Prim and Proper: July 2009

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

The life of a military family

As I laid in bed last night blogging myself to sleep. I could not help but think what a wonderfully colorful life we live as a military family. The different place we have lived, the variety of friends we have made along the way. We try hard not to take things for granted, we really can't afford to. I sit and I admire Dana, thinking back to the boy I fell in love with and the man that I am still head over heals in love with. With another deployment looming over our head , there are a few questions that always seem to come up. The first being: How do you do it? How do you answer a question that you truly don't know the answer to, and really only anther military wife understands. For me I try to keep to a routine and try to keep things as normal as possible. If you dwell on the things you have no control over it will just drive you insane. The second question being:Why doesn't Dana just get out of the Army?My answer to that is obvious, if you know Dana or has been blessed by receiving one of his inspirational e-mails you know he's extremely patriotic, he being a third generation soldier, he lives for his family and his country. I believe I have it pretty good, I have wonderful distractions like the children, family, friends, my shop, big and small events that I get to experience. While he has missed countless Holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, proms, soccer games and even the smallest of things that most people take for granted like, tucking Tyson into bed or possibly missing Taylor graduate from High school. After Dana gets home he will have been roughly deployed for 1,460 days, that is 4 years of being away. How do you do it? You just do! Don't thank a soldier keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

My first blog

So, this being my first blog, please bear with me. We just returned from are great trip to Concord, to The Great Wolf Lodge. We all had a great time playing at the water park, putt putt, video game and of course mine and Taylor's favorite... shopping. I only found a few things for the shop, but that is OK, Dana and I are heading out for a day of shopping today. On our way home I stopped by a wonderful shop that I had been to before on our trip to Charlotte. It's a beautiful shop in Marshville, NC called Olde Tyme Marketplace. Beth the shop keeper was so helpful and we talked a little shop and she encouraged me to start a blog. I was a little doubtful that I could create a blog, especially after the mess of trying to do a website with Dana. But, with a lot of help from Taylor, we are up and running. Thanks Beth and Taylor!

How to grubby paper or coffe stain

You can use any kinds of paper, candstock, printer paper.
I like printer paper, it's easier to use in the printer than cardstock.
1. Pre heat oven to 200 and line both racks with crinkled tinfoil
2.Take a rectangle cake pan and put a little bit of water, it doesn't have to cover the whole pan.
3. sprinkle instant coffee down, now spay the coffee with a water bottle to moisten the coffee, leaving some areas wetter then others.
4.Dip one side of the paper then the next and put into oven to dry. You can flip paper in the oven to make sure it has dryed.
5. if you will be printing on the paper you might have to iron it, set iron on the lowest setting and iron one side then the next.
6.Now you can print on the paper or stamp and not worry about coffee staining running the ink

Grubby candles

This project can be messy, when I do this i do a large amount at a time. I have read tutorials about this and have found the easiest way for me. I buy cheap candles, at the dollar store or walmart you can also grubby up other things I have done old fashioned clothes pins and made bowl fillers with and added old buttons.
1. You'll need wax, I use left over tarts or candles or i buy the cheap candles at AC Moore, I use the spicey ones like cinnabon or banana nut bread. When they are on sale you can get a large candle for a few bucks.
2. Create a double boiler with a small pot with water boiling and put glass canle in boiling water and once it melts, I also sometimes use and old coffee can.
3.Create a work area with parchement or wax paper close to stove. You'll need an area to put the candles to set up on paper or parchment.
4. Remove wax and dip candle into the melted wax a few times to get it soft.
5.Sprinkle cinnamon,(I do this on a paper plate so I can reuse the cinnamon) and dip it into the wax holding the wick or use a paint brush. Repeat until lumppy and bumpy.
6.Sprinkle with cinnamon and let dry.

Cinnamon bowl fillers

I love cinnamon bowl fillers or ornaments. They are cheap to do and people really love them.This can be a messy project and when I make this I make a lot( Like 3 cups of each.)
1.Mix equal parts cinnamon to equal parts apple sauce.
2.Roll dough out onto parch ment paper to desired thickness.
3.Cut out with cookie cutters.( I have a crow and a star that's really cute)
4. Lay out on parchment or wax paper and let dry, you can also speed up the process by baking at 200 but, this can take a while.
5.Optional you can sprinkle with cinnamon while wet.
6. If you are going to make ornaments you'll have to put a hole in them while they are wet, I use a straw and add twine once it has dried.
They are cute as bowl fillers or with potpouri or as ornaments. You can use any smell good spice like pumkin.

Coffee stain fabric

I really like my projects to look really prim or grubby so I like to use instant coffee for my projects.
1. Wet fabric.
2. Remove as much water as possible.
3. Lay flat, do this outside if possible, it's messy. and spinkle with instant coffee, do it heavier in areas you want darker, Spay water with a water bottle to moisten coffee.
4. Let dry in the sun.
5. Rinse out or leave it depending on prefrence.
6. you can also put in the dryer to try and heat set it, I usually only do this if by chance someone might wash it. But, most of my projects aren't to be washed.