The Blackberry Vine: May 2011

Monday, May 30, 2011

Tuesday To Do #12 and #11 List Makers

Happy Memorial Day everyone!

Do you have party plans?!?

Well, its time to party here!

Thanks to all 61 of you that linked up last week! You are all so amazing and talented!

The following are the ones that have made my List this week!

Don't you just LOVE this treehouse?!?! Christy at Three Pixie Lane has wowed us again with this dream like treehouse!

I am the only one who didn't know this little trick?? Soak chalk in sugar water and you will greatly reduce its propensity to smudge...thanks for sharing this little mommy tidbit Jen from Domesticated Nomad.

Love this headboard redo...need to tackle this little project myself. Two Cities, two friends turned this hand-me-down into a prized possesion!

If you were on this week's To Do List, then please feel free to grab a button from the BUTTON page!

Now on the the party...

Link up your creations! Sewing, crafting, cooking, tips, photography, tablescapes, parties, scrapbooking, collectibles...it all works. Please save your items for sell, your giveaways and your own parties for those specific blog parties. You're the best!

(Borrowed these little rules from the Shabby Nest...she's got it going on!)

1. Link directly to your post and not just to your blog.

2. Grab the TUESDAY TO DO BUTTON from the sidebar, and link back the Blackberry Vine. (Yes, it can be a little time-consuming, but it's the sweet blogger thing to do!)

3. Please visit other participants and leave them some comment love. Comment, comment, comment!!!

I reserve the right to remove posts that are not in keeping with the spirit of Tuesday To-Do including but not limited to those that link to your shop, your giveaway or your linky party, and those that do not link back to the Blackberry Vine. Thanks for playing fair!!

Golf Wreath for 40th Birthday

Remember the Golf Party Invites I posted a couple of weeks ago?

Well, this weekend was Par-tee time!!!

After walking up through an allee of golf flags (will show how I made those later,) the guests were greeted with this little golf wreath complete with two of my own old irons wired to it. (That's the birthday boy there!)

It was pretty windy so the paper maiche numbers that I painted and glittered (with help from my friend Grace,) were secured with zip ties.

Golf balls were secured to the personlized tees with E6000.

Thought the green moss looked close enough to turf...couldn't find astro turf at any of my usual places (Hobby Lobby, Home Depot, Lowe's.)

More posts to come with more golf party ideas!

Happy Memorial Day!

Smiles!

(The Tuesday To Party will start later today!

Don't miss it!!!)

linking to:

Just Something I Whipped UP

Making Monday Marvelous

Craftomaniac Monday

Monday, May 23, 2011

Tuesday To Do Party #11 AND Listmakers from #9 & #10

So I didn't quite get the Tuesday To Do List Makers #9 up on Wednesday like I said I would (sorry...show a girl a little grace....she meant well.)

Here are the List Makers from both #9 AND #10...

Christie from Three Pixie Lane created these swoon worthy party hats. LOVE!

Honestly, my friend (in my head) Christy from Glitter and Gumdrops is one of the most talented ladies I know! Can you even BELIEVE the cute factor of these Winnie-the-Pooh themed shower invites?!?!

I could do a whole post on why I love this wreath, but it would only be funny to me and to my friend Tracy! Still, I love bottle tops and I love this wreath from Pressed Down, Shaken Together!

This is SO on my To Do List! Aren't they AMAZING?!?! Heather at Twin Dragonfly Designs not only created these beauties, but she also shows you how to make them too!!!

I can't wait to make these little pies! Don't they look yummy! Trilogy Edibles gives the recipe and how to!

Why didn't I see this last week?!?! I just made a golf wreath (will share next week after this golf party is O-ver.) Crossing the Bugger-Dixon Line did a much cuter version than mine!

If you were on this week's To Do List, then please feel free to grab a button from the BUTTON page!

Now on the the party...

(Borrowed these little rules from the Shabby Nest...she's got it going on!)

Monday, May 16, 2011

Tuesday To Do Party # 10

Hey Friends!!

Just wanted to quickly get the party started!
(Have been up to my eyeballs with my TO DO List!!!)

Will have the highlights up tomorrow!!

Can't wait to see what lovelies you have to share this week!!!

(Borrowed these little rules from the Shabby Nest...she's got it going on!)

Monday, May 9, 2011

Tuesday To Do Party # 9 and TTD # 8 Highlights

Thanks to all of you crazy talented folks for linking up your cool projects last week. You've defintely given me some ideas for upcoming projects!

Here are some of those that made my To Do List this week:

Delightfully Noted gives a great tutorial for this great wine bag.

Kristin shows how to make this FAB work of art using fabric and a printer at her site A Simply Klassic Home.

I CAN'T WAIT to give these little gems a try!!

Sweet Treats and More gives you the recipe for Ice Cream Sundae Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting...YUMMM!

Sugar Bucket Ink created these cute tags for Starbuck's gift cards for her little girl's teachers...so cute!

If you were on this week's To Do List, then please feel free to grab a button from the BUTTON page!

Now on the the party...

(Borrowed these little rules from the Shabby Nest...she's got it going on!)

It's Par-Tee Time

In a few weeks, we'll celebrate my honey's 40th Bday.

(He likes golf...)

I worked for hours on these invites...70 in all.

But even Jami-the-great can make a mistake...can you see it?)

I forgot the date...looks like we play golf everyday and we serve dinner and drinks every evening at 7:00.

Thankfully, it was easily corrected with a sticker on the envelopes.

(If you're a friend and feel slighted that you did not get an invite,

please don't...it was probably an oversight...I didn't even get the DATE on the invitation!!)

