little miss crafty ...encouragement stones ♥ (turkey day or any day gift)

so i came up with a little crafty idea, for thanksgiving as a gift for your hostess or if you are hosting a party yourself, encourage your guests with these stones, its a little party favor with a meaning from the heart! :) heres the instructions enjoy and have a great turkey day! ♥

                                                                               

Find Your Pebbles ♥

You’ll need a variety of smooth pebbles in assorted shapes and sizes. The best place to find these is at your local craft store. You can purchase them in large bags for very little money. While you’re at the craft store, pick up some acrylic paint in the colors of your choice, a liner brush, a black marker with permanent ink, and a can of acrylic spray varnish.

Prepare Your Pebbles  ♥

If you’re using prepackaged pebbles, there’s no need to wash them before starting your rock crafts project. If you’ve collected your own pebbles, you’ll want to soak them in warm, soapy water and dry them thoroughly before proceeding.

Paint Your Words  ♥

Now comes the fun part. Think of all the beautiful words you can use to express yourself. Choose uplifting words such as love, joy, cheer, beauty, smile, or any word that strikes your fancy. If you have a favorite hobby, use words that characterize your hobby. Once you know the words you’re going to use, paint the words onto the pebbles using your liner brush and the acrylic paint of you choice. You can also use your black marker to print words onto the pebbles. To give them even more character, add little icons or expressive motifs.

Let Your Pebbles Dry  ♥

Allow your pebbles to dry in a warm spot overnight.

Seal The Paint  ♥

After the paint on the pebbles is completely dry, spray them lightly with acrylic spray varnish to protect the painted surface and give them a subtle shine. Allow the acrylic varnish to dry completely before handling your word stones.
You can now display your word stones in clear glass dishes or in baskets. Attach a small magnet to the back of each pebble and they can be used as uplifting refrigerator magnets. You can even glue them to the rim of flower pots to display a message. Carry a word stone in your pocketbook that says “love” and give it to that special person. There are lots of uses for your new word stones. Who says rock crafts can’t be fun?
happy crafting! :) ♥
 after all thanksgiving is full of love, family, encouragement and most of all what to be thankful for :)

let's talk turkey! ♥

okay here's a great suggestion for your turkey questions its the turkey talk line! :) ♥

No question is too tough for these turkey talkers, and they are ready and excited to tackle any challenge you throw at them. Give them a call at 1-800-BUTTERBALL or email them at talkline@butterball.com throughout November and December

or the complete website is here

http://www.butterball.com/

hope this helps! :) happy turkey day! ♥

supercute turkey day placecard craft ♥

Here's a supercute idea for a funny turkey day placecard craft you can download the image off your computer and print it out...:)

Place a handful of Milk Duds-brand candy, chocolate-covered raisins, or for the healthy way i used raisins! , or brown jelly beans in a small zipper food storage bag or seasonal cellophane gift bag. Attach printed tag, and set as place settings for Thanksgiving Day!

I used sunmaid raisins they are super healthy! :)


heres the design to download...

happy turkey day! :)

little miss crafty..turkey day craft glitter pears ♥

here's a a supercute idea using faux pears for your turkey day table scape...

                                                   target..craft section! :) ♥

A wide variety of artificial fruit is available at crafts stores; the pears we used have a solid foam core covered with a realistically colored plastic skin. Glass glitter makes for the most sparkling effect; it's transparent, unlike metal-flake glitter, so it lets the fruit's color show through.
Tools and Materials Artificial pears
Glass glitter
Craft glue
Small paintbrush


Glass glitter makes for the most sparkling effect  ♥
                                                         

 How-ToIn a small bowl, dilute craft glue with water until it has a thin, runny consistency. Thinning the glue lessens the amount of glitter that will stick, . Brush each pear with the glue mixture, and sprinkle it with glitter. i like to coat it well!  then arrange on the thanksgiving table supercute! :)

halloween movie night! ♥

Happy Halloween! here are some tips for a scary vintage movie night for halloween! :)

This is what I used:
- Cardboard popcorn boxes I ordered from Amazon
- Real popcorn
- Yellow food coloring for the popcorn (it turns out bright red!)
- Red food coloring to smear all over the inside and outside of the popcorn box.

- Old horror movie poster images I found on the internet.
- “Admit One” tickets I printed from an image I found on the internet.

