Silhouette Cameo fun!

I got a new toy last fall and I have been pretty much obsessed with it since then.  It's a Silhouette Cameo and is a cutter.  (You may have heard of the Cricut...it's like that but cooler...but I'm not biased or anything!)

What I really like about the Cameo is that it does not require cartridges.  You can choose from images on their online site, most are .99 or less.  You can size that image, "colorize" it the way you want, print on your printer and cut on the cutter.  It cuts vinyl, fabric, and all kinds of paper.

As I said, I'm a fan.  If you want to read about one of these wonders, you can check it out at www.silhouetteamerica.com

But be forewarned.  You WILL want one.  What is cooler about it is:  you can design your OWN designs and make them any size you want.  This is my favorite feature because I love a cool font (you can use any that you have on your computer), and I like to design my own designs or alter the ones you can buy at the Silhouette online store.  It allows you so much flexibility!  Cricut is great and groovy and was the greatest thing going UNTIL the Cameo came out....now I'm sold on my new toy.

I have spent lots of time looking up tutorials and also blogs that have examples of cool things to make with the Cameo or its companion software, STUDIO.  Which, by the way, is a free download.  I have googled and searched and looked high and low for new ideas.  Most of the ones you will see today are not super-original, but just have my own touch to them.  I do have some originals that I will be posting soon.

I plan on sharing some of the items that I have made...mostly because I know that others out there are looking for inspiration as well.  However, I am not an tutorial-er, so anyone who wants ideas from me are probably going to have to figure it out for themselves.

I mean, I am a teacher and all....but I just can't currently bear all that continual picture-taking that must occur if you are going to construct an actual tutorial.  I figure most of you can work it out using just the finished product pic!!  If you do have any specific questions, just ask....and I'll bet I can answer those.

So.....that said, one of the most fun items that I have done is the newborn baby onesie.  My go-to baby shower gift has become the sets of 1day-1year onesies that I design on Studio, cut on Cameo, and then iron on the appropriate size onesies.  The gift of twelve onesies looks sort of spectacular...and you can make this present for about $40 or so, depending on how much transfer paper you mess up!!

Not a great shot, but maybe you get the idea!

Here's Kutter in his 1 day baseball onesie!  Behind him is his  proud brother, Kamden!

I have my soon-to-arrive granddaughter's already designed and printed as well!

This is for my granddaughter, whose arrival we are awaiting.   (hers are a tad fancier!)

Precious John Luke at three months

Darling nephew, Ryder at one month!

Take two eggs and.....

Things, they are a'changing. The computers....they are taking over the world. And most, I embrace that.  Something easier, faster, smoother, smarter... I love techno-gadgets A LOT.  My husband puts up with it, but I can tell he doesn't love that I come home and frequently have my face stuck in a laptop or a kindle or an iphone.  But I love feeling connected, I adore having information for my curious brain right at my fingertips, and even the homemade-ish items that I love to create are at least conceived and designed on the laptop.

So, my loss?  Handwritten recipe cards.  I love them!  Remember when you asked for a recipe from someone?  The really organized ones went directly to their little file that held 3 x 5 cards, cutely decorated with turtles or frogs or flowers or mushroom.  (You can tell I came of age in the 70's)....They got their ball-point pen and they WROTE the recipe out for you.  By hand.

These were my cards.  Classy, yes?

 Sometimes messy, sometimes their instructions were a little too detailed and sometimes they were a little too vague.  (By that I mean FOR ME....because "combine"? did that mean stir with a spoon or mix with the mixer??  "blanch"?  that was waaaaay out of my league.  I learned somewhere in there that it NOT mean the woman on Golden Girls, but had some mysterious meaning that involved ice or cold water.  I did not take easily to cooking.  I needed details. 








Some of my grandmother's recipes just had a list of ingredients with some heading like "Marble Cake".  Those did me no good at all, because I did not know what came first, second, third, etc.

See?  I COULD NOT make this pecan pie if my life depended on it!

See this one?  It's written on paper from the San Antonio Bag & Burlap Company.  Do you wonder if it's still in business?  Well, just call....

CApital 6-1493 and see if anyone answers.

How about this one from Community Public Service?  What was this little guy's name?  Reddi-Freddi?  I miss my mind so much!!

Love these from old products.

Remember:  You'll be GLAD  you used Gladiola Flour.

Some were clipped from the Comanche Chief and taped to the back of an index card.  I posted this one because Granny  always made egg custard pie.  And I'm sure Mrs. Bill Lee, 839 Poplar did also.  :)

Check out this cool design and retro look..  Ummm what's that font?  Plus, who doesn't love Party Punch?

OR Pink Punch Party Cake?

You may already recognize the dromedary label for dates , and the back of a powdered sugar box.

This one was written on a receipt from the store my Granny worked at.  I'll bet they looked for receipt number 48 forever.  But my Granny took it..  For her own personal Cake Mix recipe documentation needs.

