December Daily - Day 5

One Sweet Bible

In the spirit of full disclosure, this is not my idea. I saw it on Pintrest. I’ve made some slight changes from the pin I saw so I've detailed the process. The link to the original website where I got the instructions is at the bottom of this page. You will need to go to that website to print the scripture pdf page. Special thanks to my sister Dianne who also provided inspiration for this!

 





 The things you will need for 1 bible are:

2 Hershey’s Nugget Chocolate Candies

White cardstock

Dark cardstock (I used dark green)

Cord/thin ribbon or embroidery floss/string (red or gold)

Printed pdf on standard printer paper (from link at bottom of page)

*Glue dots (any brand – optional)

Glue Stick (I use Elmer’s Repositionable)

A fast drying glue (such as Scotch Quick Drying Tacky Glue)

“Old Paper” Distress Ink (optional)

Distress Ink blending tool (optional)

Ruler

Toothpick

Paper trimmer (not pictured)

To start out, if you want the scripture pages to have an old paper look to them, you can use the Distress Ink to color the paper. Using an ink blending tool, pounce the sponge onto the ink pad a few times to load it with ink. Tap it off once lightly onto scratch paper before pouncing the tool over the scriptures a few times. Reload your ink tool and repeat this until you have covered the entire printed area you are going to use. You can go as dark as you want with the ink. I go for a fairly light look to mine so I don’t reload ink and pounce in the same spot more than a few times. If it gets too dark, I think it can tend to look muddy. Of course you can just leave the paper white and not do and of this and it will look just fine. It’s just a preference to what you like best.

Next you will want to cut all your supplies.

Scripture pages: It’s best to use a paper trimmer for this, but if you don’t have one, another option is to use a ruler and an X-Acto knife to cut it or if you have a steady hand, you can do it with scissors. Cut the scripture pages with about ¼ inch border all the way around. I noticed that the candies look like they are exactly the same size, but when I put the same size paper on them, sometimes they fit and sometimes they need to be trimmed. Some wrappers must be looser making then a bit bigger.

Cardstock: The dark cardstock will be 2 3/8 inches long by 1 3/4 inches tall.

The white cardstock will be 2 1/4 long x 1 3/4 tall.

Cord/Ribbon: Cut this about 5 inches long. I would try to avoid using embroidery floss because it frays and can be troublesome. I found some thin red cord and ribbon at a local fabric store that works well. You can look around and see what you’re able to find. If you have embroidery floss on hand or can’t find anything else, you can use a teeny tiny amount of glue at the end of the embroidery floss to keep it from fraying. That will work totally fine.

Now it’s time to put it all together!

*I put glue dots on the bottom of my white cardstock because they are fast and there’s no drying time and no mess. If you want to skip buying an extra adhesive, you can use the fast drying glue here. If using the glue dots, put one on each corner and stick the white cardstock in the middle of the dark cardstock (centered). If you are using the fast drying glue, you’ll use a tiny dot of glue at each corner and one in the middle and do the same thing. Note that if you are going for the old paper look, you would want to pounce some of the old paper ink around the edges of your white cardstock first so it matches your scripture pages.

I also use glue dots on the bottom of my Hershey’s Nuggets. I put a glue dot on each corner of each nugget and one in the middle. Then I sit them glue dot side up until I'm ready to stick them down. If you are using the fast drying glue, you’ll need to work much faster because as the name suggests….it dries fast.

Lay the cord/ribbon at the center edge of the of one of the Hershey’s Nuggets being sure to catch it in a glue dot or fast drying glue. Hold the Hershey’s Nuggets together and center them on the white cardstock and press down. If you are using glue dots they will be ready to go to the next step. If you are using the fast drying glue, give them a few minutes to set.

Time to adhere the scripture pages to the top. But before you do any gluing, lay your scripture page on top of the Hershey’s Nuggets to judge if it needs to be trimmed at the top and bottom at all. If it does, trim the slightest amount on both the top and bottom so they are even. Then you should be set. If you’re using glue dots, you might be tempted to use them here because they are so dang handy! Well, don’t! The printer paper is so thin that it will show even the slightest bump under the paper so the glue dots will be lumpy under there. No one wants a lumpy bible. I don’t recommend the fast drying glue either. It will be messy and if you have to reposition the scripture pages, it will be a pain. You don't want to pull out some hair because you’ve gotten to close to finishing and messed it up. You’ll just have to trust me on this. I tell no lies, people. Use the glue stick.

