Sweet Emergencies Gallery

Book Review: The Blessing: Giving the Gift of Unconditional Love and Acceptance

2011-08-13T07:03:00.000-04:00

The Blessing: Giving the Gift of Unconditional Love and Acceptance

by John Trent, Ph.D. and Gary Smalley

The Blessing teaches people how to give a blessing through every day contact, with everyone in their lives, through 5 simple steps so they feel unconditionally loved and accepted. It also shows how to create a bright future for someone when these blessings are given and what happens to someone when they haven't received a blessing, received a partial blessing or grew up without one, as well as, how to fill in and heal from those gaps and receive the blessings yourself.

This book really got me thinking over the course of my life. It took longer for me to go through because I did not want to rush through it and miss many of the insights discussed. These insights really get you to take a close look and realize things you never knew about yourself. This is in no way negative. Everything is done positively.

It challenged how I thought and enlightened me to my own upbringing which made me into who I am today and how that impacts those around me. (Although I grew up in a very supportive family, it was very traditional and I realized how I struggled to bridge those very traditional teachings with today's contemporary times and how often they conflicted with each other, which inadvertently, held me back in different ways.) It makes you think about your own actions, too. The book makes you take a closer look at your relationships and what you can do about them, even if you're upbringing or current relationships are unhealthy.

I highly recommend this book. It was very enjoyable to read but does take a bit longer to finish because it is thought-provoking. It might also be helpful to have a little notebook to jot things down as you read because you'll want to remember them later on. It is not a difficult read. Highly beneficial.

BookSneeze.com sent a complimentary copy of this book as part of their Book Review Program. They asked me for my honest feedback.

Recipe: Dancin' Chicken Honey Garlic Wings

2011-08-07T08:12:00.002-04:00

Free Clip Art from Clipartheaven.com

Alright, I forgot to take a pic of how this recipe came out; but, taste this and you'll be dancing 'round the room, just like Mr. Chicken above. The scents that filled our home while it was cooking was sooo good. Everytime my husband came in, he couldn't help but comment on how great it smelt and couldn't wait until it was done. It looked really appetizing, too, which is important. You don't want to look at a mess that you're about to eat. Yech. In fact, I hoped to freeze some for another meal; but, there was nothing left.

Instead of using chicken wings, I used chicken legs, mostly because they have a lot more meat on 'em...and it's what I had in the fridge.

FOOD NEEDIES:

3 lbs chicken wings, cleaned and halved or use legs, as I did

pepper to taste

1 c honey

1/2 c soy sauce

2 T oil (I used olive oil.)

2 T catsup

1 garlic clove, minced (I always use the garlic press.)

Sprinkle chicken with pepper. In a mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients and mix well. Place chicken in a 4-quart slow cooker and pour sauce over. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Makes 8 - 12 servings.

Serve with rice and a salad or green veggie to complete the meal.

Yummy!

Interpretation of recipe by Mary Murray in Gooseberry Patch's "The Country Friends Collection" entitled "Crockery Cooking" pamphlet.

Book Review: Homemade: 101 Beautiful and Useful Craft Projects You Can Make at Home

2011-08-01T19:03:00.000-04:00

Homemade: 101 Beautiful and Useful Craft Projects You Can Make at Home

by Ros Badger and Elspeth Thompson

Photo Courtesy of Amazon

Homemade pays homage to the way we used to create things…things found around our home and in our backyards, on our walks through the parks…to make something meaningful and heartfelt for those we love. They make use of the colors and patterns of each passing season as inspiration and arrange the chapters accordingly. Each project and idea coordinates with one of the four seasonal chapters: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter. There are no long supply lists but more "idea" or "suggestion" lists. This book encourages you to "see things differently" and use "going to the store" as a last resort.

I loved this book so much, I bought a copy for myself and plan or rereading it more than once. There were so many simple ideas that reminded me of what my own Mother did while I was growing up and how she successfully made our home really feel like Home…something I find eludes many people now-a-days.

It was enjoyable to read because it gave me a new way of looking at things and remembering it’s the little things that really mean the most. It helped me to see that there were endless resources around me that I wasn't using. There is a treasure of ideas shared here that left me thinking what else I could do to make a little change in my own home that would make it more welcoming to others and show my appreciation for them.

These little touches are a part of what really transform a house into a home…ones that your own family will remember for years. Even if it doesn't seem they appreciate it at that very moment, you'd be surprised at what touches people's hearts and what they remember after years have passed. I know we did with our own Mom.

Drop-Dead-Gorgeous, To-Die-For Shoes

2011-07-08T20:53:00.001-04:00

Clip Art from Clip Art Heaven

I'm so happy!

