2013 - A Retrospective

Please enjoy this slideshow of some of our projects from 2013.

2013 - A Retrospective

Please enjoy this slideshow of some of our projects from 2013.

Sparkling Mercury Glass Trees

Here is something a little special for the season.

I found these Mercury Glass trees at Target this year.  I placed them on top of the wall unit in the dining room.  The twinkling animation was sent to me from Google +.  I guess someone there saw the trees I had slated for an upcoming post and add this animation and then sent it to me.  Cute.

Sparkling Mercury Glass Trees

Here is something a little special for the season.

I found these Mercury Glass trees at Target this year.  I placed them on top of the wall unit in the dining room.  The twinkling animation was sent to me from Google +.  I guess someone there saw the trees I had slated for an upcoming post and add this animation and then sent it to me.  Cute.

A Lovely Christmas

We had a wonderful Christmas.  A very different Christmas in that we did not entertain and did not attend our annual get-togethers.  We did spend a couple hours with our friend Lea one evening and that was delightful, as usual.  Christmas Eve and day was spent at the Dewey Street house.  Here are some pictures for you to enjoy of our Christmas.

I brought these packages full of Christmas joy.  I also hope for Peace, but not just at Christmastime.

I especially liked these illuminated wax Christmas trees on the mantel.  They have an iridescent sparkle applied to them.  I don't know where we got these.  They have been around for many years.

In the corner, next to the tree was a corner filled with gifts for moi!!!  Lot's of fun stuff there.

Of course, what would Christmas be without pictures of Baxter.

Lost in a pile of pillows.

Did somebody say "breakfast?!"

Very intently watching out the front window.  Ever the guard dog, he is.  He misses nothing.  Not a sound.

His body looks so long in this shot.  He looks like he is a standard size dachshund.  But I can assure you, he is very much a miniature.

And one final shot.  These are some of the best pictures we have gotten of him.  He is so fast that you cannot catch him.  Believe me, when you see a picture of him posted here, it usually means that between 20 - 30 shots were taken to grab one or two good ones to share with you.  He moves like lightening.  And he is very temperamental.  He knows of his celebrity and if he does not feel like being photographed on a particular day, then there will be no photographing that day.

A Lovely Christmas

We had a wonderful Christmas.  A very different Christmas in that we did not entertain and did not attend our annual get-togethers.  We did spend a couple hours with our friend Lea one evening and that was delightful, as usual.  Christmas Eve and day was spent at the Dewey Street house.  Here are some pictures for you to enjoy of our Christmas.

I brought these packages full of Christmas joy.  I also hope for Peace, but not just at Christmastime.

I especially liked these illuminated wax Christmas trees on the mantel.  They have an iridescent sparkle applied to them.  I don't know where we got these.  They have been around for many years.

In the corner, next to the tree was a corner filled with gifts for moi!!!  Lot's of fun stuff there.

Of course, what would Christmas be without pictures of Baxter.

Lost in a pile of pillows.

Did somebody say "breakfast?!"

Very intently watching out the front window.  Ever the guard dog, he is.  He misses nothing.  Not a sound.

His body looks so long in this shot.  He looks like he is a standard size dachshund.  But I can assure you, he is very much a miniature.

And one final shot.  These are some of the best pictures we have gotten of him.  He is so fast that you cannot catch him.  Believe me, when you see a picture of him posted here, it usually means that between 20 - 30 shots were taken to grab one or two good ones to share with you.  He moves like lightening.  And he is very temperamental.  He knows of his celebrity and if he does not feel like being photographed on a particular day, then there will be no photographing that day.

From Our Home to Yours

From Our Home to Yours

Sparkly Kraft Ornaments

Do you remember the post on December 16 where I talked about these Kraft ornaments I found at The Paper Source?  In that post I finished with something akin to "I see something sparkly in my future."

Well, . . . indeed there is something sparkly in my here and now.

