Can You Find It?

I have several more ideas for my Tennis Ball Canisters. (please see the previous 2 posts for other ideas for these sleek, tall ,clear tubes).

Wouldn't it be fun to create your own Find It game? 

Here is an example of a "store bought" game. 

I was thinking about all of the "stuff" I could gather up from around my house:

tiny toys in the bottom of the toy bins
marbles
coins
junk drawer items
small notes to your child on a piece of heavy plastic
shells from the beach
an important rock
a treasured lego guy

Make a list as you plop the items into the canister. Then fill with birdseed, or styrofoam balls.  (rocks or sand will scratch the interior of the plastic container). Make sure to hot glue the lid into place.  Hand your child "The List" and watch them scramble to find all of their treasures.

You CAN Make One Too!

Canister project #2

As you know, I've happened upon an entire case of empty tennis ball cans.  They somehow inspired me.

Here's how to make a BIRD FEEDER out of one:

The inspiration.

Find a few sticks the yard and cut them an inch or two wider than the width of the canister.



Drill 4  holes through the tennis ball can, directly across from one another in order to slide the sticks through.  You may need to play around with the diameter of the drill bit, it should be slightly larger than the sticks you are using.



 I ended up using a sharp knife to remove the plastic that remained after using the drill.

Also drill a few smaller holes: one each over the stick perches for the finch food dispenser, and 2 across from each other near the lid to slide a piece of twine through to hang it.

Dab around each stick with some hot glue to seal the stick into place.



 Fill with finch food and snap the lid back on!

The birds have found it already!



The Canister Project

I was at the local tennis pro shop recently.  They were getting ready for a new season by filling their tennis ball carts with fresh new balls.  They had cases of these empty canisters. 

Somehow I saw nothing but possibility in these plastic containers.  I'm thinking up new things to do with them as we speak.  I'll share what I've done so far:

Project #1

My daughter painted a vase for her tennis coach!

Wait till you see what I make next! You are going to be asking me for an extra "can" so that you can make one too!

Make Your Own Succulent Wreath

I've always wanted to make one of these succulent wreaths.  I've seen them in catalogs, and always thought I could make a nicer one myself.  Last year, I went on a hunt to a floral supply warehouse to look for the circular frame- I had in mind a wire type wreath form.  I had no luck.  I have been turning the idea over in my mind trying to come up with the right container. 

I was thinking about it last week when my friend, Jen's birthday came around.  A group of us always celebrate each other's birthdays with a handmade gift.  I thought about a bundt pan as a container.  I called Marzipan to see if she wanted to go to the local thrift store to see if we could find something vintage.  We both thought a bundt pan's sides would be too high, she suggested a jello mold. 

With high hopes, we set off looking for something very specific -- and wouldn't you know it-- they had the PERFECT vintage jello mold for me to plant some sweet succulents in.

I lined the bottom of the pan with small stones, then added the plants..I thought I'd need extra sandy soil, but the dirt from the original pots was sufficient to plant all the succulents in the perfect pan.  I was even able to droop some of the vining plants over the pan's edge for a more established look. 

My friend, and birthday girl,  Jenifer Juniper uses this pretty planter as a centerpiece to her patio table.  The umbrella slides right through the center of the pan!

What are Ramps?

I was at an event recently where they served Ramps.  They included them is a salad, and it was kept a secret who brought them.  Apparently, Ramps are rare, and if you know where to find them, or where a bed of Ramps is located in a woodland, you don't share this information. 

I had no idea there was a "secret society" of Ramp lovers.  In fact, I had never even heard of a Ramp until that night.

I've done some research, and thanks to Diana Rattray of Southern Food, here is an explaination:

The ramp, sometimes called wild leek, is a wild onion native to North America. Though the bulb resembles that of a scallion, the beautiful flat, broad leaves set it apart. According to John Mariani, author of "The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink," the word ramp comes from "rams," or "ramson," an Elizabethan dialect rendering of the wild garlic. Ramps grow from South Carolina to Canada, and in many areas they're considered a spring delicacy and even a reason for celebration. West Virginia is well-known for their many festivals and events in celebration of the ramp. The flavor and odor of ramps is usually compared to a combination of onions and garlic, and the garlic odor is particularly strong. Strong enough, in fact, that even ramp-lovers will advise caution. If you sit down to a big meal of ramps, don't be surprised if people continue to keep their distance after a few days have passed!
Cautions aside, ramps add wonderful and uniquely pungent flavor to soups, egg dishes, casseroles, rice dishes and potato dishes. Use them raw or cooked in any recipe calling for scallions or leeks, or cook them in a more traditional way, scrambled with eggs or fried with potatoes. Since ramps aren't cultivated in the way leeks are, they're much easier to clean. Just cut off roots, rinse thoroughly, and scrub off any excess dirt on the bulbs.
Ramps aren't available for long, but you can chop and freeze them for cooked dishes. The green tops are milder in flavor and are usually used along with the bulbs. I chop about half of the green leaves separately, air-dry them for a few hours then freeze them in an air-tight container for future use as a seasoning.

