Happy Halloween!

Crafter's tour info

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Simple Things

Sometimes things in life are so simple that we forget about them. Let's not forget about color. Color is everywhere and helps us to shape who we are every day!

Love me some vintage finds!

Today started out like a "normal" Thursday, but quickly turned into a fun day of vintage finds and creative brain waves flowing, and flowing fast! A walk downtown for our local sidewalk sales proved to be an optimal way to spend the day!

For some light reading :)

For future travels from a past "American Tourister"

Some reading material for the dog days of summer

Now off I travel to the next day, where will you travel too?

Zucchini Bread / Muffins

(click picture for larger view)

I am making a scrapbook of recipes for my girls to have when they are on their own. Most of the recipes will be either favorites of the family or generational recipes. This is just one of the many that I have found to put in there.

Enjoy!

Embrace Life

Today while I lay in the sun, I got to thinking...Life is GOOD! I feel so happy right now, and why wouldn't I? Summer is here, I don't have to wear a coat when I leave the house, and there is nothing like some Vitamin D.

Then I got to thinking...this is all going to be over in a matter of months, weeks if you really think of it. School is almost here, the Lily's have had their show. Things are going to go dormant and the snow is going to fall.

That's when my mind went, ugh.

But only for a minute, until I started to think of all the good things about each season. For those that know me, know I don't like winter...so that one is hard for me. But I figured out something fantastic about each season, and thought of the great things that I will be able to do when the leaves fall, the snow comes, and the tulips come back next spring.

So I went back to thinking " Life is GOOD" , and it's good in any season!

So as we embark on the last weeks of summer, embrace it and take it all in, because the next season is coming and we have to be ready to embrace that one too!

"Doing Daily"-July 15, 2011

Starting today and through to the end of the year, I will be great friends with my hooks and yarn! Hats are coming again this year to Cilicia's Home and Hearth, and I have some new ideas to try! Stay tuned!

Baking Antics- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake

After spending some time on my favorite new idea site-Pinterest. I came across this recipe, and quickly looked around for the ingredients. I had them! So, I started this cake journey.

I give credit for the recipe to "Bake or Break". There are many wonderful recipes here. As I started baking I quickly realized that this cake wasn't going to be calorie free. I figure about 15 servings per recipe. With total calories per piece being: 425. OUCH! So I quickly tried to figure out where I could cut calories and decided that for now I would just work on the frosting. Not only did I not have cream cheese in the house, that is the main cause for all the calories in the frosting, so I quickly looked for a frosting recipe with my favorite ingredient: Greek Yogurt! And I found one here at "Cupcake Project". This recipe was the perfect fix for the calorie laden topping! After re-figuring the calories I now brought a serving down to: 321. Still a lot, but 100 calories less.

Now for the taste test. My family loved it! We feel as though this will be a great cake for fall. It has the consistency of coffee cake, which went well with my ice tea!

As I search for recipes to put into a recipe book my girls can take with them when they get their own place, I think this recipe is going in.

In the future I may try and make it a bit healthier with whole wheat flour, apple sauce instead of butter, and agave nectar for the sugar. I will let you know how that turns out. :)

Have a creative day!

"Clean" Strawberry-Mango Lemonade

While on vacation this past week, my friend Jeanne made me some wonderful Lemonade. This is the recipe, with a few "tweaks". Instead of regular sugar based simple syrup, I used agave nectar. I also added strawberries because I had them on hand and they are in season! I hope you try this and enjoy as much as I did!




