Baby Shower Invitations x 35

 

The next best thing to becoming a grandma, is being a great aunt...and that is just what I'm going to be this coming Thanksgiving!

My niece Leia (my brother's only daughter) is having a little girl soon and I offered to help with her baby shower...and of course, that meant making the invitations!

I suppose I could have designed something new, but between getting the flu a few weeks ago and work, I decided to use something I had already designed.  Where better to look than my one & only baby card class, Heaven Sent.

I made a few changes: Leia's shower colors are pink and yellow, so I changed the big color to yellow.  I ran out of the tiny little silver wings that are part of the kit and use some other ones I had on hand.

 

To customize the invitation, I got a beautiful picture of Leia for the inside of the card (compliments of her photographer hubby, Brandon Burk).  I wanted the color to match, so I took the photo into Photoshop and adjusted the hue & saturation to match the pink.

I ran out of space on the invitation text, so I created a little slip-out tag for where she is registered.

Can't wait for this little one to arrive!

Studio 5: Frikadellen (by-heart comfort food)

When Studio 5 asked me to participate in their "easy like Sunday Morning" food series, 2 meals came to mind right away. They wanted recipes we knew by heart, those recipes we have made so often they aren't even written down, recipes with a story

In case you're wondering where the video is, I'm still trying to track down the embed code, hopefully it will up tomorrow, but in the meantime, you can see if at the Studio 5 website.

Both recipes are from my Mom; both use a pound of hamburger, have root vegetables and are served with mashed potatoes. One is called Frikadellen and the other has no name but for the sake of this post I've dubbed it Upside-down Shepherd's Pie.

{My Mom is youngest here, her sister Ingrid and her Mother}

These were my Mom's go-to, easy, inexpensive, but hearty meals to feed her family and now mine too.

My Mother is German and has a repertoire of some deliicous, beautiful European dishes, but growing up, meat was a speial treat for my Mom's Family, served solely for Sundays and special occasions.

Sundays continued to be those special 'meat' days when I was growing up, but there were 6 other days in the week and Mom got creative, finding ways to stretch a pound of hamburger to feel a family of seven.

Of course, we didn't know she was making ends meet; we loved these dishes and always got excited when she made them.

Frikadellen is a German dish, but similar versions are found in amny European countries. Our version has never been writeen down, but really, the beauty of this dish is you don't have much to remember.

Frikadellen

{Think meatball, but larger, more tender and served with mashed potatoes and gravy.}

1 lb. hamburger
1/2 large onion, chopped    and sauteed until soft.
2 garlic cloves, minced (add to onions)
1 egg
1 cup fresh bread crumbs, soaked in some mik and then squeezed out (or 1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs.)
1/4 C. fresh parsley, chopped
Seasonings: Salt, Petter, italian seasoning, few dashes of Worchestershire sauce.  Or your favorite seasonings!

Here's a step-by-step visual with instructions below.

Mix together ingredients, but don't over mix.  Form into 6 (give or take) oblong patties, about 1/2" thick.

Heat a small pat of butter and some olive oil in pan to med. high heat.  Gently place patties (because they will be soft) into pan and fry until brown on one side.  Gently flip over and brown the other side.  Remove from pan.

Make Gravy:  At this point if you want a mushroom gravy, add sliced mushrooms and saute until soft and slightly brown, add more oil if necessary.

Otherwise proceed to add a couple of Tbsp. of flour.  mix into the pans drippings until the flour has been absorbed. (at this point you can determine if you need more oil or flour, but in the end, you should have a brown paste that is mostly dry).

Cook for a few minutes on med. heat.  Add 2 cups of beef stock slowly, whisking it in.  You'll see the gravy take form and thicken.  It should only take a few minutes.

Add Frikadellen back into the pan with the gravy, cover and cook on medium heat for another 5 minutes or until patties are cooked through.

Serve with Mashed or boiled potatoes and some cooked vegetables. 

