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Sunday, November 30, 2008

Family Birthday Celebration


On Saturday night we had a family celebration for Ethan's Birthday.
Robert, Ethan and I along with Papa first went to play Laser Tag. We played 2 rounds of laser tag and a lot of Rampage, Air Hockey and Racing video games in between. We ran around and got hot and acted silly and laughed and laughed. Next Ethan chose to go to Candelari's for pizza.

Ethan got to choose the pizza and he opted for the following...Pepperoni, Bacon, Black Olives, basil Pesto Sauce, and Spinach. It was delicious! Ethan opened his gifts while we waited for our Pizza.
After pizza we walked over to the Toll House Cafe and each selected something for desert then returned home for a screening of WALL-e.

Ethan loved this Star Wars card - it played sounds of Chewbacca and the Star Wars Theme music.

Paper Pups Snoopy Gift Tags


Last night we celebrated Ethan's birthday. There was very little to choose from in Character paper for boys at the Hallmark Store - it was all "baby stuff" so we opted for winter, Snoopy paper.

I made these over sized tags to decorate the presents. I chose images that I thought resembled Snoopy.
Tags are cut with my Cricut Machine - Images are from Paper Pups Cartridge
All pieces were cut at 5.5" size
Dogtag Solid (white base), Smiledog Circle, and Sundog Circle
Cardstock by Close To My Heart colors are White Daisy and Dutch Blue.

The little cut pieces for the eyes and noses were quite small. Rather than try to stick down the cut-out pieces I just used the cut out face as a stencil and colored in the eyes and nose used my matching dutch blue marker.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Santa's Wonderland

On Friday evening we went to Santa's Wonderland in College Station. We have never been before and had a wonderful time!

We arrived a little before they opened at 6 PM. At Santa's Town Ethan just wanted to play in the "snow" (soap foam) there was a fire pit and hay bales for seats. Behind the fire pit A western band was playing Christmas music. Santa's Town looks like a western storefront town with shops and places to eat. We had fresh kettle corn & I bought a S'more from the covered wagon. We looked in several shops and enjoyed the warmth of the fire and the music. The town was so festive covered in Christmas lights.

You can just take your car and drive thru to see the lights (per car charge) but we opted to ride thru on Santa's Hayride. This is by far the best way to see all the lights - it was spectacular and the best part of the evening.
We enjoyed it so much I think this will become a tradition every year.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Thanksgiving Photos


I arranged the flowers, myself. I am much improved from when I first began. My mother was so talented at flower arranging (and so many other things) but she was always quick to tell me that she didn't start out that way and that the only way to get good at something was to try and keep at it.
Here is a hungry crew wishing I would hurry up and finish with the picture taking so we could dig in.
And here is the "feast" as Ethan calls it. We went nontraditional this year.
Everything turned out wonderfully - I will post the recipes in the coming weeks.

A Thought for Thanksgiving

"We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is
the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence;
see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence
to be able to touch souls."
~Mother Teresa

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Transformation of The Blue Lady

I have this picture, I bought it at Michael's years ago. I love the lady in blue but the frame just doesn't go in my house.
How to re purpose? Hmmmm Had an idea...


Told idea to my Dad and of course he knew just how to make it happen.
(These are his paintin' clothes.)

Aren't Daddies wonderful!
Anyone care to guess what I am going to DO with this now fabulously made-over picture?!

Fragrant Hands

Ahhh, this is what it's all about. Pungent garlic, piney rosemary, and downy soft sage! What a lovely Autumn day to be in the kitchen...

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Dinner at Taste of Texas


Last Saturday night on our way home from battleship TEXAS; Dad, Ethan and I met Robert for dinner at Taste of Texas.

I had never been to Taste of Texas during Christmas, before. It was magical, with decorations and twinkle lights everywhere, Mom would have love it! The food was wonderful and we had a great evening. Dad and Robert had Prime Rib with potatoes, I had a Center Cut Fillet wrapped in bacon with Bearnaise and asparagus with Hollandaise. Ethan had a steak with fries and half of Robert's prime rib. We all visited the salad bar and enjoyed their delicious cheese knots and jalapeno corn bread. It was a memorable meal.

Ethan had a great time hamming it up in one of the sleighs outside.

Monday, November 24, 2008

What Are You Making For Thanksgiving

Hi everyone - I can see that my blog has a lot of traffic - and I'm trying to make it a bit more interactive - So, today, I thought I'd try to start a conversation...

