Mimeograph Monday - Not So Seriously

It was like 88 degrees here today, I can't tell you how tired of the heat I am.  Maybe I am in pre-menopause and starting to get hot flashes but I felt hot all day, and I say enough is enough. Bring on the fall weather!

Did you watch Once Upon a Time? I am glad they showed the first one again so that Jeff could watch it. I think this will definitely be a show we watch together. It was fun seeing Pam from True Blood on it tonight. I am not sure if the Sheriff is someone from a fairytale, he sometimes reminds me of a wolf. I won't say anymore in case you didn't see it yet, but if you did, totally email me.

I also watched the Next Iron Chef, and OMG! does Chef Anne's hair get wackier and wackier? It looks like white cotton candy!

Today's Mimeograph Monday card is from page 55 and is one of the fun new sets called "Not So Seriously".

I love the lady she is just so funky, I mean she can be saying anything. I wanted to paper piece her dress, but nope this is Mimeograph Monday, it's copy out of the catalog day.

Stamp Set: Not So Seriously

Paper: Calypso Coral, Crumb Cake, Daffodil Delight, Night of Navy, Old Olive, Watercolor Paper

Ink: Jetblack Stazon, Sahara Sand, Blushing Bride, Calypso Coral, Crumb Cake, Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso

Misc: Bright Brads, Regals Designer Buttons, Linen Thread, Scallop Trim Border punch

Update!! Extra! Extra!  FREE Big Shot has been extended to November 11. If you join my Di's Country INKers you can get a FREE Big Shot, or $100.00 in free products.  

More information can be found here.

 

If you've been looking for an opportunity to do what I do, while getting a 20% discount on your favorite products, now is the perfect time! Today is the last day to get a FREE Big Shot when you join my awesome Stampin' Up! family as a Demonstrator.

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Don't miss this BIG deal! Contact me today to learn how you can take advantage of this great opportunity and get your FREE Big Shot! I would love to answer any questions you might have.

Don't forget about your free stamp set as a Welcome gift from me for joining my team (free stamp set is an incentive from me only and not Stampin' Up!)

Joining is easy and can be done on-line and you can begin placing orders right away!

Have an awesome Monday and thanks for stopping in.

 

 

What a Fun Day

I have not been antiqueing for a while so my niece Lauren and I made a date to go today. Unfortunately Aunt Flo was a few days late and she had to come with us today too, but other than that it was fun.

First I'll show you some of the stuff I saw, some fun, some odd, some sad and some creepy.

So this is my dream hutch, if I could afford it, I would buy this and put it where my red shelf is. Look at all the nooks and cranny's for displays and look at the storage, it was too cool. For now, I'll just look at it every day on my blog.

This was a neat cupboard, we saw one at another place too, and it spun around. Not sure what it was for maybe nuts and bolts?

This made me think of MAMMa and Rhonda, they love martini's.

I thought I recognized this couple, maybe a great aunt and uncle, then I moved in to get a better look at it...

...nope, I was wrong....isn't that the weirdest thing? At an angle the faces changed. Now that I see it was only $16.00 I should have bought it. What fun for halloween eh? Oh well.

How about a nice bubble bath in this fancy tub? It is so primitive that I think you'd have to make your own bubbles...can of beans sold separately...toot!...ha!

I love seeing a bunch of the same things together.

Look at these poodle dog things, they had tags that said "I'm Cinnamon", "I'm Cloves". Then we went to a different store and saw this...

...one loan little guy, he doesn't even have his tag, no wonder he got lost.

Those is some big lolly's/yoyo's on them there sticks.  It was neat to see some of the booth's with Halloween stuff, one booth had regular things and then they'd stick a hat or a mask on them.

Need a rolling pin? If you're gonna make Aunt Thelma's tarts you just might.

This made me a little sad.  Look at Ernie sitting on the floor waiting for someone to take him home. It's like his hands are together and he is pleading..."please, oh please"

I thought these were kinda cute but not sure what it was about.  The little boy or girl and then the bows and arrows. Is it supposed to be cupid?

Some little child's old dolls, boy if they could only talk eh? Ok well that would be kinda creepy and Chucky like if they did, but you know what I mean.

Pez anyone?

This I called the migraine inducing room. All those fabrics, none matching and some just horrible.

So wanna see my purchases?  I usually wash stuff up right away when I get home and take pictures, but we got home late and then Jeff wanted to watch Captain America, so I just took pictures, I will clean everything up tomorrow.

2 little squatty jars, and a baby frog.

I don't really need anymore glass jars, but I couldn't resist this one an old sugar jar, I love these for small embellishments cause I don't have to take the lid off I can just shake them out.  Oh and the brass mini candle holders...watch for those to be re-purposed.

