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It's Independence Day!
What are your plans for the 4th. Mine are:
1. To eat something wonderful! We do the traditional July 4th menu. The Love-Of-My-Life will be grilling hot dogs, hamburgers, and corn on the cob. I'll be dishing up the potato salad and baked beans. And I've thrown together a cool summer dessert of trifle with pound cake, pudding, and lots of fresh strawberries and blueberries, topped off with whipped cream.
2. Head out for Riverfront Park at dusk to listen to music and watch the fireworks over the Arkansas River. (Fireworks always make me cry....)
3. Come home safe and sound with my family and be glad that I live in the U.S.A.
Hope your day is filled with fun, food,
family, and good memories.
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Time's flying, again! July is rapidly approaching, and I haven't even thought about the patriotic crafts that I'd like to work on. But after trolling the web, I've come across a couple or three things that I like a lot.
Don't you love the crocheted American Bear? I think he's too cute, and his digital download pattern is available for only $1.99 at the LeisureArtsLibrary.com. I bet this little bear would work up quickly, too—just in time to be a centerpiece at the celebration. Later, I can change out his red, white, and blue bow to suit any occasion (or just pass him off to whichever child fancies him the most).
One of my favorite authors, Debbie Macomber, is offering a really nice free knit American Afghan pattern download on her site at DebbieMacomber.com. (This design would make a really great gift for a friend whose husband is in the military, so it's okay if I don't actually finish it by July 4th.)
And finally, you should check out the patriotic-themed Iced Tea Cozies free download pattern at CrochetSoiree.com. Really cute and perfect for any summer get-together—just change the colors to suit the event!
(Can you tell I'm into instant gratification lately with all the digital downloads I'm finding out in Internet Land?)
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Hope you and yours are enjoying this special day. We're honoring the daddy at our house with food. Yes, food. Isn't every special occasion really truly all about the food?
Daddy's Day Fat & Starch Lovers Breakfast
The Love-Of-My-Life is allergic to eggs, so it's always a challenge to please him when it comes to breakfast. At his request, we're having real bacon (I normally only allow him turkey bacon, so this is a real treat!), biscuits and sausage gravy, and potatoes fried in the bacon grease. Horrible isn't it?
Lazy Man's Lunch
Meat and grease are back on the scene. As Daddy reposes in his recliner, he'll be served Reuben Sandwich Bread. I unroll one of those French bread loaves you find in the dairy case at the store, cover it with corned beef, sour kraut, and swiss cheese, roll it back up, and follow the bread directions to bake it in the oven. He likes it with thousand island dressing, potato chips, and a pickle.
The Darling Daughters Do Dinner
The girls are making Greek Chicken, Potatoes, and Salad. It's a very easy meal that even they can handle, but it looks great on the plate.
Greek Chicken
• Dip boneless, skinless chicken breasts in olive oil. Season with Greek Seasoning (Cavender’s is a good choice).
• Cook the chicken on the indoor grill till done.
Greek Potatoes
• Drain two cans of sliced or diced potatoes.
• Sauté the potatoes in butter, the juice from a whole lemon, and Greek Seasoning to taste.
Greek Salad
• Top bagged lettuce from the store with kalamata olives and feta cheese.
• Splash on a little oil and vinegar.
We serve the chicken with Tzatziki on the side (don't freak—it's just a sauce). I have to make the Tzatziki cause the kids think cucumbers are gross.
Tzatziki
• Peel a cucumber and cut it into thin strips with a vegetable grater; then, cut the strips into small pieces. Drain well and add salt.
• Mix the cucumber with 2-4 cloves of minced garlic, a little vinegar, and 3/4 cup of plain yogurt.
• Add some olive oil (just a little at a time).
• Cover and chill for 30 min.
So anyway, have the Happiest of Father's Days, and Happy Eating, too, if your world is anything like mine! And if you're always running behind like me, hurry up and finish that Father's Day card that you haven't quite completed. I'm using the image of the dapper gentleman above on the front of the card I'm working on. Enjoy!
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The first day of Summer 2009 falls on June 21 this year. It's also Father's Day.
What are your plans for this momentous occasion? Other than eating (as I'll tell you about in my next entry), I'm occupied with my summer creative endeavors.
1. I've decided not to try to make something for my husband's Father's Day gift this year. I'm getting him, instead, a new cell phone. One of those rough and tough phones that you can drop (repeatedly) or submerge (guess where). He really needs this phone. Maybe he'll even answer it when I call him.
