Creating Me

have the funnest birthday ever!

Posted on January 6, 2017 by Anita

Is this not the cutest little chick?? 😊 She’s from the Bringing Booty Back set from Unity Stamp Company and I think she made a fun birthday card for a sweet little 4-year old.

I stamped the chick with brown ink on white card stock and colored her with Copic markers. Then I sponged the bottom of the piece with green ink and the upper portion with blue ink. The sentiment (an older stamp from Amuse Studio) is stamped with brown ink at the top of the piece. The piece is layered to purple card stock and attached to a white card

I punched 4 balloons using the Balloon Bouquet Punch from Stampin’ Up from different colors of card stock. Then I embossed each balloon with a different embossing folder. I attached the orange and pink balloons directly to the card. The blue and purple balloons are attached with foam tape. I used a fine tip black marker to draw the balloon strings and attached a tiny blue ribbon bow.

A little chick delivering 4 fun balloons to a special 4-year old girl! 🎈🎈🎈🎈

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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Reflections on 2016

Posted on January 3, 2017 by Anita

It’s 2017 – how did that happen?!?! Time flies by so quickly – 2016 was no exception. It was a year. A year with ups and downs, joys and sadness, life and love. Just like every other year has been, filled with so many people, things, and experiences.

2016 was the first full calendar year since we lost my Dad on June 20, 2015. It’s been a year of adjusting to the new normal. Of going home to visit and not finding him there. Of the first visit from my Mom to our home without him. Of having all the little things I remember about him hitting me out of the blue and causing the tears to flow. I miss him more than I can say. It is said that the cost of love is grief, but I wouldn’t give up the love we shared for anything. This emptiness that I feel in my heart is worth every second I had with him. And I do have great joy remembering all the wonderful memories I have of him!

This year has been filled with so many little moments of joy. Like the little 2 year old who greets me with the biggest smile while saying “Hi Miss Nita” and running to hug my leg – with his almost 7 year old sister close on his heels, not to be outdone in the hug department. And the sweet 4 year old (who I hadn’t seen for a few months) that ran as fast as she could from the car to jump into my arms and give me the biggest hug her little arms could manage. And my Marine godson coming home for a short leave and spending a bit of that time with us. And the sweet friends who have been there to love and encourage me throughout the year. And my husband who is always there – no matter what! And countless other moments…

I was also blessed to cross something off my bucket list by taking a trip to New England in the fall. It was so gorgeous and I’m so glad we took the time to go! We also got to spend an evening on the trip with friends we hadn’t seen in years – so special!

I have the freedom to travel with my husband when he goes to conferences, so I was able to go to Austin with him and make a side trip to Magnolia Market at the Silos. A place I’ve wanted to visit, but wasn’t sure that it would ever work out. Another little joy that I was blessed with!

We’ve done all the normal things of living this year. All those mundane things like cooking, cleaning, laundry, paying the bills, shopping. We’ve also cried, laughed, and loved. We’ve lived another year, made memories, spent time with those we love. It’s been a hard year in some ways and a wonderful year in others. It’s been a year just like yours…

Wishing you a wonderful year in 2017 – filled with love, laughter, and life!

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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White Chocolate Dipped Oreos

Posted on December 30, 2016 by Anita

Do you need a tasty treat for the New Year celebration? Here’s a fun, easy, no bake Oreo cookie option.

All you need are Oreos (I’m using the holiday kind with red creme – but the regular white creme is ok, too!), vanilla Candyquik (also known as almond bark), and sprinkles or crushed hard candy (I’m using peppermints and red sugar sprinkles 🙂).

Melt the Candyquick in the microwave according to the package directions. Then dip the Oreos into the melted candy to coat. Place on waxed paper and sprinkle immediately with sprinkles or crushed candy. The Candyquick will set as it cools.

And that’s it! Easy peasy! And tastes so yummy! Change the color of sprinkles or type of crushed candy and you can make these any time of the year. Oh, and they are really good with the double stuffed Oreos, too! 😉

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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Christmas Thank You Card

Posted on December 27, 2016 by Anita

I can’t believe that it’s already the 27th of December!! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!

Do you need to send a few thank you notes to some special people? Here’s a card that works up quickly – you can make several in just a few minutes.

