Justifying the Kit Purchase

I had to justify ordering the November Studio Calico kit. Reveal day is today in exactly 54 minutes. Justifying meant making a layout using the October kit that is currently sitting in my scrap area unused. OK...you can laugh now, since the layout above is the result. Yep...I used two sheets of paper out of a box filled to the brim with goodies. Oh well....here I come November!

Long Time No Blog.

I haven't been doing much creating lately. I'm not sure if it is the rainy, cold weather or the multitude of good ghost shows on television that is to blame. Probably the television. I started a layout a couple of weeks ago for a self-challenge Waleska conjured up. Her suggestion to rid our hoard of scrap supplies was to make a layout/card using a Maya Road's mini album, Studio Calico FabRips and Studio Calico stamps. Behold the creation:

It also fits the current blog challenge for Studio Calico of using texture on a layout. Two weeks to fulfill two challenges. I guess I am doing better than I thought.

Them 2009.....Ahhhh

After a weekend of no creating I woke up Monday morning raring to go. Good thing my Jeep needed fixin' and I had taken off the day to deal with that. This is what I did before my sister picked me up at noon to go terrorize the city:

I don't usually make minis. They challenge my idle brain too much. I am happy with the outcome even if Jake's page went askew. Who said everything had to be perfect anyway, right? I did. I will be re-doing that page at some point. Probably when Jake is 29. That's the way I seem to roll.

Excuses...Excuses

So in between watching two games of soccer.

A trip to the apple orchard where we were soaked head to toe by rain..


A visit to the pumpkin house.


A practice session of trick or treating.

I failed at even attempting the challenge I gave myself last Friday. The one where I thought it was possible to use up a whole scrap kit. I'm laughing at my high expectations. I must have been high on sugar from my Sonic Lime Slush to even think that was possible. Whatever. So the weekend was a bust creativity-wise, but I did manage to do a challenge.

Barb is holding a breakfast challenge on her blog, Cook. Eat. Repeat? Basically, find a new recipe, make it, photograph it and blog about it. On Saturday night I headed to the grocery store with the following recipe in my hand:

French Toast Soufflé
10 cup (1-inch) cubed sturdy white bread
(such as Pepperidge Farm Hearty White, about 16 (1-ounce) slices)
Cooking spray
1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat-cream cheese, softened
8 large eggs
1 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
2/3 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
3/4 cup maple syrup

Place bread cubes in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Beat cream cheese at medium speed of mixer until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add milk, half-and-half, 1/2 cup maple syrup, and vanilla, and mix until smooth. Pour cream cheese mixture over top of bread; cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Remove bread mixture from refrigerator; let stand on counter for 30 minutes. Bake at 375° for 50 minutes or until set. Sprinkle the souffle with powdered sugar, and serve with maple syrup.

Cooking Light, APRIL 2000

I bought all the items I needed:

and a back up just in case of an emergency:

Despite the fire alarms going off (seriously) and me remembering that I really am not a huge fan of french toast, the recipe was very good. I served it with a side of ham and forgot that breakfast should have a beverage other than water.

Here's what the souffle looked like when plated up:
I did make a change to the recipe. I used regular cream cheese. It's what I had in the fridge and I wanted to use it up. If I changed anything about the recipe, I would either add cinnamon to the wet ingredients or I would make it with cinnamon bread. To me it needed just an oomph of something, but that seems to be just me as everyone else loved it as is.

Even Miss Scream.

BASB Challenge: Photo Mix Up

Hey everyone! It's my turn to host the BASB challenge. In summary, I am challenging you to make a creation using a mixture of color and black & white photo(s). You have the option on how many photos you include. If you are a superstar at editing and want to do one black & white with spot coloring, go for it. You put whatever spin on the challenge you wish. If you are interested in playing along, just leave a link to your layout in the comment area of the BASB blog. The prize will be a $15 gift certificate to Studio Calico. Deadline is midnight on October 14 and a winner will be drawn on October 15.

Other than that it is also self-challenge Friday. This weekend I will be focusing on depleting my stockpile of kits. It just happens that tomorrow is World Card Making Day and I am going to attempt to make a ton of cards while using up at least one kit. We'll see how that goes. I have to admit I never knew a day like this existed. The things I learn. LOL!. Check out Caardvarks for their day long festivities. I will be there off and on throughout the day for a bit of inspiration.

Here's hoping you have a very merry card making day.