Annie get your (glue) gun!

Hi, my name is Hattie, and I'm an empty container hoarder. Please tell me there are other people out there with this problem? I don't hoard normal containers like butter tubs or milk jugs, but when I come across something with an interesting shape, I just can't throw it away. Eventually, I end up with a pile of empty containers in our craft room/office, and I know I'd better make something or get over my issues! I still have several empty Altoids tins and a Truvia box, but today I got creative with my empty Bumblebee Tuna tins.

If these were ordinary tuna tins, I probably wouldn't have saved them, but my lemon pepper tuna came in this cute tin with a rounded bottom, and I knew it had a second life in a craft project. To make this little two tiered catch-all you will need to round up the following:

- Two containers with holes punched in the bottoms.

- Glue gun or other super powered glue of choice.

-Ribbon, twine, etc. for wrapping around the containers.

- Thin dowel rod or bamboo skewer cut to desired length.

First, glue your skewer to the inside bottom of one of the tins. I also glued twine around the skewer for added support.

Next, begin gluing twine or ribbon to the tin in a spiral design. I started on the bottom and continued 2/3 of the way up the sides.

I glued ribbon around the top edge for a splash of color.

Slide the second tin onto the skewer and glue in place. Wrap with twine or ribbon as you did for the first tin.

I also wrapped twine around the very top of the skewer as a finial. You could also use a bead or something else.

I decided to use my catch-all to hold my letter stamps and decorative brads.

I think the colors work pretty well next to our battered (AKA Vintage) pumpkin filing cabinet!

Have you ever put on your super crafty cape and transformed something ordinary into something cute and useful? Do tell!

<3

Hattie

How to waste and hour without really trying

After a wonderful 4th of July weekend at Lake Gaston, I'm excited to get back to life at home and in the blog world. Our Internet access at the lake was hit or miss due to roaming. Now that we're headed home, I've been online since we hit the first interstate!

I had planned to use this post to sing the praises of my favorite shelter mag , Better Homes and Gardens, but I stumbled upon so much cool stuff on their site that I got a little distracted. If you haven't checked out http://www.bhg.com/, go. Now. It's so much fun! I really like the color-a-room feature that lets you play with paint, flooring, and window treatments for every room of the house. I think this is such a valuable tool because it always amazes me how different a paint chip color looks once it's splashed on four walls. I almost always end up liking colors several shades lighter than what I think I'd like. It's also great to see these colors in relation to flooring choices. If paint is in your future, this little tools can suck you in for an hour or two!
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Back to the original point of this post. When shelter magazines started biting the dust over the winter, it was a very sad time in the roost. I loved Cottage Living a lot, and I didn't think I'd ever find anything as good to give me my glossy home decor fix. On a whim that had a lot to do with the very reasonable subscription prices, I decided to give BHG a try. I have been so pleasantly surprised by the quality and value of this magazine. Not only does BHG offer great eye candy, but they also tend to feature reasonably priced items, simple and easy recipes, and lots of focus on green building.



The July issue is the best I've received so far. Lots of great recipes and food presentation ideas are included. This issue also features a ton of homes decorated in my favorite styles, a finished basement redo, and this cool idea for using typography to punch up your decor.



If you're not sure if BHG is your speed, I'd recommend picking this one up or finding it at your library. Almost every page has a great idea or inspiration!

I hope y'all had a wonderful 4th!

<3
Hattie

The Big Why?

If you're a blogger, chances are someone has asked you why exactly you started a blog. I've had a few questioners, and it got me thinking, "What are my reasons for doing this thing?" I think I've come up with my big reasons, and I'd like to challenge you to do the same. So, if ya wanna join the party, write your own post about your reasons to blog, comment on this post with a link to your post, and If more than two people respond, I'll do a little post next week featuring your blog and your reasons.

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So, why do I blog?

1. I have a creative writing degree that was getting pretty rusty. As a librarian, I write all the time, but very little of it is creative. I write reports, book reviews, lesson plans, rubrics, countless daily emails, and presentations. Until I started this blog, I'd only written a few poems and a very, very short story since graduating. Blogging gives me a chance to have fun with my writing, to be silly, and to stretch the creative part of my brain. And, because I know people are checking my blog regularly, it motivates me to write several times a week instead of once in a blue moon.

2. Because I need to have a subject for each post, the blog also motivates me to get stuff done around the house. I think a lot of projects would still be unfinished if I didn't think, "I need to get that done so I can post about it!"

