LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW...

This is the second year in a row that we have gotten snow. Isnt it peacefull looking - so serene - SO BEAUTIFUL! We are expecting more snow. Just some pics I took earlier today because

it is suppose to snow some more tonight. The first 2 pics were taken at my front door. IT IS TOO COLD TO GO OUT THERE! Brrrrrrrrr The other pics are taken from my dining room bay window.

by Hopblogger

YEA BABY, THIS IS ONE...

LARGE pincushion. These pincushions are the easiest & the quickest things to make. I

guess that is why I like to make them or reuse HEARTS. All

you do is stitch & stuff. Decorate it or leave it plain. Judge for yourself if you like

its size or not. I cut out the cotton fabric the size of the plate - but I didn't account for the shrinkage of the fabric once it was stuffed - see how much smaller the cushion is. It is 8 inches across & 3 inches thick. I chose to decorate both sides with 2 different kinds

of cotton doily's. Then, I hand stitched

small cotton lace around the edges - sectioned it off with white cotton floss

& added buttons. Reversibility doubles when each side of the pincushion

is a different color fabric. See the light blue side of the cushion with the

white doily - I was hoping that the effect would look like a flower. This doily is

stitched down onto the fabric. The dark blue fabric on the other side has a old

cream doily that is not stitched down. It is held down with the cotton floss. At this

point I am undecided if I want to fancy them up. Maybe they are too plain.

I dont know, I cannot decide.

by Hopblogger

Do you handwash your dishes....

almost every night I have some dishes that I need to handwash.

Not everything goes inside my automatic dishwasher. To get out of

handwashing my dishes - I need 2 dishwashers! But that isnt happening -

so I have to handwash still. Here is the website for handwashing

detergent.

http://greenliving.suite101.com/article.cfm/hand_wash_dishes_with_ecofriendly_efficiency

Use this recipe or just opt to use some of your laundry detergent like I do.

You dont need much - just a little bit.

To me there isnt much difference in the recipes except for that bar of soap.

But still use the distilled vinegar.

by Hopblogger

Just want to tell you about Judi....

Judi has this neat website & on it
she has some great soap recipes that she makes with a crockpot!
I cannot wait to try that as I have been wanting to make my own soaps
for awhile now. Hopefully in the next few weeks I can get it done.
To visit Judi - just look at my followers list & click on the pretty

white daisy. Thru a wire you will be transported to her

contact station. Just look at it & click on Momma Muse & you

will be there at her place.
Check out all those great soap recipes!
I have to go shopping - gotta find me stuff to use as molds!
by Hopblogger

Hello There....

sure do hope that everyone had a nice weekend & got a few projects done.

I am working on a few things but have not completed them yet.

Hashimoto has had me tired lately. Anyway I wanted to give to you

a few websites & let you know what I have been doing - in the way

of thriftiness. The last time we made automatic dishwashing liquid I forgot

to take pics of it. Anyway, it is very easy to make & economical also.

Here is the website for the recipe we used. http://natural-products.suite101.com/article.cfm/washing_dishes_for_pennies

Take note, that the recipe calls for the same

ingredients as your laundry detergent minus the soap, so you have

everything already. Also notice that you have to teaspoon

the soaps into the dishwasher compartments

each time that you use it, but we did not do that. All we did was mix the Borax

& the super washing soda together 2 cups each into our large container & fill the

rest up with water. Just be sure to shake, shake, shake

each time before using. Also I want to say do not use your laundry

detergent in the automatic dishwasher because it might be too soapy & you wont

be able to rinse it all off of the dishes. Be sure to use the distilled white vinegar in the rinse

cycle as this helps. Dont forget it. I have been using this mixture & it is a little soapy for me.

Next time we make a fresh batch I will play around with the recipe & see about

using less detergents - or when my liquids get to half of my container - I might try

diluting it even more. Play around with the recipe until you get it the way

that you like it. Have fun!

by Hopblogger

UTZ...

taste good. It is a gluten free potato chip. Buy them at wal-mart and a few

other food stores. However for me when I ate them - my tongue started hurting

& swelled - a sure sign to me that even though there isnt any wheat in them - they

must be processed in a facility that processes wheat. I also bloated after eating

them. Well these potato chips are off of my menu. My tongue still hurts. It is amazing

to find out that once you get rid of offending foods - how the foods will react on you.

