Halloween Decoration

I have been wanting to craft so bad, but I don't have much time to craft let alone come up with an idea. So I went to Heartland Paper and bought this cute Halloween craft.

It was super easy. Just had to paint everything black and then mod-podge on the paper and words.

I'm BACK! :)

OK, I know it's been forever! At least it feels that way. I have been craving crafting!!!! But my life has been turned upside down! We have moved into my Grandparents to take care of them. So I will be crafting still, just not as much as I would like.

We went camping recently and was able to do a craft! I had these wood pieces and decided to make a birthday countdown since I love my birthday! I LOVE the way it turned out!

All I did was paint them, then mod-podged the paper squares, numbers and stickers on. It took me a 1/2 hour!

(No it's not 18 days till my birthday)

Sorry

Sorry followers! I have been super sick...kidney stone. I haven't been blogging or crafting.  Hope to be better and blogging again soon!  Hang in there with me! 

PS...my button doesn't work...hope to have that fixed next week as well. :)

Pizza Sign

I have had this pizza board for 5 1/2 years.  I have always wanted to paint it and hang it in the kitchen.  Well, I finally found the right stencils.

 

I love painting...it is probably my favorite craft! (And I love sunflowers!)

Tasty Tuesday

This weeks recipe is from "The Essential Mormon Cookbook"

Meltaway Cookies

1cup butter

3/4 cup cornstarch

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 cup flower

1 recipe cream cheese frosting (see below)

In a medium bowl cream butter until fluffy.  Add cornstarch and sugar and blend well.  Beat in flour until thoroughly mixed. Drop by small teaspoons onto baking sheet and flatten out with the bottom of a glass. (Dip glass in powdered sugar to prevent sticking) Bake at 350 degrees F, for 10 to 12 minutes.  Cool on wire rack and frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (3oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients together.  Color with food coloring if desired.

These were the simplest cookies I have ever made!  And they really do melt in your mouth!

Memory Monday

Memory Monday is a little different today.  I found some ugly, square frames at a dollar store.  I thought it would be fun to make them over.  So, I sprayed them with primer and painted them.

 

Then, I added some ribbon to make them looked tied together.  (Note, if you do this make sure the staples aren't longer then the frame is thick...other wise they poke through! Lesson learned!)

I put wedding photos in them since our colors were black, white and yellow.  I am loving the way they turned out! :)

Memory Monday

Do you have a lot of miscellaneous pictures laying around?!  I know I do.  One of my favorite things to do with those extra photos is to create an "ABC" book.  Find pictures of loved ones, activities, place, etc. And have a page for all the "A's", "B's", "C's"...you get the picture!  I also like to write a border around the page of all of our favorite things that start with that letter...just incase I don't have a picture. :)

Now, I can't take credit for these pages...my mom made them years ago.  I am working on my very own "ABC" book.  (And yes, the little girl in the octagon is me!)

Tasty Tuesday

Sorry I missed Memory Monday yesterday...I just don't know what happened to Monday! It flew by and I just couldn't find the time.  Here it is 10:30 PM and I am finally finding time to post for Tasty Tuesday! :)  (Better late then never, right!?!)  This recipe also comes from the Pampered Chef's cookbook, 29 Minutes to Dinner.  I love this one...simple and great on hot days! (Can you tell I am hoping for summer!)

Thai Basil Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Peanut Sauce

2 tbsp dry-roasted peanuts

1 tbsp chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup poppy seed dressing

2 tsp Asian Seasoning Mix

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp water

Salad

1 small cucumber

1/2 medium red bell pepper

1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken

4 large Boston or bibb lettuce leaves

Additional chopped peanuts and basil (optional)

1. For sauce, chop peanuts and basil. Combine peanuts, basil, dressing, seasoning mix, vinegar and water in a small bowl and set aside.

2. For salad, peel cucumber, slice into julienne strips, avoiding seeds. Slice bell pepper into thin strips. Shred chicken; toss with half of the sauce. Set remaining sauce aside for dipping.

