Vintage T-Shirt

If you ever want to have that vintage T-shirt feel in a T-shirt you already own, you aren't going to get it from this pin.

My T-Shirt Pinspiration was filled with so much promise, so much hope. To make any T-shirt have that vintage feel to it. The instructions were so simple, 1/2 cup of salt, a quart of water, and brine for 3 days.

But all I was left with was empty hopes and dreams. Maybe it was the shirt I chose, maybe I should have left the shirt brining for a month. Whatever the problem was, I will never know. What I do know is my T-shirt feels exactly the same as it did three days ago.

Before Brining

During Brining

After Brining

This was a Pinterest Fail. And a big disappointment, because I was ready to brine every T-Shirt I own. 

Racerback Workout Shirt

My first Pinspiration for my T-Shirt projects this week was creating a racerback workout shirt out of an old T-shirt. When I say workout shirt, I mean sit around the house and look like I am about to workout but instead eat chips and sit in front of the TV.

The shirt in the Pinterest Pin looks super cute, mine ah not so much. I mean the tutorial was pretty easy and all I needed was an old shirt and some scissors. It also said it would take about 15 minutes, but it took me a good 30 minutes. Here is how mine came out...

The back of mine came out really good, but I hated the front. Maybe it was just the shirt I chose, but it created almost like a shelf on the top. Don't get me wrong it helped catch any food that I dropped when I missed my mouth, so added bonus? But overall I don't think I will be transforming all my old shirts into racerback workout shirts or sit-on-my-butt-all-day-and-eat shirts. 

So I'll chalk this one up to a Pinterest half fail - half success. 

If you want to try to create this shirt, the tutorial is at this link: Racerback Tutorial 

Let me know how yours come out! 

Week 5 Theme...

I have now completed the first month of my Pinterest Challenge, only 11 more months to go! I have embarked on some interesting pins. Be sure to check out the pass four weeks of Pinterest Pins I have tried. There are been some good ones, and some not so good ones.

For week 5, I will be getting a little crafty with T-shirt projects. There are three projects I am going to try this week. The first project is to brine a shirt in salt for three days to give it the vintage feel. The second one is transforming an old T-shirt into workout tank top. And lastly I will create a watermark T-shirt, using Elmer's glue and some clothing dye.

I have been really excited about trying these Pinspirations, so hopefully they don't disappoint.

All Natural Cleaning Products

Vinegar, vinegar, vinegar! Where have you been all my life?

I am not a granola person, I watch too much TV, I don't eat organic, and I use chemicals. But if there is one thing I am, it's cheap! I pinch pennies, I am frugal, and save money every second I can. This week in my DIY house tips and tricks I learned about cleaning with vinegar. I had no idea how efficient and effective it is, and on top of that vinegar is extremely cheap.

The first Pinterest pin I tried in my cleaning with vinegar tips was to clean a shower head. Just fill a baggie with vinegar, secure, leave for a few hours, then wipe clean.

The results to this pin were way better than expected. Our shower head had so much build up and I have tried multiple cleaning products to clean it. Nothing has really worked until I tried this pin. The results seriously speak for themselves. It is an extremely amazing difference. This wasn't just a Pinterest Success, this is a New-Outlook-On-Life Success, game changing, life changing!

After the surprising results of the shower head, I was super excited about trying the next Pinspiration. Creating an all purpose cleaning solution with vinegar.

To create the all purpose cleaning solution you combine equal parts water and vinegar (I went with one cup of each) and then you add in a few drops of essential oils (I did about 10 drops). I added an apple cinnamon oil, mainly because I already had it in the house. But really the possibilities are endless on the scents you could add. 

When using the solution the smell of vinegar is a little strong, but once it dries you are left with the scent of the oil. A very delightful after-smell. Again, vinegar left my world rocked. I cleaned my shower doors, sinks, and tubs; it got out the nasty soap scum film that only harsh chemicals usually remove. I also did my glass table, windows, and mirrors; it worked better than Windex does, and there were no streaks (as long as you dry it with a dry cloth). I cleaned bathrooms, the kitchen, surface tops in other rooms. It worked as good or better than many products that I usually use and at a fraction of the price AND no chemical residue left behind. I will probably never go back to a few products I have used and trusted for years. Again Pinterest Success!

Since vinegar is my new favorite thing, up there with duct tape and WD-40 for all you need in life, I tried one more Pinspiration this week. Cleaning smelly sponges by soaking them in 1/4 cup of vinegar and 3/4 cup of water overnight, then rinse. The pin is very uninspiring:

I tried to add a little more pizazz to my rendition of the pin. 

