Idea Sharing Wednesday

Happy last day of August to Y'all. Caitlyn here again from He Sowed She Sewed. I have been expecting it to get cold any day now and it just hasn't. It is about 85 degrees here today. It gets pretty darn cold at night so the lake water is freezing but the days are gorgeous. But I have the coming colder months in the back of my head and so I have been making sweater pants. Super easy and very rewarding.

Ten ideas on how to repurpose clip on earrings:

Wonderful bread with everything included.

A burlap ring bearer pillow, I love it!!!

I can't wait to see the projects you guys have been working on! Thanks for stopping by!

A Sucker For Salads

First I'd like to apologize to Jill for missing my last scheduled post.  My daughter unexpectedly ran a fever that morning and I forgot to post it.

Since I'm on my famous 'No-Fun Diet', I'm constantly eating veggies these days, I figure the best way to keep it fresh is by creating beautiful salads.  Then I'll actually WANT to eat it (for the 5th time in a day!)  

Here's a salad I brought over to a friends house a few weeks ago.  I got the idea from Cobb salads, but there's no meat in it.

I went to A.J.'s Fine Foods, which is a gourmet grocery store here, (so gourmet, I only go once every couple of years!)  I got their bulk spring salad mix, radishes, orange bell peppers, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli and a gourmet carrot blend (included yellow and purple carrots.)  I also sprinkled a ring of sliced almonds around the rim with the broccoli.

Aubrie is a VERY picky eater.  Anytime she tries a new veggie out in a restaurant, I immediately go out and purchase her new found taste.  But alas, 9 times out of 10 she refuses to eat it at home.  So I came up with a fun way to eat a salad...Flower Power!!

Using a small heart cookie cutter, I cut heart cucumbers and arranged them as petals.  Small red and yellow sweet peppers were used for the middle of the flowers and heart leaves.  A slice of cucumber with a carrot peeler became the flower stem.  Lettuce and edemame (actually a GREAT protein item she WILL eat!!) were used for the ground.  She LOVED it, but didn't eat the peppers or lettuce...sigh...

What do you do to get your picky eater to eat?

Thanks for reading!



:) Marcy from Life's Gristle

Blissful & Domestic: The YoYo Purse

This week I have another purse tutorial for you. This one is fun and is a great way to recycle. I took Miss Priss's Skirt and made it into a purse. Wondering how? Let me show you.

I took an old (size 3T) corduroy skirt and a leather belt of mine and decided to put them to some good use.

I sewed the bottom of the skirt together. It already had a pretty ruffle embellishment on the bottom, so I kept that intact and sewed right above that. Meaning I did not do this purse pillow case style, where you sew it inside out. I just sewed a straight stitch above the ruffle trim. I then added a little bit of Velcro for closure (this is where the original waist band is). I added the belt as the strap and some fun yoyo's made from scrap fabric. This was a fun new twist to re-purposing.

See such a simple purse, which only takes a few minutes to make. Hope you all like them and I will see you next week with a fun new tutorial.

Blissful & Domestic

Giveaway and Review with Uh-Oh Industries

Okay, I'm really excited about this giveaway.  When I ran across Uh-Oh Industries I knew I had to have some of their products!  They are so fun.  Uh-Oh Industries sells stylish, unique, quality children's clothing.  Take a look at my little cuties sporting their Uh-Oh Industries gear.

Don't you love it?!  I get adoring comments every time my boys step out of the house in them.  I love them because they are unique, funny, and oh so cute.  My husband loves them because when the boys do spill on the shirts you can just pretend it's part of the design, lol. 

Owner and creator, Frankie, is so sweet and fun to work with!  The shirts are very thick and high quality so they will be sure to last. 

Want to win a stylish Uh-Oh Industries tee or onsie for your little one? 

Here's how to enter:

1) (mandatory) Stop by Uh-Oh Industries and take a look at their Messy Line.  Come back here and tell me which tee or onesie you would like.

optional extra entries:

2) Follow the Uh-Oh Industries blog

3) Like Uh-Oh Industries on facebook

4) Blog about this giveaway (4 entries)

5) Follow any or all of the Women Who Do It All contributors (you can click on their buttons in the "contributors" section of the sidebar- and don't forget Caitlyn who isn't in the sidebar yet.  You can find her here.) - one entry for each

6) Stop by and visit some of my sponsors.  (one entry for each)

This giveaway will end Friday September 16th at 11:59 pm.  Remember to leave a separate comment for each thing you do.  Thanks for enter :)

Custom Business Logo Winner

Thanks again to the fabulous Just a Girl Designs for donating a free custom logo for one lucky Women Who Do It All reader!  If you haven't checked them out yet, go ahead.  And keep them in mind for all of your logo and branding needs.  Lora also does blog headers and much more!

Okay, without further hesitation the lucky winner is. . .

Becca from Crumbs and Chaos

Back to School {Snack Sacks}

We are in full Back to School mode around here.

Our daughter is heading off to 1st grade!

And now that she is all grown up...

and will be eating lunch at school

all. by. herself.

We had to address the issue of: 

what is she going to eat 

and what will we put it all in?

Now, I know the Snack Sack is not a new idea...

But I put together a little tutorial to show you just how easy

they are to make yourself.

An let's face it, 

your kid is going to look pretty cool 

pulling one of these out of their lunch bag 

when their neighbor has, dare I say it, a ziplock baggie!

Seriously though,

what a genius idea!

Who doesn't need these?

Supply List:

Fat Quarter of fabric

Some type of washable vinyl

Velcro

How to make the tabs:

First cut two pieces of fabric 3" long

I experimented with the width and made one 1", 1.5" & 2" wide

( I think I prefer the 1.5" myself)

Fold in half and iron.

Open up and fold to the center and iron again.

Fold over again and iron.

