tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68063540179947948712024-02-23T03:23:36.220-07:00The Nonpareil HomeRachel Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04978213595014835242noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806354017994794871.post-14764486476427104982013-10-11T11:34:00.001-06:002013-10-11T11:34:29.537-06:00DIY Costume - Mod Podge Crown<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Our last day of DIY Dress-up week! Thanks everybody for reading along, I hope you have gotten a little bit of inspiration from these projects! I've saved the easiest (and prettiest) for last. I'm sure you've seen these lace crowns around Pinterest; usually the instructions tell you to use some sort of starch. I was making a crown for a film and I bought a can of spray starch. I sprayed the heck out of my lace and let it dry. Twice. It was still limp when it dried. They say to use "fabric stiffener"--but I am much too lazy/cheap/stubborn to go buy a big jar of something that I'm only going to use once, so I tried using Mod Podge because it's what I had on hand. Voila! Nice and stiff but still flexible enough to make it a comfy crown.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidRbFsQ-MfNch6_nj-uPGyoqGdItkYucueWzveWHYgSXdQopOvveoij5YXCm_YDh4sjQX6HMIoc1rwi94RFqELAqNwq_9Cxhu6f7OPbcmuxIJcENgJrdyzPNFix3IyWJMui_1Hkil29Q/s1600/pinterest-pic-crown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidRbFsQ-MfNch6_nj-uPGyoqGdItkYucueWzveWHYgSXdQopOvveoij5YXCm_YDh4sjQX6HMIoc1rwi94RFqELAqNwq_9Cxhu6f7OPbcmuxIJcENgJrdyzPNFix3IyWJMui_1Hkil29Q/s640/pinterest-pic-crown.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Note that this crown <i>is</i> still flexible, if you're looking for something to stand up straight for display or make a really stiff crown, Mod Podge might not be your answer. If you're wanting something that will actually be worn, Mod Podge is your ticket! Also, bonus, if you don't have any Mod Podge, you can use white glue mixed with a little water. If you don't have Mod Podge OR white glue... maybe it's time to go to the store. ;)<br />
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<b>Mod Podge Lace Crown How-to</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6t4y-o9_FwNwsDwjjWpEONszSvmVGXezYwekHfRkKkH-CsUZBN3bNZhEjY3k_HM4nYrMdrttL_fHL5_JSiAQaLcGsBGcWfuA-d40ugPAgr925H9SgtTrqFWM32f5cJRVQGmgNiGQLzCk/s1600/_DSC4930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6t4y-o9_FwNwsDwjjWpEONszSvmVGXezYwekHfRkKkH-CsUZBN3bNZhEjY3k_HM4nYrMdrttL_fHL5_JSiAQaLcGsBGcWfuA-d40ugPAgr925H9SgtTrqFWM32f5cJRVQGmgNiGQLzCk/s640/_DSC4930.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<u>What you'll Need:</u><br />
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<ul>
<li>Lace trim - 2" longer than your child's head measurement.</li>
<li>Mod Podge (or white glue + water)</li>
<li>Sponge brush (optional)</li>
<li>Pot or pan with straight up and down edges</li>
<li>Waxed paper</li>
<li>Tape</li>
<li>Pins</li>
<li>Spray paint (I like Krylon metallics best)</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWPSLdw0RC_sMqL0jbXGxlvUsJhOcu7lv1r_SVZWquN8WjRm-Jq3qFH1KsDeBQ_YPO1FCRsMOqnV_huxmmwBcB9xbtxG38gXcaOp7QsxHNZ5sxtB7VPjmqn9qa-XXH3gL_1CX-i-POXIk/s1600/6-square-set-up-crown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWPSLdw0RC_sMqL0jbXGxlvUsJhOcu7lv1r_SVZWquN8WjRm-Jq3qFH1KsDeBQ_YPO1FCRsMOqnV_huxmmwBcB9xbtxG38gXcaOp7QsxHNZ5sxtB7VPjmqn9qa-XXH3gL_1CX-i-POXIk/s640/6-square-set-up-crown.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<ol>
<li>Cover your pot or pan with 2-3 layers wax paper and tape in place. Note that your pot does not need to be the size of your child's head. The crown is wrapped around the pot just to give it a curved shape as it dries so it's easier to make into a full circle. </li>
<li>Coat your fabric with Mod Podge. The first few times I did this I used a sponge brush, but I've found it's a lot easier to just dunk it in the Mod Podge and get your hands really dirty. I just saturate the whole thing with Mod Podge and then run the lace through my fingers to get rid of the excess glue (like paper mache). In this step you'll want to take care that you aren't filling all of the lace's pretty holes with glue--that means too much Mod Podge.</li>
<li>Wrap the lace around the pot and use pins to hold the ends in place.</li>
<li>Let dry. Remove the lace and test the stiffness. You may need to add more Mod Podge at this point. On my crown I did two coats and let dry again around the pot. When you're happy with the stiffness, remove the crown. You may have to peel away some of the wax paper if it stuck to the crown, that's okay!</li>
<li>Overlap the crown 1" on each side (if you have a chance, this is a good time to test the size on your child's head) and secure. I ran over it with a zig-zag stitch on my machine, but you could very well use glue to connect the ends.</li>
<li>Spray paint your beautiful crown and let dry. Done!</li>
</ol>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiYEOvtfSpAe-7Yh2hihF5g72ZToExP4EvOaYSBQCC9zCQ3crZVPeFWxmugDLFP996CDcOu7PljMnbDErQSEuVzIiXBTdzyc0ZGWnPue5W9EEw5-inoOcwAaZvj6H9eKvFu1bXc0JSY5E/s1600/_DSC5196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiYEOvtfSpAe-7Yh2hihF5g72ZToExP4EvOaYSBQCC9zCQ3crZVPeFWxmugDLFP996CDcOu7PljMnbDErQSEuVzIiXBTdzyc0ZGWnPue5W9EEw5-inoOcwAaZvj6H9eKvFu1bXc0JSY5E/s640/_DSC5196.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It would be fun to add jewels and glitter to these crowns to personalize them for your kids. They really are a cinch, it's something kids can even help to make. Have fun with it!<br />
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Now that we have finished our last dress-up costume, I wanted to share a roundup of my favorite costumes and dress-ups across the web!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYjiZ3n5hjNRc-x9BSWUAbcW1WjUxeYOqFORRrq8i8lS9ICT_0dYedoAzbPts9VFzI21dttsMx5oQjlfoEUJSNOq_VfuuTVJF0PFwZT5fkjVyuuZDFm6fWCsZojxqvb47-b7QZ7M4kJPI/s1600/rounduppic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYjiZ3n5hjNRc-x9BSWUAbcW1WjUxeYOqFORRrq8i8lS9ICT_0dYedoAzbPts9VFzI21dttsMx5oQjlfoEUJSNOq_VfuuTVJF0PFwZT5fkjVyuuZDFm6fWCsZojxqvb47-b7QZ7M4kJPI/s640/rounduppic.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<ol>
<li><a href="http://azulitoclaro.wordpress.com/2011/05/11/alitas-hechas-en-casa-para-nuestro-disfraz/" target="_blank">Bird Wings from Azulito Claro</a> - GORGEOUS! It is in Spanish but has great how-to pics.</li>
<li><a href="http://thesoutherninstitute.com/2012/09/diy-monster-claws.html/" target="_blank">Monster Claws from The Southern Institute</a> - How cute and easy!</li>
<li><a href="http://thechalkboardmag.com/make-it-by-monday-feather-headdress" target="_blank">Feather Headdress from The Chalkboard Mag</a> - So pretty I want to make one for myself!<span id="goog_1571057343"></span><span id="goog_1571057344"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.pbs.org/parents/craftapparent/2009/10/snapsuit-baby-costumes.html" target="_blank">Strong Man Costume from PBS</a> - I am a sucker for funny baby costumes, what can I say?</li>
<li><a href="http://heartmadeblog.com/diy-magic-wand/" target="_blank">Magic Wands from Heartmade Blog</a> - So beautiful! Would go great with the <a href="http://nonpareilhome.blogspot.com/2013/10/diy-costume-flower-fairy.html" target="_blank">flower fairy costume.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://cauliflower.typepad.com/blog/2012/10/the-tortoise-and-the-hare.html" target="_blank">Tortise Costume from Cauliflower Kids</a> - So cute! Not a DIY post but great inspiration.</li>
<li><a href="http://lorajeansmagazine.blogspot.com/2011/10/knight-costume.html" target="_blank">Knight Costume from Lora Jean's Magazine</a> - This is DIY! Amazing, right?</li>
<li><a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/853611/mademoiselle-butterfly?xsc=eml_crd_2011_10_01&om_rid=Dk1ZHw&om_mid=_BOh0qWB8V0Wook" target="_blank">Butterfly Wings from Martha Stewart</a> - Beautiful for kids or adults.</li>
<li><a href="http://mermagblog.com/2013/10/08/diy-baby-octopus-costume/" target="_blank">Baby Octopus Costume from Mer Mag</a> - My cousin sent me this link, so cute!</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ikatbag.com/2010/06/hats.html" target="_blank">Homemade Hats from Ikat Bag</a> - How cool are these? Make your own hats and decorate!</li>
<li><a href="http://mmmcrafts.blogspot.com/2011/12/handmade-gifts-2011-operation-incognito.html" target="_blank">Moustaches and Beards from Mmmcrafts</a> - So funny and could make a great gift!</li>
<li><a href="http://www.eileenjosephine.com/2010/11/vadas-second-halloween.html" target="_blank">Matryoshka Doll Costume by Eileen Josephine</a> - I've saved the absolute cutest for last. I am obsessed with this little doll costume!</li>
</ol>
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Thanks for reading everybody! Have a great and crafty weekend!</div>
Rachel Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04978213595014835242noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806354017994794871.post-40262761298832645952013-10-10T11:48:00.000-06:002013-10-10T11:48:53.769-06:00DIY Costume - Princess Dress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Okay so dress-up week would be a joke without at least one princess dress! Addy is <a href="http://instagram.com/p/b5P5xzEREE/" target="_blank">obsessed with Princesses and girly stuff</a> (along with 90% of her fellow three-year-old girls), so this dress is a must have. This one is already a full-on costume, for Halloween, just add tomorrow's crown and you're good to go!</div>
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And a note, this one is a real-live sewing project (not hard at all, but it is sewing!) so if you hate sewing, see ya tomorrow. ;)</div>
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There are so many ways to customize this dress, the easiest of which would be choosing amazing colors and trims. But feel free to lengthen the sleeves, make a short ballerina-style skirt, or add extra ruffles. Note that I used a serger in this how-to but you definitely can use a regular machine.</div>
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<b>Princess Dress How-to</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLAvn21ZhExjrj5dhMCIznpgu_S01MoxOhqKh7TP7O502u08cKmjZdhHQb0aOLMUgTEsDjHmspWBgASwMgA8d93a4Lk2iKnqp5pt3qJsiEEcFtFJLm9bclsSJUxSGyYMT0QWWwUPLTOI/s1600/_DSC5054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLAvn21ZhExjrj5dhMCIznpgu_S01MoxOhqKh7TP7O502u08cKmjZdhHQb0aOLMUgTEsDjHmspWBgASwMgA8d93a4Lk2iKnqp5pt3qJsiEEcFtFJLm9bclsSJUxSGyYMT0QWWwUPLTOI/s640/_DSC5054.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<u>What you'll need:</u></div>
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<ul>
<li>Main fabric for your dress (I used silver/blue) - 1 1/2 yds+ depending on the size of your child. </li>
<li>An overlay fabric for the skirt, tulle or lace (I used a cream netting) - 1 yd+ depending on the size of your child</li>
<li>A contrasting fabric for the bodice detail (I used bluish floral) - 1/8 yd (a scrap!)</li>
<li>Bodice pattern downloaded from here: <a href="http://www.burdastyle.com/patterns/child-summer-frock">http://www.burdastyle.com/patterns/child-summer-frock</a></li>
<li>A short length of velcro</li>
<li>1/4" elastic</li>
<li>Various trim/buttons</li>
<li>Fabric glue (I used Fabri-tac)</li>
<li>Scissors</li>
<li>Sewing machine/supplies</li>
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<u>Child's Measurements:</u></div>
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<ul>
<li>Waist/hips (whichever is largest)</li>
<li>Arm/bicep measurement</li>
<li>Skirt length</li>
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<b>Cutting</b></div>
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<u>Pieces to cut out:</u></div>
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<li><b>Sleeves:</b> Measure the armscye (arm hole) length on your bodice pattern and double that length--this is the length of your sleeve piece. The height is however long you want the sleeve to be plus 2". Cut out 2 rectangles with these measurements. (The armscye on my pattern was 10" and I wanted the sleeve to be 3" long, so my rectangles were 20" x 5".)</li>
<li><b>Elastic for sleeves: </b>Cut the elastic to fit your child's bicep measurement plus 1/2" for seam allowance.</li>
<li><b>Accent pieces for bodice:</b> Follow cutting instructions below, cut from accent fabric.</li>
<li><b>Back bodice:</b> Use the downloaded pattern above to cut out this piece. You want the dress to be able to slip over your child's hips/waist, so make sure the combined measurements of the bodice to be at least 3" more than your child's hips/waist measurement. Cut 1 pc. on fold from main fabric.</li>
<li><b>Front bodice:</b> Follow cutting instructions below, cut 2 from main fabric.</li>
<li><b>Velcro: </b>Cut the 1/2" shorter than the length of the front bodice. (You can cut this out later when you're attaching it if desired).</li>
<li><b>Skirt</b>: Double or triple (for puffier skirt) the hip/waist measurement of your child, this is the width of your skirt piece. Your skirt length plus any seam allowance is the length of this piece. Cut out 2 rectangles with these measurements--one from the main fabric and 1 from the netting fabric. For example, Ad's waist measurement was 17 1/2", so my skirt was about 53" wide and I wanted it to be 15" long.</li>
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<u>Bodice cutting:</u></div>
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<ol>
<li>Add 2" to the center front of the bodice pieces. Cut out.</li>
<li>Decide how wide you want your accent piece and draw a line on the pattern.</li>
<li>Cut this pattern piece out (I added a 1/4" seam allowance) and add 2" to the center front like you did on the bodice pieces. Cut 2 from the accent fabric.</li>
</ol>
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<b>Sewing</b></div>
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<b>Bodice</b></div>
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<ol>
<li>Pin the accent fabric pieces on top of the two bodice pieces. Baste this fabric down on either side of the accent piece. You'll cover up the raw seam with trim so don't worry about that.</li>
<li>Pin the bodice pieces to the back piece, right sides together. Sew the shoulder and side seams together. (I've used a serger because it was easier for me, but using a sewing machine is great.) Iron seams flat and turn right side out.</li>
<li>Iron the front raw edges under 1". Top stitch to secure the turned under edge. This is where your velcro will attach in a later step.</li>
<li>Overlap the front edges 1" and baste along the bottom, about 1/4" from the bottom edge. Now your bodice is connected all the way around. Set aside.</li>
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<b>Skirt</b></div>
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<ol>
<li>Fold your main fabric skirt piece in half, right sides together, with the two short ends lined up. Sew along these short ends. Do the same with the netting fabric.</li>
<li>Iron the seams flat.</li>
<li>With the right sides facing outward, put the main fabric skirt inside of the netting fabric and pin them together along the top. (It will look like a really really really wide skirt.)</li>
<li>Using the longest stitch length on your machine, stitch the two skirt pieces together about 1/4" from the top edge. Don't backstitch or overlap these stitches. When you're finished, pull one of the threads to begin gathering the skirt. Set aside.</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXOcpjOIwsPISS6bT86iVklV_D3zXtzp51onGU-CRsXPtmOJpNH6rQ9CNrnbB0QzGjFdz97ZbzLbTzCkxI6nrlhNnsMI37CQZae8cC8tUASjM0Ej85WGWc5Jig_UgqGzVPkB_HMC2H3yw/s1600/4squaresetup-sleeves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXOcpjOIwsPISS6bT86iVklV_D3zXtzp51onGU-CRsXPtmOJpNH6rQ9CNrnbB0QzGjFdz97ZbzLbTzCkxI6nrlhNnsMI37CQZae8cC8tUASjM0Ej85WGWc5Jig_UgqGzVPkB_HMC2H3yw/s640/4squaresetup-sleeves.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
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<b>Sleeves</b></div>
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<ol>
<li>Iron the bottom edge of each sleeve piece under about 1/2"-5/8". Topstitch to secure. This is your channel for the elastic.</li>
<li>Attach a safety pin to one of your elastic pieces and feed it through the sleeve channel. Pin the elastic ends so they are flush with the edges of the sleeve. Stitch close to the edge to secure the ends of the elastic. Repeat with other sleeve.</li>
<li>Fold the sleeve in half, right sides together, and sew along the short length. Turn right side out and iron seams flat.</li>
<li>Using the longest stitch length on your machine, stitch around the long raw edge of the sleeve, about 1/4" from the top. Don't backstitch or overlap these stitches. When you're finished, pull one of the threads to begin gathering the sleeve. Set aside. </li>
</ol>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiss5Z5KQVuLLRk86G8OEeck4sYkeTJSyS7Zmryu_sQI_uFM6xA-zJLmSFdCNiqkwL6qp9c7aC27h1kdHZRXWnuInW-cHdMOYr7MtRt2yNXM1sAZEBFmquopz-RD5dpPxxrPTgtoLBYePg/s1600/6-square-set-up-finishing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiss5Z5KQVuLLRk86G8OEeck4sYkeTJSyS7Zmryu_sQI_uFM6xA-zJLmSFdCNiqkwL6qp9c7aC27h1kdHZRXWnuInW-cHdMOYr7MtRt2yNXM1sAZEBFmquopz-RD5dpPxxrPTgtoLBYePg/s640/6-square-set-up-finishing.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Putting it all together!</b><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Yay you've made it! Time to put the dress together. Set the sleeves into the bodice. To do this, Turn the bodice inside out, and match up the raw edges of the sleeve with the raw edge of the bodice armscye. Make sure you have right sides together. You'll probably need to adjust the gathering on the sleeve to even it out. Pin in place and sew. Repeat with other sleeve.</li>
<li>Turn the sleeves right side out.</li>
<li>Now you'll do the same thing with the skirt. Match up the raw edge of the bodice and the raw edge of the top of the skirt. Make sure you have right sides together, and again, you'll probably need to adjust the gathering of the skirt to tighten and even it out. Pin in place and sew.</li>
<li>Turn the skirt right side out. Hurray it's a dress! You can finish the neckline anyway you'd like, I turned it under and stitched it, but you could very well glue ribbon over it to hide it or use any other method of finishing.</li>
<li>Use fabric glue to attach your velcro to the center bodice. You may need to trim it a bit to fit.</li>
<li>Use fabric glue to add any trim or embellishments. Now is when you'll use trim to cover up raw edge of the accent piece. Let dry.</li>
