Cars and Ribbons

Friday, January 31, 2014

Favorite Soup Recipes

Warm.

Flavorful.

Smooth.

I'm talking about soup!  We love soup in our house, especially on those chilly winter days.  Or even a cooler Spring day.  They are easy to make and everything is simply mixed together.  Add a roll and/or salad and you have a delicious meal.

I'm sharing with you a few of my favorite soup recipes.  Add or take away some of the ingredients to suit your tastes.  Click on the name for the recipe and source.












and here is the shortcut version to the Corn and Cheese Chowder.

I've made these soups many times and they are wonderful every time I make them.  The toughest part is deciding which one to make first.

Bon appetit!


Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Feather Boa Valentine's Wreath

It was time for a new Valentine's wreath for my door.  I wanted something simple, pretty, but festive.  So, I decided to create a wreath using a fun feather boa.

Here is what you will need:
  • Feather boa (50% off at Hobby Lobby)
  • Wreath (40% off coupon at Hobby Lobby)
  • Spool of black ribbon (50% off at Hobby Lobby)
  • Glue (I used hot glue from my own stash)


Wrap the wreath in black ribbon.  I glued as I went to keep it in place.  This won't show a lot, but it will cover up the white styrofoam.


Glue the feather boa along the top of the wreath.  I tucked the end of the boa under the bottom point and glued it.


Continue to glue the boa around the entire surface of the wreath.  Trim off the excess boa and glue the end.  You may have feathers flying around.  Hehe!


I glued a looped piece of black ribbon to the back to hang from my door.


Tada!!!  Looks pretty, festive, and was super simple!


Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Photo Coasters

Coasters are such an easy and inexpensive gift to make.  You can personalize them any way you want.  I recently gave my family sets of coasters using photos of their kids.  They loved them!


Most of the items needed I already had or bought over time using coupons.  Here is what you need:
  • Mod Podge (used 40% off coupon)
  • Gloss Acrylic Sealer (used 40% off coupon)
  • Sponge Brush (on sale 10/$1)
  • Felt tabs or felt cut into squares (used 40% off coupon)
  • Tile coasters ($.13 at Home Depot)
  • Photos ($.19 at CVS)


Measure and crop each picture to fit the tile.  To make sure the picture would be centered on the tile before cutting, I used index cards to cover up the part of the picture that would be cropped.  I made adjustments as needed to make sure I got the part of the picture I wanted on the tile and then trimmed off the edges.


Centered perfectly!


I actually cleaned off the tiles with a cloth before the next step.  Sitting on the shelves at Home Depot, they can get dusty.  You definitely don't want Home Depot dust stuck to your tile to remember forever!!!

Next, you will brush a thin layer of Mod Podge on the tile and a thin layer on the back of the picture. Place the picture on the tile.  Once it's exactly where you want it on the tile, gently push down.  Spread a thin layer of Mod Podge, going side to side, over the entire coaster and picture.

I brushed on 3 coats of Mod Podge, letting it dry completely in between each coat.


After the last coat is completely dry, spray a thin coat of acrylic sealer over the tile.  I sprayed 2 coats, again letting it dry completely in between.   The sealer will protect the photos from any water droplets, etc.


Finally, when completely dry, turn the tile over and add your felt circles on each corner.  Or you can cut out felt squares and glue to the back.


And done!

Beautiful coasters, capturing great memories.