Popcorn gives me ulcers on the inside of my cheek. Does it do anything to you?

by Hopblogger

DO YOU WANNA BE A PIN-HEAD TOO...

ugly straight pins cannot beautify any pincushion - no matter how pretty

the cushion is. And if the pincushion is ugly, well we know that an ugly straight pin

isn't going to make it look any better either. Now, some of those lovely FIMO pins look

good enough to eat - have you seen them? They are in the shape of carrots, cake &

ice-cream -- YUM-ME! One day I am going to break down & buy some of them but

right now they are a little pricey. However the next person that asks me what I want

for my B'DAY - well I am going to answer with, 'why those pins that the bloggers are making

& selling, of course! I have tried my hand at the Fimo & I do not have the patience

necessary for this craft. For now, I have to use my imagination & craft from some of the

things that I already own. I dont know if anyone has thought of this idea or not - but I have.

On hand I have stickers, pom-poms, bows & stickers - you get the idea. LOL

This is my version of a pin-head. All of these take only a matter of few minutes.

THEY ARE SUPER-PRONTO! The first pict shows what I have used - be sure

to click on picts to make them larger & zoom in on those white embossed hearts.

They sure are pretty. Many failed attempts to take a decent picture of those

hearts. Amongst the array of items in the second pic - there is a little white strip of

flowers. This is lace trim & can be purchased at any fabric store where they

sell lace or notions. These work very well! Just cut them apart & glue them together

over a FLAT-HEAD PIN. I am going to make more of those! The little pink flowers

are paper stickers. I added more glue for the pinhead & then stuck them together.

The red checked bows are super-quick. Just stick a pin into the front of the bow

& push out thru the back. Show the pinhead or not. I chose to stick the pin where it

could not be seen. Glue the pin in place or not - its your choice here. With the pom-poms

just stick the pin thru & cover it up if you like - you get the idea. I tried glueing the

ladybug but that didnt work. I wanted a ladybug on each side of the pin - didnt work.

I am just going to glue a pinhead to it. The pale pink ribbon flowers was also easy & took

under a minute for all of them. On the back of those flowers just stick any kind of pin

thru the bow. I used the large pinheads for this one because you would not be able to see

them anyhow. Oh gosh, I meant to snap a pic of the back of that one. Sorry.

For the foam letter stickers lay the letters back to back before you peel off the paper

backing - to make sure the letters align, once this was done I then peeled off the paper

laid the pin down on one of them & stuck the other to it. Shown is the package that I

used for those letters - only the W,C,I,M & O line up. If you want other letters look see

what else is available. I wish that you were able to view the white paper hearts. They

are embossed & are stickers. Just sandwich a pin inbetween 2 of them. These line up nicely

as long as you place the pin in there right.

The good thing about using paper stickers or any of the stickers is that if a pin bends

or breaks then just trash it. Have some fun & use your imagination to create different

pinheads - you might think of something that I havent yet. Please share if you create

something better. Have been wondering about those FIMO pins - if your pin bends

or break - can you reuse those pretty heads on other pins? Are those pins just for

decoration only? Anyway start early for Valentine's Day & break out with all of

those pretty hearts to use in your sewing room as PINCUSHIONS. click-click to make

pics larger.

by Hopblogger

ABOUT 9 MONTHS AGO

I started going PARABEN FREE. Yes - I decided that it was about

time to purge my body of those offending bad chemicals.

I have had enough of them. Even though I realize that I cannot get rid

of all of them entirely - at least I can rid myself of half of them or more

from my house & beauty products.

First I purged my cosmetics - goodbye Estee Lauder, you have served me

well all of these years. In my quest to find make-up from constantly searching

the internet - I found the make-up at Whole foods. Not far from my house

& it was a plus that it is gluten free! Believe me even though

it says that it is gluten free - it doesnt mean that I believe it. Many items that

says it is gluten free in fact are not. For instance it could contain corn flour,

natural flavors & or modified food starch. This is not gluten free so be-ware

my blog friends. Corn is a cereal grass.

Anyway in order to have makeup I cannot get away from

the paraben - so I have to choose gluten free over paraben free.

Guess who won that one! So I have sucked

it up and went with gluten free this time. But when I find both

then I will let you know about it.

