This Vintage Chica

Semi-Homemade Oreo Cookie Ice Cream

I love being able to throw a semi-homemade recipe together quick-like before having people over.  When the questions comes "Oh, did you make this?", I can smile and say "yes, I did".  Knowing full well it took me all of 10 minutes...maybe.

Such is the beauty of semi-homemade.  My mother is the queen of semi-homemade.  Seriously, she could have written an entire cookbook full of semi-homemade recipes and quick dinner ideas.  She worked...a lot.  But she still loved making things with us and for us.  She completely understood that yes, it was about the food, but making memories was the most important thing of all.

Oreo Cookie Ice Cream is one of those such recipes.  We made this recipe for birthdays, sleepovers and sometimes for no good reason at all other than to make it.  I like recipes like that.  And still to this day is one of my brother's any my favorites.

Oreo Cookie Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 1 box of cheapest vanilla ice cream you can find (You know the kind that comes in a rectangular box, not the kind that comes in the tub.  I guess you could use fancy Ben and Jerry's or something like that, but the recipe does not hinge on the kind of ice cream you buy.)
• 1 container of cool whip
• 1 package of Oreo cookies (you can do this with mint oreos or the fun seasonal oreos too, but this is the "hinge" part of the recipe...they must be oreos)

Directions:

1. Cut open the box of vanilla icecream and let the icecream soften in a large mixing bowl.
2. Put 1/2 of the Oreos in a large plastic bag.  Seal the bag and let your little one crush the oreos by hitting the bag with a mixing spoon.
3. Each person must eat one of the extra Oreos each.
4. Once the icecream is softened but not melted, stir in crushed Oreos and 1/2 of the container of CoolWhip.
5. Each person must eat one of the extra Oreos each.
6. Refreeze the icecream.
7. When ready to serve, garnish with one Oreo if there are any left.

Enjoy!

Holding On Until Summer: Shell Necklace

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Very soon...6 days to be exact...we will be in full summer mode around here.

Our days will be spent eating popsicles and lounging at our beach.  But until then we're giving ourselves just a tad taste of what is to come.

Wyatt and I have been making homemade lemonade popsicles.  Yum!

Sun tea is on the porch brewing itself.

And I made a new necklace for myself after seeing this from Martha in my inbox.  My rendition is much easier than Martha's and doesn't require a drill.  I find shells all the time that have holes already in them.  Check out the post over at The Magnifying Glass to learn how the holes get there.  I have had a spool of blue and white baker's twine and haven't used it for anything else other than wrapping  birthday packaged up until now.  I love the red and white twine...but I am really loving the blue and white.  Especially paired with dainty sea shells. Just string the twine through the holes and tie a knot above the shell and continue all along the length of the twine.  It would make a sweet bracelet too I think.

As I wear this necklace today it is a little reminder that summer will be here soon enough...to not rush things...to be right where I am and not to wish these precious days of time with only one little one at home away.

6 more days.

Easy Teacher Gifts

 

School is almost out here.  I think we might be the...very...last...kiddos...in school.  Our last day is not until June 18th.  Ugh!  The boys aren't the only ones having a hard time staying focused on homework and finishing up the school year.

I've had it in my head that I was going to make each of the boys' teachers a simple beach blanket.  But time is running short and to be honest, I haven't had time to brush my teeth.  The blanket just wasn't going to happen.

And then yesterday, I saw Erin's teacher gifts... using her great coffee cozy tutorial she paired the cozy with a Starbuck's gift certificate and "wrapped" it in a coffee cup. 

Brilliant!

I cut about 16 cozies out yesterday.  The one above is only the first one finished.  Today I need to go pick up some more hair ties so that I can finish the other 15.  We don't have many hair ties around these parts with four men folk and me with new shorter summer hair.

Friends, these go together so fast and are a bit addicting.  Its just the kind of thing you'd never make for yourself, but would love to receive as a gift, I think.

OK, gotta run to the coffee shop.  Oh, and I just might have to grab a vanilla latte for myself while I'm there.

Yay for easy teacher gifts!  And yay for coffee on a Wednesday morning.  Happy Hump Day!

Quilting Lessons

I've been dying for some sewing time as of late.  As I pass by the sewing room on my way upstairs, my sewing machine and I glance at each other for just a minute.  We both sigh.  And then I return to whever crisis is screaming loudest.  With S in and out and the boys' end of the school year activities I just haven't been able to fit any sewing time into the schedule.  I promise old friend...soon.

Carole, one of our mentor moms from our MOPS group is an amazing quilter and bag maker.  We share a love of vintage table cloths and I often joke that I want to be her when I grow up.  She made me the quilt in the photos above.  When I found out she quilted I immediately dropped to my knees and began begging for a lesson.  I was in the middle of the Virtual Quilting Bee and full of questions about seam allowances and which side to press to, etc.  That was over a year ago. 

