Pinterest Monsters

So the other day PITA Facebooks me a message. She needs a favour.

Her oldest son, my cute-y pa-tootie nephew has his first loose tooth.  She needs a tooth fairy pillow stat.

She hinted that she was going to do it herself but we all know, that that hint was her beating around the bush because she wanted to ask me.

I put an end to it and offered. Not because she wanted me to but because I did!

I had seen monster tooth pillows on Pinterest - even had one pinned - so I had a general idea of what I wanted to do.

The Pinterst Version
{Via}

Turns out it was a very quick and easy project.

I did not use the tutorial at The Long Thread (obviously) as the photo was enough for me, but it looks like it would be helpful if need be. I just had a look at it, and the tutorial cuts the body out at 6 1/2" square and mine was 8".  I am happy with the result and am not one for following instructions.

(Aside:  I took a left brain right brain test yesterday.  I scored 71% right brained.  The results of the test suggested that I need to work on my left brain skills. Eeck!)

I used a royal blue sweater I had cut up for owl making, some interfacing (to keep the sweater from stretching), a scrap of wool felt for the teeth, eyes I had ready to go for the owls, a couple of buttons and a scrap of orange fabric (inside the mouth) and got it done within a half an hour!

My Version

Pretty cute, eh?

31 Days of Pinterest, Day 24

I may have mentioned before, that since we went on our summer vacation, I have been really focused on (bahahaha - I am never REALLY focused on anything!) de-cluttering and organizing so today I did a bit of that.

{via}

One of the things I did was fill (another) box to take to the thrift shop.  This one with (gasp) china and glass wear.  I am a terrible hoarder when it comes to these (and many other) things.  I have already taken one thing out of the box... To be fair, there is a lot in the box and I plan to put even more into it.  :)

The other thing I did was clean out my pots and pans cup board and hang my lids, I got the idea from Pinterest of course.

So hopefully I will continue to make some progress.  I need to de-clutter so I can move on to the next step - taking out a wall or two...

31 Days of Pinterest, Day 23

Thank God - thank who? - it's Wednesday! I am somewhat off the hook.

I have about 900 tabs open - all of them Pinterest - and here is why.

I am taking a class through Skill Share to learn how to use Illustrator and was looking for a vintage ad to recreate for the class and somehow (wink wink) I kind of got off on a tangent.

{via}

You know how Pinterest is... never ending.  One thing leads to another and suddenly the kids are walking in the door after school - which means it is almost 3 - and you have done nothing but sit on your fat Mumma butt pinning away.

Maybe you laughed a little over the cute puppies or the silly kids or the tongue in cheek Atheist humour (I started a new board today).

Maybe you cried a little because you wished your house was decorated nicely with all of those amazing DIYs you pinned. (Evil Pinterest!)

Maybe you made big plans to be more productive tomorrow.

My advice? DO NOT LOG INTO YOUR PINTEREST ACCOUNT.

No matter what.  DO NOT DO IT!

Tomorrow when the kids head out the door to school resist the temptation.

You can refinish you dining room table from memory while something delicious (made with a recipe from pinterest) simmers in your crock pot.

I have been sitting on my fat Mumma but for TWO hours and I am pulling the plug... in a minute...

31 Days of Pinterest, Days 21 and 22

CH is away and I have been feeling like a proper house wife. Cooking and cleaning and content to stay at home taking care of my family and getting things done.

This morning I came to the realization that I really seem to have a mental block when it comes to CH being home and my ability to get things done.  I suppose subconsciously, I feel like if he isn't doing anything but what he wants (sleeping) then why would I be cleaning out the fridge or washing the floors?  It is not really okay and I need to work on that. I have an appointment on Wednesday. ;)

So what has been happening around here?

Well, Baby J was born.

J for Josephine since The Mouth's actual name is Josh and The Boss' actual name Jamie I suppose they thought it would be cute to keep the J theme going - and it is.  I have to wonder if they will name subsequent children with J's as well.  Subsequent children?  perhaps I am getting a little ahead of myself!

Strangely, I think she looks like her mother.  First Ihas in history to not look like an Ihas, but still cute as a button. LOVE LOVE LOVE her hair.

