Thrift Scores! And Summer Adventures

As always, summer so far has been busy, busy, busy! Although I teach I do not have summers off, and this time of year is in fact much more exhausting than the school year. I am technically a camp counselor this summer and spend my days with up to 29 children age 6-8. I can't really complain, though because most of these days are consumed with field trips and awesome activities. So far this summer I have been to the Zoo, the Science Center, Shaw Nature Reserve, the Wolf Sanctuary miniature golfing, the park, and fishing at Busch Wildlife. The most exciting was when we were at the Zoo and the kettle corn kiosk caught fire. AND Summer is only halfway over!

Now to the actual point of this post: thrift scores! When I'm feeling especially worn out, my favorite way to relax is by finding amazing bargains. I find the best deals at garage sales--especially church garage sales, but I have pretty good luck at certain thrift stores too. My first bargain I'd like to share may not seem like such a bargain to you, but believe me it was!

This awesome brick was found at a garage sale way out in the western most edge of the suburbs, far from its original home. The lady who sold this to me said she had purchased it years earlier from the neighborhood where I happen to live.

This ice cream maker was a quarter.

 I can't show a picture of the whole thing because half of it is in the freezer getting ready to do its thing. Amazingly, this little gem makes really awesome ice cream! Totally worth the money.

These stools were actually purchased a few months ago, but I love them and had to share.

I paid $60 for a beautiful set of five! These came from an estate sale and they are totally vintage! They have a sticker on the bottom from Lammert's, which was local.

They go so nicely in my dining corner!

This dress was the real steal!

I got it from a church garage sale this morning.

How darling is that shamrock print?! I love this so much and kind of feel like I should have paid more. I googled this brand and found a lot of dresses for a LOT more than $2.50! But when it comes down to it, this dress made my morning.

My summertime stress has been temporarily relived! 

DIY Camera Bag from Any Bag

This past Thursday started out great. The weather was beautiful as I headed out with my class on a field trip to a farm and a dog show. Of course I brought my camera to snap some photos of my little darlings' faces, and they turned out great.  Unfortunately,  after we got back tragedy struck. My camera was broken, and so was my heart!

After trying everything the internet suggested to try to fix it, I took it to a local camera shop to see what they knew that the internet didn't.  It ends up that all they could tell me was a sad story about spending lots of money to repair my camera, but that it would likely cost more than it was worth.

I took this as an excuse to upgrade. This shop had a whole shelf of used cameras, and I chose to buy a Canon EOS 40D. This model is 7 years old, but it's new to me! I've spent the last two days playing around with it and it is definitely an upgrade.

That being said, to better take care of this camera I started shopping around for a camera bag. Let me tell you, those bad boys are expensive! Making my own seemed like a much better option.

 I started with a bag that I own. I like it alright, but am considering some embellishments.

 I found some foam about an inch thick, and got this pretty green flannel. I measured my bag and my camera,  and started with the piece of foam being 17x14.

Step 1: Measure and do a little math.

Step 2: Cut out your fabric, remembering to leave about a half an inch for seam allowance.

I don't like pinning, and am not a seamstress in any way, so I cut corners a lot. As you can see, I bypassed pins here.

Step 3: With the wrong side of the fabric showing, stitch up 2 sides (or 3 if your fabric wasn't folded) leaving one whole side open. Just like a pillow case.

Step 4: Stuff that foam in and straighten it out. At this point, I also made three smaller rectangles with foam and fabric to be the deviders/walls of my device.

Step 5: Pinning really helps here. Finish up the open end of the "pillow."

Step 6: Mark 2 lines that will be  where the bottom and sides meet.

And sew.

Step 7: Squish everything into your bag and straighten it out.

That's it! A brand new camera bag from an old purse.

DIY Magnetic Spice Tins

Despite the cold and snowflakes today, the past few beautiful days have put me into spring cleaning mode. My teensy, tiny kitchen is always in need of a little space and I was feeling inspired to free some up. This project was super easy, and super inexpensive. 

Supplies:

  -clear top tins (I found mine here)

  -magnets (I used these)

  -hot glue gun

  -labels

  -tape

  -spices

Let's get started! After you've gathered your supplies, start by gluing on your magnets. They need to be strong enough to actually stick to the refridge without falling, so double check the strength of your magnets and use hot glue. I used two strips of magnets to keep the tins from wobbling on the refrigerator.

Next, make and cut out your labels. I stuck the labels on as I filled up the tins to avoid any later confusion.

Stick them on the refridge, and you're finished. That's it! Now, like me, you will have plenty of cabinet space freed up for other necessities, AND a super cute display of spices.

Phases-of-the-Moon Mobile

My fifteen-month-old’s first word was “oon,” or “moon” if you have a more mature vocabulary.  Any evening trips out of the house, my husband and I found ourselves pointing to the moon, saying “moooon,” and one night we watched our little boy stand under the window, point up at a crescent moon and say “. . .oooon, oon, oon.”  So, it’s only appropriate that I make this little boy a stages-of-the-moon mobile.

