New Blog

I have moved this blog over to a new site: www.craftywife.com.

If you would like to continue reading my posts please go visit me there.

Thank you all so much for your continued support!

xoxo,

Teresa

Be My Guest

The menu!

Ever since I was a little girl I've always wanted to step inside the world of Beauty and the Beast.  It's been a dream of mine since I was six and now, at the ripe age of twenty-seven, I have lived my dream. 

The Be Our Guest restaurant opened at Disney World's Magic Kingdom on November 17th.  Chris and I went within the first week of it opening and I could not have been more excited!  The woman who took us to our seats was laughing at how giddy and in awe of everything I was.  Yep, I am that adult who acts like a five year old child at Disney.  And I am not ashamed.

When you walk up to the restaurant doors you see a beautiful stained glass window that depicts the first part of the Beast's story.  The double doors open as you approach them and you walk into a huge entry way (no pictures, sorry!).  My mouth dropped open at this point, everything was beautiful!  As you step into the dinning room you realize that you've actually stepped inside the Beast's grand ballroom.  There are no words to describe just how gorgeous it is.  It looks exactly like I always dreamed it would.

There was a cute little sign for the restaurant on  an
archway that was connected to the bridge that led
you up to the front doors of the restaurant!

Since we ate when it was dark out I had to go back and get some
of these photos.  This was the front door that led you into the entry way.

The stained glass window!  If you've watched the movie as many
times as I have, you'll know what part these pictures are from!

This was inside the entry way on the left hand side.
It was beautiful!  If you can't tell, I was really really excited!

The West Wing was off to the right side of the ballroom and there was also a room where the Beast waited for you to finish dinner so he could greet and take a picture with you.  On the far side of the ballroom was a wall of windows that framed the mountains in the distance.  On the ceiling were not one, but three chandeliers as well as the painting of angels from the movie.  There was also a second floor to the ballroom that was probably all for show but very visually appealing.

I don't think I paid much attention to Chris at dinner.  I was
too busy taking everything in!

Chris and I swear that we will go back and eat at this restaurant again.  The food was delicious!  We both had strip steak with assorted vegetables and fries.  We also got a bottle of wine (the only restaurant at the Magic Kingdom that serves alcohol) and also decided we had just enough room left in our stomach's to eat a dessert.  Since I have a food allergy, I am never sure if I can have dessert at a restaurant and usually steer clear of it.  But, Chris and I decided to ask about it anyway and we found out that I can have the dessert at this particular restaurant (score!).  We ordered a strawberry cupcake and devoured it in less than two minutes.  I'm pretty sure we were a little drunk off the wine and on a food high when we left.  

Delicious, delicious food and wine!

This is the only picture I took of the castle.  I know, I know.  Shame on me!
But at least it has the fireworks behind it. Do I get bonus points for that?!

D-I-Y Fall Wreath

If you've been following the Pinterest Party posts you'll know that my friends and I got together and made fall and winter wreaths.  I did a fairly long, wordy, loads of pictures post about what we did, but I did not go into how I made my own personal wreath.  And of course, we have to see if it was budget friendly!

My original idea was to do a fall wreath that centered around sunflowers.  I absolutely love sunflowers and I loved all the examples I had found on Pinterest.

I absolutely loved the reds, yellows, and oranges of all the wreaths, but what I really liked was the letter!  I knew I was going to incorporate that into my own wreath somehow...

I decided to go to Michael's and see what I could find that would live up to my expectations.  The first time I went by myself and bought a vase of fake flowers that were on sale and thought that was all I needed.  But when I went back to help another friend find what she wanted for her wreath, I realized that I wasn't completely happy with the supplies I bought.

Originally I had bought a small wreath from Target for $2.50 and thought that would be sufficient.  I soon realized that such a tiny wreath would look ridiculous on my outside door and I needed something a little bit bigger.

As you can see, the wreath I ended up using could be the little one's mother!  I knew I needed to go bigger.  As they say, bigger is always better.  And while I don't always believe that is true, in this case it was!

I also needed a few smaller flowers to balance out the larger ones as well as a letter.  I also decided that I wanted cranberries wrapped around the wreath because that is something I've always loved.

I used wire to hold my flowers, cranberries, and letter in place.  Some people used hot glue for theirs but I felt like the wire held everything better for me.  I'm very happy with how it turned out!
 

