by Sharon | Jun 27, 2016
We’re getting closer to the 4th of July!
I’m going to put my flag out early this year so it can proudly wave in the summer breeze.
We’re in our hazy, crazy, lazy days of summer. It is warm — some days downright hot . . . but it is summer and we love the slower pace of things . . . except for the traffic. Everyone is out and about — some still working while others are deciding on the right spot to vacation. There are those who have gotten their backyards together for BBQs and summer entertaining.
You can make several of these pinwheels and place them throughout your yard. They’re an easy way to get red, white and blue colorfully displayed.
Just click the picture to the right and you’ll be taken to the PDF to print out.
These work well using a pin and pushing the pin into a pencil eraser. If you want a longer stick, it is suggested that you put a pencil eraser on the top of the stick and push the pin into it. Adding a little bead between the back of the paper and the eraser gives a bit of freedom to the paper pinwheel allowing it to spin easier.
These are colorful and look nice in the flower beds, too.
These are great to make and set out on all patriotic holidays. It’s a nice way of showing America’s colors.
The most important thing to me is sharing time with family and friends. We are truly blessed in so many ways . . . it’s a nice time to reflect upon our many blessings while watching the firework displays . . . or eating a nice cold slice of watermelon . . . after having a hot dog or hamburger . . . or BBQ ribs . . .
Don’t forget to make s’mores . . . or whatever your family tradition.
Be safe!
Sharon
by Sharon | Jun 26, 2016
This is definitely flip flop sandal weather.
I saw these cute boxes on-line and thought what a great idea.
They’re great for a 4th of July BBQ or picnic. You could put some fun goodies in them.
I thought they’d be exciting to make and fill with candies. Or they could be keepsake boxes for a summer day at the beach and put some shells in them after they dry appropriately. Maybe some beach sand . . . and little keepsakes from a day in the sun.
They would be great to put in some sunscreen or chapstick, a pair of sun glasses. Depending upon how big you make your boxes, they would hold quite a few pictures of your day at the beach or what you did during summer vacation.
These sandals are usually worn throughout the summer and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to take lots of pictures to put in your keepsake flip flop sandal box..
This is a purchased SVG file. All you need to do is click the image and you’ll be taken to the website to purchase.
I know I find a lot of free printables for you, but this time it is a paid one I believe is worth the price. And, if you have a Silhouette Cameo you can get this file quite a bit cheaper from the Silhouette Store.
And, if you don’t have a Silhouette Cameo . . . why not?
The Silhouette Cameo is an electronic cutting machine that can cut a variety of materials up to 12 inches wide and 10 feet long. This new model has a responsive touchscreen, a handy on-unit cross cutter and built-in accessory storage.
I love mine, especially the Print and Cut feature that allows me to cut precisely around designs and images I have printed on my home printer. I’ve made lots of stickers, iron-on, cut-outs for scrap book pages and mini-albums. I’ve also made cupcake toppers and lots of boxes from my collection of templates. It does save me considerable time to have the Silhouette Cameo cut things out for me.
It includes a 12 inch cutting mat, a cutting blade and 100 preloaded designs. It also includes the Silhouette Studio, which is the powerful software program which allows you to create your own designs using your own fonts and images.
As I said, I love mine and I also bought:
This is a wonderful machine that I truly love using. There are things to learn, but you’ll find plenty of instructional videos on YouTube that will help you out. And you can figure things out with the on-line manual.
Some people choose the new Cricut Explore Air Wireless Cutting Machine and others like the Brother ScanNCut2.
It’s nice there are alternative cutting machine available for different people who want a cutting machine for different purposes.
Well, enjoy your summer . . . take plenty of pictures . . . and make some paper crafts during the heat of the day.
Thanks for stopping by!
Sharon
by Sharon | Jun 20, 2016
Yes! I’m already complaining about the summer temperature.
It reached the triple digits!
Wonderful beach weather or spending time in the pool. I spent time working on my personal projects indoors.
Yes, I am a bit boring, but I enjoy quiet activities in hot weather. I must admit, in spite of the heat, it was a lovely day. And today will be, too. I did get out early to take my house trash barrel to the curb. My neighbors have already done the deed the previous day.
