tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86318238956217892162024-02-07T15:22:06.306-05:00Tiffany HarveyTharveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04629339835924385161noreply@blogger.comBlogger615125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8631823895621789216.post-43086595452849255662019-01-21T11:30:00.003-05:002023-08-10T13:52:00.300-04:00Can iPad Pro Replace a Wacom Intuos?<br />
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While I do have a Wacom drawing tablet that I use with my computer for ambigram work and photo editing, it's not that great for *actual drawing*. The pricier Wacoms (Cintiqs) come as screens you can draw on, but mine is basically a blank slate that moves the cursor on your screen. It's still better than trying to draw with a mouse (yikes!), but I really need something I can turn at angles for more natural drawing. </div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/2662486276/in/photolist-54gWpN" nbsp="" title="Wacom Graphics Tablet"><img alt="Wacom Graphics Tablet" height="375" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3082/2662486276_7e4507a1d5.jpg" width="500" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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<i>Wacom Intuos 3</i></div>
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And then a year or two ago I had to replace my older model (Intuos 3) for a newer one (Intuos Art), and it really does not work as well. My old tablet felt very natural, and I used it constantly, even for things like browsing online. With the new tablet, I find myself relying on my mouse instead and only grabbing the tablet when I absolutely have too. I won't even get into all the problems it's had with the wireless adapter, and both tablets have terrible driver issues. 😞</div>
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<img src="https://procartoon.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/wacom-intuos-comic-graphics-tablet.jpg" /> </div>
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<i>Wacom Intuos Art, pic from <a href="https://procartoon.com/wacom-intuos-basic-best-graphic-tablet-for-beginners/">procartoon</a></i></div>
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And so I drew all of the sketches for my book with pencil and paper, scanned them, and then ended up spending a ton of time cleaning them up on the computer. After that I was pretty eager to upgrade to a screen I could draw directly on, but with all of the Wacom driver issues I was hesitant to spend a ton of money on an even pricier one. I started researching other brands of tablets like Huion, but the consensus was that Wacom really is the best.</div>
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Meanwhile I kept seeing people rave about a drawing program for the iPad Pro called Procreate ~<br />
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<img src="https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.YKwvPDfQTrc7_u-SOItmPAHaEK&pid=15.1&P=0&w=500" /> </div>
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<i>iPad Pro & Procreate, pic from <a href="https://www.techadvisor.co.uk/review/tablet-pcs/ipad-pro-10-5-3661459/">techadvisor</a></i></div>
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I didn't think there was any way I could justify the price of an iPad, but as I researched I discovered some awesome apps called Astropad (Mac) and Duet (PC) that let you mirror your computer screen (or use it as a 2nd monitor), basically turning your iPad into a drawing tablet! </div>
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<img src="https://www.slrlounge.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/duet-pro-app-ipad-retouching-tablet-second-monitor-ipad-pro-stylus-wacom-5.jpg" width="550" /></div>
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<i>Duet Pro, pic from <a href="https://www.slrlounge.com/duet-pro-the-best-app-to-turn-your-ipad-into-a-second-monitor-just-got-a-major-upgrade/">slrlounge</a></i></div>
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That made the decision pretty easy! I started saving up money from my "survey" sites, <a href="http://tiffany-harvey.blogspot.com/2017/02/1-month-with-swagbucks-instagc_6.html">Swagbucks & Insta GC</a> and was able to buy a new iPad Pro (9.7", largest storage size) from eBay for $450! The Apple Pencil is another $75-100, and I found this adorable case! ~</div>
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<img src="https://scontent-atl3-1.cdninstagram.com/vp/56c4af39f044f3def2ba7b4b90e77c3c/5CE1503C/t51.2885-15/e35/38517611_246008832902132_7994297948886269952_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.cdninstagram.com" width="400" /></div>
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<div>So how does it work? </div>
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Unfortunately the Duet app did not turn my iPad into the magical drawing tablet I'd hoped for. It lags too much for me to use, though you may have better results with your computer (especially with Astropad on a Mac). </div>
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However Procreate *is* wonderful, and makes up for the fact I can't use my computer programs on the iPad. (I mostly do vector work on the computer anyway, I don't have Photoshop.) I find myself drawing all the time now, and am already seeing a lot of improvement from all of the practice. And since the iPad can run all sorts of other apps, it is getting used way more than a Wacom would be. </div>
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While the iPad Pro did not work as a Wacom replacement for me, your results may vary. And more & more I'm seeing the artists I follow on Instagram buying them to use in addition to their computers & Photoshop. Either as a replacement or in addition, I'm loving my iPad Pro and would highly recommend it! </div>
Tharveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04629339835924385161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8631823895621789216.post-39222824441270210952018-12-13T14:01:00.001-05:002019-01-21T11:10:50.160-05:00Poetry, Paper Art, and Publishing<br />
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For years my husband has been suggesting that I write & illustrate a children's book. I played around with a few plots & characters, but coming up with the story was daunting. Should it have a moral? Or just be silly? With all of the possibilities out there, how do you narrow it down to one story? </div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/45579583854/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Sunset with a Friend - Cut paper art"><img alt="Sunset with a Friend - Cut paper art" height="436" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4852/45579583854_dfd03f6fff_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And then one night (early this year) he mentioned that we should write a book of children's poetry, Shel Silverstein style. My mind was immediately flooded with story ideas and rhyming lines of verse. I started writing the next day, and continued for months. My husband and I worked through countless edits, and I relentlessly researched the world of children's books and publishing.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/44486122500/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Lake Dragon - Cut paper art"><img alt="Lake Dragon - Cut paper art" height="436" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4851/44486122500_e06b9496a2_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I also did a lot of drawing. For an illustrated book, you have to create a complete mock-up with sketches, and about 2-3 'finished' pieces. I've worked with a lot of art mediums over the years, and decided to use cut paper artwork with painted details for the book.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/45579596234/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Woman in White - Cut paper art"><img alt="Woman in White - Cut paper art" height="436" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4850/45579596234_c3b8476490_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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While I can't share the poetry or artwork I created for the book (yet), after I finished my mock-up, I started creating other pieces of cut paper art which you'll find in this post. These samples will help me put together a gallery of my work to share with potential agents and publishers.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/44486131850/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Flamingo Friend - Cut paper art"><img alt="Flamingo Friend - Cut paper art" height="640" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4847/44486131850_5de6a2e464_z.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
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Most of these pieces are also available as prints and/or originals in my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/tiffanyharvey">Etsy shop</a>, and I'll continue to add to the collection next year.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/46252875402/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Feud - Cut paper art"><img alt="Feud - Cut paper art" height="512" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4816/46252875402_666b262f91_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This year I discovered that the publishing world is much more complicated than you'd expect, and pretty hard to get started in (especially for a poetry collection!). But I have also found that publishing a children's book is something I really want to do now, and I'll continue to chase hard after that dream in the coming year. </div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/46302990321/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Lovely Lady Locks - Cut paper art"><img alt="Lovely Lady Locks - Cut paper art" height="640" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4834/46302990321_78017ee51f_z.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
Tharveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04629339835924385161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8631823895621789216.post-10868064889773089432018-12-03T12:33:00.001-05:002018-12-03T12:35:11.874-05:00Metal Patina Bracelets<br />
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I don't post often in my blog anymore, but I am very active on Instagram. You can find my current artwork on my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tiffanyharveyart/">art account</a> (and I also have a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tiffany_harv/">personal account</a> for pics of my kids and food and such). But sometimes you need more room to write, and I've been itching to post about a few projects on here lately. </div>
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First I wanted to go back and bit and update on what I've been working on the last year or two. A long time ago I shared my idea to make some <a href="http://tiffany-harvey.blogspot.com/2016/02/last-year-i-got-really-into-necklaces.html">nerdy fan art necklaces</a>, and talked about the <a href="http://tiffany-harvey.blogspot.com/2016/03/metal-sheet-jewelry-supplies.html">metal supplies</a> that I bought to make them. While I was researching metal work, the thing that actually appealed to me the most was playing with patinas, and so when I started working with the metal that is the first thing that I explored.</div>
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I created patinas on copper and brass cuffs with just salt and ammonia or vinegar. It was so fun to dry different combinations and techniques and see the results, which were always a surprise! </div>
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Wrap the copper with ammonia soaked paper towels and a sprinkle of salt, and you can create swirling teals ~</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/45241868585/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Patina Bracelet - Sirene"><img alt="Patina Bracelet - Sirene" height="600" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4886/45241868585_dbf689d735_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Let it soak for a long time, and you get deep black with teal peaking through ~</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/45241870355/in/dateposted-public/" title="Patina Bracelet - Bellatrix 1"><img alt="Patina Bracelet - Bellatrix 1" height="600" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4841/45241870355_76f8194a5e_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Or, spray it on directly every few hours and the teals become intense!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/45430052264/in/dateposted-public/" title="Patina Bracelet - Alcyone 1"><img alt="Patina Bracelet - Alcyone 1" height="600" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4913/45430052264_844a2da6ee_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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You can also coat brass in salt and then suspend it above the ammonia to let the fumes do the work. This creates some lovely spotting ~</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/31214597857/in/dateposted-public/" title="Patina Bracelet - Cytherea"><img alt="Patina Bracelet - Cytherea" height="600" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4858/31214597857_f183d35aa4_z.jpg" width="400" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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Using large, coarse salt gives you a completely different look ~</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/45241721895/in/dateposted-public/" title="Patina Bracelet - Aurum"><img alt="Patina Bracelet - Aurum" height="600" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4865/45241721895_79ed6ba412_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This one I fumed covered with fine and coarse salt, and added some vinegar in there for fun ~</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/31214590687/in/dateposted-public/" title="Patina Bracelet - Ferrogold"><img alt="Patina Bracelet - Ferrogold" height="600" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4895/31214590687_cc45a726ca_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Fuming copper instead of brass brings out the teals again, as well as some flecks of white ~ </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/46103337952/in/dateposted-public/" title="Patina Bracelet - Phanerite"><img alt="Patina Bracelet - Phanerite" height="600" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4819/46103337952_898f5becc9_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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While I had a lot of fun experimenting with the patinas, my real thrill was in trying different combinations and methods to reveal something new. I did not really enjoy the actual metal work (cutting, polishing, coating), and just creating the same bracelets over & over would have gotten old for me quick. Going beyond the teals to new colors would have required the use of some potent, special-ordered chemicals, and I wasn't really ready to go down that route. The patinas can also be very frustrating themselves, because you often can't replicate something when you want to. I often tried to copy the swirling teals of the first bracelet, only to end up with the deep, black second bracelet. </div>
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Once a had a large stock of bracelets, I figured I needed to move on and work on some of the fan art pendants - but they brought me nothing but frustration! Any design I wanted to work on seemed to need $50 of more supplies. There was one issue after another, like discovering my jump rings were spotted with tarnish. And *all* of the work was the cutting, polishing, and coating work that I did not enjoy. I quickly dropped that idea.</div>
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The bracelets turned out lovely, but in the end I moved on from the metal jewelry to a new project. While I may make more one day, I probably won't be making more soon. You can still find a few of the bracelets in my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/tiffanyharvey?ref=seller-platform-mcnav">Etsy shop</a>.</div>
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Tharveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04629339835924385161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8631823895621789216.post-59772432120047492252018-05-27T15:40:00.002-04:002018-05-27T15:40:59.125-04:00Spicy Sausage & Pasta Skillet<div style="-en-clipboard: true;">
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/41668314614/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Spicy Sausage & Pasta Skillet, 1"><img alt="Spicy Sausage & Pasta Skillet, 1" height="600" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1754/41668314614_902f153b47_b.jpg" width="900" /></a></div>
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Slices of smoked sausage, pasta covered in warm, bubbly cheese, with a hint of spice - pure comfort food! The unique shape of the campanelle pasta gives the dish an elegant look, and the ruffles are perfect for scooping up the cheesy sauce (but you can always sub with penne or bowties if needed). And don't skip the turkey keilbasa if you haven't tried - my husband is always skeptical, but it tastes just like the real thing with a fraction of the calories and fat. Adapted from <a href="http://www.kevinandamanda.com/spicy-sausage-pasta/#_a5y_p=668423">this blog</a>, based on an America's Test Kitchens recipe.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/41668312644/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Spicy Sausage & Pasta Skillet, 2"><img alt="Spicy Sausage & Pasta Skillet, 2" height="600" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1756/41668312644_7301159831_b.jpg" width="900" /></a></div>
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<i>(For those of you counting calories, I've added the amount for each ingredient so you can easily make tweaks without having to re-calculate everything.)</i></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: medium;">Spicy Sausage & Pasta Skillet</span></b>
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1 tsp. olive oil (40)</div>
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13 oz. (-16) smoked turkey sausage, sliced thin (650) </div>
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1 cup diced onion (60) </div>
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1 tsp. minced garlic (1) </div>
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2 cups water (0)</div>
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2 tsp. chicken bouillon (or use broth in place of water, 10)</div>
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1 (10 oz.) can Rotel tomatoes, mild, drained (63) </div>
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½ cup heavy cream (200) </div>
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8 oz. dry campanelle pasta (800) </div>
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½ tsp. salt and pepper, each (3) </div>
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1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (440)</div>
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2 green onions, thinly sliced (10)</div>
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1) Heat oil in an oven-safe skillet* over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.</div>
