Summer, It's Hot, and I'm Not a Happy Camper....hahahaha

Good morning wonderful people, from my "HOT" neck of the woods.    The title just about explains is all.   hahahaha     Truth be known, I'm not much on camping anyway, so I'll be just fine.    hahahaha     I do hope that where ever y'all are on this big beautiful globe, that y'all happy, healthy, and cool.    When it turns summer, it does it with a vengeance around here.    We have had some pretty bad weather in my parts, but by the grace of God, it wasn't as bad as it could have been.    Minimal structure damage to homes and out buildings, but lots of downed trees in residential areas.    That's the main concern, trees coming down on homes.    But there wasn't a lot of that.   Of course, if you happen to be one of the few who did have structural damage, then it is really bad, and it is.    I keep saying that as bad as it has been, it could really have been so much worse.   We all have much to be thankful for.

This was the temperature on my deck yesterday at 1:47 pm and it felt hotter than that!!!     Yup, 102*!!!!     That's hot in these parts.      The way this summer is rolling, we may see  more of these extremely hot days.     Really can't say that I look forward to it.     Just thankful that we have air conditioning, seriously.      Like we say in the winter, if you have elderly or disabled neighbors, check on them during these hot spells, you could save someones life.

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We just got thru with our Cultural Arts and Fashion Review in my County this week, thru the Extension Office.    All the 1st and 2nd place winners will go to the Regional Cultural Arts later on in the year.   It was a fun event.     It think there was 34 in attendance and it was good turn out and lots of beautiful entries in the Cultural Arts.   I actually had 10 items entered and 7 placed.   5 items got 1st place, 1 item got 2nd place and 1 item got 3rd place.    Much better than I had expected, so that is always good.    Click on the pictures and bring up the larger picture to see them better.     I think most everything gas been shared on my blog before, but not with wins attached.   hehehe    Wish they gave ribbons like they used to, but they don't.   We'll get a certificate with out wins on it.      It's ok, but not like the ribbons.    How vain is that?      Ok, the certificate is perfect.   One thing, easy to keep up with and I can place pictures of my wins on  the back.     Ok, that is a good plan.   I can move forward now.     hahaha    Vanity outsmarted once again.    woop woop, yay!!!!!

This is all my jewelry in one pic.   Everything but the four bracelets in the upper left corner got 1st place.   Those 4 got 3rd place. 

My machine embroidered baby quilt got 1st place.   It's not technically a quilt because it is hand tied with grosgrain ribbon and buttons.  

This is a mixed pic too, my USA banner did not place, but my Dandelion color pic took 2nd place and my Treebark and fungi black and white took 1st place.   I was stunned, but so thrilled they won.  I took these pics on the greenway here in our town.    Just out on a walk and I got winners on one trip. I was so happy!!!

This is a close-up of my Cruise charm bracelet .  The beads are from an itinerary from the last cruise that my Mom and I went on with some friends that are also family back in Sept of 2018.   Most of the charms are charms that we got in our ports of calls.    I was thrilled it won 1st place.

This in my four piece cuff bracelet made from a UPS ad that came thru the mail.   The first set I made, I donated to a non-profit.   This is a second set that I made later.    It earned 3rd place in re-purposed category.     Happy about this win too.   The ad was sand and browns on one end and blues on the other end.    I cut it in two where the colors were distinct and cut my strips then and made my beads.    Then I put czech beads between each rolled bead. 

This is my sculpted jewelry made from denim.    It earned 1st place.     It is also strung with czech beads between my sculpted beads.

This is my 2 inch canvas pin and it won second place in the Jewelry category.    I made this and taught a class on this last year and one of the other ladies won 2nd place.     These are so fun to make.  There are no rules when crafting.