Clip Art from Clip Art Heaven

I feel giddy!

Why? I found these 2 sites that have the most phenomenal shoes ever! You may know about them already; but, I just found out about them last weekend. Boy! Am I in Heaven!

All of the shoes are $39.95. They have bags, too, for the same price! It's Fashion and Hollywood Stylists at your fingertips! They select shoes for you based on your preferences. I really can't make up my mind which to buy first! Personally, I go for the highest heels I can find; but, you choose flats, boots, whatever.

If you're a shoe addict or shoe-aholic, like me, check 'em out. You will be pleasantly surprised! But, watch out! I'm giving you fair warning! They're gorgeous!

If you do sign up to try it, I'd appreciate it if you join via the links below. I get credits good towards a free pair of shoes or bag. This is only for anyone who signs up and decides to purchase something. Then, after that, I'm on my own. The first one is really my All-Time Fave! Excellent selection. I've received compliments on every pair of shoes and bag I purchased.

This one if my favorite: http://www.justfab.com/invite/glamour/

Here's another one. I love the blue shoes and black bag on the main page: http://www.shoedazzle.com/invite/1eue1yrjf5

Here's me...HAPPY AS CAN BE!!!!!

Clip Art from Clip Art Heaven

I got Happy Happy Feet! See...!

Clip Art from Clip Art Heaven

Here's me with my shoes on!

Clip Art from Clip Art Heaven

Coming shortly: Book Review on Homemade: 101 Beautiful and Useful Craft Projects You Can Make at Home

2011-06-11T08:26:00.003-04:00

Photo Courtesy of Amazon

I'm currently writing this review and will publish it this weekend.

Book Review: Daddy Dates

2011-05-30T18:32:00.002-04:00

Daddy Dates:

The Road Map for Any Dad to Raise a Strong and Confident Daughter

By Greg Wright

Photo Courtesy of Barnes and Noble

This book is Gold. Daddy Dates is for fathers who want to have better relationships with their daughters. It’s written by a regular, average man in straight-shooting terms who has had a tremendous amount of success in the techniques he used in his own relationships with his daughters.

Daddy Dates originated from the many requests the author received from other fathers who noticed the strong, close, healthy relationships he had with his daughters. They inquired what he actually did to get that because they wanted to replicate those same results in their own families.

This book is actually much more than that. It’s for:

Every male to learn to better communicate with any female.
Mothers who want to improve their parenting skills by learning how to support the father/daughter relationship.
Females to improve their relationships with males by understanding how “his” brain works and why he does and says the things he does.

My favorite things about Daddy Dates are:

1. The chapters are short, quick, right to the point and a lot of fun to read. You don’t want to put it down. You'll also find yourself laughing a lot as he tries to navigate and keep up with the workings of the "female" brain.

2. Real life examples are given as to what to say and do with your daughter, unlike other books that provide vague communication notions or theories. This is important because it acts as a starting point for you to begin and to gain confidence as you go along.

3. There is a very short, less-than-a-minute, fun personality quiz in the back of the book that tells you what personality types your daughter and you are. From that, you can tell what each of the personality strengths and challenges are, how they communicate, what they look for and need from other people and what they need to do to balance out the “roughness” each style has. Armed with this information, you already know how and why they might be reacting the way the do and the best way you can respond.

4. There is a list of successful example dates in the back of the book to help you get started. You’ll find other successful dates spoken about throughout the book, some that cost very little or nothing at all. He also teaches you how to come up with your own dates based on your daughter’s personality type.

My not-so-favorite things about Daddy Dates are:

1. Although there are a couple of chapters on single fathers and divorce, it does not take into account the complexity of all the problems that can come into play when you’re dealing with an ex-wife who “brainwashes” the child against the father or negatively interferes with the father/daughter relationship or dealing with an ex who is unstable, just to name a few which are discussed in depth in other books. This book was not designed for that. It focuses solely on the father/daughter relationship and what the father can do to try everything in his power to nurture that relationship with his daughter, without spoiling or giving in to their whims. It offers techniques and tools that many fathers have found to be very successful in their own relationships with their daughters, in spite of interfering mothers.

These chapters can draw up many hurt feelings and anger towards what you’re experiencing and how the father/daughter relationship has been damaged and sometimes destroyed by a revengeful, abusive, ex who is actually a bad mother. A good mother would never do these things, despite how much she protests.

Get past these points in the book; and, see what the author is really getting at. Whatever your unstable ex-wife does, it is possible in many, many cases to have a good relationship with your daughter – difficult but possible – by following these techniques.

