Let's Get a Little Crafty

  If Spring is when a young girl's fancy turns to thoughts of love,  Then summer is when an old girl's fancy turns to thoughts of fall crafts. I am so in love with these jars. Simple, but very fall feel to them. 

And I am sure I can get Lowe's to cut me wood in the length I need for these. Little roughness looks good. I can tell that's not bows. That is actually homespun fabric that they have ripped the fabric to keep the rustic feel.

Love these. I would image you could get the pumpkins at Michaels or Hobby Lobby and do your own painting and design. And I would spray paint little plates and candle sticks and use hot glue to create the pedestals. 

I love these rolling pins. You can get them unfinished at Hobby Lobby, 3 for $3.99. A little paint and a piece of scrabbook paper should do the trick. 

Now this is the cutest idea ever. Spray paint plastic Easter eggs and wrap jute to make acorns. I actually have a tone of eggs from previous Easter crafts. Guess who is goiong to go get paint today?

These are some more acorns in case you don't like the idea of paint. This is a little out of my comfort zone with all that stitchery by hand. But they are adorable. I may try a couple of these, but no promises.

These are so adorable. They just bought cheap flannels at Goodwill. I actually have one of my husband's flannels in fall colors. I may try this. I will practice with a Goodwill one first before I cut up his shirt.

Love this. Love the fact that it has a real cinnamon stick for the stem. Just assorted fall ribbon wrapped around jar rings and tied together. Watched the video from Pinterest and it looks super simple.

I posted these last year and then forgot to do them. I would probably not do the witch or the monster because my drawing talents are not that great. The spider web might be doable for me. But I do love the ghost and pumpkin.

Of course when I was looking up the jar crafts, it showed me a Christmas set I love. Then that took me down the rabbit hold of ideas on Pinterest for Christmas.

So if I get a box of jars, I can take the left over lids and rings and put fabric or scrapbook paper in the lide and glue some embellishments and wah-lah. Tree ornaments.

Funny story: I searched yarn crafts for Christmas ornaments on Pinterest and pulled up these cute little wreaths. They are simply crochet a chain stitch and loop it three loops and glue or stitch together and add a bow. What makes it funny is these were on MY Pinterest board where I made several years ago to put on Christmas presents instead of a bow. Need to make some more.

My kitchen has red and aqua at Christmas so I had to make one from this varigated yarn. 

And the last thing was this cute wreath with jar lids and either fabric or scrapbook paper. If I do this, I am investing in a scrapbook punch that make the perfect size circle.

I think I see a trip to the Scrapbook Superstore, Hobby Lobby and the Dollar Tree in my future.

Some good quotes

 

My fear of the Instant Pot

 I have certain foods I love that require a pressure cooker. But I haven't had a pressure cooker for years. So I decided I needed an Instant Pot last year. I wanted a brand name because I knew I could find a lot of recipes. But it was $100 for the Instant Pot. I put it on my Christmas wish list and started stalking the ads. The Tuesday before Thanksgiving, Walmart issued online pre-Black Friday deals and I just happened to be online and was able to get one....for $49. SCORE! It was an early birthday present and I couldn't wait to use it for shredded chicken to make barbecue chicken sandwiches by using the homemade barbecue sauce recipe belonging to my mother-in-law. Fast forward from December to this past Friday. I have never used it. Not one time. Oh I wanted to. Even read the directions back to front. But the truth is, I realized I was afraid of it. So many buttons. Friends would tell me how easy and one friend even showed me what buttons to use. We had made chicken in one at his house last year and that was why I wanted it. But the fear was overwhelming. So Friday, I decided to brave it and try to conquer my fear. I bought 4# of boneless, skinless breasts and set everything up and turned it on.

While it was doing its thing, I chopped onions using a hack I saw on FB. I hate the way you cry slicing onions. Well it turns out that onions draw moisture to them. Since you eyes have moisture, they draw it out and hence the crying. Some lady said put a wet paper towell on your cutting board before cutting up onions. I did and enjoyed a tear free onion moment. This really works. 

I made the sauce using the onions in one bottle of Heinz Chili Sauce, then 1 and 1/2 bottles of water (using the chili sauce bottle), 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 4 1/2 tablespoons of ketchup, 1 stick of Parkay margarine (cut up in chunks like in the picture below so it melts faster), 1/2 of a small onion chopped like above, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, and 1 tablespoons sugar. Put this on and cook over medium heat till butter is melted and everything is mixed good then turn to simmer.

Low and behold, 20 minutes after I started the whole process my chicken was done. I had covered the chicken with 2/3 cup of water and set it for 15 minutes and it was perfect. Literally fell apart as I shredded it with 2 forks.

I then put the shredded chicken in the barbecue sauce and stirred it really good and let it simmer about 30 minutes to get the juices soaked in the chicken.

Then I enjoyed a couple of really tangy (vinegar free) barbecue chicken with some Lays chips and a dill pickle. 

Now I am in love with my Instant Pot and ready to try new recipes. Hope you try this some day and come back to comment on what you thought of it.

Why I need Jesus

 

This really spoke to me. It is one of those oxymoron situations in my mind. If you are a Christian who believes they are perfect, who wants to show the world that you do everything right, then I wonder how well you really study your bible, because we are told that no one is perfect. 

I am not a theologian nor do I want to get into biblical debates. The only reason for this post is simply this is something I have been dealing with for a few months and I am really struggling with it. 

I know this person who tries to appear perfect. You know the ones. Always saying kind things, always doing right, always remembering to pray and always reading the bible. And always making sure to point out to people how they always do these things. I try to do all that. But I fail. I am human. I get mad, I get upset, I get hurt. I fall down daily and have to pick myself back up. 

When someone comes at me with their "perfection" and tries to encourage me to be more like them, it rubs me the wrong way. Because they forget that I know them. I know how they really feel about certain things and how they act when there is no one to see the true them. 

I admire people who are able to do the right thing and be a good Christian. But I am inspired by the people like me who fall short daily. Who have to ask God to pick them back up, dust them back off, and put them back on track. Who can stand up and announce their shortcomings and praise God for keeping them going.

Tell me your faults, tell me your failures and then tell me how God got you through them. THAT is what makes me admire you. That is what makes me see what a true Christian is like.