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2) Add the water, bouillon, Rotel, cream, pasta, salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil, cover the skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.</div>
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3) Remove the skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese and broil until cheese is melted and bubbly with brown spots. Sprinkle with green onions and serve.</div>
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Serves 4. Calories - 569 for 1/4<br />
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<i>*Tip - If you don't have an oven-safe skillet, you can cook this in any covered pan and then spoon it into a casserole dish to broil the cheese at the end.</i></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/41668311684/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Spicy Sausage & Pasta Skillet, 3"><img alt="Spicy Sausage & Pasta Skillet, 3" height="600" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1736/41668311684_9fed955da3_b.jpg" width="900" /></a></div>
<br />Tharveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04629339835924385161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8631823895621789216.post-64010862921884581372017-10-19T10:38:00.000-04:002017-10-19T10:44:39.164-04:00Halloween Pokeball Candy Bucket Tutorial<div>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/37784293041/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Halloween Pokeball Candy Bucket Tutorial"><img alt="Halloween Pokeball Candy Bucket Tutorial" height="650" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4510/37784293041_1a0cb70e07_b.jpg" width="876" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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This year my son wants to be a Pokemon for Halloween. Not just any Pokemon - Greninja. Naturally there are no ready-made costumes for that one, so I've had to get creative.</div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3C/span%3Ehttp://www.pokemonpets.com/Greninja-Pokemon-Pokedex-658"><img src="http://static.pokemonpets.com/images/monsters-images-800-800/658-Greninja.png" width="500" /></a></div>
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I figure most people will have no clue what he is, so I wanted to give him a Pokeball to hold so they can at least maybe recognize what franchise he is from. I thought about buying a plush ball... then I was all ready to sew a plush ball... and then I realized - why not just decorate his candy bucket? I snapped some step-by-step photos along the way so I could share this easy tutorial with you!</div>
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All you will need is a round candy bucket similar to the one below, red and black construction paper, white printer paper, and some scissors and tape. (I highly recommend using Satin tape for this because I started with normal Scotch tape & it got ugly quick. The Satin tape was nearly invisible.)</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/37784294421/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Halloween Pokeball Candy Bucket Tutorial"><img alt="Halloween Pokeball Candy Bucket Tutorial" height="650" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4468/37784294421_c4b578e640_b.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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First we'll cover the top half of the bucket with red. I was able to cut my paper in half lengthwise for this, but the size will depend on your bucket (as will any dimensions I list below. Adjust as needed!). My paper would not quite wrap halfway, so I ended up using 3 half-sheets and left a seam along the back. Tape the red paper along the bottom until you've wrapped all the way around the pumpkin. </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/37784294381/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Halloween Pokeball Candy Bucket Tutorial"><img alt="Halloween Pokeball Candy Bucket Tutorial" height="650" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4490/37784294381_2d7a85c8cd_b.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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Next you'll want to cut a slit right behind the strap, from the top edge of the paper down to the handle, so we can wrap around it. I also had to cut a little hole out right where it met to fit around the cord. Overlap the paper so that it lies flat along the curve of the bucket and tape together. (Ignore the 'slit' to the left of my hand, that's just where two pages met.)</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/37784294361/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Halloween Pokeball Candy Bucket Tutorial"><img alt="Halloween Pokeball Candy Bucket Tutorial" height="650" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4505/37784294361_648198bff9_b.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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Cut a slit down the front center of the paper, leaving a couple inches at the bottom uncut. Then cut slits halfway between that and the straps, and cut in half again so you have 8 strips.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/37784294301/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Halloween Pokeball Candy Bucket Tutorial"><img alt="Halloween Pokeball Candy Bucket Tutorial" height="649" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4494/37784294301_76c1050f80_b.jpg" width="487" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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Overlap the strips so that they follow to curve of the bucket and tape in place. Repeat along the back side.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/37784294261/in/dateposted-public/" title="Halloween Pokeball Candy Bucket Tutorial"><img alt="Halloween Pokeball Candy Bucket Tutorial" height="533" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4472/37784294261_3d6299e063_b.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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Along the top you can either cut the paper off flush with the edge of the bucket, or fold it over and tape in place. I opted to tape mine.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/23931278348/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Halloween Pokeball Candy Bucket Tutorial"><img alt="Halloween Pokeball Candy Bucket Tutorial" height="533" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4460/23931278348_d9733292aa_b.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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Now it's time to cover the bottom in white! I wanted to wrap all the way to the bottom so I needed a full sheet of paper this time. You may be able to get away with a half sheet again, just make sure it covers enough. Tape along the bottom edge.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/37784294201/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Halloween Pokeball Candy Bucket Tutorial"><img alt="Halloween Pokeball Candy Bucket Tutorial" height="650" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4474/37784294201_811e210eca_b.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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Cut the slits like before and tape into place. I taped these at the end, so all the tape is on the bottom of the bucket. Repeat to cover the back. (This time I just worked one sheet at a time - whatever works!)</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/37784293291/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Halloween Pokeball Candy Bucket Tutorial"><img alt="Halloween Pokeball Candy Bucket Tutorial" height="533" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4443/37784293291_6f023b1c31_b.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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And flipped back over...</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/37784293161/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Halloween Pokeball Candy Bucket Tutorial"><img alt="Halloween Pokeball Candy Bucket Tutorial" height="533" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4475/37784293161_06f2167987_b.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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Now you will need two or three long strips of black paper, about 2" wide. (I probably could have gotten away using two by leaving a gap in the front, but I wrapped all the way around.) Tape the strips around the center of the bucket, covering any gaps between the red & white papers. I put my black strip slight above the center line, because it looked a little too low otherwise.</div>
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Next, find a large cup or small bowl to trace a circle about 4-4.5" wide from black paper. Tape it on the front, centered on the black strip. Trace & cut a white circle about 2-2.5" wide, tape it in the center, and you are done! Enjoy Trick-or-Treating with your little Pokemon and fill this thing up with some candy!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/23931277768/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Halloween Pokeball Candy Bucket Tutorial"><img alt="Halloween Pokeball Candy Bucket Tutorial" height="650" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4457/23931277768_991cfc1498_b.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
Tharveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04629339835924385161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8631823895621789216.post-40786944291862080182017-10-08T20:17:00.003-04:002017-10-08T20:24:21.789-04:00The Secret Code in The Lego Ninjago Movie<div>
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Tonight my family went to see "The Lego Ninjago" movie, which was pretty good, but a little pale in comparison to the amazing-ness of "The Lego Movie". (And probably a step down from Batman ~ if you're only going to see A Lego movie, see THE Lego movie.) There were some very funny/cute parts mixed in though, so it's definitely a fun family flick!</div>
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I've picked up my Japanese study again lately, so at some point in the film I started paying attention to the lettered sashes that each of the main ninjas wear, thinking it would be fun to see if I could pick out some Kanji or Kana. I quickly realized the letters weren't Japanese at all, but some made-up lettering. </div>
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I noticed one 'letter' repeated on the main ninja's sash, and I wondered, could this be the word "ninja" in a simple letter replacement code?</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/37323644470/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Green ninja"><img alt="The Secret Code in The Lego Ninjago Movie" height="525" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4489/37323644470_37afc3d0fe_o.jpg" width="300" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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With that in mind, a glance at the ice ninja's sash showed the letters I _ _, so I figured I was on the right track. </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/37323645680/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Ice ninja"><img alt="The Secret Code in The Lego Ninjago Movie" height="525" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4512/37323645680_e500cd5aba_o.jpg" width="300" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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The A, I, and E all matched up with the "water", "fire", and "Earth" ninja's sashes, giving us more letters in the alphabet ~ </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/37323647900/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Water, Fire, Earth ninja"><img alt="The Secret Code in The Lego Ninjago Movie" height="525" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4452/37323647900_72818463e9_o.jpg" width="900" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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But it was hard trying to catch glimpses of the sashes during the action, so I looked up some images when I got home. And sure enough, there were several pics with the whole alphabet charted out too!</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/36871763204/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="The Secret Code in The Lego Ninjago Movie"><img alt="Ninjago Alphabet" height="336" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4443/36871763204_46bb0a9f1b_o.jpg" width="700" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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<a href="http://ninjago.wikia.com/wiki/Alphabet_of_Ninjago">Source</a></div>
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The lightning ninja is the trickiest to figure out, since part of his sash is covered, and it uses only one letter we've seen so far. Checking the chart we can decipher that his sash reads "spark".</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/36871767144/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Lightning ninja"><img alt="The Secret Code in The Lego Ninjago Movie" height="525" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4514/36871767144_007a3878df_o.jpg" width="300" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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I think this secret alphabet is a fun little detail in the movie, and I'll definitely pay more attention to the buildings next time to see what some of the signs reveal. I also feel like a big nerd for noticing the code and trying to crack it in the midst of fight scenes, but I'm sure I wasn't the *only* one who caught it. Right?? </div>
Tharveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04629339835924385161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8631823895621789216.post-67791712980313095952017-05-12T13:58:00.000-04:002017-05-12T21:37:08.025-04:00Disney Princess Party - Food & Decor
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This little girl turned 4 this week, and it was her year for
a party! (We alternate years with her brother) Of course Pandora picked a
pink and purple princess theme. I decided to base the decorations and
food on the Disney princess movies instead of just going fully
'princess' with tiaras and pearls, and ended up having a little too much
fun browsing Pinterest and planning everything out.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/34574288576/in/dateposted-public/" title="Happy Bday Girl"><img alt="Happy Bday Girl" height="650" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4178/34574288576_acd90abcf0_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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Whole parties have been planned around each princess, so there were a lot of ideas out there. I tried keeping a list of our definites and maybes, but soon I was desperate for something more visual, and I started slapping together an image to sort everything out. The top section shows everything for the table, and the bottom section is for the goodie bags (since some things could be on either). The picture ended up being a great help as we planned, because I could easily see how many sweets, salty foods, and healthy options we had. I even ended up marking which plates and decorations I wanted to use beside each food, since I had to bring it all with me, and it was so easy to reference.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/33772853124/in/dateposted-public/" title="Party food & goodie bag planning"><img alt="Party food & goodie bag planning" height="364" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4161/33772853124_af86da0a13_o.jpg" width="700" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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First we'll start with Cinderella, who's Fairy Godmother got some Pokky sticks for magic wands. I saw this idea done with chocolate covered pretzel sticks, which is also cute, but sometimes those things are just too big. When I saw the Pokky I thought the size would be better for snacking, and was also excited I wouldn't have to make anything! Then I bought some cheese cubes for her little mice friends. I found an ornate metal tray at the Dollar Tree, and set it on top of a bowl of ice to help the cheese stay fresh through the party. It didn't get sweaty, just a little dry, so I'd call that a success. </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/34485360171/in/dateposted-public/" title="Cinderella with Pokky wands & cheese cubes"><img alt="Cinderella with Pokky wands & cheese cubes" height="650" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4171/34485360171_d5d1309f05_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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The Fairy Godmother and mice pictures I just printed out and taped to the vase/plate. I made the standing Cinderella (and the other skirted princesses below), and will be posting a tutorial for those soon!</div>
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Of course Snow White *had* to have some nice red apple slices, and I made this <a href="http://ourbestbites.com/2017/02/easy-salted-caramel-sauce/">caramel dip</a> to go with them. I soaked the slices in club soda to keep them from turning brown.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/34485362211/in/dateposted-public/" title="Snow White, red apples, & caramel dip"><img alt="Snow White, red apples, & caramel dip" height="650" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4169/34485362211_e54d456855_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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Behind Snow White you can spy Belle's rose, which I'll also share a tutorial for soon ~ </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/34229733420/in/dateposted-public/" title="Belle & rose"><img alt="Belle & rose" height="533" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4159/34229733420_8fd7040761_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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And Belle's food was Chip's chips!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/34485368321/in/dateposted-public/" title="Belle & Chip's Chips"><img alt="Belle & Chip's Chips" height="650" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4159/34485368321_0a1e4e65e3_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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On this side of the table we also had Merida with some gummy bears. I had printed out a picture of the little bears from the movie and forgot to stick them on beside her, oh well ~ </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/34229743920/in/dateposted-public/" title="Merida with gummy bears"><img alt="Merida with gummy bears" height="650" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4182/34229743920_8c57f2b255_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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On the other half of the table we had an Elsa and Olaf doll with some white cheddar popcorn for 'snow'. I looked everywhere for white cheese balls to use as snowballs, but could find them no where, so I finally had to settle for something a little less obvious. ~ </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/34229746250/in/dateposted-public/" title="Elsa & Olaf with popcorn snow"><img alt="Elsa & Olaf with popcorn snow" height="650" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4192/34229746250_6068ba4eac_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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Jasmine was a hard one, since the only food ideas I saw for her were chocolate golden coins as 'treasure'. Finally I remembered the cute tiger oranges a mom had made for cub scouts, and so we have her friend Rajah ~</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/34229749230/in/dateposted-public/" title="Jasmine with tiger oranges"><img alt="Jasmine with tiger oranges" height="650" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4178/34229749230_1f7c4a88da_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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The oranges are a simple idea, but ended up being a big pain to do. The oil from the orange peel kills Sharpies, and I ended up with one pen after another dying on me. As I struggled with the pens it took forever to do a dozen tigers, and so I gave up and left the rest of them blank. I wouldn't recommend this one!</div>