I finally wore her down and we were able to coordinate schedules.  We started work on a collaborative bowtie quilt.  I can not share our project yet - its a big secret.  Shhhh! 

But I can show you the quilt Carole made for me (above).  Wyatt has dubbed it "the bird quilt" around here as there are two fabrics in the quilt with birds.  Carole picked out the blue and green colors even before seeing our house.  She is good like that.   And the blue and purple print there in the corner is a vintage table cloth she cut up.  Love that so much!

Things I learned so far in quilting with Carole:

• Use quilting thread
• Accurate measurements are important.  But having the right tools to help you measure accurately is just as important.
• If you are piecing squares you can sew multiple squares without stopping and cutting the thread until you have sewing several pieces together - this is called strip piecing.
• Use what's in your stash.  This forces you to put together fabrics that you might not usually choose.  And it makes for a more interesting quilt in the end.

Thanks Carole, for the quilt.  Thanks for the quilting lessons.  And for the quilting confidence booster. 

See you next week for another lesson.

canvas and lace camera bag

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You are going to see a bit of a theme in the next several projects that come out of my sewing room - neutral colors, canvas, denim, vintage lace, navy blue, ticking, khaki, burlap.  Not that I'm having much time to sew and entire shirt or quilt, but Im finding bits of time here and there to do little 15 minute projects.

This great OD green bag was originally a vintage WWII equiptment bag, originally purchased for $8 for the boys who are very into anything "army".  They didn't seem to like it as it was a bit big for what they were looking for. 

Oh, well! 

I found a perfect use for it.

With the two pockets on either side of the inside, it makes a great camera bag.  Perfect for holding the camera plus two extra lenses.  I cut a piece of prequilted batting for the bottom of the bag.  But the heavy canvas is perfect for protecting everything inside from water and sand.  And of course it didn't come with that pretty vintage lace across the front.  I don't think the US Army allows that.

I'm in love with my new bag and am finding excuses to get out and go for a walk, just so I can take my new bag out for a spin.

(Inspired very heavily by the gorgeous bags of Alice Saunders of Forest Bound.)

upcycle a painter's drop cloth: tree house pillows

I once read a quote that said "A sure way to avoid housework, Live Outside!"

And that is pretty much my mantra in the summer.  We live outside.  We eat outside, we cook outside and its not unusual for us to sleep outside.

In all the Spring magazines right now you see beautiful porches with pillows in the all of the chairs.  And I can't help but think of how impractical that is.  I mean, it might be nice for a party or having friends over.  But do you really want to be running out as soon as it starts to rain everytime to bring in your pillows before they get soaked?  The alternative is to have pillows that are stinky and sopping for days as the stuffing dries out.  I know this from experience.

But I have been wanting some pillows in the boys' tree house since last year.  And after making the tablecloth, my mind has been focused on other ways to use this plastic backed fabric.

So, here you go...another upcycle of a painter's drop cloth. 

Tree house pillows, under a tree pillows, yard cushions, porch pillows...whatever you choose to call them.  But the gist of it is pillows that can be left outside.  The plastic backing keeps the pillow stuffing from getting wet and the outside fabric dries in the warm sun in about 5-8 minutes...we timed it.

The original idea was to have the boys draw a picture of themselves on the swings, climbing the rope swing, etc.  But they weren't into it at the time.  So, I added their initials in the corner and called it a day.  They'll probably get colored, or painted, paperclipped or duck taped in some fashion anyway - as is the fate of most things around here it seems.

The boys think their new pillows are pretty cool.  They told me yesterday that now all they need is a light source and they'll be all set for the summer.  We did some internet research last night and found Not Martha's sun jars.  I have a sneaky suspicion :elecricity: will play a big role in this summer's fun.

Now remember that glider?  Im thinking it needs come comfy pillows to go with that cushion.

Spring break begins officially for us at 2:40 p.m.  10 days of uninterrupted little boy fun is on its way!  Wish me luck.  I'll post here if I need reinforcements or a rescue party.

upcycle a painter's drop cloth : a spill proof tablecloth

This project came about by happy accident. 

We usually eat in our kitchen for breakfast.  But in the evenings, we have been eating in our dining room more and more.  And I am really enjoying it.  One problem is that our dining table was my great grandmother's and is a treasured antique.  I have a few antique lace tablecloths that fit the table perfectly.  However, antique table + antique tablecloth + little boys who still spill their milk from time to time (like every meal) do not = a happy mama. 

I am not a huge fan of plastic table cloths, but was willing to suck it up to spare my table.  However, you see that rug peaking out from under the table.  It has some pretty bold colors (red, green and yellow) in it and the table cloth needed to be a bit subdued.  I was having a hard time finding a plastic table cloth without hybiscus flowers or monkeys with bananas in their hands.  So, I decided to lay a piece of plastic down on my table and make a cloth that could be popped easily into the waching machine. 

