Betcha didn't know...Food Storage Tips

*Store your newly opened blocks of cheese in aluminum foil--it will stay fresh much longer and not mold.

*Peppers with three bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating raw. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

*Add a small amount (1 Tbsp.) of water when cooking ground beef. The water will help rinse away the greasy fat and is equivalent to buying lean meat, but with the flavor.

*When using canned store bought frosting, be sure to whip it with your mixer a few minutes before putting it on the cake. It will nearly double in size--giving you loftier frosting and fewer calories per slice!!

*For a really rich scrambled egg, add a couple of spoonfuls of heavy cream, cream cheese or sour cream to the eggs before beating, then whip them for an extra minute--delish!

Enjoy your Tuesday!

Betcha didn't know...Cleaning Tips

Going to start off a whole week of "Betcha didn't know" tips that will hopefully teach you a thing or two!! Today: Cleaning tips!!
*You should scrub your lint catcher from your dryer every six months. Even if you're meticulous about removing the lint, the build up from dryer sheets over time creates the motor to burn out quicker than normal. When I tried this tip, water just gathered in a pool and didn't seep through the screen until I scrubbed the residue. Cool tip!

*If you own a whirlpool tub, fill it with the hottest water you can, and add a cup of bleach and a Cascade Dishwater Packet, and turn on the jets for a solid 20 minutes for a good cleaning. When the time is up, drain the tub water and refill it with clean water and run it for another 10 minutes with the jets on as a rinse. No need to purchase those expensive Jacuzzi tablets to maintain your spa tub experience!!

*Clean dryer sheets used as a cleaning cloth cleans vinyl slat blinds AND makes your place smell fresh and clean.

*To clean your garbage disposal, pour a cup of baking soda and half a cup of white vinegar down the drain (watch it bubble--the kids love this!) and rinse with cold water. Fresh and clean!!

Enjoy your Monday!!

Playing with the June WIP Kits...

I gotta say...this one has been fun to play with...

Enjoy the rest of your weekend...

June WIP Kits...

The June WIP Kits are available for viewing on the "Monthly Kits" page of the blog!! The Main Kit sold out to subscribers and there are less than 4 of the Project kit and 2 of the Add-ons available. If you are interested in ordering, please email Trish at Turay413@gmail.com with your paypal invoice address. Thanks so much!!

ETA: The ADD-ON kits are now also SOLD OUT, and there is only ONE Father's Day Project Kit left. I'll keep you posted!!

Introducing TWO new WIP Designers...

So happy to make this announcement!! You will recognize these two wildly talented ladies as past guest designers...Please welcome...

Jing-Jing Nickel and Debbi Tehrani!!

You will begin seeing Jing-Jing's creations with the June kit (up for sale tomorrow!) and Debbi's creations beginning with the July kit!!

Be sure to click on their names above and visit their blogs. You'll be seeing a lot more of these talented ladies in the near future!!

Welcome!! SO happy you're on our team...

I {heart} Kristina Proffitt

I can't tell you how wonderful it was working with Kristina these past two weeks. She is the one responsible for this beautiful new blog, and I can't recommend her highly enough. I knew what I wanted and had worked with others before in trying to convey my vision, but never has it worked out like this. The clouds parted, angels sang...you get the idea. I had a favorite quote--she created custom artwork to include it. I wanted a blinkie--she jumped on it. I wanted to create a blog with several pages--take a gander at the options above!! Kristina, you are my earthly blog angel.

I'm over-the-moon happy with it, and I hope you enjoy checking out the different pages. I'll be updating them periodically, as the creativity flows. Gotta love a spot for favorite new recipes and photos (and those two are newly updated!!)

I want to thank all of you for your wonderful comments and emails and inquiries. I love hearing your feedback!!

Oh, be sure to stop by Kristina's blog for a chance to win a free blog makeover yourself!! The creativity over there is contageous...be warned!

Crabby.

You knew it was coming...
Oh, Martha. I love you so...

And the best part? These pinchers will be included in the June WIP Kit as a little bonus...along with the eyeballs to boot!! I got the shadow box at Michael's--it's a 5x7. All you'll need is a handful of pop dots and cardstock for mounting, and you'll have a cute little summery decoration to adorn your home...

Enjoy your Wednesday!!

some gallery favorites

happy tuesday everyone!
today i want to take some time and tour a few of my favorites from the may gallery. may was one of my personal favorites as far as trish's kit selections go. the colors were so full of springtime goodness and possiblities.

emily's is the classic in terms of bringing spring to the page through photo and color and keeping it all full of light. i loved how she layered the lily bee chipboard with some of the flowers from the dear lizzy elements. but then...i just love layering.

and laina here is stepping out of her box! and it was a hit with me. not only did she use one of the lovely doily's from the main kit, but then played it up with some lime and teal mist. and don't miss out her sewing here and there. she tied this together so beautifully.

and how fun is this? michelle made me smile with the chipboard elements and using them as clouds. don't you love that? another thing that i thought was sweet were the 'flower boxes' placed lovingly under the 'windows'. very creative!

and there is that doily again. did you not just LOVE the doily's in the main kit? tina often makes great use of childhood photos, and this one is no exception. that and the inking and distressing helped give this layout it's beautiful vintage feel.

then there is our dear ms. trish. did you notice how she cut out the patterned paper in which the photo is placed? the banner around that photo also adds emphasis to a very sweet photo.

finally, since this may kit just keeps giving, i have been busy making more use of it. that brown trim was one of my favorite elements in this collection. i used it here again...just because i could.

now, your turn...get that kit out and play.

enjoy your day!

~jamie

Novi

I had the pleasure of attending the Great Lakes Mega Meet in Michigan this weekend with three super fun ladies. The following are a few of photos I took. I came back very inspired and ready to create...
I got my hands on a few scrapbook lines and embellishments I've been coveting. I also saw a TON of ideas for classes at the Bertram Inn...

The Melissa Frances booth was one of my favorites. Their banners were AMAZING. And their ledger paper was on sale!!

Tim Holtz was there and his booth area was swamped...

Lots of cute and compact projects. Also lots of fun and bright colors.

I am completely hooked on Cosmo Cricket these past 4 months. Can't get enough!! Tina is quite the enabler...

After the convention, we headed to Scrappy Chic. Laina told me it was her most favorite store ever...so of course we had to stop. We stayed there forever...I didn't want to leave. That store is AWESOME. If you ever get the chance, do yourself a favor and take a road trip there!!

Despite a stormy ride home, we made it back without incident. A much needed girls day out is always good for the soul. Lots of laughter and a dinner without cutting up someone else's food, combined with outlandish stories and fun car games made the day fly by...

And today...I can't wait to create...

To all the moms out there...