Homemade Birthday Cakes

Birthday cakes are an integral part of any birthday celebration and the choices are galore when you buy birthday cakes from a bakery. However, it is best if you can bake the birthday cake at your home. If you have a passion for baking and love reading cookbooks, then you have nothing to worry about. Just gather all the necessary cake ingredients, and you are all set to prepare your own personalized birthday cake! The best part is, you can decorate your birthday cake with your favorite colors, toppings and icing. Last week, it was my friend Tammy's birthday, and her mom baked a wonderful sponge birthday cake at home. Here's the recipe for you all:

Sponge Birthday Cake(Baking time:15 mins)

You will need: white flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp of baking powder, 6 eggs, 1 tsp lemon juice, vanilla essence, ½ tsp grated lemon rind

Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Separate the whites and yolks of the eggs and beat the yolks until thick. Now add the sugar gradually and add the lemon juice and the rinds. Cut and fold in the sifted flour and cut and fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites. Bake in an ungreased pan in a very moderate oven.
Bake until the cake is puffed and springs back when gently pressed. Now you can sprinkle some caster sugar on top of the sponge cake or have your favorite toppings and icings.

Check here for the easiest birthday cakes!

Halloween Birthday Treat: How To Make Spicy Vampire Batwings

If you have your birthday on Halloween, there are many special recipes with which you can surprise your guests. Halloween is the time to whip up some spine chilling and unusual recipes! Here's a ghoulish treat that's fit for a Halloween birthday!


VideoJug: How To Make Spicy Vampire Batwings

Halloween Frames


This year we hosted a Family Halloween Party. Each family dressed up and had a theme to their costumes (The Wizard of Oz, Pirates, etc.) and I took a picture of them as they arrived. I thought it would be fun to give them a little something to remember the evening by so I made these frames for the pictures to go in.

Supplies:

wood frame (I got these at Michael's, they are made by Provo Craft, and they are normally about $7, but I had coupons)

orange craft paint

black craft paint

alphabet stamps (I already had these they are the foam stamps made by Making Memories)

45 inches of ribbon

glue gun

sand paper

To assemble simply paint the whole frame orange and let it dry then lightly sand around all the edges of the frame. Sstamp the word "Boo" on the lower right hand corner. Cut the ribbon into one 21" piece and one 24" piece. Hot glue about a 1/2" of the shorter ribbon on the back left side of the frame and do the same with the larger piece on the right side, both about an inch down from the top. Then tie in a bow off to the left side and then secure the back of the bow to the frame with some glue. Easy, fun, and festive!

submitted by Emily (www.delightfuldistraction.blogspot.com)

Thanksgiving Cards


We moved recently between Christmas and New Year's. Due to the chaos, I never got Christmas cards sent. I love receiving Christmas cards and was nervous that some friends who are "Christmas card friends" wouldn't know my new address in order to send ME Christmas cards, so I came up with Thanksgiving cards.

It was fun to get fall dresses (any excuse for matchy-matchy girl clothes!) and use fall colors. I had the letter inside be based on what each of us was thankful for that year. It was really fun and it felt so good to be completely done with Christmas cards before Thanksgiving even hit! (I have a love/hate relationship with making Christmas cards!) Give it a try!

Submitted by: Hilary

Neighbor Taco Soup


A couple years ago I gave out quart jars of homemade Taco Soup with this tag tied on. (sorry I didn't want to make taco soup just for a photo! Imagine a jar full of yummy soup!) You could include tortilla chips.

My taco soup recipe is as follows:

1 lb. hamburger
1 med. onion chopped
1 clove garlic minced
– Combine, brown and drain.

In large (5 qt) pot combine the following:
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can pinto beans
1 can red kidney beans
1 lg can diced, stewed tomatoes
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes
1 pkg Taco Seasoning Mix
1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix
Add in meat mixture and water to cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for an hour. (Or, keep the water to a minimum and put it in the crock pot for all day.)

Serve over tortilla chips (or tamales). Garnish with sour cream, shredded cheeses, cubed avocado ... or all three!

Cost is relatively cheap - quart jars, ribbon and then tortilla chips, if desired.

(oh... I delivered them warm and made sure to tell them they weren't canned (processed), so they did need to be refrigerated until being eaten.)

Submitted by Hilary

How To Make a Sweet Sixteen Birthday Cake

16th birthdayTurning sixteen is the first biggest milestone in one's life. Sixteen is the sweetest age and is the first step toward adulthood. Have a talk with your about-to-be-sixteen-year-old boy or girl and ask what kind of a birthday cake they would love on their birthday party and plan things accordingly. For additional surprise, you can have sixteen gift certificates to their favorite stores or sixteen of their favorite movies!
Since this age has its own sweetness, the colors for a sixteenth birthday cake can be pink, white, light blue, light yellow, orange and green. However, chocolate birthday cakes are universal favorites. So if your sweet sixteen girl or boy loves everything chocolate, then chocolate birthday cake would be a good idea.
Now that Halloween is here, here's a birthday cake recipe that is bound to impress your sixteen year old:

Pumpkin Crunch Cake

You will need
: 1 can of pumpkin puree, 1 can evaporated milk, 3-4 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 2tsp of pumpkin pie spice, 1 tsp salt, 1 packet of yellow cake mix, 1 cup chopped pecans, 1 cup melted margarine, 1 can frozen whipped topping(thawed).

