The patriotic popcorn was very yummy and easy to make.  I drizzled half of them with vanilla and half with white chocolate.  I got the popcorn holders at Michaels.

I love all things jello.  Must be something from my childhood.  I improvised on the white filling than what the recipe called for.  I added about 8 ounces of cream cheese to the cool whip, 1/4 c of white sugar and a dash of vanilla. Then I mixed it with my hand mixer until smooth and creamy.

I was on a roll making mini desserts.

Some of my mini cheesecakes caved in the middle so I added some cherry pie filling to the the top

I found that the lattice tops were harder to do on the apple pies, so I only did half that way

As you can see, the mini pies weren’t perfect, but they tasted really good!

I also made fruit salsa, but I probably won’t make it again.  The fruit gets all soggy and not so fresh looking very fast.

I really just wanted to try the new spoon maker kit I got to dip the salsa

Scissors Paper Wok

I used the packaged uncooked flour tortillas to make them and then brushed them with butter and sprinkled them with cinnamon and sugar. I learned after a couple of batches to poke a hole in the dough before baking so that they wouldn’t puff up

The edible spoons were time consuming to make, they were more cute than functional.  They broke easily in half when you dipped, but they were tasty none the less.

I kept seeing this pasta salad on Pinterest.  It said “Best Pasta Salad Ever ” so I thought I would try it

Everyone loved it.  I used candied walnuts instead of pecans though.

So, what was on your menu this weekend?  Do you ever find time to make anything from Pinterest?

Patriotic Pinterest Fest is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

In observance of Memorial Day, I plan on putting out plenty of red white and blue, to honor those who have died in our military service.  I overflow with grateful pride when I put out flags on memorial day, a tribute to the brave people who defend freedom and liberty of our country.

I will be adding some decor with mini flags to these desserts for our bbq as well.  I love mini deserts and have been wanting to try these {click on the picture to go to the recipe}

And make some of this fun popcorn

But most of all I want to remember and honor our fallen heroes and say

Thank you

Picture source

I hope you will too

Memorial day weekend dessert ideas is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

Wrong.  It turned out to be a nightmare which made me want to throw it down a cliff.

My first mistake was to spray it with an enamel paint using my new paint sprayer on a really hot day.  That decision turned into a hot drip mess.  But I wasn’t going to give up.  I decided to start over, and sanded off all the enamel paint, getting into those recessed sides and fronts was a MAJOR pain.  The wood is some weird red soft wood, and because of this I ended up sanding off some of the decorative detail, oops.  I was so set on using this bench, it was the perfect size and style I was looking for, and I was on a mission to finished it.

If you get close up you can see the imperfections, {but we won’t get that close I have too much pride lol}

Once I put it in the room, it wasn’t looking so bad {except for the right cabinet door won’t line up}

I wanted a bench that had storage that I could put beach towels inside.  A one stop area where you could grab your towel for going out to the river, and then hang it on the oars to dry when you are done

I will be putting a cushion on the top in the blue Charlotte Moss fabric, which I am in love with

It’s the same fabric I am using on the dining room chair cushions

and the entryway built in bench

I love how the Charlotte Moss fabric looks with the pillow fabric and the valances

Overall, I think the bench looks better than what I started with

Once I get the cushion on I am hoping it will distract from the imperfections of my failed attempted to paint it.  Well, at least that is what I keep telling myself.

Not so great bench makeover is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

This is the color they sell on their web site

But I got my chairs  on clearance because they were discontinuing the red color.  I snapped a picture of them sitting in my garage

The combination of the red upholstered chairs, blue cushions and gold valance will compliment the Wonderland drapery fabric on the other side of the room

Even though the dining room table has a “country” feel to it, I think by adding the more stream lined upholstered chair and the blue geometric cushion fabric will make it less country looking.   I am  trying to avoid replacing the table, so I am hoping these updates will work,  what do you think?   I am heading out there this weekend to put it all together, so we will see. I will keep you posted.  Have a great weekend!

