DIY: Color Tint Glass Jar

It’s been quite busy. My feet still recovering, caring for a newly neutered dog, and traveling up and down California are just the points that stick out at the moment. It goes without saying that I have not had the time to sit and blog. Because it’s technically still fall, I am putting up my autumnal themed post despite the overwhelming pull towards the Christmas season.
It always baffels me how beautiful the color orange appears to me during the autumn season. It’s not one of my favorite colors, but during this time of year I let it take presidence in my wardrobe and crafts. I assume most of us do the same. If you remember my Thirfty Thursday post about my sweet garage sale finds, you’ll recall the large glass jar from the photo.

I was thrilled to notice the cornucopia with fruits and veggies in the center and the words “golden harvest canister” written around it. Could I find a more perfect jar to dye orange for the fall?! After reading up on a few tutorials I found online via Pinterest, I decided to try out a few methods.

To color dye/tint glass jars (or whatever glass item you have in mind) you will need these supplies:

-ModPodge (store bought or DIY)
-paint brush
-sponge brush
-food coloring
-container to mix modpodge and food coloring (I used plastic cupcake holders)
-paper bag/cardboard

If you have not heard of Pinterest, I highly recommend joining. It is such an incredible website to organize all things you like and see online. Basically, it’s a virtual pinboard. You can find just about ANYTHING including tutorials on how to make your own modpodge. You can join on your own but it takes some time to get on. If you like, you can send me your email address and I can send you an invite to allow you to begin right away. I friend of mine sent me an invite almost year ago and I’ve been obsessed ever since!

Step 1: Lay out the paper bag, cardboard, or whatever your preference to work on.

Step 2: Mix modpodge with food coloring. Depending on how much you need and the depth of color you want this part is trial and error. I poured enough modpodge to fill the cupcake container half way and added 3 drops of red food coloring and 1 drop of yellow food coloring. I was going for a deep orange color.

Step 3:

Attempt #1
Make sure glass jar is clean and dry. Begin painting outer surface in long smooth strokes. If there were no lettering or images protruding on the outside surface this would’ve been the way I left the jar. However, the colored modpodge kept collecting and bubbling so I started over. (The best thing out this project is you can use water to completely remove the colored modpodge)

Attempt #2
I had the sponge brush on hand to see if it would help create a smoother appearance. It did, but it also created streaks. Not entirely horrible looking, but this still wasn’t the look I was going for.

Attempt#3
Third time is the charm! I decided to mix up more colored modpodge and swirl it around inside the jar. You can use paint to do this too but it will dry and remain as thick as it was when wet. Once colored modpodge is dried it becomes clear and leaves on the colored tint to the glass.

Step 4:
After covering the entire inner surface of the jar, I turned it upside down to drip dry for about 30-60 minutes.

Step 5:
Turn jar right side up and allow to dry this way for another hour or until modpodge becomes clear. You can use a wet cloth/paper towel to remove any pain that seeps onto the outer rim.

**Remember modpodge will come off with water so DO NOT add water to jar unless painted on outside**

That’s all there is to it! I absolutely love how this came out! I even added a ribbon with pumpkins to the mouth of the jar as an extra touch. Some fun flowers or perhaps dried wheat would be perfect to place inside.

Dog Day (Autumn) Afternoons

Being a dog owner and lover herself, my friend and coworker gave this book to me as a gift. I didn’t even know there were cookbooks for dogs, but it’s not surprising considering the love many Americans have for their pets.

Well, with being off from work and missing her company, my coworker and I decided to arrange a doggie playdate/baking afternoon. What did we have in mind to bake? Yummy doggie cookies for our pooches of course! Since I am still not able to drive, she and her collie Sammie came to us (Toto and me). She even brought lunch! Yup, I am blessed with amazing friends. Once our tummies were full of delicious Chinese take out, we began our baking.

I had chosen the recipe for Ginger Bones, a perfect cookie for the autumn season. Since it’s difficult to be on my feet more than 15-20 minutes at a time, I quickly pre-measured and placed all the necessary ingredients out before my friend arrived.

