Crop it!

This picture certainly turned out rather small. I am addicted to cropping all my pictures. To crop or not to crop? For me that is not even a question. Crop it, I say!

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P.S. This morning I was a bit shocked when I saw this post. I made it earlier this month, and I just scheduled it for August 31, in case I did not have anything to blog about. At the time August 31 seemed so far away. I totally forgot about it and really did not plan to use it at all. So now, I can use my today's post for tomorrow!

I love this magazine!

I love this magazine! It is full of great crafting ideas. I may not be able to duplicate the green craft that people have submitted , but I can make my own version of it. The magazine makes you take a look at the items that we use everyday and then toss in the garbage or the recycle bin. In the 90's it was trash to treasures. Now, it's green crafting!

I am working on a little redo of a cereal box! This is my favorite cereal at the moment. I eat it right out of the box, no milk needed. It is great on it's own, or I add it to yogurt or oatmeal.

Back to the box, I cut a little off the top and painted the rest a very boring tan. I wasn't quite happy with the boring color, so I dry brushed a little white paint on top of it. It gave the box a little texture. Now, I am not finished with this. I want you all to come back and see the finished green craft!


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More Smores !

I love smores, the original campfire smores can not be beat! But in a pinch these will do!

I found a recipe online but it called for graham crackers and I had used them in another recipe and I was not happy with the results. The crackers do not do that well in the summer heat, they get soft very fast. I did remember that my kids loved Golden Grahams when they were younger, so I replaced the crackers with cereal.

The plate is covered with plastic wrap. I usually use wax paper, I did not have any, but the plastic wrap worked just fine. I melted the chocolate pieces in a small bowl for 30 seconds intervals. I find that if you go over that time the chocolate over cooks. You have to be patient, I am learning to be patient. Then the Golden Grahams went in, followed by the mini marshmallows. If you look closely you can see that I added mini chocolate chips, too. They were not pictured in the ingredient photo. They were a last minute addition.

I then drizzled chocoalte over the top and put then put it in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. Everyone seemed to like them.

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Rainy Day Post

When the cushions are not on the chairs that is a bad sign. I think everyone needs a rainy day now and then. It gives you time to catch up on all those household chores that just do not seem to be getting done. Or if you are efficient and have all your chores done, you could have a lazy day inside watching a movie or two. Well, I am the person who has enough household chores to keep me busy for a few rainy days. That is good because that is the forecast for the next few days, rain!

I like a rainy day now and then. I also like a good thunderstorm . But not when I am alone. I am picky about when bad weather can happen!

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Enjoy!

The sun is shining and the livin' is easy, at least for today!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Owls Keychain

I am up to my elbows in felt! I bought quite a few pieces of the traditional colors, but I want to look for the more subdued shades. If I can not find them locally I hope I can find them online.

While looking for cute felt ideas I found an owl key chain. If I see something and I can not get it out of my mind, I have to make it. So, I stopped the ornaments for a bit and made this cute key chain. Both of my daughters love owls, I see another key chain in my future. I could never make something for one and not the other. What kind of mother, would I be? Then again the little owls are growing on me, maybe I will keep it for myself. It could be our little secret!

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Time to start Christmas Crafting!

There, I said it! I am not trying to scare anyone by mentioning the word Christmas in August. But I have learned that if you want to have a relaxed and festive Christmas season you have to start making your Christmas crafts early! Yesterday I had lunch with a friend who will be very involved in a Christmas Bazaar. I helped her with it last year and much to my surprise, I really liked it! After lunch I headed to Jo Ann's to buy some felt. I had seen a few cute penguins online earlier in the day. So that is what I made, a penguin ornament. It took a while to make the pattern the right size and after three tries I came up with this cute little guy.

I thought he needed to look a little more festive so I attached a Christmas list to his arm. However, today I did not like it so much and removed it! Who knows it could be back on by the end of the day. Now, I must go buy more felt! I want to make at least 20 of them! Yikes, 20?

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Chocolate Overload

I have do more baking on my "Summer 2010 To-Do" list. It seems as though I may not do everything on the list, but I am definitely baking more! I will add do more exercising to my fall list!

Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting, enough said.

The chocolate covered strawberries are easy to see. However, the other two treats are not as easy to identify. They are chocolate covered marshmallows. I dipped marshmallows in chocolate and then dipped them in crushed graham crackers. They have a smores like flavor. Not nearly as good as a campfire smores, but really how could they be? The other marshmallows are dipped in chocolate, then dipped in chocolate sprinkles!

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From This to That

This is a rather ordinary composition notebook, it's actually pocket size, so maybe it is not that ordinary. I needed a notebook to write down all my my brilliant thoughts. Okay, I needed a notebook for my grocery list. I usually run to the market or drug store everyday. I always think I can remember the few things I need to get. Oh, sure I can do that. I just need four things, I can remember four things! Not really! I have come to a time in my life that I have to write it down !

Well, why not make the notebook a little prettier? Let me just say I was in a hurry, I am always in a hurry. When I went to write my list, I realized I had made the front cover on the back page! Good thing it was just for me. I must learn to slow down. I am always in a rush to finish my projects. That can make crafting feel more like a chore than the fun it is suppose to be.

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Heat and Sunshine

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

It has been a near perfect summer, as far as the weather is concerned. I like heat and sunshine. I like to sit outside at night without having to grab a sweater. I like when after you have been shopping or been to the movies and you walk outside and the heat just hits you. I like watering my flowers! I hope wherever you are, you are enjoying the kind of weather you like!

Have a wonderful weekend.

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Cards in the making

Is is possible to like something, not like something, then like something?

I am having a love and dislike (I can't hate them, their cheerful) relationship with these cards.

Maybe they are too cheerful! What does that say about me? Who doesn't like a happy card?

