Four Presents

**Don't forget the giveaway is going on until tomorrow (Tuesday) at 10 pm MST. There's still time to enter!

Can I first begin by saying how excited I am that it's after Thanksgiving and I can now begin posting crafts related to Christmas? Be still my heart. Really. Anyway...
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The Christmas budget is a little tight this year. So, my husband and I decided to implement a new tradition for presents. We've seen this idea floating around the internet, and knew it would be perfect for us and our itty bitty wallets.

It's the WANT. NEED. WEAR. READ. plan. Four presents, one in (you guessed it) each of those categories.

Once that plan was finalized, I decided to make a few little gift tags using images I found on Google. Now, all I need to do is print them off, Mod Podge 'em to some cardboard, hole punch them, and add some cute ribbon. So easy, but so fun.

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What would you ask for in each of these categories? I am drawing a huge blank. I really can't think of anything I want besides lots of family time (aw). OH! And a book light. I'm so interesting.

(You can find some super cute gift tags that say want, need, wear, read on Etsy if printing them off isn't your thaang.)

Black Friday Giveaway

What's better on Black Friday than something FREE? I know I love that word, and I hope you guys do, too.

Alisa (of Mod Printables) contacted me the other day about giving away a free card design on my blog, and I was sold. She does such an amazing job on all her cards, and they're sure to impress your family and friends.



All Mod Printable cards are delivered to you digitally, so you can print them off yourself and save some money.

Want to enter?
Just leave a comment on this post!
Want a second entry? Let me know which Mod Printables card is your favorite. (leave a second comment for this)
Want one last entry? Blog about Mod Printables and spread the word! (leave another comment with a link to your blog)

Winners will be chosen on Tuesday at 10 pm MST.

What Would Thanksgiving Be

...Without a "What I'm Thankful For" post?

I'm pretty sure I would be shunned from the blogging community for a least a year until I was able to redeem myself. That wouldn't be good.

So, here we go. Five things I'm thankful for (if I were an exceptional blogger, I would have listed 26, one for everyday of the month until now...But, unfortunately, I'm not going to go above and beyond today)




-I'm thankful for my husband. He's the best and is always so supportive of me crafting and blogging. In fact, he helps me brainstorm ideas and makes sure I am posting on a (semi) regular basis. I love him so much.

-I'm thankful for my family. All of them. They're always there for me when I need them, and they are the funniest people in the entire world. Not to mention, they're incredibly giving. Today we're tying a quilt for the Homeless Shelter and I. CAN'T. WAIT.

-I'm thankful for my pets who make me laugh and are constantly ready to cuddle.

-I'm thankful for school so that I can continue my education and push myself to finish the many assignments that I need to. It's nice to have something that is challenging and rewarding at the same time.

And last (you knew this was coming)

-I'm thankful for YOU for continually reading this blog, even though sometimes I don't post for long periods of time. I'm thankful for your emails and comments and for the opportunity this blog has given me to meet some really really great people. You guys are truly the best readers a girl could ask for.

Meet My Step Sister, Abbie

So, as you know...I'm awful at posting lately. Between school, work, homework, and everything else life throws at me, I just haven't had much time to craft. It's been really depressing for me. But, things are slowly (but surely) getting less busy and I hope to be posting more regularly soon. (Do I pretty much say that every post?)...Anyway, today I'm letting my step sister, Abbie post on my blog. I thought you guys would LOVE her (I do) because she's a really good crafter. Hopefully she doesn't completely show me up every week. Here she is.
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Hello Oops, I Crafted My Pants readers! I'm Abbie and I'm really excited to be hanging out in Erika's neck of the woods today. She's the best, I tell you, the BEST!

So, I've been playing with the idea of creating a craft blog, but I wasn't sure if I should do it or not. I post a lot of my crafts on my blog, but I wanted a place where I could just focus on things I've made. Anyway, I was chatting with Erika about my blog dilemma and she said I could post here every Wednesday! Deal! Just another reason to love that girl!

Here's my first official craft on Oops, I Crafted My Pants Off! Hope you enjoy!

