Decorating with Nature for Chrsitmas

Decorate the front porch with natural findings from your yard. Discard the dead summer annuals and replace with cuttings from evergreens and other available greens. Trim some trees and stick the twigs in the center of pot. Add a bow if you like. You can even spray paint the twigs gold or silver if you want. Ready for Santa!

I used a store bought wreath of natural pine and fir cuttings, pine cones and berries. Add a couple bunches of holly, a few silk poinsettias and big red bows. Hang on the front door with a suction cup and enjoy!

A Great Idea for the Backyard!

We used one 4"x4"x6' pressure treated wood post to create this beautiful flower hanger. The wooden post was cemented into the ground and left to dry overnight. Next we added a decorative wooden piece from the hardware store to finish off the top and shelving brackets were screwed into the sides for hanging flowers, bird houses or whatever. It really turned out beautiful and only cost about $25.

Painted Silk Banners

Another silk painting project to try...

These banners were created by students in grades one through eight for an all-school assembly. The theme was "New Life" and Butterflies for Spring.

1. The drawing was transferred on silk with Pentel® Pastel Fabric Dye Sticks. Lines were ironed with a piece of drawing paper on top to protect the iron.

2. Dyna-Flow® Silk Dyes were painted in small sections to give more students a chance to participate.

3. A hem was sewn at the top and bottom of the banner. Sides were torn in a straight line. A dowel rod was inserted in the top hem while the bottom edge hung loose. There were four different color palettes in all. Happy Spring!!

Pasta with Sausage and Veggies

I made this pasta dish with ingredients found in my refrigerator. Yummy!

Pasta with Sausage and Veggies Recipe 
Serves 4

6 links Italian Sausage
2 tbsp. Olive Oil
Fresh vegetables cut up into bite-size chunks: Red pepper, Onion, Mushrooms, Tomatoes
1/2 cup Red Wine
1 jar Marinara Sauce
Fresh Baby Spinach Leaves
Pasta, prepared according to package directions
Parmesan Cheese, grated

Grill or saute Italian Sausage in Olive Oil in large skillet. Remove and cut into smaller pieces, set aside. Saute vegetables in same skillet. Add Red Wine and allow to cook down on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add Marinara Sauce and Sausage to Vegetables and cook for about 20 minutes. Place cooked Pasta on plate, then sprinkle some Spinach Leaves, top with Sausage Vegetable Sauce mixture. The Spinach leaves will wilt slightly. Top with grated Parmesan Cheese. Enjoy!

MyEasyPOP.com Video

Check out this video on youtube.com. It describes what MyEasyPOP.com is all about. For a fast, easy, affordable solution to creating marketing materials for your business you must visit this website!

MyEasyPOP.com

Marketing for Small Businesses

MyEasyPOP.com

This is an easy, affordable, and professional website for small business owners to advertise their business. It is designed for restaurant owners, however can accommodate all kinds of industry. Check it out!!

Enter PROMO Code D8E637CEA6F3 for a 5% discount!

Easter Cookie Decorating Ideas

Sweet Easter Cookie Decorating Ideas...Cute and Yummy!!

 

Doggie Bed

Doggie Bed

Ginger loves her bed!

Doggie Bed

This doggie bed was discovered/invented by my Dachshund, Ginger, and I. Ginger loves to bury herself especially when she is sleeping. So one day a pillow covered with a pillow sham with a slit in back was turned over and she curled up inside of it. I put the pillow in her travel kennel, otherwise known as her bed, and ever since she has been sleeping in the pillow every night. She loves it!!

Youth Art Month

Megan, grade 4

Samantha, grade 1

Sophia, grade 5

Ben, grade 2

Elena, grade 5

This is a project I taught for Youth Art Month…

To celebrate Youth Art Month students in grades one through six participated in an after-school art workshop on Silk Painting. This is an easy and fun way to teach the art of silk painting in a condensed time frame. Students began with a drawing. They could draw whatever they wanted. Some drew repeated patterns of shapes and lines. Others drew more detailed pictures of nature. We placed the drawing under silk that I had stretched around cardboard ahead of time and traced the lines of the drawing with Pentel® Fabric Fun Pastel Dye Sticks. After the dye stick drawing was ironed to set the colors, students began to paint with Dye-na-Flow® Silk Dyes. Their masterpieces turned out beautiful! Warning: With a group of 33 students I was relieved to have help from another teacher.

Happy Youth Art Month!!

Portrait of Nick

I painted this portrait of my son, Nick, about three years ago. I would really like to find time to paint more portraits. This was painted with oil paints on canvas board.