Make a Wish Birthday Card

My friend Cynde recently celebrated a birthday, so I made this cute little card for her. I created a flower from eyelet lace that I gathered into a circle; and then I attached an orange button and a lavender bling flower to the center. I love the cheerfulness of the orange mini-dot paper combined with the cute lavender gingham ribbon!

Thanks for looking! Have a SUPER day!

Great Reads! "Catching Fire" and "Mockingjay"

While I was on Thanksgiving break last week, I was able to enjoy some time curled up in a quilt in front of our fireplace reading! (For a bookworm such as myself - that is HEAVEN!!) I was able to finish the final 2 books in the "Hunger Games" trilogy:

and

The page turning story of Katniss, Peeta, Gale and Haymitch rebelling against the vicious and warped leaders of the Capitol continues in these final two books. This is a FANTASTIC trilogy and would make a terrific Christmas gift for your favorite reader! (Just beware that these books are addictive and tough to put down once you've started reading them!)

Have a blessed day!

Recipes of the Week...(A 2-fer!!)...Carolyn's Crock-Pot Stuffing and John's Creamy Crock-Pot Corn

I am a HUGE fan of crock-pots, (I own 4 and lovingly call them my "fleet" - ha! ha!), so this week I'm going to share two fabulous crock-pot recipes with you! The first recipe was given to me by my good friend, Carolyn H., and makes the most delicious and moist stuffing you'll ever eat! The second recipe came from my brother-in-law, John, and is a family favorite! These are terrific to make on a busy holiday such as Thanksgiving, because you simply toss all of the ingredients into a crock-pot to cook while you go about preparing the rest of the meal...easy peasy!!

Carolyn's Crock-Pot Stuffing

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 cups cornbread crumbs
• 1 (16 oz.) pkg. herb stuffing mix
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 2 (14 oz.) cans chicken broth
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 4 large eggs
• 1 Tablespoon rubbed sage
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 Tablespoons butter, cut up

Method:
Stir together cornbread crumbs, stuffing mix and next 8 ingredients in a large bowl. Pour cornbread mixture into a lightly greased 5 - 6 quart crock-pot. Dot with butter. Cook, covered, on low for 4 hours or until cooked through and set. Refrigerate any leftovers.

John's Creamy Crock-Pot Corn

Ingredients:

• 2 bags frozen corn
• 1 - 8 oz. brick light cream cheese, cut up
• 3 Tablespoons butter, cut up
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Method:
Place all ingredients into lightly greased crock-pot. Cook in covered crock-pot on low for 4 hours, stirring occasionally to combine cream cheese and butter with corn. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Have a WONDERFUL week!

Quote Sunday

"The truest measure of our thanksgiving

is how we use the blessings for which we give thanks".

~ Unknown ~

Silly Saturday...

Have a GREAT weekend!

Frosted Designs Challenge...Using Metal on a Project

This week the challenge at Frosted Designs is to create a project using metal elements. In the layout above, you can see that I used several metal pieces, but the part that I want to highlight is the journaling:

This was a fun way to use up several of the metal word embellishments that I had collected over time. (It was kinda tough to get really good photos of this layout, but you can click on the photos for close-up views, if you'd like). I would love to see any projects that you've created using metal embellishments, so please consider entering your artwork in this week's Frosted Designs challenge...there's a prize being given away, too!!

Thanks for looking! Happy scrappin'!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thank you for reading my blog and for sharing your thoughts, ideas and encouragement with me this year!Wishing you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving!!

Blessings,

Shopping Fun!

The Affair of the Heart Craft Show was in Tulsa last weekend, so my best bud Jamie and I spent a fun day shopping! Here are a few of the cute things that I purchased:

A bushel basket with an adorable snowman painted on it...which was a STEAL at only $12.95!! I'm going to tuck some wrapped Christmas presents into it as part of my Christmas decorating.

Here is the decorated antique sled that I purchased...I have decided to use it in lieu of a Christmas tree this year! I'm going place a Christmas quilt at it's base, (kinda like a tree skirt), and attach some clear lights to the garland and wooden star. The snowman bushel basket, full of wrapped gifts, will sit next to it along with some of my stuffed snowman decorations. I thought this would be a fun and unique alternative to a tree this year!

