Sentiments by Denise

Cooking up a Storm!

Some call it freezer cooking, some call it OAMC (once a month cooking), and some just call it "stocking up".

About a week ago, I decided that I was going to do some freezer cooking -  cooking ahead several meals and baked goods. In order to do this effectively, this takes some planning. I know there are several young ladies in our Young Married Class who do this (they meet as a group and cook together), so I asked a couple of them for some recipe ideas. I also browsed several online sites for recipe ideas and tips for this kind of cooking. There are many great websites for freezer cooking - just Google it!

I made a tenative list of some dishes for dinner and for breakfast, asking Ed and Emilee to pick some of their favorites (or if the dishes were new, a few they'd be willing to try).
I have limited room in my freezer because it is a side-by-side, which means it is small! So I cleaned it out, getting rid of anything that was old or unappealing. The items left were rearranged so the new food could fit. This is where an extra freezer would come in so handy. However, we do not have a good place to fit one in our home right now, so I have to make my current freezer work for us.

After listing the dishes I was going to make, I check over each recipe carefully and made a grocery list (also checking the pantry for items already on hand) of things I would need to buy. Last night I went to the grocery store, also remembering to pick up more freezer bags and aluminum pans.
I got up early this morning and started cooking by 6am. There were some slight interruptions by the other family members making breakfast and lunch for themselves. I finished by 12:30 this afternoon. These are the dishes that I made today:

• Spaghetti Sauce (meat sauce w/ mushrooms)
• Marinara Sauce (for Emilee)
• Cranberry Chicken
• Lasagna (2- 9x9 pans, using some of the spaghetti sauce)
• Teriyaki Chicken
• Chicken Crescent Pockets
• King Ranch Chicken Casserole (9x9 pan)
• Dinner Burritos
• Grilled Marinated Steaks
• Muffins - dozen each of:  Banana Nut, Zucchini Chocolate Chip, and Oat Bran
• Zucchini Chocolate Chip bread
• Breakfast Burritos
• Breakfast Bake

The Dinner and Breakfast Burritos are recipes from my bloggy friend, Barb. You can find them here. I tweaked some of them for Emilee, as she doesn't eat red meat - so I also made some bean burritos and some breakfast burritos with turkey bacon for her, along with the traditional from the recipes. I ran out of flour tortillas (since I didn't account for Emilee's when I was buying) and I had a couple cups of the breakfast egg-sausage-hashbrown mixture left, so I bagged it up and froze it for a Breakfast Bake (just add cheese and serve along with some fruit for a filling breakfast!).

Here is how I freeze most of the foods I made - in freezer bags, labeled (and I date them, too).

If you lay these bags flat in the freezer, after they are frozen they can be stacked or shelved upright to save room.

Ed & I have always made our spaghetti sauce and marinara sauce from scratch (no jar sauces for us!). This is a recipe that Ed has fine-tuned over the years and I've learned it by watching him.

I hadn't planned on making so many muffins, but I had several bags of shredded zucchini in the freezer from last fall that needed to be used and then since I had the muffin tin out I decided to make a couple other varieties, too.

These are always great to grab in the morning to take to work for a mid-morning snack. Emilee likes having this option because she doesn't always make time to eat breakfast before she leaves for work.

I like having a few different flavors to choose from. Ed's favorite right now is banana nut  - so I had to make some for him!

Here is how the burritos look after assembling them. I also packaged them into a freezer bag (5-6 per bag) to prevent freezer burn.

I made 15 dinner burritos, 3 bean burritos (for Em), 10 breakfast burritos, 3 turkey bacon burritos (for Em) and 2 quart size bags of breakfast bake.

Now, we just have to get everyone to agree on what's for dinner so I make sure I thaw out the right thing! 
If you have done freezer cooking, let me know by leaving a comment. I would love to swap recipes and get some new ideas for the next time I do this (next month maybe?).

I'm tired. *Yawn*

Denise

Oh, Say Can You See!

