I can create: A Festive Halloween Feast!

I moved across the country and was blessed with an instant friend who is alot like me (we even have kids close to the same age). She and I love to craft...we are a perfect pair! Every Wednesday a bunch of the wives with busy Law School husbands get together with our kids and eat! It gives our husbands extra study time or relaxation time. This past week, My friend Kacey and I teamed up to create a fun Halloween Feast. This was our email - invite!

SpOoKtAcUlAr DiNnEr BoO-nanza!

Who: Wives of the Dead! (and Little Monsters too!)
What: Haunting Halloween Feast
Where: The Haunted Mansion by the Lake of Doom (formerly known as Tennille's house, and in the words of Leesa, "If you don't know where it is then you're not invited!")
When: Vensday, October 27, 2010 - 5:30 pm
Why: Because when black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam, May luck be yours on Halloween
How: Brought to you by...Your Ghost Hosts: Yecak and Ellinnet
R.S.V.P or R.I.P

Mystery Menu
Worms and Eyeballs
Mummy Dogs (for the Little Monsters)
Bones and Blood
Monster Jaws with Pumpkin Sludge and Toasted Batwings
Frankenstein's Garden
Spider Tartlets
Witches Brew


NOTE TO THE MORTALS:
The menu is planned
The food will be prepared
So just bring yourselves and make sure you're SCARED!

Here are some pictures of the food that we made! (The main course was spaghetti and meatballs which I do not have a picture of because who hasn't seen that before!)

Toasted Bat Wings

Monster Jaws Mummy Wrapped Cheese Dogs
Bones and Blood
Spider Tartlets
Thanks Kacey it was a blast!

I can create: A Masterpiece!

When I was in elementary school - I remember sneaking into my super cool older sisters room to listen to her CD's. We shared the basement so her room was only one room away - but she was in high school so I always wanted to find things to help me be cool like her! There was one song that I always loved hearing - and often put on repeat! Over and over in my life since, these lyrics have popped into my head at different times - and each time they touch my heart in a special way! Maybe it is a message that I need to hear frequently! I thought about this song again today and really want to share it with you! (Sorry I don't know how to post the song - so the lyrics with have to do)

Masterpiece
(Julie de Azevedo/Greg Simpson)

Simple clay in the potter's hand
An empty page and an author's pen
An artist's brush to a canvas white
And a work of art comes to life

Marble raw but the sculptor sees
The masterpiece that lies beneath
Though rough and marred the Master's touch
Can change this life into His work of love
So everyday I pray

CHORUS
He'll write His will upon my heart
Mold my soul to His design
Adding color depth and light
And polishing until I shine shine shine
Oh my heart is in His hands
He's painting the life He'd have me lead
Through refining floods and flames
He's smoothing edges and the seems
And in time time time
Oh this simple life will be a Masterpiece

Snowy peaks watercolor skies
His works of beauty fill my eyes
But He sees nothing more beautiful
Than a heart submissive to His will
I want to know His will
So everyday I pray

He'll write His will upon my heart
Mold my soul to His design
Adding color depth and light
And polishing until I shine shine shine
Oh my heart is in His hands
He's painting the life He'd have me lead
Through refining floods and flames
He's smoothing edges and the seems
And in time time time
Oh this simple life will be a Masterpiece

I love this song because I often feel like a blank canvas or a rough piece of marble - but I know that my Heavenly Father loves me and that he wants to help me become a "masterpiece". I know that it is not going to happen overnight and that it is a life long process, but he is there with me every step of the way shining over and over. I hope that I can be more submissive to his will and know how to become the most beautiful masterpiece that I can be!

I can create: A recipe with more than 5 ingredients!

I have decided lately that I am a "chicken" in the kitchen. I am a creature of habbit and I make the same recipes that my mom or sister make, and when I do look for a new recipe - it has to have less than 6 ingredients and be cooked in a crock pot (where I can dump everything in and walk away) or I won't even try it! So for this post I am learning to branch out and try new things! I have alot more time now that I am a SAHM (Stay At Home Mom) so why not right? This was my first attempt at something with more than 5 ingredients- and let me remind you that this is baby steps for me.... (I still used my crock pot!)

So here is the menu: Pork Roast with a Ground Ginger and Garlic Rub (this one had like 8 or 9 spices in it...), Mashed Potatoes (my mother-in-laws recipe with lots of butter and half and half), broccoli (with cheese), spaghetti squash (reminds me of home), and bread.

My little man even loved it! And yes he does eat and love broccoli!

This recipe was really easy so maybe next time I will choose something with 7 ingredients and not use a crock pot :)! I had never made a "rub" before because rubbing raw meat has never sounded appealing but it was really good! It was even better that we took the leftovers, shredded them, and added BBQ Sauce for Pulled Pork. The Ground Clove mixed with the BBQ Sauce had a good flavor.

My next goal: roast garlic and use it in a recipe!

I can create: A love for reading!

In our home we LOVE books! My husband and I love to find a book we both want to read and read it out loud together. He is currently reading the Lord of the Rings series (on his own). I love to participate in book clubs and talk about the books I am reading. I am reading a book a month with my mom and sister, reading a book for a book club with friends, and reading books on my own. I will even find my son sitting on his floor looking at books. He also brings me books all the time to look at together. Every Tuesday (or Wednesday) my son and I go to Storytime and the library which we love. He usually does well sitting for the 20 minutes singing the songs and reading the stories. Plus he loves to hug George!

