recommendation: hunger games inspiration

hunger games obsessed. I resisted this Trilogyfor so long. I just didn't get it. The idea behind the book didn't appeal to me, and I think they were presented too close after I was reading the Twilight series. I soon found Girl with a Dragon Tattoo and was easily captured by that. Well recently my mom insisted I give in to this series and oh my goodness! I flew through these books - I had to consciously put down the book so I could space them out so that when I finished the second book, it lined up with a trip down south to visit my brother in-law and his wife because she had the third book for me to borrow. and god forbid more than a day pass between the two books. ha!

well i am beyond excited about the movie which I plan on seeing next week. i know a lot of people will be fleeing to the theater this weekend to catch this book adaptation, so if you want to go a little crazy and get in Panem character - here are some inspirations:

Hunger Games Nail Art #1

Hunger Games Nail Art #2 by Nailasaurus (awesome site!!!)

Cupcakes on Fire

a full menu by She Suggests if you are hosting a party before or after the movie! everything is themed! I LOVE it!!

Hunger Names!
Click it, it gives you a silly name, which District you were from, and how you died in the Hunger Games (you don't think you win, do you?)

How to do the Katniss Braid

Mockingjay Pin!
Two versions: CHEAP and NICE, both look the same to me.

Last but not least, my brother-in-law's wife's sister-in-law (no there was no easier way to say that) wrote a book, "The Hunger Games and the Gospel: Bread, Circuses, and the Kingdom of God ", I haven't read it yet but check it out if you are interested!

Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor.

recommendation: tips to stay safe and burglar-free

there have been 82 break in's in Ann Arbor since the beginning of the year. that is just insane and kind of scary! i remember getting this email forward a while back from my hubby's aunt and kept it b/c it made me think a little. the articles in the paper say that's the best way to catch or stop these break-ins, is to just think and report. helping neighbors, being aware and reporting anything unusual. of course some of these are silly, some are no-brainers and some are being a little too cautious. I'm not one for forwards but a few made me think a little and become more aware so I figured, why not share?

TWELVE THINGS YOUR BURGLAR WON'T TELL YOU:

1. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier. Always make sure all doors and windows are closed and locked before going to bed or leaving the house.

2. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste... and taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.

3. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it.

4. If it snows while you're out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.

5. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don't let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it's set. That makes it too easy.

6. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom - and your jewelry. It's not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.

7. It's raining, you're fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door - understandable. But understand this: I don't take a day off because of bad weather.

8. I always knock first. If you answer, I'll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters.

9. Do you really think I won't look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.

10. Here's a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids' rooms.

11. You're right: I won't have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it's not bolted down, I'll take it with me.

12. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you're reluctant to leave your TV on while you're out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television.

SEVEN MORE HELPFUL TIPS FROM A BURGLAR:

1. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.

2. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.

3. I'll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he'll stop what he's doing and wait to hear it again... If he doesn't hear it again, he'll just go back to what he was doing. It's human nature.

4. I'm not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?

5. I love looking in your windows. I'm looking for signs that you're home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I'd like. I'll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets.

6. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It's easier than you think to look up your address.

7. If you don't answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.

Sources: Convicted burglars in North Carolina, Oregon, California, and Kentucky ; security consultant Chris McGoey, who runshttp://www.crimedoctor.com/and Richard T. Wright, a criminology professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, who interviewed 105 burglars for his book Burglars on the Job

recommendation: repurpose your leftover dinner for breakfast

i'm going to give you two words. they are going to seem weird together, but they fit, believe me. pizza eggs.

the idea is to repurpose your leftover food. you order your favorite pizza for dinner - indulgence, regular meal, delivery, homemade, frozen, whatever, but you have already made pizza in the house. the next day, instead of eating a cold slice for breakfast (although delicious), you scrape off the toppings (yes, i'm talking cheese, sauce and meat/veggies, all of the goods) into a pan of already cooked scrambled eggs. i know this sounds crazy and maybe a little gross but think about it... you eat cheese in eggs, and the veggies so the only thing that really seems weird here is marinara and maybe some toppings (pepperoni?). but is it that weird? we put ketchup and salsa on eggs... why not marinara?

this recipe was found when I was on the bike at the gym reading an article in SELF magazine about actress Kristen Bell. She says,

"So in the morning, I have an apple and, if we have leftover pizza, I scrape the toppings into egg whites. Pizza eggs are better than you can imagine!"

a few days later my husband made the most amazing pizza for dinner (chicken sausage, pineapple, sauteed onions, pizza sauce, mozz) and the next morning we scraped it all into eggs. delish!

think about it - you are actually saving yourself calories because you know that even if you ate a cold slice you'd still proceed to eat a normal breakfast. no one eats pizza for breakfast. you always sneak a "bite" while preparing your real breakfast. so save a step, skip the crust (and calories) and just dump it all in your eggs already.

P.S. we found that its easier to scrape the toppings off if you pop a slice in the microwave for a few seconds, otherwise, its too cold to scrape off.

P.P.S. I feel like I have to prove myself here. I am not crazy - google leftover pizza eggs! some people get really fancy but we literally did this: make scramble eggs the way you normally do. nuke your fav pizza. scrape toppings in, stir till heated. eat and enjoy.

recommendation: make your own kitchen art

here's another 'actually do the things you pin' post, enjoy!

inspiration: i found this idea on pinterest, from the blog Spunky Junky.

steps: i love their version better because 1. the detailed frame is awesome 2. i love the groupings of forks, spoons, and knives. But I had really limited wall space for this piece, and on the other side of the doorway is my wall of kitchen art, so I didn't want to get too busy. I chose to do one spoon, fork, and knife.

I also wanted to keep this project on a budget, in case it didn't work. I didn't want to purchase nice silverware and frames - pinterest projects tend to be hit or miss. I found the frame and silverware (sold in packs of 2) at the dollar store, so I spent $4 there. Instead of buying fabric for the background, I just trimmed a piece of scrapbook paper. I did buy the grey matte spray paint, I believe it was $3, used to spray the frame and silverware.

I liked how the frame and silverware matched in the inspiration picture - it unites the project (otherwise wouldn't it just look like you framed silverware, instead of artwork?). But my walls are white so that wouldn't work, and metallic silver to match the other frames in my wall art project seemed kind of tacky - I don't want the silverware looking plastic/fake. The matte grey worked well! I love the pop the blue paper gives it (actually, a blue frame & silverware might have been cute with grey paper!).

After everything was dry, I just hot glued it to the paper (so you are not using the glass of the frame here) and put it up on the wall. Make sure before you glue the silverware that you lay them down to see where they touch the paper before you put glue on them - because of the dips and curves, not all parts touch the paper and you don't want glue dripping from them.

final product: I'm super pleased with how it turned out. I needed just a little something to hang up there and it feels nice to know it was self made and inexpensive!