Staying Home Sawyer

Real Life Living on a Real Life Budget

DIY

A Little Stuffing Goes a Long Way

DIY Project: Felt Animals // Owls, PenguinsIf you’re a child of the 80s, you must remember stuffed animal hammocks very clearly. I know I do, because I wanted one so badly for years. I mean, what else do you do with the eighty-seven stuffed animals of various shapes and sizes that must be displayed to all of the visitors you have? I got real tired of setting them up one by one on my bed every morning. Every seven year old knows how important it is to make a good first impression. Since getting rid of any of them wasn’t an option, I needed that hammock.DIY Project: Felt OwlMy mother must not have agreed with me because I never got my hammock. And although I have officially given up on getting one (it just wouldn’t flow with our bedroom’s theme), I still have several stuffed animals that I just cannot part with. They may or may not be stuffed into a box that my husband has no idea is there. If we ever have a child I will remind her of the sacrifices I made so she could have stuffed animals that are twenty years old (and my box of Barbies, Cabbage Patch Dolls, and a Troll collection). What child wouldn’t want those toys?! Hand Sewn Felt Penguin DIY ProjectBecause I didn’t have enough already (or because I was super busy on Saturday night watching Dateline) I decided to see if I could make my own stuffed animals. Because you know, that is what really cool 30 year old women do on Saturday nights.Hand Sewn Felt Penguin DIY ProjectTurns out, I can make them. And they’re pretty cute if I do say so myself. Only I feel bad keeping them, because as previously mentioned, we already have a box full of stuffed animals (here’s where my husband goes digging through the house in search of said box, to donate them all away).

And while we’re at it…I created little penguin cards to go with my penguin stuffed animals. Because you can’t give someone a stuffed penguin without a matching penguin card. Everyone knows that.DIY Penguin CardsAll the animals were hand-sewn by sight. If you’re anything like me, you’ll need your hot glue gun when you finish sewing the animal and it has no eyes. I created an instruction sheet (with templates) for the owl if you’d like to make your own.

DIY, Holidays!

Lucky Clover Coasters

DIY Felt Shamrock CoastersIt’s officially less than one week until St. Patrick’s Day. Which means I have to bust my butt to write a few more posts so I can share the remaining projects I have for this gloriously Irish holiday. I say glorious because I am a teensie-tiny bit Irish. But since I married into it, I really might as well consider myself 100% Irish. At least on Tuesday.

In honor of my heritage, I must celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in full force. At a bar. With green beer, bangers and mash, and corned beef and cabbage. And these adorable little shamrock coasters. Easy Shamrock Coasters Dollar TreeClearly everyone at the bar will be jealous of my shamrock coasters. No one has time for those tiny square drink napkins that stick to the bottom of your beer glass. Shamrock coasters are the way to go.

First you’ll need to decide which set you’d like to make. Either set will cost you less than $2. The hand-sewn set was a little harder and more time consuming, but turned out really cute. The glittery ones were very easy and quick. Lucky Clover Coasters - DIY St. Patrick's Day ProjectYou’ll need green felt for either project ($.33 a sheet at Michael’s), and you’ll need a pack of foam clovers from the Dollar Tree for the glittery set.Lucky Clover Coasters - DIY St. Patrick's Day Project SuppliesFor the hand-sewn four leaf clover set, I used Google to find a clover that I liked. I then used it to trace my clovers onto felt.  I cut out the felt clovers, and then hand-sewed them into another piece of felt. I trimmed the excess off, leaving a different color border. And because they were sewn with love (seriously. lots of love), I added a little heart to one of the shamrocks.DIY Felt Shamrock CoastersFor the sparkle set, I simply traced the foam clover onto felt, cut it out, and hot glued it to the foam. I used Modge Podge on the sparkle foam clover, so the glitter wouldn’t get everywhere. And I was done!Lucky Clover Coasters - DIY St. Patrick's Day Project - Dollar Tree SuppliesIf you’re really getting festive, you can print this tag and gift a set to neighbors or friends. Or just the random guy at the end of the bar. I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.

 

DIY, Holidays!, Home Decor

St. Patrick’s Day Printables

Free St. Patrick's Day Printables Eat Drink and Be IrishYup, I did it. I jumped right on the same train that everyone else is aboard. I didn’t want to be left behind. All my fellow DIY/craft bloggers do printables for holidays, and I didn’t want to be the only one left out of the club. Especially since it’s the cool kids club.

I was always trying to get invited into the cool kids club, so while I waited, I had to live vicariously through my best friend/Homecoming Queen/girl all the cool guys wanted to date.  In seventh grade (btw…she is going to roll her eyes reading this), my first ever boyfriend bought me roses for my birthday. I was finally coming out of the dorky, uni-brow/buck teeth stage, and finding my own in the “cool kids wear oversized Nike shirts and basketball shorts” stage. Clearly he thought I was adorable. We hadn’t even shared my our first kiss yet.

And we never would. St. Patricks Day free printables, LuckyRemember the much simpler world of three way calling? Yeah…I’m trying to forget it too. It forever ruined my life. Or just the end of seventh grade. Needless to say, my first ever boyfriend made a startling confession to my beautiful, yet-to-be Homecoming Queen of a BFF that he wanted to date her, not me. Looking back on the photos, I am not surprised. I definitely had a little of my own to grow into. And eyebrows that needed plucking (seriously mom, you couldn’t have given a girl a heads up?).

The good news is that he was just one guy in a short list of bad boyfriends that would disappoint me. If I hadn’t gone through all of those times, I might not appreciate my husband as much as I do.

And I really do. Especially when he does all the laundry. Feeling LuckySo please join my new “cool kids” club, so I don’t feel that uncool. I promise I pluck my eyebrows now, and I grew into my teeth a little. And for the record: my beautiful, Homecoming Queen of a BFF is still my BHQBFF, and always will be. She’s definitely invited to the club.

If, for some odd reason, you’re actually interested in the prints, you can print them here.

Eat Drink and Be Irish

Lucky

Feeling Lucky (by ShortStop Designs)

(Megan from ShortStop Designs is amazing and she is definitely invited into my new club!)

Uncategorized

What’s for Dinner?

Inside Out Stuffed Peppers Recipe Easy DinnerInevitably, my husband will ask me this question every night that he’s home for dinner. Somehow he thinks that while I am busy working away at a real job all day long (you know, one that provides us with a paycheck), that I have time to come up with a full dinner plan. Until this blog starts giving me a little TLC reciprocation, I must punch the time card, and he’s stuck with last minute dinners.

Which is why I am all about being easy. I mean…easy cooking.  I like to get home and throw some things in a pan and end up with something delicious. Does that sound easy to you? I didn’t think so. Short of what my husband says, everything I make is NOT delicious.  At least he’s a smart man to lie. He would starve otherwise.

Before you go any further, you must accept that I eat all of those horrible products that you may think I’m crazy for eating. GMOs, pre-packaged foods, and please do not even get me started on Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. I love it. Yellow dye #6 has nothing on that creamy fake-cheese taste.Recipe Card Inside Out Stuffed Peppers Easy DinnerThis recipe is super easy, and tastes great. And if you’re feeling really adventurous, make the Spanish rice from scratch. And then invite me over for dinner so I can compare the two.

Tell me, what are you having for dinner? (I’m channeling my husband)