DIY Life

Sometimes maligned as a forum for pointless chatter, pro Twitter users know it ain't true. Today we link to some Twitter defenders who share their ideas for creative Twittering. Any Twitterer worth his/her tweets should have a few of these unusual uses up the proverbial sleeve!

Get out of jail (yes, really) or otherwise alert friends that you're in danger.
Write a book ... 140 characters at a time.
Employ a digital assistant: an app that reports back whenever you're mentioned by other users.
Talk to your houseplants. – Daily Bits

Use the Commuter Feed app to monitor traffic in your area.
Share your location with contacts using Mologogo.
Track your cigarette usage with Qwuitter, and hopefully motivate yourself to end your unhealthful habit.
Receive public safety alerts. Fire alerts are now available to Los Angeles Twitterers ... and possibly your area soon!
Guilty conscience? Send anonymous confessions. – Odeo

I love everything artist Nikki McClure creates, and her latest pumpkin carving for Sunset Magazine is no exception. She's kindly provided the stencil for those of you who weren't born with Nikki's mad illustrative skills (which is basically everyone, right?). I can't wait to tackle my own Nikki'o'Lantern! Sure beats the usual Martha Stewart pattern...

Here's how to do it!:

1. After downloading, tape the template to a clean, dry, and hollowed-out pumpkin.

2. Using a pushpin, prick closely spaced holes along the outline of the design, making them deep enough to be seen when you remove the template.

3. Remove the template. Following the pinpricks and taking care not to cut all the way through, use a small carving chisel or linoleum cutter to outline the design. With a larger linoleum cutter, remove the rind within the outlines and scrape out some pumpkin flesh (the deeper you go, the more light will shine through). Add texture and dimension by varying the direction and depth of your carving.

4. Light your pumpkin. A votive candle is traditional, but for more illumination, use a battery-powered or outdoor-rated electric light; carve out a hole for the cord if necessary.

That's it --- happy carving, and thanks, Nikki!

I've had a sore throat all week, so I set out to do a bit of research on some home remedies that may fit the bill. Luckily, I stumbled on this article from HowStuffWorks, as I consider it the wellness jackpot. There are many ways listed to combat a sore throat, but here are ten of my favorite:

1. Keep Your Nasal Passages Clear
According to HowStuffWorks, two of the most common causes of sore-throat pain are postnasal drip and a dry throat that results from sleeping with your mouth open when your nasal passages are blocked. Stop the flow with an over-the-counter decongestant and you'll wake up feeling ten times better.

2. Take it Easy
If your sore throat doesn't require the medical attention of a doctor, rest will help get you back on the road to recovery.

3. Gargle
I can't stomach gargling with salt water, so rasberry tea is a great alternative. (HowStuffWorks offers a great recipe for rasberry tea: to make, pour 1 cup boiling water over 2 teaspoons dried leaves. Steep for 10 minutes, then strain. Allow to cool.) If you have a fever as well, the gargle can be used as a fever-reducing drink, too. Bonus!

4. Drink Citrus
Mix 1 tablespoon each of honey and lemon juice in 1 cup of warm water and sip throughout the day.

5. Take an Analgesic
Plain old aspirin, acetaminophen or ibuprofen is a wonderful (and surprising!) remedy for a sore throat. Be sure to take with a full glass of water to avoid a sore throat and stomach ache.

6. Eat a Popsicle or Juice Bar
Not only is a popsicle soothing on the throat, but it will provide the fluid necessary to get you back on your feet.

7. Enjoy Hot Drinks
Coating the tissue in your throat with warm or hot liquids provide a benefit similar to applying hot packs to infected skin.

8. Consume Hard Candy
Some doctors admit that sugar can help soothe a sore throat and the ticklish cough that may come with it. If nothing else, sucking on hard candy will help keep your throat moist, which will make you feel more comfortable.

Darling origami gift bags for Halloween treats. A new vlog teaches you how to fold like a pro! – Infarrantly Creative

"The Hostess" shares entertaining ideas for the leafy months of October and November. Inspiration for fabulous fall parties is now at your fingertips. – Hostess with the Mostess

And for your next get-together, here's a recipe to bookmark: delectable (yet easy) cream cheese Danishes. Yum. – Niesz Vintage Fabric

Tis the season to be jolly... and cook like a maniac. I find myself spending more and more kitchen as the weather drops a few more degrees, and although I don't necessarily enjoy cooking, I do love the smell of homemade dinner on the oven! What I don't love is the amount of finger burns I've accumulated from my hot cookie sheets, scalding tea kettles and fireside marshmallows. No worries; in my adventures, I've learned a secret tip to keeping those digits pain-free after a burn! Hint: It's in your pantry!