I went out around 5 AM to get it done. No one was out and about, so it was quiet except for the noise I made. It is quiet pleasant to get out at the crack of dawn and soak in the silence . . . and the cool temperature. I do love the stillness and the calm feeling of the neighborhood. It is all quiet peaceful.
There will be plenty of activity going on as the day progresses on this first day of summer.
Most children are out of school . . . some families have started their vacationing to see glorious sights or visit family and friends. It is a beautiful time of year to soak in all that nature has to offer.
Each season is unique . . . and we have to get out in it to fully appreciate it.
I do have fond memories of summer vacation — vacation from school . . . and those outings with my family . . . they were all special and exciting. I loved visiting my grandmother and sitting on her front porch. I love a large front porch . . . but my home doesn’t have one . . . strange how we choose homes for different reasons . . . Or does the home choose us?
This would probably be better explored in my other website.
As we grow older, perhaps we think of things differently. People don’t usually sit on their porches as they once did. I enjoy my patio. I enjoy entertaining out there. Yet, it is also my quiet place to write my blogs and to work on my projects. It’s good for Diva to be outside to explore the backyard and to sit with me on the patio.
I do sit on my porch waiting for the Halloween crowd. It avoids upsetting Diva by the ringing of the doorbell. This way we can hear and see them coming. And we’re ready with our bowl of treats.
As I said earlier, I don’t have a large front porch like the one at my grandmother’s house, but I did set out a bench for two and that about fills up the space I have. I do enjoy it when the mail carrier sets a package on the bench . . . some other packages are set at the door or secured under the bench. I don’t know why, there are plants hiding the bench and the front door from the street and sidewalk . . . but each has their way of delivering packages.
And, while we’re on the subject of packages . . . Have you looked into Amazon Prime? There are so many extras included besides just free shipping. I do enjoy that luxury and I’m fortunate enough to get same day delivery on selected items. But, generally second day is fine with me. And, there are times some items will be shipped later . . . I do love the luxury of shopping on-line and having items delivered to my door.
We do have so very many advantages . . . and some in my grandmother’s day have been taken away . . . milk delivery and dry cleaning delivery . . . Some things included this service . . . but we have food delivery which I don’t believe my grandmother had, but her local market did deliver her groceries on occasion.
Amazon has such a delivery that is new and if it is something you’d find worthwhile, it is worth checking out.
And, as I understand it, there are still other services available that people use from time to time.
I do turn to Amazon because it is usually the first name that comes to mind . . . and I’ve never found them to let me down when it comes to finding what I need.
I do hope this first day of summer finds you in good health and spirits.
Until next time,
Sharon
by Sharon | Jun 17, 2016
Our June Gloom turned to sunshine with rising temperatures.
This Father’s Day weekend is going to bring excellent BBQ weather.
My temperatures are tipping the 90’s and will easily slip into triple digits. It’s important to check on the elderly and keep your pets in cooler areas. And, for goodness sake, don’t leave your children unattended in packed cars. The temperatures get outrageously warm in parked vehicles.
Diva and I are going to stay indoors and go out for her “comfort” breaks.” We’ll get out early to run around and maybe a bit in the cool of the evening. During the day we’ll have indoor activities under the air conditioning.
While Diva naps I’ll be working on my crafts. I have some things I want to complete for Halloween and a few things for Christmas. Now is an excellent time to plan ahead for your holiday celebrations.
I have some friends that are making Halloween costumes of their whole family. I may get a sneak peek when they the urge to share gets strong enough. Right now, everything is top secret. They haven’t even divulged the theme of their costumes. Oh well, I’ll just have to wait and see.
Monitored outdoor activities are good, but having indoor activities are excellent during high summer temperatures. We must also keep hydrated with water.
Sunny weather is always welcome, but too much isn’t all that good. Do the sunscreen thing . . . wear a hat . . . and sunglasses . . .
Have a great weekend!
Sharon
by Sharon | Jun 5, 2016
It’s so true . . . but no excuses!
All last week I thought about posting here . . . but with the turn in the weather to HOT . . . and playing around with paper strips . . . time just flew by.
It’s fun to learn something new and to be motivated to finish projects I’ve started . . . and never finished.
I’ve been giving my paper crafting a lot of thought and have been doing a lot of research, too. Just when I think I’m getting a handle on the topic . . . something new is added and blows me away. So, I’ve been busy learning . . . getting confused . . . refocusing . . .
