Here's a fun contest opportunity

I saw this contest on Facebook and thought I would share.  This looks like a great family activity, especially so if you can win the prize.  Busch Gardens is so much fun!!




Tampa Bay Times/Busch Gardens Christmas Town contest on Facebook

Tampa Bay Times

Christmas Town is back at Busch Gardens Tampa! Enter our contest and one grand prize winner will win eight park admissions, Mrs. Claus' Family Feast vouchers and complimentary parking!

ENTER HERE: ---> tbtim.es/christmastowncontest 

Deadline to enter is Monday, December 8th at 8am. Good luck!

You must like the Tampa Bay Times Facebook page as well as provide basic contact information to enter.   This sounds like a really fun way to spend a day, if you ask me.

Greeting card and broken mirror upcycle

                                                                 
I do not like throwing things away, as is obvious from the projects I do.  Not only do I dislike throwing useful items away, I am appalled by the waste I see around me.  It just irritates me!

However, I do enjoy re-purposing items that may otherwise end up at the landfill.  For example, I happened to have a metal frame which, in a prior life, contained four mirrors.  Several of the mirrors broke once the frame hit the floor, but I really liked the neat little pattern of the frame.  There is something nifty about an intricate metal frame, in my opinion.

Since the dreaded broken mirror incident, I have been trying to determine what I could do with the cool metal frame.  It has taken some time but inspiration finally struck!  Rather than using the frame in a traditional sense, I decided to create a little motivational reminder.  What better way to remind myself to always have hope than to put it up on the wall?!  After all, it is difficult to ignore something that is right in your face.

As I love combining the colors pink and black, I searched through my used greeting card stockpile and found cards with a pretty combination of pinks and oranges.  I then fired up the printer, found a font I liked, and printed the word "hope".  Next, I taped the letters to the cards and cut them out.  Last but not least, I used my go-to product of choice - Mod Podge - and affixed the card stock letters to the former mirror backing pieces.  Easy-peasy!

I now have no excuse to ever lose hope as I have a sweet little reminder hanging on the wall.

Reward Apps - CheckPoints - The App That Pays You Back

Like many, I have been trying to earn extra money to help with the old monthly budget.  Fortunately, I have found several apps and web sites to assist me with my goal.  I thought it would be helpful to start listing them so others may enjoy the same benefits as have I.  First on my list to share is  CheckPoints - The App That Pays You Back.  It is free to download and available for both Android and Apple phones through their respective app stores.

The object of the app and corresponding web site is to build points.  These points can be exchanged for a variety of gift cards, gadgets or charitable contributions.

There are several ways to build points.  When accessing the app on your phone, you are able to "check in" to local retailers.  A check in simply means you click a "check in" button by the retailer's name and are immediately rewarded with points.  Points range from 2 to 10 for this activity.  You are also able to view videos, download apps and even scan products in stores to build additional points.   Additionally, the web site offers surveys, videos and miscellaneous earning opportunities from which to choose.

Although this program offers the ability to earn extra money, it certainly won't replace a full or even part-time job's income.  However, this is one of many apps and sites I have learned to use daily and have earned several gift cards.  My favorite reward from CheckPoints so far - a $25 Shell gas gift card.

I have included a link below that will take you directly to the site.  If you choose to open an account, I would appreciate it if you used my referral code - ladybugcents.  We will each receive bonus points. However, if you are not comfortable with that option, simply leave the referral section blank.  Either way, I hope you reach your goals.

CheckPoints - The App That Pays You Back

Paper towel tube flowers

Super easy, quick and cute; a fun project for any age or occasion.  These little jewel-centered flowers are made from paper towel tubes, spray paint and plastic gems.   A hot glue gun is also helpful.

Simply flatten the cardboard tubes and cut off 1/4" slices.  Fold each of the strips in half and apply hot glue to the outside of the fold.  (Which will be the center of the flower)  Add as many of the folded strips as you like as you continue applying hot glue to the fold (center).

                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

I happened to have some orange spray paint and decided to give that a try.  I admit, getting spray paint into all of the nooks and crannies was not the simplest procedure.  But I like the way it looked once painted. All that was left was to fire up the old glue gun again and attach some gems.




I think these flowers add a festive look when sprinkled across a tabletop. They add a sweet little pop of color and whimsy.

Oh boy, flowers!! And the need for a small vase.

Oh boy, I love fresh flowers!  And so does one of my cats.  The little darling has broken my flower vases by snacking on the stems and knocking the vase to the ground.  Glass does not respond favorably to a three foot drop to a hard surface.  

Be that as it may, I received a surprise bouquet of flowers yesterday - woot-woot!  Which meant I needed a small vase or container of some sort to display my pretties.  Of course,  I did not have one handy, thanks to my pudgy cat!

The first thing I grabbed was an old spaghetti sauce jar primarily because it was close at hand.  After trimming the flowers and placing them in my new "vase" they looked . . . less than wonderful.  

I decided to add a little pizazz by wrapping the jar with scrap fabric and securing it with a bit of coordinating yarn.  Finally, I sprinkled some paper towel tube flowers around the base of the "vase".  I have to say, I think it turned into a cute little display.