One of the vendors had a booth where they created custom framed monograms on glass and I instantly fell in love with them, so I just had to have one for our home:

I did a little Christmas shopping too! I purchased these adorable travel art boxes for my great nephew and great niece, (Ian & Kayle Ann), for Christmas. One side is a chalk board, the back is a dry erase board, and the inside holds chalk, markers, stickers, snacks, crayons, coloring books, etc. Pretty cool, eh?? I thought these would be great to take to church to quietly entertain them during the sermons.

Here's a closed view:

Here's an open view:

Lastly, I bought this Broken Arrow Tigers necklace to wear to work each Friday for "Spirit Jeans Day"...GO TIGERS!!

Thanks for letting me share my great craft show finds with you!! Jamie and I are looking forward to going to the next show in July 2012!!

Have a blessed day,

Give Thanks Card

Whew! I have been SUPER busy lately! I'm really looking forward to being off work for Thanksgiving break, (which starts tomorrow - WOOHOO!!), so that I can catch up on some things!

Anyhoo...just a quick post before I head out the door to work! Above is photo of a Thanksgiving card that I made; I just love that blingy little pumpkin!

Thanks for looking! Have a SPECTACULAR day!!

Quote Sunday

"Cherish all your happy moments...

they make a fine cushion for old age".

~Ramona Mullins~

Silly Saturday...

In preparation of Thanksgiving this Thursday, I thought you would get a giggle out of this photo like I did!

Have a WONDERFUL weekend!

Great Read! "The Hunger Games"...

Here's the latest book that I've been reading....The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. It's the first of three books in this series, and WOW!, is it fantastic! The movie will open in theaters on March 23, 2012, and you can be sure that I'll be there to see it!

The story is based on the lives of people in a "future" North America, where after a great war the nation is divided into 12 districts. The capitol city of Panem maintains control of it's people through an annual televised survival competition between 24 young people, 1 boy and 1 girl, from each from the 12 districts. The heroine of this book, 16 year old Katniss, steps up to take the place of her 12 year old sister to spare her from the brutal competition when her name is drawn in the lottery . There can only be one winner and there is only one rule - stay alive. With lots of twists and turns in the story, your heart goes out to Katniss and the difficult tasks that she has to overcome. This book is a real page-turner and will keep in suspense until the very end!

Happy reading!

Scrapbook Page: Nostalgic

Here's a scrapbook page that I made which highlights the senior pictures of my grandmother (1941), my mother (1964), and me (1984). You can click on the layout for a close-up view, but here's what my journaling says:

"Three generations of of women, each separated by 20 plus years, yet tied together through blood and the deep roots of our family tree. Each with familiar features: brown eyes and big smiles. Each creative and artistic in her own right. Each loving books and reading. Each having a deep faith and trust in God. Each looking to the future; to the generations that follows us; that our legacy may live on."

Thanks for looking! Wishing you a blessed day!

Recipe of the Week..."Country Girl Quiche"

This hearty quiche makes a wonderful breakfast or dinner meal and it's a great way to use ingredients that you'll usually have on hand! I like to serve fresh fruit on the side...SO YUMMY!

Ingredients:

• 10 slices deli ham, chopped
• 2 oz. canned sliced mushrooms, drained
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup shredded Colby/Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/8 cup half-n-half
• 1/8 cup sour cream
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 1 tsp. dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp. dried, minced onion
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 - 9" unbaked pie crust

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pie crust into 9" pie plate and crimp edges. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together everything but the ham and cheese. Stir chopped ham and shredded cheese into mixture. Pour into pie crust and bake for approximately 45 minutes. The quiche should be golden brown on top and firm in the center. Serve warm and enjoy!

Have a WONDERFUL day!

Quote Sunday

 "The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to the commitment to excellence,

regardless of their chosen field of endeavor".

~ Vince Lomardi ~

Silly Saturday...

