Coffee Emergency!

Photo Credit

How far would you go for a cup of hot coffee?  This weekend, when my electricity was out, the thing that bothered me most was the inability to use my coffee maker to brew a pot of the elixir of life.  Seriously, I live for my early morning java. 

As for me, I drove nearly 60 miles for my cuppa joe yesterday at the crack of dawn.  Might sound kind of extreme, but I’m not lukewarm when it comes to coffee.  Freshly brewed coffee is essential to starting my day off right. 

I wasn’t prepared for a coffee emergency the past couple of days, but I will be next time.  As an avid camper, I always have canisters of propane on hand.  If I had already stocked the Coleman Propane Coffee Maker in the pantry, I would have been all set.  In 15 minutes I would have been savoring a latte brewski.  It’s just not right to weather a storm without one.

Check out this award-winning review of the Coleman Coffee Maker by kristalulabelle84.  I’m not sure how I have survived without this no-more-coffee-emergencies appliance.  Though I appreciate a rustic, woodsy lifestyle, there are limits to roughing it.  Why deprive yourself of the one little luxury that can make or break your next adventure (whether on the road or at home)? 

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Mid-Atlantic Region: Choosing an Ideal Place for a Brief Vacation

Snow and snow days were the topic of discussion during the entire mid-Atlantic 2013 - 2014 winter season.  It seemed the students were out of school more than they were in school.  Even though the snow and cold is long gone, it is difficult to stop thinking about the topic of inclement weather and snow days.

Our schools have been left scrambling to make-up all of these educational hours that were lost. Some schools have applied for waivers for make-up days, so that fewer days need to be squeezed into the calendar somewhere. All schools have adjusted their calendars.  The last day of school has been pushed later by several days to a week, or more, in almost all districts.

I am sharing this information because it impacts summer vacation and travel. Both time available and plans that had already been made. It is also heavy on my mind because special education schools that already have an “extended year” program (the equivalent of summer school as a part of the normal curriculum) seem to be taking a really heavy hit.

In other words, because I work in an extended year school setting, I am only having a long weekend as a break for our first summer break. You see, we typically have 7 - 14 days off in June and a slightly longer break in the late summer, before the public school year resumes.  

Overlook at Green Ridge State Forest

Like most humans, because I feel restricted, I suddenly want it all.  I can’t stop thinking about what I could be doing if I had the time.  We have so many highly rated places to see and things to do in this area.  I’ve only scratched the surface of things to see and I want to return to every one of the places I’ve already experienced.

Only one long weekend for break. Oh the decisions I need to make.

I could head to the mountains for a week of primitive camping and hiking at Green Ridge State Forest in western Maryland. A place so beautiful and diverse that I would live there if I could.

I could head to the beach, dig my toes into the warm sand, and hang out with the ponies at Assateague Island.  Of course, this time I would stop and sit a spell at the beautiful visitor center on my way in.

Maybe I will finally book my maiden visit at the Treehouse Camp at Maple Tree Campgound. I rarely want to stay at a campground that isn’t primitive tent camping, but I really want to stay here.

orchids at Longwood Gardens

Or I could finally visit the New River Gorge area in West Virginia via Adventures on the Gorge, which is a high priority place on my bucket list. My son went white water rafting there and had nothing but good things to say. I can't wait to go for myself. I may or may not be brave enough for white water rafting, luckily there are many things to do and see in that area.  

Maybe I’ll wander back up to Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania for a picnic among the flowers and fountains with stop by at Brandywine Museum and to remind myself of the talent of Andrew Wyeth on the way home.

water sports at Hammerman

Fortunately, if all else fails, I will be able to use that long weekend (provided it doesn’t snow – just kidding!) at one of my favorite Baltimore county parks such as Hammerman or Pretty Boy Reservoir.  Maybe I will be able to get my new Kayak into the water. 

You see, I want to do it all. The fewer days I have, the more I want to do.  Whether it is a week long vacation a good distance from home, a staycation near home, or a quick day trip just around the corner, there are so many great places to see in the mid-Atlantic. These are only a few. 

