Kay Snow Writing Contest - Open to Submissions

Willamette Writer's founder, Kay Snow, is honored by this contest which was designed to help writers reach professional goals.

This annual writing contest awards one first prize of $300, one second place prize of $150, and a third place prize of $50 per winning entry in each of the six categories; fiction, nonfiction, juvenile, poetry, student writer and screenwriting. Student writers are awarded $50 for first place in three grade divisions, $20 for second place, and $10 for third place.

Find out more by reading the Kay Snow Contest Guidelines. A printer-friendly registration form link is available at the end of the guidelines. The deadline for the next contest is April 23rd, 2011.

Good Luck to all who enter!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Wishing you all a Happy Holiday Weekend!

This is a cute story to start the holiday with a forgiving heart. The turkey pardon has been a tradition since the Kennedy era.

Scan Fest

SCANFAIR
Mark your Calendar! December 4 & 5 2010
Celebrate the sights, sounds, tastes and traditions of a Scandinavian Christmas

26th Annual ScanFair
Saturday, December 4, 2010 ~ 10 am to 5 pm
ScanFair Dance, December 4 ~ 7:00 pm to 10 pm
This is the fifth year of the ScanFair Dance, sponsored by SHF and The Nordly's dance group.The dance begins at 7:00 with lessons for beginning dancers and ends at 11 p.m. Admission is free with proof of admission to ScanFair, or by donation.

Sunday, December 5 ~ 10 am to 4 pm

$6 adults, $5 seniors and students, children under 12 are free

Portland State University
Smith Memorial Center Ballroom, 3rd Floor
1825 SW Broadway
Portland, Oregon

Tuesday Decorating Tip

If you're going to be decorating for the holidays and hanging lights around your house, you might want to consider buying some new low-energy lights. These led lights will stand up to more wind, weather and water--which are all abundant here in Portland, Oregon. Plus, they use less energy to light. It's an "energy-smart" decorating idea.

If you have any more ideas that will help save energy, post them in the "comments" section.

OLD SCHOOL GIVING THANKS CARDS

Sometimes we, adults, forget how much fun it is to cut, color and construct little paper pieces of art.

Well, I had an idea when I wanted to send a few thank-you cards this past weekend. I decided to make some old school cards to "Give Thanks". Here's how I did it--a little construction paper, wiggly eyes, feathers and glue. It was like being a kid again and a lot of feathery-fun.

Do you remember making hand-print turkeys?

Grocery List for Your Thanksgiving Dinner

If you're going shopping this weekend for your Thanksgiving dinner, and who isn't, you can adapt this list for your grocery list.



Simply print it out, add or delete, and WAH-LAH EZ-Smeazy shopping.

Hope you all have a Happy Weekend!

Embellishing for the Holidays-On a Budget

Who doesn't love a little glitz and glam at the holidays? The only problem is: I don't want to pay for it. But that doesn't mean I can't decorate my home with all the fancy frills and thrills I want. I just add my own dazzle to my duds simply by sewing or hot gluing some left over ribbon, glitter or beads to things.

I can't afford to run out and buy new furniture or expensive accessories so, when the holidays roll around, I buy a few new towels, bath mats, etc. to help liven up the homefront. But instead of blowing the budget on a few decorator items, I buy the simple, less expensive brands then I bring them home and embellish them with my own baubles and beads.

Take a peek at these towels to see how you can do it too.

First I measure out some ribbon:


Then I sew it where I want it.

And Wah-Lah! Decorator accessories at bargain prices.
You can use your imagination and be as bold or simple as you want. Add your own touches to reflect your own personality.

This is a simple way to stretch your decorating budget and go beyond beautiful without breaking the bank.

Check out some more craftilicious ideas here.