{The Secret is out}

Hey Everyone! I hope you all had a WONDERFUL Christmas! I have so many photos to edit and put up on the blog, I will do that very soon, but for now, I wanted to FINALLY list my secret blog over here so if you never got to see it, or just wanted to bookmark it for future use then you are more than welcome!

I sent out over 100 invitations to you wonderful blog readers for the secret blog, and have decided to LEAVE IT UP so that you can come to it year round!

So here it is! http://nikkisthriftyunderfifty.blogspot.com

Even better, whenever other occasions come up, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. and I make gifts, I will be sharing them over there as well! I am hoping this will be something really fun to keep up and help me be more inspired to create instead of buy, buy, buy!

Thank you all so much for supporting me and all of the other "Thrifty 50"!

{mmmm.....popalicious!}

As you all know, I was challenged this year to make all my gifts for under $50.00! Well, the challenge ended before I could add this on, but I thought I would share it over here so everyone could get the recipes to make for Christmas! :)

I did this as teacher gifts, boxed them up in fun little tubs from the dollar store, simple, and cheap! But most important, DELISH!!!


First up is Macadamia Butter-Crunch Popcorn. This one is a BIG hit in my house! :)

Here is what you need:
25 cups (from about 1 cup kernels) popped popcorn
4 cups raw whole macadamia nuts, toasted (about 1 pound)
1 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
5 tablespoons light corn syrup
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda

here is how to make it:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Put popcorn in a large bowl. Add the nuts; set aside. Put sugar, corn syrup, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture comes to a gentle simmer, about 4 minutes. Stop stirring; continue cooking until mixture lightens in color, 5 minutes more. Remove from heat; stir in baking soda.

Pour sugar mixture over popcorn and nuts; toss to coat. Transfer to rimmed baking sheets; bake, stirring every 20 minutes, until almost dry, about 1 hour. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.

Next is Chocolate-Almond Popcorn! Its soooo good!
You will need:
25 cups popped popcorn (from about 1 cup kernels)
3 cups unsalted whole skin-on almonds, toasted (about 1 pound)
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons coarse salt

and you make it like this:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Put popcorn in a large bowl. Add the nuts; set aside. Put sugar, corn syrup, butter, cocoa, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture comes to a gentle simmer, about 5 minutes.

Pour sugar mixture over popcorn and nuts; toss to coat. Transfer to rimmed baking sheets; bake, stirring every 20 minutes, until almost dry, about 1 hour. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.

If you make them together at the same time, you can be done in about an hour and a half. I blogged in between stirring times! :)
I hope you like these! If you want even more holiday recipes, visit http://www.marthastewart.com/

It's a sad end...

No, I'm not going to stop blogging! Its just the end of the Thrifty for under Fifty Challenge tonight! I have had the most amazing time crafting my Christmas gifts this year. I hope I am giving some gifts that will really mean something to my family! :) Plus, I made all of my presents for a GRAND TOTAL OF:

Drum Roll Please.....

$25.34!!!

I have posted all of my gifts onto my secret blog. If you don't yet have the address, let me know by leaving a comment on this post with your EMAIL ADDRESS so I can send it to you!

Also, don't forget to check out the YCMT blog for updates. I am on TEAM KRIS!! We have really been knocking out these gifts! Some amazing girls on there!!!!

I just want to say thank you to Kim, Kris, and the entire staff over at YCMT for letting me participate in this opportunity. I had a blast!!

{Im sharing my secret...}

Hey Everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and a Fun Black Friday seeking out amazing deals! Yes, I was one of those crazies! I was up at 4:00 to be at Walmart when they opened at 5:00am!! I went and got everything I had planned on buying. Tomorrow I will be doing my "craft" shopping for my Thrifty under Fifty challenge!

Speaking of Thrifty under Fifty. I have had so many of you wanting to see my "Secret Blog" so guess what....I'm going to let you!!!!
Just leave me a comment on this post, PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS so I can send you the link and you can all keep up with my projects, get inspired, and make some of your own. Plus, I might even feature YOUR projects!!
Just don't send the link to my mom or my sister!! :)

**Photo found here: http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/ah_organizing_storage/article/0,1801,HGTV_3142_5741723_01,00.html isn't that an AWESOME room?!?! WOW! I would love to craft there!

{A Christmas Project}

Have you ever seen something in a catalog and wanted it so bad, but you just couldn't justify the cost?
Well, I saw this in my Ballard Catalog a few weeks ago, and thought just that. I mean, $49????? I don't think so!

So what's a girl to do? Make her own of course!
And that's just what I did...and I'm going to take you along the journey with me so you can make your own too! :)

Step 1: Create your template.
Ok, so I used the same silhouette from their website by searching through istock. Its actually in sections so you will have to look for all three sections! I actually lost the links, otherwise I would share them! :(
Once you have your template, print it out in sections and trace around it onto a piece of white poster board.
**TIP: trace it backwards on the WRONG side of the paper. This way, you can cut it out on the back and not see your cut lines or any pencil lines that you miss.


Step 2: Cut out your pattern
Now you will want to cut out your design with an xacto knife.


Step 3: Make your Frame
Now you want to make your frame. I bought these frame pieces at Hobby Lobby on the isle with the canvas. They are SUPER cheap!
Then I painted them with black craft paint and allow to dry.


Step 4: Cutting the Background
Once your frame is dry, you will want to trace it's size onto a red piece of poster board. This one I am using is like a textured paper, not shiny like regular poster board.
Once you have measured the frame, then cut along that line.


Step 5: Connect the Dots...Glue Dots that is!
I LOVE these! I used glue dots on the back of the silhouette (remember, you cut it out backwards, so make sure you are putting the glue on the correct side for it to be able to flip over and be right!)



Step 6: Stick it to 'um
Once you have all the glue dots on the back, you want to line up the bottom and stick down the silhouette onto the red paper.


Step 7: Prepare the frame
Now you want to put the glue dots all along the back of the frame.


Step 8: Last step
Now you want to stick the entire background onto the frame, making sure to line up the sides and top and bottom. Once the glue sticks, you cant move it around, so try to be as accurate as possible!


Now flip it over and find somewhere awesome to put it for your holiday!




Here is the cost breakdown for you!
(I got EVERYTHING at Hobby Lobby)
White poster board: $0.49
Red poster board: $1.89
Glue Dots: $3.99 (plus 40% off coupon)= $2.39
Frame: 2 long pieces $1.69 ea.
2 short pieces $0.69 each
Total: $9.53

Ballard Design Inspiration:
$49.00 plus shipping= $60.95!!!!


Wow, that's a savings of $51.42!!
Now get to crafting!!!

{I am so thrifty...I got this one in the bag!}

One of my favorite websites, youcanmakethis.com is hosting a really awesome opportunity. They had a contest of sorts to see who could be Thrifty under 50. That is, they chose 50 people to make the vast majority of their Christmas presents for under $50.00 TOTAL in about a months time.

So I thought to myself when I saw the opportunity..."I think I could do that!" So I applied. And guess what? I GOT CHOSEN!!

So now I am part of this ultra secret society of 50 awesome women and we are all currently working on awesome projects for our friends and family. I am having the best time and really getting some great ideas! We have all also started SECRET BLOGS that no one can see so that we can show each other our progress...but not the people receiving the gifts!

I just wanted to say thank you to all the girls over at YCMT that put this together. I am having the best time!
I cant wait to show you all what I made...since I cant show you here. My sister and my mom read my blog and I am doing some projects for both of them! :)

YAY TEAM KRIS!! We are totally going to win!