I have been thinking a lot about what I do in the way of crafts.   I don't do anything in a spectacular fashion, NOTHING!!!!   That is for sure and I know it.    But when I craft, I do the best I can to step out of the box!!!     I don't want to be boxed in.    I don't want anyone else to be boxed in either.    I try to craft like there are no rules.     I've had people tell me, "You can't do that."     I do my best to show them that I can do that.     I do my best to turn the word "can't" in to craft.    Put a "r" after "c", take the "n" out and replace it with an "f" and take the " ' " out and you have turned "can't" in to "craft".    That's how easy it is to think outside the box.     I believe that every craft has value, skill and takes talent.    I think I shared about a project taking place in our state once a year about teaching and training us how to be judges for fairs and festivals and arts.    I have been taking those classes.   I've done it for the last 2 years and I look forward to the years to come.     Learning is a key to crafting.    Learning is a key to do the best you can do.  

If you get the opportunity to step outside the box in your crafting, jump for it and don't look back.    You will not be sorry.     Don't take can't for an answer.    Prove that you can.    Think differently.    Look for ways to better yourself.    Look for ways to better your skills.    Whatever you, make it your own with your flare added to it.    My main goal with encouraging you is to get you to understand that there REALLY are no rules, some people want you to think there is, but there isn't.   Just do YOU and have fun!!!!    Our County Fair will be coming up towards the end of August and then in October will be our 4th annual Quilt Show.     Lots of stirring taking place.

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I have also been enjoying some of the tomatoes from my deck garden.    I have tomatoes, peppers and onions.    The tomatoes are plentiful.     The peppers and onions haven't started producing yet.    They may not do much, because it is so hot.   we'll just have to wait and see.    But the tomatoes are delish!!!!!!

I have been doing quick and easy meals again in my electric pressure cooker (epc).      I keep Wishbone Italian Salad Dressing (WISD) on hand as a marinade.      I get chicken tenders or boneless pork chops or even beef roast and put the meat in a freezer ziploc bag and pour the "WISD" over the meat in the bag and toss in freezer.   When I'm ready to fix a meal, I put a 16 oz bag of frozen beans or peas of some kind it the bottom of my epc, then put a frozen bag of my meat on top of the beans.     Next, I put my rack in on top of the meat and put my peeled and quartered potatoes on top of the rack, then put peeled and quartered carrots on top of potatoes and if I have any whole squash, I cut both ends off squash and put that on top of the carrots, and then toss in a couple of ears of corn.  Make sure there is at least a cup of liquid, preferably more, possibly 2 cups, since the beans will soak up some of the liquid while cooking.    Season everything the way you want to season it, but don't over season it to begin with, you can add more when it's done, and put the lid on and cook for the duration your epc says to cook the meat and everything else will cook in that amt of time.    When it's done, quick release, remove the lid and let it all sit for about 10 minutes and then remove the layers to different bowls or a platter.    The beans and meat will be absolutely delicious!!!!    Plus the potatoes will have taken on some of the "WISD" flavors and will also be yummy!!!      This is one easy and quick meal that we love so much and look forward to having.

Hope you enjoyed this quick little cooking segment.     I am always on the lookout for easy meal prep and I came up with this one several years ago and it still proves to be a favorite with us.

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I hope you enjoyed your time with me today.     I hope you seen something here that will inspire you to think outside the box.     I just hope you go away with the encouragement to try something new or different in a new or different way.     I hope you can say that the box does not contain you any more.   That box isn't large enough to hold creativity.    I hope you will encourage those around you with the same idea.    Boxes are for toting  and carrying items in, not for containing our creativity.   Think outside the box!!!  This is my quote that I just came up with and I like it!!!!     Hope you do too.

