Advent Calendar #2

This advent calendar is for my 4-year-old granddaughter.  She will have so much fun filling in Santa's beard each day!  I found the idea on line but changed it up a bit to make it my own.  I re-worded the poem also.  Now it is just perfect for her!  These are so fun to make.  I found a cute Santa coloring page on line and used MTC to help cut out the image with print and cut.  I used Penny Duncan's file for the layers on the bottom.  Thanks for stopping by to take a look.  Have a wonderful day!

Advent Calendar

Last night I spent a lovely evening crafting with my daughter and daughter-in-law.  We made these adorable Advent Calendars.  They each chose their papers, I designed a box file, and we happily cut, taped, folded, and chatted the evening away!  At first we were going to put a number on each little box to be opened on the respective day of the countdown to Christmas.  However, we all thought it would be more fun to leave them unmarked so that each day they opened a box, it would be a complete surprise for everyone!  The box to be opened Christmas day has it's own special paper, and there is only one box like it in the entire container.  I only have a closeup of one of them, but aren't they just the cutest?!  I would like to upload the file for the boxes, but I don't know how!  I will do some research and see if I can get it to work!  If you would like it, please contact me by email.  Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!

I know there are a lot of pictures, but I just wanted to share a bit of my Christmas decor.  I have a Santa collection and a Nativity collection and took a few pictures to just show some of them.  I have larger ones around the house also.  Some are very old, some are very new.  Some are wax, some are made from Mt. St. Helens volcanic ash, some are from the Holy Land.  Most have been gifts.  Isn't that wonderful?!  The tree is the one that my boys decorate with their ornaments that we have gathered over the years.  My husband added his wooden ornaments this year also!  I change my curtains in my kitchen each holiday and these are my Christmas ones.  I just love the holidays!  I am going to thoroughly enjoy every day until Christmas is here!  Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by!

Christmas Ornament...another one!

Here is my husband's latest!  He has been very busy in his shop turning out more and more beautiful ornaments.  This one is made out of apple wood (I think!) and he has made it completely hollowed out so you can see the bell from all four sides.  Breathtaking!  Thank you for stopping by to take a peek and have a wonderful day!

Once There Was A Snowman (and woman)...

Aren't these just the cutest little Mr. and Mrs. Snowman?!  My dear husband turned them on the lathe and added little black crystals for their buttons and eyes.   I made a tiny green bow to go on Mrs. Snowman's hat.  These will look so cute hanging on our tree!

I was perusing the Make-the-Cut forum the other day and noticed they were having a "Nutcrackers in November" crop.  There was a charge plate challenge and I have always liked putting vinyl on plates, so I decided to make one and include it as an entry in the challenge.  Here it is!  I found this pattern on line about a year ago so I don't know who to give credit to for this amazing design!  Doing little projects like this gets me closer to being in the Christmas spirit, however, I want to thoroughly enjoy the Thanksgiving season to its fullest!  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Christmas Bells Are Ringing!

My sweet husband has already made me so many beautiful wooden Christmas ornaments to hang on our tree this year, but now he has included this amazingly beautiful bell!  He used cherry wood and birch plywood.  Somehow he layered the woods and as he turned it on his lathe, it created this gorgeous pattern!  Not only is the outside beautiful, but the inside as well! I hope you enjoy the pictures.  Thank you so much for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

"Corn" Bread

I love to cook, and bake, and make, and eat!  One of my favorite things to make is my bread.  Last night we were having clam chowder for dinner so I whipped up some bread in my trusty Bosch Bread maker and decided to make a fun sculpture with it.  I tried making an ear of corn.  It looked really good after I had gotten it all shaped and ready to raise.  However, after raising, my "corn rows" weren't quite as pronounced.  Let me tell you, though, that none of that affected the way it tasted!  My family is always ready for some good old fashioned homemade bread!  They gobbled away without giving much thought to how it looked!  Thanks for stopping by and taking a peek!  Have a great day!

The "Perfect" Lemon Square Recipe (for us!)

In regards to a previous post on my Cake Plate, I had said that I would post a recipe when I felt that it was good enough to share.  Well, I think I have done it! To preface this,  I have a husband who doesn't like anything lemon, and he is eating a fair portion of these!  These lemon squares have a very tangy, lemony flavor so if you don't like a strong lemon flavor touching your palate, these won't be for you.  I tried several recipes, mixed and matched, and finally came up with something that my entire family likes!  However, they have had to eat so many lemon squares in the past few days, I believe they are weary of them right now!   Here it is!  I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!  I will caution you, however, to let them cool completely before trying to cut them.  If they are the slightest bit warm, they will not cut well at all.  Ask me how I know that.... I was much to impatient to taste them and cut them way too early!