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These <a href="http://www.candywarehouse.com/assets/item/regular/twizzlers-filled-licorice-twists-126641-im.jpg">sour filled Twizzlers</a> look incredible as Rapunzel's hair! Better yet, the package comes with only red and yellow colored Twizzlers, and you can buy them lots of places, so they are an easy addition. (I used 2 packs)</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/34229752160/in/dateposted-public/" title="Rapunzel with yellow twizzler hair"><img alt="Rapunzel with yellow twizzler hair" height="650" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4160/34229752160_c8189be442_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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I saw so many awesome ideas for Ariel, it was hard to narrow down! With all of the cheese cubes and apple slices we had tons of kid-friendly food, so we chose these crab shaped sandwiches with the adults in mind. We had pimento cheese, ham & swiss, and turkey & swiss, with a range of condiments on the side. I searched several stores before I found sew-on google eyes, which have a tab sticking out on the back the perfect size for a toothpick. I finally found two sizes at Hobby Lobby, and the search was worth it in the end when I was able to pop them right on the toothpicks and avoided gluing on 30+ eyes.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/34485381931/in/dateposted-public/" title="Ariel with crab sandwiches"><img alt="Ariel with crab sandwiches" height="533" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4169/34485381931_f2b6f8cdbb_o.jpg" width="799" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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The Ariel decoration was created a little differently than the skirted princesses, so I'll have a separate tutorial for her.</div>
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We waited to reveal the best part, an awesome castle cake!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/34615932115/in/dateposted-public/" title="Castle cake - at home"><img alt="Castle cake - at home" height="650" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4170/34615932115_bc2c6f38f8_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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This cake is actually simpler than it looks, as the towers are created with two stacked ice cream cones (cake cones), and then topped with a pointy cone (sugar cone). I covered all of the cones with frosting and rolled the pointed cones in pink sugar. They ended up looking super glittery in person and prettier than I'd expected! For the actual cake part there are two layers of a square cake on the bottom and two smaller circle layers on top (I just used a normal circle pan and then cut them down to size). This is topped with another cake cone and sugar cone in the center.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/34453990812/in/dateposted-public/" title="Castle cake - at party"><img alt="Castle cake - at party" height="650" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4178/34453990812_cd93e48eb4_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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I debated for a long time what to use for the rectangle shapes around the edges, and had heavily considered using pink wafer cookies or mini marshmallows. In the end I couldn't find cheap wafers, and the marshmallows were too irregularly shaped, so I searched the candy aisle and found some perfect mini white chocolate Kit Kats! For the door I cut a graham cracker into shape and covered it with the pink sugar, piping a little white frosting around the edge. I cut the tips off the corner cones until I had a hole big enough to fit some slender candles, then piped a little icing over the hole. The four towers were perfect for our 4 candles!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/34453991142/in/dateposted-public/" title="Blowing out candles"><img alt="Blowing out candles" height="650" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4192/34453991142_5aa86594d1_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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I built the cake on a large, sturdy air bake pan we have, which was first covered in wrapping paper and then a layer of Press'n Seal. I cut a cardboard box down to size to transport it, having the box open at the front so I could slide the tray in & out. It traveled well, other than the center tower, which kept toppling over. If I were to do it again, I'd mix up some royal icing to really cement the side towers together, and then take the center tower off when the cake needs to be moved. (Cutting a small hole in the top of the cake might have helped too)</div>
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The party went really well, other than having to battle the wind to set everything up. The wind was ripping things from my hands, and actually blew gifts off the present table!! I was able to get everything well secured, and it mostly calmed down for the party. Everything went really well, and I think our little one definitely felt like a special princess for her birthday.</div>
Tharveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04629339835924385161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8631823895621789216.post-10334960999029968372017-02-06T20:11:00.000-05:002017-02-07T12:31:33.741-05:001 Month with Swagbucks & InstaGC
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So you may have noticed that I barely post on the blog anymore. That feels pretty weird after 10 years of regularly posting! But right now I have so much 'stuff' to keep up with that I haven't spent much time working on any fun crafts or new recipes. I decided to cut myself a break and not worry about forcing anything just to make sure I write something once a week or once a month, and just post whenever I have something I want to share! Next year my littlest one starts Pre-K, so in my fantasy world I'm instantly going to have oodles of time to work on everything I want. We'll see, haha.</div>
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Today I wanted to share my newest obsession with you ~ <a href="http://www.swagbucks.com/p/register?rb=33836780">Swagbucks</a> and <a href="https://www.instagc.com/1485772">InstaGC</a>! I started with those sites 1 month ago and between the two I've already made <b>over $160</b>!! You can see why I'm hoooked. I've been using this for fun money and was able to buy a Instant Pot, a new printer, and more. </div>
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<a href="http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/?cmd=sb-register&rb=33836780&cmp=72&cxid=1420-htmlembed" target="_blank"><img alt="Join Swagbucks!" border="0" height="252" src="//app2-cdn2.sbx-cdn.com/content/pages/promote-and-earn/swagbucks-share-1420-v2.png" width="484" /></a></div>
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<u><a href="http://www.swagbucks.com/p/register?rb=33836780"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Swagbucks</span></a> ~</u></div>
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I'd heard the name thrown around a lot in the past, and even checked out the site before, but thought you mostly got a few measly points here & there for doing web searches & stuff, and so I wasn't very interested. Recently I was reading a post that talked about some of the rebate apps I use, as well as a few other money making sites, and when the author she said she was making $25 a month through Swagbucks I decided to give it another look. </div>
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There are tons of ways to get 'points' on the site (100 points = $1), but the best way I've found is through surveys. If you can do one survey you should be able to hit your 'daily goal' easily. (Some days that is easier than other!) You can also get some nice cash back from online shopping, just like eBates. Best of all, there are lots of nice bonuses that add up, like getting a few points for finishing the daily 'to-do list', for entering 'swag codes', special promos, or big bonuses if you meet your daily goal each day that month. This month I was expecting about $2.25 for meeting my daily goals, and somehow ended up with a $5 bonus! Gotta love that. By the end of the month I had made $55. </div>
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To cash out, they have tons of gift cards in stock like Amazon & eBay, some as low as $3 (they do take a couple of days to process). If you save up though, you can trade 2200 points for a $25 card once a month for a nice discount.</div>
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Tips -</div>
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♦ There are 2 daily goals, which will both give you a few bonus points. Your 1st goal will be around 40 points the first week, and then will go up to maybe 80 after that. I found that when I hit the 1st and 2nd goal every day, the amounts just kept getting higher & higher until it was hard to even meet the 1st one. When I started just meeting the 1st goal & staying below the 2nd, the amount stayed around 80 each day. Much more manageable!</div>
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♦ Most of the daily 'to-do list' items are super easy to knock out, other than finding a 'Discover' option that doesn't involve spending money. I usually go to Offer Toro and let an EngageMe video play until I hit a point, or choose the lowest paying offers from Peanut Labs and click through a slideshow or something for 1 point. The to-do list is completely optional anyway, you just get some bonus points for completing it.</div>
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♦ I downloaded the Swagbucks TV app and earn 10-40 points a day running some videos on my phone when I'm not using it. Go to the 'Home and Garden' section and favorite all of the "10 Sec Tip" videos, which are super short. Then you can watch just your 'favorites' and will quickly rack up the points until your videos max out of for the day. I have also tried the main Swagbucks app and their 'Answer' app, but those have been mostly useless.</div>
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♦ These sites change things up over time, so if you are looking for info on something, make sure to look for results no older than a year.</div>
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<a href="https://www.instagc.com/1485772"><img height="250" src="https://cdn.igcstc.com/s/banners/1485772/8.png" width="300" /></a></div>
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<u><a href="https://www.instagc.com/1485772"><span style="font-size: x-large;">InstaGC</span></a></u> ~</div>
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I'll admit, I was not a fan of InstaGC after the first day! It seemed like every offer wanted you to register on some site or spend money or give them your email address. I was able to make $2 the first day without doing any of those though, so I stuck around. I learned about the site from the same post I mentioned above, and the author's claim of easily making $5 a day seemed impossible. After a week or so I figured out my way around the site better and actually did start making about $5 a day! But only by doing as many surveys as I could. I was happy to keep plugging away though as I saw my points rising, and by the end of the month I'd made $108!!</div>
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The reason I make twice as much on InstaGC is simply because they have so many more surveys available. One of my favorite spots to look for them are under "All", click on the "InstaGC" button (they call them "walls"), and then look for Live Sample, Samplicio.us, and Your Surveys. You do need to give each of those survey groups your email address, but they are only used to track users (they won't send you emails or give out your address). My other favorite survey spot is under Earn > Surveys. New ones are added there throughout the day, so I check back frequently for well paying ones. If surveys are not your thing, I've seen many users who avoid them and still manage to make more than I do per day, but I'm guessing they are doing some offers I wouldn't be comfortable with.</div>
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Tips - </div>
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♦ After you earn $5 you will be able to see a chat window
running along the side of the page. It's a great place to get your
questions answered quick, and to see tips for good paying surveys and
deals. </div>
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♦ On the InstaGC wall I went through and hid all of the deals that wanted me to register or sign up for a free sample (250+ offers!) so that I can clearly see just surveys there. It takes a while to do, but if you hide a few here & there, they'll soon be all gone. </div>
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♦ Just like Swagbucks, you can earn points by letting videos run in the background. I go to Earn > Watch Videos, turn the volume almost all the way down on my computer, and keep them going on another tab as much as possible through the day. Since this is a slow season, details on the videos have changed quite a bit even during the month I've been here, but I've been able to make about 25-50 points a day from those. (100 points = $1) VideoLab on the Offer Toro wall is even better paying, when they are available, but you can't shrink down or hide those. Those are great to pull up when you are about to leave the house or just won't be using the computer for a while.</div>
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♦ InstaGC has a much larger collection of gift cards, for all different amounts, and you get the codes instantly! After you've cashed in $50 worth of cards you can even start doing Paypal deposits.</div>
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So have any of you tried Swagbucks or InstaGC? I know surveys are not for everyone, but I was already involved with two surveys sites with *much* lower results, so I was thrilled to find these! Even if you only aim to do one survey a day you could easily have $30 of fun-money by the end of the month, and it's so easy to work on them while you're watching TV & hanging out. Seeing my points climbing up, and knowing I can cash out any time, definitely keeps me motivated to try for another and another.</div>
Tharveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04629339835924385161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8631823895621789216.post-1819812366654106982016-11-15T17:06:00.003-05:002016-11-15T19:49:46.421-05:00Making a Pikachu Tail<div>
For Halloweens past, Orson has picked some crazy costume ideas - like 'the alphabet', or a pickle.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/10613840863/in/photolist-E8kqMH-haTnqM-haTnjp-haTui3-haUH7g/" title="Orson, ABCs, 2"><img alt="Orson, ABCs, 2" height="550" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5482/10613840863_8d2e3d69cf_o.jpg" width="367" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script> <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/22183933794/in/album-72157622894408625/" title="Trick or Treating '15, 4"><img alt="Trick or Treating '15, 4" height="550" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5678/22183933794_2b38c5435d_o.jpg" width="367" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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But this year he is Pokemon crazy, and wanted to be Pikachu!</div>
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I looked around a lot, but I wasn't loving any of the pre-made Pikachu costumes. I considered adding a hat & tail to some yellow sweatshirt & pants, but I actually couldn't find yellow sweatpants anywhere! Or pretty much any yellow pants. Finally we decided to buy <a href="http://www.target.com/p/boys-pikachu-costume-hood-sweatshirt-yellow/-/A-51236728">this cute Pikachu hoodie</a> from Target (it was $15 at the time), and for the pants I finally found a set of Minions PJs with plain yellow fleece pants. Best of all, both the jacket & PJs will get a lot of use after Halloween!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/22829631998/in/dateposted-public/" title="Hoodie back, before"><img alt="Hoodie back, before" height="650" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5790/22829631998_c4dc9f5696_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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The back of the hoodie has a drawn-on tail & stripes, and before Halloween it got a lot of use as-is at Fall Festivals and Halloween parties. </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/22830217838/in/dateposted-public/" title="Fall Festival"><img alt="Fall Festival" height="650" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5704/22830217838_7c95f1c3d5_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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But for Halloween we both agreed that we needed a nice BIG tail! I bought some yellow fleece and some brown felt, and planned on constructing everything a week or so early. But I couldn't find any big cardboard, and I kept forgetting, and suddenly it was the *day of* Halloween and I realized I hadn't made it yet! Oops! In my rush I didn't get a chance to take a lot of nice step-by-step photos, but hopefully you can follow along!</div>
