Bird Seed Ornaments: Attempt #1

On Friday night I decided to make birdseed ornaments, using cookie cutters as forms, as a gift to some friends this year. I hopped on Pinterest and looked around for a recipe. Here's the one I decided to use as I found it in several places:

3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup water
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
3 tbsp. corn syrup
4 cups birdseed

The recipe stated to mix it all up and press firmly into molds, being sure to use a straw to poke holes in them. Sure. Simple. mmhmmm...

Mistake#1:  I didn't have corn syrup, so I searched for a substitute online and made simple syrup. NOT equivalent. I am assuming this is why The Issue occurred, but I cannot be sure.

Mistake #2:  I used my hands. The recipe also stated that the ornaments would have to 'set' for several hours. I read this to mean that I had some time before the Knox gelatin 'set.' Thinking this, I mixed it with my hands, which worked AWESOME and the mixture was perfect in 30 seconds. The problem? The seeds would not come off my hands - had to stop and wash with dish soap for about 5 minutes.

Mistake #3:  I had such a mess because I used my hands and the mixture was setting so quickly that I grabbed a small bundt cake/mold pan, sprayed it quick and filled it up with the remaining seed mixture. The next day, the seed would not come out without help of a knife and it all broke in half. Use lots of cooking spray if you use a mold.

Here's what I had at around 11:30 pm...

I was pretty happy, even with the seedy hands. I had remembered to line the sheet with wax paper and didn't really have much wasted seed, besides what I had to wash down the drain due to my hand-mixing fiasco.

So, following instructions, I put them outside in the freezing temps to 'set' overnight - this was said to give the best results and, of course, I wanted only the best results.

The Issue: Next day, the first one (I chose a round one) popped right out of the mold and I was thrilled! I tied a wide ribbon through and hung it on the display on the front porch. Literally 3 seconds later, it broke.

Not wanting all of my ornaments to break at the hanging point, I decided to just leave the cookie cutters intact and hang them, cookie cutter and all. Here is what I have on my front porch 2 days later:


A fat squirrel hauled away both sections of the busted bundt seed wreath and has not yet destroyed the rest of my work. I never got to give away my seed ornaments (from this batch, anyway) because I did not want to lose my few tin cookie cutters.

I need to go buy some corn syrup to give this another proper try, but I have to say that I love the look of the cookie cutters left on - gives a little sparkle.

You are supposed to keep these ornaments out of the rain as that will break down all of the stuff that keeps them stuck together. This display is on the south side of my front porch, so it's as protected an area as I have available. I lay the broken circle ornament on the pine boughs. Birds really don't care about 'best results.' We can certainly take a lesson from them. An offering is an offering, no matter how small or imperfect.

UPDATE: Day 3 - the squirrel took all of these, including my cookie cutters - I got home after dark & found only one. Thanks, rodent.

Back in the Saddle!

Hi, there! It's been quite a year, let me tell you! I've had three surgeries, the first of which was last November (2011) and then one in March ('12) and one in April ('12). Though I tried to get back to being my DIY girl self, it has been over a year since I have been able to do much along those enjoyable lines due to residual and new pain and staying afloat with my work. Well, I am happy to say that things are slowly and steadily changing for the better! Thank goodness I have a wonderful family and a few awesome friends that have helped me through it all. I almost feel like myself again.

Here's a ten minute project that I did tonight. Tired of losing my to-do list on my desk (under other papers and pads), I created this little beauty:

I took out the unwanted photograph and used the frame's cardboard oval to cut out the proper shape of paper. I wrote, "Today:" on top, and re-framed it all. When I put it on my desk tomorrow, I'll tie on a cute ribbon (to the top of stand portion) which I will tie around a fine point dry erase marker. No more paper (or lost marker), no more buried to-do list, and a happier, more productive me!

Frame your to-do list and share your results!

Tips for this project:

Pick a frame that isn't too small and isn't too heavy - this one held a 5x7 and is made of thin metal - the glass is the heaviest part. You could replace glass with plexi, but the point here is to save-reuse-share, so I kept my glass intact.You could also put in a piece of clear acrylic from some left-over packaging that you have around the house - clear boxes, etc.

There are some cork projects that I will soon be sharing with you, too.

Because I am so proud, I want to share that my class and me wrote personal messages in 1,364 Christmas cards that were sent to Holiday Mail for Heroes this year. Last year our number was almost 700 and the year before that 588, so I could not be happier for their volunteerism for such a wonderful cause! Please watch the video and get  involved next year! Here's a picture from our half-way point:

3 Hours, 2 Days, 1 Store

$50 plus 50 miles R/T.

