Big wine drinker? Why not get crafty and re-use that bottle!

When pinterest first came out I have to admit I was OBSESSED with the website and found myself browsing it for hours. This current day I wouldn't call myself obsessed so to say, however when I think of an idea or need an idea for lets say a party, gardening or some house decor, I do turn to pinterest.  

Harry and I are having a get together this Friday to celebrate Flag Day. We are big into having a get together with family & friends whenever we have the chance to do so. Throughout the calendar year there are some crazy, bizarre national holidays for E V E R Y T H I N G and it just so happens to be that this Friday is Flag Day! If you are familiar with how a toga party operates, this is pretty much the same concept except you're wearing a flag instead. We are having everyone pick a country and they are to dress in that country's flag. {toga party= sheets, flag party=flags} Along with dressing in the country's flag everyone is to bring a signature dish or drink from that country.  

Wine Drinkers It's Time To Get Crafty!

...I love wine and always wanted to keep the bottles to do something with, but could never figure out what on earth to do with them. That is until I saw an interesting idea on pinterest! So I saved up a few wine bottles and am turning them into tiki torches! My goal is to eventually hang them along my fence posts, but for the time being they will be sitting on tables since the piece I am looking for (in order for them to hang) apparently is not in any hardware stores that I go to.... weird.

{It's super easy to make! }

What you need

1. empty bottle    Depends on your taste in wine :)
2. nylon plumbing tape 1/2"    $1.49
3. Top plate connector (3/8"-16 thread rod)   ??
4. 1" split Ring hanger (threaded 3/8"-16)   ?? <--- having difficulty finding
5.  1/2"x 3/8" copper coupling  $1.29
6. 1/2" copper cap  $0.69
7. Two hex nuts (3/8"-16 thread rod) $0.12/ nut
8. Two #10x1" zinc plated wood screws  $0.14/ screw
9. 3/8"-16 plated thread rod  $1.99 (I bought 3/8-16x1)
10. Tiki replacement wicks/Torch fuel  wicks- $1.99 (give or take)
                                                        Torch Fuel ~$5.00- $10.00 roughly

All I used to make my table torches:
I used numbers:  1, 2, 5, 10

Assembling:
* grab the coupling piece and the teflon tape
* wrap the tape around the larger rounded portion of the coupling piece a few times until it fits snug into the opening of the bottle, you don't want it to fall in
* fill up the bottle with torch fuel  (I used the OFF! torch fuel since the bugs around here are terrible)
* take the wick and stick it through the coupling from the underneath
* give the wick a few minutes or to soak up the fuel before lighting. 
* the copper cap is used to keep the wick dry, so when your done using your wine torch just place the cap on top of the wick

My final 'table' wine bottle torch:

Final product

Close up look at the top of the bottle

What I want final product to be:

Like I said previously, I am having one heck of a time trying to find the split ring hanger, but this is what I would like my final product to eventually look like.









If you want more information there are plenty of website online you can go to. 
I used the website: http://www.gerardotandco.com/blog/recycled-bottle-torch/


They say you can buy a kit to make it, but I'm sure it is much more cost effective to drink the wine, save the bottle, buy the products and do it yourself. But hey whatever floats your boat!

What a rainy day..

After having a few days off from work and spending it on the opposite side of the country, trying to get back into the swing of things again is a little rough.  Having more than 2 days off from work I literally thought about being unemployed.  However that thought quickly got thrown out the window, no one now a days can even live comfortably being jobless until they are about 95 years old at the rate our generation is going.

My first day back to work mother nature had some rain in store for us, okay fine a little rain won't hurt anyone and personally I don't mind the rain. But no it wasn't a little rain today, it was a torrential down pour A.K.A. advisory flash flood warnings kinda rain in our area. This is one of the down sides to working outside. The pets still need to go out to go to the bathroom, so there is no bailing out of this one. 

I do own an umbrella, however, my umbrella didn't feel like working at convenient times and when it decided it wanted to work I would be walking two dogs at once. Walking two dogs at once is already enough to handle, trying to add a third piece to the mix, like an umbrella, is a little difficult. I either need to grow a third arm when I need it or do what I always do and just suck it up and wear a soaked sweatshirt instead. 

