Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Baby Bib Card

I found the CUTEST baby card on Patty Bennett's blog and I couldn't wait to make it for a friend of mine who's expecting a little girl soon. We're both Vera Bradley fans, so when I saw this cute little outfit, I had to buy it for her. Love those Java Blue colors, and Baja Breeze and Chocolate Chip coordinate beautifully. I hope she likes her gift . . . and the card!
Have you ever had one of those brilliant ideas that just made you happy every time you thought about how absolutely SMART you are?!? Yea, me neither, until today! I have a GIANT stash of card fronts from three years of demo swaps and, while I have gotten rid of a bunch, I still have a bunch that I couldn't bear to throw away but that I just don't have room for anymore. So, in a moment of shear genius, I decided to turn them into full cards and donate them to our local Ronald McDonald House. How cool is that?!? I hope the guests enjoy sending them to loved ones back home.
I took the cards to RMDC today and they were very appreciative. If you have any extra cards you'd like to donate, please consider taking them to this wonderful place.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Gobble, Gobble!

Chris's cousin's sweet daughter, Lainey, used to call goggles "gobbles," and I always laugh when I think of that. It was so cute! She's older now and says it correctly - so sad!! This is a card I found on-line last year and just LOVED because it used SU!'s new scallop circle punch! Even though the Apple Cider Designer Series Paper is retired, I hope you find some inspiration in this simple Thanksgiving card. Happy Turkey Day!

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Thanksgiving Blessings

I decided this year that instead of getting out the Christmas decorations right after Halloween, I would make some things for Thanksgiving. My family and I have so much to be thankful for and I wanted to take time before the holiday madness begins to really focus on our blessings. I copied this project from the cover of this month's "Stampin' Success," and I am very proud of the way it turned out. When my family comes over for Thanksgiving dinner, this will be the focal point of my decorations. Have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving, friends!

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Color Challenge

Kristina's Color Challenge this week was Old Olive, Certainly Celery, Sahara Sand, and Whisper White. I was surprised I even had Sahara Sand, but luckily, I had enough to make this card. I love the spotlighting technique and it really jazzes up a card in a very simple way. Thanks for looking!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

It's beginning to look a little like Christmas . . .

So, if you've got a little time to kill and 23 friends to help you ;) why not make this adorable Advent calendar!! It's made from a 24-cup mini muffin tin and 24 cute squares made by me and my fellow SU! demonstrators. We got together to assemble the entire project for our holiday party, so there was lots of good food and great conversation. Each square is 2 3/8" x 2 3/8" and has a magnet cut to the same size on the back to hold it on the tin. Each of the little cups can be filled with candy or other prizes for your sweet little ones to uncover each day of December till Christmas. It is the neatest idea, but I'm so glad I didn't have to design and make 24 different squares for the project or my brain would have exploded!! My square was a little Santa tag that I found on-line and I love it!! I think the silver Hodgepodge Hardware buckle is the best part! Very simple and fun! I hope to post more Christmas projects as I get into the spirit so check back often. Have a blessed day!

Monday, November 10, 2008

The best shrimp ever!

I don't usually post recipes on my blog (or take pictures of my dinner!), but this is too good not to share! I watched the "Barefoot Contessa" over the weekend and she made onion rings marinated in buttermilk with a flour/cornmeal coating. They looked so good that I thought that same coating might be delicious on shrimp! So I followed the recipe exactly substituting a pound of peeled, deveined, tail-less shrimp for the onion, and OMGosh - it was FANTASTIC!! I wish I had bought another bag of shrimp!! We wolfed it down in no time - here's the recipe so you can try it, too!


1-2 pounds peeled, deveined, tail-less shrimp
2 cups buttermilk
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (medium) yellow cornmeal
1 quart vegetable oil (I used peanut)

Combine the buttermilk, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Add the shrimp, toss well, and allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes. In a gallon-size Zip-lock bag, combine the flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a large pot or Dutch oven. (A candy thermometer attached to the side of the pot will help you maintain the proper temperature.) Working in batches, lift some shrimp out of the buttermilk and dredge them in the flour mixture. Drop into the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes, until golden brown, turning them once with tongs. Don't crowd them and don't overcook them! Drain on paper towels and ENJOY!

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Some of you asked for it, now all of you have got it!!





OK. so some of you know that I partcipated in my first craft fair over the weekend. Not the rousing success I hoped for, but not a complete loss. However, I have a TON of stuff left over to sell - all BEAUTIFULLY packaged in cellophane bags (Martha Stewart's favorite corsage bags!!) and tied with Stampin' Up! ribbon. I have lots of 6x6 tiles ($10 each - they have felt feet on the bottoms to protect your table) and notepad/pen sets ($5 per set). I think either of these would make GREAT teacher or co-worker gifts and the work has already been done for you so you'll be ahead of the game this holiday season! Please let me know if you'd like to make a purchase! Have a great week!!!

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Prepare to be amazed . . .

Is this not THE CUTEST T-SHIRT EVER?!?! I saw this idea by Jennifer Buck on the Stampin' Up! website in the Artisan Award section and could not wait to try it out!! So I found Jennifer's blog where she posted a great tutorial that was super easy to follow! I used by new favorite tool, the Stamp-A-Ma-Jig, to perfectly line up my little cupcakes, and I am so proud of the results!!! I also stamped some onesies with Bugs & Kisses and Wild About You and they are so cute, too! This project couldn't be simpler or cheaper. Once you make the initial investment for the iron-on transfer sheets, which you can get at Michael's so use that coupon, you can always find plain Ts on sale. What kid (or grown-up!) wouldn't LOVE to have a personalized one-of-a-kind T-shirt?! So get busy!!

Color Challenge

It's been forever since I've done one of Kristina's Color Challenges! I always love them, but can never seem to get around to it, but I carved out a few minutes today to make this card that I really like! As I've mentioned before, Flight of the Butterfly is one of my favorite new stamp sets, and it is the best set to use for a One-Sheet Wonder! I stamped off the Taken with Teal butterfly to soften the look. It's a little light in the picture, but it's there!Thanks for looking - have a great day!