Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Oranging up my Kitchen

My Mom has a rooster collection in her kitchen. It used to be a much bigger collection.  In our house growing up there was even rooster wallpaper in the kitchen.  I think there were something like over thousands of roosters if you counted them all in the wall paper.
Anyway, this rooster was in my Mom's kitchen for a few years and when she moved she gave him to me for my kitchen.  He was a country blue and I spray painted him silver.  

My Mom liked him again when he went silver, she thought of stealing him back :)  He has been silver for 9 years.  I was getting tired of the silver and he was blending in too much to the wall color.  

So outside he went for a few coats of spray paint.  It was pretty rainy weather when I did this so it took over a week to get him completed.  My tip is to wash what you are spray painting really good with soap and water and dry throughly.  This guy was dirty from being on top of the cabinets.  Next, do lots of very light coats with the spray paint.  You don't want to have any drip lines.  I also turned him upside down for at least one of the coats to get under the grooves.  It is really tempting to just blast the crap out of it with spray paint, but resist.  

Look at how orange he is now!! I love him.  Now that he is orange, I know my Mom won't try to steal him back :)

I think the rooster adds a nice pop up on top of my cabinets.  I like to have something orange in every direction you look in my house :)  

Monday, June 27, 2011

Leftover: Chicken Cutlet Sandwich

This week I made Chicken Parmesan and made a few extra cutlets so I could have an easy leftover meal later in the week.  I am always going to make extras, this sandwich was amazing and I only dirtied one pan to make this dinner.  I love where there is barely any clean up!

 I used a baguette for the roll and topped it with some Provolone cheese. Since I am not a fan of Provolone, I had mozzarella cheese in my sandwich.  I warmed up the chicken cutlets in the toaster oven and sliced them to fit on the roll. I sauteed some baby spinach in olive oil with garlic and red pepper flakes for the sandwich too.  This sandwich was Hubs idea, there is a sandwich shop nearby that makes a similar sandwich with pork.  

Friday, June 24, 2011

Orange Umbrella Stroller

Yes we have another orange stroller :) Here is a blast from the past picture.  It is my Bro and Peanut Butter at the Liberty Bell.  PB was only 7 months old, it was the first time he could really ride in this stroller.  We use the stroller all the time now and always take it with us when we travel.  Another Orange Friday dedicated to my Nephew!! Happy weekend everyone!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Boppy Cover, swaddle blanket, car seat blanket, hat

Here is the boppy cover, hat, swaddle blanket and car seat blanket I made for my Nephew.

JoAnn Fabrics sells nursing support pillows.  On the package there is a pattern for a cover.  It does fit a bobby pillow.  I made a Boppy for one of our cousins and kept the pattern.  It is really easy to sew up and there is an invisible zipper at the top so it is really easy to get off and on.  My mom picked up the pillow for me since I had to mail their gift to them.  

The hat you have seen before on here.  I got this fabric on red tag and since there are so many boys arriving this year, I picked up a few yards.  


Lastly I made a swaddle blanket in blue and a car seat blanket in the pattern.  My SIL and Bro live in AZ and baby is coming right in the middle of some hot weather.  I made the car seat blanket 20X20 inches.  They will need the blanket when they take the baby into a cold grocery store.  I folded over the edges 1/2 inch twice and sewed them in place with a 1/2 inch seam allowance and a zig zag stitch.  The blue swaddle blanket I modeled after one of PB's swaddle blankets.  I made this out of a lightweight knit so the baby won't get too hot when he is swaddled.  You might recognize this blue fabric, I had it leftover. Free swaddle blanket... awesome :)  I folded over the edges 1/2 inch twice too and sewed them with a 1/2 inch seam allowance and the zig zag stitch.  When I sewed the knit, I stretched it as i was sewing. 

Here is my nephew in the swaddle blanket!  We were away visiting them the last 10 days!  It was so much fun :) 

Sorry I didn't take more pics of me making these gifts.  I was on a sewing mission with a deadline and it just didn't cross my mind.   Next time I make some blankets, I will do a proper tutorial.  

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Monogram and Tie Appliqued Onesies

And yet another post about my nephew's loot :)
I have made a few appliqued shirts before.

There is a tutorial for them here.

They are seriously my favorite things to make.  I get to use up my fabric scraps and it is a quick and easy gift.  I have a bunch of white onesies in a variety of sizes around the house so I can whip one up and add it to my gift.  

Here is a close up of an appliqued monogrammed onesie.  I made one for our new baby cousin a month or so ago.  Letters are definitely more challenging than the tie, but you just have to go really slow with the sewing machine when you stitch around the letters, that is the secret.  I also applique monogrammed some shirts to go with the skirts I made recently.  

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Upcycled T-Shirt into Burp Cloth

I made this for my Bro out of one of Hub's old shirts.
I didn't take pics of how I made this.  But it is pretty simple, so I'll talk it through for you.

