my own little world

My Blog is Moving!!

2011-03-21T09:49:00.002-05:00

I'm moving! My new blog is The Vanity Faire. I will be changing my shop, website and everything to this new name. I wanted a new shop look and name for my original art. Monkey Soup Designs and My Own Little World will be phased out. Come join me at The Vanity Faire!! See you there!

50% off sale!!!

2011-03-09T21:17:00.001-06:00

Monkey Soup Designs is having a make over sale! 50% off all items in my shop! Just use the promo code BANANAS at the checkout. I'm making new items, decluttering, and streamlining my shop! Also, my sister and I will be re-opening our negleted supply shop, Lily Pad Lane and selling a lot of destash supplies! Look for that in the very near future!

My Review of Deluxe Yoga Kit

2011-03-04T17:47:00.001-06:00

Originally submitted at CSN Stores

Features:

Yoga kit
Color: Multi
Perfect kit for your yoga practice, providing you with the essential props that you may require
Studio grade quality mat, 0.25" thick; with rounded corners that keeps the mat flat during yoga poses
Sealed...

Ohm....Ohm....

By Leslie from Texas on 3/4/2011

The yoga kit came just as described with a net carrying case! The beginner dvd is a great intro to yoga even for someone like me with no equilibrium!

Tags: Picture of Product

(legalese)

What I'm Working On!

2011-03-03T20:04:00.003-06:00

I really am working! Here are a few of the many projects that are in progress. I know, I know, I need to stop and finish one thing completely. I can't help myself! I'm even adding a few more touches to the Garden Elf doll that I thought was finished (I deactivated her in my Etsy shop)! Marie Antoinette needs her accessories, a glam girl in the back is waiting for paint, two birds are partially sculpted, another cloth and clay doll still needs more clay , a pile of sugar cookies and a couple of assemblages still only partially complete! Whew, I'm exhausted just looking at all the work ahead of me! I'd better get busy! What are you guys working on??

CSN Again!!

2011-02-14T18:18:00.003-06:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day full of love, laughter and plenty of sweets! Now how about a little (or a lot!) shopping from the comfort of your home office desks? I've been asked to do another review for the awesome CSN stor es!! Whatever you're looking for you can find it in the over 200 stores! I think I'm in the mood to do a little pamper me shopping. Here are a few things that have caught my eye.

I really like the bright orange color of this tea kettle and it would be perfect for brewing some nice relaxing herbal tea!
Maybe I should try yoga to find inner peace and relaxation. This beginner kit would be a great start.

Or I could really use this foot spa for my tired tootsies after walking on concrete for nine hours a day at work! Ahhh....any of these sound good right now! I'm off to shop, see you at the CSN stores!

10% inspiration, 90% perspiration!

2011-02-05T21:29:00.010-06:00

The inspiration: These darling lullaby league girls!

The Doll: A cloth and clay Garden Elf!

A while back I blogged about a pile of doll parts that have been waiting for my muse! After months of perspiration I finally found my muse and finished one! I also have several ideas sketched out for the others!!

The quirky hat and shoes are my favorite parts!

She is available for sale at Monkey Soup Designs on Etsy!

Monkey Soup Designs Facebook Fan Give Away!!

2011-02-04T22:16:00.005-06:00

Hi friends!! I'm having a give away to celebrate 200 fans on my Monkey Soup Designs Facebook fan page!!

I made this romantic Perot clown inspired memo board and altered bottle cap magnets for the occasion!

Here is a close up of the beautiful vintage images inside the bottle caps.

All you have to do to win is hop on over to Monkey Soup Designs on facebook, click like on the fan page and guess how many vintage buttons this old teddy bear jar holds! The guess MUST be on the facebook post for you to win. I will announce the winner Friday February 11!

Awesome Give Away!!

2011-01-28T21:34:00.004-06:00

Kathy (my Mom!), at California Girls Southern Fried Fusion is hosting her first give away on her new cooking blog!! She will be giving away a 20.00 gift code to use at any of the 200 CSN stores. After you enter the give away be sure to check out her amazing recipes and helpful hints !!

2011-01-26T10:45:00.001-06:00

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Monkey-ing Around!

2011-01-23T21:46:00.008-06:00

I'm finally getting around to taking pics of the things I've been working on! These are all available in my Monkey Soup Designs Etsy shop.

This is a paper clay "sugar cookie" frog Valentine's ornament.

Not new, but I kicked this little piggy up a notch with some vintage costume jewelry!

A new piggy bank. This one is hand painted, crackled and antiqued, then lots of glitter and jewels were added.

A new sculpture.