I am very much looking forward to meeting her but at the same time I am a little terrified.  I will save that drama for another day.

{via}

So what else?  Nothing Pinterest worthy I am afraid.  I have been trying to do some de-cluttering.  With CH gone, it is easier to throw stuff in the trash or take it to the Sally Ann - when he is here we tend to feed off of each other's hoarding tendencies. ;)

Yesterday I loaded up a black garbage bag full of miscellaneous junk I still had in bins and what not from the shop.  That's right.  The shop. The one I closed a year ago and I am just now finding the time to sort through stuff.  Maybe a little part of it is that I didn't have the heart for it and now I just want a clean, clutter free home!

So, I might make some cookies today.  (The little man asked me to, we shall see if I can find the time.)  If I do, I will be using this best every chocolate chip cookie recipe from Martha Stewart.

They are so good it hurts but they are so very very bad.  Pretty much sugar, butter and, as The Little Man said, fry it and you are done. In my house we call them Auntie Surely's Chocolate Chip Cookies.

They are so, so good.  I dare you to eat just one.

31 Days of Pinterest, days 13 through 20

That's right, you guessed it I got nothing!

Let me just fill you in a little on my week and maybe you will have some pity for me. Or maybe you will just tell me to suck it up...

I worked WAY more than I normally would.  Long story short - the (crooked) guy that my employer purchased the building and contents from 2 years ago caused us some major issues this week and last.  This week was worse.

Last week we were waiting for the ball to drop - this week it did.

If you are reading this and you are local, if you went and liked this page to spread the word about our new phone number I would be really grateful.

And we were tired and stressed and by the time I got home each night it was all I could do to stay awake. Sometimes being a grown up and having a job sucks. Sometimes I much prefer my stay at home job of mothering, sewing and blogging - although the pay is crap there is virtually no stress.  Anyway...

That is the main reason, throw is a the new pups and the day to day and my time is all sucked up.

I did a lot of pinning... but nothing I am going to use any time soon.

Well, maybe this for the Little Man for Christmas.  He will not find it funny - buy CH and I will.  Oh, yes we will.

Last Sunday we went and looked at a house.  Perhaps a bit of a mistake but also a big eye opener.  Most of this weeks pins were kitchens.  We are going to be doing some work to this house and stay.  So much more house for our money even though it is not in my dream neighbourhood.

K.  So am I am going to force myself to list a few more things on my Etsy supplies site and then go sew.  I am feeling a little tense today because as of today I am a single parent for the week, these dogs are driving me crazy and and and..

Sewing always helps. :)

31 Days of Pinterest, Day 3

I actually read this book in the summer while camping at Champion Lakes but we all know that my blogging skills got kind of swept under the rug for a few months. I pinned it to my board, called The Written Word - which is where I put really good books I have read, things about books, or books I want to read.

This book was amazing. I have such great luck with the books I bring camping that it is almost why I want to go each year!  This one though, I have had a hard time reading anything since... I have a book hangover!  It was so moving and the story told just right.  It was one of the rare books that would actually be a (gasp) good movie!

This is what Goodreads has to say about it, reader gave it 5 stars and it is well worth every one!

For fifty years, Anna Schlemmer has refused to talk about her life in Germany during World War II. Her daughter, Trudy, was only three when she and her mother were liberated by an American soldier and went to live with him in Minnesota. Trudy's sole evidence of the past is an old photograph: a family portrait showing Anna, Trudy, and a Nazi officer, the Obersturmfuhrer of Buchenwald.

Driven by the guilt of her heritage, Trudy, now a professor of German history, begins investigating the past and finally unearths the dramatic and heartbreaking truth of her mother's life.

Combining a passionate, doomed love story, a vivid evocation of life during the war, and a poignant mother/daughter drama, Those Who Save Us is a profound exploration of what we endure to survive and the legacy of shame.

See you tomorrow!  Tina

31 Days of Pinterest, Day 2

Today's 31 Days of Pinterest post, brought to you by Tampax.  Well not really, but...

