DIY Fire Pit

How to Make a Dreamcatcher

Baked to Perfection Ziti

Small Raised Paver Patio

Steps to Create the Raised Frame Step 1 I laid out my paver design on a flat surface and then measured the length and width. This gave me my measurements for my frame! 

Pour Painting

Acrylic pouring painting is the art of using fluid acrylics to pour onto a canvas (or other surface) to create unique abstract effects. The actual process of doing pour painting is mesmerizing and quite addicting!  You can use a canvas, rocks or any other firm surface. 

Balsamic Chicken

Quick chicken recipes, whether baked or grilled, are serious hanger lifesavers, and this chicken dinner is one of my absolute summer din din finest.

Four Season Garden

Start a Daily Sketchbook

It's a great way to improve your art skills and see the progress in one place. I remember doing a daily sketchbook practice and loving seeing how my art progressed. 

Moist Carrot Cake

Since I mentioned frosting, this really ‘takes the cake.’ Rich and plentiful, it presents an extra smooth finish because the powdered sugar has been sifted into the mixture. It’s just another reason why this recipe makes an exceptional moist carrot cake that’s bound to become your favorite.

Hopscotch Stepping Stones for the Garden

These hopscotch stepping stones aren’t the traditional children’s hopping game, nor are they typical for a garden pathway. I like these as part of the play garden design. 

Painted Ottoman

Mudd’s Pasta Salad

Sudoku Puzzle

Solution

The Mail Crossword

1. Smack a fly 5. Low grade? 10. Falling-out 14. Roof projection 15. Address an audience 16. Yield 17. "Beau Geste" author 18. Severity 19. River of Russia 20. Purple educator? 23. "Uh-uh!" 24. Aerial maneuver 25. Bean counter, briefly 28. Word with estate or time 31. Student's second chance 35. Hotfoot it 36. Room on a ship 38. Killer whale 39. Where's China? 43. Vegas alternative 44. Caruso, e.g. 45. Payable 46. Largest biblical book 49. Org. with a mission 50. "To ___ is human . . ." 51. Kebab need 53. 6-pointers, in the NFL 55. How to handle nuts? 61. Long, heavy hair 62. Georgian monetary unit 63. Beauty cream additive 65. Annoying smell 66. Modern correspondence 67. Places for prayers? 68. Kingsley and Franklin, for two 69. Some score marks 70. Bottom of a shoe

DIY Fire Pit

Materials:

Sudoku Puzzle

Solution

The Mail Crossword

1. Dungeness, for one 5. Vigoda and Lincoln 9. Mountain cottage 14. Junior, often 15. Fishing aid 16. Mrs. Kramden 17. 43,560 square feet 18. Instrument of ancient Greece 19. Took out 20. Yankees-Mets match-up 23. Bind 24. That is 25. Grp. for Love and Couples 28. Slalom curve 29. Hoosegow resident 31. File 33. Claim to fame 35. Vogue competitor 36. 21st century popinjay 40. Prep for publication 42. Be 43. Tallest land quadruped 47. Railroad beam 48. "The Bachelorette" network 51. Self starter 52. The Tygart, e.g. 54. Document amendment 56. Ten-speed feature 58. Word with smoke or fire 61. Alaskan outpost 62. Wet septet 63. Clinch, as a victory 64. Fencing sword 65. Jeff's partner 66. Term of endearment 67. Escritoire, for one 68. Nicole and Mimi, to Tom

Planting a Living Memorial

Myself, like many others, have lost more people in this world than we would like. Many people ask what they can do for a loved one. Food is always a go to option, you can send cut flowers or floral arrangements from a florist. If you have any gardening experience you could make a living memorial on your own. This will allow personalized details or color choices. Head to your favorite flower shop that sell indoor plants. You can definitely do an outdoor living memorial as well, just aim for part sun perennial plants. By choosing indoor or perennial plants your loved ones can enjoy this memorial for years to come. 

