Indian Corn Napkin Holders

Now, you may not believe this–but today is National Button Day. No, I swear. It is. You can Google it.

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So, in honor of this fabulous, unforgettable holiday I present to you this sweet napkin holder. Doesn’t it just look like a cob of Indian corn? It was actually really fun to make by myself, but it would be a wonderful project for the kids too. So if you find yourself up to your neck in pie dough and you need to keep your sweeties occupied, this could very well be just the activity you are looking for.

All you need is a bag of craft sticks–like popsicle sticks, paper tubes, random corn colored buttons and craft clue.

You simply put a stripe of glue on the stick…

and glue the buttons on—in any order that suites you. You can use red, brown, yellow, black, white, cream and orange.

I even used dark blue and purple ones here and there.

While the button sticks are drying–if you want to–you can paint the tube yellow or orange. It’s fine left the way it is–but I wondered if it would look better painted, so I gave mine a coat of orange acrylic.

Once you’ve glued the buttons to the sticks–then glue the sticks to the paper tubes.

Once they are dry and set–they are ready to pretty-up your Thanksgiving table.

And a very happy National Button Day–to you!

Thankful Children

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How wonderful it would be if we could help our children and grandchildren to learn thanksgiving at an early age. Thanksgiving opens the doors. It changes a child’s personality. A child is resentful, negative—or thankful. Thankful children want to give, they radiate happiness, they draw people.

— Sir John Templeton

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Happy Birthday Mom…

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes…

…with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting. The kind that makes your eyes roll back in your head because you think you’ve expired and gone to Heaven.

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I tried to resist. I did.

I tried to make something–anything–without pumpkin…

but it was to no avail. It’s just so dang fabulous.

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When you taste these, I promise, you’ll forgive me. The original recipe can be found at  Taste of Home.

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Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened
2-1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup buttermilk
FROSTING:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

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Directions

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add pumpkin. Combine the flour, pie spice, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and ginger; add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.

Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and cinnamon; beat until smooth. Frost cupcakes. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 2 dozen heavenly cupcakes.

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Y.U.M.

 

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes...
 
: 24
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup butter, softened
  • 2-1/2 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
  • 2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 cup buttermilk
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  3. Add pumpkin.
  4. Combine the flour, pie spice, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and ginger; add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.
  5. Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full.
  6. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
  7. Frost cupcakes.
Notes
FROSTING: 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened ½ cup butter, softened 4 cups confectioners' sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and cinnamon; beat until smooth.

 

 

Holiday Aprons

Around here–if it’s going to be rainy and cold outside there aren’t really a ton of choices. You either cook…

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or sew. Looking at my pretty little fabric stash–sewing won, hands down.

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I did a bit of exploring online and found some really pretty apron patterns–for free. And since it is the season for playing around in the kitchen it seemed like the perfect thing–Thanksgiving aprons. Ahhhh….

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I chose the “Child’s Apron” pattern from Skip To My Lou first thing. It was just simple and girly enough to suit the mood.

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Seriously, it took about an hour and a half from rummaging through the fabric to actual Apron.

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The trick–for me, any way–is to keep an iron set up and handy as I sew. It comes together much more quickly and there are fewer hitches.

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Now, to find a pretty little lady who wants to help me in the kitchen.

I have a surprise for them…

Indian Corn Thingy

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Many moons ago…

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…those three little crack pots on the right (Daney boy, cousin Tim and the Bald kid) were truly, madly deeply in love with Cub Scouts and…Pony Beads.

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Every time I turned around, someone had left another Pony Bead Gekko in some unsuspected place as a surprise gift from the little boy heart. Seriously, I could have made a skirt—a very heavy, beaded gecko skirt, but you get my point.

glitter pony beads

Well, the other day, while the Bald Kid and I were cleaning closets and sorting boxes we came across the coveted “Box O Beads.”

I said, “Hey. You should make me a Pony Bead Gecko–for old time’s sake.”

He said, “I don’t think so.”

So I snagged those beads and messed with them for a while. They were surprisingly fun to play with.

Look what happened…

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I call it the “Indian Corn Pony Bead Thing.” I was going to put a pin on the back and wear it around but I was afraid people would ask me if I was supporting some kind of “save the corn” cause. Plus it made me feel old…er. So I’ve decided to put a cord on it and hang it from my car mirror.

It’s cute. It’s easy to make. It’s Thanksgiving-y.

And just think…if I get really good at these–I can make you a skirt!

BAhahaha!