The Heat is Back

After enjoying a weekend with cooler temps - so much so on Sunday that I actually needed socks - the heat is back.   It rained a good portion of the day on Sunday and temps didn't rise much above the 70 degree mark.  It was awesome!  But today it's back to the 90's. 

We're also on the count-down to the end of summer break.  All the kids go back in a couple weeks.  All of them.  All day.  And the driving gods willing, one of them will have her license and will be driving herself and her brother this year.  The great thing about having kids (or 3/4th's of them) with less than two years separating them is they are close in age.  The bad thing is they are close in age and when they are older that's a whole mess of changes in a short time span.  I could cry.

Let's change the subject before I get worse.  I did finally succumb to the fact that I was not going to a get a non-blurred photo for my Phone Photography assignment for Day 9 - Jump.  As I posted on Instagram, I'm still not sure which is worse - the fact that the 4 y.o. thinks he's Spiderman and is jumping on all the stuff he's not supposed to - like below - the fact that I photographed him doing the "no-no's," or the fact I had him do it two more times so I could try to capture it.  I'm not gonna delve into that too much. . .moving on.

This was for the Summer Sky, Day 29.  I love Colorado skies, and I'm a big sky-watcher.  The blues are crazy blue.  All velvety rich.  Smooth.  Deep blue to violet colors all in one swatch of sky.  Plus, we don't usually have the haze or humidity watering down the colors.

Off to photograph today's assignment and yesterday and see what I may still need to get.  It's been a great class, and if they offer it again, I would highly - HIGHLY - recommend it.

Happy Wednesday,

So Technology is Fun, Isn't It?

I have a love/hate relationship with technology.  Email - enjoy reading most of it/hate the amount of it.  I, sad to say, have become addicted to Instagram.  I blame the current Phone Photography class.  I am obsessed with Pinterest and could lose hours there.  Technology is fantastic. Except when it's not.  Like yesterday when we had connectivity issues.  Or. . .

I spent Sunday doing pretty much nothing - or at least nothing that needed doing - I spent a huge chunk of it printing photos for Project Life.  I'm happy to say that I've printed up through mid-June and the only reason I didn't go farther was that I ran out of photo paper.  I have, I think, until the end of June ready to print - just need to add the July stuff.  I, also, spent a huge chunk of Sunday editing all the pictures on my phone into Instagram.  I did some catching-up on my BPC class- not all the way but a good dent as you'll see below.  Then I spent a large chunk of the late night Sunday, into early Monday, trying to get all my deleted phone photos back.  Only to discover it was next to impossible.

I, knock-on-wood, have never lost photos.  I do my best to upload them to one of two sites, not as regularly as I should, but . . .  My husband does back-ups to our computers and, so far, we have been lucky.  So, I had the, I'm sure, same horrified experience of someone who realizes their photos are not where they left them and starts looking for the "un-do" button, only to find that there really isn't one.  After coming to that realization and that they were probably gone, I tried to think of what I'd lost.  It was all the originals of the photos I'd Instagram-ed during the day, plus some extras.  Most of them from the last month or so.  My only saving/comforting thought was that I still had the Instragram file with those photos.  So, note to self, no longer will I be "cleaning-up" phone files.

Below are the assignments I caught up on.

My second take of Day #8 - Summer colors.  Our Summer dishes, invites to block parties, summer linens, xBox games played and new berries ripening.

 Day #28 - Lazy.  Sunday and the aforementioned edit-fest

Day #27 - Action Shots - the 4 y.o. enjoying the bouncies at the school's Annual Bazaar, before the rain spoiled the jumping.  But he learned to enjoy the midway games.  Too bad mommy is slow with the photos of that one.

Day #24 - Bloom and Grown - new berries are popping up in the garden.  Still not sure how the harvest will be, but at least there are blooms.

Day #21 - What's Cooking? - Well, me not so much cooking as enjoying someone else's, namely Chipotle's. 

