Small wood project ideas: perfect

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Rabu, 18 Mei 2016

The Perfect Autumn Craft Painting Leaves

After painting acorns a few weeks ago, we were ready to move on to painting leaves!
This is a simple project that has beautiful results, is a lot of fun, and everyone in the family can participate. I think the variety of shapes of leaves combined with the different paint
colors is what was so appealing to me about this project. Check it out and let me know what
you think!

First we collected fallen leaves that were mostly brown, but not too dried out. Our leaves
were still a bit pliable but not crumbly. After we collected a nice variety of leaves, I
placed them between a stack of heavy books for over a week to completely flatten them out.
The longer you leave them between the books, the better your end result. I recommend
leaving them between books for at least a week. I flattened a few for three days, and later
found that after we painted those that they curled up a bit once the paint dried. If your
leaves are still green, you will want to press them in between sheets of newspaper in between
the books. This will help absorb some of the moisture from the leaves as they dry out.

Next we gathered our supplies: a variety of acrylic paints (I used whatever I already had at
home), some newspaper to protect our table top, a few plates to serve as palettes, a variety
of craft paint brushes, a cup of water to clean our brushes with, some wax paper to place
our leaves on while they dried, and a few paper towels.

We used a variety of acrylic craft paints

A few fine-tipped brushes were great for painting thin lines and detailed designs

I started with this leaf. Nice and dry and flat and ready to paint!

I began by painting a thin line just inside the edge of the leaf. I loved the way this

metallic gold craft paint contrasted with the rust and brown colored leaf.

Simple lines and dots

I love the vibrant autumn colors

Beautiful end result

I loved seeing everyones unique, individual style come out when they painted their leaves

Duanes fancy leaf

I think our leaves would look fantastic framed behind glass in a picture frame and hung

on a wall...

What do you think?
Which is your favorite?

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Senin, 16 Mei 2016

Perfect Elephant Ear Pastry Cookies to die for!

In yesterdays blog post I included a photo of these amazing Elephant Ear cookies that I made during last weekends snowstorm. I promised you the recipe, so here it is! Its funny how Ive gotten into the habit of grabbing my phone to snap photos while I bake and cook. "Wait! dont eat that yet! I have to take a picture of it first!" is something that my daughters are getting used to hearing. Hehe.

Before you start:

*I highly recommend baking these cookies on parchment paper covered cookie sheets. It eliminates a lot of the mess and once you take them out of the oven they just slide right off of the parchment paper!*This is a yeast dough that you will need to refrigerate for two hours before you bake the cookies.*One last word of advice. If there are more than two or three people in your household, you may want to double this recipe. These cookies are just THAT good!

Heres what you will need:

1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)
2 1/4 cups flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk, scalded and then cooled to lukewarm temperature (scalded means heated to just below boiling when tiny bubbles begin to appear around the edge of the milk)
1 egg yolk
2 Tablespoons of butter, melted
1 1/2 cups of sugar
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
(Optional - 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans)

Directions:

Heat the 1/4 cup of water in a glass measuring cup. Dissolve the package of active dry yeast in the water, mix well until the yeast is dissolved, and then set aside for five minutes to allow the yeast to activate.

In a mixer combine these ingredients:

2 1/4 cups flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
Mix until you have the consistency of course crumbs.

In a glass measuring cup, mix together the lukewarm scalded milk and egg yolk. Then add the yeast and water mixture to the milk and egg yolk and mix well.

Now add the milk/egg yolk and yeast/water mixture to your flour mixture and mix well until all ingredients are combined and you have a soft dough. If the dough is too sticky you can add one or two tablespoons of flour, but the dough should be soft and not stiff. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours.

Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a 20x10 inch rectangle.

Brush the top of the dough with two tablespoons of melted butter

Mix together the 1 1/2 cups of sugar and 2 tablespoons of cinnamon. Sprinkle about a half cup of the cinnamon sugar mixture onto the dough.

