somewhat simple

Friday, November 20, 2009

Freaky Friday

Hi everyone, I'm Mique from 30days.
It's my first time blog swapping and I'm excited that Stephanie asked me to.
My blog is full of craft tutorials and giveaways- I'd love for you to stop by and say hi.

A couple of weeks ago I posted about this cute pillow that I spotted on Pottery Barn Kids:

I thought it was adorable but knew that I could create one on my own with my stash of felt {fyi I have a slight obsession with felt}. I thought this blog swap would be the perfect time to share the tutorial for it. I decided to use red because 1) it's my favorite color and 2) with Christmas coming up, I thought it'd be cute. So here goes:

First these are the supplies you'll need:

I know, easy, right?
Oh wait, I forgot to mention batting.
Sorry you need batting too.

So cut your stack of felt rectangles, like so:
two big, one medium, one small-
my biggest size was the size of an 8.5x11" piece of paper

Copy & print my template:

FYI- I was originally going to do 3 scallop frames like the PB pillow,
but it was a smaller size and just looked too crowded.
You could do 3 if you wanted though.

Next, cut out the scallops and the white squares.
I tried a few different ways of actually cutting out the
scallops. I tried free hand- NO WAY.
I tried pinning my template and cutting around- no good either.
Take from me, the best way is to cut out the template,
trace with a sharpie around the scallops and boxes.
Then cut out with scissors.
Yes it takes longer, but in my humble opinion,
it looks way better.
Here is my sharpie outline & cutting them out:

Next arrange them on the biggest rectangle like so:

Pin them down and topstitch with coordinating thread.

It should now look like this:

At this point, fold your scallops inward
and pin towards the middle.
This is so when you sew your top & bottom
together, you won't catch your scallops in the seam.

Then flip your top over and pin to your bottom
(the other biggest rectangle), like this:

Sew about 1/8" using your the
sewn scallop as a guide.
Make sure to leave a hole for flipping
the pillow right side out.
It should look like this:

Then cut out your pillow, clip the corners
and flip it ride side out using the hole that you left.
Fill with batting. It'll look like this:

You will then slip stitch the opening closed with coordinating thread.
And here's the finished pillow:

Stand back and admire what you've created.

Thanks Stephanie for letting me swap today!
There's all kinds of fun stuff going on at 30days-
with the holidays coming up, I have so much to post about.
Make sure to come say hello!
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Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Strut Your Stuff Thursday!

I am excited for our first day of Strut Your Stuff Thursday! I can't wait to see what you all have been working on!

How to Play-
1. Link your project, not your homepage. (I hate to have to delete these entries!)
2. Enter your site name and the title of your project like so: Somewhat Simple- Placemat Purse
3. Link Back by grabbing our button:

Have fun everyone!!!

Cute Recipe Cards

The "visual person" inside me decided I needed a picture with every recipe card that I have in my ever-growing repertoire! Here is what I came up with:

I just uploaded the pictures I have to Picnik.com then copied the text of the recipe straight from my blog and put it on top of the picture. I saved each file as a jpg and printed them out on cardstock. I would actually love to eventually have them printed at WalMart as a 4x6 picture, but this just what I have done for now!

It was SUPER easy to do! Now I just need to do this to ALL my recipes! What have I gotten myself into?! lol...

Shrimp Quesadillas

MMMM.... week 2 of the "Let's Eat Challenge" was way better than week 1!!! These Shrimp Quesadillas were fantastic!!!

I didn't stray too far from the original recipe. I did make my own guacamole just by adding a tbs of salsa to mashed avocado, so that eliminated some steps and ingredients for me.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound shelled and deveined shrimp
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chile
4 tbs lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 ripe avocado, mashed
1/2 cup(s) loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 tbs salsa
Soft-taco-size flour tortillas
8 ounce(s) shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend

In small bowl, toss shrimp with chipotle chile. Add lime juice; set aside.
In nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium one minute. Add red pepper and onion and cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add shrimp and cook 3 minutes longer or until shrimp just turn opaque throughout. Transfer shrimp mixture to medium bowl and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Remove pan from heat and wipe with paper towel.
Meanwhile, prepare guacamole: In small bowl, combine avocado with salsa.
Heat same skillet on medium-low 30 seconds. Add butter or spray so tortilla doesn't stick to pan. Place 1 tortilla in skillet. Sprinkle with shrimp mixture, cheese, and cilantro; top with second tortilla, pressing lightly. Cook quesadilla about 2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Carefully turn quesadilla and cook 1 to 2 minutes longer or until cheese melts. Repeat to make all quesadillas!