She turned out so beautiful, that I can't wait to start the next one! I have four more Glam Girls sketched out to sculpt, but they will have to wait until the cloth and clay doll I'm working on is finished.

Shabby Cottage Hanger Sign

2011-01-21T20:50:00.006-06:00

I love making these shabby cottage vintage clothes hanger signs!

Vintage buttons, hanger and vintage fabric make up this totally unique wall hanging!

I made these roses with strips of vintage fabric and leaves from old floral arrangements.

Vintage buttons were used to spell out love...

and the backgrounds of each square are covered with up-cylcled wallpaper scraps!

Valentine WIPs, new listings and what to do?

2011-01-09T22:07:00.009-06:00

Here are some in progress pics of the things I have been working on!

These little guys are waiting to become spring "cookies".

I'm waiting for the paint to dry on these adorable Valentine "cookies" so I can seal them and add the wire hangers and ribbon.

This awful pile of torsos and limbs will become cloth and clay dolls when I get some inspiration. I can't seem to figure out where to begin or what to do. Ugh...I started these this summer!!

A new digitally altered Marie Antoinette mixed media collage wall hanging just listed in my etsy shop!

And a Jane Austen inspired mixed media collage wall hanging also just listed in my etsy shop!!

How to Knit Fingerless Gloves-Great video for Beginners like me!!

2011-01-09T10:07:00.000-06:00

2011-01-05T20:42:00.004-06:00

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” ~Albert Einstein

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T10:42:00.003-06:00

It's time to wipe the slate clean and begin a fresh new year! Wishing everyone a healthy, happy, wonderful 2011!

Yay!! I'm Published!!

2010-12-29T11:38:00.004-06:00

My "Santa Cookie" Ornaments were featured in the Winter issue of Celebrate 365!!!!! Looks like I need to make a lot more for my shop! Look for Valentine and Easter versions at Monkey Soup Designs on Etsy!

How to make Christmas Crackers

2010-12-20T19:26:00.017-06:00

Traditionally, as a favorite part of the English Christmas celebration there is a Cracker next to each plate on the Christmas dinner table. When the crackers are pulled - with a pop - a colorful party hat, toy or gift and a festive joke falls out! The party hats look like crowns and it is thought that they symbolize the crowns that might have been worn by the Wise Men. The Crackers we're making won't pop, but will be full of surprises for everyone to enjoy!

You will need cardboard paper towel tubes (enough for each person you wish to make a cracker for), scissors, scotch tape, curling ribbon, wrapping paper, and assorted goodies small enough to fit inside the cardboard tube.

Cut each tube so that it measures approximately 8".

Cut pieces of wrapping paper so that they are about 7" wide by 12" long. Roll the paper around the cardboard tube so that it overlaps slightly.

Fold the visible edge of paper to make a nice clean seam.

Tape the seam closed.

Twist only one end of the paper like a candy wrapper...

and tie with a couple of long pieces (approx. 10") of curling ribbon.

Here is where the assorted goodies come in! We forgot to make our paper crowns until we were half way through, but there is always next year!

Put your goodies into the open end of the tube. (Yes, it's the middle of December and we're still drinking iced tea here in Texas!)

Now, you can twist that end like a candy wrapper too and tie it off with more ribbon.

Pull the scissors across each strand of ribbon to curl it.

Cut 1"x 6" strips of a contrasting paper.

Wrap around the center of the Cracker and tape being careful to align your seams.

Viola, you have a beautiful stack of Christmas crackers! We added gift tags with everyone's names on them to serve as place cards at the Christmas dinner table!

My Review of Mini Chest Series 6 Drawer Cart with Organizer Top in Black

2010-12-18T20:44:00.001-06:00

Originally submitted at CSN Stores

A versatile storage piece for the home and/or office. This 6-drawer chest is equipped with an organizer top, which is the perfect place to store and organize your stapler, tape, paper clips, post-it notes and calculator both in the home and in the office. Drawer stops provide...

A place for everything...

By Leslie from Texas on 12/18/2010

I purchased the organizer to store scrapbook paper and supplies. It has coasters so I can move it around my craft room easily and extra storage on the top for pencils, pens, scissors etc. 12X12 paper does not fit in the drawers but it holds tons of stuff and makes it so much easier to find my stamps, stickers, embellishments and tools while I am scrapbooking!

(legalese)

All Bark and Lots of Bites!

2010-12-17T17:18:00.018-06:00

My sister and I made lots of candy to give out as Christmas gifts.

We started out making butter toffee bark from a recipe we got from Jo at Smile Monsters.

We layered chocolate chips and almond slivers on the bottom and poured the hot toffee over that.

