Fabric Covered Box

In my quest to organize everything in my apartment, I came across lots of boxes. For some reason, I tend to hold onto boxes and bags, in hopes to re-using them; though they just end up piling up and taking up lots of room in my closets. Instead of throwing them all away, I decided to keep a few and use them to organize my stuff. But first, they must be covered in cute fabric!

If the box has writing on it, it might be a good idea to give it a quick coat of paint. Since this box was going to be kept in my bathroom drawer, I didn't really bother.

I also only covered the front, to save fabric. As you can see, the writing on the box shows a bit.

It's a nice little caddy for all of my hair products and lotions. Best of all, it cost virtually nothing to make.

Summer Cleaning

Since school has been out, I have been a little confused with all the extra time on my hands. I'm just not used to it. My brain has to constantly be busy, or else I go into deep cleaning mode. Well, during the past few days, I have thrown away many bags of junk and organized all of my closets and drawers in a very librarian-like fashion. I have even cataloged all my books online -really. I have also tried to cute-up all my drawers, starting with my bathroom.

I was going to show what this looked like with all of my stuff in it, but decided against it. Too messy for the world to see. A few dabs of glue and some wrapping paper later...

All organized!

More on bathroom organization tomorrow.

Group Quilt

As requested, here pictures of the group quilt I am helping out with.

So far, I've only contributed a square, but I hope to make more of a contribution soon, with the border and back.

As you may have noticed, it's a lot different from the quilts I've made in the past. This is my first time working with a quilt group and the other members are so talented, that I tend to stay a bit quiet. I'm not sure if my quilting style is for everyone. Either way, I am really enjoying being part of a quilting group! I'm learning so much and making more of an effort to sew my lines straight and get all my seams to match!

Summer In The Valley

It's very hot here in LA. I have been crafting, though it has been way too hot to post. I did get a new toy to play with...

I had been patiently waiting for this food processor to go on sale. It originally cost $200, but I snatched it for $100! A deal that even made my mom proud! So what's the first thing I made with my new toy? A nice cool drink to make the heat a little more bearable.

I pureed a nectarine, an apricot, and a handful of raspberries, then stirred the mixture into some cold sparkling wine. It was pretty refreshing, definitely a drink to make for a brunch with the girls.

A Pumpkin For Andrew

I know it's not halloween or fall, but my nephew, Andrew, loves pumpkins.

Tomorrow is my Andrew's birthday. Along with his other gifts, I decided to sew him a little pumpkin too. Why a pumpkin? I have no idea, but the boy is totally obsessed with them. He just loves pumpkins. And I know it's not the cutest pumpkin, but I think Andrew will appreciate it simply because it's a pumpkin.

Mexican Crock Pot Casserole

Sundays have become crock pot days in the Annette household. While my Internet was down two weeks ago, I experimented with things around the house, and made an enchilada/burrito-like casserole in my crock pot. Enchilada sauce, tortillas, cheese, refried beans, chilies, chicken, sour cream, and green onions.

I let it simmer for about 7 hours.

It turned into quite a sloppy mess.

The tortillas disappeared, so I had to heat up some fresh ones. The casserole turned into a whole other beast, best eaten like a burrito. Although it looks messy, it was really good. So far, this crock pot has never let me down.

The Huntington Library

Last week I attended a tour at the Huntington Library. I went a little photo crazy in the gardens.

I'm Making A Lasagna

Quite possibly the best lasagna I have made, actually.

One layer of sauce (with extra lean ground turkey), then noodles, then cheese and spinach. Another layer of noodles and sauce, sprinkled with cheese.

Bake at 350, for 40 minutes, until the cheese turns to a golden brown color.

Usually, I bake the cheese and sauce layers next to each other, but separating the cheese and sauce with the noodles let each flavor hold it's own, rather than blending together.