3. Blogging = reflection. When I take before and after shots and break down a project into steps, it really forces me to reflect on the whole process. I think it's taught me to slow down a little and think about what I've accomplished.

4. Blogging helps create a spirit of thankfulness. This ties in a little with point 3. There is something about reading over old projects that helps me appreciate all the opportunities the roost has given me. It's so easy for me to complain about all the problems and long for a dream house that is still a few years away. Blogging helps me appreciate all the fun and creative projects this house has given me. It might not be a perfect house, but I can still enjoy the time I have in it and make the best of the situation.

5. The blogging community is so encouraging and generous. I am constantly amazed at the sheer amount of free ideas and information available through blogs. What I love even more is that most of the blogs I read regularly are created in a spirit of thriftiness, DIY, and thankfulness for what is already in our homes. Rather than making me long for expensive items, these blogs help me appreciate bargains and Goodwill makeovers. I blog as a small way of giving back and contributing to the many amazing women (and men!) out there sharing their hearts and homes.

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Your turn! What are your top five reasons for blogging?

<3

Hattie

I'm a Basket Case!

It's super secret project reveal time!

Brad and I have a problem. We live in a tiny little cottage, and we have a lot of stuff. We've done a pretty good job of weeding out old clothes and childhood memorabilia that we don't absolutely need, but we still have a ton of books and movies. OK, I have a ton of books, and Brad has a ton of movies. To compound this problem, we only have two closets in the whole house. One is packed with clothes, and the other is full of Christmas decorations, camping supplies, tools, etc. So, storage is an issue. To further compound this issue, I find that I dislike clutter and adore hidden storage more and more with every year of my life.
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I tackled the book issue back in January with my very first blog post. Although I'm still excited about the day we build our dream home with a big library, I'm pretty happy with the way our books are displayed for now. Of course, once one thing is all nice and organized, anything still cluttered sticks out like a sore thumb.



Notice how the book side is all nice and streamlined, while the DVD and game side is a big, junky mess! Let's take another look:



I shudder.
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I've been scheming since January for a way to make our DVD storage civilized. I originally thought I would buy some of those gorgeous natural fiber baskets you can find at Target and Bed, Bath, and Beyond. When I discovered that those suckers are anywhere from nine to twelve bucks a pop, I put the baskets down and walked away quickly.

A month or so ago, One Pretty Thing featured a basket woven from strips of newspaper. Eureka! A solution to my problem that was practically free! I'm not going to rehash the basket weaving directions that others have already explained so clearly, but at the end of this post, I'll list the modifications I made and some other tips.
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Here are the fabulous results of three full days of basket weaving!



One more look!



I'm really, really pleased with the results! I also like how our games stack much neater on the tallest shelf. Part of me would still like to find another way to store the games. I've thought about finding matching containers to hold each game and then throwing the boxes away, or just painting the boxes a solid color. I'm really tempted, but I think I might regret it down the road when we can easily store the games in a closet. Any thoughts?
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Let's take another look at the baskets!

If you plan to make these yourself, here are my tips and suggestions.

1. Read the directions I've linked to above.

2. I wanted my baskets to be pretty sturdy, so I used twice as much newspaper per strip. Meaning, I did not cut my newspaper into half sized sheets. I kept the sheets full sized, and folded into eighths lengthwise. I suggest stapling each end of the strip after folding.

3. My baskets are the perfect length and depth to hold a DVD, and they are long enough to reach the back of my 11 inch bookshelves. If you would like to make a basket this size you will need: 7 strips made by folding a full sized sheet of newspaper into eighths lengthwise (if you would like a shorter or longer basket, just remove or add strips. each strip = about one inch in basket length), 5 strips made by folding a full sized sheet of newspaper into eights lengthwise, and stapling half of another strip to the end of each strip so that each completed strip = one and a half the length of the strips you made in the first step. Weave these strips together to make the rectangular bottom of your basket. You will then fold each strip up and weave around the rectangle to form the sides of your basket. It takes 6 full sized strips stapled together to form three long strips to create the sides of your basket. This means that the sides of your basket are three strips tall.

4. Hot glue and staples are your friends. Use both liberally if you want your basket to hold a firm rectangular shape. I used staples where I could hide them and hot glue in the more vi sable areas.

5. Glue a solid sheet of paper to the bottom of your basket if you are worried about the newsprint rubbing off on your bookshelves.

