Paper Flowers for Missa's and Sean's Wedding Reception

Our friends, Missa and Sean are getting married. Missa is Christy's big sister and she loved the party Ellie put on to celebrate Christy's 18th birthday so she and Sean asked Ellie to be in charge of decorations for their wedding reception BBQ. It is a casual event happening later this week. They are actually getting married next weekend, but the wedding venue is so small that only family can attend that event. This opportunity is exciting for Ellie. I volunteered to make some decorations to make it more festive and wedding like. I decided to make some paper flowers. The challenge was finding the right colors and making them look like wedding colors, instead of Broncos (our local professional football team) colors.

I started out making large flowers from tissue paper, the same stuff used in gift bags. I was inspired by some of the really fun displays I'd seen on Pinterst. I love the fullness of these flowers. I love the variety in this arch of paper flowers. And then I saw these. I knew that I needed to make some paper peonies. I pulled out my paper flower book that I had been given for Christmas, and consulted this website before getting started. Then I ran into a snag. I could only find a few colors in the heavy weight crepe paper that I needed, so I bought some white crepe paper and a few cans of spray paint. I was worried that the paint would cancel out the best qualities of the crepe, but it did not. So, I was in business. I spent two evenings making paper flowers while I watched the last two Harry Potter movies and then some other randon and interesting videos. I really got into making the flowers. I am hoping to find time to make more of them.

Moxy approves of the flowers and it is kind of fun to have a table of colorful flowers.

My only real challenge is trying to figure out how many I should actually make. Ellie likes them all and will use as many as I create.

I'm happy to be part of making a dream come true.

Paper Inspiration, Etsy Craft Party & Making Piece, Metaphorically

Ellie is going to South Africa in less than a week, so we needed to go shopping, of course. She is going on a photographic safari and she needed some clothing that would blend in while she is in the bush. Off to Cherry Creek Mall we went. I'm not a big shopper, but I enjoy seeing what Ellie will pick out to try on. What she selects often surprises me. I've mostly stopped trying to predict what she might be interested in a long time ago.

I also love seeing the displays in the stores. I am always amazed with that the folks Anthroplogie put up. Here's the current displays in the store.

It seems that butterflies are all the range this year. I could make something like this with my Cricut machine, and I might do so.

And oh my, the paper elephant was impressive.

I also loved the paper bird. It makes me wonder if it arrives in a box, already constructed; I also want to know what they do once they are done with the display.

In the end we did not actually take much home with us, but we had a good time together.

Ethan's ship has moved up to Coos Bay near North Bend in Oregon. He continues to have a wonderful time.

The crews on both ships took place in a ceremony that represented the sailors and the local indigenous tribes forge a peaceful agreement. The crews on the Lady Washington and the Hawaiian Chieftain worked in the evening to make gifts of peace, including batches of cookies and handcrafted leather goods.

A representative from Grays Historic Ports brought cedar boughs to attach to the front of each ship. This symbolized that they are coming into port to in an effort to offer peace. The representatives of the local tribes rowed in with long boards, trading drums, jewelry, etc.

Ethan has had some other fun, too. He got to tour a seafaring tugboat. They will head out to Hawaii soon. Those crews sail for 6 weeks, then have 6 weeks off and alternate from there. Those sailors get around $60 a year. They told Ethan to visit them once he is looking for another job.

Ethan also got a chance to do a bit of welding. He borrowed tools from a shop near the port they are in to make a new thing for the cooktop on the boat. The object he is making is intended to help keep the pots and pans on the stove while the ship is traveling and experiencing heavy weather. The shop manager was impressed with how Ethan took care of their tools and the quality of his work. The manager suggested that Ethan could come back once he was looking for a new job.

On Wednesday I went to Two Hands Paperie to work on some decorations for a baby shower my colleagues and I are hosting. Casey told me about the upcomeing Etsy Sponsored Craft Party on June 6th. The theme this year is altered photographs. Here's what is going on at Two Hands.
When: Friday, June 6th
6:00-6:30 - Lemonade meet and greet
6:30-8:30 - Craft Party!

