A Nifty Blog: Thinks You're Swell!

With all of the blackouts and extra candlewax floating around this house my roommate Jerod had a great idea to use the extra glasses and wax to make new candles. I watched, assisted and made a few of my own.

First you need 2 small pots (Jerod got them at Salvation Army for $.50 each.)
One with simmering water to clean the glasses and melt the wax residue
and the other to melt the wax bits(typically you use a double boiler- but as long as you stay vigilant and not let it boil you should be okay.)
Supplies: candle wick (unwaxed is fine), wick stabilizers, needle nose pliers (to crimp the wick in the stabilizer), scissors, wax from 'ol candles, and glass votive containers (or other glass containers.) We used a bunch of waxes from yummy scented candles and together it made a yummy Frankenstein scent.
You want to first dip your wick and hold it straight after you pull it out of the wax. Blow on it to cool and harden it. We did it is big bunches to then cut and crimp onto the bases.

Then pour the melted candle wax into the clean, glass container. Wait a second and then drop the wick in and hold it while it cools (or rest it against something to keep it up.) And that is pretty much it! There are a lot more comprehensive how-tos (here's one) so unless you like to just stumble your way through (like me) get more info from a more reputable source.

So, my fiance and I just bought a house... Well, we actually close on the 20th, but unless the sky falls it is happening. It was a great deal and with how handy we both are- we couldn't say no.

So, once we close I will be keeping track of the rehab-to-fabulous here!

Some details:
1770 Sq Foot Home
Built in 1915
Arts and Craft style home
Foreclosed in November

Stay tuned for my personal episode of This Old House.

I live with a band, well 2 of the 4 bandmates, and so while practice is happening I try to find something to do while wearing earplugs. It just happens to be the perfect time for crafting.


I needed a guitar strap that better matched "Luna", my ol' Seagull Folk guitar.
This one is made from fabric scraps and recycled leather scraps. The inside is some brown fleece I found and is so comfy on my skin. I just quilted a 5 in wide and meter long line of fabric and sewed the same size piece of fleece on the front. I turned it inside out and cut 2 pieces of leather for the ends. Sewed the leather onto the end- leaving some on the inside to also sew a "strength square" so the leather would not detach from the fabric part of the strap. I then cut a hole in the leather for the strap-locks and sewed along the edge for a clean look.

The winter blues are hitting both Dan and I and we have decided that once a week we need an escape.
This week's weecation: The Franklin Park Conservatory and a late lunch at El Arepazo.

Now that we don't use Styrofoam anymore our locally-owned coffee shops serve their yummy sustainably-harvested, shade-grown, fair- trade coffee in paper and include a funny cardboard sleeve to protect our fragile skin.

Save a tree and make your own- out of recycled materials. It is the easiest project ever!!
I am keeping this one, but I think this would be a neat gift along with a coffee gift certificate.

What I did:
I took the cuff of an old wool sweater that was accidentally felted (washed on hot and dried) cut it off and added my own touches. The decorations are made from a ripped fleece blanket that was going to be tossed. I "loop stitched" the sun on and machine sewed a tree onto the blue fleece as well as a bird on the sun. Nothing more. It was THAT easy!

I promised a project today...

Ok... so the election took a little more time out of my life than I anticipated (at least we won!) Which means I had no time to create or blog about it.


Here it is a NEW YEARS RESOLUTION!
I will blog.


Starting tomorrow. ; )