Dropcloth Drapes

You may or may not be surprised by the fact that I LOVE looking at DIY blogs! I love reading these women's ideas on how to decorate your home for cheap. Between these blogs and Etsy.com, I could waste a lot of time...or do waste a lot of time. Oops? A reoccuring post that I see on these blogs is different ways to utilize Dropcloths. Who would've thought? They're being used as pillow covers, tablecloths, slipcovers and complete upholstry redo's, as well as drapes. Genius! I love drapes but my wallet does not love the price of the good ones, so I've always held off getting any. This is when you hightail it to Lowe's or Home Depot. For $9.99 you can purchase a 9x6 Dropcloth that is already hemmed only all 4 sides.

I only bought one today, but I may change my mind and eventually buy another one to go on the same window. Target was the next stop, to purchase drapery rings for $8 and I was good to go. When we moved into our current apartment, my sister gave me a curtain rod she wasn't using, so that was free (which I'm all about!). So for under $20 I was able to update my window treatment. Not too shabby! I placed the curtain rod about a foot above where the actual window ends to create the illusion of taller ceilings. Some people choose to cut the Dropcloth so that it barely touches the floor while others just leave it piled on the floor; I chose not to trim off the excess. I'm still debating on whether I want to stencil print a design on the curtain; I sort of like it's raw natural look, so we'll see.

Please ignore the horrible quality of these pictures.

Oy Vey!

I haven't taken a vacation since May and I am definitely feeling it! Alright people, where should I go next?

Pumpkin Pie Playdough

This past month at work, we've been teaching under the theme "All About Me", with this week being about our 5 senses. As soon as I started to prepare my lesson plans, I knew one thing that had to be included on the day I taught sense of smell: Pumpkin Pie Playdough. I stumbled across this recipe last Fall when I went online to find a new twist to traditional playdough since I don't really like the smell of playdough or how it leaves my hands feeling.

To say the Pumpkin Pie Playdough was a hit in my classroom would be a huge understatement! Everyday for weeks they were asking to play with it; I would have all 12 kids (I was teaching on my own for a couple months there and I could have up to 12 kids in my class by myself) sitting at various tables smashing and molding the orange dough for a good 30-40 minutes. Not only was the texture better then store-bought dough, but it made my room smell amazing! Everyone walking through my door would comment on how it smelled like someone was baking.

The first recipe I used resulted in a huge amount of playdough; more then I ever would need considering the recommended one-week shelf life (the downside to using a recipe that calls for ingredients all found in your pantry). This time around, I decided on a slightly different recipe that also yielded great results. I chose to leave out all the food coloring, so instead of the dough being orange, it is an oatmeal color. The orange does add to the Pumpkin effect however it can slightly dye your hands, so I suggest leaving it out.

Pumpkin Pie Playdough

1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 teaspoons cream of tarter
2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon veg. oil
1 cup water

Combine dry ingredients in saucepan
Add oil and water and whisk until smooth
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly (very important!) until it forms a ball
Turn onto counter, let cool slightly and then knead on floured surface until smooth.
Store in airtight container

Bob Dylan -Goin' to Acapulco

Love the song, love the shot from this film, strangeness and all.

They could create a whole other movie based just on this scene.