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Princess Layout

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I wanted to share a layout that I recently did with Wild Asparagus paper. If you are unfamiliar with My Minds Eye - Wild Asparagus line, you definitely have to check them out. They are my absolute favorite, well at least this month hehehe…

I had my daughter dress up as a princess (her favorite thing - hence my website’s namesake lol)….and I just loved these random shots of her.

So I want to propose a scraplift with this design. I made a black and white rendition of it as well so you can use it to make your own layout
What’s a scraplift you ask? Well it’s when you take someone’s layout design and adapt it to your own theme/pictures. I thought it would be fun to challenge some of you wonderful scrapbookers out there with a basic layout.

I’d love to see what you come up with so please drop me a comment here if you have posted it somewhere or email it to me and I will share it with everyone!

Here is the layout I made:

And here is the scraplift page that you can right click on, save and use as a guide for your own layout:

Have fun and have a great week!

Ciao, Lisa

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Lisa Miller, a graphic designer, has been creating digital and traditional scrapbook layouts for 15 years and is the owner of http://www.thescrapprincess.com/ which offers digital scrapbook elements, freebies, tutorials, web graphics, ebay auction templates, websets and more. Join the mailing list for her monthly newsletter with tips and articles to help organize, create and inspire!

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Challenge Answers: click on the thumbnails to see how people responded to this challenge! What to be listed here? Take this scraplist challenge, post your version of the layout on your site and then leave the link in our comments. We’ll add you here so others can check it out!

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Real Moms: Introducing Lynessha

It’s time to introduce you to another one of our Real Moms Review Panel members! Last week, we introduced you to Jacquie, and today I’d like to introduce our other mom-to-be, Lynessa.

Lynessa is engaged and expecting her first child this September. She writes professionally, for businesses and individuals, and is also available to do video reviews if you wish! This 23-year-old Ohio mom-to-be enjoys cooking, crocheting, fashion, funky flair, photography, scrapbooking, jewelry making, and learning more about her baby.

Lynessa is looking forward to reviewing products for pregnant moms/new moms, babies, cooking, crafts, fashion, and more. If you would like Lynessa to do a written or video review of your product, contact Chrys @ realmomreviews@yahoo.com

A Sample Review Done By Lynessa:

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Bruschetta Versus Crostini

I don’t know about you but after eating bruschetta at restaurants, seeing recipes in cookbooks and online that use bruschetta or crostini as an ingredient, and watching the celebrity chefs and cooks on the Food Channel create mouth-watering appetizers I couldn’t figure out the difference between bruschetta and crostini.

So, I looked for a definition of each. Here is what I found.

Definitions of bruschetta on the Web

1. Bruschetta should be pronounced BROO-sketuh or brus-ket-a; it is derived from Italian “bruscare” meaning “to toast” or “to roast over coals.”
   dictionary.reference.com/features/wordtraveler08.html
2. Bruschetta is toasted bread slices brushed with garlic and olive oil. Served as an appetizer with a variety of toppings.
   www.tyson.com/Recipes/Controls/ViewTerms.aspx
3. Bruschetta is a grilled bread appetizer, native to Italy, that is sprinkled or rubbed with olive oil and garlic, and then topped with such things as salt, garlic, basil, chopped tomatoes or tomato paste, anchovies, olives, mushrooms, and occasionally cheese.
   www.gardenplate.com/glossary
4. Bruschetta is an appetizer on a base of a thin toasted slices of Italian or French bread. Also called crostini.
   www.dieli.net/SicilyPage/RecipesPage/glossary.html
5. Bruschetta is a food originating in central Italy during the 15th century. It consists of grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Variations may include toppings of spicy red pepper, tomato, vegetables and/or cheese. Bruschetta is usually served as a snack or appetizer.
   wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruschetta

Bruschetta is a Tuscan dish designed to show off the new season’s oil at the time of the olive harvest. Traditionally, when olives were taken to the local mill for pressing, the growers typically took some country bread with them. There was usually a small fireplace burning in the corner of the pressing room, and when the oil emerged from the press, the grower toasted a bit of the bread on the fire to sample the oil.

A slightly different description of Bruschetta, toasted bread often rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil, is a way to salvage bread that is going stale by adding oil and seasonings. Sometimes the bread is entirely immersed in oil, but usually the oil is poured on the top after the bread is rubbed with a garlic clove. In recent years adding toppings, particularly chopped onions and tomatoes, has become popular in restaurants.

