Plant a Fairy Garden

The little fairies will love living in your garden amongst this delightful collection of enchanted miniature garden homes. Tuck them between the plants and flowers and bring a little magic to your garden

These highly detailed Miniature Fairy Garden Solar Flower Pot Homes feature wonderful details, including windows, doors, flowers and ladybugs. It's the perfect way to start your first or complement your existing miniature garden. Your garden fairies will love it! 

See the collection @ Plow & Hearth.com

Colorful Spring Wedding Ideas

Festive and Fun Spring Wedding Ideas 

Envelope Bunnies

Make these adorable pocket bunnies and fill with assorted goodies

What you need:

Envelopes

• Pink construction paper
•  Glue

• Colored pencil

• Pom-poms

• Bunny ear template
  
  

  STEPS 

  1. Seal the flap of an envelope, and draw bunny ears on the sealed side, as shown below. You can draw your own or use our bunny ear template.
  2. Cut along the line through both layers of the envelope.
  3. Flip the envelope over; what was the side of the envelope becomes the bottom of your treat holder.
  4. Cut pink construction paper to make eyes and insides of ears, and glue them on the front of the envelope. Use colored pencil for mouth; glue on a pom-pom nose. Fill with yummy Easter sweets.
     
     
     Source: marthastewart.com

Mother's Day Gift Idea

Mother's Day is approaching. This craft idea is great for young or old recipients

Strawberry Cake

Pretty in Pink. This strawberry cake looks to pretty to eat

Food Coloring Flowers

Use a box of food coloring to add playful punch to an array of bud vases.

Fill assorted vases or recycled jars and bottles with water tinted to match a variety of flowers.

Pretzel Birds Nest

Here's a fun way to display lovely Easter cookies. Make this festive nest out of pretzels and chocolate 

Ingredients:
1 package 2-layer-size chocolate cake mix
1 18 ounce roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1/2 cup milk
7 cups powdered sugar
Desired color pastel food coloring
1 16 ounce can chocolate frosting
5 cups pretzel sticks
Chick-shaped marshmallow candy

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2, 1-1/2-quart heatproof glass mixing bowls or round casserole dishes; set aside. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Divide batter between prepared bowls. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center of each comes out clean. Cool in bowls on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from bowls. Cool completely.
Roll out cookie dough according to package directions. Cut dough with 2-1/2- to 3-inch egg-shaped cookie cutters. If desired, make diagonal cuts across some cookies so they look "hatched". Bake and cool according to package directions.

Place 1/2 cup milk in a large bowl; gradually stir in powdered sugar. If necessary, stir in additional milk until icing is a thick drizzling consistency. Remove 1/2 cup of the icing and divide between two small bowls. Tint all icing batches to desired color using food coloring. Remove 1/2 cup icing from the larger batch of icing to a small bowl; set aside. Add additional milk (1 to 2 tablespoons) to the remaining larger batch to make a thin drizzling consistency. Keep bowls covered with plastic wrap when not using.

see complete directions @BHG

Frozen Mint Ice Cream Dessert

This festive no bake dessert is perfect for any celebration

Spring Vases

Paint vases with white chalkboard paint. Attach printed letters and fill the vases with spring blooms 

Irish Centerpiece

This unique centerpiece will bring delight to your guests this ST. Patrick's Day

What you need:

18-22-gauge floral wires

Brown floral tape

About 42 new potatoes 1 inches to 2 inches in diameter

Sphagnum moss or sheet moss

Wicker or open-weave basket about 9 inches in diameter and 3 inches deep

8-inches-diameter plastic saucer to fit inside basket

Floral foam for fresh flowers

Pan-melt hotmelt adhesive

10 bells-of-Ireland

36 daisies

 1. Wrap the floral wires with brown floral tape, and cut each wire in half. Wrap a piece of wire around the middle of each of 36 potatoes, twisting the wire to secure it.

2. Soak the moss to fluff it, and blot it dry. Cover the outside of the basket with moss, and hold it in place with the potatoes. To attach the potatoes, push the wire ends through the wicker, twist them once or twice inside the basket, and flatten the ends against the basket. Work in rows around the basket from the bottom to the top.