Next we made double layer peppermint bark.
Start by crushing 10 candy canes in a food processor or you can put them in a plastic bag and hit with a mallet (much more fun!) and set aside.
Then melt about 8 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips in a saucepan.
Spread a thin of layer the chocolate into a wax paper lined cookie sheet.
While that layer is cooling, melt one package of vanilla almond bark in a sauce pan. Remember to use low heat when melting candy.
Remove from heat and stir in one teaspoon of peppermint oil and half of the crushed candy canes.

Quickly spread over the semi-sweet chocolate layer and sprinkle remainder of peppermint bits on top.
Lightly press into the top layer so that the peppermint stays put!

On to Cookies n' Cream Bark.
Crush about 20-25 Oreo cookies in a plastic bag or food processor and set aside.
Slowly melt a package of vanilla almond bark until smooth.
Stir in half of the crushed cookies and quickly spread into a wax paper lined cookie sheet.
Top with remaining crushed Oreos and lightly press into top.

Melt about a cup of chocolate chips in a saucepan.
Using a spoon drizzle and swish it on the top of crushed cookie layer.

We also made cocoa puff candy for my nephew Hayden's class party goody bags! Yummo!

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. Karo syrup
1/4 c. honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. peanut butter
5 c. Cocoa Puffs

Boil sugar, Karo syrup and honey in a saucepan.
Stir in vanilla and peanut butter.

Pour over Cocoa Puffs.
Stir and make into balls.
The mixture is hot so you have to work fast!

We made a double batch and had all hands on deck forming the balls!

We lost patience with the cooling process and sped it up by sticking everything in the fridge to cool. Here is the finished bark. It looks too pretty to eat.

Several hours, a few glasses of wine and lots of nibbles later, this is what we ended up with.

Two large containers for holiday parties.

Several cute little Chinese take out containers to send to my favorite co-workers. Yes, I play favorites!

Fun, festive, fast recipes you can make for your family and friends too! I'm getting a toothache just looking at the pictures! Happy Holidays!!

An Amazing Artist!

2010-12-07T09:22:00.016-06:00

These photos were sent to me in an e-mail. These amazing drawings are done on flat surface and from the right angle look three dimensional. The artist is Justin Beever. I was so awed by his talent that I Googled him to see more. He is from England and famous for his sidewalk art. Take a few minutes to gaze at these works of wonder!

'Tis the Season!

2010-12-01T10:52:00.000-06:00

He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree. ~Roy L. Smith

Shop 'til you drop!

2010-11-25T19:45:00.009-06:00

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with family, friends and food!! As you all know, tomorrow is the biggest shopping day of the year and the stores will be packed elbow to elbow with crowds of people trying to beat you to the best deals. If you don't want to fight the rabid crowds, packed parking lots and empty shelves, you should check out the 200+ CSN stores online. Whether you're looking for a counter stool to seat guests at your Christmas party or the perfect gift for your loved one, you'll find it at the over 200 Stores at CSN. I will be doing a product review soon and have been browsing the stores for days! There are so many stores with so many items that it will be hard to choose.

Possibly this comfy bed for Noah ....

...maybe this fun cotton candy machine to entertain my niece and nephews.....

...perhaps a little somethin' somethin' for me like these fabulous boots! I'll be ordering soon and telling you guys what I think!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T10:28:00.000-06:00

Winter Reading

2010-11-21T12:57:00.009-06:00

If you're looking for some light reading to pass the lazy winter days, then curl up on the couch with M.C. Beaton's Hamish Macbeth series.
Hamish Macbeth is a lazy unconventional Highlands police officer who has a knack for solving murders in the small village of Lochdubh that time seems to have forgotten. Each book is filled with murder, gossip, mischief and even a little romance! I didn't find this character very lovable at first, but he and the other villagers grow on you. (I'm also a sucker for a red head! LOL) Anyway, I am really enjoying the these light hearted murder mysteries and think you'll enjoy them too!

Shameless plug: The adorable felt birdie bookmark was purchased at Sleepy Hollow Folk Art

Wisdom

2010-11-14T10:18:00.005-06:00

The wisest mind has something yet to learn. ~George Santayana

My Empaty Monster

2010-11-11T23:28:00.007-06:00

Part of the week three art, heart and healing course at Willowing is to create an "Empathy Monster". The idea of the monster is to create a good listener to tell your problems to. This cute little guy is made from blue terrycloth, striped and floral scrap fabric, yarn, buttons and has a ric a rac mouth. The mouth is supposed to be a zipper, but I didn't have one laying around the house.

I like the color scheme and patterns!

I really like the flower around one eye!

Cute little belly button and heart!

Little bunny like tail on it's booty!

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas!