6. This is not as complicated as it sounds. Once you start weaving everything makes sense.

7. What have you got to loose? Old newspaper is free!

I've thinking about adding a solid color ribbon around the middle of each basket. Will this dress them up a little or distract from the simple graphic vibe they've got going right now?

<3
Hattie

Get Your Free On!

Confession: I've been working on a big secret project (OK, it's not that big) and I'm almost finished. If all goes well, I'll post the finished product tomorrow. I'll only give y'all three hints. 1. this project does not involve white paint. 2. our bookcase full of DVDs looked so junky I cringed every time I looked at it. 3. both of my hands are covered in black ink smudges.

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So, in the style of my hero, Mr. Rogers, "Let's think of something to do while we're waiting!" Here are my current 3 favorite, absolutely free, things to do on the web.

1.

One Pretty Thing



This site is dedicated to scouring the web to find the best DIY and craft projects. Each day, about twenty different projects are featured. I have found some of my best ideas on this site! I was so excited when Rachel featured my no-sew sink skirt that I jumped up and down like a college kid on The Price is Right.

2.

Kraft Foods





On this site, you can sign up to receive the free Kraft Foods and Family magazine that is always chock full of great easy recipes and coupons. You can also sign up to receive email recipes from Kraft. Or, you can just browse the site to find something yummy. I do all three! I've tried a lot of recipes from this site and they are almost always awesome. I especially like checking the user rating on a recipe for tips on substitutions and adding extra ingredients.


3.


The Graphics Fairy



Every day, the Graphics Fairy features a free vintage image. A lot of them are a little more Victorian than my style, but I've still found tons of free images that I love. Go ahead and browse through her posts, I bet you'll fall in love with at least one image!

Have fun browsing these great free sites. Be sure to let me know if you've found any amazing free places to hang on the web!


<3
Hattie

One Hot Betty

Blueberries are in season!

I love this antioxidant rich, sweet little, fruit. I like blueberries plain, in cereal, in pancakes, and in smoothies. But, my favorite way to eat blueberries is in a Blueberry Betty.



I think the rest of the known world calls this blueberry cobbler, but in the country we call it Blueberry Betty.

My mom has the best recipe for Blueberry Betty - it even beats out a recipe from Southern Living that I tried last summer, so you know this is good stuff.

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You will need:
4qt blueberries (More or less. I bought one of the big containers they have at Trader Joe's and used half of that.)
1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice (I'm all for changing up recipes, but the lemon juice is VERY important in this case. Don't leave it out.)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar ( you could use Splenda)
1/2 cup very cold butter cut into small pieces ( I use the Smart Balance 50/50 blend)

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Rinse berries under cold water. Drain, and place in a 1 1/2 qt. casserole dish. Sprinkle with lemon juice and cinnamon. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, place flour, sugar, and butter, pulsing on and off until reaching the consistency of coarse meal. OR if you are like me and feel too lazy to go in search of the food processor (buried in the back of the scary cabinet that is packed so full of kitchen gadgets that things fall on top of you every time you open the door) you can put your flour, sugar, and butter in a mixing bowl and cut the ingredients together using two knives or that butter cutter inner mixer thing - Google tells me it's called a pastry blender.
Sprinkle the coarse meal over the berries. Bake in a 375 degree oven until top is golden brown, about 45 minutes - it's not a bad idea to check after about 40 minutes.

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Serving suggestion: cool for a few minutes and serve with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. No one will judge you if you have the leftovers for breakfast the next morning.

Note: you can half this recipe, just put everything in a smaller casserole dish or a glass loaf pan.

Enjoy!

<3
Hattie

vintage goodness

I had to show y'all the adorable vintage tablecloth my parents gave Brad and I for our anniversary.

It just has "summer" written all over it! I love how the red, blue, and green pick up all the colors in the kitchen. The blue especially helps the blue glass bottle and the blue in the framed flour sack pop out amidst all the red.

I didn't think my little woven lemon worked as well with this tablecloth as it did with the cloth that used to be on the table, so I borrowed from another room for a new centerpiece.

This lovely red glass is actually a wasp catcher, but I love it too much to hang it outside. It used to reside on the hall table, but I'm really liking it on this saucer as a centerpiece. I'm thinking that if I play around with it enough, I should be able to figure out how to get a candle to stand upright inside the glass for a little extra glam at dinner time!

<3

Hattie