Random Tip Round Up!!!

1.) Stop Loose Buttons in Their Tracks:  Avoid losing a button on your favorite button up shirts by coating the center of the buttons with a drop of clear nail polish.  Once it dries it will prevent the threads from fraying over time.  You can also tip unraveling ends of shoelaces in clear nail polish to seal them.

2.) Personalized Mugs In a Flash:  Adding a personal touch to your coffee cup has never been easier!  All you need is a plain, white, ceramic mug and a Sharpie marker.  Simply add your personalized message or design to the mugs exterior with the marker and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes!  Remember to hand wash the mug once personalized!  If you forget, no worries!  The worse that can happen is the design fades over time and you will simply need to touch it up and re-bake it!  The ideas are limitless!  Use a large array of colored Sharpie markers to make colorful designs.  These personalized mugs can make a great gift for friends and family!  They would make a stellar house warming present too!  Don't forget teachers too!

3.) Organize Your Kitchen Shelves In A Jiff:  Use a pair of short, spring loaded, adjustable tension rods to divide your shelves helping to coral all your platters, baking sheets, and cutting board vertically!  Remember, you'll need at least a pair for each division.

4.) Never Let Your House Plants Dry Out:  Breathe new life into old glass bottles by re-purposing them as watering globes!  Fill the bottles with water, invert them quickly, and stick them into the soil of your potted plants, hanging baskets, and container gardens.  Science and gravity will do the rest.  Refill as necessary.

5.) Clean Cut...Brownies:  To get a clean, crisp edge when cutting your next batch of brownies try using a disposable plastic knife while the brownies are still warm.  They will cut like butter!

6.) Don't Get Caught In A Sticky Situation:  Next time you find yourself with gum stuck on your clothing try this trick.  First remove the piece of clothing and place it in a sink or basin.  Boil some vinegar and pour it over the effected area while it is still hot.  Scrub vigorously and the gum should come off almost instantly! Use caution and common sense, don't burn yourself.

MEAL OF THE MONTH: JULY

Hello to all our loyal listeners!!!  We are excited to be back after our mid-summer hiatus!  Everyone in the office took some much needed time off to travel and relax.  Timmy, spend his time off as lead camp counselor of Camp Hop To It, a survival camp for polliwog enthusiasts.  Connie went to Saudi Arabia to attend a women's rights conference.  Ironically she returned wearing a burka and refusing to drive.  hmm, strange!  Wendell went to tap dance camp and wants to "tap" a "liberated"Connie.  Kathleen spent vacation fishing in Fiji.  Finally Michael took a cruise to Novia Scotia (eh?).

Anyone can top a hot dog with ketchup, mustard, and relish but you can't top these great new ideas from our friends at Good Housekeeping Magazine!

1.) Pimento-Cheese Dogs:  Combine 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar, 1/4 cup minced, jarred pimientos, 4 tbsp mayo, and 1/2 tsp of hot sauce.  This should cover 4 hot dogs!

2.) Everything Bagel Dogs:  Beat 3 tbsp cream cheese, 2 tbsp milk, 1/4 tsp salt until smooth.  Divide among 4 hot dogs and sprinkle with poppy seeds and 2 chopped green onions.

3.) Spicy Blue Cheese Dogs:  Combine 1 cup chopped celery, 1/4 cup mayo, 1/2 tsp cider vinegar, 1/2 tsp hot sauce, 3 ounces crumbled blue cheese.  Divide among 4 hot dogs.

4.) BLT Dogs: Divid 1/4 cup mayo, 1/2 cup sliced romaine, 1 chopped tomato, and 6 slices, crumbled, cooked bacon among 4 hot dogs.

You could explore some ideas we brainstormed here in the office:

- Grilled vegetables (Vermont Veggie Dog)
- Guacamole (California Dog)
- Coleslaw or potato salad (store bought or homemade) (Down Home Dog)
- Fresh salad ingredients such as cucumbers (Re-Fresh Dog)
- Nacho Dog: Top with crushed tortilla chips, salsa or queso sauce, and sliced, pickled jalapeno slices
- Bacon Dog:  Wrap your hot dog in slices of bacon and grill until perfection.
- Caprese Salad Dog: Top your dog with fresh, chopped mozzarella, chopped tomato, and basil.
- Shanghai Dog:  Saute shredded bok choy, carrots, and mushroom.  Mix with teriyaki sauce.  For an extra kick, add siraracha hot sauce!
- Mac N' Cheese Dog:  This one's for the the kids (or kids at heart).  Top your hot dog with left over macaroni and cheese and a thin, dill pickle slice.

Get grilling tonight!

Picture This: Tips For Creating a Gallery Wall!

