reindeer

There is a reindeer ranch about 75 miles from home.  None of us had seen reindeer in person so we thought it would be a great excursion last Saturday while we celebrated our family Christmas.  The day was bright and sunny and pretty warm for December.  We started the morning at a nearby fast food place of course, everyone at our house had a big breakfast before we left, but still needed a fortifying snack.  AH drove the lead car at exactly the speed limit on the interstate which drove one of our sons crazy.  We arrived early so had to make another trip at another fast food place for another snack and let the kids play for a little while.  How many fast food restaurants are there in the US?  Off to the ranch.  Hardy's ranch just south of Rantoul, Il is colorful and charming.  The shops are cute and filled with all things Christmas.  We went out to see the reindeer and give them treats.  They are cute and gentle and will eat graham crackers or oats right out of you hand.  At the end of the season there isn't much to do outside.  I know in the fall they have a corn maze, wiener roasts and hay rides to keep you busy. On a personal note I probably would go back in the fall for some of the other activities, but wouldn't go just to see the reindeer.  We didn't eat in the cafe but every thing we saw was nice and well kept.  A great and economical way to spend a few hours with the family.

Sweater pillows

I've been picking up sweaters this fall to make into pumpkins, snowmen and pillows.  I've made several to give to friends.Just lay your sweater flat and cut off the main body front and back as large as you want the pillow to be.  Include buttons, zippers and pockets for more interest.  Pin and stitch around the sides, leaving an opening for the pillow form, turn and stuff.  You can cut your sweater down to a standard form size, 14'-24" or leave it whatever size it comes to and make your own pillow form by sewing muslin into a bag, stuff and stitch closed.  You can add vintage buttons, belts or fabric flowers for fun.  Shirts and tees also make fun pillows.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all my friends, family and  loyal readers. Remember the real reason for the season is not gifts, food and football. May your day be filled with love, joy and laughter. I hope during all the busyness you can stop and say a prayer for the blessing you have and for those who are suffering today.  Call your family, go see an old friend or visit a nursing home.  They would love to have you.   AH and I are not celebrating with family until the weekend so we are planning a day of quiet relaxation.  Maybe some old Christmas movies, a big pot of soup and a drive to see the Christmas lights.  The noise and excitement will all arrive Friday.  I love both ways to celebrate!!

This is what I did with the glitter balls from the previous post.  I pilled them in a large glass bowl with beads, pearls, a candle and a few other ornaments. It's the centerpiece for my kitchen table.

glitter balls

I had some clear glass balls left from last year and tried a few experiments on them.  I love how they turned out even though this wasn't how I stated out wanting them to be.  These would be easy for kids to do.
Clear glass balls
acrylic paint
Glue
Glitter
Squeeze a little paint and a small amount of water into the balls and swirl around.  You can use one or two colors, drain and let dry.  Replace caps.
Brush the outside of the balls with glue mixed with water.  Don't make it drippy, just a thin coat.  Sprinkle on glitter in wide patches.  There is no easy, neat way to do this, so release your inner kid and go for it.  Hang to dry.  If you want you can spray them with clear spray to prevent the glitter from falling off.  I ran a bent open paper clip through the cap and hung them on my pot rack until they were dry.  You could just do one side at a time.

What won't work.  I started out swirling glue inside the balls, sprinkling in the glitter and letting that dry.  FAIL!  When I put the paint in to swirl around the next day it washed all the glitter off, so I went to plan B.  You can almost always try something again when crafting as in life it's just a different way to get where you want to go.  Or as my Mama would say "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again."

divinty

I've tried many different recipes for divinity but I keep going back to this version I got from a WW2 era Betty Crocker cookbook.  It takes a long time but is well worth the effort.

2C sugar
1/2C water
1/2C white corn syrup
Put the syrup, water and sugar into a heavy pan and stir until the sugar dissolves then let it cook to 252 on a candy thermometer.
While that's cooking separate two eggs and beat the whites until they hold stiff peaks.  When the temp reaches 252 remove the pot from the heat and pour in a slow stream into the egg whites with the mixer running on low.  Bump the mixer up to high and beat until the mix is no longer shiny and will hold its shape when dropped from a spoon.  With my kitchen aid mixer it took about 45 min and I had to turn the mixer off several times to let it cool.  Add 2tsp vanilla and color if you want.  Drop by a teaspoon onto wax paper and let it cool.  Store in an air tight bag.

out door decor

We don't usually do much to decorate the out side of the house for Christmas.  AH doesn't like to mess with lights or big displays so it's usually pretty simple.  I like to use fresh greenery and repurposed objects to show the holiday spirit.