Now, if I can just figure out how to keep my Garfield sized cat from snacking on my flowers.

Dinette chair cover

Several months ago, I found four dinette chairs (with wheels) at a local thrift store.  I did not particularly care for the fabric but, for $25 for the set, I couldn't turn them down.  Since finding these babies, we have put them to use and have found they are quite handy to have.  With one exception . . . our cats.  The cats LOVE napping on the chairs!  Ordinarily, I don't mind our four legged darlings snoozing the day away.  That is, until I realized how much fur they left behind on the chairs.  Not only is the hair a nuisance to clean, we have friends who are allergic to cats.  The fur was making it difficult to include our allergy riddled friends over for a visit.  It was time to resolve this little issue in our home.

Originally, I tried making slip covers from an old sheet we had tucked away in the linen closet.  I thought slip covers would solve the  fur problem by allowing me to wash everything prior to our cat allergy pal's next visit.  That worked for about a day until the fur babies decided to play chase and ripped holes in the thin sheet material.  It was obvious that I needed to use a heavier weighted fabric if I had any hope of success with my new plan.

Thankfully, I was given a car load of fabric from a local homeschool mom several months ago.  Included in this bonanza were yards and yards are heavy weight cottons.  The patterns are probably not ones I would have chosen, had I gone to the fabric store and paid good money.  However, free fabric is pretty to me, regardless of the pattern.  That's just how I roll.

As I am not an expert seamstress by any stretch of the imagination, I had to keep the design really simple. And a simple design, in my opinion, involved measuring the length of fabric I would need to cover the back, front and seat of the chair.  I then added a few more inches to create an overhanging skirt.

Next came the oh-so-wonderful serger which is on loan to me from my Mom.  I am now in love with a serger!  This fabulous invention cuts and sews all in one fell swoop. I love, love, love it!

The final step needed to complete my new slip covers was to add a little skirt to each side of the seat portion.  Honestly, I didn't even measure the sides but rather "eyeballed" the length needed and used the serger to complete the corners then cut and trim around the entire bottom hem.

I am tickled with the results and now have washable dining chair slip covers.  Now it is time to host another dinner party since I can easily remove all cat fur from chairs. This little project won't win any design awards but suits my needs for the time being.  Free and functional - my favorite combination!

Paper towel tube gift boxes

What can you do with paper towel tubes, used dryer sheets and spray paint?  You can convert them into little gift boxes.  

I thought it would be fun to have a little gift for each person seated around the Thanksgiving table this year.  Nothing fancy or elaborate; just a little something that shows each person I was thinking about them.  Granted, the meal I cook should show them my devotion, but I wanted a little something extra.

These were simple to make which is of course my type of project.  I investigated my supply area and pulled a few things out.  The paper towel tubes were the beginning of my quest.  Next came a few used dryer sheets (and yes, I keep those things) followed by a few old greeting cards with cool little leaves.  Last, but far from least -Mod Podge.

I began by cutting each tube in half lengthwise and folding in the ends.  I then wrapped each one with a dryer sheet.  A little Mod Podge and some drying time and I was ready to paint.  

Originally, I tried using some off white colored acrylic paints but did not care for the look.    Instead, I chose a chocolate brown spray paint I picked up at our local landfill.  (From the free paint shed, woot-woot!)  The final step was to affix the greeting cad leaves and add a little glitter.  Not much glitter, mind you, just enough for a tiny sparkle.

As for what to put inside; I haven't decided.  Maybe a lottery ticket or candy.  Perhaps a note that expresses why I am thankful these people are in my life.  Shucks!  I could go "all out" and put all of that in each gift box.  Regardless of the contents, I am thankful for the opportunity to share this holiday with my family.  Life is good!

Sweat shirts to rag rug

I don't know about you, but I frequently end up with stained clothing.  No matter how careful I may be while creating, I inevitably spill something on myself.  Just call me "grace".  Or klutz, whichever you prefer.

Not only am I accident prone, I am also easily chilled.  It's the native Floridian in me, I am sure. Needless to say, I spend quite a bit of time wearing cozy sweats when I am working in temperatures below 70 degrees.  The cold and I are not friends.  Consequently, I have stained quite a few of my warm and fuzzies by wearing them while crafting and creating.  Hence the abundance of sweat shirt fabric just laying around my house, waiting for a new lease on life.

This rug was crocheted using three different colors of sweats.  The center circle is a pale blue, stained ever so nicely with paint.  The blue is followed by a lovely yellow and finally the plain jane sweat shirt gray.  The stains are still visible throughout the rug.  However, I learned while crocheting this project that the stains became part of the pattern.  Since sweats are fluffy on the inside and smooth on the outside, crocheting twists the fabric in such a way that a nifty pattern emerges.  Using the old sweats was fun.  The rug is super soft and kept me cozy while I crocheted.  And I was able to reuse fabric that could have just as easily ended up at the landfill.  There I go being Earth friendly again.  :)

Wine Bottle upcycle

This is my first attempt at a wine bottle upcycle.  It is not exactly what I had in mind but that is how creative projects can be at times.  I began by removing the labels and spray painting each bottle with hat I had on hand.  Next, I scrounged through my scrap fabric and found some upholstery samples with colors I thought would coordinate with the bottles.

