{Happy Birthday}

Happy Happy Birthday to this gal!

I can't believe my little Shannon is turning ummm 16!

She's fun, funky, spontaneous, sweet, and many other things!

Watch out everyone; she's hitting the road, and I can't believe she's old enough to do so.  She's not much younger than I was when she was born, and that scares me.  It might mean I'm getting old or something.  It's been fun watching her grow up and become such a young lady!  I've had a blast with her as her aunt!  So happy birthday, may it be fun!!


We get to have some fun ourselves.....

Tomorrow it's gong to be warm.

Really warm.

Go do something fun warm.

So we're going to go do this.....

Yay, I've been wanting to go for a couple of months!!

We're going to go with these fun people....

These are some new found, wonderful friends, that we hang out with.  Well, we hang out with them a lot!  This is Jen (big surprise) and Jett.  Lucas, her hubby, isn't pictured, but they are soooo much fun to be around.  I texted her this afternoon to see what they were up to tomorrow and if they wanted a play date.  She responded with, "we're going to santa cruz"

Um, then after sometime kindly asked if we wanted to go!  Um, yes please!!  I might have to give her some nice little thing since she's driving. (My van needs new rear tires and I'm not about to drive it on the windy Hwy 17, through the mountains over to Santa Cruz!)

I told her I would bring the camera (of course) and snap some cuties of the kids playing in the sand!  So, I guess....more to come!

Well, now it's off to clean the kitchen since I've been doing everything I can to avoid it the last couple of days.  Humph!  Anyone want to come be my live in kitchen cleaner?

{chair}isn

Yep, two blogs in one day!

I know it's hard to keep up with me.... :)

Yesterday I had planned to spend hours of uninterrupted time in the "room" crafting away!!  (In my dreams)

1.) I did craft, with a 3 year old, and oh how it was more 3 year old time than "me time"
2.) I was super grouchy because of it
3.) I had failed...at making the card that was in my head!

So.....
I got up this morning and what did I do after my coffee?

Yup, took the 2nd cup of coffee to the craft room and started in on my challenges.
1.) for my own challenge blog (which I can't reveal until Friday)
        bummer, I know.

Make sure you check out our challenge blog here.

2.) worked on a card for the Dynamic Duo's challenge this week, which is....

I opted to not participate in the Dessert option of Valentine.  I had intended to, and even pulled out all of my valentine stamps, paper, etc. but it just wasn't flowing.  So, I started to look at my other stamp sets to see what I had.  This is one I had purchased a long time ago and LOVE, but hadn't yet used.  Waiting for just the right thing!

I sooooo love the way my card turned out! (grin from ear to ear)

I know exactly who this card is going to, but it's one of those so pretty ones you don't want to let go of just quite yet!

{She's a Queen!}

Traveling home for the holidays meant spending some time behind the lens!!  OH, it felt soooo good! :)  One of the shoots I did was 2 in 1.  I took some maternity pictures of a friend (to come) and during that shoot I also did my best friends daughter, Madison.

In early December she held HER installation to become Honored Queen of Bethel #36 in Lenexa, Ks.  As a past Jobie, I know that she will always remember this event, and the next 6 months, as one of the best times in her youth!  It really is an honor!  What a wonderful organization.  What a blast her term will be!

Since I couldn't be there....

so sad :(

I did what I could, designed her programs, hand made thank you cards, crocheted her little "paisley" peacock, and my favorite....

take her Honored Queen pictures!  (Teeheehee)

Here are some that captures, the pretty, hilarious, Madison!!

I love this picture of madison! She's so goofy :)

{It's Butter}

Well folks, I told you this was one of my goals this year, and I'm going to keep it!!

Today I'm going to tell you how to make the most wonderful thing on Earth!  Butter....yep a good yummy spreadable butter (best on some home made bread).  Maybe that post will be for a later day.

Last night Ethan was wanting his favorite soup, tomato basil, yum delisous!!  Anywho, after I make it I generally have left over cream.  What better to do with the left overs than  make butter?

It's the simplest thing really, you're going to wonder why you've never done this before.  I love making this.

Eating it is yummy too.  Warm soft bread, straight from the oven. With just the right amount of crust that crisps and crumbs all over the place.  Is it lunch time yet?

Back to the butter...

What you'll need.....

Bowl

Hand Mixer (you'll really want to use a hand mixed and not bowl kind)

Salt

Heavy whipping cream

Pour your cream into the bowl and add a couple shakes of the salt.  Start mixing the cream with the hand mixer.  I do a medium speed.  Stand. Hold mixer, stand, hold mixer, move mixer around bowl.  Continue this process for about 15-20 min.  

Your cream will go through phases, here's what you'll see....

liquid (for a long time)

milk shake consistency (after about 7 min)

sour cream consistency (after another 2 min)

it will stay like this for awhile....

cool whip consistency (you could probably make your own whipped topping with adding sugar instead of salt and stopping at this point.  I've never tried, maybe another day)

this cool whip consistency will continue to get thicker almost like working with softened cream cheese.

Then, ALL OF A SUDDEN.....whipped butter, and when I say ALL OF A SUDDEN,  I mean ALL OF A SUDDEN!!!  When it starts to turn into the whipped butter it will turn really fast.

At this point I whip for about another 20 sec to make sure it all looks the same consistency of whipped butter.  Stop and taste.  I just poke my CLEAN finger in and taste.  It might need just a little more salt.  Especially if you're making a large amount.  (Add salt if need.) Whip for about another 10 sec.



Butter can be over whipped and it can happen quickly.  If you think you're over whipping, it will become watery....STOP!!!  It won't harden in the fridge!  If you've over whipped, you might as well toss it out and try again!

Also, a little goes a LONG way.  Making butter is fun, but share with your neighbors and friends if you make a lot.  You're not going to be able to finish it all before it stinks, molds, or other gross things in your fridge.  Do not leave sitting out on your counter. Your butter will be good for about 5 days, if left in the fridge.  Yes, there is no preservatives so it is going to go bad quickly!

Giving butter to a friend can be fun!  Just take a look at my dressed up jars to give to my buds....

These jars are 1/2 pints jars and the perfect size for butter.  Add a tag and it's so cute!

Add a cute crocheted dishcloth, and you've got a cute small thank you gift.  I can't wait to give mine out! (or eat my yummy butter on my bread tonight with dinner). 

After filling four jars for friends I filled two more for myself.  It goes a long long way!!

(quart sized container used minus one cup used for soup)

If you make other things with heavy cream, let me know.  I'd love to try them!

{A Card}

I've recently started up a blog challenge for crafters.  Each week the design team creates a card to go along with a new challenge.  With it is a link for players to submit their own work to go along with our challenge.  Winners receive a $5 gift card to either Starbucks or Target.  It's their choice.  So needless to say I've been doing an extreme amount of crafting and card making since I also lead the churches small groups of scrapbooking and card making.

This weeks challenge has touched us all in a different way.  One of our players submitted a card to our challenge a few weeks ago, and in it was an address for a P.O. Box to send condolence cards to the family's that were victims of the CT school shooting.  So, our team decided to make this our next challenge....

create a condolence card & send it to the address.

This is the card I created for the challenge.

If anyone is interested in mailing a card you can do so at this address: Messages of Condolence, P.O. Box 3700, Newton, CT 06470

If you do submit something I'd love to know! If you're interested in creating your own card you can submit it to the challenge blog here.

One of my goals this year is to take the time to write on my blog more, get back into the habit, and enjoy it.  Well, I'd like to tone muscle too, get my photography business going again, spend more time with the kids....ok, the list keeps going! Happy New Year everyone.