Merry... Merry...

Holiday Season Craziness...

Sorry I haven't been around... I was working on getting things together for a small craft show at the beginning of December... and well... it's sort of went out of control. For the show, I made several of these cute owl hats... sold out of them... and I thought I was done. But, no. So many people wanted them, I started taking orders.... so every extra minute I've had has been making hats... hats... and more hats... It has been nice but it's totally taken me away from other things I love doing... so after I finished my orders... I've received another 15 orders... which will be put off until after Christmas, so I can focus on Christmas and my family...

Anyway, Rainee and I have been going cookie crazy... and this has to be our favorite... Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer.... it's such a fun cookie I had to share it with you... I hope your Christmas is delightful and your Christmas is full of Christmas wonders!!! And I'll try to be better at blogging....

10 every{day} HAPPY things...

It's Fri{day}!!! If you celebrated Thanksgiving, I hope yours was full of wonderful memories and delicious delights!!! Here's my HAPPY list for to{day}!!! I would love it, if you joined today and each week with what made you HAPPY...

    1.   Every{day} turkey crafts with Rainee

    2.   Smoked Turkey from HoneyBakedHams....

    3.   House full of loved ones...

    4.   Rainee's excitement about everything Thanksgiving...

    5.   Coco's Harvest Pie... my favorite fall pie...  

    6.   A spontaneous lunch with a friend...

    7.   Chilly mornings, hot coffee & a warm fire...

    8.   Left over turkey for turkey potpies...

    9.   Help with cleaning up the Thanksgiving feast... 

    10. Rainee saying... 'Mommy, I love your laugh. I makes me happy."...

To play along... use the linky below anytime before Thursday, midnight next week. This is all about sharing the little HAPPY things that happened this week in your week!

What's For Lunch?... Thanksgiving Friends...

Here are the cute little "Thanksgiving Friends" I made for Rainee's lunches... Rainee's favorite??? It was the turkey... she said, "It was turkey-licious!!!"

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours... we wish you a very blessed Thanksgiving Day...

What's Cooking To{day}...

I thought I'd share an old recipe I love making, especially this time of year... this one is so yummy and easy... so, if you're a popcorn lover, you won't be able to resist making it & gobbling it up.

Microwave Caramel Corn
• 1/2 Cup Butter
• 1/2 Cup Corn Syrup
• 1 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 16-24 Cups Popped Popcorn
• Cooking Spray
• 1 Large Paper Grocery Bag
• Cookie Sheet


Spray the inside of one large grocery bag thoroughly. Place popped popcorn in bag... set aside. Combine butter, corn syrup, brown sugar and salt in a large bowl. Cooking in Microwave for 2-2 1/2 minutes... bringing to a boil. Stir in baking soda... this will foam... this is normal... stir together. Add syrup mixture to popped popcorn... lightly stir. Roll bag down and place in microwave for 1 minute. Sire again, return to microwave for 1 more minute. Open bag and pour onto cookie sheet. Let cook. Break apart, store in air tight containers.... and enjoy!!!

Okay... so here's what we did with our caramel corn along with one of our Thanksgiving crafts this week....  We couldn't resist making this paper bag turkey...  putting our caramel corn in the turkey legs and regular popped popcorn inside the body... it's silly... it's fun... and it's ever so yummy!!! (photo from Martha Stewart) For your very own paper bag turkey... click here... or checkout a video here...

Well, I'm off to get things ready for Thanksgiving... plus making more turkey crafts with Rainee... plus whipping up a batch of turkey cakepops... plus, plus, plus... who knows what.... it's going to be a very busy day... hope yours is full of delights....

Turkey Dinnerwear...

This week Rainee and I have been trying to make a craft a day while she's off from school.... So, when Rainee saw this fun little craft she just HAD TO DO IT... too cute.. too too funny!!!

10 every{day} HAPPY things...

It's Friday!!! It's been another busy week... bu here's my HAPPY list for to{day}!!! I would love it, if you joined in each week with what made you HAPPY...

