Freeze Leftover Wine

I'm not sure where I learned this little tidbit for saving leftover wine – truth be told I think it was Martha Stewart via a Maxine cartoon – but it comes in really handy for cooking.

I know, I know: who has leftover wine??? (that was Maxine's contribution)

Well, sometimes I do and it goes right into the ice cube tray for future use. I believe all recipes taste better with wine – some of it even makes it into the food – so when I make spaghetti sauce, chili, or whatever else I think a splash of wine might augment, I just have to open up my freezer and pop a couple "wine cubes" into the recipe and off we go.





*Photo by Sarah B. Danks*

Bookshelf Organization Inspired by Pinterest

Hi, my name is Sarah and I'm obsessed with Pinterest. (<chorus> Hi, Sarah!)

I've seen some super-cool ideas on Pinterest and I want to replicate them in my own home (a cool corner hutch unit, picture frame collage ideas and framing a bathroom mirror, to name just a few), but I have to say I'd already done the bookshelf organization thing.



That's right. BEFORE Pinterest. Well, before I knew what Pinterest was, anyway.

Okay, I'll admit that SINCE seeing some neat organizational ideas for bookshelves on Pinterest I might've rearranged some things. Just a bit.






And I realize this "bookshelf" holds less books than it does paraphernalia – most notably my collection of antique cameras. But still.














*Photos by Sarah B. Danks*

DIY Coffee Table Books

Everyone who's anyone likes looking at coffee table books, but they're expensive and it looks silly to have just one...

Fortunately, in this day and age it's easy to create your own coffee table book, and it doesn't have to break the bank. Online services like Blurb, Shutterfly and MyPublisher make the process simple and they often have very good deals on photo books.

In fact, the longest part of the whole process is choosing which photos you want to display and organizing them in the layout. Creating your own coffee table books is a great way to highlight family events, pets, even weddings (I made my own wedding book for a fraction of the price the photographer wanted, and everyone who's seen it loves it). They also make great family gifts (I've started making a photo book of my nieces for my sister and mother each year for Christmas).

There's only one problem: once you've made one coffee table book, you're hooked. Before long, you might find yourself with a plethora of them :)






*Photo by Sarah B. Danks*

Cover Up That Old Couch

I'm not a sewer. Sure, Mom made me take Home Ec in junior high, but I hated the sewing portion the whole time. So when I say I "recovered my old couch," I mean I did it in a very, VERY simple fashion.



This couch is over 30 years old – my parents bought it new in 1976 – and while the upholstery has definitely gone out of style, the sofa itself is well-built, sturdy and still as comfy as ever. Plus, it's a hide-a-bed, so that's a bonus for us (we only have 1 guest bedroom; this gives us some more sleeping room if needed).




The Husband wasn't at all a fan of keeping it, and even less so when I came back with a quote to reupholster it: $500.00. While on the one hand I was weighing what it'd cost to replace the quality of the couch, I wasn't thinking of an even simpler solution: re-covering it.


And by "recover the softa," I mean literally, buying a slip cover and putting it on. How easy is that?

This isn't rocket science, and it's not "custom," per se...but it is a cheap and easy fix. Instead of learning how to sew, or paying someone a lot of money to do it for me, I spent $130.00 and got a great-looking, well-fitted slip cover that I can take off and wash whenever I want to.

Win!





*Photos by Sarah B. Danks*

Easy Cowboy Caviar Recipe

For every recipe that requires time, effort and a bunch of cooking paraphernalia you might not own, there's the "do-it-yourself" easy version that tastes great and makes it seem as if you spent hours slaving away in the kitchen.

While I've tried many different cowboy caviar recipes, this is my all-time favorite, and very simple to make.

Cowboy Caviar Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 can (15 oz) black beans
• I can (15 oz) black-eyed peas
• 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 can of corn (can also use frozen)
• 1 small onion (can substitute green onions)
• ½ green pepper
• ½ cup chopped jalapenos (I use the pickled kind)
• ¾ cup chopped cilantro
• garlic salt
• Zesty Italian dressing
• 1 lime

To Make:

• Drain beans, peas & tomatoes
• Chop onion, green pepper, jalapenos & cilantro
• Add to bowl, toss
• Use garlic salt to taste
• Add ¼ to ½ cup of Italian dressing & fresh-squeezed lime juice
• Toss to coat and let it marinate in the fridge for ~1 hour before serving.

Voilà! Delicious cowboy caviar that'll have your guests asking for the recipe :)




*Photo by Sarah B. Danks*

Frame Your Child's Art

Here's a fun and arty way to make your child's paintings or drawings look like an art collection. All you need is a kid to make you some art (in my case, my niece), a quick trip to a store that sells frames (on sale is better) and a little bit of time.

Framing Supplies:

• Child's drawings/paintings/art
• Frames
• Pre-cut mats (I like to buy the frames on sale at Michaels that come with mats)
• Tape
• Scissors (if you need to cut the paintings to fit)

If you need to cut the drawings to fit into the frames (my niece had painted me some pictures on randomly-sized paper) then go ahead and use the mats to frame the portion you want, then cut to size.

Obviously if you're planning this in advance, have your child draw a picture on paper that's that size you want...then you don't have to lose any of the art.




Fix the painting in place on the back with Scotch tape, then assemble the frame.




Voilà! A cool and very relevant art collection.








*Photography by Sarah B. Danks*

Homemade Powdered Laundry Detergent

My friend's been making her own liquid laundry soap for a couple years – at first I thought this was weird, then I realized just how exorbitantly priced commercial laundry detergent is and thought, "she's on to something" – but it seemed like such a long process to make it that I never got into it.

While home this weekend, my mom shocked me by showing me HER new laundry soap: a homemade, easy and quick, do-it-yourself powder that takes only minutes to make.

DIY Laundry Soap

Recipe Ingredients:

• 3 bars Fels-Naptha soap
• 1 ½ cups washing soda
• 1 ½ cups 20 Mule Team Borax

How To Make Detergent:

• Grate the soap with a cheese or hand grater
• Mix all ingredients thoroughly
• Store in covered container

To Use in Laundry:

• Use 2 tablespoons per normal load of laundry; 3 TBLS for heavily-soiled loads
• Note: this laundry soap will not make many suds
• Safe to use in High Efficiency (HE) washers
• When using this laundry detergent, you might find it's necessary to use less fabric softener (or none at all)
• Make sure to stir the powdered detergent thoroughly before each use to ensure you're getting all three ingredients in each scoop

I used this wonderful, homemade laundry detergent for a few loads of laundry and everything came out smelling clean, fresh and was very soft (even the laundry items I line-dried). I will now be making my own laundry soap from here on out! Now to get The Husband on board...




*Photo by Sarah B. Danks*