"ALWAYS AN ADVENTURE"

New Year Coming and New Room Do-Overs! I want to share some Inspiring Photos of Rooms with a Theme. The first one is one I would like to do in a similar way(a smaller budget) in my step-down, once-a-porch, to a living room to Entertain in. The stenciling on the dining room ceiling was inspired by a Fortuny fabric, the light fixture is made of Indian lanterns, and a custom-made table is surrounded by 19th-century Italian chairs and Bullard-designed armchairs upholstered in a  Schumacher  linen; the walls are painted in  Farrow & Ball ’s Great White. SHARE A HEART FELT STORY/OPINION/INSPIRATION HERE! WHAT PULLS AT YOUR HEART STRINGS? Follow on my Facebook Page

I wanted to post some of my Holiday Recipes.  The traditional Christmas Dinner of course is Turkey. So how about this Entree for an Extra Choice. From online source of "COOK THIS, NOT THAT". CHICKEN CORDON BLUE It's French in name, but it feels American, right down to its molten cheese core. Normally, this chicken is stuffed, breaded, then deep-fried into submission. But our testing found that a high-heat oven provides all the crunch we want without all the calories we don't. If honey mustard feels a bit like gilding the lily, it is, but at 350 calories for the whole dish, why not? You'll Need: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 oz each), pounded to uniform 1/4" thickness Salt and black pepper to taste 8 thin slices deli ham 4 slices Swiss cheese 2 Tbsp flour 1 egg, beaten 1 cup panko bread crumbs Juice of 1/2 lemon 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard 1 Tbsp honey 1/2 Tbsp olive oil mayonnaise How to Make It: *Preheat the oven to 450°F. Season the chicken all ove

Winter Squash with Spiced Butter  Bon Appétit | November 2012 by Victoria Granof Traditional Thanksgiving flavors (squash, cinnamon, butter) are given a beautiful Persian accent. The exotic spiced butter is also a treat mixed into couscous. Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings  Spiced butter: 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 1 tablespoon crushed dried rose petals (optional) 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin Kosher salt Squash: 4 pounds assorted small winter squash (such as acorn, kabocha, or delicata) Kosher salt 3/4 cup pomegranate seeds Ingredient info:  Dried rose petals are available at Middle Eastern markets and kalustyans.com. For spiced butter: Mix all ingredients except salt in a small bowl until lime juice is incorporated. Season with salt. Cover;

Announcement: On Etsy you can join team to help promote your store! I am a member of the team called, Team ESST. THE GOAL OF Team ESST - Is to PROMOTE our supply shops, not only to the customers already shopping on Etsy, but to EXPAND our customer base to encourage new customers who may be unaware of Etsy, to come to our shops for their crafting supplies. Also here is my Newest Listing. https://www.etsy.com/listing/112413657/for-artists-exposed-sale-on-cameo I am also a member of "Artists Exposed". This team promotes by sharing real pictures and info about the Artist and their Etsy Store! Follow my Facebook Page:  Thanks for visiting!  Cindy from Craftflaire.

I love to find Victorian Themed Gifts, Jewelry and Home Decor!  Photos are from the magazine, Country Living, October 2012 Issue.  Enjoy the photos: Going through my Holiday Decorations and came across One of my Favorites! My Mother made  this  Yucca Pod MOUSE in a Victorian Design!  I miss my Mom and I am going to set up a Special Tablescape of things I have saved over the years that she has Designed and made. I am putting together a collection of items that I have made with my mother's for Thanksgiving!  I will post photo of the finished Thanksgiving Tablescape soon! Oh I am naming these posts, COUNTRY GAL'S HEART STRINGS from now on!   Enjoy the Photos:  SHARE A HEART FELT STORY/OPINION/INSPIRATION HERE! WHAT PULLS AT YOUR HEART STRINGS? Thanks for Visiting! Cindy from CRAFT FLAIRE. Follow on   Facebook . My Shop

WHAT'S BETTER THAN CHOCOLATE, BANANAS AND PEANUT BUTTER! This cake is perfect for beginners—it's moist, forgiving, and easy.  Jif creamy peanut butter is our favorite for the decadent frosting. From Bon Appetit Cake:  Nonstick vegetable oil spray  3 cups all-purpose flour  2 teaspoons baking soda  2 teaspoons kosher salt  1 1/2 cups sugar  1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature  1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar  3 large eggs  1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract  2 cups mashed very ripe bananas  1 cup sour cream  1 10-ounce bag mini chocolate chips  Frosting:  2 cups creamy peanut butter  1 1/2 cups powdered sugar  1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature  2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract  Chocolate chips, mini chocolate chips, and chocolate kisses  Special equipment:  Two 8x8x2" cake pans  For cake:  Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pans with parchment; coat paper. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium

Wanted to share this from a Writer of Think Simple Now.  If only we all could just see everything like children do!!! By Kayla Albert  “Don’t postpone joy until you have learned all of your lessons. Joy is your lesson.” ~Alan Cohen Twirling in her pink tutu, slightly tattered and always a little dirty, my 3 year old niece opens her arms wide, calling for all of us to get up and dance with her. She wants to hold hands while we jump, spin and leap around the room. She shouts along to the music, reminding each of us that we should be joining in. “Papa sing! It’s your turn Papa!” Panting and out of breath, we try our hardest to match her undying energy. After the music starts to fade, she drops our hands and holds out her arms again. “Ok everyone, it’s time for a group hug!” We haven’t purposely partaken in a group hug for years now, but we oblige because her smile is contagious and her enthusiasm is impossible to tame. Three years ago, she struggled her way into this world, red-eyed and o

