Re-vamped Hanging Letter Organizer

Another renewal!

Here’s my most recent “renew”.... a hanging letter organizer that i found broken at a garage sale and believe I bought for $1.

** Tip: When hunting at garage sales or thrift stores for items to restore, ignore the color or any finishes on them! look for pieces that come apart for easy painting and reassembling! Remember, youre gonna sand and repaint everything and all you really need is a good skeleton...

Before.....

After!!!!!

To Renew this letter organizer, i took the backing off (it was just staple gunned in, as backing usually are..) lightly sanded it, primed it, and spray painted it white. Then I used scrap fabric to wrap the backing, stapled it back on, and voila! a new crisp white letter organizer with a little lime-green, mod flair!!

(also-these letter organizers a EASY to find at any goodwill and re-finishing one is a fun, quick DIY decorating project!)

Delicious AND nutritious! but best of all- quick and EASY!

So its a new year, and with that comes New Year’s resolutions.. and from what i’ve heard, “Getting fit for summer” is on almost everyones list (including mine!) so i thought i’d share some AWESOME low calorie/high taste recipes that are super quick, super easy, and SUPER DUPER yummy!

ps... by substituting simple ingredients like turkey bacon instead of regular bacon, you can still enjoy some of your favorites without the added gross stuff (fats... sodium.. carbs... sugars... trans fats... gross..)

Well Balanced Day-Starters!

Mc-Healthy Egg Sandwich

• 1 egg white
• 1/4 cup torn spinach
• 1 slice reduced fat/low fat cheese of choice (I like parmesan cheese, grated and thrown in while the egg is cooking, but a slice of cheese works too..)
• 1 slice Canadian bacon (which is suprisingly good for you... a little high in sodium, but waaay better than sausage would be...)
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• 1 whole wheat english muffin

In a small bowl, mix egg, spinach, and salt and pepper.

Cook the egg in a small frying pan on the stovetop (or you can spray a small microwave safe bowl with a little non stick spray and microwave it for approx 1min 30sec.)

Heat canadian bacon in frying pan, or in toaster oven...

Toast english muffin and when done, arrange the egg (with the spinach cook in), canadian bacon and cheese in between and enjoy!

BEST healthy french toast EVER! (2servings)

• 2 Slices whole wheat whole grain bread (something high in fiber-or whatever bread you want, but again- we’re trying to be healthy here!!)
• 1 lg Egg
• 1/4 cup non-fat vanillla creamer (the kind for your coffee!, i recommend the trader joes variety..but i recommend the trader joes variety of everything..)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup fresh strawberries (or berry of your choice! bananas are also a great topping!
• butter (or non-stick spray for pan)
• Powdered sugar or honey (to taste)
• dollop of plain or vanilla yogurt (optional)

in a bowl big enough to hold a slice of bread, beat the egg, creamer, cinnamon, and vanilla extract together.

place 1 slice of bread in and let soak for approx. 30 seconds on each side or until bread is well-coated.

In a frying pan or on a griddle, cook the french toast on each side until golden brown and egg is cooked.

Cut up strawberries and arrange on top of french toast. Sprinkle a small amount of powdered sugar on top or drizzle a little honey for some added sweetness.. but i like it plain, with a little plain or vanilla yogurt on the side.

Mid-Day Munchies aka LUNCH!

Indian Spiced Chicken Pita (2servings)

• I boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced seeded cucumber
• 1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt
• 1tsp chopped fresh cilantro , or mint
• 2-3 slices lemon (or 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Freshly ground pepper (to taste)
• 2 inch whole-wheat pitas, warmed
• 1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
• 1 roma tomato, sliced
• about 1/4 of an onion -thinly sliced

-Sprinkle chicken with 1 teaspoon garam masala and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook chicken until pink in the center in a grill, in a frying pan, or (my favorite) on a George Forman grill! ( i got mine for $6 at the goodwill!)

-Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.

-Meanwhile, combine cucumber, yogurt, cilantro (or mint), lemon juice, the remaining garam masala and salt and pepper in a small bowl.

-Thinly slice the chicken.

-Split open the warm pitas and fill with the chicken, yogurt sauce, lettuce, tomato and onion.

Yummy Spring Spinach salad with Cranberries and Apple

• 1 handful spinach
• 1 handful Lettuce (your choice, but remember, the darker the leaf, the more nutritional.. iceberg... may as well be cardboard..)
• 1-2 strips of turkey bacon, cut up super tiny (or 1/2 tbsp bacon bits)
• 1/2 granny apple diced (or other light colored apple)
• 1/8 cup red onion very thinly sliced
• crumbled bleu cheese (to taste)
• 1/8 cup dried cranberries
• Walnuts (halved or whole- to taste)
• gorgonzola, raspberry vinaigrette, or dressing of your choice. ( i LOVE the champagne pear gorgonzola dressing from Trader Joes)

In Large bowl, toss together all ingredients and serve immediately. (salad gets soggy remember!) if you’re taking this to work or preparing it ahead, just wait to add the dressing until right before you’re ready to eat!