Happy Birthday, America!

Our family began celebrating this morning over breakfast. Stephen came over to join us for patriotic waffles! Fun times!

I put together some fresh berries with a touch of sugar to sweeten them.

Don't they look tasty?

Yum!

This is Emilee's waffle creation - can you tell she likes the whipped cream on hers?

(Hey, is there really a waffle under there?)

I think she ended up scraping the fruit and cream off to the side and eating it last, as a dessert.

Here is Ed's waffle - no whipped cream and berries, just butter and syrup with a side of sausage! He's so traditional!

To his credit, he did enjoy some berries and cream later.

Oh, and BTW, Ed did the waffle cooking this morning - He's our hero!

Stephen has always been a bit creative - here's his waffle (he did this before he knew I was going to take a picture of it!). It looks like an IHOP creation.

This afternoon we'll be grilling brats and chicken - after the rain stops! And corn on the cob!

I'm also doing some prep work to get ready for my morning freezer cooking session that I'll be doing tomorrow. This will be the first time I've done this in this volume - I'll let you know how that goes.

Since today is America's birthday - here's a card to celebrate:

Have a HAPPY 4th of July!

Denise

Flags and Sparklers!

This image stamp is one that I've had for a long time, but this is probably the first time I've used it! Stamp by PSX.

It's hard to see, but all the stars and "sparks" in the image were inked with a gold gelly roll pen and they sparkle!

Little by little I've been buying a few acrylic stamps when I find ones that I really like or sentiments that are cheap.

Like this one that I picked up for $1.00. See it in the card above, stamped in Craft White. The best things about acrylic stamps is that you can see exactly where you are stamping so lining up the image is very simple!

I have a few more clear acrylic stamp sets that I'll be trying out over the next few days. Stay tuned for those samples.

I have one more patriotic card to share and I'll post it tomorrow, appropriately for the 4th!

Denise

A Little Patriotism

I have a very limited amount of patriotic stamps for card making. Some of the ones I have are challenging to use.

This week I thought I'd post a few cards I've made showcasing some patriotic designs in honor of our country's birthday.

This stamp is made by Stampendous.

Enjoy!

Finally... a Card!

I know some people only visit my blog to see the latest card creation, usually without even reading the text - these are the browsers.

And then there are others who come to my blog and roll their eyes when they see that all I've posted is a photo of a card I've made.

I'm okay with either visitor! I get a lot of traffic daily on my blog, but very few comments. If I judged who read my blog just by the comments, I'd figure only about six of you visited me on a regular basis. But my stats tell me a different story. So, those of you who stopped by today looking for something deep or profound, I hate to disappoint - I'm posting a card!

Last night I made some time to create some new cards, as my list has been growing of cards I need to send.

I made two of this design, changing the sentiment to make each appropriate to the receiver.

See the Stickles (glitter glue) on the flower? Emilee couldn't wait for it to dry and put her finger in it- testing it. I had to "fix" it and remind her that Stickles takes awhile to dry - I usually allow overnight.

Hope your day is glorious!

Denise

Grateful Monday

Mondays often get a bad rap - it's back to work, usually after a relaxing weekend and the routine is once again in place.
I have some grateful thoughts today. Especially because it's Monday.

• Rising at 4:30am and having the quietness of the morning all to myself. Great for reading the Word and praying.
• Fresh berries for breakfast. On my cereal or with yogurt.
• The morning drive to work. I'm not always grateful for this because it takes me about 40 minutes, but it gives me opportunity to think, to pray, to sing along with the radio, to admire the countryside, and to plan my day. An extra bonus is when Ed works out of the south branch of his office and will chauffer me - I get to take a nap!
• Reflecting on yesterday's church service. My words to several people were "blessedly exhausting!". An incredible time of praise and worship, an announcement that our search for a Senior Pastor is complete, a bittersweet note from Pastor Troy, and an engaging sermon!
• Physical healing in my body. Soon I'll be back to my old self and will be able to resume cardio and strength training.
• Roasted almonds. My new favorite snack food!
• Oohhh - and a 4-day work week!