2010-11-10T23:01:00.022-06:00

At Monkey Soup Designs!! I just listed these adorable Santa's Cookie Ornaments. They are made from paper clay and painted to look like sugar cookies decorated with royal icing.

Each cookie has a wire ribbon hanger that is accented with red gingham ribbon and green satin ribbon.

Southern Lady's Market Monday

2010-11-10T11:48:00.005-06:00

Click on the pic to go the Southern Lady's Market!

I found this blog through The Cottage Style Street Team at Etsy, which I am now a member of, yay!!! The Southern Lady's Market is doing the first ever Market Monday, a list of store links for great gift giving and holiday decor items. If you have a shop you would like to link, just follow the easy steps on her post! Spread the word and help promote the wonderful store!!

An Aussie Treat!!

2010-11-09T09:05:00.005-06:00

Yay!! I received the goodies from Irene's wonderful blog giveaway today!! I was so excited to win because I rarely win anything!! The package traveled all the way from Australia and was waiting on my doorstep when I got home from work.

Here is the loot!! An issue of Country Style magazine (the Aussie Version!!), A tea towel that reads "Keep Calm and Carry On", and a beautiful floral printed mug by Cath Kidston!

Enjoy your morning coffee all, I'll be enjoying mine in my new cup! Thanks again Irene!!

Happy Haunting!!

2010-10-31T15:25:00.002-05:00

Have a safe and fun Halloween blogland friends!!

Carving Out More Memories!

2010-10-24T20:27:00.013-05:00

We had such a great day carving pumpkins! I think these pics speak for themselves!

One Ring...

2010-10-23T09:48:00.003-05:00

...to rule your wardrobe!

The winner of my one hundred and eleventieth blog post giveaway is...
..the incredibly sweet and talented Sue from Barton Originals!! Thanks to all of the new Monkey Soup designs Facebook fans and to all of my new blog followers! I love meeting new people and making blogland friends!

New Items Listed on Etsy!!

2010-10-20T20:16:00.007-05:00

New one of a kind original Halloween artwork!!
"Howling at the Moon" pictured above.

and "Halloween Sweethearts" are fun whimsical 6 x 6 canvases available on Etsy!

I re-purposed vintage clothes hangers to create these unique wall hangings.

I also want to remind everyone to spread the word about my blog give away. I will announce the winner on Oct. 23!!

The Grim Manor!

2010-10-19T07:55:00.017-05:00

I thought that all of you Halloween fanatics out there would enjoy these pictures from a Halloween Party I went to a few days ago. Take a look, if you dare..Muahahahaha!

Tortured souls were all around...

Gravestones marked final un-resting places for the un-dead...

an old corpse in a rocking chair greeted guests as they arrived inside...

and haunted tea party style treats fed those of us who made it out of the graveyard alive!

Me and my friend Hannah, who invited me to the party.

I found out about the party last minute, so I whipped up this fun mask to match an outfit I already have. I also made a cute black and white beaded bracelet to coordinate with the mask. I made a template for the mask, then cut it out of cardboard. I used two layers of cardboard for stability. I then used puff paint in black and white to form the stripes. Once the paint was dry, I used bright pink feathers to cover the other half of the mask. I sprinkled iridescent glitter on the white stripes and a little on the feathers and used black glitter on the black stripes. I added a few feathers to the striped side to balance the pink and then placed a few clear jewels around the eyes! I love how this mask turned out.

Life is not the amount of breaths you take...

2010-10-16T19:37:00.002-05:00

...it's the moments that take your breath away.

Meet Little Witch and Friends!

2010-10-14T18:25:00.009-05:00

This whimsical little witch is ready to trick or treat with Spider, Jack-O-Lantern and her best friend, Thirteen, the black cat!

This original 6 x 6 canvas is now available in my Etsy shop!

It has finished sides and is painted with acrylics and oil pastels and then sealed.

Expect to see lots more from these cute little characters in the future!!

Girls Can Do Anything...

2010-10-13T12:42:00.008-05:00

This is an original mixed media canvas that I just finished and listed on Monkey Soup Designs!

I painted a distressed pink background over a vintage 1923 magazine ad "The School Of Modern Dress" which I thought was quite appropriate for this painting! Black and white polka dots finish the edges and contrast the white with black polka dot pump!

I added a zebra print ribbon to hang the canvas.

"Girls can do anything boys can, but we can do it in high heels" is decoupaged onto the canvas.

Blonds have more fun!

2010-10-11T09:54:00.015-05:00

A “blondie” is a “blond brownie", a light-colored brownie. Chocolate is replaced by brown sugar and vanilla extract to give them the lighter color.

