Archives for February 2014

Over 50 Popcorn Treats to Make

[pinit]50 Plus Best Popcorn Recipes @savedbyloves[pinit]

Popcorn… yum!  This house consumes it’s share of this versatile treat, that is for sure.  Did you know popcorn has only 33 calories per cup?  Well, not when you combine it with things like chocolate, peanut butter and caramel, but it is healthier than other things you might combine with these ingredients!  Here are 50+ tasty popcorn recipes to try.  Enjoy!


Delicious Spinach Meat Lasagna Recipe

[pinit]Lasagna Recipe @savedbyloves[pinit]

Do you love lasagna as much as I do?  It is a personal favorite, especially when I can eat it without guilt.  Today I am sharing my recipe for a protein, vitamin packed spinach and ground sirloin lasagna.  I use cottage cheese in place of half of the ricotta cheese to cut back on fat, with no compromise in taste!

Best Lasagna Recipes

INGREDIENTS:

12 lasagna noodles

1 pound lean ground sirloin or ground turkey

2 minced garlic cloves

24 ounces marinara sauce

16 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained

2 cups cottage cheese

2 cups ricotta cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 egg

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Boil lasagna noodles per instructions.  While they are boiling, cook and crumble ground meat in large skillet.  Pour off grease.

Add garlic to meat and cook 2 more minutes.

Add marinara to meat, stir and remove from heat.

Strain spinach and remove excess water.

Combine cottage cheese, ricotta, spinach, 1 cup of mozzarella, parmesan, egg, salt and pepper in mixing bowl.

Spread a thin layer of sauce with meat on bottom of 9×13 inch baking dish.

Place 3 cooked lasagna noodles over sauce.

Spread 1/3 of cheese mixture over noodles and spoon 3/4 cup of sauce over the cheese.

Repeat these layers, topping final layer of noodles with remaining sauce and remaining cup of mozzarella.

Bake in preheated oven at 375°F for 45 minutes.  Enjoy!

Retro Style Painted Shoe DIY

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Hi there! I’m excited to share this project with you today for a few reasons – a) it’s ‘wearable art’ and what’s more fun than wearing something you created, and b) it’s a great project for Spring.

I don’t think there’s one of us who isn’t ready for Spring, right?

Seriously. What a winter!

These shoes are a paint-in-an-afternoon project too. Which I happen to love. Instant gratification and all that.

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You only need a few supplies –

  • white canvas slip-on’s. (I got mine at Walmart for under $6.)
  • Fresh Foliage paint by FolkArt
  • Deep Ocean Blue by Folk Art
  • Pink Melon (not pictured)
  • .500 Prisma pen (a fineline Sharpie will do just fine too)

optional: Krylon Matte Spray sealer

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Start by penciling the shapes onto the shoes. Just randomly, maybe overlapping a few here and there.

There is no right or wrong to this.

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If you’re uneasy about freehanding your shapes, you can cut some templates out of a manila file folder.

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Then just trace around them.

I chose these ‘guitar pick’ shapes as the outline for some retro dandelions I saw online. But you could certainly paint any shapes you wanted.

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Fill in the shapes, starting with one color. Then move on to the second color. This helps spread the colors around evenly, painting one color at a time.

I didn’t prep the shoes in any way, just painted right on top of them and it worked great. You could, however, basecoat the entire shoe first, if you wanted another color besides white.

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After painting the blue and green, take the end of your paint brush, dip it into some paint and ‘dot’ randomly around the shoe.

This not only adds some extra interest, it also keeps you busy while the dandelions are drying.

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Just for fun, add a third color of dots, like Pink Melon. A sunny yellow or bright orange would be cute too, or any other color that feels like Spring.

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Once the paint has dried, it’s time to add some little lines and dots with your fine tip marker.

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Just little lines with a little dot on the end to look like funky dandelions.

If there’s room, draw some stems for the dandelions too.

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You can also draw a little swirl in the dots.

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I just added a few swirls here and there.

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The marker will dry very quickly and then you’ll have a fresh new pair of kicks for Spring!

Which, hopefully, will be here very, very soon!

One last thing – you can seal the shoes with Krylon Matte sealer, if you choose. I didn’t because acrylic paint is really pretty durable however the sealer would also make them much easier to clean.

Thanks so much for hanging out with me today. I’ll see you again next month with another fun paint project. In the meantime, please drop by Just Paint It and say hi. You can also find me on Facebook, Google+, Pinterest and Instagram too.