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Tell someone today that Jesus loved them enough to die for their sins.     He doesn't want us to continue living in those same sins.    Make no mistake, even after salvation, we continue to sin, because we have flesh bodies and we make mistakes.    But, when we accept Christ as Lord and Savior, we have the Holy Spirit in us then to help us and to give a desire to do better.    The Holy Spirit is our ultimate teacher.    After all, on several occasions, Jesus told people to "go, and sin no more."     That tells me we are to do better and lay aside the life of sin that He saved us from.    So, when we tell people that Jesus loves them, that is true.    But He doesn't love our sin.   Our sin is why He chose substitutionary death, so we wouldn't be permanently separated from the presence of God.    There are several things that the Bible says that God abhors and some of those are people who do evil things.    We must know that.   If we know nothing else at all, we must know that God abhors sin and those who constantly and belligerently sin, with no regards to Him or those they sin against.    While the death of Jesus on the cross was enough to cover every persons sin, no matter how bad or how much, not everyone will make the choice to run to Jesus.    That is their choice.   So, while Jesus loved them enough to die on the cross for them, it is their choice to accept Him as Lord and Savior or go to hell.     We each make that choice of our own free will.   I can't make the choice for anyone other than myself.   If I could, I certainly would!!!   It's up to us though.   We either live for Christ or we live for the enemy.    We can't sit on the fence because the enemy owns the fence.     Jesus said we are either hot or cold.   Fence sitters are luke warm and He will spit them from His mouth.   Choose life in Christ.    Don't wait, make that choice today.    He is waiting to help you move forward in faith to believe that He is who He says He is!!!

Be blessed y'all and stay cool during the heat of summer.     Remember, God is waiting to have a relationship with you, but that only comes thru Jesus Christ.    hugs and love!!!    patty

Frugal, Beads and more

Oh happy day from my neck of the woods!!      I do hope and pray that everyone is doing awesome.  We had a little bit of a wet spell but I am sure that the farmers are most appreciative.    At least the ones who got some of this rain.    When out and about, it has been common place to see corn knee high that is hurting for rain, so I am hopeful that this little dab or rain will help things out a bit.

We have been busy around the home place, or I should say that my husband has been anyway, getting some long neglected work done.    So, he hasn't wanted to see the rain because it has slowed down his progress.     He has really worked hard trying to get everything looking good again.    When he was still working everyday, a lot of stuff was put on the back burner, but now, he is really working hard to recover our place and property from overgrowth.    I'm so proud of him and the work he has done.    

It has been a year since his former place of employment shut their doors, June 13th, and by the grace of God, we are doing pretty good and that is why he is able to do all the work around the place that he has done and hopes to continue to do.    We just have to look for and find the blessings in every area of life, even in those times that have a potential to be "hard times", there can be blessings in those, it just all depends our mindset.

For me, I look for more ways to be saving and frugal.     I didn't say cheap, I said being saving and being frugal. There is a difference.    I look for more ways to use one item, instead of just the intended purpose.    In my crafts, if I can make something instead of buy it, I will.    Like structure paste or modeling paste or even gesso.    Google the recipes for the homemade versions and there you go, an easy make, with mostly stuff you already have on hand.

With my cooking, I try to figure out how to add more ingredients that don't cost a lot.    Toss in a hand full of whole grain rice or some other whole grain to a soup.    Toss meat bones in a pressure cooker or a slow cooker and extract as much flavor and collagen from the bones to have a stock or broth to season dry beans or a soup.     We use coupons when we eat out.     Yes, we need to do some of those things just as a treat and when we do, a coupon assures me that we can have a good, low cost meal now and save enough with the coupon to go towards the next "eat out" meal.    

I have got to where I buy ground beef when it's on sale and hamburger buns and sliced cheese.     I will pat my burgers and put them in flip top sandwich bags.   Separate out my buns and put them in flip top sandwich bags.    Separate out the cheese slices.    Next, I'll take a vacuum seal bag and put 2 burgers, 2 buns and 2 slices of cheese and vacuum seal that together and toss in the freezer.    That's a meal for 2 in one bag and all I have to do is let it thaw a little and fry the burgers and we have a wonderful meal at the ready.     In the past, I would buy ground beef and forget to buy the buns.   hahaha     Now, I am doing more "shopping with a purpose".     I do hot dogs the same way.     And just regular sandwiches.   Having stuff at the ready is like having access to "fast food" but it's something that I have invested a little time and energy in up front and we get to enjoy it a little later.