Starting at the long end of the dough, roll the dough into a long log shape. Pinch the edges closed but do not seal the edges tightly.

Place the roll onto a cutting board and slice into one-inch slices. I slice about 18-20 rounds from my dough.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Sprinkle some of the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture onto a piece of waxed paper and place a slice on top.

Roll the slice with your rolling pin until it is a long oblong shape. I usually roll mine once or twice and then flip it over and roll it once more on the reverse side.

Carefully place the rolled slice onto a parchment paper covered cookie sheet. Repeat this process with the remaining rolls of dough. Sprinkle the tops with additional cinnamon sugar if desired.(Note: If you are adding chopped walnuts or pecans to your cookies, now is the time to do so. Sprinkle the nuts on top of the cookies and gently press them into the dough with your fingers.)

Bake the cookies in a 400 degree F oven for 10-12 minutes until they are light golden brown and the cinnamon sugar melts. Remove from oven and slide the parchment from the cookie sheet and allow them to cool on a tabletop or on wire cooling racks.

Yum :) Enjoy!

Pin this post!

I hope you enjoy these amazing cookies. If you try this recipe, be sure to stop back and leave a comment and let me know how you like them!

Enjoy your weekend!

Love, Laura

Images and recipe copyright Laura Beth Love. For personal use only.

Not for commercial use without express permissions.

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Senin, 18 April 2016

How To Create The Perfect Meditation Space In Your Home

Those who know me well know that I suffer from generalized anxiety. Yup! Im an anxious person. I cant help it, I didnt ask for it, and for the most part I sure dont enjoy it, but its there and I have to live with it. Im the type of person who tries to take something negative and turn it into a positive, so I will admit that over the years Ive been pretty crafty with my tendency to be anxious, and I have often tried to creatively use it to my advantage. Given that its not overwhelming, some anxiety can keep me on my toes, help me be more productive, expand my thinking, push me to be competitive (even if its just with myself) it also leads me to be a bit more of a perfectionist with my work, and makes for some pretty interesting creative writing and heartfelt poetry.

But things that are tightly wound need to unwind, and even though there are a myriad of medications that you can take to help with anxiety, anyone who suffers from anxiety should know first and foremost any med-free ways that they could possibly help themselves. Deep breathing and meditation are two perfect examples. I probably could write forever about this topic (and I will probably write more about it in the future), but Im going to get to the topic of this post, which is how meditation can be beneficial to you, and how to create the perfect meditation space in your home.

Why meditate?
The amazing thing about meditation is that it is for everyone. Anyone can benefit from meditation, no matter who you are, no matter your age, or what type of work you do, none of that matters. Meditation is for everyone.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/45880489926652846/

Most of us are constantly plugged in. We live in an era of being socially connected through technology and that is only going to increase over time. For all of the time that we spend plugged in, we need to increase our time that we spend unplugged. Kids today grow up with technology. They are born plugged in. Meditation is a powerful technique that you can teach your children to do early in their lives as a preventative measure to help counteract and deal with stressors that they will face throughout their lives.

Meditation is free and accessible. You dont need to drastically change your lifestyle to meditate. It costs nothing, you dont need to become a vegetarian or join a particular religion or anything like that. Dont know where to start? Check your local library for books, or even easier, go to Pinterest or Google for some quick starting advice. There are tons of guided meditation videos for free on YouTube to help get you started. As for finding the time to meditate, one of the best things to do is make it a part of your daily routine. Just as you set aside a few minutes every day to brush your teeth, it is just as easy to set aside a few minutes to meditate every day. Make it a part of your daily routine. Try first thing in the morning, or in the evening. Whatever works best for your schedule. Dont think you have time? Yes you do! If you have time to spend on Facebook or surfing the net, then you have time to spend on yourself. You have time to meditate!

"You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day, unless youre too busy; then you should sit for an hour."

