PinterTest Kitchen

Yeah, it's February. And yeah PinterTesting was conducted in December.

But sometimes I'm not as ahead of the game as I would like to be.

So, I present to you, A Handmade Holiday.

After seeing this pin when Pinterest first began, I decided I would give these a whirl someday.

 

So when November rolled around, and I hadn't started working yet, I challenged myself to make as many Christmas gifts these year as I could, by hand. 

Then I started working full-time, and handmade Christmas gifts got more stressful than I intended them to be. But the fun was still there. 

I find a lot of joy in making things myself. I know that for some, it is scarier to attempt to make something than it is to pay someone else to make it for you. But, it is scarier for me to pay for something with money I should use to pay for school, than it is to just make it myself. 

It's my stage of life. I'm sure I won't always be this way. 

So I threw a couple of these together for two friends so far, and there is one more in the works.

I LOVE the look of the one above, and think the spacing is so awesome, but I decided to go for a longer look rather than taller.

Many late nights were spent in this freezing garage after work, which I called Santa's Studio.

This one was for one friend, and piled behind it you can see the pieces of another piece for another friend, and on the floor is the third one. Still not yet finished. 

I set off to Home Depot and bought 6 foot long 1" by 4" pieces of pine, and had my buddy at the cutting station slice them into 2 foot pieces, yielding me around 32 pieces of pine. 

My dad raised me right, I'm a lumber sort of girl. 

After consulting various stains with my other buddy in the paint department, I settled on two pretty darn dark stains, staining half the pieces one shade and half the pieces the other. Then, in putting them together, I sort of just alternated and lined up the grain as I saw fit. As you can see, the pine soaked it up well. 

Then I free-handed on the letters, using the Pin as a general guide, and making up whatever letters were not represented on that original Pin. I was happy to let my creative juices flow with some acrylic paint. 

Acrylic paint is crucial when painting over a stain. Oil-based, people, oil-based. 

After 3 to 4 coats on the letters, I sealed it all with a clear coat of oil-based sealant, and we were good to go. 

Throw on some mounting material for the back, and deliver the joy to your unsuspecting friends. 

Here are the two up on the walls of the recipients. 

Want one? Want to make one together? You let me know. 

Also made this, but didn't photograph it, and it's just paint on some canvas. 

Bo-ring. 

Linking up with Jessica!

Pintertest Kitchen: October

For this month's PinterTest Kitchen, hosted by Jessica, I decided to make a communal dish.

See, if you haven't heard, our Giants won the World Series. Yes, yes they did. Again. And we watched most games all together, except for when some people got to go to the games, and the rest of us less fortunate would gather and watch. 

For Game 3, we were each told to bring an appetizer. 

Everyone brought a dip. 

It was "Dip for Days" as I like to call it. 

And when they got cold? We reheated. 

Double dipping, if you will. 

I made this Warm Bean Dip that I had been eye-ing on Pinterest for the last few weeks. 

I think it was a hit. 

I used non-fat cream cheese. non-fat sour cream, and fat-free cheese, and I am sure that using the regular full-fat versions would result in an even creamier dip. 

But I wanted to do our hips and wastes a favor, so that we're able to dip into the pool and ocean next summer without crying in shame in the corner. 

Yeah, you're welcome. 

Dip-A-Palooza was a hit. 

Head over to Jessica's to read more about dips and dips and more dips. 

Pintertest Kitchen

I have known Jessica since I was in junior high, which was almost twelve years ago.

Sorry if I just really dated any of you...

But after twelve years, I have finally decided that I should really give this Pintertest Kitchen of hers a try.

Just kidding. Twelve years would be a long time.

But, after spending my lunch hour with Kim, she told me I should go Pinter-test something for once.

Challenge. Accepted. 

After one year, I decided I'd finally join.

Might have something to do with the fact that I have nothing to do these days, finally out of school for a while and lacking a job.

I decided to test two things!

The first is edible, the second is wearable. My two favorite kinds of items.

Let the testing begin.

7Up Biscuits

The recipe calls for Bisquick, 7UP, butter, and sour cream.

But guess what?

My Irish family doesn't keep 7UP on hand, or sour cream.

So... Beer and cream cheese it was.

And Jersey Shore. Durr.

I mean, they were good.

No part of me is about to be like "OH SKITTLES, go make these. Stat."

It is true that I made six, and have eaten five. But I also skipped lunch.

I think the sour cream might make this recipe what it is, so for me to leave it out might have been a critical error.

They also barely rose at all, and I was assuming the carbonation would make these things fluffier than all get out. But, au contraire.

My next little Test of the Pinter, was for homemade headbands.

Braided Headbands

The tutorial was really simple, and I made two while just sitting watching television one afternoon. 

Kept one for myself, and gave one to Kim. 

Also successfully left mine in Cindy's car for weeks and weeks on end. 

Sorry Cinders :)

I wear mine like so.

PinterTest, it's been REAL.

See ya soon.

Linking up with Jessica!