Check Out Emmalee's Hair!

I had to show you Emmalee's hair real quick this morning before it got messed up.  I do realize I am not the first to ever do their 2 year old's hair like this, but this is the first time I have done this 2 year old's hair like this.  In half an episode of Veggie Tales I put in 2 rows of elastics and the piggies.  It turned out so cute I just had to take a picture :0)

See, she is still smiling after all the pulling and elastic wrapping!

I used to do Madison's hair in cornrows all the time when she was little.  Wanna' see some really amazing hair-dos for girls?  Check out THIS site. Princess Hair Styles is so fun to parooz around.  I haven't been there in a really long time, but the hair was simply astounding!!!

It's Midnight!

It is Midnight and I am finally finished!!!  Thanks only to my wonderful friends who forced their way through the door to help me :0)  What should have taken 'til sunrise was finished in 3 hours.  We are ready for Super Saturday!!!

Above is the pile of centerpieces and table decorations, below...

what my whole house looks like (tee-hee).  All that I have left in me is to laugh.  I can't wait to tell you how it went..."went" hinting that eventually this whole thing will finally end!  Then I can get some of my own projects done, right?  I have fabric staring me in the eye as we speak :0)

CupCake Cake Stand

I made this CupCake Cake Stand for my little sister's wedding last month...or was it this month...My brain has left me for a more sane woman.  Anyhow, here is how I made it.

I cut circles out of 1/4" hardboard on my scroll saw.  I ended up using two 2x4' sheets @ $5 each.  You can use plywood, cardboard or even foam core if you want.  If you do chose cardboard, I would double the layers for sturdiness. 

Do you know how to draw whatever sized circle you want?  Here is an example of how I do it...

Lets say I am making the bottom plate, a 20" circle.  Because I want my bottom circle to be 20",  I mark 10" (half of 20) over from the side of the board and 10" from the bottom of the plywood board. The point where these two lines intersect is now my center dot.  I tie a string to a pencil or nail or something and make my slave-labor daughter hold it on the dot.  Next, I tie the other end of the string to another pencil.  I made sure the lead of that pencil measures out 10" from the center dot when the string is pulled tight.  Then, I carefully draw in a wide circular motion, keeping the string pulled tight.  *You do have to keep an eye on the string, making sure it stays at the same height on both pencils and that both pencils are standing straight up and down as you draw around your circle*  It is pretty cool to see how well this method can work at making whatever sized circle you need.

Moving on...

Looking at other people's stands, I really felt like the stands ended up too steep when the circles were only 2" bigger than each other as you go down the cake stand.   When I do cakes, I usually step down 4".  However, I was worried the thing would end up too wide at the bottom so I chose the middle road and made my circles in 3" steps.  Planning to use a 6" cake on the top, I made the first plate 8", the next 11", 14", 17", and the last one 20".

For the columns, I chose to use this plastic pipe I found at Home Depot.  It came in a 10 foot long piece for about $8.  I only used 2 feet for this project, so I guess you could say that the columns cost less than $2 :0)  

My husband would not agree with my logic...but we won't go there. 

This pipe stuff is really cool because, while it is found in the same section as PVC pipe, it is much lighter and less dense.  It cuts much more easily.  I really equate it to a plastic version of cardboard.  I used my miter saw to cut this pipe, but it should be fairly easy to cut with a hand saw.

I ended up cutting my columns 5" tall.  I wanted plenty of room for the cupcakes and any decorations on top of them, plus the lacy decoration that would be hanging from the plates themselves.

I thought a long time about how to assemble the cake stand.  I wanted to be able to take the huge thing apart to store it or travel with it, but also wanted it to be very sturdy.  Making cakes is nerve racking enough without worrying about the stand falling apart or slipping to the floor!

I finally decided to glue these blocks to the center.  I put one on top and one on the bottom.  I explained to my kids that I did it this way so the whole thing would work like LEGOs. 

The blocks are just the right length to fit snug inside the pipe, just tall enough that if the stand were bumped upward the plates would not come off.

