Starry, Starry Night

 For my part  I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.  
Vincent Van Gogh


What makes you dream?  What fills you with wonder?  What takes your breath away?  For me, it is the night sky filled with uncountable stars and planets twinkling in the inky blackness of nighttime.  When did I fall in love with the night sky?  In 1960 while traveling to Arizona with my family - I was not quite 12 years old.  We traveled all night and my dad was driving.  My mom and sister slept in the back seat while I stayed awake to keep my dad company.  We were traveling route 66 in my dad's first brand new car, his red and white 1960 Chevrolet Impala.  We had the windows down and the cool night air stirred something in me as I raptly gazed at the glory of the night sky.  If you have never been in the desert or far away from the city without all the lights interfering with the wonder of the night sky, you have not lived.   You have not experienced the night sky.  As long as I live, I will never forget that night as I gazed intently at the innumerable lights twinkling and flashing in the sky.  I started to count the shooting stars which flashed across the sky with regularity leaving glowing trails behind them.  Some were short bursts of light while others seemed to cross the entire sky.  I watched the changing positions of the constellations as we traveled, knowing this was a night I would never forget.  As dawn approached and the sky lightened, I was thankful that I had gotten to experience a most unforgettable night.

For those of you who know me or have been in our home, you know my love of stars, or the shapes we use to represent the heavenly bodies.  My home is filled with stars.  My son-in-love teases me about all my stars, but they represent wonder and awe to me and what inspires me.  To me, the mystery of the universe is just a reminder of where we came from and the place we will return to some day, becoming one with the divine.

The first picture shows a project I just finished for our guest bedroom and I chose a quote from Vincent Van Gogh about the stars.  We are all familiar with his painting Starry Night which is my most favorite painting.  Van Gogh understood the glory of the night sky and was able to express it in his painting in a truly inspiring way.  The wall hanging is from an inspiration I found on a blog site called The Lettered Cottage.   She took her inspiration from a picture in a Pottery Barn catalog and that hanging cost hundreds of dollars.  This one can be made for waaaaaaaaay less.  Check out her blog for some great inspiration.  As soon as I saw the picture of her hanging, I knew it was exactly what I wanted for the guest bedroom.  The wall had been empty since we moved here.  I just hadn't found the "right" thing to put there.

We made a trip to Home Depot to purchase the materials we needed for the hanging which is a take off of an antique drying rack.  We purchased two 1x2's and a package of lattice strips that are used for replacements when they break.  The lattice strips were 72 inches long and there were 10 in the package.   The 1 x 2's were 8 feet long which is enough to make the frame and he cut the lattice strips in half.  The materials were less than $15.00.

Dan built the frame which he made 25x36 with a reinforcement strip down the middle.  It looks like this.

Next, he cut the strips to the length needed to fit the frame (36 inches) and attached them with small finishing nails.  He pre-drilled the holes before hammering the nails in so the thin lattice strips would not split.

 We laid the strips out so we knew how many it would take to cover the frame and then he worked from the top and bottom edges to the middle so there would not be a gap at the bottom if the spacing was off just a bit.  We used a "shim" to measure between the strips so they would be evenly spaced.

 This is how the finished hanging looked before painting.  I chose a dark red paint for the color since red is the accent color I use throughout the little yellow cottage.  And, red just makes me happy.  It took one can of spray paint to spray the front and back plus the frame.  I did not spray it heavily as I wanted a rustic look.

After the paint  dried, I went over the entire surface with fine sandpaper because I did not want any shine to the paint and to give it an aged look.  The strips are 1.5 inches wide, so I used a 1 inch stencil to place my quote on the boards.  After deciding how I wanted the words to be placed so they would fill the space,  I went to work with my small stencil brush and white acrylic paint.

The first picture shows the guest room with it's fabulous new "headboard" of stars and a truly easy and inexpensive hanging that is very personal to me.  I am hoping our guests will enjoy the quote from Vincent Van Gogh and that they will dream beautiful dreams, finding inspiration in his words.

