Glasses Case Tool Box

Have case, will travel!
This case is large enough to carry all tools AND thread!

You know those GIGANTIC glasses cases that come with glasses – the cases that are the size of a small evening clutch? Well, those thingsare metal – and magnets stick to them..and they make fantastic travel tool cases for traveling with needlework, beadwork, etc! All you need is a glasses case/box, some magnets and of course your tools and supplies!

Make A Forced Bulb Little Gift

Super easy, super fast and something everyone who has a window sill can enjoy! A link to the video of how to make this is at the end of the post – enjoy!

Link to Instagram Video

Quarantine Needlepoint Coaster

Click on the above photo to see the YouTube video – there is a table of contents below
This guide to what appears where in the video is also in the description under the video on YouTube (click the little black triangle under the bottom right corner of video)

The photos below are the companion “textbook” for the video on YouTube. Be sure to watch the video so that these photos will make sense to you! I have included a “Table of Contents” – the video is 1hr 45 min so I thought it really needed a table of contents! This video covers every stitch step-by-step with all sorts of info about thread, stitches, etc. If you are a beginner, this may be of interest to you…it is intended as a quick sampler to learn all sorts of stitches and end up with a sweet little self finishing coaster. The Stitch Charts below are listed in the order they are stitched on the coaster and the order in which they appear in the video. The center colored bar that runs through the middle of the charts refers to the color of that stitch on the Master Chart.

Amazon Supply List – Click on this photo
Unfortunately the source for this letter chart, Jos Hendriks blog is no more – however there is a work around! Google “century gothic bold cross stitch alphabet patterns” and you will see many pics of this chart pop up as Pinterest images – just take a screenshot of one and you will have the chart ☺️
Master Chart: Stitches & Yardages
Mono Canvas requires 2x more thread – see starred box in photo above
Continental Stitch = Center letter and yellow border around the Hungarian stitch
Basketweave = Center letter option instead of Continental Stitch
Border stitches are stitched in the gaps after adding first color of Hungarian Stitch
Applying felt to the back is optional – the coaster functions perfectly without a backing.

Perfect Scrambled Eggs Using A Roux

The most perfect, fluffy, velvety scrambled eggs you have ever had – every single time…the magic is the ROUX

Click on the above photo for the YouTube video

I read about this technique of using a ROUX to make scrambled eggs – I tried it because it sounded “weird” & interesting – I mean really, who ever heard of using a roux? That was about 10 years ago and I have used it ever since…it is amazing and about as close to fool proof as you will ever find.

Click on the ingredients photo above for the FULL size video on IGTV

I wish I could give credit where credit is due, and tell you where I learned this but I can no longer find any reference to this technique online. This technique is so wonderful that it really needs to be passed down through generations – try it – remember it – teach it to your children & grand children so that it will live on….

Quarantine Needlepoint Mask Cover

Click on above photo for a link to ALL SUPPLIES on Amazon – Local Needlepoint stores can send threads to you! …but there are also threads in this supply list on Amazon if you prefer
Click on the above photo for the finishing video
Click on above photo to open video 🎥 on YouTube

Low Carb Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cocktail

A Low Carb Keto – ish Cocktail that is totally delish!
I make this in “ Bulk” so I don’t have to mix everything every time.

How To Not Lose A 1st Generation Apple Pencil Charger Sleeve

I love my 1st generation Apple Pencil but the little “Lightning-to-Lightning adapter” sleeve that fits over the lightning charger is insanely small (about 1/2 the size of a postage stamp). This little sleeve allows you to charge the pencil with a regular charging cord – without this sleeve, you must charge your iPad, then plug the pencil into your iPad and use the battery from the iPad to charge the pencil – with the pencil sticking out of the iPad…the only way I would feel safe doing this is if I put the whole thing in the middle of my dining room table because it’s a disaster waiting to happen if anything jostles it – with the pencil charging, it measures 16” long! The paranoid side of me wonders if Apple intentionally designed it this way so that they could sell more of these little sleeves…I mean really, who could ever keep track of something this size?