Delicious Dinners!

Its not delivery-Its a healthy veggie pizza!

• pizza crust/dough (i like the garlic and herb dough from Trader Joes..)
• 1/2 c pizza or pasta sauce
• 1/4 c artichoke hearts (canned/drained or frozen/defrosted)
• 1/3 c mozzarella cheese (skim)
• onions (sliced thin)
• spinach (torn)
• 1/4 green bell pepper sliced lengthwise
• tomatoes (reg or sundried, sliced)
• lemon pepper
• red pepper flakes

roll out dough, spread sauce on evenly, sprinkle with cheese and arrange veggies on top as desired. Season with a dash of lemon pepper and red pepper flakes before baking. Cook as crust directs for 1/2 time on pizza pan and 1/2 time on oven rack.

A New Nest

Finally! My very own “nest”! That’s right folks! I got my own place! and boy-oh-boy, am IIIIII lovin’ it! Best part, of course, is getting to decorate!! I have sooo many projects planned so stay tuned! I was feeling a little under the weather today, so I decided to keep the running around town to a minimum, but tomorrow I plan on re-caulking the bathroom tub! a project that’s actually fairly easy to do yourself, but makes a huuuge difference and really gives your bathroom a fresh, clean look! (of course, i’ve never done this before, but i have done my research and watched a youtube video or two... so we’ll se how it goes... wish me luck!)

Its my first week at my place, and so far all ive been doing is trying to fill it with furniture. Since im always trying to be thrifty, and am a huge fan of recycling goods, I’ve been scouring craigslist looking for deals on decor to fill my humble abode. I must say, Ive been VEEERY successful!

So far I have scored some awesome deals! And im pretty sure ive furnished my whole place for just around $100! Here’s how:

One Saturday, I was garage sale shopping and i found a BRAND NEW Ikea coffee table that retails for about $180. It was the end of the day, and i talked the guy into giving it to me for $5! Then i listed it on craigslist for $80 and INSTANTLY got a taker. Soo... I made $75... THEN I found these AWESOME bubblegum pink chairs on craigslist for $15... and bought two... kept one, and listed one on craigslist for $50... and INSTANTLY got a taker... (who, by the way, was an antique dealer who told me he was reselling it for $125!!! ...i shoulda gone higher... damn..)Soo.. since I spent $30 on the chairs, but sold em for $50.. so I made $20...Now I have a living room chair, and $95 in my pocket.... Soooo I bought this great brand new coffee table for $100. By using what i’ve made so far, I’ve only spent $5 out of pocket. Then I came across these chairs.. which are PERFECT for the modern look im going for... and they were $40 for both... so far.. $45 spent.. then I found a Ikea couch in great condition for $50. I still have to spend a little to have it clean but thats a grand total of a mere $95 dollars spent and I’ve furnished almost the whole place! Now all i need to find is a dining table that is bar height and matches the chairs, and I’m done furnishing...

of course then theres all the decorating and finishing touches..

Big Shot Artist in the Spotlight: BrickFish is doing the most

Check this out and vote for my friend! (plus its a great blog too!!)

Big Shot Artist in the Spotlight: BrickFish is doing the most

a MUST share! : www.save-on-crafts.com!

www.save-on-crafts.com

seeing as Im'm a lover of all things discounted, this site has quickly become one of my new favorites. The craft items and decorating supplies on this website are not only affordable, (better than affordable....down right insane!) but they also carry many hard-to-find items, such as birch paper, antique birdcages (that start at about $20!) and a wide range of apothecary jars.

here are a few of my favorites straight from their site!

Enjoy!

Bird Cages (Set of 3) $35!

Natural Birch Covered Flower pot or Vase $7

French Lavender Bundles $8.50!

Natural Twig Stick Birds nest (would look SO cute as a table centerpiece or displayed on a vanity!) $3

Fun Gifts for Him for Under $50!

As much as a love tearing through wrapping paper myself, one of my favorite parts of the Holidays is gift giving. But who knows what to get anyone these days?! And lets face it, the monogramed flask has been done, and no one needs another new bathrobe for the 4th year in a row... so how bout some fresh gift ideas, (and a few classics..) for that hard-to-shop-for gentleman on your list?

(top row from left)

1. SuperHeadz Plamodel DIY 35mm Camera $35! A DIY camera that lets you not only take the photos- but build the camera too!

2. Freaks and Geeks the Complete Collection $36! Seriously, its the best show ever.. Relive every high school swirlie and akward first dance with this awesome box set!

3. Ticket Stub Diary $12 OK so scrap booking may be Über girlie, but the gents still wanna save the memories of the Yankees taking another world series! This album is designed to document your favorite games, concerts and events... in the most masculine way possible.

(middle items)

4. Recycled Skateboard Cufflinks $20 Get him a gift even Tony Hawk would be jealous of! These one of a kind cufflinks are crafted from the wood of old skateboard decks. Each one is unique and it makes a great gift for your extreme sports dude.