The next step is to decorate the cake stand.  I went in search of white contact paper to cover the plates.  I went everywhere but Walmart.  I should have gone there first.  None of the stores I went to carried contact paper.  I finally found white glossy wrapping paper at Hobby Lobby.  I modge podged it on.  Time was running out swiftly so I skipped the top coat.  Bad Idea!  The cupcakes left little stains all over the paper.  I will have to take it all off or maybe just layer over the top of it now to hide the stains.  Maybe I will still hit Wally World for that white contact paper anyway :0)  I went with white on the plates so I could use the stand for whatever event I wanted.  I modge podged scrapbook paper around the pipes/columns.  Now I think I should have used wrapping paper for that too to cut down on the seams.  I was thinking I could change the paper for the specific events: blue for baby boy showers, pink for baby girl, primary colors for birthday parties, etc.  I guess I could just cut new columns with all that pipe I have left over and have several sets to choose from:0)

I wanted a very elegant, yet whimsical look to the cake so I cut these lace patterns out with my Sizzix Sidekick.  I used double sided tape around the edge of the plates to stick a light pink ribbon to the sides.  After that, I hot glued the paper to the ribbon.  The nice thing about the double sided tape was that when we got home I could rip the tape off very easily.  Now I can tape on any new ribbon to match my next theme, like "Bunco".  I wonder if they sell ribbon with little Dice on it... :0)

Here is a closer look at the lace before I ripped it off.  I wish I could think of a material for that trim that would hold up and be interchangeable.  It isn't that this paper didn't do it's job, but I had to glue it on when we got there and it got munched up in the car ride home.  I guess you could put velcro or something like that around the rim and use real lace.  That could be an option. 

You actually wouldn't believe how I went about putting the ribbon on.  We hit 4:30 Friday, leaving for our 12 hour car drive in less than an hour, and I had just modge podged the paper on.  I took all the plates and put them on top of our luggage in the back of the Tahoe.  As we drove, I had Eli pass a plate up to me in the front seat.  I would cut the excess paper off around the edge of the plate, then apply the double sided tape and pink ribbon.  When I was done, I would pass the plate back to Eli and have him pass me the next one.  I am sure the Labor Day Travelers sharing the road with us had a hard time figuring out what on earth I was doing!  I got it done though, right?  Had I done it at home I probably would have hot glued and been stuck with my pink ribbon.  Now I have options :0)

I only put one block on the bottom of the top plate.  That way it is clear on top for whatever cake or topper I want to use in the future.  

That is the gist of how I made my CupCake Cake Stand.  It cost me less than $20 to make and came together in only a couple of hours ('cause that was all I had).  It should be great to have for whatever baby/bridal shower, birthday party, or other kind of occasion that pops up out of nowhere and store with the best of them in the closet between gigs :0)

This project is linked up HERE:

http://todayscreativeblog.net/

Seven Days And Counting :0)

Well, I finally printed out my I Spy Bag labels.  I needed to get them done so my volunteers would have enough time to sew them on bags by next Saturday.  Whew!  I can't even tell you how many hours I have spent in the car driving to every possible store that sold little things in order to make these labels.  I had to find the things first.  I kept thinking I would find my items, like snowflakes and chess pieces, but just couldn't.  Tonight I hit the jackpot at Micheals.  I finally found the ponytail beads-butterflies, fish, starfish, dragonflies, baseballs...  They are in the back at our store, not in the bead section.  Go figure!  Anyway, after a nerve racking hour, I managed to print out 60, that's right, 60 I Spy Labels. 

 I think that at least 50 are totally usable :0) 

I just sat there each and every time I ran the fabric through the printer, praying silently in my head that I would not hear the munching of heat-n-bond paper-backing under the ink cartridges.  Whew.  Now to cut out, iron, and hand out for my lovely friends to sew. 

 I have wood strewn all across my house, piles of Walmart/Joanns/Michaels bags in every corner possible.  Super Saturday-7 days and counting :0) 

More Gotta Do

So, I have nothen' for ya.  I couldn't stand the thought of those raw chicken pictures front and center on the blog one more day.  That's why I hit the infamous "Gotta Do" file.  First up is a free pattern for Rita's Rump Pocket.  It takes a very determined mother to MAKE her diapers!  They are so cute though, right? 

