bugs n stuff...

This month's YOE theme is ladybugs. Oh my goodness, I had such difficulty! I don't know why but everything I thought of failed......except for these 2:





This week, I'm too busy to do ironcraft so I'll show what I made for last week's challenge...we had to make something crafty for the dad's out there. The thought of making something "crafty" for Dean was laughable....except where food is concerned. I made a set of 6 spice rubs for him for when he smokes or grills outside....which he does almost every weekend in the summer.

I also surprised him with a strawberry-rhubarb crisp...he loved it! I found the recipe HERE.
I had a bit more rhubarb than called for in the recipe so I bumped everything else up a bit to compensate. (I also didn't have rolled oats so I just used the regular oats I use in cookie recipes. ) I can't tell you if it was good.....I don't eat rhubarb...but everyone else loved it.

Mosaic Monday

Here is another pedestal birdbath I made.

I liked the colors, the edging and the design I did on the foot of the pedestal.

you can just barely see the Mardi Gras bead trim on the base :-)

WAR!

starts off simple enough....someone stole the t.v. remote from his sister.....



then someone pinched her brother HARD to teach him a lesson...



Matt decides its time for a new plan of



ATTACK!


the battle raged on



intermingled with lots of laughter





finally exhausted, they declared a tie!



We are so blessed to have children who love each other...as for the remote, I have NO idea where it ended up!

crafting and PIE

Today is ironcraft challenge day but since it is a Father's Day thing, I can't show it until next week.
Dean doesn't read my blog often...but he does check in once in a while and I don't want to spoil the surprise. After all, I already gave him the car litter bags!

So, remember these bracelets I made for craft hope last week?


Well, craft hope had 2 projects going on at the same time and I ended up doing both. During the school year, I wouldn't have been able to....but I had the time and had the materials on hand....

I made two of these blankets....and sent them on their way. They are for tornado survivors here in the USA.


These projects are now closed but if you want to craft for a good cause, please visit craft hope from time to time.
I don't join every single project because I do things for the animal shelter and do the toy drops...but I try to do what I can.

Since I had the crafting mojo going, I made a few car litter bags for my own car using some cute traveling gnome fabric Niki sent me last year.



and then I made my niece one for her car. She works at the Henry Doorly Zoo...I made her an apron using this same fabric a few years ago...wish I had more of it!




Now on to PIE!

Dean requested yet ANOTHER pie for June's Dessert of the Month club.

This time he wanted Coconut Cream Pie.

I didn't have a recipe so I googled it and found several. I used the one here with a couple changes.

Let me tell you, EVERYONE loved it (well, except yours truly who doesn't like coconut unless its toasted and smothered in chocolate but that's another post...)


So here is the recipe. ***I did alter it though.....instead of 3 cups of half/half. I used 1 can of coconut milk and made up the rest of the 3 cups with half/half.***

Ingredients

• 3 cups half-and-half***
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup flaked coconut, toasted
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (9 inch) pie shell, baked
• 1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine half-and-half, eggs, sugar, flour and salt. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in 3/4 cup of the coconut and the vanilla extract. Pour into pie shell and chill 2 to 4 hours, or until firm.
2. Top with whipped topping, and with remaining 1/4 cup of coconut.
3. Note: To toast coconut, spread it in an ungreased pan and bake in a 350 degree F (175 degrees C) oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.

Mosaic Monday

I made this mosaic out of a broken fountain piece I found at a cement yard in Fort Worth. I loved the shape of it and best of all, they let me have it cheap.

I did the inside because when I first made it, I used it in the garden with water in it for the dogs.
It looked so lovely hidden among the wax myrtles. Just a secret watering hole.

We don't really have a place for it in this yard so I am using it as a planter. I have some baby lettuce growing in it.


Once the lettuce is harvested, I'll plant some pretty flowers in it.....

10 seconds of fame

A couple of years ago, some kid's in Matt's class got to be extras in an upcoming Ed Harris movie.

Matt had a blast...spent the entire day down in NOLA while they were shooting a few scenes. He was picked to be in a scene but had to get a haircut (and part it on the side) and wear glasses....he was horrified...

Well, yesterday, some of his friends came to the door and asked if he was in a movie.
I said no and they said I just HAD to see this kid because Matt had a twin out there and wanted me to see him. They said "this kid even RUNS like Matt."

Then they showed me a clip of it off Netflicks....low and behold, it WAS Matt.

It had been so long ago that I just had forgotten all about it. I couldn't help but laugh......I guess we aren't too star struck around here.

Here is a still from the movie. We tried to embed the clip he was in but couldn't figure out how. The movie is called "That's What I Am" and is set in the 60's. It is about bullying and becoming your own person.


here is the trailer...we are planning to watch it, just so we can see Matt in his "10 seconds of non-speaking, running away from the bully scene!"

bowl of hope

I joined craft hope's latest project....making bracelets for an orphanage in Russia. I promised to send in 50 and made them fairly quickly. You can read about the project here.

If interested, hurry and make some as you have to send them in by the 15th!