5. Cut quesadillas into wedges; serve with guacamole!

This was delightful!!! My husband said we need to add this one to our rotation of meals! I am not a huge shrimp lover (though my husband wants to be burried with it!) , but even for me, this was not bad at all! I will try this next time with shredded chicken- I think that would be even better!!!

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Tutorial Tuesday

So many of my creative readers have sent me awesome links to their blogs! I appreciate every single link and try to fit everyone in during a Feature Friday, but I decided today, in honor of "Tutorial Tuesday, I am going to feature some of my reader's tutorials.

If you are reading this and would like to submit your own tutorial, please just email me with the link and I would love to put you in a future spotlight! stephd757@yahoo.com

Without further adieu, here are some awesome ideas from some awesome readers!

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Tiffany, from Pretending to be Domestic, will show you how to make these 3-D Snowflakes that she calls "Amazingly Easy."

Fawnda, from Fireflies & JellyBeans will teach you how to make this fabric travel tissue holder:

Kelly, from All Things Made By Kelly, has a great puppet theater tutorial she made with her kids:

Melissa, from Honey Bee Bzz has a darling idea for a treat bag for a little boy's baseball party:

You can find this cute hedge hog tutorial made from a car wash mit from the dollar store @ Eden's Flower Garden

Life of a Mormon Housewife has a great tutorial for this cute hanging wall folder- what a neat idea!

And if you want a darling blog with FANTASTIC pictures of all things creative, check out The Sweet Life. This cupcake tutorial is what she made for Veterens Day, but don't feel trapped using only red, white and blue- these cupcakes can go with any holiday!!!

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I hope you guys were inspired today just a bit! I love my readers! Keep the emails of ideas coming!!!
stephd757@yahoo.com

Monday, November 16, 2009

Live in the Moment

Just in case you missed my swap with Melissa, here is the project I did!

I love this quote:

“The biggest mistake I made [as a parent] is the one that most of us make. … I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of [my three children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less”

Because I love this saying so much, remember when I made THIS post to display it?

It was super easy to do, but I didn't LOVE it... so back to the drawing board I went and came up with this instead:

Ahhh! Much better!

Here is a step-by-step tutorial so you can make one too!

1. Set up an account with Picnik.com- its easy and FREE!

2. Find a picture you love of your kids and upload it to Picnik. I chose this one of their feet:

3. Once on Picnik, turn the picture Black & White

4. Add some text. (Live in the Moment is in Times New Roman and the smaller text is in Jules-Te-Reo)

5. Crop it.

6. Add a vignette (the size on this one is 10-15)

7. Print it out

I just emailed it to my husband and he printed it off his nice printer from work.

8. Frame it!

I tried a few different frame options: an 11x14 with an 8x10 matte, different colored mattes etc, but the one I like most was this simple black frame without no matte at all. Sometimes less is more!

9. Display it!

Mine is on my nightstand- its my daily reminder to enjoy life as it is- craziness and all!

I know being a mom is hard and crazy at times, but I just don't want to have any regrets and miss out on this chance to make memories every dayl!!! Hopefully this picture will remind me during those rough times to savor every second- I am not going to get this time back, and it really is a great time in life!!!

Favorite Blogs

I have my list of favorite blogs, but I would love to see where you guys frequent most often and why. I just wanted to get a better idea of what other blogs my readers LOVE!

If you would all please enlighten me as to where you visit and why you visit, that would be fantastic! I just want to make sure I am not missing something out in the blogging world!

Add the blog homepage link to the link list below and then tell me what it is you love about that blog. Thanks everyone!!!

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Blogging 101- Button Help

I am no expert blogger, I learn everything I know by searching online for help and then by a lot of trial and error!
A couple months ago I learned how to resize a button so that it fits on my sidebar and doesn't overlap onto my blog. Until I came accross this "trick" I would literally make a new button myself for every button that I grabbed so that it fit on my sidebar- it was such a pain!!! One day I discovered this trick completely on accident and was amazed that I did not see this sooner because it is so obvious and so easy! Since then I have received quite a few comments asking me how I got all my buttons lined up so nicely and all the same size. So for all of you who have been wondering, here is the EASY tutorial:

First, you need to add your html gadget. From your dashboard, click the "Layout Tab" then "Page Elements" then "Add A Gadget".

Clcik on "HTML/JavaScript" from the list of gadgets.

A box that looks like this will come up:

Add the html code for the button you want to add and it will look something like this:

From this page that looks like a foreign language, click on the "rich text" link.

It will show you something like this:

You can then click on the picture of the button and when it is highlighted, you can drag it to make it bigger or smaller. The dimensions will show up too, so you can make it 125x125 or 300x300... whichever you prefer to fit in you sidebar! When you are done, click "Save" and your blog will look so nice and pretty!!!

THAT IS IT!!! No more overlapping buttons!!!

