A few of our favorite things....

The Junk Mammas are always up for a good party! We put together a group of a few of our favorite things, some are personal indulgences...

Sliver platters

Cake plates



White iron stone plates, pitchers and soup turines


Taco Bell- Us girls love to eat at Taco Bell. Something we don't get much of anymore. Kids prefer McDonalds.

Diet Pepsi- ice cold in the can or from a soda fountain with crushed ice. This is a must have first thing in the morning.

Cupcakes- Walmart super center makes the best cupcakes
with loads of butter cream frosting.

Magazines- love, love magazines.

They are filled with a multitude of ideas that can last for years. We have started scrapbooks of our favorites articles, recipes or whatever for future inspiration.


The Junk Mammas

Holiday style wreaths

Country Living

When decorating for the holidays we like to add a few things that can be left up past the season, you know more bang for your buck! Wreaths are a great accessory that can outlast the traditional Christmas decor. I love the look of this wreath in a empty frame. I have seen where people have white frames lined up their stairways and I think these wreaths would look amazing displayed that way. Wreaths also look great hanging on mirrors.

Ballard Designs

Ballard Designs has these small boxwood wreaths. The possilities are endless for these. Can you image them lined up across 4 small windows or vertical in groups of two hanging from amoire or french doors? 4 of these for $29.00, not to bad of a deal.

Junk Mammas

Fabulous Finds Friday

Every Friday (ok maybe most Fridays) we will posting great finds . Hope you think so too. Let's get started.

I really need a treat everyday, but not all the extra calories. I found these Peppermint Tootsie Pops at none other than Target for 2 for $4. If you love candycanes then you are going to love these cause they have a little extra chocolate treat at the end. And are only 1 point for all you weight watcher followers. Try some and enjoy.

On a decorating note, candy or treats look great in clear jars or vases grouped on your counter top, buffet or mantel. And is a cheap way to fill up the jar. If you have a really big jar, place a glass upside down in the middle of jar and fill candy between jar and glass.

Christmas Ideas

Country Living

Junk Mammas

Vintage plates

We found some great old Wisconsin license plates at a flea market this summer, not sure what to use them for. It was just one of those things we couldn't leave there without buying.

What do you do with vintage license plates? After a few not so good ideas we came up with a couple of things that worked. They would look great in a kids bedroom, playroom or any room in your house that your looking to add a little "rustic" touch too!

Very simple idea. I found an old chain in our junk drawer and attached it to one of the plates to make it a hanging one.



This one we took pages out of an atlas, decoupaged them onto a board and distressed them. We attached the plate with an epoxy adhesive and framed it out with a fire engine red colored wood frame.


Love these, but not quite sure you want to make them yourself? Check out our Etsy store for these and some of the other great things we have whipped up!


The Junk Mammas

Made it with scrapbook paper

We wanted to share a couple of things we have made using scrap book paper.


Covered some tobacco tins we purchased at a flea market with paper then filled them with greens, and finished them off with ribbon and rusty bells.


The Song Bird is my favorite. Inspired by something I saw at Pottery Barn Kids. I used a simple bird pattern with pinks and brown scrapbook paper. Finished it off in a pink vintage frame with some decorative scrap booking trinkets.

Junk Mammas

Cold weather comfort food

We live in Wisconsin, and it's gets pretty darn cold here. Soup is a great cold weather comfort food.

One of my all time favorites is Chicken Dumpling. Here is very simple recipe to make a hearty dumpling soup that your family will love.

List of things you will need for the soup:

-Chicken- I like to use a wonder roast chicken from the grocery store that is pre-cooked.
-3 large cans or cartons chicken stock, broth or both(cans 48oz/cartons 26oz)
-2-3 cups cut veggies- I use carrots and celery- but you could add cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini.

For the dumpling you will need:
-Flour
-eggs
-water
-milk
-salt and pepper

Put your chicken in a large pot with the cut veggies and your broth-cook over medium for around 20 minutes until your veggies get tender.

Then your going to turn the heat up a touch to bring your soup to a rolling boil.

In the meantime you can mix your dumplings- I use 2-3 cups of flour, 1-2 eggs, salt/pepper, finely chopped leaves of the celery and a little water to make your mixture like a batter.

Once your soup base is boiling- you then just drop your dumplings in by the spoon full and they will float when finished.

You can play with this recipe and add more veggies, more dumpling, etc. to make the perfect soup for you.

Served with some warm bread, you have a hearty meal that is sure to take that winter chill away!



Junk Mammas

Acorn cookies

My daughter and I wiped up these cookies Sunday morning. They were easy and fun for her to help make. I was thinking of putting a few in these Thanksgiving favors with some other goodies. I love to take something store bought and add an extra touch to make it a little special. You don't always have to reinvent the wheel to be creative. I sometimes forget that!

To make these cookies you take mini nilla wafters and spread a little bit of chocolate frosting on the bottom of cookie. Add a chocolate kiss to the frosting. Then take a mini chocolate chip and dip bottom in chocolate frosting, and add to the top of the cookie.

Here are some other cookies ideas using the same concept. Santa nutter butters for christmas and ghost nutter butters for Halloween.

The Junk Mammas

Mini Boden

I was inspired to make this t-shirt for my daughter, after I received a Mini Boden catolog. If you haven't heard of them, check it out http://www.bodenusa.com/ . They have adorable stuff, but not so affordable prices.