I also buy ground beef for meatloaf and get that made up and in the freezer and when we want meat loaf, bam, it's ready.     It's also fun to make the meat loaves in a muffin tin and go ahead and bake them.   I will freeze them in 2 or 4 portions and then that will be the meat for 1 or 2 meals.   Then I can fix a couple of sides and the meat will be ready.   Yay!!!   When roast is on sale, I will get at least 2 of the largest ones I can find and then cut up into smaller portions when I get home and we have anywhere between 6 and 8 portions frozen from 2 roasts.    Each portion will give me between 1 and 2 meals for the 2 of us, depending on the sides I make.      I am working on more ways that I can come up with to have meals that will be ready, in the freezer, with everything that is needed for the meals.    When I do cook something, I will fix enough to freeze enough for a meal for 2 in the future.   That really helps a lot.   My next goal for the near future, is to get a mini stash of chicken for some quick chicken dishes.    Hopefully this week, that plan will fall into place.    Just make plans and then be ready to fulfill the plan or be flexible enough to change those plans.    Because even the best of plans don't always succeed.    Just be ready to re-route and move forward.    Your family is depending on you even if they don't realize it.

Something else I do is when I have a good coupon for a freezer meal for one, say a Lean Cuisine, I'll get it and then have another side in the fridge, cooked and ready to go.    I can pop the freezer meal in the microwave and when it's done, I can split the meal between 2 plates and add the extra side and we just had a delicious meal.    Bam!!!!    Just like a pro!!!   hahaha

I cook lots of dried beans and freeze them and they go good in a lot of stuff.    Just as a meal to themselves.     They work as a wonderful taco meat stretcher, toss in a cup of cooked beans with a cup of cooked and seasoned hamburger meat and "boom', taco meat for a couple of meals.     Toss in a cup full of cooked beans in a veggie stir fry, delicious!!!!    Dried beans are good for you and they are filling and they are GREAT meal extenders.     So, if you cook dried beans, cook more and freeze some in 1 or 2 cup servings.     If you don't know how to cook dried beans, please learn, it is an awesome way to provide good food for 1, 2 or 8, no matter how small or large the family, you can always find ways to add beans to a dish.     If you use canned beans, do rinse the beans till the water runs clear and doesn't foam any more.    That water on the beans is salt heavy unless you get the sodium free beans.     You always want to be able to control the sodium level in your foods and using the liquid in the canned beans is sodium overload!!!!     When looking for beans, fresh, frozen, dried, in that order, is best and if those are not options, then canned, but always do rinse well.

I watch for bacon on sale and stock up on that.    It's good to fry up a package and dice it up and freeze it on a cookie sheet.   When it's frozen, break it up and put in freezer bags and pop in the freezer and when you need some bacon bits, you already have them.     When eggs are on sale, I will get 2 or 3 dozen and have them in the fridge.     When onions are on sale, buy a bag or two.   Peel and dice and spread them out on a cookie sheet and pop in freezer.  When frozen, break up the onions and put them in freezer bags and you have your "already diced, ready to use" frozen onion, just like the frozen ones in the grocery store.    

I also have some pots of tomatoes, peppers and onions on my deck.    I have already gotten several ripe tomatoes from my plants.   I'm really excited to have these.    Just having the pots for next year, if I'm alive and well, will be a huge blessing for us.    There are a lot of ways to be resourceful and help save the family budget.    Being frugal doesn't mean being cheap.     Just figure out how you can serve the tastiest, most flavor filled and healthy food that you possibly can with what you already have on hand and then look for sales on fresh meat and veggies.   Some of the veggies can be frozen easily.

And don't forget local Farmers Markets and just farmers in general.   There will be lots of trucks in town, in random parking lots, selling corn and tomatoes, and squash and peppers and lots of  their produce.   Check them out and compare the prices with what you can get them for in the store.    When you can get good prices, consider freezing some of the food for later.    I hope to get my small chest freezer full of peaches and cream corn this year.     We both love corn and that is the best corn!!!!   

At any rate, look for ways that you can provide good, healthy, nutritious food for your family.   Even if they don't take notice, you will know that you have provided the best you possibly could for your family and that always makes a difference, even if it is just for 2 people in my case.    We both love the fact that I can be frugal and provide good, tasty meals for us.