Here's a unique way to make a Macrame Bracelet! A SAILORS KNOT BRACELET! Turk's head knot From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Category Decorative Origin Ancient Typical use Decorative A Turk's head knot is a decorative knot with a variable number of interwoven strands, forming a closed loop. The name is used to describe the general family of all such knots rather than one individual knot. While generally seen made around a cylinder, the knot can also be deformed into a flat, mat-like shape. Some variants can be arranged into a roughly spherical shape, akin to a monkey's fist knot. The knot is used primarily for decoration and occasionally as anti-chafing protection. A notable practical use for the Turk's head is to mark the "king spoke" of a ship's wheel; when this spoke is upright the rudder is in a central position. The knot takes its name from a notional resemblance to a turban (Tr: sarık), though a turban is wound rather than interwoven. T

 Born in New York but Raised in Colorado,   while I was growing up, we always lived in the rural area of a city, where as Mom always said, "KIds need room to play!" So when I come across an article that grabs my heart strings I've gotta share!  Actress Reese Witherspoon with her nieces, Draper, left, and Abby James, at her Ojai, California, home. Reese Witherspoon turns to her friend Kristen Buckingham to infuse a classic California ranch with a youthful spirit Written by David A. Keeps • Styled by Anita Sarsidi • Photographed by William Waldron She purchased a historic Wallace Neff ranch five years ago in Ojai—a bucolic village in the foothills north of Los Angeles that served as Shangri-La in the 1937 film Lost Horizon. The property sits on seven acres that include a swimming pool, a barn, a horse paddock, and guest cottages. Originally built in 1923 as stables for Edward Drummond Libbey, who made his fortune in glassware. So Libbey Ranch provides a serene sett

From a 1977 Book called A Guide To Macrame Knots , I am posting it's wonderfully illustrated knots and helpful hints! Whether you're a novice knotter or a more experienced pro, you can bet on a sure thing, you will be decorating your home and learning an exciting craft and not just beginners luck! Most macrame projects focused on home decor back then but today you are seeing more and more of these easy basic knots worked into interesting patterns in contemporary Jewelry Fashions as well Today! First of all I have posted photos with info of Basic Helpful Hints from a how-to book from 1977. You will want this book in your craft library to help familiarize yourself with the glossary of Macrame. You will have a chance to get this book at the end of this Tudor Lesson! Each description is self-explanatory, but if you have questions please ask through comments and I will do my best to explain. Let's start with the Classic Square Knot and several ways to create a pattern .

My Macrame Ropes started out as Samples to Show and Tutor Others in the the Art of Making Macrame Knots. I hung them up with my kitchen window curtain rod and I saw them then as a way to have Unique Hand Designed Curtains. I am Sharing My Creative Designs and Others here with You on to show that Handmade Fashions can work with Contemporary Style in Home Decor Today! Tabletop Decor with a Theme is called a Tablescape. I want to take this concept farther by incorporating into my designs of Wall Tapestry Curtains. In other words, "Wallscapes!" You will see that Macrame has very few knots but the way you combine the knots is what makes the finished product Uniquely Your Design! TUTORIALS COMING SOON WITH PHOTOS! Thanks for Visiting! Cindy from Craft Flaire. Follow on Facebook My Wholesale Craft Supply Store My Etsy Store

Well we did not get out much this year due to Az Fires and now Restrictions! Can not use any motorized equipment. As soon as the restrictions are lifted we will be back at it! In the meantime Enjoy some of our Funny Interesting Comments from Youtube!***** Comment on your video: cinbudsfamily.blogspot.com/ KEEP ON DIGGING #5 hahaha, that gum flying out cracked me up.. ***** Comment on your video: Another Nugget 2 I love the sound that the detector makes! "VUUU VU VU VUUUU! "***** Cinbudsgold Part Two Breaking Apart Bedrock For Gold wow that is a lot of work i think my fever is breaking *****  Comment on your video: Another Nugget that was exciting ***** Comment on your video: Pinky Piece hell ya. nice piece. Can't wait for more vids!! ***** Comment on your video: CinbudsGold #8 of 8 How To Prospect A Claim did you lose youre poop tube? ***** Comment on your video: Gold Nugget found by Cinbud's Gold Most Magnificent Find! Small, but a treasure still wo

Summer is here and what a good time to try some Refreshing Ice Cold Drinks. I found this Recipe on one of my favorite websites Stoneware Kitchen. Watermelon Sangria Blush Ingredients: - 2 Cups sliced fruit (such as limes, oranges and kiwi) - 1 bottle of Watermelon Mojito Mixer(one of their fantastic products) - 1 750mL bottle white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc) - Soda Water to taste - Watermelon wedges for garnish Directions: Fill a large pitcher with ice and sliced fruit. Add Watermelon Mojito mixer and wine and stir. Add soda water to taste. Garnish each glass with watermelon wedges and serve.*************************************************************************** Since your cooking outside why not include a Dessert that will surprize and amaze your family and guests!************************************************************************* Grilled Pound Cake and Aged Balsamic Macerated Strawberries Ingredients: 1 package pound cake, sliced 3/4 inch 2 pints strawberries