Upside-down Shepherd's Pie

{or Mom's no-name dish}
After 60 years, since my Mom made up this dish, another desperate "what do I make for dinner" dish, and one that we all love, we finally named it.

Well, a friend of mine did.  She said "its like upside-down Shepherd's Pie!" 

Not sure it will stick, but it helps describe it.

It's very comforting, because everything with mashed potatoes is warm & comforting.  The topping has many of the same ingredients than Frikadellen, but adds some smoked paprika and tangy tomato soup that's a nice compliment to the somewhat bland potatoes.  It's not the most elegant dish, but it's super quick to put together and kids love it!

1 pound ground beef
1 med. onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced (optional)
seasoning: smoked paprika, salt, pepper and oregano (or your fav. seasoning)
1 or 2 cans of Campbell's tomato soup
1 Cup beef broth 9or from bouillon
2 cups chopped cooked carrots
1 cup frozen peas.

Saute onions in some oil, add garlic for a few minutes until soft.  Add hamburger and cook until brown.  Add mushrooms until soft.

Add seasoning. Add soup.  Add beef broth.  Add carrots and peas.

If you want a saucier sauce, add the 2nd can of tomato soup.

Let cook on med-low heat for just a few minutes and heated through.

Serve over mashed potatoes. I like to make a well in the potatoes and fill it up until it's overflowing.

Enjoy, my very basic, inexpensive, by-heart, comfort dishes!

Q's Creative Card Classes: Happy Family Album

I adore my husband, but Valentines has always been a special time to share love with my whole family.

Special dinners or breakfasts with heart shaped pancakes, chocolate dipped strawberries, balloons and of course valentines.  

This year a very special gift to me and them, a Happy Family keepsake album.  Something to treasure and display for years to come.

This study 14 page (incl. covers and pocket pages) wire-bound chipboard album features vintage patterned paper, beautiful quotes, metal charms, ribbon, glitter, pockets, tabs, gorgeous cricut cuts and digital elements with plenty of room for pictures and journaling.

Happy Family Album

Class / First Kit $30.00 USD Additional Kit $25.00 USD US Shipping $5.00 USD Canada Shipping $10.00 USD International Shipping $14.00 USD

Kits will start shipping January 25th.  Please use drop-down menu to add shipping if you can't attend a class, or email me to make arrangements to get kit another way.

Class Schedule: (please note the change of venue, as Roberts Crafts will be closing all their stores in January.)

Wednesday, Feb. 1st       10am - 12:30pm     South Jordan Hobby Lobby
Wednesday, Feb. 1st       5:30pm - 8pm        West Jordan Senior Center
Thursday, Feb. 2nd          5:30pm - 8pm        Orem Hobby Lobby
Friday, Feb. 3rd               10am - 12:30pm     Layton Hobby Lobby
Friday, Feb. 3rd               2 - 4:30 pm           Layton Hobby Lobby
Friday, Feb. 3rd               5:30pm - 8pm        Layton Hobby Lobby
Tuesday, Feb. 7th            10am - noon          South Jordan Hobby Lobby
Tuesday, Feb. 7th            5:30pm - 8pm        South Jordan Hobby Lobby
Wednesday, Feb. 8th       2pm - 4:30pm         Sandy Hobby Lobby
Thursday, Feb. 9th           5:30pm - 8pm        American Fork Hobby Lobby

What to Bring:

Adhesives (Strong roll tape, foam squares, dotto and glue dots)
Scissors (fine-tipped & Long)
Distress Ink Pad, Frayed Burlap
Sanding block, fine grain
1/8" and 1/16" hole punch
Red Glitter Glue (ranger Icestickles Christmas Red recommended)

Any Questions, please email me!  Hope to see you there!

Lasting Memory with Mom

My Mom has been a widow for many years now and one of my great pleasures is taking her on adventures.  My dad did plenty of that and I just feel I needed to fill the void. 