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First I wanted to cover the back of the hoodie, since it would be weird to have a big tail sitting on top of a drawn one! I cut a piece of the yellow fleece to cover the back and glued it down with Elmer's (white school glue) so that I could pull it off and wash out the glue afterward. I also added the two brown stripes back on with the brown felt. ~</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/30707094850/in/dateposted-public/" title="Pikachu hoodie"><img alt="Pikachu hoodie" height="649" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5497/30707094850_7030cb4279_o.jpg" width="487" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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Then for the new tail ~ I figured out how large I wanted the tail to be, looked up some pics, and sketched it out on a big piece of cardboard. I used some scissors and a knife to cut it out. Then I glued it down on the yellow fleece and cut around it, about 1.5 inch from the cardboard. I'd planned on using hot glue for this, but it wasn't sticking very well, so I switched to Elmer's. Just like with sewing, you'll want to cut in towards an <a href="http://www.sew4home.com/sites/sewmk.mervideo.com/files/images/articles/0855-Photo-109-10_b.jpg">inside corner </a>, and clip off any <a href="http://www.sew4home.com/sites/sewmk.mervideo.com/files/images/articles/0855-Photo-104-5_b.jpg">outside corners</a>, then wrap the fabric around the edge & glue in place ~</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/25372889039/in/dateposted-public/" title="Making Pikachu tail, 1"><img alt="Making Pikachu tail, 1" height="649" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5347/25372889039_9ffa35d280_o.jpg" width="487" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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Then I cut some small zig-zags in the brown felt, and glued it to the tail in the same way. It was a little too bulky to fold over the yellow and brown fabric together, so there I cut the yellow flush with the cardboard and only folded the brown fabric over. </div>
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I tried just covering the other side of the cardboard with the yellow fleece, but unfortunately you could clearly see the folded edge through the fabric, both the color and it's thickness. So I cut a piece of yellow to fit in between the folded edges (see above). For that, I just glued down the top corner, then just kind of peeked underneath to see where to cut, and cut & glued as I went until the area was filled. It was a very odd shape, but pretty easy to cut that way.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/25372889439/in/dateposted-public/" title="Making Pikachu tail, 2"><img alt="Making Pikachu tail, 2" height="649" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5561/25372889439_8a7272ef21_o.jpg" width="487" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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After that, I glued the exposed side down to the yellow fabric and just cut flush with the edge this time (since the edges were already wrapped with fabric), and repeated with the brown at the bottom. The hot glue worked fine for all of this, and any time I was gluing fabric-to-fabric (like the brown on yellow mentioned above). I poked a large safety pin through the top 3 points of the tail, and I was done! Orson was very happy with it ~</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/22830227788/in/dateposted-public/" title="Finished Pikachu tail, 2"><img alt="Finished Pikachu tail, 2" height="650" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5594/22830227788_9559560cf5_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/25372892529/in/dateposted-public/" title="Finished Pikachu tail, 2"><img alt="Finished Pikachu tail, 2" height="650" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5830/25372892529_83519ec1d8_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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The tail flopped back & forth a bit, but stayed on well until the end of Trick-or-Treating. At the very end the pins had all come open (he was climbing & out of our wagon that night) and could have been re-pinned, but we just left the tail off for the last house. And when we were done, I propped it up on the wall in his room for a decoration! </div>
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And here's a better picture of our little Elsa, since she's kind of staring off in the above pic ~ </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/30973320596/in/dateposted-public/" title="Elsa, close"><img alt="Elsa, close" height="650" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5750/30973320596_762bc2f20f_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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The big tail worked out great, and definitely made it seem more like a 'costume' than just a hoodie & pants. And after Halloween, he couldn't wait to start wearing the Pikachu hoodie every day to school!Tharveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04629339835924385161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8631823895621789216.post-65173086516964629262016-11-10T13:47:00.000-05:002016-11-10T13:47:46.886-05:00North Georgia Fair, 2016Every year in late September, we like to visit the N. Georgia fair with my parents. It's right around my mom's birthday, and my dad gets free passes from work, so it's become a favorite family tradition.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/30597896160/in/dateposted-public/" title="N Ga Fair '16, 1"><img alt="N Ga Fair '16, 1" height="650" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5516/30597896160_9434c159e3_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/30898861245/in/dateposted-public/" title="N Ga Fair '16, 2"><img alt="N Ga Fair '16, 2" height="533" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5795/30898861245_f61fa048a9_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/30597895940/in/dateposted-public/" title="N Ga Fair '16, 3"><img alt="N Ga Fair '16, 3" height="650" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5678/30597895940_f7cfd2c1a2_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/30810466601/in/dateposted-public/" title="N Ga Fair '16, 4"><img alt="N Ga Fair '16, 4" height="650" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5780/30810466601_c5e337f395_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/30898860635/in/dateposted-public/" title="N Ga Fair '16, 5"><img alt="N Ga Fair '16, 5" height="533" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5634/30898860635_11886a5fa8_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/30266757054/in/dateposted-public/" title="N Ga Fair '16, 6"><img alt="N Ga Fair '16, 6" height="650" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5478/30266757054_0d8f4a03a3_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/30266756774/in/dateposted-public/" title="N Ga Fair '16, 7"><img alt="N Ga Fair '16, 7" height="650" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5676/30266756774_dd4ff90731_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/30898859835/in/dateposted-public/" title="N Ga Fair '16, 8"><img alt="N Ga Fair '16, 8" height="533" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5557/30898859835_a3b5d8424d_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/30898861605/in/dateposted-public/" title="N Ga Fair '16, 9"><img alt="N Ga Fair '16, 9" height="650" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5717/30898861605_61230b3023_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/30898859275/in/dateposted-public/" title="N Ga Fair '16, 10"><img alt="N Ga Fair '16, 10" height="650" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5558/30898859275_6f9c09b30e_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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<br />Tharveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04629339835924385161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8631823895621789216.post-38391231043697647562016-10-17T16:32:00.000-04:002016-10-17T16:36:25.726-04:00Crispy Oven Baked Wings (and Sweet & Savory Sauce)<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/30275137002/in/dateposted-public/" title="Crispy Oven Baked Wings"><img alt="Crispy Oven Baked Wings" height="533" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5800/30275137002_372d595fa5_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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I was excited to try <a href="http://ourbestbites.com/2013/09/crispy-oven-baked-chicken-wings/">Our Best Bites</a>' tip for getting crispy oven baked wings, and we were really blown away with the results! They have the same nice crunch as restaurant wings, but without all of that oil for frying. And you don't even have to worry about continously basting, just toss them in your choice of sauce afterward.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Crispy Baked Wings</span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">4 lbs. chicken wings (separated)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">2 Tbsp. baking powder</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">1/4 tsp. salt </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">1) Move your rack to the lower middle spot and pre-heat your oven to 250 F. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and top with a wire rack or slotted pan. Spray with oil or non-stick spray. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">2) </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">Pat the wings with paper towels and toss with the baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Arrange the wings skin side up on the rack in one layer and bake for 30 minutes.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">3) Move the oven rack up one spot (upper middle) and increase the temperature to 425 F. Bake the wings for 50 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Toss finished wings with your choice of sauce and serve!</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/29759898073/in/dateposted-public/" title="Crispy Oven Baked Wings"><img alt="Crispy Oven Baked Wings" height="533" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8575/29759898073_48a3c2ba98_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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I like to make a few sauces (and maybe set out a few bottles of pre-made sauce) when I make wings, so everyone can choose how many they'd like of each flavor. We've tried out lots of sauce recipes, but the only one we've been wowed by so far is this Sweet & Savory sauce.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sweet & Savory Wing Sauce</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 tsp. cornstarch</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">2 Tbsp. brown sugar</span></div>
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2 Tbsp. honey</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">2 Tbsp. soy sauce</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">2 Tbsp. ketchup</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">1 Tbsp. white vinegar</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 tsp. minced garlic (2 cloves)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">1) In a small bowl or cup, mix the cornstarch & water. Set aside.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">2) In a small pot over medium heat, mix the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a low boil, then stir in the cornstarch and cook for 3 minutes to thicken.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/30275139032/in/dateposted-public/" title="Sweet & Savory Wing Sauce"><img alt="Sweet & Savory Wing Sauce" height="533" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5763/30275139032_7d1567e80e_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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Tharveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04629339835924385161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8631823895621789216.post-73026808181072423322016-09-29T15:46:00.001-04:002016-09-29T15:47:47.955-04:00September - 1 Week of FreebiesI've been having trouble finding time for my 'normal' hobbies lately, but I always seem to find time for couponing! It's been kind of my mindless-internet-time-killer lately. It's nice to have a hobby that is so obviously rewarding ~ I can often go into a store for $30 worth of stuff & spend $5. I've been buying name brand cereals for like $.30 & getting all sorts of crazy deals. <br />
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This month I was able to get a ridiculous amount of freebies (and money makers) during one week, so I thought I'd share those pics here. <br />
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First I grabbed some deals at the pharamacies ~ CVS, Rite Aid, & Walgreens.<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/29382309173/in/dateposted-public/" title="Sept. Week of freebies, 1"><img alt="Sept. Week of freebies, 1" height="649" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5316/29382309173_a080dd94c3_o.jpg" width="487" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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Then <a href="https://ibotta.com/r/nwhblwe">Ibotta</a> added a ton of mid-month bonuses ~ one was $10, which I think is the largest Ibotta bonus I've seen yet! The amount required varies by how much you use the app. I needed 24 rebates for the $10 bonus, and there were some smaller $2 & $3 bonuses that I could get at the same time. This time around I also checked my husband's app, and he only needed 10 rebates for the $10, so we bought enough to meet both goals. <br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/29715062790/in/dateposted-public/" title="Sept. Week of freebies, 2"><img alt="Sept. Week of freebies, 2" height="600" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8643/29715062790_ac02a705ea_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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The plastic cups & glow bracelets were money makers, so I got
those rebates as many times as I could. I have a ton to hand out for
Halloween now! And they pretty much paid for the rest of the groceries.<br />
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The Centrum here was from Rite Aid, but I think the rest was from Ibotta ~<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/29382309033/in/dateposted-public/" title="Sept. Week of freebies, 3"><img alt="Sept. Week of freebies, 3" height="600" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8541/29382309033_ff71f50a14_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/29382308843/in/dateposted-public/" title="Sept. Week of freebies, 4"><img alt="Sept. Week of freebies, 4" height="600" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8472/29382308843_97056b7771_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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Honestly, I could have added a ton more to these photos, but it's hard to keep track of sometimes. I know I have about twice that many cups & glow bracelets! Either way, I could tell I was getting a *lot* of good deals this month.<br />
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<br />
And for a quick update on the rebate apps (I've talked more about them <a href="http://tiffany-harvey.blogspot.com/2016/06/cash-back-with-shopping-rebate-apps.html">here</a> & <a href="http://tiffany-harvey.blogspot.com/2016/07/rebate-apps-coupons-1-month-of-freebies.html">here</a>) - 3 months in my totals are $144 on Ibotta, $42 on Checkout 51, $43 on Saving Star, and $11 on MobiSave. I'd say the Ibotta total skews a little high, because I definitely bought a few things just to trigger the bonuses (like several times I spent $2.60 and got a $3 rebate on those plastic cups. It's not really $3 worth of savings because I wouldn't have normally bought those). But this month I did get $20 worth of bonuses! (And another $12 or so on my husband's.) If you ignore the bonuses, I'd say the Ibotta rebates are on par with Ch51 & SS.Tharveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04629339835924385161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8631823895621789216.post-67175476457526738432016-09-22T13:31:00.000-04:002016-09-22T13:33:56.872-04:00Hectic September<br />
This month has been insane! We managed to avoid extracurriculars until now, but this month Orson (1st grade) started soccer ~<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/29821622906/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="9-16 Orson soccer"><img alt="9-16 Orson soccer" height="650" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8415/29821622906_fbcecb9e27_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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And boy scouts ~<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/29229707764/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="9-16 Orson Cub Scouts"><img alt="9-16 Orson Cub Scouts" height="650" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8878/29229707764_794f88d5be_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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Our little Pandora started preschool (twice a week, 4 hours) ~<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/29821623106/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="9-16 Panda's 1st day of preschool"><img alt="9-16 Panda's 1st day of preschool" height="650" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8268/29821623106_7b4cd50a98_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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We also started a small group at our new church, and I had to prep clothes for the Fall consignment sale!<br />
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Our calendar has basically exploded with meetings upon practices upon games. And the fees for everything have been ridiculous, because there always seems to be another one popping up that we didn't know about. (I'm looking at you, Cub Scouts! Somehow that jumped from '$65 for the year' to $220+. Not cool.)<br />
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On the plus side, orders have also picked up, which is busy-in-a-good-way! Tharveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04629339835924385161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8631823895621789216.post-59868529670094171822016-08-22T18:55:00.000-04:002016-08-22T18:55:57.880-04:00Low-cal Ranch Dressing (12 calories per Tbsp.) <br />
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I seem to be in such a slump lately! The summer put me behind on everything, and while I'm slowly getting caught up, there are still so many things to chip away at on my to-do list. Today I noticed somehow it has been a month since I've done a blog post, even though I normally try to post once a week! Ugh. Thankfully in two weeks my little one starts half-day school twice a week, so I'll have a little more free time soon.</div>
