Make It... a Wonderful Life: February 2011

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Here's one of our favorite winter salads- sunshine in a bowl!

This fruit salad is one I've made for years after enjoying a similar salad at our friends Rolla and Cornilia's home. It's lighter than a traditional ambrosia salad as it has no dressing at all, just the juice of the oranges and all the sweetness of the fruit.
Make sure to use dates that are soft-I prefer to use unpitted dates and then pit them myself- I think they are more moist.

(I served this along with a Chicken Pot Pie and Green Salad at our December Quilt Group meeting-the fruit was like a dessert before our dessert buffet! You can substitute satsumas for the regular oranges for a milder orange flavor.)

Citrus Salad
5 or 6 large oranges, peeled, sectioned and chopped
1 Cup shredded coconut
3/4 Cup dates, pitted and coarsely chopped
1/2 Cup pomegranate arils

Toss in a bowl and enjoy!

Make it a wonderful day!

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

In the Mail

15 Iraqi Bundles of Love have been shipped! Thanks everyone for donating! I'm packing up more today.

Make it a Wonderful Day...by doing something for someone in need! :D

Monday, February 14, 2011

I Heart Crayon Batiks

This is one of my favorite one-class period projects.
The materials are simple, the process easy- and fun too.

You need copy paper, crayons, and shoe polish.

This time we drew hearts for Valentine's Day, but I've used the same technique with abstract compositions and other themes and ideas too.

Have the kids color, pressing hard to solidly fill the space. Lighter, brighter colors work best. Or make sure to have contrast if you use darker colors. Once the whole paper is covered, crumple the paper a few times. Smooth out with your hand, being careful not to tear the paper.

Next, roll black liquid shoe polish over the whole thing and wipe with a paper towel. (It's the kind that comes in a bottle with a sponge applicator on the top.) Once it's dry, buff again with a paper towel to give it a bit of shine.

I made an interactive sign for the display...

(I watched kids flip it open to read as they walked by to the lunchroom. That was fun to see!)

These are 6"x6", mounted on 8"x8" colored paper.

Have a Wonderful Valentine's Day!

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Aquarium Color Scheme

(photo of a photo at the Seattle Aquarium)

Have a Wonderful Day!

Monday, February 7, 2011

The IBOL Guy Needs Our Help!

Remember all of the Iraqi Bundles of Love we helped put together a while back? Well, we need to step up and help again!

US Army Major Art La Flamme is in need of 500 Bundles of fabric, yarn, and other sewing suppplies. He needs them right away.

Here's a link to IBOL. It's easy to put a bundle together and mail it off in a flat rate box. (You'll need to get the address from IBOL guy.) http://ibol.wordpress.com/ He's posted a video of flying over Baghdad too, just to give you a feel for the place.

He'd love to have them in the mail by Valentine's Day, so don't delay! Ask your friends to help if you don't have enough stuff for a bundle. We can build peace in the world, one bundle at a time.

Make it a Wonderful (and PEACEFUL) Day!