Kick off the Summer with a Party!

Historic Falls Park, Pendleton, IN

I do love the summer! Here in the Midwest, we might not have a gorgeous ocean and beach but we do have our own great summer sights. The flowers, the creek falls, the kelly green grass, the blue sky, the vitamin D filled sunshine and 3 fun holidays to boot wrap up our summer season!

Memorial Day starts everything in late May, Independence Day is midway and the end of summer is signified by Labor Day every year.

Memorial Day/Weekend Party or Get-Together

Since we are smack in the middle of Memorial Weekend today, I thought I would take you through our celebration last year (this year's is tomorrow.)  Each year, my family gets together for and on Memorial Day. It's our "Kick Off to Summer Party" and one of my favorites.

I know I have mentioned it before but here I go again... I am a military brat -- specifically the U.S. Navy. My dad was career Navy. My parents actually met when both were stationed at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida. Both my grandfathers were U.S. Navy veterans as is my only brother.

Suffice is to say, we are a patriotic bunch! So, because the Memorial, Independence and Labor Day holidays are patriotic in nature, that's the theme we use for all three. It's a lot of fun and we leave some of the decor up all summer -- red, white and blue is very appropriate for a summer season boasting 3 patriotic holidays.

Stars & Stripes -- Red, White & Blue

The color combination is timeless. The primary color scheme is used by Countries for their flag, sports teams and schools for their colors, in home decorating (especially in the cottage, vintage and nautical decor themes) and so much more.

Last year, I decided to use a "vintage feel" with the patriotic theme and loved the way it turned out. I wrote about it here: My Patriotic Buffet Table for our Summer party. Burlap, baskets, bandanas and mini flags come together to create a festive, fun and whimsical buffet table for our party. What do you think?

My Patriotic Summer Buffet Party

Summer Parties

The summer is filled with parties, occasions and get togethers in addition to the holidays mentioned above. Do you have a traditional get-together each summer or a special occasion you'll celebrate this year? Could be anything, like:

• Graduation Party
• Neighborhood Block Party
• Birthday
• Wedding
• Baby or Bridal Shower
• Class Reunion
• Family Reunion
• Annual Luau Party 
• Summer Picnics

Think about sharing your ideas and experiences with others that want to hold a successful event. Do you have a favorite pot luck dish you always make or take? Are you throwing a shindig to celebrate your daughter's graduation or your son's wedding rehearsal dinner? Are you the "Picnic King/Queen"?

Being the Party Planning Contributor on Squidoo, I can point you to a great outlet for sharing your experiences with others here on the world wide web. Best of all -- Squidoo is FREE!!! You might even earn a little you can put towards your next big party!

Let me know (in the comments) if you write an article about a party so I can help you promote it! Most of all, have a wonderful summertime!

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Little Artists

As the Little Crafty Kids Contributor for Squidoo, I don't just look at craft projects for the under-fives, I look at art ideas, too, because to me, the two subjects are inextricably linked! Many crafts involve at least some painting, drawing or artistic input, and all the creativity that goes into them can only serve to enhance the art that kids go on to produce.

I'm writing about art for preschoolers this week because my daughter has done very little crafting, but a heck of a lot of drawing. She is obsessed at the moment, and is really exploring color, too. So much so, that even food cannot get in the way of this current passion - she doodles away on the paper towel that I put under her breakfast, lunch and dinner plates, so I am currently the proud owner of numerous sheets of beautifully decorated kitchen roll, including numerous rainbow designs like the one on the left, which I am working out how to effectively display in some kind of scrap book!

Engaging with children and their art is a wonderful way to connect and encourage, I feel. Don't simply say, "Oh, that's nice," and definitely never ask, "What's that?" - instead, talk about the shapes and colors and styles used. Comment on what you like about the picture, or why they decided to put that particular object there, or whether there is a story behind it. Today, I was telling my little girl how much I liked the way she had drawn the mountains in the background, and the pattern she had colored on the girl's dress. This led to her explaining more about what the picture meant to her and why she had drawn it.

