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Archive for August, 2013

Friday’s Fresh Five! (8/30/13)

Posted in About me, Art and Crafts, Creativity, Health, Helping Others, inspiration, Photography, Recycling, Travel, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 30, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Night Driving Photo

The Big Y - Nightime Art If necessity is the mother of invention, then boredom is the second cousin of creativity. On a long drive home one night with my husband, I sat bored watching the dark scenery whiz by. But during one stretch of the highway, bright lights caught my attention. Taking out my camera, I started taking photos of interesting arrangements of lights. I worked quickly to capture image after image; there wasn’t even time to stop to adjust my camera’s settings. When I finally returned home and downloaded the camera’s memory card onto my computer, crazy and colorful images appeared. After fiddling with saturation and contrast levels, I found the results of my spontaneous creative burst to be unusual pieces of art. I can’t wait until my next late night car ride!

#1 – Urban Art
Urban and Street Art Art comes in many forms. Street art and urban art offer both whimsical and interesting perspectives of the world. Check out these creative examples of Cool Street Art & Inventive Urban Art.

#2 – Re-purposing On a Large Scale
Hotel Im Wassertum Who says only small items can be re-purposed? The Top 15 Converted Hotels photo series shows examples of large scale re-purposing. Wouldn’t it be fun to stay overnight in a medieval fortress or a bullring?

#3 – Use 3 Coupons, Provide a Meal
Coupons for Change If you’re a coupon clipper, you might want to check out the site Coupons For Change. This organization offers online coupons that can be printed and redeemed at stores. For every three coupons used, the site donates a meal through its partnership with Feeding America. Coupons for Change’s “current initiative is to fight domestic childhood hunger” and its website shows that at this very moment “1,365,710 meals” have been provided.

#4 – Add Calm To Your Life
Busy moments in life need to be counterbalanced by calm moments. If you’re looking for ways to calm down and to release stress, visit a site called Calm. Everyday, various calming images, such as waves on the water or sunlight streaming through clouds, appear on your computer screen and soothing music plays in the background. You have the option to choose between guided calm or self-guided calm and you can select the amount of time for your session.

#5 – Live Life Creatively
“Be brave enough to live life creatively. The creative place where no one else has ever been.”
Alan Alda

Create a fun weekend for yourselves!

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The Bridge Book: An Inspirational Gift

Posted in About me, Creativity, Gift Ideas, Handcrafted Cards, Helping Others, inspiration, Photography, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 27, 2013| 2 Comments »

DIY Gift Book Life is a series of bridge-crossings. We come to points in our lives where chasms, sometimes shallow and sometimes deep, appear before us. Questions swirl in and around our souls. Do we dare cross to the other side or do we stay in place? Will we be okay if we cross over to the unfamiliar and the unknown? Do we have the resolve and strength it takes to step onto the bridge? To cross a bridge is to make a commitment. It means we’ve decided to let go of where we stand and move forward.

As I watched a friend deal with back-to-back life-chasms, I witnessed the exhausting decisions she was forced to make. She bravely crossed one bridge after another, until she came to a big one: to sell her home, to leave behind memories, and to start anew. Knowing that this was a monumental step for her and knowing the memories that the house held for her, I gave her the only thing I could think of – a “bridge” book. My concept of this book was to link her memories with inspiration for the future. I accomplished this by taking photographs of beautiful and meaningful areas surrounding her home and paired them up with inspirational quotes. After informing her real estate agent about my project, I took most of the photos during an open house. On occasion, when I knew the lighting would be perfect in her garden, I’d sneak into her yard and snap a few more! With my friend’s permission, I’d like to share a few pages of her Bridge Book with you:

The Bridge Book: A n Inspirational Book for Moving On

Introductory Page

The Bridge Book: An Inspirational Gift For Someone Moving On

The Bridge Book: An Inspirational Gift For Someone Moving On

The Greenhouse: A Husband’s Hobby

The Bridge Book: An Inspirational Gift For Someone Moving On

Liquid Amber: A Father’s Gift

The Bridge Book: An Inspirational Gift for Someone Moving On

The Bridge

The Bridge Book: An Inspirational Gift For Someone Moving On

The Bridge Book: An Inspirational Gift For Someone Moving On

The Bridge Book: An Inspirational Gift For Someone Moving On

Closing Page: A New Beginning

As we cross the bridges that lie before us, may we remember to always move forward and to only look back for inspiration.