</ol>
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Voila! Your little princess is ready to reign!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh97Bbv4IvC7PiObebAaiTL47BXQWLGI1thAYbzL2fn0EtaD4TIBfP5_ITTjPx2sDpV4eAGeqV5etZzbn9pzWCZAr4DwVDT0doM9o7OLqXHsIBnv8EVxrNjK_T6Itddr5HGUtnBtehw6Us/s1600/_DSC5174.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh97Bbv4IvC7PiObebAaiTL47BXQWLGI1thAYbzL2fn0EtaD4TIBfP5_ITTjPx2sDpV4eAGeqV5etZzbn9pzWCZAr4DwVDT0doM9o7OLqXHsIBnv8EVxrNjK_T6Itddr5HGUtnBtehw6Us/s640/_DSC5174.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Tune in tomorrow for crown instructions and a roundup of some great DIY costumes from across the web!</div>
<br />Rachel Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04978213595014835242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806354017994794871.post-32294341261587331452013-10-09T11:58:00.001-06:002013-10-09T11:58:24.202-06:00DIY Costume - Superhero Cape and Mask<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
One day my niece Addy was talking to <a href="http://www.thecoppercollective.com/" target="_blank">her mama</a> and said "Mom, I need a red thing for my back." Michelle couldn't fathom what Ad was talking about, even after asking her a bunch of questions so she just let it go. Then the other day when Addy did her best superhero pose and said "I'm SUPER Adeline!" it dawned on us. A CAPE! That's the "red thing" that Ad needed for her back, haha! We should have known because she loves telling everyone that she is Super Adeline, so I'm very excited to give her this "red thing" for her back!</div>
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This is perfect for boys and girls alike. Use it for dress-up just as-is, or dress your child in a solid color and add an easy superhero belt for a great Halloween costume! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv8E9STg7K71k5Uo8Xpj3HWXzW3XHtl5ziM8UkEW2kyz2Uel7gGn6cVnO9jBcjF-gqLuws-Q4GINoK-UeFdo6q39Y3Et92J8IDy44c8bbPSLzB7-t8utLqFe6IpbmipUFE9LIeXjT87LM/s1600/pinterest-pic-cape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv8E9STg7K71k5Uo8Xpj3HWXzW3XHtl5ziM8UkEW2kyz2Uel7gGn6cVnO9jBcjF-gqLuws-Q4GINoK-UeFdo6q39Y3Et92J8IDy44c8bbPSLzB7-t8utLqFe6IpbmipUFE9LIeXjT87LM/s640/pinterest-pic-cape.jpg" width="450" /></a></div>
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This costume is so easily customizable and you can make it as elaborate as you'd like. Use a print fabric on the underside of the cape, paint stars or words on the back, add felt accents to the mask--anything!</div>
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<b>Superhero Cape How-to</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-zh4FqkmueS4ODAfWIww0oEk-pqyHvmi9olx1QQvzzJ3ruVUX94oKOr5uNvfUUCSTGxZddeoR03HMoZ3y1n85epJCdhaOPtbSVqk3rl6-g1P8lQg7OmDyvzeLLtgS7oyqt8L1D94r7Ks/s1600/_DSC5049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-zh4FqkmueS4ODAfWIww0oEk-pqyHvmi9olx1QQvzzJ3ruVUX94oKOr5uNvfUUCSTGxZddeoR03HMoZ3y1n85epJCdhaOPtbSVqk3rl6-g1P8lQg7OmDyvzeLLtgS7oyqt8L1D94r7Ks/s640/_DSC5049.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<u>What you'll need:</u></div>
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<ul>
<li>Two different fabrics for the cape, 1/2-1 yard each depending on the size of your child</li>
<li>Elastic</li>
<li>Black and white acrylic paint</li>
<li>Textile Medium for acrylic paint</li>
<li>Paintbrushes</li>
<li>Scissors</li>
<li>Stencil plastic (this is optional, for my cape I made a circle stencil, but you could easily just freehand it.)</li>
<li>Measurements of your child's head and cape length</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8REGf6Q0RLZ6KoaOKSQirV08mXe80fdkiKo7WZSRyIC9Gk5uJ2wuh-stAEcfMlmj7_GIWtIIFJnyg-ruv8bSy6c6coB2SuheITD2gzMSxrm-BowCZ8uhO8f8MHLTl9qAJWnjzuT89i8/s1600/6-square-set-up-cape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8REGf6Q0RLZ6KoaOKSQirV08mXe80fdkiKo7WZSRyIC9Gk5uJ2wuh-stAEcfMlmj7_GIWtIIFJnyg-ruv8bSy6c6coB2SuheITD2gzMSxrm-BowCZ8uhO8f8MHLTl9qAJWnjzuT89i8/s640/6-square-set-up-cape.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<ol>
<li>Fold your fabric in half. Use the cape length measurement from your child to measure how long you'd like the cape to be. At the top, measure out from the center for how long you'd like the top of the cape to be. Mine was 20" long and 10" wide at the top. Mark a straight line down from the top at an angle and curve the bottom of the cape to meet this line (see above). Cut out from both fabrics.</li>
<li><u>If using a stencil:</u> cut out a circle from stencil plastic using scissors. Tape it down and cover the area around the stencil with paper towels (seriously do this, when I first tried this little drops of paint got all over the fabric from my painting!). Mix fabric medium with white paint and use a stencil brush (holding it straight up and down) to fill the stencil area. Let dry. <u>If freehanding:</u> Sketch out the painted area with a pencil. Mix fabric medium with white paint and use a paintbrush to paint the area. Let dry.</li>
<li>When dry, sketch out your letter on the white background using a pencil. Mix fabric medium with black paint and paint your letter. Let dry.</li>
<li>When completely dry, sew the front and back of your cape together, right sides together. Leave the top open--just sew the right, left, and bottom seams. Turn right side out and iron. Fold the top raw edges in about 1/4-1/2" and press. Then use the tutorial below on how to create a covered elastic strap. (If you just would like to use raw elastic, measure the top edge of your cape and subtract it from your child's head measurement--this will be the length of your elastic. For example, Ad's head measurement was 19 1/2" and the top of my cape was 10", I would make my elastic 10" or 11" to account for a 1/4" seam allowance on each end)</li>
<li>Sandwich the raw edges of the elastic in the top seam and pin.</li>
<li>Topstitch over the seam to secure. Done!</li>
</ol>
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<b>Covered Elastic Band</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoMbGq2kj_5YneOtZEzK_1yeCXl5P2lC8iGcV2jW9zAW7zf3xDyu74BKD-1xPAAIsrEnX70ULaM3nPbgzz7mdrPXFGxB8K7XQjGeWRcAyYweGB0qTCoSNBvsa0-3tZilscUVNMwLGCd3s/s1600/4up-long-coverelastic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoMbGq2kj_5YneOtZEzK_1yeCXl5P2lC8iGcV2jW9zAW7zf3xDyu74BKD-1xPAAIsrEnX70ULaM3nPbgzz7mdrPXFGxB8K7XQjGeWRcAyYweGB0qTCoSNBvsa0-3tZilscUVNMwLGCd3s/s640/4up-long-coverelastic.jpg" width="580" /></a></div>
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<ol>
<li>Measure the top edge of your cape and subtract it from your child's head measurement--this will be the length of your elastic. For example, Ad's head measurement was 19 1/2" and the top of my cape was 10", I would make my elastic 10" to account for a 1/4" seam allowance on each end. Its always better to err on the side of too-long in this situation, so don't worry too much. Cut a length of fabric 2" longer than your elastic and double the width plus a seam allowance.</li>
<li>Fold the fabric in half and sew a seam. Turn rightside out.</li>
<li>Use a safety pin to feed your elastic through the fabric tube. Pin the elastic ends so they are flush with the ends of the fabric. You'll notice the fabric bunches a bit but when you stretch the elastic it smooths out.</li>
<li>Stitch the ends catching the elastic in the seam.</li>
</ol>
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<b>Superhero Mask How-to</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja8kkFYuBMkgXpY2xYIWvTWfhDcvxaynuwZJktRVCEW3_UeaXQ4dsgBKd8ANSKalHg8t3PnwNHMSJs_YqcPwNlb2pW7L39ZhXS70IzhPd0PiWxPjLNkXeLl9MAxWhmPkfet2FhmaAqlZI/s1600/_DSC5045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja8kkFYuBMkgXpY2xYIWvTWfhDcvxaynuwZJktRVCEW3_UeaXQ4dsgBKd8ANSKalHg8t3PnwNHMSJs_YqcPwNlb2pW7L39ZhXS70IzhPd0PiWxPjLNkXeLl9MAxWhmPkfet2FhmaAqlZI/s640/_DSC5045.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<u>What you'll need:</u></div>
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<ul>
<li>Superhero mask pattern from here: <a href="http://www.firstpalette.com/tool_box/printables/superhero.html">http://www.firstpalette.com/tool_box/printables/superhero.html</a></li>
<li>Felt in desired color</li>
<li>Elastic</li>
<li>Fabric in desired color (if you want to cover the elastic)</li>
<li>Scissors</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9i3YSJUvtjH6ApFUyXLBNP7CHFPwSaEgFCYJLMI_pzNf127OOrBO5NFeuCyIKQisDZlrTWfSdQqkOYdwS8d7lLrkGO1fymoMtpNMdJFD9Rbu4oz7AkxL7pBHGRrQrATCNBN026qDyJ4/s1600/4square-mask.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9i3YSJUvtjH6ApFUyXLBNP7CHFPwSaEgFCYJLMI_pzNf127OOrBO5NFeuCyIKQisDZlrTWfSdQqkOYdwS8d7lLrkGO1fymoMtpNMdJFD9Rbu4oz7AkxL7pBHGRrQrATCNBN026qDyJ4/s640/4square-mask.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
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<ol>
<li>Cut out two mask pieces out of felt using a pattern from the site above. </li>
<li>Measure your mask and subtract this measurement from your child's head measurement. This will be the length of your elastic. For example, my mask was about 7" across, and Ad's head measurement was 19 1/2", so my elastic was 12 1/2". If you'd like to cover your elastic, do so using the tutorial above.</li>
<li>Sandwich the ends of the elastic between the mask pieces on either side. Pin.</li>
<li>Topstitch (stitch about 1/8" from the edge) around the entire mask, catching the elastic in the seam. Top stitch around the eye holes as well.</li>
</ol>
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Fun fun fun! Now your little ones are ready to save the world! </div>
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Stay tuned for tomorrow's costume!</div>
Rachel Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04978213595014835242noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806354017994794871.post-16061347635149447142013-10-08T09:24:00.000-06:002013-10-08T09:24:37.098-06:00What Does the Fox Say? Fox Mask and Tail TutorialToday we are lucky enough to have a guest post by my amazing sister-in-law, Lauren! She has a <a href="http://cowboyandcitygirl.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog</a> and <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/PitterPatterShop" target="_blank">an amazing etsy shop</a>, where she sells handmade baby shoes, clothing, and kids toys. No idea how she gets everything done that she does, including this adorable tutorial for a <b>Fox Costume</b>. Easy on and off for dress up, or just dress your little one in all brown (or orange!) with this costume for a perfect Halloween get-up! Now on to the post!<br />
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Hi there!<br />
<br />
I'm Lauren from <a href="http://www.cowboyandcitygirl.blogspot.com/">Cowboy and City Girl</a>. I'm super excited to be part of this great mini series, and hope you'll forgive me if my pictures and instructions are a bit sub-par...this is the first time I've done a tutorial! So hang on for the ride, and hopefully you can figure out what I'm trying to say. :)<br />
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With all the super cute girlie dress-ups out there, I really wanted to make something that a boy (or girl) could enjoy, and although my little Champ likes to dress up as super-heroes and cartoon characters as much as the next boy, he and his sister also love to pretend that they are different animals. So for this tutorial I thought I'd share our family's fox dress up. We (or should I say, "I") especially love this dress up because the littles can get it on all by themselves. There are no strings to tie, or Velcro to close. <br />
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<a href="http://s860.photobucket.com/user/laurenharrison/media/IMG_2776_zpsca30311c.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_2776_zpsca30311c.jpg" border="0" src="http://i860.photobucket.com/albums/ab169/laurenharrison/IMG_2776_zpsca30311c.jpg" /></a><br />
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<b>Fox Tail and Mask How-to</b><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">I really liked the look of this reddish brown felt that I had, but my 5 year old was quick to let me know that foxes are ORANGE AND WHITE, not brown and cream. You can choose either color combination, and it would look adorable. In the instructions I'll use brown and cream.</span></b><br />
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<u>Materials:</u><br />
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<ul>
<li>Printed Pattern. <a href="http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a609/nonpareilhome/Patterns/foxmask_zps2ad639eb-copy_zps3c0091f8.jpg" target="_blank">Fox mask</a>. <a href="http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a609/nonpareilhome/Patterns/foxtail_zps0084c269.jpg" target="_blank">Fox Tail</a>.</li>
<li>1/4 yard orange/brown felt (or 3 sheets)</li>
<li>1/4 yard of white/cream felt (or 2 sheets)</li>
<li>Scrap of black felt for the nose</li>
<li>Glue for felt (optional)</li>
<li>13 inches of 1/4 elastic</li>
<li>Enough 1 inch elastic to go around your child's waist</li>
<li>Plastic grocery sacks, garbage bags, news paper or batting for stuffing tail</li>
<li>Sewing machine and other sewing supplies</li>
</ul>
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<u>Instructions:</u><br />
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1. Click on links above to print out pattern pieces.<br />
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<b>Printing Instructions/Tips:</b><br />
- Click on the links above, save the images to your own computer.<br />
- Open the files in your computer and click Print.<br />
- Make sure that you do not scale the images at all. On a Mac: click "Fill Entire Paper", on Windows: look in the settings and make sure you click "Actual size" instead of "Scale to Fit".<br />
- To test if your patterns printed properly, measure the widest part of the fox tail pattern, it should be 6 1/2"<br />
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Cut out all pattern pieces as stated on pattern. For the brown part of the tail cut a rectangle 6 1/2 inches wide and 10 inches long. Once you have two rectangles cut, taper one end of the brown tail piece so that it's slightly smaller at one side than the other. (refer to picture below)<br />
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<a href="http://s860.photobucket.com/user/laurenharrison/media/IMG_2756_zpsfdc584ec.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_2756_zpsfdc584ec.jpg" border="0" src="http://i860.photobucket.com/albums/ab169/laurenharrison/IMG_2756_zpsfdc584ec.jpg" /></a><br />
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2. Using your felt glue (I like to use Fabri-Tac), attach the cream pieces to one side of your mask. Be sure to keep the glue away from the edges, since you'll be sewing around the edges. You could also just pin them in place, and sew around them, but I think the glue option is nice because it also adds a touch of stability. (I glued on the black nose here, but you should wait until step 5.)<br />
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<a href="http://s860.photobucket.com/user/laurenharrison/media/Sept-Dec20131-001_zps3179b1c3.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Sept-Dec20131-001_zps3179b1c3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i860.photobucket.com/albums/ab169/laurenharrison/Sept-Dec20131-001_zps3179b1c3.jpg" /></a><br />
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3. Topstitch (sew about 1/8" from the edge) around the cream edges of your mask.<br />
4. Stack brown mask pieces together, sandwiching the 1/4" elastic in between. Sew around the mask, and around the eye openings, being careful to only catch the elastic in on the two sides of the face.<br />
5. Glue on black nose.<br />
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(Note: It's also possible to skip almost all of the sewing, and simply glue all the pieces on, and together, but you'd need to sew the elastic on to the back of the mask in order to keep it securely attached. This could even be done by hand.)<br />
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<a href="http://s860.photobucket.com/user/laurenharrison/media/IMG_2767_zps9001cbb2.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_2767_zps9001cbb2.jpg" border="0" src="http://i860.photobucket.com/albums/ab169/laurenharrison/IMG_2767_zps9001cbb2.jpg" /></a><br />
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6. Sew the cream tail piece to the wide side of the brown tail piece. Repeat with remaining pieces.<br />
7. With tail pieces on top of each other, sew around the outside edge, leaving the top, narrow brown section open.<br />
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<a href="http://s860.photobucket.com/user/laurenharrison/media/Sept-Dec20132-001_zps51dd7323.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Sept-Dec20132-001_zps51dd7323.jpg" border="0" src="http://i860.photobucket.com/albums/ab169/laurenharrison/Sept-Dec20132-001_zps51dd7323.jpg" /></a><br />
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8. Stuff tail with garbage bags, grocery sacks, news paper, or batting. (I used grocery sacks for mine.)<br />
9. Sew 1 inch elastic in a circle. (Measure your little one's waist, with clothes on, to determine how big your circle needs to be. Make it the same size as their waist, for easy on and off over clothing.)<br />
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<a href="http://s860.photobucket.com/user/laurenharrison/media/Sept-Dec20133-001_zpsdbbfde02.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Sept-Dec20133-001_zpsdbbfde02.jpg" border="0" src="http://i860.photobucket.com/albums/ab169/laurenharrison/Sept-Dec20133-001_zpsdbbfde02.jpg" /></a><br />
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10. Pin the tail to the elastic, and zig-zag stich across the top, closing the top and attaching tail to elastic.<br />
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Let your little fox run wild!<br />
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<a href="http://s860.photobucket.com/user/laurenharrison/media/Sept-Dec2013-001_zps57e480a8.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Sept-Dec2013-001_zps57e480a8.jpg" border="0" src="http://i860.photobucket.com/albums/ab169/laurenharrison/Sept-Dec2013-001_zps57e480a8.jpg" /></a>Rachel Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04978213595014835242noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806354017994794871.post-39650898487254520842013-10-07T11:39:00.000-06:002013-10-07T11:39:58.616-06:00DIY Costume - Flower Fairy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Guys, I'm so excited for this week! All week I'll have easy and fun costume/dress-dress up DIYs for you--just in time to get ready for Halloween! I studied costume design in school (and people always immediately think of Halloween costumes when I tell them that!) so this was super fun for me! </div>
