tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81517595009117604652024-03-05T04:03:10.731-05:00AnticipationAnnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899651237857867468noreply@blogger.comBlogger106125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151759500911760465.post-71480893881090693632012-11-30T11:27:00.003-05:002012-11-30T11:28:05.931-05:00Moving...<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">So...I've decided to move to a new blog {after a long debate with myself} that fits my point of view better...don't worry, there will still be lots of great tutorials and party ideas :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">You can start reading <a href="http://www.annathehomemaker.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">here</a> {don't judge too quickly, I'm just getting it up and running}</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I hope to see you there :) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">{all the content of this blog will remain, and I will be linking all the ideas, recipes & tutorials to my new blog.}</span><br />
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<br />Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899651237857867468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151759500911760465.post-29689509057891819062012-08-29T18:10:00.000-04:002012-08-29T18:10:01.497-04:00{pinned there, done that} Cheese Crackers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinyZI5VpRU3M67hHDwVTu6s8rvexv2qk42ketjE6kJzv2CB0ddVRXDelXvN9lnH87ZnJXqIG-5bL3fC-Ez1UUezJJlBEd72cl2is66mHiutIgkDCRvC2Nus3tBP9BxqgIHA10p9nFpB2e0/s1600/pinnedthere.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinyZI5VpRU3M67hHDwVTu6s8rvexv2qk42ketjE6kJzv2CB0ddVRXDelXvN9lnH87ZnJXqIG-5bL3fC-Ez1UUezJJlBEd72cl2is66mHiutIgkDCRvC2Nus3tBP9BxqgIHA10p9nFpB2e0/s1600/pinnedthere.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">aka...Cheez Its...my oldest INHALES them, he would easily eat an entire box in a sitting if he could get away with it. So I decided to try out this <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/198088083581040917/" target="_blank">pin</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The dough came together easy enough, here are some tips...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> *in the recipe it says to "pulse" the mixture in the food processor for about 2 minutes...don't pulse, just let it run. You'll know exactly when the dough comes together, it starts out crumbly then suddenly it's a formed dough.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">*I don't like to roll things out using plastic wrap, so I rolled them right on a lightly floured counter and used a small off-set spatula to move them to the cookie sheet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">*you can place the crackers close together, the recipe says 1/2 an inch apart...and 1/8 of an inch is just fine. mine were almost exactly the same size around, just puffier.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">*Cook closer to the 10 minute mark (or a bit longer). I took the first batch out a little too early, they were done & lightly browned, but the second batch I let go a little longer & they had more of the great nutty, toasty, cheesy flavor that you associate with cheese crackers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">*I used the wrong size of an extra large pastry tip to cut out my crackers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The reviews? I liked them, they are a little tedious to make, and I'm not quite sure they are worth the effort on a regular basis. They would be great as part of a gift basket. My oldest son said they could be "cheesier", but liked them. Give them a try...let me know what you think :)</span></div>
Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899651237857867468noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151759500911760465.post-46012520146944417312012-08-17T13:03:00.003-04:002012-08-17T13:04:05.752-04:00{pinned there, done that} DIY Fabric Refresher<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinyZI5VpRU3M67hHDwVTu6s8rvexv2qk42ketjE6kJzv2CB0ddVRXDelXvN9lnH87ZnJXqIG-5bL3fC-Ez1UUezJJlBEd72cl2is66mHiutIgkDCRvC2Nus3tBP9BxqgIHA10p9nFpB2e0/s1600/pinnedthere.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinyZI5VpRU3M67hHDwVTu6s8rvexv2qk42ketjE6kJzv2CB0ddVRXDelXvN9lnH87ZnJXqIG-5bL3fC-Ez1UUezJJlBEd72cl2is66mHiutIgkDCRvC2Nus3tBP9BxqgIHA10p9nFpB2e0/s1600/pinnedthere.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Lately I've been trying a lot of homemade cleaning supplies, not only does it save money, but I can't stand the choking chemical smells of most cleaners {plus they have to be healthier, right?}</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">This week I tried out this <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/198088083580934936/" target="_blank">pin</a> & made my own fabric refresher... aka "febreeze"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">So far, it's worked. The kids said it smelled great. My 7 year old went on to say that it is "was very refreshment"....hahahaha...I love little kids. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Mine wasn't as strong as what you find at the store--which I don't mind at all--but it probably depends on the size of squirt bottle you use. Shake it well to dissolve the baking soda (you may need to do this before each use). And 2 tablespoons = 1/8 cup...don't get another dish dirty to measure the fabric softener :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/craftlady/" target="_blank">See what else I've pinned :)</a></span></div>
Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899651237857867468noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151759500911760465.post-78517516514949389782012-08-10T11:07:00.001-04:002012-08-25T18:26:21.394-04:00{pinned there, done that} English muffin bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinyZI5VpRU3M67hHDwVTu6s8rvexv2qk42ketjE6kJzv2CB0ddVRXDelXvN9lnH87ZnJXqIG-5bL3fC-Ez1UUezJJlBEd72cl2is66mHiutIgkDCRvC2Nus3tBP9BxqgIHA10p9nFpB2e0/s1600/pinnedthere.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinyZI5VpRU3M67hHDwVTu6s8rvexv2qk42ketjE6kJzv2CB0ddVRXDelXvN9lnH87ZnJXqIG-5bL3fC-Ez1UUezJJlBEd72cl2is66mHiutIgkDCRvC2Nus3tBP9BxqgIHA10p9nFpB2e0/s1600/pinnedthere.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Have you ever scrolled through Pinterest, pinning pin after pin, but really wondering "hmmm, does that really work?" or "can that really taste as good as it looks?" (or does it taste better than it looks...some of the food out there looks horrible)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">So I've decided to run a new blog feature...weekly I'll test out something new that I've found on Pintrest...and tell you how they really work out, if they need any tweaks, or if you should just plain stay away :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">First up--this recipe for <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/198088083579816238/" target="_blank">English Muffin Bread</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The grade? an easy A</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The recipe was very easy to follow, and came together very quickly. The hardest part was getting the batter evenly into the two pans...it's texture is a cross between a quick bread and yeast bread, it's pretty sticky(which really wasn't that big of a deal). Mine raised faster than the recipe said it would, although it is summer in southern Maryland :) It's easy enough that you could quickly put together a batch the night before for breakfast the next morning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The entire family loved it. It has all the 'nooks and crannies' a good english muffin should have and a little bit of a chewy texture (which I love). It slices very well (no crumbly mess left in the process) and is fantastic toasted with butter and jam or for a fried egg sandwich.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">So give it a try...I'll think you'll enjoy :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">{you can follow my boards on pinterest <a href="http://pinterest.com/craftlady/" target="_blank">here</a>}</span></div>
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Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899651237857867468noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151759500911760465.post-66425540516153099352012-08-08T13:40:00.001-04:002012-08-08T13:46:43.701-04:00Minty Brownie Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">My kids love the edge pieces from a pan of </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">brownies</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">...with these cookies everyone gets what they want, every cookie is the perfect balance of a </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">fudgy</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> center and crispy edge. Be sure to enjoy with a glass of milk :) {not a fan of mint? try chopped nuts, caramel bits, or just more chocolate...white or dark...instead}</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">12 ounces (2 cups) semisweet chocolate chips</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped {see note below}</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">1 cup chocolate-mint baking bits </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">{look for 'Andes' in the baking aisle}</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">{I NEVER have unsweetened chocolate on hand, so here's what I do...per ounce of chocolate mix together 3 TB of unsweetened cocoa powder with 1 TB oil, add to recipe as directed}</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">In a double boiler {or a glass bowl fitted over a pan of simmering water} heat 1 cup of the chocolate chips, unsweetened chocolate and butter until melted, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes until edges are firm and surfaces are dull and crackled {they look just like brownies}. Cool on a wire rack. Makes about 36 cookies.</span><br />
