Local Honey: Puget Sound Beekeepers Association at Gifts & Greens Galore Event

This year my apple pies have a local touch, thanks to the beautiful honey I bought from the Puget Sound Beekeepers Association. The honey is rich amber and absolutely delicious. I found this honey source in 2016 when I was driving past the Washington Park Arboretum one December afternoon and saw signs for the Gifts & Greens Galore event. 

Inside the Graham Visitor Center at the Arboretum, the Gifts and Greens Galore event sells pre-bundled fresh cut greens donated by area gardeners and Arboretum horticulturalists as well as nature-inspired decorations, ornaments and honey. Shopping at this event helps to "support maintenance, environmental education, and volunteerism at the Arboretum!"   

There are a variety of places to buy honey from the Puget Sound Bee Keepers Association, but I thought that this was a particularly great way to attend a local event, buy a unique hostess gift and support local beekeepers. Huzzah!

Mark your calendar for Saturday, December 7, 2019 from 10 am - 3 pm at the Washington Park Arboretum gift shop & visitor center. Free admission and parking.  

#beekeepers #localhoney #washingtonparkarboretum #hostessgift

Hostess Gift: Embroidered Flour Sack Towels

I am lucky for so many reasons. I have a wonderful extended family and great friends in Michigan who support our big move out West. But today I wanted to tell you about the generosity of a new friend, someone I met here in Washington.

I met Judie through my husband. When he was consulting in Seattle, I flew out for the month of April, June and September so that we could be together. I lived in his hotel (Remember when I made dinners in my "Easy Bake oven" and canned pickles?) and explored Seattle during the day.

One evening we met up with his co-worker Judie for dinner and I brought my latest project to the table to show off. I had been frequenting a Maker Space (a space that provides creative inspiration and the tools required for an hourly fee) for sewing to work on a souvenir quilt. I bought many 1/2 yards of companion print fabric when we drove to Portland, OR. The resulting quilt would be a souvenir from our trip.

Anyhoo, I was explaining the maker space (I wanted to sew!) and this quilt project as my big distraction during the day while I was in Seattle. Judie told me all about her 4-H projects as a girl and how she used to teach home economics! We had a lot in common and she seemed to like that I had incorporated sewing into our adventure out West.

The next day when Dan came into work, there was a sewing machine on his desk! "Take this to Anne" was his instruction. Judie thought it was silly for me to hike out to a maker space all the time and wanted to loan me her sewing machine for the duration of our trip (2 1/2 weeks!). What a woman. 

Fast forward 3 years and we have a real house with a real craft room. Judie came for dinner and brought us a set of 3 beautiful machine embroidered towels. She knows me well! I just love them and I'm using them too. As any maker knows, we gift you these things we've made because we want you to enjoy them. Get them out of the drawer and let's go!

Thank you, Judie, for being my first kindred spirit in Seattle! You are the best.

Reminder: Anne's 2013 Calendar Moments of Delight

It amuses me to no end that I could order and give my own calendar for gifts this year (yea!) and I am SO pleased with the color and quality produced at Zazzle, my calendar printing company.

You can click the link to look at/order my new 2013 Moments of Delight calendar.  Zazzle is a print-on-demand company that photographers use to create product.  Cost per calendar drops the more copies you order. 

Use coupon code MAKEYOURYEAR to get an exceptional discount.      


A few of the photos in this year's calendar include:

Caramel Chocolate dipped Apple

I was wrong, completely.  I had seen these overloaded apples in stores for years and thought that they were more of a culinary gimmick than a treat.  That is until I tried one!  Someone brought one to us from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Company and with knife in hand, we stood at the counter eating it until every last bit was gone.  Yum!

I thought that caramel, 2 kinds of chocolate and pecans would be overkill for a simple apple, but she can take it!  If you are looking for a sweet hostess gift to bring a friend this Fall, consider getting her an overloaded apple.  She will either know instantly how smart you are or learn quickly, like I did. Happy Fall! 

Hot Chocolate

When one of my brothers and his family came over on Easter, they gave me a goodie bag of sweet & salty treats they thought I might like. When I pulled this gorgeous chocolate bar from the tissue paper my brother said, "It's hot chocolate." Ha!

This Lindt Excellence dark chocolate bar called "Chili" is spiced with red chili extract! As someone whose ears turn pink if the salsa is too hot, I wondered just how hot it would be. I am happy to report that it is delicious. I think that a piece or two would be nice after dinner - sitting by the fire with a glass of red wine. Mmmmm...

Do you like hot chocolate?

Designer Matches

Looking for a little "wow-factor" in your living room? Cover your own box of large kitchen matches and have the prettiest accent ever.

I used Sobo glue to attach lime green faux crocodile paper to the box. After the glue had dried, carefully use an X-acto knife to trim the extra paper off. I chose a flat gem set from the jewelry section of the craft store (you may need to cut off the attachment loop on the back with needle nose pliers so that it will lay flat - this particular piece was already flat.) Use Gem-Tac to attach gem set to the top of the box. So pretty, right?

When you are shopping for the gem set, start thinking about the holidays. If you find the perfect combination of paper and stones - get enough to make three! They make a unique hostess or teacher gift.

Lemon Knots

I saw a jar of lemon knots (on sale) at my local Williams-Sonoma and was intrigued. They were really pretty and I thought that (in addition to their main use as a cocktail twist) they would add a lot to a cup of tea or a glass of lemonade.

Later, when I tried to look them up online, I couldn't find them. It must have been a limited edition item. So...I made some myself!

I cut inch-wide strips of lemon peel off of the lemon. Cut that piece into 4 narrow strips and tied each in a knot. Any pieces that broke or were too small, ended up in a small jar of sugar for baking (blueberry muffins with lemon sugar!).

I made a batch of simple syrup, allowed it to cool, then poured it into a jam jar with the lemon twists. I am going to store the jar in the refrigerator. When I make hot cranberry glogg later this week, I will drop a lemon twist in each mug!

I think this would be a pretty and inexpensive hostess gift. What do you think?

Hostess Gifts

Want a great idea for a hostess gift this season? Make a collection of match boxes. A wonderful and simple craft, you can make a darling set for under $5. All you need is matches, Sobo glue, pretty scrapbook paper and some 3-dimensional trims. When choosing papers, stick to three colors, but vary the scale to add interest (I even added a map of Paris). Cut a rectangle of paper slightly larger than the matchbox. Brush glue onto 3 sides of box and carefully cover with paper. When dry, trim away excess paper. Highlight a few of the match boxes with a button or paper butterfly on top. Voila! You have a lovely one-of-a-kind gift. Present them to your hostess on a square black paper plate (cover with clear saran wrap to keep them secure) or make two stacks and slide them into a clear gift bag tied shut with a ribbon. If you make a few sets now, you'll be ready when party season hits.