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I am actually making these costumes for my niece Adeline's 3rd birthday coming up in the next few weeks, she loves dress up. A couple of things I'm trying to focus on for these costumes: 1. Easy for kids to get on and off themselves, 2. Use materials that I have readily available, 3. Pretty quick and easy to make. All of the costumes this week are perfect for dress-ups, and you can add a little extra pizazz to use for a perfect Halloween costume.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvyQ7FZ1pyYO4FbaMOQg4Vlf-0UCvjZBWpLAcF76lH5Oxx0cmVcfP21VlpnTtrEiavSo6y4tAT8cXTKftK7AOp9bZYQx679LKWw4obA7TMnmFoaQ1I21QGFj3u862DLwsGtXubRCY2-B0/s1600/pinterestpic-flowerprincess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvyQ7FZ1pyYO4FbaMOQg4Vlf-0UCvjZBWpLAcF76lH5Oxx0cmVcfP21VlpnTtrEiavSo6y4tAT8cXTKftK7AOp9bZYQx679LKWw4obA7TMnmFoaQ1I21QGFj3u862DLwsGtXubRCY2-B0/s640/pinterestpic-flowerprincess.jpg" width="414" /></a></div>
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This costume is a perfect girly-girl dress up outfit but can be made into a killer Halloween costume as well! For Halloween, just add tights/shoes, a dressy shirt and a magic wand! You can also add wings to this costume for the perfect fairy costume. I got the idea for this costume because I have gazillions of fake flowers left over from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fairies-Petal-People-Yourself-Klutz/dp/159174802X" target="_blank">a book I wrote</a> and I wanted to use at least some of them up!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxYKnCGLqb52zebtmgifuxICo1aMnGNT-wXs24Ftwp22X4xH7C3GImFRP82MJYdbUlqDxZNYYFDd3qho4xmMiSy_jTAp_YPT19aSShesEqOr3cx0XwAkfzMWKWJnrJqvaJhyphenhyphenCwPvhJ5Sk/s1600/_DSC4928.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxYKnCGLqb52zebtmgifuxICo1aMnGNT-wXs24Ftwp22X4xH7C3GImFRP82MJYdbUlqDxZNYYFDd3qho4xmMiSy_jTAp_YPT19aSShesEqOr3cx0XwAkfzMWKWJnrJqvaJhyphenhyphenCwPvhJ5Sk/s640/_DSC4928.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Flower Crown How-to</b></div>
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<u>What you'll need:</u></div>
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<ul>
<li>Various fake flowers</li>
<li>A strip of felt (would be best to use green, but grey was all I had!)</li>
<li>Hot glue gun</li>
<li>Scissors</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xw59aeqA9D_34SlFJnOpteRG6Ic8OKhX26qOqfk9VmcmYx7Mi-M_5NJKkeROyMFpx6HwU7wkgy1P9xCwH12OZNjP643SldTWS82ZmrU_dn5gKIuVmrndnVc_AnALtNtZefutGLhKfSk/s1600/4square-flowercrown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xw59aeqA9D_34SlFJnOpteRG6Ic8OKhX26qOqfk9VmcmYx7Mi-M_5NJKkeROyMFpx6HwU7wkgy1P9xCwH12OZNjP643SldTWS82ZmrU_dn5gKIuVmrndnVc_AnALtNtZefutGLhKfSk/s640/4square-flowercrown.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
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<ol>
<li>First, take a measurement of your child's head. Ad's head measurement was 19" and I wanted the final crown to be 18 1/2" around so it wouldn't slip down over her eyes. So I cut a strip of felt 1" wide by 19 1/2" and then overlapped the two ends 1/2 inch. To secure the crown, I sewed the ends together as in the photo above, but you could very well hot glue them down. :)</li>
<li>Prep your flowers buy cutting the long ends off with scissors.</li>
<li>Use hot glue to glue flowers to the felt crown. Some flowers had longer stems that I couldn't cut off so I glued them on their sides (as shown in the photo above) and then covered this up with flowers that could lay flat. Glue flowers around the entire crown.</li>
<li>Check for bare spots and add in smaller flowers or random petals. Voila!</li>
</ol>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL2a9Xt4PdfWeBn_1WHQa5rh0wQxRds5upi1BOW3DeMUhjrV24KFgNoSh5wmFsj5EE5Zb7e30vLRPTIpWN6b8EazarK77enbYkmHAzrSlqOoc42RDRRZIFlSuqddnzcqG7ZSY5V3G96L8/s1600/_DSC4968.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL2a9Xt4PdfWeBn_1WHQa5rh0wQxRds5upi1BOW3DeMUhjrV24KFgNoSh5wmFsj5EE5Zb7e30vLRPTIpWN6b8EazarK77enbYkmHAzrSlqOoc42RDRRZIFlSuqddnzcqG7ZSY5V3G96L8/s640/_DSC4968.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I feel like any little girl would be in heaven with this fun crown, I want to make one for myself!</div>
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<b>Tutu how-to</b></div>
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You use a bunch of tulle for this project. I didn't want to buy anything new, so I used tulle I already had. BUT, it would have been a billion times easier/smarter to use those rolls of tulle you can buy at Hobby Lobby/Michaels. So if you want to make it easier on yourself, use rolls of tulle.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWbxFWTeFpwEWD9Jtm2LfJqIU8M-1qE1yaDsFZxRIp4-a3FPZ9bpxCu_OvacW8uVJl7fVEYvOGPqSo-gJVU8aACIQx41adkxPltEoYRwb08KgLL8dw3qUFFq9CYmknsRETQH1hnn2t-Ok/s1600/_DSC4933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWbxFWTeFpwEWD9Jtm2LfJqIU8M-1qE1yaDsFZxRIp4-a3FPZ9bpxCu_OvacW8uVJl7fVEYvOGPqSo-gJVU8aACIQx41adkxPltEoYRwb08KgLL8dw3qUFFq9CYmknsRETQH1hnn2t-Ok/s640/_DSC4933.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<u>What you'll need:</u><br />
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<ul>
<li>Tulle - regular tulle: about 6 yards (some people use up to 10 yards for giant puffy skirts!), tulle on rolls: 3-4 rolls </li>
<li>Elastic - I used 1", but if you have a choice, I'd recommend 1/2".</li>
<li>Scissors</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgMjlRR01b5SWVn8_g0qgGPVQ4QQxr28Q14QnueQxfmrwWNL64Mf0ICqBLJCmdkAP7RnCpodbXC-XZENB-DPfec5R3RuXKykZ9A8AjD1vNqXosJYYJhvnClE8saEndmJd1eovr3Y4YQe0/s1600/4square-tutu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgMjlRR01b5SWVn8_g0qgGPVQ4QQxr28Q14QnueQxfmrwWNL64Mf0ICqBLJCmdkAP7RnCpodbXC-XZENB-DPfec5R3RuXKykZ9A8AjD1vNqXosJYYJhvnClE8saEndmJd1eovr3Y4YQe0/s640/4square-tutu.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
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<ol>
<li>Measure your child's waist. Ad's measurement was 17 1/2", so I wanted the final elastic waist to be 16 1/2" or 17" to account for the elastic stretch. So I cut my elastic to be 17 1/2" and then overlapped it 1/4" and zig zagged it closed to make a loop.</li>
<li> Cut up your tulle. If you are using tulle fabric like I did, cut it into strips 4-6" wide. Next, decide how long you want your tutu to be and double that measurement. This is how long you'll want your strips to be. For example, I wanted my tutu to be 12" long, so my strips were 4" wide and 24" long. *If you have rolls, you'll just need to cut strips for length. Make it easier by using <a href="http://treasuresfortots.blogspot.com/2009/10/cut-tulle-for-tutu-using-quick-and-easy.html" target="_blank">this tutorial for cutting rolls of tulle</a>.</li>
<li>Fold one strip of tulle in half. Fold the tulle over the elastic and pull the long ends of tulle through the loop as shown in the images above. Pull tight to secure.</li>
<li>Continue step 3 around the elastic band using all of the strips of tulle. Be sure that you aren't stretching out the elastic as you go. I ended up doing two layers of tulle, first pink and then another layer of white tulle. When you're done tying, trim any scraggly ends of tulle and you're done!</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFY1uNtjA0rSPcGqfDQSh91befN83cfzeWQxY5VCldYpH1tG2Gv9NrXM2KnWINkDIyi9iM6XLCmJi0jOdG94EPTel4MACyAi9XviH2-B3XhemsrbcuqqA49FgvOdd_EjghAZYD6pnRjc0/s1600/_DSC5043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFY1uNtjA0rSPcGqfDQSh91befN83cfzeWQxY5VCldYpH1tG2Gv9NrXM2KnWINkDIyi9iM6XLCmJi0jOdG94EPTel4MACyAi9XviH2-B3XhemsrbcuqqA49FgvOdd_EjghAZYD6pnRjc0/s640/_DSC5043.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is an easy project you can finish in about an hour or two and when you're done you have a fun, bouncy, twirly skirt that your little one will love!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkdAuFkP3_h6X3rnaLBPByNZpD8U_Ew0FBx_8s-VY6fHycYx-1lAoayYkY4XIoxGLL5S-CNRMgcVrQcWtViXlAJ8ZFZCd5LWMDZZN6FHMe2rSEOEg-HZRZVLIklChtrwBDpQ0ryWnqOIo/s1600/_DSC5038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkdAuFkP3_h6X3rnaLBPByNZpD8U_Ew0FBx_8s-VY6fHycYx-1lAoayYkY4XIoxGLL5S-CNRMgcVrQcWtViXlAJ8ZFZCd5LWMDZZN6FHMe2rSEOEg-HZRZVLIklChtrwBDpQ0ryWnqOIo/s640/_DSC5038.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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That's our costume for today! Visit back every day this week for more fun dress up and Halloween costume ideas!</div>
<br />Rachel Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04978213595014835242noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806354017994794871.post-22665929688476176452013-10-05T12:40:00.002-06:002013-10-05T12:40:40.925-06:00Quick and Easy Halloween WreathHello my dears! I know I've been terrible at blogging but I have a bunch of fun projects lined up for you guys the next couple of weeks for fall, so forgive me! I've been falling behind with blogging a bit because I got a job! Hurray! It's just a part-time seamstress position but it is perfect for me and I'm so happy. Thanks for all those who gave me job leads and suggestions, it helped a bunch. :)<br />
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Today I have a super simple project--an easy Halloween wreath! I love making wreaths but who has time for all of those intricate things you see on pinterest? Also I'm not too into super cutesy or overly scary Halloween decor, so I think this wreath lands somewhere in the middle. Cute but modern and classy and will look adorable with any type of decor.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRAdzJFdP5kYugGeoawSq3tkZAEgXcI851hVGhKt4bH0aEkad1O9yuTFjwj_5alQqUC6X0I6AD1Sd1CfK0rhRk_7TuZA9IE9JuwCa5K7xynFiInVhi9q-3dq0V8lH520rVLj6tKpyb4A/s1600/pinterest-pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRAdzJFdP5kYugGeoawSq3tkZAEgXcI851hVGhKt4bH0aEkad1O9yuTFjwj_5alQqUC6X0I6AD1Sd1CfK0rhRk_7TuZA9IE9JuwCa5K7xynFiInVhi9q-3dq0V8lH520rVLj6tKpyb4A/s640/pinterest-pic.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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I made this wreath last year and I'm still in love with it. However, since I made it last year I don't have awesome step-by-step photos for you all, but thankfully for us it is super super easy and you don't really need how-to photos. You could make a cute version of this wreath with different colors--orange ribbon or a black, orange, or purple base fabric. Also, this wreath can be used as a base for tons of different Halloween designs: hang a pumpkin cut out in the middle of the wreath, add a little holiday banner or black cat--anything! Have fun with it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6q_VYElBMPjGm23oHjt-O9odGir4zqTluGBZeUBN5mNVuObSNbsZ-MPZ83_rmVjRSZz0duHWKyCMgwTbFt7QdYDSB2aIaSYssIuQjb8NU5gcVVBFo4k48aR4zcTXKB6OLrgyMSjJX0p4/s1600/_DSC4944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6q_VYElBMPjGm23oHjt-O9odGir4zqTluGBZeUBN5mNVuObSNbsZ-MPZ83_rmVjRSZz0duHWKyCMgwTbFt7QdYDSB2aIaSYssIuQjb8NU5gcVVBFo4k48aR4zcTXKB6OLrgyMSjJX0p4/s640/_DSC4944.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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<b>Easy Halloween Wreath</b><br />
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<u>What you'll need:</u><br />
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<ul>
<li>A styrofoam wreath form</li>
<li>A long strip of fabric (I've used white) or thick ribbon</li>
<li>Thin ribbon for wrapping (I've used black)</li>
<li>Ribbon for hanging the wreath (I've used black and rust orange)</li>
<li>Hot glue gun</li>
<li>Scissors</li>
</ul>
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<ol>
<li>Use hot glue to secure the end of your base fabric to the back of the wreath and begin wrapping it until it covers the entire wreath. A couple of things I did: Folded the fabric in half so that there weren't any raw fabric edges showing, wrapped at a strong diagonal so I didn't have to use so much fabric to cover, used hot glue to periodically secure the fabric. When you've covered the whole wreath, glue the other end to the back of the wreath. Don't worry about making this layer look too perfect, you'll hardly see it after you add the other color.</li>
<li>Get out your ribbon for the top layer. Use hot glue to secure the end of the ribbon to the back of the wreath. Wrap the ribbon around the wreath and periodically use dots of hot glue to secure the ribbon on the back of the wreath. When you've covered the whole wreath, hot glue the end of the ribbon to the back of the wreath.</li>
<li>If you'd like, add about a yard of two different ribbons to hang your wreath. Adorable!</li>
</ol>
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Okay and this next bit totally isn't a how-to project because, um, just find sticks and spray paint them black... but I just wanted to put forth this idea for lazy decorators like me. I love how creepy this vase of sticks ended up looking and it took like 10 minutes to make. Love easy projects with a big payoff!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUZNPg0Hhj0X9L27qvJeRDuty72oxCk6rHMvDzcCbOgQXdjYoD280D-ES6zl1utHwmALUfLluMyx4z3w-aBCV-D5Qg69T_PNXqln2uPq_SZBs0u6_CzlGK7qCyxiZr08Mgbf_TMJyr0js/s1600/_DSC4937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUZNPg0Hhj0X9L27qvJeRDuty72oxCk6rHMvDzcCbOgQXdjYoD280D-ES6zl1utHwmALUfLluMyx4z3w-aBCV-D5Qg69T_PNXqln2uPq_SZBs0u6_CzlGK7qCyxiZr08Mgbf_TMJyr0js/s640/_DSC4937.jpg" width="434" /></a></div>
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So easy! Just make sure to let the sticks dry out before you paint them. This is my table centerpiece right now along with some cute mini pumpkins I bought from the grocery store. Hurray for easy decorations!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87OsvYmEgPTLFAjrksx2hSQBbteShJwpGYiy8N0hcg4P8VsVVRfr8FX_rLmyq6afvmWDf40HSWIULjyQfxQEMDZzRuqJfRENEujJctW25CdqnButQnPYudpn2zw8v5dP-KW8eKVNW8PM/s1600/_DSC4938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87OsvYmEgPTLFAjrksx2hSQBbteShJwpGYiy8N0hcg4P8VsVVRfr8FX_rLmyq6afvmWDf40HSWIULjyQfxQEMDZzRuqJfRENEujJctW25CdqnButQnPYudpn2zw8v5dP-KW8eKVNW8PM/s640/_DSC4938.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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And announcement: To keep the holiday spirit going, I have a mini series coming up next week of <b>DIY Halloween costumes</b> (or dress ups) for kiddos! I'm excited to show you all so come visit next week to get inspired!</div>
<br />Rachel Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04978213595014835242noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806354017994794871.post-47373589060557513662013-09-24T15:44:00.001-06:002013-09-24T15:44:43.192-06:00Simple Fabric Button Earrings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Confession: I am a fabric hoarder. I love sewing and when I see fabric I like, I have to have it. I've gotten a lot better (especially since I'm running out of space in my sewing room, yikes!) but I have so many scraps of cute fabric that I swear I'm going to do something with and I never do. This project is the one of the BEST fabric stash busters, because you hardly need any fabric at all (great to use up the tiny, bitsy scraps that I have no business keeping but can't bear to throw out) and you get to showcase your cute fabric finds on your ears while you're out and about. ;)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Qhk_3uCiNgaZ0kPp0UfROvig5-m4xCjfOLv446BT_Sl0TL_H_-OK5ko6nmqpE7VrisFxVhkTWmK2Q77JMYu94az2RMuzCWxn1Xuxg3YYCISoj9JKADJhbcxVIHwf5GIl20jpADHZeSk/s1600/pinterest-pic-button-earrings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Qhk_3uCiNgaZ0kPp0UfROvig5-m4xCjfOLv446BT_Sl0TL_H_-OK5ko6nmqpE7VrisFxVhkTWmK2Q77JMYu94az2RMuzCWxn1Xuxg3YYCISoj9JKADJhbcxVIHwf5GIl20jpADHZeSk/s640/pinterest-pic-button-earrings.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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These are the most fun, easy, quick little earrings that you can possibly make! They are made just using cover buttons and your fabric scraps, and honestly take only 5 minutes. These would make perfect little birthday gifts for friends, and how fun would it be to make these in matching fabrics for every outfit!? Cover buttons come in lots of different sizes, so make sure to pick ones that would be good for earrings.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7BkQB2UGZWVVBkrRswZcdAPbgrtrR1Mjfp2y-DY9SsBr33DO_HzUKfXUaPs7YkhZwycE_JJ3bdSnqzdl_6yOmBLrn7Z9L8cbWR3Kuxa8Ye-q3Z_wE9UUJ_OCAgBJBMtvNbrIKpUg_Km4/s1600/button-earrings-supplies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7BkQB2UGZWVVBkrRswZcdAPbgrtrR1Mjfp2y-DY9SsBr33DO_HzUKfXUaPs7YkhZwycE_JJ3bdSnqzdl_6yOmBLrn7Z9L8cbWR3Kuxa8Ye-q3Z_wE9UUJ_OCAgBJBMtvNbrIKpUg_Km4/s640/button-earrings-supplies.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Fabric Button Earrings How-to</b></div>
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<u>Supplies</u></div>
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<ul>
<li>Fabric scraps</li>
<li>Cover buttons</li>
<li>Earring backs</li>
<li>Super glue (I used E6000)</li>
<li>Pliers</li>
<li>Scissors</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7bDpW8q-igFziZrmSEiSMJxdOkSxVPWjAXcQ-DCYRHTqBy742AJmkiVlwhdDgNqXX-Z3FODpazWBlq38S2GbRJSvsdb7N19qnI8N4cmoFP28CnzRHvg_pCOHh51BqNT5gD-SHyMgvADw/s1600/6-up-button-earrings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7bDpW8q-igFziZrmSEiSMJxdOkSxVPWjAXcQ-DCYRHTqBy742AJmkiVlwhdDgNqXX-Z3FODpazWBlq38S2GbRJSvsdb7N19qnI8N4cmoFP28CnzRHvg_pCOHh51BqNT5gD-SHyMgvADw/s640/6-up-button-earrings.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<ol>
<li>Use the pattern on the box of buttons to cut out two circles of your fabric.</li>
<li>Using pliers, pull out the button shank and discard it. (The shank is the squiggly piece of wire you can see in the second photo above)</li>
<li>Place the circle of fabric on the front of the button, and begin gathering it in toward the center of the button back--catching it on the teeth-like hooks around the edge.</li>
<li>Continue gathering until all edges of the fabric are caught on the hooks. Double check the front side of the button to make sure there aren't any folds or puckers as you go.</li>
<li>Snap the back of the button on, which will secure the fabric in place.</li>
<li>Use super glue to attach an earring back to the middle back of the button. Let dry.</li>
