Hands and Hearts 02/14/2012
 
The awesome Family Sign above was created by my treasured niece, Stefani

Love - Love - Love - Love - Love - Love -

For Valentine's Day 2012, I would like to celebrate some sweet creations that were recently gifted to us from the talented hands and hearts of some very loved (by me) family members.  Enjoy!

Your talent is God's gift to you.
What you do with it is your gift back to God.
- Leo Buscaglia -

Granddaughters - sweet Megan and happy Madison made these great valentine cards.
When you receive super special cards like these, you know what it means to be really loved.
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My charming niece Stacia's handmade "Redneck Wine Glasses".

I love them and found out they also make great candle holders for tealights and votives at the dinner table!
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My lifelong best friend and sister-in-law, Debra, created these charming rooster salt & peppers.

Somehow it's just more fun to season a meal with these little guys!

Wishing you a happy Valentine's Day!  Pam

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Making a photo frame white board to say "I Love You"  is simple and fun to do.


My version uses White Vellum paper over the photo, allowing you to change the photo (or the heading) whenever you wish. 
OK, let's get started!

First, gather your supplies

1.   photo frame with white mat, whatever size you want
      (I used IKEA's "Ribba" frame which costs about $5 and works with a 5x7 photo)

2.   one sheet of white vellum paper (a smooth paper which is translucent allowing you to see the photo through the paper - scroll down for more info) 

3.  Scissors and tape

4.  Photo

5.  Dry Erase Marker  or Washable Marker 
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A note about  white vellum paper:

Vellum paper is smooth and translucent, allowing you to see through it.  It works great for this project, because when you write on the glass with a black dry erase marker, the layer of vellum will enable you to see the writing and still see the photo.



You can find vellum at your local office supply store, or order online from Office Depot by clicking on the image below.
_To start, print a header you like on a sheet of white vellum paper, using your home ink jet or laser printer. 

Be creative!  Here are some I like:
"I love our family because"
"I love you because"
"You are my sunshine because"
"Thanks for"

You may download the "I heart" header,  by clicking on the download link below:
template4iheart.docx
File Size: 15 kb
File Type: docx
Download File
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Next, use the paper that comes with the frame to measure and trim your vellum to the size that fits your frame.

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Lay the trimmed vellum face-down against the glass in the frame.
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Lay the mat over the vellum.
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Tape your photo to the mat.  Replace the back of the frame to enable hanging it on the wall or standing on a shelf.











Write a note on the glass with your marker, wrap your gift with paper and a bow, and
Voila!  You  have created a great Valentine for your sweetheart, your child, your sweet grandchild, or your parents.  Have fun!

6 Comments
 
 
Usually we all readily confess that we have more things than we need.  

To carry that dilemma a step further, have you ever thought about what it would be like to move your entire home across country in a covered wagon?   Talk about downsizing your belongings....
 
_ The family needed to pack  everything required to survive the long journey and everything needed to maintain a home --  into a space about 10-12 feet long, 4 feet wide, with sides around 3-4 feet tall—about the size of the inside of a VW van. 

 What  would you choose to take with you in this small space ?
_ I wonder which things might do double duty -- real space savers.  For example, quilts.   I read that back in pioneer days, quilts were not only very practical for warmth, they also served as "love letters" from the friends and family back home who sewed them.  The beauty, warmth, color, art and pure coziness of quilts must have helped to make the settlers feel at home in a very strange new world.    Not to mention the fact that, out of necessity, at times they were used as room dividers, or wall insulation to help keep the house warm. 
What would you bring to create a kitchen and a garden?
What would you take to entertain and inspire you?
How many mementos of family and friends could you spare space for?

Its kind of interesting to think about how I might handle the task of selecting what to take, knowing that my life and well being would be dependent upon my choices.

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_ Out  of  curiosity, I did a little bit of web research on typical packing lists of pioneers  Here is a summary of what I learned:

PIONEER PACKING LIST for a COVERED WAGON

Clothing and fabric

Sheets, Blankets, Quilts, Pillows, Towels

Water (at least 50 gallons per person)

Food Staples (about 1000 lbs of food for a family of four)

Food and water for your animals

Pots, Pans, utensils, dishes, silverware, a cookstove, a butter churn

Table Chairs Bed, Kitchen Cupboard, Dresser, Linen chests, Mirror

Sewing Machine, sewing box with needles, thread, pins, buttons, etc.