What are you grateful for today?

Denise

Thoughts on Friday Morning

Obedience.

This morning I was reading in I Thessalonians, chapter four and verse seven caught my eye. Enough for me to read it several times and ponder it for a few moments.

"For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life."

Simple, but right to the point. Clear as day!
This is God's will for us - to live a holy life.

Living a holy life means being attentive to opportunities that come up in everyday life that can influence other's for Christ. My actions, my speech, my countenance - are they pleasing to God?

Obedience.

Emilee and her Car

A few weeks ago we found an old (1983) 320i BMW that we thought would be a good car for Emilee until she could afford a nicer, newer one. Here's the thing, though - it's a manual transmission, and she can't drive a stick. She's also not too thrilled about learning to drive one either!

When I was  a teenager and just learning to drive, my parents went away for the weekend with my two younger brothers (they left Dave & I home because we had jobs) and Dad told me if I wanted to go anywhere I would have to drive either his truck or my older brother's car - both were three speed, on the column. I had tried to drive a stick before, but always got frustrated easily because I would pop the clutch and consistently stall it out.
Well, early that Saturday morning I got up and went down the road in our addition to practice on the hill, so I could get the feel of the clutch. An hour later I was an "expert" and then called my friend, Nancy, to tell her I was driving over to her house later that morning. To this day, I enjoy driving a 5-speed - which is what the BMW is.

Emilee and Ed washed the Beamer on Saturday before taking it out for a spin (to the nearest school parking lot to practice!).

The body of the car is just a bit rough, but not too bad for being twenty-five years old!

After the two of them finished washing the car (and muddy-ing up the driveway!), Ed drove her down to the school so Emilee could practice.

To say Emilee is short on patience, is an understatement!

So...

She continues to drive my Grand Am. If I tried to teach her the same way my Dad "taught" me, I'm afraid she would never leave the house! LOL!

This saga will be continued, I'm sure!

Take It Easy

This weekend I'm taking it easy after having a little "repair" work done yesterday ( I think I mentioned it in a post back in March).

Consuming my moments are:

When Emilee came home from college, she brought with her a plethora of teas - she's like her momma in that way (loves her tea!).

We've been drinking them, going from a cup of hot tea to a glass of freshly brewed iced tea. The other day I made a pitcher of chamomille tea (it's Emilee's least favorite) and have been enjoying that iced. Something to soothe me as I relax.

And I'm doing a bit more reading. Here's a pile of books that I've read in the last few days or are on my list to read soon.

The top book, Captivating, is one that our Sunday School class is working through right now, along with its counterpart, Wild at Heart. Ed & I are teaching from these books with our Young Married class.

Speaking of the Young Marrieds, we attended an Indianapolis Indians baseball game with 9 of our couples on Thursday evening. It was fun to gather and enjoy a night out. The Indians lost. Although, I think the interest in the game was minimal, as there was lots of conversation and catching up to be done. One of our couples moved away about six weeks ago to the Chicago area to start a new job (ministry) and they were able to come back this weekend, joining us at the game. It was fun hearing about what's going on in their lives.

Ok, back to taking it easy.
Denise

Strawberries Forever

 

Our sweet neighbor, Charlotte, was out in her yard Saturday morning so I chatted over the fence with her for about a half hour. She's in her seventies and has always had lots of energy, but lately she's been slowing down a bit.

She still travels some, but she told me that she's getting to be more of a homebody these days.
Charlotte has a little garden and a small strawberry patch.

Saturday afternoon she brought over her last heaping quart of freshly picked strawberries! How incredibly sweet of her!

I immediately prepared them for Strawberry Shortcake to go with our Father's Day meal that evening.

And, I made Charlotte this little thank you card.

Denise

Dad's Day

I called my Daddy this morning on our way to church to wish him a Happy Father's Day. He and Mom had already been to the pilot's club for an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast (they rode their bikes over) and we're back home getting ready to go to church themselves.