3. Glue the floral foam into the plastic saucer, then soak the foam. Place the plastic saucer inside the wicker basket.

4. Fill in around the floral foam with additional moss, then insert the bells-of-Ireland to define the shape of the arrangement. Position the tallest stem in the center of the floral foam. Cut the remaining stems 2 inches to 3 inches shorter, and angle them toward the front, back, and sides of the arrangement as shown in the step 4 photo.

5. Cut the daisy stems to varying lengths. Insert them along the bells-of-Ireland. Rest the remaining potatoes on the moss around the top of the container.

source: BHG

6 Savory and Sweet Dip Recipes

Impress your guests with these delicious and easy dips, perfect for any festive gathering. 

Pinecone Spinach Cheese Spread  

1 pkg. (8 oz.) brick cream cheese, softened

1 pkg. (7 oz.) shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp. canned chopped green chiles

1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

 Crackers   

PROCESS  first 3 ingredients in food processor until well blended. Stir in chiles.

SHAPE  into 4-inch oval on sheet of waxed paper to resemble pinecone. Insert nuts in rows to completely cover cream cheese mixture. Transfer to serving plate.

REFRIGERATE  2 hours. Remove from refrigerator 15 min. before serving. Let stand at room temperature to crackersSource: Snackworks

Sweet 'N Hot Cheese Spread

1 pkg. (8 oz.) brick cream cheese, softened

3 Tbsp. apricot jam

1/8 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)

1/4 cup slivered almonds

SPREAD  cream cheese onto bottom of microwaveable 9-inch pie plate.

TOP  with jam, pepper and nuts.

MICROWAVE  on HIGH 1 min. or until heated through. Serve with crackers.source:snackworks          

     

Baked Pepperoni Pizza Spread

1 pkg. (8 oz.) brick cream cheese, softened

1 pkg. (8 oz.) shredded low-moisture part-skim Mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup finely chopped pepperoni

1/4 cup finely chopped green peppers

HEAT  oven to 350ºF.

MIX  cream cheese and mozzarella until well blended; stir in pepperoni and peppers.

SPREAD  into 9-inch pie plate.

BAKE  25 to 30 min. or until top is puffed and lightly browned. Serve warm with crackers.source:snackworks

Warm Cajun Shrimp Dip
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Creole seasoning*, or to taste
1 cup chopped cooked peeled shrimp
1/2 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese
1 (1-pound) round loaf hearty white bread
1 tablespoon sliced green onion
Garnish: lemon wedge, cooked shrimp
Assorted crackers, breadsticks (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and Creole seasoning; beat with a mixer at medium speed until blended. Stir in shrimp and shredded cheese.
Using a serrated knife, cut a 1/2-inch-thick slice from top of bread loaf. Carefully hollow out inside of loaf, leaving about a 3/4-inch shell. Reserve bread pieces for another use.
Spoon shrimp mixture into bread shell; lightly spray with cooking spray. Wrap in foil; place on a baking sheet.Bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil; bake 15 minutes more or until thoroughly heated.source:celebratemagazine

Apple Cinnamon Dip
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and chopped
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups apple butter
1 cup plain or low-fat Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Graham crackers

Apple Slices

n a medium skillet, melt butt

er over medium heat. Add Granny Smith apples, and cook until softened, about 20 minutes. To a 2-quart slow cooker, add cream cheese, apple butter, yogurt, cinnamon, and apple mixture. Cook on High for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Spoon mixture into a 1-quart bowl. Serve immediately with graham crackers and apple slices.source:celebratemagazine

Behold Thy Mother

Words from a wise man on mothers:

"You see, it is not only that they bear us, but they continue bearing with us. It is not only the prenatal carrying but the lifelong carrying that makes mothering such a staggering fear. Of course, there are heartbreaking exceptions, but most mothers know intuitively, instinctively that this is a sacred trust of the highest order. The weight of that realization, especially on young maternal shoulders, can be very daunting.

     How is it that a human being can love a child so deeply that you willingly give up a major portions of your freedom for it? How can mortal love be so strong that you voluntarily subject yourself to responsibility, vulnerability, anxiety and heartache and just keep coming back for more of the same? What kind of mortal love can make you feel, once you have a child, that your life is never, ever you own again? Maternal love has to be divine. There is no other explanation for it...

Listen to the rest of this inspirting talk here