While we are on the subject of determined ladies, Sabra from Sew A Straight Line makes her own paper towel!!!  I was intrigued by the idea and found her tutorial here.  Wow!  I hate to admit it, but I would like to make some :0)

That is the end of my "GREEN" portion of today's program *snicker*

 

These darling appliqued shirts are from Maddie Moo's Mom.  I found the post HERE as a sponsor ad, but her site is actually HERE.  Check them both out for some truly talented applique inspiration.

This little rolled-up letter of love comes from Paper 'N Stitches.  I want to make them for my family and hide them in their sock drawers and lunch boxes.  Who needs to wait for valentines day, right?  I just need to wait until I have a second to myself.  Valentines Day might come first :0)

How-CUTE-is-THIS!!!!  I love these frames, but have never seen one as cute as this one!  And guess what?  I just found out that Lowes has the metal already cut in a pack of 10 for something like $2.50!!!!  Do I hear a Christmas project knocking on the door?  You can find this project at Nap Time Journal.

Last thing before I run out the door for a day of painful Super Saturday Shopping-Make your own coloring book tutorial using Photo Shop.  How fun would that be?  I now have my first child that likes to color coloring pages!  I was just thinking, "How do I do that again" at the thought of a coloring book of family pictures.  I had a Kodak camera that came with it's own program.  That program had a coloring book option, but is on our other computer that has no printer. 

Never mind my woes, check THIS out if you want to make one for yourself!

Canning Chicken-Raw Pack!!!

I am sure you were just sitting there at home wondering how to keep chicken on your pantry shelf for years at a time and still be able to eat it at a second's notice, right?  It is your lucky day!  I have been so busy getting ready for Super Saturday, and will be for the next two weeks, I thought I would get my mind off things with a little canning lesson.

I realize it takes a special person to even think about, let alone actually can their own meat.  I was one of those people not too long ago.  I will tell you that I stared blankly into my friend Jodi's face when she went on and on about how yummy the meat is and how easy it is to do.  Love ya, Jodi!  I learned my lesson and have been canning all my meat for almost two years now.  Every bite is tender and so full of flavor, not to mention quick and easy to use.  I will never buy canned chicken from the store again!

I found this cartoon and thought it fitting for our lesson :0)

http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=2113717

So when old Henrietta stops finding egg money and it is time for her to go...I better not even go there...

Start with clean, sterilized jars.  Like with the ground beef, I sterilize the jars, but since my chicken is cold when I can it, I don't keep the jars hot.  My own personal belief is that it leads to broken jars in the canner when you mix hot and cold.

You wanted to see gross things to get you in the mood for Halloween right?  I do apologize for the visuals on this post.  It makes me want to scrub everything with Clorox Kitchen Cleaner.  Anyway, I usually buy 14-16lbs of chicken.  That much chicken will fill 7 wide-mouth quart jars and that is how many jars my canner holds. I wait for the chicken to be on sale for around $1.70lb or so, then buy up a bunch and can it all. 

You can cut the chicken into chunks like this, but you don't really have to cut it at all.  It is only for the ease of getting it out of the jar.  Really, the chicken shreds as you pull it out.  I do like to cut it into chunks so it is already an edible size when it comes out of the jar.  Then I don't have to cut it later, just throw it into whatever I am cooking. 

I load the jar with the chunks, with the aid of my handy dandy wide-mouthed funnel.  Normally I fill the jars about half-way, then squish everything around until all the holes are filled.  I think I was so worried about taking the picture that I filled this jar, took the picture, then realized I hadn't squished.  I took half back out, squished, filled it back in a ways, squished some more, then topped it off.  I have learned not to fill the jars exactly 1" from the top.  I stop at maybe 1 1/2" or so.  I noticed that some of the juices come out of the jar during processing.  If you under-pack the jar just a smidge it takes care of that problem.

Other than salt, don't add anything to the chicken.  When it cooks, it makes it's own liquid-real, fresh chicken broth!  As for the salt, add 1 tsp salt per quart of chicken, or any meat really.  If you are using pints, put in 1/2 tsp salt.  If you are watching your salt, skip it.  It doesn't hurt anything, just adds flavor.

