salt dough jewels

In one of my wanderings through the world that is Pinterest,

I found this little lovely and fell in love.

I would add a link for you, but the photo seems to be off tumblr and doesn't go to a page with any help.

It happened to be several weeks before Kamp Kipa Dedication Services

and I thought it would be fun to try something using this idea.

The salt dough consists of 2 cups flour, 1 cup salt and enough water to make the

consistency of play dough.

Then Tia and I set off to play.

We mixed, rolled, cut and stamped using scrapbook stamps or whatever else looked good.

We set the finished products outdoors to dry.

I wasn't sure they were dry enough (like 105 degrees didn't do it?) and set them in the

oven for a while. They didn't need the additional.

Then I used some Hammered Silver Rustoleum (unless someone does some serious drooling,

rust really shouldn't be a problem with these but I liked the hammered look)

spray paint and turned them all silver.

Next came the black paint. Using a paper towel I dabbed on black paint and then wiped each piece.

It left bits of black in stamped and grooved areas of the pieces.

I didn't spray them with any poly. Could have, but didn't feel the need.

The paint is safe and the black I used is paint that shouldn't come off either.

If I was using something else, I might have sprayed on a coat of poly.

I am not a jewelry maker. I want you to know that.

That means I have not a lick of tool or stuff around here.

I did have a box of some doodads that I had picked up at a yard sale a while ago

with the intention of using the pieces for card making.

Off to JoAnn's for a few additional things and then on to playing again.

I added hearts (one got a moon) and made necklaces for my nieces,

ones that live here and the ones that were visiting.

Photo courtesy of Frans' FB page. Thanks!

We did learn that if you drop it on the tile floor, it might or might not break.

Must depend on the way it lands. One broke, one didn't. :)

It was an inexpensive craft idea ... one that might be a lot of fun for a group of girls.

I don't know how the Pinterest picture of the pieces looks so smooth.

I might try sanding before I paint next time around.

Fun idea that may work for many different occasions.

Imagine the possibilities!!

Kamp Kipa Dedicaton weekend

Back in February, the weekend of Winter Services, we drove up to Kamp Kipa with Tarja & Joe who were visiting. Somehow I never got around to sharing photos of that weekend in the world of Blog. Voi. Voi.

The road was still at the point where you sort of needed 4 wheel drive to get through a few spots.

The camp was locked up tight for the winter.

Cabins stood empty waiting to be filled with young and old.

Ramadas waiting for the same.

Patio seating and the amphitheatre ... all waiting for the coming of spring.

We've not lived here while the majority of the work in order to get to the events of this weekend has been done.
This weekend the camp officially opened and was dedicated.
Countless hours that have been filled with labors of love and blessed by God.
Saturday the Kamp was filled with sounds of joy.

Guests from around the country and overseas filled the seats.
The air and wind was cold enough that I really wanted to wear mittens.
The sun so bright that many sported burned faces at the end of the day.
Roses for Chet & Kirsti Lodge for their generosity.
Dad is here for the weekend ....

Becky, Frans, Anita (that would  be me) & Reino (dad)

Photo courtesy of Jenny.

as were Wayne & Becky with family.
It has been nice to spend moments of time with them.
Safe travels to them as they do one of those straight through drives back to Minnesota.

As for Grandpa ... he told me I've been slacking in the blogging.
I promise to try and do better.

salt and vinegar

Sounds like I'm having a potato chip party over here.
I'm really not.

It has been a busy week around here.
The online school year is coming to an end and finals are around the corner.
That means that we are doing some serious finishing up around here.
And I do mean we.
We accomplish much more as team most times.
One part of the team is usually wrapped up in a blanket on the couch.
Crazy, hey?
The air conditioning vent is right across the room from the couch ...
it gets cold sitting there!

Tia and I also did some artwork today.
Taking an idea off of Pinterest, we started playing with salt dough.
I'll be curious to see if these little projects turn out or not.
Either way, we had fun working on them.