</ol>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic3BBE6awHA-4_1kJfsAKsRWITXYLZpGnaL1EPYIpkFOb22sIKT4ZqIsxMpYCEDAP7-u9vD967HlZAvifyCAO6_bYDsJJNNTR4qKoY6N8SK2-nDKUgRaKE1d3XZWfg-lBOl3x9Wkv5BDM/s1600/finalearrings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic3BBE6awHA-4_1kJfsAKsRWITXYLZpGnaL1EPYIpkFOb22sIKT4ZqIsxMpYCEDAP7-u9vD967HlZAvifyCAO6_bYDsJJNNTR4qKoY6N8SK2-nDKUgRaKE1d3XZWfg-lBOl3x9Wkv5BDM/s640/finalearrings.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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These earrings are so fun and so quick, I want to make them to match every outfit!</div>
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Happy Tuesday everyone!</div>
<br />Rachel Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04978213595014835242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806354017994794871.post-25557731155193509032013-09-16T15:37:00.000-06:002013-09-16T15:37:37.836-06:00Fall Activities<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Okay it's been raining all weekend and I can totally feel it in the air: Fall is coming! Fall is definitely my favorite season. I love the crisp air, vibrant colors, cozy afternoons, and the smell of spices in the air. Luke and I started a little tradition where at the beginning of a season we make a few "goals" or activities that we want to do in the coming months.</div>
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For summer, it was:</div>
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<ol>
<li>Go camping 2 times - Overachievers, we went 3 times! Twice in the Uintas, once with our friends in Logan Canyon.</li>
<li>Go swimming a lot! - Done and done! My mom's neighborhood has a community pool overlooking the lake. LOVE.</li>
<li>Take a mini vacation - We went to Moab with Luke's family in the May, so that counts! Also, camping vacations.</li>
<li>Go fishing and catch something - Luke caught a fish at Butterfly Lake in the Uintas!</li>
<li>Go on a few hikes - Kind of. We did some hiking in Moab and a fun hike with Camille and DJ in Logan Canyon, but we might try to get a few more hikes in before it snows.</li>
<li>Finish getting our yard ready for planting next year. - Uhhh, not so much. We decided to take a little break from shelling out $$$ on this yard. At least this year we got sprinklers and grass, the rest will have to wait until Spring.</li>
</ol>
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Here are my Fall "Goals":</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR_9_Q9meCOhY2JH6fzIcHMTQQ2enmdHINUMrkBE1yuCGVEdw6qiKJZv5q_lK1N8f1YfbRzGLgwzU5426qGtA22TDzKBfnzVzOYJwcBwnU5LGY1f1oyx3XpiN1PgwgD_XfDtSs2qrbcjs/s1600/fallgoals-600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR_9_Q9meCOhY2JH6fzIcHMTQQ2enmdHINUMrkBE1yuCGVEdw6qiKJZv5q_lK1N8f1YfbRzGLgwzU5426qGtA22TDzKBfnzVzOYJwcBwnU5LGY1f1oyx3XpiN1PgwgD_XfDtSs2qrbcjs/s1600/fallgoals-600.jpg" /></a></div>
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I'm especially excited for the moonlight ski lift ride at Sundance and Oktoberfest. I've never been to Oktoberfest before, have you guys? It seems so fun and I'm obsessed with German food so I'm sure it'll be a blast.</div>
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<a href="http://asubtlerevelry.com/fun-goals-for-fall" target="_blank">Here are more fun fall goals from A Subtle Revelry</a>.</div>
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What do you want to accomplish or do for fun this Fall?Rachel Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04978213595014835242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806354017994794871.post-1407135861820120902013-09-12T17:13:00.003-06:002013-09-12T17:20:11.225-06:00End of Summer Yogurt Pops<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Okay I'm a sorry excuse for a blogger, I'm sorry I've been MIA forever! I had the craziest craziest week last week so I've just been playing catch-up for the last few days. I had lots of fun stuff going on though, making a pattern and consequently a gown for the lovely lady in the pic below (Beccy and her husband are making a documentary about living on Bitcoin, check it out here: <a href="http://lifeonbitcoin.com/" target="_blank">http://lifeonbitcoin.com/</a> and yes, she did pay me in Bitcoin!) Also my sister-in-law, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/PitterPatterShop" target="_blank">Lauren</a>, gave me a bunch of peaches and OH MY GOSH, I have never liked peaches in my life until now. I think I ate 5 in one day, oops! My husband and I put in some pavers in our yard on Labor day, I made some <a href="http://www.cupcakeproject.com/2011/03/homemade-ritz-crackers-recipe.html" target="_blank">yummy homemade Ritz Crackers</a>, and we went to see Blue Jasmine (lovely!) and took a crappy phone pic in the theater. A successful week!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjui6z1zR1b3yJcmUumBy_p9PyOkHqipR8Udaxdy23XeG3lMM4yvo0j9T_TUsayV0aqrEKetntGrhyphenhyphenSEj97S92wJLPjITcA0VbMzQjtyLP6TIj6sFr6hGycRqFsvu-kijqiqCRjGce87hM/s1600/6-square-set-up-whativebeenupto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjui6z1zR1b3yJcmUumBy_p9PyOkHqipR8Udaxdy23XeG3lMM4yvo0j9T_TUsayV0aqrEKetntGrhyphenhyphenSEj97S92wJLPjITcA0VbMzQjtyLP6TIj6sFr6hGycRqFsvu-kijqiqCRjGce87hM/s640/6-square-set-up-whativebeenupto.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Something else I did in the lifetime I was away from the blog was make these yummy raspberry yogurt pops! I am not ready to let summer go yet--even though it's raining in Utah, I'm eating popsicles. These are the easiest popsicles, just yogurt and fruit, so use what's ripe right now, or get a cheap bag of frozen raspberries at Trader Joes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLmh3dyt4fc0UqRHJuUwV2GCKJJL-Qr41pZ88Kb-r9j-yUT3OSMVW_I9DM_s3uw9YsukqEtzZU3cBQy6FhcVKNhk8U9_tzLHubnmKmeohNzoNYWTbos4NdniXxV97k_yLHT69VOOe57vc/s1600/_DSC4708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLmh3dyt4fc0UqRHJuUwV2GCKJJL-Qr41pZ88Kb-r9j-yUT3OSMVW_I9DM_s3uw9YsukqEtzZU3cBQy6FhcVKNhk8U9_tzLHubnmKmeohNzoNYWTbos4NdniXxV97k_yLHT69VOOe57vc/s640/_DSC4708.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I would feel ridiculous writing out a full recipe for these babies, because they are way too simple. Just mix some fruit with yogurt (or buy fruit yogurt) and layer plain yogurt, fruit chunks, and the fruit/yogurt mixture in popsicle molds and freeze. Easy easy! <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/338923/raspberry-yogurt-ice-pops" target="_blank">Martha Stewart adds sugar to hers</a>--mine were a little more tart but I didn't want to add anything. If you want creamier popsicles, use full fat or greek yogurt.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxtMgz2tGwdv5i6JU_IFFeWASP4jfIZ6q1Lgjou_BUUzwbQKbE2UvT3TUj_JIfzXIVFO-oLJJem_0uh2OCoJBOnCV1qipU1pr-aH8dui222z7mdf7_m7KkQuGZfeJY4rS8-ZaLyjisbpc/s1600/_DSC4702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxtMgz2tGwdv5i6JU_IFFeWASP4jfIZ6q1Lgjou_BUUzwbQKbE2UvT3TUj_JIfzXIVFO-oLJJem_0uh2OCoJBOnCV1qipU1pr-aH8dui222z7mdf7_m7KkQuGZfeJY4rS8-ZaLyjisbpc/s640/_DSC4702.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Make your own popsicles before it gets too cold outside. There are zillions of popsicle recipes online to choose from. Here are a couple that caught my eye:</div>
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<li><a href="http://fooddoodles.com/2012/07/30/mango-lassi-popsicles/" target="_blank">Mango Lassi Popsicles from Food Doodles</a> - Umm deliciousness! </li>
<li><a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2013/07/banana-nutella-and-salted-pistachio-popsicles/" target="_blank">Banana, Nutella, and Pistachio Pops from Smitten Kitchen</a> - Oh my gosh yum!</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ovenloveblog.com/orange-creamsicles/" target="_blank">Orange Creamsicles from Oven Love</a> - Creamsicles are my fave!</li>
<li><a href="http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/07/frozen-mango-kiwi-raspberry-pops.html" target="_blank">Mango Kiwi Raspberry Pops from Skinnytaste</a> - A yummy healthy layered pop.</li>
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Has anybody else made popsicles this summer?</div>
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Rachel Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04978213595014835242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806354017994794871.post-72445592917028915972013-08-28T12:52:00.000-06:002013-08-28T12:52:16.051-06:00Homemade Jewelry Cleaner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Hi there friends! Is everyone having a good Wednesday? All of my American friends out there are halfway through the week to a 3 day weekend with Labor Day coming up. I'm so excited! I feel like I need to plan a party or something to celebrate the last days of summer--I can't believe it's already almost fall!</div>
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I wanted to let everyone know that if you've been wanting a polka dot printed pillow, now's the time to get them while they are <a href="http://apaintednest.com/deals/polka-dot-pillow-cover/" target="_blank">only $18.99 on A Painted Nest</a> deal site!</div>
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And in other awesome news, Fifth and Mae US state necklaces are <a href="http://brickyardbuffalo.com/state-necklace.html" target="_blank">only $9.99 on Brickyard Buffalo</a> for the next couple of days! I am obsessed with mine.</div>
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I've got something a little different for you guys today: Easy Homemade Jewelry Cleaner! I love love love this stuff because it's super cheap, uses ingredients that everyone already has, takes only 10 minutes, and it works wonders! Just check out how sparkly some of my jewelry came out below! (Don't judge me on how nasty the before photo is. ;))</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO6tm5VJv-Lqs4SgcHtNEToy4iaX4gAm5pAxbvaDtXAWcq4rVZXrb4zgxub46DjqD3aV3AgUfnGkT_lCaQyo5tkJQSjmdOXTAR4nHIK23e3QxRTo6z-wG6a67IkJi4NDKy1yeLYAD__JA/s1600/pinterestpic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO6tm5VJv-Lqs4SgcHtNEToy4iaX4gAm5pAxbvaDtXAWcq4rVZXrb4zgxub46DjqD3aV3AgUfnGkT_lCaQyo5tkJQSjmdOXTAR4nHIK23e3QxRTo6z-wG6a67IkJi4NDKy1yeLYAD__JA/s1600/pinterestpic.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is an iphone photo I took when I used the solution a couple of months back. Look how sparkly the diamond was after I used the cleaner! You'll be so surprised at how dirty your jewelry was and you didn't even realize it! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLI-Er0vIWG-Lb01BZECGZyCmoumR1MWpuLPpxbgZUw4d5GTWnjdMVb03ccfm4UzFIiW27LVWjpPWf77Uv80nqmyzTKG7jxr4BQa4KIWDBYpudPI2HS9F9E3QlIFQctFeS-qOtybXXKNY/s1600/photo-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLI-Er0vIWG-Lb01BZECGZyCmoumR1MWpuLPpxbgZUw4d5GTWnjdMVb03ccfm4UzFIiW27LVWjpPWf77Uv80nqmyzTKG7jxr4BQa4KIWDBYpudPI2HS9F9E3QlIFQctFeS-qOtybXXKNY/s1600/photo-10.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Homemade Jewelry Cleaner</b></div>
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Recipe originally from <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/jewelry-cleaner-180133" target="_blank">Food.com</a></div>
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<b>Important Note</b>: The source says this solution is good for "gold-filled, brass, german (nickel) silver, and sterling silver". Please check out the <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/jewelry-cleaner-180133/review" target="_blank">reviews here</a> to read about how it worked for different materials. Be aware that it will remove any patina (blackened areas) on a piece--only use this for jewelry you want to be super shiny!</div>
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<u>Ingredients</u></div>
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<ul>
<li>1 piece aluminum foil</li>
<li>1 tablespoon salt</li>
<li>1 tablespoon baking soda</li>
<li>1 tablespoon dish soap or dish detergent</li>
<li>1 cup hot water</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbS5JYVfmjALQ9ckFCMavB_Y3jIBw69A4XIciMyVhOeBfmsHN6VF7VLf04MkSBXBownX_3RpFtzeiAfdxXGfmdgPiAdkCC_PbGCmPNbkKAmEglX0N3SlcS4W_ed4Q4JAzECHbaJXU4Jqs/s1600/6-square-set-up-jewelry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbS5JYVfmjALQ9ckFCMavB_Y3jIBw69A4XIciMyVhOeBfmsHN6VF7VLf04MkSBXBownX_3RpFtzeiAfdxXGfmdgPiAdkCC_PbGCmPNbkKAmEglX0N3SlcS4W_ed4Q4JAzECHbaJXU4Jqs/s1600/6-square-set-up-jewelry.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a> </div>
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<li>Cover the bottom of a small bowl with the aluminum foil.</li>
<li>Put the salt, baking soda, and dish soap/detergent into the bowl.</li>
<li>Add hot water (I just use the hottest water that comes out of my tap). Mix with a fork so that everything is incorporated. You will probably still have grains of salt at the bottom, this is fine.</li>
<li>Add your piece of jewelry. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes in the solution.</li>
<li>Pull out your piece of jewelry and rinse in clean water. At this point, I also use an old toothbrush to clean out any crevices on my piece. </li>
<li>Dry off and polish your jewelry with a soft cloth. So clean and sparkly!</li>
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So I didn't get the best photos of my ring before/after, but hopefully you can see a bit of a difference. When you do your own jewelry in person, you'll be amazed!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJ5py_DEOrrCWgWnv2K0kDPDO3DGhsfphoNhGaQIZJut6BlTfe2Z0u6Ug0AgGqXNlfTIzhqQGkuL3GKx_vywEaYP1CVE-0x87JnNigT8C4KCiv8JBhBHcr21ILy-O2_d9IHOsFQkJmOI/s1600/beforeafter2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJ5py_DEOrrCWgWnv2K0kDPDO3DGhsfphoNhGaQIZJut6BlTfe2Z0u6Ug0AgGqXNlfTIzhqQGkuL3GKx_vywEaYP1CVE-0x87JnNigT8C4KCiv8JBhBHcr21ILy-O2_d9IHOsFQkJmOI/s1600/beforeafter2.jpg" height="510" width="640" /></a></div>
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My other jewelry had an amazing transformation! It was all tarnished and dirty since I haven't worn most of it in a while. Look how incredible:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDqIS3luRxPmGbgZpwabCzB-GY4fJCNVpLt7wINzpVUNSawksinioxO0UXVbGaowfe1Gyc9U4erB6gUH6SjChuwFPzmX182ZKv5BZDtqM1p-09k2U88wFktptr2yGo7ru_4pTxI6UaT0/s1600/beforeafter1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDqIS3luRxPmGbgZpwabCzB-GY4fJCNVpLt7wINzpVUNSawksinioxO0UXVbGaowfe1Gyc9U4erB6gUH6SjChuwFPzmX182ZKv5BZDtqM1p-09k2U88wFktptr2yGo7ru_4pTxI6UaT0/s1600/beforeafter1.jpg" height="640" width="606" /></a></div>
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And that's that! The solution is not reusable, so make a new batch each time you want to use it. <br />
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Happy cleaning!Rachel Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04978213595014835242noreply@blogger.com59tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806354017994794871.post-77288565945189583602013-08-26T15:31:00.001-06:002013-08-26T15:37:09.948-06:00Guacamole and Giveaway Winner!It's Monday and that means today we have a winner to the 100 Followers Giveaway!<br />
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<b>Tina Dykstra</b>, you are the winner! I'll be emailing you with details on how to claim your prizes!</div>
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Thanks everyone for entering! If you didn't win, don't be sad--follow me on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/NonpareilHome" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://instagram.com/nonpareilhome" target="_blank">Instagram</a> for more giveaways in the future.</div>
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Today I have a delish snack recipe for you guys. I made some Guacamole yesterday for me and my husband to have a treat while we watched Breaking Bad (ahhhh! anybody see last night's episode!?) and I am gonna brag and say this recipe is the best Guac I've ever had. Plus it is super super easy--chop up a bunch of veggies and mash them together... done! This would make a great dip for a Labor Day party this weekend!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy3OvEG1n8tu1058xoL3R49aZ1NrnZL0k7KPcOUpVxMJ1DXwQD67rqw86JAzaiYG4GCHQDjZXK8uhZFV6tw6M-VBEkIwA90KNMbInfcEa7fzTmkdtKkuDtQwd7Mhbi3bRFzludouYfYOo/s1600/_DSC4458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy3OvEG1n8tu1058xoL3R49aZ1NrnZL0k7KPcOUpVxMJ1DXwQD67rqw86JAzaiYG4GCHQDjZXK8uhZFV6tw6M-VBEkIwA90KNMbInfcEa7fzTmkdtKkuDtQwd7Mhbi3bRFzludouYfYOo/s640/_DSC4458.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Guacamole is more of an art than an exact science, but this is a great base recipe. Feel free to add your favorite ingredients to taste--jalapeños, tomatoes, hot sauce, anything!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZXjZt9P7R9yEIXi_BKu8Q9G4UbgvZVMMyH0l7XAGtu5Clo0mnSct6ZgrhcZy-n_yJfzOpjuvSIFalQ9Q41YvWxaldDCwgVs7w5O9LIKHfrvKXwApCY4W2TA0HcNTYYMIU1eWPog455Ss/s1600/_DSC4415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZXjZt9P7R9yEIXi_BKu8Q9G4UbgvZVMMyH0l7XAGtu5Clo0mnSct6ZgrhcZy-n_yJfzOpjuvSIFalQ9Q41YvWxaldDCwgVs7w5O9LIKHfrvKXwApCY4W2TA0HcNTYYMIU1eWPog455Ss/s640/_DSC4415.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Guacamole</b></div>
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<u>Ingredients</u></div>
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<li style="text-align: left;">2 large avocados (they should be ripe and give when you press on the skin)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Juice from 1 lime</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">1/4 cup green onions chopped (about 2 green onions)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">1 garlic clove, minced</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">1/2 teaspoon salt</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Dash of pepper</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Optional: a few dashes of hot sauce</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMnxKiKTGX39m7s42rJ7F7LkjG4jrEin72MFlIujlBuAk0pdpUuMcdrRrwJRuvXIFQowYDUKGx4Gw5rOAh2vwr_AB7sq2X2cnOdSvOabtFsNwNWW7IIb5TH57e3qXvGTsy2cXkq95c0c/s1600/guac9square.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMnxKiKTGX39m7s42rJ7F7LkjG4jrEin72MFlIujlBuAk0pdpUuMcdrRrwJRuvXIFQowYDUKGx4Gw5rOAh2vwr_AB7sq2X2cnOdSvOabtFsNwNWW7IIb5TH57e3qXvGTsy2cXkq95c0c/s640/guac9square.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<li>Chop up your cilantro and green onions. Pit and peel your avocado and put in a bowl. Use a fork or potato masher to mash up the avocado.</li>
<li>Add lime juice and mix.</li>