“blondie” perhaps took from the popularity of Chic Young’s “Blondie” comic strip (1930 - present). “Blondies” are cited in print from at least 1941.~Wikipedia

Fall is slowly creeping into Texas and nothing says fall like a cool breeze through open windows, the sound of rustling leaves and the smell of brown sugar and vanilla baking in the oven! I have tried several recipes for blondies and this is by far the best one!

The Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

Add very soft butter, eggs, brown sugar and vanilla to a bowl. I like to use dark brown sugar instead of light when I bake. I think it adds more flavor and richness.

Mix well, then stir in flour, baking powder and salt.

Spread into a greased 9x13 pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. I stick a knife in the center, if it comes out clean the blondies are done. Let cool completely.

While the blondies are cooling I make a glaze. Combine 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, 1-2 tbsp milk and 1/2 tsp of buttered rum extract in a small bowl. Add milk one tbsp at a time to avoid making the glaze too thin. Also, vanilla can be substituted for the buttered rum extract.

Put glaze into one corner of a baggy and twist the top tightly being careful to let the air out. Cut the tip of the baggy off.

Swoosh the glaze across the top of the completely cooled blondies, then cut into squares! Sit back with the comics and enjoy!

Words of Wisdom

2010-10-08T21:48:00.004-05:00

Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it.~Confucius

Join the Celebration!

2010-10-05T23:25:00.011-05:00

It's a long expected give away to celebrate my one hundred and eleventieth blog post!!

I am giving away the One Ring to rule your wardrobe! It is a handmade adjustable ring made from vintage lace with a vintage button accent.

No, no, no!! You don't have to face the fires of Mordor for this ring. All you have to do is follow my blog or be a fan of Monkey Soup Designs on Facebook. If you are a facebook fan AND a blog follower, then you will have TWO chances to win! Also, if you share this link on your facebook or blog, I will add your name a THIRD time to the hat. Let me know in a comment on this post only! Grab the picture on my sidebar and link it back to this post. Spread the word, the more the merrier! I will use a random generator or draw names out of a hat to choose the winner on October 23.

More rings and accessories like this are now available at Monkey Soup Designs, my new etsy shop!!

New Items!!

2010-09-14T11:03:00.006-05:00

These fun whimsical ceramic tile coasters are now for sale at Monkey Soup Designs! The backgrounds are all hand painted. I added vintage images and several coats of polyurethane so that the images are protected. The backs are covered in felt to prevent scratches on your table.

Black and white polka dots set the background for these beauties.

These shabby cottage fairy coasters have a little orange glitter for bling!

Beautiful vintage pin ups add feminine flair to these GI inspired camo coasters.

Yee Haw!! Vintage cowgirls adorn these cow print cuties!!

2010-09-12T21:23:00.000-05:00

There is no life I know to compare with pure imagination. Living there, you'll be free if you truly wish to be. ~Willy Wonka

Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs

2010-09-07T21:07:00.012-05:00

Okay!! I have actually taken some good pics that I can post of my newest projects. Here are some signs that I've finally got around to listing in my new Monkey Soup Designs etsy shop! I up cycled some scrap board by hand painting them to make these fun signs. I freehanded all of the writing, used vintage wire clothes hangers for the wire, and accented them with ribbons, bows, flowers, vintage images and more!

A Halloween sign with a cute pin-up witch!

A fun kitschy sign for the kitchen!

Share the love! This is a shabby cottage sign to hang anywhere!

This actually turned out to be one of my faves! I have been wanting to paint a salt box house for ever and thought this would be a cute twist on a classic quote! I'm kinda all over the place with my style so hopefully there is something for everyone in Monkey Soup Designs!!

I am working on lots of other stuff to list soon, but as always, my full time real world job slows down my progress! :)

Did you know?

2010-09-05T22:09:00.012-05:00

There are 2 different traditions concerning who founded Labor Day: Some state Peter McGuire, the general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, while others contend that it was in fact Matthew McGuire, a machinist, who founded Labor Day in the United States.

The first Labor Day was really a rally for the adoption of eight hour work days and other more suitable working conditions.

President Grover Cleveland who signed Labor Day into law was in fact a staunch opponent of organized labor groups. Nevertheless, he pushed Labor Day through Congress in lightning speed in order to stop literal riots that were breaking out across the United States.

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country.

Have a safe and relaxing Labor Day!!

This Little Piggy...

2010-09-04T22:51:00.007-05:00

Remember these WIPs from earlier this summer? I have had such artist block when it come to finishing these little guys. They have been sitting on a shelf with nine others just waiting for their turn with the paint or paper!

I finally got a little inspiration from some vintage music paper and some new flower punches that I have been dying to use.

