my kitchen until it warms up again.

Have you started gardening yet?

Linking Up:

A Bowl Full of Lemons, I Should be Mopping the Floor, Embracing Change, Work It Wednesday, Whatever Goes Wednesdays, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Whimsy Wednesdays, The Makers, From My Front Porch to Yours

Spice Cabinet Sprucing Up!

I am following A Bowl Full of Lemons, organizational challenge. This week our challenge is to organize our spice cabinet and unlike my bakers pantry this cabinet is actually right next to my stove! I even have an empty drawer to the left that I can utilize if need be. If you've read about my baker's pantry, our cabinets were painted in a hurry so they're not currently in the best shape. A lot of the doors on the inside were left unpainted.

This is what my cabinet was looking like. I removed everything including the door and they all have a coat of Kilz on them drying. In the spring time we plan to give these cabinets the right amount of love and use a sprayer to do the job. Until then, since these cabinets were the original, I am just touching up where the paint has started to chip. ACK!

I am not sure what I'm going to do with all of that stuff. I am searching for spice jars and haven't decided if I'm going to put them in the empty drawer, or keep them on the shelf. Also, I can't decide what to do with all the other stuff on the top and middle shelf. I will keep you all posted as I finish this cabinet. I think a lot will be moved around!

I start school again on Monday so I am hoping this -7 degree weather will go bye bye. Is it spring yet?

Thanks for visiting!
Amanda

Simple Valentine's Day Hoop Art

I started this project with the intentions of making a tutorial of how I did this. I took maybe two pictures of the process and then determined it's too simple for a tutorial! It's very easy to recreate.

I like it but it sort of screams Fourth of July to me and not Valentine's Day. So I might throw in some pink around the hoop. Maybe washi tape? My mantle isn't quite done yet to share but I will once it's finished!

I've had these little punches laying around for the longest so I decided to put it to use. The blade was a little dull so I tried punching aluminum foil to sharpen it up.

It's a little trick I learned when I was blogging about scrapbooking. It worked a little bit but I think these punches have seen better days! It was super hard to punch which always is a bummer. I used hot glue to attach the hearts to the hoop. Some of the hearts I folded in half to make them look more dimensional.

How cute is this scrabble tile piece? I was at my local antique mall and found a few of these. It has made me want to hunt down all of the thrift stores around here so I can find old scrabble games. So much cuteness can be made from those tiles!

Pretty simple! Is anyone else over this snow? Or is it just me?

Thanks for visiting!
Amanda

Linking Up:

A Bowl Full of Lemons

Bakers Pantry Reveal

Hey all! I hope you had a great weekend. My hubs surprised me and started framing our laundry room in the basement. I am so excited because I finally get my long awaited croffice (craft room/office) and the project looks to be going pretty smoothly! He finished rerouting the plumbing last night so it's all in a matter of time before I can share it with you. While he was working on framing, I was finishing up my cabinets for my baking pantry. When I last talked about it, this is what my cabinet was looking like:

It wasn't too bad, but I didn't like the layout or the mix matched baskets. Also, my cabinet doors needed to be repainted which is why you see them off in the photo! After spending the weekend searching for matching baskets to no avail, I grabbed what I could from Target and pulled it all together. 

I love love love it! I am so happy I got this organized. Eventually when Target decides to restock, I am going to buy two baskets to replace the large one on the top shelf. Those match the baskets in the middle and are smaller so it would fit better in the space. It looks so simple and bare but there is actually everything I need to bake something from scratch which is nice. In my last post, I forgot to share with you my jars on the counter.

I took large cookie jars from *ahem*, Target... and created my own labels from vinyl and my Silhouette Cameo. It was a little tedious because I couldn't find my transfer tape and the font made the letters very delicate. I love the wide mouth of these jars because it is easier to get a measurement out of it. Oh and I keep marshmallows in my brown sugar to keep it soft. It really works!

I keep my premixed items and my KitchenAid slicer/shredder attachment in the big basket on the top shelf. I also have my cookbooks (I use Pinterest mostly) and my food coloring on the opposite side. On the bottom shelf I have my sprinkles, cookie cutters, cupcake liners and baking squares in the baskets. My mason jars house white chocolate chips, semi-sweet chips, pecans, baking powder and Hershey's cocoa. I am very happy to have everything in one cabinet neatly organized!

