Thursday, August 15, 2013

My mom's favorite joke

See if you find this funny or do you just let out a loud groan.  My family would groan every time my mom would tell this joke. 
 
A hearse was driving through the city on the way to the cemetery.  It hit a bump as it went up a hill and the back door opened up.  The coffin fell out of the hearse and started sliding down the road.  It bumped along and jumped the curb and went through the door of a pharmacy and stopped right in front of the pharmacy counter.  The lid popped up and the gentleman sat up and asked, "Do have anything to stop my "coffin"?
 
I can still see my mother telling this joke and laughing the entire time.  I can also see our entire family smile and groan and say..."Not again, mom".

Memories are so good to have. 
 

Monday, August 5, 2013

Candy bags personalized for each guest
    Sweet Sixteen Party

My niece, Margy, had her sixteenth birthday this past May.  She's having her birthday party tomorrow and her mom, my sister Lindy, has been busy getting all the candy ready.  Her theme is "Sweets" to match her sweetness!  Well, at least that's why I feel her party is going to be full of candy.  Jars - all shapes and sizes of jars - filled with all kinds of candies!

I'm making the German Chocolate cake tonight and we have ice cream sundaes to go along with the "sweet" theme.  I used my Viking Rose sewing machine to stitch the name of each guest onto a small bag.  The guests will be able to fill the bags with any kind of candy they want!  The bags we picked up while on vacation in San Francisco at a dollar store.  I think they turned out kind of cute.  I hope everyone likes them.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Recycle Project:  Tin Can Lanterns


Here's a great and fun idea to do with recycling in mind.  I found this idea while doing an Internet search for tin can lanterns.  There are several tutorials on Internet but I liked this one from the Grow Creative blog and thought I would share it with you.  Here's the address: http://growcreative.blogspot.com/2012/07/tin-can-lanterns-tutorial.html.  Here's the tutorial:


Tin Can Lanterns Tutorial





I love summer and I love that I finally have a backyard to have parties in! I made these tin can lanterns for a 4th of July party and they looked so lovely that I thought I would write a tutorial to share with you all.

So follow the tutorial below to get started making your own lanterns for your own outdoor summer party!




Materials:
recycled tin cans
hammer
nail
bailing wire
pliers
spray paint
tea light candle



Step 1: Remove labels and glue from the cans. I've found WD-40 to be very helpful with removing the glue.

Step 2: Fill cans with water and stick them in the freezer. Leave them in until the ice is solid. This helps the can hold its shape for the next steps.


Step 3: Take your frozen can out of the freezer. Using a hammer and nail, pound a hole near the top of the can. Flip the can over and make another hole straight across from the first hole. These will be used for the handle later on.

Step 4: Make your design. Use the hammer and nail to start punching out a design in your can. You can draw it our before hand or wing it. Either way, they turn out nicely.



Step 5: Once your design is all finished, let the ice melt out of the can and dry it out.



Step 6: Upon turning the can over, you'll notice a big bulge in the bottom. This comes from freezing water in it. But, it can be fixed! Just pound it down with a hammer so that it sits flat.

Step 7: Time to make a handle. Cut a 12 inch strip of bailing wire and curve the end of it to form a hook. Stick the hook through one of the top side holes.

Step 8: Twist the hook around to secure it. Make a hook on the other end of the wire. Stick it in the side hole on the other side and twist it around. There's your handle!

Step 9: Time for some spray paint! Paint several coats on to cover the entire can and handle. I used Krylon Indoor/ Outdoor paint and it worked great.


Step 10: Once the paint is dry, insert tea light candles and light them up! You're all ready to go!
Reader Tips:
  • Azirkah said...To keep the bottom of the can from bulging out, put 2 or 3 inches of water in the can and let that freeze, then top off the can and freeze again.
  • Esther en Calou said...... avoid to make holes in the bottom inch of the can. When your candle melts and the holes are made too close to the bottom, the wax will pour out.
  • E C Ballard ஃ said...If you have a dremel tool or any kind of flexible shaft, you can use a burr or a very small metal drillbit and you will not need the ice.
  • Nicole said...fill your can with sand prior to adding the water and placing in the freezer! It will prevent your can from bulging during the water expansion process :0)


Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Homemade Peanut Butter

From the Texanerin Baking blog I thought you might be interested in seeing how easy it is to make your own peanut butter...with no unseen ingredients.  The web address is below if you want to go directly to the blog site.  It was originally posted on Jan. 20, 2012.

