Perfect Memory

There are always a couple of new things I just HAVE to try at Christmas.  One was   the snowman bottles, check.  Another was Christmas tree cookies.  Not just any cookies, the very ones I  saw on pinterest...it had to be those exact ones. The problem was I couldn't find the pin to go by.  I have pages and pages of likes and pins so I had to  make them from memory. So I made them and even took a picture to remind me to do them next year.  And yes I nailed them exactly as I found them on pinterest.

I was looking through some pins and found those much lusted after and revered Christmas tree cookies. And to my delight they look nothing like the "perfect pinterest "  cookies of my dreams.  Not even close, but much loved by me.  There is a lesson in here somewhere.  Hope your Holidays were awesome.

Snowman Milk Bottles

We made some cute snowman bottles that I saw on Pottery Barn's web site.  I used empty Starbuck's cappachino bottles.  The site says to hot glue buttons on but I used super glue so we could pour hot chocolate in without the buttons melting off.  You can use any kind of ribbon or fabric for the scarf.  I bought a pair of red fleecy sweat pants at Walmart for $5.00.  It was simple to just cut strips off the legs and wrap them around the bottle.  I fringe cut the edges on some of them. The straws came from Dollar Tree 6 for a buck.  They turned out so cute I can't wait to use them tonight.  There's still time to whip some up before Christmas.

Snowman Jars

While being overly obsessed with Pinterest's holiday happenings I fell in love with snowman jars.  All kinds of snowman jars filled with all kinds of things.  I just love those guys so my daughter and i made one.  Hers is filled with candy and mine is full of snow.  They were so fun and easy. We used an air dry dough to form the heads and used carpet tacks for the mouth, a toothpick for the nose and various doodads.  The jars were emptied and cleaned out jelly jars.  Cheap--always a plus.  They turned out pretty cute.  if you want to see some other snowman jars check out my pinterest board

http://pinterest.com/jean_knee2/snowman-jars/

Priceless

Happy Turkey Day

Turkey cupcakes designed and made by my fifth grader

Pretty Winter Chapel

Goodbye Halloween!!

my phone sucks

Looks like a Haunting Good Time

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Customer photo: Candy corn centerpiece with three of the polka dot shop's wands.

 Take a look at this gorgeous buffet table.  bewitching

Customer photo: Take a look at that cupcake stand.  It is full of candy corn goodness added to jars and stacked with silver cake rounds.  SOOOO darling.
cupcake toppers by The Polka Dot Shop

Painting Pumpkins

I was going to have tons of posts for Halloween but using my phone to take pictures stinks.
Anyway here are some pumpkins we painted last night.  Look at the one with a bloody knife stuck in it.  That's my daughter's.  Her Halloween training is coming along nicely.  We like a nice blend of cute and creepy around here.

In The Doghouse

Well my computer has bitten the dust-again.  I was practicing using the camera on my phone since I have nothing to upload new pictures to.  I took a picture outside on my patio table.  It seemed okay.  I went inside after I emailed it to myself to check the picture on the ipad.  It looked okay.  Too bad for me I left this cute guy outside with my two dogs, Rotten and Rottener.

I returned a minute later and this was all that was left.

RIP cute pumpkin lantern.

This Really Works

I saw a tip on pinterest that said to soak paintbrushes that have dried acrylic paint on them in Murphy Oil Soap for 24 hours.  I have quite a few brushes around that needed this treatment- you know how you get in a hurry and forget to clean your brushes.

Now some needed an extra couple of days and some came off after two, depends on the paint I guess and maybe how long its been dried on there.  If it doesn't come off just keep soaking them.

I Love This TiP!

Witch Hat Swap Spoiler alert Sandy, look away now

Oh yeah its almost Halloween, sorta. And I was in a witches' hat swap.  My partner was Sandy and this is the darling hat she made me.  It has plenty of vintage details and a really kool black glittered skeleton.  I love those things.

 

I don't have a picture yet but the hat is sitting on a silver glittered skull.

And here is the hat I made her.

You can check out her blog here http://521lakestreet-sandy.blogspot.com/.  She's taking a break but will be back soon.

Dog Treats

My Pokey Little puppy recently had surgery.  To our delight he has been cooped up in the house with orders to be still.  mmmm hmmmmm He's a dalmatian- hence jittery.  We decided to make him some tasty doggie treats for his convalescence.  I remembered I had a recipe for dog biscuits and it seems I made some just a couple of years ago.  Anyway I found the recipe.  It was from a 1995 issue of Good Housekeeping.  Yeah that was just a couple of years ago.