All in all these inviations were a piece of cake.

and dont' forget the bloody marys!

i added a hallwoeen twist to it ...

here's my recipe from my website
http://europeancutie.blogspot.com/2011/08/sunday-funday-bloody-mary.html

happy movie watching! and happly halloween! :)

save the ta ta's! ♥

october is breast cancer awareness month here are some tips, ideas and crafts ....:) ♥

♥

                                                                                                



* Dietary antioxidants help reduce DNA damage and contribute to gene stability, which can be protective measures against breast cancer.

* High intake of fruits and vegetables with reduced risk of breast. (green leafy vegetables and fruits are high in antioxidants)

* A healthy diet optimizes immune function.

* Good fats can help reduce the risk of cancer. The good fats include Borage oil, evening primerose oil, flax oil, olive oil and fish oil.

* According to a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, consumption of soy, fruits, and vegetables helps reduce the risk of developing breast cancer.

* Engaging in physical activity, maintaining a normal body weight and eating a healthy diet can help your breast health.

* Eat the right amount to maintain a healthy weight

* Limit red meat consumption

heres a craft from bottlecaps...♥

                                                                                ♥

Don't throw away your bottle caps if you like recycled crafts. You can make a variety of neat bottle cap magnets using things around the house. Use these tips to make bottle cap magnets that you can use on your fridge.

Things You'll Need ♥

• Metal and plastic bottle caps
• Magnets
• Decorations
• Glue gun

1. • 1
     Buy round magnets that fit inside the bottle caps or cut up strips of magnet into pieces that fit inside the back of the bottle caps.
   • 2
     Check the magnet to see which side sticks to the fridge. You want to glue the non-magnetic side so to the bottle cap and leave the magnetic side exposed so it adheres to metal.
   • 3
     Use your glue gun to attach the magnets to the bottle caps. Add a little dab of glue to each bottle cap and then place the magnet on the glue. Press to adhere. Hold the magnet in place until the glue dries.
   • 4
     Set the magnet aside for an hour so the glue has time to set properly. If you stick it to the fridge too soon, the magnet will come away from the bottle cap and you will have to reglue it.
   • 5
     Add decorations like stickers, photos or glitter to the bottle cap lid. Or decorate the bottle caps in reverse by adding photos or decorations to the inside of the bottle caps. Then glue the magnets to the back of the cap.
   • 6
     Use plastic bottle caps in a variety of colors to make cute fridge magnets. Glue a magnet inside the bottle cap

decorate a pumpkin for breast cancer awareness! ♥

even get your dog into saving the ta ta's...♥

http://www.thisnext.com/item/67D000B5/31B5B33C/save-the-ta-tas-Doggie-Tank

heres the link you can buy your own doggie tank ♥

you can purchase a pink kitchenaid mixer..♥

http://www.kitchenaid.com/

and bake some ribbon cookies! ♥

heres a healthy recipe from my cooking collection for mango black bean salad ♥

http://europeancutie.blogspot.com/2011/08/black-bean-and-mango-salad-with-italian.html

 ♥

 ♥

or add some bling to your keychain..♥

so do something for a good cause this month in support of breast cancer awareness! ♥

                                                                                 ♥

sushi night out tips ♥, happy friday!

i love sushi! ♥,  here's some tips for a fun sushi bar night out! happy friday!