How fun is this?!?!? I saw this cool photo on the internet and just had to share it with you...nature sure works in funny ways, doesn't it?

Have a WONDERFUL weekend!

Frosted Designs Challenge..."Embossing"

This week over at Frosted Designs, the challenge is to create a project using dry or heat embossing. I created this card, using paper that had a dry embossed pattern on it, and I love how it turned out!

Please hop on over to Frosted Designs and link up an embossed project of your own! Entries will be accepted through noon on Thursday, November 17th, and a prize is being offered!

Thanks for looking! Have a TERRIFIC day!

Remember our Veterans...

Just a friendly reminder...tomorrow is 11-11-11 and Veteran's Day! Please take a moment to say a prayer for the safety of our men and women serving in the armed forces. I will be proudly flying an American flag from my front porch, so if you own one please join me in saluting our service men and women. Also, if you happen to be eating out today, why not buy a piece of pie for a veteran or pick up the tab for him or her as a random act of kindness?

I am so very grateful for the freedoms that we are blessed with in America; many of which we take for granted and don't even give thought to on a day-to-day basis. Where else in the world can citizens have freedom of speech, religion, enterprise, etc.?? We are INCREDIBLY fortunate to be Americans!

I was very, very lucky to grow up living next door to my grandfather, who was a retired Master Sargeant in the USAF. He proudly served his country for 22 years and fought during WWII to help free the world of tyranny. (He served in the US Army during the war, and the after the war re-enlisted in the Air Force). Here is a photograph of him in Italy during WWII:

One of the cool things about my granddad is that in his front yard stood a large flag pole; and every morning he would raise an American flag and then lower and fold it every evening at dusk. I remember this so clearly, and it left a definite impression on me of American loyalty. Today I proudly display the last flag that he used for this daily ritual. It is neatly folded in a triangle and sits in a special iron easel in our family den...everytime I see it I smile and think of him.

Wishing you a day filled with many blessings! God bless America!!

Scrapbook Page with a Creative Twist on Blocks

Above is a photo of a scrapbook page that I made quite awhile back, but it's still one of my favorites. I love how the simple design and color scheme really make the picture the main focal point of the layout. Here's how I created this layout:

Begin by cutting an 8 1/2" x 11" photograph down to measure 8" x 8". Mat the photograph on a piece of 8 1/2" x 8 1/2" cream colored cardstock and distress the edges with ink. Wrap a brown grosgrain ribbon around one of the upper and lower corners and adhere the ribbon to the back of the cardstock with Glue Dots.

Cut five pieces of patterned paper into 5" x 5" blocks and distress the edges with chocolate ink. Adhere the patterned paper to the scrapbook page, as shown in the photo above.

Cut two pieces of cardstock, one in brown and one in navy, to measure 8 1/2" x 8 1/2" and attach a brad to each corner. Turn the cardstock at angles, as shown above, and adhere to the scrapbook page. Attach the matted photograph in the center of the blocked page, add some journaling and your layout is complete!

Thanks for looking! Have a blessed day!

Excellent Reads!

Last week was really, really busy for me, so I didn't get much done in the way of craft projects. I'm really looking forward to my upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks so that I can enjoy some quiet time at home crafting, cooking and reading.

Speaking of reading, I have currently been reading "The Youngest Templar" trilogy by Michael P. Spradlin, which are EXCELLENT young adult novels! (I read A LOT of young adult novels, because I work in a high school library and I like to recommend good books to our students so that they will become book lovers as well.)

 I am almost finished with the third book, and WOW!, these novels are hard to put down! The storyline is based on an orphan named Tristan who has been raised by monks since infancy and is recruited into the Templar Knights to be a squire. He travels to the middle east with his knight, Sir Thomas, and the other Templar Knights to accompany them into battle during the Crusades. Tristan makes some interesting friends along the way and a wonderful story of suspense and historical mystery unfolds.

I highly recommend these books...for adults and young adults too! They are EXCELLENT reads!

Have a blessed day!

Quote Sunday

"There are two ways of spreading light:
To be the candle or the mirror that reflects it".

~ Edith Wharton ~