They may only be young at this age, but don't let that put you off exploring the art world! I have been reading lots recently about introducing different artists to preschoolers, and I heartily agree with this idea.

I recently showed my daughter (4) some of my high school artwork, and she was particularly captivated by this pointillism painting I had done (right). So I explained a little bit about pointillism, impressionism, and Monet, and she expressed interest in having a go herself. As serendipity would have it, one of the books we had taken out the library, Katie and the Waterlily Pond, was about a little girl exploring an art gallery, and she magically hopped in and out of, yes, you guessed it, various Monet paintings whilst trying to paint her own impressionist painting! My little girl was now definitely hooked, and we're in the midst of starting an impressionist project as I write!

The beauty of art is that you can make it as simple or complex as you like - great for deconstructing artists and interpreting them at home for age appropriate activities! 

One of the great things about art for kids is that, like crafts for kids, there is plenty of scope for recycling things! I'm slightly obsessed with melting things at the moment, especially with all the terrific ideas for melted crayon art and melted bead crafts. These projects do of course need adult supervision, but under-fives will just love the things you can do - such as seeing what amazing patterns and colors you can make on canvas with this Melted Crayon Art project by neeznoodle.

Another wonderful form of art for children is modelling with clay. We were using it out in the forest this week, making marvelous mini beasts at forest school (here's Pud's lovely ladybug on the left, decorated with twig legs, leaf wings and catkin spots!) 

As this was a fun activity outdoors, the bug is left unbaked. For ideas at home, don't worry if you don't have access to a kiln for proper clay. There are lots of air drying clays available, as well as non-toxic polymer clays such as Fimo, that you can bake in the oven. You can also make salt dough or your own homemade clay too. 

So, are you inspired? What masterpiece of artwork can you create with your children or grandchildren? If you have enjoyed some great art projects with your under-fives, please and share them !

As always, happy crafting.

(c) All photos are copyright of the author

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A Knight in Shining Armor ~ A Romantic Book Review

 A Knight in Shining ArmorFinding a good book to read is often not easy and I rely heavily on reviews written by other unbiased readers.

I am always reading a book.  As soon as I finish one book, I start another.  Some books, like The Hunger Games Trilogy are so captivating that once I start reading, I simply cannot put them down until I have finished reading the entire book.  Most books I read over the course of a few days an hour or so at a time.  

My reading time is my unwinding time.  A time were I allow my mind to shift from reality to fiction and to get lost, for just a little while, in a made up world.  I prefer romance novels, or at least a book that has a strong romantic story woven into it like the Hunger Games.

A Knight in Shining Armor

 

 A Knight in Shining Armor
(The Montgomery/Taggert Family Book 15)Check PriceUpon-Request captured my interest in her review of A Knight in Shining Armor with her very first words, "A love that is timeless...".  For a truly forever hopeless romantic, I honestly don't know a more appealing phrase.

The book was originally published in 1989, but apparently it's appeal is timeless.   

Upon-Request explains that even though she read it decades ago, she still remembers it fondly, but you will want to read her review for yourself! 

An Invitation to Share Your Review

I would love to read more romantic book reviews and I would certainly be thrilled to be able to share them here with our readers of Review This! 

If you have written a review of a romantic book that you would like to share,  simply leave us the link in the guestbook.

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Macro/Close Up Photography

Taking photos close up can really be a lot of fun.  You see the world in a whole new light.  I am always amazed by the details in flowers when I get close up.  In the last session of our nature photography class the instructor talked about equipment for macro and close up photography.  If this would be my primary focus for photos I would want to buy a macro lens but they are rather costly and my primary focus is lighthouses and landscapes.  The instructor suggested several alternatives.  The one that seemed to fit my needs was to buy a 50mm 1.4 or 1.8 lens and then to get extension tubes for even closer shots.

The photo above was taken with the 50 mm lens at at 1.8 aperture. I have a bit to learn about getting the focus in the right spots, but overall I am very pleased with my first results.  The 1.8 aperture allows a lot of light into the camera and I am able to focus at a very close range.  The daisy above was taken with this camera.  You will not how just the very center of the flower is completely in focus.  The primrose below is another of my first tries with the new lens.