How to Make Homemade Peanut Butter



That’s a cut up apple in the background. This is my normal breakfast except I much prefer Maple Cinnamon Almond Butter on my bread. I mean, come on, it has maple syrup!


German Vollkornbrot! I don’t know how we’ll survive when we move.

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup roasted peanuts (I used salted, but you can use unsalted or honey roasted)
  • salt to taste
  • canola or peanut oil (I’ve never had to use it)
Directions:

Dump peanuts in the food processor.


Process until creamy. For me it took about 4 minutes. In my old blender it took about 8. First there’ll be ground peanuts, then it’ll start to come together in a ball, then it’ll be a ball, and then the ball will break down into what you see below. Then process it a little more until you’re sure it’s nice and creamy. I’ve never had to add oil, but people on the internet have. Add a teaspoon at a time until it looks like the below picture. Add salt to taste.


That’s it! Store in the fridge for up to two months (that’s according to Alton Brown). 1 cup of peanuts yields about 2/3 cup peanut butter.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Criss-Cross Coasters from Jenny Allsorts

I found this cute coaster to make from Jenny Allsorts blog (http://allsorts.typepad.com/allsorts/)  I had difficulty attaching a link to it so I just finally cut and paste it here in my blog but please note that I did not invent this.  I added Jenny's main blog address above.  The actual Internet address to go directly to the Criss-Croass Coaster page is:  http://allsorts.typepad.com/allsorts/2006/11/crisscross_coas.html

 
These are cute and fast.  So enjoy and head over to Jenny's blog and see what else she's got for you.

**********************************************************************

Criss-Cross Coasters

Crisscross-coasters1
BBefore being swallowed by the activities surrounding Thanksgiving, I thought I'd put up a tutorial for the coolest thing I learned the other day. The woman sitting next to me in a sewing class at Bernina showed us how to make these. She didn't have a name for them so for lack of something better I'm calling them Criss-Cross Coasters. They make great stocking stuffers, hostess or teacher gifts, whatever. You can whip up a set in no time, especially if you use a rotary cutter, because there is no hand finishing. I probably could have spent more time on photographing them, they look much snazzier in person. You can choose fabrics to suit the recipient, or your own (ahem) decor (see above).
And for a change of pace, I thought I'd try an illustrated tutorial! Hey, why not?
***Note: Since writing this tutorial, several people have asked me when to remove the paper from the fusible web. Actually I used single-sided web, so there was no paper to remove. But if you prefer to use double-sided, you could remove the paper backing and adhere the inner lining to your bottom piece before stacking and sewing the fabrics. Hope that helps.
So here we go!
Crisscross-coasters2
Crisscross-coasters3
So there you have it! I hope that's clear enough, and that you can think of many uses for this little project. I know I already have!
Crisscross-coasters4

Thursday, May 2, 2013


Dear Father, help the human race and its treatment of all living creatures. I know you watch even the little sparrow and I ask that you open the hearts of all men in how we treat our animals. Animal abuse is rampant upon this planet and we need your intervention. Help the creatures that have no voice. In Your Son's precious and holy name. Amen.

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Wednesday, May 1, 2013

2013 National Day of Prayer

     Tomorrow May 2, 2013 is the United State's national Day of Prayer. The theme this year is "Pray for America". To further highlight the theme, the National Day of Prayer committee has chosen Matthew 12:21 as the Scripture for this year: “In... His name the nations will put their hope.” 
     Pastor Greg Laurie, the 2013 Honorary Chairman, has written a special prayer to be simultaneously read throughout the nation at noon (EDT) which will be 8:00 a.m. Alaska time. This recitation will create a huge wave of prayer, flowing from one coast to the other. Here is the link to the prayer: http://nationaldayofprayer.org/2013-pastor-greg-laurie-2/
 
*******************************************************************************
 
Here's the prayer in case you don't have the computer capabilitiy to link to the addy I posted a minute ago.                                                                                            

*******************************************************************************

 Father, we come to You to pray for our nation, the United States of America.

How You have blessed us through the years, Lord! We rightly sing, “America, America, God shed His grace on thee.” Yet w...e see trouble in our culture today. We see the breakdown of the family, crippling addictions, and random acts of horrific violence.

Lord, we need Your help in America. In recent days, we have done our best to remove Your Word and Your counsel from our courtrooms, classrooms and culture. It seems, as President Lincoln once said, that we have “forgotten God.” But Lord, You have not forgotten us! You can bless and help and revive our country again.

