Sparkle in the Sunshine

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Just a Litte Water Problem

Every military spouse knows that if "it's" going to happen at all, it will happen when your spouse is away.  Call it Murphy's Law or karma or whatever you want, but its just a fact of military life.  For me, it's always been the source of most of the stress of having my husband away...when will an issue going to come up that needs to be dealt with and how will I handle it? 

Well, this time I didn't have to wait long...within an hour and a half of dropping Jeff off at the airport, we had this:

A full-on clog in the system which required taking all of the pipes apart and snaking it out.  GROSS!  Thankfully it wasn't the first time it happened so I knew what to do.

The latest "issue" was a little water problem in the Master bathroom...just a little water problem:

See that "nice little" spray of water coming from the toilet?  I wondered where the dampness under the toilet was coming from for over a month.  The problem was that it didn't happen every time that the toilet flushed and I could never figure out where the water was coming from...the tank and toilet wasn't wet, just the floor was.  But the problem was that it would spray out and hit the side of the lid and run/drip down the lid.  Finally I saw a little trickle of water down the front of the tank and discovered the issue! 

Now that I knew what the problem was, the next step was to solve it!  After a quick trip to Lowe's for a new part I came home to get to work.

I went with this part for a couple of reasons...first it was the same as the part in the other bathroom.  Also because if was a water-saver and it claimed to be easy to install.

Right away, though I found a problem.  The directions said to change the flapper and then turn off the water source, but I had done some homework so I knew that these steps should be reversed. 

So, first I turned off the water here:

Once the water is off, flush the toilet to empty the tank.  Then take a sponge and sponge up the rest of the water in the tank. 

Then change the flapper.  I didn't get any pictures of this part because its really hard to work with both hands and take pictures.  You don't need any tools for this part...slip the chain off the flush lever and then pop the flapper off.  Reverse the steps with the new one.

The next part is to disconnect the old fill valve.  First loosen the connections under the tank and follow the directions based on which type of connections you have.  

Then connect the new one based on the directions, but basically its the reverse of taking the old one out. 

The last part is to install the bowl refill tube, adjust the water level and you're done! 

And it's good to know that the packaging was right...I did install with confidence!  It's really one of the easier "self-help" projects and I know that anyone that can read the directions can handle this repair.  My favorite part is that for under $15.00 I fixed the problem.  I can only imagine what a plumber would have charged! 

So what "self-help" projects will you be taking care of this weekend?  

Sing, Sing a Song!

My family of four has SEVEN I-pods!  Seriously, I think we have a problem.  Well, maybe it just shows how much we love music.  Our library has over 23,000 songs in it. We enjoy listening to just about every genre of music and we're always downloading new songs.  We sing in the shower (not all at the same time, that would be weird), we have been known to sing karaoke at times, and bust out a tune as we run down the road (ok, so maybe its just me that does that).  I also like to challenge Jeff with a game of "Name That Tune" even though I usually lose.  (Of course I do have the upper hand when we do only TV theme songs.) 

So whether you sing in the shower or the karaoke bar, or as you exercise (please tell me I'm not the only one) here are the first three songs that popped up on our I-Tunes library on Monday:

1. The Saga Begins - Weird Al Yankovic
2. Big Me - Foo Fighters
3. Arms - Christina Perri

What are you listening to these days?

Fee, Fie, Faux...

I love all crafts, but I especially love paper crafts!  I've been a Stampin' Up! demonstrator for about 7 years and I've learned a lot of great techniques in those years.  My favorite techniques are those that make paper and ink look like other mediums like suede, linen, marble, and as in today's project, silk! 

The Faux Silk technique is really easy and it's a lot of fun!

First, cut a piece of tissue paper that is a little bit bigger than you want the finished size.  

Stamp and color your design.  You can also stamp solid images in color, but I like the finished look of stamping in black and adding color with markers.

Now, the next part is the most fun!  Crumple your tissue paper into a tiny, little ball.  Really.  Crumple it up.  The more wrinkles the better!

Carefully uncrumple the tissue paper, but don't smooth it out too much.  You want to still have lots of wrinkles in it.

Cut a piece of white cardstock the size that you want for your finished piece of faux silk.  Using a glue stick (yes, it must be a glue stick for this technique to work), put glue all over the piece of cardstock.  Don't miss a spot!

Then take your piece of tissue paper and press it down onto the glue.  Keep pressing and patting it down until its completely adhered to the cardstock.

Trim the tissue paper even with the edge of the cardstock and you're done!  Add your piece of faux silk to your project as desired.

Supplies:  (All Stampin' Up!)  Stamps: Bordering on Romance, Tiny Tags. Ink: Black Staz-On. Baja Breeze, Lucky Limeade, Rich Razzleberry, More Mustard and Island Indigo markers. Paper: Island Indigo, Lucky Limeade, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White. Accessories:  Big Shot machine, Adorning Accents edgelits dies and embossing folders, Baja Breeze 1/2" seam binding ribbon, Vintage Trinkets, Jewelry Tag punch. Also needed: tissue paper.