Here’s what you will need:

1. A pencil or a dark fabric pencil/pen

2. A piece of white chalk or light fabric pencil

3. White felt (I used about 24x18--Wash all fabric before crafting or sewing with it.)

4. Black felt (I used about 5x10)

5. Something perfectly round to trace around (I used an empty espresso can)

6. Either batting or something to stuff the moons with

7. Black paint

8. Black yarn

9. A thin  dowel rod, llarge embroidery hoop, or some kind of hoop

10. A small awl or large yarn needle

I had everything except the black yarn and black felt, so I headed to The Upcycle Exchange and was able to pick up both for a dollar.

Step one: Fold the white felt over the length of diameter of the circle you will trace.  My can was about four inches across, so I folded the fabric over four inches to create a double layer of fabric.  Then trace as many circles as you can on the two layers.  Cut these out and repeat until you have 9 circles.  Do the same for to make one double layer black moon for the new moon.

Step two: Create the stages of the moon.  First, create the first waning and waxing moons.  With two of the nine double-layered circles, using the can, trace about ⅛ of a circle on the edge and cut this out (for shape, see moon A below).  The moon should look like it has been bitten like a cookie.  One of these two moons will be the first stage of the waning moon and one will be the final stage of the waxing moon.  Then, create two moons. With the next two white felt circles, trace a larger circle within the moon to create the next stage.  I moved the can just about 3 cm in from the crescent of the first waxing and waning moons, trace a crescent, and cut it out (see moon B). Move the can a little over half way across the next two moons to create the next stage of the moon (moon C), and move the can a little less than ¾ of the way across the fabric to compose the final stage of the moon, the crescent (see moon D).  When you are finished, you should have a full moon, two first stage waning and waxing moons, two 3/4ths moons, two half moons, two ⅓ moons, a two crescent moons, and a black new moon.

Step three: Sew and stuff each moon.  I like using felt because it’s forgiving.  For the full and new moon, with the “dirty” side of the fabric--the side you traced on--facing out sew around the round the outer edge of the moon, leaving about 1 ½ inches with which to turn the moon inside out and stuff.  Most people leave a ¼ inch edge, but I only leave a little less than ⅛.  Be sure to lock the seam in place by sewing backwards a couple stitches at the beginning and end of the seam. Turn the moon inside out and stuff it, but not too full.  I leave the pieces pretty flat.  Next, iis the hard part. Fold the open side in. Think of pulling your lips in over your teeth, like you are pretending to be toothless.  Pin the fold in place (see the unfocused picture below), and then backstitch around the entire circle.  Backstitching makes things look professionally done.  If you don’t want to sew the black yarn through the finished moon, you can sew it into the moon as you backstitch.  Backstitching means sewing around the edge as close to the edge as possible. Be sure to take the pins out before you sew over them.

The eight crescents are much easier because I don’t sew the inside of the crescent together after I stuff them, but you could if you wanted to.  For each of the eight waxing and waning moons, sew first around the outer edge of the moon, leaving the inner crescent open so you can turn your moon inside out and stuff it.  Use the edge of a dull pair of scissors to push the points of the waxing and waning moons out when you turn them inside out..  Once you turn and stuff, backstitch and close the crescent. You can sew in the yarn at this point, but I didn't.  Trim any uneven edges to make the moons smooth and round.  See, you can’t even tell that you didn't sew the inner edges of semi-circle crescent of the moon before backstitching--yay, felt!

Step four: Paint the hoop or dowel  black.  If you paint the dowel, you can stick it in a potted plant to paint it.  If you paint a hoop, like I did. I painted as much as I could with my right hand, while holding it with my left.  When I finished, I used a hair blow dryer to dry it in five minutes, then painted the rest and dried it with the dryer.

Step five: Attach yarn with which to hang the moon, if you didn’t do it when you backstiched..  On each moon, I attached a about 10 inches of yarn.  I used an awl to poke a hole through the fabric.  Then, I tied a knot and the end of the yarn, strung the knot on the edge of the awl and pushed it through the small hole.  I double knotted it to secure it.  

Step six: Hang your mobile and moons.  With two pieces of yarn a couple inches longer than my mobile, I made a cross over the hoop and tied the yarn to the hoop with a double knot to secure them.  Then, I looped about 12 inches of yarn around the crossed yarn where they met.  I secured the loop with a double knot and hung it.  Finally, tie the moons to the hoop (or dowel if you chose).  I hung the ten moons in an arc and just eyed the length that I wanted each moon to hang.  I tied them loosely at first and then double knotted them when I liked their length.  

Last step! I trimmed all the loose yarn and hung it.  My sky sailor is already pointing at it, saying, “oooon!”  