The results were as expected: staggering! My sponge smelled great. The pin also said it would disinfect it, but I can not confirm that because I did not swab my sponge, place the results in a petri dish, incubate the dish, then use a microscope to count the microorganisms. It however did do something a little unexpected, it made my sponge really soft. That was a pleasant surprise when I went to do the dishes. Another win for vinegar. 

This week's success with vinegar has made this whole pinterest challenge worth it. I might just need to walk away while I'm ahead. :P 

No Slip Grips

I have tried two handy Pinterest pins for around the house tricks this week. Both pins make you think, why didn't I think if that? While both pins seem great in theory, only one of them really worked.

The first Pinspiration is for all those pesky tank tops and shirts that are always falling off the hangers without special hooks built in. Just add a little hot glue to the ends of the hanger, let dry, and Ta-Da! No more clothes falling on the closet floor.

Here is my fancy rendition of the pin. This really was so easy and took about a minute per hanger, and I did a couple because the hangers worked so well when I tested it out. I have a few shirts and dresses that always fall off the hanger and the hot glue grip keeps them in place. This was a Pinterest Success.

The next DIY handy pin I tried was using acrylic-latex caulk on the bottom side of a rug to keep it from sliding around. 

I was really excited to try this pin because I have a few rugs that move around a lot and I'm too cheap to buy the rug-gripper-thingys (this is the technical name). But to my dismay this Pin was a fail. I had a test rug and I did the vertical lines every 2-inches, let dry and it slid more on my tile than it did before I used the caulk. I also tried diagonal lines on a rug that slid everywhere and again, no luck. 

I would have had more luck with this pin if I would have just caulked my rug to the floor, as apposed to letting it dry. Maybe you have to have special floors for this pin to work. Until I have those fancy floors, I am going to chalk this up as a Pinterest Fail. 

Week 4 Theme...

We are going into Week 4 and I'm still going strong on the Pinterest Challenge.

This week I will be trying out some DIY (do it yourself) Pinspirations tips and tricks. I'll be trying some easy cleaning tips using vinegar, and some handy tricks for around the house. Including how to get your rugs to stay in place, and how to get clothes not to slide off hangers.

The Pinterest pins should be fairly simple this week and some that might be really handy to know.

Self-Frosting Nutella Cupcakes

The final Pinspiration pin this week were Self-Frosting Nutella Cupcakes:

These cupcakes were not only delish, they were super addicting. It was hard to only eat one and stop; they were so light that you could eat about 7 and then start to feel full. Oops.

I cheated a little on these ones too, I just used a box mix of vanilla cake and mixed in the Nutella. I followed the directions on the box, then just added about a tablespoon of Nutella to the top, then swirled it in with a toothpick. Super easy and super fast. They made about 2 dozen cupcakes. 

My cupcakes are a little lighter because I was running low on Nutella. I tried to melt the Nutella in the microwave and let's just say that was a horrible idea. The Nutella got hard and clumped together, so there went about half of the container in the trash. It's best to work with it at room temperature. 

They were so scrumptious! Here is my sister, my amazing helper Gabby. enjoying our Pinterest Success! 

Peanut Butter Cupcake Brownies

This Pinterest pin was my favorite treat this week. Peanut Butter Cupcake Brownies! Yummy!

I did cheat a little bit on this pin, rather than follow the recipe, I bought a box mix of brownies. And instead of using peanut butter chips, I used Reese's Pieces. They were still magnificent, and super easy!

I also used both a mini cupcake pan and a square bit size silicone baking pan. The silicone pan is much easier to get the brownies out of and keep them more intact then the mini cupcake pan, despite my effort to spray the pan with a healthy amount of Pam. 

Here is my version of the recipe:

1. Follow the directions on the box of brownies. :)

2. Only cook the brownies for about 9 - 11 minutes, this will make the centers fall when you take them out. If they don't fall (mine didn't) you can use the back of a spoon or I used the bottom of a children's medicine cup to push the center down. Let cool for about 5 minutes, then put them on a cooling rack.

3. Melt 3/4 cup to 1 cup of peanut butter in the microwave for 45 sec, stir well. 

4. Add peanut butter to each brownie center.

5. Sprinkle with the topping you desire, I went with chocolate chips and Reese's Pieces. 

6. THEN ENJOY!!!!!!!!

This pin was definitely a success and will be one of my all time favorite desserts. 