So when a Groupon showed up in my inbox for Hot Air Ballooning I remembered that Mom always wanted to go up in one and I snatched them up! 

It was a cool, misty morning up in Park City last week and I was worried we wouldn't be able to see anything, but it was actually quite beautiful and eventually burned off.

It all started with a bag.  And a basket.  It's hard to believe that bag would eventually fill the sky.

We got to help out as they turned on the fan and blew air into the balloon.  It made it quite chilly for me, the fan kept vibrating right in my direction!

That other balloon in the background was for a group of sky divers.  They crowded 12 people in the basket, standing room only and yes, they jumped OUT of the balloon.  Ok, I'm not that adventurous.

Ready to take off...and really, it doesn't feel like taking off in the literal sense.  It was the most amazing feeling, like you were a balloon.  It was very gentle.

I suppose I could wax philosophical, but I'll leave it to your imagination.  Those wires on either side were the only thing holding us all up!

After spending quite a bit of time above the world, our pilot took us around a small mountain, just skirting the edge, our basket touching the tops of trees.  My Mom said, "This is like hiking without all the work!"

After a perfect landing, we got to help deflate the balloon and somehow, magically get it to fit back into that bag.  That was a work-out!

So glad we had this opportunity to spend time with my Mom and create a lasting memory.

Timeless Bridal Shower Theme

My philosophy: every great celebration starts with a good invitation!  It sets the tone, emphasizes the theme, adds anticipation and becomes a intergral part of the memory. So, I'm putting my "good Aunt Sue" hat on and will be hosting a bridal shower for my beautiful niece, Leia next week.

I decided a few weeks ago to use a card design I came up with a few years ago.  You can see and read the original post here. It starts with an large oval, folded lengthwise to meet in the center.  I used Bazzill's embossed polka-dot cardstock. 

Leia's colors are perfect for her dark coloring; red, turquoise and black.  Striking! 

Next priority was the photo.  This bridal shot was SO Leia.  It's all about those red shoes!  I loved how both her face and shoes peek out because of the curve of the card front.

The belly band was easy, as I knew I had to add a splash or turquoise and some black lace.

At this point, I hadn't decided on a theme, but after playing with all sorts of centers I decided an Around-the-Clock theme was perfect.  I created this a digital roman clock after all my clock stamps didn't size properly. 

Lastly, I worked on the insert and all the text I needed to incorporate. I was almost done when I came up with the 'bright idea' (read: more work!) of creating a clock that opened to reveal Leia's & Brandon's monogram on the inside and the theme of the bridal shower.

I found this circle shaped mini card on Fabulous Finds Cricut Cartridge.  I added a fun dimensional gem to the middle of the clock, but because of it's dimension I had to place a mini glue dot on the backside.  What worked with this is the slight stickness of the glue dot helped to keep the circle closed.  You may want to de-tackify the glue dot a bit, by rubbing it with your finger.  The natural oils on your finger will make it less sticky.

If this is something you'd like to use for a bridal shower in your future, you can download the clock and bridal shower circles.

Stay tuned...I'll post more photos after the event!



Life goes on

I feel a little guilty about this post, because clearly my sister's life (see post below) has not gone on...yet.  but it will. 

I, on the other hand had the luxury of coming home and resuming my day-to-day life.

On the way home from the airport Steven suggest we try a chinese buffet.  Really?  Steve is not much of a buffet person and very much not a chinese buffet person.  However, we are devoted watchers of CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood and they had a fun little segment on Chinese buffets and GUESS who took number 1 country wide?  Yup...CRAZY BUFFET in Taylorsville.  All I'm going to say is I think there may have been some bribery going on.  I felt a little ill for the next day. :)

We had a weekend get-away planned with some friends and so took the short drive down south to warmer weather.  This was such a tonic for me.  Sun, warmth and flip flops. 