I have always been thankful for the way God has provided for us.    In times when we have had more funds, we have made as much as we could, we have saved as much as we could, and we have given as much as we could.   We still do all three of those things with the income that we have.    God has helped us every step of the way, even teaching us how to be less extravagant when we could be extravagant.     That has and is paying off now.     Always try to save something from each paycheck!!!     Put it in the bank and forget about it, other than making sure that it's earning as much  interest as it possibly can.    It is not to be touched for anything under any circumstances!!!   Just add to it every week!!     That is a practice that's hard to do, but if you can ever do it, you won't regret it.   Ask God for His help in every aspect of your life.    He is more than ready, willing and able to help make a difference in your life.   Ask Him to help you make good, healthy, delicious meals for your family.    Ask Him to make sure there is sales on the items you need to purchase.     Ask Him to help you stretch your income as far you possibly can and to even save some.     Pray before you go shopping with your grocery money in hand asking Him to stretch far beyond your wildest imaginations.   He will!!!    Plan your route when you go grocery shopping.    Use the fliers that you get in the mail and look for the items you need.    There are lots of apps out there for our cell phones to help us save money and  to help us earn money.   Use them to your benefit.  

A few of those apps are Flipp, Coin Out, Ibotta, Receipt Hog, Receipt Pal, Fetch Rewards, Checkout 51 and many more.    Flipp is a good app that has all the sales fliers in your area in one place.   Even if you don't get them in your mailbox, they will be on your app.   You just have to set it up where it will have all your local stores in it.   It really is a neat app.    Coin Out gives you pennies for every receipt you scan, not a lot, but when every penny counts, it helps.    Ibotta is the biggie and it's the best so far.    If you don't use Ibotta, one question, WHY?   hahaha    This is the app I use that helps me earn money for my crafting and I love it.    Receipt Hog and Receipt Pal earn points for every receipt scanned then you cash the points in for virtual gift cards from different places.    Checkout 51 offers money back on certain items.    When I first started using it, they offered great money back on fresh veggies and lots of useful items, but the longer you use it, the less useful it becomes.   When I get enough on  that app to cash out, I will be deleting it.    I don't drink alcohol and that's what most of the good rebates are for, so I don't need it.    There are other apps that a lot of people are using, I just shared the ones that I know about first hand because I either do use it or have used it.    Just yesterday, I used Ibotta on my halo top ice cream.    It was on sale at the store for 3 for $10.   That was already a savings of almost 4 dollars.   In the app, there was $1 back on up to 5 on the same receipt.   I just got 3 so that was $3 in my app.   In the long run, the halo top was like $2.33 a carton.   Not too bad.  Like anything else,  you have to learn to use the apps, they won't just all of a sudden start saving you money.   Invest a little time up front on learning how to use them and it will become second nature and when you shop, you automatically learn to look at the apps before hand and check anything you may want or consider buying.     Just do your homework and learn how to use them and they can be a big blessing to your family.

Also, if you have the Kroger app on your phone and your gonna do some Ibotta shopping, use both apps to your advantage.  Find out what on sale at Kroger that is in your Ibotta app and maximize your savings and rebates.   Also make your list on paper.  What you're gonna purchase, how much it is, and how much your Ibotta rebate will be, plus the aisle in which to find it.  This really helps me to get in and out in no time flat.   A little bit of homework makes for an easy shopping experience.   Also scan every item you pick up to make sure it is a match in Ibotta, before you even put it in your shopping cart.   I learned that very early on.    You don't want to make a purchase and not be an Ibotta rebate unless you know it before hand.   If you are expecting a rebate and you don't scan it in the store, you are just out the expense unless you needed it anyway.   And, I don't make purchases unless I need it.   I will get things in the app that I might not have gotten otherwise, but most of the time if I get something that was in the app, I was gonna get the equivalent that wasn't in the app, if that makes any sense.   Don't just buy something for the rebate, unless you know you can and will use it.   That defeats the purpose of trying to be saving, frugal and making a little money while shopping.  

I think I have just about frugal-ed myself out.   Hahahaha     Set yourself up for success on the front end and you can reap the benefits of your hard work later on down the road.    Just learn to do some of things you may not know how to do now and it will be a big payoff.    I'll be sharing more frugal tips along.    If you can think of something that you need help with, leave me a comment below and I'll get back with you on it and do a blog post about it. 