At our house, we celebrated Father's Day early - yesterday, because Stephen had to leave right after church this morning to head to Youth Camp. He gets to spend the week with a bunch of junior high and high schoolers - woohoo! That boy will not get a lick of sleep!

So yesterday, while Ed was doing this:

relaxing in the hammock with his dog, Max...

our children made him a wonderful dinner from the menu he chose: steak, salmon, red roasted potatoes, corn on the cob, pasta salad, and fresh strawberry shortcake for dessert!

Stephen and Emilee gave him a 4GB thumbdrive and a double feature DVD: Shanghai Noon/ Shanghai Knights.

I tried to get Emilee to make her Dad a Father's Day card but she insisted that I should do it.

So this is what I came up with:

I cut the little neckties from a sheet of patterned paper, popping up the middle one (3-d). I scored the outline of the River Rock card stock and mounted it on Sky Blue and distressed the edges a bit.

The card base is Blue Bayou, as well as the ribbon used. The sentiment is Riveting from Stampin Up!

I'm not sure why I picked neckties as the theme since my husband tries to avoid wearing them most of the time! It's a masculine symbol and I wanted this to look like a "guy card".

Denise

Fresh Basil Pasta Salad

It is a well known fact in this neck of the woods that I have a challenging time growing any living plants. The other day I brought home a fresh basil plant and Emilee instantly told me I was NOT to touch it, less it would die! So she assumed the care of said plant.

Well, today I decided to use some of the basil in a recipe and thought I would share it with you. (Please note that I prepared only half of what the recipe below calls for in ingredients).

Here's the cute little basil plant before I snipped off several of its leaves.

Fresh basil has a wonderful aroma and is used in lots of Italian dishes.

If this little guy stays healthly for awhile longer, I'll probably snip some more leaves and freeze them in a bag for later use.

Here are the basic ingredients for the Pasta Salad.

I like to use whole wheat pasta, as it is healthier, but my family isn't thrilled with my choice. Also, I did not have fresh garlic on hand, so I used the minced garlic in the jar.

I snipped off some fresh basil leaves from the plant above. The recipe calls for about 1/3 cup, chopped - so you'll need more than shown here.

But, I wanted to show you a little trick that you may or may not know about to produce the highest flavor from your fresh basil.

If you place the fresh basil in a ziplock bag and pound it with the flat side of a meat mallet (shown here) until the leaves have a wet look to them, you will release the maximum flavor in your herbs.

After pounding, remove leaves from baggie and chop coarsely.

Next, seed and chop the tomatoes (I like them diced like this - you can also cut them into strips, if you prefer). Small grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half would also work well in this recipe.

Now add the basil, tomatoes, garlic and seasonings togther with the olive oil.

Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for about two hours. This will allow the flavors to blend.

If you're paying attention, you will notice that at this point you also have the makings for some wonderful Bruschetta - just thought I'd mention that.

Prepare the pasta as directed and drain, rinsing in cold water.

I usually add some olive oil to the boiling water when making pasta so it won't stick and it also adds to the flavor of the overall dish.

Mix the cooked pasta with the tomato/basil blend.

You may add the cheese at this point or later, if you prefer. We have a lactose intolerant person in our household, so I put her portion in a separate bowl and then added the fresh parmesan cheese to the remainder of the salad.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

There are a couple things that you can add, if you desire: black olives (sliced), green onions (chopped), balsamic vinegar, and mozzarella cheese can be substituted for the parmesan. Now, here's the recipe:

Fresh Basil Pasta Salad

1 lb. Rotini Pasta
2 lbs. roma tomatoes, sliced or diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
fresh basil leaf, chopped coarsely (about 1/3c)
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese

Mix together the tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil, and basil. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Cook pasta, drain, rinse in cold water. Mix pasta with tomato mixture. Sprinkle with cheese.  Serves 6-8

Just a Simple Hi!

