tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24725065102287238072024-03-10T20:22:40.566-07:00My little cottage in the makingJoanne Kennedyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15550534887793382985noreply@blogger.comBlogger887125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472506510228723807.post-88218603404797273072013-10-27T18:11:00.001-07:002013-10-27T18:12:22.655-07:00DAY OF THE DEAD OR DIA de MUERTOS PHOTO SHOOT<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love Day of the Dead. Or Dia de Muertos in Spanish. The little figures in the above photo are a gift from my sister that she purchased in New Mexico for me.<br />
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I think it's a pretty and thoughtful way for us to remember our beloved friends and family that have died. <br />
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I had posted on Facebook about how much I love it and was thrilled when professional photographer, Gayle Dawn Exton in Huntington Beach, asked if my girl scout troop would be willing to be her models for a Day of the Dead photo shoot.<br />
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I quickly answered yes. My girls were thrilled to get to have make up and photographs done for them too.<br />
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The girls each got to pick which look they wanted and what colors they wanted to be in. Then they received the outline of the mask.<br />
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At first they don't look nearly as pretty as the final product.<br />
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But, they still were having fun and loved seeing themselves with drawings on their face and wondering how it would turn out.<br />
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Then it was time to get the white part of the mask painted on.<br />
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It was funny to look over at them as lined up after having their mask painted white. It was coming together.<br />
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Once the color got painted on they looked great!<br />
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Each girl looked so pretty and different.<br />
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I loved looking over at them as waited for the last girl to be painted. <br />
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Once they were all finished being painted, they let their hair down and I got a chance to snap a few photos with my camera phone.<br />
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They loved being models for the night. The photographer was wonderful with them. <br />
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Her work came out beautiful. Look at this photo. Isn't it lovely!<br />
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Well, now look at it flipped upside down! A totally different look. <br />
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I loved being able to introduce the girls to what the Day of the Dead/Dia de Muertos is all about.<br />
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If you are in or near Huntington Beach I would highly recommend going to Gayle Dawn Exton for your photographs. You can find her on Facebook or by clicking <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GayleDawnPhotography">here</a>. She does great work.<br />
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<br />Joanne Kennedyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15550534887793382985noreply@blogger.com50tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472506510228723807.post-49108668023460300522013-10-26T23:34:00.001-07:002013-10-26T23:34:14.703-07:00A BOOO-TIFUL HALLOWEEN PARTY<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Martha wants to invite you to her 2013 Halloween party. It is going to be a Boo~tiful time. </div>
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The bats are flying overhead to show you the way. <br />
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She has a few of her silver pet spiders. They won't bother you though...as long as you don't bother them.<br />
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The table is set with midnight black table cloth. On top of that is a silver/glittered spider place mat. A jet black plate is next and one of Martha's dear friends lent a hand and is holding the place cards so everyone knows where to sit.<br />
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Martha made little candy boxes to sit at each place sitting. These were made with boxes purchased at The Dollar Tree. A post about how they were made will be coming up in the next day or two.<br />
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These boxes were filled with Hershey Kisses. The silver wrapped chocolate went perfectly with her theme colors.<br />
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As another little treat to take home, each guest gets a black/glitter bag filled with homemade Candy Corn/White Chocolate bark. <br />
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In person you can't really see through the bags as much as the photograph make it seem. <br />
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Martha is forever looking for a great deal. While she was Michael's Craft store, months ago, she came across these bags in the clearance bin. She got them for only 50 cents! Not bad. <br />
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The cute silver spider not only makes the bags look cute, but they can also be turned into a necklace by putting a chain or ribbon though it. They were purchased on line from eBay. <br />
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The candy corn bark was super easy to make. Just get white chocolate, melt it and stir in candy corn. Poor onto a parchment line cookie sheet and spread it thin. Then sprinkle more candy can and let set. <br />
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Once it is hardened just break up into smaller pieces, put in a bag and you are done.<br />
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Did you notice the sweet little coffins at each place setting? These got blinged up a bit by putting some rhinestones on them and then filling them up with the best tasting bones.<br />
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<br />Yes, you heard that right. These bones taste great. They are super easy to make, taste great and are perfect to go inside a coffin.<br />
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I'll do a post on how to make them shortly.<br />
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If you don't have little coffins to fill, they still look cute piled up in a dish. <br />
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White Martha really didn't start out with the theme of spiders in mind, it seems like her little pets crawled in her ear and kept whispering "silver spiders, silver spiders" because they kept showing up everywhere. <br /><br />Even the glasses had a lovely silver spider web with a sparkly spider made out of rhinestones. They were found at TJ Maxx. <br />
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This photograph does not do these glasses justice. They are very pretty in person and only cost $3.99 each. What a bargain!<br />
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The last little item to point out is the silver skeletons. They sat on top of the napkins. These were from the Dollar Tree. They were actually tied together as a garland. But, when you cut them apart, spray paint them silver, they look so much prettier. <br />
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Oh I almost forgot, a few little tomb stones that were also found at the Dollar Tree finished out the final touches.<br />
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I hope you enjoyed this years Halloween party. It's time to get started on planning next years now.<br />
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Joanne Kennedyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15550534887793382985noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472506510228723807.post-46565130397209896162013-09-05T16:26:00.001-07:002013-09-05T16:27:03.892-07:00MAKE HOMEMADE PIES IN MINUTES<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love pies! Most people I know love pies too. Homemade pies are the best. Yet, I don't have the desire to take the time to make them. <br />
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That is until now!<br />
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I got a Breville Pie maker as a gift from my sister. I love it. I can now make pies in a matter of minutes. <br />
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I can also make different flavors for everyone. <br />
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It's so easy. I thought I would share with you just how easy it is.<br />
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You can make four mini pies at a time. <br />
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Just heat up the pie maker. While you are waiting for it to heat, roll and cut out your dough. <br />
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You can use your own dough, puff pastry or even store bought dough. For this example I used Pillsbury already made dough.<br />
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A cutter comes with the pie maker. I forgot to take pictures of me cutting out the dough. But, it's super simple. If you have a used a cookie cutter then you can do this. <br />
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Place the cut out piece of pie dough over one of the spots in the pie maker.<br />
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Then push it into the cup area with the little "pusher" that is included with your pie makers.<br />
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You will now have the bottom part of your pies ready to be filled.<br />
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If your pie dough should rip in a spot or two, don't worry. <br />
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Just put a little piece of left over dough over the spot. You won't even notice it when the pie cooks.<br />
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Fill your pies with whatever filling you like. I canned some cherry pie filling a few months ago so I used that.<br />
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It says to put in 1/3 a cup of filling in. I don't measure it out. I just put enough in that it forms a little mound. You need the mound so the pie crust on top reaches the top of the pie maker. That way it cooks evenly.<br />
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Put the top layer of pie crust on top. No need to crimp it. The machine does that for you.<br />
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You can make all the same flavor or each pie could be different if you like.<br />
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Close the lid and make sure the handle locks. Then in a few minutes your pies will be finished. The booklet that comes with the machine says it takes around 10 minutes to cook. <br />
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I found that it doesn't take as long to cook. After about 4 minutes I open the machine up and check to see if the crust is cooked and golden brown. If it's not, I close the lid and let it cook longer. I check ever minute after that.<br />
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One thing that does not come with the machine is this pie lifter. I would highly recommend you get it. Otherwise, I fear it would be hard to get your pies out without always breaking.<br />
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With the lifter, they just lift right up. <br />
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So there you have it. In about 15 minutes you have your mini pies all made.<br />
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Clean up is a breeze too. You just whip out the machine. Nothing sticks to it. <br />
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If you need more pies, just start all over. <br />
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You can make tons of things with this pie maker. You can make things like a pot pie or even use bread rather then pie crust and fill it with meat and cheese for a sandwich. The sky is the limit as to what you can do with these.<br />
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There are other models and makers of the pie machine. You can get cheaper ones. I can't speak for the others but this one works better then I ever dreamed it would. <br />
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If you have any questions, let me know. I would be happy to answer them.<br />
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Joanne Kennedyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15550534887793382985noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472506510228723807.post-33449047855444107852013-08-21T23:12:00.000-07:002013-08-21T23:12:27.567-07:00HOW TO CUT A PINEAPPLE QUICKLY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love fresh pineapple. There is nothing like the biting into a juicy piece of pineapple. <br />
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Pineapples are also good for you. <br />
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But, if you are like me, cutting pineapples are a pain and it's easier to just use canned or already cut up pineapple from the store.<br />
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Well, not any more. I found the best way to cut a pineapple and it only takes a few minutes of your time.<br />
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First, cut off the top of your pineapple. Try not to cut off to much because you want to get all the good juicy fruit to eat.<br />
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I'm not a big kitchen gadget person. However, this is one gadget you will want to have! <br /><br />It's a pineapple corer and slicer. It is the secret to cutting pineapples in a fraction of the time.<br />