Below is a website that tells you the cancer - causing ingredients.

http://www.healthyeatingadvisor.com/cancer-causing-ingredients.html

Pick my friend. So my makeup is not paraben free. Soon it will be in

my head - to stay away from make-up until a manufacturer

decides to make paraben & gluten free or if by some freak chance

it figure it out on my own. Na - I am not a genius or a chemist.

So sad because it might be a long time before I discover something.

Alas, I have found deodorants,

shampoos & other stuff that is paraben free & gluten free. So this makes me happy

at least for the time being but not for long.

Soon I am going to try my hand at making my own shampoo & some other

beauty products

I am also tired of paying those high prices & they keep soaring up higher - arent

you tired of all of it? Is it too much to ask for paraben-free

& gluten-free. Cant they make that!

Anyway at that same time I started making my own laundry detergent.

My husband helps me & I think that he enjoys that it saves us

LOTS OF MONEY! I like your help, honey!

For over 30 years I had been a Tide user - used nothing else but that.

Loved it. Now I have had enough of the high price & the shrinking bottle

not to mention the BAD PARABENS, & besides that, my ideas have changed

as I have gotten older.

By the way this recipe does clean your clothes. With all the recipes that I have

found only the soaps change the most. A few soaps to mention that you

can use is Ivory, Octagon, Fels-Naptha, & Zote. These soaps are cost-effective.

Here is the website for the recipe that I chose to use, however I tried

Zote the first time I made it. This batch was made with Fels-Naptha. Go ahead

& change the soap to your preference - but this is the basics so take it

from there. This is not my recipe.

http://natural-products.suite101.com/article.cfm/washing_clothes_for_pennies

Do not be afraid to make any of this - it is easier than you think to make

your own laundry detergent. Online are recipes for making your own handsoap,

automatic dishwasher detergent & hand washing detergent. These products

are safer & cheaper so - GO GREEN.

Both of my daughters & my sister jumped on the same bandwagon with me -

so wont you do the same. Remember to click, click on picts to make them larger.

Look at the website on how to make the detergent & look at my pics if it

helps you.

You only need to use about 3 & 1/2 oz of the soap - but my husband cuts all of it

up & then bags it in a zip-lock the soap that we dont use - to use

for next batch making. This time

we made 2 - 5 gallon containers so to make up for not having alot of Fels-

Naptha - we also added in some Zote. We weigh it - so if you are not a

good judge of how much is 3 or 4 oz - then weigh it.

I stir the soap on the stove until it melts while my hubby gets the

5 gallon tub ready, & he mixes the ingredients in that.

(if making 2 batches - do one at a time). When the soap

has melted then he pours the soap out of the pot into the container &

I stir it till blended - & folks that is all there is to it! Hubby puts on the

lid tightly - then we let it sit overnight - ready for my sunday washday.

Just be sure the next day when you open it - to stir it up because it gels.

Then dip it into your empty container & put it on the shelf above your

washer. I forgot to add that I also changed my downy to white distilled

vinegar. I put essence oil in that to make it smell nice. Only use a fourth

of a cup or less - as it doesnt take much. The vinegar smell goes away. This rinse

lasts a long time. Have fun!

by Hopblogger

IT WAS SO QUICK & EASY

to do & I used a 100% cotton dishtowel. The inside is

cross stitched roses of pink & yellow tied with a

blue bow. I only have a few tiny lace pieces leftover from

my bridal veil. As you can some of the glue has yellowed

which has added to the charm of the little bag. The entire bag when opened is about

10 x 13 and it draws up easily with the ribbons

to about 5 inches. So cute is the small pincushion that is only

2 inches across & is useable from both sides. Each side has the same little

white ribbon rose with green ribbon leaves.

A clothespin holds a wee bit of ribbon & a small wooden spool

with pink ribbon wrapped around it acts as a scissors holder.

Complete with a little fob. I took a wooden needle holder

& glued some dishtowel fabric to it & added little flowers to the top

& bottom.

How cute is the needlecase that is not quite 4 inches long x almost 2 inches

wide when opened. The last photo shows the little bag when closed.

Well, this bag disappeared - who took it??

In the future - I think that I will be making more of these cute little bags.

Try it - I am sure that you will love it too & will want to make more

of them.

by Hopblogger

Plastic has already

left the building!! Take a look at my OLD & NEW wooden

floss box. The first 3 pictures is a gentle reminder of how the jewelry

chest looked inside & out. Moma's chest measurements

do differ from Herrschners so therefore not all 450

threads are going to fit into mine. Each of my drawers will only

hold about 83 floss bobbins - but it doesnt matter because

I dont have all of 450 floss colors. I will get them as I need them

just like everyone else does. My husband helped me clean

out the inside of each of the drawers. We found that

the inside cloth was unsalvageable. It must have been dry-rot

because some of it pulled right up out of the drawers.