Where: Two Hands Paperie at 803 Pearl Street, Boulder Colorado
What we're doing: This year's focus is altered photographs. We'll set up a variety of stations where you can see samples and demonstrations of how to alter your original photo into new works of art.
Stations will include embroidery, painting and stencils, collage, and encaustic! Each participant can alter their photo and then add encaustic (melted wax) to their artwork. Encaustic adds a beautiful, translucent layer to your work and your first encaustic piece is free! (Additional encaustic boards are available for purchase if you want to transform all your altered pieces into encaustic works.)

What to bring: 3-6 photographs, copies of photographs, photographic postcards, or what whatever 2D image tickles your fancy to alter. If you'd like to bring your own supplies, you are welcome to do so, but all materials will be provided for the event.

Why come: We've found connecting with your creative neighbors is fun and brings a positive, fresh wind into your art making habits. This event brings together art and craft lovers from the area to celebrate our love of handmade.
Of course, there's also food and prizes. (EVERY person will get a gift from Two Hands Paperie and be entered into the raffle for some cool swag!) And just like all our events, enjoy 15% off your entire in-store purchase during the craft party.

If you live near Boulder or Denver, CO, think about joining in. If you live in another another state, you can use the link to find a craft party in your area.

(Etsy Craft party)

Finally, here are a few videos to enjoy. Happy Friday!

I love the Nike ads. Here are a few that I like:





And a little monster love:

Weekend Recap - Crafting Gifts, A New Dog Park and Two Good Recipes (+ 3 Videos)

I am thankful that I am finally on fall break - I have 9 days off in a row, and my how I need it. I try to sleep in, but I can't seem to stay asleep pasted 6:50 a.m., even though I do not have to be up that early. I get up, let the dog out and go about starting my day. This weekend I worked on a few Christmas related crafts, did a bit of cooking, hung out with the family and took the dog to a new dog park.

Saturday morning was crisp and cold. We found found that we had the entire dog park to ourselves for most of our visit. The dog park is in Golden, near an Open Space park. Walking from the car to the dog park, Remmie discovered a chicken foot and part of its leg, feathers still attached. (The park is in a rural area so I imagine that a fox or coyote helped itself to a fresh chicken dinner the night before.) At first he was not at all sure what to do, but then he decided to taste it. That seemed to set some gears working, tapping into ancient dog knowledge. He chewed on it for a while and then paraded around a bit, oh so proud of his find. Then we entered the dog park, finding it up occupied, he set the leg down and began exploring. Part way through the visit another family began walking towards the entrance. At that same moment a deer found herself between those folks with a puggle (pug & beagle mix), the gate, a fence, Remmie and I. After some quick consideration, the deer hopped over the fence into the baseball diamond in one quick leap, bounded across the diamond and back out. The puggle was barking madly; Remmie, perplexed for a second time in a short while, was all excited, not sure what to do, ran back and forth along the fence. Larr played with Remmie a bit and then we headed back home.

Once home, I dropped off Larr and Remmie, picked up my mother and headed for Boulder to pick up supplies to make a few pajakis for home. We had a nice time, leisurely enjoying wonderful, fancy hot chocolate at Peace Love and Chocolate, before spending some time at Two Hands Paperie.

Later at home I commenced a bit of crafting. I can't really show much since it the gifting season approaches. Here are some glimpses of what I am working on:

I also did a bit of cooking:

Split Pea, Ham, Carrot & Barely Soup.

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Better Than Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo
via: Cooking Classy

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 large egg yolks
2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp garlic powder (you can add an additional 1/4 tsp for more garlic flavor)
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste Shop
2 oz freshly, finely grated Parmesan Cheese (1/2 cup)
2 oz freshly, finely grated Romano Cheese (1/2 cup), plus more for serving
2 oz freshly, finely grated Mozzarella Cheese (1/2 cup)
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
1 lb Fettuccine Pasta, uncooked

Cook pasta according to directions listed on package, scoop out and reserve 1/4 cup pasta water
into a small bowl before draining.