The meaning of the word has changed so that now some Americans use the word “bruschetta” to refer to the topping itself, not the dish. Many grocery stores in the United States sell bottled “bruschetta,” which is simply tomatoes, onion, garlic and other herbs.

The food we know today topped with tomatoes, garlic, basil, mozarella is a recent adaptation which takes advantage of the healthy aspects of olive oil.

Definitions of Crostini on the Web

1. Crostini are small, thin slices of toasted bread usually brushed with olive oil.
   www.scec.com.au/services/food_beverage/glossary.cfm
2. Crostini are traditionally festive Italian appetizers. Baguette-style bread is thinly sliced and lightly toasted and then topped, usually with a moist spreadable pâté made from a variety of ingredients such as mushrooms, chicken livers, capers, garlic and ham.
   www.goodcookingtonight.co.uk/GlossaryC.htm
3. In Italian, “crostini” means “little toasts,” and it is a very accurate description of the food. Crostini are made by thinly slicing bread, typically plain white bread, and toasting or grilling so that it becomes crispy. The crostini may be drizzled with olive oil and salt and served plain, or they may be dressed with an assortment of toppings and used as appetizers or garnishes on foods like soups. Crostini are very easy to make at home, and they can also be purchased, packaged, at many grocers and import stores.

Crostini are often used for the bases of appetizers, as in the case of crostini grilled with heirloom tomatoes and mozzarella cheese, for example. Sometimes, crostini is served as a side dish with foods like steak tartare. Crostini may also be floated on soups, and is sometimes toasted with various cheeses in this instance. In this sense, crostini can be used like croutons.

To make crostini, many cooks use custom made loaves which make perfectly sized crostini. They can also be made from any type of Italian bread. Crostini are bite-sized and designed to be held in the hand. The bread is sliced very thinly, and the slices are grilled or toasted in an oven before being brushed with olive oil.

Once prepared, crostini can be stored in an airtight container until they are needed. They can also be served plain and warm, or they can be baked again with toppings and served hot or cold as appetizers. Cold crostini may also be spread with things like cheese and pate, creating an appetizer similar to the canape.

Because they are thin and toasted, crostini tend to be very hard. When they are used like croutons in soup, the soup tends to soften them, but they retain a bready texture even with soaking, so that they will not dissolve entirely into the soap. Other sauces and dressing may soften crostini slightly, making them easier to eat. Since crostini hold their consistency well, they make a good base for appetizers being made ahead of time, since they should not become soggy. If the crostini are going to be served warm, the ingredients can be assembled beforehand so that the crostini are ready to slide into an oven at the last minute.

CROSTINI OR BRUCHETTA

Makes about 42 - 64 (Depending on Thickness)

There are some dips and spreads that taste better with toasted bread than crackers. Crostini or Bruchetta are very easy and quick to make. From what I can determine, the difference between the two is the thickness, bruchetta being the thickest, and that really depends on the topping or dip you are serving. This recipe is basic. You might want to add other seasonings.

2 French bread baguettes, about 3 inches in diameter and 16 inches long
4 tablespoons olive oil (or use a good-quality olive oil spray)
Fresh garlic cloves, halved

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Slice the baguettes into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices for Crostini, 1/2 to 3/4 inch for Bruchetta. Brush or spray one side with the oil. Place on cookie sheets. Brush or spray the top. Place in oven and bake until lightly browned and toasted, about 6 to 10 minutes. (Thicker slices should be baked at a slightly lower temperature, requiring more time until browned.) Turn the trays halfway through baking to ensure even toasting. Remove from oven. Rub each piece with the cut side of the garlic halves while toasts are still hot. Use warm or at room temperature. Leftovers can be wrapped in foil and kept at room temperature for several days, then refreshed briefly in the microwave before using.

Note: In a pinch, sprinkle bread with garlic powder before toasting and omit the garlic rub. If you want, thicker slices can be prepared on a grill or grill pan. Use the same method, turning the slices when browned, and being careful not to burn.

Crostini make a tasty accompaniment to the warm Cheesy Artichoke-Crab Dip and the Buffalo Chicken Dip in the previous posts.

Healthy Watkins Grapeseed Oils can be substituted for the olive oil when making homemade bruschetta or crostini.

Eleisia Whitney has a Watkins Home Business. She enjoys cooking and baking with Watkins extracts, spices, herbs, and sauces for healthy meals. Eleisia publishes a Watkins Newsletter, Around the Kitchen Table, that brings you recipes, cooking and health tips, and contests for free Watkins products.
Read the current issue at http://www.everydaynecessities.com/jan15-08newsletter.htm
Visit her at http://www.everydaynecessities.com and
http://www.WatkinsOnline.com/eleisiawhitney

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Successful Party Crafts in 5 Steps

Anyone who has ever hosted a child’s birthday party knows that it takes planning to make the party a success. If you are a crafty person, or you have a crafty child, and you want to do a craft at your child’s party just follow these 5 simple steps to make it a success.

