About Me

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I LOVE to design and to paint whimsical items that will put a smile on your face. Each day I share my simple life with you as I try to encourage, to inspire and sometimes JUST to make you smile as I recount my life growing up on a dairy farm! I've never had many material items in my life, BUT I have been blessed beyond words with love and encouragement from WONDERFUL Parents who instilled in me WHAT was important. I have had EVERYTHING that I needed and WAY too much of what I wanted. I am slowly learning to be a better person each day through my interactions with my friends on Facebook. Some day I hope to be as good as people seem to THINK I am! I am BLESSED! Welcome to my little corner of the world...Please stop by and visit often!

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Orange Cookies

As you know, I have my days and nights mixed up, 
and try as I may, I cannot get on a
 normal person's schedule.  
And when I try, I just make it worse.

This week, I am on the get up at 2 am schedule.

SO, at 4 am, I was making cookies.

Yesterday, I had crushed the Vanilla Wafers 
in a zip lock bag.
I sat the Orange Juice out to thaw.
I was committed at this point to finish!

As always, I seem to have a helper 
that had his own ideas.

After melting the butter, 
I thought Charcoal would like to 
lick the butter wrapper and plate.

He did...

He also ate the wrapper.

Paper is one of the main Food Groups for Labs.


Did you want the wrapper back?  Did you have plans for it?

I got the cookies made, and Look--he got the roll of Butter Rum Lifesavers off of the table and brought them to his "safe place".



Mean ole Mommie took the lifesavers away...


This is one of my most favorite cookies.  
I love that they have been in our family 
almost as long as I have~~lol
Ok, so I was 10!

My cousin, Cheryl, gave Mother the recipe in 1972.
Mother loved them, too.
She loved them rolled in Coconut.
Not me, so she rolled me some in Powdered Sugar.
That was the kind of Mother I had.  
Actually, that is how most Mothers are--
always thinking of others.

\

Now, the problem with this recipe, 
and hundreds of other recipes that are in our families, 
the boxes have 
gotten smaller and smaller 
through the years!
This called for a 1 pound box of Vanilla Waffers, 
but the boxes are now 11 ounces!!
You can buy 2 boxes and weigh them 
with a kitchen scale 
OR Do what I did
I tried to just make things (kinda) match.
I used the 11 ounce box of Vanilla Wafers
I had a 32 ounce bag of powdered sugar, 
so I squeezed 1/3 of the bag to made it 
ABOUT 11 ounces
I used 2/3 cups of Pecans
1 Stick of Melted butter 
(can you have too much butter?)
And my can of Orange Juice was 12 ounces, 
so I eyeballed what I thought 
was a little less than half.


I added all the ingredients to a freezer zip lock bag
to mix them--watch your zip lock, 
because sometimes they break open.

You can mix these in a bowl, 
but I already had the bag.


I also put my powdered sugar to roll them in 
into a zip lock bag.


To roll out the balls, I used a spoon to 
get the dough out of the bag.
I added powdered sugar to my hand.
Placed the dough in my hand
And rolled them.
Yes, powdered sugar was everywhere, BUT
my hands didn't get sticky one bit!



I think my favorite thing about these cookies is
Putting them on my 
bunny platter!!


I love these cookies
They are so fresh tasting!


It turns out that Charcoal still had a few tricks left in his bag...
He found this on my stack I was cleaning/putting in boxes
And he had plans for some chewing
as he tossed it on the couch
(that is the blur from throwing it)

Charcoal is ALL BOY!!



I am so thankful for all the recipes 
that have been passed down 
through my family.
Sharing with friends is such a gift.
As I held the recipe card, 
I got the warmest feelings and 
such great memories of making and taking 
handmade items to friends, and yes, to strangers.
I hope you each are taking the time 
to do things with your children/grandchild/pups =) 
to pass on heart memories.
I am thankful for the talents that 
my parents help develop.

NOW...off to have another one (or two) cookies!

I am simply blessed to create~~charlotte♡


Wednesday, January 4, 2017

On the Tenth day of Christmas...

On the Tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...LOL

How fast have the days gone by since Christmas?

I just logged on to do my WORD for 2017, and mercy, I found this post I did on the 28th, and never finished it, so, being one not to WASTE things, I am going to share this.