Worthington, Columbia, Brooks Brothers, Coldwater Creek - the list goes on! I spent about 90 minutes in the Salvation Army two Wednesdays in a row and the photos tell the story! The top photo was a $23.00 day and the second was a $26.00 day.

For $23.00, I brought home three tanks - cream cable, an ocean blue knit, and a ribbed brown, a long-sleeve (with tags still on) white dress shirt, a linen short sleeve top, a coral shirred dressy top, a dri-weave zip top polo, my new favorite summer pajamas (mid-century modern house, push-lawn mower and FLAMINGO-print bottoms, I mean come ON!) and a pretty bowl, MADE IN THE USA, that cost me $1.99, listed on eBay for $25. I was thrilled and had everything washed and in my closet by dinner time!

The following week I hauled in this $26.00 score: brown dress chinos, a sweater tank, 3 versatile scarves, two skorts in aqua & denim, pink plaid shorts, a fun embroidered skirt, an aqua tank, purple linen 3/4 sleeve shirt and my find of the day - a french cuff Brooks Brothers wrinkle-free dress shirt for $2.50.

What did $50 buy you on your last shopping trip?

Plant Sharing

Here we are in the middle of summer and the garden centers at your local home improvement stores are packed with people, money pouring from their wallets. Now, for the Annuals Set of people, it is what it is, but for perennial lovers? Don't buy, share!

When I first started gardening, I actually had to BUY hosta - the plant you can divide into 6-10 plants every 2 or 3 years. None of my friends gardened, so there I was. Buying hosta, (head shaking).

Finally met some local gardeners and we started giving plants to each other. I still remember my friend Sandy helping me unload all of the plants I had brought her, and that she gave me a back-seat-full of cone flowers. I was smiling the whole way home as I saw them in my rear-view blowing in the breeze of the open windows...

After my joyous afternoon, I decided to expand the sharing and started a Garden Share group page on facebook. I love seeing a new member request pop up and I feel so much hope that the new member will actually participate in the group by at least posting some photos of his/her garden. My garden has grown from the gifts of people in the group and their gardens have grown because of me. The photo above includes (l-r) hairy onions from one friend and foxglove from another.

So before you go out and spend your hard-earned money, take a few minutes to look up the local garden groups in your area. Many have scheduled meetings, but you might just get lucky and find a Garden Share site like mine online, so get growing!

Facial hair removal - CHEAP & EASY! (didn't say painless)

Ok, so sticking true to my goal of chemical free and low-cost or free living, here is one of my fav beauty tools in my bag. After reading dozens and dozens of reviews, I put it on my Amazon wish list and received it for Christmas in 2011.

I was interested in this product because I hate tweezing, I've been lasered (NOT permanent as claimed, but does last a few months), electrolysis is too $$$ and painful, and, though I have my own hot waxing system, I have a very difficult time removing the fine hairs right under my nose and on my chin - wax irritates me and causes break-outs in those areas as does depilatory cream. I was willing to risk someone else's $5.00 on this.

It took some getting used to, but after about four uses, I think I now qualify as a professional user of a hair threader.

My now-expert advice? Bend it (not quite in half), set it against the skin and twirl the spring at least two or three rotations in one spot, first one way, then the other, for maximum hair removal. After several minutes, gently pull the spring apart (I do not use the handles for this part - too afraid they'll break off) and blow the hairs out. It will seem awkward at first to use this, but it won't be long before you, too, are singing this little device's praises.

After using, I swipe on witch hazel (which is the best and cheapest astringent you can buy at about 70 cents a bottle) until the cotton round is clean. No oil is left on your skin and witch hazel is soothing so no break-outs. Have fun! Or at least as much fun as one can have ripping one's hair out by the roots!

Gosh, I love being a girl!

Under the Sink Organization - LOVE this idea...

This just came in my Inbox today - marthastewart.com's Organizing Tip of the Day!

Just one of those ideas that will make you say, why didn't I think of this? Short on space? Think UP.

Tired of spray bottles getting knocked around under your kitchen sink? I must admit, I do not have many since I have stopped using chemical cleaners, but I do have three bottles that I use on a regular basis. PLUS, I think the curtain rod would be a better place for me to hang clean kitchen towels waiting for use instead of taking up valuable drawer space in my kitchen cabinets. Hey, I NEED that space for all of my cool spatulas, bamboo spoons, cookie droppers, skewers, you get the idea!

