Easter Basket Swap!

It is hard to look back on our Easter celebrations as children and not think of the joy and excitement we felt when we got our Easter baskets. Candy, treats, Easter eggs and, of course, chocolate bunnies! Let’s bring back the giddy joy we felt as kids, and spoil each other with our very own Easter Baskets, stuffed to the brim with Easter sweetness.

Join my dear friend Paula and I in our first ever swap! Ever since Paula introduced me to my first Swap,  we've been talking about hosting a swap together! We finally came up with this Easter Basket fun! Read on to find out how to join in and what all the fun will entail!

First, sign up by sending the following details to us at easterbasketswap@yahoo.com


Name:
Mailing Address:
Blog Address or Website:
Favorite Easter treat: (Chocolate, jelly beans, peeps, etc...)-
Preferences: Colors, themes, Religious preferences, décor style, favorite Easter traditions, etc…


Now  just sit back (be patient) and wait for your partner information to arrive. We know the waiting part is the hardest. You're excited and you want to get started on your basket! Fill your empty time with cruising around the internet looking for fantastic Easter projects and simply getting inspiration from other fabulous bloggers out there!

Once your partner information arrives, get to know her and start filling an Easter Basket with goodies that will make your partner giggle with glee…

Paula and I came up with a bit of criteria for your baskets; but not so much that it will stifle your creativity. We want you to have fun with this!


What’s in the basket?


1. One Easter decoration - what kind of decoration is up to you and your partners likes. Be creative.
2. One Easter Card - paper crafts are so much fun!
3. Chocolate/ or other candy - yummy!
4. Easter character; i.e. Bunny, Chick, Egg, Cross, Lillies, etc… - something that signifies Easter to your partner (and is adorable!)
5. Other goodies your partner will enjoy…stuff that basket full. The idea is to pamper your partner!


Criteria:


1. At least one of the items in the basket must be handmade. 

2. We ask that a minimum of $20 (not including shipping) be spent on the basket and goodies.


(There is no limit as to what all is put in the basket, just as long as the minimum is met.)


Have fun with the basket’s presentation! For example – Easter grass, ribbons, raffia. Get creative! Your basket could be the handmade item. So many possiblities - just remember to go with what your partner will enjoy!


Remember, it’s all about pampering your partner!



Important Dates


Sign up by: March 1st
Partners will be sent out by: March 10th
Swap needs to be sent out NO LATER than: April 4th


(We want everyone to be able to enjoy their baskets before it's time to put those Easter decorations away!)




Most Importantly
Be creative! Have fun! Pamper your partner!

Check back in often to On a Rainy Night or Perhaps Today for Easter Basket and fun project ideas! Make sure to leave lots of comments as to your progress and your own creative ideas! Remember to watch for what your partner likes too!


We sure hope you'll join us - hop to it! Send that email!

Valentine Card Making Party

The week before Valentine's Day, some of my favorite girls and me got together to craft some homemade Valentine's Cards! It was a blast, and they turned out so cute! 

We had so much fun making cards, we're already talking about making cards for the next Holiday... St. Patrick's Day Cards??

Bring back the MODGE PODGE!

With Valentine's Day around the corner, I got to looking at my little collection of cards from my husband over the years. I got to thinking of this box that my sister made me when I was a little girl, like 12? Anyways, it was wonderfully decoupaged with magazine clips and pictures. I still have the lid from that box, and I love looking at all the things she put on it. Man, what was with my short hair? Were those jeans with stripes really in style? 
Next thing I knew, I was at JoAnn's this morning buying a photo box and Modge Podge!

It might be a little silly, but I love this box! I can't wait to look in it 10 years down the road and see the little notes, cards and what-nots from my sweet hubby :)

From Pallets to Compost

This weekend Eric and I finally built our little compost bin. We used three pallets, 4 t-posts, a little wire and some wood scraps. The best part about this bin is that is was completely free!  Not to mention how easy it was! Well, there were a few roots that Eric about broke his back trying to pull the t-posts back out of...but, other than that it was pretty easy!

Step 1 -We live on the coast and it rains A LOT, so we chose a spot that wouldn't pool up with water and just rot the compost. Once the spot was flattened out, we measured out where the T-posts were to go.

