::FABULOUS FORAGING FEATS::

As you can recall, last week we posed a foraging challenge to you and boy did you respond!  We got four fabulous entries that we will share with you later in the post.  First, here are a few ideas we concocted at the CELEBRATE Lab!

Branch Necklace

Find a seasoned twig (not brand new but also not crumbling).  Drill a hole through the stem in a location of your choice.  String cord through the hole and decorate with beads, wire, paint, glitter, etc.

Reed Necklace

Many plants have hollow, reed-like stalks.  After the plant has died and the stalks have dried out naturally spray paint them in some fun colors.  Next, cut them into segments (A band saw works great become it doesn't crack or crush the stems).  String them onto some cord, adding beads between segments.  The beads help to make it look more uniform.

Framed Feather Art

Walking through the forest we often come across lovely feathers.  Why not turn them into wall art.  Simply, matte and frame.  Simple simple!

Here are some of our favorite submissions from the dozen we received!

Package Decor by Beverly from Spokane, WA.  Beverly tells us the ribbon is made from a long leafed plant which she dried and spray painted and the then she glued baby pine cones and pebbles to it.  Eco chic!

Leaf Transfer by Suzanne from Nice, France.  Suzanne placed an ivy sprig under a cloth napkin and hammered it with a rubber mallet transferring the pigment.  Next she accented it with craft paint.  

Walking Stick by Vladimir from Latvia.  Vlad as his friends call him (per his email) found a dried yet sturdy straight branch.  He stripped the bark off and embellished it feathers, beads, and metallic paints.  Then he gave it a few coats of varnish.  He drilled a hole through the top end and strung a piece of rawhide to serve as a wrist cord. 

Serving Tray by Eleanor from Checotah, OK.  She said these are pressed golden rod pressed between paper towels in a book.  She stressed to make sure your greenery is very flat and dry so they do not mildew.  She then placed the greenery on  matte board and covered it all with glass.  

Thanks to all our readers for their wonderful submissions!  Keep them coming!

READER CHALLENGE ALERT!!!!

Hello Faithful Fans!  We have a challenge for you.  We're going to spend the time between now and our next post foraging and creating items with the things we find in the fields and forests around us.  We challenge you to do the same!  Go out into your environment natural or man-made (to you urban readers) and create fabulous things!  Next email pictures to currenteventplanning@gmail.com and you might be lucky enough to have your creations featured!!!  There may be prizes...maybe...

Good Luck!  Michael, Kathleen, and the crew at CELEBRATE!

Not Just Your Mother's Clothespins Anymore!

Here are a few wonderful ideas for re-purposing those always handy clothespins!

1.) Use a spare clothespin to hold a nail to avoid hitting your fingers when hanging a picture frame.

2.) Attach a strip of self-adhesive magnet to one side of the clothespins.  You can then attach nails or tacks to the magnet and then you can clip it to your shirt or other area close to your work space.

3.) Create a simple picture frame/holder by clipping a clothespin parallel to the bottom edge of the picture (long or short side depending on the picture's orientation)

4.) Attach a Popsicle stick to one side of the clothespin and create a bracelet "assistant".  It'll make putting on a bracelet a one woman job!  Hold the handle (Popsicle stick) in your hand with the clothespin facing down your forearm.  Clip the clothespin to one end of your bracelet and wrap the other end around and secure.  Tada!

5.) Use several clothespins to fold and secure the corners of your picnic tablecloth to protect it from gusts of wind.

6.) Keep several clothespins by your laundry hamper.  When you soil something simply clip a clothespin on to mark it for stain treatment!

Clothespin Frock by Christopher Bailey for Burberry  YIKES!!!

Our Lab Loves Mother Earth!

One morning Wendell walked into the kitchen wearing Connie's silk robe and pulled a box of Captain Cavity Sugar Flakes from a plastic grocery bag.  At the same time, Connie was making fluffy pancakes and couldn't seem to locate her syrup pitcher.  A typical Tuesday brunch at the lab!  As we all sat down around the reclaimed Texaco sign that serves as our conference room table we found ourselves in a heated discussion regarding trash.  This was triggered by Wendell throwing the thick, plastic bag which held his too-sweet cereal  treat on the floor and the coordinating box which once contained the dentist dream into the trash.  We all yelled in unison, "There must be another use for that!" (meanwhile, Connie with her one good eye was still fumbling around trying to locate her pitcher).  Here are the ideas we jotted down on our napkins (because we reuse EVERYTHING).

To solve Connie's problem:

-Find yourself a small decorative, attractive teapot!  A charming syrup pitcher!  Look at yard sales, thrift shops, or your cupboard!

To solve Wendel's problem (it'll take even more than our team's help to solve HIS problems but we digress):

The Cereal Box
- A drawer organizer.  Slice off the tops and bottoms and fill them with odds and ends.  You can even use the small boxes for paper clips, staples, etc.  Kathleen recommends reinforcing the corners with tape for a longer life!

