Sidetracked Artist

Keeping chips from getting crunched while being stored in your house can be a challenge. It’s especially frustrating to have an opened bag of chips get lost in the back of a cabinet or shelf until it’s too stale to eat. I have throwing away food. I recently came up with a solution that’s working well for us. We have a pantry with some shelf space and also a little unused wall space. This little bit of wall space was just big enough for hanging chip storage. Here’s how to make this chip holder: Using heavy cotton yarn and a suitable size crochet hook (the yarn label should have a recommendation – I used a size I hook with Sugar ‘n Cream® yarn), crochet a chain about the length you want the finished chip holder to be. Turn and single crochet in each chain stitch. Chain one and turn, then single crochet in each single crochet. Repeat until you have the width you want or about a 1 ½ to 2 inch wide piece. Bind off. This is the backing for the chip holder. Fold down the top 3 to 4 i...

We're not supposed to discuss money in our society.  No telling how much money we make, and don't ask how much money other people make.  Just don't. But discussing money management seems to be OK, so I'ld like to share a tool I found that helps with managing personal finances. Managing the family's finances is my job.  Knowing where we stand financially requires keeping track of how much money is coming in, which doesn't change much, and how much money is going out, which can easily get out of control. I've tried several methods of tracking expenses over the years, and most haven't worked well for me.  The reason is that I'm terrible at keeping records.  Whether recording things on paper or on the computer, I'm just not good at following through with recording expenses daily, or weekly, or whatever...over, and over, and over... Not happening. Fortunately, I found Mint.com .  This site pulls the information I need into a nice, neat, easy...

For many of us, Memorial Day means the beginning of the summer season and maybe a day off from work. Memorial Day is actually a day of remembrance for all the men and women who have died in military service. Originally called Decoration Day, it was enacted to honor soldiers of the Civil War. After World War I, this day of remembrance was extended to honor those who died in all wars. As we enjoy our weekend, let us remember with gratitude. Cindy

Sometimes when you’re giving someone a little thank you gift, it’s nice to have a simple little card to attach. And it's even better if you don't have to make a trip to the store to get one. Here’s a sheet of 2 inch printable note cards for just such an occasion. The sheet just needs to be printed on 8 ½ x 11 inch card stock and cut into individual note cards following the guides. You can then fold the cards and punch a hole to attach with string or ribbon, or you can tape it on or tuck it in the gift. Thank you for reading my blog! Cindy

We had a few sunny days last week, and it finally started to look like Spring in our garden. Apple Blossoms Tulips and Daffodils Dogwood Love this pink Angelique Tulip! Hope everyone has a lovely week, Cindy

I've been collecting vintage art images for about the past year.  I don't know what it is about vintage illustrations that appeals to me so much.  They just have such a charming feel to them, I guess. I also love books.  I love reading them, holding them, seeing them in my home, and I especially like finding really old books in antique stores.  Unfortunately, some of the really old books are falling apart.  The bindings are broken, and the pages are loose or detached. Some clever Etsy sellers are combining vintage images with old book pages to create lovely artwork, and I thought this would be a really fun thing to work on. So I'm combining my lovely vintage images with the pages from old books to hopefully create some appealing artwork.  If all goes well, I'll be listing these art prints soon in my Etsy shop. Cindy 

On this day, twenty five years ago, I walked down the isle toward the front of the church where my husband-to-be stood waiting. Escorted by my father, and wearing a lovely gown made by my mother, I took step after careful step toward the man I loved. We first met across a desk as I interviewed him for a job. Fred was just out of college and interviewing for his first “real” job, the job that would begin his career. I had been out of college just a couple of years myself, and this was the first job of my career as well. He was so smart and perfectly qualified for the job. The small food processor I worked for operated in a former gas station – a “service station”. You know, from back in the day, when you could pull into a service station where they pumped your gas, checked your oil, and cleaned your windshield, and you could get someone to work on your car in neeed. The job paid little, not really enough to live on. The company always hired entry level food technologists for the ...

Scan of  Pink and Yellow Tulip  5" x 7" Watercolor on 140 lb. Arches Cold Pressed Paper.