Palm Oil Hair Conditioner

My hair is pretty dry and I wanted to try something natural and inexpensive to give it some moisture.  So I spend some time on the internet looking at recipe after recipe.  I know there is a lot of hype about palm oil and its benefits for the hair and skin.  I found recipes where I had everything already at home.  I tweeked it a little but below is what I used:

The recipe:
2 T palm oil
1 T mayonnaise
1T honey
0.5 T avocado oil

I put this on my hair, put a shower cap on and let it sit for an hour.  Unfortunately, I did this late at night so I showered afterwards to wash it out.  Long story short after 4 washes, blow drying my hair and trying to wipe the oils out with a towel my hair oily.  I ran out of time in the morning before work so I had to go with my hair so oily when you touched it oils came off on your hand.  It looked like it was as wet as I just got out of a shower.

My husband saw me before work and just laughed and laughed.  I work with all men except 2 ladies so I thought maybe nobody will notice.  Also we have no windows in the complex so I did not have to worry about sun hitting my hair and causing the oils to drip on my clothes.  Thank goodness, the only time that I was happy to work in a building dug into a hillside.  I think I could wring my hair and have enough oil to fry French fries. 

So my hopes of men not noticing did not come true.  As  walked into my work area a male co-worker said " wow, your hair looks different, what did you do?".  So of course I had to tell him.  Within 10 minutes everyone knew, and I thought women were the gossipers. 

The kicker was when I went to the thrift store after work.  It was a beautiful day, but when I walked in elderly lady looked at me and said I didn't know it was supposed to rain!!!

So I beg you do not try this recipe unless you want the Coming to America couch scene to happen in real life to you!!


Kristy

Painting Upolstery Chairs- BUST

I rearranged my living room and got rid of my couch in front of the fireplace.  It was too "heavy" looking.  I didn't want to spend too much money on chairs because we are trying to pay off our debt.  So I moved the couch downstairs and moved the chairs below upstairs.  These chairs were given to me by my in laws.  I am not a pastel person so I really dislike the fabric but the chairs themselves have promise.  I was thinking of reupholstering but when I looked into doing it myself it still was a lot of money and I could not guarantee I would do a good job at it.

So what to do???

I went to Pinterest and looked for ideas.  Paint of course!! Paint makes everything better. I read many websites and I found this is what I need:

1. Spray bottle with water
2. Latex paint
3. Fabric medium
4. Paint Brush

I followed all the directions of dilution and putting it on in coats.  The  dilutions are found on every website.   So after $100 in supplies and a couple hours time I got really bad furniture. 

They may look good, but the texture is weird.  I would consider using this outdoors, but not for the house.  Especially if you use the furniture everyday.  I guess if your kids spill a lot it may be the way to go since it sheds liquid, but completely uncomfortable.  They are hard and just do not feel right.  I apologize, because no post I read ever said this, but I am telling the truth.  Unless you are using furniture outside, do not spend the money.

I am in search of my final photos.  Long story short we dropped them off at the thrift store.  I never saw one post that was negative, so I am the one.  Do NOT spend the money!!!

Where Have I Been??

I have been MIA for quite some time, as life has gotten the best of me.  Working, running my kids to football and soccer practices, swim lessons, going up north, and working on my projects has been keeping me busy. Since the last time I posted, I took a weaving class and immediately fell in love.  While taking the class, I sold my spinning wheel that I never used or mastered to by a floor loom.  Of course I could not find a loom near me, so I drug my husband 4 hours one way to pick up the loom below.

 

This Studio loom was a piece of history and I made several rugs on it.  The only downside was the weaving width was 36"  and I wanted to weave larger items.  I was able to sell it and put the money towards a new (to me) loom.  I wish I could have kept it but I didn't have the room for two looms.  I ended convincing my father to join me in a 12 hour round trip journey (in one day!) to buy a 72" used floor loom. Crazy I know, but I couldn't find one closer and I am a little impatient to say the least.  I will have to post a picture of it soon.  This new loom has kept me weaving into the wee hours of the morning.  I can say I am addicted! 

 

So I will soon be posting all the fun stuff I have completed and currently working on.  Can't wait to be back and posting again!

 

 

Enjoy!



Kristy

Fire Starters

Hello, it has been a while since I posted because we have been so busy with the holidays.  Now that they are over I am hoping to have more time to make things and stop at thrift stores for awesome finds.  I am seriously going through withdrawals.  I have not been to one in almost a month.  I think this is a record for me. 

As snow continues to fall in Wisconsin, I am dreaming of warm summer nights around a campfire.  So, I decided to get ready for them and make some fire starters.  All you need is candles, lint from the dryer and cardboard egg cartons. 

Pull the lint apart and put some in each egg compartment.  Create a water bath for a container with candles in it.  You can used old, new, sections of candles or whatever you have.