As if the sunshine outside wasn't warm enough earlier, our projects needed a little more drying time.
Will share when they're done. Can't wait!

We ran out for a burger this evening at Five Guys.
Have you ever eaten there?
The bag of french fries was disgustingly huge!!
The waste not want not part of me was nearly having a stroke at the ridiculous waste.

Then on to Target to finally get myself a squirt bottle along with a few other things.
Another Pinterest find that has been nagging me was Scum Buster ... or something like that.
Supposedly takes shower scum right off for not much more than mere pennies.
The recipe calls for 1 part of vinegar to 1 part of Dawn dishsoap.
Pour dishsoap into the spray bottle first.
Heat the vinegar and then add it in.
Spray like crazy. Sit. Rinse.

 And smile when it works.

I did have to wipe it down. Some spots needed a little more than wiping once.
A few spots I missed and will have to get next time.
Over all .... I'm thrilled.
In reading the blog that I found this on, she mentioned that she would change the
ingredient mix as the 1:1 ratio was verrrry sudsy.
I took her advice and did mine 1 part Dawn to 2 parts vinegar.
And I'm still thrilled!
Oh yeah. If you don't like the smell of vinegar, I don't know what to tell you.
It dissipates? How is that for advice?

Happy spraying!

celebrating a quarter century

Monday Blayde turned 25 years old.

He would be our oldest child, in case you didn't know that.

That would be a whopping quarter century old.  

For some reason ... that makes me feel just a tad bit older myself.

He spent at least part of the day at our house, although I wasn't able to enjoy much of his visit as I was at work.

I did get to light a candle.

And we did sing.

All three of us that were home.

The chorus is starting to sound a wee bit wimpy.

And if you happen to be in a hurry on your way home with Target on your must stop at list,

they sell quite a delicious Red Velvet Cake that is smaller than entire army size.

After a quick dinner and cake we were off to the curch.

Nearly another quarter of a century of bringing children to Sunday School has ended.

We were able to enjoy the sunset and visiting .... while the kids did their lessons and

the confirmation class celebrated with some pizza.

Does it get much better than pizza and soda for a group of 15 year olds?

Now we look forward to Confirmation Camp this summer for Tia.

I haven't done a very good job of sharing recipes with you, but this one is worthy of sharing.

It wasn't ever one of my monthly menu things until recently and certainly not while Blayde

was still eating at home.

Now, it is becoming an easy favorite of mine.

Major thing there. I don't eat Mexican food.

Blayde enjoyed it and I'm thinking you might as well.

Tortilla Soup (coutesy of Amber)

1-2 lbs beef or chicken
1 can corn
1 can stewed tomatoes - Mexican style (I use whatever stewed tomatoes I have in the larder.)
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 pkg ranch dressing mix   ***(I add some of the dried ingredients only to the soup mixture.)
2-1/2 c water
1 can black beans

Add all and simmer for 1 hour.
Serve with sour cream, cheese and chips.

*****************************



*** Ranch Dresing Mix (might have been a Pinterest find )
Combine and store in an airtight container.
2 Tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried dill
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp pepper

To make dressing:
1/3 c mayonnaise
1/4 c milk
1 Tbsp Ranch dressing mix

Success ... or lack thereof

Success is actually being able to read what this letters say somedays!
Either I need glasses on my face full time or I'm just getting older because it is getting increasingly more difficult to read them.

Success is learning that the the little ball rolly thing on my mouse actually moves my page across my screen when it is too large for the monitor.
Lack thereof was trying to use the blue bar at the bottom of the screen.
I know.
This computer has been with us almost half the life of my youngest child.
Perhaps I should refer back to first failure success.

Success is Rooting Hormone.
I'm not vegetable gardening at this time, but I am trying to grow some desert plants.

