Ribbon Bow Paperclip Tutorial

Hello Beautiful People! Today is another day and another fun crafting bit happened last night. I see these adorable paperclips all over the place that people use in their planners. My friends and I have an ongoing joke that "I can make that for a dollar!" I have always struggled with paying for something I could make for myself so much cheaper. Thanks to my thrifty, DIY ways I have learned many new skills over the years!

This little paperclip is for my planner, but would make an adorable bookmark as well! I used 3/8" satin ribbon, a little thread and a paperclip. The ribbon can be almost any ribbon however I have not tried this with wired ribbon so I cannot tell you whether that would work or not. It's super simple and only takes a few minutes to whip up. 

Please watch the following video on how I created the Ribbon Bow Paperclip!

Kikki-K Personal Planner Review

Hello Beautiful People! Today I wanted to share one of my biggest obsessions. I have always used planners, but for several months I attempted to switch to only using the calendar on my phone. While it worked and having the obnoxious audio reminders was helpful, there is nothing that can truly replace the joy a physical planner brings a person!

After lots of research I chose the Kikki-K Personal Planner in mint. My photo doesn't do the color justice, but this thing is true love. Don't let the "Personal" part of the name fool you though. This planner uses A5 inserts and measures in at 8" wide, 9.25" tall, and the rings are nearly 1.5" in diameter.

Here is my dashboard and a few random things I keep inside the front. I usually have my debit card and drivers license inside, but I removed them for privacy reasons. I love playing with washi tape and sticky notes so keeping plenty on hand is a big deal to me!

I used the Kikki-K monthly planners that came with the planner for my monthly section. Since I haven't been in this planner for very long, it isn't nearly as obnoxious as I plan to make each page. Paper crafting is a dangerous hobby for my bank account!

I found my weekly pages on the ListLab Etsy Page. Her "Flora Theme" week on two pages printable download is awesome and goes beautifully with my planner. I love that the pages are undated so I can use them as long as my heart desires!

The dividers I am using, I made myself with some craft paper I found at Hobby Lobby. I doubled them up and laminated them and then added some tabs. I am sure I will change these out in the future when I get a better feel of how I want my planner organized. 

This section has a 5x7 craft envelope I hole punched and threw in to hold receipts and small paper items related to my gardening. Our local Horticultural Services does a program called "Grow for the Green" and you can get a discount by turning in receipts so it's nice to keep them in a safe location.

This section doesn't have very much in it. I have a flyleaf that is actually some leftover from a sheet of laminate that I washi taped and hole punched. Behind it is a cute sheet of vellum that I liked, and then my weekly menu planning sheet. I also have an adorable shooting star paper clip I threw together with some embroidery thread.

This section is blank at the moment. I plan to utilize it in the future, but for now it's just there.

Next I have a business card insert that I have some pictures from my polaroid camera in as well as a few cards, and then the other side is a plastic zip pocket with more photos which I covered for privacy reasons.

Inside the very back there is a cute notebook. I'm not sure if I will leave this in there or remove it. 

And lastly I wanted to share my favorite writing tools for this particular planner. These are the Sharpie Pens in coral and sea foam green. The felt tip is perfect and makes my writing smooth and beautiful. I haven't had any problems with them bleeding through or smudging! They are not permanent that I know of, but they are smooth and the colors are perfect!

I hope to be able to do some reviews of other planners in the future! I just placed an order for the small (pocket sized) gold kikki-k and I am so anxious to get it. I don't have a problem carrying this beauty around, but I think having a smaller one to use in times where I need extra space in my bag would be handy to have!

I have not been paid to advertise or review any products in this post. I have done so because I love the products!

Ultimate Chicken Salad

 Summer snuck up on us and surprised us with limitless options for fun and exploring. One of our favorite things to do is have little picnics and pack sandwiches. A few weeks ago I felt a little miffed because we ran out of lunch meat and I wasn't sure what to throw in the cooler to eat on our picnic. All I could find in the fridge was leftover chicken breast from grilling the night before so I created this recipe. Since our family loves it so much I thought the only thing left to do was share it! I also made it with leftover roast beef instead of the chicken and my father-in-law said it was delicious!

Just be warned- I am a little picky so I tried to share exactly what I used.

Ultimate Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

• 3 chicken breasts, marinated with Daddy Hinkle's Original Instant Meat Marinade and grilled over charcoal, cooled, and cubed into about 1/4" cubes
• 5 large boiled eggs, chopped
• 1 C cheese, cut into 1/4" cubes
• 4 Claussen pickle spears, pureed with approximately 1/4 C sugar
• 1 to 1 1/4 C Miracle Whip
• Approximately 2 T mustard

After you grill your chicken, immediately wrap it in tin foil to lock in the juices. Put the chicken in the fridge and start boiling your eggs. Once the eggs are done and cooled back down a little bit start chopping the chicken, eggs, and cheese. Throw it in a large bowl. Puree the pickles and sugar (I used my Magic Bullet). Put all the ingredients into the bowl and just stir it all up and you're set for sandwiches!