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You can find these at most places that sell kitchen gadgets or on line.<br />
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This is what they look like. Pretty simple really. You can also get them made out of plastic but I would recommend the one made out of steel. I believe they will last longer and do a better job.<br />
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Line up the center with the core. <br />
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Then press down a bit so it goes into the pineapple. Then start to twist. It will cut into your pineapple with ease.<br />
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Keep twisting until you hit the bottom. If you go to far, it will cut the outside of the pineapple and that is fine. You just won't be able to use the outside as a bowl to put a fresh fruit salad in. <br />
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Once you hit the bottom, just pull up the pineapple. It's not hard to pull up either.<br />
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As you can see it cuts the pineapple perfectly so you don't have any eyes to deal with.<br />
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You can also see that it slices the pineapple into perfect slices.<br />
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You will now have a pineapple bowl that you can use to put a fresh fruit salad in, if you like. Just pull out the core.<br />
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I just toss it all out. However, if I was going to have a party where I was serving fresh fruit salad I would use it as a bowl. I think that look is so cute.<br />
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Just remove the pineapple from the gadget and you will have slices that are all the same size. Just like the ones you get from the cans...only these taste so much better.<br />
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I love to can food so I will can my pineapple in these rings from now on rather then spending time to cut the pineapple into chunks. <br />
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Hmmm, all this talk of pineapple makes me want to go eat some right now.<br />
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Did I tell you, clean up is super easy too?<br />
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Joanne Kennedyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15550534887793382985noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472506510228723807.post-20143440491119259522013-08-13T00:35:00.000-07:002013-08-13T00:35:44.257-07:00POOL PARTY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We still have about three weeks left of summer and so I decided to get my girl scout troop together and throw them a Pool Party.<br />
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They were met at the door with this cute sign I found at Michaels for 70% off! The little flip flop can be turned to say Open or Closed. <br />
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I didn't want to spend a lot of money on this party so I used a lot of things I already had, purchased some items at the Dollar Tree and Wal-Mart, made some things and used Free Printables I found on line. <br />
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I wish I would have saved where I found them so I could share with you but I didn't. If you happen to see any that are yours let me know and I will gladly give you credit.<br />
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I set up one table with things the girls got to use while at the party and then take home afterwards.<br />
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Things like water toys, mini fans, candy and bubbles.<br />
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I also got them all flip flops. I put a cute printable on them and put them in a beach bucket. The girls thought they were a fun gift idea and all got to pick the color they wanted.<br />
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I just love all the fun printables out there for parties. I think they give every party just the perfect little pop that makes your party special. <br />
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For those of you who have not yet used printables, you can find them for any theme you can think of. You can purchase a full set for very little money on places like Etsy and blogs. <br /><br />However, many places also offer free ones. They may not be a full set with water bottle labels, banners and so on but they still can be used to perk up your parties.<br />
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I printed out this cute Subway sign and stuck it in a frame I got from Dollar Tree and it looked very cute on the table. <br />
<br />Again, I found this for free! What can be better then that?<br />
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I also found this Have A Ball this Summer printable for free. Rather then have water balloons which make a mess to clean up, I got these water balls. That way the girls got to have a water fight and they can be reused. Plus, no clean up of the broken balloons.<br />
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I found a cute banner that matched our plates from the Dollar Tree and then I punched out the bright color paper into flower shapes and glued them on a long piece of twine in order to add to the fun feeling of the banner.<br />
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I got beach balls, plates and cups with crazy straws at the Dollar Tree. I got the cups in different colors so the girls would be able to tell who's was who's.<br />
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I tied the beach balls up over the table rather then using balloons or puff balls. I thought it looked cute and added to the theme.<br />
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I used yet another printable that said "Stay Cool this summer" and tied it to a box of Cool Pops. These were placed at each place setting as another little take home gift.<br />
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How funny! I just noticed the sign in the photo was cut wrong! Can you spot the mistake too?<br />
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Rather then buy food for the party, I just made Turkey and Cheese sandwiches. The girls enjoyed them better then if I purchased sandwiches from a store.<br />
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I also had chips, fruit salad, chocolate chip cookies and little mini pies I made the night before. <br />
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As most of you know, I love to can and so I made the pies with the fresh peach pie filling I had canned. This was the first time I had tried it and the pies sure were yummy! Every bite was gone off of every plate.<br />
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The girls went swimming awhile and then was in the mood for Snow Cones! Yes, the sign was another free printable!<br />
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They got to pick which flavors they wanted. We had Orange, Hawaiian Punch, Blue Hawaiian Punch and Cherry flavor. <br />
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I love the polka dot cups I found at Target and the Snow Cone holder.<br />
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After enjoying their snow cones, they got to swim and play water games for a few more hours. Then it was time to get out, dry off.<br />
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Each girl was then given a beach bucket to carry all her take home goodies in.<br />
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But our fun was not yet over. Later that night, we all got back together to go to a play. We saw Bye Bye Birdie. <br />
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Only one of the girls had seen the movie and so they didn't even really know what the story was about. However, they all left loving it and singing the songs. <br /><br />We had a great day/night!<br />
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Joanne Kennedyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15550534887793382985noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472506510228723807.post-86462830504522544702013-07-13T23:11:00.001-07:002013-07-13T23:11:19.744-07:00CORY MONTEITH DIES ~ RIP<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
I love Glee and it will never be the same without Finn. <br />
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Sadly, Cory Monteith died in Canada in a hotel room by himself. Drugs appear to be the reason.<br />
<br />It breaks my heart to hear about people who seem so smart yet they take drugs thinking they can handle it. <br /><br />Drugs have taken so many good people way to young. <br />
<br />Please please please SAY NO TO DRUGS!<br />
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Joanne Kennedyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15550534887793382985noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472506510228723807.post-21646859384745271692013-06-15T23:01:00.000-07:002013-06-15T23:07:07.827-07:00TIPS ON MAKING FRENCH MACAROONS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I fell in love with French Macaroons a few years ago. At first, I was intrigued by the many flavors and colors they came in. <br />
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When a little French bakery opened up by me, I was thrilled to discover they had the beautiful little cookies. I tried all of the flavors and if asked which one was my favorite, I don't think I could answer that question. They were all wonderful.<br />
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As time went by and I tried others, I found that some didn't have as nice a flavor as others. That is when I first wanted to learn how to make my own so I could try to find the one recipe I loved the most and have it become my standard go to recipe.<br />
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Yet, I heard they were hard to make, let alone master. So time went by and I never tried to make them. I was scared to spend all the time only to have them flop on me.<br />
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Then I got the email! An email from a good friend of mine who had taught me so much about baking cakes and making gum paste flowers when I was doing cake decorating.<br />
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He asked if I wanted to come over and learn to make French Macaroon from him. I was so excited! I couldn't answer his email fast enough. YES! I wanted to learn.<br />
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Today, was the day. I had so much fun. I learned a lot and found out that they are not as scary to make as I thought they were. But there are some things you must do in order to have them come out right. <br />
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There are tons of different recipes out there for French Macaroons. Since everyone has different taste, I figured that rather then just post the recipe we used, I would let you pick your favorite recipe and use that. <br />
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I am gong to share the tips you need in order to make sure your cookies come out great.<br />
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First, you want the cookies to have the same size. To make sure you do this, make a pattern of circles in the size you want your cookies to be. <br />
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Put it on your cookie sheet and then place your parchment paper on top. That way, you can see how much batter you need to pipe for each cookie.<br />
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You will need to use almond flour. If you are like me, you have no idea where to get this. Most normal grocery stores won't carry it. <br />
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You can find it in places like Bristol Farms and/or Sprouts. If you can't find it, you can always order it on line and have it shipped to you.<br />
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Or, you if you like, you can make your own. Just take raw almonds and grind them up in your food processor. Just make sure you don't over process them or you will end up with almond butter. Which wouldn't really be that bad since almond butter is wonderful. It's just not what you are going for here.<br />
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After your almonds are ground up, you will need to sift them several times to make sure you get all skins and bigger pieces removed. <br />
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Once this is done, you have almond flour.<br />
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You want your batter to be very smooth so make sure to sift your almond flour and powdered sugar three times. Yes, three times. Don't skip. It's not worth it. You don't want to go through all this work only to have a lump or two in your batter.<br />
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My advice is to also weigh all your ingredients rather then using measuring cups. This way, you will have the right amounts and every time, your cookies will come out the same.<br />
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You are going to need to whip your eggs. Start with room temperature eggs. They will whip up much faster and nicer. <br />
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If you forgot to remove your eggs and they cold, put them in a glass of warm water for a few minutes. They will warm up much faster.<br />
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Whip your eggs until they form stiff peaks. OK, so this isn't the best picture but you can see the peaks are stiff and not falling over, even though they are smaller peaks. You get the idea. Right?<br />
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When you fold in your whipped eggs to the flour and powdered sugar, be sure to "fold" them in and not go crazy stirring them. You don't want to remove all the air out of your nice fluffy egg whites.<br />
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To fold, you scrape down to the bottom of the bowl, then turn the mixture over. Keep doing that as you turn the bowl around. Scrape and fold over. Scrape and fold over. Keep doing this until everything is mixed in well.<br />
