Smile

The festivities kicked off this past Saturday in the beautiful Autumn weather at Conneaut Lake, PA with our dear “Oh Rob” welcoming guests and instructing newcomers on the sauerkraut-making process.

It starts with cutting…. 800 lbs of cabbage cutting!

The cut cabbage goes to the shredders, where experienced cutters teach newbies on equipment passed down through generations from grandparents…

and taught to new generations – where Moms teach sons…

and sisters show brothers….

and families do together.

It then gets measured,

and salted,

and pounded…

while friends and family chat,

and laugh,

and hug.

Old friends meet up after decades.

and new relationships bloom.

There is plenty of fun for kids of all ages!

From Jumbo Jenga…

to pick up sticks…

to lawn bowling,

and searching for bones and candy and money in hay.

There was pumpkin painting…

and t-shirt painting.

There was apple picking…

and apple pressing.

The kids loved learning how to turn apples into fresh apple juice!

and so did some of the parents and grandparents!

There was lots of food.

I made Grandma’s halupki – another Krautfest tradition served up next to hot dogs and kraut and homemade pierogies and cheesy polenta and fresh smoked ham and lots of other yummies.

There was an entire dining room table filled with desserts.

and of course plenty of wine.

There was tire swinging,

and bonfire-building.

There was Marty (hubby – on the left) and Martin.

There were quiet moments from afar,

and lots of singing and music after the sun went down and drew us indoors.

Even dogs of all sizes made friends!

Can you imagine a better time?

Thank you Joyce and Oh Rob! We love you! We ALL do!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Rocket Pear to Ground Control: “Ready for Take Off”

August 13, 2016August 12, 2016 / Jodi / 36 Comments

Are you ready for this adventure called “Today?”

Make it magical…
Make it creative…

Be imaginative…
Be silly…

Gain inspiration from whatever comes your way.
Have Fun!

Cherish the moments.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

I could have been bummed about that blurry leaf in the bottom left of this photo I took the other day on a walk getting in the way of allowing this to be a “perfect” pear photo, but instead, I had to laugh. What I somehow crazily saw was silly – a pear rocket ship firing up for take off with a big puff of steam behind it. Now isn’t that a more FUN way to look at it?!

Lake Park Bash 2016

July 4, 2016July 3, 2016 / Jodi / 49 Comments

Happy Fourth of July to the USA!

We are relaxing today after a fun-filled weekend

at the Second Annual Lake Park Bash

hosted by the the best ever “hood”

in Conneaut Lake, PA…

Look at this crew in their red, white, and blue

from Lake Park Way!

Whether by land or by sea…

a fun time was a guarantee!

A photo booth welcomed guests

and hosts alike.

Some of us were silly…

an others were very pretty.

Friends and family

and my most specialiast of all ladies. ❤

There were refreshing drinks

because the cutest mixologists/most generous hosts/sweetest family ever made sure!

There was food galore…

with lots of meat…

and of course there were also

plenty of treats!

To ~~work~~ play it off

there where games a plenty… Like Twister

and life-sized Kerplunk

and Jenga

and corn hole

and Bocci Ball to name a few.

There was also music

and young ones to make life bright.

All were winners

on a gorgeous Saturday.

And when the sun set

the bonfires lit and the sparklers twinkled

while fireworks glowed and banged and shined.

And then since one day was just not enough…

there were bloody marys and screwdrivers with the next morning’s coffee

and a shared breakfast of pancakes with blueberries and chocolate chips

and scrambled eggs and bacon and sausage.

The Lake Park Bash was a real holiday treat! Thanks to all that made it so sweet!

Hope you are enjoying –
wherever you are –
the special moments to cherish.
Reach for a star!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Fun Flowers

June 17, 2016June 16, 2016 / Jodi / 55 Comments

I recently made this “fun flower” watercolor painting inspired by a stamp I had seen for my BFF Jill’s birthday.

Jill loves bright colors, but is not a fan of cut flowers, because when you cut them, they die.

I thought a painting of brightly colored flowers that can’t die would be a fitting gift.

I am also thinking of another BFF today – my friend Bubby, whose father recently passed away and whose funeral we attended this week. And then I learned of another BFF – my longest time, dearest friend, Janet, whose Dad was hospitalized yesterday.

I hope these flowers will cheer them for even a moment in their time of grief and worry.

May these flowers brighten your day in some small way.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

#naturedoodlewash

A Diaper Pizza Baby Shower Gift

May 1, 2016April 30, 2016 / Jodi / 67 Comments

Yesterday, I went to a baby shower for a sweet young lady who is expecting a baby girl in June.

I’ve made other diaper gifts before, but I’ve never tried a diaper pizza.

