Blogiversary Giveaway

Yesterday marked two years of sharing my world with you; today begins my third year of blogging.

To celebrate my tiny moment in history (or herstory as the case may be) and since my blog is all about living life creatively, I’m offering a small gift set of a portable pocket painting kit to thank you for accompanying me on this marvelous blogging adventure.


© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

Although the Tucson valley doesn’t experience any semblance of a typical fall season, it’s rapidly approaching for most of you. I thought some lucky person might like to venture forth and capture the colors of fall leaves somewhere. Whether you know how to draw or paint is really not important, getting outside and doing something creative is the point.

How to Get Your Name Included: One Rule

Please leave a comment on this post telling me something special that inspires you creatively during the fall season.

I’m a stickler for rules, so do remember my one and only request for adding your name to the drawing. I’ll randomly choose a name and announce it Monday morning. By the way, it’s okay to participate if you live outside the U.S., I’ll throw your name in the basket, too—after all, the internet is not geographically discriminating and neither am I.

Thank you all for visiting my blog over the past couple of years!

The Gift of Affirmations

Gifts of kindness and encouragement are always wonderful to give as well as receive. I love the beautiful affirmations project designed by a team of bloggers who share their project with us for free: Jamie Ridler Studios, Joy Rebel, Kind Over Matter, mae-b at deviant art, and Magpie Girl.


© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

There are 36 affirmations and I made two sets yesterday afternoon. I printed one of the available designs on one side of cardstock sheets (you can see the back of one affirmation in the lower left of the photo) before printing the affirmations themselves on the other side.


© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

Next I worked on making the little boxes to hold the affirmations. I began by printing cardstock with different designs on both sides and then cut out my box pieces with the printable template. Assembly was very easy. The design elements and box pattern/template were created by mae-b at deviant art; you’ll find them at Kind Over Matter along with the instructions.

Resources

• Jamie Ridler Studios
• Joy Rebel
• Kind Over Matter
• mae-b at deviant art
• Magpie Girl

Lace Sachet Knitting

When I worked on my Tiffany-themed Christmas gift in May for one of my sisters, I bought too much yarn for the small lace bag component.

© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

The lace bags are so cute and easy to knit I’ve decided to make more using my leftover yarn. Here’s the link to the pattern. The yarn is Naturally Caron Spa silky soft bamboo blend in the color Ocean Spray (#0005) purchased at Jo-Ann’s. I love the color, reminds me of sea glass.

© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

Knitting these bags is so relaxing. They make sweet gifts in which you can tuck all sorts of things—a gift card, special soap, or other little treats. If you use them as sachets, tuck your herbs into a small organza bag before inserting into the lace knit bag.

Summer Fruits Recipes

The fruits of summer have been calling my name and I willingly succumbed. Throw fruit my way and I’ll roll over like a puppy to have my tummy rubbed. Here are a few recipes I tried over the last couple of days.

Ham and Pear Sandwiches


© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

• 6 to 12 slices French bread or sourdough baguette
• 2 tablespoons honey mustard
• ½ pound thinly sliced baked ham
• 1 large ripe pear, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese

Yield: Makes 6 servings

Spread bread with mustard. Top with ham, pear and crumbled blue cheese. Close sandwiches with remaining bread or serve open face.

Source: Sorry, but I cannot remember—shame on me. There are various renditions of this recipe all over the internet, including one by Martha Stewart (she toasts her bread).

Review: I substituted Swiss cheese as my husband won’t eat blue cheese; it would also be good with Pepper Jack or Gruyère. Honey mustard is a favorite, but we also tried it with Dijon. This recipe is not only super easy and fast to assemble, it’s delicious.

Mango Bread


© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

• 6¼ oz butter
• 1 cup fine sugar
• 4 eggs
• 6 oz can mango pulp
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 2 cups self-raising flour
• ½ cup chopped dried mango

Lightly grease a 6" x 9.8" loaf pan. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Transfer mixture to large bowl, stir in remaining ingredients. Spread mixture into prepared pan, bake at 350°F for 50 minutes, or until lightly brown and firm. Stand bread in pan for 5 minutes, turn onto wire rack to cool.

Source: An Australian recipe from Joyce’s Fine Cooking

Review: While it’s not a difficult recipe, I don’t like the floury taste. It took 15 minutes longer than instructed to bake and, even then, it didn’t seem done to me. Maybe it’s because I made my own mango pulp instead of using canned or maybe the recipe calls for too much flour. Whatever the reason, I won’t make this again.

Chilled Red Berry Soup


© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

• 1 pint fresh raspberries
• 1 pint fresh strawberries
• 2 cups sour cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup ginger ale
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp triple sec
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• fresh mint leaves for garnish

Reserve 6 strawberries and 12 raspberries for garnish. Puree the remaining berries in a food processor or blender. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve over a non-reactive bowl, pushing as much pulp through as possible. Leave seeds behind.

