It's So Fun to be a Girl!

I just love being a girl. And planning girly parties. And Valentine's Day. So I hosted a little Valentine Luncheon for my mom and 2 friends. Such fun...happy sigh....
A wonderful chocolate cake with pretty topping...one of the ladies thought it came from a bakery. Here's the recipe from kraft foods.


Bacon Spinach quiche from Paula Deen...and I substituted a can of evaporated milk for the heavy cream...turned out perfect! Oh, and Phyllo dough made a quick, easy, pretty crust with alot less calories than pie dough. I'm linked to Today's Creative Blog.

Valentine Luncheon Preparation

Planning Girly parties is one of my very favorite things to do! So I am having a ball planning a Valentine Luncheon for a few friends this Monday. Today as I was considering what I would use for a tablescape for the luncheon, I remembered what I did to help me in planning the table decorations for our daughter's wedding 2.5 years ago....I set up a TV table with a tablecloth and just 'played' with ideas on it for several days.

Thus today, I set up a TV table with the magenta table covering that I plan to use (it is a sheer curtain panel!) and my white lace tablecloth over it. Then I put one of my white plates on it to consider using for the luncheon. Next I brought out some of my precious Pink Depression Glassware that my dear friend Lori shared with me from her mother's collection. Happy bliss! I LOVE that stuff! I also put on some of the strawberry pink heart marshmallows that I bought to use. The napkins I've purchased, some paint chips (hmmm...what will I do with them?!) and some scrapbook paper that I'm going to use. Now I'll be able to play with it for several days til I decide how I want to set the table. It will relieve me that I won't be making those decisions last minute.


I am also figuring out my menu. And since many of the items are things I've not made before, I decided to experiment tonight with the quiche recipe. I used fillo dough for the crust b/c it has soooo many fewer calories than pie crust. And my husband declared it equally tasty! I used this Paula Dean quiche recipe, substituting evaporated milk for the heavy cream and using alot less bacon. It. Was. Amazing!! And the presentation turned out cool too...very fluffy and alot of nice texture. But also reminded me of the Primitive Fruit Tarts I've made before...the fillo dough crust gives it that kind of rustic look. Husband went on and on about it. I love that man. :)
Last but not least, here is the Valentine I made our sweet son Jeffrey (age 21) and mailed to him today with a few treats. Who knew paint chips could be so crafty. I love these people who think these things up! It's not me!
I'd love to show you more! But some of my ideas are in my daughter's Valentine Day gift, so I can't spill those beans yet. :) I have plans for party favors and fresh flowers! This dessert might be on the menu too. And some kind of delightful muffins. Maybe Pina Colada muffins? Oh, and chocolate dipped strawberries will def. be on the table. Can't wait!!

So come back in a week and see the finished project! Happy February!

15 Minute Craft...Trash to Splash!

This past week while cooking dinner and preparing to throw these cans away, I decided they were such a nice round size and very sturdy. They would be great for holding craft scissors, etc. Hmmm. I decided to take them from Trash to Splash with a few craft supplies!

Like my craft room? It's called...the kitchen counter! :) That's where I do my best work.
I cut the paper to fit the sides of the can and then used spray adhesive to make them tacky on the wrong side. Again, the kitchen and some newspaper works just fine for this step!
I covered the cans, then used 2 different circle punches to create some coordinating flowers for the front. And found white buttons to be the crowning touch.
My little Snowman wanted in one of the pics. ; )
This took such little time that I went ahead and covered the lid of an empty ice cream bucket too. In just minutes I have three cute craft caddies made out of trash and on-hand papers. Fun! Thanks for looking...I'll let you go....I'm ready to go put my little caddies to work!

Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball

Dear Blog Friends,

I recently became a member of the Waterbrook/Multnomah Book Reviewing Team! I get to choose a new book from their list, they send it to me for free, I read it, post a review of it on my blog, and then get to keep the book! :) Win/win!

The first book that I am reviewing is a delightful Christmas tale called Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball by Donita K Paul. The cover of the book is magical and warm. It drew me in right from the start with its blues, whites, snow, and lights.

This is a tale of mysterious matchmaking booksellers who bring two lonely hearts together in time for Christmas. Mystery is a great adjective for the entire story. The real and possible is mixed with the magical and whimsical for a story that would make a great movie!

Cora Crowder is the only Christ follower in her disfunctional, extended family. She manages life on her own with the company of her kitty and a good job. Simon Derick is one of the managers in Cora's place of employment. He has a loving Christian family circle consisting of his mom, aunt, Downs-syndrom sister Sandy, and grandad. But he has no social life and fails miserably when it comes to initiating relationships with the opposite sex.