Okay...let's see the cost breakdown:
Grapevine Wreath: $3.00 (originally $5 but I used a 40% off coupon)
Cranberries: $3.00 (Originally $5 but it was on sale for 40% off.  I bought two)
Flowers in vase: $2.60 (original price was $12.99 but I got it at 80% off!)
Other flowers: $5.00
Wire: $0.99
Letter: $1.99

TOTAL: $19.58  

I wanted to try to stay under $20 and I definitely accomplished that!  It is so rewarding knowing that I got a great deal on a lot of the items I used and that I am going to be able to use the wreath for (hopefully) years to come!

Next up, a Christmas wreath!  I'm already planning it out in my head and hope that it turns out just as good as my fall wreath.  Maybe even better!

Pinterest Party Success!

After a hectic day yesterday it's nice to sit down with my cup of coffee, catch up with a few friends, and settle in for a nice relaxing day at home.  We're exhausted from all of yesterday's excitement  and quite satisfied with the outcome of our crafting skills.  Let's just say that the Pinterest Party was a huge success, and now that I have the first one under my belt I cannot wait to do more!

{You can find my original party post here if you're a little unsure of what a Pinterest party entails}

For my party everyone brought one dish they wanted to try and all the materials to make a fall or winter wreath.  We spent the first hour and a half tasting all of the food and catching up. {Silly me forgot to take pictures of the food!  I guess I was just too busy chowing down!} After our stomachs were satisfied we grabbed our supplies and sat down to craft to our hearts content!  The crafting part of the party probably took about an hour and a half to two hours total.  It was so much fun to see what everyone else was done, and there were a lot of different projects going on!  I think each one reflected the makers personality perfectly, and we're all extremely proud of the outcome!

My sister J did a Christmas wreath with birds on it.  The original picture that she modeled her wreath after, is from Michaels Arts and Crafts store.  It came out so well and is so unique!  S was in love with the birds and I won't be surprised if she goes back to Michael's to make a wreath similar to the one J made.  My favorite part of the entire project (beside the birds, which are super cute!) was the snow-in-a-can that J used to give the wreath a "wintery" feel.  

I love that K's wreath was completely different than the rest of ours.  She used a styrofoam tube as the base and pinned felt to it to get the look the see in the picture.  It is so unique and fun!  K told us after we were done that using pins to keep the felt in place wore her fingers down during the process though, so if you are thinking of trying this version you may want to get something that will protect your fingers!    

At first, S wanted to do her own version of this wreath, but ended up with a finished product that looked more like a variation of the hydrangea wreath.  There were a few people (myself included) who did different versions of this.  The most unique part about the whole wreath was that S wrapped her letter in ribbon which gave it a completely different effect.  

L and I did different versions of S's wreath (see above).  I love L's wreath because the colors match the theme of her house and not only is it chic, but it is very unique to her taste.  Oh...and the colors are gorgeous of course!

All the ladies with our newly crafted wreaths!
There is one person whose wreath I did not get a picture of in an individual shot, and that is E's (top row, second from the right).  E made hers with coffee filters and the reason I don't have a finished shot is because she is not done with it yet.  Hopefully she will send me a picture with the finished result because I am so anxious to see it!  I absolutely adore the coffee filter idea and love how full her wreath is!  Even if she just put a bow on it I think it would look fantastic!    

Before everyone left I had a small surprise for them.  I wanted to say thank you for coming and to give them all a little momento to remember the day by.

And here are the bags they went in:

Even though I was stressing a bit, the party turned out to be a success and we all had lots of fun!  I am very excited to have left over snacks to eat and new recipes to print out for my recipe binder!

For now, I'll leave you with a few links for some of the food my guests made:
1.  Strawberry Cheesecake Bites: verdict?  A hit!  People gobbled them up.
2.  Moscato Spritzer: verdict?  Okay, not my personal favorite but still pretty good!
3.  Lemonade Punch: verdict?  Delicious!  I will definitely be making this again!
4.  Strawberry-Mint Water: verdict?  Holy cow.  I loved it!  In fact, I'm having a glass right now!
5.  Easy Parmesan Knots: verdict?  The best bread I've ever had.  Seriously!

