Family Craft Boutique

Fall is a wonderful time to have a bonfire. A few months ago my husband and I decided that we should invite the youth group from our church, Galeton Community Church, out to our house for a monthly bonfire, dinner and message from one of the graduated youth kids, who is now in bible college.

So last night we had over 45 teens and adults out for a wonderful fall night bonfire. It was just cold enough to put on an extra layer, but not so cold that it was miserable!

A fall night bonfire calls for bonfire food, which with our family means bonfire burgers. It’s great for a large crowd and is sure to please everyone, as it can be personalized to suit your taste.

So- here’s the recipe.

What you need:

bonfire burned down to coal embers

long metal handle shovel and fire proof glove or mitt

tin foil

permanent marker

2 hamburger patties per person- we prefer longhorn or elk meat, as they are both low in fat

hamburger buns

whatever fixin’s you want- ketchup, onion, cheese, pickles, mustard, etc.

1. tear a large piece of tinfoil off roll- approx 12×12

2. place one hamburger patty on the tin foil

3. top with fixin’s of your choice- some of our family favorites

-ketchup and white cheese (melissa)

-onions, pickles fresh mushrooms, relish and mustard (Brad)

- Brent’s All in one Burger (word of caution on this one- my brother will eat anything on a dare)

ketchup, mustard, pickle, relish, 1 m@m cookie, 1 graham cracker, top with mustard) : )
(he one the dare, by the way, and says the M@m’s were still a little crunchy!)

4. place other hamburger patty on top and press with fingers to seal the edges

5. fold tin foil to the middle roll extra down in the middle, then roll to the center on each side

6. mark your name on it with a marker

7. place in fire coals and cook for approx 10-15 minutes

8. take out of fire with shovel and mitt, unroll tinfoil to make sure it’s done, place on hamburger buns (no need to top, it’s already all in there) and enjoy!- word of caution, contents like ketchup can get really hot, so let cool down a bit before biting into!

9. SO YUMMY! and great for large groups, the teens were so full from the burgers that it was a while before they were ready for s’mores!

It’s that time of year again. Homecoming time. This time of year always takes me back to those crisp fall high school nights under the field lights, hoping some boy would ask you out after the game, staying out late all week to work on the Homecoming Parade float.

It’s been 12 years since high school, but this time of year always seems to take me back. It probably helps that I teach at the same school I graduated from, so I see the blue and white daily, that reminds me!

So, it’s that time of year to start thinking about homecoming flowers. Platte Valley’s homecoming is October 11th. We will take orders until 3:00 October 11th. Flowers needed after that can be picked up at our local grocery store, R & B’s Market.

Boy’s Bouts are priced from 3.95 for a carnation and 5.95 for roses

Corsages are from 6.95 and up.

Example of a 2 rose corsage with bead accents

this corsage is a pin on and would sell for $14.95

if you choose a wrist corsage with the basic elastic band it would be $15.95, if you choose the beaded bracelet band, that you can wear even after the even is done, it would be $21.95.

For your custom floral pricing, please call or email us and we’ll be happy to give you a quote.

You can also check our website to see examples of Homecoming flowers and other flower arrangements we’ve made for customersw at our store.

We will have roses and carnations in stock, other flowers must be ordered at least a week ahead of time.

Call 970-352-3878 to place order, or emailmglover@viawest.net

I will be posting pictures this weekend.

Thanks!

Melissa

Scrapbooking is a wonderful way to preserve all your family’s memories. It is certainly more time intensive, however, than throwing all your photos into a standard photo album. Still, many people consider the time and energy worth it, since the finished product is so beautiful. Additionally, scrapbooking offers people the chance to be highly artistic and creative.

But after all that precise gluing and cutting, trimming and arranging, the last thing you want is your scrapbook to deteriorate over time. Working together, acid and lignin can cause both deterioration and yellowing of your photos and your scrapbooking paper.

If you’re unfamiliar with lignin, it’s one of the components used in newspaper. If you need proof of how well lignin holds up over time, just check out old newspapers. They are extremely brittle and yellow, and that’s how your scrapbook will look if you don’t choose lignin-free options.

Make sure any item that goes into your scrapbook is clearly marked as acid-free and lignin-free. This includes any paper, glue, tape, or stickers.

People typically break out the balloons for events such as birthdays, graduations, weddings, and anniversaries. But you rarely see them around Christmas time. When you really think about it, though, that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Christmas is one of the most heavily decorated and celebrated events. Why not have a few holiday-themed balloons strewn around the house beside the lights, figurines, and bells?

Christmas balloons are also a good option for decorations because mylar balloons can decorate as long as you want them to. Mylar balloons can last up to 2 weeks without needing to be refilled with helium. If you put them around the house Christmas Eve, they should look fantastic all the way through your New Year’s Celebration, if you want them to, if not, take them down with out all the hassles of ladders and storage!

