Love My Baby

Sponsor:  A Day For Daisies

Sweet Sketch Wednesday 

Sweet Sketch 138

I made two cards for you today using this precious image, "Love My Baby" from A Day for Dasisies! Can't you just feel the tenderness from Momma Giraffe to her new little one?  I was getting low on baby cards so I thought I would double up using this image! 

The little silver giraffe came in a package of three from my local Scrap That store.  Sad but the owner of this shop is moving out of state and trying to sell her store here in Fircrest, WA, for $40,000 or best offer.  I throw that out to those of you who have always dreamed of having your own scap store!  I do hope she can sell it as I will miss the fun extra papers that she sells.  The coordinating paper on this card came from her shop...it is Bo Bunny.  Who doesn't love Bo Bunny paper?  I loved accenting with the turquoise on this card.

Arlana, I loved working with this sketch too!

We have some new rules at SSW so be sure to check them before you play along!

If you have never played along at SSW.  This is your week!  We have a fabulous sponsor, A Day for Daisies.  Tammy creates the most beautiful  images that will dazzle your imagination!  Go take a peek and look around her shop.  This week as our sponsor, ADFD will offer a
$12 Gift Certificate to her store
for the weekly grand prize winner at SSW. 
So grab the sketch and go grab an image from ADFD and play along with us. 

A DAY FOR DAISIES provides themed categories of over 1000 fun and  whimsical digital images, including fairy tales and magical mermaids,cutie kids, vintage illustrations, sentiments and lovely designs for all occasions!

This is second card I made with "Love My Baby."  I found these papers at Michael's and knew it would go well with this card!  I love the softness of this card and how it came together.

Which is your favorite?

Thanks for stopping by!

Birthday Dinner

This was last night's dinner for my son's birthday.  I always ask what the birthday person wants me to make for their special dinner.   My son asked for lasagna and salad.  It was an easy request for me.  I know my provencal vegetable gratin dish is also one of his favorites.  My DH won't eat squash so that is why there is also corn.

This is such an easy veggie dish and so colorful! 

Ingredients:

Stove Top Version:

Saute:

Onions and garlic in Olive Oil

Add and Saute:

Zucchini

Yellow summer squash

Add and warm:

Tomatoes.  

Season with Basil and Thyme, Garlic Salt and Sea Salt

Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese

I've even used mushrooms before!

Another Version:

You can make it look even more spectacular by layering the yellow, green and red veggies 

on their side in a pryex dish. Saute onions and garlic first and then arrange uncooked veggies in rows on top of onions and garlic.

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

It's quick and easy. Choose what you like and be creative with it! 

I also added a Cesear Salad and Garlic French Bread!

I have to add that the Brownie Trifle was a hit!

I personally am not a chocolate lover but of course, I tried it and it was pretty amazing!

I thought that maybe it had too much of the pudding mixture but it was perfect even for the first time try!

Easy Brownie Trifle

Tomorrow is my oldest son's birthday and he didn't tell me what dessert he wanted for his birthday.  I know he loves chocolate so I decided to make a Brownie Trifle.  I have never made this before so tomorrow will be a taste test.

I baked two boxes of brownie in a 9X13 dish.  Cooled and cut into 1" squares. 

The first layer is brownie and the second layer is layer is 2 packages Sugar Free Instant White Chocolate Pudding and 1 package of Sugar Free Cheesecake Pudding blended with 3 3/4 cup milk.  Then fold in 1 1/2 tubs of Cool Whip.   The pudding mixture will be used for three layers plus a little left over. 

Crush one Heath Bar and sprinkle over Cool Whip and Pudding Mixture.  Then lightly drizzle with Carmel topping.  Repeat layers two more times.  (3 Heath Bars total)

This is what it looks like after two layers.

I had about 9 brownie squares left so I made three little brownie trifle desserts in my one cup pyrex dishes.  I would show them to you but somehow they disappeared after dinner tonight!

Wonder if it will be a hit!  My family loves chocolate!

Hot Pink Water Pearls for Valentines

Just playing again with these fun water pearls.  I had two 50% off coupons that I used at Joann's to purchase these Hot Pink Water Pearls and also the two clear submersible lights.  Each were $4.99 so with the 50% off both items were $4.99 plus tax.  I couldn't pass it up.  It definitely was an impulse buy!  Can you believe Valentines is just around the corner????

Sweet Sketch Wednesday and

Wee Stamps

This darling image is called Rose's Bike Ride. 

You can find it here.

We have a wonderful week for you at

Sweet Sketch Wednesday! 

Arlana has provided this wonderful sketch from the past..one of my favoites.  Quick and easy to put together and it provides a great canvas for your focal point image. 

This is the card I made for Sketch 73 back in 2010.

Wee Stamps is our fabulous sponsor this week and I know and I promise you that you will absolute adore her images.  I know you will definitely want to purchase one of them...so go ahead and then show  us what you have done with your image.

"The owner and illustrator behind Wee Stamps - Sylvia Zet – creates unique designs of charming and whimsical characters, which are loved for their adorable little faces expressing innocence and trustful hearts. Wee illustrations feature cute kids and fluffy animals are available as digital downloads at www.weestamps.com and also as deeply etched red rubber stamps at Whimsy Stamps."

When you play along this week at SSW and follow the sketch, follow all of the rules and comment on SSW, you will have the opportunity to win

3 digis of your choice from 

Wee Stamps. 

Wouldn't that be grand?

I hope your enjoy my creation this week!  I loved adding the little butterfly that is chasing  after Rose on her bike.  I also added a touch of tickles to the center of the roses on the image.

Hope you are enjoying the New Year!  I have enjoyed playing along the past few weeks.  You probably won't see me every week as I am busy coordinating the events at SSW but I will try to show up a little more often.

Thanks for your sweet comments!

Icicle Arrangement

Happy New Year! 

I hope you are all enjoying the new year and relaxing and reminiscing the memories created in the past few weeks! 

I have all my Christmas decorations stored away for next year except this new icicle arrangement I made in November.  I just wanted to share it with you.  I saw an arrangement similar to this at a local craft store, Artco, here in Tacoma.  Their arrangement was much larger and they had used White Cherry Blossoms instead of the greenry and berries. My picture doesn't seem to do it justice but hopefully you can enjoy the beauty of this icicle wonder!  I have decided to keep this arrangement out for the month of January!

I was so taken by this snowy branch that has lights on it.  Then I found a pic that had the icicle greenry, icicles on a branch and white berries.  I found a small glass vase and added fine snow to fill the vase. And the cute little white birds are the finishing touch!  Wa la!!!! The lit branches are battery operated.  I change the batteries about every 7-8 days.

Water Pearls and Submersible Lights

  I also had fun this season experimenting with Water Pearls which you can find online.  I found mine at Joann's along with some submersible lights.  I was able to use, of course, my 50% off coupons which saved alot on this little exstravaganza.  The lights I chose could be several different colors: blue, green, or  red or flashing blue, green, red, and white.

The little pearls are about the size of a mustard seed.  You hydrate them and they become a half inch to a inch depending on the size you purchase.  I have seen them before but always thought they were marbles.  It's the light that makes this so appealing.  It's lovely in a floral arrangement.

Here are photos of the submersible light and the package of water pearls!

I used one tablespoon and it made about one gallon of pearls.  I will be experimenting more with this fun find...thanks to my good friend, Cheryl!