Pinned Down: No-Sew Ruffled Tote Bag

So I've been seeing several versions of ruffled tote bags on Pinterest, and think they are the cutest. With a little one, even though I don't generally bring a diaper bag anymore, I still have to carry around wipes, clothing changes, snacks, random toys and found objects . ..  you know, preschooler "stuff."

After seeing several versions, all varying in complexity, I decided to make my own no-sew version of a bag. I have a sewing machine, but it usually just ends up frustrating me, especially when I'm trying to do ruffles.

To make my version of the bag you need:
Plain canvas tote bag (I got one at Hobby Lobby for about $3)
4 different, coordinating fabrics, cut into 3" x 24" strips (I used De-Lovely, from Cosmo Cricket)
Hot glue gun

After cutting the fabric using a rotary cutter, I "hemmed" the pieces using the glue gun. I folded over the short ends and adhered with glue, and then folded over about a quarter inch on one of the long sides and adhered with glue.

Starting at the bottom, I added a line of glue about 3-4 inches long (don't work too far ahead, since the glue will cool and harden). I adhered the unfinished edge of the fabric along the glue, gathering every few inches to make the ruffle. Continue to glue and gather across the bag, until you have a full ruffle.

Repeat the same process with the remaining fabric strips, hemming and gluing, overlapping each layer. At the top, I covered the unfinished edge with some recycled twill tape, and embellished with a rolled fabric flower. The whole thing took about 45 minutes.  In fact, it was so easy that I think I'll make a few more to give as gifts. They would be so cute as an alternative to gift baskets!

Until later . .. happy pinning!

Linked at:

Pinned Down: Best Stuffed Peppers Ever

Happy Monday! Hope your week is off to a great start!

So when I was a kid, my mother used ot make Stuffed Peppers for dinner every now and then. Her recipe was fairly traditional -- ground beef, rice, tomato sauce, cheese. They were delicious, and I loved them   . ..  so much that I added her recipe to my repertoire when I started cooking.

When I was cruising Pinterest, though, I found this recipe, boldly labeled the "Best Stuffed Peppers Ever." Curious, I pinned the recipe. I'm a sucker for anything called "best ever."

Then peppers and sausage went on sale at the Hannaford, and I decided to try them out. And holy moly, sweet fancy bananas . . . these weren't my mom's stuffed peppers.

Sorry, mom. I think I have a new recipe.

The recipe comes from the blog Cut Out + Keep, and calls for sausage instead of ground beef, and adds a delicious little spice called Sazon. Why I have never tried Sazon is beyond me. I found it in the international section of our sad little grocery store (which means it's probably not all that hard to get, since I actually had a hard time finding coconut milk at that store a few weeks ago). It's made by Goya, and has a nice little kick to it.

The only change I made to this recipe was to use regular Italian sausage instead of the hot, since the hot tends to be mean to me and aggravates my reflux issues. Otherwise, I followed the recipe to the letter . .. and as the blogger says, total pleasure overdose. These really were the Best Stuffed Peppers Ever.  Here's how they looked:

Looks delicious, no?

Of course, the picky little one wouldn't touch these, so we had plenty of leftovers, which were just as delicious the next day. So I would call this another Pinterest winner!

Until later . ..  happy pinning!


http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/best_stuffed_peppers_ever

Pinned Down: Monogram Wreath

Morning all! Happy Thursday! Thursday mornings are always a little rough for me, since I usually stay up late to watch "Revenge." Seriously, if you aren't watching that show, you need to be. As much as I love my reality shows, "Revenge" is a reminder of why good scripted shows -- with actual actors -- will always be king.

Anyway, today I have another Pinterest-inspired project to share. Like a lot of people, I like to change my doo decor every few weeks, but wreaths are so expensive. I have a few things that I rotate throughout the year, but needed some new ideas.

I found this idea on Pinterest a few months ago, and loved it. And when I started to work on this project, I loved it even more. Super simple -- this took less than an hour to make!

Cute, no? The original version had more rolled fabric flowers, but I went with a simpler version.