I saw this on Facebook this morning and new without a doubt it would be my post for today!  I have pinned it onto my OMG board, but I am thinking it should have made it onto my I Can Make That board instead... hmm tough decision! ;)

So the best art of this is that when looking for the original photo to pin, I came across a whole website dedicated entirely to TAMPON CRAFTS. What an excellent way to start my day - laughing!

Haha  :D Tina

31 Days of Pinterest, Day 1

I'm doing it again! The Autumn always feels like a new beginning for me which is kinda strange considering everything around me is dying or going dormant but, heh, whatevs. ;)

So new beginning, this is so it, I'm back in. I am going to go all the way. I'm going to get back to my faithful blogging starting with a 31 Days kick off. So many pins - 2537 pins and 1612 likes; which are basically pins waiting to be pinned. I like to check out the link before it goes on my boards. Anyway, point being - that's a lot and I should use them - or at the very least entertain you with them! :)

Super Yummy Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

Highly recommend it. It was easy to make and was delicious. As usually my shorties were luke warm on it but CH and I both loved it.

See you tomorrow! :) Tina

Posted with Blogsy

Random Bits of Happiness

{via}

Well, it's been an interesting weekend.

It was The Little Man's birthday and there were a crap load of 10/11 year old boys here over night.  I am such a good  Mum (toot toot) - although CH is the one who stays up and then wrangles them all to sleep I even did that this weekend.  Not that there was much wrangling, I they were actually better than I expected and settled down by about 2 am.  (And yes Mum if you are reading this I know that is too late for 'little' kids to stay up.)

I found a pictorial tutorial on Pinterest that shows how I do my zipper pockets.  It is super easy, I was terrified of zipper pockets until I tried this and now I put them in all my bags.  The only part that ever gives me any trouble is getting the zipper to be in the exact right spot.  I am kind of funny that way.

I finished up some bags I was making this week and am working on some decorated zipper pouches. My friend Krista - who is an amazing photographer of inanimate objects - is going to take some product shots for me to create a portfolio so I can send my stuff to some of the fancy consignment stores that are in this amazing, creative province of ours. I will make sure I post them and put my money where my mouth is.  I know I talk a lot about my sewing but do not show much of the proof.  You can see some of my stuff here.

I have been a sewing machine lately. I have been feeling very lazy and unorganized, and that seems to be all I really want to do.  When I became semi-retired I became a horrible time waster.  It takes me twice as long to do everything!

{via}

Since I did not really do anything new this week, I will share some of my pins with you.  :)

{via}

When I showed this one to Penelope - she said.  "Oh, I could totally use that!'  She is so odd - I love that about her.  She did not think it was weird at all, only useful. I suppose that if I were 7 and constantly eating my own hair I might see the practical rather than the comedic value of such a device.

I actually went to the app store and downloaded Web MD to see if this is the result that I got - and it was!

What was I saying about wasting time....

 ;o)  Tina

Very Pinteresting

This week I made a lot of bags and owls, including this one that I found on Noodlehead, via Pinterest (of course!). I actually bought this pattern. It has an interior zipper to close the bag and I need to learn how to do that so I splurged. I, of course, being a rule breaker will follow none of the other instructions and just do it my way...

I also, stumble upon the receipt for Amish bread sour dough starter on Saturday and got started on it on Sunday - I was pretty excited I had made this super delicious Amish Friendship bread that was like a cinnamon vanilla pudding monster cookie in my past life and H1 THREW MY STARTER AWAY! I still have the recipe and I am sure I could have Googled it or something but suddenly, there is was.  As if it were calling my name telling me to bake.

Last week my fabric stash was calling my name, this week it is, apparently, my recipe box. ;)

When I make it, I will post the recipe for my version of this yummy bread (cake) and if you live near by I will be more than happy to share my starter with you.  All you need to do it COMMENT and ask. ;)

:o)  Tina

My First Ever Zipper Pouch!

Viola!  My first ever successful zipper pouch made using a combination of two tutorials.  I am terrible at following sewing instructions (maybe more than just sewing) so I combined the two and added (or changed) a few steps of my own. I am very happy with it and am planning to make more this week - but you know how that goes...

The tutorial I used to do the nice tidy square corners it is here.  There are a lot of great patterns for sale on this site as well, I might be considering purchasing one or two of them.