What are you making for Thanksgiving (or if you're not cooking - what are you HAVING or DOING for Thanksgiving this year)?
Click on COMMENTS a the bottom of this post and leave your reply. If you click on the Post Subject Line - the post will display in a view that will include all comments
Here's My answer to start things going...

My Dad is here visiting from California this year.
I had not realized until now that I am trying all new recipes this year
I am cooking...

  • Old Fashioned Pork Roast - from the Autumn Supper episode of Cook's Country
  • Night Before (Mashed) Potatoes - a new recipe I'm trying from Stacie (at work)
  • Green Beans with Bacon and Onion (adding Almonds) from Cook's Illustrated
  • Pumpkin Pie

(see my comments for additional recipe info)

Sunday, November 23, 2008

A Visit To Battleship Texas


On Saturday Dad, Ethan and I went to Battleship TEXAS State Historic Park.

When the USS TEXAS was commissioned in 1914 she was the most powerful weapon in the world. At the time when she was built military use of airplanes had not even been thought of, there were no submarines and no method to see beyond the horizon. She was the first U.S. Battleship to mount antiaircraft guns and the first (U.S. battleship ship) to launch an aircraft (not off the deck but off her no. 2 turret.)
She served in World War I and in War in World War II in Africa, Europe and the Pacific. In all her time of service she was hit only twice on hit resulted in the the only wartime fatality aboard the TEXAS the second failed to detonate, that unexploded shell (with explosives and fuse now removed) can now be seen on board the TEXAS.

She was decommissioned in 1948 and offered to the state of Texas. Texas declined due to the cost of having her towed from Newport News, Virginia to the Gulf of Mexico, but after a campaign by Texas School Children collecting nickles and dimes for the cause - she became the first battleship memorial museum in the U.S. She is anchored in The Houston Ship Channel and is part of the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Park. Additional activities at the TEXAS include Hard Hat Tours, Group Overnight Visits, and a number of living history and memorial events.

The hi-lite for Ethan was getting to man one of the antiaircraft guns.

He assisted our tour guide in demonstrating how the guns were operated, they still pivot and the guns raise up and down.

Our tour guide was a wonderful source of stories gleaned from the many veterans who served on the TEXAS who have visited the monument over the years. We also learned that parts of the movie Pearl Harbor were shot inside of the Texas.

In the background you can see the San Jacinto Monument which marks the Battleground of San Jacinto, "The Birthplace of the Republic." The monument is listed as the tallest stone column in the world, 15 feet taller than the Washington Monument.

http://www.battleshiptexas.org/

Friday, November 21, 2008

Present Tie-On Idea: Scooby Doo

Welcome to the final day of this week's Classic Artwork Blitz! Scooby Doo has been a popular gift wrapping theme in our house for some time. The colors are bright and fun and they work equally well for a boy or a girl. Here hand made accents add charm to store-bought wrapping paper.

I made a 3x3 gift card and attached it to the gift. I also made a small treat bag filled with "Scooby Snacks" (AKA chex cereal) which I tied onto the ribbon on the package. The "Scooby Snacks" bag topper has green paw prints stamped all over it which didn't show up in the photo. I carried out the theme by selecting colors which coordinated with my wrapping paper and stamps from CTMH's (now retired) Best Friend Doggy stamp set. The green-on-green tag and bag topper were modeled after the green-on-green Scooby portraits in the wrapping paper.

Let me know if you have enjoyed this week's Classic Art Blitz!
If you try this idea, please post a comment to this post and share the link to your artwork. I'd love to see what you make!

Stamps: Best Friend Doggy
Colors: Orange, Hydrangea, Clover Meadow, and Citrus Leaf
All supplies on Handmade items by Close To My Heart

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Solid Pumpkin Stamp - Resizing Tip

Welcome to day four of this weeks Classic Artwork Blitz!
What if you want more different sized pumpkins than what comes in your stamp set. Here is a quick and easy way to get more sizes from your set.

Stamp the pumpkin and cut it out. Trim down the sides to make a skinnier pumpkin, trim the bottom if you want a shorter pumpkin.

The light pumpkins are what I cut out. The darker orange behind shows the original size of the pumpkin before I trimmed it. I used the retired set Frightening Fun but this technique would work just as well with the new CTMH stamp set Spooky Smiles.

Check back tomorrow (10 AM Central Time) for for present tie-on ideas.
If you try this, please post a comment to this post and share the link to your artwork. I'd love to see what you make using this technique!

All supplies by Close To My Heart

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

I've added a poll over in the right hand column. Check it out.