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Last year I posted <a href="http://tiffany-harvey.blogspot.com/2015/06/super-low-cal-ranch-dressing-2-ways-12.html">two variations</a> of a super low-calorie Ranch dressing. For both I mixed in a packet of ranch mix ~ one with a cottage cheese & milk base, and the other with a buttermilk & mayo base. Since then I've played around and created lots of variations with the buttermilk version, like my <a href="http://tiffany-harvey.blogspot.com/2015/12/low-cal-creamy-italian-dressing-15.html">Low-cal Creamy Italian Dressing</a> and the <a href="http://tiffany-harvey.blogspot.com/2015/12/low-cal-creamy-asian-peanut-dressing-14.html">Low-cal Creamy Asian Peanut Dressing</a>. I also created this from-scratch version of the Ranch dressing, using seasonings instead of a pre-made mix. This is pretty much the only Ranch I make anymore (though I do love the Italian & Asian dressings a little more, and am more likely to mix one of those up!).</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/29166003655/in/dateposted-public/" title="5-2 Low-cal Ranch Dressing (from scratch, 12 cal per Tbsp.)"><img alt="5-2 Low-cal Ranch Dressing (from scratch, 12 cal per Tbsp.)" height="533" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8325/29166003655_5405aa765b_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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<i>(For those of you counting calories, I've added the amount for each ingredient so you can easily make tweaks without having to re-calculate everything. Anything marked with an asterisk* may vary a lot based on what you buy, so make sure to compare your label.)</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Low-cal Ranch Dressing</b></u></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; word-wrap: break-word;">1/2 cup reduced fat buttermilk (56*)</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; word-wrap: break-word;">2 Tbsp. Hellman's light mayo (70)</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; word-wrap: break-word;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; word-wrap: break-word;">1/2 tsp. minced garlic (0)</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; word-wrap: break-word;">1/2 tsp. dried parsley (0)</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; word-wrap: break-word;">1/2 tsp. dried basil (0)</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; word-wrap: break-word;">1/4 tsp. onion powder (2)</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; word-wrap: break-word;">1/4 tsp. black pepper (2)</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; word-wrap: break-word;">1/4 tsp. salt (0)</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; word-wrap: break-word;">1/4 tsp. sugar (4)</span></div>
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Directions -</div>
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Stir together all of the ingredients except for the buttermilk. Add the buttermilk (you may want to do 1/2 at a time) and stir until well mixed.</div>
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Makes about 3/4 cup, 12 calories per Tbsp.</div>
Tharveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04629339835924385161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8631823895621789216.post-90115087814670296362016-07-27T20:18:00.000-04:002016-07-27T20:22:12.768-04:00My 1st Year of Packing Lunch<div>
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Before Orson started Pre-K, I worried about packing lunches for him everyday. I bought a lot of cute bento supplies & practiced <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/12440300534/">adding a few cute touches</a>... and made a few <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/13759681994/">complex bentos</a>, just for fun. Unfortunately Orson was not really excited about the intricate lunches, and often would not eat them. When we learned his Pre-K provided lunch, I was a little bummed, but relieved too.</div>
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The next year he started Kindergarten, and I had to prepare again. After much debate I bought a set of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/EasyLunchboxes-3-Compartment-Bento-Containers-Classic/dp/B004S129AQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469645843&sr=8-1&keywords=easy+lunch+boxes">Easy Lunch Boxes</a>, because I liked that they have a few divided sections but only one lid for the whole box. (My son really loves that too.) I did have a hard time finding a lunchbag to fit them however, and really had to cram it into a standard size bag. The big box also left no room to add a water bottle, and I had to search forever for something narrow to fit in there.... And then it leaked several times and soaked everything in his bookbag, so I had to hunt again! (I finally found some small bottles from apple juice that fit OK, but by the end of the year I tried putting it in his bookbag pocket instead. Of course he forgot to grab it for lunch it every time.)</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/EasyLunchboxes-3-Compartment-Bento-Containers-Classic/dp/B004S129AQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469645843&sr=8-1&keywords=easy+lunch+boxes"><img src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61M5L9qF3hL._SL1091_.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Unfortunately the standard lunchbags tip the Easy Lunch Box on its side, so putting cute bento-style details are pretty much out of the question because they would be instantly up-ended. Maybe one year I can find a lunch box with a handle on the top, but for now I'm getting two young kids ready in the morning and don't know that I'd have time to try anything creative anyway!</div>
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Once I had my lunchbox/bag situation figured out, it was time to plan the food! I started by making a list of everything I could think of that Orson will eat. Then I scoured some lists of lunchbox ideas, and added new ones to my list. I was planning on having him buy lunch twice a week, so I looked at the school lunch calendar and picked out two school lunches each week that he'd like, then filled in the calendar the rest of the way with lunches I would make.</div>
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The school cafeteria is on a three week rotation of lunches, and considering there are not *that* many things a 5 year old will eat, that ended up being perfect for my lunches as well. Bringing lunch three times a week, that means I needed 9 ideas for lunches to pack. I planned the main meal and veggie, but then would add whatever fruits we had on hand for the 3rd section. I was also pretty flexible with the schedule, rearranging meals if needed, or swapping something out if I was missing an ingredient.</div>
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So, here are the 9 lunches I made throughout the year!</div>
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<u>Grilled cheese with corn</u> ~</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/28515350181/in/dateposted-public/" title="Grilled cheese, apples, & corn"><img alt="Grilled cheese, apples, & corn" height="600" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8360/28515350181_5de41c507e_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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<u>Pigs in a blanket with roasted kale</u> (seaweed snacks pictured) ~ I started out buying cocktail sausages, but they are pricey and I never needed the full pack. After a few months I tried cutting up hot dogs instead, and 1/3 of a hot dog cut in half lengthwise work perfectly! I also stopped buying crescent roll dough and started thawing out 1 frozen Grand biscuit cut in 1/8ths. I hardly ever have extra kale on hand and usually ended up adding the seaweed snacks he loves instead. Kids love those things!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/28515353231/in/dateposted-public/" title="Pigs in a blanket, seaweek, & pineapple"><img alt="Pigs in a blanket, seaweek, & pineapple" height="600" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8506/28515353231_cb12e56c08_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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<u>Fish sticks with green peas</u> ~ I found the little
container for the ketchup next to the salad dressings at our grocery
store! Perfect fit.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/28515351151/in/dateposted-public/" title="Fish sticks, apples, & green peas"><img alt="Fish sticks, apples, & green
peas" height="600" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8827/28515351151_eac46b992c_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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<u>Sandwich on a Stick</u> ~ Bread, lunchmeat, cucumbers, and mini tomatoes loaded onto skewers. A fun twist on a sandwich! If you want to add cheese slices, I found that it works best to cut a hole in the cheese slice with a straw first, or else the skewer hole cracks the cheese and it falls apart. I love that you can use pretty much any leftover bread (like hamburger or hot dog rolls) for these! He won't touch the cherry tomatoes, but I can't resist adding them.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/28515355051/in/dateposted-public/" title="Sandwich on a stick, rice krispies, & pineapple"><img alt="Sandwich on a stick, rice krispies, & pineapple" height="600" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8487/28515355051_5ecdb8ede2_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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<u><a href="http://tiffany-harvey.blogspot.com/2015/09/mini-biscuit-pizzas.html">Mini biscuit pizzas</a> with carrots & dip</u> (roasted kale pictured) ~ </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/28515356781/in/dateposted-public/" title="Mini pizzas, apples, & roasted kale"><img alt="Mini pizzas, apples, & roasted kale" height="600" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8791/28515356781_1c8041fd7f_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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<u><a href="http://tiffany-harvey.blogspot.com/2015/10/japanese-stuffed-rice-balls-onigiri.html">Rice balls</a> with <a href="http://www.justonecookbook.com/spinach-with-sesame-sauce/">spinach goma-ae</a></u> (seaweed snacks pictured) ~ At the start of the year, I made sushi rolls (with cooked imitation crab), but Orson got sick one day after eating them & then was afraid to eat them after that. I switched to stuffed rice balls, which is probably the most complex lunch on the rotation, but if you have the sushi rice & filling made ahead of time and frozen, each ball only takes a few minutes. I quickly learned not to try to do it all in the morning! That goma-ae recipe is a little different than mine, but I don't have mine written up yet. It also freezes well, I just ran out!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/28561053516/in/dateposted-public/" title="Stuffed rice balls, seaweed, & veggie chips"><img alt="Stuffed rice balls, seaweed, & veggie chips" height="600" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8060/28561053516_481780623d_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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<u>PBJ & seaweed snacks</u> ~ </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/28486847532/in/dateposted-public/" title="PBJ, seaweed snacks, & apples"><img alt="PBJ, seaweed snacks, & apples" height="600" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8795/28486847532_58404367d9_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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<u>Mini sandwiches with cukes</u> ~ Hawaiian rolls with lunchmeat, cheese, and mayo. Later in the year he had me start adding ketchup & mustard too.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/28486849672/in/dateposted-public/" title="Mini sandwiches, cukes, & chips"><img alt="Mini sandwiches, cukes, & chips" height="600" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8285/28486849672_72a7585b06_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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<u><a href="http://tiffany-harvey.blogspot.com/2015/04/tofuniku-sweet-meat-tofu-over-rice.html">Tofuniku</a> with edamame</u> ~ Another Japanese recipe my son loves! The meat is simmered in a sweet sauce then served over rice. This is another one where I make a big batch and then freeze small servings for his lunches. I always try to keep frozen rice in the freezer too, and it tastes just like fresh rice when you reheat it.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/28486851102/in/dateposted-public/" title="Tofuniku, edamame, & pears"><img alt="Tofuniku, edamame, & pears" height="600" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8846/28486851102_cdbde49372_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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These pictures were all taken at the end of the year, and I packed in a few more sweets & chips than I normally would. Orson stopped eating pears, peaches, and oranges this year, so I'm having a hard time coming up with fruits for him! </div>
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The Easy Lunch Boxes are not leak-proof, so any time I had something liquidy, I tried to drain it off as good as I could and then tucked a paper towel along the bottom edge of the box ~ </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/28486819192/in/dateposted-public/" title="Paper towel to catch drips in lunchbox"><img alt="Paper towel to catch drips in lunchbox" height="650" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8813/28486819192_95f7360c6e_o.jpg" width="650" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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This worked pretty well, but the pineapple often leaked a bit and made his lunch box smell horrible! I started throwing his lunchbag in with our towel laundry (which <a href="http://tiffany-harvey.blogspot.com/2016/04/stinky-towels-cure-vinegar-baking-soda.html">soak in ammonia</a> before washing). It does a great job of killing the smell. </div>
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This year his 3-year-old sister starts 2 day preschool and will need to bring her lunch too. Unfortunately she hardly eats anything, and her school is nut free (no PBJs), so I have no idea what I'll pack for her! It's time to pull out the calendar and start planning again!</div>
Tharveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04629339835924385161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8631823895621789216.post-65407743674905087812016-07-18T14:03:00.001-04:002016-07-18T14:12:02.902-04:00Rebate Apps & Coupons - 1 Month of Freebies<br />
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Last month I told you about how I started using a few <a href="http://tiffany-harvey.blogspot.com/2016/06/cash-back-with-shopping-rebate-apps.html">rebate apps</a>,
which basically give you back money after you shop when you buy certain
items - kind of like a coupon you use afterward. Even better, you can
use the rebates on top of sales or coupons. Over the last month I've
realized <b>sales, coupons, and rebate apps are not that amazing on
their own, but if you pair them together you can get stuff super cheap,
even free!</b> I've always loved a good puzzle, so I've been having fun looking for the best combinations.</div>
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">Coupons ~</span></u></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
I've
never been very good at coupons. I always go through the newspaper (and
the Kroger digital coupons) and just clip the coupons for things we
often buy. But then I either leave them at home, or the generic brand is
cheaper, or I get all the way up to the register & forget to
use them. I'm pretty terrible at keeping up with them, but seeing how
you can match them up to get much lower deals has got me super motivated
to use them now!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
The best coupons are usually the ones from the newspaper, but you can also find tons of printable coupons on <a href="https://www.coupons.com/">coupons.com</a>.
(Unfortunately there is no search, but chose "Brands" from the category
drop down menu & you can see the coupons for each brand.)
Printable coupons are especially nice when you are just starting out
& don't have a lot on hand. Now I still clip my normal coupons
for stuff we buy a lot, but I also clip anything that I wouldn't mind
getting for free and sort those alphabetically so I can quickly check
different brands when I see a sale or rebate.</div>
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<div>
My
first two weeks I had no idea what I was doing, but I did notice a few
coupon/rebate 'match-ups' and got all of this for free (that's a 3 pk.
of bar soap, but my husband snatched one already, haha) ~</div>
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<div>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/28314992031/in/dateposted-public/" title="Coupon Freebies - Week 1&2"><img alt="Coupon Freebies - Week 1&2" height="600" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8693/28314992031_91f224a938_o.jpg" width="800" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Couponing Sites ~</u></span></div>
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<div>
After
that I started looking around for sites that posted lots of match-up
deal ideas. My favorite two places to look are Krazy Coupon Lady's <a href="http://thekrazycouponlady.com/category/freebies/">freebies</a> category and <a href="http://thekrazycouponlady.com/category/under-1/">under $1</a>. Souther Savers posts similar weekly list for grocery store deals <a href="http://www.southernsavers.com/top-weekly-deals/best-prices-at-all-stores/">here</a>
(she calls them "Top Acorn Deals" because she marks the best deals on
her site with a little acorn icon). She also posts some of the top
pharmacy deals <a href="http://www.southernsavers.com/free-shampoo-top-drugstore-deals-3/">here</a>.</div>
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By
week 3 I was finding lots of good freebies this way, and finally braved
some of the pharmacy deals I'd been passing over before. I'll tell you
about that next!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/28360706186/in/dateposted-public/" title="Coupon Freebies - Week 3"><img alt="Coupon Freebies - Week 3" height="600" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8177/28360706186_8f006324e6_o.jpg" width="800" /></a></div>
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I couldn't resist going back for $25 of free nail polish ~</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/28315002551/in/dateposted-public/" title="Coupon Freebies - Week 3"><img alt="Coupon Freebies - Week 3" height="600" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8844/28315002551_7f287b2737_o.jpg" width="800" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Pharmacies ~</u></span></div>
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<div>
I've
always ignored the CVS, Rite Aid, and Walgreens flyers before, but if
you look close you can find some unbelievable deals. I've found most of
my freebies there! On lots of items you can earn 'bucks' or 'points',
which you can either spend right away or on your next trip. They are
also always running $5 off $15 type sales (that's the total before
coupons), and they print out or email you similar coupons, both of which
you can use together. Add some newspaper/printable coupons on top of
those, and prices get crazy low. I recently found an <a href="http://www.freestufffinder.com/ads/">awesome site</a> where you can preview the pharmacy sales flyers 2-3 weeks in advance!</div>
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Two
weeks ago the Proctor & Gamble coupon insert came out, and all
three stores were running $10 off $30 worth of P&G stuff so you
could match coupons with the sale. I got $36 worth of stuff for $8
(which is the cost of the mascara + the 20 oz., so I'm counting the rest
as freebies!).</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/28394011615/in/dateposted-public/" title="Coupon Freebies - Week 4"><img alt="Coupon Freebies - Week 4" height="600" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8308/28394011615_ef4f48b24f_o.jpg" width="800" /></a></div>
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One
problem with pharmacy deals and rebate apps is that you have to spend
some money up front to get the money back later. This is rough when you
are starting out! I figured out deals at both of the other pharmacies
where I could have gotten another $30 worth of stuff for free, but it
would have temporarily tied up $10-17 in reward bucks per store.