Close up and Macro photography can be a lot of fun.  I hope you have enjoyed the tips on this page.  Happy Photographing!!

Stop by my page for the latest tips on Field Photography http://www.squidoo.com/field-photography-tips

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Recipe Recyclers: Keeping Food Fun and Healthy

The man in my life is a true Southern Gentleman who loves his granny's buttermilk biscuits. I'm a latte loving, health nut kinda Seattle girl. When my guy insisted on Biscuits Like Granny Used to Make, my whole grain spine shuddered at the thought of all that butter.

I wanted to please my man but I didn't want to clog our arteries. It was time to put on my apron for a session of Recipe Recycling. After a few experiments, my Old Fashioned Southern Buttermilk Biscuits Done Seattle Style successfully fooled my Southern Gentleman's taste buds.

Some people spend hours flipping through cookbooks looking for the perfect recipe. Others are content to follow a single cookbook and only venture into the suggested variations. Then, there are the Recipe Recyclers, like me, who are always testing new taste combinations, questing for new variations on an old theme, searching for the perfect taste treat.

When I need a basic recipe, I turn to my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. It contains over a thousand recipes and is my best source of cooking inspiration. Recipes are just guidelines and ingredients can be changed to satisfy taste buds, to meet dietary restrictions or to substitute healthier ingredients. Sometimes these recipe experiments turn into a new family favorite. Sometimes a flopped dessert can be salvaged.

A few of my friends are also Recipe Recyclers and put an international twist on the recycled and personalized recipe. I'm always surprised at what new culinary delights can be found in the Cyber Kitchen.

Marathon Running comes from Croatia and she specializes in dainty morsels that pack a powerful taste. Along with some great recipes, she uses step-by-step instructions and photographs to make sure your recipes turn out exactly right.

Smine27 lives in Japan and has family in Hawaii. He is always looking for great foods and ways to reduce the sugar and gluten from his diet. He knows that he needs to eat right to maintain a happy body weight. Yes, diet food can taste good. Try these delicacies:

• Low-carb, Gluten-free Brownies with Peanut Butter and Cream Cheese
• Japanese Potatoes in Soy Sauce

Recipe Recyclers aren't just about creating new and improved food sensations. Recipe Recyclers are also on the lookout ways to reduce food waste by reusing leftovers. My neighbor to the north of me, Ruthi, has been known to make a Not Quite Paella Surprise when she has leftover vegetables in the refrigerator. Around our house, those wilted vegetables are turned into a Chicken Stew.

I hope you enjoyed our gastronomic journey into the world of the Recipe Recyclers. Do you try your hand at recipe recycling? I'd love to hear about your food experiments. Leave a note in the Comments section below and, if you've written a story about your recycled recipe, share the link to your recipe.

Until next time, be safe, buy real food and eat well!

Coletta




Posted by Coletta Teske

About This Contributor

Coletta Teske writes reviews on books, business management, writing, crafting, cooking, and gardening. She is also an avid recycler and shares her tips on recycling. She delights in upcycling an old object, recycling or transforming discarded items into a new treasure.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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A Penny for Your Thoughts

Will Work for Pennies

My DIY reality this week is all about pennies.  Not the kind I used to purchase penny candy when I was a child, or the bright copper ones I put in my penny loafers forty years ago.   My pennies these days are 12d’s, 8d’s, 6d’s, and everything in between.

As I pounded in several hundred nails over the past few days, I had lots of time to think about such things as the medieval system for classifying nails.  This is my brain hot-dipped, galvanized, common, shanked, ringed, sinkered, and bright box nailed.

So why are they called 12-penny nails… those three and a half inch nails that are giving me blisters and hammer elbow?  It goes back to how many pennies were needed to buy 100 nails back in the 1500s.  It turns out that the letter “d” after the number is an abbreviation for the most commonly used Roman coin (the denarius).  The number refers to the length of nail.