3. To serve, divide cucumber among lettuce leaves. Spoon chicken mixture over cucumber. Top with bell pepper. Garnish wraps with additional peanuts and basil, if desired. Serve with remaining peanut sauce.

Yield: 2 servings

ENJOY!

Another Poll

This time I need your help with Thursday.  I have two great ideas, one I am more excited about then the other, but again, I want to know what my readers want. 

Thirty Thursday, I thought would be fun to post projects that take about 30 minutes...keep in mind it will be a project that will take 30 minutes for me.  Some of you might take longer or shorter depending on skill, enjoyment, and/or interruptions.

Thrifty Thursday would be crafts that are for people like me...on a tight budget. Dollar store finds, refurbishing, re-purposing...that kind of stuff.

Let me know what you want to read about...I might use both...only time will tell.  :)

Tasty Tuesday

I thought it would be fun to share recipes on Tuesday's.  So here is my favorite recipe!  The picture and recipe are in the 29 Minutes to Dinner, from the pampered chef...BEST COOKBOOK EVER!

Glazed Chicken with Apple Salad

Dressing and Apple Salad

2 tbsp cider vinegar

2 tbsp apple jelly

1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

1 Granny Smith apple

1 red apple such as Jonathan, McIntosh, or Gala

1/2 cup lightly packed watercress

plus additional for serving

(I use shredded lettuce and sometimes mix with watercress)

Chicken and Glaze

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp coarsely ground pepper

2 tbsp apple jelly

1 tsp stone-ground mustard

1 tbsp brown sugar

1. For dressing, mix together vinegar, jelly and mayo; set aside. For salad, slice apples into julienne strips. Remove leaves from watercress stems (discard stems); coarsely chop watercress leaves. Combine apples and watercress in a bowl and set aside.

2. For chicken, heat a grill pan over medium-high heat 5 minutes. Meanwhile, flatten chicken to an even thickness using a tenderizer. Brush with oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook chicken 4-6 minutes or until grill marks appear. Turn chicken over; cook 4-6 minutes or until center of chicken is no longer pink.

3. While chicken is cooking, prepare glaze. Combine jelly, mustard and brown sugar in a bowl. Brush chicken with glaze during last minute of cooking. (WARNING...it burns really easy! I learned the hard way!)

4. To serve, arrange additional watercress on serving plates, if desired. Pour dressing over salad just before serving; toss gently to coat. Top watercress with salad and chicken.

Yield: 4 servings

Hope you all enjoy! Let me know what you think.

Memory Monday

Let me start by saying that I don't belong with any craft "company".  I am in no way a consultant or expert.  I just enjoy crafting and I know what I like and what I don't like.  I know that I still have a lot to learn too!

So, are you ready for "Memory Monday"...because I sure am!

Do you get a lot of cards? Birthday, Christmas, Thinking of You, etc. And not know what to do with them?  And what to do with graduation, wedding, baby cards...congratulating you...you don't want to get rid of them, but don't know where to store them?

Why not scrapbook them!?!  Here are some examples of my scrapbook.  The first one was a shower invitation my aunt made for one of my bridal showers.

The other three where shower and wedding cards.  I actually really enjoyed scrapbooking all of them.  Some people really take the time to write/make a card for you, why not keep it forever?!  Mix in cute stickers, miscellaneous pictures and just have fun.

....Monday....

And the winner is "Memory Monday"!  I can't wait!  My first "Memory Monday" will be March 1st! (3 "M's"!)  I am also very excited to have my first follower that I don't personally know...check out her blog!  She is amazing!! Thanks Kami!!! :)
 


    I have been working on a couple of different crafts...so stay tuned! :) 

Themes

I am working on making my blog the best that it can be!  In doing so, I thought it would be fun to have themed days.  (Not everyday, because I can't possibly blog everyday...well I could but I am concerned about quality!)  I need your help...I want your opinion on names.  We'll start with Monday.  Mod-Podge Monday came to mind first...I love using Mod-Podge and thought I could share with you my Mod-Podge projects on Monday.  But I am also really into scrapbooking (that's what strated it all!), so I thought I could share ideas, tips, and secrets on scrapbooking on Memory Monday.  My husband thought of Manic Monday and I am not sure what I would do with it, but he says I would figure it out.  And for Messy Monday I was thinking on organizing tips...I am extremely organized and very OCD! 

