Ain't She Crafty

Make a Change Monday - Using your Gifts...and ANOTHER giveaway!

I am always amazed by people who find a way to use their gifts to help others...and my friend Amanda is no exception.  She has recently turned her interest in crocheting in to woobiesfor.com:

"Woobies for" is a project that hopes to spread positivity from your creativity, talent and generosity. I was unable to sleep one night and an idea hit me. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could gather a community of people who knit, crochet, quilt or sew to create blankets, or woobies, powered by a specific positive emotion. Knit a blanket while focusing on love. Sew a quilt dedicated to hope. Then we could gather those beautiful works of art and donate them to children in need. Children's hospitals, homeless shelters, and the families of our brave troops. Giving children in need these woobies filled with such powerful emotions to give them strength to face what's ahead. The recipient would receive their woobie and a one word explanation like "bravery" or "comfort" so they know what the woobie represents.

One of the things I love most about this project is that Amanda is not asking for money - she is asking for gifts from the heart.  She is not asking for a specific amount of time or commitment - she is asking for creativity and love. For blankets and quilts and cards created out of joy and strength and a sense of reaching out to someone in need. I am proud of her for starting this - and am honored to share it with you.

To celebrate the launch of woobiesfor.com (and because you know I love a giveaway!) - please leave a comment here and tell us about how you've shared your creative gifts, or if you know of other charitable organizations that crafters might be interested in supporting (Operation Write Home is another of my favorites).  Someone is going to win an Anna Griffin Fabric Squares Collection - and these patterns are gorgeous!

I have offered to make cards to go with the blankets and quilts, and to spread the word about woobiesfor.com - because those are my gifts.  My hope is that you too will be inspired to share your creativity and bring a little joy to someone who needs comfort.  What a wonderful way to make a difference!

Have a great week everybody - woobies for all!

PS - deadline to enter is midnight Eastern on Wednesday February 22nd. Good luck!

We have a winner...and ANOTHER giveaway!

Congratulations to Kathy Livingston!  Kathy is the winner of our Everyday Stories album and refills giveaway. Kathy wrote:

I've never tried it, but it sounds great. I would love to get "caught up" (I have granddaughters, I'm never really caught up..lol).

I'm telling you Kathy - this is going to change your world!  A box is headed your way - enjoy it!

I told you girls last week on my FB page that I was going to be giving away some good stuff from HSN - how does one of those FABULOUS sold-out We R Memory Keepers Lucky 8 Punches sound? My buddy Andrew (he presented the punches on HSN last week - love that guy!) gave me one to try out before the shows, and I love YOU so much I am going to give it to one of you!

It is the Retro Scallop punch - I LOVE this thing.  I love ALL of them.  If you haven't seen one in action - here is a video to get you just as excited as I (and about 20000 other crafters on HSN) am about it!

 

So comment here with a shout out to WRMK and one of you will get this little beauty delivered to your door next week!  Deadline to enter is midnight Eastern time on Sunday February 19th.  I am off for a long awaited scrapbooking retreat with Crafty Sharron and some of my other North Carolina girlfriends - so have a great weekend everybody!

For the Love of Lima - a Four Legged Valentine Surprise

The Kingstons are not big on Valentine's Day.  For some reason it has just never been something we celebrate - maybe because our anniversary is two days later (it will be 10 years on the 16th!), maybe because we normally aren't together, maybe because we do a pretty good job of loving and appreciating each other the other 364 days out of the year...but Hallmark is not making a fortune off of Beth and Don - that is for sure.

This year, however - I came across the perfect Valentine's Day gift.