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Friday’s Fresh Five! (8/23/13)

Posted in About me, Art and Crafts, Creativity, Helping Others, inspiration, Photography, Recycling, Travel, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 23, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Yellow Pilgrim Rose Through my camera lens, leaves and a stem frame a single yellow bloom. In fact, it’s the only blossom blooming on an old woody rose bush called The Pilgrim.  Mother Nature did everything she could do to make sure I didn’t miss this beauty.

#1 – Let Go, Be Happy
When I first stumbled across this article, I thought to myself, “Not another self-improvement list!” But when I actually took the time to read the 20 Things You Need To Let Go To Be Happy, I was glad I did. Some of us get set in our ways and fall into negative thought and behavioral patterns. The points in the article serve as good reminders of ways to keep life in proper perspective.

#2 – The Wheels on the Bus

Old School Bus Transformed Into Mobile Home

Justin Evidon

The wheels on this old bus still go ’round and ’round thanks to architecture student Hank Butitta’s efforts. After purchasing an old school bus on Craigslist, he renovated it into a mobile home – complete “with beds, tables, storage and social areas, and a working sink and toilet.” He’s now taking it on the ultimate road test, a 5,000-mile cross country trip!

#3 – A Bit of Whimsy

William Kass

William Kass

Combining food with miniature toys would seem to result in an odd art form, but not in the hands of photographer William Kass. In his photo series Minimize, his choice of materials inspired him to create whimsical scenes. It’s an imaginative way of viewing the world.

#4 – Villages
Whether or not you believe in the proverb “It takes a village to raise a child,” you will still enjoy taking an armchair stroll through some of the Most Beautiful Villages Around The World.

#5 – Know Your Worth
Know Your Worth

ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND!

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Sweet Potato Fries for Dogs

Posted in In The Kitchen, Pets, Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 20, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Sweet Potato Fries For Dogs Hold the ketchup! Hold the salt! These baked sweet potato fries are perfect just the way they are! Perfect for dogs, that is. If most people could adjust their palates to accept baked fries with no added sodium, these would be perfectly delicious for humans, too!

Sweet Potato Fries For Dogs
Adapted from a recipe from Food.com

INGREDIENTS
Uncooked sweet potatoes or yams

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

2. Wash the skins of the sweet potatoes thoroughly and blot dry.

3. Cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise.

4. Cut the halves in lengthwise slices.*

5. Place the slices on a cookie sheet in a single layer.

6. Bake in the oven for about 3 hours.

7. After the fries cool down, it’s time for a taste test! Romeo keeps his eyes on the prize and he lifts his paw to a begging position . . . sniff, sniff . . . yes, he likes it! Romeo's Taste Test

LINNELL’S NOTES
1. I experimented with two varieties of sweet potatoes. My dog liked them both, but obviously the orange variety is more attractive-looking.

2. Try cutting the sweet potatoes as uniformly as possible for consistent baking. Leave the skin on for added fiber and micronutrients.

3. I set my oven to 280 degrees F. and baked the fries for 3 hours. Some of the fries were crunchy and some were chewy at this point. If your dog likes them crunchier, remove the crunchy ones from the sheet and continue to bake the chewy ones a little longer.

4. *As the slices bake and lose moisture, they will shrink. Take this into account when you are slicing the sweet potatoes and make the slices the appropriate size for your dog.

5. Sweet potatoes will release a sticky syrup as they bake, so I covered my baking sheets with parchment paper.

WOOF! WOOF! ENJOY!

