I Know Toni

Hanukkah Subway Art

2011-12-20T06:40:00.000-08:00

Feeling left out, I created my own. Now I'm going to post it so everyone can see that there are others out there who celebrate something different that Christmas :)

The skirt that almost kills me

2011-08-06T04:34:00.000-07:00

I love Dana over at MADE. She's amazing, has beautiful children - and somehow figures out how to come up with the most excellent ideas. Except for this one (TOTALLY joking - just frustrated with this skirt). We're still on the Made for Kids board.

I've made this particular skirt for a friend's daughter - but I have made them for a fundraiser in purple and as a Thanksgiving skirt in brown. They are absolutely breathtaking. The girls love them - and no matter where we go, we get compliments.

The instructions Dana gives for this skirt are very good. As you can see below, you need to tier the skirt according to a formula - and then add the fluff.

Adding the fluff is the hard part. Nylon chiffon is pretty easy to work with - but you need so much of it for this project. I buy it precut and then put two layers together. Then I gather. Dana does a great job of teaching you how to do this the cheater method. Unfortunately, I can't figure out how to do it on my machine - so I do it the old fashion way.

Once it's gathered, you have to then sew it on. I like the look of overlap, so you have to get close to the other layer.

I never have good luck with the final step - adding the elastic. The folding always gets bunched up. My guess is that my tension is too tight on my surger. Either way, the nice thing about this skirt is that I don't have to worry - it'll never show!

See how it twirls? It looks nice when they are just standing too!

I think Dana has this down as a beginner- intermediate project. Do not attempt as a beginner because you may give up sewing all together. Don't ask me to make it for you - this is my last one. My girls each have two and they are done.

Hints that I learned:

1. You have to know how to gather, how to put two uneven pieces of fabric together and make it work.

2. You have to understanding how your sewing machine works - and how to undo what your sewing machine just made you do. :)

3. If you have a taller child, make sure you take into account all the calculations. Do not make the tiers wider (to make the skirt longer) - just add another tier.

4. This skirt can take upwards of 6-8 hours. Do it over multiple days. Breaks up all the work.

5. Take your time. Rushing this (or waiting to the lsat minute) does not work.

Swim Pants

2011-08-03T05:25:00.000-07:00

Switching from Yummy to Make for Kids, I'm working my way through my Pinterest pins. :)

Below is a picture of my oldest who does not like flashes on cameras (sadly, she has me for a mother - who can't figure out how to turn it off on this camera). She's a swimmer - a really good swimmer. And she goes to meets almost every weekend in the Fall and Winter. We live in cold country, so walking around with a towel wrapped around her is not an option - but neither are traditional pants.

I found this pair for $30 + shipping. Our local Target had their comfy towels on sale for $4 a piece - and with elastic, my total came to $8.50 (yes, there was tax, but I have the 5% off Target card!). That's a huge savings considering that I know that she's going to want another pair :)
I made them big because I know she's about to hit a growth spurt. Plus, she loves things big and comfy :)

How did I do it? I took a pants pattern that I already had for her size, cut the pants, made sure I surged the edges as the towel shed like crazy (if you don't have a surger, just do a tight zigzag stitch over the edges). Elastic replaced the ties they had in the original - and TADA - swim pants!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

2011-08-02T04:49:00.000-07:00

We're going to start in the Yummy section of my Pinterest. As you can see - it's getting bigger and bigger (this may be a long project!). But the one I have been wanting to try - Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake!

I had my assistant help me with this one. It's hot here in beautiful IL - and he had already gotten breakfast on his shirt. :)

After we were done with the mixing, etc - Lukey helped me clean some of the utensils. (Warning - this takes a lot of bowls, measuring cups, etc.) My other assistant, hubby Steve, took care of the dishes - but he was none to happy about the huge mess....
Until he tried these. They ARE yummy. Definitely can taste the chocolate - but it's not overwhelming. The cheesecake kind of cuts down on the sweetness of the cookie dough. The instructions were very good - and without pictures, you can make this. Cooking time was a bit on the low side - so make sure you read the instructions on waiting until the top is crispy.