What makes you dream?  What inspires you?   What takes your breath away?  For me, it is the stars.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

You may not be a Picasso or Mozart but you don’t have to be. Just create to create. Create to remind yourself you’re still alive. Make stuff to inspire others to make something too. Create to learn a bit more about yourself.” Frederick Terral

An Easy Fall Wall Hanging - No Sewing Required

I am not a pastel kind of girl - it's jewel tones for me every time!  Their rich colors make my heart sing.  Perhaps that is one of the many reasons Fall is my favorite season.  The rich colors of the season cause me to smile in anticipation of lovely days to come.  Vermillion, golds, greens, purples, oranges and rich, warm browns are the colors I love to wear as well as decorate my home with.   As summer days wane and the air begins to cool, it is time to put away all the lovely shells and beach themed decorations I used in the little yellow cottage this summer.  Its time for a change while Fall decorations are plentiful and varied.  

I did not want to use another wreath in place of my summertime shell wreath in our entryway.  There was an idea stirring to make a wall hanging of some sort and burlap was my fabric of choice.  There is something about the texture and colors available in burlap that make me think of fall.  You know what that meant - first stop - the fabric store.  So, Dan and I headed down the road to a few of my favorite places.  I shop for fabric and craft supplies, he goes to the guitar store.  Works for me.

I had several packages of fall-type leaves that I had purchased at the Dollar Tree when I made my fall wreath for out of doors.  There were yellows, oranges and browns, so I decided to use a red burlap for my wall hanging.  I bought two yards, knowing I only needed a little for the wall hanging, but I have plans for the rest of it.  Of course, I had to sashay around Jo Ann's to see what other interesting things were available and then headed to Michaels.  At Michael's I found a couple of packages of smaller leaves that would go nicely with the ones I already had.  There was a mesh bag of itty bitty pine cones that I also purchased and some things for another project.   Time to go home and get started.   (Anticipation - I LOVE the process of creating things.)

I measured the area where the new wall hanging would go.  The finished size needed to be 18 x 22, so I cut a piece of burlap 18 x 25 because I knew I had to make a hanger at the top using either a dowel rod or something to tie the hanger to.  Fabric is never straight when it is cut at the store, but burlap is very easy to make straight.  All you have to do is pull a thread the length of the piece you are using and then trim along the gap where the pulled thread was.  Easy Peasy.

If you look closely, you can see the thread I pulled laying on top of the burlap and the gap it left.  Trim here to make your piece straight.  I left the edges unfinished because I like the slightly fringed appearance it leaves.

I put a plastic trash bag on the table because I knew I would be using hot glue and paint.  You don't want to get it all over the table top and risk ruining your table.  Next, I laid the burlap on top of the trash bag.  Laying the leaves out on the table, I chose leaves and laid them in different ways until I got the look I wanted.  

This was my "base" for the decorations.  (Picking up one leaf at a time, place hot glue on the back and return it to the place it came from so as not to disturb your arrangement).  Next, I added smaller leaves to make the arrangement have more depth.

Now, repeat the same process.  Pick up each leaf, put some hot glue on the back of it and return it to the proper place.  

Next, I placed the itty bitty pine cones and some small pods I had around until I liked the look, put hot glue on the back and glued them down.  

Because burlap is a very loose weave, stenciling seems to be the easiest way to paint on it.  Since our last name begins with "K", I decided to monogram the hanging.  I googled images for the letter "K" and found one I liked.  You could enlarge it and print it out which would be the easiest way, but our printer is not working so I freehanded the letter onto a piece of printer paper and cut it out.  Pin the monogram to the burlap in the location where you want it.  You will need a stencil brush and some acrylic paint in the color of your choice.  You only need a small bottle and they can be purchased at most craft stores for less than $2.00.   Place a small amount of paint on a plate and you are ready to stencil.  If you have never stenciled anything, a stencil brush is flat on the bottom and you use an up and down pouncing motion so that the paint does not run under the edge of the stencil.  Fill in the entire area that has been cut out.

The finished stencil will look like this.

Let the paint dry.  Remove the pins and then the paper.  This is what you will have.

Lovely isn't it?  Nice and crisp like a beautiful fall day.  Now, it's time to add the hanger.  I had some pieces of wood that are used to replace broken lattice strips.  They are 1.5 inches wide.  You may choose to use a dowel rod, I just didn't want to purchase something when the lattice strip would work.  I cut it to 20 inches long so there would be some wood outside of the wall hanging to tie my sisal to.  This is how I did my hanger.  I turned the burlap over and laid the wood strip along the top edge of the burlap.  I used the hot glue gun and glued the burlap to the wood.  Then, I turned it down so the wood was covered with the burlap and glued the bottom of the wood to the burlap.  Next, I cut a piece of sisal (jute string) and tied it to the wood outside of the burlap.  I cut a few extra pieces of sisal in different lengths and tied it to the hanger with a knot.  Now, it was time to hang it on the wall.  It only takes a small nail, the hanging is very light.  

