The vanilla extract recipe I posted ( on page 1 here) calls for the vanilla bean to be split. I think you can use less vanilla beans that way and save a little money too. It also calls for 1 vanilla bean to be left in the jar you give away and have the person pour more vodka in when it gets down to the half way mark. Also to make it sweet , it calls for dark rum or brandy to be added ( some people use a simple syrup too). Also I ran across this recipe tiday: Homemade Kahula, so I think I will make that also! http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1622,147185-254198,00.html
the straps are chocolate brown, and just simple. im adding a few flower accents, and buttons. im putting one of the purse pockets(that little red notebook with a bible verse on it) and a cute pen in each purse. does it look like something you would use??
I'm knitting bags and making soap for all the girls (there are ALOT of them.) the kids I think are going to make soaps too - but more simple melt and pour soaps - no lye. (I'm making "real" soaps.) I also am making some hats, fingerless gloves, scarfs for people. This has been great to read though - tons of neat ideas!!! I love the cookbook thing - If I had more time I would do this...then again, maybe I will anyway. Also, the ice candles are really really cool - wondering how they came out. Hmmm....and the wheels start going. better get thru Halloween first....
the handles are not ribbon, they are about 2/3 in thick. are like some sort of thick slick thread that has been woven together, at least that is what it looks like to me. i loved the look of this chocolate silky ribbon and there was another chocolate ribbon with ribbon type roses on top, very cute, but i was afraid it would stand up to being used, so i chose the more conventional handle. the fabric is quite busy, so i didnt want to add too many accents, but i think i might use mine for taking my bible and notepad to bible study, or when im going somewhere and dont want to drag my entire purse, like the movies, or dinner, it will be for light duty. but it has been super easy to make. i cant even sew very well, and dont have my machine fixed, so this would even be a simple project for a child to do for christmas presents.
YES, I'm already thinking about Christmas. I love handmade gifts...to give and to receive. My husband's family are gift givers but we have opted out of the drawing of names the last couple of years. So frustrating to stress about money and affording a few things for our kids when we're expected to give gifts to folks we really don't know. Plus, it makes absolutely no sense to swap gift cards in the mail...which is what half of them end up doing anyway. Fortunately we're in a much better position this year and I have made some Christmas wreaths for three family members. The others will be getting homemade Taco seasoning (awesome recipe on allrecipes) and ingredients to make Mexican dip. Another idea I found is making a necklace with kids art. You use a wood tile (I think best to use one bigger than a scrabble tile) and decorate with your kids drawing. Just have the drawing resized to fit the tile. Paint or silver/gold leaf the tile, add the artwork, seal, and then slide it on a ball chain necklace. You can jazz it up a bit with some beadwork too. I think we'll make this one a mother's day gift for next year, but it would make a really special Christmas gift.
I told my Grandma today about making vanilla and she laughed and said it was a good idea and then I asked her to teach me yet again how to make her pot holders (the best pot holders ever) and she said she would, little does she know I want to make them for her since she had a stroke she has a hard time doing things like crocheting anymore and I want her to have some.
Gosh! Sounds like many of you are ready for Christmas which is good! But for me...not so much ready...Christmas hasn't even been in my thoughts since I've been more worried about our 1st year of HS'ing. Hopefully I can get to Christmas shopping sometime in November or even maybe the week before Christmas.... :lol: . (I'm a last minute shopper )
Amen to that. Last year was really bad. My kids didn't complain but I like giving them things for Christmas. This year I bought my son a trip to Space Camp. I've been paying it off monthly for the past few months. He will get to spend New Years down there with the kids, so that is kind of a bonus. I consider that part of school since we are doing physics. :wink: And I just bought these cute little stuffed pigs at Kohl's ($5 each) for all my co-workers. We regulate hog farms here in Colorado so it is an inside joke! :lol: And I bake everyone cookies as well. That's all I've done so far, but at least I planned ahead this year.
We've also decided to buy a few things weekly just recently because since the year has been so bad we're not sure how big my dh's christmas bonus is going to be and we usually use that. Since my extra bucks just printed out at cvs I am going to use that towards Monster's and Aliens and it'll only cost me 5 bucks after that.