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It will then be time to pipe the filing onto the cookie sheet. <br />
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No, you can't just plop the mixture down. You want them to be nice circles and even in size. <br />
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If you don't have piping bags and tips, don't worry. You can still do this. Just put the mixture into a zip lock baggie and cut the tip off one corner. Not to much. Just a little bit. <br />
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Then you can pipe just as you would with the tips and bags.<br />
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See the little peaks on the cookies? Well, you don't want them there. So take your pan and give it a few bangs down to help flatten them out.<br />
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Some recipes will have a softer, runnier batter and the peaks may just flatten out right away. The recipe we used was a little thicker and we had peaks on most of the cookies.<br />
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Even if you don't have peaks, you will want to bang the cookie sheet a few times to help remove any unwanted air bubbles.<br />
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Don't go nuts and keep banging though. You don't want to deflate your egg whites. You will end up with flat cookies.<br />
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Which, by the way, if you do get flat cookies, cookies with peaks, uneven sizes or whatever, don't worry. They still taste wonderful. They just won't look as pretty.<br />
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If your batter is a bit thicker, like ours was, then even after you bang the pan down, you will still have peaks on some of your cookies.<br />
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If this happens to you, just lightly wet your finger with a tiny bit of water and tap the peaks down. <br />
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Just make sure you use a tiny bit of water. In fact, shake it off your finger after you dip it so you don't get drips on your cookies. <br />
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If the batter sticks to your finger, you need a little more water.<br />
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Now you have all your cookies piped out. But don't put them in the oven yet. You need to let them sit out a bit to dry out a little.<br />
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Depending on the weather and humidity, you will leave them sitting for about 30 to 60 minutes.<br />
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You will know they are ready for the oven when you can touch the cookies and they don't stick to your finger.<br />
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It's time bake them. Follow your recipe for the time. <br />
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While they bake, open the oven door twice to let any steam out. <br />
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Once your cookies are baked, remove from the oven and slide the parchment paper off the cookie sheet. You don't want to let your cookies to continue to bake on the hot pan.<br />
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Don't remove cookies from parchment paper until cool though.<br />
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See how the bottom of the cookie has a different texture then the rest of the cookie? Well, that is what you are looking for. <br />
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This means your cookies were mixed properly and you allowed them to dry the correct time before you cooked them.<br />
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If your cookies come out flat without the different texture on the bottom, you over mixed your batter. <br />
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If they come out lumpy on top, you under mixed your batter.<br />
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If they are cracked on top, you didn't remove all the air by banging properly and they are over cooked.<br />
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Once you have your cookies baked and they have cooled, they will lift right off the parchment paper by lifting them up. Don't bother with a spatula. You don't want to crack your cookies.<br />
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Just lift the cookies up with your hands. If they stick a tiny bit, just bend the parchment paper away from the cookies.<br />
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If they don't come off the parchment paper super easy then your cookies are not fully baked.<br />
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It's then time to fill your cookies. This is where you can have a lot of fun with fillings. You can use, jams, curds, flavored butter cream, chocolate or any type of filling you want.<br />
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We used flavor butter cream. We made, Key Lime, Peach and Passion Fruit as well as two different types of chocolate ganache.<br />
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They were all so good.<br />
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To fill your cookies, just take one, turn it upside down. Pipe in your filling then put another cookie on top.<br />
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That's it! It's now time to enjoy all that hard work by biting into a little bit of Heaven.<br />
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It's fun to make these different colors. You can make them with a tiny bit of color (we actually used yellow in our batter) or you can make them as bright and deep in color as you like.<br />
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You will need to use more color then you think you will. When we colored our batter it was pretty bright yellow but once all mixed up and baked you could hardly tell there was any color to them.<br />
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Use paste or powder colors. Don't use water based ones. Like the kind you find at most grocery stores. They will add to much moisture to your batter and cause your batter to be to runny and your cookies will come out flat.<br />
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So have fun with your cookies. Make them bigger in size or tiny bite size. Mix up the colors. Try different flavors. Add real bits of fruit or nuts to your filling.<br />
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The choices are endless.<br />
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But, do try your hand at these yummy cookies. If you have never had one you will be in for a treat. They are a little crunchy outside but the middle of the cookie is a softer texture. Then the filling gives a burst of flavor. <br />
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One thing I must warn you about though...they addicting. It's hard to stop at just one...or two...or three.<br />
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Joanne Kennedyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15550534887793382985noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472506510228723807.post-47710740416244139532013-06-12T18:19:00.000-07:002013-06-13T16:45:42.202-07:00PRINCESS DIANA'S EXHIBIT ON THE QUEEN MARY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have always been a big fan of Princess Diana and was so sad when she was killed. I found her to be beautiful, friendly, down to Earth and lovely. She had such grace and of course her fashion style was always perfect. <br />
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When I found out that there was an exhibit of her clothes at the Queen Mary I knew it was only a matter of time before I went there.<br />
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Yesterday, was the day I got to enjoy seeing, reading and taking in the exhibit. It was much bigger then I thought it would be.<br />
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The above are only a handful of dresses you get to see. <br />
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I found photos on line showing Princess Diana wearing those same dresses. The blue dress originally had sleeves and a higher neck line because this was worn in the middle East. But then, she had them changed and wore the dress again. It really gave it a different look.<br />
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She was tall and slender. So beautiful.<br />
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I have to admit I was taken back a little by some of the dresses. They reminded me of dresses I've seen that were worn in movies. They are beautiful and photograph well. However, they seem a bit cheaply made or the material is not what you think it would like.<br />
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I have no doubts that every dress she wore cost a lot of money and were made by the top designers. She looked great in each outfit she wore. However, they just didn't all look so high quality as they did in photos and videos.<br />
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There was a lot of royal history in the exhibit and not just all about Princess Diana. It was nice to see stuff there on the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth and even Prince Williams and Kate and Prince Henry. <br />
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The only down fall of the whole tour is that they do not allow you take photos. I was able to snap a few and out in the gift shop but that was it. <br />
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I enjoyed seeing the crowns and the gifts that the Royal family would often give to people. They were not expensive gifts at all. Things like a picture frame, a date book and even a fruit cake. <br />
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There was one area that showed cards that Princess Diana had sent. They were not the stuff type of cards you would expect a princess to send. They were funny. Even some a bit on the risky side. They really showed her humor.<br />
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I really enjoyed going. I hope if you get a chance to go, you do. I hear there are exhibits with other items all over the world to enjoy.<br />
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I, for one, will always remember Princess Diana and now I feel like I got to know a little bit better.<br />
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Joanne Kennedyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15550534887793382985noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472506510228723807.post-76482978492397908882013-06-11T00:04:00.000-07:002013-06-11T00:04:43.418-07:00BALBOA ISLAND<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Living in So. Cal, we have so many wonderful places near by. Places that people dream about going to on vacation. Many people spend a ton of money come enjoy the near by beaches, attractions, restaurants and other tourist spots.<br />
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Today, I thought I would go and enjoy the day at one of those locations. Balboa Island. <br />
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There is a lot to see and do there. Today, I went to go check out the cute shops and to enjoy a nice lunch.<br />
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Come along with me and I'll share with you a tiny bit of what I saw.<br />
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As I drove onto the island I crossed over on the bridge which is near Coast Hwy.<br />
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The actual street name is Marine Ave. It was really cute as it was decorated for their upcoming 4th of July celebration.<br />
<br />What you can't see in this photo is beyond the walls are tons of beautiful boats docked. There was to much traffic and no where to park or I would have snapped a photo to show you.<br />
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It was a perfect day out. Clear blue sky, warm but not hot. I couldn't have asked for a nicer day, weather wise to go.<br />
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Along Marine Ave is where you will find all the cute shops and restaurants. It can be hard to find parking here. I was super lucky and found a space right away.<br />
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When I first got there, the streets were not that crowded. It was a great time to go shopping since the shops are pretty small and if there are to many people there, it's hard to actually get around to see everything.<br />
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This frozen banana shop has been around since 1945. After 68 years, I would say they must be pretty darn good. However, I was saving my appetite for lunch later in the day, so I didn't try them out.<br />
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I really felt like I was on vacation as I strolled into the shops. <br />
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You could find almost anything you were looking for and tons of things you never even knew you wanted. Like these pretty colorful rugs. <br />
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Or, beautiful silk scarfs.<br />
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Of course, being in a beach town, there were tons of beach themed items. <br />
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I loved these! They are napkin weights. You know, if you are eating outside and have napkins for people to use. Put one of these on the stack of napkins and they won't blow away. <br /><br />They had tons of themes to pick from.<br />
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You could even buy napkins to match and a napkin holder to put them in. So cute!<br />
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I think this would also make a cute gift. Darn! I should have bought a few for Christmas gifts. Oh well, thankfully, I live near by and can always go back.<br />
