Bringing the beach home for Katy

Katy wanted to have the beach all year at home. She is a beach girl through and through! Who can blame her, the beautiful colors and the lovely sounds. But we live far from the beach so I am trying to capture the beach feeling for her and I hope she likes it.

I bought this a couple of years ago and it had been sitting in a closet. I figured you cannot get more beachy than dunes and a palm tree.

I had some issues applying it and there were cracks all over the place :o(

I am trying my hand at fixing it with some inexpensive acrylics from Joann's. I have never painted anything in my life so I am really nervous about this!

This is the trunk of the tree that was split in two. I need to do a little more color matching but...

From far away you cannot tell at all :o) I have so much more to do with the painting and her bathroom is being redone to match too.


Back to painting I go. I am looking forward to back to school and back to sewing!!!!!!


Kim :o)

play

I am so excited to be a guest star over at Jenni Bowlin studios this week. I was sent some yummy yummy goodies to play with. This  by far was my favourite project I created. It tells the story of my eldest's love for his little friend Kate who he just adores and loves to play with!

I love the Jenni Bowlin CORE impressions and how easily rubons rub on even when it has been sanded!
Till next time...

CR84FN with SCS Sketch

This is my second post for today.  The first was bright and "royal", this one is soft and gentle. 

That's one of the things that I love about being involved in a church card ministry (see labels down the left side for complete information.)  I can play with styles and colors and techniques....I can make baby cards or retirements cards.  I am not limited by what I need - the church needs them all so I have total freedom to play!!

For this card, I used today's Splitcoast Sketch Challenge...

And I used this gorgeous CR84FN Color Challenge.



• Stamps: Stampin' Up Fast & Fabulour, Clear Dollar Stamps Heartfelt Sentiments
• Ink: Stampin' Up Basic Gray and Almost Amethyst, a copic marker for the greenery
• Paper: Stampin' Up Going Gray, Certainly Celery, Almost Amethyst CS and dsp (old pack)
• Accessories: My Favorite Things border die, Stampin' Up Celery twill, Stampin Sizzlit dies - Birds and Blooms?, misc buttons and pearls

Cold Melon-Berry Soup

If you're like me, you simply cannot get enough of all those sweet juicy melons that are in season right now.  I have no problems eating melon as is, but this cold melon-berry soup is certainly a beautiful alternative.  Sweet, colorful, and inviting this soup would be wonderful served as part of a breakfast or brunch menu.  We absolutely loved it!

Cold Melon-Berry Soup

Adapted from Around My French Table

Serves 4

1 dead-ripe cantaloupe (about 2-1/2 pounds)

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1-1/2 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Pinch of sea salt

1/4 cup sweetish white wine, such as Muscat de Beaumes de Venise (optional)

About 20 small strawberries

4 mint sprigs

Cut the cantaloupe in half and scoop out the seeds.  Using a melon baller or a small spoon, cut balls from one of the melon halves.  Put them in a bowl, cover, and chill for at least 2 hours, or for up to 6 hours.

Meanwhile, peel the other half of the melon, cut it into chunks, and toss the chunks into a blender or food processor.  Process, scraping down the container often, until the melon is reduced to a juice.  Add the ginger, 1-1/2 tablespoons lime juice, and the salt.  Taste and, if you think it needs it, add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of lime juice.  Pour the soup into a pitcher and chill for at least 2 hours, or for up to 6 hours.

At serving time, divide the soup among four widemouthed glasses (or four small bowls) and top each portion with a tablespoon of wine, if you're using it.  Spoon in the melon balls (depending on the size of your glass and the size of the melon balls, you may have some left over; you want the fruit to come about halfway up the sides of the glass, so you have room to spoon out the fruit and the soup), top with the berries, and finish each with a spring of mint.

July's Recipes

I'm also linking this to Deb @ Kahakai Kitchen for her Souper Sundays roundup.

Clean & Simple Inkspirations!

There is nothing particularly unique about this card, but I like the "royal" look of the banner...

My card follow this week's clean&simple sketch exactly.

I browsed this week's color challenges until I found a challenge with a least one royal color - purple!  I chose the Inkspirations challenge.

• Stamps: The Angel Company (an old single stamps)
• Paper: Stampin' Up Concord Crush, Pear Pizzazz dsp from Greenhouse Gala, Peach Parfait dsp from Ice Cream Parlor
• Ink: Stampin' Up Concord Crush
• Accessories: Quickutz banner die, EK Success border punch, Stampin' Up word window punch, American Crafts brads

Food 'n Flix Roundup: Letters to Juliet

A romantic comedy with beautiful scenic views of the Italian countryside, Letters to Juliet, was my pick for July's Food 'n Flix event. It appears the movie left everyone craving sweet, light, refreshing dishes perfect for summer. 

Let's have dessert first, shall we?

