Finally got it done!

Ok, so I FINALLY got my desk done. I love how it turned out! I had originally bought it for $1.99 at a thrift store. I spent about $9.00 (give or take) for spray paint and about $4.00 for the new knobs. I had the modge podge, gold paint, cut out scraps (for the top of the desk) and polyurethane. So the grand total of this craft adventure is: $14.99. Looks pretty awesome, eh? I love the colors and couldn't be happier. I love decoupaging. It's like putting a puzzle together:)

I'm trying to finish up a scarf for my one son's girlfriend along with a couple of other crochet projects. Thennnnnnn, I'll work on decoupaging my two end tables that I recently painted. Those are gonna turn out awesome as well!

Decoupaging is a fun and easy craft anyone can do. A friend recently said "If you can paste something to something else, you can decoupage." I couldn't agree more!

Here are some links to get you started on the path to decoupaging:

http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/decoupage/a/012201a.htm (this link is decoupage 101)

http://www.wikihow.com/Decoupage (this link is also a basic how to article)

And

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/pac_ctnt_nobanner/text/0,1783,HGTV_10680_14711,FF.html

(this link is a wonderful collection of decoupage crafts to get your feet wet!)

Lastly, I wanted to share with you a recipe I made the other night. It's a Shepard's pie of my own recipe:)

Easy Shepard's Pie

2 cans of mushroom gravy

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (or ground turkey)

3 cups of instant mashed potatoes

Shredded cheddar cheese

Parmesan cheese

Brown ground beef and drain. Pour into a oblong pan or oven proof casserole dish. Mix mushroom gravy into the ground beef. While you are doing the previous step, you need to be making enough instant potatoes for 3 cups. After you have the potatoes ready, spread on top of the beef mixture. Put a layer of shredded cheddar cheese on top and then sprinkle lightly with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. Serve hot and enjoy!

Until I post again, I hope everyone has a safe and happy week!

Slainte~

Uses of vinegar

I was originally going to post different uses of vinegar on my blog today BUT I got to reading some other stuff and got off track......see previous post. LOL

Anyway, no harm in going ahead and posting the info,eh?

Tip 1: To make hard boiled eggs super easy to shell, add 2 Tbsps of white vinegar to a 4 quart pot of water before you bring it to boil.

Tip 2: To clean a drain. Add 1 cup baking soda and then 1 cup of white vinegar. Let sit for a few minutes and follow it with a couple of cups of boiling water.

Tip 3: To get rid of the onion order from your hands. Just rub your hands with some white vinegar.

Tip 4: To clean a hair brush, soak it in white vinegar.

Tip 5: All purpose window cleaner. A couple of ounces of white vinegar in a quart of water.

Here is an awesome website with lots of uses for vinegar: http://www.vinegartips.com/

Lastly, here is a recipe the boys and I like to make. It gives tuna a bit of a zing to it!

Can of tuna, mayo of your choice, and a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Mix all together. Chill and enjoy!

Have a great week everyone!

FIRED UP!

Ok, this morning I'm in a bit of a mood. Not happy with the continuous crap our government tries to shove down our collective throats........

Example: Gas prices. I've been ticked about this for some time. Last time I looked crude oil was about $105.00 a barrel. Oh, it's slightly down from last season. Great. They are blaming the weakening U.S. dollar on the skyrocketing prices. I believe I heard in a news report on the radio that the sluggish economy is to blame as well. HUH? I'm sorry I don't see how a sluggish U.S. economy can cause gas prices to rise. If anything, the demand would go down because no one can afford to go anywhere. Good news, analysts are saying that oil demand SHOULD go down the second half of the year. We will see. I"m not holding my breath. I will be doing research on the alternatives of gas and what I can do to save not only money but the environment. I'll post my findings:)

Another gripe I have this morning is how the USDA is trying to make it harder for you to buy local fruits, veggies and meat. Here is an article about the subject. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/01/opinion/01hedin.html?_r=1&oref=slogin Big Corporations in Texas, Florida and California feel threatened by these local farmers.....why? Because they have a superior product. They want to "nip" this expanding movement in the bud before it gets too big. Somebody is getting a little too greedy. Not to mention, it looks like our wonderful government (USDA) is helping these big corporations. Lovely. I say get on local harvest.com and buy your stuff locally. At least you will know how it was raised, how long it had been sitting around AND you will be helping your local economy. Here is the link to local harvest: http://www.localharvest.org/ I'm always up to put a hurting on somebody that tries to be a bully:)

I thought this was supposed to be a government of the people and for the people...........What can we each do to help remedy the problems that our nation currently face?

I hope I have made you pause and think about what is going on in this country this week. We as American citizens need to stand up and use our voices.

To start, maybe get out and vote, sign petitions (or start a petition!), call or write your local, state and federal government. Nothing will change if we sit idly by......... Be heard and seen, they can't shut all of us up. LOL