<li>Add the cilantro, green onions, garlic, salt, and a dash of black pepper. Also at this point, add any extra ingredients or hot sauce. Mix to incorporate.</li>
<li>Taste to check for seasonings--add more salt or lime juice if needed. </li>
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To store: I've read that you could add an avocado pit to the guacamole when storing to prevent it from turning brown--I tried it this time, and it totally works! Store the guac in a bowl with an avocado pit in the middle (optional) and cover it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikNIaS4kMnIPI_Y-XjnG8cA7_N4fdVUbxxG4r0g_7N-mTnGuq9-44D-cygKuVaD6l-nPjbd6QNyGWyL3jlrupJ-6EyLbhSPczHWG_tHPB8Kyaq8wOkCawWr02KSHCFrrjRM1s7bvUgLcQ/s1600/_DSC4459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikNIaS4kMnIPI_Y-XjnG8cA7_N4fdVUbxxG4r0g_7N-mTnGuq9-44D-cygKuVaD6l-nPjbd6QNyGWyL3jlrupJ-6EyLbhSPczHWG_tHPB8Kyaq8wOkCawWr02KSHCFrrjRM1s7bvUgLcQ/s640/_DSC4459.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Rachel Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04978213595014835242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806354017994794871.post-6474703878824996972013-08-23T11:54:00.000-06:002013-08-23T11:54:28.108-06:00If you want something you've never had...Hi Friends! Sorry I have been sort of MIA for a couple of days... I've just had a bunch going on and I feel like I'm having some sort of crazy quarter-life crisis. I am working on getting a new part time job and changing a few things in my life and I just feel so overwhelmed and doomsday for some reason. I think it is just because things always turn out differently than you imagine when you're planning out your life--I thought I'd have more of a secure career and have everything figured out by now but that is definitely not the case. But I'm sure I can figure all of this out, I'm a smart, independent adult, right?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCNsJEul_yRlFsc2kvNsCUOVZhpMlc0Z9DTOFQ6QGLB1xJjYjtq-OkQwNj2Grs9ytM4fRlFUWfxCEKPaHvLV8eQ86azR7YNpGiscGNsMWoVP5NpucZ-otSVsotKEmsjHTOIhAEjf-hwCU/s1600/Liz-Lemon-Tricks.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCNsJEul_yRlFsc2kvNsCUOVZhpMlc0Z9DTOFQ6QGLB1xJjYjtq-OkQwNj2Grs9ytM4fRlFUWfxCEKPaHvLV8eQ86azR7YNpGiscGNsMWoVP5NpucZ-otSVsotKEmsjHTOIhAEjf-hwCU/s1600/Liz-Lemon-Tricks.gif" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCX22NPvjm_GiZkljN6SnU59LkzDv23EXJf0zYwGm09ks2mzYdHnnWqi5Ai0gzdlPcsKhCFF4cThafD__qluwi7tuh5CYdtos_caUW9n2uSTH7g_LvcQ86RVOzY4OchXPrIFHCBgCVkGI/s1600/Liz-Lemon-Trix.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCX22NPvjm_GiZkljN6SnU59LkzDv23EXJf0zYwGm09ks2mzYdHnnWqi5Ai0gzdlPcsKhCFF4cThafD__qluwi7tuh5CYdtos_caUW9n2uSTH7g_LvcQ86RVOzY4OchXPrIFHCBgCVkGI/s1600/Liz-Lemon-Trix.gif" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(<a href="http://thefw.com/gifs-of-the-week-liz-lemon-edition/" target="_blank">Source</a>)</span></div>
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Oh I'm such a mess. Does anyone ever feel like this or am I crazy? <br />
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Anyway, I don't want this post to be all doom and gloom, I really am fine I've just been a little down. I want to look at everything a bit more positively, so this is one of my favorite quotes and I'm trying to make it my mantra right now. I made some printable versions for you guys if you like it too:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOzXrwhZTTC9QJo1OsKmmUuHW9Ci2tSE385HweBdrJTfes4mfwJ3ZQ7HHHUkvFZYMqcW4ZOhA5qM1GtWFp8d0nvpf2PvKe4DP-AqvRZ6M5Kq6Z-9lIZvG6a4oXf0dg5KhsChSG6sOq9Ok/s1600/ifyouwantsomething4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOzXrwhZTTC9QJo1OsKmmUuHW9Ci2tSE385HweBdrJTfes4mfwJ3ZQ7HHHUkvFZYMqcW4ZOhA5qM1GtWFp8d0nvpf2PvKe4DP-AqvRZ6M5Kq6Z-9lIZvG6a4oXf0dg5KhsChSG6sOq9Ok/s640/ifyouwantsomething4.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://s1286.photobucket.com/user/nonpareilhome/media/Freebies/ifyouwantsomething-hq_zps127a3082.jpg.html" target="_blank">HQ Printable Version</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjde9EwuCP6YoDTfAo6hQMDdjHE2lfNAejzeFBcUesz1gRicceojJvXk8cDhKQmgOvUaUZ2P-yhY_O9SDrMjRRphPNfPwqwkB6E5PHou1Mh5PJqdeuLrMOsZeD4iDyZNFP9L9aslG5lX7c/s1600/ifyouwantsomething1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjde9EwuCP6YoDTfAo6hQMDdjHE2lfNAejzeFBcUesz1gRicceojJvXk8cDhKQmgOvUaUZ2P-yhY_O9SDrMjRRphPNfPwqwkB6E5PHou1Mh5PJqdeuLrMOsZeD4iDyZNFP9L9aslG5lX7c/s640/ifyouwantsomething1.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a609/nonpareilhome/Freebies/ifyouwantsomething2-hq_zpsff793f9c.jpg" target="_blank">HQ Printable Version</a></div>
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Here's to a great stress-free weekend for everyone! Make sure you enter the <a href="http://nonpareilhome.blogspot.com/2013/08/100-followers-giveaway.html" target="_blank">giveaway</a> today if you haven't already--it ends TONIGHT and a winner will be announced on Monday!Rachel Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04978213595014835242noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806354017994794871.post-17053318874825759872013-08-20T16:43:00.000-06:002013-08-20T16:43:00.988-06:00Blueberry Scones<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Hello to my new followers and thanks everyone for entering the giveaway! There is still time, so if you haven't, make sure to enter here: <a href="http://nonpareilhome.blogspot.com/2013/08/100-followers-giveaway.html" target="_blank">100 Followers Giveaway!</a></div>
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I have something so yummy and awesome for you guys today, it is making me hungry just posting about it. Homemade Blueberry Scones! So where I'm from in Utah, a "scone" is usually fried dough with honey butter on it (<a href="http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=utah%20scone&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=V-gTUv-uFemIyAHV04HoCA&biw=1221&bih=809&sei=WegTUu3KLe-CyAHv2oDQCA" target="_blank">so delicious</a>) but these are true English scones and they are an awesomely flaky, buttery, soft pastry.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl68YtF7cXEcG85qvIDWwcp2we9SOiwZxr9RvWndX_nyTsxRWLnyypfAHXXQegWS_o1qJqGTWEx2UsHwiR56EpzzG4xLQGvnocjlKDJaopiX5m08legqWX6TaSYiGeZ4W4sbuaL9wPQVs/s1600/pinterest-pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl68YtF7cXEcG85qvIDWwcp2we9SOiwZxr9RvWndX_nyTsxRWLnyypfAHXXQegWS_o1qJqGTWEx2UsHwiR56EpzzG4xLQGvnocjlKDJaopiX5m08legqWX6TaSYiGeZ4W4sbuaL9wPQVs/s640/pinterest-pic.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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In this recipe I will teach you the secret of getting really flaky delicious dough. A lot of the time homemade pie crust or homemade biscuits are dense and flat, not like the bakery at all. After following these instructions your dough will be better than the bakery and you'll be a pro!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgDReig2vNe7wncE0ZM1WLG6ke_-1Jt4Dps_MD6XegIbY_KcewPSmnMHUrcn4AZ63CxE5YEH8m_IlXTFHmvpuuGpDttuArSQxo2uea8O-fXD_wz9YAYc1R2ldKgohR1zaKb4nPoVhg7k/s1600/_SAM0864.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgDReig2vNe7wncE0ZM1WLG6ke_-1Jt4Dps_MD6XegIbY_KcewPSmnMHUrcn4AZ63CxE5YEH8m_IlXTFHmvpuuGpDttuArSQxo2uea8O-fXD_wz9YAYc1R2ldKgohR1zaKb4nPoVhg7k/s640/_SAM0864.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This recipe is adapted from the best pastry cookbook ever, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tartine-Elisabeth-M-Prueitt/dp/0811851508" target="_blank">Tartine</a>. Tartine is a bakery in San Francisco and oh my gosh it's amazing. I love this book--it's got gorgeous photos and the recipes are out of this world. If you are serious about baking at all run to Amazon to get your copy right now!</div>
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<b>Blueberry Scones</b></div>
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Adapted from the wonderful <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tartine-Elisabeth-M-Prueitt/dp/0811851508" target="_blank">Tartine cookbook</a></div>
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<u>Ingredients:</u></div>
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<ul>
<li>3/4 cup dried blueberries (or other berry, fresh or dried)</li>
<li>4 3/4 cups flour</li>
<li>1 tablespoon baking powder</li>
<li>3/4 teaspoon baking soda</li>
<li>1/2 cup sugar</li>
<li>1 teaspoon salt</li>
<li>1 cup butter, very cold</li>
<li>1 1/2 cups buttermilk</li>
<li>1 tsp lemon zest grated (about 1 lemon's worth)</li>
<li>Melted butter (about 3 tablespoons)</li>
<li>Course sugar (I used Turbinado sugar)</li>
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1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. If you are using dried berries, put them in a cup of warm water and set them aside to plump up while you make the dough.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66xgDrE1DrvLYJZ5aF-MAYMzeoBH1oHVYhYNgOrGaKlDYGuQo_Vq0D-MaEASfsKjkZ3N4q5OgSqeNQ2gZcOhfrErFDOjPiu20JOrbYr76CoGpwcI61NlOzU4yhawVA5CihtZrj8SjyUo/s1600/scones1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66xgDrE1DrvLYJZ5aF-MAYMzeoBH1oHVYhYNgOrGaKlDYGuQo_Vq0D-MaEASfsKjkZ3N4q5OgSqeNQ2gZcOhfrErFDOjPiu20JOrbYr76CoGpwcI61NlOzU4yhawVA5CihtZrj8SjyUo/s640/scones1.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
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2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZBxBBkBAxYg1wQ2mAFVpKSvDOwpqaWF020AwvCe36M6Y8Qwb1ccqRLd-xHoPJSjGD2S3zY_eTPn7o5_4eMHugUy2zku8a7KNeXyhhiAoygzEQMjBP0g6wGc42mbxOavcdOYLBJb3kLI/s1600/_SAM0790.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZBxBBkBAxYg1wQ2mAFVpKSvDOwpqaWF020AwvCe36M6Y8Qwb1ccqRLd-xHoPJSjGD2S3zY_eTPn7o5_4eMHugUy2zku8a7KNeXyhhiAoygzEQMjBP0g6wGc42mbxOavcdOYLBJb3kLI/s640/_SAM0790.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="640" /></a></div>
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3. Time for the special flaky dough secret! It has two parts: cold, cold butter straight from the fridge (like don't even get it out of the fridge till you get to this step kind of cold) and this little contraption (pictured above), called a pastry cutter. First, cut your butter into cubes (1/2"ish--no need to be precise) with a sharp knife and throw them into the flour mixture. Now you'll start what is known as "cutting in" the butter. Grasp your pastry cutter and push down through the butter into the flour mixture. In doing this, you'll be cutting the butter into even smaller pieces and mixing it with the flour. Keep doing it until you have a course mixture of flour and butter, with the biggest pieces of butter being about the size of peas.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyQcZzKMqhqM9DRJkKCm88QVzfmITRvNtofSeAXg0JDWACQ_EN6xqtum5vIVrh5uwVbgjYPI0GbWJfWxGHsq72TvROCouEpI6y6AgM8qIk7rya1ZqjM1Xz9me11C_sXR3xPbfCUveZhwo/s1600/_SAM0807.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyQcZzKMqhqM9DRJkKCm88QVzfmITRvNtofSeAXg0JDWACQ_EN6xqtum5vIVrh5uwVbgjYPI0GbWJfWxGHsq72TvROCouEpI6y6AgM8qIk7rya1ZqjM1Xz9me11C_sXR3xPbfCUveZhwo/s640/_SAM0807.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I tried to capture what the dough will look like when you're done with the pastry cutter. Those bigger chunks of butter are about the size of peas and the mixture is really crumbly. This is GOOD, don't try to cut it more. The reason this is the secret to flaky dough is that these little pieces of butter will melt in the baking process and leave little gaps in the dough making it flaky and delicious.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhutJRlTktMx2vkK4f24qMo3gX7YkYL8e9_SuQcj-GtmWlNKSkEdixzOTYKM4h1SMMCAHdFmVxooXI8RYrsabDHhmN5fhrkqPHRKBykUT3C3FOW_mA0SBBkXLlGFa31FFiJc5o2BRiB6Ak/s1600/scones2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhutJRlTktMx2vkK4f24qMo3gX7YkYL8e9_SuQcj-GtmWlNKSkEdixzOTYKM4h1SMMCAHdFmVxooXI8RYrsabDHhmN5fhrkqPHRKBykUT3C3FOW_mA0SBBkXLlGFa31FFiJc5o2BRiB6Ak/s640/scones2.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
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4. After cutting in the butter, add the buttermilk (I usually don't buy buttermilk so I use the trick of adding about 1 tablespoon vinegar to the milk to make my own), lemon zest, and blueberries (drained of any water they were soaking in). Mix with a spoon just until you have a dough that holds together.</div>
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5. Pull the dough out onto a floured surface and form the dough into a rectangle about 5 inches wide and 1 1/2 - 2 inches thick.</div>
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6. Brush the top of the rectangle with melted butter and sprinkle with the course sugar. (So pretty!)</div>
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7. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into triangles.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNlgC5nTjchWZf5H4SRM4CNWMNU7-5saSaneu8zPFqdZGuaJ4SEjg7hvKXfr2cj4Fqj0pnsCV19nnUJynLm0uMK0uybqjs8xqHC_zbMqLAfOoXGEXvUAg3KyMrXvvO9janFvsRGWNsv_o/s1600/_SAM0849.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNlgC5nTjchWZf5H4SRM4CNWMNU7-5saSaneu8zPFqdZGuaJ4SEjg7hvKXfr2cj4Fqj0pnsCV19nnUJynLm0uMK0uybqjs8xqHC_zbMqLAfOoXGEXvUAg3KyMrXvvO9janFvsRGWNsv_o/s640/_SAM0849.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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8. Transfer the scones to a greased cookie sheet and bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until the tops are light brown.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgFAVO9jLu7muiv0ewwrbmoR4M7Lm-baG8vLb5lUeylaGsyTOV_aCu-2tcjUevrhmSxr07esbNUveCXuqFukHtdRBjEbwqNdfrofqVhi6WiELlr5E5vTBhmDnrf8gWRtrgkr9q_A6Z7A/s1600/_SAM0862.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgFAVO9jLu7muiv0ewwrbmoR4M7Lm-baG8vLb5lUeylaGsyTOV_aCu-2tcjUevrhmSxr07esbNUveCXuqFukHtdRBjEbwqNdfrofqVhi6WiELlr5E5vTBhmDnrf8gWRtrgkr9q_A6Z7A/s640/_SAM0862.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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YUM! These are delicious for breakfast or snack and are best right out of the oven.<br />
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Rachel Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04978213595014835242noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806354017994794871.post-4063929579891701572013-08-16T12:29:00.002-06:002013-08-16T14:33:46.610-06:00100 Followers Giveaway!Happy Friday, friends! I want to say hello to my new friends from the button swap. Check them out on the sidebar--yay for new fun blogs to follow!<br />
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And, you guys! I hit 100 followers since my last post, yahoo! I want to celebrate and thank you guys for following me with an awesome giveaway. I'm giving away a $15 gift card to <a href="http://www.fifthandmae.com/" target="_blank">Fifth & Mae</a> as well as any 2 pillow covers from my shop, <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/NonpareilHome" target="_blank">Nonpareil Home</a>. Goodies for yourself and your cute house! Use the Rafflecopter below to enter. The giveaway will run until next Friday at midnight MST. Sorry, US applicants only.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">All entries will be verified when a winner is picked.</span></div>
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Good luck and have a great weekend loves!Rachel Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04978213595014835242noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806354017994794871.post-88044222945288306772013-08-14T12:42:00.002-06:002013-08-14T14:47:05.290-06:005 Pinterest Accounts to Follow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Hello my friends!</div>
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If you're addicted to Pinterest like I am, I have a treat for you today! 5 Beautiful Pinterest Accounts to Follow! These people are awesome curators with incredible taste.</div>
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1. <a href="http://pinterest.com/yenniper/" target="_blank">Jenny Rose</a> - Jenny's boards are so inspiring! She's got a little bit of everything, including great inspiration for graphic designers.</div>
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/yenniper/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsHhOlChB9aA1gbUyUSIv4zzgI9at_T8PFNCaC9ardk25WvNH4LyqWXoV4_8T5v4CWBlnr3XRe8lbrwMwgjxqIBgc2HgbRwcmnKlGy8fl1LXngyAAC6NwAQ6XYny9uZh_vL5U-TgPfSS4/s640/jennyrose.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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2. <a href="http://pinterest.com/schirin/" target="_blank">Schirin Rachel</a> - Beautiful inspiration and breathtaking photos. I especially love the food board--unique ideas and pretty presentation for the foodies among us.</div>
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/schirin/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXtaeucVTAtOaXv4dF-4VEUtGwvJ-QVPYJZQCYx5v6wnCjbhq83MtjjRQgDyXWSBx5nVoJRnqL2FRVTxZ_22gMqBrCZLds58v0e-jDNRy_NYIYVf6-oTB3Jg0i4LIn2p6trBoRQEvMms/s640/schirinrachel.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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3. <a href="http://pinterest.com/amichellehunt/" target="_blank">Michelle Hunt</a> - Michelle is one of the geniuses behind <a href="http://www.twigcreative.com/" target="_blank">Twig Creative</a>, and her pinterest boards give us a little bit of insight into her inspiration. She's pinned great ideas for artists and mamas.<br />
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/amichellehunt/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZO58Alf1vvILbS8X0yPiaCBVVs4-ljgHV_FsG1jmcLc2rJsYPwxQvuJ5rJ4fLB7N68f3dtAb1dsEvuDYn-cdjsyGFjiOFgPyaDKlSzML_3Ag2ZOb_-TWygS0j-8lHymcESTD0sHJkpyQ/s640/michellehunt.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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4. <a href="http://pinterest.com/twigsandhoney/" target="_blank">Twigs & Honey</a> - Lots of their boards are directed at brides and weddings but there are amazing fashion and party ideas for everyone!<br />
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/twigsandhoney/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4MUJeChm9od8dc_OASdnGKe7POnQNxhBqrTB1N8mdWqfilx2ToHKD493xfLNG7PQ0NPtknov7p9av0EsMAFBvFZBBhBaOv_LlFbHCdi7FXBgDL5O9P_RTQFIAHdgxoSZSkX06sV0TMqg/s640/twigshoney.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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5. <a href="http://pinterest.com/chellebarnes/" target="_blank">Michelle Barnes</a> - Michelle is the founder of <a href="http://www.fifthandmae.com/" target="_blank">Fifth and Mae</a> jewelry shop and blogs over at <a href="http://www.thecoppercollective.com/" target="_blank">The Copper Collective</a>. Michelle is a mom, artist, DIY'er, and lover of pretty things and her boards are evidence of her interests and awesome taste.</div>
