Creativity, Crafts, Books, Movies, Greyhounds & Favorite Things

May’s 4 Faves all come from my friends.  Check out what they like.

St. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse & Mitt

My friend, Amy, says this is the best self-tanner on the market.  She loves it because it gives her natural, healthy, streak-free color AND it doesn’t stink.  If you’ve ever used a self-tanner, you know what I mean by “stink.”  I can’t wait to try this!

Voyagers K9 Apparel

Voyagers K9 Apparel is a favorite of Carrie and the Houndstooth girls (not Morgan…she has a built-in coat).  Carrie is the author of two blog, Tales and Tails and Pink Sunshine.  Why does she love Voyagers K9 Apparel?  Because they’re durable, fit well, are breed specific and made to get out and be active in.  Bunny also wanted me to mentioned another fave of her’s…the color pink.

Cody’s Creations

My friend, Mayzie, recommends Cody’s Creations for beautiful dog collars and pet accessories.  Sadly, Mayzie’s Grampa J (Mayzie’s mom’s dad) passed away recently; so Mayzie and her Brudder Ranger are giving their mom some extra care and lovin’ now.

Cheetos

Some of my readers only have to see the picture to know who recommended this “favorite.”  That’s right, Puddles, author of the blog We Three Doxies.  The funny thing is, I don’t know why Puddles likes Cheetos.  Hopefully, Puddles or some of her friends will let me know in the “Comments.”  Puddles also recommended “squirrels” as a favorite and if that’s your thing, you can always find a good squirrel recipe on her blog.

This is the final installment of 4 Faves – Friends Version.  But don’t worry, it’s not the end.  I’ll do another “Friend Version” in August and November.  So…keep thinking of all the things you love and that make your life easier and more enjoyable!

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Continue this picture.

(I took the picture of half a head of cabbage and turned it into “Planet of the Fruit People.”)

This is my final post working with Mess by Keri Smith.  I’m not done playing and making messes, but I’ll announce the new book I’m going to read and work with next week.  Mess was better than I anticipated.  I had the general idea that it would be “good for me,” but it was “really good for me.”  Here’s what I’m taking away:

1.  It’s REALLY important to give myself time to play.  NOT work on projects, NOT increase my skills, JUST play.

2.  When I play, I won’t like most of what I come up with.  Most of it will be a mess.  But ever so often…something wonderful appears.

3.  Playing is for me.  Playing is healthy.  Playing limbers up my mind.

Smear something here with your hands purely for the tactile sensation.

(I smeared pink pearl paint, and I have to admit…it did feel nice.)

1.  Take the image to the right and cut it into pieces.

2.  Rearrange the image to create a new image entirely.

(I call it “Family Deconstructed.”)

1.  Fold page several times.

2.  Make random cuttings with scissors.

3.  Unfold.

4.  Repeat with different folds.

(I used magazine pages.  Several of them fell apart because I cut too much.  I thought this one was lovely.)

1.  Apply a horizontal line of white glue to the top of this page.

2.  Support the book somehow so the glue runs down the page as it dries.

3.  Once it is dry, add a coat of ink or paint overtop.  Let dry.

4.  Sand the page slightly to bring out the glue shapes.

(I didn’t feel my first line dripped enough, so I added some more.)

Keri has a new book coming out soon.  I can’t wait!

I started my blog 6 months ago and have enjoyed every single moment of creating and writing it.  I thank everyone who has read, commented, shared and supported me on this journey.

My goal when I started What Remains Now, was to use it as a creative outlet for myself to write about the things I love and am interested in.  Since I am writing about a variety of things, I wanted to write on a schedule so if you enjoyed certain topics, you’d know exactly when to find them.  I wanted to write relatively short posts so you could check it daily or just as easily check it weekly.  I wanted you to know me like a friend.  I wanted to encourage you.  I wanted you to leave What Remains Now feeling good.