In a large saucepan combine cream and milk. Scoop out and reserve 1/4 cup cream mixture into a
small mixing bowl. Scoop out and reserve another 1/4 cup cream mixture into a separate small
mixing bowl. Bring cream mixture in saucepan to a simmer over medium heat (a gentle bubble just
below boiling). Reduce heat to medium low. Add 3 egg yolks to one of the small mixing bowls
containing 1/4 cup cream mixture and stir egg yolks until very well blended, about 30 seconds. Add
2 tsp cornstarch to separate small mixing bowl containing remaining 1/4 cup cream mixture, whisk
mixture until well blended and smooth. Add 1/4 cup hot cream mixture from saucepan to egg yolk
mixture and blend, then add 1/4 cup hot cream mixture to cornstarch mixture and blend. Pour both
mixtures into hot cream mixture in saucepan. Cook mixture over medium low heat for 3 - 4 minutes,
stirring constantly until mixture has thickened and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Reduce heat
to low and sprinkle in garlic powder, onion powder, salt and finely grated cheeses. Cook, stirring
constantly until cheese has melted. Thin sauce, if desired with pasta water that was reserved (I only
add 2 Tbsp pasta water, just add to your desired consistency).

Pour Alfredo sauce over drained pasta, toss to evenly coat. Plate and garnish with additional
grated Romano Cheese, optional chopped fresh parsley and sprinkle with fresh cracked black
pepper. Serve immediately.

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Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken
via: Handle the Heat
YIELD: 4 servings

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (I used chicken breasts)
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup canned tomato sauce
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Sesame seeds
Chopped scallions, for garnish

Season both sides of the chicken with lightly with salt and pepper and place in the slow cooker.(I skipped the seasoning and cubed the chicken.)

In a small bowl, combine the honey, soy sauce, onion, tomato sauce, vinegar, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour over the chicken. Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours or on high 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours, or just until chicken is cooked through and tender.

Remove the chicken from slow cooker, leaving the sauce. Dissolve the cornstarch in 1/3 cup of water and pour into the slow cooker. Add in the sesame oil. Stir to combine with the sauce. Replace the lid and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes or until slightly thickened. Shred the chicken into bite size pieces, then return to the pot and toss with the sauce before serving. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and scallions and serve over rice or noodles.

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Here are a few videos that we have been enjoying:

Making a Pajaki at Two Hands Paperie, My Favorite Paper Store + Minnestrone Soup, an awesome flavorful recipe

Last night I found my way to Two Hands Paperie in Boulder. It is a paper store that is awesome and inspiring. It makes me want to rise up and make wonderful, artistic creations. We were making pajakis that will be decorations at the Firefly Holiday Market in Boulder. It will benefit the Open Arts.

Here is the one I was part of creating:

(This was my group.)

There were many in the store from which we could draw inspiration:

It was also fun to watch the other groups create their pajakis. Even though we had the same instructions and materials, we made such different pajakis:

You can see why I love the store so much:

I hope you find this inspirational, too.
Happy Early Holidays!
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Minestrone Soup with Pasta, Kale and Beans

8-10 slices of bacon, ½-inch-diced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cups diced carrots (4 carrots, or baby carrots)
2 cups (½-inch) diced celery (3 stalks)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
1 pound kale, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped
26 ounces canned chopped tomatoes
1 1/3 cups diced zucchini (1 small)
1 (14.5 oz) can Italian green beans, drained
6 to 8 cups chicken stock
4 bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tsp dried)
4 - 6 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano
1 - 2 tsp dried thyme
1 - 2 tsp dried crushed rosemary
1 - 2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups cooked whole wheat small pasta, such as elbow (about 1 cup dry)
1 (15-ounce) can Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1-2 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed (Ellie asked for more Kidney beans next time I make this soup)
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

