Monday, November 14, 2011

Award x 2

I am truly honoured to have received not one, but TWO lovely blog awards lately...


First, is the Versatile Blog Award from Jodi over at In Corners of My Mind.  Whether the topic is art, design, or family life, her posts always have me smiling.



To accept this award, thank the person who awarded it to you
and include a link to their blog. Then choose up to 15 fellow bloggers
that you've recently discovered or follow regularly
to pass the award along to and share 7 things about yourself.



So here are a few things about myself...


  1. I'm an only child.
  2. I can never remember how old I am... I think that I just stopped bothering to keep track after 21.
  3. My Front Porch Ferns have been relocated indoors.  I usually kill houseplants, so hopefully they'll survive the winter... and me.
  4. I don't have a smartphone, but I'm thinking of getting one... any suggestions?
  5. I am SO excited for Christmas this year and decorating our house for the holidays... I have a few projects in the works and will be sharing them in the coming weeks.
  6. Doctor Who is my all time favourite TV show.
  7. Although charcoal seems to be the best medium for me as an artist, I've been thinking a lot about painting and printmaking lately... now I just need to find the time and motivation!


 
...and here are my nominations for The Versatile Blogger Award...


Sugar & Spice in the Land of Balls and Sticks is the place to find recipes, DIY, and many incredibly creative projects.  I always find myself inspired by all of the clever and cost effective ideas and tips!


Over at Momnivore's Dilemma, Nicolette's posts are absolutely hilarious as well as informative.  You'll find crafts, nutritious food, a great link party, and her family's experiences with autism.  She'll have you laughing one moment and tearing up the next!




Now on to award number two...






The Liebster Blog award is given to blogs that are considered up-and-coming and have under 200 followers.  And once again I am so honoured!

This award is from The S.I.P. Project - where incredible exchanges are beginning to take place... Fabulous photo shoots in exchange for service projects that benefit charities, communities, and causes.  I'm looking forward to seeing the entire project enfold!


I'd like to pass the Leibster Blog award on to...


Miss Amy at I do have a real job... I swear.  Motivating ideas and articles are plentiful there... and some great recipes too.  Be prepared to be inspired!



Thanks for stopping by.








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Wednesday, November 9, 2011

31 Days of Words to Live By {The Complete Series}



This is the place to find all of the posts during my blog series, "31 Days of Words to Live By".
For the month of October, I shared my favourite quotes and sayings while incorporating them into daily life.

This series was inspired by The Inspired Room, where you'll find other "31 Days" series among many other wonderful things!




Day 28: Shoot for the Moon
Day 29: Happiness is Cheesecake
Day 30: A Little Bit of Magic
Day 31: Our Halloween Home




It was actually a lot of fun and I didn't even get to use all of my favourite quotes!  Maybe I'll get a head start on next year's series.  Do you have any sayings or quotes that you'd like to share?  I'd love to hear them.

Thank you to everyone who shared their thoughts and comments throughout the series.

And hopefully...





 Y'all will come back now ya hear!





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Monday, October 31, 2011

Day 31: Our Halloween Home

Tonight on this Halloween evening, we had a visit from a delightful dinosaur...





He was quite polite and instead of proclaiming "Trick or Treat", he shouted "Please!"






As bedtime drew near, he traded in his dino green for a devilish red suit.
And even though the matching hat made a mess of his hair...





...our little devil still had a few tricks up his sleeve!











 Now before we turn out the lights, let's take one final look at Our Halloween House...





...complete with Spooky Spider Silhouettes and pumpkins with A Little Bit of Magic...





 And although I absolutely love our house...


"What I love most about my home is who I share it with."

- Tad Carpenter







Sweet dreams and thanks for stopping by.






This post is part of my blog series, "31 Days of Words to Live By".  For the month of October, I will be sharing my favourite quotes and sayings while incorporating them into daily life and art projects.

This series was inspired by The Inspired Room, where you'll find other "31 Days" series among many other wonderful things!




Day 28: Shoot for the Moon
Day 29: Happiness is Cheesecake
Day 30: A Little Bit of Magic
Day 31: Our Halloween Home










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Sunday, October 30, 2011

Day 30: A Little Bit of Magic




"Those who don't believe in magic will never find it."

- Ronald Dahl



Around this time of year, there's something just a little bit magical about a pumpkin.  After picking the perfect specimen from The Pumpkin Patch and bringing it home, the real enchantment begins.







Daddy gets to work...






And so does Oliver...







Seed sorting...





And seed tasting...







This year, the task of carving was left for me.  Daddy wanted the Guinness logo, I opted for a simple star treatment on mine, and Ollie's pumpkin was destined for a car, of course.
Then it was time for the most magical part...



Guinness Logo Jack-o-Lantern



Cars and Stars Jack-o-Lanterns



 Pumpkins, creativity, family, love, ... whatever it may be... I hope you find the magic that you believe in.


 Thanks for dropping by.




This post is part of my blog series, "31 Days of Words to Live By".  For the month of October, I will be sharing my favourite quotes and sayings while incorporating them into daily life and art projects.

This series was inspired by The Inspired Room, where you'll find other "31 Days" series among many other wonderful things!