Scripture tells us that “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs14:34). Lord, in Your mercy, we ask that You would exalt our country again. We have had a number of great awakenings in America. We have experienced times of refreshing, and revivals that changed not only the spiritual but also the moral landscape. As the psalmist said, “Will You not revive us again, so that Your people may rejoice in You?” (Psalm 85:6)

That is our prayer for America today, Lord. Send a mighty spiritual awakening that will turn the hearts of men and women, boys and girls back to you. You have told us if we will humble ourselves and pray, and seek Your face and turn from our wicked ways, that You will forgive our sins and heal our land. (2 Chronicles7:14)

Forgive us today, Lord, and heal this troubled land that we love so much.

We ask all of this in the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen

Time to Pray


Sunday, April 14, 2013

Red Heart Gumdrop Yarn

  Click on this link http://www.allfreecrochet.com/sweeps/Red-Heart-Gumdrop-Yarn and enter to win.
Red Heart Gumdrop Yarn
Gifted by Red Heart Yarn
www.redheart.com
Reviewed by Kera Mogue, Editor for AllFreeCrochet
Red Heart Gumdrop Yarn is a great lightweight yarn for the springtime. Watch the colors change before your very eyes as your crochet hook does its magic. One skein of Grape yarn fades into over 15 different colors that all compliment each other well in a blanket or afghan, and the Juicy skein is just as mulit-colored. With so many different colors in one skein of yarn, it's impossible to be bored.



Read the full review.


Win two skeins of Red Heart Gumdrop yarn!
We are giving away two skeins of Red Heart Gumdrop yarn (Grape and Juicy).The deadline to enter is April 24, 2013 at 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time. We'll send an email to the winner(s) the week after the contest ends, so please make sure your email address is correct and be sure to check your bulk/spam folder too!
If you blog about this giveaway or add us to your blogroll or website, you can earn an extra entry. Be sure to send us the link to your blog post.
Contest ends April 24, 2013. You can enter once daily, so return often to improve your chances of winning! 

Sunday, March 10, 2013

I Need Spring

 

It's spring break for students in my neck of the woods.  Most of my friends are involved in education so many of them have fled Alaska for warmer parts of the world for the next seven days.  Looking out my window I can see beautiful snow covered trees and a white covered lake or I can see something cold, icy, and not very inviting.
 
I do love living in Alaska with all its seasons; long and short.  When so many I know are basking in warmth with new places to experience it does take an extra amount of energy for me to stay focused on the positive. 
 
I needed a bit of help trying not to be green with envy for those that are traveling this week...I just love to travel and see new and revisit old places...so I brought a tiny bit of SPRING into my home.
 
These daffodils are so pretty and they smell like SPRING! 
 
Pretty yellow daffodils sitting atop our antique icebox. 


 
Bad Kitty!  This is why I moved the daffodils to the top of the antique icebox.

Monday, March 4, 2013

Gracie At It Again!

 
 
Here's Gracie our new kitten.  She has grown over the last two months and is one very fiesty kitten.  Here she is in her favorite box.  Of course she's making every other animal crazy.  She never stops...not quite true.  She will be darting off somewhere and then suddenly collapse in your arms and nothing will disturb her.  She's a whirlwind of four paws!
Gracie pretending she doesn't
see her lastest victim behind the box.
It's Mac.  Watch out Mac!
ATTACK!!!!!!


Th next unsuspecting victim..






 







27 Boxes in 27 Days
 
Can I do it? Not quite sure but I'm sure gonna try.
 
 
A friend on a quilting group mentioned that she was wondering if any of us had taken up the challenge of Flylady.net's challenge of 40 Boxes in 40 Days.  I had not heard of this challenge but it intrigued me so I went to the flylady.net website and did a search.  I found it and learned about this challenge. 
 
I immediately decided that I could never sort and get rid of 30 boxes by Easter (which is basically what the 40 Boxes in 40 Days is all about) but it was an interesting idea.

 
 
The more I thought about it the more I thought that it would be a great goal to reach for and why not try it.  So, last night I counted how many days until Good Friday came up with 27.
 
So, I am going to take up the challenge of 27 Boxes in 27 Days.  I will include big bags in this challenge since I've got some black garbage bags filled with stuff that needs sorting.  Some of these bags hold more then what a box can hold.
 
I will sort, put away, give away, or throw away 2 boxes of bags of stuff.  Oh boy, I can't believe I'm going to do this but I am.  Even if I don't get all 27 done I'll get at least one more done than not trying at all.
 
Anyone else want to try?