New Hobby!!

I know. I know you are wondering what I am thinking.  Well I am taking a photography class Wahoo!!

With what time I have I know I don't need a new thing.  But I have figured that it is at least I will be able to take better photos for blogging and also but the Book Tables photos.

So what do you think.

We stayed in the studio and took pics of flowers because it was raining.

I think it was great and learned a lot.

Can't wait to see what is next.  Check back to see.

Missed You!

Have you missed me.  I have missed you.  Things have been a little crazy lately and I hope that they will calm down soon.  Time flies and you can never catch up.  So hopefully I will be able to post better and have more ideas for you soon than later.  Come back soon. 

Thanks

Back to School Studio 5

Are you all ready for Back to School. Some would say they are and some not. I am not quite sure because my daughter will just start kindergarten. I'm a little nervous about it.

Here are some great ideas for you to do for those back to school days.

These ideas were inspired all by the apple centerpiece that I saw on Shindig parties to go. I love that blog. They have been changed so that they are now my own design.

This is a simple scrapbook that was one piece of patterned paper from Adornit. I cut card-stock 6 x 6 and then cut the patterned paper into squares and placed them on corners. Each page will fit a school photo for each year.

Note Cards: who doesn't need note cards especially a cute gift for your new teacher.

Placemat will be perfect for every morning to help entice the kids to get all things done they need to before they leave for school. Dry erase so you can keep using it and using again.

Marshmallow apples: I took a large marshmallow and placed it on a skewer and dip it in chocolate. Then placed a piece of pretzel and airhead leaf on top.

This is also a great gift for those teachers every once in awhile they need a little boost.

Instructions for the Pencil Vase Centerpiece

Step 1: Gather your supplies: - Canned food with a pop top (or a can cut with a safety edge can opener) - Florist foam or styrofoam - 2 boxes of pencils - Scissors and hot glue

- Strip of paper that you like

- Apple sticker for center of medalion

Step 2:

- Empty out the contents of your canned food and save for another use. Wash and dry out the can and place a small piece of florist foam inside.

Step 3:

- Using a hot glue gun, place glue in a vertical line from the bottom to the top of your can and press one pencil into the glue, holding until the glue dries. Be sure not to skimp on the glue - you'll want your pencils to stay put.

Step 4:

- Repeat step 3 over and over again with more pencils until you've completely covered the can.

Step 5:

- Cut a strip of your printed green paper into a "ribbon" to wrap around the pencils on your can. Fit it around the center of the pencils and hot glue in place.

Step 6:

- Make circle on white card-stock and place apple sticker on it. Then mat is with green and black card-stock then clip edges and separate from each other back and forth.

CHOCOLATE COVERED OREO APPLE POPS

What you'll need:

- Wilton Shaped Party cellophane bags (I bought mine at Walmart)

- Red candy melts

- Wooden skewers

- Double Stuff Oreos

- Green Air Heads candy

- Stick pretzels

- Sharp Knife

- Shredded red tissue paper

- Pencil vase or another simple vase to hold your apple pops

Step 1: Melt your chocolate in a double boiler following the instructions on the candy melts bag. Freeze Oreo cookies in freezer for an hour. Then place skewer in Oreo and dip in chocolate.

Step 2: Place a small piece of pretzel stick with a little melted chocolate on it as well. This will help the pretzel stay in place.

Step 3: Then with the green airhead shape a leaf and dip in a little chocolate and stick it by the pretzel.

Step 4: Cover with sucker bag twist on tie. Then stick in floral foam in vase.

Step 5: Place your shredded tissue paper in-between the apple pops.

Cute little gift that was a mini Oreo dipped in chocolate and then placed a piece of pretzel and airhead leaf on top. Then placed a cute little tag on top.

These are the same little apples I made up above. I placed them in a snack bag and placed a topper on top as a cute thank you.

I hope you loved them.  I sure did and can't wait to make them for the new teacher my daughter will have.  Wahoo!!

Paper Bag Flowers

Here are the cutest flowers to make and easiest also.  You will love them.  I tried them and I promise you have to try also.

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  Introduction With a few snips and folds, and a little imagination, you can turn humble paper bags into party-perfect decorations.
  You can use gusseted bags of any size for these hanging flowers; each flower is made from six bags.
  Next: Step 1
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  Step 1 Fold the bottom of a bag in on itself. Cut above the lower fold, removing the bag's bottom. Trim the top into a petal shape.
  Next: Step 2
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  Step 2 Punch a hole about 1/4 inch from the bottom. Repeat process with five more bags. Apply double-sided tape to the front edges of a bag. Place another bag on top, and repeat to stack all of the bags. Draw a length of string through the hole in the stack; knot it loosely.
  Next: Step 3
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  Step 3 Pull the top and bottom bags around to form a flower shape and join the end petals with double-sided tape.
  Next: Step 4
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  Step 4 Suspend your completed paper bag flowers by string.

Family Fun Food

by Mandi and Cami

This was our Macey's class recipe we had on June 29th.