2. I'm crocheting potholders again. I've got the pattern memorized, and they're the perfect projects to carry along with me on my summer adventures. All I need is a little skein of cotton yarn, a hook, and my Debbie Macomber Single Project Bag, and I'm on my way.
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3. I've been busy lately writing a series of beading articles for one of our companion websites. Now I'm feeling compelled to make my own earrings. (They might even be crocheted if I can figure out how to add beads to the digital download pattern I've found. Check out this free Crocheted Earrings Pattern at CrochetSoiree.com! And yes, to those of you who've followed Irene from the beginning! These earring originally started out on iCreateit.com and went away, but I found them again...)
4. I'm going to try working on my Artist Trading Cards again. Life got hectic for a while, but now I'm ready to play with collage and vintage pictures again.
5. I also want to paint my dining table green. For some reason, that idea bothers the people who live at our house. I'm not quite sure why???
6. And finally, the eldest child graduated from high school on May 21—an honor student no less. I must scrapbook her achievement! Plus, I've also promised to make a shadowbox to hold her graduation hat, sash, tassel, Governor's School medal, and diploma.
Hopefully, I'll accomplish some of the goodies on my creative summer list. Happy Summer Creativity to you, too!
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Did you know that May is National Scrapbooking Month? I just found out about it myself.
I've kind of drifted away from the prolific scrapbooking that I was doing at one time, and I need to get back to it. The pictures are piling up on the computer at an alarming rate.
Above are two pages I've done recently that I like. They were done in honor of grandmothers. The one with the crocheted doily (one of my failed thread crochet projects) is of my mother-in-law holding my daughters, the other features my Grandma Bessie and the remains of her log cabin home in the country. It's good to remember.
And that's what scrapbooking's all about. Saving memories. Sharing the past with the future. Honoring those people, places, and things that inspired your life.
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All of you quilters and crafters out there are going to love Debbie Mumm's new book—Home Comings! It even includes some great projects for folks who don't sew at all.
One of the most satisfying things in life is gathering family and friends for a holiday or special occasion celebration. Those events when people come together from far and near are the most memorable and joyous of occasions. Preparing for these events is a big part of the fun, and this book is loaded with projects and ideas for setting the scene for joy-filled reunions and homecomings.
• Whenever family gathers together for a springtime celebration, your get-together will be enhanced by a beautiful basket quilt on the wall or a bright burst of color on the sofa.
• Rally friends and family for a 4th of July barbecue festooned with red, white, and blue banners and pillows.
• Haunt them at Halloween with patchwork quilts, spooky pillows, and timely table runners.
• Bring the rich colors and traditions of Autumn to your home with wall and lap quilts, table quilts, and even a scarecrow.
• Make Christmas the merriest with birds, banners, and a log cabin legacy quilt.
• Create such no-sew home décor projects as Sand Candles, a Patriotic Flower Pot, Framed Boo, Boo Rocks, Luminaries, a Mosaic Ball, and more.
Debbie invites us to revel in each season, each celebration! This book is sure to inspire years of sewing fun as you create quilts and crafts that will become an important part of each future homecoming celebration.
Celebrate all year long!
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(Yes, I know it's corny. I just couldn't resist…)
The love-of-my-life had a birthday recently. He asked for one thing—a snowball bush. Hey, easy present, I innocently thought at the time. I can take care of that in no time.
Fond memories of snowball bushes past floated through my mind. We had snowball bushes when I was a child. Turned out the his family did, too.
I never in my wildest dreams imagined how hard it would be to find, purchase, and bring home a snowball bush. But six nurseries and three days later, I was beginning to get a little desperate.
Finding a snowball bush shouldn't be that hard, but…
• It's been raining for three days. Picture Irene in heels at the garden center in the rain. I've started carrying extra shoes in the car.
• Four of the six nurseries had no snowball bushes.
• One nursery had a snowball bush. It was between 4-5 feet tall and cost $60. Not only would it not fit in the car, but as much as I adore the man, I'm not paying $60 bucks for a bush. (Not after the not-to-be-discussed tulip tree incident.)
• Finally, persistence pays off. I found a nursery that not only had snowball bushes, they had 2' tall and reasonably priced snowball bushes, plus a friendly and knowledgeable plant person to carry it to my car through the mud. Mission accomplished! (Thank you Good Earth Garden Center in Little Rock, Arkansas!)
So Happy Birthday to my husband. (You get to carry your bush from the car and dig your own hole.)
