GIVE AWAY!!! Help me pick new patterns for the shop!

Good Morning!

I've been (slowly) figuring/gathering new supplies for Fall/Winter products in the Shop... but I need some help from you!  I found these super cute burlap prints the other day, but am having a hard time deciding which ones to use for runners... this is where you come in!

1.  Orange Damask
2.  Black Mustache
3.  Dark Brown Birds on Branch
4.  Black Herringbone

I love them all...

I think the orange damask would be awesome for fall and Halloween....

The mustaches are super playful and would be great any time (can you imagine them for a Carnival/Circus Themed Party?)...

The birds are super sweet for fall, winter or spring with a soft, shabby chic look...

The herringbone would be great all year long or for Halloween...

You have some tough decisions to help me make!  So here's what you'll need to do to enter the GIVE AWAY for a runner in your favorite pattern!

There's 2 ways to enter:

1.  Follow Kutz. Paper. Scissors on Facebook (click on the link on the right side of the blog to be taken straight there!) and leave a comment under the "give away" post with your favorite pattern.

2.  Become a "Follower" on the blog and leave a comment with your favorite pattern in this post! 

The 2 winners will be chosen at random on August 3rd!  Each winner will receive a 72" table runner in their favorite pattern! 

Thanks in advance for your help!  My indecisiveness really appreciates it!
Have a great day!
Andrea

NEW Products in the Shop!

Good Morning!

Sorry for the missing posts last week... it was a week of getting ready for a NEW school year AND Adam's first year of Elementary instead of Preschool... My awesome, giving and supportive parents took Adam and Aidan school shopping for new shoes (hello, who found Police Light-Up Shoes?  This mom!  They may be the ugliest shoes ever, but my Lil' LOVES them!) and a fun 1st Day of School outfit(s)... which made me realize that I'd better get to work on some NEW product's that I've been brainstorming for the past little while...

so...

I made some fun, NEW Chalkboard Signs for the Shop...

First Day of School Interview Chalkboard Sign

 

{1st Day of School Interview Chalkboard Sign}

 

 

 

First Day of School Chalkboard Photo Prop

 

{First Day of School Chalkboard Sign}

 

And some fun, pop culture Typography Pillow Covers...

 

{Happily Ever After Pillow Cover}

 

{"Holla!" Pillow Cover}

 

{Let's Make Out Baby Pillow Cover}

 

{Hustling Pillow Cover}

 

{Playa Pillow Cover}

 

I had so much fun making these pillow covers!  I had a custom request for the "Hustling" one and then just kept coming up with more and more pop cultures sayings that would be fun!  I have a ton more ready to be cut and ironed on more covers... just have to get more heat transfer!  I even made one for Lil' A - It  says "You're kill'n me smalls!", which is from the Sandlot movie and is one of my favorite quotes, one that I tell him often...

 

I've also been busy paper crafting and can hardly wait to share those this week, so stay tuned! 

 

Have a great weekend!

Andrea

KPS

 

 

Slice of Pie! More of My Pie Obsession...

Good Morning!

On Monday I shared my Grandma's talent for pie making, and cooking in general, but mostly how I've been wanting to feel closer to her by doing things that remind me of her for my little family.  We saw her Tuesday morning, she looked great in a pink sweater and jeans with her hair and make-up all done, tons of blinged out jewelery adorning her wrists, fingers, neck, ears... that's how she rolls.  She's taken some of her older photos to my parents to share, and by old I mean 1930's-1940's.  I was so happy that Adam and I happened to be there, I loved hearing her stories and her love for her parents, siblings, childhood... she's a remarkable woman.

My favorite pie that she makes is Lemon Meringue - I remember it at Holidays, the Annual Family Reunion... so I started off last weekend calling her for the recipe... here's a condensed version of our conversation:

Me:  "Hi Grandma"

GG:  "Hi Honey"

Me:  "Can I get your Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe?  Do you know if by heart?"

GG:  "Sure you can!  Now listen, it's real simple, you'll want to go to your Staters (local grocery store) and get a frozen pie crust, the Marie Callendars one is real good and some lemon pie filling."

Me:  "What, no Grandma, I want the real recipe, not the cheaters recipe!"

GG:  "Well, it's just as good and no one will know!"

Me:  "No way Grandma, I want the real one."

GG:  "Well, have you known when I've made the real one?"

Me: Silence

GG:  "Okay, I'll call you later Andrea with the 'real' recipe".