DIY Cloud Door Mat

My apartment is tiny. My life at home sometimes feels like a battle between wanting to decorate and needing to organize (which is NOT my strength). I dedicated a chunk of my day yesterday to cleaning out and organizing one of the three (also tiny) closets here, and I think I did a pretty good job! As a reward to myself, I made a couple of cute, happy, cloud-shaped door mats.

Supplies:
-Door mat (I got mind at Target for around $5)
-Something round to trace
-A marker or pen that will mark on your mat
-A good pair of scissors

Once you have your supplies, here's what you need to do:

First flip your mat over so you won't be marking on the side you'll see.

Use your bowl (or other round object) to create the individual cloud "puffs" around your mat, leaving one long edge flat. Keep tracing until you have a cloud shape that you like.

Once your cloud looks just right, use a sharp pair of scissors to cut it out, and you're finished! It's that easy!

This project only took about 15 minutes, and it makes me smile every time a walk through my door!

Refashion: A Cozy Valentine's Day Sweater

Supposedly the weather here in the midwest is getting a little bit warmer, but there's still snow in my front yard and there's apparently more coming today! I'm still feeling the need to be cozy when I step out the door on this Valentine's Day, and have JUST the sweater.

And it's even red for Valentine's Day! 

I can't wear it like this, but I have a plan.

First I cut off the sewn-on turtleneck and wristbands and discarded them. I didn't bother with a seam ripper since it wouldn't be visible. Next I flipped the shirt inside-out and used another shirt that I like the fit of, and used it as a pattern to trace around. I probably should have pinned around the shirt where I wanted to sew, but I didn't feel like it. I am a big fan of sharpies and found this green marker before I came across any pins or chalk, so sharpie wins!

Then it's time to sew it up.

 I trimmed the extra fabric and flipped it back right side out.

Much better! Now I'm ready to head out and meet up with my Valentine. :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

-Kimmie

Kimmie's first post: An Attempt at Homemade Body Wash

I'm so excited to finally have a blog with my sister Kara! I hope you enjoy reading it and find some helpful tips! This body wash is something I found on pinterest and have been wanting to try out.

  I love great smelling body washes but I really dislike spending a ton on something that literally goes down the drain of my shower. I've been eying this recipe for homemade body soap and decided that this was my day to give it a try! I already had all the ingredients on hand anyway.

The bar of soap I started with was only 5 ounces instead of 8, so I just used less water. I figured that if 16 cups were needed for 8 ounces of soap, then 10 cups of water would be used for my slightly smaller bar. I grated the soap and let it dissolve completely in water, added the vegetable glycerine, and stuck it in the refridge for 24 hours.
I have to say that for being soap, it seemed a little disgusting for a portion of the time. I felt like i was boiling cheese.

The next day, I whipped it up with an electric mixer and transferred it to bottles for storage. My result did have a pretty snotty texture, but it works, smells good, AND barely cost a thing!

Kara's First Post: Lemon or Clementine All-Purpose Cleaner

Another snow day!  I've lost count of how many I have had this year--maybe four.  No matter, so long as I get to stay in my pajamas all day.  What a cold and snowy year it has been so far.

This is my first blog on The Wild Rumpus Agenda with my lovely sister, Kimmie.  I wanted to start out simple, so here it goes:

What does one do on a snow day?  I thought about painting my nails, then reading a book, but then I heard the little one, Bear's mid-nap moan, and I thought, "My time is almost up! I better wipe down the stairs,"which get covered with dust in just minutes.  We live in an old house with pre-1978 paint somewhere under the many layers on the walls and trim, and contrary to popular belief, lead is in the dust, not the paint chips, so to keep my fears of lead poisoning my child at bay, I am wiping everything down and vacuuming like a crazy lady.  I used to wipe down with just diluted vinegar and water, but I hated the stinky-feet smell, so now I use lemon or orange infused vinegar, which just smells clean.  In the winter, when my family is eating clementines every few minutes, it's easy to collect dozens of clementine peels.  In the spring and summer, when I make homemade gatorade (I'll blog that come summer), I save up the lemon peels.  All you do is place a bunch of lemon or orange peels in a quart jar, cover it in white vinegar, close it up, and let it sit in a dark place for two weeks.  To clean, I use 1 part vinegar and 3 parts water.  If I am cleaning wood floors, I add the juice of one lemon to make the floors a bit glossier.  It smells so clean, so so lead free.  Oh, and the best part is it's super cheap too!

Supplies:
-a large mason jar
-between five and ten lemon peels
-white vinegar
1. Gather your leftover lemon or orange peels.  I keep them in the mason jar, ready to go.
2.  Put the rinds in the jar and pour the vinegar over them.
3. Wait about two weeks for the lemon oils to infuse the vinegar.
You can use this as an all-purpose cleaner or as the vinegar agent for whatever cleaning concoction you make want to make.
* Happy cleaning *