Sudoku Puzzle

Solution

The Mail Crossword

1. What’s more 5. Florida seaport 10. “Reflections on Ice-Breaking” poet 14. Word between in and of 15. Certain woodwinds 16. “A-Tisket, A-Tasket” first name 17. Important time periods 18. They could be hard to swallow 19. Magic wand feature 20. Spade 23. ___ out a living 24. “Do the Right Thing” pizzeria owner 25. Diamond 34. Buzzing, as with excitement 35. Syngman of Korea 36. Sovereign symbol 37. “Cheers” bartender Woody 38. Burn with steam, e.g. 40. Barbed remark 41. ___ Jima 42. Relative of etc. 43. Joker portrayer Romero 44. Club 48. Sports legend Bobby 49. Word with cold or loud 50. Heart 59. Code lead-in 60. Not on all fours 61. Something to pass 62. Skyrocket 63. Kidney-related 64. Color for a little boy 65. Descry 66. Skier’s challenge 67. Appear

No Bake Caramel Cookies

Sudoku Puzzle

Solution

The Mail Crossword

1. Turkey, for one 5. Comic's rewards 10. Reinterpret for political gain 14. Pawnee ally 15. Love, Italian-style 16. Great 17. Turkey 20. Deplorably bad 21. Harangue 22. Given a G, say 23. Actress Tara 24. Cyberclutter 26. Turkey 32. Airborne pests 33. Seine feeder 34. Court unit 36. Cover attachment? 37. Loser's problem, perhaps 39. Be sore 40. Pool experience 41. Increase 42. Give a start 43. Turkey 47. Palindromic Bavarian ruler 48. Victorian and Romantic 49. Joint venture venue? 52. Pullover, maybe 53. Bedazzle 56. Turkey 60. McClurg of "The Hogan Family" 61. The Missouri's largest tributary 62. Brighten 63. Like many fast-food orders 64. Pool units 65. Does in

Faux Tin Ceiling

I’m going to show you how to install glue-up faux tin ceiling tiles so you can transform your ceilings from so-so to spectacular. Even though it was done in a small room, you can certainly incorporate the same easy steps in a much larger room.

Sudoku Puzzle

Solution

The Mail Crossword

1. Bird feed 5. Lang of Smallville 9. Some housekeepers 14. "Hip to Be Square" rocker Lewis 15. Baseball Hall of Famer Slaughter 16. Knotted scarf 17. Grimm beastie 18. Seniors' org. 19. What "wine" and "dine" do 20. 1985 sci-fi comedy 23. Yakima-to-Coeur d'Alene dir. 24. "Well, looky here!" 25. Newborn 29. Summer TV fare 31. Astronaut's org. 33. Ebullience 34. Carps' cousins 36. Endangered long-snouted creatures 39. 1964 film subtitled "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" 42. Goalie's area 43. Swashbuckler Flynn 44. Bleated sound 45. Like some straits 47. Multiple 2003 Grammy winner Jones 51. Orchestra section 54. Superman's symbol 56. Tarzan portrayer Ron 57. 1968 Matthau/Lemmon comedy 60. Of the Holy See 63. Han's honey, in "Star Wars" films 64. Perceived 65. Good on a trampoline, say 66. Judge 67. Really long story 68. Lascivious deity 69. Misses the mark 70. AAA suggestions

Tie dye!

Supplies 

Sudoku Puzzle

Solution

The Mail Crossword

1. Rifle support 6. Punta del ___ 10. "Amen" deacon 14. "Pong" creator 15. Sear a steak 16. Settings for idylls 17. Allots 18. Indian Head pennies, etc. 20. Pro-___ (tourneys) 21. Small amount of money 23. "___ Can!" (Sammy Davis Jr. book) 25. Photo finish? 26. Denominational offshoot 28. Maiden-named 31. Having moderate heat 35. Pipe types 36. Numbers for crunching, e.g. 38. Rubbish 39. Laila's father 40. Picnic at the shore, perhaps 42. 768 tsps. 43. Pluperfect, e.g. 45. Ran full tilt 46. Bug bomb target 47. Display disdain 48. Costa del ___ 49. "Friends" role 50. Presidencies, to historians 53. Way to decrease? 55. Unexpected blow 60. Identify, in a way 63. Type of letter 64. Word with soap or horse 66. "Believe ___ not!" 67. Icelandic poetry collection 68. "___ for Murder" 69. Eighty-six 70. Diary starter 71. Vaulted settings

Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi

Sudoku Puzzle

Solution

The Mail Crossword

1. Attempt 5. Hobby for swingers 9. Tough times on Wall Street 14. Opening for troops? 15. Decorative window shape 16. Biblical patriarch 17. Inca capital 19. Fate 20. Rather remote 21. Temple leader 23. Scout group 24. Mode of the moment 26. Please Uncle Sam 28. Gallup finding 34. Make ends meet? 35. Stick on 36. Bound 39. Something to stew over? 40. Cell substance 41. Lord, e.g. 42. Schlep 43. Taro dish 44. Inkling 45. Cigarettes-to-be 48. Writer with a twist 50. Before, at the fore 51. Word with blood or boy 52. Writer's digression 55. Earthenware from Holland 60. Garnish 62. Noted traveler of Asia 64. Tumulus 65. Bedouin, e.g. 66. Feldman role 67. On edge 68. Private meal? 69. Type of cat

Preparing a Walkway for Concrete

Tools Required

Resin 101

I started working with resin over a five years ago, and it has become one of my favorite hobbies! For the longest time I was too intimidated to try it - and chances are that you are, too. Everyone has to start somewhere, and I'm here to help. I want to share a "Resin 101" series to show you just how much fun working with resin can be and give you all of my tips and tricks!

