Vera Bradley Tablet Case Hack

I just love the style of Vera Bradly!

But I don't love the price too much.

I mean this same, well similar case cost $30. 

I mean wow, your paying for her name.

Well, I made a similar case for guess what, 
$0.

Oh ya, baby!

Ok, lets get started.

A Big THANK YOU, to my Grandma for giving me two big boxes of Vintage Scrap Material.

I am loving it all, and have decided to use this piece for my case!

And in that box, some thinner batting material.

I made my case for a 7 inch tablet. 

I cut both pieces 12 1/2 inches x 10 inches.

First start out doing diagonal lines.

I used the footer as my guide to space the lines.

This is what your piece will look like when you have completed the one set of diagonal lines.

Now turn your work the other way around, and make diagonal lines going the opposite way.

That will make your X pattern.

For the inside, I chose a similar color and made it the same size.

I drew a line down the middle so I would know where the fold goes.

I cut a piece to go inside the to hold the tablet, and ironed the edges.

On one side of the width I sewed it where the opening goes.

and then pinned it to the pink fabric and sew all the way around except for the opening.

Now its time to sew the front and inside together.

Match up the pattern side to the front side of your inside fabric (right sides together).

Sew 1/4 inch all the way around except for the last 6 inches.

Cut your corners so they lay right when you flip it.

Flip it right side out and then fold and pin the two fabrics together and sew.

And there you go, 

now you have your very own case! 

Thanks for tuning in!

Until Next Time...

Worthwhile Wednesdays #62

Welcome, Welcome all to the 62nd
Worthwhile Wednesdays Link Party!

Thank you so much for partying with me!

Chicken Fried Steak

Yes, guilty as charged! 

Little Ms. Crafty Allie, hasn't been so crafty lately.

Actually I have been crafty with tons of knitting orders, but sadly have't been able to do other crafts and post them.

But I am working a little something, and will hopefully be able to finish it up and post that by Thursday. Cross your fingers for me.

Anyway, I do always cook, and today I thought, hmm I know I haven't posted my chicken-fried steak recipe.

Why not let you all in on my yummy secret!

It's really quite simple...

Yep, those are the ingredients, plus your chuck steak.

First , add your vegetable oil to your pan about 1/3 full, and set at 7 (between medium and high).

Then, whisk 3 eggs until scrambled.

In another bowl add 1 1/2 cups of bisquick and 1 cup of Italian Style Bread Crumbs, and some a dash of salt.

Mix together with your hands, or a fork or spoon if you wish.

Then add your heavily tenderized chuck steak to the eggs, and then dip into the batter mix.

Get your hands down in it and make sure that batter is all over your steak.

You can also do this in a paper sack however, I don't ever seem to get a good enough coverage.

Cook about two at a time, and keep a close eye on them so they don't burn. Flip on other side after about 4 minutes. It should only take about 7-8 minutes to cook two at time.

Make some yummy white peppered gravy and add it to the top if you so desire.

And Enjoy!

Thanks so much for tuning in!

Until Next Time...

Worthwhile Wednesdays #61

Welcome, Welcome all to the 61st
Worthwhile Wednesdays Link Party!

Thank you so much for partying with me!

Chicken Fajita Quesadillas

I love making meals with left over chicken. In fact when I make chicken breasts, I always buy and make  extras just so I can make another fabulous dish.

One of my favorites is chicken quesadillas. I've posted another quesadilla recipe before, but recently I make them even better!

With yummy bell peppers, and onions!

I like to buy my flour tortillas fresh from a Mexican market we have near by. For the same price or sometimes cheaper, they taste so much better as they are baked that same day. They also don't have all the preservatives that the brand names have.

Chop your bell peppers and onions 

and add a little olive oil.

Sautee until golden brown.

Chop your cooked chicken and add your cheese, chicken, peppers and onions to your tortillas,

 Throw it in the pan with a little bit of olive oil, and throw a tortilla on top.