It only took us about a

couple of hours to clean it out & to sand down the outside.

Thanks hubby!!

As you can see the box is so pretty now. I applied 2 coats

of black paint on it & now it has a rich look. Dont you agree.

I cut 4 pieces of cardboard for each drawer from cereal boxes

& covered them with a pretty cream linen with blue flowers.

The fabric feels so good between your fingers.

When I finally got to the last drawer - I was so excited

that I decided to lay it on top of the chest. Excitement

drove me to start putting the floss bobbins inside before

the box was completed. All of the floss fit into 3 of the

drawers - with the exception of 34 which will go into the last drawer.

Couldnt help myself!!

Below is also a pict of the plastic fishing tackle box

that my sis gave to me full of bobbin floss. Look at all
of those pretty colors - they look even better inside of the

jewelry chest. Thank you momma for the chest & thank you sis

for all of the floss!

I didnt have any need for a jewelry chest - you have to own

jewelry for it. I am so happy with this wooden floss box - so happy

that I am hoping that it can be handed down into the family to

future generations. The cardboard dividers that I put inside

each drawer to divide the floss bobbins are not glued in just in case

one of my descendants decides to use it for its intended purpose. That is

the reason for not covering the cardboard dividers with fabric.

Keep an eye out for a large jewelry chest or several chests the same

size - do a remake,remix,reuse with your jewelry chest. If you dont need

a floss box - why not remake it over into something that you

could use. On the outside of each drawer stencil each

drawer lace, ribbon or beads! These drawers are deep

enough to accomodate ribbon boxes. Hey

you can even reuse it as a sewing box - & number the drawers 1 to 5 or name

those drawers needles, scissors, threads, & pins. If the drawers are

wide like mine try dividing some of the drawers in half or 4ths or 8ths.

Have some fun & break away from the plastic box!

by Hopblogger

Herrschners craft catalog

came into my snail box last week. It is the first magazine that I have ever

received from them. Of course I immediately opened it up & thumbed

through it - loving everything that I saw - as usual.

On page 17 was a very nice 6 drawer walnut floss cabinet for $200.00. Kind of

steep price. So pretty it is......well I cant pay that. Eventually

I put that magazine away & tried to forget about that cute little

floss cabinet. On saturday I went to my grandaughters

house & helped her clean out her room. She gave me back my

mothers jewlry box stating that she would never have

any jewelry to put inside. Hesitantly i brought it back home & put it on

my sewing table - thinking that perhaps

my momma wanted me to have it back.

It was only the following day when I looked thru Herrschners again

that I had a bright idea!!

The first cabinet below is from the magazine & it holds about 75 floss

bobbins in each drawer. The 2cd box has a different

style altogether but that is okay. It is or shall I say

WAS my mothers jewelry chest

& she has owned that box for about 36 to 38 years. In fact I gave it

to her! It was so pretty when it was brand new & all she ever

put inside it was costume jewelry. Anyway the box

is a little beat up & has seen its better days - time for a makeover!

by Hopblogger

DO YOU REMEMBER THAT...

yellow & blue CD case (or whatever it was) a few postings back -

well look at it now. They were not all that

difficult to cut - so I cut the back pieces into cartonnettes. They

are 6 inches high & 4 & 1/2 inches across. The cartonnettes are

different & colorful & really very sturdy with or without the

lace wrapped around them. These book or CD cases would

be very pretty in your floss box as floss bobbins or simply wrap lace or

ribbons around them. So pretty the colors are! I hope that

you can find these items to REMAKE those cases. Keep an eye out for them!

by Hopblogger

Christmas is over......

& it is time to retire a few ornaments from this years tree. As

you have already read from an earlier post that I had

taken a few christmas pieces & used them as pincushions - well

these snowmen & the santa were those pieces. Yea - this year

the snowmen did voluntary work as my holiday pincushions. They

will be pincushions again next year.

The sweet victorian porcelain dolls are going in the future sewing

baskets that I make. Soon they will have a new purpose. Rethink

those ornaments & make them into something new &

meaningful.

by Hopblogger