Okay, now that I have properly warned you, coat the back of your scripture pages with your glue stick. Like I said, the slightest lump/bump will show so if your glue stick sheds any big pieces of paste, make sure you remove them so you don’t have any lumps. Now and lay the scripture pages over the top of the Hershey’s Nuggets. Use a toothpick to press down the center of the pages into the grove and position the pages into place. The glue stick stays slick for a minute so you can work it into the right spot. Then put a few very small dots of fast drying glue down the center of the scripture pages and bring your cord over and press it into the glue. Hold for a minute. This is where you only want the fast drying glue. Tempted to use that white school glue? Don’t! It’s water based and will soak into the paper and take forever to dry. It probably won’t even hold down the cord. Reread the part were I warned you about not using the glue stick above….same unhappy crafty experience awaits you if you go down the white school glue path. Set aside to dry for a few minutes.

I made 2 so you could see the old paper ink and one without. I also used the red cord on one and a ribbon on the other.
Happy crafting!

The link the PDF is below at The Mama's Girls blog:
http://themamasgirls.com/the-sweet-story-of-christmas

December Daily - Day 4

At home with my sweet Abby. She's such a cutie and I thought I'd share with you. She was laying on the bed enjoying the sun and I just had to snap a picture.


Abby Sunbathing

December Daily - Day 3

Kitten's Wish List

Greg asked me to make a list and these were a few of the things I asked for. Today I thought I would share with you.


Sam Edelman "Louie" Boots

I actually tried on a pair by Crown Royal at DSW that were similar to these but they were very uncomfortable. I looked around the store and nothing else caught my eye so I tried them back on and almost got them. In the end, I knew I would never be able to stand walking around in them and it would be wasted money. Then I found these. The price tag is hard to take, but they are comfortable and I know they are good quality. Plus, they are just as cute as the uncomfortable ones!


Victoria's Secret Bombshell Perfume

Until last Christmas I had not had used VS perfume in at least 3-4 years. Not sure why. Greg saw a ladies gift guide and it had a VS perfume sampler on it so he got it for me. I have to say, I like every single one of the perfumes in the sampler (there are 10) but this is my favorite. The sample spray vile of Bombshell is almost gone. The notes are purple passion fruit, shangri-la peony and vanilla orchid. Stop in and spray it on a test strip and carry it around for a few minutes and then see what you think.



Chanel Rouge Shine Lipstick in "Boy"

I've never own anything by Chanel because it's ridiculously expensive, but I've lusted after this lipstick for years so I figure if I want it that bad, I should get it. And don't ask me why they call it "Boy"....I have no idea. I just know it's really pretty :)

So hopefully I'm be wearing all 3 of those Christmas Day!

December Daily - Day 2

I'm decorating my cube this year :) I skipped last year because I was so sick. For the next few weeks the Christmas spirit will be alive and well in my cube.

December Daily

It's been awhile!

I'm going to try this blogging thing again. We'll see what happens.

To kick it off, I'm doing my version of December Daily. If you don't know what that is, people make these incredible scrapbooks for each day of December and highlight some kind of event of moment from each day. I really wish I could make one, but I just don't have the energy after a long day at work. So I'm going to do this instead!

Today it's time to find your elf name! I suggest you call yourself this all month long. I really wish my elf name was Gingerbread Monkey-Buns....because, I mean....come on, how can you not want that to be your elf name?! But alas, it's Perky Sparkly-Toes. I guess it kinda suits me since I always seem to have glitter on me from some craft project. At least it isn't Perky Pickle-Pants. *Raises eyebrow

Next Food Network Star Season 10 - Episode 3 Recap

I really enjoyed this episode because Cutthroat Kitchen is one of my favorite Food Network shows. I'm digressing, but did you see the Cutthroat Kitchen episode with the judges as the contestants? It was the best one so far!


Ok, back to the recap. 

I know it probably isn't nice to say, but I'm glad Kenny is gone. I know there's always the chance he could come back via the Star Salvation component of the contest, but I just think he's gone for good. And that's fine with me. Not my favorite for so many reasons.

Aryen- Has she been up for elimination? I don't think she has...and that confuses me. Correct me if I'm wrong, but so far she hasn't done well in any of the cooking challenges. Unless things change, I think she will be in the elimination round pretty soon.

Loreal- The judges didn't seem to like the flavors of her dish, which is concerning. I know the snow-cone machine caused problems with the texture of the meatballs, but it still could have tasted good.

Reuben- He did much better this week but his breakfast dish was "small". I really don't know how he didn't laugh when they said that. The tiny kitchen is one of the best sabotages in Cutthroat Kitchen! Considering that he had to deal with that, he did good. And you didn't need a translator to understand him!

Christopher- Chef found his groove this week. I wonder if the attitude will return? I'd bet that it does.