After lunch, we just had to throw it all together in the mixer and voila! The dough was ready to go.

I’d even set out cutting boards, cookies cutters, and some flour at the dinning table to roll out the dough while we (most importantly ME) could sit down. It worked out quite well. I don’t (yet) own a bone cookie cutter but used Halloween ones to make these doggie treats.

Both Sammie and Toto LOVED the cookies; they were the perfect treat to their 3 hours of play time. We, their mommies, LOVED making them! It was such a great way to end the week. (You’ll notice both our fur babies were ready for their afternoon naps in the lower left photo.)

This dog baking madness didn’t stop there. Nope! After posting my baking activities to Facebook, a friend of mine asked for the recipe to bake up some cookies for her dog. Due to my days being home alone I invited her over to make different dog cookies with her. Since her husband (and close friend of our family) was away due to military reasons, she was all too happy to fill her day with company as well. Best of all, she brought her adorable baby daughter along!

Today we made Pumpkin Puppers. The only thing I decided to add to the day’s baking activities was making some goodies for us humans too. Luckily, I read up on the blog of a close friend of mine this morning to discover she had posted an easy recipe for sugar-free pumpkin muffins. Sugar free? Yes, sugar-free and DELICIOUS! You can find the post on her amazing blog The Skinny on Getting Thinny. I warn you, be prepared to get inspired mentally, physically, and spiritually.

Anyhow, I did the same thing today as I did when my coworker came over Friday. I pre-measured all ingredients for both recipes and set out our cookie dough rolling station at the dinning room table. I enjoy keeping myself busy with crafts and baking, but still need to be mindful of my healing toes.

We also used the Halloween cookie cutters for these doggie treats. While the first batch went in, we threw the THREE (yup, only three) ingredients together for our pumpkin muffins. I didn’t have sugar free cake mix so I used a regular Betty Crocker one I had on hand. Now, I’m not going to lie. I was skeptical about what these would taste like but…

…AH-MAY-ZING!!! Seriously, my friend and I were both beyond shocked on how easy and scrumptious these were. My husband also commented on their deliciousness when he got home and ate one. I’ll have to purchase sugar free cake mix when I am able to drive again. Until then, here’s the recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350*
2. Box of vanilla cake mix (sugar free if desired)
3. 15 oz can of Pumpkin
4. 1/4 Tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
5. Bake in cupcake/muffin pan for 15 minutes (or until toothpick can be inserted and comes out clean)

Both dog cookie recipes credited to Donna Twichell Roberts, author of The Good Food Cookbook for Dogs.

Pastry Pumpkin Patch

Hope you’ve been enjoying these gorgeous autumn days. Despite being slightly limited from my foot surgery, I’ve been doing what I can to enjoy these last couple of weeks. My husband recently turned 31 and my birthday is quickly approaching. The first year we met and began dating we set out to the quaint town of Julian to celebrate our birthdays with our San Diego friends. Julian is town located about 50-60 miles from San Diego (depending where in SD you live) and is known for its apple picking and delicious pies, thus being an extremely popular place to visit during the fall. So, my husband and I LOVE making the drive out there (with our best friends) for a day between our birthdays to bask in autumn sun, drink apple cider, and enjoy delicious pie! The first year we were married we stayed at a bed and breakfast in Julian called the Eagle’s Nest that was just fabulous! Okay, so I think you get how much we love this cute town and celebrating the fall season there for our b-days. Thanks goodness for wheelchairs because that was how I got around this past weekend when my husband and a group of some of our good friends (and our dog Toto) went to Julian. I had an amazing time but was sad about not being able to climb the 3-story Julian Tea & Cottage Arts tea room and store. Guess I’ll just have to go back this winter.

Last week, I was finally able to make the mini pumpkin bundts cakes I’ve been excited to try. I found the idea on Pinterest a few months ago and have waited patiently for autumn to try them out. I had some bananas that were beyond ripe and perfect for turning into bread, so I decided to make pumpkin banana bread bundts.