But despite my s-l-o-w learning curve in my 20s, I eventually did learn to cook and the onset of a different kind of recipe, the electronic kind,  makes me look back lingeringly at those old handwritten recipe cards.  I have some from my paternal grandmother (we called her Mama Owen), my maternal grandmother (we called her Granny Cox) and my own mother (We called her.......wait for it......."Mama". Sorry, but SHE would think that's funny!) I have some my sister wrote out for me when I got married, probably fearing the worst for my young husband. I have some from my sweet mother-in-law, Pat.   I have some from my Aunt Frances and because my life has had funny twists and turns I have the recipe box of my husband's late wife, who died of a sudden illness when she was 42.

All of these recipes, handwritten and  suspended in time, tell a story of who these women were at that time.  The early ones are very inherently different than the later ones.  There are noticeable trends in products used .  I'm telling you, there was a decade that produced a whole bunch of jello-based goodies and one undetermined timeframe for everything evaporated milk.

We go through those times don't we?  Currently my husband and I are going through a manic stage of the green chilis!!!  We want them on everything....most recently, scrambled eggs.  Along with cheese, of course, but that's another story. 

So while I love http://www.allrecipes.com/, http://www.cooks.com/, http://www.foodnetwork.com/, and http://www.food.com/, I do dearly miss the days when I received a carefully handwritten recipe.  One I'd asked for because I absolutely loved it at the pot-luck Sunday dinner.  Or the wedding shower.  Or Christmas dinner.

To most slow old-fashioned processes, I say Good riddance.  I myself haven't written a recipe down in years.  But that doesn't keep me from being so delighted that I have these keepsake memories that other women in other times took the time to write them down for me.

The Collecting of Ideas....my way!

A few months ago, I discovered a website that was just a wonder.  Of course, you guys are all addicted to PINTEREST with me, right?  It has changed my life, yall.

If you are not already on it, go to www.pinterest.com and sign up for your account right now.  Go ahead.  I'll wait for you until you get back.

Now, don't you agree that it's made your life better.  Also, if you obeyed my imperious command to go to the website, what I KNOW is that you won't be reading this.  Because it is addictive waaaay beyond crack.  I do not know that firsthand, be assured.  But it seemed like the right thing to say about this fab site.  I pin things, repin, look things up.....always love it!!

I've spent very little time checking Facebook since I found Pinterest.  In fact, I've spent very little time doing anything since I found Pinterest.

You may think I'm exaggerating the impact of this SPECIAL place to visit.  Well, I will have you know that I have many teachers who say it has changed their teaching style/career.  $40,000 worth of professional development and year and THIS is what changes their teaching life!  I LOVE IT.

But be warned....when you go in, you may never come out!

So, here's my story:

I found it while looking for decorations for Cameron and Chelsi's summer outdoor wedding and rehearsal dinner.  From that moment on, I only stop to eat.  Not really.  Sometimes I stop and actually make the items that I am finding there.  I mean it..Pinterest hit my creative nerve.

I ordered a Silhouette Cameo in late summer and it arrived in November.  That has really amped up my creativity because I have THE TOOL.  I can design anything on the computer, cut it out on the Silhouette Cameo...then, depending on what media I cut out, I stick it on something, iron it on something, or just print it and frame it.  It has been a lot of fun!

If you are interested in what I am talking about, go to www.silhouetteamerica.com and get the full scoop.      I will be posting some of my designs/creations in the next few posts.

Story of my Life!!

But for now....I'll leave you with a Pinterest grab....

Be Blessed,

Boo

XXOO Valentine's Advice (and a Warning)

Hello there again!!

With Valentine's Day coming, I think I shall choose to talk about V-Day gifts.  Because I feel it is my responsibility to share my many years of Valentine's Day successes and failures with you.
CANDY
My first Valentine's Day other than the class exchange...which I always loved....was in 5th grade.  Right as Mrs. Hesta Hestand  (yes, that it her real name) was taking attendance, a 6th grade boy....the cutest 6th grade boy, I might add, appeared at my classroom door with a GORGEOUS white heart filled with chocolates.  Perhaps he could tell by my body shape that I was an old gal that would appreciate something with lots of calories.  He was right, and I was in love.  The puppy kind, but it lives on as one of my favorite memories.  Embarrassing but special.  I loved it. Thanks, Tony! And I'll tell you why I loved it.  I was 10 years old.  If the object of your affection is over 10 years old, I would not advise this particular gift.  It's just cheesy and cliche.
FLOWERS
Second big experience:  7th grade and my boyfriend (we already had out lives all planned out...cabin by a lake and 4 boys named:  Joseph, Jason, Jeremy, and Joshua) surprised me by having a single red rose delivered.  I still consider this one of if not THE best Valentine's Day.  It did not bother me one bit that his Mom was a florist and this gift was probably selected because it was the easiest to come by.  Moral of this story:  Flowers are always good if you can afford them and you order early enough to get nice ones.  Precautionary warning:  don't have the bill sent to the house for your wife to pay.  Ruins the mystery and delight of the whole thing.  The day she receives the bill will be a bad evening for you and YOU WILL NOT KNOW WHY.