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<a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fanticipationcards.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F08%2Fminty-brownie-cookies.html&media=http%3A%2F%2Fi707.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fww73%2Fpemberleyrocks%2FIMG_0073.jpg&description=Minty%20Brownie%20Cookies"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899651237857867468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151759500911760465.post-43706829176168647792012-08-07T20:44:00.004-04:002012-08-20T12:06:28.855-04:00A First Birthday!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Little Ollie just turned one! We invited friends over for extra-special ice cream sundaes and cake to celebrate. The decorations were bright and colorful & the company was fantastic! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">See the invitations <a href="http://anticipationcards.blogspot.com/2012/08/colorful-bunting-birthday-invitations.html" target="_blank">here</a> :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The decorations were simple, but with lots of impact. Colorful buntings were hung overhead. A back drop of pictures from Ollie's first year all matted in black, were there for some reminiscing while fixing your sundaes and a banner with his name, later to be hung above his crib.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">There were cute, crisp sugar cookie bowls to build your sundae in (tutorial coming soon). Homemade ice cream sauces (<a href="http://www.pinkpeppers.com/2012/06/14/summertime-sundae-sauces/" target="_blank">Chocolate, Marshmallow</a>, <a href="http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2011/01/divine-caramel-sauce.html" target="_blank">Caramel</a>, Strawberry & <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/343512/peanut-butter-sauce" target="_blank">Peanut butter</a>) along with a variety of sprinkles were served from mason jars. With homemade</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">whipped cream & crispy cinnamon sugar tortillas for toppings.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_0431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_0431.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The cake was cute (albeit a little wonky...I'm still working on my cakes) with brightly colored marshmallow fondant stripes & topped with 3 little flags. And after a tentative taste of frosting Ollie had no problems diving in :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Happy Birthday Ollie!</span></div>
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<a href="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_0459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_0459.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>How to make:</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><u>Strawberry Sauce</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Place one bag sliced frozen strawberries in a small sauce pan, add a little water (just a tablespoon or two) and sugar to taste (up to a half a cup). Heat over medium heat, after the strawberries have thawed use an immersion blender (or regular blender & then return to pan) to puree the strawberries into a smooth sauce. Heat to boiling over medium high heat and boil until it reaches 220 degrees (jelly stage) on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and allow to cool. When cool transfer to a canning jar, store in the refrigerator.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Enjoy!</span></div>
<a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fanticipationcards.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F08%2Fa-first-birthday.html&media=http%3A%2F%2Fi707.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fww73%2Fpemberleyrocks%2FIMG_0427.jpg&description=Super%20cute%20first%20birthday%20party%20idea%20%2B%20strawberry%20ice%20cream%20sauce%20recipe"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899651237857867468noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151759500911760465.post-27129976568304538782012-08-07T20:13:00.000-04:002012-08-08T13:48:37.575-04:00Colorful Bunting Birthday Invitations<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Here's a super cute (and super simple) birthday party invitation idea...that just happens to be what I sent out for Ollie's first birthday party...</span><br />
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<a href="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_0394-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_0394-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Here's what you need:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">heavy white card stock (I like 110 lb for cards)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">colored card stock, I used one color per letter in his name</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">sewing machine and thread</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">ink</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">letter rubber stamps</span><br />
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<a href="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_0384.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_0384.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">1. Cut your white card stock to measure 4.25 x 5.5 inches. Fold in half. Cut out strips of colored card stock to be 1 x 1.5 inches, cut out a notch from the bottom to form the flag. {be sure to make enough for all the invitations you plan on sending out}. I printed out party info in a cute font onto the white card stock before cutting and folding. Play with your margins to get it right (and print out a proof just to make sure)</span><br />
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<a href="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_0385-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_0385-2.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2. Arrange your flags & adhere them with a little glue or double sided tape. Make sure you only use the adhesive near the BOTTOM of each flag...you don't want to gum up your sewing machine with the </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">stickiness</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> :) I had my end flags hang over the edge just a bit, then trimmed them even with the side of the card.</span><br />
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<a href="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_0387-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_0387-1.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">3. Stamp a single letter on each flag to spell out the name. And then below the bunting stamp: "Turns 1"...or any message that you like really :)</span><br />
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<a href="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_0391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_0391.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">4. Carefully (and slowly) stitch along the top of the flags to finish the bunting look. Be sure to back-stitch to secure your stitching. I cut the ends to about 1/3 inch or so, to look like ties for the bunting. Using a contrasting thread (I used blue) helps it to stand out.</span><br />
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<a href="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_0393-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_0393-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">It's as simple as that :)</span></div>
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<a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fanticipationcards.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F08%2Fcolorful-bunting-birthday-invitations.html&media=http%3A%2F%2Fi707.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fww73%2Fpemberleyrocks%2FIMG_0394-1.jpg&description=Colorful%20Bunting%20Birthday%20Invitation%20tutorial...Cute!"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899651237857867468noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151759500911760465.post-37303823227467913222012-07-23T10:34:00.000-04:002012-07-23T10:38:09.039-04:00Video Game Party {the cake}<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><a href="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_2390.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_2390.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I'm not a super-fancy cake decorator, but I do my best :) I like to get as much impact out of it as I can without a massive headache. Here's what I came up with for C's </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.anticipationcards.blogspot.com/2012/06/video-game-birthday-party.html" target="_blank">Nintendo Birthday Party</a>.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_2371.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_2371.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_2372.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_2372.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">For this cake you need:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2 round cake layers, a nice rounded one for the top</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Frosting of your choice</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.anticipationcards.blogspot.com/2011/10/spooky.html" target="_blank">Marshmallow Fondant</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Chocolate Chips (opt)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Classic-flat bottom cake ice cream cones</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Action figures :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1. Frost your cake as you normally would :) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2. Fondant...follow the directions on the link {scroll down for the recipe} Add food coloring to get the desired effect. I actually melted a handful mini chocolate chips into the marshmallow/water mixture before adding the powdered sugar for the brown fondant...I was in a bind and it worked great...tasted pretty good too. Brown food coloring will work just as well:)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> Roll out a thin strip of brown fondant that is slightly larger then the height of your cake {so the green will overlap}. Wrap around your cake and gently press to hold. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Next roll out a thin circle of green fondant, again a little bigger than the diameter of your cake. Carefully apply to the top of your cake. Use scissors to cut away excess to form the "grass" top.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">3. For the pipes, trim classic cake ice cream cones to fit your cake {see above pictures}. Use a serrated knife and saw back and forth to keep from breaking your cones {it's good to have a few extra on hand}. To wrap in fondant, wet the cone VERY LITTLE to help the fondant stick, then mold the fondant around the cone. Use toothpicks or skewers through the center of the cones to hold the "pipes" in place.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">4. Last, place your figures...the ones I used had a base that fit the open cones perfectly. And add candles at the last minute :)</span></div>