Directions: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly the baking pan. Take a large bowl and mix pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Mix well and spread evenly into the greased baking pan. Now sprinkle yellow cake mix on the top of the cake spread and pat lightly. Sprinkle chopped pecans on the top of this cake spread and drizzle with melted margarine. Bake for 60 to 80 minutes, until done. Top with whipped topping and your pumpkin crunch is ready to serve!

This special Halloween birthday cake tastes great and is very easy to make. Try this birthday cake on your sweet sixteen's birthday!

Friends

Did Anyone Ever Tell YouHow Important You Make Others FeelSomebody out here is SmilingAbout Love that is so Real Did Anyone Ever Tell You thatMany Times When They were Sad Your E-mail made Them Smile a bit In Fact It made Them Glad For the Time You Spend Sending Things And Sharing whatever You Find There are No Words to Thank You But Somebody, Thinks You're Fine Did Anyone Ever Tell You Just How Much They Love You Well, My Dearest Friend Today I am Telling You I HOPE I GET THIS BACK I believe that without afriend you are missing out on a lot!!! But don't just send it back, send it on to everyone..Have a nice day, and I'm glad we are friends!!! THIS IS A HAND OF FRIENDSHIP YOU MUST PASS IT TO AT LEAST 4 MORE PEOPLE WHO ARE YOUR FRIENDS..

Hand Painted Cookie Jar Lid



This is a hand painted wood cookie jar lid. Fits a large glass cookie jar. It can be purchased my clicking on the cowboy or kitchen button on my web site.

We love to make unique wooden gifts for the home. Remember Christmas is just around the corner and everyone loves hand made gifts.

You can find more wonderful gifts at http://www.jusbcuzdezins.com/

Tole Painting Tips

After base coating, if you use a piece of brown paper bag and sand lightly, this will create a very smooth surface for adding the detail work to your project.
Also if you use Color Float and/or Gel Blending Medium by Delta Ceramcoat it will also make your painting much easier. Follow the directions on the bottles.


I Love Delta Ceramcoat products.....

Happy Painting and Crafting


Birthday Cake Themes

Ever wondered what makes birthday cakes so special and extraordinary? It is the perfect theme that makes a birthday cake look gorgeous and unforgettable. Themes for birthday cakes can vary according to the age of the birthday girl or boy. For example, birthday cake themes for young girls can be Cinderella Castle Cake, Princess Castle Cake, Ice Cream Castle Cake, Madeline's Hat Cake, Pink Pony Cake, or a Sunflower Cake.

Young boys who love sports can have their birthday cake themes on sports, like Bowling Ball Cake, Bowling Lane Cake, Skateboard Cake, Football Cake, Pirate and Pirate Ship Cake, Lego Cake or a Treasure Chest Cake. Girls and boys and adults loving animals can have Horse Cake, Sheep Cake, Pony Cake, or a Cow Cake as their birthday cake theme.

Adults' birthday cake themes can range from fun cake ideas like Campfire Cakes, Hot Dogs & Fries Cake, Catch the Rainbow Cake, Pool Party Cake, to beach ideas like Hawaiian Beach Cake, Fish Cake, Mermaid Cake, Pail of Sand Cake and Under the Sea Cake.

Select the appropriate birthday cake theme according to the age and preference of the person who's having a birthday. An adult will not like a cartoon character like Spiderman, Snowhite and Batman as the theme for his birthday cake. The theme for an adult birthday cake should synchronize with the celebrant's age, personality, and interests. The same goes with teens and kids. They will not like if you choose a serious theme for their birthday cake. A light and funny theme would be perfect for a kid's or teen's birthday cake.

Send this yummy virtual birthday cake to your family members, friends and dear ones who is having their birthday!


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Hate the taste of plastic water? Time to upgrade!

We've all experienced it — that uniquely flavored water that flows out of plastic water bottles and hydration packs on hot summer days.

Even the supposedly "tasteless" plastics such as Lexan will yield some plasticky aftertaste if the sun bakes it long enough. And cheap bike bottles? You might as well chew on your tire — it will taste a lot like the water that pours out of that plastic bottle.

Enter Sigg. This Swiss company specializes in aluminum bottles suitable for beverages of all kinds. We field-tested several models of the Sigg sports bottle — ranging from .75-liter sport-style bottles to 1.5-liter big bottles. The .75-liter volume is bigger than the standard bike bottle, but the Sigg still fits securely into a bike bottle cage. Tester Sarah Doherty, who is hard at work training for a half-Iron Man triathlon, dubbed the Sigg her favorite bottle ever.

The key to earning that praise from Sarah, as well as similar accolades from hiker Chris Bloomquist, is in the lid. The Sigg top is a wonderful piece of engineering. Since you can't simply squeeze the rigid metal bottle to force water out, a simple pop-up valve wouldn't work well. So Sigg engineered a leak-proof top that opens with a simple twist. That twist opens the top drink valve as well as a couple one-way air vents around the edge of the bottle top, allowing air to stream in as water flows out. Sarah said the patented top provided a greater flow of water during her training rides than any bottle she's previously used.