If you don't know me very well, then I will clear one thing up- I hate gas grills. I think they are so disgusting and if you're gonna cut corners like that you may as well cook your food inside on the stove. No one has ever successfully convinced me otherwise. I love charcoal grilling. It is simply the only way to go.

Obnoxiously Rich Chocolate Cake

Every now and then I make something that is so naughty I just have to share. Today I made my own spin on the Black Magic Cake off allrecipes.com. I cut the recipe in half and then baked it in a pie pan. Once it completely cooled, I flipped it onto a platter and added my own frosting.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

1 block cream cheese at room temp

3 T coco powder

1 1/2 c powdered sugar

1T lemon juice

3-4 T milk

1 tsp real vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients with a mixer on high for 3-4 minutes. Adjust the amount of milk according to the texture you want your frosting. 

Smear the frosting all over your cake, top with rasberries, and drizzle with melted dark choclate. Refrigerate and serve cold!

Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:

3/4 C softened butter

3/4 C brown sugar

1/2 C white sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1/4 C vegetable oil 

2 C flour

2 tsp corn starch

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

4 T coco powder

1 1/2 C chocolate chips

1/2 C chopped walnuts 

•Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

•Cream the butter and sugars. Next add your vanilla and egg and mix well. Then add in the vegetable oil. 

•Next you can either combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl, or do like I do and just put all the dry ingredients on top and then use your beaters to just stir it around before turning it on to mix it all in. 

•Mix well.

•Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts and using a large cookie scoop place the dough on a lined air-bake cookie sheet. 

•Bake the cookies for 12 minutes and allow them to cool before eating. 

With a large cookie scoop you will have around 15 cookies.

(I don't even buy parchment paper anymore- you can get reusable liners almost anywhere these days! I found mine on amazon for around $6 and with my prime account I didn't even pay shipping!)

BLT on Steroids

Just a little food post.

I love food. All things food. Yesterday my husband wanted a BLT for lunch, but I wanted more so I started with a little bacon from Kansas Premium Meats over in Belvue. 

I threw the bacon in the oven and threw some bread on the griddle to get perfectly crisp. 

A little Swiss cheese, bacon, lettuce, and tomatoe is always wonderful, but I decided to amp mine up by throwing some sauté'd shallots and mushrooms on top! 

You'll need a fork to eat this monster, but man is it worth it!

Easy Chicken and Avocado Burritos

I wasn't in much of a cooking mood again tonight so I threw together some easy chicken burritos.

1.25 lbs of organic chicken 

2 small avocados, sliced

1/2 can black beans, rinsed

1/2 can whole sweet corn

2 C shredded Monterey Jack cheese

2-3 T sliced chives 

5-6 burrito sized tortilla shells

Sour cream & salsa

After I cooked the chicken I sliced it up and then just threw a bit of each filling into a tortilla shell and then wrapped them up and put them on a 9x13 baking dish. I added a little more cheese and some chives to the top before baking at 350 for about 20 minutes. I stuffed mine pretty well and ended up with 5 burritos. Before we ate them we added sour cream and salsa! Simple and quick!

Fresh Veggies for Lunch

I recently began only eating vegetables I have purchased from the local market or grow myself. I haven't had the opportunity to explore growing all year in a green house so right now I am limited to what they have stocked at the Eastside Market in Manhattan.

I threw together a mess of vegetables last week inspired by a spread in my Better Homes and Gardens magazine that consisted of whole carrots, asparagus, pearl onions, oversized mushrooms, sliced garlic, parsley, & rosemary. I started with extra-virgin olive oil and put the carrots in while I prepped the rest of the vegetables. Then I tossed it all in and let it cook for a few minutes. Last week I topped it with salt, pepper, and a bunch of freshly grated Parmesan. What a rare treat that was because I'm used to eating whatever toddler food is left on the kids' plates after lunch is finished. Waste not, want not.

This week I used the same veggies except I subbed shallots for the pearl onions. Then at the end I put a generous amount of honey and a bit of soy sauce right at the end and shook it up to coat then placed the pan to the side for a few minutes while tended to a rather foul smelling diaper. Mommy-duties call...

I am obsessed with this particular mix of vegetables and today's version was so delicious! 

Variegated Chunky Yarn

My sister and I were talking about yarn yesterday. She bought a fun, variegated, chunky yarn to make a scarf for a friend. She has tried a few knitting patterns and cant seem to love any of them. I had this problem a few weeks ago when I wanted to knit a scarf with the yarn shown above. I had invested about $80 in this yarn and I wanted the scarf to look amazing. I tried knitting several different stitches, but it seemed like the stitches were so small that they took away from the beauty of the different colors. 