I used command hooks to hang up my mixing attachments. I'm not sure how I like it yet on the door. We will see!

I'm a big fan of the chalkboard. It needs a little bit of touching up but for the most part, this is what it will display. I took the design from two pins on Pinterest. Original source for the conversion here. I can't find the pin where I saw the title and scrolls. I'll be sure to link to it when I do!

That my friends is my new baking pantry! How about a before and after?

So much better right!? Now, I need to reload my motivation to attack the main pantry to the left, and the snack cabinet to the right. It is not a chore I am looking forward too! I will share that when it happens. 

Thanks for visiting!

Amanda

Linking up:

craft-o-maniac, Creatively Living, Shabby Nest, 52 Mantels, Sumos Sweet Stuff, 

I Should be Mopping the Floor, Rain on a Tin Roof, A Bowl Full of Lemons

Bakers Pantry Part 1

So one day I got the itch to throw all of my baking supplies in the cabinet closest to my KitchenAid mixer. It all makes sense right? I mean, my spices are next to the stove, my coffee cups are near my Keurig, so why are all of my baking supplies scattered around the kitchen? The ideal situation would be for my mixer to be on the counter next to the stove but we still have to add a few outlets. Until then, it lives on the other side of the kitchen. It's still a lot easier to walk over to the stove once, instead of multiple times!

It was going good until I noticed things were being stored in there that didn't belong in a bakers pantry. Also, with the baking going on over the holidays, it was starting to lose it's order.

Did I mention when we painted our cabinets it was done in such a hurry that they are a hot mess and, as you see in the picture, some of the inside doors aren't painted? I tried dealing with it. We had planned to repaint the kitchen cabinets, and add hardware in the spring. I thought by cleaning out the pantry, and reorganizing it I would be satisfied.

I was wrong. I've been wanting to paint that bare cabinet door chalkboard so I can list my conversion chart on it. I am not good at math. Often, i am Googling on my phone with floured fingers for a measurement equivalent. On the other side, I want to hang up either my measuring cups and spoons, or my KitchenAid attachments. I haven't decided. I also was over the mix matched storage containers. I'd like to find two more Mason jars for my additional chocolate chips. I went to Target and snagged a few of these and a few of these (only the second link shows a set, I bought two of the pictured ones separately). My Target was out of the large baskets size, similar to the one on the top shelf of the picture above, so I am hoping to find some to replace those. Also, to hold my small amount of baking mixes. I started baking everything from scratch (to use my mixer to it's full potential) so I'm hoping that amount will fit in one basket.

Here is where I am at now,

At least it is cleared out and organized neatly right? I am in the process of re-painting the cabinet doors so I will be sure to share once it is complete. I thought it'd be fun to put some wrapping paper I found a long time ago at the Target dollar spot on the back of the cabinets. I don't like it, it's already wrinkled in the top right corner. I'm going to try and figure out something fun to do back there, maybe. We will see. :)

Thanks for visiting!

Amanda

Valentine's Day Printable

Hey Everyone! It's been awhile but the holidays got to me and left very little time to create, decorate or blog. I hope everyone's holiday was merry and you got to enjoy the time with your family!


I have a few updates to our dining room and my daughter's play house to share but until then, I'm sharing a printable I made in Photoshop. Just in time for Valentine's Day!

I am a Beyonce fan, and her song, XO is one of my current favorites. I felt the lyrics of the song were perfect for Valentine's Day because it is all about love. So i whipped this up in Photoshop and printed it out. I printed it on both white card stock and craft card stock. I'm thinking I will switch it out for the white copy closer to Valentine's Day. Until then, this will do!

Sorry for the picture quality! It is snowy day today and the lighting isn't the best hence the quick set up in the brightest spot in my room. HA! Also, let's not talk about the pinkish color of my walls. Our bedroom has not been touched since we moved in. If you look closely in the second picture you can see there is a texture to the walls. It must have been a favorite back in the day because it is in several spots of our house. *shudder.* So since our bedroom is never seen, we are focusing on everything else in the house :).

If you want to download this for yourself just click on the picture below, right click and save to your computer! If you use it, just make sure you give credit where credit is do :).

Hopefully I'll be back with another Valentine's Day project and a few room updates!

-Amanda

Linking up:

Yellow Bliss Road, Craft-O-Maniac, A Bowl Full of Lemons