Bootleg to Skinny

I bought some bootleg jeans a few months ago. They were too short for bootleg jeans but looked great tucked into boots. I decided to make it a little easier for myself and just make them into skinnies.

I looked at Pinterest for some inspiration and direction and found ideas here, here and here.

Here are the jeans before they were hit with the skinny.

Turn the pants inside out and put them back on.

Pin up the side as tight as you want the legs to be. You want to pin on the opposite of the side that has a thicker seam, for most jeans this means pinning along the outer side.

Carefully take off the jeans. If your legs are anything like mine it won't exactly be a straight diagonal line.

That is why the yard stick is pulled out. With it make a diagonal line connecting the top and bottom needles trying to align it with as many needles as possible. Try not to have too many flash backs to high school math classes.

With chalk, magic marker, or a tailor's pencil trace along the yard stick to make the line that you will stitch along. At first I used a piece of chalk....

And then I was super excited to find a tailor's pen!!

I got even more excited when I tried back on the jeans with one leg done.

I did the same thing with the other leg. Inside out, pin up the side, use a yardstick to make the line, and stich down the seam.

When I was done with that I tried the jeans on, right side out, to make sure I liked the result before I did any cutting. I loved how they looked so I took the plunge and cut up the side. If I had a serger I would serge the edge to prevent fraying but for right now we are going to risk fraying.

The completed look!!

I would be lying if I said the alteration was invisible but if you know it is there and look you can see the difference in the stitching, but who is really going to notice it!!

And they completely fit the purpose of fitting into boots if I do say so myself. No tugging, tucking, and scrunching. Easily fits smoothly into the boots without risk of riding up and looking sloppy.

I have a feeling these are going to get alot of use during the next few months of boot season.

If you succeed in transforming a pair of bootleg jeans to skinnies, I would love to see it so please comment below.

Live joy.

Crock Pot Chicken Chili

I get asked for this recipe often enough it was high time I post it.

This recipe originated from this recipe here.

This is probably one of the easiest recipes. It is my go-to I know everyone will like it recipe. And you probably already have most ingredients on hand.

Crock Pot Chicken Chili

1 onion, chopped
1 16-oz can black beans
1 16-oz can kidney beans
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1-2 cans of corn
2 cans of diced tomatoes (with or without chilies, sometimes I do one of each)
1 packet taco seasoning (or about a 1/4 cup of homemade taco seasoning)
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Now dump all these ingredients and put the chicken on top in the crock pot and turn it on low all day. I normally shred the chicken (by pushing it against the sides with a spoon) and let it sit for about another half hour.

It is so so easy to chop the onion and put the spices in the crock pot the night before and just open and dump all the cans in the morning.

The great thing about this recipe-nothing needs to be exact. Don't have a can of black beans but have two cans of kidney beans, fine. Frozen corn rather than canned, fine. Do I ever actually measure out the taco seasoning, cumin, or chili powder, nope.

In addition if you need to spread to a few more mouths on the cheap, just add another can of some of the canned stuff. Like another can of black beans, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and corn--voila you have just made more servings.

I enjoy this chili paired with Ritz crackers and chedder cheese but you could also do corn bread, saltines, plain yogurt, or sour cream.

P.S. I will add pictures next time I make it, I just wanted to get the recipe up here.

Live joy.

Terribly Terrific Toffee

So I wanted to make sure I shared this so that it had time to make it onto the Christmas cookie list.

You can find the original recipe here.

I made these when I desperately needed a study break and wanted some study snacks.

Without further ado..

This recipe is so easy. Really look these are the sum total of all the ingredients.

1 cup unsalted butter (no margarine allowed)
1 cup brown sugar, packed tightly
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
40 saltine crackers

Yes I do buy the Costco massive bag of chocolate chips. That way not only do I always have chocolate chips on hand for whenever I get the baking itch but also the Costco way is by far the cheapest route for chocolate chips.

Melt the butter and brown sugar together. Warning: Be careful not to get any hot sugar butter mixture on your hands. Not that I speak from experience or had a blister on my hand. That wouldn't be why I warn you.

While that is boiling you put the foil, cooking spray, and saltines on the cookie sheet.

Bake and let the mixture get ooie gooie yummy on the saltines.

Yeap it looks a little "wart-y" when it comes out of the oven but have no fear the finished product looks better.

Now dump the chocolate chips on crackers and toffee mixture so that it can melt and be spread.

