Sarchix Finds

I love potatoes.  Red potatoes are probably my favorite kind but it doesn’t really matter to me as long as I can have enough to feed my family (and maybe some leftovers too).

Normally, I don’t make baked potatoes since I always forget about starting them in the oven until after its too late so I usually make mashed or roast cubed pieces in olive oil and garlic.  The mashed potatoes are usually cooked in the microwave as I dash around to get the rest of the meal competed and I’ve never had any complaints about them.

Jennifer over at CraftSanity has posted not only the directions to make “baked” potatoes in the microwave but has also posted a video tutorial on how to make these bags.  Using your microwave, a paper towel, one of these bags and some potatoes and you can have yummy potato goodness in 4-8 minutes.

Yes, this does require sewing but its very simple so even a beginner could handle.

There’s still plenty of winter left where a quick baked potato would fit the bill.

CraftSanity - Microwave Potato Bag

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Who doesn’t love marshmallows?

Meaghan over at The Decorated Cookie shows us how to decorate these lovely little houses for your ghomes or fairies, depending on the creatures that happen to inhabit your homes.

I know my daughter will love to setting up these “fairy” homes but I’m not sure if they will survive the day due to her brothers and the fact that they are made completely out of marshmallows and fondant.  All I need is a set or two of some fine tipped edible pen/markers to do this.  I can’t wait to see what the kiddies come up with.  But the real question is, how many houses will be completed and how many will be eaten as “mistakes”?

If you have the pens that are food safe, this would make a spectacular rainy day project.  If you don’t have fondant just hanging around, could I suggest maybe a roof made of construction or left over scrap booking paper and tape.

Leaving this around too long could be a “bad” thing since marshmallows are mostly sugar but this could make a very cute cake or cupcake decoration or a decoration for a table-scape.   How cute would this be for a baby shower?!?!

If you do this, I’d love to see the pics!!!!!!!

The Decorated Cookie – Marshmallow Village

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Containers are cool.  Containers that I can make are even better.  Containers that I can make for crafting supplies are the BEST.

I originally found this pattern over at Craftzine.com (which is a brilliant site) and discovered Diane Gilleland’s CraftyPod site that she produces.

In it, shows how to take plastic canvas, yarn and a few other items most crafters keep around to make this great crafty caddy that could be customized to meet any crafty (or non-crafty) idea.

They even offer a free pdf pattern and directions to make this.  CraftyPod is a blog and podcast site that fulfills all kinds of crafty-goodness.

Craftzine.org – Plastic Canvas Tool Cozy

CraftPod – Just some really cool crafty stuff.

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We are in the early planning stages of re-doing our 4 year old’s bedroom to make the transition from “little kid” to “big boy”.  I painted his room blue (with left over paint that I really liked) before he was born and its been a very nice room so far.  Our whole family seems to have a preference to blue, except the little guy loves green.  Heck, the kid wanted to name our dog Green when we were picking out names.

FangleTonics shows us how to paint a Glow in the Dark wall! They use either flashes from a camera or an LED flashlight to “draw” on the wall.  In two minutes, its “blank” and ready to be drawn on again.  It glows green.  How perfect it is for my son!

Now, according to the directions that FangleTonics offers, they used white primer and phosphorescent paint to achieve this effect but I wonder if I used a color under it, would it effect the glow-y-ness or not.  Rust-Oleum makes glow in the dark paint that can be picked up at HomeDepot or ordered at Amazon.

If I can’t change the wall color to anything other than white, I might just paint the trim in the same green as the glow in the dark color.

Either way, this room is going to be so cool when I’m done with it!

FangleTronics – Glow in the Dark Wall

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I do like to cook, but only when I have time and not someone either saying “Mom, what’s for dinner?” or “Ewwww, we’re having that for Dinner?”

Over at WiseBread, I have found 3 really easy (and inexpensive) dishes that will be sure to make the family happy or at least not make faces at me when I tell them what we are having.

I plan on trying out each recipe with only minor modifications to suit the family’s various tastes.  Each sounds simple enough and for the most part I either have the herb/spices on hand or need to pick them up anyway.  There is nothing too exotic in any of these recipes but I’m sure if you hate something, it could either be eliminated or substituted.  For those who are vegetarians, I’m sure it would be easy to substitute the protein in the first two with something like tofu or beans and still by WAY yummy!

