Meet Tatty Gnome

I love terrariums! This year I wanted to turn my terrarium into a project that my son and I could both enjoy. By adding a few miniatures (available at your local craft store), your terrarium can transform into a magical fantasyland. It's so much fun to assemble and can be a constant source of entertainment when mini items are added or swapped out!

Here's how to turn an ordinary terrarium into a magical gnome home:


Items needed:
Terrarium ( see Building a Miniature Ecosystem)
Moss- for a grass look
Miniatures (gnome, birds, fences, mushrooms..etc)
Small birdhouse
River rocks
Bark
Sticks
Hot glue gun

1) Cut bark and sticks to use as shingles and trim for the birdhouse.
2) Paint birdhouse brown or green for a natural look- or bright colors for a more eclectic look.
3) Add bark shingles and stick trim using a hot glue gun.
4) Assemble gnome and house within the terrarium.
5) Set scene using additional miniatures (vegetable garden, tea party etc.)
6) Mist or water regularly as directed for the terrarium plants.
7) Swap out scene periodically for additional fun!

Time to Make the Donuts...er Soap! How to Make Swirled Soap

This weekend I was knee deep in olive oil. My etsy site has been getting a bit dry in the last few months and needs to be replinished!!! My goal: add 12 more batches of soap before March 15th. This weekend I was able to whip out 6 batches. Stay tuned on my etsy site as i'll be unveiling the new scents in the next few days!

To make things easier, i've recently purchase some new molds. Previously I used the homemade wooden style and they work wonderfully, but the new ones are awesome! I've been using them for six months now and absolutely love them! They're made from the same material that your everday kitchen cutting board is made from. Because there's no need to line them, unmolding and cleaning them are SUPER easy. (One little FYI: I do spread a thin coat of petroleum jelly on the molds to help with unmolding).

I'm so excited to show off my first successful swirl! I've attempted to swirl a few times in the past and the results were always the same....boring! I'm a habitual stirrer and when you overstir a swirl you get something far less intersting.

Here's how you do an IN THE POT swirl: (My recipe uses 36oz of oil.)

1. During the mixing process let soap/lye solution come to a light trace.
2. Separate 1 cup of newly created soap mixture into a small mixing bowl or container.
3. Add colorant to the small amount of soap and mix well.
4. Hold the container of colored soap high over the pot of soap (approx. 2ft) and slowly drizzle into the pot. This enables the color to dispense to throughout the pot and all the way to the bottom of the pot.
5. OPTIONAL **Stir pot once with a skinny stick (I use a shishkabob stick). Do not overstir or you will loose a crisp swirl.
6. Pour into the log mold- this is where the swirling effect occurs.

Halloween Costume Bonanza!!

During October I usually throw myself into costume hell. Even though I promised myself I wouldn't wait until the last minute to start sewing, it came down to the wire once again this year. Luckily I had already gathered most of the necessary components for the costumes over the last few months. So................with our annual Halloween party bearing down fast upon us I locked myself into my sewing room (aka the closet) and started the marathon sewfest. Here's how they turned out:

Sean's favorite movie for the past few months has been Willy Wonka (both versions). We decided to honor the classic and dress like the characters from the original movie. For my costume I found: white capris, brown socks, brown turtleneck, white gloves and a green wig. The only additions I had to sew were the suspenders and a few buttons. Add an orange face, white eyebrows, some pom-poms on your shoes and viola! "You get no commercials!" ...a sweet costume for sure.

For Sean's I sewed together the vest, and adapted a pattern for his uber pimpin velvety coat. Add them to khakis, white shirt and a simply tied golden bowtie. For props he used a cane made from a dowel rod (with a round candy top) and a top hat which was made from felt, posterboard and glue. He was proud as a peacock and fit the part perfectly with his rendition of Willy's song ....."If you want to view carrot-dise"

For Bryan's all I can say is ....................YO GABBA GABBA! DJ Lance Rock was pretty easy to make (except finding orange pants). Just add the white and yellow felt stripes to the sweatshirt and pants, find some goofy black glasses and a puffy orange hat. I took two stocking caps and added some stuffing in between then covered it in orange fuzz material. I created a little bling-bling for his white belt by creating a ROCK belt buckle made from posterboard and glitter glue. Don't forget DJ Lance's boom box. Spraypaint a cardboard box and glue on some clip art speakers. The crew needs a place to ride around in! Throw in a kick and a little dance and the kids go crazy!

