The CSI Challenge: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

I have been thinking and thinking about what I could come up with for The CSI Challenge this week. And I actually didn't decide until today after waiting several hours in the APU waiting room while Big Daddy was in surgery. The original idea was to use an envelope and I was going to do that (because I always have extra envelopes from all those credit card companies who must think I am related to Mr. Trump otherwise they wouldn't be hitting me up for so many credit cards) but would you believe that I got no mail today!! So I did some fast thinking and decided to use last weekend's newspaper instead. This is so much fun!!!!!!  I'm going to wait till the end to tell you what I'm making; so I hope you will play along with me!!!!!

First I took out a section of the newspaper that was 2 pages but joined. If you were reading the pages it would actually be 4 different pages but when folded it is the normal width of a closed newspaper. Can I make this any more complicated?! Moving along........ 

I folded down the "seam" just as if I were going to make a paper airplane. (I just unfolded the paper to show how I was folding the paper)

Now to give it a little stability and keep this fold closed, I used regular tape and lined the top of the tape with my point and then folded the excess over to the back. I think the picture explains it much better than my words are right now. ( I used about an index length of tape for this part.)

Here the paper is folded and re-enforced with tape.

Next you will cut out a triangle using the bottom of the tape as a guide. (I was going to be fancy and use my curvy scissors, but they tore up the paper so I just used regular scissors instead. I think if you are going to use an envelope fancy scissors would be perfect.) I would have used my paper cutter, but Big Daddy is sleeping and I didn't want to wake him up!!

Once you have your triangle you just slip it onto the page you want to save, just like this, and you have a newspaper bookmark!!!! Darling isn't it!!!!

And here I have marked all the recipes I will use for dinner this week!!!!

I plan on letting the kids make their own bookmarks this weekend when we need something quiet to do so Big Daddy can get lots of rest and recover quickly. Or we just might ever so gently jump into bed and make these with him.

Don't forget to check out what everyone else made for this week's challenge!

CSI: Molding Project

I love this project, mainly because I came up with the idea myself. I must warn you: it's not fancy but very practical!. And I actually was able to use the same idea for two different rooms; bonus!!! This project came about when I was working on CJ's birthday present. I wanted to give her a little space in her room to "play" princess AND help keep all her dresses and tutus organized. I wanted something that could grow with her and also be used for a different purpose as she gets older. I think my molding hook hanger, did the trick!!!!

The top piece is for purses and the bottom piece is for dresses and tutus!

A closer look at how I added rhinestones to bling it up a little.

This was a very simple project!!! I bought one long piece of molding and had Lowe's cut it into 3 even parts. (I wasn't really sure of the length I wanted but knew the one long piece would not fit into my car, lol.). With my military discount the molding piece was not more than $7.50. And then I got a box of cup hooks for no more than 3 dollars and it had 40 hooks in it. So if you do the math, each piece of wood came out to  $2.50 a piece and the hooks were only 7.5 cents each!!! I already had the white paint so that was at no cost to me. That made this project meet my goal of under 10 dollars for each room!!! When I got home I painted the three pieces white. Next I found the studs in the wall and marked my piece of molding where I would mount it directly to the wall. (I felt it would make the molding hook hanger more stable and less likely to be pulled off the wall if I screwed it into the wall studs)

I love this tool!

Marking where I want the wood screw to go.

Me and power tools don't get along, sigh. I wont tell you how I got this drill bit off. I'm just thankful that this was the second hole I had to drill!!!

I didn't get pictures of this next step but after I made sure that the molding was level, I put a small nail into the drilled holes and made my hole in the wall for the nail screw to go into. This also helps make sure that I am actually hitting the stud before putting a bigger hole into the wall.

Another tool I have grown fond of!!

Next I put the hook screws into the molding where I wanted them to be placed. It took a bit longer since I couldn't use the drill bit and my finger tips are still a bit tender. However, once I got the screw in the molding I was able to use a wash cloth to tighten them down all the way.

Hooks, FINALLY, all in place!

Almost done!!! An easy way for me to line up the molding hole with the hole in the wall is by screwing the wood nail into the molding just enough for it to poke out the back. Then I can place the tip of the screw into the hole in the wall.  

I thought this would be the hardest part of the whole project and it was a breeze. I didn't have any problem screwing the wood nail into the wall. Whew, at least something went better than expected!!

Sadly these were the only hats I could find for this picture, you'll see why in a second....

Once the boys finally find their hats they will have a place for them up off the floor.

Now just to find a place for the rest of their stuff, lol

I really love how I was able to use the same project in two different rooms and get two different looks As I said before, nothing fancy but very practical and that is how we roll around here.Don't forget to check out some other GREAT molding projects!!! Seriously, I am in awe of the talent that is linking up over there!!!!

All in a name

When I was pregnant with my daughter I had 2 requirements for her name: 1) it had to be biblical and 2) it had to have an E in it. I think I was around 7 months when I had almost given up and the story kinda goes like this:

My youngest son, JJ, wasn't too happy about having a baby and I was going through the ABCs doing a study on dinosaurs with my oldest son, LJ. We were having a very hard time trying to find just the right name and when we would inquire with the boys they would give very silly names. One afternoon after watching The Land Before Time, JJ decided that he wanted to name his sister after a dinosaur. To be specific he wanted to name her Triceratops. I wasn't sure how I was going to break it to him that it just wasn't going to happen; when I saw the credits scrolling on the T.V.  Guess what the triceratops name was?!?!?! Cera!!!!! Yep I got my E and I got my biblical name "Sara". And JJ had the satisfaction of naming his sister Triceratops, but we call her Cera for short!!! 

I might have reconsidered had I know how difficult it would be to find anything personalized for her. But it didn't even cross my mind. In fact I was certain this was a sign from God that we should name our littler girl Cera. It wasn't until after she was born that I discovered the meaning of her name: fiery one. Yep!!! Her name fits her perfectly just like the color honeysuckle. See just look at this bow holder I made for her in Japan. 

Then for her birthday, I took a small table already had....

sewed together some small and large "honeysuckle" polka dot fabric....

painted and attached rhinestones to mirror I got at a thrift store for 8 bucks!!!

All so she could have her very own vanity and she uses it to dress her dolls!!!

I also made some matching valences as well.

 I'm far from done with her room as I still need to do the bedding and monogramming on her walls. But already, this room is starting to be the perfect fit for a Triceratops, oh I mean a princess named Cera!!!

I'm linking up over at CSI Project for Honeysuckle challenge. Ya can't vote for me but you can see what everyone else is doing with this awesome color!!!