Me:  "Thanks Grandma."

I'm still waiting for the 'real' recipe... but since I'm not the most patient person, I ended up finding a recipe on Pinterest and using that for a super tangy-sweet, awesome pie!  My Grandma's is still better, but this one was very good, super yummy, perfect for a summer treat that refreshes!

{Photo and Recipe Source}

{Someone Else's} Grandma's Delicious Lemon Meringue Pie Prep: 30 Min.  Cook: 10 Min.  Ready 40 Min. Ingredients: 1 cupwhite sugar,

2 tbspall-purpose flour,

3 tbspcorn starch,

1⁄4 tspsalt,

1 1⁄2 cupwater,

2lemon, juiced and zested

2 tbspbutter,

4egg yolk, beaten

9 inbaked pie crust,

4egg white,

6 tbspwhite sugar,

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. To Make Lemon Filling: In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1 cup sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in water, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in butter. Place egg yolks in a small bowl and gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of hot sugar mixture. Whisk egg yolk mixture back into remaining sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and continue to cook while stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat. Pour filling into baked pastry shell.
3. To Make Meringue: In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy. Add sugar gradually, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over pie, sealing the edges at the crust.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown.

   
Such a yummy, summery pie!  I highly recommend it... my Grandma's is still better, but until I have her recipes (I've requested ALL of her recipes so I can make copies), this one is a pretty good substitute!  My husband loved it... he's a lemon lover and was impressed, so I think that's a pretty good endorsement!

Have a great day!
Andrea

No deals found today.

 

School Party!

Good Morning!

School is getting closer and closer... I'm so excited for my little guy but also nervous.  There are so many changes coming our way, life is never going to be just me and him at home, doing what we do, all day long.  He's growing up so quick which makes me super happy and sad at the same time... I never thought I'd be one of the parents/mom's to cry after leaving their child at the classroom door, but since I'm getting teary just typing this (and since I was so wrong on everything parenting wise before having a child), I know I am.  I'm just so proud of him, so impressed by him, he's so smart and sweet and kind and while I am looking forward to getting work stuff done in his absence instead of feilding a million "Will you play with me?  Can we go on a bike ride?  When are you going to be done working?", I'm going to miss the one on one time I've had with him for the past 5 years.

And since we love a fun party around here... and we're pretty excited about starting school... I started looking for Back to School Party ideas on Pinterest and am even more excited now!  Ready to skip over to the DollarTree for supplies!  Here's some of my favorites from Pinterest!

Seriously, I may spend $25 at the Dollar Tree on these supplies but it sure beats $100 at Target!

Let's get inspired!

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So, what do you think?  Looks bright, cheerful, exciting and fun!  A great way to get Lil' A and his friends excited for their new adventures! 

 

Have a great day!

Andrea

 

 

 

 

 

Nestle Tollhouse Cookie PIe! Yum!

Good Morning!

This wasn't the post I was planning on doing today, but the pie was just too yummy to not share immediately!

My Grandma Grace went into the hospital 2 weeks ago with chest pain.  She's 87 years old, had been very healthy until this time, doesn't dye her light brown hair and has no gray.  She's spunky, smart, independent, sassy, still works half time, drives and is full of love for her family.  We're pretty lucky to have her around and I know that this hospital stay was a wake up for me and other members of my family; I've taken it for granted that she'd always be here for us, that we'd always get to tease her about making up her own rules for SkipBo, or that I'd get to hear her story of riding a bus from Missouri to San Francisco in the 1940's ALONE to be with  my Grandpa, who was in the Navy one more time, that she'd quilt my little guy another quilt or help me with my orders...

My Grandma is also a fantastic cook - she doesn't cook as much as she used to, although she still makes dozens and dozens jars of jam each year.  That's serious work.  But one of my top GiGi dishes is pie - any pie that she makes is amazing.  Since I was thinking about her so much, I decided to make pies this weekend and stumbled on this amazing cookie pie recipe that is so rich and delish, I had to share it today so that everyone can make one and this will the happiest week of your life because this pie has yummy, magical happiness boosters in it!  I promise, I was so happy after eating my slice of pie... it was like a chocolate high!

