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Thursday, December 30, 2010

Happy 2011!

 

Happy New Year

I wish you the very best for 2011! May all your dreams come true!

What are your plans for 2011?

I plan to really get creative in 2011!Rolling on the floor laughing I want to be more active on my blog, making it more interesting with lots of free stuff Winking smileand ideas.

I want to sew again! Thumbs upI plan on painting my Red heartout for our exhibition this year – we have an awesome theme for this year {more about that another time}.

I want to get my kids motivated for school {well, at least try!}; I want to redecorate our bedroomIn love; the kids’ playrooms; GirlShannon’s bedroom & the formal lounge. I also would love to renovate and refurnish our holiday home in the bushveldSun. I’m going to plan our next holiday…Island with a palm tree

 

CLICK HERE for some printable Happy New Year clocks – 1 large one and 6 small ones. Use them for cupcake toppers, to embellish banners, as a Happy New Year wreath or anything you else your creative mind can come up with. – Enjoy!

{If you have any trouble with the download, please let me know so that I can repair the problem – Thank you}

Have a fabulous New Year!Party smile

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Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Season’s Greetings

Just a quick “Hi” from me! ‘Tis the season for craziness and lots of fun and family time, so I’ve not been around at my blog much of late. I thought I’d share a quick collage of Christmas 2010 in our house.

christmas 2010_web

Hope you have all had a fabulous holiday season! We certainly have - and after all the tinsel, wrapping paper, food and fun, I can honestly say I’m ready for the New Year. Today I went and bought some plastic containers to pack away some old toys (which we want to keep), and I plan on sorting through my kids rooms… yip it’s my New Year “Spring Clean” time! So I’m off to do some sorting and storing…

Chat soon,

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Sunday, December 5, 2010

Cookie Mix Gift Jar and free printable labels

Hi there!

I have had internet problems of late- I ran out of bandwidth just before month-end and decided that buying another gig would be wasted as it would not be used by the end of the month – so hence no postings for a while from me!

I also have been running around buying new school clothes for next year as my kids are both changing schools. On top of that it’s been the end of the school year, so it’s been a run-around as well as shopping up a storm for shorts, t-shirts and swimming costumes as we’re off on a seaside holiday (more about that later).

Anyway…. I saw this gorgeous idea over at Skip to my Lou a while back and decided I simply had to make it.

Cookie Mix Gift Jar

Here’s my version of it. I used my own recipe which a friend of mine gave me around two years ago. These biscuits are yummy- very much like shortbread. The big “plus” is that they are so easy to make!

The jar all decorated and filled with the dry ingredients for the cookies:

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A close-up of the instructions hanging from the jar:

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I  crocheted flower for decoration:

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The top of the jar…

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You will need :

  • Dry Ingredients (see the recipe below)
  • 2 Ribbons for tying around the jar (I used 2 different ones- one for around the ‘tummy’ of the jar, the other for around the lid.
  • A length of jute or string to tie the instructions label onto the jar.
  • hole punch
  • Glue gun (for gluing on the flower embellishment).
  • Modge Podge – for gluing on the labels.
  • Sponge brush applicator for the modge podge.

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The Recipe:

Place the following ingredients in a 1 litre jar:

(In South Africa- you can buy a 1 litre Consol jar at pick n Pay)

  • 2 cups cake flour
  • 1/2 cup corn flour
  • 165ml icing sugar
  • 1/2  teaspoon salt

Close the lid.

  • Now print out these printable labels onto an A4 sheet of lightweight cardstock (for 2 jars).

(click on image to enlarge)

Cookie Jar

* You can also access the printable sheet via my Google Docs account HERE

  • Cut out the labels. I used a 2 1/2 inch round punch (Fiskars) for the round labels.
  • Use the sponge brush applicator to apply a thin layer of modge podge to the “Santa’s Cooki Mix” circle label and apply to the lid of the jar.
  • Measure ribbon for around the ‘tummy’ of the jar. I applied a little modge podge to the ends and adhered it to the jar to keep the ribbon in place before applying the front label. (The ends are hidden under the bracket label).
  • Apply modge podge to the bracket label “A jar full of Christmas” and adhere to the front of the jar over the ribbon.
  • Tie another length of ribbon around the jar lid.
  • Punch a hole in the top of the instructions label and tie it to the jar with jute or string.
  • Add a crochet flower, silk flower or any other embellishment you like using a hot glue gun.

I have halved the original recipe to be able to fit all the ingredients into the 1 litre jar. Here is the original recipe which is for a larger batch of cookies if you want to make some for yourself:

  • 4 cups cake flour
  • 1 cup corn flour
  • 1 1/3 cup icing sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Mix all dry ingredients together.
  • Add 500g butter and 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
  • combine well.
  • Roll into a sausage shape, cover with cling film. Refrigerate for 15min-1/2 hour.
  • Remove from fridge and slice into 5mm slices. (If too thin, they break easily).
  • Bake at 180°c for 15 minutes

These make great hostess gifts, teacher gifts – or simply a little Christmas gift for friends and neighbours.

I will be away on holiday for the next week. We’re flying to the Seychelles tonight (at 23h55!!) for a week of summer sun, crystal clear turquoise sea and beautiful white beaches. It’s a 5 hour flight so tomorrow morning we arrive in Seychelles at 6am (local time- they are an hour ahead of South Africa). We’ve got our snorkelling gear and sunblock all packed and ready to go, so you won’t be hearing from me for a while.

 

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Linking to :

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Chat soon,

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