A Homemade Christmas - Painted Quote Canvas

So Christmas is only roughly 10 weeks away!

Now that that fact has settled in, Let's get crafty! These next few weeks I will be posting some ideas I have been considering/have attempted. If you are feeling artsy then give them a try!  And if you screw it up, at least you still have 10 weeks to figure out what else to get!

Painted Quote Canvas

What you will need:

A stretched canvas (any size) $10-25

Spray Paint (2 colors) $3/can

Foam Stickers $1.00/pack (found at the dollar store or any art store)

Acrylic Paint $0.50 (optional)

Sponge Brush ($0.50)

Stencils $1-5 (optional)

1.) Spray paint your canvas the color you want your letters. I found it's easier to use a gloss paint on this part so that the stickers don't get too stuck.

2.) After it dries, spell out your quote with your stickers. Feel free to draw guidelines to make sure the words stay straight

3.) Spray paint over your letters the color you'd like the background. This may take multiple coats. Be sure to also paint the sides of your canvas

4.) Remove the stickers.

5.) Want to fill in some blank space? Add an embellishment using acrylic paint, sponge brush and stencil.

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Total Cost: $20.00

**Here's a hint- Buy the canvas' in bulk! It's much cheaper & you can knock out gifts for multiple people! Also, make sure you go to the stores website before you shop. Michaels, Joann's and AC Moore always have coupons online. All 3 stores allow you to use the coupon off your phone as well! Thank you smart phones!**

Donate now & get this 'Love Your Kidneys' Painting

If you follow me on my Facebook page, La-Breeden Crafts, then you are already aware about this awesome opportunity I have come across to help raise money for Team Walkers For Jocelyn in the National Kidney Foundation Walk. Jocelyn has had issues with her kidneys since 8 weeks old! You can learn more about her story here.

If you donate any sum of money towards Team Jocelyn, then I will paint you this one of a kind 2012 'Love Your Kidneys' painting. You can get this painting even if you donate $1 towards the cause. Every penny counts!

I was asking everyone to share this photo (above) with all their friends and family but was finding it hard to keep track of who wanted to donate. So I'm creating this blog post. If you are interested in donating please comment below. Be sure to leave your name and email (or facebook link) so I can message you for more information. I am willing to meet you to hand deliver the paintings or I can mail them as well. Donations can be made via cash, check, or online here. If you want to donate via check, please make them out to National Kidney Foundation. Please please keep in mind that ALL donations are tax deductible and a tax form will be emailed to you by the Team Leader, Judy Cash.

Please take a minute to share this post with your friends. All proceeds will go to the National Kidney Foundation.

**Also, be sure to like my page, La-Breeden Crafts**

**for a chance to win a free 8x10 painting.**

Recipes wanted!

Now that I have a beautiful kitchen, I've quickly discovered how absolutely BORED I am with all my recipes. You can only eat the same chicken, with the same seasonings, cooked the same way so many times before the thought of it makes you want to scream. So! I need your help! Post below in the comments your favorite recipes. I'd love to try them out and add them to my recipe book! Don't worry, you don't have to be part of blogger to comment. It will let you comment anonymously BUT be sure to leave you name so I know who suggested it!

:)

Upgrade - Kitchen Reveal!

Sometimes when you work really really hard, like 10 hour days and 7 days a week, you deserve to treat yourself to something you have really wanted for a long time. Some people treat them self to a day at the salon, others to video games but I decided to finally say goodbye to ugly yellow walls and HORRIFYING cabinets so....

....14 hours of manual labor and $300 later and I'm left with a BEAUTIFUL kitchen!! I'm not so certain Paul is sold on the color but I am in L.O.V.E. with it. He doesn't cook anyway, so his opinion is void. I still have to do some touch up painting on the cabinets but 14 hours took its toll on me. Also, we have handles to go on our drawers but Paul broke his bit doing the cabinet doors. So I will finish the rest next weekend.  I hope you all like it as much as I do! :)

Before:

 

During:

 

 

 

 

After:

 

 

 

Make Shift Pantry

The biggest thing I HATE about my kitchen, on my list of many things, is the lack of any space to store food. Yep, no pantry. Sad, right?

