Totally Random

Not much is going on at the moment, but we did clean up all the Christmas decorations to make room for this:

Our fancy, new, garage sale re-do! Doesn't it look so pretty? The other one is still sitting in the garage. I have no idea where to put it! Now, to find a chair to reupholster so we can get rid of the couch! (Not this cute gold one, but the ugly plaid one that hides under the couch cover- no offense Lisa, I love that couch and AM keeping it, just not in the living room!)

I DID NOT MAKE THIS! Just have to be perfectly clear on this one, because I've been talking about doing this for Mason's room since before he was born. I found this at the second hand store for $10. Kind of more than I would spend for something second hand, but it saves me all the trouble of learning how to tie all those stupid knots! Some of the labels had fallen off, so I opened up the back and glued them back in the right spot. And it was totally worth every penny.

Dale's out of town, so I'm trying to stay busy after the kids go to bed with all of my projects I've got lying around. I'm freaking out there are so many! I've been wanting to make Brighton a new hair clip holder for her new room. The other one was great when she was a baby and not playing with the long ribbon and taking all the clips off. This makes things a bit more compact and-my favorite part- well out of Brighton's reach. These are just a minute part of her collection. When I put all the clips on, you can't even see the cute fabric that I put in there.
I found the frame for $2 at the second hand store. It had no glass or back, which was fine with me. I cut a piece of cardboard to fit, glued some fabric and ribbon (which I already had- go me), and voila! I'll have to get some pictures of her room now that it's not completely empty. It's not done, but it's coming together.

And finally I made this a little bit ago for Kaylin's 3rd birthday. I've had this one planned for a long time (maybe over a year) and I was just waiting for a good age to give it to her. I figure her little fingers are needing a workout with some fine motor skills. What better way than to make your own dyed noodle jewelry!
I saw a tutorial long, long ago and I don't remember where (maybe instructables?). I didn't like how they turned out and I ended up doing it again, my own way, and it was a lot easier, and the noodles turned out nicer. This is a picture of the first set as I gave away the nicer, second try. That one was better...

DYING NOODLES:
1. Put your noodles in a plastic bag (separate bags for different colors, obv).
2. Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon (less is more in this case) of rubbing alcohol and a few drops of food coloring, depending on how vibrant you want the color. Here's what I did (I had red, yellow, green, and blue food dyes):
red- 4-5 drops; orange- 2 drops red, 2-3 drops yellow; yellow- 4-5 drops; green- 4-5 drops ; blue- 4-5 drops ; purple- 3 drops red, 2 drops blue
3. Shake the bag around and around and around until all the pasta looks evenly coated.
4. Open the bag, but don't take anything out. Let it "air out" a bit, like 5 minutes. And don't stand anywhere near it- you'll get a headache. Trust me.
5. When most of the alcohol has evaporated away, dump the bag out on a paper towel. Roll the noodles around gently to get rid of the excess and then let them dry. All done!

*Side note- I dyed little tiny noodles with the big ones. Not a good idea. All that shaking around in the bag just put all those little noodles inside the big ones. I'd do them separately next time. I had to re-do the little ones on a few of the colors.