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<a href="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_2390.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"></span></a></div>
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<a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fanticipationcards.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F07%2Fvideo-game-party-cake.html&media=http%3A%2F%2Fi707.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fww73%2Fpemberleyrocks%2FIMG_2371.jpg&description=Mario%20Bros.%20Birthday%20Cake%20Tutorial"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899651237857867468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151759500911760465.post-35344362125221164172012-07-05T15:50:00.002-04:002012-07-05T15:55:54.985-04:00Video Game Party {the favors}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<a href="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_2377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_2377.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">What could be better than taking home your party loot in true Mario Bros. style? These "question mark block" boxes were a big hit at C's party. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Here's how to make your own....</span><br />
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<a href="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_0270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_0270.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">You will need:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">>4 x 4 x 4-inch plain white boxes (mug size...look for them near the gift bags at your local craft stores...aka Michael's, they come flat so you will have to assemble them)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">>Bright yellow card stock, cut into 5 3/4-inch squares, you will need 5 squares per box, so plan accordingly</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">>White card stock, cut into question marks. You will need 5 question marks per box also...this is a little time consuming, but the end product is worth it! I used this to make a <a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=2016&bih=1122&tbm=isch&tbnid=1SWNRTn9IfpBZM:&imgrefurl=http://mario.wikia.com/wiki/File:Nsmb-mystery-block.jpg&docid=HTAwTkGJb_YCAM&imgurl=http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080320055049/mario/images/archive/b/bd/20100210213551!Nsmb-mystery-block.jpg&w=1400&h=1400&ei=Qe31T9HuOqfc6wHP_IjgBg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=375&vpy=187&dur=1920&hovh=224&hovw=224&tx=136&ty=145&sig=111886207155728757481&page=1&tbnh=171&tbnw=175&start=0&ndsp=61&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0,i:119" target="_blank">template</a>...you will need to re-size your question mark to fit your boxes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">>Black marker</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Assembly is simple, after your pieces are cut out, affix your question mark in the center of each yellow square. Then a yellow square to each side (except the bottom) of your assembled boxes. Carefully draw a black dot in each corner. And you're ready to go!</span><br />
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<a href="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_0265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_0265.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">FYI....individually wrapped Rolo candies make great Mario Bros. "coins". We found lots of favor filler options <a href="http://www.partycity.com/search.do?query=ninetendo&category=99%26cent%3B+Party+Favors&pp=60&sortby=bestMatchesDescend&sortType=1" target="_blank">here</a> (and at a reasonable price :)</span>
<a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fanticipationcards.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F07%2Fvideo-game-party-favors.html&media=http%3A%2F%2Fi707.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fww73%2Fpemberleyrocks%2FIMG_2377.jpg&description=Question%20Mark%20Box%20Favor%20Tutorial"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899651237857867468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151759500911760465.post-61549882434281968792012-06-21T16:00:00.002-04:002012-06-21T16:01:51.797-04:00Summer Style<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I love to decorate seasonally. Summer, to me, should be light and fun with lots of color and a touch of vintage. Here are some of my favorites from some great shops on <a href="http://www.etsy.com/treasury/OTk5ODE2OXwyNzIwNDEyMTA1/summer-decorating">Etsy</a>....</span><br />
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<a href="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/summerdecorating-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="595" src="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/summerdecorating-2.jpg" width="540" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1. Fantastic candlesticks from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/100150888/raspberry-pink-wood-candle-holder-set-of?ref=tre-2720412105-1" target="_blank">Gleaming Renditions</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2. Document your summer travels on this chalk board map by <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/69802590/chalkboard-united-states-map-larger-size?ref=tre-2720412105-2" target="_blank">Dirtsa Studio</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">3. Beautiful bowls by <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/98257383/wooden-mini-bowl-set-of-two-cloud-white?ref=tre-2720412105-3" target="_blank">Wind and Willow Home</a> perfect for entertaining this summer</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">4. Who doesn't like chevron stripes? by <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/101587833/colorful-chevron-pencil-box?ref=tre-2720412105-4" target="_blank">MMIM</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">5. An easy seasonal change...recover your pillows! by <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/100225828/18-square-cushion-cover-laura-ashley?ref=tre-2720412105-5" target="_blank">MoGirl Designs</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">6. These chocolate filled candy seashells go beyond "too pretty to eat" (this shop is AMAZING) <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/73528457/edible-chocolate-filled-candy-seashells?ref=tre-2720412105-6" target="_blank">Andie's Specialty Sweets</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">7. Charming vintage-look coasters by <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/94059443/ceramic-coasters-vintage-flower-garden?ref=tre-2720412105-7" target="_blank">Mayagencic</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">8. Loving this hanging, almost nautical candle holder by <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/97587864/hanging-candel-holder-hanging-vase?ref=tre-2720412105-8" target="_blank">lesliepapafox</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">9. Beautiful quilt to add a little color to your room by <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/97784936/quilt-summer-calico-prints-pinwheels?ref=tre-2720412105-9" target="_blank">Aunti JoJo's</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">10. Perfect vintage napkins for your summer party or picnic at <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/96160366/linen-picnic-napkins-mad-men-summer?ref=tre-2720412105-10" target="_blank">Cool Vintage Finds</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">11. Display your summer memories and photos on this indoor clothesline kit by <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/82342677/clothesline-kit-indoor-clothespins?ref=tre-2720412105-11" target="_blank">Heart and Handmade 2</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">12. Great for a picnic, even better for creative storage...basket by <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/100595744/vintage-painted-basket-in-blood-orange?ref=tre-2720412105-12" target="_blank">Dew Drop Daisies</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">13. Succulents, maybe the only plant I can keep alive...this one from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/101501849/rosularia-sedoides-potted-succulent?ref=tre-2720412105-13" target="_blank">So Succulent</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">14. A fun and colorful print by<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/102535312/happy-place-geometric-print-vintage-word?ref=tre-2720412105-14" target="_blank"> Happee Monkey</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">15. Sometimes (a lot of the time) I choose books just by color...make your bookcases beautiful with this instant collection of vintage books from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/101088213/instant-collection-in-shades-of-summer?ref=tre-2720412105-15" target="_blank">Hampton House Vintage</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">16. Perfectly summery wreath by <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/97593360/summer-flower-wreath-yarn-and-felt?ref=tre-2720412105-16" target="_blank">The Baker's Daughter</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">{I receive no compensation for items featured on my blog, I just like what I see}</span></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899651237857867468noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151759500911760465.post-24248616623348174672012-06-20T16:17:00.001-04:002012-06-20T16:19:18.372-04:00Video Game Party {the decorations}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_2364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_2364.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="background-color: white;">I chose to do one focus wall, with lots of impact for this party. The mural was really quite easy to put together & I was super happy with the results. {watch for the next post on how to make the ? mark block favor boxes}</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">First off I made a sketch, I wanted a general idea of how I wanted it to look on the wall. A few changes were made here and there, but it's always good to start out with a plan :)</span></div>
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After I hung the blue paper up on the wall, I just started adding the elements.</div>