 

 

 

Pour the wax over the lint in the cartons and now you have cheap, environmentally friendly fire starters.  When you are ready to  use pull one egg section apart and use. These things work great. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope you have fun family nights around the campfire this summer too.

 

Keep on Junk'n

 

 

Kristy

 

 



Advent Calendar

I absolutely love Christmas.  Every year we have a count down to Christmas with my kids, but I never really had anything that I liked to display for our countdown.  This year I decided to make a calendar that I could use every year.  I sewed the fabric bags, added Velcro to the top, used my Silhouette Cameo to cut out the iron on numbers and had my husband make a frame.  This is what they turned out to look like.  I love them. I am selling them on Etsy if you do not want to make your own. 

 

Hope your kids enjoy the countdown and eating candy every morning like my kids do!

Keep on sewin'!

Our Halloween Party

So today we had our Halloween party with our family.  It was a lot of fun!  I got my inspirations off Pinterest and I will link all the websites because I need to give all the creative people credit.

 

Bought these for $1.19 at Michael's and used the Cameo to make the labels.

 

I know this one is a little over the top, but everyone thought it was pretty cool.  I used a doll from a thrift store and just took off the plastic parts and made sure I washed them VERY well.  I apologize if I offend anybody.  I just had a vision and wanted to go with it.

 

It's not a Holiday if you don't have the PEEPS!

 

My table.

 

Used Nutter Butters dipped in white chocolate, Wiltons finger mold, skeleton veggie tray and Beendoozled Jelly Belly's game.  This game was a hit!  I apologize for the skeleton link.  My sister just sent me a picture and I do not know who to give credit to.

 

 

 

The puking pumpkin I got the idea from here.  The monster claws from here.  I made a pumpkin cupcake that I found on allrecipes.com.  I used a cream cheese frosting and used a marshmallow fondant for the frosting.  We painted the claws black after we molded the fondant.  The witch hats and brooms I found here.  Gosh, I love Pinterest!!

 

 

Eye deviled eggs, idea from here.  I must say we made them the night before and the red bled a little.  I would recommend make them as close to possible of when you are going to put them out for the party.

 

 

I  got the bloody hand towel from here

 

A healthy treat brought by my mother in law.

One of our 5 pizzas! Idea can be found here.

 

 

 

 

For this I made the web out of sour cream, minced black olives to make the spider and cut black beans in half to make the legs.

 

I found this for $1.50 at the thrift store.  It was gold and did not work.  Spray painted it silver, oiled it with black , added Spanish moss and bones.

 

 

 

And my fireplace!  I redid the cauldron with a solution of sand, Elmer's glue, water, and oatmeal from a site I found. I would not recommend the oatmeal.  It was falling off and not working.  I rubbed off the oatmeal because it was falling off every time I touched it.  After I did that I primed it with flat black spray paint.  After it dried I used browns and greys to make it look aged.  The problem was I did not know what to do with it afterwards so I just put it on the fireplace.  I have to find something clever to do with it next year.

 

 

 

So there it is.  Can't wait until next year.  I must say I could not have done this without the help of my husband and kids.  My oldest helped me decide what we would execute and what could be put off for another year.    My sister is doing Christmas this year and after she saw everything she said she has to out do me.  She started "pinning" and surfing AT the party on my ipad.  I guess we have a battle now!  :)

 

 

Happy Halloween and keep junkin!

 

 

And Yet More Halloween Decorations..

So the Halloween party is just a week away and I needed to step it up and start getting more stuff done.  I finally finished my mantle late last night.  I would add stuff, take it off, rearrange, but hopefully it will stay this way. 

 

 

The banner I made from burlap and just sewed the sides so they would not unravel.  Below is a close up of the shutters.  I was able to get them for 7 dollars at a flea market, but I wanted to make them look aged.  I spray painted white primer, than spray painted a darker color as the base.  From there I put a light layer of Elmers glue in various spots and then painted using a white ceiling paint.  I tried on a small board to see if the glue would crackle properly using a spray paint as the top layer and it did not.  Bummer, because I  love spray painting things.  I saw some websites say that you have to wait until the glue gets a certain tackiness.  I am pretty sure I did not do that because I was impatient.  After applying to the shutter, I probably only waited a minute and it seemed to work.  

 

As far as the candy decoration, I used old candy corn that I bought last year for $0.25 a bag.  I spray painted a stick black, hung $0.99 bats I bought last year.  The vases I bought from Salvation Army and the ribbon I bought from Michaels using my 40% off coupon.  The owl picture, the candle stands and pillars were also bought at a thrift store and primed and painted.

 

 

 

Below are some more decorations.  I found the spider nylon one from a website, but now I cannot find it.  When I do I will link it here.

 

 

 

Hopefully I can get the rest of the decorations done before the party!!

 

Keep on junkin!  It makes fun and cheap decorations.

 

 

Kristy