Kibble Container with Mason Jar Scoop

Ever since Quinn came into our lives two months ago, I've been scouring HomeGoods for a rustic dog food container with no luck. Is it just me or do they only make dog products in either bone or paw print patterns?  I finally came across a huge glass apothecary jar at A.C. Moore and with a 40% off coupon, I decided to give it a chance.


The only problem was that a plain cookie jar was not exactly what I had in mind. I really wanted something with more character so I grabbed my Krylon Looking Glass spray paint and went crazy. You can see my Mercury Glass Tutorial here.

After that part of the project was finished, I spelled out "KIBBLE" with distressed rub-on letters. Since rubons usually only contain one version of each letter, having two cloned Bs next to each other looked a bit silly.

To eliminate this, I went in and scratched away random spots on each of the Bs. They went from identical twins to close cousins and I'm completely on board with that. 

I absolutely love how it turned out. The mason jar is no prop either, it's the new measuring scoop! Ingenious, I know. I left the metal rim on so I wouldn't have to worry about the glass chipping if I accidentally smacked the jar against the wall of the container. 

After all was said and done, I realized that the container was too big for the counter but sat too low for the floor. I remembered a great wooden plant stand that I found on clearance at Jo-Ann Fabrics and I knew it was exactly what I needed. To marry the two pieces together in one style, I stained the stand with Behr Premium in Slate. Doesn't it look like the most perfect weathered wood ever?!

I'm really loving this project, but what do YOU think? It's a simple way to make ugly clutter transform into fabulous decor and who doesn't love that?


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Mercury Glass Tutorial

Antique mercury glass is both charming and chic. It really brings that old world feel to a modern home which is exactly my aesthetic. Like most things I covet, it's not exactly cheap... just check out Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware options. Unfortunately, the price doesn't deter me from wanting to live in a pretty little mercury glass bubble.

Did you know you can create the look of vintage mercury glass at home in three simple steps? No way, you say? How, you ask? Let me show you!

All you'll need is Krylon's Looking Glass spray paint and a bottle of water!

You can get the Krylon paint online, but Wal-Mart carries it at a pretty reasonable price. (When will Target get on board with a big ole crafting section?!)

The process is simple:
1. Spray your glass lightly with water, letting little droplets gather on the surface. (You'll see that I taped my glass off and this was simply because I only wanted the base of my jar to have the finish)

2. Spray paint around the entire surface (yes, over the water and all). Don't panic when it starts to take on a very streaky faux silver finish; that's exactly what you want.

3. Let it dry for about 20-25 minutes in the sun. The paint only takes about 10 minutes to be dry enough to touch, but you also need most of the water to evaporate as well. Grab an old dish towel and gently rub over the paint in a "wax on, wax off" motion. You'll get this streaky distressed look that adds so much character.

That's it. You're finished. You didn't think it could possibly be that easy, did ya?

Easy breezy mercury glass in 30 minutes or less.

Now go grab your dollar store candle stick holders, those cheap florist vases, and all of your recyclables! I especially love mercury glass at Christmas so I'm going to be doing a ton of decorations now (while it's warm enough for things to dry outside) and you should, too! I'd love to see what you make!

Come back tomorrow to see the finished mercury glass project! If you're not already following Spool and Spoon via email or Google Friend Connect, make sure you do so you won't miss it.

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Notes for the Babysitter {Printable}

TGIF. You know what that means -- no work, all play for two whole days! For newlyweds like the Mr. and I, we can just drop everything and go out and have a great time. If your nights out require a bit more planning and the help of a sitter, consider making things a lot easier for everyone by putting all of the necessary info in one handy-dandy place: my free "Notes for the Babysitter" printable!

You can download this full-size printable here! Feel free to print it out on one 8.5"x11" page or as a photo with two 5x7s on one sheet.

I have been babysitting for over a decade including two years of being a pre-school teacher and three as a nanny. With that kind of background, I'm just wired to write down notes of what the kids and I did, what they ate, their bathroom habits, etc. I have always appreciated the parents that take the same kind of effort to let me know exactly what their expectations are and to ensure that I feel prepared while they are away.  Using my Notes for the Babysitter template, you can give your sitter all of the info they need without a dozen "oh and don't forget..." moments/texts/calls. 

Sample information:

Update: download the new NOTES FROM THE BABYSITTER PRINTABLE!

If you like what you see, you should consider following Spool and Spoon via email or through Google Friend Connect for other simple ideas that are sure to tickle your fancy.

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Washi Tape Bunting

Is it just me or is bunting everywhere? Don't get me wrong, I am DEFINITELY not complaining. Anything is ten times cuter when pennants are draped all over it: cards, cakes, entry ways, mugs, etc. I wanted to add a little whimsy to my sewing table and a mini bunting was just the touch my favorite frame needed.

Materials:

• Washi tape in your favorite patterns or colors
• Solid white paper
• Embroidery floss in a coordinating color
• 1" hole punch
• Glue stick
• Bone folder & Scoring Board

Directions:

1. Apply the washi tape to the white paper in any pattern you'd like
2. Punch out circles
3. Using the bone folder and scoring board, score each circle down the center
4. Fold the circles with the washi pattern on the outside and smear the glue across the inside
5. Wrap the circles around the embroidery floss and press closed
6. Decorate the accessories of your choice for a detail that is sure to impress

Yep, it's really that easy. Shocking, I know. In less than 10 minutes you'll have an adorable accent for your favorite things. You could use printed paper if you aren't a fan of washi tape (GASP!), but I adore my stash a bit too much to not utilize it in every way possible.

