Earrings & Randomness

Just wanted to say HELLO out there... We've been enjoying our summer, hope you have too! 

Right now, I am just sitting here, on campus, at my desk, looking out the window as the rain pours down and cools off our SUMMER heated hills. 

I have no craft to share today... it has been busy and I have missed my me time- BUT kids time is SO much more fun! This past Saturday I had a couple of friends over {one with her daughter and baby niece} for TEA with my step-daughter. We were celebrating my Eli's birthday, and it also happened to be my friend's daughter's birthday... so we had a girlie day while our men and boys joined forces. I did try my hands at making SCONES and they came out pretty good for a first timer... I will have to post the recipe I used later. 

After tea, we went out to see Monte Carlo and let me just say that it is not every day that I see a good, non-corny {yet appropriate/ family OK'd} movie that is not a cartoon. We loved the movie, though the men folk were spared and themselves enjoyed Cars 2. ;) For the 4th we had a great time at the zoo and then watching the new Transformers movie. The kids loved it, even if we ended up watching the fireworks from the car on our 2 1/2 hour ride home. 

Other than that its been cookouts with friends, water play with the kids, and fire fly catching! 

I do want to share the SUPER CUTE earrings I purchased today from Very Jane. 

Aren't they cute?! Right now they are on SALE for $4, so I could not pass that up! I bought two; the ruby red and the white pairs and cannot wait for them to find their way to ME!

Well. that is me, my life right now...

But wait... I did want to show my hooker toes off! Well, not really, but what is summer without a pedi! 

Oh, and if you haven't already, please find and "like" me on Facebook! 

Hope you all have a great Friday... and weekend. :)

My friend, my CP Destiny, sent me this today...
I thought I'd share this as I end this blog post.
God Bless!

Smores No-Bake Cake Balls

If you're like me, SUMMER is for swimming, grilling, and sitting around a campfire roasting marshmallows. But, if you're like me, you don't always have the luxury of a clear night to go to the lake with your family... So not wanting to miss out, we decided to have a few mock camp outs in the living room. 

The other night we made SMORES {using those cute square marshmallows}, electric candle light {safe for the lil man}, and marshmallow sticks... Marshmallow sticks? Yes- just alternated the square marshmallows with mini assorted flavored ones and stuck them on lollipop sticks for the kids to "roast". They looked cute on their picnic blanket {one of their dad's old Army blankets}, pretending to roast 'shmallows.

I was looking forward to making these. I looked around but found nothing that was no-bake for making SMORES BALLS and I even checked the two best *cake ballers* around {unless I was blinded from them by their other awesome goodness}.  But yeah,the only ones I found were using cake instead of graham crackers {which does not make it have a real Smores quality, at least in my opinion}... they are still good I am sure- but I wanted graham crackers!!! 

So I decided to do these just like I did with my Oreo No-Bake Cake Balls {see the link for the recipe}. Substitute GRAHAM CRACKERS for the Oreos {crushed} and mold your ball around a mini marshmallow. After you let it chill, dip it in your bark and sprinkle with crushed graham crackers. 

SO YUMMY and super cute! {oh and no messy chocolate goo on my carpet- ha}

Party At:

Sweet Floweret: 20 Minute Tuesday

The Girl Creative: Just Something I Whipped Up

Sumo's Sweet Stuff - Market Yourself Monday

Skip to my Lou - Made By You Monday

Keeping it Simple - Motivate Me Monday

Flip-Flops, Pom-Poms, and Flowers

Well, summer is here and so is FLIP-FLOP season {when did it ever REALLY end, anyways}. I am not a flip-flop person unless it has something cute about it, but I could not pass up a try and dressing up some $1 flip-flops I found at Wally World.

I have made several other cute things with fabric pom-poms, so why not try it for my tootsies?

Just gather your MATERIALS:

Fabric of choice

Felt to match

Pins (I used the pins I use to make a fabric brooch)

Scissors

Hot Glue Gun & Glue

and of course, FLIP -FLOPS!

For this one, I used the white flip flops and red and white fabric to match a SUMMER dress I bought. 

HOW - TO

I cut out my felt in a circle, the size I wanted {x2}.

Then I cut out a bunch of fabric circles the same size, or just a little over sized {more over-sized if you want big pom-poms}. It is OK if the circles are not perfect.

Then I cut 2 slits in the felt {for the pin top to slide through} and glued the felt to the pin top.

Next, pinch your fabric circles, add hot glue to the tip and {starting at the center of the felt} add your scrunched fabric until it is as fluffy as you want.

Trim anything that looks out of place {to give it a rounded look}.

And pin it through your flip-flop middle!

*you can spray with scotch guard, if you want to water proof it*

I do not feel the the pin, the pin has not come out, my pom-poms are secure, and my $1 flip-flops look super CUTE!

What do you think? And what do you do to spruce up your flip-flops?

~~~~~~~~~~

On a different note, I am gardening now... FLOWERS that is. I'm not great at the ones already potted at the store, but I can grow a seed! {giggle} I also like to draw and have been drawing flowers here and there... here is a SUNFLOWER I drew {in the stages of progression}. 

If you're looking for more fun and easy POM-POM ideas you can do yourself...

check these pics out and then head over to my post on how I made them {click on the pics}!

Pom-Pom clips

My first made pom-pom necklace... love it!

And some headbands- one ribbon and leftovers... the other pure pom-pom fun!

THANK YOU for visiting and have a GREAT summer *flopping* around!

Find Me Partying At:

kojodesigns: friday fun finds
The Girl Creative - Just Something I Whipped Up 
While He Was Napping - Weekend Wander
Sweet Floweret: 20 Minute Tuesday

Spring Up Your Tastebuds with Grapefruit Zabaglione

Even though WINTER is still fighting to be heard where I live, I can't help but to dream of SPRING and all the delicious warmth that comes with it. So I decided to dig out an older recipe that always has me thinking WARM tangy thoughts...

GRAPEFRUIT ZABAGLIONE!

{a light, sweet Italian caudle}

I usually make it to serve over FRESH mixed berries, but the local produce section was lacking {so I used fresh blueberries and frozen strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries}.

This is a very simple and quick recipe that you can make in less than TEN minutes and is great for a breakfast, brunch, or a light dessert {We just happened to have it for breakfast this morning}.

GRAPEFUIT ZABAGLIONE W/ MIXED BERRIES

Ingredients:

• 3 cups mix of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, & blackberries
• {fresh is best, but you can use frozen defrosted}
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice{1/2 a grapefruit will do it}
• Pinch of kosher salt
• Grated grapefruit zest

 

Directions:

• In a large bowl, toss the berries together.
• Spoon the berries into 4-6 serving bowls and set aside.
• Combine egg yolks, sugar, grapefruit juice, & salt in metal bowl. {I used a 2 quart metal mixing bowl}
• Whisk until color is a pale yellow.
• Set the bowl on top of a saucepan of simmering water (do NOT let the bottom of the bowl touch the water!)
• Using an electric hand mixer, mix 4-5 minutes until the mix has tripled in volume & is very thick and creamy.  {you could do it yourself, but its a lot of mixing}
• Spoon the warm zabaglione over the berries.
• Top with grated grapefruit zest.
• Serve immediately.

{Enjoy!}

Show and tell Saturday - Be Different...Act Normal

Great Recipe Exchange - While He Was Napping

http://www.justapinch.com/recipe/theresa-preece/grapefruit-zabaglione-with-mixed-berries/quick-easy-healthy-fruit-sauce