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Today's Recipe

Teacher Gifts

Can't believe another school year has gone by!  I always wait until the last minute to search for the perfect teacher gifts.  This time, I came across this gift idea in the Close to my Heart Idea Book, using their Muslin bags, For a Friend stamp set, and Rosette ribbon.  (I also added a matching gift tag which you can't see in the photo). They were super easy to decorate - and stuff with goodies!

Baking Tips

I came across some useful general baking tips on this website and thought I'd share them:  

• Ingredient Prep
• Always make sure to read through a recipe start to finish - ingredients and instructions - before beginning. You may miss a crucial step needed in the preparation, or realize you need an ingredient that you're missing.
• In recipes calling for apples, try using two or three different types for variety in the dish.
• If your jam or preserves are a little too thick to spread, microwave them for a few seconds until they loosen up (but don't overdo it).
• Don't use old yeast! It only has a shelf life of 3 to 4 months.
• While you can buy many different tools to separate eggs, probably the best one out there is the shell itself. Just crack it open and catch the yolk in one half, and pour it back and forth until it's fully separated. You might not get it the first time, but practice makes perfect!
• Measure out oil first before other ingredients like honey or peanut butter because it helps them not stick to the measuring cup. Alternatively, you can give the measuring cup a quick spray with Pam.
• Butter softens best sitting out for an hour at room temperature, but if you need to speed it up, use the microwave - just make sure to put it on a lower setting or you'll end up with melted butter.  
• Using room temperature eggs in your recipe will help them better incorporate into the rest of the ingredients.
• Keep your brown sugar tightly sealed so that it doesn't harden. If it does, you can try and revive it by microwaving it next to a cup of water for two to three minutes.
• Brown sugar is usually measured as a "packed" cup - which means you press the sugar down into the cup to make sure it's as full as possible.    
• Happy Baking!

Mojo Monday #294

I hopped on over to the Mojo Monday blog to gather some inspiration to make a birthday card for my beautiful niece, Celine, who turns 17 today!!  Here's the fun card I made for her:

 Thanks for stopping by!

Card Recipe:

Paper:  Bazzill pink cs; Recollections patterned cs; kraft & white cs from my stash

Stamps: Verve "Birthday Surprise", "Making a Statement"; Gel-a-tins "Sewing Kit"

Inks: Stampin Up "Lovely Lilac"; CTMH "Black"

Embellishments:  Recollections pink, yellow & purple tiny pearls; CTMH glitter, Baker's Twine, buttons; Celebrate It sheer pink ribbon; Liquid Pearls

Tools:  Verve Rounded Scallop die; Cuttlebug; CTMH corner rounder; Martha Stewart punch; Staedtler watercolour pencils; 3D foam tape; Glue Dots

Caricatures

Welcome! What a gorgeous spring day! My tulips have finally blossomed, although I was somewhat disappointed to find out that I had planted a 'dwarf' variety.  For the last week, I kept wondering why my tulips were taking so long to grow in comparison to the already tall and blossomed tulips I'd been spotting in my neighbourhood.  Well, now I know that they were actually almost fully grown!  Nevertheless, tall or small, they're beautiful and represent Spring in a most cheerful way :))

Being in the great mood that I'm in today, I thought I'd take the opportunity to introduce my incredibly talented husband, Jim Wagner.  At the risk of sounding like I'm boasting (although how can I not?), Jim is an amazing caricaturist, who adds SO MUCH FUN to any event that he's asked to come to including birthday parties, weddings, corporate functions, etc. (on top of being a great muralist and graphic design artist).  Here are some examples of his caricatures: 

  

Not only does Jim cartoon at a variety of events, but he can also create custom invitations for any occasion.  Framed caricatures also make great, unique, personalized gifts that are sure to impress and bring a smile to whoever receives a 'Jim Wagner Original' :)  

Communion Invitations

I was asked to make some invitations as well as some menus (not shown) for the reception for a little boy's First Communion.  I kept the design clean and simple and used shimmered paper, metal crosses, and sheer ribbon to add some elegance: