Custom order

A very sweet customer of mine loves to keep me on my toes with fun new orders. This is the latest order I did for her.

I had my husband hollow out the wooden wheel for the center, then we both sanded it, we used two coats of stain then roughed it up to give it this finish. I then wire wrapped the pendant with copper wire, and used beautiful green glass stones for the center. I really love how this came out.

2/24/14 dinner

I love to cook! I love everything about it well, other then cleaning up. I’m messy

I worked the early shift at work today so I was able to come home and cook! Tonight I’m making steak and onion sandwiches and Bacon ranch potato wedges fries. Yummy! And very simple too!

Dinner went very well, my husband loved it!

Look for the recipe soon!
Mary

I’ve really been trying new things with my jewelry lately, click the link below to see what I’ve been up to!

New earrings for sale

Storenvy

I just created a new store called storenvy. I really love it. Please come check it out!

http://maryslittlecreations.storenvy.com/

I just listed this beautiful one of a kind tree of life necklace.

Etsy update 11/27/13

I am working on my etsy site today before I head into work. I’ve got one listing up. If you like what you see would you help me out by sharing with a friend? I’m working on two more listings now so please check back often! 

Free books 11/20/2013

I found the free book section of Amazon again! I have not read these books (unless other wise stated) I just found some to share. 🙂

This books are only free for a limited time. I have no control over how long they are free for, so please check the price before purchasing. Click the picture to get the book.

 

This new series by Surrey Books launches with an everything-you-need-to-know guide to using the slow cooker, and features 101 delicious, diverse, and recipes, all of which have been thoroughly kitchen-tested to ensure you have success every time you make one.

Featuring a detailed introduction that covers the basics of slow-cooking and discusses helpful how-to’s, insider tips, and keys to best results, this book–and all the books in the 101 series–features a simple, contemporary-looking design that’s as clear-cut as it is elegant, with measures calculated using both traditional and metric quantities. Scattered throughout are beautiful full-color photographs that accentuate the book’s visual appeal. This is a practical, hands-on kitchen resource that will also look great on the shelf–and because its flex-binding is sewn, it’s supremely easy to keep open and flat on your kitchen counter while you’re cooking from it.

Perfect both for beginners and more experienced cooks looking to broaden their kitchen horizons, Slow Cooker 101’s breadth of recipes are drawn from a wide range of culinary traditions. Among the delicious recipes include here:
Beef Stroganoff
Lamb Biryani
Paella
Winter Vegetable Risotto
Corn Pudding
Chicken Mole
Cioppino

Vampire master Michelle, and her slave, Aaron Pilan, leave the heartbreak of Vegas…

…for a new start in Paris. Aaron’s mistakes in Vegas make him question everything he knows about Michelle, and the prospect of a long, lonely future with her.

Struggling with his predatory alter ego, Aaron chafes under Michelle’s rules. His animalistic desires drive him to take a lover without conditions – a bloodslave – but Michelle refuses.

Michelle is not blind to Aaron’s needs. She answers his demands by opening her heart and soul to him. Their minds intertwine and Aaron relives her dark, gritty tale of survival in the ravages of war-torn Paris under the German occupation. Her disturbing revelations are met with shock, pushing Aaron even further from her. For the first time, Michelle begins to reconsider the way she has lived all these decades.

And they are not alone in Paris. An investigator has shadowed them from Vegas, seeking the unique gifts of Michelle’s blood. He hunts the vampires, attacking them at their most vulnerable time. Michelle and Aaron face death and worse – separation.

Aaron and Michelle’s wicked, pulse-pounding tale drags readers breathless through one cataclysmic event after another.

Heavenly Cheesecakes includes 30 different recipes of incredible, delicious cheesecakes that I have personally made, tasted, and perfected. 

Below is a list of all the recipes inside… 

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake 
Snappy Pumpkin Cheesecake 
Turtle Pecan Cheesecake 
Cinnamon Bun Cheesecake 
Glazed Chocolate Cheesecake 
Tiramisu Cheesecake 
Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake 
New York Style Cheesecake 
Peaches-N-Cream Cheese Cake 
Glazed Raspberry Mini Cheesecakes 
Layered Mocha Cheesecake 
Snickers Cheesecake 
Pumpkin Cheesecake 
Double Blueberry Cheesecake 
Raspberry Mousse Cheesecake 
Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake 
Lemony White Chocolate Cheesecake 
Coffee Toffee Cheesecake 
Peach Cheesecake 
Turtle Cheesecake 
Cherry Cheese Cupcakes 
Lemon Cheesecake Bars 
Almond Toffee Cheesecake Bars 
Mandarin Cheesecake Bites 
Latte Cheesecake Bars 
Oreo Cheesecake Squares 
Almond Streusel Cherry Cheesecake Bars 
Frozen Raspberry Swirl 
Frozen Strawberry Cheesecake 
Frozen Cheesecake 
Frozen Mocha Cheesecake 

Goals

Back in January this year I made a few goals.