 Day #23 - Laughter.  My 4 y.o. totally thrilled with beating his uncle on xBox.

Because of Internet issues yesterday, and being the end of the month, there won't be challenges this week.  We'll pick back up again next week, the first full week of August.  August!  Crazy.

Happy Tuesday,

Project Life and Munchies

A couple weeks ago I mentioned,I went to Archiver's and did some scrapbooking.  Here, today, finally, are those pages that I created.  All are for my Project Life album.  They are actually all in the album, too.  Yep, still several dozen weeks behind, but that's okay - I'm still taking pictures and they will continue to go on to pages and into the album.  I've used up all the pages that came with the album, all full-page sizes. I've got a couple pocket pages left to work with but I've ordered some more so I can't use lack of pages as an excuse to stop - I have so many other excuses to use.

 

Here's my dilemma with putting these pages in the album.  The week of Valentine's day I didn't take many photos, hence only creating a 1-page layout.  All the other layouts are 2-pagers.  So, what do I do with the blank facing page for the Valentine's week?  I thought of putting Valentines the kids got as sort of a memorabilia page, but those I'm pretty sure are long gone and I think only two kids of the four exchanged cards.  I can look to see if I have other photos from that week, but I'm guessing if I did I'd have printed them.  It's two weeks into the month so a "banner page" won't work - that and there aren't any such other pages currently in the album.  What's a good thing to do with that stinkin' black hole where a layout should be??

 

 

Over the course of the last week or so I've made Cherry Limeade (the quest for the perfect recipe continues) and Ooie Gooey Popcorn, both from Pinterest and now on my "I Cooked That" board.  If you're needing a drink while your crafting this weekend try the Cherry Limeade.  It was good, but for me, the combination of the limeade with the cherry simple syrup was just too heavy and sweet.  So I'm cutting it with Key Lime Seltzer Water - half a glass of the drink topped with Seltzer.  That lightened up the drink and cut the sweetness without loosing the flavors.

 

The other yummy we made was the popcorn.  Butter.  Marshmallow.  Popcorn.  Good.  But not for while you're actively crafting.  This would be a break munchie with a handwashing before heading back to the creativities.  I did not use microwave popcorn - we air pop our own.  I felt it needed some salt, which the buttered microwave version may have provided.  Next time I make it, I think I'll brown the butter to see if that gives it the saltiness I missed.  Otherwise, I'll just sprinkle some salt on.  Hubby thought it needed a mix-in like m&m's.  That could work too.  It is definitely a sticky-won't-get-one-kernel kinda popcorn.  This would be excellent rolled up in balls for Halloween or Christmas.

 

After you've made up some munchies for later, you can work on today's key for this week's Drinks challenge: 

• Lemonade - Striped Paper
• Flavored Lemonade - Polka Dots
• Limeade - Rhinestone Shape - like a flower or arrow or word
• Flavored Limeade - Alphabet Stickers
• Sweet Tea - Tickets
• Flavored Tea - Metal Tag
• Sun Tea - Linen or Burlap
• Beer - at least Eight Mixed Buttons
• Micro Brew - Use a Stamp - a digital version is okay
• Margaritas - Stick Pin
• Mocktails - Floral Paper
• Soda - Layered Embellishment
• Water - Something with Ruffles
• Spiked Lemonade - Journaling Card
• Wine - Use a new-to-you technique
• Sangria - Patterned Paper with a Large Design
• Mojito - Chevrons

You'll have until Sunday evening to complete and link up your cards or layouts to the corresponding post. Any one completed challenge gets you into the drawing the July prize pack. 

All entries for this week get a gift code to Apron Strings. 

The 12 and 4 y.o.'s school bazaar starts this weekend, with the 14 y.o. working a late-night shift tomorrow.  We have nothing on the calendar.  I'm not sure there's anything left to plant.  I have the day (and weekend) stretching ahead of me until dinner - I need to get the bread going and the Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream has been chillin' since this morning.  And this post took 10 times longer than it should have because Blogger was being a butt-head - hence no graphic for the gift code.  I'm done fighting with it.