Now it's back to work!  Cute & Colorful class starts next week, designing March's class, prepping for Studio 5 on Feb. 7th and last, and yes, kind of least, my cards for my card group.  I actually got most of these done earlier this month, so just a few finishing touches and I was done.

They looked so pretty drying on my piano, I decided to take pictures.

My Quest for Peace & Quiet

Middle of October is Fall Break here in Utah.  School's out and the weather is glorious so we headed south to one of my favorite places, Goblin Valley, UT.


One of my top 5 Utah hikes is found here; Little Wild Horse Canyon, a super slotty canyon that never ceases to amaze me.


One day I'll share the other four!



So, my question is... does this amazing landscape look familiar?

   

Yup, that's Tim Allen in 1999's Galaxy Quest movie.  You can't imagine how much that movie got quoted over the last four days!


























One of the best things about a trip to this part of Utah (and frankly MOST of Utah) is the complete lack of signal.  That's right; no tv, no computer, no email, no facebook, no blog, no phone.  Completely unplugged!  Not only that, but no paper, no stamps, no ink and no Cricut!


So, what does one do without all those things that make up such a big part of my everyday life?


Well, let me count the ways. 

Gymnastics. 

Weight Lifting. 

Giving Orders. (not really, I actually have no idea what I'm doing here!)

Resting. (we all did this!  Savannah found a sweet spot in Goblin Valley).

Looked stunningly HOT. (some of us...as in Steve, did this better than others.)

Made up a silly comic strip story about Angry Kitty (that's what we named this interesting HooDoo).  Savannah will illustrate, Steven will write it and I will cash the checks that come pouring in. :)

Enjoyed God's great beauty.


Everywhere we looked, everything we smelled and everything we touched was such a treasure. 


It's back to work now, but I know my quest for peace & quiet will last me a good four months.  Just in time for the snow to melt and another camp trip!

P.S.  Other movies filmed in this area of Utah include: City Slickers II, Mission Impossible II, Thelma & Louise, Star Trek and so many more!

It's almost time...

Earlier this year, after my daughter got engaged and had decided on a late summer wedding, we started planning an invitation.

I was sorely tempted to design a completely graphic invitation, (just because I enjoy that process so much), but in the end we decided to go with a photo invite.

But how do you create the 'look' of a summer wedding in early spring? The trees are bare, the ground is soggy, the flowers barely starting to bloom.

Solution? The Salt Flats west of Salt Lake City.

The pictures were taken in mid-April and even though we do get some nice warm spring weather in Utah, we knew we could just have easily gotten a cold, rainy and windy day. Instead we got 80 degree weather, an almost cloudless blue sky and no wind. Perfect!

Summer dress, barefoot, balloons and what looks like a beach and there you go: Summer invites!

When we got to the rest stop along the I-80 (just shy of the Nevada border), we quickly realized we would have to wade through a few inches of water to get to dry land...or really, salt. So, off came the shoes, rolled up the pants and started wading. I quickly realized that looked pretty cool and so we took several pictures there and ended up using those for the invitation.

If you ever decide to do this, may I recommend you bring baby wipes to wipe all the white salt that dries on your skin? That and flip flops? Man, that salt is ROUGH on the feet...ouch!

The sun started setting and gave us a perfect silhouette opportunity.

Here's the other part of the invitation, simple and just how Emma wanted it.

We had such a great time that day with Emma & Christian...even Steve got into the romatic spirit of it all.

As a side note, the Salt Flats are used for land-speed records and the movie 'The World's Fastest Indian' was filmed there. I highly recommend this movie, it's kind of quirky and really inspirational. And Anthony Hopkins stars in it, so what more can you ask?

We just finished her wedding and bridal photos at the Young Living Farms last week with all that beautiful lavendar. I'll be sure post many more pics after the wedding. Thanks to everyone's well wishes and concerns. Two more weeks! Yikes! Still have to make a cake! Will be sure to blog about that whether I succeed or it's a big flop!