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I love this sign. It would be pretty easy to make yourself for not much money at all. Or you could spend big bucks and buy it there.<br />
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I loved all the colors everywhere. I really wanted to buy the straw bag but I was good and held onto my money.<br />
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I've seen this type of Italian pottery plates before. They always cost a lot of money so I was really surprised at the low cost of these. <br /><br />I picked one up to see if they were fake or something and that is when I noticed they were not pottery at all. They were Melamine. You know those plates that you can toss to the ground and they won't break. <br />
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Wow! They sure have come a long way with Melamine. I remember growing up and we had a set but they looked like plastic from a mile away. Not these!<br />
<br />These would be great to use outside or even to take on a picnic. Hmmm, I think they would be another great gift. What do you think?<br />
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There was the expected shell shop. Doesn't ever beach town have at least one of these?<br />
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A wonderful candy shop! They had every type of candy you could think of. They had retro candy, sour candy, taffy, chocolate...you name it. <br /><br />I think this shop was the most crowded of all the shops I went in.<br />
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I think my favorite shop of the day was the one that had this bright purple wall full of these cute, silly, crazy clocks. I couldn't help but smile as I looked at all of them.<br />
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But, like most of the items in the shops, they were pretty expensive. At least for my budget.<br />
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Though not everything was expensive in the shops. I came across a few shops like this one that had all the clothes on sale for only $15.00 or less. They had some pretty cute things too. <br />
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Even though I didn't buy anything, all the shopping/walking made me pretty hungry. <br /><br />I read about this place called Wilma's Patio. The review said the food there was wonderful. When I came across this restaurant, I knew right away where I was having lunch.<br />
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It was really good too! I want to go back for breakfast one day soon though. I ordered a taco salad and they had the best salsa I've ever had. But, when I saw the breakfast that most people were ordering (even though it was around 2:30pm) I knew they must be famous for their breakfast. Everything look so good!<br />
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After eating, I was walking back to my car so I could go home and I noticed the police on Balboa Island gets around on bikes. I'm sure with all the traffic and one way streets it's much quicker for them to get around that way. How cute!<br />
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I plan on going back and will be hitting up a whole different area of the island. I'll post about those trips when I go.<br /><br />If you ever get a chance to come to Orange County CA, I hope you will take a few hours or even a few days and visit Balboa Island. It's a charming place to go to.<br />
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Joanne Kennedyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15550534887793382985noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472506510228723807.post-87613614386820214162013-06-07T15:00:00.000-07:002013-06-07T15:00:00.854-07:00 LET'S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love walking around my garden and looking at all the pretty flowers in bloom. I have to admit that I often see them in pots or planted in the ground and while they are pretty, I don't often stop to "really" take a look at them.<br />
<br />Today, I decided to take a closer look. Once I did I noticed how they have so much detail that we normally don't even see.<br />
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Look at the color closely and in this flower you will see veins in a dark shade of pink then the flower is. Check out that bright yellow in the center and how it almost looks like Mother Nature took a yellow highlighter pen to show us the area where the petals connect.<br />
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Do you know what this flower is? Take a look at the jagged shape of it's petals. Look at the center and how the middle is shorter then the outside. It almost looks like little seeds are attached.<br />
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The flower drops it petals and turns into a yummy sweet berry. These are black berries that are still forming. Look at the detail in each little pod filled with juicy flavor. <br />
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This little flower is actually made up of what looks like several tiny flowers. Yet each one has beautiful coloring. Check out that center. It looks fake. But, trust me it's real. <br />
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These clusters of little flowers that form a larger bouquet look like silk plants when you get really close. The tiny center look like a little ball of plastic that the flowers are attached to.<br />
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Things like this you don't normally notice when you walk by and just take note of the whole plant.<br />
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It's just breath taking when you really check out a flower close up. Look at how this one is yellow then red and then yellow again with veins of red going through it. Such detail!<br />
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As I stopped to really take a closer look at the flowers growing in my own garden, I was in awe of the beauty and art work in each flower. I'm happy I actually took time to not only stop and smell my roses but I also took the time to stop and take a closer look.<br />
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I hope you will do the same, the next time you look at a flower, take a closer look. I'm sure you too will be in awe of how much more beauty flowers have then we even notice on most days.<br />
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Joanne Kennedyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15550534887793382985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472506510228723807.post-70571691493059642712013-06-06T14:30:00.000-07:002013-06-06T14:30:02.798-07:00IT'S HYDRANGEA TIME!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I was a little girl, we had a big Hydrangea plant in our front yard. I remember it well. It had big pale pink flowers on it. <br /><br />I loved when they would bloom because I would pick them and pretend it was my bouquet when I played I was a bride.<br />
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I think that is when I first fell in love with this beautiful flower.<br />
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We have several Hydrangea plants in both our front and back garden.<br />
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This year they are all blooming like crazy and have gotten super big. When we had a garage sale, last weekend, I can't tell you how many times people would come up and ask what our secrete is to growing such great looking Hydrangeas. <br /><br />Our big secrete is...we don't have one. Every year it's the same thing, water and feed them Miracle Grow. That's it.<br />
<br />Some years they just do better then others.<br />
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Normally, the white ones are not my favorite but this year I find they are so lovely. They are bright white and look like little puff balls of cotton. <br />
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There are many different types of Hydrangeas. This is a Lace Cap. This one is doing great this year too! The pink is so deep and pretty.<br />
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I've always wanted to try to change the color of our Hydrangeas to purple. Did you know you could change the color depending on what you add to your soil? Well you can. To a point. It depends on what type of Hydrangea plants you have.<br />
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It's best to ask at your garden supply store as to what to add for the type of your Hydrangeas.<br />
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The white ones can not be changed. I believe the others can. All the pink, purple and blue ones can change but they will some while change slightly while others will turn a deep shade.<br />
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This Hydrangea is at our front door. It was pink but as it aged it turned to this great apple green color. I love it.<br />
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It's really hard to pick a favorite Hydrangea because they are all so pretty. Do you have a favorite one?<br />
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Joanne Kennedyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15550534887793382985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472506510228723807.post-79800208733813544282013-06-05T10:00:00.000-07:002013-06-05T10:00:02.219-07:00GLOW IN THE DARK COTTON CANDY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I saw this photo on line and knew right away what the theme of Trinity's 13th birthday party was going be.<br />
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A Glow in the Dark Dance Party!<br />
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I have always loved cotton candy. But these, well come on! They kick them up a few hundred notches. After all, they GLOW!<br />
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Who wouldn't want to have one of these?<br />
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While I knew we would for sure have these at the party, I wasn't sure how to make them. I figured you just put a glow stick in the cotton candy cone before you spun the sugar around it.<br />
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That made me a little worried. What if someone bit into the glow stick?<br />
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So I did some research to find out how to make it safe. I knew there had to be a way because several of the big amusement parks are selling Glow in the Dark Cotton Candy.<br />
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I found that you can purchase sticks or wands that are made just for cotton candy. Aren't these cool?<br />
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They are sort of a rainbow of color on the stick. Plus, they can be turned on to flash or stay a steady glow.<br />
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I found that you have to order in bulk and it costs around $400. To much for me. I didn't need a ton. I'm not a party planner or own an amusement park that needs hundreds of these.<br />
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So, off to ETSY I went and low and behold, I found you can buy them for only $2.00 each and you can buy as many as you want. So it's much better for the normal parties most of us throw.<br />
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I can't wait to give them a try!<br />
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I don't own, nor do I want to buy, a cotton candy machine. But, there is a store near me that rents them. Plus, you don't have to clean them up when you are finished! They will drop off and pick up too.<br />
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Guess what I'll be doing. Yes, it's a rental for me.<br />
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If any of you have tried these before, let me know what you thought of them.<br />
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Joanne Kennedyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15550534887793382985noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472506510228723807.post-41733558200009633112013-06-04T13:30:00.000-07:002013-06-04T13:30:00.735-07:00YOU NEVER THINK IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WHERE YOU LIVE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We hear about things on the news all the time and think about how scary some of the things would be if it were in your own neighborhood. But, we always think it won't happen to us. We live in a safe area and things just don't happen to us, it only happens to others.<br />
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The other day, I was in the office on the computer just having a nice relaxing day. My sister was out in the backyard watering. It was a sunny day and we both had plans to stay home and just take it easy.<br />
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Our cleaning lady was over cleaning and the dogs were sleeping. <br />
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Then I heard screeching tires a super loud crash and then quickly another loud crash. I knew there was a pretty bad accident that happened on the street right behind our house. I was about to call 911 and head out to see if anyone was hurt and needed help when I heard my sister run in the house yelling "LOCK ALL THE DOORS AND WINDOWS!!!".<br />
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As we all ran around locking them I had no idea what was going on. I could hear tons of police sirens and helicopters going around. Something big was going on.<br />
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It turned out the police were chasing a car and it got into a big accident. The three guys in the car got out and ran from the police.<br />
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They ran right into our backyard! My sister was out there watering and could have been hurt by them or worse! The police came around to the front of our house and within seconds were in our backyard with their guns drawn looking for the guys.<br />
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Thankfully my sister got inside and we were able to get our doors and windows locked in time to avoid anything bad happening.<br />