Finally I pulled out a crochet hook and just crocheted it length wise in a half-double-crochet (HDC or hdc). I was amazed it worked and it is lovely. I am trying to convince my sister to get a crochet hook and start crocheting again. See, back in high school we both used to crochet, but she was always so much better at it. She had a very even, consistent hand whereas mine was literally a mess. Ah, how the tables have turned. After a few years of practice, I mastered crocheting even and beautifully. Now to convince her to get back to it with her naturally beautiful crocheting skills...

Creamy Ranch Pasta Recipe

I apologize for my absence, but I'm back now! Classes starting threw my schedule off. I feel pulled in a million directions... good thing God can handle it!

Anyways, recipe-

Creamy Ranch Pasta Recipe-

Ingredients:
1 8oz package Cream Cheese
1 1oz Packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix
1/3C Sugar
2C Small Shell Pasta Noodles
1C Frozen Peas
Bacon Bits
Italian Style Bread Crumbs
Fresh Parmesan Cheese

Method:
Using a hand mixer, blend together the Cream Cheese and Ranch Seasoning Mix until smooth then add sugar, blend well. I added a few tablespoons of milk to make mine a touch softer. Cook your noodles in a medium pot of boiling water until they are your desired texture. Place frozen peas in your strainer and pour the pasta noodles and water over the peas (this is how I thaw mine). Rinse with cold water until cool. Stir your noodles into the cream cheese mixture. Grate Parmesan Cheese over the pasta and stir in. Grate a little extra for the top. Spread some Bacon Bits over the top and follow with your bread crumbs. Refrigerate or serve immediately. Serve cold. Approximately 10 servings.

What Inspires Me right Now

 1. Knitted Evening Clutch Bag 2. Teal/Gold Handspun yarn 3. Knitted Turquoise Dream Journal 
4. Letter Writing 5. Wee Birdy Embroidery 

Knit & Crochet Stitch Marker Tutorial

I've been wanting some knitting stitch markers for a long time. Since I go from knitting to crocheting frequently I figured why not make one with a clasp at one end and a ring at the other? These handy little markers can be clipped to crochet work or placed on a knitting needle very easily. 

All the items found below can be found at your local Hobby Lobby or craft store of choice. If you can't find them locally, there are many great online shops to order your materials from. Lucky for me, my mom used to be really in to making her own jewelry. Even luckier for me, she didn't do it for long, but she kept the giant tote packed full of her supplies. 

 What you'll need:

Eye pins- I used 2"

Jump rings- the size of this ring depends on the needle you plan to put it on

Beads- be creative, use what speaks to you!

Jewelry pliers- 2 pairs

Lobster clasps

I chose to make a set of 6.

After your supplies are gathered, decide how you want them to look and place the beads on the eye pins.

Carefully, but firmly bend your eye pin over by holding with one pair of pliers to the opposite end of the "eye" of your eye pin and twisting the wire with your other pliers.

Mine looked like this.

After this you take the tail end of your wire and wrap it around the base of the bottom bead. I apologize for not taking a photo of this- but I haven't mastered holding two small pairs of pliers and taking a photo at the same time!

Next you want to open your jump ring by carefully twisting it with your pliers. 

Loop the jump ring through the eye of your eye pin and twist it shut.

Repeat as many times as you want.

If you have any questions of comments please feel free to comment! I hope you enjoy making your very own stitch markers! I would love to see picture of your creations!

Inspiration Close to Home

Every now and again it helps to put down your yarn and take a walk to feel inspired again. 

The colors and textures around our farm are outstanding. From this old swing set on the left to the old windmill on the right.

How yummy is the color of this old water heater tank, and the gorgeous blue of this old Chevrolet truck?

 Have you taken a walk around where you live to seek out the hidden beauty? It can be very easy to just move around and past so much beauty that is literally right in front of our eyes. Slow down. Breathe. Take in your surroundings. You may be pleasantly surprised by what you find!

Beanie for a Bambino

Someone texted me a picture challenging me to make a baby hat like the one in the picture. Challenge? Psh. Don't threaten me with a good time.

I used some Caron Simply Soft yarn and a 6mm crochet hook. Crocheted up a simple "butterfly" beanie. This little hat would be a great last-minute baby shower gift. Can't you see a beautiful photography session happening...?

The focal point is obviously these adorable little flowers. They aren't exactly like the ones in the picture I received, but I liked how these turned out.

For these flowers I:

Ch 15-17

DC in 2nd chain from hook then DC in each chain to the end, tie off.

Roll the chain and sew the tail in to hold the flower in shape. 

I sewed on a few glass pearl-like beads.

Simple. Adorable. Fast.

Want to buy one? Check out my Etsy Shop. 

