Old Home Day

Yesterday I had breakfast with my friend, Barb, who I haven't seen since 1988. We went to grade school, Junior High and High School together until she moved away. We lost touch for many years and reconnected thanks to the wonders of Facebook. It was so much fun to get together after 23 years! Funny how we're both wearing purple.

Interchangeable Bottlecap Necklaces

When my nieces visit for 2 weeks in the summer, I always try to find something crafty to do. It's tricky to find something that both of them will enjoy doing and so I was excited to find instructions for Charming Magnet Necklaces in Family Fun magazine. My nieces said that it was hard but fun and it has provided hours of entertainment already, and we are making more tomorrow for them to give to friends. The fun thing is you can make as many bottlecaps as you want and they are interchangeable with the magnetic necklace!

Supplies:

Ribbon, elastic or other roping for necklace

1-inch metal washer
Strong, non-toxic glue (such as Wledbond Universal)

Small, super strong, 3/4 inch craft magnet

Clear packing tape

Glue stick

Artwork, magazines, photos, scrapbook paper
Cardstock
1-inch circle hole punch

Metal bottle caps

Mod Podge Dimensional Magic Glaze or Glossy Accents clear, dimensional embelishment

Scissors

Findings/fasteners (optional)

Spray paint (optional)

Step 1: Spray paint the back of the bottle caps, if desired

Step 2: Loop the cording through the washer

Step 3: Glue the magnet to the washer

Step 4: Punch out 1-inch circular pictures from photos, magazines, artwork, etc.

Step 5: Glue circles to cardstock

Step 6: Punch out circles again

Step 7: Apply layer of packing tape to front and back of circles and cut them out.
Step 8: Put a layer of glaze into bottlecaps and press circles into them. Let dry.

Step 9: Fill bottlecaps the rest of the way with the glaze. Remove any bubbles. Let dry overnight.

Little Purses for Dinner

Tonight I made Steamed Pork Buns (Char Siu Bao). They are like little purses of Chinese Pork.

It's always exciting when dough rises like it is supposed to. They looked so small before I steamed them so I thought I might eat 2, but after steaming they puff up much bigger. They are quite yummy too.

What Does a Snow Day Look Like?

We finally got our long-awaited snow day today! Unfortunately, since it was really a sleet, rain and ice day, I didn't go out and practice my cross-country skiing. Instead, this is what the day looked like:

Early call from coworker telling me I didn't have to go to work.
Couldn't go back to sleep because I was too excited about not having to get up.
Made a pot of tea and watched the early news and the Today Show.
Cleaned the kitchen.
Rescheduled the home visits that I was supposed to have today.
Studied for my school social work class.
Finished knitting a gift for someone awesome.
Built a fire in the woodstove to offset heating costs on this day at home.
Made another pot of tea.
Started knitting a black, raglan sweater for myself using the Knitting Fool website that creates a pattern (for free) after you enter your measurements, gauge, etc.
Ate lunch and did more knitting at the Red Brick Coffee Shop with a friend.
Mailed a package of clothes to my godson.
Received my snowshoes in the mail!!!
Got a haircut.
Made Hoisin Chicken and Parsnip Mashed Potatoes.

I'm not listing these things to gloat. I'm just grateful for this gift of an unexpected free day. I needed it.

My Snowy Life

Snow makes me happy. It's a necessity for me. It's part of why I like it here in Michigan, in the snow belt where we know all about "lake effect snow." I ran the snowblower after work yesterday but you wouldn't know it this morning. My paths are hidden under a few more inches of snow.

I like how the snow looks like it's snaking around the items left on my back porch.

My garden looks cozy under a blanket of snow (below).

I try to keep the birds fed.
Yesterday I saw 4 cardinals in this tree but they are shy this morning.

Winter Gardening

Okay, so it's not quite gardening but thanks to encouragement from my cousin Suzanne, I am growing sprouts in my house! It's very exciting. I bought a sprouting lid that fits on a Mason jar and I'm growing alfalfa sprounts in there.

I also bought a tall tupperware at Goodwill, poked some holes in the bottom, and I'm growing mung bean sprouts in there. I started them 3 days ago and have been rinsing them twice a day and I think they are about ready to eat! The bean sprouts taste almost like fresh peas from the garden, although not as sweet. I plan to try them in a Peanut Chicken Pasta Salad recipe this week. Fun!

Facebook is Overtaking Blogging

I just realized that I haven't posted on my blog since August. The reason is that I find it so much quicker to post updates and pictures on Facebook. So, although I'll probably post on here again, the best place to find me is on Facebook. It's taking over the world.