If I’m doing the math correctly, which is never a given, twelve pennies bought 100 nails back in the day.  I paid 445 pennies for 96 ring-shanked nails this past weekend.  Kind of made me long for the days of yore.  Can you picture it?  Me in a toga, eating figs, tapping in twelve denarii worth of nails? 

In the process of building a studio addition onto my mountain cabin, I am learning invaluable lessons that go beyond the importance of purchasing and using the right nails.  It seems each stage of the building process needs a different kind of fastener.  Early in the process I was tempted to use screws to make parts of the job easier and faster to complete.  It turns out that would have been a big mistake.  Screws don’t have the sheer strength provided by 12d nails.

Isn’t that true of building a life also?  Finding the strength that matches each phase of the process of becoming?  Just as I used the right kind of anchor hardware in the foundation stage of this do-it-myself project, I seek to live a life anchored in ways that ensure the stability to weather any storm.  

Isn’t it amazing that something we often take for granted, nails and pennies, are essential to building something lasting?  I invite you to join me in creating something worth every single blister.  As Squidoo's Home Renovator Contributor, I'm looking for a few kindred hammer swingers.  Please stop by today.  I'll give you a penny (worth at least $4.45 with inflation) for your thoughts.

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A Craft Project that eases my fear of Spray On Glue!

I have always been afraid to try aerosol adhesives! Yes, I am a chicken when it comes to paying good money for something that I have no idea how to use -- also, I have heard "glue everywhere!" horror stories from my friends who have tried using such products and I was definitely scared off. Even my own daughter tried using a  good name brand  spray adhesive for a design project when she was in college and told me in precise detail why she would never use a spray glue again. 

(*Always follow manufactures's suggestions on the safe usage of their products! Click 3M: Tips and Techniques to read about how to use a spray on glue.)


Today, however, I am inspired to give spray on glue a try. "Why?" you are asking. Well, I recently read an article that gave me inspiration for a project that would put this sticky product to a good use.

How I Made My Retro-Style Bulletin Board for My Craft Room  written by a Review This! contributor, decoratingforevents, showed me in excellent photographic detail how to create a bulletin board for my own home office. One tip I found especially helpful was to use "re-positionable" spray-on glue. That tip totally made good sense for someone like me who is very often a crafting klutz.

Lensmaster Decoratingforevents also found some very attractive retro-fabrics that took me back to the 50's and 60's. (Who would have ever predicted that the futuristic designs of that bygone era would EVER come back in fashion?) Another reason I like this bulletin board project: the author used a Glue Gun! As as a Glue Gun Slinger  that made me very happy, indeed.

Now, I am off to drool over the fabrics that decoratingforevents found on Amazon to see which one I can use to pull my "office" together with my own retro-style bulletin board. I just might purchase some spray adhesive, too.

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Graduation Party Ideas for Your Graduate

It's May and "graduation season" is just starting. If you have a graduate in the family, you may be in need of graduation party ideas. Luckily, Squidoo can help!

Whether graduating from pre-school, kindergarten, middle school, high school or college, a graduation party is in order. Graduating is a big achievement regardless of the level. Family and friends will love to celebrate with your graduate, so let's get started with some graduation party ideas.

Graduation Time!

This time of year, every time I check my mailbox I get another graduation announcement. Between friends and family, I definitely keep busy during May and June with all the graduations.

At this point, my kids have graduated from everything except college -- and that's coming soon enough. Graduation parties are one of my favorites. It's a time to let the student shine, show accomplishments and revel in the attention for their success.

A few years ago, I noticed there were hardly any lenses about hosting graduation parties. So, I wrote a lens sharing my experiences with the grad parties I have hosted and helped plan. It was and still is a popular reference for parents of graduates.

Today, I started looking around and realized there are a lot more lenses dealing with graduation parties. I decided to visit and maybe get a few new ideas I can pass along to friends and family.

Graduation Party Ideas

Here are a few lenses that should definitely be on your list if you are planning a graduation party.

My Daughter's Grad Party Memorabilia Table 

Graduation Centerpieces is an eclectic mix of ideas for table decorations for you party. Everything from very simple to ornate. Lensmaster celebrate has something for everyone.

