Krista, Author at While He Was Napping

April 29, 2013 by Krista

Vanilla Apple Vinaigrette Dressing

Salads are one of my favorite things about summer and we eat a lot of them because they are easy and I don’t have to heat the house to prepare them. And they are healthy, right?! I am often trying new dressings to keep things fresh and new. I mean, how often can you really eat leaves and veggies without it getting kind of old. And I have a hard time making my kiddos eat stuff I really don’t feel like eating either. Recently, this little dressing was born and it’s a keeper. It was so delish! And super duper easy!

VANILLA APPLE VINAIGRETTE

Ingredients:

1/3 cup white vinegar

1/3 cup sugar

2 Tbsp apple juice

2 tsp vanilla (imitation)

Directions:

Mix ingredients together in a small bowl until all the sugar is dissolved. Pour onto salad or into an oil dispenser and serve.

This post was written by Krista and originally appeared on While He Was Napping.
If you’d like to get more While He Was Napping, you can find me here:

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April 27, 2013 by Krista

Weekend Wander #120

Because, for some reason, I am terribly, horribly awful at remembering to set the link party up, I’ve gone ahead and set a bunch of them to post. However, unless my memory somehow improves, there may not be a lot more to the post than the actual party. I apologize… and will try to do feature posts to highlight some of the cool links… so keep linking!

Ready, annnnnnd GO!

This post was written by Krista and originally appeared on While He Was Napping.
If you’d like to get more While He Was Napping, you can find me here:

April 18, 2013 by Krista

{Top Three Thursday} Padded Camera Strap Cover

This post is sponsored on behalf of Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts store. I was provided with fabric, trim and the April 2013 issue of HGTV Magazine in order to complete this review. All writing and content is 100% original and honest and 100% mine. Links contained within this post may link to the sponsor’s website.

When I was invited to try out Jo-Ann’s new line of HGTV’s HOME fabric line, I was pumped. The fabric is gorgeous and colorful. And girly! It was the perfect excuse to do some crafty creating for myself. I’m always working on things for our home or my hubby or the boys or gifts for other people. I rarely get to do any projects that are actually for ME. I was totally excited.

When I got the fabric kit, I was totally in love with the Urban Blossom fabric. Smitten. The coordinating fabric, Checkered Past Berry, was a little less my taste, but still very colorful and fun. There was also a suggested project printed off and stuck in the magazine. I was totally in love with the Round Ottoman project, but it called for three pieces of 4″ thick foam and I’d just priced that foam for a different project I’d been working on. I knew that wasn’t an expense I wanted to take on right now. So, I started searching for ideas. I kept finding all kinds of things I wanted to make… The best part was that a lot of my projects used small amounts of fabric. Guess what that means?! Lots of projects! Eeep. So excited! In this case, I think quantity is just as important as quality. Thus, begins the “Top Three Projects I created with this Awesome Fabric!”

The first project I took on: a padded camera strap cover! I’d been wanting a strap cover for a while. But, from numerous day trips to different zoos, an aquarium or two, a corn maze and a few beach outings, I knew it needed to be padded. I finally found some great directions and tackled the project during nap time one day.

PADDED CAMERA STRAP COVER

Materials:

– This fabulous tutorial over at Everything Etsy. If you get lost or confused at anytime, check out this great tutorial. She has great pictures and great explanations. I didn’t get a whole lot of process photos since I was racing the nap time clock before my kids woke up.

– 2/3 yard of Urban Blossom Fabric (HGTV Home Collection)

– 2/3 yard of Checkered Past Berry (HGTV Home Collection)

– Fusible Fleece

– Scissors/Rotary Cutter

– Ruler

– Coordinating Thread

– Sewing Machine

– Straight Pins

– Iron

Directions:

– Cut each fabric to a strip of 23 inches long and 5.5 inches wide.

– Cut one piece of fusible fleece to 21 inches long and 4 inches wide.

– Iron the wrinkles out of the fabric.

– Sew an 1/8 inch hem on each of the short ends of the fabric. You should sew four hems. I didn’t do this at this stage, but wish I had. It would have been easier.

