Pink Astilbe For the Entire Summer.....

It's Summer and it's PINK Saturday what could be better! It's my favorite time of year. I love to putter outside with all my PINK flowers. Today I want to share a gardening tip that I learned a few years ago. I have some beautiful flowering Astilbe, but by the end of June the PINK flowers start to fade and my July the flowers turn brown. A few years ago I was one of the gardens in my church's garden walk. I wanted everything to be "Picture Perfect" in the garden. I knew the Astilbe would no longer be PERFECTLY PINK , what to do?

Well I got an idea. I love to transform things with spray paint.... why not the fading flowers of my Astilbe???

I headed straight to the paint aisle of my favorite home improvement store, Home Depot. There it was on the shelf the PERFECT shade of PINK!

The trick to not getting the leaves PINK when you spray the flowers, is to use a Paper Plate like this. If you accidentally spay some of the leaves, just pluck them off.

After spraying the flowers they are this wonderful shade of PINK for the entire summer. My neighbors laugh every year then I'm out spraying the Astilbe flowers. They may laugh, but they sure look pretty all summer long.

If you love the color PINK , stop by "How Sweet the Sound" to enjoy other PINK posts. Take some time today to enjoy the summer and the wonders of nature that God has blessed us with...

Let us be greatful to

the people who make us happy;

they are the charming gardeners

who make one souls blossom.

-Marcel Proust-

A Red & White Checked Shower Gift....

It was my friend Linda's daughter's bridal shower. Her daughter Lori loves Red and white check and wanted that to be part of the shower decor. The shower invitation arrived early summer with a large red and white checked bow.

Linda had purchased some items to use for the centerpieces, but was unsure what to do with them. I offered to put them together for the shower. Here's what I came up with.... A BIG red bow was a must!

I wanted to give a handmade gift. Doesn't every new bride need an apron. Off to the fabric store to find the perfect fabric. If you haven't guessed yet, I used a red and White gingham fabric. I think this is the perfect pattern and the print fabric and black rick rack added just the right touch. I made the ties extra long so the apron could be tied in the front with a nice bow. The flower is detachable. Doesn't every girl wear pearls while doing the dishes? To add to the outfit, there were matching dish gloves....

In addition to the apron and gloves I wanted to make another gift with the red and White checked theme. Off in search of some white plates and glassware...

I used my special glue to attach the items....

I wanted a modern take on a veggie and dip tray. I have a friend who is a wonderful decorative painter. She gave me a few tips before I began the project. I added a few black polka dots and I was done. It definitely was not perfect, but I had fun doing it and it is surely one of a kind.

Every girl loves chocolate, so I decided to fill the plate with chocolate covered pretzels.

I used Red and White checked and polka dot ribbon to make a large bow and wrap the gift.

The wrapping paper and the ribbons matched the theme of the shower. One of my favorite things to do is wrap gifts with wonderful ribbons and papers. Even an inexpensive gift can look like a million bucks with a little bit wonderful paper and ribbons.

I topped off the gift with a handmade card and present was ready to go. The shower was wonderful. They served a salad that I truly enjoyed and the desserts were awesome. I'm one of those gals that looks at the dessert menu before I order my dinner. Can any of you relate?

Next time you have a party to go to, think about what handmade item you can give. It's always wonderful to receive a "Creation From the Heart". Hope you Take sometime today to enjoy the summer sun.

LOVE Bears all things, Believes all things, Hopes all things, Endures all things. LOVE Never ends. 1 Corinthians 13:7-8

Lots PINK and asking my "Friends" for help...

Hello PINK Saturday. I have lots of PINK creations to share with you today. If you like the color PINK grab a cool drink, your computer and enjoy some wonderful posts. There are many PINK Posts at How sweet the Sound. I am definitely "Hooked on the color PINK. If you want to see what others are hooked on, visit Hooked on Houses. Before I begin to share what I created, I want to tell you what all these creations were made for. I have a wonderful friend, who years ago started a non-profit organization called Macomb Charitable Foundation. (click her for the link) The Macomb Charitable Foundation was started to help children living at or below poverty level in Macomb County, MI. It is their desire to focus on the child . To make that child’s life richer, not just by offering assistance with worldly goods, but by offering kindness, humility and respect.

Michigan has been hard hit by the decline in the economy, mainly because of the automotive industry. Macomb county has seen a rise in families loosing their homes. 82% of these families have not faced financial hardships in the past, and now find themselves with no where to live. Over 650 children in Macomb have families who have lost their home. This is where you can help me out. Macomb Charitable Foundation relies on the generosity of others. The largest fund raiser for MCF will be in October. They will be holding a silent auction and are in need of items. If you are creative or just blessed in your life, I am bolding asking that you would consider donating an item for the auction. Through blogging with many of you, I know how creative you are. Please consider helping a child. Any new item would be much appreciated. You can contact me through my email or post a comment.

So, now to share with you what I donated when we had a get together this week for MCF. Can you guess what color everything was? YOU GOT IT, PINK!

A bright PINK flower and some wonderful pearls were added accessories to this girly apron....

If you love to golf, this fabric is perfect! Don't you just love the big PINK bow?

The PINK flower is detachable, so it can be placed wherever you like. I added some chic gloves to wash the dishes in. Isn't this the perfect hostess gift!

To match the pearl necklace, a pearl button is an added embellishment....

A handmade journal with matching gift card and bag were added to my donation...

I found the perfect wired ribbon to put on the journal. PINK and GREEN....my favorite color combination. I added a page marker with a little pearl button.