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease/butter bundt pans
2. Puree the bananas. (I had about 2 1/2 cups worth so I used it all)
3. Mix banana puree and pumpkin puree until well blended
4. In separate bowl combine dry ingredients and add to pumpkin-banana mix
5. Combine remainder of ingredients (oil, milk, eggs) to mix
6. Add dried cranberries and walnuts if desired
7. Fill each bundt mold halfway with pumpkin-banana mix
8. Bake 15-20 minutes (or until toothpick is inserted into bundt and comes out clean)

While the bundts are baking, begin melting orange candy melts. I prefer using candy melts because the hardened shell creates a more finished look for the pumpkins. Read the directions carefully regarding how to melt your candy correctly.

Once bundts are baked and cooled follow these steps:
Step 1. Begin cutting bottom edge off so it’s flat enough to join to another bundt in order to create “pumpkin” shape
Step 2. Place melted orange candy melt onto bottom of bundts (I buy cheap paintbrushes for the sole purpose of “painting” frosting onto goodies, but you can use a spoon or some sort of small utensil to do the same job)
Step 3. Sandwich bundts together and allow candy melt to dry

Step 4. Coat pumpkin bundts with orange candy melt (I used a basting type brush to get large and smooth strokes of the orange candy melt on the bundts)

Step 5. Melt green candy melts and dip pretzels to create the pumpkin stems. Originally I wanted to use thick stick pretzels but only had these on hand so I broke them in half.

Step 6. For the leaves of the pumpkin, I found another idea via Pinterest that I thought was brilliant! I ended up using mint leaves for the leaf mold despite the fact that they aren’t exactly the same shape of actual pumpkin leaves (although I believe the overall look turned out just fine). Click on PINTEREST above to get the how-to directions for these. IN the photo below you can see the actual mint leaves and the candy counterpart next them.

Step 7. To create the swirly green vine portion on the pumpkins, I used a technique taught to me long ago: sandwich bags as frosting bags. Just spoon melted green candy melt in to a plastic sandwich bag, cut a small hole with scissors and squeeze.

As a girl who does NOT like to waste anything, I used some extra pumpkin-banana batter and made a loaf of bread and some muffins. So glad I bought these cute orange cupcake wrappers for a $1 at Michael’s a few months ago! Not only that, but all the cut off pieces from the bundts were also put to good use by being turned into pumpkin-banana bread pops. I used one of my small pumpkin cookie cutters to created the mold. For instruction on how to make cake pops, visit the queen of cake pops Angie Dudley on her popular blog Bakerella.

Here’s the end product! My Pastry Pumpkin Patch!

Four score and 4 garage sales ago

Before you read any further, let me say this is NOT a post about Abraham Lincoln. Well, not specifically. About 2 months ago I found myself waking up on a Saturday morning eager to go garage sale shopping. After looking up nearby sales online, I set out with $40 cash and my fingers crossed in hopes of snagging some good finds. These Abraham Lincoln book ends were a few of my thrifty discoveries that day. I bought them for a good friend of mine who loves President Lincoln. She has sworn to name her first son after him and is currently owner/mommy to her chihuahua: Peanut Abraham. Can’t wait to give these bookends to her!

In my experience, choosing a particular neighborhood and driving around from one advertised garage sale to advertised garage sale allows me to run into all the unadvertised sales going on as well. Only one of the listed garage sales was worth pulling over for. I do my best to be discreet whilst driving by the address given and if the street side spread looks interesting, I stop. If not, I drive on. Luckily, I had good fortune in the three random garage sales that weren’t listed online.

Four garage sales, $28, and about two hours later I had my loot and decided to call it a day. Window shutters, picture frames, baskets, a large glass jar, and, of course, the Abe Lincoln book ends are what I came home with. I think the metal piece in the lower left corner is come sort of rack. Overall, an excellent day! Those of you out that also enjoy garage sale shopping know how fun it is to find great stuff to reuse. Half the fun is shopping and the other half is creating treasure of trash. I’m excited and looking forward to spray painting some of these garage sale goodies on a repurposed/craft day soon.