I use this GearTie “Cordable”. I prefer it to the cords they sell specifically for this purpose because the side loop profile is smaller. I applied velcro to the interior spine of my iPad case (my case looks almost like a book with a 1” spine) and to my pencil – the low profile of the Cordable allows me to attach the pen to the Velcro and close the front cover flat! Yay!!!

*GearTie Cordables are available on Amazon, Home Depot, Lowe’s, etc.

Freezer Pantry…Create A Library of Ingredients In Your Freezer

Sources for supplies:

3”x4” Bags from Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003ZZS4AA/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_i_PcKgEb68323S1

4”x6” Bags from Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003ZZS4HS/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_i_pcKgEbY7N13XC

Freezer Bin from Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003E1OAQC/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_i_ibKgEb7ZK1F8W

No affiliated links or compensation to review these products- I just love them and thought you might too!

Friday’s Gift…..have you heard of Fiverr?

Last weekend our neighbors had a crawfish boil!  Sitting in the driveway under a tent strung with lights, at a folding table spread with newspapers drinking a Hurricane while the kids played tag in the yard….a pretty great way to start off the warm weather months!  While drinking aforementioned Hurricane, I started talking to this great artist and blogger, Laura Bruzzese! She is really funny and really talented too – an awesome combination!

Laura told me about this fantastic site called Fiverr.com — I may be completely out-of-the-loop, but it was the first I had heard of it and since hearing about it last weekend, have probably spent 60 minutes of my life trolling the hilarious videos of people telling me what they will do for me for $5 bucks!

One guy will create a video testimonial for you/your company as the “Plastic Bag Man“, another will produce a video in which your message/logo is revealed inside a banana; and there is even a little kid who will sing Happy Birthday while holding her little dog Manny!

Enjoy your weekend!

By Eleanore Macnish

Friday’s Gift……”Saving Graces”

“Why Ellie Mac – Tart of Life?  Why do you think these things are so “fly”?”

Because they “rock” – that is why!

#1. Bill Atkinson’s Photo Card iPhone App – Ohhhh yes, there are so many photo card apps and I have many of them; but this one is the one I keep going back to time after time! Easy to use, fantastic quality & customer support, 5×7 postcard (laminated front and back) arrives in your mailbox…..love, love, love!  A “saving grace” for me because I tend to document my child’s life on my phone!  I take a picture with my phone, choose it as the front image, type a message on the back (there is plenty of room), add little “stickers” -the heart and basketball in this photo), send it to myself and sometimes others – Done! Yay!!

You buy PayPal credits ahead of time, so you never have to enter your credit card info or “log in” – you just choose if you want to email the card (free) or have it sent in the mail. It costs $2 to send the card by mail.  Particularly helpful when on vacation! – you just compose one card and choose as many recipients as you would like from your contact list!

#2.  Stuck On You ID Labels.  Ok, I know at the outset this might seem like a “no big deal” thing………and in that case you would be wrong…….so very very WRONG!  A friend of mine (April Young) turned me on to these about 5 years ago and I love them so much, I even have a set for myself with my email address!

This is why they are so amazing:

  • They are dishwasher & microwave safe.
  • They are vinyl (not paper!)
  • You can put them on the inside of shoes & coats
  • They are so small, kids are not embarrassed of them (the ones in this link are about the width of your pinkie finger nail) – and you can trim them down to just their name to make them even smaller.
  • They come in “cool” colors.
  • Stick them to everything!  Mobile phones, tools, inside of luggage, loop around the zipper of anything, cameras, chargers (think “Girls weekends” when everyone is plugging their charger into any available socket and everyone’s is the same), iPods, iPads, Nintendos, laptops, key fobs, notebooks – a bottle of wine – ha! – anything you do not want to lose – slap one of these babies on it and you’re good to go!
  • Think: Every single freakin’ thing you send your kid to school with – lunch boxes, cups, supplies – anything you want back or don’t want to have to buy again if it is lost – think about that my friend!

This a NOT a sponsored blog post – these are just things I love and thought you would like to know about – that is if you don’t already know about them!

Enjoy your weekend!

By Eleanore Macnish