I found this cute small table with two drawers, and it is really sturdy, I'm gonna shabby it up, add some cute knobs, maybe a basket or two on the shelf and I think it will look cute at the foot of the guest bed.

I found an old beverage crate, and it is nice and sturdy and a great deal. Down the road my current punch holder will be full so I will put them side by side.

Speaking of punch holder, I was honored to have my updated studio posted on the Crafty Storage blog.

Look what I did the other day...

...I had put this chalkboard Decor Elements inside my 8 1/2 x 11 cardstock cabinet. I wanted to find chalk markers. I asked at the office supply store and the guy looked at me like I was nuts. So the other day I was at Joannes and they had them. I need to get more colors, they are too fun. They write like a marker, but it is chalk so you just wash it off with a moist rag. When I get low on cardstock I jot it down and then I check my list when I put in my order.  I ordered the chalkboard one called Notebook and I am going to hang it inside my stamp set cabinet, so I can keep track of stuff there. It won't hurt my wood cabinets that is what I like.

Well I better hit the hay, it's late and morning comes early.

Have a blessed Sunday and thanks for stopping in. 

 

Stitched Stockings

Did you watch Grimm? It was just ok, in fact I missed some of it cause it did not really keep me entertained.  I don't like it like I liked Once Upon a Time, maybe because it seemed like it was filmed dark a lot and hard to see some of it. Might just be my old eyeballs. If you watched it did you like it? I did notice the Doctor was the same girl that was the waitress in Twilight.

When the Holiday mini catalog came out I hosted a swap with my downline and I realized I had not shown any of them.  I have a Stitched Stocking class coming up so I have been going through my swaps and on-line looking for inspiration.

This one is by the very talented Barb Stencel from Illinois, not only is she an amazing stamper, she is a sweetie pie to boot! Sending you big hugs and smooches Barb!!

I loved how she made the Frostwood Lodge wood DSP look like the mantel that the stockings are hung on. Plus all the layers and textures and all the little details. Love it!

Stamp Set: Stitched Stockings, Christmas Lodge

Paper: Early Espresso, White Natural, Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green, Frostwod Lodge DSP, Holly Berry Bouquet DSP

Ink: Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green

Misc: Mini Brads, Mini Jingle bells, Early Espresso Quilted Satin Ribbon, Rhinestones, Bakers Twine, Lace ribbon border punch, Itty Bitty Shapes punch pack, Snow Burst embossing folder

Don't you just love it?

Oops I think I just heard Jeff and Eric getting home. They went to the last football game of the season. So I am gonna say night night and head in to see how it went.

Have an awesome Saturday and thanks for stopping in.

 

 

Aunt Thelma's Tarts

I thought I would start cooking on a certain day and have a funny name for it, What's Cooking Wednesday, That's Delicious Thursday, but heck I can't even always choose a special day for other things, remember Technique Tuesday? Ha!! So it will be random just like everything else...I like to keep you guessing...ha!

I mentioned a while ago that I wanted to make tarts cause I have Granny's old tart mold things. I can't find the post I talked about it but I know I did.  

These are my precious tart molds that were Granny's.  If they could only talk, they sure were well used and loved. They are one of my treasures. 

So the other day I got all my ingredients out and made them.  The recipe for the tarts is from my Aunt Thelma, here is a picture of her and I. I think it was the day I was Christened because there was a few pictures of different people holding me in the same outfit. So that is what I am going with unless when Mum reads my blog and corrects me.

I remember Aunt Thelma as being such a sweet and kind lady and boy could she bake. I can't remember how old I was when she passed away but I was old enough to have the memory of her funeral and I think it might have been the first funeral I ever went to.  I just remember thinking that she would never bake her chocolate chip cookies again, and that made me start to cry. Isn't that a funny memory to have?

Anyway back to the baking...

I'm being all professional like and laying out my ingredients.

Before I could make Aunt Thelma's tarts I had to make the pastry, and this is Granny's recipe. I put the softened shortening into the flour and used the pastry blender dealie to get it to course meal consistency, if you don't have a pastry blender you can use two knives and just keep cutting into the flour and shortening.

This is what you want it to look like. Then you will add the cold water.  I put ice cubes and water in a dish and let it get really cold till I need it. 

This is after adding the cold water, and mixing it up.

We have a tile counter so I have to use this old plastic thing to roll my dough out on, if anyone has a different idea, let me know...this thing has seen better days.  Roll the dough out with the rolling pin and you'll need to flour it so the dough does not stick.

After I rolled it out I used this nut chopper/biscuit cutter thing...we got it for our wedding almost 27 years ago, our Anniversary is in a few days. The shape was pretty close to the tart mold and then I just pushed the dough around to fill the mold.

I have 15 molds so that is how many I did.  I had some of the dough left over so I did what Granny always did, she flattened it out added cinnamon and sugar and baked it.