So vote and will see what you readers want to see, and we'll see what works.  :)

Read more: http://www.mylivesignature.com/wizard2_2.php#ixzz0eyePW

FRICO!

For my new readers...Firco is an old Canadian, family recipe.  I thought this would be the perfect place to share this wonderful recipe.  It is very simple and nothing taste better when you are feeling under the weather.  (Or when there is a smaller budget for food one week!)

Bring 6 chicken legs to a boil, sprinkle with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning.

Boil for 1/2 hour to 45 minutes, or when chicken is no longer pink

Keep water

Peel and cut 6 potatoes into chunks

Take chicken out of water

Put potatoes in

(If needed add more water and salt)

De-bone chicken and put back in pot.

Done when potatoes are done :)

(If using more then 6 chicken legs use equal number of potatoes)

Read more: http://www.mylivesignature.com/wizard2_2.php#ixzz0eyePW

Metal Tiles

I love black and white! So when I found these on abc distributing I couldn't resit. I used them in the kitchen for a little while, but they just didn't work with the sunflower theme. So I mod-podged them with paper to match my bathroom...which is a celestial theme, with a lot of blue.

Before:

After:

I put a coat of outdoor mod-podge since they are in the bathroom. I really like the way they turned out, but I am not sure I like where I hung them...so I am sure they will be moved a lot until they find their forever home :)

Read more: http://www.mylivesignature.com/wizard2_2.php#ixzz0eyePW

Tables

Our living room is Americana and I was having a hard time finding tables for the room.  When I was younger, my Mom found these white tables from abc distributing.  I sponge painted them green to match my bedroom.  Well, now that I am married they didn't work in the bedroom anymore.  So, about a year ago, I sanded and re-painted them.  I LOVE the way they turned out!  I found the lamp also from abc, on clearance for $5 each!

Read more: http://www.mylivesignature.com/wizard2_2.php#ixzz0eyePWCrI

Craft Club

The reason I created my very own craft blog was to join the craft-blogging world! I really got excited when I found an online craft club http://craftsinbloom.blogspot.com/ 

This week "challenge" was clothes refashion.  I immediately said "OH NO! SEWING!"  I am just learning how to sew and am not that great yet.  But I did have something in mind.  I was given this cute white skirt from a friend, but I didn't like how high the slit was.

So off to JoAnne's I went and found some fun, bright material.  I filled in the slit and add a few inches to the hem to tie it all together.

I really liked the way it turned out and I am so glad the http://craftsinbloom.blogspot.com/ finally gave me a reason to buckle down and do it!

Read more: http://www.mylivesignature.com/wizard2_2.php#ixzz0eyePWCrI

Valentines Craft

I bought these cardboard cutouts at the end of the Valentines Day Season last year for cheep.  I didn't have any plans for them but a good crafter never passes up a deal! :)  So I decided to mod-podge them with some cute holiday paper.

I am probably the worlds most messiest mod-podger.  (I am making up words now!)  I didn't really like the way they turned out, so I followed some advise I got in a craft class once. "Put it away for 3 days and then look at it again."  It help and they are growing on me.  :)

Read more: http://www.mylivesignature.com/wizard2_2.php#ixzz0eyePWCrI

In the Beginning...

The time has come for me to create my very own crafting blog! I love to craft!!! And I love blogging!!! And I love blogs about crafts!!!! (That's where I get a lot of inspiration!) So, it only made sense for me to combine my love for crafting and blogging! I'll make this post short and sweet and just show some pictures of some of my many crafts. Enjoy!!!!

Read more: http://www.mylivesignature.com/wizard2_2.php#ixzz0eyePWCrI