Thankful for my FAITH

It has been several weeks since my family’s world was shaken. Although incredibly frightening and difficult to handle, we are doing what we have always done-survive. But I want to do more than just survive, I want to let go of my fear and allow my FAITH take hold of all the uncertainties that run through my mind. I want this for myself and for my family.

Without a doubt this is easier said than done. We live in a world full of heartache and tragedy, but a world that has been offered love and hope through Christ. Again, easier said than done, easier said than believing. Not that I have lost my faith, but I have been struggling with having complete faith that everything will be okay.

It is times like these when being a registered nurse is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because I have the knowledge to care for my sick family member in a way that a registered nurse can. This same knowledge also allows me to know all the possible outcomes and right now knowing is too much to handle. After having a long conversation with my cousin (also a registered nurse) and after long conversations with God, I have come to a conclusion: I AM NOT IN CONTROL. I realize this is something that all persons of faith are supposed to know, but actually allowing God to have control is easier said than done. The fact of the matter is I have NEVER had my faith tested to such a degree.

So what did I realize after these conversations with family, friends, and God? Well, I have begun to take a look behind me, at the road HE has already led me through. That in itself is more than enough to remind me of how thankful I am for my faith in God. What I am trying to explain is how God has provided an amazing journey in life full of incredible blessings and the desires of my heart have been fulfilled. HE knows what my desires have been and what they will be and I know HE will continue to be faithful in all he does. However, this does not mean HE will fulfill his promises my way. NO! Ever hear the phrase Thank God for unanswered prayers? This is just the point I am trying to make. If God had given me everything MY way, my life would not be what it is today. It would’ve been very different, it would not have allowed me to have the life I have. I would be unhappy because I would have demanded my requests not knowing that those desires were not the best for me and my future. Only God knows that and only HE knew how to lead my down the path that my life was meant for.

Please God, allow me to let go. Allow me to surrender and give YOU control. Allow my FAITH in you be the guide now and always. Allow me to have comfort in you and FAITH that YOU are ultimately in control.

Aloha Summer…

It’s official: Even after foot surgery I am too busy to keep up this blog. With my sister in town for the week, I spent my time hanging out with her watching movies, catching up on our nursing stories, and letting her push me around in my wheelchair to go shopping. It was nice to just get out of the house. Thanks sister for visiting me! I figure that as long as I am able to post a few times a month on my blog, I’ll consider myself successful. Truth be told, I had written most of this post on September 19 (aka last Monday of summer 2011). That particular day I was motivated to create my own drink for the arrival of my sister.

During the prior weekend, my wonderful husband (who had just completed his first week back to work since taking time off to care for me after my foot surgery) brought back a pineapple from his run to the grocery store. With the summer slowly slipping away, pineapple iced tea sounded like the perfect idea for a beverage. I was thrilled when I remembered the pineapple tea I had purchased while in Hawaii. I’ve always thought of summer days full of sun and swimming when I eat pineapple; particularly at the beach. During our honeymoon, my husband and I ate 2 things daily during our week in Hawaii: pineapple and seafood. It was heaven. Here are a few pics from that wonderful time in 2009.

For those that know me well, creating a tea based beverage should come as no surprise since I am known as a tea fanatic in my circles of family and friends. Seriously, it’s a tea obsession that my husband described with his statement of “You have enough tea in our cupboards to last over a year”. You get the point.


Follow each step below and stir in ingredients as you go.

1. Brew your pineapple tea. (I always use 4 tea bags when using my iced tea maker.If you are using a tea kettle/pot you will need to brew the tea in 4 cups of hot water.)
2. Add sugar/sweetener as needed and allow it to dissolve adequately in the hot tea.
3. Add 3 cups cool water to tea.
4. Add the pineapple to the pitcher of pineapple tea
5. Add 1/2 cup pineapple juice
6. Add 1/4 cup lemon juice
7. Fill pitcher with 1 cup of ice and place in fridge to chill.