 

 

 

(image found on google)

One goal I had is I wanted to read 20 books this year. Now I know that may not sound like a lot to some people, but at the time I made this goal I was working A LOT of hours, and honestly didn’t have a lot of time. So I thought 20 books was a good place to start. Well I am happy to say that as of today I have read 26 books this year! So now I am upping my goal to 35 before the end of this year. Now 35 may sound like a lot, but I have got into a kick of reading short stories, most of these only take me a few hours to read so as long as I stay away from anything 500+ pages I should be good. 🙂 Wish me luck!

Another goal I made this year was to get into shape. This is a goal i have struggled with for the past few years. See my dad passed away when he was only 51 of a heart attack in his sleep. I wouldn’t say he was super unhealthy, but he had been a diabetic since he was 17 and diabetes run in his side of the family. He had type one diabetes, and was on insulin as soon as they diagnosed him.  I know that if I don’t take care of myself that is something I may have to deal with. So I have tried really hard this year to get into a workout routine, and stick with it. Sadly the last couple of weeks I’ve been a bit of a lazy butt, and haven’t done much. But as soon as I get over this head cold I am getting back to it. (I promise this isn’t an excuse, I just dont want to snot on my Wii while boxing. Or stop every 2 minutes to cough and blow my nose. haha) I have done pretty well with this goal, so far I’ve lost 9 pounds, and my clothes are fitting better. 🙂 Yay!

 

This year I also wanted to learn to sew well I am not the best at it yet, but I am making progress and I have 2 skirts, a scarf, and half a shirt to show for it. I would have my 3rd skirt finished, but I had a little mishap that I have to fix before I can go on. Hopefully I get that finished soon, cause I am running out of time to get my Halloween costume finished. Ekk! Thankfully I don’t have to do much, just make a skirt for myself and some ears. I can’t wait!

 

I also have a few goals this year that sadly I am not as close to finishing as I’d like to be. I want to get my craft room functioning I told a friend the other day I think my craft room is where half finished projects come to die, I am also SUPER SUPER lazy when it comes to cleaning up in here. I kinda take the no one but me goes in there so what does it matter approach to it. Well it has gotten to the point where I cannot finish anything cause I can’t find whatever it is I need to finish it. Ugh So I have made it a goal that before the end of the year I will go through EVERYTHING in my craft room and organize it so I can use it, or throw it away if I can’t, or maybe even give it away. 

 

(image found on google)

 

Every goal needs a plan. Step one of this plan is to get my desk cleaned off completely so that I have a place to go through stuff. I think on that note I am going to go get to work and find my desk! I hope you had a wonderful weekend! I actually had some time to spend with my husband this weekend, it was really nice. 🙂 

Weekend reading list

What are you reading this weekend?

I’m about to start Pale Horses. I actually won this book a while back from Goodreads.com. The copy I have is an advanced copy, sadly when this book came in I wasn’t able to read it right away.

 

This is word for word from the back cover. (My copy is an advanced uncopyedited edition so this may differ from the actual copy that was published.)

 

“At first, the case appears to be one of simple misadventure. Sonet van Rensburg, a base jumper, falls to her death while attempting to parachute off a newly built sixty-five-story Sandton skyscraper. But Sonet’s jumping partner, Chris Theron, insists that this was no accident, and he hires private investigator Jade de Jon to uncover the truth.

Jade discovers that Sonet worked for a charity that helped impoverished communities become self-supporting farming units. When Jade travels out to the community farm in Limpopo, she finds that it not just abandoned but razed to the ground. Digging deeper for answers about where the residents went, Jade learns about a fatal but unknown disease that swept through the entire community. A deadly harvest has been gathered, and the person who knows the real truth about it has been forced to become collateral in its trade. “

My copy is 297 pages so I am hoping it should only take me a day or two to finish. I will update once I am done!

Have you read this book? What did you think if so?

My book also came with a note from the author, which I think is a really sweet touch! 

What’s on my table?

I’ve been on a sewing kick lately… I must say that I am not the best at it, and if you are friends with me on Facebook you see me ALL the time asking for help or wondering why my sewing machine is doing this or that. I to be completely 100% honest don’t have a clue what I am doing, but that’s why we learn. I have been on Pinterest many many late nights, trying to find wonderful bloggers who sew, and were kind enough to make tutorials so that sewing challenged people like myself may have a cute new skirt, or shirt. Well the other night, I found the cutest vest/shirt thing? I am not sure what to call it really, but I can’t WAIT to have it finished! Over at Rhonda’s Creative Life she created a tutorial for this shirt. I loved the way hers turned out, so I went and got some really cute fabric and got to work. I’ve only got one side finished, but I am really happy with it! 