I decoupaged this little piggy and blinged him out with vintage ribbon and button and some glittery flowers. ( Love, love, love Martha Stewart's glitter! ) He also has a whimsical oversized corked bottom for easily retrieving that money you've been saving away!

Here is the finished product ready to sell on my website!! I am feeling more inspired and hope to finish a couple more piggy banks in the next few day

One store's trash...

2010-08-31T16:20:00.005-05:00

is this girls treasure!! I rescued these great wallpaper sample books from death by compactor.
These outdated sample books were being thrown away by our local hardware store and I asked if I could have them

There are tons of great patterns and textures and colors..

and endless possibilities for uses. Scrap booking, altered art, wrapping small gifts, and mats for framed pictures. Now, the only problem is finding a place to store them!

2010-08-24T10:43:00.001-05:00

"In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different."~Coco Chanel

Mama's Fudge...Almost

2010-08-22T10:44:00.008-05:00

I have really been craving some of my Mama's (that is what we called my grandmother) old fashioned hard fudge. No one in our family makes it like she did, but I decided to give it a try. I have successfully made no fail marshmallow fudge, how hard can this be? So I found a recipe and went to work.

Mama

The ingredients:

3 cups sugar
2/3 cup cocoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix sugar, cocoa and salt in a cast iron skillet; stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to full rolling boil. Boil, without stirring, until mixture reaches 234°F on candy thermometer or until small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water, forms a soft ball which flattens when removed from water. Mama put drops into icy water until they formed a soft ball and it was always perfect.

Remove from heat. Add butter and vanilla. DO NOT STIR. Cool at room temperature. Beat with wooden spoon until fudge thickens and just begins to lose some of its gloss. Boy, I can tell you Mama had arms of steel, because my arms got tired of beating the fudge pretty fast!!

Quickly spread into a greased pan and let cool completely. Ideally this would harden and get cut into squares. But a full 24 hours later, still syrup! I don't know where I went wrong, *sigh* *shrug* at least it will be great over ice cream!!!

"Sunshine on a Stick"

2010-08-18T14:12:00.001-05:00

Remember this Saturday morning commercial?! I was thinking about making some fresh fruit frozen pops in ice trays for my niece and nephews which reminded me of this!

Under the Weather

2010-08-14T21:51:00.006-05:00

Chloe update:
She is still looking pretty poor and I'm not sure if she's eating. I spoon fed her some water and I will keep trying to nurse her as best I can. It started raining a few minutes ago, which will be a welcome break in the heat for her. Thanks to everyone sending prayers and positive thoughts!!

My normally healthy beautiful six year old kitty, Chloe, is looking very sick. She stays mostly outdoors and usually comes running to greet me when I get home from work. Today I had to call and call for her and she finally came around a little while later. It is so stinking hot here in Texas that she has been shedding like crazy and today I noticed that her spine is really bony, she is normally such a fat cat. Her belly still seems to be plump. She was spayed several years ago or I would think she was pregnant. I pet her every day and have never noticed this before, so I started researching her symptoms on the computer. What I have come up with is either worms or something called Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). I am going to the store for wormer first thing in the morning and praying that it is not the later because, according to everything I have read on the internet tonight, it is fatal. They say it is most common in kittens, but no cat is immune. I have never heard of FIP before, but apparently a bony spine and bloated tummy are signs. I am so worried that I wont be able to sleep! If she looks the same on Monday, I'm taking her straight to the vet. Please send some positive energy and prayers Chloe's way!

2010-08-09T21:48:00.001-05:00

Got bacon?

2010-08-04T11:07:00.001-05:00

"I'd rather regret the things I've done than regret the things I haven't done." Lucille Ball

Hurry up....

2010-07-31T16:57:00.007-05:00

I hear the ice cream truck!

One of my fondest summer memories as an eighties kid in California is the sound of the ice cream truck. As soon as we heard the music in the distance we would get so excited. "Mom, Mom!! Can I have some change? You have to hurry, we hear the truck!!" We would slip on our flip flops, run outside and stand on the sidewalk waiting for the truck to stop. So many yummy choices, but one of my faves was the big pink strawberry flavored foot with a giant gumball for a toe nail. No one I know seems to have ever heard of this frozen treat. I really can't find a picture of them, the picture above isn't quite the same, but the closest I could find. I even think the name was actually bigfoot, not froze toes. Surely some of you bloggers out there have tasted the icy cold strawberry goodness of a bigfoot! What was your favorite ice cream treat as a child? What is your fondest summer memory?

Just a Little Monkey Business!

2010-07-27T20:56:00.008-05:00

I have been really tired of the name Leslie Larson Designs for a while now and have been trying to think of a new name to sell my art under. Well, my mom actually came up with this fun,whimsical, nonsensical name for my shop. Monkey Soup Designs! I am still working on new projects and have several not quite finished items. Lots of loose ends to tie up, but I will be listing in my new etsy shop soon.