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Hey crochet fans! Listen up! Leisure Arts has launched a new website—CrochetSoiree.com! It’s a party that no crochet enthusiast will want to miss.
CrochetSoiree.com is an exciting, never-ending, on-line community where the art of crochet is celebrated—everyday! Inspired by the needleart of crochet and the millions who practice it, CrochetSoiree.com aspires to bring crocheters together to communicate and share their love of crochet. Blogs, interviews, polls, and message boards are just a few of the ways visitors and members can get acquainted and stay in touch with other crocheting friends via CrochetSoiree.com.
CrochetSoiree.com is designed to make it easy to search for people, places, and all things crochet. Visitors and members are encouraged to:
• Share crochet project photos, write comments, offer information, meet new people, and connect with old friends.
• Meet the talented designers behind their favorite patterns, find out what fellow crocheters are working on and join in the fun, along with trading tips and hints.
• Discover crochet guilds, must-visit yarn shops, and lots of caring people who donate much of their crochet time to charity organizations.
• Learn how to get involved in charity crochet, find free crochet patterns to support charitable efforts, and share news with readers about local organizations and efforts.
CrochetSoiree.com also features a storefront sure to suit the needs of any crochet enthusiast. Shoppers will be able to search for and find what they’re looking for in record time thanks to advanced search options. From the hottest crochet fashions to the timeless classics, from basic crochet hooks to the latest products to hit the market…visitors can browse through their favorite categories as they prefer.
Check out the Launch Week Festivities!
May 4: Opening Bash
This is your chance to meet the blog writer, crochet enthusiast extraordinaire, Tamara Gonzales, as she shares her embellishing secrets, check out hot hints from the Crochet Dude himself—Drew Emborsky, and get the party started with a Grand Tour of the site!
May 5: Baby Stuff
They’re celebrating Baby at the Soiree! Explore "The Cute Factor" with crochet designer Kay Meadors. Also be sure to click on over for the opportunity to ooh and goo over some perfectly precious babies with their absolutely adorable crocheted accessories.
May 6: Fashion
The focus is on Fast & Fashionable for Wednesday's Soiree festivities. They’re featuring Lisa Gentry, the World's Fastest Crocheter, as she talks about her crochet designs. (You'll want to be sure to take her Speed Test to see how you measure up!) Plus, they're showing off fashions for everyone in the family—including your four-footed friends.
May 7: Extreme Crochet
Extreme is the theme for this fourth day of Launch Week! Find your cute little animals fix with amigurumi authority Amy Gaines, get the picture with crochet portrait designer Todd Paschall, and be inspired by everything crochet from the incredibly cute to the entirely out there and everything in between in the Extreme Crochet Slideshow.
May 8: Home Décor
Home Decor is happening at the Soiree! From bed to bath, kitchen to living room, kid's rooms, and more, Leisure Arts designer Becky Werle walks you through a whole house full of ideas for decorating your home with crochet. Check out the Home Décor Slideshow for even more inspiration for incorporating crochet the easy way.
Click on over and take a look at the site. Become a part of this new crochet community!
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...Or more than one doily as the case may be. I need some suggestions.
My mother-in-law was a prolific crocheter. Consequently, I'm now in possession of a rather large collection of doilies. Every size, shape, color, and pattern of doily imaginable is currently residing in a box in my closet.
These doilies are too precious to be hidden away forever in the dark, but I only have so many tabletops deserving of doilies (places where they won't get wadded up or inadvertently used as coasters.) I need display ideas.
1. I used one on a scrapbook page with a photo of my mother-in-law and all four of her grandkids.
2. Three have been placed in individual frames and hung in the dining room.
3. And now I'm at a loss…
Please help display my doilies!
(The display in the above photo inspired me. It's is a project called Magnificent Mini Doilies from LeisureArtsLibrary.com.)
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I think I've babbled before about being intimidated by polymer clay, and the term millifiore really sort of frightens me, but designer Anne Igou's new book, I Can't Believe I'm Creating Millefiore takes away all my trepidation.
First, just so you'll know, millefiore is defined in the dictionary as "a type of ornamental glasswork created by fusing glass rods of various colors and diameters, typically in such a way as to form a floral pattern when the bundle is cut and displayed in cross section."
That's what Anne does—except with polymer clay not glass. Who knew polymer clay could be so stunning? And easy. The book has everything you need to know to make eighteen dazzling jewelry and accessory designs. Step-by-step instructions and gorgeous photography make it simple.
I think I'm going to have to try this. Wish me luck!
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