The small wimpy looking ones I started in the past week. A few of them are moving past the stage of shock.
I just snipped pieces of Lantana (serious thanks to the neighbor), Texas Sage and Birds of Paradise. They'll wake up soon.
The tall plant ... is my success story.
It started out the same way as the other wimpy things are right now.
Future success would be trying to find enough large pots to fill these things!
I've been eyeing the new growth on the mesquite trees lately.
Incidentally ... growing things other than mold in the fridge just makes me smile.

This would be in the Lack Thereof area of Success.
Isn't this just too cute?
My mind was just atwitter with all the possibilities of this lovely idea that I found ....

over here at this link. Pillows. Towels. Lampshades. Whatever. The list was simply endless.
I took some money from my waning grocery envelope and added the smallest roll of freezer paper available at Fry's to my grocery cart.
And then I tried.
Repeated trips back to the computer to look at the link ensured that I was following instructions.
It didn't work.
Some of the ink came off the paper onto my cloth, but not enough of it.
Bummer. Big bummer. Humungous Bummer.
I may be hitting someone else up to use their printer.
The site did have comments stating that some printer inks were not working for transfer.
So there you go.
I now have 75 feet minus about 22 inches of freezer paper sitting here.
Without one critter worth hunting down and eating.
Either I find a printer or Christmas wrapping is going to be white paper in about 7 months.
Maybe I can find a site for hand dying ribbons?

Apparently I like my Successes first and my Lack Thereofs last.
This is another Lack Thereof.
It might be a Success ... depends on your taste buds.
The Schwan's man came to the door as I was peeling my head off the pillow after work.
Had I been more than half awake, I should have gotten a picture.
The two girls in the house and their dad ... crowded around the front door ... paging through the Schwan's catalog.
Great success that each picked their box of treats, right?
Lack Thereof would involve that crazy envelope of mine.

Then again, this one might just be Success after all!
It came out of Dear Hubby's pocket.
It wasn't my budget after all.
My envelope is safe.
Now that is Success.

Work day done. Nap done. Leftovers eaten. Blogging done.
English degree coming to a couch and laptop near me.
I have work to do.

rain drops!

I can't believe it!

It rained today!

This one qualifies for many rain drops.

 

Rain is simply marvelous!



three dollars

I am well on my way to earning yet another diploma.

Just sayin'.

I think 6 hours of English assistance on Saturday counts for something.

Sunday we kept so busy that by today (Monday and back to work) I was nearly comatose all day.
It was so worth it tho'.
A late Saturday nite in which I managed to win a solo game of Settlers.
No, I really didn't play by myself ... the others just felt like I did.
Early Sunday morning at church.
Lunch out with friends and family who happen to also be friends.
So special when that happens.
Dinner at Bill & Jane's with a houseful of others celebrating the Big Move.
Then on to a bike ride with Frans & Jenny.



We biked to McCormick Ranch and had ice cream at McDonalds.
Can't have been too fattening.
It's McDonalds ... not Schwann's or anything like that.
Jari did a little fancy rolling action on the way home, certainly unplanned and unwelcome.
Except for the rolling/bouncing stuff, can't wait to do this again.
Just no more of these kind Sundays after the same kind of Saturdays.
I'm too old for this!

On the challenging side.
This is the extent of my remaining grocery budget for the week.
Uh. Huh.
It's Monday evening. 9:42 p.m.
And I have $3 in my cash envelope.

I am so undisciplined in some areas.
Especially one that includes the word budget.
My intentions are good. Really. They are.
I'm trying this again.
Hope certainly springs eternal around here.
Using an idea found online for cash envelopes, I used up some leftover sitting around not gettting anything done with it scrapbook paper.
After adding a tab to secure this little thing into my wallet, I filled several weeks grocery cash into envelopes.

I know. They aren't color coordinated.
Really, they sort of look silly.
The thought of me even sticking with this whole thing is even sillier!
The greater challenge will be not dipping into Week #2 until Friday.

If I manage to stick with this ....

it will be miraculous enough that I'll deserve some fine looking envelopes!

yellow