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The pipes are cut from green wrapping paper (just use a large ruler to measure & get your lines straight...a clear quilting ruler works great here). </div>
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The clouds, grass clumps, coins and fire-power plant are free form shapes cut from card stock...as are the blocks (simple squares, with either a question mark...see favor box tutorial...or hand drawn lines to form bricks)<span style="background-color: white;">. </span></div>
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For the Piranha plants & bomb, I used images from online and made a simple template, layering colors to get the right effect.</div>
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I cheated with the Mario, Goomba, and Turtle, just printing off coloring pages to size, coloring them in & cutting them out.</div>
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<a href="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_2362.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_2362.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The "Happy Birthday!!!" took a bit more time, but I think it is well worth it. First I printed off the message in <a href="http://fontzone.net/font-details/Unibody+8/" target="_blank">Unibody 8</a> to use as a "map". I then taped 1 inch black squares {electrical tape would work great here) above the mural to form the words. After getting the first few letters done, it was easy going.</div>
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<a href="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_2367.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_2367.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I always use my kids to judge my ideas/projects and this one got a big AWE-some!!! {which really makes it all worth it}</div>
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fanticipationcards.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F06%2Fvideo-game-party-decorations.html&media=http%3A%2F%2Fi707.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fww73%2Fpemberleyrocks%2FIMG_2364.jpg&description=Video%20Game%20Party%20Decorations" class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899651237857867468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151759500911760465.post-31203818204161837652012-06-13T14:47:00.000-04:002012-06-13T14:55:34.452-04:00Video Game Party {the invitations}<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><br />
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<a href="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_2265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_2265.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">For this party, I decided to make a classic, old school Nintendo Controller...it's the perfect shape for an invitation:)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">This is a small invite, only 6.25 x 3.5 inches, that fits into a standard letter envelope. It's simply layered card stock, with a little black hand outlining in the center. A template for you to use is below, click on the link to download or print <span style="font-size: x-small;">{for non-commercial use only please!}</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I printed my party info inside each card before assembly (remember to adjust your margins & print out a draft to make sure it all lines up right). You can just as easily write or stamp the party info on the inside. I used this great (free) video-game looking font: <a href="http://fontzone.net/font-details/Unibody+8/" target="_blank">Unibody 8</a> </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/96986271/Invitation-Template" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Invitation Template on Scribd">Invitation Template</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_56087" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/96986271/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-w1t8b5ejcg5ov1hbvmc" width="400"></iframe>
<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/96986329/Inviation-Layout" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Inviation Layout on Scribd">Inviation Layout</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_30529" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/96986329/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-1yffntgf520gzghz8xku" width="400"></iframe><br />
<a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fanticipationcards.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F06%2Fvideo-game-party-invitations.html&media=http%3A%2F%2Fi707.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fww73%2Fpemberleyrocks%2FIMG_2265.jpg&description=Classic%20Nintendo%20Birthday%20Invitation"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899651237857867468noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151759500911760465.post-47924144420491665702012-06-13T14:45:00.001-04:002012-07-23T10:36:22.547-04:00Video Game Birthday Party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_2367.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww73/pemberleyrocks/IMG_2367.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">My 12 year old is a console gamer. Loves them...if he had a choice he would play them all summer long--not going to happen :). So when it came time to choose a birthday party theme the choice was clear, a Nintendo/Mario Bros. themed party was all he could ask for. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">In the next few posts, you'll see how it all came together...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://anticipationcards.blogspot.com/2012/06/video-game-party-invitations.html" target="_blank">The Invitations</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://anticipationcards.blogspot.com/2012/06/video-game-party-decorations.html" target="_blank">The Decorations</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://anticipationcards.blogspot.com/2012/07/video-game-party-favors.html" target="_blank">The Favors</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://anticipationcards.blogspot.com/2012/07/video-game-party-cake.html" target="_blank">The Cake</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">To celebrate hitting our 400th 'like' on Facebook I'm offering FREE SHIPPING at <a href="http://anticipationcards.etsy.com/" target="_blank">Anticipation Cards</a> to celebrate!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">(coupon good until 9:00 a.m. est 5-8-12)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Thank you!</span></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899651237857867468noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151759500911760465.post-60169900709432401462012-04-26T14:22:00.000-04:002012-04-27T16:19:24.079-04:00Nutella and Banana Mini Hand Pies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">This is one of our family's favorite flavor combinations (try a small scoop...a teaspoon or so...of Nutella with sliced bananas in your hot cereal...yum), so for a quick desert on night I made these. Needless to say, they were a big hit...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Ingredients:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Pie crusts-from your favorite recipe, or the dairy section of your super market :)...we used pre-made this time to make it a little easier.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Finely diced banana, one banana was plenty for us</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1 egg beaten with a little water (egg wash)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1. Cut circles from your pie crust. It's best to do this assembly line style, so cut out all the circles you can. We used a 3-inch scalloped biscuit cutter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2. Place a small dollop (scant teaspoon) Nutella and a few pieces of banana on one half of the circle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">3. Brush edges with egg wash, fold the opposite half of the circle over the filling and press to close. Use the tines of a fork to press around the outside edge to seal it a bit more.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">4. Heat oil to 350 degrees. Fry pies a few at a time until golden brown...only a minute or two per side--watch them they cook up quick. Remove to a paper towel to soak up excess oil.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">If you prefer a quicker (and healthier) option, bake in a 350 oven until golden brown. Allow to cool a few minutes (filling will be HOT) and enjoy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899651237857867468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151759500911760465.post-49751052457355267802012-04-13T11:11:00.000-04:002012-04-13T11:11:49.746-04:00it's a GIVEAWAY!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Looking to win some great products? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Lila at <a href="http://lphotography-wy.blogspot.com/">L Photography</a> is having a HUGE giveaway celebrating her 1000 Facebook fan!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">And both Anticipation Cards & See Anna Sew are participating :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Visit her blog <a href="http://lphotography-wy.blogspot.com/">here</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">or </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Her Facebook Page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/L-Photography/130044154905" target="_blank">here</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Make sure to take a look at her <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/L-Photography/130044154905?ref=ts&sk=photos" target="_blank">photos</a>--she does an awesome job!</span></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899651237857867468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151759500911760465.post-81602556154399180592012-04-09T15:03:00.001-04:002012-04-09T15:05:21.121-04:00The 5 Days of Spring Break {day 5. finger crochet}<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5O_8E4vMytJf-p7CTIyYt010W9cSMneSTSp2pbqevQDnslmjbiceQ1xlfwtbqZLWClfJNuLW-V1v4ZWUSuY-dvhtPH3jsiWLvG_TrHARsFVcT0sj_vMzl8SRcqagjoiSjdIzRu7xH_VsZ/s1600/IMG_2133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5O_8E4vMytJf-p7CTIyYt010W9cSMneSTSp2pbqevQDnslmjbiceQ1xlfwtbqZLWClfJNuLW-V1v4ZWUSuY-dvhtPH3jsiWLvG_TrHARsFVcT0sj_vMzl8SRcqagjoiSjdIzRu7xH_VsZ/s320/IMG_2133.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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..