1.  Cut a rectangle out of a t-shirt make sure it is large enough to fit over your shoulder. 
2.  Cut the same size rectangle out of the back of the shirt or a piece of knit fabric.
3.  lay them right sides together and sew around with a 1/4 inch seam allowance leaving an opening to turn it right side out.  I used a zig zag stitch and stretched the knit as i sewed.  
4.  Trim the corners.
5.  Turn it right side out and sew a 1/4 inch seam around the whole thing.  I used a zig zag stitch here too.  

See it's a super easy project and a free one at that! 

Monday, June 20, 2011

Sewing for My Nephew

Here is a peek at all the stuff I sent out to my Bro and SIL for their baby shower.  I loved making all this stuff for my Nephew.  This week I am going to share some things in detail and talk about how I made them.  

Friday, June 17, 2011

Orange Zebra Painting in the nursery

Here is another orange baby item in honor of my Nephew.  I painted this for PB's nursery when I was pregnant.  I wanted something strong, graphic and large hanging in the nursery.  And I'm cheap so I knew I would have to paint something myself.  I won't lie, it did take a while and I did use a little help form an overhead projector to get the zebra drawn onto the canvas. Happy Friday!!   

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Leftover: Steak and Chimichurri Quesadillas

Here is our second leftover from the Thin sliced steak and chimichurri:
Of course it is quesadillas.  It is our most made meal in this house.  Hubs has perfected the quesadilla and he is awesome at taking anything we have as a leftover and turning it into a quesadilla.  

First he oils the outside of the tortilla.  Then he puts some mexican cheese down on 1/2 of the tortilla, tops it with chopped steak and chopped spinach.  He sprinkles on the corn and drops some cold chimichurri around the tortilla and tops it with some more cheese.  PB loves to help daddy make "dillas" and helps put all the ingredients on the tortilla.  He claps when each "dilla" is done and goes on the griddle.  

I love that when the quesadilla cooks the chimichurri spreads throughout and everything gets all melty and oozy. 

From one large steak we will have at least 3 leftover meals, sometimes 4.  We always make the quesadillas twice.  They make the perfect quick lunch on a sunday afternoon.  

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Leftover: Steak and Chimichurri Panini

Remember the thin sliced steak and chimichurri recipe I shared last week?  
Here is the first leftover:
  I added brie cheese and spinach to the steak and chimichurri for a really yummy panini.  We made these paninis indoors on our electric griddle and pressed them with our panini pan lid.  So they aren't very panini on the outside, just squished, melty and crispy.  The next time we made them on the grill and it was so fantastic that I couldn't be bothered to stop eating to take a picture.  

The steak is sliced thin, against the grain, chimichurri is spread on both sides of the bread and the steak is topped with brie cheese and fresh baby spinach. Hubs uses Parmesan cheese on his panini instead of brie.  This sandwich is the reason I buy a way too big steak.  I love the leftover meals we have.  I have another one to share tomorrow.  

Now that is summer it is nice to have some easy meals in the fridge so we can get dinner together quickly and not have too many dishes keeping us from enjoying the summer nights.   

Monday, June 13, 2011

Crinkle Taggie Toy Tutorial

My Nephew has arrived!!! Mom and baby are doing great :) I am so excited to be an Aunt!! 
In honor of my nephew, here is a baby tutorial!

If you have a kid in diapers then you have exactly what you need to put the crinkle in the taggie toy.  It's a wipes refill bag!!  How many have those have you gone through?  I have been saving mine and filled a container.  I have a ton.  Good thing I have been saving them, there are 6 babies that are joining our extended family this year and I have 4 friends having babies this year too.  I have a boom on my hands!! 

They are seriously easy to make and If you sew, you probably have everything you need on hand.  PB loved his crinkly taggie toy, i made a bunch for him.  He found one the other day and was still loving it.  

Let's get started!
You need:
1 empty wipes refill baggie
(if you only have the small travel size, use 2 and cut them open and sandwich them together)
Fabric scraps the size of your wipes baggie.  2 fat quarters would work if you don't have scraps.
12 ribbon pieces cut to 3-4 inch segments.  Use any color you like.

*I always use one fun fabric and one black and white with a strong pattern.  Black and white pattern gets the baby's brain moving!
Cut the wipes refill bag so it lays flat and is either square or rectangle in shape.  

Cut your fabric to match the size of the refill bag.  Layer the fabric right sides together and lay them on top of the refill bag.

Here are my ribbon pieces.  

Fold the ribbon in half and place between the fabric with the edges of the ribbon on the edge of the fabric.  

I pin the ribbons 1 in each corner and 2 on each side.  

Sew around the whole thing leaving a space between 2 of the ribbons to turn it right side out.  Sew using a 1/4 inch seam allowance.  I sew with the refill bag face down, I have tried it both ways and this is easier.  
After you sew, cut the corners.  Then turn the taggie right side out.  

