Wire Sculptures: DIY Anthropology Hack

I love Anthropologie, but it is one of those stores that will sell you a walrus head made out of craft paper for $1,250.  Often there are times I find items that make me say aloud " I can make that for waaaayyy cheaper!" This tutorial is the product of one of those times. While purusing Anthorpologie.com I came across a series of wire sculptures. They were the perfect mix of whimsy and crafty goodness that I really go for. My issue was they were $48.00 each and reviewers noted they were on the small side and kinda flimsy. I get it, you can't please everyone, but you can DIY sturdier version, and bigger if you have enough wire hangers on hand. The possibilities on this hanger hack are endless. Another plus, is it would use up some of those pesky wire hangers from the dry cleaners that I refuse to use and hate to throw out. 

Here is the original from Anthropologie. Super cute right.
$48.00 on Anthropolgie.com

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED:

• A wire hanger

• Wire cutters

HERE'S WHAT YOU GOTTA DO:

1) First unwrap the coiled wire at the bottom of the hangers hook

2) Start shaping your wire to make the word you want. I chose a word that was short and sweet. "Love" only has four letters and served as a good trial word. 

3) Clip off any excess wire and  the ends of the wire.

This project, not counting the cost of dry-cleaning ($2.50), cost me $0 dollars to make. Even if we wanted to count dry cleaning, that is still a heck of a lot cheaper than $48.  

  

"No more wire Hangers!"

Notes: These were really tough to bend so be patient, or buy a soft gauge wire from a craft store. It will be a lot easier to bend, but will be a lot more fragile

- My letters are not perfect, as you can see, but I thought they looked crafty and cool for my space. If you want more refined letters, opt for the softer gauge wire. 

Life Is Delicious...Go Taste It!

Toostie Roll & Bit-O-Honey Fudge aka "Obama Fudge"

Nothing says I love you like homemade sweet treats, except maybe a diamond ring, and a new pair of shoes. So when my super amazing and supportive cousin was feeling down, I knew it was time to fire up the burners for some good old fashion love in a pot. I don't like chocolate myself, but these were not for me and I know that my sugar toothed relative would appreciate the sacrifice involved in whipping up these fudge bites ( I don't even like the smell of chocolate really). I have lovingly nicknamed these bars my Obama Bars, they remind me of Michelle and Barack side by side looking like the sweetest bits of  classic Americana.

Happy Birthday Mr. President!

Heres What You Need:

Toostie Roll Layer of Fudge:

• 24 tootsie Roll Midgees

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 1 1/2 Tablespoon Peanut Butter

• 1 1/4 tablespoon Milk

• 1 3/4 Cup Confectioners sugar (store bought or make your own*)

Bit - O- Honey Layer of Fudge:

• 24 Bit-O-Honey Small Bites

• 1 1/2 tablespoon butter

• 1 1/2 Tablespoon Peanut Butter

• 2 tablespoon Milk

• 1 3/4 Cup Confectioners sugar 

• Sliced Almonds ( Optional)

Here's What You Gotta Do:

1. Cover and 8 inch x 8 inch baking dish in Aluminum Foil, lightly oil the pan and set aside.
2. In a heavy bottom pot melt together the tootise rolls, butter, peanut butter and milk over a low heat. Stir mixture constantly to avoid burning the fudge before the ingredients melt.
3. When the the candy mixture is melted and smooth, ( about 5 minutes) slowly add the sugar in 1/2 at a time. Stir well until all of the sugar is melted and the fudge mixture is smooth
4. Spread the Tootsie roll fudge in the prepared dish, this is your bottom layer. Set pan aside.
5. In the same clean pot or another heavy bottomed pot melt togehter the Bits-O-Honey, butter, peanut butter and milk over a low heat. Stir mixture constantly to avoid burning the fudge before the ingredients melt. The Bit-O- Honey will take about 5 minutes more than the tootsie rolls, be patient its so worth the added trouble.
6. When the the candy mixture is melted and smooth, slowly add the sugar in 1/2 at a time. Stir well until all of the sugar is melted and the fudge mixture is smooth.
7. Spread the Bit-O-Honey  fudge in the prepared dish, this is your top layer.
8. Press the sliced almonds into the fudge and let the fudge cool.
9. Once cool, take the foil out of the pan and cut the fudge into what ever shape you choose.
10. If you will not be serving immediately, make sure to store the fudge in a airtight container.

Classic Candies

* After mixing in the homemade powdered sugar. 

Find out how to make powdered sugar in a pinch in the post called "Confectioner's Sugar in a Pinch- DIY Your Own"

The first layer of Tootsie Roll fudge spread out in the baking pan. 

Showing the second layer of "Bit-O-Honey" Fudge smoothed out and topped with sliced almonds.

The sweet brown layers reminded me of Mr. and Mrs. President, 

side by side, making the world a better place. 

The nuts, well you can't be a politician without dealing with a few nuts. 

Okay so I did pinch off pieces of the Bits-O-Honey layer. 

Don't judge me it looked so good!

Care packaged and ready to go!

Life is Delicious...Go Taste It!