Do you sew? If so what tips do you have for me? I need all the help I can get! 
Mary

Free kindle books 10/13/2013

I found the free book section of Amazon again! I have not read these books (unless other wise stated) I just found some to share. 🙂 

This books are only free for a limited time. I have no control over how long they are free for, so please check the price before purchasing. Click the picture to get the book. 

What happened to her fairytale life? 
She’s young, she’s sharp, she’s the hardest working attorney in the whole LA office. Still, when Alexis O’Brien finally gets brutally honest with herself, she has to admit she’s nothing more than a glorified workhorse for her boss and his slippery partners. Her dissatisfaction only deepens when she gets sent on a wild goose chase to rural Wyoming to find some elusive gifted architect for a project she thinks is corrupt. 
Then she meets Sean Rockland. The antithesis of the effeminate manicured types she’s used to at work, with his muscles fairly rippling under his button down, Sean ticks her off from the very first moment she lays eyes on him as he’s recuing her from car trouble—which only makes him laugh. Of course that doesn’t help. 
Sean has this way of calmly logically encouraging her to face her issues that makes her even madder. Why does he always have to be right? Why is she drawn to him anyway? What’s up with all these crazy fairies appearing? And why can’t she find the darned missing architect? 
When her spitfire meets his steel sparks begin to fly!
Watch for more of the Rockland Ranch series!

Over a year ago, Superman fought the urge to become the Krypton Man. Now the Krypton Man is born anew from the Earth’s fiery sun—the same place where the Man of Steel buried the mysterious Kryptonian Eradicator.

College freshman, Natalie Vega, offers to be a test patient for several vitamins and supplements created by Kronberg Laboratories, a large pharmaceutical company where she interns. Immediately her body starts going through physical changes but when she runs into her former high school crush, Ryan Garrett, she is unaware of the life altering affects he will have on her. Will Natalie be able to handle her supernatural/superhero changes? 

Recommended Age: 16 and up 
*** Young Adult/New Adult cross over ***

Don’t skip this year’s Halloween party because you spent most of October watching football or settling in at school. We’ve got 20 quick, simple Halloween costumes that will make you the life of the party. If you can use scissors and tape, with a dash of sewing skill, you’ll ready to take on any one of these creative costume projects. Roll up in style dressed as giant toilet paper. Turn the classic sheet-ghost into something a little more original. It’s never too late to throw something clever together, so get started with these and you’ll be rocking out to the Monster Mash in no time.

What could be better than quick, inexpensive, creative, and simple Halloween projects for procrastinators?

Instructables is the most popular project-sharing community on the Internet. Since August 2005, Instructables has provided easy publishing tools to enable passionate, creative people to share their most innovative projects, recipes, skills, and ideas. Instructables has over 40,000 projects covering all subjects, including crafts, art, electronics, kids, home improvement, pets, outdoors, reuse, bikes, cars, robotics, food, decorating, woodworking, costuming, games, and life in general.

“Rubber baby buggy bumpers” – Say this three times as fast as you can. How about, try saying ” Loopy lizards lying lazily aloft a little lane of logs,” without messing up. This Tongue Twister book is huge collection of funny phrases, ridiculous rhymes, and silly sentences that will have kids laughing for hours. Each one challenges your mouth muscles as you try to say these tongue twisters faster and multiple times. 

A tongue twister is a phrase that is supposed to be difficult to articulate properly. Often times they take practice to say correctly. Tongue twisters are good practice for children as they learn to form words, phrases, and vowels. It’s hard to say a tongue twister without a smile on your face. Each tongue twister in this book has it’s own silly illustration. Kids will be entertained with these tongue twisters for hours.

Happy reading everyone! If you get one of theses free books, and you like it will you let me know? I am always looking for good books! For more free books, click here! 

Skirt time!

For years now, I have wanted to make clothes, I’ve bought TONS and tons and tons of fabric but never was brave enough to actually cut the fabric and start working on something. Well I finally got brave the other night, and cut into my fabric. Thanks to the amazing tutorial over at Dana made it, I was finally brave enough to try and make a skirt.

As her directions stated I needed to make a pattern. So I pulled out some foam board that I got from the dollar store and did just that. The foam actually worked out perfectly its strong enough not to rip easily like paper, but it not to heavy.

 

The length that I wanted to make the skirt, caused me to have to have two pieces of foam, but at a $1 a piece I wasn’t complaining to badly. She has AMAZING instructions on how to get the measurements for your waist. Which without her help I would have messed up horribly. I finished this skirt up (other then the hem on the bottom) a couple of days ago, and I finally got to wear it today!

It was a little bit chilly outside today, and I wasn’t sure how cold it was going to get so I paired my skirt with boots, and leggings. 🙂 

I talked my husband into taking pictures of me this afternoon, and theses were some of the others he took. Haha

You should really check out her blog, and try and make your own skirt. If you do, I’d love to see it! If you send it to Maryslittlecreations@ymail.com you may see  your creation on my blog! 🙂