Pasta on a Budget

Dinner in my family isn't as conventional during the week as most. My husband works first shift and I work second...so our family dinners happen on the weekends.  

Because I'm an "amazing" wife, I will sometimes make dinner for my husband so he can re-heat it when he gets home. (I really do it so I can have a good lunch at work!!...shhhh, he doesn't need to know this!)

So I used a total of 5 ingredients which cost me only $5... why you ask?!?

Because I got every ingredient at the dollar store for $1 a piece!

Pasta

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Red Pepper Flakes

Parmesan Cheese

Minced Garlic (can you believe they had this!!)

Directions -- 

* Cook Pasta

* Drain

*Add ingredients - as much as you desire

I love a recipe with no measuring!!

Boogers -- a boy's b-day gift for cheap

So I had my nephew's 5th birthday party today and I had no idea what to get him. He's a huge fan of Spider Man and Star Wars... so I went with something Spider Man, but I also wanted to make him something as well.

This is what I did...

I took an spaghetti sauce jar, took off the wrapper -- don't worry about the glue because you will be putting card stock over this.

Pick out the colors you want to go with. I used green and blue card stock and some fun stickers and letters.

I decorated the lid, then I decorated and glued the card stock to the jar. I actually hot glued it so it would stay.

Yes -- my nephew's name is Charlie --- not Chalie!! Haha... we got a good laugh out of this...

Here are the ingredients...very cheap!!  Get the big glue (I think it was like 7.65 ounces). Food coloring and borax. Borax is cheap and can be used for numerous things...mostly added to your laundry.

Follow these directions --

You will need 2 bowls.  In the first bowl put 3/4 cup of warm water, the whole thing of glue (equaling close to 1 cup) and food coloring of your choice. I used green, I did about 6 droplets.  Stir. 

In the second bowl mix together 4 teaspoons of Borax and 1 1/3 cup of water.  

Once you have the water and Borax mixed, pour in your mixture of glue and water...DO NOT STIR!!

Let it sit for a good 5-8 minutes. The glue mixture will start to solidify. Once it's been a while, take the mixture out and toggle it back and forth between your hands so that it dries out a little and it isn't so sticky.

Do not set this on a dish towel, it will immediately stick to the towel...I made that mistake. Just be sure to keep juggling it with your hands, you will know when the mixture is ready for the jar. 

Once it's dry, put it in your jar and see the excitement of boogers on the child's face! My son is begging me to make him some of this...I think they will be party favors for his birthday party this summer!! They all loved it!!

bow-stravaganza!!

I was bored the other night...so I decided to take out my trusty sidekick -- ribbons, buttons, felt, etc.  I just love the smell of hot glue in the evening! 

  

I decided to take some of my cream ribbon I got at the dollar store -- yes they sell ribbon at the dollar store - look around! 

I cut it into pieces - approximately 6 inches long

I cut 9 of these and then glued the ends together 

Cut a circle of felt and start to glue the ribbon onto it

I decided to take my vintage buttons and glue one in the middle, and also take some beading and go around the button 

Flip it over and glue on a strip of felt - glue on both sides so you leave the middle open. Also glue on a pin so it can be worn on a jacket or shirt.

The reason for the felt is so that you can slide in a bobby pin or a headband and wear it 

I made a few different designs. 

Now go make some bows!! 

Safety Pin Bracelet

So this was my plan....didn't really work out, but I got some things done!

 I didn't get out of my p.j's all weekend!! That's the life! So...I check a few blogs religiously every day... it's not stalkerish, I just heart them all...and Alisa Burke's is one!! I looked ALL over her blog for this idea she came up with, but I couldn't find it...I think it might have been a guest post on someone elses blog that she had done. Anyways...I have never in my life seen someone as creative as her, she's an amazing painter and she can create anything out of nothing! 


I'm going to follow her design and make this - 

What you will need:

Missing is the Mod Podge...

Make sure you get clear stretch cord -- I didn't get the stretch the first time around, so annoying! I hate it when I get the wrong things...it happens a lot!

The first step - cut your fabric 

You will then take your toothpick and start to roll the fabric and then glue at the end.

Don't mind the blurry pictures - thanks to my sister Julie for all her help (not!)