Curious? I'll give you another hint: You put it on a hot dog and it rhymes with custard. Yep --- mustard! But not just any mustard will do the trick; you want to rub spicy mustard on the burn directly. Works like a charm, and I have a funny feeling it heals the wound just as fast as the leading drugstore brand.

First aid from the condiment aisle? Sure!

Want to know what my biggest pet peeve is? OK, it may not be my biggest, b/c I have quite a few, but this one's high on my list. Ready? I hate nothing more than unpacking my seasonal items, only to find that they've been broken, or were, in fact, broken upon storing them.

Naturally, I'm beginning to store my gardening tools in preparation for a chilly winter season, and I'm making sure everything is in tact for next spring. After all, there's nothing worse than dragging out your garden hose, only to realize you failed to repair it last fall. First on my repair list? The sprinkler head:



One important thing to keep in mind when tackling a sprinkler head repair:
When using a hand trowel or old serrated knife to cut through the lawn or dirt surrounding the sprinkler head, be careful not to cut into the water line, which could make this project much more costly in the long run!

That's it --- get to work! Good luck, and thank you, Eric!

Fall is all about the delicious smells and colors of crispy autumn leaves. So bring more of the fall indoors this year! Coming up is a slideshow of clever ways to craft with leaves. They range from super-simple to slightly more involved, but none of these crafts are terribly time-consuming and most of them are budget-friendly. The leaves, obviously, are totally free!

If you snag a little precious you-time this weekend, why not celebrate the season by trying one or two of these crafts? Happy leaf hunting!

Lumberjack luxe is all the rage in the fashion world these days, and although I haven't yet skipped on board, I do see the appeal. After all, who wouldn't want to be swathed in flannel all winter long? Luckily, CraftyStylish has a new way to make a formerly plaid and pathetic frock work for you -- by turning it into a chic little vest number!

Ready for the 11-step tutorial?

1. Take off the pockets.
With a seam ripper, carefully remove the pockets and pocket flaps. If the shirt has manufacturer registration markings from under the pocket, remove them.
2. Remove the arms.
Use scissors to cut off the sleeves, leaving the seam behind. The seam will prevent the vest from fraying too much after washing.
3. Cut off the top.
Remove the top of the shirt, just below the back yoke. Use the lines in the plaid to help you cut a straight line across the back and front.
4. Measure and mark the tucks with chalk.
For each side of the shirt, determine how many tucks will take in the correct amount of fabric. A 1⁄4-inch tuck takes in 1⁄2 inch of fabric.
5. Sew the tucks.
For each tuck, fold the fabric along the chalk line so the wrong sides are together. Sew 1⁄4 inch away from the fold to make the tuck. Backstitch at the beginning and end of each tuck.
6. Sew the shoulder seams.
Turn the vest inside-out, and pin the shoulder seams (right sides together). Then try it on, and reposition the pins to adjust the fit. The length of your shoulder seam determines the size of the collar. With right sides together, sew a 1⁄2-inch seam allowance; make sure that all of the pin tucks point toward the center of the vest.
7. Finish the neck.
Sew a 1⁄2-inch seam allowance around the edge of the neckline. This will prevent it from fraying too much after washing.
8. Secure the collar.
Remove two buttons from the leftover sleeves or the top of the shirt. Fold the collars down at the neckline to determine where to place the buttons that will secure them. Hand-sew the buttons.
9. Cut out the pockets.
From each sleeve piece, cut out one 6 1⁄2-inch by 6-inch rectangle on the bias.
10. Fold the pocket edges.
Turn down the top edge of each pocket 1 inch, and press. Turn under the sides and bottom edge of the pocket 1⁄2 inch, and press.
11. Sew the pockets in place.
Pin the pockets on the vest front, making sure that the edges of the pockets are aligned with the plaid on the vest. Sew 1⁄4 inch from the edges along the sides and bottom of each pocket.

DONE! Now that's what I call lumberjack chic!