Cut your vinyl 6.5" square

Cut your fabric 6.5" square

Face the right sides of the fabric together.

Stitch around three sides leaving the top open.

Inside out the vinyl.

Slide the vinyl inside the fabric cover.

Like so.

Insert your tabs upside down and in between the two layers.

Be sure to pin the tabs into place.

Stitch 1/4" from the top all the way around the top of the sack.

Be sure to leave a few inches open.

About this much.

So you can inside out the whole sack.

This is the tricky, hard-to-explain, part.

It works best if you reach in through the hole 

and pull the out side fabric through.

It will look like this.

Stuff the vinyl back inside the sack.

Ta da!

It's like magic.

Stitch all the way around the top of the bag to close up the hole.

This also gives the sack a finished look.

In side out the whole bag.

So that the vinyl is on the outside.

Cut a section of velcro appox 6" wide.

Stitch in a rectangle (through both fabrics).

In other words across the top down the side and back.

Sew the other section of velcro.

Tip: I lined up my velcro with my top stitch.

That way, my Velcro matched up with each other, when I closed the sack.

Here it is inside out and finished.

Last step:

Turn it right side out.

It really is that easy!

You can wipe out the inside of your sack or you can throw it in the wash.

Either way, you have a reusable sack, 

that actually works better than the ziplock you have in your drawer.

Not to mention:

your kid will be the coolest kid in the cafeteria.

Or you will be the coolest mom at your next play date.

No more spilled fish crackers in the bottom of your purse.

Happy Sewing!


Be sure to visit my blog:
Living a Radical Life

I would love for you to follow me!

Key Lime Fudge Brownie Bites

Do you ever see a recipe and know you need to make it?
(shake your head yes, because you all want to make mine every week:-)

Last week I saw this post on Key Lime Fudge...
and all I could think about was how that would
be a great filling for my next brownie bite creation.

You know what?
I was right. They were delicious and
you need to make them.
Like right now.

What are you waiting for?
I promise you will love them.
Unless you don't like chocolate or lime
and then...
well, I just can't help you then:-)

Key Lime Fudge Brownie Bites

1 brownie mix
white almond bark
1/2 c. crushed graham crackers

Mix and bake brownies according to the 2 egg directions on the box. Spread batter in a 9x13 sprayed pan. Bake for 24 minutes. Cool completely. Cut into small squares. Roll the fudge in small balls about 1 or so. Roll the brownie square around the fudge ball. Place on a wax paper lined tray and freeze for 20 minutes. Dip in melted white chocolate bark using a toothpick. Place back on the wax paper tray and pull out the toothpick carefully. Sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs.

Key Lime Fudge
(slightly adapted from Shugary Sweets)

2 (11 oz.) bags white chocolate chips

1 (14oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

6 tbsp. key lime juice
1 drop green food coloring(just for fun)

Place the chips and condensed milk in a saucepan over low heat stirring until completely smooth. Stir in the lime juice and food coloring and spread into a wax paper lined 9x13 pan. Chill in the fridge to set up completely.

Idea Sharing Wednesday

Happy Wednesday and Welcome.

I thought it would be a fun idea and a bit of incentive to choose one idea from last week's party and highlight it this week. If you are sharing something from your blog it will promote it!

How does that sound to you all?

Well, thanks for stopping by and hope you are inspired!

This is probably my favorite blog of all time, here you can see their family chalkboard.

Grow your own clothes and other sustainable living tips.

Here is a delicious recipe for you to try.

Here is the one I chose for this week, thanks Blooming in Alaska:

Thanks for stopping by the party!

Green gift wrap idea

I needed a quick gift wrap idea for two children's birthday presents recently. Call me cheap but I don't like spending $4 on a gift bag or wasting cute wrapping paper on a child's gift when they really don't care if it's wrapped at all. So I did the green thing and used what I already had lying around the craft room. The brown paper is from paper sacks from the health food store. Yes, I do use reusable bags but it never fails I only take a couple in the store because I don't need much and I end up buying way more than I intended! The yarn was left over from another craft project and the embellishments are from scrapbook paper packs. Quick, easy, and cute... just the way I like it!

Reduce, reuse, recycle :)

Paige from The Crunchy Mamacita

Blissful & Domestic: The Mirabelle Purse

Hello Lovelies! Happy Monday to you all!

Here is my newest Re-purposing creation. I call it the Mirabelle Purse. I figure such a pretty purse needs an equally pretty name. Here is how you make it.

This is my purse, which I have been using for the past few weeks, since I made it. I love it! I have gotten so many compliments on it and it seriously is holding up to all my mommy roughness. It holds snacks, my wallet, baby wipes, action figures, my little ponies, phone, tic tacs, and all those other necessities that every mom needs.

It is really simple to make and was completely re-purposed, 

which of course is my favorite kind of project.

All you need is a skirt with lining.

I used an old khaki skirt, which regrettably no longer fit me.

I cut out the shape above x 2

I also cut a strip from my left over skirt material. 

I sewed a running stich down the side of the strip and created a ruffle.

I used cream thread to sew it onto the front piece of my purse.

Next, I put the right sides together and 

sewed around the outside with a zigzag stitch.

I actually did this twice. Hoping this would help in keeping the bottom from coming undone, with all my stuff shoved into my purse.

So far so good. The bottom has not come undone.

Then I took a strip of brown fabric I had in my scrap box.

I measured it to the length I wanted. 

My strap is 26 inches, with 1 inch seam allowance on each side.

I then began making my flowers. I sewed these last, by hand.

I cut out 6 circles for each flower, from my leftover lining material.

 The first circle is your bottom.

The rest of the circles you fold into quarters and stitch into place.

And that is about it.

Not to many steps away from having a perfectly cute purse.

For more of my sewing ideas go HERE.