I hope you'll give this technique a try on your next project!  Let me know what you think, too.  Don't forget that it's Sale-A-Bration time...visit my Stampin' Up! website for more information on how you can earn FREE products!

 

 

When Life Gives You Lemons...

...Make Steak!

Steak, you ask?  Yes, friends!  Today's recipe is one that a family friend gave me.  The kids and I had it last night for dinner and it's so delicious!

Juan's Marinade

• 2-3 lemons
• salt
• garlic salt
• pepper
• Sasson Goya (you can find this in the Hispanic food section of your grocery store. It comes in a bright orange box.)  You'll need 1 pack for every 2 steaks.)
• A-1 Sauce
• Mexican beer (I use Corona.  You'll need 1 can/bottle of beer for every 2-3 steaks.)
• steaks (use whatever cut you prefer)

1. Poke holes in meat using fork and place meat in a glass baking dish.
2. Squeeze lemons over meat, turning meat to cover both sides.
3. Salt steaks according to desired saltiness and rub into steaks.
4. Garlic salt steaks according to desired preference and rub into steaks.
5. Add pepper to both sides of steaks.
6. Sprinkle Sasson Goya over steaks and rub all seasonings into steaks.
7. Cover each steak with A-1 Sauce and rub into steaks.
8. Pour beer into dish.
9. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
10. Remove dish from refrigerator and set on counter 30 min before cooking.
11. Remove steaks from marinade and discard marinade.
12. Grill steaks as desired.

This recipe isn't really specific, but its fool-proof!  You can't mess it up.  Well, maybe you could if you added way too much salt...so I guess take it easy on that part.  As for the A-1 Sauce, I add enough to coat heavily on each piece. 

I hope you'll give this one a try!  I think you'll like the change of pace from traditional marinades and sauces.

Be Amazing Today!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

I'm so excited about today's project and I can't wait to share it with you.  Terrariums are the perfect project for a busy weekend because they don't take too long to complete.  My daughter, Kristen and I had a great time together - in fact, I put her to work taking the pictures so we could share the project with you!

So let's get started!

As for supplies, you'll need the following:

Clear glass containers.  Any size works for this project, but make sure you can get your hand in it (and back out!).

Small rocks or pebbles.  I found these landscape rocks at my local garden supply but you could also use aquarium rocks.

Horticulture charcoal.  This keeps the terrarium smelling nice and helps the plants grow.  Again, you can find this at a garden supply store.  I looked at the "Big Box Stores" in their garden section and didn't find it there, but yours may have it.

Light soil for container planting.  I used African Violet mix, but others will work if it isn't too heavy.

Small plants.  The size will depend on your containers.  I found some small-ish plants at WalMart & Lowe's but my local greenhouse had small plants especially for terrariums in 2" pots.  (They're so cute!)

I liked the look of these rocks, but it does require a couple extra steps.  I had to rinse and sort these so that I could have just the smaller ones in my terrariums.  I used the strainer from the beach toys...worked like a charm.

Put about 1 to 1-1/2" of rocks in the bottom of each container.

Add a handful of charcoal.  You can also mix this in with the rocks or pebbles.  Either way will work.

Add 2-3" of soil to your containers.  Pat down to push out any air pockets.

Plant your little plants by digging a small hole with your fingers.  Make sure that the roots are completely covered.  When all of your plants are planted, add water until you start to see it come down through the rocks at the bottom.  I added some decorations to our terrariums also.  I used some larger rocks from the landscape mix to this first container:

I found this little grapevine bird nest and plastic eggs at Michael's by where they keep the artificial fruit and wreath/floral arrangement area:

And here's one more where I covered most of the top with the larger rocks:

Be sure to keep these out of direct sunlight...they will roast when the sun comes through the glass.  If you have an open container and want to cover it, purchase a small glass plate and set it on top.

I think these really bring spring into our home with the bright, fresh greenery.  They certainly help my mood and make me smile!  I hope you'll give this project a try!  It was a really fun activity for Kristen and me to do together.

Be sure to leave me a comment if you have any questions about this project.  Do you have any tips for me?  Do you have a terrarium at your house? 

 

Warm Me Up Favorites

It's been chilly in Florida this week!  Over the weekend it was down right cold. Monday wasn't much better.  It should warm up again next week, but this time of year you just never know!  Staying warm has been on my mind.

The day before the Super Bowl my family attended an event called "Souper Bowl of Caring" that a local Juniorette club was hosting. Several members of the community (myself included) donated pots of soup, desserts, crackers, etc. for the event. Tickets were sold to the community for the soup dinner.  Canned food was collected and then both the money for the dinners and canned food was given to the Sharing Center.  It was a really fun event and a great way to do some "good works" for the community and those in need. 

When I was asked to donate a soup I found myself in a dilemma!  How would I pick which soup to bring?  I love soup and to pick just one was too much pressure!  So for the love of soup, I have come up with my TOP THREE for the week (in no particular order):

1. Panera Bread Cheddar Broccoli Soup- Delicious!  Especially with a piece of sourdough bread.  Maybe I'll have to meet a friend for lunch at Panera next week!
2. Rachel Ray's White Minestrone Soup - I clipped this recipe from her magazine, but you can find the recipe on her webiste! 
3. My Grandma's Homemade Noodle Soup- This chicken soup recipe from who-knows-how-many generations ago includes pleasant words like "carcass" and not-so-helpful measurements like "handfulls" and "enough to make it damp".  I'll share it with you when I get it right. Last time I made it the noodles were so think that they were more like dumplings! 