Those top-notch tops cap mighty fine bottles, too. All Sigg bottles are treated inside with a nonreactive, unbreakable elastic coating. This prevents the aluminum from leaching into your drink while protecting the aluminum from acidic beverages such as juices and sodas (yes, the leak-proof cap will even seal in carbonated beverages).

To provide strength and durability, the bottles are extruded from a chunk of pure aluminum, resulting in a seamless design. The tough finish on the bottles' exterior is a baked-on powder coating that is environmentally friendly. It is solvent-free, thus reducing potentially toxic air emissions during the manufacturing process.

The down side of the Sigg aluminum bottles is the tendency for the bottles to get dinged and dented over time. Fortunately, their seamless design means even the deepest dents won't result in leaks. Eventually you'll want to replace dinged-up bottles, but that just leads to another green benefit of these bottles — the worn-out bottles can be safely tossed into any aluminum recycling bin.

The Sigg sports bottle sells for $20. For more information click here.

— Dan A. Nelson, special to The Seattle Times

Birthday Cake Designs for Adults

Adults like a lot of changes in their birthday cake patterns. They like to experiment with different flavors in their birthday cakes. Vanilla, Dark Chocolate, White Sponge Cake, Chocolate Dipped Cookie Cake, Rum Cake, Fudge Crunch Cake, Ice Cream Cake are some of the favorites among adult birthday cakes. The designs for adult birthday cakes can be simple and sometimes a little naughty. Flowers are universal favorites among women; hence, it will be a good idea if you shape the birthday cake of an adult woman like a flower. Alternatively, you can design her birthday cake like her favorite fruit, animal, or personality. For adult boys, birthday cake designs can range from sports cars, spaceships, bikes, footballs, baseballs, gift-wrapped boxes, clocks, to CDs and guitars. You can select a specific theme for adult birthday cakes, like 50's theme, Cowboy theme, Country theme, Casino theme, Musical theme, Mexican theme,Gardening theme, or Retro theme. While you can order these adult birthday cakes at any bakery, it is always a fun to prepare fantastic looking birthday cakes at home. For your or your loved one's birthday, plan to make some of these wonderful and creative birthday cakes at home and get showered with everybody's praise.

Birthday Cakes Comments Codes

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Card/Gift Making Gathering

This is something I have wanted to do for a couple years but haven't yet. Hopefully this year will be the one!

I think it would be fun to host a casual get together towards the end of November where everyone can come and get their Christmas Cards done. Whether it's hand making the cards or simply stuffing the envelopes and addressing them. How nice would it be to have something that made you get it all done so you could drop your finished cards in the mail by Dec 1st! If someone doesn't send cards they could bring any handmade gifts they might be making to work on.

And of course anyone who knows me knows food would need to be involved and since this is a stressful time of year I think this would be a great night for take out or some sort of soup in the crock pot and rolls.

submitted by Emily(www.delightfuldistraction.blogspot.com)

Girlfriends Christmas Party



You may want to get a glass of water, this is a long one!

Last year I decided that instead of doing individual gifts for close friends I would have a Dinner Party instead. It was so much fun to plan and attend. My friend Alisha is always up for a party and helped out a ton. This idea could easily be adapted to a couples dinner party, you could do a progressive dinner with neighbors if you are close with several of them, or you could just use some of the little ideas of things we did at the party.

First I made these invitations.



I combined a place card and favor into one as shown below.



We had a couple different appetizers as guests were arriving and then for our meal we had Christmas salad, Cornish Game Hens with Wild Rice Stuffing, Homemade Rolls, and a fruit salad. For dessert we had Hot Chocolate and a delicious cake that Alisha made.







After dinner we painted picture frames and then added the word "JOY" to them with vinyl lettering. I got the frames from Micheals for $1 and the vinyl lettering online from www.iasign.com. Just a little holiday decoration they could take home to remember their evening.



Then we had a dessert gift exchange. Each girl brought a favorite holiday dessert in a nice serving dish to give away (serving piece included). We did the exchange white elephant style so you could steal back and forth to try and get what you wanted.



Adrianne's tray of chocolates from Harry & David and Chocolate Mousse Cups



I made English Trifle



Alisha made a cranberry pear tart



Kelly made a chocolate peppermint trifle


All in all it was a great night with friends, food, and visiting. This years is already in the works!

submitted by Emily(delighfuldistraction.blogspot.com)

Birthday Cake Designs for Teens

Birthday cakes for teens and pre-teens are slightly different in their designs. Teen age is the time to grow up and get engaged in a lot of activities. If your teen boy or girl loves sports, like football, tennis, baseball, or rugby, you can shape their birthday cake like a football, tennis racket or a football stadium. You can get such sports birthday cakes at a good bakery or you can prepare them at home. You can design your teen's birthday cake in the shape of his or her favorite sports star or a sports car. If your girl or boy loves music, you can shape their birthday cake like a guitar, drum, violin or a piano. For young girls, Barbie, Mermaid, Doll, Fairy birthday cakes will be good choices to win their heart. Young boys will be delighted if their birthday cakes are designed like a pirate, ship, Harry Potter, iPods, computers, airplanes and spaceships. For additional fun, you can place a toy airplane, ship or Barbie doll at the center of the birthday cake. Surprise your teen boy or girl by baking a birthday cake in any of these fantastic teen birthday cake designs.