There were also meatballs, spinach and feta cheese dip, shrimp dip, and blue cheese bread bites!  I'll have to get the recipe for all of those and update this when I do.  Everything was delicious though and my mouth is still watering thinking of all the deliciousness!

I hope you've enjoyed my long picture filled post!  And I also hope that it has inspired you to do some crafting of your own!

Giving Thanks: Part Three

I wasn't really sure what I was going to write about today.  I didn't want to give a generic thankful answer because I really wanted to go outside the box and come up with something new.  Of course I am thankful for my faith, family, and friends, but there had to be something else to write about.  Something that is unique to my life.  And then it came to me.

I am thankful to be a stay-at-home-wife.

From the day Chris and I were married I have been lucky enough to be labeled as such.  Not many people are able to have this opportunity, and not a lot of people want to have it.  I am part of very unique and small group of women who are able to do this.  Who want to do this.

I love staying at home during the day.  I love the freedom it gives me as well as the opportunities.  And I love that when Chris gets home I can be waiting for him at the door, with a home cooked meal on the table.  

Does that make me old fashioned?  Maybe it does to some people, but not to me.  I've always wanted to stay at home ever since I was a little girl.  My goal in life was not to be a powerful business woman, but a loving wife and mother.  And God has blessed me with the opportunity to be just that.  

I honestly believe that being a stay-at-home-wife is preparing me to be a stay-at-home-mom.  Not only am I able to establish a daily routine but I am also free to experiment to see what works best for my family.  And once Chris and I make the decision to start having children, I will be blessed with the time to prepare. 

It is so easy to forget that being able to stay at home is a blessing.  There are some days where I honestly don't feel like doing anything and get bored pretty easily.  But then I remember that I am allowed to have a time out and relax for a day.  My chores and experiments will always be there tomorrow.  

But, I cannot forget the real reason I am able to do what I want: My husband.  Without God blessing Chris with a job that is able to provide everything we need and more, I would not be able to stay at home.  

{And the best part is that Chris has a job that he loves, so the money is only an added bonus}   

Successful Shopping Day

I am by no means, an awesome clothes shopper.  In fact, I'm probably one of the only girls on the planet that hates shopping for clothes.  Let me rephrase that...I hate shopping for clothes for myself.  So when I got my birthday presents from my family (thanks you guys!), I knew I had to spend my gift cards (and cash) wisely and I knew that I was in desperate need of new winter clothes.  I mean, I have a few favorite sweaters that still fit and are in tact that were new when Chris and I started dating three and a half years ago.  Yea...that's kind of sad.

See, I would much rather spend money on things for the house.  Or on my crafting, reading, or movie watching obsessions.  I am not a happy shopping person.  That gene went to my youngest sister and I do not envy her at all.

However!  I decided to treat myself today.  Mostly because I only have about five sweaters in my closet and I knew they were not going to last me all winter.  But, the reason behind the shopping really doesn't matter.  What does matter is the fact that I went and I was successful.

I went to at least four different stores today.  That may not sound like a lot, but for a reluctant shopper like me it feels more like browsing in four hundred stores.  

I have been eyeing this outfit from American Eagle for some time now, but I was not willing to shell out $109.90 for two pieces.  That just wasn't going to happen.  So, I began to look for cheaper alternatives and was very lucky to find one at Old Navy.

The above dress was originally $38 online and not sold in stores.  I was really disappointed because (1) I didn't want to pay that much, and (2) the cheaper alternative wasn't going to ship out until December 22nd.  So, I ended up going to the store and was lucky enough to find that someone returned it in my size and preferred color!  I also got 50% off of the dress just in case something was wrong with it (there wasn't) which, in my opinion, was a complete steal!  (insert happy dance)  

I couldn't find a cute cardigan to go over the dress though, so I went over to Target to try to find something.  Unfortunately, my luck ran out over at Target and I couldn't find a cardigan I liked.  But...I was able to find an outfit similar to this one to buy:

 
I'm pretty darn excited!  I think I've got enough cardigans, sweaters, and long sleeve shirts to last me a while now.  And I can't wait until my two pairs of boots (I'm finally getting a pair of cowboy boots!  YeeeHaaaaw!!!) come in from Amazon next week.