We made up a batch, they were really easy and, well almost tasty.  Yeah we sampled one.  So?  Here's the recipe in case you want to try.

1 1/2 c flour
1/4 c uncooked oatmeal
1/4 c honey crunch wheat germ
1/4 c peanut butter
1/4 canola oil
1/4 c honey
1 t baking powder

1.  In a large bowl, with mixer at low speed, mix 1 cup flour with remaining ingredients and 1/2 c wateruntil well blended.  With spoon, stir in remaining 1/2 c flour.

2.  Preheat oven to 350.  With floured hands on a floured surface knead dough until it holds together.  Roll to 1/4 inch thick.  Cut out with bone shaped cookie cutter.

3.  Bake on large ungreased cookie sheet for 20 minutes; turn oven off.  Let cookie sheet remain in oven 1 hour.

4.  Cool on a wire rack.  Store in an airtight container.


NOTE:  They were a little overdone so I would shut the oven off after 15 minutes.

Been Creating..

Is This Pottery Barn? DIY Halloween Food Tags Tutorial

I was perusing pinterest for some new Halloween ideas because, as you know, it's too early for Halloween..

I saw this cute idea and quickly pinned it.  YES!  It said it was Pottery Barn but I couldn't find it on their website.  Anyway it looks cute.  Looks like chalkboard paint on Halloween shapes to be used as food tags for a party.

So it gave me the idea to use some silhouettes I recently found at dollar tree. 

I glued one onto a stick I found outside.  Then I wrapped a spool with some black fabric.

 Use chalk to label. Insert stick into the spool and there you have it.  Try to imagine it surrounded by festive pumpkins and junk like that.  They also had other shapes like crows, and spiders.  I think using a mix of these would look really good.  And you can't beat the price.
silhouettes...$1.00
spool...already had it
fabric....was a scrap
stick.......on the ground

It's Too Early

I know, I know it's too early for Halloween but at my house we're already in the groove, baby!

Nobody's Birthday

It's nobody's birthday.  Let's celebrate with a polka dotted cupcake.


image from pinterest, could not find link

Enough With the Tutus, On with the Presents

Finally finally finally..., a cupcake without a tutu.  Go gifts!!  I just want to rip into those cute little things.

Obsessed with the Tutu

 Yep, my obsession with the tutu continues.  Here are some new additions to my ballet party pack

Farmer's Market Saturday

When I was little I used to go with my great aunts' to the farmer's market for fresh produce. It was very large, or so it seemed to me at the time, and we always came away with delicious fruits and vegetables.  Then we would spend the afternoon shelling peas on the front porch.  We haven't had a real farmer's market around here in many years.  Recently they have been trying to revive one downtown near the river.  It's not too large yet but hopefully it will grow.

We ate whole wheat pizza baked in a stone oven for lunch.

The Urban    Gardening Coalition  is a group of gardeners who raise small gardens in their back yards.  They found that even with a small garden they grew more than they needed so created the coalition to share their produce with others and make a little money.

Look at their gorgeous table, I'm a sucker for red and white checks.

Cupcake Toppers

I live for cupcake toppers.  My collection is VAST.  Click here to see some cute toppers on etsy.

http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2012/06/04/the-7-coolest-cupcake-toppers-you-can-buy-on-etsy/

Pinterest Favorites

It's true.  I do find myself spending a lot of time on Pinterest.  It's better than having a dozen of the latest magazines.  So I have decided to share some of my favorite finds for the week.  Hope you like em.  I tried to get ones that need no instructions.

 Throw sprinkles instead of rice for weddings! They say the pictures turn out amazing!

 Mini tacos: Won ton wrappers in muffin tins filled with taco seasoned ground meat, cheese & bake for 8 minutes at 350. Top with favorite taco toppings!

Modpodge a copy of your marriage certificate onto your wooden initial-I love this!

Pretty Party

I had so many pretty party things just sitting there doing nothing.  So I made a wee party.

www.jeanknee.etsy.com

Someone Likes to party

It's Our Memorial Day Cake

Sure, you expected something in patriotic colors.  But this is the way the polka dot shop rocks the holiday.

I'm going to pour a home made ganache glaze over it before serving.mmmmmmm

Matchbox Swap

I was in another matchbox swap.  They are so much fun and sooo addicting.  This box was made for me by Lynn.  I love that crepe paper ruffle around the edge.  And it's glittered! Pretty flowers at the bottom go with the fairy flower girl theme.Beautiful

And here is a shot of the tiny gifts inside:  all kinds of charms, trims, and baubles.

The last picture shows the box I sent my partner.

I love these swaps and can't wait for the next one.