To make this wreath you'll need:
1 18-grapevine wreath
1 chipboard letter (I got mine at Hobby Lobby)
Burlap (about 1/2 yard)
fabric (about 1/4 yard; I used a fat quarter)
glue gun
embellishments

First, cut the burlap into a strip, about 2 inches wide, and wrap it around the letter, securing it with hot glue. This was one of those times that I wished my last name was an easy letter, like U or C, but I managed.

Next, make your rolled flowers. If you don't know how, there are a gazillion tutorials out there on how to do it. I simply cut a strip of fabric, folded it in half, knotted one end, and then rolled the fabric around the knot, twisting as I went. Add a few drops of hot glue every so often to secure the flower. Once you're happy with the flower, add your embellishments. I used some buttons that I stacked for interest, but you could use almost anything.

Finally, arrange the monogram and the flowers how you want on the wreath, and secure with glue. Add a ribbon for hanging, and voila! A pretty, easy wreath. You could adapt this wreath for the different seasons using different fabrics--I'm thinking about making a brighter version for the summertime.

The only problem I found with this wreath is that I have to hang it inside my mudroom. Fabric and chipboard + late Maine winter/early spring is a recipe for disaster. I'll have to come up with something else for outside.

Until later . . . happy pinning!

Pinned Down: Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne

Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. I stayed up way too late watching the Oscars last night--which was kind of pointless, since the only nominated movies I actually saw were "The Help" and "Bridesmaids."

Anyway, today I have another recipe to share that I found on Pinterest. This one came from Real Mom Kitchen (have I mentioned how much I love that site?)

The recipe on Real Mom Kitchen is a modified version of a Martha Stewart recipe, and the version I made is a slightly different version of the already modified one. (Follow all that?) First of all, I cut the recipe in half, since making the whole giant pan is just too much for us. I also cut out the sun-dried tomatoes, since I forgot to buy them at the grocery store, but added in some broccoli florets instead, since chicken, cheese and broccoli are among the 10 things that my 3-year-old will eat. Here's how it looked:

Looks yummy, no? My husband pointed out that it's basically souped-up mac'n-cheese, but call it what you want, it's delicious. Creamy, cheesy, with just enough texture from the chicken and veggies. And best of all, the world's pickiest eater actually ate -- and liked it. So I'd call this a winner!

Here is the link to the original recipe. It's a great way to use up leftover chicken, and you could actually make a double batch and freeze one for later.

Off to get more coffee now . . . so until later, happy pinning. 

Pinned Down: Taco Pizza

One of the best things about Pinterest isn't all the great ideas (which of course, are awesome) but I also love that it's introduced me to some amazing blogs and websites that I might not have otherwise discovered.

On of these sites is Real Mom Kitchen. If you aren't visiting this site regularly, you should. It's one of the best sources of simple and delicious recipes I've found in a long time. Like the name says, it includes recipes that are easy for real, busy moms to follow. The ingredients are easy to find, kitchen staples, and most of the recipes only take a short time to prepare.

One of the recipes I found there was for Taco Pizza. We all love tacos and pizza here in the Real Maine House, so what's better than combining the two?

The recipe on RMK suggested using crescent rolls for the crust, but I used a regular pizza crust. I pre-baked the crust for about 10 minutes, then topped it with refried beans, seasoned taco meat, cheese, black olives, tomatoes, and green onions. A few more minutes in the oven, and voila . . . here's what it looked like:

It's kind of a mess, since the kids helped me, but that's half the fun right?

It tasted oky, but was super thick and holy moly, did I get heartburn after eating it. I think if I were to do it again, I would use salsa or taco sauce instead of the refried beans, and shredded chicken instead of the beef. But it was fun, and a different take on regular 'ole tacos or pizza.

Pinned Down: Endless Green Onions

Have you ever seen something on Pinterest and gone, "Well, duh!"

When I saw the idea of putting green onions in a jar of water on the windowsill, I literally did a facepalm. See, I'm ALWAYS either forgetting to buy green onions, or throwing half of them away because I don't need the whole bunch.

So having an endless supply right there? Yeah, I'm all over it.

It's quite simple. Just take a bunch of green onions, trim them down so there are just a few inches of green above the white and put them in a jar. Add enough cold water to just cover the white part, and they will grow back. Simple. And they grow fast, too.