<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">.or maybe you call it finger knitting...either way it's an easy (and addicting) way to keep little hands busy. Would be great for a long car ride too. Here's what to do...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1. tie a loop of yarn around your index finger.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkM1XzWgLgB6oDilfVi7OBJpYUgMiPRj4OpPjw6I-rzFdzxLbB_IwVSKrwTz77RKv-g0WqmRXx1fZij6otW-wQk_hbz_0PeTRjyuF_oK5_YhU1FaSRn41UexN4dNravC9aglOitKIFH2ks/s1600/IMG_2127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkM1XzWgLgB6oDilfVi7OBJpYUgMiPRj4OpPjw6I-rzFdzxLbB_IwVSKrwTz77RKv-g0WqmRXx1fZij6otW-wQk_hbz_0PeTRjyuF_oK5_YhU1FaSRn41UexN4dNravC9aglOitKIFH2ks/s320/IMG_2127.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2. Weave yarn over and under each finger to your pinky then back to your index finger.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqLtJVA2XjHt_LtbmpoHH3gvJQ45-STuYvANyxBYF7Cl0uR1lJPZmugWJqFC1mGXVx6WbglyuEvATlkgYHztdQI9IA5Jp5DVWWNOVaGUDtZCgB95EMiheNFxJAVvziE9pP2xYUE_fDXnQo/s1600/IMG_2129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqLtJVA2XjHt_LtbmpoHH3gvJQ45-STuYvANyxBYF7Cl0uR1lJPZmugWJqFC1mGXVx6WbglyuEvATlkgYHztdQI9IA5Jp5DVWWNOVaGUDtZCgB95EMiheNFxJAVvziE9pP2xYUE_fDXnQo/s320/IMG_2129.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3msWCUgqq0HzxDD3-06t0rTjexOmG9b_yywbae68znNeQplpYEEKmAktlBu6TTbImJt5jX8SapqTyYPQIUMl9sZMbvSjqm2AvoubJplt-JBuIH4IpPocwfpmG7GynSxFLxnBT8qBUgDhT/s1600/IMG_2130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3msWCUgqq0HzxDD3-06t0rTjexOmG9b_yywbae68znNeQplpYEEKmAktlBu6TTbImJt5jX8SapqTyYPQIUMl9sZMbvSjqm2AvoubJplt-JBuIH4IpPocwfpmG7GynSxFLxnBT8qBUgDhT/s320/IMG_2130.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">3. Lay yarn across your fingers above the looped yarn.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">4. Pull each loop up and over the top yarn then over the finger tip. Repeat for each finger.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8nCqZcqla7VHvNq2C-_jStKqUuxIydIZBLpxLrjnCWniBXbj2TDeDqkiijR447z1qq-Nz3vIMp-gJxImCECfJzKWD9ns-hyooj-6ZVGLxFa0aqPcznwRCjDcmbXG9XDnpNoxeVZjUm1g4/s1600/IMG_2118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8nCqZcqla7VHvNq2C-_jStKqUuxIydIZBLpxLrjnCWniBXbj2TDeDqkiijR447z1qq-Nz3vIMp-gJxImCECfJzKWD9ns-hyooj-6ZVGLxFa0aqPcznwRCjDcmbXG9XDnpNoxeVZjUm1g4/s320/IMG_2118.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">5. Going the opposite way, lay yarn over fingers as in step 3.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">6. Repeat steps 3-5 until you get the length you're looking for. {If you need a break, carefully slide yarn off fingers and onto a pencil for easy keeping without unraveling your work}</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzE2siwLxph-G2KMwcOQEuNgMtl4X-RVG82GAuxXqZjhxyPqcBt1UDcQtqYIB-Ewy0ws0Y4ldF5b2DBeBoFDTB_Tb_KFivPPbWruaTN2JiCugBpsgMNGsNlnZQVNGUriOeHUXXlGpFEml/s1600/IMG_2116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzE2siwLxph-G2KMwcOQEuNgMtl4X-RVG82GAuxXqZjhxyPqcBt1UDcQtqYIB-Ewy0ws0Y4ldF5b2DBeBoFDTB_Tb_KFivPPbWruaTN2JiCugBpsgMNGsNlnZQVNGUriOeHUXXlGpFEml/s320/IMG_2116.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">7. To finish, cut yarn then thread the loose end through each loop {we found it easiest to put loops onto the pencil then thread yarn through}. Pull string tight and knot the end.</span><br />
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<a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fanticipationcards.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F04%2F5-days-of-spring-break-day-5-finger.html&media=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-zkkm1W0aciI%2FT4MwkYm0CEI%2FAAAAAAAADD8%2F3NiTr0t8E5E%2Fs320%2FIMG_2133.JPG&description=How%20to%20finger%20crochet"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899651237857867468noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151759500911760465.post-71062745542730707432012-04-05T14:47:00.003-04:002012-04-05T14:49:46.902-04:00The 5 Days of Spring Break {day 4. basic watercolors}<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">What kid doesn't love to paint? I know mine do & watercolors are a perfect medium to work with. Not only do they clean up easily & are inexpensive, it's easy to try different techniques.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9yo2Q4pet_N313yxQYQeItoYuwD63KWeu3dsDWEHLnxq1Juyj45WFqWscb9mkfBhKyc0IagUvfPuo7oLcSSqj3b_eX-mcA8xjsyn9Rgu2iB9uH7Owc4uQSaSj82o3l21h4aeL9AVZ8VGr/s1600/IMG_2026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9yo2Q4pet_N313yxQYQeItoYuwD63KWeu3dsDWEHLnxq1Juyj45WFqWscb9mkfBhKyc0IagUvfPuo7oLcSSqj3b_eX-mcA8xjsyn9Rgu2iB9uH7Owc4uQSaSj82o3l21h4aeL9AVZ8VGr/s200/IMG_2026.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xj9bCGrwy4UMbw_CRqdtDIhxaOWsBNW8HfbwHVjKZwvx8UNvpROXL11rVND_PYPmR__5kQFplSRWvJmaMi5ufNgfMo-VsQeeYZT8ac8X6TmL9X5B8CcHJO47b2fYX70CbCqJlj7aMAYN/s1600/IMG_2027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xj9bCGrwy4UMbw_CRqdtDIhxaOWsBNW8HfbwHVjKZwvx8UNvpROXL11rVND_PYPmR__5kQFplSRWvJmaMi5ufNgfMo-VsQeeYZT8ac8X6TmL9X5B8CcHJO47b2fYX70CbCqJlj7aMAYN/s200/IMG_2027.JPG" width="150" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Here are a few basics...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1. Tape your paper down {masking tape works best to keep your art intact}. When you use water colors the paper tends to curl up, make sure you tape all the edges down to keep that from happening . Use watercolor paper or paper made for paint and markers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2. Lightly wet the entire surface of the paper. This will help your water colors "flow". Use a good amount of water when painting, water colors are not meant to be bright and bold. Make a mistake, simply dilute it with a little water & paint over it...just be sure to not use so much water that your paper begins to tear. Less water = brighter colors, more water = lighter colors.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">3. Watercolors are a great way to practice mixing colors. Paint stripes of two different colors near to one another, see what happens when they meet & the colors begin to blend together. Go beyond the basics of red & yellow make orange...or blue and yellow make green. Experiment with your colors!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">4. Use salt. This is a fun and easy technique that kids love to watch. While the paint is still wet, sprinkle with salt. Try different types with varying coarseness. Allow your paint to dry completely, then brush the salt off. We used table and kosher salt...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">5. "Secret messages"...as my 7 year old dubbed them. Use a white crayon to write a message or draw a design before wetting the paper. The crayon will repel the paint. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ2FV7SbJB9jSAiscFzyqpG0qBexeT-19hPFnn5SRTdqMafYxn2vp96o7FRhda86gBOuWVWXUHEaHMMlSUnjrVGSI2uMmYyoQ-J_0xckSL-clyF0pQ90ZHKrlEGerPfqByJRhhEvaQGPA2/s1600/IMG_2032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ2FV7SbJB9jSAiscFzyqpG0qBexeT-19hPFnn5SRTdqMafYxn2vp96o7FRhda86gBOuWVWXUHEaHMMlSUnjrVGSI2uMmYyoQ-J_0xckSL-clyF0pQ90ZHKrlEGerPfqByJRhhEvaQGPA2/s320/IMG_2032.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">6. Try blowing the paint around with straw...or use a sponge after painting to pick up color & leave a design. Be creative, water colors are very forgiving :)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX6E6TbUUmugIneWYX0nGlPSd8Li45RUulZKiVlTu5nIKGURYGo9s7u99Dt31UFNFKJAfXBfRAezXnCJwbK0g9CCQGLfMtOUMDuZmuDDyMBoWanOe1G7c4TElHR4XQxA0nh2KgyzLg-NJ0/s1600/IMG_2035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX6E6TbUUmugIneWYX0nGlPSd8Li45RUulZKiVlTu5nIKGURYGo9s7u99Dt31UFNFKJAfXBfRAezXnCJwbK0g9CCQGLfMtOUMDuZmuDDyMBoWanOe1G7c4TElHR4XQxA0nh2KgyzLg-NJ0/s320/IMG_2035.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> **watch for an upcoming tutorial on how to make your own gallery wall-- just like mine. It's a perfect place to post all your kids' art work**</span></div>
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<a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fanticipationcards.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F04%2F5-days-of-spring-break-day-4-basic.html&media=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-DVGfJYutnS4%2FT33nv1O4vYI%2FAAAAAAAADB8%2FTlGsW5g2hmM%2Fs200%2FIMG_2026.JPG&description=basic%20watercolors"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899651237857867468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151759500911760465.post-23977465337106596072012-04-04T14:45:00.000-04:002012-04-05T13:16:16.385-04:00The 5 Days of Spring Break {day 3. popsicle stick bracelets}<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">H and I had a great time making these bracelets together. These are the perfect size for her {she's going on 10}, and if I can find some craft sticks big enough, I'll be making some for me too :)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsdbis4cWca5e8NhnkenP4pincBT2TYH39lCzXmbtVtpW0AhmGAyl1IBAzspNYZpa7SXobvfswDzYV7D1XHbBys1unfktUY4Cuy-cBvwT9wLH6mIWokBRcNSN24uabeFtxHI7D4Hs7f0c_/s1600/IMG_1983.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsdbis4cWca5e8NhnkenP4pincBT2TYH39lCzXmbtVtpW0AhmGAyl1IBAzspNYZpa7SXobvfswDzYV7D1XHbBys1unfktUY4Cuy-cBvwT9wLH6mIWokBRcNSN24uabeFtxHI7D4Hs7f0c_/s320/IMG_1983.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I've seen some tutorials around to make these using a drinking glass to mold them. Honestly, it didn't work out so great for me. One, I don't have drinking glasses that small, or that have straight sides. Two, I had a problem with them not staying put & popping out. I really wanted to make these with H, so I set out to find the best way & after a couple attempts, here is what I came up with:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX251ToFXO0hYkgX8pUtVC0f_0UTJkzgvUzlcqIWD7UT5WqR3gUhWNTXXyBgAERlTAnmmwWlc8nB5nlGqJLjlVjDivQZpZ0axJZqZRvYABmbY1VrEvuiq1hfRfLUUFuTXUqigPxNvRxhrY/s1600/IMG_1990.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX251ToFXO0hYkgX8pUtVC0f_0UTJkzgvUzlcqIWD7UT5WqR3gUhWNTXXyBgAERlTAnmmwWlc8nB5nlGqJLjlVjDivQZpZ0axJZqZRvYABmbY1VrEvuiq1hfRfLUUFuTXUqigPxNvRxhrY/s320/IMG_1990.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Supplies:</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRbRsF2a8za7ZbB-s7vP47mMaa8aIdgq5R-K6yCw7tJyPaZfo649zI0lLGwyJo2tf4u9md0gy0fUgRTMVP9EX6buGNnp5l0j2m5n_bkLuc1dmQPgGNXcxMCA4YkFu9EmXqKV5dhh0gy8qY/s1600/IMG_1963.