T.T.T. Obsessed Much...

So, today's Thrifted-Threads-Thursday repurpose project (wow...say that ten times fast!) is going to seem a bit like deja vu.  It's another post on turning those old tees into a fabulous scarf.

Hello, my name is Nikki, and I'm obsessed with tees and scarves.  I simply can't part with my holey favorite tees, so I've given them a second life thus continuing the love affair. What I love about these scarves is that they will carry you through Spring and even Summer because they are so light weight.  So, without further ado, I give you...

T-Shirt leftovers rewarmed and served...

I turned this:

Into this...

And This...

What You'll Need:

Seam Ripper

Scissors

Sewing Machine

1.  (using the seam ripper) remove the stitching from both side seams of the tee in order to completely separate the front and back panels of the shirt so you have two pieces.  It's best to use the seam ripper instead of cutting them apart so you can salvage as much material as possible.  If there are sleeves, use the seam ripper to remove those as well.

for the Fringed Jersey Scarf:

2.  place the two pieces end to end, aligning the two bottom sections together.  Sew a straight stitch to create a seam.  Don't worry about the fact that it doesn't look perfect...it's going to get fringed...

3.  Begin cutting 1" strips down the (long) sides of the scarf...

4.  Gently pull each strip so it curls on itself...

5.  When you get to the center seam, simply cut it off if you'd like.  You can leave it, just know that it won't curl...

Once you have cut and curled strips down both long sides you are finished!  I tied the ends of my scarf together to achieve the above look.  You could sew the ends together to create one continuous loop and get an infinity scarf.  My fringe is a bit long, so I may trim it later.

For the Second scarf,

Repeat step 1 to separate the front and back panel of the tee.

2.  Fold each panel in half and cut down the crease (now you should have four pieces)

3.  Trim pieces a little with scissors if they are particularly misshapen (again, it doesn't have to be perfectly straight since it will get wrapped).

4.  Sew the four pieces together along the short side (end-to-end)

Now you should have one long strip that you can wrap around your neck.  I also tied the ends together on this scarf and then wrapped it around my neck, pulling one corner down a little further to get an off-set point. 

So, there you have it!  I'm not exactly a tutorial guru, so if you have questions or need further explanation shoot me an e-mail or write a comment in the comment section.

Happy Thursday!

Snow Day...

*The one lone soul willing to get out this morning...with his blade*

I'm pretty sure this probably makes post number one million in the blog world.  I'm joining the throngs of people stating the obvious today.  Everyone is talking about the massive amounts of snow hitting the Midwest...in my hometown of Kansas City, they're calling it 'Snowmageddon'.  In Iowa we're just calling it a typical winter and it's business as usual...we're hardcore like that.

Today, we're hunkering down.  The kiddos are building forts and crawling through tunnels, B is shoveling us out, and I'm on hot drink duty, keeping the refills of hot tea and hot chocolate flowing...

There's one person who could care less that it's cold, windy and snowy...

*Okay...make that two since they're both all smiles*



The little miss chose to wear brother's dinosaur jammie bottoms (two legs in one leg hole) and a blanket as a toga.  At least she's working towards modesty...

In other news, we are moderately working on potty training.  Yesterday was a set back as the little miss screamed "Ouchie!" every few minutes...I think she realizes that when you gotta go, it's painful to hold it.  It seemed like the novelty wore off and strong wills were abounding, so we figured we would throw in the towel and hang up our potty patrol hats.  But, today the little miss has been pushing the potty all over the house and sitting on it, so I guess it's still "Game On."

(name the movie that quote is from...)

This afternoon, I'm using the kiddos nap time to work on another repurposed project for Thrifted Threads Thursday! So, meet me back here tomorrow!

Happy Wednesday!



Clothing Optional...

We sort of have a clothing dilemma in the Jackson household.  It's the little miss...she refuses to stay dressed.  She completely disregards the fact that the weather is currently below the freezing point in the Midwest.  She could care less that the neighbors can see her
standing on the toy bench near the window (stark naked).
 And frankly, she's not at all concerned that her

bare bum is parked on our couch while watching Elmo. 