Normally that wouldn't be a big deal, but my business has been super
slow lately, so we're really having to watch what we spend.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<b>But
the big problem with pharmacies is that each of them have different
reward bucks/points programs with different rules to remember, and
sometimes more than one program at the same store!</b> I'd avoided
pharmacy deals before because I didn't know how they worked, and they
really can be confusing! I keep a post-it with each store's guidelines
written down so I can check them before I shop. If you go to either of
those couponing sites I linked above, you can find info on how each
pharmacy works, or I will probably do a post about them soon. If you
don't want to bother dealing with the fine print, I'd stick to CVS,
which is very straight forward with no weird rules.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/28394017455/in/dateposted-public/" title="Coupon Freebies - Week 5"><img alt="Coupon Freebies - Week 5" height="649" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/8/7777/28394017455_23b5a0713a_o.jpg" width="487" /></a></div>
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Last
week we were on vacation, so I didn't have much time to go shopping for
deals, but I did manage to snag some nice snacks for the road trip
before we left!<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/28394016775/in/dateposted-public/" title="Coupon Freebies - Week 5"><img alt="Coupon Freebies - Week 5" height="600" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8471/28394016775_270c0d08b5_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">Extras ~ </span></u></div>
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One thing you've probably noticed is that you can get tons of shampoo, body wash, and toothpaste for free. Way more than you could ever use! I've started a 'freebie box' that my friends can pick out goodies from, and I'm hoping to donate extras to a food pantry or shelter. I've also seen some crazy low prices for diapers (like $2 or even $.50 a pack!), but unfortunately we *just* potty trained our youngest. Wish I'd known about these deals 6 years ago!</div>
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Tharveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04629339835924385161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8631823895621789216.post-16264829668678635482016-07-08T07:48:00.002-04:002016-07-08T07:58:22.685-04:00Coconut Cabbage (99 calories)<div>
Have you ever come across a recipe picture that looks so tasty, but when you glance over the ingredient list, it's not what you imagined at all? And then you decide to make the recipe you *thought* it was? I know I've done it a few times, and that is how this recipe came about.</div>
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I'm glad I gave it a try, because the coconut, onion, and cabbage work together so well, and this simple side dish comes together quickly. The perfect veggie side for an Asian meal! I wasn't expecting it to be too healthy because of the high-calorie coconut, so I was excited to see that each serving is just under 100 calories.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/27889466150/in/dateposted-public/" title="Coconut Cabbage, 1 (99 calories)"><img alt="Coconut Cabbage, 1 (99 calories)" height="533" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7628/27889466150_b32fd7eaeb_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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<i>(For those of you counting calories, I've added the amount for each ingredient so you can easily make tweaks without having to re-calculate everything. Anything marked with an asterisk* may vary based on what you buy, so make sure to compare your label.)</i></div>
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<u><b><span style="font-size: large;">Coconut Cabbage</span></b></u></div>
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<li>1/2 Tbsp. vegetable oil (60)</li>
</div>
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<li>1 cup onion, sliced (60)</li>
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1) In a large pan or wok, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.</div>
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</div>
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<li>1/3 cup shredded coconut (sweetenend, 186*)</li>
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<li>1 tsp. grated ginger (1)</li>
</div>
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<li>1 tsp. minced garlic (0)</li>
</div>
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2) Add the coconut, ginger, & garlic and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.</div>
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<div>
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<li>4 cups shredded green cabbage (80)</li>
</div>
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<li>1 Tbsp. soy sauce (10)</li>
</div>
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<li>1/4 tsp. salt (0)</li>
</div>
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3) Add the cabbage, soy sauce, and salt. Cook until cabbage is wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Serves 4.</div>
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Calories - 99 for 1/4</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/28136555566/in/dateposted-public/" title="Coconut Cabbage, 2 (99 calories)"><img alt="Coconut Cabbage, 2 (99 calories)" height="533" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7398/28136555566_642b71991e_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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Tharveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04629339835924385161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8631823895621789216.post-62642712254228059822016-06-24T20:06:00.001-04:002016-06-24T20:08:08.245-04:00Recipe Trials<div>
Once again I'm rounding up some old pictures from recipes we tried ~ </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/27271325393/in/dateposted-public/" title="Ham & Cheese Pinwheels"><img alt="Ham & Cheese Pinwheels" height="650" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7102/27271325393_40de733191_o.jpg" width="650" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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<a href="http://www.kevinandamanda.com/hot-ham-cheese-party-rolls/?m">Hot Ham & Cheese Party Rolls</a> - This one was from way back in January, when a friend sent us home with spiral-cut ham leftovers. We'd already had ham a few times over the holiday, so I wanted to try something different with it. I varied from the recipe a little by using crescent rolls, and did change up the sauce a bit (dropping the mustard, using about 1/4 the butter and 1/2 the rest). It was hard to work with such thick ham slices, and it ended up ripping some of the rolls apart. I'd recommend using lunchmeat slices normally, but it was a great use for leftovers. These turned out so good, and 5-year-old couldn't get enough of them, so I need to make them again soon!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/27605269700/in/dateposted-public/" title="Chicken Florentine Pasta"><img alt="Chicken Florentine Pasta" height="533" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7720/27605269700_d292e3205a_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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<a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/grilled-chicken-florentine-pasta">Chicken Florentine Pasta</a> - Really good, nice & creamy. I barely changed this recipe & have it typed up ready to share, I just need to get a better photo first!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/27605270660/in/dateposted-public/" title="Dorito Dogs, wrap"><img alt="Dorito Dogs, wrap" height="533" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7422/27605270660_51ed1142df_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/27605271420/in/dateposted-public/" title="Dorito Dogs"><img alt="Dorito Dogs" height="533" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7700/27605271420_3765c25e08_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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<a href="http://www.pillsbury.com/everyday-eats/dinner-tonight/nacho-crusted-crescent-dog?nicam4=SocialMedia&nichn4=Pinterest&niseg4=Pillsbury&nicreatID4=Post&crlt.pid=camp.1iMA8z4HsksM">Dorito Dogs</a> - These were really fun! You wrap hot dogs and cheese slices up in crescent roll rectangles, then roll them in crushed Doritos before baking. I made sure to snap some nice step-by-step pics of this one, but in the end I felt like there was a bit too much cheese and it would actually be better with half of a slice, so I need to re-take the pics to match.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/27605274550/in/dateposted-public/" title="Chicken with Sweet Potatoes, Kale, & Corn"><img alt="Chicken with Sweet Potatoes, Kale, & Corn" height="533" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7791/27605274550_d21211ae88_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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<a href="http://www.jocooks.com/main-courses/poultry-main-courses/chicken-thighs-sweet-potatoes-corn-kale-bake/">Chicken with Sweet Potatoes, Corn, & Kale Bake</a> - We weren't wowed by the chicken on this one, but the corn, kale, onion, and sweet potato mixture was actually shockingly good. We'll definitely keep that in mind for a future side dish.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/27271312313/in/dateposted-public/" title="Broccoli Bites"><img alt="Broccoli Bites" height="533" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7531/27271312313_338bc4527d_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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<a href="http://www.simmworksfamily.com/adventures-in-toddler-food-veggie-bites/">Broccoli Bites</a> - My kids aren't always the best at eating their veggies, but they will often eat roasted veggies that you wouldn't expect, like kale or Brussels sprouts. I searched around for some new veggie recipes I thought they might like, and found lots of mini muffins and 'bites' like these. They were pretty good, and I feel like the kids ate a few when they were fresh, but were not interested in the leftovers at all. So, might be good for a dinner side, but not something I can stick in a lunchbox! (I think next time I would use the chopper and mince the broccoli up so it is small dots instead of giant obvious chunks.)</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/27271315213/in/dateposted-public/" title="Sticky Sweet Chicken & Breaded Asparagus"><img alt="Sticky Sweet Chicken & Breaded Asparagus" height="533" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7456/27271315213_7948309448_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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<a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/caramelized-baked-chicken-legs-wings-145038">Sticky Sweet Chicken</a> & Breaded Asparagus - These drumsticks were supposed to bake in the sauce until it 'caramelized', but I never noticed a change. They were tasty, but from what I can remember the sauce was a little too lightly flavored & might have been better over wings where there is more surface area? Breading the asparagus took way too much work for very little payoff, so I wouldn't bother with that again!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/27271318313/in/dateposted-public/" title="Garlic Ginger Shrimp"><img alt="Garlic Ginger Shrimp" height="533" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7678/27271318313_ee699e309f_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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<a href="http://steamykitchen.com/32974-garlic-ginger-shrimp-stirfry-recipe-video.html">Garlic Ginger Shrimp</a> - I feel like this one was tasty, but there was way too much sauce & the flavor was too strong. Might be worth trying again with some tweaking.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/27806743661/in/dateposted-public/" title="Skinny Quiche"><img alt="Skinny Quiche" height="533" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7292/27806743661_c2fd568ec3_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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<a href="http://www.skinnymom.com/2014/01/15/skinny-quiche/">Skinny Quiche</a> - I added more broccoli to this recipe & divided it into 4 ramekins for individual 200 calorie mini quiches. They were OK, but I started playing around with numbers from our normal quiche recipe, and I think I might be able to make a 200 calorie version using real eggs and less of the low-fat stuff. If they work, I think they would be much better. We'll see!</div>
Tharveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04629339835924385161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8631823895621789216.post-38056276007283544732016-06-16T15:02:00.002-04:002016-06-17T12:45:41.978-04:00Cash Back with Shopping Rebate Apps - Ibotta and more<div>
At the start of the month I was flipping through an old Rachael Ray magazine and saw a mention of a shopping rebate app called <a href="https://ibotta.com/r/nwhblwe">Ibotta</a>. Apparently it's been around for years, but this was the first I'd heard about it! I did some research before downloading the app and was quickly convinced to get it. I've had it for about 1 1/2 weeks, already earned nearly $35 (plus more on my husband's account), and have become a little obsessed!</div>
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<div>
<img src="https://d2enyzngr1a9pt.cloudfront.net/images/img_home_anyBrand-3e4bbfd5ebf332f3715e211a28982da1.jpg" /> </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b></b></span>
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<div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="https://ibotta.com/r/nwhblwe">Ibotta</a> - </b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"></span>
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<div>
<b><u>How does it work? ~ </u></b></div>
<div>
Choose a store, choose rebates, go shopping. Afterward, scan the item barcode and take a picture of your receipt, and you'll get a credit in your account. Once you reach $20 you can cash out to Paypal or Venmo, or they have gift cards for Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, etc.</div>
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<div>
Ibotta works at Walmart, Target, big chain grocery stores, pharmacies, and more. There are a *lot* of rebates (about 200-500 per store), so you definitely won't have trouble finding a deal! Some current examples include $3 off Luvs diapers, $1 off Bounty paper towels, $1 off Banana Boat sunscreen, $2 off Kotex tampons, and so on.</div>
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<b><u>"Any Brand" rebates ~</u></b></div>
<div>
One thing I was really excited about are the 'any brand' offers that rotate out each week. This week you can get $.50 off *any* gallon of milk, $.50 off a dozen eggs, $.25 off bananas, onions, tomatoes, etc. With 2 kids in the house we are constantly buying milk and bananas, so these can really add up over time! </div>
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<b><u>$10 bonus for signing up, $5-10 for referring a friend ~</u></b></div>
<div>
Sign-up, use 1 rebate within the first week, and you get $10! You also get $5 every time a friend joins with your referral link/code, so when you sign-up make sure to find a friend that uses it and share the love (<a href="https://ibotta.com/r/nwhblwe">here's my link</a>, or my code is nwhblwe). This month there was an extra $5 bonus for your first friend, so I had my husband sign up and we both made $10 from that.</div>
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<b><u>Stack rebates with coupons & other rebate apps ~ </u></b></div>
<div>
You can still use a coupon at the store and then get the rebate after shopping. I'm not usually good with coupons, but this has got me motivated to keep my eye out for some great deals! (Check out <a href="https://www.coupons.com/">coupons.com</a> for tons of printable coupons!) You can also redeem the same receipt with multiple rebate apps, which I'll talk about below.</div>
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<div>
Just this week I found some overlapping coupons/rebates and was able to get a Zest body wash and a 3 pack of bar soap for free, a different Zest shower gel for free (I actually made $1.75 off that one), and found Glade candle 2-packs for $.88. I'm definitely going to start stocking up for teacher/birthday/shower gifts!</div>
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<b><u>Bonuses & Teamwork ~</u></b></div>
<div>
Other than the sheer number of rebates, another thing that sets Ibotta apart is the bonuses. There are a ton of extras that you can earn for buying certain combinations, like a $3 bonus for buying 3 items from the health & beauty section, or $.75 bonus for buying a Glade oil warmer and refills in the same trip. These are automatically added to your account so you don't have to 'unlock' them or add them yourself. </div>
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If you find yourself using a lot of rebates, you may be able to get big 'teamwork' bonuses too. Your team consists of your friends on Facebook and friends you referred. If you use enough rebates (between 10-25 this month) and your team earns enough money ($15-30) you can earn a $10+ bonus each month! (The team bonuses are tiered, so 10 rebates and $15 team earnings will earn you $1, then 12 rebates and $20 earnings adds another $2 and so on.) If you want to build up a team, just ask for friends on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/IbottaTeamBuilder/?fref=nf">Ibotta Team Builder</a> page and you will soon have plenty. I didn't want to add a bunch of strangers on my real Facebook, so I created a new FB page just for Ibotta and linked that to my account. But in the end it's easy to get a team that can earn the needed amount, the real challenge is meeting your own requirements if you want the monthly bonuses.</div>
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<b><u>Search & website ~</u></b> </div>
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Another thing that really makes Ibotta shine is the search bar. When you search it will pull up results from rebates, bonuses, and even store names, making it super easy to access anything quickly. Surprisingly *none* of the other rebate apps I tried even had a search option!! Though they do have far fewer rebates to search through (less than 100), it's still very annoying to have to scroll through the list every time. Ibotta does also have a website where you can browse & search through the rebates, though you can only load them on your phone.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Other Rebate Apps?</b></span></div>
There are actually a lot out there! I wasn't really planning on getting more rebate apps, but as I looked online to find some good Ibotta deals, I kept seeing girls say they got another $1 off with this app and another with that app. I did a little more research and picked 3 that seemed to be the most popular & most rewarding. Time will tell!<br />
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<b><u><a href="http://c51.co/i3Qji3QXV">Checkout 51</a> ~</u></b></div>
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While this one has far fewer rebate offers than Ibotta (about 90 this week), it is the largest of the other apps I tried. And there does seem to be a good amount of overlap with coupons, Ibotta rebates, and a couple of 'any brand' offers, which is what makes it really valuable. Once you reach $20 you can request a check, though I have heard it is slow to arrive! They add new rebates every Thursday, and seem to re-load the old ones, so you may need to select them again. They do also have a website interface, but there is no search bar or categories on either. (At least online I can easily drop to the bottom of the page and Ctrl+F to search the page!) So far in the last few days I've earned $6.75 (with a $3 bonus on the way). </div>
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<b><u><a href="https://www.mobisave.com/">MobiSave </a> ~</u></b></div>
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This app does does not offer quite as many rebates (about 60 this week), and frankly a lot of them are duds. They do have a ton of 'any brand' offers on things like clementines, bacon, deodorant and more (about 10 this week), though they each only give you a $.10 rebate. I believe there is also one free item posted each week, which can even make you some money if you find overlapping deals. Any money you earn is deposited instantly into your Paypal account. There is no website option, and no search bar, but you can at least browse through the rebates by category. This week I got one free item ($3) and about $.40 from 'any brand' rebates.</div>
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<b><u><a href="https://savingstar.com/coupons">Saving Star</a> ~</u></b></div>
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This app offers the fewest amount of rebates (40 this week), and most of them seem to be cumulative, like a $5 rebate when you spend $25 on Frito-Lays products (not all on one trip). Those bonuses are really only helpful if it is a product your family buys a whole lot of, but offers a nice bonus if you do (we might actually reach the Lays amount, haha). They do also have a weekly 'healthy' offer for 20% off a produce item, like cucumbers or mangoes. And about once a month there is a free item - this month it's a frozen pizza. You can cash out to your Paypal or bank account once you've earned $5. They do also have a website where you can browse and add the rebates to your account, and you can sort the offers by category there (not on the app). With all of the cumulative offers, I haven't earned anything on this app yet, though I'll definitely snag that free pizza that just popped up!<br />
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In the end, I'd say Ibotta is definitely worth getting, and you can really rack up some extra money with it if you use it regularly. The other rebate apps are a little hit & miss, though when they overlap with other deals, you can get items for a fraction of the price (or even free!). Let me know if you have a favorite rebate app I didn't mention here, or know if any good deals!</div>
Tharveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04629339835924385161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8631823895621789216.post-49147280233341311172016-06-06T21:09:00.001-04:002016-06-06T21:09:14.170-04:00The Painted Couch Project
