Happy Birthday Michelle

Today Michelle is 38!  This is one of my favorite pictures of us.  We were so young, I think Michelle was around 13 yrs old.  SO CUTE!

Rhonna Designs made Easy!

                                                                   click on photo

My husband came home last week and asked me if I could make him some Invitations for his Holiday Dinner and that he only needed 10 and could I have them done by Monday.  Well that only gave me 4 days to come up with something so after I freaked out I went to www.rhonnadesigns.com and she just released some new holiday Digitals.  I was so excited and decided that it wasn't going to be so hard after all.  I'm still learning all about the world of Digital and Photoshop.  I used Christmas word art brush kit and Christmas art brush kit and I used lots of glitter.  Since he was going to hand deliver them I also designed the Envelope.  He said he
loved how they came out and I was a happy girl.

Austin, Texas Nov. 5th 2011

We had a great time in Austin, Texas this weekend for the Texas Tech vs Texas Longhorn game. Austin is a great town lots to do and lots to eat.  We were so happy that we got to see Alex and his girlfriend Rachel after the game.  I have never been to a Texas game and it was great,  Tech lost but there is always next year when they come to play in Lubbock, Texas. 

Fun Halloween Rings

I'm working on a few Halloween Rings and things for this year.  This project was so much fun to make.
The paper is a printable from last year from the Ho3 . (which is no longer Ho3) This Idea came from Janet Hopkins and I fell in love with them.  The frame is from RhonnaDesigns - spooky junque frames digital kit.

The Great Pumpkin Pan

This makes me happy!  I was looking for my loaf pans and found some pumpkin pans that I thought my daughter had taken - We purchased quite a few pans one year at Williams and Sonoma, they are so cute!
It's been awhile since I made pumpkin bread and it tasted pretty good.  I now have a freezer full of bread to give Alex and his friends. Happy Mom!

Apple Bread

Alex is coming home for a short visit this weekend and I wanted to make him some goodies to take back and to have enough to share with his room mates and also his girlfriend.                                                                            I found this recipe at www.afarmgirlsdabbles.com and it was filling my house with this wonderful smell. I already made some Banana Bread next I plan on making  Pumpkin Bread and Gingerbread cookies which I only make once a year. This just screams FALL!

Happy Birthday Susan!

We are both 53!  I can still remember us when we were young teenagers that didn't have a care in the world but to just have fun. I met Susan and her Family about  40 years ago.  Wow how time goes by.  Susan is a 9th grade school teacher at McArthur High School  and I admire her for taking on such a big roll in shaping our young people. We need more teachers like her. Wishing Susan a Happy Birthday and many more to come!   Click on picture to enlarge.

Family Pictures Project

I finally finished this project last month, I couldn't decide what pictures to use.  I think it came out quite nice. I took a class by Tove  Mayer up at Scrapp'n Savvy back in April and it took me this long to showcase it.
Sometimes things just take a little longer to finish. 

Big Daddy Woodpecker

This is a huge Bird.  I have been trying to get a close up picture of him with no luck. We have been enjoying all the birds in the back yard.  Click on picture to get a better look.

Birthday Card

I love using Tim Holtz Dress Form Die, used fabric this time
and Papertrey ink stamps.
This card is for Kimberly who helps me take care of Mom.

Made in U.S.A.

Alex will be going back to school soon and moving into his first apartment with 3 other guys so he needs stuff.
I'm giving him a set of dishes and other things that he might need.  I went looking for new dishes and really fell in love with the Fiesta ware.  Loved all the colors and decided that I would go for RED.
They have so many colors it was hard to pick just one,  I can always add other colors later if I want and the best part is that Fiesta ware is made in the U.S.A.  Love that!

Passing on the Tradition

Alex's dad is the only brother in the family who doesn't know how to make his Mom's Lemon Pie, so Alex has taken over.
I think it's great that he wanted to make it.  It's a good Pie and pretty easy to make if you use a ready made pie crust.
GREAT JOB ALEX!

Dollar frame from Michaels

A friend of mine wanted to do a Cheap, Easy and Fun project with some of her teenage friends.  I found $1.00 frames at Michaels.  I decorated the two frames with just stuff I had in my stash.  They can decorate them in whatever color they like,add a picture and add their own touch.  I used the Tim Holtz Dress Form Die, paint, glitter, ribbon and my favorite Tattered Angels - Glitter Paint. 

Photo Booth Pictures

I remember when Alex was little he would love to go to the Photo Booth at the grocery store with his Dad and he would try to make the same faces.  We came across a bunch of old photo booth pictures that we
haven't seen in awhile and thought it was fun to see him making all the crazy faces.

Cousins

I Love this old picture of Alex and Katy,  they are so cute.

Cherry pie

I love when the Cherries are in season, my family will always ask for a Cherry Pie.
It is one of the easiest pies that I make and I only make it once a year. I'm so happy that I can find Organic Cherries

You can use your favorite pie crust recipe or just buy one.
All you need is:
5 cups of pitted fresh cherries (2 1/2 lbs.)
3/4 cups of sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon strained fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat the oven to 425 deg.
Combine all ingredients and let stand for 15 minutes.

Pour the mixture into the bottom crust and dot with 2 to 3 tablespoons
unsalted butter cut into small pieces.
Brush the overhanging edge of the bottom crust with cold water.
Cover with the lattice top, then seal the edge, trim, and crimp.
I always put foil around the edges of the pie -that way it doesn't brown to quick 
Bake the pie for 30 minutes at 425 deg. then slip a baking sheet beneath it, and reduce the oven temperature to 350 deg. and bake until thick juices bubble through the vents, 25 to 35 minutes more.
Let cool on rack for several hours. Store at room temperature. 

