Dreaming of the North Pole

Yum Yum, holiday cherries!

I'm so going to do this for Christams.  They are so darn cute and perfectly simple.  A power food for the hoidays....'Luvin It!

Total Reindeer Cuteness

I saw this and thought "oh, how clever!" .... then I thought... hmmmm.... how does one get that shell to lay so perfectly flat on the paper?  So, the only thing that comes to my mind is X-Acto knife!   I remember one year cutting pine branches with an X-Acto knife and nearly cut my finger off!   Careful people, this looks like a dangerous with total cuteness craft ;).  BUT,  I am sooooo going to do this... wish me luck!  Instead of break a leg, keep a finger...

Seasonal Birch & Pine Arrangment

I'm loving this trendy birch accent arrangement with the berries, pine cones, magnolia leaves and assorted pine decor!  The black pot is a nice simple statement as well.  A perfect way to accent the entrance of the home for the holidays!

I'm not bored out of my gourd!

.... just 'crushin on these adorable gourd candles for the perfect fall ambiance decor.  'Luvin it!  For the clean cut, simply take your t-light that you are going to use and trace around the perimeter on top where the candle will sit & then carve down as deep as the candle!  You'll need those fine tooth carving tools that you see around halloween in order to get percision.  And if you are with power tools and have the correct size as the diameter of the candle, you could use a drill bit accompanied by protective gourd gut splattering gear to accomplish this desired result as well (always keep a good eye on the fingies to avoid accidents when using power tools and small items like these!).

White Pumpkins

So, I've been seeing a lot of white pumpkins the last five years or so and this year I'm in love. White pumpkins have become extremely popular as an alternative to the traditional bright orange pumpkins, and I noticed this year when I went to the pumpkin farm there are a lot of interesting variations for colors, variegation and such.  Many people have begun carving these beautiful objects to resemble pierced creamware china.  These pieces of work sure are beautiful and I love the detailing of black paint on a white pumpkin.  This year for Halloween, I got my power drill out and went to town on my pumpkins for a different look.  I suggest you wear some protective gear when doing this type of project as pumpkin guts were flying everywhere!

Photo Credit for above image... Martha Stewart

Shades of Pink & White On White Textures

...mmmm, 'lovin this combination of white pumpkins and shades of pale pinks for unique fall decoration ideas.

Golden Thoughts for Fall

Mmmmmm.... this is so simple but incredibly striking.  I could see these scattered around for fall parties or an evening of Thanksgiving with some soft candles glowing close by.   Take a mason jar and spray it metallic gold then dip it in gold glitter... easy peasy.  Think of all the options for doing any fun simple metallic color and then dipping them in a coordinating matching glitter for birthdays or weddings. Super sweet!

Ideas to ponder:
One idea for a summer party that comes to mind, is metallic turquoise paint with matching glitter... or on the flip side, some simple plain sand instead of the glitter accented on turquoise would give a nice beach-y look.

Christmas could be done in metallic silver with simple balsam pine and hypericum berries.

Easter done with pastel blues and minty greens, accented with hydrangeas, daisies and fun eggs!

Hurry up spring.... I'm so tired of snow!

I can not wait for the tulips to push out of the ground... but with the way the weather is going here in Wisconsin, it is starting to get very, very old.  More cowbell.... nope, give me more tulips!

Purified Water VS. Microwaved Water

Interesting story on microwaved water.

Here is a Science fair project presented by a girl in a secondary school in Sussex . In it she took filtered water and divided it into two parts. The first part she heated to boiling in a pan on the stove, and the second part she heated to boiling in a microwave. Then after cooling she used the water to water two identical plants to see if there would be any difference in the growth between the normal boiled water and the water boiled in a microwave. She was thinking that the structure or energy of the water may be compromised by microwave. As it turned out, even she was amazed at the difference, after the experiment which was repeated by her class mates a number of times and had the same result.

It has been known for some years that the problem with microwaved anything is not the radiation people used to worry about, it's how it corrupts the DNA in the food so the body can not recognize it.

Microwaves don't work different ways on different substances. Whatever you put into the microwave suffers the same destructive process. Microwaves agitate the molecules to move faster and faster. This movement causes friction which denatures the original make-up of the substance. It results in destroyed vitamins, minerals, proteins and generates the new stuff called radiolytic compounds, things that are not found in nature.

So the body wraps it in fat cells to protect itself from the dead food or it eliminates it fast. Think of all the Mothers heating up milk in these 'Safe' appliances. What about the nurse in Canada that warmed up blood for a transfusion patient and accidentally killed him when the blood went in dead. But the makers say it's safe. But proof is in the pictures of living plants dying!!!

As happy as a pig in mud!

This has got to be the cutest dessert!  I would be "as happy as a pig in mud" to have this as my birthday cake...
A barrel cake made with Kit Kat candy bars and most likely the pigs are made out of marzipan.  I added a marzipan receipe below the picture (I would guess maybe adding a small amount of red food dye to acheive the pink for the pig --  I would test a small amount of the batch first....most likely add the dye at the point of folding but do it gradually to find the happy spot for the pink).
Idea for mud... not sure if this would work or not but possibly nutella?

• Ingredients:
• 4 cups ground almonds (or almond meal)
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 egg whites
• 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
• powdered sugar for dusting

     Directions:

1. Prepare a workspace by sprinkling powdered sugar over a wooden cutting board, large baking sheet or marble slab/counter-top.  
2. Fill a large bowl or your sink with cold water.
3. Place the sugar and 2/3 cup water in a large heavy saucepan and heat gently, while stirring until the sugar dissolves.
4. Add the cream of tartar and turn up the heat.  Bring to a boil and cover, boiling for 3 minutes. 
5. Uncover and boil until the temperature reaches soft-ball stage, 240 degrees on a candy thermometer.
6. Place the bottom of the saucepan in the cold water that you prepared earlier, stirring the sugar mixture constantly until it becomes thick and creamy. 
7. Stir in the ground almonds and the egg whites, and then place back over low heat and stir for 2 minutes more until the mixture is thick. 
8. Spoon the marzipan onto your prepared work surface, and turn it with a metal spatula until it cools down enough to touch. 
9. Coat your hands in powdered sugar and begin to knead the marzipan, working it until it is smooth and pliant. 
10. Your marzipan can now be used immediately or stored by wrapping it in plastic wrap and keeping in in an air-tight container. 

Heart of Hearts!

Super cute idea for maximizing the use of the Christmas ornaments after Christmas is all said and done!   Might as well use them if you own them...take off the Christmas ornaments to transition them into Valentine's Day!  I'm so doing this!

Easter Egg Candle Sticks

Oh, how I am so doing these for Easter this year! Love it!