Once you have it all glued, Mod Podge the whole thing. You don't need a super thick coat, just enough to get the outside of the fabric. You will then place it on the pin and close it. 

Repeat for about 30 more of these...

Once again...thanks Julie for the blurry pictures -- I actually think I took this one, but it's ok to blame others!

Next you take your stretch string and string through the top and the bottom of the pins.

Don't mind the mess in the background please, thanks!

Tie the end and ...perfect bracelet!! I got so many compliments on this!!

Also, don't mind the man hands!! Gross! 

Heart you all!!!

How to fix a hole in a sweater....

I have this sweater that I love... everyone needs a white cardigan. It can go over any tank top or shirt, it's like an accessory!

Unfortunately mine had a few holes in the back... I still wore it sometimes...don't judge me!

I wasn't sure what to do with it until I saw Kim's blog called "a girl and a glue gun". Kim is a genius, check out all the things she can do! In this post she revamped her daughters sweater instead of buying a new one...hello budgeting! 

So I followed her instructions and used an old shirt that I don't wear anymore...people keep asking me if I'm pregnant when I wear it! Hello... way to make me feel fat! It's one that hugs the chest area and bows out...so I gave up on wearing this shirt all together.

cut a line of fabric, fold it over and cut almost a heart shape.  When you open it you get like an X.

Then I started where the hole was and started to sew an x stitch with each heart shaped flower I cut. 

Okay - now don't hate on my pic...it was midnight and I wasn't in the mood to take a picture!

And that's it... a nice little addition to a hole filled cardigan! Now, go and fix your sweaters!!! 

picture frame white board for $1

So I got these frames for $1 each at the local antique auction in my town. It's great, it's every Friday night and things go for super cheap!! My husband thinks I have an addiction, but I don't think it's a bad one....

Don't mind how dirty they look, I was lazy and kept them in the backseat for a while and my son decided to step on them...thanks Joey!

What you need:

Picture Frame (glass)

Scissors

Permanent Marker

Glue Gun

String

Fabric (optional)

So I had these curtains that were in my Grandparents cabin. When my mom went and cleaned it out, she gave them to me. Some I'm keeping to do a chair redo...

I thought they would be cute as the background, so I cut out the size of the frame...  

put it in the frame, replaced the backing and there we have it... I decided I was not a fan... you couldn't really see the marker because of how big and dark the background was. 

So I decided to take it out, flip the picture over to the blank white side and use that as the background.

I thought the white was too bland, so I actually took the fabric curtains and made flowers out of them...I made 3 for a nice collage.

Now, you will also need to make sure you have a marker handy at all times. I took the string I had on hand and started to glue top to bottom on just the cap. Don't do what I did -- glue from bottom to top, that way your marker hangs nicely. Glue the string to the top of the frame.

Hang and write a note for your husband!

And when you want to delete and write a new note, permanent marker comes right off glass with rubbing alcohol.

this also came in handy when my 3 year old found a permanent marker and decided to draw all over my Grandmother's jewelry box...luckily it's plastic and it came off with the help of the alcohol!! Once again...thanks Joey!

HELLO my people!! How is everyone today??  So I have a passion for decorating...but cheaply! You can easily decorate by rearranging a room, maybe taking something off the wall in the bedroom and putting it in your living room, and vice-versa. My husband always knows when he will be doing some heavy lifting when I get that twinkle in my eye and start to look around the room!! My couch has been in so many places, it's never the same whenever someone comes over! Even some of my friends have had to help with my constant rearranging - thanks Meghan! Deal with it!

We don't have a lot of storage in our bathroom, so I decided to take a crate that I got for $5 at the antique store and hammer some nails in that puppy and hang it over the toilet. Toilet - it's such a fancy word!  

It's the perfect size and it doesn't come out too far. I've gotten tons of compliments on it...I will even tell people to go use my bathroom..."hey mailman...you gotta pee?"

And what about those annoying, yet gorgeous rings we woman all love to have? I have tons of rings that I wear on a day to day basis, but having them in a simple box won't do, I need to see my options. 

I got this idea when I was out at my local antique store, and saw this old oil can thingy. It was $2 so I couldn't resist. If anything it would be a nice decoration. It worked out perfectly for my rings!

So look around your home, you never know what you actually have to use for storage, wall decor, etc.  Heart you all <3