Fall Crafting Decor I enjoy making and selling

I have been busy crafting Pumpkins and Scarecrows and having lots of fun.
I have several for sale, and I will ship anywhere in the US, these also make nice gifts
You can use them anywhere to add a festive fall Touch to your home.

I think they are just too cute, don't you?

and take a look at this guy, he's a great door greeter
You can order yours today, custom colors to match your tastes available
Check out my fb Page too
order your handmade sewing and crafts today
email me

Uses for Silica Gel Packets

Don't Throw Them Away!
Got this helpful Idea over at http://www.makelifelovely.com/ go check them out too

You know those little white packets that come in the box with your brand new heels? I used to toss them in the trash, but my brilliant husband asked me to start keeping them, and he has found some great uses for those silica gel packets!




Silica gel packets are used to absorb moisture and keep things dry, so they are ideal to reuse throughout your home where you might be worried about excess moisture. Here are a few places we have found these packets to be useful. Just make sure that you keep these out of the reach of children! They are not to be eaten.


6 Uses for Silica Gel Packets:
1. To save your cell phone from water damage. True story, I recently dropped my iPhone in a pot of boiling potatoes while trying to multitask. (OK, I was on Pinterest while making dinner. I'll admit it.) I dropped my phone in the boiling water, quickly pulled it out with a spoon, dried it off, removed the memory card, and put it in a Ziploc bag filled with silica gel packets that we had stockpiled. I left it alone for a few days, and was shocked to find that it worked perfectly! Supposedly this works better than the rice trick for saving your cell phone, just try to restrain yourself and not turn it on until a few days later because it could cause an electrical short and ruin your phone.

2. To help keep photos safe and free from moisture. Another true story. I am a scrapbooker, and pulled out one of my scrapbooks from a few years back to find the date of a family event, when I noticed that some of my scrapbook pages were wet! I have spent countless hours on my little masterpieces, and was not thrilled to find that one of my kids had probably spilled water, and it had dripped down into the sheet protectors and onto my pages. My hubby air dried all of the pages, and was able to salvage most of the pages and embellishments from the affected scrapbook pages. Now each of those pages have a silica gel packet in between the two pieces of card stock in each sheet protector, just to absorb any excess moisture that might still be hiding in the paper. (We will eventually remove them, because I am unsure of the archival quality of silica, but for now I am okay with them being there short term).



3. To keep collectibles in mint condition. If anyone in your family collects stamps, baseball cards, coins, etc., it's great to add some packets in with your collectibles to make sure they stay moisture-free.




4. To keep important documents safe. Whether you have important documents (birth certificates, social security cards, etc.) stored in files in a desk, cabinet, box, or envelopes, you can add a few packets of silica gel to keep them protected.



5. To use in each container in your basement, garage, or storage unit to absorb excess moisture. We use them everywhere in our basement!





6. To help preserve your ornaments and Christmas decorations. These get pulled out of boxes only once a year, so using silica gel packets in your Christmas boxes is a smart idea.



Okay, I'm adding a few more tips thanks to you readers!! Keep the good ideas coming!

7. Reader Roberta left a great comment on Make Life Lovely's Facebook Page...

"I bought an old book from an online bookstore that reeked of a musty smell. I put the book in a bag with baking soda. It did nothing. I put it in a bag with several gel packs and voila! Smell is all gone!"

8. The Feral Turtle commented that you can reuse these packets once they are full of moisture!! She says "We save our silica gel packets too! They will collect moisture and quit working, though, so we regenerate them in a 200 degree oven for about two hours and store them in an airtight Ziploc bag until we need them."

As you can see, there are so many different ways to reuse silica gel packets, and I know there are tons more that we haven't even thought of yet! Do you keep these packets? Do you have any more ideas about how or where to use them? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Candy Corn Surprise

Candy corn is always a Halloween favorite--make it even better when you mix with pecans and white candy bark.

 

Servings: 3 dozen

 

Ingredients:

2 cups Coarsely Chopped Pecans

1 cup Halloween Candy Corn  

1½ lb White Chocolate Candy Bark, coarsely chopped   

1× 14 oz. can Sweetened Condensed Milk 

¼ tsp Salt  

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast pecans, in a single layer, in a shallow pan for 8-10 minutes. Line a 15x10-inch jelly roll pan with lightly greased foil. Microwave candy bark, sweetened condensed milk, and salt in a 2-qt microwave safe bowl on high for 3-4 minutes, stirring at 1 minute intervals. Stir until smooth. Stir in vanilla, candy corn and pecans. Spread evenly in prepared pan. Cool; cover and chill at least 2 hours or until set. Turn candy out onto cutting board and cut into squares. Store, covered, at room temperature.

