A Simple Good-Bye to 2011

Hey People!  Did you all have a great Holiday?  I sure did, even though life has been crazy busy!  Contrary to popular belief, just because it is "vacation" time for the kiddos, the schedule does not stop!  The Oldest kiddo has had basketball tournaments, and both kids have resumed basketball practice this week.  Add to the normal chaos of the Holiday of me working full time covering for all the other therapists wanting to take time off and there has just been NO time for any blogging (or creating, for that matter!!).  But, it's all good!  Busy keeps everyone out of trouble! haha!!

I was originally going to pop in here and share some of my favorite creations from 2011.  But, I decided to nix that idea.  2011 is just that.....2011!! It's time to move on and look forward to 2012! 

So, instead, I'm going to close out the year with a couple of very simple, last minute gifts that I had to make before the Holiday. 

Sometimes, simple is the only way to go. 

First, tags made for some homemade Orange Cranberry Bread that I made to give to the oldest Kiddo's high school teachers.

I baked the bread in $1 ceramic pans that Michael's always carries this time of year.  As the oldest kiddo put it, "the ceramic container's make it look like a better gift than the tin foil pans."  hahha!!  The tags came from an old SU set Christmas Punch.  I colored directly onto the stamp with SU markers in Cranberry Crisp and Old Olive.  Huffed onto the stamp (that really sounds like something you shouldn't be doing!) and stamped onto Pure Luxury card stock and punched out with the matching scalloped punch from SU.

Next, a quick gift set I made for the Toad's step grandmother.  Six cards and envies put into a clear stationery box. 

I used a LaBlanche stamp.  These stamps are so detailed that I think you can get by without coloring (which, I did not have time to do!!). These stamps are silicon on a foam backing.  I will admit, that I had to practice a bit to figure out how to get all the detail to stamp nicely.  Memento ink worked best for me.  And once I put the stamp to the paper, I "walked" my fingers over the entire image area (these stamps have the detailed picture cling on the back of the stamp).  If I tried to put just straight pressure down on the stamp (like I do with a wood mounted stamp), I found that the image often was blurred.  Just stamping left detail out.  So, walking it was!!  The sentiment came from another old SU set All Year Cheer, and was stamped in Wild Wasabi ink. 

I do want to say that I'm so ever grateful for all of your comments and encouragement over this past year! You all make blogging fun and I appreciate the time that you take to share my exploration of creativity.  I look forward to more creative adventures in the New Year!! 

Have a Safe and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!   

12:45 AM

I was up until 12:45 AM Thursday night. 

I haven't deliberately seen 12:45 AM in years.  So why did I venture into that time zone this week, you ask?

Because I keep thinking that I have an  inner Martha Stewart inside of me, when I'm really more of an

Erma Bombeck type.

Because of the fact that since I am more like Erma vs. Martha, I got off work then went grocery shopping so that I could feed my kids something besides cold cereal for yet another meal.

Because once I got home I had to clean up the kitchen in order to make room for a new mess.

Because before I went grocery shopping I forgot to actually check to see if I had all the ingredients for the cookies and icing.  Therefore, I had to shove the creamed butter and sugar into the fridge, pick up the kids from practice, run back to the grocery store, and go through the drive through for dinner (hey!! Something new for dinner this week!!).

Because I'm a huge sucker for big brown eyes, who looked up at me and requested "some type of special cookie" for his classroom party treats.

Because even though a certain 13 y/o boy didn't ask for "special cookies" for his classroom, I didn't want him to think he wasn't worth the time to make "special" cookies for.  Or worse, that he is too old to have "special" cookies.

Because my hands began to get tired and sore from using a squeeze bottle to lay down the icing as it would seem I do not have tips #1, 2 or 3 in my measly collection of decorating tools. 

Because it was worth seeing the grin on the Kiddo's face when he saw the cookies in the morning.



If you are looking for incredible inspiration for decorating cookies (or baking period), a wonderful sugar cookie recipe and tips for doing it yourself, may I strongly recommend you check out

Bake at 350.  Her (Bridget's) sugar dough recipe and tips made me look like I knew what the heck I was doing on these cookies.  Go check her out.  And print off the cookie recipe and tips here.  Then you'll be able to impress your Kiddos or their teachers with your artistic creativity too!!

'Till the next adventure...................

Sunshine Pops

Just a reminder:  The Operation Write Home blog candy comments ends TODAY at 8 PM PST.  Details can be found HERE. 

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Welcome to another week!! Is it just me, or is this year FLYING by?!! HOLY MOLY! How did we get to the last week of September already?!!

Today I have some baking creativity to share with you.  A few weeks ago, I discovered Bakerella's blog. OH MY!! I immediately went out and bought her newly released book, Cake Pops.  Seriously.  How stinkin' cute are these?!!

I got the bright idea that these might be a good thing for the 4th grade class to sell at our school's upcoming Fall Fair.  Can you imagine the 4th graders walking around with the concession type boxes that you see at games?  "Get 'yer cupcaaaake pops!! Get 'yer cutcaaake pops!!"....hehe.   Better yet, that would mean NO BOOTH TO MAKE!! 

Anyhoos!! I thought that it might be wise to give these cuties a try before the night before the fall fair.  The 4th grade teacher just so happens to be celebrating her birthday today, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to give this baking creativity a go!!  Now, I had originally thought to make an apple shape (with cute faces, like the ones shown in the book), but it would seem that someone forgot to get the large white sprinkles for the eyes, the pretzel sticks for the stem and some type of green candy for the leaves.  In my defense, I was deciding what I wanted to do while trying to figure out exactly what supplies I needed.  And I had a couple of other ideas running through my head at the same time.  Things kinda got jumbled with my Mommy Mush Brain Syndrome!!  So, I adapted an idea that I had thought to do with cupcake bites.  And so, my field of sunflowers bloomed.

 

I REALLY need to add a higher end photo editing program to my Christmas wish list!! I kinda like to play with the different editing tools!

For my first time, I think that these turned out pretty darn cute, if  I do say so myself!!  I did learn that my candy coating needs to be thinner next time.  I had some problems with the dipping straight in the coating as mine was too thick.  And, I learned that for the Fall Fair (and making 100+) that the designs will need to be more basic.  Transporting these will be tricky.  I only have 13 to take tomorrow, and the boys can hold them, but I have NO IDEA how I would transport hundreds.  But I am thinking we will have basic, some slightly more detailed and then a few WOW ones.  With an associated price increase in each, of course!

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I also worked on the gift/card.  But that project will have to wait for another day.  It needs the students part of the project to be completed. Hopefully, I'll have that last bit here in a day or two.  I will give you one hint.....Once upon a Time......hehe

Thanks for dropping by again today!! I had fun (even when my sunflowers were falling off their "stems") trying something new.  Remember~~creativity comes in so MANY different forms!! Photography, baking, crafts, stamping, organizing (yes....I think organizing can be a type of creativity!).  The important thing to remember is to make sure you include it somewhere in your day!!

Till next time.................