Reach out to your close pals and dear ones with this special birthday cake greetings!

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Kids' Birthday Cake Designs

kids'birthday cakeYour little one's birthday is always special. Kids love to celebrate their birthdays and so they want their birthday cakes to look gorgeous and taste yummy! While there are thousands of varieties of birthday cakes available for the kids in any cake shop or confectionery, it is all the more better if you bake a home made birthday cake for your kid. Birthday cakes are an integral part of any birthday celebration. The designs of birthday cakes keep on changing, but the impact that birthday cakes have on us is something immeasurable. For kids, birthday cake designs are of a wide range and the names are also quite unique. It is actually quite simple to prepare a birthday cake for a kid, as they love simple designs and exciting colors. Kids want their birthday cake to be yummy and eye-catching; so you can safely make their birthday cake in the shape of any cartoon character or animated figure from a popular comic strip. Kids love cartoons, such cakes are big hits in any kids' birthday party. Popular cartoons which find their way into birthday cakes are Tom and Jerry, Mickey and Mini Mouse, Donald Duck, Nemo the fish, Bugs Bunny, Scooby Doo, Archie, and a whole lot of other Disney characters.




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So the next time you prepare a birthday cake for your kid, think of these popular animated characters for the cake design. The cute and colorful design, the mouthwatering aroma, and the rich, creamy taste, will surely be a delight for your kid.

Christmas Card

This was our Christmas Card from last year. I actually don't recommend it if you need to make a large amount. I darn near killed myself rounding so many corners last year. Anyway, I just photoshoped and printed off the pics of the kids in strips, cut them apart and rounded all the corners. Printed the text out on the computer and punched it out with a circle punch. Printed the Merry Christmas on the computer and cut it out and rounded the corners and then put it all together. So, if you only have a few cards to make or if you can adapt it without all the corner rounding go for it. If not, learn from my corner rounding fiasco!

submitted by Emily(www.delightfuldistraction.blogspot.com)


Christmas Party Invite


These were the invitations I made last year for a Girlfriends Christmas Party. Simple but fun.

I used some white cards that were already cut and scored, ran them through the printer and printed all the info I wanted on the inside. Found some fun patterned paper, used red velvet ribbon from Michael's and then the snowflake stamp was embossed with some glittery blue embossing powder. I know these aren't very specific instructions, but I figure with cards it's kind of a look at it and adapt it the way you want. Feel free to leave any questions you have in the comments and I'll answer them.

submitted by Emily(www.delightfuldistraction.blogspot.com)

Christmas Countdown


I made this last year when I had to come up with a quick extra craft for our
Super Saturday craft day at church. It's a little chalkboard countdown to
Christmas. It would be a fun gift for someone before Christmas so they
could use it during December.

It's just a 12x12 artist canvas (it cost around $5). I painted it black
with craft paint. You need to use several coats because the canvas really
absorbs the paint. Then I glued a scalloped edge piece of Bazzill cardstock
on top of that, and then topped that with the red holly patterned paper.

I printed off "Days Until Christmas" on my computer, and mounted that on
green cardstock. I put pewter brads through the corners of the cardstock,
before I attached it to the canvas. It would be very hard to get those tiny
brads through all that paper and the canvas.

I punched a hole in each upper corner of a square of chipboard, and then
used several coats (you must use several coats) of chalkboard spray paint to
turn it into a little chalkboard. I put a large decorative brad (this one
was through the canvas) in to make a picture hanger type effect, and then
put ribbon through the holes of the little chalkboard. I did attach the
chalkboard to the canvas with adhesive, though, because it would not stay
without that. So, it just looks like it's hanging there.

As an added touch, I stapled a loop of ribbon to the top for a chalk holder.
You can staple it to the wooden frame on the back of the canvas.

My kids loved erasing and writing in the new number each day as we counted
down toward Christmas.

You could hang it on the wall, but I don't have much wall space, so I put it
in a decorative plate holder and keep it on a table.

Submitted by Kelly (www.thisterthaster.typepad.com)

Altered Photo Tiles



Here is an idea, not mine originally, but it is super cute and inexpensive. Simply purchase some tiles, any size, color and texture you'd like; pick up some Mod Podge, and some clear glaze. Choose some pictures from your stash or have a few of your favorites printed up. Crop the photo to the size you think would look best on the tile. Play around first before you start mod podging! I put some rubons on the picture. You could also put some on the tile before you start mod podging. You can also use some things from your scrapbooking stash, such as rubons, stickers, or cardstock to back the photo with.

