The Taste of Sunshine

  I have some really nice neighbors who like to share their tangerines with us. I thank them with a baked treat and they thank us again with more tangerines, like..... a lot!!!

  This has been going on for a couple of years now and I have to tell you, I am very delighted that they share these delectable rays of sunshine. I mean, just look at that color. Irresistible. Sunshine for those winter blahs. In the past, other than simply divine freshly squeezed tangerine juice, they have made a most absolute scrumptiously sweet tangerine glazed ham.  I think that maybe some tangerine jelly, tangerine bars, or tangerine meringue pie just might be in order. Today all votes going for freshly squeezed organically sweet tangerine juice. Delish.

Humor me, if you will...

  You may very well laugh at this little confession I am about to share with you. Whether it be out of humor or absurdity, well, that is for you to decide. I have a  little secret in which I have been keeping for over a decade. I am now ready to share it. It begins like this.
  For the past decade or so my family and I have gone to the public library at least twice a month to borrow monstrous amounts of books. We average at about 25 to 30 books in a visit. Of course, I foster my family's love of books and reading and I am more than happy to let them borrow to their hearts content. But, when those books arrive home and topple out of the library bag one cannot help to notice the dirt and grime that have come along with them. Upon inspection there may be unidentifiable marks of grime and goo in which you could only use your imagination to figure out what in the world it just might be. You think it may be dirt, food, oily grime, maybe a boogie?!!! Eek, eek, eek.
  So, this is my little secret. My secret community service. For the last decade or so I have been cleaning ALL of the books we borrow!!!! hahaha....yes, laugh if you may, but... it is true. My love for books has extended to this point. My tools of the trade include and organic spray cleaner, paper towels, and sometimes it even needs the amazing power of a magic eraser. Now, now, now...don't you worry...I am not that eccentric. I do NOT clean the pages. I only clean the book covers and I am very careful in doing so. But, I have to admit...that is a lot of books!

  Okay, so now that you know this about me you can rest easy to know that at least someone cares enough to clean the library books, even if the service goes unnoticed. And even though there are those times when I feel a bit embarrassed to borrow monstrous loads of books, in which the librarian has to individually scan, I smile. Because I am serving my community in a small but helpful way. And, I am relieved when the librarian sees the look on my face and knowingly says, " Don't worry about it. Books are our business." :)

Strawberry Oat Bars

   Valentine's Day is soon approaching and I'm thinking pink and red! I love to bake and too often than not it involves chocolate. There is nothing wrong with this at all, but I decided to shake it up a bit around here and bake some strawberry goodness. Here is a great recipe for everyone who loves strawberries and oats. My kids love them to snack on and this recipe will make a bar pan full.

                                                

Strawberry Oat Bars

3 c. all-purpose flour

3 c. oats

1 1/2 c. brown sugar

3/4 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 c. cold butter

2 1/4 c. strawberry preserves

1/4 c. pwd. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1-2 T. of water or milk

***  Grease a 10 x 15 bar pan. (I use my Pampered Chef stoneware bar pan.)  In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, oats, sugar, salt and baking soda. Then proceed to cut in the cold butter until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Then take half of that mixture and pat it down in the pan. Then spread a layer of preserves and sprinkle with the remaining oat mixture on top and gently press down.  Bake at 350'F for 40-43 minutes or until golden brown. Mix up powdered sugar, vanilla, and water until it forms a smooth glaze like consistency. Drizzle atop baked bars. Cool completely on wire rack. Cut and serve. Store in an airtight container.

A Cute Birthday Gift Idea

    A birthday gift was needed quick and I thought hmm....what can I make with what I already have? I then went into my yarn supply and crocheted a cloche with a sweet raspberry pink flower. Once you learn how to crochet hats they become really quick work. The trick is crocheting the right fit. Then I thought a cute dual printed crayon roll would be fun. You could also sew up a colored pencil or marker roll. Of course what use would a crayon roll be without a coloring book? So, off to the store to buy a super cute coloring book and maybe some easy reader books. But what would I put them in? Of course every one has an extra hot pink tote bag in their craft supply, right?! I just measured and sewed a strip of coordinating fabric wrong sides together. Turned it out, pressed the material, pinned it all around the top of the tote and then sewed it in place with a zigzag stitch. I then crocheted a flower and sewed it on with some gems for embellishment.

  Happy crafting!

My Handmade Christmas

This holiday season I challenged myself by making gifts out of materials I already had in my craft supply. This resulted in some hectic fun and some creative efforts in making the perfect gift. I lost 5 lbs. in the process, which was just an added bonus. lol. Anyway, I would like to share a few of the 30 projects I did this Christmas.

     Here are some fabulous bags I made for my sissy's this Christmas. They were from a pattern I had seen online in which I modified. I used Aloha prints and lined them in textured linen. I also added a button and clasp. They make great tote bags and can be worn messenger style.

 

This was an idea I got from my sister in law way back when and finally made some of my own. They are Christmas ornaments I made using glass balls and craft paint. Basically, you squirt the desired colors of paint into the glass ball and swirl away. It actually can be quite messy but a lot of fun. I chose colors that reminded me of the earth and I wrote in black,"Peace on Earth." Love it.

  I also made some rice bag hand warmers for my sissy's who live in cold winter weather. I made washable heart cozies for the rice bags. I found this idea online and thought it would be fun to try. They actually were fast work.

This most lovely hot pink frog I crocheted for my niece was one of my favorites. Love her...and my niece.

 

I also crocheted striped hats, hats with eyelash yarn trim, and a scarf.

 

I made crayon rolls, aprons, drawstring backpacks, first aide kits family picture pillows, framed family pictures and my favorite little ballerina dolls.

 Aren't they just delightfully pink and cute as they can be. I was quite amazed at the fact that I made them completely from supplies I already had. So much fun. First time making dolls...and they don't freak me out!

I baked pans of cinnamon rolls, pani po po, peppermint white choc. chip cookies, fudge, chocolate no bakes, sugar cookies, and these yummy ones listed below.

Creme de Menthe cookies.

Lime Coconut Snowballs

                                                         Reindeer Snickerdoodles                                                                   (Yes, these are the cookies I cheated on...store bought and then decorated them...but, oh so good!)

Throughout the whole process of creating nonstop for a month and a half I felt the true meaning of Christmas. That the gifts that we give are gifts of love. They are heartfelt and thoughtful. It's the giving of ourselves, time and talents that really matter. I hope your holiday season was full of wonderful memories.

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!

    I had a notion to start a blog for all of my creative interests and endeavors. A chance to sit down an chronicle my fun. I have never blogged before...so this will be an interesting journey into cyberspace. I am also hoping that this notion will commit me to make some time to put my creativity into motion. I love to create by learning new things and challenging myself to do my best. Sometimes things my go awry...but, that's life. I find my most creative moments are those that come out of necessity. I favor ocean hues and a natural feel to things. I also like symmetry with color and line. I am a work in progress and the notion of being able to constantly change and grow gives me wings.