Salad Days

(Please excuse the crappy picture quality - I only had my phone to work with.)

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On his way out the door this morning, Tom called out that there was an extra salad in the fridge if I wanted to take it for lunch. He likes to take massive salads to work - I prefer meat and vegetables. Though I'll admit, they are pretty good looking salads. Cucumber, mushroom, sweet peppers, onion, feta cheese, broccoli slaw, carrots, and a little left over pork chop diced up small.

I asked him if there were olives in it. I despise olives so much. I call them poison. I can't think of another food I hate more. And he knows it. He said there might be a couple in there, but not many as he was almost out. (This tells me that he wasn't so much being sweet and making lunch for me, more that he realized at the last minute that he doesn't need to take a lunch tomorrow. Hmmmm.)

So at noon today I casually look at my salad for those offending olives. I find one. And then another. And another. Now I have to search through the whole salad so that I don't inadvertently eat one. Because I could die you know. (Did you just call me a drama queen in your head?)

And look!  Just look! 

How horrifying! More than 10 little pieces of death right there!

It's a good thing that my friend Erin brought me banana oatmeal 

walnut chocolate chip cookies. Perfect antidote.  

At least someone is looking out for me. 

(P.S. Yes, I will get the cookie recipe.)

Freezer Paper Transfer

Look what I was playing with last night. 

Wanna know how I did it?

First you'll need freezer paper. Apparently you can get it all over the US but the only place I've found it in Ontario is at Metro grocery store. I ended up with a huge 50' roll for ~ $6. It's 18" wide so it's going to last me forever. You'll also need a piece of printer paper and some spray adhesive. I used a pre-washed painter's dropcloth for my fabric.

Cut a piece of freezer paper to slightly larger than 8"x11". Take a plain piece of printer paper and spray glue it to the non-waxy side of the freezer paper. Trim the freezer paper down to size.

Find an image that you like - I chose a postmark - and edit it however you wish. I changed the colour of mine to be a bit browner instead of pure black and I lightened it a bit so it would look faded on the material. Flip your image so it's backwards.

Put your paper in the printer so that the image will be printed on the waxy side of the paper. Print your image.

Lay out your fabric (or whatever surface you're transferring to) and moisten it a bit with water. I just took a wet washcloth and dabbed it all over the material, but a spray bottle would work too. I did read later that if you spray the fabric with hairspray before you wet it you'll get a better transfer with less running. I'm going to try that next time.

Place your image face down and rub all over the back of the paper with a smooth object. Some tutorials say to use a spoon - I used the lid of the spray glue can and also an empty glass votive - 'cause I was too lazy to go downstairs and get a spoon. Make sure that you don't move the paper while you're rubbing the image or it will smudge.

Lift the paper carefully and you should have an image that is right side around. On fabric it transfers a bit unevenly which is perfect - you want it to look old and worn.

You can then take your damp cloth and wipe the freezer paper clean to be used again. Mine left some lines on the paper but they are permanent and won't transfer.

I loved this so much that I did it again with a Kailua postmark and then with a "Paris" image.

I had intended to make pillow covers with them, but now I'm thinking of recovering a foot stool I use all the time. The one limitation is that the material cannot be washed as is or the ink will come off. I've heard that if you wait 24 hours you can then wash it and it will only fade a little. I've also heard that you can iron it before you lift the paper (put a cloth in between the paper and the iron!) and that will set it.

This was so easy that I had trouble making myself stop. Tom's going to come home one day and find graphics on everything.

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I'm linking up here this week!

Weekend Recap and Giveaway Winner!

I can't say that I got a lot done this weekend.  The weather was beautiful 

and I couldn't stop laying around in the hammock or on the bench on the deck.

I finished painting the bathroom vanity and reattached the doors, 

but Tom has now decided that he'd like to replace the faucet...so I have no pictures.

I sewed two more pillows for the deck furniture...but I have no pictures.

We laid sod down in the backyard to cover the mud pit 

the dogs won't stop digging in...but I have no pictures.

I found an old pallet by the side of the road on Saturday, 

dragged it home and took it apart to make a sign.  

Right now it's just a pile of boards...so I have no pictures.

And I started working on a gift for my mother-in-law, 

but since she sometimes reads this blog...I'm not posting pictures.

I did run 10km on Sunday, but you don't want to see a picture of that. 

I'm sure it looks something like this:

via pinterest

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However, I did choose a winner of the $30 Fashion to Figure Giveaway!  

Using random.org, the entry chosen was #4 - Carolyn Stamper!  

Carolyn said, if she could, she would choose the Knot-Front Maxi Dress, 

and I have to agree that it would be wonderfully light and breezy for summer.

Congratulations Carolyn and thank you to everyone who entered!

I'd also like to thank Fashion to Figure for generously sponsoring this giveaway!

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