AMANDA'S BASKETS: Fairy Houses and 'new year'

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Fairy Houses and 'new year'

Yesterday, I posted pictures of the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens with a promise to post pictures of the Fairy Houses the children created.

So without further ado, here are today's PICTURES OF THE DAY:

Well, after thinking more about 'new year' beginning September 1, I thought about things that I should tackle finally. Actually, I should say more things that I should tackle and I decided to take the plunge and begin with the first box...there are actually three boxes in all...

And what's in the box, you ask? Well, there are elementary school papers from all four of my children who are now adults, some with children of their own. I think it's about time, don't you?

So what am I doing with the papers? First of all, sorting them according to child. Then I am scanning the papers into my computer...no, not all, but so far, most of them. I guess I have already sorted out the saves from the throws.

Once I decided how to set things up on the computer, I realized that this is not an insurmountable task; however, it is going to take time...my scanner is not the fastest but it produces a really excellent picture.

That makes two things I am scanning into the computer. What is the other thing (make that things)? Old photos. And that does seem like it will go on forever!

TUESDAY'S PROMPT:

Well, it is Tuesday and I usually give you a prompt. How about this: Think of how you would treat the first of September if it were the real 'New Year' instead of the mini 'new year'. Now journal about how you begin the 'new year'. Changes you would make. Things you would add or subtract from your regular routine. Etc.

Well, it was hot once again and tomorrow promises the same...can't wait til fall takes over...this heat just squeezes the energy right out of me.

You will never guess what happened to me? I won...actually won...the drawing connected with the 'Butterfly Inchie Trade' at Roses On My Table. You should check out the slide show of the different 'inchies'...they are all so creative. And 'inchies' are fun to make. Try it, you may like it.

That's all for tonight...thanks for stopping by...

CRAFTING IDEAS

I am always looking for a small piece of paper to write down something which will later be disposed of. I decided to use some of the scrap paper of which I have a ton. I mostly use the paper for glueing projects. I decided to cut the paper into a small size. (Six pieces from a piece of copy paper.). But just having them sitting on my desk would get messy without a container. So, using a cardboard box, I cut it down to size and using a hot glue gun I glued the ends together. Using a picture from a magazine cut into pieces and stick craft glue, I glued the pieces to the box inside and out. I also used some decorative tape for the outside edges. And to finish the top corners which were not covered, I used straight pins with colorful tops. Looks nice and works well.

MAGAZINE IDEAS

(New) One article in the Farmer's Almanac 2024 is a list of trends. One I knew about is the trend to downsize in just about every area. Another trend that I was surprised about was called ''The Human Library' which offers people on loan to talk about specific subjects. Finally, more folks are adding pets to their family and as a result, stores are adding more pet food, toys and medication to their offerings. There's also a nice garden article which suggests mixing vegetables and flowers together for success.

RECIPE IDEAS

Have you every made Cherry Dump Cake. It calls for 2 cans of Cherry Pie Filling (21 ounces), a white cake mix, 1/4 -1/2 cup butter, melted & 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans. In a 9 by 13 pan, spread both cans of cherry pie filling. Add the melted butter to the cake mix and break apart the resulting mixture and crumble it evenly over the pie filling. Sprinkle the pecans evenly over the mixture. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 - 45 minutes until the topping is golden brown. Serve with vanilla ice cream. Fast, easy and very delicious.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

What if you want to establish better habits, then decide what habit you want to work on. Again, try an easier one first for that good feeling of success. Let's consider more exercise. Start small. Don't try to run a marathon right away. Set the amount of time, the type of exercise and when to do it to begin making sure that it is within your reach. If it works for you each week add a bit more. Walking is one of the best ways to get good overall movement but there are many exercise videos on YouTube of varying lengths and difficulty to check out. Change your exercise routines to eliminate getting bored. For hardcore exercise with weights, give yourself a day in-between to recover. Even on days you would rather not exercise, do it and see if you feel better. It takes an average of 66 days to establish a habit. Just think 66 days to establish a good habit for a lifetime. Sounds like a good thing to me...how about you?