Well, they are what they are. Just birds perched on flower stems. Royal birds for that matter, they have crowns!

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Art Journal

I have not been making my weekly visits to the craft stores lately. I was always at Micheal's or Jo Ann's buying a little something. Maybe it is because I have a lot of supplies or that I am not doing that much paper crafting. I did make a quick stop at Michael's last week and I saw this paper mache journal. It sounds fancier than it is. It is a cardboard book.

It has simple brown paper pages that I hope to fill with all kinds of nonsense!

But first, the outside had to be papered. Still love the birds sitting on fences!

It is almost finished!

It is rather small so maybe that will make it easier to fill the pages.

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Yellow Squash

Last week a friend gave me yellow squash from her garden. I was going to search for a few squash recipes but I found one at a favorite blogger of mine Carol at http://www.carolsheirloomcollection.blogspot.com// . I like it when I already have the ingredients at home.

Spray a casserole dish with Pam. Then line dish with one layer of sliced squash,
add in this order
salt, pepper,onion flakes,
bread crumbs, pats of butter,
your choice of shredded cheese.

I had enough squash to make a few layers
Then bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.

It was very good. It makes a great side dish or lunch with a nice piece of corn! I love all the vegetables that are in season right now.

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Green Crafting, Again!

My husband drinks a lot of Crystal Light. I have always wanted to do something with the containers instead of putting them in the recycle bin. Friday I was working on another project and had a few small pieces of paper leftover and decided to paper the plastic container.

A little paper and a cute flower and I had a gift card holder. The little girl who will get this can use it to hold all sorts of things. Being a mother of two girls I can remember all the little trinkets that would fit perfectly in here.

I really wish I had kept more of these, but I will have a bunch in no time! I could think of a few things to put in these! Little crafts supplies would be a perfect fit.

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Blue Apron

A friend of our family is heading off to law school in Boston. I wanted to make her something. Now that she will be on her own , I am sure she will be making a lot of her own meals. I'm pretty sure every law student needs an apron! Well, I hope she likes it. She leaves in a few days so maybe I can make a few more things.

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My creativity has a sweet tooth!

I bought a new cake decorating kit a few months ago, I think it was in the winter. I just started using it last week. It had been years since I had used a kit like this and it was fun. I have made more cupcakes this week than I really needed to, but no one seems to be complaining.

Cupcakes have really made a big comeback in the last few years! I am going to make a few cupcakes to keep in the freezer and then see if I can find a recipe for just enough frosting for one cupcake. That way I can take one out of the freezer and frost it whenever I need a little treat!

I have already decided I would like to try and make sunflower cupcakes. I saw a few at our local market and they were so pretty. I hope to make them sometime soon.

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Nothing to blog about!

I was outside taking pictures of my family the other day. I got bored with them , just kidding. I started taking shots of my flowers and this one said, "You need to make a post about me, when you have nothing to blog about." Today is that day. Flamingos with a patriotic background, ain't that America?

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No Ribbons or Bows,Oh My!

I lost most of my wrapping paper, ribbons and bows when the basement was flooded in the spring. One roll of wrapping paper is what I have and that is because it was in a closet upstairs. It was a friend's birthday a week ago and here I was with just a little piece of wrapping paper and not a bow to be found! What I did have was white netting left over from a craft project and a bunch of red fake flowers. In a few minutes I ended up with a cute little present.

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Almost Finished

This unfinished space is slowly turning into this.

I took this picture earlier this spring. It has come a very long way!

The bathroom is almost finished! It has been years in the making and I can not believe how it is looking. We just need to have the walls painted. I already found a picture and rug for the room. My husband picked out all the tiles and everything else. I can add the little finishing touches as long as I don't get too carried away. Less is more, or so they say!


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Country Living

My favorite magazine has experienced a make over. It's a larger size, not too big, but it is noticeable.

They still have great recipes. I am going to make this Israeli Couscous and Apple Salad. I bought all the ingredients to make it this weekend but never got around to it. Hopefully, I will have time later this week.

The recipes are printed in the back of the issue, as usual. But I think they are a little easier to find and also to read.

This is new, they have a little fashion section. I like it.

I actually really like this outfit. I always ask my daughter if I am dressed correctly before I leave the house. Well, not every time I leave the house. Just when I think I might of pushed the envelope just a bit. I do not want to look too young or too frumpy! But I think I could wear this outfit if I moved out west some where. I don't see that happening, but I still like the look!

The caption says "Get Crafty", okay I will. I would love to make a few of these. It is so cute. They tell you how to make it and where to get the dispenser. I will put this on my t0-do list.

The magazine still has pictures of beautiful homes.

I fell in love with this little space. Sometimes I wonder why I feel a little sad after reading these magazines. I like my house, but the homes in magazines like CL leave you wanting more. Are these magazines really inspiring us? Or are they depressing us? I will keep this post positive. I found a lot of great ideas in this magazine and that is a good thing. But, then again I really want this cute little space. But I have no where to put it! That I am positive about.

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Something for almost nothing!

I did a little crafting on Friday! I am happy with how it came out, that is not always the case. As you can see I made a container to hold some flatware. I did not actually make the container, it is a tin coffee can.

This is the above mentioned coffee can. My mother saves them for me.

I ripped a few pages out of a book I bought just for this reason. It was a bargain book. I did feel bad about tearing pages from a book that an author poured their her heart and soul into, but what was I to do? I really like the look of torn pages on craft projects.

The bird image is from Country Living. It is just recently that I have been able to part with my Country Living magazines. I tear out the pages I like and then give them to my Dad. He then gives them to a friend who has an antique shop who puts a few together and sells them. I am not sure what he asks for them, but my house is cleaner and that makes me happy.

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