We have all seen a gallery walls in a magazines and envied their symmetry or perhaps their intentional eclectic mix of frames and sizes that just seems to work so perfectly!  Here are some tips that will help demystify and help you to create that perfect curatorial look!

1. Plan Your Arrangement!  Avoid making too many unnecessary nail holes in your wall by first tracing your framed photos or art on paper.  You can then you can tape these to the wall and help play around with your arrangement before you commit!
2. Space Them Out!  Do you want a cluster of art to read as one piece?  Do you want them to form a line across the room?  Let your arrangement dictate spacing.  Make sure they aren't too crowded but also not too far or else they will look sparse.  
3. Theme It!  You can organize your collection in a number of ways.  The first being content.  All your artwork or photos can pertain to a particular item or memory for example a vacation to Cape Cod.  You can also organize your wall by the color story of the actual work being framed for example all the art/photography's primary color is green.  For this theme, you don't want the frames to distract from the overall color read of the grouping.  Finally, you can unite a collection of seemingly random art/photos by framing them all in the same colored frames.  Another way is to pick a variety of fun colored frames that work with the art but also enhance the over all experience.
4. Mix It Up!  Use a wide mix of frame shapes and sizes.  Also hang items vertically and horizontally. Kick up the grouping by adding artifacts among the framed work.  
5. Center It (If You Want To)!  You can be traditional and start with the piece you want in the center of the grouping and work out.  That said, rules are meant to be broken!  You could have a collection wrap around a corner, using that corner as the center.  You also could start near the ceiling with a small picture and work down the wall increasing the size of the work creating a pyramid effect.  
6. Scale It!  Keep your work withing a balanced range.  If you want to incorporate a larger piece make sure the wall is large enough and you include other pieces of a complimentary scale.

Gallery wall in Michael's Apartment.  Michael used content to unit this grouping: Cape Code & Provincetown!

Experimenting With Garden Whimsy!

 Last year, I decided to experiment with ways I could make my garden look a little more whimsical.  It was really to distract people from the weeds I wasn't ready to pull.  I started by buying a piece of 1/4 inch plywood at my local hardware store.  Then I drew some funky designs and cut them out using my band saw.  This was pretty work intensive to say the least.  After they were cut out, I painted the designs with acrylic craft paint and when I was finished, I screwed them onto a piece of  2x1 furring.  Unfortunately, I didn't leave a piece of the support showing at the top so when I tried to hammer them into the ground it was very difficult not to wreck the art work I had just created.  I also used a poly clear coat to help them weather the elements. Needless to say, next year I got wiser!

This year, I went to my local garden supply store and purchase pre-fabricated wooden stakes which come in various lengths.  I also visited my local arts and crafts store and picked up pre-cut plywood rounds to make my life easier and avoid the band saw.  (See both above)

Not having to use the band saw gave me a level of creative that I didn't experience with the previous incarnation.  It allowed me to add funky, geometric backgrounds and fanciful florals to my designs. 

 Notice that this time I left a "hammering" knob at the top of each so I could pound them into the ground easier and without ruining my artwork.  To achieve the crisp look, I outlined my work with a permanent marker such as a Sharpie.  Instead of screws to fasten the art to the posts I used small nails.  Goodbye drill!  To seal the artwork, this year I used a poly-spar (used for boats).  By making these improvements, it made the whole process faster and a lot more fun.  No more headaches!

Voila, the completed project!!!

- KATHLEEN

MEAL OF THE MONTH: MAY

This month's meal isn't really a meal at all but rather an introduction to the meal: DIP! The staff at CELEBRATE have curated some of the best dip recipes to help you take advantage of the fresh, bounty of crunchy summer produce heading our way!

Chablis Cheese Dip

8 oz Liederkranz cheese

8 oz softened cream cheese

1/4 tsp celery salt

1/4 tsp garlic salt

1/4 Chablis wine 

Use mixer to blend first four ingredients.  Add Chablis a little at a time and beat for three minutes.  Place in a very clean container.  It will keep for about a week.  The flavors meld the longer it sits.

Tuna Cream Dip

6 oz cream cheese

1/4 tsp Tabasco

3 tbsp mayo

1 can Tuna (approx 6 oz), drained.

1 tbsp lemon juice

Mix well and refrigerate until served.

Calico Dip

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup salad dressing (such as Miracle Whip)

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbs minced scallions

2 tbsp minced radishes

2 tbsp minced cucumber

2 tbsp minced green pepper

1-2 cloves garlic

Mix well, refrigerate, and serve.

Embassy Dip

1 lb cream cheese

1 can condensed black bean soup

1/2 tsp oregano

1/8 tsp chili powder

1 tsp grated onion

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

Blend and refrigerate.  Increase oregano and chili powder to taste if you desire.