  Tonight I'm just stopping by for a quick "Hi" and post this card that says the same!

I'm in a cleaning mood and its best if I act immediately when that happens! LOL!

I don't always come home from work in the mood to clean, especially after a long, hot day.

This card is quite simple with just a tiny bit of bling. The patterned paper is from DCWV - Glitter Dots (it sparkles!) and I used Heidi Swapp chipboard letters with tiny pink pearl beads to dress it up.

Okay - back to business!
Denise

Memories- Happy & Sad

I've been busy making graduation cards.

Here's a sampling - I made quite a few over the weekend and for the most part they are similar to this design (which I personalized for the graduate).

This is the same design as I posted before in a previous post - I like the pocket card as it is multifunctional.

This past weekend we traveled to my hometown to attend the funeral of my Mom's brother - her only sibling. It was a sad time - in many ways. Definitely one of the hardest funerals I've attended in a long time. I did get to connect with my cousins that I haven't seen in many years - that was wonderful. We had an opportunity to catch up a bit and after exchanging email addresses and phone numbers, promised to try to make a better effort of staying in touch.

Ed & I also got to see my wonderful friend, Nancy. She & I struggle to stay in touch, too. She reads my blog and we email each other now and then, but it's not like the "old days". Nanc was the girlfriend that I shared all my secrets with. We were roommates our first year of college. I just miss not being able to see her as much as I'd like. Ed and Nancy get along so great, too! We always have so much fun and laugh so hard when we're together - it's nuts!

While Ed & I were driving around town (getting to and from the funeral home twice) we passed some of our old "stomping grounds". Lots of great memories. When I first met Ed he lived in an old pump house on the river (literally on.the.river.) We drove by there on Saturday and it was still standing (in.the.river!). The roof was at street level and there were stone steps leading down to his front door. I remember one time when I stopped by there after work one afternoon (about 30 years ago!) and he was sleeping in a hammock that he had mounted between a couple of trees. Not much has changed in that respect!
We also passed the park where he would take me on "dates" - we would walk and chat, hold hands and laugh. One time we got caught in a rainstorm at the park and had to take cover in his little sports car. I remember that day, sitting in the car and watching the raindrops on the windshield, explaining to this guy who was suddenly becoming very important to me why going to church was something I enjoyed doing and why Jesus was the one who directed my life (Ed wasn't living a Christ-centered life at that time).

When we tell people our story, they are usually amazed at how two people, who were so different, were drawn to each other and how God worked to draw us both closer to Him. I look back over the past thirty years and rejoice at God's goodness. At the time we met, we seemed so different, but looking back I realized there was no one else on earth meant for me but Ed. And I'm glad he's still hangin' around!

Denise

A Card for a Boy

For some reason I don't make cards for boys very often. So, recently I decided to do something about that!

Here's a birthday card that could be used for a boy:

Look! There's no flowers, ribbon, or anything girly on this card!

Stripes - numbers - stars - brads.

The clear acetate star is from Heidi Swapp and these are part of the pile of stuff I got from Archiver's the other day with my gift card.
Since I have several more of these stars, I'm going to look for some other ideas to use them on cards. Maybe Patriotic! July 4th is coming up and I can create some cards with stars to go with that theme.

Yesterday the little town where I work (40 miles south of here) was struck by a tornedo (actually it was the night before - Tuesday). I didn't hear anything from my boss, so I drove to work and when I got about a mile away the roads were closed and I couldn't get through. I called my boss and he said that the road in front of our building had trees down and debris everywhere, plus our power was out so I should go back home.

I did!

Today the power had been restored and although our building had very little damage to it (a board had gone through the wall of our back building), there were businesses and homes on either side of us with severe roof damage, trees uprooted and huge branches littering yards and parking lots. I am in awe of the destructiveness of nature sometimes - tornedoes and storms!
I was able to get caught up on all my work today - which is good, because tomorrow I'll be taking a bereavement day to head up to my hometown for my uncle's funeral. Two funerals in one week! This one will be very different than the one earlier this week. Two men, who were close to the same age - but who lived very different lives. It causes me to think.