Look around, and you’ll find all kinds of patterns. Snowmen, gingerbread men, snowflakes, mistletoe, holly, and Santa are all common designs.

If you’re throwing a holiday party, attach these balloons to your mailbox. It will help direct newcomers to your home. Also great as a host/hostess gift when tied to fresh flowers, homemade candy, etc. Or deliver some to your local nursing home, hospital to delight and decorate the residents.

Then a pretty green and burgandy sign. You can choose your own colors, or take it just like it is!

This unique sign reminds us that: If you make someone else’s day, God will make yours.

If You Make Someone Else’s Day Sign

We also have this Religious and Patriotic sign on our website in a wreath for Christmas.

This unique sign says:

As for me and my family we will serve the Lord and our country.

This is a wonderful sign that reminds us of the real reason for the season

Jesus is the Reason Sign

Be Sure to Stop by Our Store and Check them Out!

Ok, we get a a lot of questions about this. People want to know why we aren’t open more- as in everyday.

So, let me explain.

This summer was the first time we have been able to be open in the summer. With moving to our new store, we were able to get air conditioning that was enough to cool off the entire store. At the old boutique we purchased an air conditioner, but due to the building being old (and little insulation) and the roof being flat, it held a lot of heat in the summer and was too hot to be in! In fact one July day it was 100 outside and 115 in the building.

But now that we have moved to our new building my dad was kind enough to spend the extra to give us some air conditioning, plus with the 16 foot ceilings, the air near the floor is always cooler anyway. So this summer we were able to be open Wednesday Thru Saturday.

Then when fall rolls around, our schedule has to change. I am a kindergarten teacher, so once the calendar turns to August our store hours have to change. When school’s in session our hours change to Thursday evenings (4-6) and Friday afternoons (1-6) and Saturdays (10-4.) This fall the hours have been harder to arrange, as mom had to have unexpected knee surgery and has been having a harder time recovering from it compared to her previous one. So, it’s just been little ‘ol me for a while, and I can’t be at my regular job and at the shop at the same time.

Also, this week the town has decided to reseal main street on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, which of course are the days that we are open. Since there was no place for people to park at our store, we decided just to close for those days. I will be going down today to see if they are done and we can open for today (Saturday) or if we will have to wait until next week.

We will start our regular hours again next week. Sorry for the confusion. We try to be open as much as possible, but sometimes life is just too hectic and unplanned!

Thank you to our valued customers, who call and schedule an appointment, or stop by when they see we are open, or who buy flowers from the cooler at our local grocery store. We appreciate you!

We will be closed on Thursday, Friday and Saturday September 18th-20th so that we can attend the Women of Faith conference in Denver.

We will post pictures for you later in the month.

Hopefully that will help answer the question of why we aren’t open more!

Melissa

items needed:

old springs
3” styrofoam ball
latex white or off white paint (for face)
Red or orange paint for wooden nose plug
black beads for eyes
silicone based glue
wooden screw plug (for nose)
rustoleum textured spray paint (white or ivory)
old sock top
rit dye (for sock if you want)
string or ribbon to tie top of sock
brush, paper towel, water dish etc for painting
pliers to bend top of spring
sticks or pipe cleaners for arms
Fabric strip of your choice for scarf
pom pom for top of hat

Step 1.
Cut the top off of your old sock. If you want to change the color of your sock top, you can use fabric dye to dye it, then hang to dry until ready to use.

Step 2.
Use pliers to bend top of spring until pointing up, if needed, so you can stick the styrofoam ball on top.

Step 3.
Spray spring with textured rustoleum spray paint, let dry. 2 coats may be needed to achieve bumpy effect.

Step 4.
Paint styrofoam ball with latex paint of your choice- several coats if needed. Let dry.

Step 5.
Push dent with the end of handle of paint brush to make place for eyes. Dab a little glue in dent, push in black beads for eyes, let dry.

Step 6.
Paint wooden plug with color of your choice for nose. Make little dent in styrofoam ball for nose. Little dab of glue in dent, apply nose. Let dry.

Step 7.
Put silicone based glue on the tip of spring you bent, and stick the styrofoam ball on. Let dry, may take up to 24 hours.

Step 8.
Tie strip of fabric around base of styrofoam ball for scarf, fringe end if desired.

Step 9.
Bend pipe cleaners and wrap around spring for arms, or glue on sticks.

Step 10.
Roll up bottom of sock top for hat, apply a little glue to hold. Tie top of sock with ribbon or string, to make top of hat. Add pom pom to top of hat if desired.

Now your snowman is all ready for SPRING! : ) You can make these for fun or gifts, or for small amount of sales. If making more than 10 for sale, please email me to get permission.
Please email me with any questions!
Happy Trash to Treasure Tuesday!

Melissa