Farewell...

I don't normally post personal things on this blog, but I couldn't resist sharing this photo of my grandmother, taken in the 1930's. Isn't she just darling!?! My grandma passed yesterday morning, one week after her diagnosis of lymphoma.


Dear Grandma,

Farewell to you!

The Earth was a better and more beautiful place while you were here.

I will miss you until the day I die.

Thank you for being a fantastic Grandma and a sweet friend.

Thank you for inspiring me with your creativity, your beautiful paintings, your crafts, and jewelry making. I loved visiting you in the jewelry store you owned for a while. I remember pestering you for a doll until you gave it to me, even though my mom was mad at me for pestering you for something you could have sold in your store.

As a child, I loved to look at your beautiful hands, fingernails perfectly polished... just dripping with jewelry. Thanks for always letting me try on your rings as a child. I still like trying them on today.

I had such a glamorous grandma... an Elizabeth Taylor look-alike!

You had such an appreciation for PINK! I loved visiting you when you lived in your pink house on the highway. I loved all your pink dishes, decorations, linens, jewelry, and clothing! I also LOVED your white flocked Christmas tree with PINK ornaments!

The other thing I loved about coming to your house, besides seeing you, was all the candy dishes! They were everywhere, just full of all sorts of candy including powdered sugar dusted black licorice mints and rice candy with the papers that would melt in your mouth!

Thank you for the flowers from your yard you have given me that I have planted in my own yard over the years. Every time they bloom I think of you.

Thank you for loving me, my husband, and my kids. Thank you for making Christmases fun over the years with your imaginative gifts! Thank you for the handmade crocheted blankets for each of my babies, and for the knitted robot for Con. I know knitting that gave you a headache. He will treasure it forever!

Thank you for taking care of your mother, my Nana, when she was old and unable to care for herself.

Thank you for teaching my mom how to cook. We have all benefited from that! My husband and I make a roast the same way you taught my mom to make it. We sear it first in a super hot oven.

Thank you for your kindness to your pets, your family, and to others.

Your gifts and talents have passed down through the generations, and are alive still. Your legacy lives on in each one of your descendants. My baby has the same mouth as you. What a treat for me to look at!

Thank you for your example.

Thank you for being you.

Rest In Peace Grandma.

I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always.
Forever and always,
MY grandma you'll be.

Picnik and Picasa

I am no photographer, but I am loving the program picnik, by picasa. Picasa is free, and does a good job. Picnik is $25 a year, and does amazing things! It is very user friendly. I asked my husband for photoshop for Christmas, and I don't feel I need it. Picnik is SO much easier to use, and you don't need a class to learn it! My friend Candy came over the other day, and showed me what you can do.

I was able to do this:


This was the original image.

The only features I used, were mascara, eye color, bright eye, and blemishes. If you want to do the same thing, go play in Picnik! It is amazing, and you will be able to teach yourself! I don't know how to show screen prints, or I would show you how my screen looked when I did it.

All you do is:

Click on your image.
Click "edit in picnik."
Click "touch up."
Click on "mascara," (or whatever you want to do.)
Size the brush however you want.
Click and drag over image wherever you want to edit.
Click, "apply."

Amazing what you can do in a few minutes!

Dessert Sushi Tutorial

Remember the
Japanese Birthday Party
I threw for my daughter?

Well... here is the dessert sushi tutorial.

Dessert Sushi is SUPER EASY to make! Anyone can do it, and you don't have to bake anything!

Nigirizushi

You will need:

Powder donuts (mini)
Juju Fish (They come in a multicolored pack, but I used just orange.)
Fruit Roll-ups

Cut the donuts in half, as to create a half circle.
Set fish on top of donuts.
Cut Fruit Roll-up in 1/2 inch strips with scissors.
Wrap fruit strip around fish and donuts.

Easy Peasy & SUPER cute!!!

CALIFORNIA ROLLS or MAKIZUSHI

You will need:

Ho Hos
Gummy Worms

Cut Ho Hos in 3rds.
Cut gummies in 1 inch sections, then cut each section in 3rds long way.
Stuff gummies in the middle of each Ho Ho.

Dessert Sushi is super easy, fun to do, and is even something you can make with your kids!
The bright colors are sure to please any crowd every time!

Easter Dinner, Carrot Rolls & Resurrection Rolls

When my friend Candy called the other day, and asked if I had ever seen these CUTE carrots, I knew I had to try them. The original recipe is found here.

The recipe says you need a cream horn. We didn't know what that was. Candy called a few stores, and found them at Orson Gygi in Salt Lake City, UT. We were in the minivan, and on the road to get them ten minutes later.

You can also find them HERE (affiliate link).