I'm so thankful for the thoughtful gifts from my family.  They were put to good use, and I feel like I'll look really stylish this winter!

Pinterest Party Projects

I'm having a Pinterest Party!

Yep.  In a few weeks I'll have a few friends over to craft, eat food, and hang out.  I don't know about everyone else, but I am so excited to do this!  In fact, I'm so excited that I've already started making a few preparations that could technically be held off for another week or so (thank you OCD).

If you've never heard of a Pinterest Party before, let me fill you in on all the fun!

The point of the party is to get together and make a (reasonably priced) craft (or two) that you've found on Pinterest.  
At my party we're going to make wreaths!  You can either have your guests go out and buy their own supplies to bring with them, or the host can buy the supplies in advance and have each guest bring money to cover the cost.  This differs depending on whomever is throwing the party, but since everyone that is coming to my party has different styles I decided to have everyone get their own supplies.    

You can also have each guest bring a dish that they've found on Pinterest and have been dying to try (like a potluck!).
I've asked each of my friends to bring a different dish without being too specific (we could either end up with a lot of dessert or none at all!).  I've also asked that they print out directions for the recipe they've made, that way we can give it to someone else to take home if they like it.  OH!  And, if you have food allergies like I do, you can always specifically ask that no one brings a dish that you can't eat.  

That's about all a Pinterest Party entails.  Pretty simple, right?  I've also got a few surprises up my sleeve and will wait until after the party to share them with you!  I don't want to ruin it for the people who are coming.

So far, I've done a few things to get ready for the party that I'd like to share with you.

I'm not much of a e-vite person.  I love the old school charm of a handmade (or even a cute store bought) invitation.  There is just something so personal and sweet about someone taking time out of their day to write out a card to you.  That is why I decided to make my own Pinterest invites!

I wanted them to look as much like the Pinterest logo as I could, so I pulled out my cricut, plugged it in, and got to work.  Here is what I came up with:

I also made this super awesome printable using Photoshop.  I'm starting to get really good at just bs'ing my way through using it and making stuff look good.

And that is it for now!  Stay tuned for some more fun projects that I'll be starting for the party and check back in a few weeks to find out how it went!

As always, you can find the downloadable version of the above printable on my google site.  It will print up to an 8x10!

Happy crafting!  

Giving Thanks: Part Two

This is going to be such a great week.  I can't believe this crazy election season will all be over tomorrow night!  I know that I am not the only one tired of the constant political ads between my favorite shows, turning on the news and only hearing about what each candidate is doing, and reading countless posts on facebook about someone's personal political beliefs (yes, I'm guilty of that too).  I am counting down the hours until it's all over and we can all go back to our regular day-to-day activities.  I'm more excited about that than my actual birthday tomorrow!

I am so thankful that we live in a country where difference of opinions are a good thing.  Where voting in elected officials is not a luxury, but our duty as citizens.  Some of us take this for granted, we figure that our votes do not count or that we don't have to vote because someone else will.  But our voice does matter and what we think is important because we, as citizens, get to decide what kind of country we want to live in.  Not a lot of people in the world are as lucky as us.  We, as a nation, decide our fate.  How many people get to say that?  So, first and foremost, I am extremely thankful that I get to cast my vote tomorrow.

I am super excited to get a sticker tomorrow!

On a completely different note....

I also have to give a huge shout out to my husband who stayed up late last night teaching me the in's and outs of HTML.  Without him my blog would just be another blog on the internet, but now I'm finally learning how to personalize it and make it my own!  I still do not understand how to code but I am one lucky girl since my husband doesn't mind helping me out.

{Thanks babe!}  

It's still a work in progress as I figure out the do's and don'ts, what looks good and what doesn't, but I'm pretty happy with it so far.  So poke around and see what's new here.  I hope you like what you see!

Just Some Food For Thought

Dear political activist,

I'm sorry, but I think it is time I said something.  I have sat idly by and read your political rants day after day without saying a word (except to my husband, he gets earfuls).  I can no longer pretend I don't see your ignorant posts, or you hateful commentary when it comes to this election because what you say hits close to home.  So close in fact, that I feel like you are directly speaking to me.