5. Collapsible Trunk Organizer with Cooler $32 Its no secret that I'm a sucker for all things organization... so any chance i have to pass my OCD tendencies on to someone, I take. Plus, no gal likes a guy with junk in the trunk! am i right?!

(bottom row)

6. Jack Black Men's First Class Five Grooming Kit $48 One of the best in mens skin care, this airport security friendly kit has everything you need to keep guys skin smooth!

7. Cardboard Animal Head $28 Its a cardboard animal head! it pretty much sells itself.... Oh- and did I mention it comes in Bison too?

8. Double Horsepower SYMA Dragonfly Remote Controlled Helicopter $46 I don't care what any of you men say... you're all 10 year old boys at heart... and there isn't a-one of ya who wouldn't spend hours playing with a remote controlled anything any day of the week...

9. LEGO® Architecture: Empire State Building Set $24 Following the same rules as remote controlled toys, are Legos... Just TRY to not play with em if they're in front of you! and with Lego's new Architecture line, you can have all the fun and not feel like a total nerd stuck building the Death Star, or Temple of Doom ,or whatever...

Well.. I hope that gives you a few ideas... the websites I found these items on are great as well! (especially uncommongoods.com ) And remember : NO ONE UNDER 92 YEARS OF AGE LIKES FRUITCAKE!

To all The Holiday Jet-Setters and Globe-Trotters... and those just going over the river and through the woods to Granny's..

The Holidays are here people! And chances are good, with that comes traveling to see family! ( ...or traveling to escape ‘em) Either way, i thought I’d share with you a few tips and tricks for smooth sailing!

Tip #1... Pack light!

I used to want “options”... then I realized I only ever wear about half the clothes I brought... and what a waste of packing space that is!

The easiest way to maximize your outfits is to bring items that are “cross-over” pieces... or items that (with a little tweaking) can go from a day look to a night look....

I LOVE my grey sweater dress and heres how, with a few added accessories, it goes from a comfy day look to a swanky night-out-on-the-town ensemble!

Tip #2 Rock and “ROLL”!!

ok ok... maybe rockin’ isnt in line with my traveling tips, but ROLLING your clothes when packing sure is!! This helps to keep clothes wrinkle-free and gives you TONS more room than just folding (or stuffing) your clothes into your bag would.

cherry on top: if you wanna get fancy, you can roll your clothes in tissue paper.. this help to keep clothes extra extra wrinkle free!

Tip #3... Packing Cubes!!!

Allow me to introduce you to what may be the greatest invention in packing since the rolling suitcase... PACKING CUBES!!! GET YOURS HERE AT AMAZON.COM!!

After my dear friend Audrey raved about these packing aides, I had to get one for myself and boy-oh-boy i don’t know how I ever travelled without ‘em!!

These mesh bags are the secret to packing organization! Instead of unpacking everything to find what your looking for, all you have to do is grab the cube, take out what you want, zip it and toss it back in your bag. No more digging around or unpacking everything just to find that one thing you need!

Take a look at how the double-sided packing cube condensed a whopping 23 items that spread out over my whole bed into a cube just barely bigger than a shoe box!!

2 pants

3 dresses

1 jacket

2 pairs of leggings

1 vest

3 undershirts

1 blazer

2 sweaters

5 shirts

2 belts

1 skirt

all fits in this:

im telling you... im amazed every time!!

Tip #4 Check in Online!!

I’m sure you’ve heard this one before.. but I’ll reiterate... Airlines allow you to check in online and print your boarding pass from home. Also, now you can have your boarding pass sent to your cell or PDA and, from that, they can simply scan the barcode on your screen!

Tip #5 Cover your Ass!!!

Recently, on a trip to NYC I had my entire purse stolen, and with that went my wallet, cell phone, ID, credit cards, (and even my Ipod... ) boo....

Needless to say, I learned a couple of lessons the hard way! I learned that you dont necessarily need your ID when you travel (THIS IS NO EXCUSE TO TRAVEL W/OUT ONE!...Just advice for what to do if one gets lost!)

Make photo copies of your ID and passport and keep them hidden in your suitcase just in case. I also recommend bringing 2 credit cards/atm cards and keeping each in a different bag or wallet.

One day this just may save you a whole lotta time/money and DEFINITELY the headache.

Other than that..bon voyage!

Oh... and to expunge any possible feelings of guilt, it IS, according to me and any person who’s ever flown on a plane ever, OK to steal the blankets... I take em any chance I get... WASH em when you get home of course, but they make for wonderful picnic blankets-- and lets face it- now some airlines have to audacity to charge for pillows and blankets...RUDE!! “I’m sorry, but I was under the impression that my $523 ticket included my comfort... oh it doesn’t? I see..so I have to pay an additional fee to be warm and comfortably cushioned...i. i get it... tooootally fair...”

BAH! take the blankets! take em all!!