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

This week I have tempted our taste buds with some pretty amazing treats and my quest to fatten everyone up was a huge success.

My first Pinspiration this week was an Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies, this cookie is like three cookies in one. Pure Heaven!

I think this delicious treat may have been the favorite amongst my visiting family this week. I have to say they were freaking amazing. Here is my version on this tasty pin:

Mine did seem to come out a little thicker than the Pinterest pin did, but that just means more cookie in my belly. They also used double stuffed Oreo cookies, which I realized after I had already purchased the original ones. So it is possible these might taste even better, but I don't know if I could handle them tasting any greater than they did. 

Here is the recipe I followed to create this little piece of Heaven...

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

   2 sticks or 1 cup of softened butter

   3/4 cup of packed light brown sugar

   1 cup of sugar

   2 large eggs

   1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

   3 1/2 cups of flour

   1 teaspoon of salt

   1 teaspoon of baking soda

   10 oz. bag of chocolate chips

   1 package of Oreo cookies (really any flavor of Oreos would be yummy)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream butter and sugars together with a mixer until well combined, then beat in eggs and vanilla. 

3. In a separate bowl mix the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda), slowly add dry mix to the wet mix, then add the chocolate chips.

4. Take the combined dough and mold it around the Oreo, covering the top, bottom, and sides. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

5. Place on a cookie sheet (not too close together, they expand a little bit) and bake for about 13 - 18 minutes, until they are golden brown. Let cool for about 5 minutes then let them cool on a cooling rack.  

6. THEN ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!

This Pinterest Pin is definitely one of the best Pinterest Successes! 

Week 3 Theme...

This week I have some special guests visiting from Ohio, my dad, stepmom, sister, and brother.

So my Pinterest challenge theme for this week is going to be a delightful treat for them. I am going to try my hand in some delicious desserts that tempt my taste buds every time I look on the Pinterest wall.

Hopefully these treats are as good as they look, because I am looking forward to every calorie. I hope no one is on any kind of diet because I plan on fattening everyone up.

This week should be full of yumminess!

Beach Waves (without the beach)

My final post for this week's theme of hair is how to get Beach Waves without having to travel to the beach. Living in Florida, that drive isn't too long, but sometimes you just want the look without all the baggage.

The first Pinterest pin I tried to get beachy waves was, this pin:

This pin was super easy and very fast to do. The directions are to split your hair into two sections and braid each section. I actually split my hair into two section and then each section I split into another two sections. For a total of four sections. Then you twist the braid away from your face, and twist the flat iron around each braid twice. Once it is cooled, undo the braids and run your finger through your hair to let out the braid. And tada, beachy waves...

The next Pinterest pin I tried was to create a sea spray concoction:

First off, this mixture smelt amazing. You use sea salt and coconut oil, so the smell really reminded me of the beach. I really love this mixture and what it did for my hair, my only problem was I had a really hard time with my spray bottle. I guess my dollar store spray bottle was no match for salt water and coconut oil. I had to clean out the hose and nozzle every 5 sprays, so that got pretty annoying. I might try to make this again once I find a heavier duty spray bottle. This is the result from the sea spray and determination...

These two Pinterest pins were my favorite this week. It didn't require me to shampoo with Dawn, smell like a sandwich, or try an up-do 5 times. I will definitely be using these Pinspirations in the future. 

Easy Hair Pin Ups

For this week's theme of hair, I tried my luck with a few hair pin ups. The Pinterest pins I tried were very straight forward and showed a step-by-step guide to how to achieve the great look.

My first pin up Pinspiration this week, was for this fabulous up-do:

When I first tried this pin I did not read the directions very good. I braided three braids in each section and then braided them together. Making 12 complete braids in my hair; my arms were so tired. I did not realize that I was suppose to just braid one small braid in each section, then braid the rest of the section together. I also did not realize I was suppose to take out the hair ties on each end. So this is what you get when you don't read directions. A lopsided Princess Leia look, priceless. 

But when you actually read the directions, the pin up is fairly easy and much quicker then my first attempt. I think with a little more practice this could look even better. (I added an Instagram filter to spice it up a bit.)

My second Pinspiration, is for this cute "hair bow" in your hair:

I absolutely love this look and it looks so easy to do. I think if you did it to someone else's hair it would have come out a little better than my attempt. It's really hard to work on your own hair without a mirror for every step. This picture is from my fourth try at it. Also in the Pinterest Pin, she uses 3 bobby pins, I have about 30 holding my bow together, and there is still hair sticking out everywhere. 