    1.   Pumpkin Cheesecake... delish!

    2.   An empty laundry basket...

    3.   The smell of fall spices...

    4.   Family dinner conversations...

    5.   Mash potatoes & gravy...  

    6.   Teaching Rainee, Yahtezz...

    7.   The smell of homemade bread baking...

    8.   The crunch of a honey-crisp apple...

    9.   Pumpkin pancakes... 

    10. Good night kisses...

To play along... use the linky below anytime before Thursday, midnight. This is all about sharing the little HAPPY things in life that happened this week!

Well I can't get linkytools to work this morning... so I'll try again later.... have a fabulous weekend!!!

What's For Lunch...

Lately, Rainee's been wanting to eat school lunches, so I've only made a few "Thanksgiving Themed Lunches", which I'll post next week... but for today... here are more Halloween lunches as promised...

Here's hoping your day is fun filled with surprises!!! Happy Wednesday!!

Owl Always Love You Hat...

Some thing more for the craft show... I've been seeing a lot of cute winter hats out there... but the cutest of all are those owl hat... have you seen them??? They are just too much!!! But... even though I loved them... I wasn't too keen on the ears they were putting on them... sooooo after a lot of thought... I made my own version of this adorable hat...

This hat is made with some yarn I bought on sale at Michaels... it's a bit tricky to work with, but in the end... this hat is super fun... warm... and completely adorable... but then how could it not be with the cutest model wearing it. I've already sold 2 of these and I haven't even brought them to the show... I am making more that aren't soooo fuzzy.... but as for this one, it's found a home with Rainee...

More craft show projects coming soon... thanks or flying by.... enjoy your day!

High-Tech Rainbow Tote...

I'm getting ready for a craft show in a few weeks and along with my scrapbook frames... I'm crocheting a few things... well, more than a few things I hope. Anyway, thought I'd share, over the next couple of days, a few of things I've been working on so you can see what I'm up to.

This cute little Rainbow Tote came from a need... you see, Rainee loves her DSi... she takes it everywhere, especially when we're out and about... but it doesn't have a real home. So, I thought it should have a place of it's own... plus, Rainee should have something cute to carry it around in. After playing around with different ideas I came up with this little Rainbow Tote. It's the perfect size for her DSi and she loves all the bright colors... and well, I love that it now has a home. And because it turned out soooo stinkin' cute I'm making a few for the craft show.

See you tomorrow with another little craft show project... have a delightful day!

What's Cooking To{day}....

This morning I was just about to make one of our favorite Sunday breakfasts when, I thought about the container of pumpkin puree I had in the fridge.... then thought... hmmmm I think I'm going to make Pumpkin Pancakes today instead... and wow wow wow... were they ever yummy!!! So, if you have some pumpkin puree just waiting to be used... try this recipe, it's sure to please your pumpkin cravings.

PUMPKIN PANCAKES
2 Cups Milk
1 tsp Lemon Juice
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Pumpkin Puree
2 Tbsp Veg Oil
2 Tbsp Pumpkin Spice
4 Tbsp Sugar
1 3/4 Cups Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt


Pour lemon juice in milk and set aside until milk curdles. In a large bowl place all dry ingredients. Add egg, milk, eggs and pumpkin puree. Mix together. Mixture should be lumpy for for best pancakes. Heat pan, place pancakes mixture in pan... they won't bubble like normal pancakes so watch so you don't burn them... turn and finish cooking. Add butter, and syrup to taste... and enjoy!!!

p.s. here is the pumpkin spice recipe if you don't happen to have it on hand... mix this together and you now have your very own container of it...

Pumpkin Spice Recipe: 4 tsp ground cinnamon, 2 tsp ground clove, 1 tsp allspice, 1 tsp nutmeg. 

Mix ingredients in a bowl. Store in an airtight container. Makes 8 Teaspoons. Note: you can change the clove to ginger in you'd prefer.

10 every{day} HAPPY things...

Yeah... it's Friday!!! Here's my list for this... oh, so very HAPPY it's Friday {day}!!! Would love for you joined in with what made your week HAPPY...

