Christmas Ideas

Here's just a few ideas for wrapping, gifts, food, etc.

This week in photos.

Thrifty Thursdays

I'm sure you all know by now, that I love thrift stores...and it really doesn't help that I work at one. LOL. Oh well, you win some and loose some, right? Hehe. Anyway, I may be biased, but I think ours has the best prices in town. You can check out the fb page here. 

And if you're in the PDX area, it's on 31st & Sandy BLVD. And, when you buy from Teen Challenge Thrift Store, you are helping put some great young men through a Christian program to help them get off drugs and alcohol. So, it a win-win! 

I have an obsession with jars lately, The jar with the cork, I actually bout at an estate sale for $1.50, the rest I got at TC for $.99 each.

I also picked up this great, really old looking coach pin for $1.99

And this random fox tail for $1.99...which I don't know what I'm going to do with yet. Haha.

I also got this great heat box thing, that has great velvet lining for $.99. I think it's supposed to be for a ring maybe...not that I plan on proposing to anyone in the near or distant future, but it's cute.

I picked up this napkin for $.59 Again, no plans for it, but I liked all this cool gold and gray flowers.

I also got this wad of necklaces for $2.99. You can't see it from this picture, but I really wanted the wishbone charm that's on it.

Here's a strip of lace ($.59), and a pillow case ($.99). I have no plans for the lace yet, but I'm going to try to turn the pillowcase into a scarf. I've really been wanting a leopard print scarf...and what better way!

I also got this OPI nail polish. I forgot the color. But I got it for $1.99. It's a great bright reddish orange!

Homemade Vanilla

Scroll to bottom for recipe.

As we all know, pure vanilla extract is super expensive...but if you make it yourself it doesn't have to be! And you can make a lot at a time.

All you need is, a glass bottle, three vanilla beans, and some alcohol (either vodka, rum, or bourbon)

(for those of you are freaking out right now because of the alcohol, don't worry because you are using this in really small doses, just like you would regular vanilla extract, and they alcohol content will cook out of your recipe anyway.)

Anyway, I purchased a vial of three madagascar vanilla beans for $8.99 at Penzey's spices here in Clackamas...however I'm sure you can get them at more places. Online would probably also be a great place to get them. As for the alcohol, you can pretty much use whatever you want because you won't taste that much of it anyway.

You'll need to take the vanilla beans and slit them all the way down with a knife, that way the flavor will infuse the alcohol. Then pour in your alcohol, and that's pretty much it. It will need to sit for at least three weeks, giving it a good shake every few days.

The vanilla beans will be good for approximately one year, so you can keep pouring in more alcohol up until that time, waiting about two weeks each time you use it again.

I hope you all enjoyed this!

Gift Idea

So sometimes I have a hard time deciding on what to get people for birthdays and holidays, etc. I came across a really cool photography blog and this girl made books for her relatives...so I thought it was worth a shot! It seems like it was pretty decently priced too. 

The website is called blurb, ie www.blurb.com 

I know that you can also make books through shutterfly...however I've never compared the two of them before. 

Anyway here are the results of my book. I got a 20 page 8x10" paperback book.

Revamped Shoes

I found these cute wedges for $8 at Target. But they were plain, just completely tan colored suede. So I got two different colors of fabric and some fabric glue, and went to town. Got some tan fabric with small white polka dots, and for the inside I got black fabric with larger white polka dots. 

Let's Get Creative

Kim let me raid all of her craft supplies. Like a kid in a candy store... LOL.

Wedding Scrapbook