Another great resource I found was Graduation Party Decorations. Every party needs decorations and lensmaster 3QuartersToday shares some of her ideas. Drawing from her experience hosting parties for her daughter and step-daughter, she has some great grad party decorating ideas.

Lensmaster, DinosaurEgg, has some great suggestions for a graduation cake for the party. In her lens titled, Graduation Cakes -- Hooray!, we find everything from sheet cakes to shaped cakes to candy all appropriate for graduation. 

Check out all that Squidoo has to offer on the subject of graduation parties. Your party will be a resounding success when you use Squidoo for ideas!

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Babies Can Craft, Too!

When it comes to crafting with small children, there are always lots of ideas out there for toddlers and preschoolers. But what about the babies? 

Believe it or not, it's never to early to start getting arty with the bubs! Once they are of an age where they can sit unaided and grip things, you can start experimenting with them. Most activities will need to wait until they are between 18 months and 2 years old, but there are some things you can do as early as 8-9 months. 

My 9-month-old son LOVES getting his hands dirty. The gooier and stickier, the better! Unlike my now 4-year-old daughter, who hated getting her hands messy as a babe, my little boy has his hands straight in his breakfast, lunch and tea as soon as he possibly can. As he loathes having his hands and face wiped, I encouraged him to dab his messy fingers onto some kitchen roll (paper towels) and showed him the "finger painting" he had done - which made him giggle! 

(c) Image copyright of the author

Once he got the idea (rinse and repeat until it clicks with baby that he is the one making marks), I whipped up some homemade edible finger paint (made from squished fruit and veg, mainly!) and let him start having fun on paper. You can do this with edible play-dough and sensory materials like rice, pasta and so on, too! Baby can even try stamping with potato stamps using food-based "ink"! 

If baby doesn't mind having food and edible paint on his or her hands, then hand printing is a lovely craft to do! It makes a beautiful keepsake to enjoy for years to come. All you need to do is cover baby's hands with the paint and help them press down onto the paper. We have done this with all the family, printing the hands inside one another according to size (Daddy's first, then mine on top, then my daughter's, then my son's) to create a lovely "our family" picture for the wall. You could make cards for friends and family, too (which older siblings can get involved in making).

I cover this and many other ideas for older babies in Crafts for 1 Year Olds. If you like the hand print idea, then crafting connoisseur Pastiche has lots more of them in her Hand Print Crafts guide.

If you want to have a go at making homemade paint for baby, then you'll find several recipes in Homemade Paint for Kids  (just make sure you pick the ones that are entirely food-based and edible, so it is safe for baby to put in his mouth). As for play dough and clay, homemade recipes are covered in Recipes for Fun - Kids Play Doughs and Clays by jkvkdailey.

Now go and enjoy nurturing your tiny one's creative spark!

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Your Photography Kit

This is the 4th in a continuing series on a Nature Photography class I am taking.  For week 4 we talked about equipment and what a photographer should have in their kit.  Our instructor showed us much of his equipment and talked about some good options depending on what type of photography you take.

My primary camera is a Sony DSLR A57.  The list below is what I have in my kit.  The starred items are ones that I'm hoping to get in the future.

• Lens coverage from 18mm to 300 mm.  I have two zooms to cover this area.  One is a 18-70 and the second is a 75-300 zoom lens.
• *  I have just ordered a 50mm 1.8 lens
• * An off camera flash is on my wish list.
• Extension tubes
• Polarizing Filter
• Tripod
• *Cokin gradient Neutral Denisity filter is on my wish list.
• Monopod
• Pop out Reflector set
• Cable  Release
• Extra Battery
• Extra memory cards

I use a lowepro sling backpack type bag to carry my camera equipment.  It is lightweight and carries everything I need when on a photograpy outing.

The photos on this page are ones I took for our assignment this past week. We were to go to a remote place and carry with us the equipment we would need to take our photos. I used my 75-300 mm zoom telephoto lens.  Since it was evening and the sun was setting, I used my tripod and my cable release to get a clear photo.  

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