Here is the finished product and I am really pleased with it.  It is something different than a wreath, you could make it any size you want, big or small, (you could hang it on your front door if it is protected from the weather) and it was really inexpensive!  Now, how is that for a quick afternoon project?  These could make lovely gifts for friends and family too! How easy to do one for the Christmas holidays!  There goes my busy brain again, ideas are already formulating.

There is absolutely no sewing required for this easy project.  I hope you will give it a try using whatever colors you like.  Let me know how yours turns out.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

Paulo Coelho
Live with no regrets and love with no apologies

A Quick And Inexpensive Table Runner For A Wedding Shower

The Traveling Grandparents are back home after a trip to Chicago to help our son and his family pack their household for a move to New York City.  Our son has been performing in a show called The Million Dollar Quartet for a year and a half and will now be performing with the New York cast.  This was a sudden call with short notice for the move.  We left last Thursday and helped all we could to make the transition as easy as possible.  We headed home Tuesday, while they started their trek to New York.  But, the night before we left for Chicago, I had to make decorations for a wedding shower my daughter was hosting for her dear friend here in Nashville.  We had just gotten home from two weeks in Dallas helping our daughter and her family there while she went to New York to film a segment for 60 Minutes.  When we got home, we spent three days watching our grandson here in Nashville while they were transitioning Nanny's. (Okay, I am exhausted just reading about this last month)  I had told my daughter I would do the decorations for the shower, but it had to be something that I could make and leave for her to work with since we were having to make the trip to Chicago.  Normally, I would have helped her decorate and would make the fresh flower arrangements, but it was not going to happen this time.  I wracked my brain about what to do.  

While we were staying with her son, I saw the invitation to her friend's wedding on her refrigerator.   They are having a private wedding in their yard with a big party/reception afterward.  Dress was "dressy casual with hats."  Hmmmmmmm.  The invitation was dark green with a big tree on it and it said "Eat, Drink and Be Married."  Okay, now my brain was starting to swirl.  I called my daughter and asked her to pick up some fabric because I would not be able to get to a store before we left.  She got 3 yards of a linen like fabric for $4.49 per yard on sale.  Her dining table is six feet long and she has a table on her screened in porch also.  This was enough fabric for me to split and make two table runners.  I found three little girl's hats at Goodwill for $6.00 total.  Everything else I needed was already in my craft arsenal.  She was trying to keep cost way down and this was really going to help.

I made two table runners by cutting the fabric in half.  It was 45" wide and would be just right for this project.  I turned the edges under 1/2 inch and pressed with a steam iron.  I then turned them another 1/2 inch and pressed.  Using clear nylon thread, I stitched the edges on my machine.  I timed it to see how long it took and it took me exactly 5 minutes for each runner - 10 minutes total.  If you do not sew, you can use fabric glue or stitch witchery for the edges.  Just follow the directions for the product you use.

I did not miter the corners, but simply turned them under in this fashion.  Saved me time and I knew the ends would hang off the table and hopefully no one from the 4H would be looking.  

I had decided to stamp Eat, Drink and Be Married on the runners and I already had this set of rubber alphabet stamps.  I also had the leaf stamp in the picture above.  I always have paint of varying colors and they are using greens and shades of blue for their wedding.  Perfect!  I was set to go.  I started by finding the middle of the runners by folding them in half and marking the middle with a straight pin.  I chose a place on either side of center and started stamping the words Eat, Drink and Be Married.  I used a light blue paint and painted each letter and stamped it on the fabric.

Next, I painted the leaf stamp with green paint and stamped a random pattern of leaves around the words.  You have to put paint on the stamp each time you use it. 

This shows one side of the runner.  Next, I used a black fabric paint marker and drew vines and connected the leaves in random fashion.  Then, I added "squiggles" and used a round sponge "stomp" and made blue berries on the vine.  