If you like what you see, you should consider following Spool and Spoon via email or through Google Friend Connect for other simple tutorials and mouth-watering recipes that are sure to tickle your fancy.

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S'mores Cookies

Who doesn't love s'mores? I don't even like chocolate but I can inhale two s'mores without a second thought. They are the perfect summer time treat and a sweet nightcap to a long day. I'm always trying to come up with new ways to reinvent the wheel and these cookies are almost better than the original. They are super tasty and what's S'MORE (tee-hee) is that they are quick and easy. If we are going to jazz up the recipe anyhow, why not cheat a little and use cookie dough mix? I won't tell if you won't tell. 

S'MORES COOKIES

Ingredients:

• Betty Crocker Double Chocolate Chunk Cookie Mix (+ 1/4 cup of oil, 2 tablespoons of water, and 1 egg)
• 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs (about 10 crackers finely chopped)
• 10 large marshmallows

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 and gather all ingredients in one area
2. Form chocolate dough into semi-round blobs (the dough will stick so I used only one hand to touch the raw dough)
3. Toss the dough ball into the graham cracker crumbs and coat thoroughly
4. Place dough onto lightly greased cookie sheet
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes (it's okay if they are slightly undercooked as they will be back in the oven soon anyhow)
6. Chill on rack for 5-10 minutes, the return to cookie sheet
7. Cut large marshmallows in half diagonally with kitchen shears
8. Top each cookie with one half of a marshmallow -- sticky (cut) side down.  rounded side up. 
9. Place the cookies under the broiler for 2 minutes, or until toasted (don't take your eyes off of marshmallows as you don't want them to char)

Don't these look fantastic? The best part is that they taste BETTER than they look. There's no reason why you shouldn't try this recipe considering you can get everything you need for less than 5 bucks. 

They are best right out of the oven when everything is still warm but feel free to store in an air-tight container for up to one week.


If you like what you see, you should consider following Spool and Spoon via email or through Google Friend Connect for other mouth-watering recipes and fun projects that will tickle your fancy.

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Dream Catcher Necklace

Have I ever mentioned how artistically talented my husband is? In many ways, he puts me to shame but it's one of the qualities I love most about him. On our way home from our nephew's birthday bash, we had to stop at the craft store for some watercolor supplies for him. As we were checking out, I noticed that our cashier had on a super cute dream catcher necklace and I instantly wanted one. Now, normally I'm not so impulsive but dream catchers are kind of nostalgic for me. When us kids were growing up, we always had a dream catcher in our window and being that my father's grandfather was Cherokee, I was taught to treasure the dream catcher for what it symbolized.

Rather than search one out and wait for shipping, I figured I could try my hand at jewelry making and weave one together myself.

MATERIALS:

• Brown cloth-wrapped wire (in the floral department)
• 18" of embroidery floss, color of your choice
• 16" length of chain
• 1 jump ring
• 16" twine

DIRECTIONS:

1. Gather your materials in a well lit area. I had a small jewelry kit that I had never used so I was able to pick and choose what hardware I needed from in there.
2. Form a circle with your floral wire. My wire was pretty bendable so I created a double loop and then twisted the ends into a rosette shape. If you want a clean circle then you can leave the ends down and wrap the entire loop in a dark colored fabric strip or ribbon.
3. Tie the floss in a knot behind the rosette and then loop it around the circle as shown. I did this every inch or so.
4. Now instead of using the wire to create your knots, weave the floss in and out of the existing pieces. I chose not to add any beads because I wanted mine to be very simplistic, but if you wanted to, this would be the point where you would string the beads onto the floss to incorporate with the pattern
5. Continue this weaving pattern
6. Once at the center, tie the floss in a knot and cut off the remaining thread as close to the knot as possible
7. Using a jump ring attach the dream catcher to the center point on your chain
8. String the twine through the two end links on the chain and tie the two fraying edges together. Leaving plenty of room to slip the necklace over your head.

you can see the jump ring at the top connecting the charm to the chain

What do you think? If you like this project, you should consider following Spool and Spoon via email or through Google Friend Connect for other crafts and recipes that will tickle your fancy.

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Beer Marinade (for Chicken)

Want a secret for how to get the best grilled chicken ever? MARINADE. Seriously, it's the answer. This marinade recipe is perfect for that flat/warm beer that you took too long to drink (as if!) I serve mine along side homemade three-cheese mac and cheese for the perfect weeknight meal. Eat up!

BEER MARINADE FOR CHICKEN

Ingredients:

• 2lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breast or tenders
• 1 bottle beer (Stella Artois!)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons of EVOO
• pinch of salt and fresh cracked pepper

Directions:

1. Trim up meat as necessary/desired
2. Liberally salt and pepper each piece 
3. In a bowl, whisk together: beer, sugar, garlic and olive oil
4. Place chicken in a gallon sized freezer bag and pour the beer mixture carefully over the chicken
5. Seal the bag with as little air inside as possible
6. Let the bag sit in the fridge for at least 45 minutes, but preferably 6-8 hours
7. Remove chicken from bag and place on preheated grill (you want a good sear!)
8. Grill chicken over medium-high heat until done

Enjoy!

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