The stamps are from the Festival of Trees set by Stampin’ Up and the embossing folder is from Sizzix. The tree and label punches are also from Stampin’ Up. The scalloped oval punch is from Marvy Uchida. Companies are constantly changing their products, so if you can’t find the specific stamp or punch just look for something similar – or look in your stash and use what you already have. 🙂

To make the card, stamp the tree with green ink on white card stock. Stamp the ornaments with red ink over the tree. Punch out with the tree punch and attach with foam tape to a scalloped oval punched from red card stock. Stamp sentiment with black ink on red card stock and punch with label punch.

Emboss a piece of white card stock with the snowflake embossing folder and attach to a white card. Atttach tree and sentiment to the card with foam tape.

This was a fun card to make! And if you really want to get a jump on next year, change the sentiment to Merry Christmas and you’ll have some Christmas cards ready!! 🎄

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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Our Visit to Magnolia Market at the Silos

Posted on December 23, 2016 by Anita

Earlier this month I was so excited to make a trip to Magnolia Market at the Silos in Waco, TX. My hubby had a conference in Austin, and since it is less than 2 hours from Waco, of course I tagged along – I wasn’t going to let him get that close without taking me with him! So glad we added some extra time to make the drive to Magnolia Market. 🙂

It was a gorgeous day, lots of blue sky and sunshine. We arrived just in time for lunch. There are several food trucks on the grounds with everything from gourmet grilled cheese to BBQ to coffee. They have lots of picnic tables set up so you can enjoy your lunch while watching families playing on the lawn – throwing the frisbee and football and just running around having fun!

We spent a little time after lunch enjoying the grounds. The swings were so much fun and this bench was nestled among fresh evergreen trees – it smelled heavenly!

There is a cute little building that houses Magnolia Seed & Supply. It is filled with fun gardening supplies including packets of seeds to plant your own garden. In the area in front of the building is a garden filled with beds for flowers and vegetables.

And of course we took advantage of this cool vintage truck for a photo op. 🙂

After playing it was time for some shopping! Magnolia Market is everything you would think it would be if you are a fan of Fixer Upper on HGTV. It is filled with gorgeous decor for every room in your home as well as t-shirts, mugs, and, this time of year, cute Christmas items. Joanna’s signature style is everywhere and Chip has his own corner with tools, hats, and other fun things. Here are a couple of shots from inside the store. I wish I had taken more – I was just so busy looking at everything!!! There is so much attention to detail – the displays are wonderful! And just so you know – there is a FedEx counter in the lower level. Made it much easier for us to purchase a few things without worrying how we would carry them home on the plane. 😉

We finished our day with yummy cupcakes from the Silos Baking Co. It was so hard to choose! Not only cupcakes but cookies and other sweet goodies with the attention to detail you would expect – all the way down to the cute way they wrap the cupcakes!

The Magnolia Market at the Silos is such a beautiful, relaxing place to visit. We spent some time just sitting, relaxing, and people watching. The people were so friendly and helpful – from the greeter as you walk onto the property, to the food truck vendors, to the employees in the store and bakery, all the way to the FedEx workers – they really made us feel welcome.

I don’t know when we’ll be back this way again, but whenever we are within a couple of hours of Waco, TX we will be making another trip to Magnolia Market at the Silos!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

Posted in Decor, Travel, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Cookie Cutter Santa Card

Posted on December 20, 2016 by Anita

Here’s a quick and easy last-minute Christmas card! The Santa stamp and matching punch are from Stampin’ Up. I just love this santa from the Cookie Cutter Christmas stamp set with the punch to match – and the other images in the set are just as cute.

Stamp Santa with black ink on white card stock, color with Copic markers, and punch out with the matching punch. Stamp your favorite sentiment with red ink on white card stock and punch with a scalloped oval punch.

Emboss a piece of kraft card stock with your favorite embossing folder (this is a discontinued one from Stampin’ Up). Attach a strip of patterned paper and attach the embossed piece to a white card. Attach Santa to the card with foam tape. Attach the sentiment to the card.