-A cupcake carrier.  Reseal your empty box of cereal and lay it flat.  Next, cut the now top off of the box creating a tray. Slip, the cut portion inside the tray to reinforce the bottom.  Now you can send you child to school with cupcakes for the bake sale without needing to fret about your expensive platters.

-Photo mailing.  Use scraps of the box to mail photos or documents without fear of them getting bent out of shape.  Cut any box into useful sizes for that matter!

- Shims.  Cut the box into small squares or rectangles of the same size.  Secure them with a rubber band.  Next time you run across a off kilter table or chair you will have the perfect solution.

The Cereal Liner


The liners are thick and water repellent  therefore excellent to pack your hoagie in.  Take the liner and remove any cereal dust.  Next cut into sheets and wrap your sprout wrap tightly!

You can also use the bag to smash stale bread into bread crumbs.  The liner is thick enough to take the abuse.

The Plastic Grocery Bag

Wrap your knees in plastic bags to prevent soiling your jeans while gardening.

Throw a plastic bag inside your purse or man-bag.  Next time it rains you will have a place to stash your wet umbrella!

You can of course wrap up a paint brush when taking a break.  The bag will keep the paint moist and ready to get back to work!

10 Tips For Better Looking Bouquets

From our friends at Real Simple Magazine, here are some great tips for getting the most bang out of your bouquet!

1.) "Think of cut flowers like ice cream."  They won't melt but they will begin to wilt quickly.  Be sure to head straight home after purchasing them.

2.) Mold and soap speed up the decaying process.  Make sure your vases and tools are clean!

3.) Remove leaves that fall below the waterline to ward off bacteria growth.

4.) You don't have to cut flowers under water.  Have your vase ready to go.  The difference in life span is minimal if anything.

5.) For wood stemmed blooms such as Lilacs, smash the ends with a hammer to help them take in more water.

6.) Flowers that come from bulbs such as tulips, gladiolas, etc do best in cold water.

7.) Don't mix daffodils with other flowers.  They produce a sap that is detrimental to other flowers.  If you must mix them with other blooms, you can soak them in water separately for a few hours.

8.) Force unopened flowers to bloom in minutes by placing in very warm tap water.

9.) Wilted flowers, especially  roses can be revived by submerging them in cold water for a few hours.

10.) Fresh flowers will look fresher longer by keeping them away from too much heat, too much sunlight, and too many drafts, hot or cold.

So now you can tiptoe through your tulips without trepidation!

MEAL OF THE MONTH FOR MAY

Montpelier Criss-Cross Apple Pie

Pastry for a 2 crust, 9 inch pie (You can easily use frozen)
4 cups thinly sliced apples
1 cup of real Maple Syrup (pancake syrups WILL NOT do)
2 tbsp quick-cooking tapioca
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Line pie pan with pastry for the bottom crust.  Combine remaining ingredients.  Mix well.  Arrange in pie pan.  Cut remaining pastry into long strips.  Arrange in a lattice pattern over apple mixture.  Trim edges and crimp.  Brush lattice with beaten egg whites.  Sprinkle with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar if desired.  Bake at 425 degrees for 45 minutes or until syrup boils with thick bubbles that do not burst.

*************STAY TUNED FOR NEXT MONTH'S SAVORY DISH**********************

Wonderful Warm Weather Entertaining Tips

With the warm weather approaching,  the team at CELEBRATE thought we would share some handy entertaining tips that a sure to spice up your spring and summer soirees!

First, Kathleen suggest that you think about location and be creative.  Anyone can have a bunch of people standing around the back yard.  Is that REALLY what you want as the host?   In other words create an atmosphere people will gossip about long after your event has ended!

Add some pizzazz to your pergola with this tip.  Take a string of inexpensive string lights and press each bulb through the bottom of a colorful cupcake wrapper.  This will add instant pop to your party!

Re-purpose your glass recyclables by 1) washing them out and removing the labels. 2) fill them  a third to a half way full with sand or small pebbles and 3) add candles.  Cluster them here and there around the yard to had a romantic, green touch to your gathering.

No one likes watered down iced coffee or tea so plan ahead and freeze tea and coffee into cubes.   This will keep your drinks cold and full flavored.  You can  also use this tip with cocktails.  Freeze mixers such as juice into cubes to keep the beverage's kick!

Who likes the smell of citronella candles?  A your next party, create centerpieces made from bunches of fresh basil.  The herb will naturally repel unwanted pests like mosquitoes!  They will look great and smell even better!

To put the quick chill on drinks like champagne, wine, or soda don't just place the bottles in ice alone.  Create a 50/50 mixture ice and water in your drink bin.  You'll get a faster chill this way, even on a hot Summer night!