Day 28: Shoot for the Moon
Day 29: Happiness is Cheesecake
Day 30: A Little Bit of Magic





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Saturday, October 29, 2011

Day 29: Happiness Is Cheesecake






"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have."

- Frederick Keonig



Well, what I do have is cheesecake.  Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake, to be exact.
And it sure does make me happy.

I found the recipe in the Kraftfoods What's Cooking magazine, Fall 2011 issue.  I've never attempted cheesecake before, but decided to give it a try.  I'm glad I did!






Here's the recipe... it just might bring you a little bit of happiness too...



Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake



INGREDIENTS


Cheesecake
 
3/4 cup Graham Crumbs (I like to buy the crackers since we can use them for other things, then just chop into crumbs in the food processor)
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (once again, food processor works like a charm)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar, divided
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/4 cup butter, melted
1-1/2 cups canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
3 pkg. (250 g each) Brick Cream Cheese, softened
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
 

Praline
 
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. water
1/2 cup chopped pecans



DIRECTIONS


Cheesecake:
  1. MIX graham crumbs, nuts, 1/4 cup each brown and granulated sugar, and butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Refrigerate 1 hour. 
  2. HEAT oven to 350ºF. Whisk pumpkin, remaining brown sugar, eggs and spices until well blended. Beat cream cheese, remaining granulated sugar and cornstarch in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add pumpkin mixture; mix just until blended. Pour over crust. 
  3. BAKE 45 to 50 min. or until centre is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool completely before removing rim.
  4. REFRIGERATE for 4 hours. Meanwhile, prepare Praline.

Praline: 
  1. BRING sugar and water to boil in small saucepan on medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Continue boiling, without stirring, 5 to 7 min. or until syrup is thickened and golden brown.
  2. REMOVE from heat. Stir in nuts.
  3. SPREAD onto parchment-covered baking sheet. Cool.
  4. BREAK into bite-size pieces.  

TOP cheesecake with praline and whipped cream just before serving.






A few of my mistakes to avoid...

Please put a pan or cookie sheet under the cheesecake while baking.  I didn't and now have an oven that requires some serious cleaning.

I refrigerated the cheesecake between 2-3 hours instead of 4.  So it was still a little soft in the centre.

Also, don't top the entire cheesecake with the praline, like I did.  The praline is like a hard candy and makes for difficult cutting.  Although it won't look as pretty when displayed on the cake plate, next time I'll probably top each piece separately after cutting.



Mmm... a piece of cheesecake happiness. 



What makes you happy?
Thanks for stopping by.

This post is part of my blog series, "31 Days of Words to Live By".  For the month of October, I will be sharing my favourite quotes and sayings while incorporating them into daily life and art projects.

This series was inspired by The Inspired Room, where you'll find other "31 Days" series among many other wonderful things!

Check out the complete series.




I'm sharing this with...

Tip Junkie handmade projects
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Friday, October 28, 2011

Day 28: Shoot for the Moon



Shoot for the moon.  Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.

- Brian Litrell




A few of my favourite stars from the sea...



Simple Starfish Display



Starfish and Shell Mobile from Florida



Natural Centrepiece



Beachy Blue Frame




Thanks for dropping by.



This post is part of my blog series, "31 Days of Words to Live By".  For the month of October, I will be sharing my favourite quotes and sayings while incorporating them into daily life and art projects.

This series was inspired by The Inspired Room, where you'll find other "31 Days" series among many other wonderful things!




Day 28: Shoot for the Moon





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Thursday, October 27, 2011

Day 27: Spooky Spider Silhouette



"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

- Martin Luther King Jr.



This year for our outdoor Halloween decor, I've decided to utilize light.  Orange tissue paper and card stock paper have transformed our front door window into a Spooky Spider Silhouette...






I was inspired to create this after seeing Halloween Window Clings for sale in one of the weekly flyers.






Trace & Transfer
Once my spider was drawn out in pencil, I went over the outline with a Sharpie.  Using carbon paper (available at any office supply store), I traced and transferred the image onto pieces of card stock (I didn't have black so used dark blue instead). 






Cut!
Time to cut out all those wiggly legs.  Stacking 2 - 3 pieces of card stock together is a quick way to make multiple spiders.






Trim & Tape
I found it easiest to tape and trim the orange tissue paper right on the window, rather than measuring and pre-cutting.



Give It Some Glue
Tape the legs to the body of the spider and coat one entire side with a glue stick.






Stick That Spider
Place the spider onto the orange tissue paper and smooth down...


Inside View



When Darkness Falls
Wait until it is dark outside and then turn on your inside lights...


Outside View


...and let your Spooky Spider Silouhette shine...






I'm working on doing our upper front windows too.  That way, our whole house will have an eerie glow!  Stay tuned for more photos...



Thanks for dropping by.




This post is part of my blog series, "31 Days of Words to Live By".  For the month of October, I will be sharing my favourite quotes and sayings while incorporating them into daily life and art projects.

This series was inspired by The Inspired Room, where you'll find other "31 Days" series among many other wonderful things!




Day 27: Spooky Spider Silhouette
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