Busy, busy busy!!!

All of a sudden life is a whirlwind!  I did get quite a bit done yesterday which always makes me feel good and today I plan on mowing if it doesn't rain.  They keep talking about "pop-up" showers?  What the heck?  On the radar it looked like more than that up in Missouri!  It is a crazy time of year for weather here in the South.  Those poor weather people...keeps them hopping!

Last night I finally got some chocolate chip cookies (with pecans) made....my sweet tooth was begging me!  I used Splenda instead of real sugar and they tasted fine but they were "soft " cookies and I like crispy.  This is the same recipe I've used for years and they are always flat and crispy.  Now I know why all the cookies nowadays are soft!  Everyone's baking with Splenda or something similar.  I guess I'll have to go back to real sugar as I've got to get my "crispy" on! 

 

I also promised to make something to take to the Animal Rescue bake sale and rummage sale starting tomorrow through Saturday.  I thought I'd make some of my bread to take also....we'll see.

F.Y.I.  I use the Original Tollhouse Cookie recipe and I checked an old recipe with the one on the package of morsels and it hasn't changed.  I must admit I only use 1 cup of morsels instead of 2 like they call for.  A little chocolate goes a long way with me.  The cookie part is the part I like with the nuts and chocolate accenting it.

I also got out my Mary Engelbreit Spring book that I had ordered.  It was the only one I didn't have in the series.  

It has ideas in it but not really any definitive craft instructions just a basic "how to".  It's more like a mini-cocktail table book. LOL!  I got a few ideas from it though and of course the pictures are awesome in ME style.

    

Excuse the photos but taking a picture of a picture isn't quite the same in clarity.  I thought this was a cute idea and I know I've seen baskets like this around.  You could paint it too if you didn't like the natural color of the basket.  She used felt cutouts glued to the front for the design, bias tape and rickrack on top of it for the edging and some lace in black and then took a plaid grosgrain ribbon and wove it through the back to hang it.  This was for a gift for a gardening friend but you could use it for all sorts of things.

In addition, although it wasn't "featured" I liked the shutter in the background that they hand labeled "HERBS" on the top slat and then listed all different types of herbs on the remaining slats.

 

This was the most inspiring to me.  A grouping of bird houses or bird mansions is more like it.  I've wanted to get into woodworking and building things like book cases, shelves, benches etc.  This might be the perfect way to start.  I know the picture isn't very good but they are all really just bigger, different sized bird houses "gussied up" with trim and molding and painted in lots of bright colors and designs.  I think I have a small plain wooden bird house I got at a craft store laying around here somewhere.  Maybe I'll start with it and pattern it after the one below.

Of course this is an ME birdhouse....you can tell by the shape but it's a starting place!  So, along with all the other Spring activities/jobs, I HAVE to do a little crafting, plus I have my collage class, and I can't forget to decoupage those plastic Easter eggs I bought at the Dollar store!  Oh boy....here I go again...in over my head in no time at all! LOL!  I better get going or it will be Summer before I get my Spring tasks done!  Have a great day everyone!