Image Credit: Images are mine ©Dawn Rae – All Rights Reserved (Click on photo for larger view)

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June is Wedding Month!

I love weddings anytime of year but June holds a special place in a bride's heart. I thought I would look around at what helpful information and ideas Review This has to offer a bride, groom, mother-of-the-bride, mother-of-the-groom or other host of a wedding celebration.

Weddings

Let me just say, Review This does weddings up right and even has a category just for weddings. The main category is broken down again to 17 different sub-categories. This makes it so much easier for a bride (or whomever) to find just the right information for anything to do with weddings.

Planning a wedding is a lot of work but can be a lot of fun as well. Gathering ideas and suggestions and then sifting through them can inspire your own unique ideas.

Maybe you are stuck for music ideas for the ceremony?   Or, perhaps you need some inspiration for your personal wedding vows. Reading what others did can unleash a person's creativity.

You can find help with wedding flowers, traditions, general planning and more. Themed weddings are very popular. Seeing what others did may spark something new and different for yourself.

On a budget? Got you covered there too! Budget Weddings is filled with ideas you can incorporate to keep costs under control.

Everything from music to vows to food and reception decor -- you name it and we have it covered! It is a wonderful resource brides and other make use of everyday!

If you are planning a wedding, or have a friend or relative planning a wedding that could use some inspiration, point them to Review This. The wealth of information makes it invaluable. Best of all: It's FREE!


It's almost summer -- jump right in, the water's great!

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Gruffalo Crumble

Proof that we really do get out and about (and crafty) whatever the weather - today we attended a special party for the Gruffalo, to celebrate his 15th birthday! 

Despite rumbles of thunder and a torrential downpour of rain, we still had great fun and enjoyed all the activities, including (naturally!) some forest crafts. 

We made a few Gruffalo things, including a lovely log birthday badge, but our favourite activity of the day was making a clay Gruffalo using a mixture of craft and forest materials. 

You can make one at home if you have some air drying clay, salt dough or similar! 

1. Roll a large ball of clay for the Gruffalo's body, and a small one for his head. Secure together with a stick if necessary

2. Add two googley eyes (ideally orange, like in the book) and a tiny green pom pom for the poisonous wart on the end of his nose! 

3. Cut a purple pipe cleaner into small pieces, bend in half, and press into the back of your clay figure, for those "purple prickles all over his back"

4. Use two pieces of pine cone or bark to make his ears

5. Find some sticks with bumpy bits to give him legs with "knobbly knees", and some more sticks for his arms

6. Find some small pieces of twig, bark, leaves or other forest objects to give him his terrible teeth, and his black tongue! 

7. If using air drying clay, leave overnight and it should be hard by the following day

Do you have a great craft tutorial to share? Why not create a How To page on Squidoo? As the Little Crafty Kids Contributor, I'm always on the lookout for fabulous new craft ideas, and I'll be sharing all the best how-to's and reviews on the LCK  Pinterest and Twitter. 

Happy crafting!  

(c) All photos copyright of the author

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Garden Decor Project: Make a Mosaic Pot

Mosaic Pot by Mickie_G

A few summers ago, I made the mosaic pot you see to the left at a workshop sponsored by Aldridge Gardens in Hoover, Alabama.

Ever since I was a child, I have loved creating crafts that involved tile. I remember my mother taking me to the hobby shop every year just before our annual summer visit to my grandmother. My mom knew that if she let me pick out a craft kit, I would not get bored. More often than not, I chose a mosaic kit.

I still remember the 6" circular dish I made with prayerful hands in the middle. The kit came with enough 1/4 inch square tiles for me to play with the design if I did not want to make one just like the example on the box lid. I usually I ended up choosing a checkerboard pattern.  These mosaic craft kits filled my days with much happiness and gave my parents a vacation from entertaining me, I imagine. But enough reminiscing!

I won't go into how I made the mosaic pot shown in the images on this page, but I will share with you some things I did learn about tile covered pots:

• Do not leave your mosaic pot outside during the winter months as the freezing temperatures will cause the pot to break and the mosaic pieces to fall off.

