Eight Recent Pinterest Experiments

   Who has two thumbs and an excessive amount of ideas on Pinterest? THIS GUY!

   I am on the verge of feeling genuine shame over how many photos and links I have "Pinned," knowing full well that it would take me years to actually go forth and execute them all. It all seems rather elusive and imaginary, doesn't it? Except that some of it really is doable and worthwhile.

   Today instead of sharing things I want to do eventually,  I would like to share some things I have already done and give a snippet review of each.

   Ready?

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1. Displaying found feathers with shells, etc.

Theresa over at Timeworn Interiors blog styled this natural vignette. So lovely.

   Thanks to the plethora of birds running around the Lazy W, we have an abundance of loose feathers available at all times. The black and white dotted guinea feathers are some of the prettiest, and this is arrangement showcases them nicely. I've been sticking feathers everywhere. In potted plants, vases, bowls, you name it. I want to say it's a wholly artistic effort, but really I just always have pockets full of feathers and need to put them somewhere when I come inside. Still, this counts. This Pinterest idea was totally inspirational.

2. Butterfinger Cake

Butterfinger Cake from the "Plain Chicken" blog!

   Okay you guys. This cake. I can't remember what the occasion was exactly, but one day last month I decided rather late in the afternoon that we desperately needed a special dessert that night. I drove fifteen minutes to the nearest grocery store to buy the supplies. I forgot some of the most important supplies. So then I drove twenty-three minutes to a second grocery store so I wouldn't have to face those employees from the first store again. I've done the "Oops I forgot something" sing song routine with them before, and for some reason those people are merciless. I shudder to endure that amount of teasing a second time.

   Once home, I was finally free to assemble this GORGEOUS and mouth watering cake. It was so much fun and quite delish. Handsome and I ate a couple of pieces each. We sent the remaining cake to his office the next day in order to avoid spending all of April, May, and June on the elliptical machine. Bottom line? If you like Butterfinger candy bars and you like cake, then try this recipe.

   Also, Plain Chicken is a great home cooking blog to check out. Do yourself a favor and browse her other recipes!

3. Panko Crusted Tilapia

"Just Get Off Your Butt and Bake" provided this recipe for Panko crusted Tilapia.

   This was another delish recipe. Not expensive, not too time consuming, and also something a little different, at least for the two of us. The lemon cream sauce was delectable, you guys. The only change I made was to add a speck of nutmeg. Also I forgot the sugar, but I bet that would be so good.

   What makes this recipe extra special to me is that it got me to finally buy a box of Panko crumbs! I had never tried them before, although every other woman in the free world has been cooking with them for a million years. They are quite good. Very much worth adding to my standard stock-the-pantry shopping list. Yum.

4. Chalk as Stain Remover

Lifehacker suggests using chalk to remove greasy stains.

   My big comment here is that this WORKS. Using white chalk rescued two of Handsome's button-up dress shirts that had been stained AND already laundered. (My bad...) Keep chalk in your laundry basket. Bam. Good as new.

5. Wardrobe Images 

I refuse to divide my online life even further by signing up for Polyvore, where this link originates.

   This link is less of an inspiration than an illustration. I have a cropped denim jacket that came form a thrift store and has the perfect amount of thinness and fraying all over it. Really, truly, the perfect amount. When I am not dressed to work outside, that denim jacket plus a long sundress and either boots or flip flops are pretty much my standard daily wardrobe. In fact, that happens to be exactly what I wore to lunch with my friend Melissa today!

   Sometimes I will get ready to go out somewhere with Handsome and he's like, "Oh, look. You're wearing your denim jacket again. Cool."

   Or maybe we're headed to church and he says, "Oh wow, your denim jacket goes with that too. I would not have guessed that. Cool."

   I have a lot of sundresses sort of like the one above. He sees me choose one and automatically starts helping me find my denim jacket. It's kind of a thing. It's nice to be understood, but I imagine that if we are ever invited to a black tie affair, my fave denim jacket will mysteriously go missing.

6. Apron Tutorial

http://amyheartsit.blogspot.com/

   This apron tutorial is just great, you guys. Fast, simple, unlined, adaptable, and so fresh looking. I made one of these cute little numbers yesterday and will be making many more. It has a more casual feel than lots of other aprons, and the bow is pretty adorable. I will pass along this comment: the measurements she provides will give you an adult small, but if you want a different size it's all rectangles so it's simple to adjust. If you are a home sewist, give this a try! She has lots of other fun ideas too!

7. This is just wonderful.

Pajamas and Coffee, thank you for this. Truly.

8. Up-Cycled Tee, Drawstring Tank Tutorial

http://www.crafterhoursblog.com/2011/08/tee-to-tank-tutorial-by-jen-from.html

   I saved the most exciting idea for last. This tee shirt up-cycle is beyond fast; it takes less than twenty minutes to complete. It is practically FREE because you just use any old tee-shirt you can find in your closet. And it is actually wearable. 

   Some ideas look cool in photos then feel weird in real life, but this drawstring tank top is even better than expected. I have sewn up about a dozen of these since trying it out last week and I am keeping several for myself. If you have a quarter of an hour and a tee-shirt, try this for yourself. You can even do it with a needle and thread, no machine required. Imagine all the possibilities!

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   So there ya go. Eight ways Pinterest has enriched my life this past week or so. Is this enough to justify my addiction?

I'll Stop Pinning When They Make Me.

xoxoxo