Not necessarily "beating the heat"...

but definitely taking advantage of it!  You know those crayons you make by putting broken crayons in muffin trays and then baking them in the oven!!??? Well...we're "baking" them outside today!

What are you doing to "beat the heat" this Summer!?

A new twist on sidewalk chalk

My girls came to me one day asking if they could draw on the concrete walls of our window wells...now why didn't I think of that!!??? Fun activity and an improved view out the window!!

Vintage Headbands

My Aunt gave these headbands to my girls for Christmas...made from their Great Grandmother's buttons.  There were all different colors, each one unique in design.  It has to be one of my all time favorite handmade gifts.  So thoughtful and special.

Cherry Dessert or Salad

This is a recipe that I got from my Grandma. I always loved it when it was on the holiday dinner menu!  My family serves it as a "topping" for angel food cake, but it can be eaten by itself as well (great Summer salad)!

Cherry Dessert (Topping)

Ingredients:

1 large carton cool whip

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 can (1lb, 4oz) crushed pineapple - drained

1 can cherry pie filling

Mix it all together in a large bowl and refrigerate (yep...that's it!).  It will keep for several days.  Can add nuts if you would like.  Serve with angel food cake or as a salad.

What is one of YOUR favorite family recipes?

Circus Themed Birthday Party

We got to celebrate the 1st birthday of a very special one year old this weekend!!  I thought the Circus Themed table my friend created was adorable...

There were pictures showing on the computer screen behind the table. It was a fun way to show off his first year!

Animal Crackers and Popcorn!  That just SCREAMS circus and they were displayed so cheerfully!

Peanuts and Rainbow Cotton Candy!  I haven't had these candy peanuts in YEARS.  Have you ever had them?  Orange, soft...my kids thought they taste like bubble gum.  What do you think?

She also has a chalkboard door in her house where she drew this....

So fun and cute!  Time for me to start planning a party for my "little" one!  Do you think I can convince my soon-to-be 11 year old to have a circus theme!!?? 

Pinterest Party!

Have you heard of a Pinterest Party!!?? I think it is a FABULOUS idea and that Maple Memories would be the perfect place for one! ;) If you are just hearing about this, here is what happens:
Everyone who is invited will bring either of these or both:
1. Bring all of the supplies that you will need to create a project/DIY that you have "pinned" on Pinterest.
2. Make a food or drink from a Pinterest recipe that you have pinned (it can be an appetizer, meal, dessert, snack, drink, whatever).

Doesn't that sound fun!?? You can plan your whole stay at Maple Memories around it or maybe just a take a "pinterest time out" from your quilting/scrapbooking! I think I will be getting my friends together for one soon! So fun!

Scor-Pal

So simple, yet ingenious!  Have you ever set out to make a handmade card, only to discover that folding it straight was the hardest part!!??  Well, I recently came across a tool that helps with just that...plus you can do so many more cool things.  (Stay with me and I'll show you!)  It's called a Scor-Pal and it looks like this...

The designer of Scor-Pal, Diana, was kind enough to send one for us to keep at Maple Memories.  YEAH!!  Now, when you come, you can try it out as well!!  Thanks, Diana!!!  Scor-Pal® creates accurate and precise scores giving you professional looking folds, no more crooked cards. Multiple scores are done in seconds without moving the paper. Perfect for accordion folds, boxes, fancy fold cards and other interesting projects! 

There are so many fun things that you can make with this thing...like these adorable little boxes.  You can find the step-by-step tutorial here.

This coffee cup box is just too cute!  What a great gift to give to a friend.

You can use it to score paper for cards, boxes, mini albums, or wherever you need a straight line! 

This little album was made using several scores with Scor-Pal.  Their blog is full of great projects and tutorials for you, so head on over and check it out!

Scor-Pal has other great products as well.  Including Scor-Tape, a double-sided adhesive that is available in many different widths...perfect for card and box making!  Oh, and did I mention that they also sent us a Scor-Pal!!???  It's a smaller version of the Scor-Pal...great for taking with you to your favorite crop or retreat house when your space is limited!  ;)  There's more, so head on over to the store, blog, and/or Facebook to check it all out.  Be sure to let them know that Maple Memories sent you!!  Happy Scoring!