Nicole- She forgot pasta in the shopping segment and she still avoided elimination! Her gnocchi wasn't the best (good thing Giada wasn't there) and she still passed! She can think on her feet and that was the name of the game for this episode. Speaking of feet, she had to stomp grapes! Those sabotages are ruthless!

Sarah- I can't imagine why this girl is back. Total train wreck if you ask me. Who sucks up to the judges.....AND THEN TELLS THEM THEY ARE DOING THAT!? *sighs*

Emma- Who would have thought that chocolate bacon on an egg sandwich would taste good? Apparently it does. Mixed with a storybook tale of vacations in the Alps, it got her the win. Plus, I think Jet Tila was taken with her ;)

Chris- I totally forgot he was on Cutthroat Kitchen and won until they showed the clip of it. He had a huge advantage just knowing the pace of things. Despite the spaghetti scoop hand sabotage, he did well with his dish. Presenting it....not so good. Will he be able to overcome this continuing problem? *shrugs*

Lenny- Oh Lenny, team breakfast was out for you! I think it was smart of him to spend all his money on that tiny kitchen sabotage. There's no question that it would have been funny to see him in the itsy-bitsy kitchen, and he would have made it funny, but I don't think he would have fared very well in the end. His dish still sucked, but I think it would have been even worse if he'd also had to squeeze himself into that pee-wee kitchen. He was in the elimination round, but I don't think he will see him there again. At least I hope we don't! He's still my favorite to take this to the end!

Did you like this Cutthroat Kitchen episode as much as I did?

See you again next week!

Next Food Network Star Season 10 - Episode 2 Recap

Now we're cookin'! We're seeing more of who these people are now. Some good and some.....well, some you wonder how they even made it to this stage of the game.

I'm going to start with Kenny. Yeesh.

The late Maya Angelou said:

"when people show you who they are, believe them the first time"

I believe this will be the case with Kenny. He showed his colors. Even though he changed his tune at the very last minute, I think we've seen the person he is. I think we will see it again. 

Luca- Poor Luca. I had high hopes for him but Kenny managed to beat him out. It's too bad since I think he should have stayed and Kenny should have been the one to go.

Aryen- Oh my. She disappointed me when she didn't come clean that Lenny advised her on how to save the green bean casserole at the stage she came in on it. I think if she had come clean, Alton would have been impressed that she gave credit where credit was due. All I have to say is karma, it's a bitch.

Loreal- She held back her personality and the judges noticed. I actually watched a clip of her on a morning news show after the first episode. She was lively and full of personality. It seems like she could be thinking Food Network might want someone more polished...like Alex, for example. But have you ever seen that Bitchin' Kitchen show? That's proof that they are open to different things.

Reuben- Maybe nerves played a part in his fast-talking segment? My intuition tells me he might have more problems in the coming weeks. 

Christopher- Uh oh, his ”chefy” attitude is getting in the way just as I suspected. He'll need to lose that fast if he wants to have a chance. No one likes a know-it-all and a show-off.

Nicole- I think viewers would like watching her. However, I wonder if she's too ordinary? It's too soon to tell.

Sarah- Still a yikes for me. She seems immature with all the facial expressions and hand gestures. Just reminds me of high school.

Emma- Still strikes me as the girl next door. I really think if she can bring a little more energy, the judges will love her.

Chris- Going back to what I said last week, he's likable and fun, but I don’t think he has the cooking skills. What I do think he'd be great at is hosting a show that has him going around spotlighting restaurants. That seems like something he would excel at.

Lenny- I saved the best for last! He's still my frontrunner. How can you not love him? Even though he has personality, is helpful to other contestants and can cook, what really got me was when he took his hat off and thanked Bobby for his kind words. He's so humble! Lenny, it's yours to win if you can keep it up!

What did you think of the contestants this week? Have you changed your opinion on anyone? 

Until next week, Au revoir!

Next Food Network Star Season 10 - Episode 1 Recap

I thought I’d recap the Next Food Network star this season! These are my opinions mixed with Greg’s (my husband). We’ve been watching since the second season.

Right off the bat Greg and I thought the comments Alton made to the contestants were uncalled for. It seemed from his previous shows, Good Eat’s & Feasting on Asphalt, like he was a nice guy. Maybe this is the real Alton and that was acting? Either way, we don’t care for it. I think Food Network should not allow this snobbish attitude towards the contestants. 

As far as the other judges go, I like Bobby. He comes across as nice and helpful to contestants. I do think he can act slightly superior at times, but over all, he’s a good judge. Giada always seems nice and helpful. I’ve never found her to be snobbish or superior to them.