These are the directions:
1. Clean and dry the tile. Decide how you want the photos placed on the tile, and put any rub ons or stickers on before starting Step 2.
2. Dip your paint brush (the sponge kind works well) in the Mod Podge, and brush on tile gently but quickly, working from center out in long strokes. You can keep strokes all in the same direction or not, depending on the look you want. Once tile is well coated move on to step 3.
3. Get your photo and put a small amount of mod podge on the back, especially the edges.
4. Place the photo where you want it on the tile, gently pressing down, especially the edges. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes.
5. After 30 minutes, get more mod podge on the brush, working from center of photo outward again, covering the entire photo and tile. Once it is well covered, you can decide to make it a clean look or a cross hatch look, or gently go over with a sponge for a textured look. Then using a toothpick, pop any little bubbles that you see, and go back over that area to clean it up.
6. Let tile dry for at least 24 hours
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6.
8.Go outdoors or in a well ventilated area and spray the tile evenly with the gloss.
9. Let dry at least 24-48 hours.

These are the supplies:
Mod Podge matte (I found mine at Michaels)
Triple Thick Clear Glaze (Crafts Etc!) or any clear glaze you can find (I found mine at Michaels)
tiles (I got mine at Lowe's or Home Depot for under a $1 depending on size)
sponge paint brush (Michaels)
Small easel to stand the tile on (I purchased mine at AC Moore, but I am sure you can find them in any frame department.)

I believe the entire cost of one tile was $5 or less depending on the kind of tile you purchase and the kind of easel you buy!

Submitted by Liz
(www.brownsarebloggin.blogspot.com)

Crafts

I have been adding new items to my website these past few days.
I have about 20 new pattern packets. All of my pattern packets come with 2 color photos, a list of color's and supplies used, the pattern and instructions for painting.

You can purchase any of my items already finished or paint them yourself .

I tale alot of pride in what I do, so I assemble with wood glue, wire and screws so that things don't fall apart.
I have been painting for over 20years now and I just keep painting.
If you get a chance check out my website, I think you will like what you see.
http://www.jusbcuzdezins.com

Trunk of Treats



Trunk of Treats

I saw something very similar to this on Hobby Lobby’s website, but changed it. All of my supplies were bought at Michael’s craft store.

The boxes are $4, I used a dark brown acrylic paint to paint the box, the orange paper is 59 cents, and the green paper underneath has a sheen to it so it is 99cents. The ribbons were each $1.99 and you can get 2 boxes worth from each spool. I also cut out the flower on the orange paper and stacked them for the raised look. You can put what ever saying you like on the box, I just happened to choose this one. I also made boxes with blue accents instead of green and they are really cute. You can then fill the boxes with whatever you like. These are great for visiting teaching, neighbors, etc.

Total cost: about $7-8 (this includes the candy)

submitted by Megan(www.tiltonfamily.blogspot.com)

Mayflower Kid Craft


Let’s just clarify – this is a kid craft! But, my daughter brought it home from first grade last year, and I thought it was so cute. It’s the Mayflower!

Supplies:

1 (clean) half gallon milk carton (cardboard kind, not the plastic bottle kind)
2 apples
2 skewers
Brown paper for covering the milk carton
White paper to make sails
Tissue Paper

Cut off one side of the milk carton (see photo to make sure you cut the right side). Cover outside with brown paper. Cut four sails from white paper. Poke the skewer through them. Put one skewer in each apple. Put the apples in the carton, and cover with tissue paper to hide the apples.

submitted by Kelly(www.thisterthaster.typepad.com)

Christmas Card


This was my Christmas card last year. I love square, but it is extra postage, just fyi. They are just a 6 x 12 piece of cardstock, folded in half to make a 6x6 square. Then I had a strip of striped paper topped with lime rick-rack. I found a bunch of "merry christmas" rubons on clearance somewhere, but you could also do something on the computer. Then I cut it out with a scalloped oval punch and fastened with lime brads.

submitted by Kelly (www.thisterthaster.typepad.com)

Halloween Treat Boxes


Here's a Halloween gift I made last year for my girls at Church. I bought the little take out boxes from OrientalTrading.com and filled them candy, halloween jelly bracelets and other little halloween trinkets that I bought from OreintalTrading.com.

The take out boxes were around $3-4 (maybe less??) for a dozen and then I just filled it. I'm guessing each box including candy and stuff was around 75 cents. I made cards out of my scraps and I called it a day.

submitted by MaryRuth (www.thefrancks.typepad.com)

Pampering Kit



This gift is not unique but its fairly easy to put together... I just got paint cans, covered them with scrapbook paper and filled them with spa stuff... lotions, candles, bath salts, etc. The cans weren't expensive to make and you can keep the cost down depending on what you put in it. These are the gifts that I gave to the YW presidency that I work with and my close girlfriends.

submitted by MaryRuth (www.thefrancks.typepad.com)

Coasters


These are "coasters" that I made. We have a group of friends that we got together with weekly to play games and such. One of the couples had a really nice table and she made everybody use coasters all the time... it became an inside joke and we would use coasters at each persons house when we played games... so I made each couple a set of coasters.

Each "coaster" was a tile that I bought from Home Depot and I got adhesive felt from Michael's cut it down to size and stuck it on the back. I stamped the names with my scrapbook stamps and used a Stayzon ink pad... I think any ink pad would work.