Well, yesterday evening, my husband and I hung out with at our friends house (for the first time) and I stumbled across the most perfect solution ever. I'm kind of mad I didn't think of this before because I have a similar shelf in my craft room AND downstairs that we use as a book shelf. I thought it looked really awesome so I wanted to share!

The best part about this is that you wouldn't even know it is storing food unless I told you. Which is wonderful since it's sitting more in my living room than my kitchen due to the lack of space. On top of that this whole set up only cost me $65! I picked up the shelf at Lowes for $45, picked up the 4 pantry cans for $10 at Goodwill (and they are BRAND NEW and only missing the serving spoons) and the 2 pictures at K-mart on sale for $5 each! I luckily already had the canvas drawers, which by the way I picked up when they were on sale for $2 each about a month ago).

I'm in love with my new "pantry".

Mommy's Little Helper - Snickerdoodle Cups

I'm sad to admit that I have neglected my poor blog for far to long now! Recently, I started up a craft page on Facebook (La-Breeden Crafts) and it's been overwhelming (in a totally good way) how many people took interest in what I've been doing. Although, I'm no professional, it honestly makes me happy that I am bringing smiles to peoples faces by doing something that I love to do... and would be doing regardless if anyone were buying it or not.

Because I've started that Facebook page, I haven't really been uploading my crafts as much on here, so if you read my blog... because you like what I do or because you like me (which I hope you do!) then go to the above link and "like" my page. I upload pictures maybe once a week. But don't worry! I will still upload a few on here as long as some yummy recipes that I've recently tried.

Just recently I made these amazing cookies for my book club/ my work buddies and I got a few request to share the recipe. I admit I found it on foodgawker.com (never heard of it? Check it out. Food porn at it's best!) but I did make a few changes to the recipe I found so I figured I'd share it with anyone who enjoyed the cookies.... or if you are wanting to try a new cookie recipe! This one was super easy and super quick and it makes about 48 cookies a batch! I know what you are thinking..."You cooked with pumpkin? In January?"....Oh yeah I did, enjoy!

Snickerdoodle Cups w/ Pumpkin Cream Cheese Icing

1 cup butter

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 3/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 Tbs cinnamon

1 tsp cream of tartar

1/4 tsp salt

3 Tbs white sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease mini muffin pan (Believe me, do NOT skip this step.)

In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar. Mix in eggs one at a time blending well after each. Add vanilla and mix. In another bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, 1 Tbs cinnamon, cram of tartar, and salt. Gradually add to the wet mixture. Don't be surprised, the mixture will be a really thick.

Combine the 3 Tbs sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon in a small bowl. Shape the dough into walnut sized balls and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture. (You will feel the urge to make the balls larger than they should be but don't! They will expand a lot during the cooking.) Place dough balls in the mini muffin pan.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. Let cool for one minute then take a 1 tsp measuring spoon and make an indention in each cookie. (Watch you knuckles when you do this! I clumsy hit the hot pan multiple times with mine! Ouch!) Let cool in pan for 5 more minutes before transferring the cookie to a wire rack to cool completely.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Icing

6 oz cream cheese

1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree - The recipe called for 1/3 cup but then again I'm in LOVE with pumpkin flavored things...so I added more :).

2 cups powdered sugar - add more if you like it sweeter.

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground cloves

Mix cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth and creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and spices. Mix well. Pipe onto cookie cups & ENJOY! 

La-Breeden Crafts.

The other week I created a craft page via Facebook called La-Breeden's crafts . Check the page often for new craft ideas/ crafts for sale. My husband even got in on it and made some wood working he is selling. 

Comic Book Speech Bubble Shelf $75 (3ft x 1ft)

Custom Jar Candles $10

Custom painted pictures

Juice Head.