I have used painters drop cloths as yard goods before, purchased from the hardware store.  And after looking at how much I was going to spend on fabric from the fabric store, I decided to use drop cloths again.  I like how they have the "look" of linen but with a heavy canvas feel.  So for less than $12, I picked up two drop cloths last time I was at the hardware store getting mulch for the garden.  Anytime I can get fabric AND seeds in one stop is a good day for me.

However, this time, when I opened up the package I was almost disappointed to see that the cloth had a plastic backing. 

I say almost because immediately I realized this was even MORE perfect than I had planned.  I wouldn't have to lay an extra sheet of plastic down on my table afterall.

I sewed two of the cloth panels together, added a little "bird inspired" embroidery and hot-diggidy.  I have a new spill proof table cloth that is stylish, it will protect my antique table and can easily be laundered.

The embroidery is finished, but after seeing Melissa's pillows, I can't help but think that a silhouette of a little bird added to the cloth with a bit of rough edged applique wouldn't make it even sweeter.

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OK, I couldn't help it...I was up early, early this morning thinking about how this table cloth needed a few fabric birds added.

But I had to wait until the sun came out to get a decent picture of it.  Ahhh...that's better.

target hack

I m getting to be quite a Target hack these days. First the tablecloth turned glider cushion, now its a great little tote bag made even better with a bit of embellishment. 

I have a thing for navy blue right now.  Have you noticed?  Navy blue and green...navy blue and yellow...navy blue and (insert any obscure color you can think of here).  I've been wanting a big tote bag in navy for quite awhile, but hadn't gotten around to picking out the fabric.  So when I came across this canvas plastic lined tote in the $1 section at Target, I grabbed it and immediately began thinking about how I could dress it up a bit. 

A vintage yellow and white (with a touch of green) doily from my stash was the perfect thing. 

And with the plastic lining inside it is perfect for the beach or for toting snacks wherever we're headed for the day.  Sand brushes right off and spills are cleaned up with a sponge.

Hmmm...what's next?

new cushion for a vintage glider

If you follow my photos on flickr, you have seen a weeks worth of foggy, cloudy, rainy photos. 

Yesterday was the 6th straight day of rain.

Ugh!

It was starting to feel like we lived in Seattle.  Or at least what I am guessing it would feel like to live in Seattle.

But this morning, the fog is burning off and the clouds are parting.

I have had this old glider since I was first out of college.  I bought it from the First Monday Flea Market in Weatherford, TX (where my parents live) when I was about 22 and setting up my own little house up in Oklahoma.  I still remember the old man's face when I asked him how much he wanted for it.  "You want that old thing?" he questioned.  I think I paid all of $15 for it at the time and quietly screamed inside all the way home at what a bargain I had gotten.

And then I had to tell my Dad that we needed to make room in the already packed u-haul trailer for the huge glider.  Luckily my Dad is a reasonable man.  He understands not to come between a woman (even if it is his daughter) and her flea market find.  

Im thinking I need to sand it down again, prime it real good, and re-paint it this summer.

But for today, Im happy that it has a new cushion made out of a repurposed Target table cloth.  Even though I love the pring, the table cloth, as purchased, just wasn't working in our dining room.  My mom and I were just talking about how much we love mixing the old with the new. 

I am loving those big blocky pears against the chippy-pealy paint.

So, maybe we'll get outside some today and dry off and enjoy the new and improved flea market glider.

ink blob t-shirts

I have been admiring the ink blot t-shirts Martha has been making.  Wyatt happened to be next to me at one point and said "Mom, we can SO make these".  I love that my kids think we can make anything.  We can.  Really, we can.

So we decided to make a few of our own.

Wyatt calls them "ink blob shirts".  I like that name.

Of course opening the shirts up to see the results was by far the best part.

The test run with the three year old warranted a try with the older brothers. So, it was clear we needed to make a run to the thrift store for more plain colored t-shirts. 

Which we did after lunch.Luckily we hit Salvation Army on 1/2 price clothing day.

Here's what we did...

INK BLOB T-SHIRTS

Supplies:

thrifted t-shirt
black fabric paint
several pieces of cardstock paper

How To:

• fold one piece of the cardstock in half lengthwise first then, place it inside your t-shirt to keep the ink from running to the back side of the shirt.  make sure the line down the center of the paper runs down the center of the shirt, it helps to secure the paper with masking tape

• lay the t-shirt flat on a hard surface

• cover half of the t-shirt with another piece of cardstock to focus their paint to one side of the shirt

• let your little one put blobs of paint on the uncovered side of the shirt (it makes better blobs if they keep the paint toward the center of the shirt, but of course mine wouldn't listen to that part)

• after the paint has been applied, fold the shirt directly in half and pat it down (or place a large book on the folded shirt for a few minutes)

• let your shirt dry

New t-shirts for Spring...check.