Please note, the author does briefly mention in 2 sentences in 2 separate sections that he is aware of the above situations. Once again, this is beyond the scope of this book. It does not cover these issues.

I highly recommend this book. Get this. You’ll enjoy it and will learn some great things to improve your relationships.

Please note, The Book Bloggers Program via BookSneeze provided me with a complimentary copy of this book. I wasn’t required to write a positive review but only to give my honest feedback about what I thought about the book after reading it. I’m disclosing this to remain in compliance with the Federal Trade Commission guidelines concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials when advertising. FTC details can be found FTC Section 16 CFR, Part 255.

Make Scented Sugar Scrubs

2010-12-26T08:24:00.000-05:00

Photo Courtesy of Today's Creative Blog

Luxury spa gifts make some of the best gifts ever. Even my husband used them on occassion to remove the left over paint or oil from his hands that wouldn't come off. On a new site I found yesterday, Today's Creative Blog explains how to make them:

■Sugar – I used Organic sugar – but any kind will work.

■Almond Oil – I found mine in the Natural section of my grocery.

■Essential oils – I used Orange because it’s the cheapest. I also used jasmine. (I bought my oils from Whole Foods)

■Glass Jar or plastic- I found mine at The Dollar Store.

■Ribbon and tags

Combine 3 Cups Sugar with 1 Cup Oil. Drop in several drops of desired scented oil. Mix. Scoop into jar and seal.

Sheep Cupcakes - Too Cute!

2010-12-25T18:29:00.000-05:00

Photo Courtesy of Cupcakes Take the Cake Blogspot

Cupcakes are such a fun food that everyone seems to love. How can you not smile when seeing a plate of these welcoming you to the table. My favorites are the ones that look like animals. They're too pretty to eat. I wish there was a way to keep them as they are and use them as decorations from year to year.

The sheep cupcakes were featured at a new blog I found today, Cupcakes Take the Cake. Karen in Florida at Flickr is the original creator of these adorable cakes.

She explains how she made them:

"Chocolate cupcake with chocolate cake ball head, frosted with marshmallow frosting and covered with mini marshmallows for the "wool." (half of the sheep had "wool" made from piped dots of frosting, but I thought the mini marshmallows had a better texture.)"

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T18:43:00.000-05:00

Clipart from Clipartheaven.com

May Your Christmas Wishes and Dreams Come True!

Tutorial: Glittery Cupcakes and Snowball Ornaments

2010-12-19T10:47:00.000-05:00

Photo Courtesy of Fuzzy Sheep Crafts

Take a look at these great ornaments! They are very easy to make. Kids, large and small, can get involved. There are lots of kid-friendly crafts over at Fuzzy Sheep Crafts.

The basic tutorial teaches you how to make these great sparkly snowballs.

Photo Courtesy of Fuzzy Sheep Crafts

Build upon that lesson to make the cupcakes which are featured in the first picture above.

Glittery Snowball Instructions

Supplies:

Styrofoam balls (any size desired, these were 4”)
White glue
SnowFlakes (found at Michaels for about $3 a bag)
Chopsticks
Thin ribbon to hang ornament
Clear Coat Spray
Hot Glue

Step 1: Gently press a chopstick into each ball to serve as a handle. Paint your ball with a good thick coat of the white glue. The more the better as the glue soaks into the ball. Because the ball is white, and the snow is what, if you miss a spot or two don’t worry.

Step 2: Now for the messy/fun part! Dip your ball into the snow flakes and coat everything. Use your hands to press and smoosh the flakes into the glue. This helps things adhere and means less flaking off later. Once everything is well coated, allow to dry for an hour or two. I found it worked well if you just stood the chopstick up in a hefty coffee mug.

Step 3: Once everything is dry, give a quick and thin spray of some clear coat. This step isn’t completely necessary, but I did it to help prevent flake-off, my grudge against anything glittered. Allow the snow balls to dry again, for at least an hour. Do this in a well ventilated area, trust me.

Step 4: Once dry again, pull your chopstick out. Fill that hole with hot glue and use your chopstick to help you push the ends of a length of ribbon in to hang your snowball from. Allow to set and hang on your try for a sparkly Melt Free Snowball for your Christmas tree.

That's it!

Now, to turn them into Glittery Cupcakes, do this instead:

Extra Supplies:

Styrofoam balls (2 1/2”)
Red christmas berry pick
Red tin foil cupcake liners
Beads to simulate sprinkles

Step 1: Coat/cover/spray your snowballs as indicated above. The only difference is that you only need to cover the top portion of the ball, maybe just over a half.

