February 2012

T-Shirt Necklace (Step-by-Step)

February 29, 2012

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Have any t-shirts around that you don’t really wear anymore? Looking for a fun, no-sew project to use up those t-shirts? Don’t have any t-shirts to use, but willing to visit the thrift store for a couple? Ready to reclaim an old shirt?

Well, I’ve got just the project for you. I like accessories – they’re versatile and easy. I particularly like accessories that are comfortable and warm me up during the winter. And so we have, the t-shirt necklace. We end up with a cute accessory and it will only take you about 20 minutes to make.

1. Get a t-shirt. I used both a men and women’s medium, but the strands ended up about the same length. You can experiment with different sizes and weights of fabric to see what you like best

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2. Cut the shirt into 1 inch strips.

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3. You can use a mat and rotary cutter or simply eye-ball it with scissors. It doesn’t need to be perfect.

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4. Stretch each fabric strip until it rolls up.

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5. You can see the difference here between the unstretched strip (top) and the stretched and rolled strip (bottom).

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6. Lay all but one of your stretched loops together.

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7. Using the set aside strip, loop it around your necklace strips. Continue winding it around the entire bunch of t-shirt strips.

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8. Secure the end by tucking it into the wrapped strip.

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9. You’re all done and ready to wear your creation. You can wear it long…

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10. Or you can wrap it twice and wear it short.

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I’m going to experiment with different sized t-shirts, so check out my facebook page for more photos and styles.

This post is also the beginning of a new series of projects using reclaimed (old) t-shirts. Most of you have shirts lying around that you don’t wear anymore, so we might as well turn them into something fabulous and useful. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss any upcoming reclaimed t-shirt projects.

And, of course, let me know if you have any questions. Thanks!

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Dog Cookies

February 27, 2012

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Baylor loves treats. I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t have learned any tricks or basic commands if not for his love of a reward – preferably a cookie reward. Sure you can buy dog treats, but it’s much more fun to make your own. Baylor likes to sit in the kitchen waiting for any cookie dough to fall on the floor and devour as many hot-from-the-oven cookies as he can.

Ingredients:

2½ Cups whole wheat flour
½ Cup powdered milk
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
⅓ Cup shortening
1 egg
1 Tbsp beef bouillon

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Dissolve the bouillon into ½ Cup hot water. Mix this water with the shortening, sugar and salt. Add the powdered milk and egg. Then add enough flour until a soft dough forms.

Roll out and cut with cookie cutters. *Quick Tip* To save time on this step you can roll the dough directly onto the cookie sheet and then just cut into squares with a pizza cutter. Baylor says he equally enjoys fancy shapes and quick squares.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

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Yummy and cute! If you don’t have pup of your own, these make cute gifts for friends and family with dogs.

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A Decade of Love Lessons

February 22, 2012

kandm

Ten years sounds like such a long time. You try to picture what you’ll look like, feel like, be like in ten years, but there’s a barrier to imagining that far into the future. You imagine going back in time ten years and you seemed so young, naive perhaps.

Ten years with one person, that tends to shock people. Not because they don’t think staying with someone that long is possible, but because they think it’s shocking for someone who is 27 to have been with someone for ten years.

Today Kale and I celebrate ten years together. Ten years ago we were teenagers going on a first date. Ten years seems so long ago, but I can remember it so well – the ferris wheel ride at the parking lot carnival, Kale telling me to open the glove compartment and finding a hemp necklace he made for me, the romantic movie (Super Troopers would probably get filed under romance, right?) and all the laughter.

Ten years is just a fraction of the time we’ll eventually celebrate. In ten, twenty, thirty years I wonder how we’ll look back on today and on this day ten years ago. I certainly don’t know everything about building a strong relationship, and I don’t think I ever really will, but here are ten things I’ve learned in the past decade:

  1. You won’t be the exact same people you were when it started – you’ll learn, grow, and change along the way. As long as you accept and embrace this, it will be one of the best parts of the relationship.

  2. Having someone who genuinely cracks up at the weird things you say is what it’s all about.

  3. As time passes, you won’t remember presents given or things bought, but you will remember the little acts of kindness – Kale wrapping me in the hot-from-the-dryer-quilt just because I love being toasty warm or the fact that he knows the name of the homeless guy on the corner because he stopped to talk to him one day.

  4. Having someone support all that you do 100% is amazing, but it doesn’t mean they always agree with you.

  5. It’s better to be together, but you could survive without the other person. This may sound harsh, but it’s true. Kale and I have discussed that it would be unimaginably awful to lose the other, but we would go on. We are two complete people who are simply happier together.

  6. If there are tasks you hate doing, just stop doing them. When folding laundry I would become ridiculously annoyed about Kale’s socks. He says certain socks go together because they are older or new, but they all look like black socks to me. So I just stopped matching them. Kale can match them as he sees fit and I won’t be sending him negative energy about finding the perfect match for each black sock.

  7. Be affectionate for no apparent reason. Throughout the day hug, kiss, and genuinely smile at your partner just because. It will make you both feel happier and closer.

  8. Seeing that pure adoration in your partner’s eyes will give you the courage, joy and energy to live your happiest, best life.

  9. Say thank you. If you’d thank a friend, colleague or stranger for it, then thank your partner just the same. Would you thank your friend for making dinner, doing the dishes, cleaning up the yard, etc.,? Well then thank your partner when he does.

  10. Don’t worry about the way other people live, just do what makes the two of you happy – there is no one way for everyone to be.

This relationship, partnership, friendship brings me immeasurable amounts of joy and makes me a better person everyday. Thank you, Kale. I love you.

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