It was really quite easy and turned out cute. The theme was Winnie the Pooh, so I gathered every Pooh bear and friends onsie, rattle, teething ring, toy, bib, and pacifier I could find. I then took a dozen Size 1 diapers, gentle shaped them into triangles, wrapped them in a baby wash cloth and taped them on the bottom.

I then tied a different little gift on top of each “pizza slice” and put a little plush Tigger in the middle. I wrote a greeting on the inside of the top of the box, and attached a soft little book as the “card.”

It was a fun way to celebrate and welcome this new little one.

Thanks Luciano’s Brick Oven in Mars for the clean pizza box. (And thanks Chris for getting it for me!)

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Not Your Momma’s Cookie Exchange Party

December 21, 2015December 20, 2015 / Jodi / 51 Comments

Remember those aprons I shared yesterday that I made for my daughter-in-law’s cookie swap party?

Well – here we are doing the Whip Bake Bake at the party!

I am so excited to share some photos of the amazing party my even more amazing daughter-in-law (third from the left back row – next to me) threw.

This is not your momma’s cookie exchange like we did back in the day!

Check out the amazing drink station where Colleen served Hot Chocolate with all the fixings and add ins as well as gin and tonics and wine. All the makings for a “spirited” cookie swap!

There were cozy Christmas socks on a festively-decorated antique child’s chair for anyone whose piggies got cold,

and a well-equipped cookie packaging station for us to box, wrap, clip, tag, and/or plate our cookies to take home.

We all brought enough cookies to share tastes that evening and enough for everyone to pack up 5 or 6 dozen to take home and share with our families and friends and for our own parties. Colleen made little labeled tags for each type of cookie so we knew what we were sampling and so we could vote on the “Most Delicious,” “Most Unique,” and Most Attractive.” And boy were they ever!

Katie rocked “Most Unique” with these adorable and absolutely luscious cherry snowmen cake balls.

Michelle’s Apple Delights were a slam dunk for the “Most Attractive!” Aren’t the awesome?

And Alaine’s Pistachio Cherry Cookies had us all swooning for “Most Delicious,”

though they truly were ALL delicious and beautiful and unique and made with “lovin from the oven.”

And……. two of the young ladies actually had some “lovin in their ovens!” Jen is in her first trimester and Jessica is due any day!

How cute is this sign that went with Colleen’s Grinch cookies (green crinkle cookies with teeny tiny hearts?

And check out these Inside Out S’more Cookies! (and the little polka-dot wooden spoons to stir your cocoa)

She even had prizes!

Before we ate cookies…. Well – we pretty much ate cookies the whole evening… Colleen made some fabulous food including the most amazing Hawaiian Ham and Cheese Party Sliders,

and Hassleback potatoes,

as well as plenty of veggies and dip, cheese and crackers, spreads, and and adorable cheese and olive wreath.

We even played some fun and silly games like teaming up to make the best reindeer antlers out of balloons stuffed in panty hose!

It was the most fun, most unique, most delicious cookie swap party I’ve ever been part of! I am so proud of my beautiful, generous, creative daughter-in-law, and I thank her for kindly allowing me share this with all of you.

Hope you are enjoying this festive holiday time however you choose to celebrate!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Lake Park Bash Fun

July 7, 2015July 6, 2015 / Jodi / 26 Comments

What a fun Fourth of July Holiday Weekend we had!

I am just catching up after a great picnic in Conneaut Lake with family and friends…

a couple hours of sleep at the best “Brugnoli B&B”…

then off to Cleveland to to celebrate a wedding with more wonderful friends!

So today, I’m sharing a little photo journal of the fun festivities we had the great pleasure of being a part of at The First Annual Lake Park Bash!

And I’m guessing, it will not be the last!

I hope you will join me in reminiscing on the fun gathering.

We were greeted by an “Uncle Sam” Scarecrow

and festive decorations in red, white and blue.

Those who arrived by boat, were greeted by a salute from George himself

and directed with arrows to point the way to the party.

One you got near, the smell of smoking chickens, pork, lamb, and beef permeated the perfect summertime breeze.

And an ice cream truck offered sweet treats to satisfy every child….

and every grown up

with delectable, cool, creamy yumminess.

There was plenty of beer…

and “Crappie White” wine

and “Chewed Alive Red,” and even a special Fraternity Brother Blend!

There were games galore –

like Kerplunk,

and Bocci Ball,

and Corn Hole,

and pickle ball,

and putt putt.

There were crafts

and hula hoops

and music

and dancing.

There were families

and friends

and lots and lots of hugs,

and even High Fives!

Puppies joined in on the fun.

New talents were discovered…

and serious discussions were had.

There were private little chats,

and twinkle lights when the day grew dim.

And the day didn’t end until early the next morning

with bonfire songs sung with guitar and fiddle.

It was a great Bash on the Lake Park cul-de-sac.