Happy Friday!

New Wildlife

We were eating on the back porch a couple nights ago when the 14 y.o. informed us that we have a Hummingbird's nest.  We immediately start looking around the branches, while still sitting at the table, for a nest.  I saw a huge bunch of leaves jammed up in a crook higher up - I had no clue what I was looking for - only to be informed that it was probably a squirrel's nest.  (Great...rabbits AND squirrels.  Great hunting dog we've got at keeping out the local garden-eating wildlife.)  Okay, yeah, Hummingbirds are small, so that does look a bit large and unwieldy for a tiny bird.   

Finally, the 14 y.o. points it out to hubby at about the same time as one of the birds comes flitting into it.  It. Is.  Tiny!  Like the size of an egg cup.  The eggs, if there are any in there, have to be the size of TicTacs. Given the bird coming and going is just brown, I'm guessing it's the female.  I don't know if the menfolk in the Hummingbird society stick around or not.  I also haven't checked on it lately to see if our dinner on the porch has scared her away.  I do have to say it's a tidy, compact little nest - unlike the slob-Robin's nest on the front porch.  It'll be interesting to see what happens out there.

Something new for you to discover is today's key for this week's Drinks challenge.

• Lemonade - Flags
• Flavored Lemonade - Mists or Inks
• Limeade - Buttons
• Flavored Limeade - an Oversized Embellishment
• Sweet Tea - Gingham Pattern
• Flavored Tea - Baker's Twine
• Sun Tea - Paper Flowers - your own or premade
• Beer - Brown Cardstock
• Micro Brew - Kraft Cardstock
• Margaritas - Diecut Patterned Paper
• Mocktails - Distress something - ink, tearing, ripping, crumpling, etc.
• Soda - Chipboard Letters
• Water - Monochromatic Color Scheme
• Spiked Lemonade - Sheer Trim
• Wine - Word Stickers
• Sangria - Stitching
• Mojito - Unique Shaped Clips

You'll have until Sunday evening to complete and link up your card or layout to the corresponding post.  Any one completed challenge gets you into the drawing the July prize pack.  If you didn't select your drinks yesterday, you can still do so today and use tomorrow's key.

All entries for this week get a gift code to Apron Strings.

Happy Thursday,

Reason #12 You Should be an Apron Strings Member

Your local store closed.   If this is you, you're not alone.  There used to be four in my immediate area and they are all gone now.

(Trumpets sounding)  Enter Apron Strings Kit Club!  Apron Strings kits are the best way to get the newest goodies.  Each month brings five new and different lines (between the two scrapbook kits) and plenty of embellishments to help your pages done.  And best of all, if you're an autoship member, a no-time-commitment member, that is, these little boxes of joy and creativity come straight to you.  It's like going to your local store without that whole having to get dressed, shove unwilling kids into a hot car and use up some of that $3.60+ a gallon gas.  

As an autoship member you get the option to skip. . .but why would you?  You can flip your subscription if you really like one of the other kits for a certain month.  You can sub (available in the scrapbook kits only), which means you email me and say, "Hey, I like the Smaller kit this month, but I already have that one line.  Can I sub that one line for this line from the January kit?"  If that January line is available, my reply is a hearty "Heck yeah, you can."

Yes, the closing of your local store is sad.  But it doesn't mean you can't get great new goodies anymore.  That's why you join Apron Strings.  Today.  You don't even have to comb your hair!

Royal Babies and Today's Key

I'm not a "Royal Watcher" by any stretch of the imagination, but I couldn't help watching the wedding of William and Kate and now the buzz around the birth of the new Prince and waiting for a peek at him.  It was funny to me that my first peek came via a Tweet from a scrapbooker I follow, not via some news feed.  So cute.  So tiny.  LOL, my thought as the new little family came out of the hospital to all those screaming people was "you're gonna freak the baby out."  And sure enough, what the press likes calling his "wave" was his startled response to all the noise.  

