Yep...I did it...(with some help from mom)

So the great reveal of my amazing new couch...recovered for a low cost of only $180 you heard it folks...I used six- 6x9 paint drop cloths and purchased my pillows on sale at JcPenneys for $12 each. The only other supply I needed was one king size quilt batting from Wal-Mart which was about $10...

If you saw my previous post, I started by creating the slipcover for the base of the couch, finishing the arms, but leaving the under cushion part open to pull out the sofa bed...

I waited for my mom, Roseanna to come up to tackle the cushions. First, we took the cushions out of their old covers and wrapped them with the quilt batting. We stitched the seam up with a whip stitch. This took about two hours, but we watched the movie Elizabeth: The Golden Age with Cate Blanchett while we were stitching, so the time flew by...

Next, we sewed miles and miles of piping...a job my mother now enjoys..."very therapeutic" she says. While she sewed the piping, I cut out the pieces. Then we pinned the fabric and piping to the cushions, inside out and then off to the sewing machine we went...





and just a short two days...and eight hours later...


It looks like Lawson approves...

The Dress...finally...

Well, I guess I did not keep my word...I said I would post the pictures of the dress completed...but never did it! Unfortunately, final exams took over my life and I was swept away in homework...now do not get me wrong, I did continue to craft despite the finals...I just did not have the time to post about it. As a matter of fact, I completed the dress, sewed a shirt, finished reupholstering my couch, modified a prom dress for a student and made a wreath...Check out my next few blog posts to see the results...oh and in case you are wondering...I craft my stress away...

Anyway...here is the dress...apologies for the photos...really looking to buy a new camera...

...front...





...and back...


...and in case you were curious, here is modified prom dress...I took out the zipper and created a corset tie back...

Happy Mother's Day

oping everyone is having a beautiful and restful Mother's Day. My mother-in-law came over to celebrate with me this year...and I was really in the mood to cook. I do not get many opportunities to just sit home all day and cook, so I really took advantage of the opportunity. So I made a baked ham, Swiss eggs, asparagus and berry parfaits for dessert.

Swiss eggs are a family tradition...well at least I always had my mother make them for me when I would visit. It is a great recipe, here it is if you want to give it a try.

First, you need to grate a pound a Swiss cheese and spread it into a greased 13 x 9 cake pan. Next, you make wells to fit the eggs. I think 8 eggs fit perfectly.



Then you pour about a half to two-thirds of a cup of heavy cream over the eggs and cheese. A little salt and black pepper and into the oven they go. I bake them at about 375 degree just until cheese is melted and eggs are set.




When they come out they are served similar to eggs benedict...english muffin, ham, then the egg...mmmm...so yummy...not on the diet plan, but so good...

(Lack of picture due to the fact that it smelled so good we could not stop to photograph)

The berry parfaits were amazing too...blueberries, strawberries and raspberries...with organiz french vanilla yogurt = delicious!!

Sewing the stress away...

Yesterday, after I got out of work, I had a craving to do something creative...Since I was out of drop cloths and didn't have the ambition to drive to Lowes to pick up more in order to finish my couch, I decided to sew a dress. I went in the attic and dug through my collection of vintage patterns. I got about 100 patterns from my Mother-in-law a few years back and carefully stashed them away. I was so excited as they were just old enough to be back in style. So out they came and I picked this one to sew...Isn't it super cute? I thought so...and so I dug out some fabric and went to work...I listened to The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand while I sewed, and of course I had one (yep, he found two) of my amazing new dress forms that my husband found me to keep me company...

I have some finishing touches to do, but I will reveal the dress tomorrow...

Spring Wreaths...

Today I took a break from working on my couch and my friend Michelle came over and we made spring wreaths... So I thought I would share a few pictures...

We got our inspiration from blog land. Michelle liked this one from The Magic of Ordinary Things blog...
Here is how Michelle's turned out...

Pretty nice...huh?

I got my inspiration from Nat at Natsprat...




So? What do you think? (Besides that I need a better camera...)

I did it!

Well, I finally got up the courage to just tackle the huge job of making a slip cover for my couch. I spent an entire evening looking at every blog post here and looking at every before and after here, I decided I just could not live with my couch any longer...So I washed the drop cloths I have had hanging out in my craft room closet and went to work.

Here is what the couch looked like before...


UGGGGLY!

Here is my progress so far.
I am going to tackle the cushions this week. I have decided to ditch the back cushions and make pillows instead...ahhh! It is so nice to have some time off...

My other life...

