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
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