I would say that this is an intermediate recipe + : meaning that if you are starting to learn how to cook, wait on this recipe until you get a couple of easier recipes under your belt.

Also, while this recipe can be used with stuff you have around the house, you'll definitely want to think about timing. It takes a couple of hours for it to 'cure' in the fridge - so don't use this as a last minute dessert.

Enjoy :)

3...2...1....

2011-08-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

And I'm starting.

I'm starting to think that I might have a bit of ADD. Or perhaps I just have a lot of energy. But I like to do things - sitting and I don't go well together.

So today, I start blogging again. You'll see random things here. Projects I'm working on. Tutorials of things that I think others would like to do. My attempt to go through all 900+ pins I've done on Pinterest (I'm done with 20 - only 880+ to go!!). Tutorials that I've done - and what I thought of them. You name it - you'll see it!!

Toni :)

Wow...a new start

2011-07-30T10:45:00.001-07:00

I'm starting a new project. It's big. And should be fun. It'll all start on August 1st. Get ready :)

5 Things I love...

2011-02-06T18:26:00.000-08:00

Since I did one post in January, and February isn't looking much better, I figured I'd do a "5 Things I Love" post.

1. I love Dana over at MADE. She comes up with some really cool ideas - and her pictures rock. I also love Anna over at Noodlehead - she has some of the best patterns I've ever used. But Julia is my favorite to read - hands down.

2. I love the ideas that Erin and crew come up with at Unclutterer - her new book has given me the ideas to make changes in my own house. Reducing our house almost by HALF (seriously, we totally cleaned house in the basement and the 2nd floor - only the 1st floor left!).

3. My children. Each one reminds me of me - and their own little personalities. I never thought being a mom would be as fun as it is.

4. My job. I love my job as a nurse at the local health department. I love my patients (most of them), I love the people I work with. And I love the idea of working there for the rest of my career.

5. My husband. Who not only gets me, but supports me in whatever crazy idea that I swear we have to try. I need to remember to thank him more often :)

What do you love???

Freezer Paper??

2011-01-21T19:25:00.000-08:00

I'm a big fan of freezer paper. Make It and Love It talked about it today. Another one of my favorite craft blogs.

While she used a machine to cut the freezer paper - I just use a punch or a exacto knife. But I do love the results. I just wish I had a picture to show you!

But I do have a picture of a bag that I made....I love it. What do you think???

On a Stick???

2011-01-05T05:14:00.000-08:00

I receive an email from The Mother Huddle almost every day. They are always filled with ideas on what to do for a holiday or to keep your children distracted enough to let you have a break. And sometimes, they give you recipes that you can try.

I saw this idea - A Pie On A Stick - and thought, "Hey, that's a great idea - if I ever had the time to try it". Seemed complicated. Seemed very gluten. The recipe got printed off and put in my binder (to be discussed in the next couple of posts) to be used later.

Later is now. I still haven't tried to find a good gluten free pie crust recipe so my oldest and my hubby can try. But I figured, my friends at work wouldn't mind trying out my experiment.

A couple of hints if you want to try it (recipe is at link).

I made my own pie filling. Take a couple of apples (I also used pears because I had a couple) and throw them, skinned and cored, into a food processor with some cinnamon and nutmeg. Pulse it a couple of times and you're good to go.
Only use 1/2 - 1 tsp of pie filling per 2" shape. You don't want too much as it'll spill all over.
Expect to take some time to do this. This is NOT a "hey, I need something to bring in an hour" project. I doubled the recipe and it took me almost 2 hours. But that includes "kid help" time.
Don't have the sticks touch the sides of the oven. The sticks are made of paper...enough said :)

Enjoy!!!

Working on it...

2011-01-04T06:23:00.001-08:00

As many of my readers know (Hi all two of you!!), I'm kind of a wanna be neat freak. Meaning that I WANT to be a neat freak - but I have children you see - so that does not happen.

I've spent about a week going through various cabinets, closets and spaces to find all these things we don't need. And yet - it's almost like the empty spaces in these areas know that those things are now missing and they are replacing items to fill their wake. Not good.

