IT'S A GIVEAWAY!!!

Who doesn't love a good giveaway!? We are giving away a $100 Gift Certificate to Maple Memories. You can apply it to any group reservation...weekend, week, day...whatever you choose. ALL you have to do to be entered in the drawing is leave a comment with the answer to ONE of the following questions (feel free to answer more if you wish).

1. If you've been to Maple Memories, what is your FAVORITE thing about being there?

2. Why do you NEED a weekend away with your girlfriends doing your "thing"?

3. Who is your favorite scrapbooking/quilting/beading "buddy"? The one that you just can't go away without out. How long have you been friends and what is it about her that you love the most!?

4. Add a link to our post AND/OR our website http://www.maplememories.com/. Make sure you leave a comment with the link.

A random drawing will be done in order to pick a winner. You MUST answer one of the questions to qualify. The winner will be drawn on Sunday, May 31st and announced shortly after. GOOD LUCK!!!

Quilts of Valor

Maple Memories is supporting Quilts of Valor by becoming a collection spot for them. For those of you that may not have heard of QOV, it's a foundation with the mission to cover ALL war wounded and injured service members and veterans from the War on Terror, whether physical or psychological wounds, with Wartime Quilts called Quilts of Valor (QOVs). There is also a Kansas Chapter that has set out to provide a means to get more people involved in making QOVs in Kansas and to cover all wounded Kansans with a QOV. We would like to support this effort by letting you know what you can leave in the donation basket at Maple Memories. Once an item is left in the basket, we will take care of getting it to the Kansas Chapter. For more detailed information, monetary donations (please DO NOT leave monetary donations at Maple Memories), or to find out how else you can get involved, please visit the QOV website.


1. Material Donations - Donation of high quality fabric, batting, quilt blocks, backing material or even an entire quilt top (minimum size 50 x 60, maximum size 72 x 96). They are in great need of YARDAGE and BACKING MATERIAL.


2. Handmade Card Donations - When a Quilt of Valor is delivered to a soldier or his/her family, the group likes to make sure that a card is sent along with it. Below you will find a few examples of what they have given out in the past. Just think of how many cards we could collect if each person staying at Maple Memories took a few minutes to make one or two!

If you are interested in joing the local QOV group (known as Kansas Bee), they meet once a month in Wichita to work together to complete the quilt and get it to it's new owner. For more information on joining this group, contact the Regional Coordinator, Katy Vickers at katy@qov.org or 316-773-2945.

Friday Feature - Lakeside Park

Lakeside Park is one of my favorite places in McPherson. It has the most beautiful scenery! There is a really neat bridge that goes over the lake and leads to a fountain. If you're lucky, you might get to witness a wedding taking place here.

Lakeside Park has walking paths and a frisbee golf course for those that want to get outside and enjoy some fresh air while they exercise.

Something new and exciting is happening at Lakeside Park!! The McPherson CVB has decided to have free movies this Summer at the bandshell. Grab a blanket or lawn chair and come out for the evening! Concessions will be available. For more information on movies and showtimes, contact the McPherson CVB. While you're waiting for the movie to start, you can have dinner on one of the many picnic tables and then feed your crumbs to the ducks! There's also a large playground for the kids.

There are so many beautiful things all around Lakeside, so be sure to grab your camera...

and capture those precious memories!!!

GRADUATION LAYOUTS

It's hard to believe that it's already the middle of May and Graduations are just weeks or days away. Preschool Graduations...Elementary School Graduations...Middle School Graduations...High School Graduations...College Graduations...it's such a wonderful and exciting time for students and their families!!! CONGRATULATIONS to all of you!!! Here are a couple of layouts to inspire you when you are scrapbooking all of these special memories.

In a CLASS of Her Own
by Micupoftea
Scrapbook.com

Friends
by -Robbie-
Scrapbook.com

Maple Memories Gift Certificates make great gifts!! Get one for the graduate on your list (or for the Mom that needs some rest after it's all over)!!!

Tina Spain from Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Wichita, KS asked if I would post the following information for our blog readers. They are searching for crafters for their Annual Craft Fair, so if you've been thinking about selling your "goods" give Tina a call and she will get you all set! If you don't have anything to sell, mark your calendar for Oct 3rd (this date has changed from the original Oct 17th date) in order to do a little shopping!