• If you use broken dishes or crockery, it is best to use totally flat pieces if you use larger, broken bits.  It is easier to rub off the grout if there are no sharp points that are higher than your decorative shards. You can see in the photo below that I used some broken pieces from a plate. I should have trimmed the sharp points on the edges off. 

• To break up dishes and crockery, put them between several sheets of newsprint before you break them up with a small hammer. 

• If you want to preserve the pattern as it is on the dish, use duck tape on the back of the dish before you break it into pieces.

• Try to fit the "tiles" close together as possible but still leave enough room for the grout. I think I left too much space so there is a lot of grout space. 
• Wear a mask to mix up your dry grout and powdered mastic. This is a MUST!

• Gloves for your hands are another must when rubbing in the grout. Surgical ones work best. 

Close up of my mosaic pot. 

 
I used glass globs and a broken dish. 
Can you see the buttons, too?

I am a "keeper" of useful things and a recycler of the broken and chipped, so I have a stockpile of broken dishes and pottery. However, I do not have the supplies like the grout and ceramic tile adhesive for making a mosaic piece.

Here is a video by "DIY Maven" that I discovered on YouTube that shows a very similar and easy process for making a mosaic flower pot.

There are several articles on Squidoo that might whet your appetite for making other types of mosaic crafts. Unfortunately, there are none about how to make a pot like mine. How To Mosaic: Art For Your Garden is a good introductory article to the craft of mosaics. 

If you like the idea of a "kit", I found several mosaic craft kits for children available on Amazon. Here are a few links for you: Kits for ages 14+; kits for ages 8 to 13; Kits for ages 5-7 years; Kits for ages 2 to 4. Most of the kits for young children use foam pieces and no grout. That is a good thing.

Keep your hands busy, y'all!

Photos: Mickie_G - all rights reserved.

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Photographing a Lighthouse at Sunrise

Photographing a lighthouse at sunrise is a challenging but rewarding adventure.  I recently photographed Marblehead Lighthouse on Lake Erie in Ohio.  I wanted to make sure I got just the right shot, so we went to the lighthouse the day before to check out the site.  The lighthouse was open at the time and there were lots of people around, so although it was not an especially good time to get photographs it was a good time for me to explore and consider what vantage point would be best for my sunrise shot.

The next morning I arrived at the lighthouse well before sunrise.  As it turned out I must have looked at the sunrise chart wrong and thought it was at 5 a.m. when it was really 6 a.m..  It was really dark when I arrived but I went ahead and set up my camera to take the photos.  The green light in the tower was blinking every few seconds and gave off an eerie glow in the night sky.  For my first photos I set my camera on the tripod and used the automatic scene setting for nighttime shots.  This set my camera at f3.5 with a speed of 1/5 sec.  Because it was so dark the aperture went to 3200 and gave the photo a rather grainy look as you can see below.  I really do like the effect with the green light on the lighthouse and the pink in the early morning sky.

It was still about a half an hour till sunrise and my camera was set up and ready for the sunrise.  I was able to enjoy the beautiful scene and watch the sky turn colors as the sun was just below the horizon.  What a magnificent sight.  I will never tire of watching the sun rise and marveling at how each one is just a bit different.  As sunrise got closer I took my camera off the automatic setting.  The sunrise photo was taken with the camera at f6.3 at 1/100 sec.  My ISO was set at 100.

As the sun rose above the horizon, I watched as everything took on a different look.  Just as the sun tipped over the horizon an airplane went through the sky leaving behind a contrail in the middle of my photo.  Some may feel the white line is distracting and at first I thought oh no!  As I look at my finished photo, I kind of like that white streak.    What do you think?

After sunrise I walked around the grounds looking at how the newly risen sun was coloring everything.  I love this shot with the fence glowing in the pink bask from early morning sun.  It seems like the whole scene is taking on a pinkish cast.  

It is really fascinating to  photograph a scene at different times of the day.