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Most of you know by now that I love to make paper bead jewelry!!!    That is my passion and purpose right now.     I was making beads long before I started sharing them on my blog.     I was in the learning stages and developing my techniques for my beads.    I have developed my own technique for my beads that I do not share with anyone, because I don't want anyone to think I stole their technique and accuse me of such.    As a result of that I don't share my technique, just my finished products.    I worked for about 2 and a half years figuring out how to make durable, long lasting beads, and I think I succeeded.   While lots of people make beads, I feel rest assured that no one makes them quite like I do.   I'm sure everyone believes theirs is the best, but in all honesty, I know mine are the best.    With that said, I'll share some pictures of the latest cuff bracelet sets that I made.   They are absolutely stunning.    I donated all of these to a local not for profit foundation fundraiser.     I pray they were a big hit.   

These are what I called  "Sand and Sea".    They were beautiful!!!   4 separate bracelets make the cuff bracelet.

These were made a flyer that came in the mail.    One end was tan colored and the other end was blue.    I think they are beautiful.   These have glass czech beads between the paper beads.

This was a napkin adhered to 2 different colors of cardstock, hence the 2 different colors.    It has gold glass beads between my hand made beads.   4 separate bracelets make the cuff bracelets.

These are quite lovely.

This is a pumpkin napkin on orange cardstock with different color czech beads between my paper beads.

There is 3 bracelets that make up this cuff bracelet.

This is an Orville Redenbacher's popcorn box.   It sure is!!!   I LOVE how these turned out!!

Again, czech beads and my beads and 3 bracelets make the cuff bracelet.

This was an advertisement for a children's home and I wanted to make something beautiful with that ad and I think I succeeded.

The stone between my beads is snow quartz.    This was absolutely gorgeous and felt so nice in hand.

This was another pumpkin napkin on orange cardstock, cut with a wavy blade.

The natural stone is a yellow quartz.   I think it looks really nice.  This was 3 bracelets to make the cuff bracelet.

This was a magazine with a lot of gray in it and I made beads and then had some gray labradorite stone chips.

This was 3 bracelets to make the cuff bracelet.

I just had to model the Sand and Sea bracelets.   I love them.   I think of all my "babies", these may have been my favorite.   I know, shame on me for picking a favorite!!!!    Every good Momma loves all her "babies" the same.   hahahaha

I am constantly working on more and more all the time.    I am just fascinated by them.    I've got to where I can look at some media, and see it made into beads.    That's what happened with the ones that I am modeling.   When that ad came in the mail, in the blink of an eye, I seen the beads already made up, so I had to make them.

The best advice I could give anyone who wants to make beads is just start cutting strips and rolling them.   It won't be long till you'll find your groove.    You may even find out that it's not something you love and that is 100% ok if that happens.    Trust me, there are lots of crafts that I don't love and the only way I found that out was by experimenting.    Find what you love and do it.   That's what I suggest to anyone.

Well, that's just about it for today.   Hope you enjoyed this update.   I hope you seen something here that will help you do something better.    Whether it's being frugal in your cooking for your family or frugal in shopping for your family.   Or frugal in your crafting.     Do the absolute best you can, and you will have succeeded!!!    No matter how small the savings, it adds up.    Find the craft that you love and pour a part of yourself into doing it and enjoy the process.     Ask God to help you on a daily basis to do the best you can do with what you have, and ask Him to bless what you have to do more and better with it!    I promise you, He will help you!!!        Thank Him for what He already does for you.       Share with others how God is blessing you and showing you favor.    Share with others what you have learned about being frugal and saving.     Share with others how a coupon can help you save money today so you can use the savings on something else tomorrow.    Share what you know.   Learn more.   Share more.    Your circle of influence needs to know what you know.    Be a blessing to those around you.    Sharing knowledge is a way of building stronger communities.    Have a great day and embrace your frugal side.   Have fun with it.   Remember that God provided the only way for us to be in right relationship with Him and that is thru the shed blood of Jesus Christ!!!    God loves you, and so do I.    hugs, patty