The Super Girlie toy box:

How I did it:

1. Buy Mala toy box from IKEA
2. 2 layers of paint on edges. I used Peony Pink - American brand. Love this color. So girlie and bright.
3. Mod Podge on top of paint to seal it.
4. Cut Perm Teal Lace cardstock (KI Memories brand) to fit, then (matte) Mod Podge it to the lid and sides.
5. One more layer of Mod Podge on top of cardstock.
6. Seal the cardstock with Hard Coat Mod Podge (so stinky, but non-toxic!).

See you next Wednesday!

-Abbie

pillow sham frame

I found a really cool frame at the thrift store the other day, and knew I just had to have it.
The problem was, I just didn't know what to put inside it. It was way too big for any pictures I had laying around.

So, I rummaged through my linen closet and found a really random pillow sham. I'm not sure where it came from, but I'll take it.



It ended up fitting perfectly into my new frame. My heart jumped for joy, really.

So, there you go. An easy easy eaaasy project that takes literally one minute to finish.

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Also, are you looking for a cute blog background? Check out my awesome (adorable, lovely, perfect) friend's blog background website Hot Bliggity Blog.

Need a cute Christmas card? No problem. My same cute friend mentioned above makes them the most darling you'll ever see. Go Your Card Bakery. There's a a giveaway for a free Christmas Card layout here, too (it ends Monday morning so hurry!)

giveaway today

A few weeks ago, I discovered a great blog that I just have to share with you guys. I just felt way too guilty keeping all of this giveaway wealth to myself. So, here you go.

http://www.todaysgiveaway.net/

Today's Give Away was founded by a stay at home mom who loves to feature things that she herself loves. So, you know that you're not getting some random product that isn't going to make you completely head over heels in love.

On Today's Give Away, you'll find loads and loads of giveaways. In fact, they post around 5-6 giveaways a week. You're bound to win something with those odds. Best of all? The giveaways are so easy to enter. No jumping through hoops to win. We all could use free stuff...But, EASY free stuff? That's where it's at.

They have some awesome giveaways going on right now. You should head on over and check them out. My favorite is this one.

THE best chocolate chip cookies... Ever...No lie.

You guys, I am so excited for today's post. Evan from Buttercake by Evan is here to give us the best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever. I can't wait. I just love her. Here she is.
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Is it just me or does it seem like everybody and their mama claims to have the best chocolate chip cookie recipe? Well, I'm here to give you THE best. Yes. I said it. You can quote me too, because these are the best chocolate chip cookies you will ever eat, and (BONUS) the easiest to whip up.

Perhaps they are the tastiest because of the two sticks of melted butter? Maybe. Yeessssssssssss!

Let me give you a little insight into cookie-making. See, normally, cookie recipes ask you to cream the butter and sugar together in the beginning. This requires a stand or hand-held mixer. It also creates a really fluffy cookie, which I'm just not a fan of. Um, seriously. If I want a fluffy cookie I'll make some freakin' muffin tops, mmmmkay?

This recipe eliminates that step. Instead of the Creaming Method, we will use the Muffin Method. All that lingo means is that we mix the dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet ingredients in another bowl, and then combine them all together with a spoon and viola! Moist, chewy, buttery cookies!

One thing you should note is that the sugar is included in the wet ingredients. This is not a mistake. Because sugar dissolves very quickly, it can be considered a liquid in the baking world.
So here's the recipe! Please enjoy!

With love, Ev

Chocolate Chip Cookie #10
Adapted from Alton Brown's I'm Just Here for More Food Cookbook

The Dry Stuff:
2 1/4 cups AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups chocolate chips

The Wet Stuff:
3/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cups light brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees*. Whisk together the Dry Stuff, make a well in the center, and set aside. Whisk together the Wet Stuff and pour into the Dry Stuff. Quickly fold the ingredients together just until combined. Do not overmix.

Use a spoon or a disher and dish out your cookies, 2 inches apart, on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined counter top.

Want cookies for later? You can dish out your cookies and place the pan in the freezer. Once the dough is frozen, put them in a freezer bag (remember to date it) and take out individual cookies to bake later. They will keep in the freezer for 3 months.