I could show you a variety of pictures at how bad my house has become. But I'm embarrassed at how mess it is. :(

What I will give a wonderful website to check out if you are looking to Unclutter. She's got great ideas (things I'm working on) and even has a post on Wednesdays that shows you items that you never thought people would buy (but they must, because they are being offered for sale). Check it out! (And then let me know when you're coming over to help me dig out of this mess).

May I interrupt this broadcast...

2010-12-21T04:55:00.001-08:00

Sorry for the delay in blogging. I'm really back - just trying to recover from taking care of my grandfather while he was in the hospital. *I* thought he'd be one and done - and then I'd be back here. But life doesn't work the way you plan it out - and he's now got terminal cancer. I'll be helping him a bit more - but now that he's home, I can spend more time doing the crafty things that I want to do. Or productive...like maybe clean my house out.

Pictures to follow.

2010-12-12T18:20:00.000-08:00

Looking for a gift to give your teacher? I love this idea from Skip To My Lou. I'm preparing some for my kids teachers and hope they like this addition to their presents!! :)

Button, Button, Who's Got The...

2010-12-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

Button. The bane of any non-sewer's existence. But there is hope for all of you who would rather try it yourself rather than call me up and ask me to sew it back on!

Check out the Chicago Tribune's tutorial on How To Sew On A Button. And then try it yourself!

Hands Hands Fingers Thumb

2010-12-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

I do it with both hands. My husband? He only uses two fingers and a thumb from each hand. Wait? Are we talking about the same thing? I'm talking about typing! :)

I think it's such an important skill to teach your children - especially since most of them will use typing more than anything else they do.

My oldest daughter, Carley, is 7 and she's learning typing in school and came home to tell me about this site. Super fun for kids - and adults.

Try it out and let me know if your little ones are learning how to type!

Web pages to PDF

2010-12-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

I find lots of tutorials online that I love. Sometimes though, printing them out just don't look right. I mean, most web pages have all these extra things that make it difficult for a printer to fit it all on one page (width wise).

That's where the cool website Web2PDFConvert comes into play. I love this site for two reasons. One - it's free. You can never beat free. And two - I get to convert any page I want to a PDF to be saved to either print - or put on my computer for later.

Try it out and let me know what you think!

Boys Tie Shirt

2010-12-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

Coming up with ideas for boys has been much harder than I had anticipated. Nothing with ruffles or fringes or ribbons. But I've seen quite a few tutorials for iron on ties that I've always found quite cute. I made one this year for my son, Luke, age 17 months. He LOVED it :)

Char over at Crap I've Made has some cute ideas...and a wonderful tutorial for making this cute shirt. Note that I did not sew this tie - just ironed it on. Sewing does make it a bit more permanent - but if you don't have access to a sewing machine, you can still do this tie!!!

Survival Skill #325: Medication

2010-12-07T06:00:00.001-08:00

I'm an RN. And I love my job so much. I get to help people make their lives healthier - definitely rewarding.

I do a lot of education in my work - having people understand what their medication does - how it works and what they should do with their medication (beyond actually taking it).

And since this is my blog - I'm going to jump on my soapbox and talk a little about medication today. And hope that you take the time to enact some of these pointers!

1) Antibiotics do not help colds or viruses. Asking your doctor for them will not help you feel better unless you actually have an infection. Antibiotics also need to be taken AS DIRECTED. Which means if they say take it for X days - don't stop because you feel better. You're just asking for the infection to come back if you stop. Also - consider taking probiotics if you are on antibiotics. Many of the hospitals are doing this now to avoid the wonderful side effect of diarrhea!

2) Expired medications should be tossed. Spend the time today to go through your medications and toss the expired ones. Do NOT flush them down the toilet as you are adding those medications into the water supply. Controlled substances should be dropped off at your local police department for disposal. Prescription medication bottles should have your label removed and shredded before you toss the bottle.