The runners came together very quickly and I have to admit, looked quite lovely when completed.  They fit the theme of the shower and added color and depth to the tables.  Tomorrow, I will show you the hats I decorated that were also used on the tables.  My daughter took a picture of one of the tables for me, since we were unable to attend and I will post it with tomorrow's tutorial.  

These runners were so quick and could be made for any occasion imaginable.  Once you have invested in a set of letter stamps, you will have them to use forever.  I got mine at Michael's.  I also have a lot of stamps that I have used for various projects, but they can be purchased at any craft store.  Acrylic fabric paint is cheap and also available at any craft store.  The total cost for this project was only the cost of the fabric.  It certainly kept her under budget and made a really impressive look on the table.  Give this project a try.  Fall, Thanksgiving, Christmas, a baby shower, birthdays - the possibilities are endless!  Let me know how yours turns out.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

If a miracle has ever happened, it can happen to you. If anyone has succeeded, you can. If things have ever worked out for anyone, they can work out for you. No one and nothing sets you apart from your highest good other than you. You are the miracle, the success, the good. It is all present within you, now. Cynthia Occelli

Think Fall Y'All

Do you hang some sort of seasonal decoration on your house or front door?  Perhaps a wreath or basket filled with seasonal flowers?  Well, I do and have done so for most of our 42 years of marriage.  To me, it is welcoming and adds texture and dimension wherever you place it and is also a way to celebrate the changing of the seasons.  I am a trained floral designer and have worked with flowers for 30 years.  There is a method to making a wreath and I will show you how.

Last week I made a trip to some of the craft stores and of course, to the local Dollar Tree.  September had begun and we all know that the fall season is upon us.  The aisles were filled with lots of beautiful fall leaves and flowers and it put me in the mood to make a new wreath for the front of the little yellow cottage.  It was time to take down my summer wreath and jump into the wonder of the fall season I love so much.  This is the wreath I took down.

For my summer wreath I had used reds, yellows and a beautiful tiffany blue ribbon.  It had given a cheery welcome to all guests during the summer season, but now it is time to put it away.

I was just in the nick of time with my purchases.  This weekend, our temperatures went from the high 90's nearing 100 down to the high 60's and rain.  Because of the few days of cool weather, there are already hints of red in the dogwood leaves and yellow hints in the maples.  Yes indeed, fall is on the way! Hot dog!!  If you want to make a wreath for your home, here are some suggestions for how to do it.

When purchasing decorations, make sure you do not skimp.  You don't want to be in the middle of your project and discover you do not have enough decorations to fill the wreath and have to go purchase more.   If you have decorations left over, you can always find uses for them to add to the fall flavor in your home.  I had enough left  that I will be able to make a centerpiece for my table and I still only spent $25.00.  Shopping at Hobby Lobby or Michaels when flowers are 1/2 off saves you lots of money and of course everything at Dollar Tree is - your guessed it - only $1 per item or package.  I purchased the mini pumpkins and small gourds at Dollar Tree.  The small gourds were in a package of 6 or 7 for $1.00 and the mini pumpkin were $1.00 each.  That is a big savings over prices you will pay at other stores.

The 18" grapevine wreath was $2.99 at Hobby Lobby.  I purchased one large bush of fall leaves and "weedy" things at Hobby Lobby also for 1/2 price and it was $6.00 and provided me with lots of filler for my wreath.  There were 15 stems total on the bush.

I purchased 3 large yellow sun flowers, a grapevine type garland with fall leaves, a small bush with 5 stems of thistle and two bolts of ribbon at Dollar Tree for $1 per item.   The hank of raffia came from Hobby Lobby for $2.99.  I love raffia because it adds texture and interest and there are so many uses for it!

  These are the things I purchased to make this wreath.  I did not use the packages of individual leaves on this project.  They came from Dollar Tree and I will have another project for them which I will share with you when it is completed.

The tools you need are a pair of wire cutters, a hot glue gun and glue sticks, some chenille stems for making the bow and a piece of floral wire to make the wreath hanger.  Remember, they call hot glue "hot" for a reason.  Be careful with your fingers when placing flower stems covered in hot glue in the wreath.

The first think you need to decide is where you want the flowers on your wreath.  Top, bottom, left or right side?  It's up to you.  You can make the design any way you want. I always visualize how I want the finished project to look and go from there.  Because we are taught to read left to right, we tend to look at things as more balanced when they are made that way.  Therefore, I made my wreath with the flowers on the left hand side.  You choose however you want to make yours, just use the same general method.

First, I placed the grapevine garland with the fall leaves in a reverse "S" shape on the wreath and hot glued both ends to the wreath.   Be sure and use enough glue when making an outdoor wreath so that weather and wind will not make everything fall off.

Next, I pulled the green leaves from the sunflower stems and glued them at different angles along the left side of the wreath.  This makes your "base" working area.  Place your flowers where you think you may want them before gluing them down.  I cut the sunflower stems about 6 inches long.  You want them to stand out from the wreath.  You can move them around until you get the look you want.  I glued two of the sunflowers and mini pumpkins angled up and one sunflower and mini pumpkin angled down leaving a space for filler flowers and another space where my bow would go.

Next, I took the bush with all the fall leaves and filler "weedy" things and cut it apart leaving the stems as long as they could be.  I placed the stems in different places on the wreath, moving them around until I got the look I wanted and cut each stem to the length needed.  Then, I placed lots of hot glue on the end of each stem and up about 3 inches and placed it back in the wreath.

The final step was making the bow and adding long strands of raffia to the back of the bow when I twist tied it with the chenille stem.   Twisting another chenille stem to the one tying the bow and wrapping it around the wreath snuggly keeps it in place along with some hot glue.   I added some more raffia throughout the rest of the arrangement so that there was lots of texture to represent all the dried weeds, pods and flowers of fall.  I made a hanger on the back of the wreath by putting a piece of floral wire through some of the grapevine and twisted it making a loop strong enough to hang the wreath.

Your beautiful fall wreath like the one in the first picture is now ready to hang wherever you like - on the wall, over the mantel, on the door or front of your house.  And you can say "I did that!"  This wreath would cost $50 - $75 depending on where you bought it.  You made it and saved a lot of money in the process!  I hope you try this project and enjoy it through the fall season.  This same technique can be used to make a wreath for any season or holiday!  Let me know if you try this and how it turns out.  Happy Fall Y'All.

Everyday Donna

Things to remember:

Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn.  ~Elizabeth Lawrence

Making Guests Feel Special

It's the first day of September and I am already wondering how the summer has slipped away so quickly.  School is in session and the carefree days of summer vacation have passed.  Families with children are back in the school day routine.  And somehow, it is Labor Day Weekend already.  

September always makes me wistful for many reasons.  It makes me think of waiting for our children to be born.  We have 3 fall/winter children and one early summer child.  There is something about the way the sun sits in the sky,  the dryness of the leaves, the feel of the air and the subtle hints of fall that makes me long for those days - the wonderful anticipation of babies and things to come.

This Labor Day, we are in a new city and a new home.  I was born and raised in the same town and this is such an adventure for me.  We are having guests this holiday weekend and we can't wait for their arrival.  I spent the day cleaning and making the house ready.  I had to make a run to the grocery to pick up a few things and when I walked through the door, the beautiful array of flowers in the floral department beckoned to me.  Their color, texture and fragrance called to me, speaking of the waning days of summer and flowers in the yard and on the deck soon to be gone.  That is one thing I truly miss about summer.  I don't miss the heat and humidity, but I miss the luxury of pots overflowing with beautiful blooms and beds filled with the glory of nature arrayed in it's finest.   

Needless to say, I could not walk away empty handed.  I knew I could make a simple arrangement to go on the bedside table to brighten their room and one for the kitchen table.   Fresh flowers are the ultimate luxury as far as I am concerned.  I chose alstromeria (Peruvian lilies) in a color called red bronze and red hypericum berries for filler.  The color of the alstromeria was so beautiful it took my breath away.  If you are not familiar with alstromeria, it is one of my favorite flowers because it has many blooms per stem and lasts for a good while.  

Hypericum berries are another favorite and are long lasting.  I purchased one bouquet of the alstromeria and two smaller bunches of the hypericum berries.  I could not wait to get home and go to work. 

There are a wide variety of vases kept in my cabinets.  I chose a 10 inch cylinder vase to use in the bedroom and a 5 inch cylinder vase for the dining table so that  we would be able to see over it with ease.  I filled the vases with water and added the preservative that came with the flowers to each vase.

Always use the preservative as it makes your flowers last much longer!

The flowers had very long stems, at least 24 inches and I did not want them that long.  When making an arrangement, you want it to be approximately 1 to 1.5 times the height of the vase for good proportion.  The best tool to use to cut flower stems is a sharp knife.  I used a paring knife and cut my stems at a slight angle.   This allows the flowers to take up water.  Using scissors can pinch the stems and keep them from taking up the necessary water.

I made the arrangement in the taller vase first.  First, remove all leaves that will be below water level.  This causes bacteria in the water a reduces the life of the flowers.  Start by putting several stems of the fuller flower in first, arranging the stems at interesting angles.  For this arrangement, the alstromeria went in first.  Next, fill in with the smaller flowers which were  the hypericum berries.  

Continue filling in until you have achieved the look you want.  I  placed the arrangement on the bedside table and it was like adding sunshine to the room.  A fresh flower arrangement adds so much.  It says "you mean a lot to me" and "we are so happy to have you share our home."  The picture at the top shows the arrangement on the bedside table.  It is so cheery and welcoming.

Next, I made the arrangement for the dining table.  I used the shorter, wider vase for this arrangement.  Again, I started by placing several stems of the alstromeria in the vase.  By placing 3 stems in a triangle configuration, you have a good start.  Next,  fill in with the hypericum berry and finish with the rest of the alstromeria and berries.  

For $12.00 I have two beautiful flower arrangements that will last for at least a week.  If you change the water when it begins to get cloudy and recut the flower stems, you can extend the life of the arrangement by several days.

This is the finishing touch for the table taking it up a to another level.  It's makes eating so pleasurable, like you are at a really fancy restaurant or at an upscale party.  Why shouldn't we enjoy these simple pleasures in our own home?  Give it a try, it will make everything nicer.  You can also use flowers from your garden if you have them.  Bring the beauty inside to enjoy!  You will be glad you did.  Let me know if you try your hand at arranging flowers for your home and how it goes!  

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

"Try to remember the kind of September
When life was slow and oh so mellow
Try to remember the kind of September
When grass was green and grain so yellow
Try to remember the kind of September
When you were a young and a callow fellow
Try to remember and if you remember
Then follow--follow, oh-oh."
- Try to Remember, Lyrics by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt

The Minute To Win It Birthday Party Treats

So sorry I haven't been able to post for the past couple of weeks, but things have been a little crazy here at the little yellow cottage.  First, we switched cable/internet service and I had some issues getting everything straightened out - technically challenged you know.  Then, we traveled to Big D to help out our daughter while she made a trip to NYC to film a segment of 60 minutes.  We watched our grand children while her husband worked and she was away.  Needless to say, Grandma and Pawpaw had a great time.   There were root beer floats (our grandsons say Grandma has the best recipe - lol) and lots of games and shopping trips and so many memories made.  

We stayed for the second week to help with our grandson's "Minute To Win It" birthday party which we wouldn't have missed for anything!  He chose the theme because it is his favorite television show and it's a perfect choice for kids to play challenging games using household items with only one minute to complete each challenge!  The kids played the games over and over and it was an absolute hit.  I will post later about how to do a party with this theme.  It is inexpensive because you can use items you have around the house and we didn't have to purchase very many things at all.   It's so much fun that even a lot of the parents participated!  Then, we ended the party with a huge water balloon fight.  Oh yes, it was a rousing success!

H's favorite color is blue and he wanted chocolate cupcakes instead of a cake.  So, I used regular chocolate cake mix and made blue butter cream icing.  The dilemma was what to decorate the cupcakes with.  Well, daughter and I were driving to the store and it popped into my head what I could do.  I LOVE when that happens.

H's favorite game is one where you hold a popsicle stick in your mouth and try to stack 5 dice and then  keep them there for 3 seconds before the minute it up.  (It's not as easy as you think it would be)  Here was my idea:  sugar cubes decorated like dice using black icing!  They were adorable!  Here is what I used and how they looked up close.

I made 4 dozen cupcakes so I needed 96 dice to have a pair for each cupcake.  We bought one box of sugar cubes which was more than enough for this project.

We purchased one tube of Wilton's black sparkle gel icing for making the dots on the dice.  This was purchased at Wal-Mart.