Front door swag just tie together a handful of greens with tie wire add a bow and embellishments

.

Back door double swag .  Make two handfuls of greens and tie them together in the middle, add pine cones and big candy canes.

 I have two big, heavy pots that sit on each side of my back door.  I just piled my leftover greens on top and added big balls from the $store for sparkle and shine.  The dusty miller was still alive so I just let it stay for contrast.

Two 5' 1X8 fastened together with small boards on the back, I white washed them, added the word joy then antiqued and sanded the whole thing.  I printed the letters on my computer then transferred them onto the boards with good old fashioned carbon paper which I finally found at Staples 

Another big pot in front of my potting table filled with red twig dogwood from my yard.  You could use any twigs and spray paint them red.

Old enamel basin filled with leftover cedar cuttings.

Oreo balls

Simple, quick, great tasting, what more could you ask of a treat.  I've posted this recipe before, but I get so many requests for it I decided it was worth a repeat.

Oreo balls
1 pkg regular Oreo cookies  not double stuffed
1 pkg cream cheese
8-12oz chocolate chips or white chocolate

Grind the cookies to fine crumbs or crush in a sealed bag with a rolling pin if you don't have a food processor.
Mix in the cream cheese.  Form into 1" balls and chill at least 3 hours
Melt chocolate and dip each ball into it, I used a wood skewer, place on wax paper to set up.  Store in an air tight bag or freeze.

lovely parting gifts

I like to have small gifts to give company when we entertain.  It doesn't need to be anything fancy, I just want my friends or family to know I appreciate them.  For our recent domino night I used brown paper lunch bags to hold salt scrubs for the ladies and butter mints for the guys.  I stamped the bags with an angel stamp, folded over the top and stapled on either a yarn or tulle bow.  It didn't take 20 minutes, less than $20.00 for 10 gifts  and I think my guest really enjoyed them.

Green Christmas

When it comes to Christmas I am usually considered one of the Griswalds, you know, over the top in every room.  This year I've decided to go very simple in my decorating.  One tree, lots less ornaments, almost no Santas on display and using simple greens for most on my decor.
I cut greens like boxwood, spruce, pine and arbiviate to use in simple arrangements, swags and wreaths.  So far I'm happy with the way it has turned out.  Yes the kitties like to play with the greens and deconstruct the tree every day, that's why anything breakable is placed up high.

Show off a favorite ornament in a small bowl in a bed of greens.  The red chargers are $1.00 at Dollar Tree or Walmart

Glass totem lantern with a wreath of greens for the dinning table

Baby scale with a tray of greens and ornaments for a table.

I found this small tool box for 50 cents at a sale.  Pine cones and red twig dogwood sticks add texture and color.   Just stick a vase inside almost anything to use it to hold fresh flowers and greens.

Red vase, greenery on a white cabinet.  What could be simpler

Dusty says it's hard work taking those shiny things off that tree five times a day.

cannoli bar

I love cannoli, what I don't like is the hours it takes to make the shells.  All that rolling and wrapping and frying, ugh!  I decided to make the filling as a dip and let everyone add in their favorite goodies.  I set it up as a bar for dinner recently and it was a big hit.
Dip
1 15oz container ricotta cheese it is in the dairy case by the cottage cheese and sour cream
8oz plain Greek yogurt
4T powder sugar
1tsp vanilla
Mix every thing together and chill

Cannoli Bar
Chipped cherries, nuts, mini chocolate chip
glaceed fruit the kind you use in fruit cake
Orange zest
I just pile everything in bowls and put the dip in a bowl on a tray with cookies and fruit.
Serve with crisp cookies or waffle cone pieces along with fresh strawberries.  YUMMY

happy birthday to you

Today is my mother Betty Kings birthday.  I won't tell you how old because she would kill me.  She has more energy than some of my grand kids, has never met a stranger, can out shop my sister and me and reminds us all of the energizer bunny.  She is my hero for the class, love and positive attitude she shows everyone.  She has tried to show us three kids the best way to lead our lives in some really trying circumstances and is our biggest cheer leader.  We couldn't have been given a better Mom.  I Love You Mom.

cookies and failure

I saw this recipe for Cool Whip cookies on Pinterest and thought they looked interesting so I gave them a try.  Everything worked great until it came time to take them off the cookie sheet.  The cookies did not want to come off the sheets, they broke apart and rolled up into ugly blobs.  What do you do with 30 messy and ugly cookies?  You make a lemon trifle, success everyone loved it.  I had about 6 cookies that looked great, they were the last I baked and I left them on the sheet until they were completely cooled.  That seemed to work they looked and tasted great.
Cool Whip cookies
1 box lemon cake mix you can use flavor you want
2  eggs
1 8oz container of Cool Whip
Mix together and put onto greased cookie sheets bake 350 8 min should make 3 dozen cookies

