Hot Buttered Rum

I remember meeting her for the first time. Willowy & beautiful in a beautiful pale pink suit. I just had to know this beautiful lady. We were at a Boy's & Girls Club Auxiliary Luncheon. My sweet friend Karen Mahoney introduced us....not only was she beautiful, she was sweet, nice, and one of the best hostesses I have ever had the opportunity to be served by. At one of her holiday gatherings she served this fabulous concoction....it was just awesome. You are supposed to serve it with rum, but Michelle served it as a coffee creamer. I just had to have the recipe, so I will forever immortalize Michelle Hoffman, my dear friend, on my blog and allow you the opportunity to make this wonderful concoction. It has become a holiday tradition in our home....and I am sure once you taste this, it will be a tradition in your home as well. By the way...don't be afraid of the ingredient list...you only use a little bit in each cup! Now you can share just a little bit of my friend...Michelle.

Hot Buttered Rum

1/2 gallon premium vanilla icecream

1 lb. butter, softened

1 lb. box powdered sugar

1 lb. box brown sugar

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Place in a freezer safe container & store in the freezer until ready to use. Per mug, or use as I do in a cup of coffee.

1 oz. rum

2 T. mix

6-8 oz. boiling water

Silver Bella Sachets

I participated in a number of swaps when I went to Silver Bella. In this particular swap we were asked to make sachets. For those of you who don't know what a swap is, it is fun way to connect with people. You make a said amount of items that a hostess has chosen for her swap. Then you 'swap' them with your group. So, I made 10 and when I went to Silver Bella I received 10 different sachets, made by 10 different, incredible women. I chose a Parisan theme for mine and used vintage linen with a hand stamped Parisan image. I then attached a distressed tag, some vintage beads, vintage seam binding and to make it all even neater attached everything with a tarnished large safety pin. I filled each sachet with beautiful, restful lavendar. These sachets make me happy and help me to feel relaxed. I hope they have done the same for my swap sisters. (Luckily for my other friends I made a few extra....and they can be purchased at Lola Rue) Blessings for a lovely, restful day.

Awesome Wreath

I want you to envision a little piece of heaven that I recently purchased. It was created by my dear friend Lisa Orme and I purchased it from her shop... Lola Rue. I hung it over my bathtub and my husband was shocked. Well my bathtub is also a little piece of heaven. I go there to soak and to rest my weary body. I re-group there and it is only fitting that I hang a gorgeous wreath to make my space just that more special. It is loaded with some of my very favorite things, and I venture to believe that while Lisa was creating this special piece....maybe....maybe....just maybe she might have been thinking of me. I hope that is true, because this wreath spoke to me with the Charlotte head, vintage ruler, pearls, silk ribbons, old lace and wooden spools. In my humble opinion it is a masterpiece and something I will treasure for years to come. Thanks for making my life on earth a little more like Heaven Lisa. I love you!

Truffles

Cooking has always been such a fun way to celebrate the holidays. It is even more fun cooking with my children Lindsey & Lincoln. They are turning into wonderful cooks. Last week, during the dust and disgust of the kitchen remodel, we wiped it all away and made these fabulous truffles. I got the recipe from a dear friend I met at Silver Bella...the wonderful and very talented Suzanne Duda. She made these with her children also. Suzanne said they were easy and boy was she right. Easy, delicious & cute to boot, who can resist. Here's the recipe, I am sure she won't mind if I pass it along. I hope you enjoy my littel bit of Christmas cheer!

Suzanne Duda's Truffles (makes 40)

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons milk

Heat mixture over medium heat, stirring all the time, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Cover and refridgerate 11/2 hours or until mixture is firm. Shape into small balls (Suzanne said she used a small melon baller so that is what I used). Gently roll in sprinkles, chopped nuts, or cocoa powder. Place in mini cupcake liners and refridgerate. Enjoy!!

