Monday, December 22, 2008

See you in the New Year!

I'll be spending the next 10 days with family and thus will be on a short break from blogging. I'll see you in the new year where there will be more to see and to share. Here is a final 2008 picture from my home.

aaaaaaaaaaa

The holidays are a time to remember those gifts that matter most, the love of our family and of our friends. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone, and God Bless! See you in the new year :-)

Friday, December 19, 2008

What are we really buying?

Some things to think about during the gift giving time of year.
a
DIAMONDSaaaWe've all been there at one time or another; buying beautiful diamond jewelry for our loved one or for ourselves. But what most people don't know is just where that diamond comes from.
Blood diamond facts aaa

  • More than half the world's diamonds come from Africa.
  • Conflict diamonds account for 4-15% of the world total.
  • Conflict areas include Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, & Angola.
  • 60-65% of the world's diamonds are purchased in the U.S.

When buying diamonds, ask the jeweler for a certificate of origin to determine where the diamond was mined. Several years back I visited a national jewelry chain, whom I will not name, and I requested to see a certificate of origin on a ring I was interested in. They quietly asked me to leave the store, this was after I was adamant on seeing the certification before making a purchase, and I have not been back. The reason for the uproar was most likely due to the fact that they did not have country of origin certifications for some or all of there diamonds. To read more about blood diamonds click here, here, & here. Conflict diamond videos here, & here.

a

FURaaaI've never had a desire to own a fur coat. I thought that they were beautiful and soft, but had no idea how the fur was harvested. Not all fur harvested is done through cruel methods, but why take the chance. China has the worst harvest methods involving cats and dogs, many whom have collars and are obviously a loved pet, are shamelessly sold for there fur. It is not uncommon for animals to be alive during the harvesting process. Fur is often dyed and sold as faux fur when in fact it is real fur. After reading several articles involving fur, and checking my closets thoroughly, I'm happy to report that my household is fur free!

To read more about fur and what you can do click here, & here. Videos on fur trade here, & here.
a

CHOCOLATEaaaI must apologize in advance for ruining any one's day. I myself am a chocoholic and after reading recent news, I will be looking at the labels closer before I make my chocolate purchases. The bulk of chocolate is grown & initially processed in Africa in poor conditions with some or all forced labor of children that have been sold to work.



For more info regarding safe chocolate brands read here. Videos regarding slave chocolate is here, & here.
a

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Holiday Scenes from my home

aaCome on in!
a
aaReindeer guarding the fireplace
a
aaMy favorite ornament
a
aaKyle leaves me a message, what a sweet guy!
a

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Homemade Christmas Ornaments


I started making faux stained glass ornaments several years ago. I still enjoy making them and giving them out to friends. You can personalize them by using paint colors the recepient likes as well as writing the year on the ribbon attached to the top.
I purchase clear glass ornaments at my local craft store, you can get these in a variety of shapes. I prefer to use the round ornaments as they are easiest to paint. Gallery Glass comes in a wide range of colors, this is the paint that you use to get the stained glass look.
a
You apply the paint to the inside of the ornament, swirl it around a bit until it looks good to you, let sit upside down 1-2 days to let excess paint drip out (I use a disposable cup). Once excess paint is gone, then set on an egg crate with the opening, of the ornament, facing a low speed fan. You can let them sit out without a fan, but drying time will take 3-4x longer than using a fan. Once dry, use a piece of ribbon as the hook.


Gallery Glass Paint

Painted ornament


On the Tree
a
a

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Last minute personalized gift ideas

See that there? No not there, right here...
a
Christmas is fast approaching, are you ready? I prefer to give homemade gifts for the holidays but due to lack of time or will power, I sometimes fail miserably and have to resort to actually having to buy something! Here are some online stores that you can purchase amazing personalized gifts, please be aware of delivery dates as we only have 13 shipping days til Christmas.
a
Personalized Prints is an amazing store featuring beautiful artwork that is personalized with names or dates. I purchased a print for Kyle & I last year. I contacted the artist, Scott Kennedy, he was prompt in returning my email and you won't be disappointed in the work that he does. Here is the print that I purchased, but you can find a lot of styles on the website to choose from. I absolutely love the Chickadee
print as it has a winter theme.
a
a
Over at Kodak Gallery you can choose from a variety of personalized gifts including mugs, ornaments, photo book, calendar, & cards. I picked up several photo books and some calendars a while back. I was impressed at the quality of the photo book's and how crisp the photos printed out. I am planning on doing a photo book of our furry dogs, I just haven't decided if I should do it now or later. Just a heads up that they will not proof-read your book so make sure names, dates, etc. are exact.

Have you ever seen a Welsh Love Spoon? These hand carved beauties are from Wales and are available in a wide variety of styles. You can personalize them with names and/or dates. I purchased one for our 5th Anniversary and was exactly what I had wanted. Check them out for yourself if you are looking for a truly unique gift.
a
aaaa
a

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Pork & Beans

I've been wanting to make homemade pork & beans for a while but just have neglected to get a recipe for it. The recipe I used was overall pretty tasty, however, when making it in the future I will decrease the molasses by half as it was on the sweet side.

Pork & Beans
2 C Great Northern Beans, uncooked
3 Tbsp. Salt
10 C Water
5 pieces Bacon
1/2 C Onion - chopped
1/3 C Molasses
1/3 C Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp. Prepared Mustard
2 Tbsp. Ketchup
1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste

Bring water and salt to a boil, add in uncooked beans. Cook 1 1/2 hrs. or until done. Pour beans and 2 C of bean liquid into a container and let cool overnight.
Next day, pour beans and liquid into large pot. Cut up bacon, cook in saute pan until golden. Remove bacon and add onion to pan. Cook until done. Add the bacon, onion, molasses, brown sugar, mustard, ketchup, and Worcestershire to the beans. Cover, cook on low 2 hrs. until sauce is thickened and reduced. *Make sure to occasionally stir beans to prevent them from sticking and scorching the bottom of the pot.* Season with salt & pepper to taste.



We had our pork & beans with homemade Zucchini bread for dessert, yummy!
a

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Lucy & the Cool-Whip


a

Man, that was friggin awesome!!
a
I used some cool-whip in a dessert yesterday, and I let Lucy lick the empty container. She managed to cover her entire head in cool-whip!
a