WOW! Has it Really Been five Months!

I am slowly getting caught up on all my projects and getting back into the swing of updating everything in my life.  This past month, we have had at least 10 people retiring and it put into a thinking mode about my own retirement.  Which led me to, what kind of craft room I would like to have and how I would change the one I presently have.  I came accross an idea that was appealing to me-it seems that some ladies are finding old travel trailers, parking them in the backyard and fixing them up and using them as their craft/woman cave sort of places.  The more I thought about this, the more I liked the idea.  I could have a getaway place and not have to take up an area of the house with my crafting things.  Besides, with the space so small, I'm almost certain only one other person and possibly one of the dogs would be all that would fit inside-my escape paradise.  I came accross a picture of a person who had just located one of these trailers and is going to start the fix-up soon.  As I did some research on this, I found some great ideas for decorating and really making this space my own.  I am now in the process of collecting pictures, themes, and ideas to make this a/my reality when the time comes.  Here is the pictures of what I am talking about:

I just think this is the cutest! 

In addition to thinking about retirement, I have been cleaning out closets and figuring out what to keep and what to donate.  My biggest problem is that when I take things to donate to the thrift store and feel a sense of accomplishment, I then make a quick turn around in the store and end of defeating my purpose by buying more "stuff" that I "can't live without" and dragging it home thereby defeating the purpose of the original intention which was to gain more room! 

Anyway, I am going to try and be a better blogger, at least once a week.  I really enjoy the blog world and having a permanent record of things that I have done or am doing.

Ta-ta for now!!!!

Where Has The Time Gone?

I can't believe it has been so long since I posted!  Life sometimes just get in the way!  I have taken a couple of classes and I will be posting the pictures of the finished projects soon!  I still have lots of sewing and general artsy projects in the que and hope to be finishing those up also. 

Over the weekend I did make some fabulous chicken (vegetarian) burritos, and so easy too!  I have included the recipe, all I did was substitue Morningstar Farms chicken planks for the bonless chicken in the recipe.  These turned out yummy!

Easy Shredded Chicken and Bean Burritos

Ingredients:
3 Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless (I used a bag of Morningstar chicken planks)
1 Taco Seasoning packet
1 cup Water1 can Rotel
Flour Tortillas

1 can Refried Beans (I used the vegetarian)

Cheese
Jalapenos (optional topping)
Salsa (optional topping)
Sour Cream (optional topping)
Directions:
1. Spray crock pot with cooking spray.
2. Place Chicken Breasts into crock pot (frozen or thawed)
3. Cover with Taco Seasoning, Water, and Rotel.
4. Cook on High for 4-6 hours or Low for 6-8 hours.
5. Take Chicken out and shred

6. Put back into sauce in crock pot.
7. Heat up Refried Beans on stove or microwave, and heat up tortilla's in microwave for a few seconds.
8. Layer tortilla with the following:

layer of beans

big pinch of shredded cheese

shredded chicken (don't be shy!)

a few jalapenos

9. Roll Burrito up, cover with cheese, melt in microwave.
10. We used the fresh japenos, salsa and avacado for these-yummy!

That's all for today, I will be back soon with pictures of the creative projects I have finished!

Happy Holidays!

Wishing everyone and their families the Happiest of Holidays.  I will be kicking back for the next couple of days enjoying the grandkiddos and all the great food (gulp!).  I will be back soon with some projects I am finishing up and some things for the new year! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing the best and most plentiful thanksgiving to all of you as you gather with family and friends! 

Had A Great Class Today!

I took another canvas class today, and loved it!  I really enjoy working in the canvas medium along with all the dimensionals.  When I signed up for this class about two months ago, I didn't even know what the project was, it just sounded interesting.  I had done a class with this teacher before, the Paris book, and loved it, so I figured I would love whatever I was doing today-I wasn't disappointed.  Here are the pictures both front and back. 

 

I also have been busy working like crazy to get the house ready for holiday decorating.  Over the last week, I have completely taken everything out of the dinning room, shampoo'd the carpet, put everything back including cleaning all the glassware in the hutch, taking down the curtains and the sheers, washing and rehanging.  I started off Friday morning getting the lawn mowed and the leaves cleaned up before the storm hit on Friday afternoon.  Yesterday and today, I gutted the living room, and am waiting for the sheers and curtains to dry to I can rehang them.  The christmas tee is up and lit, but won't be decorated until Thanksgiving evening.  I also baked a couple of kinds of cookies yesterday, oatmeal chock chip raisin, and fluffernutter.  I also made a couple of loaves of banana bread, a sweet potato pie, a tamale casserole, and some burritos.  I really did enjoy cooking and cleaning this weekend because the weather outside was cold, windy and rainy.  Here is the simple recipe for fluffer nutters  that I got from here.  This is one of the easiest cookies I have ever done.

Fluffernutters
1 cup creamy peanut butter (I did use chunky, I like the peanuts in it)
1 cup marshmallow creme
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a large bowl mix the peanut butter and egg until well combined with a spoon.  Slowly stir in the marshmallow cream until just combined.  You want to see the marshmallow cream not fully incorporated, almost like swirled through.  With a small-medium cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. (I used my professional baking cookie sheets sprayed with Pam and had no problem) Bake for 12-15 minutes or until baked through.  Let cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.  ( I also didn't bother to let them cool on the cookie sheet-I transferred them from the cookie sheet directly to the marble slab and let them cool),

This week, I will have to start my sewing if I plan on getting done before Christmas!  Not too much to do and once I get started it won't take long, but I need to look at my calendar and pencil in one full day to sew! 

Until next time-

Finished Another Chunky Art Piece

I finished my second chunky swap atc piece and sent it off in the mail!  I enjoy making these and they would be great for all kinds of thank you gifts and just something to make the recipient smile! 

 Here are the four side of the wine chunky atc that I finished. 

Not much else is happening in the art world for me.  I need to finish about four additional projects this week to stay on track for Christmas.  I am also planning on attending the Harvest Festival this weekend.  I am looking forward to seeing over 24,000 handcrafts this weekend! 
 Until next time-

November Dress Finished-One More to Go!!!!

I finished my November dress this evening and wanted to get it posted before the middle of the month!  My inspiration for this dress was drawn from the fabulous colors of fall, the oranges and browns.  I also wanted to incorporte what I was thankful for in my life.  I designed each of the tags to hang off the ribbon around the waist and each one is something that I am thankful for.  Some things are serious and some things are things I just don't want to live without!  My thankful tags are: love, grandkids, employment, happiness, health, stability,spirituality, coffee, freedom and blue jeans!! A little rest and then I will be designing my December dress. 

Since I am planning on hosting the Dress Up 2011 next year in one of the Yahoo groups I participate in,  I hope all of you will watch this blog for the particulars and I invite you to participate!!!  This year of "girly" art has been so much fun and the short bursts of creativity have gone a long way for me on the days that I wasn't really up to a big, creative project. 

I also wanted to post a picture of my cabinet that I store my dresses in.  It is an old picture and I hope to finish the cabinet and update the photo.  I found this doll trunk at a thrift store for about $3.00 I think, and I decided the best way to show off the dressed would be in simple black and white.  I then found a photo of the Eiffel Tower and mod podged it into the trunk.  I still need to do something with the outside and I'm not sure if I will use this trunk for the next year's dresses, in fact, I'm not sure they will fit! 

 Thanks for stopping by and checking out my newest dress!