Punch Art Bunny.....

Good morning!

Yesterday I spent the day with my mom making more Easter Baskets like these from Monday night but we took them a step further and added a little bunny made entirely out of punches! If you are a scrapbooker or rubber stamper and have hand held punches, your possibilities are endless....and they turned out super cute if I do say so myself!

Have a great day!

Many Blessings,
M.

Easter Basket Class....

Last night was my Easter Basket Class here in town and it was a hit! There's really nothing like a simple and sweet project to bring a group of women together is there?

And here is the group shot of smiling faces to prove they had a good time....

I'm off to work on more Easter goodies....have a good day!

Many Blessings,
M.

Spring Time......

Am I the only one who can't believe it's almost Easter? My grandpa was right when he said that time goes by faster the older you get!

In an effort to stretch our family dollars and still indulge in my love for seasonal decorating, I've been looking for things that can be used for more than one holiday and/or occasion. Apothecary jars are hot this season and you can find them practically anywhere! I put pastel Easter candy in them for now but plan to use them over and over as the seasons change. How cute will they be with red, white and blue candy in them for the 4th of July or orange, white and yellow candy corn for Halloween?! Now that's using your decorating dollars wisely!

I plan to pull the rest of my stuff out before Monday but for now, I wish you a spectacular weekend!

Many Blessings,
Melissa

Thought for the Day....

"It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are."
E.E. Cummings

Have a fantastic day!

Many Blessings,
M.

Slowly Easing Into the Week....

I don't know about you, but I'm having a hard time getting going this morning!

I thought I'd ease into the week by sharing a project I made last month for Valentine's Day gifts. Each one was created using the same pattern, but by changing the designer papers the final product looked completely different!

Have a good Monday!

Many Blessings,
M.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Many Blessings,
M.

A Perfect Match......

Don't you love it when a gift you have in mind comes together beautifully? I didn't get a photo of the basket with the items in it, but I did capture how well the card matched the gift basket.

Congratulations Brandt and Chetney!

Many Blessings,
M.

A Quick Question.....

I don't normally post on the weekends, but I was wondering if anyone has the recipe for Friendship Bread? The one with the starter that you pass around to friends and such? I would love it if you could share it with me!

Thanks and Many Blessings,
M.

Grasshopper Fudge Cake.....

1	box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix
1 1/4	cups water
1/3	cup vegetable oil
2	teaspoons mint extract
3	egg whites
12	drops green food color
2	jars (16 oz each) hot fudge topping
1	container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed
5	drops yellow food color
	Thin rectangular crème de menthe chocolate candies, unwrapped and cut into pieces, if desired

	Print these coupons...
	About Concordance™

1.	Heat oven to 350°F for shiny metal or glass pan (or 325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with baking spray with flour.
2.	Make cake mix as directed on box, using water, oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the mint extract and the egg whites. Reserve 1 cup batter. Stir 3 drops of the green food color into reserved batter; set aside. Pour remaining batter into pan.
3.	Drop green batter by generous tablespoonfuls randomly in 12 to 14 mounds onto batter in pan. Cut through batters with metal spatula or knife in S-shaped curves in one continuous motion. Turn pan 1/4 turn; repeat cutting for swirled design.
4.	Bake 28 to 33 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Run knife around side of pan to loosen cake. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
5.	Carefully spread fudge topping evenly over cake. In medium bowl, stir whipped topping, remaining 1/2 teaspoon extract, remaining 9 drops green food color and the yellow food color until blended. Spread whipped topping mixture evenly over fudge. Garnish with candy pieces. Store covered in refrigerator. Have a great weekend! Many Blessings, M.

Decorating Dilemma....

Do you have a particular spot in your house that just bugs you? You know something's not right but you have thought and thought and thought about a solution only to come up empty handed? That's where I am with this wall...


Do you see the area to the left of the book shelf? While watching TV, I find myself staring over there thinking through how to bring in some color and/or decor while working around all those boxes. It's driving me crazy! I have thought about a canvas print with an open back that I could just slip over the top of the thermostat, but then wondered if I would get tired of taking it down every time I wanted to adjust the temp in the house. Ack!

I would love to hear any suggestions you may have!

Many Blessings,
M.

Thought for the Day....

"It's never too late to become who you might have been."
George Elliot

Have a good day!

Many Blessings,
M.

St. Patrick's Day Banner.....

Good Monday morning everyone!

It's another busy day in the Kaufman household but aren't most Monday's like that? I completed a small project for a very special friend that I'm shipping off today and wanted to share it with you before it gets packaged up.

Many moons ago, I came across this awesome website with several different ideas for celebrations and was delighted to find the freebie section of her site! I had a totally different direction in mind for the banner, but when I seen these sweet images available for download, I had to have them! I printed them out on heavy white card stock, backed them with some green, tied them together with some fun ribbon and added some glitter for a little extra sparkle. I love it!

What do you think?

Have a fantastic week!

Many Blessings,
M.

A St. Patrick's Day Project....

It's class day so this will be a short and sweet post this morning!

Tonight we will be making these sweet bag toppers for St. Patrick's Day. I'm always looking for fun and inexpensive projects for my girls that can be replicated using just a few supplies. I think this little guy works really really well for that!

Have a fantastic day!

Many Blessings,
M.

Friendship......

Photo copyright of Susan Rios

The very best recipe for making friends is to be one yourself!

When I signed up for a pen pal through Aunt Ruthie's Sugar Pie Farmhouse, I had no idea just how blessed I would be by this special friendship! I tend to be a introvert by nature so seeking out new relationships is a real stretch for this girl. I value quality over quantity and believe that a few goods friends are far more precious than a lot of okay ones!

Erin is an incredibly special person and one I'm honored to call a friend. And although we have never met in person, we have every intention of doing so some day! Right sister?

Currently we have color swaps going back and forth on a monthly basis. March was our Red Swap and this is what I so generously received...

How blessed am I? Thank you for the goodies my friend, but more importantly, thank you for being my friend!

I encourage you to reach out and tell a loved one how much they mean to you today!

Many Blessings,
M.

The Betty Crocker Creed....

Image found via the internet

The Betty Crocker Creed -

I believe homemaking is a noble and challenging career.

I believe homemaking is an art requiring many different skills.

I believe homemaking requires the best of my efforts, my abilities and my thinking.

I believe home reflects the spirit of the homemaker.

I believe home should be a place of peace, joy and contentment.

I believe no task is too humble that contributes to the cleanliness, the order, the health, the well being of the household.

I believe a homemaker must be true to the highest ideals of love, loyalty, service and religion.

I believe home must be an influence for good in the neighborhood, the community, the country.

Many Blessings,
M.