Parisan Flair

What a wonderful time we had at Silver Bella. Working in our classes with so many talented ladies was a blessing I won't soon forget. We got to go Kansas City, MO on the way to Omaha and got to visit The Curious Sofa. What a wonderful glimse of perfection. I was inspired and awed by the many wonderful displays that I envisioned. So many neat Parisan touches. The Curious Sofa was also at the Vendor Marketplace that was held at Silver Bella. I guess I got the bug for Paris. Funny, the Boy's Club Holiday Auction also got the bug. When we made the Advent Calendars we got to be a part of the Joyeux Noel Marketplace and sell our wares. I couldn't resist making these 'vintage Parisan baubles'. I hope you like them, I like to say 'vintage bling'. Blessings for a special evening.

Boy's & Girls Club Holiday Auction

Things have been a whirlwind since I got back from Silver Bella. The mad rush was on to make and complete 35 vintage inspired Advent Calendars. Lola Rue was commissioned to complete this task and my very wonderful friend and owner of Lola Rue....Ms. Lisa Orme enticed us to make these wonderful calendars. Together we made this wonderful contribution to the Boy's & Girls Club and earned money for the club. It was so fun. We pooled all of our vintage baubles, old scrap booking supplies (who has time to do that anymore?????), old buttons, and you name it we used it. We made a different magnet for each of the 25 days leading up to Christmas. It is kind of like the old little Advent Calendars we all did as children when you opened up a window and got a piece of candy. With our Advent Calendars you place a magnetic bauble on each day. They turned out very cute and they were a huge success. It was just a magical experience working again for the good of the community and doing it with wonderful friends. Together, with the help of my wonderful friends Kendra, Lisa, Cherie, Stephanie & Lindsey we got the Advent Calendars completed and wrapped to help make a difference in many childrens lives. I hope you enjoy a glimpse of the calendar with my friend Cherie displaying it. Blessings for a wonderful countdown for a celebration of the birth of a King!!!

Candy Cane Lane

Candy canes have always had a special place in my heart. When I was a child I used to adore licking them into the sharpest point I could make only to have the tip break off on the very next lick. As a grown-up, the shape only reminds me of one thing. My Lord and my personal saviour... Jesus. The red & white means one thing, the blood that was shed to wash away my sins and the pure love that Jesus has for me. Christmas is a special time of year for me, yes, I get to celebrate the birth of Jesus, but I also get to celebrate the birth of my own son, soon to be 12 year old Lincoln. I hope you enjoy my Candy Canes, they are approximately 8 inches long and the hand dyed cotton batting , chenille, cheese cloth and glitter add just the right touch. The Merry Christmas tag is distressed and tied with a silk ribbon. Blessing for a wonderful evening.

Mr. Snowman...Let's Party

I just can't resist this cute boy. His carrot nose measures about 8 inches long. He is sparkly and distressed just enough perched upon his make-do base. I especially love his party hat with the tinsel trim. Let me know what you think?!?!

I Love My Birds

It is always so fun for me to create. I took my love of hand-cut silhouettes and decided that I could hand cut a silhouette out of wood. I have always loved making making paper mache snowballs, so I decided to combine the two. The creation turned out just distressed enough, just cute enough, and just down right perfect for the winter months that are ahead of us. I hope you enjoy her as much as I do.

A Whimsical Vintage Touch

I believe that my creative flair, if one can call it that, comes from my mother. When I was a little girl my mother didn't give me coloring books, she gave me art paper. CREATIVE. She wouldn't give me barbies until I could dress them myself. Would one ever say there is creativity in a barbie? Well my mother thought so, and to be able to play with barbies you had to be able to create their wardrobes. CREATIVE. At the time, I thought it was harsh, but as a grown woman I can see the importance of the task at hand. We improvised in the kitchen. CREATIVE. Today, in my friends & families opinion, I am a good cook. Whether it be a cupcake for Brownies, a treat bag for the Youth Football League, or a gift basket donation, I add my flair. CREATIVE. So when I happened upon these awesome vintage Christmas light luminaries from the 1920's I thought???? "What can I do with these?" So I added some silk ribbon, that I had on hand, punched a vintage photograph, & added some German Glass Glitter. I think the affect is totally vintage & whimical. Thanks Mom for guiding me along the creative of path of life! Blessings.