Enjoy because we sure did and loved them all.

 

Perfect Picnic Sandwich

 Step 1: The Filling.

5 seeded & chopped plum tomatoes

1 cup chopped red, orange or yellow peppers

1/4 cup chopped red onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil. Do not skip this ingredient!

2 tsp. balsamic or red wine vinegar

Drizzle of olive oil

Mix all together.

Step 2: Scoop Out the Round Loaf

Scoop out the loaf of Shepherd’s bread so that you have about 1 inch of bread all around. Keep the 'hat' of the loaf for the finished sandwich.  Brush the inside of the loaf with olive oil. This step prevents the bread from going soggy. 

Step 3: Fill the Round Loaf

Now spoon half of the filling into the bottom of the bread and press down with spoon.  Then layer in half of the sliced meats.  You can use different salami, ham, turkey or even eggplant if you want to keep it vegetarian.   In this sandwich, I used sliced turkey & ham.  Then layer in cheese slices. I used havarti slices. Again, any favorite cheese can be used.   After the cheese layer, layer the remaining meat and spoon in the other half of the filling.  Place the 'hat' back on the loaf. Press firmly.

Step 4:Wrap the Sandwich for The Picnic

Wrap sandwich tightly in saran wrap.  Then I also wrap in tin foil.  Place sandwich in large bowl with some soup cans on top for weight to help "press" the sandwich.  (This step can be skipped, especially if you don't have room in your fridge for the big bowl).  Place the sandwich in the fridge overnight.

This Sandwich was so good and the dressing is also good for chip dip.

German Potato Salad

4 potatoes

4 slices bacon

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons white sugar

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/2 cup chopped green onions

salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes; cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool and chop.  Place bacon in a large, deep skillet, cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside. Reserve bacon fat.  Add the flour, sugar, water and vinegar to skillet and cook in reserved bacon fat over medium heat until dressing is thick.  Add bacon, potatoes and green onions to skillet and stir until coated. Cook until heated and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Caramel Brownies

2 boxes - Betty Crocker German Chocolate Cake Mix

2/3cup Evaporated milk

2/3cup Melted butter

Apple caramel dip

Milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven 350 degrees.  Grease cookie sheet.

Mix 1 pkg. cake mix with 1/3cup evaporated milk and 1/3 cup melted butter.  Spread mix into pan and press out. Bake for 10-15 min. in oven.  Repeat mixing process and set aside.  When cook time is up spread on caramel and sprinkle with chocolate chips.  Pat out other mix and put on top of caramel and chocolate chips.  Bake another 10 -15 min.  Let cool and serve.

Stuffed Strawberries

Strawberries

Blueberries

Marshmallow Crème

Cream Cheese (softened)

Mix cream cheese and marshmallow crème together.  Wash and slit strawberries at ends then pipe marshmallow filling and place a blueberry on top.

4th of July Banners

 Fourth of July was around the corner and I think we all get caught up in June and forget that the 4th is right there.  So I made these banners to go along with the holiday.  I am not very good and doing tutorials step by step instructions but I can sure tell you have I made it.

 I started out with some denim I had bought on clearance a while ago probably for skirts or something.  But it was perfect for my banner.  I cut a flag from an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper.  Then cut out 7 pendents sewed around them and frayed the edges.  I then cut burlap the size I wanted and frayed the edges.  Then cut a pieces for the bunting a strip of red and accordion folded it and stapled one side.  The white sun shape I cut from chipboard and covered them with white fabric.  Cut out letter on glitter fun foam on my Cricut and glued everything together.  I sewed all the pendants on to ribbon and tied extra fabric pieces and ribbons in between.  It turned out awesome and I can keep it for every year.

The next banner I made was out of paper.  I cut a whole bunch of triangles out of patterned or solid red, white and blue paper.  Then took ribbon and just sewed them all together.  I was really easy and you could make it as long as you want or needed to.

Have a Great 4th of July everyone!!

Father's Day Tie Banner and Gift

Father's day was around the corner and I have really been getting off on banners lately.  So I made one for of course Father's day.  It was simple and turned out darling.  When I saw this on a blog it was made out of paper and I wanted to be able to keep using it so I made it out of fabric.

 I first cut out a template of a tie from a piece of paper.  Then pinned it to my fabric and cut out 15 ties.  What made it the easiest for the letters was to iron the fabric to iron-on paper.  Then I cut them out on my Cricut and ironed them on to the ties.  Simple right.  After they were all made I used a heavier jute rope and zig-zagged the ties on to the jute.

 I loved how this turned out and now I will have one every year for Father's Day.

I then made a Candy Bow-K and decided to make one for my hubby.  I took a piece of floral foam and glued the box candy around it.  Then glue all your candy bars onto skewers with hot glue.  Stick them into the foam where you want them and tuck tissue paper around the edges.  Cut pieces of tulle and stick in between the candy bars and VOILA you are done.

To make it more personalized I wrote a little note that went with most of the candy bars that I used. 

Happy Father's Day to my hubby.

Love him and always will.