Each coaster had the couples name stamped on it and then the rest of the four coasters were stamped with "Friend #1", "Friend #2", "Friend #3", Friend #4"... They were a hit and everybody loved them. Depending on whose house we would go to everybody would fight over who got to be "Friend #1" :) It was super cheap. I don't remember exactly how much the coasters were but I think the whole set of six coasters was less than $5.

submitted by MaryRuth (www.thefrancks.typepad.com)

Hot Chocolate Buckets


This one is a "Hot Chocolate" Bucket. I got the buckets from Target in their Dollar Spot. I filled it with hot chocolate packets, peppermints, baggies of marshmallows, baggies of chocolate chips, and peppermint Hershey kisses... tied them up with a card and gave them to ward members and my VT sisters.... the cost was pretty inexpensive... I'm guessing around $2.00 if that much?

submitted by MaryRuth (thefrancks.typepad.com)

Peppermint Truffle Cake



For the last few years my friend and neighbor gifts have been these Peppermint Truffle Cakes. I usually decide on one day where it’s cake day, and then all I do is make these cakes. I usually do between 15 and 20. That sounds insane, but I have it down to a science. I do have a few bundt pans, which helps. It’s a chocolate cake with a peppermint fudge filling, and a cream cheese icing drizzled on, and topped with crushed peppermints. So tasty!

I don’t know exactly how much they cost, but you can find the cake mixes on sale for really cheap, and while cream cheese is pricey, you only use 1 ½ ounce per cake. I usually get some big round festive trays at a party store (but last year we could only find clear, so I dressed them up with some printed tissue paper), to put the cakes on. You will need something bigger than the average paper plate. Then I wrap them with clear cellophane and tie with a ribbon (preferably red and white to go with the peppermint theme). Polka dots or stripes are super cute.

Here’s the recipe:

Filling
1 (6-oz.) package (or 1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips.
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk – you want the sweet, sticky stuff)
½ teaspoon peppermint extract

Cake
1 (18.25-oz.) pkg. devil’s food cake mix
1 (8-oz.) container nonfat sour cream (you can use the fat kind, too)
1/3 cup oil
3 eggs

Icing
¾ cup powdered sugar
1 ½ oz. cream cheese, softened
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
6 hard peppermint candies, finely crushed

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube pan (or bundt pan). (Pam with Flour makes this sooo easy.) In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine all filling ingredients. Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds; stir until melted and smooth. If necessary, microwave an additional 10 to 20 seconds. Set aside.

2. In large bowl, combine all cake ingredients; beat with electric mixer at low speed until combined. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Spoon into greased and floured pan. Drop spoonfuls of filling over batter, keeping filling away from sides of pan.

3. Bake at 350°F for 35 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted ner center comes out clean and edges begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert cake onto wire rack. Cool 1 hour or until completely cooled. (Center of cake may sink slightly during cooling.)

4. In medium bowl, combine powdered sugar, cream cheese and 1 tablespoon of the milk; beat with wire whisk until smooth, adding additional milk until of desired drizzling consistency. Drizzle icing over cooled cake. Sprinkle with crushed candy. Store in refrigerator.

HIGH ALTITUDE (ABOVE 3500 FT): For cake, add 2 tablespoons flour to dry cake mix. Decrease oil to 2 tablespoons and increase eggs to 4. Bake at 375°F for 40 to 45 minutes.

submitted by Kelly (www.thisterthaster.typepad.com)

Simmering Scent Jars

I'm really sorry I don't have a picture for this idea but it is a great one. We did these for several years for neighbor/ward member gifts and they were always a huge hit.

Simmering Scent Jar
Cost: $2 or $3 (depending on what supplies you already have at home)

To be written on tag and attached to jar:
Pour contents into saucepan on stovetop and simmer
on low heat, add water as needed.
Refrigerate to keep fresh.

Items needed: 1 pint jar, 2 lemon wedges, 1 lime slice, 2 orange slices, 3 cinnamon sticks, 2-3 Tbsp. whole cloves, 3 bay leaves, small fabric scrap, small piece of twine/jute/ribbon.

Directions: Place ingredients in pint jar and fill with water. Top with small piece of fabric secured by tying ribbon or twine around lid. Attach tag.

submitted by Emily (www.delightfuldistraction.blogspot.com)

Family Movie Night Gift



We did this as a Christmas gift for several families in our ward that we were close to as well as some good neighbor friends.

I bought these cute popcorn bowls at Tai Pan Trading (in UT) and then filled them with supplies from the Dollar Store for a family movie night. I loved the idea of a gift that this gift let the family spend time together during such a busy time of year.

Supplies:
Large bowl/container
2 boxes of movie candy
box of microwave popcorn
old classic type movie (or you could do a Blockbuster Gift Card)
cellophane
ribbon
tags with personal message
newspaper to stuff the bottom of the bowl with so that the goodies stand out

Total cost: Approx $10 (can be done for considerably less with a different container)

submitted by Emily (www.delightfuldistraction.blogspot.com)

Extremely useful and very cute!



The new GUPPIE multi-tool from Columbia River Knife and Tool is a nifty little tool. First off it looks really cute. But its more than great looks because GUPPIE is big on survival features in a very small, easy to handle package. This tough-working multi-tool comes with an adjustable wrench, knife, screwdriver with four hex bits, a bottle opener, and non-weight-bearing carabiner. The magnetic bit holder even has a bright LED light! At only $24.95 street price at Fishboy, its quite a bargin. -- Rod Bender

Adventure Journals

Can't remember where the trail head is for that awesome hike you took last fall? Forgot where you took the great picture of the eagle's nest? That's because you didn't write it down dummy!