I know that there has been a lot of heat between Democrats and Republicans lately.  I watch the news and know how ugly it can get.  I also understand that the two parties will never see eye to eye on most of the major issues.  But that is the beauty of being an American.  We are all allowed to have differing opinions and ideals because of a little thing called the Revolutionary War.  But when your difference of opinions are used to belittle and condemn a political party you are not a part of, it makes you look ignorant.  It does not make the party you are talking about look bad, but it does make you look like a fool.

There will always be someone who is rude, ignorant, arrogant, or a racist no matter what party you affiliate yourself with.  Those characteristics are not found in just one group, but rather intertwined within the entire population.  You cannot control what another person decides to say or do, but you can control those actions in yourself.  Next time you decide to call an entire group racist, take a step back and think.  Don't throw those hateful words around just because you think it's cute or funny to say.  By using hateful rhetoric, you are making yourself look just as ignorant as the people you have decided to "call out".

I may not be able to control what you say or do, but I can call you out on what you have done.  You may think you are part of the solution, but instead you are part of the problem.  No one has ever been able to solve anything with bullying, name calling, or racial profiling.  I like to believe we are all trying to work towards one common goal, even if the way to get there differs depending on with whom you speak.

While we are American's and do have the right and privilege to speak our minds without consequences, there is never a time or place to be hateful or rude.  Just because one person is a racist does not mean everyone in their affiliated party is.

There are only a few more days until this election (thank goodness) and if the person you are not voting for is elected, you will have to live with all the hateful things you have said as of late.  Is that really what you want to be remembered for?  Do you want to be judged by all of the hateful things you have said?  Because by judging others, you are opening the door for them to judge you.

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged.  Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven."

Luke 6:37

Giving Thanks: Part One

It's that time of the year again!  I cannot believe that November is here already.  Where has the year gone?!?!

I love November.  Not just because it's my birthday month (yay!), but because so many good things happen during it.

I love the cold weather it brings and the fact that election day is always on the first Tuesday of the month (yeah, I'm a bit of a goober). 

 It is always exciting to know we all get an extra hour of sleep thanks to daylight savings and we can curl up in bed, under the covers, and stay warm for just a bit longer.  

The leaves are gorgeous shades of reds, greens, yellows, and oranges this time of year!  I always love driving down country roads and taking in the sites.

We have one day this month to eat gloriously rich foods with family and friends and not feel guilty about how many calories we've had until the next day.

After Thanksgiving I can put up all my Christmas decorations!

And who doesn't enjoy the feelings of gratitude and general happiness towards others?  

On the topic of gratitude and happiness, every year I write down what I am thankful for.  God gives us so many blessings and it is easy to get caught up in life and to take what He gives us for granted.

This year has been pretty amazing so far and getting married was definitely the highlight.  I would say the first thing I am thankful for is my wonderful, hardworking husband, but I think that's a given.  Instead, I'm going to tell you how thankful and overjoyed I am to officially be a part of my husband's family!  They are some of the nicest, most giving, and wonderful people I know.  I met them a few months after Chris and I started dating in 2009 and have been a part of the family ever since (and now, it's official!).

This family photo is from December 2010.  Our niece was about
three weeks old in this picture!  

I'm officially part of the family now!  Unfortunately our
brother-in-law couldn't be there but he was definitely missed!

My entire family at our wedding.  This doesn't include
all the cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, or our
brother-in-law, but this is most of our immediate family!

We also had one other addition to our family: our nephew.
My youngest sister was able to visit the family in the hospital
and get pictures of him.  I'm a little jealous that he is awake
in this picture because every time I've seen him he is fast asleep!

Stay tuned for part two of my four part series! 

Favorite Fall Recipes

The weather finally seems to have evened out and has been consistently cooler over the past few days.  Cold fall weather always makes me want to curl up on the couch in my jammies with a bowl of whatever warm and comforting meal I cooked in my crockpot that day.  That is my ideal fall day.    

My favorite thing about cooking in the crockpot is that it usually takes about ten minutes of prep time and then I can just let it cook all day without having to lift a finger!  Ahh...perfection!