Step 2: Once everything is dry, run a bead of hot glue along the inside edge of a cupcake liner. Carefully press your liner around the uncovered part of your snowball. I tried more white glue, but that didn’t work. Hot glue is my duct tape! Fixes everything.

Step 3: Once everything is set, snip a berry from your pick, being sure to leave enough wire to stab into the snowball. Use this wire to poke through the center of the ribbon you’ll use for your hanger. Add a dab of hot glue to hold everything together.

Step 4: Use the wire again to poke the cherry into the cupcake. If you want to make sure it’ll really stay, run a dab of hotglue along the wire just before poking it in.

Step 5: Add a few dabs of white glue here and there, and toss on a few beads to simulate sprinkles for extra cuteness.

Wintry Shovel Door Decoration

2010-12-11T10:14:00.001-05:00

Photo Courtesy of Craftown.com

Have an extra shovel lying around? I know in the NE, we always have more than a few to go around, depending on what type of snow we'll be shoveling. If you have an extra one that you won't be using, here's a nice and practical idea. Make a Wintry Shovel Door Decoration to greet visitors and passerbyers. The instructions say to glue the snowballs to the shovel. If you don't want to do that, I would glue them to each other and prop them up against the shovel.

You can also get some ideas here for decorating one of the old-fashioned sleds.

On top of that, you're helping to create a green environment because you are recycling instead of tossing any old or broken shovels out.

This idea was shared by a member of Christmas All Year, a wonderful Yahoo Group.

Tutorial: Glistening Snow Men

2010-12-05T19:31:00.001-05:00

Photo Courtesy of Fave Crafts

I found this eye catching decoration and found it to be so charming. Make sure to add LOTS, and I mean LOTS, of the glittering micro glitter to make it shine and sparkle like snow. Any of the winter and Christmas decorations I make are always covered with lots of the spray glitter. It's so appealing.

Tutorial for Glistening Snowmen

Tutorial: Harvest Candy Corn Favor Treat Boxes

2010-11-20T15:29:00.003-05:00

Photo Courtesy of Paper Plate and Plane

Along my journeys of searching for Thanksgiving favors, I came across this gem. How adorable are they?! At first glance, I thought they were really ears of corn. Upon closer inspection, they are actually little favor boxes made to look like ears of corn! How unique! I see a big basket of these welcoming people as they come in for Thanksgiving dinner. Or, use them as take home favors. Perhaps, place one on each dinner guest's plate!

Click below for the easy instructions on how to make them for your Thanksgiving dinner:

How To Make Harvest Candy Corn Favor Treat Boxes

She even posts a link to print the corn paper:

Pattern for Harvest Candy Corn Tutorial

There is a black and white version, too, if you want to take it further and color them in unique colors:

B/W Pattern for Harvest Candy Corn Tutorial

Thanksgving Trivia

2010-11-14T16:01:00.001-05:00

Free Clipart from Clipartheaven.com

Here are some fun trivia facts about Thanksgiving found on Thanksgiving 2010.

Thanksgiving wasn’t considered a national holiday until 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln released a proclamation, officially establishing the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving. The Thanksgiving holiday was later moved to the fourth Thursday in November by President Franklin Roosevelt to extend the Christmas shopping season and improve the economy.

Canadians also celebrate Thanksgiving; however theirs is on the 2nd Monday in October.

Benjamin Franklin argued that the turkey, and not the bald eagle, should be the national symbol of America. He claimed that the “vain and silly” turkey was a far better choice than the bald eagle, which he thought was a “coward.”

Even though they are generally seen as large and ungainly, turkeys:

Can fly up to 55 MPH over short distances
Run up to 25 MPH on the ground
Have excellent hearing but no ears
Have a poor sense of smell
Can see in color
Have a 270 degree field of vision, making them difficult to sneak up on
Sometimes sleep in trees

Over 45 million turkeys are prepared and eaten in the United States for Thanksgiving each year.

The five most popular ways to eat the leftover turkey from Thanksgiving includes: soups or stews, sandwiches, casseroles, stir-fries and salads.

Age does matter. Older male turkeys are generally considered to be tastier than young males (stringy) or females (tough).

Young turkeys have a number of unfortunate names including “fryer” when they are less than 16 weeks old, and “roaster” when they are between 5 and 7 months old.

Only male “Tom” turkeys gobble, and they can be heard a mile away; the females only cluck or click.

The “Turkey Trot” dance was named after the short, jerky steps that turkeys make.

The Native Americans called turkeys “firkees,” which some believe to be the origin of the word. However, when turkeys are spooked they make a “turk turk turk” sound, which is where the name likely originates.