Looking back at our adventures I bet most of us wish we had written down a few bits of info about the trails, fishing hole, hunting spot or even restaurants in the area. If we had might just be able to remember it all a bit better. Well what can I say? Get one of these adventure journals and write it all down next time you head out on an adventure! -- Rod Bender

Adventure Journals

Celebrate Birthday With the Festival of Lights!

I have an Indian friend Mansi, who lives here in San Jose, quite close to my place. Over the years she has become a very good friend of mine. We keep chatting for long hours whenever we meet and visit each other's homes. In this way, I have come to know a lot of facts about Indian culture and their biggest festivals. Diwali or The Festival of Lights is one of them. This is one of my favorite festivals too. I have heard from Mansi how the Indian homes are adorned with colorful lights and lights with oil and earthenware, which they call diyas (spelled as DI-YAA). They even celebrate this particular day with offerings to the Goddess of wealth, Lakshmi, with fireworks and crackers.

Now, wouldn't it be exciting to have someone's birthday on Diwali? For those who have November 9 birthdays, it can be quite a fun! You can decorate your house with colorful lights and arrange for a sparkling fireworks display for the guests invited to your birthday party. Diwali birthday can be a pleasant and the brightest day for you, especially if you are depressed that Halloween is over for this year:) So, get geared for double delight and party time on the joyous occasion of Diwali or the Festival of Lights, and wish the birthday boy or girl who is lucky to have a Diwali birthday!


Send this Diwali Birthday eCard !

Collectible Outdoor Themed Fridge Magnets


These hunting, fishing, camping and hiking fridge magnets make a great gift or stocking stuffer. See the entire collection here.

-- Rod Bender

One Handed Multi-Tool - Great For Fishermen

Fisherman could use three hands sometimes but this great one handed knife/pliers tool makes it easy to hold a rod in one hand and select a tool in the other. On sale here - Rod Bender

Birthday Wishes for Same Day Birthday

My friend Suzanne and I share the same day birthday. It's coincidental, but somehow I feel that she is one of my very best friends, because we were born on the same day. We were both born on December 7th and it's unbelievable, that we hardly have any differences of opinion and cat fights, that are so very common among women friends. Same day birthday, though little uncommon, is wonderful, coz you get to enjoy two birthday celebrations and double yummy delights! Twins, who have same day birthdays, are often found to be diametrically opposites. I am lucky to share the same birthday with my dearest friend Suzanne. I feel that our friendship is eternal. We have two different birthday parties in our respective houses and we are showered with great birthday gifts from our common friends.

If you too are lucky to share same day birthday with your friend, brother, sister or anybody else, send a two-in-one birthday wish for sharing birthdays on the same day!

Send this Same Day Birthday eCard
Send this Same Day Birthday eCard !


Just wishing you a great day


Glitter Graphics - GlitterLive.com
HappY Halloween

Wish Eminem on his 35th Birthday!

Eminem famous birthdayMarshall Bruce Mathers III, better known by his stage name Eminem celebrates his 35th birthday 0n October 17. This Oscar winning American rapper, record producer and actor has sold approximately seventy million albums worldwide. He is one of the highest-selling rap artists of all time. Wish him good luck on his birthday on his MySpace profile. Mockingbird(from the album Encore) is one of my favorite Eminem songs. Watch this video and enjoy!



Wish happy birthday to your dear ones with this birthday countdown sparkling greetings!


Send this Happy Birthday eCard !

Halloween Birthday Celebration Ideas Part 2

In my last post about Halloween birthday, I discussed about unique Halloween recipes that would surprise everyone invited to your party. Here are some more Halloween birthday party ideas:

1) For your Halloween birthday party, select a theme which you like. You can plan something like Harry Potter theme, especially if you have children coming to your party. Include Harry Potter games and quiz for the children and give the winners special Harry Potter prizes like Harry Potter coins, sweatshirts, goodie bags filled with Harry Potter magic tricks, candies, wizard hats etc. which would please the little monsters invited to your party!

2) If you plan to have a pumpkin carving party for your birthday, you can request everybody invited to bring their own pumpkin. Play some fun Halloween music to greet your guests. You can have a “build a scarecrow” competition in your party to add to the fun. Pack all the old and tattered clothes in a big laundry bag. Divide all the children into 3 or 4 groups and let them take some assistance from an elder. Give them instructions what the scarecrow should look like. The group who makes the best scarecrow will get a surprise gift. After that, you can start the pumpkin carving competition, so that everyone has their own Jack O' Lantern. The most perfect 3 pumpkin carvers will walk away with the prize.

3) Keep sufficient food in the dining area, so that your guests can snack in whenever they feel hungry. Chicken pizzas, veggies, chicken wings, pumpkin pies, pumpkin cakes, Halloween cookies, candies, desserts, hamburgers, mashed potato, sandwiches, sausages, etc, would be fantastic to make children and adults lick their fingers.