I lined the sugar cubes up in rows on a baking sheet to keep from getting icing on the table.  I started by making one dot in the middle of all the cubes with the black gel icing.  Then, I held each cube by the corners and made two, three, four and five dots on each cube.  I had a pair of dice on the table to look at so I did not make a mistake on the way they should look.  They sat for a couple of hours to let the icing dry.  There was no need to make a six on the dice because the bottom of the cube sat on top of the cupcake.  This was a really easy process and didn't take a lot of time.   Also, the decorations were edible!

This is a simple idea that could be used to decorate lots of things.  It is quick, easy and inexpensive -- all of my favorite words!  

We had a wonderful two weeks with lots of awesome experiences and memories made that I will be writing about.  I am glad to be back because the projects are stacking up, especially with fall on the way.  Hope there will be things to inspire you along the way!  

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

Make memories because no one can take them away!

If You Can't Go To Capri Make Caprese Salad

The tomatoes are here! The tomatoes are here!  Yes, it's early August and tomatoes are more than plentiful.  There are so many of them right now it's hard to think of things to make with all of them.  Okay, you have put them on sandwiches and in salads, and stuffed them and baked them and made tomato pie and enjoyed them sliced with a little salt and pepper.  My grandmother ate hers with a little sugar on them.  Then, there is canning and freezing them and there are still mountains of tomatoes.  What to do, what to do?  You surely don't want to waste any of that heavenly summertime goodness.

One of my favorite salads to make is a Caprese salad. (Insalata Caprese (salad in the style of Capri) is a simple salad from the Italian region of Campania - Wikipedia) What is a Caprese (cuhPRAYzay) salad you ask?  It is one of the easiest and tastiest salads you can make, especially with heirloom tomatoes which are plentiful and inexpensive right now.  You can also use your favorite red tomatoes like beefsteak or better boy if you prefer.

"Heirloom Tomatoes have flavors, colors and textures that are quite different than regular store bought tomatoes. These are the varieties that our grandparents and great grandparents grew many years ago that are full of anti-oxidants, vitamins and cancer preventing agents. The colors normally determine the amount of acidity, darker colors are more acidic and lighter colors are less acidic."  www.tastefulgarden.com

For the salad in the picture, I used a Cherokee Purple heirloom tomato, a Pineapple heirloom and a Green Zebra heirloom.  They are not the red tomatoes we have all become accustomed to, but are what tomatoes originally were before hybrid varieties became popular.  The Cherokee Purple is probably my favorite tomato.  It is a heavy, meaty tomato that is sweet and juicy - absolutely delicious and is so dark that it is almost purple.    The Green Zebra is a smaller tomato that is a little bit tart, but so amazing that I cannot say enough good things about it.  The Pineapple is also delicious - big, yellow,  meaty,  and super sweet like the Cherokee Purple.  We have these tomatoes growing in our garden, but they can also be purchased at local farmer's markets.

To make the Caprese salad, you will need whole fresh tomatoes, a package of fresh mozzarella cheese (I get mine at Aldi's because it's inexpensive and good), fresh basil leaves, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.   Slice your tomatoes and mozzarella, putting a piece of fresh mozzarella cheese between each tomato slice.  I used 3 tomatoes and 1 package of fresh mozzarella to make the salad in the picture.  You can stack the tomatoes and mozzarella like a sandwich using 2 tomato slices with a slice of mozzarella wedged between them and a piece on top, or layer them around a serving platter like the picture above.   Take a handful of fresh basil leaves and tear them into pieces.  Sprinkle the basil over all the tomatoes then salt and pepper.  (You can leave the basil leaves whole if you prefer, just make sure each tomato slice has a basil leaf.)   Drizzle some good extra virgin olive oil over the tomatoes and you have one of the best and easiest salads you will ever make or consume!  I also like a little balsamic vinegar drizzled over mine, but I do that on my plate since Dan is not a fan.

This is a salad you can eat for your main course or you can serve it as a side dish.  My understanding is Caprese salad is traditionally eaten before a meal like an anti-pasti.  It is beautiful to look at and even better to eat!  The sweet, heavenly smell of the basil and olive oil combined with the juicy tomatoes and soft, mild mozzarella is one of the finest summertime treats I can think of.  Nature blesses us with amazing things to enjoy and this is certainly among the best.  Oh summer, how you delight us with your wondrous bounty.    Give yourself and your family a real summertime treat.  Make them a wonderful Caprese salad.  Simple, easy, made with love.  There is nothing better.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

"It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato." - Lewis Grizzard