Pin the opening shut.

Sew around the outside with a 1/4 inch seam allowance.  Make sure the hole is closed.  

Here is the finished crinkle taggie toy.  I made this one for my nephew.  The best part is that they can easily be washed in the washer.  Make sure you air dry it :)

Friday, June 10, 2011

Orange Sheets

I am continuing the month of orange baby things with PB's orange sheets.

This is PB right when we came home from the hospital. All 9 pounds and 22 inches of him. We didn't find out what we were having so I made everything as orange as possible.  I was so excited when I saw orange sheets for the crib at the store. I was all set to dye white ones so we could have more orange in the nursery.  

I also made an orange crib skirt for when the mattress is at the highest setting.  There is a drawer at the bottom of the crib and without a skirt, you could see right in.  

Happy Orange Friday!!!  

Thursday, June 9, 2011

skirts times 3

I got to make some skirts!  I have been tagging skirt tutorials in my google reader for "one day."  Since I have a boy I always think "maybe" when I see a skirt or dress pattern that catches my eye.  Well I finally got to make my first skirt and I didn't just make one, I made three!! I made them for PB's friends from school.  He has triplets in his class and their birthday is coming up.  
Their Mom asked me if I knew someone who monogrammed.  Luckily I did not and I got to do some applique on shirts and make them matching skirts. I have an applique tutorial here.

Mom even had me make some quick small versions of the skirts for the dolls.  What a great idea!  The fabric is seersucker.  I never used that before and it was easy to sew with. 

I followed Dana from MADE's Simple Skirt Tutorial.  It was just as it says, simple.  These skirts came together very quickly and her tutorial is amazing of course.  

I got a little taste for sewing for a girl.  It was pretty fun.  I think I need to be more adventurous with sewing for PB.  I really want to dive into making him some clothes now.  And maybe matching outfits for PB and nephew :)

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Thin Sliced Steak with Chimichurri

This is one of my favorite meals to eat at home.  It is also my favorite thing that Hubby cooks.  It feels like such a fancy and decadent meal but is so easy to make.  My favorite part of the meal is that I buy the cheapest and biggest steak, like a sirloin, and we enjoy steak and chimichurri in different ways all week.  I'll share our go to leftover meals next week.  

What makes the steak taste so good is the chimichurri.  It is just garlic, parsley, olive oil and lemon and spices.  The sauce transforms the steak.  I am pretty sure I could eat cardboard if it had chimichurri on it.  

We served it with grilled asparagus and a baked potato.  I like to get some chimichurri sauce in my baked potato too... and on the asparagus...

Thin Sliced Steak with Chimichurri- Recipe by Hubby

Steak:
Large cheap steak- sirloin works well, you want to have leftovers :)
Salt
pepper

Chimichurri:
1 bunch parsley
5-7 cloves garlic
approx 1/2 cup good olive oil
Juice from one lemon
pinch red pepper flakes
pinch oregano
salt and pepper to taste

The chimichurri can be made in a food processor or by finely chopping all the ingredients together.  We have made them both ways and they are both delicious.  In the food processor it should have the consistency of pesto and when you fine chop it, it will be looser.  Make the chimichurri before you start getting the steak ready and let it sit on the counter until you are ready to serve dinner.  Leftover chimichurri can be kept in the fridge for about a week, if it lasts that long :)

Rinse steak and pat it dry.  Season with salt and pepper and let sit at room temperature while you go and preheat the grill.  We have a grill plate on our grill so hubs sears the steak on high for a few minutes a side.  Cook steak to your desired doneness.  We like ours medium rare.  

Let steak sit for 5 minutes before slicing in thin slices. Slice it against the grain.  According to hubby it "ups the delicious factor."  Top with chimichurri and enjoy!  You are going to have some leftovers, stay tuned for some tasty leftover meals :)

Linked up:
 Peas and Crayons

Friday, June 3, 2011

Orange Chair

Hooray for June!! I am really excited about June this year because I am going to be an Aunt this month! My Nephew is going to arrive soon and I am so excited!! This month I am dedicating all my Orange Fridays to him and am going to feature some orange baby stuff!  This month I will also have a few baby tutorials and I will share the stuff I have made for my Nephew.  It's going to be an exciting month!!

We are going to kick off the month of orange baby stuff with the orange chair that is in PB's room.  We got it at IKEA, they don't sell it in orange anymore.  I like to think they made it in orange that year just for me :) I spent many hours nursing him in this chair, in the middle of the night.  Now we sit here and read stories before nap and bed.  

PB said he wanted to be in the "picture for daddy."  He said, "daddy shirt, jeans, blue socks, HANDSOME!" He thinks he looks handsome in this shirt and he calls it his "daddy shirt" because it looks like some of Hub's shirts.  Happy Orange Friday and happy June!! 
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