Just because the medication is still in the bottle and doesn't 'smell' does not mean that the medication works after the expiration date. This is a perfect time for you to do this as it's the end of the year for your Health Savings Account - even over the counter (OTC) medications can be reimbursed through the end of this year. Next year - this is no longer an option.

3) Take your prescription medications as directed. As my father's doctor had to explain to him (even though I've told him this many times) you do need to take it as directed for it to work. Which means taking it daily if that is your direction! Don't try to double up on a dose because you've missed it unless the bottle says this is okay. You might actually be making yourself sick!!

4) Try to avoid prescription shopping. Having all of your medication through one pharmacy has two benefits - always knowing where your prescriptions are and having any interactions watched by your pharmacist. I've actually lost a friend to an unintended medication interaction. Don't let this be you.

5) If you are on medications or supplements (vitamins, herbal supplements) - have a list with you at all times. This will help if you are at the doctor - or have to go to the hospital. Also note any allergies you may have to medications. Include food allergies or environmental allergies on this list.

And lastly, 6) Do not share prescription medications with others. Remember that your doctor writes a prescription for a certain amount because that's how many you need. If you give them to others - you won't have them for yourself. But also, giving them to others may harm them. You don't know what they are taking and what will interact with their medications.

As with anything, please check with your prescriber if you have any questions on your medications!

Calendar Fabric

2010-12-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

I remember about two years ago when a new company - Spoonflower - was beta testing their process. I thought about doing it - but I had no experience with graphic arts and decided not to join the beta. Now I kind of regret not figuring something out to try as I happened upon them again through Noodlehead's post on purchasing fabric from them...

I heart this calendar fabric and have been trying to figure out how I could use this for my daughters' teachers. Frame it? Make it into a tea towel?? What would you do with it???

Online Photo Editing - For FREE!

2010-12-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

Because my brain does not work well, I have lost the link to the person who first introduced me to this topic - I apologize for not giving credit. :(

I have an apple computer - which I love - but I spent from 1984 until August 2010 using Windows. Unfortunately, Windows does not come with a good photo editing tool and spending big bucks for an Adobe version just never was on my priority list. But, like many people, my pictures are not as great as I'd like them to be.

That's where Picnik.com comes in. It's a free photo editing tool ( and you can upgrade to a premium version) that comes in handy when you're trying to do basic stuff - and fun stuff.

Here's a picture that I took during Thanksgiving:

And here is one that I fixed using Picnik.com - cute isn't it??

Have fun trying it out and let me know what you think!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-12-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

While pumpkin is usually associated with Halloween and Thanksgiving - I firmly believe that tasty pumpkin treats are good for any gotta-keep-warm day! Dana from MADE borrowed this recipe from Kristen. I have a mini crush on Dana - she's got such great ideas (you'll see many of them in the future) and beautiful pictures.

The recipe is amazing. I love how the chocolate makes it not too pumpkiny. The cookie recipe does not require dairy for those who are avoiding it (that is, if you leave the cream cheese frosting off!). For those, like us, who are Gluten Free* - it can also be made gluten free by substituting with gluten-free flour!!

Try it out and let me know what you think!!

*For those who do not know me, my husband has Celiac Disease and my oldest daughter is Gluten Intolerant - so lots of the recipes that I use are Gluten Free - however, I do make Gluten recipes - and most of the time - both are equally yummy.

Handmade Holidays

2010-12-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

This year, I'm challenging myself to make everything I give for the holidays to be handmade. While it's becoming difficult to come up with ideas on my own - there is a great blog out there that dedicates the entire month of November to helping me out. Just me. And you too :)

Handmade Holidays by Sew Mama Sew gives you new ideas every day. Since this is being posted AFTER they are done - you can cruise through the entire month and get all the ideas at once. Some are knitting, some sewing - some are easy enough for a child to make (there for my friend who has survival issues should be completely fine! ~giggle~). They even have links to a new recipe, a new crafter and beautiful fabric. Check it out and let me know if you make anything!!!