My only words of advice are to be sure to get a rod stronger than you think you need (liquids are heavy!) and be careful not to screw into your neighboring cabinets - so check screw depth. I plan on employing this idea very soon!

Challenge Yourself to Re-use!

You've heard of the 3 Rs:  Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
Of the 3, reuse is best for Earth. Reuse means no additional resources are needed to repurpose an item to its new life. Reuse means something old is new again and nothing goes to the landfill.

I happen to be quite happy with my makeup organizer - it's huge & needs to be - I love makeup and I love helping others make the most of their faces with makeup. My only complaint was with brushes, eyeliners and mascaras. They flopped over too much for my liking. Enter my $1.00 for both beakers that I found at the Salvation Army - high school chemistry set beakers have a new life in my bathroom! And, hey, you get a peak at my bathroom vanity tile job, too!

Challenge yourself - put something in your home to work in a new way and share your results! Before you throw stuff away, take a photo and send to friends - you never know who you might help or what creative spark your items might set off in others!

Organize that Refrigerator with MINIMAL effort, using what you might already have!

Ok, so it's 2012 - the year is new, but some stuff in your refrigerator? Maybe not so much.

I want to share with you an organizing tip I employed last fall and I am about to expand upon this weekend.

You know all that pain-in-the-rear stuff you have to keep in the frig? Little bottles (the kind that sit below the rail if you put them on the door) and bags of whatever (in my case, cheese!)? Ever find them shoved in the back or, worse yet, you went out and spent money on more of what you had but didn't see it?

Look around your house for some plastic bins. Maybe they're in the garage, a craft room, wherever. Different sizes, doesn't matter, though I prefer the 7x10 or so size pictured here:

Entertaining in Minutes:
As you can see, this particular bin is being used to store all of our cheeses and specialty mustard, so all of those bags never get lost in the Behind Stuff Abyss in our refrigerator. Grab a box of crackers and you have a party waiting to happen!

Outdoor Dining made Easy:

I have another bin that I use during outdoor dining season. Ever get tired of hauling 'sweating' bottles back and forth from the deck or patio the frig? How about the awesome wet spots all over the table, too. Appetizing! Well, put all of your ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauces, relish, etc. in one of these storage bins and make setting your outdoor dining table an absolute breeze!

Create Calm Mornings:

Why not expand your thinking to the members of your family?  If you make lunch for yourself or others each day, why not make it one trip to the frig? Put everything in a bin - bread, sandwich meats, condiments, snacks, and drinks in an appropriate-sized bin and not only will you have one trip to the counter, but you just might improve the way your mornings flow each day. If you are feeling truly amazing, label the bins with laminated tags or stickers!

Need Bins?

Ask your friends if they have extras! You would be surprised how easy it is to get what you need by just asking. I bought the one above for 50 cents at the Salvation Army.

If you employ this organizational strategy in your refrigerator, post your comments & photos here! Thanks for reading!

Stop Buying Christmas Gift Tags - Forever!

Took this photo with my tablet - not my best work, but you get the idea...

The steps are easy and kids love the project:  making next years gift tags from this year's Christmas cards. 

1. Using a paper cutter or just scissors, cut off the sentiment side of the cards. Trim rectangular to your liking. Sometimes you can get two or three tags from one card!

2. Angle cut one side of the upper card corner, then flip the cut piece to the other side and use it as a quick guide to cut relatively even corners on both sides of your new gift tag.

3. Punch a hole & add curling ribbon so that, next Christmas (only 11 months away!) you are good to go with colorful, gorgeous gift tags! 

Believe me when I share that matching your tag to your wrapping paper does not matter at all with these babies - the tags are all big and gorgeous. Every year people comment on them! SO... what are you waiting for? Don't throw away your cards from friends and family, OR throw them into an abyss of a stockpile. For what? Put them to USE. : )

Reduce, reUSE, recycle - beautifully!

NYE Project complete! We have a new bar area!

Started with a spackled sheet rocked wall this morning and ended the day (11:15pm!) with a cool bar area complete with its own 'Top Shelf!'

Light from Target, shelf from IKEA, brackets from Home Depot, glass rack from Pier One.

What we started with this morning - sheet rock & spackle.

Sanded and wiped down the walls, and applied two coats of eggshell finish butter cream colored paint.

Still have some decor to add, but the tough work is all done!