Did you think this day would ever come??
Me neither.
Okay, so here's a reminder of before:
Okay, so here's a reminder of before:
Are you tired of me going on and on about yard sales?
Me too. :) Changing subjects...
Me too. :) Changing subjects...
My friend Wendy over at the Shabby Nest is having a Frugal Friday Party. I love Fridays, I love frugal-ness, and I love parties, how could I not join??
Here are a few frugal decor tips I like to use:
* old books *
They are like old friends~they just add something to your home by simply being there. You can use them to add some color and texture, give height to objects, and have wisdom in the pages to turn to any time you want to. There is just something comforting and wise about them...and are all over at yard sales and thrift stores.
* candles *
You can find at inexpensive prices almost anywhere nowadays in great colors. In the picture above, I just wrapped a strip of scrapbook paper from Hobby Lobby around it, taped the back and added a ribbon. Place it on top of some old books and you're set!
Here are a few frugal decor tips I like to use:
* old books *
They are like old friends~they just add something to your home by simply being there. You can use them to add some color and texture, give height to objects, and have wisdom in the pages to turn to any time you want to. There is just something comforting and wise about them...and are all over at yard sales and thrift stores.
* candles *
You can find at inexpensive prices almost anywhere nowadays in great colors. In the picture above, I just wrapped a strip of scrapbook paper from Hobby Lobby around it, taped the back and added a ribbon. Place it on top of some old books and you're set!
* get up early *
Put your signs up, start pulling everything out and start setting it up about an hour before the sale starts. Try to arrange it attractively, but remember that it's probably all going to get messed up as people go through it anyway. Remember to keep things in sections to make it easier for people to find. the more visible it is, the better it will sell.
If you don't want early birds, you may want to put "early birds pay double" in your ad. :) Remember that they can be your best friends though, because you don't have to lower your price on anything that early in the morning. I welcome people to look around as we're pulling stuff out.
If you don't want early birds, you may want to put "early birds pay double" in your ad. :) Remember that they can be your best friends though, because you don't have to lower your price on anything that early in the morning. I welcome people to look around as we're pulling stuff out.
So, you're ready to have a yard sale? Yay! It will feel so good to de-clutter and purge of the things you aren't using or don't love.
* The ultimate form of recycling *
pic source
This is an appropriate post for Earth Day as well, since I believe yard sales are the ultimate form of recycling. Instead of adding to a landfill, you are passing it on to someone else to use. When you go to yard sales, you find items to re-purpose instead of buying new. You are also supporting the American economy, because of your money goes into the pockets of your fellow citizens. Now that we have warm fuzzies about yard sales, here we go.
pic sourceThis is an appropriate post for Earth Day as well, since I believe yard sales are the ultimate form of recycling. Instead of adding to a landfill, you are passing it on to someone else to use. When you go to yard sales, you find items to re-purpose instead of buying new. You are also supporting the American economy, because of your money goes into the pockets of your fellow citizens. Now that we have warm fuzzies about yard sales, here we go.
If anyone is a fool at making yeast bread, it is me! I have never had luck making real bread. My brother, Michael is the bread maker of our family. His is my favorite~I love it. I've tried his recipe and mine tastes nothing like his. I think he adds secret ingredients.
I've tried lots and lots of other recipes and they just don't look good or taste good and take too much time. But, then I came across this one from my alma mater, Utah State (Go Aggies!!) from the extension office and the name intrigued me. I tried it this fall and it turned out awesome! I've been experimenting with adding wheat flour and like it with half wheat/half white. If you're making it for the first time, I would stick with the white flour and then experiment down the road.
My favorite thing about this recipe? It's easy and fast and you probably have the ingredients on hand. You mix it up, let your mixer knead it for you, and then put it in the pans and let it rise. None of this proofing the yeast, letting it rise, punch it down, let it rise again nonsense.
Definitely my kind of recipe. You can have 4 loaves of bread whipped out for your family in no time and feel like Holly Homemaker all at once. It is absolutely divine with the honey butter recipe from Our Best Bites.
** Click here for printable recipe **
or
** Click here for half recipe **
No Fail Yeast Bread
Source: adapted from Becky Low, Utah State University Extension
Cooks do not make homemade bread as they did a few years ago. Today, that treat may seem impossible for the novice cook - but not with this recipe. It is easy, quick to fix, and takes much less time than traditional homemade bread. Recipe makes 4 loaves.
5 cups warm water (I use my tap water as hot as it will go)
3 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 cup honey or 3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup oil
1-1/2 tablespoon salt
11-12 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour
3 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 cup honey or 3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup oil
1-1/2 tablespoon salt
11-12 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour
This recipe is easiest if a large mixer is used. If a mixer is unavailable, dough may be kneaded by hand.
By hand: Combine water, yeast, sugar (or honey), oil, salt, and mix together with wire whisk in large bowl. Begin adding flour 1 cup at a time and mix with large wooden spoon until it's too big to stir. Turn dough out on floured surface and continue adding flour 1 cup at a time and knead it in until soft and smooth. Knead for 8-10 minutes by hand.
By hand: Combine water, yeast, sugar (or honey), oil, salt, and mix together with wire whisk in large bowl. Begin adding flour 1 cup at a time and mix with large wooden spoon until it's too big to stir. Turn dough out on floured surface and continue adding flour 1 cup at a time and knead it in until soft and smooth. Knead for 8-10 minutes by hand.