Clock

Lamps/lanterns

Entertainment:  books, cards, musical instruments

Medicine & First Aid Kit

Equipment & supplies for laundry and cleaning (tubs, hampers, soap, detergents, clotheslines, etc)

Construction tools for building a house and furniture

Land clearing and gardening tools, flower and vegetable seeds or seedlings

Weapons for hunting and protection

Camping supplies to use on the way
 

Apparently the wagon trails were littered with all kinds of stuff thrown out of the wagons which turned out to be just too heavy for the horses or oxen to pull.  Old time “pickers” would ride along the trail every day to pick up the cast offs and make some money off them.  If you had to toss something overboard based on the list above, what would it be?  --the dresser? Kitchen cupboard?  (I guess you could build those when you arrived.)  It would have been so hard to make that decision.
 
Getting rid of stuff I don’t use but has been taking up storage space always feels so great.   I wonder if the pioneer women also felt that beautiful sensation of relief when they pared down their belongings to the basics needed for their journey.

If you are interested in this subject:
Read about what modern homesteaders should pack at homestead.org "A Convenient List of Useful Equipment for the New Homesteader".

Another fascinating look at a modern homesteading experience is the book "Homestead:  Modern Pioneers Pursuing the Edge of Possibility"by Jane Kirkpatrick (2005).  Jane tells  her story - a fascinating one - of she and her husband establishing a home and learning to make a living off a rugged and solitary landscape in eastern Oregon.  True modern pioneers with many of the same perils and joys faced by the pioneers of old.

I'd like to focus on paring down and treasuring the essentials in 2012.
Life is much sweeter with fewer things and more love.

Happy New Year to you and your family!
Pam



4 Comments
 
 
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_It was a lot of  fun cutting big white snowflakes out of paper today with two sweet  granddaughters.  We glued them on ribbon to hang in our windows to enjoy during the holiday season.

There is a lot of truth in the idea that the simplest things are often the most entertaining and fulfilling.

When I was kid, our family used to cut snowflakes out of paper every Christmas.  But since it's been a long while, I decided to look for a refresher course online in how to fold the paper.  The instructions from highhopes.com were a good quick reminder about just how easy it is to start creating a snowflake masterpiece.  Grab a sheet of printer paper and some scissors, and have some fun - you won't regret it!
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_Do you drop off donations at the thrift store and leave with more cute things you have picked up and purchased during your visit?

Our town has 3 great little thrift stores to explore. So last week I carried a box of Christmas items into the local Animal Protection thrift store, feeling proud for clearing my world of some holiday this-n-that's which I've been storing for who-knows-how-long.

Of course "since I was there", I decided to have a look around.  And this is where the sabotage makes its entrance.  Amazing how there is almost always a "find" in any thrift store which would just be so great in my home!

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_My original goal was to  downsize, and simplify my collection of holiday items.  So why  did I walk out carrying a beautiful cross-stitched throw blanket ?   

At the next thrift store (where I went to search for something specific which it turns out they did not have),   I discovered a few fun things for the grandkids' playroom at our house.

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_Are these purchases self-sabotage of my original  goal of simplification, or a happy small donation to assist the causes of the thrift shops?  

After consideration,   I decided to absolutely call these unexpected purchases Santa Claus rather than Sabotage.  Its a lot of fun to shop thrift stores and find those surprise treasures, and more importantly, It is a good feeling to know that my donations & purchases may be of help somewhere this holiday season.  So onward, you like-minded thrift store shoppers!
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_It's a cold day here in Evergreen, Colorado - 2 degrees when I woke up this morning, which was a warming trend from the zero degrees we had last night!

After months of thinking about starting a blog, somehow this wintry day seems like the perfect time.  Maybe its the purity of the white snow and the crispy air - like a fresh beginning.

The beautiful black fox ran through our yard yesterday.  I have not seen her since last winter.  She is so magnificent -- a  snow queen gliding through her kingdom.   i thought I could hear her say "do it now, do it now", or like the famous quote attributed to Goethe: "Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now. "

So welcome to Cub Creek, a place where I hope to explore some of the sweet little things in life.
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