Happy New Year!

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Blast From the Past: Party Mix

This is a post that I did before the Super Bowl last year, but with New Year's Eve coming soon, I thought it was worth repeating in case you missed it.

 

The Best Party Mix Ever!

Seriously, this is the best party mix you will ever eat! My mom made it every Christmas and I have no idea where she found the recipe. You're not going to eat this every day, so when I show you the recipe, don't freak out over the bacon drippings and buttuh (that was me impersonating Paula Dean).

I always use whole bags of pretzels, porky rinds, shoestring potatoes, peanuts, and wheat chex. Throw it all together in a large baking pan. You can really just add anything at this point that you like.

Then heat on the stove in a separate pan:

1/2 pound of butter or margarine

1/2 cup of bacon drippings

4 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

2 tsp tobasco

1 tsp garlic powder

When this is all melted and heated through, pour over snack mix.

Bake at 250 degrees for and hour and a half.

You'll need to stir with a wooden spoon every 15 minutes.

(That 15 minute part is a pain, but so well worth it!)

Munch away and enjoy!

This makes a huge batch, but you can freeze part of it and save it for a special day. It tastes just as good when it comes out of the freezer.

 

Click Here to see the parties I join every week.

It's a Party! #86

This is a two-fer post. I didn't get the features from last week's party posted this morning because I woke up and thought it was Monday. Oops.

So before we get our party started, here are your top 5 most viewed links from last week.

 

 

Rustic Pig Designs

Barn Inspired Desk

 

 

 

Wesens-Art

DIY Easy Paper Bowls

 

 

 

Sweet Boutique

Polar Express Bells

 

 

 

The Crafty Blog Stalker

Book Print Ornaments

 

 

 

The Pin Junkie

3D Paper Snowflakes

 

 

 

No wonder they were the top links, awesome!

 

 

Okay, now let's get this party started and see all of your awesomeness!

 

  

Link up anything you want to share with us this week. It can be your fabulous craft, yummy recipe, giveaway, shop, etc.

I'll feature the Top 5 most viewed links next Wednesday.

I would love for you to follow A Creative Princess while you're here!

If you would like to grab an It's a Party button (on the sidebar) and post it on your blog somewhere, that would be great! Let's get the word out and grow this party.

The more the merrier!

We all love comments, so please visit other links and have fun!
 

Merry Christmas!

 

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas with those you love.

 

I'll be back on Wednesday.

We have a winner!

The lucky winner of the $25 Box of Pick Your Plum Goodies is:

Amy Marvil

Congratulations, Amy! I'll be e-mailing you.

 

 

Thank you to everyone who entered.

Have a great weekend!

It's a Party! #85

Welcome to the party!

 

While you're here, be sure to enter the Pick Your Plum Giveaway. 

 

 

 

Hits of the Party!

So is everyone ready for Christmas that came way too fast this year? I'm on the way out the door to (hopefully) finish up all the last of the Christmas presents. I'm telling myself that I am not coming back home until I'm done! I'll let you know how that works out.

How about some features from last week's party? Here are your Top 5 most viewed links:

Paper Seedlings

Gold Embossed Tree

 

 

I'm loving this card Linda made. I really need to learn how to emboss.

 

 

Kathe with an E

My New Office/Craft Room

 

 

Now that is what my craft room is supposed to look like before the Christmas projects tornado hit it! They're building an Ikea not far from here soon and I can't tell you how excited I am.

 

 

Life on Lakeshore Dr

Easy Lollipop Ornaments

 

 

Oh my gosh, this is brilliant! Wouldn't it be cute to do a whole tree with these? Maybe next year...

 

 

Diana Rambles

White Elephant Ideas

 

 

Diana has the cutest ideas in this post!

 

 

Sew Incredibly Crazy

Crocheted Cuff

 

 

I love this cuff bracelet the Amy made for her daughter!

 

 

Thank you to all who linked up and I can't wait to see your fabulousness this week!

If you were featured, be sure to grab a button from the sidebar.

 

See you later this afternoon for this week's It's a Party.

 

(I'll let you know how the shopping went today.)

Pine Cone Christmas Wreath

I love my front door this year.

 

You aren't going to believe where this came from.

 

 

 

My Mom and Dad made that pine cone wreath probably over 30 years ago. I've been hanging it all these years, but thought maybe it could use a little updating this year.

 

 

 

I'm really not for sure how Daddy made the wreath, but I kind of remember him soaking all the pine cones first and then wired each one onto the wire rings.

 

 

 

I took the wood ornaments off and hung them on our Christmas tree. Then I wrapped ribbon around the wreath and got glued small ornaments to it.

 

 

 

I just know they would love it as much as I still do.

 

These are the parties I join each week.

Our hearts and prayers are with you.

Pick Your Plum Giveaway!!

Oh my gosh, I'm so excited about this giveaway and I know you will be, too!

I'm sure you all know about the awesome site Pick Your Plum. If not, they are a deal a day site that every morning, 5 days a week, they offer you the most awesome deal that you just can't pass up. Believe me, some days I just have to stop myself.