(Photo and Recipe Source)

 

Tuscaloosa Tollhouse Pie

Author: Matt Lewis & Renato Poliafito

 Serves: 8

 

Ingredients

• 1 recipe single pie crust dough, chilled
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes
• 1 Tb whiskey
• ¾ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
• 1¼ cups (about 8 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Dust a work surface with a sprinkling of flour. Unwrap the ball of chilled dough and put it directly on the work surface. Roll out into a 12-inch round. Transfer the dough to a pie dish and carefully work it into the pie dish, folding any overhang under and crimping the edge as you go. Wrap and freeze the crust until firm, about 2 hours, or up to 3 months.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and sugars together until combined. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs on high speed until foamy, about 3 minutes. Remove the whisk attachment and add the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture. Turn the mixer to high and beat for 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and add the butter. Beat on high speed until the mixture is combined. Scrape down the bowl, add the whiskey, and beat the mixture on high speed for 1 minute.
5. Fold the walnuts and ¾ cup of the chocolate chips into the filling.
6. Pour the filling into the frozen pie shell and spread it out evenly. Top the filling with the remaining ½ cup chocolate chips.
7. Bake in the center of the oven for 25 minutes, then cover the edges of the crust loosely with aluminum foil and bake for another 25 minutes (this will prevent the crust from browning too quickly). Test the pie by sticking a knife in the center of the filling. If the knife comes out clean, the pie is done. If the knife comes out with clumps of filling sticking to it, bake for another 5 minutes and test again. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool before slicing.
8. The pie can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 2 days.

 

*  The pie filling wasn't as liquidity as I thought it would be, but just go with it, you'll still the gooey texture that the recipe promises.

**  I used a frozen, Marie Callendars Pie Crust from my supermarkets freezer section.

***  I substituted vanilla extract for the whiskey

****  I baked my pie at 325 degrees for 55 minutes.  I still covered the edges of my pie after 25 minutes.  My knife never came out clean, and my top got a little crispy so I took it out when the top was getting too dark.  I let it cool and set for about 5 hours before cutting it and it was totally done.

 

So that's it!  I had all the ingredients on hand because we're always ready to bake some chocolate chip cookies in our house!  You'll probably want to have a few copies of the recipe on hand, the people you share your pie with are going to want a copy!

 

Have a yummy day!

Andrea

QuicKutz Club July Projects

Good Morning!

Did you make the Lemonade Icebox Pie yet?  No?  I think it sounds like the perfect welcome to the weekend... just sayin...  You could make it and then share it with some friends while you paper craft!  Nice transition, huh?

Let's take a look at the project for Page's From the Hearts Die Cut Club!

This month's club is getting a 4x4 Journaling Block to play with - and I was pretty happy with this because it's one of my all time favorites!  I love that it's 2 dies, so you can use just the scalloped oval, the frame and the center circle which has cut lines for journaling!  It's like 3 different dies in one!

I wanted to show that you could use the same die for many different themes/occasions, so I used girly, shabby chic paper for this one...

Bright, fun (okay, and girly) paper for this one and...

more traditional, masculine paper for this one!  And even though I used the same die on all of these, they're all so different and it's because of the paper!  I really think this shows how versatile the journaling block is... don't let the scallops fool you!

I used QK fonts, mustaches, nesting frame and pennants on these cards.  I think the MACHO card is my favorite, what about you?  You could stamp your sentiments on these cards, but I like the boldness of the fonts cut from paper.

I also did a lot of foam tape to add dimension, which makes the cards look so much better!

I hope you have a great weekend... eating ice box pie and doing a little crafting!
Andrea 

Lemonade Ice Box Pie

Good Morning!

Is it hot where you are?  It's hot here.  Hot and muggy.  The heat doesn't bother me as much as the mugginess - I can practically feel my lungs turning into a pond and my inhalers seem to sag and collapse from intimidation.  It's hot and gross.  Luckily I've found quite a few recipes that are refreshing and cool (thank you Pinterest)... a temporary and tasty reprieve!

(Source)

Did you notice that it says "no bake" and "4 ingredients"?  Can it get any better?  Oh, wait - it tastes like lemonade?  Yes, it can get better.

I think it took me less than 5 minutes to whip this up.  It also took us less than 5 minutes to inhale the whole thing (jk).  Both my husband and I loved it's sweet and tangy taste - it was so light and refreshing that I think it'll be a summer staple from now on.

Here's the recipe:

 
We're such rebels that we didn't even let it sit overnight.  We gave it a few hours in the fridge and then sliced into that bad boy.  We're impatient rebels like that.

Have a great, cool day!
Andrea

Merry Christmas in July!

Good Morning!

No, I haven't been time traveling and forgot what season it is, it's Christmas in July time!