We're making three appearances with these costumes so the effort is definitely worth it. PLUS we save every costume to re-use and recycle. You never know what next year will bring!

Felt food is FABULOUS

Martha Stewart had the cutest show today! Check out the following for ideas for making kids' kitchens and playfood!


How to make a cherry pie from Lilly Bean Market
How to make a cardboard oven
How to make doll chairs and table


I am definitely making some food for little man's grocery store. They're so cute and there's no worry about lead paint or BPA. Just good clean fun!

You Too Can CAN!

The best part of gardening is harvesting, eating and putting away the extra goodies. Nothing beats pulling out a jar of tomatoes during the dead of winter! It rushes me right back to the middle of my garden, when the vines are full with maters waiting to be picked. My first year of canning I bought the Ball Blue Book. It's considered to be the canner's Bible and still after years of canning I refer to it frequently. It not only covers the subject of canning, but also freezing and dehydration too.

A few of my personal tips:

1) It isn't necessary to buy brand new equipment. You'll need new lids each time, but can re-use rings, jars and most of the other equipment too. I usually buy new lids AND rings, but this is a personal preference. Many of your larger items you can find at garage sales or second hand stores so keep your eye out! Boiler, jars, jar lifters....etc.

2) Lay out all of your equipment BEFORE starting. I usually work on two counter surfaces. Preparing the food on one and then canning on the other. This is not the type of recipe/do it yourself that you can read a step, complete it, then gather tools for your next step. You'll want the process to flow smoothly and some steps are time/heat sensitive.

3) Make sure your work area is cooled. Sometimes AC is not enough. Use your ceiling fan or additional fans to circulate the area. Heat is your friend when canning but unfortunately doesn't stay confined to your pots!

4) When you hear that first lid "POP" think of me. I love that pop and can recognize it across the house. I can't help but do a little canning jig each time I hear it!

Building A Miniature Ecosystem

Take container gardening to a whole new level and explore the benefits of building a terrarium. I ran across a fabulous container at our local second-hand store for $3.99 and decided it was time to make a go of it. There are many how-to's on the web, but here is my favorite: How to Build a Terrarium

And the finished product!

Other benefits of terrariums:

• Planting a terrarium is a great way to introduce kids to gardening as well. They'll have fun picking out the plants, setting it up and of course watering it from time to time.
• Terrariums are portable- can easily pick up or move it inside during inclement weather, or move outside to enjoy.
• Because a terrarium is a controlled environment, gardeners can use tropical, desert or other types of plants typically not used in a specific zone.
• They're beautiful!

Keep your eyes peeled for that special container and send pictures when you've completed yours!

How Does Your Garden Grow? 5 Easy Steps to Preparing Your Garden Space

Before planting a garden it's necessary to take a few steps to ensure a successful harvest. Here is what I do each year before putting a single seed in the ground.

1) If you are breaking fresh ground opt to pay a professional to till the area. Typically it costs around $50 depending on the size of your garden and your location. We've been lucky over the years to know someone with a tractor and a tiller attachment. If this isn't the case for you...trust me, it's well worth the money. Professional tillers make your ground feel like heaven within a matter of minutes. Check your local newpaper classifieds or contact your local farmer's co-op for a list of providers.

2)If this is not your garden's first season- till the area: It's best to till your garden POST harvest in the Fall. This gives you a great canvas to work with come the following Spring. Till the area again when ready to plant. The more frequent you till the garden the better!

3)Test your soil: This is a very important step. Chemistry was NOT my strong suit in school, but there are super easy soil-test kits available at your local hardware store. These usually run around $5 and come with a set of simple instructions.

4) Amend your soil: Here's a great link for interpreting the results of your soil test: SOIL TEST RESULTS Make adjustments to Ph, N, P or K. The results will determine what if any additions need to be made to your soil. At a minimum I always add organic compost and one dose of fertilizer.

5) Till again: This mixes all of your additions thoroughly. I've got an average size tiller that I use for preparation and weeding throughout the season. It's a back-saver!

Now you're ready to plant!