Yellow Rice and Chicken - 2 Versions

I have a recipe for Yellow Rice and Chicken, the recipe came from my dear mother, Cathy Black. The recipe came to Mom from a lady at Orange First Assembly, Wilma Robinette. The chicken and rice in this dish are so flavorful but it takes a very long time to prepare and involves frying the chicken in Olive Oil for 45 minutes before baking the dish in the oven. For these reasons I don't make it very often, but when I do, it is heavenly!

So last night in the middle of making dinner I had a craving for Yellow Rice and Chicken so I tried to get those flavors into a quicker, healthier recipe. When I got ready to add the rice I was low on regular white rice so I had to use Basmati which remains more firm and seperate - the flavor was great but I prefer the texture of regular white rice. I will include Mom's (& Wilma's) recipe at the bottom of this post in case you want to try the original.

I highly recommend the use of an electronic probe thermometer for roasting meat, you place the thermometer in the meat and put it in the oven. The probe is attached by a long wire to an electronic control which stays outside the oven. You program the control for the target temperature and when the meat reaches that temperature - the control beeps letting you know that the food is ready. No taking things in and out of the oven to check them - no more guessing if the meat is done enough... Roasting couldn't be any easier once you have a thermometer like this - I can't imagine making a holiday dinner without one!


Yellow Rice and Chicken - Modern Version

Chicken
Chicken Pieces Bone-In and Skin On
Lawry's Seasoned Salt

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F.
Wash and dry chicken pieces (I used skin-on bone-in Chicken Thighs) and season them with Lawry's Seasoned Salt (the red stuff.) Place in a shallow baking dish and bake in the oven until a thermometer placed into the thickest part of the meat (not touching the bone) reads 170 degrees F or the meat is cooked through.

Rice
1 Cup Rice
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped (red or green)
1 bay leaf
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cup chicken broth or 1 Knorr Chicken Bouillon Cube & 2 cups water
4 Tbs Diced Tomato Canned or Fresh
1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Add onion and bell pepper, cook until onion is translucent.
Add bay leaf, and rice (& bouillon cube if using.) Move rice around in the pan so it becomes coated in the oil, keep the rice moving in the pan until it is lightly toasted. Clear a small area at the bottom of the pan and add the minced garlic, cook until fragrant about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and chicken broth or water, add salt. Bring up to the boil, put the lid on the rice and reduce heat to low.

Cook without removing the lid for 20 minutes (or according to rice package directions.) After cooking time has passed turn off the heat (still not removing the lid) and let set for an additional 5 minutes off heat. Remove lid, discard bay leaf, fluff rice and serve.

Yellow Rice and Chicken - Classic
(Cathy Black - Wilma Robinette)

1 cut up frying chicken
1 onion, diced
garlic
1 1/2 quart chicken broth or water
1 Tbs salt
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp saffron (optional - I like better without)
2 cups raw white rice
3/4 cup Olive Oil
1 green bell pepper
3/4 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped

Fry chicken slowly in olive oil, about 45 min. Near end of time add bell pepper and onion. When tender add garlic cook for a moment then add tomatoes, part of broth and salt. Boil 5 minutes. Put all together in baking dish, stir. Cook in 400 degree F oven until rice is dry and tender, about 45 minutes.

Frightening Fun - Quick Color Technique

As part of this weeks Classics Artwork Blitz, here are more Classic samples using the Quick Color Technique described in Monday's Post The Fragrant Hand: Quick Color Technique - Line Image and Tuesday's Post The Fragrant Hand: Quick Color Technique - Solid Image.


I added additional shading to the pumpkins with the quick color sponging technique by cutting out the segments of the pumpkins.
These samples are made with Frightening Fun (retired) but would work wonderfully for adding dimension to the new CTMH stamp set Spooky Smiles just cut segments into your stencil and sponge in a deeper shade or gold or orange.


Check back tomorrow (10 AM Central Time) for a quick tip for use with any solid pumpkin stamp set.
If you try this, please post a comment to this post and share the link to your artwork. I'd love to see what you make using this technique!

All supplies by Close To My Heart
Stamps: Frightening Fun, Curly Greetings
Color Used: Sunflower, Autumn Terracotta, Olive
Ticket Template (retired)

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Quick Color Technique - Solid Image

Welcome to day two of this weeks Classic Artwork Blitz!
Yesterday I showed you how to use the quick color technique with a line image. The Fragrant Hand: Quick Color Technique - Line Image Today I will show you how to use it to shade and color solid images. You can color an entire image or you can add colors to an image stamped in a single shade.