For more information on The Souper Bowl of Caring, please visit their website.
 

So what is your favorite soup?  Do you have any family recipes that are as challenging as my Grandma's Noodle Soup?  How's the weather where you are?

 

Sending Love

I have always loved to color.  A new box of crayons and a fresh coloring book was such a treat when I was younger.  Thankfully my kids like to color too (maybe not so much now that they're older) so we would spend lots of time coloring together.  Now that I'm older, I've branched out from crayons and color books into other mediums.  I learned to watercolor several years ago and while I'm not a pro, I have found that it is a great stress reliever and so much fun!

Today I have two cards to share with you that I made to send to the Hubby so he gets some mail "real mail" instead of email.  These cards would be perfect for any man in your life or for teens or college students that might need some special encouragement.

This first card is a 4-1/4" square card.  I pulled the color scheme from the pack of Designer Series Paper that I used on the background of the card.  I also used just the clown image from the stamp so that I could use a different greeting on the card.  The greeting stamp was colored with markers to get all the different colors at once.

Supplies:  (All Stampin' Up!)  Stamps:  Under the Big Top, Occasions Alphabet, Good Grid.  Ink: Wild Wasabi Classic ink pad. Early Espresso, Poppy Parade, Wild Wasabi, Peach Parfait, Baja Breeze, & Blush Blossom markers.  Paper:  Peach Parfait, Early Espresso, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White, Just Add Cake DSP.  Accessories:  Peach Parfait 1/2" stitched-poly ribbon, dimensionals, Decorative Label punch, Large Oval punch.

The next card uses a new stamp set (for me anyway) and its a great "starter" stamp set for a beginner because its very versatile.  I don't know why I waited so long to order it!  This card is 6 x 3" and uses a Small Open-End envelope for mailing.

Supplies:  (All Stampin' Up!) Stamps: Easy Events. Ink: Black Staz-On, Lucky Limeade, Daffodil Delight, Island Indigo, Real Red. Paper: Lucky Limeade, Island Indigo, Daffodil Delight, Real Red, watercolor paper, Lucky Limeade DSP.  Accessories:  Aquapainter, dimensionals, silver brads, Decorative Label punch, Pinking Hearts Border punch.

I hope you've enjoyed these little bursts of inspiration from my craft table! 

Have you made any projects with paper this week?  Do you have a special way to keep in touch across the miles?

 

Big Love!

Happy Valentine's Day!  My sweetheart and I will not be celebrating together this year since he's overseas, but its not the first time that we've had to spend this day of L-O-V-E apart.  I guess if it was our first Valentine's Day I would be a little bit bummed (to say the least) and I'd probably drown my sorrows in chick-flicks and ice cream.  After 20-ish Valentine's Days it's not so much of a let down.  I remember one Valentine's Day when Jeff's co-worker delivered my Valentine's Day flowers that Jeff had ordered before he went on a trip (TDY for you military folks). He was very quick to tell me that they were from Jeff and he was just playing "cupid!"  Darn!  I thought I had a secret admirer!  Anyway, the main thing is to not limit love to just one day!  Share your love all year long and make every day Valentine's Day!

I have a great recipe to share with you today!  The other day my sister called me for this recipe and I had completely forgotten about it.  I don't know who originally wrote this recipe, so I can't give credit.  I got it from my mom who got it from her neighbor over 30 years ago. 

Monster Cookies

1/2 lb. margarine
3 c. + 2 Tbsp. peanut butter
2-1/4 c. brown sugar
2 c. granulated sugar
1-1/2 tsp. light corn syrup
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
4 tsp. baking soda
6 eggs
1 c. chocolate chips
1 (8 oz) pkg. M & M's
9 c. rolled oats

Heat oven to 350*.  Cream margarine and peanut butter.  Add the rest of the ingredients, beating well after each addition.  Drop by tablespoon-fulls onto baking sheet.  Bake at 350* for 7-10 min.  Cool for one minute on cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack.  Store in air-tight container.  Makes about 7 dozen.

I remember these cookies being REALLY big when our neighbor made them when I was younger.  Kristen and I made them over the weekend and used our 1 tablespoon cookie scoop.  We ended up with 7 dozen 2-1/2" cookies. Since I used the cookie scoop I found that I had to press down the centers of them before I baked them so that they would bake through.  If you want to make them bigger, you'll have to adjust the baking time to get results you're happy with.

These cookies have been a hit!  (And they are especially good for breakfast - they have oatmeal in them.  That counts as a breakfast food, right?)  Give them a try and let me know what you think.

Have a great day!

What sweet things are you doing for your Valentine today? Do your kids have class parties at school?  Going out to eat tonight or have you already eaten your weight in Conversation Heart candies?