An Award, for me? You shouldn't have!...

Wow, I just came to my blog to find I had just received my very first blog award!! LB at Cool Beans by LB awarded this fun award to me just today! I have seen this award on other blogs and was surprised to have it passed on to me. Thank you, L.B., for making me smile!

In order to accept this award, I need to link back to the person who awarded it to me, share 8 things about myself, pay it forward to 8 bloggers that I love visiting, and contact those bloggers and let them know I have given them the Stylish Blogger award also.

So 8 things about me:

I have a great husband that makes me laugh and supports my every changing interests.

I love coffee, could be something fun like Gingerbread Latte, but really any coffee with cream will do.
I am a Disney Geek!
I have been teaching for more than 20 years.
I lived in Japan for two years while I was in college
I have a cat that enjoys doing his own brand of yoga.
I am a big Doctor Who fan.
Though I love my job, I would love to retire to have more time to really craft and quilt.

Here are eight blogs I enjoy visiting. They are very creative people, whether with words, photos, or crafts of all sortsl Some have been blogging longer than others, but I have seen their work in person, their blogs or message boards. Therefore, I am passing on this award to them. Please check them out. I am sure you will be inspired as I have been.

Crafting with Katie

Greengirl Scraps

Tx Scrapper Mom

The Cricut Spot

Cricut Croppin' with Cassandra

Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust

Grace Pix

Sew Green Mama

Tried and True Recipes

I love to cook. My husband will tell you that I may love to cook, but I am not very friendly as a cook. NO ONE is allowed in the kitchen while I am working. Though I have a nice spacious kitchen now, this axium comes from growing up in an old victorian home with a very narrow kitchen. If there was more than one person in the kitchen there were bound to be bumps, bruises and spills.

I have owned a great many cookbooks but I always seem to go back to my favorite, my mother's Better Homes and Gardens "New Cookbook". This is the book I used as I learned to cook. It is still the one I go to most often.

I believe this is the 1959-60 edition.

Some of the pages are in such bad shape, but amazingly most of the "must" have recipes are still readable! Though looking at this page I am not sure which recipe was the go to recipe on this page that caused all the repeated use. There are several pages throughout the book that look like this.

It is Sunday morning, time for a yummy breakfast. So, I pulled out mom's book to find the coffee cake recipe. It tastes great but my baking powder is dead. I've got to remember to put this on my shopping list!

As I was putting away my book, I thought I would compare my mom's edition with that of my grandmother's edition (1939). Here are a few pictures of her book.

The cover is falling apart just like mom's and pages are mussed up, but I have very few memories of my grandmother using ANY recipes. It was all in her head by the time I followed her around in the kitchen. I guess by the time the pages are falling out you should have that recipe memorized.

Say, "What--e va ?"

As soon as I saw the "theme" for last weeks Cricut Circle Blog Challenge, I knew the picture I wanted to focus on. Lyndsie is a niece in our adopted family (best friends we do many family things with). Christmas morning the kids were doing their gift exchange and I began snapping pictures. The picture of her facing the camera is one of those not planned but love the look pictures. She really was not copping an attitude but it sure looks like it.

I had wanted to enter this in the weekly challenge, but as I began putting it together I did not like my attempt at using spritz ink/glitter paint (one of the requirements of this challenge). So I substituted the paper I used for that with something else. Oh well, still like the page ---though it does look a bit like a Red Hat Society page, doesn't it?
Recipe:

Purple, Red, and black solid paper is from a DCWV glimmer pack

Glass Affects on the glasses to give it a plastic look

Purple snowflake and teal at bottom are from an older CM paper pack - I think

Sunglasses 2.25" and Medallians2" from "Forever Young"

Words made with "Nursery Rhymes Font" at 3"

Mr. Incredible's Valentine

I got up this morning, loving the fact that I had all day to play -- no work--- and I could spend as much time on my husband's Valentine Card as I wanted. I actually had it all planned out, designed on the Gypsy, paper picked out. I was going to cut, glue and embellish my morning away.

Then I picked up the Best of Pixar Cartridge handbook to put away (I am working on some cards using some of these cuts). I noticed a cut I had not seen before. There in the middle of Elastigirl's first page is the "Icon" cut of Edna Mode! I thought that PC had left her off the cartridge. My husband and I both love Edna Mode, as she is such a funny little character. That cinched it. Plan A went out the window, and Plan B began to take shape in my mind.

This card turned out better than I dreamed! It is HUGE! Oh well, I am glad I don't have to stuff it in an envelope.

FRONT:
Card is 7.5" x 7.5", parchment look card stock
   Cut one piece at 7.5" x 8.0" and fold the 8" side at 1/2" from end
   Glue second piece cut at 7.5" x 7.5" to the 1/2" flap
Mat is 7 x7" teal print paper from CM
2 Mats 4 x 4" 1 dark and 1 light teal card stock - embossed with Cuttlebug "Traffic Jam" folder
Sentiment printed on card stock, cut to 2" x 3"
Mr. Incredible (Best of Pixar Cartridge) cut at 5.5"
Rose (Shall We Dance Cartridge) cut at 2"
Pop dots

I used shimmer red and blue paper for some of his cuts, red and green stickles for the rose, and white and brown pens to highlight and add details.

INSIDE:
Cut 5.25" x 3.5" Pale lavender card stock, embossed with Cuttlebug "Devinne Swirls" folder
Edna Mode (Best of Pixar Cartridge - Icon on Elastigirl 1) at 3.8"
Her shadow is cut from deep purple shimmer paper, glasses from grey shimmer (both DCWV stack)
Hair highlights are Stampin Up Colonial White pen
Hearts cut at 1" and 1.5" (Ashlyn's Alphabet)
Sentiment is printed and cut at 1" x 3.5"

• Since Edna always had a long cigarette holder in her hand in the movie, I thought it would be funny to make the hearts be "smoke rings" from her smoke...
• For both faces I used Copic R11 (Pale Cherry) to outline facial features and outline. I also added a bit more color to Edna's face under her glasses with a peach colored pencil. Pens for their eyes.