Checklist for Photographing Sunrises

• If possible, check out your location the day before.
• The night before recheck your equipment and make sure everything is charged and working.
• Practice camera settings in daylight so you aren't fumbling in the dark.  You  might want to bring a small flashlight with you.
• Don't forget your tripod...it is critical for good sunrise photos
• Arrive before sunrise so you have plenty of time to set up and get some of those beautiful presunrise photos.  Some of the best colors are often 30 minutes before sunrise.
• Relax and enjoy the beauty of the moment!

Here is a page I wrote on my adventures of photographing the Marblehead lighthouse.

Visit Marblehead Lighthouse

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Reduce, Reuse and Recycle the Small Stuff

Recycling is a way of life at my house. My grandparents were born into simple farming families at the turn of the 20th Century, my parents grew up during the Great Depression of the 1930s and I am a starving artist that must make every cent count. Reducing, reusing and recycling are just one way that generations of my family have saved money and made the most of every dollar spent.

It doesn't take a big effort to make a big difference. When it comes to recycling, small steps can go a long way. Just look in your recycle bin for inspiration. What items do you find in the trash? Is there some way of using it instead of tossing it? You may be surprised at what you can do!

One of my favorite trash to treasure projects is to Recycle Egg Shells and Make Sidewalk Chalk. We eat a lot of eggs at our house and usually the egg shells end up in the worm composting bin or in flower pots. Except when the grandkids come to visit. That's when I grind up those shells, add a little flour and mix in some water. In a few days, the kids and I draw up a storm. You see, recycling is fun!

BritFlorida finds creative ways to save space through recycling. After reading her story, you may be motivated to Create Mini-Storage in Your Home With Cardboard Tubes. BritFlorida uses the cardboard tubes from rolls of toilet paper and paper towels to store small clothing items, hide cords from electronic devices, keep jewelry from getting tangled, separate the knives from the forks and organize the medicine cabinet.

Got a bunch of glass jars? Need extra storage space?  Lyndamakaracreations has some Simple Glass Painting Ideas for Recycled Jars. All you need to do is save a few jars from the recycle bin and buy some enamel craft paint.

My new home is covered in wood floors and I need a few rugs to soften the load on my feet while working at my new standing height desk. JaneNew uses old sheets to Crochet Rag Rugs.This sounds like a fun activity to do while watching TV at night.

And, because I'm such a book worm and have so many books piled up in bookshelves and corners, LBrummer came to my rescue with a list of Book Page Crafts to create handmade cards and altered art using book pages. I see some new pictures hanging on the walls of my new home very soon.

I hope you enjoyed our simple steps to recycling. Do you have a favorite every day item that you recycle? I'd love to hear about your adventures in the Fast & Easy Recycling Lane. Leave a note in the Comments section below and, if you've written a story about your recycled project, share the link to your story.
Until next time, recycle the small stuff and make a big difference!

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.

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Writing Down the Bones

Anatomy of my Future Playshop

There is something powerfully transformative about the act of creation.   I have always known that the opportunity to create is my greatest motivator.

Each day, as I stand within the skeleton of the twelve-by-twelve DIY studio I am building, I feel a sense of awe at what can be built with one’s own hands, mind, and will.

If you are a DIY or HGTV junkie like I am, perhaps you have heard talk of homes that have good bones.  In the world of construction, bones matter.

I find it astonishing that these thin sticks I nail together in the right configuration of joints and ribs are so incredibly strong.  There is elegance in the simplicity… an understated beauty.

When the time came, yesterday, to cover the bones, for the exoskeleton is an important part of the structural integrity, I took a few moments to appreciate that which I would not be able to see moving forward. 

Having thoughtfully selected each individual bone, and cared for it during the process of building an inner sanctum for nurturing creativity, this was a moment to savor and celebrate.

This morning, as I write this post, I think of Natalie Goldberg’s classic book, Writing Down the Bones.   Freeing the writer within is about bones just as building a life is about good bones.  Writing down the bones is about expressing essence.  In writing about the essentials of our lives, we experience the creation of the world over and over again. 

I encourage you to write down your bones.  Free the builder within by becoming an essential part of our Squidoo community.  I can’t wait to see what you create with your own hands.