GIANT TEDDY BEARS
I was listening to CNN on the way to work this morning.  One of the advertisements was for a "sure to please" gift of a giant Teddy Bear and 5-6 ft. roses for your love.  And that is why I'm writing this post.  Surely Goodness and Mercy you can find something that won't be scary or over the top like this is bound to be!!  It WILL get a response, but I'm not sure it will be the kind you are expecting.  The ad promised not only a LIFE-SIZED teddy bear and giant roses, but if you ordered within 60 minutes, you would also receive a Valentine's t-shirt for your sweetheart.  It just kept getting worse and worse!  There is no way you could frame this present as one that expresses your deep love, affection and respect for your wife/girlfriend, etc.  The message it sends: 

• I picked this up at the carnival last year.   OR
• I thought enough of you to order this up in advance...so in my heart of hearts I truly believe this is a fabulous present.  OR
• I wasted money trying to be hip by sending this present ironically.

HA!!  I fooled you, didn't I?  You didn't know this was going to be a rant.  Well, anyway, I don't have any suggestions for a really great Valentine's present.  Dinner is good, and you cannot go wrong with jewelry.  That's about the extent of my knowledge on adult Valentine's that will be received well. 

Maybe you can think of something......and let me know!!

XXXOOOO

Long Time No See

First of all, I am aware that it has been 17 long months since I have updated this blog.  I don't know if anyone read it in the first place but my reluctance to write was more than mere writer's block.  I was suddenly overcome with concerns and changes and every other little thing in the world that was an excuse not to write.

Turns out, at least one or two people read my rantings, raves, and rages because I have been asked by several people to continue...and I think I will!  I very much enjoyed reading blogs.  I read blogs by people who want to save money (like me, but 25 years younger).  I read them by women who want to look better (just as I do...but they are 25 years younger).  I read blogs by people who want to be closer to the Lord (like me, but.....well, you know!!)  They want to cook better, decorate their houses better, raise wonderful children....all the things I do, but at a much later time in my life.  Surely other 53 year old women have noticed this same trend?????  Well, I stated how old I am so THAT mystery is over....let's get on with what's happening around here...

There is so much going on in my life right now.

My church is under an active effort to improve almost everything about ourselves.  Our worship, our faithfulness, our music, our instruction of children.  It's exciting!

As the principal of an elementary school, things are just peachy.  We are in the second semester which is always incredibly busy.  Second of all, the state of Texas has decided to bless us with a new state assessment of our children and everything they know, think, and do.  It is higher-order, highly rigorous, and has just about put US ALL in a rigor.  But not quite.  We (and by that, I mean my fabulous staff of teachers, paraprofessionals, etc.) have been hanging in there, steady as she goes, teaching our children to the very best of their abilities.

I am currently teaching a weekly "Lunch and Learn" for a small group of parents from my community.  We are taking a look at "Have a New Kid by Friday" by Kevin Leman.  It is a great book on how to train/discipline/structure the life of your children.  It involves the least amount of confrontation with the best possible results that I can imagine......if it's "used as instructed"...just like your antibiotics!!



It's a good book...and like all good books, can be found at Amazon for a decent price.  Also available on Kindle and e-readers, which is the way that a few of the mother's in my group got their book.  Oh, how I love technology!!!  It's all the things I love wrapped up in one:  efficiency, informational, and cheaper than the alternative! Our first chapter study boiled down to this.  When dealing with your children,
1.  Tell them once.
2.  Turn around.
3.  Walk away.

What simplicity!  And I can tell you from the 469 kiddos that are in my school.....and the two I raised....it works!!  I now so regret the times I chased my children down in the house, hoping they would "fess up" to the crime, while I ranted and raved about all I had done for them...and wouldn't it be nice if they would show just a smidgen of respect and appreciation for what I had trained them to do?  Wouldn't it?????  If only Kevin Leman had come to my rescue then!!  I've decided that I will pay for my grown children's therapy if they or the judicial system decides they need it. 

Because clearly, things are my fault.  What things?  Everything.  But as I'm getting older, my past is getting better and I think now, as my memory is getting foggy, that  I probably should've been named Mother of the Year several years in a row back in the 80's.  But I.am.not.bitter.  At all.

Could I cram anymore into this post?  Could it be any more boring?

My daughter has a cool blog.  She's one of those young women in this country that writes a blog like we used to write entries in our diaries.  They are consistent and somewhat revealing in their personal lives.  But unlike my old diary posts, it is uplifting and promising and very full of life!!  You can find a younger version of myself at :  http://kaylietess.wordpress.com/.  It might be interesting for some of you to see how alike and simultaneously how different we are.


Okay, final thought....I've got to change this banner on this blog!!  Why, oh why did I like it 17 months ago???

Be blessed,
Boo