Here is my own Mr. Incredible:

  

I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day no matter how you celebrate. I am off to get ready for dinner out.

Playing Around

For years I have been the "webmaster" for our school website. I love poking around in software to change, update and create a visually appealing website. So I spent part of today playing around with software to create a more personalized blog. Right now it is probably a bit tooooo green. But I like the overal format better than before. I am sure you will see several more changes over the next few weeks until I find one I like.

Please leave a comment if you have any suggestions ....

Valentine Treats

Valentine's Day is fast approaching, and I have been having fun working on gifts for my students. I hope my students will enjoy them.

Recipe:
5" x 5" Kraft Paper square
Frog (Create a Critter Cartridge) 2.5"
Lily Pad (Create a Critter Cartridge) 2.5"
Hello Kitty Face (Hello Kitty Greetings Cartridge) 2"
XO - pre-printed and purchased from a bargain bin at Local Scrapbook Store
Small Cello bags
Stapler
Treats

For my coworkers I made a simple Pecan Carmel Turtle goodie bag. The candy was super easy to do, and I just used a 4x4 piece of printed card stock for the top of each bag.

The recipe for the Turtles is sooo easy.
Preheat oven to 300 F
Cover a cookie sheet with foil or parchment
Place small twisted pretzels on the cookie sheet
Place an unwrapped Rollo (or other small chocolate covered caramel) on each pretzel
Bake for 8 min, or until candy is softened
While the candy is still soft press a Pecan half into the top of each Rollo/pretzel combo
Let Candies firm up, remove from the pan
Story in an airtight container (if they last long enough to be put away that is...ha ha )

***I bought roasted, salted Pecans from Trader Joe's and it added just a bit of yum to the snack. ***

The last Valentine Treat I want to share is the one I get from my husband each year. There is a small neighborhood deli in the middle of his UPS route that makes the most incredible chocolate dipped strawberries. They aren't the fanciest, but the have the greatest flavor. Each berry is covered in creamy peanut butter before they are dipped in chocolate. It is kind of like eating a chocolate dipped PBJ sandwich.

Thank you for taking a peek at my latest projects.

Mini Scrapbooks - for a magical cruise



A few weeks ago my dear husband and I went on a weekend cruise aboard the Disney Wonder. (this was his Christmas present) The ship just arrived in So. Cal as it's new homebase. So we along with our good friends decided it would be fun to take a quick jaunt out into the Pacific Ocean, with no ports of call. The cruise was relaxing, enjoyable, and way too short.

The trip was affectionately refered to as the "Cruise to Neverland" as we were never gonna see land.... So I thought I would make Peter Pan themed mini books for our friends to store a few of their memories in.

The covers are different for each person - Peter & Wendy (our friends), Tink (Grandma), Tink (Daughter), Capt. Hook (son). The inside pages for the Hook book are "Piratey" where the others are all similar to one another, as shown below.

Recipe:

Cardboard cut to 5.5" x 11.5", corners rounded with Big Chomp corner rounder

Cover was cut same dimension with a 4.5" oval cut (used my Gypsy and George Cart)

Variety of patterned paper and card stock cut to cover the pages

     ---used Mod Podge Matte finish to adhere paper together

Cinch & Cinch Plastic Spiral binding to put the book together

     --- crimped ends to keep pages from sliding off (see below for more on this)



Disney Classics Cartridge:

Peter Pan (peterpan3) at 4"

Wendy at 3"

Capt. Hook at 4.5"

Ship Icon at 4.5"

Neverland Icon and layers at 4.25" - I trimmed off the trees from top layer - did not like how it cut

Map Icon at 3.75"

Tinkerbell and Friends Cartridge:

Tinkerbell at 4"

Pack Your Bags Cartridge:

Great Ship at 3.5"

Mickey and Friends Cartridge:

Hand Icon at 2"

Other Materials included:

White Puffy Paint to enhance the clouds on the island and smoke on the ships

Stickles to enhance Tink's wings, the pixie dust affect around the flying characters, the water ripples and decor on ships

Brown Chalk Ink by Creative Memories on edges of maps, sun, and other shapes

Blue Chalk Ink on edges of water

I used the plastic spiral binding from Cinch to bind the books. DH devised a way to crimp the end of the spiral to keep it from pulling through the hole. I held the end with pliers, while he heated the spot to bend with his soldering iron (count 1,2) then bend.

February Goals

Well, I did not do everything on my January List, but I did get a good chunk of it done. I am resetting my goals and stating them publicly. (That way you can keep tabs on me.)

February Goals:
1. Post 1 time a week minimum on my blog
2. Enter at least one Cricut Circle Challenge in the month of February
3. Complete a minimum of 1 2-page layout per week in any scrapbook I may be working on
4. Attend one crop or scrapbooking night during the month
5. Cut and stitch the top to one quilt project (any size)
6. Make 6 birthday cards for upcoming events


January Goals, Recap:
1. Order about 2000 prints before the 3rd
2. Make at least 15 of 30 needed Valentine Cards for my students
3. Use 2 previously unused carts for cards or layouts
      - Hello Kitty, Greetings
      - Beyond Birthdays
4. Make at least one blog post a week- showing off my work...
5. Enter one of the weekly blog challenges - using something from above

Though I did not use Beyond Birthdays, I did use 2 other cartridges I had not used before, Disney Classics and Pack Your Bags. So I think I made my goals. YEAH!!!