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Assateague National Seashore Visitor Center

Last week I wrote a review about the fantastic book I bought at the Assateague National Seashore Visitor Center.  Wild Horse Scientists  by Kay Frydenborg turned out to be a great purchase and I have paged through it several times since I wrote the review.  I also find myself continuing to think about the Visitor Center.

During my travels I have stopped at many visitor centers.  I have grown to think of them as places to quickly pop into, look for helpful pamphlets, ask a quick question if I have one, and skedaddle as soon as I use the restroom.  Over the years, I have begun doing my information gathering on the internet prior to the trip and tend to skip the visitor center altogether.

Following my stop at the Assateague National Seashore -Barrier Islands Visitor Center, I have begun to rethink my blasé attitude about visitors centers.  Some of them have so much more to offer than I thought.

In the United States, summer and summer vacations are upon us. Safe and happy travels to you, one and all. And don't forget to check out the visitor centers. 

Image Credit: Images are mine ©Dawn Rae – All Rights Reserved (Click on photo for larger view)

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Celebrating the Day

U.S. Route 40 in Red

This week's event is not a party or a traditional celebration but one I enjoyed immensely and wanted to share with you all. It was a wonderful, late spring day. So, indulge me if you will with this story...

Mom had called last night and wanted me to go with her garage sale-ing early this morning. We live not too far from U.S. Route 40 as it passes through Indiana. This week, Wednesday through Sunday, is the 10th Annual U.S. Route 40 Garage Sales event. All she had to do was ask -- I was in for sure!

We set out around 7:30 this morning and were barely out of the driveway when one of my sisters called asking if we were going. We detoured by her house, picked her up and set off for our day of bargain hunting.

Having just moved into a new house (and having sold all our furniture when we moved from Florida) I had a long wish list. Mom is re-doing her guest room and my sister is always got her eyes open for a treasure she can't live without. We all very much enjoy garage sale-ing.

The Historical U.S. Route 40

We started out about 10 miles from home on U.S. 40 and headed east. I found out this annual event is very well attended.

The whole of U.S. 40 runs from Atlantic City, New Jersey to near Park City, Utah. It used to run all the way to from the east coast to the west coast (San Francisco, CA) but after some changes in the 60's and 70's, it now, officially, ends in Utah.

The Garage Sale Event is hosted in 7 of the 12 states that U.S. 40 runs through -- Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri (St. Louis.) The event promoters boast 824 miles of garage sales.

Our Journey & Our Finds

Nail Keg in disrepair

Now, we didn't travel even 10% of the way but found tons of sales along a portion about 30 miles long. We had a blast. Some of the loot we found and purchased includes: Mom: 2 night stands ($2 each), books, red kitchen garbage can ($2).

My sister is a chef wanna-be so she found a large Wolfgang Puck skillet for $4, a glass baking dish for $1 and some cookbooks.

Though I didn't find any big pieces of furniture I could buy (found some but too expensive for my budget) I did find a small refrigerator for $2 (yes, it works!) I plan to use in the family room wet bar, a goose down comforter for $5, and a large flash light for $4.

My favorite purchase was an old, falling apart nail keg. The metal strapping on top was completely loose as well as the 2 stabilizing wires. The wood ribs were flapping due to nothing holding them in place except at the bottom (that metal strapping was still in place and was holding).

Nail Keg as Garbage Can

The owner saw me looking at it and approached me saying the keg was falling apart. He told me I could have it for $1. I, of course, jumped on that! As soon as I got home, I repaired it as best I could with few tools (I needed Diana's tool cache) and it now sits in my office/craft room as the garbage can. I am looking at it now as I type -- the vintage feel is perfect for me!

Share Your Next Event

I had so much fun today. I look at it as a celebration of family. Mom, sis and I had fun talking, comparing, visiting and solving the world's problems as we perused U.S. Route 40's garage sales today. Events -- no matter the size, shape or occasion -- are a part of all our lives.

I invite you to write on Squidoo about your experiences. I am the Party Planning Contributor and would welcome your ideas, suggestions and experience with planning your particular event. But remember, Squidoo is a platform where you can write about ANYTHING -- we have categories for it all.

Happy Sunday and I hope to see you soon on Squidoo!

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