With the flash

Without the flash

They turned out beautifully.  So here's the rundown on how to do this.  First I painted the ornament with Mod Podge and a 1" paintbrush that I got from Lowe's.  I applied the first coat of glitter which did not completely cover the ornament.  I waited for about 30 minutes and then I sprayed the ornament with a nice thick coat of spray adhesive which you can get at craft stores or Walmart.  I applied the second coat of glitter which completely covered the ornament.  I let it dry for an hour and the sprayed it with a coat of clear Polyurethane to keep the glitter intact.  Silver and blue.  I can see a tree of silver and blue next year.

So, we will wait until after tomorrow to go back to The Paper Source when everything Christmas is marked down and buy all that they have left of these.  They were originally $2 apiece.  Wonder what the sale price will be.  I am looking to do an entire tree next year utilizing these ornaments for under $50.  Check back later in the week to see what happens. 

Sparkly Kraft Ornaments

Do you remember the post on December 16 where I talked about these Kraft ornaments I found at The Paper Source?  In that post I finished with something akin to "I see something sparkly in my future."

Well, . . . indeed there is something sparkly in my here and now.

With the flash

Without the flash

They turned out beautifully.  So here's the rundown on how to do this.  First I painted the ornament with Mod Podge and a 1" paintbrush that I got from Lowe's.  I applied the first coat of glitter which did not completely cover the ornament.  I waited for about 30 minutes and then I sprayed the ornament with a nice thick coat of spray adhesive which you can get at craft stores or Walmart.  I applied the second coat of glitter which completely covered the ornament.  I let it dry for an hour and the sprayed it with a coat of clear Polyurethane to keep the glitter intact.  Silver and blue.  I can see a tree of silver and blue next year.

So, we will wait until after tomorrow to go back to The Paper Source when everything Christmas is marked down and buy all that they have left of these.  They were originally $2 apiece.  Wonder what the sale price will be.  I am looking to do an entire tree next year utilizing these ornaments for under $50.  Check back later in the week to see what happens. 

Make Your Own Gift Tags

This year I decided to make my own gift tags.

I couldn't find any that I liked, so I made my own with card stock and my home computer.  I found the clip art online.  I like the fact that I could scale them to the size of the package.  It's very simple to do.  In Word, choose "Insert", then "Text Box."  Type in your message and then find your clip art, copy, and then paste it inside the Text Box.  I centered these angels and then chose a shadow effect from the "Drawing" feature in Word.  There are hundreds of fonts to choose from for the the text.  I used a small strip of double-sided tape on the top and bottom of each to affix them to the packages.  A really cute idea. 

Make Your Own Gift Tags

This year I decided to make my own gift tags.

I couldn't find any that I liked, so I made my own with card stock and my home computer.  I found the clip art online.  I like the fact that I could scale them to the size of the package.  It's very simple to do.  In Word, choose "Insert", then "Text Box."  Type in your message and then find your clip art, copy, and then paste it inside the Text Box.  I centered these angels and then chose a shadow effect from the "Drawing" feature in Word.  There are hundreds of fonts to choose from for the the text.  I used a small strip of double-sided tape on the top and bottom of each to affix them to the packages.  A really cute idea. 

Daddy, ... I'm Trying to Take a Nap!!

And here is the most handsome boy taking a nap yesterday and not wanting to be bothered.  But I couldn't help myself.

We were having a lazy Sunday and I got his attention for just a split second.

Daddy, ... I'm Trying to Take a Nap!!

And here is the most handsome boy taking a nap yesterday and not wanting to be bothered.  But I couldn't help myself.

We were having a lazy Sunday and I got his attention for just a split second.

A New Bin for Baxter's Toys

Merry Christmas Baxter!!  I was in TJ Maxx/Homegoods, not shopping for Baxter, when I found this really cute bin to hold all of his toys.

So incredibly cute.  And a steal at $7.99.  I couldn't resist.  Up until now his toys have all been kept in a corner of the tv room.  He would dive into the pile and bring them out and scatter them all over the house.