1. Think Kits - Several companies sell craft kits. To make it really easy on yourself purchase enough kits for each guest, plus a few extras, just in case. If your budget doesn’t allow for purchasing premade kits, consider using sandwich bags or envelopes to make your own kits with all the supplies. That way, it is easy to make sure that everyone gets all the pieces they need. Some things like crayons, markers, glue, and scissors can be shared.
2. Consider Age - When planning the craft you will do, keep in mind the age of your guests. For the young party goer, simple things like coloring? or putting stickers on a hat or picture? are probably best.? Older party goers may enjoy cutting and pasting, stringing beads, or painting.
3. Simplify - Are there any steps you can do ahead of time? Have? paper pre-cut into any needed shapes or use fun foam that has a sticky back so you don’t have to glue. The fewer steps there are, the easier it will be for you to keep their attention and assist multiple children at the same time.
4. Do Double-Duty - If you’re doing a carnival-style party with multiple activities and prizes, have the children decorate a paper lunch sack to go with the theme of the party as they arrive. Then, as they go through the party and get different goodies they can put them into the goody bag that they made themselves. It gives them something to keep track of all their stuff and keeps them busy while waiting for everyone to arrive
5. Have Fun - Probably the most important thing to remember. This is about letting the kids have fun, experiment, and get creative. Sit back, relax, and see what they come up with.

Jennifer Lavender is a homeschooling mom and Independent Consultant with Usborne Books At Home. Her favorite part of both “jobs” is being able to get creative and spend time with kids. To find out more about Jennifer or Usborne Books visit Jennifer Lavender…And Then Some or sign up for her Usborne News mailing list.

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Favorite Ingredients Friday - Super Bowl Sunday II Edition - Cheesy Artichoke-Crab Dip

Favorite Ingredients Friday is sponsored by Overwhelmed With Joy. Visit her blog for more taste-tempting recipes. Cheesy Artichoke-Crab Dip

1/2 cup/125 mL real mayonnaise
1 package (8 oz/227 g) cream cheese
1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Garlic Granules
3 tbsp/45 mL Watkins Crab Snack and Dip Seasoning
2 cans artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup/250 mL shredded mozzarella cheese
5 oz/140 g shredded parmesan cheese

1. Mix together mayonnaise, cream cheese, Watkins Garlic Granules and Watkins Crab Snack & Dip Seasoning in a bowl until smooth.
2. Add chopped artichokes and cheese; mix well.
3. Bake in an ungreased baking dish at 350°F/180°C for 30 minutes or until edges begin to turn golden brown.

Serve hot with garlic-flavored bagel chips, bread sticks, or toasted baguette slices.

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Friday’s Feast

Appetizer
How many times per day do you usually laugh?I really don’t know. Some days I laugh more than other days.

Soup
What do your sunglasses look like?

I have two pair of sunglasses. One pair has plastic brown rims with brown lenses. The other has light blue lenses with silver wire rims.

Salad
You win a free trip to anywhere on your continent, but you have to travel by train. Where do you go?

I would travel by train to Alaska so I could see a wide range of beautiful scenery.

Main Course
Name one thing you consider a great quality about living in your town/city.

I like the variety of great restaurants and food in the city where I live.

Dessert
If the sky could be another color, what color do you think would look best?

I like blue skies with fluffy white clouds. I wouldn’t like any other color! This is a picture from my backyard.

Visit other Friday Feasts at FridaysFeast.com/

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Real Moms: Introducing Jacquie

Our first featured Real Mom is Jacquie. Jacquie was actually the first person to respond to our request for panel members, and her sample review (below) was amazing. Jacquie is 26, and lives in Manitoba, Canada. I snagged this adorable photo of her and her husband (hope that’s okay Jacquie). As you can see, Jacquie is expecting, and is due in less then two months with her first child.

Jacquie currently works from home as a computer programmer and is looking forward to becoming a full-time mom in March. Some of her interests include: singing, playing piano, reading, writing, blogging, web design, graphic design, taking pictures and prayer.

