Patriotic Wreath

via All You



YOU'LL NEED:

• 18" green Styrofoam wreath
• 4 yards of 1 1/2" wide ribbon
• 12" x 12" sheets of scrapbook paper
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Bone folder or metal ruler
• Double-sided tape
• Assorted star stickers
• Hot-glue gun

1. Cut a sheet of paper into 6 pieces, each measuring 4" x 6", for large medallions. (To create a medium-size one, use 3" x 6" sheets, and for the small size, use a 2 1/2" x 3 1/4" sheet.)
2. Fold each piece of paper widthwise in 3/8" wide accordion-style pleats. Use a bone folder or the edge of a metal ruler to sharpen creases.
3. Fold each pleated piece of paper in half and tape inner edges together. Gently spread pleats apart. Arrange three fanned pieces together to form a circle, and join with tape. Add a star sticker to center. You will need approximately 40 of these medallions to create the wreath.
4. Wrap wreath in ribbon until completely covered. Tie ends to secure. Starting with largest medallion, hot-glue each to wreath. Continue with medium and small sizes until wreath is covered. Finish by gluing ornaments in place.

 

Valentine

♥Happy ♥ Heart ♥  Day♥

via the macs

…… a few of my Favorite ♥ Quotes:

♥Where there is love there is life. ~ Mohandas Gandhi

♥You are what happened when I wished upon a star.          

♥If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.  ~ A. A. Milne

                                

♥To love abundantly is to live abundantly, and to love forever is to live forever. ~ Henry Drummond

                          

♥Nobody has ever measured, not even poets, how much the heart can hold. ~Zelda Fitzgerald

                 

♥Once in awhile in the middle of a normal life, Love gives us a fairytale.

♥Always remember there was nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name. ~ The Avett Brothers

                                   

♥Love is the magician that pulls man out of his own hat. ~ Ben Hecht

                                   

♥Life is better with your best friend.  That’s why I married mine.

♥Love is what you've been through with somebody. ~ James Thurber

              

♥ In Family Relationships LOVE is really spelled TIME. ~ Dieter F. Uchtdorf

                                  

♥I thought I knew happy but you taught me Happiness.

♥Where there is great love, there are always wishes. ~Willa Cather

                               

♥Loved you yesterday, love you still, always have, always will♥

Have a Happy Valentine’s Day!

Valentine Twinkies

Valentine Twinkies

Here is a last minute idea for Valentine's Day dessert! 

Quick and easy strawberry shortcake ala heart shaped twinkies.

via Crazy Domestic

Simply cut your twinkies diagonally, and place them together in a heart shape! They topped theirs with strawberry jam (diluted with water-about 3 parts jam, 1 part water) and then garnished it with fresh strawberries!

You could even drizzle hot fudge or chocolate sauce over the top! 

Valentine’s Marshmallow Pops

Easy peasy quick treat for Valentine’s Day:

Valentine’s Marshmallow Pops

via Glorious Treats

All you need...

One bag of Strawberry Marshmallows

Chocolate

Sprinkles

Lollipop sticks

Small cellophane bags (if you want to wrap them up)

1.      ~ Directions ~  Push a lollipop stick into each marshmallow.

2.    Melt some chocolate (chocolate chips are not recommended)  I usually use Ghirardelli chocolate (found in the baking aisle).  You will probably need 4-8 oz. of chocolate, depending on how many marshmallows you dip.

3.    Dip one marshmallow at a time into the chocolate.

4.    Allow excess chocolate to drip off, then sprinkle your choice of sprinkles onto the chocolate.

5.     Set the marshmallow pop (stick down) in a mug to allow the chocolate to set (you can put the mug of pops in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes)

6.    Once the chocolate is set, if desired, wrap each pop in a small cellophane bag.

7.     Share with friends =)

 

Thank You Thursday-2012

via dzine

So many things to say ….. where should I start!

Well first, THANK YOU to everyone for sending so many wonderful wishes for my birthday!  I love my birthday now.  The thing is, I have had a Love/Hate relationship with the day for quite a while.

When I was growing up I loved that my birthday was on New Year’s Eve.  It was the perfect night for a slumber party.  My family endured many of those.  I loved the excitement of waiting for the midnight hour to ring in the New Year!  

Shirley Temple via Movie Dream Book

We would run up and down the street banging pots and pans.  Oh the thrill!  My mom was always the best at making birthdays special. As a matter of fact, she did such a good job I actually thought ALL of the New Year’s festivities were about “me”!   I know, but I did.  It’s true.

Now that was the one hand.  On the other hand, Aunts and Uncles often sent me a Christmas/Birthday present.  When you are 7 years old that can be devastating.   

via favim

 My birthday was during the Christmas break so some of my best friends that went out of town every year for the holidays couldn’t be there. 

Later on  it seemed like everyone got a new calendar for Christmas and excitedly hung it up filling in their schedules for the New Year.  “Hey, there are a few more days .  Wait!” 

And the worst .... I got all my new clothes all at once... so tragic.

via a cottage industry

These days I really do love everything about my birthday and I hope I get to have many more!  I love turning a year older right at the start of the New Year. It is the perfect way to end one year and begin the next.

via sarahearn

  Mark and I  recently saw the movie New Year’s Eve.  We loved it.  

It’s a “feel  good”  movie similar to the Movie Valentine’s Day.  I saw it with my girls ♥ after my infamous toe surgery .

In the movie New Year's Eve, Hilary Swank plays Claire Morgan the producer of the Times Square New Year’s Eve ball drop.  When there is a malfunction and everyone is waiting for the drop she gives this impromptu speech from the heart.

