Small Craft Storage

  I've had this small wooden mail holder around for quite some time.  I purchased it months ago from the thrift store.  Today I decided to something with it!

  I placed stickers on the mail holder,

and gave it a couple coats of spray paint.

 

Once the paint dried, I peeled the letters off.  It looked plain, so I decided to add to it.

  I cut small triangles pennants from leftover fabric.

 

  *Quick tip:  When cutting shapes from fabric, try placing a piece of thick, sturdy paper behind the fabric.  It makes cutting through fabric A LOT easier!

  Using my glue gun, I attached the pennants to the holder.  I added rosettes made of twine and felt leaves to finish it off.

  It's the perfect size to store small craft items!

Spring Updates in the Kitchen

 
  I recently found this adorable pair in the thrift store.  The saleswoman suggested that they might be sundae cups, but I had other plans!

   
  My plan was to use my thrift store finds to update this shelf in my kitchen.  Although I like the current setup, I wanted to brighten the shelf up for Spring.

 
  I planted some oregano in each of my cups and switched out one of the pitchers hoping for a fresher look.

 

Hmm... still not sure if I like it.

  I played around with the grouping a little more until I came up with this.

 I am pleased!  The natural accents add the perfect touch of spring!

Garden Blooms

I love gardening!  The sun is shining and Spring has arrived.  Gardening encourages me to be more creative and can be a great way to relieve stress.  I wanted to share with you some of the flowers blooming in my yard this week.

Impatiens, Petunias, Coleus, Ivy

Rosebuds

Pink Carnations

Green Shamrock Oxalis

Climbing Ivy

Spanish Lavender

Daisies

Hydrangeas

Japanese Maple Tree

future Sunflowers

A Rhododendron bush

Creeping Phlox

Thrift

Dianthus

Knockout Rose

Orange Tulips

Thank-you so much for visiting!  What's blooming in your garden?

I am linking this post to: Centsational Girl

Just As Good, Mall Pretzel Recipe

These pretzels are a real crowd pleaser.  My husband and kids love them!  They are a little more work than going to the mall, but definitely worth the effort.  They are best when served fresh, right out of the oven.

Ingredients
1 cup warm water
1 package dry active yeast
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tbs. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbs. brown sugar
1 1/4 cup flour

4 cups warm water
2 tbs. baking soda

2 tbs. coarse salt
2 tablespoons melted butter

Directions
  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water and let stand for 5 minutes.  Add vegetable oil, brown sugar, salt and 1 1/2 cups flour.  Mix well.  Add remaining flour and knead the dough until smooth.  Cover the dough ball and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour.
  After dough has risen, divide the dough into 6 equal strips and form into ropes.  Shape dough into pretzel shapes.

 Roll

Twist Once

 Twist Twice

 Done

Prepare a solution of 4 cups warm water and 2 tablespoons baking soda in a bowl.  With a slotted spoon, dip the pretzels into the baking soda solution before placing them on a greased pan.  Be sure to fully submerge the shaped pretzels into the baking soda solution and to frequently stir the solution between dips.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

While pretzels are still warm, brush with melted butter and top with coarse salt.  You may substitute cinnamon sugar for the coarse salt if you wish.  Enjoy!!


Recipe adapted from:  http://www.food.com/

Picture turned TV Tray

 

  I've been looking for a tray to hold our remote controls.  While in Target today I found this map picture on clearance.  I quickly scooped it up and put it in my cart.  Although it wasn't the tray I was looking for, I knew exactly how to make it work!

 
  I removed the metal hanger from the back and added a pair of drawer pulls to finish it off.  Very Simple!

 

  Hopefully we will never misplace another remote again!

Sweet Potato Cheesecake

  Sweet potatoes are not just a Fall or Winter Holiday treat.  Sweet potatoes taste great in so many ways, as an appetizer, side dish, main dish or even dessert.  This is one of the best cheesecake recipes I have ever tried, rich, creamy and not too sweet.  My family loved the different spin on cheesecake and dessert!

  Ingredients

  1 prepared deep dish graham cracker pie crust
  1 cup mashed sweet potato
  3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
  1 cup granulated sugar
  3 eggs
  1 cup evaporated milk
  2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  pinch of salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually add sugar. Mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each. Pour in milk. Mix well. Add mashed sweet potato. Mix well. Stir in vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Mix well.. Pour the mixture into the pie crust.

Bake 40 minutes or until center is set. Cool on a rack. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight to chill thoroughly.  Enjoy!


Recipe adapted from: http://www.myrecipes.com/