PS...though the tees look super cute as a closure for the invitation, we found out that the U.S. Postal Service finds them a nusance and charged us...wait for it...

$1.71 to mail them!!!

EEEKKKS!

So, if you want to make these for yourself, I would suggest (including the date,) securing the grass wrap around with the golf ball cut out....still very cute.

The invites are probably pretty self explanatory, but if you'd like more details on how-to do it, let me know!

Happy Par-teeing!!!

Smiles!

Linking to:

Just Something I Whipped UP

market yourself monday

Motivate Me Monday

Craft-O-Maniac Monday

Making the World Cuter Monday

More the Merrier

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Pretty Packages Party #9 Highlights

What a beautiful Pretty Packages Party this last week!

It was a great turn out!

Having Teacher Appreciation Week and Mother's Day this week definitely helped party attendance!

Here are just a few of my favorites!

Nifty Thrifty Things created these adorable treat packages for Easter, but I think these would be lovely for any shower or party...her photos are just gorgeous!

These precious mini Pinatas were created to hold party favors by One Charming Party. My mind is racing with other ways to use this clever idea!!!

Julie shared a sweet story along with these perfectly sweet May Day Baskets over at Less Than Perfect Life of Bliss. I'm hoping I can remember to do this for my neighbors next year!

How cute are these apple sacks?!?! Brandy at Gluesticks created them after being inspired by another blog...isn't blogland just the best?!

Thanks to everyone for their lovely inspirations...hope to see you (and your friends) back here next month!!

If you were featured today, feel free to pick up a Feature Button for the Pretty Packages Party!

Smiles!

Saturday, May 7, 2011

First Communion Cake Pops

These sweet cake pops were created for a little girl's First Communion.

The mom chose lavendar and white because they are decorating with hydrangeas. After the party, they are planting the flowers in honor of this special day. Isn't that a great idea?

The little tags have a cross in the background with her name and first communion date on top.

Perfect favors for a perfect day!

Blessings to you all!

Smiles!

Linking to:

Weekend Wrap-up

Saturday Spotlight

Whatcha Got Weekend

Feature Yourself Friday

Frugal Friday

Not Baaad

Sunday Showcase

Making Monday Marvelous

Friday, May 6, 2011

Where are my pictures?

Does anyone know why my pictures are disappearing?

I have plenting of storage on Picasa...they show up when I load them but disappear when I preview or publish?

Waahhh!

(testing photo)

EASY Sausage Crescent Roll Breakfast Casserole

This week we celebrated our teachers and showed our appreciation in many ways.

Giving them cute gifts each day was one way we showed our appreciation. (click here.)

Another way we showed our thanks was with breakfasts and lunches.

Well, I had just finished patting myself on the back because I had finished most of the teacher gifts early, when a wave of naseau overwhelmed me...I had signed up to bring a breakfast casserole and a dessert the following morning (this is around 10:00 pm Monday night!) My go to breakfast casseroles are all the 'fix the night before and refridgerate' kind.

Besides, that, I didn't have everything I needed for one of those.

So to the internet I went in search of a QUICK and yummy breakfast casserole recipe...this is what I found at Food.com (click) (well, this is MY version of what I found at Food.com)...

(photo disclaimer..I HAD to show what it looked like, but I didn't have time to style this the way I'd like to...savory dishes often do not photograph as beautifully as the sweets...I've actually gaged at some that I've seen on the internet even though the recipe sounds delicious...hope this doesn't make you gag.)

Sausage Crescent Roll Breakfast Casserole

1 can of regular sized crescent rolls

1 clove of garlic, pressed through garlic press

1 lb of ground sausage like Owens' or Jimmy Dean

2 cups grated mozzerella or monterey jack or chedder cheese

5 eggs

3/4 cup 1/2 & 1/2

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

couple of shakes of Tabasco

First, preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Second, get the sausage and garlic in a pan to begin browning. Third, lightly grease a 9X13 pan (I used a disposable aluminum pan to make clean-up easier for those hosting the breakfasts,) and cover bottom with crescent roll dough, pressing seams together.

Once the sausage is completely browned and crumbly, drain grease, then spoon sausage on top of crescent roll dough. Top sausage with cheese. Mix eggs and next 4 ingredients together and pour on top of sausage.

Pop in preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Of course, I still haven't tried it, but it received rave reviews from the FIRST teacher brunch I delivered it to...just took the other one this morning.

Thanks again to all of our teachers and support staff!

You are awesome!

Smiles!

Linking to:

Concours d'Cuisine
Its a Hodge Podge Friday
Its A Keeper Recipe Party
Recipe Swap Thursday
Fun With Food Friday

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Teacher Appreciation Week - Day #4 - Bloom Where You are Planted!

First, I'd love for you to stop by the Pretty Packages Party and link up one of your packages or Teacher Appreciation Gift ideas!

Click here for the Pretty Packages Party!

Second, why don't you stop by and link to the Tuesday To Do Party, too?!!

Again, as I mention earlier this week, the PTA at our school sent home a list of items to send to school each day for Teacher Appreciation Week.

(This week is only 4 days as the teachers had an in service on Monday.)

Day #1 - Pencils (click here)

Day #2 - Stickers or a Note Pad (click here)

Day #3 - Markers or Pens (I already had something else...candles) (click here)

AND THIS

Day #4 - a flower

Teachers who inspire know that teaching is like cultivating a garden, and those who would have nothing to do with thorns must never attempt to gather flowers. ~Author Unknown