- Old Zen saying

One thing thats great about meditation is that you cant fail at it. If you find your mind wandering to that grocery list, just try to refocus and get yourself back on track. Dont worry about messing up. Results are nearly instant. You should notice a difference pretty soon after you start meditating. Within a few weeks you may notice that you are calmer, you have more energy and greater clarity, and have better control over your thoughts and emotional responses. In your everyday life you may notice decreased anxiety as well as sharper thinking skills.

First and foremost, meditation should be accessible. There are great pros to setting up a meditation space in your home, but keep in mind that you dont want to create a barrier (too much of an attachment to one space) which could deter you from meditating anywhere besides your meditation space. On a beautiful warm day, meditate in a park, the forest, or your own backyard. Keep meditation accessible. But today we are going to start with creating a little meditation space in your own home to get you started. Once you are in the habit of meditating and become more skilled in your meditative practices you may then want to try meditating outside and in places other than your home.

What is a meditation space?
A meditation space is an area in your home where you will meditate. Pick a spot that is quiet and peaceful, and that you can personalize.

Why create a meditation space?
Do you need "things" with you to meditate? Absolutely not. All you need to meditate is yourself. As a matter of fact, too many objects can be distracting. But having a special spot, especially when starting out, can be inspiring for you and can give you that encouraging little nudge to make meditation a daily habit. A meditation space serves as a sanctuary, an inspiring reminder that meditation is a part of your daily life, and creating a space that is purposefully peaceful, comforting and relaxing can make your meditative practice even more enjoyable.

Check out these inspiring ideas, and use them for springboard to create your own peaceful meditation space. (click each photo for original source)

Mat, candles, mirror, plants...this looks like a tidy personal space

A cozy & colorful outdoor patio space

A peaceful companion - koi in a large jug with aquatic plants and river stones

Pillows and that window!

Peaceful candles glow

A breezy and open area with lots of plants

I love the scarves, curtains, and lights. This is a truly personal space!

Cozy and moody

Colorful bohemian style

Remember, there are no rules except for the ones that you create yourself! Here are some items that you may want to consider including in your space:

A cushion
A mat or rug
Something from nature; plants, stones, crystals, sand, pinecones, etc.
Candles
Incense

Enjoy your day!

Love,

Laura

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Selasa, 12 April 2016

How To Make A GingerBIRD House

What do you do with that gingerbread house kit that you didnt have time to put together and decorate over the holidays? You turn it into a gingerbird house! This is a fun winter craft that is perfect to make on a snowy winter day. Everyone in the family can join in, and the supplies cost next to nothing.

Here is what you will need:
Gingerbread house (you can also build one out of graham crackers)
A large plate
Small bowls
A butter knife or spatula
Peanut butter
Assorted snacks to adhere to the house:
Stale cereal, pretzels and crackers
Peanuts
Birdseed, sunflower seeds

If your gingerbread house is not yet constructed, it is best to first construct the walls and roof of your house and then allow it to dry overnight. I used classic royal icing to glue mine together (powered sugar and water mixed together to form a thick icing the consistency of brownie batter). I got my gingerbread house kits at my local grocery store around the holidays for about $5 each. This included only the gingerbread walls and roof parts and I had to make my own icing and construct it myself. You can also make your gingerbird house out of graham crackers, but the gingerbread is much more sturdy. Okay, so put together your gingerbread houses and allow to dry overnight, or if youre in a hurry, allow them to dry for at least 3-4 hours.

Construct your houses on large plates.

Gather your small bowls. I picked a variety of pretty ones, just because I had them at home.

Now fill your bowls with your stale snacks. Having the snacks in small bowls will help keep your work space neat and organized! These snacks are your building materials for your gingerbird house!

Another reason I like having everything organized in little bowls is that you can see everything out in front of you at one time, and this allows you to start to think creatively and plan in your head how you might use these materials.

I used cereal, some crackers and pretzel sticks, and popcorn. You can also use birdseed and peanuts. Be careful that you dont use anything that might harm wildlife. I stuck to grains.