Then I would go around and pick them all up and put them back in the corner and we would start all over again.  I'm not saying that won't continue to happen.  We'll just have a place to keep them a little more organized now.

If you are interested, the designer is Taylor Madison.  If you do not have a Homegoods nearby, you could probably do a Google search for Taylor Madison and find one and order online.

I love that the flip-side of the Seasons Greeting tag is a "To:, From:" tag.  So, I filled it out.

And here we are, toys packed inside, ready to be strewn about the house when Mister Mister decides he wants them scattered about.  He is as much a part of the family as anyone else, so he gets a gift or two or three at Christmas also.

A New Bin for Baxter's Toys

Merry Christmas Baxter!!  I was in TJ Maxx/Homegoods, not shopping for Baxter, when I found this really cute bin to hold all of his toys.

So incredibly cute.  And a steal at $7.99.  I couldn't resist.  Up until now his toys have all been kept in a corner of the tv room.  He would dive into the pile and bring them out and scatter them all over the house.

Then I would go around and pick them all up and put them back in the corner and we would start all over again.  I'm not saying that won't continue to happen.  We'll just have a place to keep them a little more organized now.

If you are interested, the designer is Taylor Madison.  If you do not have a Homegoods nearby, you could probably do a Google search for Taylor Madison and find one and order online.

I love that the flip-side of the Seasons Greeting tag is a "To:, From:" tag.  So, I filled it out.

And here we are, toys packed inside, ready to be strewn about the house when Mister Mister decides he wants them scattered about.  He is as much a part of the family as anyone else, so he gets a gift or two or three at Christmas also.

A Frosty Morn

Brrrr.  It's cold outside.  At least this morning it was cold outside.  It was 30 degrees when Baxter and I got up.  On my way out the door, I took this shot of one of the boxwoods.

You can see the frost on the leaves.  This is one of the boxwoods I transplanted in the early fall.  They are struggling a little bit to adapt to their new spot, but I think they will be fine once spring arrives.  You must be patient in the garden.  I have learned that over the years.

A Frosty Morn

Brrrr.  It's cold outside.  At least this morning it was cold outside.  It was 30 degrees when Baxter and I got up.  On my way out the door, I took this shot of one of the boxwoods.

You can see the frost on the leaves.  This is one of the boxwoods I transplanted in the early fall.  They are struggling a little bit to adapt to their new spot, but I think they will be fine once spring arrives.  You must be patient in the garden.  I have learned that over the years.

WTCA Supports PETA in Their Effort to Stop the Angora Trade

I am sure many of you have seen in the news today that H&M and other major brands have taken a stand against the angora trade in China.  The pictures that have come out showing the inhumane treatment of these beautiful and precious rabbits that are being held in captivity and then stripped of their fur by having it pulled out of their bodies by hand is disturbing beyond what can be explained.  We have today made a sizeable contribution to PETA in an effort to help with their campaign against this atrocity.  If you would like to contribute, you can visit them at www.peta.org.  No contribution is too small.

WTCA Supports PETA in Their Effort to Stop the Angora Trade

I am sure many of you have seen in the news today that H&M and other major brands have taken a stand against the angora trade in China.  The pictures that have come out showing the inhumane treatment of these beautiful and precious rabbits that are being held in captivity and then stripped of their fur by having it pulled out of their bodies by hand is disturbing beyond what can be explained.  We have today made a sizeable contribution to PETA in an effort to help with their campaign against this atrocity.  If you would like to contribute, you can visit them at www.peta.org.  No contribution is too small.

Peanut Butter Flavored Bones for Baxter

We made Peanut Butter Flavored bones in the new Bake-A-Bone.  This was our first time using it and, I must admit, it was very easy and the bones turned out just like they look on the package.  Here is the step-by-step.