Here are my top five Fall Recipes:

1.  Pulled Pork!  I use the recipe on the back of the slow cooker seasoning packet you get at the grocery store.  It's delicious!
2.  Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili!  A friend turned me onto this recipe and it has now become a staple in my household.  Chris hates chili but I would cook it for my sister all the time, put it over rice, and chow down to our hearts content.  Yum!
3.  Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup!  Who doesn't love soup on a cool fall day?  This is another recipe we make at least once a month.
4.  BBQ Ribs!  Yep, you read that right.  You can make BBQ Ribs in the crockpot!  This is a fairly new recipe that I've tried but Chris and I love it!  There was lots of basting involved during the last few hours of cooking but it paid off and the meat practically fell off the bone once it was done.
5.  Italian Roast!  I love roast recipes!  They're so easy to make and so delicious once they are done.  I can't find the recipe anywhere on line so here it is!
     Ingredients:
          - 4 to 6 lb. chuck roast
          - 1 packet ranch seasoning (buttermilk recipe)
          - 1 packet ground gravy mix
          - 1 packet zesty Italian mix
          - 1/2 cup water
     Directions:
          - Combine ranch, Italian dressing, brown gravy, and water in a separate bowl and mix together.  Pour over chuck roast in the crockpot.
          - Cover and cook on Low for 6-10 hours.

There it is!  My favorite five fall crockpot recipes.  Do you have any recipe staples in your home?  If so, share in the comments below!

October in Review

I have been so bad about updating my blog lately.  Everything is fine here, just waiting for Frankenstorm to hit sometime tonight or tomorrow.  Chris and I have decided to fix a nice steak dinner tonight, just in case the electricity goes out and we can't eat another delicious hot meal for a few days.  (ha!)

I'm not going to write a huge update today, but I will post a few pictures (and a video!) of this month's highlights!

I went to an air show with my two best friends!

After the air show we carved pumpkins!  I carved the middle
(Ariel) but the other two are a dog and an Angry Bird.

Chris' birthday was on the 24th and I made a delicious lemon
cake!  (Can you tell I had to re-write the 'birth' part of birthday?)

We received our wedding video on Saturday!  Due to some miscommunications with Disney it took six months to get it, but it's finally here now and Chris and I are so happy to finally have it!  The above video is the montage, we've only shared the actual ceremony with our family.  

The other exciting thing that happened was that our nephew arrived on the 26th!  There are a ton of pictures of him on facebook (boy is he a cutie!) and I was able to skype with my in-laws twice on Friday to ooo and ahh over him.  Now I have a niece and nephew to love and spoil like crazy.  We are all just so excited!

And that's about it!  It's been such an exciting month and I can't believe it is almost November.  Good grief this year is going by fast!  

Making and Canning Apple Butter

Since it's been fall for a little less than a month now, I figure it's high time I start making my house feel (and smell) like it.

I have been seeing so many recipes for apple butter lately.  I have never had it before but it looks so delicious that I was persuaded to make it myself.  Before starting I did some research on the best apples to use (Gold), what recipe was highly reviewed, and how to preserve the excess apple butter (ie: can) for later use.

I went out and bought 12 pint sized Kerr jars from Target for $7.99 for canning.  I also bought 2 dozen apples from the supermarket for my recipe (I already had all the other ingredients at home).

After reading the instructions for the Apple Butter recipe I modified it a bit:
-5 1/2 lbs. apples, (peeled, cored, and finely chopped)
-3 cups white sugar
-1 cup brown sugar
-Juice from one lemon
-1 tsp ground nutmeg
-2 tspns ground cinnamon
-1/4 tsp ground gloves
-1/4 tsp salt
(SIDE NOTE: My recipe filled two pint sized jars.  If you're using smaller jars (1/2 pints) then it would probably fill four.)

All of my supplies (minus the apples, they were already chopped
up and in the crockpot at this point).

I cut up my apples into extremely small pieces so they would break down easier during cooking.  While they were sitting in the crockpot I mixed together the sugar, lemon juice, nutmeg, cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt in my mixer.  Then, I combined the apples and the mixture in the crockpot and let it cook on high for an hour.

After an hour I set the crockpot on low and went to bed.  Ten hours later, this is what I woke up to.

Truthfully, I wanted to dig in right then and there.  But, it still needed to cook a little longer so I had to wait.

While I was waiting for the mix to thicken I put a few of the mason jars in the running dishwasher to keep them warm before I started the canning process.

After that I blended my apple butter because I didn't want mine chunky.