Cora and Simon meet unexpectedly at a quiet little bookstore down the street from their jobs. They have had little contact before even though they are employed at the same place. They both go home with their Christmas gift purchases from the bookstore and find that they have each received a free ticket to the Wizards Christmas Ball...an event of which few have heard. The Ball's website looks promising, however; the photos look inviting and intriguing.

And thus begins the adventure. Simon deems to take his sweet sister to the ball as a Christmas treat, but Cora becomes involved in a way that only whimsy and the Lord can ordain.

The story does involve the discussion of wizards; they are defined as being "old, wizened ones", not a part of any type of occult activity. As a believer that does not even like to be involved in Harry Potter type things, this was a stretch for me. However, there is only good involved in this story, and the wizard references are made with a twinkle in the eye, rather than as a reality.

This story is a mix of the mysterious and the possible, to create a truly fun, light, uplifting literary journey. On the serious side, disfunctional family relations are also addressed with Biblical solutions of how to handle them. I would recommend this to anyone with a love for Christian Christmas stories. In the meantime, I shall be on the lookout for the Warner, Werner, and Wizbotterdad's Bookshop on the secretive Sage Street. :)

My Word for 2011

I have read in the past couple of years, about bloggers choosing a 'word' for the new year. I have chosen a verse for the new year in the past, but am intrigued with the idea of choosing a word for the year.

A word that I want to focus on. To live. To become. To make a part of my heart and mind.

As I contemplated this idea, I saw a word that seemed to immediately fit. It's a word that already expressed a little flicker of hope in my heart. And a word that I believe will be 'faith in action' for me.

My word for 2011 is.....Anticipation.

It fits a special prayer request that I have for 2011. It fits our lives right now as we are newly transplanted to southern Indiana and still have much to learn and many new friends to make. It fits my mood when I arise in the mornings...greeting a brand new day full of possibilities. I usually anticipate each new day with hopes and plans.

Anticipation also shows that I am living by faith that God is going to work out His plans for me and my loved ones in the coming year. His plans will not be thwarted. And they will be good.

I love fresh, new starts. Mornings. New months. New beginnings.

So I am looking forward to 2011 with A N T I C I P A T I O N. To see what the next chapters are in this story of our lives that God is writing.

What word might you choose for 2011?

My 'Sun' Room

When we first looked at this house in Evansville back in March, I immediately fell in love with this bedroom. It was green. Big window. 10 foot ceiling. White woodwork. I could picture it as our Den/Guest Room...but really it would be MY hang out room. I had a very happy feel about it!

Now that we are all settled in, it is still my favorite room! And I can tell that I shall really love it this winter because the morning sun streams in and makes it so warm and cozy. This morning I wished for time to just lay on the futon and soak up the warm sun (Chilly weather has def. arrived down south here!)
When we decided on this house, I also visualized myself in this cheery room having my morning time with the Lord. And that's exactly what I do.
Looks like I'm not the only one who thinks this room is warm and cheery. :)

Fun Little Crafties

Fall, fires in the fireplace, and Fridays put me in a crafting mood. Fall is definitely in the air here in southern Indiana! We enjoyed our 'first fire' of the season in the fireplace last night...so relaxing and cozy. And today is Friday! Here are a few things I've made this week.Our little great niece, Ruby Jane, is turning one year old tomorrow! So I celebrated her little precious self by making the above Bear card for her. I used my new Cricut for the 4th time ever, and was delighted with how nice it was for quickly coming up with circles, stars, and ovals. I saw this Bear on BHG.com as a puppet...so I changed up the colors and style a bit to make it a birthday card for Ruby. Happy Birthday little girl!
Then last night as the fire was going, I had a terrible itch to stitch. Finally decided on this sweet little felt bookmark. It isn't perfectly proportioned or stitched as it was my experiment, but it was so much fun, simple, and relaxing to make.
It has a top (the flower) and a bottom (the leaves) in one of my favorite color combinations. I had a turquoise ribbon which worked too. I plan to make more of these and will purchase some grossgrain ribbon, alittle wider, to use for the next ones. This would be a simple gift to make and mail in a b-day card. I love flat little gifties that can be mailed in a card.
Did I put you in the mood to craft?! The internet is full of ideas you can copy, if so!

Enjoy this last weekend in October....wishing my 2nd favorite month wasn't nearly gone!

Simple Joys to You!