Dining• You may be offered a hot, wet towel (called an oshibori) at the beginning of your meal. Use it to wash you hands and try to fold it back neatly the way it was offered to you before returning it.
• Do not rub your chopsticks together. When not in use they should be placed parallel to yourself on the holder (if there is one) or on the shoyu dish. They should also be placed there when finished with your meal.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for an item not on the menu as the sushi-ya may have special or seasonal items that are not listed. It is perfectly acceptable to ask, and often the itamae will appreciate your interest.
• Don’t put wasabi directly in the shoyu dish. Nigiri-zushi (fingers of rice topped with fish or another topping) comes with wasabi placed under the neta (fish) by the itamae, and reflects what he feels is the proper balance of wasabi to fish. Some of us like a little more, and you can always sneak some separately on the fish or with it.
• It is OK to eat nigiri-zushi (sushi) with your hands. Sashimi is only to be eaten with your chopsticks.
• Pick up the nigiri-zushi and dip the fish (neta) into your shoyu, not the rice (which will soak up too much shoyu). The rice is like a sponge, and too much shoyu will overpower the taste of the food and could also lead to the rice falling into your shoyu dish and making soup, which is not a good thing.
• Do not pick up a piece of food from another person’s plate with the end of the chopsticks you put in your mouth. When moving food like this use the end you hold, which is considered the polite way.
• Eat nigiri style sushi in one bite. This is not always easy (or possible) in North America where some sushi-ya make huge pieces, but traditional itamae in Japanese sushi-ya will make the pieces the proper size for this. In North America, try your best and don’t worry if they won’t let you.
• Gari (ginger) is considered a palate cleanser and eaten between bites or different types of sushi. It is not meant to be eaten in the same bite as a piece of sushi.
• Slurping noodles is OK, less so for soup, but a bit is fine, at least by Japanese standards.
• In more traditional sushi-ya, if you are not given a spoon for your soup, do not ask for one. You are expected to pick up your bowl to drink the soup, using your chopsticks to direct the solid pieces to your mouth.
• It’s nice to offer a beer or sake to the itamae (but of course not required). He may remember you and treat you well upon subsequent visits.
• Never pass food to another person using chopsticks as this is too close symbolically to the passing of a deceased relative’s bones at a traditional Japanese funeral. Pass a plate instead allowing an individual to take food themselves.
• Also, never stick your chopsticks in your rice and leave them sticking up. This resembles incense sticks and again brings to mind the symbolism of the Japanese funeral and prayers to one's ancestors.
• Technically one doesn’t drink sake with sushi (or rice in general) only with sashimi or before or after the meal. It is felt that since they are both rice based, they do not complement each other and therefore should not be consumed together. Green tea is a great option with sushi or sashimi.
• With alcoholic beverages, it is considered customary to serve each other (if not alone) instead of pouring one's own drink. Be attentive of your fellow diner’s glasses and refill them. If you need a refill, drink the remainder of the beverage and hold the glass slightly and politely towards a dining partner.
• Sake is available both chilled and hot, depending the quality and style. Experiment to learn what you like, but generally, higher quality sake is served cold. And some is quite good as well as sophisticated.
• Belching is considered impolite at the Japanese table, unlike some other Asian cultures.
• “Kanpai!” (“empty your cup”) is the traditional Japanese toast you may hear. Do not say “chin chin” as to the Japanese, this is a reference to a certain male body part best left out of proper conversation.have fun!

my fave quote from breakfast club..."What's that? Sushi. Sushi? Rice, raw fish and...seaweed. You won't accept a guy's tongue in your mouth and you are gonna eat that?"
-John

and dont forget your doggies! heres some cute toys for them while you are out! :)

heres the link where you can buy theses supercute! ♥,

http://www.sushipups.com/

and here's a recipe for homemade california rolls on my other website europeancutie

http://europeancutie.blogspot.com/2011/09/i-just-love-sushi-california-roll.html

bottom line...♥, :)

heres a homemade recipe of my california roll

 

pink party for breast cancer awareness ♥

in honor of the breast cancer walk this weekend here's some tips for a girly party for breast cancer awareness! :)  ♥

pink ribbon shaped cookies... ♥

rhinestone ribbon awareness charms.. ♥

First off, make the guest list. It just has to feature the people you want to spread awareness to, like close friends and family members. Even if you know survivors of breast cancer, invite them as well. They'll make wonderful speakers at your party to share their experience. Also, a little donation goes a long way. Even if it's not a lot, ask your guests if they would mind donating towards this great cause to promote awareness. ♥
Next up, focus on the decorations. When people think about this awareness month, they think of pink and the ribbon logo. Therefore, that's what you need to decorate your party with. Also, as party of your party decorations place out pamphlets or articles about breast cancer and what this campaign is all about. ♥

Now for the party food focus on pink themed food. Focus mainly on finger foods or mini desserts for this get together. Your event will probably have a few friends and family members over, so going with a light party menu is the way to go. Pink cupcakes featuring the awareness ribbon, pink chocolate ,pink ribbon shaped cookies,dipped strawberries, pink candy and even pastries with pink icing are great ideas for mini desserts. To top it all off, don't forget about the pink cosmos! recipe here.
http://europeancutie.blogspot.com/2011/09/pink-cosmo-recipe-in-honor-of-breast.html

                                                                     pink cosmos! ♥

The main focus of your party needs to promote awareness. So, focus on providing your guests with the information they need to better understand this topic. If you know someone who has dealt with this, is a breast cancer survivor or works with the association, have them as a guest speaker. Don't forget about interesting articles and pamphlets to hand out to your friends. Your party will be informative, promoting and giving back to this society.
So, when throwing your pink party, don't forget to incorporate information and have fun with it. Your party is a great place to help raise awareness, promote Breast Cancer Awareness and even raise a donation to help further their research and promotion. ♥