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/chellebarnes/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvEg6djqyNA6uaDtueqBO1rj9xQneNaXz8rltf-50zNOFt8bpJ_YLqrYhoEd7R_54sNWwITv-MKSdA3gESjLl0C-05CNL1J3qv4_3Ii19nRR4wokp2fOf1gwoDCsgEy3jclStASZkk3A/s640/michellebarnes.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Do you have any favorite Pinners lately? Let us know in the comments and share the love!</div>
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For even more Pinterest accounts to follow, visit <a href="http://www.athomeinlove.com/10-more-pinterest-accounts-to-follow/" target="_blank">At Home in Love's 10 Pinterest Accounts to Follow</a>!</div>
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Happy Wednesday!</div>
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Rachel Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04978213595014835242noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806354017994794871.post-68186320529863955372013-08-12T13:55:00.002-06:002013-08-12T13:55:30.276-06:00Camping and CookiesI'm back from camping and it was awesome. We were up in the Uinta mountains at an amazing place called Butterfly Lake. So pretty! My talented husband made this amazing little video of our trip:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="375" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/72148542" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="650"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/72148542">Uintas // 2013</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/lukelewis">luke lewis</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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So I spent all of my time relaxing and eating treats and I probably gained 500 pounds. So what I should really be doing is eating healthy and getting back on track counting calories... but what am I going to do? Give you guys a recipe for the best peanut butter chocolate chip cookies ever! It's a Monday, everybody deserves a treat today!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiME-C9kSTSSoQ7MECroAGDsf9ZNfaFEr6LflUGfV9utc0L1JsVMDJRUHAXdytIf9FDbdnUWVtquOcoBygejBcQsk6Hu16lvkVPgDjqWc9wKCC31NuwdKg15-Fv97zuvIrqwEn2NJaUMcA/s1600/pinterest-pic-pb-cookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiME-C9kSTSSoQ7MECroAGDsf9ZNfaFEr6LflUGfV9utc0L1JsVMDJRUHAXdytIf9FDbdnUWVtquOcoBygejBcQsk6Hu16lvkVPgDjqWc9wKCC31NuwdKg15-Fv97zuvIrqwEn2NJaUMcA/s640/pinterest-pic-pb-cookies.jpg" width="459" /></a></div>
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These peanut butter cookies are the best: chewy with a crisp outside, peanut-buttery, melt in your mouth perfection. Feel free to leave out the chocolate chips and sprinkle peanuts on top for just plain peanut butter cookies.</div>
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<b>Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies</b></div>
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<u>Ingredients</u></div>
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<ul>
<li>1/2 cup butter (softened)</li>
<li>6 tablespoons white sugar</li>
<li>6 tablespoons brown sugar</li>
<li>1 egg</li>
<li>1 teaspoon vanilla extract</li>
<li>1 cup peanut butter (natural or regular)</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoon baking soda</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoon salt</li>
<li>1 1/4 cup flour</li>
<li>3/4 cup chocolate chips</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU5xN5TIrN0f2CHxtBMlk-mORDiKQZIUfhTFz-c89spdnjYD8RlqrIbCFlZ4Drgpi1Mun6LARP4zDXLie9OnMEu43ip7_akAy2JB-KnjW9O7Y4867nTku5jVIRQ1CSPsw4NKJBDrgbkHA/s1600/9-square-set-up-pb-cookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU5xN5TIrN0f2CHxtBMlk-mORDiKQZIUfhTFz-c89spdnjYD8RlqrIbCFlZ4Drgpi1Mun6LARP4zDXLie9OnMEu43ip7_akAy2JB-KnjW9O7Y4867nTku5jVIRQ1CSPsw4NKJBDrgbkHA/s640/9-square-set-up-pb-cookies.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<ol>
<li>Preheat your oven to 375 F.</li>
<li>Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar in a bowl. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until incorporated.</li>
<li>Mix in the peanut butter. Add in the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until you have a uniform dough. This dough is a lot stickier/softer than regular cookie dough, so just keep that in mind. Mix in the chocolate chips.</li>
<li>Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet and flatten slightly with a fork. Bake for 10 minutes or until very lightly golden brown. These cookies will smell so good, you'll be tempted to just pull them right off of the sheet and eat them right away, but let them cool for about 10 minutes or they'll be too crumbly. Enjoy!</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbbXeHIQ6DogWFJrUANhIMKJibebheETBysjbocQtRcfvvvIj3UHXFOnsSq1RGHdAoshyphenhypheno86szDKmxxMguRgJ7BPGsktvfm458JWTsdf-1Yws-hyqOlBDfuqmGbZdJVd3Q5Q8nQ31sok/s1600/_SAM0378.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbbXeHIQ6DogWFJrUANhIMKJibebheETBysjbocQtRcfvvvIj3UHXFOnsSq1RGHdAoshyphenhypheno86szDKmxxMguRgJ7BPGsktvfm458JWTsdf-1Yws-hyqOlBDfuqmGbZdJVd3Q5Q8nQ31sok/s640/_SAM0378.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin2Ygigd-cyrCnp5hiztA7ahOa0QMSaZ26-r3lSwIYmIsP9kVE2jsiMIMLeUzwy1UrStf16RDpAyFpqBKcvK7zqEStaR9vErZBxfQDo352I2z2HN6R0jOxoK2jMOHwps0d_rpQsdgwLt8/s1600/_SAM0386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin2Ygigd-cyrCnp5hiztA7ahOa0QMSaZ26-r3lSwIYmIsP9kVE2jsiMIMLeUzwy1UrStf16RDpAyFpqBKcvK7zqEStaR9vErZBxfQDo352I2z2HN6R0jOxoK2jMOHwps0d_rpQsdgwLt8/s640/_SAM0386.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And as a final note, I want to swap buttons with you! If you have a blog you want to promote, let's swap buttons and help each other out! Check out my <a href="http://nonpareilhome.blogspot.com/p/swapsponsor.html" target="_blank">Swap/Sponsor Page</a> to send me your button through Passionfruit Ads.</div>
Rachel Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04978213595014835242noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806354017994794871.post-84326038944938415432013-08-09T09:00:00.000-06:002013-08-09T09:00:00.549-06:00Freebie Friday - Phone BackgroundsYou guys, I had such a bad day yesterday! :( I just felt so busy and stressed out and everything was just a little bit off. So I had a ton on my mind and I jump in my car to run an errand. I call up <a href="http://www.thecoppercollective.com/" target="_blank">my sister</a> as I'm backing out of the garage, not paying attention to what I'm doing, and suddenly I hear a huge scraping noise. I freaked out and pulled forward, shaking. I jump out of the car and see that I had hit my husband's car which was in the driveway. Greaaaat. The back part of his car has a dent in it and a huge scrape. So I spent the next hour crying about how stupid I am and kicking myself for letting myself get so distracted. Everything will be okay but that was just a bad ending to a bad day.<br />
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But, not to worry, the weekend is here! And it will be so awesome and fun and relaxing because I am going camping with my family. I'm so excited. I need a little break so it will be perfect.<br />
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I've got a Friday Freebie for those of us trying to savor the last bits of summer: Berry Phone Backgrounds!<br />
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<b>Iphone 4/4s on the left, Iphone 5 on the right</b><br />
(These will also work well for most Android phones)<br />
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<a href="http://s1286.photobucket.com/user/nonpareilhome/media/Freebies/blackberry-iphone4_zps0fc3cbf3.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo blackberry-iphone4_zps0fc3cbf3.jpg" border="0" height="400" src="http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a609/nonpareilhome/Freebies/blackberry-iphone4_zps0fc3cbf3.jpg" width="265" /></a> <a href="http://s1286.photobucket.com/user/nonpareilhome/media/Freebies/blackberry-iphone5_zpsffbd44b4.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo blackberry-iphone5_zpsffbd44b4.jpg" border="0" height="400" src="http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a609/nonpareilhome/Freebies/blackberry-iphone5_zpsffbd44b4.jpg" width="225" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s1286.photobucket.com/user/nonpareilhome/media/Freebies/strawberry-iphone4_zpscdc21e3f.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo strawberry-iphone4_zpscdc21e3f.jpg" border="0" height="400" src="http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a609/nonpareilhome/Freebies/strawberry-iphone4_zpscdc21e3f.jpg" width="266" /></a> <a href="http://s1286.photobucket.com/user/nonpareilhome/media/Freebies/strawberry-iphone5_zps7f415396.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo strawberry-iphone5_zps7f415396.jpg" border="0" height="400" src="http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a609/nonpareilhome/Freebies/strawberry-iphone5_zps7f415396.jpg" width="225" /></a><br />
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To use these backgrounds on your phone, navigate to this page and click on the image so that the large size comes up. Click and hold on the image until it gives you the option to save to your phone. Enjoy!<br />
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And last but definitely not least, an AMAZING giveaway at <a href="http://www.thecoppercollective.com/" target="_blank">The Copper Collective</a> of <a href="http://www.fifthandmae.com/" target="_blank">Fifth and Mae</a> blogger faves! Go enter the giveaway and you could win my jewelry picks or selections from 5 other bloggers. Love it!<br />
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<a href="http://www.thecoppercollective.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQl8CvsrTXXGxa_EBWGs5v_dKgKXUXzQu_AyENG7P4zSKnnumwq-WIMfHJnYwmEeohKAHmpXabXv1RCe51GYNzKZ6RSUzpc-cW76oc6Wp3An2lba97qnzNSAR-jzSiyGjbS83Vnm94co/s1600/rachelgiveaway.jpg" /></a></div>
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I hope everyone has a great weekend and doesn't hit any cars! ;)Rachel Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04978213595014835242noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806354017994794871.post-22410051679639825732013-08-08T22:06:00.001-06:002013-08-08T22:06:32.456-06:00Guest Post at The Copper Collective<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
That super fun guest post I promised is up over at <a href="http://www.thecoppercollective.com/2013/08/diy-wire-hair-wraps.html" target="_blank">The Copper Collective</a>. Go check it out!</div>
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<a href="http://www.thecoppercollective.com/2013/08/diy-wire-hair-wraps.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPd8_loqnTNR9ERaKr08ztANDYyoN_gFQ8PFnG-f0Na39qviEE631OXrdQoFzrTuBspdc1a1zKU5uhrq-cTrOPgPor4oug9LDHVTkJzKptifi64oomm-AwkYgya3_QgiukF8TOi1ipsQ4/s640/pinterest-image1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Rachel Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04978213595014835242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806354017994794871.post-63636565044145564872013-08-07T13:20:00.002-06:002013-08-07T13:20:28.161-06:00Confetti Party Tablecloth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm running around like crazy today, I feel like I have so much to do and no time at all to do it in! So I just have a quick project for you guys today, it was so fun to make (okay, I'm a little kid, think I like playing with paint wayyy too much) and very easy! I want someone to have a birthday now so I can whip out this fun confetti print tablecloth!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMhOJ5wQ7NiCHsgsfM5a3-IZpI0kKJAwuYzkzoqapYwh_LNWVjzWUQJEzTfA-t_xfp0afQ20xTQn2z-GD0FBdriuS5-EvQnmHll6UeYAk-0zW8XHeLtBoDXPXXPn1JRDnMleVlQJ9IYA0/s1600/_SAM0345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMhOJ5wQ7NiCHsgsfM5a3-IZpI0kKJAwuYzkzoqapYwh_LNWVjzWUQJEzTfA-t_xfp0afQ20xTQn2z-GD0FBdriuS5-EvQnmHll6UeYAk-0zW8XHeLtBoDXPXXPn1JRDnMleVlQJ9IYA0/s640/_SAM0345.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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I love the confetti on this tablecloth--it looks kind of like sprinkles on a cupcake (imagine how cute this could be for a table with party cupcakes on it!). You can even make it more grown-up by using all gold paint or even just black to make a fun monochromatic design.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibRjb7G0Jysrr1iQ4EeHZ7Zez745IyUnkSZnfsEHCTvQO5cEKotF4DgJGYLtD5qUTaiCRtu8ECXqHWrbtD2GcTar2v2RKjVZfeI41Y9P5e2iLHYI83wXtSptp0snMp1DHu7MybnsAY8g4/s1600/_SAM0347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibRjb7G0Jysrr1iQ4EeHZ7Zez745IyUnkSZnfsEHCTvQO5cEKotF4DgJGYLtD5qUTaiCRtu8ECXqHWrbtD2GcTar2v2RKjVZfeI41Y9P5e2iLHYI83wXtSptp0snMp1DHu7MybnsAY8g4/s640/_SAM0347.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Confetti Party Tablecloth</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk05I-YeivPO2Jn1cOFTxn360R0CBXXzMcibIvWdIYYjR7aEMR7dlPYf02MOZSSMaMMw2AHVgO1eZ5xgD5lvYFLeR0zyPnNj1YMu6R3KoOQj038v4vQ70httwaOyTHNeXeXfuGXdkqyjk/s1600/_SAM0188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk05I-YeivPO2Jn1cOFTxn360R0CBXXzMcibIvWdIYYjR7aEMR7dlPYf02MOZSSMaMMw2AHVgO1eZ5xgD5lvYFLeR0zyPnNj1YMu6R3KoOQj038v4vQ70httwaOyTHNeXeXfuGXdkqyjk/s640/_SAM0188.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<u>What you'll need:</u></div>
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<ul>
<li>A tablecloth</li>
<li>Acrylic paints</li>
<li>Textile Medium for acrylic paints</li>
<li>An old sponge brush</li>
<li>Scissors</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJpKAHAnFcF9BCpwcqa2jh7n8_MAq2Owxx7W5oUIvLH4NC60YaZMs1dBZRSFkW1vX95PDahK9joAZG09U6dCFuhQ7hlllzeb28HFRkBThhslDGJRilGRjDKsWWom9CDpPICblGhjdbjQ/s1600/_SAM0183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJpKAHAnFcF9BCpwcqa2jh7n8_MAq2Owxx7W5oUIvLH4NC60YaZMs1dBZRSFkW1vX95PDahK9joAZG09U6dCFuhQ7hlllzeb28HFRkBThhslDGJRilGRjDKsWWom9CDpPICblGhjdbjQ/s640/_SAM0183.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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1. First you'll cut the tip off of your sponge brush. I did this so I could have a squared off tip to create the confetti shape on the table cloth. Just cut the very tip off, not too far down--some sponge brushes have a plastic strip running through the brush (you can see in the photo above, it's that white line) and you don't want to cut through that or your confetti stamp might have a weird look.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho70sEvjVhGYmAPuVa65fPodGdSkMOLMngGFPt5iYCJjvC92AGGNhDSgVKLGv7TFSM1vz4FqiJjDb1KCpx2MmXFAGtyZzF-9L_ZmFF6f9tc-r1p2EvIc_uCvqKBgdur1oVuGttuaa_97c/s1600/_SAM0191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho70sEvjVhGYmAPuVa65fPodGdSkMOLMngGFPt5iYCJjvC92AGGNhDSgVKLGv7TFSM1vz4FqiJjDb1KCpx2MmXFAGtyZzF-9L_ZmFF6f9tc-r1p2EvIc_uCvqKBgdur1oVuGttuaa_97c/s640/_SAM0191.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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2. Mix together your acrylic paint and textile medium according to the bottle. I do about half and half. (Is there a job I can get where I just swirl paint together all day? I love doing this way too much.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-BrHGvxBe_7AF8r-8vRvBtxEYEx-S_AuyGuiFVayok-xaRN3sqzns2L9BLPS45Jywc7ShJn-oFlYQ3fDjsLtBDmkvQAlHQkQ3SR02_y97aj10jxhQ8mPgQ2SuM0cmOS8HOkbqPsw-u0/s1600/_SAM0193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-BrHGvxBe_7AF8r-8vRvBtxEYEx-S_AuyGuiFVayok-xaRN3sqzns2L9BLPS45Jywc7ShJn-oFlYQ3fDjsLtBDmkvQAlHQkQ3SR02_y97aj10jxhQ8mPgQ2SuM0cmOS8HOkbqPsw-u0/s640/_SAM0193.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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3. Spread the tablecloth with cardboard or newspaper under it. Dip the brush in the mixed paint and stamp the sponge brush onto the tablecloth. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhi0VjW4zwzQzaaVHhkG_zCdyZSBk1dp1tDJOLb_0-FindQUwOrfMylZP-MrIcN15dGzfFRrA4aQPcKaKApbkrZK7pPbxlzHmlx4azdxV78QxVuIF4ZS4QefSCquVsMUf9vQKh3z0wf0/s1600/_SAM0196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhi0VjW4zwzQzaaVHhkG_zCdyZSBk1dp1tDJOLb_0-FindQUwOrfMylZP-MrIcN15dGzfFRrA4aQPcKaKApbkrZK7pPbxlzHmlx4azdxV78QxVuIF4ZS4QefSCquVsMUf9vQKh3z0wf0/s640/_SAM0196.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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4. For my tablecloth, I just did the confetti around the edge, but you can cover the entire thing if you like. Have fun with it! I did all of one color and then moved on to the next color, etc.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilK9Rx9l48eGmYwAyQLGvDjUEqglFJl4YlDnbq5GBYe6p5cWGY7s_tpnUezaymnvYUZl9tiRrXS1ZYIuCthEwE5jZm4yZKx9zHblYW3JrTqfQ3drkmZczc9FyAI0HJKqHTM6l74-gdaUQ/s1600/_SAM0349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilK9Rx9l48eGmYwAyQLGvDjUEqglFJl4YlDnbq5GBYe6p5cWGY7s_tpnUezaymnvYUZl9tiRrXS1ZYIuCthEwE5jZm4yZKx9zHblYW3JrTqfQ3drkmZczc9FyAI0HJKqHTM6l74-gdaUQ/s640/_SAM0349.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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5. You're done! Let it dry. Some textile mediums will have you iron the dried paint to "set" it in the fabric. After it is dry, you can wash and dry it according to the instructions on your textile medium bottle. Time for a party!</div>
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Don't you love those big bright sunflowers? My lovely neighbor Andrea brought them to me yesterday and they've been making me so happy every day!<br />
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And ps. I have a guest post on my sister's awesome blog <a href="http://www.thecoppercollective.com/" target="_blank">The Copper Collective</a> tomorrow, and it is a project you are not going to want to miss!<br />
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Rachel Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04978213595014835242noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806354017994794871.post-42568961338288673702013-08-05T09:14:00.000-06:002013-08-05T09:15:16.667-06:00Low-Carb Flax Crackers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So I am perpetually working on losing weight, and I will spend hours scrolling on pinterest to find healthy recipes. But if you search "healthy snacks" or "healthy meals" on Pinterest, some of the things are such a joke! They use honey instead of sugar or add natural peanut butter and somehow that makes the whole recipe "healthy". Example: I have the <i>most delicious </i>granola bars pinned to one of my boards and the recipe is called like "Healthy Granola Bars" or something-- it has butter, sugar, and honey in it and oh yeah it adds up to 180 calories for a small (regular sized) granola bar. For those of us who are counting calories, that doesn't count as "healthy", Pinterest! </div>