Right before Thanksgiving Don and I had to say goodbye to Lima - our 12-year old retriever/spaniel mix who was an incredible joy in our lives.  She was Don's first pet and my constant companion - she comforted me after 9/11 when Don was gone and I was thousands of miles away from home, let me cry in to her soft black fur through nine deployments, was the perfect travel companion as we moved from Hawaii to Georgia to Alaska and back again, and loved the hundreds of people who have come through our home over the years. Lima was our sweet girl and we were devastated.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago. I was in New Orleans and wandered in to the Dutch Alley Artist Co-Op - which for those of us crafty folks is a glorious, inspiring, creative space that is a must visit if you are ever down that way.  One of the artists featured there - Kelly Magee - creates animal paintings that immediately capture your eye with her mix of colors and her ability to capture the "personality" of her subjects. There was a little sign on the wall that said she did custom work - and Lima immediately came to mind.  I took her card but - to be honest - figured I'd email her and she'd say she charged a bajillion dollars for a painting or it would take six months to finish and that would be the end of it.

Boy was I wrong.  Not only were her prices AMAZING, she was as kind as she could possibly be, excited about doing the painting, and I didn't even have to ask about getting it in time for Valentine's Day - she offered.  All I had to do was send her a photo, choose my background color, and sit back and wait for one of the most meaningful gifts Don and I have ever received.  I gave it to Don last night - and through our tears we remembered how lucky we were to have Lima in our lives, and now we have a visual, tangible memory of her that we can take with us wherever we go.

Kelly - thank you doesn't even come close. I hope this story brings you a little more business and a little more joy - you have an incredible talent.

Lima, our sweet precious girl - thank you for a lifetime of beach-walking, crab-chasing, tennis ball-loving, snowball-eating, bed-snuggling memories. And thank you for giving us one more night to tell you how much we loved you.

Make a Change Monday - How I Scrapbook (and a great giveaway!)

Ok all my scrapbooking friends...raise your hand if you are still:

a - scrapping chronologically

b - complaining about not being caught up on your scrapbooks

c - all of the above

I am going to feel like a SERIOUS dork if I am the only one who has raised my hand - but I know I can't be alone! I have been scrapbooking for a lot of years - and while I have always been open to (and enjoyed) creating mini albums, making cards, creating home decor, etc. I have ALWAYS held steadfastly to the belief that I need to scrapbook chronologically. I don't know where that idea started, or why I haven't been able to let go, but I held on to it to the point that I was starting to "dread" scrapbooking.  Every time I looked at my piles of photos or started to print out pictures from my computer I just lost the excitement and started to feel the pressure because I was "so far behind".  It feels ridiculous now that I am typing it out - but it is the truth, and I think there are many of you out there who feel/felt the same way.

THEN - a few years ago my scrapping mojo was literally saved by Xyron when they started carrying the Everyday Stories (EDS) albums and page refills.

 

 

 These days the idea looks very familiar, as there are several companies/celebrity scrappers who have created entire systems and collections based on this type of divided page protector process.  I remember the first weekend I tried it - I printed out 3000 photos (yup - you read that right!) and got them ALL in albums in a weekend.  ALL OF THEM.  It was so incredibly freeing - because you CAN still do 12x12, but now you've also got other/easier options as well.  Were all of the pages decorated and journaled in that weekend?  HECK no!  But you know what - that was ok, and eventually they got finished.  Now, whenever I get a coupon for online photo printing I'll print out all of my "current" photos, put them in EDS albums, and then I can go back and add paper/embellishments later.  I am, for all intents and purposes, "caught up".

Recently I have finished the albums for Don's childhood (you can see the first one in the second video above) and our time in Hawaii and it is SO MUCH FUN to be able to go in to a store and know exactly what kinds of products I need and to complete several pages in one sitting.  Also - for those of you who are product hoarders (like me) - scrapping this way has been HUGE in helping me purge old products I will never use.  For example - one weekend I was in a "Halloween" mood so I went through all the albums and embellished/added paper to all of the Halloween photos.  Afterwards I was able to go through ALL of my Halloween product and get rid of items I KNEW I would never use - papers I didn't like any more, products that didn't apply or weren't my style ("our first Halloween" die cut anyone?), etc.  I pared down my Halloween products to stuff I love - and it felt gooooood.