Aaannndd, that was the excitement for me yesterday, amid folding of all the laundry and getting dinner served up.  Yeah, not much getting done on the homefront.  It's the heat. . .yes, that's it . . .the heat.  It's sucking all the energy to do anything right out of me.  I did edit, over a pile of folded shorts, two takes on my "Summer Routine" assignment.  A lot of sleeping-in (What's with my mummy-of-a-son???  That's just creepy.) and then the regular stuff that no season seems to change.  

Let's at least keep you rolling along.  Here's today's key for this week's Drinks challenge.

• Lemonade - Numbers
• Flavored Lemonade - Banner
• Limeade - Flair-style Buttons/Tin Pins
• Flavored Limeade - Printed Tags 
• Sweet Tea - Postage Stamps
• Flavored Tea - At least three different patterned papers
• Sun Tea - Journaling Card w/Pocket
• Beer - At least three different fonts
• Micro Brew - Crocheted Trim
• Margaritas - Sheer Trim
• Mocktails - Use a punch
• Soda - Neutral-colored Brads
• Water - Wave Patterned Paper
• Spiked Lemonade - Red Cardstock
• Wine - Rhinestones
• Sangria - Something with a Citrus Pattern
• Mojito - Wooden Tags

You'll have until Sunday evening to complete and link up your card or layout to the corresponding post.  Any one completed challenge gets you into the drawing the July prize pack.  If you didn't select your drinks yesterday, you can still do so today and use tomorrow's key.

All entries for this week get a gift code to Apron Strings.

Happy Wednesday,

Weekend Wrap-up

So the lazy weekend expected by my boys and hubby didn't so much materialize.  Hubby and I headed out to purchase new family room furniture.  We were successful!  A couple pieces of the old stuff was still in decent enough shape to move to the basement, which necessitated rearranging of what's going on down there.  It also meant that the pieces down there no longer fit.  I wrestled up an end table, the futon mattress and a glider, but the old futon frame isn't going to go down, or up, without a fight.  It's apparently too big to get up the stairs without being taken apart and the screws are stripped.  The longer I'm stepping around that stupid, and looking at how it's cluttering up the space, the thing the more I'm thinking a sledgehammer to the frame sounds better and better.

Upstairs the old, torn and too-sorry-to-call-a-sofa sofa is sitting in the living room waiting for the feet to be taken off (it won't fit through the front door otherwise) and the usable leather stripped from it (to be used to recover some stools in hubby's workshop) before it meets the chainsaw.

Then they (the boys) tackled more garden projects.  They planted a tree down at my in-laws.  A Christmas gift for my mother in law.  They planted a Dogwood in the corner of our yard where one of my lilacs didn't make it - too much water and to much overgrowth from the yard behind us.  They also tackled getting water to the newly installed barrels.  I'm on the hunt for Lavender for one barrel and Rhubarb for another.  I can plant those myself if I can find them here.

I also tackled more of my Phone Photography assignments.  I'm still struggling with my camera capturing a "Jump" photo, which is my only really old outstanding assignment.  I may just have to settle for a blurred one.   :/   I managed the dreaded "Summer Selfie."  Two takes on "Far Away."  A "Reflection," which after uploading I realized I should have cropped it so that you could tell it's a reflection in the monitor of my laptop.  "Shadow."  It's funny on this one how much I noticed shadows after taking this picture.  And finally, "In Season," a love affair with cherry limeades and searching for the perfect one.  Then I have the weekend's and today's to deal with.  I kept forgetting to shoot the Sunday's and I collected the photos for yesterday, I just need to edit them.  I have to say this has been a great class. I'm think I may have said that already.