Here's a picture of mine:

I've had these for about 6 weeks now. You have to remember to change the water every few days, or it gets icky, and a few times I've had to trim some stalks that get too long before I've had a chance to use them. But this actually worked -- yay Pinterest!

For the Record, Crow Doesn't Taste That Great

So I had big plans to devote today's post to a big Patriots Super Bowl win.

So, well . . . that Betty White commercial for "The Voice" was great, huh? And how about Madonna?

Anyway, since I was so super confident about what I was going to post, I didn't really plan anything else for today. I did do some other stuff over the weekend, though . . .

On Saturday, we went to a wedding reception for hubby's beautiful niece and her new husband (Congrats Sylvie & Andy!). They eloped in Jamaica last month (lucky ducks, escaping Maine to the sunny Caribbean in January) and had a nice party this past weekend for all of their well-wishers.

Of course, I forgot my camera. My sister-in-law, the bride's mother, is one of the most creative and talented people I know (although she'll never admit it) and did a beautiful job with the party and creating keepsakes for the happy couple.

One idea that I absolutely loved was the "Shell Wishes" jar. While in Jamaica, she and Sylvie collected shells from the beach and brought them home. Guests were asked to write their wishes for the bride and groom on the shells, which were then placed in a large glass vase. Great idea for a trip memento, and a nice replacement for the typical boring guestbook. I wish I had been able to take a picture of it!

Before the game on Sunday, I took the mini-me down to South Portland for some shopping. We hit A.C. Moore to get some supplies for a couple Pinterest products I wanted to try. I hate to say it, but I'm pretty much over A.C. Moore. They hardly ever update their stock -- I've been looking at the same scrapbook papers and stickers literally for YEARS -- and they had hardly anything different. They also had nothing that I was looking for. Really? No chalkboard paint?

Maybe it's just our store that has some issues, but I really think that A.C. Moore needs to up their game a bit. Thankfully, we're taking a trip out to Ohio next month, and I can get a Hobby Lobby fix. I'm making my list now.

Anyway, that's my rant. Anyone else have a problem with their local craft stores? I know I can go online, but I just hate paying for shipping.

I've got some good stuff coming up this week . . . a yummy Pinterest recipe, some book reviews, and hopefully, an inspiring organizational makeover. So until later . . .

Pinned Down: Cinnamon French Toast Bake

So, like just about everyone in the world it seems, I'm obsessed with Pinterest. If you don't know what Pinterest is, you're missing out. Big time.

Anyway, since this is the "launch" week of this blog, I'm introducing another to-be-regular feature: Pinned Down.

See, here's the thing. A lot of people pin like crazy, with hundreds or even thousands of ideas on their boards. But how many people actually DO the stuff they pin?

I figure that if I'm going to spend THAT much time on Pinterest each week, I should spend at least some time trying out the great ideas I find. And I'll share the results here. At least once a week, I'll post one of the ideas that I've tried . .. good, bad, or ugly.

So here is the first one . . .

Cinnamon French Toast Bake from Oh My Sugar High.

So I saw this pin and thought "Yum!" I'm all about breakfast casseroles in general, and as soon as I saw this pin, I thought it would be perfect for Christmas morning.

Usually, when I make a recipe for the first time, I follow the directions to the letter, and then take notes for adjustments the next time. Well, in a case of poor planning, I only had 4 eggs on hand, instead of the 5 that the recipe called for. Turns out that was a good thing, 'cause I think one more egg would have made this too "eggy." I don't like anything too "eggy."

Anyway, this smelled incredible while it was baking, and when I took it out of the oven, it drew the kids away from their Christmas toys. Here's how it looked:

Yum-O. It tasted as delicious as it looked. The kids loved it, probably because it was super sweet.

It's not something that I would make every day, but it's perfect for brunch or a special occasion. In fact, I made it again for a girl's night at my house, and there were almost no leftovers. And the leftovers were still good. The little one gobbled them up for breakfast the next day.

The best part (or maybe the worst?) is that thanks to this pin, I've discovered Oh My Sugar High and I've already saved a bunch more recipes to try.

Until the next time . . .