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Has anyone else had these "healthy" Pinterest experiences or is it just me?</div>
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So in finding these flax crackers, I was skeptical. The sound of using flax seeds in crackers sounded kind of weird and gross but I wanted to try. YUM! I'm so glad I did. These crackers may not be the most beautiful things on earth but if you are trying to low-carb it, they are the way to go. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0uU8jAMs13LcJyqG_NXfijle7Ezez8k5qywZoS7G4Ai0xB-tYzvf9rCg3mRsiI6h5Jq3dclMfcFNeBHSllUx2lEg0edZSM7lLGspNFatvpMNCzLCgXM4W_6IkXbtTMcgODjWSurJQm7U/s1600/_SAM0167.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0uU8jAMs13LcJyqG_NXfijle7Ezez8k5qywZoS7G4Ai0xB-tYzvf9rCg3mRsiI6h5Jq3dclMfcFNeBHSllUx2lEg0edZSM7lLGspNFatvpMNCzLCgXM4W_6IkXbtTMcgODjWSurJQm7U/s640/_SAM0167.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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These crackers are loaded with fiber, have only 6 effective grams of carbohydrates for the <i>whole recipe</i>! (35 total grams of fiber). The whole recipe is 590 calories and I'd say it makes like 30 crackers or so, so let's say a serving of 5 big-sized crackers is around 100 calories. </div>
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I've used garlic as a seasoning in these crackers but you could add anything you like! Try adding italian seasoning to make pizza crackers, a mix of various herbs, different cheeses to make cheesy crackers, or I bet some savvy baker could even come up with a sweet cracker recipe! Top them with your favorite cheeses, meats, and spreads for a yummy crunchy snack.</div>
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<b>Low-Carb Garlic Flax Crackers</b><br />
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</b> Sourced from a recipe on <a href="http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/snacks/r/flaxcrackers.htm" target="_blank">About.com</a><br />
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<u>Ingredients</u><br />
<ul>
<li>1 cup flax seed meal (or flax seeds)</li>
<li>1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese</li>
<li>1 teaspoon garlic powder</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoon salt</li>
<li>1/2 cup water</li>
</ul>
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<ol>
<li>Preheat your oven to 400°F. Grease a cookie sheet or cover with greased parchment paper. </li>
<li>If you have flax seeds instead of meal, you'll need to grind them. I found that my blender worked better than my food processor for this task. Pour all of the seeds into the blender and blend or pulse until ground into a fine meal.</li>
<li>Mix together the flax seed meal, parmesan cheese, garlic powder (or other seasoning), salt, and water in a bowl. It will have the consistency of a sticky dough.</li>
<li>Spoon the mixture onto the cookie sheet and put a piece of waxed paper over the top so that the dough won't stick to the rolling pin. Roll out the dough as thin as you can, 1/8" or less; try to make all of the dough an even thickness. If the edges are too thin they may get overcooked before the center has time to cook. Note that it won't cover the whole cookie sheet (you can see in my photo below), and it's okay if it looks a little blob-ish, you're going to break it into pieces anyway! :) Peel away the waxed paper.</li>
<li>Bake in the preheated oven for about 18 minutes until the center is no longer soft. After the time is up, if you find that the edges are cooked and the center is still soft, break off the cooked areas (careful, hot!) and put the soft part back into the oven for a few more minutes. </li>
<li>Let cool, break into pieces and eat! If you are fancy, you can use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut into pieces.</li>
</ol>
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<br />Rachel Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04978213595014835242noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806354017994794871.post-49692261222346537822013-08-02T12:08:00.000-06:002013-08-02T12:08:18.179-06:00Dyed Pillowcase Shirt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy Friday everybody! Hurray for the weekend! I'm still getting used to juggling everything, so sorry that it's been so long since I've updated, but I have some great projects coming up for you guys!</div>
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First just wanted to let you know, BIG summer sale at <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/NonpareilHome" target="_blank">Nonpareil Home</a> -- most of the pillow covers are marked all the way down to $19 to make way for new inventory! Head on over and grab them before they're gone!</div>
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Today I have a pillowcase shirt DIY for you guys!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1QTndElmnLXhnkjBLdBye7MAdLvUDXKXaGclg6OTXIUS-EyldJJowCIOOc9-kGmn5qMYcIRCPn9I9JD0_QOpM1KzivOLX7MrWVkevqKiy9DTI4TLeyOKE4uZ0AYtgqbH4bHryI3rgYfI/s1600/_SAM0253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1QTndElmnLXhnkjBLdBye7MAdLvUDXKXaGclg6OTXIUS-EyldJJowCIOOc9-kGmn5qMYcIRCPn9I9JD0_QOpM1KzivOLX7MrWVkevqKiy9DTI4TLeyOKE4uZ0AYtgqbH4bHryI3rgYfI/s400/_SAM0253.jpg" width="266" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnTQBh47wrXX5kqcY6hyphenhyphenT4kdW7n0wy0E4_inOCzuONc_A_iFoMYB7rgXYS5qAfa-nDaPQqY5Wv1BpSw5niqrm8OAY8gReJmeBAEHy9BmXUNrX98nzsXQNUYutU3pwwBgoRb3Fb7dHVGZM/s1600/_SAM0265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnTQBh47wrXX5kqcY6hyphenhyphenT4kdW7n0wy0E4_inOCzuONc_A_iFoMYB7rgXYS5qAfa-nDaPQqY5Wv1BpSw5niqrm8OAY8gReJmeBAEHy9BmXUNrX98nzsXQNUYutU3pwwBgoRb3Fb7dHVGZM/s400/_SAM0265.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQobcJT3sP_NcJXQDCMGUuY4mb8FPbPN1Ui0oiPQIDOIe6iMKdfPI0fZC3Re0UnGobSaw-7hNvbXNUO7sxqbYCdK0bKirqTnQUrc73NEyisrgUOE5N2FxDstwSEgYu0Whvmt5Aaf3vczg/s1600/_SAM0278.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
So my <a href="http://www.sherrihaab.com/" target="_blank">mom</a> is moving out of her house and I've been helping her pack and get rid of things. She is a craft author and artist so she has a lot of supplies and materials with the attitude of "I'll use it in a project someday!" Okay, we have very different ideas about what should be saved, versus what should be thrown in a fire and never looked at again. I had been putting almost everything in the "Throw Away" pile and shoving things into trash bags when she wasn't looking. But when I came upon these amazing 1970's pillowcases, my mom immediately held out the trash bag and I had to be the one saying, "But I'll use it in a project someday!"<br />
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Okay, I probably just have some weird childhood nostalgia with these things because, they really are just old 70's pillowcases, but I had to keep them and make something with them!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQobcJT3sP_NcJXQDCMGUuY4mb8FPbPN1Ui0oiPQIDOIe6iMKdfPI0fZC3Re0UnGobSaw-7hNvbXNUO7sxqbYCdK0bKirqTnQUrc73NEyisrgUOE5N2FxDstwSEgYu0Whvmt5Aaf3vczg/s1600/_SAM0278.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKX5UtEqORoW8h2n5_9XGrDM0pW2gw0wdGwOqP3YKMiAilbtIiqHE7eo4PuxWJ6oQgP9iSowIypn3Z0AXdX81WMnu154d8gpuDyC9YBlpf8qS7n3NV7KygpETPMRaAHeaa7HvERzpQymA/s1600/_SAM0272.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKX5UtEqORoW8h2n5_9XGrDM0pW2gw0wdGwOqP3YKMiAilbtIiqHE7eo4PuxWJ6oQgP9iSowIypn3Z0AXdX81WMnu154d8gpuDyC9YBlpf8qS7n3NV7KygpETPMRaAHeaa7HvERzpQymA/s640/_SAM0272.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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This shirt was too easy to make and turned out so cute! Dig those old pillowcases out of your closet or maybe even hit up the thrift store to make one of these cute shirts for yourself! I ended up dyeing mine so it didn't look too pillowcase-y, but feel free to skip that part if you already have a color you love.</div>
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<b>Dyed Pillowcase Shirt DIY</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK20QmYlONPa6REE20WOOQKvsDeghLD3sFyDO3tMsUo3NbrgppHocwITIHnW-e2tQD9p9NCMjXSUsvfsRcUFjMn7kxDbpKVSXO6oorRIm3IujTBMwWPfYS3vQevkFcn2NspXej5NjRfcc/s1600/_SAM0133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK20QmYlONPa6REE20WOOQKvsDeghLD3sFyDO3tMsUo3NbrgppHocwITIHnW-e2tQD9p9NCMjXSUsvfsRcUFjMn7kxDbpKVSXO6oorRIm3IujTBMwWPfYS3vQevkFcn2NspXej5NjRfcc/s640/_SAM0133.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<u>What you'll need:</u></div>
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<ul>
<li>An old pillowcase</li>
<li>Fabric Dye (if you want to dye your pillowcase)</li>
<li>Gloves to protect your skin</li>
<li>A pot</li>
<li>Water</li>
<li>Bias tape</li>
<li>Thread</li>
<li>Pins</li>
</ul>
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<u>Some dye tips right off the bat:</u></div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Wear gloves, an apron (or old clothes), and have some paper towels handy. Especially if you are using powdered dye (as opposed to liquid) these little crystals can get everywhere even when you think you're being so super careful. Make sure to work over the sink or a paper towel when pouring powdered dye.</li>
<li>Use a pot that will not be used for food.</li>
<li>Bring powdered dye to a boil to dissolve the crystals. If you don't, sometimes you can get little chunks of dye that don't dissolve and leave a big spot on your lovely fabric.</li>
<li>Always test a strip of fabric before chucking the rest in--you'll be glad you did, especially if the dye is darker or lighter than you thought! If it is too dark, add a bit more water; too light, add more dye and bring back to a boil.</li>
<li>Wipe down all surfaces with a wet rag or paper towel after dyeing--you'll be so surprised what you pick up, even when everything looked clean.</li>
<li>Have fun! Dyeing really isn't scary, you're just playing with colors, so have a good time!</li>
</ol>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilNVTr6rgOcQRI_1j1Sce19n4IQ8yjJr6kKwnbyaiUjQ03Y5bpAGwGSmGcltekZMnQmadJtNmtgbih4uih888wpPyD1u0gOdHIPDNlLMogX6qxF56q4xSaM6Eqakme3SWBHKTQNNjnFO4/s1600/pillowcaseshirt2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilNVTr6rgOcQRI_1j1Sce19n4IQ8yjJr6kKwnbyaiUjQ03Y5bpAGwGSmGcltekZMnQmadJtNmtgbih4uih888wpPyD1u0gOdHIPDNlLMogX6qxF56q4xSaM6Eqakme3SWBHKTQNNjnFO4/s640/pillowcaseshirt2.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
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<u>How to dye the pillowcase:</u></div>
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1. Put about 2 cups of water into your pot. I do this first because sometimes when you add water <i>after</i> powdered dye, the dye kind of sticks in the crevices of the pot instead of incorporating. Prepare your dye according to the instructions on the box or bottle. For mine, I just wanted a light tint of color, so I just used a small spoonful of tangerine and yellow dye and put it into a pot with about 8 cups of water. My dye instructions also had me add some salt--I added about 1/8 cup. Put the pot on the stove and bring to a boil.</div>
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2. Lower the pot of dye to a simmer. Test a strip of fabric in the dye (leave it in for about 2 minutes). If it is too dark--add a little more water to the dye, if it is too light, add a little more dye and bring back to a boil.</div>
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3. Get your pillowcase wet, wring it out, and then add it to the dye pot. At this point you can also add your bias tape to the pot if you need to dye it. Leave it in until you get the color you like. Keep in mind that when you rinse it out and dry it, the color will lighten a little bit.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzToT6cYv4btLcgZ2MG1E0DL0GA7IXpMl3kQPDA81L7psb_gkG2jcs9j0NPzmswA-2W8YyYFl4R_e_AsBEn7LDViR1EP5IM1Hjvh2nx8_coZ0yFZltQvrn6Ll-sBxOap48o2-OukSIXAc/s1600/_SAM0182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzToT6cYv4btLcgZ2MG1E0DL0GA7IXpMl3kQPDA81L7psb_gkG2jcs9j0NPzmswA-2W8YyYFl4R_e_AsBEn7LDViR1EP5IM1Hjvh2nx8_coZ0yFZltQvrn6Ll-sBxOap48o2-OukSIXAc/s640/_SAM0182.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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4. Take your pillowcase out of the dye and rinse it out in the sink until the water runs clear. Wash it in the washing machine (alone!) and then dry it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWz6_X3npGzIOwefdXHA-gzdzn_FeIVG0m0WRzknvjF7MfZ_e92uYmBv1CLMoVoMw6WsGBCxsf-pLs94pG0Uv584gGezdj-bF8laIVLj-e813sqxTimbVgXNOCJ20ayKvTapj_QexduM/s1600/pillowcaseshirt1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWz6_X3npGzIOwefdXHA-gzdzn_FeIVG0m0WRzknvjF7MfZ_e92uYmBv1CLMoVoMw6WsGBCxsf-pLs94pG0Uv584gGezdj-bF8laIVLj-e813sqxTimbVgXNOCJ20ayKvTapj_QexduM/s640/pillowcaseshirt1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<u>How to sew the shirt:</u><br />
<u><br />
</u> 1. Now your pillowcase will become a shirt! This step will depend a lot on your size and what you want your shirt to look like (sleeves? no sleeves? V-neck? Crop top?) REMEMBER: This pillowcase is not stretchy. Make sure you leave plenty of room so that the shirt will slip over your head. An easy way to know how to cut your pillowcase would be to lay out a non-stretchy shirt that you like over the pillowcase and trace the shoulder seam, sleeve, and hem. What I did: Laid my pillowcase flat. Cut a neck hole (I just cut through both layers so it was the same on the back and front--makes it easy!). Cut a sloped shoulder seam (if you don't do this, your sleeve will stick straight out instead of following your shoulder.) For the sleeves I just cut slightly into the pillowcase sides for arm holes, then I also cut my hem to be rounded.<br />
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2. Try it on and see how it looks! Adjust if necessary.<br />
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3. Sew the shoulder seams together, right sides together. Iron the seams open open.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW3IhHOnQBXnm-sw65yJ4MvPPPwECxpGoFlQbrZX9URDf2yiFhUF0pliubBoNGtQhJfF28qTTWasrh_R2IQCqhZ_CaVaonLvckDdg0QIajlEaRBN_5_ydVi4W_IhJAQIy3cp49ZcCXaiw/s1600/_SAM0223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW3IhHOnQBXnm-sw65yJ4MvPPPwECxpGoFlQbrZX9URDf2yiFhUF0pliubBoNGtQhJfF28qTTWasrh_R2IQCqhZ_CaVaonLvckDdg0QIajlEaRBN_5_ydVi4W_IhJAQIy3cp49ZcCXaiw/s640/_SAM0223.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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4. Hem the bottom of the shirt by ironing the bottom seam up 1/2" and then again another 1/2"and stitching along the edge. Do the same on the sleeves.</div>
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5. Use the bias tape to finish off the neckline. Sandwich the raw edge of the neckline in between the bias tape and pin. To finish the area where the ends of the bias tape meet, trim one side (I trim it to a point so that there is less bulk when I fold it), fold it back on itself, lay it over the other raw end of the bias tape and pin.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRcHUiCLcnZLybK7q74qH0hz0dplc1FoMDqsQQPJgnE7kS48BFKxsZKluN1s3w01A1K53wvOzEKDecN2RN1tThVapP4bcm25eylpoolMJSndIH6sYi786U5r6-jaCyyQpsmIrxVnywss/s1600/_SAM0237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRcHUiCLcnZLybK7q74qH0hz0dplc1FoMDqsQQPJgnE7kS48BFKxsZKluN1s3w01A1K53wvOzEKDecN2RN1tThVapP4bcm25eylpoolMJSndIH6sYi786U5r6-jaCyyQpsmIrxVnywss/s640/_SAM0237.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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6. Stitch the bias tape along the edge to finish the neck. Iron all of the seams.</div>
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You're done! Now you have a fun new shirt made from a old pillowcase that your mom wanted you to throw away. Congratulations!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQobcJT3sP_NcJXQDCMGUuY4mb8FPbPN1Ui0oiPQIDOIe6iMKdfPI0fZC3Re0UnGobSaw-7hNvbXNUO7sxqbYCdK0bKirqTnQUrc73NEyisrgUOE5N2FxDstwSEgYu0Whvmt5Aaf3vczg/s1600/_SAM0278.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQobcJT3sP_NcJXQDCMGUuY4mb8FPbPN1Ui0oiPQIDOIe6iMKdfPI0fZC3Re0UnGobSaw-7hNvbXNUO7sxqbYCdK0bKirqTnQUrc73NEyisrgUOE5N2FxDstwSEgYu0Whvmt5Aaf3vczg/s640/_SAM0278.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
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And just as a little bonus: I found this while I was editing the photos, and this is the proof of why I should NEVER be a model or fashion blogger of any kind:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd5RCP73112imaOBgz188cNn6w2UrJPY5anPT-_nw_YjSBnq7HQOob6YkugMPFinv9TcXRelwblHBJWiZ2zCax528ovHLGZV6m6OhkYMA1lxWxt7f_MB7MNsZSYs11-oaMzo7UyIG-3yc/s1600/_SAM0238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd5RCP73112imaOBgz188cNn6w2UrJPY5anPT-_nw_YjSBnq7HQOob6YkugMPFinv9TcXRelwblHBJWiZ2zCax528ovHLGZV6m6OhkYMA1lxWxt7f_MB7MNsZSYs11-oaMzo7UyIG-3yc/s640/_SAM0238.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
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Hahahaha! How am I so cute all of the time?Rachel Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04978213595014835242noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806354017994794871.post-21733144309772430672013-07-19T12:11:00.002-06:002013-07-19T12:12:55.591-06:00Brickyard Buffalo SaleI just wanted to write a quick post to let everyone know about the awesome sale going on at <a href="http://www.brickyardbuffalo.com/" target="_blank">Brickyard Buffalo</a>! They have the cutest handmade and limited edition items and today I'm lucky enough to be a vendor on the site!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwOkBkq2xkCkMswFF1tKl2hfbofrDQ5Ssl2aw-NN6XIQaEb0AgK7Ip3_TTxv4NdM0f9j-86MEw4s68P3Y67jc4dqQxvMZx1NIKgZcD6omZ0fMTXZnmf-7ritpj2KRIc5QAGWpb76pc17c/s1600/_DSC2631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwOkBkq2xkCkMswFF1tKl2hfbofrDQ5Ssl2aw-NN6XIQaEb0AgK7Ip3_TTxv4NdM0f9j-86MEw4s68P3Y67jc4dqQxvMZx1NIKgZcD6omZ0fMTXZnmf-7ritpj2KRIc5QAGWpb76pc17c/s1600/_DSC2631.jpg" height="424" style="cursor: move;" width="640" /></a><br />