Hot Crab Meat Dip

8 oz cream cheese

6.5 oz can crab meat

Dash of Worcestershire Sauce

Lemon juice to taste

Sherry to taste if desired

Mix all ingredients and place in small casserole.  Bake at 350 until cream cheese is gooey (approx 20-25 minutes).  Serve warm.

Curry Dip

1 cup mayo

1/4 cup sour cream

1/8 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp curry powder

1 clove, crushed garlic or 1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/8 cup minced, fresh parsley or 1/2 tsp dried.

Mix well and let "ripen" in refrigerate for a few hours.

Easy Curry Dip

2 cups mayo

3 tbsp ketchup

1 tsp curry powder

2 tbsp of honey

8 drops Tabasco

3 tsp minced onion

Mix and refrigerate.

Cucumber Dip

1 small cucumber. peeled, seeded, and minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 pint sour cream

2 tbsp minced chives

1 tbsp each, lemon juice and minced fresh dill weed.

1/4 tsp white pepper

Sprinkle cucumber with salt.  Let stand for an hour and drain in a strainer.  Combine with remaining ingredients and chill.

Red Caviar Dip

8 oz softened cream cheese

1 cup sour cream

4 oz red caviar (salmon roe)

2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

Mix and chill.

Basil Cottage Cheese Dip

2 cups cottage cheese

2 tbsp vinegar (such as red wine or apple cider)

1/4 cup chopped scallions

2 tbsp chopped parsley 

6 -8 fresh basil leaves or 1 tsp dried, crumbed. 

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Mix in blender and chill.

Don't Chuck It, Duct It!!!

Here is a great idea we found from our friends at HGTV Magazine! Click the link for more info!
Pictures by Aaron Dyer

Make Art!!!
Think of duct tape as a fully loaded paint brush and paint the town! Open your mind, any flat surface can become your canvas. An old table, door, or storage box.

Add pizzazz to boring bathroom decor!  

We are a really big "fan" of this genius idea!

Make turning off the lights fun!

Rest your feet sitting on this duct up seat! Give your old consignment shop finds an update in seconds. 

Get your organize on, with this chevron!

Hopefully these ideas have gotten your creative juices flowing!  

Submit your ideas and projects to: CELEBRATE! FAN FEEDBACK

HOMEMADE FOR MOM: MOTHER'S DAY GIFTS FROM THE HEART

Don't take the easy route this Mother's Day and visit your department store.  Instead, try one of these super simple, ultra personal gifts you can make in the comfort of your own home!

1. Infinity Scarf- Find an attractive, long, narrow scarf at your local boutique, department, or craft store. Sew the ends together, and press.  Voila!  An infinity scarf for half the price of the ones sold at specialty stores!
2. Hand Stamped Note Cards- Writing a letter is still an art form!  If your mother still writes notes, try making custom note cards by buying blank card sets at your craft store and embellishing them to fit her personality.
3. Plant Markers- Gather a bunch of paint stirrers (often free at your local hardware store).  Paint them colors that will compliment Mom's Garden. Add a design and the name of the flower or herb they will guard.  Make at set!  If you use acrylic paints, be sure to seal them with a polyurethane varnish.
4. Personalized Stamp- If you go to your local printer or engraver, you should be able to buy a personalized stamp with her name and address or favorite catch phrase!
5. Tote Bag- Take a plain canvas tote bag and personalize it to fit your Mother's style!  One idea, lay a paper doily across part of the bag, using it as a stencil.  Using fabric paint or treated acrylic paint stipple over with a stencil brush.  You could also make a design with contact paper.  Adhere to the bag and use fabric spray paint to cover the front of your bag.  Wait until dry and remove the contact paper leaving a ghost like effect of your design.  Another idea is to simply find one of your Mother's guilty pleasures (shopping for example) and create a funky bag that says something like "Oh La La" or  "Ching Ching" with a Dollar Sign.  
6. Family Tree- Self explanatory.  You don't have to be particularly artistic or do a lot research into your genealogy.  Mom will love it no matter what!
7. Memory Wire Bracelet- Buy a length of "memory" wire from your local craft store.  Fill tightly with colorful beads that match you Mother's favorite colors!  Bend each end into a loop.  "Memory" wire is tough to cut so be sure to use real wire cutters.  Be sure your loops are well made as not to snag Mom's favorite blouse.  Tada! 
8. Reshaped Cardigan- If Mom's recently lost weight but doesn't want to throw away her favorite cardigan or top.  Gather the fabric in the back and clothes with a fashionable brooch. 
9. Homemade Truffles- Google a recipe, they are so simple!  Buy a fancy box and candy papers at a craft store!