I rarely speak about the other side of my life, the part that consumes a large part of my day, but since I originally started this blog as a forum to share all aspects of my life including my love of learning, I thought it only appropriate that I also share tidbits about my job as a Prek-12 principal, and my other academic pursuits.

I have to admit to both love and hate my job, but that is probably common with most jobs. Many people probably share the same feelings. This evening I attended a science fair hosted by a science teacher at our school. It was AMAZING! The students were well prepared and dressed to impress. The turn out was great and the overall feeling at the event was that of pride. These are the moments that make me love my job. I loved being a part of that. I loved that it was a great success for my science teacher, who also could go home proud and feel that her efforts made a difference.

Oh! if only every day was like that...as you can imagine, there are many frustrations as well. I think it is so important to keep these small wins with me to remind me of what is important...

Another happy moment of the day was an email from Ken Royal from Administrator Magazine. I had written to him and offered to write a review for the magazine on this cool new technology called the Livescribe Smartpen. He told me that he was starting a new blog called "Best in tech Today" and he wanted me to review the Livescribe for the first post. Well today he sent me the published piece. So exciting. Made my day! Like I said...it is the little things...
Click Here To Read It!

Bedroom Inspiration

So I was at TJMaxx this weekend...not looking for anything in particular and I found myself in the soap/toiletry section...you know where they have all of the perfume and fancy bars of soap? well that happens to be my new favorite section. I have been buying soap every time I go there because..well I kind of have an addiction to perfume. So anyways...I was smelling soaps when I spotted the most beautiful bar of soap...fortunately it also smelled amazing so I bought it and brought it home.

When I got home I took it out of the bag and put it on a shelf in my bathroom...Last night as I walked in the bathroom, I thought to myself, it smells amazing in here, and I remembered I had bought a new bar of soap. So I went to the shelf and picked it up to smell it and that is when it occurred to me that the bar of soap was the answer to my recent dilemma...of what to do with my bedroom...

My bedroom is a third floor attic room. It is kind of like a loft and the bathroom and spa tub are open to the whole room. I really want it to be an oasis...a getaway...but right now...it is kind of at getaway to the eighties....with pink tile floors and teal green tiles around the bathtub...I have had a hard time trying to envision what I would do up here...but then...the soap inspired me...

So without further ado...here is the bar of soap...




So now I can think of nothing else...

Sunday Pizza

My kids love homemade pizza...it is so easy to make...and tastes so much better than take out...I can even sneak wheat flour in there without anyone knowing...so it is healthier too!

Step 1: Preheat oven to 450. Make dough...in a cuisinart measure 2 3/4 cups white flour 3/4 cup wheat flour, one package yeast, and 1tsp course salt. turn on and slowly pour in luke warm water until dough forms a ball. Keep machine on for one minute. Take dough out, form ball and put in a greased bowl to rise in a warm spot for one hour.



Step 2: After dough rises, take out of bowl and press into a bar pan that has corn meal spread on the bottom.

Step 3: Using a brush, brush olive oil on dough. If you have some Pizza Seasoning from Penzey's sprinkle on top. If you do not...Buy some here!


Step 4: Put the crust in a 450 degree oven...while the crust is pre-cooking...make sauce.
I made a quick sauce here by blending a can of diced tomatoes in the cuisinart...

I crushed one clove of garlic and let it cook for a few minutes in a tbls of olive oil...

Then, I added the blended tomatoes, along with a tsp of oregano, a pinch of sugar, salt, pepper and a 1/2 tsp of onion powder and cooked for ten minutes until the crust was done.

When I took the crust out of the oven, I slipped the crust on to a pizza peel. I did this because I like to finish the pizza without the pan so the bottom crust gets nice and brown...but this is optional. You could leave it in the pan if you wanted.

Step 5: Add Sauce, romano cheese, onions, pepperoni, peppers, mushrooms and shredded cheese...(or whatever toppings you like).


Step 6: Slide pizza in the oven for ten to 15 minutes...I like my cheese brown-ish.

Step 7: Take out pizza and slice...and there you go...

Spring is here?

Well, even though it is still snowing in Western New York...we decided it was going to be Spring here anyways. We spent some time adding some new Spring decor to the kitchen and dining room...want to see???
Do you love these queen wrens as much as I do? on sale at Michael's for only $1.49... Thanks for the tip Holly! Holly also gave me the idea for this cloche...Check Holly's out here...


hmmm...making cookies with Layton...looks like he's been eating the dough...




Happy Spring!!