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Friday’s Fresh Five! (8/16/13)

Posted in About me, Creativity, Environment and Ecology, Gardening, In The Kitchen, inspiration, Photography, Recycling, Travel, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 16, 2013| 1 Comment »

Carpenter Bee Bzzzzzz-bzzzzzz-bzzzzzz . . . bzzzzzz-bzzzzzz-bzzzzzz . . . ah-choo! A large black bee darted quickly in and out of squash blossoms. If a bee could sneeze, I imagine this one would, because it was covered from head to tail in pollen (click on the photo to see all the pollen). After hearing gardeners complain of low vegetable yields due to lack of pollination, I’m happy to have this bee in my garden. However, I’m not so thrilled to learn that it’s a carpenter bee, the type of bee that burrows into wood!

#1 – The Ultimate Packing List
If you are planning on doing some serious traveling, you will want to check out The Ultimate Packing List for Full-Time Travel by the Professional Hobo. She lists what she takes, why she takes them, and where you can purchase these items.

#2 – The Second Time Around
Repurposing Ideas If you have imagination, most things can have more than one life or one purpose. Some of the ideas in the article Creative Ways to Repurpose & Reuse Old Stuff I’ve seen before, but that’s probably because they are really great ideas and have been well-circulated. Thanks to creative people who continually find new ways to reuse things!

#3 – A Slice of Time
Chinatown Sunset, 2013 by Fong Qi Wei Photographer Fong Qi Wei places an emphasis on time in his collection of work called Time is a Dimension. His photographs reveal landscapes, cityscapes, and seascapes during a 2 to 4 hour period, rather than just a moment in time.

#4 – Shelf Life
This infographic reminds me of my daughter. On occasion she’ll call to ask if I think a particular item in her refrigerator or pantry is okay to eat beyond its stated date. If you, too, are confused with all the dates marked on food packaging, then make sure to read the section at the bottom titled, “What’s the Deal With Expiration Dates?”

The Shelf Life of Food

#5 – Life
Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.
Ashley Smith

Have a great weekend!

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Zucchini with Corn and Green Chilies

Posted in In The Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 13, 2013| 2 Comments »

Zucchini with Corn and Green Chilies Trying to think of different ways to prepare the summer bounty harvested from your vegetable garden? This recipe, from the famous Pink Adobe Restaurant in Santa Fe, New Mexico, utilizes summer favorites such as zucchini, fresh corn, and green chilies. For an additional fresh pop of flavor and color, dice and toss in some sweet vine-ripened tomatoes from your garden.

Zucchini with Corn and Green Chilies
The Pink Adobe Cookbook

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 T olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh green chilies
4 cups sliced zucchini, 1/2-inch thick
1½ to 2 cups fresh corn kernels, scraped from about 4 ears
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cumin seed
1/2 cup chicken or beef broth

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat the butter and olive oil in a 12-inch skillet.
2. Sauté the onion and green chilies for about 3 minutes.
3. Add the zucchini, corn, salt, oregano, and cumin seed. Mix well. Stir in the broth.
4. Cover the skillet and simmer until the zucchini is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Serve hot.

LINNELL’S NOTES
1. The ears of corn I used must have been on the large side. I had a lot more than 2 cups of kernels. Not wanting the extra to go to waste, I threw them in to the mix. It probably would have been better if I measured the kernels after I cut three ears.

2. Try to cut the zucchini the same thickness, so that all the slices cook evenly.

3. In my post Creamed Summer Corn, I wrote a tip on how to safely and easily cut kernels off of a corn cob. Here’s the tip again: Place a damp kitchen towel on your kitchen counter. Place a tube pan or Bundt pan on the towel to prevent the pan from slipping. Insert the stem end of the corn cob into the hole of the pan. Hold the top of the ear of corn and slice down straight, pressing against the cob until you reach the bottom. The kernels will fall into the pan. Kitchen Tip: How to cut kernels off corn cob

4. When I cut chilies, I wear gloves that are designated for food preparation only. A little bit of chili oil rubbed in the wrong place (eyes, mouth, nose, etc.) can burn! Kitchen Tip: Designate a pair of gloves for food preparation

ENJOY!