:o)  Tina

Soup is On!

I have been spending A LOT of time on Pinterest lately - I am not to sure why (oh wait maybe because it if packed freakin' full with awesome ideas that somehow manage to inspire me and make me feel totally inadequate all at the same time!!).

I am over 2,000 pins now, with like 1,200 likes.  Pretty crazy.  I have been doing a little organizing and have two boards for pins that I have used - Pinned It. Did It. and Pinned It. Cooked It. There are a few cool things on them that you wouldn't want to miss!  I do not know what I did before Pinterest.  I really love it.

Since Christmas I have tried two new recipes, one of them I am making again tomorrow. :o)

Ham and White Bean Soup
{via}

The first one was not a hit.  In fact, no one - not even CH - would try it.  I think the smell of the (boiled) ham was just too much and nobody but me is really into beans.  It sounded so good that I think I might try it again  and use something other than our Christmas ham.  Perhaps if it where just a ham bone and then chopped ham added or maybe none at all...  I really wanted to like it!

The second one was not much of it with the Shorties, The Mouth and CH both slept through it - The Mouth because he is a lazy neurotic teenager and CH because he was, as he often is, under the weather.  I loved it!!  It was like a delicious slow baked fully loaded potato and lord knows I love baked potatoes.  I had it pinned three time from three different people, it is apparently a copy cat recipe of the Outback Steakhouse Potato soup but as I have never been there I would not know.

I am going to make it again tomorrow so that CH and The Mouth can have some (I gave the rest of the last batch away).  I will make the Shorties Kraft dinner or hot dogs. :o)

Slower Cooker Potato Soup
{via}

Okay, so that is this Monday, next week I will go for something craft!

:o)  Tina

Homemade Washi Tape and Some Really Cute Butterfly Magnets!

Ah ha!  Day 27!  Woot Woot!  I just realized how badly I dropped the ball on the photo a day thing....  Maybe I should try harder.  I do love to take iphotos (is that a word - if not it should be!)

So, today Nag and I made goody bags for Penelope's birthday party this evening.  This is the pin I used as my example.

Source: fakinit.typepad.com via Courtney on Pinterest

These are ours. With homemade washi tape!

Thank you Nag for taking care of the eyes and the antenna.  Crooked works great and I would have spent hours trying to get then perfectly straight and even.

The washi tape was fabulous - this is what I did to make it happen.

I looked for some small print napkins from the Dollarama.  They had lots of pretty napkins but nothing with a small print so I opted for stripes in Penelope-ish colours.

I then separated the layers - there were four, I thought there were two so I did a strip of tape and then had to redo it.  Live and learn.

After the layers where separated there was only one that was patterned - the others were plain white. I took double sided tape and put it perpendicular to the strips and smoothed it down.  They I cut it to the width I needed it to be for the clothes peg bodies of the butterflies, peeled the paper off of the tape in small sections and cover the clothes pen all the way around, snipping the open ends and tucking it in.

They turned out great and I LOVE the idea of homemade washi tape.  It is way stickier than the washi tape that I purchased from etsy.

Anyway, off to do other things.

:o)  Tina

Wordless Wednesday

Source: fashionablygeek.com via Jacquie on Pinterest

Wordless Wednesday

Source: reddit.com via Jacquie on Pinterest

The weird things you see on the internet never cease to amaze me.

Wordless Wednesday

Source: media-cache6.pinterest.com via Tina on Pinterest

31 Days of Pinterest, Cute Little Owls on Day 26

I am only three days behind!  Yeah me! Perhaps I will get caught up and be done by the end of the month.  I am going to participate in a photo a day over at Fat Mum Slim (and when I say over, I mean it, she is in Australia!)

#26!  Yeah 26!  it is sort of a duplicate of another day's post but I did legitimately make these this month and they are not bags but stuffies so I think it counts! Pretty cute too if I do say so myself.  Big thanks to PITA for the donation of Mr. PITA's comfy sweater to re-purposed and to NAG for stuffing them - I don't like that part.