WiseBread – 3 Easy (and Cheap Dishes)

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Ok, I’ve been on a kid toy kick lately but how can I help it when these are so dang cute!

My four year old loves spelling things out, especially his name.  (Don’t know where the heck he got that from.  Not from me in the least.)

Happy Together has the directions to make these fabric letters in both capital and lower case.  Make them into a banner or let the kids spell all kinds of things (or both).    The possibility are endless!

In the directions, she shows batting (like for quilts) as the middle of the fabric “sandwich” but later she uses felt.  I love felt and have tons of it on hand.

Happy Together gives you the steps and the templates to make this easy project that is sure to be a hit with the young ones!

Happy Together – Rag Quilt Letters

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I love yarn!  I have several space bags full (ok, overrun) of various yarns just waiting for me to create something with them.

Scarves are one of my most favorite things to knit since most patterns require limited brain power and can be done while I’m doing something else or its not the end of the universe if I put it down mid pattern.

Today I got an email from Lion Brand Yarn today and I saw this really cute scarf.  It’s a pretty simple knit pattern (a Straight Stitch pattern, k on RS, p on WS) but they add a gather (I think) every few inches giving it a lace/net pattern. A size 6 needle is used which always feel good in my hands and I have a great set I love to use, especially for a scarf.

But, the BEST thing is the kind of yarn used.  First of all, its very thin.  Sock/Superfine/Baby/Fingering weight yarn and it comes on a cone.  It’s 75% wool AND… wait for it… 25% Stainless Steel!  HOW COOL IS THAT?!?!?!  As a yarn junkie, this is just TOO cool!

The Wool/Stainless Steel Yarn comes in 4 colors and has an MSRP of $10 for 0.50 oz./14 g (273 yd/244 m).  The pattern requires 2 skeins and considering how utterly cool this yarn is, its pretty decently priced for this product.  Can anyone say Christmas Present(s)?  The only thing that is a minor problem is that since it is so new and cool, it and the entire LB Collection of yarn is only sold through LionBrand.com, the Lion Design catalog and the Lion Brand Yarn Studio in NYC and no where else.  I feel I need to go take a road trip to NYC to the Yarn Studio since its only a 2 hour train ride for me and it sounds like a great excuse to go up there for a visit since I’ve been trying to find a good enough excuse to go up there.

(Kate McQ-L – we have some serious knitting to do!)

Lion Brand Yarn – Lace Net Scarf and Wool Stainless Yarn

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As a mother of two boys who both LOVE Star Wars, it wouldn’t surprise anyone that we have a few lightsabers just “lying around”.  But they are plastic and well… I’d like to keep my house in one piece.

Kitten Muffin over at Filth Wizardry has taken a balloon lightsaber (as discussed here) and stepped it up at notch by adding a small LED flashlight to it.

Check out her site for some awesome pictures over time delay using these LED lightsabers.

Filth Wizardry - LED Lightsabers

Zakka Life – Balloon Lightsabers

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Ok, I’m a geek.  I love Star Trek especially Star Trek:The Next Generation.  When I was young, the pull was Wesley Crusher but now Captain Picard is da bomb!

I love all the Star Treks but my heart is with TNG, much like Tom Baker is “my doctor”.

For a long while, the SciFi Channel, now known as SyFy (due to copyright and trademark law honestly) is going to be showing episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation on Tuesday nights with an all day thing on February 2nd!  I am so happy that TNG is back in prime time once again.

SyFy Channel – Tuesday’s with TNG

Yay Star Trek!!!!!  I am so Happy!!!!!!!

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My daughter is a bit old for this, although I’m sure she’ll help me “test” this out but I do have girlfriends who have little girls who this would be perfect for.

One Pearl Button has posted this self contained, magnetic paper doll set complete with printable paper dolls and where to get all the cool supplies from.  She even tells you what scissors worked well for her and they are only a few dollars!

I love the “old” feel of the dolls that she has but this technique could be used on pretty much any simple paper doll kind of template.

Thanks to One Pearl Button for her adorable Magnetic Paper Doll Kit!

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