Hopefully your weekend was productive.  If not, let's start on the right foot this week.  Here is your key for this week's Cook Out: Drinks challenge.

• Lemonade - Include Lemon Yellow
• Flavored Lemonade - Rub-ons or Stamps
• Limeade - Include Lime Green
• Flavored Limeade - Include at least three circles
• Sweet Tea - Something Glittered/Sugared
• Flavored Tea - Mini Bag
• Sun Tea - Include Orange
• Beer - Use at least three ribbons/trims
• Micro Brew - Washi Tape
• Margaritas - List-style Journal Card or Journaling
• Mocktails - Altered Chipboard
• Soda - Eyelets
• Water - Transparency
• Spiked Lemonade
• Wine - Swirls
• Sangria - Include Red
• Mojito - Leaves

You'll have until Sunday evening to complete and link up your card or layout to the corresponding post.  Any one completed challenge gets you into the drawing the July prize pack.  If you didn't select your drinks yesterday, you can still do so today and use tomorrow's key.

Happy Tuesday,

Remote Monday

I'm waiting in the cool comfort of our orthodontist's office while my 14 y.o. gets his braces on.  Pardon any errors...I'm on my phone.

I wanted to get this week's Cook Out challenge up so you can get your selections in.  This week is all about those beverages we enjoy during a cookout:

• Lemonade
• Flavored Lemonade
• Limeade
• Flavored Limeade
• Sweet Tea
• Flavored Tea
• Sun Tea
• Beer
• Micro-Brew
• Margaritas
• Mocktails
• Soda
• Water
• Spiked Lemonade
• Wine
• Sangria
• Mojito

This list is making me crave a nice cool beverage - especially with the temps climbing toward 100.  Select five of your beverages of choice and leave the list in the comments.  Tomorrow I'll post the first key for creating your card or layout.

Happy Monday.

Fresh Gardens



Have I talked about my backyard garden enough in the past couple weeks?  I never really said how awful it look from last year.  We had started to prep for barrels on the upper terrace mid-summer last year - the idea being we'd move the blueberries in the fall.  Yyyaahhh, that never quite happened.  Fall started with the rock moved out (several wasp stings in that process), weed-block pulled back and shredded and a work-in-progress look about it.  Spring dawned and the area started sprouting weeds and the winter was not kind on the weed-block, it was now in tatters.  Not a look that said - "garden here."  Add the discovery of bunnies who would soon treat my garden as a buffet and something needed to be done before momma went nuts.  I had started to Pin some ideas for container gardens and small spaces - now to show hubby my idea and pitch it. 

 

Cut to last couple weekends, on the sweaty backs of my older kids and my hubby, we have a new space.  A clean and tidy space.  A space that says "Grow something!"  I'm so excited.  The blueberries are now in their little barrels on the upper terrace.  The blackberries are happily starting to wind up the arbor.  All the barrels have been placed and filled in the lower terrace - cucumbers are already taking hold.  Herbs on the porch are going nuts.  And tomatoes along the side of the house are stinkin' thrilled with the heat over there.  Because of our short growing season, most of the garden will probably remain un-planted until next Spring, but we'll try to get some stuff in there.  My only issue, something is attacking my strawberries (and my lilacs) and it's not the bunnies.  We'll take a sample over to the local nursery and see what they have to see; they are awesome over there.  Hopefully it's fixable.

 



After the last couple weekends of hot, sweaty yard work we have nothing planned for this weekend.  Unless being slugs is a plan.  Maybe I'll scrap a little.  I want to, but the lazies may take over.

So you have something to work on this weekend, here's today's key to create your card or layout, from this week's S'mores theme. Just share a link to it in the comments by Sunday evening to earn your prize.