If you have a product for a new mom/new baby, Jacquie is definitely your girl. Some other relevant reviews might include computer products, photography products, music products, books, Christian products, etc. To request a free review from Jacquie, please email realmomreviews@yahoo.com

A Sample Review done by Jacquie:

This Christmas I received a software program called MasterCook Deluxe 9.0 which equips you with some 8000 recipes as well as helps you to input and organize your own recipes! Since I love organizing and I love computers and I even enjoy cooking, this was the perfect gift! I just started entering in several of my recipes from my very worn and tattered scribbler that I’ve been using for almost 10 years and found it quite simple to figure it out without needing to refer to the user manual. The majority of the ingredients I use regularly are already in their database, which also makes it quick to enter in your recipes. You can create as many of your own cookbooks as you like, so you can choose to separate your recipes into specialized books, or use the handy feature of creating your own categories and assigning the recipes to them. You can include the instructions, personal notes, serving ideas, the time it takes to prepare, and even rate the recipes using your own personalized scales such as taste, ease of preparation, spiciness, how your family likes it, etc! You can even take pictures of your finished food creations and add them to your cookbook as well! Lastly, if the ingredients you have listed are in their database, the program will try to determine the nutrition information about your meal, giving you an estimated calorie value and a breakdown of the fat, protein and carbohydrates content.

So far I love this software! It will take me a little while to input all my recipes, but once they’re in there, I can easily do searches on my cookbook or any of the many included cookbooks to find a recipe I’m looking for. I recently found it particularly helpful when I had a pork roast I wanted to use, but no recipes for it. I did a quick search for pork roast in their “No Hassle Crockpot Meals” cookbook and found an amazing recipe that both I and my husband loved! I have yet to try out some of the additional features for menu planning and grocery list creation, but I imagine these could be very useful tools as well. I personally don’t think I’ll use the grocery list feature because it requires me to input all the ingredients in my kitchen and pantry, which seems like a lot of work to try and maintain! I also probably won’t use the menu planning feature since I already have my own system that works well for me, but it could be just what you’re looking for?

Regardless, for the price you’ll pay (you can get MasterCook Deluxe 9.0 for as low as $13.59 USD/$13.98 CDN on www.amazon.com), it’s worth it to me just for the cookbooks feature! If you feel you don’t have the time to enter in your recipes, aren’t too fond of computers or perhaps you already have too many cookbooks, then this may not be the product for you. But I would recommend this product for anyone who wants to add some variety to their menu with thousands of searchable recipes, or the person whose personal recipes are a confused mess and need organizing, and especially for the person who has a laptop and can take it right into their kitchen with them! Even without a laptop, you can print out beautiful and creative cookbooks or recipe cards to keep in your kitchen, give away as a gift, or maybe even sell.

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Comforting Hospitalized Children

Last Fall a young girl named Sami asked that people send Crayons and Coloring Books to the hospitalized children at St. Jude Children’s Hospital for her birthday. Many people were very touched by her wish. The request circulated around the internet. I sent coloring books and crayons, as I’m sure, many of you did.

I wondered if the hospital could accept these gifts of coloring books and crayons but I sent them anyway. I was pleased to receive a Thank You letter from the hospital with a list of patient gift items they could use. I’ve included that list in this post.

Whether you sent coloring books and crayons in honor of Sami’s birthday or not I’d like to urge you to contribute to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or to your local hospital. These gifts help comfort sick children and their families. Who deserves your generosity more than a sick child? Let your children feel the love of giving. Call your local hospital for a list of items they accept.

St. Jude Suggested Patient Gift List

Infant/Toddler
Washable Plastic Mobiles
Crib/Musical Activity Centers
High Chairs
Umbrella Strollers*
Infant Seats/Car Seats*
Fisher-Price/Playskool Toys*
Bouncy Seats/Jumperoos
Baby Swings and Rockers
Baby Einstein Items*

Preschool
Duplo Blocks
Toy Cash Register*
Play Telepone*
Baby Born*
Toy Doctor Kit*
Silly Six Pins Bowling*
Musical Instruments
See and Say*
ColorForms*
Play Dish Sets and Play Food
Wooden and Plastic Puzzles (only)
Toy Cars/Trucks/Motorcycles
Playdough*/Activity Sets
Art Supplies/Coloring Books
Games
Bed Bugs*
Mr/Mrs Potato Head*
Hungry Hungry Hippos*
Elefun*
Lucky Ducks*
To Grandma’s House We Go
Sponge Bob/Bob the Builder
Thomas the Train/Veggie Tales*
Dora the Explorer*
Fisher-Price/Playskool*
Shape Sorter Toys