And I'm thankful for Grace. For once I was blind, but now I see. Once I was lost, but now I'm found!

Denise

Homesick

You're in a better place, I've heard a thousand times
And at least a thousand times I've rejoiced for you
But the reason why I'm broken, the reason why I cry
Is how long must I wait to be with you

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

Help me Lord cause I don't understand your ways
The reason why I wonder if I'll ever know
But, even if you showed me, the hurt would be the same
Cause I'm still here so far away from home

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

In Christ, there are no goodbyes
And in Christ, there is no end
So I'll hold onto Jesus with all that I have
To see you again
To see you again

And I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow

I've never been more homesick than now
   
                                              - Mercy Me

A few days ago we lost a good friend and last night was his funeral. It was held at our church and the choir (of which Del was a part of) sang several songs during the service. Del lived his life in a manner that pleased the Lord and we have no doubt that he is in Heaven now.
Del fought cancer (oh, how I hate that disease!) for three years and many times he and I would talk about our mutual experiences with this dreaded disease. Del was a fighter, but more importantly, he sought his strength from an Almighty God who he trusted fully - even at the end of his life. There are lots of situations in this life that we don't understand, but to have a confidence in the Lord that combats fear and those times of uncertainty makes a huge difference in how we live our life - even when we don't know what tomorrow holds.
This song above, by Mercy Me, is one I think of often, especially when a wonderful Christian passes on. It's a homesick feeling that I can't describe to those who've not experienced Christ's saving grace and a life lived in relationship daily with Him. I enjoy my life here - my spouse, my family, my home, my friends - but there's a homesickness that rises up within me when I think of Heaven and the life that I can only imagine is waiting for me there.
Last night we celebrated the life of a wonderful man - Del. But, more than that, we celebrated the life of the ONE who gives eternal life - Jesus Christ. And it's because of Jesus that I know I'll see Del again!

Denise

A Walk With My Son

Tonight Stephen came over for dinner and later the two of us went for a walk in our neighborhood. He has just finished his first year of teaching and is looking forward to this summer. He'll be working at the church more, assisting in the Youth Dept, doing Youth Camps, and working with the new intern over the summer. He's also house-sitting/pet-sitting for his cousin next week while they vacation in Niagara Falls. He's got plans to exercise at the school gym on a regular basis over the summer, plus hang out with some of the guy teachers that are his friends. He's talked about meeting up with some buddies from his high school days and enjoying some lively discussions on theology, theatre, and life. He plans to cook more, since he'll have more time to try some new culinary dishes. He was considering auditioning for the community play this summer, but then found out the performance is the same weekend that his friends, Matt and Amanda, are getting married (Stephen is the Best Man), so he opted out of that. Maybe he'll do a little writing, too, if he has the inspiration. I enjoy reading his work - it's usually thought provoking and I always sit back, amazed, that this kid of ours can be so profound! And funny. Always funny (except when he's serious!).

I thought I'd share a card that I made last week:

Another birthday card - the paper is from DCWV and it is called Glitter Dots because it has a pretty shimmer to it.

I used some brown velvet ric-rak, along with a couple Prima flowers.

The sentiment is from Stampin Up! and is punched with the large oval punch and attached with sparkly pink brads.  Wish Big!

To get a closer look, click on the photo to enlarge.

I'm reading Karen Kingsbury's A Moment of Weakness and I'm anxious to crawl in bed tonight to read a bit before I fall asleep. Karen's work is always so inspiring and I've read nearly everything she's written (this particular book is an older one. I have read all of her series' and am now digging back through the archives to make sure I don't miss any of her work). I stayed up too late last night so I need to head to bed soon - I'm really tired!

Denise

A Rest With a View

Last evening I went out to the back yard to relax in the hammock. The weather was perfect, with a slight breeze blowing. I took a book with me. This was my view:

"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?"

