Deep Fried

I had ONE mission while at the Kansas State Fair. While my kids were on the hunt for which ride to go on next, I was looking for that ONE thing!! Food booth after food booth...sign after sign...and then there she was amongst the fried peaches, fried green beans, fried mushrooms, and fried cheese...

Do you see what I see!!!?? On the top it reads, "Deep Fried Candy Bars". On the front window, just so I wouldn't miss it, "Deep Fried SNICKERS!!" I was giddy with anticipation!!

Every bite was heavenly!! Truly.

What should I be on the lookout for next year!!? What is your favorite thing to eat at the fair?

Friday Feature - Kettle Creek

McPherson is lucky to have several really great places to get coffee. One of my favorites is Kettle Creek Coffee House. The owner, Joan, is super sweet and her newest employee, Sarah, is one of my closest friends! If you stop in, make sure you tell them Maple Memories sent you!!

Kettle Creek has a great selection of coffees and other specialty drinks, as well as wonderful food items. I recently had a "Minty Mountain" which is espresso, gourmet chocolate, chocolate mint & peppermint with whipped cream on top...it was heavenly!! Oh, and the Breakfast Burritos are super yummy too! They have a Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner Menu including (but not limited to) pastries, muffins, burritos, chicken/ham/tuna salad, soups, and sloppy joe's. Call in orders are welcome. I believe they have delivery available on orders over $20 from 11am-1pm.

It's a cozy atmosphere, complete with games on a shelf for you to play with friends. They even have live entertainment and open mic night for those of you that want to give it all you've got!! Relaxing and friendly, this is a MUST when you come to McPherson!

HA!! That sign just cracks me up!!!! Unless those children are going home with me...then not so funny! ;) Here's my yummy burrito...mmmmm...I'm suddenly hungry.

Kettle Creek Coffee House

1358 North Main St

McPherson, KS 67460

(620)755-1424

Business Hours:

Monday - Saturday: 7am - 7pm

Open till 9pm on Music Nights (check here for schedule)

CLOSED SUNDAY

You can check them out on Facebook as well.

WINNERS ANNOUNCED!!!

If you are a winner, please contact me at shannon@maplememories.com to claim your prize!!! CONGRATULATIONS TO EACH OF YOU!! All winners were randomly selected by random.org.

Giveaway #1: 1/2 price weekend at Maple Memories...Rachel J. who commented, "I would hang out with amazing women - eat amazing food - and watch them be productive crafting. And I just might get a few scrapbook pages done while I'm at it."

Giveaway #2: Spooky Banner by Sugar Britches...Amy E. who commented, "I like you and always liked you on FB!"

Giveaway #3: Birthday Shirt by me...Patti V. who commented, "I'm a blog follower."

Giveaway #4: I Spy Bag from The Purse Place...Brandie L. who commented, "I LIKE you on FB and I LOVE spending the weekend there!! I look forward to spending time with my girlfriends and accomplishing so much while we're there. Can't wait to come back!!!"

Giveaway #5: $50 GC to Lori Pauls Photography...Alesia S. who commented, "I'm now a blog follower - you're my first. ;) I facebooked about your giveaway. I already "like" you! I would love to get some work done on all 3 of my kids' scrapbooks if I stayed for a weekend at Maple Memories. Hope I'm a winner - the giveaways are awesome!"

Giveaway #6: 8 x 10 frame from Stephanie...Tammy who commented, "I visited your place for the first time this year in April. We were a group of scrapbookers and quilters. Absolutely lovely place. I was able to relax, enjoy myself, and gets tons of scrapbook pages done. I can't wait to go back."

Family on Burlap

***LAST CHANCE...OUR GIVEAWAY ENDS AT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT!***

I found this family tree wall over at For the Love of it awhile ago. I love it. I have always liked the old black and white photos of my family. Like this one of my Grandpa and Grandma taken in the 1940's.

So, when I found this frame at a local garage sale, I knew it would be perfect with burlap in it!!


I wanted to use the word "FAMILY" like Arlene did on her wall. If I find another cool frame, I will probably do "HERITAGE" also. Step 1 was to find a font and size that would fit in my frame. Step 2 was to print it out and then tape in the window. I had to print on a few sheets due to the size of my letters. I then cut them and taped them together on the window.

Step 3: Tape burlap to the window, making sure the letters shine through. I cut my burlap LARGER than my frame so I would have enough left to wrap around the back when it was time to frame it.