I make baskets for MIL/SIL and my parents. I get six packets of land o lakes brand hot cocoa (mint/caramel/original/dark chocolate/raspberry/orange) Several boxes of Yogi brand tea (I admit I buy them discounted and use it as an exscuse to have a wide variety of tea in the house...I always keep the leftovers... ...lol) I also buy a box of plain popcorn that is indvidually wrapped. To divide up amoung the three baskets I then take little individual baggies, the kinds for spices, and make toppings like cocoa powder and sugar or cinnamon/sugar or parm cheese. I also buy the vintage style candies and specialty candies (like mallow cups/smoothie cups/sky bar/lindt chocolates) I also get Soph's picture taken around Halloween time so I always get some of them framed to put in the baskets. It helps that she is the only baby in the family....lol. Also a really nice card that has a $50 gift card in it.
http://www.designswithheart.net/jar_gifts/SmoresJar.html these look cute. basicly you put the crusthed ghram crackers and other ingredients in a jar with the "peeps" and when making them you snip the peeps and mix with ingredients and then pour melted butter and vanilla and bake...... like bars.
Christmas here is going to be very light this year. My dh was just informed that his company is shutting down for the whole week of Thanksgiving & 2 weeks in December. He'll get holiday pay for a few of those days & he's got 1 1/2 days vacation time left, but that will still leave us short 2 full paychecks during those months. So, we're cutting back where we can & only spending what is necessary. For dd, I'm making a purse from part of an old pair of jeans, decorated with sea shells, gems, and glitter fabric marker. I'm not sure what I'll make for ds, yet. We'll probably get them each a book or two, also. All the adults are getting a DVD of the kids dressed up, in front of a holiday background, singing Christmas songs. I'm also hoping to do either homemade apple butter or a recipe in a jar for each household. I'm still not sure what to do for all the nieces & nephews, though.
This year I am making homemade postcards, gifts in a jar. DD9 and I are doing some cross stitching gifts. For the family it will be mostly stuff for our plane trip which is during that time.
WELL, I HAVE MY DS, 7, PRETTY MUCH DONE. hE WILL GET A JOHN DEERE FLEECE TIE BLANKET IM MAKING, A JOHN DEERE WATER BOTTLE, I BOUGHT HIM THIS LITTLE MINIATURE TOOL SET AT A YARD SALE. IT WAS 40 YEARS OLD BUT STILL IN GREAT SHAPE, THEY ARE REAL TOOLS MADE OF METAL AND WOOD, BUT JUST CHILD SIZE. iM GOING TO PAINT THE WOOD A JOHN DEERE GREEN, LOL. AND WE ALSO BOUGHT HIM A 410, WHICH IS A VERY SMALL SHOTGUN, YOU CANT KILL DEER WITH IT, BUT MOST OTHER THINGS YOU CAN. HE HAS REALLY WANTED HIS OWN GUN HE CAN ACTUALLY USE TO GO HUNTING WITH DAD WITH. WE WILL SEE IF HE LIKES IT. IT DOESNT BARELY KICK WHEN YOU SHOOT IT, SO WE WERE HOPING THIS WOULD BE A NICE STARTER. THE GUN WAS BOUGHT AT A YARD SALE, LOL. AND SO, ALTHOUGH IT SEEMS LIKE ALOT TO ME, I HAVENT SPENT TOO MUCH, SO IM HOLDING OUT AND GOING TO GET HIM A TOY, BC ALL THE OTHER STUFF, YOU DONT REALLY PLAY WITH AND I WANT HIM TO HAVE SOMETHING TO PLAY WITH ON CHRISTMAS. AND I NEED TO GET HIS SET OF PJS FOR OUR CHRISTMAS EVE TRADITION OF NEW PJS AND SOCKS. SO 1 CHILD ALMOST DONE, OCT I WILL WORK ON MY DD9, AND THEN IN NOV I WILL FINISH OFF WITH THE BABY WHO WONT REQUIRE MUCH. DEC WILL BE FOR MAKING HOMEMADE GIFTS FOR OTHERS FAMILIES AND CHURCH FAMILY.