*The required uniform for watching Elmo...No one

will want to sit in this chair again after seeing this pic*

Several times a day, I follow the trail of strewn clothing (diaper included) to find her sitting at the end of said trail like the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow...except I'm not leaping for joy.

A few days ago, I lamented on Facebook how the little miss refuses to keep clothing on, and I received a lot of great advice...everything from putting her clothing on her backwards, to let her keep running around naked.  I even had friends telling me to let her choose her own clothes (she's 21-months...and I'm guessing that she'd choose to be naked).

I was trying to decide whether it was a nickel issue, and then we had a breakthrough.  The little miss began pulling off her diaper and bringing it to us every time she went to the bathroom.  I was in a bit of denial that she could be ready to potty train...I hadn't planned to start until after she turned two.  But, we're taking advantage of her pension for nakedness and her love of sitting on the potty.  We're not really doing the underwear thing...I mean what's the point if she doesn't keep them on anyway?

*yes...she's watching Elmo while on the potty...hey, it worked!*

So, starting today, I'm on potty patrol.  Here in the Jackson house our new mantra will be "All Potty, All The Time."  We've had two successful sittings and a small miss (thankfully we have hardwood floors).  Thank goodness for Elmo, books, and chocolate.  I promise to not make the next few weeks of blog posts all about potty training...I mean who really wants to read all about my daughter's bowel success

(other than the grandmas).

So, I'll try to blog about other interesting things in between trips to the potty...wish us luck!

Happy Monday!

N hearts B...

I Love B.  If I were in junior high, I'd write his name all over my notebooks.  If I were Shakespeare, I'd be writing sonnets about him.  Instead, I'm a blog writer, so I guess this is as good as it gets.  This man is awesome.  He knows the way to my heart is through my stomach, therefore he has learned the art of baking and changed my life forever.  Saturday mornings, it's his famous coffee cake.  The guy makes a rhubarb cobbler like nobody's business.  He's no stranger to a good muffin.  And now, he has turned my former aversion to chocolate into a romance.  *Sigh* he's a keeper.

His latest conquest is this decadent chocolate loaf cake:

Oh, my, it's Heavenly.  As B so eloquently describes it, "It's fork-squishing good."  You know like in the old Duncan Hines commercials when they would use the fork to smash that last bite because it's so moist? This cake doesn't need frosting or whipped cream...it's manly enough to stand on its own two feet. 

It's a bit of a labor of love, and you need patience as you have to wait 24-hours to eat it...but it's so worth it!

Here's the recipe:

 Dense Chocolate Loaf Cake

Dry Ingredients:

1 1/4 C. Flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

Moist Ingredients:

1 C. Unsalted Butter (softened)

1 2/3 C. Dark Brown Sugar

2 Eggs (beaten)

2 tsp Vanilla

4 oz. Bittersweet Chocolate melted and cooled

(B uses Ghiradelli 60% baking chips)

1 C. + 2 T. Boiling Water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a loaf pan and line with parchment paper

(very important as the cake is super moist and will stick).

Combine dry ingredients and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter until fluffy.  Beat in sugar, then add eggs one at a time. 

Add vanilla then fold in the melted and cooled chocolate.

Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture.  Then

add 1/3 of the boiling water.  Continue alternating until all of the flour and water has been incorporated.

(it will be a very thin batter).

Pour into prepared pan, place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.

Turn oven temperature down to 325 degrees and bake for another 15-18 minutes.

Since this cake is so moist, a toothpick test isn't as accurate...B does a jiggle test...he slightly

jiggles the pan to see if the center of the cake done.  If it doesn't move then the cake is done.

This cake is better to be slightly under cooked...if it's cooked too long it looses it's moist,

dense texture.

Let the cake cool about 10 minutes in the loaf pan, then cover the pan with foil and let sit 24-hours.  Unwrap it's Heavenly goodness and enjoy!

Happy Friday!

Wrap It Up...

I would say we're pretty healthy eaters over here at the Jackson '5'.  We enjoy the occasional belly buster, but for the most part we eat a good variety of fruits and vegetables and a limited amount of processed foods.  Sometimes we even go meatless *gasp*

This wrap is a favorite of the little Miss, B and myself...the little Mr. won't touch it:

It's got lots of fresh vegetables, protein and fiber...It's basically

just a salad wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla. *smile*

Occasionally we add diced grilled chicken seasoned with cumin, coarse salt and garlic.