My dream is to have a room with walls of bookshelves that are full of books like this!

In college (at BYU) I spent alot of time at the library (studying of course). When you walk down the main stairs of the library, this scripture is on the wall.

D&C 88:118

118 And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.

I love this scripture because: 1) it tells us to read good books :) 2) it tells us to consistantly learn 3) it tells us to do it through study and faith. To me, this means that I do not have to know everything all the time but if I study and if I have faith, then I will find true words of wisdom!

I learn so much from books and from reading! I love how you can put yourself in the place of the characters and really feel what they are going through. I love how you can get sucked into a new world, with new challenges, and new adventures. I love learning about how characters deal with situations differently. I love thinking about things in different ways and stretching my mind to try to understand different ideas! I love reading! If you have any books that you love and can recommend let me know!

I can create: A stronger Testimony

After listening to the General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints - I am always left pondering my own life and how I can improve myself. I learned alot about gratitude, obedience, faith, parenting, and about my Savior, Jesus Christ. I am excited to go back and re-read/listen to the inspired talks and the words of Prophets, Seers and Revelators.

This conference, just like many in the past, has caught the attention of the media. As I have listened to the words of the Prophets and the reports of the media - I have looked deep down into my own Testimony of the gospel and have found that I sustain the leaders of my church as "Prophets, Seers and Revelators" and the things that they say are the things that the Lord would like me to hear. I know that the Gospel is true and I know that these scriptures are true:
D&C 1:37-38
37 Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled.
38 What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.
39 For behold, and lo, the Lord is God, and the Spirit beareth record, and the record is true, and the truth abideth forever and ever. Amen.

I know that these men are servants of the Lord and are doing his work with all of their heart. I also know that the things they say are the things that the Lord would have us hear - even if it is hard and even if it is not popular. I am so grateful that I belong to a church that does not change its standards or teachings just because of negitive media attention or because of what the world thinks is "right". I take comfort in knowing that the Lord loves us and gives us messages that we need to hear - at the moment we need to hear it! I love the gospel with all my heart and know that it is true!

I can create: A safe Fireplace!

We moved into a new apartment with a fireplace and we were ecstatic about it...until our 18 month old decided it was the best place to play in and store his toys in - resulting in black everywhere! I was looking around for fireplace covers but that can get really pricey!

Thank goodness to someone else having the same problem as me and blogging about it here. Thanks to her inspiration I was able to create this beauty out of foam board and vinyl!

Before: After:

Now he pounds on it with anything he can find - but the mess is alot smaller! Doing this project helped me to feel more confident in my creativity. I had a whole white canvas to design and a bunch of shapes to choose from to cut my vinyl into. I saw these two shapes and just went for it and I really like how it turned out. Maybe now I can start making more everyday home decorations that I will love just as much!

I can create: A Cute Halloween

Halloween has never been my favorite holiday. I guess the blood and gore of it all was never appealing to me! When I taught elementary school, I got sick of the kids coming as something "dead"! I found this cookbook/craft book thing at a book sale at my school that was 3 Halloween Idea Books in one - and most of the things in there were cute and not "dead" so I decided that I was going to enjoy the cute parts of Halloween! Here are some of the things that I have created (most of the ideas are not original so I will make sure I give credit where credit is due)...

This was an original idea. I save all my "trash" now and had a spare Kleenex box laying around so I turned it into this!
I left the hole in the top and it is now a candy jar box thingy!
A few friends and I got together to make this on what we call "Crafty Friday". The idea for the Monster Jars came from here.
On Saturday before the General Conference broadcast for my church, some friends and I got together to make these garbage bag wreaths! The great thing about them is you can use any color of garbage bags and spruce it up with whatever you want! The idea for the wreath came from here via my friend Kacey.
I love to sew and jumped at this idea! I think they turned out really cute and they were really easy! It helps that I have a mantle to display them on! The idea for the fabric pumpkins came from here.
So thank you to all the people who gave me ideas to help decorate my house "cute" for Halloween!
I learned a few things about myself with these projects:
1. When I craft - I like to take my time and stretch it out so that I don't make as many mistakes and so that I can have something to work on. When the craft is done - I have to find something else to do!
2. I love to sit and listen to peoples stories and conversations. Two of these projects were done in groups of women and I learned alot about these women and also learned from their experiences!
3. I am learning to love even Halloween because it is an opportunity for me to think of fun things to do with my Family!

I can create: A Cheap Picture Frame

I am finding that crafting is my sanity. Unfortunately crafting like I am used to - costs alot of $. Right now with our current financial situation that crafting is not "in the budget" as my husband would like to say. I am also learning that we don't even really have a budget for gifts - so when we were invited to my son's friends birthday party...I had to get creative! I had everything in my craft stash to make this gift and I loved making something GIRLY!


With this project I learned that having to live cheap helps me to be more creative! I am now constantly thinking of ways to do things cheaper so that I can have them fit "in my budget" and in my home!