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The guys jumped over into our neighbors backyard and one guy gave up right away.<br />
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One guy was caught by the police K9 dog and one was caught by the police using a taser gun on him.<br />
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Thankfully they were able to catch all three of them pretty fast.<br />
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Two of them were arrested and taken to jail right away. The guy who got bit by the dog got medical treatment and was first taken to the hospital for treatment.<br />
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I wish that was the worse injury that was received that day but it wasn't.<br />
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It turns out the police were chasing the guys because they were involved in a shoot out with the police and one guy got shot. He later died at the hospital. <br />
But the saddest part was these three guys trying to get away from the police hit a pedestrian and killed him. That was one of the loud crash sounds I heard. His body remained on the sidewalk in back of our house for over 7 hours as the police did their investigation and waited for the Coroner to remove him. <br /><br />The police were also investigating the area until around 2:00am and this happened before noon!<br />
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Yes, this was on the news and when I saw it, I didn't have to wonder how it would feel if it ever happened in my neighborhood. No, I knew first hand how scary it was and also how blessed I was to have not had anything bad happened to anyone I knew.<br />
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I was never one who felt the need to lock the doors when inside my own home. But, now, I find I lock the doors all the time now. You never know when some jerk may be running over your fence and trying to find a hiding place in your house. <br />
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While we feel like being in our home is one of the save places to be, I found out first hand that is not always the case. It was a very very scary day that has effected me more deeply then I ever thought it would.<br />
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<br />Joanne Kennedyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15550534887793382985noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472506510228723807.post-31314238480817222912013-06-02T23:23:00.002-07:002013-06-02T23:51:59.895-07:00LITTLE THINGS TO MAKE A 1st COMMUNION PARTY MORE PERSONAL<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Making a 1st Communion party special is pretty easy to do. It takes a little planning but everyone can do it. To see the other posts about this party go<a href="http://0.0.0.5/purple-bling-1st-communion-party.html"> here</a> and <a href="http://cottageinthemaking.blogspot.com/2013/05/purple-bling-1st-communion-party.html">here</a>.<br />
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Plan out your pictures. Don't wait until you actually get to the church to try to catch great photos. Trust me, you are going to be running around trying to get your child at the right places at the right time, searching for good seats and greeting everyone as they get to the church.<br />
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I knew I wanted to capture this photo. However, in order to do so, I would have to be right next to Trinity as she knelled down to pray. Hopefully, she would have closed her eyes and folded her hands just like this. <br />
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Rather then risk missing out on this photo, I made sure to get to the church early in order to have her knell down and let me take this picture.<br />
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I got so many compliments on this shot. All the other parents were sad they didn't get their child in this pose.<br />
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I also wanted to capture her as she walked up to the alter and looked up at the large picture in back of the alter.<br />
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This would NEVER have happened during the ceremony. So again, I was happy I remembered to do this before the service started.<br />
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Think about the types of photos you want and get them before or after the ceremony. That way you will be able to relax and enjoy the service without the worry of taking photos.<br />
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The banner also was made so that it tied into her "Purple Bling" party a little bit. Rather then getting a kit and making it look like every other banner, her banner was done in the purple color of her party and also had some of the "bling" added to it with rhinestones and glitter letters spelling out her name. <br />
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It really stood out from the other banners at the church.<br />
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We asked her where she wanted to have her party. The only place she wanted to be was at my house. Even though we felt it was going to be crowded there, we made it happen for her.<br />
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To greet everyone, we had this sign made and it was in the front yard with purple balloons attached to it so everyone knew which house the party was at.<br />
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Again, we used the color of her party to tie it in with everything.<br />
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Even though the food wasn't going to be in the color of the party since there really isn't to many foods that are purple, I wanted to have something purple. <br />
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The easy way to go was to not worry about the main food and just stick with the desserts.<br />
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One thing was the chocolate covered Oreo cookies. I used purple colored chocolate for the party color and a cross to bring in the 1st Communion party. Also, they were on a dish with rhinestones to add in the bling of the party.<br />
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For another personal touch I ordered these "lottery" tickets. They were the theme and color of the party and also had Trinity's name on them.<br />
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They also made everyone feel like they were brought into the party and got to have some excitement with the hope of winning. Rather then giving money like a real lottery ticket, we gave away gift cards.<br />
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We got a bounce house so kids could have fun and burn off some energy from all the sugar from the candy bar we had.<br />
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Even the bigger kids had a blast in here.<br />
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While it didn't really go with the theme of the party at all, it turned out to be a big hit in order to keep the kids happy and allow the adults to enjoy the party more.<br />
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My brother put together a DVD of Trinity throughout the years. It was set to music and the photos had most of guests in them. That way, not only did everyone like seeing Trinity grow up over they years but they got to see themselves too. After all, everyone loves to see themselves, even if they say they don't.<br />
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This was the biggest way we were able to make this party super personal. It showed so many memories and everyone loved this so much, they asked to watch it a 2nd time.<br />
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Sending everyone home with a little party favor to remember the great day is also a great tip. Not only did the guest at this party get some yummy candy, they also got a cross charm to keep as a memory. They could put it in a scrapbook, they could wear it as a necklace, they could put it on a charm bracelet, or just keep it as a reminder of the special day they shared with Trinity.<br />
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But the most important and best way to make your loved ones 1st Communion day special is to slow down a little bit, take a minute to spend some together to reflect on the day and it's meaning.<br />
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Here Trinity is with her Daddy. It's one of my favorite pictures. One she will always be able to look back on and remember that little special talk and smile she shared with her Daddy on her special day.<br />
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<br />Joanne Kennedyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15550534887793382985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472506510228723807.post-2696460212315988012013-05-20T18:52:00.000-07:002013-05-20T18:52:00.706-07:00PURPLE BLING 1st COMMUNION PARTY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yesterday, I shared with you the candy bar at Trinity's 1st communion party. Today I'm going to show you the decorations.<br />
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It's all about the bling, the bling the bling! Well and purple. Everywhere I could, I added purple and bling to this party.<br />
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Guest were met at the door with a large T that I made. The T of course stands for Trinity. I got a wooden letter at Hobby Lobby and painted it purple. Then I got a few silk hydrangea plants and cut them up so I could glue the flowers on the letter. Then added some ribbon to the back and it was finished. Very easy to do.<br />
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For the fireplace, I made a banner that said GOD BLESS TRINITY. It was done like the banner I did for the candy bar. Tons of rhinestones, in both clear and two shades of purple, were used. For the garland, I just punched out circles of glitter paper in several shades of purple and silver. Then I glued them onto a long piece of twine. Again, super easy. <br />
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On the mantel, I got a few picture frames. One was purple and had some rhinestones on it and the other ones was completely covered in clear rhinestone crystals. It was very shinny! I put pictures of Trinity in them. <br />
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I also had a some candle holders that were brown so I spray painted them silver and topped them with a clear plate that had a circle of crystals around the outside. I was so happy when I found the purple crosses that were actually made to go into candles. They were made out of purple rhinestones and were perfect for the 1st communion party.<br />
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I just added the crosses to some simple white candles.<br />
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We were going to be eating outside so I wanted to use throw away plates, but, I still wanted them to be pretty and different.<br />
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I got purple plastic plates and added some bling to them. I found some purple flowers made out of purple rhinestones and so I put them on the plates. They were pretty but still needed a little something to make them pop more. I then, glued on a clear rhinestone in the center. Much better.<br />
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I also got plastic cups and I punched out flowers out of glitter paper. To the flower I added a light purple (the color on the photo is off) rhinestone to the center. Both made the cups have just a little sparkle to them.<br />
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I also added rhinestones to the plastic utensils but I forgot to take a picture of them before I wrapped them up in the napkins. <br />
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For a napkin ring I used some of the sparkle mesh. Bling!<br />
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I put the napkins and utensils in a basket for the guest to grab with their food.<br />
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I love love love the salt and pepper shakers I found on eBay. Talk about bling bling!<br />
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I even put rhinestones on little picks. Yes, I hit everything I could up with a little sparkle.<br />
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Yet another banner was made that sparkled. This one not only had rhinestones on it but I also made it out of glitter paper so both the background in purple and the silver letters were shinny.<br />
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This was hung over the area where the buffet was.<br />
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I put up pictures of family members who had made their 1st communion in the past. These pictures were held up with photo holders that looked a bit like diamonds and next to them, were some purple "diamonds".<br />
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I even added a little purple and sparkle to the bathroom. I used some left over purple hydrangeas I had from making the sign. I purchased some purple paper hand towels and made a simple curtain out of the glitter paper circles used in the garland on the fireplace.<br />
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This sign was in the front yard with purple balloons attached to it so everyone knew which house was were the party was. <br />
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We had the tables set up outside. It was a perfect day weather wise. Couldn't have been nicer.<br />
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The tables were covered with the same purple tablecloths as the candy bar was. For the center piece I went to Rogers Gardens and got white hydrangea plants. Around the centerpiece were more "diamonds" and glitter paper circles. They looked pretty when the sun hit them.<br />
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Hanging up the tissue paper flowers or puff balls added a lot of color and made the space more fun. These are very easy to make but do take time. <br />
