Pantry Re-hab

OK. One of the things on my list of things I wanted to get done was to re-organize my pantry.


I'm really going out on a limb here, because I'm going to show you how bad it actually had gotten.


*deep breath*

It had just about everything crammed in there. There were tons of craft supplies included. And, if that wasn't enough, anytime the kids drop something, they just push it out of the way. Actually picking it up is out of the question. lol


Well, I had started going through things and cleaning it out and then I had to push it up to full gear. I have a neighbor that has goats. She's not feeding them. I would call animal control except that she would know it was me that called -- there aren't any other neighbors. We've had our issues with her before and I don't want to make it any worse. I plan to live here for quite awhile.

Anyway, rather than watch her goats starve, I bought feed and on of my daughters has been feeding them. She carried the bag of feed into the house and left it in the pantry. Bad idea.......it was full of weevils!!!

So, needless to say I had to empty and clean the pantry, then discard all of the grain products in my pantry. (I just got rid of them rather than checking to see if they had weevils--it can take a month after they've been infested to actually see any signs.)

I am still in the process of transferring things to glass jars to avoid any problems in the future, but the pantry is looking much better.

I'm always amazed at how much stuff is around my house that just doesn't need to be. Why don't we get rid of it sooner? Why is it always when it gets overwhelming that I finally decide to sort through it and discard the things that will never be used? It would be so much easier to just get rid of it as we go.

I guess that's why. I forget that there's an easy way to do things sometimes. LOL

I'm still here.......

Oh my gosh!!!! I can't believe how much time has gone by since I've posted. I'm so sorry for the absence.


Right after my last post, Dax and I went to San Antonio for the weekend. Just the two of us. My parents came to keep the kids.


We had a great time, but I woke up early that Sunday morning sick as a dog. It took about the next week for me to even have the will to live again. lol (My mother thought it was just a hangover. Really? For a whole week? I don't think so Mom!)  It took me about two weeks to finally get over it, and then a couple of the kids got sick too.


As a result, there hasn't been a lot of crafting or creating going on.


But I did get a little bit done.

In the entry way I hung this banner that says 'Give Thanks'. I used stencil letters that I first painted orange and then covered with orange glitter. It was a messy job but a lot of fun.


I came across several yards of burlap at the thrift store and used that to back my letters. I used scrapbooking brads shaped like leaves to attach the letters to the burlap. Then I strung the letters onto jute.


Above my banner, I hung a branch (a small one) from the yard. I bought a couple of bags of fake leaves in the dollar section at Target. Each day we use these leaves to write something we're thankful for and then we stick them on the branch or the wall around it.


The picture is just the first day. It's looking much better now.  I was going to do a whole tree with brown craft paper, but our kitten wouldn't quit attacking it and trying to crawl under it, so I had to alter the plans a little. (Now I'm a little worried about what the Christmas tree will be like.)


Anyway, I really like doing this because it makes the kids think of all of the things in their life they have that are good and worth giving thanks for. It's a good exercise for all of us.

I know it's not Easter yet

but I just had to make this chocolate bunny.


It's just another installment in my new obsession with felt food.

I often freeze any extra (read: the ones I hid from the kids before they went into candy overload) chocolate candy at Easter. I can use it for cooking when I need chocolate during the year. Sometimes I even go buy a bunch after Easter when they're on sale for next to nothing and just put them in the freezer. But even then I have to hide them from the kids.

Anyway, that's why I happened to have this box.

I just traced the inside of the plastic bunny tray onto a piece of paper. I cut that out and used it as my pattern for the felt bunny.

A couple of colors cut into circles to make the eyes, stitch around the outside of the bunny, stuff it, and sew it closed.

It was so quick and easy to make.

I don't know if my niece will like all these felt foods for her play kitchen or not. But I do know that I've had a blast making them. My kids are all wanting felt foods of their own even though I would think they're too old to be interested.

I warn you......if you ever try making any, you won't be able to quit!!

Another block done

I finished the fourth block in Sharon's Annie block of the month.

I just can't wait to get all of these blocks made and sewn together. It's just going to be so cute!!!

I've already even got the next block traced and ready to start stitching. Yeah me! lol

On another note, my kids think I've lost my mind. They're pre-teens so what's new, right?


But, before I let them give clothes away I always go through the sacks. (I've got about 5 garbage bags full of clothes to go through right now.)


Anyway, I always check to make sure they're not giving away something that has fabric that I fell in love with when I bought the clothes in the first place. Some things I'm just not willing to part with that easily because I love the fabric and I know I can use it in some other way.  I also have to make sure that they aren't trying to donate things that are ruined and just need to be thrown away. I read an article not too long ago on how much charity thrift shops are forced to spend and waste services just to haul off the things that get donated that aren't fit to be sold.

But I also have to go through the clothes to make sure they're not trying to get rid of things like this:

This is a pair of socks that I bought for my girls. One of them decided to play outside in the socks with no shoes and put a big hole in the bottom of one. Well, she decided to get rid of them and I just about fainted when I found them about to disappear forever. Look at all of those buttons that she almost sent to be thrown away!!!! Gaah! LOL


That's the real reason they think I'm crazy. Because I grabbed the socks out of the bag and then sat and cut all of those buttons off. What a waste that would have been.

Goldfish

Another installment in the felt food gift.


This time I've made goldfish crackers.

I think they turned out great too......if I do say so myself. LOL


I think I'm gettin hooked on felt.


And honestly, I didn't need another craft obsession. My craft room runneth over as it is.

Annie block #3

I finished my 3rd block in the Annie BOM that Sharon is doing.

It's actually supposed to be the September block I guess. lol

I just love the way these are turning out.

I also got all of the stitching done for the October block. I just have to get the borders sewn on.

A quick bracelet

I can't remember where in the world I saw an idea similar to this (one of the problems with just surfing the craft sites/blogs out there.) but, it's been on my mind a lot lately.

It was soooooo easy to make.


It's simply a seam from a pair of jeans, strung on memory wire.


My denim strips weren't quite long enough (they came fron the back above the pockets of a pair of my daughter's too small jeans) so I used two pieces. I put a square glass bead in between the two strips to make it look like they were in two pieces on purpose. Then I put a pink bead at each end and a clear glass bead where the wire is turned in.

That's it!!!

I swear it took longer to cut out the denim seams than anything else. While I was doing it I thought to myself how it was just one more piece of an old pair of jeans that wouldn't get thrown away. LOL

Try it......you'll love it!