Thanks to the members of “da hood” for allowing us to be a part of it!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Watercolor Whimsy – Week 6

May 3, 2015May 2, 2015 / Jodi / 28 Comments

This week I went in a little different direction with my watercoloring…

Wanting to loosen up and just create FUN like my artsy bloggin’ buddies, Laura at CreateArtEveryDay and Jill at JillsArtJournal, I poked around on Pinterest and found some super fun work by Lucia at StressieCat. Such unique, original, crazy, zany, whimsy! I used Lucia’s inspiration to draw and paint this first crazy green and purple polka-dotted bird. You should check out her blog – crazy awesome talent! Mine turned out nothing like hers, but I still kinda like it.

And any card that has a crazy green and purple-polka dotted bird on it naturally needs some green birdie doo doo on the inside! Right?

Then I made this other silly guy from a photo I saw that stuck in my head, but I’ve lost the source (since I did it over two days – starting one evening and letting the base dry and polka-dotting the next day). It was a paper mache bird, but I thought I’d recreate it in watercolor and for a card. I just tore off a piece of watercolor paper and went to town.

I really had fun making these silly guys, and this green one is already on its way to a friend who is celebrating a birthday this week. He’s a pretty great guy – so he even gets a Superman stamp!

Have some fun today – and EVERY day!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Discovering the FUN in Art

April 9, 2015April 8, 2015 / Jodi / 59 Comments

Can you tell what it is?

This is Watercolor #2 on my journey to learn watercolor painting.

So I have to admit…… I found myself struggling to post this…. Not feeling it is good enough….. Starting to take this “art” business much much much too serious! And then one of my sweet bloggie friends, Laura at CreateArtEveryDay, inquired about how my painting was coming. I told her I was struggling with whether to post or not… what everyone would think…. not wanting people to feel obligated to “Like” or comment…. Wondering if it was “better” than my first (hubby said yes – son said he liked first better…) Oiy Vay! Then I worried – Does anyone care about my “art?” Will they stop visiting my blog if I share less than lovely art work? Sheesh!

Then wise, sweet Laura encouraged me. She said (and she gave me permission to share):

If I let those feelings stop me, my blog would be private. I think the point here is encouragement and support and FUN, not perfection. I’ve done all of that second-guessing, but part of making something every day is really forcing me to not worry about what anyone thinks and just post it. Your first flower was really good, I thought. You definitely have talent. It just takes lots of practice to be happy with watercolor paintings (in my experience) and I’m still not there yet. I’ve come to the point that it’s about fun. FUN. And Relaxation. And DE-stressing. Forget everything else. If you painted it and you enjoyed it, that’s all that counts. Your followers love you and they want to share in your experiences and experimentation. At least, that’s how I see it. Otherwise, I’d post nothing, ever.

It’s all about fun. I just want to see you have fun with whatever you do. No one would expect to sit down at the piano and play Beethoven, but people put such high standards on their artwork. (I’m preaching to myself too, believe me.) But for me, this is about growth and happiness and relaxation and healing, more than anything else. So I just can’t take it seriously. I won’t. And I really hope you don’t either. If it’s not fun, it’s not worth it. I really hope you fly and just set yourself free, Jodi! 🙂

How lovely is that?!

Thank you, Laura!

And then I remembered WHY I started this blog…. not for “likes” (though I certainly LOVE your LIKES!)….

Not to “prove” anything….

It is a hobby…. It is my space to share the stuff I love to do at life in between!

So I’m posting it – and you know what? It was FUN to do! Fun to watch water and paint create something on paper.

Gallery worthy? No!

Fun? Yes 🙂

So last week for my first watercolor, I drew the flower with a pencil first. For this one, I just “drew” the basic shape with water and paintbrush. This was another tutorial by Lindsay at The Frugal Crafter. Lindsay makes it look so simple! She just whips these up in about 5 or 10 minutes while chatting away and being funny and relaxed and silly.

Wonder if I’ll ever be able to get so free and loose and relaxed while doing this? I’m a bit “heavy handed” with the paint. I want to just touch the paper with the brush and watch it “move.” This watercolor stuff is HARDER than it looks! (FUN Jodi – FUN!) I have a new appreciation for some of the talented artists I know that do this now!

Thanks for sharing the journey with me my friends!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

P.S. Hope you’ll visit Laura’s blog too – she shares a fun new creative experiment every day @ CreateArtEveryday

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the creative life in between

cherishing the moments and exploring my passion for creativity… through art, photography, food, and writing

fun

Smile

Krautfest 2016!

Rocket Pear to Ground Control: “Ready for Take Off”

Lake Park Bash 2016

Fun Flowers

A Diaper Pizza Baby Shower Gift

Lake Park Bash Fun

Watercolor Whimsy – Week 6

Discovering the FUN in Art

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