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My polka dot and cat pillow covers are on sale for 30% off ($34 down to $24!) <a href="http://brickyardbuffalo.com/pillow-covers.html" target="_blank">Go check it out</a> soon because the sale only runs for 4 days!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5xhq_vXDZaBhav5ejexHhROidTu8ntyiNTNGhUJtmxSMHezZ1NdWpoFGQNVax6lhrqADTSD-h-26fguILIOnNEtJrNNlG9vrkf7niZy5ATDqBxsf3ywpSgqmwMrSNEF6gJYQDIPcJY5k/s1600/_DSC2626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5xhq_vXDZaBhav5ejexHhROidTu8ntyiNTNGhUJtmxSMHezZ1NdWpoFGQNVax6lhrqADTSD-h-26fguILIOnNEtJrNNlG9vrkf7niZy5ATDqBxsf3ywpSgqmwMrSNEF6gJYQDIPcJY5k/s1600/_DSC2626.jpg" height="424" style="cursor: move;" width="640" /></a><br />
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I'm sorry I don't have a fun project for you guys today, yesterday was cleaning day at my house so I was doing boring things like washing sheets and scrubbing bathtubs. And I know that sounds like it would be <i>such</i> a fascinating blog post, but I didn't take any pictures. ;)<br />
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Hope everyone has a great weekend!Rachel Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04978213595014835242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806354017994794871.post-42234449206476258992013-07-17T15:59:00.000-06:002013-07-17T17:44:41.466-06:00Toasted Almond Pesto<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy Wednesday friends! And hello hello to my new followers, thank you for stopping by my blog, I'm grateful you're here!</div>
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First things first, GIVEAWAY! The artistic geniuses over at <a href="http://www.twigcreative.com/" target="_blank">Twig Creative</a> are doing a giveaway for your choice of two pillow covers from my shop, <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/NonpareilHome" target="_blank">Nonpareil Home</a>! Head over to their blog for information on how to enter - <a href="http://twigcreativeblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://twigcreativeblog.blogspot.com</a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><a href="http://twigcreativeblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgODEmAqKB1i5sQn3Klp26yTBAgg0rpM7a__dM-8FdNt5borazaGnbLWCxvZ75jaxEkWltZ3jqMsNIUvAEEhLj5G4N3R7-l1skd0O1y0_6p6oGi96l5bCkOOjpavIukBdVAOHEPXOpovWg/s400/twig-giveaway.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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On to what I was up to today--I have a great recipe for you all, Toasted Almond Pesto! Laziness is the mother of invention (wait, is that not the saying?) and that is definitely the case with this delicious pesto. Firstly, I hadn't really been attending to my poor little pesto plant and it was looking horribly raggedy. (Learn how to harvest your basil properly over at <a href="http://skinnygourmet.blogspot.com/2008/05/ten-mistakes-new-herb-gardeners-make.html" target="_blank">The Skinny Gourmet.</a>) So I decided to put it out of it's misery and harvest the whole thing all at once. Secondly, I was way too lazy to go buy pine nuts (the nut classically used in making pesto), but I did have a whole bag of silvered almonds right in my pantry. Yep, laziness. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJu80DstzEVPJ5FrhVVmhGT_slGWzIaX5wVmmHh3VOvZ0sflynTx4QQM77eGIICQdjUYYyjYM-Qmn6FTKdkznTUCnXNvr8BU7408R8duHNHZL7ib9aRZdCfvmFgzXqmvNl8tyjEvC6LVA/s1600/pesto_main.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJu80DstzEVPJ5FrhVVmhGT_slGWzIaX5wVmmHh3VOvZ0sflynTx4QQM77eGIICQdjUYYyjYM-Qmn6FTKdkznTUCnXNvr8BU7408R8duHNHZL7ib9aRZdCfvmFgzXqmvNl8tyjEvC6LVA/s640/pesto_main.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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But seriously, this is a super super easy and insanely delicious recipe, it came together in less than 5 minutes. The almonds did give it more of a "nutty" flavor, which I personally really liked. You can also add parmesan cheese to the mix to give it extra oomph. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjImOrW5X-sOB8fNrexIZQvE2zBK7d8ay7F5ZH9kcSWm9f6wqHQAVEHI3kGtxjyyFLj-RoLFHITRmaJQWycS-jjPcSNjQ3bu47PSC2AXoDhMzd6PVajj3HO7qCDW242qSDx8TqI-CBrOtI/s1600/pesto2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjImOrW5X-sOB8fNrexIZQvE2zBK7d8ay7F5ZH9kcSWm9f6wqHQAVEHI3kGtxjyyFLj-RoLFHITRmaJQWycS-jjPcSNjQ3bu47PSC2AXoDhMzd6PVajj3HO7qCDW242qSDx8TqI-CBrOtI/s640/pesto2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Toasted Almond Pesto</b></div>
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Inspired by <a href="http://littleferrarokitchen.com/2013/02/basil-almond-pesto/" target="_blank">The Little Ferraro Kitchen</a></div>
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Serves 4</div>
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<li>3 cups basil leaves</li>
<li>1/4 cup almonds (slivered or chopped)</li>
<li>3 cloves garlic (minced)</li>
<li>1/4 tsp salt</li>
<li>1/4 tsp black pepper</li>
<li>1/2 cup olive oil</li>
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<li>Toast almonds by pouring them into a skillet and stirring them over medium heat until they are golden brown.</li>
<li>Put basil leaves, toasted almonds, garlic, salt, pepper, and half of the olive oil into a food processor. Process until a puree forms, add more olive oil as needed to make a smooth, even, sauce.</li>
<li>Serve over your favorite pasta or as a sauce with chicken. Store excess in the refrigerator. To freeze pesto, spoon the sauce into an ice cube tray and drizzle some olive oil over the top. </li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLoeQWMwFW6hLgAskb0B1SHG5PRV3UiVKt05Mypvt_i-C50bs0yvUMSqIVI_qbuQ_SA7xmzXkdPdQeJ4IdBN4PkwekO94BrG1_easYCS3xw6EpyDblzl3dtGWeRgjreUJ8twyOUYZ_ir4/s1600/_DSC3522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLoeQWMwFW6hLgAskb0B1SHG5PRV3UiVKt05Mypvt_i-C50bs0yvUMSqIVI_qbuQ_SA7xmzXkdPdQeJ4IdBN4PkwekO94BrG1_easYCS3xw6EpyDblzl3dtGWeRgjreUJ8twyOUYZ_ir4/s640/_DSC3522.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Rachel Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04978213595014835242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806354017994794871.post-20065021467174399382013-07-14T21:11:00.000-06:002013-07-14T21:46:29.297-06:00Paper Flower Wreath<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I am obsessed with this project! I love love flowers and my poor little bare door needed a colorful wreath for the summer. Can you believe how real and beautiful these paper flowers look? And, bonus, they are easy easy easy to make. Like I kind of felt like a little kid making them, they were so fun.</div>
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This project is all about color! One of my favorite sites is <a href="http://design-seeds.com/" target="_blank">design-seeds.com</a> and it's a great resource for color palettes when you're making anything. <a href="http://design-seeds.com/index.php/home/entry/vitamin-tones" target="_blank">This was the color palette inspiration</a> I used for my wreath. There are millions of gorgeous combinations to help you get inspired in making your wreath.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Paper Flower Wreath</b></span></div>
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For this project you'll need: tissue paper in various colors, floral wire or pipe cleaners, scissors, paint and paintbrush (optional--I used gouache but you could use acrylic or anything), and floral tape. </div>
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So there are about a billion different kinds of paper flowers you can make, I will just show you how to make a few types that I used in my wreath. One tip: do NOT get caught up in worrying about making these flowers perfect, I dripped paint on a few of them, cut wonky shapes from the tissue paper, smashed a few flowers a little bit and they still all looked amazing. Just have fun with it!</div>
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This is the basis for all of the flowers I made for my wreath. Just a length of floral wire (about 9-ish inches) with a small square of tissue paper folded in half over the middle. Then roll the square of tissue paper up so that it is tight on the wire (it definitely doesn't need to look pretty, just roll it tight and be good with it!) Then fold the wire in half. Ta-da! You have a center for a paper flower!</div>
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The process for all of these flowers is the exact same:</div>
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<li>Cut out your shapes from tissue paper, and grab a length of floral wire.</li>
<li>Paint the tissue paper if desired, it looks really cool to use a dry-ish brush with paint and brush outward from the center. </li>
<li>Make the flower's stem and center using the instructions above.</li>
<li>Stack your flower pieces up and poke them onto the stem. Slide them all the way to the top so they are snug against the flower's center.</li>
<li>Wrap a little bit of floral tape right under the base of the petals. This makes it so the flower petals won't slide back down the stem.</li>
<li>Crumple all of the petals to give them a more natural look (optional).</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTFOBJE7HipScw2zlcfGfCW5ily4dCt3Hi65YQmB-dzfDJvJwTeNCj8J_C9qt4Z7EOWgIbXcD1hwafJ74l9rYVxg_GH4uERSxep7a1q4ideSs7vGKht3V-d_UJAul0Agz5etGpRrSn7V8/s1600/_DSC3211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTFOBJE7HipScw2zlcfGfCW5ily4dCt3Hi65YQmB-dzfDJvJwTeNCj8J_C9qt4Z7EOWgIbXcD1hwafJ74l9rYVxg_GH4uERSxep7a1q4ideSs7vGKht3V-d_UJAul0Agz5etGpRrSn7V8/s640/_DSC3211.jpg" width="528" /></a></div>
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Sort of a sunflower/poppy hybrid. To make the black flower center, cut out a small circle and then make slashes all around it to create a fringe-y look.</div>
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An anemone type flower, super super easy and it turned out being my favorite one!</div>
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My version of a carnation. The way you achieve this painted effect is use a really dry, flat brush and dip it in a little bit of paint. Then make short strokes outward around the edge of the circle. This flower also has some stamen details. This was done by taking a small rectangle of yellow tissue paper and twisting/rolling it tightly. I then painted the tips black, and let dry. Then pinch them in the flower's center when you fold the wire stem in half.</div>
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To make this floral bud, I used the floral tape to attach the separate petals around the center of the flower. Just keep wrapping the floral tape around as you add the petals.<br />
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Another floral bud, same technique as above!</div>
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Look at all of the pretty flowers you've made! Loosely arrange them into how you'd like the wreath to look.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjva89w5oArV7JBURX1IIyzMsOB7mcOzRSZ1ICk6tOD0n_cHbmHdiD1XbRtR-wYT_ev483Gp5h0qWy6QhBwAe7lBsyocf5uARiNayWLuQBVgcQJA8AXCesgj4-GhRlgCZBwI97aUuHdw/s1600/_DSC3236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjva89w5oArV7JBURX1IIyzMsOB7mcOzRSZ1ICk6tOD0n_cHbmHdiD1XbRtR-wYT_ev483Gp5h0qWy6QhBwAe7lBsyocf5uARiNayWLuQBVgcQJA8AXCesgj4-GhRlgCZBwI97aUuHdw/s640/_DSC3236.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Begin to make the wreath by holding two flower stems together and wrapping them with floral tape. Wrap a for an inch or two and then add another flower by wrapping with floral tape. Keep adding flowers and wrapping with tape until you've come to the end.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1P8mEMxJQL4Y4Pcdl9oH_H36hPduNEiddQ1qiisVjmEGhgKWP7MJACz3CnKDInFuJANRQNbliN1tu4Jn7tuMc6ZwczDMPXEFBIcuB0N3bKg-7tY7HWUXIWwuR3q08-ERVvkN8L1_e_-Y/s1600/_DSC3240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1P8mEMxJQL4Y4Pcdl9oH_H36hPduNEiddQ1qiisVjmEGhgKWP7MJACz3CnKDInFuJANRQNbliN1tu4Jn7tuMc6ZwczDMPXEFBIcuB0N3bKg-7tY7HWUXIWwuR3q08-ERVvkN8L1_e_-Y/s640/_DSC3240.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
This is how the back of the wreath will look when you've added all of your flowers. Finish the wreath by pulling the two ends together and wrapping the raw ends (shown here on the right) back onto the first flower's stem (here on the left). Cut the tape and you're done!<br />
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I hope everyone is having a happy, sunny Monday! </div>
<br />Rachel Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04978213595014835242noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6806354017994794871.post-26449011791567594792013-07-14T19:52:00.000-06:002013-07-14T19:52:53.500-06:00DIY Plate Wall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Okay so confession: the walls in my house are bare. I've lived in my house for over a year now and I have maybe like 2 pictures on the wall. It is pretty embarrassing, especially considering that I have a shop based in home decor items. One thing I <i>did </i>put up when I moved in, though, is this awesome cute plate wall in my kitchen. I wanted something that would work well for the large wall space that I had in my kitchen but would also be subtle and modern. One thrift shop trip later and voila! A fun plate wall that brightens up my kitchen.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWjwYNMM5VpqyvOKdmw4ZkUY7wGkTIWD8CtMWOdqW9My51xr-KgTlUgouxSxIAfr2svvGUD1QNZRzgCp40KtFqCg3aSUMPwGfyKGMzdqWqGG1eX7MJWtNlydr0qMUbj2tWIfNYL7h8Psk/s1600/_DSC3258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWjwYNMM5VpqyvOKdmw4ZkUY7wGkTIWD8CtMWOdqW9My51xr-KgTlUgouxSxIAfr2svvGUD1QNZRzgCp40KtFqCg3aSUMPwGfyKGMzdqWqGG1eX7MJWtNlydr0qMUbj2tWIfNYL7h8Psk/s640/_DSC3258.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is the perfect project for the kitchen, or really anywhere else in the house. It is so versatile because you can get any color combination of plates and arrange them in any crazy arrangement you want to! I am sharing this tutorial because I learn a lot of DIY things the hard way, and for this project I tried like three different methods to hang these plates and get them straight (and I have the patched up holes in my wall to prove it!) So here is my method, I hope it works for you too!</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">DIY Plate Wall How-to</span></b><br />
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For this project you'll need plates, plate hangers (I got mine <a href="http://shop.hobbylobby.com/products/3-disc-plate-hanger-731877/" target="_blank">here at Hobby Lobby</a>), a big piece of newspaper or tissue paper to create your plate layout on, a pencil, painter's tape, a level, nails, and a hammer.</div>
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First, wash and dry all of your plates. Follow the directions on the plate hangers to attach them to the back of your plate. On the type I bought, it said to get the back of the disc hanger wet and press it firmly onto the back of the plate. Let them dry according to the directions.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLkhEJkGq9esHryAyAvFJMaPp_y3F9Zcd-XnaGni_lqRiyy6DS8ArDSBGgW5gvoxs5vloXwuet6IaM4EAPQD9PfZxxrI4Otfdfg2uKWaa_J6Pc1tvXjNKX4ESAW7P0lL2eXahmZZ5vvr4/s1600/_DSC3267.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLkhEJkGq9esHryAyAvFJMaPp_y3F9Zcd-XnaGni_lqRiyy6DS8ArDSBGgW5gvoxs5vloXwuet6IaM4EAPQD9PfZxxrI4Otfdfg2uKWaa_J6Pc1tvXjNKX4ESAW7P0lL2eXahmZZ5vvr4/s640/_DSC3267.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Then create your plate layout paper. If you are indecisive like me, this will be the hardest part of the whole project! Place all of your plates onto the newspaper or tissue paper using the top edge of the paper as a level edge (i.e. when you put the paper up on the wall, the top edge of the paper will be level and parallel to the floor.). Trace around all of the plates keeping your pencil straight up and down against the paper.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPFOddOCiHDxwct0QGoTenffmmp-ue99pfaDQnQa9HwMZj-rTd4J0uqb0zW2GYFvckJO-tOpr9A-Ij9BUVqCbGIUNz3_-pzE6Mqo-DKgZdZqqARuojLIUtDeaUsNRNH5n_JEScDwqCvVg/s1600/_DSC3279.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPFOddOCiHDxwct0QGoTenffmmp-ue99pfaDQnQa9HwMZj-rTd4J0uqb0zW2GYFvckJO-tOpr9A-Ij9BUVqCbGIUNz3_-pzE6Mqo-DKgZdZqqARuojLIUtDeaUsNRNH5n_JEScDwqCvVg/s640/_DSC3279.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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In each circle I wrote down which plate it was, just so I'd have an easier time remembering my layout when it was time to hang. Next, measure the distance from the top of the plate to the top of the plate hanger ring. Using this measurement, make a cross mark in the traced circle where the hanger ring is. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4YgNhPlBLeJe4xqiQAsco1YSLsBKleATaUy8Wq_hYSwg5ebwhXUL34Ef3odiI6k5hNI1T4kJa_R0oQn6zBiQFHzVDy6gtqNsdfn6nAwUt4axJWVKxbVUiKNjPWWhUkSlj1wEPDg5Drzc/s1600/_DSC3264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4YgNhPlBLeJe4xqiQAsco1YSLsBKleATaUy8Wq_hYSwg5ebwhXUL34Ef3odiI6k5hNI1T4kJa_R0oQn6zBiQFHzVDy6gtqNsdfn6nAwUt4axJWVKxbVUiKNjPWWhUkSlj1wEPDg5Drzc/s640/_DSC3264.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Using a level and painters tape, mark a straight and level line on the wall where the top of your layout paper will be. You do this to make sure that when you hang up your layout paper (with all of the traced plates on it) it is straight and level with the ground.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAiDw3oxJgNKU_PZ7GzTMLQ-oXFwcMYcHAnVSHuiWv961kQWwXk_5DxuLVHdpX4AGAbtweLbJ_iR1Dk9JBCtz0OKeEot1EQNJaCykD3bERIK5jxpziIhPhPTW16PcNgICXsqcUXTeVDKA/s1600/_DSC3288.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAiDw3oxJgNKU_PZ7GzTMLQ-oXFwcMYcHAnVSHuiWv961kQWwXk_5DxuLVHdpX4AGAbtweLbJ_iR1Dk9JBCtz0OKeEot1EQNJaCykD3bERIK5jxpziIhPhPTW16PcNgICXsqcUXTeVDKA/s640/_DSC3288.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Line up the top edge of the layout paper with the level tape line from the previous step. Tape your layout paper to the wall with painters tape. Hammer nails directly through the paper into the wall using the cross marks as a guide. (You can see in this picture how I'm hammering the nail much higher than the cross mark. This is because I marked the <u>plate hanger loop</u> on the layout paper, so when I nail this metal hook into wall, I want the hook to be at the same level as the top of the plate hanger loop.)<br />
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When all of your nails are in the wall, remove the painters tape and rip away the layout paper. Hang up your plates and admire your hard work!</div>
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Rachel Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04978213595014835242noreply@blogger.com2