If you’re in the market for an iced tea maker, I highly recommend investing in one with a glass pitcher. I love that I can put this pitcher in the dishwasher without worrying if it will melt considering my former plastic pitcher died a slow death in the dishwasher. The other thing I love about this particular iced tea maker is the removable filter that gives me the option to use loose leaf tea or tea bags.

Since I usually prefer my iced tea unsweetened, my husband made simple syrup by dissolving 1 cup of sugar in 1 cup of water via stove top. It’s so convienient to have on hand for anyone who wants to add sweetness to their tea. (Thanks for helping out while I recover from my surgery sweetie!) Click here for the easy recipe. We use a Wilton melting/decorating squeeze bottle to hold the simple syrup. It is the perfect easy-to-use container for simple syrup when hosting a party or event.

While the pineapple continued to soak in the tea, I decided to make some fruit kabobs to place inside each glass. I used fruit I had in my fridge but the sky is the limit as far as whatever type of fruit you want to use to make these.

My sister LOVED this tea. We both had glass upon her arrival that day. Hope you enjoyed the last few days of summer!

They Film It, I Wear It.

In case this image is unfamiliar to you, it’s the iconic Judy Garland in one of my favorite movies “Meet Me in St. Louis”. One fact that most people know about me: I LOVE LOVE LOVE watching movies! I cannot even describe the amount of trouble I’ve gotten myself into since becoming a member of Netflix. Let’s just say that my movie addiction has even spilled over into the realm of television shows and I am helpless against it. All types and genres, I watch them ALL. Of course, a good plot is what usually gets me hooked, but many times the clothes worn by the characters has sparked an idea for an outfit.

I know, I know. We as a society fall merciless to what film and television “tell” us to wear. To be honest, several times (and I think most of you fashionistas can agree) I have seen a character on the big screen wearing a “new” style I had worn years before. The truth is, fashion has become cyclic. We take the best parts of the past and re-create them to our modern styles. This doesn’t negate that the originality of past fashions are, without a doubt, created by some incredible designers. I’d type out a list longer than you’d care to read, but I am sure you have your favorite eras, names, labels, etc running through your head right now.

I am a firm believer that we receive our creative juices from the world around us; what we see, watch, listen to and so on. So, I hope I’m not alone in stating that an outfit I’ve worn was inspired from the occasional viewing of a movie or TV show.

Okay, I think you get the point. Let me just say that this particular film is so fantastic for so many reasons along with the vocals of Judy Garland. The four seasons of the year are covered throughout the film’s storyline, making it difficult to not get excited for the holidays. Favorite song: The Trolley Song. Favorite scene: the dance around the Christmas tree with grandpa and John Truett. Let us not forget Judy Garland’s beautiful voice as she sang Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas…sigh. Although the red dress Garland wore to the Christmas Ball was lovely, it was the striped number she had on in the beginning of the film that caught my eye.

I adore stripes on EVERYTHING, especially my clothes. A few months ago I stumbled upon this dress in a nearby Salvation Army thrift store. I go there only on Wednesdays since it’s always 1/2 off merchandise. This darling yellow-striped dress cost me all of $6! It came with a matching belt that I decided to use as a head band. Instead, I used a belt I knew would match my new messenger bag. The teal cropped sweater was the perfect color addition to the yellow.

This day in June, my husband and I took the train from San Diego to San Juan Capistrano as part of our weekend wedding anniversary celebration. We had both been discussing taking the train for quite some time and although an across the country (or even Europe) train ride is also on our bucket list, the hour and a half ride up to San Juan was fantastic! I prepared some homemade blueberry lemonade and put together bacon wrapped pineapples as snacks. It was extremely relaxing. I eventually ended up falling asleep from the rocking motion of the train. Yes, more train rides are in our future. I just love the idea of riding on a train the way former generations used to. There’s something so indescribeable about yesteryear’s main forms of transportation. I must look into placing boat cruises on the bucket list too.

Dress: Thrifted @ Salvation Army
Sweater: Thrifted @ Buffalo Exchange
Belt: Wet Seal
Messenger Bag: Macy’s