– Place the right sides of the fabric together and pin them in place. Sew the two long sides together with a straight stitch. Leave the ends open. You should have a big inside out tube.

– Iron the seams flat.

– Center the fusible fleece onto the Checkered Past Berry fabric. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just eyeball it. Iron it down. Start at one end of the fabric about 1/8-1/4 of an inch from the edge and iron down the fleece. It will stretch as you go. Stop about 1/4-1/8 of an inch from the other end and trim it off, if you need to.

– Turn the tube right side out.

– Sew both of the short ends of the fabric together with a straight seam.

– Fold the fabric in half with the Urban Blossom fabric facing out. Sew the long edges together with a straight seam. Trim all long threads.

– Iron and apply the strap to your camera.

Isn’t it pretty!?! I love it!

How awesome is that fabric?! Well, lucky for you, I’ve got a coupon for you! 10% OFF! And if you order between April 14 and May 4, 2013 all HGTV Home fabric will be 50% off! SCORE!

This post was written by Krista and originally appeared on While He Was Napping.
If you’d like to get more While He Was Napping, you can find me here:

April 17, 2013 by Krista

Bead Bird’s Nest Necklace

These aren’t new. In fact, I’m a little (okay, a lot) late for this jewelry trend. But, my momma’s 50th birthday was last weekend and I was in need of a gift. I wanted something a little nicer than just flowers or IOU coupons or something. Fifty only comes once! However, I also didn’t have money for a big purchase, or even a little purchase really. It was down to whatever I could make with what I had in my house. I went through my pinterest boards, looking for some pinspiration and landed on this little gem – no pun intended.

BEAD BIRD’S NEST NECKLACE

Materials:

– Beads

– Jewelry Wire

– Scissors or Needle Nose Pliers with a Wire Cutter

– Jump Ring

– Necklace Chain

– Small Piece of Felt

Directions:

I actually used the tutorial on sarahortega.com and she does such a great job at explaining the process that I’m just going to link you there, because it’s that awesome. Annnnd… I didn’t take photos, as I was using both of my hands to wrangle the wire. Besides, I’d be totally embarrassed to show you my out-of-focus, one-handed cell phone photos and then send you to Sarah’s blog with her amazing photos. So, just go get the directions, with some awesome photos for clarification, over at Sarah Ortega.

**I did do a couple things differently than Sarah. I actually wrapped my wire through the space in between the beads twice, because I was having such a hard time getting it to wrap around the beads and stay together. May it’s just that I’m totally uncoordinated, but it seemed to help. I wrapped it once and then went back around all three beads with another few layers of wire. I also wrapped it three to five times, instead of just three.

I did use a jump ring to attach the nest to the necklace, like Sarah mentions. However, I took a small piece of felt, cut it smaller than the back of my nest and hot glued it to the back. I did this for a couple reasons. First, because I didn’t want my mom to get scratched with the end of the wire, should it work loose. I also did it so the wire isn’t ice cold if she wears the necklace during the winter… brrr, I hate that! Also, I thought I made it look a little less ‘open’ through the back of the nest, since I didn’t wrap my wire super tight.**

This nest necklace was super easy and took me maybe half an hour from start to finish. I had all the materials on hand, but you could purchase everything for less than $15 easily. Not only that, it’s personalizable. The color of beads I used were just colors my mom likes, but you could use birth stone colors and make it even more meaningful. There are currently three grandkids, two boys and a girl. Two blue beads and one silver bead, get it? Perfect Mother’s Day gift… it’s just around the corner, so I know you’re looking for ideas, right…?

This post was written by Krista and originally appeared on While He Was Napping.

April 13, 2013 by Krista

Weekend Wander #119

Sorry, I’m late yet again… Today is my mama’s birthday, the big 5-0, so I’m doing stuff with that. I’ll try to add features in a day or two. Until then, link ’em up! Can’t wait to see what you have been up to!

This post was written by Krista and originally appeared on While He Was Napping.
If you’d like to get more While He Was Napping, you can find me here:

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