Admittedly, the orange bottle was a little difficult to find a coordinating fabric I liked.  So I opted for a bit of burlap as a compromise.  Each piece of fabric was affixed to the bottles using my all time favorite thing - Mod Podge!  I love this stuff; it's like magic in a bottle.  A few ribbons around the bottle necks and I consider this project complete.

It must be time for a glass of wine.  I want to try this fun project again!

Sausage Rice Soup

Sausage Rice Soup

1 - pound breakfast sausage

1 - medium onion - diced

3 - medium tomatoes - chopped

2 - jars Vodka Pasta sauce
1 1/2 - cups uncooked rice
1/4 cup - brown sugar
1 - teaspoon Italian seasoning
shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Step 1:  Place 3 cups water in pot and bring to a boil; add rice, return to a boil, stir and cook for 1 minute.  Lower temperature to simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 25 minutes.

Step 2: While rice is cooking,brown sausage in skillet; reserve drippings.

Step 3: Saute onions in reserved sausage drippings.  Once sauteed, add chopped tomatoes, cover and simmer until rice is done.

Step 4:  In a large pot, heat equal amounts of pasta sauce and water to a simmer.  Add brown sugar, Italian seasoning, sausage, onions and rice, stir to blend and simmer for 15 minutes.  Top with shredded cheddar cheese and serve.

This recipe is the result of "one of those days".  You know the one.  You are busily doing all the things that need to be done when suddenly you realize it's dinner time and you have no idea what will go on the table.  Sound familiar?  It's the story of my life.  On the positive side though, I have learned to cook quickly.  And according to my "I don't like tomato sauce" teen, this one was delicious.

Paper towel tube napkin ring

 I am not ready for Christmas yet!!!  However, every single store around me has been promoting the holiday for a month!  Shucks, at this rate, I would not be surprised if retailers start promoting the big spending season beginning the Fourth of July.  I am already stressed out by the mere thought of Christmas simply because I have been inundated with the sights and sounds of retailers since early October. So, on that note, I have decided to focus on Thanksgiving.  Just call me a rebel.

Considering I have plenty of supplies and materials on hand, I have been busily crafting Fall and Thanksgiving themed pretties.  First on my list, napkin rings.

I began by gathering some scrap fabric and ribbon with what I consider a Fall color scheme.  Next, I cut paper towel tubes into 1 1/2" sections.  I applied Mod Podge to the tubes, wrapped the fabric around the tube and let it dry.  Once dried, I applied more Mod Podge to the inside of the ring, clipped the overlapping fabric down inside the ring (tube) and let dry again.

I decided that I did not like the look of the inside of the ring as it was (and yes, I am picky like that) so I added a thin strip of coordinating fabric inside the ring, followed by a final layer of Mod Podge.

For anyone who has never had the pleasure of working with Mod Podge, you just don't know what you are missing!  This stuff is GREAT!  It is easy to apply, dries quickly, and converts fabric and cardboard into something sturdy.  It's a wonderful thing!

My little scrap fabric, ribbon and cardboard napkin rings are now hard as a rock and ready for the table.

One last thought for the day

T-shirts to rag rug

Not long ago, I was given a car load of fabric.  Okay, maybe not a "car load", but more so a "back seat" load of fabric.  Either way, there were many big black trash bags filled with goodies.  Among those gems were about 30 t-shirts in varying sizes but identical in color; forest green with white print. The white print was on both the front and back of the shirts making it difficult to decide how to re-purpose them.  However, I am always up for a challenge!

I began the creative process by removing the neckbands and sleeves from each shirt.

I then cut each shirt in strips, from top to bottom and sewed each strip together.  The end result of this process was one extremely long chain of knit "yarn", so to speak.

It was time to bring out my monster sized crochet hook and get busy.  Thankfully, my son loves the color green!  Both his bathroom and bedroom are decorated with various shades of green, so I knew I could put a new rug or two to good use.  

There are several nice things about working with t-shirt "yarn". Projects go together quickly and the materials are easily transported.  I was able to produce this rug in a few hours because I kept the crochet stitches simple and took it with me each time my son had an activity away from home.  We may be a homeschooling family but we spend a lot of time away from home either for extracurricular activities or classes. 

Having completed the project, I realized I learned several things.  First, I realized that a crocheted rug will look better if I work on a flat surface.  Secondly, I realized that I needed to expand the rug as I went along so I simply added an extra stitch or two at each end of the oval to allow the rug to lie flat. Finally, a t-shirt rug is quite a bit heavier than a cotton or fleece rug.  The added weight, combined with the bits of screen printing, provide a more stable surface for a bathroom rug.  This rug does not go sliding across the floor like a fleece rug.  A sliding rug can be a recipe for disaster, especially so when placed near a bathtub.

When all was said and done, this rug used approximately 10 shirts that would have otherwise ended up in the local landfill.  It is Eco friendly, cute and functional.  What more could a girl ask for?  ;)