Silver Bella in Country Living

I just received my November Country Living!! Silver Bella is featured in the magazine and I can't wait to get to Omaha, Nebraska now! I was so excited before, but now it seems even neater that I am going to an event that is featured in one of my favorite magazines. Going to this event is going to be so special because of all the great things I will learn and all of the fun & creative people I will meet. I haven't even gone yet, but judging by the hoopla in Country Living I am going back next year even if I have to walk!!

I Had To Laugh

With the election ever so near I just had to laugh when I saw this. Basically, that is all I can do at this point. This election has become the biggest soap opera I have ever seen. Anyone who knows me personally knows that I take elections seriously....sometimes too seriously. So maybe at this crucial point in history a good laugh is what we all need. I hope you see the humor in this and blessings for a wonderful day.

Lindsey's BHSS 2008 Homecoming

It will be a rare occurance for me to actually post two items in one day, but I just received some pictures of Lindsey's homecoming. I am continuosly inspired by other's blogs and want to capture the essence of family & creativity here in my own blog. Homecoming to me is a time of reflection and rememberance from where we have come. Jeff & I both graduated from BHSS and so it is extra special for us because now our daughter is a sophmore there. We love going to homecoming & seeing past friends, teachers, & parents from when we were students there. The school has changed a lot, but the people are still good, and the memories are still wonderful from dear old BHS. I hope many blessings fill your day.

I Love Fall So Much

I hope you have had as nice a weekend as I have. I traveled this weekend for my son Lincoln's hockey tournament. What was especially nice about this weekend was the beautiful weather that I encountered. Blessings abound. This fall season in Bloomington, Indiana has been so wonderful. Cool evenings & mornings and beautiful warm fall days. I have breathed in the fresh air and been so thankful many times. I have traveled away from town on several occasions and the leaves are just beginning to turn. I just love fall, the beautiful colors and God's bounty. We went to Lark's Family Farm in Loogootee, Indiana a few Sunday's ago. It was such a nice adventure. A petting zoo, corn maze, pumpkin patch, bison, apple cider slushie's & pedal go-carts, and to make things even better, the gourds & pumkins were only 25 cents a pounds. Blessings for a gorgeous week.

The Hockey Mom Hat

Good morning, and a good morning indeed! Today I put on yet another one of my fabulous hats. The Hockey Mom Hat. My son Lincoln is a second year PeeWee and we travel most weekends from September through March. Today we are traveling to Athens, Ohio which is about 6 hours from Bloomington. We are giving ourselves a couple of extra hours and hopefully we can find some junk stores along the way. Hockey moms have really had notice lately with the Vice Presidential running mate of Sarah Palin. I love her immensley and wonder how she does all that see does and seemingly well. She just seems like an average mom like most of the moms that I know. I feel like I am her kind of lady and the ladies of the world today have immense strength and manage so much. I love PeeWee hockey, I love traveling with my family, and these days are days we will never forget! The above photo is a group of really cool hockey kids. My son Lincoln is pictured in the lower right hand corner in the red shirt. Blessings for a beautiful October day.