DIY Yoga Mat Cleaning Spray

I am the sweaty lady at the gym. Whether I'm strength training or tying my shoes, I can usually be found covered in a fine mist of newly made sweat. So it was no surprise that my yoga mat smelled of gym socks after a few sessions of Bikram Yoga. In the past, I’ve just washed my mat in the bathtub with Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Castile Soap. My mat would be squeaky clean but it would take about three days to air-dry. In search of a more efficient way to clean my yoga mat, I took to the interwebs. I came across some "natural" commercially produced brands. They had ingredients I couldn't pronounce and a price tag I couldn't justify. I found tons of homemade recipes, but a number of them featured vinegar as an ingredient. After my experience using vinegar as an all-purpose cleaner, I knew I could not and would not deal with the smell of vinegar while in Half Tortoise pose. This recipe is a pared down version of several homemade recipes and uses Witch Hazel instead of vinegar. 

Here's What You Gotta Have:

- Water
- Witch Hazel
- Tea Tree Oil
- Peppermint Essential Oil
- Spray Bottle

Here's What You Gotta Do:

1. Fill the spray bottle up 3/4ths the way with water.
2. Fill the remaining amount with Witch Hazel.
3. Add 1 drop of Tea Tree oil per ounce of liquid (So if your spray bottle is 8oz, you would add 8 drops of Tea Tree oil.)
4. Add 1 drop of Peppermint oil per ounce of liquid.
5. Twist the spray lid into place and vigorously and shake the bottle for a minute.
6. Spray a generous amount of the Cleansing spray onto the mat and wipe down with cleansing cloth or paper towel. Turn the mat over to other side and repeat.
7. Hang the mat and let air-dry.

Tea Tree Oil has natural antiseptic and antifungal properties.

Witch Hazel is an astringent that is commonly used to treat skin ailments, but can also be put to use as a cleaning agent; like isopropyl alcohol and hydrogen peroxide, the chemical cuts through grease and helps break up dirt and oils from skin and sweat.

Life is Delicious...Go Taste It!

White Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods

My family is  2,347 miles away for most holidays, but they are always right here when I need them. We make use of pretty much every form of social media and phone service to keep each other in "the loop". When the miles stretch out during the holidays I love to send them hugs via the U.S. Post. For Valentines Day I decided something sweet and homemade would be perfect. These white chocolate covered pretzel rods wouldn't completely derail everyone's New Years resolutions for healthier snack choices, but believe me, I ate enough of the reject rods to know that these chocolate covered hugs satisfy the most intense sweet tooth. Colorful "glitter" sugar and almonds add a touch of whimsy that is perfect for gift giving and party treats. 

Here's What you Need: 

• 2 cups of white chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
• 2 x 12 oz bags of large pretzel rods
• 1 cup sliced almonds crushed  (optional)
• Edible Colored Sugar Glitter (optional) 

Here's What you gotta Do:

1. In a double boiler, bring a cup of water to a gentle simmer in the bottom pot. 
2. In the top part of the double boiler, add the chocolate chips.  
3. When the chocolate begins to melt, stir in  the vegetable shortening. Stir until the chocolate is mostly melted and remove from heat. 
4. Continue to stir until all of the chocolate is melted and has a smooth consistency throughout. 
5. Lay out parchment paper or any smooth surface to place your dipped rods on to dry without sticking. 
6. Use a spoon to cover about 3/4 of the rod in white chocolate. 
7. Sprinkle the rods with "glitter" or almonds.
8. Place the covered rods on the parchment paper to dry. 
9. The chocolate will be dry and easily handled in about  7 to 10 minutes. 

* Store extra in a ziplock or airtight jar. 

I found it easier to work with 5 rods at a time

Let the chocolate dry completely before handing the rods. 

Yum!

The "glitter" really made the rods sparkle. 

They were as good as they looked. 

The almond covered rods were for my sister and her husband who are cutting back on their empty calories.  Just ignore the whole "white chocolate" thing. 

Photo from my mom when the treats arrived.

 They loved them!

I packaged the rods in cute plastic bags with ribbon, 

and those bags where put inside of an airtight Ziplock. 

Everything was dutifully padded and boxed. 

I shipped the Valentines Day Package express to ensure everything arrived fresh. 

“I think careful cooking is love, don’t you?

The loveliest thing you can cook for someone

who’s close to you is about as nice a valentine as you can give.”

– Julia Child

Life is Delicious...Go Taste It!

Colored Sugar "Glitter"

I usually refuse to work with glitter. Period.  It spreads everywhere, gets into everything, and its impossible to get rid of. It is the herpes of the craft world. But I really wanted to make my White Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods special for Valentine's day. I found this recipes all over Pinterest, but everyone complained that the sugar melts. Well, I just turned the heat down and viola...a fun way to add some bling bling to your sweets.

Here's What You Need:

• 1/4 cup Sugar ( white or light works best)
• Food coloring of your choice
• A glass jar with a lid ( optional)

Here's What You Gotta Do:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees
2. Pour sugar into a jar that has a lid.
3. Add drop by drop the desired food color. 
4. Put the lid on the jar and shake the sugar in between drops until you reach your desired color intensity.
5. Spread the sugar out over a 8x8 baking pan and bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes.
6. When sugar is dried, pull the pan out of the oven and let your "glitter" cool for 5 minutes.
7. Pour and store in a airtight container for later use

I didn't have white sugar but the natural light sugar worked just fine

• For the pink color, I used two drops of red food coloring
• For the teal color, I used 4 drops of blue and 2 drops of green food coloring

I tried mixing it in a bowl at first, but the jar was the best way to get the color evenly distributed through the sugar. 

Sparkly Goodness that you can wash away.

Blinged Out Pretzel Rods!