    1.   My Birthday... love my day...

    2.   Going to the Fall Festival at Harvest w/Rainee...

    3.   Watching Rainee fly down a 2 story bouncer slide...

    4.   Going to the pumpkin patch...

    5.   Carving pumpkins...  

    6.   Making & decorating sugar cookies...

    7.   Finally finishing the floor...

    8.   Having no massive amounts of dust to clean up...

    9.   Putting everything back for some sort of normalcy... 

    10. Having the Internet back up and running...

To play along... use the linky below anytime before Thursday, midnight. This is all about sharing the little HAPPY things in life that happened this week!

What's For Lunch? Halloween Friends....

Long story short-ish.... our fridge went out... which led to a redo of our kitchen floor... which led to taking out the carpet in the dining/family room (where we have the computer).... which led to the internet being on and off for the last 3 weeks. So with no internet... I haven't been able to blog... as for cooking, well... it was almost non-existent... and Rainee's lunches did happen... but just barely.

So even though Halloween has come and gone... I did want to share a few (I'll show more another day) of the fun Halloween lunches I was able to accomplish these last few weeks with minimal kitchen access...

Here's hoping your day is fun filled with surprises!!! Happy Thursday!!

Mr. Birthday, Well Hello....

Well, today's my Birthday!!! I love birthdays... and mine... well, of course I love it!!! I know getting older stinks... with all the aches and pains of growing older... but I'm not one who has a problem with my birthday or my age. For me, it's not just another day... it's a part of me... it shares my life's story. I love looking back and remembering. I think birthdays are the start for new year... to make it better than the last... well, at least try to anyway...

I hope you have a wonderful day... I know I will....

10 every{day} HAPPY things...

This week has been crazy for our family... from our refrigerator going out to an emergency dental appointment for Rainee... I didn't do any of the things I had planned... crafts... scrapbooking... card making... or seeing my out of town friend while she was here... all I can say is I am so HAPPY it's Friday!!!

Here's my list for this... oh, so very HAPPY it's Friday {day}!!!
I'd love it if you joined in with what made your week HAPPY...

    1.   New refrigerator...

    2.   Pulling up tile to new kitchen floor...

    3.   The dentist taking care of my little Rainee...

    4.   The smell of popcorn popping...

    5.   Volunteering in Rainee class...  

    6.   Baseball games this week...

    7.   Ghoulish sandwiches for Rainee...

    8.   Leaves falling like rain all over Rainee as played outside...

    9.   Watching with Rainee... It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown... such a cute movie!

    10. Crocheting yesterday... first time crafting all week... love my cute little pumpkin hat!!!

To play along... use the linky below anytime before Thursday, midnight. This is all about sharing the little HAPPY things in life that happened this week!

10 every{day} HAPPY things...

   Happy Friday! What is on your every{day} HAPPY list

   this week?... Here is mine. I hope you'll play along...

    1.   The smell of rain...

    2.   Picnic on the living room floor...

    3.   Phone calls with my sister...

    4.   Pumpkin Spice CakePops... yum!!!

    5.   The smell of cinnamon everywhere...  

    6.   Warm slippers on a cold morning...

    7.   Steve's right before bed ritual of tickling Rainee...

    8.   Mexican Chicken Soup on a rainy day...

    9.   Electricity outage with candles glowing...

    10. My favorite very old sweatshirt...
          perfectly broken in... soft, cozy & warm...

To play along... use the linky below anytime before Thursday, midnight. This is all about sharing the little HAPPY things in life that happened this week!

B is for... all things baby....

A friend of mine, just recently had her first grand-baby boy...  and although I've had her card made since the baby was born... I just couldn't bring myself to give it to her until I could make some baby CakePops for her to go along with.... I've been so grateful for this cooler weather, that I finally was able to make them for her.