The recipe calls for wrapping crescent rolls around the cream horn. I happened to have Rhodes Bake and Serve in the freezer, so I used that instead. It looks kind of sick in the picture, but I painted egg yolks mixed with orange dye on the rolls.

They were ready to bake, and I just used the instructions on the back of the bag.

The recipe called for dill toppers, but I had lettuce. I thought it was cute anyway!

I filled them with egg salad sandwich filling. The kids were impressed, and they are getting one for lunch tomorrow.

RESURRECTION ROLLS

My brothers always made these growing up, and called them, "vanishing rolls.," because the marshmallow vanishes. They baked them in muffin tins. I just baked them on a cookie sheet. All you do, is flatten roll dough. Roll a marshmallow in butter, and sprinkle in cinnamon sugar. Put the marshmallow in the center of the dough, and pinch all the sides shut around the marshmallow. Roll in butter again, and sprinkle in cinnamon. Bake according to package directions.

Just like the garden tomb, the rolls were empty. They were a great opening for our Easter lesson prepared by my parents.

I had to include a pic of my man, and sweet baby in their Easter clothes. Well, Rhett was done, and about to go down for a nap. But... his outfit was so cute! My hubby is cute too :)

Happy Easter All!

Risa

"RESSURECTING" Easter, part 3

Bring a little Easter fun into your kids rooms for under $2!

I had to share this again. My kids were so excited when they saw these garlands when we opened the Easter box this year!



I love decorating my kids rooms for every holiday, and Easter is no exception. I thought I would make this quick garland for each one of their beds. This is SO easy. You can do it with your kids. They will love it! I know they are a bit cheesy, but it's a kids room, and they love it! The best part... I spent about $4 for both projects!!!

To do this project, you will need:

1) Plastic Eggs
2) Plastic Carrots (I got mine from Dollar Tree - 8 for $1!)
3) Thick floss, you can find in any craft store. Thicker than thread, and thinner than twine.
4) Hemp or twine. I got mine from the dollar store also. (You could do ribbon, rope, or lace... the possibilities are endless!)
5) Scissors

Cut floss in about 7 inch lengths.
Tie around carrot top with a double knot.
Tie a bow above the carrot.

Thread floss through each egg, starting and ending on the outside. You can use any of the holes, and really get creative with how you hang them!

Tie a bow on top, leaving a large enough loop to be able to thread the twine through.

Place the carrots and eggs in whatever pattern you like. and thread them on the twine!

A couple variations could include threading beads onto the twine in between the carrots and eggs, and gluing buttons, stickers, letters or other embellishments on the eggs. You could personalize it, or keep it simple.

This is a SUPER easy and inexpensive project that adds color and fun to any room. You will be done in no time! We are talking INSTANT gratification!

"RESURRECTING" Easter, Part 2

Do you remember my Easter Advent Calendar from last year? I tried to make it all about service.

I had the same idea this year, but I happened to be in Target the other day, and saw all their Easter themed toys. I couldn't resist picking up a few. Luckily this calendar only has 12 pockets!

Here are a few things that are in the pockets. The photos aren't the best, because this hangs in my hall, and I have a hard time getting the right lighting, and angles!

Is it weird to put Sponge Bob in a religious themed pocket? Probably...

I am a sucker for cute wind up toys!

Bunny nose pops!

The kids were very happy! We have been doing a prize every other day, and they have been so happy to get to have fun new things to play with over Spring break. I prefer giving them holiday themed toys before hand, so they can play with them, and they can be put away shortly after the holiday is over. Besides... anticipation is half the fun! Right?

If you want to make one of these, the tutorial is here. This year, I saw a bunch of cute Easter themed felt stickers at Michael's.

Have Happy & Creative Day!

Risa

SUGARED POPCORN

It's movie night tonight, and I decided to make SUGARED POPCORN! This is super easy. My mom used to always make it for us when I was growing up. So, I decided to make some for tonight. Isn't it PRETTY?!? The thing I LOVE about SUGARED POPCORN, is it's not sticky, and not very messy.

RECIPE:

1 stick butter (real butter)
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup water
Whatever food coloring and flavoring you want.
You can test the flavor as you go.

Bring all ingredients to a boil over medium to high heat, stirring constantly. Boil for two minutes. Remove from heat, and pour over two batches of popped popcorn. Stir to ensure all kernels are coated, and the sugar appears dry. Enjoy!

The flavors I made are:

Cinnamon (pink)
Almond (blue)
My mom always dyed the almond blue.
Orange (orange)

These are pretty much the only flavors I had on hand today.

You can tell I made the orange first? Lot's of it is already gone :)

Have a Yummy & Creative Day!

Risa