For Cardmakers

Thoughts and Quotes: Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. . . . Oscar Wilde

A friend complimented me on one of my Thanksgiving card designs. I'm not worthy of compliments, as I simply follow a "blueprint" which some call sketches and I call layouts. 

If you make cards and get stumped for a design someday, you might like to try it. My favorite websites are Freshly Made Sketches and Mojo Monday. Here are some cards made from Freshly Made Sketches:

If you have paper you're sick of, use it to make envelopes.

I liked this design, but square cards need extra postage, so I made eight in the standard size.

It's okay to flip it from landscape to portrait or visa versa.

Here's one from Mojo Monday. You even get a sample with the sketch.

You get the idea. Here are my other cards.

The next time you get "designer's block", try this method. Here's the link to Freshly Made Sketches in order - click HERE. This will take you to Sketch 1 and they're now up to 461. When the link opens, you'll see a place to click on 1-200, 201-400, 401 etc.

For Mojo Monday, click HERE. You can access the sketches by number by scrolling down on the right to Search this Blog and put the number you want in the search box - Mojo XXX. She's up to 550. Or you can just click HERE for lots of sketches in no order.

The Pepper and Pals Report: Pepper's eye didn't heal completely and started getting cloudy again, so we've been back to see the vet; more eye drops; will go back to have it checked on Tuesday.

I have a new addition. He just sort of sidled in and settled down. The other kitties have accepted him, so I have as well. He's really old, probably a Tom, but looks as if his ear is sliced on the edge, so might be neutered. He looks a lot like Stormy, but she has lots of relatives, I'm sure, so who knows? I call him Grandpa. Like the others, he loves the flowerpots.

Time to Freshen Up: My new fence is finished, shrubs trimmed and many removed, plus some trees, house trim doors, gutters, and soffits power washed. Bank account flat. 

A bit of info if you're considering a new fence. They're not responsible for damage to your sprinkler system. This is what my sprinkler people will have to fix next spring before they initialize my system. The fence company did come back and clean up the rocks they dug up. This was the end of a long messy two weeks.

That's all I have for you this time. Last week was workmen everyday for the fence, yard, power washing, plus the plumber to fix my faucets which were all wiggle-wobbly. The company who installed them didn't charge to fix them, as well they shouldn't. He told me, "We usually don't have to put Lock-Tite (or whatever it's called) on these, so I'm not going to fault the original installer." Why don't they just do it anyway, just in case? It's a small matter to make sure and keep customers. It's not the Good Ole Days any longer, folks.

Tidbits: If you've ever thought of having your DNA analyzed, now's a good time. My Ancestry is having a sale through November 27 - unlimited number of kits for $39 each.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

ENJOY YOUR TURKEY

AND CRANBERRY SAUCE

AND PUMPKIN PIE

THANK YOU FOR SHARING MY LIFE

Cat Stories

Thoughts and Quotes: All's well that ends well. 

Remember the little kitty found in the gutter in my subdivision (story on blogpost of October 4)? His new owner sent a photo, saying that he's growing and loves his family and they love him. And I just learned that when a kitty has eyes of different colors, it's called heterochromatic. 

 

And speaking of kitties -

The Pepper and Pals Report: The past month has been nothing but vets. Trip 1: Pepper's right eye became infected (an ongoing problem since the scar tissue from his injury pulls the corner of his eye and it doesn't always close all the way). Dr. Hardy was out of town, so we went to Cobblestone. Dr. gave me some salve to put in his eye every two hours.

Trip two: Check up on Pepper's eye. Continue salve four times a day.

Trip three: Stormy for annual shots. I took her to Cobblestone since Dr. Hardy is still on lockdown, and she goes ballistic without her Aunt Patsy.

Trip Four: Check up on Pepper's eye. Changed to drops three times a day.

Trip Five: Ran out of drops. Go get more.

Trip Six: Final check up on Pepper's eye.

Trip Seven: Trapped Tippy - take to Dr. Hardy.

Trip Eight: Tippy spayed. Pick her up.

Trip Nine: Trapped Baby - take to Dr. Hardy.

Trip Ten: Baby neutered. Pick him up.

In the meantime, a little kitten got trapped under my house. Something pushed the screen in behind the vent. Kitten crawled in, there's a drop off, he couldn't get back up to get out.

I finally found a pest control company who sent a big 6'+ Marine who crawled under the house and rescued the kitten. What an adorable sight - big strapping Marine cuddling a tiny kitten. Why didn't I take a photo? Another happy ending; he wanted the kitten and took it with him. My neighbors were leaving at the same time, and saw him stopped at the light with the kitten on his shoulder. He'll be fine without his mother. Hungry as a little bear, so we gave him wet food and he gobbled it right down.

The kitten can only belong to the elusive BJ, which means she probably has more somewhere. I'm waiting for her to bring them to the outdoor patio (my outdoor kitty cafe), so I'll know they can find food, and then try to trap her AGAIN. I bought a different trap, so maybe this one will work. She's the only one not spayed or neutered.

