Saturday, July 30, 2011

Lulu's Sizzlin' Saturday... Fabulous Fruit Tray

Welcome back to Lulu's Sizzlin' Saturday! Today I am going to be showing you how to make a beautiful, delicious fruit tray. This is one fruit tray that is welcomed at any party!
 

It may look like this takes hours but it is actually quite simple!

To start off you will need... a pineapple, maraschino cherries and any other fruit you desire!
Now for the pineapple....first you take a whole pineapple and cut it into fourths all the way up through the leaves.

Next you need to start at the base of the leaves and cut the pineapple fruit away from the hard skin.


Then you cut away the hard center of the pineapple only leaving the edible part.


The last step to prepping the pineapple is to cut the piece of pineapple in half lengthwise and then cut it into chunks.


Finally, you need to halve enough maraschino cherries so that there is one half for every pineapple chunk. Then you place one half on one chunk push a tooth pick through the cherry and into the pineapple securing the cherry in place. Do this for each chunk of pineapple.


Then you need to construct! You can use whatever other fruit sounds good to you! For this fruit tray we used cantaloupe, strawberries, kiwi and blueberries.


We used two quarters of the pineapple but in the past we have used all four quarters for a larger party... experiment!


Have fun and enjoy!☺


HookingupwithHoH


Friday, July 29, 2011

A Pony Tail with Pizazz







When I was little I always wanted one of those big Barbie heads with the long hair that you could style...I never got one but now I have a daughter!! Even better!! Lulu and I have been doing this special pony tail in her hair since first grade and she's thirteen now. She isn't one for jewelry but she likes fancy hair and nails. ☺


Step one...find yourself a victim...or a big Barbie head! You will also need two hair elastics and a bunch of clear tiny hair elastics (rubber band kind).

Part Barbie's hair down from the top, just behind her ear. Pull the back section into a pony tail, not really high or low, kinda in the middle of the back of her head. This hair elastic will not really show when you're done so just use a neutral one.

Next you will separate the loose hair into 5 sections and pull each section into a little pony tail using the tiny clear elastics...like so...

Don't mind the hair clipped up in the front of Barbie's hair...she has some bangs that we wanted to pull over to each side at the end. Let's number the sections 1-5 from left to right. You will take all of section 1 and half of section 2 and make a pony tail...take the other half of section 2 and half of section 3 and make a pony tail...other half of section 3 and half of 4...other half of section 4 and all of section 5.




Now you have 4 pony tails...do the same thing, all of the first section with half of the second section...


Now you have 3 pony tails...continue the pattern.
When you have 2 little pony tails you can elastic them together with the pony tail you made at the back of her head, use a big elastic for this, this is the one you will see.



Now we smoothed her bangs over and secured them with a tension clip or a bobby pin.



And there you have it, a pony tail with pizazz...you've got style girl!





Love ya Lulu, thanks for being my Barbie!!



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Thursday, July 28, 2011

Can you spot the hidden object?

The professor and I are babysitting Mar's cat and dog for a week and while the professor was out walking our yard with the dog he stumbled upon a strange creature.  He could only see the head at first and thought it was a small mammal because we have seen a chipmunk scurrying around.  As he peered closer.....POOF!!!  The little creature was in his face!!!  Can you spot the hidden animal?


Yes!  It's a duck!  Laying on a nest of eggs.  Now that we know she is there, we'll avoid the area and give her some privacy.  I think the name Mrs O'Leary works well for her.  I can't wait for the ducklings to hatch!!



Our Rose of Sharon bush is in full bloom, gorgeous!


Check out these sunflowers!  They are sprouting right up!  I can't wait for the flowers to come!


We went to a neighborhood garage sale this past weekend.  $1.00 Tonka Truck?  Yes please!  (Actually the professor nabbed it before "S" did).


 Our heirloom tomato plants are starting to take over!

 

We have started to make plans for our kitchen and bathroom renovations.  More on that to come next week!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

what survived...

and I should add to the title.... "so far."

The heat wave we've been having across the country has done a number on my precious garden so far.  As much as I water and hope and pray, only the strong have survived.  I'll cross my fingers the rest recover for next year, but here's what I'm left with for now:


My roma tomatoes.  We went back and forth and back and forth during the heatwave, but it looks like we're going to end up with "forth." As in, they lived.  It stopped doing anything for a while, but it looks like it's back for good with some new tomato blooms!


I even had enough to make a quick batch of fried green tomatoes!  I used this recipe for the dipping sauce. (I substituted the red wine vinegar in mine for regular vinegar just to be safe with the baby and all! Oh, and I don't have any Creole seasoning, so I just added the same amount in chili powder.) Big yum! I would have taken a picture of the completed recipe, but I ate them too fast... whoops!


 My beautiful asters also survived!! This bloom looks a little worse for the wear, but I've got new blooms all over just waiting to open up!


This was a pleasant surprise! It's a pumpkin!! I had my husband toss the seeds on the side yard last November, and it looks like something may have come of it- so excited! I hope they keep!


My dad had also given me some trumpeter vine seeds (which I didn't take pictures of back when I did my garden post because it would have just been a picture of the dirt since they were seeds, haha).  But they're doing awesomely!  They just started to bud with tiny flowers this week- so excited!


Just in case you're wondering why I planted a trumpeter vine...it's to hide my trash can! Of course.... Can't wait till it's a smidgen bigger so I can start wrapping it into the trellis.

Last but not least, the highlight to my morning was catching these two bunnies frolicking around! So cute. I named them Elmer and Louisa. They can stay as long as they don't eat my asters that are newly blooming!


How does your garden grow amidst the heat wave?  I'm off to go feed mine some H2O!!!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

simple...♥

i want to simplify...don't you? 
this summer has been a strong reminder that i will never reclaim time that has past...
"...my days are as a shadow that passeth away"...psalm 144
little girl giggles...
curly hair that smells like the beach
milk & cereal out on the deck...

simple things...


clothespins & decoupage...cuteness


chicks & hens livin' in a carved out tree stump
(the chief came up with this all on his own...i ♥ this man)


celebrating 12 years this weekend...love ya all my life ♥ 


free printable for you...download here ♥

happy simpleness...
Linking ♥
Todays Creative Blog  



Join us Saturdays at tatertotsandjello.com for
 the weekend wrap up party!

 Todays Creative Blog