Let's Eat Challenge- Week 3

Let's get cooking with 3 new recipes for the week!

Taco Soup

Cheesy Chili Dip

White Chocolate-Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

All these recipes are from Kraftfoods.com- my most favorite recipes site/magazine ever!!! There have been very few (if any!) recipes from this site I haven't liked! If you are not familiar with this site, it is time to get aquainted!

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Come And Play!

Things are going to be shaken up a bit here at somewhat simple!

Starting Thursday, November 19th, I am inviting all of you to showcase your stuff right here, each and every week!

So many of you craft, cook, sew, paint, refinish, re-do, decorate and a whole bunch of other "stuff." I want to have an "online party" to link all of these ideas.

So visit somewhat simple every Thursday and enter your creation in our link list. I will also be featuring my favorite ideas from the list- so come and show me whatcha got!

Grab our button to post on your blog so everyone will know you are involved. Invite your readers to do the same- the more people at our party, the better!

This will be a great way of sharing creative readers and getting people to visit your blog, but its also a great way for us all to be inspired!

Start thinking of what you want to link and I will see you all here Thursday!

Bye for now...

Me in the Hot Seat ANSWERS!

Here I am, in the Hot Seat ready to answer the questions you asked! Let's get started:

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“Puggle Trouble” ~ What “something good” came out of your last “something bad”?

My last “something bad” made me appreciate my husband more than ever before. I’ll just leave it at that…

"pk @ ROOM REMIX" ~ What's your favorite color (and least favorite color) ?

I love a variety of colors, and depending on the time of year or my mood, my favorite changes! I love so many shades of blue and green, but I also appreciate a good pink too. Right now I am loving red and have been seen around town sporting some red lipstick on occasion, just for the heck of it! I don't think I have a least favorite color...

"Marilyn @ Krafty Mum" ~ Why did you decide to start Somewhat Simple?

My blog history goes like this: Family blog started in 2007ish after much persuading from my SIL. Personal Blog started a few months later as my own "online journal." I was "hooked on blogging" from then on and decided to make a blog for my business (somewhat simple) which was a boutique-style site where readers could purchase crafts I made. A few months later, Family blog had crazy people looking and commenting on it, so I stopped writing on that one and began using my personal blog for everything family related. The problem with this is that I wanted to share my creative side with everyone, not just close friends, but I didn't want my private life public either, so I started another blog called "A Place that Makes Me Smile" this past April. I wanted a place to showcase the creative side of me and not be so serious all the time. I had so much fun with it and decided it was way more fun to share my creativity than sell it, so I merged A Place that Makes Me Smile with Somewhat Simple in July and the rest is history!

"Lacie@creative attempts" ~ What is the gift you will give neighbors and friends this year?

Years ago, my family got a great gift that I will never forget from one of our neighbors. It was a bag of lime Tostitos with a jar of homemade cranberry salsa. It was tied up with a cute holiday ribbon and addressed with a cute card. I am thinking I might do this for my neighbors this year. The salsa recipe is TO DIE FOR!!! (Whatever I do, I am sure there will be a post about!)

"Shandra@ My Honey Do List" ~ What's your favorite project or tip that you've shared?

I love so many of them, but if I had to pick one, I would say I love the Couple’s Collage I did recently for my Master Bedroom. I think because I needed something in that space so badly for so long and it was easy and turned out better than I could’ve imagined. It still makes me smile when I walk in the room!

"Crafty Watching?" ~ What are some of your favorite crafting / decorating movies and television shows?

I used to be addicted to HGTV, but honestly I haven’t watched a single show from there in I don’t know how long. I actually don’t watch a lot of TV! Me and Rob watch 30 Rock, Modern Family & The Office religiously… but those aren’t the best inspiration for decoration! My biggest inspiration comes from other creative bloggers! I have a long list (and a short list) of blogs I read that inspire me better (and faster) than any TV show.

"A Crafty Clan" ~ What's your favorite food to make?

My favorite to make is Mexican food because that’s my favorite type of food to eat! I love any recipe that uses items I don’t have to make a special trip to the grocery store for- something easy, but pretty that makes me proud when I am done making it. Oh, and it has to taste good too.

"Shilo@Toadly Crafty" ~ What is your favorite holiday to decorate for and why?

Christmas. Hands Down. Its my favorite time of year, its my favorite holiday… I just love everything about it!

"Rae @ Two Hands" ~ What is the best advice you've received regarding home decorating and homekeeping?

I can’t recall any “advice” I have been given- I have just learned tips from trial and error along the way. One of my best tips is to have a “junk basket” in every common area of your house- your family room, your loft… any area that tends to be occupied often because these are the places that tend to have stray items linger on the floor. Its amazing how fast a room can go from messy to tidy if you just put the items temporarily in a basket! Then its easy to travel room by room carrying the basket and putting items away. (And get cute baskets if they are out in the open!)