I hope that those things happen when you read my blog; but I want to make it even better.  One of the most difficult things about writing a blog is that I feel like I do it in a bubble.  I recently signed up for Elsie Flannigan’s E-Course, Blog Love, so I could learn more about blogging.  Elsie has a wonderful blog, A Beautiful Mess.  I also signed up for a Blog Critique at The Blog Guidebook.  But more important than any of that, I would love to hear from you…general or specific comments.  Here are some prompts:

Specific to What Remains Now:

What do you like best?

What do you like least?

What do you think is missing?

What do you like to read about?

When you’re reading my blog, do you ever find yourself thinking, “I wish she’d change that,” or “I wish she’d add this,” or “I wish she’d (fill in the blank).”  What are those things?

General to What Remains Now:

What is your favorite blog and why is it your favorite?

Do you have any blogs that you admire for their layout?

Think about your favorite blogs.  Why do you like them?

What are your favorite blogs?

Would you help me out?  Please leave me your feedback as a comment, or if you prefer you can email me at whatremainsnow@gmail.com.  Watch for some new things in the coming months.

The sleuth in this mystery is 11-year-old Flavia de Luce.  Flavia is bold, smart, adventurous and has a vivid and original imagination.  Flavia is an unforgettable character.  Set in 1950’s England, this is a beautifully simple, old-fashioned mystery.

The Fighter tells the story of Micky Ward and his road to the World Boxing Union (WBU) Light Welterweight Title.  It’s also the story of Micky’s brother, Dicky Eklund, and his fall from promise to obscurity.  It’s about family, loyalty and redemption.  Based on a true story, The Fighter is a movie about the underdog making it to the top.  It’s a simple yet stunning movie with a lot of emotion and heart.

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April Showers Bring May Flowers

Inspiration:

McCall’s Pattern #M6047 (This is the same pattern I used to make the rick rack flower and the zipper flower).

Supplies:

Silky Nightie

Scissors (I used a rotary cutter)

Felt

Needle

Thread

Button or beads for flower center

1.  Cut a 2-1/2″ diameter circle from the felt.

2.  Cut twenty-three (23) 3″ x 3″ squares of fabric.

3.  With wrong sides together, fold each square in half.  Press lightly.  Bring the side edges of the petals to the lower edge.  Press lightly.  The fabric I used was polyester.  I used a pressing cloth, so I wouldn’t melt the fabric.

4.  Baste the bottom raw edges together.  Gather and knot off to form a petal.

5.  Tack the petals on the edge of the felt circle, overlapping slightly.

6.  Apply a second and third row of petals.

7.  Sew or glue a button or beads to the center of the flower.  You now have a soft, pretty flower to add to an outfit or to an item in your home.

 Actress Téa Leoni is a retired racing greyhound owner.  Looks a little like my Casper!

Other than the photo (taken around 2006), I couldn’t find any other information.  Cute picture though!

May’s 4 Faves all come from my friends.  Check out what they like.

Scentsy

Carrie, the author of Tales and Tails and Pink Sunshine, says that Scentsy is one of her favorites for several reasons.  First, it uses the heat of a low-watt light bulb instead of a traditional wick and flame to melt the scented wax…much safer, particularly with pets.  Second, there is a warmer to fit every decor…plus, the warmer itself acts as a pretty little decorative light.  Third, there are over 80 available scents to choose from…something for everyone.

Wet Noses Dog Treats

My friend Amy, loves these dog treats.  They are 100% organic, use human-grade ingredients from reputable suppliers, and all their ingredients are farmed on US soil.  Plus, they come in a variety of flavors.  My husband and I became friends with Amy and her husband after we adopted Casper (Amy and her husband fostered Casper).  When we went to visit them, Amy asked the houndies if they’d like a “cookie” (aka Wet Noses Dog Treat).  Casper immediately went right to the cupboard where the “cookies” were kept.  Looks like Casper recommends them too.  Added bonus…Amy buys these at Costco.