Once the chocolate chips soften spread them around. In the name of omega 3s and brain food we put walnuts on half of it. You know, justification for eating more of it while studying.

And the finished product looks o so delicious. And it is!! That purple plate was just recently picked up at Ikea and I was so excited to use it.

But really add these to your Christmas cookies list, you won't regret it. Another great thing about this recipe is that it is easy to make quickly and you probably already have all the ingredients on hand. It is great for the "company is coming and I didn't realize how many of the cookies I have personally ate in the the past two days" moments.

Live joy.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies

Yeah, that title caught your attention didn't it.

These cookies have become my go to cookie recipe and they are so melt in your mouth delicious.

I found the recipe while clicking around on Pinterest here.

I didn't do the whole roll thing mainly because we didn't have any wax paper. These cookies are so easy. They are made with only a handful of ingredients and come together really quickly.

But really, please go make them now, you won't be sorry.

I am adding them to the Christmas cookie rotation so they will for be made many times in the next few weeks.

Live joy.

Done.

So as I sit here enjoying the first day of All Saints Break spending mindless time facebooking, editing photos, watching Gilmore Girls, drinking coffee, and blogging I continue to wish there was a "done option" for my Pinterest page. I want to be able to show the world, I am a recipe doing, craft completing, homemade cleaner fool. So I say, Pinterest please add a done button so that I can tell the world when I make awesome soup, bake amazing cookies, and craft up a storm.

Pinterest Challange Week 5

So this one isn't a Autumn themed pin but more of a "its Friday night and we want cookies" pin. I found the recipe here. They are just a variation on the typical cocoa peanut butter oatmeal no bake cookies.

Making the coating mixture.

The cookies before they went into the fridge.

I just thought they were ok but alot of other people loved them so if you want some super easy cookies to make here is your recipe.

Live Joy.

Pinterest Challange Week 4

Another week, another gem discovered. You can find the inspiration for this here.

Now of course I didn't follow it exactly-no sweet potatoes (one of the few foods I really don't like), tomatoes, or garlic cloves. Instead I did use garlic powder and fresh basil. I also cut up the baby carrots so that everything was uniform in size. And I forgot to dust with parmesan but did add some walnuts for taste and good fat.

Not only was this a great way to use up alot of the vegtables my parents had brought me down from the garden, but also a great way to eat a large variety of veggies in one sitting.

It ended up tasting even better than I thought and I have already made it again. Defiantly another recipe winner.

Live joy.

Pinterest Challenge Week 3

Next up is...

Caramel Apple Cheesecake

I normally don't bake things that have so many steps because I just get overwhelmed but I am glad I did, this cheesecake was delicious.

It didn't exactly look the best but I am sure if I pulled up the tinfoil and put it on a platter I could make it look presentable.

This "challenge" thing is reminding me how much I wish there was a "did this" button on pintererst.

Live Joy.

Pinterest Challenge Week 2

Up this week was a suggestion from my Stacey and she found it here.

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte

I used the site for the recipe to make the syrup.

Because I don't like really sweet sugary things I used only one cup sugar and a half cup of agave nector. However if I was going to do it again I would do the same thing but do twice as much of the four spices so that I could use less sugary syrup to get the same amount of flavoring. (Are you still getting the vibe that recipes are inspirations rather than rules for me?!)

The lattes were tasty and if you are wondering about dairy options I used rice milk and it turned out just fine.

Let me know if you try it.

Live Joy.

Pinterest Challenge: Week 1

So as I started this semester I have had this goal of doing one pinterest craft, recipe, or idea each week. I know lofty goal on top of nursing school and college life. I probably have been doing it but not purposely so alas now I begin the adventure of purposely picking one thing a week, in fact I challenge myself to it. I however make the executive decision to excuse myself during midterm and final week, because I hear ringing in my ears the words heard over and over again around here, "you're a student first".

So thus the adventure begins.


I can hear, taste, smell and see Autumn on the horizon. The taste of pumpkin is on my tongue and cute fall clothes are practically trying to claw their way out my closet. Of course the next weeks will be filled with Autumn inspiration, in fact I have a whole board dedicated to Autumn.

Thus I present to you the first pin.

