New Shop Additions

As always I try to reuse items I already have. I limit the buying of new items. 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheOldSilverOak

(1) Ceramic bookmarks (2) Unlock your imagination bookmarks (3) White Wedding Celtic Handfasting Cord (4) Dreams of the Earth Handfasting Cord (5) Something Blue Handfasting Cord (6) Dark Goddess Meditation Cord (7) Forest Goddess Meditation Cord (8) Green Meditation Cord

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am on a cooking/baking binge and am loving it. I have been in a slump lately and the cooking/baking has been making me feel much better. However I am taking and more healthy route in life and wanted a healthier cookie. Peanut butter is something seems to be a staple in healthy eating but I am not a fan. So I decided to take a plunge and make some peanut butter cookies. I cam across a yummy recipe but as usual, made some changes.

Original Recipe Here

My changes: I added chocolate chips (I have plans to add banana and apple chips in the next batch). Since that dried it out a little bit I added a little almond milk. Came out fantastic.

Honey Wheat English Muffins

I have been wanting to make english muffins for awhile now. I always thought they were difficult but in reality they are super easy and quick to make. I will never go back to store bought again.What I like most about making things from scratch you can control how healthy you want it to be.

I used this recipe: Whole Wheat English Muffins

I did however make some changes. I did 50/50 White/Whole Wheat Flour for a lighter taste. I substituted 1 cup of almond milk for regular milk to add in a little protein. I added 2 tbsp of honey, that little bit more adds a nice sweetness to it. I also added 1 tsp of baking powder. That added an airiness to it.

You should try this recipe you won't regret it!

Hello Again

I am sorry for my absence. I had to rethink some things, therefore I am on a hiatus. Not sure how long it will be, but it is something that I need to do. 

I hope everyone has a great and prosperous new year!

Fall Clearance 2012

I am gearing up for the goodies that come with the winter season. So the shop is having a 50% off ALL Fall stock!! Go and grab some pumpkins!!!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheOldSilverOak

DIY Decor on the Cheap - Frames

So I decided to start a new regular blog post about diy decor but reusing what you have and/or spending as little money as possible. The first installment is Frames!

(1) Gather your materials. 

Frames ($2 from Wal-Mart), Glue, Fabric, Scissors, Brush, Cat, (Not shown paint, hot glue gun, buttons for establishments)

You can use whatever materials you want. As crafters we tend to have these items on hand. Try not to buy anything, search your home first and see what you have! I did not have any frames I was wiling to separate from their pictures so I did end up getting some from wal-mart.

(2) If you are not going to cover your frames with fabric or the fabric you will choose is sheer, paint your frames. I used white at first but changed my mind. I ended up painting on with Martha Stewart's Craft Paint in Blue Sky Satin Finish. Covers well even on these crappy plastic frames.

(3) Cover in fabric, embellish, etc. However you want. Lay your items out prior to gluing to make sure you like what you see. I ended up covering one in a burlap like fabric and adding buttons. The frame I ended up painting blue I added doilies to the corners. And voila!

 (4) Please note. With some frames they won't fit the glass anymore when adding fabric. I decided to remove mine and store them for later use. I added these fantastic printables from: www.AnythingbutPerfect.com

*This craft took make 30 mins all together, mostly waiting for paint to dry. I did use hot glue gun to hold down the buttons and the doilies. The awesome thing is, if I decide I don't like it anymore, I can just take everything off and reuse it all!

Newest Additions!

I haven't made Dreamcatchers for awhile and I missed it so. I am so glad to add these lovelies to my shop!

   

 

Navy Seal Museum

I have to tell you I wasn't so sure about visiting the Navy Seal Museum, but when my son heard FLVS was doing a school trip there it was a no brainer...we have to go! I am glad we did. It was very interesting. I loved listening to the tour guides, who are retired Navy Seals themselves. There isn't much more than weaponry and a collection of stuff. I am very much a visual person so this isn't really my cup of tea, and my son isn't much for listening to stories but this is definitely a great trip. All my photos can be see in full sizes on my flickr page.

 

  

  

Go for the stories but stay for the beaches!

Field Tripping...

Since joining Florida Virtual School Homeschooling, we have been on numerous trips and we are only 2 months into the school year! We had a pretty interesting time at the Navel Seal Museum up in lovely Fort Pierce. I will post on that later this week. The most recent trip was to Lion Country Safari. I have been there before but it was extremely hot and all the animals were in hiding. This time around the weather was a lovely 76 degrees and it was first thing in the morning. Best time to go because everyone is up and about for breakfast! Here are some snaps! Sometimes I turn images into wallpapers. You can check them out on the wallpaper page. All my photos can be see in full sizes on my flickr page.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

TOSO on ETSY!

The shop is finally re-opened. I have a lot more to make and post but I am glad to have it open again.

In case you weren't away, items are made with mostly reclaimed materials. Be it fabric, stuffing, accents, etc. I will be adding some items left by mother nature as well. The goal is to lessen the amount of trash build up. You'd be amazed at how many items people throw away everyday that can be used repeatedly!

Visit the shop won't you and share with your friends. Keep checking back for new items added weekly!