*As soon as you put the cookies or cookie cake into the oven, turn the temperature down to 350 degrees. Alton Brown swears by this initial temperature boost. I don't know if it made a difference, but the cookies were great so why change anything?

Homemade laundry detergent

A few days ago, my mom made some awesome laundry detergent and posted about it on her blog. I was so jealous, that I just HAD to make some, too. So that was our fun Sunday activity.



We used an awesome recipe that we found on Rainy Day Farm. (sidenote: Rainy Day Farm is a great blog. I've been reading it for a while, and have fallen in love. Then, my mom let me know that she used to be my neighbor. Crazy! I have so many great memories of her, so that just makes me love her blog that much more) It's a great recipe and smells delicious. I'll post it here for convenience, but be sure to check her blog out, okay?

Laundry Soap Recipe
3 bars Pink Zote Soap
4 pound box of Borax
4 pound box of Arm and Hammer Baking Soda
4 pound box of Arm and Hammer Washing Soda
1 small bucket of Oxygen Cleaner (like Oxyclean)
**Grate Zote Soap and mix it with all the dry ingredients in large bowl (or garbage bag)
Use a small scoop and add it in with your laundry to replace store bought detergent.

Of course, I couldn't just use a plain ol' glass jar to hold my detergent. Nope. I had to add a little something.



I couldn't find my hot glue gun, so I used some Mod Podge to adhere it to the jar. It worked really well.

Blog Swappin'

I am so excited for this blog swap you guys. I thought it would be the perfect way to get back into the swing of blogging. I've been horrible at it lately, haven't I? Linda is awesome and I know you guys will love her. Feel free to check out my answers to the questions below over on her blog!
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Hi there! My name's Linda. I'm the voice behind Craftaholics Anonymous. For our swap today, Erika and I thought we'd switch it up a bit and change the format a little. We came up with 5 random Q's that we'll each answer. So here we go!

If your hubby was one of your crafts, which one would he be?

Mr. Craftaholics Anonymous {aka Davis} would be my Corner Shelf made from an old door. Like this shelf, he makes a big impact in a place you would least expect it!

If you were stranded on an island with only 2 of your projects, which ones would they be and why?



First, would be my Crib Spring because it is the closest thing to a bed. I have to get my beauty sleep! Hmmm, may not be very comfy though....

And



my Mod Podged Handbag. Because with a layer of Mod Podge, it's pretty much water proof and that would be handy to catch rain water in. :)

If you could redo your entire house in only one medium, what would it be?

Scrapbook Paper, one of my many fetishes!

Which project of yours would make a good pet name?



My Ruffle Bottom {skirt}. Here Ruffle Bottom, Here Ruffle Bottom, come here boy.

If you were stripped of all your crafting abilities and could only make one craft for the rest of your life, which one would it be?



Right now, my fav thing to make is tassels. They are so fun and easy to make. You can do all kinds of different ones AND there are so many places to put them in your house.

Come on over to my place and say hi! You'll find tutorials, giveaways, and plenty of crafts.

Thanks for swappin, Erika!

Traditions

What are some of your family traditions?

I have to do a presentation in one of my classes on Thursday and explain a tradition to them. The problem? I can't think of one for me to use. So, I thought hearing about yours would maybe spark a few memories.

My Faves

There's nothing like lounging around all day reading blogs. My Google Reader is chalked full of fantastic blogs to read, so I decided to share the wealth with you.

Favorite Craft Blogs:
Just a Girl
Mod Podge Rocks
Today's Creative Blog
Homemade By Jill
How About Orange
A Soft Place to Land
MADE
Happy Together
V and Co.
Blue Cricket Design
That's So Cuegly
Making the World Cuter
Somewhat Simple
Tatortots and Jello
So You Think You're Crafty

Fave Cooking Blogs:
Bakerella
Fahrenheit 350
Buttercakes by Evan
Joy the Baker
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes

Home Decor Blogs:
Hooked on Houses
Nesting Place
The Inspired Room
The Lettered Cottage
Young House Love
Apartment Therapy

Fave Random Blogs:
The Meanest Mom
My Family Blog
Make Way For Anderson's Ducklings
Candadian Tami (my mom)
Forrest and Abbie
Kevin and Amanda Fonts