Halloween Whoopie Pies

Closer and Closer we get to the BIG DAY!! Halloween or Samhain as some of us call it and CELEBRATE.
I Just ♥LOVE ♥ it.
well here is a Whoopie Pie to beat all Whoopie Pies
Yummy GOOD FOOD

Ingredients
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk
Meringue Buttercream (recipe below)
1/3 cup each orange and yellow sprinkles
Meringue Buttercream
5 large egg whites
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 sticks unsalted, softened butter

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Line three baking sheets with parchment. Dip a 1-1/2-inch cookie cutter in extra cocoa and tap onto parchment to create a cookie outline; repeat to make outlines 1 inch apart on all baking sheets; set aside. Whisk together cocoa, flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl beat together the butter, shortening and sugars until smooth, about 2 min. Add egg and vanilla and beat until fluffy, 2 min. Stir in half the flour mixture, then the milk, and beat to combine. Add remaining flour mixture and beat together, scraping down sides of bowl.
3. Transfer batter to a piping bag fitted with a coupler or a 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe onto parchment, filling the outlines with mounds about 1/2 inch high. Bake, one sheet at a time, until cookies spring back to the touch, 10 to 12 min. Cool on baking sheets 10 min, then transfer to a wire rack with a metal spatula and let cool completely.
4. Spread about 1 tbsp buttercream on flat sides of half the cookies and sandwich with remaining cookies. Cover edges with sprinkles. Can be made up to 1 day ahead and stored chilled. bring to room temperature before serving. Makes about 32.
Meringue Buttercream
1. Whisk together egg whites and sugar in heatproof bowl of an electric mixer over a pan of simmering water until sugar has dissolved, about 5 min. Test by rubbing the mixture between your fingers-you shouldn't feel any sugar crystals.
2. Transfer bow to the mixer stand with the whisk attachment and beat on high until mixture cools and stiff peaks form, 10 to 12 min.
3. Reduce speed to medium high and add vanilla extract and butter a little at a time. (Buttercream may curdle but will become smooth as you continue to beat it.)
4. Use within a few hours or refrigerate up to a week. before using, bring to room temperature and beat on low until smooth. Makes about 5 cups.
By Ladies Home Journal

Banana for Breakfast anyone??

This is interesting. After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

DEPRESSION:
According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS:
Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

ANEMIA:
High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

BLOOD PRESSURE:
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

BRAIN POWER:
200 students at a Twickenham school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

CONSTIPATION:
High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

HANGOVERS:
One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

HEARTBURN:
Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

MORNING SICKNESS:
Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

MOSQUITO BITES:
Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

NERVES:
Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system..

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

ULCERS:
The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chroniclercases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

TEMPERATURE CONTROL:
Many other cultures see bananas as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many illnesses. When you compare it to an apple, it has FOUR TIMES the protein, TWICE the carbohydrate, THREE TIMES the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals.. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, 'A BANANA a day keeps the doctor away!'

Decorate Your Pumpkins without Carving-child friendly too

Here are some really creative Ideas to Decorate with Pumpkins this year without Carving.
NOTE: To the nice lady who called about the stencils/designs for these, I'm sorry I did not call back yet, however I've had bronchitis and can hardly talk loudly enough to be heard and now a stomach bug that has lasted over 5 days, this is not good, I will tell you that the site that posted these last year as noted here, does not seem to still have the patterns available, and I did not save them, what I suggest is you find a font you like and print out your design then trace it onto your pumpkins.
Hope this helps.


With Halloween right around the corner, DIYers everywhere are turning their creative efforts to a new task- pumpkin carving. Although we still carve them, we also paint, glitter, stuff and even bake with them.  So whether you’re looking for an easier craft trying to involve your children while keeping safety a top-priority, these no-carve DIYs are perfect for you. I have compiled a variation of pumpkins for your viewing pleasure from all around

Child-Friendly Designs

Pumpkin designs don’t have to be spooky! Display this adorable centipede DIY from Better Homes and Gardens in your front yard. Spray paint each “body segment” with lime green paint, and finish off with felt spots and two giant googly eyes. For an extra creepy (cute!) touch, have your centipede poke out from a section of tall grass.

These make a cute giant caterpillar don't they?

SPOOKY boo!! with glitter silver paints is so cute
then we have the skeleton pumpkin gate watcher here

which gives me ideas because I have an old plastic skeleton missing a head that would be great here

Here is a cute idea, just need some ribbon and rick rack and glue, and let the kids even join in making these

Oh but you must see this cute Pumpkin Owl, with the Owl Lovers out these days, she is sure to make a hit.

if you're the type who has old stuff laying around the garage or barn, here's something you're sure to go for, its really appealing.

I for one love crows, they are one of my totem animals

so I'm thinking of making one with an artificial pumpkin that can be reused, which you could do with most of these.

what is halloween without a few bats around

these are not only perfect for my home but easy too, takes some simple duct tape and lots of time.

another favorite of mine, you can download the pattern here and paint the design

this could be used to represent your family, how happy

OH yes I do like Glitter--this is a keeper

BUTTONS and a BOW

how cute is this

and Of course the Witchy stockings and shoes

adorable, painted on and add a bow

the breast cancer awareness Pumpkins, think Pink, give because you care

save the tata's

Baby Girls Shower Cake

My baby girl recently had her baby shower for baby #2
Her sister and I made her cake for the party

The cake we bake is so moist and it's frosted lightly with icing then we cover it in delicious marshmallow fondant which my daughter makes herself. I shape the fondant and together we make these beautiful artwork cakes.
Working with fondant is time consuming but todays newer recipes and flavors make them much more appealing than they used to be.
I am so proud of my girls taking after my crafting and cooking talents.