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<span>Painting couches?! I know it sounds a little crazy, but it is possible. Painting our couch showed me that you can get a good result, but unfortunately ours was not a very good candidate for painting (I'll explain why below). The finished couch looks decent in the living room, but if you get up close, it has some flaws. I actually finished this project a long time ago, but was too bummed with the finished job to take pics.</span></div>
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<span>And Target is pretty much to blame for the whole thing! It all started with this lovely settee that we ordered from Target's website ~ </span></div>
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<span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/15046205835/in/photolist-7t9AP7-4uMxgd-oVzJMZ" title="Target pic - Velvet Canary Settee"><img alt="Target pic - Velvet Canary Settee" height="300" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5558/15046205835_9e5373048c_o.jpg" width="450" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></span></div>
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<span>Now, I know color varies a little bit on your computer screen, but that picture was so far off the mark! Instead of a bright, vibrant yellow, we ended up with a pale, pastel color. See below. It's not a terrible color, but definitely not what I had in mind for the room. </span></div>
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<span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/27477146006/in/dateposted-public/" title="Couch, pale yellow, before"><img alt="Couch, pale yellow, before" height="533" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7127/27477146006_e6c403be04_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></span></div>
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<span>I hadn't really found any similar couches to replace it with, and I didn't want to deal with trying to ship such a huge thing back to return it, so I dealt with it. I thought maybe the color would grow on me, but weeks later I was still grumbling every time I walked past it. Finally I started doing a little research on painting furniture, and decided I needed to give it a try. It was a little nerve-wracking to test it out on a brand new couch (that we just paid hundreds for), but my research had me pretty confident about the whole project, especially since we just needed to change the color a little!</span></div>
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<span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/27235103300/in/dateposted-public/" title="Painting couch, 1"><img alt="Painting couch, 1" height="650" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7290/27235103300_9447deecf9_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></span></div>
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<span>First I perused the craft paints and picked out my favorite two yellows. I took apart the couch, tried them out on a hidden area, and was getting pretty excited. </span></div>
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<span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26903612903/in/dateposted-public/" title="Painting couch, 2"><img alt="Painting couch, 2" height="533" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/8/7425/26903612903_2d1eff48ee_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></span></div>
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<span>From all of the tutorials I read, for each coat you want to mix 1 part paint, 1 part textile medium, and 1 part water. The textile medium makes the paint a little more flexible, and it will adhere to the fabric a little better. For the first coat, you may want to spray the fabric with water first, or use more water in your mixture. I didn't notice much of a difference at the time, so I skipped that step.</span></div>
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<span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/27439365291/in/dateposted-public/" title="Painting couch, 3"><img alt="Painting couch, 3" height="533" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7300/27439365291_6f79c5d14c_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></span></div>
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<span>Once the paint dries, you rub everything down with sandpaper to soften it up a bit, then do another coat or two until opaque. Simple enough? Naturally I had a few unexpected problems!</span></div>
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<span>1) Hobby Lobby only stocked about 3-4 bottles of the yellow craft paint at a time, and it didn't take me long to get through those. The store wouldn't re-stock for a week, and sometimes missed a week (maybe I bought it after they'd sent in the order for the week). I checked the other craft stores in town, and didn't have luck with those, so then I started driving to every Hobby Lobby in nearby towns. I was having to hit store after store for weeks, and the project dragged on. I probably should have just asked the employees to order a big batch for me, but I kept thinking I only needed 4 more bottles & I'd be done (I was wrong again and again). In the end I needed about 20 bottles of paint, though I wouldn't have needed quite so much if I hadn't made a mistake (see #4).</span></div>
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<span>2) Apparently velvet is not a great fabric to paint, with its longer, fuzzy fibers. This might not have even been a problem if the couch was mostly large, flat areas, because the flat back & sides of the couch turned out pretty nice & soft. But everywhere there was a pleat or tuft, I ended up with rough edges that would just not sand down to get soft. :( And with a tufted, velvet couch, I was pretty much doomed from the start!</span></div>
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<span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/27511590315/in/dateposted-public/" title="Painted couch close-up (dingy)"><img alt="Painted couch close-up (dingy)" height="533" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7323/27511590315_ed3afb0c7b_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></span></div>
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<span>3) Since the tufted seat of the couch still had a lot of rough spots, I pulled out a coarser sanding block to see if that would help. Unfortunately all it did was leave a gray color on the fabric that I couldn't remove, making the seat area look pretty dingy.</span></div>
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<span>4) After I'd done about 2 or 3 coats on the whole couch, and was ready to be finished, I realized that the paint had not gotten down to the bottom of the fibers, and the pale yellow was peeking through in some spots (especially in cracks along the pleats). Remember how I skipped that extra watery coat for the first step? Yeah, that probably would have helped it really sink down there. I ended up having to buy even more paint for another coat and really soaking the thing. </span></div>
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<span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/27235105430/in/dateposted-public/" title="Painted couch"><img alt="Painted couch" height="533" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7115/27235105430_9614d32698_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></span></div>
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<span>In the end, I love the color, and we do get lots of compliments on the couch. Just don't look at it too close! While the paint job is a little rougher & more uneven than I would like, I suppose I would be even grumpier with the couch if it were still that pale yellow color. But I don't know that I would recommend furniture painting unless it is a very flat, and not a plush fabric! </span></div>
Tharveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04629339835924385161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8631823895621789216.post-25992725460477787082016-05-27T20:08:00.000-04:002016-05-27T20:13:46.071-04:00Updated Dollhouse Mailbox & Swings<div>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/21165182010/in/photolist-xA2Sn2-yfi6ed-s41ggY" title="8-15 Dollhouse, 2"><img alt="8-15 Dollhouse, 2" height="650" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5772/21165182010_677d30c29d_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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Last year we brought home a dollhouse we found out on the curb, and since then my daughter has played with it *every day*. For her 3rd birthday, we figured it was time for an upgrade, and splurged to buy this furnished <a href="http://www.amazon.com/KidKraft-65822-Modern-Dollhouse/dp/B00BTTBX6Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464386179&sr=8-1&keywords=kidkraft+modern+dollhouse">modern beauty</a> ~ </div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/KidKraft-65822-Modern-Dollhouse/dp/B00BTTBX6Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464386179&sr=8-1&keywords=kidkraft+modern+dollhouse"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/91cIdQmb4lL._SL1500_.jpg" width="600" /></a> </div>
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The only problem ~ some of her favorite things from the old house were the swings and mailbox that opens and closes, and I couldn't find a good replacement for either. The old house was already broken, so we finally decided to just take them off and add them to her new house! With a little updating...</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/27259668046/in/dateposted-public/" title="Mailbox, 1"><img alt="Mailbox, 1" height="533" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7454/27259668046_3a14ec26a4_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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The banisters were already broken right above the mailbox, so we just pulled off this section. I decided to cut the box off and attach it to one of the posts.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/27259668176/in/dateposted-public/" title="Mailbox, 2"><img alt="Mailbox, 2" height="533" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7212/27259668176_fd618ebf5a_o.jpg" width="799" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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Easier said than done. The box was attached completely along the left side and bottom, and the plastic was very hard. I ended up having to use a cutting wheel on my Dremel to saw the pieces apart, then used a sanding wheel grind it down smooth (finished off with some sandpaper). The plastic was pretty crazy to work with, because it actually melted under the heat from the tools, and the sanded bits balled up instead of falling off.</div>
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After that was smoothed out, it was time for paint. I had planned on painting both the mailbox and swings part silver and part yellow, but then I realized I was out of my favorite <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-262662-Universal-11-Ounce-Metallic/dp/B008COLPIW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1464387842&sr=8-2&keywords=rustoleum+steel">silver spraypaint</a>, and didn't really want to shell out another $8 right then. I did have a can of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-249131-Universal-Surface-Metallic/dp/B0049XUN74/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464394394&sr=8-1&keywords=rustoleum+oil+rubbed">Oil Rubbed Bronze</a> color though, which is a dark metallic brown-black, and perfect for a mailbox.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/27259667996/in/dateposted-public/" title="Mailbox, 3"><img alt="Mailbox, 3" height="533" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7303/27259667996_538f4af42b_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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After the paint was dry, I flipped the post over and attached it with a little two-part epoxy. I also found some wooden circles at the craft store, painted one green, and used it as a base. We both love the finished mailbox!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/27259668106/in/dateposted-public/" title="Mailbox, 4"><img alt="Mailbox, 4" height="650" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7603/27259668106_5947a2d98f_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/27259667896/in/dateposted-public/" title="Mailbox, 5"><img alt="Mailbox, 5" height="650" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7380/27259667896_080e4367e5_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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The swings didn't require any sanding, but the paint sure gave me some problems! For some reason I can't find a 'before' picture of the swings, but you can maybe see from the first blog pic that one was pink and one was blue on a white chain. I started painting the seats yellow with the Rust-Oleum 2x paint (Gloss Sun Yellow) that I used on my plastic <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26437802352/in/dateposted-public/">magazine files</a>. While the yellow paint worked pretty well on the cut out areas of the files, I did have some problems with it cracking on the large, flat areas. I had the same cracking problems on the flat areas of the seats, and one time I guess I forgot to shake the can first and the paint sprayed out super-speed and pooled up in the seat with a darker orange color!</div>
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At that point the paint job was ruined, so I ditched the yellow idea and went with the trusty metallic paint. Unfortunately that meant picking off all of the yellow paint, bit by bit, out of all of those little grooves. Towards the end, I tried soaking them in water first, and the paint was much easier to peel off. The metallic paint went on like a dream!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26686110824/in/dateposted-public/" title="Swings, 1"><img alt="Swings, 1" height="533" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7539/26686110824_c6a779e32c_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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And Re-assembled. I do still think these would look better in the silver, and might end up re-coating them when I have a new bottle on hand. </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26686110994/in/dateposted-public/" title="Swings, 2"><img alt="Swings, 2" height="650" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7349/26686110994_5954e2d52b_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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I debated about how to hang the swings, and considered cutting open a thick drinking straw to slip the bar inside. I perused the 3M adhesive hooks, but unfortunately all of the hooks pointed straight up, and I needed something that curved back in a little since I was hanging them horizontally. Luckily I found these adhesive double hooks nearby in the clearance section! I thought the small hooks were a good size, but knew I could use the bigger hooks otherwise (I needed the bigger ones, of course).</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26686110934/in/dateposted-public/" title="Swings, 3"><img alt="Swings, 3" height="533" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7768/26686110934_86b5221d83_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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The adhesive hooks were super easy to attach, and the house had the perfect ledge, right out on the patio by the pool ~</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26686110854/in/dateposted-public/" title="Swings, 4"><img alt="Swings, 4" height="650" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7073/26686110854_e212e319f7_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26686110794/in/dateposted-public/" title="Swings, 5"><img alt="Swings, 5" height="650" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7281/26686110794_e307b8d227_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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My updates ended up taking a lot of unexpected work, but I love the results. I'm so glad I transplanted these! </div>
Tharveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04629339835924385161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8631823895621789216.post-45370621132790070212016-05-13T18:28:00.000-04:002016-05-13T18:28:41.647-04:00Easy Drip Pan Cleaning
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<span>Drip pans ~ you know those metal plates that sit under your burners to catch all of the spills? Ours get filled with burnt gunk so quickly, and they are a big pain to clean. Not to mention that it always tears my nails up trying to get the scouring pad in the nooks!</span></div>
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<span>Recently my pans were at their worst! We hadn't had company over for a while, which means we hadn't cleaned for a while, and the mostly hidden pans were pretty low on my cleaning priority list. The worse they got, the more I put it off, because I knew how tough they would be to clean. I hate throwing salvageable things away, but at that point I was about ready to just break out a new set and toss them.</span></div>
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<span>Pinterest to the rescue! Most of the links recommended stuffing them in a big Ziplock with a little ammonia and letting it sit for 24 hours. I tried it out with my absolute worst drip pan, and the next day it was a beauty!!</span></div>
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<span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26902127302/in/dateposted-public/" title="Easily clean drip pans, before & after"><img alt="Easily clean drip pans, before & after" height="533" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7136/26902127302_fd150436f8_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></span></div>
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<span>For the next pan, I took some step-by-step shots to show the progress. Here is the pan at the start ~</span></div>
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<span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26390626264/in/dateposted-public/" title="Easily clean drip pans, before 1"><img alt="Easily clean drip pans, before 1" height="533" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7353/26390626264_904cce27e7_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></span></div>
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<span>And then I ran it under some water and lightly used a scrub brush just to knock out any of the large, loose bits ~ </span></div>
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<span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26390625664/in/dateposted-public/" title="Easily clean drip pans, before 2"><img alt="Easily clean drip pans, before 2" height="533" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7136/26390625664_c0babb448a_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></span></div>
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<span>Into the baggie! I put the ring first, the pan on top, and poured a little ammonia into the pan. You can easily fit 2 sets in one bag. Let it sit for about a day ~</span></div>
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<span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26390625244/in/dateposted-public/" title="Easily clean drip pans, soaking in ammonia"><img alt="Easily clean drip pans, soaking in ammonia" height="533" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7350/26390625244_8e8cb63c94_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></span></div>
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<span>When you pull it out, it will look about the same. But with some light scrubbing from a scouring sponge (like Scotch Brite), the burnt gunk will just fall off!</span></div>
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<span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26722631550/in/dateposted-public/" title="Easily clean drip pans, after soaking"><img alt="Easily clean drip pans, after soaking" height="533" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7723/26722631550_57463943ea_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></span></div>
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<span>I usually ended up with some small bits of black still stuck on there...</span></div>
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<span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26902123782/in/dateposted-public/" title="Easily clean drip pans, after scrubbing"><img alt="Easily clean drip pans, after scrubbing" height="533" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7674/26902123782_85cedc4ba0_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></span></div>
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<span>The first time around I had one bad area, so I tried giving it another 24 our soak with ammonia, but that didn't seem to make a difference. I pulled out the metal scouring pad and easily knocked off the last spots. And in a few areas there was some light brown, sticky residue, which I removed with a magic eraser.</span></div>
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<span>Behold the shiny!</span></div>
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<span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26392540573/in/dateposted-public/" title="Easily clean drip pans, after"><img alt="Easily clean drip pans, after" height="533" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7650/26392540573_3b3e08cd2e_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></span></div>
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<span>I was so happy to find this easy tip! Try it out & pass it on to make someone else's life easier, and maybe save a few burner pans from ending up in the landfill!</span></div>
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<span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26902127302/in/dateposted-public/" title="Easily clean drip pans, before & after"><img alt="Easily clean drip pans, before & after" height="533" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7136/26902127302_fd150436f8_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></span></div>
Tharveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04629339835924385161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8631823895621789216.post-17601027353886201262016-05-03T20:48:00.000-04:002016-05-03T20:48:00.353-04:00Pepperoni Pizza Puffs
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<span>It's been so long since I posted an actual recipe! This recipe is a rare instance when I tried tweaking things a few times (like adding a layer of sauce in the muffin), but apparently I didn't write any of my changes down. So I went back & made <a href="http://lickthebowlgood.blogspot.com/2010/07/annoying-habits.html">the recipe</a> as-is, and it was perfect! You can serve them with a side of pizza sauce for dipping, but they are so tasty on their own, we never bother! These savory little bites are a crowd pleaser, and they are so easy to make, I always let my kids help.</span></div>
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<span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26196843174/in/dateposted-public/" title="Pepperoni Pizza Puffs"><img alt="Pepperoni Pizza Puffs" height="533" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7066/26196843174_ff20a98453_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span>Pepperoni Pizza Puffs</span></span></b></div>
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<span>3/4 cup flour</span></div>
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<span>3/4 tsp. baking powder</span></div>
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<span>1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning</span></div>
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<span>1/4 tsp. salt</span></div>
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<span>1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)</span></div>
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<span>3/4 cup skim milk</span></div>
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<span>1 egg, lightly beaten</span></div>
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<span><span><span>1 cup mini pepperoni (or chopped pepperoni slices)</span></span> </span></div>
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<span>1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese</span></div>
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<span>1/4 cup Parmesan cheese</span></div>
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<span>Pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce for dipping (optional)</span></div>
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<span>1) Preheat your oven to 375 F.</span></div>
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<span>2) In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the milk, egg, pepperoni, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese. Let sit for 10 minutes, and grease/spray a 24 cup mini muffin tin.</span></div>
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<span>3) Divide the batter evenly among the mini muffin cups, about 3/4th full. Bake until puffed and golden, about 20-25 minutes. While they are still warm, use a table knife to gently push them away from the sides of the tin until loose (they will stick if you let them cool.) </span></div>
Tharveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04629339835924385161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8631823895621789216.post-82952703719271298322016-04-26T13:17:00.000-04:002016-04-26T13:30:02.959-04:00Office Space Makeover - Finished!<div>
Last month I shared the <a href="http://tiffany-harvey.blogspot.com/2016/03/office-space-makeover-plans.html">inspiration pics</a> for my office area makeover, as well as the furniture & supplies that I bought to start the project. And last week I posted about the <a href="http://tiffany-harvey.blogspot.com/2016/04/office-space-makeover-decor-organizers.html">decor & organizers</a> I picked up for the new shelving. Well, I'm happy to say my pretty office space is all finished, and today I'm sharing a few in-progress pics as well as the final results.</div>
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Once again, here is the before shot of my cluttered desk, in front of the old fashioned wallpaper. *shudder* ~ </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/25983377461" title="Desk, before"><img alt="Desk, before" height="650" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1592/25983377461_631592ff51_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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I really wanted to paint the wall before putting up my new shelves, but my husband was hesitant. So naturally I had to rip down the old wallpaper and get things rolling! First though, I had to remove this random long shelf over the dining room entrance. It might have been useful if I could fit serving platters up there, but it's so narrow & short you can only display tiny plates. </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26054812064/in/dateposted-public/" title="Too narrow plate rail"><img alt="Too narrow plate rail" height="533" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1661/26054812064_47a3a462fd_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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My nearly-3-year-old was very happy to help with the wall paper removal. She loves peeling! ~</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26594893241/in/dateposted-public/" title="Panda peeling wallpaper"><img alt="Panda peeling wallpaper" height="650" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1531/26594893241_166838ec0a_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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And of course pulling down one layer of wallpaper revealed an even uglier wallpaper underneath!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26567094652/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="2nd layer of wallpaper"><img alt="2nd layer of wallpaper" height="650" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1623/26567094652_b530afc574_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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The 2nd layer of wallpaper was apparently impenetrable. I attempted to scrape some off, but to even remove a tiny bit meant completely marring the wall underneath, so I decided this was a case where we just needed to paint over it. I'm usually not a big fan of painting over wallpaper, but this is such a small area (and most of it is just above doorways), that seams are not going to be a big issue.</div>
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To show you the area I'm working with, my desk sits between the dining room and kitchen (with a nice view of the living room too). I'm painting around the door of our dining room...</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26387196870/in/dateposted-public/" title="Dining room entrance"><img alt="Dining room entrance" height="533" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1630/26387196870_c0af412169_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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then turn to the right & my desk goes on that left wall, and then you have this little nook with doors going to the pantry, laundry room, and garage. ~</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26387190550/in/dateposted-public/" title="Desk wall & door nook"><img alt="Desk wall & door nook" height="533" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1695/26387190550_f799cef3fa_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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While we working on the walls, my new desk arrived, and the kids had a great time un-packing the box!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26022990763/in/dateposted-public/" title="3-16 Desk unpacking"><img alt="3-16 Desk unpacking" height="600" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1712/26022990763_808de9fed9_o.jpg" width="600" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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They really wanted to help me assemble it, and we finished everything except the drawers before bed. But that gave me the perfect chance to add a special touch! I fell in love with the picture below and really wanted to add black stripes to the sides of my drawers ~ </div>
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<a href="http://blog.cuttingedgestencils.com/stenciling-a-peek-a-boo-pattern-on-furniture.html"><img src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/f1/82/02/f1820219552d9296acac44915fd1a99a.jpg" width="300" /></a> </div>
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While they were still in pieces, I measured and taped off my stripes, and painted them in with some black craft paint. Unfortunately it turns out the outsides of those drawers look just like the *inside* of my drawers, so I didn't even realize my mistake until I sat down to assemble them the next day. So dumb!! (Also the outsides of my drawers have giant metal tracks on them, which pretty much throws out the stripe idea. Oh well!)</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26567146992/in/dateposted-public/" title="Drawer stripe fail"><img alt="Drawer stripe fail" height="533" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1617/26567146992_80defc7278_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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So, now that our house is covered in styrofoam packing bits, and we have two desks sitting around, let's get back to the walls....</div>
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After pulling down the 1st layer of wallpaper I washed the wall to remove the glue residue, puttied & sanded many holes, and then we applied 2 coats of <a href="http://www.homedepot.com/p/Zinsser-Bulls-Eye-1-2-3-1-gal-White-Water-Based-Interior-Exterior-Primer-and-Sealer-2001/100398391">Bullseye 1-2-3</a> water based primer to make sure the wallpaper pattern was well covered.</div>
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For the paint I chose a light gray - "White Metal" by Behr (mixed in the i300 flat base). Which looks nothing like this, of course ~ </div>
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<a href="http://www.homedepot.com/p/BEHR-Premium-Plus-1-gal-N520-1-White-Metal-Flat-Interior-Paint-105001/205282424"><img src="http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/400/87/87c881e7-f53a-4e60-abb8-f26c3e161684_400.jpg" /></a> </div>
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In the end I'm not loving my color choice. It's not terrible, but the gray has a slight purple tint in this room, which isn't great with all of the yellow details, and I wish it was a shade darker to pop more against the white. But it's going to be a long time before we'll have any interest in painting it again! </div>
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In between coats of paint & touch-ups, I also worked on spray painting some stuff. I had originally planned on painting the brackets yellow, but after a quick photo mock-up, my husband and I definitely agreed that would be too much yellow. Silver looked the best, so I grabbed my trusty Rust-oleum Metallic spray in "Dark Steel". I love this stuff!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26056435843/in/dateposted-public/" title="Painted brackets"><img alt="Painted brackets" height="533" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1514/26056435843_0d611544de_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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I also picked up an owl hook from Hobby Lobby to hang my purse on, and gave him the silver treatment too ~ </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26594986881/in/dateposted-public/" title="Painted owl hook"><img alt="Painted owl hook" height="600" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1548/26594986881_a0a99be30c_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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And this is the part of the project where we had to visit Home Depot 5 times in one week, and every time I turned around we were spending another $20. Each bracket has 8 holes in it, so Justin had to buy a pack of screws for the bottom holes (deep) and another for the top holes (not so deep). I had to buy another gallon of the primer and another can of silver spray paint. The studs for our shelves were not where we expected them to be at all because that wall is where they built the expansion on the house, so we had to go back for some dry-wall anchors for one side. One of the brackets was a little warped (make sure to eyeball them!), so I picked up a new one. We needed new, white outlet covers and switches. And the original shelves I had delivered to the store were trashed, so I had to return those & buy a new set. Ugghhh!</div>
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Once the brackets & shelves were *finally* up and the outlets were replaced, I worked on cleaning everything up and getting my desk in place. I arranged my drawers with some small dollar store bins I already had on hand. Not so glamorous, but free ~ </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26633935226/in/dateposted-public/" title="Desk drawers"><img alt="Desk drawers" height="533" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1489/26633935226_d8a9eef191_o.jpg" width="799" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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With that stuff stored away, we realized the shelves were really, really empty! Time to begrudgingly throw some more money at it. (Details about the stuff I got for my shelves <a href="http://tiffany-harvey.blogspot.com/2016/04/office-space-makeover-decor-organizers.html">here</a>.)</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26594999271/in/dateposted-public/" title="office_shelves"><img alt="office_shelves" height="533" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1685/26594999271_4eeefd7988_o.jpg" width="799" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26530138725/in/dateposted-public/" title="Desk, fabric tote"><img alt="Desk, fabric tote" height="533" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1582/26530138725_61c9bae43a_o.jpg" width="799" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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After some more touch-ups and a little caulk, everything was finally finished! </div>
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I'm loving my pretty, new office space ~</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26054900814/in/dateposted-public/" title="Office area makeover"><img alt="Office area makeover" height="650" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1648/26054900814_4fe1982d95_o.jpg" width="433" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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It's amazing how out of hand even a small remodling project can get, and we definitely felt like our house was upside down for a few weeks there. I'm so happy to have a desk again, and now I can even do crazy things, like easily unplugging my laptop, or using the light switch without taking something off the shelf, haha. Of course I still have a few small office items I'd like to add to it soonish, but for now I'm enjoying having a very functional and lovely work space for once!</div>
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Finishing off this project has also motivated me to get back into the living room and finally do all of the caulking and touch-ups I've been putting off in that room. The living room has been about 95% finished for months now, so I'm hoping to knock out the rest of those jobs soon and get another nice set of 'after' pictures. I want to paint everything!</div>
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And I'll leave you with a side-by-side before & after pic to enjoy!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26056466033/in/dateposted-public/" title="Desk - Before & after"><img alt="Office area makeover - Before & after" height="650" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1674/26056466033_e7d7d1f3be_o.jpg" width="876" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
Tharveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04629339835924385161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8631823895621789216.post-42606464028525652632016-04-19T17:38:00.001-04:002016-04-20T11:01:30.496-04:00Office Space Makeover - Decor & Organizers<div>
We worked our butts off over Spring Break priming & painting the walls, then hanging the shelves over my new yellow desk. I am still waiting on one more thing to come in the mail before I can take the official 'after' pictures, so for now I thought I'd share some links for the decor & organizers I picked up along the way.</div>
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I was able to store most of my essentials in the two small desk drawers, but that left those new shelves very, very empty! I set out to find some new decor, but after visiting 7 stores, the only yellow thing I saw were some citronella candles. Such a hard color! Then I searched for about as long online and finally found this pretty Moroccan style lantern on Amazon for only $15 (click the pic for the link) ~ </div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/hanging-Hexagon-Moroccan-Lantern-Holders/dp/B00FUAPM9E?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81bx7ORcwAL._SL1500_.jpg" height="600" /></a> </div>
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I poked around through my college artwork and decided to finally frame a pastel piece that's always been one of our favorites but has been tucked away all this time. I headed over to Hobby Lobby to get a frame, but of course the art ended up being an unusual size! I turned to eBay and picked up a custom frame from <a href="http://stores.ebay.com/myusaart1/">myusart*com</a> for $25 (counting shipping). I ordered a custom frame from them for a small poster years ago and both frames turned out great.</div>
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<a href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/320838854209?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&var=510053838680&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT"><img src="http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/gfMAAOxy4fVTAY26/s-l1600.jpg" width="600" /></a> </div>
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While I was searching the stores for decor, I also had my eye out for a nice paper tray and a small tote (storage box) to help corral any clutter on my desk. Thank goodness I finally had some luck at Target and found both. I wanted a 3-tiered paper tray with narrow slots, and was about to buy this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Officemate-Two-Way-Organizer-3-Tier-22904/dp/B0040FFO34/ref=sr_1_50?ie=UTF8&qid=1461026245&sr=8-50&keywords=clear+file+three">clear one</a> from Amazon for $25. So of course I was thrilled to find this patterned one at Target for only $13! </div>
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<a href="http://www.target.com/p/vertical-storage-room-essentials/-/A-50377560#prodSlot=medium_3_59&term=room+essentials+storage"><img src="http://scene7.targetimg1.com/is/image/Target/50377560?wid=480&hei=480" /></a></div>
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It's even a cousin to that yellow magazine file I was <a href="http://www.target.com/p/room-essentials-desktop-storage-unit/-/A-16654861#prodSlot=medium_1_6&term=Room+Essentials%E2%84%A2+Desktop+Storage+Unit">obsessed with</a>, haha. I thought I might paint the black silver, but the lantern and frame added in some black, so it's looking good as-is.</div>
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I also had a hard time finding a small tote that I liked because everything smallish had short sides. I wanted something a little taller that was going to hide my junk a little! This pretty $6 tote is covered in gray & silver woven fabric and the size is just right. It's not listed online, so you'll have to hunt for it in the store.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26530138725/in/dateposted-public/" title="Desk, fabric tote"><img alt="Desk, fabric tote" height="533" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1582/26530138725_61c9bae43a_o.jpg" width="799" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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The metallic silver is reflecting yellow off my desk in that picture, so you can see the fabric better here ~ </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26257273560/in/dateposted-public/" title="Fabric tote detail"><img alt="Fabric tote detail" height="533" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1561/26257273560_de1bb1a65e_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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I grabbed those old plastic, gray magazine files I mentioned in the last post and gave them a good coating of Rust-Oleum 2X spray paint in "Gloss Sun Yellow". I was a little worried about the durability, so I thought I might just paint one to start with, but the yellow looked *so* much better that I painted the 2nd one right away.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26437802352/in/dateposted-public/" title="Painted magazine files"></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanyharvey/26437802352/in/dateposted-public/" title="Painted magazine files"><img alt="Painted magazine files" height="533" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1461/26437802352_b1b4e3b3b4_o.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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And for my final splurge, I picked up this adorable letterpress print of office supplies in yellow and gray. I fell in love with it a while ago, but it took me a while to hunt down the source, and when I did I was bummed to see that it was $25. Not that $25 is pricey for an art print, but at this point I'd already spent *so much more* on this whole project than we intended, and so it went onto my wishlist. But of course, as I arranged all of my new goodies on the shelves, there was a perfect empty spot that really needed an 8x10 print. It was meant to be.</div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/182036992/office-letterpress?ref=hp_mod_rf"><img src="https://img0.etsystatic.com/000/1/5613658/il_570xN.248285004.jpg" /></a><br />
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The print should be here in the next few days, and then I can finally take some pics of everything all together. </div>
Tharveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04629339835924385161noreply@blogger.com1