When life hands you lemons you make lemonade.  When life gives you crumbled cookies you make a lemon raspberry trifle

Lemon raspberry trifle

30 lemon cookies broken into pieces
1 12oz container Cool Whip
1 jar lemon curd you could also use lemon pudding
1 box fresh raspberries .2-3T raspberry syrup optional
Put one half the cookies in a trifle dish or if you don't have one any large bowl or baking pan will work
mix the lemon curd and topping and layer half of it onto the cookies.  Repeat layers
Top with the fresh raspberries when you are ready to serve or they will get mushy.

cookies

trifle before raspberries

Holiday time

We just spent the last several days celebrating Thanksgiving with our children and grand kids.  What a wild, fun, noisy and crazy family we are.  Lots of food, way too much foot ball, cleaning, shopping and driving but I wouldn't want to have it any other way.  As a group we have all been blessed with plenty of worldly goods, good jobs, nice homes and great health.
we certainly aren't perfect but we are perfect for each other.  No matter how you came into our family, by marriage, by birth or just by being you, I love you all to pieces and thank God for you everyday.

Beautiful family after the meal we were all really sleepy.  Dinner was lasagna, we were all done with turkey by the weekend.  Thanks to my son Rich and DIL Braind for hosting the celebration.

thankful part 3

One of my favorite hymns is Count Your Blessings the chorus goes something like this:
count your blessings name them one by one
count your many blessings see what God has done
count your blessings name them one by one
count your many blessings see what God has done
Simple but profound.  As you sit down to your huge meal today think about everything you have, not what you don't.  Think about your full tummy, not going to bed hungry.  Think about the roof over your head, not that a tornado took that roof off last week  Think that you have money in your pocket to go shopping tomorrow,even if it's not much, not that you have none.  Think as you say grace you can't be arrested for worshiping even in your own home.
Everyone everywhere has something to be thankful for, go find yours.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE
Time for hot chocolate.

Give thanks

As the Christmas season races towards us at warp speed it's easy to let Thanksgiving slip by with just a quick meal and no real thought on what the day really means.  Just like everyone else I know I'm super busy with all the things I think I need to be doing.  I wanted to take a little time out this week to just look at all the things I am so thankful for.
God is first last and in between.  Faith has been described as belief in something you can't see.  I disagree, I can see faith in action all the time.  Last week Illinois was hit by devastating tornadoes near here.  You can't turn on a TV or look at the internet or a newspaper without seeing the good that has come from this.  People from everywhere are working together to help get the towns hurt back to some sense of order.  Even in this little town we rally together to provide Christmas gifts for all the children in the community who might other wise have nothing on Christmas morning.
I could write all day about what I think about God but in my heart God  is just something that I know without a doubt exists and I can see his hand in all things everyday.
Family comes next.  They are the most important people in my life.  I have said many times how blessed I am to have the family I was given.  I have not had a perfect life and sometimes my perfect family is not so perfect but I could not imagine a day without any of them.
Continuing with family my husband Andy has to be at the top of the list.  Who would have ever thought that a college girl from the big city and a small town guy, fresh out of the Army and with no real direction for his life would still be together after forty-three years.  No we don't always get along and the road has been rocky sometimes but we hang in there and know in the end the good will always out weigh the bad.  We decided long ago bailing was not an option and to keep going forward no matter what.  So far it seems to be working.
I can't write about AH without writing about my sons.  When I had them at twenty-five I could ever have imagined what life would be like years later.  They have grown into wonderful, caring hard working men.  They have increased our family by picking the best women to marry and giving us five terrific grand kids, who could ask for anything more.
OK I'm getting sappy here so it's time to stop but I'm not done being thankful yet.

almond bark

The variations you can make to this recipe are infinite.  Use the basic  idea and make it your own with the goodies your family loves.
2# almond bark, find it in the baking section it comes in white and chocolate
2C dried fruit I used cherries and apricots cut into smaller pieces
2C nuts I used walnuts
other small items like mini marshmallows, pretzels, M+M's etc I used chocolate chips
Melt the almond bark in the microwave or over a double boiler
Spread onto a parchment or wax paper lined cookie sheet with a lip on it
Add the fruit and nuts quickly and press into the bark with a spoon, let cool until it gets solid.
Break into large pieces, this freezes well or store in an air tight container
For a perfect gift layer between sheets of wax paper in a pretty tin

scarf attack 2

These pretty neck pieces could be called a scarf or a necklace, they fit both descriptions.  Other than the different crochet threads they are made exactly the same way.  The thing that takes the most time is cutting all the pieces that are looped onto the base.