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You can't really tell in the photo but when I purchased the plants, they had a lovely olive green ribbon on them. Even though it was pretty ribbon, it didn't go with the color theme we had. So, I asked if I could get them to put purple ribbon on there and they were more then happy to help out.<br />
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I went back with the lady that works there and we picked out a pretty purple ribbon that changed colors depending on how the light hit it. It went perfect with the tablecloths.<br />
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Plus, by getting plants rather then cut flowers, I now have pretty plants I can keep rather then throwing away flowers when they died.<br />
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I've had this crystal cut beverage container for years. I love when I get to use it. We put tea in it. That way, everyone could help themselves.<br />
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We also set up a little popcorn station. In the basket were purple and white boxes that the pop corn went in. There were also different flavors of popcorn salts to use.<br />
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I saw this darling silver cooler on a stand at Home Depot and knew I had to have it. We put different cokes and beer inside as well water bottles.<br />
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The water bottles had water proof labels that matched the candy bars and Hershey kiss labels. With the same touch of bling I added with the rhinestones.<br />
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No, I did not serve all purple bling food. But, the sweets were! I made all of them. <br />
It was my first time making cake pops. Let me tell you, they are not as easy as they sound to make. Mine didn't come out like I wanted them to but no one even noticed. I was the only one who knew they were not perfect. <br />
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I was happy with how the chocolate covered Oreo cookies came out. Everyone thought I bought them, so I guess they thought they came out nice too.<br />
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Notice the tray they were served in had bling on it. <br />
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The chocolate covered pretzels were a big hit. I made them two ways, one like the one above with purple white chocolate and white sprinkles and also purple chocolate with sugar crystals. It actually did sparkle nicely.<br />
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As everyone left, they got to take home a favor of a chocolate cross, either white chocolate or milk chocolate. I wrapped them in cello bags, tied with a purple ribbon and then felt they needed something to make them bling.<br />
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So I purchased some silver cross charms, added a little purple rhinestone and they gave the bags the little bit of sparkle I wanted. Plus, the guests got a 2nd little favor in the crosses. They could put it on a chain to wear as a necklace if they wanted. <br />
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I was happy with how everything came out. My biggest compliments came from the men at the party. Most women notice all the little things but men don't. So when all the men said how nice they thought the touches were, I felt like I did a good job and it was worth every minute I put into this party.<br />
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Trinity loved it and that was the whole reason for the party.<br />
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Next post I'll share some photos I took of her and a few of the things we did to make the party more special for Trinity.<br />
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Joanne Kennedyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15550534887793382985noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472506510228723807.post-44185387088832750412013-05-19T17:39:00.000-07:002013-05-20T16:28:30.922-07:00PURPLE BLING CANDY BAR<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This weekend was my great niece, Trinity's, 1st Communion. After the church service we were having people back over to our house and she picked a Purple Bling theme for the party.<br />
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For months I was shopping for purple and bling items. I never knew purple was such a hard color to shop for. <br />
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I knew I wanted to have a candy bar set up. Turned out to be a big hit with everyone. Not just the kids.<br />
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This post I will only be showing the candy bar. The next post will be the decorations.<br />
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The photos don't really show the "bling" to well but it showed up much better in person.<br />
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I made a banner that said Candy Bar and the letters were silver glitter. Each flag had rhinestones decorating it so it really sparkled. Behind the banner I hung up curtains made from metallic silver.<br />
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I knew I wanted to have some personalized items and so I got some candy bar wrappers. Then of course, I had to add rhinestones to give them the bling! Also, I got silver foil to wrap the candy bar in since now Hershey bars only have the brown wrappers.<br />
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I also added rhinestones to the candy jars and bowls as well as the scoops. <br />
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You can see the Hershey kisses also got personalized with stickers that matched the candy bars. <br />
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All the candy was also different shades of purple. But I didn't want only grape flavor candy so of course I had lots of chocolate in there too!<br />
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Did you know you could order M&M's in any color and get them to say whatever you wanted on them? <br />
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I got two shades of purple and had them say Trinity on some and 1st Communion on others. They were very cute!<br />
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However, be aware, if you have not ordered them. They cost a lot of money to get printed. So I would recommend just getting a few to give a personal touch to your party and then fill in with other candy.<br />
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On the table was a purple tablecloth. I knew I would not have any use for purple tablecloths again, plus, I needed several for all the other tables. So, I just rented them. Renting is wonderful. You end up paying less money and you don't even have to wash them when you return them! <br />
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For added bling, I got some super large "diamonds" that are actually used as paper weights. I also got containers of smaller "diamonds" and put them all over all the tables.<br />
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I was lucky I didn't have to buy jars or bowls to put the candy in. I either had them or I borrowed them from a friend. If you are going to do a candy bar for your party, I would start checking out thrift stores for them. I've seen them there several times. <br />
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If you can't find them in thrift stores, places like TJ Maxx has them for a pretty good price. Or Michael's costs are good, if you use the 40% off coupon.<br />
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I always plan my parties very early so I can start collecting things early and getting sales or using coupons when I can.<br />
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To add bling to the jars and bowls I used rhinestones, ribbon with rhinestones attached and while I was at Michaels I found this mesh that looked like it had rhinestones on it but it really doesn't. It's all in the cut. But it worked great. You can cut it up into different sizes to fit what you are using it on. So much faster and easier then putting on the rhinestones one at a time.<br />
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Here is a hint for you, if you are going to get the mesh, you can find some over where they sell David Tutera's wedding stuff. It's pretty and works well. However, you can go over to the other "no name" wedding items and find bigger rolls for much less money. Don't forget the coupon!<br />
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You can purchase costly scoops if you like. However, my advice would be to go to Party City. They have a candy bar section and you can get color scoops to match your colors. They are less then a dollar. <br />
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Some people like metal scoops but I prefer plastic so they don't end up chipping the jars/bowls or worse, breaking them.<br />
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Also, have fun with the candy you get. Get different shades of your color, it's to hard to try to match just one shade anyway. <br />
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Rock candy suckers are very pretty but be careful. Some taste really bad. These were actually good flavor ones. I lucked out when I found these.<br />
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When you get your candy, you can drive around town and spend a lot of time and gas money or you can do like I did and just order on line. I always read the reviews before I ordered anything. Not all candy is good even though they look the same. <br />
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Make sure you have bags so everyone has something to put their stash in and take home with them. <br />
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With some time and a little effort you can put together a pretty and impressive candy bar. But, no matter what it looks like, it will be a hit. After all, who doesn't love candy!<br />
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<br />Joanne Kennedyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15550534887793382985noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472506510228723807.post-29277056683447613902013-01-29T22:37:00.004-08:002013-01-29T22:37:48.362-08:00THIN MINT TRUFFLES<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love chocolate and I love mint. Put them together and I'm in Heaven! <br />
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So, when it's Girl Scout cookie time I stock up on Thin Mint cookies. They are great frozen! I often find I eat way to many of them as they pop into your mouth and go down so easy. <br />
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Same goes for most of the other flavors that Girl Scout cookies come in.<br />
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This year, I thought it would be fun to try some of the great recipes I've seen floating around that actually use Girl Scout cookies in the recipes. <br />
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Tonight, I made Thin Mint Cookie Truffles. They were so easy and while I didn't think it was possible to top the flavor of the Thin Mint Cookies, I was wrong. This recipes pushes it up to a whole new level.<br />
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They take minutes to make and they could be placed into a box to give as a present to someone special. Only, make two batches because you will not want to give these all away. <br />
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You only need a few ingredients. I used four but actually you could get away with only three if you only used one color of chocolate.<br />
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So, by now you must be asking "so how do I make these?". OK, I won't make you wait a minute longer.<br />
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You take one box of Girl Scout Thin Mints cookies. Crush them up into tiny pieces. You can do this by hand or in a food processor.<br />
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Once they are all crushed, take 4 oz. of cream cheese that is room temperature and mix it into the cookie crumbs. Mix well.<br />
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Then roll into small balls and stick them in the refrigerator to set up. Once cold, remove and dip each ball into melted chocolate. Drizzle with a contrasting color of chocolate and then put back in the refrigerator to harden up.<br />
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That's it! Easy, isn't it!<br />
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So, when you get asked by a girl scout if you would like to buy a box of cookies, say yes. In fact, get a few boxes. <br />
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There are so many great recipes that use the cookies that you will be happy you did. Plus, if you don't feel like cooking up anything, they are wonderful alone!<br />
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If you have not been asked to buy any cookies and you live in Orange County CA, let me know, I'm a girl scout leader and would be happy to bring you as many boxes as you would like.<br />
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Joanne Kennedyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15550534887793382985noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472506510228723807.post-69227677963375533212013-01-16T17:46:00.002-08:002013-01-16T17:55:19.181-08:00CAMPING FUN<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yesterday I shared with you the decorations for <a href="http://cottageinthemaking.blogspot.com/2013/01/camping-birthday-party_14.html">Camp Trinity</a>. Today, I wanted to show you the fun we had over the weekend stay.<br />
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We rented a cabin at the KOA camp ground in Chula Vista CA. It was about 2 hours from where we live. So, of course, everyone was hungry before we got there.<br />
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We stopped to have lunch at Sam's Pizza. The pizza was super BIG and it was one of the best pizzas I've ever had.<br />
