Look what's happening on Hubbard Road!

Things are finally heating up over on Hubbard Road.  I've been having all kinds of crazy fun designing some new printables.  Don't miss out on these new posts!

Double the Fun in London!

Mail Carrier Appreciation

Taco Love

Hello Friends!

How have you been?

It's been a very long time as I am sure that you have noticed.  I had some life events that took me away from this blog of mine for several years.  BUT, I'm back and will start bringing you more of the goodies that you have come to expect.  I am making a few changes...BIG changes.  The biggest is that I am changing my venue.  I will now be blogging at Hubbard Road.  A fresh space and a fresh look will be a welcome change.  Many of the downloads on this blog have become corrupted over the years.  So I will be sprucing up and re-posting some of your favorites on Hubbard Road along with lots of new ideas.  I have also opened an Etsy shop and am offering many of my handmade items for you to purchase there.  Good news, right? I hope that you will stop in to see what I'm up to.  Please follow and like and pin and share your favorites with all of your friends!

See you soon on Hubbard Road!

S'more Grateful

 
So, we've been out of town enjoying our summer together as a family.  And my wonderful neighbor volunteered to take care of our yard for us while we were gone.  This is no task for the faint of heart.  I have a lot of flowers that need to be tended to and watered manually.  It's kind of a pain.  Not to mention the vegetable gardens and the grass.  I wanted to do something nice for her.  Something fun.  Something summery.

What says summer more than...s'mores?

Nothing.  That's what.  So I ran to the store.  All you need is a package of fudge graham crackers and a package of marshmallows.  I love making s'mores this way.  The chocolate is already built in!  Delicious!
Just wrap it up with a tag and a bow and you are good to go!

Thanks neighbor!  You're the best!

Introducing...Sister Minionaries!!

We couldn't have "Elder" minionaries without their sister counterparts, now could we?  The injustice of it all.  Sister Missionaries are wonderful and amazing.  I was actually one of them many many moons ago.  I apologize for neglecting my fellow sisters in the work.  But the wrongs have now been righted and it is time to get busy making some minionaries for all of your favorite sisters serving around the world.  I will admit that these are a little harder to make (mostly because you can't just draw spiky hair and be done).  And they take a little more colored ink (because ladies need color!).  But the process is still the same.  Thanks to my wonderful readers, I was able to find the Great Value version of a twinkie.  And hallelujah there are no words printed on the cellophane wrappers.  I can't vouch for the taste however.  I have yet to eat one.  I found them at my local WalMart.  But they were not in the Hostess aisle.  I found them in the bakery department.  Go figure.

Here's the drill just in case you haven't heard...
1.  Buy some "twinkies" or cloud cakes or the Great Value equivalent.
2.  Open the box.
3.  Print out this handy Sister Minionary Printable.  Cut along the lines.
4.  Tape the minion "clothes" around each Twinkie.  I like to use sticky dots
5.  Punch an "eyeball" or two out of a white address label or something similar.  I used a circular craft punch.  Remove the backing and stick it to the Twinkie.
6.  Use a black sharpie to outline the eyeball and make the goggles.
7.  Use your black sharpie to add a mouth and hair, etc.
8.  Mail these goodies off to the ones you love and miss!

**If you missed this male version of minionaries, click here.

[St Patrick's Day] Lucky No. 7

Is there a number luckier than seven?

How about when you add it to eleven?  I'm not talking eighteen.  I'm talking 7-eleven!  Nothing is luckier than that.  Especially when it involves Slurpees!

And a gift card.

My boy is in California.  He is a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  He is riding his bike in the California heat.  All day long.  This just might be the perfect way for him to stay cool this summer.   I'm thinking every high school and college student I know could put this to good use.  Cut two pieces of white card stock to measure 5 3/4 inches square.  Measure in 1 1/4 inches from one of the sides and fold.  Repeat with the other piece.  This little flap will eventually make the pocket for the gift card.  Click here for the "Lucky no. 7" printable.  Cut out the card front and glue it to one of the card stock pieces.  Line up the card stock so the flaps meet in the middle.  Glue carefully around the sides and the back of the flap.  Leave the front open.  That's where the gift card slides in!  I used some green patterned paper to embellish the pocket and the back of the card.  I wanted to leave the inside of my card white so I could write a little letter.  But whatever tickles your fancy.  Go crazy if you want.  Have fun.

Write a sentiment or two.  Send your love.  Then slip the gift card into the pocket.  Slide the card into an envelope and send that fun-mail on it's way!

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Root Beer Float Gift Tags

 
It's the month to be lucky!

I was lucky enough to find this idea on Pinterest yesterday by Making Life Whimsical.

Unfortunately the link on Pinterest led to nowhere productive.  That's unlucky.
(If you know where to find the true source, please leave me a comment.)

Luckily I had some time today to alter this very clever idea.

I needed a quick and inexpensive birthday gift for some friends that are lucky to be born in March.


Now you are lucky too!

Just click on the link and you can print your own Root Beer Float Birthday Tags.  Attach the tags and a straw with some ribbon to a bottle of IBC Root Beer.

So Lucky!

Red Velvet Valentine

So I sent my daughter off to school today with a backpack stuffed with Valentines and her hands full of a Perry the Platypus Box that she had made herself out of a shoe box and some construction paper.  And I was thinking...why should the kids have all the fun?

I decided that my Mom friends needed to have a little fun on Valentine's day too.  Most moms will agree that lunch time at home with the little kiddos just isn't that great.  You get a little tired of PBJ and mac and cheese.  Know what I mean?  I knew just the thing to bring a little smile this Valentine's Day.  Dessert.  Nothing major.  Something light.  Something just for them that they could hide in the pantry and eat.  All alone.  You know...just something to bring a little pizzazz to their hotdogs and chips. 

A Red Velvet Valentine.

Here's the scoop:

Whip up a batch of red velvet cupcakes.  While those are baking and cooling you need to do a couple more things.  First up...make some frosting.  I wanted mine to be light and fluffy not super sweet.  I mixed a package of cream cheese with a cup and a half of powdered sugar.  Mix well.  Fold in a container of Cool Whip.  Then spoon it into a frosting bag with a large star tip.  Place in the refrigerator until you are ready to use.  Now move onto the strawberries.  Rinse them well and give them a rough chop.  That's it.  You're ready to assemble your little jars of heaven.

Cut your cupcake in half.  Place the bottom half in a small half pint mason jar.  Swirl some frosting on top.  Spoon some strawberries on top of that.  Add another smaller swirl of frosting.  Place the rest of the cupcake into the jar.  Add one more swirl of frosting and you are almost done.  At this point you could dress it up with some sprinkles.  But if you really want to be the hero...add a chocolate covered strawberry.

We mustn't forget the presentation.  Valentine's Day is all about the presentation.  The sky is the limit here.  I didn't necessarily need to put a lid on my jars.  But they would be super cute with a red or white or pink topper of some kind.  I decided to just wrap some red baker's twine around the jar a few times and attach a spoon.  I figured, who wants to mess with a lid when they can just dig right in.  Right?

There you have it.  A little jar full of love.  For your Mommy friends.