Using Mixer: Combine water, yeast, sugar (or honey), oil, salt, and mix together using dough hook attachment. Stir in enough flour to make a dough that pulls away from the sides of the mixer but is still sticky to the touch
Knead for 8 - 10 minutes in your mixer or by hand. Flour hands and remove from mixer. Place dough onto floured surface and knead until soft and not sticky.
Divide dough into 4 parts. Shape each part into a loaf and place into greased loaf pans. Cover and allow to rise until dough is 1 inch above pans.
* another note from Melissa on this one: I heat my oven to 170 degrees and then I put my dough in the pans in there to let it rise in a warm, protected spot (away from my kids!) It rises more quickly for me this way as well. (usually just about 30 minutes!) When they have risen I keep them in the oven and just switch the temperature to 350 and bake.
* another note from Melissa on this one: I heat my oven to 170 degrees and then I put my dough in the pans in there to let it rise in a warm, protected spot (away from my kids!) It rises more quickly for me this way as well. (usually just about 30 minutes!) When they have risen I keep them in the oven and just switch the temperature to 350 and bake.
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Turn out of pans to cool.
NOTE: A nice variation is to make sweet rolls. Take 1 or 2 of the pieces of bread dough divided to make a loaf. Roll each portion of dough out into a 14 x 8-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Brush with 1-2 tablespoons softened butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Roll up dough. Cut into 1-inch slices and place on greased baking pan. Allow to rise until double in bulk. Bake as above. And of course you've got to top them with some frosting!
** Click here for printable recipe **
OR
** Click here for half recipe **
** Click here for printable recipe **
OR
** Click here for half recipe **
Want some more recipes? Here are some favorites:
How about a sink? Have you ever broken a sink before?
Oh, goodness, I'll tell you the ugly story:
Oh, goodness, I'll tell you the ugly story:
On Thursday I'm trying to put finishing touches in the bathroom~hanging the mirrors, etc. I found these knobs at Hobby Lobby for $2 and thought they would look great to "hang" the mirrors from with some big fat ribbon. (hang the mirrors, and then make it look like they were hanging from these:)
They are big, fat, beautiful and heavy. So, I hung the mirrors, and then I wanted to position the ribbon and the knobs just right, so I took the screws out and put a bunch of hot glue on the back to hold them in place while I hung the ribbon. I wanted my husband to help me put the screws in with some drywall anchors later. Well, of course there were a million other things going on that day: pricing everything for the yard sale, getting it over to my friend's house for the sale, my daughter had a performance at a PTA meeting, and then on top of it, we had our first tornado watch since we've been in Texas. I've never seen such big hail in my life and there were some twisters outside of town that were coming down from wall clouds they were worried would touch down. Yikes!
I completely forgot about my knobs hot glued up there. There was really loud thunder and lightning all night and sometime in the middle of the night I heard a big *crash.* I was exhausted and out of it and thought it was thunder. My husband was in the kitchen burning the midnight oil preparing for classes the next day and heard it and came in and asked if everything was ok, I said yea, it was just thunder. I wake up the next morning groggy-eyed and see a big black mark in the sink:
I go to wipe it off, but my finger goes right through it!! Yes, it was a hole. That beautiful knob fell from way up high, and smashed right through the sink. I'm sure the humidity from the thunderstorm didn't help anything either. The knob didn't have a mark on it, but the sink sure did. Ugghhhh. Adventures of Melissa in re-modeling...
The yard sale was a huge success, but guess where my money will be going?a new sink.
I don't know if you can see in the picture, but there are cracks all around it, so I think fixing it is out of the question.
Do you think those knobs will be going up?? Oh no, I'm afraid they are banished from the house.
I'll have some "Having a Yard Sale" posts up later this week....I'm not going to break anything else, I'm not going to break anything else...
Do you think those knobs will be going up?? Oh no, I'm afraid they are banished from the house.
I'll have some "Having a Yard Sale" posts up later this week....I'm not going to break anything else, I'm not going to break anything else...
First of all, thank you so much for all of the great tips for the spray paint bubbling. I think I was spraying way too close and it probably wasn't completely dry yet either. If those plates ever make it up onto my wall it will be a miracle...
Anyway! I ran to Target this morning to grab some more yard sale stickers (I'm joining my friend that is having one this weekend) and do you think that's all I walked out with?
Oh no...
They had just marked all of their Easter stuff 75% off. They had some adorable things that could be used for all year around. Look in the kitchen section too~there was an endcap of Easter stuff they hadn't moved over to the Easter clearance aisle yet. See all the bright green tags? Anything with those on it are considered Easter. I usually wait until 90% off, but I didn't want to risk it not being there, so I loaded up.Also, I need to say thank you to some lovely ladies that have sent me goodies from giveaways I have won. I am on a roll! I think it would be a very good time to go to Vegas if I was the gambling type..
Junk Mammas sent me an adorable chalkboard with a polka dot ribbon, a flower pin,
a sweet stitched bunny towel, and some adorable magnets:
I also won Nicole's giveaway at Our Cozy Nest and look what I got:
I love them and still marvel at all the sewing skills out there, of which I have none.So, thank you again ladies~they were so fun to get in the mail! They both have great blogs and Etsy shops, so go pay them a visit.
Off to find more stuff to sell at the yard sale to make up for what I spent this morning... :)
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