Two Weeks And Counting …

These Summer Holidays must be the loooongest on record!!!

The kids finished school 20^th December, and Reilly who is at Intermediate {Middle School} doesn’t go back to school till Monday fortnight – that’s the 10th of February, that’s 7 weeks of holidays!!!

Yesterday’s adventure has spilled over into today, and got even bigger!

The kids yesterday turned our open plan Kitchen/Dining Room/Family Room into a huge Hutt/Fort!

 

 

They grabbed their duvets, mattresses and sheets and draped them over the Pool Table, and any other furniture they could drag in to their Hutt.

 

 

They used piles of books as {paper}weights to help keep their creation from disintegrating.

 

At present they are having a sleepover with a friend, under the Pool Table, which is {somewhere} under the white duvet cover.

 

 

Last night they did the same, and I didn’t know they were in there, as the room looked like a huge patchwork quilt.

 

 

I went into the kitchen at midnight to do the dishes and clean up after dinner, when a small voice said “Mum what are you doing?”

I was very surprised to hear Reilly, as I thought the kids were in their rooms fast asleep!

Well, I wonder how late tonight the chit chat will be, as it is already after 11pm and I can STILL hear little voices coming from under the Pool Table, I mean the Hutt!!!

Best $6 Ever Spent … “THE Chocolate Fountain”

My daughter JorjaRose had saved her pocket money up {she gets $3 a week!}, and our local department store had a sale on, AND we came across a Chocolate Fountain for $6!!!

Looooong story short, I encouraged her to buy it {not for my eating pleasure of course!!!}.

So far we have tried Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate and Cadbury White Chocolate, both were extra yummy!

I cut up healthy strawberries and bananas, and not so healthy marshmallows!

The best ever were toasted marshmallows {toasted on the gas cook-top}, then dunked in delicious chocolate … mmmmmmm Heaven with a capital H!

We also tried toasting the bananas, which caramelised them a bit, and the strawberries too!

 

 

 

 

 

My top tip is NOT to melt the chocolate in the microwave, as the instruction sheet says!!!

Tis what {unbeknownst to me} JorjaRose did, I woke up to the house smelling rancid, as the first block of chocolate was burnt to a crisp and the whole house was stunk out!

Instead, place water in a pot on the cook-top, place a bowl on top of the water, melt the chocolate and cooking oil in the bowl, stirring occasionally.

I used way less cooking oil than the instruction sheet said, which is much healthier too!

 

 
Calories wise, my rule of thumb is, there only as many calories counted, as time spent on the stick.

Therefore each gorgeous morsel is worth 5 calories!!!

 

 

 

I may just have to limit this treat to once a week, instead of every second night!

A New Dress Needs New Jewellery Of Course!!!

I recently became the proud owner of an Annah S Chameleon Dress called “Little Miss Daffodil”.

AnnahStretton makes these gorgeous dresses, called “Chameleon’s” as they can be worn 10 different ways, they are multi-sized, so that a Medium will fit a size 10-16 .

The "Little Miss Daffodil" Chameleon Dress is in gorgeous hues of brown with taupe patterns, yellow, purple and lace. The yellow almost verges on chartreuse.

 

 

Well as soon as I received my dress, I had to design a piece of jewellery to go with it.

This is my first jewellery line, which I plan to market at $35 for the necklace and earrings set.

 

 

Each piece is unique, as I utilise all of my many arts and crafts and beauty supplies to create the gorgeous and unique patterns.

I have had so many positive compliments whilst wearing my new dress (and jewellery!), and even the ladies at Silvermoon made comments!

 

 

 

3 Sisters, 3 Cards ...

I designed this card back in December for one of my “Create With Kathe” craft classes.

Originally I made it with the “Bermuda Bay” and “Coastal Cabana”, but having 3 birthdays this month, all sisters, I made it is 3 different colour combos.

 

For my Auntie Dawn (my Mom’s twin sister), whose favourite colour is purple, I made it in “Wisteria Wonder” and “Concord Crush” ...

 

 

For my Auntie Janne (my Mom’s younger sister), who loves bright colours, I used “Calypso Coral” and “Tangerine Tango” ...

 

 

 

And for my Mom, she received the gorgeous “Bermuda Bay” and “Coastal Cabana” card …

 

 

 

As a wee treat, each of my Auntie's were also given a gorgeous "Lindt Excellence Passion Fruit Intense" block of chocolate with yummy pieces of Almonds ... mmmmmmmm!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Chalk Talk"

Bundle Set includes matching Framelits

#132730 Clear Mount $81.50

#132731 Wood Mound $96.75

OR Stamp Set Only:

#130634 Clear Mount $43.95

#130631 Wood Mount $54.95

 

“Flower Shop”

Bundle Set (with matching Pansy Punch)

#132726 Clear Mount Bundle $64.50

#132727 Wood Mount Bundle $72.95

OR Stamp Set Only:

#130942 Clear Mount $39.95

#130939 Wood Mount $49.95

 

“Mixed Bunch”

#125537 Clear Mount $46.95

#128442 Wood Mount $58.95

 

“Hello, Lovely”

#130243 Clear Mount $54.95

#130240 Wood Mount $68.95

“Swallowtail”

#129216 Clear Mount $29.95

#131943 Wood Mount $37.95

 

 

"Pretty Print Textured Impressions" Embossing Folder

#132175 $16.95

Recipe Ingredient List

Stamp Sets: “Chalk Talk”, Flower Shop”, “Hello, Lovely”, “Mixed Bunch” and “Swallowtail”

Ink: “Bermuda Bay” and “Coastal Cabana”, “Wisteria Wonder” and “Concord Crush”, “Calypso Coral” and “Tangerine Tango”, “Crumb Cake” and “Baked Brown Sugar”

Framelits: Chalk Talk Framelits,

Punch: Bird Builder, Pansy, Blossom

Embossing Folder: “Pretty Print Textured Impressions"

 

Special Tools: Big Shot, Candy Dots Brad Bases, Rhinestone Basic Jewels, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Stampin’ Trimmer

Kathe's Kitchen: "Homemade Lem♥onade"

I was recently given a recipe for Lemonade from my good friend Sally.

Well, I have adapted and added my own twist, and here it is ...

Kathe's "Homemade Lem♥onade"

 

Kathe's "Homemade Lem♥onade"

Zest of 3 Lemons
Juice of 8 Lemons

3 cups of Water

3 cups of Sugar  {next time I may reduce the Sugar!!!!}

1 teaspoon Citric Acid

1 teaspoon Tartaric Acid

1/4 teaspoon Epsom Salts

After juicing the Lemons, I then strained the juice to get rid of any stray seeds etc.

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to the boil and then simmer for 1 minute.

Leave to cool before bottling.

 

 

 

                         Bottle is shaken here,                         Bottle is NOT shaken here
                      note the Zest floating ... 

This recipe is very strong, so you only need to add a fraction of syrup to a glass {approx. 1cm in depth} before topping with carbonated water i.e. Soda Stream {but without the flavour added} .

An xtra cool and refreshing drink, which any spirit can be added to, Vodka, Tequila, Gin ... yum!!!

 

I just had to add a video of the drink bubbling away, the spray of the bubbles were jumping so high that they actually touched the camera!