Step 2- We drove the posts in so that they would be about flush with the top of the pallets. Then we set the pallets in place.

Step 3 - We drilled holes in the pallets to insert the wire through and around the posts to secure the pallets in place.

Step 4 - We chose to put a little gate on the front of the bin. I thought this might keep the dog out if she decided something looked gross enough to eat! I measured the width of the opening, and cut a top and bottom board for the gate. We just tore out the old trim in our house, so I used some pieces to make the "pickets" and just nailed them the top and bottom board.

It turned out pretty primitive. But we're talking about pallets here!  It will get the job done! Give it a little paint job and once the grass starts growing, and we have our raised garden beds in, it won't stick out so much!

 

For the first layer, I tossed in some organic matter, such as leaves, small twigs, kitchen scraps, old Halloween pumpkins, etc..

                                                            Then the wonderful rabbit poo!

   It was a fun project and I am excited to start adding on the layers for some 

gooood fertilizer for the garden this spring!

Keep on poopin' lil bun buns!

Craft Hope Project 11

Craft Hope has introduced another amazing project. Project 11 - Konbit Sante is all about making safe and necessary birthing kits for newborn babies in Haiti. Here is what the kits include:

1 small bar of soap
1 piece of clean plastic sheeting (3 feet wide by 4 feet long)
1 piece of clean string, 24 inches long
1 packet alcohol wipe
1 set of sterile latex gloves
1 packet (or travel container) Purelle
1 handmade tote bag

Optional:
Receiving blanket–36 inches square
Small “stuffy” toy

That is all that is needed to save the life of a newborn baby. I can't find the words to describe how humbling, and shocking that is. When we're complaining about having to share a room with someone, these women don't even have a clean blanket to wrap their newborn in. 

I am very excited to be involved with this project, and it's not just me who has joined in! The whole Knit-Wit Group, including Paula at On a Rainy Night , is getting together to make as many kits as we can.  

Here is the link to the Project  - Konbit Sante

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Colossians 3:12

Zuchinni Salad with a Southwest Flair

                                                        Southwest Zucchini Salad

Dice and chop all the veggies and add to a large mixing bowl. Stir to thoroughly mix, cover and refridgerate. Letting it sit for at least an hour allows all the flavors to combine - especially the onions and bell peppers. 

3 medium/large zucchini, diced

1 cup chopped red or white onion

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup whole kernel yellow corn

The dressing is very basic, add a little at a time to the salad until you find the taste you like best.

Dressing:

3 tablespoons white or cider vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

2-3 tablespoons sugar

salt and pepper to taste

101 Uses for an Eraser....

...Not really, just one eraser, but I'll get to that in a second. First, I apologize to the blogging community, mostly Paula, for my lack of participation and absence this past month. I had a very wonderful vacation over Christmas with lots of time spent with my family back home, including my two sisters and their spouses who flew in from Texas and Misery, I mean Missouri. Needless to say, I was a bit distracted from Blogging.

A funny thing happened the other day. Like most afternoons, I was working feverishly away, pounding the keys and squinting my eyes at the computer screen.  Fiddling around, I noticed the back to my earring was missing. This happens often, as I am a known fiddler, and I usually find it on the floor. I looked around my desk, but did not feel it. When I leaned forward, I felt a little trickle down my back. Ahh, there you are you little rascal! I cautiously reach my hand around the back of my shirt, but found nothing. Great, I thought, it went down my pants. So, I snuck into the bathroom and began the search and rescue. But, to no avail. I then mentioned the occurrence to a friend at work and she suggested using a piece of an eraser to replace the missing back. What a great idea! I search the file room for an eraser, which was obviously in the bin marked “staples”.  I then had to show off the cleverness that was now my earring back to Paula, who sits in her farm (cubicle) next to mine. She finds the replacement rather comical and we share a good laugh. But then, I feel something poking the bottom of my foot inside of my boot. Could it be?! The darn little run-away, the sneaky little &%$*.  It was there. What a journey, from the back of my ear, down my shirt, into my pants, down the pant leg and inside my boot! I was impressed.

So, in conclusion from this brief and somewhat uninteresting occurence that I have decided to ramble on abut....An eraser makes a great earring back replacement - quite comfortable actually.

...and of course we had to take a picture!