First I made my stencil.
I knew that I wanted to apply 3 colors so I made 3 stencils by stamping 3 boats spaced well apart on Glossy Card stock in Archival Black Ink. I like to use glossy card stock because it holds up better for multiple uses and archival black ink because once it is dry it won't smear onto the colored image. I cut away the area for a single color from each boat, using an exacto knife.

Cutting out the stencil takes time, but I only have to do it once as I store the stencil with the stamp set and use it again and again.

Coloring the Image
I stamped my boat image in desert sand ink because I wanted to add color over the desert sand. If you want to use this technique with the entire image - stamp with a light color like buttercup that will be easy to cover, but dark enough to see to position the stencil.

I placed my stencil over the image lining up the part I wanted to color - you can tape the stencil into place using removable tape if you like.
Continue to move the stencil and sponge on the ink until all the sections are colored

Here I have shown you the progression of images from left to right...
1) Solid stamped image in Desert Sand
2) added red and blue to sails
3) added brown to hull.

4) The final boat is colored in red and brown only, this image shows darker shading on the front edge of the brown sail and at the bow and stern. This look is achieved by rubbing the ink strongly into the edge of the stencil where you want the color to be more concentrated.

Check back tomorrow (10 AM Central Time) to see more samples using this technique.
If you try this, please post a comment to this post and share the link to your artwork. I'd love to see what you make using this technique!

All supplies by Close To My Heart
Stamp Set: Light the Way (retired)

Monday, November 17, 2008

Quick Color Technique - Line Image

Welcome to day one of this weeks Classic Artwork Blitz!
I promised to share some oldies but goodies so here is the first classic technique. These stamps are long since retired but the techniques they showcase never go out of style. The quick color technique is a quick way to quickly color in a line image.


I will begin by explaining how I colored the Bears. This technique is a great way to quickly color in an image when you will need to color multiple copies of the piece.

First I made my stencil.
I begin by stamping the bear on Glossy Card stock in Archival Black Ink. I like to use glossy card stock because it holds up better for multiple uses and archival black ink because once it is dry it won't smear onto the colored image.


1) Leaving plenty of space between each image - I stamped the bear three times - Once for each color that I wanted to apply.
2) Using an exacto knife, I cut away the area for a single color from each bear. On the sample I wanted to color the bear's pants one color, his shirt another color, and his fur a third color - so I cut accordingly (see sample.) - Cutting out the stencil takes time, but I only have to do it once as I store the stencil with the stamp set and use it again and again.



Coloring the Image
3) Next I stamped the bear on white card stock in a dark brown ink. This is the image I wanted to color.
2) I placed my stencil over the image lining up the part I wanted to color - you can tape the stencil into place using removable tape if you like. I applied Vineyard Berry Ink to the image using a sponge. If you want a uniform coverage use a blotting or pouncing motion - if you want the effect of stronger shading on one side, use more of a rubbing motion on that side of the stencil.
3) Move the template to line up with the next section to be colored - I inked the shirt in Indian Corn blue ink.
4) Continue to move the stencil and sponge on the ink until all the sections are colored - I completed the coloring by inking the bear's fur in Desert Sand ink.


You can do detail coloring with markers if you desire.

Check back tomorrow (10 AM Central Time) to see how to use this technique with solid images.


If you try this, please post a comment to this post and share the link to your artwork. I'd love to see what you make using this technique!

All supplies by Close To My Heart
Stamps: Go Fly Kites (retired), Autumn Bear (retired)

If you would like to learn how to cut the window rings in the card, drop me a comment on this post... if there is enough interrest I will feature it in a future post.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Down Memory Lane

Sorry I haven't posed much in awhile. I've been so busy. I went to Regional Celebration with Close To My Heart in San Antonio. Then I've been getting my house ready because I had a Pampered Chef Party, and because my Daddy's coming to visit for Thanksgiving. But I don't want to leave y'all in a big blog blank so I'll be sharing some oldies but goodies.

Monday, November 10, 2008

I was featured on TipNut

I returned from San Antonio to find that my Pesto Mozzarella Grilled Cheese Panini post was featured this week on TipNut's Recipe Hit List: 14 Grilled Sandwich Recipes. How did I know? It showed up on the statistics report for my site counter. Thanks TipNut for featuring me!

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Happy Halloween!

Ethan was Indiana Jones. Every year we go trick-or-treating with our neighbors and a group of their friends. The kids relay look forward to going as a group every year.

Well, I've tried 3 times and it will not load the photos right... I guess my Internet is having issues so I'll try to have to try again later for the rest.
You can click the photos for a larger view.