Monkey Soup? Monkeys? Monkey Bread!! All this talk about Monkey Soup gave me a craving for monkey bread! Here is a super fast and easy recipe for that yummy treat:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, stir together 1/2 cup of sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon.
Melt 1/3 stick of butter in a separate dish and set aside.

Cut 2 cans of refrigerator biscuits into quarters and roll in the cinnamon and sugar mixture until coated.
Place half of the sugar/cinnamon coated biscuits into a lightly greased bunt pan and drizzle half of the melted butter over them.
Add the rest of the biscuits, sprinkle with remaining cinnamon and sugar mixture, and drizzle with the rest of the melted butter.

Bake for 25-30 minutes and ooh la la.....time to dig in! Nothin' like a little monkey business!

2010-07-07T09:43:00.001-05:00

"I had rather have a fool to make me merry than experience to make me sad. "
William Shakespeare , As You Like It

Happy Fourth of July!!

2010-06-30T20:07:00.005-05:00

Cigar Box Goodie Swap

2010-06-24T21:23:00.008-05:00

I am such a procrastinator! My sister, Malissa at Sleepy Hollow Folk Art Originals, and I decided to swap altered cigar boxes full of goodies for out birthday on March 5. (For those of you who do not already know, Malissa is my identical twin sister!) She made mine in a vintage circus theme full of my favorite colors and beautiful images! I am finally posting pictures, a lot of pictures. So, grab a cup of coffee, get settled in, and after you look at my pictures, check out Malissa's post to see all of the wonderful goodies that I made for her!

Box full of altered art.

The front and side of the cigar box.

Inside the cigar box.

Beautiful button fairy.

Whimsical paper doll assemblage.

Three dimensional clown assemblage.

Altered match book cover.

Inside the altered match book.

Altered domino pendant.

Altered scrabble tile pendant.

Quirky altered match box.

Altered tag.

ATC.

Altered bottle cap charm.

Inside the altered tin.

Peek-a-boo front of the altered tin.

Crystal ball, complete with fortune telling gypsy!

Fun party hat!

Here's your Sign!

2010-06-23T22:28:00.014-05:00

These are a few of the items I've been working on. They are still works in progress and you will have to forgive the bad pictures until I get photo shop reloaded on my laptop. (caught a computer virus and had to have my hard drive erased last week)

2010-06-20T20:58:00.001-05:00

I thought growing up was something that happened automatically as you got older. But it turns out it's something you have to choose to do. ~Scrubs

Crop 'til you Drop!

2010-06-19T17:59:00.012-05:00

Time for our monthly girls scrap-a-thon! I got to play hostess this round and decided to make a tea room style spread for us to eat before we got started scrapping.

Mmmmm....Strawberry Shortcake!

Iced tea, Orange Walnut Salad and Chicken Salad Sandwiches..yummo!!

We had a great time and got tons accomplished!! I can't wait for our July scrap day!

CLEARANCE!!!!

2010-06-16T15:08:00.003-05:00

I am selling all of these little darlings for only $10.00 each in my Etsy Shop!!

Morgan's Makeover

2010-06-14T21:56:00.007-05:00

Before

OK, so, Morgan is a Styrofoam head that I painted to use as a display for scarves, hats, and other accessories in my etsy shop. I never got around to using her and she has been sitting on a shelf in my craft room giving me the creeps for over a year now! Seriously, she is always staring at me:)

After

I decided that since I'm giving my etsy shop a make-over, I would give Morgan one as well. I was inspired by a dress form I saw on someone's blog. She is decoupaged with vintage music paper and a some vintage butterfly clip art. My sister wanted me to put a butterfly over her mouth, but that was way too Silence of the Lambs for me!

Umm...I'm not sure what I think. I kinda like it and I kinda don't. What do you think? Come on peeps weigh in!! Cool or Creepy??

Three Little Piggies

2010-06-13T13:17:00.004-05:00

Before I am up to my elbows in paper mache again, I wanted to post WIP pics of a project I am working on.

So far I have three of the piggies covered in the first layer of paper mache and you can see a glimpse of the fourth in the upper right corner before paper mache is added.

These are made from completely upcycled materials and are super fun to make!! Now I'm off to get messy. :) I'll post more pics of my progress through the week!!
Happy crafting everyone!

Lazy Days

2010-06-12T10:18:00.004-05:00

Whooo hoooo!!!! My vacation from work starts today!! I plan on being really lazy and just relaxing. Sleeping in, doing a little reading, going to the movies, a marathon scrapbook day with the girls and just enjoying the lazy days of summer! Maybe I'll even try to catch up on some projects that have been dying to work on. Hope you all enjoy your summer vacations!