4) When it's time for dinner, shut off all the lights, and light candles, to create the maximum scary effect. Keep the glowing Jack O' Lanterns and play scary music in the background. Let everyone share their spooky stories, experiences and jokes amid the light and dark ambiance.

5) For Halloween costume birthday party, decorate the inside and outside of your house to give it a haunted look. Place spider webs (available at any Halloween store), tombstones made from plywoods, creepy scarecrows in your garden or front of the house to welcome the guests! Inside of the house can be decorated with spider webs, artificial skeletons, mummies (made from old clothes and rolls of gauze), Jack O' Lanterns, scary masks, and so on. Make bats (cut out from black paper) and hang them from the ceiling using clear thread. Keep candy bags for children as special gifts and mouthwatering Halloween recipes.

If someone close is having a birthday on this Halloween, wish them lots of luck with this spooky surprise!


Send this Spooktacular Halloween Birthday eCard !


Birthday Flowers: Wish Happy Birthday with Flowers-Part-2

Birthdays will always be extra special for your loved one, if you wish him or her with flowers. Birthday flowers have a wide range and you can gift a single beautiful flower or a bouquet. There are online sites which charges you a minimal amount for sending fresh flowers for any occasion, including birthdays. It is best if you can wish the birthday boy or girl personally with a bunch of Marigolds, Calendulas, Cosmos, Sunflowers, Roses or Zinias, but it is not always possible to do that. We often live in a different city or location where we cannot attend the birthday fun. If you are in a similar situation, do not worry. Sending flowers online is now just a click away! You can now send beautiful virtual birthday flowers anywhere in the world in matter of seconds!

If your sweetheart or loved one's birthday is pretty soon, wish him or her a wonderful birthday ahead with this special floral birthday greetings!

Send this floral birthday eCard
Send this Floral Birthday eCard !



This is an Antique Milk can that I have hand painted a woodsy bear and trees on...

It is a full size milk can, I have sprayed the can first with spray paint and then painted the scene...

I would love to hear your comments.

Check out my other items on my website

http://www.jusbcuzdezins.com

Holiday Birthday Special Wishes

Can you imagine the amount of fun that you'll have if your birthday falls on a special day? Birthdays become all the mote special and wonderful if it is on a holiday. Holiday birthday celebrations can never pass without a mega celebration. It feels great to know that your birthday is on a special day and would be remembered by all those who are invited. The anticipation for a holiday birthday is great too! Birthday countdown for holiday birthdays begins a week ahead of the actual big event. So it's fun and celebration all the way! Send this cute and heartfelt message to someone special who has a holiday birthday and make his or her day extra special!

Send this special birthday greetings eCard
Send this sparkling birthday wishes eCard !

Pattern Packets


These are just 2 of my pattern packets I have on my website,
I have appx. 42 different pattern packets to choose from.
I also have gifts that are all hand painted original designs.

You can check out my website at
www.jusbcuzdezins.com
If you want to be freinds and chat you can also check out my myspace page
www.myspace.com/in2stuff

"BURRRrrrrrrrr"


I hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday Morning...

Is it getting cold where any of you are at ? I am in Utah and we have been scraping frost off the windows a couple of mornings now...

I am adding new pattern packets to my website later today, so check it out.

This is a new project I have hand painted on old cedar fence slates.....

If the is any questions about any of them, leave me a comment or and email....

Well I will check in again later.

Bright and Colorful Birthday Flowers Part-1

Birthdays are not complete without flowers. Flowers are the ultimate décor items for any occasion. Make your birthday fun bloom into a bright and colorful day with colorful birthday flowers. Arrange for beautiful October flowers like Marigold, Calendulas, Carnations and Roses for your birthday and let everyone invited at your house appreciate your sense of beauty and style.

Send this beautiful floral e-greetings to someone special on their birthday!

Birthday Flowers Comments Codes

Send Birthday Flower eCard
More Birthday Flower Comments

Copy The HTML Code And Paste It In Your Friends' "Post Comment" Box...


Thank Someone Special on your Birthday

Birthdays are special occasions when we have a great time in merrymaking and revelry. Amid all the fun, we forget to keep track of the birthday gifts received and to thank everyone for those gifts. Here is a special way by which you can send a big thank you to all those who have dropped in to say “happy birthday” to you on your special day. Send this beautiful “thank you” e-card to convey your warm and heartfelt gratitude to your friends and dear ones who attended your birthday and showered you with gifts!





Send this Birthday Thank You eCard
More Birthday Thank You eCards



Brightest Autumn Birthday Wishes!

Autumn is the season of rich harvests, flowers and fruits. It is a beautiful time of the year when nature acquires a different look and birds flock together, as if welcoming the arrival of winter. It is all the more fun if you, your friends, or dear ones have fall birthdays. You can have great fall theme ideas to celebrate this wonderful season. For example, make your birthday invitations in the shape of pumpkins or leaves and paint them yellow, orange or golden. Include all party information in your invitation. Make your autumn birthday memorable and a fun event by organizing fall crafts and games as part of your birthday celebration.

Someone having a fall birthday? Send your warm and special birthday wishes with these wonderful autumn birthday greetings!





Send this Autumn Birthday Wishes eCard
More Autumn Birthday Wishes eCards