Sunday Scavenger Hunt

The idea with this photography challenge is to take things during the week that describe five prompts. That is not always possible in our country. Weather can make it impossible to take pictures outside. So here is the best I can do this week.
Sunset:

Black and white:

Day in my life:

Four strings on a cello:

Colorful:

I can't get the below button to work so here is the link to this week's. page.

Next weeks challenge:
Smile (Saun's suggestion)
Stand Alone (Saun's suggestion)
Rusty or Something Old (Saun's suggestion)
Artificial (Terrie's suggestion)
Repeating Pattern (Terrie's suggestion)

Simple Things Sunday

Music may not classify as a simple thing of life but it does make life enjoyable. I play a cello and so I was trying to capture my long time musical campanion in a photographic way. I took these photos after teaching my cello student this week. It is fun to see her progress and enjoy playing as much as I do. That is the simple part. The simple joy of making music!

This is my view.

This is your view.

The Simple Things Sunday

Rebecca from Simple as That hosts a "The Simple Things" Sunday photo challenge. I decided to join today.

Our simple thing this week was Meat Loaf. How basic is that. However we tried something my husband saw on a food channel and baked it on a parchment paper on a tray so that the grease could run out. Such a simple idea but it makes a big difference. No more greasy meat loaf!!! Yeah, that should help lower Cholesterol.

You just mix up your meat loaf mix, any recipe. Then shape it on the parchment paper lined baking sheet or pan and bake at 350 F as usual. The grease is not contained by the loaf pan or muffin tin (for mini meat loafs). It can run away from the meat loaf. Transfer to a serving dish and enjoy! If you are wondering what the red stuff is I top my meat loaf with a mixture of ketsup, dried mustard powder and brown sugar about 15 minutes before it is done baking.

This was pretty lean meat but you can see the grease that was left on the paper. It also makes for very easy clean up . . . just throw the paper away, no more grease!

Victoria's quilts for Christmas

This quilt is a christmas present for Adam.

Victoria made a rag quilt for Cindy, Adam's mother.

Art folder for kids

I saw these cute little art cases on Ucreate. They were designed by Becky and had great instructions. I just had to make them for my grandchildren. They opened them Christmas morning and were able to use them at church. They were a great success.

2011 1226 - Christmas Quilts

We have been very busy here making quilts for the kids. I have learned how to quilt on a long arm machine so I actually quilted all of these myself. Grandma bound them by turning the minky to the front and stitching it with a fancy stitch. So here they are:

Brad's Grinch Christmas quilt. Brad loves the minky back, he is always cold.

Adina's quilt with yellow cabbage rose minky. She loved the yellow and green.

Scott's Celebrate Dr. Seuss quilt with red minky.

Merrick's Cars quilt for his bed. I have to make a small one for use in the living room still. Their house is always cold in the winter. Crazy Canadian winters, what can you say.
It has been a long but fun process. Victoria has done two quilts and has three more to quilt as well. We will post pictures of those later.

Photographic Challenge #47 - Clouds

Melissa and Kristi have us exploring clouds this time. Their clouds are awesome.

I love to imagine shapes in the clouds but we have had some really dramatic storms this year. Their contrast has taken over the fluffy cloud dreaming.

Cake and cupcakes for Jessica Hamilton's wedding

Today Jessica Hamilton's wedding and reception. I was asked to make the wedding cake for the top of Jessica's cupcake combo wedding cake. She wanted it to be kind of vintage or rustic.
It is a chocolate cake with two layers. One is a chocolate mousse filling and the other is a raspberry filling. It is covers with a Swiss Meringue Buttercream with a touch of almond flavor. I know, it sounds like a bunch of flavors together but my taste testers, Dad and Grandma assure me that it is good. Angela Gardner and I decorated the cupcakes. She made cuts flowers out of fondant to match the colors of the flower on the cake.
The whole effect of the table and door behind the cake table are fun.

Here is what the rest of the hall looked like. It started with the quest table.
Area for gifts, cute bench with Mr and Mrs pillows.

Area for aquainting quests with the couple.
Backdrop for the Bridal Party.
Centerpieces are spay painted trees with scrapbooking circles that have been punched to slide on the branches. There are layered beans in the bottom of the jar. There is also a mini album of the couple and some ovations in another canning jar plus a candle.
Vintage wall of the couple's interests.
Fun quilt for their wedding.
Favor table of mini jars of jam, popcorn balls, and candy.

Display on top of the piano.
Food Table.
Bouquet on the food table.

Photography Challenge #46 - Texture

This week's challenge is Texture. Check out Kristi and Melissa's take on testure. Their textures and angles of photography are fantastic!

I love texture pictures but one of the most unique and fast changing texture were these mushrooms that grew in our lawn this summer. They only lasted two days from small starts to dead black fungus. Sorry I still don't have photo editing capacity so I couldn't make this a better shot. For now I have to be satisfied with just interesting! Enjoy.

The above pictures shows the shape that they started in, just pushing up from the ground and the below pictures shows how the heads fanned out and then started to just descintegrate. It left a black mess. I'm not sure how to get rid of them.

For a different type of texture check out the picture of the cake texture that I made for Jessica's wedding in the next post.

The first quilts are bound and finished!

Victoria is working on the binding.

It's done!

All bound, done and in use by Jameson.