In a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium low, cook bacon, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Remove from pan and place in between two paper towels set atop a dinner plate. Blot lightly and set aside. Drain most of the excess fat from the Dutch oven. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil,onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Sauté over medium heat, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 8-10 minutes. Add the tomatoes,zucchini, green beans and 6 cups chicken stock . Bring to a boil, then lower the heat. Add in the bay leaves, pepper, parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, thyme and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to directions. Drain and set aside.
Once soup has simmered and the vegetables are soft, discard the bay leaf. Add the beans, cooked pasta, and reserved bacon. Add the kale in batches as it fits in the pot, stirring so that it cooks down. Once kale has lightly wilted. The soup should be fairly thick, but add additional chicken stock as needed. Serve hot drizzled with olive oil and topped with Parmesan cheese.

Serve with Parmesan Garlic toast.

Canning Jar Winter Votive Holders + Shrimp Alfredo Recipe

At my HP "Warm Up Your Walls" party we had several crafts. One of them was to decorate mason jars with a nice design to make them festive votive holders. I was inspired by this jar that I saw on Pinterest:

That looked simple enough. Star with a colored mason jar, some new puff paint and evenly spaced marking on the jar. I have done lots of things like this before, so I thought it would be easy. I was very wrong. My attempt was bad enough that I ended up pulling all of the puff paint off of the jar. There were several problems; the biggest and most obvious one was my inability to render the designs in a way that made them match. I could also not make lines small enough to make my design look delicate and lace-like that I admired on the sample. In the end I decided to go with a design that did not have to be matched up or meet up anywhere on the glass. I also found that I could add glitter right after drawing on the design as the puff paint was still wet enough to allow the glitter to adhere to it. Finally, I found that it took MUCH LONGER to dry that I had expected. In the end we did decorate some jars with fun designs. I simply had my friend leave them at our house so that they could dry successfully. The actual jars are a lot more fun in real life than they look in the photograph above.

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We enjoyed a nice dinner this evening:

Better Than Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo
via: Cooking Classy Blog
Yield: 4 Servings
(recipe slightly modified)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups heavy cream (I used 3 cups of half and half instead of the heavy cream and the milk)
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 large egg yolks
2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp garlic powder (you can add an additional 1/4 tsp for more garlic flavor)
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
2 oz freshly, finely grated Parmesan Cheese (1/2 cup)
2 oz freshly, finely grated Romano Cheese (1/2 cup), plus more for serving
2 oz freshly, finely grated Mozzarella Cheese (1/2 cup)
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
1 lb Fettuccine Pasta, uncooked

Cook pasta according to directions listed on package, scoop out and reserve 1/4 cup pasta water into a small bowl before draining.
In a large saucepan combine cream and milk. Scoop out and reserve 1/4 cup cream mixture into a small mixing bowl. Scoop out and reserve another 1/4 cup cream mixture into a separate small mixing bowl. Bring cream mixture in saucepan to a simmer over medium heat (a gentle bubble just below boiling). Reduce heat to medium low. Add 3 egg yolks to one of the small mixing bowls containing 1/4 cup cream mixture and stir egg yolks until very well blended, about 30 seconds. Add 2 tsp cornstarch to separate small mixing bowl containing remaining 1/4 cup cream mixture, whisk mixture until well blended and smooth. Add 1/4 cup hot cream mixture from saucepan to egg yolk mixture and blend, then add 1/4 cup hot cream mixture to cornstarch mixture and blend. Pour both mixtures into hot cream mixture in saucepan. Cook mixture over medium low heat for 3 - 4 minutes, stirring constantly until mixture has thickened and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Reduce heat to low and sprinkle in garlic powder, onion powder, salt and finely grated cheeses. Cook, stirring constantly until cheese has melted. Thin sauce, if desired with pasta water that was reserved (I only add 2 Tbsp pasta water, just add to your desired consistency).
Pour Alfredo sauce over drained pasta, toss to evenly coat. Plate and garnish with additional grated Romano Cheese, optional chopped fresh parsley and sprinkle with fresh cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.