I finally got myself a juicer!! And so far, I absolutely love it. I didn't get it to diet or to supplement meals.... I primarily got to start making fresh juice for Taylor after I read that article about arsenic levels in brand name apple juice. Yeah, I know, nobody's ever died from drinking apple juice over the years but still.

So My husband and I decided to go to the farmers market on Monday, since we had off for the new year. I cannot believe we got ALL these fruit and veggies for $30. Incredible. I think the 20 minute drive in the wrong direction is totally worth the savings! We picked up 5 lbs of carrots, 1 lb of apples, 5 mandarins, 5 kiwis, 2 pomegranates, 3 lemons, 2 limes, 2 packs of blackberries and 2 packs of blueberries. Wow!

Strawberry Kiwi Juice

Blueberry Pomegranate Juice

We've just been kind of throwing fruit in that we've had tried mixed in the past. Taylor really gets into it too. She picked out Strawberries and Kiwis. She even has a blast putting the fruit into the hole and watching it come out the other side! Paul mixed a whole pomegranate, a handful of blueberries, an apple and 1/4 of a lime without the rind. It was quite delicious. Does anyone have any yummy juice recipes they'd like to share??

OH! We also picked up some Chia Seeds for $2. Yeah those plants that grow out of clay heads. Weird, right? I saw them at the farmers market and remembered trying them once at book club. Apparently they are packed with nutrients (click for more information)! And they provide tons of energy... which I so desperately need these days. Also, they made me feel nice and full well into lunch time. I don't know much about them but when we had them at book club they were placed into juice. So that's what I tried. I put a tablespoon of them in 8 oz of orange juice and let it sit for about 30 minutes before drinking. I don't mind the texture but some may. Anyway, lets just say I had one cup of coffee (while waiting for my chia juice to be ready) and my chia juice and I am still wide awake! Not impressed? Normally I drink a cup of coffee at 7 am, another at 9 am, one at 2 pm and sometimes another at 5pm! Yes, I'm an addict! I'm pretty sure this may become part of my daily routine!

Starting 2012 off right

Happy 2012, loves!! 

I had my 2nd annual New Years Day Dinner tonight. I'm starting to really love this tradition. Honestly, I think every family should sit down together and have the first supper of the new year together. In the end of it all, family will always be what is most important....and I wouldn't trade my family for the world. :)

There, sadly, was a minor disaster with the main dish, but it was easily brushed off because my wonderful Mommom brought a glazed ham with her just in case (she must know me too well). My theory is: you live and you learn. And what I learned is...never cook a meat you aren't familiar with cooking with for a bunch of people. The recipe it's self sounded delicious.... and called for baking for 40 minutes. Let's just say it took about an hour and a half.. and never made it to the table. **Sigh** Maybe I'll try again for just my little family before attempting for a party of 12 again!

2012 Menu:
First Course:
Apple Walnut Salad with a light Raspberry Vinegarette Dressing

Second Course:
Broccoli and Cheddar Soup (click for recipe)

Third Course:
Stuffed Pork Tenderloin (click for recipe)

Glazed Ham

Honey Roasted Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes,  and Butternut Squash

Peas and Corn

Biscuits

Dessert:
Frozen Strawberries -n- Cream (Click for recipe)

Carrot Cake - I had picked up a box of Duncan Hines 'Decadent Desserts' Carrot cake because it was on sale. It was amazing! And had real carrots and raisins in the mix. Seriously, I'm not even ashamed to admit I cheated, it was that yummy.

Apple Pie

We all followed up dinner with an hour of playing dolls in Taylor's room and then some Family Scattegories. Seriously, hilarious.

Moment of the night : 
  - Rolled letter - "D" 
  - Scattegory - "Things that are black" 
  - GG laughing hysterically at the 'word' that popped in her head. 
  - Me almost peeing my pants from laughing so hard.


Here's to another year full of family and laughter. I hope everyone has an amazing 2012!