Make a loose chain with a large hook approximately 60" long.  single crochet in each chain and slip stitch the end together.  Cut  pieces 6-8" long and half hitch four pieces at a time into the loops about 2" apart. You will need about 120-150 pieces. That's it your done.  To wear loop around your neck twice and adjust fringe pieces.

For this piece I used a variegated crochet thread  that went from greens to purple be sure to pull the knots of the fringe tight so they don't slip apart.

This uses a crochet cord called spangle, and a plain silver the same size, I bought it at Walmart and it is available on line.  The piece I had made for me just used the Spangle tread and it kept falling apart.  The solid silver gives it something to grip.  It looks like a bunch of silver chains when you wear it.  It never fails to catch peoples attention.

Newest family member

When our beloved Snowy died a few months ago it was only a matter of time before we got a new cat, it was just too quiet and calm around here without a third kitty.  Meet the newest member of our family.  She is a four month old torti kitten with amazing gold eyes.  She is already getting comfortable in the house, using her liter box, playing and begging for treats.  We haven't named her yet, but are leaning towards Dusty.  She has a white under coat and her fur is tipped with pale grey and cream, looks like she was used to clean up the dust bunnies on the floor.  The very spoiled Harley and Callie don't know what to think of her yet, thus there is a lot of hissing going on.  Pets are like kids, you still love the others even when you add a new one to the mix.  We picked her out from the local animal shelter, where there were at least a dozen kittens waiting for a new home.  I wish I could have taken all of them.
If you want a pet the animal shelter is the best place to get it.  This cutie came with her shots, flea treatment, micro chip and spayed for $40, a small price to pay for the years of love and enjoyment she will give us.

partner

Happy birthday to my wonderful business partner, Kathy Cartwright.  When we started VCB neither of us realized what a steep learning curve and crazy ride it was going to be.  You balance my creative urges and wild ideas with calm and logic and try to keep me in line, no easy task.  I've enjoyed watching you develop new skills and I think you could sell anything with great success. I wouldn't even have attempted to start a brand new business  without you.  I'm glad our friendship has lasted all these years.  It's time to celebrate!!

quick flower arrangement

I love fresh flowers for the center of my kitchen table, but sometimes it just can't happen.  I don't use too many silks flowers in my house but I do love dried flowers at least until they start to dry out and shed.  I bought the cox combs at a local pumpkin patch, hung them upside down to let them dry.  I added some faux berries, eucalyptus and a pretty silver pitcher then set the whole thing on a damask napkin.  The whole arrangement took about 10 minutes, mostly because I hid the cutters from myself again.

scarf attack

When the wind starts blowing and the air gets colder I go into scarf making mode.  These are couple I've made recently.

The base of this scarf is a chain about 60" long slip stitched together to form a ring.  I then cut pieces of yarn 6-8" long and half hitched them approximately every 2".  I bought the yarn at the Idea Store for a dollar and used most of the skein.  It took about two hours to make, most of that was cutting and attaching the yarn to the chain.

This scarf almost looks like a feather boa and my cats think it is their new bed.  For the base of this scarf I made a chain from grey tee shirt yarn and attached the pieces a little closer together than the scarf above.  Easy.  The yarn is called eyelash and I bought a black and sliver skein to mix together.  I have plenty of yarn left to make at least two more scarves, I think I spent $6-7 for the yarn.

party on

Most of our family spent the last several days celebrating Dads 90th birthday.  We greatly missed those who couldn't come and hope to see them soon.  When you put 23 people in a small space for four days you might expect some general crabbiness and arguing.  All in all we were mostly well behaved, the great grand kids were angels and the grand kids and kids were perfect as usual, those of you that know us can stop laughing now.  We talked, solved all the problems of the world, shopped, junked and hung out at the science center in Ft Wayne.  There the big kids were as enthralled as the little ones. You haven't laughed enough until you have seen your 60 something husband and  almost 40 something sons go down a two story slide and come out the other end.  I decided I was much too old to punish myself that way. We ate our way through several pizzas, fast food, Mama's home cooking and took possession of the Biaggis wine room on Saturday night.  I love that four generations can laugh, play together, swap stories and memories so well.
The pictures are pretty dark and my computer geek isn't here to fix them yet, but enjoy.

the birthday guy, Mom and Katelyn

Rick and Cristine

Nathan, Barb, Jaydin and Chase

Rich, Brandi, Katelyn

Ron, Sara, Brendan, Kaylie

Matt, Hollie, Tyler, Braden

Paula, Brenie

My angels

Five Kings