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Garlicy Shrimp

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tbsp lemon pepper seasoning
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tea. Basil (I used dried)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter

Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat adding in the garlic and basil. Toss shrimp with lemon pepper seasoning and olive oil. Add to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes. Or, until the shrimp turn pink and begin to curl. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Place shrimp on top of pasta, and top with chopped parsley.

Hand Crafted Lotion Bars for the Alpine Valley School Auction

Friday night was the live auction at AVS. We made several things for the auction. I made lotion bars with bee's wax from Ethan's hives from last year (before I started working the hives with Ethan), shea butter and coconut oil. Ellie made the fun containers. Each container has two lotion bars, one that is peppermint & orange; the other one is balsam, spruce and orange. I was very pleased that one container sold for $65. There is another set on the silent auction as well. I also made a 5" x 7" leather cover for a small journal. I hope they both go for a reasonable price. You can view the items and everything else in the auction here:
Alpine Valley School Auction Site

Ellie and Kohlton also made a three dimensional, wooden tiger.

On Saturday night we had a nice family dinner at Mark and Lilia's house. She is a wonderful cook and we really enjoyed the meal, especially the appetizers:

Smoked Salmon in Phylo Cups (or toast):

5 oz. Smoked Salmon (or trout)
1 TBL. Stone Ground Mustard
1 1/2 TBL. Mayonnaise (Lilia used Mayo with Olive Oil)
Phyllo Cups or Small Toasts

Flake the salmon in a bowl. Add the mustard and mayo. Mix well. Spoon into the phyllo cups or on the top of toasts. Place slices or radishes topped with chopped dill. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

A Little Leather-Bound Journal for the Alpine Valley School Auction - Gearing Up for Holiday Giving

Each year I aim to make a handmade gift for each person in my immediate family. Now that the kids are nearly grown, or are grown, it is harder. I am asking directly for requests. This year Ethan has requested a leather cover for his Delorme atlas. In preparation for that gift making session, I tackled a smaller leather project so that I could figure out what to do and what not to do.

The outside of the journal.
The Alpine Valley School auction is coming up on Friday so I decided to make a small, 5" x 7" leather cover for a journal. I made it so that the journal, once full, could be switched out.

Making the journal was not very hard and I am happily onto crafting the bigger one. The leather that I used is pretty thin. Ethan would like his cover made with much thicker leather, but I am not sure that I have the skill or the funds to take on that challenge.

The Blessing of Friendship

Today I am thankful for many things, but especially for friendship.

Natalie and I. We met in college.

I am so thankful for the cherished friendships that have been able to transcend their origins (dorm life in college and bike racing, specifically) to become full, rich and satisfying. I am thankful that they are the kinds of friendships that thrive, but do not reassurance on a very regular basis, that we can pick up after not having seen each other for an extended period of time and they are just as if that gap of time never existed.

I am thankful that they have been able to survive, even thrive, even though our lives have evolved with the changes that accompanying getting married, having a family and having our kids approach adulthood.

On Monday I spent the day with Mike. She and I met through biking. We've come to find that she share many things in common, including the joy of cooking. I went to her house in Monument on Monday. We had intended to make a cornucopia of pie crust dough, but it did not work out. It turns out that you must use bread dough. It was fun to make the forms from foil, to visit and to go window shopping.

On Tuesday Natalie, Camille and Ben visited. We were on a mission to get some Christmas gifts made. I love making things with other people and the kids seems to like making things with me.

We got Ben set up in the craft room using my Cricut machine. He and his mother are making paint chip bookmarkers for the kids in his class.

(This photos is from Tumblr. I included it here to give you an idea of what was being created. Imagine names spelled out instead of images.)


He used the Cricut to cut out the letters to spell each person's name. He is a boy who like clean, crisp lines and has an eye for detail. I was sure that he would like using my fun machine.

I pulled out my jewelry making tools to teach Camille how to make earrings.
She was a fast learner and seemed to enjoy it.

She created great earrings. Like most people who make jewelry, I think she is a bit tempted to keep what she made.