I went for a walk the other day, and with a keen eye, I noticed some ramps scattered here and there...maybe just enough to try some Ramp and potato soup!!

My New Favorite Movie App

My kids and their endless imaginations never cease to amaze me. Here's my NEW favorite App for my iphone.  It's called "Silent Film Director". 
I love the grainy old time film, and the music just makes anything they do seem funny!

Dessert Cups

I had a big family gathering a few weeks ago.  My (youngest) brother brought his girlfriend to meet the family.  It was sort of a big deal, but I didn't want it to be TOO much of a big deal.  I knew she was nervous to meet us all ( I served dinner for 28).

 I thought a fun dinner to lighten the mood would be better than a sit-down formal meal.  I decided on a Make-Your-Own Taco night.  It worked out really well.  I had big bowls full of condiments and sides, I made fresh corn, and used tomatoes from my Mom's garden.  We had planned several games to keep everyone engaged and talking. 

For dessert, I thought we may as well expand on the Make-Your-Own theme, and have a sundae bar.  We had hot fudge, caramel, sprinkles, candy, whipped cream, cherries, and all sorts of toppings.  I made these fun dessert cups to scoop the ice cream into. 

I took regular flour tortillias and used a cookie cutter to make smaller circles.  I slightly buttered both sides of the circle and then sprinkled on sugar and cinnamon. 

Then I pushed the circles into a muffin pan and baked them at 350 for 8 minutes.  They were perfectly crispy and just the perfect compliment to all of the dessert toppings.  The kids thought they were amazing.

An Observation at Mammoth Cave

Over the summer, we visited Mammoth Cave, in Kentucky.  

Mammoth Cave, as it's name suggests is giant.  It is with world's largest cave system by far, and they are still discovering other branches and making new maps to record recent discoveries. 

An interesting thing about the place is that it has been open for tours since the 1840's.  Hard to imagine.  Wealthy North Easterners  traveled  by stage coach for months to visit the place.  There was a small retreat type hotel, but the draw was the cave.  

The property above ground at the time was owned privately, and the property owners would have their slaves give tours.  Some of the slaves became known for their excellent tours and knowledge of the cave and it's many underground passageways.Some of these slaves earned enough money in tips to buy their freedom.

 Throughout the older part of the cave, there is "graffiti" left by these early explorers.  The slaves hoped to earn tips by allowing their guests to write on the walls and ceilings of the cave with candle smoke ( I think candles were made with fat at the time, so they were a bit smokier than ours today).

 What struck me most was the immaculate penmanship.  Beautifully formed letters in different fonts even!  The   skill of handwriting is truly lost.  I can tell you that my kids (all of them) can type better and faster than they can write.  This saddens me somehow.  It makes the writing from the 1800's look like art.

Here's the crew outside, peeling off their jackets.  It was 90 degrees that day, and it's always 60 something in the cave.

The Best Fresh Salsa

I know your gardens are all busting with fresh tomatoes and herbs.  Here's something fresh to do with your garden surplus.

Here's what you'll need:
4 limes, 2 tomatoes, and onion, a pepper, a dash of salt, cilantro (not pictured) and the "special sauce" Lizano salsa.

While we were away this summer in Costa Rica, Renzo, a chef, showed us how to make this excellent salsa.

My kids loved Renzo.  That's a story for another day.

Here's what you'll need to do:

Chop all of the ingedients finely, add about 2 tablespoons of Lizano Sauce (found in the Mexican food section of the grocery) and stir. Serve with thick tortilla chips.  The result is an excellent salsa that you and your family will crave!

I Get Some Strange Looks in Produce

It occurred to me that not everyone smells their cantaloupe before they purchase it.  I can't help it!  My Mom taught me most of these tips for buying the best of fresh produce:

Cantaloupe:  Smell it.  It should smell like cantaloupe. It should also be slightly soft at the stem area.  If it's green, you can leave it sit on the counter to ripen.