We started off by mixing all of the ingredients listed in the recipe.  Flour, milk, baking powder and peanut butter.  I used Skippy Peanut Butter.  Just regular Skippy Peanut Butter.

Once the green light lit up, I lifted the top of the baker and filled the cavities with the peanut butter mixture.

A very hot bone maker ready for the peanut butter mixture.

I used a rubber spatula to fully fill each bone shaped cavity.

Nine minutes later we had fully cooked, soft serve bones.

I made two batches, so eight bones altogether.  This recipe makes quite a lot of dough.

So I placed the leftover dough into a plastic container and put it into the freezer.  The directions do not state whether or not the dough can be frozen and used at a later date.  So we will see what happens when little Baxter has eaten all of these bones and it is time to make more.  If freezing it does not work, then we will cut the recipe in half next time.

Here are the bones, all cleaned up and on the cookie sheet to be placed in the oven.

As I stated earlier, the bones straight out of the baker are soft.  If you want them crunchy, they suggest turning the oven to 350 degrees.  Then, turn off the oven and place the bones, on a cookie sheet, into the oven for between 4 - 6 hours to make them crunchy.  I left them in for 3 hours and they were crunchy enough.

And finally, here is the final product of crunchy, peanut butter flavored bones for little Baxter.  We will keep these refrigerated to keep them from spoiling.  The directions do not say how long they stay fresh, but we will not make more than what he will consume in a week.  Part of each Sunday will be spent preparing a fresh batch of bones for him for the coming week.

I love the way these turned out.  They are visually appealing and according to Baxter, not too bad to eat.  A good healthy treat for him without preservatives or other toxins unknown to us.  Now I would like to see about getting a recipe to make jerky treats for him.  I have a food dehydrater.  Let's see what we can find out about that.  In the meantime, if you are interested in one of these gadgets, order from Ginny's (www.ginnys.com).

Peanut Butter Flavored Bones for Baxter

We made Peanut Butter Flavored bones in the new Bake-A-Bone.  This was our first time using it and, I must admit, it was very easy and the bones turned out just like they look on the package.  Here is the step-by-step.

We started off by mixing all of the ingredients listed in the recipe.  Flour, milk, baking powder and peanut butter.  I used Skippy Peanut Butter.  Just regular Skippy Peanut Butter.

Once the green light lit up, I lifted the top of the baker and filled the cavities with the peanut butter mixture.

A very hot bone maker ready for the peanut butter mixture.

I used a rubber spatula to fully fill each bone shaped cavity.

Nine minutes later we had fully cooked, soft serve bones.

I made two batches, so eight bones altogether.  This recipe makes quite a lot of dough.

So I placed the leftover dough into a plastic container and put it into the freezer.  The directions do not state whether or not the dough can be frozen and used at a later date.  So we will see what happens when little Baxter has eaten all of these bones and it is time to make more.  If freezing it does not work, then we will cut the recipe in half next time.

Here are the bones, all cleaned up and on the cookie sheet to be placed in the oven.

As I stated earlier, the bones straight out of the baker are soft.  If you want them crunchy, they suggest turning the oven to 350 degrees.  Then, turn off the oven and place the bones, on a cookie sheet, into the oven for between 4 - 6 hours to make them crunchy.  I left them in for 3 hours and they were crunchy enough.

And finally, here is the final product of crunchy, peanut butter flavored bones for little Baxter.  We will keep these refrigerated to keep them from spoiling.  The directions do not say how long they stay fresh, but we will not make more than what he will consume in a week.  Part of each Sunday will be spent preparing a fresh batch of bones for him for the coming week.

I love the way these turned out.  They are visually appealing and according to Baxter, not too bad to eat.  A good healthy treat for him without preservatives or other toxins unknown to us.  Now I would like to see about getting a recipe to make jerky treats for him.  I have a food dehydrater.  Let's see what we can find out about that.  In the meantime, if you are interested in one of these gadgets, order from Ginny's (www.ginnys.com).