31 Days of Pinterest, Day 25 and 26.... Well 25. :o)

I went for a massage today and I think I feel worse than before I went - she warned me but I of course chose not to believe her.  I just tried walking from one end of the store to the other and my leg felt like it was going to give out.  Yep, you heard me, the store.  Against CH's better judgement I came to work today.  I needed to make some calls and prefer to do it from the comfort of my pretty pink office.

Because I have been under the weather I have not been doing things at my usual rate - which means I am even more slow (I don't work fast) and only have my latest project partial completed.  I could show you picture of that but it would spoil the fun of seeing the finished project, right?

So my pin for today, is some of the beautiful things from my "A Girl Can Dream" board - if you go to Pinterest to check it out please take note of the fact that most of what I have pinned to this board is beautiful sexy men and kitchens.  :o)  Enjoy.

Source: graphicshunt.com via Tina on Pinterest

CH is aware of my love for Gerard Butler. How could any heterosexual woman not love him. He is beautiful and he has an accent. Hello.

When I grow up and live in the houses that I dream about, my kitchen in my country house will look like this.

Source: atticmag.com via Tina on Pinterest 

And my city house will look like this.

Source: houzz.com via Tina on Pinterest

Both of them will have Agas and a big farm sinks.

Source: google.co.uk via Tina on Pinterest

Source: kitchenbacksplashes.blogspot.com via Tina on Pinterest

And this is the next thing I would like to add to my collect - are you paying attention CH?

Source: etsy.com via Tina on Pinterest 

Be back tomorrow.  :o)  Tina

31 Days of Pinterest, Days 21 Through 25...

I will confess, I have been up and about a bit.  I drove to Christina Lake today in my nice new rental car (Pin #21) to pick the Little Man up from H1's house and it tuckered me out.  I have not done much since.  Yesterday I went to the mall for cat food and to take advantage of a great deal PITA told me about on duvets - which turned out not to be duvets so much as white comforters with very nice duvet covers.  Still a good deal.  I bought two and left one wrapped in its plastic cover for the trailer (that I do not yet own but would really love to someday).

Source: allpar.com via Tina on Pinterest

Source: youtube.com via Tina on Pinterest 

So on with the pins...  did I do any, I don't think so.  I am going to cheat.  When I was not shopping for cat food and duvets I was couch surfing and watching CH's really bad choices.  Who knew there were that hours of pirate documentaries (yawn) available for our viewing (yawn) pleasure.

Pin #22, the sock bun.  This was one of the first pins I tried.  I could not figure it out from the photos, but his video rocked.  :o)  Works well on Penenlope's hair, not so well on mine, cause I cannot see it! We both have pretty fine hair, so I found that the leg of a pair of her heavy tights worked the best - small hole for small hair.

Pin #23, fashion plates.  A few months ago my Mum gave me my fashion plates.  Penelope has her own so I hide mine.  Isn't that terrible? I also have a old metal suitcase filled with plastic farm animals that I do not want my kids anywhere near.  They were my favorite things when I was a kid.  Especially the animals - they all had distinct names and personalities.  I always thought I would marry a farmer.

Source: Uploaded by user via Tina on Pinterest 

Pin #24, Jerry and Calvin. Jerry is our first Guinea Pig. He is awesome - brave and rambunctious. Calvin is
our second he is calm, a little shy and likes to cuddle. I really love them - they are easy to have as pets. If they pooped and peed in specific locations rather than wherever and whenever (oh yeah - on you, the couch, the table) they would be pretty close to the perfect pets. I was pet deprived when I was kid and as a result I will not say no to any pet request and probably have more than I should with two dogs, fours cats, two guinea pigs and an ever changing number of fish.

This is Jerry, borrowing Mr. Potato-head's glasses. He said he didn't mind - even if he did, Jerry is the kind of guy who would sneak out of the house with them anyway!

Source: Uploaded by user via Tina on Pinterest 

This is Calvin. He is wearing Mrs. Potato-head's glasses. He is a little shy and likes to be in a disguise, or tucked neatly under a pillow.

Source: Uploaded by user via Tina on Pinterest

Pin #25, I will save for tomorrow. Maybe I can come up something a little more creative.

Night. :o)

Tina