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Over 50 Amazing Spring Decor Ideas

[pinit]50 Amazing Spring Decor ideas @savedbyloves[pinit]

This has been one long, cold and snowy winter.  Are you ready for spring?  Today I am sharing 50 of the best DIY spring decorating projects out there.  I hope you are inspired to usher in the spring.   It is coming, truly!


Rustic Hand Painted Sign Giveaway With Little Red Porch

[pinit]Win a you are my sunshine handpainted sign from @savedbyloves
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UPDATE:  CONTEST OVER.  WINNER SELECTED!! I am so thrilled to bring you all a chance to win another beautiful hand painted sign from Little Red Porch.  I first introduced you to Pam and her signs with this DIY Rustic Hand Painted Sign Tutorial and you couldn’t get enough!

So here is the scoop.  Pam and I are ready for spring.  We are guessing you are no different.  How great would it be to usher in the sunshine with a “You are My Sunshine” sign?

Here is the deal.  You get to pick one of the 4 signs in the intro photo.  If Little Red Porch on facebook gets above 2500 fans by the giveaway end date, you get to choose from the large signs and if not, the smaller signs.  Make sure you share the page with your friends!

Enter Here!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Make a Cool Wreath From Fabric Scraps

Hi everyone! It’s Vidya from Whats Ur Home Story. Great to back here sharing an exciting project!

Don’t know about y’all but after all the cold and snow this winter I’m so ready for Spring! I know we have got over a month to go but no harm in pretending that it is already Spring around here especially when you have this bright and cheery wreath made out of fabric scraps and felt flowers hanging on your front door.

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fabric scraps wreath, spring wreath, felt flower wreath

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Other than buying a fake fern sprig from Micheals I didn’t spend a penny to make this beauty. The chevron fabric scraps are from a chair makeover while the vintage lace I salvaged from a neighbor’s trash. The yellow felt strips for the flowers are leftovers from my felt circles pillow, †the other pieces of felt from my handmade Christmas ornament project. The wreath frame is the same one I used to make my Magnolia wreath.

Materials

Foam Wreath form
Fake Greenery
Fabric Scraps
Felt flowers (I made them using this tutorial.)
Hot Glue Gun
Scissors
A small pieces of poster board
2 Pipe cleaners

 

 

fabric scraps wreath, spring wreath, felt flower wreath

Tutorial

  • Before you start try wrapping the fabric scraps around the wreath form to see if you have the required length to cover the form. Nothing fancy just some slopping wrapping would do. All you are trying to gauge is how much fabric you need. Also place your flowers on the wreath to get an idea of their layout.

fabric scraps wreath, spring wreath, felt flower wreath

  • Now that you have your pattern figured out start by hot gluing one end of your fabric scrap to the underside of the foam and wrap tightly as you go. If your scrap is not long enough just end it on the back of the foam and start with a new piece. Hot glue the other end. Start with the next scrap in this case, the vintage lace.†I liked the look of the lace over the chevron fabric so I made sure that I started the 2nd chevron wrapping before I hot glued the other end of the lace.

fabric scraps wreath, spring wreath, felt flower wreath

  • For the flowers, trace the wreath form (where the flowers are supposed to go) onto a piece of poster board, cut out, and glue the flowers in the layout that you liked from Step 1.

fabric scraps wreath, spring wreath, felt flower wreath

  • Hot glue the pipe cleaners to the back of the poster board at places where the weight of the flowers would be the most. Ideally you should use pipe cleaners that would match your fabric but black is all I had on hand.

fabric scraps wreath, spring wreath, felt flower wreath

  • Glue the fake leaves to your poster board too. Now attach the poster board ‘flower piece’ to the wreath by tightening the pipe cleaners. And there you have it, your fabric scraps Spring wreath.

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fabric scraps wreath, spring wreath, felt flower wreath

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Are you ready for Spring too? do you usually make Spring Wreaths?

For more easy DIY ideas stop by†Whats Ur Home Story†or follow me via†Facebook,†Pinterest,†Twitter, G+ or†Instagram.

The 50 Plus Best Scrap Fabric Project Tutorials

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The 50+ Best Scrap Fabric Crafts @savedbyloves[pinit]

If you are anything like me, you have fabric scraps that are so beautiful and you just can part with them.  Well, what to do?  Today I am sharing the 50 best scrap fabric project tutorials my search revealed.  You can make anything from fabric scrap home decor to jewelry, shoes and more.  Many of these are great last minute gift ideas as well.  Happy scrap busting!