Double Knitting

So I've wanted to learn to double-knit since, well, a few days ago. I was asked to make anything with a "triquetra" symbol on it so I thought a beanie would be nice for this particular person. The beanie would be even better if it were reversible. I thought there would be a pattern out there for this symbol, but I came up with zilch. Nothing. No fun color work pattern to turn into a beanie. 

Anyways I was listening into on the Marly Bird Podcast featuring Alasdair Post-Quinn who is the author of "Extreme Double Knitting" (which is available through Cooperative Press). Whew that was a lot of links! If you aren't familiar with "Yarn Thing" podcasts by Marly Bird, you should definitely check them out. I enjoy listening to things while I knit and this podcast is exactly what I needed. She does a live show every Tuesday at 11am central time. Also if you haven't seen Alasdair's work, get to his site ASAP and look at his amazing color work. You can also find him on Ravelry as fallingblox. 

I know my first swatch double knitting is definitely not comparable to Alasdair's work, but I do feel proud that I did it! To be honest, I'm pleasantly surprised by how easy it was do to! Now making my stitches consistent and turning this idea into a reversible beanie is a whole different story. If I pull this off, I will definitely share the pattern. 

Front

Back

It's lookin' like rain today!

The sky is dark and the wind is blowing. I am praying this isn't a cruel joke. Being a farmer's wife means that rain takes on a whole new meaning. No rain=bad harvest in the fall. This summer has been dry save for a few intermittent showers and today would be a fantastic day for it to rain.

Being a knitter means that I enjoy rain for the simple fact that it's soothing and the perfect weather for knitting, other than snow of course.

I crocheted this little hat last night for a cousin. I get the biggest joy out of receiving a picture and having someone ask me if I can make it. I have to make a few flower type embellishments to put on it. This "butterfly hat" was super fun to make. I just wish I had a baby to use for photographs! 

a few hidden treasures.

Looking for yarn in the Little Apple? Look no further!

First and foremost we have the Wildflower Yarn and knitwear located at 300 Poyntz Avenue in Manhattan, Kansas. This shop is ran and owned by Kennita Tully who is a knowledgable and friendly woman that won't mind you standing and gawking at the yarn for an hour or more in my case. :) Her hours are pretty great. She is open from Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm and she is open until 8pm on Thursdays. 

Another fun place to visit is one I just learned about. The Wicked Stitch Yarn & Fiber is located in downtown Wamego, Kansas at 523 Lincoln Street. This lovely little shop is owned and ran by Jennifer Schermeerhorn. If you are interested in learning to spin your own yarn this shop is definitely the place to go. Her summer hours are Thursday-Saturday 11am-4pm. The first Wednesday of every month they have a social gathering at 7pm where knittings, crocheters, etc are invited and welcome to go hang out. If you are free go check in out this Wednesday evening at 7pm. Her website says 6-8pm, but I swore she told me 7 so I'm not entirely sure on that... great blogger huh?

no kids, nope

My two wonderful children are off to Gramma's house for the day and night. To be honest I am a little lonely without them, but I plan on taking full advantage of the solitude. Lunch with my sister for some Chinese I know I'll regret later and then I plan to hit up my favorite local yarn store, Wildflower Yarns on Poyntz.

Am I the only person who absolutely loves buttons? I love them enough that I decided to hot glue a pair of buttons to some earring studs. Cheap, easy, && so adorable. Unfortunately my sensitive ears will not allow me to wear them longer than a minute before the heat and itching sets in. I need to invest in empty gold studs so I can actually wear these little cuties. I mean- jeepers- I have no hair to block the view of these bad boys so I need to wear them before my hair grows back!

Have a wonderful Friday everyone and be safe this weekend!

Continental Vs. European Knitting

There are two main different styles of knitting and each style has about a million variations to it. There really is no right or wrong way to knit. Recently, as in last evening, I decided to try and learn the Continental style of knitting as I have been doing the European style. 

Basically in European knitting your yarn is being "thrown" over by taking your right hand over the left hand needle (for righties of course). Continental knitting is where your yarn is kept in the left hand and basically pushed over your needle using a finger which is also known as "picking."

I am trying my hand at Continental as I said and I feel like I'm a beginner again. I feel like the movement is smoother, but working on teaching my hands to move in a new way is proving semi challenging. I'm hoping to get it down quickly and begin to knit in the Continental method soon.

Twirling Yarn in the Park

While the children played in the splash park. I decided to take advantage of their distraction.

There is nothing more satisfying than teaching a sibling to love something you love. While I crocheted a doily, she continued to knit a wash rag for her children's bathroom.

The weather was beautiful under the protection of these trees.

I have to admit my "to-knit" list is getting deliciously long. Ah the afternoons I will spend enjoying the company of my needles while I kindle the fire of my yarn love-affair.