Granny's was better, I might have needed to make the dough thinner and more sugar and cinnamon, maybe butter it more? Will have to ask her.

So then it was on to making the tart filling.

That was quick, basically just adding the ingredients together, and then spooning it into the tart shells.

There they are all ready to go into the oven.  Please tell me your cookie sheets look as bad as mine. I was not sure if I was to put them on the cookie sheet to cook, cause really would I put each one individually on the oven rack?  Anyone? Beuhller? Betty Crocker?

It doesn't take long for me to have a mess on the counter, just like when I am stamping...ha!

All done! Yum, don't you wish you had a scratch and sniff computer screen? It took longer to cook then the recipe said but I am not sure if it is cause of the cookie sheet, I was trying to get the tart shells to brown up and they never really did. Next time I won't cook them as long.  They were not burned but I seem to remember Granny's being runnier (that is where I will adjust the butter).

Of course I had to have one right away...here's something you probably didn't know about me.  I eat my tarts with a spoon. I like to eat the inside first and then the pastry last. That is why there is a spoon on the plate. I also had my glass of milk in my fun glass from cruise. It says +one, so it is not pictured, but I ate another tart after this one...ha!

Mouth watering yet?

Now to eat the crust.

Good to the last crumb!

Even the guys were happy when they got home from work.

Jeff gobbled his down.

Eric inhaled his...ha!

Maybe I should tell you the recipe now eh?  

Granny's Pastry - (this is what I use for pies too)

1 3/4 cups flour

3/4 tsp. salt

3/4 cups lard or shortening ( I use shortening)

4 -5 tablespoons cold water - I always do 4 and then mix it up and decide if I need to add more.

Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl, with a pastry blender cut in the shortening until the consistency of course meal with a few larger pieces.  Add the water, one tablespoon at a time until dough clings together and cleans easily from the bowl. Chill until ready to use. Roll it out on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin. (if you use this recipe for pies it says it will make two crusts, but I must make my crust too thick cause I get one with some left over.)

Aunt Thelma's Tarts

1 cup brown sugar

2 well beaten eggs

some butter softened, about the size of an egg - (yes that is how the recipe is written), I used 3 tbsp, but I think it should have been 4 tbsp.

1 tsp. vanilla

pinch salt

1/3 cup coconut

a few chopped walnuts or pecans

tart pastry shells

Mix well and put into tart shells.  Bake in 400 degree oven for 10-12 minutes, may take longer as dough in middle tends to take longer to cook. May have to eat one to get it right...ha!

Let me know if you try them. I hope they make you smile. Maybe my Aunt Thelma will be watching over you. I like to think she was when I was baking them.

Well this post has been long enough, you are probably like ready for me to shut up...so I will.

Have an awesome Friday and thanks for stopping in each day, I appreciate it so very much! Mwah!

 

 

Create

A few years ago I met Russ Jones after he made this Mockumentary on Scrapbooking.  I don't know if you can still buy the video or not, but it was hilarious. Basically a spoof on how crazy we all can be when it comes to stamping, scrapbooking any of our crafts in general. Molly is headed to Scrapapalooza which is kinda like convention and it shows her excitement and everything before she gets there.

Russ is actually my Photoshop expert that fixed that Ryan Reynolds photo that I showed the other day.

This was the real picture, Russ making a wacky face.  I swear his face is made of rubber.

Anyway here's a snippet from Youtube, Russ is Molly, you might even see some other famous faces from movies, commercials as well as TV shows like Monk, iCarly, Saturday Night Live etc. 

 

Well when Russ is not acting in movies, or commercials or photoshopping...ha! Russ is a stay at home Dad to two young boys, Noble & Alistair. His wife Gayle is a Producer for Project Runway, America's Next Great Restaurant etc.  so Russ holds down the fort while she is at work.  He has started a new blog called The Stay at Homer, and today he had the funnest video on there, it had me laughing so hard, especially when he tries to give Gayle some shopping advice...cause as a woman I kinda understand Gayle & Russ at the same time.

 

Again with the faces...he kills me!

OK back to our regular scheduled programming...ha!  When I got this swap from Connie Stewart (Hi Connie!) I knew I wanted to do it.

So this was one of the cards the girls did for Stamp Club.

Stamp Set: Creative Elements

Paper: Blushing Bride, Soft Suede, Cherry Cobbler

Ink: Soft Suede, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake

Misc: Modern Label punch, Oval Punch, Scalloped Oval Punch

I love the shabby-ness of it!

Well I better get off here, Revenge is about ready to start and I am loving that show. I'm wondering what scheming Daniel's friend Tyler will do this week.  He reeks of Eddie Haskel from Leave it to Beaver. Except Daniel's Mum Victoria definitely does not act or dress like Mrs. Cleaver did.

Have an awesome Thursday and thanks for stopping in.