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRbRsF2a8za7ZbB-s7vP47mMaa8aIdgq5R-K6yCw7tJyPaZfo649zI0lLGwyJo2tf4u9md0gy0fUgRTMVP9EX6buGNnp5l0j2m5n_bkLuc1dmQPgGNXcxMCA4YkFu9EmXqKV5dhh0gy8qY/s320/IMG_1963.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">*Wooden craft sticks (we used 6 x 3/4 inch)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">*Saucepan & water</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">*rolling pin</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">*zip ties that are a few inches longer than your craft sticks</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">*Strips of paper cut just slightly longer & wider than your craft sticks {it's always easier to cut away excess, then try to line up perfectly}</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">*Decoupage glue {such as ModPodge}</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">*Scissors</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5jcvoaFv9kK_onDsVBwem_1KNjPf9GJNFA5rQMA97SJ3vDPYggVBhKtvvD5MsNdnWyHWDtnj9E1DUf69Snd10kfEFM40k0M67ruif3touyxEdQJmAXo9sd7J6hs0A7HQ-VRZlxXLvzgJK/s1600/IMG_1861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5jcvoaFv9kK_onDsVBwem_1KNjPf9GJNFA5rQMA97SJ3vDPYggVBhKtvvD5MsNdnWyHWDtnj9E1DUf69Snd10kfEFM40k0M67ruif3touyxEdQJmAXo9sd7J6hs0A7HQ-VRZlxXLvzgJK/s320/IMG_1861.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1. Place your craft sticks in a large sauce pan, cover generously with water. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil for at least 15-20 minutes {the longer you boil, the softer the sticks become}</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Drain, and allow to cool slightly {they cool off rather fast}.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYH2Go9jC9kskuSDW7MUJhixj2CisSZXi5bys0cTNEPHUSnJWmoxEkVTBnJXd3xLPAM83c8g3xm6_grhNf0wN6yzyjEjlvMejLoIvwiuDsMlRGx3Elr52atKZVo2KHlUC1l4iVAMqs7ANw/s1600/IMG_1871.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYH2Go9jC9kskuSDW7MUJhixj2CisSZXi5bys0cTNEPHUSnJWmoxEkVTBnJXd3xLPAM83c8g3xm6_grhNf0wN6yzyjEjlvMejLoIvwiuDsMlRGx3Elr52atKZVo2KHlUC1l4iVAMqs7ANw/s320/IMG_1871.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2. I used a rolling pin to mold the initial curve, by wrapping the craft sticks around then letting them go...just made it a little easier to bend them in the next step.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTfPK97jbhtZWi1duD9a3zxRpZSgz5kfTOTVRaa72uJClqvAb2hyh6AzvKG8Z5r9niNK_tSJJOTAaA6dbUuJvrv31Y50grIBNmkOlynpMXjgvzzonKTEB2TqBP4L2OwmL8PESMmPW3rloD/s1600/IMG_1872.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTfPK97jbhtZWi1duD9a3zxRpZSgz5kfTOTVRaa72uJClqvAb2hyh6AzvKG8Z5r9niNK_tSJJOTAaA6dbUuJvrv31Y50grIBNmkOlynpMXjgvzzonKTEB2TqBP4L2OwmL8PESMmPW3rloD/s320/IMG_1872.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">3. Loop around a zip tie & secure on the first notch (biggest loop) possible. Mold your craft stick into the zip tie, try to overlap the ends just slightly so that the ends curl around too. Tighten the zip tie. You want to mold these on the small size. They will expand when you un-mold & decorate them.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUDSRvRMWv5yFUZJFWL9JikxtH2l4yIDu52jVOxaEZQPccccS9lv1h-HYmmwwdLG0jmJ-YoqyTOuF-t8ACWe8c7ECTOFOUGtA6PdkKmWh_tuxur_EsAqL3RhYEvr6b68jEUqzP41xwWAxY/s1600/IMG_1873.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUDSRvRMWv5yFUZJFWL9JikxtH2l4yIDu52jVOxaEZQPccccS9lv1h-HYmmwwdLG0jmJ-YoqyTOuF-t8ACWe8c7ECTOFOUGtA6PdkKmWh_tuxur_EsAqL3RhYEvr6b68jEUqzP41xwWAxY/s320/IMG_1873.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlFuJpSenRdKcAe6zUI7n1hfWj9JezD7gQqABwWyGppBrJlXapq5YJSF3JbDpsPDAXqdIbEgJ445vwV1WJHePUFzyn905JWLDGK6qEVWwuJKOuEFeAhGpXH78eo1T4cz_TF_AQ3bGO_rX/s1600/IMG_1966.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlFuJpSenRdKcAe6zUI7n1hfWj9JezD7gQqABwWyGppBrJlXapq5YJSF3JbDpsPDAXqdIbEgJ445vwV1WJHePUFzyn905JWLDGK6qEVWwuJKOuEFeAhGpXH78eo1T4cz_TF_AQ3bGO_rX/s320/IMG_1966.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">4. Allow to dry over night-24 hours...make sure the are good and dry.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupLd-h5KzDRwO-hXWLOLDMpfJOZe4TWLkapUwIBO-eDDdjvaA91ELOUf2tTagYWCTmh48Z-2XX61gklJpcAnrWWCWW30wl8S5Iq9lsQjaBQL1XMZJXYThzjuBJFtJeFOV58k72jRVJkIJ/s1600/IMG_1970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupLd-h5KzDRwO-hXWLOLDMpfJOZe4TWLkapUwIBO-eDDdjvaA91ELOUf2tTagYWCTmh48Z-2XX61gklJpcAnrWWCWW30wl8S5Iq9lsQjaBQL1XMZJXYThzjuBJFtJeFOV58k72jRVJkIJ/s320/IMG_1970.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">5. Un-mold and decorate. It's best to follow the directions on your decoupage glue, but here's how I do it: brush a thin layer onto the craft stick; adhere paper, then trim excess; add multiple layers of glue on top using a brush, allowing to dry in-between each; sand lightly if necessary.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">**if the bracelets expand a little too much after decoupaging, just slide them back into the zip tie {carefully!} after they are dry to the touch and leave for a few minutes, it doesn't take long to get them back into shape.**</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">You don't have to stop there, try decorating them other ways :) Instead of decoupage try wrapping with thin ribbon, yarn or string. Glue all sorts of rhinestones and gems on...or simply color with markers (just don't use washable). Have fun creating!</span><br />
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<a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fanticipationcards.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F04%2F5-days-of-spring-break-day-3-popsicle.html&media=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-Fr87Y9HEjrk%2FT3yVOFc4miI%2FAAAAAAAADBk%2FjBLMVUrKA84%2Fs320%2FIMG_1983.JPG&description=Make-your-own%20popsicle%20stick%20bracelet%20tutorial"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899651237857867468noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151759500911760465.post-77878266696450557272012-04-03T12:11:00.000-04:002012-04-03T23:07:59.141-04:00The 5 Days of Spring Break {day 2. pinwheels}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlzB4Qpl2hgg8yzCdFB3_MI7mb0KhI5X20TgmtT8TjeRxOQw8SEfsF1Sd2tdcZ5D8G-e4Abc2ER_n3dJbEBkTPLjSou3xCYLquWiIhZ-Gh9bsRZU7gbrANqOPYc1QZfEcOsPGtI0-y2J7O/s1600/IMG_1925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlzB4Qpl2hgg8yzCdFB3_MI7mb0KhI5X20TgmtT8TjeRxOQw8SEfsF1Sd2tdcZ5D8G-e4Abc2ER_n3dJbEBkTPLjSou3xCYLquWiIhZ-Gh9bsRZU7gbrANqOPYc1QZfEcOsPGtI0-y2J7O/s400/IMG_1925.JPG" width="300" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Pinwheels are perfect for a sunny spring day...and making your own is as easy as it gets. Simple enough for almost any age, if you can use scissors, you can make a pinwheel.</span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Here's how...</span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia6uimqmplEDpwABupHrQGJb5YRLKfNzkZBLB4cP2tDa9Hc9tSM0n795XFOX6cpeiH3nyDF9EIppbdcXIjrTCkYNklzwIHTZHJza_3Gzio9NWyBgY9gX8EjZin4YLSZpFd6I-4MTbQvqB6/s1600/IMG_1911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia6uimqmplEDpwABupHrQGJb5YRLKfNzkZBLB4cP2tDa9Hc9tSM0n795XFOX6cpeiH3nyDF9EIppbdcXIjrTCkYNklzwIHTZHJza_3Gzio9NWyBgY9gX8EjZin4YLSZpFd6I-4MTbQvqB6/s320/IMG_1911.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Gather your supplies. You will need:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">*squares of paper, ours are 6 inch squares</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">*un-sharpened pencils</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">*ball head straight pins</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">*scissors</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">*paper piercing tool (optional)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">*sharpened pencil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">*ruler</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1. Draw a line from each corner about 3 inches long toward the center. Regular weight paper works best for this project.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2. Cut along drawn lines, erase pencil marks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">3. You now have 8 points on your square. Pierce every other corner {one per section}. This step is optional, but it makes it just a bit easier when pinning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">4. Working with the wrong side {white side} of the paper towards you. Curl around the first point and stick your straight pin into the first marked corner, from the printed side of the paper. {The head of the pin should show on the printed side}. Continue with every marked corner, holding the paper on the pin as you go around.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">5. Push the pin through the center of the pinwheel and into the eraser of an un-sharpened pencil. Place the pin in to the eraser near the metal, then push the pin downward until it hits the metal on the opposite side, so that the pin cannot poke through & hurt little fingers :). Bend the pin slightly so that the pinwheel is parallel with the pencil.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">And your done...have fun!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLE3kZ75Tv_qeFtyWs4ZsbQFlTerYKwipmOZaGHiK7i_zf4djAMlmuv_3ctXBJdpAur7J7_AhoNNnLtcsY2gOKxC1DNO0aYr-KHW7pz6T-LJabrJeA4fFYN_b0gk-xFipAiNz3PCPhw8pE/s1600/IMG_1924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLE3kZ75Tv_qeFtyWs4ZsbQFlTerYKwipmOZaGHiK7i_zf4djAMlmuv_3ctXBJdpAur7J7_AhoNNnLtcsY2gOKxC1DNO0aYr-KHW7pz6T-LJabrJeA4fFYN_b0gk-xFipAiNz3PCPhw8pE/s400/IMG_1924.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fanticipationcards.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F04%2F5-days-of-spring-break-day-2-pinwheels.html&media=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-zXhor4QP_Rs%2FT3saqxWreEI%2FAAAAAAAAC_0%2FyTo8sIc24hM%2Fs400%2FIMG_1924.JPG&description=How%20to%20make%20pinwheels"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899651237857867468noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151759500911760465.post-45945874075421838382012-04-02T15:30:00.000-04:002012-04-02T15:40:06.497-04:00The 5 Days of Spring Break {day 1. Cornstarch Quicksand}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><u>Cornstarch Quicksand</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">This is a super EASY and fun science experiment for kids. It keeps my kids occupied for the better part of an afternoon, easily. It looks super messy, buy believe me, it cleans up very easily with just water :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Cornstarch quicksand is a <a href="http://answers.askkids.com/How_Stuff_Works/what_is_a_non_newtonian_fluid">Non-Newtonian Fluid</a>, meaning it has properties of both a liquid and a solid. Have fun testing how it reacts to pressure, when it is squeezed & when pressure is released...what happens when an object is placed on top or when an object sinks into the mixture...just have fun!