Foodie Friday

Halloween Popcorn Pumpkins

Makes about 12 pumpkins

Ingredients

• 5 cups popped popcorn

• 1 cup candy corn

• 1 cup chopped salted peanuts

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine

• 3 cups miniature marshmallows

• 4 drops red food coloring

• 3 drops yellow food coloring

• 4 sticks red or black licorice, cut into thirds

Directions

1. Grease a muffin pan and set aside. Place popcorn, candy corn and peanuts into a large bowl and set aside.

2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in marshmallows, red food coloring and yellow food coloring, adjusting color if needed to get a nice shade of orange. When the marshmallows are completely melted, pour over the popcorn and stir to evenly distribute the candy, nuts and marshmallow.

3. Use a greased spoon to fill the muffin cups. Insert a piece of licorice to act as the stem, and mold the popcorn around it. Let stand until firm, 10 to 15 minutes, and then pull the pumpkins out by their stems and admire your pumpkin patch!

Pay it Forward!

I won the Pay it forward prize from Cindy over at Oak View Cottage!!!! Are you kidding me...I never win these things! But this one I did. Check out her blog, I just love it. It is a little of THIS and a little of THAT.

The package came in the mail yesterday and I was so excited!

I almost couldn't wait to take the picture!

Look how pretty!!!! She made the apron herself and I love, love, love it!!!! She also included a very pretty note pad for the refrigerator and a sweet hand written note, which I think was my very favorite part.

Here is the fabric a little closer...I absolutely love the black and white flower pattern. Again I want to thank Cindy...I love my prize(squeals of delight)!!!!!!!

And now it is my turn! And I am just as excited about this as I was to get my prize....

Here is how it works:


If you are one of the first three people to leave a comment on this post, sometime in the next few months you will receive, via snail mail, something cool that I've handmade (or picked out) Just For You!!! There is no obligation, no worries. The only request is that you include this logo on your blog and the next three people do the same. And on it goes!!! This should be fun! Leave your comment below and start watching the mail!!! Be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you and get your address or you can email me ~~just go to my profile~ I'll need your mailing address to get your gift to you. Let's see how far we can get with this thing!

Folk Artist

What do you do when you decide to be a poor country folk artist?
With little money (if any) you must be creative. Use your resources.
This artist did just that.


What do you find in the mountains of Idaho ?.........PINE TREES.

You're thinking something made out of wood......Right?

Not even close. Check out these pictures.

These bears are made from Pine Needles!!!! Yes pine needles!
A couple of hundred thousand of them in one large bear.

The pine needles were gathered off the ground, sorted, washed, trimmed and hand woven.

Over 8 months in making the life size bear!
 
The carvings are antlers. Amazing.
 

Thought for Tuesday

Be Creative

Every day is an opportunity to be creative - the canvas is your mind, the brushes and colors are your thoughts and feelings, the panorama is your story, the complete picture a work of art called, 'my life'. Be careful what you put on the canvas today - it matters.

I made a bow!

This may seem silly, but I was so excited. I made a bow! And the best part of it...it was free! I used an old map I had gotten for free.
So here it is...my very first (hopefully many more to come) bow.

And here is how cute it looked on the package...

of course it was for a 7 year old boy so the cuteness was completely wasted, but I had fun making it!

Boy Scout Halloween Party

Here is (what I thought was my little doctor). When we got to the party and he won his award for "Best Medical" costume...

...they asked him if he was a doctor, and he said I am a nurse. A nurse! Like his Mommy! It made me proud to know my son admires me and what I do for a living.

The party was for all the local boy scouts. My son is a Tiger Scout and this is his pack. Aren't they so cute?! The big one in the center is John, their leader.

All the boys (and a couple sisters) had fun. They played games like corn race...

..wrapping a mummy...

...balloon pop,...

...they made their own treat bags...

...tossed spiders and won rats...

...and guess what is in the bags.

The kids were happy when the food and drinks came out!

All in all it was a fun evening and a pretty good turnout!

Here is the whole scary crew:

Craft Room....

Whew....I am almost done with my craft area! I have a few things to finish in there but it is workable finally!!!!
OK...here is the before...

...and here is the after......

Here is my basket for yearn. I had a great, great uncle that made this basket. I love it.

All my ribbons have found each other and are finally together...

...My glues and this and that are together...

...the scrapbook paper is in a drawer...

...with the stickers right above the paper.

My shelves are neat and organized.

So that's it...2 days of work! How long will it last? I hate to even think about that.

Thankful Thursday

I almost missed Thankful Thursday! I have been working on my disgusting craft room. Serioulsy...it is disgusting! Wanna see it....click here and scroll down...go on...I am hanging my head in shame.

AnYwAy.....today I am thankful that I was able to take  vacation days today and tomorrow. I am thankful that I have so much stuff that I can have a disgusting room like that. I am thankful that today was warm and sunny. I am thankful for a kid that NEVER shuts up (not kidding about this, he is right beside me know talking and talking...).

Most of all I am thankful that my Lord and savior is watching over me. I am so blessed to have a family that loves me (in spite of not being so lovable sometimes).

Hopefully I can post tomorrow and show you all my craft area...it actually has a desk, a sewing machine, carpet on the floor...

Christmas Cactus

Wanna see what happens when you leave a Christmas Cactus outside to long and it gets cold?

My poor confused cactus...I hope the bloom can hold on until Christmas!