That’s all I’ll say about the judges J

The contestants:

Donna- She was very exuberant. Her POV was questionable for me. Let’s be honest, I’m not sure people watch Food Network for healthy dishes. Healthy is often associated with bland boring food. So she was chopped. Wait…wrong show!

Aryen- This is someone I would keep an eye on. She has charm. She’s also really pretty. Good things for a TV personality. If she can wow with her cooking, she will rise to the top!

Loreal- Greg says “she’s interesting”. I think this one is his frontrunner. She has a unique POV and if she can bake AND butcher, she’s going to do well. She got personal with the pannel and Suzie seemed like she was welling up. The judges love that stuff! They want to know the contestants and so far she’s doing that for them.

Reuben- Have you ever watched Million Dollar Listing: NY? He sounds just like Luis. Just a worthless observation. Anyway, I was thinking he was Amish until I heard his voice. He's not Amish. So, we’ve seen his POV before and it’s tanked. I’m not sure at this point how I feel about him. We’ll see.

Christopher- I get the feeling the guy can cook. Will that be enough? Shrugs. Donna had too much exuberance, this guy could use some. He also comes across as being a little ”chefy”. You know….the ”I can cook better than you” attitude. And he might actually be better! But you have to have more than that for TV.

Luca- The obvious thing, he’s good looking. Greg said he reminds him of Joey from Friends - and he totally does!! The ladies will love this. Giada already loves him! And, if I’m not mistaken, her brother’s name is Luca….another worthless observation. Ok, it seems like he can cook. He has these things going for him. The accent….it’s nice, but it’s strong. Too strong? Time will tell.

Nicole- Luca is handsome and Nicole is pretty. So we have some eye candy this season. I think her POV is good and it could get her far. If she knows how to cook fish well, that’s going to be key. The judges will, pardon the pun, eat that up! For some reason I don’t think we see a lot of fish cooked well that is also tasty.

Sarah- Yikes. I don’t remember her from the season she was on but maybe that’s because I don’t want to. She’s off to a horrible start. Right now, I don’t care for her….big time cringe factor every time she was on screen.

Emma- She’s very girl next door…I think her online bio might even say that. Did the judges say that, too? She just fits the title. Can she cook well enough to bet everyone? Don’t know….

Chris- I’m going out on a limb to say I think he will not make it very far. I can’t say why exactly, it’s just a feeling. He’s very likable and I bet he’s fun to hang out with, but I don’t think he has the cooking skills.

Lenny- Just going to tell you right now….he’s my frontrunner! I love his personality. BUT...this could change. I’ll have to wait and see if he becomes too gimmicky. But what can I say…I like his belt buckle.

Kenny- High energy. Very high. I think this could be a problem for him. He needs to chill out a little. It’s like a puppy with endless energy running in circles. Having said that, I do like his POV. But how will he work that into cooking challenges? Is he going to make bloomin' onions every time? Curious to see what happens with that.

To add to it, Martie and Chad will be back. So it would seem that once they say "sorry, you will not be the next Food Network star", that's not entirely true. I did like Martie. Not sure about Chad. Still a lot to come.

Who's your frontrunner so far?

See you next week!

Song Dedication For My Love

I love you, Greg.

Yule Log

Merry Christmas!

This morning when Greg and I were about to open our gifts, I turned the TV onto the channel that has the video of a yule log burning. It was kinda funny.

But I got to thinking later....what the heck is a yule log? Greg didn't know so I did what anyone would do - Googled it!

This is what I found out.

The custom of burning the yule log goes back to medieval times and was originally a Nordic tradition. Yule is the name of the old Winter Solstice festivals.

Originally, the yule log was an entire tree that was specially chosen. The largest end of the tree/log was placed into the hearth while the rest of the tree stuck out into the room. Can you imagine this!? I guess back then they had stone floors and didn't need to worry about the wall to wall carpeting catching fire like we do today. The tree/log would be lit from the remains of the previous year's log, which had been carefully stored the whole year long. It was slowly fed into the fire through the Twelve Days of Christmas. Interesting!

The yule log custom is spread all over Europe and different kids of wood are used in different countries. In England Oak is traditional. In Scotland it's Birch. In France it's Cherry. Also, in France, the log is sprinkled with wine before it is burnt so that it smells good. Probably also acted a bit like lighter fluid? Just a guess.

I was thinking that if someone wanted to bring back the yule log tradition, they could save the trunk of their Christmas tree and chop it into logs - assuming they have a real tree. Then, the following Christmas, they could use it in the traditional yule log fashion. When you think about it, a real Christmas tree is specially chosen just like the yule tree/log is chosen.

One thing about the yule log ashes tho, if you were to throw the ashes out on Christmas Day, it was supposed to be very unlucky! So don't do that! :)