School Age/Adolescent
Action Figures
Spiderman*, Hulk
Transformers*, Yu-Gi-Oh*
Wooden and Plastic Puzzles (only)
Etch A Sketch*
Lego Bionicles/Clikits*
Barbies/Bratz Doll
Hello Kitty/Polly Pocket
Strawberry Shortcake*
My Little Pony*
Toy Cars/Trucks/Motorcycles
Sports Balls
Snap-Tite No Glue Models (only)
Arts, Crafts and Scrapbook Items
Fuzzy Posters*
Gameboy and Games*
XBox/Game Cube and Games*
Handheld Electronic Games*
Telephones*/Alarm Clocks*
Card Games* Uno* Skip Bo*
View Master*
DVD Movies (G or PG13)
Personal MP3/CD Players*
Music CDs*
CD Cases*
Nail Polish Kits
Jewelry*

Board Games and Travel Games
Apples to Apples*
Sequence*
Taboo*
Boggle
Oodles of Doodles*
Balderdash*
Pictionary*
Gesstures*
Catch 22*
Ants in the Pants*
Don’t Break the Ice
Scattergories*
Cranium*
Perfection*
Guess Who*
Coda*
Raging Rapids*
Checkers
Chess
Trivial Pursuit*
Mancala*
Jenga Extreme*
Uno Attack*

School Supplies
Backpacks and Misc. Items

All Ages
Pre-paid Phone Cards* (International and Domestic)
Batteries* (All Sizes)
Disposable Cameras*

Gift Certificates
Toys R Us*
JC Penney*
Wal-Mart*
Target*
Old Navy*
Best Buy*
Blockbuster*
American Eagle*
Abercrombie and Fitch*
Gap*, Baby Gap* and Gap Kids

* = Items specially needed due to numerous patient requests

Per Doctor’s Orders to maximize effectiveness of patient treatment and reduce chance of infection or serious allergic reaction) handmade/fabric items should be from pet-free, smoke-free areas and must be sealed in a ZipLoc Bag.

This includes items such as
Do-Rags/ Bandana Head Coverings*
Quilts
Tote Bags
Bibs/Burp Pads

Unfortunately, we cannot distribute or use any of the following items
Stuffed Animals
Toy Guns
Cloth Body Dolls
Porcelain Dolls
Religious Items
Soap Bubble Mixtures
Food Items
Candy
Balloons
VHS Movies
Used Items of Any Kind

Please Do Not Gift Wrap Items

Questions
Call Donor Services at 1-800-822-6344

Please Ship Items to
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Attn: Vilma Carnahan
595 N Parkway
Memphis, TN 38105

From All The Children And Families Of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Thank You For Your Kindness, Concern, And Loving Generosity!

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One Year To An Organized Life

One of my favorite blogs, Uncluttered, just posted a review of this new book which is going to be released on January 27. In the review, they mention that the title, “One year to an organized life” may detour people from purchasing because it seems like a long-term commitment but in fact, the book is full of useful ideas and tips even if you don’t follow their year-long process. For me - I have already determined to make this my “One Year” so I think the title sounds very exciting! I love the idea of having everything spread out so that it is a bout gradual, permanent changes rather then one week of massive overhaul that falls apart within a month or so. Read more

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3 Frugal Crafts For Kids

So, Christmas is over and those kids are bored. Here are some fun - and cheap - crafts ideas for kids.

Paper Plate Aquarium

What You Need: crayons, pencil crayons or markers, yarn or ribbon(left over gift ribbon works well), 2 paper plates per child, and a stapler or glue gun

What you do: Have each child color the inside of one paper plate blue with fish in it. Then, cut out the inside of the second plate. Place both plates tops together, and glue or staple them together. Make a hole near the top for the ribbon to hang it with. If you have ribbons, tissue paper, construction paper, pompoms or other craft materials on hand, you can let them decorate the outside of their aquarium as well.

Thank-you Cards

Get out the crayons, markers or pencil crayons and let them create custom thank you cards for all those Christmas gifts. Or, make cards for a birthday, valentines day or other occasion.

Make it a learning lesson - create jsut because cards and then take them to people in the hospital or in a local seniors center.

Other stuff you can use for your cards: craft paper, glitter and glue, piper cleaners, stickers, stamps…..

Mini Pizza Art

Make lunch and have fun all at once. Provide individual sized pizza dough - either home made or store boughten works. Layout the toppings your family likes and challange the kids to come up with a unique and interesting design for their pizza. How about a pepperoni and green pepper airplane? Or a Pineaplle Leaning Tower(laying down of course). And when you’d done, you have lunch!

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