 Watermelon:  Knock on it.  If it sounds hollow, then, it's a good one.  The sweetest melons are cracked inside, and are ripe.  When you are knocking, if it sounds solid, move on.

Green Grapes:  Look for grapes that have a slightly yellow cast, particularly opposite the stem area.  They are the sweetest.  The really dark green ones are sour.

Pineapple:  This fruit should be yellow near the bottom.  I've also heard that you should be able to pull a leaf from a fruit that is ripe.  

Now I'm sure there are many more tips that I don't know about!  

What did your Mom tell you??

Remember My Belt?

I wore my Boiled Wool Flower belt the other day, and I was reminded of how much I like it. 
It's perfect with jeans and a t-shirt (my Mom uniform). 

It deserves a re-visit with spring fast approaching.  This belt looks great with a breezy skirt too!
I'm linking up to my soul sister Jen's Linky party!

Bank Some Happiness

I was scrolling through my camera and my phone pictures this morning.  Any time I need a little happiness, I take a peek back through all of the funny and sweet and silly things that I've taken pictures of. 

I realized that I often take non-traditional photos.  Ones that are of the everyday goofiness and chaos and crazy that makes me happy.  Instead of only dragging your camera out on "special occasions" to take orderly family photos, keep it in your bag and take a picture of anything that makes you smile.  You'll love scrolling back through all of the captured moments.

The above is a picture of my daughter's chalky foot. Taken while in the midst of filling my driveway with art work.

Don't you just love blue candy?

Make your son feel like a Superhero even if he's just doing his math homework!

Um, well if you happen to run across a polar bear pelt, have your daughter stand in front of it's head and make a funny face!

Stick a piece of corn where your tooth used to be.

Take foam squares and stick them randomly to your face.

Take a picture of your elbow.  It really does look like...well, you know.

And how about this super happy toothless grin! It makes me smile!

By Popular Demand: Custom Order Your Own Bead Necklace

So many of you have asked about the custom made bead necklaces! I have decided to add them to my Etsy shop. I will ask you to design your own bead, using colored pencils. Add dots, swirls, a metallic finish! We'll make your bead as you have designed it. Think about your Mom's favorite colors, your favorite sports team, go crazy! We'll make the bead, string it on an 18" sterling silver chain and add two sterling silver accent beads. The chain allows the beads to be interchanged, so be sure to order some extra beads!

Fabulous Flower Belt Tutorial

I made some flowers out of boiled wool, a bit of thread and some buttons. See my post yesterday for the tutorial. These flowers are sweet on their own, but something struck me, and I just had to give in.

I found this nice thick brown leather belt in my closet. Pretty plain and utilitarian.

Then, I sewed one of my boiled wool flowers to the buckle.

Take a look at this belt!

I love a side-slung belt, and this little flower at the hip was just the thing to make this belt something special. I absolutely adore it!

2 Things You Can Do With an Empty Tissue Box Plus a Surprise!

I always use an empty tissue box to store all of those plastic bags from the grocery store. I keep one under the sink in the kitchen, and one near the cat's litter box. I just pull them out as needed. It's an extremely convenient way to conquer the plastic bag jumble, and an easy access way to re-use them.

My girlfriend always keeps one in her car. She uses it as a trash can. All of the bits of wrapper and straw paper pushes nicely through the plastic hole at the top, but won't come out easily. Once the trash receptacle is full, it can be disposed of. It's an ingenious way to re-use and re-purpose.

And, now for the surprise:

Did you know that you can design your own Tissue Box? The Beautiful people over at Kleenex let you Design your own. How fun! Now, you have a new gift idea for the person on your list that has everything! (for a mere $4.99).

Did You Know That You Can Make Your Own Shoes?

No, of course I don't mean from scratch...although some of you can probably do that too.

Check out these Joy Beadworks shoes that I made online. You can upload your own pictures, graphics, and text. They even have tons of fonts to choose from.

I especially liked the Women's Slip-On's. Now, I know the shoes I designed are a bit self-promoting (don'tcha think?) and I didn't actually order them. But, it was fun to play.

How about for the kids? They have 2 styles of keds, slip-ons and lace-ups. I can just imagine my little guy with his favorite Lego guys all over his shoes (pictures courtesy of Mom). How about some cupcakes for my little girl? Don't forget you can add text, too. How about song lyrics for your teenager? The possibilities are endless. Check out the site HERE. Have a great time. If you "make" something fun, be sure to send me a link!