Tutorial: Ponytail Covers

2010-12-02T06:00:00.001-08:00

I have been trying to come up with little gifts to give to some co-workers that I love to work with. Unfortunately, my budget is tight when it comes to the 20+ women that I work with. So using the wonderful internet, I found an idea similar to what I'm about to show you. I wish I could remember exactly where I found it - but alas, that link is gone. :( If it's you who came up with this idea, please let me know so I can credit you!

No-Sew Ponytail Covers

If you are new to patterns, please read through the entire pattern before you try it - that way you know what you're supposed to end up with!!!

You'll need the following:

Button Cover Kit*

Button Covers* - make sure you purchase the ones WITH wire loops on them - not flat backs.

Scissors

Extra Fabric **

Ponytail Holder/Rubber bands***

About 5 minutes - tops!!!

*Both of these can be found at your local fabric store - or see one of my favorite online stores -www.craftersvision.com - you will have to purchase the same size kit as the button covers for it to work. I'm using 1 1/2" button covers in this tutorial.

**If you do not have 'extra fabric' or 'scrap fabric' because you do not have 'fabric' in general, you can always go to your local fabric store and purchase what you like. Each cover will only require a small amount of fabric - so fat quarters are plenty. If you live local to me - feel free to tell me your needs and I will give you some - I have plenty! ALSO an idea - find an old t-shirt or dress shirt that you like the pattern of and use it!!

***I like the Goody Ouchless because they are thin enough to go through the button cover loop.

Now grab the white part of the button cover kit and your fabric - you're ready to go! Put the fabric pattern side DOWN on top of the white part of the button cover kit, making sure that there is some overlap with the fabric.

Now put the button cover down into the white part. You can see the overlap of the fabric over the white part.

Now cut around the white part, leaving enough overlap.

This is what it should look like when you're done cutting.

Now push the fabric into the middle, trying to make sure that there's not too much fabric in the middle. If you need to - cut some more of it out - but not too much. Remember you'll be putting the back on soon and something needs to be under it for the fabric not to come off the button cover!!

Now grab the button cover - with the wire loop facing up and put on top of the button cover - but don't push down all the way yet!

Grab the blue part of the kit and push the back cover on to the front of the cover. If you need to - put it on a hard surface - like a table - and push down on the blue part. Sometimes you 'feel' a click. You'll understand when you try it.

It'll look like this when you're done. Notice how you can see the fabric all around the back cover? This means you did it right. If you can't see fabric all the way around, chances are you need to go back to the previous step and push a bit harder.

Now you can just pop the button cover out - it'll look like this - fabric nice and tight over the cover.

Now flip it over and notice the wire loop. See it??

Grab your rubber band and squeeze it through the loop like below. This is why it's good to have thin rubber bands.

Now you're going to pull the rubber band half way through - and then put one half of the rubber band through the other half, like this.

Now pull that rubber band tight so it looks like the picture below.

Now you're done. That's it. Easy wasn't it?

Put the rubber band on the hair - and you've got a pretty styling accessory!!

Welcome!

2010-12-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine, after a much needed beer, was joking about her ability to run a girl scout troop for 7 year olds. She told the group that her and her husband were not survivalists...that they would end up running after ME if something happened that required humans to go back to growing their own food, making their own clothes, etc.

I laughed along with the group at the time - but I thought about that comment. How many people out there believe that they can't do something crafty? How many believe that sewing is actually HARD, laboring work? How many believe that making a dinner or dessert from scratch is beyond their capabilities??

It's not. Really. I do it and I have no real skills with this stuff - just finding a little time and planning ahead and EVERYONE can do what I do.

So join me on my journey through life. Learn how to do something craft, sew up something or even make a dinner from scratch in less time than it takes to order pizza and wait for it to be delivered. And have some fun.

Welcome to I Know Toni :)

Yep...

2010-11-30T12:29:00.000-08:00

Definitely starting tomorrow...see you then!

Coming soon...

2010-11-18T11:17:00.001-08:00

I'm working on a big bloggy idea. Actually, lots of ideas. Assuming that I get my act in gear, it will start December 1st. If you are looking for me and want to know when I start, let me know in the comments and you'll get an email.

Coming soon....