I bring this up for MAC Monday because this weekend I was vendoring at the Cut Out Cancer Crop in Southern Pines, NC and I talked to SO many women who STILL feel the pressure to get "caught up" and have lost their love of scrapbooking - and I want to help one of my fabulous online friends find the joy in this type of scrapbooking.  So I'm doing a GIVEAWAY!!!!!!

Post a comment here and tell me what you think about this way of scrapping.  Have you tried it? Do you have questions about it?  Have you used other divided page protector systems?  Tell me your thoughts and one lucky winner is going to receive a 12x12 black leather (REAL leather - not pleather!) EDS album with one pack each of all of the page refills we carry.  Deadline to enter is midnight Eastern time on Wednesday February 15th.  Good luck everybody - and Happy Scrapping!

 

Heading back to HSN! Check out my schedule and some great savings!

I am SO excited for my friend Andrew Hiller - Andrew is the owner of We R Memory Keepers and Thursday is the WORLD LAUNCH of their eagerly awaited Lucky 8 punches.  Andrew will be on about a bajillion times during the day (first airing is Midnight Eastern time) and I'm excited to be a part of it.  See below for my schedule and the CRAZY savings on some of our favorite Xyron products.  Hope you'll tune in!

PS - Be sure to check my FB page throughout the week - I will be giving away some of the great products that air on Thursday!

*all times are Eastern - Thursday February 9th *

Midnight - Xyron 2.5" create-a-sticker plus refill - $18.95 - lowest price they've ever offered!

1am - Xyron Creatopia - $59.95 - retail is $99.99!

(then I will be taking a short nap!)

8am - Pink Paislee Sweetness Papercraft Kit (how PSYCHED am I to be airing some PP product this month - I love them!) - $24.95

Noon - Xyron Runner Bundle - $29.95 - this bundle includes a Mega Runner plus refill and a Tape Runner plus refill - it is a CRAZY deal!  The Mega Runner alone is $24.99 retail!

Noon - Pink Paislee Nantucket Cardstock Crafting Kit - $26.95

3pm - Xyron 1.5" create-a-sticker plus four refills - $12.95 - this is the lowest price they have EVER offered.  The machine alone retails for $10.99!

3pm - Xyron Creatopia - $59.95

6pm - Xyron Creatopia - $59.95

7pm Xyron Runner Bundle - $29.95

(then I will pack up, grab dinner/drinks with Donna Stork and Holly Fossen - and Andrew if he sells out! - and be in bed by 10pm!)

I'll end with a shameless plug/plea...as much as we all want you to buy our product, what we REALLY want you to do is buy our product while we are on-air.  I can't tell you how giddy we get (for ourselves and for each other) watching the numbers go up on the screen in the studio, and it makes HSN think we are REALLY cool when we have big numbers.  Just putting that out there.  :)  On behalf of all of the craft guests on HSN - thanks for watching!  We love you guys!

Make a Change Monday - Healthy Eating that Tastes Good too!

Those of you who checked out yesterday's blog post about bacon jam may be hard pressed to believe that I am trying to eat healthier this year.  My love affair with bacon just reaffirms my belief that for ME to be able to make some real lifestyle changes I have to find a balance between food I love that isn't super healthy, and healthy food that I can learn to love.  So it is after years worth of procrastinating and several recipe testings I present to you...

HUNGRY GIRL!

One of the things I love about HG is that she LOVES food. To quote her website: "Lisa is a typical woman battling the same food issues most females struggle with every day. She considers herself a 'foodologist,' not because she has some kind of fancy degree, but because she is obsessed with food –– how wonderful it is, and how much of it she can eat and still fit into her pants."  I have been following her for years - for a while I subscribed to her daily email but only read them about once a week, then I bought one of her cookbooks and never opened it, then I started watching her when she was on tv but never tried any of the recipes, you get the idea.  I even got two of her newest cookbooks for Christmas - but had already put them on the shelf with the other bajillion cookbooks I own without even taking a peek. 