Process for 75 minutes @ 15lbs pressure for Pints

90 minutes @ 15lbs pressure for Quarts.

Due to my painfully cheep tendencies, I use Quarts.  I don't want to use two jars, two lids, and twice the processing time to make two jars of meat.  I pack my meat into quart jars, then just plan two nights of chicken recipes in a row, or two nights of hamburger meals in a row.  The meat, once opened, stays good for 3-4 days in the fridge.  I won't tell you we have stretched that a little, but according to the food safety websites, 3-4 days is acceptable. 

The canned chicken is stored on the shelf in the pantry, and for up to 2-5 years.  No fridge or freezer needed.  You don't have to heat it up to eat it either.  You can open it and eat it out of the jar if you wanted to, like tuna.  Perfect for a cold chicken salad, or throw it in a casserole. 

My friend buys bone-in chicken, cooks it in the crockpot all day, peals it off the bones, then cans it.  The thought exhausts me.  You can do it that way, but I really think the raw pack method is the way to go.  The chicken ends up cheaper when you aren't paying for bones and the whole process is so fast when you skip the extra cooking.  Also, I took a nutrition class in college where we were beaten over the head with the idea that the more you cook something, the more nutrients you take away from it.  I love that when you put the chicken in the can raw, it is cooked in it's own juices and most of the vitamins that are released are kept right there in the can.  If you use the broth from the jar, you are still getting most of those vitamins :0)  Again, it is all theory according to Vanessa and I really can't vouch for my mind these days.  All I can say is that my family really loves the meals I make with my canned chicken :0)  You should try it!  I am open for any questions you might have along the way!!!

Need a little more chicken humor?  Check out this link for some chicken chuckles.  They were worth mentioning, but not worth the money they charged to post the pictures :0)

More from The Wood Connection :0)

How CUTE is THIS!!!! 

I can't wait to make thousands!  I am using this boot as my table centerpieces for Super Saturday.  I think I will use them for my 200 follower giveaway too, assuming we reach 200 by Halloween :0) 

I just couldn't wait another day to post the other pictures from The Wood Connection!!!  I love that place, as you already know.  I NEED the "Wicked" craft on the top shelf.  Then check out the 2x6 faces on the bottom.  How easy would they be to make!?! 

The mouths are done with that new fatter wire everyone is using-it comes in tons of colors

I also think I "NEED" both of these word signs.  I will need them to go along with my ghosts.  You must know that a pair of these ghosts came home with me.  I am toying with mixing them in with the boot as the Super Saturday centerpieces.  We will make the decision after I see how well my new band saw cuts :0)

Sorry about the glare!  Cute, cute.  Love the hat!

Again with the hat!  Love it!  That "Trick or Treat" sign is the metal with words cut out I mentioned yesterday.  They are so cool.  They have the metal plates for all seasons and with tons of different sayings.  I think they can even do custom cuts, like your last name and such.

Also on my To-Do list!  I loved these.  I would have just bought them but the set was something like $12.  Where I can cut my own wood, I really just wanted the bat so I could have the pattern and make 20 sets, you know, like I do :0)

Not into Halloween or you are already for Christmas?  Here you go.  I don't know where they come up with this stuff!

Sorry for the overwhelming amount of things in this picture.  Now you know what it is like to be surrounded by craftiness like when in the Wood Connection :0)  On the website you can order the letters (there are several fonts and sizes to choose from) then paint and add accessories as you will.

I love the elf shoe!

Super easy presents out of 2" wood...

I have been in love with this snowman for years and have never made him.  He is of 2" wood also.

This was the last thing I noticed that I have to do. I have been looking for a manger to use for our centerpieces for the Christmas Party at church.  I need this manger to be a little smaller.  This one is actually kinda big.  It is at least 24" not counting the star :0)  I don't think it would be easy to talk over.  Whatever the case, I LOVE IT!!!

So, tomorrow begins my manic preparations for Super Saturday.  I bought wood today.  Tomorrow I will begin using every spare 5 minute increment of time to get the crafts and kits ready for September 25th!  I am getting pumped up for the incredible task that lies ahead.  Maybe I should have bought chocolate when I was buying my lumber :0) I will need it!