I have also seen many of your blogs giving instructions on how to make these great t's. They really are easy, very affordable to make and so darn cute!

I started by making petals out of brown and pink polka dot fabric. Then I cut heat and bond to the shape of the petals. Layed everything out and started to iron.

Last I added a huge pink button I already had and a light pink stitch around the edges. For less then $5 I made this great Tee!

The Junk Mammas

I can make that party

We are joining the fun at Just a Girl. She is having a I can make that party. People are suppose to link gift ideas that you can make. This isn't so much a gift, but part of the wrapping. We call them Jingle Bell Clips.

You will need:

Clothespins

Jingle bells or any other adornment

Ribbon

Glue gun

Stick pin

Paint(optional)

Gift tags(optional)

Paint your clothes pins and any color, or leave them plain. You simple fold the ribbon in half length ways. Stick a straight pin through the ribbon completely. You thread the ribbon thru the top thingy on the jingle bell. It can take a little finagaling to get the ribbon thru the jingle bell. Next tie a bow. Attach bow with hot glue to the clothespin.

You can use them as placecard holders or gift tags. Also could string a ribbon and attach your Christmas cards to them.

The Junk Mammas

Desperately seeking....

More space! For the last couple years my daughters room has been a real disaster and hazard-each night we need to make a fire path to the door from her bed. She has a very small room and a LOT of stuff. I have been desperately trying to kick my husband out of her closet, which also houses the door to our attic stairway. (He has had dibs on this space for the past 11 years, with stuff that he has not looked at in that time either.)

I have seen where they make closets into offices, taking the door off , putting a desk and shelving in it. Giving them much needed space, even if it is only a couple of feet.

One afternoon with nothing to do, I decided to tackle it. I took everything out of the closet, packed it away in boxes and put it in the basement.

I painted it pink and then came the fun part, filling it up with all of her stuff. We put her kitchen set in, then we filled the hooks that line the walls with dress-up clothes, purses and hats.

All in all, I think it turned out pretty good and Maddie's loves her new special place.

The Junk Mammas

Etsy and MOMS UNITE

Check out our Etsy shop, we have added a few new items. Vintage license plates, art and chalk boards.

Also, check out a Soft place to Land, Nesting Place and The Inspired Room for us and other moms who make and sell some pretty fabulous items.

The Junk Mammas

Halloween Pixies

Pixies in a jar are all over blogland, and I couldn't be left out. I made Halloween pixies (I do realize Halloween is over) one afternoon, instead of cleaning my house. Craftying is just far more fun then cleaning. I printed out some pictures on the computer and made wings and hats. Added a little tag. Put in a jar with some spanish moss. Wahla!

I think I am going to make christmas elves or angels.

The Junk Mammas

Beatrice

You know how you have always wanted something, but really have no idea what you'd really do with it or why you must have it. You just want to have it.

I have always wanted a dress form. My husband did locate one a few years back, but it was musty and ugly gray. Then I discovered blogs and others had the same desire for a dress form. Heather's dress form at Past and Present Collection really sparked my desire for one these ladies again. And the true inspiration was from Cath at Just something I Made, she's a real artist.

So this how the story goes. We decided to try our hand a craft show and sell some jewerly. What better way to display some jewerly, but on a dress form. I got really lucky and stumbled across this super estate sale. There she was in the guest house waiting for a new home. I waited for the second day, which was half off day. I scooped Beatrice right on up for $12.50. She was a bit musty, so I frebreezed her and let her sit on my porch for a week or to air out.

I used an old dictionary and started to modge podge the pages to her. It took alot of glue, but she came together in about two nap times (about 4 hrs). Beatrice didn't have a stand, so I just followed what Cath did and used a old lamp base which we had laying around. Beatrice worked out great for the show and now I have my dress form.

The Junk Mammas

The 1st show

For the past 3 weeks we have been desperately trying to get ready for our first art/craft fair. Instead of finishing our planned items, we decided to torture our selves with new ones each days- the projects seemed never ending!!


Then we had our share of mishaps, ordering jewelry parts in the wrong size, running out of supplies without being able to find things that match and we had aprons made (which turned out awesome!! Thanks Merry!!)but were a couple sizes too big.

But, we knew the show must go on and our booth turned out pretty darn good- for a couple of rookies.) It was definitely a learning experience, with lots of Diet Pepsi drank, burns with the glue gun, and new found love of creating great things.

Check out our Esty's store!

Chalk boards and stuff

We love chalk boards, and could hang them in any room in our houses. Found a french provincial wood cutout the other day and decided it would be a fantastic shape for a chalk board. Fancy gold frames go great with chalkboards inside too!

Here are some of our chalk boards and other misc. projects we have been hard at work on for the fall art/craft fair. Some of these items will also be available on Etsy the end of the month.










Junk Mammas

Halloween Party-better late than never

Country Home

A sign Jenny's husband (Andy) made us a few years back.

I am feeling a bit witchy these days. I am sure my family and friends would agree. Now we need to get to work on the kids costumes.

A different kinda six pack

In our hay-day we used to celebrate birthdays with a six pack of beer and a headache the next day. Now we like to celebrate with a 6 pack of cupcakes and a belly ache.

Happy Birthday Jenny!