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Friday’s Fresh Five! (8/9/13)

Posted in About me, Art and Crafts, Creativity, Environment and Ecology, Gift Ideas, Helping Others, In The Kitchen, inspiration, Photography, Recycling, Travel, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 9, 2013| Leave a Comment »

T-shirt Gift Bag The wanna-be artist in me was delighted when one of my nieces requested manga drawing materials for her birthday. Rather than spend money on a paper gift bag to hold her art supplies, I thought it would be more fun to put them in a cute and sturdy t-shirt bag. A while back I posted the instructions on how to make a T-Shirt Bag, but since this bag was a gift, I made the finished product nicer by adding a few steps: I “boxed” the bottom and sewed bias tape around the raw openings. After transforming a black and white “History of Art” t–shirt (leftover from my art docent days) into a bag, I tied it up with a large colorful ribbon. My talented niece now has a reusable gift bag/art tote and I’m pleased that I re-purposed another item!

#1 – Art in Clothes and Clothes in Art

Art by Kaarina Kaikkonen

Kaarina Kaikkonen: The Blue Route

Finnish environmental artist Kaarina Kaikkonen re-purposes t-shirts and other second-hand clothes with a different creative goal in mind. She creates dreamlike art installations. The power of her work lies in how she ties her message to each site of installation. Ms. Kaikkonen says of her work, “My work talks about people, how people from different backgrounds are connected together, about life as a journey.” You can see more of her work here.

#2 – Clever Kitchen Ideas
Reuse broken hangers as bag clipss A hanger can be used for more than hanging clothes as seen by this photo. Check out these 10 Clever Kitchen Lifehacks.

#3 -Made You Smile
We can all come up with clever and creative ways to make our lives easier and more enjoyable, but how about coming up with ways to make each others’ lives happier, at least for a moment? It can start with a smile. Mark and Angel Hack Life have compiled a list called 88 Ways to Make a Stranger Smile and the first entry is “Smile often.”

#4 – Exploring Caves
Fingals Cave in Scotland Exploring caves around the world is not at the very top of my bucket list, but I can say that I’ve been to at least one of the caves featured in 23 of the World’s Most Insane Caves That You Can Explore. After looking through this series of photos of nature’s amazing creations, I am now adding visits to a few of them to my bucket list!

#5 – Creativity According to Rainn
“Everyone is creative in their own way and that, that creativity is a great thing. It’s a human thing and it needs to be nurtured and it can help us go down life’s path and help us to become deeper, richer, more satisfied human beings.”
Rainn Wilson

“If it’s a pure expression of yourself no matter what it is or what medium, it’s going to shine. It’s going to resonate. You could look inside of yourself and you could have a canvas and you could paint a dot in it, but if that is where your creative purpose is taking you then it needs to be that dot.”
Rainn Wilson

Let your creativity shine this weekend!

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Sparkling Ginger Lemonade

Posted in In The Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 6, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Sparkling Ginger Lemonade Fizzy, spicy, tart, and sweet come together to create an intriguing beverage. Honey-lemon and lemon-ginger are well-known flavor pairings, but when you put all three flavors together and add some chilled sparkling water, you have a refreshing combination! I could have used this sweetly soothing drink a couple of months ago when I had a summer cold!

Sparkling Ginger Lemonade
Taste of Home Magazine

INGREDIENTS
2 cups water
1 cup honey
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 cups club soda, cold
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

DIRECTIONS
1. In a small saucepan, combine the water, honey and ginger. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat, cover and let steep for 10 minutes.

2. Place a mesh strainer over a bowl and strain the mixture into it, discarding the ginger. Transfer the mixture to a pitcher and cool completely.

3. Stir in the soda and lemon juice.

4. Serve over ice.

Serves 5

LINNELL’S NOTES
1. This was a bit too sweet for me, so the next time I make it I will cut back on the amount of honey.
2. The best way to peel ginger is to scrape it off with the edge of a spoon.
3. This recipe does not make very much. You will need to double or triple the recipe to fill an average-sized pitcher.
4. Adult version: add vodka or gin to taste!