SHIRLEY'S VERY LEMONY LEMON SQUARES

Crust
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

Filling
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 cup lemon juice
4 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9X9 baking pan with foil.  In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, sugar and salt.  Cut the butter into chunks and add to the flour mixture.  Blend on low speed with an electric mixer until the mixture has a coarse, sandy texture.  Pour into your pan and press down until it is all even.  Bake for 16-19 minutes, or until sides are a golden brown.

While baking the crust, put the eggs in a bowl and whisk until well mixed.  Add the sugar, flour and baking powder.  With an electric mixer, blend on low speed until smooth.  Add the lemon juice and continue to blend on low speed until well mixed.  If you desire a more brilliant yellow color, you may add yellow food coloring. I added about 4 drops to mine and they were a very beautiful yellow.  Pour this mixture over a hot crust.  Bake 25 minutes, or until filling in the center is firm to the touch.  Cool COMPLETELY before slicing.  Top with confectioner's sugar.

Get Well Card

We have a dear friend who is in the hospital and my husband said, "You can make him a card real quick and we will go visit him."  Yeah, right.  I can't do anything "real quick"!  This took me all afternoon to do!  I found the idea for the card on Split Coast Stampers and tweaked it to make it my own.  I cut the scalloped pieces with my trusty Black Cat Lynx.  I don't think I have ever told you what her name is.  Her name is "Shadow".  It fits her perfectly.  I used Core'ordination papers for all of it except the white, and that is just good old Wal Mart paper!  I stamped the leaves and the inside sentiment.  Did I mention before what a terrible photographer I am?  Sorry this picture is so dark.  It didn't look that dark when I took it!  Thanks for stopping by and having a look!  Have a great day!

New Cake Plate and Goodies!

I had heard so much about my friends making their own cake plates by taking candle holders and any kind of plate you like and siliconing them together.  I decided I wanted to try it.  I searched for a lot of months to find one I liked.  I found the candle holder one month and a few months later found the plate and I think they look terrific together.  I found them both at our local Deseret Industries Thrift Store and the entire piece cost me $2!  I love making my own things!  I decided that I needed to make something to show it off better so I found a recipe for Lemon Squares and thought I would give them a try.  I have to say that I am less than impressed with the lemon square recipe so I am not going to share it.  When I find one that I really like, I will be sure to post the recipe for everyone to enjoy!  The Lemon Squares do look nice on the plate, however.  Presentation is everything...isn't that what "they" say?  Whoever they are!  Thanks for stopping by and taking a look!  Have a great day!

Christmas ornaments

My husband is a wood turner and very creative and crafty in his own right!  His love right now is making Christmas ornaments.  I just wanted to show a couple of pictures of some ornaments he has made.  He has turned so many and each time he makes a new one, it becomes my favorite!  Too bad he has sold some to others...I could have quite a collection by now!  LOL!  Thanks for stopping by and taking a look!  Have a great day!

Subway Art

As I mentioned earlier, I am NOT a photographer and it was really difficult to get a good shot of this.  It is actually a floating frame but I had to put a white board behind it so you could see the words.  I designed this using several different fonts I found on line and brought them in to my Make-the-Cut program.  I cut the vinyl on my trusty Black Cat Lynx cutting machine.  Then I put the vinyl on the glass.  I still have to use some silicone to make the glass stay in the frame but I was in too much of a hurry to post this as I think it is so cool!  When my husband gets home and can find the silicone, then I will take out the little black holders that are just barely peeking over the sides of the frame and adhere the glass in place.  I hope you like this as much as I do!  Thanks for stopping by and taking a look!

I took all my Halloween decorations down today and put out the Thanksgiving ones.  I just love the transition from Halloween to Thanksgiving!  Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because I just have so very much to be thankful for!  It's hard to see what's on my shelf, but I have turkeys, pottery that my husband made when he was in high school (ancient! LOL!), candles, pilgrims, gourds, etc., and lots of fall leaves!  I just love fall colors!

On my coffee table I like to put out the leftover candy from Halloween so whenever anyone comes, they get a treat.  My kids love it too!

I made curtains for my kitchen that match the place mats.  I love the warm feeling all of these wonderful colors give to my home.  Happy Thanksgiving month!  Thanks for stopping by!