We had a rainy day, so I left the screen door propped open, and Tobin came in to nap in his favorite little hammock which Carrie sent.

The next day was nippy, so I put blankets for the other kitties, but only Flower showed up.

And now it's getting cold at night, so the kitty-cat motel is open for business.

And here's Stormy, the Queen of the Coffee Table

Things that Grow: This is the end of my gardening effort. The feral kitties think my raised beds are giant litter boxes, and I don't want to eat food where kitties go to the bathroom. I tried growing tomatoes in five-gallon buckets, but  without much success. I always have great luck with peppers, and plant them in a spot that the kitties ignore, but I don't like peppers very much, so this is the end.

I made a quart of pickled green tomatoes, two quarts of pickled Coolapena peppers, froze enough bell peppers to last me all winter and goodbye to gardening. 

While pulling the marigold bushes from the north bed, look who came to help.

And when I took the hose and reel off the fence, I found my little buddy, who thought he'd found a place to hibernate for the winter. I hope he found a place far away, because that fence is being torn down right now.

The other things which grow are trees, and they've been beautiful this year. I took a few photos over by the vet's office and a few in Bentwater, but then my neighbors started posting on our Facebook page, so I thought I'd share them. I'm sure they won't mind.

Thrifting: Not the kind where I shop thrift stores, but the kind where I repurpose. I had seven extra sheets of stationery with no envelopes, some pale pink cardstock someone gave me ages ago, and some fuschia paper from who knows where. I never turn down a piece of paper.

I turned it into note cards. I used the bottom of the page for the cards and the top to decorate the envelopes. I liked the butterflies best, so I made four.

And speaking of cards, here are the Halloween cards I received.

Guess David thought I had enough cats, so sent me a dog this time.

Love this one from Carrie. Wish I had a stamp like the Happy Halloween.

Jean always makes such cute cards, and thinks we can't have too many cats.

When you see this card from Barbara, doesn't that song Witchy Woman start playing in your mind?

Tasting: I have some new recipes you might enjoy. Hate cooking rice? This method works perfectly.

BAKED RICE

3-1/2 cups boiling water

2 cups long grain white rice

4 Tbs butter

1-1/2 tsps salt 

Heat oven to 375°. 

Mix all ingredients in a 13 X 9 glass baking dish. 

Cover tightly with foil. 

Bake 24-27 minutes. 

Remove from oven and check to see that all water is absorbed. Recover and leave it for 5 minutes. 

Remove cover and fluff with a fork. 

Note: I measure and freeze in plastic bags. You can make half the recipe and bake in an 8 x 8 or 11 x 7.

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you can't find apricot nectar, use mango.

LEMON APRICOT CAKE

1 box lemon cake mix

1/3 cup sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup apricot nectar

4 eggs

Glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar

3 Tbs. lemon juice 

Heat oven to 325°. 

Grease a Bundt or tube pan. I use Baker’s Joy. 

Beat together the cake mix, sugar, oil, and nectar. 

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.

Bake 1 hour. 

Cool in pan for 10 minutes and then invert onto a serving plate. 

While cake cools, mix powdered sugar and lemon juice. Glaze the warm cake.

NAGI’S BBQ CHICKEN

3 lbs. bone in, skin on chicken thighs (six)

1 cup ketchup

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tsps Worcestershire sauce

4 Tbs brown sugar

2 tsps mustard powder

2 tsps onion powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 cup water 

Heat oven to 400°. 

In a 13” x 9” baking dish, mix together all ingredients except water and chicken. 

Stir in water. 

Turn chicken in sauce, ending with skin side down. 

Bake 20 minutes. 

Turn chicken and spoon sauce over. 

Bake 30 minutes more. 

Drain excess fat; change oven to broil. 

Broil 3 minutes, watching carefully so that it doesn’t burn.

To cut down grease, use thighs with no skin. You can also use legs.

RED VELVET COOKIES

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1 box red velvet cake mix

Powdered sugar 

Beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and egg together thoroughly. 

Mix in cake mix. 

Chill for 30 minutes. 

Heat oven to 350°. 

Roll into balls, and then roll balls in powdered sugar. 

Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. 

Bake 10-12 minutes. 

Note: I used a 2-teaspoon sized melon baller, and ended with 3-1/2 dozen cake-like cookies.

Tidbits: Saw this at a stoplight. Can Georgia plates use just the logo and no state name?

Teaching and Learning: Here are the last steps to overcoming procrastination.

12. Bundle Rewards with Actions. Engage in a specific enjoyable experience only while you're engaging in an activity that has a positive long-term impact on your life.

13. Attach All Tasks to a Goal. How does this relate to one of my important goals?

14. Create Accountability for Your Tasks. When you have someone to cheer on your successes, you're less likely to give up.

That's all, folks!

START PLANNING YOUR THANKSGIVING MEAL

AND YOUR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

STILL TIME TO PLANT BULBS

PRAY FOR AN END TO THE CHINA VIRUS

MAKE FUN PLANS FOR WHEN IT'S GONE

THANK YOU FOR SHARING MY LIFE