Craft Fair Exhibitors Needed
Lord of Life Lutheran Church is hosting our
Craft Fair & Fall Festival
October 3rd (9am-2pm)
( 11215 W 13th St N)

Indoor Booth Space is limited
(Booth dimensions vary, 8x8, 6x10, 8x10, 8x7 center, 14x2 ½ : $25 each)
(One 6ft x 2 ½ ft table and 2 chairs provided, you may add your own tables as space allows)

Outdoor Booth space is unlimited
(Outdoor booth 10’x10’ for $25 or 10’x20’ for $30 or 10’x30’ for $40)
(You provide your own table/chairs/tent as needed)
(Returning vendor cost = $15/booth indoors or outdoors)

All Hand-Made Crafts are welcome:
Quilting, Woodworking, Metal/Iron Working,
Stone work/sculptures, Pottery, Painting, Embroidery,
Sewing, Knitting, Crocheting, Scrap-booking, etc.

Also welcome Personal/Unique Services:
Wedding planner, Personal Organizer, Cake Decorator,
Floral design (fresh/silk), etc.
(Individuals/groups trying to start a new service/business)

The church will also be hosting its Fall Festival during the fair. This will provide games and fall crafts (pumpkin painting & scarecrow stuffing) for the kids as well as a concession stand with an
Oktoberfest style menu. Possible live music too!

Anyone wanting to display and sell their crafts
or services should call today.
Please contact Tina Spain for more information.
Reserve your booth today!
tmsveldt@swbell.net
316-204-3448

Fun Dinner Idea

I was trying to decide what to make for dinner one night and opened the fridge to see what I could come up with. I was in a hurry...was thinking leftovers, but there wasn't enough to go around. I seemed to have a little of this and a little of that and I had THREE kids to feed! So, here's what I did for each of them...




All you need are some cupcake papers and a little bit of this and a little bit of that! FUN!!!!

First Friday Feature

...posted on a Tuesday!! I have had the idea of doing a local "Friday Feature" for awhile now, but Fridays seem to come and go without me posting. We have so many wonderful ladies that enjoy "crafting" at Maple Memories, but they also like to get out and see what there is around town. I thought I would use the blog as a place to showcase some of the places, people, and activities that we love here in McPherson. So, here it goes. Our first "Friday Feature" on a TUESDAY! Keep coming back on FRIDAYS (or maybe Tuesdays or even possibly Wednesdays!??) to find out what else there is to do around town.

MILAN

106 East Elizabeth Street

McPherson, KS

When you arrive at Milan's, you are greeted by a large chalkboard with the nightly specials located next to a beautiful entryway. Milan's has a limited menu of nightly specials, variety of cheeses, antipasta, fruit & fondue, wines, beer & spirits. The night that I went with friends, I choose the shrimp platter and it was delicious!! Others in my group ordered a specialty salad or the open face steak sandwich. Both were equally impressive. The staff is friendly and efficient.

Milan's has limited hours of 5:30pm - 9pm and are open Tuesday - Friday. A wonderful article was written in the McPherson Sentinel by a patron...I would encourage you to read it for a more personal account of his experience at Milan's. There is limited seating inside, however it is attached to The Courtyard on Main restaurant (one of my favorites and soon-to-be Friday Feature!) so they will seat you in it as overflow. Below you will find a couple more pictures of the beautifully decorated interior. If you've been, feel free to leave reviews by commenting on this post.

REPURPOSING

I have been hearing a lot about "repurposing" lately and thought I'd give it a try! For those of you that DON'T know what that means, it's simply taking an object and using it for something other than its original use. I have had this wood bulletin board since I got married 11 years ago...it has been hanging on the wall, not being used. It didn't really go with our decor anymore and I didn't really have a "purpose" for it. HOWEVER, I decided it was a great piece for my first "repurposing" project. Keep reading to find out what the final outcome was!

Most "repurposing" projects seem to involve some type of paint. I started off with a little black spray paint...it need 2 coats.

I then spray painted the brass hardware (hooks) with a nice shiny silver. I found some clothes pins and spray painted them silver as well. I know the suspence is killing you, isn't it!!??

I took some E6000 adhesive to glue the clothes pins to the old corkboard/bulletin board part. Then found some fun glittery chipboard letters and stuck them on above the pins. This is my new handy dandy "lost socks" holder hanging up in my laundry room!! FUN, isn't it!!??

I think I'm addicted!! Garage Sales and Thrift Stores, here I come!!