Scrapp'n Savvy Project

My local Scrapbook store at www.scrappnsavvy.com had their Scrapp'n Sampler this past Friday and Saturday.We got to meet some of the teachers and information on all the classes that are coming up.  Everyone that signed up got to make this cute canvas for only $8.00.  What was cool is that every one's was different.  I added a frame to mine. It was a fun and easy project.  Karrie at Scrapp'n Savvy does this every quarter. What a deal!

 

My Ugly Shoes

SO VERY  UGLY and ORANGE!

Father's Day 6/19/2011

We had a nice Father's Day, we spent the day at home and then we went to Cafe Express for Dinner.

Fig Galette for Dave

Wanted to make Dave something special for Father's Day,  Alex picked a bunch of
Figs from our Tree and I came up with this.  I used organic sugar, Puff Pastry and little peach jam.  I didn't have a recipe just used what I had on hand.

Christmas in July Layout

It feels like 100 deg. here in Spring, Texas,  It was a challenge to design something for Christmas.  It is so hot today.  This is my July layout for my swap class over at Scrapp'n Savvy.

My Kitty Cats

Tabby and Coco Dundas are my Kitty Cats.  I always think that I should take more pictures of them because Dave had a cat named Sam that grew up with Alex and we only have a couple of  pictures of him.  He was a great cat.   

Page layout for June Swap

This is my layout for June Swap over at Scrapp'n Savvy.  I didn't put a Title on so that everyone could put their own.  Picture is of Susan, Krissy and Me.

Peaches, Peaches, Peaches

Went to Rudy's Peach Farm yesterday and got 2 giant boxes of Peaches for $5.00
a box,  what a deal! This is the first time that I have made peach Preserves and I
hope they taste good. I still have a box left,  maybe a Peach Pie for Dave.

Alex and friends

Alex and Friends,  It's nice to see them get together. They all go to different schools in different states.

Alex is home for the summer

What a difference a year makes.
It's going to be nice having Alex home for the
summer, that means that I have to get creative in
my cooking since he is not a vegetarian. He loves
all kinds of veggies but not all the time.
It's going to be fun.

Healthy Whole Wheat Pumpkin Raisin Muffins

I have been trying to bake with more whole wheat and some things taste good and
some things just taste different.  Theses muffins are yummy and almost vegan.
Fat: 0.4g, Calories: 122.2  - Great if you want just a little something.
The recipe is so easy.
Dry:
1 1/2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
Wet:
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup raisins or chocolate chips
1/4 cup nonfat vanilla greek yogurt
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 egg whites
Preheat oven to 350 deg.
In two separate bowls, mix dry, then wet, and then combine,
adding wet to dry and stir gently until the mixture is uniform-ish.
Makes 12 muffins. Sprinkle some raw oats on top to make them look pretty.
Bake for 25 minutes

Mother's Day Card

This is my card for my Mom and Mother in Law.
I love using the Brushes from rhonnadesigns.blogspot.com

Stationery Set for Mother's Day

Paper, postcards, Envelopes and stamps.
This is a Stationery Set that I made for Mother's day.
I used photoshop and a Manila Folder and a class from Heidi Swapp and Jessica Sprague.    

I'm going to make a card using the cute Butterflies to go with it.

10 Happy Little Things!

This little was so easy to put together using Photoshop.  I made this for Alex's girlfriend Rachel,  pictures are of her Family.

Recipe Swap

Heath Bar Cake, Mississippi Mud Cake,
Oatmeal Cake, S'more Cupcakes,
Red Velvet Cake, Choc-o-Latt'e Cake
Our Monthly Swap at Scrapp'n Savvy  was all about

Cakes!  We had to design a 8 x 8 page with our favorite
recipe and then we sampled all the yummy deserts!

My Mirror Project - Love it!

This is one of 5 Projects that I have been working on.  Taking a on-line class on how to use Photo Shop along with Scrapbooking at www.jessicasprague.com with Heidi Swap and Jessica Sprague. It has been so much fun and I have learned some cool stuff.  Just love this project and Hybrid Scrapbooking. 

Recipe for Homemade Granola Bars

I love to make Granola Bars, they are easy to make and full of good stuff.  This is a basic recipe because you can put anything you want in them.  HEB has a Organic Mix that has nuts & fruit,  I sometimes just buy that or just put in nuts, raisins and apricots or figs. I wrap them up and put them in the freezer.
I leave out the coconut and salt out of mine. 
  

Ingredients:
2 cups of old-fashioned oatmeal
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
3 tablespoons unsalted butter or maybe coconut oil
2/3 cup honey
1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped pitted dates
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 350 deg. Butter an 8 x 12 in baking dish (I use a 9x9 square dish)
and line it with parchment paper.

Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes,stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, Transfer to a large mixing bowl,  then lightly toast the wheat germ
and mix all together.

Reduce the oven to 300 deg.

Place the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture, add the dates, apricots and
cranberries and stir well.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.  Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.  Cool for at least 3 hours before cutting into squares.  Serve at room temperature.
Recipe is from The Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics Cook book

Digital Scrapping Contest - My first Digital Layout

The Pen Scrappers (www.penscrappers.com) is having a Singin in the rain Contest.
This is my first Digital Layout and it was so much fun putting it together. I'm just a
beginner so I don't expect to ever win anything but now I know I can do it.
Kit is by The Pen Scrappers and also used some elements by Rhonna Farrer and
Jessica Sprague.