• Graham Crackers - Polka Dot Trim
• Granny Smith Apple Slices - Trees
• Traditional Marshmallows - Photo Corners
• Coconut Marshmallows - Pearls
• Peanut Butter - Brads in Multiple Sizes
• Chocolate Bars - Layered Embellishment
• Caramel - Handmade Embellishment
• Hazelnut Spread - Pocket
• Berry Jam - Pleat Something - paper or ribbon
• Strawberry Slices - Burlap
• Chocolate Coated - Use Your Own Handwriting
• White Chocolate Coated - Butterflies
• Butterscotch Chips - Hearts
• Peppermint Patties - Rhinestones
• Chocolate Covered Caramel Candies - Tickets
• Pumpkin Butter - Something Metallic
• Apple Butter - Leaves

You can add additional product to your page or card, but it must include your five ingredients. ALL entries this week will get a Gift Code to Apron Strings. Even one entry into the weekly challenges gains you entry into the drawing for July's prize pack.

Hubby's got a wild hair about looking at new furniture for the family room.  Hip-hip-hooray!

Happy Friday,

Tutorial on Thursday

Today, I've got a fun little tutorial for a card created by Wendi Robinson, who designs all the fantastic cards found in the All Year Cheer Card kit.  Here she's using the July kit; now sold out :( but you can totally apply this to scraps from any kit.  And you can sign-up today to get the August kit. ;D

First, cut your blue cardstock to 6 x12" to create a 6 x 6" card:

Next, cut the Jillibean Sea Salt paper to a 5 3/4 x 5 3/4" square and distress the edges:

Cut the Jillibean Sliced Turnip paper into six 3/4 x 5 3/4" strips:

Fold them over and adhere them together to create the base for your bow:

Next, you'll take the American Crafts Lemonade Stand paper and cut six 3/4 x 4 1/4" strips:

You'll want to repeat the step of folding them over, and I used a stapler to adhere them together:

Lastly, you'll use the Jillibean Barley and cut five 3/4 x 3 1/4" strips:

Adhere each layer together with a sturdier adhesive, like 3D glue dots or a glue gun, and stagger your layers off of each other:

Next you'll want to cut the Jillibean Sea Salt into three 3/4 x 6" strips (notch the ends) and then cut the Jillibean Barley into two 1 1/4 x 4" pennants:

Mount the strips and pennants in the desired location onto the card base:

Used some glue to adhere down the twine (three 5" lengths), once you have it placed the way you would like it:

Then, used a glue gun to adhere the bow onto the top of it, add some twine to the Jillibean button center, and add your sentiment:

and there you go, you card is good to go...

 

Hope you enjoyed the tutorial. ~ Wendi

I did.  Thanks so much Wendi, for putting this together.  I love the look and how cute would this be in bright colors for a birthday or seasonal colors for any holiday?  Shoot even a bow for a package.

Did anyone make the Big Picture Pajama Party last night?  I missed it.  We were celebrating my youngest sister's and my mom's birthdays (which are today and tomorrow, respectively). By the time we got home I had missed it.  I'll have to check my account and see what went on.  But on the upside I enjoyed cake and much laughter with family.  Always good.

Here's today's key to create your card or layout,  from this week's S'mores theme.  Just share a link to it in the comments.

• Graham Crackers - Jute
• Granny Smith Apple Slices - Use Circles
• Traditional Marshmallows - Distress the edges of something - tear, rough-up, ink, etc.
• Coconut Marshmallows - Lace
• Peanut Butter - Use Your Punches or Diecutting System
• Chocolate Bars - Flowers - use at least five
• Caramel - Picks/Flags - create your own or store bought
• Hazelnut Spread - Mini Clothes Pins
• Berry Jam - Glittered Something
• Strawberry Slices - Speech Bubble
• Chocolate Coated - Pre-embellished Tag
• White Chocolate Coated - Numbers
• Butterscotch Chips -Pinwheel - create your own or store bought
• Peppermint Patties - Wood Embellishment
• Chocolate Covered Caramel Candies - Swirls
• Pumpkin Butter - Word Strips - create your own or store bought
• Apple Butter - Use 6 x 6 paper - either from a pad you have or cut to size

You can add additional product to your page or card, but it must include your five ingredients. You have until Sunday evening to complete this week's challenges. ALL entries this week will get a Gift Code to Apron Strings.  Even one entry into the weekly challenges gains you entry into the drawing for July's prize pack.