To make sure I preserved my food safely and correctly, I followed these instructions from Fresh Preserving.

The proper way to can apple butter is to leave half an inch of empty space at the top and to boil the can for 10 minutes.  I don't have the "proper canning equipment" so I just used what I had.

You can buy proper canning equipment here

This is the point in the project where all I can do is sit back and pray that everything works the way it is supposed to.  You have to give the cans 24 hours to cool down and set (which is the hardest part for me).

Make sure you hear a "pop" noise!  That
means the lids have sealed properly!

And, that's it!  If you have any questions or if something is unclear please leave a comment and I will get back to you as soon as I can!

Just a few quick tips:

• Some people have said that the recipe is too sweet.  I love sweet things so that isn't a problem for me, but if you are not a super sweet lover I'd suggest cutting down the white sugar by at least a cup.
• I constantly stirred the apples because I was afraid it would burn on the bottom.  I'm not sure if this is really necessary, but it worked for me!
• I left the mason jars in the dishwasher while the butter finished cooking to keep them warm!  Never put hot food in a room temperature jar before canning!  You take the chance of the jar cracking during the canning process.
• You do not have to can the apple butter!  You can freeze it or you can just put it in the fridge if you think you'll use it all right away.
• If you do decide to can your apple butter (a must if you're giving it as a gift to someone!) check how long you should boil it in the water.  The time differs based on the altitude.  
• Always, always, always use non metal tongs to pull the jars out of the boiling water! 

How I Spend My Monday Nights

I just wanted to share a few pictures of some cards I made tonight.  This is how I pass the time when Chris is playing games on his computer.

They're going to fill in all the empty space in my newly made card box!

All of these cards of versions of pictures I came across on Pinterest:

I think this is my favorite one.  I love the colors and the
idea that it's a shirt is just so cute! 

I'm not really sure what this card is going to be
for, but I just liked the ideas of colored
butterflies on a black piece of paper.

I'm not sure what I'm going to use this card for.  I have an
idea but I think I'll keep it a secret for now...

Homemade Card Storage

Have you ever seen the Friends episode where Monica has the secret closet?  If not you should watch this scene from youtube.  It's hilarious!

I have my own similar not so similar but kind of like the closet situation in that episode.  I call it the "everything-that-I-don't-care-to-find-a-place-for" drawer because things that I don't feel like organizing at a specific time get tossed in there only to be buried and found at a much later date.  It is a little embarrassing to admit that I have one of those drawers, but doesn't everyone?  I guess I should give you a sneak peek into what it looks like...

One item that lives in the drawer that is begging to get out is my homemade cards.  I can never remember what cards I have, what cards I need, and when I need to make more.  So I started to brainstorm on what I could do and how I could find (or make) a new home for my cards.

It was pure luck when I came across the post from Delightful Order.  Not only did it fit all my needs, but it was practical and would be cute to display around the house!  Perfection!

Lucky for me, my best friends mom gave me the exact same box that DaNita from Delightful Order used for this project.  I have been struggling since March to figure out what I wanted to do with the box and I finally found a great use for it!

The first thing I did was make labels on my computer (thank you powerpoint!).  I sort of borrowed the design from Delightful Order and just changed the colors to match the color palette I wanted.  After they were printed I waited about fifteen minutes just to make sure the ink was dry and then laminated the labels.  I used some laminating paper that I bought months ago at Target then cut out the individual labels into squares.  I also made dividers out of regular colored card stock and a birthday reminder sheet to glue to the top of the box.

After looking at the labels I knew I didn't like the square design they had.  I wanted something a little different and I was falling in love with the scalloped look from Delightful Order's labels.  Since I didn't have a scalloped punch I tried using my cricut but that was a complete disaster.  Luckily I had printed out another copy of all the labels so I was able to see if the scalloped cut worked without ruining my newly laminated labels.

(I did not take a picture of this step.  I was too busy getting frustrated because plan A was not working out the way I wanted it too) 

Once I bought the scalloped punch I was able to finish my project!  Now all I have to do is make some cards to fill it up!

So what do you think?!  I'm so happy I found a practical and cost effective way to store all of my handmade cards.  The whole project only cost me $5.00!  Chris was pretty happy with it too.  The first thing he asked was whether or not I shared the finished product on my blog.  He knows me so well...