Pumpkin Muffins

So I didn't take any pictures of the process, I know bad blogger me. These muffins were SO easy to make. I mean really it doesn't get much easier than a box of cake mix and a can of pumpkin. While the easiness of it was appreciated it lacked a little in yumminess. They weren't bad they just weren't especially tasty. They pretty much tasted like yellow cake with a hint of pumpkin. They were made better with cinnamon sprinkled on top but I suggest that if you are tempted to make this recipe that you add cinnamon to the batter, maybe even some pumpkin pie spice.

Is their a fall recipe you have tried already and fallen in love with?

Live joy.

The 10 Virtues of Mary

If we are trying to live in imitation of Our Blessed Mother I argue that it is important to have the virtues attributed to her displayed in our living space/home/dormroom, so why not do it in a pretty way?

I searched the internet and pinterest for inspiration for this project but really didn't find anything so I had to ignite my creative side and come up with an idea on my own. Now I admit, I am continuing to ponder a great way to display the virtues on canvas, maybe with stenciling or just pretty lettering. However, the way I created this piece of "art" was so darn easy and I think it produces a really nifty result.

How to: (Now I didn't take any pictures of the process because honestly it was that easy!)

Materials Needed:

-8x10 frame of your choice (really any frame size you would just need to adjust the paper accordingly)

-piece of paper of your choice

-some program to make a document with the virtues listed, preferably one with amble font options

The frame I chose was just a simple wooden frame I picked up at a garadge sale for something like .50 and painted and then distressed a little with sandpaper.

You could use any frame you have lying around, buy one you like or repaint one like I did-the possibilities are endless.

Then go into Word (or a similiar program) and list out the 10 Virtues of Mary (by St, Louis de Monfort, a quick google search will give you an accurate list).

Lets see can you come up with half of them without looking?

Ardent Charity

Heroic Patience

Lively Faith

Surpassing Purity

Angelic Sweetness

Profound Humility

Continual Mental Prayer

Divine Wisdom

Universal Mortification

Blind Obedience

Then play with fonts and make each virtue a different font. Rearrange the order, change the size, go back and forth between fonts just get creative and make something that visually appeals to you.

Once that is done print it on paper that compliments the frame. It could be just plain old white paper, card stock, interview paper, patterned paper, scrapbook paper whatever your heart desires.

Put the paper in the frame and admire the piece of "art" you created. Display it and look to it often. One piece of advice I have that has greatly enriched my prayer life is to pick a virtue on any given day and come back to it throughout the day in prayer or thought. It is such a simple way to grow in her virtues without being overwhelmed by the holiness of all of them.

I also give you a link to a great article about the virtues and what they all mean. (Because admit it, you aren't exactly sure what mortification even means)

P.S. Soon I will post pictures of it in my new house!!

Pinning It Down #2

So it is that season of the year where if you have a zucchini plant you have zucchini coming out of your ears. We give alot of ours away but I am trying to get creative and use as much as possible.

So I found on pinterest a recipe for zucchini pancakes and I thought I would give it a try.

Now here is a disclaimer. I see recipes as more inspiration than something to be followed perfectly. With that being said I used a really big pinch of flour, I used dried chives and parsley instead of the fresh chives and mint, sea salt rather than kosher salt, and I found out we don't have a zester so the lemon zest is absent.

Some pictures of the process.

The fresh ingredients! Zucchini from our garden, onions from the Amish Farmers market on 700, and potatoes from the vegetable stand down the street.

The shredded zucchini.

I forgot about the fresh eggs!! We get fresh, brown, organic, cage free, grazing (do chickens graze or just cows?) eggs.

Frying up the pancakes.

The finished plate. Random things to eat with it-half a ham and cheese sandwich and half a veggie pattie sandwich.

So conclusions, the zucchini pancakes were good but a lot of work. I probably would make them again but continue trying to make them better.

Pinning it Down #1

I along with every other middle class female (yes there are some men) am a fond user to Pinterest. I don't have a need to check it every day or even every couple days. For me it is more like a "I have 20 minutes and I just want to veg so I am going to go on pinterest" However with these veg times I have found a lot of great ideas, recipes, crafts, etc.

So I introduce to you the first spotlight on things I have pinned and actually carried out.

Here is the inspiration for the project





And here is what mine looks like





Now it is clear I didn't follow what she did exactly, ie I didn't sandpaper the edges nor stain it. I don't love how it turned out but I did like it. Considering the project probably cost something around $5 it was a good effort and will look nice in my house for this upcoming school year. And of course it is awesome that when someone goes "O I like this. Where did you get it?" I can respond with, "Actually I made it!"