Step 4: Grab your sharpie and start tracing. Remove from the window. It should look like this... (Sorry, I can't seem to get my picture turned around today!!)

Arlene used paint to color in her letters. That was my plan too, but the Sharpie was working so well and I liked the color, so I kept coloring with the marker. It was a lot less messy!

There she is!! My glass broke when I was framing it...OOPS!! However, I kind of like that you can actually see and feel the burlap. Now, I just need to get it hung on the wall and surround it with my FAMILY!

Linking up to:

1. Look What I Made on Creations by Kara

Fruit Flies - GROSS

My bananas that were waiting to be made into banana bread waited a little too long...and then there were fruit flies. Overnight. They appeared overnight and I swear those little bugs multiply as they are flying!! If you've ever had them (I really hope I'm not the only one), you know what I am talking about! Here's a great tip for getting rid of them...and quickly.

You will need DISH SOAP and APPLE CIDER VINEGAR. Not white vinegar, APPLE CIDER VINEGAR. If you're wondering what else you would ever use apple cider vinegar for, I have a great recipe to share! Not in this post...something about telling you how to get rid of fruit flies and sharing a recipe in the same post just doesn't seem right.

First, throw out whatever fruit is attracting the flies and remove it from your house. YES, all the way OUTSIDE. Then, put about 3/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar into a small bowl. Add a few drops of dish soap. Now, find a spot near where the flies are swarming to set the bowl and leave overnight.

This is what you should find in the morning. All those little brown spots are fruit flies. I know, GROSS!! But, it works. Really works. All you do know is dump it and bye-bye flies!! Oh,

and I would suggest lighting a candle or something for a bit afterwards. Apple Cider Vinegar leaves a STRONG smell after being left out all night!

Are you wondering why this works? I did. Yes, I actually took the time to google it for you lovely people. Here's what I found. "Fruit flies are attracted to the smell of the vinegar and will attempt to land on its surface. However, they're in for a surprise - since the dish soap breaks the surface tension of the vinegar, the flies fall in and drown." Nice.

Front Porch Inspiration

I spent part of my day looking for inspiration for our front porch. It's got so much potential, but it's plain. As plain as it was the day that we moved in...3 years ago. It's time for a more welcoming look.

Since Fall is just around the corner, I thought I would go that route. Here are a couple that I found.

I found this one by Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick. I love how it's simple, traditional, and welcoming. Mums will be on my list of things to add to my porch this Fall!

And this one by Barb at Grits and Glamour. Oh my goodness!!! Can't you just picture yourself sitting in one of those comfy chairs, chatting with your spouse, on a crisp Fall morning...apple cider in your hand!?? Ok...furniture has been added to my list as well!! I'm loving the painted doors, but I don't know if I can bring myself to do it yet. I really do love my wood doors. Alright, here it is...my PLAIN, boring porch in DESPERATE need of a makeover.

I told you it has potential. It just needs a little sprucing up. There is plenty of room on both sides for furniture. It's protected from the elements (with the exception of the Kansas wind that can find it's way ANYWHERE!!). It needs some color. I want it to be inviting. Something that brings a SMILE to your face when you drive by. Any ideas!?

So, today I began the transformation. One small word that says alot.

"WELCOME"

If you haven't already, be sure to enter our giveaway!! The deadline is Wed, Sept 22nd and the winners will be announced on Thurs, Sept 23rd. Spread the word...prizes can be shipped to those of you in far off places!!! :)

Feet Painting

CARDBOARD + PAINT + HANDS + FEET = SO MUCH FUN!

And yes, it's absolutely worth the clean up!! Just look at that smile!

GIVEAWAY DAY IS HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!

IT'S GIVEAWAY DAY AT MAPLE MEMORIES!!!! I can't wait to tell you all about it!!!

GIVEAWAY #1: A 1/2 price weekend at Maple Memories for you and your friends!!! The winner picks from any available weekend in 2011. This is the perfect chance to get together and scrapbook or quilt or just craft to your hearts content. We have people from all over the country fly in and stay...KANSAS is about as CENTRAL as you can get. So, think about those crafty bloggers that you've been wanting to get together with and just picture how much fun would be had by all!!!! Maple Memories has room for 12. 12 craft tables, 12 beds, 12 spots at the dining room tables...you get the picture!! Visit our website for more information about Maple Memories Craft House.