                                           Psalm 8:3

 

 

 

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands."

                                       Psalm 19:1

On Friday night, on the east side of our city, there was a tremendous storm that destroyed several homes and apartment buildings. In the middle of the night, many families were displaced and had to be evacuated to shelter. Our church, which is located on this side of town (about 20 miles from where we live), became a shelter for nearly 150 people this weekend. The Red Cross coordinated this with our church and many volunteers from our congregation worked with the many distraught families to help them deal with the loss of their homes.
This morning, our worship services were a bit different. We have two very large multi-purpose rooms, which we use normally as a sanctuary and a family center (children's / teen's services are held there) on Sundays. Today the family center had cots set up where people had slept over the weekend. Our kitchen facilities were used to prepare meals. The church library became a sorting center for donated clothing to the people could get clothing to wear. The local news stations were at our facility during the weekend doing news reports and also alerting the community that donations of clothing, bedding, and toiletries items were needed. We heard tonight on the news that possibly by tomorrow the authorities would begin allowing people to return to their homes to assess the damage, recover vehicles, etc.
What a devastating time for these people! But what an opportunity for our church family to show them love, give them hope, and help them with getting their lives back to normal.
Many of the people chose to worship with us this morning in our services. And many of our congregation members excused themselves from the normal services to minister to these people where they were - rocking babies for exhausted mothers, providing a listening ear, lending a shoulder to cry on, and helping to coordinate transportation as needed. In the midst of all this devastation - God reminds us of His peace and shows us the Way to Him.

In other news, Emilee was offered a job on Friday. More details will come as she prepares and gets her schedule ironed out. We're excited for her and the opportunity that has come her way. She says this is another step toward adulthood for her! My baby is growing up!

Denise

An Apple a Day

I found some fruity paper by K & Co that is embossed and glittery. I only bought one sheet and have been using it sparingly. So here are a couple of my creations:

The stamp is from Fresh Fruit - I bought this set on Ebay about a year ago because I decided after it retired that I really liked it! Especially the apple! Yes, I'm crazy!

The sentiment is from Hero Arts. I used some of my favorite things on this card: Cuttlebug D'Vine Swirls embossing folder, wide gingham ribbon, scallop circle and PINK!

I used an apple stamp from a Stampendous clear stamp set. I'm just starting to use a few of the clear acrylic stamps - the jury is still out on my opinion of them. Wood mounted are still my best stamping pals

Recently in the stamping community there has been a lot of talk about "inchies" which are one inch squares punched with a stamped image. These are not a new revelation. When I started scrapbooking over ten years ago, Creative Memories had a collection of square and circle punches in graduated sizes and I punched, layered and stamped till my little heart's content. See, not new! But...now revived. Like welcoming back an old friend. So, I used them on this card, using the 1" punch and layering it with the 1-1/4" punch. Some more favorite gingham ribbon, rows of scallops, and pretty apples.

Enough for now!

Denise

Graduation Cards

This is the time of year for making graduation cards. We know lots of graduates this year, so there are many cards to be made. I usually try to use the school colors if I know them - it always makes the card more personal.

Last week while shopping at Michael's I was checking out the Martha Stewart punches and noticed that they were on sale (30% off!) so I thought I would get this ZigZag punch. You can't really see it unless you click on the photo to enlarge it, but the edge is embossed - the punch does that too!

The inside of this card has a pocket so that I can slip in some cash or a check or even a gift card.

I can make several in this design (inspired by Debbie Olson at Thinking Inking) - just changing the colors to fit the graduate. And the stamped image can be changed to include the graduate's name and school, too. The Snap Stamps from Karen Foster are great for creating a more personalized card because you can create words or dates. I have several different fonts of the alpha and numeric stamps. The 2008 on the above card was done with Snap Stamps, using White Craft ink.

I will be sharing more cards over the next few days. Come back to visit soon!

Denise