My learning curve is as loopy as the paper strips I’m curing and twirling . . .
And I got thinking that maybe focusing upon a theme would help . . . it has to a degree . . . but it’s much like window shopping. You’re focused until something catches your eye and attention and you’re off chasing butterflies . . .
I’ve enjoyed spring . . . and I’m determined to enjoy summer . . .
Although it officially hasn’t arrived . . . but the weather has given me summer heat . . . that I’m determined to enjoy . . . under the air conditioning.
I do run my errands early in the morning . . . working on that schedule to be home when the heat of the day sets in. I’m basically a fair weather girl. I like to be comfortable . . . and a bit cooler is preferred.
In my research . . . I came across a woman who makes miniature food charms . . . and one of her very popular pieces is s’mores . . . she’s made the graham cracker charms and chocolate charms and marshmallow charms, but the completed s’mores is what sells out . . .
So, this got me thinking . . .
Yes, about s’mores . . .
I’ve posted lots of s’more recipes in the past . . . but what is so great is coming up with your own combinations . . .
I’ve had one where you put the ingredients in a sugar cone/waffle cone wrap it in foil and set it on the grill or in the oven . . .
So, far that one seems to be my favorite because you can make them throughout the year. And they’re not all that messy . . . well . . . yes they can be.
And, this does get me thinking about the taste of summer . . . and it may very well be the original version of s’more . . . The one we grew up on . . . the one that everyone knows and loves . . . Every well-planned camping trip includes a box of graham crackers, Hershey chocolate bars and a bag of marshmallows.
And while driving to your destination . . . visions of a camp fire come to mind and making s’mores . . . and more importantly visualizing taking that first bite of your gooey s’more . . . being careful not to have the whole thing slide into your lap or down the front of your shirt/blouse.
Yes, indeed this is a common taste of summer that we crave from year to year . . .
There is something positive to be said about the traditional way of making s’mores . . . and creating your own variation on them . . . that brings something special to your camping trip or outdoor cookout . . . and don’t forget the ghost stories and urban legends.
Thanks for stopping by!
Sharon
by Sharon | Jul 31, 2015
Here’s a brilliant idea for your summer get-togethers
A major candy run to your nearest market will bring you such a variety of chocolates for your S’Mores Platter. There is no limit to what you can put together to create these delicious treats the whole family will love.
The greatest thing is homemade marshmallows! I like that you can slice them up so they’ll fit right into your graham crackers.
Here’s a recipe for Vanilla Marshmallows
This recipe makes 36 small squares
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons powdered unflavored gelatine
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 2-1/4 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup corn syrup or glucose
- 3/4 cup water
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar for dusting
Directions:
- Put the first 1/2 cup of cold water in the bowl of a standing mixer. Sprinkle the gelatin on top and let it hydrate.
- Line a baking pan with 2 inch sides with parchment paper and spray the entire surface with vegetable spray.
- In a medium saucepan, put sugar, glucose or corn syrup and the remaining water. Cook over medium heat until dissolved. Be sure to brush the sides of the pan, above the mixture, with a wet brush so crystals won’t form.
- Increase the heat to high, put the candy thermometer on the pan, boil until the temperature reaches 248°F.
- Using the wire whisk on your mixer, whisk the gelatin in the bowl. Slowly pour the sugar mixture into the gelatin while beating at high speed. Be careful not to pour it directly over the whisk, but between the side of the bowl and the whisk. That gets the majority of the syrup into the gelatin and not stuck in the beaters or sides of the bowl.
- Keep beating until the consistency is fluffy, like a thick meringue. All vanilla and mix.
- You’re ready to transfer the fluffy marshmallow mixture to the prepared pan. Smooth the top with an oiled or sprayed spatula.
- Allow to dry at room temperature for an hour and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
- Let dry for a few hours until it’s no longer sticky and can be taken out of the pan.
- Lift the parchment paper to unmold your marshmallows
- Use an oiled or sprayed kitchen knife to cut your marshmallows.
- Dust each square thoroughly with powdered sugar.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Give it a try.
They’ll truly be a great hit!
I know I find a lot of free printables for you, but this time it is a paid one I believe is worth the price. And, if you have a Silhouette Cameo you can get this file quite a bit cheaper from the Silhouette Store.