Whisk remaining ingredients, except reserved berries and mint, into the puree. Cover and refrigerate until cold. Garnish with berries and mint.

Source: From Savor: The Royal Caribbean International Cookbook

Review: I love eating cold fruit soups when adventuring about on cruise ships and was tickled to try out this recipe. However, it left a metallic aftertaste in my mouth which bothered me. Royal Caribbean’s chefs are much better at making this recipe than I am.

Peaches under Meringue


© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

• 2 ripe peaches, halved and pitted
• 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided
• 1 large egg white
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped sesame candy or crushed Amaretti

© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

About the latter two ingredients—I couldn’t find the sesame candy anywhere, but my friend Cindy found a box of the Amaretti for me at Starbucks.

Preheat broiler.

Put peaches cut side up on a baking sheet and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar (total). Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat until tops begin to brown, 2 to 4 minutes.

Beat egg white with a pinch of salt in a deep bowl using an electric mixer at medium-high speed until foamy. Gradually add remaining 3 tablespoon sugar, beating until white holds stiff, glossy peaks. Fold in sesame candy or Amaretti.

Place a dollop of meringue on each peach half and broil 30 seconds. Turn off broiler and leave peaches in oven just until tips of meringue are browned, 30 seconds to 1 minute (watch carefully).

Source: Gourmet magazine, August 2009 issue

Review: We love the yummy results. This recipe is easy to make.

Making 2010 Desk Calendars

Here it is the last day of August. The days and months are really flying by this year. I’m thinking about Christmas and the approach of 2010. Right now my focus is on new calendars, so I took a class last Thursday at Making Memories to learn how to make a standing desk calendar.

© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

While most people choose a monthly theme representing the particular month, mine is the beach, something always on my mind year ‘round here in the arid climate of Tucson. Although this calendar is for me, I’m also making gift versions using family photographs.

© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

The calendar is 9.75-inches tall by 5.5-inches wide. You insert two metal rings in the top to bind it. The chipboard pages make the calendar easy to stand.

© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

These are the six sections depicting January through June.

© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

On the other sides are the months of July through December.

© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

To make this calendar, I purchased Creative Imaginations’ Bare Elements Conrad Ring Book kit containing 6 chipboard pages and 2 metal rings. I chose various beach-themed scrapbook papers and a few associated embellishments, and switched out the silver-colored rings for brown colored ones which work better for my project.

The monthly calendar pages are a free download here (only available temporarily, so get it while you can). Cut them out to use for the project.

You make each calendar page in a specific order as follows:

Page 1: January on one side, December on the reverse
Page 2: February on one side, November on the reverse
Page 3: March on one side, October on the reverse
Page 4: April on one side, September on the reverse
Page 5: May on one side, August on the reverse
Page 6: June on one side, July on the reverse

When you finish all the pages, simply put them in order, slip in your rings, and you're done.

Helping Other Women

I discovered a way to help the breast cancer cause each and every day simply with a click of my mouse. It doesn’t cost me anything but a few seconds of my time to do a good deed.



The Breast Cancer Site sponsors free mammograms for women in need through charitable partners. Every time we click (once a day per person), we help fund this service. Here's the web site.


Source: The Breast Cancer Site

Get your mammogram—it could save your life!

Blessings Friday: Tasha Tudor Day

Some people quietly tuck themselves in the little nooks and crannies of the world, leading lives unnoticed by anyone else. Many folks live in deliberately dramatic ways fostering rabid curiosity about who they are and what they’ll do next. And then there are individuals who transcend all levels and serve as inspirational beacons of light—such was Tasha Tudor.

Today Storybook Woods hosts a tribute to the remarkable and inspirational life led by Tasha Tudor. It’s Tasha Tudor Day.



Tasha Tudor’s legacy is one of self-reliance and determination to live life as she chose. From sustaining her family through gardening, to creating a home where work was not a four-letter word avoided at all costs, to illustrating quiet images of childhood imagination, Tasha Tudor lived simply and resolute in her choices.

If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. ~ Henry David Thoreau
Thoreau’s words were oft-quoted by Tasha Tudor and she lived life accordingly, thereby serving as an inspiration for all of us. It’s not my aspiration to be another Tasha Tudor or even a Thoreau, but both prompt me to be mindful of deciding how I want to live my own life.

Resources

• Click here for a collector’s checklist of Tasha Tudor’s published works—there may be a title or two you missed over the years.
• You can visit The Tasha Tudor Museum’s first online exhibition here until December 31, 2009.