World Market dining chairs is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

Yep, Eddie Ross!  Now that was icing on the cake for me!  To be included with such a talented guy like Eddie is pretty special.  I buy Calico Corners fabrics a lot, and I have for years.  We have a store in San Diego and the staff there are so wonderful to work with, it has kept me coming back year after year.  Not to mention that I love being in any place surrounded by bolts upon bolts of fabric.  I loved the article, you can read it here.

More exciting news was that my valance tutorial was featured on Daily Do It Yourself.

That site is awesome. They showcase interesting, unique, and fabulous do-it-yourself creations from around the blogshphere.

Inspire Me Heather also did a great article on grasscloth and featured some of the spaces I have used grasscloth {which I admit is a lot} Her site is about linking tutorials and inspiration on home improvement from bloggers, lots of crafts, DIY & home decor projects.

Both of these blogs are definitely worth adding to your reader!

Today is only Wednesday, it has been a pretty darn good week for me already don’t ya think?

I was featured in the Calico Corners Newsletter is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

We used my Nikon camera to do the stills and the video.  It was so convenient and easy to toggle back and forth from still to video with a push of a button.  We didn’t have to set up two different cameras, which makes it so much easier and faster.  Hopefully with the step by step tutorial along with this video, I have covered all bases for anyone to make their own tailored valance.

Step by step directions found here.  I used Calico Corners Plataue fabric for the valance, found here

I would love to know what you think of the video.  Is the step by step tutorial and video helpful, or should I just give up my acting career and stick to written instructions only?

Video on how to make a tailored valance is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

One item I kept looking for was a 24″ starburst mirror for our river house.  They seemed to have a variety of these mirrors pop up on their sales, but they were $200 and up plus an outrageous amount for shipping.  But I kept looking every day, just in case.  And sure enough I found one that was affordable and the exact size I needed.  $59 plus tax and shipping.  You know what I always say…Score!

Even though I originally wanted the finish in gold and this one was dark brown,  I knew I could easily gold leaf it if I needed to

But once I got it up I liked it just the way it was.  Whew, one less project to do! I love how it reflects the cabinetry in the mirror.  Have you shopped One Kings Lane and found any deals?

One King’s Lane starburst mirror is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

With this type of valance you can get away with not lining your fabric.  The majority of the valance is against the upper part of the wall above the window, very little is in the actual window.  Whenever you can see a valance or drapery from the outside looking in, always line the fabric to give your windows uniformity from the outside view.   Also, make sure the type of fabric you are using is not a thin cotton, otherwise you might have to line it to give it more visual weight and to lay properly.

Here are the supplies you will need:

• 1″ x 4″ pine board {make sure it is straight} the length of your window plus 4″
• White fabric to cover the board
• Fabric for your valance {quantity depends on the size of your window}
• Sewing machine {this tailored valance can be made into a “no sew version” by using iron on sewing tape rather than the sewing machine}
• Iron
• Staple gun
• “L” brackets

{You might think this next step is unnecessary since the board will be covered in your valance fabric. The reason for this is, if you put this valance say in a window above a couch, and someone is to look up they won’t see raw wood behind the valance.  It gives it a more finished look}

{Clarification as to why you need the extra 7″. This is the total for the two sides of the board which are each 3 1/2″ wide}

This is where I forgot to take a picture of  how I placed the board on the fabric and how I lined it up.  Contact me if you have any questions on this stepYou should use at least two “L” brackets to hang your valance, three if your window is super long.  Once you get your “L” brackets up, slide your valance on to the top of the bracket centering the valance to the window.

Your finished window should look like this

Doing tutorials are always tough for me, so if you have any questions please feel free to contact me.  But I hope I covered it enough that you will be able to make your own.  If you do, I would love to see pictures!

Sharing this project with these lovely ladies

Erin’s Just a party with my peeps

Judy’s Swing into Spring

How to make a tailored valance is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.