Flip 

and Enjoy!

Some fresh pico de gallo and guacamole 

makes it taste

even more heavenly!

Thanks so much for tuning in!

Until Next time...

Redecorate Your Porch with a DIY Rug

Good Morning All! 

I hope you're having a wonderful Monday!

Today I am so honored to have 

Merri from

MEC Design Studio

Take it away Merri!

Who doesn't like to relax on the back porch at the end of a long work week, or entertain family and friends on a Sunday afternoon? Our back porches are an extension of our homes. When the weather is warm, my family spends as much time on our porch as we can.

The furniture of choice for an outdoor room is made of traditional wicker and rattan or all-weather resin wicker. Most furniture is available in neutral tones, with cushions in a variety of patterns and colors.

Another way to add color and personality to your porch is to incorporate an area rug. If you can't find one that matches your décor perfectly, make your own.

We repainted our exterior doors in a bright raspberry. So, I decided to use the same color in an area rug for my back porch. In interior design, repeating an accent color in several areas pulls the whole room together.

I painted a 24 x 36 in. sample rug. It's perfect for the back door, and I love how it turned out, so I'll probably make a much bigger one.

Choose an indoor-outdoor rug-one with a dense loop pile is easier to paint.

 

I decided on a chevron pattern. It's a graphic, zig-zag design that's relatively easy to reproduce. It's been around for centuries and has been an important design trend in the past several years.

To make your pattern, you will also need:

• Cardboard
• A 90° triangle
• X-Acto knife or craft knife
• Cutting board

You will also need:

• Duct tape
• 3 in. paint roller
• Flat head stencil brush
• Paint

There's no math involved in this method! I decided on an 8 in. chevron pattern because I had an 8 in. triangle. Trace the shape of the triangle on the cardboard and repeat until you get a pattern the same width as the rug.

Since duct tape is 1-7/8 in. wide, I cut out a 1-7/8 in pattern.

Mark the center of the rug with tape. Line up the original chevron pattern with the end of the rug. Use large paper clips to hold it in place.

Stick the duct tape to the rug along the edge of the 1 7/8 in. pattern. Repeat until the entire rug is covered. You will end up with an alternating duct tape, rug, duct tape, rug, etc. pattern.

Pour some paint on a tray. Roll paint on the brush, but don't saturate it. It's better to apply several coats to get a nice crisp edge than to try to do it too fast and make a mess. Roll from the tape toward the rug (not toward the tape). This will help avoid seepage under the tape.

I "rolled" two coats on my rug, and then finished with a flathead stencil brush to get the paint deep between the loops. Hold the stencil brush perpendicular to the rug and tap up and down. The number of coats of paint will depend on the fiber, texture and nap of the rug.

Once the paint is completely dry, remove the tape. You should end up with perfect, straight lines. Not only will it add color to your porch, but you can proudly say you did it yourself!

Merri Cvetan writes on home décor and design, for both inside and outside the house, for The Home Depot. An outdoor rug stenciling proj
ect like Merri's will be particularly inviting for DIY crafters as the warm weather finally begins to show up after winter's cold.


To view outdoor rugs available for your stenciling project, you can visit Home Depot's Home Decorators outdoor rug selection.

Thank You So much Merri for coming on today, and I love the rug, so doing this now!

And thank you all for tuning in!

Until Next Time...

Our Favorite Things Pinterest Party

Let's meet the hosts first:

• Gina from Gina's Craft Corner
• Katie from View from the Fridge
• Carissa from Carissa Miss
• Stella from Purfylle to Embellish
• Allie from Crafty Allie
• Denise from Denise Designed
• Evelyn from My Turn for Us
• Robin from Redo It Yourself Inspirations
• Kim, Cassie,Amber and Jessica from Lou Lou Girls

Thank you to all of you who partied with us last month. It was such a great party with so many great pins that it was hard to choose our favorites. But let's see who each of the hosts chose to feature.