So not only is it a rainy day physically, but mentally as well for me. Today I found out that my sunflowers that were growing SOO well are no longer sunflowers....they are now dud-flowers. Some dang rabbit or deer decided to eat the leaves right off the top of it, in which Harry has just informed me that once those leaves are gone, my flowers are doomed... {not happy about this right now} I don't know if its easier for me to start the sunflowers in a pot and then transfer them into the ground or just start them in the ground again and get a fence put up around them. 

Either way I will not be having any sunflowers coming up soon. I was really hoping these would work out since I can't stand looking at my neighbors ugly side door on his house 

* ANGRY!*

The Rough Travel Home, Dog Approved Treats and A Birdies New Home

After a long day of flying back from San Diego yesterday it didn't all go as smoothly as we expected:

1.  We were on 2 planes 
2. Had my boarding ticket in my hand, which come to find out I was holding the wrong one, I couldn't find the right one, and they had to print me out a new one (as I hold up the line....)
3. Upon boarding the 2nd plane I some how managed to drop my license having it fall through the crack between the plane itself and the attachable jetway (I had to get the co-pilot to get it for me...)
4. We got back home at 2 A.M. this morning 
5. And our luggage was lost somewhere during our lay over in Houston, Texas...     

...currently still awaiting the arrival of our suitcase, thankfully it wasn't lost while we were in San Diego. Poor Harry only got about 4 hours of sleep this morning before he had to get up for work.

My plans for today were slightly ruined since most of the day consisted of dirty vacation-trip laundry, folding and putting it away. Not entirely that upset though. Instead I have decided to make homemade doggie treats!!

I started out with a very simple recipe just to make sure my dogs approved of the flavor:

2 Cups Wheat Flour  ~ I used all purpose flour- I didn't have wheat in the house 1 Cup Oats
1/3 Cup Peanut Butter  ~ I used more like 1/4 cup- maybe even a little more
1 1/4 Cup Hot Water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the flour and oats. 

Slowly begin adding the Peanut butter and the Water. 

Once kneaded and blended together into a ball of dough, put onto a flat surface and roll it out.   

<< Can be done by hand or Kitchen Aid mixer, which is faster>>

I used cookie cutters just to make it more fun, but you can also just put it all onto a baking sheet, bake it and then break it up when its all done cooking.

Bake for about 30 minutes.

 Not only do my pups approve of their new treats, but I recently found a birds nest in a tin container in our garage. I originally thought I had scared her away a few days ago when I opened the door. Since each time I walked into the garage it look as though she had not come back. But sure enough, I looked today and noticed 4 small eggs!! 

Mama bird has approved of laying her eggs in our garage and has made a damn good nest too! (3 pink and 1 blue egg) I'm pretty excited for little birdie babies  :)

Flying over the states

Restless and uncomfortable is how I am currently feeling at the moment.  Harry is zoning in and out of sleep next to me while the in- laws 2 rows ahead of us are being loud and having a good time. I have already played candy crush a few times, but currently have no more lives left and have to wait another 20 mins... and when you're in a plane that certainly feels like an eternity. 

So while waiting for more lives to appear I have played a few games on my ipod, which I found out i'm terrible at, finished 2 sudoku puzzles and a cross word puzzle with Harry (..which I cheated on some of the answers)

Sitting in the aisle seat is always very convenient, you don't have to pester anyone to get by. On the other hand, since I have nothing else to do I wish I could at least be looking out the window... [but random guy in the window seat decided to close the shade.. jerk..]

So far its been about 3-3.5 hrs.. maybe? I honestly can't even tell you since now there is a time change half way across the states heading to San Diego, CA!.... well more like Phoenix for a lay-over.. Booo

Anyways, our final destination will be in San Diego where we will be spending the next few days. We haven't just decided to take a mini vacation to California randomly {which would be awesome if we could just do that} we have a wedding to attend!!  Such a happy time and its going to be so pretty and a great time!  While we are there I've been told by a few people to visit Gaslamp, which apparently is an awesome place {ill let you know how it is}

*sigh*....just got wind that we still have another hour to go in THIS plane... joy

 Oh hey now! I just got a complimentary bloody mary- sweet!! 

This is how Harry slept for a while haha I couldn't resit it was cute

Oh yeah lets get this plane party started...