my husbands favorite chili

My husband and I are still here in Colorado taking some time to visit with family before I head out tomorrow for work. Today it was a cozy rainy Sunday and my hubby asked his mom to show us how to make his favorite chili- a favorite of his growing up. And I must say it was SUPER yummy so I just had to share this easy and healthy recipe.

In a large pan- brown 1 lb of lean ground beef (or ground turkey).

Add 1/2 large onion chopped and cook until the onion is clear.

Add 1-2 cloves of garlic minced or pressed in a garlic press.

Add 2 cans of stewed tomatoes.

1 can of kidney beans

1 can of chili beans

2 tablespoons of chili powder

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon of onion powder

2 tablespoons of sugar

1 can of spicy HOT V-8 vegetable juice

Simmer on low for at least 1 hour- but the longer it simmers the better :)

Of course you can't have chili without cornbread so we made a batch of cornbread-

1 cup of flour

1 cup of cornmeal

2-4 tablespoons of sugar

1 tablespoon of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup of milk

1/4 cup of cooking oil

Mix the dry ingredients together.

Mix the wet ingredients together.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir just until it is all moistened.

Spoon batter into a well greased pan and bake at 450 degrees for 20-25 minute.

Cut up and serve with the chili.

Oh so delicious!

spun in gold

I am now in Colorado and last night on my walk I was stopped in my tracks. Everything around me looked as if it had been spun in gold- from the glittering yellow trees to the amber colored grass, even the sky seemed to sparkle with shades of yellow. It was beautiful enough to melt your heart, or at least mine cause thats the kind of girl I am :)

on the road again and GIVEAWAY winner!

Friends, I am off again... insert big tired sigh here. It is back to Colorado for more work on the book and thankfully I can fit in some family time too! I will be blogging from the road so check in for more fun and inspiration.

Today is the day that the winner is announced for the tote giveaway. I loved reading everyone's comments and am pleased to see that I am not the only out there that cannot live without accessories. As always I wish I could give something away to everyone but alas there is only one tote and via random.org (number generator) the luck winner is Louisa!

paper leaves fall wreath tutorial

We are heading into my favorite time of year- fall and then winter- and I have SO many fun ideas and tutorials to share! If you are a regular reader then you know that I love coming up with unique wreaths to celebrate seasons and holidays. Since we are already into October (can you believe it?) I am kicking off my fall tutorials and inspiration with a simple and sweet idea that makes use of the most accessible supplies.

In a world full of the latest and greatest products, supplies, kits and tools, sometimes I just like to get back to basics- a pen, paint, paper and basic drawing skills. You would be surprised how far you can stretch all of these things!

One of my favorite simple projects is this butterfly wreath that I came up with a while back using recycled book pages and watercolor filled drawings and I knew I wanted to use the same concept.

I started by drawing leaves on book pages and using watercolors, I filled the leaves with color.

and more color.

FYI- Watercolors are perfect to use for painting over something (like text on a book page) because they are translucent enough for the page to to show through and create a sense of layers and visual interest.

These days I carry my Sakura pocket watercolor box and water brush EVERYWHERE. They are the best for travel and for working on small projects.

I created a variety of leaves in fall colors.

Next I cut out each of the leaves, leaving a little edge of the book page showing.

I decided to use an old embroidery hoop which makes a really delicate base for a lightweight wreath.

Using hot glue, I glued all of the leaves to the surface of the hoop, alternating colors, shapes and direction.

After I glued down all of the leaves, I felt like something was missing. I couldn't resist making some simple acorns that I added around the wreath.

And there you have it- a perfectly pretty fall wreath that I will be adding to our living room wall.

tote bag GIVEAWAY!

Its GIVEAWAY TIME and I am giving away the canvas no sew tote AND the magazine that it appeared in- the first ever Cloth Paper Scissors Gifts. I was asked to create yardage of painted canvas and of course I created a surface full of messy colorful layers and texture complete with silkscreened pattern. The canvas was then sent to Jodi Kahn who created an amazing tote that instead of sewing, used everyday materials (like staples and duct tape) the bag it truly amazing!

If I wasn't so limited on space right now, I would keep it for myself because purses and tote are my FAVORITE accessory- I cannot have enough of them! But I kid you not- my studio is BURSTING at the seams so I am giving it away to one lucky reader.

Here are the rules-

Leave me a comment

Tell me what accessory you cannot live without

I will draw one name and announce the winner on Friday, Oct. 8th!

Updates From the Studio

Happy Monday friends! Things are buzzing around here and while I am tired (same ol' story- just tired from around the clock activity) there are all kinds of fun and exciting things to share. We got back from our short trip home to Oregon and I jumped right into more work on the book- I am heading back to my publisher in Colorado next week for more exciting things! Soon, very soon I hope to share some details!

As I am sure you already know, I have been picking away at transferring of all my online classes to their new sites. Man oh man this has been a time involved task (a few challenges that nearly made me pull out my hair!) but I am loving the new look and the new format so it is ALL worth it in the end. I only have a few more classes to transfer over and the task will be complete. Today two more classes "went live" - Adventurous Accessories and Hand Carved Stamps mini class and once again I am celebrating by offering $10 off on each of these classes.

These little sales are my way of saying thank you for the support and the understanding during this time of transition with my online classes!!

ADVENTUROUS ACCESSORIES

I don't typically play favorites but this class is really one of my favorite online classes- It is just a fun simple class that will get you thinking about ways to create your own unique (and colorful) accessories.

I am an accessories junkie and like everything else I create, the projects and techniques make use of everyday supplies, recycled materials, simple concepts to build upon to create your own unique accessories.

From hand painted scarves, altered hats to earrings, purses and jewelry- I will share all kinds of projects, techniques and inspiration to create your own handmade accessories.

Regular price- $50.00

After the $10 discount the class is $40.00 with unlimited access so you have all the time you want to create!

Visit my website for more information and to register-

Click Here

HAND CARVED STAMPS MINI CLASS

I always create my own stamps and often get asked how I go about the process. This mini workshop is for those who are beginners at stamp carving and are looking to learn the basics of carving with a heat tool and with carving tools. The mini online workshops that I offer are just a taste of a full version workshop- this is a technique class where you will learn a variety of ways to get started creating simple stamps. With a combination of videos, photos, and blog entries you will become a pro at making your own stamps!

PLEASE NOTE- This is a beginner level class- if you have experience in making stamps, this may be a repeat to you. Please contact me with any questions you may have.

regular price- $30.00

After the $10 discount the class is $20.00 with unlimited access so you have all the time you want to create!

Visit my website for more information and to register-

Click Here

I am thrilled to have work included in the first ever Cloth Paper Scissors Gifts - just in time for holiday projects. I created yardage of painted and silkscreened messy canvas for a "no sew" tote bag article by the FABULOUS Jodi Kahn! She made my canvas into an AMAZING tote bag with no sewing invloved.

AND... later this week I will be doing a giveaway with the tote bag and a copy of the CPS Gifts magazine so stay tuned!!

I've been making time to create a new series of artwork that I will turn into prints and cards available soon in my etsy shop. For a while I have been quietly working on new ideas with a new look and actually managed to fit in work on these ideas in between everything else going on. I love, love, love working on new things!

Speaking of etsy, I have a handful of things that will added to my shop later today- a limited supply of sling purses and I will be also be offering custom clutches and totes.

Slowly but surely, I will be adding all kinds of new things each week to keep the shop updated through the holidays- many of these creations will be limited edition or one-of-a- kind so keep your eyes peeled for new goodies!