So here is her baby bottle card.... along with baby boy CakePops... I did try to make a 1/2 dozen for her... buttttttttt.... the first couple ended up turning out more like baby monsters instead of cute cuddly babies! Seriously!!! Thankfully, Rainee loved these odd monster babies... & gobbled them up! LOL!!!

Thanks for peeking in on my little corner of the world... enjoy your day!!!

Welcome Autumn Teacher Gift...

To{day}, I thought I'd share with you the "Welcome Autumn Gift" Rainee and I put together this weekend for her teacher.
We made these cute little Owl & Pumpkin CakePops to put in this adorable CandyCorn Plate I bought at Target for a $1.00.

Rainee is the best little helper... and she did such a great job with the sprinkles and putting on the green icing pumpkin vine and stems... We had such fun making our fun little yummy cakepop gift!

Thanks for popping in to{day}... and welcoming fall with me...
 

Welcome Autumn...

I love the memories that summer brings... swimming in the pool... beach day Mondays... campfires at the beach... BBQ's with friends... air conditioning on sweltering hot days... playing in the sprinklers... squirt gun fights... poolside breakfasts... spontaneous picnics... story time at the library... and life in slow motion with schedule-free days... and although these days are carefree and easy... it's so nice to welcome fall...

I'm so happy that it's finally Autumn! It's one of my favorite seasons with... warm fires on chilly evenings... and then, of course, there is... our annual trip to the pumpkin patch... beautiful fall colors bursting out everywhere... homemade treats & breads of any kind... cooler weather sweaters... bright rosy cheeks from playing in the brisk fresh air... bike rides to the park... snuggling up with a cozy blanket and a good book... Starbucks pumpkin muffins along side a warm pumpkin latte... picking apples... hot cereal for breakfast... soft warm flannel sheets... biting into the first candy apple of the season... pumpkin carving... the crunch of leaves when you walk... hot chocolate mornings... the smell of cinnamon everywhere... and then there are the holidays it leads us into... and to welcome you perfectly... I say welcome October with a lovely pumpkin latte... happy October 1st!

May this first day of October lead you into a wonderful Autumn season...

10 every{day} HAPPY things...

   Happy Friday! What is on your every{day} HAPPY list
   this week?... Here is mine. I hope you'll play along...

    1.   The quietness of being the first up in the mornings...

    2.   Leafs changing colors...

    3.   Making popcorn on the stove...

    4.   Rainee's joy over her jungle animal lunches...

    5.   The sound of coffee brewing...  

    6.   Black berry cobbler...

    7.   The sound of Legos locking together...

    8.   Teaching Rainee to play handball...

    9.   The aroma of cookies baking..

    10. Rainee's new phrase... 'Now, bake me a pie'... she says it just like Sam from iCarly... and I have to say... it's adorable!!!

To play along... use the linky below anytime before Thursday, midnight. This is all about sharing the little things in life... So, join in any time with what made you HAPPY this week!

Jungle Animals Love Lunch...

 

I have to say I had such fun making these.... and Rainee... well you can imagine her delight!
Thanks for peeking in... 

Set of Mini Bike Cards...

I had such fun doing the stamped bike card the other day... I thought with all my scraps I'd make a few mini cards. The cute little mini bikes are cut out of the Jillibean Soup bike background paper. This mini set cards are the perfect size (2.5"x4") for a little note and will make a lovely little gift for a friend....

Thanks for cruzing by today... Enjoy to{day} & your every{day} moments!!

Bird Watching...

This photo is from a couple of weeks ago... when Rainee and I were playing in the backyard... when we saw 2 humming birds flitting around. They were coming and going so fast we could hardly keep up with them. It was such fun bird watching. They made our afternoon even more pleasant.

I used SketchyThursdays sketch for this layout.. and... pattern paper: Jillibean Soup, solid paper: DCWV, kraft paper: Bazzil, Punches: EKsuccess, iTop: We R Memory Keepers, stamp: g-studio (birds) and Stampendous (woodgrain), sticker letters: Jillibean Soup, Creative Imaginations, buttons: Vintage, cloud die-cut: Papertrey Ink.

Enjoy your Monday...