I think my hair pin ups came out OK, so I would say this was a Pinterest Success. 

Deep Hair Treatment

This week's theme has been based around hair. I tried a couple "homemade", all natural approaches to deep treating dry or damaged hair. My hair has always been a little on the dry side, so I thought these would be great pins to try.

My first Pinspiration was to try to deep condition with mayonnaise. The instructions were to use 1/2 cup of mayonnaise, lather throughout your hair, cover your head with plastic wrap, leave on for about 15 minutes or so, and wash and dry as usual for Beautiful Hair. Well...

First off, 1/2 cup of mayonnaise is a lot of mayonnaise. And lathering throughout your hair is just gross.  Here is what 1/2 cup of mayonnaise looks like in a normal (not photoshopped) person's hair. Pretty disgusting looking.

After I plastic wrapped my head, I realize maybe this was just a sick joke. My head smelt like a sandwich and then I was wrapping it to preserve it for lunch tomorrow. But still I continued this "treatment". Once my 15 minutes was up, I sprinted into the shower to get the mayonnaise off my head.  Even after two shampoos and a good conditioning, I could still smell the hint of mayo in my hair. Drying it didn't help the cause, as heating up my head just made the scent stronger. After all is said and done I don't think this deep hair treatment did much. My hair actually seemed a little dryer, and as I stated, I still smelt like a sandwich. So I don't recommend this pin. 

A few days later, I tried my second deep treatment Pinspiration and it sounded a little more promising by using coconut oil to treat your locks. The directions were to use a handful of coconut oil, lather throughout your hair, cover with a shower cap, and either apply heat for 15 minutes or go about your business for 30 minutes with the shower cap trapping your natural heat to heat up your head (I went with the latter, so I could do what every stay at home mom does all day and watch soap operas and eat bon-bons), and then wash and dry as usual for Soft Smooth Hair. Well...

With this treatment, everything was going great. The smell was phenomenal. My hair was a greasy mess, but I figured it would all just wash out, so no big deal. Or so I thought.

Once it was time to rinse out the coconut oil, I washed with my regular shampoo twice and it seemed like the shampoo was just rolling off my hair. I moved on to the conditioner and even that didn't seem to be sticking to my hair. I knew when I was globbing on the coconut oil and it had the consistency of Crisco, I should have probably not used so much. At this point, I thought maybe if I stop washing it and dry my hair it would be better. Nope. My hair wasn't even drying, the oil was locking in the moisture. All I could think to do now was to get back in the shower and wash my hair with Dawn dish washing soap, to cut the grease. After about five washings with Dawn I felt the slickness of the oil starting to dissipate. So I once again dried my hair and this time it actually dried and did look soft and smooth. I think this would have worked better with small amounts of coconut oil and not a handful like they suggested. 

Both pins for Deep Hair Treatment were definitely an experience. I would probably have to chalk this up as a Pinterest Fail.

Week 2 Theme...

Now that I have a super organized hair accessory drawer, I thought a nice segue to this weeks theme would be hair, hair, and more hair.

I have found some fun hair pin ups to try, two easy ways to get great beach wave hair, and some inexpensive ways to deep treat your hair. Including lathering in mayonnaise, that should be interesting.

I'm pretty excited about the amazing hair these Pinspirations suggest, now if only I can make my hair look as good as they promise. If not I might not leave the house this week.

Organizing the Hair and Makeup Drawer

The last bit of this week's Pinterest project is organizing my Hair and Makeup drawer. I will remind the viewers of the ridiculousness...

I wanted to find a cheap and inexpensive way to organizing this drawer, I found a few Pinspirations (Pinterest Inspirations pins): 

 

It looked like the best solution for this criteria was a utensil holder. The one in the picture on the left is from Target and I really liked it, it costs $9.99. I was going to buy it and use this as my organizer, until I found these gems at the dollar store. Thank you back-to-school time.

With a little imagination, some hot glue, and a handy husband (Thanks Honey!) to use a metal grinder and take out a few sections for me, I have a beautiful $4.00 solution, that I could customize to fit the exact way I wanted it to fit. 

And now for the big reveal (drum roll please)...

Looks great right? Well the only problem is now I can't find anything. You would think that organizing would simplify my life, but instead it looks like I thrive in chaos. So with time I will determine if this was a Pinterest success or a fail. Right now it's a fail. :P