Here’s to a great New Year!
CHEERS EVERYONE!
Category Archives: Celebrations
Mele Kalikimaka! Merry Christmas!
This year, we are not able to spend Christmas with my Mother in California and we all know why 
But I can look back on the photos that we took of our time all together.
I don’t think I’ll make quite as many dishes this year to snack on, but I know that it’ll be delicious.
Enjoy Each Other’s Company!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN !!
I love decorating our house for different holidays.
I saw this idea on some other social media site, I forget, but what a cute idea, right?!
Everything you see here to create this planter was from Dollar Tree, except for the Black Bucket. That’s an Ice Bucket that I’ve had for years. I simply added some floral foam, tapped it down with Gorilla Tape and stuck the flowers and leaves in. The Witches Legs from Dollar Tree, I just cut a piece of orange Pool Noodle off and slipped then Witches stockings over it, added a dowel and jabbed it into the floral foam. Her broom is a Dollar Tree Plunger handle, with a bag of Raffia artfully tied around it.
This Door Hanger is ALL from Dollar Tree! I have acrylic paints to do my Painted Rocks, so there was that… The bow is a simple Pom Pom Bow secured with a piece of Pipe Cleaner or Chenille Stem and then hot glued on to the BOO wooden sign. The three Ghosts are again from Dollar Tree that I suspended with Fishing Line, stapled to the back of the BOO sign, DONE 
The Ghosts in the tree out front are just half spheres of foam with some Cheesecloth and floral wire to hang them by, easy!
My Milk Jug Jack `O Lanterns took some time to collect. 
I saw a pattern for faces on Pinterest, printed them out, cut them out and transferred to the jugs with a black Sharpie pen. I put some sand in the bottoms to keep them from blowing `about and them cut a 3 inch “door” in the back of each jug to string some battery operated outdoor twinkle lights that I use at Christmas time. Love this!
Have a safe and fun-filled Halloween everyone!
Food (Or Adult Beverages) As Gifts
I’m certain that we’ve talked about Food As Gifts before, but it seems that the month of July held many birthdays for my new Neighborhood Gal Pals.
I was poking around in the dollar store and found this Wine Tumbler in the Party Section …
Ssshhhh! We don’t need to tell anyone where we got them, just that they’re uber cute, don’t you think. ⭐
Add a bottle of Sparkling Wine or your Pal’s favorite libation, a Cello Gift Bag with a cardboard Cake Round for support, colorful ribbon, and you’re set.
One of our Gal Pals is a Kirkland Signature Ready To Drink Golden Margarita fan …
What adorable packaging (even if I do say so myself)! Dollar Tree has some great stuff. That’s two different ready-made bows that I put together, some white tissue paper and clear Cello Wrap, cute!
It’s loads of fun dreaming up different Gifts of Food AND Adult Beverages for your Pals!!
Happy Birthday To ME!!!
Yup! I’m a July baby. AND I make my own Birthday cake, every year!
Happy Anniversary To A Great Couple!
Twenty-five years ago today, I was so very lucky to marry my best friend.
Here’s to another 25 years together.
Happy Statehood Day Hawaii !!
Hauoli la hanau, Happy Birthday. On this day in 1959, Hawaii became the 50th State of America.
In honor of this occasion, I’ll be making Guava Chicken and Fried Rice for our supper.
I brought back some frozen concentrate Guava Juice from Hawaii this past may, mostly because I can’t find it here in the middle of the desert 😀
Tune back in and I’ll give you folks an update …
ALOHA!
What Do You Put In Your Easter Baskets?
At lunch the other day, my mother reminded us that Easter is coming early this year. WHAT? Sure enough, I pulled out the calendar and Easter Sunday falls on March 31st. Last year, rather than make up baskets of candy for my DH and mom, I made Iced Sugar cookies.
WHAT WAS I THINKING?!
This was the absolute first (and probably last) time that I will undertake such a long, drawn out project. I should say though, it was fun and I was quite pleased with the outcome. These are just the cutest cookies I’ve ever made. I adapted a recipe from Martha Stewart and the FoodNetwork Magazine, morphing the two together. I probably should have rolled out the dough a touch thicker, it was a fragile final product. The royal icing was a challenge, as I’d never done this before. It took driving all around town to several places to find the meringue powder. I used just plain ‘ole liquid food coloring from the supermarket to tint the icing. I piped it using simple sandwich baggies with the corners snipped.
I was on my feet for most of the day and my back was aching! Normally, if I know I’m going to be in the kitchen standing for periods of time, I put on my walking sneaks. I was so excited to get this ball rolling that I was in my bare feet and didn’t think about it until it was too late. But it was a blast and both DH and mom were impressed, they thought I bought them at a fancy bakery.
Gung Hey Fat Choy! Happy Chinese Lunar New Year 2018
In the Chinese culture, an elder gives a youngster Lai See, or a monetary gift in a Red Envelope. Here in Cowboyville, I cannot find any stores that carry those beautifully ornate Red and Gold envelopes. 😀 So … the mother of need is invention, right?
I made my own!
I wish and your family happiness and prosperity throughout this New Year of the Brown Earth Dog.
Gung Hey Fat Choy!
Happy Valentine’s Day!!!
What did you make for your valentine?
I made Macadamia Nut Dark Chocolate Brownies with a Fudge Drizzle for my honey 🐻
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