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Here's what you need:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_sK0t-IKgtNZvV60E8i9Axk0Z14ZKMZ_SiF_SawQ1aOG3y3Cx9ajtsNgIvrRlZhizV7gyTzMagTllO9o9tNxVcbck1qPH2fT5y7SWx1Dg8sgo_xkOySq8zvVmDWHufNKxuvAxe4_RgOJ4/s1600/IMG_1877.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_sK0t-IKgtNZvV60E8i9Axk0Z14ZKMZ_SiF_SawQ1aOG3y3Cx9ajtsNgIvrRlZhizV7gyTzMagTllO9o9tNxVcbck1qPH2fT5y7SWx1Dg8sgo_xkOySq8zvVmDWHufNKxuvAxe4_RgOJ4/s320/IMG_1877.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1 part water {1/2 cup}</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2 parts cornstarch {1 cup}</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">food coloring...if you like...I opt to not add it :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Just mix it up...It works best when you use your hands.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Then start experimenting!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6w3IPj-HBBEn1LafI8qb1ocwxOnq777rgSYrVOxyHoxOoKYquBinjjqyQ1fEhxqkIuUKalkQi1quuUpIK__R26dZZs-OfVP6XExYlnVsC4ZWxUI_5nw7KaB4MPBqlHq4CJ3uUrwJk3Zu/s1600/IMG_1878.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6w3IPj-HBBEn1LafI8qb1ocwxOnq777rgSYrVOxyHoxOoKYquBinjjqyQ1fEhxqkIuUKalkQi1quuUpIK__R26dZZs-OfVP6XExYlnVsC4ZWxUI_5nw7KaB4MPBqlHq4CJ3uUrwJk3Zu/s200/IMG_1878.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijAVIefbaEa0qki6LCByWPLFLZlXbEbeVGkUj7A3Fwfc6XiW1YauQd1Yz6ahir3wmi4Lb7Zz2bQGg9FfoJvOGb1KsSDX5fTbOMGBt2MTImFB3-stwBq8nodSoY-iqjmesLnWqcjb-cMlMR/s1600/IMG_1890.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijAVIefbaEa0qki6LCByWPLFLZlXbEbeVGkUj7A3Fwfc6XiW1YauQd1Yz6ahir3wmi4Lb7Zz2bQGg9FfoJvOGb1KsSDX5fTbOMGBt2MTImFB3-stwBq8nodSoY-iqjmesLnWqcjb-cMlMR/s200/IMG_1890.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">It's hard to get a good picture of what happens with the quicksand, so here are a few videos of my kids in action {sorry about any baby babbles in the background} :)</span></div>
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<embed allowfullscreen="true" allownetworking="all" flashvars="file=http%3A%2F%2Fvid707.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fww73%2Fpemberleyrocks%2FMVI_1894.mp4" height="361" src="http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="550" wmode="transparent"></embed>
<embed allowfullscreen="true" allownetworking="all" flashvars="file=http%3A%2F%2Fvid707.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fww73%2Fpemberleyrocks%2FMVI_1896.mp4" height="361" src="http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="550" wmode="transparent"></embed>
<embed allowfullscreen="true" allownetworking="all" flashvars="file=http%3A%2F%2Fvid707.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fww73%2Fpemberleyrocks%2FMVI_1901.mp4" height="361" src="http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="550" wmode="transparent"></embed>
<a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fanticipationcards.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F04%2F5-days-of-spring-break-day-1-cornstarch.html&media=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-b7Krtvp5vRE%2FT3n67XI98JI%2FAAAAAAAAC-8%2FzmGiUAWPadw%2Fs320%2FIMG_1877.JPG&description=How%20to.%20Cornstarch%20Quicksand"><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899651237857867468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151759500911760465.post-39539851554793201602012-03-26T10:43:00.000-04:002012-03-26T10:43:50.559-04:00Easter Re-Post {sugar eggs for easter}<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3CdIYPhstP6eqyC9zQDZK-VxFCTDau9C4dD2YnZTrFEC4C2njeelXexo0GMng21FacpY3nqGyvNCLgL2h2xlRGup7Vw56QM0n4TjOcTUxSet0Fy0qMqJIQyhrh6tMFEGQXKsyeZJgki1g/s1600/IMG_2122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3CdIYPhstP6eqyC9zQDZK-VxFCTDau9C4dD2YnZTrFEC4C2njeelXexo0GMng21FacpY3nqGyvNCLgL2h2xlRGup7Vw56QM0n4TjOcTUxSet0Fy0qMqJIQyhrh6tMFEGQXKsyeZJgki1g/s320/IMG_2122.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">For the eggs, you'll need:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWwmlCNWI8RnCc9qk6F9wel6Oy2zJxRoo9O0lGNh2AaSIbi02P_wKSLV7EF6-EU8jLVGOpZ3qVc-2ji8Fm5i2AZsy_VfI8CGixHQxBwDtz3YWtkoMm5sjVqYZVZZclf8Ay7teUItI36gfj/s1600/IMG_2094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWwmlCNWI8RnCc9qk6F9wel6Oy2zJxRoo9O0lGNh2AaSIbi02P_wKSLV7EF6-EU8jLVGOpZ3qVc-2ji8Fm5i2AZsy_VfI8CGixHQxBwDtz3YWtkoMm5sjVqYZVZZclf8Ay7teUItI36gfj/s320/IMG_2094.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiONjKe0OGSKlNaNml2QlDO0InP-Y7xjcqR0wP3WF1ko42chrsHauFnXi2xNDJOWqKljfHFidutx5KqCdg1dhM508njIaIpl5HN6YACVvMfL6dtFzAeGzxEasGEFR7YB9MkgRfNdZYGSayZ/s1600/IMG_2098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiONjKe0OGSKlNaNml2QlDO0InP-Y7xjcqR0wP3WF1ko42chrsHauFnXi2xNDJOWqKljfHFidutx5KqCdg1dhM508njIaIpl5HN6YACVvMfL6dtFzAeGzxEasGEFR7YB9MkgRfNdZYGSayZ/s200/IMG_2098.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">1. Mix 1 cup sugar with 1 tsp. water and a few drops of food coloring. Mix well with your hands until all the sugar is dyed (you can wear gloves for this if you like, but the sugar keeps your hands dye-free).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2. Press sugar firmly into your mold. I used large, plastic easter eggs. You can also use egg shaped molds found in the cake decorating or soap making aisle at your craft store. You can also find them on </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/search/supplies?q=plastic+egg+molds"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Etsy</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">3. Gently scoop out some of the sugar from the center, making sure you leave a good edge. You will be able to make the egg thinner in the last step. Make sure the sugar is still packed into the mold tightly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">4. Carefully turn eggs out onto wax paper (like you are building a sand castle). Allow to dry for a few hours to overnight (I think overnight is best).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXN4bX5UdeACIzLpUr-hVkw2LZgK1O92SBOtZ5UuQENtfZbZ19MP0sK_c-faSjIItQdAM9kCPse5XTVEFajmHScBypqstGaxzydgiqmvY5tfC1t9ttEBRj6m1PfugYyZGH_6KIp5YiHbBG/s1600/IMG_2121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXN4bX5UdeACIzLpUr-hVkw2LZgK1O92SBOtZ5UuQENtfZbZ19MP0sK_c-faSjIItQdAM9kCPse5XTVEFajmHScBypqstGaxzydgiqmvY5tfC1t9ttEBRj6m1PfugYyZGH_6KIp5YiHbBG/s200/IMG_2121.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">**Each batch of sugar made two of my easter eggs with a little left over...It made one large egg. If you like you can use the leftover sugar to make marbled eggs, by just packing in 2 or 3 colors**</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">5. When the eggs are comletely dry, use a table knife to clean up edges and scrape out the center of the eggs a little more.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Now we're ready to decorate, for the Royal Icing you need:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_OaKPEISZ2M9lJCtfXxAOwjCNcRPJAVhNPHjlOf5hTJFIr6QLqYxNP_b1Pgq-htrZEW-nu3AmfkibH5UVnZ2DdTGUk7ForNQMtELqfphbaJMtD318D9m9hKi3pTD8dkyOzFFq3HAe6DDG/s1600/IMG_2114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_OaKPEISZ2M9lJCtfXxAOwjCNcRPJAVhNPHjlOf5hTJFIr6QLqYxNP_b1Pgq-htrZEW-nu3AmfkibH5UVnZ2DdTGUk7ForNQMtELqfphbaJMtD318D9m9hKi3pTD8dkyOzFFq3HAe6DDG/s200/IMG_2114.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1. In a large bowl, with a mixer fixed with a whisk attachment. Slowly mix together 1/4 cup meringue powder (available in the cake decorating aisle) and 6 Tb. of water. Scrape down the sides as needed. </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';">When mixed well turn mixer up to high and beat until stiff peaks form. Add powdered sugar and beat until thick and fluffy. It should look like this <---.</span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqwY4v4P3HyAaD9svqMwqz8Bc9jyqf8PhgiUIRZVSMrcynCS0gUjlS1aQUAArmAjl88WKbIizcRqOQxYljlpg4yWBQ3NrN9sniIgApXc2SyfiqWHsapPbcH1DOPGibCMnHxGy3MavlC5AV/s1600/IMG_2118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqwY4v4P3HyAaD9svqMwqz8Bc9jyqf8PhgiUIRZVSMrcynCS0gUjlS1aQUAArmAjl88WKbIizcRqOQxYljlpg4yWBQ3NrN9sniIgApXc2SyfiqWHsapPbcH1DOPGibCMnHxGy3MavlC5AV/s200/IMG_2118.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2. Add coloring to your icing if you like. Fit your pastry bags with couplers and decorating tips. Fill bags with icing. Royal icing dries very quickly, cover any leftover icing with a damp cloth.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAsA99f0_7ENQ_MmVKN6jI6lbhnbmiaYy8CVLx9sg5qXetjU08Jm-cg1cEt3Cue2CQLyV4SH896isg3cYR2v-x_X-NGLiVx3OpZrL6qsZWjzHHM5kaKtVxc0fCmikSlhZGT4rk_1Nk1pmi/s1600/IMG_2119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAsA99f0_7ENQ_MmVKN6jI6lbhnbmiaYy8CVLx9sg5qXetjU08Jm-cg1cEt3Cue2CQLyV4SH896isg3cYR2v-x_X-NGLiVx3OpZrL6qsZWjzHHM5kaKtVxc0fCmikSlhZGT4rk_1Nk1pmi/s200/IMG_2119.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">3.</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAsA99f0_7ENQ_MmVKN6jI6lbhnbmiaYy8CVLx9sg5qXetjU08Jm-cg1cEt3Cue2CQLyV4SH896isg3cYR2v-x_X-NGLiVx3OpZrL6qsZWjzHHM5kaKtVxc0fCmikSlhZGT4rk_1Nk1pmi/s1600/IMG_2119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> Decorate...have fun and be creative :) I added little sugar pearls to mine...there are lots of sprinkles and decorations that would be fun to add. Allow icing to dry and fill with jelly beans or small candies...Although the eggs may look tasty, I don't recommend eating them :) </span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Happy Easter! </span></div>
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<a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anticipationcards.blogspot.com&media=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-iZB-FQMCe68%2FTaSgwHDEBwI%2FAAAAAAAACQo%2FUnauMoxtbKI%2Fs320%2FIMG_2122.JPG">Pin It</a>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899651237857867468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151759500911760465.post-45578132792422562362012-03-26T09:28:00.002-04:002012-03-26T09:28:30.028-04:00Easter's On Its Way!<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I'm still here, I promise. Sorry my blogging has been sporadic, at best. Things are a little crazy around here, but then when aren't they with 4 kids around? Baby O has become mobile, which has cut down on my time to get, well, anything done. He is also quite the human vacuum cleaner :) If it happens to be on the floor..it's in his mouth...sigh.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">But Easter is almost here, and honestly I haven't done much about it, which is odd for me. But here's a treasury of some lovely finds on Etsy for the kiddos in your life, {be sure to click <a href="http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NjExMjQ0OXwyNTIwMjkxMTc0/hippity-hop-easters-on-its-way?index=0">HERE</a>, and then on each item to visit each shop}</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">And here are a couple Easter Goodies from my shop...perfect if you are entertaining this Easter:</span></div>