If you prefer your lemonade to be more sweet, feel free to decrease the lemon juice to 1 1/2 cups. Also if the mango puree makes the lemonade a little thick just add additional water to thin it out. Other than that, stay cool and hydrated this summer — make a batch and take it to the pool to share with friends or maybe even to a bbq for 4th of July! Just remember, sharing is caring and this drink will bring a smile to anyone’s face (unless you’re allergic to mangoes, strawberries or lemons)…

Ingredients for strawberry Mango Lemonade: (makes 10 x 8oz servings)
• 1 Cup Agave
• 9 cups water
• 2 Cups lemon juice
• 3 mangoes, peeled and pitted
• 8 medium strawberries

Directions:
In a small saucepan, combine agave and 1 cup hot water. Refrigerate until chilled. Puree the mangoes and strawberries using a blender or hand-held blender. If the fibers and strawberry seeds bother you then strain here.

Remove seeds from lemon juice, but leave pulp. In a pitcher, stir together chilled syrup, lemon juice, mango puree and remaining 8 cups water. Serve immediately chilled or on ice. (You can also freeze them in ice cube trays and make a strawberry mango lemonade slushie!)

Enjoy!!

On The Hunt

Hello everyone! I hope you are having a relaxing summer day! It's finally warm here and feeling like summer! For some reason right now my artistic level is in full swing, could be the weather, pinterest, or just having my kids at home for the summer. Whatever the reason things in my brain are turning and I like it!!

So today we headed to the antique store to see if I could find a frame that I could spray paint a bright turquoise color. I planned on leaving with a cool new frame and instead left with a bunch of blocks- lol! Another idea occurred to me when I saw them, so we started digging for the right letters, and found them. Not in perfect shape, which is exactly what I was looking for, so it felt like a score!!

So here are my finds of the day:

I really like the vintage look of all of them, but the single Large "S" that we
found is super old and fantastic!

I am sure the blocks will show up in multiple pictures, so be on the watch.

As a side note. We never did find a frame that I was looking for, but on the way home
I remembered a frame that we had been caring around with us for about 10 years. I forgot we had it because it hangs in the garage! It's perfect for what I am looking for, and turquoise spray
paint will be purchased in a matter of hours :)

Have a great day everyone! I hope that art finds you today just like it did me!

Summer Fun 2011

Hey everyone! A new week has arrived! What do you all have planned? What are you going to do today? That is the question most asked around here during the summer. I found an answer.

Today while scrolling through my new found idea haven- Pinterest. I found an idea to make a summer fun list that can be put on your fridge. The idea came from the blog: Shannonbrown.

Here is what our version looks like:

The space on the fridge where the usual papers from school go :)
Now filled with the fun and relaxation of summer!

All I did to make this, was to get my Creative Memories digital program up on
the screen and start creating! We used bright summer like things for our pictures
and when we were ready we printed it out at home. It took about 30 minutes total
and the kids are so excited to get started on this list!

Now I will have an answer when I get asked "What we will do today?" :)
Have a great summer!!

"Doing Daily"- June 22, 2011

Having fun with photography was on my list today :)

Sometimes you just have to do something crazy. :)
So today I got all dressed up and did housework.
And it's a little funny too! :)

"Doing Daily"-June 17, 2011

After a full days work. I will be looking forward to a
date with my Kindle tonight :) What is your favorite book?

"Doing Daily"- June 13 &14

Yesterday and Today (well, most of this week) will be spent working
on 100 reusable baggies that are headed to a wedding. I am so excited
to be a part of someone's very special day...and this fabric is wonderful!!

"Doing Daily"-June 12, 2011

Today is all about preparing for the week ahead. I am
organizing my thoughts and buying healthy groceries for
my family :)

"Doing Daily" - June 11, 2011

I hope you all have a nice weekend filled with "family",
whether it be the family God gave you or the one you picked!

"Doing Daily"- June 10, 2011

Lot's of work with my favorite friends today- my Pins :)

"Doing Daily"- June 9th, 2011

Today I will be doing a lot of fabric cutting!
There's nothing like the glide of a rotary cutter! :)

"Doing Daily" - June 8, 2011

Today I will be feeding my Niece and Nephew Chocolate Chip Pancakes so they remember "Auntie Cilicia's" is super fun! :)

By the look of these lips, I think it worked :)