Jennuine

UPDATE:  Thank you for commenting and following, and thereby entering this little giveaway.  Ladies, here are your numbers: Conquer the Monkey Lee the Hot Flash Queen Foxy Caroline Marilyn Holly Kimberly Shannon Compliments of Random.org, the winner is: RANDOM.ORG Integer Widget : Min: 1 Max: 8 Result:  5 CONGRATULATIONS Marilyn!  Please email me to let me know where to send your transfer sheets. If you've ever felt inspired to try your hand at working with Chocolate Transfer Sheets, here's your chance: After writing the post" Couture Candy DIY " and ruminating over the lack of traffic in my Etsy store, I decided to go ahead and list some of the Chocolate Transfer Sheets from my inventory.  I've priced them competitively, and am offering flat rate shipping, whether you buy one sheet or 10.  Three patterns are available :  To purchase, please visit my Etsy store: the cute little shop on the corner

Whimsical, versatile, and very simple To put together, These charming candles are the perfect craft For thoughtful friends on a budget. To make one candle, assemble the following: 1 Mexican Prayer Candle (can be found at Target and many grocery stores for between $1 -$2) 1 Sheet High Quality Self-Adhesive Inkjet Paper Hostess With the Mostest Template -- or -- Happy New Year Template -- or -- your own image (approx. 6" tall) Mod Podge Fine Glitter (my favorite is Martha Stewart Antique Silver) A fine-tipped paint brush, dry A soft, loose-tipped paint brush, dry Scissors Scrapbook or vintage music paper A light weight cardboard, such as cereal box cardboard Small Single Hole Punch Ribbon (my favorite is Martha Stewart's 3/16" Piped Nylon Ribbon in "Putty"  Print your candle label and tag label on high quality self-adhesive inkjet paper. Trim label, leaving a small border to help guide you when you add the glue fo

This was the best part of my Christmas:   The looks on the girls' faces when they came down the stairs and saw the "magic" that Santa had made while they slept. What was yours?

 KITCHEN TOOLS EVERY HOME CHEF SHOULD NOT BE WITHOUT 1. SILICONE SPATULA ~ the essential tool for getting every last bit clinging to a bowl, container, or jar. The silicone spatula is non-stick, so it’s perfect for candy-making (caramels, marshmallows, etc.). They’re heat resistant (usually up to about 600 degrees f), so they’re perfect for stirring pots of hot stuff on the stove. 2. MICROPLANE GRATER ~ eliminates the need for such costly tools as a zester, nutmeg grater, and fine cheese grater. The microplane is positively the best zester for your citrus. Works beautifully on hard cheeses for a fine grate, and is a whiz with nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon sticks and fresh ginger. Makes those delicious little chocolate shavings on your hot cocoa too! 3. BENCH SCRAPER ~ makes clean-up a breeze. Great for cleaning crumbs from the table, removing flour and sticky dough from a counter or board, and carmelized bits from your stainless steel pans. You can find bench-scrapers i

WELCOME FRIENDS! A PEEK INSIDE "THE ROOKERY" OUR CHRISTMAS TREE ~   Cherished ornaments in antique white, shimmery beige, and lots of German glass glitter  Vintage silver christmas candle clips hold German beeswax candles  Little papier mache angels by Nicol Sayre spread holiday magic throughout  My vintage music Magnolias And, of course ~ birds Papier Mache, glass glitter, crepe paper, and candles ~ Christmas tree decorations of a time gone by. What traditions or decorations from the past do you cherish in the present? Wishing you and yours a most joyful, magical, and peaceful holiday season! ~ Jenn

First, I just have to say a big thanks to my friend Sam who first introduced me to the phrase, "Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner."  It's just so homey!  It evokes thoughts of warm biscuits wrapped in a blue gingham napkin, a favorite quilt passed down from one generation to the next, a rocking chair on the porch, and of course that comfort of all comfort foods, good-old fashioned fried chicken.  Must be near dinner time, because I'm thinking food!  Ah yes, 5:00 P.M. PST, and that means it's time to announce the winners of the lovely jewelry, so generously donated by my friend Iris of Arco Iris and Till Death Do Us Art .  Here's how it all broke down: Holly Entered by following TDDUA & Rook No. 17, and commenting on fav jewelry piece Holly Posted Giveaway on Sidebar Holly Posted Giveaway on Sidebar Holly Posted Giveaway on Sidebar Holly Is a FB Fan Kys Entered by following TDDUA & Rook No. 17, and commenting on fav jewelry piece carma

I'VE RECEIVED ANOTHER GENEROUS DOSE OF LOVE AND AFFIRMATION FROM MY FELLOW BLOGGERS IN THE FORM OF THREE NEW AWARDS.  THANK YOU! As is becoming my custom, I like to "give back" when something nice like this happens to me.  So, in continuing with the tradition, I give you some free Christmas clipart from my vintage postcard and German scrap collection: And now, those lovely awards: The " Heartfelt Blogger Award " from Morgan at " Becoming Homegrown " Made me feel all warm and happy inside! I'm passing this one on to Nicole at Miss Dot's Cupcake Spot   and now also at Saving the World One Cupcake at a Time   because she always puts a smile on my face, especially on Mustache Mondays! The " Superior Scribbler Award " from Dana at " Feeling Fit with Dana " Another tremendous compliment from a blogger I greatly admire. This one goes to Nicole at " Tattoos and

I received a visit from my pal Marilyn over at A Lot of Loves today, and returned the favor with a visit to her lovely blog. She had a delightful post about her family’s animatronic snowman with an adorable video of her children dancing along and swaying their hips to the tune. It reminded me of another, less talented, linguistically challenged snowman that my husband and I received as a “bonus gift” from a travelling salesman when we owned our store. This Frosty hails from China, and is for all intents and purposes benign and an adequate representation of the classic Christmas character. But, wait! Apparently something was lost in translation when his melody was recorded. Here are the “lyrics” as best as we’ve been able to interpret them: "Frosty the Snowman Was a Happy, Tolly Shmoe With a Coined-up Pipe And a Boddon Nose And two Eye made I Don’t Know !" We are, of course, completely enamored with this Misfit Toy! So much so, that F

Classic Dark Chocolate Truffles For this recipe, use a high quality chocolate. If making a large batch for holiday giving, I recommend the bittersweet “Pound Plus” Bar from Trader Joes. You can in this instance use chocolate chips, but you will get better results from a higher quality of chocolate. If you’re limited to what you can find at your local grocery, try Guittard or Ghiradelli semisweet chocolate chips. Ingredients: 1 ½ cups (350 grams) semisweet chocolate (around 50-62% cacao), finely chopped 1 cup (250) grams heavy cream (I prefer organic) 3 Tablespoons (50 grams) unsalted sweet cream butter, room temperature Cocoa powder for coating • Finely chop the chocolate and place in a medium bowl. • In a microwave or on a stovetop, boil heavy cream. • Pour over the chopped chocolate. • Allow to sit for two minutes. • Whisk until cream and chocolate are fully incorporated and no lumps remain. • Stir in butter. You have now created a