Graduation

I made it - I graduated from cake decorating class - basics I.

It's not as EZ as you might think. Making those flowers, leaves and borders takes practice - but I love working with food. The best part is in the end, when I get to have my cake and EAT IT TOO :)

Earth-Friendly Friday - ICE STONE

Have you ever heard of ICE STONE? Well, I hadn't before this past weekend. My hubby and I went out looking for tile for our bathtub surround. It's time to redo that area once again. But, we wanted to look at ecofriendly alternatives.

Ice Stone surfaces can be used for kitchen countertops, backsplashes, bathrooms, tabletops, and more.

ICE STONE is created from 100% recycled glass mixed with cement. Take a peek over at Icestone.biz to see their selection.

I love the idea of reusing while we're remodeling. How 'bout you?

Magic, Myth and Make-believe

Basil is a wonderful plant for making pesto or seasoning soup but did you know that some people believe it has "magical" properties?

I read that basil can be used as an aphrodisiac or even to breed scorpions. And, some people believe you can use basil to heal scorpion bites and stomach troubles or to drive away flies.

I found one recipe on-line that said if you take three crushed basil leaves and put them under a clay pot, a tiny scorpion will be born.

Amazing what a little plant can do...:)

Writers . . . Working . . .WINNING

Writing is something we do because we love it. It's like breathing for some of us. We've been doing it as long as we can remember but sometimes . . . when we get to a spot that gets tough, we feel like we're starting to climb an unbreachable path

And we keep on writing, and working and working. . .
even though it seems like the path is getting steeper and more difficult and making it over to the other side is going to be impossible


But if you keep at it, and work through those hills, it will be smooth sailing before you know what happened



So keep on that path. . . keep on going . . . there's only one way to reach your destination - and the steps to your goal are right in front of you.

Tuesday - Tour

How 'bout taking a trip around the city?

Portland beneath the bridges and standing on top

Swimming with the big. . .ducks

Writing might seem a little scary and submitting . . . like jumping off a cliff


We all have fears. What if someone doesn't like what we write? Wonder if it offends someone or people think it's stupid?

Writers pour out their souls, using paper and ink, onto the page. And, sending that "baby" out into the world of agents, editors and publishers might feel more like standing on the edge of a cliff and looking over the edge, than merely submitting a story.

But all it takes is one small step forward. . .

and that little leap just might take you into an entirely new world.

All it takes is a little persistance before you'll be swimming like the big ducks.


So submit those stories, get them out of those drawers, send them off.

I'm sure things will go swimmingly for you.

Date Night

Lars and I rarely go out by ourselves. We usually take the kids or some other family members when we dine out. It just seems too expensive to go out very often so it's usually for a special occasion. So Saturday night we got dressed up and went to Pazzo's in downtown Portland for dinner. Lars had the duck and I had the New York steak. We finished up with a frozen lemon mousse, which we shared because we'd already stuffed ourselves with the homemade bread. It was oh so yummy!