Turkeys may “gobble gobble” in English, but in Portuguese they say “Gluglu gluglu."

There are another 80 more interesting facts you can find at Brownie Locks.. I tried to copy and paste them here for your convenience but was unable to do so. When you visit that site, just place your cursor over the turkey to see the answer.

Halloween Giveaway!

2010-10-14T09:29:00.001-04:00

Photo from The Candy Corn Chronicles

Want a chance to win this unique Halloween Faery? Just stop on over at The Candy Corn Chronicles and leave a comment on her giveaway post by Thursday, October 21, 2010. She also has additional chances to win. Good luck!

Tutorial: Make Your Own Halloween Masks

2010-10-11T19:14:00.002-04:00

Photo from Sweet Sixteen Birthday

Making your own masks can be a lot of fun and much more affordable than buying them outright, depending on how elaborate you want to go.

The Masquerade Ball Masks featured above uses plastic store bought masks as the base which can be found at any craft store. A larger selection of shapes and styles can be found on the Internet or at a party shop. They have been embellished with paint, glitter, beads, sequins, ribbons, feathers, and anything else to make them dazzle.

Photo from Craftzine

This Fantasy Mask is more subdued; however, the possibilities are endless because of all the beautiful and mystical fabrics that are available. Aside from embellishing this version with the items listed above, you also have the option to make use of all sorts of textile art: fabric painting, thread paining, beaded embroidery, stamping, image transfers, and so much more! If you really want to get into depth with fabric art, pick up one of these magazines for great ideas: Cloth Paper Scissors and Quilting Arts.

A Fanciful Twist: Through the Secret Keyhole

2010-10-08T14:43:00.001-04:00

Photo from A Fanciful Twist

I was so impressed with this blog, the story lines and creative insights that I had to share it with you. If you're looking to sit back, relax and read a short little story with the most interesting and fun pictures, then check these out. All come from my new favorite blog: A Fanciful Twist: Through the Secret Keyhole.

Your invitiation to this year's Enchanted Halloween Party: 2010 Halloween Party Invitiation for You

Halloween Trivia

2010-10-04T20:40:00.002-04:00

Clipart from Clipartheaven.com

Here are some fun facts from The Halloween Website.

Halloween was originally a Celtic holiday celebrated on October 31.

Halloween was brought to North America by European immigrants who celebrated the harvest around a bonfire, share ghost stories, sing, dance and tell fortunes.

Orange and black are Halloween colors because orange is associated with the Fall harvest and black is associated with darkness and death.

According to folklore, the jack-o-lantern got his name from a man named Jack.

Jack o lanterns originated in Ireland where people placed candles in hollowed-out turnips to keep away spirits and ghosts on the Samhain holiday.

Mexico celebrates 'The Day of the Dead' instead of Halloween.

Pumpkins also come in white, blue and green. Great for unique monster carvings!

Pumpkins originated in Central America. When Europeans arrived in the New World, they found pumpkins plentiful and used in cooking by Native Americans. They took seeds back to Europe where they quickly became popular.

Growing big pumpkins is a big time hobby. Top prize money for the biggest giant pumpkin is as much as $25,000 dollars at fall festivals.

A pumpkin is a berry in the cucurbitaceae family, which also includes melons, cucumbers, squash and gourds. All these plants are native to the Americas.

Halloween is the 2nd most commercially successful holiday, with Christmas being the first. People spend as much as over $2.5 billion during Halloween on candies, costumes, decorations and parties.

It is believed that the Irish began the tradition of Trick or Treating. In preparation for All Hallow's Eve, Irish townsfolk would visit neighbors and ask for contributions of food for a feast in the town.

The ancient Celts thought that spirits and ghosts roamed the countryside on Halloween night. They began wearing masks and costumes to avoid being recognized as human.

Samhainophobia is an intense fear of Halloween.

sPoOkY Halloween Specimen Jars

2010-10-03T17:02:00.001-04:00

Photo from Martha Stewart.com

There are soooo many wonderful ideas you can find on Martha Stewart's Halloween Central. My favorite section is the "Decorations and Crafts" tab. This project really stood out. It's called Specimen Jars. It's very easy and makes a big impression, with glowing lights and smoke created from dry ice! Adults and kids alike will love this! There is even a video available to watch her complete it step-by-step, which is better than the written instructions. Click on Specimen Jars to see all the fun! You can also use the little plastic animals found in dollar or craft stores in place of teeth and eyes found in costume and party stores.

Take it further. Customize this project for each season or holiday to make wonderful paperweights. It will act as a home decor item with a practical use.