ENJOY!

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Friday’s Fresh Five! (8/2/13)

Posted in About me, Aging, Art and Crafts, Creativity, Entertainment, Gardening, inspiration, Photography, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 2, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Praying Mantis ImageOh! Hello, young praying mantis. Would you mind holding that pose while I run inside to get my camera and tripod? Minutes later, I came out to find my new garden friend still sitting there on a leaf by my front door. As my camera lens zoomed in on him, I saw one of his five eyeballs rotate towards me and I noticed the slight up and down bobbing of his curled tail. I’m still experimenting with the macro aspect of my new camera, but fortunately I’ve found a “willing” subject to pose for me!

#1 – Praying Mantis Trivia
Praying Mantis Image In case you’re like me and you think it’s always good to know a little something about everything, here’s some interesting information about these fascinating creatures from the site ThePrayingMantis.org:

A. The word “mantis” comes from the Greek word meaning prophet.

B. The earliest fossils of the praying mantis are from Oligocene, a geologic epoch dating around 23 to 34 million years ago.

C. The praying mantis has excellent eyesight and can see up to about 50 feet away.

D. The praying mantis is the only insect that can rotate its alien-like head almost completely around!

E. In most mantids there is one ear in a form of a small slit near the legs and has two eardrums and tuned to 25-60 kHz, which allows them to hear the ultrasonic sounds of bats as they near so they can dodge them quickly.

F. The praying mantis is actually more closely related to the cockroach than to grasshoppers!

G. A State Insect? Yes, it is true. The European Mantis (mantis religiosa), a native of Southern Europe became the official State Insect of Connecticut on October 1st, 1977!

#2 – A Happy Home
Entry way bench No matter where you live or what your state insect is, being happy in your home adds joy to life. The site Hooked on Houses posted this list of 10 Ways To Be Happy At Home:

1. Stop resenting what your house isn’t and start appreciating what it is. There is always something to be thankful for!

2. Respect it enough not to clutter it up with things you don’t really like or need.

3. Have a comfortable chair in a quiet corner where you can read and recharge.

4. Turn the TV off and your favorite music on.

5. Keep fresh flowers on your kitchen windowsill in glass jars or bud vases.

6. Try eating dinner by candlelight, with music, for no special reason. And use your best dishes.

7. Create character where there isn’t any – crown molding works wonders!

8. Surround yourself with your favorite “happy colors,” whether they’re trendy or not.

9. Display something from your childhood that you treasure.

10. Don’t try to replicate the look of a model home. Strive to create spaces that exude warmth, love, comfort, and peace.

The author then asked for readers’ input which led to an additional 20 More Ways To Be Happy At Home.

#3 – The Pixel Painter

Art by Hal Lasko

Art by Hal Lasko

97-year-old Hal Lasko is an incredible and inspirational man. He is now blind and deaf, but that doesn’t stop him from doing what what he loves to do – create art. An online article about Lasko says this: Using an outdated version of Microsoft Paint, Hal Lasko is able to create anything from pixelated nature-inspired sceneries, animal portraits or abstract pieces. Building works of art pixel by pixel is a time-consuming process, but 97-year-old Grandpa says he has learned to be patient and never rush the creative process.

Prints of Mr. Lasko’s art are for sale with 10% of the proceeds going to Veterans of Foreign War programs.

#4 – Mah Jong Addiction
Mah Jong After my husband helped my mom upgrade her computer software, she complained that she didn’t like the new computer Mah Jong game he installed. There was one specific version she liked for its layout. After some searching, he found a compatible version for her to try. She’s very happy with it, but the only problem now is . . . he and I can’t stop playing it. Rev up those brain cells and try playing this Mah Jong game, but tell yourself you’ll only play it once! Click here for a link to a video on how to play the game.

#5 – Life
“Don’t go through life; grow through life.”
Eric Butterworth

Have a great weekend!

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