"Nicole @ Beautifully Inspired" ~ What is your least favorite meal / food (and favorite) !

I am so not picky, in fact there are very few things I won’t eat, so its hard to pick a favorite. But my least favorite food is probably mushrooms!

"Scrappy Gifts" ~ What did you eat for breakfast?

A Kit-Kat bar from my kids Halloween stash. And a glass of Cranberry Juice.

"Splendid Little Stars" ~ What is your current most favorite thing about each of your kids?

Ugh, today has been a rough day! I need this question to remind me why I love them! But in thinking about it, I don’t think I can pick one thing, how about 3, is that fair? (I make the rules and I say “yes.”) Ok- Ethan: He is a big help around the house, he is the most caring kid you will ever meet, and he is super smart… sometimes too smart. Leah: I love her sass because it makes me appreciate her sweetness! I love her love for shopping- she is a fun shopping buddy! And I love her girlyness. In a house full of boys, its refreshing sometimes to have someone want you to paint their nails too. Ryan is my big teddy bear- my HUGE teddy bear. I love his cuddles and I love putting him in a trance while scratching his back. I love his laugh and I love his temper- it can be very entertaining!

“Stay in the car mom" ~ What is your favorite paint color? How old are you?

A little un-known secret about me is that while I can appreciate a colorful piece of furniture or a beautifully painted room, the truth is I am such a simple, neutral-loving person and color kind of scares me! I like a pop of color here and there, but the idea of painting a coffee table orange just to make a statement doesn’t sit well with me and I am more likely to paint it black. Call it boring, but its just my taste! Every color wall in my house is painted a color called “Sienna Sands.” We had the builder paint it during construction just so we wouldn’t move into a new home with stark white walls. My intention was to change the wall colors room by room, but now that I am living here, I like the uniformity of it all and would rather decorate with accessories than paint. Am I alone on this? And I am 27 years old.

"Twice Adopted" ~ How did you come up with the name "Somewhat Simple"?

Choosing a name was SOOOO hard for me! I thought for days and days and went through a bazillion names! One afternoon I was talking to my friend about all the “cutsie” names I had thought of and in desperation and frustration I said, “I just want the name to be something somewhat simple.” My friend said, “Well, there ya go! How about ‘somewhat simple?’ and it just felt right!

"Tasha" ~ What advice do you have for working mom's just beginning to really hone their home cooking, creating and decorating skills? What are the tools you just can't live without that we should have?

My advice would be to not be afraid to try things! And try not to get frustrated when it doesn’t turn out the first time. Keep practicing and you will get it, whether its with sewing, cooking, home organization etc. Not all of us are born with a natural gift of all things creative- I sure was not! I have learned EVERYTHING I know from watching others and by being curious enough to try it and disciplined enough to work and become better at it. I am still a work in progress!

And I don’t have any special “tools.” I like my sewing machine, though I don’t use it nearly as often as I could, I love my hot glue gun, and I love the tools I have stolen from my dad in the last year- a small saw and electric sander- before I had that, distressing wood took forever and I was very limited on size when it came to projects with wood!!!

"Question" ~ Who do you have for the Christmas gift exchange? : )

There could only be 3 people asking me this! I actually didn’t know this was a secret and I already told one of my SIL’s! (oops!) To narrow it down, I have someone with the first name Megan and middle name Elizabeth. (For those of you not in my family, I have 2 SIL’s named Megan Elizabeth.)

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Thanks for playing everyone! I enjoyed answering those questions and hope you all feel like you know me just a bit more! Now go tell everyone you know someone famous! He he…

Friday, November 13, 2009

Freaky Friday- A Feathered Nest

Today I am blog swapping with my new friend, Abby! Her site is one I frequent often and her projects are very inspiring!

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Hi everybody!!! I'm Abby over at "A Feathered Nest" and I get to invade Stephanie's blog today!! How fun - I've never done this before, so it's been a new adventure for me! Thanks, Stephanie, for this great opportunity! {she's so cute!}

A little background - I'm an Arizona country girl living in Michigan for a little while. I'm spoiled rotten because I get to stay home, take care of my kids and house, and explore whatever hobby strikes my fancy. I love to do EVERYTHING (except sampling weird food...) so I'm always doing something creative and random. Good stuff.

'kay - on with the post. My project is a *yummy* fleece blanket/pillow that seriously takes 30 minutes start-to-finish. You could give these as gifts, or make a few for the house to warm you up during the Holiday season!

You can use this cozy blanket as a pillow, or you can unfold it and wrap up in it, and tuck your cold toes into the pocket while you curl up with a good book!

So let's get started...