Vinturi Red Wine Aerator

Have you ever heard someone say that, “the wine needs to breathe.”  As wine breathes, it opens up its intended aromas and flavors.  Traditionally, this was done by pouring a bottle of wine into a decanter or carafe and letting it aerate for an hour or more.  An aerator speeds this process, so you can pour the wine from the bottle into the glass and still get a beautiful bouquet, enhanced flavor and a smooth finish.  My friend, Amy recommends this aerator.  It’s beautiful and functional…what more could you want.

PetzLife Oral Care Gel & Spray

Greyhounds are notorious for having bad teeth, so most Greyhound owners learn to care for their pet’s teeth or face costly dental cleanings.  Amy uses and recommends PetzLife Oral Care Gel & Spray.  It’s all natural and easy to use.  According to PetzLife…to get your pet’s teeth clean, use the gel once or twice a day for 30 days, then use every 2nd or 3rd day.  Amy found that once Miura and Zonda’s teeth were clean, she was able to maintain them by using the spray daily and the gel once a week.  An added benefit…fresher breath.

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1.  Spill a substance here (some things that work well are coffee, tea, etc.).  Let it dry.

2.  Look for shapes in the dried substance.  Draw things based on what shapes you find (faces, characters, etc.).

(Drip Doodles)

Re-create these lines.

(The page on the left is mine; the page on the right is what I was re-creating.)

Color this in with your eyes closed (or in the dark).

(I used crayon and colored it in, in the dark.)

Trace this line as fast as you can for several minutes.

(Oops, I think I only did this for about a minute.)

1.  Use this page to sweep up dirt in your room.

2.  Find a way to contain the dirt here.

3.  Use the dirt in an art piece.

(I did #1 and #2, but I’m going to leave it at that.)

This month I’m working with the book Mess by Keri Smith.

The past two weeks, I’ve shown you some of the exercises I’ve done and that I kind of liked.  This week, I’m showing you some exercises where I thought:

“I can’t draw.”

“That was stupid.”

“That’s ugly and was a waste of time.”

“Okay.”

“Yuck!”

I wonder if while looking at any of these YOU thought, “Wow, that’s neat.”  One of the things about opening yourself up to a process like this is just that…some of the play inspires you and some doesn’t; but you never know unless you take the time and try it.

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Yesterday was one of my favorite days of the year…the Spring Fling.  The Spring Fling is an annual get-together of the group we adopted Freedom and Casper from, Allies for Greyhounds of West Michigan (AFGWM).

That’s a lot of hounds!

There are vendors and a silent auction, contests (Best “Roo,” Dog Look-a-like, Longest Tail, Shortest Tail and whatever else they can think up) and a potluck lunch.  We take an AFGWM “family” photo and best of all, visit with all the Greyhound families.

Daddy with Casper & Freedom

This year, we had a special treat…two Greyhound puppies!

My beautiful friend, Amy, with one of the puppies.

No, I was not pinching the puppy.

Yes, I did change my hair color.

One of the things I love about owning Greyhounds is the support that is available through the adoption groups.  We happen to belong to a group that is VERY supportive; and, the nice thing is, you can participate or not.  Of those that participate, there is a core of volunteers who serve above and beyond.  They foster, they organize Meet ‘n Greets, they do home visits, they maintain the group’s website, they take care of the day-to-day operation of the group and the kennel…they are angels on earth.  Dave and his wife, Pat, are two in that elite group.  Founding members of AFGWM, they are the reason that we have our most precious Greyhound “kids.”

Thank you, Dave!

(Pat’s probably off working somewhere…they never quit.)

One of my favorite parts of the Spring Fling is the vendors and the silent auction.  I actually need two pictures to show you my “take.”

Greyhound Goodies

I love silent auctions!

The day went by too quickly, and soon we were headed home.  “Thank you” to everyone who made the day so special.

Casper hogging the backseat.

Totally worn out after a wonderful day!