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<a href="http://img2.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.233680898.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://img2.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.233680898.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/71607341/set-of-6-decorate-your-own-easter-egg">{Decorate-Your-Own Easter Place Cards}</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://img3.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.233650995.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://img3.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.233650995.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/71596438/set-of-6-color-your-own-easter-egg-place?ref=v1_other_1">{Color-Your-Own Easter Place Cards}</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Happy Easter!</span></div>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899651237857867468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151759500911760465.post-88642925330544538602012-02-15T15:13:00.001-05:002012-02-15T15:15:47.838-05:00Valentine's Day<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Did you have a wonderful day? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">We did...as with most years, our Valentine celebrations are centered on our family, not just the hubby & I...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Here's how it went...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWSYSTKa89RE-OYO3E2Sbd8e_wwNFF9dHkib31m46nbzZDUQIcgH3mZUjwFm-vOc09FTLcrfuhDsiUuxwMC9flVTQd0mrQr-nBCyTGw0aO7GJQRC9ADWXAtFQifpd36iowlZaF2OBsnnMR/s1600/IMG_0940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWSYSTKa89RE-OYO3E2Sbd8e_wwNFF9dHkib31m46nbzZDUQIcgH3mZUjwFm-vOc09FTLcrfuhDsiUuxwMC9flVTQd0mrQr-nBCyTGw0aO7GJQRC9ADWXAtFQifpd36iowlZaF2OBsnnMR/s320/IMG_0940.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">For the dining room I hung streamers of bright pink curling ribbon (curled slightly in sections), cut out paper hearts & paper heart chains</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinmsVazRkzToYUMI7wqD5GLtgHgWOFEwiAlLRC0tHnktD13yCT16UoPTWWAf1aosiPf2jU2nHomu0ibB5WEKhhPabbqn4KTbyQ-eOf8YVjTP9ADbqPvUMXWV_51RdvikxVvENDn6xB6pYB/s1600/IMG_0938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinmsVazRkzToYUMI7wqD5GLtgHgWOFEwiAlLRC0tHnktD13yCT16UoPTWWAf1aosiPf2jU2nHomu0ibB5WEKhhPabbqn4KTbyQ-eOf8YVjTP9ADbqPvUMXWV_51RdvikxVvENDn6xB6pYB/s320/IMG_0938.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkqbLREPuPc-aotSuRo6Xr3OVXL02z19Y9GQtEsucdEHXJPTBUsbt5v8z9NzhRvVfAgJZObkDm043Yj-PCO8vfVRBOH6WcdAg3O9jRgipB7UxuJJnH8aSBapp3E7jNl26uXl_QCxK8fKhv/s1600/IMG_0937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkqbLREPuPc-aotSuRo6Xr3OVXL02z19Y9GQtEsucdEHXJPTBUsbt5v8z9NzhRvVfAgJZObkDm043Yj-PCO8vfVRBOH6WcdAg3O9jRgipB7UxuJJnH8aSBapp3E7jNl26uXl_QCxK8fKhv/s320/IMG_0937.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The place settings....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Scalloped felt place mats: cut a rectangle out of red felt (any size you like. Fold accordion style and round each end. Unfold and trim/clean up and scallops that need it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Conversation jelly beans in a pink paper cupcake liner made for fun dinner talk & the kids were dying to eat their brownies (baked in a muffin tin) before dinner started. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">To make the cupcake topper, cut 2 circles of coordinating card stock, one measuring 1/4 inch larger. Decorate smaller circle with a heart sticker, then affix to the front of a bamboo fork with a glue dot. Affix the larger circle to the back of the bamboo fork, making sure to center the smaller circle on the larger.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Ul2XFo14NHK1DL4LGk8Hk3WfF5xNIu1FBQ-a_DA_GOoDfLhUzQeVTXLJpBOYWdCnHNoO2oFpVMQ7-lOYN9V3_3usI5htlqW5ghpwKGxIJiDnfj8UoZcqXw7xNhLqww_vebl7YsrnW6pR/s1600/IMG_0935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Ul2XFo14NHK1DL4LGk8Hk3WfF5xNIu1FBQ-a_DA_GOoDfLhUzQeVTXLJpBOYWdCnHNoO2oFpVMQ7-lOYN9V3_3usI5htlqW5ghpwKGxIJiDnfj8UoZcqXw7xNhLqww_vebl7YsrnW6pR/s400/IMG_0935.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">On the menu, heaping portions of homemade lasagna (recipe follows), garlic bread & Sprite with maraschino cherries</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH6wQR8EEs0VW8oBioJ7IdKAYW7H8I-ej1cN-cL-tXSeQKhUrgBYrbccZGgrNIz1Q1rwGUnVSXr5cRmqlQu7NUt-1Z4Puoobcx-8Hd1y8o86xoBeYQYmrRD6L2pWfeZhZrRFjOHCJE2QgB/s1600/IMG_0946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH6wQR8EEs0VW8oBioJ7IdKAYW7H8I-ej1cN-cL-tXSeQKhUrgBYrbccZGgrNIz1Q1rwGUnVSXr5cRmqlQu7NUt-1Z4Puoobcx-8Hd1y8o86xoBeYQYmrRD6L2pWfeZhZrRFjOHCJE2QgB/s320/IMG_0946.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhTpHlT8qsTLEctd9qKqzpLSmwitfWxUhYOGj5hQD0UMpPJS0VlrlGi40a0mcX8hwP1G8lLI3i9QBABru_B9MHB8SnWA60ViRkPEhG_Cwdwy3gYHmO5QzUj-eDPAxxfAJ9IKms8GXq-rln/s1600/IMG_0942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhTpHlT8qsTLEctd9qKqzpLSmwitfWxUhYOGj5hQD0UMpPJS0VlrlGi40a0mcX8hwP1G8lLI3i9QBABru_B9MHB8SnWA60ViRkPEhG_Cwdwy3gYHmO5QzUj-eDPAxxfAJ9IKms8GXq-rln/s320/IMG_0942.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWMR_gy8eEnI_4dHctH7dzutpwT3PjenNP7ch1Dik4rwf8bkTv2CX3KpFYWoOgXqLunIKEhIunPL6yHgsyz1dTdEDHAQ3xNz8sRObTJRjKX5SClvj9rYAYy4sP1L4OAsdCMvmmVU1zRPzD/s1600/IMG_0949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWMR_gy8eEnI_4dHctH7dzutpwT3PjenNP7ch1Dik4rwf8bkTv2CX3KpFYWoOgXqLunIKEhIunPL6yHgsyz1dTdEDHAQ3xNz8sRObTJRjKX5SClvj9rYAYy4sP1L4OAsdCMvmmVU1zRPzD/s320/IMG_0949.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilcnpZXGGLLPrUJuIkR3hrD3NtwLRzhXpEz_ni0QdVQt_Colzr6apBIbBGOaRt-eu_dGMrvM7FT_8kavwT6VvRL-ZxL78NzAISGOSdi5nZJx7Duw9FF9TVXPR2l5Z6wcAsUp_5gTu6bSMZ/s1600/IMG_0944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilcnpZXGGLLPrUJuIkR3hrD3NtwLRzhXpEz_ni0QdVQt_Colzr6apBIbBGOaRt-eu_dGMrvM7FT_8kavwT6VvRL-ZxL78NzAISGOSdi5nZJx7Duw9FF9TVXPR2l5Z6wcAsUp_5gTu6bSMZ/s320/IMG_0944.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Our Favorite Lasagna</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1 lb. ground beef, browned & drained</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1 pkg. no-boil lasagna noodles</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1 extra large (or 2 regular) jars of your favorite marinara sauce</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1 small container ricotta cheese</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2 eggs</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">salt & pepper</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese + additional</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">3-4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (depending on just how cheesy you like it)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;">1.</span> In a bowl combine: ricotta, eggs, salt and pepper, & Parmesan, set aside.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;">2.</span> In a 13 x 9 inch casserole dish layer:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1 cup sauce</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">4 lasagna noodles</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1/3 of the ricotta mixture</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1/2 of the ground beef</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">a good handful or so of mozzarella</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1 cup sauce</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">4 lasagna noodles</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1/3 of the ricotta mixture</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">mozzarella</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1 1/2 cups sauce</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">4 lasagna noodles</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">last of the ricotta mixture</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">last of the ground beef</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">mozzarella</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1 cup sauce</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">4 lasagna noodles</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">remaining sauce</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">mozzarella & extra grated Parmesan</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;">3.</span> Cover with foil, bake at 350 degrees, until bubbly & noodles are tender, about 50 minutes. Remove foil and cook additional 10 minutes or so until cheese is brown & bubbly. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;">4.</span>Allow to cool 10 minutes (at least) before cutting...this will ensure your layers stay pretty & together :)</span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899651237857867468noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151759500911760465.post-72422125539997676752012-01-27T13:25:00.001-05:002012-01-27T13:25:37.523-05:00Just to let you know...<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I was hoping to post more valentine ideas, but life got in the way. On January 13th my Dad was in a one vehicle accident, where his truck rolled several time in the Wind River Canyon. He has been in the ICU ever since (except for a day and a half). He continue to improve everyday and we feel blessed to have him with us. If you are so inclined, we appreciate any prayers or positive thinking, his name is Lynn. Thank you in advance. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Thankfully I am here in Wyoming with my family, but will have to head home soon. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">A little happy note...the treasury in the last post made it to the front page of <a href="http://www.etsy.com/">ETSY</a>! Congrats to all those featured :)</span>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03899651237857867468noreply@blogger.com3