Then I came up with this crazy "Make a Change Monday" idea.  

SURELY, I thought, SURELY if I put "find healthy food I enjoy eating" as one of the things on my list I will eventually get around to it.  I had already started making some concessions...egg beaters instead of eggs. 2% milk shredded cheese instead of regular.  Reduced fat mayonnaise.  Still - I wasn't inspired. 

Then a few weeks ago, as luck would have it, Don was out of town and I was too lazy to go to the grocery store and the cookbooks were laying around the kitchen so I broke one open and discovered...

Red Hot Chick'n Salad
6 oz cooked skinless lean chicken breast, cubed (I used some canned chicken breast I had in the cupboard)
3 T fat-free mayo (I used reduced fat because it is what I had in the fridge - and I would actually only use 2T next time - I don't like my salads super creamy)
3 T chopped celery (I hate celery - so I doubled the amount of carrots)
3 T chopped carrots
2 t reduced fat parmesan style grated topping (I used 1 tsp of regular)
1 1/2 t Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
1/2 t dry ranch dip/dressing mix

In a medium bowl, combine mayo, Frank's, and ranch mix, and stir well. Add chicken, celery, and carrots to the sauce and stir. Sprinkle with parm style topping and stir again. Enjoy!

The recipe makes two 3/4 cup servings.  If you make the original recipe it is only 142 calories and 2.25g fat, and 3 weight watchers points per serving.  Was mine a little higher?  Sure.  But it was a lot better for me than the frozen pizza I would have plopped in the oven, and this chicken salad was GOOOOOOOD. Like "I could eat this every day for lunch" good.  I am not really a sandwich eater - but I got out some Special K multi grain crackers and made a meal out of it, and felt pretty darn proud of myself.

So then I was inspired to try more recipes - and with FEW exceptions, I have been thrilled with the results. Some of my favorites?

The Spinach, Tomato, Feta 'n Egg Wrap Attack (links to recipe) - SUPER filling in the morning and it gives me a break from the monotony of yogurt or oatmeal.

Jalapeno Swappers (links to recipe) - the Kingstons LOVE bar food so I was pretty skeptical that something made with Fiber One cereal would make the cut.  Imagine my surprise!  They are delicious - and I don't feel guilty afterwards.

Now lest you think I have become some unpaid spokesperson for HG (did I mention she has great desserts too?) - not all of the recipes were a hit.  HG uses these tofu noodles in many of her main dish recipes as a substitute for pasta. She gives you specific instructions on how to wash/dry and prepare them and swears they'll taste like the real thing.  I have nothing against tofu - I've eaten it in asian recipes for years and actually enjoy it.  But I do not love these noodles.  I the opposite of love these noodles.  So pasta and I still have a little work to do.

 So once again - thanks to you guys inspiring me to make some changes, I'm crossing another item off my list. If you are like me and LOVE food but want to make some healthier choices, I really do recommend Hungry Girl.  You can find a TON of her recipes online, there is no club to join, you can sign up for her every day emails or just peruse her website when the mood strikes you, it lets you be you with no hidden gimmicks or fees or pressure.  Eat and enjoy - and tell me how you are making some healthier choices in 2012!

Two Words for You...Bacon Jam

That's right...Jam.  Made with Bacon.  Take in the awesomeness.

Before I share this recipe for what could be the greatest invention in the history of America, let me just say that I KNOW this is a horrendous photo.  I KNOW I need an iphone that has a decent camera, and I KNOW that a real blogger would have spent 20 minutes getting the lighting just right and taking 700 photos just to get the perfect image and then editing the photo to make it look mouthwatering and fantastical.  Me? I just wanted to get the dang thing in my mouth.

I came across the original recipe in our local paper - and it is attributed to Chef Aaron Cozadd, Union Workshop.  Chef Aaron...wherever you are...the Kingstons love you.  Both Kingstons.  We might want to marry you.  I tweaked the recipe a little bit to accomodate what we had at the house, so I share those revisions here with you.  Enjoy - then take a nap - because you will be too full to do anything else.