We love it for a quick lunch or dinner paired with soup and fresh fruit...

It's probably more of a Summer meal, but we eat it year round, because it's so healthy.

I hope you enjoy it!

*Spinach and Black Bean Wrap*

Whole Wheat Tortillas (warmed)

2-3 cups spinach leaves (coarsely chopped)

1/2 carrot shredded

a bit of sliced red onion (I probably do a couple of tablespoons for flavor)

1 diced roma tomato

1/4 cup shredded cheese

(we prefer a strong cheese such as sharp cheddar, feta or goat cheese)

1 can of black beans *drained and rinsed (I only use half a can)

2-3 TBS Newmann's Own lime vinaigrette

(we also love red wine or balsamic vinaigrette with this)

You could even add a bit of cilantro for good measure.

Directions:

Toss all ingredients and fill whole wheat tortillas...roll up, slice in half and enjoy!

Or, skip the tortilla and simply enjoy it as a salad.

Happy Friday!!!

Embrace The Camera...

I think I'll embrace the camera today...I need to embrace something because I'm certainly not embracing this frigid, blasted, cold weather.  Yesterday I wore five shirts and two pairs of pants at the same time!!  If that's not craziness then I don't know what is.  Have you ever worn two pairs of pants at the same time (on purpose)?  Let me tell you...don't do it unless you are fricking cold and want an everlasting wedgie. 

Today, I'm on target to wear at least four shirts...I may don another in a bit...and yes, I'm wearing my cowl scarf too.  My husband reminded me we've got a least two more months of this...and I just don't know how much we can count on Punxsutawney what's-his-face (I googled that).

My rant is over...I'm stepping off my box and handing over my mega phone.  While I'm not embracing the cold, my kiddos and sweet hubby sure are.  A couple of days ago we all did a bit of sledding:

I thought it was hilarious getting the four of us all suited up to go sledding...

we looked like we were related to this guy:

(couldn't find a credit for this...but they were amazing)

Now...the sad thing is that mommy didn't make it in the photo.   B and I swapped places, got the shot all set up, and then...the camera died.  I was so bummed! But, I will not be left out of the history of that day...the proof that I braved the cold and trudged up massive hills only to slide down in a matter of seconds and repeat the craziness of it all... so I remedied that situation...

 

See?  It's just like I was there...or something.  I died laughing when I saw my huge head on B's little body. 

Now, go to Emily's site and embrace the camera.

Make memories...even if you have to photoshop yourself in!

El Cheapo...

You probably already figured out that my middle name is El Cheapo...Nikole El Cheapo Jackson. Has a nice ring to it doesn't it? (okay, it's not really El Cheapo...it's Marie).

I love a good bargain, I love thrift stores, I love discount racks, and I love coupons. But you already knew that. These things make me happy. But, is there a chance that being cheap means you scrimp on quality? Not cool.

Well, a couple of weekends ago, I was looking online to blow a little Christmas money, and I found this adorable necklace:

(photo courtesy: F21)

At the time it was only $1.50!!! (it's $2.80 now). Now, being that inexpensive, I kind of pictured it coming out of a little plastic egg of a vending machine...but, it was so cute and at a buck fiddy, even I, El Cheapo, could afford this sort of mistake. So, I clicked on it and added it to my order. Then, a few days later, I saw it on this girl's site. Now, if she's highlighting it, then it's got to be good. So, I started to feel a bit better about my purchase.

Six days trudged slowly by, when finally, my highly anticipated package arrived on my front porch. I ripped open the envelope and flung clothing and tissue paper to find the little feather:

I was pleasantly surprised!  It's of great quality and much cuter than the picture online!  I love this necklace!  I've worn it several times and have gotten lots of compliments.  I love how it goes with everything and looks so delicate.  I imagine this little guy is going to be seeing the light of day quite often.

El Cheapo is one happy girl! 

Have you scored an amazing find on the cheap?  Do Share!