Guess what?! They are offering one of you lucky readers a gift box (valued at $25.00) stuffed full of their goodies! I know! Can you believe it?!

Here are a few of the items they offer and you could find in your box:

Those are just a few examples of the items that Pick Your Plum has and not guaranteed to be in your box, but remember, whatever is in your special box is going to flip your socks off.

To enter, use the Rafflecopter widget below. This is my first time using it and I've got my fingers crossed it works.

This giveaway is available to US and Canada shipping addresses only.

 

Winner will be announced on Friday, December 21.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It's a Party! #84

It's official, I'm on the naughty list this year. Greg and I bought a new wireless printer/fax last night and started to install it this morning. That's the moment it all went downhill.

Would someone please tell me why you can't buy something new, hook it up and it work. We did everything it said to do and still didn't get it all set up until this afternoon. Yes, it almost flew out the window a couple of times.

Anyway, when we finally got it all set, I walked out of the office, ate lunch and completely forgot about features this morning. I'm so sorry. We'll do double next week.


Before we start the party, I just want to remind all of you if you are still looking for the perfect handmade gift for this Christmas, go to Handmade By Mrs. H and check out her purse patterns. They would be darling Christmas presents and you could whip one up in a day.

If you don't want to make it yourself, she even sells "ready made" purses for you to choose from.

 

 

 

 

One more order of business and then we'll get this party started. Be sure to check back on Friday because I'm so excited about the giveaway I have for you and I know you're going to love it!!

 

Are you ready? Let's party!

 

 

Link up anything you want to share with us this week. It can be your fabulous craft, yummy recipe, giveaway, shop, etc.

I'll feature the Top 5 most viewed links next Wednesday.

I would love for you to follow A Creative Princess while you're here!

If you would like to grab an It's a Party button (on the sidebar) and post it on your blog somewhere, that would be great! Let's get the word out and grow this party.

The more the merrier!

We all love comments, so please visit other links and have fun!
 

Have "Oar" Self...

I'm sorry, but I can't stop giggling as I'm writing this post. I'm just so darn proud of myself!

 

I told you yesterday about the Christmas party we're having this Saturday and I needed to stop tweaking every little thing I see and start cleaning, right? Well, I did start cleaning and then had to stop to go potty (you asked) and this is what I saw...

 

 

 

A plain oar in our nautical bathroom. (I should mention that I took it off the wall to take the picture. I was not outside when I saw it.)

 

Anyway, this was not going to do. Too plain.

 

 

 

So I grabbed my Cameo and started cutting out.

 

 

 

And added a bow to the top.

 

 

 

Aww...much better.

 

And because I've probably sunk to an all time low with this post...

 

 

 

here's what you look at if you come to my house and have to potty!

(I really never thought that I would ever show a photo from the view of sitting on the toilet!)

 

See why I'm giggling?!

 

These are the parties I join each week.

Table Runners

So you think you're all done with the Christmas decorating and then your husband decides that we're having a Christmas party this year. Instead of doing what I should be doing, like CLEANING, no, I start tweaking every little thing I see. I think it's a sickness.

Last week it was every table I could find in the house got a matching table runner.

All I did was measure each table to find the width and length I wanted and hemmed the long sides. Then I added the ribbon down the middle and after it was sewn on, hemmed the short ends.

After I finished that one, I moved on to end tables.

Okay, I won't bore you with every single table in my house. You get the idea.

Now I've got to start cleaning. Anyone want to help?

Happy Monday!

Happy Sunday!

Is there anything better than a Sunday nap?

Old Jeans to Holiday Apron

I don't wear an apron when I cook. It's seems to be a little too June Cleaver-ish for me, BUT, I'm thinking I would wear this one.

 

I didn't think it was a problem before about not wearing an apron, then when I was cooking Thanksgiving dinner, Greg told me to take a look at the sides of my jeans. Apparently, that's where everything ends up!

 

 

 

I took an old pair of jeans and cut the front out of them (rounding the corners).

 

 

 

I measured around the outside edge of the jean section and then cut my fabric 8" x 1 1/2 times the measurement of the outside. The next one I make I'm going to double it so it will have a few more ruffles.

 

Sew your strip wrong sides together at the short ends.

 

 

 

Turn right side out and press.

 

 

 

Baste along the raw edge. Before I gather it, I always mark the middle of the strip with a pin.

 

 

 

I wanted the raw edge to show so I pinned it around the top of the outside.

 

 

 

Sew all the way around. I started my ruffles right below the waistband of the jeans.

 

 

 

For the belt, I ripped two 4" strips the width of the fabric and sewed the ends together to make one long strip. I should have cut that edge off the fabric, but I'm lazy like that. It won't show anyway.

 

 

 

Fold your long strip in half and center it through the belt loops. It's hard to see in the photo but I stitched the belt in place at the arrow to hold it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm going to use these for a few Christmas presents as a set with matching towels and pot holders.

 

Happy Friday!

 



To see where I party during the week, click Here.