Referring to the ball, she says,

"It's suspended there to remind us before we pop the champagne and celebrate the New Year, to stop and reflect on the year that has gone by.  
To remember both our triumphs and our missteps - our promises made, and broken.  The times we opened ourselves up to great adventures - or closed ourselves down, for fear of getting hurt.  
Because that's what New Year's is all about: getting another chance. A chance to forgive, to do better, to do more, to give more, to love more. And stop worrying about 'what if' and start embracing what would be. 
So when that ball drops at midnight - and it will drop - let's remember to be nice to each other,  kind to each other. And not just tonight but all year long."

It's a NEW Happy Year!

via Nesting Place

via citified blog

Wishing a

via etsy

to you!

via Pulsar Media

Giving Thanks

free printable via
Classy Clutter

I really can't believe it is November.  
Like never before I feel excited to celebrate this month of "Thanksgiving".  

Last month I did THIS post

“EveryDay Thanksgiving”

… where I shared some of my favorite talks and quotes on gratitude.

I also mentioned this book that I had just finished reading.

You can find it  HERE.

This is the trailer:

We started a tradition  in our family with a

“Thankful Tree”.

During the month we write things we are thankful for on little leaves and then hang them on a wire tree.  It is so fun to watch the progression as the tree fills up with blessings! 
Even more rewarding is the realization of so many gifts from heaven.

I hope this month, so perfectly timed before celebrating the birth of our Savior,

we can all do something in our lives and in our homes that will encourage

Intentional Gratitude. 

Happy Month of 

Thanksgiving !

Happy 4th of July!

Happy Independence Day!

"I testify to you that God's hand has been in our destiny. I testify that freedom as we know it today is being threatened as never before in our history. I further witness that this land—the Americas—must be protected, its Constitution upheld, for this is a land foreordained to be the Zion of our God. He expects us as members of the Church and bearers of His priesthood to do all we can to preserve our liberty."

--Ezra Taft Benson, "A Witness and a Warning,",Ensign, Nov. 1979

Old Glory Cherry-Blueberry Pie

via Sunset, July 2001

 

Ingredients

• 5 cups fresh sweet, dark cherries, rinsed and pitted, or frozen pitted cherries (see notes)
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained, or frozen blueberries
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• Flag pastry
• 2 teaspoons butter or margarine, cut into small pieces
• Vanilla ice cream (optional)

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, mix cherries with 2 tablespoons lemon juice. In a smaller bowl, mix blueberries with remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Combine sugar and cornstarch; gently stir 1 cup of the mixture into cherries and 1/4 cup into blueberries.
2. Spoon cherry mixture over 3/4 of the pastry in pan, leaving 1 quadrant free. Spoon blueberry mixture into unfilled area. Scatter butter evenly over fruit.
3. Top filling with stars and stripes as directed for flag pastry. Set pie in a foil-lined 13- by 17-inch baking pan.
4. Bake on the bottom rack of a 400° regular or convection oven until fruit is bubbling in the center and pastry is well browned, about 1 hour. If pastry edges brown too quickly (check after 40 minutes), cover loosely with foil.
5. Let pie cool on a rack at least 3 hours; let stand at room temperature up to 8 hours. Cut into wedges and serve with ice cream, if desired.

Notes: If using fresh cherries, buy about 1 3/4 pound; if using frozen, you'll need about 1 1/2 packages, 16 ounces each.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Note to Self

"Don't throw the candy canes away."

You'll need them in February to 

Make These:

 Remove the cellophane wrapping from the canes and form hearts by placing them hook to hook and tail to tail on a nonstick baking sheet or one lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350°F for 2 to 4 minutes (depending on the canes’ size) or until they stick together when you pinch the ends lightly. Cool thoroughly and remove with a spatula. If you want to make flat hearts with psychedelic stripes, bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

Concert Season

Last week Hope had two Holiday Concerts.

Thanks to Marci we have the video of the 

Taylor High School Symphony Orchestra Concert.

  Hope's favorite number was the

"Hungarian March, Op. 24"~Hector Berlioz 

Directed by Mr. Bailey

We were amazed that we were listening to High School kids!

Chocolate Covered Marshmallows

 Momma Reiner's

Chocolate Covered Marshmallows

From The Martha Stewart Show, December 2007

This wonderful recipe for sweet chocolate-covered marshmallows is courtesy of 

Kimberly Reiner of Momma Reiner's Fudge. 

 

Ingredients

Makes about 30 chocolate-covered marshmallows

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup cornstarch
• Momma Reiner's Chocolate Fudge

Directions

1. Lightly spray a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle gelatin over a small bowl filled with 1/2 cup cold water; let stand to soften.
2. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, mix together sugar, corn syrup, hot water, and salt. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Continue cooking, without stirring, until mixture reaches the soft-ball stage, about 240 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and add gelatin mixture; set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. With the mixer running, slowly add sugar mixture. Add vanilla and continue beating for 10 minutes until the mixture looks like marshmallow.
4. Transfer marshmallow mixture to prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Spray a piece of parchment paper with nonstick cooking spray and cover marshmallow. Let stand overnight.
5. Remove parchment paper and invert marshmallow onto work surface. Trim 1/4-inch from edges of marshmallow. Cut marshmallows into 1 1/2-inch squares. Pour cornstarch in a bowl; working in batches, gently add marshmallows and toss to coat.
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Working with 1 marshmallow at a time, insert skewer into a marshmallow and dip in fudge until coated on all sides, removing any excess from bottom of marshmallow; place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining marshmallows (you will have some marshmallows left over). Let chocolate covered marshmallows stand at room temperature overnight before serving or transferring to an airtight container for up to 3 days.