3AM DOG WITH BACON JAM
*I altered the recipe to make enough for four hot dogs.  You are not going to eat just one - trust me.  I don't even really LIKE hot dogs all that much and I ate two - and would have eaten three if we hadn't run out of eggs.*

4 hot dogs
4 hot dog buns
whole grain mustard
1 c. hash browns - fried crispy
bacon jam
2 fried eggs

BACON JAM
1 lb (a pkg) bacon - diced small
1 onion peeled and diced
2 tbsp miced garlic
1/2c cider vinegar (or slightly less than 1/2 c red wine vinegar, add water to make 1/2c)
1/2c packed brown sugar
1/4c syrup (we used Mrs. Butterworth)
3/4c dark coffee
1/4tsp black pepper

In a medium skillet, cook the bacon over medium high heat, stirring frequently until bacon starts to become crispy. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate. Drain all but 2 tbsp of the bacon fat. 

(while this is happening you can cook your hashbrowns - we used frozen hashbrowns and 1 Tbsp of oil - heat oil in the pan then add hashbrowns - flattening in to a single layer.  Cover and cook approx 10 minutes, flipping once halfway through.  Set aside.)

Place the skillet back on the stove (with the bacon fat in it) and add onion and garlic.  Cook over medium until the onion is translucent.  Add the remaining ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently, then boil hard for two minutes.  Stir in the bacon and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and the liquid is syrupy (add water if it seems to be drying out). Let stand for 5 minutes.

(while this is happening you can cook your hotdogs - either on the grill or in a pan on the stove.  We split ours down the middle so it would be easier to "load" them with toppings. You can also warm up your buns - wrap each bun in a damp paper towel and microwave them together for 30 seconds.)

Transfer mixture to a food processor (we used a blender) and pulse until bacon jam is a spreadable consistency.

To assemble the awesomeness:

Place the hot dog bun on the plate.  Smear one side of the bun with mustard and the other side with bacon jam. Add hot dog. Top with 1/4 of the hashbrowns and 1/2 of a fried egg.

Stuff your face and enjoy! Then spend the rest of the day making a list of what else you can put bacon jam on - because you will have LOTS left over.

CHA Giveaway Friday (and a bonus giveaway from Xyron)!

Who is ready for a CHA giveaway?  I posted on my FB page earlier this week that I was SO excited and lucky to meet Jen Allyson who is one of the designers for My Mind's Eye.  Here she is below - standing next to her newest line - Miss Caroline.

Now - I don't know how many of you out there are like me - I have no daughters and so really have nowhere to use pinks and purples and flowers and butterflies in my scrapbooking - but I LOVE THEM ANYWAY!!!!! I have piles and piles of pretty pastel papers and embellishments that I only break out about once a year, but they just make me happy - and so does Jen's new line! She was SO incredibly generous to let me bring some home with me - so I am sharing them with you!  Reply to this blog post and tell me how YOU would use these papers.  Contest will end at midnight on Monday (February 6th) and on Tuesday morning I will randomly pick a winner who will receive the following from the the Miss Caroline Dolled Up collection:

6 sheets 12x12 paper
6x6 pad
pins & buttons 
twine
pearl shapes
rub-ons
wooden die cut butterfly

I mean - come on...look at this stuff!

In addition - to celebrate Xyron's new collaboration with the fabulous Teresa Collins the winner will also receive one of her new Xs - pink with a houndstooth pattern!  These are GORGEOUS!

The winner will be announced on my FB page and notified by email.  Good luck everybody - can't wait to send this to a lucky winner!

**BONUS GIVEAWAY!!!!!!** Xyron is celebrating our collaboration with Teresa too!  Head to this link on Xyron.com and be entered to win one of three prize packs that include a Xyron 9" Creative Station, a Teresa Collins Signature Series Book and a 3-issue subscription to the rest of the series! 

Stay tuned for more CHA giveaways next week!