Silver Bella Bound

Hello. Today was a very productive day. I attended Roof Crashers which is a Friday morning bible study that meets at my church. I am a member of Sherwood Oaks Christian Church. Then I rushed home & worked on a soldering project for an upcoming show. At some point during the creating process I realized I was about to miss the opening of Melissa Schultz' jewelry show, a local gal who makes some awesome soldered pieces. I didn't want to miss out, so I loaded up Justice, my black cock-a-poo, because he had an appointment at the vet and we would head there after the show. Melissa did not dissappoint! Her show was spectacular, very creatively made pieces. I purchased a gorgeous flower pendant which I loved, and it even passed my daughter & her friends approval. They all want one now. Then I headed to the vet and back home for more creating and then we all got ready and headed to Japanee' a very yummy Sushi Bar in town. YUMMY! I want to let everyone know that I am heading to Omaha Nebraska in November for Silver Bella. A giant & awesome crafting extravaganza! There I will take part in 5 classes & three of them will be taught by soldering guru......Sally Jean Alexander. I can't wait to learn from the Queen of Soldering!!!! I really want to pick her brain. I will leave town on November 12th with three Bella Sisters....Lisa Orme, Cherie Wilson & Stephanie Oyler. We are all very excited, and we will junk store shop the entire way there, go to CURIOUS SOFA, eat at wonderful places and just have a great time being girls on a road trip. I am looking forward to meeting all the girls there as I have been studying their blogs to get to know them before we go!!!! A lot of very creative & talented girls!! I will keep you posted on swaps I am making to take & and loads of creative fun.

Junking With My Mother

Today was another beautiful day. I woke up well rested and excited because my mother & I had planned to make a day of junking & lunching. I took her to the places that I normally frequent, but it was more fun doing it on a planned exursion. Our first venture was of course to the Opportunity Shop. It opens at 9:00 a.m. and I almost always see my gorgeous Bella Sister Lisa there. Today was not different. She has the neatest little shop in Bloomington called Lola Rue and I sell some of my things there. We chatted and shopped together. My mother told her how proud she was of Lisa because of her shop and what she has made it into. Today, oddly enough, I struck it rich with shoes. I never buy shoes while I am junking, but today was the exception and no wonder. I purchased a brand new, never worn pair of Dansko clogs, a very sporadically worn pair of Clarke's and an adorable lizardy pair of brown flats. The 3 pairs were all together $8. I was just joyful!!! I also purchased some vintage jewelry that will be an inspiration for my vintage jewelry collection to be unveiled soon!!! Then we went to Back Street Missions where I saw another Beautiful Bella Sister, Cherie. She was out shopping for cool bling & baubles. Here I purchased a couple of picture frames for future hand cut sihlouettes. The neatest place where I purchased things today however was, Zach's Treasure Chest, and boy did I find treasures. I bought a giant Charolette Head doll that was clothed in a hideous Gheisa girl dress. I took her out to the car and tore her clothes off. I remarked to my Mother how as a child I wanted all my dolls clothed, taught my children to clothe their dolls and here as a 42 year old, I was tearing the clothing off as fast as I could. She is adorable with her stuffed naked body. I also got a tiny little Charolette Head doll. I didn't disrobe her though, but I probably will. I purchased gorgeous crochet string, it is dry rotted, but I don't care. The colors are inspirational & beautiful. They are cool just to look at. I purchased this old black, gold & red tin. It is inspiration for my kitchen renovation, which probably will never be finished. I also got a neat Liberty Bell that was only half a dollar! That will be a neat stocking stuffer for my little liberty boy....Lincoln. Various buttons, jewels, & baubles filled my basket. All in all, it was a glorious day and now to unload and put away all my awesome purchases for future use and inspiration.

Crafting for Kelly's Kids

Today is a beautiful fall day. I am inspired. I awoke promptly at 4:23 a.m. realizing that I had forgotten my Tri Kappa meeting last night. I am bummed with myself for this because I am believing that I can handle all of this. My plate is full. I decide I will not blow off the YMCA today and throw on my workout gear and actually get in my car and drive there. My workout is wonderful and I feel quite accomplished. That is a great thing. I am doing a 'mini' show next week with Deb Thompson as she has newly become a Kelly's Kids representative and I would like to create some initial bubbles that will accessorize nicely with her line. I love Kelly's Kids. Seeing the fall line brings back some wonderful memories of Lindsey & Lincoln's day of wearing Kelly's Kids. So today I will try to entice myself to get busy and create. These Merry Halloween candy containers will also be my inspiration because I find them so whimsical and happy! Blessings for a gorgeous day!