Microwave Kiln Fused Dichroic Jewelry DIY

[pinit]How to fuse glass in your microwave; beautiful dichroic focal pieces in minutes @savedbyloves
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Can you believe these fused dichroic glass pieces can be made in your microwave in 3 minutes?  I showed you these fused glass dichroic wire wrapped earrings a few weeks back, and I have pretty much been at it ever since.  I have upgraded to an electric kiln for bigger projects, but we won’t get into that right now.  Today I will show you how to stack precut fusible glass to get the dichroic pieces you see here.

Dichroic Bracelet

SUPPLIES:

Fuseworks Microwave Kiln Tutorial

 Fuseworks Beginner’s Microwave Fusing Kiln

Fuseworks Fusible Clear Circles

Fuseworks Fusible Black Circles

Fuseworks Fusible Dichroic Circles

22 gauge copper wire

Jewelry findings of your choice for clasp and chain

Round nose pliers

Flat nose pliers

wire cutter

TUTORIAL:

Microwave kiln for glass fusing tutorial

Stack from bottom to top; black, dichroic (foil side up), clear onto fiber paper in kiln and place in microwave.  You can make 2 of these in the microwave kiln at the same time.   Following instructions, begin microwave and monitor for glow.  Mine took about 3 minutes.  Let cool per instructions.

dichroic glass jewelry diy

Drilling Holes in Glass

Let your piece cool completely, and drill holes as shown in the following quick video from Glass Fusing Made Easy:

Wire Wrapping Your Piece

I used the technique in this video from Beadaholique to wrap my pieces.  The process is simple, even if you have never worked with wire.

I hope you enjoyed.  Please let me know if you have fused glass and what you like to make!

Beagle Vs. Jack Russell for the ALPO® Chop House Prize

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of ALPO® Brand Dog Food for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

ALPO® Chop House 5.5 Oz Cans Funny Dog Video

ALPO’s variety dog food sure does bring excitement to mealtime for my boys, and I must say that I am highly entertained by the experience. Maybe you remember the first video I shared with you of my boys devouring the stuff! Well today I am sharing video number 2, equally cute and funny. This time they have their way with the smaller 5.5 oz cans. This was the perfect amount for my little guy…

As you will see in the video, the beagle destroyed all 5.5 ounces at a rate of 1 ounce per second. It's true. He would have liked a larger serving, or 10.

 

It is clear they can't get enough, which is fine by me. ALPO® delivers nutritious great taste in a variety of flavors your dogs will love. Every can is 100% complete and balanced, containing quality ingredients. They come in small cuts or finely ground, great for mixing with dry food (wonder if that would slow the Beagle down a bit).

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ALPO Filet Mignon photo 2a6bde0a-ab21-4760-85ca-f96533ebce64_zps6a5aec0a.png

ALPO® Chop House 5.5 oz. is a compact can great for small dogs and comes in unique flavors, such as T-Bone Steak Flavored Cuts, Tender Cuts With Lamb, Filet Mignon Flavor, and Rotisserie Chicken Flavored Cuts. Healthy proteins, wholesome grains and vegetables, combine to give your dog a complete and balanced diet for every stage of it's precious life. ALPO dog food supports a happy, healthy life, shiny coat, strong teeth and bones and wagging tail at the sound of the can opening! A healthy dog is a happy dog.

For more cuteness and information, follow ALPO® on Instagram. You can also follow ALPO’s Facebook Page.  

 

Visit Sponsor's Site

Easy Side Table from Wooden Crate

[pinit]Make a side table that doubles as storage from a crate in this easy upcycle DIY @savedbyloves[pinit]

Hi, I am Loren from Pandora’s Craft Box and I don’t know about you but I hate having my magazine lying around everywhere in my home. All of us have subscription that my wonderful mother in-law has gotten us, so I really needed to find a place for our magazine where they could be displayed nicely. I like to keep my magazine at hand because I love using them as inspiration.

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The first thing that came to mind was using a crate that I had lying around the apartment.

Repurpose a crate into rolling end table and storage with this easy DIY @savedbyloves

I love the color of dark wood and decided to stain the crate a dark mahogany. The funny thing about staining is it has to be perfect weather. It can’t be too humid or cold because it will take that much longer for the stain to dry. I used a brush to apply the stain to the crate.

Remember to wipe any extra stain off the crate as you stain. The crate will dry faster if you do.

After the crate has dried overnight, I took a little trip to the hardware store and got wheels to attach to the bottom of the crate. Now I am able to move the crate with ease anywhere I wanted to go in my home.
Now the crate can be used as a side table and magazine storage to keep all of my HGTV magazines ready at hand for when I need inspiration!

What will you be using your crate side table for?

Stay Crafty!

Loren

Don’t miss our 50+ Repurposed Crates for more creative upcycle ideas!

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