Last but not least, a pretty PINK pincushion with matching gift bag. The new addition to my pincushions is the little silver spoon. I embellished it with a pearl button. I am a girly girl and just love pearls! More pearls and a butterfly charm were added to the pins.

A combination of PINK ribbons made a charming bow which is topped off with a large heart pin and more buttons.

I had the wonderful opportunity to visit some of the families that MCF has blessed. It has been a humbling opportunity and has opened my eyes to see that even though my life may have challenges I have truly been blessed by God. It's wonderful to be able to use the talents I have been given. It has given me the opportunity to create items that may in turn be used to generate funds to bless the life of a child in need. Consider creating and donating a "Gift From Your Heart" to MCF that will be a blessing to a family in need. I look forward to hearing from many of my blogging friends..... I hope you enjoyed seeing some of my PINK creations. Enjoy the sunshine!

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others,

faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.

1 Peter 4:10

Sweet Thank You Gift....

Today is "Hooked on Friday" take a few minutes and check out what others are hooked on. Well I am "HOOKED" on creating a new item. This new creation is becoming one of my favorite item to make. My head was spinning with ideas as I walked through thrift stores this week looking at all the plates and glassware. On Tuesday I stayed up till 4:00 a.m. (you read that right) 4 in the morning working on some new creations. For me late night when the house is quite, is the best time to get out ALL my "stuff" and just start working. It's always wonderful to wake up the next morning, (not to early) and look at the things I was able to create late the night before? Can any of you crafters relate? Well here is what I finished in the wee hours....

I just love the colors and the design of the plates. I wanted to hand make a "Thank You" for a sweet friend who was letting my family use a condo up north is weekend. When I spotted the plates and tea cup I knew it was perfect. The colors match her kitchen perfectly! I found the spoon at a kitchen shop and embellished it with a wonderful button. This makes a perfect Veggie and dip server.

And what girl doesn't like chocolate? My thought is if you pair up chocolate with a healthy fruit, there are not as many calories. Am I right? Well at least it sounds like a good idea! I headed off to the fruit market and bought some large strawberries. I dipped them in some chocolate I had purchased and drizzled some white chocolate over them. It's an easy treat to make and looks wonderful.

I found the perfect ribbon in my "ribbon stash". I know quite a few of you have a "ribbon stash"! Just by adding some clear cellophane and a ribbon bow it make the gift ALMOST complete. The finishing touch was a handmade card for the thank you.

My thank you was complete and I couldn't be happier with the out come. I am doing a craft show in November and I am going to be adding these to the items I sell. I think I'm going to offer free gift wrapping when the item is purchased. Doesn't cost a lot, but I think it adds a wonderful look.

Creating a "Gift From the Heart" is something I love to do. It lets the person you are presenting the gift to know that you think that they are special. God has truly blessed me with a circle of friends in my life. The past two years have had it's struggles for our family, but I am constantly reminded through my friendships how sweet life can be!

I thank my GOD For you every time I think of you… Phil. 1:3

Easy Peasy Peanut Butter Cookie Thank You..

My friend Amy returned some dishes to me and surprised me by putting a treat on the plates. She made some Banana Blueberry Bread and Peanut butter cookies. I love Peanut Butter Cookies!

What a wonderful presentation. Don't you just love the plaid ribbon she used and the cute bird tags! She also included the recipe. I thought I would share it with you.

The cookies only have 4 ingredients and they taste wonderful. I have already eaten 3 of them!

Easy Peasy Peanut Butter Cookies

• 1 cup Peanut Butter
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 Egg Lightly Beaten
• 1 t. baking soda

Mix together four ingredients and drop by heaping tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet; parchment or silpot. Bake 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees. *Only makes 12-14 so double recipe so you will have plenty!

Having wonderful friends do unexpected treats is a true blessing in life. Today do something unexpected for your family or someone special. Suprise them today and bake some cookies. It's sure to put a smile on their faces. Wishing you a wonderful Monday.

"If we love each other God lives in us".

John 4:12

Pink Saturday...How to Make Door Cans

Welcome to PINK SATURDAY! Last week I shared my summer flowers and I promised I would show you what you need to make the door cans. If you missed PINK Saturday last Week, take a look HERE and see how I used these door cans for my front enterance. NOthing says welcome more than lots & lots of PINK flowers and a wonderful PINK wreath.

What you need for the door cans:

• Three different widths of craft ribbon (I choose ribbons with PINK!)
• One ribbon to hang the cans. (I used the solid PINK).
• Two 16 oz. cans emptied and labels removed.
• 1 Block floral foam.
• Four 1" Decorative Buttons
• Assorted Silk Flowers (If you LOVE PINK use lots of PINK flowers!)
• Hot glue gun.

Attach wide ribbon with the glue gun around the center of each of the cans. Make sure you turn the raw edge under before you glue it to the can. Add the other two ribbons to the top and bottom of the cans.

Mix the smaller ribbons. Do not make both the cans the same. Cut a piece of floral foam to fit the inside of the can. Secure with hot glue. Cut assorted silk flowers. I like lots of PINK! Arrange by sticking them directly into floral foam. Select ribbon to hang the cans. Cut one length 26" & one length 19". Place one end or the ribbon on the outside of the can securing it with hot glue to the top edge on the side of the can. Repeat with the other end of ribbon, placing it on the opposite side of the can. Add buttons.

Now hang your creation on the door knob and enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by. I'm hope you take the time to try this project. It's easy and will be a wonderful addition to your front door. Visit my previous AUTUMN POST to view a set of door cans you can make for the Fall. Lots of bloggers love the color PINK. Grab a cup of coffee and visit "How Sweet the Sound", to get your fix of the color PINK !