One of my latest self-discoveries was that hating winter doesn't make it shorter, and it certainly doesn't make me any happier. So, after making ice candles, candle rings, and ice gems/marbles, I went hunting for more crafty ideas on Pinterest and found this genius named Tracy Lynn Conway who had pinned ice sun catchers using... Continue Reading →

Fire Starters


Usually, our projects are like what we eat: fast, cheap, and easy. This is not one of those. The good news is that it's way simpler than it sounds. It's fast if you have the supplies already and don't have to gather the pine cones now and wait two days for them to thaw, warm,... Continue Reading →

Fast, Cheap, and Easy Ice Candle Ring


Ok, so all my ice-cream buckets are toast.  The ice pushed through the bottoms instead of the tops. 😦 And I have yet to master the five gallon bucket or garbage can methods. However, I did have one experiment that turned out great...an ice candle ring. You will need: A bundt pan about three quarts... Continue Reading →

Ice Candle Tutorial


This is northern Minnesota. Bitching  Bragging about extreme winterness is in our Nordic DNA. When hell freezes over, Minnesota schools will start 2 hours late.  There are four seasons in Minnesota: Early Winter, Winter, Late Winter, and Road Construction. The majority of cars and trucks have block heaters, standard. And on and on... I used... Continue Reading →

Ice Gems/Marbles; How-To-Not-To


Personal Note from The Baby: As the Employee of the Year at Cook Dollar Barn, I feel it is my duty to share not only my successes but also my epic failures. Mistakes are where I learn the most, anyway. And I make plenty of them. You're welcome. Last night's mistake Valuable Learning Experience (VLE)... Continue Reading →

A Foofy Bow Tutorial That’s Fast, Cheap, and Easy


I remember wishing as a child- and later as an adult- that I had half the crafting ability of our Great Aunt Martha. She made Martha Stewart look like an unimaginative slacker. And I LIKE Martha Stewart. (I also wish Aunt Martha had lived to see Pinterest--she would have LOVED it!) In my twenties, I... Continue Reading →

PowerBall Christmas Shopping List


How fun would Christmas shopping be if I won the lottery?? (Seriously, follow the links--they are half the fun.)   My Big  Sister Lois would get a yak, which was Rachel C's great idea... ...and a Hippopotamus For Christmas. Real ones. Complete with enclosures etc. And enough money that she could stay at home on... Continue Reading →

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