Sarchix Finds

I love paint.  When it’s paint that does something, like say… turn a surface into a chalkboard, the Sarchix “cool” factor goes up even more.  Almost as much as paper and stationary, but that’s for another obsession post.

I first want to say that the folks over at Cut out and Keep totally ROCK!  They have projects and pics that could keep me busy for days with the talented members there.  I highly recommend signing up there (don’t worry, its fabulously free to do so – and they have a monthly web mag to feast on too!!!!  <3 you guys at Cut out and Keep).

That being said, have you ever needed a gift for someone but had no idea what to give.  If they entertain friends/family or value their wood furniture, this is the project for them.  Shrimp Salad Circus has posted a tutorial on how to make coasters that are also chalk boards.  Forget the wine charms.  Give everyone a coaster and have a cup of chalk and you not only keep friends from mixing up their drinks but protect your furniture too!

All you really need is some cork coasters, chalkboard paint and some accent acrylic paint to make it fun.  Oh yeah, and some real chalk.  I’m thinking hostess gifts, Christmas Prezzies, all with this brilliant idea!
Thank you Shrimp Salad Circus and Cut Out and Keep!

Cut Out and Keep + Shrimp Salad Circus – Cork Chalkboard Coasters

COAK/Shrimp Salad Circus – Chalkboard Coasters

MySpace Ping This Post Reddit Stumble This Post

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

MySpace Ping This Post Reddit Stumble This Post

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

MySpace Ping This Post Reddit Stumble This Post

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!!!!!!!

MySpace Ping This Post Reddit Stumble This Post

Ok, from today on, I am going to search for a pair of Wellies just to have this! 

Wellies are those cute rain boots that everyone in England seems to have and now I want a pair…. badly.  And in my defense, Hubby says I need a pair of boots that keep my feet dry.

Stephanie Sabbe has created this (easy) adorable tutorial to make what she calls “Welly Warmers”

The only question is, what color Wellies do I get and how many pairs of warmers can I make?

Sabbespot – Welly Warmers

MySpace Ping This Post Reddit Stumble This Post

Wow, I just saw this video and am floored.  I love origami but this is even above my level.

Mabona Origami  does a stop motion video on how to fold a 3-D koi and does an amazing job documenting it.  I wish I could fold that well.  But there is always time to practice.

Please check out this stunning video and enjoy!

Koi Origami Video

MySpace Ping This Post Reddit Stumble This Post

This is the real stuff!

I found a treasure.  Lehigh Valley Farms – Long an East Coast purveyor of plain old mik  – has a new product called Over the Moon.  This is skim milk – you know that watery bluish-grey-white liquid to avoid.  But this stuff mouths like whole milk!

Creamy, solid tasting and NO Fat. (They have a version that is 1%, but why bother?)  My grandkids drink it like they were fish.  We got it just to give it a try, and were amazed.  How often do you get a product thinking, “Well, maybe it is ok, but its healthy”, then find that it is better then you ever hoped.

Yesterday afternoon we discovered a strange property of this stuff.  We tossed the leftover morning coffee, some ice cubes, and some of this stuff into a blender, and let ‘er rip!  What we got was something that looked like a badly poured Guinness Stout, that took about as long to settle out.  After about 3 or 4 minutes of settling  it started to look like a real Guinness, but boy did it taste different.  We had also put in the end of a bottle of “Thrilla Vanilla”, but you probably would do better with Jamiesons.  Except that it tasted so good, it would be an interesting April fools joke.

So overall, it is really tasty, good for you, and has surprising properties.  Better yet, there is a $1 off coupon here.

MySpace Ping This Post Reddit Stumble This Post

I love basil!  It is my favorite herb but I don’t seem to ever be able to use up the whole clump that they sell at the grocery store.  I really dislike using the dried stuff because I know the fresh stuff is just so much better.  In addition to the traditional uses for basil, i.e. anything Italian, I like to use it in pressed sandwiches that are a hit in the summer with my whole family.

I’ve tried to grow basil, from seed, and failed miserably.  I’ve tried it from plant from Home Depot to similar results.

The thing is, I didn’t follow any directions or guidance.

Now that Chez Larsson has published a SUPER easy way to not kill a basil plant makes me feel confident in trying again.  Even better, I can pick up the plant at the grocery store and not another trip to Home Depot or some garden store.

Nice and easy steps and the cool thing is, I can do this in my kitchen and just snip off what I need and then more will continue to grow in its place.  I can’t wait to have fresh basil on my pasta and home made pizzas!

I know it won’t last forever but if I can not kill it AND get 4-6 months out of it, then I consider this one for the win column.

Chez Larsson – Grow your own basil

MySpace Ping This Post Reddit Stumble This Post

By now, you’re probably sick of all the leftovers from Easter.  One can only have so many ham sandwiches with a side of sweet potato before you got batty.

Candy is something different.  If allowed, the kids would have eaten all the candy by now.  We’re trying our best to limit how much candy they actually eat, so we should still have some come the end of the summer.

My downfall has to be the Peeps.

I can polish off an entire 12 pack of those little marshmallow treats with out even thinking.  Every once in a while, my Dad will place a box of them on my desk at work.

Enough about my little Peep obsession and onto today’s find.

As you can see in the picture, the idea is to use the Peep as the marshmallow in a s’more, thus making what the creation calls a S’meep. How brilliant is that!  I love that the color really seems to stay intact during the heating process.

This is going to be so oohey-gooey and I’m sure my youngest will be a royal mess after eating one of these, but what a great little treat to make up.  If I have my way, we will be “testing” this one out tonight.

Note: This week is also “Peeps Week” over at Serious Eats.

Serious Eats – S’meeps

MySpace Ping This Post Reddit Stumble This Post

For those who know me, they know of my addiction to office supplies.  I love going to the huge office supply stores and looking at the binders, paper and the pens – oh the pens and ink.  The sale rack is like searching for treasure.  I don’t know why I love office supplies so much but I have for as long as I can remember.  Even back in the day, I would pour over  catalogues that would come to the house (where my Dad had a home office) like my daughter pours over the American Girl Doll catalogues.

Finding this sewing project was so exciting!  My sewing skills are not the most talented, unlike my super sewing co-worker, but I’ll get better with time.  This craft uses cloth place mats and a bit of wide trim and turns them into an expanding file folder!

All the detailed direction to make this fantastic file folder are on Spool’s website with tons of pictures to help you along as you make it.  If you can sew a straight line with a sewing machine you too can make this!  I LOVE IT!!  With the seasons changing, the stores are clearing out their stock to make way for the spring and summer designs so you should get a great deal on four place mats, either identical or of coordinating fabrics or what ever you should find for a great deal.  New seasonal ones would also be so nice as we enter the warmer weather.  I think I saw the summer stuff already out at Wegmans… hmmmmmmm, decisions decisions, decisions.

I wonder if this would work with more than just the four place mats?  I’ll let you know if Spool gets back to me on this.

Spool – Place mat Expanding File Folder

MySpace Ping This Post Reddit Stumble This Post