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After lunch, we went straight to our cabin. It was so nice! Much better then I expected it to be.<br />
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We quickly unpacked, everyone claimed where they were going to sleep and then the girls changed to go swimming.<br />
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All of the girls are like fish and could stay in the pool all weekend. But, there was to much fun to be had and after a few hours, it was time to get out.<br />
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While the girls were swimming, I hung out at the cabin and got the decorations up. The girls were thrilled when they walked inside.<br />
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After they took a shower and changed their clothes, it was time to go on a scavenger hunt. <br />
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They worked in teams and tried to find everything on the list. Some items were easy to find and some were harder.<br />
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It turned out to be a close call on who won. The team that returned back to the cabin first only lost because they were not able to bring back everything they should have.<br />
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But, no one was really a loser. Everyone got a treat.<br />
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Speaking of treats, the girls took trail mix and water with them on their hunt. Then they came back and chowed down on chips, candy and soda.<br />
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They decided it was time to open presents. It was fun to see what everyone got Trinity. They had fun laughing at some of the things and oohing and awing over other gifts.<br />
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I think it's so cute how the girls were just as excited to give Trinity her gifts as she was to get them. Each girl had her picture taken with the birthday girl.<br />
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She got some lovely things and was grateful for everything she got.<br />
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It was then time to go rent bikes. They had some crazy ones to pick from.<br />
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They all took turns trying out all the bikes. Heck, I could not pass these up myself. So, even I got on and had some fun.<br />
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It was fun watching them trying to race and listening to the them laughing.<br />
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This camp ground was a great place for kids. They had so much to do. They had a park that the girls wanted to play at for a little while after riding bikes.<br />
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I can't get over how well they all got along. Not one disagreement the whole weekend. They were all perfect! Which made it nice for me and my sister.<br />
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After playing and getting tons of exercise all day, they were one hungry crew. So we went back to the cabin and had a BBQ! We ate outside.<br />
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It was super yummy. Something about cooking and eating outside seems to make everything taste so much better.<br />
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It got dark outside so, we built a fire to warm up. It sure does get cold out there! I think they said it was going to be 29 degrees that night.<br />
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Rather then bringing a cake, we brought cupcakes that I had made at home. They were not frosted though. The girls frosted her own cupcake and decorated it.<br />
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Knowing it would be hard to fit 12 candles on Trinity's cupcake, Maureen brought super skinny, curly ones. They were able to all fit on her cupcake with ease.<br />
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We sang Happy Birthday, the girls ate the cupcakes faster then I've ever seen girls eat cupcakes before.<br />
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I would have thought they were to full to eat anything else but I was wrong. They had really worked up an appetite and claimed they still had room for S'Mores.<br />
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Even though we were by the fire, it was still very cold. So, the girls wanted to go inside the cabin to warm up. They wanted to watch a movie.<br />
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When I got inside they were in their pj's all bundled up and snuggling together on one couch enjoying the movie.<br />
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I told them to pull out the couch because it turned into a bed. They were more then happy to have the extra room. They were then all cozy and warm and watched the movie.<br />
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My sister and I went into one of the bedrooms and watched TV in there so the girls could have some alone time. <br />
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They ended up talking and giggling until the wee hours of the morning. Finally, the cabin was quiet and everyone was asleep.<br />
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We all got up early, made a big pancake and bacon breakfast. Then we packed up, cleaned up and hit the road.<br />
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However, even though we left the cabin, the fun was not over. We didn't have time for the girls to have fun with Silly String and poppers.<br />
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We decided rather then not do them, we would stop at a park for a little more fun before we went home.<br />
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By the time we were almost home and near the park, Maureen said she thought it would be fun to go to lunch at Farrell's Ice cream shop.<br />
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All together the girls yelled out "YA!". Farrell's is a fun place to bring kids. They have waiters and waitresses that run around, sing and dance and celebrate birthdays of whoever is having a special day.<br />
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We had lunch then of course ice cream sundaes. YUM!<br />
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The last stop was to the park. The girls all ran around Trinity and started to spray her saying "she was the birthday girl so they had to get her". <br />
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Then it turned into a free for all with everyone spraying each other.<br />
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I couldn't help but crack up as I watched them running all around laughing so hard as they got each other.<br />
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It was a perfect ending to a perfect weekend.<br />
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The girls all said they had the best time and it was the best birthday party they had ever gone to.<br />
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That of course put a smile on my face because making sure they all had a good time was the whole goal.<br />
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If you missed out on the post showing the decorations, you can find it by clicking <a href="http://cottageinthemaking.blogspot.com/2013/01/camping-birthday-party_14.html">here</a>.<br />
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I entered this party over at My Insanity. Can you please go over and vote for this party and help me win :) Thank you. Just click <a href="http://meandmyinsanity.com/2013/01/5th-annual-party-party.html">here</a> to get there.<br />
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Joanne Kennedyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15550534887793382985noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472506510228723807.post-37150660826157815222013-01-14T18:24:00.001-08:002013-01-16T17:48:56.644-08:00 CAMPING BIRTHDAY PARTY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Normally, right after Trinity's birthday party is over, I start planning on the theme for next year. This year, she kept saying she didn't want a party. </div>
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But, a week before her birthday she changed her mind! She wanted to rent a cabin and bring just her closest girl friends for a weekend of fun.</div>
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There wasn't much time to plan anything but it turned out to be one of the best parties she ever had...her words, not mine.</div>
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Since we were going to be in a cabin, CAMP TRINITY seemed the perfect theme.</div>
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This was the cabin we rented. Just seeing where we were going to staying for the weekend thrilled the girls!</div>
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As they got closer, they could see signs were hanging on the door.</div>
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Two signs were hung up. One saying "What happens at camp, stays at camp!". The girls loved this saying and it was said over and over again all weekend long.</div>
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The other sign said "Welcome to Camp Trinity!". This gave them a hint as to what was inside.</div>
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As soon as they walked in the room was full of the girls excitement. They loved what they saw.</div>
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A S'More bar was just waiting for the sky to get dark so they could go out by the camp fire and cook marshmallows to place on chocolate and mashed down with gram crackers.</div>
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There were "Camp Trinity" chocolate bars and "Camp Trinity" Peanut butter cups. </div>
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I loved using the covers. It brought the theme more to life.</div>
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Rather then just having marshmallows, we had "Puffy Clouds".</div>
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Multi color marshmallows were called "Rainbow bits".</div>
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The "Grizzly Bears", better known as cinnamon bears and gummy bears, were attacked and eaten up quickly.</div>
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We planned to have a scavenger hunt and there were "Camp Trinity" Trail Mix bags made up and bottles of water for the girls to take with them.</div>
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I wasn't sure how the trail mix would go over since there was so much other candy, chips and junk food (all not shown here) for them to snack on. But, I was happy, they all grabbed a bag and a bottle of water to take with them and left the other junk food behind...for now.</div>
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Since we were going to have a BBQ, the table where they were going to eat, was set up outside.</div>
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There wasn't much room on the table to do decorating so I just kept it very simple.</div>
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Since the color theme of the party was green and brown, I just got plain color plates. I did get them in square shapes to add a bit more interest to the look.</div>
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I got some pretty napkins with a left pattern on it to bring in some of the camping theme.</div>
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Since it was outside and there was a breeze, the napkins wanted to keep flying away. To solve that problem, I just put a cute green and white paper straw on top. It not worked to hold the napkins down but it added another layer of texture and interest to the place settings.</div>
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The use of battery candles kept the danger of starting a fire away but still added a flicker glow to the table when it got dark outside.</div>
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Some more printable tags were added to the cups to tie in the theme from inside.<br />
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I was happy that even though the decorations were kept fairly simple, Trinity loved the theme and all the little details of her party.</div>
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You can read about the fun activities we had by clicking <a href="http://cottageinthemaking.blogspot.com/2013/01/camping-fun.html">here.</a><br />
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Joanne Kennedyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15550534887793382985noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472506510228723807.post-56608676164474552942013-01-02T15:03:00.001-08:002013-01-02T15:04:10.863-08:00THE BEST SUGAR COOKIES<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9npoQg-icQYc9t1qEnMc6qFqoAQkvXBMw5bxIPWjJOycSNNI69zha728kNHfSEap2jV6blJT4eoGtjpwoPodi7qUWdl7oll9uYeW9iVmdjZJ2yQRBWL0TQU1HNjK3JXBlwK-yY398Nk4/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9npoQg-icQYc9t1qEnMc6qFqoAQkvXBMw5bxIPWjJOycSNNI69zha728kNHfSEap2jV6blJT4eoGtjpwoPodi7qUWdl7oll9uYeW9iVmdjZJ2yQRBWL0TQU1HNjK3JXBlwK-yY398Nk4/s640/018.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I know that on New Years a lot of people start diets and the last thing they want to read about is yummy cookies.<br />
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However, I've been wanting to share these cookies with you for awhile and I didn't make them until yesterday.<br />
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Years ago, when I was at work, a girl friend of one my coworkers came in and brought a plate full of these cookies to her boyfriend. I had never met her before but she started to talk to me and said they came from a recipe her grandmother gave her. <br />