2010-06-11T10:55:00.002-05:00

The person who knows how to laugh at himself will never cease to be amused.

Shirley Mac Lane

When it rains, it pours....

2010-06-10T10:49:00.006-05:00

Aaaaahhhh.....

Sometimes life just seems to keep pulling the football out from under me! First my car got stolen in March and when I finally got another car last week I had to put it straight into the shop because the transmission fluid was leaking. Last night, due to heavy rain from a thunderstorm, we have discovered several leaks in the roof!! Uggg! They say bad things happen in three's, so I figure I have met my quota for this year and the next six months should go pretty smooth!! Hey, what doesn't kill us makes us stronger, right?

Hammer Time!

2010-06-08T18:16:00.005-05:00

Summer's here and I am getting to spend a lot of quality time with my Cameron, Hayden and Kennedy!!

Last evening we dug out the hammers and got busy building our planter boxes and bird feeders.

Call me crazy, but I bravely held the pieces while the kids hammered in the nails.

We had such a great time talking and laughing and bonding. They are growing up so fast, I have to squeeze in all the time I can before they are too cool to hang with their Auntie Leslie!

Whaaaat!

2010-06-07T19:57:00.014-05:00

My new etsy avatar and banner.

I am sooo proud of myself! By following some great tutorials, I have created a new look for my etsy shop and blog. If I could only use some of that energy to finish all of projects to fill my etsy shop!

This OOAK oil pastel I painted last year for my sister was the inspiration for my idea. I love the way the cool blue and warm brown and cream have such an inviting feel. I am also in love with the quirky bird!

I used the you tube tutorial for etsy banners to create a new blog header and etsy banner. I removed the background from my quirky bird painting and replaced it with a solid blue that is much easier for me to work with then added text and spread the tiny circles around for continuity.

Then, I created a background using the same blue and more of the dots to coordinate with the header using a tutorial from The Cutest Blog on the Block. It's no Picasso, but I'm pretty excited about the finished product. I am really starting to like this digital thing!!

Great etsy banner tutorial

2010-06-06T18:44:00.000-05:00

Sketchy Memories

2010-06-05T16:03:00.007-05:00

While digging through old photos and mementos for my monthly scrapbook day with the girls, I found some sketches that I did as a teenager. I was always sketching and drawing back then especially in class when I should have been listening to the teacher! These are a little worse for the wear, but I thought I would share them with you anyway.

These are all models from magazine articles that caught my eye for whatever reason at the time. This one is from an old Pantene shampoo advertisement. It is dated Jan. '99

This one is dated Oct. '92. He is from a Preferred Stock Cologne ad. Remember when that was a "cool" scent for the guys to wear!? Ahhh...we were such dorks!

Also dated Oct. '92. I don't remember what she was advertising, but I thought she was pretty. Hmm...not too bad for a teenager. I think I might pick up the charcoal pencil again and see if I've lost my mojo!

It's a hard knock life for us...

2010-06-02T21:21:00.011-05:00

Today my amazing niece and nephews came over for a visit and decided to help me with a little house cleaning!

In between trying to suck the hair off his sister's head and using the vacuum for a gun, Cameron helped clean the dog fur out of the couch...

Hayden busied himself with playing in the water... Umm... I mean washing dishes!

And little miss Kennedy polished the furniture!
Such great little helpers!!

What?? We're being good!

Quality time = Computer games!

Ahhh...time for a nap!

Happy Memorial Day!

2010-05-30T11:49:00.003-05:00

Wishing everyone a fun and safe Memorial Day!

Noah and Etsy and Work Oh My!

2010-05-18T13:04:00.011-05:00

My schedule has been so hectic lately that I haven't had much time for blogging.

Noah got fixed this week and has been in a neck brace so he cannot lick the incision. I have been giving him a lot of extra lovin'. Just look at that sweet face:) He has been so good! I am hoping he will more calm now!I have also been working on new items for my etsy shop!

Another teaser!

And some more!

I will be getting a vacation in a few weeks which I plan to spend working hard on getting my etsy filled and revamped. So many ideas and so little time, what's a girl to do!?...

....take a break and enjoy a frozen coffee before running off to work:)))
Enjoy the week blogger friends, I plan to visit you all soon!

Just another manic Monday.....

2010-05-17T10:40:00.001-05:00

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T10:25:00.009-05:00

Time for all of the wonderful mom's out there to...

...take a break from the daily grind and

relax and enjoy the day!!

Thanks, Mom, for all you do!