Our Team on Etsy, FAAP is having an after Christmas Sale.  I have been blessed to sell 4 items and I am grinning from ear to ear!  I thought I would share the 20 items that I still have listed at a discounted price.

Remember, that Holiday items make GREAT Wedding Gifts!  One of the best wedding showers I ever attended, was a Holiday Shower.  Most people get every day items, but when the holidays roll around, they have to go shopping, which, isn't a REAL problem, but just something to think about.

I sure do love that I get to create things with my hands.  All those days that Mother did her best to keep our hands busy, I never had any idea the seed she was planting for the direction of my life.
I KNOW, she was doing her best to keep me and Brian from fighting, but what great skills she was also implanting in my world.

IF you have children, PLEASE teach them to love the arts, and the joy of doing work with their hands.  Yes, game playing does teach them skills, but to CREATE something is a gift.  Teach them BASIC skills they will need for life--to cook, to repair things, to grow things (yes, I guess mold on food in the fridge is a lesson, too), to organize their toys/books/possessions, to HELP with chores--not EVERYTHING we do deserves MONEY to get it done, because service is a vital part of living.

I am so thankful for the lessons my Parents taught me, even when I didn't know they were teaching me!  WOW--what a blessed child I was.




























Check out my teammates items, also.  
I am surrounded by talented artists!




Thank you to each of you that has encouraged me.
You have no idea how much it means!
BUT you have ONLY yourself to blame 
for seeing more of me--LOL

I am simply blessed to create~charlotte♡

Monday, December 26, 2016

On the First day of Christmas...

On the First Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me....

I thought I would start the First Day of Christmas by Sharing my treasures that I received from friends, far and near.

Of course, Santa did NOT forget about sweet little Charcoal..



EVEN though he was very naughty, he STILL made out like a bandit, proving again, it might not matter if you are naughty or nice, Santa still forgives and delivers...

Never has Charcoal had more than one tennis ball at a time, and he was hilarious!  I took one ball out of the bag, and soon, he had 5 out!  Yep, 2 are who-knows-where...time will tell.



Spoiled baby got some treats from Miss Gloria...so did Mommie! 



Crystal sent me and Charcoal some treats...
Always happy art, a reflection of her!


Jolanda, from the Netherlands, 
sent this hand-painted Charcoal...
LOVE IT!!


Christine, from Germany, sent these beauties for me.  
Beautifully painted and I love the domino!



Sweet Lynn, who sends treasures 
all over the country, 
made this awesome Santa for me.
Now, here is the problem...
I got ready to take the picture 
and a four-legged, furry child, 
STOLE and ATE my candy Cane...
heavy sigh--PAPER and all!!  
This was the only Candy Cane 
I had in the house to use for the photo...


Yeppers, 
He LOOKS all 
sweet and innocent and laid back, 
but I tell ya, he has some "thievin'" in him!!


Miss Linda sent this to me, 
but CHARCOAL thought it was his 
since it has "Labrador" written on it.  
We are still in negotiations...



And then, Wendy sent Summer Sausages...
He is getting his share....




I took time on Christmas eve to do this drawing 
with Prismacolor Pencils.  
It was fun to just play! 
I am getting a bit better, 
but so much more to learn.
Design is by Amy Mogish.


Yes, Charcoal...I SEE YOU...



I brought a little bit of my 
Christmas Tradition with me on Christmas Day. 
 I cooked Country Ham, Biscuits, 
Garlic Cheese Grits, 
Creamed Corn, Fruit Salad 
and a Tomato.
It was so very yummy and brought back precious memories.
Served on Mommas white plate.♡


My friend Wanda brought us this Nativity Flag...
And a bucket of 3 flavors of Popcorn
I love getting Popcorn!





Karalee sent me these cute ornaments!!
I adore them!




Nancy set this pretty ornament with a planning calendar.
 Do I dare TRY to plan?!!  LOL


This is a better picture of the mug.


I got this cute Gingerbread Ornament from Michele...



This is DA Naughty Boy with his haul from Santa...



As we enter the 12 days of Christmas,
 may we NEVER forget to keep the 
Spirit of Christmas Alive all year.

I am beyond blessed for those 
who thought of me.
My prayer is that I will take opportunities 
in this coming year
to Pay it Forward with 
Random Acts of Kindness.

I hope you will each do the same.

I am GRATEFUL and BLESSED!...~charlotte♡