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I asked her what they were and she said "The Best Sugar Cookies". That was the name her grandmother gave her. After I had one bite, I knew the name fit the cookies 100%.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_mJoKMXfmtjQcedHDHl7p1d1ArMLUiGzkyTZaLUDTz65B1cA5HSF5Zv5r8pehJc0KLeX-zU8v_uUnwh4FcSGXmnLHNh61rhGt3_LXQPG5HnMPKxF8ykEOu-YDulLFXwgvjXYINW9k_wU/s1600/021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_mJoKMXfmtjQcedHDHl7p1d1ArMLUiGzkyTZaLUDTz65B1cA5HSF5Zv5r8pehJc0KLeX-zU8v_uUnwh4FcSGXmnLHNh61rhGt3_LXQPG5HnMPKxF8ykEOu-YDulLFXwgvjXYINW9k_wU/s640/021.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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They are very easy to make and by far are the best Sugar Cookies I've ever had. They also make about 4 dozen cookies and come out all looking the same. <br />
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You know how some recipes say it makes 4 dozen and then you make them and only get 1/2 that amount unless you make them super tiny. Well, these really do make 4 dozen good size cookies.<br />
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The reason I made these was not really so much for me (but of course I had to eat some). Our next door neighbor made some homemade tamales before Christmas and brought us some. <br />
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I hate to return an empty plate to anyone so, I will return her plate with some of these great cookies to say Thank You.<br />
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Can you see the sparkle of the sugar on these? It's hard to see how pretty they look in a photo. <br />
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So, even if you don't want any cookies right now, go ahead and save this recipe I'm posting below. You will want to give these a try the next time you are in the mood to bake up some cookies.<br />
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<strong>THE BEST SUGAR COOKIES</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong>1 cup butter</strong><br />
<strong>2 cups sugar</strong><br />
<strong>2 eggs</strong><br />
<strong>1 cup oil</strong><br />
<strong>2 tsp. vanilla</strong><br />
<strong>5 cups flour</strong><br />
<strong>2 tsp. baking soda</strong><br />
<strong>2 tsp. cream of tarter</strong><br />
<strong>pinch of salt</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong>Cream butter, sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla together. In another bowl, sift flour, baking soda, cream of tarter and salt together. Mix the two bowls together.</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong>Roll into balls. I use small scoop so they are all the same size. Roll balls in sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each cookie with the bottom of a glass or mug that is dipped in sugar.</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong>Bake 350 degrees for 10-13 mins. Only bake until very lightly brown on bottom. Even if they don't look like they are cooked, they will be. They finish cooking as they cool.</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong>Remove from cookie sheet onto cooling rack. As they cool, they will be crisp but not hard. Just perfect. Enjoy with big glass of cold milk or hot cup of tea.</strong><br />
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Joanne Kennedyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15550534887793382985noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472506510228723807.post-32445373449957280302012-12-25T12:45:00.003-08:002012-12-25T12:45:55.482-08:00MERRY CHRISTMAS 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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MERRY CHRISTMAS!<br />
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Joanne Kennedyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15550534887793382985noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472506510228723807.post-54179766697483739622012-12-24T11:59:00.001-08:002012-12-24T12:00:09.739-08:00Christmas wrapping theme for 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This year I went to the Container store and bought the most beautiful angel paper and all the ribbon, tags and stuff to match. However, when I checked out, I think my heart stopped beating as the price was so high I thought I was going to die.<br />
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My friend talked me into taking it back and getting my wrapping supplies some place else. My heart broke a little as I returned it but I know it was for the best. Heck, who spends more on the wrapping then they do the actual gift?<br />
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So my whole theme was changed. I went to the stores and couldn't really find anything I loved like I did the paper I returned. <br />
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I settled on a red and silver theme. We have a lot of red in our decorations so it fit in perfectly.<br />
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The photos show that there is a lot of white in the wrapping but it's really all silvers. Some shinny, some not.<br />
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There is a a lot of glitter in both the paper and ribbons. Though the glitter doesn't really show up either in the photos.<br />
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I went with really simple bows this year too. I've been sick and just wasn't up to spending hours making big bows. <br />
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I had forgot to buy matching tags so I used what we had. Most had the same color theme so they were fine.<br />
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I think they all look pretty as they are all piled up waiting for everyone to open them. <br />
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I want to wish everyone a very MERRY CHRISTMAS! I hope Santa is good to all of you!<br />
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Joanne Kennedyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15550534887793382985noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472506510228723807.post-88567218846909918832012-12-17T12:23:00.000-08:002012-12-17T12:23:01.769-08:00PHOTOS WITH SANTA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Photos with Santa has always been a tradition in my family. Waiting in the long lines, planning on what to tell Santa to bring, being excited and a little scared at the same time. After all, Santa sees everything you do. He sees you when you're sleeping. He knows when your awake. He knows if you've been bad or good!<br />
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Tradition has gone on for years. My oldest sister has a darling photo of her and my brother sitting with Santa back in the late 40's. This photo is of my nephew's daughter who is now 11 years old.<br />
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She did not want to have her photo taken. She said she was to old. I for one, think you are NEVER to old to sit on Santa's lap. <br />
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I'm sad because this could be the final picture with Santa for many years. We don't have any more little kids in our family. <br />
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How old do you think is to old for Santa pictures? <br />
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Guess it will be me sitting with Santa next year if I can't get Trinity to do it. I'm a BIG Santa fan.<br />
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Joanne Kennedyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15550534887793382985noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472506510228723807.post-73609163896814917352012-12-12T23:39:00.001-08:002012-12-15T23:39:18.441-08:00GOING CHRISTMAS CAROLING<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I remember when I was growing up, it wasn't that rare to have a group come to your front door and when you opened up be greeted with them singing a Christmas song or two.<br />
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We would often give them money, cookies or candy as a way to say thank you. Though it was also ok to just say thank you and let them know how much you enjoyed their short but festive visit.<br />
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It's been years and years since we have had anyone come to our house to sing Christmas Carols for us. I miss those days. <br />
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So, I thought, I couldn't be the only one who enjoyed those days gone by. I wanted to bring some of that joy to others as well. I'm a girl scout troop leader and I asked my girls if they wanted to go Caroling this year. <br />
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They were thrilled to. We went last year and everyone had a blast.<br />
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They practiced for weeks and they all had song books that I printed out for them. Rather then carry burning candles, I got them the battery operated candles. They worked great as mini flash lights for them too.<br />
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The first house we went to, they were a bit nervous and excited. After they sang the first song, they were fine.<br />
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Every house they went to really enjoyed having them stop by. They would often ask them to wait so they could call the whole family to the door. Some people joined in singing the songs with the girls. <br />
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It was like the days when I grew up. The people offered them candy, cookies, something to drink and a few offered cash. When the girls said no thank you that they were just there to bring some Christmas cheer, most people were happy and thanked the girls over and over. <br />
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One elderly lady said she really wanted to give them some candy to give the girls some Christmas cheer back. So they accepted.<br />
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One house a lady said she wanted to give them money. The girls kept telling her no thank you and I even told her thank you but no. We were just out to bring smiles to people and that was all we wanted.<br />
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She refused to accept that and said she was a girl scout when she was younger and everyone would give them money. She said then that if anyone came to her house after she grew up she wanted to do the same thing. So by taking the money we would be making her dream and goals come to life. <br />
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We all agreed we would accept her donation and put it in our troop account to be used for another fun community service project in the near future.<br />
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While we walked around the neighborhood we were able to also get in the Christmas spirit by seeing all the cute and pretty decorations. <br />
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I was really happy that not only did the girls have a fun night but they were able to make some memories for families of having Christmas carolers come to their house. Maybe now they too will want to keep the tradition alive and go out next year to spread some Christmas cheer to others.<br />
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How about you? Did you ever go door to door caroling? Do you remember having carolers come sing to you? I would love to hear from you.<br />
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Joanne Kennedyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15550534887793382985noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472506510228723807.post-52588838986112917382012-12-04T10:51:00.000-08:002012-12-04T10:51:00.221-08:00GIVE A TOY AND GET INTO KNOTTS BERRY FARM FOR FREE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Every year one of the things I love to do at Christmas time is to go to to Knott's Berry Farm. Or I should say Knott's Merry Farm.<br />
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These photos are all from when we went last year but we are going to go again this year too.<br />
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If you go before Dec. 16th this year you can purchase a toy at the gift shop there and then donate it to Toys for Tots and get in free.<br />
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The value of the toy has to be $25 or more. SO that means you get to help make a child's Christmas a great one and you get to have too.<br />
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They decorate for Christmas and even have a lot of booths set up with craft items and Christmas stuff that normally they don't have during the rest of the year.<br />
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Once inside the park you will find all sorts of fun Christmas activities going on. They have Christmas plays at the Bird Cage theatre, singing throughout the park, even a wonderful show SNOOPY ON ICE. <br />
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Even the Saloon has a fun Christmas show going on. I have to admit that Christmas time at Knott's gives me that old fashion Christmas feeling. <br />
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Of course all the rides are open too. But, I don't normally go on the rides during my Christmas visit there. I have get to much enjoyment seeing all the holiday cheer. I save the rides for other times.<br />
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I like to shop there though. They have one area set up where you can take the kids to see Santa and get photos taken. <br />
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It's my favorite place to spend a little extra time and watch the kids. Sure it's crowded but not like the malls.<br />
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If you are looking for a fun way to enjoy a little bit of country Christmas charm then make sure to add Knott's Merry Farm to your list of fun outings this season.<br />
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No, I don't get paid anything for posting this. I just wanted to share the fun with others.<br />
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Joanne Kennedyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15550534887793382985noreply@blogger.com1