Did someone say "Chocolate"?

Ok.....now I know that I said I was trying to drop some weight...but when I get a craving for chocolate, you better just stand back and hand it over! Don't judge...tomorrow is another day for eating right. So...what does a girl who is craving chocolate and is addicted to Pinterest do? Well, she finds a recipe for brownies from scratch...that's what she does!! This recipe comes from www.recipegirl.com and it was super easy to put together! Best part, I already had everything I needed...I love it when that happens!

Yes, I licked the spatula after I took this photo! (again...don't judge, you know you would do the same thing!)

Ready for the oven!

All done and delish!!

These were so easy and taste amazing! The only thing I would do different next time is forget the foil and spray my pan with a cooking spray. These kinda stuck to the foil. Also, I had to cook mine a bit longer than she said, but I also live at a high altitude which really can change your cooking times. Give these a shot ya'll,  here's the link to follow http://www.recipegirl.com/2012/09/24/cocoa-brownies/

(her photos are much prettier than mine!)

A Tornado Has Hit My Craft Room!

Now do you see why I haven't been crafting!?! This is what happens when a remodel project takes over your crafting space!! Today Operation Clean Up will begin!! Soooooo, who wants to come help me? Anyone.....anyone...??????

Well Hello There.....

It has been a LONG time since I have posted anything on my blog! So much has been going on around here and I think things are finally getting back on track for me to start blogging again. My focus has changed while I have been away and I want to show that on my blog. Keep a look out for the look of my blog to change as well as the content. I have been cooking a lot lately and I am back on track to start dropping the weight I have gained. I want to share some of the yummy stuff I have been fixing with you. I am slowly starting to get back into crafting so that will still be on here as well. Sadly, we have lost two of our pooches since I last posted here and we have a new puppy. She is a handful, so be prepared for me to vent my puppy frustrations!! I hope ya'll stick with me, it's gonna be fun being back in blogland with ya!!

Red, White and Blue with Practical Scrappers

This week is all about the Red, White and Blue at Practical Scrappers. I just had to share a layout with you that I did last year again. You might remember it, but I just love it so much I wanted to show it to you again.

This is a layout that I did at the end of last year to celebrate my husband's amazing military life. After 33 years of service, he retired last October. I could not be more proud of him!!

Please join us over at Practical Scrappers and see what other great Red, White and Blue creations are being featured!

Something Old, Something New with The Kraft Journal

This week The Kraft Journal has a fun challenge! "Something Old, Something New"

So many things came to mind with that prompt. I decided to start a, much begged for, recipe album for my daughter. I decided on 8x8 for the size, I thought that would be perfect for the kitchen. Here's a look at the page I created,

I used a combination of Old and New items along with an Old recipe to create the 8x8 album page. The base of the page is created from Brown Kraft Cover Weight Cardstock. The recipe is hand written on a White Library Card and sits inside of a Library Pocket. This one is for my homemade Spaghetti Sauce that we refer to as simply...Sauce.  The bow is tied from Twill Tape and the little heart embellishment is attached with a Tiny Wooden Clothespin. The paper I used is from Cosmo Cricket and I thought is was just perfect for the Sauce page. I'm not sure if I will stick with the same collection for every page or not, we'll just have to see how it goes along. 

Today is a big day for me. As you read this I am having a much anticipated surgery (if you are reading this Monday morning that is). After several years of suffering with sinus issues, we finally know what is wrong and it's being fixed! I'm not exactly excited about having surgery, but I am excited about being able to breath correctly again. 

I hope you will come and visit us over at The Kraft Journal and join in on this fun challenge. Just remember to follow the rules to qualify for the prizes, either use items from Kraft Outlet or use kraft on your project. 

Stamping on Layouts with Practical Scrappers

Today Practical Scrappers is featuring Layouts with stamping on them. I've done this a few times in the past, but stamps are not the first thing I grab when I'm making a layout. I'm not sure why, I always really like the way they turn out!

Here is a look at a layout I made using some stamping as the background,

I wanted the stamping to be have a more faded look, I didn't want it to be bold or crisp. I used the "stamping off" or "second generation" stamping technique to create an owl and tree background for this adorable picture of little William. The owl is from Hero Arts, the tree is from For the Luv of Art and the stitched line is from Sassafrass Be sure to head on over to Practical Scrappers and see what else has been published in the Stamped Layout catagory posted today, lots of different and inspiring ideas!!

Welcome Summer with The Kraft Journal

It's time to Welcome Summer at The Kraft Journal!

Along with summer seems to come a lot of parties. I decided to create this adorable gift card holder for a birthday party that we recently attended.

I started out using one of the  Small Kraft Pillow Boxes from Kraft Outlet. I decorated it with the Pretty Bird Paper Tape collection. The stripes, leaves and butterfly were all made with the paper tape. The center of the flower is one of my Kraft Outlet fav's, a  Silver Bottle Cap topped off with a button from my collection. A faux stitch line created with my white gel pen finishes it off.

I hope that you will visit us at The Kraft Journal this week and play along with us. Create your "Welcome Summer" inspired project with either items from Kraft Outlet or kraft products to qualify to enter and win prizes.