Funfetti Cake

Wainscoting an Island/Wall

Now that we have made sure the wall is not supporting our house, it was a go for demo! I love demo! Best rule of thumb is to go slow and clean up as you go. In this case I followed beside Norm and cleaned up. Carried out drywall and removed cabinets. While stopping here and there to be an apprentice. Be careful to avoid any electrical wires, plumbing and gas lines.  I’m not going to go into too much detail on the wall removal or the build of the new pony wall. Most wainscoting is applied to an existing wall. 

How to Etch Glass

There are so many possibilities of what you can make and these make great gifts.  It doesn’t have to be wine glasses or beer steins you can etch anything glass… mason jars, beer mugs, trifle bowls, candles, etc…  Just follow this etched glass tutorial and then sit back and admire the beautiful etched glass that you made!

Baked Tortellini Casserole

Before the grilling season kicks off, I wanted to make my family a nice comfort food meal. Baked Tortellini is an easy, cheesy baked casserole made with fresh or frozen tortellini and a quick homemade red meat sauce.

Outdoor Side Table

Supplies

How to Make a Rope Coil Basket

Material List: 

French Macarons

Tips:

How to Build a Faux Brick Wall

I was inspired to attempt this faux brick wall after reading a post from Corey at Sawdust2stitches.  She includes a video on how she accomplished the technique of smearing the spackling over the brick panels. I chose the darkest colored brick wall panels for our home. The colors were a perfect fit for our newly sanded oak floors.

String Art!

Supplies 

Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Twist

Have some fun with your dessert! Take your favorite cookie recipe and give it a twist! Try making them in to a cookie sandwich. There is nothing more satisfying than a good cookie with a soft, creamy buttercream filling! My favorite Chocolate chip cookie recipe is from Toll House, it’s simply perfect! Feel free to use any recipe you would like. I am sharing my adapted version of my favorite recipe! 

How To: Tile a Backsplash

Supplies: Installation of new tile over drywall. 

The Art of Crafts

The first thing to remember is art is in the eye of the beholder. We have all heard this from time to time. Talking about and creating art for the majority of my life has lead me to so much more than pencils and paper. I now have the ability to see something and make it happen. For example, I wanted to build a front porch on our home. I didn’t hesitate or think to myself “can I do this?” because I already knew I could. I knew because I have the basic mental, math, and creative skills to do it. If a professional builder would come to inspect my deck, they may notice it isn’t the exact way they would have done it. This doesn’t mean what I did was wrong, every person does it differently. I did my research and I made it happen. Art has given me more confidence in everyday life. I want to encourage you to try something new. If someone feels like they can share what they made with you, be kind and honest. Kindness creates a world where more good can happen. 

Granny’s Biscuits and Gravy

“Granny’s Biscuits and Gravy”

Peace for the World

When politics comes down to rigidly opposing views, all of these facts are ignored. Nothing gets resolved so that all sides achieve mutual satisfaction, and therefore grudges simmer, awaiting sudden eruptions and the pot boils over. But the fact that is critical is the first one. You can’t help the cause of peace unless you are peaceful in yourself. This means several things on the personal level: You sympathize with all suffering, no matter which side you take in a conflict. You don't see violence as the solution. You can detach yourself from judgment and blame. You don't give in to us-versus-them thinking.

Worried About Online Shopping Scams? You Should Be

“Online purchase scams were in the top three riskiest scams for the third year in a row," says Trumpower. "When COVID hit, then it became very clear that this was becoming even riskier because people were increasing their online presence.” Each year, her team puts together a report that identifies the riskiest scams for consumers and this year’s report shows buying online continues to be one of the biggest offenders.

A Shortage of This Fruit Could be Coming

Experts started predicting a decline in the number of harvested boxes of oranges back in August. Official end-of-the-year numbers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture published in December confirm their fears: the orange production for the entire country was down 11.8% in 2020. In California, the harvest was down 5.3%. In Texas, it went up 12.3%, but the state only produced 64,000 tons compared to California's 2,020,000. In Florida, orange production was down 16.8%, and it continues to worry experts.