GIVEAWAY #2: This adorable "SPOOKY" Banner from Summer at Sugar Britches. This banner is approx 3 ft long and about 12" tall. The banner is made with Halloween patterned paper and backed with chipboard for extra sturdiness. Check out Sugar Britches for more banners...she even customizes!! I have both a Thanksgiving and Halloween Banner that I hang from my fireplace during the holidays!! She does amazing work, with such detail!


GIVEAWAY #3: A birthday shirt made by me!! You pick the number and shirt size, and I'll make the shirt!! My etsy shop will be stocked soon, so be sure to check it out!


GIVEAWAY #4: Stefanie at The Purse Place wants to give the boy or girl in your life one of these fun I SPY bags. This 7" bag features approx 30 items hidden in white rice for your little ones to find. Perfect for traveling or church!! The Purse Place also carries hair accessories, rings, and purses!

GIVEAWAY #5: Lori Pauls Photography is giving away a $50 Gift Certificate to one lucky winner!!! This can be used towards a session fee or any order. Lori is just starting up her photography business and is located in Hutchinson, KS.

GIVEAWAY #6: Stephanie is giving away this 8x10 frame with 2 changeable inserts...Thanksgiving and Christmas. Visit Stephanie's blog for more of her fun creations. She describes her stuff as "refurbished riff raff"!!! It's amazing what she can turn things into.

I'll give you lots of ways to enter!!! Make sure you leave a comment for each entry!!

1. Become a follower of Maple Memories blog. (1 entry...leave a comment saying "I'm a blog follower.")

2. Blog or FB about our Giveaway, making sure to link back to our blog. (1 entry...leave a comment saying "I blogged/FB'd about your giveaway.")

3. Join our FB like page. (1 entry...leave a comment saying "I like you on FB."

4. Blog about your stay at Maple Memories. (3 entries...leave a comment with the link to your post.)

5. Leave a comment telling me what YOU would do during a weekend at Maple Memories!

All entries must be in by midnight on Wed, Sept 22nd. Winners will be picked by random on Thursday, Sept 23rd (hey, that's my birthday!!).

Tomorrow's the BIG DAY!!

Tomorrow is the day for our GIVEAWAY!!! I can't tell you how excited I am about these prizes!!

If you want a jump start on ONE of the entries, blog about your stay at Maple Memories!! Here are a few that we've found...

1. http://crazymaizeworld.blogspot.com/2010/06/my-scrapbooking-weekend-away.html

2. http://themcclenahans.blogspot.com/2009/12/craft-retreat.html

3. http://thebalzerfamily.blogspot.com/2009/12/friends-and-crafts.html

Yes, there will be other ways to enter, but this will give you "BONUS" entries!! ;)

October 8-10...NOW AVAILABLE

The weekend of Oct 8-10, 2010 is NOW AVAILABLE!!! It's the only "non-holiday" Fall weekend still available!! Give us a call (620-480-1357) or email us (shannon@maplememories.com) to make this weekend YOUR fall getaway!!!

On another note, we are going to be having a GIVEAWAY on our blog sometime next week!! Some wonderful ladies have donated some great prizes from their businesses and Etsy shops. I can't wait to share them with you! If you have a product that you would like to showcase, please contact me by this weekend, as we would love to include you!!!! Maple Memories will also be giving away something BIG...I can't wait!!!

Organizing with baby food jars

My girls' hair stuff was driving me NUTS!!! I found ponies and headbands all over the house and had finally had ENOUGH!! So, I put out a request to friends with little ones for some baby food jars (Thanks, Michelle)!!!

I started by spray painting the lids with Chalkboard Paint. It took two coats and about 24 hours of drying time in the garage.

Then, I put my girls to work gathering every hair accessory they could find!! They sorted them by color and put them in the jars while we were waiting for the paint to dry.

Lids put on...



Used some chalk to label the tops...



Turned out pretty cute, don't you think!!!??? Quick, easy, and budget friendly. Think of all the possibilities with jars, lids, and chalkboard paint. Marbles, rock collections, crafting supplies...you name it!!!

Linking up to:

1. Look What I Made at Creations by Kara

2. Show and Share Day at Just a Girl

Short and Sweet

Problem: "Picky Eater" won't eat his cooked carrots.
Solution: Squirt a little bit of syrup in and stir. Problem solved. He ate every little carrot. :)

I used the Sugar Free variety...does that count as healthy!!??