Happy Thursday,

Phone Photography Catch-up Continues

So remember I mentioned last week we had received an invite to a block party?  From neighbors whose names we knew not.  The time of the party was about the time we leave for Mass on Saturdays, so I popped up to the gathering with two kids in tow to say, "Hey, we'll be back."  I chatted a few minutes with a couple neighbors and we watched the clouds simmer.  Both on the drive to and at church those clouds boiled over into rain, thunder and lightening (or should it be lightening and thunder?)  We grabbed some dinner at our new Chick-Fil-A (yum) and then headed home.  In the headlights I asked the kids if the party was still on, I can't see for squat at night without my glasses.  Kids said, yep, they were still out.  Huddled under canopies - though the rain had stopped.  I could make out the litter of chairs, tables and coolers in the street.  

So, with two other kids in tow, I headed back up the street (hubby would join us later) and found they were sustaining themselves with alcohol.  Sweet.  Of the 13 houses on our street, only three families didn't join - one was on vacation, one I knew and expected that would be the case, and one I was interested to find out why.  We had an enjoyable time.  Good conversation of people getting to know people (though it seems we may be the only ones who don't know everyone.)  Fun.  Crazy antics, like a street race between an able-bodied man and his neighbor recovering from foot surgery.  Hmmm. . .last call maybe?  I'm not sure I could tell you all their names now (I didn't make it around to all the groups), but I think I could pair up families to homes. And, like always happens at events like that, you wish they happened more often.

Yesterday I submitted another three assignments in my Phone Photography class at Big Picture.  The cookies are for the Up Close and Personal assignment.  My boys was for the At Play assignment and the view of our street was for the On The Street assignment.  It wasn't quite what other students were shooting for the Street assignment - like urban shots, fancy streets and such, but this is the street where we live and for me it has its own story. So much so that I think I may actually turn the photo into a layout.  I'm still two assignments behind, plus today's, so three.  But I'm having a ton of fun.  Learning a lot.  And thinking differently about not only my photos, but what to photograph.

Here's today's key to create your card or layout,  from this week's S'mores theme.  Just share a link to it in the comments.

• Graham Crackers - Chipboard
• Granny Smith Apple Slices - Include the color: Granny Smith Green
• Traditional Marshmallows - White Cardstock
• Coconut Marshmallows - Baker's Twine
• Peanut Butter - Kraft Cardstock
• Chocolate Bars - Photo Frame
• Caramel - Paper Clips
• Hazelnut Spread - Journaling Cards
• Berry Jam - Include Fruit - photos, patterned paper with fruit, embellishment
• Strawberry Slices - Gingham 
• Chocolate Coated - Alter Something - cover with paper, paint, ink, mist
• White Chocolate Coated - White Buttons
• Butterscotch Chips -Small Tags, at least three 
• Peppermint Patties - Hexagons
• Chocolate Covered Caramel Candies - Borders
• Pumpkin Butter - Plaid Patterned Paper
• Apple Butter - Alphabet

You can add additional product to your page or card, but it must include your five ingredients. You have until Sunday evening to complete this week's challenges. ALL entries this week will get a Gift Code to Apron Strings.  Even one entry into the weekly challenges gains you entry into the drawing for July's prize pack.

Big Picture is hosting another Pajama Party tonight, starting at 6:00 pm eastern - the event is free, so if you have the time, it'd be a fun way to get a little scrapping done.  There are two other classes that look appealing and are coming up in another month or so, Project Life Lessons and Stashbusters Anonymous.

It's starting to heat back up again, so I'm off.

Happy Wednesday,