Time to Decorate

Although it's still in the triple digits here in Arizona, I think it's time to start pulling out the fall/halloween decorations. We can at least dream of fall and the colors changing.  Here's a favorite Halloween project. The only cost is perhaps the canvas, everything else comes from what we all have, our scrapbook stash.  I started with a 16x20 canvas from Michaels. Primed it with Gesso, as this helps the scrapbook paper ahere better. I also painted the canvas orange for all the exposed areas. I  cut 2x2 and 2x4 pieces of my scrap papers, added some halloween embelishments and fun ribbons.  The best part is I've taken halloween pictures of the grandkid over the years and resized so they are small enough to randomly add to the canvas. They enjoy looking back at all their many costumes.  I may need to make a bigger canvas.

So easy and so much fun knowing your using up product you already have tucked away in those drawers.

Subway Art Party!

I love the look of subway art. thanks to Jen at tattertots and jello for hosting a Subway Art Party.  There were several ideas that really caught my eye. The romance and also the addresses. Since we've been married over 35 years wasn't sure I would be able to remember the actual street addresess but we did recall all names of the streets we lived on.  I purchased a 2x4 piece of MDF at home depot. They cut it in half so I had 2 2x2 pieces.  I knew I also wanted to give it a cavas thickness so I purchased 1x2 firing strips, and had them cut into 2ft pieces, giving me a total of 8. I purchased some really cheap paint at Michaels, 99 cents for a bottle large enough to do at least 10, and water based so easy clean up. I used a nail gun and attached the 2ft furing strips to the back of each piece of MDF. Painted black.  They are many different ways the actual lettering was accomplished. For my first attempt I decided to use my cricut and white scrapbook paper.  After doing a dry layout I then modpoded all the letters. Using a T-square to keep my lines as straight as possible. I let dry then brushed modpodge over the entire piece.
I liked the finished product but my second one will be a variation of font sizes and numbers.

I've already picked my words for the second one celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary, had a photo print made of it until I decide exactly my method for my second subway sign. For now it hangs on our refrigerator. 

Our 35th Wedding Anniversary

It was just another day at work, in April 1975, however one that would change my life forever.  That night at work our paths crossed for the first time.  I was serving drinks, he was sitting in the lounge reading the classified adds looking for a place to rent while playing baseball that summer in Danville.  Our meeting was by chance, and had I not been working that night our paths would have never crossed. This is where our story begins. Looking back now I can imagine how shocked my parents were when we told them 4 months later that we were going to get married, not to mention planning a wedding in 8 weeks. Heck back then it took 6 weeks just to get invitations ordered. Surprisingly enough, my parents were supportive of our decision to marry, and gave us a beautiful wedding we will remember and cherish forever. I'm so blessed to have such an amazing husband, 35 years and counting and still the love of my life!

German Chocolate Cupcakes

Saturday morning baking. german chocolate cupcakes. Found the receipe on How does she? First cupcakes Ive ever made from scratch, (not from a box) even the german chocolate icing. Charlie gives them a big thumbs up!

Mindy Gledhill - Anchor

Beautiful Singer Songwriter Mindy Gledhill

How Does She?

found a fun new blog today How Does She? a big thanks to Jen at Tatter tots and jello and she's also sharing a great halloween give away so hurry go take a peak, bet you can't resit. What a cute quick gift to make and keep one for your self. I love count downs, to anything, but halloween is so fun and so colorful. the days are just not long enough to blog and create!

Extra kits available

Cooking Lesson 101

So while Andrea was off getting a new hair cut I thought I would put the grand kids to work. Well not really work, I was teaching them both how to cook. You know the verse, "give a man a fish he'll eat for a day, teach him to fish he'll never go hungry". How true. Breaded pork tenderloins were on the menu.
first started with thin cut pork chops. dallas tenderized the meat! makes them big and thin. ella floured and seasoned each pork chop, then we dipped in egg bath and breaded with fine bread crumbs. Sauteed slowly about 2-3 min on each side or till golden brown. Sliced some fresh tomatoes, onions and lettuce.
They were YUMMY! and the kids got a good little cooking lesson to boot. Plus Ella originally said she didn't like pork, but I told her all cooks have to try their food before serving to their guests. well to her surprise she liked them!

Weekend Warriors

before

AFTER

One of my biggest pet peves is laminate sheets on exposed cabinets. When we picked out the cabinets for our home, we selected Cherry wood. Builder only offered, Maple natual, oak and Cherry. We have a beautiful 12 foot island. Unfortuantely the builder like all builders will cut corners where and when ever they can and finish all exposed cabinet backs with a veneer laminate sheets. I've always hated the laminate. They didn't look all that bad when we first moved in 7 years ago, but over time, Cherry wood will continue to darken, laminate being "fake" wanna like wood, doesn't.  So a project that I've wanted to do for at least the last 3-4 years is put real wood on the back and ends of my island and paint them black, as it's very difficult to match stains when using different types of wood species. So with the help of my loving hubby the weekend warrior project was on. All we needed to purchase was the beadboard slates that tounge and grove into one another and a can of black satin paint.  We didn't want a shinny gloss finish as the satin gives it more of a piece of furniture look to it. Also replaced the 4 white outlets with black outlets. (**make sure you turn off the power first). We Installed the wood slates in an evening, and painted the next morning. All that's left to do is put back all the wood floor corner round. We love how it turned out but the best part of course is we did it ourselves!