Change the sentiment to “thank you” and you have a great thank you card for the wonderful Christmas gifts you’ve received.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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A Cup of Joy

Posted on December 16, 2016 by Anita

Do you have your Christmas cards finished and mailed? If not, here’s a fun card that you can make this weekend for all of your coffee and tea loving friends – and those that love hot cocoa, too!

This is another great set from Unity Stamp Company. It’s called Joy to Go – isn’t that a cute name? I stamped the cup image with brown ink on white card stock, colored it with Copic markers, and layered it to red card stock.

Emboss a piece of kraft card stock with the Coffee Bean embossing folder from Elizabeth Craft Designs, attach a strip of patterned paper, and attach the embossed panel to a white card. Stamp the sentiment with red ink on white card stock and punch with a scalloped oval punch. Attach sentiment to the card. Attach the cup image to the card with foam tape.

A sweet card sure to warm the heart!

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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Winter Wreath

Posted on December 13, 2016 by Anita

I saw some beautiful wreaths wrapped with yarn in the stores this year…they also had beautiful prices! 😳

I started thinking about this Bernat Blanket Yarn and wondered how it would work to make my own wreath. Well…here’s what I came up with.

I used a styrofoam wreath form, Bernat Blanket Yarn in Vintage White, wired 1-1/2 inch ribbon, and a snowflake ornament from the dollar tree (not in this picture).

I started by pinning the yarn to the back of the wreath with t-pins. Here’s a link to what I’m talking about, but you can find them in the fabric section of your favorite craft store. Then simply wrap the yarn around the wreath form in a single layer to completely cover the wreath. To add some texture, wrap the wreath a second time, but leave space between as you wrap.

This is a closeup of the wreath after it is wrapped twice. I forgot to take a picture before wrapping it the second time, but I hope you can see how I wrapped the first layer.

After you have finished wrapping the wreath, cut the yarn and secure the end on the back of the wreath with a couple of t-pins.

I used this tutorial to help my tie my bow. I made 3 loops on each side. I used a white pipe cleaner while making the bow and it was long enough to tie my bow around the top of the wreath. I also secured it with a couple of t-pins hidden under the middle loop just to be safe. The snowflake ornament is attached with another t-pin.

And here it is all finished!

I am so happy with the way it turned out!! I love that it is wintery so I can leave it up all through January.

This works up so quickly! I only used maybe half of the skein of yarn, so you can easily get 2 wreaths out of one skein. And by using your craft store coupons, this can be a very reasonably priced project.

Still need a Christmas gift for a special friend? Or a wintery wreath for that corner in your home? You still have time to whip this up!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

Posted in Christmas, Decor, Gifts, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Merry & Bright Owl Card

Posted on December 9, 2016 by Anita

I am in love with these Unity Stamp Company owl stamps!! They have them for just about any occasion and, of course, this adorable Christmas Owl I Want set had to find his way to my craft room. 🙂 I mean, just look at those eyes…how could I resist?!?!?

To make this cute card, stamp the owl with brown ink on white card stock. Color with Copic markers, trim, and layer to red card stock.

Emboss a panel of kraft card stock with your favorite embossing folder. This is a discontinued one from Stampin’ Up, but this Sparkle embossing folder from them would be a great choice! Or just use one you already have in your stash. Attach a strip of patterned paper to the embossed piece and attach the piece to a white card.

Stamp the sentiment with red ink on white card stock and punch out with a scalloped oval punch. Attach the sentiment to the card. Attach the owl with foam tape.

Finding this little guy in their mail box is sure to make anyone smile!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

Posted in Cards, Christmas, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Fresh Cranberry Sauce

Posted on December 6, 2016 by Anita

Are you looking for an easy side dish to go with your Christmas ham? This tasty cranberry sauce may be just what you need! And with only 3 ingredients, it’s super simple to throw together.

You will need a 12 oz package of fresh cranberries (found in the produce section of your grocery store), 1 cup of orange juice (fresh or frozen – I just mixed up some frozen), and 1 cup of sugar. Mix the orange juice and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add in cranberries and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until berries begin to pop. This should take 10 minutes or less. Then just pour into a bowl and refrigerate. The cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools. I usually make it the day before I want to serve it. It will keep several days in the refrigerator so you can have it with all your leftover ham sandwiches. 🙂

Here it is in the pan just before I took it off the stove…