Basically, you have 5 months until Christmas... 5 months to start shopping, planning, crafting.  A lot of stores get in on this idea, Target just had a Summer Black Friday, a lot of online shops are offering a discount for their Christmas in July sales... groopdealz has a ton of Christmas items as deals today... well, you get the drift.

So, I decided to go ahead and share our Christmas Mantle from last Christmas, which was one of my favorites even though it wasn't super ornate, it was more fun which fits our little family...

I had made a bunch of Christmas subway signs for the shop last year and the Reindeer one was my favorite.  Since it didn't sell at any of the boutiques, it found a home on our mantle!

I also hung a Christmas bunting from my friend Crystal over at The Lil' Cupcake!  You should definitely check out her blog and her shop... you'll be ohhh-ing and awww-ing over all her sparkly sweet baby items!  And there's a photo of Adam... of course.  I have a 4"x6" photo of our wedding day on the wall and 5 photos of Adam... he's just so darn cute!  Guess you know who the star of our household is!

I had found some old frames and repainted them, then Big A cut boards to fit inside the frame and I painted them with chalkboard paint.  I made 3 of them to sell at the boutiques and this green one was left behind so it now is a permanent chalkboard in our home!  I drew a "fire" scene in chalk on it and leaned it in front of our fireplace opening.  It was a fun burst of color and I was able to hang our stockings on the corners. 

I had seen ideas on pinterest about "Santa's Boot Prints" where people mixed baking soda with glitter and made a "boot print" from the fireplace to the presents so your little one could see where Santa went in your house.  I loved this idea - minus the glitter - so I traced one of Big A's boots on cardstock, cut it out and sprinkled baking soda in the negative on our fireplace and carpet to make Santa Tracks.  Lil' A loved this!  It was so fun bringing the magic to life for him, he now has irresputable evidence that Santa is real!

So that's it!  An easy and fun Christmas Mantle... I like it to much, I think this year's mantle is going to look pretty similar!

So there you go, hope you enjoyed Christmas in July and now go on out into the 100 degree heat!  You're welcome.

Have a happy day!
Andrea

Your Kid + Camera = New Perspective

Good Morning!

Thanks for visiting today.  I know my posts have been a little kid heavy lately, but with Lil' A on summer break, life is kid heavy and craft lite!  Whenever I get stressed about time management: getting photos of new products done, custom orders made and filled (I know, I said I wasn't going to do those anymore...),  paper crafting that lay on the wayside, messy home and 50K loads of laundry, I remind myself that I only have 28 more days of the way things are now and that once Lil' A starts big kid school, everything will be different so I try to remind myself that everything else can wait, one day he's not going to want me around at all and to treasure this time right NOW.

I think Alan and I had an unspoken conversation about taking advantage of family time this summer. We've been enjoying lots of bike rides, pool time, family house project time and general outdoor time... Alan's a huge mountain lover, he's gone camping, hiking, fishing for as long as he can remember, so when I was trying to think of a cooler, free place to enjoy, my "Let's go on a hike today" was met with enthusiasm.

When I was putting together our picnic, grabbing sunscreen, meds, etc. I also grabbed our old Point & Shoot Camera and figured it was time for Lil' A to start recording his own experience...

As the above photo shows, I don't get stellar shots of Lil' A all the time, errr - half the time... okay, 10 percent of the time!  So, instead of me being behind the camera, I thought it would be fun to let Adam have the camera during our hike... he loved the idea and once I showed him how to use it, he started clicking away!  Here's some of his shots...

The photo above is my favorite... the table that we picnic-ed on had the US Forest Service emblem embossed in the wood - I didn't even see it, I love that Adam did.  When I was going through the photos he took to print and put in a mini-album (more on that later!), I saw this one and asked him about it - he knew exactly what it was and where it was... it was awesome to see what he noticed compared to what I noticed about our day.

This one is my other favorite, love the back lit tree and that's it's not portrait but landscape - I know he didn't "set up" his shoot, he just took it like he saw it.  I think this one is going to get blown up blue print size and hung in his room...

And here's one that I took... I had to capture the budding photographer looking for his next shot...

He's getting so big, he can do so much and he's so observant.  His pictures showed different parts of our hike than what I remembered, but that were special to him!  Where as I normally focus on pictures of people, he focused on the environment around him, I think he only took 1 photo of me and Alan and one photo just of Alan, the rest was the world around him, which I loved looking at and getting to experience the hike all over again. 

Have a great day!
Andrea