 Elizabeth of The Law Student's Cookbook got swept up in the romance of the movie and made a beautiful and deep pink Strawberry-Buttermilk Gelato.   Elizabeth says, "Sophie enjoys gelato in the movie and I can't deny how jealous I was when watching. I'm not only jealous of the gelato, but I want to go to Italy so bad and enjoy all the food."    I'm right there with you, Elizabeth!

Heather of girlichef made a very inspiring Mixed Berry Gelato.  Heather says, "While there were many food inspirations for me in this film, such as homemade pasta and a perfect risotto and cheese...olive oil...bread...truffles...I chose to make gelato.  Inspired by the the scene in which Sophie and Charlie sit and eat gelato and find themselves getting along."   I have to say it sure would be hard to eat gelato and not get along, especially after eating Heather's version made with blueberries and strawberries.

 Next up is Deb of Kahakai Kitchen who was inspired to make two recipes to share.   First up is a wonderfully refreshing creamy lemon ice cream, Gelato al Limone, which looks dreamy and all...but

Deb's pièce de résistance is this sunny-hued Sgroppino, a tall glass of creamy lemony ice cream, Prosecco, and Limoncello.  Deb says, "The only thing more appealing than a big bowl of creamy gelato is combining it with prosecco and vodka (or limoncello in my case) into the best kind of adult "milkshake." Who knows......Charlie and Sophie probably would have warmed up to each other much quicker if they had shared a few sgroppinos....

Transitioning us from the dreamy world of ice cream we have Roz of La Bella Vita who made two versions of a Veronese specialty, Gnocchi con Zucchero e' Cannella.   The gnocchi can be served as a dessert option with butter, sugar, and cinnamon or as an entree option with the addition of Parmesan cheese.  Roz says, " set in Verona, Italy, a young American woman is inspired by the real-life activity of people writing letters to Juliet and inserting them into the walls of Juliet's courtyard.  'Secretaries of Juliet' reply to those who wrote the letters.   The story unfolds about the romantic lives of two women, one young and one in mid-life and how their endeavors play out in the hills of Italy. That last sentence sums up the movie perfectly, Roz.

Tina of Life in the Slow Lane at Squirrel Head Manor has a rather fun and comical approach to her recipe choice.   Tina says, "As Claire is searching for “her Lorenzo” one of the men she speaks with is quite taken  by her. He suggests, “…if you don’t find your Lorenzo, come back and let me cook you a fish dinner.” I thought that was pretty cool. An old Italian man still trying to put the moves on a woman. After watching the movie and discussing the meal, my man says to me, "'Let me cook YOU a fish dinner,"   and yeah....I was sold.  Tina's man cooked her Grilled Fish, Saffron Risotto, Roasted Asparagus with a little white wine on the side. I think Tina's man should be giving lessons.  

Glennis from Can't Believe We Ate made a beautiful plate of Fresh Off The Vine Tomatoes.  Glennis says, "Since this is a love story…and tomatoes were once known as “love apples…” my offering for this flick is a simple plate of fresh off the vine, sliced tomatoes, dressed with extra virgin olive oil and a chiffonade of just picked basil…"  I love the way you think, Glennis.

Here at Stirring the Pot, I said, "It soon becomes clear to Sophie that Victor's top priority is not Sophie, but his new restaurant.  Poor Victor doesn't even realize his ways.  He's so obsessed with food and everything regarding it that he doesn't even realize he's losing Sophie."  Victor's lack of attention to Sophie made me think about how we should all make more time for our loved ones so I made a super quick pasta dish, Fettucine Limone Parmeggiano.  The sauce is fragrant with lemon and Parmesan and can be made in the time it takes to boil the pasta.  

Thank you to all who participated and also thank you to Heather of girlichef for asking me to host this round of Food 'n Flix! 

 The upcoming flick for August is Fried Green Tomatoes and is being hosted by the lovely Glennis from  Can't Believe We Ate.  Fried Green Tomatoes is a classic and I know you will draw much inspiration from it. Head on over to check out the announcement!

LIM: Feeling Fruity with a Cherry Fairy!!

This week's challenge at Less Is More is

FEELING FRUITY

I have been watching cards from a digital company called A Day for Daisies - they are absolutely and totally charming!  I was browsing yesterday and saw the Cherry Fairy.  The Less Is More challenge was a perfect excuse to fill my shopping cart with that digi and a few others (as if I need an excuse!)

I then found the A Muse sentiment stamp in my collection and the style of it was perfect!  And, yes...I do know that the sentiment is a "berry" and the stamp is a "cherry"...I'm just hoping that I am the only one bothered by that!

• Stamps: A Day for Daisies digi, A Muse sentiment
• Ink: copics
• Paper: Stampin' Up Garden Green
• Accessories: Art Institute Glitter Kiwi and Pearlescent, Smooch Pearlized Top Coat on cherries