Sunday, December 18, 2011

It's Pumpkin's Fault

Have I mentioned Christmas is my favorite time of the year?

Not only is Christmas music constantly playing, the tiny amount left of my pumpkin candle is melting, causing me to crave any type of pumpkin dessert.

I have three cans of pumpkin I might add.  One is the huge can too.

I looked up several pumpkin recipes and decided it was either eat amazing pumpkin-ness...and...gain more weight...OR, spend my time working on some craft to fulfill my creation desire.

So this is the craft that came of my pumpkin craving. 

And guess what?  No weight gained.

Success.

I got a cardboard "W" from JoAnn's and some red berries from Michaels....



I pulled off the berries and hot glued them to the cardboard letter.  Just a warning, some of the red came off of the berries...but I plan to color the white parts in with a red sharpie.


Then I worked on the wreath part.  I don't have any pictures of the supplies used for the wreath because I worked on it really late, sorry about that.  But this picture shows what the wreath looked like before I made it pretty.   I used a package that said, Moss Table Runner for the moss.  This is actually a bad idea because the moss smells terrible...and I would not want to smell that while eating food from a table with a moss table runner on it...but whatever! No one asked me.

Anyways, the moss table runner was great to use because it already had netting on the back that held the moss together when I cut it into sections.  Then I hot glued the moss to the wreath! This was actually not that difficult and took about an hour or so.



A friend of mine recommended that I find a way to make the cardboard letter able to be removed.  This way I can still use the moss part and put something on it for other seasons in the year.  I REALLY liked that idea, so I poked two holes in the corner at the top of the cardboard letter.  I then put green floral wire through the holes and wrapped it around the wreath. (Pictured above)

TADA! This wreath on our cheap apartment door makes it look really fancy!

Perfect.

I'm pretty much obsessed with this wreath and love it.  I've considered putting it on the inside of our door whenever I come home so that Mr. W and I can enjoy my creation...lame. I know.  I will refrain myself.

COST:

  • Moss table runner (14 feet long) from Michaels:  $8.00 (with 40% off coupon)
  • Hay wreath (18 inches) from Michaels:  $5.00
  • Cardboard "W" (approx 12inches) from JoAnn's:  $4.00
  • Berries (one bunch worked for me) from Michaels:  $5.00 (with 50% off coupon)
  • Floral wire (green) from Michaels:  $2.00 (I only used a tiny bit of this so it can be used with other projects as well)
Total:  Approximately $24.00
Time:  Approximately 2 days (only because I was lazy gluing the berries on)


Hope you enjoy!

Mrs. W

p.s.  My pumpkin candle is gone now...I have a cookie candle lit...peanut butter cookies or another craft??



p.p.s.  I accidentally deleted the original post of this...I attempted to rewrite it but wasn't able to remember things. Lame. I know.  I apologize.



Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Confessions and Christmas


Okay. I have a confession. I am a blog-a-phobe.

So. I have decided to be a professional social worker, take a quick break from the papers I should be writing, and face my fears!

I should be working on all of the final papers due this week and next week...but no. I spent all last night and the night before doing crafts.

Caught.

Oh well! I'm facing my fears, right? So that makes this okay.

Anyways. Back to the point. Christmas. I love it.

Mr. W and I went and bought our first Christmas tree and I had to make the rest of the apartment as adorable as that tree!
Now, you might be looking at our tree and thinking to yourself, "Wow! What amazing ornaments! I wonder where they got them?"

Well, I have an answer! Macye the professional social worker made them! :)

The first step is to find your mom's best friend who happened to collect cookie cutters...okay. Maybe you won't be as lucky as me, THANKS PATTI!

Then you go buy some adorable scrapbook paper from Michael's or Hobby Lobby or a place like that.

Trace the cookie cutter onto the paper. And here's the trick. you have to trace inside of the cookie cutter, not outside. I tried it outside and let's just say that cookie cutter ornament is hanging on the back of the tree.
After you trace it, cut it out and put the paper inside of the cookie cutter. Then you will hot glue the paper to the sides of the cookie cutter! Keep in mind, some of the paper I have cut is way too small for the cookie cutter, or shaped kind of funny, but when you hang it on the tree no one will notice at all. And...if they do notice...then they shouldn't be your friend.

Lastly I hot glued ribbon to the top and hung it on the tree!

Hope you enjoy!

Hopefully facing my fears will work and I will be back!

Mrs. W

Monday, May 30, 2011

Memorial Day Tradition

So, I decided to start my own blog. I love looking at other people's and thought to myself, maybe I have something to share too. Maybe I won't, but it's worth a try!

Mr. W and I were discussing our plans for Memorial Day. I didn't have school so I wanted to take advantage of the holiday to the fullest. However, with our lack of money there weren't too many options. I have been dying to bake something but with our grocery budget being used up every week I haven't had the opportunity...and I guess I haven't had the time either. I got on my absolute favorite blog to read, Joy the Baker, and found the most amazing looking cupcakes you've ever seen. My plan was to show Mr. W the pictures, causing him to see how wonderful they look and suggest I make them. Well, I ended up just asking because I was so excited about the recipe and of course the money issue came up. I ran to the pantry and took an inventory of everything we already had and everything we needed. There really wasn't that much more that we needed! When I told Mr. W this, he said "Then of course you can make it! As a tradition, you should bake a new recipe every Memorial Day!" Well, at first I was bummed since Memorial Day only happens once a year, but then reminded myself that at least I get to have a baking adventure!

So, this morning I woke up early....ok...11:00...but still. I began baking. The cupcakes are called, Chocolate, Peanut Butter Cookie Dough, Toasted Marshmallow Cupcakes. Yeah. Prepare yourself for a cupcake that will change your life.

Ok...there is nothing like having my iPad2 to read the recipe off of. Ha. And my blog title is about living on a budget...oops.

Here you go though on the budget part. Notice all of the Great Value things? Obviously except for the chocolate stuff. Can't go wrong with Hershey and Nestle.

Yummy cupcake batter.

I've learned that I'm a REALLY messy baker....gotta work on that.

These are for the peanut butter cookie dough...and as I was making this, I realized how funny it was that Joy the Baker's recipe calls for all organic ingredients...and here I am with everything Great Value. That moment is what inspired the title of my blog. :)

Here are the cupcakes!

Let me tell you. The peanut butter cookie dough with chocolate chips are probably the best I've ever had. Next time I might just make them.

This was the most difficult part, the meringue. I made Mr. W come in the kitchen and help me. We were terrified the bowl was going to shatter!

Let me introduce you to my Kitchen Aid mixer by the way. I love it. Sometimes I try to find excuses to bake just so I can use it. :)


Looks like melted marshmallows!

Good ole ziplock bag with the corner cut. I'm on a budget remember?

Broiling them to make them look like marshmallows.

A little bit of heaven.

For the recipe go to Joy the Baker's website. I just substituted everything with Great Value products, except for the cocoa and nestle semi sweet chocolate chips.

Be prepared.....during and after the creation of these cupcakes...you will most likely gain 1 million pounds.

Hope you enjoy!!!

Mrs. W